Crain's Detroit Business articles from March 2008

Crain's Detroit Business archives from March 2008

Expansion isn't always growth.(Opinion)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Two new hospitals are under construction in Oakland County, while as many as three others are being contemplated if state approval can be won. This in a county that is growing only modestly and in a metro area that is growing not at all....

Get outdoors.(Business Lives)(John Hieftje is a true outdoorsman)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Leah Boyd John Hieftje Mayor Ann Arbor John Hieftje, 56, is a true outdoorsman. When the Ann Arbor mayor isn't immersed in city work, he stays far away from fluorescent lights. Hieftje enjoys hiking,...

Cupcake therapy.(Business Lives)(Korin Sharp of DTE Energy Co.)(Occupation overview)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Constance Crump A tidy compact kitchen in Dearborn is the world headquarters of a new cure-all: cupcake therapy. Chief Cupcake Therapist Korin Sharp wears an "I (heart) cupcakes a lot'' T-shirt as she organizes apple-cinnamon...

Bistro Randall.(Business Lives)(Randall Fogelman of Eastern Market Corp. )(Occupation overview)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Nathan Skid Randall Fogelman understands the interplay between fresh ingredients, culinary excellence and robust conversation. His connection to Eastern Market Corp. offers him a unique view of the best Detroit has to offer. ...

Fear no food.(Business Lives)(Jim Edelman of Clear Channel Radio Detroit tells aspiring domestic chefs not to be afraid to try new things)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Marti Benedetti Jim Edelman's advice to aspiring domestic chefs: Don't be afraid to try new things. "It's food, and as long as you don't burn it or over-salt it, everything can be fixed - or at least laughed about later.'' ...

Baking with love.(Business Lives)(Michelle Fanroy's baking skills)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Constance Crump Many kids have a couple of household chores. Michelle Fanroy's was baking two sweet potato pies a week. "I come from a family where Sunday dinners are important,'' she recalled. "I've always been expected to...

The power of presentation.(Business Lives)(Annabel Cohen of Eagle Ottawa Leather Co.)(Occupation overview)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Marti Benedetti Every dinner party deserves an ornate tablescape. Annabel Cohen's has a spring motif. Vases filled with pastel tulips and gerbera daisies; green leaf-shaped plates; and strategically placed bunches of green...

2007's top verdicts and settlements.(Focus)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... A quarter-century-old criminal case involving millions of dollars in bank fraud losses, several huge patent battles, and squabbles between major health care institutions marked the 2007 legal scene for Detroit lawyers and judges. One...

Communities negotiating new water contracts.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Chad Halcom Suburban communities are getting in early on negotiations with the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department to adopt tailored versions of the new model contract recently approved for all of the department's municipal...

Nominate Power Sellers.(News)
March 3, 2008... Are you a Power Seller? Do you know one? We're talking about the kind of salesperson who makes the most of every opportunity and demonstrates sincere concern for customers. If so, let us know. Crain's Detroit Business will profiles a...

Seeking case studies.(News)
March 3, 2008... We'd like to know which local companies are using diversity initiatives to improve their bottom lines. Crain's Detroit Business will publish a special report on diversity April 14. We'll have extra emphasis on how companies of all sizes put...

Nominations sought for 40 under 40.(News)
March 3, 2008... Crain's is seeking nominations for the 2008 class of "40 under 40,'' which recognizes young achievers based on factors such as financial impact and civic and community leadership. Winners will be profiled in the Sept. 29 issue, and Crain's...

Fight over glass.(Focus)
March 3, 2008... Guardian Industries Corp. vs. AFG Industries Inc. Protecting its niche in energy conservation, Guardian Industries Corp. went to court in a battle over its basic patents on low-emissivity glass. This is glass with a microscopically...

Collecting expired taxes.(Focus)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Briggs Tax Service L.L.C. vs. Detroit Public Schools et al. The Detroit Public Schools were sued by a proposed class of business taxpayers for collecting more than $150 million during 2002-2005, a period in which a school operating tax had...

Commissions dispute.(Focus)
March 3, 2008... Votar L.L.C. vs. HS R&A Co. Ltd. In a dispute over sales commissions, Votar L.L.C., an independent sales representation firm in the auto industry, claimed that HS R&A Co. Ltd., a South Korean company, had granted it a five-year exclusive...

Unpaid commissions.(Focus)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Pamela Anton, Cheryl Freeman Snipes vs. SBC Global Services Inc. It has been almost seven years since two saleswomen at SBC Global Services Inc. filed lawsuits, claiming they were underpaid on a huge wholesale DSL contract they had landed...

Quick approval sought for airport, education spending.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Amy Lane Members of Michigan's aviation industry are pressing lawmakers for speedy action on legislation that would enable Michigan to collect nearly $163 million in federal funding for airport projects around the state. ...

'Green' auto products plant opens in Detroit; Car wash, motor oil in pipeline.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Jay Greene Green Earth Technologies, a Stamford, Conn.-based maker of consumer products safe for the environment, has opened a manufacturing plant in Detroit to bottle and package automotive appearance and performance products in...

Gonzalez buys out joint venture.(News)(Company overview)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Brent Snavely After a partnership that lasted 10 years, Gonzalez Design Group has bought out 49 percent of a joint venture it had with Comau Inc., giving Gonzalez more control. Gonzalez Design Group and Comau owned Gonzalez...

Corrections.(Correction)(Correction notice)
March 3, 2008... * A story on Page 6 of Crain's Feb. 25 edition was incorrect in saying that Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson "had vowed to skip'' a Feb. 22 meeting called by Gov. Jennifer Granholm to discuss Cobo Center expansion plans. Patterson...

Bankruptcies.
March 3, 2008... The following businesses filed for Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit Feb. 22-28. Under Chapter 11, a company files for reorganization. Chapter 7 involves total liquidation. Ansbury Cleaners Inc., 54156...

Fast lane to light rail; Private-sector money could cut years from process.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Bill Shea Private-sector money behind a $103 million light-rail transit loop on Detroit's Woodward Avenue could mean decades trimmed from the project's planning and could reinvigorate other transportation projects already in the...

Homeless center planned for Roseville.(News)(Macomb County Rotating Emergency Shelter Team)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Sherri Begin The Macomb County Rotating Emergency Shelter Team hopes to break ground this fall on a new, one-stop shop for the homeless on its Roseville property. The group has received a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department...

Mayor may not be only lawyer under scrutiny; City, others review lawsuit, settlement.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Robert Ankeny Nearly a dozen Detroit-area lawyers, including Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, ultimately could be under scrutiny by at least one of four different agencies for their conduct in the police whistle-blower lawsuit, its...

Someone really ought to see the light.(Column)(Column)
March 3, 2008... Byline: KEITH CRAIN I've never had a particular aversion to lobbyists. I figure that if I can't get around to all the folks in Washington I am supposed to talk to on behalf of my position, whatever that might be, then what's wrong with...

CORE Partners co-founder joins Staubach Co.(News)(CORE Partners L.L.C)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Daniel Duggan Nearly two years after co-founding the CORE Partners L.L.C. real estate firm, Barbara Eaton and a three-person brokerage team will join the Detroit operation of Staubach Co. effective today. Hiring Eaton is part...

Business Diary.(Briefs)(TriMas Corp acquires Parkside Towbars)(Willis Building Co contracts with Eden Foods Inc.)
March 3, 2008... ACQUISITIONS TriMas Corp., Bloomfield Hills, announced its Cequent group acquired Parkside Towbars, in Western Australia. Parkside Towbars manufacturers and distributes towbars, hitches, roofbars and other related vehicle accessories....

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
March 3, 2008... Better transit center needed Editor: For over two years, I've traveled between Birmingham and Chicago on Amtrak. I find the service to be cost-effective and convenient, for the most part. There are, however, some definite shortfalls....

Cultural Alliance pioneers online clearinghouse for members.(News)(Cultural Alliance of Southeastern Michigan)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Sherri Begin The Cultural Alliance of Southeastern Michigan has launched a Web-based clearinghouse for its members to share resources. The Sharing Resources Clearinghouse at www.culturalalliancesemi.org offers assets from...

Construction to begin to expand Detroit Science Center for school.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Chad Halcom Within a month and without much fanfare, construction will begin on a $15 million expansion to the Detroit Science Center to make room for the newest charter school backed by the Thompson Educational Foundation. The...

Sales soar amid slump; Corrosion Fluids: `It's all positioning'.(News)(Corrosion Fluids Products Corp.)(Company overview)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Nancy Kaffer Corrosion Fluids Products Corp. has had decades of steady growth. But in the past four years, the business has more than doubled its sales. With Michigan's economy ailing, Corrosion Fluids' 2007 sales totaled...

'2-1-1' program good news for our region.(United Way)(Column)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Mary Kramer Forget the debate over Washington's "economic stimulus'' package. The quickest way to put money into the hands of working, low-income residents in metro Detroit is through their tax returns. Mike Brennan, CEO of...

Death in drug detox.(Focus)(Susie Oppenheim vs. Dr. Aeneas Guiney)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Susie Oppenheim vs. Dr. Aeneas Guiney, Project Straight Clinic In the largest reported 2007 medical malpractice verdict in Michigan, an Oakland County Circuit Court jury returned a wrongful death damages verdict against a doctor who...

Power Breakfast founder to step down.(Business Lives)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Julie Yolles Dulcie Rosenfeld's baby is turning 15 on March 12, and it's not Jim, or Jill, or Nancy or Hank. It's the Women's Power Breakfast - the annual fundraiser Rosenfeld founded shortly after joining the board of Gleaners...

'Textgate'.(Focus)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Harold Nelthrope, Gary Brown vs. City of Detroit, Detroit Police Department, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick This was the underlying lawsuit in what has become "Textgate'' for the city of Detroit and Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. The Detroit Free...

A Conversation With Brian McKeen, McKeen & Associates P.C.(Focus)(Occupation overview)(Interview)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Bob Ankeny Brian McKeen began practicing law in 1982, started his own firm in 1998 and has become one of Michigan's foremost medical malpractice attorneys. In 2001, McKeen won what is believed to be the largest malpractice verdict...

People.(Alix Partners L.L.P.)(St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital)(Forbes Co.)
March 3, 2008... FINANCE Jeffrey Johnston to managing director, financial advisory services practice, Alix Partners L.L.P., Southfield, from senior managing director, Conway MacKenzie and Dunleavy, Birmingham. Also, Jeff Forman to director, from director...

Etkin project has Il Posto expanding.(Business Lives)(Il Posto Ristorante)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Brent Snavely Tony Gioutsos, owner of Il Posto Ristorante in Southfield, is eager for spring to arrive. That's when Etkin Equities L.L.C., Il Posto's landlord, plans to begin tearing down a former Tom's Oyster Bar at Franklin...

A clothier collared.(Focus)(United States vs. Ilene Moses )(Brief article)(Case overview)
March 3, 2008... United States vs. Ilene Moses When former Grosse Pointe fashion designer Ilene Moses was sentenced to 17-1/2 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Patrick Duggan last July, it ended a saga that began more than 25 years ago. ...

Best practices from the best-managed nonprofits.(News)(Conference news)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Learn about making the most of limited resources, plus hear remarks and table discussions with nonprofit leaders. It happens 8:30-11:30 a.m. March 10 at Lawrence Technological University, Center for Nonprofit Management, Southfield. ...

Calendar.(Calendar)
March 3, 2008... Tuesday March 4 Is the Michigan Business Tax Friend or Foe? 1:15-5:15 p.m. The Wayne Law Review and Wayne State University Law School. Includes three panel sessions: "Overview of the MBT: What Changes and Why Now?'' "Incentivizing...

Fourth-quarter earnings are mixed for local companies.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Tom Henderson "It was a very mixed bag,'' said Dana Johnson, chief economist for Comerica Bank, about fourth-quarter earnings reports for public companies in Southeast Michigan. Auto suppliers added nearly $1 billion to their...

Week in Review; From www.crainsdetroit.com, week of Feb. 23-29.(Briefs)(Detroit Medical Center (Detroit, Michigan) decides to withhold $12 million in annual Medicaid payments )
March 3, 2008... DMC moves to solve dispute with WSU The board of The Detroit Medical Center voted Tuesday to address several points raised by the Wayne State University School of Medicine over the DMC's decision to withhold $12 million in annual Medicaid...

In the spotlight.(People)(Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone appoints David Robson )(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... David Robson has been named COO of Detroit-based law firm Miller Canfield Paddock and Stone P.L.C. He replaces Robert Post. Robson, 47, had been senior vice president, CFO and chief investment officer of Boston-based Pembroke Real Estate...

Double billing.(Focus)(Chun Wing Wong vs. T-Mobile USA Inc. )(Brief article)(Case overview)
March 3, 2008... Chun Wing Wong vs. T-Mobile USA Inc. The lawsuit alleged that Bellevue, Wash.-based T-Mobile USA Inc. violated the Michigan Consumer Protection Act, double-billing subscribers by charging them for data access services when they paid a flat...

Teams look north to fill downtown office space.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Daniel Duggan Businesses in the suburbs should be expecting more calls from a 313 area code. New leasing teams at three Detroit office buildings are all launching campaigns to fill vacant office space with suburban companies...

Systems vie for Oakland patients; Yet coveted county has excess beds, flat growth.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Jay Greene Competition between hospitals for good-paying patients in Oakland County is heating up. Over the past several years, five major hospital systems in the Detroit area have targeted Oakland County for expansion with up...

Rumblings.(Absopure Water Co.)(Bernard Financial Group )
March 3, 2008... Executives behaving badly is OK at roast After tonight, you're going to fire me, aren't you?'' Bernard Financial Group President Dennis Bernard shouted while parading around a stage in a short-sleeve dress shirt, clip-on tie and...

Spend less on prison, more on higher ed.(Opinion)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... For the first time in history, more than 1 percent of all American adults are in prison, an all-time high. And the burgeoning prison population isn't driven by skyrocketing crime rates. It has more to do, according to a report released...

This Just In.(State House introduces film-industry stimulus bills )
March 3, 2008... State House introduces film-industry stimulus bills A long-brewing package of incentives to boost Michigan filmmaking heads for committee this week. House Bills 5841-5856 are intended to give Michigan the most competitive incentives in...

Aastrom to ask shareholders to OK reverse merger.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Tom Henderson Ann Arbor-based Aastrom Biosciences Inc., which has several stem-cell-based products in trials for bone, skin and tissue regeneration in both the U.S. and Europe, will ask shareholders to approve a reverse merger to...

Food fare.(Business Lives)
March 3, 2008... When life gets busy, it's easy to let cooking take the back seat. Although it sounds somewhat animalistic, we eat whenever, wherever and however we can. Sometimes it's boxed, other times it's defrosted, and more times than we'd like to admit,...

Salad Creations to open 2nd location.(News)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Brent Snavely Salad Creations is planning to open its second location in Michigan on March 10 at 18349 Hall Road in Macomb Township. Last May, franchisees Anthony Ciotti and Luciano Gonzalez opened the first Salad Creations in...

Small Plates opens.(News)(Small Plates Express)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Brent Snavely Small Plates Express opened Feb. 8 in the First National Building in Detroit. It is a carry-out version of Small Plates, a tapas restaurant that was open by Todd Stern at 1521 Broadway Ave. in 2002. Small...

Cuisine, court battles among new Web offerings.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Kevin Hill We have plenty on our menu at www.crainsdetroit.com this week. First, you can check out the fare cooked up by metro Detroit's best domestic chefs. The profiles of our five picks begin on Page 19, but you can see them...

Moving a hospital.(Focus)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Detroit Medical Center vs. Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Gershwin Drain granted The Detroit Medical Center an injunction to stop the move of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute to St. John...

You can fight city hall.(Focus)(Transwestern Fountain Walk L.L.C.)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Transwestern Fountain Walk L.L.C. vs. City of Novi Fountain Walk contested the assessed and taxable values of its real property, which Novi had assessed based on a true cash value of $74.5 million. The case was settled based on revised...

Corrections.(Correction)(Correction notice)
March 10, 2008... * A story on Page 26 of the March 3 edition incorrectly stated the size of the staff at CORE Partners L.L.C. Before the recent departure of four brokers, there were 14 brokers working for the firm. * In a story on Page 14 of the March 3...

ESD hosts conference on dispute resolution for contractors, owners.(Focus)(Engineering Society of Detroit)(Conference news)(Brief article)
March 10, 2008... A March 18 event seeks to help contractors and building owners resolve disputes. The Engineering Society of Detroit is offering the conference to help shed light on the topic and offer tips. The event, which runs 8 a.m.-noon at The...

Spending on innovation down sharply in state; State's shaky tax structure, lending crisis likely causes.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Chad Halcom Investment in innovation is off sharply for Michigan, according to the latest Innovation Index to be released today by the University of Michigan-Dearborn School of Management. The school's index figure to measure...

Revenue shortfall leads to budget uncertainty.(Briefs)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Amy Lane Clouds are emerging in Michigan's revenue picture, sending a cautionary message to lawmakers as they craft the state's upcoming budget. The Senate Fiscal Agency said last week that a variety of revenue issues may lead...

A new election would mean a revolution.(Column)(Column)
March 10, 2008... Byline: KEITH CRAIN It looks like the Democratic Party pulled a fast one on us. "Us'' being the residents of Michigan who wanted to participate in a primary to help select a Democratic presidential candidate. It's all fallen apart,...

What will green power cost? Surcharge, spending cap considered.
March 10, 2008... Byline: Amy Lane Michigan's drive to renewable energy is generating concern about higher electricity prices. The issue: How, and at what price, will utilities or other energy providers build or purchase renewable power to meet a...

Mix well, then sell; Developers find demand for blend of retail, residential, office space.(Focus)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Daniel Duggan There aren't many retail developments in the pipeline these days. And a lot of the condo and office projects have dried up. But mix the three, and developers see some demand. Mixed-use development has become a...

Construction companies think smaller, find niches as projects become fewer.(Focus)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Daniel Duggan When the biding process for a $1 million gun range in Novi was opened to construction firms, 12 bidders stepped forward. Five years ago, a job of that size likely would have drawn four, maybe five, bidders, said...

No quick OK for new treatment center.(Opinion)(Viewpoint essay)
March 10, 2008... Hospital administrators in Southeast Michigan were fuming last week in the wake of an announcement by William Beaumont Hospitals that it was planning a $159 million state-of-the-art proton-beam cancer radiation treatment center on its Royal Oak...

New Roundtable leader wants to take mission statewide.(News)(Discussion)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Sherri Begin Thomas Costello, 54, is taking the reins of the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion today, leaving his position as senior vice president of global human resources and a nearly 24-year career at Compuware...

IMRA's ultrafast lasers bring precision, profits; Ann Arbor company eyes expansion.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Tom Henderson Ultrafast fiber lasers reduce side effects for those getting eye surgery, help manufacturers of computer chips reduce their size and cost, and are helping Ann Arbor-based IMRA America Inc. boost revenue and add jobs....

Meadowbrook CEO sees 20% growth with new acquisition.(News)(Robert Cubbin )
March 10, 2008... Byline: Jay Greene CEO Robert Cubbin and Meadowbrook Insurance Group in Southfield have come a long way. Cubbin started with the company in 1987 as its general counsel. But when he became CEO in May 2002, Meadowbrook (NYSE: MIG) had...

Morgan Stanley to acquire 60% stake in Learning Care.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Chad Halcom Morgan Stanley Private Equity will acquire a 60 percent stake in Novi-based early education and day care provider Learning Care Group Inc. in a sale expected to close next month, the companies announced in a joint...

Rise in occupancy rate fuels area hotel building boom.(Focus)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Jonathan Eppley A modest increase in hotel occupancy is helping to fuel new construction and renovation projects in metro Detroit. The region's yearly occupancy rate increased 2.8 percent to 58.6 percent in 2007, according to...

Some question value of proton-beam therapy for some cancers.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Jay Greene Proton-beam therapy, a form of megavoltage radiation therapy, has been suggested to be effective in some prostate and pediatric cancers because it causes less damage to surrounding tissues while directing high dosages at...

Briefly.(Briefs)(Alan Gershel resigns Department of Justice)(Citizens Republic Bancorp)(Arotech Corp. has acquired Realtime Technologies Inc)
March 10, 2008... Justice department official to teach at Cooley Law Alan Gershel, criminal division chief of the U.S. attorney's office in Detroit for nearly 20 years, retires in May and will join the Thomas M. Cooley Law School faculty as a visiting...

Mass mailers try to lick rising postal rates; Some consolidating, others using vendors.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Sherri Begin Large mailers are getting more serious about pruning bad addresses, signing up customers for online bill-paying and other measures to mitigate the effect of rising postal costs. Rates for first-class mail, standard...

People.
March 10, 2008... EDUCATION Dan Smith to state relations director, Oakland University, Rochester Hills, from director of government relations, the Detroit Regional Chamber, Detroit. Jaime Straka to accounting supervisor, The Art Institute of Michigan,...

The final piece; Lowe's to fill last big parcel near Great Lakes Crossing.
March 10, 2008... Byline: Daniel Duggan In 1995, dining options at the Baldwin Road exit from I-75 were limited to a Big Boy restaurant. Retail was limited to a gas station's chip-and-cookies rack. Today, dining options such as Rainforest Cafe, Joe's...

This Just In.(Richard Duncan of Jerome Duncan Inc. entitled to $4M from his daughter)
March 10, 2008... Richard Duncan entitled to $4M from daughter A founder and owner of the former Jerome-Duncan Inc. Ford dealership in Sterling Heights is entitled to $4 million in total damages from his daughter and successor as majority owner, a Macomb...

Week in Review.(Briefs)
March 10, 2008... ArcelorMittal will loan Noble $50 million ArcelorMittal S.A., the world's largest steel manufacturer, has agreed to provide Troy-based Noble International Ltd. with a $50 million loan, and has also offered to buy stock held by Robert...

Downtown Detroit needs more retail.(City overview)(Viewpoint essay)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Robin Boyle, James Bieri Cities that have sustained themselves have robust foot traffic. There is no getting around this missing piece of our downtown puzzle. Detroit's city center has surpassed expectations with the...

Hopes high for brownfield conference.(Focus)(Conference news)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Daniel Duggan One major stream of state money for cleaning up brownfield sites may be dry by year's end. In May, the largest brownfield conference in the United States will be held in Detroit. Michigan sites in need of...

Calendar.(Calendar)
March 10, 2008... Wednesday march 12 ADvance: The Club Study Program. 6:30-8 p.m. Today-May 21. The Adcraft Club of Detroit. An 11-session weekly education program about different aspects of the advertising business, taught at different locations....

In the spotlight.(People)(ArvinMeritor Inc. appoints Barbara Novak as vice president)(Brief article)
March 10, 2008... Barbara Novak has been appointed vice president and corporate secretary at Troy-based auto supplier ArvinMeritor Inc. (NYSE: ARM). Novak had been senior counsel, securities, at TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. in Livonia. She holds a...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
March 10, 2008... Patents are important assets Editor: Mary Kramer's Feb. 18 column ("Here's a positive statistic to build on'') asks, "Because of its manufacturing heritage, Michigan has an asset-based lending culture. Is a patent an asset? It could...

Cancer therapy raises debate over shared technology.
March 10, 2008... Byline: Jay Greene On Feb. 12, a state Certificate of Need Commission work group of five hospital officials, one medical school physician and two community representatives met in Lansing to talk about an expensive yet possibly better way...