Crain's Detroit Business articles from May 2006

Crain's Detroit Business archives from May 2006

Beware shareholder wrath.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... "Invest in health and you also invest in wealth.'' So said Hank McKinnell, Pfizer Inc.'s chairman and CEO at the Detroit Economic Club on Feb. 13. Seems downright prophetic, given the uproar over the Pfizer board's approval of a plan...

Week in Review.(Somanetics Corp. extends contract of Bruce Barrett)(St. Joseph Mercy Health System opens its new Woodland Cancer Center)(Asset Acceptance Capital Corp. acquires Premium Asset Recovery Corp.)
May 1, 2006... Granholm calls for regional cooperation Gov. Jennifer Granholm on Wednesday urged regional cooperation and called on state lawmakers to recognize the importance of the Detroit area to the state's health. She spoke at the "Pancakes &...

Briefly.(Oakland University hostseconomic seminar)(Tyco International Ltd. buys antenna test site)(Woodward Avenue Action Association hosts a workshop)
May 1, 2006... OU to host economic seminar A seminar on economic opportunities and initiatives available in Michigan is being offered May 19 by the Oakland University Center for Executive and Continuing Education. Scheduled speakers include: *...

Corrections.(Correction)(Correction notice)
May 1, 2006... * A story on Page 10 of the April 24 issue mistakenly named GTECH Services Inc. as a division of MSX International Inc. The Dearborn-based company, which uses the name G-Tech Professional Staffing Inc., instead purchased assets of MSX's...

Freedom to be her own boss and keep tabs on son.(services of Anne Doyle)
May 1, 2006... Anne Doyle, principal at Anne Doyle Strategic Communications in Auburn Hills, had a business office in her home long before it became an acceptable practice in American business culture. From 1985-87, she ran a communications company from...

He lost an assistant, but gained a view of the lake.(services of Karl Storrie )
May 1, 2006... When Karl Storrie retired from his post as president and CEO of Rochester Hills-based Dura Automotive Systems Inc. in 2003, he didn't retire from business. Instead, he established KFS Associates L.L.C., his own automotive and aerospace...

A space to escape from the activity of a busy office.(design of Charlene Proctor's home office )
May 1, 2006... Byline: JoAnn Amicangelo Charlene Proctor, principal of The Goddess Network Inc. in Birmingham, knows all about the need for boundaries in a home office. She and her husband, Tom Proctor, president and CEO of Proctor Financial Inc. in...

Startups can get feedback at May 11 Entrepreneur's Forum.(Focus)
May 1, 2006... Byline: Laura Bommarito The Entrepreneurial Initiative of Southeast Michigan will hold its sixth Entrepreneur's Forum at 8:30 a.m. May 11 at the Automation Alley Tech Center in Troy. Technology firms SecureCom Technologies L.L.C.,...

WSU weighs retiree health care; Adding it, that is; some say benefit needed.(Wayne State University health insurance)
May 1, 2006... Byline: Sherri Begin Wayne State University is considering adding retiree health coverage benefits for its faculty and academic staff to be competitive with other research and doctoral institutions. A joint faculty-administration...

Time for national fix for health coverage.(employers fight to compete in a global economy)
May 1, 2006... Byline: Gail Warden No matter what your political stripe, it is time to find a national solution for the issue of the uninsured. All citizens have a right to basic health care, and we must find a way to make this happen. Continued...

Home suite home.(survey repors on home office works)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Five million Americans or 3.8 percent of the population work from home offices, according the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2004. In Michigan, nearly 140,000 say they work from home offices, while the U.S. Small Business...

Ferndale brewer opens second spot.(sandwiches, pizza and salads)
May 1, 2006... Byline: Brent Snavely Almost 10 years after opening Woodward Avenue Brewers in Ferndale Chris Johnston has opened The Emory, but Johnston didn't go far for a second location. Johnston opened March 1 on the northeast corner of Woodward...

This Just In.(Foley and Lardner L.L.P. has named Nicole Lamb-Hale)(Cushman and Wakefield sells its Michigan business to Signature Associates)(Harvey Kahalas has accepted the deanship of the Stuart Graduate School of Business )
May 1, 2006... Lamb-Hale named Foley managing partner Foley & Lardner L.L.P. has named Nicole Lamb-Hale as managing partner of its Detroit office, to succeed Steve Hilfinger effective June 1. She becomes the first African-American woman to head a major...

Groups push hike in tourism spending; $30m sought for budget, up from $5.7m.
May 1, 2006... Byline: Jennette Smith, Amy Lane Michigan business officials have begun a push to quintuple state tourism spending - an investment they say the state can't afford not to make. The Michigan Hotel, Motel & Resort Association, the...

Finance facts.(rankings)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... * Michigan's mortgage foreclosure rate reached 2.5 percent in 2005, compared with 1.6 percent for the nation. * Michigan home appreciation was 3.8 percent in the fourth quarter, lowest in the nation. * Michigan banks reported a median...

WSU, UM, MSU push for separate funding.(Wayne State University, the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, government aid to education)
May 1, 2006... Byline: Amy Lane Michigan's three largest research universities are pitching for separate consideration as lawmakers slice up funding for higher education. Wayne State University, the University of Michigan and Michigan State...

Infolab carves niche in knowing thy customers.(management of Infolab Inc.)
May 1, 2006... Byline: Andrew Dietderich When Mike Duika and Frank Martin left Southfield-based R.L. Polk & Co. in 1994, all they had were two phones and a dream to start their own business. Eleven years later, the two own Ann Arbor-based Infolab...

People.(appointments and promotions of Carey Ballard, Bryan Steele, George Booth and Doug Pauley)
May 1, 2006... Architecture Robert Jordan to director of architecture, Sidock Group Inc., Novi, from senior project manager, Schonsheck Inc., Wixom. Timothy Murdock to senior associate, Hobbs+Black, Ann Arbor, from assistant project architect,...

SBT bedevils tech, service businesses; People-intensive industries pay more when they hire.(single-business tax)
May 1, 2006... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Technology and other service companies being looked at to revive Michigan's struggling economy are hurt most by the state's 30-year-old single-business tax. That's because the tax was put in place to encourage...

Michigan Growth Capital Symposium marks 25 years.
May 1, 2006... Byline: Tom Henderson David Brophy never dreamed there would be a 25th annual Michigan Growth Capital Symposium. "I thought it would last about three years and by then everyone would have gotten the point,'' said Brophy, an associate...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... State can fix health care woes Editor: In your editorial of April 10 ("Health care plan could cure what ails Michigan''), you ask whether Michigan lawmakers and officials can adopt the same attitude displayed by policymakers in...

Love of dancing led to support of opera house.(Bob and Maggie Allesee donates to Michigan Opera Theatre)
May 1, 2006... Byline: Sherri Begin Maggie Allesee has had a passion all her life for dance. When she was just 6 years old, she hung a pair of ballerina toe shoes on the mirror in her bedroom, dreaming of the day she'd glide across the stage in her...

Making a home office work.(dean Ahmad Ezzedine offers tips on managing home-based business)
May 1, 2006... Byline: JoAnn Amicangelo We asked Ahmad Ezzedine, assistant dean of executive and professional development at Wayne State University's School of Business Administration, for some tips on making the home-based business a successful...

Bankruptcies.(Brief article)(List)
May 1, 2006... The following businesses filed for Chapter 7 or 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit April 21-27. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that the court must approve. Chapter 7 involves total liquidation. Prism...

Business Diary.(Concraft Inc. opens new office)(launch of IT-Harvest company)(Nomads Inc. upgrades its aircraft)
May 1, 2006... CALLS FOR NOMINATIONS BDO Seidman L.L.P., Troy, is accepting applications for the 2006 Future 50 of Greater Detroit. To be eligible, a business must be headquartered in southeastern Michigan, must be at least two years old, generate at...

William Bolcom and Joan Morris find themselves at the top of the musical world. But making their success work in business terms has required them to strike Just the right note.
May 1, 2006... Byline: Constance Crump Composer William Bolcom and his wife, mezzo-soprano Joan Morris, are on the faculty of the University of Michigan's School of Music. But they easily could teach a course on entrepreneurship in the university's...

Sweet Georgia Brown closes for renovations.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Byline: Brent Snavely Sweet Georgia Brown, the fine-dining restaurant in Detroit's Greektown area, will close today for renovations and is scheduled to reopen by mid-June. "The purpose for this renovation is not to completely change...

Hospice plans hires to increase market share.(Hospice of Michigan)
May 1, 2006... Byline: Sherri Begin Hospice of Michigan is the largest hospice in the state and one of the largest nonprofit hospices in the country, but it's still on a mission to gain more market share. The organization plans to spend $700,000 by...

Rumblings.(Senator Carl Levin to attend a fund raising event at Women's Action for New Directions-Michigan)(Life Directions honors Dave Bing, Rhonda Walker, and Sam Lafata)(QuatRx Pharmaceuticals Co.'s stock performance analysis)
May 1, 2006... Web site sees QuatRx stock at low debut Shares of QuatRx Pharmaceuticals Co. could debut by the end of this week at a price of about $7 each, according to financial news Web site theflyon thewall.com. In filings with the U.S....

No car? No problem! Dealer offers car GM hasn't yet decided to build.(dealer Les Stanford Chevrolet rollbacks advertisements of Chevrolet Camaro)(General Motors Corp. plans to build Chevrolet Camaro)
May 1, 2006... Byline: Jamie LaReau Crain News Service General Motors Corp. has not announced plans to build the Chevrolet Camaro, but that's a mere technicality for a local Chevy dealer. Les Stanford Chevrolet in Dearborn has solicited deposits from...

They are nothing more than alibis.(energy policy analysis)(Column)
May 1, 2006... Byline: KEITH CRAIN Gasoline didn't get to more than $3 a gallon overnight. This dilemma has been brewing since 1973. Our outrage should focus on this: our politicians, our automobile companies and our oil companies have done little or...

Reporter's Notebook: Retired, but far from retiring.(Comerica Bank's David Littmann's opinion over economics)
May 1, 2006... Byline: Tom Henderson David Littmann retired last year as Comerica Bank's chief economist. Since then, he has written a weekly column on handwriting analysis for the Holly Community Voice. But he's not afraid to proclaim that the...

Credit Acceptance is relisted, stock hits 15-month high.(listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market Inc.)
May 1, 2006... Byline: Tom Henderson Credit Acceptance Corp. of Southfield capped its turnaround from last year's accounting troubles Wednesday when it was relisted on Nasdaq (CACC). The same day, its stock closed at its highest in the past 15 months,...

Detroit-Ann Arbor mass transit would get funding from new deal.
May 1, 2006... Byline: Amy Lane Local funding for light rail or other mass transit between Detroit and Ann Arbor could be back on track, under an agreement struck between Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Republican legislative leaders. The agreement breaks...

Bulls, bears and busts.(online financial services and weblogs)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Byline: Daniel Eizans It's earnings season, which means financial analysts, amateur traders and bloggers alike are spouting off across the blogosphere about financial trends, the supposed next big gainer or what to sell. While I won't...

Ideas and lunch at the ballpark.(Ideas Before Dawn speaker series baseball competition)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Byline: Joanne Scharich The Ideas Before Dawn speaker series is going out to the ballpark May 17 for lunch with David Dombrowski, president, CEO and general manager of the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers have combined strong pitching and...

Tourism boosters must make case.(Tourism groups and Chamber of Commerce urges governor to fund tourism)(Column)
May 1, 2006... Tourism groups and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce are pushing state lawmakers and Gov. Jennifer Granholm to spend more money on tourism promotion. This makes sense. The budget is $5.7 million this year, compared with $48 million in...

ProQuest stock dives after new warning.(stock performance)
May 1, 2006... Byline: Tom Henderson Shares in Ann Arbor-based ProQuest Co. (NYSE:PQE) were hammered Friday after the company announced an update on its announcement in February that it would need to restate financial figures for 2000-2004 and the first...

Trading Spaces; Butzel Long makes way for Pulte HQ expansion.(Butzel Long P.C., Pulte Homes Inc. plans to expand headquarters by signing a building lease with Kojaian Properties Inc.)
May 1, 2006... Byline: Jennette Smith Call it "Trading Spaces: Bloomfield Hills Edition.'' A series of leases totaling about 240,000 square feet at two large Bloomfield Hills office buildings make way for a major headquarters expansion by Pulte Homes...

Checking out the competition; Kruse cruises Troy dining strip to prepare newest offering.(restaurateur Bill Kruse plans to open a restaurant)
May 1, 2006... Byline: Brent Snavely Restaurateur Bill Kruse, who doesn't like to eat his food cold, did just that while he was in lease negotiations for his newest Kruse & Muer restaurant in Troy. The Troy restaurant, at 912 Wilshire Drive, is in...

In the spotlight.(People)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Troy-based auto supplier ArvinMeritor Inc. announced that Jeffrey (Jay) Craig will become vice president and controller of the company, effective today. Craig, 45, comes to ArvinMeritor (NYSE: ARM) from General Motors Acceptance Corp.,...

Calendar.(Calendar)
May 1, 2006... Tuesday May 2 Michigan Minority Procurement Conference and Trade Fair. Today-May 5. Michigan Minority Business Development Council, State of Michigan, Wayne County, city of Detroit, and WWJ AM 950. Speakers: Sara Martinez Tucker,...

Covansys sells part of subsidiary.(sell part of its Fortune Infotech Ltd)(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Tom Henderson Farmington Hills-based Covansys Corp. (Nasdaq: CVNS) announced Tuesday that its wholly owned subsidiary, Covansys India Ltd., has agreed to sell part of its Fortune Infotech Ltd. to Fidelity National Financial Inc....

Ease Birmingham liquor rules.(liquor licenses in the city)(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... Birmingham has what many small cities would kill for: a walkable downtown. But retail vacancies are growing as national chains depart for traditional malls. Ironically, the merchants who are left are worried the city's nightlife relies too...

Business Diary.(Home Appliance Mart acquires Witbeck Appliance)(Professional Waste Solutions Inc. and Johnson's Printing Services)(Wealth Management Services L.L.C.)
May 8, 2006... ACQUISITIONS Home Appliance Mart, an appliance, television and video store based in Ann Arbor, has acquired Witbeck Appliance, formerly of Ferndale. Witbeck's Internet operation, along with a portion of its sales staff, has moved to the...

Emergency-preparedness workshop is May 23.(businesses develop and emergency plan)(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Laura Bommarito The Engineering Society of Detroit is presenting an Emergency Preparedness Workshop from 7 a.m. to noon May 23 at the Marriott Centerpoint in Pontiac. The workshop will help businesses develop an emergency plan....

New faces of leadership.(third woman lawyers to be president )(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Robert Ankeny Nancy Diehl, chief of the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office trial division, was the third woman of 71 lawyers to be president of the State Bar of Michigan when she took office in 2004. Twenty years ago, Julia...

In the game on the bench.(women judges)(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Robert Ankeny One section of the legal profession pays women the same as men, and it's a place where the presence and profile of women has grown: on the bench. About 27 percent of Michigan judges are women, with 164 women among...

Bankruptcies.(List)
May 8, 2006... The following businesses filed for Chapter 7 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit April 28-May 4. Chapter 7 involves total liquidation. GFY Inc., formerly known as MDC Systems Inc., 39625 Lewis Drive, Suite 200, Novi, voluntary...

Quicken offered 2 Detroit sites for HQ; Developing Detroit: While Roger Penske and Dave Bing take on redevelopment, city officials court another mogul.
May 8, 2006... Byline: Robert Ankeny Quicken Loans/Rock Financial Inc. has been offered at least two downtown sites for a new headquarters office building, Detroit's development czar George Jackson said last week. One site is above the Premier Garage...

Comic relief; Local producer's Comics on Duty brings humor to the troops.(Metro )
May 8, 2006... Byline: Jennette Smith Richard Davis has never served in the U.S. military, but his efforts during the past 14 years should probably earn him a chief humor officer title. Davis is the Pleasant Ridge-based producer behind Comics on...

Still seeking balance; Women lag men at local law firms as change comes slowly.(12 percent of partners were women)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Robert Ankeny The number of women lawyers has grown substantially in the past 30 years, but women still must cross a chasm between law firms' front doors and their corner offices. A Crain's survey of metro Detroit's 10-largest...

Change is visible, but slow.(law firms)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Robert Ankeny Margaret (Peggy) Costello said that Dykema Gossett P.L.L.C., like many Detroit firms, has made efforts to add women to its partnership ranks in recent years. Costello, 53, a past president of the Women Lawyers...

Choosing work and family.(Eisenberg and Bogas P.C)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Robert Ankeny Kathleen Bogas didn't make the choice between career and family. With her husband, Frank Rhodes, also an attorney, she raised two children, now ages 22 and 20. Bogas, 55, joined Bloomfield Hills-based...

The problem of time.(managing partner )
May 8, 2006... Byline: Robert Ankeny Barbara Rom has been managing partner of the Detroit office of Pepper Hamilton L.L.P. since January 2005, and in her 34 years of law practice has seen some changes for women. But Rom, 57, said that all lawyers...

Please don't take my Big Mac away.(Detroit City Council ordinance)(Column)
May 8, 2006... Byline: KEITH CRAIN Detroit City Council has passed an ordinance that prohibits the use of handheld cell phones while driving in the city. The mayor hasn't signed it yet because he wants to study ordinances in other cities. I'm not...

This Just In.(Snyder, Kinney, Bennett & Keating Inc. acquired by Century 21 Today Inc.)(Henry Ford Community College gets president)(Birclar Electric & Electronics buys Riverview plant)
May 8, 2006... Luxury brokerage changes owners, joins Sotheby's Oakland County luxury residential brokerage Snyder, Kinney, Bennett & Keating Inc. has changed owners and added an affiliation with the Sotheby's International Realty network. The...

This 'Gang of Four' bodes well for city.(Chris Ilitch, Roger Penske, Dan Gilbert and Peter Karmanos the four who can make a difference to Detroit business)(Column)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Mary Kramer Our automotive industry so dominates our regional economy - and our psyche - that we sometimes overlook just how big, creative and important our other billion-dollar companies are. Take, for example, the men who run...

Corrections.(Correction)(Correction notice)
May 8, 2006... * A story on Page 1 of the May 1 issue about Nicole Lamb-Hale being named managing partner of the Foley & Lardner L.L.P. Detroit office erred in saying she was hiring partner heading the recruiting committee and headed the bankruptcy practice...

People.(promotions)
May 8, 2006... EDUCATION Charles Roboski to associate dean for admissions and external affairs, Ave Maria School of Law, Ann Arbor, from director of admissions and financial aid, Notre Dame Law School, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind. ...

Ideas and lunch at the ballpark.(Tiger Club inside Comerica Park)(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Joanne Scharich The Ideas Before Dawn series is going out to the ballpark May 17 for lunch with David Dombrowski, president, CEO and general manager of the Detroit Tigers. Registration begins at 11 a.m. with the program running...

Week In Review; From www.crainsdetroit.com, Week of April 29-May 5.(Briefs)
May 8, 2006... Granite to sell Channel 20, S.F. station for $150M New York City-based Granite Broadcasting Corp. announced Tuesday that it has reached an agreement to sell Detroit's WDWB-TV Channel 20 and San Francisco's KBWB-Channel 20 for $150 million...

In the spotlight.(Mark Tomlinson is named as a executive director)(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... The Dearborn-based Society of Manufacturing Engineers has named Mark Tomlinson executive director and general manager. Tomlinson, 53, joined SME in 2003 as director of membership with responsibility for chapter and technical activities. In...

Calendar.(Calendar)
May 8, 2006... Tuesday May 9 Strictly Business. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. JVS. James Nicholson, president, PVS Chemicals Inc. Hyatt Regency. Dearborn. $100. Contact: Judy Strongman, (248) 233-4213, or www.jvsdet.org. Breakfast with L. Brooks...

Reporter's Notebook; Communication: The best tool.(Focus)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Robert Ankeny Law firm advertising and marketing has come a long way since 1977, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that bar organizations could not ban lawyer advertising because lawyers have free-speech rights to hawk their wares....

Penske, Bing to lead Detroit rebuilding; Developing Detroit: While Roger Penske and Dave Bing take on redevelopment, city officials court another mogul.
May 8, 2006... Byline: Robert Ankeny Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was expected to announce today that two Detroit corporate leaders are to head efforts to make Detroit an attractive city in which to work, play and do business. Roger Penske, who spearheaded...

Birmingham mulls more liquor licenses; Goal is to attract small restaurants.(liquor license policy)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Brent Snavely Birmingham is considering a change in its liquor license policy as a way to encourage more small, independently owned restaurants. Under consideration is a proposal to allow restaurant operators who fit certain...

Focus Macomb names committee co-chairs for economic group.(develop strategies to enhance and strengthen the county's economic success)(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Anjali Fluker Two Macomb County businessmen will co-chair one of four committees for the recently formed Focus Macomb, a business-led group created to promote economic-development in the county. Ron Reed, president and CEO of...

Monaghan pushes printer to speed up expansion; Allegra Network looks to nearly double franchises by 2010.(News)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Sheena Harrison At the urging of Domino's Pizza Inc. founder Tom Monaghan, Allegra Network L.L.C. plans to nearly double the number of its franchises by 2010. Northville-based Allegra, of which Monaghan is majority...

Visteon's profit, progress on restructuring please investors.(News)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Bradford Wernle Crain News Service Investors like the progress Visteon Corp. is making with its restructuring and downsizing, and CEO Michael Johnston said last week the company will make more cuts. Van Buren Township-based...

ProQuest gets loan-default waivers.(News)(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Tom Henderson Ann Arbor-based ProQuest Co. has reached an agreement with its bank lenders and private note holders to grant waivers to its current loan defaults, including those resulting from ProQuest's ongoing accounting review,...

Garden Fresh dips into hummus market.(Garden Fresh Gourmet Salsa Inc. acquired Gourmet International Foods)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Brent Snavely Two days after Garden Fresh Gourmet Salsa Inc. acquired Inkster-based Gourmet International Foods, Garden Fresh executives were meeting with buyers from Kroger Co. in Cincinnati asking the grocery store chain to carry...

Letters.(Letter to the editor)
May 8, 2006... Trash the trash fee proposal Editor: I read with interest the article, "Budget would add fee for trash pickup, lay off 77,'' ("Week in Review,'' April 17) and must say Mayor Kilpatrick is wrong on this budget as he has been on...

Uncrossing the wires.(News)(CrainsDetroit.com)(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Daniel Eizans I never wanted to resort to talking about my problems in this space. Unfortunately, today I have to do just that. On Tuesday, you may have noticed that our Web site, CrainsDetroit.com, was down for several hours....

Finalists set for Entrepreneur of Year.(News)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Laura Bommarito The consulting firm Ernst & Young L.L.P. of Troy has named 25 finalists representing 22 companies for its Entrepreneur of the Year awards. The region was changed last year to combine northwest Ohio and eastern...

Briefly.(BD's Mongolian Barbeque L.L.C. changing name)(Direct Marketing Association of Detroit hosting Automotive Integrated Marketing Symposium)(Davenport University under renovation)
May 8, 2006... BD's switches to `Grill' Ferndale-based BD's Mongolian Barbeque L.L.C. is changing its name to BD's Mongolian Grill and is adding appetizers to the menu. President and CEO Billy Downs said market research conducted by Chicago-based...

Detroit needs a BID to bid for success.(Opinion)(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... What next after Super Bowl? That's the question that has buzzed since the game was played in February. Some answers may be coming this week with announcements of new game plans for business and development in Detroit. As Robert...

Ziebart prepares for retirement of its top executive; Leadership shuffled as Wolfe takes step back from day-to-day.(News)(Ziebart International Corp., Thomas Wolfe)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Sheena Harrison Thomas Wolfe, the corporate head of Ziebart International Corp., is scaling back his responsibilities at the company as he makes plans for retirement.Wolfe, who was the chairman, CEO and president of Troy-based...

Rumblings.(Ann Arbor Film Festival seeking finance)
May 8, 2006... Lawmaker takes aim at racy film fest fare The Ann Arbor Film Festival plans to launch a fundraising campaign this summer after a state legislator introduced an amendment to an appropriations bill to block its state aid because of nudity and...

Women find ways to build own network.(Focus)(women lawyers )(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Robert Ankeny Women lawyers find ways around what some see as the "old boy'' network of large firms. Kathleen Lang leads a networking group at Dickinson Wright P.L.L.C. that meets every six to eight weeks to discuss issues and...

TechTeam gets back to business after deal.(News)(TechTeam Global Inc.)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Anjali Fluker After months of distractions - from a proposed proxy battle with one of its largest shareholders to the departure of lead executives - TechTeam Global Inc. appears ready to focus on growth. Southfield-based...

Spotlight on: Computer service companies.(News)
May 15, 2006... Where top 20 are based City: No. of firms Troy: 5 Detroit: 4 Southfield: 4 Rochester Hills: 2 Ann Arbor: 1 Brighton: 1 Farmington Hills: 1 Livonia: 1 Novi: 1

Lists as spreadsheets.(News)
May 15, 2006... You can purchase individual Crain's lists or our Book of Lists in Excel spreadsheet format at www.crainsdetroit.com. Click "Crain's Lists" in the left-hand navigation bar. If you've never used this feature before, you'll be prompted to set up...

Loonie takes flight; Rising Canadian dollar could boost state's tourism, manufacturing.
May 15, 2006... Byline: Jennette Smith, Tom Henderson Larry Hundt remembers the "insanely busy'' days of the early 1990s when the Canadian tour operator had customers clamoring for more shopping tours into Michigan and New York. Those days are back....