Crain's Detroit Business articles from November 2005

Crain's Detroit Business archives from November 2005

Philanthropy awards honor givers.(Focus)
November 7, 2005... Four people, one business, a foundation and a social-services agency program will be honored Nov. 17 at the Association of Fundraising Professionals' 14th annual National Philanthropy Day Dinner. The award winners are: Josephine Ford...

Biking, swimming, running are no sweat.(Executive Life)(Ronald Rich of Ronald B. Rich & Associates )
November 7, 2005... Byline: Scott Cendrowski If Ronald Rich's garage - complete with piles of old bicycle wheels, three wall-mounted racing bikes, and drawers full of bike shoes, gloves and water bottles - doesn't hint at an obsession, leave it to his...

People.(Justin Jeris joins Kemp Building & Development Co.)(Bruno Ricciuti and Lonnie Williams joins BBK)(William Ellis joins BEI Associates Inc. )
November 7, 2005... ARCHITECTURE Heather Smigliani to project manager, Hobbs + Black Associates Inc., Ann Arbor, from associate, Fanning/Howey Associates, Novi. Also, Lori Bliss Martens to associate, remaining as interior designer. CONSTRUCTION ...

New plans worry hospitals; Concern grows that consumer-driven coverage will cost them.(News)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Michelle Martinez Detroit area hospitals are worried that the latest "cure'' for high health costs may dump extra costs at their doorstep. Southeast Michigan employers are adopting so-called consumer-driven health plans -...

Spotlight on: Nonprofits and philanthropy.(News)(Lawrence Technological University, Detroit Zoological Society and others raise finance)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Sherri Begin Capital campaigns Several organizations are working to wrap up capital campaigns. * Lawrence Technological University has raised $41 million of its $45 million target to date and hopes to reach its goal by Dec....

Macher: C&A may yet be stand-alone firm; CEO looks at selling units; not ruling out merger.(News)(Collins & Aikman Corp)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky Collins & Aikman Corp., an auto supplier on the brink of collapse earlier this year, could emerge from Chapter 11 as a smaller, stand-alone company, CEO Frank Macher said last week. The slimming down would...

Making a list ...(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Bob Allen Earlier this year, I talked about a new way to buy Crain's lists - such as the foundations list, on Page 30 of this week's issue, and the list of the largest nonprofits, on Page 32. Subscribers can view for free a PDF...

Chronicle should tell all on 'lynching' ad.(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... On Oct. 26, the Michigan Chronicle published a full-page ad that graphically compared the news media's treatment of Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to lynching, a despicable chapter in this country's history of brutality against African-Americans. The...

Detroit, Livingston plans win tax breaks.(News)(Michigan Economic Development Corp)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Robert Ankeny The Michigan Economic Development Corp. has approved brownfield single business-tax credits for two empty buildings in Detroit expected to generate more than $6.9 million in private investment. Vinton Building...

Week in Review.(Briefs)(equal right law for out of state wineries)(merger of SBC Communications Inc. and AT&T Corp.)(merger of Pelican Financial Inc. and Stark Bank Group Ltd.)
November 7, 2005... Out-of-state wineries can ship to state, judge says U.S. District Court Judge Bernard Friedman in Detroit on Tuesday ruled that out-of-state wineries should have the same rights as Michigan wineries to ship directly to Michigan consumers....

College heads: High school should be harder.(News)(law for high school graduation requirements)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Sherri Begin State university officials welcome the State Board of Education's looming recommendations to toughen high-school graduation requirements. But they say it's just as important to change mindsets as it is to prepare...

Corrections.(Correction)(Correction Notice)
November 7, 2005... * The photo of the Infiniti M45 on Page E4 of the Luxury Vehicle Guide in the Oct. 17 issue was the 2004 model. The 2006 model is pictured here.

Women in Business lunch set for Dec. 6.(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Joanne Scharich Kimberly Casiano, member of the Ford Motor Co. board of directors and president of a wide-ranging communications company, will be the speaker at the first annual Crain's Detroit Business Women In Business Luncheon...

Katrina relief bill may produce windfalls for a few nonprofits.(Focus)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Sherri Begin The Katrina relief bill provision that allows individuals to deduct charitable gifts of up to 100 percent of their adjusted gross income this year isn't likely to represent a windfall for most area nonprofits. But...

Building the not-so-big house; Clients and architects skip the size but maintain the details in homes styled on a smaller scale.
November 7, 2005... Byline: JoAnn Amicangelo When Jodi and Eric Updyke decided to enlarge their small Birmingham bungalow three years ago, they had one guiding principle for their architect: quality over quantity. They'd had quantity before in a...

Briefly.(Briefs)(Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation makes donation)(Polar Corp acquires MTEC International Ltd and American Manufacturing Co. Ltd)(Arcadia Resources Inc acquires Sparrow Development Inc)
November 7, 2005... Drug lawsuit dismissed A U.S. District Court judge in Detroit Oct. 19 dismissed a suit against Detroit-based Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories Ltd. filed by Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical Inc. on Sept. 22, 2004. Ortho-McNeil claimed that...

In the spotlight.(People)(Vicky Whalen-Umphryes joins Agree Realty Corp)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Jennette Smith Vicky Whalen-Umphryes was named vice president of development for Farmington Hills-based Agree Realty Corp. Whalen-Umphryes was previously director of real estate for The Home Depot, overseeing new store...

I feel as though I could flip a coin.(Column)(elections for mayor)
November 7, 2005... Byline: KEITH CRAIN I'm not sure who's going to be the next mayor of Detroit. Tuesday's election is going to be important for the city, and although Crain's hasn't endorsed a candidate, we have a great deal of interest in the election and,...

submission info.(News)
November 7, 2005... * Crain's publishes news items about local business activity weekly in its Business Diary, Calendar and People columns. These are editorial columns in which items run based on space available and news value. Each column has specific eligibility...

Auto supplier assets draw Indian firms' interest.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky Asian auto suppliers, especially Indian companies, are looking at the bevy of U.S. auto supplier assets for sale as a way to get into the North American market. Investment bankers say it's just a matter of time...

Business Diary.(Briefs)(contracts between )(Intellitrends L.L.C. and Veretech)(Curtis Insurance Agency and GMAC Insurance Holdings Inc.)(ForeSee Results and Helzberg Diamonds)
November 7, 2005... Contracts Intellitrends L.L.C., Clarkston, has been selected by Veretech, Boca Raton, Fla., to conduct a study of automobile dealers in the United States to assess various strategies and elements of their Internet initiatives. UHY...

Delphi suppliers to get the ax; Miller says suffering will be small.(News)
November 7, 2005... Byline: David Barkholz Delphi Corp. could cut up to 30 percent of its 2,200 U.S. parts suppliers as CEO Steve Miller sells and closes plants during Chapter 11 reorganization. But Miller said late last month that many, if not most, of...

Bankruptcies.(TEC Foods Inc. )(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... The following business filed for Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit, Oct. 28-Nov. 3. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that the court must approve. TEC Foods Inc., 67 W. Huron, Pontiac, voluntary...

Masco to reduce jobs, businesses.(News)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Sheena Harrison Masco Corp. plans to sell or consolidate several of its businesses, raise prices and cut workers to compensate for higher commodity, energy and freight costs that cut third-quarter net income by 27 percent. ...

Milford DDA to redevelop former TRW plant.(News)(Milford Downtown Development Authority buys TRW Automotive Inc. plant)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Andrew Dietderich The Milford Downtown Development Authority has signed a letter of intent to buy a former TRW Automotive Inc. plant in the heart of the city with hopes to resell it to a developer that will build a hotel and homes...

Ergonomics & economics; Business interests say new rules would hurt state.
November 7, 2005... Byline: Amy Lane Only one state - California - has its own standards for workplace ergonomics. Business groups and Republican lawmakers are applying political muscle to make sure Michigan doesn't become the second. A state...

LaSalle Bank Midwest takes lead in local deposits.(News)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Tom Henderson LaSalle Bank Midwest has become the No. 1 bank in the state and in Southeast Michigan in market share of deposits, according to figures compiled by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. But the bank still lags Comerica...

MichTel sees big money in Oak. wireless; Financing plans still not public.(MichTel Communications L.L.C. )
November 7, 2005... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Covering Oakland County with a free wireless Internet network is expected to generate $456.6 million in revenue for MichTel Communications L.L.C. between 2005 and 2010. The Pontiac-based company also plans to...

Philanthropy Award Winners.(Focus)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... The following people and organizations will be honored Nov. 17 at the Association of Fundraising Professionals' 14th annual National Philanthropy Day Dinner. Profiles begin on Page 28. Josephine Ford (posthumously) Max M. Fisher Award...

Calendar.
November 7, 2005... Wednesday Nov. 9 Women in the World of Work: Challenges and Strategies for Women in the Commercial Property Industry. Commercial Real Estate Women-Detroit. 11 a.m. Speaker: Sheryl Maibach, vice president of marketing and sales, Barton...

Leaders make deal on business taxes.(News)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Amy Lane Michigan manufacturers will receive long-sought personal-property tax relief under a business-tax plan agreed to last week by Republican legislative leaders and Gov. Jennifer Granholm. The plan, expected to be voted on...

This Just In.(Roz & Sherm Inc plans to close down)(Steven Hamp leaves The Henry Ford)(Harvey Kahalas resigns from Wayne State University)
November 7, 2005... Roz & Sherm is closing Iconic clothing and shoe retailer Roz & Sherm Inc. is in the midst of a going-out-of-business sale and plans to remain open until its inventory sells out or the end of January when its lease ends. Roz & Sherm has...

Rumblings.(advertising for Kwame Kilpatrick)(Automotive Components Holdings L.L.C and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
November 7, 2005... 'I did not place that ad,' PAC's treasurer says Tuesday's mayoral election will likely be held without a public identification of the person who paid for the most controversial ad of the campaign - an ad that compares media coverage of...

Where old world meets new.(Executive Life)(Raad Toma )
November 7, 2005... Byline: JoAnn Amicangelo As a high school student in Baghdad in the early 1970s, Raad Toma deliberated a career in computer science or medicine. Though his interest in space exploration and technology was leading him toward computers, in...

Stormy times; Nonprofits say economy is the real drag on fundraising.(Focus)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Sherri Begin Hurricane relief efforts are taking a toll on local giving to some human-service agencies, but most nonprofits say the real problem is the economy. Deferred donations are hurting the American Red Cross Southeastern...

Program to offer nonprofit leadership training.(News)(Detroit Executive Service Corps and DTE Energy Foundation)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Michelle Martinez The Detroit Executive Service Corps is teaming with the DTE Energy Foundation to provide leadership training for nonprofits. The six-month program begins Friday and targets nonprofit executive directors,...

C&A experience will change supplier relations, CEO says.(News)(Collins & Aikman Corp.)(chief executive officer)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky The turnaround CEO at Collins & Aikman Corp. said that the company's near disaster and bailout by its customers will lead to changes in automaker and supplier relationships. In some ways, Frank Macher thinks it...

The Lark: still on top; Longtime jewel outlasts competitors.(Executive Life)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Brent Snavely Over the past year, as Crain's restaurant and food reporter, I've attempted to get to as many restaurants as possible. But with my anniversary approaching, I realized that I had yet to get to The Lark, metro Detroit's...

Hockeytown Cafe adds motorcycles to mix.(Executive Life)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Brent Snavely Hockeytown Cafe is sporting a new look these days. Gone is the square center bar that took up much of the first floor. A new bar has been installed alongside the Woodward Avenue side of the sports bar and...

Spinoff takes on ProQuest's low-tech biz.(News)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Jennette Smith In the age of the Internet and wireless communication, who needs microfilm? Libraries and universities do. That's why a group of former ProQuest Co. executives bought three businesses from their ex-employer for...

A conversation with Duane Tarnacki, Clark Hill plc.(Focus)(Interview)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Sherri Begin Duane Tarnacki, a partner at Detroit-based Clark Hill plc, spoke with Crain's reporter Sherri Begin about the delay in the repeal of the estate tax and what it means for nonprofits. As it stands, the tax will be...

Outlook event Wednesday.(Calendar)
November 7, 2005... It is said that the only constant in life is change, but our economic landscape is expected to change rapidly in the years to come. Energy will be more expensive, China will become a more significant player, baby boomers will be retiring, and...

Court case intensifies battle for NAIC control; Suit's purpose: Give members voice in court.(News)(National Association of Investment Clubs)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Sherri Begin After months of back-and-forth before the bench, the stage is set for a battle for control of the National Association of Investment Clubs. A motion filed Oct. 13 by attorneys for trustee Warren Alexander, which...

Hendrix leads Kilpatrick in polls and fundraising.(News)(Kwame Kilpatrick and Freman Hendrix)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... Byline: Robert Ankeny As the Detroit mayoral election campaign wraps up, fundraising has continued for Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick as he strives to catch challenger Freman Hendrix in the polls. A poll of 402 likely voters conducted by...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
November 7, 2005... End entitlement mentality Editor: Thank you for Mary Kramer's article on the entitlement mentality ("We must lose the entitlement mentality," Oct. 17). The problem goes deep into the culture and unfortunately is not allowing any...

Power of the individual.(Opinion)(Rosa Parks )
November 7, 2005... Detroit's farewell to Rosa Parks last week reminded us all of the power of one. Parks was known as a civil-rights icon, a dignified, historical figure who chose Detroit as her adopted hometown. But she was, in a sense, a philanthropist,...

Largest nonprofits; Based on 2004 gross receipts, figures in millions.(Focus)(Macomb-Oakland Regional Center)(Community Living Services Inc)(American Red Cross)(Brief Article)
November 7, 2005... 1. Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute: $217.8 2. Macomb-Oakland Regional Center: $152.7 3. Community Living Services Inc.: $117.3 4. American Red Cross of SE Michigan: $77.0 5. Lutheran Social Services of Michigan: $76.0 ...

Hiring heats up, for some; Accounting, health care among hot jobs.
November 14, 2005... Byline: Amy Lane If you're an accountant, savvy in Internet technology or have health care skills, Southeast Michigan may be a good place in 2006 to find work. Even though auto-manufacturing employment is likely to further contract,...

Denise Ilitch to speak at women's business event.(Focus)(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Joanne Scharich The National Association of Women Business Owners Greater Detroit Chapter is hosting a workshop and business showcase for women business owners Thursday. The keynote speaker is Denise Ilitch, who will discuss...

Costs may have some going dark.(regulatory compliance costs)(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Tom Henderson The costs or headaches of Sarbanes-Oxley compliance are forcing a record number of companies to go dark and experts expect many others to either go dark or delist as the compliance date for middle-market and smaller...

Smoother sailing possible?(Sarbanes-Oxley Act )(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky Putting the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and Section 404 into practice had more hiccups than planned, but are smoother times ahead? The auditing oversight board created by the 2002 law - the Public Company Accounting...

Chipotle to open in Rochester Hills, W. Bloomfield.(News)(Chipotle Mexican Grille Inc)(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Brent Snavely Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grille Inc. plans to open two restaurants in metro Detroit next month. Company spokesman Chris Arnold said Chipotle will open company-owned restaurants at 2611 Rochester Road in...

Troubles mean work for firms.(auto sector analysis )
November 14, 2005... Byline: Robert Ankeny Leaders of top Detroit law firms say to expect predictable increases in business from bankruptcy reorganizations and Sarbanes-Oxley work, with continued emphasis on specialization and consolidation. "There'll be a...

'Material weakness' doesn't mean pressing panic button; Warnings get more frequent because of new requirements.
November 14, 2005... Byline: Tom Henderson Financial audits of public companies are expected to generate substantially more alerts of "material weakness'' warnings in 2006, but investors made panicky by Enron, Tyco and WorldCom shouldn't panic further, say...

Reporter's Notebook.(Sarbanes-Oxley compliance pushes accounting firms market )
November 14, 2005... Byline: Tom Henderson Sarbanes-Oxley compliance remains concentrated in the Big Four accounting firms, which audit the 80 percent of public companies that have 90 percent-95 percent of all U.S. market capitalization. But increased...

Mayor wants help from business world.
November 14, 2005... Byline: Robert Ankeny Detroit's city government faces a major shake-up in 2006 to offset the growing deficit, and newly re-elected Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick said he'll look to the business community for advice and support. Business...

OK, you got re-elected. So now what?(mayor re-election)(Column)
November 14, 2005... Byline: KEITH CRAIN In what has to be the most exciting comeback since one of those football cliffhangers in the fourth quarter, the re-election of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick sure surprised a lot of folks. Now that he's won, he has...

Women in Business lunch set for Dec. 6.
November 14, 2005... Byline: Joanne Scharich Kimberly Casiano, member of the Ford Motor Co. board of directors and president of a wide-ranging communications company, will be the speaker at the first annual Crain's Detroit Business Women In Business Luncheon...

Write your own outlook.
November 14, 2005... Byline: Bob Allen I've read so many of these Outlook stories over my 12-plus years here that I must admit, it takes some effort to shake me out of an occasional lapse in concentration - at which point every expert sounds like...

Corrections.(Correction)(Correction Notice)
November 14, 2005... A story on Page 28 of the Nov. 7 issue incorrectly reported that Harold Poling's wife and daughter were victims of fatal brain aneurysms. Both survived, but their experiences with neurological disease motivated Poling's involvement in raising...

Tannenbaum: State's economy has bottomed out.(Carl Tannenbaum economists talks)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Tom Henderson Attendees at the Crain's Detroit Business Outlook 2006 breakfast Wednesday heard a relatively upbeat assessment of the state and national economy for 2006 from Carl Tannenbaum, chief economist for LaSalle Bank Corp....

TRW Automotive may close more plants in cost-cutting effort.(TRW Automotive Holdings Corp)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Bradford Wernle Automotive News TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. already has said it will close nine plants by the end of 2007, and more closings may be on the way. TRW (NYSE: TRW) is in the midst of a major cost-cutting effort as...

Business Diary.(Cornerstone Building Group gets a contract from Denali Development)(Waste & Recycling Solutions Inc. gets a contract from Akebono Corp.)(Carvel Ice Cream contracts Sachse Construction Inc.)
November 14, 2005... CALLS FOR NOMINATIONS International Association of Business Communicators is accepting entries for its Silver Quill Award competition. Entry forms and additional information can be found at www.iabcheritage.com. Nomination deadline: Nov....

GM deal likely to influence others in battle against costs.(General Motors Corp )
November 14, 2005... Byline: Michelle Martinez The landmark health care deal negotiated between General Motors Corp. and the United Auto Workers was a good start, industry observers say, but only the beginning of controlling employer health care costs in the...

Kilpatrick plans to attack high insurance rates.(Kwame Kilpatrick to manage home owner's insurance )(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Robert Ankeny Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick said he will attack the high cost of auto and home owner's insurance in Detroit first by negotiating with the insurance industry. If that doesn't work, Kilpatrick said, he'll have the city...

Vendors add to Delphi docket; Ask to stop work they might not be paid for.(Delphi Corp labor pay issues)
November 14, 2005... Byline: David Barkholz Automotive News More Delphi Corp. suppliers want their money and are creating a parade to bankruptcy court in New York. Last week, at least four Delphi vendors asked U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain to decide...

Must-have products are big key to success.(Focus)(market share of different automotive companies)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky Despite major headwinds, a handful of local auto suppliers are thriving while others struggle, or fail, to maintain profitability. BorgWarner Inc., Johnson Controls Automotive Group, Noble International Ltd.,...

Election-night lesson: Poll in person; Bad calls raise questions about phone polling.(News)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Tom Henderson, Amy Lane A veteran national pollster who got his start in Detroit said the problem with the polling that missed the call in Tuesday's Detroit mayoral campaign was that it cut corners by relying on the phone. ...

Small biz wary of economy.(Focus)(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Sheena Harrison Small firms aren't very optimistic for the new year, according to a survey by the Small Business Association of Michigan. About 200 businesses are surveyed in areas including sales, profitability and expected...

Nonprofits pressed to consolidate forces.(Focus)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Sherri Begin Nonprofits will be facing new pressure to consolidate in the coming year, as funding constraints tighten and grantors push for more collaboration. Continued declines in state and federal funding will force many...

Tech chief gets national attention.(management of Department of Information Technology's director Teri Takai)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Amy Lane Two and a half years ago, Teri Takai took on a tough job. Stepping from the private sector to consolidate state government information technology, the new Department of Information Technology director faced employees...

Bankruptcies.(Public Notice)
November 14, 2005... The following businesses filed for Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit Nov. 4-10. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that the court must approve. MRC Industrial Group Inc., aka MRC Warren Fasteners...

Meetings, time and money; Sarbanes-Oxley has caused big headaches, but second-year costs are likely to stabilize.(Focus)(Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky Every two weeks, ArvinMeritor Inc. CEO Chip McClure meets with department heads and the internal audit staff to go over hundreds of line items. It's not about new contracts, raw-material prices, new products...

Energy costs, auto industry cuts to hurt state.(high energy prices impact on economy)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Amy Lane The Henry Ford draws tourists from all over the country. But with high gasoline prices potentially putting a crimp on out-of-state visitors, the Dearborn museum is looking in 2006 to focus more promotion on those...

To help the state, we must help schools.(economic development through education)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Mary Kramer Don't be surprised to see the city of Kalamazoo achieve a small population bump. Starting with the class of 2006, graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools can expect a four-year scholarship to any public college or...

Suppliers gird for big changes, increased uncertainty.(Focus)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky If the supplier industry were a football team, 2006 would be known as a "rebuilding year.'' Because it's business, it's called a "restructuring year,'' but the meaning is the same - things may get worse before...

Election-year politics likely to dominate Lansing agenda.
November 14, 2005... Byline: Amy Lane If 2005's legislative atmosphere is any indication, the 2006 election year in the Capitol will be attention-grabbing and divisive. This fall, major issues like business-tax cuts and technology-business investment...

Rising prices may spur switching.(electric utilities industry forecast)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Amy Lane High energy prices and regulatory changes could drive some businesses away from alternate suppliers in 2006 and back to their home utilities. On the natural-gas side are indications that some large commercial or...

New banks, new name highlight industry changes.(banking industry forecast)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Tom Henderson Southeast Michigan should see a continued expansion of community banking in 2006, a name change by one of the state's largest banks and continued fierce competition in the lucrative wealth-management sector. And,...

NWA gets concessions from 3 unions, asks court for further cuts.(Northwest Airlines Corp., Air Lines Pilots Association, Professional Flight Attendants Association and Aircraft Technical Support Association)(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Michelle Martinez Northwest Airlines Corp. has cut deals with three of its labor unions, but will ask a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge in New York City to impose labor-cost savings by the middle of the month on its ground workers. ...

Rumblings.(MidWest Financial Credit Union plans for its sixth branch)(Walsh College to honor three business leaders)(Holman Automotive Group Inc. sues Victory Toyota)
November 14, 2005... Victory Toyota must stop Red Holman ads Victory Toyota of Plymouth has to nix TV ads that mention Red Holman Pontiac GMC after U.S. District Judge Lawrence Zatkoff granted an injunction on Oct. 27 sought by Red Holman. Westland-based Holman...

This Just In.(Questor Management Company L.L.C. to sell ASC Inc.)(Sidney Krandall & Sons Co. shuts down)(Metaldyne Corp. undergoes reorganization)
November 14, 2005... ASC is up for sale The private-equity owner of specialty-car supplier ASC Inc. has the company up for sale, according to four people in the financial community. Southfield-based Questor Management Co. L.L.C. has been working with CIBC...

Biz-tax reform called too weak.(News)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Amy Lane As lawmakers and Gov. Jennifer Granholm head back to the drawing board on business-tax relief, they're being urged by some to come up with a better and broader plan. The plan, announced more than a week ago and passed...

Detroit schools to ask vendors for internships.(Detroit Public Schools asks finance for internship programs)(Brief Article)
November 14, 2005... Byline: Sherri Begin Detroit Public Schools plans to begin asking its vendors whether they offer paid internships to students in the district as part of its bidding process. The district separately is asking its largest vendors to help...