Crain's Detroit Business articles from October 2004

Crain's Detroit Business archives from October 2004

Business Diary: Part 1 of 2.(Briefs)(Michiganmall.com)(Home Project Central Inc.)
October 4, 2004... Contracts The WalkonEtkin Partnership, Southfield and Farmington Hills, has begun construction at Livonia's College Park, a $75 million retail and office development near Six Mile Road and I-275. Nine restaurants, retailers and service...

Giving care when you can't be there; Top-notch nannies are much more than just baby-sitters.(Special Report)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Laura Bailey Steve Schafer, owner of Schafer Development L.L.C. in West Bloomfield Township, can't predict when he'll have to fly out of town on a real estate deal. Nor can his obstetrician-gynecologist wife, Karen...

Calendar.(Calendar)
October 4, 2004... Tuesday Oct. 5 Meeting of the Detroit Economic Club. Noon. Speaker: Henry Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State. Masonic Temple, 500 Temple, Detroit. $30 members and their spouses, $35 guests of members, $45 others. Contact: (313)...

People.(Detroit Door & Hardware Co.)
October 4, 2004... Construction Alan Hull to vice president, service/key account sales development, Detroit Door & Hardware Co., Madison Heights, from senior sales- development manager. Education Mitchell Rosenzweig to director of funds development,...

This Just In.
October 4, 2004... DMC reaches deal on WSU, faculty contracts The Detroit Medical Center reached a tentative agreement to extend for a year its contracts with the Wayne State University School of Medicine and the University Physician Group, DMC President and...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
October 4, 2004... Let's build rails, not more roads Editor: In the Aug. 30 editorial, "Mass transit must become a priority,'' the statement "and the absence of a cohesive transit system for the region will dog the region's economic progress in this...

Lawrence Tech to take over purchasing report.(Lawrence Technological University)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Katie Merx Lawrence Technological University's College of Management has entered an agreement to prepare the Detroit Purchasing Managers Report for the National Association of Purchasing Management - Metro Detroit. ...

New clearing rules may sink check-floating practices.(News)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Katie Merx Many banks expect businesses to bounce a lot more checks when the new federal law called Check 21 takes effect at the end of this month. Check 21, the nickname for the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, goes...

Real issues obscured.(Opinion)
October 4, 2004... Lost in the public opinion storm over Detroit City Council's adoption of a racially exclusive economic plan is a legitimate and serious issue: creating more business owners among black Detroiters (See story, Page 1). Historically, it is...

The dangers of a lack of accountability.(Column)
October 4, 2004... Byline: KEITH CRAIN We seem to have a bad habit of taking one step forward and five steps backward. Recently, we took five steps backward. The Detroit City Council passed a resolution to distribute millions of dollars to...

Huron Twp. OKs $170M project; 355-acre plan to have 850 homes, condos.(News)(Huron Township)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky The burgeoning real estate development company owned by Soave Enterprises L.L.C. is planning a 355-acre, 850-unit residential development in Huron Township. The township board late last month approved a rezoning...

Testing the waters; NSF International tries to build recognition among consumers for testing, certification.(News)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Sherri Begin In the past year, Ann Arbor-based NSF International Inc. has commissioned an advertising campaign, won a couple of high-profile contracts and made an acquisition. It's all part of a brand- and business-building...

Washtenaw site puts geographic information on Web.(Special Report)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Sheena Harrison Detailed maps showing rights-of-way, roads and watersheds throughout Washtenaw County are available free through a new Web site called MapWashtenaw. More than 1,000 visitors have used the county's site since it...

Screen time; New movie theaters, drive-ins pop up throughout metro Detroit.(Special Report)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Brent Snavely Metro Detroit is in the midst of a movie-theater building boom that mirrors a national increase in movie-theater construction that began about a year ago. In fact, metro Detroit is on track to see between 50 and...

A friendly 'honk' can help restart the conversation.(Special Report)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Katie Merx "Hey, did you hear me honk at you?'' read the e-mail from a man I'd met several months earlier. "When?'' I thought, trying to remember. Oh, right, I'd heard a horn on I-696 that sounded like a friendly,...

Airport, architects cut deal to cut costs.(News)(Wayne County Airport Authority )
October 4, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong The Wayne County Airport Authority brokered a deal with Gensler in Detroit and Dearborn-based Ghafari Cos., the two architectural firms designing the new north terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, to reduce...

Domestic policy; Businesses unclear on effect of Proposal 2 on partner benefits.(News)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane An unanswered question for business in the proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage is whether it will outlaw domestic partner benefits. In the end, it may be courts that have the final say. Proposal 2 would...

Business documents filed with state available online.(News)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane Business documents filed with the state for corporations, limited-liability companies and limited partnerships are now available online. The documents, such as articles of incorporation, annual reports, dissolution of...

Menu items change with seasons at Seldom Blues.(Special Report)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong As the days get shorter, some restaurants around town begin making seasonal menu changes, and Chef Jerry Nottage at Seldom Blues in Detroit is getting started on his. He's added several items including bronzed...

Briefly.(Briefs)
October 4, 2004... One exec leaves, another takes new role at Bridge Co. While traffic on the Ambassador Bridge may suffer from gridlock, there's no such problem with the management team for the company that runs the bridge, the Detroit International Bridge...

Tunnel partnership seeks public input on border plan; Still needs strip of land from Detroit.(Detroit River Tunnel Partnership)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong The Detroit River Tunnel Partnership plans to begin holding public forums late next month on its proposed rail tunnel as it continues to work to acquire the last piece of property it needs for the project. The...

Materials costs hammer suppliers; Price hikes squeeze profits; no relief seen in 2005.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky When it comes to raw materials, auto suppliers are facing the worst-case scenario. Prices for the foods eaten by most auto suppliers, steel and plastic, have risen dramatically this year and show no signs of...

UM gives Web-based auction program 2 years to pay off.(University of Michigan)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Sherri Begin The University of Michigan's athletic department plans to give its 5-year-old Internet auction program two more years to turn things around and bring in substantial revenue. If it does not, the department's...

Towing the line; After a bad experience with a custom trailer builder, businessman sets out to create company to do it right.(News)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong When Tom Abrams saw a need for a specialized car-trailer manufacturer in metro Detroit and couldn't persuade anyone else to form the company, he did it himself. Abrams, owner and president of Reliable Carriers...

No time to be in line? When you need to clone yourself, concierge services do the small jobs so you can take care of the big picture.(Wait 'n See Productions L.L.C.)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Laura Bailey When Detroiter Jacenthea Hampton, a busy property manager who cares for her elderly mother, must be in three places at the same time, she hires Yvette Cockrell, owner of the Belleville-based concierge service Wait 'n...

Miro law firm to dissolve; many to join Honigman.(News)(Miro, Weiner & Kramer P.C.)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Robert Ankeny Bloomfield Hills-based Miro, Weiner & Kramer P.C. will be dissolved effective Nov. 1, with top partners, including chairman Jeffrey Miro, joining Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn L.L.P. Alan S. Schwartz, managing...

Real Estate Forum names award winners.(Special Report)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Robert Ankeny The co-founder of a successful urban housing-development company, the president of a growing suburban real estate management firm, one of the area's largest residential developers and the head of a three-year-old...

Henry Ford Health expo documents progress in quality.(Henry Ford Health System)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Katie Merx Increasingly concerned with proving their value to patients and employers, health systems are looking for ways not only to improve the quality of care they provide but to document those improvements. In that vein,...

Corrections.(Correction)
October 4, 2004... * A story on Page 35 of the Sept. 27 issue wrongly named a Detroit public lighting bond proposal on the Nov. 2 ballot as Proposal L. Proposals L and M are Detroit Public Library millage proposals for a 2.99-mill renewal and a 1-mill increase....

S&P raises bond rating for Wayne County.(Standard & Poor's Corp.)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Robert Ankeny Wayne County's general obligation bond rating has been raised from A- to A with a stable outlook by Standard & Poor's Rating Service. This should allow the county to save money by refinancing some outstanding debt,...

Highland Park agency publishes real estate guide.(HP Devco Inc.,)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Robert Ankeny HP Devco Inc., the economic-development agency for Highland Park, has published its third annual Commercial and Industrial Real Estate Guide, describing 31 properties available for lease or acquisition. The guide...

Union loses revote after reversal.(News)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Workers at Dearborn-based Hollingsworth Management Services L.L.C. rejected unionization Aug. 27 after the National Labor Relations Board ruled electioneering skewed results of a previous election. A...

The mouse that roars.(News)
October 4, 2004... Visit www.crainsdetroit.com to read the latest daily breaking business news. Best Managed Nonprofit Contest: Here's your opportunity to gain recognition as metro Detroit's best-managed nonprofit organization. Winners will be selected in...

Best-managed nonprofits.(News)
October 4, 2004... Which are the best-managed nonprofits in metro Detroit? You can nominate the nonprofit you believe makes the grade in the annual "Best-Managed Nonprofit'' contest, sponsored by Crain's Detroit Business. The competition is open to...

Town meeting; Some say African Town plan gives voice to real need to help black businesses.(African Town)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Sheena Harrison, Robert Ankeny A Detroit City Council plan to create an "African Town'' business district in Detroit may be sidelined, but the proposal vocalizes a need to foster African-American entrepreneurship within the city,...

Week in Review.(Briefs)
October 4, 2004... Kmart-Sears deal: 50 stores, $575.9 million, 2 local stores Kmart Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: KMRT) said that it will sell 50 stores to Sears, Roebuck & Co. (NYSE: S) for $575.9 million. Kmart said it will receive $172 million in cash before...

Stewart Group doubles auto dealership holdings.(Stewart Management Group Inc.)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Brent Snavely Stewart Management Group Inc. bought the Cadillac, Saab and Kia franchises from Ft. Myers, Fla.-based Goodman Automotive Group on June 2 and is also building a showroom for a Hummer franchise the company expects will...

Bankruptcies.(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... The following businesses filed for Chapter 7 or 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit the week of Sept. 24-30. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that the court must approve. Chapter 7 involves total...

Bringing out volunteers is group's specialty.(Volunteer Impact)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Mary Kramer One of Southeast Michigan's most innovative nonprofits will honor its founder at a fund-raising event on Oct. 14 at the Seligman Performing Arts Center at Detroit Country Day School in Beverly Hills. Liz Kanter...

Bill would create fairgrounds authority.(News)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane A bill that could help the Michigan State Fair gain new stature and business footing is on the move. The Senate on Sept. 21 passed Senate Bill 1130, a bill that would create a new authority with direct responsibility...

Rumblings.(The Henry Ford)(Times Beach Records Inc.)
October 4, 2004... Detroit has another connection on 'The Apprentice' Metro Detroit's legacy of reality television participants continues with this season's edition of "The Apprentice.'' Former Dearborn Heights resident Elizabeth Jarosz is wending her way...

Dealers hope Ford, GM incentives help them clear lots; But discount-driven sales aren't always good, dealers say.(Ford Motor Co.)(General Motors Corp.)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Brent Snavely Local auto dealers welcomed last week's promotional push by Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp., saying the programs helped them clear out some of their 2004 inventory and will help a lackluster sales year, but...

Beyond Trinkets; Promotional items can help a business leave a lasting impression.(Special Report)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Kath Usitalo Long after the oompah-pah music fades and the sauerkraut is a memory, the Tepel Bros.' Oktoberfest remains with the graphics arts crowd that attends the commercial printer's annual German-themed open house in Troy. ...

Office politic; Candidate chatter is common, but not always a good idea.
October 4, 2004... Byline: Andrew Dietderich As chair of the George Bush-Dick Cheney campaign in Oakland County, Dan Devine makes no bones about whom he's pulling for in next month's election. That is, unless it's during banker's hours, when he goes to...

Business Diary: Part 2 of 2.(Briefs)
October 4, 2004... Expansions Atwell-Hicks, an Ann Arbor design consulting and civil-engineering firm, has opened its first Cleveland area location. Address: 30575 Bainbridge Road, Suite 180, Solon, Ohio. Telephone: (440) 349-2000. CTI and Associates...

Who offered bribes?(Opinion)(Brief Article)
October 4, 2004... The conviction last week of former Wayne County Deputy COO Wilbourne Kelley III and his wife, Barbara Kelley, is reverberating. The Kelleys were convicted of extortion, bribery and related charges. The prosecution by the U.S. attorney's...

An eclectic blend; Lawyers in love find right mix in Troy Tudor.(Special Report)
October 4, 2004... Byline: JoAnn Amicangelo When Lisa Langton met Charlie Langton for the first time as students at Detroit College of Law in 1984, she didn't like him. His thousand-mile-a-minute personality made her question what her friend, who was dating...

Woodward businesses to get small-biz assistance.(News)(Woodward Avenue Small Business Tour)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Sheena Harrison Woodward Avenue businesses from the riverfront to Pontiac will receive door-to-door small-business advice from nearly 20 organizations and companies during the Woodward Avenue Small Business Tour on Nov. 9. The...

State panel nears decision on Edison request for rate increase; Portions of electric-choice program hinge on outcome.(News)(Detroit Edison Co.)
October 4, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane A recommended Detroit Edison Co. rate increase of about $254 million, less than half of what Edison originally wanted, heads toward a final decision by state regulators this week. Final filings are due Thursday in a...

Detroit Public Library pushes for 2 proposals.(News)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Robert Ankeny The Detroit Public Library has launched a campaign to win voter support for two millage proposals on the Nov. 2 ballot. Proposal L seeks renewal of the library system's current 3-mill levy, due to expire next...

Legislature gives energy-choice bill some trims.(News)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane A slimmed-down version of a key electric-choice bill has emerged, as Senate debate of the issue goes on hiatus until November. A substitute to Senate Bill 1331 still contains conditions under which customers that use...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
October 11, 2004... * An item in Week in Review on Page 54 of the Oct. 4 issue misspelled Gerard Stockhausen's first name.

Calendar.(Calendar)
October 11, 2004... Tuesday Oct. 12 Bringing Passion to Information Technology. Part of the Ann Arbor IT Zone Hi-Tech Tuesday series. 5-7 p.m. Speakers: Kevin Suboski, president of DCCI; and David Morin, vice president of systems and technology for...

Health officials leery of gouging for flu vaccines.(News)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Katie Merx Novi-based Trinity Health Inc. reports that some flu vaccine distributors have attempted to get as much as 10 times the normal selling price in the days since the nation's supply of the shot was sliced nearly in half....

It is time to reach deep into your pocket.(Column)
October 11, 2004... Byline: KEITH CRAIN Right up front, I have to tell you that I'm on the board of directors of United Way Community Services in Detroit. So I have perhaps a better understanding of just how important this institution is to our community. I...

Prop. E best for future.(Proposal E)
October 11, 2004... The Citizens Research Council of Michigan's recent report on school governance should be considered by every pastor at every pulpit in the city of Detroit before the Nov. 2 election. Activists who oppose school reform frame the issue as a...

Rumblings.(Detroit Historical Museum )
October 11, 2004... Diehl sworn in to lead State Bar of Michigan When Nancy Diehl, assistant Wayne County prosecutor in charge of felony trials, was sworn in as 70th president of the State Bar of Michigan on Oct. 1, it was noted that she's only the third woman...

Bankruptcies.(JRF Associates L.P.)(Brief Article)
October 11, 2004... The following businesses filed for Chapter 7 or 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit the week of Oct. 1-7. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that the court must approve. Chapter 7 involves total liquidation....

Week in Review.(Briefs)
October 11, 2004... Oxford Auto closes $100M refinancing of debt Struggling auto supplier Oxford Automotive Inc. closed on a $100 million refinancing deal that will help the company meet short-term cash needs and help with launches. Troy-based Oxford...

Business Diary.(Briefs)(Met-Con Inc.)(Stout Systems Development)
October 11, 2004... Acquisitions Metropolitan Alloys Corp., Detroit, has purchased certain assets of Met-Con Inc., also of Detroit. Metropolitan Alloys is a producer of zinc-based products for the die-casting, steel, and plating industries. Met-Con is a...

Airport authority studies spending $180M-$300M on Metro runway repairs.(News)(Wayne County Airport Authority)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong The Wayne County Airport Authority is in the midst of an eight-month study that will determine how many of Detroit Metropolitan Airport's runways and taxiways will need to be replaced or repaired. The cost is...

People.
October 11, 2004... Construction Ellen Padesky to corporate counsel, Pulte Homes Inc., Bloomfield Hills, from assistant counsel, Coachmen Industries Inc., Elkhart, Ind. Engineering Richard Doherty to senior project manager, Giffels-Webster Engineers...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
October 11, 2004... Bills would hurt smaller PEOs Editor: Thank you for shedding light on this egregious attempt by a few large out-of-state companies to use their financial and political clout to manipulate the professional employer organization...

A blessing for some; Intermet bankruptcy could help metal-casting industry.(News)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Robert Sherefkin Crain News Service Intermet Corp.'s decision to seek bankruptcy protection could turn out to be a blessing for the automotive cast-parts industry. A federal court order would free Intermet from the threat of...

Rays of sunshine; Optimism about corporate events business is growing after some bleak years, but companies remain vigilant about keeping costs as low as they can.(Special Report)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Sherri Begin Corporate-events revenue and bookings in the Detroit market have risen slightly this year on average, and rental venues project they will continue to edge up in 2005. But sales are nowhere near the levels they were...

Best-managed nonprofits.(News)
October 11, 2004... Which are the best-managed nonprofits in metro Detroit? You can nominate the nonprofit you believe makes the grade in the annual "Best-Managed Nonprofit'' contest, sponsored by Crain's Detroit Business. The competition is open to...

Perma-Fix Environmental to close plant in Brownstown Twp.(News)(Brief Article)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Brent Snavely Atlanta-based Perma-Fix Environmental Services Inc. said earlier this month that it has decided to close its hazardous-waste treatment plant in Brownstown Township that had $5.7 million in revenue in 2003. Most of...

$3M spent on choice ads; DTE big spender.(DTE Energy Co.)(Brief Article)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane A coalition calling for changes to Michigan's electric-choice law has spent some $3 million so far on TV and radio ads, largely funded by DTE Energy Co. And helping the Citizens for Long-Term Energy Affordability and...

Somerset Inn completes renovation of 250 rooms.(Special Report)(Brief Article)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Brent Snavely The Somerset Inn in Troy has completed renovations of all 250 of its rooms. The hotel, which opened in 1972, spent between $4 million and $5 million to install new phone lines, high-speed Internet connections, new...

This Just In.
October 11, 2004... New state law protects food biz from fat lawsuits People battling the bulge won't be able to sue restaurants and others in the food industry for their weight gain or obesity under a new Michigan law. Under Public Act 367, sponsored by...

Domestic violence is a business issue.(Opinion)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Greg Haller There's no question that the cost of domestic violence is devastating to individuals and families. What you may not realize is that domestic violence costs American businesses as much as $5 billion annually in medical...

Smart moves; Standard Federal exec works to kill rules that don't help customers.(News)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Katie Merx "Give me a stupid rule,'' Standard Federal Bank Senior Executive Vice President David Rudis urged from the front of a room filled with bank branch staffers. The crowd of 300 was silent. Managers, tellers and the...

Stu Evans family member files suit, claims mismanagement.(News)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Brent Snavely A lawsuit filed against Stu Evans Automotive Group Inc. by a family member alleges President and CEO John Evans has mismanaged the company and concealed evidence of that mismanagement. The lawsuit, filed Sept. 30...

MSX nets Ford dealer contract; Deal expands profitable line of business services.(Ford Motor Co.)(MSX International Inc)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Brent Snavely MSX International Inc. snared a high-profile win for its business-services division when it beat out J.D. Power & Associates and several others for a contract to evaluate and certify all Ford and Lincoln Mercury...

Beaumont sues doctors over 'Beaumont Doctors'.(William Beaumont Hospitals)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Katie Merx Do you have a Beaumont doctor? If so, your doctor's probably being sued for advertising it. William Beaumont Hospital asserts that it's the only organization that can ask that question or use the Beaumont name to...

Michigan is a battleground on the road to the White House, and local businesses are eating up campaign work - one reason that ... It's good to be a swing state.
October 11, 2004... Byline: Sheena Harrison Whiteside Communication Management and other local businesses are benefiting from Michigan's position as a swing state in the Nov. 2 presidential election. Whiteside, a Southfield-based event-production company,...

Junior Achievement to use HQ to teach kids.(News)(Brief Article)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Robert Ankeny Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan is building a mini-city inside its Detroit headquarters to give middle-school students hands-on personal-finance experience. The JA Finance Park will occupy the...

Area stocks improve slightly in 3Q; auto-related shares decline.(News)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong For the third quarter ending Sept. 30, stocks for publicly traded companies in metro Detroit showed a slight improvement over the second quarter. In a survey of 75 stocks, 26 were up over the second quarter, 48...

State pitches quality of life to corporate investors, workers.(Special Report)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane When the state in September took to the pages of Forbes to tout Michigan, it wasn't just talk of tax incentives, business climate and economic-development staples that filled the five-page advertising spread. There...

Michigan on a mission to define the brand; Unified image would be used governmentwide.(Special Report)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane Next year Michigan may put on a new face for the nation and the world. The state is embarking on a mission to come up with a "brand'' for Michigan - a unified image that captures the state's best attributes and will...

The mouse that roars.(News)
October 11, 2004... Visit www.crainsdetroit.com to read the latest daily breaking business news. Best Managed Nonprofit Contest: Here's your opportunity to gain recognition as metro Detroit's best-managed nonprofit organization. Winners will be selected in...

Oakland taps P&M for Cobo; Patterson wants auditor to review info on expansion.(Plante & Moran P.L.L.C.)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Oakland County has hired Southfield-based Plante & Moran P.L.L.C. to review studies, reports, plans and estimates related an expanded Cobo Center and recommend if the county should get involved. Oakland County...

Maly's takes control of Beaute Craft Supply Co.(News)
October 11, 2004... Byline: Brent Snavely Beaute Craft Supply Co., a longtime family-owned distributor of professional beauty products, has sold half of its shares to Grand Rapids-based Maly's Inc. The owners of Troy-based Beaute Craft, which had 2003...

Briefly.(Briefs)(MedHub Inc.)
October 11, 2004... Historical preservation is topic of Ideas Before Dawn breakfast "Making Room for the Past in Detroit's Economic Future'' is the title of the Oct. 20 Ideas Before Dawn breakfast. Richard Moe, president of the Washington-based National...