Corporate Detroit articles from September 1991

Corporate Detroit archives from September 1991

Beyond customer satisfaction. (research findings on customer satisfaction as a marketing tool)
September 1, 1991... By now everyone has jumped aboard the customer satisfaction/quality bandwagon. During the past decade, companies learned that competitive pressure demanded a satisfied customer. Product features, benefits, quality and even price were not...

Back to basics financing. (equity financing as a source of funding)
September 1, 1991... Equity financing is a growing source of funding for American firms shopping for acquisitions, says Chuck Peterson, president of the Birmingham-based C.W. Peterson & Co. And, he adds, it is a sign that the economy is getting down to basics. ...

The other side of bankruptcy. (countering prevailing attitudes towards bankruptcy)
September 1, 1991... Bankruptcy, in polite company, could be likened to adultery. Many people have been involved in it, but few want to talk about it. Apparently, many feel that discussing the subject -- as Saturday Night Live's Dana Carvey says when he...

The revenge of Charles Gelman. (Gelman Sciences' legal battle with the Department of Natural Resources) (Cover Story)
September 1, 1991... Charles Gelman isn't exactly a cheerful guy. For a long time, he hasn't had a lot to smile about. There have been too many sleepless nights that he has spent worrying about whether he could be forced out of business. After all, if you...

High tech heaven. (metropolitan Detroit, Michigan's technical parks)
September 1, 1991... They were the latest "hot" concept to hit the real estate market five years ago. Technical centers, considered a natural evolution from business and mixed-use parks, became "must haves" in fast growing communities like Auburn Hills, Plymouth...

The rise of Greek hospitality. (Atheneum Suite Hotel and Conference Center in Detroit, Michigan)
September 1, 1991... Backers of the Atheneum Suite Hotel and Conference Center, currently under construction at the west end of Greektown, tucked in behind Trapper's Alley and the International Center, hope it defies convention. Conventional wisdom would say...

Power nuns. (nuns in business circles)
September 1, 1991... Sister Mary Francilene, the dynamo president of Madonna University, usually conducts marches when she fills in as guest conductor with the Livonia Symphony Orchestra. Which is fitting -- since 1976, when she was 34, she has been giving the...

Secret missions. (top-secret defense contractor Environmental Research Institute of Michigan)
September 1, 1991... It has all the makings of a good spy nove: Sensors that target enemy missiles. High resolution satellite photos that pinpoint military movements down to the level of tanks. Radar reconnaissance systems that are undetectable and extremely...

Gamblin' man. (Michael Seigel, president of Xysys Inc.)
September 1, 1991... For four years, Michael Seigel, the former Chrysler exec who is now president of Ann Arbor's Xysys software firm, earned his living playing the stock and commodity markets from his Bloomfield Hills home, perched in front of three PC monitors,...

Clearing the air. (Bill Rosenberg, assistant administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency)
September 1, 1991... Sitting in the shade of an enormous black walnut tree near his Chelsea home, Bill Rosenberg ruffles the fur on his border terrier, Brio, and gazes out over 35 acres -- his patch of paradise -- surrounding him. The acres have been carefully...

Delegating your image. (personalized shopping for busy executives)
September 1, 1991... Do you wear your socks too short, exposing the skin or hair of your calves under your pant legs? Do you match blue, green or plum colored belts or shoes with your suits? Do you lean toward colored pocket squares or match your square to your...

Good breeding. (Morgan horse breeders Dave and Stephanie Draper)
September 1, 1991... Out at Old Orchard Farms, near South Lyon, Bopper, as coquettish as ever, barely begins her shuffle down the stable aisle, and the stallions nearby start braying lustily. It seems that everyone has a vested interest in the breeding of this...

Who deserves credit? (new sets of loan criteria for real estate developers)
September 1, 1991... Confident that National Bank of Detroit would finance his new two-story office building in Clinton Township, Mike Monahan, president of Monahan Development Corporation in East Detroit, broke ground last June. Given the weak economy, he figured...

Charles Ragains. (People)
September 1, 1991... At Anthony M. Franco in Detroit, Charles Ragains was appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer, Sandy Lijewski was appointed manager of marketing services, and Lisa Vallee was appointed general manager of the firm's New...

W. Howard Morris. (People)
September 1, 1991... W. Howard Morris was named president and chief investment officer of WILMOCO Capital Management.

Richard McCaffrey. (People)
September 1, 1991... Richard McCaffrey was named director of human resources at Rochester Manufacturing Co. in Rochester.

James Painter. (People)
September 1, 1991... Thomas Gosnell was appointed general manager of Aftermarket Parts and Services, On-Highway Products, for Rockwell International Corp.'s Automotive Operations in Troy. Also, James Painter was appointed president of the Rockwell Clutch Co. in...

Richard Lorraine. (People)
September 1, 1991... Richard Lorraine was appointed president of ITT Automotive's Aftermarket Group Worldwide in Auburn Hills.

Avoiding pension woes. (involving employees in pension planning) (column)
September 1, 1991... The concept of employee empowerment has taken root in corporate America and for good reason: It provides businesses with a competitive edge in the marketplace. Many companies are altering their management styles to empower employees. At...