Detroiter articles from November 2003

Detroiter archives from November 2003

Partnership promotes vital global relationships.(Feedback)(Column)
November 1, 2003... I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Detroit Regional Economic Partnership for the valuable assistance provided for us in organizing the roundtable discussion on business opportunities for the automotive industry in Hungary with...

100th Anniversary celebration.(Feedback)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... I wanted to thank you again for getting us into the Detroit Regional Chamber's 100th Anniversary event in July on such short notice. This was truly the best event we have attended so far, and the traffic was unbelievable, Keep up the great...

Proud to be an LD grad.(Feedback)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... I am writing to thank the Detroit Regional Chamber's Leadership Detroit program for honoring me with the "Challenging the Process" Leadership Award. Serving as mayor of the City of Southfield while also holding a full-time job with the U.S....

Correction.(Correction Notice)
November 1, 2003... In the October issue, the Detroit Regional Chamber's membership information line was listed incorrectly. The correct number is 866-MBR-LINE.

Small is big; small businesses are a top priority.(From the President)
November 1, 2003... Just how important are small businesses to our region? For the answer to that question, just look at the statistics: according to U.S. Census data, 97 percent of Regional Detroit firms employ fewer than 100 people. In other words, 97 percent of...

Big deal at the 'big tire'.(Inbox)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... This group donned hard hats and pickaxes in August to help Uniroyal kick off its nearly $1-million renovation of the landmark Giant Tire along 1-94, one of the Detroit Region's most instantly recognized symbols. (I-r) Gary Burtka, Allen Park...

Chamber offers Verizon's 'Push to Talk' plan.(Inbox)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Attention Chamber members: Sign up for any America's Choice from Verizon Wireless with a "Push to Talk" calling plan starting at $59.99 monthly access and get: * Nationwide "Push to Talk" (walkie-talkie) access. * Unlimited one-to-one...

We've got the cure for the blackout blues.(Inbox)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... After this summer's massive blackout, many small businesses wondered how to protect themselves in the event of another power outage. The Detroit Regional Chamber offers a variety of insurance coverage options through the Hartford's standard...

A century in glass.(Inbox)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Detroit Regional Chamber's century of service to the business community is stunningly immortalized in this glass sculpture created by Pontiac-based artists April Wagner and Jason Ruff, who work collaboratively as epiphany. Cindy Pasky,...

Don't toss that phone.(Inbox)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Detroit Regional Chamber, in partnership with The Charitable Recycling Program, is offering members an opportunity to recycle their used and unwanted cell phones. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Charitable Recycling Program will provide...

Bid online-for free.(Inbox)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Detroit Regional Chamber and Southfield-based Internet Operations Center have partnered with the Electronic Procurement Assistance Center (EPAC) to provide Chamber members with free access to EPAC's online procurement services that enable...

New members.(Inbox)
November 1, 2003... New Members Welcome to these new members who joined the Detroit Regional Chamber in August. Gold Paragon Leadership International Inc. Novi Silver Environmental Performance...

Everyone loves a parade: sponsorships.(Inbox)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... America's Thanksgiving Parade[R] reaches over 1 million people each year as it makes it way down Woodward Avenue in Detroit and a television audience of over 99 million households. This exposure is unparalleled anywhere else in the region. Join...

Everyone loves a parade: grandstand tickets.(Inbox)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Reserve your curbside seat for America's Thanksgiving Parade[R] by purchasing grandstand tickets now. Tickets are $20 each, $17.50 for a block of 50 to 99 or $15 each for blocks of 100 tickets or more. Grandstand tickets make a great employee...

Everyone loves a parade: great big holiday adventure.(Inbox)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Great Big Holiday Adventure is a magical journey through the wonders of Paradeland. Families are invited to spend an afternoon at The Parade Studio, exploring and photographing the floats from America's Thanksgiving Parade[R], up close and...

Partners in principle: Michael Semanco is president of Hennessey Capital LLC, which specializes in setting start-up businesses on the path to success with generous helpings of strategic advice, coaching and working capital.(Personality Profile)(Interview)
November 1, 2003... What do start-up companies need most? Money, of course--but that's only part of the answer. They also need sound, no-nonsense advice from the people who've been there, done that and are willing to work with them every step of the way, no matter...

Business tax planning: it's a year-round job; 8 tips to help you improve your tax situation.
November 1, 2003... Effective business tax planning should be a year-round effort. It's never too early to implement strategies to lessen your tax liability for the year ahead. Here are eight ideas that may improve your tax situation: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Bestpractices Detroit Regional Chamber tax season 'Stress Busters'.(Finance/Legal)
November 1, 2003... Tax season can be a stressful time for your employees. When tax season arrives, we use innovative means to make it fun and less stressful for our employees. We call it "Stress Busters." This year's program included 15-minute professional...

Year-end tax strategies: explore these planning opportunities under the jobs and growth tax relief reconciliation act of 2003.(Finance/Legal)
November 1, 2003... Now that the dust has settled after the initial controversy generated by the recent tax law changes, the crucial question on every business person's mind is: "What's in it for me?" Many of the key tax relief measures are subject to sunset...

Detroiter tip: avoid an audit.(Finance/Legal)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has identified some of the most common mistakes made by small businesses and self-employed filers and posted them online. Here are a few of the biggies: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Wrong SSN. Filling in...

Protecting your finances: why you need a compliance program for your business.(Finance/Legal)
November 1, 2003... It is a recurring fear that strikes business owners and finance chiefs at all hours--"What happens if we are ripped off from the inside?" You want to trust your employees but how can you really protect yourself from wrongdoing inside your...

Avoiding the 6 mistakes that can destroy your business and your future.(Finance/Legal)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... # 1: The Disability Trap Most business owners are accustomed to being in control, and can hardly imagine a situation in which they would be unable to operate their business because of serious illness or injury. But statistically, the risk...

Estate planning: don't overlook your business holdings as valuable assets, because your friends at the IRS certainly won't!(Finance/Legal)
November 1, 2003... Developing an estate plan that includes business assets is a very important aspect of any overall financial strategy. A well-thought-out plan can help you keep and pass along your hard-earned assets and reduce any estate taxes due at your...

Top 10 estate planning tips.(Finance/Legal)
November 1, 2003... 1. Implement a business succession plan. If you are the co-owner of a business, implement a buy-sell agreement with your business partners to ensure that the family of a deceased partner receives a fair price for the business interest while...

Legal update: overtime rules.(Finance/Legal)
November 1, 2003... The U.S. Department of Labor is rewriting the rules governing the criteria many employees must meet to be exempt from being paid time and one-half for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. As the new rules evolve, many employers may discover that...

Dickinson Wright: in brief what's an employer to do?(Finance/Legal)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Your company has a written antiharassment policy, you've trained your managers in litigation avoidance techniques, your employees have been sent to diversity and sensitivity training classes, and the entire workforce has been thoroughly...

Maximizing your legal budget.(Finance/Legal)
November 1, 2003... Are you paying for your lawyer's inefficiency? Often ignored in the analysis of selecting a lawyer is whether that lawyer is monitoring and controlling his or her internal costs, or whether a lawyer's inefficiencies are simply being passed...

5 steps to ensure you're not overpaying.(Finance/Legal)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... 1. Get your fee agreement, including hourly rates and costs, in writing at the outset of the representation. 2. Do not accept a lawyer's cost structure. State at the outset what you are willing to pay. 3. Require the lawyer to get...

Legal update: Family and Medical Leave Act.(Finance/Legal)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... In the 10 years following enactment of the Family and Medical Leave Act, the number of lawsuits alleging violation of this law is skyrocketing, but many of these suits may be avoidable, a legal expert says. Covering employers with 50 or...

Financing for women.(Finance/Legal)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Women own 38 percent of all businesses in the United States, yet in 1998 they received only 1.7 percent of all venture funding. Count-Me-In for Women's Economic Independence is a nonprofit group committed to raising capital for women from...

Exit planning: don'ts and do's: do it on your terms--not someone else's.(Finance/Legal)
November 1, 2003... Eventually every business owner will transition out of his or her business. Yet research shows, regardless of the type of business or industry, 70 percent of business owners don't have an exit plan. To get you thinking about the inevitable,...

You and your bank: in the world of banking, loyalty is no longer the name of the game.(Finance/Legal)
November 1, 2003... According to banking lore, Albert Einstein is known to have stated that the greatest mathematical discovery of all time is compound interest. Far from begrudging lenders a fair return on their loans in time of economic adversity...

Detroiter tip: the right bank.(Finance/Legal)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The right bank can make all the difference, so you should treat your search for a bank like you would treat a search for a key employee. Question potential bankers about these four key areas: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Lending abilities....

Benefit review: is the price right?(Health Care Central)
November 1, 2003... Most organizations review their benefit programs once a year. As part of the process, they often have their consultant release "requests for proposals." Although price is a driving factor in your review process, it shouldn't be the only...

Gold Silver Bronze.(Salute)
November 1, 2003... To accomplish the goals set for the Detroit Regional Chamber, it takes a great deal of commitment from a diverse group of quality businesses. Members at the Gold, Silver and Bronze levels have embraced the Chamber's commitment to power the...

Awards * Honors * Accolades.(Benchmarks)
November 1, 2003... The following honorees are Silverlevel members of the Detroit Regional Chamber [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Charles A. Duerr Jr. and Linda O. Goldberg, principals in the Ann Arbor office of Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone PLC, received a...

People in the news * People on the move: architecture/construction.(On the Job)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Jeffrey Hausman, AIA, to senior vice president at SmithGroup Inc. in Detroit. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Daniel Sinnott to director of business development and Henry Guthard to senior project manager, K-12 Education Services, at Turner...

People in the news * People on the move: banking/finance.(On the Job)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Gadis Dillon, CPA, professor of accounting at Oakland University in Rochester, to treasurer of the Michigan Accountancy Foundation's board of directors. William Coyne to chairman, Richard Bahls to vice chairman, Armando Cavazos to...

People in the news * People on the move: health care.(On the Job)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Bob Riney to senior vice president and chief administrative officer at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] N. Charles Anderson, president and CEO of the Detroit Urban League, to chairman of the board for Health...

People in the news * People on the move: legal.(On the Job)
November 1, 2003... Jess Bahs, Raymond Meiers and T. Peige Wise to the staff of Howard & Howard Attorneys PC in Bloomfield Hills. Sheryl Laughren to member in the Detroit office and Thomas Moga to member in the Bloomfield Hills office of Dickinson Wright PLLC....

People in the news * People on the move: manufacturing.(On the Job)
November 1, 2003... Rakesh Sachdev to vice president and controller, Brian Casey to vice president and treasurer and Alice McGuire to vice president, Investor Relations, at ArvinMeritor Inc. in Troy. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

People in the news * People on the move: marketing/public relations.(On the Job)
November 1, 2003... Alan Upchurch to senior account executive and Daniel Harris to account executive at Marx Layne & Co. in Farmington Hills.

People in the news * People on the move: nonprofits.(On the Job)
November 1, 2003... Michael Kaszubski, president and CEO of ReGroup Advisors in Rochester Hills, to chairman of the Michigan development board of directors of the City of Hope in West Bloomfield. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pearlie Matthews of Centennial...

People in the news * People on the move: real estate.(On the Job)
November 1, 2003... Raymond Husband to senior vice president in the Office Group at Grubb & Ellis Co. in Southfield. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] All companies and organizations listed on this page are Executive Level members of the Detroit Regional Chamber....