Detroiter articles from November 2006

Detroiter archives from November 2006

Our new look: Detroiter--for our members, about our members.(FROM THE PRESIDENT)
November 1, 2006... Welcome to the NEW Detroiter magazine. If you're wondering how a 96-year-old publication can describe itself as "new," I urge you to take a particularly close look at this issue and find out for yourself. Every so often we have to step...

Small business ... we're thinking big! Small businesses make up more than 90 percent of our membership, and our goal is to offer you new and exciting programs to help you boost your bottom line and sharpen your competitive edge.(FOR OUR MEMBERS)
November 1, 2006... 5-Minute Networking: Break the ice and cut to the chase! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 5-Minute Networking events offer participants an effective and efficient method for generating business referrals by applying the concept of speed dating...

On guard for you in Lansing: with the SBT on its way to well-deserved oblivion, the Detroit Regional Chamber proposes a fair and simple SBT that includes a tax cut for businesses.(VOTE4BIZ)
November 1, 2006... Since its inception in the mid-1970s, the Single Business Tax (SBT) has been a stable, yet much reviled, source of revenue for Michigan's General Fund. When originally designed, the SBT was hailed as a tax that would be copied by other states...

What they're saying ... we asked four people--a small business owner, a member of our Board of Directors, a state legislator and a news media representative--to comment on the SBT issue.(VOTE4BIZ)
November 1, 2006... Leslie Murphy Group Managing Partner Plante & Moran Member, Chamber Board of Directors Now that the SBT is officially repealed effective for periods after 2007, the Michigan legislature and the Governor's administration...

Business must help solve the health-care crisis: can the Massachusetts model work in Michigan?
November 1, 2006... Detroit Regional Chamber members identify health care as their No. 1 concern--and with good reason. As premiums continue to grow four to five times faster than the rate of inflation, the business community is shouldering the bulk of the burden....

What century is this? You can carve this in stone: the 21st century is the Century of the Entrepreneur. And the world is a better place as a result!
November 1, 2006... The 20th century dawned on Messrs. Ford, Kellogg, Dow, Edison and a few other entrepreneurs as they were creating hundreds of major corporations, which ultimately would employ most of the rest of us. Even though there was a lot of...

2006 Future 50 of Greater Detroit: congratulations to these Southeast Michigan pacemakers for their positive impact on our economy.
November 1, 2006... The Future 50 of Greater Detroit is sponsored by BDO Seidman LLP, the Detroit Regional Chamber, LaSalle Bank and WWJ Newsradio 950. The awards competition is open to all businesses in Southeast Michigan (Genesee, Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb,...

Hit the road! A day in the life of ... Harry Kurtz, president and CEO of Mobility Resource Associates Inc.(DAY IN THE LIFE)
November 1, 2006... For Harry Kurtz a typical day begins at 8 a.m. at his desk with a newspaper and a quick breakfast of yogurt and tea. No coffee, thank you. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I'm hyped up enough as it is!" says Kurtz, president and CEO of Mobility...

Spotlight: robots 'get smart' in Farmington Hills: the Detroit Regional Partnership is helping companies from around the world discover that investing in the Detroit Region is good business.(WELCOME TO OUR REGION)(SmartTCP)
November 1, 2006... SmartTCP, an Israeli company that develops robotic technology for the welding industry, chose Southeast Michigan as the site for its first U.S. showroom because of its central location and easy access to the Midwest's welding and manufacturing...

Is your business ripe for rip-off? Three bloodcurdling case histories ripped from the pages of the police blotter! Expert advice on steps you can take to guard against embezzlement.(HOW DO I FIGHT EMBEZZLEMENT)
November 1, 2006... These three schemes had been going on for years before the 'perps' were unmasked. Embezzlement. What an ugly word. It couldn't happen at your business. Or could it? Read on. Embezzlement Scheme No.1 The Case of the Identical...

Check those checks! Here are steps you can take when establishing controls over checks received and check disbursements.
November 1, 2006... Control over checks received 1 Give serious consideration to taking advantage of a bank's lockbox service. In a lockbox arrangement, the business gives customers return envelopes with their invoices. The business's name appears on the...

John Bourbeau ... on business challenges: a member of the Detroit Regional Chamber's Board of Directors answers your business questions.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... John Bourbeau is managing principal and CEO of Right Management of the Great Lakes, a Southfield-based company that offers a broad array of human resource management and leadership development services for businesses across the globe. (See the...

The right stuff: a quarter-century ago, John Bourbeau put his future on the line when he started a risky new business with no guarantee of success.(Right Management)
November 1, 2006... In 1980 John Bourbeau was running a couple of auto parts stores. He'd been at it for more than a decade. It was a decent living, but it was a seven-day-a-week grind and not exactly what you'd call glamour work. When a newspaper ad for a...

Southeast Michigan is on the move: a quiet transformation is changing the face of our region's economy in such areas as alternative energy, life sciences and advanced manufacturing.(EYE ON OUR ECONOMY)
November 1, 2006... Although more cars are still produced in the Detroit Region that any other U.S. state, the area has been quietly transforming itself into a transportation design and engineering center for at least the last decade. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

By the numbers: when it comes to high-tech, Michigan is in the front ranks.(EYE ON OUR ECONOMY)
November 1, 2006... Did you know? Michigan is the... * No. 2 state for total R & D spending * No. 2 in R & D and testing labs employment with 45,200 jobs * No. 3 state for spending on industrial R & D * No. 4 state for R & D intensity * No....

We've got the edge: from alternative fuels to life sciences ... the Detroit Region is on the move.(EYE ON OUR ECONOMY)
November 1, 2006... We're a robotics leader Nearly 20 percent of the nation's total robotics companies are located in Michigan. In the Detroit Region alone, there are more companies than here than there are in any other single state. [ILLUSTRATION...

Motor City: the rust is off the belt.(automotive industry's contribution to the economy)
November 1, 2006... The Detroit Region is the intellectual center of the North American automotive industry. Yes, you heard it right: INTELLECTUAL! Forget the Rust Belt image and consider: * The Detroit Region's role in the auto industry has shifted from...

To litigate ... or not to litigate: that is the question! The new Michigan Business Mediation Program offers small businesses a cost-effective alternative to lengthy court proceedings or grievance hearings.(MEMBERSHIP MATTERS)
November 1, 2006... Disputes involving managers, employees, business partners, suppliers or customers can disrupt work, delay projects, distract management and cause you to lose business. There are times going to court is the only answer. But not always! Many...

www.detroitchamber.com.(Benefit Briefs)
November 1, 2006... Based on feedback from our members we have made some improvements to our annual member event menu. More details and upcoming dates can be found for these new offerings at www.detroitchamber.com.

Membership Maximizers.(Benefit Briefs)
November 1, 2006... Membership Maximizers -- Quarterly events designed to help members stay connected with everything the Chamber has to offer. Open to members at the Business Builder level and above.

Best Practices Workshops.(Benefit Briefs)
November 1, 2006... Best Practices Workshops -- Held semi-annually, attendees will learn easy to implement ideas from recognized industry experts. Open to Bronze, Silver and Gold members only.

CEO Outlook.(Benefit Briefs)
November 1, 2006... CEO Outlook -- CEOs from Southeast Michigan's big businesses will participate in a discussion about their business plan and strategy for the next 12 months. Open exclusively to Silver and Gold members.

Invested Leaders Forum.(Benefit Briefs)
November 1, 2006... Invested Leaders Forum -- Invested Leaders Forums are exclusive opportunities for CEOs and senior-level management from Gold member companies. Attendees will hear from a high-level national or regional speaker and discuss the impact of current...

The Learning Institute.(Benefit Briefs)
November 1, 2006... Chamber members can learn online via new courses from The Learning Institute in areas including Resource Development: Involvement and Investment; Board Governance: Building Passion for Mission; Strategic Planning: Charting Your Course for...

Focus: HOPE.(National Caring Institute honors Eleanor Josaitis with National Caring Award )(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Eleanor Josaitis, executive director of Focus: HOPE, was inducted into the Hall of Fame For Caring Americans in October and received a 2006 National Caring Award from the National Caring Institute, chaired by former U.S. Sen. Robert Dole....

Ford Health System.(Members in the News)
November 1, 2006... Nancy Schlichting, president and CEO of Henry Ford Health System, a Gold-level Chamber member, was named one of the "100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare" by Modern Healthcare magazine. This is the second year in a row that Schlichting, a...

Detroit Athletic Club.(Members in the News)
November 1, 2006... HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! The DAC News, the official magazine of the Detroit Athletic Club, a Business Builder-level Chamber member, is celebrating its 90th anniversary. The DAC News was first published in January 1916 on a 90-day trial when the DAC...

Lear Corp.(president Gail Torreano wins Automation Alley Award)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Gail Torreano, president of AT & T Michigan, and John Crary, chief information officer at Lear Corp., were among the winners of the Sixth Annual Automation Alley Awards. Torreano, former chairman of the Chamber's Board of Directors, was chosen...

Butzel Long.(attorney Daniel P. Malone gets Champion of Justice Award from State Bar of Michigan)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Daniel P. Malone, an attorney and shareholder at Detroit-based Butzel Long, a Silver-level Chamber member, received the State Bar of Michigan's Champion of Justice Award during the organization's 71st annual meeting. The Champion of Justice...

New members: please join us in welcoming the companies below to the Detroit Regional Chamber. We encourage you to contact them for future business opportunities.(MEMBERSHIP MATTERS)(Directory)
November 1, 2006... Business Builder All Ways Tel Communications Inc www.allwaystel.com Alvarez & Marsal www.alvarezandmarsal.com Arnold Electric Co. Inc. Automated Telecom Inc. Centex Homes, Inc. www.centexhomes.com Ciura...

Q: what do you like about doing business in the Detroit Region?(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Q: What do you like about doing business in the Detroit Region? Jay Antani Jawood Management Associates Inc. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You have to really think differently to successfully operate a business at a time when business in...

Members on the scene.(People on the street)
November 1, 2006... In August Chamber members gathered at the Gem Theatre for our first annual Report to Membership. Attendees enjoyed networking and hearing an account of the Chamber's accomplishments over the past year. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mary Ann...

The Buzz: the latest people, events, places, gadgets and things that have Southeast Michigan's business community buzzing ...(MEMBERSHIP MATTERS)
November 1, 2006... Tiger Town restored its roar this fall and the hottest ticket in town quickly became access to the American League Championship and World Series games. Book season tickets early if you want to get on the Tiger train for 2007. Opening day is...

Upcoming business events.(MEMBERSHIP MATTERS)
November 1, 2006... Nov. 14 * FranklinCovey Workshop: Achieving Your Highest Priorities 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Embassy Suites Livonia Contact: Carol Mastroianni at (313) 596-0482 or cmastroi@detroitchamber.com Nov. 14 * BoardConnect...