Automation Alley 2009 Annual Report

Page 1

Section Header

2009 ANNUAL REPORT Where Technology Builds Opportunity 2



Table of Contents Message from the Executive Director and President.................................................... 1 Membership and Partnerships....................................................................................... 3 Advocacy.......................................................................................................................... 5 X-OLOGY........................................................................................................................... 7 Tenth Annual Awards Gala............................................................................................. 8 Workforce Development.................................................................................................. 9 Entrepreneurialism and Business Growth.................................................................... 10 Defense Activities.......................................................................................................... 11 International Business Initiatives................................................................................. 12 Committee Accomplishments....................................................................................... 13 2010 Board of Directors................................................................................................ 14 Automation Alley Staff.................................................................................................. 15 Foundation Members.................................................................................................... 16


Ken Rogers Executive Director

1

Brian McGinnity President, Board of Directors


M essage from the Executive Director and President Automation Alley proudly celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2009. Ten years of branding Southeast Michigan as a global center for technology; 10 years of helping technology businesses succeed; and 10 years of creating opportunities, and providing benefits and services for our members. This past year brought forth challenges we’ve never faced before. However, we were able to successfully weather the storm, and we remain on the path to prosperity. We welcomed our 1,000th member in January, iRobot Corporation. This was an incredible milestone to reach, as it solidified our position as the technology leader in Southeast Michigan. Automation Alley has had an exceptionally busy and productive year. We conducted a trade mission in October that took us to Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem. Since we began our trade mission program in 2001, we’ve conducted 12 trade missions that have generated $143 million in export sales, investment and economic development for Southeast Michigan. Also this year, we invested an additional $700,000 in seed funding in four local technology companies. To date, we’ve provided more than $4.85 million in funding to 25 companies across the region. We also hosted four highly attended Quarterly Networking Events at locations across the region, including Compuware, EEI Global, Grid4 Communications and Pratt & Miller Engineering & Fabrication. And new to Automation Alley in 2009, we’ve entered the world of social media. Users can now follow Automation Alley on Twitter, view pictures from Automation Alley events on Flickr, and stay connected with fellow members and those in the business community with our LinkedIn group. Thank you for your continued support and dedication. We are continually working on your behalf to ensure your organization not only survives, but succeeds. As you’ll see, we have a vast array of accomplishments to celebrate. Our business has changed, but once again, great progress has been made moving Southeast Michigan to the forefront of innovative achievement.

Sincerely,

Ken Rogers Executive Director, Automation Alley

Brian McGinnity President, Board of Directors, Automation Alley Chief Financial Officer, HIROTEC AMERICA

2


M embership Statistics

Ending the year with more than 1,000 members, it is clear that Automation Alley remains a great resource for Southeast Michigan businesses. Despite a challenging economy, Automation Alley’s membership remained strong in 2009, with a slight increase of two percent. Technology and manufacturing companies remain the largest segment of membership, with Tier 5 companies, those with less than 10 employees, comprising the majority. With 614 members, technology and manufacturing companies comprise 61 percent of Automation Alley’s total membership. Other leading membership categories were professional services and association/non-profit.

5%

5%

Automation Alley’s membership boasts a diverse range of industries. Though the largest industry sector continues to be information technology, manufacturing is a close second, with membership having increased by 25 percent in 2009. The alternative energy and power generation industry sector grew significantly in 2009, with an increase of 188 percent over 2008. While Automation Alley’s membership continues to thrive in Oakland County, Wayne County holds the second largest concentration of members and experienced an increase of 14 percent in 2009. Membership in Macomb County continued to grow as well, with an increase of 18 percent.

2% 1% 16%

Membership by Industry

10% Association & Non-Profit Education Foundation Government Private Equity Professional Services Technology/Manufacturing

61%

3


R egional Partners

Collaboration can be defined as working together, especially in a joint effort. To that end, Automation Alley views collaboration as a founding principle. By working with our regional partners, Automation Alley can further economic growth and harness the shared resources of the region.

Additionally, Automation Alley continues to have an increased presence in both Genesee and Macomb counties with satellite offices. The offices provide additional exposure to Automation Alley’s vital services and benefits, including entrepreneurial and international business assistance for members in these communities.

Each regional partner plays an ever-increasing role in the success of Southeast Michigan’s technology economy: • City of Detroit • Economic Development Alliance of Livingston County • Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County • Genesee County Government • Macomb County Government • Monroe County Industrial Development Corporation • Oakland County Government • Wayne County Government

working throughout southeast Michigan

4


A dvocacy

As Michigan’s largest technology business association, Automation Alley is the voice of the technology community at the local, state and federal levels. Automation Alley, through its ongoing advocacy and government relations work, represents more than 1,000 technology-driven members from across the region. Automation Alley works with government officials and agencies, education representatives, and economic development and business leaders in Michigan to represent the interests of Southeast Michigan’s technology industry.

A Voice for the Technology Community Executive Director Ken Rogers represented Automation Alley and its 1,000 members at President Barack Obama’s Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth in December, as a guest of Congressman Gary Peters. The event was an opportunity for the President and his senior administration officials to meet with small business owners, business leaders, academics, mayors and representatives from nonprofits to hear their ideas for continuing to grow the economy and put Americans back to work. Rogers discussed a variety of ways to stimulate today’s economy and foster job creation with Elizabeth Vale, White House business council and senior advisor to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. Rogers also stressed the need to increase credit for companies. In addition, Senior Director/Director of Entrepreneurism Dr. Tom Anderson testified before the U.S. Financial Services Committee at the “Improving Responsible Lending to Small Businesses” hearing in November.

Dr. Tom Anderson

Anderson was invited to testify by Congressman Gary Peters and provided comments on the critical issue of credit gap funding currently facing many emerging technology companies. He also discussed Automation Alley’s business accelerator and seed investment program and offered his thoughts on policies Congress should pursue to promote economic recovery. Dr. Anderson also testified in June before the Michigan House Republican Taskforce on jobs and the economy. Anderson was invited to speak by Congressman John M. Proos. During his testimony, Anderson highlighted

5


a sampling of the companies Automation Alley has invested in; discussed the contract that was awarded to Automation Alley by the U.S. Army TARDEC to evaluate its current Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract program; and shared his thoughts and recommendations detailing Automation Alley’s approach to technologydriven economic development. He also recommended which policies the legislature should be pursuing to stimulate job growth.

Funding What Works This year, Automation Alley was the recipient of more than $2.4 million in federal funding. The first project was a feasibility study on building a soft-landing site to foster international business at Automation Alley’s Troy Headquarters. The current building and property were reviewed with a plan of constructing additional meeting rooms and parking, as well as renovating the facility to host international guests. The remaining two projects will fund healthcare information technology training and the BUSolutions project, a collaborative effort between government and industry that is intended to demonstrate the feasibility of producing easily maintainable, efficient city transit buses. In partnership with Altair Engineering, it is expected that the organizations will complete one prototype bus that will be delivered to SMART in 2010.

Resolutions This past year, Automation Alley’s Board of Directors passed two important resolutions: • Memorialize the Michigan House of Representatives to support House Bill 4922, sponsored by State Representative Ed Clemente, which seeks to amend the Michigan Economic Growth Act (MEGA). • Memorialize the United States Congress to support House Resolution 3246, sponsored by Congressman Gary Peters, which seeks to grow federal advanced vehicle technology research investment.

Government Affairs Committee Automation Alley is working to build awareness of and support for technology issues at the local, state and federal levels. Committee activities include securing opportunities for members to provide testimony before governmental committees, hosting legislative roundtables on important issues impacting Southeast Michigan’s technology business community, and connecting Alley members to the legislative community.

Congressman Gary Peters

In 2009, the Government Affairs Committee welcomed State Representative Ed Clemente, Speaker Andy Dillon, State Representative Tim Melton and Senator Randy Richardville to the bi-monthly committee meetings. In addition, the committee hosted Congressman Gary Peters and Carol Browner, President Obama’s top White House energy advisor, along with representatives from the Big Three, parts suppliers, academic and government researchers and others working to develop new advanced technology vehicles at a roundtable discussion. Participants discussed new advanced technology vehicle research and development and Congressman Peters’ legislation to support and expand such R&D. Later in the afternoon, participants demonstrated new hybrid and electric passenger vehicles, commercial trucks and military vehicles for Browner and members of the media. In addition, Congressman Peters hosted House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer at Automation Alley, where he announced his support for Advanced Vehicle Development legislation.

6


X-OLOGY Magazine

An AUTOMATIOn AlleY® PUBlICATIOn

X-OlOGY MAGAZIne

X-OLOGY MAGAZINE

XOLOGY INSIDE: Special

LEGAL SECTIO N

SPRING 2009

SUMMer 2009

AN AUTOMATION ALLEY® PUBLICATION

CleAn TeChnOlOGY

HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY

Healthcare Tech

Good medicine for Michigan Medical minds at work Delphi Medical Systems: a new take on auto tech

michigan tears into the green economy

Life lessons at the Detroit Science Center + revving up energy-saving tech + Clean energy on their minds

www.xology.com $2.95 US

+ michigan coastal delights

$4.95CAN

SUMMer 2009

SPRING 2009

x-ology_summer09.indd 1

A EB EA L Y E 0 C 1

E N D IO SI AT Y ES IN OM LE ATRS T L R

U A

X-OLOgy MAgAzinE

An AuTOMATiOn ALLEy® PuBLiCATiOn

FALL 2009

7/1/09 12:34:58 AM

0100110101101001011000110110100001101001011001110110000101101110001000000110001101101111011011010111000001100001011011100110100101100101011100110010000001100 0010111001001100101001000000111000001110101011100100111001101110101011010010110111001100111001000000110000101100100011101100110000101101110011000110110010101 1001000010000001101101011000010110111001110101011001100110000101100011011101000111010101110010011010010110111001100111001000000111010001100101011000110110100 0011011100110111101101100011011110110011101101001011001010111001100100000011011110110111000100000011011010110000101101110011110010010000001100110011100100110 1111011011100111010001110011001000001001011110100000011000010110111001100100001000000110100001100101011011000111000001101001011011100110011100100000011101000 1101111001000000110010001110010011010010111011001100101001000000111010001101000011001010010000001100101011101100110111101101100011101010111010001101001011011 AN AuTomATIoN AllEy® publIcATIoN 1101101110001000000110111101100110001000000111010001101000011001010010000001101001011011100110010001110101011100110111010001110010011110010010111000001101000 0101001000110011011110111001000100000011001000110010101100011011000010110010001100101011100110010110000100000011101110110111101110010011010110010000001101111 0110111000100000011000010111001101110011011001010110110101100010011011000111100100100000011011000110100101101110011001010111001100100000011101000111100101110 0000110100101100011011000010110110001101100011110010010000001101001011011100111011001101111011011000111011001100101011001000010000001101101011011110111011001 1010010110111001100111001000000111000001100001011100100111010001110011001000000110010001101111011101110110111000100000011000010010000001101100011010010110111 0011001010010110000100000011101110110100101110100011010000010000001101111011011100110010100100000011000010111001101110011011001010110110101100010011011000111 1001001000000111001101110100011001010111000000100000011001100110111101101100011011000110111101110111011010010110111001100111001000000110000101101110011011110 1110100011010000110010101110010001000000110100101101110001000000110000100100000011100110110010101110010011010010110000101101100001000000110011001100001011100 1101101000011010010110111101101110001011100010000001000010011101010111010000100000010000110110111101101101011000010111010100100000010010010110111001100011001 0111000100000011010010110111000100000010100110110111101110101011101000110100001100110011010010110010101101100011001000010110000100000010011010100100100101100 0010000001110100011010000110100101101110011010110111001100100000011010010111010000100000011010000110000101110011001000000110000100100000011000100110010101110 1000111010001100101011100100010000001110111011000010111100100101110001000000000110100001010000011010000101001010100011010000110010100100000011000110110111101 1011010111000001100001011011100111100100100000011010000110000101110011001000000110001101110010011001010110000101110100011001010110010000100000010100110110110 1011000010111001001110100010000110110010101101100011011000010110000100000011000010010000001110011011110010111001101110100011001010110110100100000011101000110 1000011000010111010000100000011001010111001101110011011001010110111001110100011010010110000101101100011011000111100100100000011001010110111001100001011000100 1101100011001010111001100100000100100110111000001100001011100100110000101101100011011000110010101101100001000000111000001110010011011110110001101100101011100 1101110011011010010110111001100111100101000010000001101001011011100010000001100001011100110111001101100101011011010110001001101100011110010010000001101111011 1000001100101011100100110000101110100011010010110111101101110011100110010110000100000011000010111001100100000011011110111000001110000011011110111001101100101 0110010000100000011101000110111100100000011101000110100001100101001000000111010001110010011000010110010001101001011101000110100101101111011011100110000101101 1000010000001110011011001010111001001101001011000010110110000100000011000010111000001110000011100100110111101100001011000110110100000101100001000000111001101 1000010111100101110011001000000101010001100101011001000010000001000010011100100110111101110111011011100010110000100000010000110110111101101101011000010111010 1100100100111001100100000011101100110100101100011011001010010000001110000011100100110010101110011011010010110010001100101011011100111010000100000011000010110 1110011001000010000001100111011001010110111001100101011100100110000101101100001000000110110101100001011011100110000101100111011001010111001000101100001000000 WINTER 2010 1010000011011110111011101100101011100100111010001110010011000010110100101101110001000000101001101111001011100110111010001100101011011010111001100101110001000 0001010111011010010111010001101000001000000101001101101101011000010111001001110100010000110110010101101100011011000010110000100000011000110110111101101101011 1000001101111011011100110010101101110011101000111001100100000011001100110111101110010001000000111000001101111011101110110010101110010011101000111001001100001 0110100101101110001000000111000001110010011011110110010001110101011000110111010001110011001000000110001101100001011011100010000001100010011001010010000001100 0010111001101110011011001010110110101100010011011000110010101100100001000000111010101110011011010010110111001100111001000000110101001110101011100110111010000 1000000110111101101110011001010010000001100001011100110111001101100101011011010110001001101100011110010010000001110011011101000110000101110100011010010110111 1011011100010110000100000011101100110010101110010011100110111010101110011001000000111010001101000011001010010000001110101011100110111010101100001011011000010 0000001100010011000000100000011011110111001000100000011011010110111101110010011001010010000001110011011101000110000101110100011010010110111101101110011100110 0101110001000000000110100001010100100110100100101110100100100100111001100100000011000100110000101110011011010010110001101100001011011000110110001111001001000 0001101000011000010111011001101001011011100110011100100000011011110110111001100101001000000110110101100001011000110110100001101001011011100110010100100000011 0010001101111001000000110110101100001011011100111100100100000011011110111000001100101011100100110000101110100011010010110111101101110011100110010110000100000 0111011001100101011100100111001101110101011100110010000001100001001000000111011101101000011011110110110001100101001000000110001001110101011011100110001101101 0000010000001101111011001100010000001101101011000010110001101101000011010010110111001100101011100110010000001100100011011110110100101101110011001110010000001 1100110110100101101110011001110110110001100101001000000110111101110000011001010111001001100001011101000110100101101111011011100111001100101100100101000010000 0010000100111001001101111011101110110111000100000011100110110000101111001011100110010111000100000010101000110100001100101001000000111001001100101011100110111 0101011011000111010000111010001000000100011101110010011001010110000101110100011001010111001000100000011001100110110001100101011110000110100101100010011010010 1101100011010010111010001111001001000000110100101101110001000000110110101100001011011100111010101100110011000010110001101110100011101010111001001101001011011 1001100111001011100010000001000110011011110111001000100000011001010111100001100001011011010111000001101100011001010010110000100000011100100110010100101101011 1010001101111011011110110110001101001011011100110011100100000011000010010000001110100011100100110000101100100011010010111010001101001011011110110111001100001 0110110000100000011000010111001101110011011001010110110101100010011011000111100100100000011011000110100101101110011001010010000001110100011011110010000001101 0000110000101101110011001000110110001100101001000000110111001100101011101110010000001110000011100100110111101100100011101010110001101110100011100110010000001 1000110110000101101110001000000111010001100001011010110110010100100000011011010110111101101110011101000110100001110011001011100010000001000010011101010111010 0001011000010000001000010011100100110111101110111011011100010000001110011011000010111100101110011001011000010000010010011011101110110010110010010011100100110 0101001000000110100001101111011100000110100101101110011001110010000001110100011010000110000101110100001000000111011101100101001000000110001101100001011011100 0100000011001110110010101110100001000000111010001101000011000010111010000100000011001000110111101110111011011100010000001110100011011110010000001100001001000 0001101101011000010111100001101001011011010111010101101101001000000110111101100110001000000110000100100000011000110110111101110101011100000110110001100101001 0000001100100011000010111100101110011001011000010000001100001011011100110010000100000011100000110010101110010011010000110000101110000011100110010000001100001 0010000001100011011011110111010101110000011011000110010100100000011011110110011000100000011010000110111101110101011100100111001100101110100101000010000000001 1010000101001000001011000110110001101101111011100100110010001101001011011100110011100100000011101000110111100100000010000100111001001101111011101110110111000 1011000010000001110100011010000110100101110011001000000110011001101100011001010111100001101001011000100110100101101100011010010111010001111001001000000110110 1011000010110101101100101011100110010000001101001011101000010000001100101011000010111001101101001011001010111001000100000011101000110111100100000011000110110 1000011000010110111001100111011001010010000001110000011100100110111101100100011101010110001101110100011010010110111101101110001000000111010001101111001000000 1110011011101000110000101111001001000000110100101101110001000000111001101110100011001010111000000100000011101110110100101110100011010000010000001100011011010 0001100001011011100110011101101001011011100110011100100000011011010110000101110010011010110110010101110100001000000110010001100101011011010110000101101110011 0010000111011001000000111001001100101011001000111010101100011011001010111001100100000011101000110100001100101001000000111010001101001011011010110010100100000 0110000101101110011001000010000001100011011011110111001101110100001000000110111101100110001000000111001001100101011101000110111101101111011011000110100101101 1100110011100111011001000000110000101101110011001000010000001101000011000010111001100100000011101000110100001100101001000000111000001101111011101000110010101 1011100111010001101001011000010110110000100000011101000110111100100000011100110110100101100111011011100110100101100110011010010110001101100001011011100111010 0011011000111100100100000011100100110010101100100011101010110001101100101001000000111000001101111011101110110010101110010001000000110001101101111011011100111 0011011101010110110101110000011101000110100101101111011011100010111000100000010010010110111000100000011000010110010001100100011010010111010001101001011011110 1101110001011000010000001101101011000010110111001110101011001100110000101100011011101000111010101110010011001010111001001110011001000000110001101100001011011 1000100000011001010110000101110011011010010110110001111001001000000111001101100011011000010110110001100101001000000111010101110000001000000110011001110010011 0111101101101001000000110111101101110011001010010000001110011011101000110000101110100011010010110111101101110001000000111010001101111001000000111001101100101 0111011001100101011100100110000101101100001011000010000001110011011011110010000001110100011010000110000101110100001000000111010001101000011001010111100100100 0000110001101100001011011100010000001110000011101010111001001100011011010000110000101110011011001010010000001100011011000010111000001100001011000110110100101 1101000111100100100000011000010111001100100000011101000110100001100101011110010010000001100111011011110010110000100000011100100110000101110100011010000110010 1011100100010000001110100011010000110000101101110001000000110110101100001011010110110100101101110011001110010000001101111011011100110010100100000011011000110 0001011100100110011101100101001011000010000001110101011100000110011001110010011011110110111001110100001000000110100101101110011101100110010101110011011101000 1101101011001010110111001110100001011100010000000001101000010100100001101101111011011010110000101110101001011000010000001110111011010000110100101100011011010 0000100000011010010111001100100000011100000110000101110010011101000010000001101111011001100010000001110100011010000110010100100000010001100110100101100001011 1010000100000010001110111001001101111011101010111000000101100001000000110100001100001011100110010000001100010011001010110010101101110001000000110010001100101 0111011001100101011011000110111101110000011010010110111001100111001000000111010001101000011001010010000001010011011011010110000101110010011101000100001101100 1010110110001101100001000000111001101111001011100110111010001100101011011010010000001101001011011100010000001010011011011110111010101110100011010000110011001 1010010110010101101100011001000010000001100110011011110111001000100000011101000111011101101111001000000111100101100101011000010111001001110011001011100010000 0010010010111010000100000011100100110010101100011011001010110111001110100011011000111100100100000011000100111001001101111011101010110011101101000011101000010 0000011101000110100001100101001000000111001101111001011100110111010001100101011011010010000001110100011011110010000001101101011000010111001001101011011001010 1110100001011000010000001101101011000010110101101101001011011100110011100100000011010010111010001110011001000000110011001101001011100100111001101110100001000 0001110011011000010110110001100101001000000111010001101111001000000101000001100101011100100110101101101001011011100111001100100000010001010110111001100111011 0100101101110011001010010000001101001011011100010000001110100011010000110010100100000010101010110111001101001011101000110010101100100001000000100101101101001 0110111001100111011001000110111101101101001011100010000001001100011011110110111101101011011010010110111001100111001000000110000101101000011001010110000101100 1000010110000100000010000100111001001101111011101110110111000100000011001010111100001110000011001010110001101110100011100110010000001110100011010000110010100 1000000111001101111001011100110111010001100101011011010010000001110100011011110010000001101000011000010111011001100101001000000110000100100000011100110110100 1011001110110111001101001011001100110100101100011011000010110111001110100001000000110100101101101011100000110000101100011011101000010000001101111011011100010 0000011101000110100001100101001000000110100101101110011001000111010101110011011101000111001001111001001011000010000001100010011001010110001101100001011101010 1110011011001010010000001101001011101000010000001100001011001000110010001110010011001010111001101110011011001010111001100100000011000010010000001110010011000 0101101110011001110110010100100000011011110110011000100000011001100110000101100011011101000110111101110010011100110010000001110100011010000110000101110100001 0000001100001011100100110010100100000011000110111001001101001011101000110100101100011011000010110110000100000011001100110111101110010001000000110110101100001 0110111001110101011001100110000101100011011101000111010101110010011001010111001001110011001000000111011101101111011100100110101101101001011011100110011100101

+ Pratt & Miller fuels manufacturing innovations

SECuriTy TECh

+ People committed to making things in Michigan + not your ordinary outdoor adventures

AdvAnced

MAnufActuring

michigan poised for leadership in security tech

Building Smart in Michigan

+ businesses take on security + people putting safety first FALL 2009

+ Weekend warriors share tailgating survival tips

x-ology_fall09_0156.indd 1

7

X-OLOGY Magazine provides a unique hybrid of technology information and lifestyle content. The quarterly publication is distributed to all Automation Alley members and takes an in-depth look at the people, companies, technologies and ideas transforming Southeast Michigan.

9/25/09 12:09:25 PM

tech

Issues in 2009 highlighted the innovative automotive technology business, healthcare technology, green technologies and Southeast Michigan’s increasing role in corporate, homeland and military security technologies.


A nnual Awards Gala This year, Automation Alley proudly celebrated its 10 th anniversary and honored the region’s best and brightest technology leaders and companies at its Annual Awards Gala. Held at the Roostertail in Detroit, the Gala was emceed by Paul W. Smith of News/Talk 760 WJR. The evening included a cocktail reception, gourmet dinner and afterglow reception on the Detroit River.

2009 Gala Award Winners Legend CEO  ★  Terence E. Adderley, chairman of the board, Kelly Services CEO of the Year  ★  Cynthia J. Pasky, Strategic Staffing Solutions Emerging Leader of the Year   ★  Bill Wagner, vice president and co-founder, SRT Solutions  Automation Alley Member of the Year  ★  Hennessey Capital Emerging Technology Company of the Year  ★  my1HIE, LLC Technology Company of the Year  ★  Grid4 Communications Educational Program of the Year  ★  Michigan Virtual University Nonprofit of the Year  ★  Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce

8


W orkforce Development Initiatives Global Trade Mission Automation Alley once again presented its “Global Trade Mission,” an innovative business simulation that prepares Southeast Michigan high school students for work in the global economy. Through a partnership with Macomb Intermediate School District, Oakland Community College and Oakland Schools, Automation Alley placed students in cross-district, crosscounty teams in “trade challenges,” which were created to highlight a specific emerging sector. Each trade challenge was developed in cooperation with area companies for rigorous and relevant application to theoretical classroom learning. The teams then created a business plan and presented to a panel of business experts for review. Since the program’s inception in 1999, more than 1,900 students have participated in the Global Trade Mission program.

“Fast Track” Certificate for Defense Manufacturing This past year, Automation Alley convened local leaders in business, government and education to assist Lawrence Technological University with their newly created graduate certificate in manufacturing systems for the defense industry. The new certificate will help engineers who have been displaced in the auto industry make the transition to the growing defense industry in Southeast Michigan. The 15-credit-hour graduate certificate program, which can be completed in two semesters, consists of five engineering or manufacturing courses that concentrate on military and defense acumen. Defense industry experts will serve as guest instructors throughout the program, and defense contractors will visit campus to conduct job interviews with participants. Partners in the project included Raytheon and General Dynamics, military planners at TARDEC and TACOM in Warren, and employment specialists at the Oakland County office of Michigan Works!

Improved Job Board In 2009, Automation Alley introduced a new and improved Job Board. The new Board streamlines the posting and recruiting process, and its ease of use allows employers to track the status of their applicants and even integrate with existing applicant tracking software. It also contains an automated job alert feature for job seekers. Specific features of the new Job Board include: • Postings that can be reused and edited for multiple postings • Option to post to other job boards including Craigslist.com, Oodle.com, Jobster.com and more • Ability to direct job seekers to your company’s existing applicant tracking system • Ability for applicants to submit an online application and resume directly to the employer • Email notification to job seekers whenever a new position is posted

9


E ntrepreneurial Initiatives: Lending to the Future Automation Alley joins businesses, educators and government to help entrepreneurs accelerate the commercialization of new technologies and services. With Automation Alley’s support and resources, ideas are turned into usable, marketable technology solutions. To date, Automation Alley has interacted with and assisted 1,000 technology companies across Southeast Michigan, aiding in the effort to grow and sustain business in the region.

Funding Future Technologies Six years ago, Automation Alley began funding technology companies. To date, 25 companies have received seed funding for a total of $4.85 million. These funds are used to continue accelerating the commercialization of new products and services. Four companies were recipients of Automation Alley seed funding in 2009: • CircleBuilder Software LLC: Located in Franklin, the company is a private, rules-based networking and outreach management Internet service that connects individuals and organizations. CircleBuilder enables faith-based organizations (as well as health, education, arts, etc.) to increase their membership, volunteerism and participation, improve fundraising efforts and more. • Clean Emission Fluids, Inc: Makes bio-diesel gas pumps that allow customers to mix different types of bio-diesel, whether it’s corn-made or white grease, B5 or B100. The idea of the Detroitbased company is that the pump will allow gas stations to cut down on the additional infrastructure needed to sell bio-fuel (e.g. numerous tanks or pumps). • Critical Signal Technologies, Inc.: Provides 24-hour personal emergency response monitoring services and related products to subscribers, primarily elderly or disabled individuals with medical or age-related conditions who wish to live independently in their home. Based in Farmington Hills, the company can specifically monitor a variety of needs, including blood pressure, activity in or out of bed or a chair, falling or sudden movements, and even dispenses and monitors medication compliance. • Ventech LLC: Offers mobile heating solutions. The Wixom-based company develops, manufactures and distributes a rapid heater technology — Liquid Heat Generator — to worldwide automotive, heavy-duty, emergency, off-highway, bus and military markets. The company’s flagship product, LHG 513, heats the interiors of school buses in a rapid fashion to reduce idle time, fuel consumption and engine usage.

investment. The repaid funding will be used to fund future innovative technology companies in Southeast Michigan.

Entrepreneurial Initiative of Southeast Michigan Forum The Entrepreneurial Initiative of Southeast Michigan (EISEM) Forum is a series of programs that highlight local entrepreneurs and their businesses to further develop their message to reach customers and potential investors. The program showcases three emerging technology companies and provides a brief overview of each company and business plan, which is then critiqued by attendees, including venture capitalists, angel investors and business professionals. They then provide constructive criticism and guidance. Each forum also includes a keynote presentation of a successful entrepreneur and their path from start-up to success. Presenting companies in 2009: • Advanced Battery Concepts LLC • Blaze Medical Devices • CYJ Enterprises • Dermanaut • Diversity Employment & Education Network (DEEN) • Mind Energy Biofuels

• Nxtgen Emission Controls • RF-IDI • Unitask Software • Ventech LLC • White Pines Systems LLC • Windsight LLC

Keynote speakers included Keith Cooley of NextEnergy, Andrew Basile of Young & Basile P.C., John Gilmour and Jeffrey Prough of Critical Signal Technologies, Inc.

Also this year, Danotek Motion Technologies, LLC NRG Dynamix and Saphran LLC repaid Automation Alley their initial seed funding

10


D efense Activities

Automation Alley and the U.S. military have a long history of partnership and cooperation. Since 2002, Automation Alley has operated under a formal Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) and through TARDEC’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, has helped companies apply for seed funds for technology commercialization in dual-use and homeland defense technology. The National Automotive Center also maintains a satellite office at Automation Alley’s Headquarters in Troy.

Diminishing Parts Program

Military Consulting

In September, Automation Alley was awarded a threeyear, $1.58 million contract to provide industrial base support for the TACOM LCMC Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) program. The DMSMS program is identifying manufacturers capable of producing replacement parts the Army needs, but that are no longer in production. These parts will be used to maintain the Army’s key weapon systems.

A key Automation Alley member-only benefit is the opportunity to consult with Brigadier General Donald Schenk (USA, Ret.) and Colonel Tom Lytle (USMC, Ret.) to discuss working with the U.S. Army.

The DMSMS program is the result of a congressional appropriation to the Army in the Department of Defense Appropriations Acts of 2008 and 2009. With bipartisan support from Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow and Representatives Sander Levin and Candice Miller, the program promises to help the Army by providing the resources needed to secure high-quality sources for advanced-manufactured parts. Additionally, by placing the DMSMS program in Southeast Michigan, the Army has access to some of the nation’s top automotive suppliers, many of whom have the extra capacity needed to fill these orders. Automation Alley is currently creating a communication tool and distribution network that will provide technical competencies to the Army. The database will contain the widest range of manufacturing vendors and engineering companies available that can provide valid sources of supply or support resolution of DMSMS cases.

11

Brigadier General Schenk and Colonel Lytle both offer defense-related consulting, specifically with the U.S. Department of Defense and military prime contractors, and there is no cost for the initial consultation. In 2009, 28 companies received consultations. To date, 58 companies have met with Brigadier General Schenk and Colonel Lytle.

Procurement Assistance Jann Deane, program manager at the Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) of Schoolcraft College, is now onsite at Automation Alley’s Headquarters to provide no-cost assistance to businesses that are interested in government procurement opportunities at the local, state and federal levels. The United States government spends billions of dollars annually, making it the world’s largest purchaser of goods and services. PTAC offices provide services that can help identify the government market that best fits an organization. PTAC representatives can help locate bidding opportunities and explore what is necessary to sell products and services to the government.


I nternational Business: Going Global Automation Alley enhances the global competitiveness of small- to mid-size companies conducting business overseas, while marketing and promoting Southeast Michigan as an attractive location in which to invest.

Israel Trade Mission This past year, Automation Alley conducted its 12th trade mission and visited Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa in Israel. During the trade mission, participants toured Better Place, a global provider of electronic vehicle networks and services; met with the chief scientist at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor; explored the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (Israel’s “MIT”); met with world-renowned physicians and research scientists at Hadassah Medical Center; and attended Gold Key matchmaking meetings with Israeli companies. Participating companies on the Israel trade mission included: • Barron Industries Incorporated (Oxford) • Lawrence Technological University (Southfield) • Lipson, Neilson, Cole, Seltzer & Garin, P.C. (Bloomfield Hills) • Promess Incorporated (Brighton) • RazorThreat, Inc. (Pontiac)

Educational International Events In 2009, Automation Alley held a variety of events aimed at educating the local community about international business. In April, “Canada: Michigan’s Leading Destination for Global Trade” was held at Automation Alley’s Headquarters. Members of Southeast Michigan’s business community learned how to expand globally, specifically to the world’s ninth largest economy. For those interested in conducting business in Israel, Automation Alley held “Israel: High-Tech Powerhouse and Global Center for Innovation” in June. The seminar featured business experts and venture capitalists focused on developing mutually beneficial trade and investment opportunities between U.S. and Israeli companies.

Global Guests Automation Alley was the proud host of four international delegations from countries around the world, including Israel, Sweden and China. With the goal of connecting Southeast Michigan businesses with international companies, visiting delegations met with area organizations and companies interested in conducting business overseas.

In addition, economic developers from Macomb and Oakland County attended.

12


C ommittees

Automation Alley introduced a new committee structure in 2009. The new committees have the opportunity for increasing collaboration, projects and events.

Chair: Dave Biskner, Biznet Internet Solutions Vice-Chair: Larry Lacombe, L2 Consulting and Ciber Staff Liaisons: Katie Mullin and Robyn Ritzema

Committees now include Business Growth, Education and Workforce, and Technology. Each includes various project teams that work on a variety of initiatives, including events, educational articles in Automation Alley Toolboxes and more.

Top Accomplishments: • Hosted the successful Survive & Thrive Series that featured topics on leadership, human resources, sales, and financing • Launched the Social Media Toolbox and provided additional content to the Human Resources and Finance Toolboxes • Hosted several marketing events, including a soldout Social Media Bootcamp and a Mega Marketing in a Tough Economy Series

Business Growth Committee: Serves as a catalyst for business success by providing insight, information and resources that help emerging and small businesses with finance, marketing, sales, public relations and HR/operations.

Education and Workforce Committee: Supports initiatives designed to help develop, attract and retain an outstanding technical workforce in Southeast Michigan. Chair: Jennifer Boyce, Central Michigan University Vice-Chair: Don Morandini, Macomb County Staff Liaison: Alysia Green Top Accomplishments: • Began developing the “Talent Transition Model” that creates customized programs to transition displaced workers to new careers • Compiled data on the skills and knowledge needed for a successful workforce in today’s growing industry sectors • Continued research on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programming and definitions Technology Committee: Provides an environment for member organizations to explore the use of new and existing technologies. Chair: Duane Hopkins, Innovative Corporate Solutions, Inc. Vice-Chair: Lynn Ingberg, Dialogue Marketing, Inc. Staff Liaison: Danielle DeLonge Top Accomplishments: • Hosted a successful Green Michigan: Now & Tomorrow event that educated attendees on the green initiatives in Southeast Michigan • Launched the Innovative Technology Series that featured topics on healthcare IT and cloud computing • Hosted the Social Media Landmines event that highlighted legal implications and effective policies relating to social media use

13


2 009 Board of Directors

Automation Alley would like to thank and recognize the Board of Directors for devoting their time and energy to the success of Automation Alley.

Brian McGinnity, HIROTEC AMERICA

President

Vice President

Secretary

Brian Kundinger, Kundinger Controls

Treasurer

Scott Goemmel, PMV Technologies, LLC

Assistant Treasurer

Immediate Past President

Bob Nichols, Kettering University

Brian Balow, Dickinson Wright PLLC Jerry Rush, ArvinMeritor, Inc.

Stephen Cassin Macomb County Government

Michael McNalley DTE Energy

David Darbyshire DASI Solutions

Turkia Mullin Wayne County

Ed Donovan Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce

Ken Rogers Automation Alley

Christine Estereicher Chrysler LLC

Donald Schenk General Dynamics Land Systems

Gary Gavin Blue Cross Blue Shield

Doug Smith Oakland County

Greg Guidice RazorThreat

Tracie Tillinger Detroit Economic Growth Corporation

Debra Homic Hoge General Motors Corporation

Adam Wilburn RCM Technologies

Automation Alley remembers Board Member Dennis Toffolo, a Deputy County Executive for Oakland County. Mr. Toffolo passed away May 20, 2009.

14


management and staff Management Ken Rogers

Executive Director

Senior Director/ Director, Entrepreneurism

Director, Finance

Director, Government Affairs

Charles DeVries

Director, Member Services

Andrea Duncan

Director, International Business Services

Noel Nevshehir

Director, Communications and Events

Michelle Zellen

Thomas Anderson, Ph.D. Maryann Daddow

Staff Sharon Blumeno

Senior Business Development Executive

Business Accelerator Client Champion

Executive Assistant

Administrative Assistant

Workforce Development Supervisor

Alysia Green

Supervisor of International Business

Lisa Lasser

Marketing and Communications Coordinator

Katie Mullin

Event Coordinator

Accountant

Business Development Executive

Supervisor of Member Services

Danielle DeLonge Claudia DiMercurio Eriola Grabocka

Robyn Ritzema John Shirk Martha Viland Amy Young

Defense Consultants

Consultant (defense/automotive)

U.S. Army TARDEC DMSMS Project Leader

Defense Consultant & U.S. Army TARDEC DMSMS Program Manager

U.S. Army TACOM DMSMS Project Leader

DMSMS Office Manager/Executive Assistant

John Bedz Cindy Kainz Daniel Raubinger Anil Sanne Anne Walter

Interns

Member Services Intern

Technical Intern

International Business Services Intern

Genna Piscopo Punita Virkud John Wolf-Meyer

Report written by Katie Mullin Marketing and Communications Coordinator

15


f oundation members

Automation Alley extends a sincere thank you to our dedicated Foundation Members for their continuous support, assisting in the success of Automation Alley and in the branding of the region as a global center for technology. Altair Engineering, Inc.

Lear Corporation

ArvinMeritor, Inc.

Macomb Community College

AT&T

Macomb County Government

Automotive Design & Production

Macomb Daily

Baker College

Macomb/St. Clair Workforce Development Board

Blue Cross Blue Shield

Michigan Economic Development Corp.

Butzel Long

Michigan Works! JobLink Service Center

Central Michigan University

Michigan Works! Troy Career Center

Chrysler LLC

NBS (Navigating Business Space)

Cisco

Netarx LLC

City of Troy LDFA

North American BanCard Inc.

DENSO International America, Inc.

Oakland Community College

Detroit Economic Growth Corporation

Oakland County

Detroit Media Partnership

Oakland County Workforce Development Board

Detroit Regional Chamber

Oakland Press

Detroit Renaissance

Oakland Schools

Dickinson Wright PLLC

Oakland University

DTE Energy

Plante & Moran

Eisbrenner Public Relations

PMV Technologies LLC

Ford Motor Company

Salesforce.com

General Motors

SMART

Genesee County Government

SMZ Advertising

GlobalAutoIndustry.com

The Resource Network, Inc.

Goodwill Industries

U.S. Army TARDEC/NAC

Greater Media Detroit

Walsh College

Grid4 Communications

Wayne County

Kelly Services, Inc.

WDET-FM

Kettering University

Xede Consulting Group, Inc.

Lawrence Technological University

16


Section Header

2675 Bellingham • Troy, MI 48083 • 800-427-5100 www.automationalley.com • info@automationalley.com ©2010 Automation Alley

1


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.