Crain's Detroit Business, March 21, 2022, issue by Crain's Detroit Business

NOTABLE LEADERS IN SUSTAINABILITY See who is leading the way in Michigan on environmental efforts. PAGE 10

SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Pandemic complicates tax season for many. PAGE 8

CRAINSDETROIT.COM I MARCH 21, 2022

‘Corporate recess’ comes to Michigan Group pilots new kind of team-building

MANSIONS ON THE MARKET

| BY ARIELLE KASS When Jeff Cowin bought the Whitney mansion, the one working

toilet was not on the same floor as the one working shower (which had plastic hung around it in an unfinished basement). ■ After he moved in to the Kresge mansion, Roland Radinski recalled finding pieces of its kitchen countertops scattered in other rooms of the house. Parts of the ceiling were coming down. The light fixtures were filled with bugs and debris. See MANSIONS on Page 24

KW METRO

REALCOMP

NIC ANTAYA FOR CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

BY SHERRI WELCH

Clockwise from top: The exterior of the Kresge Mansion in Detroit. The Book mansion features a grand Thassos marble staircase with Italian walnut baluster rail. The Whitney mansion in Brush Park has been modernized with new wiring, mechanicals, central air and three guest apartments.

Think you’re too old to play tag or dodge a ball? Playworks doesn’t. It’s launching “corporate recess” team-building activities with Southeastern Michigan employers to help adult employees bond, whether they’re staying on Zoom a bit longer or heading back to the office. The national nonprofit has coordinated playground programs and trained schools and youth organizations to help children learn conflict resolution, problem solving and self regulation skills for the past 25 years. A few years ago, it launched corporate recess for adult employees in other markets as a way to create advocates for the importance of play for children and to help provide financial support for children’s programs. But it turns out play has intrinsic benefits for grownups, too. “The things that we learn on the playground … are the same things that adults need to be able to use in the workplace,” said Matt Matthews, co-associate director of Playworks Michigan. And as employees navigate post-pandemic isolation, the sense of connection the activities provide is more important now than ever. “As adults we needed … the ability to feel safe in a workplace, to feel playful in a workplace, to feel a part of a team ... before the pandemic,” he said. “But I think the pandemic has exasperated that need because we’ve been disconnected.” California-based Playworks first introduced corporate recess in a handful of states in 2018. See RECESS on Page 23

NEWSPAPER

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WHY GILBERT WENT TO BAT FOR DOCTOR

Physician who billionaire credited with saving his life is now headed to federal prison. PAGE 3

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NEED TO KNOW

PRESSING ON

THE WEEK IN REVIEW, WITH AN EYE ON WHAT’S NEXT

 I-375 TRANSFORMATION PLANNED FOR 2027 THE NEWS: The long-awaited transformation of the cavernous I-375 freeway in downtown Detroit into an urban boulevard will have to wait a little longer. The Michigan Department of Transportation has restored the $270 million project in its fiveyear capital improvement plan for the state’s highways, pegging the start of construction for the spring of 2027. Plans to replace the freeway spur that connects Jefferson Avenue to I-75 with an at-grade six-lane boulevard have been in the works for years. WHY IT MATTERS: Inclusivity. In order to make way for the freeway, Detroit’s mostly white leaders condemned and bulldozed the predominately Black neighborhoods of Paradise Valley and Black Bottom, displacing residents and businesses. Promoters say recreating the boulevard should give Black business owners and developers more opportunities.

 HOME SALES REMAIN STRONG; DETROIT LANDLORDS CASH OUT

ed with investments in the country, as President Mary Sue Coleman said.

THE NEWS: More houses continue to sell in Detroit, and at higher prices, as listings in the city are on the rise. Experts say the boost in sales continues to be driven by landlords who are selling their properties in the city and renters who are looking to buy now as a hedge against rising inflation. Median prices rose 5.1 percent from February 2021 to $70,000 this year according to the multiple listing service Realcomp.

 CANADA WILL NIX COVID TEST REQUIREMENT

WHY IT MATTERS: More mom-and-pop landlords are getting out, and they’re often being replaced by investors and changing the landscape for renters.

 UM TO PULL $40 MILLION IN RUSSIAN INVESTMENT THE NEWS: The University of Michigan is following the lead of schools, governments and businesses around the nation with its removal of investments tied to Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine. The Ann Arbor-based university invested $40 million through Moscow-based private equity firm Russia Partners in 2009 and 2012, which focuses primarily on funding consumer, education, health care and financial technology. WHY IT MATTERS: UM is the latest entity to pull out of Russia as sanctions continue to squeeze businesses which is “increasing financial risks” associat-

THE NEWS: Canada will no longer require a pre-arrival COVID-19 test for vaccinated travelers as of April 1. The United States still requires a negative COVID-19 test to enter. WHY IT MATTERS: It’s the long-awaited change that will help with the free flow of commerce across the international border as the economy recovers from the pandemic.

 @PROPERTIES TO EXPAND, JOIN CHRISTIE’S NETWORK THE NEWS: The Detroit brokerage @ properties is expanding, adding to its Birmingham headquarters and joining the network of Christie’s International Real Estate. Principal Eric Walstrom said the company plans to open offices in Grosse Pointe, Rochester and either Northville or Plymouth within a year. The name change, to @ properties Christie’s International Real Estate, will help the brokerage reach a luxury market, Walstrom said. WHY IT MATTERS: More jobs and more opportunity. The company has 67 agents, and Walstrom estimated the expansion would lead to the addition of nine to 15 new employees.

Media startups Detour Detroit, Outlier Media merge  Detour Media LLC has merged with fellow Detroit-focused news startup Outlier Media. The merger brings together two organizations that had shared space at TechTown Detroit and collaborated on editorial projects and revenue creation but often found themselves in competition with one another, said Ashley Woods Branch, co-founder and CEO of Detour Detroit. Though both organizations were organized as for-profits, their social impact work drew support from foundations made to nonprofit fiduciaries on their behalf. “Because of the nature of our work, often, it felt like Detour and Outlier were being forced to compete for grants, but we were all just trying to figure out how to work together,” she said. The merger expands Outlier’s offerings to include the Detour Detroit neighborhood newsletter and the Detroit Development Tracker. Woods Branch and co-founder Kate Abbey-Lambertz will take on leadership roles at Outlier alongside founder Sarah Alvarez and Executive Director Candice Fortman.

Outlier Media's merged executive team: Executive Director Candice Fortman (left); Founder Sarah Alvarez; Kate Abbey-Lambertz, product and engagement manager, and Ashley Woods Branch, senior director of audience and revenue growth. | COURTESY OF NICK HAGEN

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COURTS

MANUFACTURING

Gilbert defends doctor in fraud case sentencing Physician flagged billionaire's stroke BY KIRK PINHO

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai (left), South Korea Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo and SK Group Vice Chairman Jeong Joon Yu study a silicon carbide wafer held by an SK Siltron CSS engineer at the company’s plant in Auburn. | SK SILTRON CSS

CRYSTALLIZING INVESTMENT Inside Michigan semiconductor plant, Korean wafer maker bets big on EVs BY KURT NAGL

For the past couple decades, scientists at an R&D lab in Bay County have been vaporizing silicon carbide inside of furnaces at twice the temperature of lava to make chunks of crystal as durable as diamonds. Only recently have those crystals been understood by many to be the future of electric vehicle semiconductors. That’s why SK Siltron CSS, a subsidiary of South Korean conglomerate SK Group, is investing more than $300 million to quadruple its real estate footprint in Bay County with a new 250,000-square-foot plant

west of Bay City along US-10. The company bet big with its $450 million purchase of DuPont’s silicon carbide business in 2019. In the two years after the acquisition, the EV industry has increasingly pivoted away from traditional silicon for high power applications to silicon carbide, which transfers electricity more efficiently and improves range — the top concern of most EV makers. The industry shift means SK Siltron CSS is sitting on a potential gold mine of silicon carbide and cannot build capacity quickly enough, said CEO Jianwei Dong, who worked for DuPont before the acquisition and helped facilitate the deal.

“We are sitting on top of a oncein-a-century paradigm change,” Dong said on a media tour of the plant in Auburn and the site under construction eight miles to the east. “It took us more than 20 years to get to where we are today.” The company hosted a visit Wednesday with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and South Korea Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and show off its new 250,000-square-foot plant, expected to be operational next month. See PLANT on Page 22

“SK SILTRON’S FACILITY WILL GO A LONG WAY REINFORCING STABILITY AND RESILIENCE OF THE U.S. SEMICONDUCTOR SUPPLY CHAIN.” — Yeo Han-koo, South Korea trade minister

The doctor who Dan Gilbert credits with saving his life when he had a stroke nearly three years ago is heading to federal prison next month for 3 1/2 years after being sentenced for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Gilbert went to bat for Steven Adamczyk, a Bloomfield Hills resident, during Adamczyk’s sen- Gilbert tencing, praising him in a letter to the judge. Adamczyk pleaded guilty to his involvement in what has been described by federal prosecutors as a $250 million Medicare billing fraud case that involved distribution of millions of unnecessary doses of opioid painkillers. Adamczyk was sentenced in late October, according to federal court records. He is due to surrender by April 4. He had been scheduled to surrender by Jan. 3, but that was postponed for medical reasons. According to court filings by Jeffrey Collins, Adamczyk’s attorney, Detroit-based Rock Ventures — the umbrella company for many of the businesses in Gilbert’s empire of companies — was aware of the criminal case when Adamczyk was hired as a consultant in October 2018. He was indicted three months earlier, court records show. A spokesperson for Rock Ventures, Aaron Emerson, said Adamczyk “initially began as a consultant to Dan and transitioned exclusively to Dan’s care full time following his stroke.” Emerson said Adamczyk specifically was employed by the Gilbert family office and that he helped “coordinate medical care and assist in Dan’s stroke recovery.” “He is no longer involved with Rock See GILBERT on Page 23

INFRASTRUCTURE

A home for drones? Detroit looks at ‘vertiport’ at city airport BY ANNALISE FRANK

Detroit wants to bring a high-tech landing pad called a “vertiport” to the city as part of its long and winding endeavor to resurrect Coleman A. Young International Airport as a major corporate transportation hub. The Detroit airport department is looking at mobility innovation as it works toward finalizing plans to improve the nearly 300-acre airport site and make way for development. That innovation includes building a designated place for the vertical takeoff and landing of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, Detroit airport director Jason Watt told City Council last week during a departmental budget meeting. His team is

working with Detroit’s mobility office on the concept, he added. Watt was answering a question from Council member Gabriela Santiago-Romero, who asked about attracting traffic from drones like the ones Amazon.com Inc. is exploring using to make deliveries. “I was just on the phone with a group that is very much interested, at this time, to bring some of those technologies to the city of Detroit, as well as the existing companies that we have in that space that are actively researching and developing, as well as building, unmanned aerial vehicles at this time,” Watt said. It’s the city’s desire to install a vertiport as a “futuristic” element of the airport’s next stage of development.

Detroit could “lead the way in the state of Michigan, as well as the country,” in vertiport installation, he said. “We’re working toward that end right now,” Watt said to City Council. The port will give drone manufacturers that are already at the airport, Detroit Aircraft Corp. and HopTera, a place to launch and train, Watt told Crain’s in a follow-up interview. A vertiport is similar to a helipad for helicopters, but specifically designed for advanced air mobility operations like drones or remotely operated vehicles, according to NUAIR, a New York-based nonprofit focused on integrating drones into U.S. airspace. See VERTIPORT on Page 22

Munich-based aircraft company Lilium plans to build a vertiport by 2025 in Orlando, Fla. A rendering of the proposed landing site, to be created with developer Tavistock, is shown. | LILIUM MARCH 21, 2022 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 3

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REAL ESTATE INSIDER

Congratulations

Wright Lassiter III on being selected as Newsmaker of the Year!

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Antoine Bryant, who Duggan picked last year to lead the Detroit Planning and Development Department talk from the big stage at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in September 2021. | DALE G. YOUNG FOR CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

www.DTMidstream.com

Detroit planners working on industrial property survey

500 Woodward Avenue, Suite 2900 Detroit, MI 48226

Congratulations to the

2021 Crain’s Newsmakers from

Detroit’s Business School I N N O VAT E . I M PA C T. I N S P I R E .

ilitchbusiness.wayne.edu

A Stronger Community. A healhier community. Henry Ford Health System is pleased to support Crain’s Newsmaker of the year recognizing leaders who are making an extraordinary impact in SE Michigan and beyond. We proudly extend our congratulations to the News Maker of the Year, Wright Lassiter III, President and CEO, Henry Ford Health System. Thank you for your leadership!

ALL FOR YOU

The city of Detroit has, by far, the most new industrial construction underway out of anywhere else in the region. Some 2.75 million square feet is Kirk in the ground, acPINHO cording to a fourth-quarter report from the local office of New York City-based brokerage house Newmark. That’s the future. But what about all of its industrial past? That’s the focus of a new effort within the city’s Planning and Development Department, now helmed by Antoine Bryant, who joined me and my colleague Arielle Kass for an extended conversation on the inaugural episode of The Build Up, a new podcast she and I host covering commercial real estate issues. “This is a city that has been built on industry,” Bryant said. “Many of these factories, the footprint still exists even if the industry is vacant or in neglect. So how do we repurpose those spaces? We can’t just let them be. They make up a significant part of the urban landscape.” In some ways, the city has been working on altering their trajectory, getting developers to come in and tear down much or all of what remains — looking at you, Cadillac Stamping Plant and American Motors Corp. property and Packard Plant — and giving new life to those expansive swaths of land. But there’s still a lot of work to do. Bryant said that not long before he came to the city to take over the planning department, the city hired a new senior planner, Julie Connochie, whose background is in industrial planning. “We’ve really given her the reins to really take a close look at the industrial landscape that exists in the city,” Bryant continued later in our conversation when asked for more details. “What does that mean? We have a lot of pretty large parcels that were factories of various sorts, that were manufacturing entities. Many of them, because of the way the city is laid out, are ... (in) ... neighborhoods. So many of our residents, they drive by, they walk by these hulking masses in the middle of communities. So, where are they, and then how do we address that and, both from a physical standpoint and from a repurposing standpoint?” Bryant said the end result should be a report that constitutes a “full-scale analysis of where they are, and pro-

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST  Hear more from Detroit planning Director Antoine Bryant in the debut edition of Crain’s new commercial real estate podcast, “The Build Up.” You’ll find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other major podcast platforms.

duce directives on repurposing those sites throughout the city.” It’s not just industrial properties the city has looked at in such a way. Last year, the city and Detroit Public Schools Community District commissioned a study on more than 60 vacant school properties in Detroit as well. That’s just one example. Best not to be hamstrung by misconceptions about industrial uses, Connochie said. “Candidly, I think planners can get too hung up on the idea of adaptive reuse as the future of industrial lands and buildings, because of widely held beliefs that the industrial sector is noxious and in decline,” she said. “I’m more concerned with what a more susConnochie tainable (both environmentally and economically) future for industrial development looks like for the city, and that starts by understanding what sectors beyond just the maker/small manufacturing uses are flourishing and what their needs are. My research on this topic directly informed the industrial design guidelines I’ve been working on, which balance urban design and environmental planning principles with what is feasible for the end user.” Those guidelines are expected to be presented by the summer. There have been other studies on industrial properties and sites in town, including a 2017 study by Detroit Future City showing that there are about 900 such vacant industrial buildings in a wide range of condition across the city. “Many of these buildings abut residential neighborhoods in some of the city’s most disadvantaged areas,” the report reads. “Without a strategic approach to repurposing these properties, they will remain fallow for years to come, posing threats to public health and safety, and undermining Detroit’s recovery.” And much more recently, my colleague Annalise Frank wrote a month

ago, Detroit Future City and the Southwest Detroit Business Association looked at sites zoned for industrial use in southwest Detroit bounded by I-96/I-75, West Vernor, Livernois and Michigan. All told, it’s about 1.6 square miles around the Clark Street Technology Park, and includes around 5,300 residents and 30 existing businesses. Tom Goddeeris, COO for Detroit Future City, said in the last several years, the city has typically focused on big sites where large employers could plant their flags. “But as they move forward with the Joe Louis Greenway, which travels through industrial districts, there will be some interesting opportunities to rethink about community development at a scale without necessarily thinking about a mega project,” Goddeeris said. Yet there are former industrial properties scattered throughout the city and the people who live near them need to have an important say in how they are reused, whether you’re dealing with larger sites or smaller ones. The future use of properties like the ones the city is now cataloging need to consider the residents that surround them. “The strategies are going to vary a little bit (with smaller properties), focused on smaller companies, homegrown manufacturing companies, and some reuse away from industrial in some cases into potentially something like a solar array or a different type of use,” Goddeeris said. “Residents want economic development, but they don’t want it at the cost of air quality and the health of their children.”

Equitable development task force proposed New Detroit City Council member Latisha Johnson is calling for the creation of an Equitable Development Task Force, which she would chair through the end of the year. The resolution says the group would “focus on addressing the needs of the underserved communities through policies and programs that reduce disparities while fostering places that are healthy and vibrant and may include residents, representatives from the community, labor, the business sector, as well as any other individuals interested in participating.” Contact: kpinho@crain.com; (313) 446-0412; @kirkpinhoCDB

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NONPROFITS

YMCA of Metro Detroit works to bring back members Hit by pandemic losses, organization faces projected $4.5 million deficit this year BY SHERRI WELCH

When Helene Weir came to Detroit in 2019 to lead the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit, she knew she had some work to do, coming in after more than a decade of membership losses following the Great Recession. But like everyone else, she couldn’t have foreseen the two-year, global pandemic and the toll it would take on the Y’s membership numbers. COVID appears to be letting up, but the Detroit nonprofit and its branches around the region are expecting a longhaul impact. The YMCA, which counts on earned revenue Weir from memberships and programs for about 85 percent of its annual budget, is facing a projected $4.5 million deficit this year. With the closure of three of its clubs in 2020 and the slow return of members, its membership numbers across the region have dropped to about half of what they were before COVID. The $10 million gift it got from MacKenzie Scott in late 2020 will help cover much of the deficit, President and CEO Weir said, sharing plans to

will take two years to come back from the pandemic but acknowledges it could be less if people feel comfortable coming back to the YMCA this year. “We don’t exist if we don’t generate earned revenue,” Weir said. “We’ve been here 170 years; we want to be here a lot longer.”

Membership declines

YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit is using part of MacKenzie Scott’s $10 million gift to upgrade spaces and facilities to better cater to the community. | YMCA

use $3 million of it for that purpose. That will leave the YMCA with about half of the initial gift, following a $2 million investment in deferred maintenance and upgrades at several of its facilities over the past year. Under the direction of Weir, a career YMCA executive who has led organizations in Canada and the U.S., the Detroit Y is developing strategies to increase fitness memberships and earned revenue to help support its pro-

grams and pay off about $16 million in debt going back to the early 2000s and opening of sites in Detroit, Auburn Hills and Milford. “When I came (to Detroit), I knew this Y had some financial challenges and it was a turnaround situation,” Weir said. But those challenges have been “significantly exacerbated by the impact of the pandemic,” she said. She’s conservatively estimating it

Before COVID, the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit had 16,374 members, including more than 3,600 at three branches it closed in 2020. Those members are gone, Weir said. Excluding the shuttered branches, its memberships for families, couples or individuals paying monthly to use the Y’s fitness centers and participate in health and w ellness programs totaled 12,731 at its remaining sites. As of February, it had recovered 8,800 or 69 percent of them. To help retain members in 2020, the Detroit-based YMCA standardized membership rates for all of its sites and lowered them to monthly rates ranging from $39 for a young adult/student to $86 per family, Weir said. It has kept the lower rates in place and stepped up its marketing efforts on social media and through traditional advertising, to help bring back members, she said. And it’s hosting a “170 Challenge” in honor of its 170th anni-

versary this year, challenging people to exercise 170 minutes a week and track it through the Detroit YMCA app for a chance to earn points and win prizes. “We’re trying to raise our profile so people are aware we’re still here and we’re doing great things in the communities,” Weir said. The YMCA provides health and wellness classes and equipment at its facilities, arts and afterschool programs, camps, and other community outreach. The YMCA is currently operating on a $20.18 million budget, down from $32.8 million in 2019. After years of deferring maintenance for financial reasons after the Great Recession, it’s in the midst of updating all of its facilities, Weir said. It invested $2 million of the MacKenzie Scott gift to fund updates to all of its sites over the past year, with significant work at the Royal Oak and Detroit branches, Weir said. In 2020, it launched its first major gifts campaign in 20 years, a $15 million campaign to help fund updates at its Farmington and Mt. Clemens sites and additional work at the now 20-year-old Boll Family YMCA in downtown Detroit. It’s raised a third of its target, Weir said. Contact: swelch@crain.com; (313) 446-1694; @SherriWelch

When small businesses thrive, we all win. We’re proud to be named the #1 SBA Lender in the region1. But what really makes us happy is helping people start and grow their businesses. Because we know when small businesses thrive, our communities thrive. So let’s get to work, together. Give Mike Land a call at 248-637-7418 or visit your neighborhood branch. SBA loans subject to SBA eligibility, credit application, and approval. Huntington is the #1 SBA 7(a) lender in the region made up of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia, and Western Pennsylvania from October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2021. Source: U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). 1

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COMMENTARY

Michigan having ‘fork in the road’ moment on climate BY ASHLEY SOLTYSIAK

COMMENTARY

Romance with Russian oligarch a cautionary tale on investment

ussia and Michigan’s auto industry have long been connected. Henry Ford announced in 1929, against the objections of his country, his automaker would supply and help the USSR build cars. Supplier Delphi has had a presence in Russia since before the Berlin Wall came down. But only one Russian has penetrated the U.S. auto supply chain — Russia’s wealthiest oligarch, Alexey Mordashov. Mordashov entered the U.S. market in 2004 when he acquired the former Ford Rouge Steel plant — the same plant that provided parts to the Soviet Union more than 70 years earlier. For a decade, Mordashov would invest heavily in the region and enjoy the state’s tax incentive regime before eventually abandoning steel operations in North America under the guise of falling prices. Michigan narrowly missed having to untangle itself from the growing sanctions against Russia and its wealthiest tycoons. The tale is a lesson in economic development and the potential risks of courting investment originating out of despotic regimes. The U.K. and EU sanctioned Mordashov late last month over his role as the largest shareholder in Rossiya Bank, which is deALEXEY termined to be the MORDASHOV personal piggy bank of Russia’s ruling class ENTERED THE financier of the U.S. MARKET IN and former Soviet Union’s annexation of 2004 WHEN HE Crimea. Mordashov ACQUIRED THE also chairs Severgroup, an investment FORMER FORD firm that controls sevROUGE STEEL eral telecommunications and media comPLANT. panies the U.K. and Europe allege is helping destabilize Ukraine through pro-Russian media outlets. Severgroup is also the holding company for Russia’s largest steelmaker Severstal OAO, which Mordashov built as the chairman and majority shareholder. Mordashov had a reported net worth of $29 billion before the sanctions, which have

Dustin

WALSH

likely considerably dented his wealth. Mordashov’s interests in Michigan were large and desired by state leadership as Gov. Rick Snyder’s emphasized the importance of foreign direct investment in the state’s recovery from the Great Recession. In late 2003, Russia’s Severstal OAO outbid U.S. Steel Corp. for the bankrupt assets of Rouge Industries Inc., which operated the former Ford Rouge Steel plant in Dearborn that had strong ties to the Detroit 3 automakers, for $285 million. It also acquired a minimill in Columbus, Miss., to form Severstal North America in 2004. Mordashov spent a decade dumping money into the rundown operations to make advanced high-strength steel for automakers in the United States. The investments included modernizing of its existing lines, a new tandem pickle line and cold-rolling mill and a wide-exposed hot-dip galvanized steel line, among improvements to the facility. The state welcomed the investment by offering Severstal in 2005 tax credits under the Michigan Economic Growth Authority worth more than $55 million. The state doubled down in 2011 with a 10-year brownfield credit against the Michigan Business Tax worth an estimated $40 million. To further finance its build-out and expansion in the U.S., Severstal applied for a $730 million U.S. Department of Energy loan stemming from a $25 billion DOE Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program. The loan was supported by Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin as Severstal publicly announced the loan would support an additional $1 billion in plant improvements. The DOE approved the low-interest loan in July 2011, but then politics entered the equation. See OLIGARCH on Page 23

Write us: Crain’s welcomes responses from readers. Letters should be as brief as possible and may be edited for length or clarity. Send letters to Crain’s Detroit Business, 1155 Gratiot Ave, Detroit, MI 48207, or email crainsdetroit@crain.com. Please include your complete name, city from which you are writing and a phone number for fact-checking purposes.

GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

Ohio-based AK Steel Corp. bought this Dearborn steel plant in 2014 from Russian steelmaker OAO Severstal. | SEVERSTAL NORTH AMERICA

day will come when Michigan and the entire United States must make sweeping and dramatic changes to combat global warming. We can say that with certainty because, as a vast body of climate sciAshley Soltysiak ence proves, we have no choice if we want our chilis climate & dren and their children to environment enjoy this beautiful planet. program The coming cataclysm manager for the was portrayed most reTraverse City-based cently in the report reGroundwork leased by the IntergovernCenter for mental Panel on Climate Resilient Change on Feb. 28. The Communities. report is 3,676 pages of science that builds a broad case against a failure of global climate leadership. The top-level findings are generally things we have all heard a thousand times — coral reefs dying, forests burning, low ocean shoreline communities moving inland, crop productivity declining, and so much more. But there is one important sentence from the IPCC report I ask you to take in, a plainly stated 17 words, no bold face, no exclamation point, found on page SPM-8: “The extent and magnitude of climate change impacts are larger than estimated in previous assessments (high confidence).” This sentence is monumentally important to Michigan leaders this very week as two critical and contradictory climate change issues land almost simultaneously in the state’s policy realm. It’s a juxtaposition that poignantly encapsulates the climate choice facing our nation. One issue involves building a massive piece of oil infrastructure that would help warm the planet with billions of tons of CO2 during its proposed 99-year lifespan. The other involves finalizing a plan to eliminate the state’s contribution to atmospheric carbon within 28 years. It’s tempting to wonder if the universe had a reason for landing these two side by side in the middle of the greatest expanse of fresh water on the planet. After all, Michigan and the precious

Great Lakes region has already warmed 30 percent more than other regions of the Lower 48. Global warming is gripping our region more quickly and more tightly, and we must act with the bold urgency the situation demands. The pairing of the issues helps Michiganders see that our day for making sweeping and dramatic change has arrived. So what happens now? First, on March 11, the Michigan Public Service Commission accepted final briefs and entered a decision-making period to determine if a Line 5 oil pipeline tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac should be allowed to be built. A central argument against the oil tunnel is based on its potential contribution to global warming. Internationally renowned environmental scientists and economists have calculated that if the tunnel is built it will result in CO2 emissions equal to that from about 6 million cars each year when compared to not building the tunnel. The pipeline’s lifespan is nearly a century, during which the annual CO2 increase would add up to nearly 6 trillion pounds of CO2. Just three days after the Line 5 case milestone, the state closed the comment period for the state’s MI Healthy Climate Plan. The plan is designed to create a roadmap to reach Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order goal of achieving a net zero economy by 2050. A net zero economy means that carbon emissions would be reduced so far that whatever remaining carbon is being released, an equal or greater amount of carbon would be being taken up by our forests, grasslands, and waters. We can get to net zero by trusting human ingenuity, juicing it with investment, and blessing it with societal encouragement — if we aren’t simultaneously permitting massive fossil fuel infrastructure that will push global CO2 concentrations to ever higher extremes. Michigan, like the nation, finds itself at a climate policy crossroads, but there is only one science-based, cost-effective, and morally defensible path forward. We must stop expanding fossil fuel infrastructure, and in the case of Line 5, refuse to authorize the tunnel based on legally justifiable grounds of climate harm under the Michigan Environmental Protection Act. And as for the MI Healthy Climate Plan, we must capitalize on this opportunity to make it as visionary and bold as our future generations deserve. We have no time to waste.

Sound off: Crain’s considers longer opinion pieces from guest writers on issues of interest to business readers. Email ideas to Managing Editor Michael Lee at malee@crain.com.

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OTHER VOICES

Update SBA to help small businesses meet today’s challenges Back in 2000, “Amazon” was best known as a river, and the iPhone was still seven years away from being introduced. One thing that hasn’t changed Felicia Harris is the founder and over the past 20 years? Congress’s CEO of chronic failure to EverythingHR, reauthorize the EverythingHR Small Business Talent Administration, Development which has not Institute, kept up with the EverythingHR rapid and historic PEO, and changes to how EverythingHR small business is Financial conducted here Services in in the U.S Rochester Hills. As the founder and CEO of EverythingHR in Rochester Hills, I can say from experience and with absolute certainty that the modern challenges facing small business owners like me require a modern approach. And that includes reimagining SBA programs — from strengthening those that are working well to enhancing those that need updating — which can only be accomplished through long-overdue congressional reauthorization.

GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

BY FELICIA HARRIS

Small business owners like me have a pretty clear vision of what Congress needs to do to support America’s small businesses, and our views are reflected in a detailed report released this week by the Bipartisan Policy Center and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices, of which I am a member. The report, drawing on surveys and conversations with small business owners, elected officials and policy experts, crystalizes the challenges small-busi-

ness owners routinely face and lays out bipartisan solutions Congress should consider in reauthorizing the SBA and supporting small businesses more broadly. Participating in this effort through surveys and roundtables has, for me, underscored the reality that we small business owners aren’t operating in a vacuum. No matter our business or home base, we share the same challenges — from competing with larger companies for workers to struggling

to access reliable child care for us and our employees. In fact, here are some stark statistics from the recent 10,000 Small Business Voices survey:  Three-quarters of small business owners surveyed report they are having difficulty retaining workers and say they can’t compete with bigger corporations on salaries — a situation magnified by the current labor shortage;  Sixty-seven percent of those small businesses struggling to retain workers can’t compete on benefits;  And 39 percent say they can’t afford to offer their employees a retirement plan. Reauthorizing the SBA and other efforts would give Congress the opportunity to advance important solutions that will enable small businesses to better compete for talent. Let’s roll up our sleeves and renew the employee retention credit, remove regulatory barriers to help small businesses offer retirement plans and improve how the federal government informs small business owners about employee paid leave tax credits. The pandemic has also underscored how essential child care is to our economy. More than half of small business owners responding to the 10,000 Small Business Voices survey said they or their employees have faced child care challenges during the pandemic. We urge Congress to work with us on solutions, including revi-

talizing the SBA and passing legislation that will help small business owners pool resources to expand employee access to reliable child care. Lawmakers should ask how a reimagined SBA and other efforts can improve assistance for child care providers to help them enhance their technology, operations, and management, while making sure that tax credits designed to support child care providers actually work as intended for small businesses and their employees. Let’s be clear, Congress and the Small Business Administration deserve to be commended for helping millions of small business owners weather the pandemic with assistance through the Paycheck Protection Program and COVID EIDL loan program. In fact, I expressed my appreciation in a meeting last week with the SBA administrator when she visited Michigan to hear from small-business owners. But with the worst of the pandemic hopefully behind us, I join my fellow small business owners across Michigan and the U.S. in calling on lawmakers in Washington, D.C., to turn their focus to reinvigorating the SBA and helping small businesses recover and grow. Let’s finally pull up anchor from 2000 and work together to solve for the persistent challenges facing small business owners in our modern economy and beyond.

salu salutes salut tteses

our own President & CEO

DONNA GIVENS DAVIDSON named one of

2022 Notable Leaders in Sustainability ecn-detroit.org ECN Ad_CrainsLeadersInSustainability.indd 1

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SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Pandemic complicates tax season for small business owners

TO SELF-FILE OR NOT TO SELF-FILE? Jay

DAVIS

From

Owner Jen David at Third Wave Music in Detroit. David is unsure how her unemployment will affect her 2021 taxes. | NIC ANTAYA FOR CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

Jen David opened Third Wave Music in Detroit’s Midtown neighborhood in late 2016. Filing taxes as a small business owner in those early years came with a lot of headaches. “It was very overwhelming,” said David, whose business sits on the garden level of the Forest Arms building at 4625 Second Ave. “I was always scared I’d do something wrong, by accident, and that the mistake would lead to me having to close my business. That’s why we’ve always worked with a professional. They can ease that discomfort and make sure you don’t miss (anything).” The day that millions of people in the U.S., including David and scores of small business owners, dread each year is almost here. Taxes are due for most businesses this year on April 18.

The tax filing process generally doesn’t provide individuals or business owners with much joy, and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has added extra work to the exercise, particularly for small business owners. Small businesses over the last two years have gone through wholesale changes, from losing revenue to losing people, and those developments all have to be accounted for when filing 2021 tax returns. Small business owners, whether they received federal aid in 2021 such as PPP funds or Restaurant Revitalization Funds, must account for any new gains and losses brought on by the pandemic. This year, compliance is a major issue, according to some tax professionals. “Self-preparers won’t know all the regulations and things that are necessary to file this year in particular,” said Jamie Lopiccolo, an accountant for more than 30 years. “Unless something’s triggered with

a program like TurboTax, the business owners filing won’t know they need to include a footnote detailing the exact type of PPP they received. “A preparer gives a customer, a business owner filing, more peace of mind. They make sure the deductions are correct. They make sure clients detail if they’ve received any kind of grants. When you’re filing, especially this year, you have to capture everything and include it in the correct line items.”

Pandemic problems Incorporating various forms of COVID relief aid into filings is a major point of interest this tax season. Lopiccolo, who established his own firm, Capocore Professional Advisors, in Lake Orion in 2017, said PPP loans will not be taxed at the federal level, but the funds must be See TAXES on Page 9

“SELFPREPARERS WON’T KNOW ALL THE REGULATIONS AND THINGS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO FILE THIS YEAR IN PARTICULAR.” — Jamie Lopiccolo, accountant, Capocore Professional Advisors

PODCAST ONLINE:  Accountant Jamie Lopiccolo discusses what small business owners need to look out for as they file this year. Listen at crainsdetroit.com/podcasts

TAX TIPS FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS This time of year can he nerve-wracking for everyone, including small business owners, as they work to file income tax forms on time. Following are tips for entrepreneurs working to file by the April 18 deadline. Gather up the messy It’s important for small business owners to gather each and every document that could be relevant to income or expense reporting for their business and separate them into two stacks: revenues and expenditures. In the expenditures pile, place the largest receipts up top, which will allow the business owner to inquire about depreciation/write-off options for larger purchases.

MORE TIPS ON PAGE 9

READ ALL OF CRAIN’S SBS PROFILES AT CRAINSDETROIT.COM/SMALLBUSINESSSPOTLIGHT 8 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | MARCH 21, 2022

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MORE TIPS

TAXES

Don’t be afraid to ask

From Page 8

included in a business’s gross income on a federal tax return. The funds may be taxable at the state level, depending on local laws. “Most of the PPP funds fall into a specific section, based upon if the funds were used and the loans forgiven, and if the business accrued any new expenses,” Lopiccolo said. “I don’t see that really affecting a lot of small business owners, but most preparers should be aware of the changes. But if businesses still have grants coming in, generally those are always taxable, so that’s just additional taxable income that has to be included in a return.” If a loan is forgiven, though, that could create a tax liability, according to Los Angeles-based accountant Shiloh Johnson. That liability, Johnson said, would have to be investigated further by checking loan forgiveness documentation. The federal government is offering Employee Retention Credits to employers to encourage them to keep staff in place. Credits are also available to employers that help cover the cost of sick leave and caregiving leave paid out during the pandemic. The loss of staff brought on by the pandemic is a concern for business owners, too, according to Lopiccolo. But he said there’s nothing complex that will affect how a business owner handles payroll taxes this year. “All it is at the end of the day is a decrease in expenses paid out,” Lopiccolo said. “You see a decrease in the overall cost of payroll, including payroll taxes. There’s nothing there that says a loss in employees creates an additional type of decision or reduction in income other than the fact that cash isn’t going out the door for expenses. “Where some issues may come up here is how PPP forgiveness is determined. For restaurants, it’s not really a tax issue. It’s a normal business issue. You’re only worrying about how to service customers and how to continue to make money.” The pandemic has brought on added fears for business owners, according to Johnson, including a lack of funds to pay taxes given a possible decrease in revenues. Business owners over the past two years worry they may not have taken advantage of all of the available COVID-related grants and credits. Early in the pandemic, David was forced to shut down Third Wave Music for about three months. More than two years later, David says she’s still not able to pay herself a full wage. The Third Wave Music owner, who laid off all of her staff during the pandemic and now operates only 16 hours a week, said she’s worried because of legislation that now calls for her to pay back unemployment she received in late 2020 and early 2021. She’s unsure how that will affect this year’s tax filing. The state in December said more than $8 billion in unemployment benefits were improperly given to residents who claimed they were jobless during the pandemic. The payments, made with federal funds, were given to people who would not normally be eligible for benefits, including part-time, self-employed and gig workers. “It’s extremely infuriating that the state is coming after self-employed people like this who are already trying to bounce back after being closed and losing business during the pandemic,” David said. “It hon-

If working with a tax professional, small business owners should prepare a list of questions for them before scheduling an appointment. An accountant only has knowledge of what a client shares with them, so the more asked or divulged, the better it is for the entrepreneur. Keep your own books Paying a certified public accountant for bookkeeping, according to tax professionals, is a waste of money. It’s advised to enlist a CPA to double-check account information to ensure accuracy. Most bookkeeping software for small businesses, such as NetSuite and QuickBooks, offers training and assistance on how to use those tools. File early Small business owners should work to file as early in the process as possible, as it ensures hitting deadlines due to possible unforeseen circumstances, such as a lack of cash flow.

Lake Orion-based Capocore Professional Advisors has a staff of four full-time and three part-time employees who work with small business owners in filing tax returns, starting at $500. | CAPOCORE PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS

industry: Did they receive (Economic Injury Disaster Loan) funds? Did they get a PPP loan? We make sure they have the paperwork needed to file, and let them know which funds are taxable. We use an internal checklist to help our clients out. I think most CPAs do that.”

Get some help

CPA Shiloh Johnson

estly makes running a business seem almost unfeasible in this climate.” A February federal ruling gives the state the option to waive the repayments if it is found those recipients applied for the payments truthfully.

Ducks in a row Business owners filing this year for the first time may be especially overwhelmed, according to Johnson. Johnson, who in 2019 established the small business tax compliance ComplYant app to aid small business owners with taxes, said there are several steps that must be taken far in advance of filing. Besides gathering up 1099s, small business owners also must make sure their sales tax is done and business licenses and annual reports are renewed on time, said Johnson, who was recently awarded a startup grant by the Annenberg Foundation and Pledge LA, along with capital from MuckerLab and Slauson & Co. ”All of this is intensified if you haven’t done any bookkeeping during the year, or you have inventory to manage,” Johnson said. ”Accountants should encourage their clients who own small businesses to opt into tax planning in the fourth quarter of the previous year to get a head start of tax prep and make any last-minute adjustments as needed.” For first-time filers, Lopiccolo offers an advisory and education element before the filing process begins. Clients are made aware of what needs to be done far in advance of filing, Lopiccolo said. Most small business owners, as sole proprietors of the operation, would file a Schedule C form to report income and losses. “We look at things based on the

Information like that shared by Lopiccolo is why nearly two-thirds of small business owners utilize an accountant. Lopiccolo, who last year added 125 new clients and sees growth of at least 10 percent each year, understands some small business owners see self-preparing a tax return as a way to maintain control throughout the business. “People think it’s easy to do. You have software like Quickbooks and TurboTax that make it sound easy to do,” Lopiccolo said. “In reality, it can be. But there’s little nuances that if it’s not done right, you could screw up elections going forward. You won’t see this in big corporations or partnerships as much, but you will see it with someone who files a Schedule C — an individual who owns a business that isn’t incorporated or a partnership. Those are easy to file, but there are things you can miss.” Johnson sees why small business owners might opt to self-file. It forces the owner of a small business to be present during the entire process of tracking and reporting income taxes, she said. “And, yes, it can be a cost saver,” said Johnson, who has raised more than $5 million for her startup. “Using a CPA, though, is more than the process of reporting a tax return. CPAs are trained in tax code research and our job is to help you find the most cost savings possible as a business owner.” CPAs, Johnson said, scour tax code for potential credits and manage the complete tax compliance process. David believes now, in her sixth year of filing as a business owner, that she has things under control. Even though there is some uncertainty, she has made sure she has all her paperwork together, which she says is really priority No. 1 as a small business owner. “You need to keep all the paperwork that comes into your business,” David said. “Getting help is essential too.” Lopiccolo recognizes the work-

load small business owners take on, but said making sure tax filings are accurate is a big part of ensuring longevity. “You get businesses that file incorrectly for one or two years, and they’re not around for year three,” Lopiccolo said. “We know how vital small businesses are to our neighborhoods, our economy. It’s important that they take this part of business ownership seriously.”

Seek help Whether a CPA or someone specializing in tax preparation, small business owners should not file themselves. Yes, it costs to prepare a return, but a professional can do it in less time, allowing the business owner to work to recoup the cost of the filing. If self-filing, be sure you understand the forms and what is required.

Contact: jason.davis@crain.com (313) 446-1612; @JayDavis_1981

SOURCES: COMPLYANT, CAPOCORE PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS

A F e e - O n l y We a l t h M a n a g e m e n t G r o u p

Michigan’s #1 Financial Advisor by both Barron’s* and Forbes** Charles C. Zhang CFP®, MBA, MSFS, ChFC, CLU CEO and Founder

Charles is the highest ranked Fee-Only Advisor on Forbes’ list of America’s Top Wealth Advisors**

www.zhangfinancial.com 101 West Big Beaver Road, 14th Floor Troy, MI 48084 (248) 687-1258 Minimum Investment Requirement: $1,000,000 in Michigan $2,000,000 outside of Michigan. Assets under custody of LPL Financial, TD Ameritrade, and Charles Schwab *As reported in Barron’s March 12, 2022. Rankings based on assets under management, revenue generated for the advisors’ firms, quality of practices, and other factors. **As reported in Forbes February 11, 2021 and August 16, 2021. The rankings, developed by Shook Research, are based on in-person and telephone due diligence meetings and a ranking algorithm for advisors who have a minimum of seven years of experience. Other factors include client retention, industry experience, compliance records, firm nominations, assets under management, revenue generated for their firms, and other factors. See zhangfinancial.com/disclosure for full ranking criteria. MARCH 21, 2022 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 9

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LEADERS IN SUSTAINABILITY Recycling used office furniture. Growing food. Electrifying fleets of service vehicles. Beekeeping. There are so many ways for companies to become more sustainable — and the people featured on this list are leading the way. Among these winners are chief sustainability officers and other top executives setting ambitious goals to reach zero emissions; nonprofit leaders supporting environmental justice efforts and educational initiatives in the community; and entrepreneurs offering green solutions for everything from sustainable doors to geothermal energy systems.

HARVEY (CHIP) AMOE

SCOTT BECKERMAN

Director of Sustainability | Henry Ford Health System

Senior Vice President and Director of Corporate Sustainability | Comerica Bank/Comerica Inc.

“Chip is an exceptional leader with deep roots in both policy and community, which inform and drive his commitment to sustainability at Henry Ford and beyond,” said Kimberlydawn Wisdom, M.D., senior vice president of community health and equity and chief wellness & diversity officer at HFHS. Chip Amoe is helping create goals for greenhouse gas emissions, waste, potentially hazardous chemicals, food, and green infrastructure. And he is leading cross-departmental teams to develop new data collection processes that will track progress toward these goals. Under his leadership, the hospital system has replaced single-use food service items with eco-friendly alternatives in its retail food operations, launched a composting program, installed new electric vehicle charging stations and begun exploring fleet electrification strategies. He also facilitated HFHS’s commitment to buying 100 percent renewable electricity for its DTE-powered facilities by 2029. As chair of the Green Healthcare Committee for the Michigan Health & Hospital Association, Amoe led the development of a Healthcare Sustainability Roadmap for members. He is also a co-founder of the Michigan Business Sustainability Leaders Roundtable.

Since Scott Beckerman began leading Comerica’s sustainability strategies, Barron’s and Newsweek named the financial institution one of the 100 Most Sustainable Companies and one of America’s 100 Most Responsible Companies, respectively. It also earned Climate Leadership awards from C2ES and the Climate Registry. Beckerman, who chairs the EcoWorks Detroit board, helped Comerica reach its goal of reducing its emissions by 50 percent in 2020 as the team pursues an operational zero emissions goal. and has led programs to reduce waste, water and paper consumption. “Scott has utilized his deep expertise to skillfully and collaboratively drive our sustainability journey…. In addition, Scott spearheaded the Bank Sustainability Roundtable, which provides a vehicle for a wide array of US and international banks to share best practices and a unified voice for the industry,” said Darlene Persons, senior vice president and director of Investor Relations for Comerica.

METHODOLOGY: The leaders featured in this report were selected from nominations by a team of Crain’s Detroit Business editors based on their career accomplishments, track record of success in the field and effectiveness of their efforts, as outlined in a detailed application form. The honorees did not pay to be included on the list. Notable Leaders in Sustainability was managed and written by Leslie D. Green. For questions about this report, contact Special Projects Editor Amy Bragg: abragg@crain.com.

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LAUREN BIGELOW

JOHN CHALIFOUX

CEO

President and CEO

Growth Capital Network

MERA, The Association for Sustainable Manufacturing

Founded in 2009, Lauren Bigelow’s data, innovation and analytics company collaborates with foundations and nonprofits. Partners include the Green Tech Entrepreneur Academy, for university-based scientists who want to bring their technology to market, and the Water Utility Energy Challenge, which works with the American Water Works Association and Wayne State University to develop ways water utilities can decrease their carbon footprints. Bigelow ran and grew the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council or MI-EIBC and the Institute for Energy Innovation. She now serves on the boards of the Institute for Energy Innovation, the Alliance for the Great Lakes, the Michigan Advisory Council for Environmental Law & Policy Center and the Erb Institute. “Lauren is a catalyst and visionary for sustainability and clean energy work in Michigan and nationally. She was intricately involved in the creation of the clean energy trade association, the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council, and its sister organization, the Institute for Energy Innovation, even serving as MIEIBC’s interim president,” said Liesl Clark, director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.

PIONEERING FOR BETTER LIVES Congratulations, Vicki Putala, PE

John Chalifoux consistently looks for ways to elevate and mainstream remanufacturing, which is rebuilding a product using a combination of reused, repaired and new parts. He developed the MERA initiative “Raise Your ESG Score. Demand Remanufactured Parts” to assist with economic equity as new technologies come to market. MERA is the remanufacturing and sustainability division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association. His big wins include creating a remanufactured certification program called Manufactured Again that promotes corporate social responsibility and successfully advocating for the Federal Vehicle Repair Cost Savings Act. The legislation prioritizes using quality remanufactured auto parts when servicing federal fleet vehicles. “John also helped educate the aftermarket on the circular economy and sustainable manufacturing — the future of manufacturing. These topics are becoming increasingly important up and down our industry’s value chain as ESG (environmental, social, and governance) reporting proliferates in the aftermarket,” said Paul McCarthy, president and CEO of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association. Chalifoux is a member of the SAE International finance committee, a leader and coordinator for Earth Day cleanup at Kensington Metropark and a volunteer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

SARAH CHARTIER

STEVE DIBERARDINE

Senior Sustainability Project Manager

Founder and President

Spectrum Health System

Strategic Energy Solutions Inc.

Sarah Chartier collaborates with leadership, food service, facilities, supply chain, surgical services and other departments to integrate sustainability practices into their operations. She has partnered with community organizations to develop food prescription programs and an inclusive garden for the longterm care facility. She also implemented an initiative with Goodwill to reduce used-furniture waste. “Sarah’s vast knowledge, can-do attitude and networking abilities have propelled Spectrum Health’s Sustainability program as a recognized leader in the health care industry. With Sarah’s support, I am confident that Spectrum Health will reach its goal of Carbon Neutrality by 2040,” said Tom Theoret, vice president of facilities and real estate at Spectrum Health. Chartier serves on the Access of West Michigan and West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum boards. She also belongs to the Grand Rapids 2030 District Leadership Council.

Shortly after Steve DiBerardine made a presentation on the benefits of geothermal technology to the Michigan State Capitol Commission, they became a client. Michigan is now the third state to boast geothermal heating and cooling in its Capitol Building. “Steve’s passion for creative and informed improvement aligns with the rapid innovation surrounding energy-efficient, high-performance facilities, and the future of how buildings consume energy,” said SES Chief of Staff Bill Case. In 1998, before sustainability became a governing principle in boardrooms worldwide, DiBerardine used a $4,000 grant from the Department of Energy to hire a consultant to design a geothermal system for Canfield Lofts in Detroit. DiBerardine is now a member of the Geothermal Energy Organization, the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association and the Association of Energy Engineers. DiBerardine serves the community through financial support and by donating his time and skill as an engineer. His team designed the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and the geothermal system for Bountiful Harvest, a pantry and soup kitchen in Livingston County.

2022 Crain’s Notable Leaders in Sustainability Awardee As the creator and Director of the OHM Advisors Environmental & Water Resources Group, a firm Principal and its first female Board member, Vicki has been a passionate advocate of clean drinking water for everyone. Throughout her career she has envisioned innovative, sustainable solutions to water system challenges, pioneered their development, and led diverse teams with her energy for water as the focus. We at the Community Advancement firm are grateful to Vicki for her contributions to a cleaner and safer water supply.

LEARN MORE ABOUT VICKI AND HER IMPACTFUL WORK

OHM-Advisors.com

ATTRACT TOP TALENT AS A CERTIFIED ‘COOL’ WORKPLACE HURRY! Deadline April 1

APPLY: crainsdetroit.com/cool-22

Dana Congratulates the 2022 Notable Leaders in Sustainability

We applaud the talented individuals recognized as this year’s Notable Leaders in Sustainability. And a special salute to Paul Renberg, Dana’s senior director and senior counsel of environmental, health, safety, and security, who was selected as a member of this year’s class. Congratulations, Paul!

MARCH 21, 2022 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 11

BRYAN LEWIS

VICKIE LEWIS

NICOLE LINDSEY

JESSICA LODING

SANDRA LUPIEN

ELI

Executive Director

President and CEO

Co-Executive Director

Senior Director of Sustainability

Director of MassTimber@MSU

EcoWorks

VMX International LLC

Detroit Hives

Schupan Inc.

Michigan State University

Reg Econ

Bryan Lewis holds bachelor of science degrees in civil and environmental engineering and engineering and public policy along with a master’s degree in energy science, technology and policy from Carnegie Mellon University. “Bryan’s career trajectory and his commitment to finding solutions for making Detroit and surrounding areas sustainable in an equitable way are truly inspiring,” said Michigan Saves CEO and president Mary Templeton. Lewis started in 2015 as EcoWork’s Youth Energy Squad program director, encouraging youth to make the world a more sustainable place. Lewis then deepened the nonprofit’s impact by championing the Detroit Public Schools Go Green Challenge, where students conducted sustainability patrols and power-downs to save the school district nearly $400,000. As executive director, Lewis and his team are piloting an Eco-D for Neighborhoods program to build community-driven climate resilience in Rogell Park through electrification, decarbonization, stormwater management and other solutions.

Vickie Lewis founded VMX International to provide non-hazardous solid waste collection, recycling and disposal services in the U.S. and Canada. Recent projects have included adding compost collection on the Denver Federal Center campus, changing the food waste collection process at the Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas, collecting aluminum oxide from the Massena, N.Y., Alcoa plant floor and launching a mitigation program there. “Vickie and her team are recognized and well respected as industry leaders specializing in providing waste and recycling services,” said Karen Terry-Johnson, an environmental management specialist for Enviro Source Solutions Inc. Lewis is a past president of the Environment Management Association, co-chair of the Suppliers Partnership for the Environment’s Innovation and Technology Council and an HYTCH Rewards advisory council member.

Earlier this year, Nicole Lindsey spoke at the 2022 American Beekeeping Federation Conference & Trade show to share Detroit Hives’ mission of transforming vacant lots in Detroit into socially, environmentally and financially impactful educational apiaries. “Under her leadership, she has inspired many local and national organizations to take on similar missions. As a young woman who identifies as BIPOC, she is creating a path for the next generation,” said Beverly Smith, vice president of Keep Michigan Beautiful. The nonprofit manages 4.5 million honeybees in 20 locations in Michigan and Kansas City, Mo., and partners with various organizations, including Wayne State University, the Ford Resource and Engagement Center, the Michigan State University-Detroit Partnership for Food, Learning and Innovation and Gleaners Community Food Bank. Lindsey serves on the Keep Michigan Beautiful executive board and is a member of the American Beekeeping Federation and Detroit Green Task Force, among many other organizations.

Schupan is a sustainable materials company that provides clients with recycling, disposition, materials trading, sales and other sustainability solutions. Jessica Loding was responsible for Schupan’s partnership with Grand Valley State University to develop an Event Sustainability and Event Sustainability certificate program. “Jess is a sustainability leader and inspiration to all of us in Michigan’s tourism industry. Since 2016, she has provided her energy and time to lead, educate and inspire us to be more sustainable in our organizations and business practices,” said Patty Janes, professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Grand Valley State University and executive director of Michigan Cares for Tourism. “As a result of her work, students will now have the opportunity to apply sustainable practices within their chosen career paths.” Loding is a member of the Michigan Sustainable Business Forums’ Circular Economy Task Force, the Recycling and Waste Reduction Subcommittee for the City of Detroit’s Green Task Force and the Michigan Recycling Coalition and its Policy Committee.

MassTimber@MSU launched in July 2021 to research and remove barriers to sustainable mass timber-related construction and manufacturing in Michigan. Sandra Lupien, who credits the team that laid the groundwork for the initiative, advocates for mass timber construction because of the associated climate, carbon and sustainability benefits. Lupien, who is a member of the Natural and Working Lands Workgroup advising the Michigan Council on Climate Solutions, builds relationships with stakeholders, educates, advocates for legislative policy and connects people with the resources to get started. “She has been instrumental in telling the mass timber story utilizing the new STEM mass timber building at MSU as well as securing additional funding, promoting the need for a CLT plant in Michigan and crucial to propelling the use of mass timber codes in Michigan, all of which have been needed for years,” said Shannon Lott, natural resources deputy for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Congratulations Named one of Crain’s Notable Leaders in Sustainability Bedrock is committed to reducing overall carbon emissions across its portfolio and we’re lucky to have Kate at the helm of that important initiative. Thank you for your commitment to ensuring sustainability touches all aspects of the business and the community.

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ELIZABETH MASSERANG

MARIE MCCORMICK

STEVEN MOORE

VICKI PUTALA

ERIN QUETELL

Regional Manager of Brownfield & Economic Incentive Services

Executive Director

Director of Facilities, Energy and Sustainability

Director of Environmental & Water Resources

Environmental Sustainability Officer

Taubman Realty Group

OHM Advisors

Steven Moore has a knack for simplifying complex ideas. He has been putting this skill to use as he spearheads initiatives that better manage and reduce energy throughout Taubman-owned shopping centers. Projects have included upgrading HVAC systems, implementing an energy management system and installing solar power, smart water metering, native landscaping and car charging stations. “There’s no question that Steve’s commitment in both defining and propelling forward our sustainability program has created cost savings and has, more importantly, enabled our company to decrease its environmental impact within the markets we serve,” said Taubman President and COO Bill Taubman. Last year, the Taubman headquarters and shopping centers in the U.S. earned a WELL Health-Safety Rating from the WELL Building Institute for its sustainability efforts. Moore, who is secretary of the East Michigan Association of Energy Engineers, also coaches a First Lego League robotics team.

Vicki Putala was a hydraulic engineer at OHM Advisors in 1999 when she established its Environmental & Water Resources group. She grew the group from a team of three to one with more than 50 engineers focused on drinking water supplies, smart water-and-sewer technology and more. “She was far ahead of the pack in terms of knowing the importance of sustainability to our firm, our clients and the communities that we serve on a daily basis,” said OHM Advisors President Jon Kramer. In 2015, Putala helped create the sustainability committee and spearheaded the building of rain gardens at OHM’s Livonia headquarters. And she was the principal for the 25,000acre Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority Stormwater Management Plan project completed in 2019. In addition to that work, Putala advocates for women. She is a member of the policy committee championing work-life balance and created her firm’s Women’s Career & Leadership Development program. The program helped her earn the 2019 Michigan Association of Planning President’s Award.

Friends of the Rouge

PM Environmental Inc.

“Elizabeth has established her own brand-within-the-brand of PM as a champion for the adaptive reuse of existing facilities and the demolition and redevelopment of new mixed-use projects. These projects use complex financing to address environmental legacy cleanup costs while deploying innovative financing to support sustainability,” said PM Principal and CEO Michael Kulka. Elizabeth Masserang and her team advised the city of Ferndale about implementing an underground stormwater retention system to help mitigate strain on the sewer system along the Livernois corridor. She also supported the Exchange redevelopment in Greektown. Using brownfield tax incentives, Exchange developers will mitigate land that previously contained contaminated materials to build a new housing project that uses property-assessed clean energy. Masserang is a member of the Economic Development Corp. of Oakland County board and chair of the Association for Corporate Growth Detroit next gen committee.

Marie McCormick encourages the cleanup and restoration of the Rouge River Watershed, which drains 467 square miles throughout 48 municipalities in Oakland, Wayne, and Washtenaw counties. Since its founding in 1986, the Friends of the Rouge has educated about 100,000 students and engaged more than 60,000 volunteers. “Sustainability comes with the job description at an environmentally focused nonprofit like Friends of the Rouge. Marie brings something extra to the job, her passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion — sustainability on a human level,” said FOR Board President Laura Wagner. In addition, McCormick is working to have diversity, equity and inclusion integrated into the nonprofit’s organizational leadership, culture, programming, education and outreach. This includes increasing projects in historically underserved communities. McCormick is chair of the Rouge River advisory council and a member of the Plymouth Pollinators board, the Michigan Environmental Council Policy committee, SEMCOG’s One Water Advisory committee, among other organizations.

Oakland County

Erin Quetell was the environmental sustainability planner for the city of Ferndale. She led the city’s commitment to cut carbon emissions by 62 percent by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Under her direction, the city installed a solar carport for the police department, initiated the transition to non-combustion fleet vehicles and developed a revolving energy fund. As Oakland County’s first environmental sustainability officer, Quetell is developing a plan that includes inventorying greenhouse gas emissions, creating an electric vehicle and alternative energy fleet management policy and developing a climate action plan. “Hiring Erin, who has played such a pivotal role in Ferndale, shows that Oakland County is committed to doing our part to ensure a safe, healthy and clean environment for our residents, businesses and visitors to enjoy for generations to come, said Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter. Quetell also serves on the water advisory council for the city of Farmington Hills and is co-chair of the Great Lakes Adaptation Network.

Great leaders think outside the hexagon. Huntington Place salutes Cedric Turnbore for more than a decade of leadership in convention center sustainable operations and leading the Green Committee to continually improve waste diversion, energy conservation, visitor education and community health. You are a star. Congratulations on this well-deserved accolade. Huntington Place is operated by ASM Global, the world’s leading provider of innovative venue services and live experiences.

MARCH 21, 2022 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 15

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DAN RADOMSKI

GENEVIEVE RATTRAY

PAUL RENBERG

GULAY SERHATKULU

KRISTEN SIEMEN

Executive Director

Director of Environmental Initiatives and Affairs

Senior Director of Environmental, Health, Safety and Security and Senior Counsel of EHSS and Real Estate

Senior Vice President of Performance Materials Division

Vice President of Sustainable Workplaces, Chief Sustainability Officer

Reg Hea

Centrepolis Accelerator

Dan Radomski developed Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University in January 2021, to attract top-notch clean energy and recycled materials companies to Michigan. Centrepolis also manages the C3 Accelerator for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy and assists in managing NextCycle Michigan, EGLE’s circular economy program. Under Radomski’s direction, Centrepolis secured $1.5 million from local foundations to invest in cleantech, climatech and circular economy companies and $500,000 to support ventures led by entrepreneurs in underserved communities. “The Centrepolis Accelerator is unmatched in providing business support. Dan Radomski is one of the best I have seen when putting together resources and connecting dots,” said Bill Koetting, president of Prime Energy Contract Services. Centrepolis has won numerous awards and accolades in its short life, including the 2021 Small Business Association Growth Accelerator Award and the 2020 Department of Energy EPIC Award (for Innovation Clusters).

Belle Isle Conservancy

“The mark of a true leader is the ability to articulate and navigate an unknown path without losing sight of the mission or the people with whom you are traveling. Genevieve is that leader. She identified a problem and with passion, creativity and determination has continued to build a foundation to solve it, educate people about its importance, and help the community feel ownership of the sustainability of our waterways and parks,” said Michele Hodges, president and CEO of the Belle Isle Conservancy and mayor of Grosse Pointe Park. Genevieve Rattray designed, launched and now manages the “Keep Belle Isle Beautiful” anti-littering campaign. The initiative has, so far, received $500,000 in grants and in 2021 removed five metric tons of litter pollution from the park. She is also founder and chair of the Detroit River Coalition, a partnership between the United States and Canada dedicated to the protection of the Detroit River. In 2021, the Coalition gathered nearly 2,000 volunteers to remove more than 25,000 pounds of litter from the 9,297-acre coastline.

Dana Inc.

Under Paul Renberg’s leadership, Dana Inc. made a public commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent, or 300,000 metric tons, by 2030. His work includes entering Dana into a long-term renewable wind energy agreement, implementing more than 700 sustainability efficiency projects and securing solar for its Toledo Driveline plant. The latter provides money for community development and secures funding for a green bond. “We truly value his contributions to our annual sustainability reports, our renewable energy projects, and for his continued work as a catalyst for positive change,” said Doug Liedberg, senior vice president, general counsel, corporate secretary and chief compliance and sustainability officer at Dana Inc.

BASF Corp.

Gulay Serhatkulu earned a doctorate in chemical engineering and worked her way from a technical service representative at BASF to a significant leadership role. She leads the North American Plastic Steering committee and directs the sustainability working team that leads the company’s Chemcycling Project and looks for ways to decarbonize operations. Some of her recent wins include launching Ultramid Ccycled, the “first chemically recycled” product, in partnership with Steelcase. Her team also collaborated with Stellantis and L&L Products on a material that promotes fuel efficiency. Earlier this year, the American Chemistry Council appointed Serhatkulu vice chair of its Durable Goods committee. “Gulay … has shared her learnings and expertise with others, including presentations at various conferences and participation in global conversations such as her most recent CNN article contribution ‘Closing the Loop on a Sustainable Future,’” said BASF CEO and Chairman Michael Heinz.

General Motors Co.

Under Kristen Siemen’s direction, GM has accelerated its renewable energy goal and joined a global pledge to manufacture zero-emission cars and vans by 2035. She has also led efforts to eliminate tailpipe emissions from new light-duty vehicles. GM’s climate equity initiative includes a $25 million fund that supports grassroots and community organizations. Siemen also advocates for women in engineering. She led the development of GM’s Take 2 program, which helps people reenter the workforce after a break in their careers. “I’ve proudly witnessed the leadership and dedication she’s devoted in moving GM towards a more sustainable future while also driving a broader strategy that prioritizes equity and inclusion,” said Gerald Johnson, executive vice president of Global Manufacturing and Sustainability at GM.

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16 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | MARCH 21, 2022

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AMANDA SWEETMAN

MARY TEMPLETON

E’LOIS THOMAS

LESLIE TOM

Regional Director of Farming and Healthy Lifestyles

President and CEO

President

Chief Sustainability Officer

Michigan Saves

SEEL LLC (Solutions for Energy Efficient Logistics)

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

E’Lois Thomas serves numerous organizations. She is vice chair of the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance board, a member of the American Association of Blacks in Energy board, and a mentor for the Council of Women in Energy and Environmental Leadership. Under her direction, SEEL was the “first minority-owned corporation” to join DTE Energy’s MIGreenPower Renewable Energy program. The company also updated its lighting for more efficiency, added solar panels and compostable cups and implemented on-site recycling programs. The Upper Peninsula Power Company recently awarded SEEL its entire contract portfolio. “I credit her for initiating and implementing many ideas, programs and initiatives that were instrumental in growing SEEL into a leading energy program implementation company,” said SEEL Chairman and CEO Louis James.

Leslie Tom believes successful sustainability is a collaborative effort, and she is working to define the “Green Museum of the Future.” “Her deft approach has made sustainability a natural extension of the museum’s work. Our facilities improvement projects are now being designed to have minimal environmental impact and, whenever possible, actually contribute positively to the local environment,” said Jeffrey Anderson, executive vice president and COO of the Wright. Under Tom’s leadership, the Wright partnered with the College for Creative Studies to extend the life of dead or dying trees on the museum’s campus by developing a lumber woodshop studio. Tom is also leading initiatives such as the Art, History and Cultural Green Stormwater Infrastructure project that includes retaining more than 19,000 gallons of water. She also led the greening of the African World Festival, which includes adding recycling, composting, a bike valet, and a sustainable resource table.

Trinity Health Michigan

After earning a bachelor’s degree in ecology and evolutionary biology and a master’s in wetland plant ecology, Amanda Sweetman found the job of her dreams as farm manager for St. Joe’s Hospital. “Amanda has grown and expanded a small sustainable farming operation in Ann Arbor into a statewide campaign to address food insecurity and introduce healthy food options that help people reduce and reverse chronic illness,” said Dave Spivey, vice president of Community Health and Wellbeing at Trinity. She created a subscription farmshare service in 2015 that has generated $600,000 for local farms. The farm share has more than 350 weekly members, 40 percent of whom receive the food for free. In addition, Sweetman, who launched an Institutional Composters working group with organizations in the community, collaborates with nonprofits and volunteers to preserve the endangered plant species on Trinity’s campus. Moreover, she led the opening of a food hub for education and produce aggregation. Sweetman is also a member of the Washtenaw County Food Policy Council and the Huron Valley Sierra Club.

“SHE WAS FAR AHEAD OF THE PACK IN TERMS OF KNOWING THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABILITY TO OUR FIRM, OUR CLIENTS AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE ON A DAILY BASIS.” — Jon Kramer, President, OHM Advisors, on Vicki Putala

“SHE’S BEEN AN ADVOCATE FOR CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT IN BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT ... PLACING ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP ON THE AGENDA OF MANY COMMUNITY LEADERS AND DECISION MAKERS.” — Domiana Carter, Program Manager, The Green Door Initiative, on Donele Wilkins

CEDRIC TURNBORE

GERRY VANACKER

Director of Operations

COO

Huntington Place

Detroit Zoological Society

Cedric Turnbore chairs the Huntington Place Green committee that developed composting and recycling programs that have so far diverted nearly 1,000 tons of waste from landfills. Under his leadership, the organization achieved LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Buildings Council and is realizing 50 percent energy savings each year. In 2020, the venue became the only convention center in the world to receive the USGBC Leadership Award for Building Performance. “The green certifications achieved by the center are no small feat, and Cedric’s leadership has been essential to the program’s success,” said Huntington Place General Manager Karen Totaro.

“Gerry joined the DZS team just as it began institutionalizing sustainability. He immediately recognized the importance of the connection between sustainability and conservation and the responsibility to connect internal practices to positive public engagement,” said Sarah Sutton, CEO of Environment and Culture Partners and cultural institutions sector lead at America Is All In. Gerry VanAcker has had several big wins. His team developed an annual Green School Celebrations event to display environmental leadership projects created by students and grown GreenFest, an annual Earth Day event that encourages thousands of guests to take actionable pledges to plant trees and reduce water usage. Under his direction, the Detroit Zoo eliminated bottled water sales, ceased using plastic bags in its shops, and committed to purchasing 100 percent renewable energy and transitioning to an all-electric fleet of vehicles. It also planted 1,000 trees on campus and in communities throughout Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.

“Mary is passionate about making sure everyone has access to the benefits of clean energy,” said Bryan Lewis, executive director of EcoWorks Detroit, a Michigan Saves commercial customer. “Thanks to her help in securing funding for our project, (EcoWorks) will serve as an example to the community on how to solve climate change through the fundamental principles of energy efficiency and sustainability.” Mary Templeton, a founding member of Advancing Women in Energy, has been leading the country’s first nonprofit green bank since 2013. Michigan Saves has financed more than $360 million in energy improvements saving more than 684 million kilowatt hours of electricity and 25 million therms of natural gas. Under her leadership, Michigan Saves grew more than 51 percent in 2021 and averaged more than $5 million in loan value each month. More than half of that loan value went to low- to moderate-income households with the highest energy burdens.

John, Thank you for your leadership and passion for remanufacturing, sustainability, and the members we serve. John Chalifoux

President & CEO MERA – The Association for Sustainable Manufacturing

mema.org MARCH 21, 2022 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 17

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DENNISE VIDOSH Founder

JALONNE WHITE-NEWSOME

Re-Tree Companies

Founder and CEO

Dennise Vidosh launched Re-Tree to make it easy to save and repurpose mature trees, which absorb carbon dioxide and release enough oxygen each year to support two people. Re-Tree, a digital marketplace, also generates revenue for property owners who need to remove the trees. “The installation was seamless. The impact was priceless. Re-Tree, in coordination with our team at Environmental Artists, was able to make the seemingly impossible possible,” said Environmental Artists President and client Jeff Hennig. In 2020, Vidosh and her team partnered with Ford Motor Land Development to relocate six heritage Gingko trees that absorb more than 5,600 pounds of carbon annually. Re-Tree continues to work with Ford Motor Co. as it redevelops its Dearborn campus.

Empowering A Green Environment and Economy LLC

Chemical and environmental engineer Jalonne White-Newsome was director of Federal Policy for WE ACT for Environmental Justice in Washington, D.C., and senior program officer for environmental programs with the Kresge Foundation before launching her consulting firm last year. EGE2 sustainability initiatives have included achieving zero-waste-tolandfill for a Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance plant in Dundee and developing a training program to advance use of hybrid and CNG vehicles for the Maryland Department of the Environment. “Dr. White-Newsome has always put people first — from her climate-related research on extreme heat in Detroit and its impact on seniors … to her cutting-edge work in environmental philanthropy to increase funding to BIPOC-led organizations,” said Jennifer Floyd, deputy division director and health officer for Wayne County Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services.

“STEVE’S COMMITMENT IN BOTH DEFINING AND PROPELLING FORWARD OUR SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM HAS CREATED COST SAVINGS AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, ENABLED OUR COMPANY TO DECREASE ITS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.” — Bill Taubman, President and COO of Taubman Cos., on Steven Moore

”SHE HAS INSPIRED MANY LOCAL AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO TAKE ON SIMILAR MISSIONS. AS A YOUNG WOMAN WHO IDENTIFIES AS BIPOC, SHE IS CREATING A PATH FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.” — Beverly Smith, Vice President, Keep Michigan Beautiful, on Nicole Lindsey

DONELE WILKINS

PATRICIA YULKOWSKI

CEO

President and CEO

The Green Door Initiative

Total Door Systems

Donele Wilkins founded the Green Door Initiative to promote environmental literacy and justice. His nonprofit has helped place hundreds of formerly incarcerated people into environmental careers and introduced 100 youth to natural resources through summer jobs. Wilkins serves on the Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and the environmental section of the American Public Health Association, co-chairs the Detroit City Council Green Task Force Climate committee, and is a founding board member of the National Black Environmental Justice Network. “Donele Wilkins has demonstrated servant leadership in her hometown Detroit for nearly 20 years. First by leading the local movement for environmental justice on the front lines.... She’s been an advocate for citizen involvement in brownfield redevelopment as well as other environmental policies, placing environmental stewardship on the agenda of many community leaders and decision makers,” said Domiana Carter, program manager for the Green Door Initiative.

When Total Door Systems moved to a new manufacturing facility in 2010, Patricia Yulkowski sought to both increase product quality and reduce the company’s carbon footprint. The company sources 98 percent of its materials locally and has reduced volatile organic compounds in the painting process. Under her leadership, Total Door received an Underwriters Laboratory Environmental Product Declaration that documents how its products affect the environment. “She has led her team at Total Door with the highest integrity and authenticity through these difficult times,” said Joe Sadler, chair of Vistage Michigan and CEO, consultant at SaTech Services LLC. Yulkowski is past president of the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association and serves on the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center board.

On behalf of SBN Detroit, congratulations to the Crain’s Notable Leaders in Sustainability. Your leadership drives the triple bottom line of environment, social justice, and economic prosperity in our region and beyond.

SBN Detroit

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS NETWORK OF DETROIT

Sustainable Business Network of Detroit mobilizes businesses and organizations of all sizes and galvanizes bold action to make Southeast Michigan a global leader in sustainability.

sbndetroit.net 18 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | MARCH 21, 2022

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A multi-billion-dollar brokerage firm who through listening, problem solving, and collaboration, together we find the best new innovative solutions to fulfill your business’ specific Property and Casualty insurance, Risk Management, and Employee Benefits needs and promote your success – now and for the future. It’s what we call Power Through Partnership. Visit us online at www.assuredpartners.com.

ALPENA

Alpena, MI (989) 354–3185

SOUTHFIELD

Property & Casualty Southﬁeld, MI (248) 827–5600

WYANDOTTE

Wyandotte, MI (734) 283–1400

ANN ARBOR

Ann Arbor, MI (734) 994–9440

SOUTHFIELD

Employee Beneﬁts Southﬁeld, MI (248) 355–9600

HOWELL

Howell, MI (517) 546–4810

STERLING HGTS.

Sterling Heights, MI (586) 323–5700

CRAIN'S LIST | MICHIGAN BUSINESS INSURANCE AGENCIES AND COMPANIES Ranked by 2021 business insurance revenue COMPANY ADDRESS PHONE; WEBSITE

TOP EXECUTIVE(S)

BUSINESS INSURANCE REVENUE 2021/2020

REVENUE 2021/2020

PREMIUM VOLUME ($000,000) 2021

EMPLOYEES JAN. 2022 MICHIGAN/ TOTAL U.S. 2022

WORLDWIDE EMPLOYEES JAN. 2022

INSURANCE CATEGORY

H.W. KAUFMAN GROUP INC./BURNS & WILCOX LTD.

Alan Kaufman chairman, president & CEO, Kaufman Danny Kaufman EVP, Kaufman, president, Burns & Wilcox

$2,800.0

$2,800.0 $2,450.0

$2,800

241 1,567

1,800

Insurance company

AUTO-OWNERS INSURANCE CO. INC.

Jamie Whisnant CEO Jeffrey Tagsold chairman

$2,584.5

$2,584.5 $2,284.5

$9,874

3,167 5,553

5,553

Insurance company

ACRISURE LLC

Gregory Williams co-founder, president & CEO

$1,525.2

$2,979.6 $2,037.7

$23,394

1,421 11,798

12,353

Insurance company

AMERISURE MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.

Gregory Crabb president and CEO

$711.9

$711.9 $754.9

$712

NA NA

692

Insurance company

AMERITRUST GROUP INC.

Patrick Stewart CFO and treasurer

$667.6

$667.6 $621.3

$679

304 801

801

Insurance agency; Insurance company

BROWN & BROWN

Michael Cox, CEO, Proctor; Todd Piersol, EVP Detroit; Jason Vandeberghe, EVP Fenton; Paul Buiten, EVP Grand Rapids; Angela Garner, EVP Saginaw

$141.0

$141.0 $72.6

$600

NA 12,000

14,000

Insurance agency

HIGH STREET INSURANCE PARTNERS INC. 1

Scott Wick managing partner and CEO Scott Goodreau managing partner and COO

$118.2

$290.4 $67.7

337 1,613

1,613

Insurance agency

GALLAGHER

Lenny Brucato area president, Benefits & HR Consulting Michael Miller area president, Insurance & Risk Management

$118.0

$118.0 $105.6

434 18,535

39,039

Insurance agency

MARSH MCLENNAN AGENCY - MICHIGAN

Becky McLaughlan president and CEO, Health & Benefits Dan Hale president and CEO, Property & Casualty

$48.3

$48.3 $47.1

$1,938

172 172

172

Insurance agency

ASSUREDPARTNERS INC. 2

Joe Haney Michigan president

$44.0 3

$44.0 3 $24.0

$545

188 8,500

8,500

Insurance agency

KAPNICK INSURANCE GROUP

Jim Kapnick CEO Michael Kapnick COO

$40.5

$40.5 $35.6

$350

166 175

175

Insurance agency

VALENTI, TROBEC, CHANDLER INC./VTC INSURANCE GROUP

Al Chandler CEO Jeffrey Chandler president

$39.9

$39.0 $38.8

$243

150 154

157

Insurance agency

HYLANT

Clayton Jennings regional CEO Matt Hylant regional COO

$29.4

$29.6 $31.4

$430

164 867

867

Insurance agency

LIGHTHOUSE, AN ALERA GROUP COMPANY

Phil Klein Tom Helmstetter managing partners

$28.7

$35.1 $25.6

$292

168 168

168

Insurance agency

LOCKTON

Elaine Coffman president, Lockton Michigan

$20.8

$20.8 $17.8

$290

54 5,373

8,500

Insurance agency

THE HUTTENLOCHER GROUP

James Huttenlocher president

$14.8

$19.2 $19.3

$163

110 NA

Insurance agency

KIG INSURANCE

Jeffrey Belen president

$8.5

$9.0 $7.9

$69

54 55

Insurance agency

RALPH C. WILSON AGENCY INC.

Robert Farris president, CEO and owner

$8.2

$8.2 $8.2

$150

51 51

Insurance agency

OSWALD COMPANIES

Catherine Kosin senior vice president, market leader (Michigan)

$7.5

$7.5 $7.5

$80

34 393

393

Insurance agency

MANQUEN VANCE (FORMERLY CORNERSTONE MUNICIPAL ADVISORY GROUP LLC)

Mark Manquen founder, president John Vance principal

$6.1

$6.1 $5.1

$227

21 22

Insurance agency

ALLIED INSURANCE MANAGERS INC.

Jayson Bass CEO Bill Sheldon president

$5.4

$5.4 $5.5

$41

32 32

Insurance agency

WILSHIRE BENEFITS GROUP INC.

David Sokol president and CEO

$4.4

$4.4 $4.3

$100

25 25

Insurance agency

30833 Northwestern Highway Farmington Hills 48334 248-932-9000; hwkaufman.com

6101 Anacapri Blvd. Lansing 48917 517-323-1200; auto-owners.com 100 Ottawa Ave. SW Grand Rapids 49503 ; acrisure.com 26777 Halsted Road Farmington Hills 48331 248-615-9000; amerisure.com

26255 American Drive Southfield 48034-6112 (248) 358-1100; ameritrustgroup.com 5250 Corporate Drive, Suite 200 Troy 48309 586-977-6300; bbinsurance.com

333 West Grandview Parkway, Suite 201 Traverse City 49684 231-486-5656; highstreetpartners.com

2600 S. Telegraph Road, Suite 100 Bloomfield Hills 48302 248-332-3100; ajg.com 755 W. Big Beaver Road, Suite 2300 Troy 48084 248-822-8000, 734-525-2463; marshmma.com 3099 Biddle Ave. Wyandotte 48192 734-283-1400; assuredpartners.com

1201 Briarwood Circle Ann Arbor 48108 888-263-4656; kapnick.com 1175 W. Long Lake Road Troy 48098 248-828-3377; vtcins.com

2401 W. Big Beaver Road, Suite 400 Troy 48084 248-643-8750; hylant.com 56 Grandville Ave. SW Ste. 300 Grand Rapids 48105 800-344-3531; lighthousegroup.com

First National Building, 660 Woodward Ave. Birmingham 48009 313.488.6041; lockton.com 1007 W. Huron Waterford Township 48328 248-681-2100; hgway.com

26877 Northwestern Highway, Suite 400 Southfield 48033 248-352-5140; getkig.com 26026 Telegraph Road, Suite 100 Southfield 48033 800-638-1174; rcwa.net

39572 Woodward Ave., Suite 201 Bloomfield Hills 48304 248-433-1466; oswaldcompanies.com

50 West Big Beaver, Suite 220 Troy 48084 248-878-2119; manquenvance.com 1055 S. Blvd. E., Suite 110 Rochester Hills 48307 248-853-0930; alliedinsmgr.com

901 Wilshire Drive, Suite 330 Troy 48084 248-269-2116; wilshirebenefits.com

$2,450.0

$2,284.5

$1,385.4

$754.9

$621.3

$72.6

$38.6

$105.6

$47.1

$24.0

$35.6

$38.3

$28.4

$25.6

$17.8

$14.8

$7.5

$8.2

$7.5

$5.1

$5.5

Researched by Sonya D. Hill: shill@crain.com | This list is an approximate compilation of the largest such agencies and companies in Michigan. It is not a complete listing but the most comprehensive available. Unless otherwise noted,

information was provided by the companies. Companies with headquarters elsewhere are listed with the address and top executive of their main Michigan office. NA = not available. NOTES: 1. Acquired Capital Insurance Group in August 2020. 2. AssuredPartners acquired Sterling Insurance Agency Inc. in August 2021. 3. Includes revenue from acquisition of Sterling Insurance Group in 2021.

Want the full Excel version of this list — and every list? Become a Data Member: CrainsDetroit.com/data 20 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | MARCH 21, 2022

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Lockton at a glance GLOBAL OFFICES: 100+ ASSOCIATES: 8,500+ BROKER RANKING: 8

13.4% 13

ORGANIC GROWTH

CONSECUTIVE YEARS BEST PLACES TO WORK IN INSURANCE

Lockton Michigan Contact one of our benefits or risk management experts WHAT MAKES LOCKTON STAND APART IS ALSO WHAT MAKES US

MICHIGAN

BETTER: INDEPENDENCE. Unconstrained by the rigidness commonly associated with the insurance industry, we challenge the norms of what a brokerage can be. The creative thinkers at Lockton’s Michigan operation are empowered to do what’s best for their clients at all times.

OFFICES: 3 ASSOCIATES: 54 CLIENT RETENTION

97%

FAMILY-OWNED AND PRIVATELY HELD

LOCKTONMICHIGAN@LOCKTON.COM

EMILY ANNAND

TOM CAULFIELD

CAL COFFMAN

ELAINE COFFMAN

QUINN DAMON

SHERMAN EDWARDS

KEN HURTT

KEVIN JONES

JAIME KINZER

NICOLE LEE

AMY MCCULLOCH

JOHN PRICE

RYAN QUILLAN

MICHAEL RAHAIM

BRENDEN RITTER

NICOLE ROSE

AGRON SHKRELI

JON SNEAD

ROB VOGELEI

NATE WIEST

MICHAEL WYNNE

PLANT

From Page 3

“As you all know, recent chip shortages have negatively impacted auto manufacturing that resulted in a sudden spike of the automobile crisis,” Yeo said at the event. “SK Siltron’s facility will go a long way reinforcing stability and resilience of the U.S. semiconductor supply chain.” The auto industry’s pace of transitioning to EVs — a change that as been years in the making — has accelerated considerably. At the same time, the industry faces another type of reckoning as the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions reveal the cracks in a global supply chain. That’s created opportunity for companies such as SK Siltron CSS that are investing in new technology near the automotive hub of Detroit. SK Siltron CSS expects to grow revenue tenfold to hundreds of millions of dollars in the next three years as demand soars. Of the 6.5 million EV units sold globally in 2021, just less than 2 million used silicon carbide. That number is expected to hit 3 million this year as the size of batteries grows, necessitating more efficient energy conduction. The semiconductor material is found in cars made by major automakers, including General Motors Co. and Tesla Inc. Dong said more than half of all EVs are expected to use silicon carbide by 2030, although its high cost could impede growth. The company’s silicon carbide wafers are sold mostly to tier-two and tier-three auto suppliers that use them for semiconductor chips in power component assemblies. The wafers are distinct from regular silicon computer microchips, whose shortage has caused major headaches for automakers over the past two years. A shortage of silicon carbide wafers will likely be averted by SK Siltron CSS, and competitors such as Durham, N.C.-based Wolfspeed Inc., which recognize the market potential and are rushing to fill demand. Traditional silicon chips are much more prevalent, found in everything from cellphones to dishwashers, and far easier to manufacture, said Steve Anderson, crystal growth engineer at

GILBERT

From Page 3

Ventures or the Gilbert family office,” Emerson said. Crain’s asked whether Rock Ventures and/or the Gilbert family office knew about the charge against Adamczyk when he was hired and, if so, why he was hired knowing that information. Adamczyk and Gilbert first met in September 2016 when the doctor coached Gilbert’s son’s basketball team, Gilbert wrote in a letter to U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan Judge Denise Page Hood before Adamczyk’s sentencing. Gilbert, the billionaire founder and chairman of Detroit-based mortgage behemoth Rocket Companies Inc. (NYSE: RKT), has publicly said Adamczyk convinced him to seek medical care while Gilbert was experiencing stroke symptoms in May 2019 during a gathering at his downtown Detroit apartment in the Vinton Building. Gilbert told Crain’s in a 2020 interview that “they basically saved my life — this guy and my wife — because if I didn’t go, it would have been a problem.”

Producing a silicon carbide semiconductors at SK Siltron CSS’s plant in Auburn involves a highly technical process including rigourous inspection of wafers. | KURT NAGL/CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

Steve Anderson, crystal growth engineer for SK Siltron CSS, takes media on a tour of the company’s semiconductor pant in Auburn. | KURT NAGL/CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

In his letter to Page Hood, Gilbert described Adamczyk as someone who “has been very involved in helping with my physical recovery” from the stroke. “His dedication, care, compassion and professionalism on a daily basis has been instrumental in my recovery process, and he has made a difference in the quality of my life,” the letter says. “Throughout my experiences with Steve, I have observed him to be a caring, compassionate, forthright and honorable person, and a gifted medical provider. I also have observed him to be a loving and dedicated family man to his wife and children,” Gilbert’s letter says. Federal court documents filed by Collins say that Adamczyk lost his fulltime job with Independence Emergency Physicians after he was charged and also worked part time as an associate professor at Michigan State University. Records with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs show that Adamczyk’s medical license lapsed at the end of 2019. Collins’ court filing says that Adamczyk “fully disclosed his pending case” prior to Rock Ventures hiring him and that the company “has been

impressed with his work and has extended his contract.” It also says that he was “responsible for monitoring the executive team of Rock Ventures for COVID,” and that “includes COVID testing, contact tracing and recommendations for quarantine.” Emerson said “any COVID-related consultation work (Adamczyk did) would have been limited to Dan’s direct care team.” The fraud case involved no fewer than 30 people who federal prosecutors say perpetuated a scheme over more than a decade that involved the “exploitation of patients suffering from addiction” and distribution of more than 6.6 million doses of controlled substances including oxycodone, hydrocodone and oxymorphone that were medically unnecessary. A press release last week says that for 11 years until 2018 “a multi-state network of pain clinics” participated in the fraud. Patients seeking opioids were refused the drugs unless they agreed to receive what’s called a facet joint injection, among the highest-reimbursing medical procedures. The Justice Department press release said the procedure sometimes

SK Siltron CSS. However, silicon has its limits. “It doesn’t handle high power well,” Anderson said. “Silicon carbide doesn’t have those problems. It can operate at very high voltages and temperatures. If you put silicon carbide in your electric vehicle, the energy savings is about 10 percent more range.” The primary function of the company’s new lab in Bay County is to scale growth of the crystals, formed by vaporizing silicon and carbide in custom furnaces fabricated in Michigan. The number of furnaces and intricacies of the process are closely guarded for competitive reasons and as a matter of national protection, Anderson said. The U.S. has funded research of the material and its applications in the defense industry and barred the process and raw crystals from being exported, although a couple of overseas competitors are working on their own technology. SK Siltron CSS bought the small produced pain greater than the purported pain they were experiencing in the first place, and in some others produced open holes in their backs. “Patients largely acquiesced to these unnecessary procedures because of their addiction or desire to obtain pills to be resold on the street by drug dealers,” the release says, which described Tri-County Physician Group PC and Tri-State Physician Group PC clinics as “pill mills.” The masterminds behind the scheme were co-owners Francisco Patino and Mashiyat Rashid. The press release says Patino and Rashid both lived lavishly off the fraud, buying jewelry, cars, vacations, private jet flights, Detroit real estate and other extravagances. Rashid, 41, is now in federal prison in Pennsylvania with a release date in June 2030 following a March 2021 sentencing, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons; Patino has not yet been sentenced, according to the press release. “It is unconscionable that doctors and health care professionals would violate their oath to do no harm and exploit vulnerable patients struggling with addiction,” Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite Jr. of the Jus-

DuPont operation so it could marry its chip production prowess with the crystal growth expertise in Michigan to mass manufacture wafers for cars, Dong said. “For crystal growth, we have absolutely the deep know-how, but we want to leverage that,” he said. “We can set up here to leverage that learning.” The process is delicate and highly technical. Silicon and carbon are cooked at 4,500 degrees Fahrenheit for several days to grow crystals that are eventually shaped and sliced with diamond blades, Anderson said. The wafers are then polished inside clean rooms with 100 particles per cubic meter. A wafer would be compromised if brought outside the room in regular air, typically 10,000 particles per cubic meter, even for just a few seconds. It makes for a pricey product. One six-inch wafer, the company’s primary seller, costs about $1,000, nearly 10 times that of its silicon sibling. One wafer can produce up to 150 chips, which can supply the power components of six to eight vehicles, the company said. Adding scale is intended to bring efficiencies and reduce those costs, the company said. Dong said the company expects to grow capacity to 600,000 wafers per year. To support that increase, the company plans to add 150 new jobs, including engineers and high-tech machine operators, in Bay County. The project is backed by a $1.5 million state grant and a 15-year SESA tax exemption, valued at $4.5 million. The company’s investment in Michigan is part of SK Group’s massive investment plan in the U.S. The conglomerate, which is also building batteries for Ford Motor Co. in a joint venture down south, plans to grow its U.S. presence from 4,000 workers to 23,000, with $43 billion invested by 2025. Michigan could be in line for more investment, according to the company. “We have committed to grow our operations here to the benefit of both U.S. and Korea,” SK Vice Chairman Jeong Joon Yu said at the event. Contact: knagl@crain.com; (313) 446-0337; @kurt_nagl tice Department’s Criminal Division said in the release. “These are not just crimes of greed, these are crimes that make this country’s opioid crisis even worse — and that is why the department will continue to relentlessly pursue these cases.” The state says there were 115 deaths in Michigan from opioid overdoses in 1999, but by 2018, that had grown to 2,036. Collins wrote in defense of his client that when he was hired by Tri-County and Tri-State part time, working three to six hours a week, he “unknowingly walked into a health care fraud conspiracy that had been operating for seven years.” “During this employment, he ignored red flags of fraud,” Collins wrote. “Dr. Adamczyk deeply regrets not leaving Tri-County, compromising his professional standards, and putting the safety of his patients at risk.” Collins also wrote that Adamczyk has cooperated with authorities. “This case represents a detour from an otherwise law-abiding life dedicated to family, career, and community,” Collins wrote. Contact: kpinho@crain.com; (313) 446-0412; @kirkpinhoCDB

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RECESS

VERTIPORT

From Page 1

From Page 3

In-person, corporate recess looks a lot like what’s happening on playgrounds, with variations of games like dodge ball, four square and tag. Play can be tailored for groups as small as eight people or as large as 100 or more. They run from 90 minutes to three or four hours and range in cost from $1,500 to $5,000, Matthews said. Playworks is intentional in the design of each program, the facilitation and the debrief with management but also with employees during the event. “We play a game and then talk about what happened (and) how you can use this in the workplace,” he said. The corporate recess programs have expanded in other places, helping the national nonprofit stabilize its finances, Matthews said. He and co-associate director Whitney Bunn now lead the Michigan affiliate, following the June 2020 departure of former executive director Angela Rogensues amid significant financial challenges as school funding and donations dropped. For its part, Playworks Michigan is operating on a $1.6 million budget this year, he said, up from $1.4 million last year. That’s still down about $550,000 from 2019 revenue numbers. “We are in a much better place than we were pre-pandemic, nationally,” said Matthews, who is optimistic the corporate recess programs will also help restore the Michigan affiliate to pre-pandemic budget levels. “That allows us to reach more schools and more students providing opportunities for safe and healthy play.”

It could be placed at an airport or on top of a building, for example. The port itself generally has automated systems to interact with drones. What is being described as the first vertiport in the U.S. is planned in Orlando by German electric aircraftand port-making company Lilium.

Keeping play alive During the pandemic, Playworks shifted its corporate recess programs to a virtual format to keep the relationships that existed in work-

OLIGARCH

From Page 6

Republican Sens. Dan Coats of Indiana and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania questioned whether public financing should be used to subsidize already-existing technology. Pennsylvania is the home of U.S. Steel and Indiana is the largest U.S. producer of steel, so it’s clear the senators were protecting their home teams from competition. Rep. Darrell Issa of California, then the chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, asked the DOE to review the loan as surely Russia’s richest person could finance the investments himself. “Given the immense wealth and power of Severstal’s CEO and the fact that the corporation had already made significant investments in the project, it is surprising that DOE would choose Severstal for a loan meant to spark new business and technologies within the automotive industry,” Issa wrote in an Oct. 20, 2011, letter to the DOE. Damning the company was that it had already started and was nearing completion of construction of a $450 million cold-rolling mill on the property. In January 2011, the DOE revoked the loan under growing political pressure against supporting a Rus-

Planning with the FAA Skillman Foundation’s employees take part in a corporate recess last summer through a Playworks pilot program for adults in Michigan. | PLAYWORKS MICHIGAN

places going and to help new employees who’ve never met colleagues in person to bond, said Matthews. Virtual games might include everyone in a Zoom room competing against one facilitator in a game of “rock, paper, scissors,” a virtual scavenger hunt or even an adapted game of tag, a challenging favorite of Matthews. Last year, Playworks piloted virtual recess with Detroit-based software developer Integral and its employees, many of whom had only ever worked together virtually. Integral was looking for new ways to problem solve and think creatively when not sitting in the office together. Playworks responded by creating games the team could play through Zoom. Connectedness and community play a key role in “fostering strong teams that are best-enabled to build amazing products,” Integral CEO Ashok Sivanand said in an email. “Having made the decision to go mostly remote since the pandemic, we’ve been investing in re-learning ways to connect with each other across the country, and the Playworks corporate recess program helped with just that,” he said. Corporate team-building activities can feel forced unless they are really fun, Sivanand said. “The Play-

works team are excellent facilitators to mitigate that risk.” As employers begin transitioning back to in-person work, Playworks has begun modifying the programs to safe, in-person activities aimed at helping employees transition back to in-person work. And while you’re having fun, you’re also building team health, Matthews said. “We know that we learn and work differently when we’ve had the opportunities to use our brains in a different way,” he said. “It increases creativity, productivity, teamwork and morale. It decreases stress and absenteeism, which can have an impact potentially on illness or health care costs for a company.” Last summer, Playworks piloted an in-person, outdoor recess with employees at the Skillman Foundation in Detroit to help develop relationships that might have been lost through virtual work. “Playworks’ Recess was a fantastic opportunity for our team to build important connections, especially as we were Zoom-exhausted,” said Punita Thurman, vice president of program and strategy at Skillman. “Together, we laughed, competed playfully and learned insightful lessons about how we work as a team.”

sian oligarch. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Severstal completed the cold-rolling mill anyway and celebrated its total $1.4 billion investment in Dearborn with a news conference with several dignitaries in attendance, including Mordashov and Snyder. The company said it planned to increase North American production by as much as 42 percent by 2016. “If you want to be successful, you have to invent a business model that is flexible,” Mordashov told Forbes at the 2012 event. “We believe we are basically on the right track. We should be much more resilient. We should be much more agile. We should be able to adjust our cost base to the changing environment.” It was over 100 degrees in the plant that day. Most of us were sweating through our suit coats. But Severstal couldn’t remain hot. Not without the DOE loan amid plummeting steel prices at the time. In late 2012, China was hit by slowing economic growth and decreased its steel use but didn’t slow steel production, flooding the global market with product and forcing prices down. By 2014, Severstal was shopping its North American operations and eventually sold its Dearborn operations to AK Steel Corp. for $700 million in what executives called an “attractive offer.”

Severstal had invested more than $2 billion into Dearborn in 10 years. Most of Severstal’s remaining MEGA and brownfield credits were transferred to AK Steel. Had Mordashov and Severstal held out, they could have seen at least a temporary advantage from President Donald Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on imported steel. Though those higher steel prices have universally harmed demand in the past few years. Had Severstal been successful in accessing the DOE loan, there’s a good chance Mordashov’s investment would still be operating under his purview and, likely, under sanction. Thousands of jobs would not be at risk. Steel supply to automakers and suppliers would be in jeopardy. And the state’s legislators and economic development officials would have to confront why they allowed Russia’s Kremlin-backed steel baron a foothold in Southeast Michigan. Instead, Michigan is free of Russia’s wealthiest person and free from having to worry about untangling Mordashov’s investment locally from his role in Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Automakers, lawmakers and workers should probably breathe a sigh of relief.

Contact: swelch@crain.com; (313) 446-1694; @SherriWelch

Detroit’s aspiration for its own vertiport is a new piece of the evolving plan to try to transform its long underused and crumbling airport into a “world class” hub for corporate and cargo travel, as well as potentially aircraft manufacturing and logistics businesses, Watt told City Council. The airport is “actively seeking” companies to build and operate there, Watt said. That includes a deal that’s under negotiation now to lease land to a company for a new 15,000-square-foot hangar, refueling services and a private jet terminal. Detroit is also now just “awaiting

final signatures” on a document — the Airport Layout Plan submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration — that should help propel improvements at the antiquated airport forward, Watt said. The site was mismanaged in the past amid years of neglect, an audit released in 2019 found, though it said efforts had been made since 2018 to right the ship. Detroit submitted an Airport Layout Plan in late 2020 for the first time in 24 years. Plans should generally be sent in every 5-7 years. It’s an 80-page document, essentially a master plan, that shows conditions at the airport and plans for future development, with the main goals of bringing the airport up to FAA design standards, right-sizing the airport for corporate and manufacturing travel and setting the stage for future development. “I feel more hopeful today than I have in quite some time,” City Council president pro tem James Tate, the longest currently serving Detroit lawmaker, said in response to Watt’s comments. Contact: afrank@crain.com; (313) 446-0416; @annalise_frank

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MANSIONS

though the city said it was never threatened with demolition and Crain’s could not independently From Page 1 confirm that it was. Golden was told And at the Book mansion, there then it would cost between $250,000 was a whole asbestos-filled addition and $350,000 to rehab it, she said; she that Deidre Golden had to tear down, estimates there’s $90,000 worth of layers of carpet and tile covering mo- work left to do to complete the restosaic floors she had to pull up and ration that she started. Golden’s original plan for the paint that she spent years scrubbing home was for it to house an orchesoff of marble walls. Now that the hard work is done, tra, but the COVID-19 pandemic the three historic mansions are on scuttled the vision. Last year, the the market, looking for their next house was foreclosed on and purcaretakers. chased at auction by its lender, SoarThe Whitney, a 1892 Brush Park ing Pine Capital, for $937,000. Ownhouse that was built by lumber baron ers usually have six months after David Whitney Jr. and his son David foreclosure to redeem their properC. Whitney, was listed by Cowin ear- ties, but Victor Simon, Soaring Pine’s lier this year for $4.25 million. The managing partner, said the group Kresge, a 1914 house in the Bos- had given Golden a 90-day extenton-Edison neighborhood, is on the sion, until the end of May, to redeem market for $3 million. And the 1911 the property — and recover some of Book mansion, modeled after Marie her costs — by selling the house. “She ran out of money,” Simon Antoinette’s Versailles palace, is for sale for $3.5 million in Indian Village. said. “It’s why we’re trying to give her Iconic mansions in Detroit have more time. She’s done a great job. been garnering attention recently How can we not help her and see her with the sale of the 1926 Fisher man- be successful?” Simon praised the restoration sion in Palmer Woods, which sold for $4.9 million, the most a home has work Golden did to the house. On top of demolishing the addition, she reever sold for in the city of Detroit. Kathy Broock, who sold the Fisher moved underground storage tanks, spent thousands to landscape the yard and sourced replacement materials from a Wisconsin church, the demolished Rose Terrace house in Grosse Pointe Farms and from across France. Underneath wallpaper and eight coats of paint, she found porcelain walls; under carpet and linoleum, there were mosaic tile floors. The Whitney mansion was built in 1891. | REALCOMP “It was just a mess,” mansion, said the buyers of such his- Golden said of the house. “You toric homes are passionate people — wouldn’t believe what damage they after all, they’re taking responsibility did.” Her motivation, Golden said, was for treasured community artifacts. “It’s such a love, whoever is in- to save the home for the city. “We didn’t want to see the home volved in that,” said the fourth-generation Realtor with Max Broock. destroyed, so we rescued it,” she said. “It’s truly a unique house.” “These are all one of a kind.” It’s the work that each of the current owners put into the historic A ‘project mansion’ properties that helps them command their high price tags, Broock said — if Cowin moved into the Whitney they can get them. While the Fisher on 82 Alfred St. in January 2013, mansion was quietly shopped and when there wasn’t a fully functioning sold, the other three have been on bathroom anywhere in the house. the market for more than a month. The previous owners cared for the “We need someone to see it for the property, he said, but “they weren’t special thing it is and carry on the exactly renovation specialists.” tradition,” Golden said of the Book Meanwhile, Cowin said he’d remansion, though she said she hasn’t stored four or five homes already, yet seen that kind of devotion from and with its Queen Anne architecture any potential buyers who have come — and Brush Park location — the through. “We would like to see some- George Lloyd-designed mansion body have a family here.” called to him. “There aren’t many homes that survived the Victorian era with intact ‘We rescued it’ interiors,” he said. “These historic The Louis Kamper-designed home homes are a big part of the neighborof James Burgess Book at 8469 E. Jef- hood’s identity, Detroit’s identity.” ferson Blvd. is zoned for both resiThe previous owner had agreed to dential and commercial use, and let a movie film there, the vampire rohoused a hair salon, attorneys and mance “Only Lovers Left Alive” starother businesses before Golden ring Tilda Swinton and Tom Hidmoved in; she said the master bed- dleston, and Cowin said he financed room had been subdivided into five some of the renovations by renting offices and recent renovation work rooms out to fans (and others) on uncovered a bathroom that had been Airbnb. Friends loaned him money ripped out previously to give more sometimes, too, when there was a room for commercial space. need. She used to shop at an antiques There is “no question” that he shop that was located inside, and spent more than $1 million on the said when she learned the house was house he paid $110,000 for, he said, available, “it was exactly what we plus “tons of sweat equity,” but Cowwanted.” in said he didn’t know the exact costs. Golden estimated she’s spent $4.2 He said he’s taken out home equity million to fix up the historic house, loans against the house seven times which she said was set to be demol- to help pay for its renovation and the ished before her 2009 purchase, rehabilitation of other blighted prop-

The Book mansion is located in the Indian Village neighborhood off East Jefferson in Detroit. | KW METRO

Owner Roland Radinski poses for a portrait in the Kresge Mansion. | NIC ANTAYA FOR CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

The

The Kresge Mansion features a solarium. | NIC ANTAYA FOR CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

This

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erties in the city. “You get stuck periodically and you struggle for a while,” he said. “You live out of a microwave longer than you want to.” In fixing up the house, Cowin said he tried to be a “good steward” and caretaker for the property. “I see property ownership as a responsibility,” he said. “I want to help make living in the neighborhood a joyful experience.” Having a “project mansion” can be a lot to take on, Cowin said — but he said potential buyers for his home, which he said is priced as it is because it includes developable land, are not the same as those of either of the other two houses. “It’s cool you can have three of these historic mansions, but holy crap are they different,” he said. “If they love one of them, they’re not going to love the other two.”

the furniture purchases — he paid $245,000 for the house in 1993. He’s not in a rush to sell, but at 73, he’s thinking about his heirs, and what they might be stuck with. Alex Chapman, an associate broker at Signature Sotheby’s who represented the Fisher mansion’s new owners in the recent sale, said the Kresge is a “beautiful house.” A backyard playhouse still needs to be fixed up, but on a tour of the mansion earlier this month, Radinski showed off his handiwork. “When I moved in here, the house was a total wreck,” he said. “The roof was on the floor.” Sconces were found in the base-

a scrubby pad and a palm sander, he spent hours cleaning soot off marble. He hauled out 400 pounds of coal that were still in the basement, rebuilt window wells that were caving in and redid the tennis court. The 14-bedroom house has been completely restored and refurnished. “It looks pretty much how it looked 108 years ago,” Radinski said. “My goal was to get it back to how it looked when the Kresges were here.” Through his restoration work, Radinski said he’s gotten to know members of the extended Kresge family. He’s enjoyed having them over and showing off the house.

‘A total wreck’ The Kresge, for Radinski, was almost a consolation prize. He’d bid on the Palmer Woods William A. Fisher mansion that burned down, and always considered that house the one that got away. So when the Kresge became available, it felt in some ways The grand entrance of the Kresge Mansion. | NIC ANTAYA FOR CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS like a second chance. Radinski has owned the mansion for 29 ment, the plaster in the living room It keeps some of its quirkier years, and calls it his “hobby house.” was bare and the windows were cov- touches, too. The house was owned He’s no longer living there full time, ered in vines, he said. The wrought by the Catholic church for a period, and the sale will include the furni- iron doors were disintegrating, the and the fuse box still marks which ture he’s curated from auctions and greenhouse was a jungle and shut- monk slept in which bedroom. ters were missing from the windows. “I just love the history here,” he other sales over the decades. Radinski discovered murals un- said. “I love giving people tours; I Radinski guessed he’d spent $800,000 on his restoration of the 70 der the paint; he saved a portion of never get tired of doing it.” W. Boston Blvd. home designed by one and framed it in a hallway. He Meade & Hamilton for department made molds to replicate the plaster- Contact: arielle.kass@crain.com; store magnate S.S. Kresge, including work in some of the rooms. And with (313) 446-6774; @ArielleKassCDB

The first floor of the Book mansion has Greek Pentelikon marble flooring. | KW METRO

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This Victorian-era home has eight fireplaces, slate-covered gables and a turret. | REALCOMP MARCH 21, 2022 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 25

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THE CONVERSATION

Ken Nisch on why retail landscape will embrace tech, automation Ken Nisch is chairman of Southfield-based JGA Inc., a retail design studio that does work all over the world. The firm has been around for more than 50 years and Nisch became its chairman in 1995. The University of Cincinnati graduate spoke with Crain’s Detroit Business about the changing retail landscape, who has succeeded and why, why potato chips and other snacks are popping up in some of the most unexpected places — and why clearance sales in some ways are passé. | BY KIRK PINHO  The broader retail landscape has changed the last couple years during the COVID-19 pandemic. What are you seeing on the macro level? You hear this from everybody, but COVID didn’t change anything, it just accelerated a lot of the things that were happening anyways. It probably put more emphasis on those things that have been accelerated, like technology and automation — whether it’s self checkout, or auto replenish or automation and food service, from order taking to QR codes. One of the big changes ... the thought is basically it’s customer and machine, or customer and interface, or customer and technology, vs. customer, (store) associate and technology. Increasingly there is not an associate standing between a consumer and technology, whether it’s a phone or something physically installed at the store. The other big change is the increasing of prices and lowering of inventory, and the substantial elimination of promotion as a retail element. So much of how we designed things used to be about accommodating markdowns, sales and promotion and tons of inventory. People are coming to us now saying, “How do we make our store look full, even though it has a third less inventory? How do we make it look exciting when we don’t hang signs all over that say ‘50 percent off ’ anymore?”  At the design level, what are retailers looking to do and why? The whole idea of promotion and markdowns and clearance, and there are stores that have absolutely no clearance in them. I don’t think retailers need to go back to that. I think they tend to be much smarter managers, just being more conscious of holding the price and not using prices as the

Most retailers, even of an enormous scale, still have a challenge of finding ways to make money online.

Ken Nisch, chairman, JGA Inc.

primary motivator of people buying things. If price is the motivator, in a lot of cases they’ll just buy it online. If there are other motivators, then they’re more likely to go to the store, or go to the brand that has stores, which are two different issues. There are brands that don’t have any stores, and there are brands that have stores, and brands that have stores need to give people a compelling

reason to come to that store rather than just buying it online because they still make more money selling things in stores than they make selling people things online because online is just an expensive way to sell stuff to people.  Why is that? Because of logistics, freight, the cost of the goods, the inefficiencies of the supply chain to handle goods that way.

 Obviously there have been bumps the last 10-15 years, although some have persevered and even gotten stronger. What’s the through line on those retailers vs. those who have gone away or been eroded? I think there are two answers: One is that those who have found a balance (between brick and mortar and online sales) are the ones that did the best. That line may go from 80-20, 60-40, 75-25, but they found a way to be nimble. A lot of these retailers, maybe they were 90-10, but during the pandemic they went 30 to 40 percent online, and now it’s gone back to 85 percent brick and mortar to 15 percent online. Finding that balance and the nimbleness to react to that, the ones that have succeeded have found a balance to flow with it. There are a couple big-box retailers that went 80-20 to 20-80 during the course of two years. One of the interesting things that everybody has done is add food to their mix because the next go around they are going to be an essential store. If you need potato chips or frozen yogurt to do it, you’re not going to find many stores that aren’t going to find a way to be essential. They learned that lesson.  Do you have some examples of that? The most literal examples are everybody that’s an off-price (retailer). Think T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods, Ross (Dress for Less). You see the rapid growth of food in their environments. Look at the dollar stores and the Five Belows and how much food they’ve added to their spaces.

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RUMBLINGS

‘Major’ golf announcement planned for Oakland Hills after fire MAJOR GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS could be headed back to Oakland Hills Country Club. Less than a month after a devastating fire engulfed the clubhouse of the Bloomfield Township country club, the top governing body for the game of golf appears poised to bring major events back to the storied course in the coming years. The United States Golf Association and Oakland Hills Country Club said in a media advisory that they will make a “major” announcement during an event on March 22 at the Detroit Athletic Club. The USGA puts on several major tournaments, including the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Open. Guests at this week’s event are set to include USGA Chief Championships Officer John Bodenhamer, two-time U.S. Open champion Andy

Crews battle a fire at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township on Feb. 17, 2022. | NIC ANTAYA FOR CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

North, and Gil Hanse, a golf course architect who recently oversaw an overhaul of one of Oakland Hills’

two 18-hole courses. Before the fire, which brought about an “almost total loss” of the

clubhouse, Oakland Hills spent $12 million renovating the famed South Course in the hopes of bringing the U.S. Open back to metro Detroit. Country club officials have said the clubhouse will be rebuilt. Fire officials said last week that the likely cause of the fire was a contractor working with a blowtorch. Venues for the U.S. Open have been selected through 2027, as well as for 2030. Well-known golf courses set to host upcoming U.S. Open tournaments include this year’s event being held at The Country Club of Brookline outside Boston and the 2024 event set for Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in North Carolina. Oakland Hills last hosted a U.S. Open in 1996, but since then has hosted the Ryder Cup and the U.S. Amateur.

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