Crain's Detroit Business, Aug. 22, 2022, issue by Crain's Detroit Business

On offringesthescience BY

Tami Peterson grabs a baby python from its cage in the pet shop. It’s around the corner from the bank and the co ee shop and across from the town square where children ride tricycles. But this isn’t a typical city. ese features are new additions to Oxford Recovery Center’s applied behavior analysis, or ABA, program to treat children on the autism spectrum. e recent $12 million, 35,000-square-foot investment in Brighton is nothing short of impressive — patients and visitors are greeted by a simulated indoor city with overhead lights shaped like clouds and working street signs. ere’s even a dentist’s o ce so kids with aversions to lights, sounds and touch can learn to feel more comfortable.ButOxford’s ABA services, the “gold standard” of autism treatments, operate as a feeder program for a fringe therapy thatautism experts contacted by Crain’s warn is not supported by science. e center’s showpiece is its hyperbaric chamber room, where it sends children on “dives” into high-pressure oxygen tanks for what it says is an e ective alternative medicine treatment for those on the spectrum. “ is is the heart of what we do,” said Peterson, the founder and CEO, speaking with the DUSTIN WALSH Autism center o alternative

ers

CRAINSDETROIT.COM I AUGUST 22, 2022 AP CAN MONEY VIOLENCE?SCHOOLSTOP United by Oxford, but divided on gun control, Michigan lawmakers spend big to make schools safer I PAGE 26 FORUM I GUN VIOLENCE THE PREP Sports video production company shoots to change the game. PAGE 3 THE CONVERSATION : Kresge’s Wendy Lewis Jackson on building trust. PAGE 38 NEWSPAPER VOL. 38, NO. 32 l COPYRIGHT 2022 CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS INC. l ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

treatments STARTS ON PAGE 8 Hook SMZ Vision Computer Solutions See AUTISM on Page 36 CRAIN’S LIST Vinnie firms.minority-ownedthecompanyJohnson’sleadslistoflargest PAGE 32 CIVIL HOUSESRIGHTS The fight to save civil rights relics in Detroit. PAGE 3

THE NEWS: BHSH System, the parent company of Beaumont Health and Spectrum Health, announced urs day it will provide $20 million to Oak land University to educate nurses in the hopes of alleviating a shortage. e state’s largest health system will invest $10 million toward student grants and $10 million over the next ve years to expand infrastructure, including labs, classrooms, equip ment and faculty, the organizations said in a press release.

CAMPUS PREMIER CORPORATE 27500160,000HEADQUARTERSSFDRAKEROAD|FARMINGTON HILLS, MI DENNIS DKATEFF@KOJAIAN.COMKATEFFFORBUILDINGENTIRESALE/LEASE • CAFETERIA WITH SEATING • BUILDING/MONUMENT SIGNAGE • CLASS A CONDITION • FORMAL AND INFORMAL TRAINING ROOMS/AREAS • PARTITIONED WORK SPACES • COURTYARD WITH TABLES TREMENDOUS BUILDING SIGNAGE UP TO KOJAIAN.COM | 248-644-7600  A column titled ‘Cannabis oversup ply could lead to weed deserts’ on Page 6 of the Aug. 15 issue incorrectly described the licensing process for cannabis growers and shops. An op eration must get local municipality approval before seeking state ap proval for licensing. Correction Wayne County, Rahal worked to im prove relationships with businesses in a county with a reputation for not being business friendly. He helped Wayne County put unused property into service that was previously not contributing to the county’s tax base, which had shrunk during the Great Recession.  BIG TEN LANDS $7 BILLION, NFL-STYLE TV CONTRACTS THE NEWS: e 14-member Big Ten an nounced last week it had struck a deal that will let CBS, FOX, NBC and NBCUniversal’s Peacock air its sport ing events for at least seven years. e stations will collectively pay $1.1 bil lion per year for those media rights. WHY IT MATTERS: It’s the largest deal of its kind for college sports and could put sports programs that su ered during the pandemic on more stable nancial footing, or spark bidding wars for coaching talent.

2 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUG UST 22, 2022

THE WEEK IN REVIEW, WITH AN EYE ON WHAT’S NEXT NEED TO KNOW NEW EXHIBITS  A group of 36 entrepreneurs who will be featured in a series of De troit Historical Museum exhibits highlighting Detroiters who grind daily includes skilled tradespeople, retailers, restaurateurs, DJs and caregivers.“eHustle: Celebrating Detroit’s Unsung Entrepreneurs” is the historical society’s newest e ort to uncover and put a spotlight on the stories of Detroiters who make everyday life in the city special, according to a news release. e honorees, a part of the Detroit His torical Society’s e Hustle initiative, were announced during a ursday evening event at the museum. e Hustle, which opens Oct. 8, will include several educational components. School tours and educational sessions are planned for the 2022-23 school year. e cost of the project is $500,000-$600,000. e program has gar nered sponsors including the Gilbert Family Foundation, which gave $150,000; Toyota Motor North America and AAA/ e Auto Club group, each of which chipped in $100,000; Bank of America and PNC Bank each put in $50,000; JPMorgan is chipping in $20,000 while Dykema Detroit is making a $10,000 contribution. Detroiters honored by historical society for their hustle

WHY IT MATTERS: Roughly one-in- ve health care workers left or retired from the eld between the start of the pandemic in 2020 and November 2021, according to a survey from re search company Morning Consult. ere are thousands of open nursing positions across the state.

 BELL’S BREWERY TO DONATE TO CLEAN WATER INITIATIVE

 BEAUMONT-SPECTRUM GIVES $20M FOR NURSING PROGRAM

 KHALIL RAHAL STEPPING DOWN AS WAYNE COUNTY CAO THE NEWS: Khalil Rahal is stepping down from his post as Wayne Coun ty’s chief administrative o cer. Rahal has served in various roles at the Wayne County Executive O ce since 2015. Prior to his promotion to CAO in January 2021, he served as assis tant county executive and ombuds man, and as the county’s economic development director. Before joining the executive o ce, Rahal was an as sistant prosecuting attorney at the Wayne County Prosecutor’s O ce.

WHY IT MATTERS: In his various roles at

The FahrenheitFrederickHollierInvisible”FifthWilliamsleft)(clockwisehonoreesHustleSociety’sHistoricalDetroitTheinitiativeincludefromCandaceofBarksAvenue,“DJCarlW.andPaulII's313.

THE NEWS: A new initiative from Bell’s Brewery Inc., the Kalamazoo-based maker of popular brews including Oberon and Two Hearted Ale, will donate a portion of sales from every barrel of beer sold to a philanthropic organization through it’s Inspired Giving, a charitable e ort. Bell’s said it will donate $480,000 this year to nonpro ts through a newly estab lished promise to contribute $1 for every barrel of beer it sells.

WHY IT MATTERS: e 2022 grant cycle centers on clean water stewardship, supporting organizations and indi viduals committed to maintaining clean water and healthy environ ments. It is a signi cant increase in Bell’s philanthropic e orts; last year the company donated $75,000.

ARIELLE

AUGUST 22, 2022 | CRAIN’ S DE T ROI T B USINESS 3

One house is the place where in the early 1950s, Malcolm Little transformed into Malcolm X. Another belonged to a Black couple that helped end racially re strictive housing when they re fused to move to the other side of a de facto Detroit color line in 1944. A third was the home of a Black woman whose court case over a seat on a Boblo boat in 1945 helped pave the way for the end of racial segregation in schools. As e orts are underway to pre serve civil-rights era sites and protect Black history around the country, these three Detroit-area homes are gaining newfound attention. ey took di erent paths to notoriety, but the three houses — two of which were on the verge of demolition be fore interested parties stepped in to help save them — are now set to be preserved where possible. “ e great thing with all of these that are happening is that we’re telling these stories that have been untold for so long,” said Jamon Jor dan, the o cial historian for the city of Detroit and a historian and tour leader with the Black Scroll Network History & Tours. orts increase to save civil rights-era homes around Detroit KASS Bush RACHEL Furniture launched in October 2020 to sell adjustable ergonomic desks and for kindergarten through sixth-grade students.

See FURNITURE on Page 33 See CIVIL RIGHTS on Page 34

Page

sportshighStreamingschool Company tunes into market created by COVID-19 pandemic BY JAY DAVIS GRAND RAPIDS — As the COVID-19 pandemic made sweep ing changes to the way people work, four small West Michigan furniture businesses found success selling products that resonate with remote workers.Twoof those companies were started recently by former employees of Herman Miller Inc. e others launched decades ago but have lately branched out into product categories made popular by the changing needs of the post-pandemic workforce — like a ordable home o ce furniture, study-at-home desks for children and parent-and-child work/play solutions.Whatever the niche these found ers pursued, they all agree on one thing: O ce workers might never do their jobs the same way they did be fore the pandemic began more than two years ago, and it could be a los ing battle to double down on prod ucts designed for business-to-busi ness sales instead of pivoting to meet the current consumer-driven reality.AJuly 2021 report by Portland, Ore.-based Allied Market Research projected the global home o ce fur niture market is expected to more than double in valuation between 2020 and 2030 — from about $3.03 billion to $7.62 billion. ese four West Michigan compa nies are tapping that growth.

spectators will al ways have an outlet to cheer on their favorite teams, longtime play-byplay broadcaster Chad Bush in Feb ruary 2021 established e PreP — a Royal Oak-based video production company specializing in live and on-demand high school, college and professional sports broadcasts. The goal of The PreP, according to the 45-year-old Bush, is to give athletes and fans high-level broad casts they can use as keepsakes. Athletes can also use the broad casts to market themselves to uni versities.Bush,a Huntington Woods resi dent, began his broadcasting career at 30 years old after owning and op erating a packaging company. He worked play-by-play for Eastern Michigan University Radio and Wayne State University Radio and understands the way fans view live games has changed due to the pan demic.“Not being able to attend games because of COVID changed a lot. A lot of people found other ways to watch games and The PreP is a part of that change,” Bush said.

| FREDDY FURNITURE

The home of Orsel and Minnie McGhee is a recent addition to the National Register of Historic Places. | RUCKER See STREAMING on 37

Tareq Ramadan, the project manager for Project We Hope Dream and Believe, shows o some of the artifacts that were found at the historic Malcolm X site dig.

VELMA

WATSON Freddy

4 entrepreneurs pivot as remote work upends o ce furniture industry ‘UNDOCUMENTED HISTORY’

When high school sports re sumed in early 2021 following the COVID-19 outbreak, a big part of the games were left riding the bench.Little to no fans were per mitted at games to limit the spread of mater.oncouldn’tcompete.theircouldn’tGrandparentscoronavirus.thewatchgrandkidsAlumscheertheiralmaToensurethose

seats

| ARIELLE KASS / CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP SPORTS BUSINESSREAL ESTATE

Foss and his family, and the Nelsons — father Linden and son Sanford — teamed up to form Detroit-based Firm Real Estate,which accumulated a large cache of Eastern Market area property starting in 2017. Sanford Nelson said in a statement that Foss “was larger than life” to him and his father. “He not only saw the vision for Eastern Market, but he was a vital partner in the development that’s occurring today. His nancing made so much of the revitalization possible,” the Nelson statement read in part. “We were fortunate to spend some time with him in his nal weeks. He insisted that we carry forward on the vision laid out, which we intend to do.” e billionaire endowed multiple scholarships, which the release from CACC says awarded more than 630 scholarships to students pursuing careers in the automotive industry at Northwood University in Midland.

Contact: nmanes@crain.com; (313) 446-1626; @nickrmanes

are

Assets under

Credit Acceptance founder Donald Foss dies BY NICK MANES Foss

www.zhang nancial.com

outside

Schwab *As reported in Barron’s

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

Paper trail ties Townsend

Namely, they will be akin to a “branded” residence, Bedrock LLC CEO Ko Bonner said in an interview for a story I did on his company’s affordable housing agreement with the city.In this case, think of what’s present at the Westin Book Cadillac or the David Whitney Building downtown, where you can buy a condo and get services provided by the hotel as part of your property. I reported in April that the luxury brand Edition is the incoming ag for the 227-room hotel that’s part of the under-construction skyscraper. (Bonner declined to con rm Edition was coming when I interviewed him.)And Edition has its Edition Residences, which its website describes as “a new generation of luxury home ownership.”“Livesurrounded by timeless glamour, in a destination famed for its food, drink and entertainment. Residences are designed with our signature fusion of modern sophistication and authentic creativity inspired by locale. Every home represents the best in sophisticated service, yet no two are alike.”

Zhang CFP , MBA, MSFS, ChFC, CLU Founder and President 101 West Big Beaver Road, 14th Floor Troy,

Contact: kpinho@crain.com; (313) 446-0412; @kirkpinhoCDB in downtown Birmingham. COSTAR GROUP INC. to Yellen PINHO C. MI 48084 (248) 687-1258 $1,000,000 in Michigan $2,000,000 of Michigan. custody LPL Financial, TD Ameritrade, Charles March 12, April 7, 2022 and August 16, 2021. e developed byShook Research, based on in-person and telephone due diligence a rankingalgorithm for advisors who have a minimum of seven years of experience. Other factorsinclude client retention, industry experience, compliance records, rm nominations, assetsunder management, revenue generated for their rms, and other factors.See zhang nancial.com/disclosure for full ranking criteria.

OBITUARY Donald Foss, who founded one of the nation’s largest subprime auto lenders, died Sunday, Aug. 14, of complications of cancer, according to a news release. Foss founded South eld-based Credit Acceptance Corp. (NASDAQ: CACC) in 1972 having started a car dealership in Detroit ve years earlier, according to a news release from the company announcing his death. e business model spurred on by Foss — who was 78 years old and worth at around $2 billion, according to Forbes — was based around selling to customers who would not qualify for traditional nancing. “His business model was truly innovative and led to him eventually becoming one of the largest used-car dealers in the world,” states the release from CACC, which had a market capitalization of about $7.4 billion as of Monday evening. Foss retired from Credit Acceptance in 2017. e company, however, has also been faced with numerous legal issues, largely a result of the business of subprime lending.

Kirk

Sheldon Yellen and his people aren’t saying diddly squat about his pending purchase of the Townsend Hotel in downtown Birmingham.at’s OK. State business lings and other documents talk when no one involved in the deal will. e Michigan Liquor Control Commission received an application on Aug. 2 to transfer the Townsend Hotel’s liquor license from THC Investors LP — the 150-room hotel’s current ownership group headed up by David Sillman and Keith Pomeroy — to an entity called BHIP Townsend HotelWhoLLC.the heck is behind BHIP Townsend Hotel LLC, precisely? I don’t know with 100 percent certainty, but it looks an awful lot like Yellen. e entity is registered at the Oakland Avenue address for his Birmingham-based property restoration company, Belfor Holdings Inc., and the company’s CFO, Chris Jones, is named on the BHIP ling, as is attorney Alan J. Schwartz. Schwartz is important because he is also listed on another business entity: BRE Townsend Hotel LLC. A ling for that entity describes him speci cally as the attorney for Yellen, who himself is described as the organizer of BRE Townsend Hotel. How precisely do those two entities play together in all this? I’m not sure. But I’ve been around long enough to know that when you set up an LLC with the name of a property in it, chances are good that you have your eyes on doing something with it. Chances are even better when you set up two of them, as Yellen appears to have Alexandradone.

REAL ESTATE INSIDER The Townsend Hotel

Minimum Investment Requirement:

2022. Rankings based on assets under management,revenue generated for the advisors’ rms, quality of practices, and other factors.**As reported in Forbes

4 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUGUST 22, 2022

Gort, Belfor’s spokesperson, did not return a request for comment.Aperson who picked up the phone at Schwartz’s o ce in Troy Tuesday said he declined to comment. Yellen declined comment Tuesday afternoon. A message was left with Pomeroy. I called Sillman and when I identi ed myself, he said, “Gotta go.”

AWOMENEXCEPTIONALMAKINGDIFFERENCE Nominate someone for recognition in a Dec. 8 special section celebrating women making a signi cant impact at Michigan nonpro ts, from grassroots to large organizations. NOMINATERECOGNIZETODAY CRAINSDETROIT.COM/NWNP SEPT.DEADLINE16 A Fee-Only Wealth Management Group Michigan’s #1 Financial Advisor by both Barron’s* and Forbes** Charles

and

Hudson’s tower getting ‘branded’ residences We got a little bit of a news nugget on the for-sale homes envisioned for the skyscraper being built on the former J.L. Hudson’s department store site.

rankings,

meetings and

HOMECOMING Detroit Homecoming to bring expats back to city in September

For

SPECIAL GUESTS HOST

AUGUST 22, 2022 | CRAIN’ S DE T ROI T B USINESS 5 GET A CHILDHOODOUTLOOKHEALTHIERON TOBROUGHTYOUBY LISTEN TO WJR AM LIVE Tuesday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m.

| NIC

PAGE 6

Advocating for the health & wellness of children and families

Attendees mingle at

attendees visit

SHERRI WELCH From left, broadcaster and former Michigan State basketball star Greg Kelser, Detroit Lions principal owner and Chair Sheila Ford Hamp, Detroit Pistons Vice Chairman Arn Tellem, Big Ten Conference Deputy Commissioner Diana Sabau and Rock Ventures LLC Vice President of Business Development Mark Hollis speak at the Detroit Homecoming in 2021. ANTAYA/CRAIN’S BUSINESS a reception during the Detroit Homecoming at the Detroit Institute of Arts in 2021. ANTAYA / CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Detroit Homecoming the CentralMichiganStation in Detroit 2021. ANTAYA/CRAIN’S DETROIT more: Director of Detroit Homecoming Mary Kramer on the event as a catalyst for good things in the city.

| NIC

DETROIT

Detroit Homecoming is coming back for a ninth year Sept. 14-16, along with many of the city’s “expats” — the word used to describe invited guests who once lived in the metro area. e annual, invitation-only event, produced by Crain’s Detroit Business in partnership with the Downtown De troit Partnership, invites people with ties to Detroit, who have found success in other places back to reengage with the city and consider making invest mentsSincehere.its inception, Detroit Home coming has been the impetus for well north of $600 million in investments in Detroit, said Mary Kramer, director of Detroit Homecoming and former pub lisher and editor of Crain’s Detroit Busi ness. Some of those involve Homecom ing expats; others were investments for which Homecoming was a catalyst. An example of the former: e De troit innovation center in development by the University of Michigan and “mega donor” Stephen Ross, chairman of New York City-based developer Re lated Cos., owner of the Miami Dol phins and a speaker at the 2017 Home coming. UM, Ross and the Ilitch family’s Olympia Development of Michigan are working to create an in novation center modeled on Cornell Tech in New York City. e Detroit proj ect recently attracted a $100 million earmark in the state’s 2023 budget, thanks to Ross’ hands-on lobbying of legislators.elargest indirect investment, per haps, has been Ford Motor Co.’s rede velopment of Michigan Central Station, Kramer said. With the Moroun family’s permission, the 2017 Detroit Home coming opening dinner for about 300 guests was held in the long-vacant building. e event put a public spot light on the building — literally and g uratively with a four-day light show on the exterior. People involved in the sale credited the Homecoming attention as a catalyst for the sale. All told, the Dear born-based automaker has gone on to invest nearly $1 billion to redevelop not only the building but the surrounding area in Detroit’s Corktown neighbor hood.Speakers tied to those and other de velopments are set to discuss this year’s theme, “Talent & Tech for Detroit’s Eq uitable Future” during the event. ey include:  Mike Cagney, co-founder of SoFi, a ntech company that went public in 2021, and co-founder and CEO of Fig ure, a blockchain ntech company.  Josh Sirefman, CEO of Ford’s Michi gan Central Mobility Innovation Dis trict.  Fernando Gómez-Baquero, director of runway and spinouts, Jacobs Tech nion-Cornell Institute.  Lance Collins Sr., formerly of Cornell Tech, now vice president and executive director, Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, which is part of the Amazon HQ2 bid that Virginia won.  D’Wayne Edwards, founder, Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design.  About 150 expats and “boomerangs,” or natives who have moved back home to Detroit, are expected to attend the in-person event, Kramer said. Programs and an opening night din ner will take place at e Icon, east of the downtown Detroit area, with the Detroit River as a backdrop. Attendees can also sign up for small group dinners at restaurants around town for the ursday night part of the program and for neighborhood tours. Major sponsors of the 2022 Detroit Homecoming include William David son Foundation, New York-based Ford Foundation, General Motors Co., DTE Energy Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Kresge Founda tion, Rocket Companies Inc. (NYSE: RKT), W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Barton Malow. Contact: swelch@crain.com; (313) 446-1694; @SherriWelch DETROIT

MONIQUE STANTON President & CEO, Michigan League for Public Policy GINA KELL SPEHN Co-founder & President, New Day Foundation for Families RICH HADDAD COO & Chief Legal Officer, Pistons Sport & Entertainment, Trustee, The Children’s Foundation

For

LARRY BURNS President & CEO The Children’s Foundation Tune in to WJR 760 AM for Caring for Kids, a monthly radio program highlighting issues and eﬀorts locally, regionally and nationally, that impact the health and wellness of children. more information and to listen to past shows YourChildrensFoundation.org/caring-for-kidsvisit:

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

fore taking on my current position, including all three “new-normal” classroom experiences: full-remote, hybrid, and in-person (behind masks and shields) at both the middle school and high school levels, I experi enced the limitations COVID put on both teachers and students. I also witnessed the deepened separation between students of privilege and those who must carry the bur den of many labels, ironically put upon them by the privileged: at-risk, marginalized, dis advantaged, underprivileged, disenfran chised, underserved, poor. Behind these labels are students, of all ages, who have a right to learn and to reach their full potential. e reality behind the labels are the barri ers and obstacles that continue to exist in the 21st Century, especially among adult learn ers, and most especially for females of color — transportation, child care, work schedules, low wages, mental health, the digital divide, the list goes on. e world rightly recognizes the setbacks COVID has had on educational progress. ose setbacks, often referred to as “learning loss,” have disproportionate e ects on the pop ulation of students Mercy Education Project serves. MEP has been educating and empow ering girls and women in southwest Detroit for 30 years. All of MEP’s students are considered low-income, living in households that earn far below 80 percent of the area median income. MEP’s holistic, non-judgmental, per son-centered approach to adult basic educa tion and GED preparation prioritizes identi fying individual needs and focusing on building stronger communities. MEP be lieves in seeking out ways to support women who harness the potential to build wealth, increase their family’s educational attain ment and contribute to the prosperity and betterment of future generations. To combat the educational e ects of COVID, MEP is encouraging in-person class room attendance, while recognizing and ac knowledging the reality of employment schedules, personal challenges and obsta cles. MEP will continue to o er hybrid learn ing or full remote learning to help t educa tion into the busy lives of our students — a new paradigm for education. Besides teaching through COVID, I’ve also had the pleasure of tutoring an MEP student through the pandemic. e young women MEP serves have their own sets of obstacles and barriers. Beyond learning loss, young COVID students also experienced the trauma of isolation — separation from friends and support systems beyond their families. I probably don’t have to go into detail about slow internet speeds and a lack of reliable de vices and quiet spaces to learn and study. MEP’s Girls’ Program is expanding its in-person programming for students in grades 2 through 12. e success of our Girls’ Program design rests on a theory of change that by providing same-gendered one-to-one tutoring, girls will develop more con dence, overcome more academic barriers, and learn to bond with one another and other women in meaningful and helpful ways. e eager and enthusiastic students who come to MEP demonstrate a need for reme dial math and reading — the two subjects MEP has intentionally focused on since its founding in 1992. While holding true to this tradition and knowing COVID has created an added layer of academic regression, we will also be adding homework help sessions to give the girls the edge they deserve. To ac complish these e orts, MEP recruits, trains, and maintains a corps of tutors, most of whom are women and all of whom volunteer theirMEPtime.has always been a place of communi ty and support for its students. Our learning center on Howard Street near Trumbull will soon be bustling with active learners. Wheth er in person or online, all will be striving to reach their full potential. e start of the pro gram year cannot come soon enough. Go to mercyed.net to learn more about Mercy Education and its mission and need for volunteers.

MARK MALS Mark Mals is the directorexecutiveof Mercy Project.EducationFord Motor Company President and CEO Jim Farley (left) talks with Mary Kramer, director of Detroit Homecoming and director of special projects for Crain Communications Inc., at Detroit Homecoming at the Mike Ilitch School of Business in Detroit in 2021. | NIC ANTAYA/ CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

ISTOCKPHOTO

Mary KRAMER

COMMENTARY

6 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUG UST 22, 2022

Detroit Homecoming a catalyst for good things In 2013, Detroit was in bankruptcy and Jim Hayes, a retired publisher of Fortune mag azine, came to Crain’s Detroit Business with an idea: What if Crain created an event to invite successful people from around the world who had ties to Detroit to “come home” and re-engage with the city that need ed, well, just about everything. Less than a year later, Detroit Homecom ing was born. We welcomed about 150 “expats” home that year and have been doing that every fall since — except 2020, when we were virtual. is year, Sept. 14-16, marks the ninth De troit Homecoming.eurbanstudies theorist Richard Florida has famously said that Detroit’s greatest ex port isn’t cars, it’s people. But many who have left home still carry Detroit in their hearts. So we invite those expats back for a couple of days. And we’ve begun inviting Homecoming alumni who have been in spired to “move home” to perhaps inspire others. If you’d like to recommend a col league, classmate, family member or any other “expat” for an invitation, we still have time to invite them. Email me at mkramer@ crain.com.AsSherri Welch reports on Page 5, Home coming has been a catalyst for good things in the city, large and small. Large investments include the $170 million invested in multi-family housing rehabilitation and con struction by Greatwater Opportunity fund, created by a small group of Detroit expats. More than $30 million of the equity has come from expat investors, and Greatwater will de scribe its saga at this year’s event. But there are so many other outcomes — checks writ ten to nonpro ts, a connection made to a po tential customer or a direct investment in an early-stage company. We weren’t exactly sure what to expect back in 2014. We were stunned when, in that very rst year, an expat from California, Tom Tierney, made a gift of $2 million to the alumni association of his alma mater, Wayne State University. Tom hadn’t been in the city since 1967 and had built several successful companies in California. WSU used his 2015 gift for alumni work and renamed the old Smiley Brothers mansion on Woodward Ave nue the Tierney Alumni House. It has been my privilege to lead the ini tiative with the support of many area foun dations and corporate supporters and in partnership with Eric Larson and the Downtown Detroit Partnership. And Col leen Robar, founder of Robar PR, has been the overall producer with me since the be ginning.Homecoming wouldn’t exist without the support of the Crain family or the philan thropic and corporate support of so many, including the William Davidson Foundation, Kresge Foundation, New York-based Ford Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation and so many more. A special shoutout to the team at Rocket. Founder Dan Gilbert was the most engaged CEO of all, poring over prospect lists when we were starting out, identifying those he would personally reach out to. We’re so pleased his son Grant will be part of the pro gram this year, explaining the concept be hind Audetorium, a new story-telling media company he launched in Detroit. He’ll nd plenty of stories at Detroit Homecoming. We always do. Mary Kramer is director of Detroit Homecoming and director of special projects for Crain Communications Inc.

Supporting women, girls with education, not judgment

aving taught through restrictionsCOVIDbe

Please include your complete name, city from which you are writing and a phone number for fact-checking purposes.

COMMENTARY

Sound o : 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.

Contact: knagl@crain.com; (313) 446-0337; @kurt_nagl hub Penque Sarkar

MANUFACTURING Hydrogen

planned at American Center for Mobility KURT NAGL First-of-its-kind project in Michigan expected to open by mid-2023 in Ypsilanti Township BYREGISTERAUG.26 crainsdetroit.com/nwow A LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATION PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Leading with empathy • Promoting openness and trust Leading remote and blended teams EIGHT SESSIONS • SEPT. 29 - NOV. 17 LEADERSHIP FOR TODAY’S REALITY BayoTech inc., which manufactures hydrogen transport trailers, launched its hydrogen production pilot last year in New Mexico. It aims to open a “hydrogen hub” at the American Center for Mobility in Ypsilanti Township by mid-2023. BAYOTECH INC. Reid

A modular hydrogen production system is being planned for the Amer ican Center for Mobility as the vehicle test track at Willow Run looks to adapt its vision to the needs of its customers and the Albuquerque,market.

N.M.-based Bayo Tech Inc. aims to open a “hydrogen hub” at the center by mid-2023 after signing a letter of intent for a longterm lease and working through per mitting with Ypsilanti Township, said Catharine Reid, chief marketing o cer of OnceBayoTech.approved, the company would install prefab hydrogen units capable of pumping out 1,000 kilo grams of hydrogen per day, or enough to ll up 200 hydrogen vehicles. It marks BayoTech’s entrance into the market and is the rst hydrogen project of its kind in Michigan as the fuel technology, often overshadowed by electri cation, quietly gains steam in the heavy transportation sector. “ ere’s a huge opportunity that hydrogen can play as a low carbon fuel for helping with the energy transi tion,” said Adam Penque, senior vice president of sales and BayoGaaS Hy drogen Hub Development. American Center for Mobility CEO Reuben Sarkar said he sees the planned new tenant as an opportuni ty to diversify ACM’s o erings. Found ed in 2018, the center was envisioned as the nerve center for autonomous vehicle testing but struggled to stay relevant in a changing industry. “We’re going through our own re setting of our strategic plan,” Sarkar said. “Just listening to the other kinds of work that people need to get done, looking at the assets that we have and kind of trying to see where the trends are going in electri cation and hydro gen, we broadened our lens to be more receptive to those kinds of activ ities.”e deal with BayoTech came about when Toyota Motor Corp., an anchor tenant at the ACM, ap proached its landlord about bringing a hydrogen fueling source to the cam pus, Sarkar BayoTech,said.whose main business is manufacturing hydrogen transport trailers, launched its hydrogen pro duction pilot last year in New Mexico and plans to open another hub in St. Louis, Mo. Its hydrogen systems pro duce the element by tapping into ex isting natural gas pipelines. e hy drogen is then stored for fueling on site or transferred to high pressure transport trailers for local delivery.

AUGUST 22, 2022 | CRAIN’ S DE T ROI T B USINESS 7

e distributed model attempts to disrupt the traditional hydrogen fuel makers, which mass produce it in a centralized location and transport it around the country on diesel trucks, somewhat defeating the purpose of clean energy, Penque said. “ ere’s just a risk management, supply chain exposure where many of these eet operators will be hesitant to convert over to fuel cells for hydro gen if they know that the only way for them to get fueling is to rely on these really long distance and really compli cated supply chains,” he said. “By de veloping these local sources of hydro gen, where we’re producing it as close to the point of consumption as possi ble, there’s a much greater reliability.”

e company declined to say how much is being invested into the build or what revenue is expected to be gen erated from it. It’s being privately fund ed with no grant dollars, Penque said, although the company would seek nancial incentives to scale up. e project must be approved by StumbovisornextisTownship,Ypsilantiwhichexpectedbytherstquarterofyear.SuperBrendasaidithas the municipality’s support. “ e development will help to bring the hydrogen evolution in trans portation and energy to SE Michigan to mitigate climate change and create future jobs as the green energy sector continues to grow,” Stumbo said. Penque said the hydrogen hub will serve companies with a presence at the American Center for Mobility as well as those outside it, with an em phasis on targeting local transit agen cies and transportation and logistics companies. ere have been discus sions with potential customers, he said, but no contracts nalized. Sarkar said the ACM is also looking to better capitalize on the industry’s transition to EVs by o ering more electri cation testing services. “It ts into a broader vision of sus tainable transportation,” Sarkar said.

It’s not always easy to say. at’s because every business takes a di erent approach to creating a “cool” culture. But also, our idea of what makes a cool workplace has changed over the past few years. “Cool” once conjured visions of pingpong tables, happy hours and lots of snacks, but the pandemic led to a paradigm shift. Today’s cool places are just as likely to o er exible work hours, abundant paid time o and investments in employees’ health and well-be ing — while nding creative ways to foster culture even when teams aren’t face-to-face.Trendsamong this year’s winning companies include paid sabbaticals; generous paid time o and holidays; exible hours; fully paid parental leave; tuition reimbursement; company retreats and vacations; and on-site medita tion, massage and wellness programs. Some of these perks may sound like they require large budgets. But com panies of every size — and most of this year’s winning companies count as “small,” with fewer than 50 employees — have come up with creative ways to keep employees engaged and excited about coming to work every day. We hope this report provides ideas for employers looking to create an amazing workplace experience. And if you’re looking to make a career move? e companies on this list are hiring. Read more in our special report at crainsdetroit.com/cool.

8 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUG UST 22, 2022

Photos clockwise from top left: Hook, Gateway Financial Solutions, Vision Computer Solutions Inc., LoVasco Group, Superior Electric Great Lakes Company, Signal Associates, Marsh McLennan Agency, Allied PhotoChemical Inc. and Windquest Group.

Ranking in 2021: 3 Michigan-based employees: 25 Male/female executive ratio: 14/86 Voluntary turnover: 0 percent Paid time o after one year: 81 days * *This gure includes “OOO” (out of o ce) time, as employers can take up to 4 hours of OOO time per week. Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity is cool:  Pays 100 percent of employees’ health, dental and vision insurance premiums  Employees can be out of the o ce for up to two hours every day  Provides an annual o site trip in a warm location during the winter

1. FOREFRONT HEALTHCARE St. Clair HealthDanForefronthealthcare.comShoresBowen,CEOandco-foundercare—Insurance/Services

U.S.-based employees: 275 Michigan-based employees: 22 Male/female executive ratio: 73/27 Voluntary turnover: 5 percent Paid time o after one year: 28 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 85 percent Why Forefront Healthcare is cool:  Employees attend several local sporting events  Corporate chef and dietitian are onsite  Pet friendly

3. THE WINDQUEST GROUP Grand FinancialGregWindquest.comRapidsMcNeilly,CEOServices

Ranking in 2021: 31 Michigan-based employees: 22 Male/female executive ratio: 75/25 Voluntary turnover: 32 percent Paid time o after one year: Unlimited Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 85 percent Why The Windquest Group is cool:  New parents receive 13 weeks of paid parental leave  Free parking, phone plans and weekly lunches, along with concert and sporting event discounts  Organizes annual three-day event with speakers from all over the world, which enhances employees’ skills and networking capabilities

What does it mean to be a cool place to work?

2. NATIONAL CENTER FOR FACULTY DEVELOPMENT & DIVERSITY (NCFDD) EducationRobinFacultydiversity.orgDetroitMohapatra,CEO

For nearly two decades, our Student Leaders® program has helped prepare civic-minded high school students to become successful in the workforce by connecting them to employment, skills development and service. Through leadership training and paid internships with local nonprofits like Focus: HOPE , they gain practical work and life experiences. It’s just one more way we’re working together with our communities to build a better future for all. Younger members of our community are more involved and empowered than ever. I can’t wait to see the progress they make. Matt President,ElliottBank of America Detroit Learn more at bankofamerica.com/detroit What would you like the power to do? ® Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Credit Opportunity Lender © 2022 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved. Meet the next generation of change-makers

After

10 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUGUST 22, 2022 crainsdetroit.com/more-real-estate NOW MORE REAL NEWSESTATE  COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE REPORT  RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE REPORT  THE BUILD UP PODCAST YOU CAN USE If your fundamentals don’t start with fun, what’s the point? How our team interacts is the sole determinant of our success. We purposefully create opportunities to establish camaraderie within the team. That’s why AccumTech has been named one of the 100 Coolest Places to Work by Crain’s Detroit Business four years in a row! Apply now at accumtech.com ESPIRIT DE CORPS is our cornerstone. CONGRATULATIONS TO FARBMAN GROUP FOR WINNING THE BOMA METRO DETROIT 2022 TOBY AWARD OUTSTANDING BUILDING OF THE YEAR SHEFFIELD OFFICE PARK THE ONLY BUILDING MAINTENANCE COMPANY YOU'LL EVER HAVE TO HIRE! 4. AIRSPACE LINK INC. MichaelAirspacelink.comDetroitHealander, CEO Aviation — UAS U.S.-based employees: 40 Michigan-based employees: 22 Male/female executive ratio: 50/50 Voluntary turnover: 4 percent Paid time o after one year: 26 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why Airspace Link is cool:  All employees receive bonuses of $1,000 and more  Bi-weekly happy hours  Employees can create their own schedules and choose where they want to work from 5. WILSHIRE BENEFITS GROUP WilshirebeneTroy ts.com David Sokol, president Health care — Insurance/Services Ranking in 2021: 6 Michigan-based employees: 23 Male/female executive ratio: 50/50 Voluntary turnover: 13 percent Paid time o after one year: 28 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: No Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 50 percent Why Wilshire Bene ts Group is cool:  O ers hybrid work schedules, as employees can work at home two days a week  Tuition reimbursement and continuing education support  The o ce closes at 3 p.m. on Fridays during the summer 6. GREENLEAF TRUST MikeGreenleaftrust.comKalamazooOdar,president and CEO Financial Services Ranking in 2021: 4 U.S.-based employees: 154 Michigan-based employees: 153 Male/female executive ratio: 63/37 Voluntary turnover: 6 percent Paid time o after one year: 25 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 99 percent Why Greenleaf Trust is cool:  Pays 100 percent of employees’ and dependents’ health, dental and vision insurance premiums  All employees receive 100 percent paid leave for 12 weeks upon the birth or adoption of a child  The company’s wellness program reimburses each employee $150 quarterly for expenses like athletic shoes and gym memberships

7. ENERGYWALKER-MILLERSERVICES

CarlaWmenergy.comDetroitWalker-Miller, CEO Energy Services/Energy Waste Reduction Services Ranking in 2021: 42 U.S.-based employees: 161 Michigan-based employees: 115 Male/female executive ratio: 14/86 Voluntary turnover: 19 percent Paid time o after one year: 33 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 75 percent Why Walker-Miller Energy Services is cool:  Highly inclusive, African Americanand woman-owned company  All employees receive PTO for their birthdays  Provides employees a program that pays up to $50 per month on their outstanding student loan balances —if they’re eligible for bene ts OSWALD COMPANIES

RobertOswaldcompanies.comClevelandJ.Klonk,chairman and CEO (based in CatherineCleveland)Kosin,senior vice president, managing director, Property and Casualty (based in Bloom eld Hills) Broker: Insurance (Property and Casualty, Personal Client Management, Life), Employee Bene ts and Retirement Planning Services Ranking in 2021: 1 U.S.-based employees: 393 Michigan-based employees: 28 Male/female executive ratio: 65/35 Voluntary turnover: 7 percent Paid time o after one year: 27 Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 95 percent Why Oswald Companies is cool:  100 percent employee-owned  Prorates full-time bene ts for 30-hour-a-week employees  “Appreciation wheel” spins to give employee-owners the chance to win gifts, including an extra vacation day ful lling holiday wish lists, the Oswald team wraps gifts at the Friends of Foster Kids warehouse. OSWALD COMPANIES

Ranking in 2021: 18 Michigan-based employees: 20 Male/female executive ratio: 100/0 Voluntary turnover: 10 percent Paid time o after one year: Unlimited Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 5 percent Why Vision Computer Solutions is cool:  O ers employees games like cornhole, darts, pingpong and shu eboard  The o ce has an exercise gym, while the company has a sponsored softball team  Company-sponsored lunches on Wednesdays

MarkManquenvance.comTroyManquen,president

13. VISION

and founder Health care — Insurance/Services Ranking in 2021: 2 Michigan-based employees: 21 Male/female executive ratio: 33/67 Voluntary turnover: 5 percent Paid time o after one year: 25 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why Manquen Vance & RDS Services is cool:  Pays employees “Growth by Reaching Objectives” bonuses twice a year  All employees work remotely  Pro t-sharing bonuses are o ered as well

RECOGNIZE INDUSTRY ACHIEVERS IN CRAIN’S FK Engineering Associates For information about joining our team go to www.fkengineering.com

Listing opportunities: Debora Stein at dstein@crain.com

StevenSesnet.comBerkleyDiBerardine, president Engineering Michigan-based employees: 48 Male/female executive ratio: 100/0 Voluntary turnover: 6 percent Paid time o after one year: Unlimited Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why Strategic Energy Solutions is cool:  Group outings include axe throwing, Detroit river cruises, fowling, paintball, Tigers games and Topgolf  Full-time, onsite chef prepares food inclusive of speci c dietary needs  Employees can work outside of the o ce as often as they’d like 15. HOOK Ann MichaelByhook.comArborWatts, co-founder and CEO Advertising/PR/Marketing U.S.-based employees: 100 Michigan-based employees: 57 Male/female executive ratio: 70/30 Voluntary turnover: 16 percent Paid time o after one year: 37 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why Hook is cool:  O ers employees — who have been with the company for at least seven years — a 10-week, paid sabbatical for personal enrichment  Employees can work remotely if they prefer  To do so, they receive monthly connectivity stipends for phone and internet

11. MORREY’S CONTRACTING ConstructionToddMorreyscontracting.comDetroitSachse,CEO

TechnologyDavidVcsolutions.comNorthvilleMarino,president

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why SMZ is cool:  Hybrid work program enables employees to choose the days they work in the o ce  Impromptu happy hours  O ers employees professional development opportunities, including online courses SOLUTIONSCOMPUTER

14. STRATEGIC ENERGY SOLUTIONS INC.

AUGUST 22, 2022 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 11 9. MANQUEN VANCE & RDS SERVICES LLC

Ranking in 2021: 50 Michigan-based employees: 30 Male/female executive ratio: 100/0 Voluntary turnover: 26 percent Paid time o after one year: 15 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: No Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 0 percent Why Morrey’s Contracting is cool:  O ers a wellness program that focuses on four pillars of wellness: health, wealth, mind and body  Provides employees gym subsidies, weekly fresh fruit delivery and nancial planning  Employees also enjoy happy hours, BBQs and an annual Lions game and tailgate 12. SMZ JamieSmz.comTroyMichelson, president and CEO Advertising/PR/Marketing Michigan-based employees: 39 Male/female executive ratio: 25/75 Voluntary turnover: 8 percent Paid time o after one year: 26 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes

10. HR COLLABORATIVE Grand ConsultingBethHrcollaborative.comRapidsKelly,president Michigan-based employees: 18 Male/female executive ratio: 20/80 Voluntary turnover: 21 percent Paid time o after one year: 29 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why HR Collaborative is cool:  O ers employees pro t-sharing opportunities  Employees can work from anywhere  Provides employees happy hours, themed lunches and events, and trivia get-togethers

options:

InsuranceJimKapnick.comAdrianKapnick,CEO(Non-health care) Ranking in 2021: 19 Michigan-based employees: 174 Male/female executive ratio: 100/0 Voluntary turnover: 20 percent Paid time o after one year: 27 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 95 percent Why Kapnick Insurance Group is cool:  Distributes laptops to all employees so they can work from anywhere  Monthly companywide meeting in which owners share initiatives, goals and success stories  Employees can give each other e-cards and points to show recognition; the points can be redeemed for prizes and gift cards

o for community service: No

time options: No

Waymire is cool:  O ers a hybrid schedule to accommodate each employee’s needs  Reimburses employees for health expenses or gym memberships twice per year  Employees can bring their pets and children to work 19. CINNAIRE

12 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUG UST 22, 2022

Styers said that if employees do not meet their individual goals, but their division meets its goal, the em ployee is still eligible to attend the trip.In addition to the annual trip, the company’s divisions may o er their own trips to reward employees or as a bonding event, though the larger trips tend to contain a mix of fun and community-related activities. “When we get there, there’s usually a dinner for employees only and we go over business goals and pass out awards and acknowledge the people that are on the trip,” Styers said. “And then spouses or guests are brought in after dinner, (for a) social cocktail hour.”Styers said the company trips often take place at all-inclusive resorts and don’t require the employees to pay any out-of-pocket costs unless they elect to do outside activities. ayer said she considers the trips a small price for companies to pay for an employee’s loyalty. “( e employees) are spending so much time and energy in their ca reers that they really work hard to earn this trip because that is their re ward and it’s their time o ,” ayer said. “ ey have that light at the end of the tunnel, knowing that the trip is there. So (the trips) are very, very powerful.”

A free week in Las Vegas at an all-inclusive resort, coupled with a day trip to the Grand Canyon and a Cirque du Soleil show — all with a plus one — is just one of the extrava gant annual trips WambaTech has taken to show appreciation for their employees.“Ithink it gives employees that chance to feel loved,” Stephanie Ve mula, chief operations o cer for the Royal Oak-based web development rm, said of the annual trips the company o ers employees. “We’re just doing this for fun. We’re not ask ing anything in return. We aren’t ask ing you to sit through a presentation. You just need to come and have fun with us and then go home.”

MarkCinnaire.comLansingMcDaniel,

Victor Smolyanov, owner of Vic tor’s Roo ng, said that the Canton Township-based company started its annual vacation tradition in 2014, six years after being founded in 2008, as a reward for the company meeting its yearly revenue goal. “We have a number that we have to hit by the end of September, (after) the rst three quarters,” the 34-yearold said. “If we hit it, everyone who has been here before we hit that number, gets to go (on the trip) ... ba sically, you had to contribute to the goal in order to be able to go.” Smolyanov said Victor’s Roo ng encourages employees to bring their signi cant other on the trip, however they may de ne that term. “ e location of the trip and the budget for the trip varies yearly, but it is always planned internally by the company’s own employees and held in February, he said. Victor’s Roo ng has approximately 65 to 70 employ ees, only some of whom remain be hind for personal reasons, Smolyan ov “(said.e price) always varies, but it’s a good investment on our part,” Smoly anov said. “We usually try to do an all-inclusive resort, that way it in cludes everything so our teams can just come in and truly enjoy the trip.” Arrow Strategies, an employment agency in South eld, follows a simi lar strategy of rewarding their em ployees with a trip for meeting either an individual or divisionwide goal. Je Styers, president and CEO of Arrow Strategies, said the company holds its “grandiose” trip annually in February, and it’s often to places like the Caribbean and Bahamas. is year, he said, the trip will be at Mar garitaville in the Bahamas. “ ere’s two ways you go: either because you hit your individual goal or because your division hit their goal,” Styers, 56, said. “We keep two spots every year (that are) voted on. It’s called the One Arrow Award, and it’s voted on by their peers.”

16. KAPNICK INSURANCE GROUP

president and CEO Nonpro t Ranking in 2021: 37 U.S.-based employees: 134 Michigan-based employees: 78 Male/female executive ratio: 63/37 Voluntary turnover: 13 percent Paid time o after one year: Unlimited Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: No Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 95 percent Why Cinnaire Corp. is cool:  Pays for employees’ cell phone service  Reimburses employees’ gym/health club dues  Employee-developed and -funded donation program assists local, nonpro t organizations 20. BRIGHTWING StaAaronGobrightwing.comTroyChernow,CEOng Michigan-based employees: 31 Male/female executive ratio: 62/38 Voluntary turnover: 23 percent Paid time o after one year: 28 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 95 percent Why Brightwing is cool:  Whiz Kids program rewards employees’ children with a $50 check if they have all As on their report cards  Onboarding o erings include a mentor program and extensive training  Employees can work hybrid schedules that best suit their needs The Kapnick Insurance o ce administration team celebrated Halloween for employees and families by dressing up as the Sanderson sisters. KAPNICK INSURANCE GROUP Five Brightwing team members pose with The Georgies Cup, won through an intense team building and communication challenge. | BRIGHTWING ANNA FIFELSKI Last year WambaTech employees got a free week in Las Vegas at an all-inclusive resort, coupled with a day trip to the Grand Canyon and a Cirque du Soleil show — all with a plus one. | WAMBATECH

18. MARTIN WAYMIRE Advertising/PR/MarketingAndieMartinwaymire.comLansingPoole,partner U.S.-based employees: 16 Michigan-based employees: 15 Male/female executive ratio: 25/75 Voluntary turnover: 20 percent Paid time one year: Paid time Telecommuting Yes Flex Percentage Why Martin CORP.

of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent

Out of o ce: Businesses spending big to take employees on vacation

Taking employees on an annual trip as an incentive for producing high-quality work is not a new phe nomenon, though such trips have been on hold for the past couple of years due to the COVID-19 pandem ic. But as companies shift into a new normal, many are bringing them back.Nadine ayer is the owner of In spiring Destinations, which special izes in organizing and planning cor porate travel. She said that company trips are a good way for companies to build loyalty with their employees. ( ayer is also an independent con tractor for Crain’s Detroit Business.) “Any type of reward program is just all about loyalty,” ayer said. “It builds on … emotions and relation ships, and with these types of trips you create these unforgettable mem ories that do create long-lasting loy alty with the company.”

o after

Employees who choose not to at tend or are otherwise unable to par ticipate still receive the days o . Investing in people Developing a sociable atmosphere is a popular cause for hosting work trips, and is one of many of the bene ts that companies cite.

Contact: anna. felski@crain.com (313) 446-0458; @anna felski

17. BIZSTREAM MarkBizstream.comAllendaleSchmidt, founder and web Technologydeveloper Ranking in 2021: 43 Michigan-based employees: 27 Male/female executive ratio: 100/0 Voluntary turnover: 10 percent Paid time o after one year: 23 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 8 percent Why BizStream is cool:  Pays 100 percent of employees’ and dependents’ health and dental insurance premiums  O ers catered lunches every Wednesday (omnivore, vegetarian and vegan options)  Each employee receives $200 bi-annually for personal workspace upgrades

22 days

Some companies, like WambaT ech, will o er an annual trip with no strings attached. Other companies award trips in the name of productiv ity — employees or teams must meet a goal in order to qualify for the trip. Vemula, 41, said that at WambaT ech, the only criterion for an employ ee to be eligible for the trip is to be employed full time — a requirement which all 20 of WambaTech’s em ployees meet. “ e cost per person generally ends up being around $2,000 (and) generally about 75 percent (attend the trip), so for us that’s usually around 14 or 15,” Vemula said. e intention behind the trips is to take a break from work and increase camaraderie between employees. “We do not do any kind of work programming — (the trips) are pure ly for fun (and) purely to get our em ployees out and talking to each other outside of a work setting,” Vemula said. “And because we are so small, we de nitely have a very kind of a family atmosphere within the com pany to begin with.”

discounts for employees and their

members 

Michigan-based employees: 67 Male/female executive ratio: 50/50 Paid time o after one year: 22 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: No Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 38 percent Why RKA Petroleum is cool:  Fully stocked kitchen, along with regular free breakfasts and lunches  Team get-togethers like bowling golf  Employees are recognized for achievements, life events, milestones and tenures SIGNATURE ASSOCIATES South RealSteveSignatureassociates.comeldGordon,presidentEstate U.S.-based employees: 133 Michigan-based employees: 111 Male/female executive ratio: 67/33 Voluntary turnover: 1 percent Paid time o after one year: 28 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 10 percent Why Signature Associates is cool:  O ers employer-paid 401K yearly contributions (5

23. TOWNE MORTGAGE COMPANY

bonuses are

and

U.S.-based employees: 258 Michigan-based employees: 188 Male/female executive ratio: 60/40 Voluntary turnover: 10 percent Paid time o after one year: 25 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 95 percent Why Towne Mortgage Company is cool:  O ers mortgage loan family Referral o ered to people ADVISORS

options:

include activities

percent of employees’ salaries per scal year; employees aren’t required to contribute)  Cappuccino machine and daily bagels  Rotating four-day work weeks throughout the summer 27. KEY MANAGEMENT GROUP INC. FinancialAnthonyKeymanagementgrp.comTroyWhitbeck,CEOServices Ranking in 2021: 61 Michigan-based employees: 23 Male/female executive ratio: 75/25 Paid time o after one year: 28 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why Key Management Group is cool:  Provides employees growth opportunities for their careers  Employees receive paid days o for their birthdays  They also acquire “Christmas Cash” as a thank you during the holidays LEARN MORE: tawni.sharp@crain.comAd close NOV. 28 | Publishes DEC. 19 CRAIN’S AUDIENCE = LOCAL INFLUENCERS AND 88% OF THEM REFER TO THE BOOK YEAR-ROUND. BE IN THE BOOK AllObsessedPushingsignaladvisors.com/careersboundaries.&innovative.aboutpeople. We're more than just cool. See why. SOUTHFIELD | DETROIT 248-351-3000 | JAFFELAW.COM Proudly serving Metro Detroit's leaders, businesses, and families since 1968. Ja e is honored once again to be named to Crain's Cool Places to Work. ClientCommunity.Culture.Service. 100+ ATTORNEYS 50+ YEARS 20+ PRACTICE GROUPS 1 COOL FIRM

ShelleyEsciences.usBerkleySullivan, president Energy e ciency

InsurancePatrickSignaladvisors.comDetroitKelly,CEO(Non-health care) Michigan-based employees: 104 Male/female executive ratio: 82/18 Voluntary turnover: 4 percent Paid time o after one year: 20 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting No Flex time Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why Signal Advisors is cool:  Wellness program annual Team member resource DistributionThomasRkapetroleum.comRomulusCinzori,COO

21. ENERGY SCIENCES

provides employees

26.

22. ZOLMAN RESTORATION Walled EmergencyJeZolmanrestoration.comLakeKatkowsky,presidentRestorationServices

U.S.-based employees: 50 Michigan-based employees: 44 Male/female executive ratio: 50/50 Voluntary turnover: 12 percent Paid time o after one year: 28 days Paid time o for community service: No Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why Energy Sciences is cool:  Opportunities for employees to connect, including “co ee clutches” and “food for thought” lunches  Weekly yoga sessions  Employees celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and other milestones

for a mortgage  Sponsors over 20 di erent charities of various causes 24. SIGNAL

groups facilitate opportunities for education and growth  Learning and development program also o ers employees annual stipends 25. RKA PETROLEUM

Ranking in 2021: 88 Michigan-based employees: 34 Male/female executive ratio: 67/33 Voluntary turnover: 36 percent Paid time o after one year: 26 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: No Flex time options: No Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 0 percent Why Zolman Restoration is cool:  Paid sabbaticals  Happy hours  O ers employees career development, reverse mentoring and a comprehensive training program

AUGUST 22, 2022 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 13

stipends 

employees who refer

FinancialMarkTownemortgage.comTroyJanssen,CEOServices

14 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUGUST 22, 2022 28. SUPERIOR ELECTRIC GREAT LAKES COMPANY

32. TOTAL

30. NTH CONSULTANTS LTD.

Valuing employees as partners rather than just staff members is the cornerstone of how the Grand Rapids-based company works, strategizes and engages with all its team members. “Engaged, innovative and fun” are the words President and CEO Greg McNeilly uses when summarizing his company’s culture, although he’s quick to point out that “fun” may seem odd in a place where the tasks center on legal and HR concerns. Windquest exists as a holding company, which oversees and services a diversi ed portfolio, consisting of beverage, hospitality, light manufacturing, and B to B rms. But according to McNeilly, the Windquest team is a group of 22 employees that, in management’s judgment, functions best in an atmosphere re ective of their lifestyle. The result is a cohesive team that meets the challenge of handling the “back-of-the-house” functions of companies in unrelated industries — day-to-day operations are the responsibility of the individual rms.

To underscore the family nature of Windquest, the company organizes an annual outing, such as a sporting event or a paddle pub cruise. Other bene ts include “ ex Friday,” which allows employees to work a four-day week if they keep current with their responsibilities, plus paid company parking, a phone plan and weekly

31. MARSH MCLENNAN AGENCY RebeccaMarshmma.comTroyA.McLaughlan, president and CEO, Health and Bene ts Health care — Insurance/Services Ranking in 2021: 9 Michigan-based employees: 133 Male/female executive ratio: 30/70 Voluntary turnover: 2 percent Paid time o after one year: 29 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 98 percent Why Marsh McLennan Agency is cool:  DE&I program facilitates formal training, along with informal gatherings and happy hours  Employees enjoy spontaneous “sunshine days” or “early log o ” o ce closures  During the summer, employees can log o by 1 p.m. every Friday QUALITY LOGISTICS

33. POPHOUSE JenniferPophouse.designDetroitGilbert,founder and principal Design Michigan-based employees: 24 Male/female executive ratio: 13/87 Voluntary turnover: 10 percent At ISCG, employees work in the o ce two to three days a week. | ISCG

The Windquest Group is committed to investing in its people

At The Windquest Group, “work/life integration” is the operative philosophy, as opposed to the more conventional sounding “work/life balance.”

JeSeglc.comTroyreyG.Jamerino, president and CEO Construction U.S.-based employees: 120 Michigan-based employees: 94 Male/female executive ratio: 86/14 Voluntary turnover: 0 percent Paid time o after one year: 24 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: No Flex time options: No Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 0 percent Why Superior Electric Great Lakes Company is cool:  100 percent employee-owned company  All employees receive annual stock awards  Every Friday, employees gather in a state-of-the-art breakroom to end the week with beverages, conversation, cornhole, music and snacks

KevinNthconsultants.comNorthvilleB.Hoppe,PE,chairman and CEO Engineering Ranking in 2021: 96 Michigan-based employees: 101 Male/female executive ratio: 75/25 Voluntary turnover: 6 percent Paid time o after one year: 24 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 80 percent Why NTH Consultants is cool:  100 percent organizationemployee-owned  O ers employees hybrid work schedules  Provides collaborative career planning and professional development opportunities

KenTql.comCincinnatiOaks,CEO (based in Cincinnati) Kyle Hoogewind, Group Sales manager (based in Grand Rapids) Transportation Ranking in 2021: 89 U.S.-based employees: 9,000 Michigan-based employees: 206 Male/female executive ratio: 90/10 Paid time o after one year: 25 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 1 percent Why Total Quality Logistics is cool:  Every o ce has a pingpong table; some also have basketball courts, cornhole boards, putting greens and pop-a-shot machines  Each year, employees receive an additional eight hours o work for volunteering  Reimburses employees who adopt new pets

29. ISCG Royal JoelIscginc.comOakMiller,chief consulting o cer Services Michigan-based employees: 21 Male/female executive ratio: 14/86 Voluntary turnover: 0 percent Paid time o after one year: 26 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why ISCG is cool:  All employees receive cell phone reimbursements  Employees only work in the o ce two to three days a week  Celebrates employees’ achievements and milestones with fully catered parties

The Grand Rapids-based rm is dedicated to recognizing and rewarding team members with group outings and “ ex Fridays”

Unlikelunches.other holding companies, Windquest maintains a long strategic horizon, acquiring companies and retaining them long-term — sometimes for decades. This removes the pressure for achieving a quick ROI, and encourages investment in its people. The loyalty this engenders results in a very low attrition rate “in the single digits,” McNeilly said. For Windquest, it all comes back to integration. “Work is the organized way that we serve one another, and we can’t serve our customers until we serve one another,” McNeilly said.

SPONSORED CONTENT

To maintain that goal, Schafer, who joined in 2017, says employees are always ready to pivot. Together, they look to the future as they present Energy Sciences clients with smart energy solutions.

At Energy Sciences, which partners with a wide variety of companies, to create energy ef ciency programs, Ng’ang’a says employee wellness and transparency is always top of “Theymind. care about how we feel, how we are doing mentally and emotionally as a company and as individuals,” he said of founding partners Shelley Sullivan and Frank Schulmeister, who launched Energy Sciences in 2008. “If I need to reach Shelley or Frank, I can reach them immediately. There is no closed Despitedoor.”thecompany’s recent growth from just 15 employees in 2019 to more than 55 employees in 2022, the family-like atmosphere remains the same. “We are growing very fast,” Ng’ang’a explained, who joined in 2020. “Still, we’re a small, happy bunch.”

Since 2008, Energy Sciences has made it its mission to improve access to clean, affordable energy and water, while preserving natural resources for everyday life. The company consults commercial, industrial and municipal clients on how to identify and implement practical solutions to reduce energy and increase pro tability. “We have a commitment to the mission of the company and also a commitment to being excellent at what we do,” Schafer said. “It requires a lot of creative thinking.”

With many businesses pledging to be carbon neutral or zero net energy by 2030, Energy Sciences helps clients achieve their goals with strategic solutions. They continue to keep an eye on emerging data and environmental studies to stay informed. “We want to foster our ability to take care of people rst — to continue to grow our infrastructure so that we can continue to grow a very talented team,” Schafer said. “We want to grow our team members and bring in new people to expand our services in ways that align with our mission and vision.”

18 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUG UST 22, 2022 Money isnʼt everything. But if your compensation practices arenʼt keeping up, youʼll quickly ﬁnd your organization falling behind. Make sure youʼre on the winning side of the war for talent.

48. X BY 2 LLC Farmington Hills DavidXby2.comPacker, president Consulting Ranking in 2021: 7 U.S.-based employees: 48 Michigan-based employees: 45 Male/female executive ratio: 62/38 Voluntary turnover: 12 percent Paid time o after one year: 25 days Paid time o for community service: No Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why X by 2 is cool:  Each employee has a senior adviser who actively mentors him or her  Provides employees money annually for health and wellness, home o ces and professional development and dress  O ers perks like pet bene ts, pharmacy and chiropractic discounts, and Teladoc options 49. FK ASSOCIATESENGINEERING Madison EngineeringFritzFkengineering.comHeightsKlingler,PE,president Michigan-based employees: 33 Male/female executive ratio: 75/25 Voluntary turnover: 9 percent Paid time o after one year: 19 days Paid time o for community service: No Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 1 percent Why FK Engineering Associates is cool:  All employees receive a oating holiday they can use for any day they consider a holiday  Provides employees equipment so they can work remotely  O ers easy access to — and transparency from — top management

47. THE TAUBMAN COMPANY Bloom eld RobertTaubman.comHillsTaubman, chairman, president and CEO Real Estate/Retail U.S.-based employees: 319 Michigan-based employees: 176 Male/female executive ratio: 50/50 Voluntary turnover: 15 percent Paid time o after one year: Unlimited Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 50 percent Why The Taubman Company is cool:  O ers all employees a mentorship program  Discount pet insurance  Employees can enjoy Plum Market Café, along with a wellness center

46. MICHIGAN FIRST CREDIT UNION Lathrup MichaelMichiganVillagerst.comPoulos,president and CEO Financial Services Ranking in 2021: 97 Michigan-based employees: 494 Male/female executive ratio: 44/56 Voluntary turnover: 34 percent Paid time o after one year: 31 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: No Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 0 percent Why Michigan First Credit Union is cool:  24-hour, state-of-the-art tness facility  Onsite eight-lane bowling center and recreation room with billiards, foosball and pingpong  Recognition gift cards are regularly provided to employees

50. CAPITAL MORTGAGE FUNDING South co-founderHarryCapitalmortgagefunding.comeldJ.Glanz,presidentand

Mortgage Banking Ranking in 2021: 16 Michigan-based employees: 44 Male/female executive ratio: 50/50 Voluntary turnover: 2 percent Paid time o after one year: 18 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 70 percent Why Capital Mortgage Funding is cool:  Monthly meetings with the CEO  Company outings like barbecues and bowling  O ers veterans a paid day o on Veterans Day 51. THE SIGNATURE GROUP REALTY Dearborn TamaraThesignaturegroup.orgHeightsFiema,brokerand owner Real Estate U.S.-based employees: 60 Michigan-based employees: 57 Male/female executive ratio: 60/40 Voluntary turnover: 0 percent Paid time o after one year: 28 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 25 percent Why The Signature Group Realty is cool:  Corporate health club memberships for employees and their families  Weekly luncheons promote a family “culture” in the workplace  O ers employees education and training opportunities 52. ALTIMETRIK CORP. South RajAltimetrik.comeldVattikuti,executive chairman Technology Ranking in 2021: 23 U.S.-based employees: 254 Michigan-based employees: 22 Male/female executive ratio: 100/0 Voluntary turnover: 26 percent Paid time o after one year: 26 days Paid time o for community service: No Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: No Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why Altimetrik Corp. is cool:  Learning and opportunitiesupskillingforallemployees, via a proprietary ecosystem  HR connects with employees regularly to check in on their health and well-being  A collaborative hub enables employees to improve their presentation skills and expand their professional networks

Stout is cool:  O ers employees continuing education reimbursements  Hybrid work environment  Paid military leave for active military members 56. ARROW STRATEGIES LLC South eld StaJeArrowstrategies.comStyers,CEOng Ranking in 2021: 5 Michigan-based employees: 38 Male/female executive ratio: 75/25 Voluntary turnover: 26 percent Paid time o after one year: Unlimited Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 95 percent Why Arrow Strategies is cool:  Casual dress policy every day  Onsite game room  Massage Monday, Yoga Thursday and Meditation Friday are o ered every week 57. LIBERTY CENTER ONE Royal TechnologyRexLibertycenterone.comOakSmith,CEO U.S.-based employees: 32 Michigan-based employees: 16 Male/female executive ratio: 75/25 Voluntary turnover: 0 percent Paid time o after one year: 23 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: No Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 50 percent Why Liberty Center One is cool:  During the summer, every other Friday is available as a personal day for extended weekends  Family-run and family-focused  Sports tailgates occur at work 58. SPALDING DEDECKER ASSOCIATES Rochester GeorgeSda-eng.comHillsPlatz,director of Survey and chairman of the board Engineering Ranking in 2021: 57 U.S.-based employees: 112 Michigan-based employees: 111 Male/female executive ratio: 60/40 Voluntary turnover: 8 percent Paid time o after one year: 24 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 65 percent Why Spalding DeDecker Associates is cool:  O ers an Employee Owner Stock Program  Provides employees annual pro tsharing bonuses  Unlimited chocolate bowl Team members pose with food from a pop-up at TechTown. TechTown provides food and shopping pop-ups which help educate entrepreneurs while providing enjoyment for sta . TECHTOWN DETROIT

AUGUST 22, 2022 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 19 COMPETENT | RELIABLE | SINCERE | CARE WE BUILD ON A FOUNDATION OF TRUST Thank You to Our Employees We’re a cool company because of you! WE ARE BUILDING THE BEST PLACE TO WORK FIND OUT MORE CLARKCC.COMAT 53. BUTZEL JustinButzel.comDetroitKlimko, president and CEO Legal Ranking in 2021: 44 U.S.-based employees: 225 Michigan-based employees: 205 Male/female executive ratio: 70/30 Voluntary turnover: 6 percent Paid time o after one year: Unlimited Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 90 percent Why Butzel is cool:  O ers employees a strong nancial incentive bonus structure  Meditation rooms  Provides adoption assistance 54. TECHTOWN DETROIT NedTechtowndetroit.orgDetroitStaebler,president and CEO Nonpro t Michigan-based employees: 45 Male/female executive ratio: 50/50 Voluntary turnover: 26 percent Paid time o after one year: 47 days Paid time o for community service: No Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why TechTown Detroit is cool:  Yoga, meditation and massages  Half-day Fridays during the summer  Surprise gifts — with thoughtful messages — are delivered to employees’ homes 55. STOUT Royal CraigeStout.com/enOakStout,CEO (based in Dallas, KevinTexas)Kernen, Real Estate Practice co-leader and Detroit o ce leader (based in Detroit) Financial Services

Ranking in 2021: 32 U.S.-based employees: 661 Michigan-based employees: 95 Male/female executive ratio: 57/43 Voluntary turnover: 13 percent Paid time o after one year: 26 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Why

20 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUG UST 22, 2022 59. DEMARIA

61. CLARK CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

62. AUTOMOTIVE CREDIT CORP. South FinancialJamesAutomotivecredit.comeldBlasius,CEOServices Ranking in 2021: 73 U.S.-based employees: 233 Michigan-based employees: 135 Male/female executive ratio: 66/34 Voluntary turnover: 9 percent Paid time o after one year: 24 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 30 percent Why Automotive Credit Corp. is cool:  Family-owned and dedicated to ensuring family comes rst  Organizes onsite u clinics, CPR training and 24-hour access to telehealth services  Leadership training promotes employees’ personal growth INC. SteveAutobooks.coDetroitRobert,founder and CEO Technology Ranking in 2021: 79 U.S.-based employees: 127 Michigan-based employees: 110 Male/female executive ratio: 81/19 Voluntary turnover: 8 percent Paid time o after one year: 36 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: No Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why Autobooks is cool:  High level of transparency between leaders and employees  Casual dress code  Wellness webinars are o ered by the company’s medical and nancial partners

63. AUTOBOOKS

70. RONCELLI INC. Sterling ThomasRoncelli-inc.comHeightsWickersham, president Construction Ranking in 2021: 75 Michigan-based employees: 77 Male/female executive ratio: 100/0 Voluntary turnover: 9 percent Paid time o after one year: 24 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 25 percent Why Roncelli is cool:  O ers spontaneous “close up early” days to celebrate team successes  Employees have access to company-owned construction equipment for personal usage  They also have exible summer hours, as they can leave early on Fridays A GSTV-sponsored event promoting career growth and development. GSTV

60.

PaulRoadex.comLivoniaAdams, CEO Financial Services Michigan-based employees: 31 Male/female executive ratio: 100/0 Voluntary turnover: 3 percent Paid time o after one year: 24 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: No Flex time options: No Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 15 percent Why RoadEx Solutions is cool:  Fully paid trips when sales goals are achieved  Season tickets for baseball games  Employees receive three days of PTO for volunteer services

ConstructionJoeDemariabuild.comNoviDeMaria,Jr.,CEO

SamClarkcc.comLansingClark,president and CEO Construction Ranking in 2021: 30 U.S.-based employees: 207 Michigan-based employees: 206 Male/female executive ratio: 70/30 Voluntary turnover: 2 percent Paid time o after one year: Unlimited Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why Clark Construction Company is cool:  Progressive maternity and paternity policy o ers a minimum of 12 weeks paid time o with more available as needed  Paid sabbaticals  Provides several wellness apps to promote employees’ mental and physical health

64. GATEWAY FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS GatewaySaginaw nancial.org Richard Garber, president Financial Services Ranking in 2021: 38 Michigan-based employees: 203 Male/female executive ratio: 45/55 Paid time o after one year: 18 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 45 percent Why Gateway Financial Solutions is cool:  O ers discounts on vehicle purchases, parts and repairs  Catered company lunches and food trucks  O site team-building activities include arts and crafts, cook-o s and sporting events 65. GSTV SeanGstv.comDetroitMcCa rey, Advertising/PR/MarketingCEO U.S.-based employees: 124 Michigan-based employees: 86 Male/female executive ratio: 80/20 Voluntary turnover: 13 percent Paid time o after one year: 50 days* * This gure is due to employees receiving the rst Friday of every month o . Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why GSTV is cool:  Dog friendly  Leadership Lunch Club: An executive meets with an employee each month and shares a meal to get to know them on a more personal level  Supports employees’ professional and personal development and enhances their career growth

67. IMPROVE HEALTH Farmington Hills LelandMpro.orgBabitch, CEO and president Health care — Insurance/Services Ranking in 2021: 52 Michigan-based employees: 48 Male/female executive ratio: 66/34 Voluntary turnover: 8 percent Paid time o after one year: Unlimited Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why iMPROve Health is cool:  Fun, stress-relieving Employee Activities Committee events  Provides employees a pro t-sharing percentage, based on the previous year’s pro t  Diversity program ensures employees of various backgrounds are recruited 68. BLUE CHIP TALENT Bloom eld NicoleBctalent.comHillsPawczuk, CEO Sta ng Ranking in 2021: 51 Michigan-based employees: 44 Male/female executive ratio: 86/14 Voluntary turnover: 12 percent Paid time o after one year: 20 days Paid time o for community service: No Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why Blue Chip Talent is cool:  Bi-weekly happy hours  Upbeat, energetic music is streamed, via Pandora  Employees play bubble hockey, foosball, pingpong and shu eboard in the o ce 69. HNTB RobertHntb.comDetroitSlimp, chairman and CEO (based in Atlanta) Eric Morris, PE, Michigan o ce leader (based in East Lansing) Engineering Ranking in 2021: 65 U.S.-based employees: 4,952 Michigan-based employees: 183 Male/female executive ratio: 89/11 Voluntary turnover: 10 percent Paid time o after one year: 31 days Paid time o for community service: No Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 5 percent Why HNTB is cool:  Corporate discounts for gym memberships, Ford vehicles, parking and transit  Provides an Employee Stock Ownership Program match program  It also o ers a tuition reimbursement program

Ranking in 2021: 54 U.S.-based employees: 89 Michigan-based employees: 86 Male/female executive ratio: 100/0 Voluntary turnover: 0 percent Paid time o after one year: 24 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 95 percent Why DeMaria is cool:  Family-owned business with a family environment  Open door policy  Employer-sponsored short-term disability program for all employees ROADEX SOLUTIONS LLC

66. GHAFARI ASSOCIATES LLC KouhailaGhafari.comDearbornHammer, president and CEO Architecture and Engineering U.S.-based employees: 377 Michigan-based employees: 295 Male/female executive ratio: 89/11 Voluntary turnover: 13 percent Paid time o after one year: 23 days Paid time o for community service: No Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 70 percent Why Ghafari Associates is cool:  O ers pet insurance  Provides corporate discounts with par ticipating companies like Ford and GM  Teladoc, a virtual health care system, is o ered to employees for free

The annual Ghafari employee golf outing. | GHAFARI ASSOCIATES, LLC

72. CASON HOME LOANS BernieCasonhomeloans.comFentonCason,CEO(based in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) Je Schram, CFO (based in Fenton) Financial Services Ranking in 2021: 27 U.S.-based employees: 171 Michigan-based employees: 99 Male/female executive ratio: 88/12 Voluntary turnover: 13 percent Paid time o after one year: 22 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 10 percent Why Cason Home Loans is cool:  Family-oriented company owned by a husband and wife  Unlimited cross-training opportunities for internal career advancement  Random surprise days o or half days

77. CENTER FOR FINANCIAL PLANNING INC. South eld Center Timothynplan.comWyman,CFP, JD, managing Financialpartner Services Ranking in 2021: 17 Michigan-based employees: 29 Male/female executive ratio: 57/43 Voluntary turnover: 6 percent Paid time o after one year: 29 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 85 percent Why Center for Financial Planning is cool:  Café with a pingpong table  Individualized professional development plans, along In-o ce amenities include a cafeteria, gym, hair salon, post o ce and putting green  Special interest groups range from Gaming Group and Gardening Club to Hiking and Wellness Club and Women In Business 79. PHOTOCHEMICALALLIED INC. DanAlliedphotochemical.comMacombSweetwood,president and CEO Manufacturing Ranking in 2021: 10 Michigan-based employees: 17 Male/female executive ratio: 100/0 Voluntary turnover: 0 percent Paid time o after one year: 20 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 10 percent Why Allied PhotoChemical is cool:  Pays 100 percent of employees’ and dependents’ health, dental and vision insurance premiums  For personal matters, employees can take time o — without it counting towards PTO  Employees enjoy cornhole boards and a golf practice area 80. SACHSE CONSTRUCTION

ConstructionToddSachseconstruction.comDetroitSachse,CEO Ranking in 2021: 64 Michigan-based employees: 140 Male/female executive ratio: 100/0 Voluntary turnover: 19 percent Paid time o after one year: Unlimited Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 5 percent Why Sachse Construction is cool:  O ers employees career development plans  Wellness program initiatives include gym subsidies and weekly fresh fruit delivery  Employees receive four-week sabbaticals after 10 years of service 81. MASSMUTUAL GREAT LAKES South FinancialManuelGreatlakes.massmutual.comeldAmezcua,CEOServices

Ranking in 2021: 22 Michigan-based employees: 25 Male/female executive ratio: 37/63 Paid time o after one year: 31 days Paid time o for community service: No Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why MassMutual Great Lakes is cool:  Pays 100 percent of employees’ and dependents’ health, dental and vision insurance premiums  O ers employees free tickets and parking for professional sporting events in Detroit  Major life events like birth, engagement and wedding announcements are recognized PEA Group’s landscape architecture team volunteering in the community. PEA GROUP

73. IMAGEONE Oak JoelImageoneway.comParkPearlman,founder and board of Technologydirectors Ranking in 2021: 56 U.S.-based employees: 63 Michigan-based employees: 62 Male/female executive ratio: 100/0 Voluntary turnover: 8 percent Paid time o after one year: 26 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: No Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 75 percent Why imageOne is cool:  Happy hours  Transparency and open communication with management  All employees receive a paid day to contribute to their community — and then share the experience on an internal social site 74. PEA GROUP Auburn JamesPeagroup.comHillsP.Butler, PE, president Civil Engineering, Land Survey and Landscape Architecture Ranking in 2021: 87 U.S.-based employees: 167 Michigan-based employees: 151 Male/female executive ratio: 78/22 Voluntary turnover: 11 percent Paid time o after one year: 24 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 70 percent Why PEA Group is cool:  Weekly “Lunch ‘n’ Learns” help employees develop new skills  Fitness and gym membership fee reimbursements (up to $480 annually for each employee)  Each year, employees receive one paid day o to volunteer and serve the community 75. WAMBATECH Royal TechnologyNathanielWambatech.comOakPlane,CEO Ranking in 2021: 58 Michigan-based employees: 20 Male/female executive ratio: 50/50 Voluntary turnover: 4 percent Paid time o after one year: 45 days (This gure includes half-day Fridays throughout the summer.) Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 75 percent Why Wambatech is cool:  Pays 100 percent of employees’ and dependents’ health, dental and vision insurance premiums  Each day, employees can work wherever they prefer  Reimbursement for industry or educational audio les, books, conferences and training 76. MRPR CPAS & ADVISORS South AngieMrpr.comeldMastroionni, CPA, managing Accountingprincipal Ranking in 2021: 72 Michigan-based employees: 46 Male/female executive ratio: 55/45 Voluntary turnover: 6 percent Paid time o after one year: 33 days Paid time o for community service: No Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why MRPR CPAs & Advisors is cool:  Career development program enables employees to have direct relationships with the rm’s partners  Ongoing, rmwide team building opportunities are available  Employees can work at home up to three days a week

with nancial support for education  Social events include bowling, curling, fowling, happy hours and Top Golf 78. ACCUMTECH Ann PatrickAccumtech.comArborColeman, CEO Technology Ranking in 2021: 26 Michigan-based employees: 39 Male/female executive ratio: 100/0 Voluntary turnover: 5 percent Paid time o after one year: Unlimited Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why AccumTech is cool:  Employees have every other Friday o 

71. FARBMAN GROUP South AndrewFarbman.comeldFarbman, CEO Real Estate Ranking in 2021: 63 U.S.-based employees: 120 Michigan-based employees: 99 Male/female executive ratio: 68/32 Voluntary turnover: 20 percent Paid time o after one year: Unlimited Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 30 percent Why Farbman Group is cool:  Recognized employees can spin the Wheel of Farbman for points to win gift cards  Weekly chair massages  Employees can participate in an internal training program, known as Farbman University

HNTB employees participate in a Detroit historic tour. | HNTB

AUGUST 22, 2022 | CRAIN’ S DE T ROI T B USINESS | 21

WE’RE READY TO SPEAK WITH YOU ABOUT YOUR UNIQUE TECH NEEDS. PLEASE GIVE US A CALL AT 248.336.7809. ROYAL OAK • CINCINNATI • DALLAS 248.336.7809 | LibertyCenterOne.com | Tim.Mullahy@LibertyCenterOne.com When your data is at stake, don’t settle for mere support. Demand quick, comprehensive solutions from an experienced team of engineers. People empowered to provide tech consulting beyond the services we provide. Our exceptional team helps our customers grow their businesses by ensuring that their data and applications are always safe, secure and available. Because when you face an issue or need sound technical advice, it’s not price or even technology that will save you. It’s real people you can reach, with the expertise and bandwidth to provide solutions that work. Every time. When you work with us, you’ll never lose your cool. CLOUD SOLUTIONS | COLOCATION SERVICES | DISASTER RECOVERY | DATA PROTECTION

AUGUST 22, 2022 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 23 LEARN MORE: allie.jacobs@crain.com CRAIN’S CONTENT STUDIO DETROIT YOUR VOICE, AMPLIFIED. Get customized solutions to expand your reach. © 2022 OneMagnify EVERYTHINGOVERCULTURE From where we work to how we work, our culture speaks volumes. Because whether it’s for our coworkers, clients, or communities, our shared goal is to always make a positive impact. We’d like to thank our team for proving that our culture can’t be confined to four walls, and for helping OneMagnify make the list of Crain’s Detroit Cool Places to Work for 2022. onemagnify.comDETROIT,MI

options: No Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 0 percent Why Stuart Mechanical is cool:  Happy hours  Financial planning opportunities  Wellness initiatives include u shots, gym subsidies and weekly fresh fruit delivery 86. THE SENIOR ALLIANCE NonproJasonThesenioralliance.orgWayneMaciejewski,CEOt(HealthandHuman Services) Ranking in 2021: 41 Michigan-based employees: 97 Male/female executive ratio: 43/57 Voluntary turnover: 21 percent Paid time o after one year: 39 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 99 percent Why The Senior Alliance is cool:  Pays 100 percent of employees’ and dependents’ health, dental and vision insurance premiums  Employees can order wellness items and have them shipped directly to their homes  A “Fun Committee” plans fun events and employee recognition programs A Munro & Associates-sponsored barbecue in summer 2021. | MUNRO & ASSOCIATES

WILMINGTON, DE CHARLOTTE, NC SHANGHAI, CHINA COLOGNE, GERMANY CHENNAI, INDIA SINGAPORE 82. RED LEVEL GROUP

options:

Flex time options: Yes Percentage

and

employees currently

for community service:

Referral bonuses

rst

Ins”  Professional andopportunitiesdevelopmentincludejobshadowingmentoring 85. STUART MECHANICAL Auburn

DavidRedlevelgroup.comNoviKing,president CEO 2021: 93 Michigan-based employees: 41 Male/female executive ratio: 75/25 Voluntary turnover: 30 percent Paid time o after one year: 22 days Paid time o Yes Telecommuting Yes of telecommuting: 100 percent Why Red Level Group is cool:   Family- environment  via Microsoft Teams, feature card games and trivia

83. MUNRO & ASSOCIATES

Auburn EngineeringSandyLeandesign.comHillsMunro,CEO

Happy hours,

Technology Ranking in

Michigan-based employees: 83 Male/female executive ratio: 86/14 Voluntary turnover: 10 percent Paid time o after one year: 30 days Paid time o for community service: No Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 10 percent Why Munro & Associates is cool:  Provides tuition and certi cation reimbursements  10 percent 401K employer contribution (employee is not required to contribute) with no vesting period  Also o ers cell phone reimbursements

84. DEWPOINT INC.

BobDewpoint.comLansingBartholomew, president and CEO Technology Ranking in 2021: 71 U.S.-based employees: 174 Michigan-based employees: 172 Male/female executive ratio: 75/25 Voluntary turnover: 23 percent Paid time o after one year: 30 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 95 percent Why Dewpoint is cool:  On each employee’s behalf, $150 is contributed to whichever nonpro t he/she chooses  Happy hours, known as “Dew Drop HVACRichardStuart-mechanical.comHillsBroder,CEO Ranking in 2021: 45 Michigan-based employees: 28 Male/female executive ratio: 100/0 Paid time o after one year: 26 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting

stipends  Monthly massages 96. CLARITY

88. JAFFE RAITT HEUER & WEISS P.C. South eld Ja elaw.com Je rey Weiss, managing partner Legal Ranking in 2021: 74 Michigan-based employees: 195 Male/female executive ratio: 70/30 Voluntary turnover: 6 percent Paid time o after one year: 29 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 95 percent Why Ja e Raitt Heuer & Weiss P.C. is cool:  Sta appreciation events celebrate employees at all levels  Hosts fun, in-house mini-events like bringing in ice cream trucks  Positive, inclusive environment promotes individual growth, learning and creativity 89. TOWERPINKSTER

90. REGAL HOLDINGS LLC

87. LOWRY SOLUTIONS INC.

MichaelLowrysolutions.comBrightonLowry,president and CEO Technology Ranking in 2021: 34 U.S.-based employees: 86 Michigan-based employees: 57 Male/female executive ratio: 83/17 Voluntary turnover: 2 percent Paid time o after one year: 24 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: No Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 90 percent Why Lowry Solutions is cool:  Casual dress code  State-of-the-art, onsite tness facility with locker rooms and a pingpong table  Monthly celebrations recognize employees’ birthdays and service anniversaries

BjornTowerpinkster.comKalamazooGreen,president and CEO Architecture U.S.-based employees: 200 Michigan-based employees: 184 Male/female executive ratio: 80/20 Voluntary turnover rate: 10 percent Paid time o after one year: 23 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 5 percent Why TowerPinkster is cool:  Pro t-sharing opportunities are available  O ers employees incentives for community, social, nancial and overall health  If employees work overtime hours, they can use the time for additional days o

91. LOVASCO GROUP InsuranceGeneLovascogroup.comDetroitLoVasco,president(Non-healthcare) Michigan-based employees: 20 Male/female executive ratio: 80/20 Voluntary turnover: 5 percent Paid time o after one year: 29 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why LoVasco Group is cool:  Monthly coaching sessions for employees’ professional growth  Ergonomic equipment like sit/stand desks  At least twice a year, employees work together with a charitable organization during days of service

100 percent Why Clarity Voice is cool:  Each employee receives community service hours to bene t nonpro ts  Employees enjoy food trucks, Murder Mystery events, picnic gatherings and taco days  Quarterly meetings recognize employees’ anniversaries, births, birthdays and weddings 97. KIG INSURANCE South JeGetkig.comeldreyBelen, president Insurance (Non-health care) Michigan-based employees: 55 Male/female executive ratio: 85/15 Voluntary turnover: 1 percent Paid time o after one year: 29 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 75 percent Why KIG Insurance is cool:  Family atmosphere  Provides tickets to sporting events  Employees enjoy milestone birthday lunches if their ages end in a zero 98. ONEMAGNIFY Advertising/PR/MarketingMarkOnemagnify.comDetroitPetro,CEO Ranking in 2021: 85 U.S.-based employees: 503 Michigan-based employees: 386 Male/female executive ratio: 67/33 Voluntary turnover: 9 percent Paid time o after one year: 10 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: No Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 90 percent Why OneMagnify is cool:  Hybrid work model  Wellness workshops and desk yoga  Recognition platform enables employees to give their peers “points” for high performance, which can be redeemed for gift cards and experiences 99. E7 SOLUTIONS EdmondE7solutions.comTroyDelude, CEO Technology Ranking in 2021: 68 Michigan-based employees: 37 Male/female executive ratio: 54/46 Voluntary turnover: 11 percent Paid time o after one year: 25 days Paid time o for community service: No

92. VICTORS ROOFING VictorsrooCanton ng.com Victor Smolyanov, Owner Construction Michigan-based employees: 65 Male/female executive ratio: 50/50 Voluntary turnover: 15 percent Paid time o after one year: 21 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 5 percent Why Victors Roo ng is cool:  Employees receive referral bonuses of up to $5,000  Free, annual Cancun trip for every employee and their spouse/ signi cant other  Daily ve- to 10-minute, in-o ce workout sessions throughout the day 93. TWISTHINK RobertTwisthink.comHollandNiemiec, managing partner Consulting Ranking in 2021: 28 Michigan-based employees: 41 Male/female executive ratio: 71/29 Voluntary turnover: 1 percent Paid time o after one year: 32 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 80 percent Why Twisthink is cool:  Fully exible, hybrid work schedules  During the summer, employees can leave the o ce at noon on Fridays  Dedicated to employees’ professional development and growth 94. ACS Verona, ScottAcscm.comWis.Hoselton, president (based in Verona, Wis.) Chris Arnold, managing director, ACS Michigan (based in Troy) Engineering U.S.-based employees: 101 Michigan-based employees: 22 Male/female executive ratio: 95/5 Voluntary turnover: 12 percent Paid time o after one year: 29 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100 percent Why ACS is cool:  Each month, employees are nominated (for gift certi cates and a potential trip for two) by co-workers for outstanding e orts or achievements  Tuition reimbursement  Employees can play cards, chess and shu eboard in the o ce 95. ICAT LOGISTICS DETROIT DanielIcatlogistics.comTaylorCser,agency owner, Detroit Transportation Ranking in 2021: 66 Michigan-based employees: 19 Male/female executive ratio: 50/50 Voluntary turnover: 5 percent Paid time o after one year: 21 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: No Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 25 percent Why ICAT Logistics Detroit is cool:  Employees can bring their children to work  Provides employees $500 travel and $100 wellness VOICE South TelecommunicationsGaryClarityvoice.comeldGoerke,owner Michigan-based employees: 41 Male/female executive ratio: 40/60 Voluntary turnover: 14 percent Paid time o after one year: 25 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting:

JohnRegalKentwoodn.comKailunas II, Founder and CEO Financial Services Michigan-based employees: 28 Male/female executive ratio: 100/0 Voluntary turnover: 34 percent Paid time o after one year: 29 days Paid time o for community service: Yes Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 72 percent Why Regal Holdings is cool:  Each month, one employee will receive a $50 gift card for being recognized by their peers  Student loan assistance  Social outings like escape rooms, fowling and Tigers games

stipends

24 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUG UST 22, 2022 • Full • Lawn • Banners • Bulk • EDDM • Graphic BUILDING CONSTRUCTION • INSTALLATION • CONCRETE • STEEL • INTERIORS PROUD SUPPLIER OF ACS

Michigan-based employees: 15 Male/female executive ratio: 50/50 Voluntary turnover: 20 percent Paid time o after one year: 24 days Paid time o for community Yes Telecommuting Yes Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 40 percent Why @properties is cool:  O ers employees business coaching  A monthly event, known as “@Loves Local”, supports local businesses, as employees receive free treats  Provides yoga, along with barre and charcuterie board making classes

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

AUGUST 22, 2022 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 25 Congrats Accumulation Technologies for being a “Cool Place to Work “ your friends & partner OTAVA since 2009. Michael Kroon, Director of Enterprise Sales, 734-646-0988 Connor Duffy, Regional Sales Manager, 630-280-9044 FromCongratulationsFKEngineeringFritzandJojo!SebastianMinaudo nowCongratulationsKIGInsurance!Wealwaysknewyouwerecool,everyoneelseknowstoo. Driven by overpartnershippleasureindustry,dedicationprofessionalism,integrity,andtoourithasbeenatobeinawithyoufor40+years. Century 21 Curren & Oberski Creative 248-549-5242Twounique.comExceptionalFoodEvents Title One, Inc. would like to congratulate on all of their successes! 28810 Northwestern Hwy Southfield, MI orders@allegrasouthfieldnw.com248-354-131348034 Full Color Printing Lawn BulkBannersSignsMailing Serivces EDDM Mailing Services Graphic Design • Promotional Products • Posters • Flyers • Saddle Stitch Books • Tri-Fold Brochures • & Much More! Full Color Printing PromotionalBulkSignsMailingsProducts At Johnson Controls, we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and Congratulationsplay.TechTown Telecommuting options: Yes Flex time options: Yes Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 90 percent Why E7 Solutions is cool:  Pays 100 percent of employees’ health, dental and vision insurance premiums  Pingpong table  “Co ee chats” spotlight employees, as they discuss themselves and their hobbies and interests 100. @PROPERTIES RealEricAtproperties.comBirminghamWalstrom,CEOEstate

options:

Some companies have o ces outside Michigan; for those companies, even non-Michigan employees were surveyed to provide a comprehensive view of overall company policies and culture. Other than total U.S.-based employee counts, all data is Michigan-speci c. The total number of paid time o days per company includes vacation, sick/personal days, discretionary paid time o and paid holidays. Our editorial team produced a snapshot pro le of every company in the ranking. The data in the pro les was current as of May. Some companies sponsored more complete coverage of their businesses. That custom content is clearly marked in this section as “sponsored” and was produced by Crain’s Content Studio, the marketing storytelling division of Crain’s Detroit Business. Chris Lewis wrote the company pro les from information provided by each company.

HOW WE CHOSE THE WINNERS Crain’s Detroit Business once again partnered with Best Companies Group of Harrisburg, Pa., to produce the ranking of our 2022 Cool Places to Work in Michigan. Any Michigan company with at least 15 employees could participate. First, the employer provided detailed information on its bene ts and policies; next, its employees answered questions about workplace culture, company leadership and other aspects of work in a con dential, 77-question survey. The survey was taken April 8 to May 13. The survey, which sought to determine, among other things, whether employees understand the long-term strategy of the company and whether they feel they have opportunities to advance within its ranks, accounted for 75 percent of the nal ranking, while the combined scores determined the top companies and the nal rankings. Companies paid for the survey; not all companies that applied were chosen as a cool workplace.

HOW THE COOLEST PLACES TO WORK STAY COOL: TO STRATEGIC VENDORS

GUIDE

service:

Flex time options:

Roused by Oxford High School’s tragedy and at odds over gun control, lawmakers and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are signi cantly boosting funding of school safety and mental health services to ght what is now the leading cause of death for Michigan children: rearms. e next state budget, for the rst time, will dedicate per-student aid, about $112 per kid, for all schools to bolster their security. e $168 million allotment is 2½ times what the state spent in the previous eight scal years combined, when K-12 districts had to compete against each other for safety grants. e budget taking e ect in October will include $25 million to assign more police ocers to schools and $15 million to pilot and research a program aimed at averting school violence.Everydistrict and charter school will get, also for the rst time, roughly $107 per pupil for mental health — $150 million total — including to hire sta and implement screening as students continue to grapple with depression, anxiety and grief from the COVID-19 pandemic. Intermediate school districts will share $50 million more to train school counselors, social workers and psychologists in cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness exercises, and an additional $25 million to hire more mental health providers. e state also will spend $2 million creating and sta ng a new School Safety and Mental Health Commission. It will be tasked, among other things, with making recommendations to reduce youth suicides. It is a sizable and varied investment spurred by Oxford and the pandemic — one that is being welcomed while also prompting skepticism over whether the targeted funding will continue after billion-dollar state surpluses and federal pandemic aid go away. Some of the planned spending frustrates those who say “hardening” buildings against threats has been ine ective and any solution must include legislation to keep guns away from minors and people who pose a danger to themselves or others. And there is concern that the funds can only go so far inside schools due to a nationwide shortage of mental health professionals that has worsened amid increased demand from adults also confronting the pandemic’s emotional toll.

AP See SCHOOLS on Page 28 BY

EGGERT Starting in the 2014-15 scal year, Michigan began issuing competitive grants to schools for security upgrades. A look at the amount allocated by scal year: Funding for mental health and school security 202320222019201820172015 * THE FUNDING WILL BE DISTRIBUTED ON A PER-STUDENT BASIS TO ALL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS, NOT AS COMPETITIVE GRANTS. THERE WERE NO GRANTS IN 2016, 2020 AND 2021. SOURCES: OFFICE OF SCHOOL SAFETY, MICHIGAN STATE POLICE, STATE BUDGET OFFICE $4 million $2 million $25 million $25 million $10 million $168 million* Mental health funding in the school aid budget by scal year: 20232022202120202019 $31.3 million $31.3 million $62.3 million $295.6 million $229.4 million

CAN MONEY STOP SCHOOL VIOLENCE?

GUN VIOLENCE INSIDE: Gun-control bills go nowhere in Michigan. PAGE 28

26 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUGUST 22, 2022

The value of connectedness among students, a plea to follow through on public safety directives, the Oxford community’s continued questions on school safety and a call for a renewed e ort on gun safety. PAGES 27, 30-31

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer embraces Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter as the two leave owers and pay their respects on Dec. 2, 2021, at Oxford High School in Oxford. | DAVID

United by Oxford, but divided on gun control, Michigan lawmakers spend big to make schools safer

AUGUST 22, 2022 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 27

GUN

VIOLENCE

School safety and violence: e disconnect of connection

forprivateinsuperintendentprincipalhasinchartercompanymanagementNetworksManagementforlearningofservicesEducation&Inc.,aforschoolsMichigan.Hebeenbeenaandpublicandschools20years.

JoyceFdn.org

A demonstrator places a cross at a memorial for the Uvalde school shooting victims during a March For Our Lives rally in New York. | BLOOMBERG

Randy Speck is director

COMMENTARY

Working to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region.

As I sit in what has become a regular part of a school’s list of professional development — active shooter training — I cannot help but look back on the evolution of school climate and culture in the era of school violence. What started as the normal and expected re and tornado drills have necessarily morphed into lockdowns and evacuations with run, hide and ght as the three main tenets. Students are required to have situational awareness and be able to identify the best way to “get out” of a bad situation. We must now think through a new balance of educating students while also providing a new type of safe haven with built-in social emotional learning. As a reminder, according to e Washington Post school shooting database, since Columbine High School in April of 1999, there have been:  338 school shootings on K-12 school campuses  185 fatalities  373 injured Of all the students represented in those 338 shootings, 311,000 have experienced trauma on those days since Columbine. In addition, 71 percent of the shootings were planned by either targeting speci c individuals or by indiscriminately ring into a school. e biggest decrease in school shootings occurred during a global pandemic (when schools were closed) and I am sure that is not a proper solution or deterrent. So, what is the answer? More active shooter training? More external security? More situational awareness? How much more can we continue to put on students while also, as a quick reminder, teaching math, English, science and social studies along with the full complement of electives? But what if a new approach began to take shape ... one that was rooted in the connectedness between students and each other. An approach built around the voices and relationships that students have with each other. One that could help identify when something seems o and share that information with trusted advisers and mentors. We, as a school society, have tried security measures and trainings and since Columbine, 338 shootings have occurred. Since emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic close to 65 school shootings have taken place in just two short years. What are we missing and how does this keepForhappening?perpetrators who commit these violent acts there is a disconnect and an abnormal amount of adverse childhood experiences that have a detrimental e ect on the person. ere are 10 adverse childhood experiences that have been identi ed under the categories of abuse, household challenges and neglect. According to the Center for Strategic Partnerships, 63 percent of Michigan high school students have reported one or more adverse experience in childhood. Research indicates that the more adverse trauma an individual experiences the greater the likelihood of committing a violent act. So, in this age of almost immediate information, it is time to start connecting the dots. I am a parent in Oxford and on Nov. 30, 2021, the unthinkable changed our community. Four students, Tate Myre, Justin Shilling, Madisyn Baldwin and Hana St. Juliana, were killed, and seven others injured when a school shooter indiscriminately began to re. Oxford Community Schools has gone through active shooting drills for years and the school was prepared should the unthinkable happen. But it did happen ... why? After the tragedy, the Myre family created 42 Strong, a mentoring program that matches up older students as mentors to younger students as mentees in the Oxford community. e number “42” was Tate’s football number and the program is designed around 12 characteristics that symbolized Tate’s life. Two hundred and fty students are a part of the program in its rst year. e ultimate result: connection. In this age of cellphones and streaming devices, the need for connection to people grows even larger. According to the CDC, “Youth who feel connected at school and home are less likely to experience negative health outcomes related to sexual risk, substance use, violence, and mental health.” In the midst of school security discussions, we may have the answer. Person to person ... adult to child ... mentor to mentee. Creating school environments of connectedness built on a foundation of trust and the belief that we all have good in us and that good needs to be elevated and given to others. ere is a line that can link these dots. We just need the courage and intention to provide the connection.

Bourgeau leads Parents of Oxford, a group that is pushing the district for an independent investigation of the attack and to be more transparent about its safety plan for this academ ic year. Its new superintendent has said no independent review of Mich igan’s deadliest school shooting will be done until criminal cases and civil lawsuits are over. Bourgeau urged every school in guiding students academically and emotionally.Michigan had one counselor for every 638 students in the 2020-21 school year, the third-worst ratio in the country, according to the Ameri can School Counselor Association. e recommended ratio is one per 250“Istudents.reallybelieve that the key issue is human resources — mental health professionals who can support stu dents and that are not stretched so thin (so) they have the capacity to get selors are dealing with students’ learning loss and what the U.S. sur geon general has deemed the pan demic’s “devastating” e ect on young people’s mental health. Social workers and psychologists can be “inundated” with work relat ed to special education caseloads, like writing individualized education plans for students with disabilities and testing for learning disorders, Hitchcock said. It “oftentimes leaves very little time for a typical general education stu dent who just might be that quiet kid that just blends in, that sometimes nobody notices they have some is sues,” she said. Mental health Randy Speck, a former superinten dent of Madison District Public Schools who is the learning services director for a charter management company, has a daughter who will be a freshman at Oxford High. He serves on a parent subcommittee centered around school safety policies and is an advocate for screening students for potentially traumatic adverse childhood experiences. Speck said it is imperative to focus on mental health, including freeing up social workers and others. “ eir job is to work with kids and help them address some of the things that might be adverse in their life. … We do math, we do science, we do reading. But we also are a place where students can come and our environment can be a place of school connectedness,” he said. “We’re not mental health hospitals. But we have to address some basic mental health things.”

Columbine, 1999. Newtown, 2012. Parkland, 2018. Santa Fe, 2019. Ox ford, 2021. Uvalde, 2022. Each mass school shooting has shocked the conscience, prompting some states to enact tighter gun re strictions designed to prevent future slaughters.ButinMichigan, gun-control leg islation continues to go nowhere, blocked by Republicans who have had full or partial control of the Leg islature for nearly 40 years and who instead have sought looser gun laws. e inaction has frustrated propo nents who say lawmakers, at the very least, should pass safe-storage and “red ag” measures if no consensus can be found on expanded back ground checks and high-capacity magazine limits. e storage bill would require adults to keep a rearm in a securely locked container if they know it is ac cessible to minors. If a minor ob tained the gun and used it to kill or injure, the adult would face up to ve years in prison. ere would be ex ceptions if minors have permission for activities like hunting and target practice. Gun-safety devices such as safes, lock boxes and trigger locks would be exempt from the state sales tax. e red ag bill would let family members or law enforcement o cers ask a judge to authorize the sei zure of guns from people who pose a signi cant risk to themselves or oth ers. e hearing would be expedited. An individual restrained under the extreme-risk protection order could le a motion to modify or rescind it. “ ose two things are no-brainers as far as I’m concerned. ey’re com mon-sense legislation that can save lives,” said Steve St. Juliana, whose daughter, 14-year-old Hana, was killed last November at Oxford High School in Oakland County. e alleged shooter, now 16, faces murder charges. His parents, who were charged with manslaughter, are accused of ignoring warning signs about their son’s mental health and failing to keep the gun out of his reach at responsible,”individualandare“Weaponshome.dangerousnoteveryis St. Juliana said. “ e rst starting place when it comes to the school shootings is the adults need to be re sponsible for the children. ... If the weapons aren’t secured, it’s just ask ing for problems.” St. Juliana, who grew up in the Upper Peninsula, said he has been around guns his whole life and is not “anti-gun” despite the death of Hana, whose name means ower in “GunJapanese.violence is the No. 1 killer of our children in the U.S. e No. 1 killer,” he said. “To say that it’s more important for me to have a loaded, unlocked gun in my house than to protect the children? ere’s some thing massively wrong with thatHana’sthinking.”bigsister, Reina, a rising se nior at Oxford, traveled to the Capitol in February to publicly advocate for secure-storage legislation. A few weeks later, she and her father met privately with Senate Majority Lead er Mike Shirkey and “begged” him to support the safe-storage and red ag bills. Shirkey promised to hold a hearing sometime after the August primary, Steve St. Juliana said. “ at’s the priority. It’s the politics. And that’s the problem, and that’s why things won’t change. e lack of outcry, even in this area after Oxford, is amazing — to me anyway,” he said. “Compare it to Parkland, where you had all kinds of activism happening. Here it’s everybody’s sad, thoughts and prayers. But what’s changed?” Shirkey’s o ce did not respond to a request for comment. He has ques tioned the need for legislation. “If we get obsessed with eliminat ing all risks, we will then develop and evolve into a country we won’t recog nize because we’ll also have no free doms,” he told reporters at the Capi tol a day after the Oxford shooting.Conservative groups have blasted him for agree ing to have a hearing on the bills, which are not expect ed to advance from com mittee.A spokesperson for House Speaker Jason Went worth deferred questions to Rep. Beau LaFave, whose panel has not considered safe-storage bills. e Iron Mountain Republican strongly opposes the legislation, along with proposed red ag mea sures, saying it would unconstitu tionally infringe on the right to bear arms. Requiring guns to be locked up, he said, would make it harder for people to defend themselves from at tack.“Criminalizing the parents doesn’t x the problem,” said LaFave, who also countered arguments that bio metric gun safes provide quick ac cess by saying poorer residents can not a ord them. “We don’t have a gun problem in this country. We have a violence problem in this country. ... I don’t want to take guns away from the cra zy people and leave them in society. I want to take them away from their guns and the rest of society until they’re healthy again or, if they’re never going to be healthy, then just get them away from the rest of us.” Michigan, however, has a shortage of inpatient psychiatric beds — an is sue exacerbated by sta ng shortag es.Other bills in the Democrat ic-sponsored package would prohib it the sale or possession of magazines with more than 10 rounds of ammu nition, expand background checks and require gun dealers to buy liabil ity insurance.eNational Ri e Association and other gun-rights groups oppose such measures, contending that ex treme-risk policies, for instance, can beAabused.JuneGallup poll found that twothirds of Americans said laws cover ing the sale of rearms should be made stricter. A quarter said they should be kept as they are now; 8 per cent said they should be less strict. “ ere’s this idea that any kind of legislation or regulation on guns is bad. We all are falling in line. is is literally tyranny of the minority,” said state Sen. Rosemary Bayer, a Beverly Hills Democrat who said the red ag bill mainly targets suicide and deadly domestic violence. Her district in cludesSomeOxford.Republicans support the red ag measure, she said, but will not risk their political futures by crossing the gun lobby. e future of gun control is at stake in November, when Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is up for reelec tion and voters will cast ballots after a redistricting process that has given Democrats a chance to ip the Legis lature.

DAVID EGGERT “GUN VIOLENCE IS THE NO. 1 KILLER OF OUR CHILDREN IN THE U.S. THE NO. 1 KILLER. ” —Steve St. Juliana LaFave

Starting in high school is too late. We need counselors, social workers and psychologists at the earliest ages of a child’s educational career.” e problem is already-busy coun

Students grieve at a memorial at Oxford High School on Dec. 1, 2021. AP involved in what may appear to be childhood or immature squabbles with classmates but can turn into tragedy,” said Jamii Hitchcock, a for mer Oak Park Schools superinten dent who previously worked as an administrator in the Birmingham and Novi districts. “We can’t get enough mental health professionals.

Gun-control bills go nowhere in Michigan

The Oxford shootings

Four students were killed at the school in northern Oakland County. Six other students and a teacher were injured. Hours before, school o cials had let the defendant return to class without checking his backpack despite a teacher nding a drawing of a gun and disturbing messages on his math“Youworksheet.cannever be prepared 100 percent until it happens and even then you’re not going to get every thing 100 percent right. But there are ways that our districts, our adminis trations throughout the state can do a better job planning and preparing,” said Lori Bourgeau, a village of Ox ford councilmember whose son is a rising senior at the high school. “Ev ery day you don’t look and every day you don’t talk about it is a day you’re letting it happen somewhere else.”

SCHOOLS From Page 26

28 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUG UST 22, 2022 the state to reevaluate its threat as sessment protocols. e state’s O ce of School Safety, which is working on a Michigan-speci c behavioral threat assessment model for schools, says schools for now should use interim guidance from school safety centers in Texas and Virginia and the Nation al Association of School Psycholo gists.One issue to address, experts say, is ensuring there are enough school counselors and that they are not overburdened with other tasks while Still, supporters say the aid is posi tive and keeps the issue of gun vio lence at the forefront nine months after the state’s second-deadliest school attack and its deadliest-ever school shooting.

GUN VIOLENCE

SOURCES:

The increase in the rate of gun deaths in Michigan from 2011 to 2020, compared to 33% nationwide. This means that in 2020 there were 298 more deaths than in 2011. $16.8 billion

Rosemary Bayer, who represents Oxford and lived down the street from the high school for years, said “there is no question” that the additional state and federal mental health funds are needed. But she is frustrated over the push to further “militarize” schools with security upgrades and with the Republican-controlled Legislature’s refusal to also enact long-stalled gun-control legislation to complement the spending. “We’re fortifying, we’re actually building fortresses of school buildings because we can’t focus and address the problem of guns,” said Bayer, who has family members who were at Oxford High, both students and rst responders. “We’re not solving the problem. We’re slapping a big ugly bandage on it.”

SPONSORED CONTENT

AUGUST 22, 2022 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 29 GUN VIOLENCE

In 2022, over 400 mass occurredshootingsinthe U.S. There has been a total of roughly 102 reports of gun re on school grounds, with 27 of those categorized as mass shootings. Forty-one people, including mostly children and adolescents, were killed, and 79 were injured. In the absence of gun reforms including assault weapon bans, background checks or other measures that could help stop these tragedies, alternate mechanisms should be considered to prevent our children from being killed or injured in schools. The National Policing Institute (NPI) researched 300 averted or completed school attacks, analyzing behavioral characteristics of the perpetrators and security measures that were or were not implemented, as well as gaps between external agencies. In addition to identifying that the best predictor for aggressive and violent behavior is past behavior of that kind, there is a major disconnect between identifying individuals who articulate a threat to themselves or others, and the experience or funding available to effectively follow through and treat them. This was the scenario at the Oxford High School shooting in 2021 and in the string of recent violent attacks that have followed this year across the country. With a $15 million grant from the State of Michigan, MSU and the Center for Targeted Violence Prevention at NPI, our team, which includes professors Alyse Ley and Frank Straub, will launch a ve-year pilot program this fall in ve Michigan regions.

Contact: david.eggert@crain.com; (313) 446-1654; @DavidEggert00

Gun violence in Michigan

Educators welcome the funding in ux for mental health and security but say legislators must continue it in future“Rightyears.now, some of my districts are asking, ‘Can we hire someone with this?’ Well the answer is, ‘You can. But I don’t know that it’ll be there next year. I don’t know the long-term commitment to keep per-pupil allocation for school safety in the budget,’” said Peter Spadafore, executive director of the Middle Cities Education Association, which advocates for 27 K-12 districts including a dozen in metro Detroit. “Now it’s our job to advocate for keeping that in the budget and growing it hopefully, too.” Even before the pandemic, schools struggled to hire counselors and psychologists, in part because of a lack of quali ed Michigancandidates.hadone school psychologist for every 1,437 students in 202021. e recommended ratio is one per 500. “ e numbers aren’t there to meet the need. Even if we have all of the resources that we could to put into it, we still don’t have the human capital to ll those roles,” Spadafore said. “ ere’s a long-term problem we have to solve, too.” e budget will provide $500,000 to analyze education workforce shortages and recommend ways to addressDistrictsthem.are expected to spend the security funds di erently depending on the extent to which they already have addressed their needs, which vary in urban, suburban and rural settings.Fewdistricts have not spent capital dollars to upgrade door locks, install cameras and force visitors to enter through a single point. But infrastructure spending is funded locally with bonding and sinking fund millages, and local voters do not always passAdministratorsthem. say the per-pupil allocation for all schools will help level the playing eld and is a good startingPublicplace.and private schools have latitude to spend the safety money as they see t. Allowable expenditures include coordinating with law enforcement; training sta on threat assessment, response and crisis communication; installing safety infrastructure such as cameras, door-barricade devices and gun-detection software; training students and families on responsible gun ownership; and o ering professional development to school resource ocers. e per-student mental health allotment also comes with a few strings. One is that districts must have a “community conversation” about student mental health and schoolSecuritysafety.isviewed as important, as is how schools and police react to active-shooter incidents. In Uvalde, Texas, law enforcement responders failed to adhere to their training and to prioritize saving innocent lives over their own safety, according to an investigative report. Speck said he has “no doubt in my mind” that his daughter will be attending the “safest, physical high school in the country.” Oxford High, for instance, is piloting arti cial intelligence technology that can alert administrators and safety personnel to guns detected by cameras within three to ve seconds. In June, Whitmer signed a bill with $25 million so public and private schools can pay for comprehensive safety and security assessments and do “critical incident mapping” of buildings to aid law enforcement responding to emergencies. Does it even work? While school security is a multibillion-dollar industry, research on the e ectiveness of speci c measures is limited or mixed. “We just don’t know enough about what works and what doesn’t work,” said Leigh Rauk, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury ShePrevention.urgedschools to include students in conversations about security steps because they are the ones affected by active-shooter drills, walking through metal detectors or seeing police and drug-sni ng dogs in school every day. e way policies are implemented, she said, is crucial because they can disproportionately a ect students of color. Rauk did say that research shows that a more positive school climate is very bene cial for safety. e extent to which students have positive relationships with their peers and teachers, where they feel like people at school accept and care about them, can reduce bullying and violence. e federal gun violence bill signed by President Joe Biden in June also includes funding to train and boost the number of school-based mental health providers and to bolsterStatesecurity.Sen.

The cost of gun violence in Michigan each year in which $380.5 million is paid by taxpayers. EVERYSTAT.COM: CDC UNDERLYING CAUSE OF DEATH, FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE 2016-2020, TED R. MILLER AND BRUCE LAWRENCE ANALYSIS OF CDC FATAL INJURY: 2019 AND HCUP INJURY 2019

The program, coined the “Michigan Model,” aims to help schools identify and intervene with potentially violent adolescents in school systems through a holistic, multidisciplinary approach involving collaboration between health care professionals, law enforcement, school district staff and community Theagencies.MSUDepartment of Psychiatry — a shared department in the Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine and Human Medicine — and the NPI Institute, will establish a research-to-practice hub to provide guidance, training and consultation. It will also assign intensive support teams to provide case management and mentoring services to high-risk/ high-need adolescents and their Thesecaregivers.might include remedial education, social skills training, psychiatric and psychological intervention, or job training — all while ensuring these individuals are not dropped from treatment resources if they miss appointments or have other issues impacting interventions. For those who seem to be at higher risk or for whom the school systems need more assistance to determine risk, a group of experts in child and adolescent psychiatry who specialize in violence prevention will be available to consult with the school system. While this is only part of many solutions to prevent future violent events, our “Michigan Model” paves the way for early intervention programs across the country.country.

Jed Magen is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry for Michigan State University Colleges of Human Medicine and College of Osteopathic Medicine.

MSU, NPI to launch national pilot program to curb gun violence in schools

NONFATAL

1,270 people die by guns in Michigan in an average year. With a rate of 12.7 deaths per 100,000 people, Michigan has the 29th highest rate of gun deaths in the U.S. 58% of gun deaths in Michigan are by rearm suicide. Forty percent are by rearm homicide. The rest are caused by unintentional or undetermined rearm deaths or police shootings. 24%

Michigan’s recent executive directive on public safety takes the state a big step in the right direction on gun violence prevention. Now it’s up to policymakers to ensure state agencies follow the spirit and not just the letter of these instructions. e measure includes three key initiatives designed to meaningfully improve public safety for Michigan ders: directing state agencies to coordinate new federal funding to reduce gun vio lence, directing Michigan State Police to improve Michigan’s contribution of data to state and national background check systems, and creating a new state of ce to coordinate funding for commu nity violence interventions. Far too often, policymakers enact important measures like these — and then communication and coordina tion fall short of what’s needed to make the most of these advances and the most hard-fought elements fall through the cracks. Michigan can avoid these pitfalls with some con crete strategies to make the most of these directives and provide the comprehensive public safety im provements residents deserve. In July, Congress enacted the Bi partisan Safer Communities Act, the most signi cant federal gun legisla tion in decades, which will send mil lions to Michigan for school safety and crisis intervention programs over the next ve years. Beyond requiring each a ected state agency to name a coordinator, the state should explicit ly convene those points of contact regularly and develop a strategic plan for using this federal windfall to re duce gun violence in Michigan. More data on guns and gun posses sion in Michigan, likewise, could help policymakers develop and advance data-backed and evidence-informed strategies to keep communities safer. To that end, Michigan should launch a working group on the collection and dissemination of rearms-related data, including background check informa tion, data related to concealed pistol licenses and handgun purchase licens es, and data tied to personal protective orders. Many states don’t e ectively collect and organize this data, let alone share it with policymakers or research ers — but without having all this infor mation in hand, it’s hard for state agen cies to e ectively implement the laws already on the books, let alone deter mine what other policies could help reduce gun injuries and deaths. States like Arizona — which in 2012 created a statewide task force tasked with identi fying and working to close gaps in state rearms data collection — could o er an examples of how Michigan might pursue these critical improvements. Finally, the creation of a state o ce of community violence intervention is a big deal — but only if the state is serious about direct ing law enforcement to work in true collaboration with community-based groups to design and e ectively manage those Communitystrategies.violence in tervention strategies have recently gained national at tention as alternatives to a police-only response to community gun violence. Di erent cities use di erent strategies, but all involve identifying the very small numbers of people most likely to be involved in gun violence, engaging them directly, and o ering intensive supportive services. ese services range from cognitive behavioral ther apy to immediate material goods to job readiness training. Studies have shown that these strategies, when well managed, can reduce homicide and shooting violence by upwards of 20 Michiganpercent. has a long history of com munity violence intervention work, including in Detroit and in Kalama zoo, and in the last two years more cities have committed to trying these approaches, including Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Jackson. So the state’s investment in a new o ce to coordi nate and support this work is timely. But the location of the o ce – em bedded with Michigan State Police — raises concerns among some violence prevention stakeholders about whether the funding will be accessible to the community-based groups that are essential to this work. Many law enforcement agencies support these strategies as a natural complement to problem-oriented policing – but it’s also easy to spend funds of this nature on projects that may not directly im pact gun violence in the hardest-hit communities.egovernor’s order di rects the Michigan State Police to work with the state department of health and human services, which is a good start. To ensure that state and federal funds reach groups best positioned to o er supportive interventions, the state should convene an advisory group of community-based experts and practitioners to work collabora tively with state police, the state health department, and the governor’s o ce to shape forthcoming state grants— including an $11 million funding stream for approaches that empha size law enforcement and community collaboration. is would position Michigan to e ectively implement the state’s current directive, as well as compete for future community vio lence intervention funding.

30 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUG UST 22, 2022

“There’s shots in the school.”Istared at my phone trying to make sense of the words I saw pop up next to a picture of my boy, Mason, with a goofy smile on his face. It was ursday, Nov. 30, 2021, at 12:55 p.m. He was at Oxford High School. Four children were murdered that day. Six more were injured, along with one teacher. e entire community was left trau matized.Asaparent I have always feared this day. I hoped it wouldn’t happen to either of my children, but ever since the Columbine shoot ing, I knew it was a possibil ity.What I never foresaw was the lack of school accountability, transpar ency, and governmental oversight after that day, which left us in the dark about school safety even as the new school year begins. Eight months after the shootings, stu dents and parents are still waiting for an unbiased, independent inves tigation. We need one, immediately. e Oxford Community Schools Board of Education promised a truly independent investigation in early December, but then they changed their mind. ey strung the com munity along for months, giving us excuse after excuse as to why they wouldn’t do it. e Michigan Attor ney General extended multiple of fers to complete an independent investigation, free of charge. Oxford schools declined every o er. Eventually, after community out rage erupted, Oxford schools in stead hired a law rm, Varnum LLP, to bring in a third party company, Guidepost, to complete a so-called investigation. ey didn’t agree to make the results public, provided no timeline, promisedGuidepost’snothing.contract is short, but it says plenty in this one sentence: “ e purpose of the engage ment is for Guidepost to perform certain services and consult with you concerning your legal strategy and advice to your client, the Board of Education, Oxford Com munity Schools…” e contract says nothing about uncovering what went wrong, recommending policy changes or ensuring students and sta are safe. e teachers’ union informed their members not to co operate with Guidepost. e union president says he’s just passing on what he was told by the school’s lawyers.Before the Oxford mass school shooting, there was another in Park land, Fla., at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and 301 days after that shooting, an investigation was released to the public after being ordered by then-Florida Gov. Rick Scott. After the Oxford mass shoot ing, there was another in Uvalde, Texas, at Robb Elementary School, and 54 days after that shooting, a full investigation was released to the public after being ordered by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Here in Michigan? Our governor refers Oxford residents back to the local government and they refer us back to her. In my opinion, Oxford Communi ty Schools hired a company to help create their legal strategy, not to conduct an independent and trans parent investigation that lets the chips fall where they may. Eight months later, the community has little hope of knowing if our chil dren are safe while at school this year.What do students, parents and sta need? We need to know school sta is trained to help a child experi encing a mental health episode, and when to report to Children’s Protec tive Services or call 911. We need to know there are policies and proce dures in place that will stop another mass shooting in an Oxford school. A legal strategy to protect the dis trict will not answer those concerns. If a major corporation made a mistake that killed four and injured seven in under 10 minutes, would they be able to decline an outside, independent investigation? Why should our public schools, their lawyers and their insurance compa nies be able to refuse to give the community a full and transparent investigation? Does governmental immunity give them the power to ignore murder while forcing us to send our kids into their care ve days a week? It does right now and that should outrage every Michigan resident, not just parents in Oxford. Michigan needs a major policy shift, one that will force an immedi ate investigation when children are murdered at school and hold ac countable anyone found to have failed in their duties. All of Michi gan, not just Oxford, must stand up and demand change before this happens again.

Oxford in

the dark about school safety COMMENTARY

Oxford movement.OxfordChangeleadermemberOxfordVillageOxfordgraduatestudents,ofschools,ofCouncilandaofthe4 Memorial items are shown on the sign of Oxford High School last December. | AP

MICHIGAN’S DIRECTIVE TAKES THE STATE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

Lori Bourgeau is a mother of

Louisa Aviles is e Crain’sisJoyceProgram.JusticePreventionViolenceoseniorFoundation’sJoyceprogramcerintheGunandReformeFoundationasponsorofForum.

COMMENTARY GUN VIOLENCE

students, parents remain

Policymakers must follow through on safety directives

AUGUST 22, 2022 | CRAIN’ S DE T ROI T B USINESS | 31 Highlightyourcompany'sranking Contact Laura Picariello at lpicariello@crain.com or (732) 723-0569 to learn more about commemorative options. MADEYOUNEWS IN CRAIN’S Share your success with digital keepsakesreprints,andmore!

New school year deserves renewed for gun safety With a new school year studentsapproaching,andpar ents alike are often met with a mix of emotions: joy, sad ness, excitement, anxiety, wonder, and even concern. School can be an incredible place for our children to learn, grow, and socialize. Sadly, it has also become a place of increased anxiety and stress, not just because of the typical academic and social pressures, but be cause of enduring active shooter simulation drills, or worse — an actual active shooter. At the time of this writing, stu dents and families are marching on the State Capitol steps to call for “No Guns at Recess” — or more pointed ly, basic assurances they can have a safe and fun school year making joy ful memories instead of running from an armed assailant. While Michigan has made strides over the last year by providing more funding to school safety enhance ments and mental health workers at schools — im mediate measures I sup ported with my colleagues — our state remains over due for long-term, sustain able changes that address the root of the problem. And, since students and families are still marching at the Capitol, it would seem they feel similarly. To that end, the Michi gan Legislature should pass a “red ag” law — also known as an Extreme Risk law — allowing a judge to issue a temporary extreme risk protection order when su cient evidence has been submitted to prove that some one may be a threat to others or themselves. is legislation, reintro duced in February this year, has sat dormant in committee even as Pres ident Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill into law in June that incentivizes states to enact these kinds of laws. is type of policy has been tried and tested before, too. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, neighbor ing state Indiana saw a 7.5 percent reduction in its rearm suicide rate in the 10 years following the enact ment of its Extreme Risk law. Every town also found that, in at least 56 percent of mass shootings, the shooter displayed dangerous warn ing signs before carrying out an as sault. Sadly, we know this to be the case in other school shootings, in cluding Parkland, Fla., and in our very own Oxford community. Michigan must also implement universal background checks for gun purchasers and end the state’s loop hole that only requires background checks for pistols. is legislation has not been acted upon at all since its introduction last year. Both this and the “red ag” laws would be pro active steps and potential solutions toward a problem that has, for de cades, been reactive and clearly in su Enoughcient. is enough. ere is grow ing evidence that gun-safety legisla tion is a bipartisan issue, especially on common-sense policies like “red ag” and background checks, and it is no longer the partisan issue it was once portrayed as. We have seen this in poll after poll, and we have seen this in practice when our col leagues in the fed eral justmanagedgovernmenttogetnotoneortwo,but many, Republi cans to support the gun safety re forms signed by the president. ere is no reason to stand by as another family buries their child due to gun violence, especially when the legislation is ready to be acted upon. While students should be enjoying the last few days or weeks of their summer breaks, instead they’re on the steps of the Capitol, begging for their lives to be saved. No other country has this problem and there is no time like the present to act: We must nish the job we started and that we were sent to Lansing to do.

e ort

GUN VIOLENCE COMMENTARY

BayerRosemary is Democratica state senator from Beverly Hills.

THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT GUN-SAFETY LEGISLATION IS A BIPARTISAN ISSUE.

IMAGESGETTY

John chairmanJames $127.4 e $117.0 9%273273 AmericanBlack/African Supply chain and logistics solutions

19 JAMES GROUP 4335 W. Fort St., Detroit48209 jamesgroupintl.com313-841-0070

32 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUGUST 22, 2022 COMPANY NAME CONTACTLOCATIONINFO MAJORITY OWNER 2021/2020($000,000)REVENUE CHANGEPERCENT 2021JAN.EMPLOYEESLOCAL2022/ MINORITY GROUP OF OWNERSHIPTYPE OF BUSINESS 1 PISTON GROUP 1 3000 Town Center, Suite 3250, South eld48075 pistongroup.com313-541-8674 Vinnie chairmanJohnson $2,855.3 $2,876.3 -1%9111058 AmericanBlack/African Automotive supplier 2 BRIDGEWATER INTERIORSLLC 4617 W. Fort St., Detroit48209 bridgewater-interiors.com313-842-3300 Epsilon Technologies LLC 2 $1,653.7 $1,567.6 5%13571335 AmericanBlack/African Automotive seating/interiors 3 DETROIT MANUFACTURING SYSTEMSLLC 12701 South eld Road, Building A, Detroit48223 dmsna.com313-243-0700 Bruce Smith CEO $968.6 $642.4 51%1460984 AmericanBlack/African Full module assemblies, mechanical and robotic subassemblies, ultrasonic and vibration welding, plastic injection molding and sequencing services 4 CAMACOLLC 37000 12 Mile Road, Suite 105, Farmington Hills48331 camacollc.com248-442-6800 Arvind chairmanPradhan $525.0 $484.6 e 8%5346 Asian Automotive seat structure assemblies 5 ACRO SERVICECORP. 39209 W. Six Mile Road, Suite 250, Livonia48152 acrocorp.com734-591-1100 Ron presidentShananiand CEO $465.3 $446.5 4%2961620 Asian Workforce solutions, sta ng and technology rm 6 ELDER AUTOMOTIVE GROUP 777 John R Road, Troy48083 elderautogroup.com248-585-4000 Tony presidentElder $353.1 e $319.2 e 11%NANA Hispanic/LatinoAutomotive dealerships 7 PRESTIGE AUTOMOTIVE 20200 E. Nine Mile Road, St. Clair Shores48080 prestigeautomotive.com586-773-1550 Gregory chairmanJacksonandCEO $341.3 e $308.6 11%NANA AmericanBlack/African Automobile dealerships, real estate and insurance 8 THE IDEAL GROUP 2525 Clark St., Detroit48209 weareideal.com313-849-0000 Frank Venegas Jr. chairman and CEO $270.7 $237.5 14%206465 Hispanic/LatinoGeneral contracting, specialized miscellaneous steel manufacturing and distribution of protective barrier products, global supply chain management, other 9 ROYAL OAK FORD/BRIARWOOD FORD 27550 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak48067 royaloakford.com248-548-4100 Eddie Hall Jr. president $268.4 $241.9 11%229229 AmericanBlack/African Automobile dealership 10 GLOBAL AUTOMOTIVE ALLIANCELLC 2801 Clark St., Detroit48210 gaasolutions.com313-849-3222 William executivePickardchairman $253.3 $229.1 11%174168 AmericanBlack/African Warehousing, contract assembly, freight forwarding, contract logistics, procurement, quality control and inventory management 11 ALTIMETRIKCORP. 1000 Town Center, Suite 700, South eld48075 altimetrik.com248-281-2500 Raj executiveVattikutichairman $220.6 $142.5 55%93122 Asian Data and digital engineering services 12 DEVON INDUSTRIAL GROUP 535 Griswold St., Suite 2050, Detroit48226 devonindustrial.com313-221-1600 David Burnley Sr. president and co-CEO $202.0 $168.0 20%51NA AmericanBlack/African Construction management, general contracting, program management 13 SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY GROUP (STG) 3001 W. Big Beaver Road, Suite 500, Troy48084 stgit.com248-643-9010 Anup chairmanPopatand CEO $172.0 $168.0 2%732720 Asian Information technology services 14 HCL GLOBAL SYSTEMSINC. 24543 Indoplex Circle, Suite 220, Farmington Hills48335 www.hclglobal.com248-473-0720 Durga Prasad Gadde president and CEO $170.0 $138.0 23%936NA Asian Consulting, business system and systems integration 15 EPITECINC. 24800 Denso Drive, Suite 150, South eld48033 epitec.com248-353-6800 Jerome Sheppard chair and founder $168.6 $131.6 28%969970 AmericanBlack/African IT, engineering and professional sta ng 16 CHEMICOLLC 25200 Telegraph, Suite 120, South eld48033 thechemicogroup.com248-723-3263 Leon C. presidentRichardsonandCEO $165.2 $158.0 5%93NA AmericanBlack/African Chemical manufacturing, chemical management 17 MPS GROUPINC. 38755 Hills Tech Drive, Farmington Hills48331 mpsgrp.com313-841-7588 Charlie chairmanWilliams $142.0 $102.0 39%257185 AmericanBlack/African Waste management, paint shop cleaning and management and industrial cleaning 18 AVIS FORDINC. 29200 Telegraph Road, South eld48034 avisford.com248-355-7500 Walter Douglas Sr. chairman and CEO $137.1 $112.9 21%120NA AmericanBlack/African Automobile dealership

20 MCL JASCOINC. 7140 W. Fort St., Detroit48209 mcljasco.com313-841-5000

Louis E. presidentJamesand CEO $119.2 $90.5 32%123117

AmericanBlack/African Engineering services, program management in energy/sustainability and automotive leadership to partners. Clients include automotive OEM's, utilities, and governmental entities 21 SCRIPTGUIDERX (SGRX) 15400 E. Je erson Ave., Grosse Pointe Park48230 sgrxhealth.com313-821-3200 Ime Ekpenyong CEO $113.1 $104.3 8%29NA AmericanBlack/African Pharmacy bene t management and third party administrator 22 BILL PERKINS AUTOMOTIVE GROUP 13801 S. Telegraph Road, Taylor48180 taylorchevy.com734-287-2600 Bill presidentPerkins $111.8 $97.7 14%6467 AmericanBlack/African Automobile dealerships LARGEST MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSESCRAIN'S LIST | Ranked by 2021 ResearchedbySonyaD.Hill:shill@crain.comrevenue listingbutthemostcomprehensiveavailable.Unlessotherwisenoted,thecompaniesprovidedtheinformation.TheDiezGroupdeclinedtoparticipatethisyear.NA=notavailable.NOTES:|Thislistofminority-ownedbusinessesisanapproximatecompilationofthelargestsuchbusinessesbasedinWayne,Oakland,Macomb,WashtenaworLivingstoncounties.Itisnotacomplete e. Crain'sestimate. 1. HoldingcompanyforPistonAutomotive, Irvin Automotive and Detroit Thermal Systems. 2. Epsilon Technologies LLC is the majority owner and is an entity comprised entirely of African American investors (one of which is the Hall family). Want the full Excel version of this list — and every list? Become a Data Member: CrainsDetroit.com/data

AUGUST 22, 2022 | CRAIN’ S DE T ROI T B USINESS | 33

Blake Ratcli e and Sherri Moore, husband-and-wife co-owners of TMC Furniture, unexpectedly saw a furniture solution they made for children’s libraries become popular with work-from-home caregivers during the pandemic.

Quint Workspaces Don Goeman is former executive vice president of research and devel opment for the Zeeland-based global design and furniture manufacturing company formerly called Herman Miller. (It’s now known as MillerKnoll Inc. following its merger last year with Knoll.) He left the company in 2019 during the leadership transition be tween former President and CEO Brian Walker and Andi Owen, who now heads the company and led the 2021 merger.Goeman and three other Herman Miller veterans — John Lubbinge, Paul Dame and Jim Krol — along with an independent designer of Herman Mill er products, Joey Ruiter, teamed up in 2020 to start a new company called Quint Workspaces that o ers furniture for remote workers. Goeman is CEO of Quint, Lubbinge is commercial lead, Dame is R&D lead, Krol is CFO and Ruiter is chief creative o cer. e team called their startup Quint as a nod to more than just the ve co-founders. Goeman said they think of their products as “ ve cards in the same suit” or “ ve kids of common parentage” — desks, chairs, storage, boundaries (privacy screens) and ac cessories. e products are meant to be a ordable, designed to profession al-grade standards, customizable and ready to assemble without tools. While the furniture industry al ways has had a fair number of start ups, Goeman said now is an especial ly good time to jump into the fray if you’ve got a business-to-consumer value proposition. “ e pandemic brought about a massive social change in how people work, institutionally, and accelerated the shift to working from home in a way that without the pandemic, probably would have been a much slower migration,” he said. Goeman said the commercial fur niture industry has always evolved slowly and now nds itself hoping the hybrid approach to work — some days in person and some days at home — will be enough to sustain business-to-business sales of prod ucts designed primarily for in-person collaboration. at approach has long been the bread and butter of West Michigan mainstays MillerKnoll, Steelcase Inc. and Haworth Inc., but he doesn’t know how sustainable it is. “ ere’s a lot of research that shows organizations are sort of struggling get ting people to go back to work in o c es,” Goeman said. “… People really have bene ted from the remote work ing freedoms, and signals point to a re luctance to return as things were.” e Quint co-founders believed their startup could be nimbler than a giant corporation by using the suppli ers they already have in their network to make furniture at a price point near er that of IKEA. “If we can demonstrate at Quint a simpler, smarter, cohesive approach that has consumers more in the cross hairs of how everything works, then we think over time we can build a new goto for professional workers at home — sort of a more performance-appropri ate go-to than IKEA for this particular application,” Goeman said. e founders are in good shape get ting the support they need starting out, he said. e company this month closed on $1.5 million in early-stage funding from several Michigan venture capital groups, including Michigan Capital Network, Invest Detroit Ven tures, Michigan Rise and Invest Michi gan. at’s in addition to more than $1 million in seed funding it raised in late 2020 from Invest Detroit and several angel investors. Quint declined to dis closeQuintrevenue.willuse the funding to devel op new home and o ce workspace components, expand quick-ship deliv ery services to multiple major city mar kets and enhance its e-commerce plat form, Goeman said. e company also is planning to open an o ce and ware house at 285 Waverly Road in Holland later this summer, where it will assem ble the parts made by its suppliers into nished products ready to ship. NEXposture

A mother uses the Fair eld Parent+Child Carrel designed by Michigan-based TMC Furniture to keep her child happy and occupied while she works at her computer.|

CHRIS CUNNINGHAM

A family-owned, Grand Hav en-based design and engineering rm that’s long been a furniture industry supplier saw a di erent opportunity during the pandemic, when suddenly kids were forced to study at home while their parents worked. Maury Fredricks — president and co-CEO with his brother, Bruce Fred ricks — formed Fredricks Design Inc. in Grand Haven in 1984. In October 2020, the company launched Freddy Furniture, an o shoot LLC that in January 2021 began selling direct-ship, ready-to-assemble, adjustable ergonomic desks and seats for kindergarten through sixth-grade students on its website. Maury Fredricks is the managing partner of Freddy Furniture. He said the initial study-at-home product of fering took o during lockdowns, but when in-person schooling resumed and consumer purchase orders weren’t running at the same speed, he realized they could branch out into business-to-business sales, which is what they’re working on now. He is working to reach Montessori schools — which have less traditional ideas about furniture than your aver age classroom — and children’s speech pathology o ces, which typically serve children from preschool through sixth grade.“e (Freddy) brand is alive and vi brant,” he said, declining to disclose revenue. “Our rm has been built up over almost four decades now in the B2B space, with large and midsized companies, and to step into this B2C channel during the throes of a pan demic was a stretch, but we’re always up for a challenge. We’ve learned a lot, and we’re going to gure out how to leverage and scale the business as we go forward to solve problems for fami lies and kids. at’s what it’s all about.”

Instead of trying to innovate from within a corporation, McRobert de cided to develop his own product to bring to market. He launched his startup, Spring Lake-based NEXpos ture, to solve the posture problem with an ergonomic desk solution that allows for the synchronization of the desk and the chair. McRobert started NEXposture be fore the pandemic in the early part of 2020, and he couldn’t have known it would be the right timing, with people suddenly cut o from whatever ergo nomic products they had at the o ce. ough his business is self-funded, McRobert leveraged connections from decades of industry experience to help him. He works with certi ed ergonomist and physical therapist Marc Turina of Pittsburgh to consult on ergonomics, Grand Haven-based

FURNITURE From Page 3

MARK BIALEK

Contact: rachel.watson@crain.com (989) 533-9685; @RachelWatson86

TMC Furniture Husband-and-wife duo Blake Rat cli e and Sherri Moore founded e Maker’s Creative — now called TMC Furniture — in Ann Arbor in 1998. ey bought a factory in the Grand Rapids suburb of Kentwood in 2009, and ever since, they’ve lived and de signed their products in Ann Arbor and manufactured them in West Michigan. e brand got its start making furni ture for libraries, especially children’s libraries. One of their products is called the Fair eld Parent+Child Carrel. e workstations feature a computer desk attached to child’s play area. Originally designed for parents to use at public li brary computer terminals while keep ing their child happy and penned in, the product went viral during the pan demic. Caregivers trying to take care of babies while working from home start ed lining up to buy it, Ratcli e said. “We got press all around the world, (and) … the interest and the orders and the quotes are really growing. We’re working now with a distributor in Europe and the Middle East — things we could never have imagined — and then some big catalogers in theHeU.S.”said because TMC didn’t have the product patented, there were some copycats that went on the mar ket to make the same thing cheaper. In response, TMC rolled out a basic version of the product that uses low er-grade woods and called it the Family Workstation, which it can sell at a lower price. It still sells the Parent+Child Carrel, too. Having been in the furniture busi ness for a quarter-century, Ratcli e said he’s noticed periods of econom ic upheaval, like the Great Recession of 2007-09 and the pandemic, tend to lead to “creative destruction” — which is more positive than it sounds. “It opens up opportunities for cre ative companies with new ideas,” he said. “I think those times are produced because the old way of doing things broke in some way or another. Or, may be it’s just that they’re the catalyst for people to say, ‘I want to change the old way of doing things.’” TMC Furniture used the lockdowns to upgrade its sales and engineering software, overhaul its website and transform its distribution model to fo cus on e-commerce rather than pri marily on trade shows as it did preCOVID.

Esox Engineering on design and engi neering, and Subassembly Plus in Hol land to manufacture and assemble. All his suppliers are within a 25-mile radi us of where he lives in Spring Lake, he said.For now, NEXposture is selling ex clusively via e-commerce, leaning on social media marketing to individuals and corporate ergonomics deci sion-makers. But McRobert is working on partnering with o ce furniture dis tributors and dealers and securing deals with “e-tailers,” or brick-andmortar furniture companies that pick up and sell small brands on their web sites.By branching out in these ways, he is hopeful that after 12-18 months, he will start turning a pro t. He declined to discloseMcRobertrevenue.thinks it’s a good time to be a furniture startup founder. For sev eral years prior to the pandemic, the o ce furniture industry invested heav ily in creating collaborative furniture environments with soft seating, white boards, privacy screens and integrated technology, and it placed less empha sis on individual workspace and desk solutions, McRobert said. “I call it sort of a ‘Starbucks environ ment,’ where people are kind of hang ing out and collaborating. And that’s a positive thing, but I think the pandem ic challenged that model, because peo ple weren’t sitting in those spaces for the past two years,” he said. “ ey were sitting at home, in their chair, in front of a computer. And I saw not only the need for the home o ce, but I saw the way people were working was much di erent than the o ce furniture in dustry was McRobertsupporting.”saidhe thinks direct sales via e-commerce will continue, but there will always be a need for dealers and showrooms, so people can “try before they buy.”

Freddy Furniture

Another Herman Miller alum — a friend of Goeman’s who brie y ex plored partnering on Quint — launched a furniture startup during the pandemic and is taking product or ders.Keith McRobert worked for Her man Miller from 1977 to 2007 and most recently was director of seating and ergonomics product manage ment. He then left the furniture in dustry for 10 years, returning in 2017 for a two-year stint at First Class Seating, a West Michigan-based maker of theater recliners, before in cubating his own business idea. roughout his career, McRobert nurtured a passion for ergonomics. He wanted to take his decades of expertise and put it into a startup focused on rev olutionizing the relationship between desk and chair. He said during his time in the furni ture industry, he noticed R&D spent a lot of time working on seating — the tilt mechanism, the chair back, the kine matic motion of the seat — but very little thought was put into whether im proving the chair also would improve posture.“When I (went) out in the eld, the result was pretty much the same, and that result was people were sitting slumped over forward working on their computer,” he said. “ e reason for that really is twofold. One is they couldn’t read the text on the monitor. If you can’t see, your subconscious mind tells your body to move forward until you can read. And then the other thing is, if you recline and keep your arms by your side, your hands will move away from the keyboard. So, be tween the monitor visual, as well as (not being able to reach) your input devices, people are prone to move for ward in a slumped position.”

• Crystal keepsakes Frames • Other Promotional Items

HysniMallon Plaques keepsakes Frames Other Promotional Items

SERVICESPhoenixFranchise

| ARIELLE KASS / CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

FINANCEKeyBank

To place your listing, visit crainsdetroit.com/people-on-the-move or, for more information, contact Debora Stein at 917.226.5470 / dstein@crain.com Kerr Russell Lisa B. Hysni has joined Kerr Russell as a Member. She focuses her practice on drafting and negotiating leases for commercial clients, representing owners and developers in the sale and nancing of commercial properties, and navigating clients through real estate laws and regulations. Hysni steps in as the Chair of Kerr Russell’s Real Estate Practice Group, following Kurt Vilders’ retirement in 2022 after nearly 40 years of practice. Paul C. Mallon, Jr. has also joined the rm as Of Counsel. A corporate attorney, he focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, as well as commercial and industrial real estate. Mallon joins Kerr Russell from Fraser Trebilcock.

KeyBank promotedhasOliver Saliba to StateAdministrationMastersAlbionBusinessfromEconomicsSalibaKeyBank’smiddlelongheManager.BankPresident,ViceCommercialRelationshipInthisrole,isresponsiblefordevelopingtermrelationshipswithmarketcompaniesacrossMichiganmarket.hasaBachelor’sDegreeinandManagementtheGerstackerInstituteforandManagementatCollege.HealsohasainBusinessfromClevelandUniversity.

Brands

Phoenix Franchise Brands has promoted Steven Longe to Vice President Operations.of Longe oversees all day to day operations for Fetch! Pet Care, Furry Land mobile pet grooming and Door Renew, while often taking on additional responsibilities. Also, he has played a key role in the company’s exponential growth. He leads by example with passion and dedication, genuinely making a difference with everyone he works with. Steven places great emphasis on all he does, with franchisees and teammates.

Schostak Brothers & Company, a fourthcommercialgeneration real estate company with projects around the country, has hired Charlie Rice as its new senior acquisitions associate. He will focus on growing the rm’s value-add industrial investment business across the Midwest. Prior to joining Schostak Brothers & Company, Rice worked on the acquisition of over $500 million in properties with Boston-based STAG Industrial.

communityexpandingRockford’sworkTheseandnetworks,commitmenthasinstitutionspartnershipsandherDetroitManagerClientConstruction’sRockfordnewRelationsintheirofce.Duringcareer,Bunnhasdevelopedmaintainedstrategicwithavarietyofandindividualsanddemonstratedasteadfasttobuildingcreatingconnectionsservinghercommunity.qualitieswillpowerherinSEMichigan,increasingbrandawarenessandthecompany’sengagementefforts.

Whitney Bunn, serves as

INSURANCEBrown&BrownofDetroit,Inc.

SOFTWARE / SERVICES BeneSys, Inc. BeneSys is pleased to announce that Kristin Geesey has joined us as SaaS Sales Director. Kristin’s career consists of 10 years of experience working with business owners, CEOs, CFOs, and Boards of Trustees. She has experience in consulting with clients on safety, trainings, OSHA standards, DOL requirements, bene t plan options, ancillary bene ts, and retirement plan options. BeneSys is excited for Kristin to assume her new role and expand the ways we serve software clients. Advertising Section

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

FINANCEMiBANK

Mi BANK has proudly appointed Brian Schwartz, CFA, as Chief Investment Of cer of its new Private Client, Family Of ce Group. In this role, Schwartz will be responsible for assembling a world-class team of strategic investment advisors through crafting strategic partnerships with sophisticated investment advisory rms. He joins Mi BANK with over 20 years of experience as a traditional money investor and hedge fund manager on Wall Street and an MBA from Fordham University.

• Crystal

CONTACTNEW GIG? Preserve your career change for years to come. Laura Picariello For many living above the Ma son-Dixon line, there’s a percep tion that slavery, the Civil War and the subsequent systemic discrimi nation of African Americans was strictly a Southern issue. Having actual sites people can visit locally to learn about the era helps change people’s perception of the time, showing that Jim Crow laws were a national phenomenon, Jordan said.“It’s three different houses in three different communities. This is important that these three institu tions, stories, people, events are be ing talked about,” he said. “It’s very important that we do not limit that narrative to the South. Restoring and preserving these sites will help us.”

34 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUG UST 22, 2022

•

CONSTRUCTIONRockfordConstruction

REAL SchostakESTATEBrothers & Company

HEALTHCARE / INSURANCE Health Alliance Plan Merrill Hausen uck has been named sr. vice president and chief nancial of cer of HAP. His 20+ years of nancial leadership experience in the health care industry includes 15 years at WellCare prior to Centene’s 2020 acquisition of WellCare. He most recently was CFO of Envolve Pharmacy Solutions, part of Centene’s specialty services division. His extensive experience governmentmanagingprograms will be a key component of HAP’s long-term growth strategy.

ACCOUNTINGCole,Newton & Duran Cole, Newton & Duran CPAs is pleased to welcome Gretchen Stuart, CPA, as Assurance Partner and Practice Lead. She has extensive assurance experience in public accounting and not-for-pro t nancial management. Additionally, Gretchen has provided assurance, accounting, tax, and consulting services to large clients across numerous industries and has deep expertise in the manufacturing, construction, real estate, distribution, healthcare, and employee bene t plan sectors.

Brown & Brown Retail segment senior leaders establishmentannouncedrecentlytheof a national personal lines leadership team to further business strategy development and drive organic growth. Regarding her membership on the team, Lisa Haines, private client leader of Brown & Brown of Detroit, stated, “I’m honored and excited to be part of a team of dedicated leaders who will implement a strategic vision that will deliver a superior customer experience for individuals and their families.”

CONTACTNEW GIG? Preserve your career change for years to come. Laura Plaques(732)lpicariello@crain.comReprintsPicarielloSalesManager723-0569

LAW

Malcolm X Aaron Sims grew up hearing sto ries of Malcolm X’s presence in the city and thought one day to check the activist’s FBI le to see if there was any reference to Inkster. ere it was on the third page: the address. Sims and his friend Dawon Lynn drove to the house and saw that it was still standing. ey sat on the porch and vowed to save it. at was 15 years ago. Now, Sims is the founder and CEO of Project We Hope Dream and Believe. He acquired the house in 2017. And in February, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.e Inkster house, at 4336 Wil liams St., was almost lost. Owned by Wilford Little, Malcolm X’s brother, it was the place Malcolm X called home between 1952 and 1953, and where he changed his name and be gan his rise in the Nation of Islam. But Malcolm X’s presence in Inkster had become the stu of lore, and the house was largely unknown. It had fallen into disrepair and was due to beLastdemolished.month,an archaeological dig at the home unearthed more of the story: a Faygo can, a baby stroller, an address plate. At the dig, Krysta Ryzewski said it was “really moving” to see how much the community valued the work that was being done. Ryzewski, an associate professor and chair of the anthropology department at Wayne State University, said the Malcolm X dig was unlike any other she had participated in: people hopped in to help, livestreaming the process and exulting in every bro ken porch light, piece of siding or door knob that was found. “We’re doing archeology in the service of this community,” she said. Malcolm X house in Inkster.

CIVIL RIGHTS From Page 3 The

POSITION AVAILABLE

The Sarah Elizabeth Ray house. | DETROIT LAND BANK

Melanie Markowicz, a partner and project manager with TwoSix Four, who wrote the National Regis ter application, said the McGhee house has a story worth telling. “We’d like it to be more known,” she said.

Little said she’s looked at 100 sites that could be ripe for recognition; 30 are ready for detailed studies. But funding is available for just ve. One that may be lost, even as it’s saved, is the home of Sarah Eliza bethRay,Ray.at 24, was denied a seat on the segregated ferry to Boblo Island. She fought back, also with the help of urgood Marshall, and her case also went to the Supreme Court. Her victory there is cited as a precursor to the Brown v. Board of Education decision, which ended racial segre gation in public schools in 1954. But Ray’s role, and her home, were almost lost. e house, at 9308 Woodlawn St. in Detroit, is owned by the Detroit Land Bank Authority and, like the Malcolm X house, was slated for demolition. Desiree Cooper, co-founder of the Sarah E. Ray Proj ect, helped get it o the list. Now, the land bank is planning to sell the house for as little as $1 to a group that can memorialize Ray and her work; proposals for an “adaptive re use of the structure that preserves some elements of the house while redesigning the space for a new use” were due Friday. e house itself is in such bad shape that Ellie Schneider, the land bank’s marketing and strategic ini tiatives programmer, said it may not be able to be saved. Unlike the other two homes in this story, land bank spokesperson Alyssa Strickland said because it is Ray herself that’s note worthy — and not her home — there are options about the best way to preserve the site. An estimate showed it would cost close to $115,000 to restore the home, but another winter may make that im possible. e house is “really in rough condition,” Schneider said. It’s experienced signi cant water damage and the condition of the wood is Cooper,delicate.whowas working as a col umnist at the Detroit Free Press when she rst heard of and met Ray — who had married and changed her name to Elizabeth “Lizz” Has kell, and founded the Action House with her husband, Jewish activist Rafael Haskell — talked to her months before her death in 2006. Cooper said she had never heard of the woman who “told me this amaz ingJordan,story.” the historian, said part of the reason Ray isn’t better remem bered is because she won her law suit and kept on winning. e Boblo boats were desegregated and the ght moved on to other battles that still needed to be fought. Plus, her name change and unwillingness to discuss that period in her life helped keep the history quiet. Cooper said she met family members who had no idea about Ray’s history. “She was still mad about that day in 1945. It was just degrading to her. The sting just did not go away,” Cooper said about her discussion with Ray, decades later. “We don’t think of the personal cost. What happens if you’re famous for the worst day of your life for the rest of yourStill,life?”Cooper said recognition of efforts like Ray’s, the McGhees’ and others whose history has been lost can help tell a story of Detroit as a place where social justice was a fo cus. The home where Rosa Parks lived, at 3201 Virginia Park St. in Detroit, was also added to the Na tional Register last year. Jordan, for his part, said the house is always part of an activist’s story. e more opportunities there are to save them, the more of someone’s history can be known. at’s partic ularly important in communities that have not always gotten their historyat’swritten.whycreating something at the site of Ray’s home is of particular importance to Schneider, with the land bank. It’s important that her story is told before anything more is lost.“We’re doing an absolutely horri ble job preserving Black history, preserving Black historical sites,” she said. “ ere is no bringing them back.”

VERY IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHAT WENT

Requests for Proposals are being accepted for: Grow Detroit's Young Talent ILT Pre-App Training Services 2022 Response Due: September 26, 2022 TAA / RESEA Services 2022 Response Due: August 22, 2022 Issued: August 15, 2022

Because of urban renewal and disregard for Black history, Marko wicz said many signi cant places were demolished long ago. at makes it even more important, she said, to preserve those that can still be saved. She called doing so an “opportunity for healing.” “ ere are so few that remained,” Markowicz said. “Physical places where you can see it, it’s not just a story, it’s not erased from the earth. e struggle for civil rights is still happening.”Velmaand Tony Rucker now live in the McGhee house; they rented it from 1990 to 2011 for just $200 a month before the previous owner sold it to them for $1. Since their purchase, the couple has been de termined to help the home get more recognition.“It’simportant because of what it meant not only to Black people, but all people,” Velma Rucker said. “ e case changed history for the United States. We take a lot of pride in the house and the upkeep. We’re proud to be the fourth Black family to live in this Bothhouse.”Velma and Tony grew up in the neighborhood and said they weren’t aware of the house’s history before a plaque was placed in front, in 1983. Tony Rucker said he knew Orsel McGhee as a man who sat on the porch while Rucker played base ball across the street, but his place in history was quiet. When he learned about McGhee’s role, Rucker said, he became deter mined to help preserve the house for the future. “I think it’s very important that people know and understand what went on here,” Velma Rucker said. “Hopefully, if they ever rewrite the history books, this house’ll be in there.”

HERE.”

AUGUST 22, 2022 | CRAIN’ S DE T ROI T B USINESS | 35 To place your listing, contact Suzanne Janik at 313-446-0455 CLASSIFIEDS Advertising Section

Contact: arielle.kass@crain.com; (313) 446-6774; @ArielleKassCDB

Orsel and Minnie McGhee

The Mayor’s Workforce Development Board (MWDB) is directly responsible and accountable to the State of Michigan, Labor and Economic Opportunity-Workforce Development (LEO-WD) for the planning and oversight of talent development programs in the City of Detroit. Designated by the MWDB, Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC) serves as the fiscal and administrative entity that provides workforce services to job seekers and employers. DESC’s primary funding streams include Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) that funds Michigan’s PATH (Partnership. Accountability. Training. Hope.) employment program, Food Assistance Employment and Training (FAE&T), Wagner-Peyser Employment Services (ES), and other public and private funding. The Corporation enters into contracts with qualified entities to provide workforce development programs and services to job seekers and employers. American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Center for Disease Control Foundation (CDC) funding may support contracts resulting from competitive bid process. DESC is seeking proposals from qualified individuals, organizations and/or firms Bid package for this RFP is available for download at this DESC

JOB FRONT Mayor’s Workforce Development Board Cynthia J. Pasky, Co-Chairperson David E. Meador, Co-Chairperson Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation Board Calvin Sharp, Chairperson Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation Terri Weems, President An equal opportunity employer/program. Supported by the State of Michigan, Labor and Economic Development, Workforce Development (LEO/WD). Auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities. 1-800-285-WORK. TTY: 711. Issued: August 15, 2022

https://www.descmiworks.com/opportunities/rfps-and-rfqs/.website:

— Velma Rucker, owner of the McGhee house

VELMA RUCKER “I THINK IT’S ON

“It’s unique in terms of the constant, enthusiastic support we’ve been re ceiving.”ere was “well-established, but undocumented history” of Malcolm X in the city, said Tareq Ramadan, the project manager for Project We Hope Dream and Believe. E orts to record oral histories as well as to recreate the look and feel of the home can help reestablish some of that“Youperiod.really can’t tell Malcolm’s story, you can’t, without telling the story of being welcomed into this home,” Ramadan said. “ is was a tremendously impactful time.” e ndings from the dig will help Sims’ team restore the house: Pieces of unearthed siding, door knobs and other fragments show the paint col ors and materials that were used in theLynnhome.marveled at the fact that neighbors knew the history, though much of it didn’t make it into the history books. He said helping to save the home was a life-changing experience, for him and for the com munity. He can’t wait for people to come to the site and learn more about Malcolm X’s transformation. “ is is part of Malcolm’s legacy,” he said. “Inkster’s where Malcolm came and changed his life.” Orsel and Minnie McGhee at’s the magic for all three of the homes being recognized: ese spaces illuminate details that can’t be learned in a book. ey show life. e home of Orsel and Minnie McGhee was just added to the Na tional Register of Historic Places, said Todd Walsh, the National Regis ter coordinator for the State Historic Preservation O ce. e application was completed through an Under represented Communities grant from the National Park Service. Such grants are available to help list his toric properties associated with communities that are underrepre sented in the National Register. e McGhees, in 1944, bought their home at 4626 Seebaldt St. de spite the fact that it was on what was considered the white side of Tire man Avenue in Detroit, the de facto line that Black residents weren’t al lowed to cross. e home had a ra cially restrictive covenant signed by a previous owner in 1934 barring Black residents from ownership, ac cording to the National Register ap plication, that was set to expire in 1960. e McGhees nonetheless got a mortgage and bought the house. Neighbors started legal proceed ings to get the McGhees removed when they wouldn’t leave on their own; the McGhees lost in Wayne County and at the Michigan Su preme Court on appeal. But they continued to ght the case with the help from the NAACP and future Su preme Court Justice urgood Mar shall, after Minnie McGhee wrote a letter imploring him to take up her case, grandson Reg McGhee said. His grandparents encountered prolonged resistance in the neigh borhood because they stayed, he said; people drove by the house shouting things and his grandpar ents slept with a gun. When the Supreme Court decided the case in 1948, McGhee v. Sipes held that racially restrictive cove nants were not banned, but that state enforcement of them violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. at meant there was no longer any legal backing to the covenants. e case had been joined with the better-known Shel ley v. Kraemer, a case out of Missou ri; because that case had more name recognition, much of the McGhees’ e orts were forgotten in time. “ eir persistence enabled it to progress,” Reg McGhee said. “I think it’s very important for people to re member these struggles, these small individual struggles, that have con tributed to the changes.”

Sarah Elizabeth Ray It takes 50 years for something to become historically signi cant, said Saundra Little, principal and direc tor of diversity, equity and inclusion at Quinn and Evans. In that time, especially in Black communities, there’s been a lot of disinvestment. Little said a lot of his tory is lost, or comes close to being lost, due to the passage of time. at makes the preservation of these homes even more important, she said.“It really means a lot to me that these structures are being saved,” she said. “Even though there’s been dis investment, if you see one great story, you have something to hold on to. It gives a little hope to the past.”

Kistner’s daughter did four sets of 40-round dives in the chamber and he said positive results started early on. “We noticed cognitive improve ments pretty quickly, along with im provement in problem solving,” Kist nerHissaid. daughter was later diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and she continues the therapy today. Oxford even hired his wife as a nurse and later Kistner as its marketing di rector.About three-quarters of the rough ly 80 pediatric patients at Oxford Re covery receive HBOT therapy. Peter son rst discovered HBOT after her daughter JeAnnah was diagnosed with viral encephalitis at 9 years old, leaving her unable to speak and nearly blind. rough her own re search, Peterson sought out HBOT for her daughter, who eventually re covered from the brain infection. “All the doctors said it wouldn’t work,” Peterson said. “I had to have a

HBOT side e ects are relatively rare, but it’s not danger-free. Com mon side e ects are sinus damage, rupturing of the middle ear, near sightedness, oxygen poisoning and seizures, which are already common among children on the spectrum, ac cording to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Proving science?

36 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUG UST 22, 2022 python still wrapped around her hand in front of the chamber room. “ e data show it’s healing. Lan guage recognition went up 200 to 300 percent for the kids in our program.” Not everybody, including the Food and Drug Administration, agrees. In fact, Oxford has been plagued recent ly by investigations from law enforce ment and regulators, including on going scrutiny by the Michigan Attorney General’s O ce and the Department of Licensing and Regu latory A airs. A former program di rector was charged Wednesday by the AG and arraigned on 18 felony counts alleging falsi ed therapist credentials and identity theft.

Desperation diving e walls of the hyperbaric cham ber room are lined with under-thesea wallpaper, providing an aquari um-like sensory experience to the children, and televisions hang above as a distraction if needed. As Peterson discussed the bene ts of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) — removes bacteria, in creases stem cell generation — her elderly parents were placed in near by chambers for their daily dives. HBOT involves breathing pure ox ygen in a pressurized chamber, pumping 350 liters of oxygen per minute inside to create double the air pressure from outside. It’s been a well-established treatment for de compression sickness, more com monly known as the bends, that oc curs when a scuba diver ascends too quickly. Other major uses include treatment for wounds that won’t heal, anemia, radiation burns and vi sion or hearing loss. On its various social media chan nels, Oxford advertises HBOT can be used to reverse aging, improve gen eral wellness and even to potentially treat individuals with long-haul COVID-19 symptoms. Andrew Kistner, marketing direc tor for Oxford, moved his family from Toledo in June 2021 to be close to the center. His daughter, Grace, has cere bral palsy and the family was desper ate for a treatment. “We had tried everything,” said Kistner, whose daughter had been in therapy between nine months and a year old. “She was making some prog ress but it was so slow. We didn’t have anything to lose. We’d rather lose a lit tle bit of money and time than later say we should have done it.”

Children ride around and play in the town square at the Village, a new addition to the Oxford Recovery Center in Brighton, which is aimed at treating children on the autism spectrum.

Brighton resident Jim Oxford, father of Oxford Recovery Center Founder Tami Peterson, gets treatment in a hyperbaric chamber in June .

$72,000 down payment to get that treatment. ey only treated her after a foreign doctor said they used HBOT back home. We don’t treat neurologi cal disorders like we should in the U.S.”So Peterson decided to open her ownOxfordcenter.Recovery’s HBOT therapy is cheaper — $6,800 for the recom mended 40 dives in its hyperbaric chambers. But the question remains whether Oxford Recovery is expand ing the frontier of modern science or pushing useless treatments on des perateHBOTparents.isnot an FDA-approved therapy for autism disorders and is not covered by any insurance provid er. Hyperbaric chamber use for spec trum disorders is not supported by the nation’s largest autism research organizations, Autism Speaks Inc. or Michigan’s nonpro t Autism Alli ance for “AutismMichigan.Speaks does not support non-evidence-based practices or in terventions,” the Autism Speaks orga nization wrote in a statement to Crain’s. “Unfortunately, there are several interventions that are posi tioned as ‘autism treatments’ or ‘cures’ that could be potentially harmful or exploitative of resources. Unfortunately, these ‘treatments’ or ‘cures’ are easy to nd on the internet and sometimes speci cally target newly diagnosed families.”

the center says. Studies show parents of kids on the spectrum try an average of 4.3 autism interventions simultaneously — leaving the cause of any progress nearly impossible to discern.

Rick Solomon, a developmental and behavior pediatrician specializ ing in autism disorders and founder of Arbor Autism Centers in Ypsilanti, said kids on the spectrum often are subject to the Hawthorne E ect when treatments are introduced. e Hawthorne E ect is when behavior or symptoms improve due to the at tention subjects receive from parents and therapists during treatment rath er than the treatment itself. “Young children with autism are always making progress,” Solomon said. “Especially if they are getting pretty intensive intervention. If you do something, almost anything, they will show at least some improve ment. But there’s always a backstory and a theoretical framework for fad treatments.“Allofthese fringe treatments have an explanatory model. Anyone can say, ‘I tried it and it worked for me,’ but it’s the worst form of science.”” Christina Durkin, a certi ed pedi atric nurse practitioner specializing in autism treatment at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, said the risks likely far outweigh the bene ts of using HBOT to treat autism. “Many children on the spectrum have sensory issues, so I worry it’s torture for that child to be shoved in that little tube and more traumatiz ing,” Durkin said. “We do therapies that are used ‘o label,’ but I struggle to understand the science of HBOT. It creates cerebral profusion, creating more blood ow to the brain. But this isn’t a profusion issue. ere is noth ing to heal in the brain that will con nect those receptors to improve com munication.” A viable treatment? Back at Oxford, Peterson expound ed on HBOT’s role in the entire scope of xing kids on the spectrum along side ABA, speech therapy, occupa tional therapy and more. Peterson

AUTISM From Page 1

Lesly Hendershot, a pediatric clin ical psychologist and clinical opera tions manager of the Ted Lindsay Foundation Hope Center at Beau mont Children’s Hospital, which is dedicated to autism treatment, said parents at the clinic are constantly asking about hyperbaric treatments after learning about them via social media or other online testimonials. “We’re in a culture where there’s a lot of misinformation that is readily shared,” Hendershot said. “Much of what we do at the Hope Center is teach parents how to be a savvy con sumer, how to look for red ags for pseudoscience. Anything that has ‘cure’ or using testimonials in their marketing is a red ag.” In the more than 70 years since au tism was rst diagnosed, there have been hundreds, if not thousands of di erent treatments to attempt to “cure” or “alleviate” the disorder. Most of them are not evidence-based, but it hasn’t stopped desperate par ents from trying, largely because spectrum symptoms are so varied and poorly de ned, leaving plenty of treatments for plenty of symptoms.

PHOTOS BY NIC ANTAYA FOR CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

e Oxford Kids Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Oxford Recov ery Center, raises money to pay for HBOT treatments for patients. e latest 990 tax ling for the organiza tion, formally known as Oxford HBOT Kids, raised $164,023 in 2020 with expenses of $134,682. e funds go entirely to patients in Michigan,

Cruising along e business is growing beyond prep sports. e PreP this upcoming season will broadcast 15 games each for the University of Michi gan-Dearborn men’s and women’s basketball programs. Bush also recently signed a deal to produce and broadcast games for the Motor City Cruise — the Detroit Pistons G-League a liate — for the second straight year. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Longtime Detroit sports radio and TV person ality Matt Dery serves as e PreP play-by-play announcer for the Cruise.Bush sees the deal with the Cruise as “pivotal.eteam took a big gamble on us as a new company,” he said. “ e team was unsure how deep they wanted to go with their broadcasts, but I think we nailed it.”

e PreP has grown to a sta of 50 that rivals what you see when you watch Detroit Lions, Tigers, Pistons or Red Wings games. at sta in cludes play-by-play and color com mentators, camera operators, pro ducers, technical directors, statisticians and instant replay op erators. A YouTube channel, free to view, has nearly 1,500 subscribers since setting up in August 2021. e venture started with $15,000 worth of production equipment and just ve sta ers — two camera oper ators, a producer/director, and playby-play and color commentators — for a Feb. 11, 2021, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s vs. Flint Beecher boys bas ketball matchup. e PreP so far has broadcast games for schools in the Detroit Public School League and Catholic High School League, which includes 2021 Michigan high school Division 2 football state champions Warren De La Salle. Bush charges $3,000 per high school football broadcast and $2,000 for other sports, all billed to the home team. e PreP projects to earn about $500,000 in revenue this year. Sponsors include Charity Mo tors, Pure Barre Novi and Detroit’s Woodbridge Pub. e PreP has a deal in place to broadcast two South eld High School for the Arts and Technology football games this fall after produc ing a broadcast for the team last year. Bush plans to produce and broadcast 10 prep football games this fall, and said deals are in place so far to cover ve contests. South eld A&T football coach Aaron Marshall sees e PreP as a strong outlet for athletes and fans. Marshall, in his second year with the program, said A&T reached out to e PreP about additional cover age this Boostersyear.and administration are on board with the costs, Marshall said, which are paid by the school booster program. “And I think the kids love it. Any time we can get them some expo sure, that’s a good thing,” Marshall said. “I think, too, in realizing that COVID is not 100 percent done, we want to provide people who may not feel comfortable being at a game, or even out-of-state family, with a chance to watch the game.”

Contact: dwalsh@crain.com; (313) 446-6042; @dustinpwalsh

Kevin Grigg, senior vice president of public relations for the Cruise and Pistons, called the partnership a strong“Chadone.Bush and the team at e PreP have been great to work with and serve an important role in broadcasting the Motor City Cruise, ensuring our games are streamed to a local and national NBA G League audience,” Grigg said in a statement. “ ey are passionate about deliver ing a high-quality, exciting and knowledgeable broadcast that showcases the talents and personal ities of our young Cruise players as they prepare for an NBA career down the road. We are excited for our relationship to grow in 2022-23.”

STREAMING From Page 3

“OUR NUMBERS HAVE REALLY SOARED. THIS HAS BEEN BUILT ORGANICALLY. WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, WE ONLY CHARGED 50 PERCENT-60 PERCENT OF THE TIME, BECAUSE WE WANTED TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE LONG TERM.”

AUGUST 22, 2022 | CRAIN’ S DE T ROI T B USINESS | 37 believes HBOT can heal the broken parts of the brain. “To heal a child, it’s all these things together,” said Peterson. “If I can heal you (with HBOT), I can retrain the behavior.”Oxford Recovery leadership be lieves it’s at the forefront of autism treatments. In a follow-up to ques tions submitted by Crain’s, represen tatives from the center said it has conducted two Institutional Review Board — an ethics review board re quired under FDA regulations for proper medical research — studies with the use of an outside doctor cer ti ed in hyperbaric medicine and an outside statistician. e organization also said its latest study has been submitted for publication. Solomon said there has only been one true blind study and it showed no e cacy for using HBOT to treat autism.“I’mnot a science snob,” Solomon said. “I trust my clinical judgment over time. I’ve been a development behav ioral pediatrician for 30-plus years. I keep my eyes open. I read as much re search as I can, and I’ve seen some di etary research that is compelling, but for hyperbaric oxygen, I just have not. e evidence just doesn’t exist to con vince me it’s a worthwhile treatment.” e center, in a statement, said most of its detractors have an ax to grind.“We have found a direct correla tion to complaints against ORC to in dividuals with unpaid medical fees and individuals connected to other local ABA centers,” the organization said in the However,statement.noneofthe experts were willing to rule out the future use of HBOT for autism treatments. “I never say never,” Durkin said. “While I don’t understand the mech anism behind it, maybe it could be used in the future. We’ve certainly had treatments we use now for ADHD and learning disabilities we didn’t consider in the past.”

Not a competitor Bush has been relatively free to grow those relationships. e Michigan High School Athlet ic Association does not view e PreP as competition, according to MHSAA Communications Director Geo Kimmerly. e MHSAA, through MHSAA.tv, charges viewers $10.99 a month or $69.99 annually to watch all games on the National Federation of State High School As sociations network. at includes playo games, which outside of bowling, e PreP is able to broad cast only through the rst few rounds.Once the COVID-19 restrictions on fans were loosened, Bush had to seek approval from the NFHS to broadcast games. He signed a deal to work as an NFHS a liate. e MHSAA, which lists 750 Michigan schools as members, has no say in a school’s interactions with companies like e PreP. “... the few schools that choose to work with a third-party choose that option because of the broadcast quality an on-site production team can provide,” Kimmerly said. “As for the money those third-party com panies are charging, that’s strictly a school decision and we have no connection.”MHSAADirector of Broadcast Properties Jon Ross in an email said 553 of the group’s 750 member schools are featured on the NFHS Network, with games available to viewers across the country. As of March 22, the end of the winter sports season, 33,056 Michigan events have been broadcast live on the network, second-most in the country and trailing only California. Bush said e PreP not charging viewers is strategic. “What we wanted to avoid is of fering something the fans had to pay for,” he said. “Our numbers have re ally soared. is has been built or ganically. When we rst started, we only charged 50 percent-60 percent of the time, because we wanted to build those relationships for the long“I’mterm.really excited. I feel like we can build on so much more. Sure, we want to have a successful busi ness, but this is all about getting the kids recognition. ere’s never been coverage to this level. ere are good highlight shows, but we’re do ing full games. I think this is going to take o .”

Matt Dery and Chad Bush talk during a broadcast of a Motor City Cruise game last season. Bush in 2021 established The PreP — a video production company focusing on high school sports. Bush recently signed a deal to produce and broadcast games for the Cruise in the upcoming season. | THE PREP

—Chad Bush, founder, The PreP

CEO Tami Peterson poses for a portrait at Oxford Recovery Center in Brighton. “ ese games are special and we want to keep it that way. e fans and athletes deserve high-level vid eo production, especially as people are opting not to attend games as much now, and that’s across the board. ey have the comfort of be ing able to watch our content when ever they want.”

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

Legal troubles Oxford continues to come under scrutiny from law enforcement and regulators. On Wednesday, a former employee with close ties to Peterson was arraigned on 18 felony counts for falsifying credentials as a behavioral therapist.Kimberly Casey Coden-Diskin, 34, was arraigned at the 53rd District Court in Howell on 12 charges of un authorized practice of a health pro fessional, which hold penalties of $5,000 in nes and a four-year prison sentence per charge, and four counts of identity theft, which carry a penal ty of $25,000 and ve years in prison for each charge. e state alleges Coden-Diskin used the identity of another behav ioral therapist to create her own cer ti cate and put that falsi ed certi ca tion on business cards, written documents as well as verbally telling patients she was a certi ed therapist. At rst, Oxford stuck by CodenDiskin.“Weare aware of Ms. Diskin’s past,” Peterson said in an email to WJBK-TV (Fox 2), which broke the allegations last fall. “As an organization founded by Christians, we believe in forgive ness and redemption.” But they eventually terminated her in DwightSeptember.Zahringer, founder of Pleasant Ridge-based Trademark Productions, sent his nonverbal son Bruno to Oxford Recovery for three years for treatments, eventually be ing recruited to try HBOT, which he said seems to have little e ect on his son.He said his family and several oth ers left Oxford Recovery last year af ter the Coden-Diskin story emerged as well as claims of physical abuse. Fox 2 Detroit reported about unex plained injuries on a child. “Do I feel taken advantage of? To an extent yes,” said Zahringer. “After a while, we were just a number. We were pushed in the last six months to go into the center, and now we know the reasons why. Money. But (Bruno) was scared of a lot of things going on in Athere.”representative from the AG’s Of ce con rmed they have received a “formal referral” to investigate Ox ford but would not comment on whether the center itself is being ac tively investigated. e Michigan De partment of Licensing and Regulato ry A airs is also investigating the center. It’s unclear whether the inves tigations are related to the CodenDiskin charges or other issues with Oxford and its operations. e Michigan State Police and Brighton Police Department also in vestigated the abuse claims brought forward by parents. No charges were led. Oxford Recovery said the inju ries were self-in icted. “ is complaint will be closed as unfounded,” the center said. Representatives from Oxford Re covery Center said the investment in the new ABA facility is proof that Pe terson and the company cares far more about patients than pro ts. “Tami, as the owner, has dedicated her life to providing for others, in lieu of herself. She has no equity inves tors, so she is not responsible for making them money, rather invests pro ts back into the center, giving back to others,” the statement read. “ e large and revolutionary facility is not a testament to the pro ts we receive from providing services, but a testament to our commitment to pro vide the best therapy possible.”

 I hear you’re a big Beyoncé fan? Yeah, for a recent Zoom team meeting, we started with another Ode to Beyoncé from her new album. My team, they’re amazing people. They let me start o our meetings with pop culture. They’re into it, too. If I had my druthers, it would be Beyoncé all the time. But we also talk about new music, new movies, what people are watching on Net ix or streaming. We start meetingsouro with music, Beyoncé, movie clips.

Assistant Managing Editor Lauren Abdel-Razzaq, (313) 446-5800 or lauren.razzaq@crain.com

THERUMBLINGSDETROITCHAPTER of the National Association of Black Journalists is celebrating its 40th anniversary of supporting Black members of the media by launching new scholarships for students going into the eld.NABJ Detroit, which was founded in 1982 by members of local print and broadcast media and has 120 dues-paying members, plans to launch 6-8 new scholarships for incoming college students and students already pursuing careers in print, broadcast or public relations, said Vince McCraw, chapter president since 2017. “ e Detroit chapter is one of the older chapters,” said McCraw, who also works as the regional manager of the Report for America program. “With the many folks who have come through Detroit working at e Free Press, e Detroit News, the TV stations, we thought it would be a good time to recognize what NABJ has done and what it means to those working in the city as journalists.” e national chapter of the NABJ was founded in 1975 in Washington, D.C.To raise the money needed for the scholarships, McCraw said the local chapter plans to launch several fundraisers in the coming months, including a T-shirt sale. On ursday,

 Is Detroit a microcosm for anything happening in philanthropy right now across the country? In many ways it is. As Detroit goes, so does other communities and cities across the country, just given our perspective. So everything that we’re focused on in Detroit, whether it’s how do you expand entrepreneurship for communities of color to how do you ensure greater a ordable housing in cities, we’re seeing all of that in other communities where we’re working across the country. And so we really try and think about how the things that we’re doing here connect with other communities that are either struggling with the same issues or might even have more going on that we can learn from.

Creative Director Thomas J. Linden, tlinden@crain.com

Research and Data Editor Sonya Hill, (313) 446-0402 or shill@crain.com Newsroom (313) 446-0329, FAX (313) 446-1687 TIP LINE (313) 446-6766

Kirk Pinho, senior reporter, real estate. (313) 446-0412 or kpinho@crain.com

Arielle Kass, residential real estate. (313) 446-6774 or arielle.kass@crain.com

Digital Editor for Audience Elizabeth Couch, (313) 446-0419 or elizabeth.couch@crain.com

Digital Portfolio Manager Tim Simpson, (313) 446-6788 or tsimpson@crain.com Assistant Managing Editor Beth Reeber Valone, (313) 446-5875 or bvalone@crain.com

Wendy Lewis Jackson, managing director, Detroit program, Kresge Foundation

Design and Copy Editor Beth Jachman, (313) 446-0356 or bjachman@crain.com

Special Projects Editor Amy Elliott Bragg, (313) 446-1646 or abragg@crain.com

and organizing e orts so that Detroiters are able to elevate their voice in city policy and decision making. So it’s really kind of a multi-layered approach to neighborhood revitalization in Detroit.

38 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUGUST 22, 2022 THE CONVERSATION

Nick Manes nance and technology. (313) 446-1626 or nmanes@crain.com

perfect one of my grandmother’s recipes. You know she didn’t write it down, so I’m trying to do it o of memory. I’m not trying to start a peach cobbler war in Detroit, but I do have my spots. I’m not gonna say them. I’m pretty easygoing, but don’t give me a bad peach cobbler.

READ ALL THE CONVERSATIONS AT CRAINSDETROIT.COM/THECONVERSATION

Sherri Welch, senior reporter, nonpro ts and philanthropy. (313) 446-1694 or swelch@crain.com

Associate Creative Director Karen Freese Zane, kfreese@crain.com Art Director Kayla Byler, kayla.byler@crain.com

 Is there anything in particular that you have brought to the foundation’s focus on Detroit? My tenure at the foundation has really been focused on pivoting our work in Detroit to focus on neighborhoods. We work citywide, but we added a greater emphasis and really doubled down on neighborhoods in 2016 when I became leader of the program. We are really stacking and aligning a lot of our strategies that are focused on physical revitalization projects. So that shows up in things like our Kresge Innovative Projects Detroit program, where we’re providing leaders within neighborhoods with resources to develop the design, develop and implement their own projects. It also shows up in some of the work that we’re doing in arts and culture, to lift up and elevate the work of artists that are working in collaboration with di erent neighborhood organizations to expand access to arts and culture within neighborhoods. We’re also very much focused on community engagement

Kurt Nagl manufacturing. (313) 446-0337 or knagl@crain.com

Dustin Walsh, senior reporter, health care. (313) 446-6042 or dwalsh@crain.com

David Eggert senior reporter (313) 446-1654 or david.eggert@crain.com

Executive Editor Kelley Root, (313) 446-0319 or kelley.root@crain.com

 What else do you do for fun? I’m a beenconnoisseur.peachalsoausuallyfreeandjunkie,basketballhugecollegepro.Inmytime,I’mwatchinggame.I’mahugecobblerI’vetryingto

BY| SHERRI WELCH crainsdetroit.com Publisher and CEO KC Crain Group Publisher Jim Kirk, (312) 397-5503 or jkirk@crain.com Associate Publisher Lisa Rudy, (313) 446-6032 or lrudy@crain.com

REPORTERS Minnah Arshad, city of Detroit, (313) 446-0416 or minnah.arshad@crain.com

A Grand Rapids native who spent summers at her grandparents’ home in Detroit, Wendy Lewis Jackson, managing director for the Kresge Foundation’s Detroit program, got an early immersion in entrepreneurship. Her maternal grandparents ran the rst Black-owned grocery store in Grand Rapids and owned a window-cleaning business. Today, she has oversight for nearly a third of Kresge’s total annual grant making, or about $39 million last year. All of it is focused on Detroit, the city she said helped raise her. And part of it is supporting entrepreneurs of color. She is a self-described “peach cobbler connossier” and easygoing — unless you give her a bad cobbler.

Kresge’s Wendy Lewis Jackson on trust and baking a mean peach cobbler

 What is ‘trust-based philanthropy’ and how does that t into your approach in Detroit? When you strip it all away, it’s basically shared decision making, that all of the decisions do not need to come out of the foundation about where resources go and how they get deployed. The best example for us in our work right now is through our KIPD program where residents are at the decision-making table regarding where resources go for various neighborhood projects. It’s a national trend as well as I would say a local trend because as I talked to more and more of my colleagues in philanthropy here in the region, everyone is, I think, trying to explore opportunities that allow greater access to how decisions are made about at least where philanthropic resources land in the community. The issues of equity are certainly driving the push for expanding the decision-making table around philanthropic resources.

MEMBERSHIPS CLASSIC $169/yr. (Can/Mex: $210, International: $340), ENHANCED $399/yr. (Can/Mex: $499, International: $799), PREMIER $1,299/yr. (Can/Mex/International: $1,299). To become a member visit www.crainsdetroit.com/ membership or call (877) 824-9374 Group and Corporate Membership Sales Deb Harper, (313) 446-1623 or dharper@crain.com

National Association of Black Journalists launches scholarships

Managing Editor Michael Lee, (313) 446-1630 or malee@crain.com

Jason Davis, small and emerging businesses. (313) 446-1612 or Jason.davis@crain.com

Rachel Watson, West Michigan, (989) 533-9685 or rachel.watson@crain.com

ADVERTISING/MARKETING Sales Inquiries (313) 446-6032; FAX (313) 393-0997 Director of Events and Program Content Kristin Bull, (313) 446-1608 or kbull@crain.com Events Director Samantha Flowers Senior Account Executives Maria Marcantonio, John Petty Advertising Sales Lindsey Apostol, Ainsley Burgess, Sharon Mulroy Content Marketing Specialist Allie Jacobs People on the Move Manager Debora Stein, (917) 226-5470, dstein@crain.com Marketing Manager Lynn Zott, lzott@crain.com or (313) 446-6762 Media Services Manager Nicole Spell (212) 210-0230 or nspell@crain.com Classi ed Sales and Sales Support Suzanne Janik CUSTOMER SERVICE Single copy purchases, publication information, or membership inquiries: (877) 824-9374 or customerservice@crainsdetroit.com Reprints: Laura Picariello (732) 723-0569 or lpicariello@crain.com Crain’s Detroit Business is published by Crain Communications Inc. Chairman, Editor Emeritus Keith E. Crain Vice Chairman Mary Kay Crain President and CEO KC Crain Senior Executive Vice President Chris Crain Chief Financial O cer Robert Recchia G.D. Crain Jr. Founder (1885-1973) Mrs. G.D. Crain Jr. Chairman (1911-1996) Editorial & Business O ces 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit MI 48207-2732; (313) 446-6000 Cable address: TWX 248-221-5122 AUTNEW DET CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS ISSN # 0882-1992 is published weekly, except no issues on 1/3/22, 7/4/22, 11/21/22 nor 12/26/22, by Crain Communications Inc. at 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit MI 48207-2732. Periodicals postage paid at Detroit, MI and additional mailing o ces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS, Circulation Department, P.O. Box 07925, Detroit, MI 48207-9732. GST # 136760444. Printed in U.S.A. Contents copyright 2022 by Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial content in any manner without permission is prohibited.

 Foundations are focused on making sure community groups have the capacity to receive federal dollars granted during the pandemic. Aside from neighborhood support and violence prevention, are there other areas Kresge sees opportunities to leverage those federal dollars? Climate change and climate resilience. That is an area where you’ll probably see a lot more of our work in Detroit moving to or getting strengthened. We’ve already done quite a bit. But with the federal resources, we’re de nitely looking at more transformative opportunities like how do you think about regional water systems, both water and sewage? It’s for us a start to a much larger conversation that needs to occur regarding the regional water systems and how to prevent ooding in places like Detroit, Dearborn, the communities that are experiencing pretty signi cant ooding challenges whenever we have a rainstorm

NABJ Detroit kicked o the e orts with a press conference and reception at the WGPR Broadcast Museum at 3146 E. Je erson Ave., the rst Black-owned and operated TV station in the country. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and City Council President Mary She eld were in attendance, and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist sent in a recorded message. e fundraising e orts will culminate in the spring with a gala event and roast of veteran journalist and Editorial/Public A airs Director for WXYZ-TV (Channel 7) Chuck Stokes.“It’s important that we build on the chapter’s legacy of mentoring, recruiting, and promoting Black excellence,” Nicole Avery-Nichols, chair of the chapter’s 40-year celebration, said in a statement.

Audience Engagement Editor Matthew Pollock, matthew.pollock@crain.com

The Detroit NABJ Board poses with Mayor Mike Duggan. From left, Vincent McCraw, president; Vickie Thomas, treasurer; April Morton, vice president-broadcast; Duggan; Felecia Henderson, immediate past president; Alicia Nails, secretary; and Georgette Johnson, parliamentarian. MONTEZ MILLER

SOLUTIONS AND STRATEGIES FOR • Rising costs • Policy Issues • Labor force challenges THURSDAY, OCT. 20 8:30AM – 1:30PM THE HENRY PRESENTING SPONSOR BREAKOUT SESSION SPONSOR REGISTER TODAY CRAINSDETROIT.COM/HCLS22 2022

DISCOVER BUSINESS.FORPOSSIBILITIESNEWYOUR No matter what stage your business is in, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation is here to help you succeed. By connecting you to the resources your business needs, granting access to necessary capital and introducing you to the right partners, the MEDC helps your business reach new potential. Find out how we can help propel your business forward with customized support at michiganbusiness.org/pure-partnership