Crain's Detroit Business, August 28, 2023

SUPPLY AND DEMAND

Michigan’s economy increasingly depends on skilled workers, but employers are struggling to nd enough and then to keep them

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Indian Village set for rare new build

First construction in 20+ years planned

By Nick Manes

is fall, construction is expected to get underway on the rst new house to be built in the historic Detroit neighborhood of Indian Village in nearly a quarter of a century.

New homes are a rarity for the east-side neighborhood, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1972 and lled with stately mansions dating back to

around the turn of the century. In a city with plenty of vacant land, the Indian Village area stands as one neighborhood with few undeveloped lots. ose that are available, however, tend to sit on the market, experts say, as the time and treasure associated with building in a historic district can be signi cant.

e process to construct a new house in Indian Village involves approval of various design elements to ensure compatibility with the neighborhood’s historic

See HOUSE on Page 33

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Port of Monroe becomes testbed for autonomous shipping project.

CRAIN’S LIST

See our list of largest minority-owned businesses.

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CONVERSATION

MSUFCU’s CEO on growing to meet customers where they are.

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Matthew Aragones, 23, is taking classes at Lansing Community College to become an FAA-certi ed drone pilot.

Off-color campaign raises awareness of scholarship

MICU decides

By Sherri Welch

After failing to get the Legislature to change the name of the Michigan Achievement Scholarship over concerns about the acronym sure to be associated with it, the Michigan Independent Colleges & Universities has decided to lean into it.

It bought the URL, takemiastocollege.org after multi-year funding of the scholarship was passed last year and redirected it to the state’s website for the scholarship program.

“We thought it was fun. We wanted something that would stick in students’ minds,” said MICU President Robert LeFevre.

In the spring, when one of its members, Olivet College — soon to be the University of Olivet — held a press conference at an area

new Michigan program

school to announce free tuition for students who qualify for the scholarship and federal Pell Grant support, the association printed up shirts with the customized tagline, “Take MI-AS TO OLIVET!”

ey were a hot commodity, LeFevre said, noting the tagline especially resonates with the target audience for the scholarships: high school students. e association was hoping the state would use the tagline in its marketing materials, but the governor’s o ce has not indicated it shares the same opinion, he said.

e state labeled the scholarship as MAS but now has to put a disclaimer on marketing materials to make sure people know it’s not the trademarked National Achievement Scholarship, LeFevre said.

e Michigan Department of Treasury which is administering the new scholarship, among other programs, invested $200,000 in a statewide marketing campaign to

encourage folks to ll out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, which is required to apply for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and a trigger for people to receive it, said Bobby Leddy, the state’s director of communications.

at campaign led to a 2% increase in FAFSA form completions year over year, he said, citing data collected by the Michigan College Access Network.

If you meet requirements, the Department of Treasury will automatically accept you into MAS, Leddy said. But the state plans to market the Michigan Achievement Scholarship directly, as well, with the $10 million appropriation in the budget for a campaign.

“We’re working with our marketing teams internally to gure out what next steps are, but we appreciate how organizations and leaders throughout the state are promoting this program, because it is so bene cial for Michigan families,” he said.

In the absence of any state funding to directly promote the new scholarship’s launch this fall, the

Michigan College Access Network raised about $700,000 to advertise the Michigan Achievement Scholarship directly to students and families, LeFevre said.

“We’ll see what kind of (student) yield we get this fall with very little advertising dollars,” he said.

“If we underachieve enrollment goals ... because the word didn’t get out, then we would push the idea of at least testing a more eye-popping or in-your-face marketing campaign that would include MI-AS instead of MAS.”

e scal 2024 education budget includes up to $10 million to market the scholarship beginning Oct. 1. Obviously, the state has the

nal say on what the scholarship campaign will be, LeFevre said.

“We’re pushing for it until the state decides on a marketing campaign...we think we could get viral traction with it.”

Other independent colleges that have o cially declared “free tuition” as a result of the new state scholarship include Albion College, Baker University, Cleary University, Cornerstone University and Davenport University, said Colby Spencer Cesaro, vice president of Michigan Independent Colleges & Universities.

“Lots more have it but have not yet advertised the program or branded it speci cally to MI-AS.”

The infamous T-shirt that says “Take MI-AS to Olivet.”

“We’re working with our marketing teams internally to gure out what next steps are.”

Bobby Leddy, state director of communications

Business backing helps Pope Francis Center raise $37M

Support aids in mission to ght homelessness

By Sherri Welch

e day center for the homeless now known as Pope Francis Center had been operating in the basement of Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Church in downtown Detroit for decades when it caught the attention of a few Ford Motor Co. executives.

Ford’s now CEO Jim Farley began volunteering for the nonpro t around 2017 when he returned to the U.S. from his post in Europe. And the center was a destination for the Ford Volunteer Corps for many years.

Autonomous vessels vs. shipping issues

Testing network of maritime technology taps Port of Monroe for pilot

Michigan will be home to the rst-of-its-kind testing network of maritime technology as Newlab at Michigan Central in Detroit targets the Port of Monroe for one of its rst major pilots.

e project, expected to kick o in earnest in the coming weeks, seeks to untangle a supply chain plagued by ine ciencies while bringing new life to a port that is losing its traditional shipping operations.

e Port of Monroe will be the rst of several testing sites for mobility projects in Southeast Michigan planned by Newlab and Michigan Central since the

Brooklyn-based startup incubator set up shop in the Book Depository building renovated by Ford Motor Co. in Corktown. e

pilot program also represents the rst big test of Newlab’s model — to bring together startups, industry and the public sector — in the Michigan market.

e pilot project in the southeast corner of Michigan is expected to include emerging technologies running the gamut of port logistics, from battery-powered rail cars and crane stabilization software to autonomous boats. For the Port of Monroe, it means the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of maritime transportation at a time of great change for supply chains and energy sourcing, said Paul LaMarre, director of the port.

Godfrey Hotel opens in Corktown, blocks from Ford development

A new seven-story hotel in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood is o cially open.

e 227-room Godfrey Hotel at 1401 Michigan Ave. between Trumbull and Eighth Street was developed by a joint venture of Farmington Hills-based homebuilder Hunter Pasteur Homes and Chicago-based Oxford Capital Group LLC and Oxford Hotels & Resorts LLC.

e hotel, part of the Curio Col-

lection by Hilton, features a 5,000-square-foot rst- oor ballroom that can accommodate 300 people. ere’s also a seventh- oor bar called I/O, short for “inside/outside,” which will be open to the public, not just hotel guests; and a rst- oor restaurant called Hamilton’s, which has 93 seats and is slated to open in late fall. It’s a collaboration with Samy Eid of Chickpea Hospitality featuring classic American fare.

e property is located just blocks from Ford Motor Co.’s billion-dollar

Michigan Central campus.

“ is is a very exciting week as we will welcome our rst guests,” Aaron Black, general manager at e Godfrey Hotel Detroit, said in a Tuesday news release. “Whether staying at e Godfrey Hotel Detroit for business, a wedding or other special event, or as a destination to visit Detroit, guests will experience authentic local o erings and premier services and amenities.”

e automaker and executives had been lending their time, support and in uence before COVID hit in 2020 and the center was forced to shut down with the church.

Public awareness of the center took o at that point. e massive warming tents Pope Francis Center set up downtown for the hundreds of unhoused people who came for help in March 2020 and the center’s subsequent move to TCF Center (now Huntington Place) that November made headlines.

ose connections, increased public awareness of the center’s mission and its plan for ending homelessness in the city have led to an outpouring of support and accelerated its growth over the last several years.

Its annual budget — $500,000 seven to eight years ago when it secured a formal 501(c)3 nonpro t designation — is expected to reach about $5 million in 2024. And less than a year out of the pandemic, it has raised $37 million of a $40 million goal to fund a Bridge Housing Campus for the homeless on the city’s west side.

Under construction since April

2022 in Detroit’s Core City, near Warren and I-96, the block-long development of connected buildings will include 40 studio apartments to provide “bridge” housing for 90-120 days, along with psychological, addiction, social and job-readiness services to help the chronically homeless prepare to move into housing. It will also include a heated outdoor shelter space for those who aren’t yet ready to go inside, along with a cafeteria, gymnasium, library, classrooms and a health clinic.

It’s set to open next spring under the direction of the Rev. Tim McCabe, who was promoted to president and CEO of the center, e ective in September. He had served as executive director since June 2015.

Serving the community

Pope Francis Center has been developing plans for the facility since 2019, following McCabe’s visits to 22 other shelters around the country to benchmark best practices for helping get the chronically homeless o the streets and ready to go into housing. e project marks a departure

from the permanent supportive housing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds as what it believes is the best path to ending homelessness. HUD provides tens of millions of dollars to the Detroit Continuum of Care each year to be allocated to housing supports for the homeless.

Mythos AI will bring to the Port of Monroe its autonomous vessel, Archie, which functions as the “Roomba of ports,” mapping the depths of water from its surface.

Crain's Detroit Business

Kurt Nagl

The I/O Rooftop bar at the Godfrey Hotel.

“I think the vision Father Tim has laid out...has really resonated with people.”

Jim Vella, founder, Vella Strategic Philanthropy LLC

“This is a value-added proposition,” Paul LaMarre, director of the Port of Monroe, said of becoming a testbed for maritime technology.

Michigan’s #1 Financial Advisor by both Barron’s* and Forbes**

Charles C. Zhang

CFP , MBA, MSFS, ChFC, CLU Founder and President

Ford buys former Assemble Sound church property

By Kirk Pinho

Ford Motor Co. has added a historic church most recently owned by Assemble Sound to its real estate portfolio in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood.

In the coming weeks, in a preservation e ort for what was originally St. Paul’s German Evangelical Lutheran Church, Ford plans to remove and restore its steeple, said Catherine Kelly, head of communications and editorial for Ford’s Michigan Central project in the enclave west of downtown.

“ ough we are not actively looking to acquire additional properties around Michigan Central, we felt this historic church was an important exception,” Kelly said in an emailed statement. “Like the previous owners at Assemble Sound, we were deeply concerned about the long-term status of this 19th Century church and believe it to be an important piece of our neighborhood’s history.”

Kelly said Ford’s priority is to work with Detroit and the Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department to address the steeple.

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“Like our neighbors, we want to see it preserved, and we are going to do everything we can to do so,” she said.

e ultimate plans for the property have not yet been determined, Kelly said.

CoStar Group Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based real estate information service, says Ford paid $1.5 million for the Assemble Sound portfolio that consists of the church dating back a century and a half plus two other proper-

ties at 17th Street and Rose Street in the shadow of Michigan Central Station and Ford’s AV/EV campus, which includes Michigan Central Station and a former Detroit Public Schools book depository that reopened earlier this year following a years-long renovation.

“In the conversations that ensued after we approached Josh Sirefman and the Michigan Central Station team, it became clear that they saw the value of honoring the history of these buildings, something they’ve made so evident in the visionary work they’ve done at the Book Depository and Train Depot,” Garret Koehler, managing partner at Assemble Sound, said in an email. “We can’t wait to see their team give a historic building that has meant so much to so many people the love it needs and deserves. e property was instrumental in Assemble Sound turning our initial vision into a reality, and that reality will live on in a new location we’re excited to announce next year.”

e church, designed by Carl

Schmidt and opened in 1873, later became La Iglesia de Jesus Christo and Grace-to-Grace Lutheran Church. It had been vacant before Assemble Sound purchased it. is isn’t the rst time Ford has expanded its Corktown footprint since announcing its plans for what ultimately became a nearly $1 billion autonomous and electric vehicle campus in 2018. Ford bought the Arrow Chemical Products Inc. property last spring. e six properties total about 1.1 acres and include three buildings totaling nearly 29,000 square feet.

Assemble Sound — a Detroit-based record label and management company — put its portfolio up for sale in April 2022, saying construction costs to renovate the church soared and became cost prohibitive.

Assemble Sound paid $260,000 for the church property and two other buildings in 2017 and 2018 purchased through an a liate called Not Community Fellowship LLC registered to Koehler, land records say.

Auto supplier plans $170 million hydrogen investment in Michigan

By Kurt Nagl

A subsidiary of French automotive supplier Compagnie Plastic Omnium plans to invest up to $171 million at a pair of sites in Michigan to support a large award from an automaker.

e company is looking into a site at 4357 Baldwin Road in Grand Blanc Township for a new 200,000-square-foot plant to produce hydrogen storage systems, according to a brie ng memo from the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

Prior to full-scale production, the company aims to lease a 50,000-square-foot existing building for a test lab capable of validating the hydrogen storage systems for road use. e location of that plant is yet to be determined.

e name of the customer and description of the vehicle were not provided. Crain’s inquired with the company for more information.

e operation, expected to support 40,000 vehicles annually by 2027, will create 175 jobs, paying an average wage of $1,710 per week plus bene ts, according to the memo.

e project is being supported by a $5 million performance-based grant from the MEDC and a 15-year 100% SESA Exemption valued at $2.4 million.

e Michigan Strategic Fund board on Tuesday approved the incentives, which will help o set “the cost disadvantage of locating the project in Michigan” compared to competing sites including Ohio, Indiana and Canada. e grant will address costs associated with acquiring the land in Genesee County and establishing a power supply.

Assemble Sound put its property in the shadow of Michigan Central Station in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood up for sale for an unlisted price in April 2022.

Compagnie Plastic Omnium has 150 manufacturing plants and 43 research and development centers worldwide. COMPAGNIE PLASTIC OMNIUM

Michigan’s weed market is now the top in the nation

By Dustin Walsh

Weed. Jazz cabbage. Ganja. Jolly green. Righteous bush. Sin spinach.

Regardless of the name, Michiganders fully embraced marijuana’s legalization and commercialization.

Michigan is now the top marijuana market in the country — based on per capita spending.

rough the rst seven months of the year, Michigan’s marijuana industry sold $1.7 billion worth of product ($58.8 million in medical marijuana and $1.644 billion in recreational), according to data from the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency. Michigan weed is outselling distilled booze in the state and is on track to easily top $3 billion in 2023.

While Michigan won’t top California in overall sales, totaling $5.3 billion in 2022, it beats out the Golden State and other competitors, including the OG in legalization, Colorado, on per capita spending.

Sales in the Rocky Mountain State through June topped $782 million for a per capita spend of $134.03. California is less than $136 per capita. Michigan, however, topped $142.13 in per capita spending on marijuana product in the rst half of this year.

So are Michiganders just more in tune with getting baked than Californians and Coloradoans? Probably not.

Don’t step on the grass, Sam Michigan’s success in the mari-

juana game is correlated directly to the state’s regulatory, tax and overall business framework.

Following the legalization of adult-use recreational marijuana by voters in 2018, Michigan’s framework solidi ed it into an unlimited licensure state with comparatively low taxes.

e unlimited licensure allowed businesses to get approved to operate grow operations, processing plants and retail stores quickly. Yes, there was and still are problems with local municipality business licensure, but those roadblocks are eroding.

Michigan also taxes consumers among the lowest in the U.S. with a 10% excise tax on recreational marijuana sales. Colorado has a 15% excise tax on wholesale and retail sales. California has a 15% excise tax on wholesale and a per ounce tax on fresh plants and cultivation. Other top players like

President of former Beaumont hospitals out

By Dustin Walsh

Corewell Health has parted ways with the president of its metro Detroit hospitals a year after his hiring.

Dr. Ben Schwartz was hired in July last year to lead the eight former Beaumont hospitals, now called Corewell Health East, succeeding former president and CEO John Fox, who departed the system as part of Spectrum’s merger with Beaumont.

Schwartz left the role e ective Aug. 21.

e circumstances and reason for Schwartz’s departure are unclear. System representatives declined to comment beyond a press release.

“ is was a mutual decision,” Schwartz said in the release. “I am so proud of everything we have achieved together over the past year. I want to thank the Corewell Health East team for the spectacular compassion and kindness they bring to patients every day.”

Dr. Darryl Elmouchi, COO of Corewell Health, replaces Schwartz in an interim role.

“Darryl’s extensive experience as a physician and leader, and his deep familiarity with our system

Washington and Oregon have a 37% excise tax and 17% excise tax on retail, respectively.

It should be noted that Michigan surpassed about $850 million in excise and sales tax revenue collected from the marijuana industry last month, the Michigan Department of Treasury con rmed. at’s a number that almost seems unbelievable given the low excise tax.

e low taxes resulted in the Michigan market maturating very quickly due to easy access to marijuana and prices that shrank precipitously — maybe too quickly for some.

Recreational marijuana sales were only $9.83 million in January 2020, the second full month of legal dispensary sales in the state. By July 2020, six months later, rec sales topped $57.4 million. In July this year, rec sales were north of $270 million.

No more illegal smile

And that’s all about cost. e average cost of an ounce of ower in July 2020 was $402.72. In July of this year, the average cost of an ounce of recreational ower was $98.65 — prices have stabilized since a low in January this year of $80.16 per ounce.

at price collapse, of course, has crippled several business operators — Skymint and at least six others are under a court-ordered receivership — a natural byproduct of any new industry wrangling supply and demand.

Businesses still struggle under the weight of operating at low margins, but it’s certainly helped demand. Low prices and abundant product has pushed more and more Michiganders into the legal marijuana market, according to 2022 data provided by Oregon-based Whitney Economics and published by the National Cannabis Roundtable.

According to the data, 75.5% of all marijuana sales are in the legal market, as opposed to the illicit market. California is only at 44% legal sales; Oregon at 74.8% legal sales; and Washington state at 61.3% legal sales. Colorado is the bright spot here, with Whitney Economics projecting 99.8% of all marijuana sales in the state are in the legal market.

at means it’s likely Michigan still has some runway to its total market potential, but also shows there is a peak. Whitney Economics projects the total market demand for marijuana in Michigan

to top out at just over $3.2 billion, compared to $11.93 billion in California. Michigan is likely to come near that total in 2023.

e industry is yet to recognize any slowdown in the market. As of June 30, there were roughly 1.9 million marijuana plants actively being grown in legal operations for recreational sales, according to CRA data. at’s well up from the under 1.3 million plants in June 2022.

Passing the dutch?

But whether Michigan remains a top marijuana state by any metric will likely be determined not by Michigan’s market, but by whether other states coming into the market follow Michigan’s lead and let the industry blossom under less restrictive rules or whether they cultivate a slower, more steady market. Illinois, for instance, limits how many marijuana dispensary licenses it issues annually, limiting the supply to prevent steep price declines like seen in Michigan and elsewhere. Florida is still a medical marijuana only state, as well as Pennsylvania. Texas still doesn’t have any legal marijuana.

Ohio will be the one to watch, alongside maybe Indiana. A ballot initiative in Ohio gathered enough signatures and received approval recently to be on the November ballot.

It’s likely many Ohioans drive up to dispensaries in Michigan to purchase marijuana. But it’s still unknown if recreational legalization there would impact Michigan’s market.

and its transformational goals, makes him ideally suited to lead our east team through this period of transition,” Tina Freese Decker, Corewell Health’s president and CEO, said in the press release.

Corewell East has struggled with pro tability in recent years. Between Spectrum Health and Beaumont Health’s merger on Feb. 1, 2022, through the end of the year, Corewell East reported a net loss of $30,000 on revenue of $4.4 billion, according to Corewell’s nancial statement.

In a February interview with Crain’s, Schwartz said he was hired to mend fences between Beaumont’s sta and executives after a tumultuous few years under Fox.

“ ere was a time being a ‘Beaumont doctor’ meant something very special to the physicians here, but many of those high-caliber physicians left because of the struggles they were having with the health system,” Schwartz said.

“I am super proud to report that we have physicians from all over the country, some that left here, that are coming back.”

Corewell is beginning the search to identify a permanent president of its East division.

Michigan weed is outselling distilled booze in the state and is on track to easily top $3 billion in 2023. | BLOOMBERG

Want to sell people on college? Break out the numbers.

$32,639. at’s the median wage in Michigan for a worker with a high school diploma or GED but no post-secondary credential, according to 2021 Census data.

$39,894. e median wage for a Michigan worker with an associate degree.

$59,740. Bachelor’s degree.

$75,841. Graduate degree.

You get the picture. ese statistics show the clear correlation between income and education.

Unfortunately, in Michigan, we lag the nation and our Great Lakes neighbors when it comes to educational attainment.

It’s easy to understand why, historically speaking, given Michigan’s history of a strong manufacturing employment base that did not require post-secondary education.

But the glory days are over and, to keep up, we must put greater emphasis on education.

e latest Crain’s Forum package of stories, led by veteran Michigan journalist Julie Mack, takes an in-depth look at this issue and also o ers potential solutions.

e problem is laid out in stark data, even beyond the powerful wage gures shared above.

In 2021, 50.5% of Michigan residents age 25 to 64 had a post-secondary credential,

COMMENTARY

compared to the national average of 53.7%

At the same time, 33.5% Michigan residents in that age bracket had a bachelor’s degree, compared to 36.5% nationally.

Among Michigan’s 2022 high school graduating class, only 53% enrolled in college that fall. e national average was 62% “I like to share the statistic that after ve years on the job, somebody with just a high school diploma earns an average of $20,000, while someone with a two-year community college degree is earning nearly $40,000 a year,” Susan Corbin, director of the Michigan Department of La-

bor & Economic Opportunity, told Mack for Crain’s Forum.

We’re not saying everyone needs to get a four-year college degree to be successful.

at’s not the message at all. But, clearly, the evidence bears out that training beyond high school will translate into greater earnings.

Yes, student debt is real. But there are many programs, notably the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and Michigan Reconnect, both cited in the Crain’s Forum package, that provide great assistance for those who wish to further their education.

e bigger challenge, it seems, is mindset.

As residents of Michigan, we need to promote the value of education, especially as it translates to earnings potential and the impact on our economy.

Marketing the value of education is one of the key solutions experts point to when asked what it would take to increase the number of Michigan residents attaining a post-secondary credential.

“ ere are lots of di erent pathways or certi cations that you could get that would allow you to advance,” Brad Hershbein, a senior economist at the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, told Crain’s Forum. “But getting that into people’s heads has been really, really hard.”

Another potential solution is to keep our college graduates in our great state. Michigan o ers a lot of advantages — from cost of living to a central location to lifestyle amenities — and we should promote those more.

Also, experts note we need to improve our K-12 system to achieve better outcomes for our high school graduates, setting them up for future success.

No, not everyone needs a four-year college degree. But everyone should be made aware that they stand a much better chance of increasing their earnings if they continue their education beyond high school.

3 reasons Michigan’s budget is unsustainable

Michigan’s budget is unsustainable. e large increases in the budget can’t continue, because state spending has grown more than people’s ability to pay. And lawmakers have approved a budget that spends more money than they are entitled to receive. e state government, its taxpayers and everyone who depends on it would be in a better position if lawmakers practiced a little restraint.

e state constitution already has rules that encourage elected o cials to practice restraint in their spending habits. Lawmakers must balance the state’s budget each year. Legislators interpret that to mean that they get to spend as much as they expect to receive in revenue plus anything they’ve saved in the past. It prevents the state from getting deep into debt like the federal government, but legislators ought to do more than balance the budget.

ey can still ensure that growth in the budget is steady and certain by adopting a growth target rather than spending what is available.

Growth is not going to continue

Legislators have already blown through

most of the state’s savings, and the recent jump in tax revenue is over.

Administrators expect just a 3.4% increase in revenue for the following scal year, just above expected in ation. is is far less than the trends that have led lawmakers to spend 16% more than in ation since the pandemic began.

Legislators had to dip into savings this year to meet their priorities. Lawmakers started this year o with $9 billion in surplus funds due to spending restraint from last year. All of that is gone due to the multiple bouts of business subsidies, the tax changes, and the pork-laden budget.

Legislators will adjust. Every budget is about setting priorities for limited revenue. State o cials have had more money to spend, but the ramp-up in growth over the past few years is unlikely to continue.

at’s only one sense of sustainability. Another is more important.

The state budget has grown much more than taxpayer resources

State spending has increased from $34.4 billion before the pandemic to $47 billion budgeted for next year. at’s roughly $4,000 to $4,700 per person ad-

justing for in ation, a 16% increase.

Maybe this would be sustainable if Michigan’s residents were doing 16% better, but it’s unclear that they are. e average income of Michigan residents increased just 1% when adjusted for in ation since 2019. e state still hasn’t recovered all of the jobs lost during the pandemic.

Legislators are spending more than they are entitled to receive

State o cials based their budget on the assumption that the income tax rate is going to increase next year. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Democrats in the Legislature fought hard to preclude a tax trigger that lowered the income tax rate from 4.25% to 4.05% this year. Many residents might not have noticed this small tax cut, though, because Whitmer has refused to update state withholding tables to let people collect more from their paychecks. She also argued that the income tax pops back up to 4.25% next year. Attorney General Dana Nessel explained the rationale in an opinion.

It is an inappropriate interpretation of a clear tax-cut statute. Even if legislators believe that Whitmer and Nessel are correct in their reading of the law, they should practice some prudence and not budget under the assumption that they are.

Perhaps these three levels of unsustainability would be worthwhile if the increases in spending produced good results for Michigan residents. Have residents gotten 16% better government for their money?

Roads are further from the point where they get repaired faster than they fall apart. School test scores are down even with added spending and fewer students. Universities teach fewer students and award fewer degrees.

It is hard to know what residents got in return for the spending increases. Elected o cials run away from measures of the quality of government services. ey tend to boast about increasing inputs rather than about the quality of outcomes.

Lawmakers should practice restraint and try to keep state spending to levels that residents can clearly a ord. ey should try to peg the growth of the state government to the proportion of increases in the state’s population plus the growth of in ation. Staying below this level ensures that residents can keep a ording their own state government.

Extra restraint frees up money for unforeseen situations. Savings can be used to pay down debts, which reduces risk and saves taxpayers over the long term. It also ensures that taxpayers can keep up with taxes.

Restraint would serve residents better than a thrice-unsustainable budget.

BLOOMBERG

James Hohman is the director of scal policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a research and educational institute in Midland.

Best places to work on the top job perks

By Nick Manes

A good business suit is far from cheap, so having your employer help pay the price is quite the boon.

And it’s one perk enjoyed by employees at X By 2 LLC, a Farmington Hills-based health care and insurance consulting rm.

“We’re a consulting company, so we’re expected to wear certain attire for clients,” Alyssa Reuter, the company’s director of people and culture, said ursday during a Best Places to Work panel event put on by Crain’s Detroit Business. “ at actually was probably our longest-standing perk because when folks join we want to give them money to look nice.”

During the panel discussion, Reuter said the company reallocated funds for business clothes during the COVID-19 pandemic and put it toward health and wellness initiatives, including helping employees build home gyms.

Reuter was one of three members of the panel moderated by Crain’s Executive Editor Mickey Ciokajlo at the event at the new Cambria Hotel in downtown Detroit.

Joining Reuter on the panel were Ryan Williams, COO and co-founder of St. Clair Shoresbased Forefront Healthcare, and Mason Colman, COO for the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, based in Detroit.

For Williams’ company — a health care services business that was named the overall best place to work in metro Detroit during the event — that work goes beyond standard perks and focuses on employee engagement. at means ensuring employees have the correct tools to do their jobs and understand the purpose of the business.

“To me, those are very noble things that we should be managing,” Williams said. “And things that as leaders we should hold ourselves accountable to.”

For those on the panel — each of whom work for organizations that were named a best place to work during the ursday event — receiving such a distinction comes from a variety of o erings. at includes a healthy worklife balance. At Colman’s organization, it means providing a strict 9-5 work schedule with no work emails outside those hours.

“Our team knows that is our expectation,” Colman said, adding that being in the education space makes such a schedule easier to achieve. “What’s really lovely about it is that when you’re done at 5 p.m., you really are done. And I think time is the best way to give back to our employees so that they can really engage in their lives outside of work.”

Each of the panelists also stressed that ensuring employees have a variety of mentorship opportunities is mission critical.

Also mission critical: copious amounts of free food.

Williams’ company, for example, has a barbecue smoker on site and brings in chefs each day to provide meals. And no one eats at their desk. Dining at community tables is mandatory, he said.

Asked what happens if an employee is having a bad day and just wants quiet time, Williams said the solution is simple: “ en they don’t eat.”

The Modern Law

See the Best Places to Work honorees beginning on Page 10.

Crain’s Detroit Business Executive Editor Mickey Ciokajlo (left) moderates a panel discussion among leaders of Best Places to Work honorees (from left) Ryan Williams, Alyssa Reuter and Mason Colman on Thursday. BRETT MOUNTAIN

What new higher education budget does for students

By Sherri Welch

Michigan’s colleges got a longsought boost in funding in the latest Michigan budget, and now they’re working to put it to use to get students to graduation.

e $24.3 billion education budget for the coming year includes $2.29 billion in total funding for public universities in Michigan and nancial aid/scholarship funds bene ting post-secondary students at both public and independent institutions. Community colleges in the state will see $544.5 million in support.

Among the allocations is second-year funding to bolster the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which kicks in for students entering public, community and independent colleges and univer-

sities in the state this fall. e funding is expected to make college more a ordable and, as it rolls out, to boost total enrollment. Also in the budget: grants to spur higher education institutions to adopt national best practices aimed at boosting retention and completion rates through student supports and data mining; $112 million to fund deferred capital projects, equipment, technology and safety improvements on public university and community college campuses and continuing allocations to establish a per-student funding oor at public universities.

“What has happened over these past two scal years is exactly what we had been needing, a strong reinvestment in the institutions and in a new major nancial aid program, the Michigan Achievement Scholarship,” said Daniel Hurley, CEO of the Michigan Association of State Universities, which represents the

state’s 15 publicly funded universities.

“Given these budget plans, given the support we’ve seen from current gubernatorial and legislative leadership, we could be in for a much-needed period of sustained state reinvestment in Michigan public universities and the students they serve.”

A substantial scholarship

When it passed last year with bi-

partisan support, the $560 million Michigan Achievement Scholarship was set to more than double the state’s investment in student nancial aid its rst year, according to the Michigan College Access Network.

It is expected to have a huge impact on students enrolled in all three higher education sectors: community colleges, public and independent universities when it takes e ect this fall, Hurley said.

“Impressively, the forecast is it will

impact three-quarters of students...(and) reach well into the middle class.”

About 80 percent of families in Michigan qualify for it, based on expected family contribution, Hurley said.

Students whose families are expected to contribute more than $25,000 aren’t eligible for the scholarship.

It will provide up to $5,500 annually per year for up to ve years for students at public universities,

“We could actually see an uptick in enrollment overall... ”

Robert LeFevre, president, MICU

Allendale-based Grand Valley State University is among Michigan universities that will see an increase in funding. | UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS/ GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY

the equivalent of a third or more of tuition costs at those universities, Hurley said.

Students attending independent colleges in the state can get up to $4,000 per year for up to ve years, while those enrolled at community colleges up to $2,750 annually for up to three years and those enrolled in career training programs in the state up to $2,000 for up to two years.

“We can’t meet the labor force needs of any job that needs post-secondary (education) right now,” said Robert LeFevre, president of Michigan Independent Colleges & Universities, the statewide association representing 25 nonpro t independent colleges and universities.

“ at’s why the scholarship was introduced...we need a higher level of training across our workforce, from skilled trades all the way through a bachelor’s.”

e Michigan Achievement Scholarship funding should spur increases in college enrollment across the board by about 2 percent, LeFevre said.

at doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s statistically signi cant, he said.

“ e simulations our data people did showed that ...this program will help Michigan stem the college enrollment declines (seen) for about the past decade.”

“We could actually see an uptick in enrollment overall by full implementation, which takes ve years,” he said.

e education budget also includes $10 million in one-time funding to school districts to improve completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA required for scholarship applicants and up to $10 million for the state to market the scholarship as a way to lower costs for college degrees and credentials.

Allocating funds

Public universities and community colleges will see a 5% ongoing increase in operating support.

e ongoing increase in operations funding is a departure from the one-time increases the state has historically given the community colleges, said Brandy Johnson, president of the Michigan Community College Association.

It’s important because “ongoing” means it’s built into the base, she said.” e fact that 5% is such a large increment and that it’s ongoing really demonstrates the investment into community colleges by this governor and the legislature.”

Other allocations supporting higher education in 2024 include:

An additional $50 million in ongoing support toward the new Michigan Achievement Scholarship as part of the state’s plan to build the program out with allocations through scal 2026-2027. It brings funding for the program to $300 million.

$21 million to bring Grand Valley State University, Oakland University and University of Michigan-Dearborn, where funding had not kept pace with growing enrollment, up to minimum funding of $4,500 per full-time equated students. Saginaw Valley State University and University of

Michigan-Flint hit the funding oor this year, Hurley said, noting the three getting that additional funding in 2024 will also receive the 5% operating increase on top of that.

◗ $79 million to public universities and $32.8 million to community colleges for infrastructure, technology, equipment, maintenance, and safety projects awarded based on full-time enrollment. New this time around is the permissible use of these dollars for public safety and debt reduction, Hurley said.

◗ $5 million to public universities and an equal amount to community colleges for critical incident mapping, a process that uses digital mapping technology to identify building entrances, rooms and

evacuation routes to help rst responders act and communicate e ectively in emergency situations.

◗ $37.8 million for a new College Success Fund that will provide one-time, competitive grants to spur higher education institutions to adopt national best practices aimed at boosting retention and completion rates through mining of student data and academic and basic needs supports for students.

$70 million for expansion of the Michigan Reconnect Program, which o ers a tuition-free path to an associate degree for adults 25 and older, to those 21 and older. e community colleges are particularly excited about the Michigan Reconnect expansion, Johnson said.

e careers of many 21- and 22-year-olds who graduated during the pandemic were signicantly disrupted, she said. “We know so many of them did not go to college right out of high school...we’re hopeful this will get them re-engaged in education or workforce training.”

e program’s expansion, which takes e ect in October, is temporary, she said, because the state is using COVID relief dollars that have to be spent by 2026.

“Our hope is that it’s obviously successful and we can advocate in a couple years to make the change permanent.”

Outside of funding, the 2024 budget included a much sought-after reduction in reporting requirements for the state’s

public postsecondary institutions, something that will help cut costs for the universities, Hurley said, noting several of the reports that were eliminated were duplicative, containing data that was already publicly available.

A recent 2023 supplemental appropriation of $200 million will also help reduce the unfunded, accrued liability for seven institutions that formerly participated in the Michigan Public School Employees’ Retirement System to about $50 million, Hurley said. ey include Central Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, Ferris State University, Lake Superior State University, Michigan Technological University, Northern Michigan University and Western Michigan University.

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BEST PLACES TO WORK IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN 2023

Cool companies are often the best companies. So, we renamed Cool Places to Work, Crain’s Best Places to Work in Southeast Michigan. For this list, we categorize small companies as those with 15-49 U.S. employees; medium companies have 50 to 249 U.S. employees; and large companies have more than 250 U.S. employees. Large or small, the 100 top places to work in the region rolled with the punches the economic turmoil brought and upped their game. Companies of every size have developed ways to engage employees, make them feel heard and get them excited to show up for work in person or via Zoom.

Some companies offer feel-good perks, like massages and lavish vacations. At the same time, more are offering hybrid, extime and telecommuting options, sabbaticals, and increased health and wellness bene ts.

Looking for a pet-friendly of ce that also provides Fido with just the right health coverage? Several of this year’s winners have you covered. Who says, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch?”

Happy hours, coffee klatches, catered lunches, and staff chefs are all the rage, with one company providing dietitians for health-conscious teammates. Credits and certi cates for approved wellness activities, such as gym memberships, are also on trend. While many winners provide online and in-of ce yoga and meditation courses to get staff in the right mindset. Employer-paid health insurance premiums, adoption assistance, and fertility coverage are also increasing among the top 100 companies.

Whether you’re looking to improve workplace culture or considering a job change, this report should provide the information you need.

Lewis

Methodology: Crain’s Best Places to Work in Southeast Michigan is a survey and research-driven program in partnership with the Best Companies Group. Best Companies uses an employer questionnaire to examine applicant companies’ practices, programs and bene ts. Afterward, it surveys employees on engagement and satisfaction. Eligible companies are at least one year old, have at least 15 employees and are in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Ingham, Livingston, Lapeer, Genesee, St. Clair, Monroe, Lenawee or Jackson counties.

St. Clair Shores

Forefronthealthcare.com

Dan Bowen, CEO and co-founder Health care — Insurance/Services

Ranking in 2022: 1

U.S.-based employees: 800

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 30

Male/female executive ratio: 83/17

Voluntary turnover: 1%

Paid time off after one year: 28 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 85%

Forefront Healthcare’s employee perks include:

◗ Employees attend various MLB, NFL and NHL events

◗ Corporate chef and dietitian are on site

◗ Pet friendly

Cleveland

Oswaldcompanies.com

Robert Klonk, chairman and CEO (based in Cleveland)

Catherine Kosin, executive vice president, managing director, Property and Casualty (based in Bloom eld Hills)

Insurance: Property & Casualty, Employee Bene ts, Life, Retirement Plan Services

Ranking in 2022: 8

U.S.-based employees: 431

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 41

Male/female executive ratio: 67/33

Voluntary turnover: 5%

Paid time off after one year: Unlimited

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 95%

Oswald Companies’ employee perks include:

◗ 100% employee-owned

◗ After 10 years of service, everyone receives a four-week, paid sabbatical

◗ Appreciation wheel offers randomly chosen employee-owners the chance to win gifts, including an extra vacation day

3. National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity

Detroit

Facultydiversity.org

Robin Mohapatra, CEO Education

Ranking in 2022: 2

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 29

Male/female executive ratio: 14/86

Voluntary turnover: 0%

Paid time off after one year: 82 days*

Paid time off for community service:

Male/female executive ratio: 71/29

Voluntary turnover: 8%

Paid time off after one year: 25 days

Paid time off for community service: No

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 90%

X by 2 LLC’s employee perks include:

◗ Each employee has a senior adviser that provides active mentorship

◗ Employees receive money annually for health and wellness, home of ces, and professional development and dress

◗ Employees obtain pharmacy, vision and chiropractic discounts, along with pet bene ts

5. Apex Digital Solutions

South eld

Apexdigital.com

Jason Lambiris, CEO

Technology

Ranking in 2022: 36

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 20

Male/female executive ratio: 66/34

Voluntary turnover: 11%

Paid time off after one year: Unlimited

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100%

Apex Digital Solutions’ employee perks include:

◗ Onsite happy hours

◗ Recreation room

◗ Paid volunteer days enable employees to volunteer at a charitable or nonpro t organization

Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100%

National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity’s employee perks include:

◗ Pays 100% of employees’ health, dental and vision insurance premiums

◗ Employees can work remotely three times a week

◗ They can also leave at 3 p.m. every Friday during the summer

* This gure includes “OOO” (out of of ce) time, as employers can take up to four hours of OOO time per week.

4. X by 2 LLC

Farmington Hills Xby2.com

David Packer, president Consulting

Ranking in 2022: 48

U.S.-based employees: 70

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 60

6. Allied PhotoChemical Inc.

Macomb

Alliedphotochemical.com

Dan Sweetwood, president and CEO

Manufacturing

Ranking in 2022: 79

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 20

Male/female executive ratio: 100/0

Voluntary turnover: 0%

Paid time off after one year: 18 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 10%

Allied PhotoChemical Inc.’s employee perks include:

◗ Pays 100% of employees’ and dependents’ health, dental and vision insurance premiums

◗ Free, catered lunches two to three times a week

◗ Onsite cornhole boards and golf practice area

1. Forefront Healthcare

2. Oswald Companies

Company descriptions by Chris

Forefront Healthcare taps its professional chefs to prepare lunch for employees at their headquarters in St. Clair. | FOREFRONT HEALTHCARE

The Oswald team enjoyed a luau lunch. OSWALD COMPANIES

7. Autobooks

Detroit

Autobooks.co

Steven Robert, CEO Technology

Ranking in 2022: 63

U.S.-based employees: 78

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 54

Male/female executive ratio: 89/11

Voluntary turnover: 11%

Paid time off after one year: 34 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 60%

Autobooks’ employee perks include:

◗ Recognition Hub enables employees to recognize their colleagues for their efforts and success

◗ Professional growth opportunities

◗ Happy hours

8. Pophouse

Detroit

Pophouse.design

Jennifer Gilbert, founder and principal Interior Design

Ranking in 2022: 33

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 21

Male/female executive ratio: 0/100

Voluntary turnover: 41%

Paid time off after one year: 34 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100%

Pophouse’s employee perks include:

◗ Wellness walks, along with yoga, stretch and strength classes

◗ Dog-friendly of ce

◗ Employees can enter activeduty military service or perform other military duties and retain their tenure

9.

Romulus

Rka.com

Tom Cinzori, COO Services

Ranking in 2022: 25

Southeast Michigan-based

employees: 73

Male/female executive ratio: 60/40

Paid time off after one year: 21 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 40%

RKA Petroleum’s employee perks include:

◗ Pet-friendly Fridays

◗ Celebrations for employees’ notable personal and professional milestones

◗ Tuition reimbursement program provides each employee up to $5,000 annually

10. Brightwing

Troy

Gobrightwing.com

Aaron Chernow, CEO Staf ng

Ranking in 2022: 20

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 32

Male/female executive ratio: 66/34

Voluntary turnover: 24%

Paid time off after one year: 28 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 95%

Brightwing’s employee perks include:

◗ Employees’ children will receive a $50 check if they have all As on their report cards

◗ Onboarding offerings include a mentor program and extensive, position-related training

◗ Hybrid schedules, which are suitable for employees’ speci c needs

11. Detroit Regional

Partnership

Detroit

Detroitregionalpartnership.com

Maureen Donohue-Krauss, president and CEO

Nonpro t

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 29

Male/female executive ratio: 40/60

Voluntary turnover: 9%

Paid time off after one year: 31 days

Paid time off for community

service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100%

Detroit Regional Partnership’s employee perks include:

◗ Pays 100% of employees’ health, dental and vision insurance premiums

◗ Fully exible, hybrid work environment

◗ Fully funded professional development and tuition reimbursement

12. KIG Insurance

South eld Getkig.com

Jeffrey Belen, president

Insurance (Non-health care)

Ranking in 2022: 97

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 59

Male/female executive ratio: 85/15

Voluntary turnover: 1%

Paid time off after one year: 26 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 90%

KIG Insurance’s employee perks include:

◗ Diversity, equity and inclusion events and training

◗ Guided meditation and relaxation classes, followed by smoothies and a healthy lunch

◗ Tickets to sporting events

13. Liberty Center One

Royal Oak Libertycenterone.com

Rex Smith, CEO Technology

Ranking in 2022: 57

U.S.-based employees: 32

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 15

Male/female executive ratio: 80/20

Voluntary turnover: 0%

Paid time off after one year: 39 days

Paid time off for community service: No

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 13%

Liberty Center One’s employee perks include:

◗ Management is accessible to employees

◗ 100% employee retention

◗ Fitness competitions and rewards

14. Wilshire Bene ts Group

Troy

Wilshirebene ts.com

David Sokol, president Health care — Insurance/Services

Ranking in 2022: 5

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 25

Male/female executive ratio: 50/50

Voluntary turnover: 0%

Paid time off after one year: 28 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 50%

Wilshire Bene ts Group’s employee perks include:

◗ Employees can work at home two days a week

◗ Tuition reimbursement and continuing education support

◗ The of ce closes at 3 p.m. on Fridays during the summer

15. Hook

Ann Arbor Byhook.com

Michael Watts, co-founder and CEO Advertising/PR/Marketing

Ranking in 2022: 15

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 109

Male/female executive ratio: 70/30

Voluntary turnover: 13%

Paid time off after one year: 42 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100%

Hook’s employee perks include:

◗ 10-week, paid sabbaticals for employees who have been with the company for at least seven years

◗ Every full-time employee receives a discretionary, bi-annual pro t-sharing; over $598,000 was provided in 2022.

◗ Monthly, peer-led creative workshops and learning modules

At Boldt, we develop and build the extraordinary. From straightforward to complex, our focus goes beyond building great things.

Achieving visions. Championing ideas. Shaping communities. Strengthening lives.

Our work is about more than what we build. It’s bringing together extraordinary people, places and ideas to blaze new trails and improve tomorrow’s landscape. It’s helping the world build boldly for another 134 years.

RKA Petroleum

The Detroit Regional Partnership team at its annual investors’ meeting hosted at the Shinola Hotel

General Motors - Charlotte, NC Construction Career Days

Sutter Health Van Ness - San Francisco, CA

BEST PLACES TO WORK IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN 2023

16. Energy Sciences

Berkley

Esciences.us

Shelley Sullivan, president

Consulting

Ranking in 2022: 21

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 61

Male/female executive ratio: 50/50

Voluntary turnover: 13%

Paid time off after one year: 28 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100%

Energy Sciences’ employee perks include:

◗ Employees connect through “coffee clutches” and happy hours

◗ They also celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and other milestones

◗ Yoga classes and meditation

17. ICAT Logistics Detroit

Taylor Icatlogisticsdtw.com

Daniel Cser, owner

Transportation

Ranking in 2022: 95

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 19

Male/female executive ratio: 50/50

Voluntary turnover: 11%

Paid time off after one year: 25 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 25%

ICAT Logistics Detroit’s employee perks include:

◗ $500 travel stipends and $100 wellness stipends

◗ Monthly massages

◗ Meditation lounge

18. Lockton Kansas City, Mo. Lockton.com

Peter Clune, CEO (based in Kansas City)

Elaine Coffman, president (based in Birmingham)

Consulting

Ranking in 2022: 42

U.S.-based employees: 6,423

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 57

Male/female executive ratio: 43/57

Voluntary turnover: 4%

Paid time off after one year: 36 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 40%

Lockton’s employee perks include:

◗ Employees receive Rolexes for their 10-year anniversaries

◗ 12 weeks of paid paternal leave, along with adoption assistance

◗ Professional development opportunities

19. InvestWise Financial

Bloom eld Hills Investwise nancial.com

Dean Thurman, CEO and nancial planner

Financial Services

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 25

Male/female executive ratio: 100/0

Voluntary turnover: 0%

Paid time off after one year: 27 days

Paid time off for community service: No

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 75%

InvestWise Financial’s employee perks include:

◗ Annual Dublin, Ireland, of ce trip

◗ Employees receive free lunches every Monday

◗ They’re also allowed to bring their pets and children to work with them

20. Warner Norcross and Judd

Grand Rapids Wnj.com

Mark Wassink, managing partner

Legal

U.S.-based employees: 443

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 86

Male/female executive ratio: 67/33

Voluntary turnover: 11%

Paid time off after one year: 26 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 2%

Warner Norcross and Judd’s employee perks include:

◗ Up to 16 hours of PTO for volunteering or professional development opportunities

◗ Firm-sponsored diversity book club

◗ Paid sabbaticals

21. Cinnaire Corporation

Lansing

Cinnaire.com

Mark McDaniel, president and CEO

Nonpro t

Ranking in 2022: 19

U.S.-based employees: 149

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 27

Male/female executive ratio: 100/0

Voluntary turnover: 5%

Paid time off after one year: Unlimited

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 90%

Cinnaire Corporation’s employee perks:

◗ Free cell phone service

◗ Company-paid gym/health club membership

◗ Chair massages

Construction

Ranking in 2022: 61

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 211

Male/female executive ratio: 70/30

Voluntary turnover: 6%

Paid time off after one year: Unlimited

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 80%

Clark Construction Company’s employee perks include:

◗ Progressive maternity and paternity policy

◗ Several wellness apps promote employees’ mental and physical health

◗ Happy hours

23. Maner Costerisan

Lansing

Manercpa.com

Edward Williams III, president Accounting

Ranking in 2022: 40

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 168

Male/female executive ratio: 79/21

Voluntary turnover: 9%

Paid time off after one year: 28 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 75%

Maner Costerisan’s employee perks include:

◗ Annual $500 wellness reimbursement for tness memberships, along with other wellness/ tness activities

◗ Half-days on Fridays during the summer

◗ Each employee has a career adviser

24. AccumTech

Ann Arbor

Accumtech.com

Patrick Coleman, CEO Technology

Ranking in 2022: 78

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 47

Male/female executive ratio: 100/0

Voluntary turnover: 7%

Paid time off after one year: Unlimited

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100%

AccumTech’s employee perks include:

22.

Clark

Construction Company Lansing

Clarkcc.com

Sam Clark, president and CEO

◗ Impromptu workday activities include board games, euchre, movies and Nerf battles

◗ Happy hours and karaoke nights, along with family events like bowling and hayrides

◗ Alternating three-day weekends

to this year’s Best Places to Work honorees!

InvestWise Financial employees. | INVESTWISE FINANCIAL

25. FK Engineering

Associates

Madison Heights

Fkengineering.com

Fritz Klingler, president Engineering

Ranking in 2022: 49

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 32

Male/female executive ratio: 80/20

Voluntary turnover: 14%

Paid time off after one year: 19 days

Paid time off for community service: No

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 0%

FK Engineering Associates’ employee perks include:

◗ An annual oating holiday, which can be used for any day that employees consider a holiday

◗ Casual attire

◗ Foosball, pingpong and pool tables

26. Greenleaf Trust

Kalamazoo Greenleaftrust.com

Mike Odar, president and CEO

Financial Services

Ranking in 2022: 6

U.S.-based employees: 182

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 15

Male/female executive ratio: 68/32

Voluntary turnover: 6%

Paid time off after one year: 25 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 99%

Greenleaf Trust’s employee perks include:

◗ Pays 100% of employees’ and dependents’ health, dental and vision insurance premiums

◗ Employees are given up to $600

annually for approved wellness activities

◗ Each employee receives 100% paid leave for 12 weeks, upon the birth/ adoption of a child

27. Towne Mortgage Company

Troy

Townemortgage.com

Mark Janssen, CEO

Financial Services

Ranking in 2022: 23

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 223

Male/female executive ratio: 50/50

Voluntary turnover: 11%

Paid time off after one year: 26 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 95%

Towne Mortgage Company’s employee perks include:

◗ Mortgage loan discounts

◗ Referral bonuses for employees that refer people for a mortgage

◗ Monthly wellness-related prizes, including workout equipment

28. Marsh McLennan Agency

Troy

Marshmma.com

Rebecca McLaughlan, CEO

Health care — Insurance/Services

Ranking in 2022: 31

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 139

Male/female executive ratio: 30/70

Voluntary turnover: 14%

Paid time off after one year: 0 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 98%

Marsh McLennan Agency’s employee

perks include:

◗ Spontaneous “Sunshine Days” or “early log off” of ce closures

◗ During the summer, employees can log off by 1 p.m. every Friday

◗ Comprehensive well-being program focuses on six pillars: community, emotional, nancial, physical, professional and social

29. Blue Chip Partners Farmington Hills Bluechippartners.com

Robert Steinberg, founder and CEO

Financial Services

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 25

Male/female executive ratio: 50/50

Voluntary turnover: 0%

Paid time off after one year: 24 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 15%

Blue Chip Partners’ employee perks include:

◗ Pays professional fees, along with continuing education

◗ Hands-on training and opportunities for advancement

◗ Monthly happy hours

FK Engineering Associates staff participating in a hot wing challenge. | FK ENGINEERING ASSOCIATES

BEST PLACES TO WORK IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN 2023

30. JMJ Phillip Group

Troy

Jmjphillip.com

Dennis Theodorou, managing director Staf ng

Ranking in 2022: 34

U.S.-based employees: 54

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 31

Male/female executive ratio: 63/37

Voluntary turnover: 20%

Paid time off after one year: 22 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100%

JMJ Phillip Group’s employee perks include:

◗ Fosters continuous personal and professional development

◗ Open door policy

◗ Pays for employee gatherings outside of work

31. E7 Solutions

Troy

E7solutions.com

Edmond Delude, CEO Technology

Ranking in 2022: 99

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 37

Male/female executive ratio: 80/20

Voluntary turnover: 8%

Paid time off after one year: 29 days

Paid time off for community service: No

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 75%

E7 Solutions’ employee perks include:

◗ Pays 100% of employees’ health, dental and vision insurance premiums

◗ Virtual “Coffee chats” for employee camaraderie

◗ Culture Committee organizes employee recognition and appreciation programs year-round

32. Phire Group

Ann Arbor Phiregroup.com

Jim Hume, principal Advertising/PR/Marketing

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 25

Male/female executive ratio: 75/25

Voluntary turnover: 1%

Paid time off after one year: 31 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently

telecommuting: 100%

Phire Group’s employee perks include:

◗ Online yoga classes

◗ Companywide “take a walk” lunch hours

◗ Phire University enables employees to have continuous education

33. Fenner, Melstrom & Dooling PLC

Birmingham

Fmdcpas.com

Brian Hunter, Managing Partner

Accounting

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 40

Male/female executive ratio: 100/0

Voluntary turnover: 5%

Paid time off after one year: 34 days

Paid time off for community service: No

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently

telecommuting: 40%

Fenner, Melstrom & Dooling PLC’s employee perks include:

◗ After hours tax season parties

◗ Hybrid work schedules

◗ Employee committees range from Employee Relations and Marketing to Operations and Training

34. GRIT Technologies

Clinton Township

Grittechs.com

Greg Bischer, CEO Technology

U.S.-based employees: 32

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 29

Male/female executive ratio: 100/0

Voluntary turnover: 0%

Paid time off after one year: 17 days

Paid time off for community service: No

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 80%

GRIT Technologies’ employee perks include:

◗

Pro t sharing opportunities are available for each employee

◗ Free lunches are provided every day

◗ Dog friendly

Commitment to staff mirrors FMD’s devotion to clients

By Annie Zaleski for Crain’s Content Studio

Afew weeks ago, the sta of Fenner, Melstrom & Dooling, PLC (FMD) were not at their desks but outside on the sidewalk of their Birmingham o ce having a cornhole tournament.

e spirited team-building event is indicative of how the rm — which provides traditional accounting and tax services as well as nancial planning and consulting services — fosters a positive workplace culture built around collaboration and communication.

FMD employees get together for trivia nights and themed movie nights, take their families on sta outings and attend ball games together. FMD employees also come together to support local nonpro t organizations that are meaningful to sta , such as the Birmingham Bloom eld Art Center and Special Olympics.

“One of our core values is maintaining a strong commitment to our family, our rm and our community,” says Brian Hunter, FMD Managing Partner.

While team-building activities are fun for FMD staff, the emphasis on

CRAIN’S CONTENT STUDIO

workplace culture also translates into a higher quality of service for the firm’s clients, FMD’s leadership says.

“When we do things like play cornhole, we get to know each other and how each person communicates,” says the rm’s Senior Manager Brianna McNamara. “ at helps us be there for our clients and makes sure that we’re communicating well with them.”

Creating opportunities for growth

FMD clients include entrepreneurs and high net-worth individuals. The firm considers it a point of pride that they’ve worked with many of these clients for generations. That goes back to FMD’s commitment to providing timely services and advice and working on maintaining trust.

“We focus on creating a deep relationship with our clients,” says Manager Sara Li. “We schedule phone calls with them and go to their site. It’s not just the Partners and Managers — even the sta is involved in helping their business grow.”

FMD was founded in 1951 and now has approximately 45 employees with

a wide range of ages and experience. e rm views having this multigenerational workplace as a major asset, as the veteran employees pass down institutional knowledge and FMD’s values to new hires.

e rm also hires employees with nontraditional backgrounds. McNamara, who transitioned into accounting as a second career, notes the rm has hired people whose previous careers were in scienti c research and cruise ship hospitality before they found a passion for public accounting.

“Some people are starting here fresh out of college, and others are starting at 40,” she says. “But even starting at 40 doesn’t mean that you can’t be a partner one day. It’s about opening up those paths for everybody.”

Work-life balance

Working at a CPA rm is especially stressful during the height of tax season, between January and April. FMD acknowledges this with a generous PTO plan (including holidays) and the exibility to work from home when necessary.

“Happy professionals lead to happy clients,” Hunter says. “If our people are not happy, our clients can sense

that. It’s really important to us to make sure employees are comfortable in their roles and aren’t overworked or overstressed.”

For Li, who has been at FMD for 6 1/2 years, the supportive o ce environment is key. “Every day I come into the o ce, I’m excited about my work and also excited to see my coworkers,” she says.

For more information on becoming a client or joining the Fenner, Melstrom & Dooling team, go to www.fmdcpas.com.

JMJ Phillip Group matched customer donations for Toys for Tots. | JMJ PHILLIP GROUP

35. Superior Electric Great Lakes Company

Troy Seglc.com

Dale Massy, president and CEO

Construction

Ranking in 2022: 28

U.S.-based employees: 147

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 87

Male/female executive ratio: 83/17

Voluntary turnover: 0%

Paid time off after one year: 25 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 25%

Superior Electric Great Lakes Company’s employee perks include:

◗ Dogs are allowed in the of ce at any time for stress relief

◗ Popcorn, music and beverages at 3 p.m. every Friday

◗ Competitive wages and very generous annual bonuses

36. Slalom

Detroit Slalom.com

Brad Jackson, CEO

Consulting

Ranking in 2022: 37

U.S.-based employees: 11,536

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 333

Male/female executive ratio: 50/50

Voluntary turnover: 17%

Paid time off after one year: 27 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 30%

Slalom’s employee perks include:

◗ 100% employee owned

◗ Health and wellness social group for all employees

◗ Robust feedback and recognition program that employees engage with continuously

37. Greystone Financial Group LLC

Bloom eld Hills

Greystonefg.com

Todd Moss, managing partner

Financial Services

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 17

Male/female executive ratio: 60/40

Voluntary turnover: 0%

Paid time off after one year: 32 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 5%

Greystone Financial Group LLC’s employee perks include:

◗ Pays 100% of employees’ and dependents’ health insurance premiums

◗ Half-day Fridays

◗ Employees can work from home once a week

38. Identity

Birmingham

Identitypr.com

Andrea Trapani, managing partner

Advertising/PR/Marketing

Ranking in 2022: 44

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 29

Male/female executive ratio: 29/71

Voluntary turnover: 11%

Paid time off after one year: 36 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100%

Identity’s employee perks include:

◗ Personalized mentorship and coaching

◗ Career and leadership development opportunities

◗ Peer-to-peer recognition platform enables employees to recognize each other with bonuses

39. Mid-America Real Estate-Michigan Inc.

Bloom eld Hills Midamericagrp.com

Daniel Stern, principal and managing broker

Real Estate

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 34

Paid time off after one year: 29 days

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 40%

Mid-America Real Estate-Michigan Inc.’s employee perks include:

◗ Pool table and “pop a shot” games

◗ Employees receive a free vacation day for volunteer work

◗ Occasional half-day Fridays during the summer

Slalom Detroit’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group, Prism, marching in the Motor City Pride parade.| SLALOM

BEST PLACES TO WORK IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN 2023

40. Arrow Strategies LLC

South eld

Arrowstrategies.com

Jeff Styers, owner and CEO

Staf ng

Ranking in 2022: 56

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 38

Male/female executive ratio: 80/20

Voluntary turnover: 29%

Paid time off after one year: Unlimited

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 75%

Arrow Strategies LLC’s employee perks include:

◗ Casual dress policy every day

◗ Onsite game room

◗ Massage Monday, Yoga Thursday and Meditation Friday are offered every week

41. Butzel Detroit Butzel.com

Paul Mersino, president and CEO

Legal Ranking in 2022:53

U.S.-based employees: 230

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 209

Male/female executive ratio: 25/75

Voluntary turnover:15%

Paid time off after one year: Unlimited

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 30%

Butzel’s employee perks include:

◗ Strong nancial incentive bonus structure

◗ Meditation rooms

◗ Adoption assistance, along with IVF/ fertility coverage

42. The Senior Alliance

Wayne Thesenioralliance.org

Jason Maciejewski, CEO

Nonpro t – Health and Human Services

Ranking in 2022:86

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 96

Male/female executive ratio: 43/57

PROUDLY SHARING OUR SHINE

At Greenleaf Trust our sparkle just got a little brighter. We are honored to be recognized among so many other incredible companies as one of the best places to work in Southeast Michigan. Greenleaf Trust takes pride in being a place where our employees feel empowered to shine.

Voluntary turnover:27%

Paid time off after one year: 38 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 99%

The Senior Alliance’s employee perks include:

◗ Pays 100% of employees’ and dependents’ health, dental and vision insurance premiums

◗ Wellness challenges year-round, along with an internal wellness newsletter

◗ A “Fun Committee” plans fun events and employee recognition programs

43. Lumen Pediatric Therapy

St. Clair Shores Lumenkids.com

Sean Fossee, CEO

Health care — Provider

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 21

Male/female executive ratio: 67/33

Voluntary turnover:0%

Paid time off after one year: 6 days

Paid time off for community service: No

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Lumen Pediatric Therapy’s employee perks include:

◗ Meditation room

◗ Discounts at local tness centers

◗ Book club and professional development series enable employees to learn, bond and grow together

44. KLA Laboratories Inc.

Dearborn

Klalabs.com

Matthew O’Bryan, president and CEO Technology

U.S.-based employees: 187

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 145

Male/female executive ratio: 71/29

Voluntary turnover: 6%

Paid time off after one year: 15 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 75%

KLA Laboratories Inc.’s employee perks include:

◗ Pays 100% of employees’ and dependents’ health, dental and vision insurance premiums

◗ Employee Appreciation Day features live music and food

◗ Formalized diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives

45. Northwestern Mutual — Troy

Troy

Troy.nm.com

Dominic Mirabella, managing partner

Financial Services

U.S.-based employees: 177

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 176

Male/female executive ratio: 72/28

Voluntary turnover:3%

Paid time off after one year: 25 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 70%

Northwestern Mutual — Troy’s employee perks include:

◗ Family-oriented, as employees’ relatives are included in most activities

◗ Fun and stress-relieving activities weekly

◗ Annual Excellence Awards, which are selected by employees’ colleagues

46. PEA Group

Auburn Hills

Peagroup.com

David Hunter, PE, PS, COO Engineering

Ranking in 2022: 74

U.S.-based employees: 179

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 155

Male/female executive ratio: 77/23

Voluntary turnover:14%

Paid time off after one year: 24 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 70%

PEA Group’s employee perks include:

◗ Fitness and gym membership fee reimbursements (up to $480 annually for each employee)

◗ Onsite chair massages

◗ Extensive training and skills development for employees at all levels

47. Peabody Insurance Agency

Fenton

Peabodyinc.com

Grace Peabody, president

Insurance – Non-Health care

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 30

Male/female executive ratio: 33/67

Voluntary turnover: 11%

Paid time off after one year: 24 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 70%

Peabody Insurance Agency’s employee perks include:

◗ Zen room enables employees to work without any interruptions

◗ A walking trail is currently being built at the of ce

◗ Social committee regularly plans activities for employees

48. Center for Financial Planning Inc.

South eld Center nplan.com

Timothy Wyman, CFP, JD, managing partner

Financial Services

Ranking in 2022: 77

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 30

Male/female executive ratio: 57/43

Voluntary turnover: 6%

Paid time off after one year: 34 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 75%

Center for Financial Planning Inc.’s employee perks include:

◗ Café with a pingpong table

◗ Individualized professional development plans, along with nancial support for education

◗ Social events include bowling, curling, fowling, happy hours and Topgolf

49. MJS Packaging

Livonia Mjspackaging.com

Matthew McDonnell, CEO and chairman of the board

Distribution

U.S.-based employees: 85

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 53

Male/female executive ratio: 83/17

Voluntary turnover: 4%

Paid time off after one year: 28 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100%

MJS Packaging’s employee perks include:

◗ During the summer, employees can log off two hours early every other Friday

◗ Relaxed dress code

◗ Hybrid work schedule

50. Roncelli Inc.

Sterling Heights Roncelli-inc.com

Thomas Wickersham, president emeritus

Construction

Ranking in 2022: 70

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 82

Male/female executive ratio: 80/20

Voluntary turnover: 4%

Paid time off after one year: 29 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 25%

Roncelli Inc.’s employee perks include:

◗ Free, monthly nancial wellness seminars

◗ Company-paid lunches throughout the workweek

◗ Hospitality & Training Center features a commercial kitchen, bar, golf simulator, training center and arcade games

51. Signature Associates

South eld

Signatureassociates.com

Steve Gordon, president

Real Estate Ranking in 2022: 26

U.S.-based employees: 127

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 100

Male/female executive ratio: 62/38

Voluntary turnover: 6%

Paid time off after one year: 27 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 10%

Signature Associates’ employee perks include:

◗ Employee appreciation lunches and offsite teambuilding events

◗ Cappuccino machine, daily bagels, fresh fruit trays and frequent free lunches

◗ Rotating four-day workweeks throughout the summer

PEA Group keeps company culture strong

By Jessica Sparkes for Crain’s Content Studio

Acompany’s culture can be measured in various ways, from employee surveys and feedback to retention rates and engagement. Site design rm PEA Group, headquartered in Auburn Hills, tracks all of this and more — plus one slightly more casual metric.

“How are people behaving around the o ce?” asks Daniel Stys, the rm’s vice president and director of marketing and business development. “Are they laughing, smiling? Are they engaging with you? You can tell when there is stress in the air, and our job is to make sure we minimize that as much as possible.”

It is an atmosphere that has been fostered over decades and built not only on bene ts and bonuses but on employee recognition and staying pro table “through e ciency, rather than overworking people,” said Civil Engineering Manager Jeremy Carnahan.

Crain’s Content Studio recently caught up with Stys and Carnahan to learn more about what makes PEA Group a great place to work.

How does PEA Group actively support the growth and development of its staff?

Carnahan: We provide biweekly lunch-and-learn training sessions, we encourage young sta to participate in marketing events, and we have a large in-house training video library. We also do annual goal-setting supported by bi-monthly check-in meetings. We promote a mindset among employees that emphasizes their personal development over excessive worry about billable hours. We are about to launch an employee development program designed to enhance skill growth even further.

What does PEA Group do to foster a strong sense of connection among team members?

Stys: We make a concerted e ort to discuss our company goals and initiatives on a quarterly basis, at a minimum. is creates a sense of connection with everyone because we all understand that we are marching toward a common outcome. at is one of the things that we are proud of, and I know has made an impact.

Carnahan: Employees are not competing with each other here. e workload is shared and redistributed if necessary on a weekly basis.

In what ways does the organization encourage camaraderie throughout various levels and departments?

Stys: As we have grown into a larger company, we’ve developed opportunities for people to work together in and out of the o ce. We host regular internal events, such as attending a baseball game or holidaythemed scavenger hunts.

Carnahan: Many employees volunteer with non-pro ts like Life Remodeled or On My Own of Michigan. Our volunteer time-o bene t encourages sta to give back in ways like this.

PEA Group has been around since 1947. How has the company managed to maintain its values and culture amidst its growth and success?

Stys: e focal point is always providing a great client experience with a personal feel. A few years ago, we spent some time de ning our core values and the guiding principles that contribute to our success. ese elements now form the basis for our hiring process, shaping our choices as we select sta who align with these core values. We nd people who t our core values; those are the folks we are trying to bring in, and that is how we are continuing to grow.

How does PEA Group uphold a family-like atmosphere within the organization?

Carnahan: We prioritize employee well-being and avoid making decisions based solely on pro t. Having leadership that genuinely cares about the employees obviously helps, and is a trait that cannot be taught. We also laugh a lot and try to keep a sense of humor about things, even on stressful days.

Are there any employee stories that exemplify how PEA Group’s culture has positively impacted their professional journeys?

Carnahan: PEA Group encourages people to nd their niche. For example, they have allowed me to shi into a role heavily focused on training and work ow development

Are there any speci c metrics or indicators that re ect the positive impact of the company’s culture on

its employees and overall success?

Stys: Jeremy and I have spent a substantial part of our careers here, and it has been really rewarding to be rsthand witnesses and contributors to the positive changes driven by PEA Group’s leadership team. e training program, sta development initiatives, focus on employee engagement, and fostering a more positive culture together have produced impressive results. e momentum of career growth within PEA Group is now notably accelerated, a testament to these e orts.

Carnahan: We have higher pro t and lower turnover than years ago — we’re seeing continuous improvement.

Employees at Center for Financial Planning. | CENTER FOR FINANCIAL PLANNING

BEST PLACES TO WORK IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN 2023

52. Glover Agency

Plymouth

Gloveragency.com

Jeff Glover, owner

Real Estate

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 82

Male/female executive ratio: 38/62

Voluntary turnover: 25%

Paid time off after one year: 15 days

Paid time off for community service: No

Telecommuting options: No

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 0%

Glover Agency’s employee perks include:

◗ Pays 100% of employees’ health insurance premiums

◗ High-level training opportunities help employees achieve their goals

◗ Employees are rewarded for achieving certain milestones

53. ARMOR Protective

Packaging

Howell Armorvci.com

David Yancho, CEO

Manufacturing

Ranking in 2022: 35

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 36

Male/female executive ratio: 71/29

Voluntary turnover: 5%

Paid time off after one year: 17 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 65%

ARMOR Protective Packaging’s employee perks include:

◗ 24 hours of PTO annually to serve and volunteer

◗ An employee-led team facilitates activities like summer boat outings, Ground Hog Reenactment Day and Pajama Day

◗ Employees can also participate in events like Easter egg hunts, pingpong tournaments and ice cream socials

54. Brogan & Partners Advertising Consultancy

Inc.

Ferndale Brogan.com

Ellyn Davidson, CEO

Advertising/PR/Marketing

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 33

Male/female executive ratio: 0/100

Voluntary turnover: 3%

Paid time off after one year: 23 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 88% Brogan & Partners Advertising Consultancy Inc.’s employee perks include:

◗ Yoga on Wednesday afternoons

◗ Kid friendly, as each child has their own miniature red chair with their name on it

◗ Reimbursements on gym memberships, pet insurance and phone bills

55. Garber Management Group

Saginaw Garberauto.com

Richard Garber, president Services

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 96

Male/female executive ratio: 100/0

Voluntary turnover: 24%

Paid time off after one year: 18 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: No

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 0%

Garber Management Group’s employee perks include:

◗ Continuing education reimbursements

◗ Hybrid work environment

◗ Paid military leave for active military members

56. HRPro/BenePro

Royal Oak Hrpro.com

Kristopher Powell, president and CEO Services

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 36

Male/female executive ratio: 33/67

Voluntary turnover: 6%

Paid time off after one year: 29 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 50%

HRPro/BenePro’s employee perks include:

◗ Onsite massages

◗ Dart board and pingpong table

◗ Alternating Fridays off during the summer

57. NTH Consultants Ltd.

Northville Nthconsultants.com

Kevin Hoppe, CEO Engineering

Ranking in 2022: 30

U.S.-based employees: 106

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 101

Male/female executive ratio: 75/25

Voluntary turnover: 9%

Paid time off after one year: 23 days

Paid time off for community service: No

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 60%

NTH Consultants Ltd.’s employee perks include:

◗ 100% employee-owned

◗ Hybrid work schedules

◗ Professional development and growth opportunities

58. Entech Staf ng Solutions

Troy Teamentech.com

Kathy Camara, CEO Staf ng

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 46

Male/female executive ratio: 0/100

Voluntary turnover: 3%

Paid time off after one year: 23 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 18%

Entech Staf ng Solutions’ employee perks include:

◗ Chef cooks lunch for employees twice a week

◗ Full bridal/baby showers for engaged and expectant employees

◗ Dog and kid friendly

59. Vision Computer Solutions

Northville Vcsolutions.com

David Marino, president Technology

Ranking in 2022: 13

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 24

Male/female executive ratio: 100/0

Voluntary turnover: 8%

Paid time off after one year: 22 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 10%

Vision Computer Solutions’ employee perks include:

◗ Stand-up desks

◗ Onsite gym with lockers

◗ Game room

60. The Boldt Company

Appleton, Wis. Boldt.com

Tom Boldt, CEO (based in Appleton, Wis.)

Jeff Shipley, president of southern and western operations (based in Wixom)

Construction

U.S.-based employees: 3,365

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 45

Male/female executive ratio: 75/25

Voluntary turnover: 11%

Paid time off after one year: 28 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

The Boldt Company’s employee perks include:

◗ Wellness coach available on either a monthly or as-needed basis

◗ Personalized mentorship

◗ Financial counseling

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 Best Places to Work by Crain’s Detroit Business five years in a row!

Staff at Glover Agency having fun together during a team activity day kayaking. | GLOVER AGENCY

61. Image One Corporation

Oak Park

Imageoneway.com

Josh Britton, president and CEO Services

Ranking in 2022: 73

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 67

Male/female executive ratio: 100/0

Voluntary turnover: 10%

Paid time off after one year: 24 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 55%

Image One Corporation’s employee perks include:

◗ Game competitions lead to employee camaraderie

◗ Wellness events, focused on stress management

◗ Socialization events include birthdays, philanthropic outings and Topgolf

62. ACS Verona, Wis.

Acscm.com

Scott Hoselton, president (based in Verona, Wis.)

Chris Arnold, Managing Director, ACS Michigan (based in Troy)

Engineering

Ranking in 2022: 94

U.S.-based employees: 105

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 26

Male/female executive ratio: 100/0

Voluntary turnover: 4%

Paid time off after one year: 24 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options:Yes

Flex time options:No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100%

ACS’s employee perks include:

◗ Each month, employees are nominated (for gift certi cates and a potential trip for two) by co-workers for outstanding efforts or achievements

◗ Hybrid work schedules

◗ Employees, who consistently work on weekends, may be compensated with additional time off

63. OnTheClock

Clinton Township

Ontheclock.com

Dean Mathews, founder and CEO

Technology

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 20

Male/female executive ratio: 67/33

Voluntary turnover: 0%

Paid time off after one year: 24 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options:Yes

Flex time options:Yes

Percentage of employees currently

telecommuting: 100%

OnTheClock’s employee perks include:

◗ Pays 100% of employees’ health, dental and vision insurance premiums

◗ Education reimbursement program

◗ Employees work remotely three days every week

64. Farbman Group

South eld Farbman.com

Andrew Farbman, CEO

Real Estate

Ranking in 2022: 71

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 97

Male/female executive ratio: 100/0

Voluntary turnover: 28%

Paid time off after one year: Unlimited

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options:Yes

Flex time options:Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 50%

Farbman Group’s employee perks include:

◗ Onsite workout facility

◗ Weekly chair massages

◗ Employees can participate in an internal training program, known as Farbman University

65. Concorde Investment Services LLC

Livonia Concordeis.com

Jason Kavanaugh, founding partner and CEO

Financial Services

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 31

Male/female executive ratio: 17/83

Voluntary turnover: 13%

Paid time off after one year: 25 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options:Yes

Flex time options:Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 90%

Concorde Investment Services LLC’s employee perks include:

◗ Additional half-days of PTO occasionally

◗ Open door policy with management

◗ Peer recognition program enables employees to recognize one another for going above and beyond

66. EIG14T | 814 CRE LLC Berkley 814cre.com

Reed Fenton, CEO and partner

Real Estate

U.S.-based employees: 30

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 25

Male/female executive ratio: 100/0

Voluntary turnover: 4%

Paid time off after one year: 22 days

Telecommuting options:Yes

Flex time options:No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 10%

EIG14T | 814 CRE LLC’s employee perks include:

◗ Open door policy

◗ Employees can invest in the properties that the company builds for its tenants

◗ Monthly meetings, concerning company and department updates and statuses

67. Roadex Solutions LLC

Washington Roadex.com

Paul Adams, CEO

Financial Services

Ranking in 2022: 60

U.S.-based employees: 35

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 34

Male/female executive ratio: 70/30

Voluntary turnover: 22%

Paid time off after one year: 24 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options:Yes

Flex time options:No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 15%

Roadex Solutions LLC’s employee perks include:

◗ Positive work environment fosters collaboration, growth and employee well-being

◗ If employees achieve their sales goals, they can receive fully paid trips

◗ Season tickets for baseball games

68. Ancor Automotive Detroit Ancorinfo.com

Jose L. Flores, CEO Technology

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 43

Male/female executive ratio: 60/40

Voluntary turnover: 16%

Paid time off after one year: 41 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options:Yes

Flex time options:Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 45%

Ancor Automotive’s employee perks include:

◗ Subsidized, healthy and fresh eating options in the company’s breadless vending machine

◗ Community garden that employees oversee; all grown food can be taken home

◗ Highly approachable CEO promotes fun

Empowered to make a difference

As our landscape continues to change, the ability to respond quickly, creatively and compassionately is essential. At Lockton, our people are empowered to make a difference for our clients, for each other and for our community. We celebrate our Associates for embodying the independence, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of Lockton.

IT’S OUR PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE and the reason Lockton is a Best Place to Work.

EiG14T | 814 CRE at a Detroit Tigers game. | EIG14T | 814 CRE LLC

BEST PLACES TO WORK IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN 2023

69. Stout

Royal Oak Stout.com/en

Craige Stout, CEO (based in Dallas, Texas)

Kevin Kernen, real estate practice co-leader and Detroit of ce leader (based in Detroit)

Financial Services

Ranking in 2022: 55

U.S.-based employees: 862

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 100

Male/female executive ratio: 79/21

Voluntary turnover: 14%

Paid time off after one year: 25 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Stout’s employee perks include:

◗ Massage therapist once a month

◗ Opportunities for professional growth

◗ Four-week paid sabbatical after seven years of continuous employment

70. Miller Vein Farmington Hills Millervein.com

Dr. Jeffrey Miller, CEO Health care – Provider

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 69

Male/female executive ratio: 50/50

Voluntary turnover: 8%

Paid time off after one year: 27 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 15%

Miller Vein’s employee perks include:

◗ Pays 100% of employees’ health, dental and vision insurance premiums

◗ Four-day workweeks

◗ The company’s “Going the Extra Mile Award” rewards outstanding employees with an all-expense paid vacation

71. Cunningham-Limp

Novi

Clc.build

Samuel Ashley Jr., president

Construction

U.S.-based employees: 42 Southeast Michigan-based

employees: 35

Male/female executive ratio: 100/0

Voluntary turnover: 10%

Paid time off after one year: 19 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 20%

Cunningham-Limp’s employee perks include:

◗ Happy hours

◗ Bonding opportunities like pumpkin decorating contests and wif e ball tournaments

◗ Gifts for major life milestones, such as anniversaries, babies, birthdays, houses and marriages

72. Sachse Construction

Detroit

Sachseconstruction.com

Todd Sachse, CEO and founder

Construction

Ranking in 2022: 80

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 150

Male/female executive ratio: 100/0

Voluntary turnover: 21%

Paid time off after one year:

Unlimited

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 0%

Sachse Construction’s employee perks include:

◗ Camaraderie opportunities like darts and March Madness challenges

◗ Wellness program initiatives include gym subsidies and weekly fresh fruit delivery

◗ Four-week sabbaticals after 10 years of service

73. Automotive Industry Action Group

Southfield

Aiag.org

P. Matthew Pohlman, CEO

Nonprofit

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 50

Male/female executive ratio: 56/44

Voluntary turnover: 8%

Paid time off after one year: 28 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 85%

Automotive Industry Action Group’s employee perks include:

◗ Pays 100% of employees’ and dependents’ health, dental and vision insurance premiums

◗ Chair massages

◗ Wellness Committee coordinates physical health activities and challenges year-round

74. Lormax Stern

Bloom eld Hills

Lormaxstern.com

Daniel Stern, CEO Real Estate

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 33

Male/female executive ratio: 99/1

Voluntary turnover: 1%

Paid time off after one year: 24 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 2%

Lormax Stern’s employee perks include:

◗ Dog friendly

◗ Employees can leave work at 3 p.m. on Fridays

◗ They can also invest in real estate opportunities

75. The Taubman Company

Bloom eld Hills Taubman.com

Robert Taubman, chairman, president and CEO

Retail

Ranking in 2022: 47

U.S.-based employees: 331

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 170

Male/female executive ratio: 50/50

Voluntary turnover: 13%

Paid time off after one year: 7 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 85%

The Taubman Company’s employee perks include:

◗ Plum Market Café

◗ Fully equipped gym on site

◗ Weekly meditation group

76. MRPR CPAs & Advisors

South eld Mrpr.com

Angie Mastroionni, CPA, managing principal Accounting

Ranking in 2022: 76

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 45

Male/female executive ratio: 55/45

Voluntary turnover: 9%

Paid time off after one year: 33 days

Paid time off for community service: No

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 99%

MRPR CPAs & Advisors’ employee perks include:

◗ Formal career development program

◗ Chair massages during tax season

◗ The day after tax season is a rmwide holiday for rest and relaxation

Thank you again to our employees for making us one of Crain’s Best Places to Work

Our team strength comes from every member’s commitment to our success. As a 100% employee-owned company, we nurture a safe, innovative and employee-focused culture that is at the core of our values.

One of Sachse Construction’s most sought-after wellness perks is biweekly chair massages. | SACHSE CONSTRUCTION

The Taubman Company’s HR team spending time at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. | THE TAUBMAN COMPANY

77. Strategic Energy Solutions Inc.

Berkley

Sesnet.com

Steven DiBerardine, president Engineering

Ranking in 2022: 14

U.S.-based employees: 147

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 47

Male/female executive ratio: 80/20

Voluntary turnover: 6%

Paid time off after one year: Unlimited

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100%

Strategic Energy Solutions Inc.’s employee perks include:

◗ Financial assistance with college tuitions and industry certi cations

◗ Kid-friendly work environment

◗ Group outings include axe throwing, Detroit River cruises, fowling, paintball, Tigers games and Topgolf

78. University of Michigan

Credit Union

Ann Arbor

Umcu.org

Tiffany Ford, president and CEO Financial Services

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 202

Male/female executive ratio: 25/75

Voluntary turnover: 22%

Paid time off after one year: 36 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 74%

University of Michigan Credit Union’s employee perks include:

◗ Professional growth and development opportunities

◗ Annual reimbursements for various wellness purchases

◗ Tuition reimbursements of up to $6,000 each year

79. Public Sector Consultants

Lansing

Publicsectorconsultants.com

Julie Metty Bennett, CEO, and Rachel Kuntzsch, president

Consulting

Ranking in 2022: 43

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 61

Male/female executive ratio: 12/88

Voluntary turnover: 16%

Paid time off after one year: 26 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 38%

Public Sector Consultants’ employee perks include:

◗ Happy hours

◗ Sunshine Committee meets regularly to plan activities for employees

◗ Diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives include a voluntary DEI Committee and the recognition of multicultural holidays

80. Kapnick Insurance Group

Adrian Kapnick.com

Jim Kapnick, CEO Insurance (Non-health care)

Ranking in 2022: 16

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 183

Male/female executive ratio: 84/16

Voluntary turnover: 20%

Paid time off after one year: 27 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 77%

Kapnick Insurance Group’s employee perks include:

◗ Pays 100% of employees’ health insurance premiums

◗ Life insurance policy for each employee’s spouse, along with dependent children

◗ Golf simulator

81. Ghafari Associates LLC

Dearborn Ghafari.com

Kouhaila Hammer, president and CEO

Architecture

Ranking in 2022: 66

U.S.-based employees: 393

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 296

Male/female executive ratio: 60/40

Voluntary turnover: 7%

Paid time off after one year: 23 days

Paid time off for community service: No

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 85% Ghafari Associates LLC’s employee perks include:

◗ Pet insurance

◗ Corporate discounts with companies like Ford and GM

◗ Employees can utilize Teledoc, a free virtual care system, to call doctors or video chat with them

82. MassMutual Great Lakes South eld Greatlakes.massmutual.com

Manuel Amezcua, CEO

Financial Services

Ranking in 2022: 81

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 28

Male/female executive ratio: 45/55

Voluntary turnover: 18%

Paid time off after one year: 32 days

Paid time off for community service: No

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100%

MassMutual Great Lakes’ employee perks include:

◗ Pays 100% of employees’ and dependents’ health, dental and vision insurance premiums

◗ 39-hour workweeks

◗ Free tickets and parking for professional sporting events in Detroit

83. Burns & McDonnell Kansas City, Mo. Burnsmcd.com

Ray Kowalik, chairman and CEO (based in Kansas City, Mo.)

Ben Nabozny, T&D operations manager (based in Detroit)

Engineering

U.S.-based employees: 8,500

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 51

Male/female executive ratio: 90/10

Voluntary turnover: 5%

Paid time off after one year: 24 days

Paid time off for community

service: No

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 10%

Burns & McDonnell’s employee perks include:

◗ 100% employee owned

◗ 2,500 internal classes annually; pays professional society fees

◗ Wellness incentive program inspires healthy living

84. Oliver / Hatcher

Construction

Novi

Oliverhatcher.com

Paul Hatcher, president

Construction

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 36

Male/female executive ratio: 100/0

Voluntary turnover: 9%

Paid time off after one year: 23 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100%

Oliver / Hatcher Construction’s employee perks include:

◗ Tuition reimbursement

◗ Lunch and learns, concerning topics like investing, real estate and wellness

◗ Events like Bring your Child to Work Day, chili cook-offs, cornhole tournaments and Family Zoo Day

Members of the Public Sector Consultants leadership team pose for a photo honoring their women-owned small business designation. | PUBLIC SECTOR CONSULTANTS

BEST PLACES TO WORK IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN 2023

85. Michigan First Credit

Union

Lathrup Village Michigan rst.com

Jennifer Borowy, president and CEO

Financial Services

Ranking in 2022: 46

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 484

Male/female executive ratio: 33/67

Voluntary turnover: 30%

Paid time off after one year: 32 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently

telecommuting: 5%

Michigan First Credit Union’s employee perks include:

◗ 24-hour, onsite tness facility

◗ Onsite bowling center

◗ Continuous growth and training opportunities

86. Schechter

Birmingham

Schechterwealth.com

Marc Schechter, CEO and owner

Financial Services

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 75

Male/female executive ratio: 62/38

Voluntary turnover: 13%

Paid time off after one year: 25 days

Paid time off for community service: No

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 90%

Schechter’s employee perks include:

◗ Various events for team bonding

◗ Annual employee appreciation gifts on National Teammate Appreciation Day

◗ Diversity and inclusion task force and committee

87. Oxford Property Management LLC

Ann Arbor

Oxfordcompanies.com

Jeff Hauptman, CEO

Real Estate

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 102

Male/female executive ratio: 83/17

Voluntary turnover: 20%

Paid time off after one year: 28 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 55%

Oxford Property Management LLC’s employee perks include:

◗ Yoga instructor three days per week

◗ Tuition reimbursement

◗ Relaxed dress code

88. Lineage Logistics

Novi

Lineagelogistics.com

Greg Lehmkuhl, president and CEO

Cold Storage

U.S.-based employees: 15,912

Southeast Michigan-based

employees: 618

Male/female executive ratio: 83/17

Voluntary turnover: 3%

Paid time off after one year: 7 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 50%

Lineage Logistics’ employee perks include:

◗ 10% discount on child care

◗ Employer-sponsored elder care assistance for employees with aging family members

◗ Year-round partnership with local food banks, including fundraising, food drives and volunteer opportunities

89. Open Dealer Exchange LLC

Farmington Hills Opendealerexchange.com

Steve Luyckx, CEO Technology

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 197

Male/female executive ratio: 100/0

Voluntary turnover: 16%

Paid time off after one year: 26 days

Paid time off for community service: No

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 100%

Open Dealer Exchange LLC’s employee perks include:

◗ Happy hours

◗ Onsite massage therapist

◗ Extensive libraries of training content for employees to access

90. Zolman Restoration

Walled Lake Zolmanrestoration.com

Jeff Katkowsky, president Services

Ranking in 2022: 22

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 53

Male/female executive ratio: 67/33

Voluntary turnover: 8%

Paid time off after one year: 26 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: No

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 0%

Cam Kennedy, managing director (based in Royal Oak) Insurance (Non-health care)

U.S.-based employees: 5,950

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 52

Male/female executive ratio: 67/33

Voluntary turnover: 14%

Paid time off after one year: 34 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 90%

NFP’s employee perks include:

◗ Well-being platform allows employees to track their tness and learn about health and nutrition

◗ Continuing education is reimbursed

◗ Emerging Leaders Program enables employees to gain managerial and leadership skills

92. DirectRx

Troy

Directrx.com

Marko Berishaj, president

Health care — Provider

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 94

Male/female executive ratio: 67/33

Voluntary turnover: 49%

Paid time off after one year: 19 days

Paid time off for community service: No

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 16%

DirectRx’s employee perks include:

◗ Pays 100% of employees’ health, dental and vision insurance premiums

◗ Spirit Squad: an employee from each department meets once a month to create a list of activities for the following month

◗ Various summer events include food trucks and movie nights

93. Delta Dental of Michigan

Okemos

Deltadentalmi.com

Goran Jurkovic, president and CEO

Nonpro t — Health and Human Services

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 1,066

Male/female executive ratio: 35/65

Voluntary turnover: 5%

Paid time off after one year: 26 days

Helping

Yeo

Zolman Restoration’s employee perks include:

◗ Paid sabbaticals

◗ Happy hours

◗ Wellness program initiatives include nancial planning, gym subsidies and weekly fresh fruit delivery

91. NFP New York City Nfp.com

Doug Hammond, chairman and CEO (based in New York City)

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 90%

Delta Dental of Michigan’s employee perks include:

◗ Free wellness app provides healthy eating ideas and recipes, along with a tness tracker and tness videos

◗ Onsite tness and wellness coach offers customized tness plans

◗ Free nancial counseling

& Yeo is a business success partner. Using the power of listening, perspective, and connected purpose, we do whatever it takes to help our clients and communities thrive. Find us in Auburn Hills, Ann Arbor, Southgate, Flint, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Alma, Midland, and Saginaw.

Michigan’s best companies get even better.

Michigan First Credit Union staff plays in a wif e ball tournament. | MICHIGAN FIRST CREDIT UNION

Construction

Ranking in 2022: 92

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 92

Male/female executive ratio: 33/67

Voluntary turnover: 28%

Paid time off after one year: 28 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: No

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 0%

Victors Home Solutions’ employee perks include:

◗ Free, annual Cancun trip for every employee and their spouse/signi cant other

◗ Fitness classes range from core workouts to yoga

◗ Departmental outings include candle making and dodgeball

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 10%

Simon Group Holdings’ employee perks include:

◗ Onsite gym

◗ Pays 100% of employees’ long-term care insurance

◗ Holiday events include an Easter egg coloring contest and lunch, a Halloween lunch and pumpkin carving contest, and a St. Patrick’s Day lunch

100. Lowry Solutions

Brighton

Lowrysolutions.com

Michael Lowry, CEO

Technology

Ranking in 2022: 87

U.S.-based employees: 84

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 53

Male/female executive ratio: 83/17

94. Broder &

Detroit

Brodersachse.com

Sachse

Real Estate

Lee Hurwitz, president

Real Estate

U.S.-based employees: 33

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 29

Male/female executive ratio: 86/14

Voluntary turnover: 18%

Paid time off after one year: Unlimited

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: No

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 0%

Broder & Sachse Real Estate’s employee perks include:

◗ Wellness program focuses on six pillars of wellness: health, wealth, mind, body, community and connection

◗ Weekly group meditation

◗ Four-week sabbatical after 10 years of service

95. Sun Communities & Sun Outdoors

South eld

Suncommunities.com

Gary Shiffman, CEO

Real Estate

U.S.-based employees: 3,012

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 774

Male/female executive ratio: 14/86

Voluntary turnover: 27%

Paid time off after one year: 31 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 22%

Sun Communities & Sun Outdoors’ employee perks include:

◗ 30% reduction year-round while visiting Sun Outdoors locations

◗ Well-being portal provides 24/7 access to hundreds of resources, concerning health goals, money and other topics

◗ Doublewide Café offers free Starbucks drinks and discounted food items

96. Blue Chip Talent

Bloom eld Hills

Bctalent.com

Nicole Pawczuk, CEO

Staf ng

Ranking in 2022: 68

U.S.-based employees: 45

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 39

Male/female executive ratio: 85/15

Voluntary turnover: 12%

Paid time off after one year: 20 days

Paid time off for community service: No

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 66%

Blue Chip Talent’s employee perks include:

◗ Bi-weekly happy hours

◗ Upbeat, energetic music is streamed, via Pandora

◗ Bubble hockey, foosball, pingpong and shuf eboard games in the of ce

97. Spalding DeDecker

Rochester Hills

Sda-eng.com

Steve Benedettini, president and CFO

Engineering

Ranking in 2022: 58

U.S.-based employees: 119

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 118

Male/female executive ratio: 60/40

Voluntary turnover: 8%

Paid time off after one year: 24 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: Yes

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 65%

Spalding DeDecker’s employee perks include:

◗ Peer to Peer Awards for employees who have gone above and beyond

◗ Annual pro t-sharing bonuses

◗ Unlimited chocolate bowl

98. Victors Home Solutions Canton Victors.com

Victor Smolyanov, CEO and owner

99. Simon Group Holdings

Birmingham

Simongroupholdings.com

Sam Simon, CEO and founder Private Equity

U.S.-based employees: 69

Southeast Michigan-based employees: 66

Male/female executive ratio: 75/25

Voluntary turnover: 8%

Paid time off after one year: 19 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Voluntary turnover: 19%

Paid time off after one year: 27 days

Paid time off for community service: Yes

Telecommuting options: Yes

Flex time options: No

Percentage of employees currently telecommuting: 91%

Lowry Solutions’ employee perks include:

◗ Casual dress code

◗ Pingpong

◗ Annual Halloween party for employees’ children or grandchildren, enabling them to dress up, trick or treat and play games in the of ce

Employees of Delta Dental participating in a team building event. | DELTA DENTAL

SKILLED WORKERS

SUPPLY AND DEMAND

Michigan’s economy increasingly depends on skilled workers, but employers are struggling to nd enough and then to keep them

By Julie Mack

When Matthew Aragones graduated from high school, he thought that a ºdiploma and a strong work ethic would be enough for workplace success.

Now 23, Aragones is rethinking.

e Lansing resident has cycled through jobs in the restaurant industry and building trades, and currently works full time as a computer support specialist.

He’s also taking classes at Lansing Community College toward an associate degree in information technology, with hopes of eventually earning a bachelor’s.

is summer, Aragones is in a new LCC program to become an FAA-certi ed drone pilot, which

would allow him to operate commercial drones, a license he thinks will pair well with a career in cybersecurity.

“I thought I could just get by with little certi cations and experience, but I’ve realized that it’s a lot harder to just get by on whatever,” particularly in seeking a stable, well-paying job, he said.

Michigan desperately needs more people like Aragones — workers willing to return to school and earn a post-secondary credential, employers and policymakers say.

“If you’re an employer, the biggest challenge you have right now is access to talented people,” said Sandy Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber

SPONSORS

of Commerce. “It’s not necessarily in ation. It’s not necessarily taxes.

It’s: Do I have a supply of talent?

“ e challenge in Michigan is that our educational attainment is, at best, average. And as we move into a more complex, higher-tech economy, the skills of the past will no longer do in the future. So we have a disconnect between what employers demand and what employees have to o er.”

Even before the pandemic, experts were anticipating a workforce crunch as baby boomers retired, and Michigan’s declining birth rate means there are fewer young adults to take their place.

e Trump Administration’s more

restrictive policies on immigration also curtailed an important labor source.

ose issues were all exacerbated by the pandemic. Retirements rose. Immigration became more problematic. Child care issues, health concerns and COVID-related burnout pushed some out of the job market. College enrollments dropped, even as the demand for skilled labor has increased.

Je Donofrio, CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan, said his organization surveys its members every quarter. In recent surveys, 70% to 80% say they’re having trouble with hiring.

Matthew Aragones, 23, is taking classes at Lansing Community College to become an FAA-certi ed drone pilot. Employed as a computer support specialist, he now is taking classes toward a degree in information technology with a goal to make more money and expand his career options.

“If you’re an employer, the biggest challenge you have right now is access to talented people. It’s not necessarily in ation. It’s not necessarily taxes. It’s: Do I have a supply of talent?”

Sandy Baruah, president and CEO

of the Detroit Regional Chamber

of Commerce

“ at talent availability and quality is something they’re concerned about,” he said. “It’s across the board. ey need people with journeyman cards and apprenticeships. ey need people with associate’s degrees, and there are a signi cant amount with jobs that require a bachelor’s degree or higher.”

To complicate matters, Michigan is experiencing a brain drain as well-educated adults leave the state, Donofrio said. “It’s about 8,000 a year, and where are they going? To places that are growing fast in the knowledge economy and where their skills are needed and where there’s a density of higher-paying jobs that require higher education.”

Corewell Health, formed after a merger of the Beaumont and Spectrum health systems, employs about 60,000 people. ese days, about 10% of those jobs are vacant, about twice the typical vacancy rate, says Jan Harrington-Davis, Corewell’s senior vice president for talent attraction.

“Before the pandemic, we were in a position where people would just come to us when we had an open position,” Harrington-Davis said. “Post-COVID, we’ve had to invest in programs with colleges and universities, invest in marketing, things where you really have to set yourself apart to be chosen in the

job market.”

It’s the same story for his and many other organizations, said Bob Nykamp, chief operating ocer for Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, which is headquartered in metro Grand Rapids and employs about 2,000 people.

“I heard a speaker at the Economic Club of Grand Rapids cite statistics that in 2018, there were 10 applicants for every job,” Nykamp said. “Now there are 10 jobs for every applicant.”

Pipeline is shrinking

Michigan’s workforce shortage cuts across almost all sectors and all levels of skilled and unskilled jobs. But growing the skilled workforce is especially critical as the state seeks to increase the number of highwage jobs and to retain and attract employers who pay those wages.

Among the Michigan jobs most in demand right now, according to the state Department of Labor & Economic Opportunity: Nurses and nurse’s aides, automotive service technicians and mechanics, computer support specialists, heating and air conditioning technicians, machinists, medical assistants, respiratory therapists and welders. All require a post-secondary degree or training.

See WORKERS on Page

Michigan college enrollment

Michigan college enrollment

The number of degrees/certi cates awarded by all Michigan colleges, public and private.

WORKERS

Yet almost half of Michigan’s workers lack a post-secondary credential such as a bachelor’s or associate degree or an industry-recognized certi cation.

In 2021, 50.5% of Michigan residents age 25 to 64 had a post-secondary credential and 33.5% had at least a bachelor’s degree. at’s below the national averages of 53.7% and 36.5% respectively. Indeed, Michigan ranks last among the Great Lakes states in working-age adults with a post-secondary credential, according to data collected by the Lumina Foundation.

Even more disturbing, the numbers in the state’s higher-education pipeline are shrinking.

Enrollment in Michigan’s 15 public universities dropped 14% between fall 2012 and 2022. e decline has been more precipitous in the state’s 28 community colleges, where collective enrollment is down 18% between fall 2017 and 2021.

One reason is demographic: Gen Z is smaller than preceding cohorts. But demographics aren’t the whole story. Only 53% of Michigan’s Class of 2022 enrolled in college in fall 2022, well below the national average of 62%.

Several factors are in force, including rising wages that entice young adults into the job market vs. enrolling in college.

“ ere are several things going on here,” Baruah said. “We live in a state that has had a long history of not necessarily valuing a college degree because of a very strong and lucrative manufacturing base. You couple that with this recent narrative that all college will do is get you in debt.”

While there are examples of college graduates with high debt and low-paying jobs, Baruah said, for the most part, it’s a false narrative that discourages many young adults from pursuing post-secondary education.

“So you have a pipeline that’s not lling up with people wanting to get an associate’s or four-year degree,” Baruah said. “And you’ve also got employers saying, ‘Hey, I need these people (with degrees) and if I can’t nd them in Michigan, I’m going to have to go someplace else.’”

Value of education

For all the recent focus on college debt, there’s considerable data showing higher education yields nancial dividends for individuals.

“I like to share the statistic that after ve years on the job, somebody with just a high school diploma earns an average of $20,000, while someone with a two-year community college degree is earning nearly $40,000 a year,” said Susan Corbin, director of the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Opportunity.

Michigan’s median wage for a worker with a high school diploma or GED but no post-secondary credential was $32,639. at compares to $39,894 for someone with an associate degree; $59,740 for a

No diploma or GED Diploma or GED Some college/ associate Bachelor Graduate degree

Employment and education

Michigan residents without a high school diploma face signi cantly higher jobless rates than those who have at least some post-secondary training.

JOB DEMAND IN MICHIGAN

Jobs by education level that the state projects will grow in demand by at least 25% through 2030.

Diploma or equivalent with short-term training

Amusement & recreation

Animal caretakers

Trainers & tness instructors

Bartenders

Hosts/hostesses, dining

Dining room/café attendants

Home health/personal care aides

STEM elds

Data scientists & math science 29.4%

Information security analysts 28.2%

Operations research analysts 25.8%

Post-secondary certi cate or moderate-term training

CNC tool programmers 33.0%

Massage therapists 29.6%

Associate degrees/long-term training/apprenticeships

Occupational therapy assistants 37.5%

Physical therapist assistants 30.6%

Industrial machinery mechanics 28.2%

Bachelor’s degree or higher

Nurse practitioners 50.7%

Physician assistants 31.9%

Medical/health services managers 31.5%

Logisticians 29.7%

Note:

bachelor’s, and $75,841 for those with a graduate degree, according to 2021 Census data.

A person with a high school diploma but no post-secondary credential is three times more likely to live in poverty and four times more likely to be unemployed, that Census data shows. at person is also more likely to drop out of the workforce entirely.

Post-secondary education doesn’t bene t only individuals and employers, experts say. It also helps create more stable families and communities. People with a college education are less likely to commit crimes, less likely to rely on social safety net programs, more likely to marry and stay married, and more likely to raise children in a two-parent household. College graduates tend to earn more money, so they pay more taxes.

It’s no coincidence that Michigan’s most a uent communities have large numbers of college graduates. Bloom eld Hills, Birmingham, Grosse Pointe Farms and East Grand Rapids are cities where more than 75% of adults have at least a bachelor’s degree and six- gure incomes are the norm.

ere’s ample evidence of the value of higher education, says Russell Kavalhuna, president of Henry Ford College in Dearborn.

“Don’t take my word for it,” Kavalhuna said. “Go to the states that have a higher percentage of people with a post-secondary credential — and that includes things like a welding certi cate or an associate’s degree. ose states have healthier citizens. ey’re wealthier. ey’re safer communities, and businesses look for those communities and invest signi cant capital resources there.”

While it’s clear that higher education is worth the time and money, many Michigan residents don’t

Jan Harrington-Davis, Corewell’s senior vice president for talent attraction. | NIC ANTAYA

How Michigan can encourage the kind of workers it needs

Only half of Michigan adults 25 to 64 — 50.5% — have a post-secondary credential. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants to increase that to 60% by 2030. Here are ways the state can encourage both young people and working adults to pursue more skills and education.

By Julie Mack

Market the value of education

Multiple people say Michigan needs a concerted campaign to promote the bene ts of post-secondary education and let people know the range of opportunities, particularly at community colleges.

“Higher education doesn’t mean you have to go back and get a bachelor’s,” Brad Hershbein, an economist, said. “ ere are lots of di erent pathways or certi cations that you could get that would allow you to advance … . But getting that into people’s heads has been really, really hard.”

e biggest competitor for a community college isn’t other colleges “but the non-consumption of higher education,” Lansing Community College President Steve Robinson said. “It’s the people who see McDonald’s is hiring at $17 an hour. at’s a tough competitor when you look at how much energy and time it takes to be a college student.

“And the national discourse that higher education doesn’t have the labor market value that it used to have doesn’t help, because it’s wrong,” he said. “ e best thing you can do to grow your lifetime earning potential is to obtain a higher ed credential.”

Michigan also needs to do a much better job of promoting programs such as Michigan Reconnect, many say.

understand that, Kavalhuna said.

“We’re not breaking through and explaining the basics,” he said. “If you have a bachelor’s degree vs. a high school diploma, you’re going to make twice as much money every year. at’s an average of $1.2 million more in lifetime earnings. So if you heard or suspect that college isn’t for you, let me disabuse you of that notion.”

Giving a push

e good news: ere is bipartisan support in Lansing and among the state’s business community for the need to encourage more Michigan residents to obtain a post-secondary credential.

e Whitmer administration wants 60% of Michigan’s working-age residents to have a college degree or skill certi cate by 2030. It’s currently 50.5%.

To that end, the state has created multiple new programs to subsidize the cost of post-secondary tui-

Keep college graduates in Michigan

Je Donofrio, CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan, points out that about 8,000 well-educated adults leave Michigan a year. “So we struggle not just with our outcomes in the education system, but also those who do graduate, we’re losing them to other states,” he said.

Henry Ford College President Russell Kavalhuna agrees that Michigan needs to stem the brain drain. 'We need to start bragging about what a fantastic state this is,” he said.

“When it comes to climate change, Michigan is sitting in the pole position,” he said. “We’ve got lots of fresh water around us. We have less than three-digit temperatures. We’re generally centered in the middle of the country.

e geographic and logistical opportunities are good. We have a really good lifestyle here.”

Improve K-12 outcomes

Long term, Michigan needs to take a hard look at its K-12 system, many say.

First: “A key component of K-12 reform is setting a high, universal standard for what a high school diploma should be. What are the outcomes that we want?” Donof-

tion and training. e Class of 2023 will be the rst to bene t from the new Michigan Achievement Scholarship program, which gives $5,500 annual scholarships to in-state high school graduates who attend a Michigan public university and up to $2,750 for those enrolling at a community college.

ere’s also Michigan Reconnect, a program started in 2021 that covers community college tuition or private vocational program fees for Michigan adults who lack a college degree. e eligibility age for that program was just lowered from age 25 to 21.

Between the two programs, most Michigan residents can now earn an associate degree without paying tuition.

Whitmer also just created the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Po-

After graduation

Total number of Michigan high school graduates who went on to enroll in college.

Educational attainment, 25 and older

How Michigan adults compare to the national average in earning degrees. Michigan

rio said.

“Second is looking at what resources are necessary to get there.” at includes “equity funding,” or extra resources for children from low-income house-

tential, or MiLEAP, which will include oversight of preschools and higher education and be under direct control of the governor.

Michigan is unusual in that its Department of Education, which oversees K-12 education, is controlled by an elected board and not part of the governor’s administration. Moreover, Michigan’s 15 pub-

holds, special education students and others with special needs, he said.

ird: “What is the accountability and governance system that is going to make this a true system.

state’s employers.

It’s a worthy vision, many agree, but the to-do list is long: It includes improving K-12 outcomes. More coordination between K-12 schools and the state’s higher education system. More coordination between colleges on student transfers. More coordination between post-secondary programs and employers.

ere also is a drive for employers to use “skills based” hiring for jobs that traditionally require a college degree but where one may not be necessary.

If we provide the interventions to the students and schools who need it, then hold them accountable for performance. Without that sort of change in the system, nothing is likely to happen.”

lic universities are all independent entities with their own boards and, before MiLEAP, there was no state agency to oversee them.

More coordination

e vision of MiLEAP is to create a more seamless pipeline between Michigan’s K-12 school system, its post-secondary institutions and the

Another needed reform: Much more intensive e orts to reach out to the 49.5% of working-age Michigan adults who lack a post-secondary credential to help them upgrade their skills. at includes making sure they know about Michigan Reconnect and similar programs; helping them navigate the higher ed system, and providing wraparound services such as help with child care and transportation.

It’s important to address the fundamental barriers that keep people from obtaining a post-secondary credential, said Brad Hershbein, a senior economist at the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. “ e problem is not tuition,” he said. “Tuition is relatively cheap.” e real issues are “all of the hurdles of going to college – registering, guring what what’s needed. Do I need to take this course? Is it going to count?” Hershbein said. “People need help with that. Investing in navigators and guidance and supports is really the biggest bang for the buck in getting people through.”

Aragones, the LCC student, agrees. When he decided to return to school, it was daunting just to gure out where to start, especially as a rst-generation college student.

“You end up having to do a lot of research on your own,” he said. “I think that’s the biggest roadblock for a lot of people. It’s hard for people to hop on.”

The biggest competitor for a community college isn’t other colleges “but the non-consumption of higher education,” Lansing Community College President Steve Robinson said. “It’s the people who see McDonald’s is hiring at $17 an hour. That’s a tough competitor when you look at how much energy and time it takes to be a college student.” | BLOOMBERG

“We’re not breaking through and explaining the basics.”

Russell Kavalhuna, president, Henry Ford College

How to build a better workforce

In today’s knowledge economy, a state’s best asset is a skilled and well-educated labor force.

By that measure, Michigan is falling woefully short, business leaders and policymakers say. Only 31.5% of Michigan’s working-age population has at least a bachelor’s degree.

About 53% of Michigan’s high school Class of 2022 enrolled in college last fall, compared to the national average of 62%.

e state ranks 49th in community college completion rates, with only 27% earning an associate’s or nishing a certi cate program within six years of starting school.

“As a state, we’re struggling,” said Je Donofrio, CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan.

It will take a variety of strategies to address the problem.

STUDENT STRATEGIES

Give high schoolers a head start

“We need policies and practices that blur the lines between high school and post-secondary,” said Joel Vargas, a vice president for Jobs for the Future, a national nonpro t. “Right now, there’s this construct of high school and then college, and we know how many students we lose in that transition.

“So there are approaches which blend and blur those experiences, and there’s great data that show that’s the way we ought to be organizing education and training as a norm,” Vargas said.

ose approaches include programs such as dual enrollment, middle college and career-tech education.

In dual enrollment, the state pays tuition costs for high schoolers who enroll in college courses, helping teens to graduate from high school with a jump-start on college credits.

Middle college programs go a step further, allowing high schoolers to simultaneously earn a high school diploma and an associate degree, also with the state covering tuition costs.

Career-tech programs are typically o ered through an intermediate school district, and provide hands-on high school classes tied to a speci c job, such as welding or computer coding. Some classes allow students to earn a skills certicate or college credit.

ese are programs that “close o leaks, so that a student who has the skill and work ethic in ninth or 10th grade can see a clear pipeline through college and into a meaningful career in Michigan,” said Russell Kavalhuna, president of Henry Ford College in Dearborn.

Encourage adults to upgrade skills

For adults who lack a post-sec-

ondary credential, “there aren’t an enormous number of on-ramps to get back on that highway,” said Michael Rice, Michigan’s state superintendent.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants to increase the current 50.5% of adults who have post-secondary training to 60% by 2030.

“It’s a huge issue for us,” said Sandy Baruah, CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“ ere’s no way to reach that 60% goal without focusing on adults” already in the job market.

A logical approach, Baruah said, is targeting adults who already have some college credits but no degree. at’s roughly 1.2 million Michiganders, about 20% of the working-age population.

Baruah suggests that employers identify those workers and help them get over the nish line.

“It’s a cheap way to get additional skills in your company,” he said. “So part of that is, how do you help those employees get a degree? Is it exible work schedules? Tuition reimbursement? ere’s a lot of things you could do.”

Michigan Reconnect, a relatively new state program, covers community college tuition for adults 21 and older who lack a degree. Employers also could provide practical help in navigating the process of returning to school, which can feel overwhelming to many people.

Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, which is headquartered near Grand Rapids and employs about 2,000, is training its supervisors “to actually become kind of a professional development adviser for their employees,” and make those conversations part of performance reviews, said Bob Nykamp, Pine Rest chief operating o cer.

“If a housekeeper wants to become a social worker, we’re going to help them with that,” he said.

EMPLOYER STRATEGIES

Make ‘earn while they learn’ easier

Many people can’t a ord to be out of the labor market as they go to school, especially if there’s no guarantee of a job, Vargas said.

“You need strategies where people can earn while they learn,” such as apprenticeships and internships, he said.

Faced with critical shortages in its clinical sta , Corewell Health now has full-time paid apprenticeships to train nurses, nursing assistants, medical assistants and pharmacy techs.

Another earn-while-you-learn strategy is “stacking credentials,” where people earn a credential for a job that pays the bills while they continue their education. For instance, someone can start out as a nurse’s aide, then a registered nurse and then, perhaps, a nurse practitioner.

Provide support services

For adults juggling school with job and family commitments, their education can get derailed for a variety of reasons – from a costly car repair that leaves them without transportation, to child care issues, to housing problems. Wraparound services help students navigate those hurdles. at strategy has been a successful for Corewell Health in its apprenticeship programs, said Jan Harrington-Davis, senior vice president of talent attraction.

Corewell uses e Source, a Grand Rapids nonpro t, to provide caseworkers for students dealing with issues such as eviction, child care or transportation issues or other crisis.

Typically, the careworkers steer individuals to community resources, and can help with the application process, if needed.

e Source also has a fund for emergency grants. “It could be paying for a $150 tire repair that can keep them going to work,” said Alison Freas, its executive director.

“Particularly for individuals who are trying to up-skill, they’re typically coming from a lower-wage role where it can be really hard to get to the next step if you don’t have the personal safety net, the nancial safety net or just somebody to talk to,” she said.

“ at’s what we are, a trusted and knowledgeable resource to help people navigate through the noise so they can keep moving forward.”

Research shows that wraparound programs can more than pay for themselves. For e Source, the cost averages about $1,000 per client, Freas said, and the calculated bene t is about $3,600 per client for a company through better employee retention and lower absenteeism

“ at’s over a 300% return on investment,” Freas said.

Focus on skill-based hiring

Many employers require a bachelor’s degree for white-collar jobs where a degree isn’t necessarily mandatory.

Vargas calls it the “paper ceiling,” and his organization is pushing skills-based hiring, in which employers evaluate candidates based on experience and proven skill sets vs. automatically screening out those who lack a degree.

“Because our labor market and education systems are so misaligned, you have this dynamic where employers are often apt to rely on bachelor’s degrees as signals of job readiness,” he said.

And that can limit upward mobility for those who have had less opportunity to pursue higher education, Vargas said, “so it’s really incumbent to call upon employers not to create more barriers for people who otherwise can do the job.”

Smooth pipeline between learning, employment

“If employers have real precise talent needs that are going unlled, help them connect with the talent factories that are higher education,” Kavalhuna said.

Brad Hershbein, an Upjohn economist, agreed. “ ere should be greater involvement of the business community” in solving the talent gap, he said. “But they’ve been burned, and I think are very reluctant to really partner with a lot of educational institutions because they approach it from very di erent cultural standpoints.” at said, there are great examples of successful collaborations. Kavalhuna’s institution, Henry Ford College, already has a tight relationship with Ford Motor Co.

“We’re the one institution in the state where a person can get Ford’s own technical curriculum, from xing vehicles in dealerships, to bodywork, to EV maintenance,” he said. “Students who come into this program get an associate’s and all the Ford-certi ed certi cates and they have jobs waiting for them when they get done.”

Lansing Community College has a similar longtime relationship with General Motors Corp., said Steve Robinson, LCC president.

LCC also is partnering with Ultium Cells, which is building an electric vehicle battery in suburban Lansing, to train workers for that facility, Robinson said.

A student during a Welding Production Worker training program class at the Detroit Training Center. BLOOMBERG

Julie Mack

Let’s build a learning culture

Thirty-seven of the 50 “hot jobs” projected to grow and pay high wages in Michigan by 2030 require a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Yet only 27% of Michiganders believe a college education is very important to landing a successful job, and 69% believe that a high school diploma is the minimum education needed to achieve success.

at’s a full-blown perception crisis. It comes as employers deal with a talent pipeline not delivering enough highly skilled graduates. Tackling this challenge requires building a culture of education with business taking a hands-on approach to talent development in lockstep with public sector and philanthropic efforts.

While the call for employers to be more active is not new, the postsecondary environment and infrastructure to support employer-led talent strategies has evolved over the past decade.

at started with seeking 60% educational attainment by 2030, a goal adopted statewide after the Detroit Regional Chamber helped establish it for the Detroit region.

e rst step to reaching this goal is broadening the stream of people pursuing postsecondary education – both traditional high school graduates and adults with some college but no credential, many of whom are already in the workforce.

Second, it means improving the pipeline into and through postsecondary education, so

Community colleges can give businesses an advantage

Community colleges are uniquely placed to address the demands of regional business education because they serve both the people they educate and those who run businesses in their economic areas.

more people are earning more quality credentials, be it a skilled certi cate or associate or bachelor’s degree. e Chamber’s Workforce Success Toolkit provides resources for businesses to increase access to internships and education that lead to good jobs and career advancement.

We’ve added programs, partnering with business and beyond, to help plug employers into these efforts in innovative ways. We connect schools, employers, and students, leveraging our programs and sta with support from philanthropic foundations. is work is informed by our CEO Talent Council, chaired by Kelly’s Peter Quigley, to ensure business voices are directly helping guide program development.

For instance, the Chamber recruited national nonpro t Year Up to Detroit to launch an internship program designed to create career pathways into the nancial industry and close opportunity gaps. By connecting Bank of America, Henry Ford College and JPMorgan Chase & Co., we extended this program to 30 students, 10 of whom are Detroit Promise scholarship students.

Similar work continues in a variety of industries as we partner with companies like Accenture, Deloitte, Henry Ford Health, Kelly, and Rocket Companies on everything from preparing recent graduates to enter the workforce to developing upskilling programs to help current employees earn the postsecondary credential needed to advance their career and earn a high-paying, in-demand job.

Michigan has had recent policy wins backed by business – namely, the creation of Michigan Reconnect and the Michigan Achievement Scholarships, making higher education more affordable. It’s time to double down on this work, leveraging the full weight of the business community.

We face a prospective workforce skeptical of the value of postsecondary education.

It’s going to take us all to overcome that misperception by building a culture of education and a talent pipeline where all Michiganders can see, seek, and achieve success.

For schools such as Lansing Community College, partnerships create paths to success for students and employers alike, structured through community education and workforce development divisions and schools of business.

e skills taught through LCC and its 11 applied associate degrees are ones community business partners have identi ed as essential for the next generation of professionals.

“Our business programs stand out because we are integrated in the business community, working with our business partners to learn what skills they require from LCC students,” faculty chair Mary Stucko says of the business program. “We are continually improving our program to best meet the needs of the ever-changing business environment.”

Traditional educational settings as well as workforce development in speci c areas help stimulate mid-Michigan’s regional economy in numerous ways. No-cost consulting and training for people starting businesses, expanding businesses or in need of turnaround can be provided and facilitated through development centers. Broader services for industries, such as IT, health care and manufacturing, also are available.

At LCC, that support comes together at the Business and Community Institute. “ e BCI has proven an incredibly knowledgeable and agile business partner,” said Amanda Falvey, director of human resources for the BRP Marine Group. “BCI has been instrumental in the launch of our custom welding program, and helped us structure our GoingPro application.”

Community colleges also are positioned to help students gain real-world experience from instructors who have worked in a variety of businesses in those areas. “For the past 20 years, I’ve seen businesses struggle to realize ROI from other trainings,” said Michael Gilreath, a BCI customized corporate trainer. “BCI supports businesses by facilitating the transfer of learning from the classroom into business results.”

Also key: job training. Workforce development “boot camps” can deliver accelerated, competency-based, employer-driven training.

Classroom and real-world settings are tailored to meet business needs and student success by administrators such as Bo Garcia, dean of LCC’s Community Education and Workforce Development division. ose focused e orts improve students’ prospects in business as they “acquire new and hone existing business and workforce skillsets that enhance our regional competitive advantage and grow our regional economy,” he said.

To learn more, visit lcc.edu/ business.

‘Big Blur’ can help more people build career skills

The nation continues to grapple with a labor shortage that has left nearly 10 million job openings unlled. In Michigan, industries like health care, education and construction are all struggling to nd skilled workers.

Unfortunately, employers may not nd much relief in our current education and talent pipelines. Enrollment at community colleges, which have long served as a primary gateway to both the workforce and higher education, has fallen by 40% over the past decade. ere are now 5 million young Americans between 16 and 24 who are neither in school

nor working.

To address the challenge, several states are now embracing new kinds of models that blur the arbitrary line that divides high school, college and career training. is line has long acted as a barrier for too many learners. Together, such approaches are pointing to the need for the “Big Blur” — a restructuring of education for grades 11-14 to better meet the needs of young people after 10th grade and help prepare them to succeed in the world of work.

In Colorado, for example, policymakers have created a “Big Blur Taskforce” to help every high school student more easily access

education and training that will lead to economic advancement.

e group is exploring how best to streamline the state’s disparate credential attainment opportunities and ensure equitable access for students across the state. Already, Colorado appropriates $100 million per year to such e orts, with more than 40% of graduates at public high schools now participating in programs that support high school students in taking college-level courses for credit and ultimately earning a postsecondary degree.

A growing number of institutions and high schools in Colorado are also working together to o er concurrent enrollment opportunities, in which students can get a jump-start on speci c degree pro-

grams. At Arapahoe Community College Sturm Collaboration Campus, for instance, nearby high school students can begin a program of study in business, health, math and sciences or technology, as well as participate in a range of pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs.

Colorado is not alone in this effort. Here in Michigan, dozens of districts now o er early middle college programs, in which high schools and postsecondary partners provide students with the chance to graduate with not only a high school diploma, but also an associate degree, 60 transferable college credits, a professional certi cation or a technical certi cate.

Students can also participate in a registered apprenticeship. e

programs are having an impact:

Students enrolled in the Early College Alliance at Eastern Michigan University, for example, graduate from college at a rate nearly 300% higher than students across the state. For Black students, that number is 700%.

Michigan and other states are leading the way in reimagining the connections between learning and careers. It’s past time we acknowledge that the arbitrary demarcations dividing our institutions and the workforce are rooted in an increasingly old-fashioned understanding of education and work. By blurring those lines — or erasing them altogether — we can better meet skilled labor demands and set more young people on a course for success.

Joel Vargas is vice president of Jobs for the Future.

Andy Brent is a public relations coordinator at Lansing Community College.

Greg Handel is vice president of education and talent at the Detroit Regional Chamber.

Through the Michigan Reconnect program, residents such as Shamarri Key, who has been taking culinary arts classes in recent years at Grand Rapids Community College, can pursue degrees tuition-free under certain guidelines. | GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Detroit Opera names arts management veteran as next CEO

By Sherri Welch

Detroit Opera’s board has named veteran arts executive Patty Isacson Sabee as its new president and CEO, following a vemonth search.

POPE FRANCIS

e Pope Francis Center project will likely not qualify for the government funding, given its focus on transitional housing, McCabe said in late 2021, something that led the center to raise the money for the project itself.

“I think the vision Father Tim has laid out for how we might end chronic homelessness has really resonated with people. ( ey) see it as a solution to the problem and not transactional,” said the center’s chairman, Jim Vella, who retired in 2019 after more than 31 years at Ford, 14 of them at the helm of the Ford Motor Co. Fund. is month, in response to the organization’s growth, the Pope Francis Center board made some changes among top management, promoting McCabe to the newly created president/CEO role and tapping Korn Ferry to lead the search for a new executive director. It also plans to hire a major gifts o cer to cultivate larger donors and planned gifts and build those relationships for the future, said Vella, founder of Vella Strategic Philanthropy LLC.

Doing business as e Vella

Group, the company provides strategic consulting, marketing and communications services to Pope Francis Center through a board-approved and 990-disclosed business relationship, Vella said.

Pope Francis Center paid the company $219,701 for those services during scal 2022, according to its 990. About 20% was reimbursement for other outside services, including video and event support, said Vella Group Partner Todd Nissen.

“As we’re opening the new Bridge Housing Campus, we will now go from a six-day-a-week operation to 24-hour, seven-day operations,” with people living on campus and activities happening every day of the week, he said.

“We really needed to build our leadership team in order to manage the expanded response and duties of the organization.”

Setting a direction

McCabe will set the strategic direction for the center, serve as its outward face for fundraising, represent it with city and state government, donors, foundations and other homeless organizations and provide oversight of the entire op-

eration as it continues to grow, Vella said. e new executive director will have oversight of dayto-day operations, including services, programs and fundraising.

Several new community and business leaders have also been named to the center’s now 20-member board. ey include:

◗ David Blaszkiewicz, CEO, Invest Detroit

◗ Ian Conyers, head of community a airs, Amazon

◗ Stephen Cugliari, trustee, J. Addison Bartush & Marion M. Bartush Family Foundation

Eric Larson, CEO, Downtown Detroit Partnership

e Rev. Tom McClain, superior, Detroit Jesuit Community

Asha Shajahan, medical director and associate professor, Corewell Health

ey join other heavy hitters on the board including: Vinnie Johnson, founder, chairman and CEO, Piston Group; Robert Pulte, president, RP Investments; Ray Scott, president and CEO, Lear Corp; Gary Torgow, chairman, Huntington National Bank; and Dale Watchowski, president and CEO, Redico.

“When you look at that, it tells you a lot about the organization and where it’s headed,” Vella said.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

ACCOUNTING

RSM US

RSM is pleased to announce that Amy Rudolph has joined the Detroit of ce. Amy is a partner in the rm’s Transaction Advisory Services practice, specializing in nancial due diligence. She has focused on buy- and sell-side transaction services, working with private equity rms acquiring and divesting platform companies, assisting strategic buyers with add-on acquisitions, and advising clients of the sell-side process. Amy has been with RSM for 17 years and was previously based in St. Louis.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

KeyBank

KeyBank Michigan

Market President

David Mannarino has been named

Michigan/Northwest

Ohio region

commercial banking leader. In addition to his role as Michigan Market President, he will oversee Key’s commercial banking activity in Michigan and Northwest Ohio.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Ovell Rome and Associates

DBA Ask Ovell HR/DEI executive Ovell Barbee Jr., shares experiences and lessons learned through a book titled “The Big House: A Human-Centered and Progressive Approach to DEI and Positive Workplace Engagement.” Through a corresponding website, askovell. com, he offers advice and answers to personal questions on HR, DEI and leadership. Owner/principal of Ovell Rome & Associates, Barbee held executive roles at Motorola, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, General Motors/OnStar, and Spectrum Health (now Corewell Health).

She will join the opera company on Jan. 2, succeeding Wayne Brown, who is set to retire at year’s end after leading the organization for a decade.

Isacson Sabee brings 35 years of arts organization management experience on both coasts to the new role. She has served as founding executive director of Planet Word, a nonpro t interactive museum of words and language in Washington, D.C., since 2017.

Prior to that, she led the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle for three years after serving as director of external relations and development for the institution originally known as the Experience Music Project. As head of the museum, she shepherded its $213 million in assets, national programming and other programs that brought more than 600,000 annual visitors.

Before that, Isacson Sabee also spent more than 20 years with the Seattle Symphony in a variety of operations, artistic administration and development roles before serving as interim executive director. While there, she directed the startup operations of a $118 million symphonic concert hall that opened in September 1998.

According to her LinkedIn prole, she is a past vice chair of the

INSURANCE / BROKERAGE

H.W. Kaufman Group

H.W. Kaufman Group is proud to welcome David Janis to the team as General Counsel. With 20 years of experience, David has worked as a practicing attorney and corporate advisor. Previously he served as Associate General Counsel at Rocket Mortgage. He has also held roles with WellCare (Meridian Health Plan) and Flagstar Bank. Janis’ responsibilities include providing counsel on transactions, contracts and litigation, while working closely with the company’s Compliance department.

Seattle Music Commission of appointed community, business and industry leaders who guided the city in its work toward a 2020 goal of making Seattle a thriving place for musicians and music businesses.

Isacson Sabee is a transformative, collaborative leader, Detroit Opera Chairman Ethan Davidson said in a news release.

“With proven leadership and entrepreneurial skills, and knowledge and experience in all aspects of arts management, she is the right match for the Detroit Opera, which has become the destination for progressive opera in the United States,” Davidson said.

Davidson said Isacson Sabee impressed the search committee with her “innovative, forward-thinking approach to the arts” and has the necessary people skills for successful and collaborative partnership development, individual performance management and board, sta , musician, volunteer and community relations.

“We are excited to have Patty lead Detroit Opera and con dent that she will build on our success as a leading producer of opera in America and a premier theater in Detroit,” he said.

Isacson Sabee joins Detroit Opera as it builds on its late founder David DiChiera’s vision for the company.

“Detroit Opera is one of America’s great cultural treasures,” Isacson Sabee said in the release.

A rendering showing the planned Pope Francis Center Bridge Housing Campus. | FUSCO, SHAFFER & PAPPAS INC. POPE FRANCIS CENTER

Patty Isacson Sabee

“ e Great Lakes maritime industry for decades has operated in somewhat of a time capsule. We have been wholly reliant on the dry bulk cargos that have kept our economy going,” LaMarre said. “However, as we both domestically and globally move to a goal of decarbonization, dry bulk cargo trends are changing.”

at trend is hitting home in Monroe in a big way. DTE Energy Co., Michigan’s largest power utility, said it will phase out the Monroe Power Plant, one of the country’s largest coal plants, entirely by 2032 — sooner than previously expected. With the loss of its largest driver of cargo looming, the port is attempting to reinvent itself as the state’s only container terminal.

e Newlab project aims to assist with that process while also

aggregated network of ports and terminals.

“ ere’s incredible ine ciency in the system in the way that things move,” he said.

Modernizing a port

Millions of dollars will be invested into the Port of Monroe project over the next couple of years, according to Newlab, but a breakdown of investment was not provided. e project is being supported by Michigan Central and the state’s O ce of Future Mobility and Electri cation. It aims to leverage public funding already directed at the port, including an $11 million grant from the United States Maritime Administration last year and a $5 million state grant earlier this year to support its pursuit of container shipping.

co-founder and CEO Geo Douglass.

e answer, Douglass believes, is automation. at includes autonomous ships — eventually — but there are a lot of steps to get there. e rst is to deploy the “Roomba of ports,” the startup’s autonomous, but manned, vessel that maps out the depth of the water from the surface to eventually create a digital twin of the port.

e data will be shared with the Port of Monroe to inform the size of ships able to navigate into or out of the port, which has an immediate upside as construction crews undergo dredging there, Douglass said.

Startups get involved

Mythos will have two of its seven employees based at the port for the project. While there, it will dip its toe in the water for a potential new company base. “Part of it is understanding if we can actually build a tech company there,” Douglass said.

e other startups expected to take part in the pilot are:

ciency and cost e ciency across supply chains. Monolets will pilot its shipping labels that sense temperature, humidity, GPS, and 3D location at the Port of Monroe on cargo and containers.

providing startups a coveted opportunity to tinker with their technology in the real world, said Sahil Jain, director of applied innovation at Newlab.

“We are trying to drive the market, industry, government and startups toward realizing the future,” Jain said. “It is a bet, for lack of a better word, on where we think the world is heading.”

Transportation, Jain believes, will eventually move away from a hub-and-spoke model centered on the large coastal ports to a dis-

GODFREY

From Page 3

During a tour on Tuesday, Black told Crain’s he expects bookings to be a gradual ramp-up, particularly as more of the Michigan Central campus comes to life in the coming months. He added that pro basketball teams have inquired about booking blocks of rooms when in town for games.

e hotel has ve room options, including pet-friendly rooms, plus digital check-in, valet parking and four exible meeting spaces. e average daily rate is expected to be about $275, and certain rooms have Peloton exercise bikes in the room.

e hotel began taking reservations and booking events for the ballroom and meeting spaces in July.

e general contractor is a joint venture between Lansing-based e Christman Co. and Chicago-based Norcon Inc. e architecture team is Detroit-based Neumann/Smith Architecture and Boston-based Elkus Manfredi Architects.

In addition to Hunter Pasteur and Oxford, lead investors include Nathan Forbes, managing partner of South eld-based Forbes Co., which co-owns Somerset Collection in Troy, and James Grosfeld,

“By fostering technological advancements and greener solutions for marine highways in Monroe, we not only enhance the state’s supply chain resilience but also drive towards positive economic growth for our friends and neighbors across the region,” Justine Johnson, recently named Michigan’s chief mobility o cer, said in a statement.

Newlab is bringing on several startups to participate. One of the rst recruits is Mythos AI, a West Palm Beach-based company focused on vertically integrated vessel automation.

“Our goal at Mythos is to turn the supply chain into what looks like a conveyor belt of goods instead of what it is today, which is a complete tra c jam,” said

e longer-term goal is to complete an autonomous voyage from the Port of Monroe to another yetto-be-identi ed Great Lakes port, rst with the startup’s 26-foot aluminum workboat. e idea is to develop the machine learning and eventually enable autonomous shipping vessels.

“Once you create that brain, you can transfer it to other systems, and that’s what we’re doing,” Douglass said.

e planned autonomous voyage would be a rst in the U.S., Douglass said. Autonomous vessels have been tested around the world, but there has never been an inland autonomous navigation from port to port. If the funding and testing go according to plan, the voyage could happen next year. It would be in U.S. Coast Guard compliance and with a person on board able to take over the craft, Douglass said.

“ is will de nitely be the rst of its kind,” Jain added. “ ere is no autonomous port-to-port movement of vessels happening today. As far as we understand this is not happening anywhere in the world.”

◗ Termina Industries, based in Austin, Texas: A company building AI platforms to digitize logistics yards, giving operators visibility and control over critical transportation assets in real time. ey will pilot technology to capture data and track containers/ chassis movement at Port of Monroe’s new customs inspection facility.

Intramotev, based in St. Louis, Mo.: A company developing battery-assisted and self-propelled railcar retro t technology. Its pilot will focus on an autonomous retro t of a railcar and piloting of constrained autonomy for conveyance of bulk goods at the Port of Monroe.

◗ Monolets Inc., based in Mountain View, Calif.: is company is leveraging proprietary Bluetooth wireless mesh technology to provide real-time, item-level asset location and condition data to improve performance, energy ef-

For the Port of Monroe, the play for becoming a port for shipping containers looks nothing like international ports on the coasts, which accommodate ships carrying 35,000 containers. Ships on the Great Lakes can handle 400 containers at the most, LaMarre said.

“We are talking about value, not volume of containers,” he said. “We’re not importing consumer goods from foreign manufacturers. We will be exporting Michigan-manufactured products and importing critical components to serve Michigan industry. is is a value-added proposition.”

Becoming a testbed for maritime technology will not only allow the port to support emerging companies, it will boost the port’s e ciency and improve its prospects for long-term sustainability, LaMarre said.

He said the port is in ongoing discussions with automakers and auto suppliers about supply chain opportunities at the port, but he declined to o er details.

“We are going to get one shot at this,” he said.

the former CEO of Pulte Group.

Earlier this summer, Black said the development cost between $75 million and $100 million.

Construction started in Septem-

ber 2021, and the process was marred by ghting between the contractors and the union representing electrical contractors working on the project.

The 227-room Godfrey Hotel on Michigan Avenue between Trumbull and Eighth Street.

Bottom left: Two staffers prep the bar area at the I/O Rooftop Bar. | PHOTOS BY NICK MANES

“It is a bet, for lack of a better word, on where we think the world is heading.”

Sahil Jain, director of applied innovation,

Newlab

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third party administration

nature, as well as public meetings and input from neighbors and the city’s Historic District Commission.

Given the time and numerous approvals needed, some Realtors working in the area say it can be far easier to buy an existing home rather than try to build new.

“It really doesn’t make sense to build because it’s so challenging,” said Betty Warmack, a Realtor with Real Estate One in St. Clair Shores. “(Existing) houses have history and character and you can’t reproduce that.”

Still, some of the challenges with building in a historic district aren’t a deterrent to all.

At present, a new Colonial-style house is planned for a vacant lot on Iroquois Street within the Indian Village historic district, with construction expected to start in the fall. e house is commissioned by Pat and Lana Murphy, a couple looking to move to the neighborhood from Clarkston to be closer to adult children and grandkids in the neighborhood.

e Murphys told Crain’s they explored buying an existing home on the market and renovating, but building new ultimately made for the best decision for the couple as they approach retirement. But the process required to build in a historic district such as Indian Village, as well as the cost associated with doing so, required ample work.

“We did a lot of give and take,” Lana Murphy told Crain’s of discussions with neighbors during the process, many of whom were opposed to a new home being built in the area. “We just want to be close to our grandkids and live in peace with the neigbhorhood.”

In an interview with Crain’s, Robert Clarke, the architect for the home and president of Bloom eld Hills-based rm CBI Design, acknowledged that building in a neighborhood such as Indian Village does require added time for approvals and additional costs. While declining to disclose

an overall project cost for the proposed Murphy home, Clarke said the budget is around 10%-15% higher than building the same house in a nonhistoric district, largely due to added construction costs associated with building to the historic speci cations.

Part of that added cost is due to

the home being built with wood so it ages and looks like an older home in the years to come, said Lana Murphy.

Other requirements for homes in historic districts such as Indian Village are myriad, and include an original door, period-appropriate colors and roo ng materials, according to various city Historic District Commission documents.

But it’s not just materials.

“The challenge with (building in) any of these districts is you’ve just got to be patient — it just takes time,” Clarke said. “And it takes an upfront investment

from a client to get the architectural work done before you know if you can build what you want to build. There’s a risk involved there.”

Public records show the Murphys bought the vacant land for $120,000 last summer.

e planned 3,000-square-foot house with three bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms would be the rst new house built in the Indian Village historic district since 1999, according to city materials.

Many other homes in the area have been or are undergoing signi cant renovations, as Crain’s has reported.

When it comes to new construction, the aim is to not be “overly di cult or burdensome,” said Garrick Landsberg, director of the city’s HDC.

“ e goal with the historic district is to manage change, not prevent change,” he said.

ere are four other known vacant lots within the Indian Village historic district boundaries — bounded to the north by Mack Avenue and south by East Je erson Avenue and inclusive of the north-south streets of Burns, Iroquois and Seminole — according to Crain’s research. Landsberg

he’s not aware of any current proposals to build on those lots.

At least one vacant lot, on Iroquois, is being actively marketed for sale for $94,500 by Realtor Nika Jusu with Detroit-based Nika & Co.

Jusu told Crain’s that building new homes in historic districts such as Indian Village is very doable, and the listing she has emphasizes that the lot would be ideal for new construction, but acknowledged the complexities of historic guidelines can be a deterrent for some.

e planned Murphy house has received all needed approvals and the bidding process has begun. While the home has been given the blessing of the city’s historic preservationists, it’s not without opposition from some in the neighborhood who wrote letters to the HDC concerned that new construction will take away from the historic character of the area and turn Indian Village into a subdivision.

“As mentioned in the sta report the materials are absolutely subpar and did not exist at the time the rest of the homes were built,” read the comments from one neighbor. “If we start allowing cheap homes to be built, the neighborhood itself will become much less valued, similar to (the Joseph Berry) subdivision (on the east riverfront) where the proportion of contemporaries to historic homes is greater.”

Clarke, the architect for the proposed Murphy home in Indian Village, acknowledged that hearing critical comments from neighbors can be a di cult part of constructing a home in a historic district, but also an important part of the process.

e architecture executive also praised the work of the HDC and time put into to getting the home toward approval. e challenge, he said, largely boils down to alignment between di erent stakeholders.

“ e issue was really designing for the HDC’s desires and the client’s desires,” he said. “ ose weren’t necessarily aligned all the time.”

Lawsuit seeks to make Michigan income tax cut permanent

Supporters of a state income tax cut that took e ect this year led a lawsuit ursday to keep it intact in 2024.

e Mackinac Center Legal Foundation sued state Treasurer Rachael Eubanks in her o cial capacity in the Court of Claims on behalf of Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan, National Federation of Independent Business, two Republican lawmakers and six individual taxpayers. ey challenged a determination by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration that the tax reduction is temporary.

e cut was automatically triggered for the rst time under a 2015 law when state revenues exceeded 1.425 times the in ation

rate. e income tax dropped to 4.05% from 4.25%, saving Michigan taxpayers roughly $700 million. e tax rate will rise back to 4.25% next year, Eubanks said when she announced the cut, citing a legal opinion from Democratic state Attorney General Dana Nessel.

“Most small businesses in Michigan pay the personal income tax rate,” Shane Hernandez, president of Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan, said in a statement. “ is lawsuit protects them and all individual taxpayers from more than a half a billion-dollar tax increase set to

go into place next year.”

Backers of the tax trigger, which Republicans included in a 2015 road-funding law, say it was clear at the time the law was passed that income tax reductions were meant to be permanent.

State Department of Treasury spokesperson Ron Leix said his o ce had not been served the lawsuit yet and does not comment on pending litigation.

e plainti s sought an expedited ruling to give the state’s 5 million individual income lers certainty and to prevent the agency, the Michigan Tax Tribunal and the courts from being overwhelmed with complaints and appeals as 2024 draws near.

ey proposed a schedule by which the Court of Claims could rule by Sept. 22, the state Court of Appeals by Oct. 27 and the Mich-

igan Supreme Court by Dec. 15.

In her opinion, Nessel used a dictionary de nition of the word “current” to nd that if a tax cut is triggered, it applies to the 4.25% rate and lasts for a single tax year. e Legislature, she said, could have easily and clearly clari ed that the term “current rate” requires a permanent reduction but did not do so.

In the lawsuit, however, Mackinac Center Legal Foundation attorney Patrick Wright argued that a di erent dictionary de nition of the word “current” — “most recent” — is superior.

“ e legislature intentionally chose a de nition with the exibility to handle a rate, which could be lower each and every year after the formulaic rate-setting process was applied,” he wrote.

The vacant lot on Iroquois Street in Indian Village where a new house will be built starting this fall — the historic neighborhood’s rst new home in nearly 25 years. | CITY OF DETROIT

A rendering of the rst new house to be built in Detroit’s Indian Village neighborhood in 25 years. | CBI DESIGN

By David Eggert

“We just want to be close to our grandkids and live in peace with the neigbhorhood.”

Lana Murphy, property owner

CEO leads growing MSU credit union to meet customers where they are

April Clobes has worked her way up through the ranks at Michigan State University Federal Credit Union and now leads the state’s second-largest credit union as president and CEO Clobes started in the institution’s marketing department in 1996. During her tenure, the credit union has expanded in size and scope and has helped shepherd the growth from $2.5 billion to more than $7.45 billion in assets. The key mantra for how Clobes and MSUFCU have developed a growth strategy has been quite simple: Go where the customers are.

By | Nick Manes

Could you talk a bit about the growth trajectory that MSUFCU has been on as of late?

We have been on a growth path for I would say … probably more than 20 years now. My predecessor started growing the organization through branching in (the Lansing region) where we’re headquartered (and) expanding out from there. Our decision-making is always member-driven. First, we look at where our members have migrated throughout the state of Michigan, and determine where we have density of members that don’t have convenient branch access.

We know through the data of our member engagement … when we have a branch in their communities where they live, they increase their engagement with a credit union, just about 30% across the board. And so for us, we really look at the opportunities of where we have a density of members without a branch.

And what have you been nding?

So Detroit is de nitely one of those we have been tracking (since) pre-pandemic, and the net migration of members to Detroit was the highest throughout the state of Michigan, meaning our members are moving into the city of Detroit more than any other location in the state. You couple that up of course with the MSU engagement and focus from the university in the city and we like to be where Michigan State is. We were founded to serve the faculty, sta , students and alumni so it makes sense that our eligible members would be more located in Detroit now as well.

And so all of our branching decisions have really been made underneath that rubric. If you know anything about Michigan State University, their alums or their incoming students come from very speci c portions of our state and those people are generally our members. at’s why we’re branched in Oakland County, Grand Rapids, in Traverse City.

You’re also expanding into the Chicago market. What’s driving that?

If you look at where MSU has a signi cant population outside of the state — either incoming students or existing MSU alumni — it’s the Chicago region. And

so as we were evaluating where we have density and we don’t have branching, Chicago came up after the state of Michigan. So that is why we made the decision to move into the Chicago market. We have enough members to support the branch network that we’re putting in there, as well as eligible alumni.

Where then do you see oppor tunities for further growth down the road?

So we’ll be announcing some incremental Michigan branches launching here this fall, and under construction. I think we’re still looking to expand in the greater Grand Rapids region. We only have two branches there ... so there’s an opportunity for us to be better branched there. So I think our initial focus in the next 18 to 24 months will be within the state of Michigan.

A few more locations in the Oakland County region, the Grand Rapids region, as well as in (Brighton and Howell).

And then really just to evaluate how well we’re doing in Chicago. I would say we don’t have grand plans to go into another state beyond where we are looking at right now in the next 18 to 24 months. But again, we’d use that same model to determine what would be the next best location based on member density.

Expanding with more branches is not usually the way we think about banks growing in 2023. How are you viewing that opportunity? We have a two-channel approach. So we have very robust digital channels, and we also have digital-only brands that are nonbranched, and they serve college students at other universities that we have partnerships with.

About 30% of our (350,000) members don’t live in the state of Michigan, and so that gives us a digital path. Almost 100,000 people don’t live near a branch and they’re spread throughout the whole U.S., so that’s where our

digital channels and our digital brands will be a match for them.

You read a lot about branching and it’s not relevant, but I think branching comes into play in a couple di erent ways.

What are those?

You will de nitely see branch closures because the top ve

usually have duplicate branches, so they need to close for e ciency. But what we see in our branches is we see the volume. Our busiest branch (in the Lansing area) in our current branch network of 23 branches sees 1,000 people a day. What that means to me is that there is a need for people. People do want to come to a physical location. ey do not come once a week like they used to, but they utilize the branch for complex

Can you explain what you ey’ve had their credit card compromised, they’ve had fraud in some aspect of their life and they need for us to help them on their nancial side. But we also see a range of people coming to our branch. About 25% of the people visiting a branch are our younger members, Gen Z. And 25% would be on the more senior side, and then in

Beyond the traditional banking services offered by MSUFCU, you also run an investment subsidiary called the Reseda Group.

Can you explain what function that serves?

Credit unions by regulation are limited to a certain percentage of deposits that can be allocated as an investment into what is called CUSOs, which stands for credit union service organizations. And so we cannot just invest in any business, they have to be organized and led as a CUSO. What we have done is create a new entity called the Reseda Group, and we use that regulatory amount to set aside for investments into CUSOs.

What does that accomplish?

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April Clobes is president and CEO of Michigan State University Federal Credit Union.

CUSOs are often designed to bring services to the entire industry that credit unions may not have an opportunity to have otherwise. And so certain ntechs have elected to work with the credit union industry to serve their members. I think we all are looking for ... new digital solutions, people are looking to have a great digital experience. We’re looking to incrementally improve a new product or service for our members. And sometimes you need to partner with somebody for that to happen.

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