Crain's Detroit Business, May 25, 2020 issue by Crain's Detroit Business

COVID-19 HEROES: Sabina Valenzuela rises to the occasion to help others. PAGE 6

TAKING ON TCF How Lynn Torossian created a hospital from scratch. PAGE 26

CRAINSDETROIT.COM I MAY 25, 2020

Crain’s Private 200 is here This week, Crain’s unveils our annual ranking of the biggest of the big privately held companies in Southeast Michigan. The ranking, the single largest data-gathering effort that Crain’s undertakes, ranks the companies based on annual revenue and offers the most complete snapshot of business in Southeast Michigan that’s available.

There’s even more available for subscribers who upgrade to an Enhanced Membership — data on hundreds of more companies, executive names and contacts and more, all available in Excel spreadsheets or a PDF format. To see the rankings, check out Pages 15-21. And if you’re interested in getting more from the data, check out crainsdetroit.com/membership.

COPING WITH COVID-19

DINING IN THE STREETS?

Coronavirus-era restaurant limits spur al fresco push BY ANNALISE FRANK

This summer Michiganders won’t be packing into their favorite brunch spots, but they could be pouring out onto streets and sidewalks. Some cities, restaurants and advocates are following those in other states, turning to expanded outdoor dining. It’s a way for eateries limited by coronavirus restrictions to seat more customers and make more money. Birmingham and Plymouth are among local governments that have taken action. The northern Michigan tourist haven of Traverse City is studying a partial closure of its popular Front Street to draw patrons to its restaurants, bars and breweries during a summer vacation season rife with economic unknowns. While it’s not proven, experts have indicated the coronavirus spreads more easily indoors. So why not take up some space in a parking lot, in front of your store or on the street? See DINING on Page 23

Traffic proceeds down Front Street in downtown Traverse City last week. | CHAD LIVENGOOD/CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

FOCUS | BUSINESS EDUCATION

COVID AND THE MBA Area colleges brace for possible enrollment declines. PAGE 10

NEWSPAPER

The post-COVID-19 office: one-way stairwells, extra cleaning, no deli spreads BY KIRK PINHO

When office workers start returning to their desks — whenever that may be — the office environment will look and feel much different. Elevator space will be at a premium as social distancing measures remain the norm, making life on the upper floors of high-rises and skyscrapers somewhat of a nightmare. Stairwells will be converted to one-way only. Turbocharged cleaning by janitors and day porters will be instituted, as will limited use of gym

and kitchen space in some buildings that provide those. And you can probably kiss goodbye those shared deli spreads, for now at least, out of an abundance of caution. Some companies will stagger their workforce so half works in the office a few days, followed by a day of deep cleaning, then the other half of the staff works in the office the other few days. “Almost the country club technique where it’s shut down on Mondays for cleaning,” said Timothy Gawel, leader of the workplace sector for Southfield-based architecture

and design firm Harley Ellis Devereaux Corp. In short, at least for the time being, nothing will be as it was prior to the first confirmed COVID-19 cases in Michigan March 10. The Detroit area has 77.8 million square feet of office space, according to the local office of brokerage house Newmark Knight Frank, and very little of it will look as it did three months ago, before more than 5,000 Michigan residents lost their lives to the virus. See OFFICES on Page 24

NEED TO KNOW

COLD IS HOT

THE WEEK IN REVIEW, WITH AN EYE ON WHAT’S NEXT `GOVERNOR WINS SUIT OVER EMERGENCY AUTHORITY THE NEWS: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer prevailed Thursday in a highstakes challenge by Republican lawmakers who sued over her authority to declare emergencies and order sweeping restrictions during the coronavirus outbreak. A 1945 law cited by Whitmer, a Democrat, is not limited to regional emergencies and can have no end date, said Judge Cynthia Stephens of the Court of Claims. WHY IT MATTERS: The opinion effectively means the governor’s orders stand, including a stay-home decree that is likely to be extended beyond May 28.

`TRUMP PRAISES FORD WHILE NOT WEARING MASK THE NEWS: President Donald Trump on Thursday called Ford Motor Co. and its workers a “national treasure” for its effort to manufacture 50,000 ventilators by early July in response to the coronavirus crisis and recent efforts to reopen its assembly plants. The president, choosing not to wear a mask in front of cameras, toured the Rawsonville plant where Ford assembles its Model A-E ventilator. He was joined by Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford, CEO Jim Hackett and Jim Baumbick, vice president of the company’s enterprise product line management.

WHY IT MATTERS: The visit comes after the president and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have traded jabs throughout the coronavirus crisis over the federal role in response. Michigan is a key state for Trump in the presidential election.

`JUDGE REJECTS INJUNCTION AGAINST KARL THE BARBER THE NEWS: A judge on Thursday rejected a request for an injunction that would have strengthened the state’s hand in keeping a Michigan barber shop closed during the coronavirus outbreak. Karl Manke’s shop in Owosso has been closed since last week when regulators suspended his license. But Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration was seeking an order in a separate action that would have further kept the 77-year-old out of business. WHY IT MATTERS: Karl the Barber has received national attention as a symbol of resistance to stay-home orders that have shut significant portions of the economy and are only gradually being relaxed.

`DETROIT FIREWORKS SHOW MOVES TO AUGUST THE NEWS: Detroit’s annual fireworks show has been postponed to Aug. 31 and shifted to a televised-only event. The three-hour televised event will honor front-line workers and heroes of the COVID-19 crisis and be broadcast on WDIV-Channel 4. Hart Plaza and other public spaces will not be open for viewing during the fireworks. WHY IT MATTERS: Whether and how the annual tradition should go on amid the COVID-19 has been a question for the city and the Parade Co., which puts on the exhibition.

THE NEWS: A new nonprofit publication, BridgeDetroit, aims to use direct engagement with city residents to steer its news. The news site headed by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Stephen Henderson officially launched Tuesday, backed by $5 million in donations and foundation funding. WHY IT MATTERS: It’s among several efforts by local startups to expand coverage and builds on the Center for Michigan’s award-winning Bridge Magazine. The newsrooms are essentially sister publications, Henderson said, but are independent of each other.

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` Novi-based Lineage Logistics is expanding its capabilities. The world’s largest cold storage provider to the food industry acquired assets of last-mile food distributor Maines Paper & Food Service Inc., Lineage announced this week. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition provides Lineage with a means to distribute products at its warehouses in upstate New York, where Maines trucks product to Burger King, Tim Hortons and Darden Restaurants. Lineage already warehouses and distributes products to 2,500 brand restaurants including Burger King, Tim Hortons, Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen and The Capital Grille, the company said in a press release.

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Lineage Logistics’ cold storage warehouses like this one in Woodbridge, N.J., are staying busy during the coronavirus outbreak. | LINEAGE LOGISTICS

RETAIL

Loves Furniture CEO: ‘This is not Art Van 2.0’ Executive talks changes to new furniture store replacing Art Van BY DUSTIN WALSH

Even though 17 stores will be reborn, it’s unlikely Loves Furniture in Michigan will be Art Van reincarnate. US Realty Acquisitions LLC, founded by investor Jeff Love, acquired the assets and leases of 27 total Art Van stores out of U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware last week for $6.9 million, according to court records. The deal includes the Michigan locations as well as Art Van and

Art Van-owned Levin Furniture and Wolf Furniture locations in Pennsylvania (five), Illinois (two) and one each in Ohio, Virginia and Maryland. The Southeast Michigan stores include Art Van locations in Warren, Royal Oak, Livonia, Waterford, Ann Arbor, Westland, Howell, Shelby Township and Taylor. With plans to reopen in the “coming weeks,” Loves is attempting to move away from Art Van’s legacy and traditional sales tactics as well as sell-

Love

Damiani

ing “higher quality” furniture, Loves CEO Matt Damiani told Crain’s in an interview last week. “This is not Art Van 2.0,” Damiani said. “This is a different company with a different style, a different selling strategy and marketing voice. Our

goal is to reengage with the customers that stopped shopping at Art Van or Levin, the ones that left those brands because they didn’t feel a connection.” Damiani said the stores will be more modern in appearance and would abandon Art Van’s more aggressive sales tactics, relying heavily on marketing and sales leads driven through technology. He would not, however, expand on details of those differentiation plans. “People are going to have to come in to the stores to check it out,” he said. The newly created Loves, which will have a temporary headquarters in Royal Oak as management is seeking

space elsewhere in Southeast Michigan, is making a bet it can fill the void Art Van left in the market while avoiding the company’s legacy mistakes and those of its former private equity owners that aided in the 61-year old company’s demise. Founder Art Van Elslander sold the company to a Boston-based private equity firm, Thomas H. Lee Partners LP, in an estimated $550 million deal in 2017. The company already faced significant challenges as many younger retailers had moved furniture shopping online. See LOVES on Page 25

SPORTS BUSINESS

COVID-19

Pistons offer refunds for missed games Team pivots to keep sponsorship revenue BY KURT NAGL

Northville Downs race track is gearing up to reopen to spectators and offer online gambling as soon as it gets the green light. | NORTHVILLE DOWNS

NORTHVILLE DOWNS SADDLES UP Track readies for sports, online betting in age of social distancing BY KURT NAGL

Once slated to be bulldozed by now, Northville Downs may be the first sports venue in Michigan to reopen to spectators in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The harness racing track is also poised to collect the first legal online sports wager in the state after receiving approval from the Michigan Gaming Control Board earlier this month. That all depends, of course, on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer giving clearance to nonessential businesses to reopen in metro Detroit. Mike Carlo, manager of Northville Downs, has operated for the past few weeks as though the start-

ing gates will open once the current stay-at-home order expires. The governor extended the order Friday until June 12, but it’s certain that once Northville Downs is allowed to open, it will look a lot different than it did before the outbreak. “We’re getting ready to be ready,” Carlo said. “I’m going to start bringing (employees) back, and when we get the green light, there might be some heavy lifting and quick moving to make sure that we’re doing exactly what the rules say we have to do.” There has been no official guidance for reopening large venues, other than the ubiquitous 6 feet of distance and a boatload of hand sanitizer and face masks. Trying to

predict what compliance will entail, Carlo has made major alterations to the horse racing venue, such as cutting capacity by 50 percent, stripping out 200 televisions and installing touchless faucets and clear plastic barriers. “I’m probably pushing a $40- to $50,000 investment just to get what we think is compliant,” Carlo said. The business has been shut down since March, but juggling a massive remodel and trying to finalize a contract with an online betting platform has Carlo busier than he was when the track was taking in a record amount of wagers this time last year. See BETTING on Page 24

“I’M GOING TO START BRINGING (EMPLOYEES) BACK, AND WHEN WE GET THE GREEN LIGHT, THERE MIGHT BE SOME HEAVY LIFTING AND QUICK MOVING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE DOING EXACTLY WHAT THE RULES SAY WE HAVE TO DO.” — Mike Carlo, manager of Northville Downs

The Detroit Pistons are offering refunds for games missed due to the coronavirus outbreak while also hanging on to sponsorship revenue by pivoting to the digital arena. The team has started to reach out individually to single-game and season ticket holders impacted by the suspended season, the organization confirmed. The team had eight home games remaining. The NBA, which was the first major sports league to halt its Metzger season in March, still has not canceled or rescheduled those games. Pistons season ticket holders can choose either a refund or to roll their money over to next season, which would be rewarded with a 20 percent bonus credit on the funds, according to the team. Individual ticket holders have the same option and will be given a 10 percent bonus credit for rolling over funds. The policy change follows similar moves from other Detroit sports teams. The policy does not apply to those who purchased tickets through third-party resellers, such as Vivid Seats or StubHub. Those companies issue refunds based on the policies of event organizers, which in this case is the NBA. The league’s decision to not cancel the season is holding up refunds to those ticket holders. The Pistons do not disclose revenue details, but on average, NBA teams make a bit more than $1 million at the gate per home game. The Pistons make the rest of their money through sponsorships, league revenue sharing and a broadcast deal with Fox Sports Detroit, estimated to bring in around $25 million annually. See PISTONS on Page 25 MAY 25, 2020 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 3

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Two Detroit developments secure state financing; project costs balloon

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4 | CRAINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DETROIT BUSINESS | MAY 25, 2020

A pair of greater downtown Detroit mixed-use projects long in the works have netted state financing. The $73.4 million redevelopKirk ment of the UnitPINHO ed Artists Building into 148 apartments and the $59 million construction of a new 204-unit apartment building at Woodward Avenue and Stimson Street have received Michigan Strategic Fund approvals for Michigan Community Revitalization Program performance-based loans for $5 million and $5.3 million, respectively. The redevelopment of the United Artists Building by Bagley Development Group LLC, which is headed by longtime developer Emmett Moten Jr., was as recently as six months ago anticipated to cost just $56 million. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expected to include about 10,500 square feet of first-floor commercial space. The United Artists Theatre, which opened in 1928 and is attached to the Ilitch family-owned building, is expected to be demolished. Twenty percent of the residential units are reserved for those making 80 percent or less than the Area Median Income, which includes suburban Detroit, and is currently $76,300 for a family of four and $61,100 for a two-person household, meaning that 80 percent is $61,030 and $48,880, respectively. The Ilitch familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Olympia Development of Michigan is leasing the property to Bagley Development Group. The other investors are Scott Allen, Richard Hosey, Bob Charles, Jim and Joni Thrower, Wayne Thomas, Roy Roberts and Tom Goss. C. Howard Crane designed the theater, which sits behind the 18-story office building, both of which opened in 1928. It closed in 1975 and has been controlled by the Ilitch family since 1997, according to Historic Detroit, which tracks the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s buildings and architecture. The redevelopment was announced in May 2017 as part of what was then a $160 million plan to bring 686 residential units to the Ilitch familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s District Detroit area. Construction on the building was to begin in 2017, but the project struggled to obtain financing.

The developer trying to convert the vacant United Artists Building on Grand Circus Park into apartments also plans to tear down the theater thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attached behind it.

COSTAR GROUP INC.

Moten said construction should begin in July. The Woodward at Midtown project has been proposed in varying iterations for years, including at one point being envisioned as medical office space. But for several years, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been planned as multifamily space. Most recently, it was expected to cost $40.8 million and include a second Kuzzoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chicken & Waffles restaurant along with 134 apartments. It now is envisioned as 204 apartments across five stories. Forty-one of the units are proposed as affordable for those making 80 percent or less than AMI. It is proposed by Detroit-based Queen Lillian II LLC, which consists of Chris Jackson, a minority owner and former staffer to former Detroit City Council president Gil Hill and former part owner of Greektown Casino-Hotel; and James Jenkins, who is majority owner of the company and is president and CEO of Detroit-based Jenkins Construction Inc. Detroit-based The Platform LLC was brought in as a development partner in 2018. Jackson said construction should

begin in the late summer or early fall. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This development has been a labor of love, and we have worked hard over the years to come up with the perfect project for this key piece of real estate in the heart of Midtown,â&#x20AC;? Jackson said in a statement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know that we have found the right team, and especially the right partners, to bring Detroiters a development they can be proud of.â&#x20AC;?

Auburn Hills apartments begin construction A new 48-unit apartment building called The Jordan is starting construction at 3250 Auburn Road in Auburn Hills. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expected to include 32 one-bedroom units and 12 two-bedrooms, with about 5,000 to 6,000 square feet of first-floor retail space that includes Bucharest Grill as a tenant. Detroit Riverside Capital is the developer, while Tower Construction is the general contractor and Designhaus Architecture is the architect. Contact: kpinho@crain.com; (313) 446-0412; @kirkpinhoCDB

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Restaurants, bars, retail stores, offices face extensive safety rules BY CHAD LIVENGOOD

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order last week laying out extensive workplace safety requirements for businesses to adhere to as they reopen after the two-month coronavirus pandemic shutdown. Businesses that are reopening for in-person activities are required to submit a COVID-19 preparedness and response plan by June 1 or within two weeks of reopening to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity that’s consistent with Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations, Whitmer said Monday. Northern Michigan restaurants, bars, retail stores and offices that reopend Friday will have two weeks to develop a written plan that “must be made readily available to employees, labor unions and customers” online or a printed copy, according to Whitmer’s Executive Order No. 91. Here are 10 requirements spelled out in Whitmer’s executive order that all businesses must adhere to: `Businesses have to provide training for workplace infection-control practices, reporting unsafe work conditions, how to properly use personal protective equipment (PPE) and steps for notifying supervisors that they have symptoms of COVID-19 or have a suspected or confirmed diagnosis. ` Businesses must have protocols in place for cleaning and disinfecting a workplace in the event that an employee or contractor tests positive for COVID-19. ` They also must make cleaning supplies “available to employees upon entry” and “provide time for employees to wash hands frequently or to use hand sanitizer.” ` When an employee tests positive for COVID-19, the employer is required to contact the local health department and “any coworkers, contractors or suppliers who may have come into contact with the person.” `All employees or contractors entering a workplace are required to go through a daily self-screening of their current

health conditions and whether they’ve had a “suspected or confirmed exposure to people with possible COVID-19.” Employers are required to keep records of the daily health screenings, according to the order. Èmployers must provide non-medical grade masks to all employees. Surgical and N95 masks remain reserved for health care professionals to preserve PPE supplies for frontline workers. Èmployers also are required to encourage employees to wear gloves, masks and use hand sanitizer when using public transportation to get to work. Èmployers are to keep workers at least 6 feet apart “to the maximum extent possible.” When they can’t be more than 6 feet apart, employees are required to wear face masks. When workers have to be within 3 feet of each other, employers should “consider” providing face shields, according to the governor’s order. `Businesses are to restrict business-related travel for “essential” purposes only and “promote” remote working. Èmployers are prohibited from firing, disciplining “or otherwise retaliating against employees who stay home or who leave work when they are at particular risk of infecting others with COVID-19.” The governor’s executive order also has COVID-19 regulations for specific industries and sectors that are permitted to be open, including retailers, office buildings, restaurants, manufacturing facilities and research laboratories.

Restaurants Restaurants in 17 counties in the northern Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula that were permitted to reopen Friday at 50 percent capacity will have to close their waiting areas and “ask customers to wait in cars for a call when their table is ready.” Self-serve salad bars have to remain closed and hosts and servers are required to wear face masks inside the dining room of each restaurant or bar, according to Whitmer’s order.

The order also requires restaurants to close “immediately if an employee shows multiple symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, atypical shortness of breath, atypical cough) and perform a deep clean, consistent with guidance from FDA and the Centers for Disease Control.” The deep cleaning can occur overnight, according to the order.

In the office, factories In office workplace settings, water fountains must be turned off and face coverings will be required for in-person meetings and in restrooms and hallways, according to the order. Manufacturing facilities must implement additional work shift schedules to reduce the number of people in a facility at one time, as well as stagger break times and lunch hours. The order also requires manufacturers to “reduce congestion in common spaces wherever practicable by, for example, closing salad bars and buffets within cafeterias and kitchens, requiring individuals to sit at least six feet from one another, placing markings on the floor to allow social distancing while standing in line, offering boxed food via delivery or pick-up points, and reducing cash payments.” When a worker in a manufacturing facility tests positive for COVID-19, the company is required to “maintain a central log for symptomatic employees or employees who received a positive test for COVID-19” and “send potentially exposed individuals home upon identification of a positive case of COVID-19 in the facility.” Whitmer’s order also says “manufacturing facilities must ... suspend all nonessential in-person visits, including tours.” The governor’s office said Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s tour Thursday of Ford Motor Co.’s Ypsilanti component plant was “contrary to the governor’s order,” but the state was not going to get in the way of the presidential visit.

KEVIN DAY VICE PRESIDENT OF TECHNOLOGY THOMSON REUTERS EMBA, CLASS OF 2019

Contact: clivengood@crain.com; (313) 446-1654; @ChadLivengood MAY 25, 2020 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 5

COVID-19 HEROES

Bread baking as ‘therapy,’ and a way to help, in lockdown Grosse Pointe resident uses skills to supply fresh bread during pandemic BY NICK MANES

Lots of people have turned to baking bread as a means of passing the time during a quarantine that is now entering its third month. But most aren’t baking bread like Sabina Valenzuela bakes bread. The Grosse Pointe resident began baking, mostly teaching herself, about 17 years ago while still living in Chile with her family. Valenzuela sold her baked goods to neighbors to bring in additional income. But now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, her baking skills are coming in handy in a new way. Valenzuela’s 27-year-old son Sergio Rodriguez-Valenzuela is the co-founder and CEO of startup ToDoolie Inc. The company previously used its platform to match homeowners with college students looking to work around the house. But in the age of COVID-19, the company instead uses the same platform to deliver Valenzuela’s freshly baked bread to customers around Detroit and in the Grosse Pointe communities, as Crain’s has previously reported. Valenzuela has been baking bread for years, including as a way

to provide for her family, but the transition to baking during a pandemic and for her son’s evolving business “was born out of a necessity to help,” she said with some translating assistance from her son. Valenzuela said that at the onset of the pandemic she visited the supermarket several times and found a lack of bread. With many older people in the Grosse Pointe area, she thought her baking skills could help. “I wanted to share that feeling of having fresh bread,” said Valenzuela. The bread she bakes is now delivered using ToDoolie’s platform within 30 minutes of coming out of the oven, said Rodriguez-Valenzuela. With people turning to bread-baking during lengthy quarantines, coupled with an upside-down supply chain, shortages of flour have been rampant. The Valenzuelas say they had some trouble at first sourcing flour for their bread-baking operation, but have found that bulk stores generally have plenty of supply. Since switching from ToDoolie’s original business model, Valenzuela’s breads have made their way to 157 unique clients of the company, according to her son. Additionally, Rodriguez-Valenzuela said that be-

“IT’S SOMETHING THAT YOU DO FOR YOURSELF AND YOU PUT ENERGY INTO IT. ... IT’S ALMOST A THERAPY THING.” — Sabina Valenzuela

cause of donations from some of those clients, about a dozen families have gotten free bread. While Instagram posts of people trying out their first batch of sourdough have become ubiquitous during the lockdown, Valenzuela’s creations go slightly beyond that. Among her favorite breads to bake are a traditional South American style called hallulla; breads with fruit, typically known as Christmas breads; and empanadas. Valenzuela said she applauds people who are trying out bread-baking during this time and offered some tips for people just getting started with home baking. “It’s something that you do for yourself and you put energy into it,” she said, adding that she often puts on relaxing music and tries to put her “heart and soul” into each concoction. “It’s almost a therapy thing,” she said.

Sabina Valenzuela holds a plate of freshly baked hallullas. | TODOOLIE

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

HEALTH CARE

Blue Cross, HAP to cut premiums, offer refunds to customers Lower health claim payouts in 2020 as members make fewer office visits during pandemic BY JAY GREENE

Lower health claim payouts because of the COVID-19 pandemic have led Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Blue Care Network and Health Alliance Plan of Michigan to cut premium rates and further extend no-cost benefit coverage to members. Blue Cross and Blue Care Network will return more than $100 million to many fully insured customers this year, the company announced Wednesday. The refunds are in addition to $494 million that Blue Cross already has spent to expand the availability of nocost benefits for members and to support health providers in response to COVID-19. “For 81 years, Blue Cross has stood behind our members’ care in good times and bad,” said Dan Loepp, Blue Cross president and CEO, in a statement. “We’ve been proactive in addressing the pandemic, providing nocost benefits for members and advancing millions of dollars to care providers. Now we can return money to our customers and members.” Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan provides health benefits to more than 4.7 million members residing in Michigan, accounting for about 70 percent of the insured market. Loepp said the coronavirus outbreak has created uncertainty in health care spending. “At this point in the pandemic, we’re confident in premiums exceeding claims for the year — so we are starting to give money back to our customers,” he said. 6 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | MAY 25, 2020

Earlier this month, Grand Rapids-based Priority Health said it would cut premium rates by about 15 percent for members and employers for June and July and will return possible overpayments to fully funded employers later this year to provide financial support amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Blue Cross also said it filed small group rates last week with the state for 2021 that average a 0.9 percent increase for PPO plans and 1.9 percent increase for HMO plans. The state’s largest insurer also said it will not increase rates for fully insured customers renewing dental and vision plans for 2021. Health Alliance Plan also announced steps to offer financial relief and improve access to care for its members, including individual and Medicare Advantage members, as well as small business employers. For its individual members and small employer group customers, HAP will decrease monthly premiums by 5 percent through the end of the year. A small group is defined as an employer with fewer than 50 employees. These decreases will be reflected in monthly premium bills beginning July 1 and will be in effect through December 2020. HAP also has extended its cost-sharing waiver for telehealth services through the end of the year. All cost-sharing is waived for HAP’s individual, fully insured employer group, Medicare, Medicaid and MI Health Link members using telehealth services. Self-insured employer group cus-

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan offices.

tomers control their own health benefits. HAP said it is working with its self-insured customers to determine how they will cover telehealth services. “Individuals and small business owners have been among the hardest hit economically during this pandemic,” said Michael Genord, M.D., HAP’s president and CEO, in a statement. “As a Michigan-based insurer, HAP is committed to helping the economic recovery efforts in Michigan as businesses and their employees attempt to return to normal operations. We want them to know that HAP is here for them during this unparalleled era in Michigan history.” Blue Cross and Blue Care also will provide the following relief to customers: `Fully insured small group customers with 50 or fewer employees will receive a 30 percent credit on their July premium invoice, amounting to about a $37

million refund. `Blue Dental and Blue Vision employer group customers will be sharing a total refund of about $10.5 million. All fully insured groups with dental and vision coverage will receive a onemonth premium refund to be credited on their July invoice. `Individual health plan members from 2019 will receive a one-time rebate resulting from lower than expected health care claims. The rebates will total about $45 million in September. Rebates are determined based on each subscriber’s plan and premiums paid in 2019. `Medicare supplemental policies, also known as Medigap, and individual Medicare Advantage members in a plan with a premium above $0 will receive a 15 percent premium refund for the months of March and April to be applied to their July premium bill. This refund totals about $15 million to

Medigap and Individual Medicare Advantage members. `COVID-19 testing and treatment cost share waivers and no-cost telehealth services will continue to be provided through June 30 to enable free access to physician-directed COVID-19 testing and treatment for commercially insured members, saving about $97 million. `Michigan physicians received about $87 million in earned incentive payments to maintain operations, purchase testing supplies, enhance treatment services for COVID-19 patients and expand telehealth services. Health systems also received planned payments, totaling about $300 million, despite disruptions in claim volume. This enabled Michigan health systems to continue operating with a stable revenue stream in the face of significant disruption in their ability to deliver services. “We are living through a time when the usual economics of health care have been upended,” Loepp said. “Hospitals have delayed elective services, and people aren’t visiting doctors’ and dentists’ offices.” HAP also waived copays for Medicare Advantage members for all in-person primary care visits and behavioral health visits through the end of the year. HAP also will waive all member cost-sharing for telehealth visits for its Medicare Advantage members through the end of the year. Contact: jgreene@crain.com; (313) 446-0325; @jaybgreene

Leslie R., Bank of America Consumer Bank Team

Sharing our appreciation My teammates and I in Detroit are deeply grateful to those working on the front lines to fight a global health crisis — the health care providers, first responders and essential service workers. This includes many across Bank of America who are working around the clock in financial and service centers to provide guidance and support to our clients. We’re committed to our teammates’ safety and well-being, providing new and enhanced benefits, including free access to virtual health care and emotional wellness programs, support for child and adult care, and meals for those in the office. Our extensive workplace health and safety measures adhere to the latest CDC guidelines. Eligible teammates are paid based on their regular schedules, even if hours are reduced. We also increased our minimum hourly wage to $20, one year ahead of schedule, and have committed to no layoffs in 2020. We are here to help. Please stay safe and well.

Matt Elliott Detroit Market President

For more information, please visit bankofamerica.com/helpfulresources.

COMMENTARY

Why our infrastructure is a dam failure Every August between 1932 and 1941, thousands gathered on the banks of the Tittabawassee River in Edenville. The Lumberjack Picnics were renowned from Detroit to San Francisco as a celebration of the region’s past. As many as Dustin 35,000 gathered for evening WALSH orchestral performances after a day of log-rolling competitions, birler shows and other celebrations of the region’s logging industry. A popular singalong of the festival was a 1938 folk song called “Once More a-Lumb’ring Go.” Come all you sons of freedom that run the Saginaw stream Come all you roving lumberjacks and listen to my theme We’ll cross the Tittabawassee where the mighty waters flow And we’ll range the wild woods over and once more a-lumb’ring go The event, which drew the likes of Michigan governors William Comstock and Luren Dickinson, was held downriver of the Edenville Dam that failed last week, flooding much of Midland and leading to the evacuation of 10,000 residents. Frank Wixom, a failed farmer, former circus promoter and then power company CEO, placed the final nail in the Tittabawassee River’s logging industry with the erection of the dam in 1925 — ushering in a new era of flood control, recreational lakes and irrigation. Dams are one of the most complicated subjects in America. Dams have long held the promise of progress — most prominently exemplified by the New Deal era dams built by the Tennessee

Flooding resulting from the overrun Edenville Dam, which has inundated parts of Midland. | MICHIGAN OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

Valley Authority. In more recent years, they’ve been vilified as disasters in waiting. Both are true; dams hold great desirable effects and dire consequences. Dams are destroyers of habitat, inefficient boondoggles for land speculators and subsidies for wealthy farmers. But they’ve also provided a meaningful supply of water as well as recreation. Michigan is home to 2,523 dams, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. The state of Michigan inspects the safety and strength of high hazard potential dams once every three years. But as my colleague Chad Livengood reported this week, the Edenville Dam failure is a bewildering tale of an absentee zombie company operator, mismanaged regulatory framework and good ol’ fashioned neglect. Frankly, the state of dams in America is damn alarming. There are roughly 90,500 dams in the U.S., with an average age of 53 years old, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ National Inventory of Dams. Failures of dams in the U.S. has

escalated in the past 30 years as the infrastructure has aged. Between 1848 and 2017, the U.S averaged about 10 dam failures annually, but that rate is closer to 27 annually since the mid1990s, according to a 2018 Stanford University study. All 50 states experienced dam failures during that time. Michigan has suffered at least 41 dam failures in the past 170 years. According to the U.S. Army Corps, 94 percent of the 1,059 dams recognized by Army are deemed by regulators has “High Hazard Potential w/ Emergency.” That means dam failure or misoperation will cause significant property destruction, like we witnessed in Midland, and loss of human life. It’s much worse in Southeast Michigan, where 100 percent of the dams in Wayne, Washtenaw, Oakland, Livingston and Macomb counties are of high hazard potential. The age of those dams is most concerning. The average age of dams in Washtenaw County is 83 years. In Livingston County, it’s 88 years. Argo Dam near downtown Ann Arbor is 100 years old. In 2009, state regulators ordered the city to fix structural problems with the impoundment or remove the dam entirely. The city chose to fix the dam and built the Argo Raceway, a series of small ponds and rapids to allow boaters and kayakers to get around the dam. Ann Arbor residents were lucky their city took action where Midland’s operator, Boyce Hydro, did not. But the regulatory patchwork and ownership of dams is no doubt confusing. Of the 1,061 state-regulated dams in Michigan, 731 are privately owned. Of the 92 federally regulated dams, 72 are privately owned. According to EGLE, 1,400 dams in the state are unregulated because they are below 6 feet in height and im-

pound less than 5 acres of water. But even the regulatory patchwork isn’t conducive to fixing the problems. The issues in Edenville were more than a decade old. If the operator won’t fix them, who will? This is the fate of *most* of Michigan’s dams. Expensive repairs will be, or are, needed to maintain the structural integrity of dams built decades before World War II, the Civil Rights Movement and Crain’s Detroit Business. But it’s not just the age. These dams simply weren’t designed for the weather events we’re experiencing in 2020, said Richard Norton, professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Michigan. “When we build infrastructure like dams, we do so with the best guesses on what types of weather events are occurring,” Norton said. “But at the same time, you can’t protect against all types of risk. There’s always a tradeoff, but it’s clear that the Midland dams weren’t sized for the storms we are getting today.” The storms that produced the waters that destroyed the Edenville Dam are now called a 500year flood. Houston has experienced three 500year floods since 2014. Michigan’s Great Lakes broke yet another record high-water mark in May. Beach erosions, now claiming homes on Michigan’s shoreline, are well documented. More rainstorms are coming this week. Given what we know about the state of Michigan’s infrastructure, will more dams fail? As Wendell Barry wrote in “The Unforeseen Wilderness”: “Men may dam it and say they have made a lake, but it will still be a river. It will keep its nature and bide its time, like a caged animal alert for the slightest opening. In time, it will have its way; the dam, like ancient cliffs, will be carried away piecemeal in the currents.”

COMMENTARY

Crain’s May Days of Giving lends hand to nonprofits in need For the past decade, Gina Kell Spehn has been raising money to help fill income gaps experienced by families hit by cancer. The COVID-19 pandemic may make her job a little easier. “Nobody knew until COVID came along what it was like to have a compromised immune system and be afraid to go to work,” Spehn said last week. The Rochester-based nonprofit she co-founded, New Day Foundation for Families, helps families with “cancer-related financial toxicity,” most often tied to work or income loss resulting from a cancer diagnosis. The Rochester-based foundation helps on living expenses and professional counseling — for emotional support and identifying resources to offset the financial burdens a family could face after a diagnosis. She and her husband, Michael, both lost spouses to cancer. Their memoir, “The Color of Rain,” was the basis for a Hallmark cable network film in 2014. The foundation will be featured in Crain’s Giving Guide, to be published June 8, and is also raising money through Crain’s “May Days of Giving.” A board member, Jack Aronson, has agreed to match 1:1 all donations up to $20,000. As of Friday, New Day ranked third in total

Mary

KRAMER

Group Publisher donations in Crain’s May Days of Giving, an online fund-raising campaign tied to Crain’s Giving Guide. The campaign has raised more than $33,000 so far and runs through June 20. And the leader of the pack? Another small nonprofit — the Michigan Hispanic Collaborative, that was closing in on $10,000 in donations, ranging from $25 up. Crain’s moved its annual Giving Guide from the fall to June 8 to make sure that nonprofits, large and small, could communicate directly to the business community about their greatest needs. And we created an online campaign, supported by Huntington Bank, to get dollars in the door to support those nonprofits as they battle the effects of COVID-19. Spehn’s nonprofit and the Hispanic Collaborative are making the most of that opportunity. Just two years old, the collaborative focuses on helping first-generation Hispanic stu-

dents complete high school and college and embark on their careers. The mission statement is simple: “Educate one Latino, empower a community.” Case in point: Founder JoAnn Chavez is a senior vice president and chief legal officer at DTE Energy. Chavez says she could easily have grown up to be an under-employed — or unemployed — resident of Southwest Detroit, prone to substance abuse that took the life of her younger sister. But education was her ticket to a professional life and the ability to impact others. She has a bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Notre Dame. The granddaughter of Mexican immigrants and migrant farm workers, her parents both dropped out of Western High School in Southwest Detroit. “We focus on two generations,” Chavez said of the nonprofit’s work. “You have to get the parents to buy into the idea of the students going to college.” Pre-COVID, that meant in-person meetings with parents at schools in Southwest Detroit. Since COVID, the focus has turned to Facebook Live chats. “You break down the fears of sending a kid to college,” she said. The far-reaching goal is reducing poverty through education, a need that has become

Write us: Crain’s welcomes responses from readers. Letters should be as brief as possible and may be edited for length or clarity. Send letters to Crain’s Detroit Business, 1155 Gratiot Ave, Detroit, MI 48207, or email crainsdetroit@crain.com. Please include your complete name, city from which you are writing and a phone number for fact-checking purposes. 8 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | MAY 25, 2020

more acute because the COVID crisis has brought higher unemployment. “The Hispanic community’s 40 percent poverty rate will easily turn into 50 percent or 60 percent,” she said. The small nonprofit taps dozens of education partners and offers an almost concierge service of connecting students to existing resources. “If we went in to create everything new, we’d fail. So many people are already working in college access and college space. We’re aggregating that and bringing it directly to the Hispanic community.” More than 30 nonprofits are raising dollars through the campaign Crain’s organized on the fundraising platform, Mighty Cause. To find them all, visit maydaysofgiving.crains detroit.com. Mary Kramer is group publisher of Crain’s Detroit Business.

MORE ON WJR ` Listen to Crain’s Group Publisher Mary Kramer and Managing Editor Michael Lee talk about the week’s stories every Monday morning at 6:15 a.m. Mondays on WJR 760 AM’s Paul W. Smith Show.

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

OTHER VOICES

Damn, the dam broke: We should invest in Michigan, America BY TOM WATKINS

The Midland Dam break is a metaphor for the lack of investment in Michigan and America. America is at the precipice today with a viral pandemic our new reality. Tom Watkins is As the dark former Michigan wave of the panstate superintendent demic rolls over of schools and the nation and former president economic insecuand CEO of the rity mounts along Economic with rising unemCouncil of Palm ployment and Beach County, stock market jitFla. ters — life goes on and dams break. We have not invested in our infrastructure, people and our collective future, and it shows. With Americans hurting, many people are open to FDR-style government intervention to help stabilize and improve our lives. During that dark Depression decade of the 1930s, President Franklin Roosevelt rose to the challenge, not only proffering hope, but enacting creative initiatives to get people working again. He acknowledged he did not have all the answers, but “crossed the river by feeling the stones” as the Chinese say, seeking and pushing policies to build an effective foundation of hope for jobs. As FDR famously said, “Do something and if that does not work, do something else. But for God’s sake, do something.” We need to “do something,” America! With the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic whipping out jobs in the blink of a virus and our transition from one of the lowest unemployment rates in America to now having the highest since the Great Depression, the economy and our jobs should be front and center in the 2020 presidential election. Our collective future, as a state and nation must be built on a foundation of hope inspired by thoughtful plans to invest in America. Now is a time for our vaunted American ingenuity and entrepreneurial zeal to go 24/7. With entrepreneurial wind beneath our sails,

Americans can get what we pay for with our tax dollars: a government that works FOR us, not against us.

nage, we need a federal plan that doubles down on educational attainment from cradle to the grave.

Investment, not blame

AS FDR FAMOUSLY SAID, “DO SOMETHING AND IF THAT DOES NOT WORK, DO SOMETHING ELSE. BUT FOR GOD’S SAKE, DO SOMETHING.”

Now is the time to invest in: ` Infrastructure. If there was ever a time to dig deep and invest in infrastructure projects across America it is NOW: rebuilding roads, bridges, ports, dams, water pipes and sewers, making broadband ubiquitous and internet connectivity universal for rich and poor in our communities. ` Education. With state and local tax bases eroded due to the pandemic and the associated economic car-

Knowledge and skill are the glue that binds us. ` Workforce preparedness. We need to upshift to automation and AI (arti-

ficial intelligence). The rest of the global workforce has been shifting this way, right under the feet of the average American worker. Creating training and retraining programs to up-skill workers is an investment that pays dividends. `National service. With the world economy on pause and work opportunities evaporating for both high schoolers and university graduates entering the workforce, we are seeing an exceptional opportunity to create a year of national service. During the decade of the Great Depression, FDR created the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) and WPA (Works Progress Administration) that added value to our

nation by improving local community infrastructure in America. ` National mentorship/apprenticeship academy. Let’s create community centers where older workers who were disrupted by the 2020 pandemic can pass on their skills and knowledge to a new generation, thereby earning both a paycheck and pride in contributing to the rebuilding and reskilling of America. `Technology. America needs to maintain our primacy in technology, making investments in the future to include AI, 5G networks and big data. The dam has broke. Fix the damn dams. This election needs to be about fixing Michigan and America.

Take Heart, Michigan.

CRAIN’S AWARDS

Nominations now open for Notable Women in Design Crain’s Detroit Business will recognize Michigan women leaders in design in a special section on Sept. 14, 2020. We’re seeking accomplished and influential women working in commercial, architectural and industrial design as well as package, fashion, graphic and web design. The deadline to nominate a candidate is Tuesday, June 23. Once nominated, candidates will receive an email and have until Tuesday, June 30, to complete a separate application. To learn more or submit a nomination, go to crainsdetroit.com/nominate. For questions, contact Special Projects Editor Amy Bragg: abragg@ crain.com.

When “Financial security from generation to generation,” is your tagline, you tend to take a long-term view of market performance. You also tend to be optimistic, given that historical market data overwhelmingly favors that long-term mindset—even in the throes of a worrisome crisis like COVID-19. A profound sense of gratitude helps. Gratitude to the many who are visibly fighting the virus day and night at great peril to their health. And gratitude to the equal number of good people who, behind the scenes, are providing products, services and aid to our nation. As author Mary Anne Radmacher once said, “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it’s the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’” With you, and in every measure thanks to you, we will prevail.

Kalamazoo Grand Rapids Birmingham Traverse City Bay Harbor | 800.416.4555 greenleaftrust.com

MAY 25, 2020 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 9

BUSINESS EDUCATION

BUSINESS SCHOOLS BRACE FOR COVID-19 REALITIES More online offerings, bigger scholarships and virtual recruiting key to keeping students enrolled in MBA programs BY DOUG HENZE | SPECIAL TO CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

Eye on enrollment

Two months after COVID-19 caused graduate business programs to bug out essentially overnight — moving instruction and other services online — it’s still unclear what the new normal on campus will look like this fall. Meanwhile, colleges and universities are doing everything they can to head off slipping enrollment, from waiving application fees and approaching donors for extra scholarship funds to recruiting online. Many students have lost jobs or taken leaves of absence during the pandemic and are relying on unemployment. “The biggest issue we’re seeing with our students is how to fund (school) — how are they going to pay for it?” said Kiantee Jones, assistant dean of graduate programs for Wayne State University. “We’re looking forward to providing students with scholarships for the fall term.” Wayne State will be giving all graduate business students who were financially impacted by COVID-19 scholarships in the fall. That’s in addition to Wayne State scholarships that are normally available.

A comparison of fall 2019 enrollment numbers with fall 2020 enrollment numbers so far for some area colleges offering an MBA.

“THE BIGGEST ISSUE WE’RE SEEING WITH OUR STUDENTS IS HOW TO FUND (SCHOOL) — HOW ARE THEY GOING TO PAY FOR IT? WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE FALL TERM.” — Kiantee Jones, assistant dean of graduate programs for Wayne State University

10 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | MAY 25, 2020

School

Fall 2020 enrollment

Fall 2019 enrollment

% change

Walsh College Wayne State University Oakland University Michigan State University

567 947 194 426

606 985 191 478

-6.44% -3.86% 1.57% -10.88% CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS GRAPHIC

Eligible students also can get money through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. CARES gives institutions funding for financially struggling students, although it isn’t available for programs that were online-only pre-COVID-19. Wayne State also is waiving its $50 application fee to encourage students to apply. “Students are nervous about, ‘If I do apply and get admitted, am I going to be able to go?’ A lot of them are still in limbo,” Jones said.

New recruitment strategies, scholarships In mid-May, Wayne State had 957 students enrolled in graduate business education classes for its spring/ summer term, which began May 4. That’s down about 4 percent, compared to 994 a year ago. For the upcoming fall term, which begins Sept. 1, the university had enrolled 947 students in those graduate programs, versus 985 a year earlier — also a decline of nearly 4 percent. The school normally would take ap-

plic line the C crui tive emp spon reso teria and “W onli com alwa med dIn. W one “W said mar for T In den edu mer Tha enro

WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW CAN HURT YOU

AND YOUR LIVE WEB-EVENT!

GETTY IMAGES | ISTOCKPHOTO

plications until July 1, but that deadline is expected to be extended until the end of August. COVID has upended normal recruiting, since Wayne representatives can’t visit companies to talk to employees, Jones said. They’ve responded by reaching out to human resources departments, sending materials to their own undergraduates and approaching candidates online. “We’re doing virtual info sessions online and we’re inviting students to come in via Zoom,” Jones said. “We’re always pushing out info on social media — Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.” Wayne State leaders aren’t the only ones with enrollment on their minds. “We’re down, like most schools,” said Patti Swanson, vice president of marketing and enrollment services for Troy’s Walsh College. In mid-May, Walsh had 897 students enrolled in graduate business education classes for its spring/summer term, which began March 20. That’s down 13 percent from 1,033 enrollees a year ago.

For the fall term, which begins Sept. 16, Walsh had 567 students enrolled, down about 6 percent from 606 at the same time a year earlier. “We’re reaching out to our donors for scholarships,” Swanson said. “We’re trying to remove as many barriers as possible.” Oakland University has fared better than the competition in retaining students during the COVID crisis, said Michael Mazzeo, dean of the university’s business school. “We have a part-time MBA program (and) the program is not doing bad, at all,” Mazzeo said. “In fact, we’re seeing an uptick.” Oakland had 181 students enroll for its summer session, which began May 4. That’s in line with the 183 students enrolled a year earlier. For the fall 2020 term, which begins Sept. 3, Oakland has enrolled 194 students in the MBA program — a slight increase from the 191 students that were enrolled a year ago. The university, which also offers a master’s degree in information technology and several online business certificates, plans to launch a fulltime online MBA program this fall. That program was in the works before COVID-19 appeared on the scene. “We’re seeing an uptick in information requests for these programs — more than we have in years,” Mazzeo said. “This is a great time to increase your skills.” Mazzeo said he’s uncertain whether the economic downturn that has accompanied the pandemic is related to the increased interest in Oakland programs. “Typically, you see enrollment in graduate programs in an economic downturn,” he said. “I’m not sure how many undergraduates are going to graduate school. We’re looking at data now. So far, we’re not seeing corporations backing off of offers they made to our graduating students. Next week — we don’t know.”

Internships, international enrollment at risk At Michigan State University, some graduate students did lose internships as a result of COVID-19, said Richard Saouma, associate dean of graduate programs for the Eli Broad College of Business. To mitigate the damage, the school partnered with corporations, which provided projects for those students, and MSU then solicited alumni contributions to cover the cost. Enrollment for the summer term, which began May 11, has been unaffected, because summer grad programs are offered online only at Broad, he said. However, Saouma is concerned about the fall, in particular because international students may not be able to attend. “I ended up calling every embassy we work with and they all told me the same thing,” he said. “We heard they had canceled all visa appointments. I just see some very big hurdles.”

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GET A HEALTHIER OUTLOOK ON CHILDHOOD Tune in to WJR 760 AM for Caring for Kids, a monthly radio program highlighting issues and efforts locally, regionally and nationally, that impact the health and wellness of children.

LISTEN TO WJR AM LIVE Tuesday, May 26 at 7p.m.

Advocating for the health & wellness of children and families

SPECIAL GUESTS

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See MBA on Page 12 BROUGHT TO YOU BY

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yourchildrensfoundation.org/caring-for-kids MAY 25, 2020 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 11

FOCUS | BUSINESS EDUCATION

MBA

From Page 11

Enrollment for MSU’s MBA program is down nearly 11 percent. By mid-May last year, the school had admitted 478 students, versus the 426 students it has admitted this year. Part of the decline may be due to a national trend in which students are moving away from traditional, “holistic” MBA programs and toward specialized, one-year master’s programs. MSU has seen growth in its business analytics and marketing research programs, for example, Saouma said. To remove barriers for students wanting to enter the traditional MBA program, MSU moved the deadline to apply from April 5 to June 14. The school has yet to decide whether it will hold classes on campus this fall term, which begins Sept. 2. Saouma said it would be difficult, if not impossible, to go online-only with some business grad programs at MSU. “We have some programs that have been all online pre-COVID and there are others where that in-person experience is so valuable,” he said. A task force now is trying to figure out if a physical presence will be possible, Saouma said. It could mean holding classes seven days a week or staggered class times to minimize crowds in hallways, he speculated.

Crash-course in virtual ed Having laid the online groundwork

Swanson

Mazzeo

in March, colleges and universities are at least somewhat prepared for the fall. At Walsh, Swanson recalls the mad dash, at the end of winter semester, to go 100 percent remote. Faculty members were able to retrieve materials from their offices, but the campus essentially was shuttered. “Our technology team knocked it out — they were amazing,” she said, adding that instruction, library access, tutoring and other learning components had to be offered differently. “There’s not one service we delivered on the ground that students don’t have access to now.” Of course, delivery of online education didn’t begin with the pandemic. “Already, all of our students have Zoom accounts (and) 96 percent of our students had already taken online classes or hybrid classes,” Swanson said. “We do believe technology is going to be the future of education for business students. They’re going to need to work remotely. This is a real-life case study for them.” Oakland’s onsite MBA program had an online component and Wayne also offered online or hybrid courses, as well.

“Students may have had to come into a classroom one day a week (or on weekends),” Jones said. “A lot of them are used to doing it online. Most of our students even Saouma prefer online.” That doesn’t mean colleges are ready to operate in a completely virtual world. And how colleges will function this fall in the physical space is anybody’s guess. “Our administration needs to figure that out and they don’t plan to make a decision until June 1,” Jones said. “It’s hard to space out a class of 100 students.” Physical distancing will still be an issue come September, Swanson said. Walsh’s response may be to combine a physical environment — a classroom with a professor and scattered students — with online Zoom instruction and student participation, she said. “We want to make sure we accommodate those students who are at risk for COVID,” Swanson said. “(And) we’re monitoring to make sure we’re aligned with the (state) guidelines.” At Oakland, an emergency response team is working on the logistics. “We want to keep all of our students and faculty healthy,” Mazzeo said. “We’re making every effort we can, when we bring students back — whenever that is — to have them be safe.”

The atrium of the Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University | ANNALISE FRANK/CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

Broad College of Business at Michigan State University | MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

ONLINE EDUCATION? NO PROBLEM.

University of Michigan-Dearborn's College of Business was a pioneer in online education in 2002, and we've been at it ever since. With campuses closed across the country, it may not be business as usual. But we're ready for this. We're open and accepting applications today.

umdearborn.edu/cob

12 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | MAY 25, 2020

U.S. News & World Report, 2020

Poets & Quants, 2020

ONLINE MBA IN MICHIGAN

ONLINE MBA IN THE UNITED STATES

CRAIN'S LIST: GR GRAD ADU UATE BU BUSINE SINES SS DE DEGREE GREE PR PROGR OGRAMS AMS Listed alphabetically

Degrees offered

Michigan campus locations

Andrews University

MBA; MSA in church administration; M.A., EdS, EdD, Ph.D. in leadership, Berrien Springs educational leadership and higher education administration; MSCID community and international development

Aquinas College

Master of management with concentrations in organizational leadership, marketing management and sustainable business

Grand Rapids

Baker College Center for Graduate Studies

MBA, doctor of business administration

Central Michigan University

Types of programs

Minimum GPA

Minimum GMAT/GRE

Cost per credit hour as of May 2020

On-campus, online, offcampus

Varies

Part time, full time

2.8

450

Flint, Allen Park, Auburn Hills, Clinton Township

Online, full time, and part time 1

2.5

3 years fulltime work

M.S. in administration, information systems; MBA; graduate certificates in ERP using SAP software; master of arts in economics, health administration; public administration; entrepreneurial transactions; doctorate in health administration, educational technology

Clinton Township, Dearborn, Detroit, Mount Pleasant, Southfield, Troy, others

Full time, part time, evenings, weekends, in person, hybrid and online

Varies by degree

Cleary University

MBA in analytics, technology and innovation, global leadership, health care leadership; M.S. in culture, change and leadership

Howell, Ann Arbor, Detroit

Online, blended

2.5

$925

Concordia University - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor 48105 734-995-7300

MBA with concentrations in accounting, public administration, finance, health leadership, human resource management, innovation and entrepreneurship, international business, others

Ann Arbor

Full time, part time, evenings and online

Varies

$760

Cornerstone University, Professional and Graduate Studies

MBA; MBA concentrations in health care administration, global business, project management, finance; M.S. in management

Grand Rapids, Kalamzaoo

Full time, evenings, online

2.7

$550-595

Davenport University

MBA with concentrations in finance, health care management, human resource management, marketing and strategic management, executive MBA, others

Detroit, Warren, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Midland, Holland and more

In-seat and online, fullor part-time, days and evenings.

2.75

N/A

$767

Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti 48197 734-487-4444

MBA; M.S. degrees in accounting, finance, human resources/organizational development; information systems; integrated marketing communications; taxation

Ypsilanti

Full time, part time, evenings, and/or online

2.75 (3.0 for MSA, MSF, MST)

450 (500 for MSA or MST; 550 for MSF)

$803

Ferris State University

MBA

Big Rapids and online

Online, weekends, campus

3.00

Part time, hybrid, fulltime(for MSA only)

3.0

500 - if required

Online, full-time

3.0

Full time, part time, and online

3.0

Part time, evenings, weekends and online

3.0

Full time, part time, evenings, weekends, and online

Varies

Berrien Springs 49104-0740 269-471-6321 Grand Rapids 49506-1801 616-632-2924

Flint 48507 800-469-3165

Mount Pleasant (and other locations) 48859 989-774-4000

Howell 48843 517-338-3332

Grand Rapids 49525 616-222-1448 Warren 48092 810-459-0587

Big Rapids 49307 231-591-2000

$1,164 for master's, $1,316 for doctorate and EdS $593

$695 for master's, $915 for doctorate

Varies by degree

500/upper 50th $634 (graduate, U.S. percentile resident/ Canadians); $951 (international)

Grand Valley State University Seidman MBA, executive MBA, M.S. in accounting College of Business

Grand Rapids

Kettering University

MBA with concentrations in global leadership, supply chain and ERP, operations management, health care management Additional online degrees and certificate programs available

Flint

Lawrence Technological University

MBA, M.S. in information technology, dual degrees: MBA/M.S. in information technology, MBA/master of engineering management, MBA/ master of architecture

Southfield, Clinton Township, Taylor, Plymouth, Warren

Madonna University

MBA; M.S. in health services administration; M.S. in business leadership, online; M.S. in accountancy, online; nursing administration/business administration dual degree (MSN/MBA); M.S. in criminal justice leadership and intelligence; four certificate programs

Livonia, Orchard Lake and Southgate

Michigan State University Broad College of Business

East Lansing, Troy MBAs: full-time and executive M.S. degrees in accounting; business analytics; finance; health care management; management, strategy, and leadership; management studies; marketing research; and supply chain management. Ph.D.s in accounting, finance, logistics, management, marketing and others

Michigan Technological University School of Business and Economics

MBA, accounting and applied natural resource economics

Houghton

Campus, full time, part time

3.0

550/NR

$1067

Northern Michigan University Walker L. Cisler College of Business

MBA, master's of public administration

Marquette

Full time, part time, campus, online and evenings

3.0

500/NR

$672

Northwood University Richard DeVos Graduate School of Management

MBA; executive MBA; managerial MBA

Troy

Full time, part time

3.0

100% online, partial online, part time or full time based on student choice, evenings, some Saturday and others

Online

3.0

500

Online, hybrid, part time, evenings

3.0

450

$623

Online

3.0

Grand Rapids 49504 616-331-7400 Flint 48504 800-955-4464

Southfield 48075-1058 248-204-2210

Livonia 48150 734-432-5763

East Lansing 48824 517-355-8377

Houghton 49931-1295 906-487-3055

Marquette 49855-5301 906-227-2900

$733

$940

NR unless $1,200 undergraduate GPA is under 3.0 $900

Varies

Midland 48640 800-622-9000

Oakland University School of Business MBA, 100% online MBA, weekend executive MBA, M.S. in IT management, master of accounting; graduate certificates and post-master's certificates offered Administration

Rochester, Clinton Township, Mt. Clemens

Olivet College

MBA in insurance

Olivet

Saginaw Valley State University

MBA

Saginaw

Siena Heights University

M.A. in leadership in organization, health care and higher education; MBA

Southfield, Jackson, Monroe, Adrian, Battle Creek, Benton Harbor, Lansing, Dearborn, Kalamazoo

Rochester Hills 48309 248-370-3287

Olivet 49076 269-749-7626

Saginaw 48710 989-964-6096

Southfield 48075 248-799-5490

$771

Spring Arbor University Gainey School MBA with concentrations in health care administration, management, organizational consulting and executive leadership. Master of arts in of Business

$738

Spring Arbor 49283 517-750-6611

Southfield, Temperance, Jackson, Face to face (one night a Spring Arbor, Lansing, Grand week) or online, hybrid Rapids, Kalamazoo, Flint, Gaylord

3.0

management and organizational leadership; master of arts in communication

University of Detroit Mercy

MBA; JD/MBA; MBA/MSCIS; MBA/MHSA; MBA for Healthcare Professionals; 5-year BS/MBA.

Detroit: McNichols Campus; Detroit: Riverfront Campus

3.0

Can be waived with professional experience.

$789

Detroit 48221 313-993-1200

Part time MBA, fulltime MBA, and online MBA; certificates available in business fundamentals, accounting; ethical leadership and others

Information for this list was provided by the schools through surveys or their websites. It is not a complete listing, but the most comprehensive available. NA = not available. NR = not required. 1 All of graduate business programs are available 100 percent online. 2 Waiver possible based on academic and work experience. 3 For degree programs, scores must be within 5 years or less at time of intended enrollment. Requests for waivers accepted and subject to approval of Graduate Admissions Committee MAY 25, 2020 | CRAINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DETROIT BUSINESS | 13

CRAIN'S LIST: GR GRAD ADU UATE BU BUSINE SINES SS DE DEGREE GREE PR PROGR OGRAMS AMS Listed alphabetically

Michigan campus locations

Degrees offered

Types of programs

Minimum GPA

Minimum GMAT/GRE

Cost per credit hour as of May 2020

University of Michigan-Dearborn College of Business

MBA; Online MBA; MS degrees in - accounting, business analytics, finance, information systems, marketing, supply chain management; dual degree programs: MBA/MS in finance, information systems, supply chain management, MBA/MSE in industrial and systems engineering, MBA/MS in supply chain management, MS in accounting/MS in finance; MBA/master of health services administration

Dearborn

Full time, part time, evenings and online

Competitive with applicant pool

University of Michigan-Flint School of Management

MBA with concentrations in accounting, computer information systems, finance, health care management, international business, supply chain and operations management, marketing and innovation management, and organizational leadership; M.S. in accounting; graduate certificate in business; MS in leadership and organizational dynamics

Flint

Part time, evening, online, hybrid/ Net+ weekend

3.0

University of Michigan Ross School of Business 1

Full-Time MBA, Weekend MBA, Online MBA, Global MBA, Executive MBA, Master of Management, Master of Accounting, Master of Supply Chain Management, and PhD.

Ann Arbor

Full-time, part-time (weekend and online), and executive education

Varies

Cost varies by program

University of Phoenix

MBA concentrations in accounting, marketing, business administration, human resources, project management.

Detroit, Southfield

Online only

2.5

698

University of Windsor Odette School of Business

MBA; MBA/JD dual; master's in management and manufacturing, logistics, supply chain and HR management

Windsor

Full time

2.75

Walsh College

MBA; M.S. degrees in accounting, economics, finance, management, taxation

Troy; Novi; classes at University Center, Macomb Community College and St. Clair County Community College

Full-time, part-time, evenings, and online

varies

817

Wayne State University Mike Ilitch School of Business 3

MBA; MBA-J.D. dual; M.S. degrees in accounting, finance, data science & business analytics, Executive MS in Automotive Supply Chain Management

Detroit, Livonia

Full time, part time, evenings, weekends and online

2.75

GMAT 450; GRE 149 Verbal/149 Quantitative; Ph.D. 600 GMAT

788

Western Michigan University, Haworth College of Business

MBA in computer information systems, finance, general Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo business, health care, management, marketing, international business; MBA/J.D., MBA/M.D., M.S. in accountancy

Evening courses (full or part-time), online

2.5

GMAT 450 or equivalent GRE score

682

Dearborn 48126 313-593-5460

Flint 48502 800-942-5636

Ann Arbor 48109 734-615-5002 Southfield 48076 248-675-3704

Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4 519-253-3000 Troy 48083 248-823-1600

Detroit 48201 313-577-4511

Kalamazoo 49008 269-387-5133

Competitive with applicant pool

$945

450/146V-146Q GMAT 778 waiver available

Information for this list was provided by the schools through surveys or their websites. It is not a complete listing, but the most comprehensive available. NA = not available. NR = not required. 1 Also known as Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan 2 No longer accepting new campus-based enrollments, however you can still enroll for an online program at phoenix.edu. Current students will continue on-site instruction. 3 Formerly Wayne State University School of Business Administration

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CRAIN'S LIST: PRIV PRIVA ATE 200 Ranked by 2019 revenue

Revenue ($000,000) 2019/2018

Company Phone; website

Top executive

Penske Corp., Bloomfield Hills 48302-0954 248-648-2000; www.penske.com

Roger Penske chairman

Rock Ventures, Detroit 48226

Dan Gilbert chairman and founder

7,841.0

Ilitch companies, Detroit 48201

Christopher Ilitch president and CEO, Ilitch Holdings Inc.

United Shore Financial Services LLC, Pontiac 48341

$32,000.0

Percent change

Detroit area employees/ Worldwide employees Jan. 2020

Type of business

-8.2%

NA 64,000

16.7

18,096 29,916

Organization that connects and serves Dan Gilbert's portfolio of companies, investments and real estate

3,900.0

2.6

7,000 25,000

Food, sports and entertainment and real estate development industries

Mat Ishbia president and CEO

3,200.0

138.8

5,300 5,300

Mortgage lender

Plastipak Holdings Inc., Plymouth 48170 734-455-3600; www.plastipak.com

William Young president and CEO

3,109.1

-1.1

675 6,400

Manufacturer of rigid plastic containers and recycled plastic material for the consumer products industry

Piston Group, 2 Southfield 48075 (313) 541-8674; www.pistongroup.com

Vinnie Johnson founder, chairman and CEO

2,880.0

0.5

1,059 11,106

Automotive supplier

Moroun family holdings, Warren 48089

2,867.5

2.7

NA NA

The Suburban Collection, Troy 48084

David Fischer Jr. president

2,730.8

4.2

2,465 2,790

Inteva Products LLC, Troy 48084

Lon Offenbacher president, CEO and founder

2,700.0

-3.6

NA NA

Automotive supplier of closure systems, interior systems, motors and electronics and roof systems.

6.7

242 1,825

Provides insurance services including distribution, brokerage, underwriting, reinsurance, real estate, financing, inspections, audits, risk management and third-party claims administration

13.8

NA NA

4.2

1,448 2,286

Automotive seating/interiors

14.2

NA 2,110

Automobile dealership

800-251-9080

313-471-6600; www.ilitchcompanies.com

800-981-8898; unitedshore.com

586-939-7000

877-471-7100; www.suburbancollection.com 248-655-8886; www.intevaproducts.com

$34,867.0 6,720.0

1 1

3,800.0

1,340.0 3,143.1 2,864.5

2,792.6

1 1

2,619.7

2,800.0

Retail automotive, truck leasing and logistics, motorsports racing

Ambassador Bridge and various trucking and logistics companies Automobile dealership

H.W. Kaufman Group Inc./Burns & Wilcox Ltd., Farmington Alan Jay Kaufman Hills 48334 248-932-9000; www.hwkaufman.com

chairman, president and CEO Daniel Kaufman EVP, COO

2,400.0

Victory Automotive Group Inc., Canton Township 48188 734-495-3500; www.victoryautomotivegroup.com

Jeffrey Cappo president

2,122.1

Bridgewater Interiors LLC, Detroit 48209 313-842-3300; www.bridgewater-interiors.com

Ronald Hall president and CEO

2,051.9

Serra Automotive Inc., Fenton 48430 810-936-2730; www.serrausa.com

Joseph Serra president and CEO

2,039.9

Barton Malow Holdings LLC, Southfield 48034 248-436-5000; www.bartonmalow.com

Ryan Maibach president and CEO

1,900.0

0.0

1,036 2,200

General contracting, construction management, design/build, engineer-procure-construct, integrated project delivery, selfperform services: civil, concrete, rigging and interiors

Belfor Holdings Inc., 5 Birmingham 48009 248-594-1144; www.belfor.com

Sheldon Yellen chairman

1,812.4

-7.3

2,265 NA

Property restoration

Walbridge, Detroit 48226 313-963-8000; www.walbridge.com

Michael Haller 6 CEO John Rakolta III executive vice president, chief administrative officer

1,810.0

35.1

353 1,000

Construction: general contracting, design build, construction management, engineer/procure/construct, virtual design, digital mapping

Soave Enterprises LLC, Detroit 48207

Anthony Soave CEO

1,672.8

-18.5

664 1,934

Diversified management holding company

McNaughton-McKay Electric Co., Madison Heights 48071 248-399-7500; www-mc-mc.com

Donald Slominski Jr. president and CEO

1,515.0

-0.5

299 1,325

Electrical distribution

Wolverine Packing Co., Detroit 48207 313-259-7500; www.wolverinepacking.com

Jim Bonahoom president

1,324.0

4.7

750 NA

LaFontaine Automotive Group, Highland Township 48357 248-887-4747; www.thefamilydeal.com

Michael LaFontaine chairman and owner

1,156.6

13.2

1,264 1,401

Automobile dealerships

248-455-7000; www.iacgroup.com

International Automotive Components, Southfield 48034

Manfred Gingl CEO

1,100.0

0.0

NA 18,000

Supplier of interior automotive components and systems including cockpits and overhead systems

Lipari Foods LLC, Warren 48089

Thom Lipari CEO

1,085.0

26.0

975 1,986

Wholesale food distribution

Syncreon Global Holdings Ltd., Auburn Hills 48326 248-377-4700; www.syncreon.com

Brian Enright CEO

1,080.0

2.9

NA NA

Carhartt Inc., Dearborn 48126 313-271-8460; www.carhartt.com

Mark Valade chairman and CEO

1,045.5

12.8

615 5,400

Apparel manufacturer

Feldman Automotive Inc., New Hudson 48165

Jay Feldman chairman and CEO

1,043.8

13.7

1,012 1,012

Auto dealer

General RV Center Inc., Wixom 48393

Robert Baidas CEO Loren Baidas president

1,033.0

8.1

NA NA

Recreational vehicle dealership

Kenwal Steel Corp., Dearborn 48126

Kenneth Eisenberg chairman and CEO

930.0

-12.0

223 362

Steel service center

Neapco Holdings LLC, Farmington Hills 48331

Kenneth Hopkins president and CEO

851.6

3.6

691 3,004

26 27 28

313-567-7000; www.soave.com

586-447-3500; www.liparifoods.com

248-486-1900; www.feldmanauto.com 248-349-0900; www.generalrv.com

313-739-1000; www.kenwal.com

248-669-6500; www.neapco.com

2,250.0

1,864.6

3 3

1,969.3

1,786.0

1,900.0

1,955.9 1,340.0

2,051.9 1,523.0 1,265.0 1,021.9

1,100.0

7 8

861.0

1,050.0 926.5 918.0 955.6

1,057.0 822.0

9 9

Automotive dealership

Wholesale meat packer and processor; wholesale meat, poultry and seafood distributor

Logistics services

Designs, manufactures and distributes driveline systems and service parts

Want the full Excel version of this list â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and every list? Become a Data Member: CrainsDetroit.com/data

This list of privately held companies is an approximate compilation of the largest companies in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston and Washtenaw counties that do not have stock traded on a public exchange. It is not a complete listing but the most comprehensive available. Crain's estimates are based on industry analysis and benchmarks, news reports and a wide range of other sources. Unless otherwise noted, information was provided by the companies. Companies with headquarters elsewhere are listed with the address and top executive of their main Detroit-area office. NA = not available. 1 Crain's estimate. 2 Holding company for Piston Automotive, Irvin Automotive, Detroit Thermal Systems and Airea. 3 Automotive News. 4 Automotive News. 5 Sold to New York private equity firm, American Securities LLC in June. 6 Succeeded John Rakolta Jr. as CEO after he was confirmed by the Senate in September to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. 7 Crain's estimate. North American revenue. 8 North American revenue. 9 Estimate from Transport Topics Top 50 Logistics Companies.

MAY 25, 2020 | CRAINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DETROIT BUSINESS | 15

CRAIN'S LIST: PRIV PRIVA ATE 200 Ranked by 2019 revenue Company Phone; website

Top executive

Revenue ($000,000) 2019/2018

Amerisure Mutual Insurance Co., Farmington Hills 48331

Gregory Crabb president and CEO

$840.0

ProQuest LLC, Ann Arbor 48106

Matti Shem-Tov CEO

825.0

U.S. Farathane, Auburn Hills 48326

Andrew Greenlee president and CEO

United Road Services Inc., Plymouth 48170 734-947-7900; unitedroad.com

33 34

Percent change

Detroit area employees/ Worldwide employees Jan. 2020

Type of business

0.1%

NA NA

Property and casualty insurance company

-2.9

NA NA

Educational technology

803.0

-5.5

1,938 5,185

Plastic injection molder, extruder, thermal compression molder

Mark Anderson 2 president and CEO

713.0

8.0

512 1,837

Vehicle transportation and logistics

Plante Moran PLLC, Southfield 48075 248-352-2500; www.plantemoran.com

James Proppe managing partner

687.4

26.7

1,249 3,442

Accounting and management consulting firm

PVS Chemicals Inc., Detroit 48213

David Nicholson president and CEO

605.0

-6.9

NA 1,150

Manufacturer, marketer and distributor of industrial chemicals

Orleans International Inc., Farmington Hills 48334 248-855-5556; www.orleansintl.com

Earl Tushman president/CEO Larry Tushman VP/secretary

566.0

15.5

27 31

Dakkota Integrated Systems LLC, Brighton 48116 517-993-7700; www.dakkotasystems.com

Andra Rush president and CEO

565.0

-16.3

850 2,100

Automotive assembler and sequencer

Roush Enterprises, Livonia 48150 734-779-7000; www.roush.com

Evan Lyall CEO

550.0

-5.3

3,529 4,125

Engineering, product development, and integration specialists; development and manufacturing of performance vehicles, aftermarket components and alternative fuel systems for fleet applications

MSX International Inc., Detroit 48226 248-829-6042; www.msxi.com

Frederick Minturn president and CEO

526.0 526.0

1 1

0.0

NA NA

Business process outsourcing service provider for global automotive retail segments and human capital managed service provider

Camaco LLC, Farmington Hills 48331 248-442-6800; www.camacollc.com

Flavia De Veny president and CEO

508.0

-1.4

NA NA

Full-service supplier of automotive seat structure assemblies

Barrick Enterprises Inc., Royal Oak 48073 248-549-3737; www.barrickent.com

Robert Barrick president

507.1

-11.5

16 16

Petroleum wholesaler and retailer

Aristeo Construction, Livonia 48150 734-427-9111; www.aristeo.com

Michelle Aristeo Barton president

467.8

-0.5

488 646

General contractor and construction manager

Southfield Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Southfield 48034

Chris Snyder general manager

441.0 441.5

1 1

-0.1

NA NA

Automobile dealerships

NYX Inc., Livonia 48150

Jatinder-Bir Sandhu CEO

426.0

-5.8

NA NA

Automotive supplier specializing in plastic interiors and sub-system components

Eaton Steel Bar Co., Oak Park 48237

Mark Goodman Gary Goodman co-CEOs

400.0

0.0

NA NA

Sales and support services company for hot-rolled and cold finished steel bar products

Hungry Howie's Pizza & Subs Inc., Madison Heights 48071

Steve Jackson president and CEO

397.0

1 4

-3.4

NA NA

Pizza franchisor

Acro Service Corp., Livonia 48152

Ron Shahani president and CEO

390.6

5.3

NA 2,409

Detroit Lions Inc., Allen Park 48101

Martha Ford owner

385.0

6.6

NA NA

National Football League franchise

Strategic Staffing Solutions Inc., Detroit 48226

Cynthia Pasky president and CEO

380.7

11.3

NA NA

Consulting and staff augmentation services, vendor management programs, customized solution, call center technology and a domestic IT development center

Belle Tire Distributors Inc., Allen Park 48101

Jack Lawless III CEO

380.0

5.6

1,550 2,400

Jim Riehl's Friendly Automotive Group Inc., Warren 48093

James Riehl Jr. president and CEO

358.1

-0.3

NA NA

Automobile dealership

Great Expressions Dental Centers PC, Southfield 48034

Dan Hirschfeld CEO

341.0

248-203-1100; greatexpressions.com

-0.9

NA NA

Dental care, including general and preventive care, cosmetic, orthodontic and specialty dental services

Prestige Automotive, St. Clair Shores 48080 586-773-1550; www.prestigeautomotive.com

Gregory Jackson chairman and CEO

339.0

10.6

NA NA

Automobile dealerships, real estate and insurance

Elder Automotive Group, Troy 48083

Tony Elder president

331.0

1 1

-1.6

NA NA

Automotive dealerships

Motor City Electric Co., Detroit 48213

Dale Wieczorek chairman, president and CEO

325.3

-13.9

638 1,026

The Christman Co., Detroit 48202-3030 313-908-6060; www.christmanco.com

Ronald Staley senior vice president, Southeast Michigan operations

321.8

5.5

82 NA

Construction management, general contracting, design/build, facilities planning and analysis, program management, real estate development, self-perform skilled construction trades

Roncelli Inc., Sterling Heights 48312 586-264-2060; www.roncelli-inc.com

Gary Roncelli chairman and CEO Thomas Wickersham president and COO

302.0

14.8

252 260

Construction services, program management, construction management, design and build

35 36 37

55 56

248-615-9000; www.amerisure.com 734-761-4700; www.proquest.com/

248-754-7000; www.usfarathane.com

313-921-1200; www.pvschemicals.com

248-354-2950; southfieldchrysler.com

734-462-2385; www.nyxinc.com 248-398-3434; www.eatonsteel.com

248-414-3300; www.hungryhowies.com 734-591-1100; www.acrocorp.com

313-216-4000; www.detroitlions.com

313-596-6900; www.strategicstaff.com

313-271-9400; www.belletire.com

586-979-8700; www.jimriehl.com

248-585-4000; www.elderautogroup.com

313-921-5300; www.mceco.com

$839.3 850.0

1 1

850.0 660.0

542.6 650.0 490.0

675.0 581.0

515.0 573.1 470.0

452.0 400.0

410.9

371.0

361.0

5 5

342.0

360.0 359.4 344.0 306.5

336.5

377.9 305.2

263.0

Meat importer

Staff augmentation, outsourcing and IT and engineering consulting, application development and enablement, relational database design and development, Web design and development

Retailer of tires and automotive services

Electrical contractor

Want the full Excel version of this list â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and every list? Become a Data Member: CrainsDetroit.com/data

This list of privately held companies is an approximate compilation of the largest companies in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston and Washtenaw counties that do not have stock traded on a public exchange. It is not a complete listing but the most comprehensive available. Crain's estimates are based on industry analysis and benchmarks, news reports and a wide range of other sources. Unless otherwise noted, information was provided by the companies. Companies with headquarters elsewhere are listed with the address and top executive of their main Detroit-area office. NA = not available. 1 Crain's estimate. 2 Succeeded Kathleen McCann as CEO in January. 3 Fiscal year end June 30, 2019. 4 Systemwide sales. 5 From Forbes. Net of stadium revenue used for debt payments. 16 | CRAINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DETROIT BUSINESS | MAY 25, 2020

CRAIN'S LIST: PRIV PRIVA ATE 200 Ranked by 2019 revenue Company Phone; website

Top executive

Revenue ($000,000) 2019/2018

Stewart Management Group Inc., Harper Woods 48225 313-432-6200; www.gordonchevrolet.com

Gordon Stewart president

$301.1

Clark Hill PLC, Detroit 48226 313-965-8300; www.clarkhill.com

John Hern CEO

298.2

ABC Appliance Inc., Pontiac 48343

Gordon Hartunian chairman

294.0

Chase Plastic Services Inc., Clarkston 48346 248-620-2120; www.chaseplastics.com

Kevin Chase president Carole Chase vice president

SmithGroup, Detroit 48226 313-983-3600; www.smithgroup.com

Global Automotive Alliance LLC, Detroit 48210

Percent change

Detroit area employees/ Worldwide employees Jan. 2020

Type of business

-8.9%

106 338

0.8

246 1,186

-7.0

NA NA

Appliances, electronics and car audio, bedding and furniture

292.0

0.0

81 137

Specialty engineering thermoplastics distributor

Jeffrey Hausman Detroit office director Mike Medici president and managing partner

290.3

6.7

325 1,286

Architecture, engineering and planning

William Pickard executive chairman Sylvester Hester chairman

288.7

5.1

266 1,558

Warehousing, contract assembly, freight forwarding, contract logistics, procurement, quality control and inventory management

Commercial Contracting Corp. (Commercial Contracting Stephen Fragnoli president and CEO Group Inc.), Auburn Hills 48326

280.2

-23.7

175 NA

General contractor, construction manager, machinery installer, concrete, steel, interiors

Royal Oak Ford/Briarwood Ford, Royal Oak 48067 (248) 548-4100; www.royaloakford.com

Eddie Hall Jr. president and CEO

270.5

17.2

253 253

Automobile dealership

The Ideal Group Inc., Detroit 48209 313-849-0000; www.weareideal.com

Frank Venegas Jr. chairman and CEO

270.0

19.3

449 642

General contracting, specialized miscellaneous steel manufacturing and distribution of protective barrier products, global supply chain management, other

The Macomb Group Inc., Sterling Heights 48312 586-274-4100; www.macombgroup.com

William McGivern Jr. CEO

265.0

6.0

144 382

Distributor of pipe, valves, fittings, heating and cooling, control and instrumentation, boilers, pumps repair, steam products, sanitary piping products, fire protection.

Snethkamp Automotive Family, Highland Park 48203 (313) 868-3300; www.snethkampauto.com

Mark Snethkamp president

264.0

2 2

-1.5

NA NA

Automobile dealerships

Detroit Pistons, Auburn Hills 48326 (248) 377-0100; www.nba.com/pistons

Tom Gores owner

255.0

3 4

8.5

NA NA

National Basketball Association franchise

Revere Plastics Systems LLC, Novi 48375 833-300-4043; www.revereplasticssystems.com

Glen Fish CEO

255.0

2 5

17.4

NA NA

Engineered plastic injection molded assemblies and systems

Buff Whelan Chevrolet, Sterling Heights 48313 586-939-7300; www.buffwhelan.com

Kerry Whelan president

254.5

4.6

180 180

Automotive dealership sales and service

Compuware Corp.,

6 Detroit 48226 313-227-7300; www.compuware.com

Chris O'Malley CEO

250.0

0.0

NA NA

Mainframe software

Dickinson Wright Pllc, Detroit 48226

313-223-3500; www.dickinsonwright.com

Michael Hammer CEO

248.1

377 937

Law firms

AccessPoint LLC, Farmington Hills 48334 866-513-3861; apteam.com

Greg Packer CEO and chairman

241.0

-2.4

NA NA

HR, staffing and recruiting for manufacturing, information technology and health systems

Pat Milliken Ford Inc., Redford Township 48239-1492 313-255-3100; www.patmillikenford.com

Brian Godfrey president Bruce Godfrey chairman

230.0

17.9

135 135

Automobile dealership

Hatch Stamping Co., Chelsea 48118 734-475-8628; www.hatchstamping.com

Daniel Craig COO and president

222.0

-15.5

NA NA

Manufacturing

Dykema Gossett Pllc, Detroit 48243 313-568-6800; www.dykema.com

Peter Kellett chairman and CEO

214.4

2.1

NA NA

Law firm

George W. Auch Co. (dba Auch Construction), Pontiac 48342

Vincent DeLeonardis president and CEO

213.8

11.5

105 105

General contractor and construction manager

Urban Science Applications Inc., Detroit 48243

James Anderson president, founder and CEO

213.0

-5.0

NA NA

Global retail marketing consulting with a scientific approach

Hills 48335 734-451-7878; www.humaneticsatd.com

Humanetics Innovative Solutions Inc., Farmington

Christopher O'Connor president and CEO

209.0

3.5

200 851

Designs and manufactures safety equipment, including sophisticated crash test dummies, software modeling, active safety test equipment, customer engineering solutions, strain and fiber sensors and related test solutions.

Sachse Construction and Development Co. LLC, Detroit 48226

Todd Sachse CEO and founder Steve Berlage president and COO

208.0

-2.3

163 NA

General contracting, construction management, design/build and tenant coordination

Fori Automation Inc., Shelby Township 48315 586-247-2336; www.foriauto.com

Mike Beck president Paul Meloche vice president of sales

200.6

-16.4

269 658

Global Supplier of automated material handling, assembly, testing and welding systems for the automotive and non-automotive industries

Vesco Oil Corp., Southfield 48076 248-557-1600; www.vescooil.com

Marjory Epstein chairman Lillian Epstein Stotland president

195.0

1.6

132 258

Distributor of auto and industrial lubricants and chemicals, auto aftermarket products

60 61 62 63

80 81 82

248-335-4222; www.abcwarehouse.com

313- 849-3222; www.gaasolutions.com

248-209-0500; www.cccnetwork.com

248-334-2000; www.auchconstruction.com

313-259-9900; www.urbanscience.com

313-481-8200; www.sachseconstruction.com

$330.5 295.9

316.0 292.0

272.2

274.8

367.0

230.8 226.3

250.0

268.0 235.0 217.2

243.3

250.0

2 2

247.0 195.0

262.8 210.0 191.8

224.3 202.0

213.0

240.0

192.0

Automobile dealerships Law firm

Want the full Excel version of this list â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and every list? Become a Data Member: CrainsDetroit.com/data

This list of privately held companies is an approximate compilation of the largest companies in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston and Washtenaw counties that do not have stock traded on a public exchange. It is not a complete listing but the most comprehensive available. Crain's estimates are based on industry analysis and benchmarks, news reports and a wide range of other sources. Unless otherwise noted, information was provided by the companies. Companies with headquarters elsewhere are listed with the address and top executive of their main Detroit-area office. NA = not available. 1 Automotive News. 2 Crain's estimate. 3 From Forbes. For 2018-19 season. 4 From Forbes. For 2017-18 season. 5 Moved headquarters to Novi in April 2018. Acquired certain operations and assets of Sur-Flo Plastics & Engineering in January 2019. 6 To be sold to BMC Software, a Houston-based enterprise software company. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

MAY 25, 2020 | CRAINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DETROIT BUSINESS | 17

CRAIN'S LIST: PRIV PRIVA ATE 200 Ranked by 2019 revenue Company Phone; website

83 84

Top executive

Dearborn Mid-West Co., Taylor 48180

Jeff Homenik president and CEO

Kar's Nut Products Co., Madison Heights 48071 248-588-1903; www.karsnuts.com

Victor Mehren CEO Nick Nicolay 3 chairman

734-288-4400; www.dmwcc.com

Revenue ($000,000) 2019/2018

$189.0

$217.7

185.0 185.0

1 4

Percent change

Detroit area employees/ Worldwide employees Jan. 2020

Type of business

-13.2%

NA NA

Material handling systems, construction, tooling/equipment installation, plant maintenance services, life-cycle improvement

0.0

NA NA

Snack food manufacturing and distribution

-7.7

250 650

Publisher of business, trade and consumer publications and related websites

313-446-6000; www.crain.com

Crain Communications Inc., Detroit 48207

Keith Crain chairman KC Crain president and COO

180.0

86 87 88 89

Loc Performance Products Inc., Plymouth 48170

Louis Burr CEO

175.2

23.4

299 560

Large fabricated structures, final drives, suspension and track systems for Army combat vehicles

Bowman Auto Group (Bowman Chevrolet), Clarkston 48346

Katie Bowman Coleman president and owner

172.4

1.1

126 126

Auto dealer

Midwest Steel Inc., Detroit 48211

313-873-2220; www.midweststeel.com

Thomas Broad president

170.0

46.6

110 268

Structural-steel contractor

RPM, Royal Oak 48067 855-585-1910; rpmmoves.com

Al Samouelian CEO

169.8

—

194 9

Transportation logistics provider/3PL

UHY Advisors Inc., Farmington Hills 48334 248-355-1040; https://uhy-us.com

Steven McCarty, CEO, UHY Advisors, Inc.; Thomas Callan, CEO, UHY Advisors MI

168.7

13.8

372 867

Licensed CPA firm.

Technosoft Corp., Southfield 48076 248-603-2600; www.technosoftcorp.com

Radhakrishnan Gurusamy president and CEO

165.0

0.0

NA NA

Information technology and IT-enabled consulting services and business process outsourcing IT services and technology enabled health care solutions.

Chemico LLC, Southfield 48033 248-723-3263; www.thechemicogroup.com

Leon C. Richardson CEO, chairman, president

164.0

12.3

108 410

Chemical manufacturing, chemical management

The Colasanti Cos., Macomb Township 48042

Carey Colasanti CEO Pat Wysocki president

156.0

-8.9

NA NA

General contracting and construction management and design/ build; self-perform concrete services

Jeffrey Tamaroff Automotive Family, Southfield 48034-1928

Jeffrey Tamaroff chairman and CEO Marvin Tamaroff chairman emeritus Eric Frehsee and Jason Tamaroff, VPs

154.9

1.3

198 NA

Automobile dealerships

Ray Laethem Inc. , Detroit 48224 313-886-1700; www.raylaethem.com

Jeff Laethem president

150.0

-4.8

NA NA

Automobile dealership

Systems Technology Group (STG), Troy 48084

Anup Popat chairman and CEO

149.0

4.9

620 2,445

Digital transformation, cloud integration (AWS,Azure, Google), mobility solutions, artificial intelligence, machine learning, Big Data analytics, IOT consulting and software integration services

Atwell LLC, Southfield 48076

Brian Wenzel president and CEO

149.0

17.3

125 690

Civil engineering, land surveying, land solutions, land planning, environmental consulting, natural resource management, program management and construction management

EHIM Inc., Southfield 48033-2154

Mindi Fynke president and CEO

147.1

0.4

NA NA

Pharmacy benefit manager

Milosch's Palace Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge Inc., Lake Orion 48359

Donald Milosch president

147.0

-1.2

NA NA

Automobile dealership

Deshler Group Inc., Livonia 48150

Robert Gruschow president and CEO

143.0

-7.8

246 480

Industrial manufacturing group, incorporating fabrication, design, assembly, logistics, transport and information technology

Devon Industrial Group, Detroit 48226

David Burnley president and CEO Stephanie Burnley co-CEO/business development manager

142.0

17.1

NA NA

Construction management, general contracting, program management, design build, pre-construction and decommissioning services

93 94

98 99 100 101

734-453-2300; www.locperformance.com

248-795-1841; https://www.bowmanchevy.com/

586-598-9700; www.colasantigroup.com

248-353-1300; www.tamaroff.com

248-643-9010; www.stgit.com

248-447-2000; www.atwell-group.com

248-948-9900; www.ehimrx.com

248-393-2222; www.palacecjd.com

734-525-9100; www.deshlergroup.com

313-221-1600; www.devonindustrial.com

195.0

142.0 170.6

116.0

148.3

165.0

146.0

171.3

153.0

157.6 142.0

127.0

146.5

148.8

1 1

155.2

121.3

102

Oliver/Hatcher Construction and Development Inc., Novi 48377

141.0

95.8

41 41

Construction manager, general contractor and design/build

248-374-1100; www.oliverhatcher.com

Paul Hatcher president Paul Oliver principal

103

National Business Supply Inc. (dba NBS Commercial Interiors), Troy 48083

Richard Schwabauer president

138.0

7.8

178 NA

Commercial furnishing, audiovisual distributor

Chelsea Milling Co., Chelsea 48118 734-475-1361; www.jiffymix.com

Howdy Holmes chairman, president and CEO

137.0

1.5

309 321

Retail, institutional, food service baking mixes

(517) 545-4200; tribarmfg.com

Tribar Manufacturing LLC, Howell 48855

Robert Bretz president

136.0

-5.6

NA NA

Automotive supplier

National Food Group Inc., Novi 48377-2454 800-886-6866; www.nationalfoodgroup.com

Sean Zecman president and CEO

134.7

5.0

91 112

Wholesale and retail food manufacturing/distribution with the focus on large volume accounts.

Avis Ford Inc., Southfield 48034 248-355-7500; www.avisford.com

Mark Douglas president Walter Douglas Sr. chairman

132.1

2.6

104 NA

Automobile dealership

Ghafari Inc., Dearborn 48126 313-441-3000; www.ghafari.com

Yousif Ghafari chairman

131.2

-3.1

569 843

Engineering, architecture, process design, consulting, construction services and professional staffing

104 105 106 107 108

248-823-5400; www.yourNBS.com

72.0

128.0

135.0 144.0 128.2 128.7

135.4

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This list of privately held companies is an approximate compilation of the largest companies in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston and Washtenaw counties that do not have stock traded on a public exchange. It is not a complete listing but the most comprehensive available. Crain's estimates are based on industry analysis and benchmarks, news reports and a wide range of other sources. Unless otherwise noted, information was provided by the companies. Companies with headquarters elsewhere are listed with the address and top executive of their main Detroit-area office. NA = not available. 1 Crain's estimate. 2 Succeeded Nick Nicolay as CEO on Oct. 21. 3 Was succeeded by Victor Mehren as CEO on Oct. 21. Transitions to the role of chairman. 4 Acquired Sanders in October 2018. Company estimate of full-year revenue of combined companies. 5 Sold Investment News to London-based Vitesse Media plc (now known as Bonhill Group PLC) in a deal that closed in August 2018. 6 From National Veteran Business Development Council.

18 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | MAY 25, 2020

CRAIN'S LIST: PRIV PRIVA ATE 200 Ranked by 2019 revenue

Revenue ($000,000) 2019/2018

Company Phone; website

Top executive

OneStream Software, Rochester 48307 248-650-1490; onestreamsoftware.com

Tom Shea CEO

$130.0

47.2%

NA NA

Corporate performance management software company

Gorno Automotive Group, Woodhaven 48183

Ed Jolliffe president

127.3

1.8

111 NA

Automobile dealership

Village Ford Inc., Dearborn 48124

James Seavitt president and CEO

125.0

1.7

NA NA

Automotive dealership

Epitec Inc., Southfield 48033 248-353-6800; www.epitec.com

Jerome Sheppard CEO Josie Sheppard president

125.0

25.0

850 1,278

Kasco Inc., Royal Oak 48067 248-547-1210; www.kascoinc.com

Michael Engle vice president

123.8

74.1

120 NA

Construction management, design/build, construction program administration

James Group International Inc., Detroit 48209

Lorron James CEO John James chairman

122.0

2.5

174 234

Supply chain solutions, services in IT, export/import logistics, assembly, consolidation/deconsolidation

Exhibit Works Inc. (dba EWI Worldwide), Farmington

Dominic Silvio founder, chairman and CEO

120.0

0.0

NA NA

Marketing

MPS Group Inc., Farmington Hills 48331 313-841-7588; www.mpsgrp.com

Charlie Williams chairman

120.0

0.0

180 562

Waste management, paint shop cleaning and management, industrial cleaning and oil rig consulting

Bill Perkins Automotive Group, Taylor 48180

Bill Perkins president

118.7

7.7

70 70

Automobile dealerships

Roger Zatkoff Co. (Zatkoff Seals & Packings), Farmington

Gary Zatkoff president and CEO

117.9

-1.9

66 179

Distributor of seals and packings; manufacturer of gaskets

Sutton Leasing Inc., Sterling Heights 48310

CJ Sutton president Amy Blair president and CFO

117.7

-4.9

24 50

Fleet management company

Proper Group International Inc., Warren 48089

Geoffrey O'Brien CEO

116.0

-4.1

120

586-779-8787; www.propergroupintl.com

NA NA

Complex plastic injection molds, premium injection molded parts and assemblies, consumer products, polyurethane and skin form tooling, microcellular foam tooling, conformal cooling technologies, vacuum metalizing, rapid prototyping and web-based management of tooling and process data

120

Advantage Living Centers, Southfield 48075 248-569-8400; AdvantageLiving.net

Kelsey Hastings Reginald Hartsfield owners

116.0

1.8

1,700 1,800

120

Big Boy Restaurant Group LLC, Warren 48091

Tamer Afr CEO, co-owner, chair

116.0

4.0

NA NA

Restaurants and food manufacturer

123

734-947-9440; www.load1.com

Load One Transportation & Logistics, Taylor 48180

John Elliott CEO

114.0

-1.7

573 621

Transportation and logistics. Services including ground expedite, air charter, air freight, logistics management, truckload, and specialized curtain-side flatbeds

124 125

Link Engineering Co., Plymouth 48170

Roy Link Chairman and CEO

112.8

-11.9

340 560

Manufacturer of testing systems and provider of commercial testing services

Altimetrik Corp., Southfield 48075 248-281-2500; www.altimetrik.com

Raj Vattikuti CEO

112.0

26.3

155 2,450

126

Golling Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Roseville (Formerly Roseville Chrysler Jeep Inc.), Roseville 48066

Michael Riehl president

111.0

-3.9

NA NA

Automobile dealership

126 128 129 130 131

Secure-24, Southfield 48033 800-332-0076; secure-24.com

Mike BeDell CEO

111.0

-13.3

NA NA

Delivers application hosting, comprehensive managed IT and cloud services to enterprises worldwide.

C.E. Gleeson Constructors Inc., Troy 48083

Charles Gleeson II president and CEO

110.0

8.2

35 55

General contractor/construction Manager

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone PLC, Detroit 48226

Michael McGee CEO

107.0

9.2

282 417

Law firm

WorkForce Software LLC, Livonia 48152 877-493-6723; www.workforcesoftware.com

Mike Morini CEO

105.0

2.9

258 580

Workforce management

The Mars Agency, Southfield 48033-7496 248-936-2200; www.themarsagency.com

Ken Barnett global CEO and chairman

104.2

-6.1

167 359

Marketing

132

Harley Ellis Devereaux Corp., Southfield 48033 248-262-1500; www.hed.design

Michael Cooper president and managing principal

104.0

17.4

140 448

Design firm, including architecture, engineering, planning, interior design, landscape architecture and construction administration.

133

Escalent (formerly Market Strategies InternationalMorpace), 4 Livonia 48152

Melissa Sauter CEO

103.9

195 849

Human behavior and data analytics firm

134

Rush Trucking Corp., Wayne 48184 800-526-7874; www.rushtrucking.com

Kimberly Rodriguez CEO

DeMaria, Detroit 48202-3008 313-870-2800; www.demariabuild.com

136 136

109 110 111 111 113 114 115 115 117 118 119

135

734-676-2200; www.gornoford.com

313-565-3900; www.villageford.com

313-841-0070; www.jamesgroupintl.com

Hills 48334 734-525-9010; www.ewiworldwide.com

734-287-2600; www.taylorchevy.com Hills 48335 248-478-2400; www.zatkoff.com

586-759-5777; suttonleasing.com

586-759-6000; www.bigboy.com

734-453-0800; www.linkeng.com

586-859-2500; www.mikeriehls.com

248-647-5500; www.gleesonconstructors.com

313-963-6420; https://www.millercanfield.com/

734-542-7600; https://escalent.co/

$88.3

125.0

122.9 100.0

71.1

119.0

120.0

110.1

120.2

123.7

121.0

2 2

114.0

111.6 116.0

128.0 88.7

115.6

128.0 101.7 98.0

102.0 110.9 88.6

Percent change

Detroit area employees/ Worldwide employees Jan. 2020

Type of business

IT, engineering and professional staffing

Skilled-nursing homes, assisted living

Software company

102.0

3.0

100 343

Truckload transportation

Joseph DeMaria Jr. CEO Anthony DeMaria president

101.8

-30.1

123 NA

General contracting, design-build, construction management, program management, pre-construction services

International Extrusions Inc., Garden City 48135

Nicholas Noecker president and CEO

100.0

-1.0

220 224

Manufacturer of aluminum extruded profiles, powder-coat painting and fabrication facilities

Emagine Entertainment Inc., Troy 48084 248-794-5939; www.emagine-entertainment.com

Anthony LaVerde CEO; Paul Glantz chairman and founder

100.0

0.0

200 1,500

734-427-8700; www.extrusion.net

99.0

145.7

101.0 100.0

Movie theaters

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This list of privately held companies is an approximate compilation of the largest companies in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston and Washtenaw counties that do not have stock traded on a public exchange. It is not a complete listing but the most comprehensive available. Crain's estimates are based on industry analysis and benchmarks, news reports and a wide range of other sources. Unless otherwise noted, information was provided by the companies. Companies with headquarters elsewhere are listed with the address and top executive of their main Detroit-area office. NA = not available. 1 From Inc. 5000. 2 Crain's estimate. 3 The Merollis operation was sold October 2017. 4 Market Strategies International and Morpace Inc. combined after California private equity firm, STG Partners LLC acquired them on June 22. 5 Succeeded Andra Rush as CEO, effective Feb. 14.

MAY 25, 2020 | CRAINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DETROIT BUSINESS | 19

CRAIN'S LIST: PRIV PRIVA ATE 200 Ranked by 2019 revenue Company Phone; website

Top executive

138

MJC Companies, Macomb 48044

586-263-1203; www.mjccompanies.com

Michael Chirco founder and president

139

Wolverine Truck Sales Inc., Dearborn 48120 313-849-0800; www.wolverinetruckgroup.com

140 141

Revenue ($000,000) 2019/2018

Percent change

Detroit area employees/ Worldwide employees Jan. 2020

Type of business

$99.5

-14.3%

81 81

Residential, apartment, commercial construction, builder and developer

Lynn Terry president

99.4

1.2

171 NA

Truck sales, parts and service

BullsEye Telecom Inc., Southfield 48033 248-784-2500; www.bullseyetelecom.com

Thomas Tisko 1 president and CEO

99.0

1.0

175 210

Secured communications, telecommunications networks and advanced technologies

Frank Rewold and Sons Inc., Rochester 48307

Frank Rewold president and CEO

97.9

-29.9

67 70

Construction management, general contracting, design/build

Arbor Bancorp (Bank of Ann Arbor), Ann Arbor 48104

Timothy Marshall president and CEO

93.9

5.3

210 210

Bank

ScriptGuideRX (SGRX), Grosse Pointe 48230

Ime Ekpenyong principal, CEO Vikki Columbus principal, chief pharmacy officer

93.4

25.9

143

313-821-3200; www.sgrxhealth.com

19 27

Pharmacy benefit management and third party administrator services for employer groups, health plans and government programs

144

Skyway Precision Inc., Plymouth 48170 734-454-3550; www.skywayprecision.com

William Bonnell president

93.2

-9.3

202 300

CNC production machining

145

Madison Electric Co., Warren 48093-1047

Brett Schneider president

92.5

10.1

158 NA

Electrical, electronic and automation distributor

Rapid Global Business Solutions Inc. (RGBSI), Troy 48083

Nanua Singh chairman and CEO

92.3

4.3

NA NA

Software development, IT services, staffing, engineering, lifecycle management, cloud, supply chain management

Marsh Construction (T.H. Marsh), Bloomfield Hills 48304

Ryan Marsh CEO

92.0

3.4

NA NA

General contracting, construction management and advisory services

142

248-651-7242; www.frankrewold.com

734-662-1600; www.bankofannarbor.com

586-825-0200; www.madisonelectric.com

$116.0 98.2 98.0

139.6 89.1 74.2

102.7 84.0

146

248-589-1135; www.rgbsi.com

147

248-586-4130; www.thmarsh.com

148

800-766-5400; www.dcsbiz.com

Diversified Computer Supplies Inc., Ann Arbor 48108

Joseph Hollenshead chairman, president and CEO

91.7

-4.1

49 99

Imaging/printer supplies, IT strategies, clients and supports backend connectivity with XML feeds, EDI integration and an ecommerce platform

149

Glassman Automotive Group Inc., Southfield 48034 248-354-3300; www.glassmanautogroup.com

George Glassman president

90.9

22.7

90 NA

Automobile dealerships

150

Auburn Pharmaceutical Co., Troy 48083

Jeffrey Farber chairman, president and CEO

89.1

2.8

97 112

Distributor of generic pharmaceuticals

151

Kirco Manix , Troy 48084

248-354-5100; www.kircomanix.com

Douglas Manix president

89.0

11.3

40 NA

Design and build, construction management

152

Michael Bates Chevrolet , Woodhaven 48183 734-676-9600; www.michaelbateschevy.com

Michael Bates owner

87.0

-1.9

NA NA

Automobile dealership

153

O'Brien Construction Inc., Troy 48083 248-334-2470; www.obriencc.com

Timothy O'Brien president

86.8

-27.1

52 52

General contractor

154

Ansara Restaurant Group Inc., Farmington Hills 48335

Victor Ansara president and CEO

84.0

0.0

1,500 2,050

155

E.W. Grobbel Sons Inc. , Detroit 48207 313-567-8000; grobbel.com

Jason Grobbel president

83.0

-10.8

NA NA

Corned beef

156

Wade Trim Group, Detroit 48226 313-961-3650; www.wadetrim.com

Andrew McCune president and CEO

78.6

-1.8

159 389

Consulting engineering

157

313-925-4774; www.bettermade.com

Better Made Snack Foods Inc., Detroit 48213

Salvatore Cipriano CEO

77.0

-0.5

260 261

Snack food manufacturer/distributor

158

Multi-Bank Securities Inc., Southfield 48075

David Maccagnone chairman and CEO

76.1

65.8

61 NA

Institutional broker-dealer that specializes in the sales, trading and underwriting of fixed-income securities.

159

BlueWater Technologies Group Inc., Southfield 48075 248-356-4399; www.bluewatertech.com

Suzanne Schoeneberger president

75.0

0.0

180 230

Events and installations.

160

Shaw Electric Co., Southfield 48033 248-228-2000; www.shawelectric.com

Robert Minielly president and CEO

74.8

9.1

225 238

Electrical, fire alarm, security and teledata audio/ visual contractor

161

Systrand Manufacturing Corp., Brownstown Township 48183

Sharon Cannarsa president and CEO

73.8

-6.3

203 247

Precision machining and assembly

162

Bob Jeannotte Buick GMC Inc., Plymouth 48170 734-453-2500; www.jeannotte.com

Robert Jeannotte CEO

72.3

24.6

55 NA

Automobile dealership

163

Caniff Electric Supply, Hamtramck 48212 313-365-8144; www.caniff.com

Douglas Bemis president

72.0

-12.2

NA NA

Wholesale distributor of electrical products

164

Robertson Brothers Co., Bloomfield Hills 48301 248-644-3460; www.robertson-brothers.com

Paul Robertson Jr. CEO and chairman

70.7

17.9

38 38

Builder and developer of single-family, condominiums and midrise condominiums

165

OHM Advisors (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment Inc.), Livonia 48150

John Hiltz, PE president

69.0

11.0

282 484

Architects, engineers and planners

166

Amerilodge Group LLC, Bloomfield Hills 48302 248-601-2500; www.amerilodgegroup.com

Asad Malik president and CEO

68.6

5.9

513 943

Hospitality

167

Joe Vicari Restaurant Group/Andiamo & Joe Muer Seafood, Sterling Heights 48310

Joe Vicari CEO and president

68.0

-2.2

500 1,200

Restaurants

168

Productions Plus - The Talent Shop, Bingham Farms 48025

Margery Krevsky Dosey CEO and owner

67.8

0.9

54 83

248-526-3700; auburngenerics.com

248-848-9099; www.ansararestaurantgroup.com

800-967-9045; www.mbssecurities.com

734-479-8100; www.systrand.com

888-522-6711; www.ohm-advisors.com

586-981-0888; vicarirestaurants.com

248-644-5566; www.productions-plus.com

88.4

89.0 95.6

74.1 86.7 80.0

88.7

2 2

119.1 83.9

93.0 80.0 77.4 45.9 75.0 68.5 78.9 58.0 82.0 60.0 62.2

64.8 69.5

67.2

Restaurant

SAG franchised talent agency and event staffing agency

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CRAIN'S LIST: PRIV PRIVA ATE 200 Ranked by 2019 revenue Company Phone; website

169 170 171 172 173

Top executive

Revenue ($000,000) 2019/2018

248-504-6869; www.rsrit.com

Reliable Software Resources Inc., Northville 48167

Ravi Vallem CEO

$66.0

Motor City Stamping Inc., Chesterfield Township 48051 586-949-8420; www.mcstamp.com

Judith Kucway CEO and CFO

64.3

Buscemi Enterprises Inc., Roseville 48066 586-296-5560; www.originalbuscemis.com

Anthony Buscemi manager

64.0

AIM Construction Inc., Livonia 48152 248-476-1310; www.aimconstruction.com

Tim Belanger CEO

Gonzalez Design Group, Pontiac 48340

Percent change

Detroit area employees/ Worldwide employees Jan. 2020

Type of business

-5.3%

NA NA

Data and application services including big data, advanced analytics, business intelligence

-5.3

NA NA

Stamping plant, automotive welding, assembly, dies and prototypes

-4.5

NA NA

Franchisor of pizza and sub party stores

63.5

36.6

32 50

Construction manager/general contractor/design builder

Gary Gonzalez CEO

62.0

-7.6

220 288

Design engineering, staffing, manufacturing technologies, production systems, other

Domestic Linen Supply and Laundry Co., Farmington

Bruce Colton president

61.5

2.5

125 580

Facility management and textile rental

Educational Data Systems Inc. (EDSI), Dearborn 48120

Kevin Schnieders CEO

61.0

10.9

63 765

Workforce development and consulting

ARC Supply Chain Solutions Inc., Taylor 48180

Greta Elliott president

61.0

2.5

42 42

Transportation management systems, dynamic reporting, modal optimization, financial services and warehouse operations

177

Oscar W. Larson Co., Clarkston 48348

Bruce Larson CEO

58.2

8.4

199 354

Fueling systems services, technical service, testing, repairs and maintenance, electrical, mechanical, installations, raze and rebuild, design and build, general contractor, HVACR

178

SME (Soil and Materials Engineers Inc.), Plymouth 48170

Mark Kramer president and CEO

57.5

19.8

167 300

Geotechnical, environmental, pavement, building and construction materials, building enclosures and metals and coatings consulting and design services.

179 180 181 182

Ronnisch Construction Group, Royal Oak 48073

Bernd Manfred Ronnisch president

56.0

43.6

30 30

Construction management, general contractor

Kyyba Inc., Farmington Hills 48334 248-813-9665; www.kyyba.com

Thiru Ganesan president and CEO

52.9

-4.5

NA NA

Engineering and IT staffing services, application software, off-shore development and automotive electronics solutions

Cloverdale Equipment Co., Oak Park 48237 800-822-7999; www.cloverdaleequipment.com

Todd Moilanen president/CEO/Chairman

50.3

-1.4

60 120

Construction equipment rental & distribution

Bell Fork Lift Inc., Clinton Township 48035 586-415-5200; www.bellforklift.com

Wayne Bell president and CEO

50.0

-5.7

NA NA

Material handling

Seko Worldwide Detroit, Romulus 48174

Michael Bartelo Tanya Bartelo owner, managing directors

48.8

8.5

32 7,013

Logistics services, including domestic and global air, ocean and ground transportation, freight forwarding, customs brokerage, warehousing and distribution and export crating. White glove services, MED-Tech, Omni channel logistics

W3R Consulting, Southfield 48075

Eric Hardy president and CEO

48.4

17.7

NA NA

IT staffing and consulting, including application development, business intelligence and data analytics

PMA Consultants LLC, Detroit 48226

313-963-8863; www.pmaconsultants.com

Gui Ponce de Leon CEO

47.3

4.1

36 229

Program, project and construction management consulting; expert witness services

EEI Global Inc., Rochester Hills 48307 248-601-9900; www.eeiglobal.com

Derek Gentile president and CEO

47.0

-4.1

NA NA

Experiential marketing agency

ICR Services, Warren 48092

Paul Gutierrez president

44.0

586-582-1500; www.icrservices.com

10.0

NA NA

Industrial repair, service and automation provider

Lowry Solutions, Brighton 48116 810-229-7200; www.lowrysolutions.com

Michael Lowry president and CEO

43.0

-12.2

80 95

IoT, RFID, barcode systems integrator

Advance Packaging Technologies, Waterford Township 48329

Rob Cohen president

41.5

-7.2

16 23

Design and distribution of automotive adhesive films and industrial packaging

Chain Industries Inc., Wixom 48393

248-348-4555; www.chainindustries.com

James Chain president

39.5

3.9

22 25

Aluminum producer, metal slitter, distributor, warehouser and processing service center, oil distributor

PrizeLogic LLC, Southfield 48033 248-663-8600; www.prizelogic.com

Ryan LaMirand CEO

39.0

1.0

NA NA

Incentivized engagement for brands

American Plastic Toys Inc., Walled Lake 48390 248-624-4881; americanplastictoys.com

John Gessert president and CEO

38.5

-19.9

190 300

Manufactures and distributes injection-molded plastic toys

Zausmer PC, Farmington Hills 48334 248-851-4111; www.zausmer.com

Mark Zausmer managing shareholder

38.1

10.4

178 178

Law firm

Aztec Manufacturing Corp., Romulus 48174 734-942-7433; www.aztecmfgcorp.com

Greg Lopez CEO

37.2

-7.8

68 68

Auto parts manufacturer

195

Automation & Modular Components Inc. & Affiliates, Davisburg 48350

Richard Shore, Sr chairman

36.0

3.9

NA NA

Manufacturing conveyors, assembly systems, test systems and equipment, and modular framing and guarding

196

Staffworks Group, Southfield 48075 248-416-1090; staffworksgroup.com

L. William Brann III, president and CEO; Jason Brann, president and COO

35.0

-14.6

NA NA

Staffing agency

197 198 199

Contract Direct LLC, Troy 48098 248-361-0427; www.contractdirect.net

Elizabeth Hammond president

34.9

-4.1

39 98

Facility service provider

734-459-1670; www.aql-inc.com

Automotive Quality & Logistics Inc., Plymouth 48170

Sangeeta Ahluwalia CEO

34.1

4.6

134 1,270

English Gardens, Dearborn Heights 48127 313-278-5244; EnglishGardens.com

John Darin president

33.9

17.5

271 271

Retail, nursery, garden center, florist, landscaping

200

Design Systems Inc., Farmington Hills 48331 248-489 4300; www.dsidsc.com

Dale Chiara and Mark Yanalunas managing partners

33.0

0.0

NA NA

Engineering for manufacturing process design and integration, engineering consultant

174 175 175

183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194

248-548-6010; www.gonzalez-group.com

Hills 48334 248-737-2000; www.domesticuniform.com

313-271-2660; www.edsisolutions.com 877-272-3523; www.arc-scs.com

248-620-0070; www.larsonco.com

734-819-3370; www.sme-usa.com

248-840-7910; www.ronnisch.com

734-641-2100; www.sekologistics.com/detroit

248-358-1002; www.w3r.com

248-674-3126; www.advancepac.com

248-922-4740; www.amcautomation.com

$69.7 67.9

67.0 46.5 67.1 60.0

55.0 59.5 53.7

48.0

39.0 55.3 51.0

53.0 45.0

41.1 45.4 49.0 40.0 49.0 44.7 38.0

38.6 48.1 34.5 40.3

34.6

41.0

36.4 32.6 28.9 33.0

Staffing, warehousing, sorting and inspection, manufacturing service support

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MAY 25, 2020 | CRAINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DETROIT BUSINESS | 21

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DINING

From Page 1

The coronavirus-prompted shutdown has devastated the food service sector, with the state’s restaurants expected to lose $1.2 billion in sales in April. But owners are mixed on whether they think adding more tables outside — 6 feet apart — will make a substantial difference in the success of their businesses. “Many of our (municipal) members have reached out over the last few weeks, month, wanting to know how they might be able to assist restaurants in their downtowns ... How could they allow them in outdoor spaces they hadn’t been previously?” said Jennifer Rigterink, legislative associate for the Michigan Municipal League. The first test will come Memorial Day weekend. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer allowed bars and restaurants to reopen with restrictions Friday in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Michigan. Whitmer late Friday extended the stay-home order that mostly closes businesses of public accommodation until June 12. The virus pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 5,000 Michigan residents. But Whitmer said the data shows “this is a step we feel we can take””to partially reopen the U.P. and Traverse City regions, which account for about 1 percent of all 53,000 cases of COVID-19 and deaths. Dining establishments will be able to reopen at 50 percent occupancy as long as groups are seated 6 feet apart and servers wear face masks. Before, they could only offer carryout and delivery. “This is an opportunity for us to manage the crowds and manage the virus, but if we can’t do that we’re going to go back to lockdown,” Traverse City Mayor Jim Carruthers said. Carruthers said his city is considering closing off a two-block section of Front Street between Park and Cass to create additional seating capacity for local restaurants and watering holes that would struggle to remain in business all summer at half capacity — or can’t physically reconfigure dining room spaces. “It’s easier for an Olive Garden or a Red Lobster restaurant to do this because they’re bigger spaces,” Carruthers told Crain’s. “A lot of our downtown restaurants are these long, narrow facilities where it makes it very hard to socially distance because you’ve got a bar maybe on one side and tables on the other — and the wait staff and patrons have to walk through.”

Creative solutions The restaurant industry’s advocacy group is pushing for moving operations outdoors because the business model of packing patrons indoors has changed. There’s no way restaurants will be as successful as before, said Justin Winslow, president and CEO of the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association. And many will need to spend thousands of dollars on safety measures. Al fresco dining is no magic solution, Winslow said, but it’s a tool in the toolbox, and the idea is spreading quickly. The Michigan Liquor Control Commission announced Tuesday it would streamline the licensing process for outdoor service and additional bar permits. A bill introduced May 19 in the Michigan House would allow cities to opt in to designate social drinking zones. Officials in Grand Rapids have expressed interest in having multiple so-

Bella Piatti was Birmingham’s first restaurant to submit a request to the city to expand its patio. | BETH REEBER VALONE/CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

What other states are doing Other states and cities have made plans for outdoor dining as the outbreak stretches on. Tampa, Fla., in early May released a "restaurant and retail recovery" plan allowing use of sidewalks, parking and some closed streets for restaurant seating or retail space, according to the plan itself and the Tampa Bay Business Journal. It sets up "recovery zones" or street closures for businesses in busy areas in a 14-day pilot program. It lists rules including 6-foot separation of tables and no walls on any tents to allow air flow. Berkeley, Calif., plans to fully close city streets for restaurants to use, Eater San Francisco reported, while Ohio announced that restaurants could open socially distanced patio seating. New Hampshire let diners return to restaurants as of May 18, but only outdoors, as reported by NBC Boston, and the Providence Journal found that business was slow after Rhode Island allowed outdoor dining. In New York City, a hospitality organization and City Council are working together to find open spaces that would allow restaurants to serve outdoors.

What experts say Experts say fresh air is good — the coronavirus tends to spread easier indoors than outdoors, media including Business Insider have reported. A study of more than 300 outbreaks in China that found transmission was much less common outdoors has gotten quite a bit of attention, but it has not been peer-reviewed. However, clustering people and prolonged exposure also increase risk for the deadly illness that has killed more than 5,000 Michigan residents, regardless of whether those involved are inside or outside, William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University, told Business Insider. He said there's no absolutely "safe way to do things," only "risk reduction." "Even outside, there is a risk of contracting the virus by touching a contaminated surface — a restaurant menu, park bench or lawn chair — and then touching your face," the New York Times recently wrote. It added that experts show concern about servers not wearing masks, patrons sharing utensils and guests from separate families sitting anywhere near each other.

cial drinking zones within the state’s microbrewery capital, said Rep. Michael Webber, a Rochester Hills Republican sponsoring the bill. The concept is to let multiple bars and restaurants in a downtown area create a joint open-air bar and drinking area, Webber said. “This is actually something we were working on pre-COVID-19, but I think it really works in this new environment of social distancing,” Webber told Crain’s. “Obviously the concerns would be the enforcement and liability issues, and we’re going to try to work through that.” While not all regions are opening, cities want to be ready, Rigterink said. Ideas have ranged from using a city park as a pop-up restaurant location to looking at adjacent green lots and alleys, according to Rigterink and Winslow.

“I think you’re going to see, in the month of June, this concept really start to flourish in a lot of places,” Winslow said. But as with the coronavirus, which is hurting small, independently financed and minority-owned restaurants more than bigger operations and chains, some food businesses stand to reap more than others.

Birmingham goes outdoors The city of Birmingham will allow restaurants and cafes to modify or expand their outdoor dining on sidewalks or even into the street, as long as it’s a confined area. “All outdoor dining areas have to be directly outside of the restaurant, controlled by the restaurant, in a confined space and approved by the city,” a spokeswoman said in an email. Streets

won’t fully shut down. Birmingham is also waiving a plethora of fees, including for outdoor dining permits, liquor license renewal and parking in a structure. Downtown Birmingham Italian restaurant Bella Piatti was the city’s first to submit a request to expand its patio. It’ll double in size to 50 by 14 feet. Co-owner Nino Cutraro said the restaurant has been doing around 18 percent of normal sales through carryout. Summer is the high season, with sales usually jumping 40 percent. Reopening at 50 percent capacity, he would have seven tables inside instead of the usual 14. The patio normally seats seven tables. Though the space will double, he’ll have to separate tables 6 feet apart per distancing rules. Several other restaurant proprietors told Crain’s they would be interested in expanding outdoor seating if demand warrants it. They include Jeff Martin of local chain El Charro in Fraser, Macomb, St. Clair Shores and Troy; and Cecilia Benedict of Armando’s Mexican Restaurant in southwest Detroit. Like other owners with whom Crain’s spoke, Cutraro can’t project profits for when he reopens, as no one knows how many customers will feel safe dining in. So they also can’t estimate how much of a difference outdoor dining could make in sales. “The other problem is that this is Michigan, and it’ll help a lot if it’s a beautiful day,” Cutraro said. “What happens if it starts to rain, then what? What are people going to do? ... It’s going to be hard, but we have no other choice. We have to reinvent ourselves every day.”

If demand warrants it The city of Plymouth also authorized its administration May 18 to designate areas downtown and in its Old Village for expanded patio seating in parking areas and in street parking spots. “We’re working ... to lay these out and to also put crowd-control fencing up, as well, (between restaurants),” said Paul Sincock, Plymouth’s city manager. Plymouth considered fully closing streets, but with all the retail and offices downtown, it didn’t seem logistically feasible, Sincock said. Detroit, a city with clustered restaurants as well as those on commercial

strips and spaced out through neighborhoods, doesn’t have any firm plan on the subject but is aware of what other cities are doing and “looking at options,” said Charity Dean, director of Civil Rights, Inclusion, and Opportunity for the city. Dean has been working on small-business stabilization efforts during the pandemic. A co-owner of SavannahBlue, a downtown Detroit restaurant for fine dining and soul food, said he’s being cautious about planning because so much is unknown. “We do plan to reopen. What that looks like, I can’t tell you today,” J.D. Simpson said. “Everybody’s hanging on by a shoestring and a prayer right now, and if you get it wrong, that might be your only chance at it.” Asked about whether outdoor service could help when SavannahBlue does reopen, Simpson said it’s about more than setting up some chairs. “For me, I’ve got to look at it like, OK, where are you located? What is your foot traffic like? How many seats is it really going to add? Now you’ve got to take food outside, orders outside ... build a railing or whatever the city requirements are. Buy furniture, fixtures and equipment,” he said. “I like having the option and they’re going to try to be as cooperative as they can in getting you approved for these things, so that’s cool. But every restaurant, it’s going to be a case-by-case situation.” Among the issues Traverse City is weighing in closing off part of Front Street is the elimination of downtown parking, access for individuals with disabilities and waste and sanitation, Carruthers said. “There’s so many angles that we have to consider,” the mayor said. Victor Dzenowagis of the White Horse Inn in Metamora is somewhat skeptical. He also owns Deadwood Bar and Grill in Northville, Camp Ticonderoga in Troy and the Moose Preserve Bar and Grill in Bloomfield Township. “I think there will be limited areas where that’s going to make a ton of sense. Birmingham, Royal Oak, Ferndale, parts of Detroit. But, for example, Bloomfield Hills, it’s just not really conducive to that,” he said. “I think for some operators it’s going to be a godsend and for some others it’s going to be irrelevant.” — Crain’s Senior Editor Chad Livengood contributed to this report. MAY 25, 2020 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 23

BETTING

From Page 3

Even though the track has lost, by Carlo’s estimates, around $2.8 million in revenue on what would have been $14 million in wagers since being closed, calling it quits is out of the question. “It’s a 75-year-old family business that I’ll never let die,” he said. His perseverance could pay off. With sports suspended indefinitely, and casinos closed in Detroit for the foreseeable future, harness racing could be the only game in town for a while. “We know it’s a moving target until they give us the green light,” Carlo said. As the last horse track in the state, Northville Downs carries the torch for a sport that’s fallen out of favor in the past couple of decades. The horse and harness racing industry in the U.S. de-

creased from a peak of $15 billion a year in the early 2000s to less than $11 billion in 2016, according to the Jockey Club, the breed registry for all thoroughbred horses in the U.S. and Canada. The track got a reprieve in February after the stalling of a $200 million residential redevelopment project planned for the site. Races will go on at the track through at least 2024, Carlo said. He plans to open a track elsewhere if the venue is eventually razed. Carlo said he hopes to strike a deal with a third-party betting provider, as required by law, as soon as next week to bring online betting to the track. Once in place, Northville Downs will be able to facilitate online bets for races at the venue and across the country. “The order should enable the state’s horse racing industry to gain new followers through (advance deposit wagering) and maintain protection for citizens who wish to place wagers on live and simulcast pari-mutuel racing

in Michigan using their mobile phones,” Richard Kalm, executive director of the gaming control board, said in a written statement. Being able to accept online bets, thanks to an amendment made in December to the Horse Racing Law of 1995, gives Northville Downs a lot of operational flexibility. It could still generate wagering revenue without spectators, for example. Carlo sees no reason why deprived gamblers can’t do it in person. He believes he can safely accommodate at least 1,500 people in the 3,300-capacity venue. He’s removed hundreds of tables and chairs from the club seating area and is sectioning off areas for individuals, for groups that want to remain 6 feet apart and for groups that wish to sit closer to one another. In the enclosed grandstands, which are generally open seating, spectators will be instructed by signs and race programs to keep a dis-

tance of three seats in all directions from other people. Employees at betting windows will be protected by plastic barriers during interactions with customers, and the venue will be sanitized regularly, Carlo said. The track usually has 70 employees, including 30 full time. All have been temporarily laid off. The company is registered as the John Carlo, Peter Battista, Margaret Zayti Partnership. Mike Carlo and his brothers John and Ed run the track and own a portion of the racetrack property. On the outdoor track, Carlo said he believes the typical racing structure complies with social distancing orders. There will no longer be friends and family allowed in the barns and paddocks, though; just racers and essential staff taking care of horses. “That only puts us in the ‘we think we’re prepared phase,’” he said. “Again, this has been kind of a guess.” Northville Downs and other tracks

Betting counters at Northville Downs are spaced out and equipped with plastic barriers. | NORTHVILLE DOWNS

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OFFICES

From Page 1

Some of the requirements are spelled out in an executive order by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, including dedicated entry points for employees to reduce main entrance congestion, visual indicators of social-distancing spacing, face mask requirements in shared spaces and increasing employee distancing by spacing out desks and staggering start times. Water fountains also must be turned off. Andrew Hayman, president of the Southfield-based real estate ownership and management firm Hayman Co., said his company is putting up plexiglass partitions 2 feet high at its cubicles. He also said some landlords are instituting mandatory temperature checks before entering buildings, although his company is not. “We don’t want our receptionist having to be a nurse,” he said. Detroit-based Quicken Loans Inc. is developing a mobile app with health screening questions for all employees in the Rock Ventures LLC portfolio of companies, which has

north of 18,000 workers. You can expect buildings to become less crowded over time, as well. Over the years, office buildings have become more densely packed, going from an average of approximately 250 square feet for every employee down to 150 square feet now or even less. Expect that pendulum to start swinging back. “Density of offices will look differently,” Colin Scarlett, executive vice president for Colliers International Inc. in Vancouver wrote last month in a company blog post. “Expect companies to give employees more room, such as larger workstations with higher partitions. We’ll also see a trend to more private offices (albeit smaller) and the ability to create space between people.” In addition to the more obvious and visible modifications to everyday work space, expect less visible but equally important changes to building systems. “There’s things that are contextually surface driven, and then I think there’s things that are infrastructurally driven,” Gawel said. Among those: using ultraviolet light to disinfect and clean mechanical system filters and changing air

purification systems, Gawel said. Global real estate firm CBRE Inc., which is based in Los Angeles, said in a report earlier this month that things like replaceable plastic sheet coverings on elevator buttons may become commonplace. Hand sanitizing stations and disinfectant wipes are likely going to be rife throughout buildings. Touchless soap dispensers and bathroom sinks are likely to be more common, as are automated urinals and lighting control systems for landlords investing in their properties. In addition, shared spaces will be approached differently in the years following the pandemic, Gawel said. “Meeting space will look different in the future,” he said. “Shared spaces will look different in the future. As we program new environments with our clients, we’re gonna be thinking differently about space.” When — and if — some of these new realities of office life begin to ease is an open-ended question. “What I’ve learned through this whole process is, nobody knows,” Hayman said. Contact: kpinho@crain.com; (313) 446-0412; @kirkpinhoCDB

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across the country have already missed two marquee horse races this year, and Carlo wants his books open in time for the next major event. “This time last year, we would have had the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, and we would be rolling into the Belmont Stakes,” he said. Organizers of the Belmont in New York announced May 19 that the race was pushed to June 20. That’s Carlo’s target date for going live with online betting.

Racers at a standstill Nobody wants to see harness racing return more than the racers. Full-time harness racers in Michigan are now a rare breed. Most have run off to other states where it’s easier to make a living on the track, such as Kentucky, Florida or even neighboring Ohio, which said horse racing could resume May 22 without spectators.

. nc., said that heet may anitant rife less inks are conting

PISTONS

From Page 3

New revenue streams Charlie Metzger, chief revenue and marketing officer for the Pistons, said the team has not lost any sponsors due to the pandemic. He said the team’s quick shift to digital platforms allowed it to make good on sponsor deals and even opened new revenue streams. “Our focus right now is doing everything we can to stay close to our customers,” Metzger said. An example of that is NBA Math Hoops, one of the Pistons’ community engagement programs that teaches kids math skills using statistics from their favorite professional players. It is presented by Troy-based Flagstar Bank, among the team’s largest sponsors, and typically hosted in person. This time, it was delivered on the Zoom live video platform. “Obviously, we weren’t able to do it this year physically, but we’ve been using social media to engage not only with the kids, but also their parents,” Metzger said. That engagement also kept Flagstar happy. The team has created exposure for its sponsors through game play, too — just through games played 30 years ago. Last month, Fox Sports aired reruns of championship games from the Pistons’ “Bad Boys” era of the late ’80s and early ’90s. The games may have been a bit of calculated counter programming to ESPN’s docuseries “The Last Dance,” which also aired in May and features former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan airing grievances of the bitter rivalry. Either way, the Pistons were able

to capture the drama and translate it into more than a million social media impressions for their clients, Metzger said. Sponsored programming that usually happens inside Little Caesars Arena, such as “player of the game presented by” and “starting lineup presented by,” was announced on Pistons media channels during the reruns. “We were able to repurpose some of that for partners like Rocket Fiber and Flagstar,” Metzger said. The team2,also has been delivering December 2019 personal protective equipment to Detroit frontline workers in Ram May 18, trucks —2020 a good look for its domestic auto partner Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The team partnered with McDonald’s to offer frontline workers free McDonald’s breakfasts May 11-31. That could lead to a longer-term sponsor deal, as was the case when the team linked with Novi-based food storage company Lineage Logistics to provide donations to Forgotten Harvest. Metzger declined to offer details on new sponsor agreements. “It’s obviously helping people and also, from a business standpoint, opening doors and building relationships,” he said. The team also took part in a virtual roundtable program with Fox Sports including Vice Chairman Arn Tellem, senior adviser Ed Stefanski, shooting guard Langston Galloway and playby-play announcer George Blaha. “We think we’re going to do that again, and we think that can be an ongoing revenue stream and opportunity for someone to sponsor that,” Metzger said. Contact: knagl@crain.com; (313) 446-0337; @kurt_nagl

l be ears aid. rent pace. As with king

LOVES

From Page 3

The 25 largest furniture and bedding retailers in the U.S. combined for a 7.5 percent increase in sales to $45.7 billion in 2018, according to a report in Furniture World. Amazon and Wayfair dominated those increases. The pair combined for an estimated 35.8 percent increase in estimated furniture and bedding sales in 2018. Nearly 20 percent of all U.S. furniture sales are now online, according to IBISWorld data. THL entered with a growth strategy to open 200 more stores and double revenue to $2 billion by 2020, but with no previous experience in the furniture retail market, the company struggled to make those plans a reality, former executives told Crain’s. Less than three years after acquiring Art Van, THL put the retailer into Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganiza-

The Detroit Pistons have been delivering personal protective equipment to Detroit front-line workers in Ram trucks provided by its domestic auto partner Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. | DETROIT PISTONS

Contact: knagl@crain.com; (313) 446-0337; @kurt_nagl “The COVID-19 crisis clearly produces a lot of headwinds, but this presented a great opportunity to take advantage of the current market conditions,” Damiani said. “The opportunity is not just in what we acquired, but in customer need. I’m referring to the hundreds of millions of sales they are vacating in this market. We believe if you go to market with the right approach, right products and fantastic service, we’ll earn the right to thrive for a long time.” As far as growing as large as Art Van, Loves has ambitions, Damiani said. “Our footprint will continue to evolve. We’re already looking to grow and expand with a larger footprint,” Damiani said. "We’ll use a startup mentality and continue to refine our operations as we look for more opportunity.” Contact: dwalsh@crain.com; (313) 446-6042; @dustinpwalsh

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tion in early March, quickly transitioning to a Chapter 7 liquidation with no potential buyers of its then more than 150 storefronts in the U.S. Damiani, whom THL hired as vice president of enterprise operations and customer experience for Art Van in 2017, said Loves Furniture’s private equity owners don’t have the same blind spots as THL. “The current situation is unique because we have an ownership team that acts like a family business insteadCRAIN of traditional ’S DETROIT Bprivate USINESSequity group,” Damiani said. “They are really supporting us and our recommenCRAIN DETROIT BUSINESS dations on’Swhat we want to be able to bring to market. We’ve brought in a really talented, passionate group from the former Art Van and outside the company. We’re bringing something to market that we are all very proud of that’s rooted in the communities we serve.” Loves has hired about 30 with plans to reach more than 1,000 when the 27 retail stores open.

ticularly painful in Michigan, which used to be a hub for the activity but has seen nearly a dozen tracks closed, including Hazel Park Raceway in 2018. While the sport’s base has dwindled, it has not been wiped out, said Tom Barrett, president of the Michigan Harness Horsemen’s Association, which has about 800 members. Only about 50 are full-time racers, Barrett said. “The horsemen in Michigan are a resilient bunch,” he said. “I don’t think (the pandemic) is the death knell. We’re trying to remain optimistic.” Over at Northville Downs, Carlo is optimistic but nervous about the uncertainty looming over virtually all businesses, especially those that gather large groups of people. “Everybody’s habits have been forced to change,” he said. “You hope your customer base comes back.”

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The most restless of the local racers may be Art McIlmurray, a veteran harness racer and top money earner in Michigan, netting $450,000 in prize winnings at Northville Downs last year. The 61-year-old has raced his whole life at the track as his sole source of income. McIlmurray told Crain’s that when the shutdown started his success had left him better off than most, but raising winning horses isn’t easy. “I had my horses all ready to go,” he said. “Now with this virus, it just devastated us. We’ve been kind of hanging on, pinching pennies and stuff like that, getting ready for Northville Downs to open up.” McIlmurray said he’s looking after eight horses on a 10-acre farm in Rives Junction, about an hour west of the track, at a cost of about $100,000 per year. He said he has no income other than winning races, which have purses ranging from $3,500 to $8,000. The halting of harness racing is par-

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THE CONVERSATION

How Lynn Torossian created a hospital from scratch

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LMT Executive Advisors: Lynn Torossian was out of the hospital C-suite for just a year when her former boss at Henry Ford Health System, Bob Riney, called with a mission-critical assignment. The Detroit-based hospital system needed an experienced executive to immediately take the reins of setting up a field hospital inside TCF Center to care for COVID-19 patients who didn’t need to be in a hospital’s intensive care unit. The former president and CEO of Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital stepped in for the month-long assignment running the TCF Regional Care Center, which has since been idled as COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations dropped off. | BY CHAD LIVENGOOD ` Tell us a little bit about what you’ve been doing since you retired from Henry Ford Health System. I retired about a year ago at the end of March from Henry Ford Health System. Since then, I have been running my own business called LMT Executive Advisors, which is an executive coaching firm. I work with other health care leaders all across the country helping them to be better leaders and help their systems help more people. ` How did you get recruited to run this field hospital at TCF Center? Well, I don’t know that I know the exact story, but the part that I do know is I received a call from my former boss at Henry Ford, Bob Riney, who said, ‘We need somebody to work at TCF and I can’t think of anybody better than you. Would you be interested?’ I thought about it for a little bit, had some concerns obviously. I talked with the chief operating officer at the state, Tricia Foster, and ultimately said, ‘Yeah, I want to serve.’ I was honored to be thought about, honored to be called up and it was really a great experience. ` This facility got set up by the Army Corps of Engineers in less than two weeks. At the time, they said it was the fastest project that they had done. And it was meant to be a standby center in case the hospitals in Detroit and the suburbs were overwhelmed. How did it play out compared to what people thought it was going to be used for? When I started on April 1, the Army Corps of Engineers had already begun the build just a few days earlier. We assembled a really unusual group of people that came from all different walks of life — military, civilian, National Guard, civil air patrol, all kinds of things. And there was some that came down from the State Emergency Operations Center that described TCF as a tier-3 alternative care site, which really means we were able to take care of people after they had been through a hospital stay but were not quite ready to go home yet, assuming that there wasn’t a more appropriate place for them to be. I think what sometimes people don’t understand is we’re

super proud of that facility and it was amazing, but it still is an alternative care site. It doesn’t have all of the niceties that we’ve grown to be very used to in our hospitals. People have seen pictures of it. It was very thin walls with curtains in front and minimalist furniture, and hallway after hallway of beds. Describing it probably as the place of last resort for patients might be a good way to put it. ... It was built with about 1,000 beds ... and 600 of those beds were in what we called a ‘hot zone’ where everybody there would be positive for COVID-19. And there were 400 beds in the lower level (of TCF Center) that were the patients getting ready to go home. They were beyond their COVID status. We actually never used those beds. All of the patients remained up in the hot zone. ` What was the staffing? We began staffing up initially for 50 patients with a plan to go to 250 based on all of the data that the state had from all of the hospitals reporting in, what they were seeing about the curve. If you remember back to that first week in April, there was a lot of unknown and a lot of (COVID) numbers increasing. The good news, I think, as both a health care executive and a citizen of the state is because of the way the state responded with both the orders coming out of the governor’s office and the way people reacted in terms of staying home ... and because I think we have a really amazing health care system in Michigan, we really didn’t need those beds. (The hospitals) were able to manage patients that they had. I’m not going to say it was always comfortable for them. I think they felt very stretched at times, particularly in their ICUs. But it was probably the best possible (outcome) that it could have been. We were completely ready (for a surge) and relatively unneeded.

that there were some important decisions made at that time. There was the Suburban Collection Showplace (field hospital) and there was going to be another field hospital at the University of Michigan and they were out scouting for (another) spot. Based on what we were seeing and based on the trends across the state, the Suburban Showplace got scaled way back from 1,000 beds to 250, UM’s efforts were put on hold and there were no additional sites identified or committed to. There was clearly datadriven decisions being made about how the health of the community was going as well as the health of the health systems. ` Going forward, how much of the hospital setting is still set up right now? We still have the hot zone all still set up with not quite 600 beds. They’re stripped, there’s no linens on them, there’s no supplies in the rooms, there’s just the basic construction of the hospital. The other 400 beds have been completely taken down and boxed up and are ready for storage or redeployment, whatever ends up happening with them in their next journey. ... There’s a small amount of supplies on site so that we would be able to relatively easily start up if we needed

to. ... It would probably take us about seven days to be ready for about 50 patients. ` You’re keeping this field hospital ready in case of a second wave? Yes, and the state is really the one that’s making those decisions. They’ve got people watching the data and people looking at all of the trends. They’re gonna keep their eye on that and make those decisions. ` As a longtime hospital executive, are there some lessons learned that need to be considered going forward in these public health crises? I think probably the most questioned item is going to be the acuity of the patients that the alternative care sites are able to see and how in the future we would want to do that to make sure we were serving the population and serving our overtaxed health care system in the best way possible. For example, in New York City they decided to actually change some of the beds at their alternative care sites into ICU beds so that they could actually offload some of the patients from the hospitals that were on ventilators and were seriously ill. There’s no way we could have done that with the level of personnel that we have. We would have had to have had a completely different model.

Lynn Torossian, owner, LMT Executive Advisors

` Some people have suggested this was a waste of money. And I kind of wondered, well, if they didn’t do this and the hospitals were overwhelmed, there would be a lot of second-guessing on that as well, right? Yes, absolutely. I also would suggest

Editor-in-Chief Keith E. Crain Publisher KC Crain Group Publisher Mary Kramer, (313) 446-0399 or mkramer@crain.com Associate Publisher Lisa Rudy, (313) 446-6032 or lrudy@crain.com Executive Editor Kelley Root, (313) 446-0319 or kelley.root@crain.com Managing Editor Michael Lee, (313) 446-1630 or malee@crain.com Group Director: Marketing & Audience Kim Waatti, (313) 446-6764 or kwaatti@crain.com Digital Portfolio Manager Tim Simpson, (313) 446-6788 or tsimpson@crain.com Creative Director David Kordalski, (216) 771-5169 or dkordalski@crain.com Assistant Managing Editor Dawn Riffenburg, (313) 446-5800 or driffenburg@crain.com News Editor Beth Reeber Valone, (313) 446-5875 or bvalone@crain.com Senior Editor Chad Livengood, (313) 446-1654 or clivengood@crain.com Special Projects Editor Amy Elliott Bragg, (313) 446-1646 or abragg@crain.com Design and Copy Editor Beth Jachman, (313) 446-0356 or bjachman@crain.com Research and Data Editor Sonya Hill, (313) 446-0402 or shill@crain.com Newsroom (313) 446-0329, FAX (313) 446-1687 TIP LINE (313) 446-6766 REPORTERS

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Crain’s wins awards from Society of Professional Journalists Crain’s Detroit Business has won several awards in the annual Society of Professional Journalists-Detroit Chapter Excellence in Journalism awards. The awards, announced by the chapter on Thursday, include: ` Chad Livengood and Michael Lee, 1st place, Editorial Writing. ` Spot or Breaking News, Annalise Frank, 3rd Place, “A mad dash to 26 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | MAY 25, 2020

Kramer

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Livengood

keep restaurants running as Epicurean Group splinters.” ` Dustin Walsh, 3rd place, Explanatory story, “All tapped out? Not so fast: Despite tougher climate, new brew-

eries, growing production keep maturing industry coasting forward.” ` David Kordalski, 3rd place, Page 1 design, June 24 issue. ` Nina Ignaczak, 2nd place, Best Feature, “How Michigan Became the Center of the Pickle-verse.” In addition, Crain’s Group Publisher Mary Kramer is being recognized with the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Crain’s Detroit Business is published by Crain Communications Inc. Chairman Keith E. Crain Vice Chairman Mary Kay Crain President KC Crain Senior Executive Vice President Chris Crain Secretary Lexie Crain Armstrong Chief Financial Officer Robert Recchia G.D. Crain Jr. Founder (1885-1973) Mrs. G.D. Crain Jr. Chairman (1911-1996) Editorial & Business Offices 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit MI 48207-2732; (313) 446-6000 Cable address: TWX 248-221-5122 AUTNEW DET CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS ISSN # 0882-1992 is published weekly, except the third week in December, by Crain Communications Inc. at 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit MI 48207-2732. Periodicals postage paid at Detroit, MI and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS, Circulation Department, P.O. Box 07925, Detroit, MI 48207-9732. GST # 136760444. Printed in U.S.A. Contents copyright 2020 by Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial content in any manner without permission is prohibited.

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