BUSINESS MONTHLY G R E AT ER LANS ING
JULY 2016
THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY FRIB STAFF BRINGS HIGH-TECH OPPORTUNITIES TO LANSING
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BUSINESS MONTHLY
JULY 2016 ON THE COVER The Future of Technology: FRIB staff brings high-tech opportunities to Lansing .................................................................22
NEWS Brazil’s Crises Continue as Olympic Games Loom Closer......................................................................................6 Common Ground Music Festival Strengthens Greater Lansing Area .....................................................................................8 LEAP Annual Report Shows Steady Growth for Greater Lansing ..............................................................................10
BUSINESS MONTHLY G R E ATE R L A N S I N G
JULY 2016
22 FEATURE
Commentary.................................................................................................................................................. 4 Privacy in the Age of Oversharing................................................................................................... 12 Quantum Medical Concepts: Paving the Way for Medical Startup Success............... 14 Visual Breakdown..................................................................................................................................... 16 Greater Lansing at a Glance ............................................................................................................... 18 Behind the Scenes.................................................................................................................................... 20 Real Estate................................................................................................................................................... 29
THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY FRIB STAFF BRINGS HIGH-TECH OPPORTUNITIES TO LANSING
Economy ...................................................................................................................................................... 30 Business Calendar ................................................................................................................................... 32 Man on the Street ................................................................................................................................... 33 Notable News ............................................................................................................................................ 34
Cover photography by Erika Hodges
Greater Lansing Business Monthly | Volume 29, Issue 6
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Greater Lansing Business Monthly is published monthly by M3 Group at 614 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933. Periodicals postage paid at Lansing, Michigan USPO. USPS number 020w807.
Subscriptions: Subscriptions are available at $22 per year for postage and handling or $38 for two years. Call (517) 203-0123 or visit lansingbusinessnews.com to subscribe. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Greater Lansing Business Monthly, 614 Seymour Ave., Lansing, MI 48933. Send additional subscription requests and address changes to The Greater Lansing Business Monthly, Inc., 614 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933. Copyright © 2016 The Greater Lansing Business Monthly, Inc. All rights reserved. Editorial Office: 614 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933 lansingbusinessnews.com 2
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COMMENTARY
G R E AT E R
L A N S I N G
BUSINESS MONTHLY
Publisher: Tiffany Dowling tiffany@m3group.biz Sales Manager: Jennifer Hodges jhodges@m3group.biz Media Specialist: Jill Bailey Account Managers: Manny Garcia Megan Fleming Derek Drumm Production Director: Kelly Mazurkiewicz Art Director: Mark Warner Communications Director: Ami Iceman-Haueter Graphic Designers: Nikki Nicolaou Kerry Hidlay Photographer: Erika Hodges Editor: Alicia Pilmore Web Manager: Skylar Kohagen Event Calendar Manager: Jaime Hardesty
GLBM Editorial Board: April Clobes — President and CEO, MSU Federal Credit Union Trish Foster — Senior Managing Director & COO, CBRE|Martin Lisa Parker — Director of Alumni Career and Business Services, Michigan State University Alumni Association
REDEFINING THE LANSING REGION, ONE SUCCESS AT A TIME
A
t the risk of sounding dramatic, it is exciting and a little overwhelming that our region is set to dance in the spotlight on the world stage by changing our understanding of the universe and answering questions on the impact of elements in the cosmos. I know, right? There had been much discussion regarding the FRIB, Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, when it was announced that it would be built and managed by a very capable team on Michigan State University’s campus. Although many of us had no idea what it actually meant for the world of science, as a business community, we understand how a major investment in the region can have a tremendous ripple effect. After all, it isn’t every day that three quarters of a billion dollars makes its way into our most deserving, willing and able community. Since then, there were spinoff businesses built, creating a landscape that will have a major effect on how we are viewed regionally. We all know that Michigan hasn’t always enjoyed a positive brand. Remember the “rust belt” of the 80s, the more recent auto sector and Detroit bankruptcies and now the Flint water crisis. And, it always seems that Michigan enters the economic downturn or recession first. I’ve grown tired of letting these news stories define our state and our region. Lansing may not be able to reform the entire state’s brand identity, but our region is on the precipice of a big change. And, the opportunity to utilize the FRIB and the many other businesses providing scientific solutions and tools is great, and can be stretched to other scientists around the world. A “comeback” state will no longer be what we are known for. We can drive the discussion to build the brand. We can define it for ourselves. The assets we have as well as those we continue to nurture and grow, will give us more than we need to put our region’s success on the map - with a gold star. Pay attention to the ongoing scientific nuclear evolution – it’s happening just down the road, around the block and across town. What excites me the most about what is to come is the collaboration of so many community organizations. Stay tuned. Be dynamic in all you do,
Deb Muchmore — Partner, Kandler Reed Khoury & Muchmore Tom Ruis — Vice President, Fifth Third Bank Doug Klein — Executive Director, Mason Area Chamber of Commerce Mark Hooper — Partner, Andrews Hopper Pavlik
Tiffany Dowling | Publisher
Diontrae Hayes — Legislative Director for State Senator Coleman Young, II
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NEWS
BRAZIL’S CRISES CONTINUE AS OLYMPIC GAMES LOOM CLOSER BY ALLISON SPOONER
We are only weeks away from lighting the torch and kicking off the anticipated 2016 Summer Olympics. When the games kick off in August, all eyes will turn to the host, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil for a multitude of reasons; due to the games of course, but also because the country is currently facing a myriad of crises, including corruption, an economic downfall and a public health emergency. When Brazil bid on the opportunity to host the games, the country was excited and optimistic about their future. Six years ago, Brazil’s economy was flourishing. An oil discovery promised a bright future and political unrest seemed a thing of the past. The country was excited, and the rest of the world seemed to share that excitement, granting Rio the 2016 Olympic Games. Currently facing their worst economic crises in decades, the country is also facing the colossal responsibility of preparing for a worldwide sporting event. Topping a list that includes economic unrest and widespread protests is the recent loss of their president, Dilma Rousseff, who was forced to step down amid allegations of corruption, allegations that don’t stop at the president; those being investigated include state-controlled energy company Petrobras, high-ranking members of the governing Workers’ Party and the president of the Senate and Rio de Janeiro’s governor. The investigation also includes major construction companies, some of which hold contracts for Olympic
“WE ARE NOT ONLY OFFERING JOBS, BUT A CHANCE TO GROW AND HAVE A UNIQUE LIFE EXPERIENCE…FEW PEOPLE HAVE THE CHANCE TO WORK ON A PROJECT SURROUNDED BY THE OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC VALUES, WHICH PROMOTE TEAMWORK, SPORT, EDUCATION, HEALTH, INTEGRITY AND PEACE BETWEEN NATIONS.” - HENRIQUE GONZALEZ, RIO 2016 HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR structures. Some athletes are scared to compete in a country facing an outbreak of the Zika virus, or swim in waters teeming with sewage, and the rest of the world is questioning what exactly they will see when the cameras whir to life in August. Those faced with the responsibility of covering the event are also unsure of what they will face when they land in Brazil. Joe Rexrode, sports columnist for the Nashville Tennessean, covered the London Games in 2012 but says this time is very different. “Then, we were just looking forward to the sports and being in London. This is a daily, ‘waiting for the anvil to drop on your head’ feeling.” Joe says he’s taken part in a lot of discussions regarding safety, water concerns, Zika and more. They were urged to keep their computers clear of data in case they were stolen and were told not to show their cell phones when walking around. “You hear that and you’re just like, ‘Wow, what are these 3 weeks going to be like?’” While the hope is that a mega event like the Olympics will boost the economy and contribute to economic growth
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(the country will be receiving investments from both the public and private sector), looking back on past events and at other countries tells us that this may be an overly optimistic outlook. It’s true that temporary jobs in manual labor will help the rising unemployment rate and the investments will assist with growth, but a case study from the Seven Pillar Institute shows that investments given to Olympic hosts tend to only benefit the wealthy and much of the profits made go right back to the investors. Sadly, the new construction and service jobs will disappear when the Olympic Rings find another home and the torch is extinguished. Previous hosts like Barcelona and Los Angeles both found the games to be profitable and saw an economic boost, however, it doesn’t work that way for all hosts. Spending billions of dollars to host a one-time event is not a solid, long-term growth strategy. Some hosts, including Greece and Montreal, have even ended up in debt. Athens and Sydney, for example, spent one-fourth of their budget deficit on infrastructure for the games, facilities that now sit empty. Despite the turmoil, officials out of the country are assuring the public that everything will be
ready in time. The World Health Organization is insisting the Zika virus is not a large enough threat to justify a move and the structures are almost 100 percent complete. Others are hopeful that the jobs being offered during the lead-up to the event will have a positive effect. Back in 2015 it was announced on the Rio 2016 website that a partnership with ManpowerGroup would see 5,000 positions filled and 85,000 jobs contracted out. While many of those jobs are temporary, the hope is that the recruitment drive will provide a range of new skills for the workforce, leaving behind a legacy rather than just jobs. In a press release on the Rio 2016 website, Rio 2016 human resources director Henrique Gonzalez was quoted as saying, “We are not only offering jobs, but a chance to grow and have a unique life experience…Few people have the chance to work on a project surrounded by the Olympic and Paralympic values, which promote teamwork, sport, education, health, integrity and peace between nations.” Jobs are just one aspect of the Olympics those in Brazil hope will hang around when the cameras are off. While it’s true that many of the buildings built in preparation for the event do stand empty when the stands have cleared, Barra da Tijuc, the athlete’s village, is becoming one of the most sought-after residential areas in the city. According to an article in The Guardian, the majority of the 3,604 apartments have already been sold.
Looking past the pitfalls to the event itself seems to be what gives both residents, spectators and those involved in the event, hope. It’s what kept Rexrode and his team, even though they were given the opportunity, from backing out of taking the trip. “It’s a privilege to be included in something like this,” he says. “Part of the story is what’s going on around the games and it’s our responsibility to cover it.” He is cautiously optimistic about the outcome. “I think the right measures are being taken. I think it will happen and it will be better than people fear right now.” Allison Spooner is a freelance, content wizard. She writes content that helps businesses in Lansing and beyond tell their stories, educate their customers, and promote their brands. She is the Content Manager at StartupLansing, an online publication about startup activity in Lansing, regularly contributes to Capital Gains and loves helping businesses bring their words and ideas to life. To follow her writing journey and see a list of her professional content services, visit her website at theresistantwriter.com or find her on twitter at @allyspoon.
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COMMON GROUND MUSIC FESTIVAL STRENGTHENS GREATER LANSING AREA
Photo by Mike Rice
Parmalee performs at last year's Common Ground Music Festival BY AMANDA DENOMME
Marking its 17th year appearance, Common Ground Music Festival (CGMF), a multiday outdoor music festival, comes this year to downtown Lansing from July 5-10. Each July, A-list talent entertains more than 40,000 people across three stages along the banks of the Grand River at Adado Riverfront Park. The festival has highlighted more than 450 artists, including 36 Grammy Award winners and 21 Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame inductees; showcasing national and regional music performers of many genres including contemporary and classic rock, pop, alternative, country, hip hop, rhythm & blues, soul and more. This year’s headliners feature critically acclaimed rap and hip hop artist, A$AP Rocky, country music heartthrobs, Dierks Bentley and Tim McGraw, and R&B, pop sensation, Jason Derulo. A YEAR-ROUND PROCESS Many people do not realize what goes into planning a major music festival. For Meridian Entertainment Group, the six-day festival requires a yearlong planning process. From 8
bookings to attaining sponsorships all the way to show operations, a great deal of work goes into getting the elite on-stage in Lansing. According to Jenna Meyer, marketing director of Common Ground Music Festival and Meridian Entertainment Group, when deciding whom to book, the team has a number of factors they must consider. Typically, the nights that have the most attendance include country, hip hop, rap and pop, as these genres have well-known performers and draw a larger audience. However, when booking, it all goes back to who is available and what makes the most sense for the venue.
coming bands on the side stages. Meyer stated that history has shown that two to three bands from each year become extremely popular within three years of their performance in Lansing. Several examples include country stars, Eric Church and Old Dominion, and pop stars X-Ambassadors and Walk The Moon, as well as other bands from different genres. Show operations and security are other defining factors that make up a major part of the festival’s planning. Many departments help build the festival grounds, and as a whole, it takes nine days to set up the festival and three and a half days to tear it down.
“First we need to determine who is touring that summer, their availability and routing of their tour, market size and demographics of Lansing, and then we have to evaluate the price of the artist and whether their potential gross can cover their cost based on our capacity,” said Meyer. “And that is just on our end! There are a lot of negotiations with agents and managers, and whether they think the event is a good fit for the artist’s brand.”
“The operations team consists of 12 individuals who are called upon to assist with many festival tasks,” said Tristyn Wright, vice president of the Lansing Entertainment and Public Facilities Authority. “They are responsible for setting up tables and chairs, lining the field for seating, pulling trash, hanging lights in the tents, positioning signage and scanning tickets at the front gate.”
So far, Common Ground has achieved an excellent track record for booking up-and-
As for safety measures, the festival has a contracted security team that strives to provide a
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safe and enjoyable experience for music lovers attending the event. The security team consists of 60 individuals where, from start to finish, the team logs an astounding 4,000 hours.
of welcoming many performers and fans alike throughout the past several years.”
“I enjoy this job because I get to work with different people, and it’s nice to see a community coming together for fellowship with one another,” said Wright. “Common Ground is great for the state of Michigan, as the festival is not just about one type of music; it represents the culture and diversity of Lansing.”
Common Ground Music Festival not only concentrates on bringing the best in music to the stage, but it also focuses on building a sustainable community, which is all possible thanks to ticket sales and sponsorships. Last year, more than 140 volunteers participated in the festival; totaling approximately 1,700 volunteer hours for the six days, leaving good impressions on the visitors and promoting the culture of volunteerism in the community. Additionally, last year more than $7,000 in tickets and merchandise was donated to 36 different charitable auctions, raising much-needed funds for causes in the area.
GROWING AUDIENCE, GROWING ECONOMY The festival attracts many age groups and demographics from the greater Lansing area, and even from across the state. Meyer stated that about 50 percent of the ticket sales comes from outside Ingham County, and depending on the year, about 5 to 10 percent of the sales comes from outside the state of Michigan. “From these statistics, it’s safe to say we have a balanced mix of Lansing area residents and those traveling to Lansing solely for the festival,” said Meyer. Each year, Common Ground continues to make a significant impact on the greater Lansing area’s economy. In fact, using the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau formula, the festival provides an estimated economic impact of more than $4 million annually to the region and, in the past 16 years, it has achieved nearly $65 million in economic impact. In 2015, the economic impact numbers of Common Ground reached a significant milestone with more than 20,000 people from out-of-the county attended the festival. “CGMF plays a large role in our downtown community,” said Chris Meyer, director of strategic partnerships. “In addition to the local families that have been attending the event for over a decade, we also draw a large number of people from outside mid-Michigan who contribute to the positive economic impact CGMF directly has on local businesses.” The Radisson Hotel Lansing, a partnering hotel for Common Ground, agrees that the festival encourages business in the downtown area, and even finds that Common Ground draws a crowd to the hotel. “The Radisson Hotel Lansing is proud to be a founding sponsor of Common Ground, and our team looks forward to the event every year,” said Kenric Hall, general manager of the Radisson Hotel. “We have been involved since the inception and have had the privilege
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
Chris Meyer also noted that without the sponsorships received from businesses, Common Ground would not exist. Since day one, Miller Lite remains the presenting sponsor, greatly supporting the festival. Other business sponsors include Auto Value, Sparrow Health System, Jackson National, CASE Credit Union and many more. Recently, Red Bull, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and Über were added as new sponsors for 2016. “For sponsorships, it’s a year-round process that involves ongoing communication with past, present and potential sponsors,” said Chris Meyer. “It’s hard work, but come July, when we see tens of thousands of people having a great time listening to live music in downtown Lansing, it will make everything worth it.” TICKET INFORMATION AND WHERE TO PURCHASE Ticket prices to the Common Ground Music Festival range from $35-$350, and can be purchased on Common Ground’s website at commongroundfest.com. Festival passes are $20 per day, which is less than $2 per band. The festival passes are transferrable, meaning different individuals can use the pass over consecutive nights. Don’t miss out on the city’s iconic festival. Come enjoy your favorite artists from an attractive, intimate venue, with state of the art production, making it the most anticipated music event happening in the mid-Michigan region this summer. Amanda has been a freelance writer for the past 5 years, covering arts and entertainment in West Michigan and Lansing. Describing herself as a shoe & fashion enthusiast, Amanda loves attending Broadway shows, dancing, and keeping up with the latest reality T.V. L
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NEWS
PROGRESS
REPORT (FOR 2015) NUMBER OF BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS
9,469 PEOPLE MOVING INTO THE REGION
12,200 PER CAPITAL INCOME
$36,659 AVERAGE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD SALES PRICE
$122,800 PEOPLE IN THE WORKFORCE
266,477 SINGLE FAMILY NEW HOUSING STARTS
158 MULTI-FAMILY NEW HOUSING STARTS
96 POPULATION GROWTH
472,412 INTERNATIONAL STUDENT POPULATION
7,568 Source: Lansing Economic Area Partnership 2015 Annual Report
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LEAP ANNUAL REPORT SHOWS STEADY GROWTH FOR GREATER LANSING BY MICKEY HIRTEN
The Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) 2015 annual report showcases the region’s progress with developments, large and small, that show continued job growth, a diversifying economy and strategic investment in the Lansing area’s future. LEAP President and CEO Bob Trezise grades the scorecard as very good and solid. “We had a lot of projects, but the pipeline was less full than during the last couple of years” he said. In 2013, LEAP related projects created 2,105 jobs and accounted for $466 million in private investment. In 2014, it reported 463 jobs and $271 million in private investment. Still, last year, though more modest, featured developments that are reshaping the region. The annual report cited four projects of particular importance. • General Motors completed investment in its Grand River and Delta Assembly plants, adding 500 initial jobs • Jackson National opened its expanded national headquarters, adding 1,000 jobs. • Niowave opened a new $79 million medical isotope production facility at the Capital Regional International Airport • Construction began on the $90 million, ninestory SkyVue mixed use development on Michigan Avenue According to LEAP, the Lansing region is catching up to other powerhouse regions in Michigan and the country, according to LEAP. “We are always thinking about what’s next,” said LEAP Executive Committee Chairman Steve Curran, president and creative director of Harvest Creative Services. “Think of what’s happening now as a watershed moment for us as an economic development organization,” he continued.
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LEAP continues to expand its membership, staffing, now at 11, and its budget — $2.1 million last year, an increase of nearly 60 percent since 2012. Its board of directors is drawn from virtually all segments of the local economy, manufacturing, higher education, law, real estate, transportation, as well as city, township and county governments. LEAP’s success, Curran said, is rooted in its insistence on measurable results, which, in turn, encourages business and political leaders to invest in the organization and its economic development strategies. The annual report identified shrinking government and growth of the “knowledge sector” as trends that are transforming the local economy and shaping LEAP’s initiatives. Government, as a regional economic driver, is shrinking as the business sector expands. Between 2012 and 2015, the share of the government gross domestic product (GDP) declined from $4.4 billion to $4.15 billion while the share of private sector GDP has increased from $15.8 billion to $16.95 billion. This shift is good and is one of the most important indicators of a healthy economy, Trezise said. “We need to have a much better ratio of private sector and public sector to be a Madison or Columbus,” he added. For Lansing, government must remain a vital leg of the economy and job market. But it’s the private sector, Trezise noted, that supports entrepreneurs and innovation. “It is far more likely that someone working at Jackson National will start their own IT firm than a person in state government,” he said. An expanding business sector requires a more skilled workforce, and between 2005 and 2014, occupations classified within the “knowledge
FOR 2015, LEAP REPORTED: Establishment of a program called
“ACCELERATING CAPITAL”
to develop business related to Michigan State University’s National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory and the future Facility for Rare Isotope Beams.
LEAP PROJECTS CREATED
470
direct jobs
2,016 retained jobs
$137 million
in private investment
Direct investment and support for two product-based startup ventures and programs using EB-5 visas encourages direct foreign investment in the region.
ITS NEW ECONOMY DIVISION HAD ITS BEST YEAR EVER, FORMING
31 start-up companies
$1
62
million
jobs
in private investment
sector” increased by 5.32 percent. But compared with more successful economies, the region is under educated. LEAP reports that 33 percent of the population has a bachelor’s degree or higher, which is close to the national average. For metro areas like Madison, Wis., the percentage tops 43 percent. “Some argue that this is the number one indicator of a successful economy. Our numbers are okay, but they don’t put us in a category where we need to be to have a huge future,” Trezise said. What the Lansing region has – and other regions lack – is a strong base of colleges and universities with programs and experience to groom a more educated and skilled workforce. It’s a community-wide effort involving schools, businesses and government. “We are putting the issue out there,” Trezise said. “We need people to be aware. Thankfully, there are answers.” Mickey Hirten is an award winning writer and editor. He has been executive editor of the Lansing State Journal, the Burlington Free Press in Vermont, and was the financial editor and a columnist for the Baltimore Evening Sun. He is the current president of the Michigan Press Association. His wife, Maureen Hirten, is director of the Capital Area District Library. L
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PRIVACY IN THE AGE OF OVERSHARING How you can protect your personal information BY MEGAN MARTIN
Last December, a mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif. killed 14 people and injured 22, taking its place as the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil since Sept. 11, 2001, according to CBS news. While the shooting will certainly be a point of interest historically, due to its tragic repercussions, the event called attention to a separate issue – privacy and technology. According to BBC.com, the police acquired possession of the shooters’, married couple Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, iPhone that officials suspected had information about a third assailant in the attack. The FBI and the government disputed with Apple; the government asked Apple to assist them in unlocking the phone, and Apple refused. The technology giant claimed
that they didn’t know how to gain access to the phone and felt that it “was wrong and would set a dangerous precedent” in technological security. Today, technology is a natural part of our lives – it has changed the way we work, relax and communicate, and with any good development comes unexpected challenges. With technology, privacy and security is the challenge we face, and it’s not to be taken lightly. In Lansing, Mich., it can be easy to feel as though we are exempt from many of the dangers that the rest of the world faces. Cities like Washington D.C., New York and even San Bernardino seem more at-risk for something like a cyberattack or even a terror attack.
The fact is, access to the Internet from our mobile and home devices has brought the world closer than ever - meaning information and news is much more current. However, that same fact is what enables a person from across the globe to access your personal device, and in turn, your personal information. For example, in April 2016, The Lansing Board of Water & Light (BWL) fell victim to a largescale cyberattack, said to have been caused by a growing security threat called “ransomware.” Ransomware is a virus that acts as an “infection,” encrypting files on computers, effectively locking them to anyone who wants to access them. According to the Lansing State Journal, the hackers who create Ransomware often demand payment in order to decrypt the infected files. The attack caused BWL to shut down its accounting system and email services for about 250 employees. Dick Peffley, BWL general manager, told the Lansing State Journal that the attack “essentially locked them out of [their] own system.” We reached out to Stephen Serkaian, BWL executive director of Public Affairs, to see if he would share facts surrounding the incident. Due to the pending investigation of the attack, he was advised by police not to comment on any details, however he did offer one piece of advice to other business owners who might be concerned about something like this happening to them.
HELPING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES NAVIGATE THE LEGAL ISSUES OF DEATH AND INCAPACITY
“My advice would be to talk to a computer expert about what issues they’ve seen with their other clients,” said Serkaian. “Ask them what they recommend you do to protect yourself and your company.”
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Local expert, Ian Richardson, founder of Doberman Technologies LLC (not associated with BWL), noted that both large and small businesses and individuals are at-risk for attacks such as this, and they aren’t to be taken lightly. “These aren’t kids messing around in someone’s basement trying to make a little extra cash,” said Richardson. “These are knowledgeable, organized groups from Russia, China or Eastern Europe intentionally going after these people. It’s a new era of organized crime.”
FEATURE
Richardson also noted that it doesn’t matter if you are a small business, a large company or an individual, they are all treated the same by hackers. His advice – to treat yourself as though you are a large important business and invest in security procedures. “You’re goal is to not be the easiest house to break into on the block,” explained Richardson. “Make it difficult for hackers to access you by constantly backing up your information and getting a professional IT provider to help audit your network. Research best practices in every area of your technology and don’t click on a link or open an attachment if it’s foreign to you.” According to David Smith, owner of Capitol Macintosh, there are three key challenges facing technology users today in terms of privacy and security; the first has to do with pop-ups and messages from people and sites that the user isn’t familiar with. “Phishers are getting very sophisticated,” said Smith. “If users read the message they’re getting, they would know it isn’t legitimate.” His advice on how to deal with this issue is to be careful about what you click on. Pop-up messages and emails from unknown people or sites are most likely unfriendly – in this case, reading and thinking through what the message means before clicking on it might be your best defense against these intruders.
increasing making it difficult to sort through what’s valid and important and what’s not,” said Smith, also commenting on how that effects businesses as well.
users to provide either personal information or information pertaining to their business or employer, putting them and/or their employer at-risk for security or privacy breaches.
“There’s an endless amount of useless information,” he continued. “For a retailer, like us, it’s difficult to get in front of potential customers with your message.”
So how can we make sure that our devices are secure? Smith says, “Back up, back up, back up.”
While these challenges may seem more consumer-based, it’s important to remember that online consumers are the major at-risk demographic for cybersecurity and privacy attacks because of their online presence and the amount of confidential information that they are required to provide in order to shop, reserve or even (in some cases) research online. According to Statistics.com, the top tasks people use the Internet and mobile devices for are emails, working, using social media and online shopping, with a PC or a laptop being the most preferred device in their respective categories by at least 10 percent.
“We can’t say it often enough. If your data is very important, back it up to an offsite computer, storage device or the Cloud.” Smith also noted the importance of having a password, as well as making sure that no programs or webpages automatically open upon turning on your device, particularly social media, banking apps and email. Privacy, security and technology issues can be intimidating. You may wish to contact a local expert that can help you or your business with any issues or questions you may have. Megan Martin is a Communications Specialist at M3 group and a graduate of Calvin College in Grand Rapids. She is a foodie who loves art, tea, and anything outdoorsy.
The top four tasks – emailing, working, using social media and online shopping – all require
The second challenge Smith sees arising in the industry has to do with how much information you should share with companies you work with. “The information companies want to glean from users is challenging: you can share it and they can then ‘see’ what you’re doing, which can give the user a better Internet experience, but at the cost of sharing what you’re doing,” said Smith. He noted that TV cable companies are “in this game,” sharing information with the company can give you a better Internet or cable experience, meaning everything you do is tailored to your specific interests. Think Pinterest; the more recipes you pin on your “recipe board,” the more recipe and cooking pins show up on your news feed. The issue that arises with this is that the company now knows everything you’re doing, watching, Googling, etc. From that challenge comes the third challenge: The sheer amount of information pushed at consumers and users. Back to the Pinterest example, your feed is overwhelmed with recipes and cooking pins, but out of all of that, it’s difficult to determine what you actually want to see and what is just sort-of related and is being sent to you because of that. “The volume of information pushed to users or that we pull from the Internet is everL
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FEATURE
QUANTUM MEDICAL CONCEPTS:
PAVING THE WAY FOR MEDICAL STARTUP SUCCESS BY KALYNNE MCINTYRE
Every company, no matter how big or small, needs some help in the beginning. Whether it’s resources, advice or finances, it’s hard to go it alone. For pre-seed medical startups in Michigan, a helping hand has become easier to find thanks to Quantum Medical Concepts. Currently, there is a serious funding gap between pre-seed medical startups (companies that are in the pre-revenue stage of business) and venture ready companies (those that are ready to go to market). Quantum looks to bridge that gap in the state of Michigan. Launched in January of 2014, Quantum Medical Concepts is a partnership of Common Wealth Enterprises and the Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) (although separate from the State of Michigan and Michigan State University). Created by Thomas Stewart and Benjamin Louagie, Quantum provides pre-seed medical startups with access to more than 15,000 medical professionals, a strong management support team and up to $250,000 in startup funding in exchange for 7 to 10 percent equity in each startup company. “In the Lansing area, there aren’t companies that are investing in these startups in such a high amount,” said Stewart. “I think there’s a huge need [for this] not only in Lansing, but for the state of Michigan. There are lots of firms that are interested in investing half a million or more, but there aren’t good ways to get those companies to that point. So we [Commonwealth Enterprises and MSMS] really saw an opportunity to fill that gap for Michigan.”
Tom Stewart, Portfolio and Community Relations at Quantum Medical
While investing in startups is fairly common, Quantum stands out for three main reasons: they only invest in pre-seed companies in the medical sector; they provide in-depth management support along with access to an extensive medical professionals’ network (through their partnership with the MSMS);
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Developed the SnugLit Portable Phototherapy Blanket, used to help treat jaundice in newborns. The blanket emits a blue light that helps breakdown bilirubin molecules that produce a yellow tint to the skin, often caused by an underdeveloped liver in infants.
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FEATURE
and they only invest in companies that are in the early product development stages of business. “We’re doing something different than the normal routine here,” said Stewart. “Instead of looking for other people operating at this size here in the state of Michigan, we wanted to use that to leverage our network but to also gain more matching funds, like the Michigan Accelerator Fund or the Michigan Pre-Seed Fund. These companies can apply for these funds without private sector help, but it really helps when they have private sector backing because it makes them seem more valid and marketable.” The current goal is to invest in two companies per year. So far, Quantum has invested in four pre-seed medical startups, with 89 applicants to date. Some companies are sought out through business plan competitions, while some apply online via the Quantum website. A few of the companies are also sourced from “innovation clusters,” including physician innovation centers, universities, hospitals and more. Companies must submit an application to Quantum (via the website), regardless of being sought out or not. Stewart sits down with each
Quantum provides pre-seed medical startups with access to more than 15,000 medical professionals, a strong management support team and up to $250,000 in startup funding in exchange for 7 to 10 percent equity in each startup company. company and has an initial discussion, gauging the group and discovering their goals. The discussion then moves on to the physician’s network at the MSMS, who then comes back to Quantum with any questions or concerns they might have. After other legal and financial due diligence has been taken care of by Quantum, the company that is up for decision is presented to Quantum’s investment group (a panel of physicians) who decide on the final financial decisions by a majority vote. “We’re trying to add more partnerships with universities and other healthcare partners, both to raise more funds to invest but also so that our network of resources becomes maximized,” said Stewart. “Essentially, we are working to leverage the power of the healthcare network in
Michigan so that the companies that are in our portfolio are taking the least amount of risk.” While several other cities (both in and out of Michigan) have shown interest in Quantum’s innovative approach, it still remains one-of-a-kind. “There aren’t associations (regardless of healthcare in general) that are acting like this,” said Stewart. “This is also a model that could be replicated elsewhere. It could work in other states. We’re excited to see where this goes.” Kalynne McIntyre is the Digital Branding Specialist at M3 Group in downtown Lansing. She loves action movies, puppies and all things Italian.
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VISUAL BREAKDOWN
TECHNOLOGY As of fourth quarter, 2013, there were
152,069
FREE OR PAID WI-FI LOCATIONS & HOTSPOTS in locations such as public spaces, cafes or hotels available
10:30 AM
100%
MOST FREQUENTLY VISITED APPLICATIONS
Search
ON IOS AND ANDROID PLATFORMS (IN MILLIONS) (AS OF JUNE 2015)
MOST FREQUENTLY VISITED APP
YOUTUBE
98.93
FACEBOOK MESSENGER
GOOGLE SEARCH
GOOGLE PLAY
95.67
81.09
77.39
PANDORA RADIO
GMAIL
.7N 3 12MI5 IO LL GOOGLE MAPS
76.47
74.22
67.9
63.06
As of 2015, global internet users owned 5.5 social media accounts and used 2.8 accounts actively. Source: www.statista.com 16
G R E AT E R L A N S I N G B U S I N E S S M O N T H LY
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VISUAL BREAKDOWN
MOBILE APP USAGE HOURS PER USER PER MONTH ON PHONE AS OF JUNE 2015 IN THE UNITED STATES
18-24 YEARS-OLD
25-34 YEARS-OLD
35-44 YEARS-OLD
45-54 YEARS-OLD
55-64 YEARS-OLD
65+ YEARS-OLD
90.6
82.5
TASKS & PLATFORMS PERCENTAGES OF PEOPLE WHO USED VARIOUS PLATFORMS FOR DIFFERENT TASKS AS OF JUNE 2015:
EMAIL PC/LAPTOP
TABLET
SMARTPHONE
86%
77%
83%
PC/LAPTOP
TABLET
SMARTPHONE
76%
63%
58%
73.1
57.5
WORKING
SOCIAL MEDIA PC/LAPTOP
TABLET
SMARTPHONE
65%
62%
62%
40.7
39.8
ONLINE SHOPPING
VIDEO
PC/LAPTOP
TABLET
SMARTPHONE
PC/LAPTOP
TABLET
SMARTPHONE
70%
61%
70%
54%
44%
51%
EDUCATION/LEARNING
INSTANT MESSAGING/VIDEO CALLING
PC/LAPTOP
TABLET
SMARTPHONE
PC/LAPTOP
TABLET
SMARTPHONE
46%
42%
50%
44%
42%
44%
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LANSING AT A GLANCE
GREATER LANSING AT A GLANCE Each month, the Greater Lansing Business Monthly compiles statistics showing the growth of the greater Lansing area month to month. This information is not comprehensive, but rather, a snapshot of the area’s growth throughout the year. The following is a look at the advances some of Lansing’s biggest businesses have made in the past two months.
MICHIGAN RETAILERS ASSN. INDEX
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS: LABOR FORCE DATA
A monthly gauge of key retail activity in the state; values above 50 generally indicate an increase in activity.
The regular report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics tracking the region's job performance.
April ‘16
March ‘16
Feb. ‘16
Jan. ‘16
April '15
66
53.3
58.7
47.1
57.6
Inventory
61.1
61.5
51.4
53.5
55.2
Prices
51.2
49.1
46.6
46.7
Marketing/Promotion
63.1
59.9
56.5
61
Sales
Hiring Plans
57.6
53.2
56.6
46.4
April ‘16
March ‘16
Feb. ‘16
Jan. ‘16
April '15
Civilian Labor Force (1)
(P) 249.0
248
249.4
245.7
244.7
54.8
Employment (1)
(P) 240.8
238.6
240.1
235.7
234.8
63.6
Unemployment (1)
(P) 8.2
9.4
9.2
10.1
9.9
51.3
Unemployment Rate (2)
(P) 3.3
3.8
3.7
4.1
4.1
Values above 50 generally indicate an increase in activity
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS: WAGE & SALARY
KEY STOCKS — MONTH-END CLOSE
The regular report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics tracking the region's job performance.
A report on price changes for key local stocks and others that reflect the health of the region's economy.
Total Nonfarm (3) 12-month % change
April ‘16
March ‘16
Feb. ‘16
Jan. ‘16
April '15
(P) 231.2
228.2
228.2
224.7
226.8
(P) 1.9
1.9
1.7
1.8
2.8
Mining, Logging & Construction (3)
(P) 6.6
6.3
6.1
6.2
6.6
12-month % change
(P) 0.0
3.3
1.7
1.6
2.9
Manufacturing (3)
(P) 20.8
20.6
20.3
19.5
19.4
12-month % change
(P) 7.2
7.3
5.7
6
12.1
Trade, Transportation & Utilities (3)
(P) 35.6
34.9
34.9
35.1
34.8
12-month % change
(P) 2.3
1.7
1.7
2.3
3.9
Information (3)
(P) 3.0
3
3
3
3
12-month % change
(P) 0.0
0
0
0
7.1
Financial Activities (3)
(P) 15.7
15.6
15.6
15.5
15.3
12-month % change
(P) 2.6
2
2
1.3
1.3
Professional & Business Services (3)
(P) 23.0
22.2
22.6
22.1
22
April ‘16
March ‘16
Feb. ‘16
April '15
Spartan Motors
6.4
4.86
3.95
3.59
4.56
General Motors
31.28
31.8
31.43
29.44
35.97
Emergent BioSolutions
43.88
38.52
36.35
33.83
31.86
Neogen
49.37
47.24
50.53
49.25
46.74
Gannett (Lansing State Journal)
15.62
16.85
15.14
15.26
n.a.
Gray Broadcasting (WILX)
11.82
12.85
11.72
11.54
15.96
Media General (WLNS)
17.84
17.33
16.31
16.62
16.56
Bank of America
14.79
14.56
13.52
12.52
16.5
UPS
103.09
105.07
105.47
96.55
99.22
Home Depot
132.12
133.89
133.43
124.12
111.42
Kroger*
35.76
35.39
38.25
39.91
36.4
Macy's Inc.
33.21
39.59
44.09
43.21
66.95
Wal-Mart Stores
70.78
66.87
68.49
66.34
74.27
*Adjusted for stock split
12-month % change
(P) 4.5
1.8
2.7
0.9
3.3
Education & Health Services (3)
(P) 30.7
30.8
30.7
30.4
30.7
12-month % change
(P) 0.0
0
0
-0.3
-1.3
Leisure & Hospitality (3)
(P) 19.0
18.7
18.4
18.6
19
12-month % change
(P) 0.0
1.1
0.5
3.3
1.1
Other Services (3)
(P) 10.1
10
10
9.9
10
12-month % change
(P) 1.0
2
2
1
-2
Government
(P) 66.7
66.1
66.6
64.4
66
12-month % change
(P) 1.1
1.5
1.4
1.6
1.7
(1) Number of persons, in thousands, not seasonally adjusted. (2) In percent, not seasonally adjusted. (3) Number of jobs, in thousands, not seasonally adjusted. See About the data. (P) Preliminary
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May ‘16
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CONSUMER ENERGY SERVICE STARTS An indicator of the the Greater Lansing region’s business and housing growth.
BUSINESS May ‘16
April ‘16
March '16
May ‘15
YOY Change
Clinton
4,043
4,057
4,060
4,107
-1.56%
Eaton
5,102
5,104
5,104
5,084
0.35%
Ingham
11,409
11,430
11,458
11,217
1.71%
TOTAL
20,554
20,591
20,622
20,408
0.72%
March '16
May ‘15
YOY Change
RESIDENTIAL May ‘16
April ‘16
Clinton
29,215
29,178
29,165
28,841
1.30%
Eaton
41,406
41,412
41,425
41,170
0.57%
Ingham
97,455
97,569
97,692
96,557
0.93%
TOTAL
168,076
168,159
168,282
166,568
0.91%
GRAND TOTAL
188,630
188,750
188,904
186,976
0.88%
LANSING AT A GLANCE
GREATER LANSING ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS HOUSING REPORT A look each month at significant real estate pricing and listing trends.
May ‘16
April ‘16
March ‘16
Feb. ‘16
May '15
Active Listing Count
1,680
1,880
1,920
1,930
2,580
Active Listing Volume*
$304
$326
$324
$308
$419
New Listing Count
873
765
741
576
933
New Listing Volume*
$152
$133
$129
$94
$149
Average Listing Price
181K
174K
169K
160K
162K
Average Listing / sq. ft.
$100
$98
$95
$92
$93
Days in RPR
81
90
97
109
92
Months of Inventory
3
4
6
6
6
Pending Sales Count
1,040
702
600
493
588
Monthly Sales Volume*
$165
$108
$88
$70
$78
98
97
98
97
98
Percentage of Listing Price *In millions
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BY MICKEY HIRTEN PHOTO BY TOM GENNARA, FAITH MAGAZINE
BISHOP BOYEA BISHOP OF THE SIX-COUNTY DIOCESE OF LANSING
Earl Boyea, 65, has been Bishop of the six-county Diocese of Lansing since 2008. He oversees 86 parishes, 33 schools, three cemeteries and dozens of departments and outreach efforts. Born in Pontiac, he has been a priest since 1978 and was Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit before his Lansing appointment. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT LEADERSHIP? For me, as Bishop of the Diocese of Lansing, the primary goal is to create unity. It is one of the great qualities of a church – oneness. Our unity is pivotal. Our parishes are not franchises, but have independence; they belong to the whole church. My job as bishop is to try to keep them together; to maintain that unity. And my role as bishop is to maintain unity with the Holy Father. SO YOU HAVE TO LEAD UP AND DOWN AND TO THE SIDES. Exactly. I can’t think of any other aim or quality that is the role of the bishop. There are all of the things that you do to facilitate that, 20
but fundamentally I am here to help achieve this unity. YOU SAID YOUR PARISHES ARE NOT A FRANCHISE. SO HOW DO YOU KEEP EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING ON MESSAGE? It’s primarily through relationships, just as you would be with any organization. Fundamentally, it’s my relationships with the priests. When I came to Lansing I was struck by how well they got along. We don’t have a lot of backbiting, which you are going to have with any human institution. My job is to further those relationships. My role as bishop is to be this center of unity within the dioceses and beyond. I have to talk
G R E AT E R L A N S I N G B U S I N E S S M O N T H LY
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about that a lot. It’s easy to lose sight of, to become parochial and to focus just on your parish or even smaller divisions within a parish. IN FULFILLING YOUR MISSION, YOU HAVE TO BALANCE FAITH AND FINANCE. HOW DOES THAT WORK? Obviously the faith is the foundation; I pray every morning, I say Mass every day – everything really flows from that. My connection with the Lord is the basis for all of this. Now there are obviously very practical things that have to be done. I insist that parishes have functioning parish councils and finance councils. A lot of them do and they work really well and can help a pastor a great deal. That’s the mechanism by which we keep together the faith and the finances.
BEHIND THE SCENES
DO THE RIPPLES FROM THE CHANGE IN CHURCH LEADERSHIP – POPE BENEDICT TO POPE FRANCIS – INFLUENCE HOW YOU LEAD THE LANSING DIOCESE? It affects every bishop in terms of the big message. Just as I have to do a lot of talking to reinforce certain things, he is doing a lot of talking to reinforce things as well. Particularly this year of mercy, reaching out to the margins, caring for the poor, the needy. I hear that. Everybody hears that, and so I think there’s been a greater tendency to try to be responsive to that. If you don’t talk about it a lot, it can get set on the side burner. YOUR FAITH IN FLINT IS BOLD, INNOVATIVE AND TIMELY, REFLECTING THE MESSAGE OF POPE FRANCIS. WHAT’S YOUR ASSESSMENT SO FAR? It’s going pretty well. We were planning this before Pope Francis was even elected, so it had nothing to do with him. There are a lot of silos building in Flint and there has been for decades; not a lot of cooperation, even among our parishes.
seeking out young people and saying, “Hey, get involved in this.” They are incredibly reluctant to make commitments to anything. It’s generational. We see it across the board in society. It’s not just the church. MANY ORGANIZATIONS MUST DO MORE AND MORE WITH LESS AND LESS. WHAT’S YOUR APPROACH? Fortunately, or unfortunately, this is a task that falls to the priests. They have to learn how to better use the resources they have. That is, their own people. Some of our priests are not very good at doing that. They have to do everything themselves. But others are very good at this, tapping into the talents and enabling the gifts of so many different people. I think that’s the key. YOU DEAL WITH RELIGION, WHICH IS MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO SELL. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THROUGH THAT? The only thing you can do is pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance. We had an assembly in 2014 to try and build up the household of faith.
This year, we’ll have another assembly on reaching out to fallen away Catholics. None of that is going to address those who are on the fringes. There is no way under the sun people who are on the edge, can have their faith deepened. You’ve got to work with the ones you have and try to deepen their commitment. SOUNDS LIKE A STRATEGY OF HOPE. Yes, it is. But if you can get people more engaged in what they are doing, then that sells itself, as it were. That’s a critical issue. DO YOU WORRY ABOUT THAT TREND? It does worry me. When I came to Lansing in 2008 one of the media people asked me what my vision was. I said it was to get everyone to heaven. That’s the aim and the goal. But I can either spend all of my time worrying, or I can say, “let’s do something about this,” however little it is. It’s like Flint; I can’t solve everything up there. My goodness, it would be impossible. This conversation with Bishop Boyea has been edited for space and clarity.
It just so happened that about a year ago there were going to be a lot of vacancies in these parishes. I could have just named priests to all of these parishes and continued on as we did. Instead, I lumped them all together with a pastor. There are five of them now together and they are responsible for the whole ecclesiastical reality there. It’s going to be a slow process because they have several aims: One is to get the parishes to work together, many of whose members don’t live in the city. They come in from outside. The second aim is to get them engaged, to go door-to-door, invite folks to be part of our endeavor. We’re not going to solve all of the civic and practical issues of that city, but we can bring the light of faith and charity to an environment that needs it. FOR THE DIOCESE, IS SOMETHING LIKE FAITH IN FLINT A RALLYING POINT, EVEN A BRANDING OPPORTUNITY? That’s possible. I do think that it has stimulated a lot of our parishes. There are people who want to do something. Faith in Flint is a lesson for all of us to look beyond our comfort zone. DOES FAITH IN FLINT OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOBILIZE PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE DRIFTING? Young people love to do Christian service. But will that be a commitment to take on a leadership role? I do think a big part of it is that we’ve got to be more intentional in
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COVER
Brad Sherrill (left), National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory Director and Thomas Glasmacher, FRIB Laboratory Director and Project Director 22
G R E AT E R L A N S I N G B U S I N E S S M O N T H LY
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COVER
HIGH-TECH BUSINESS BRINGS
OPPORTUNITY
TO LANSING BY MICKEY HIRTEN
When the U.S. Department of Energy chose Michigan State University as the site for its $730 million Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), it acknowledged the unique expertise of the university’s nuclear physics programs. It has led the nation in particle accelerator research since the 1950s, with discoveries and innovation that now offer unique economic development opportunities for the region. MSU’s National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL), the FRIB and high-tech businesses like Niowave and Ionetix are the starting point for an ambitious initiative to broaden the region’s nuclear industry footprint. Applications arising from this esoteric branch of nuclear research physics are broad: healthcare, material science, manufacturing and national defense. The accelerator industry now accounts for about 700 jobs, a small slice of the workforce for a region endowed with worldclass nuclear research facilities. To the economic development leaders, this compact foundation is an opportunity for new cuttingedge businesses and high-paying jobs. They see the accelerator field as a magnet for billions of dollars in private investment. “There’s an opportunity for us. We started working on this about two years ago, looking at the industries, at facilities. The potential is L
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endless,” said Steve Willobee, chief operating officer for the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) and who oversees the organization’s Accelerating Capital initiative. LEAP, with a $70,000 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, has advanced an Accelerating Capital Strategy to leverage existing resources and expertise to develop the region as a larger player in the particle accelerator field. It commissioned Kuntzsch Solutions, a Grand Ledge-based community and economic development firm, to prepare a study that identified the Lansing region’s competitive advantages and challenges when measured against other regions with significant accelerator industries. “We want to be in a position at the end of the process to have an action report and a lot
of businesses that we can target in an effective and efficient way,” said Willobee. LEAP believes there are at least 200 companies worldwide that are suitable targets for its recruitment initiative, said Brent Case, LEAP’s vice president of business attraction and the organization’s point person for accelerating capital. So far, what LEAP has found is that Lansing’s population – youthful, diverse, educated and international – matches requirements of the accelerator industry. It also identified affordable housing, high quality education, entrepreneurs and a strong mix of industries and workforce traits as regional strengths. The accelerator study cited four broad categories of skills and expertise found in the region that align with the requirements of accelerator industry businesses. They are: • Advanced manufacturing skills related to the accelerator industry’s need to fabricate, manufacture and operate
precise and customized machines. • Biomedical education, healthcare and manufacturing institutions able to capitalize on accelerator diagnostic and treatment segments. • Information technology data collection and processing skills that align with the industry needs. • Logistic and distribution location and expertise to support the import, export and transport requirements of the accelerator industry.
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Resounding Golf Clap Please... As we thank our 2016 Sparrow Health Classic sponsors and golfers, whose support is an investment in the health of our region. Presenting Sponsor SEI Investments
Hole-In-One Sponsor Okemos Auto Collection
Platinum Sponsors Michigan Millers Mutual Insurance Company Sentinel Technologies / Cisco Systems
Putt-Putt Challenge Sponsor Imprivata, Inc.
Cart Sponsor Client Financial Services Lunch Sponsor Kitch Drutchas Wagner Valitutti & Sherbrook Flag Sponsors Comprehensive Pharmacy Services Gunthorpe Plumbing & Heating Beverage Cart Sponsor Dewpoint Gold Sponsors Foresight Group GlobalCare International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 324 Lansing Sanitary Supply Milliman Skytron Townsquare Media
Volunteer Sponsor BlueTree Network, Inc. Silver Sponsors Bergman Associates CBRE | Martin Coverys Insurance Services G/S Solutions Hayes Green Beach Memorial Hospital John E. Green Company Kaufman Hall & Associates Michigan Health & Hospital Association MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine NBS Commercial Interiors North Grand River Cooperative, Inc. Optum Superior Electric of Lansing TEKsystems The Christman Company Tri-Star Trust Bank UAW Region 1D
Driving Range Sponsor Demmer Corporation River Caddis Development Putting Contest Sponsor MSU Federal Credit Union
See you June 21, 2017 Visit SparrowFoundation.org/HealthClassic for a complete list of our sponsors and a photo gallery from this year’s event.
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MEMBERS OF THE LANSING ECONOMIC AREA PARTNERSHIP’S ACCELERATING CAPITAL TASK FORCE Capital Area IT Council
Lansing Economic Area Partnership
Capital Area Manufacturing Council
Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce
Capital Area Michigan Works! Capital Region Airport Authority City of East Lansing
M3 Group
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Martin Waymire
City of Lansing
Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau
Michigan State University
Ionetix Corporation Lansing Board of Water & Light
Niowave, Inc. Port Lansing’s Next Michigan Development Corporation
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As for weaknesses, it identified limited workforce specialization, lagging education programs, the region’s slow growth rate, aging infrastructure and negative perception of the quality of life.
Currently, at the NSCL, about 3 percent of beam time now goes to commercial companies. But this share will grow when the FRIB comes online.
LEAP’s Accelerating Capital Strategy is detailed in a 124-page report that, in addition to assessing strengths and weaknesses, also outlined business development strategies and marketing and outreach needs. It included benchmark regions that have successfully cultivated the particle accelerator industry and the comparison illustrates a serious talent gap.
“We are very attuned to the research community. But we need to be more customer-friendly to interface with entrepreneurs,” Glasmacher said.
The report found that just 5.6 percent of Lansing’s workforce has the skills needed to support accelerator industries. Of benchmark communities, Rochester, Minn., at 23.1 percent, has the largest share of ready workers, while Knoxville, Tenn. has the lowest at 9 percent; the U.S. average is 8 percent. “To meet the needs of particle accelerator companies, it is critical for the region to develop talent in occupation types such as nuclear and chemical engineering, as well as electromechanical, chemical and semiconductor production,” the Accelerating Capital study found. Adding to the education challenge, when compared with benchmark regions, Lansing has a lower number of graduates in engineering and IT programs. Case said that finding the high-tech talent needed for a vibrant Lansing-based accelerator is a “high-class problem” that will require the business and academic community to support programs and promote the industry’s opportunities to students. While the broad array of skills needed by the industry can be provided by many education institutions, MSU’s nuclear physics program is a resource few communities can match. It is the largest campus-based nuclear science facility in the U.S. and awards approximately 10 percent of the nation’s nuclear science doctorates. With 595 employees, an annual budget of $23 million and a capital plant worth $300 million, the NSCL already ranks as one of the region’s larger business enterprises. The FRIB, when it opens in the 2020s, will elevate the MSU-based facility to the preeminent role as a nuclear research site. “The FRIB will be the world’s most powerful isotope accelerator. It will be able to provide entrepreneurs and innovators any isotope in research quality,” said Thomas Glasmacher, FRIB laboratory director and project director and university distinguished professor.
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What the region’s economic developers hope for from an MSU/FRIB connection are more commercial and entrepreneurial business like Niowave. The Lansing-based company develops and manufactures
medical isotopes, particle accelerators and related products.
Hollister, Niowave’s chief operating officer.
The company, with 70-plus employees and operations in two area locations, is working closely with LEAP on the Accelerating Capital project.
His company recently opened a $79 million manufacturing facility at the Capital Region International Airport. It is still testing its systems and processes and plans to shift production from the Maple Street headquarters to the Clinton County site.
“Because of FRIB and our presence, we are seen as a center for superconductor accelerators, one of the key places in the world,” said Jerry
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The company currently seeks to hire accelerator and nuclear physicists, radio chemists, engineers in many fields, machinists, welders and technicians; jobs that reflect what Hollister finds special about Lansing’s workforce. “Talent is one of the reasons we are located here and stay here. There is a unique combination of scientists primarily from MSU and other worldclass universities. There is also a manufacturing base here in mid-Michigan,” noted Hollister. But he cautioned that for Lansing to grow its accelerator industries it will have to manage its talent pool carefully and strategically. For Glasmacher, who recruits from Chicago and large markets on the East and West coast, livability is vital for the scientists and technicians he recruits. “When people come here they are pleasantly surprised to finds things they didn’t expect. Whole Foods is a good thing. Before that Foods for Living was a good thing.” He cited Eastwood Towne Center, Old Town, Horrocks Farm Market, Monticello Market, good schools and inexpensive housing as examples of larger city amenities that he uses to promote the region. “We have all of the stuff right here. We just need to be able to articulate our case. Size doesn’t really matter.”
REAL ESTATE
ONE DIGITAL CONNECTION Enhancing the Core Values of Property Management BY TRICIA FOSTER
It’s 6 a.m. on a Tuesday in June. In his 26th year as Senior Maintenance Technician at CBRE | Martin, Ed Bullard has seen a lot of change. Today, he starts his day engaged in digital communications and soon the engineering staff fans out across mid-Michigan. With their mobile devices in hand, technicians proceed to unlock buildings, check properties, load supplies and complete on-demand maintenance requests and preventive maintenance tasking schedules delivered to their devices. Gone are the days of triplicate handwritten work order forms and two-way radio communications blasting over the base station and off the hips of each technician in route. With one digital connection, property management firms can succeed in optimizing work flow, tracking ticket progress, streamlining department and customer communication, identifying repeat equipment failures, recording tasking schedules, mitigating safety risks and digitally logging labor hours. Software solutions connect tenants and landlords to a service request portal where on-demand and preventive and predictive maintenance items can be requested and scheduled, then routed and tracked for communication and reporting purposes. Tenants can monitor work order progress and landlords can monitor daily operational activities in real-time. Instead of placing a phone call or sending an email, with the need to connect again and again, the technology allows for input, tracking and completion notifications through one connection. Managers can drill down work order tickets and labor hours across multiple portfolios for each 15 minutes of on-site work performed. Meanwhile, system monitoring allows managers to promptly align vendor resources and skilled trades not self-performed. Through technology, enhanced efficiencies produce better information and managers can more confidently achieve the core values of property management, not the least of which is customer and client service. One digital connection, for all its benefit, does not transcend relationship building.
office telephone number to place maintenance requests person-to-person. Work orders were distributed on paper forms that had to be returned to the office at the end of the day to be reconciled and filed. Handwritten time sheets were logged capturing daily man hours, and these logs were combed through religiously by accounting staff in order to document monthly labor billing allocations. Back then there seemed to be no end to the coffee-ring stained paper trails maintained. Customers and clients were followed up with directly, person-toperson, following completions.
When Bullard started his role in 1989, there were no desktop computers, no email, no voicemail, no cell phones, no texting and no instant messaging. Customers called the main
Today’s technology innovations and platform systems expedite the communication, documentation and reporting processes enhancing service delivery. Even with these
comprehensive property management strategies and services, which function to streamline operations, reduce costs, minimize risk and drive financial performance, superior outcomes may only be achieved with a balance of the old and the new. No level of innovation or technology platform can replace exceptional customer service. Increased customer satisfaction may readily be achieved with new technologies but customer loyalty is harnessed through old fashioned appreciation where customers are cared for and understood. Tricia Foster, CPM®, ACoM® is Senior Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at CBRE | Martin
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ECONOMY
TRADE LIBERALIZATION—THE GLOBAL APPROACH BY: MORDECHAI E. KREININ, UNIVERSITY DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR (EMERITUS), MSU
It is in the economic interest of countries to abolish tariffs and other trade restrictions, thereby liberalizing their foreign trade regime. Yet it is a fact of political life that countries are extremely reluctant to do so, and that is mainly because the benefits from liberalization are thinly distributed among the millions of consumers, each paying a somewhat lower price, while the costs are heavily concentrated among firms and unions that lose protection from foreign competition. Reduction in protection appears to be as painful to a nation as tooth extraction is to the individual. Any country reducing its level of protection feels that it is giving away something valuable, and must obtain something in return from its trading partners. Tariff reduction and/or quota elimination came to be regarded as a concession to others, and is offered only when balanced by reciprocal concession. So the process has become a subject of prolonged international negotiations that usually last for years.
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BUT ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE IS PROHIBITION OF DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN SOURCES OF SUPPLY IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE. The organizational framework within which this bargaining is/was conducted is the International Trade organization (WTO), which superseded the less formal General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), located in Geneva, Switzerland. Most United Nations members are also members of the WTO. The WTO is devoted to the promotion of international trade and the reduction of trade barriers. And since WWII, the GATT/WTO has conducted several sessions of tariff reduction known as “rounds,” under which average tariffs on industrial goods
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of most countries were reduced from 50 to under 5 percent. The United States occupied a leading role in the process. The last completed round of tariff reductions, known as the “Uruguay Round” was conducted during the years of 1986-1993, with the agreed tariff cuts of about 30 percent staged over five to eight subsequent years (as is usually the case). Current discussions at the WTO concentrate on non-tariff barriers. But the last session called the “Doha Round” was never brought to completion because of disputes between the member countries.
ECONOMY
Apart from providing an institutional framework for the negotiations, the WTO also adjudicates the many trade disputes between member countries and oversees their compliance with trade rules. There are several trade rules such as the prohibition of export subsidies or the elimination of quotas on non-farm goods. But arguably the most important rule is prohibition of discrimination between sources of supply in international trade. This means that if the U.S. charges 3 percent tariff on, say, its car imports from one country, it must charge the same rate, and not higher, on car imports from all other countries. This is known as the Most Favored Nation (MFN) rule, which means that a country cannot charge a higher rate than it charges most favored suppliers. It is easy to see that, as a signatory to this rule, the U.S. cannot charge a 45 percent higher tariff on Chinese or Mexican imports than it charges on imports from other trading partners, as suggested in 2016 by one presidential candidate. Such a size of duty increase is conceivable in anti-dumping or countervailing cases, but that applies only to an individual product or company, not to all imports from a country.
But there are important exceptions to the rule, the most important ones being customs unions and free trade areas. A Customs Union is two or more countries that abolish all or most restrictions on trade between themselves and set up a common and uniform tariff on imports from outsiders. The measure of discrimination against outsiders is the common external tariff. To qualify for an exception from the MFN rule, all or almost all restrictions on internal trade between members must be removed. There are dozens of customs unions around the globe; the most advanced one being the European Union of 28 European countries. They went well beyond a mere customs union and established free mobility of goods, services and people amongst themselves. They negotiate as one unit in the WTO, issue many social and economic regulations from their Brussels headquarters that affect the entire EU, and 19 of them formed a common currency, the Euro, and established a common Central Bank, The European Central Bank or ECB. A major issue facing the EU in mid-2016 is a vote in the U.K. on June 23 whether to exit the European Union. Such a move would have
grave implications for the U.K., the EU, and the entire western alliance. A Free Trade Area involves two or more countries abolishing all restrictions on trade amongst themselves (as in a customs union) but with each member retaining its tariff and other regulations on imports from outsiders. The measure of discrimination against non-members varies from one member country to another and equals the level of its protection on imports from outsiders. An important FTA involves the U.S., Canada and Mexico, known as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Partly because of the failure of the WTO negotiations under the Doha Round, much attention is being paid to the regional approach to trade liberalization. It will be considered in next month’s column. Mordechai Kreinin is a University Distinguished Professor of Economics, emeritus at Michigan State University and past President of the International Trade and Finance Association. He is the author of about 200 articles and books about economics, including the widely used text, International Economics. He can be reached at kreinin@msu.edu or by cell phone at (517) 488-4837
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BUSINESS CALENDAR
JULY 2016: BUSINESS EVENTS JULY 1 WAKE UP OLD TOWN, LANSING Support Old Town with this monthly free networking event hosted by the Old Town Commercial Association. Network over breakfast
and join in on a “brag” session. Attendees are given an opportunity to talk about events, opportunities and successes with their businesses. Create opportunities for Old Town businesses! Meetings happen at Rizzi Designs at the corner of Pine and Grand River in Old Town from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Contact Brittney Hoszkiw at (517) 485-4283.
JULY 6, 13, 20 & 27 CONQUER ACCELERATOR WEEKLY DEMO DAY, EAST LANSING Artificially Intelligent Machinery, golf, helping the homeless, organizing events, fixing phones and drones; there’s something for everyone. Join the Conquer Accelerator for Demo Days to receive weekly progress updates from all of the teams. Stick around after the updates for networking, food and drinks. This event will take place at 325 E. Grand River Ave., Suite 300 in East Lansing from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
JULY 9 MBAA DISTRICT MICHIGAN SUMMER SOCIAL 2016, GRAND LEDGE Join the Master Brewer’s Association of the Americas (MBAA), District Michigan at their annual Summer Social. Guests will enjoy food catered by Bad Brad’s BBQ and Michigan Craft Beer, Disc Golf and an auction following lunch. The social will take place at Fitzgerald Park in Grand Ledge at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for members, $25 for non-members and $10 for designated drivers. Proceeds from the event will go toward scholarship funds and awards given out by the association annually. For more information, visit community.mbaa.com/events/calendar.
JULY 12 LANSING CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MONTHLY MEMBER MIXER, EAST LANSING
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Join the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce for their monthly Member Mixer. This event gives members the opportunity to network with other members, and gives the host of each mixer the chance to showcase their business. This month, the mixer will be held at the Burcham Hills Foundation in East Lansing from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information, contact Travis Richardson at (517) 853-6463.
JULY 19 CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY: MPA ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT, LANSING Meet prominent CMU alumni from around the state who will relate how their MPAs have benefitted their careers. This event will take place at the Lansing Center in the second floor Governor’s Room at 5:30 p.m. For more information, contact Todd Terwillegar at (517) 337-9802 or by email at terwi1td@cmich.edu.
MAN ON THE STREET
MAN ON THE STREET WHAT DO YOU THINK THE NEXT BIG ADVANCEMENT WILL BE IN TECHNOLOGY?
Self-driving cars are going to be the newest technology that will change people’s lives.
I’d like to see space fairing technologies be the next big advancement but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be in the medical field.
-GRACE HOUGH -SAM BIGLEY
The next big thing in technology is going to be a system of getting rid of credit cards. Everything will be run through your phone. -MARK HALL
I think that storefronts should find a way to overcome e-shops. -AUSTIN SMITHBERGER
The next advancement is going to be in the medical field, like helping people’s bodies to fight diseases better. -JOHN BARBAO
Virtual reality for movies and games is going to be the new innovation in technology. -NATHAN LELEK
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Foundation’s operations. She is a pleasure to work with, and we are fortunate to have her talent and drive.”
TRACI CANNON NAMED CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
DEWPOINT WELCOMES NEW EMPLOYEES TO LANSING
The Michigan State University Foundation announced today that its Board of Directors has approved Traci Cannon’s advancement, making her the MSU Foundation’s first Chief Financial Officer. “Traci’s service to the Foundation — and the Michigan State University community — is long-standing,” said MSU Foundation Executive Director, David Washburn. “By making her an officer of the Foundation, we are honoring Traci’s passion for, and dedication to, the stewardship of our mission.” Cannon joined the MSU Foundation in 1996 as an administrative assistant. In 2006, Cannon was promoted to the role of financial administrator, and then director of finance. As Chief Financial Officer, Cannon is charged with building on the Foundation’s mission, which is focused on providing Michigan
Dewpoint, a leading provider of technology consulting and implementation solutions, is pleased to welcome several new employees to Lansing:
TRACI CANNON MSU FOUNDATION’S CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
State University with resources to achieve preeminence in its role as a leader in research, discovery and innovation. “It has been a privilege to watch Traci’s growth, since 2006,” said MSU Foundation Director, Joan Garety. “Her continued stewardship of the Foundation’s financial position is outstanding, as well as her knowledge of all facets of the
• Jeffrey Krause - Business Analyst • David Shugars - Technical Delivery Lead • Lee Arrington - Quality Assurance Manager • Caitlyn Theis - Intern • Brooke Rose - Intern • Alexandria Kudlinski - Intern • David Melkonian - User Experience Manager • Brent Knop - Application Development Manager • Brad Chitwood - Technical Delivery Lead • Brian Singer - Application Delivery Director • Miki Patterson - Business Analyst • Robert Bruce - Business Analyst • Tanya Feldpausch – Systems Engineer Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Lansing, Dewpoint has a long success record of helping to
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for the future. Dewpoint supports clients in the Midwest and across the country. Additional information is available at dewpoint.com. ALEXANDRIA KUDLINSKI
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develop short- or long-term strategic technology plans to maximize current resources and better position organizations across numerous industries
INGHAM, EATON AND CLINTON COUNTY BOARDS OF COMMISSIONERS JOIN LANSING REGIONAL CHAMBER IN MAJOR REGIONAL INITIATIVE A major regional partnership recently announced marks the first time that the three county governments in the tri-county region and the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce (LRCC) have formally agreed to work together to address priority issues in the region. LRCC and the Boards of Commissioners in Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) designed to foster collaboration between the tricounties to support regional economic growth and policy initiatives. “This partnership is unprecedented in many ways and is already resulting a greater regional
dialogue on how the region can work together on issues that benefit the entire region,” said Tim Daman, LRCC president and chief executive officer. “We fully intend to get beyond the dialogue and focus our collective attention on specific issues that need to be a priority in promoting a higher quality of life in the region.” Officials envision a regional collaboration in which participants develop collective strategies for addressing regional priorities. Among issues likely to be identified are concerns over infrastructure needs, developing the Michigan Avenue Corridor and working with state officials to modify the state revenue sharing formula for local governments. The regional partnership will also provide tri-county units of government the opportunity to better understand best practices being used to effectively address financial challenges that are a reality for most municipalities. To that end, the Ingham, Eaton and Clinton County Boards of Commissioners have all accepted a position on the City of Lansing’s Financial Health Team (FHT), which has been working at recommending strategies to strengthen Lansing’s financial position.
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Though the MOU is not legally binding, it does provide a framework for the tri-counties to work together to accomplish several objectives: To freely discuss and exchange ideas and concepts regarding infrastructure needs, marketing, policy, talent, business attraction and retention, value–adding propositions, job creation, regional competitiveness and innovation; and to act positively to enhance the image of the region.
LAFCU GIVES $5,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS TO OWOSSO, MASON HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS LAFCU has awarded the 2016 “Write to Educate” $2,500 college scholarships to two high school seniors bound for Lansing Community College (LCC) and Baker College of Owosso this fall.
Owosso High School senior Kaycee Ogle, daughter of Jeffery and Kimberly Ogle, of Owosso, will pursue a bachelor’s degree in pre-occupational therapy at Baker College to become an occupational therapist.
includes the counties of Barry, Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Ingham, Ionia, Jackson, Livingston, Montcalm and Shiawassee. They must also be planning to attend LCC or Baker College’s Owosso campus.
As a part of their scholarship awards, McCoy and Ogle each selected a charity to receive a $500 donation from LAFCU. McCoy chose the Greater Lansing Food Bank; Ogle supported the food and nutrition programs at the Salvation Army Owosso.
BUBBLY PITCHES WINNING IDEA AT THE HATCHING
The scholarship recipients were selected based on a one-page essay about an improvement the applicant could implement at their high school before they graduate that would also benefit the community. Applicants for the LAFCU Write to Educate scholarship must be a senior in a high school within the LAFCU service territory, which
Mason High School senior Jenelle McCoy, daughter of Kevin and Lynn McCoy, of Mason, will pursue an Associate in Arts at LCC with the intention to transfer to a four-year college to complete a bachelor’s degree, majoring in sports management.
The Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) and Spartan Innovations hosted The Hatching on May 26, 2016 at Dublin Square in East Lansing. Local entrepreneurs and supporters attended this event to cheer on the next big idea they’d like to see hatch in Lansing. The winning idea, Bubbly, was presented by Connor McInnery, Alex Meverden and Max O’Connor, and is a refreshing sparkling water made with organic caffeine and natural flavor. Tony Willis, director of the New Economy Division at LEAP said, “Great flavored and artisan water products have continued to experience much growth. The team did an excellent job presenting their idea and had a
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ARE YOU MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS TO VISITORS? BY BRENDAN DWYER
In many ways, a visitor is an ideal customer for a local business. Visitors shop local, eat local, visit our attractions and stay in local hotels. In the greater Lansing region, if you’re not marketing your business to these out-of-town guests, you could be missing out on 4.8 million customers annually. A recent study conducted by Anderson Economic Group on behalf of the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau (GLCVB) showed that Michigan’s Capital Region welcomes nearly 5 million visitors to the area every year, generating a total of $602 million in economic impact. What does this mean for area business owners who are purveyors of nachos, wine, jeans, earrings, live music and clean, comfortable lodging? Visitors need your services! How can you get connected to those out-of-town guests and market your offerings and services to them across digital, print and social media platforms with one affordable and convenient business decision? It’s simple; join the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau. 36
When you join the GLCVB’s nearly 500 members, you are included in the key marketing materials delivered to, and sought after by, visitors to the region. Materials like the award-winning Greater Lansing Visitor Guide (130,000 copies printed annually) and the newly renovated and totally mobile-friendly lansing.org (with more than 275,000 unique visitors annually) and lansingsports.org. Additionally, GLCVB members can gain access to the GLCVB’s growing social media presence. You have something important to say, so let us tweet it to our nearly 10,000 Twitter followers or share it with our more than 16,000 Facebook fans. How would you like your restaurant or boutique recommended to the thousands that come into the region’s two area visitor centers? Would you like access to an up-to-theminute calendar that shows when big conventions are coming into town so you can schedule extra staff, or run a special to get folks through your doors? Those things will help your business, but what about you? Membership with the GLCVB will keep you both sharp and well-connected. The
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GLCVB provides numerous annual educational opportunities, networking events, business seminars and more. You’ll not only learn tips to grow your business but make contacts with other GLCVB members who could become partners, customers or clients for your business. Find out more about GLCVB membership today on lansing.org or contact Jan Pfeiffer, membership manager at 517-377-1410 or jpfeiffer@lansing.org. Brendan Dwyer is the Manager of Marketing Communications with the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau.
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detailed plan going from product into market, covering cost, manufacturing, and distribution.” The May sponsor of The Hatching was Loomis Law firm. The Hatching is part of a communitywide effort to support local entrepreneurs and make the Lansing region a great place to start a business. This event helps move new, local business ideas from concept to reality and provides winners with funding, legal support, market research, office space and more.
150 employees. The company currently has 24 offices nationwide and won Zweig White’s Hot firm award in 2015 for being one of the fastest growing environmental and engineering firms. “This award is the result of many years of hard work,” said Kulka. “However, I’m particularly proud of all the hard work by the entire PM team over the past two decades. I share this award with all of them.”
DOBERMAN TECHNOLOGIES RECEIVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION AS A TOP IT SERVICE PROVIDER IN THE US Doberman Technologies LLC, a local IT management firm, has been nationally recognized as a top IT service provider in the U.S. by both MSUmentor.net and CRN.com.
The Hatching is now being held on the last Wednesday of the month at Lansing Brewing Company in Lansing. For more information about The Hatching or how entrepreneurs can submit ideas to be considered for the live pitch competition at one of the monthly Hatching events, visit thehatching.org.
MICHAEL KULKA WINS COURAGE IN LEADERSHIP EDR PRISM AWARD
Michael T. Kulka, founder and CEO of PM Environmental (PM), recently won the Courage in Leadership Prism Award from EDR, a leading provider of data and technology to property due diligence professionals. The award honors a business leader, working in the property due diligence or risk management field, who has uniquely demonstrated personal courage in his or her actions that have impacted his or her firm in extraordinary ways. Award winners were announced on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at the inaugural PRISM Awards event held at the Lost Pines Resort in Austin, Texas. Other award categories included: Industry Influencer; Technology Innovation; Going Green Initiative; Community Service; Creativity in Marketing; and Industry Hall of Fame. Kulka co-founded PM Environmental in 1992 with Peter Bosanic. Since the company’s inception, Kulka has overseen day-to-day operations, helped make PM Environmental the No. 1 provider of due diligence services in Michigan, and worked to maintain PM on a course for growth as well as creating an enjoyable workplace for employees. Furthermore, Kulka has focused on strategic hires in desirable locations to grow PM to over
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Doberman was recently named for the first time to the MSPMentor.net 501 List in May 2016. MSPmentor is a leading global destination for managed care providers. The MSPmentor 501 list recognizes the top 501 IT service providers in the country. The company was also named to the MSPmentor SMB100 List for the second year in a row, which is the top 100 Small Business IT focused service providers with under 15 employees in the country. Doberman also made CRN’s (The Channel Companies) 2016 MSP Pioneer 250 List in February 2016. This list showcases the top 250 service providers in the country that are focused on small business support. “Being named to not only CRN’s Pioneer 250, but both the MSP 501 master list, as well as the SMB100 list is a great honor. In fact, Doberman is the only IT Management firm in the greater Lansing region to make all three lists,” said Ian Richardson, founder of Doberman Technologies. “At Doberman, it’s truly a collaborative team effort that drives us to deliver ‘Stress-free IT’ to our clients through our reliability, continuity and security platform. It’s because of our team that we’ve garnered this
recognition and I look forward to continuing to service our clients to the very best of our combined ability.”
from the City of Lansing. The City has pledged to transfer a two-acre parcel of land located on Martin Luther King Boulevard between Lenawee and Hillsdale streets, subject to the master plan being approved. The BWL has pledged $100,000 to help fund the relocation of the structure, while earmarking any unspent balance of the $100,000 for site preparation and to jump-start the project. Pending the approval of the BWL’s master plan for a new substation, Habitat for Humanity plans to renovate the Scott Center that’s been relocated to the lot on MLK and convert the property into 3-4 condo-style, affordable housing units. This will provide the gateway for the development of 18-20 units in total. Habitat for Humanity will contribute $300,000 toward the renovation and will also seek HOME and CDBG funds through the City of Lansing.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY CAPITAL REGION TO ACQUIRE SCOTT CENTER
Habitat for Humanity Capital Region is excited to announce that it has been selected by the City of Lansing Parks and Recreation through a formal request for proposal (RFP) process to acquire the Scott Center for $1, currently located at the southwest corner of S. Washington Avenue and W. Malcolm X Street in REO Town, Lansing.
With pubic interest in mind, Habitat will retain as many of the Scott Center’s features as possible such as the winding staircase, subject to current building code. The Scott Center’s English Tudor-style exterior will serve as inspiration for the entire proposed development. Although the exteriors of the properties will
Under the plan announced, Habitat for Humanity will acquire the Scott Center for $1
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celebrate a similar style, the proposed properties will be modern energy efficient homes.
HONOREES SHARE STORIES OF WONDER AT LUCY HOBBS PROJECT 4TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF WOMEN IN DENTISTRY Julie Radzyminski spoke recently at The Lucy Hobbs Project® 4th Annual Celebration, a two-day event honoring exemplary women in the dental community, at the Hyatt Regency’s Cumberland Hall in Dallas, Texas on June 3.
This year, award recipients in the following categories included: • Susan Maples, DDS, MSBA, Michigan, Mentor Award • Kadambari ‘Kady’ Rawal, BDS, CAGS, Massachusetts, Woman to Watch Award Joyce Bassett, DDS, FAACD, FAGD, Arizona, Clinical Expertise Award • Pamela Schmidt, DDS, NMD, IBDM, Illinois, Innovator Award
• Col. Theresa S. Gonzales, Ret., DMD, MS, MSS, South Carolina, Industry Icon Award • Mary Teddy Wray, DDS, Maryland, Humanitarian Award Each year, The Lucy Hobbs Project collaborates with a national partner to give back, and for 2016, will assist the National Head Start Association (NHSA), which provides healthy snacks to children in need. The Give-back portion of the two-day celebration benefits Head Start of Greater
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The Vice President of Business Innovation at Benco Dental, which supports the initiative empowering women in dentistry, encapsulated a day of wonder, including the messages and examples set by its honorees and presenters.
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“What else is possible now that we have these rich preventive relationships with patients? Look into the mouth and see it as a window to what’s going on inside the body,” said Susan Maples, DDS, MSBA, during her acceptance of the Mentor Award. Dr. Maples educates both dental groups nationwide and patients at her practice of 30 years in Holt, Michigan. She speaks from authority as the author of BlabberMouth! 77 Secrets Only Your Mouth Can Tell You To Live A Healthier, Happier, Sexier Life.
SEPTEMBER:
HUMAN RESOURCES
With a network of more than 9,000 members, The Lucy Hobbs Project’s commission selects six honorees each year for the distinction of Exemplary Women in the Dental Community.
OCTOBER:
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Dallas; in lieu of an event fee, attendees were asked to donate non-perishable, healthy snacks. Powered by Benco Dental, The Lucy Hobbs Project is a national program focused on empowering women in dentistry to drive change and deliver results based upon three pillars – networking, innovating and giving back. This project aims to bring women together from all facets of the dental industry – dentists, dental assistants, hygienists, receptionists, sales representatives and others. Free to join, the group offers networking opportunities, educational programs and charitable events. For more information about The Lucy Hobbs Project, visit thelucyhobbsproject.com.
HARTMAN NAMED PRESIDENT OF SOCIETY OF GOLF APPRAISERS
James Hartman, senior managing director of the Okemos-based Valbridge Property Advisors | The Oetzel-Hartman Group, has been named president of the Society of Golf Appraisers (SGA).
SGA’s membership support the integrity and vitality of the golf course industry while promoting the continued enjoyment of the game through the sharing of information and providing the highest quality professional advisory, consulting, and valuation services in the golf industry. Hartman, of Okemos, holds the MAI and AIGRS designations from the Appraisal Institute and the SGA designation from the Society of Golf Appraisers. Hartman also sits on the State of Michigan Real Estate Appraisers Board. He graduated from Michigan State University’s College of Business with a Bachelor of Arts degree in finance administration and has nearly 30 years of real estate appraisal experience. He became owner of The Oetzel-Hartman Group in 2007. In 2013, The Oetzel-Hartman Group became part of Valbridge Property Advisors. Valbridge Property Advisors is one of the largest commercial property valuation and advisory services firms in the U.S., with 67 office locations, 180 MAI-designated appraisers and more than 650 staff across the nation. Valbridge provides independent appraisal services consistent with the highest industry standards of practice. Each office is independently owned and operated.
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On May 25, Lansing School District Superintendent, Yvonne Caamal Canul, hosted a press conference at the Lansing School District Board of Education Office to announce the addition of Olivet College to the Lansing Pathway Promise program, rounding out the school choices as a private liberal arts college. “I am so proud and excited about this new partnership between the Lansing School District and my Alma Mater, Olivet College,” said Caamal Canul. Speakers at the event included Justin Sheehan, executive director of the Lansing Promise Program, Kellie Dean, chairperson of the Lansing Promise Zone Authority Board of Directors, Steven M. Corey, PhD., president of Olivet College, Yvonne Caamal Canul, superintendent of Lansing School District, Virg Bernero, mayor of the City of Lansing and Tim Daman, president and CEO of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. The Lansing Pathway Promise program was established in 2012 with the goal to ensure that every child living and schooling within the Lansing School District boundaries has access to post-secondary education; the Lansing Pathway Promise does this through offering scholarships to students who meet eligibility standards to Michigan State University and Lansing Community College. “This partnership is a way for us to send a clear message that we care about the greater Lansing area,” said Olivet College President Steven Corey. Corey noted that Olivet College was historically one of the first private schools in Michigan to admit women and minority racial groups into its programs alongside white men.
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OLIVET COLLEGE JOINS LANSING PROMISE SCHOLARSHIP
“There is no boundary for education and we truly believe that.” Also in attendance were three Lansing scholars who accepted the first round of scholarships and will be attending Olivet College in the fall – Malea Warren, Jillian Johnson and Nieya Brown.
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