DBusiness | September-October 2021

15

YEAR ANNIVERSARY

THE

CAPTAIN WITH A STEADY DEMEANOR AND A PENCHANT FOR PERFECTION, ROGER PENSKE HAS BUILT A BUSINESS EMPIRE THAT’S THE ENVY OF THE WORLD. BUT EVEN THE MOST FAMOUS MAN IN AUTOMOBILE RACING HAS A SOFT SPOT.

BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY How to keep vital data safe from hackers.

BIG THREE AND MORE

Executive charts, dealer report, and Top 25 Tier 1s.

REV ON THE RED LINE

Two major auto shows are coming to M1 Concourse.

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The Coming Storm You’ve built something. Most likely, you’ve spent a significant portion of your life getting to where you are today. There’s little doubt that you know how to navigate your business, but there are storms on the horizon that may affect the value you’ve worked so hard building.

No one knows for sure what tomorrow’s tax system will be. That makes taking advantage of the historically generous credits available today even more important.

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Preserving your wealth and way of life.

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pleasure doing business It’s where everything comes together. Where meetings are conducted with rhythm and grace. Where even before you meet and shake hands, you all begin to realize that you’re in a pre y great place.

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we’re here to help you move forward.

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We have fresh ideas to move your business forward.

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September - October 2021 || Volume 16 • Issue 5

70

Features

WHEELER DEALER Encouraged by his success on the track, Roger Penske quit driving race cars in 1965 to open his first dealership, a Chevrolet store, in Philadelphia.

Our annual listing of Big Three auto executives and officers.

Assembled by Tom Beaman Plus: Top 25 Tier 1s and auto dealer sales results.

With a steady demeanor and a penchant for perfection, Roger Penske has built a business empire that’s the envy of the world. By Tim Keenan

PENSKE CORP.

54 BIG THREE 70 THE EXECUTIVE LISTINGS CAPTAIN

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HERE TO HELP MICHIGAN BUSINESSES THRIVE. S:10.125"

Find out how we can help propel your business forward with customized support at michiganbusiness.org/pure-partnership

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T:10.875"

No matter what stage your business is in, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation is here to help you succeed. By connecting you to the resources your business needs, granting access to necessary capital and introducing you to the right partners, the MEDC helps your business reach new potential.

Contents || September - October 2021

40

42 29

32

THE BLUE ECONOMY There’s a lack of government leadership and funding in the region’s water and wastewater infrastructure.

TECHNOLOGY: Setting a standard.

HOUSING: Eviction notice.

COMPENDIUM

STAY-AT-HOME SERVICE: FixMyCar changed the life of its founder and the mechanics he helped.

By Jake Bekemeyer

Focus 42

The Ticker 35

38

40

A SPICE IN SALES A unique blend of seasonings developed at Phoenicia Restaurant sparks a new product line.

By R.J. King DIGITAL DEALS Entertainment books to go exclusively digital during the company’s 60th anniversary.

By Tim Keenan MUSCLE MEMORY Exercise Coach opened a new Shelby Township facility in July for busy people. By Tim Keenan PREPARING FOR TAKEOFF The Detroit Wing Co. is taking off, with each of its 10 stores making sauces fresh every morning.

By Jake Bekemeyer PDA Q&A Dan Dalton, co-founder and partner in Dalton and Tomich in Detroit. By R.J. King CAREER BOOST Square One Network’s vehicle design competition inspires students to pursue STEM careers.

By Bill Dow

PROTECTING DATA Blockchain technology, a digital record-keeping software platform, is emerging as a serious deterrent to hackers, whether foreign or domestic.

By Norm Sinclair

Perspectives 48

RUN OF SHOWS Tim McGrane, the new leader at M1 Concourse in Pontiac, oversees motorsports venues and has made a name for himself in the car-collecting world. Now he’s about to host two major events in September; Motor Bella and the American Festival of Speed. By Ronald Ahrens

Exec Life 79

82

FALL FASHION As summer turns to autumn, look your best at work, in the boardroom, or at a restaurant or a club. Styled by Rebecca Voigt RETURN ON INVESTMENT Lisa Lillelund, who grew up in Ann Arbor and Charlevoix, tapped her penchant for sustainability to help pioneer zero-emission school buses and heavy-duty vehicles.

By Tom Murray

85

91

94

TOP BUSINESS RESTAURANTS Our list of the region’s most business-friendly dining establishments.

OPINION New technology is needed to take EVs mainstream, along with more charging stations.

By Martin French THE CIRCUIT Our party pics from exclusive events.

Etc. 24 24 99

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR LETTERS FROM READERS FROM THE TOP Metro Detroit’s Largest Meeting Venues, Metro Detroit’s Largest Conventions, Metro Detroit’s Largest Intellectual Property Law Firms.

106 CLOSING BELL Preston Tucker worked his way up through the automotive ranks to produce his namesake car, but his plans were derailed by an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and only 51 cars were built.

By Ronald Ahrens

ON THE COVER Before he was a successful businessman and race team owner, Roger Penske was a race car driver.

Photograph by Getty Images/ George Tiedeman

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: JAMES YANG; SQUARE ONE EDUCATION NETWORK; MGM GRAND CASINO

Commentary

85

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KAPNICK BREAKS INTO THE TOP 100 LARGEST BROKERS IN THE U.S. Kapnick is ranked in Business Insurance Magazine’s list of the Top 100 Brokers of U.S. Business for the first time in 2012 — a position we still hold today.

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Our commitment to private ownership is one of our most defining qualities.

Thank you in kind to our carrier partner and 75th Anniversary sponsor, The Hanover Insurance Group.

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Letters || September - October 2021

Summer Soirées

A

s the region rolls into the automotive season with two major shows in September — a hybrid of the traditional North American International Auto Show called Motor Bella and the inaugural American Festival of Speed — look for more outdoor events next year that fuse horsepower, electric motors, aerial vehicles, entertainment, and fine dining.

The changing landscape of hosting largescale automotive events solely indoors was in the works long before COVID-19 upended our lives.

The rise of social media has allowed automakers and other consumer-driven industries to target their marketing dollars to likely buyers in ways unimagined a decade ago.

As a result, there are fewer resources for hosting one large automotive show in a confined space. The new reality is a challenge for large convention centers like TCF Center, which for decades served as the epicenter of personal transportation with the annual Detroit Auto Show, first held in 1899 at the Light Guard Armory.

The show evolved and grew, including a short stint at Beller’s Beer Garden along East Jefferson Avenue near the MacArthur Bridge at Belle Isle (pre-Prohibition), before landing at what was Cobo Center in 1960. Over that time, the annual extravaganza included dog shows, an entire Japanese garden, and displays that featured complementary fashion items such as mechanic-style overcoats, leather boots, aviator-like goggles, and silk scarves.

Throughout the entire run of shows, money drove the size of floor displays. Good years meant more room for more models. But more recently, the automakers have been saving money by building multiple cars and trucks on the same chassis (try to find a major OEM that has debuted a new convertible in the recent past).

What’s more, the traditional sedan is disappearing in favor of SUVs, pickup trucks, and vans geared to small service businesses and fleet operators large and small. Those two factors — targeted advertising and fewer models — challenged show organizers like the Detroit Auto Dealers Association to pivot their traditional event, bring it outdoors to different venues, and mix it with the Motor City’s horsepower heritage.

Both Motor Bella (Sept. 21-26) and the American Festival of Speed (Sept. 27-Oct. 3) will be held at M1 Concourse in Pontiac, which offers a 1.5-mile racetrack. Rather than putting on one large event at TCF Center, the Detroit auto dealers are hosting Motor Bella. They also held the inaugural Motor City Car Crawl in downtown Detroit over the first weekend of August.

The owners of M1 Concourse, meanwhile, created the Woodward Dream Show (Aug. 2021) to coincide with the Woodward Dream Cruise, and are bringing forward the American Speed Festival. At the same time, the organizers of the Concours d’Elegance, now owned by Hagerty, are bringing their annual classic car show to the grounds in and around the Detroit Institute of Arts in September 2022, mixing RPMs with Rembrandts. Prior to the move, the event was held at suburban venues.

If that isn’t enough, every automaker is now exploring the emerging aerial taxi business that will move freight at first, before opening their doors to passengers looking to travel within minutes between major airports and city centers.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the proliferation of outdoor auto shows and the fusion of past, present, and future technology is that consumer-driven businesses can’t afford to stand still. While it’s never easy to compete with the conventions of the status quo, running the risk of obscurity is no consolation.

R.J. King

rjking@dbusiness.com

CHALLENGING TIMES

I just finished reading my July-August DBusiness issue this morning. I want to compliment you on how concisely you summarized the exact status of where we stand in America due to COVID-19 as a starter, an election, free market forces, and — just as much — the current economic and social policies.

People are people and if you offer them something for free, they’ll take it. Businesses must respond to stay alive, and many are figuring it out.

It’s interesting to see new business models emerge and how agile some can be. ...

I’ve been in the dry-cleaning, restoration, and franchising business for 30 years and find our business to be in the best shape ever. We don’t have a real labor issue in our companies. We have a harder time finding willing people to even show up for an interview, but our core team is intact and carrying the day. We’re dealing with it and, frankly, have learned to do more with less — and we’re achieving better results across the board, honestly.

There are numerous reasons for that, but I must say that our culture is the key. Right now, our culture is pulling us ahead of all of our competition and, frankly, most other sectors in our service economy.

We’re expanding again. ...

Wayne M. Wudyka Berkley

EVTOL IN MICHIGAN

Thank you for taking your valuable time to write a very nice article about our company (NeXt) in DBusiness Daily News. Perhaps General Motors will take notice and we can make Michigan the epicenter of all things eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft (aerial taxis).

Dave Verkade Grand Rapids

EMAIL US AT: editorial@dbusiness.com SEND MAIL TO: Letters, DBusiness magazine, 5750 New King Drive, Ste. 100, Troy, MI 48098 Please include your city of residence and daytime phone number.

We reserve the right to edit letters for length and content.

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Contributors || September - October 2021

VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 5

CONTRIBUTORS

PUBLISHER John Balardo

EDITORIAL

EDITOR R.J. King MANAGING EDITOR Tim Keenan ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jake Bekemeyer COPY EDITOR Anne Berry Daugherty EDITORIAL INTERN Jack Tulauskas

DESIGN

ART DIRECTOR Austin Phillips

ADVERTISING SALES

CONTRIBUTION: Fall Fashion Photography SEE IT HERE: Page 79

CONTRIBUTION: Fall Fashion Stylist SEE IT HERE: Page 79

CONTRIBUTION: DBusiness Intern SEE IT HERE: DBusiness Daily News

MARTIN VECCHIO has been taking pictures for more than two decades. Every job he’s ever had has been related to photographs or selling skateboards. He graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit in 2008 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree concentrating in photography and graphic design. When he isn’t spending his time taking images of buildings of all kinds, you can find him working tirelessly on his own historic landmark of a home and studio in Detroit, and watching his new baby daughter pet the begrudged family pooch, Carl. For this issue, Vecchio worked closely with fellow contributor Rebecca Voigt and art director Austin Phillips to make the images of executive clothes and accessories using the floor of the aforementioned historic landmark as the backdrop. See his work in our fall fashion segment on page 79.

REBECCA VOIGT is an Ann Arbor-based freelance editor and fashion stylist. In addition to curating the executive fashion feature in this issue of DBusiness, Voigt currently serves as the editor of Metro Detroit Weddings magazine.

Her work has appeared in local, national, and international publications, including Hour Detroit, 944, Ambassador, BG, Birmingham Magazine, Cadillac Magazine, Clear, Cliché, First for Women, Hint, La’G, Prim, StyleLine, and many more. Voigt’s clients have included Chevrolet, Figo Salon, Mall at Millenia, Smithfield, Somerset Collection, and the U.S. Postal Service. Her various projects include fashion, portraits, advertising, weddings, and video. She also writes an independent fashion blog called “paper + cloth.” Voigt is a workfrom-home mom of two boys and an equestrian. In addition to her family, her home includes two cats and two dogs.

JACK TULAUSKAS is an editorial intern at DBusines. He’s currently attending American University in Washington, D.C., studying international business and finance.

His responsibilities at DBusiness include writing articles, editing stories, and researching potential new stories for the magazine.

Many of his stories can be found online in the DBusiness Tech and Mobility News and On the Move sections, and in the DBusiness Daily News newsletter. Through his internship experience, he intends to develop a better understanding of the business world, diversify his network, and enhance his writing skills.

When he’s not at the magazine, he works with the Crooked Tree woodworking company, where he contributes to the construction of a variety of projects. He practices various forms of martial arts, including Maui Thai and boxing.

In preparation for eventually working overseas, he also studies Mandarin and different Asian cultures.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ronald Ahrens, Tom Beaman, Bill Dow, Martin French, Tom Murray, Norm Sinclair, Gary Witzenburg CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Patrick Gloria, Matthew LaVere, Martin Vecchio, Rebecca Voigt, James Yang

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Jason Hosko ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Cynthia Barnhart, Karli Brown, Lauren DeBano, Donna Kassab, Mary Pantely and Associates, Angela Tisch OUTREACH SPECIALIST Maya Gossett ADVERTISING SALES INTERN Grace Kanehann

PRODUCTION

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Jenine Rhoades SENIOR PRODUCTION ARTISTS Stephanie Daniel, Robert Gorczyca DIGITAL & PRINT ADVERTISING COORDINATORS Ava Majoros, Ramona French INTEGRATED DESIGN LEAD Alexander Shammami

WEB

DIGITAL DIRECTOR Nick Britsky WEB PROJECT LEAD Matt Cappo WEB PROJECT ASSISTANTS Mariah Knott, Luanne Lim, Bart Woinski VIDEO PRODUCER Ken Bowery DIGITAL COORDINATOR Travis Cleveland

IT

IT DIRECTOR Jeremy Leland

CIRCULATION

DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Michelle VanArman CIRCULATION MANAGER Riley Meyers CIRCULATION COORDINATORS Barbie Baldwin, Elise Coyle, Cathy Krajenke, Rachel Moulden

MARKETING AND EVENTS

MARKETING & EVENTS MANAGER Melissa Novak MARKETING & EVENTS COORDINATOR Kelsey Cocke MARKETING & EVENTS ASSISTANT Drake Lambright MARKETING RESEARCH MANAGER Ana Potter MARKETING RESEARCH COORDINATOR Georgia Iden MARKETING RESEARCH SALES COORDINATOR Hannah Thomas MARKETING RESEARCH ASSISTANT Gabrielle Hejnar PRS GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Jim Bibart, Julia McGillicuddy MARKETING AND EVENTS INTERNS Kaitlin Howell, Michelle Kaljaj, Cassandra Morris MARKETING AND RESEARCH INTERNS Shekinah Adams, Katherine Donnelly, Celeste Janson, Maryan Toma

BUSINESS

CEO Stefan Wanczyk PRESIDENT John Balardo PUBLISHING AND SALES COORDINATOR Kristin Mingo DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS Kathie Gorecki ASSISTANT OFFICE MANAGER Natasha Bajju SENIOR ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATE Andrew Kotzian DISTRIBUTION Target Distribution, Troy Postmaster: Send address changes to DBusiness, 5750 New King Drive, Ste. 100, Troy, MI 48098 For advertising inquiries: 248-691-1800, ext. 126 To sell DBusiness magazine or for subscription inquiries: 248-588-1851 DBusiness is published by Hour Media. Copyright © 2021 Hour Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. DBusiness is a registered trademark of Hour Media.

WEBEXTRA Check out DBusiness Daily News for exclusive business news, blogs, podcasts, and videos, available for free at DBusiness.com/daily-news.

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INSIDE || BLUE ECONOMY | SETTING A STANDARD | EVICTION NOTICE | COMPENDIUM

WATCH THE LITTLE THINGS; A SMALL LEAK WILL SINK A GREAT SHIP. — BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

INFRASTRUCTURE

BLUE ECONOMY ILLUSTRATION BY JAMES YANG

HEAVY

RAINS

AND

THE

RESULTING

SEWER

backups this summer and in recent years have exposed a lack of government leadership and funding in the region’s water and wastewater infrastructure. According to a June report from the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, the seven-county region received lackluster marks across every water-related system.

Consider the following infrastructure grades: drinking water (D), solid waste (C+),

wastewater (C), stormwater (D-), and dams (C-). Taking it a step further, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer staked nearly her entire election campaign on “fixing the damn roads,” but as she reaches the end of her third year in office, the SEMCOG report leaves much to be desired: bridges (C-) and roads (D-).

For someone who touts her close connection to President Joe Biden, Whitmer has yet to reverse a decades-long decline in federal water infrastructure investment that today accounts

for around 10 percent of funding, down from 60 percent in the 1970s. Give credit to Whitmer for recognizing the challenges, but SEMCOG and other institutions have been highlighting the lack of investment for decades.

Compounding the problem is poor decision-making on water-related infrastructure.

Consider Whitmer and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel ordered a private dam operator to raise the level of water in surrounding lakes in Gladwin and Midland September - OctOber 2021 || DBUSINESS.COM 29

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Commentary || September - October 2021

TECHNOLOGY

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

69%

Drinking water infrastructure rated fair to poor in metro Detroit.

78%

Sanitary sewer operations rated fair to poor in metro Detroit.

49%

Storm sewer infrastructure rated fair to poor in metro Detroit.

Source: SEMCOG

counties. A few weeks later, in May 2019, a heavy rain breached the dams, destroying around 2,500 homes and businesses. Damages are estimated at $200 million.

For a state that markets its direct access to 21 percent of the world’s freshwater supply, our infrastructure should be among the best in the world. Unfortunately, over the past 40 years state and local leaders have failed to keep up with rising demand — SEMCOG reports there is a $4 billion annual investment gap for roads, bridges, airports, and more. The price tag for annual water and sewer needs lags by $800 million a year.

Drawing more federal investment is one way to close the water equipment gap, and a concerted effort by the governor and her team to solicit added funding in Washington, D.C., would help move the needle in a positive direction. State and local tax hikes also must be examined. There’s plenty of stimulus money that could be used to address long-term infrastructure upgrades, as well.

Such improvements will limit what transpired in late June when torrential rains hit metro Detroit.

In the aftermath of the storm, it came out the Great Lakes Water Authority failed to ensure all its pumping stations, especially those in low-lying areas, were operational. The organization also reported multiple problems at the Conner Creek and Freud pumping stations, both in Detroit.

While the authority states it will conduct an independent investigation, it’s clear the region needs more pumps and generators. “The bottom line is all pumps need to be operational, and they need full backup power,” Candice Miller, public works commissioner in Macomb County, said following the June 25 storm. “They need to be fully staffed during severe rain events.”

SETTING A STANDARD

ELECTRIC VEHICLES FACE MULTIPLE CHALLENGES BEFORE THEY REACH mainstream status. Apart from bringing charging times in line with filling a gasoline tank, and extending battery range and adding thousands more charging stations, the fledgling EV industry is being held back by too many mobile apps that operate independently.

Right now, each charging network offers its own mobile app. If a driver routinely accesses the same charging station, say at work, there are few problems. But consider traveling in an electric vehicle over hundreds of miles. Apart from waiting what could be hours for a battery to recharge, drivers must download an app for each new charging station operator they encounter. If an app can’t be downloaded or doesn’t operate properly, the charging station is useless.

Another challenge with charging stations is some service providers require customers to pay up front for their electricity, but if the credit in an account isn’t all used, it may be difficult to get the money back — the operator won’t refund the money, and the unused funds sit in an account until needed. Rather than stoke the need for a credit monetizing app, digital charging assistants should be standardized.

As the industry seeks to meet the glowing utopia promised by automakers, politicians, and environmentalists, it will take years before EVs catch on. Until more charging stations are built and are fully integrated with a standard mobile app, EV drivers will be left wondering if the next charging station they encounter is a friend or a foe.

HOUSING

EVICTION NOTICE

IN THE EARLY WEEKS OF THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK, CONGRESS EXTENDED billions of dollars in relief to all rental housing and tenants who earned less than $99,000 per year ($198,000 for couples), and who claimed they had lost income due to the virus. As the eviction moratorium played out through last December, it was extended a month. The incoming Biden administration added three more extensions, through July 31 (a partial 60-day extension has since been added).

While many media reports leading up to the last deadline were filled with end-of-the-world scenarios of riots and mayhem in early August, the end of the eviction ban didn’t live up to all the hype. One reason has to do with the fact that of the $46 billion earmarked for rental assistance, $3 billion was actually allocated.

Another factor has to do with state and local bureaucracy. As affected renters tried to access the funds, they were faced with a maze of governmental hoops to jump through. As we learned, rather than wait for the government to provide aid, many tenants and landlords worked together to develop a remedy to the crisis.

While the federal government should be commended for aiding those in need, lawmakers also must realize that every catastrophe has an end. If some politicians had their way, the eviction ban would last well into the future. As Americans proved through one of the greatest tragedies in our time, a welfare state is the last thing they want.

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HOW OUTSIDERS VIEW DETROIT Energy News Network |June 29, 2021

By Jacob Wallace

DETROIT SOLAR STREETLIGHT PROGRAM TESTS COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP A COMMUNITY-LED NONPROFIT IN METRO DETROIT has begun installing solar-powered streetlights a decade after a utility repossessed over a thousand of the area’s light poles.

The effort is meant as a proof of concept in a quest to create a community-owned grid in a small city that’s predominantly Black and has a median income of $16,000.

“We want to have ownership; it’s really important

to us,” said Shimekia Nichols, executive director of Soulardarity, which last week installed its first 10 solar-powered streetlights in Highland Park.

The group was founded after electric utility DTE Energy in 2011 took the streetlights as a means of collecting on the $4 million the city owed for electricity. The utility left about 500 lights in the small community, which is bounded on all sides by Detroit.

“Residents were not knowledgeable that this repossession was taking place until workers were out literally pulling poles from the ground,” Nichols said.

The utility said at the time that removing the streetlights was a better alternative than just cutting off the power.

Since then, Soulardarity secured funding to install Wi-Fi-equipped, solar-powered streetlights around two community centers in the city. …

Car and Driver | June 27, 2021 | By Sebastian Blanco

VEHICLES UNDERWATER AT STELLANTIS SHIPPING YARD AFTER MASSIVE RAINFALL HITS DETROIT HEAVY RAINFALL IN MICHIGAN IN (LATE JUNE) led to flash flooding in the Detroit area, and that in turn resulted in difficulty for people trying to move around the city. From Stellantis’s perspective, though, the big news was that potentially hundreds of brand-new vehicles were damaged when the shipping yard at Stellantis’s Jefferson North Assembly Plant (JNAP) became a temporary lake June 26.

Videos shared on social media show vehicles, including many Dodge Durangos, submerged up to their rooflines. Aside from the Durangos, Stellantis keeps newly produced SUVs, minivans, Chargers, Challengers, and truck models at the shipping yard staging area as they wait to be shipped to dealers once they leave the plant.

Stellantis builds the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, and Dodge Durango at JNAP, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee L at the nearby Mack assembly facility.

Stellantis confirmed the flooding to Car and Driver and said it does not yet have an estimate about the extent of the damage. …

The Wall Street Journal | July 27, 2021

By Omar Abdel-Baqui

DETROIT BUMBLES OVER 12 MILLION IMPORTED BEES THE CORE CITY NEIGHBORHOOD OF DETROIT IS GETTING 300,000 new residents next year. That is welcome news for some locals living in an area where the population has shrunk. But these newcomers don’t pay taxes or mix well with some of the locals — especially when they sting.

The new imports are part of an effort that has brought about 12 million honey bees to metro Detroit over the last five years. The nonprofit behind it says pollination stations that house hives around the city support the rising number of urban farms that offer residents much-needed fresh produce.

“There are so many empty fields, it can’t do anything but help add some color to all the green, grassy lots,” said Don Carter, who was born and raised in Core City and regularly visits his 95-year-old mother, who still lives there.

But the effort has riled critics who are rushing to the defense of Detroit’s native bees. Some environmentalists accuse the nonprofit of “bee washing,” or glossing over the fact that local bees — which might not make honey but can hold their own as pollinators — are facing competition from newcomers that might spread disease and eat the nectar bees need to survive.

Then there are the humans.

Damon Currie, 46, lives near a small orchard on Detroit’s east side where the nonprofit, called Bees in the D, placed about 360,000 honey bees in 2019.

Last summer, he and his 8-year-old son were stung.

“I started waving off the bees that were around him and I got stung too,” Mr. Currie said. “I had never been stung before that in my life.”

It wasn’t until Mr. Currie started noticing more bees that he began to search for the source, and a neighbor pointed out the hives on the corner of the block.

“They couldn’t knock on the door and tell us about it? The hives just appeared one day,” Mr. Currie said. …

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Compendium || Commentary

Forbes | July 12, 2021 | By Natalie Burg

MIDWEST RISING: WHY THE WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE IS IN MICHIGAN MICHAEL HEALANDER IS A GEOSPATIAL MAPPING systems entrepreneur and native Michigander. His work took him to California, but after his technology was acquired, he moved back home to raise his kids. When Healander had his next big tech idea — mapping out and managing airspace pathways for drones — he wondered if pursuing it would take him away again.

“I saw a post about a mobility meet-up in Michigan,” says Healander, now the president and chief executive officer of Airspace Link. “I was intrigued, so I went and pitched my idea.”

The Michigan Economic Development Corp.

(MEDC) event affirmed that his idea was not only viable in southeast Michigan but was uniquely suited to its growing mobility ecosystem. Soon, he had local investment and an office in downtown Detroit.

Healander’s experience is becoming common.

A survey of 505 U.S. executives, conducted last

year by Forbes Insights and MEDC, found that 75 percent of executives believe the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the value of being located in a region with a strong entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem. And in Michigan, that startup culture is growing rapidly. …

Michigan’s diverse workforce helps support Airspace Link’s growth. The Great Lakes State has a high concentration of engineers, for example.

The auto industry is only one reason why: Prominent universities in the state have well-established mobility and technology programs that feed into the talent pool. …

The network of economic development organizations and the startup community in Michigan is one distinct advantage. Pivot Materials has won multiple statewide pitch competitions in Michigan, giving it visibility and funding in its early stages. Guenther worked with MEDC to engage in patent research, prepare its

Pizza Today | August 2021 | By Daniel P. Smith

THE RETURN OF INDOOR DINING RESTAURANT DINING ROOMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY continue reopening to guests and increasing capacity. For many pizzerias, it’s a welcome scene after a year of upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the nation’s pizzerias face a patchwork of different regulations and guidelines from one state — and one municipality — to the next for reopening indoor dining, some universal themes emerge. Three pizzerias share the

experience of welcoming guests back into their dining rooms.

Vango’s Pizza and Cocktail Lounge, Marquette, Mich.

A Marquette landmark, Vango’s reopened its 120-seat dining room in June 2020 after a three-month pause. Capacity was initially limited to 25 percent, though that jumped to 50 percent earlier this year.

“The last year has been a blur,” says Vango’s partner, Robert Caron, whose father-in-law opened the celebrated pizzeria six decades ago.

Hunting ideas: Vango’s leadership carefully prepped for indoor dining’s reopening by exchanging ideas with other local restaurant owners, following industry news outlets and querying friends and family about their dining experiences.

“When we found ideas we liked, we implemented them,” Caron says.

Establishing comfort: Vango’s moved from reusable menus to paper menus, posted signage about wearing masks, publicized its cleaning practices, spaced out tables, and trained staff on how to have respectful interactions with guests.

“Getting people comfortable in the restaurant again has been a top priority for us because if they’re not comfortable and don’t enjoy their experience with us, they’re probably not coming back,” Caron says. …

financials, develop its business strategy and refine its marketing. …

Overall livability is a key consideration for many entrepreneurs in the state. Guenther, for example, values the easy access to nature. …

Wall Street Journal | July 30, 2021 | By Daniel Lee

YOU CAN PLAY THROUGH HISTORY ON MICHIGAN’S MACKINAC ISLAND

PLAY THE 123-YEAR-OLD WAWASHKAMO GOLF Course on Michigan’s Mackinac Island and you won’t soon forget it, not least because there’s a cannon aiming down the first fairway from the tee box. In the first week of August 1814, ranks of American soldiers, bayonets at the ready, advanced across what would eventually become the first fairway, into the teeth of British weaponry, a battle in the War of 1812.

That experience, thankfully, is not currently available at the course, but golfers can experience the sport as it was played long ago, before composite shafts, computer-designed clubheads, and long, long, long fairways. You can even try playing the course with old hickory-shaft clubs available on loan. ...

At Wawashkamo, a moderately skilled player accustomed to 210- to 230-yard drives finds that a whippy, wooden “grass club” can spin the ball off the tee like a child’s whirligig, slicing it into the characteristic knee-deep rough perhaps 70 yards down the fairway. Approach shots with a “mashie iron” bound along the ground like terrified rabbits. …

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FLAVOR ENTERPRISE

Phoenecia Restaurant in downtown Birmingham launches a unique line of spices developed in its kitchen.

MATTHEW LAVERE

SPICE ASSET Samy Spice is being produced and distributed by Leila Provisions in Pontiac.

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Ticker || September - October 2021

DBUSINESSDIRECT Ford Selects Romulus for $100M Global Center of Excellence Ford Motor Co. announced Romulus will be the home of its new global battery center of excellence, called Ford Ion Park. The 270,000-squarefoot facility will help the automaker accelerate research and development of battery and battery cell technology, including future battery manufacturing.

Amazon Rolls Out Electric Delivery Trucks Across Metro Detroit In late July, Amazon began testing and training delivery drivers on how to operate and optimize its fleet of up to 100,000 electric delivery vehicles, many of which will be delivering packages in metro Detroit. The signature two-tone blue trucks were designed in partnership with Rivian, an EV manufacturer based in Plymouth Township.

PRESENT VALUE Todd Williams and Samy Eid (shown) have launched Samy Spice with Omar Eid.

Strata Oncology in Ann Arbor Completes $90M Series C Financing Strata Oncology Inc. in Ann Arbor, a precision oncology company advancing molecular indications for cancer therapies, completed a $90 million Series C financing, bringing the firm’s total financing to more than $130 million since its founding.

Rocket Mortgage Leads Nation in Customer Satisfaction Rocket Mortgage in Detroit was the highest rated servicer for the eighth consecutive year in J.D. Power’s 2021 U.S. Primary Mortgage Servicer Satisfaction Study, which found that despite high customer satisfaction marks for mortgage servicers industry wide, nonbank lenders have overtaken bank-affiliated servicers in that department.

Hyzon Motors, RenewH2 Developing Liquid Hydrogen Fueling Stations Hyzon Motors Inc., which has operations in Detroit and its headquarters in Rochester, N.Y., has signed an agreement with RenewH2 of Portland, Ore., to collaborate on the production and distribution of liquid hydrogen fuel for commercial vehicles.

For full stories and more, visit dbusiness.com/daily-news to get daily news sent directly to your email.

A Spice in Sales A unique blend of seasonings developed at Phoenecia Restaurant in Birmingham sparks a new product line.

W

BY R.J. KING |

hen Sameer Eid developed a dry rub and finisher for spareribs, he never envisioned his spice creation would be the foundation for a line of food, cookware, and apparel.

Soon after the rub was introduced, patrons at Phoenecia in downtown Birmingham began asking for the spice on other menu items. “It grew from there, and the spice began to be referred to by different names, one of which was Samy Spice,” says Samy Eid, who co-owns Phoenicia and Leila in Detroit’s Capitol Park with his father.

Two years ago, Samy and his brother, Omar, along with Todd Williams, began cultivating plans to distribute the all-purpose spice in gourmet markets and food stores across the country. The goal was to create an attractive container that would encourage people to display the spice on a kitchen counter or a shelf, rather than store it in a cabinet or a pantry.

After designing a sleek, white jar with a cork-like top — the spice comes in one or two plastic bags inside the container — the trio formed Leila Provisions in Pontiac, named for Samy’s mother. The container design included an image of Sameer’s trademark handlebar moustache.

“We ordered the jars from China and we learned a tough lesson in shipping logistics, given it was difficult to

MATTHEW LAVERE get the jars cleared through customs,” says Samy, who also owns Forest, a restaurant in Birmingham. “Right now we’re selling Samy Spice at Phoenecia, as well as Caruso Caruso in Birmingham, Zieben-Mare in Franklin, and the Birmingham Farmers Market.”

In the coming months, the mixture of salt, paprika, garlic, natural spices, and yeast extract will be available in more stores, while the company website will be redesigned to accommodate more offerings. Two other mixtures are in the works: a Zaatar blend and a butcher’s blend.

“The trick is to get all of the new products to run efficiently on a conveyor line,” Samy says. “When you buy spices today, not much thought goes into developing attractive containers because it’s hard to find packaging sources in the U.S. Plus, we’re using as many local ingredients as possible, which makes things a bit more challenging.”

As Leila Provisions expands, Samy and his two partners are reimagining kitchen staples such as cookware, utensils, and apparel items. “We want people to feel proud to have our spice containers on their countertop, not in a drawer,” he says. “From there, we’ll develop other things for the kitchen. We definitely see Samy Spice giving life to other products for the kitchen and outdoor patios.”

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Digital Deals

From books to codes, the popular Entertainment Book evolves and goes paperless.

BY TIM KEENAN

F

or its first six decades, the inches-thick Entertainment Book, which offered coupons for nearly every trade and business, was a staple in many homes. Searching through the offerings brought a sense of order amid a multimedia industry still in its infancy.

But all that will change in 2022, as Troybased Entertainment/Afin Technologies moves to a fully digital, app-based format. Goodbye typeface, hello cyberspace.

“The reality is we appeal to a much younger and more digitally and mobile-savvy audience,” says Lee Evans, CEO of Entertainment/Afin Technologies, explaining the rationale for the paperless switch. “They’re looking at dealing with codes rather than books.”

Evans says he had a vision for an all-digital Entertainment Book in 2019 when he and his wife, Nicola, acquired the company for a reported $25 million. “We saw a digital, mobile, online version of the Entertainment Book back then,” he says. “That was the purpose of making the acquisition.”

The transition to a digital format started when Afin Technologies, which is based in California, bought the Entertainment company and added a website and an app. The move improved the experience for both the company and its faithful customers, as offers can be updated and new discounts can be introduced

throughout the year.

“The 2021 book was complete, in terms of merchant offers, in April of 2020,” Evans explains. “We get at least 300 new offers from around the country every month. People who buy the books don’t get those offers unless they download the app, which they got free with the book.”

Nine out of 10 people registered for and used the app when they got the book, says Evans, who adds that the company’s digital users have access to some 500,000 offers from all over the U.S. and Canada.

“That was a big part of the decision,” he says.

“We’re giving people more offers throughout the year via the digital app. Why would you buy one printed book and miss out on all this content?

Why not take the whole gamut and take the app wherever you go? You’re effectively getting 80

books for the price of one.”

The company will save as much as $200,000 per year by not printing books — money it intends to invest in expanding its operations and offerings.

The app currently accounts for more than $1 million per year in recurring revenue, according to Evans. He anticipates that figure to grow to at least $3 million as the company transitions to digital.

In addition to being much lighter and less bulky to handle, the new Entertainment app will be shareable, and eventually AI will make it possible to anticipate a user’s needs — not unlike the way Netflix makes suggestions to its customers based on their past entertainment selections.

“We want to put the right coupons in the right hands, at the right time, in the right place,” Evans says.

ISTOCK

Muscle Memory || By Tim Keenan BUSY BUSINESSPEOPLE, SENIORS, OR folks who aren’t fond of a traditional gym environment have a new workout option — Exercise Coach — which opened a new facility in July in Shelby Township.

Exercise Coach, which has outlets in Commerce Township, Northville, Royal Oak, and West Bloomfield Township, offers clients private or semiprivate, customized, 20-minute

workouts twice a week for between $25 and $50 per session.

The centerpiece of the experience is an exercise system called Exerbotics, which is powered by artificial intelligence that tailors an exercise program to the client.

“It’s individual, one-on-one personal training in a small, clean, quiet environment,” says Henry Christian, owner of Exercise Coach. “It targets

individuals who are really busy and don’t have time, adults who are over age 40 and maybe are afraid of being injured using traditional equipment, or they’re just not a fan of the traditional gym scene with lots of people.”

The high-tech, computerized machines assess a client’s strength during the first visit. For the next appointment, the technology picks up where the last session ended.

“The Exerbotics conform uniquely to your individual strengths and weaknesses,” Christian says.

“It’s motorized equipment. There are no weights. It adapts to your body in real time. At any given moment it’s adjusting to your direct level of input, so it reduces the chance of injury and takes the guesswork out of how much weight you should use (to exercise with).”

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Playing Chicken

FLIGHT OF FANCY

Detroit Wing Co. has grown to 10 stores since its founding in 2015. Over the next two years, the enterprise plans to double in size across Michigan.

Detroit Wing Co. weathered COVID-19, but now faces rising prices for chicken wings.

BY JAKE BEKEMEYER

D

espite a shortage of chicken wings, labor challenges, and trying to find a suitable location for a commissary amid a tight market for industrial space, Detroit Wing Co. is expanding.

Since its launch in 2015, the company has grown to include 10 stores, each of which makes a range of sauces fresh every morning. To streamline production, Gus Malliaras, owner of Detroit Wing Co., wanted to open a commissary where his team could make the sauces in bulk without losing the handmade quality, both to increase the consistency and to provide for future growth.

“We finally found a property in Warren that had a big enough footprint for us … but before the ink was even dry on the purchase agreement, we outgrew that,” Malliaras says.

The pandemic wasn’t good for most businesses, but due in large part to its carryout and delivery model, Detroit Wing Co. made it to the other side.

Now it’s experiencing growing pains.

For the commissary, a project that started out as a $3 million investment has ballooned to somewhere between $10 million and $15 million, and 50,000 square feet of space. Malliaras wants to build the facility in Detroit instead of buying an existing industrial space; to do that, he says patience is key.

With 16 stores set to open in late 2021 to early 2022, and plans to double that next year, Malliaras wants to be certain the new facility will last. So for now, the company is building a mini-commissary off the back of its Eastpointe location.

“The mini-commissary is giving us enough time to build (a new facility) the right way,” he says. “The (new) commissary will get us to several hundred stores rather than trying to fit into something we’re going to outgrow next year.”

Apart from growth plans, Malliaras has his hands full meeting current orders. “The price of chicken wings has nearly doubled over the last 12 months. We’ve raised our prices, but only by a few percent. We’re weathering the storm right now, but relief can’t come soon enough,” he says.

Many factors have contributed to the shortage of chicken wings, including processing plants struggling to find employees to meet demand, and the large number of livestock that perished in the deep freeze that swept across Texas earlier this year.

This issue hasn’t put a damper on Malliaras’ expectations for the company in the coming years, as new locations begin opening around the state.

“The quality of the stores and the quality of the operations are always going to be the No. 1 priority,” he says.

DAN DALTON

Co-founder and Partner Dalton & Tomich Detroit

DB: WHERE ARE YOU? DD: In Atlanta. I’m here working with some local churches that are leaving the United Methodist denomination to become independent.

Our law firm specializes in resolving religious property disputes and other religious and property matters. We started 11 years ago.

DB: ARE THERE LOCAL CASES? DD: We represented the American Islamic Community Center in Sterling Heights (in 2017), which sought to build a mosque. The city

changed its zoning laws to keep them out. The Sterling Heights Planning Commission denied the mosque a permit to build, which was on a discriminatory basis.

DB: WHAT HAPPENED? DD: We sued, and we were joined by the United States government. They became a party and intervened (in the lawsuit) because the actions by the planning commission were a violation of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. The act was signed into law in

2000, and puts churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and other religious-based organizations like schools on a level playing field with secular assembly uses such as theaters, city halls, banquet halls — anywhere people assemble.

DB: WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME? DD: We settled the case.

Mayor Michael Taylor was terrific to work with, and he recognized that the mosque had every right to build in the city. We often settle the cases before they go to trial. But in

one instance, Academy of Our Lady of the Peace vs. the City of San Diego went to trial over a zoning dispute and we were awarded more than $1 million (in damages), plus attorney fees.

DB: HOW’S YOUR NEW BOOK DOING? DD: It’s going well and came out on July 21. “Religious Property Disputes and the Law: House of God. Laws of Man,” was published by the American Bar Association. It was a pleasure to write it and see it published.

DETROIT WING CO.

PDA Q&A: The E-Interview || By R.J. King

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Ticker || September - October 2021

Career Boost

DBUSINESSDIRECT Michigan United, Unity Credit Unions Merge

Denver Hydroponics Firm Acquires Shelby Township’s HGS Hydro GrowGeneration, a Denver-based specialty hydroponic and organic garden center company, acquired HGS Hydro in Shelby Township, which operates six stores across Michigan with a new location set to open this fall.

DT Midstream to Open New HQ in Bedrock’s Ally Detroit Center DT Midstream, a natural gas pipeline, storage, and gathering provider in Detroit, will open its new corporate headquarters Nov. 1 in Bedrock’s Ally Detroit Center near Campus Martius, keeping nearly 80 jobs in the city.

DTM will occupy 26,000 square feet on the 29th floor of the building.

O2 Investment Partners Invests in California Broadband Provider Bloomfield Hills-based private equity firm O2 Investment Partners has invested an unspecified amount in wireless internet provider unWired Broadband based in Fresno, Calif. The company works with more than 22,000 customers in California’s Central Valley. UnWired Broadband, which is led by Peter Sorensen, Craig Demanty, Garrett Burbidge, and John Weigand, has more than 167 network towers covering an area of 14,000-plus miles.

GM Expands OnStar Vehicle Insights to Fleet Customers General Motors Co. in Detroit has expanded its OnStar Vehicle Insights to be used with most non-GM vehicles via a plug-in adapter. The expansion of services means fleet customers can utilize OnStar Vehicle Insights across their whole lineup, regardless of vehicle make or model year.

For full stories and more, visit dbusiness.com/daily-news to get daily news sent directly to your email.

Square One Network’s vehicle design competition inspires students to pursue STEM careers.

BY BILL DOW

W

ith a shortage of workers in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields, the Southfield-based nonprofit Square One Network is finding success by providing hands-on opportunities for students to consider a post-high school STEM education and career.

This past May, Square One and Kettering University in Flint hosted a two-day innovative design competition in which 38 teams from 24 Michigan schools participated in person or virtually on projects that included either engineering a “Power Wheels Jeep” into an autonomous vehicle; re-engineering an electric one-tenth-scale RC vehicle, simulating the sensors and coding necessary for autonomous movement; or transforming a gas-powered go-kart or car into an electric or hybrid electric vehicle.

“If we want Michigan to be a global leader in mobility and manufacturing, we have to be an epicenter for inspiring and training kids,” asserts Barb Land, CEO of Square One. “We can help address the talent shortage, narrow the skills gap, and engage students so they can visualize career pathways that they may not have even realized were within their grasp.”

To support student design competitions, Square One partnered with the Michigan Department of Education, Washtenaw Community College, Michigan Economic Development Corp., Brose, Kettering University, ITS Michigan, MiSTEM Network, and Good Sense Media.

Another partner, for the eighth consecutive year, was umlaut, a global full-service engineering and consulting firm that, over time, has donated more than $200,000 in cash and in-kind contributions, including funding scholarships and providing mentorships.

“With these competitions, the students are actually

MODEL RACING Square One Network, a nonprofit group in Southfield, offers hands-on programs where students gain real-world experience.

taking away skills that are transferable to real life, whether it’s project management, knowing how to build a budget, doing coding, (or) working as a team,” says Annette Skorupski, umlaut’s U.S. marketing lead. “Square One’s programs not only help to inspire students to pursue STEM careers, they also allow underprivileged schools that don’t necessarily have access to STEM educational programs to participate.”

Skorupski also has been pushing to get more women into STEM fields. Despite making up nearly half of the U.S. workforce, and although gains have been made, women comprise 27 percent of all STEM workers, according to a recent report by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Home Auto Repair || By Jake Bekemeyer CHANCE ENCOUNTERS HAVE DEFINED THE start of FixMyCar. Founder Prashant Salla hired a mechanic from Craigslist for an emergency repair back in 2018, which sparked the idea for an auto repair service that comes to you.

After developing the online business and corresponding mobile app that takes auto repair out of the mechanic shop and puts it into the customer’s driveway, Salla needed funding. As the result of striking up a conversation with a stranger at Bab’s Underground in Ann

Arbor, an investment was secured.

“I literally just met this guy at the bar, ordering beer,” Salla says.

It wasn’t long before FixMyCar launched as a driveway vehicle repair service that benefits consumers both by virtue of convenience — no more scheduling rides to and from repair shops or waiting an hour for an oil change — and by offering prices up to 30 percent lower than dealerships.

The service is currently operating in Detroit, Dallas, and Houston, with

nationwide service to be made available in the future. In addition, Salla says an annual membership program is being launched.

Aside from routine maintenance, FixMyCar mechanics offer an array of services, including battery replacement and power window repairs. “This changes the way people think about car repair and empowers them to take control of their vehicle’s health,” Salla says. “The auto repair space is ripe for disruption.”

SQUARE ONE EDUCATION NETWORK

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8/17/21 10:00 AM

Focus || Cybersecurity

Protecting Data Blockchain technology, a digital record-keeping software platform, is emerging as a serious deterrent to hackers, whether foreign or domestic.

BY NORM SINCLAIR | ILLUSTRATIONS BY JAMES YANG

I

n a recent interview discussing last year’s massive SolarWinds hack of multiple government agencies and major corporations, Phil Abraham, a cybersecurity and technology expert from Northville, warned that America’s infrastructure, public and private, was wide open for foreign hackers.

The cybercriminals slipped unnoticed into the Orion security software used by SolarWinds, a technology management company in Austin, Texas, and found a gateway into the computer systems of SolarWinds clients. Those included key government agencies such as the Pentagon and some 100 major companies, including Microsoft and Cisco.

Abraham, who consults with government agencies, including the National Security Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office, says the SolarWinds attack was much worse than has been publicly acknowledged.

“Every branch of the government and military has been hacked. We could try to launch a missile

and it won’t launch,” Abraham says. “Any major law firm in the country is at risk. Hackers can hand documents from one law firm to lawyers on the other side of a case, or they can go into a firm’s documents and change the words. Banks can have their money stolen in a matter of less than a second, or hackers can go in and change ledgers and banks won’t know what happened.”

Particularly vulnerable, he points out, are municipal water supplies and the gas and oil industry. That particularly prescient observation came true in early May with the attack on the 5,500-mile Colonial Pipeline, the nation’s largest pipeline conveyor of fuel servicing the East Coast from Houston to New York. “All the technology we have now doesn’t work,” Abraham says.

“Their (government and corporate entities) systems are controlled by hackers. It’s a hot mess.”

A week after the Colonial Pipeline hack was discovered, Abraham says the federal Government Services Administration recruited his partnership group to join the government’s efforts to sort out the Colonial hack and to prevent similar

attacks in the future.

“They reached out to us because our DragonChain blockchain is the only one out there that’s quantum-safe,” Abraham says, referring to the quantum computer that experts fear will be the next space-age cyber threat.

Also piquing the fed’s interest in DragonChain, Abraham says, are its impenetrable algorithms created by his partner, Albert Carlson, a worldclass mathematician and software developer.

Carlson’s complex algorithms and polymorphic codes are the basis of the security shield in the Digital Fortress security platform Abraham uses to protect the supply chains for clients in the health care industry.

In computing, a polymorphic code changes itself each time it’s used, making it difficult for hackers to penetrate. All known cybersecurity software is written with random number generators that will eventually allow patterns to develop, Abraham explains. “When patterns develop, hackers have software that zeroes in on those patterns and, boom, they hack you,” he says.

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Cybersecurity || Focus

Carlson has perfected software to create an algorithm formula Abraham named the Polymorphic Random Number Generator, or Poly R&G for short, which eliminates patterns. Poly R&G produces streams of numbers so long they could circle the earth more than a billion times without ever developing a pattern for hackers to find.

That formula, coupled with DragonChain’s platform, could have prevented the Solarwinds hack by Russian intelligence officers and the attack on the Colonial Pipeline, Abraham says.

Blockchain is a digital record-keeping software platform that’s also the basis of the cryptocurrency craze that has catapulted bitcoin into the financial lexicon. Like the esoteric “cloud” that preceded it, the blockchain phenomenon remains little known to most of the public outside of the scientific and technology communities.

Ironically, cryptocurrency enabled the hackers, identified as a Russian cybercriminal group called DarkSide, to extract $5 million in ransom from Colonial Pipeline. Bloomberg News reported the amount of ransomware paid out in cryptocurrency by victims last year increased by 311 percent, topping $350 million. The average ransom paid by various organizations was $312,493.

After years of being lukewarm about the blockchain phenomenon, Abraham became a convert after he was introduced to DragonChain, a version of blockchain created by Abraham’s new partner, Joe Roets, a 25-year software architect from Bellevue, Wash.

Roets has an impressive list of former employers for whom he led or contributed to technology projects, including The Walt Disney Co., Lockheed Martin, Sprint Corp., the FBI, and the U.S. Department of Defense, among others. He spent three years with Disney, where he built the entertainment company’s blockchain system. Roets left Disney in 2017 and, with its blessing, started his own firm using the concepts he had developed while there to design and build DragonChain.

The blockchain has applications for everyday business activity for consumers, whether that’s transactions with companies like banks, law firms, or health care providers, or dabbling in investments in cryptocurrency.

Roets’ programs and platform allow DragonChain to integrate with other existing systems such as those deployed by Colonial Pipeline, Abraham says.

“Protecting data is paramount, whether it’s customers’ data, business data, financial data, or health data. Proving data or reproducing, protecting, and retrieving it in its original form is the heart of blockchain,” Roets says. “If I have information like health data, I must make sure it’s not purposely or accidentally corrupted, given it could affect dosage, it could affect treatment, or it could affect insurance claims. We can decentralize that

proof on DragonChain in such a way that the information is never exposed, but allows the customer or doctor to retrieve and see the original information.”

The blockchain platform protects data or any material by digitally reproducing it millions of times in blocks, to protect the originals.

“Any documents you want to preserve, or maybe it’s just your favorite picture of your dog, they get date-stamped and notarized, and then distributed digitally out to millions of locations on the chain, all with the notarized date-stamp,” Roets says. “If your computer is hacked and your documents are messed up by hackers, you can prove the authenticity of those documents — or the dog’s picture — as they would be preserved on the chain 50 million times.”

William J. Kraus, an attorney and shareholder in Butzel Long’s Ann Arbor office who specializes in legal and regulatory issues related to digital assets such as bitcoin and blockchain technology,

IF YOUR COMPUTER IS HACKED AND YOUR DOCUMENTS ARE MESSED UP BY HACKERS, YOU CAN PROVE THE AUTHENTICITY OF THOSE DOCUMENTS ... AS THEY WOULD BE PRESERVED ON THE CHAIN 50 MILLION TIMES.” — JOE ROETS says he couldn’t speak to the capability of DragonChain, but he says the growing hype surrounding blockchain is real.

“You can think of blockchain as a chain of records in its simplest construction. It has one record layered on top of another record, in perpetuity,” Kraus says. “There (are) a lot of interesting business applications, and there are businesses in Michigan that are doing this already.”

Supply chains for manufacturers can also benefit from blockchain’s record-keeping, Kraus says.

“You could have a hypothetical in which somebody builds a component of a car, an engine, or a transmission, and you could have a blockchain generate records automatically of the history, manufacture, and life cycle of that component that, (years later), can instantly be reproduced,” he says, Health care records are another ideal adaptation, Kraus adds.

“You could have a blockchain that could be in the cloud or fit into a device in your hand and it

would have every medical record associated with you for your entire life — sequential, secure, searchable, all there,” he says. “You could check your blood pressure today and look back on the chain and see what it was 32 years ago. That’s the kind of efficiency blockchain represents.”

Another futuristic blockchain concept now taking hold in business is the smart contract — the digital version of a written document that allows parties to immortalize a final agreement, as well as include all the information or data that went into the agreement.

“The interesting part of it is that the result of that smart contract can be anticipated, can be predicted based on inputs, and you can see the most efficient path and what benefits you the most. For business it’s a massive value add,” Roets says.

Kraus says another beneficial application of a smart blockchain contract is that it can police itself, making sure all parties comply with the terms of an agreement.

“All that really means is when someone enters into an agreement and says, I’m going to sell you 20 widgets and will deliver them no later than May 1, if those widgets aren’t entered into the blockchain saying they’ve arrived on May 1, a smart contract might automatically disburse damages,” Kraus says. “It might say for every day that it’s late, starting on May 1, $5,000 is paid to you.”

Or a smart contract might avoid lawyers entirely, Kraus says. If the conditions of the contract aren’t met and records on the blockchain prove it, the $5,000 daily late fee could be automatically disbursed.

“That’s really a smart contract,” Kraus says. “It provides efficiency, record-keeping, enforcement, and an audit trail. There (are) a lot of other applications that go beyond the auto industry or health care.”

Abraham says that as he watched the blockchain emergence in recent years, he was impressed with its potential, but skeptical that it could interact with traditional operating systems already at work in public or private enterprises.

“I know pretty much everything there is about technology, but this is the best I’ve ever seen. Most technologies are sloppy; they don’t work right.

This one is flawless,” adds Abraham, who launched the world’s first supply chain management software, called Manugistics, in 1980. It was sold to JDA Software in 2006.

In turn, Abraham says he was impressed to find there are five levels of security within DragonChain, all registered with U.S. patents.

“When Joe (Roets) was building this out, he said he thought he would apply for the very best patents he could think of,” Abraham says. “He’s writing all this code, he’s building out what’s going to be the best blockchain ever, and he thinks he should get the best patents. His patent lawyer September - OctOber 2021 || DBUSINESS.COM 43

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Focus || Cybersecurity

submits them, and normally that would take about a year. He got approval in four months. The patent office said this is so new, we’re going to grant you your patents’ wish list and give you even more. And now blockchain is so hot, and he’s got all the best patents.”

DragonChain also solved an issue that Abraham says stumped him for decades, even as he built a national reputation as a supply chain whisperer for hospitals and the medical industry. Most had disparate networks that made it difficult to coordinate information by connecting one department with others in the organization. The DragonChain platform, however, can seamlessly integrate siloed systems that normally can’t interact with each other. According to the company’s fact sheet, the platform consists of an interoperable network of 2,000 traditional blockchain systems and databases. In other words, any blockchain or conventional system can be integrated with DragonChain.

The company says the system is simple to use regardless of a person’s technical knowledge, and it offers grandma (or grandpa) friendly interfaces. Near real-time processing of business transactions can be achieved in less than one second, and the system allows a business to store data of any size or type for future use.

Abraham points out that DragonChain is not only compliant with the 1984 U.S. Computer Act, which protects computer programs against illegal copying of other software, but it also meets the standard of data protection regulations set by the European Union.

“The supply chain is traditionally the most vulnerable link in cybersecurity,” Abraham says. “It’s also the most disparate and siloed. In DragonChain, I finally found the last piece of the puzzle that solved the interoperability dilemma that plagued me for 30 years, well before blockchain was a known term.”

Abraham’s supply chain expertise began when he was at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti and working at the then-flourishing Kmart Corp. in Troy, at the time the nation’s second largest retailer behind Sears Roebuck and Co. Even back in the day, he says he was critical of off-theshelf technology. His thesis, which attracted the technology industry’s attention, was that popular software technology was useless.

His success at Kmart led to expansive assignments as he developed major supply chain projects for General Motors, Ford, Wal-Mart, and Domino’s Pizza. Along the way, he created Covisint Inc., an information technology company for

Detroit’s Big Three auto companies. Covisint was later purchased by Compuware and is now a publicly traded stand-alone entity.

At Ascension Health, he reworked their hospitals’ supply chains and, in the process, created The Resource Group, Ascension Health’s supply chain unit that now services hospitals, clinics, and the medical field in 2,500 locations nationwide.

Last November, Abraham accepted Roets’ invitation to join his group. Abraham traded a portion of his CloudFace for a similar stake in DragonChain, and became a member of Roets’ executive board of directors.

Two assets Abraham brought to DragonChain were Digital Fortress, his own security platform, and Carlson, whose wide range of academic achievements spans de-

degrees from multiple universities and work experience varying from computer engineering to electronic circuit boards, encryption, cybersecurity, and set theory.

Carlson began his career 25 years ago as a military intelligence officer, before morphing into computer engineering, chip and network design, cellular phones, HD-TV, polymorphic technology, cybersecurity, encryption, nine years of university teaching stints, and research consulting with several universities.

Since Carlson and Abraham teamed up with Roets’ group, Abraham says his time has been devoted to folding the Digital Fortress platform and Carlson’s polymorphic codes into DragonChain, to further harden the blockchain’s defenses

against even the most sophisticated hackers.

Although the SolarWinds attack originally began in spring 2020, it wasn’t discovered until December, when FireEye — a prominent cybersecurity company — produced evidence that showed hackers used a back door through SolarWinds to infiltrate nearly the entire country.

Hackers figured out a way to highjack a routine update for customers on SolarWinds’ Orion business management software. As the overnight update was sent out to customers’ computers, hackers pirated the update software and entered their own malicious codes into it, corrupting all the updates sent to government and corporate clients’ computers.

Sudhakar Ramakrishna, president and CEO of SolarWinds, told NPR News in December that 18,000 of its customers were affected between March and June last year. “If you then take 18,000 and start sifting through it, the actual number of impacted customers is far less. We don’t know the exact numbers. We’re still conducting the investigation,” he told the network.

Among the acknowledged 100 companies victimized are Microsoft, Intel, and Cisco. Federal agencies hacked include the U.S. Treasury, Justice, and Energy departments, and the Pentagon.

Even as these entities are excavating the corrupt information that could allow hackers or even foreign governments to control their systems, cybersecurity experts are gearing up to defend the next looming threat: the quantum computer.

Although these machines are a long way from home use, Google’s quantum computer, which it calls Sycamore, reportedly took 200 seconds to perform a mathematical calculation so complex that it would have taken an estimated 10,000 years for IBM’s most powerful supercomputer, Summit, to solve it, according to Predict, a monthly newsletter that focuses on futuristic scientific advances.

In a similar vein, Live Science magazine states quantum computers perform calculations using the rules of quantum mechanics — a branch of physics that involves photons, electrons, and atomic nuclei.

For a data scientist like Abraham, cybersecurity at its simplest form is numbers.

“Believe it or not, it’s a silly game of all those mathematical numbers that are going to save us from all those hackers,” he says, “not a guy with a construction outfit building walls. It’s these mathematical algorithms, just a bunch of numbers, that will do it. It’s just amazing and brilliant.”

44 DBUSINESS || September - OctOber 2021

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Perspectives || Automotive

Run of Shows

Since the 1980s, Tim McGrane has overseen motorsports venues and made a name for himself in the car-collecting world. He arrives as M1 Concourse in Pontiac is at a crossroads and the Motor City refines and expands its expressions of automotive enthusiasm.

L

ast year, during the pandemic’s first blast, Cindy McGrane looked at her accumulated flight benefits and suggested to her husband, Tim, that they set forth and visit some car museums. They were staying at a friend’s vacation home in Scottsdale, Ariz., and were unconstrained. Cindy had recently retired after a career with the airlines; Tim was rebounding from a difficult 19-month interval running operations at a California racetrack.

Making several forays across the nation, the couple visited 30 museums in places ranging

from Albuquerque, N.M., to Newport, R.I. Naturally, they made a stop in Dearborn. “We went to The Henry Ford at the height of COVID-19, when they were shut down, and it was so sweet to spend time with (Curator of Transportation) Matt Anderson, and hear about how they were coping,” Cindy says.

The McGranes had no inkling that in less than a year they would be summoned back to metro Detroit. M1 Concourse, the five-year-old private motorsports playground in Pontiac, was looking for a new CEO after Jordan Zlotoff had expressed to his father, Paul, M1’s founder, a desire to move into other activities.

In the search for a new leader, Paul Zlotoff mentioned the opening to several people, including Bill Warner, chairman of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, one of the world’s famed

classic car shows held every March north of Jacksonville, Fla. Warner admits recommending McGrane, while also issuing a caveat about his incessantly natty attire. “The only thing you gotta do is get him to take that damn tie off,” Warner remembers saying.

By last fall, McGrane and Zlotoff were in contact. The appointment as CEO was formalized in February, and the McGranes — who had always lived in California or Arizona — were soon pinning down a furnished rental house in Troy, on the border with Bloomfield Hills, just eight minutes from M1 Concourse. The campus is located on a triangular 87-acre parcel at Woodward Avenue and South Boulevard. For many decades, GMC manufactured trucks, buses, and even the amphibious landing craft known as the Duck there.

Designed by Motorsports Consulting Services in Tucson, Ariz., the overall layout features an 11-turn, 1.5-mile Champion Motor Speedway and more than 250 privately owned garages. The units range from 509 square feet to 2,452 square feet in size. Owners are eligible to join M1’s Motorsports Club. The five-figure initiation fee (up to $30,000) and $3,950 annual membership guarantee at least six hours of track time per week, monthly instructional sessions, and exclusive access to a fleet of high-performance new cars. Currently completing the fourth phase of construction, M1 will open its events center and restaurant in mid-September. The striking 28,000-square-foot, modern-industrial-style building was designed by INFORM Studio in Northville, which also did the garage-condos.

As with a free-agent signing by a sports franchise, the hiring of McGrane, who is 62 years old, opened the eyes of nearly every follower of the closely related collector-car and motorsports industries. Those in the know recognize his

COURTESY M1 CONCOURSE

BY RONALD AHRENS

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Automotive || Perspectives

PISTON PLAYGROUND Tim McGrane, CEO of M1 Concourse in Pontiac, with a rare Aston Martin (opposite). Below, a recent auto show at M1 Concourse. This summer and fall, the private automotive campus is hosting four major events: including Motor Bella (Sept. 21-26) and the American Speed Festival (Sept. 27 to Oct. 3).

achievements. “Tim is a refined, sophisticated individual,” Paul Zlotoff says. “He approaches it with a real professionalism, and his experience (is) a great value.”

From the outset, it never appeared that McGrane, a native of a village near Gravesend, Kent, in southeastern England, would have a career in the automotive-enthusiast field or become one of the foremost experts — “almost freakishly knowledgeable,” Cindy says — on pre-World War II and 1960s racing cars. After completing a mechanical engineering degree at MidKent College in England, McGrane came to Palm Springs, Calif., in 1982 and managed a nightclub. Even when he met Cindy, a native of the resort city, his inner car-guy was a secret. If only she had seen the photo of him at age 5, adorned in his school cap and tie, behind the wheel of an Austin J40 pedal car, she might have had a clue.

“I had no idea how extensive his love of the automobile was,” she says. “We never even really talked much about it. And then, pretty quick, I would say about six months into our dating life, it started to become apparent.”

Unable to help himself when a vintage-car race came to town in 1985, he volunteered on the hospitality committee. The successful Palm Springs Vintage Grand Prix would be repeated annually until 1996. After a couple of years, McGrane met Rick Cole, who was recruited to conduct a car auction by then-mayor Sonny Bono (a Detroit native). McGrane took the auction under wing, too. “He was Johnny-on-the-spot addressing all the needs of my staff,” recalls Cole, whose events were a cut above the rude and noisy country-style auctions of the time.

Soon McGrane joined Cole’s organization as general manager. Married by then, he and Cindy went to San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles — the first of several career-related moves. Settling into the job, he traveled to Detroit on Cole’s behalf in January of 1989. The purpose was to meet with partners in two upcoming auctions: one matched Rick Cole Auctions with Rochester Hills promoter Bob Larivee’s Autorama show in February, and the other was in conjunction with the Detroit Grand Prix in June, where the star car was the 1964 CERV II, the Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle — effectively a racing car that was being planned as a Corvette but never made it to production — which adopted a mid-engine format and was capable of better than 200 miles per hour.

Another car caught McGrane’s attention that winter. “I visited during the Detroit Auto Show that year, which I recall was the year the (Dodge) Viper was launched,” McGrane says. “That was my first time in Detroit.”

In the years since, he has been in on the development of several breakthroughs, such as television September - OctOber 2021 || DBUSINESS.COM 49

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Perspectives || Automotive

coverage of collector-car auctions — which are rebroadcast in seeming perpetuity on cable channels and provide comfort to insomniacs who prefer to count Chevys instead of sheep.

He also spent four years in Scottsdale with the Barrett-Jackson Auction Co. Every year, Barrett-Jackson puts on a sprawling multi-day sella-thon that’s a touchstone experience for car enthusiasts. “I got to Barrett-Jackson when there were three hours of live coverage, and we thought that was a lot,” he says. Helped by a previous stint in the early dotcom period at a short-lived company called EClassics, which wanted to sell cars online with an in-studio TV show as the cornerstone, he was ready to help as coverage expanded to 36 hours.

“When it first started, and you had a prominent sale and sold 60 percent to 70 percent of the cars, that was good,” McGrane says. “What we found out very quickly with television shows (is that), first of all, live television doesn’t wait for anybody, and a live auction doesn’t wait for anybody. You don’t want to lose that momentum.

You’ve got to get those two cogs in sync. What hadn’t been anticipated to start with was you don’t want to go to a dog-food commercial when you’re about to break a world record. Or you don’t want to have six cars in a row not sell and (have) that be what (the audience) saw on television.”

As TV drove the Barrett-Jackson auction to adopt a no-reserve format, it was further discovered that the content is “evergreen.” Highlights can be repackaged to encompass the best British

cars at auction, the best American cars, and more. McGrane’s contention that “it’s addictive” was born out by his admission of having watched a couple of hours of auction coverage before this interview.

Peering at cars going over the auction block or around racetracks is one of McGrane’s innate habits. Cindy traces it back to “the age of 10 or 12, when (he and his friends) would sneak away and cut a hole through the back fence at the Brands Hatch track. That was the thing he did with his mates.” A curious detail is that he thought to “take a little lunch” — perhaps a harbinger of his future in hospitality. “They would go sit under the trees and watch the racing, and then come home at dark. His mother probably never knew where he was.”

His wife describes how the social aspects of motorsports and car collecting continue to drive him. “I mean, he’ll get up at 4:30 on a Saturday morning and go — which he did this weekend — to the local Cars and Coffee, just to see who’s there and make new friends and just kind of walk around.”

M1 Concourse has had and continues to have a busy schedule this season, and attendees at events there will recognize McGrane, who is 6 feet tall, by what Cindy describes as his “square face” and his snappy attire. The joke among his friends is that McGrane automatically gains 20 I.Q. points from his English accent, and another 10 points from his tie. “He’s certainly the bestdressed guy in our industry,” Cole says.

Tasked with raising the profile of the racetrack and grounds, McGrane got his first taste of what was a busy summer season with the return of Motor Trend Group’s Roadkill Nights Powered

by Dodge on Aug. 14, when Woodward Avenue was converted into a competitive dragstrip complete with lights, timers, smoking tires, roaring engines, and buzzing fans one week before the Woodward Dream Cruise.

The inaugural run of McGrane’s budding schedule of events at M1 was the Woodward Dream Show, held from Aug. 20-21; the final day tied in with the annual Motor City extravaganza.

“We worked in collaboration with the Dream Cruise people,” McGrane explains. “(We have) probably a certain number of hotrods or muscle cars that, either because of their historic nature or their value, you’ll never see them driving on the road.”

Still, owners want to share. M1 provides “a controlled environment” for “a special showing of cars that made the Woodward legacy,” he adds. A big moment during the Dream Show was the honoring of an old friend, Bob Larivee, who received the “Master of the Cruise” award on Aug. 20.

Before McGrane arrived on the scene, planning for another event was underway. Earlier this year, the Detroit Auto Dealers Association scotched its 2021 North American International Auto Show, announcing instead a new exposition, Motor Bella, Sept. 21-26 at M1 Concourse.

Calling it “a bridge to the future,” DADA changed

COURTESY M1 CONCOURSE

HORSEPOWER HAVEN The new M1 Concourse Event Center in Pontiac will open in stages in the coming months, starting in September. Once fully open, the public will be invited to use the restaurant and events facility.

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Automotive || Perspectives

the original plan for an outdoor display devoted to British and Italian cars. “They took this Motor Bella and supersized it into filling everything that M1 has available,” McGrane says.

“They’ll be doing live demonstrations with the automobiles on what we call the North Circuit” — turns three through eight can be separated from the rest of the track — “and the other part will be the displays.”

It fits with the mission statement of M1 Concourse, which Zlotoff tabs as “creating the pre-eminent motorsports experiential venue.”

One could easily underestimate the inherent advantages in play here. Instead of being at a remote site, M1, located in the center of Oakland County, is accessible to the public. Professional management and a solid economic basis further position the facility to be independent, unlike events that are run by volunteer committees and always in search of sponsors.

“If you think about the major motorsports experiences that I’m aware of in the United States right now, they’re all basically at somebody else’s property,” Zlotoff says. “This is maybe the first time that I can think of you really have motorsports experiences — and we hope for that term and that concept to be very expansive — where we control the calendar, we control the venue, we can develop the activities, and we do it with a long-term certainty of both date and operations because it’s our backyard, not somebody else’s.”

The season ends with a burst of activity in late September, when the M1 Concourse events center hosts the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America’s 2020 and 2021 induction ceremonies on Sept. 27 and Sept. 29, respectively. (The 2020 ceremony was postponed.) On Thursday, Sept. 30, the inaugural American Speed Festival, a varied threeand-a-half-day experience, kicks off with a driving tour for classic and special-interest cars.

The first destination is Brighton, where Ken Lingenfelter, owner of Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, will guide guests through what is an extensive collection of early Corvettes, muscle cars, luxury vehicles, and his own line of high-horsepower upgrades to existing sportscar nameplates.

Next, the tour goes to The Henry Ford for a behind-the-scenes look at the exhibit “Driven to Win: Racing in America Presented by General Motors.” McGrane has already previewed the long-delayed show: “I’m so happy for them that they were able to get it open and finally share it with the public,” he says. After lunch at the Automotive Hall of Fame, which is adjacent to the museum, the grand tour will return to M1 Concourse.

Two days of on-track activities — time trials for 10 classes of cars — come on Friday and Saturday. All eyes (and ears) will be occupied during special demonstration runs by two of

engineer-driver Jim Hall’s Chaparral racing cars, which some would say were at least indirectly derived from the CERV II mid-engine Corvette prototype that appeared in the 1989 auction. (A March 27, 1964, diary entry by Bunkie Knudsen, who was the Chevrolet Division’s general manager at the time, records the presence of Hall and Roger Penske at an engineering presentation on high-speed handling characteristics.) Hall’s grandson is expected as the driver of these rarely seen cars. “We’re extremely fortunate that’s going to happen, and people can see them,” McGrane says.

Saturday evening is reserved for a black-tie charity gala at the events center, when Hall will receive the Legends of Motorsports award. The gala benefits a new foundation, the Zlotoff family’s Checkered Flag Challenge, in service of organizations in and around Pontiac.

Sunday, Oct. 1, is reserved for “a big car show” with the track cars from the previous two days and groupings in “a number of select classes.” The $250 daily entry fee includes gourmet food and beverage service. “Our hospitality director is certainly going all out — it will almost be a culinary experience as well as an automotive one,” McGrane says. “Why don’t you be what you are and do it best? We’re going to be the American Speed Festival, we’re going to be located in Detroit, in the Motor City, with all this heritage that we have around us.”

Indeed, within weeks of settling in at M1 Concourse, McGrane had shown solidarity with backers of the nascent Pontiac Transportation Museum. He found synergies with a counterpart, Jamie Meyer, president of Performance Racing Industry, as that organization mulls the possibility of locating a technology center in metro Detroit. “He can probably get anybody he wants to get on the phone,” Cole says. “He can probably get a lot of cars brought there that generally you wouldn’t even know about.”

Meanwhile, McGrane can take advantage of a stable platform to focus on the future. Cindy explains things this way: “In the car auction world, the event world, most of those people don’t have that financial stability. At this stage in Tim’s life, it’s a gift that this odd relationship came together.”

When he first arrived, a late-season taste of snow let McGrane reawaken the muscle-memory required for driving on a low-friction surface.

“I’m glad I was driving alone. Cindy wouldn’t have liked to be with me,” he says. “OK, I got the hang of this,” he remembers telling himself. On one trip he was even emboldened to turn off all the automated driving aids. “I wasn’t going anywhere in a hurry. I’m sure (the snow) can be inconvenient when you have to be somewhere at a certain time. It’s going to be an adventure. We’re excited about it.”

AUTO SHOWS

SEPT. 21-26 — Motor Bella, a place-keeper for the North American International Auto Show, will offer a tour through the ever-evolving world of mobility and experiences, from off-road SUVs through autonomous electric vehicles and high-powered sports cars. Some 40,000 people are expected to see 38 brands represented over the six days of the event at M1 Concourse in Pontiac.

Key Dates: Press: Sept. 21-22 AutoMobili-D technology show: Sept. 21-22 Industry Days: Sept. 21-22 Public Show: Sept. 23-26 Charity Events: TBD SEPT. 27 AND 29 — Motorsports Hall of Fame of America 2020 (Sept. 27) and 2021 (Sept.

29): Induction ceremonies will take place at the new M1 Concourse Event Center.

The Class of 2020 (delayed due to COVID-19) includes Red Byron and Tiny Lund (Historic Category); Chris Carr (Motorcycles); Floyd Clymer (At Large); Wally Dallenbach (Open Wheel); Rick Hendrick (Stock Cars); Jacky Ickx (Sports Cars); George Montgomery (Drag Racing); and Ivan Stewart (Off Road).

The Class of 2021 includes: Davey Allison (Stock Cars); John Cobb (Historic); Larry Dixon Jr. (Drag Racing); Janet Guthrie (Open Wheel); Nicky Hayden (Motorcycles); Robin Miller (Media); Fran Muncey (Powerboats); Ray Nichels (Historic); and Judy Stropus (Sports Cars).

SEPT. 30-OCT. 3 — The American Festival of Speed will showcase more than 60 race cars in 10 different classes. The cars represent almost every form of motorsports, and will make their best time on M1 Concourse’s Speed Ring. There also will be a day of vehicle expositions, a Motor Grille event, the opportunity to view M1’s select garages, and a Dine and Drive Tour of auto museums. Legendary racing mechanic Jim Hall is being honored as the inaugural ASF Master of Motorsports.

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Perspectives || Automotive

North by Northwest

F

The Detroit Auto Show is moving and adding new elements to better compete in a world upended by COVID-19 and the emergence of new mobility platforms.

or the first time since its inception more than a century ago, the North American International Auto Show is scaling down and moving 25 miles northwest of Detroit to a vast outdoor setting with its own racetrack (and much better weather in the fall, versus the winter). The new venue, M1 Concourse in Pontiac, will see new vehicles demonstrated on a 1.5-mile track or an off-road course, and include rides with pro drivers and plenty of Northern hospitality.

That’s the story of the inaugural Motor Bella (Italian for “beautiful”) event, which will happen Sept. 21-26 at M1 Concourse, at the corner of Woodward Avenue and South Boulevard, where a GM truck plant once stood. The name was initially applied to what was to be a display of exotic and performance cars, one of several outdoor elements of a new take on the Detroit Auto Show planned for June (instead of January) 2020. But last year’s show was canceled due to COVID-19, then rescheduled to Sept. 2021 and relocated to M1, with added dynamic elements.

“We had (planned to have) a Motor Bella display of high-performance cars by the Detroit Athletic Club and the Detroit Opera House as an element of the June 2020 downtown auto show,” says Rod Alberts, executive director of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association in Troy, the official host of an annual extravaganza that traces its roots to 1899.

“That June plan was super exciting, but the pandemic brought it to a halt. Then, coming out of the pandemic, we wanted to create additional experiential and activation elements where we could do things outdoors that we couldn’t do indoors. And September is typically a great month for weather in Detroit.”

Alberts says auto shows around the world are doing things differently to better engage with consumers. As of now, the Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany is transitioning to include all forms of mobility and moving to Munich in September (ahead of Oktoberfest). The Tokyo Auto Show is rebranding as a “mobility” show and may not be run again until 2023. In the U.S., the Los Angeles Auto Show moved from January to November a few years ago, and the Chicago show happened in July this year instead of February.

BY GARY WITZENBURG Pontiac’s M1 Concourse is an 87-acre “playground” for auto enthusiasts. The facility boasts a twisty 1.5-mile performance track, more than 250 private garages, and its own motorsports club. It offers area-unique opportunities for enthusiasts to keep, show, and exercise their exotic, performance, and racing vehicles at a venue used for testing, training, marketing, team-building, and corporate entertainment activities. A new 28,000-square-foot event center will be ready to welcome Motor Bella, while an upscale restaurant and an open-air experiential village of auto and entertainment retail businesses are planned for 2022.

“M1 offers something few communities have,” Alberts says. “Most racetracks are an hour or more outside the nearest city, so having that here opens a door for us to do something bigger and more exciting than anyone has (done) before —

IT’S NOT A TRADITIONAL AUTO SHOW, BUT A MOBILITYFILLED EXPERIENCE ALL ABOUT EXPLORING THE FREEDOM AND MOBILITY OF AUTOMOBILES.” — DOUG NORTH, CHAIRMAN OF MOTOR BELLA not just kicking tires, but putting people in the products to experience them — that we didn’t want to pass up. And why not have Detroit take a leadership role in the mobility area of auto shows? If you have 87 acres and a racetrack, you can do everything from off-road to autonomous to electric to high-performance cars, as well as mainstream products. It’s the perfect environment for what we want to do.”

Motor Bella is the third of four major events at M1 this year. Motor Trend/Dodge Roadkill Nights (which featured drag racing on Woodward Avenue) and the Woodward Dream Show (in conjunction with the famous Dream Cruise) happened in August, and the inaugural American Speed Festival will follow Motor Bella from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3.

Motor Bella 2021 will be a six-day event with press and industry days on Sept. 21 and 22, followed by four public days (9 a.m.-8 p.m.) through the weekend.

“We're moving from a static to a dynamic environment, and it takes more to put on a dynamic event,” Alberts says. “But it will be very family oriented, with more things to do … hang out with the family, get refreshments, ride in the cars. If you take everything that was in Cobo Hall (now TCF Center) and put it outside at M1, every participating automaker will have its own area to display their new vehicles.

“Then there are the dynamic elements of ontrack and off-road demonstrations, demo rides with expert drivers, and test drives on public roads. Every location is activation-oriented, and we’ll have areas for static displays and startups like we had downtown. We’re expecting more than 600 cars and offering a menu of opportunities for OEMs to demonstrate their products.”

A portion of the 1.5-mile track in front of the new event center, and the skid-pad nearby, will be filled with up to 500 new vehicles on static display, Alberts adds. “The rest of the track will be engaged nearly 100 percent of the time. Even when there aren’t product demonstrations by OEMs or suppliers, we’ll have something on track — Ferraris, Maseratis, or something else making noise — and we can take a car from the display area directly to the track within a couple minutes. We’ll also have a grandstand where people can sit and watch.”

Around 70 percent of automakers active in the U.S. are committed to participate, according to Alberts, and most of those that don’t come in at a corporate level will be represented by dealer displays.

The show is expected to offer a vast variety of products from some 40 different brands, including some that have opted out of recent Detroit shows such as Ferrari, McLaren, Lamborghini, Bentley, Rolls Royce, and other ultra-lux and hyper-performance cars. The vehicles will be located inside a large tent, and some of those will take to the track.

Since the last Detroit Auto Show in January 2019, the Detroit Auto Dealers Association believes there’s plenty of pent-up consumer interest.

Alberts says M1 can accommodate as many as

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Automotive || Perspectives

40,000 attendees per day, and he expects upward of 150,000 people over the four public days.

There will be some major new-product reveals by OEMs, as well.

During the press and industry days, as many as 150 startup, technology, and mobility companies will participate in an MEDC-sponsored “AutoMobili-D” showcase in the event center, while mobility panel discussions are scheduled for Sept. 22. Other AutoMobili-D sponsors include Aisin, Bosch, Magna, and Key Bank.

“The Michigan Economic Development Corp. and the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification are honored to partner with the Detroit Automotive Dealers Association at this year’s Motor Bella experience at M1 Concourse,” says Trevor Pawl, Michigan’s chief mobility officer.

The Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, in collaboration with MEDC and other state agencies, works across state government, academia, and private industry to enhance Michigan’s mobility ecosystem and assist in the development of emerging technologies, electrification policies, and the growth of related businesses.

Doug North, chairman of Motor Bella, emphasizes that this year’s event will take the traditional Detroit extravaganza to the next level, “with multiple brands and mobilities represented, from hometown to international nameplates, autonomous vehicles to high-performance

supercars, and everything in between.

“It’s not a traditional auto show, but a mobility-filled experience all about exploring the freedom and mobility of automobiles. And it will provide our show partners a cost-efficient backdrop to share all of their brands, products, and technologies in a fun and festival-like atmosphere,” North says.

Following Motor Bella, the American Speed Festival will make its debut at M1 Concourse on Sept. 27 with a (COVID-postponed) 2020 Motorsports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. It concludes on Oct. 3 with an all-sportscar and racecar exposition. In between will be two days of competitive lapping on M1’s Champion Motor Speedway course, a high-end Dine and Drive Tour, an elegant Checkered Flag Ball, and more.

“We’re looking to create an event that will celebrate the past, present, and future of the automobile,” says Tim McGrane, CEO of M1. “This year, we're featuring the historic Can Am race series and honoring Jim Hall out of Texas, who was legendary with his Chaparral cars. We have five classes of cars that will do timed runs, and the Chaparrals and some others will do demonstration runs. We’ll get cars out on the track for spectators to see that they wouldn’t see at a race event, because they’re never put into a competitive environment.”

The event promises notable social and lifestyle

TRACK TIME Unlike a traditional auto show, Motor Bella will feature cars driving on the track at M1 Concourse in Pontiac. Other activities include press and industry days.

aspects, including 15 different items on the menu each day, executive chefs and sommeliers offering cooking demonstrations, and a miniature M1-replica radio-controlled course where people can watch pros run nitro RC cars and be taught how to run electric RC cars on the same track.

Moving forward, plans call for both a Detroit Auto Show and a Motor Bella in 2022, according to Alberts. “Why not have multiple events throughout the year, with festive environments and consumer engagements, instead of just the one?” he asks. The 2022 downtown Detroit show will likely be in September (not January), and will include outside activities.

“That auto-show element of being able to walk around and see all the vehicles in one place at one time will still be there at Motor Bella,” he says, “but this is an auto-centric event offering experiential and engagement opportunities that you normally couldn’t offer with an indoor show — putting people in cars and smelling, seeing, touching, and experiencing technologies. We’ll test the waters this year to see how it works. We’re getting a lot of great feedback on it, so we’re excited to see where it could be headed.”

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Feature || GM — Big Three Auto Executives

Chairman and CEO Barra became the first female chief executive to lead a major automaker when she was named CEO in January 2014. She was elected chairman of the

CRAIG GLIDDEN Executive Vice President, Global Public Policy; General Counsel Glidden was appointed to the global public policy role on June 1, 2021. He is responsible for appointing

RANDALL D. MOTT Executive Vice President, Global Information Technology; Chief Information Officer Mott is responsible for the company’s global IT strategy and all IT assets.

DANIEL E. BERCE Senior Vice President President and CEO, GM Financial Berce has held these positions at GM Financial since October 2010, when GM purchased the

a new senior executive in charge of global public policy. Glidden joined GM in 2015 as general counsel and continues to lead a team of attorneys who serve GM’s regional and functional operations in more than 30 countries.

He has led a transformation of GM’s global legal operations to support the company’s vision of a future with zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion. Previously, Glidden was EVP and legal officer for LyondellBasell.

Before coming to GM, he was executive vice president and chief information officer of Hewlett-Packard, where he was responsible for all IT, including companywide application development, data management, technology infrastructure, data center operations, and telecommunication networks worldwide. Mott has also served in IT leadership positions at Dell Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

company. Previously, he served as vice chairman, president, treasurer, CEO, and CFO of AmeriCredit Corp. Before that, Berce was an auditor with Coopers & Lybrand for 14 years and was a partner with the firm. He is a certified public accountant and is a graduate of Regis University in Denver. GM Financial’s origination mix consists of 75 percent prime credit customers with credit bureau scores of 680 and above in North America.

MARK REUSS President Reuss leads the company’s regional operations, including North America, South America, China, and General Motors

PAUL JACOBSON Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jacobson succeeds Dhivya Suryadevara, who left GM in 2020 to become CFO at Stripe, an

DOUG L. PARKS Executive Vice President, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain Prior to this appointment, Parks was the VP, autonomous and electric

KIMBERLY (KIM) J. BRYCZ Senior Vice President, Global Human Resources Brycz leads an HR team and systems that build enterprise-wide employee engagement, develop talent, and support

International. GM’s global product development team, led by executive VP Doug Parks, also reports to Reuss, as do global design, global quality, and operational excellence.

Reuss serves on the board of GM China’s joint venture, Shanghai General Motors Co. Ltd. He took over Cadillac in 2018 and Reuss became GM president in January 2019 and expanded his role to include the regional responsibilities in November 2019.

e-commerce payments company. Prior to joining GM, Jacobson was CFO of Delta Air Lines Inc., which he helped transform into one of Fortune magazine’s Top 50 Most Admired Companies for six consecutive years. He was named the airline industry’s best CFO eight times by Institutional Investor magazine’s poll of Wall Street analysts and investors. Jacobson graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree.

vehicle programs. In that role, he launched Super Cruise, the industry’s first hands-free driving technology for compatible highways, on the 2018 Cadillac CT6. He oversaw the engineering team behind the Cruise AV, a production-intent autonomous vehicle built from the ground up, without driver controls, that operated on its own.

He led the electrification team responsible for developing GM’s all-new EV architecture.

strategic planning at all levels. Previously, she served as executive director, global product purchasing, where she oversaw GM’s $80B annual global product spending as well as customer care and aftersales purchasing.

Brycz was instrumental in transforming supplier relationships by providing strategic solutions to future sourcing and supplier engagement. She began her GM career in 1983 with Cadillac in Detroit.

JULIAN BLISSETT Executive Vice President, President, GM China Based in Shanghai, Blissett oversees GM’s business in China. Prior to this appointment, as GM senior vice president,

GERALD JOHNSON Executive Vice President, Global Manufacturing Johnson leads GM’s global manufacturing, labor relations, and manufacturing engineering

KENT HELFRICH Vice President, Global Research and Development, Chief Technology Officer, and President of GM Ventures Helfrich assumed the post on Aug. 1, 2021 following the

CRAIG BUCHOLZ Senior Vice President, Global Communications Buchholz is senior adviser to CEO Mary Barra and is responsible for GM’s overall global communications strategy as it

International Operations – leading GM’s global operations outside of the Americas and China – Blissett streamlined operations and refined the global go-to-market strategies for GM’s International Operations, strengthening the foundation to turn around financial performance and sustain a customerfocused organization.

Blissett also served as executive vice president of SAIC-GM. He began his GM career in 1996.

organizations, and is a member of the GM senior leadership team. He previously served as VP of North America manufacturing and labor relations, with responsibility for the safety, productivity, and quality performance of over 80,000 employees at more than 40 assembly, stamping, propulsion, and component operations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Earlier, he was vice president of operational excellence.

retirement of Matt Tsien.

Previously, Helfrich was executive director of advanced technology and partnerships at GM. He led the GM team responsible for global electrification and battery systems.

Throughout his career, Helfrich has held a variety of leadership roles in electrical engineering.

Helfrich earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Ohio State University and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

executes its transformation to become a leader in mobility across electric vehicles, autonomous technology, and connected services. He’s a member of the GM Senior Leadership Team. Before joining GM, Buchholz served as the chief communications officer for Procter & Gamble, where he led teams across six business units and five regions responsible for driving core messaging to frame the company’s narrative with consumers.

LATEST INFORMATION AVAILABLE AS OF AUGUST 11, 2021; SOURCES: GM, FORD, FCA-NA, DBUSINESS

MARY T. BARRA

GM Board of Directors in January 2016. Under Barra’s leadership, GM envisions a world with zero crashes, to save lives; zero emissions, so future generations can inherit a healthier planet; and zero congestion, so customers get back a precious commodity – time. She’s focused on improving the customer experience and strengthening GM’s core vehicle and services business, while also working to lead the transformation of mobility.

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GM — Big Three Auto Executives || Feature

STEPHEN K. CARLISLE Senior Vice President and President, North America Carlisle leads GM sales, service, and marketing across its full portfolio of automotive and

ALAN M. WEXLER Senior Vice President, Innovation and Growth Wexler leads GM’s Innovation and Growth organization, including the global connected services, data and customer

PHILIP BROOK Vice President, Buick and GMC Marketing Brook provides senior leadership and strategic direction for U.S. Buick and GMC marketing and advertising. Before this, he

SANTIAGO CHAMORRO Vice President, Global Connected Services Chamorro’s role is to advance the vision for GM’s innovative connected vehicle

connected services brands in North America, including Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, OnStar, ACDelco, and GM Genuine Parts. Prior to this role, he served as senior vice president and president, Cadillac. Carlisle began his GM career in 1982 as an industrial engineering co-op student at the Oshawa truck assembly plant. He has served as VP of global product planning, VP of U.S. sales, and president and managing director of Southeast Asia.

insights, and innovation and strategy teams. He has been working at the intersection of strategy, technology, and creative for more than 30 years.

Before joining GM, Wexler served as chairman and CEO of Publicis Sapient, which helps clients innovate and compete more effectively in the digital age. He has also advised early-stage companies on how to compete with disruptive businesses models in a consumer era.

was regional director of Buick and GMC in GM’s south central region.

Brook joined General Motors Holden in 2004, following a sales and marketing career with Nissan and Honda. In 2007, he was appointed to Holden director of marketing, where he oversaw the brand’s advertising and marketing.

Brook holds a bachelor of science from Monash University and a master’s from Melbourne Business School.

technologies, including oversight of OnStar’s safety and security services and in-vehicle connectivity. Global Connected Services provides OnStar and connected services to 20 million members across the United States, Canada, China, Mexico, Europe, and South America. Chamorro is a 25-year GM veteran with experience in marketing, sales, management, and economics.

ANN CATHCART CHAPLIN Corporate Secretary and Deputy General Counsel Chaplin’s responsibilities involve oversight of GM’s transformation initiatives and corporate securities.

Previously, as deputy

DUNCAN ALDRED Vice President, Global Buick–GMC Aldred provides senior leadership and strategic direction for Buick and GMC sales, service, and marketing. His goal is to

JIM CAMPBELL Vice President, Product Marketing, Accessories, Performance, and Motorsports Campbell leads Chevrolet, Cadillac, and Hummer EV motorsports marketing

MARGARET CURRY Vice President, Tax and Chief Tax Officer Curry joined GM in this position in 2017. She’s responsible for strategy and operations related to GM’s worldwide tax and

general counsel and chief compliance officer, her team managed GM’s legal affairs in North America, focusing on employment, organizational transformation, and regulatory compliance. She also managed complex litigation, customer experience, global product development, purchasing, intellectual property, labor and employment, special investigations, strategic transactions, and regulatory.

increase positive opinion for both premium brands and to transform those opinions into profitable sales growth.

Aldred had been chairman and managing director of Vauxhall Motors and CEO of Opel Ireland, based in Great Britain. He joined GM in 1990 at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant near Liverpool, and worked in various positions in Vauxhall sales and marketing before becoming Vauxhall retail sales director in 2004. He was named chairman of Vauxhall in 2011.

strategy, in addition to directing the development and marketing of specialty vehicles and performance variants of production-based models. He also leads the product marketing strategy for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac portfolios, and planning and marketing of accessories and performance parts for production vehicles.

Previously, Campbell served as U.S. VP, Chevrolet marketing.

customs functions. She has more than 30 years of tax experience. Prior to joining GM, Curry served as vice president of tax for Deere & Co. and Kimberly-Clark Corp.

Before that, she was director of tax for Dell Inc., senior tax counsel for GM, and senior tax counsel for the Internal Revenue Service. A native Detroiter, Curry received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a law degree from Michigan State University.

STEVE KIEFER Senior Vice President and President, South America and International Operations Kiefer is a member of the GM senior leadership team and is responsible

SHILPAN AMIN Vice President, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain Amin is responsible for the strategic direction of GM’s worldwide purchasing, supply chain, and logistics

REGINA CARTO Vice President, Global Product Safety & Systems As of June 2021, Carto has global responsibility for the safety development of GM vehicle systems,

JIM DANAHY Vice President, Global Safety Systems and Integration Danahy, who took on this position in June 2021, oversees the implementation of safety, compliance,

for GM operations outside of North America and China. Based in Detroit, his mandate is to deliver profitable growth in each market in which GM competes. Prior to this role, he spent five years as senior VP, global purchasing and supply chain. Kiefer began his career in 1983 as a college cooperative student with the GM North American car group. He has held various leadership roles within GM and Delphi throughout his career.

operations. He’s focused on collaborating with GM’s 20,000 global suppliers to deliver vehicle quality, innovation, and value to GM customers. Prior to this role, Amin was GM’s executive director of global purchasing interiors and exteriors, where he led a team of 200 members and more than 600 suppliers. Amin began his career with GM in 1996 as a product engineer in advanced product development for steering systems.

confirmation and validation of safety performance, as well as post-sale safety activities, including recalls.

Previously, as executive director of global safety field investigations and systems engineering, she directed field action execution, system failure mode analysis, and the definition of requirements for the development of safe systems. She also led autonomous technology, and worked in electrical performance validation.

systems engineering, supplier quality, and performance across global vehicles. His group ensures safety, while exceeding customer requirements and government regulations to deliver the best vehicles for a great customer experience. Before this, Danahy was VP, global hardware components and subsystems, where he led engineering operations, components development, and advanced vehicle work.

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Feature || GM — Big Three Auto Executives

PAM FLETCHER Vice President, Global Innovation Fletcher has been in this role since 2018. Global Innovation is on a mission to turn high-potential innovative ideas into

JIM GLYNN Vice President, Global Workplace Safety Glynn’s team supports GM leadership in its mission to keep GM’s 155,000 employees, 60,000 contractors, and

CHRISTOPHER T. HATTO Vice President, Global Business Services and Chief Accounting Officer Hatto manages a global team charged with optimizing GM business processes to improve

TRAVIS HESTER Chief EV Officer In this newly formed role (November 2020), Hester is responsible for GM’s electric vehicle business, elevating and leading the global electric vehicle

scalable business ventures that drive growth and transform the GM business model beyond traditional automotive. Her experience is broad and global. For more than a decade, Fletcher has been in leadership roles guiding the development of GM’s electric vehicle and self-driving portfolio and technologies, most recently as VP, global electric vehicles. Her teams were responsible for developing the Chevrolet Volt and Bolt EV.

numerous visitors safe at its 351 sites worldwide.

During his 40-year career, Glynn has worked at seven plants with diverse manufacturing operations, including forging, die casting, machining, stamping, and vehicle assembly. Most recently, he lived and worked in Singapore, where he had responsibility for more than 70 plants located across nine time zones in China, Africa, India, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, and Australia.

service quality and customer experience, and reduce complexity and costs. He continues to serve as chief accounting officer, and is responsible for global leadership and oversight for external reporting, technical accounting matters, the development of new accounting policies, and internal controls. He’s also responsible for reporting financial results to the company’s senior leadership and the board’s Audit Committee.

strategy, and driving mass EV adoption through a sharp focus on the EV customer experience. He’s currently involved in transforming the vehicle purchase, charging, and ownership experience for electric vehicle customers and electric vehicle market deployment plans.

His previous notable achievements include Super Cruise driver assistance technology, and the first rear camera mirror. He began his GM career in 1995 at Holden.

TONY FRANCAVILLA Vice President, Global Quality and Operational Excellence Francavilla is responsible for leading GM’s global quality efforts, which are aimed at providing the

ROCKY GUPTA Vice President, Finance and Treasurer Gupta is responsible for leading the company’s global treasury operations including capital planning, capital markets,

JAMES E. HENTSCHEL Vice President, Global Safety Systems and Integration Hentschel oversees the implementation of safety, compliance, systems engineering, supplier

STEPHEN HILL Vice President, Chevrolet Hill is responsible for overseeing Chevrolet sales, service, and marketing as well as the fleet and commercial

highest-quality vehicles possible. In late 2017, his responsibilities expanded to include leadership over GM’s Operational Excellence. He brings to the role in-depth knowledge and global experience in manufacturing, engineering, and supplier quality. Prior to his current position, Francavilla served in a variety of senior roles within the quality organization, including executive director of global supplier quality.

operations, and worldwide banking activities. Before becoming treasurer, Gupta was the chief investment officer and chief executive officer of General Motors Asset Management Corp., GM’s investment management subsidiary. In that role, he handled approximately $70B of assets under management. Gupta joined GM as an engineering co-op in 1987, and transitioned to the Treasurer’s Office in 1998.

quality, and performance across global vehicles. The global safety systems and integration group ensures safety, while exceeding customer requirements and government regulations to deliver the best vehicles for a great customer experience.

Before this, Hentschel was executive of GM’s global advanced vehicle development, innovation, and computer-aided engineering group. This activity is responsible for GM’s vehicle production.

organization. Previously, he served as vice president of GM’s Customer Care and Aftersales division, which oversees vehicle service, parts, and other operations in North America. He also served as VP for the Cadillac, Hummer, and Saab brands. Hill began his GM career in 1983 and has held numerous leadership positions. He graduated from Michigan State University in East Lansing in 1982.

MICHELLE GARDNER Vice President, Global Hardware Components and Subsystems Gardner was appointed to this position in June 2021.

Her role and organization comprise engineering

RORY HARVEY Vice President, Global Cadillac Harvey runs Cadillac’s day-to-day operations.

Key focus areas include leading the brand’s transition to EVs, and

TIM HERRICK Vice President, Global Product Programs Herrick leads an international team in the design, engineering, development, and validation of the GM

PHIL KIENLE Vice President, North America Manufacturing and Labor Relations Kienle is responsible for the safety, productivity, and quality performance of over 66,000 employees

operations, components development, advanced vehicle development, and other engineering business initiatives. She leads a global team of engineering professionals in realizing GM’s vision of zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion through the design and development of advanced ICE, EV and AV systems, and vehicles.

Prior to this, Gardner served as executive director of interior and thermal cabin comfort.

reaching Cadillac’s aggressive growth targets with one of the freshest lineups in luxury.

Harvey joined Cadillac in March 2018 as VP of Cadillac North America, managing sales, service, and marketing. Prior to that, he was chairman and managing director of Vauxhall Motors in the U.K. During his more than 30 years with GM, Harvey has held a variety of positions in Europe and the Middle East.

portfolio — including specialty, performance, and motorsports programs — across the full product development timeline. He also served as interim president of GM Defense from November 2020 to April 2021, where he led GM’s business entity focused on providing innovative and advanced automotive technologies and services to the global defense, aerospace, and security industries. Herrick began his GM career in 1983.

at more than 40 assembly, stamping, propulsion, and component operations in the United States, Canada and Mexico. He was the lead executive on-site in Kokomo, Ind., in 2020, supporting GM’s partnership with Ventec Life Systems to produce life-saving ventilators in response to the global coronavirus pandemic. He also played a strategic role in 2019 negotiations with the UAW. Previously he was VP of manufacturing, GM International.

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GM — Big Three Auto Executives || Feature

STEVE MAJOROS Vice President, Chevrolet Marketing Majoros has over 30 years of automotive advertising and marketing experience.

He got his start in 1988 in the traffic department of

SCOTT SANDEFUR Vice President of Manufacturing Workforce Strategy As of February 2021, Sandefur is responsible for developing processes to enhance the contributions

RICK SPINA Vice President, Electric Vehicle Commercialization and Industrialization Spina is responsible for developing the partnerships, incentives, and investments needed

KEVIN TIERNEY Vice President, Global Product Cybersecurity Tierney’s global team is responsible for all aspects of cybersecurity across GM including executing enterprise, product, and

advertising agency Campbell-Ewald, and eventually headed the shop’s Chevrolet account.

He joined GM in 2013 as director, global Cadillac, and moved to Chevrolet shortly thereafter. He now oversees both U.S. and global efforts. Majoros brings a strong passion and healthy respect for the brand, its customers, employees, and dealer partners who provide world-class products and services. He is a University of Michigan alumnus.

of human resources and labor relations professionals in GM’s manufacturing plants. He previously served as VP of North American labor relations.

Sandefur joined GM in 1986 as a salaried employee-in-training at Delco Products (Automotive Components Group) in Kettering, Ohio, and has held a variety of manufacturing, labor relations, and human resources positions with increasing responsibility in multiple GM operations.

to create the necessary electric vehicle charging infrastructure that will enable acceptance of electrification. Before this, he served as vice president of GM global portfolio planning and was executive chief engineer of crossover sport utility vehicles, leading product development, profitability, and quality initiatives for all new and existing products. Spina was also executive director, global product programs; and VP, GM North America quality.

manufacturing cybersecurity programs, with a focus on security architecture, penetration testing, cyber risk management, incident response, vulnerability management, intelligence, awareness and training, and governance. Prior to his current role, Tierney served as the chief product cybersecurity officer, and led the team responsible for developing and implementing cybersecurity strategies to reduce risks.

KEN MORRIS Vice President, Autonomous and Electrification Vehicle Programs Morris leads the global team of executive chief engineers and program

KRISTEN SIEMEN Vice President, Sustainable Workplaces and Chief Sustainability Officer Appointed to this position in February 2021, Sieman is helping to lead General

BRIAN SWEENEY Vice President, EV Retail Innovation Sweeney is responsible for leading the strategy development and execution of GM’s future EV retail experience. Since

SCOTT BELL President and Managing Director, GM Canada Bell has held numerous sales, service, and marketing positions with fleet, commercial, Buick,

managers who oversee GM’s autonomous and electric vehicle, electric drive, battery, and fuel cell programs from inception to launch and beyond.

He’s also responsible for the initiatives associated with the commercialization of EVs and AVs. Previously, Morris was VP of global product programs, leading the global team that oversees conventional GM vehicle, engine, and transmission programs as well as performance accessories.

Motors to a future with zero emissions as the company continues to take actions against climate change, including a commitment to becoming carbon neutral in its products and operations by 2040. In her most recent role as executive director, global energy strategy, certification, compliance, and test labs, Siemen led a cross-functional leadership team responsible for setting corporate energy policy.

the beginning of his GM career in 1990, he has held numerous sales and marketing positions across all of GM’s brands, including regional management positions in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and Detroit.

Sweeney also served as vice president of Saab Cars USA in 2004. Prior to his current role, Sweeney was U.S. vice president of Chevrolet, responsible for leading the brand’s sales, service, and marketing operations.

and GMC. He led GM Canada’s response to the Canadian government’s call for face masks at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In just over three weeks, with support from GM’s global supply chain, GM Canada sourced materials, built a clean room with enhanced safety protocols, installed the required equipment, and recalled and trained 60 workers for two shifts of production in Oshawa, in partnership with Unifor.

DAN NICHOLSON Vice President, Global Electrification Controls, Software and Electronics Nicholson is responsible for all electrified propulsion products including batteries and

MICHAEL SIMCOE Vice President, GM Global Design Simcoe has been GM’s global design chief since 2016. Earlier, as VP of international design, he led the production and

PETER THOM Vice President, Global Manufacturing Engineering Thom leads a global team of experts ranging from dies, body, paint, and assembly to controls,

STEVE DUMONT President, GM Defense, LLC Since May 4, 2021, duMont is leveraging the best-in-class capabilities of GM to bring world-class manufacturing and quality,

electric drive units.

He also oversees all electronic control systems and strategies, software, and associated electronic hardware for all GM products globally. Prior to this assignment, Nicholson was VP, global propulsion systems. In that role he was responsible for all propulsion products including engines, transmissions, fuel cells, electric drive units, and batteries.

advanced studios in Korea, Australia, and India.

Simcoe joined GM in 1983 as a designer at Holden in Australia, and is Holden’s brand champion. In 2003, as executive director of Asia Pacific design, he led the development of the new GM Korea design operations. Simcoe later became executive director of North American exterior design, and was responsible for critical and commercial successes like the GMC Terrain, Buick LaCrosse, and more.

propulsion, integration, and global program management. His team of more than 5,000 employees worldwide plays a critical role in manufacturing operations and product launch. Prior to his current role, Thom was VP, GM North America quality, and drove quality strategies throughout the region, emphasizing critical launch milestones and exceeding customer expectations. His team played a key role in GM’s ventilator production.

design and engineering, and commercial innovation to defense and government customers.

He joins GM Defense from Raytheon Intelligence & Space, a business of Raytheon Technologies, where he led and implemented a focused strategy for global growth.

He held various leadership positions during his more than 13 years at Raytheon, and had previous systems engineering and program leadership positions with BAE Systems and Boeing.

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FRANCISCO GARZA President and Managing Director, General Motors de Mexico, Central America and Caribbean Garza is responsible for General Motors de Mexico’s export and

TELVA MCGRUDER Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer McGruder leads the development and execution of strategies that will ensure positive change toward a

JOHN ROTH Global Vice President, Customer Care and Aftersales Roth has been president and managing director of GM’s Africa and Middle East operations since June

domestic market operations. Previously, he was vice president, vehicle sales, service, and marketing for GM de Mexico, with responsibility for developing and implementing go-tomarket strategies for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac, and for managing and maintaining close relationships with dealers in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. He also served as managing director of Ally Credit Mexico.

high-performing, inclusive culture at GM. Prior to this role, McGruder was director of workplace engineering and operations solutions in GM’s sustainable workplaces organization.

She supported the global footprint for facility engineering, technologies, energy strategy, and multiple facility management strategies.

Earlier in her career, McGruder held positions of increasing responsibility at several GM locations.

2018. GM’s Customer Care and Aftersales business, based in Grand Blanc, Mich., supplies replacement parts for GM vehicle brands and non-GM vehicles under the ACDelco and GM Genuine Parts brands, and distributes them through an extensive network of dealers and independent aftermarket partners in more than 100 countries.

Roth served as VP of GM Canada marketing, sales, and service from 2013 to 2018.

MELISSA GRADY Global Chief Marketing Officer, Cadillac Grady leads strategic marketing for the Cadillac brand around the world and has implemented a

KURT MCNEIL Vice President, U.S. Sales Operations McNeil is responsible for GM’s Chevrolet, Cadillac, and Buick-GMC dealer network, as well as retail sales and marketing

DEBORAH WAHL Global Chief Marketing Officer Wahl drives GM’s marketing organization to build on their success and accelerate growth by ensuring alignment to

data-driven approach.

Under her leadership, Cadillac launched the Make Your Way, We Have Your Back (COVID-19 response), and Never Stop Arriving brand campaigns.

Before joining Cadillac, Grady was senior vice president, digital and e-commerce, at tax service Jackson Hewitt, and led digital acquisition on the global marketing team at MetLife, and global analytics, e-commerce, and CRM teams at Motorola.

services support and North America forecasting. He was previously U.S. VP of sales and aftersales for Cadillac.

In August 2008, he was named general sales manager for the Chevrolet Motor Division. Prior to that, McNeil was regional general manager in the south central region for all General Motors brands.

McNeil joined General Motors in 1985. He has degrees from the University of Notre Dame and Pepperdine.

provide more effective customer engagement.

She previously served as the global chief marketing officer of Cadillac, where she redefined the brand’s strategy and played an instrumental role in the leadership team that broke a global sales record in 2018. Rooted firmly in the school of performance marketing, Wahl drives her teams to use data to change the way they seek and engage with consumers.

KAHER KAZEM President and CEO, GM Korea Kazem has held this position, as well as the chairmanship of the GM Korea board of directors, since 2017. He began his

ELIZABETH (LIZ) REICHERTS Vice President, Eternal Affairs Reicherts is responsible for managing the federal, state, and local government affairs teams; developing and executing

OMAR VARGAS Vice President and Head of Global Public Policy Vargas was appointed to his position effective Aug. 1, 2021. He came to GM from 3M Co., where he was senior vice president

career with GM in 1995 at GM Holden in Australia as a senior engineer, and later held several leadership positions in GM Holden manufacturing operations. He became vice president of manufacturing and quality for GM Thailand/ASEAN in 2009. He was appointed president and managing director of GM Uzbekistan in 2012.

Kazem was the president and managing director for GM India before assuming his current role.

GM’s policy and advocacy strategy; and managing GM’s relationships with all executive branch, U.S. Congress, and state and local officials. She builds and deepens relationships with key stakeholders in the U.S. government, associations, and third parties, and identifies key forums that are important to advancing GM’s strategic objectives.

Before joining GM, Reicherts served as head of U.S. government affairs for Siemens Corp.

and chief government affairs officer. Vargas held multiple government affairs positions at 3M between 2017 and 2021.

Prior to joining 3M, the New Jersey native worked in government affairs at Praxair (now Linde) from 2012 to 2016, including serving as senior counsel and executive director of government relations. He spent five years in government relations positions with PepsiCo and four years with the Department of Justice.

GENERAL MOTORS CO. BOARD OF DIRECTORS MARY T. BARRA Chairman and CEO, General Motors Co.

JANE L. MENDILLO Retired President and CEO, Harvard Management Co.

WESLEY G. BUSH Retired Chairman, Northrop Grumman Corp.

JAMI MISCIK CEO and Vice Chairman, Kissinger Associates Inc.

LINDA R. GOODEN Retired Executive Vice President, Information Systems & Global Solutions, Lockheed Martin Corp.

PATRICIA F. RUSSO Chairman, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Co.

JOSEPH JIMENEZ Retired CEO, Novartis AG

THOMAS M. SCHOEWE Retired Executive Vice President and CFO, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

THEODORE M. SOLSO Independent Lead Director, General Motors Co.; Retired Chairman and CEO, Cummins Inc. CAROL M. STEPHENSON Retired Dean, Ivey Business School, The University of Western Ontario MARK TATUM Deputy Commissioner and COO, National Basketball Association

DEVIN N. WENIG Former President and CEO, eBay Inc. MEG WHITMAN Former President, Quibi Holdings, LLC Former Pretsident and CEO, Hewlett-Packard Co. GM’s Board of Directors can be viewed at: gm.com/company/ leadership/board-of-directors. html.

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WILLIAM CLAY FORD JR. Executive Chairman, Chairman of the Board of Directors Ford has been a member of the company’s board of directors since 1988 and has been chairman since

STEVEN ARMSTRONG Transformation Officer, South America and India Armstrong was named to this post on May 1, 2021.

He leads the evaluation of capital allocations to India and the conclusion of the

JOY FALOTICO President, The Lincoln Motor Co. Falotico is responsible for leading the continued evolution of Lincoln as a world-class luxury brand and oversees all Lincoln

STUART ROWLEY President, Ford of Europe Rowley is responsible for all operational leadership at Ford of Europe, including acceleration of the European transforma-

Jan. 1, 1999. He also serves as chairman of the board’s Finance Committee. Ford served as CEO from October 2001 to September 2006. During his time in that position, he took the company from a $5.5B loss in 2001 to three straight years of profitability. Ford joined the company in 1979 as a product-planning analyst and has held a variety of positions in manufacturing, sales, marketing, product development, and finance.

restructuring of Ford’s South America business, which will offer connected and increasingly electrified SUVs, pickups, and commercial vehicles sourced from Argentina, Uruguay, and other markets. Previously, as president of the Changan Ford joint venture in China, Armstrong led the manufacturing, marketing, selling, and servicing of Ford products. He also served as chairman, president, and COO of Ford of Europe.

operations globally, including product development, marketing, sales, and service, and all team members supporting the brand. She was previously chairman and chief executive officer, Ford Motor Credit Co., with worldwide responsibility for leading the global financial services business that supports Ford dealers and customers, along with the sale of Ford and Lincoln vehicles. Falotico is involved in the American Financial Services Assoc.

tion strategy. He reports to Ford CEO Jim Farley. Prior to this, as vice president and COO of Ford North America, Rowley was responsible for driving the redesign of the North American business to improve its overall fitness.

Earlier, as vice president of strategy, Rowley played a leading role in Ford’s growth strategy by accelerating the development of new business models in both the company’s core and emerging businesses.

JAMES D. FARLEY JR. CEO, Ford Motor Co. Farley succeeds former CEO Jim Hackett, who retired in October 2020.

Farley is focused on accelerating Ford’s transformation through

ANNING CHEN President and CEO, Ford China Chen leads the company’s operations in greater China, including all import and joint venture operations, and is

KUMAR GALHOTRA President, Americas and International Markets Group Galhotra is responsible for the profit and loss of the business units, including a newly established

LYLE WATTERS General Manager, Ford Passenger Vehicle Division, Ford China Watters relocated to Shanghai on July 1, 2021, to take on this newly created position. He and

operational excellence that benefits customers and delivers sustainable profit growth. He also serves as a member of the company’s board of directors. In his previous role as COO, Farley worked to strengthen Ford’s automotive operations, overseeing all of Ford’s global markets and automotive operations including product development, purchasing, enterprise product line management, manufacturing and labor affairs.

implementing the company’s global strategy and leading China’s future development. Chen is a 25-year auto industry veteran with extensive expertise in leading transformation, establishing alliances and joint ventures, and developing competitive products for China. He was CEO of Chery Automobile Ltd., China, as well as chairman of the board of directors for Chery Jaguar Land Rover Automotive, China.

commercial vehicle business unit for the U.S. and Canada. He reports to Jim Farley. Galhotra formerly served as president, North America, leading all aspects of Ford’s North American business. He also served as group vice president, Lincoln, overseeing all Lincoln operations globally, including product development; marketing, sales, and service; and all team members supporting the brand.

his team will be accountable for broadening Ford’s appeal to and enhancing the experience of customers with products and services, many of them developed in-country for Chinese consumers. At this year’s Shanghai Auto Show, Ford China unveiled the latest additions to its rapidly expanding vehicle portfolio: the Escape plug-in hybrid SUV; a localized version of the all-electric Mustang Mach-E; and the EVOS.

JON HUNTSMAN Vice Chair, Policy In this new role (effective April 14, 2021), Huntsman advises Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO, and Executive Chair Bill Ford as the company considers

DIANE CRAIG President, International Markets Group As of Jan. 1, 2021, Craig has been responsible for leading the business unit operations, including dealers and distributor

MARION HARRIS President and CEO, Ford Motor Credit Co. Harris is responsible for the leading financial services provider for dealers and customers around the world in

MITCH BAINWOL Chief Government Relations Officer Bainwol leads a global team that helps shape policy and legislation to promote the company’s business objectives,

and implements strategic policy choices during a period of profound industry change, including the transition to zero-emission battery electric vehicles. He will remain on Ford’s board of directors. Huntsman works closely with company teams across a range of disciplines, especially government relations; the office of the general counsel; and sustainability, environment, and safety engineering.

markets, in more than 100 countries across Africa, ASEAN, India, the Middle East and Australia, and New Zealand. She succeeds Mark Ovenden, who retired earlier this year. Prior to this position, Craig was CEO at FordDirect. She also served as president and CEO of Ford of Canada, overseeing its national headquarters, three regional offices, two branch offices, three assembly plants, and two parts distribution centers.

support of Ford Motor Co. sales. Prior to this, as vice president of Ford’s Mobility Business Group, he was responsible for the connected services businesses of Ford Commercial Solutions and FordPass, as well as Chariot and GoRide Health. Harris previously served as chief financial officer and treasurer at Ford Credit, where he was responsible for financial planning, analysis, and accounting operations.

including areas of international trade, the environment, autonomous vehicles, mobility, driver safety, and taxation. He directs engagement with governments in 110 markets around the world where Ford does business.

Before this, Bainwol served as president and chief executive officer for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers since 2011, where he was responsible for representing automakers from the U.S., Europe, and Japan.

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STEVEN CROLEY Chief Policy Officer, General Counsel Steven Croley was named to his position on July 7, 2021 to help the company further leverage and build on its strengths in

ELENA A. FORD Chief Customer Experience Officer Ford leads the organization responsible for creating a world-class customer experience throughout the entire own-

JOHN MELLEN General Counsel In August 2020, Mellen replaced Bradley Gayton, who accepted a position as senior vice president and general counsel at The Coca-Cola Co. Mellen

MARK TRUBY Chief Communications Officer Truby leads Ford’s global communications and public relations activities, including building the company’s reputation

government relations , sustainability, safety, legal, and privacy. Most recently, Croley was a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the firm’s litigation and trial department. From 2014 to 2017, he served as general counsel for the U.S. Department of Energy. He spent the previous four years in the White House, as a special assistant for regulatory policy, then as deputy counsel overseeing legal policy.

ership cycle. She reports to Kumar Galhotra, Ford president, Americas and International Markets Group. She is also responsible for integrating the work of Ford Customer Service Division, the quality organization, sales and marketing, and the global dealer network to more tightly connect the interactions between Ford and its customers worldwide. She is integrated with the sales organization and global dealer network.

advises the company’s senior management and board of directors on a wide range of legal issues.

He leads a global team that supports Ford’s automotive, financial services, and mobility businesses, and represents the company in all legal matters.

Previously, Mellen was Ford’s associate general counsel for global litigation and regulatory matters.

Mellen holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale and a JD from U-D.

globally among customers, employees, dealers, suppliers, news media, communities, governments, and policymakers. He reports to Jim Farley, Ford CEO. Truby joined Ford in 2007 as director of global corporate communications. He has also served as communications director for Bill Ford; VP, communications, Ford Europe, Middle East, and Africa; and, most recently, vice president, communications, Ford Asia Pacific.

SUZY DEERING Chief Marketing Officer Effective Jan. 4, 2021, Deering directs Ford’s day-to-day marketing in North America and drives strategic direction and collaboration between

JOHN LAWLER Chief Financial Officer Lawler has overall responsibility for Ford’s finance functions including accounting, financial planning and analysis, treasury, tax,

KIERSTEN ROBINSON Chief People and Employee Experiences Officer Robinson has responsibility to leverage Ford’s aligned and strategic enterprise capabilities

DAVE WEBB Treasurer Webb is responsible for Ford’s global treasury strategy and operations.

He reports to John Lawler, Ford’s CFO. From June 2017 to December 2018,

marketing teams in the company’s regional business units in Europe, China, South America, and the International Markets Group to enhance and release the value of Ford’s brands. She reports to Kumar Galhotra, president of Ford Americas and International Markets Group. Previously, as global chief marketing officer of eBay, Deering helped revive the company’s brand and drive sharply higher revenue.

investor relations, economics, and audit, as well as the Ford Credit business. He succeeds Tim Stone, who left Ford to serve as COO and CFO at ASAPP Inc., an artificial intelligence software company. Lawler was previously CEO, Ford Autonomous Vehicles, LLC, and vice president. mobility partnerships. He also served as vice president, strategy, overseeing corporate strategy, business development, and more.

through strong, diverse teams in support of the business, enterprise priorities, and progressive employee and workplace experiences. As the senior leader and corporate officer overseeing people processes globally, Robinson ensures the development and execution of business strategies that reflect the global business environment, and customer and market needs. She reports to Ford CEO Jim Farley.

he served as assistant treasurer for Ford and had responsibility for Ford’s global capital markets, banking, capital strategy, affiliate finance, risk management, and treasury operations.

Before this, as director of funding, he was responsible for Ford and Ford Credit’s global funding programs and issuance strategy. This included managing Ford Credit’s unsecured commercial paper and financing programs.

LISA DRAKE Chief Operating Officer, North America Drake is charged with bringing enhanced focus to product launches, warranty reduction, and material cost improve-

JEFF LEMMER Chief Information Officer Lemmer oversees Ford’s global IT business applications, architecture, data centers, engineering, and infrastructure services. He joined Ford in

HAU THAI-TANG Chief Product Platform and Operations Officer Thai-Tang was formerly Ford’s chief product development and purchasing officer and had global responsibility for all

JIM BAUMBICK Vice President, Enterprise Product Line Management Baumbick is responsible for global product strategy and planning, as well as leading the global

ments. She’s placing a renewed emphasis on returning the North America business back to a 10-percent EBIT margin through her work on cost and waste reduction.

Previously, as vice president, global purchasing, Drake was responsible for all category management processes and procurement functions across direct and indirect purchasing areas, as well as supplier technical assistance.

1987 and has spent his entire career in IT with the company, serving in leadership positions at Ford Motor Co. and Ford Credit. He was most recently Ford’s vice president and chief operating officer of information technology, where he led the development of automotive-related applications and ran day-to-day operations.

He oversaw the design and construction of two new data centers.

aspects of the company’s design, engineering, and development, as well as purchasing operations. He also has responsibility for enterprise product line management and connectivity, and reports to Jim Farley, Ford CEO. Thai-Tang was a race engineer for Nigel Mansell and Mario Andretti on Ford’s Newman-Haas IndyCar team in 1993. His efforts contributed to six victories, 11 podium finishes, and the driver and manufacturer titles.

product line teams that are using deep customer insights to deliver products customers really want and value, and drive end-to-end business results.

Previously, Baumbick served as executive director of Global Product Planning and Strategy, where he led the development of Ford’s flexible modular architecture approach, which is a key enabler for product development fitness.

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KIERAN CAHILL Vice President, Manufacturing, Ford of Europe Cahill reports jointly to Stuart Rowley, president, Ford of Europe, and to Gary Johnson, vice

ANDREW FRICK Vice President, Sales, U.S. and Canada Appointed January 2021.

Frick is responsible for sales, field operations, market representation, customer care, and dealer

JONATHAN JENNINGS Vice President, Global Commodity Purchasing and Supplier Technical Assistance Jennings is responsible for all production procurement, together with quality

DAVID MCCLELLAND Vice President, Strategy and Partnerships McClelland leads corporate strategy, business development, and global data insights and analytics. He’s also

president, global manufacturing and labor affairs. Earlier, Cahill had served as director, manufacturing, strategic projects, Ford of Europe, and director, manufacturing, U.K. and Romania. He was director, Ford of Europe powertrain operations, and led the powertrain manufacturing engineering and European Ford Production System groups. Cahill graduated from the University of Hertfordshire.

relations for the Ford brand in the U.S. and Canada. He succeeds Mark LaNeve, who left the company. Previously, Frick was director of U.S. sales, and director, marketing, where he led the implementation of the Ford brand communication and product marketing strategic plan.

His earlier assignments included manager of marketing, sales, and service for Lincoln, leading the implementation of brand strategy.

and launch performance of the supply base through the company’s supplier technical assistance program. Previously, as executive director, global commodity purchasing, Jennings oversaw production commodity purchasing, strategic planning, material cost delivery, and overall production supplier cost performance. Earlier, he was director of enterprise product line management for luxury vehicles. He graduated from EMU.

chairman of the Ford Motor Credit Co. board of directors. Prior to this appointment, McClelland was CEO of Ford Motor Credit Co., Ford’s global provider of financial products and services for dealers and customers. He had served as Ford Credit executive vice president of marketing and Asia Pacific, overseeing global marketing and Ford Credit’s business in China and India. He joined Ford Credit Britain in 1993, then Ford Credit South Africa.

ROELANT DE WAARD General Manager, Passenger Vehicles; Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe De Waard is responsible for all marketing, sales,

CHUCK GRAY Vice President, Vehicle Embedded Software and Controls Gray leads the development of vehicle embedded software, vehicle controls, embedded connectivity

ANTHONY LO Vice President, Design On April 1, 2021, Lo succeeded Moray Callum, who retired after a 38-year automotive career. Lo worked at Groupe Renault in Paris for the past 10

CATHY O’CALLAGHAN Vice President, Controller O’Callaghan had served as chief financial officer, Ford South America, since 2015. In that position she was responsible for all

and service personnel and activities in European markets. Earlier, as vice president of sales, Ford of Europe, he was responsible for 49 markets including the U.K., France, Italy, Spain, and Russia. Prior to that, de Waard was chairman and managing director of Ford of Britain and vice president, Europe, Ford Customer Service Division. He joined Ford Netherlands in 1990 and served as a sales manager and marketing manager.

technology, advanced driver assist technologies and systems, and vehicle cybersecurity. His previous role as vice president of vehicle components and systems engineering was central to the company’s commitment to develop Ford and Lincoln vehicles with quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart technology, and value for customers around the world. Earlier, he was director of Ford’s global core electrical team.

years, most recently as VP, exterior design. He was instrumental in the development of the company’s Cycle of Life design strategy, which was the basis for a series of award-winning concept cars. Lo joined Saab in 2000, and from 2004 to 2010 was director of advanced design for General Motors Europe, overseeing Saab, Opel, and Vauxhall projects.

Before that, he was with Mercedes-Benz in Japan, and Audi in Germany.

Ford finance activities in Ford South America, including operations finance, profit analysis, treasury, tax, accounting, and internal control. Prior to working in South America, O’Callaghan held a number of key leadership positions at Ford of Europe, including finance director for product development, controller of European manufacturing operations and logistics, and finance director of Ford of Britain.

She joined Ford in 1990.

DAVID FILIPE Vice President, Vehicle Hardware Modules Appointed Jan. 1, 2021.

Filipe leads hardware development and systems integration of exterior, interior,

BOB HOLYCROSS Vice President, Sustainability, Environment & Safety Engineering As Ford’s top environment and safety officer, Holycross is responsible for implementing

FRANCK LOUIS-VICTOR Vice President, New Business Louis-Victor joined Ford on July 1, 2021 after working on new business models and revenue streams for Groupe Renault. He is

JOHN SAVONA Vice President, Manufacturing and Labor Affairs, North America Since February 2021, Savona has been responsible for Ford’s North American

underbody, internal-combustion powertrain, and electrified modules. He reports to Hau Thai-Tang, chief product development and purchasing officer. Filipe has held various positions within product development and has had several global leadership roles, including director of global engine engineering, where he was responsible for the global design and development of Ford gasoline and diesel engines.

sustainable best practices throughout Ford and leading its global environment and safety, strategy, and policy. Previously he was director, sustainability, homologation, and compliance. Holycross formerly served as vice president of sustainability, environment, and safety engineering for Ford of Europe, Middle East, and Africa, where he ensured compliance with government regulations.

developing and executing a comprehensive strategic plan that includes the company’s existing and emerging portfolio of capabilities in areas like autonomous vehicles and mobility services, as well as Ford’s incubator, Ford X.He has more than 20 years of experience in data and mobility startups, connected vehicles, and new services with both long-established companies and enterprises that he founded and led.

manufacturing footprint of more than 30 plants. He succeeds Gary Johnson, who retired. Previously, as Ford’s director of global manufacturing quality, Savona was responsible for ensuring continuous quality improvement in the company’s worldwide manufacturing facilities.

He began his career with Ford in 1989 as a security officer at the company’s Wayne assembly plant.

Savona has a bachelor’s degree from EMU and a master’s from CMU.

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DREAM TEAM Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Co., and President Joe Biden with the all-new, all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning.

Photo by Sam VarnHagen.

FREDERIEK TONEY Vice President, Global Ford Customer Service Division Toney works with hundreds of Ford dealerships around the world. He joined Ford in

TREVOR WORTHINGTON Vice President, Global Operations and Programs Worthington leads Ford’s global vehicle programs and is also responsible for coordinating the

2000 and has held leadership positions in logistics, operations, and parts and service. He served as executive director, global material planning and logistics.

Before joining Ford, Toney spent 23 years at Caterpillar Inc. and American Honda. In 2012, Black Enterprise magazine named Toney one of “100 Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America.” He has an MBA from the University of La Verne in California.

company’s product development resources to bring new products to market. He also has responsibility for driving competitive material costs and engineering expenses throughout the development cycle.

Worthington earlier served as vice president, product development, for Asia Pacific. Since joining the company in 1985, Worthington has held various positions in product development and product strategy.

FORD MOTOR CO. BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILLIAM CLAY FORD JR. Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Directors KIMBERLY A. CASIANO President, Kimberly Casiano & Associates ANTHONY F. EARLEY JR. (LEAD INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR) Executive Chairman of the Board, PG&E Corp.

ALEXANDRA FORD ENGLISH Director, Corporate Strategy, Ford Motor Co. JAMES D. FARLEY JR. CEO HENRY FORD III Member, Board of Directors, Ford Motor Co. WILLIAM W. HELMAN IV General Partner, Greylock Partners

JON M. HUNTSMAN JR. Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia WILLIAM E. KENNARD Non-Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Velocitas Partners BETH MOONEY Chairman and CEO, KeyCorp JOHN L. THORNTON Chairman, Barrick Gold Corp.

JOHN VEIHMEYER Former Chairman, KPMG International LYNN VOJVODICH Former Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Salesforce JOHN S. WEINBERG Former Vice Chairman, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Ford Motor Co.’s Board of Directors can be viewed at: corporate.ford.com/ about/leadership.html.

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Stellantis — Big Three Auto Executives || Feature

CARLOS TAVARES CEO Tavares was appointed the first CEO and executive director of Stellantis in January 2021.

Previously, he served as chairman of the

YVES BONNEFONT Chief Software Officer Bonnefont joined Groupe PSA in 2012 as executive vice president, corporate strategy, where he contributed to the group’s turnaround plan,

BRIGITTE COURTEHOUX Brand Chief Executive Officer, Free2Move Courtehoux joined Groupe PSA in 1998 and held planning and quality manager positions on a variety of car projects.

EMMANUEL DELAY Chief Performance Officer Delay has built an international career in general management, finance, and strategy, with more than 20 years’

managing board of Groupe PSA. A native of Portugal, Tavares graduated from École Centrale de Paris and held various positions within the Renault Group between 1981 and 2004, before joining the Nissan Group when Renault and Nissan became partners in the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.

Tavares is passionate about cars, car collecting, and racing.

including its brand differentiation strategy, and created the connected vehicle business unit. In 2013, he was appointed Citroën deputy CEO in charge of its premium sub-brand, DS Automobiles, and later served as the first CEO for DS Automobiles.

In January 2020, he was appointed executive vice president in charge of high-end brand development during preparations for the merger with FCA.

Between 2010 and 2013, as global project director, she successfully managed and launched the Peugeot Crossover “2008” in the European, Latin American, and Chinese markets. In 2018, Courtehoux was named executive VP and a member of Groupe PSA’s global executive committee. At the beginning of 2020, her responsibilities included the Business Lab, Groupe PSA’s new business incubator.

experience in the automotive industry and other industrial sectors.

He has led global projects and teams across Asia, Europe, and the U.S. Delay began his career with Société Générale and General Electric in London, and spent seven years with Booz & Co. in Paris and Chicago, leading strategy and transformation projects for global automotive clients. He joined Nissan in Tokyo in 2002.

MIKE MANLEY Head of Americas Manley has an extensive background in all aspects of global business operations including strategy, business development, commer-

OLIVIER BOURGES Chief Planning Officer Bourges joined PSA in 2014 as general secretary. He became planning executive vice president in 2018, and was in charge of

PHILIPPE DE ROVIRA Chief Affiliates Officer (Sales Finance, Used Cars, Parts and Service, Retail Network) De Rovira joined Groupe PSA in 1998 and held various positions in

GIORGIO FOSSATI General Counsel Fossati worked in positions of increasing responsibility in the legal departments at Fiat S.p.A. and Iveco S.p.A. He served as general counsel for Fiat Chrysler

cial, brand, product planning, and operational activities. He joined DaimlerChrysler in 2000 as director, network development in the U.K,, and was later responsible for product planning and all sales activities outside of North America, He was responsible for implementing the cooperation agreement for distributing ChryslerGroup products through Fiat’s distribution network.

company strategic planning and business development, global product planning, vehicle programs management, and corporate CO2 management. Bourges was also responsible within the global executive committee for the sales finance activities. Prior to joining PSA, he held several positions in Renault. At Nissan, he was responsible for planning and program management in North America.

corporate and manufacturing finance before becoming financial controller in the Madrid and Poissy (France) plants. In 2009, he was named CFO for Latin America, and became controller of the PSA sales division in 2012. In 2013, he was appointed senior VP and took responsibility for B2B and used cars sales, network development and quality of service, CRM and digital, outbound logistics, and car flow.

Automobiles since 2011 and also was general counsel for FCA’s Europe, Middle East, and Africa region. Previously, he was general counsel for Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A. He serves on the board of directors of FCA Italy S.p.A., Teksid S.p.A., Fiat Chrysler Finance S.p.A., Fidis S.p.A., FCA Partecipazioni S.p.A., Fiat Chrysler Risk Management S.p.A., Abarth & C. S.p.A., FCA Poland S.A., and FCA Group Marketing S.p.A.

BERTRAND BLAISE Chief Communication and Corporate Social Responsibility Officer Blaise began his career at Renault in 1990 as product and technology communication manager,

XAVIER CHÉREAU Chief Human Resources and Transformation Officer Chéreau joined Groupe PSA in 1994 and subsequently held the position of employment

ARNAUD DEBOEUF Chief Manufacturing Officer Deboeuf’s background is in process engineering, manufacturing, program development, and purchasing in France and

OLIVIER FRANÇOIS Brand Chief Executive Officer, Fiat and Abarth; Global Chief Marketing Officer Before joining Fiat in 2005, François worked in positions of increasing

and was assigned to Japan in 1999 as head of the Renault liaison office in Tokyo to contribute to the start of the Renault Nissan Alliance. He was appointed Renault Group Asia Pacific communication VP in 2000, covering the corporate, product, and Formula 1 communications activities in South Korea. Blaise joined French train manufacturer Alstom Transport Division as VP in 2007, and in 2014 joined Groupe PSA as senior vice president.

and mobility manager for Europe. He has served as senior vice president, industrial and R&D division human resources, director of human resources development, and executive vice president of human resources of Groupe PSA and as a member of the global executive committee. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Institut Sciences Politiques de Paris.

South Korea. He started his career at Renault in 1993 as powertrain process engineer. In 2002, he joined purchasing to take responsibility at Renault Samsung Motors in South Korea. He returned to France to develop the Dacia Duster crossover.

Deboeuf was appointed senior VP of the Renault-Nissan Alliance CEO office in 2015. He joined Groupe PSA in 2019 as senior VP for industrial strategy.

responsibility at Citroën, including CEO. He was the lead executive for the Lancia brand beginning in September 2005. From January 2009 to March 2013, François was the head of brand marketing communication for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles with responsibility for coordinating communication activities for all brands. In October 2009, he was appointed president and CEO for the Chrysler brand at Chrysler Group, LLC.

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Feature || Stellantis — Big Three Auto Executives

RALPH GILLES Chief Design Officer, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Maserati, Fiat Latin America Gilles joined Chrysler Corp.’s design office in 1992 and was appointed

THIERRY KOSKAS Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Koskas began his career in 1990 as a civil servant in France’s north region government office in charge of nuclear safety,

CHRISTIAN MEUNIER Brand Chief Executive Officer, Jeep Meunier began his career at Ford Motor Co. in France in key sales and marketing positions. He moved to Nissan in 2002,

MARK STEWART Chief Operating Officer, North America Stewart spent the first years of his career in manufacturing with TRW Inc., and later Tower Automotive Inc., where

VP, interior design Jeep/ truck and specialty vehicles in 2006. He also served as president and CEO, Motorsports; president and CEO, SRT brand; and president and CEO, Dodge brand for FCA US, LLC. Gilles was named VP, design in September 2008, and he also led the FCA North America product design office beginning in June 2009. He is global head of design and was a member of the FCA Group Executive Council.

then in the Ministry of Industry as industry general director chief of staff. In 1995, he served as an adviser in the Ministry of Agriculture.

Koskas joined Renault Group in 1997 and served in sales and marketing roles. He moved to London as general manager of Renault London City branch, then to Hungary in 2000 as managing director of Renault NSC. In 2009, Koskas was appointed as program director for EVs.

where he served as division VP of Infiniti global sales, marketing, and operations; senior VP of sales, marketing, and operations for Nissan North America; chairman, Nissan Canada; and president of Canada and Brazil. He served as chairman and global president for Infiniti Motor Co. Ltd. Meunier was global president of the Jeep brand and a member of the FCA Group Executive Council.

he served as director of operations and executive VP. He has been based in the U.S., Belgium, Germany, and China in a variety of positions in production, quality, and engineering. Stewart was named VP of operations for Amazon in 2017. He was appointed COO for FCA’s North America region and named a member of the Group Executive Council in December 2018. Stewart holds an MBA from the University of Tennessee.

DAVIDE GRASSO Brand Chief Executive Officer, Maserati Grasso was named chief operating officer of Maserati in July 2019, with responsibility for overall commercial and financial

MIKE KOVAL Brand Chief Executive Officer, Ram Koval joined the company in 2002 and has held a variety of positions in sales, brand, and purchasing, which

RICHARD PALMER Chief Financial Officer Palmer served as finance manager for several business units at General Electric Oil & Gas, Price Waterhouse, and United Technologies Corp. He

SILVIA VERNETTI Global Corporate Office Vernetti held consultant roles at Bain & Co. in Italy and Andersen Consulting prior to joining Fiat S.p.A in 2004, where she was responsible for business

performance and for driving its operating success across all global markets. He was appointed a member of the FCA Group Executive Council in July 2019.

Grasso joined Nike in 2001 and held positions with increasing responsibility, including chief marketing officer. He also served as CEO for Nike subsidiary Converse Inc., where he engineered the brand for long-term sustainable growth. Grasso holds a master’s degree.

included being named head of Ram brand operations in 2016, where he handled vehicle and media mix optimization and pricing strategies. He was named head of Ram brand, FCA North America in June 2020, with responsibility for sales and marketing operations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. He also oversaw Ram’s international sales and marketing operations.

Koval holds a bachelor’s degree from CMU.

served as CFO of FCA US, LLC from 2009 to 2017; CFO of Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A. from December 2006; and CFO of Iveco from June 2005.

Palmer was appointed CFO and named a member of the FCA Group Executive Council in September 2011. He was responsible for all financial activities of the group. He was named head of business development in July 2018. In April 2019, he was appointed to the FCA board of directors.

development and joint ventures coordination for Fidis, the group’s consumer finance unit.

She also served as the head of business development for FCA’s Europe Middle East Africa region beginning in 2009, and head of FCA Serbia from 2011. During this period, she also led the Fiat Group Auto Alliances Management and Strategic Planning function, where she managed alliances with key industrial partners.

JEAN-PHILIPPE IMPARATO Brand Chief Executive Officer, Alfa Romeo Imparato’s 30-year career at Groupe PSA has focused on sales, quality, and retail activities. He was in charge of

TIMOTHY KUNISKIS Brand Chief Executive Officer, Dodge and Chrysler (Interim) Kuniskis joined the former Chrysler Corp. in 1992 and held a series of positions in the

RICHARD SCHWARZWALD Chief Customer Experience Officer Schwarzwald joined Fiat Automobiles in 2004 as the senior VP for quality, and supplier quality director for the Fiat, Alfa

MICHELLE WEN Chief Purchasing and Supply Chain Officer Wen began her career with Thomson Multimedia in 1994 as financial controller, sales representative, and

Mercosur for Citroën in 1998 before joining the central corporate team in charge of international organization and audit for Groupe PSA in 2000.

Imparato was later appointed VP in charge of quality in the Dongfeng Peugeot Citroën Automobiles joint venture in Wuhan, China, in 2003.

He was named director of Peugeot international operations and director of European sales and marketing activities in 2012.

company’s business center operations and marketing organization.

He became a member of FCA’s Group Executive Council in October 2015.

Kuniskis served as president and CEO, Dodge and SRT brands, FCA North America, head of the Fiat and Jeep brands in North America, and head of Maserati. He was named global head of Alfa Romeo in February 2018 and head of passenger cars, North America, in June 2019.

Romeo, Lancia, and Maserati brands. In 2007, he was named quality assurance director for Volkswagen South America, where he was responsible for the manufacturing quality of six plants in Brazil and Argentina. He also oversaw quality strategy and certification, supplier quality engineering, and product reliability. He rejoined FCA Group in 2016 and served as head of quality for the Latin America region.

purchasing manager.

From 1997 to 2000, she worked for Group Philips’ automotive branch as strategic alliances manager and senior purchasing manager. Wen joined Renault-Nissan in 2000 as global supplier account manager for powertrain and vehicle body. In 2008, she became VP of sourcing and supplier quality development with Alstom Transport. In 2018 she was appointed executive VP, global purchasing.

64 DBUSINESS || September - OctOber 2021

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Stellantis — Big Three Auto Executives || Feature

HARALD WESTER Chief Engineering Officer Wester started his professional career at Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg, where he was general manager of the vehicle research and new

concepts department from 1991 to 1995. He later joined Audi AG in Ingolstadt as program manager for the A2 models and special vehicles. Wester joined Ferrari S.p.A. at Maranello as director of product development, where he remained until 2002. He joined Fiat Group in 2004, and was appointed CTO in 2007 and COO of Maserati in 2018. He also served as head of Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and Abarth.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS, FCA-N.V. JOHN ELKANN Chairman, Executive Director CARLOS TAVARES Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director ROBERT PEUGEOT Vice Chairman, Non-executive Director, Remuneration Committee Member

HENRI DE CASTRIES Senior Independent Director, Chairperson, Governance and Sustainability Committee, Audit Committee Member, Remuneration Committee Member

FIONA CLARE CICCONI Non-executive Director, Remuneration Committee Member, Governance and Sustainability Committee Member

ANDREA AGNELLI Non-executive Director, Remuneration Committee Membe,r Governance and Sustainability Committee Member

JACQUES DE SAINTEXUPÉRY Non-executive Director

NICOLAS DUFOURCQ Non-executive Director Governance and Sustainability Committee Member

WAN LING MARTELLO Non-executive Director, Chairperson, Remuneration Committee Audit Committee Member

ANN FRANCES GODBEHERE Non-executive Director, Chairperson, Audit Committee

KEVIN SCOTT Non-executive Director, Governance and Sustainability Committee Member The Stellantis Board of Directors can be viewed at: stellantis.com/en/group/ governance/leadership

ATLANTIC ALLIANCE Chairman of the Managing Board of Groupe PSA Carlos Tavares and FCA CEO Mike Manley share a congratulatory handshake after signing a historic combination agreement that ledto the creation of Stellantis, the world’s fourth-largest global OEM in terms of annual sales (8.7 million vehicles).

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Feature || Tier 1 Auto Suppliers

Tier 1 Auto Suppliers 2020 RANK

In metro Detroit, ranked by global revenue* 2019 RANK

COMPANY

MICHIGAN ADDRESS

TOP EXECUTIVE

REVENUE*

PRODUCTS

1

Robert Bosch

38000 Hills Tech Dr., Farmington Hills, 248-552-9000

Mike Mansuetti, President

North American: $13.1B, Global: $85.9B

Gasoline, diesel, chassis control, electrical drives, automotive electronics, starter motors and generators, infotainment, battery technology

2

2

BASF

26701 Telegraph Rd., Southfield, 248-827-4670

Martin Brudermuller, Global Chairman and CEO

North American: $19.9B (est.), Global: $71.08B

Coatings, catalysts, lightweight composites, fuel additives, construction chemicals

1

3

Denso International America Inc.

24777 Denso Dr., Southfield, 248-350-7500

Seiji Maeda, CEO

North American: $10.9B, Global: $47.6B

Heating, ventilation and air conditioners, radiators, driving control and safety, fuel pumps, instrument clusters, electronic fuel injection

6

4

Continental AG

1 Continental Dr., Auburn Hills, 248-393-5300

Samir Salman, CEO

North American: NA, Global: $43.09B

Brakes, components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, electronics, tires and technical elastomers

3

5

ZF Group

15811 Centennial Dr., Northville Township, 48168

Martin Fischer, President

North American: $10.1B, Global: $39B

Components for autonomous driving, electric mobility, integrated safety, vehicle motion control, and digitalization and software.

4

6

Aisin World Corp. of America

15300 Centennial Dr., Northville, 734-453-5551

Scott Turpin, President and CEO

North American: $5.4B, Global: $35B

Body, brake, and chassis systems, drivetrain and engine components, information/electronic systems

7

7

Magna International Inc.

750 Tower Dr., Troy, 248-631-1100

Seerarama Kotagiri, CEO

North American: $15.7B (est.), Global: $32.64B

Body, chassis, exterior, seating powertrain, electronic, vision, closure and roof systems, modules

5

8

Faurecia

2500 Executive Hills Blvd., Auburn Hills, 248-724-5100

Kevin Lammers, President North America

North American: $4.32B, Global: $17.8B

Seating, emissions control technologies, interior systems, automotive exteriors

8

9

Lear Corp.

21557 Telegraph Rd., Southfield, 248-447-1500

Ray Scott, President and CEO

North American: NA, Global: $17.04B

Seating and electrical power management systems

9

10

Yazaki North America

38111 Van Dyke Ave., Sterling Heights, 586-268-4393

Ryosuke Yazaki, President and CEO

North American: $1.28B, Global: $15.4B

Wiring harnesses, connectors, junction and power distribution boxes, instrumentation, high voltage systems

12

11

Tenneco Inc.

1 International Dr., Monroe, 734-243-8000

Brian Kesseler, CEO

North American: NA, Global: $15.4B

Emission and ride control systems, elastomers

17

12

Aptiv

5725 Delphi Rd., Troy, 248-813-2000

Glen De Vos, Sr. VP William Pressley, Sr. VP

North American: NA, Global: $14.4B

Body and security, driver interface, active safety, powertrain systems, electrical and electronic architecture

10

13

Adient

49200 Halyard Dr., Plymouth Township, 734-254-5000

Doug Del Grosso, CEO

North American: NA, Global: $13.1B

Automotive seating components and systems

11

14

Mahle Industries Inc.

23030 Mahle Drive, Farmington Hills, 248-305-8200

Scott Ferriman, President

North American: NA, Global: $11.77B

Engine components, filter systems, vehicle air conditioning and engine cooling

16

15

Marelli

3850 Hamlin Rd., Auburn Hills, 248-418-3000

Beda Bolzenius, CEO

North American: NA, Global: $11.5B

Lighting, powertrain, transmissions, electronics, suspension systems, shock absorbers, exhaust systems, plastic systems and components, aftermarket, mostorsports

15

16

Borg Warner Inc.

3800 Automation Ave., Auburn Hills, 248-754-9600

Frederic Lissalde, CEO

North American: $3.16B, Global: $10.2B

Turbochargers, transmission systems, torq transfer systems, thermal and emission systems

14

17

Dana Holding Corp.

30800 Telegraph Rd., Bingham Farms, 248-594-6227

James Kamsickas, President and CEO

North American: NA, Global: $7.1B

Drivetrain products (axles, transmissions), sealing products, thermal management technologies, fuel cells

19

18

Autoliv Americas

1320 Pacific Dr., Auburn Hills, 248-475-9000

Mikael Bratt, President and CEO

North American: $2.3B (est.), Global: $7.4B

Airbags, seat belts, steering wheels, passive safety electronics

13

19

Benteler Automotive Group

2650 N. Opdyke Rd., Auburn Hills, 248-364-7190

Ralf Gottel, CEO

North American: $1.8B, Global: $6.81B

Chassis systems, structures, exhaust and engine applictions, engineering services

18

20

IAC North America

28333 Telegraph Rd., Southfield, 248-455-7000

Manfred Gingl, CEO

North American: $2.5B, Global: $3.7B

Door and trim systems, instrument panels, consoles and cockpits, flooring and acoustic systems, headliners and overhead systems, other interior and exterior products

20

21

Nexteer Automotive

3900 E. Holland Rd., Saginaw, 989-757-5000

Guibin Zhao, President and CEO

North American: NA, Global: $3.03B

Electric power steering, hydraulic power steering, steering columns, half-shafts

21

22

Cooper Standard

2110 Executive Hills Dr., Auburn Hills, 248-836-9400

Jeffery Edwards, CEO

North American: $1.14B, Global: $2.37B

Sealing systems, fuel and brake delivery systems, fluid transfer systems, and anti-vibration systems

22

23

Inteva Products

1401 Crooks Rd., Troy, 248-655-8886

Gerard Roose, President and CEO

North American: $1.1B, Global: $2.6B

Interior systems, roof systems, closure systems, motors and electronics

24

24

Visteon Corp.

1 Village Center Dr., Van Buren Charter Township, 734-710-5000

Sachin Lawande, CEO

North American: NA, Global: $2.5B

Vehicle cockpit electronics

23

25

Bridgewater I nteriors

4617 W. Fort St., Detroit, 313-842-3300

Ronald Hall Jr., President and CEO

North American: NA, Global: $2B

Automotive seating components and systems

25

66 DBUSINESS || September - OctOber 2021

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8/16/21 4:23 PM

Dealer Sales Report || Feature

AUTO DEALERSHIP CONSUMER GUIDE

Auto dealerships in the Detroit metropolitan area took a major hit in 2020, with sales and leases dropping from 305,341 units in 2019 to 183,031 units in pandemic-stricken 2020. “Many dealers had their retail operations essentially put out of business for two or more months and were subsisting (if at all) on the allowed repair activities,” says Patrick Anderson, principal and CEO of Anderson Economic Group in East Lansing. “The industry is now roaring back, but with fewer employees, restricted hours, and much, much smaller inventories.”

AMENITIES KEY: CL: Customer lounge P&S: Parts & service on-site A: Accessories on-site R: Rentals (based on availability) S: Shuttle Service UC: Used cars

Dealership

Amenities

Buy/Lease

Amenities

Buy/Lease

Roy O'Brien Ford Inc.

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

280/674

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

134/6,593

Sterling Heights

Brighton Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

475/592

Crest Lincoln

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

79/554

Champion Buick GMC

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

126/338

Serra Whelan Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

146/3,675

Serra Honda-Mazda

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

52/341

Sterling Heights Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

132/2,167

Suburban Ford of Sterling Heights

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

1,226/1,556

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

183/1,255

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

34/165

Galeana's Van Dyke Dodge

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

26/501

Golling Toyota of Warren

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

10/259

Hamilton Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

321/1,145

Jim Riehl's Friendly Chrysler Jeep

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

69/1,896

Prestige Cadillac

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

139/101

Fowlerville Champion Chevrolet of Fowlerville

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

9/128

Vyletel Buick GMC

Dick Scott Motor Mall

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

19/173

Utica

Fowlerville Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

1/109

Howell Bob Maxey Ford of Howell

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

134/659

Champion Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

77/467

Pinckney Pinckney Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

317/639

Center Line

Meade Lexus of Lakeside Warren

Crest Ford — Center Line

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

251/608

Washington Township

Ed Rinke Chevrolet Buick GMC

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

252/2,583

Heidebreicht Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

292/1,475

Jim Riehl’s Friendly Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

48/961

Clinton Township Jim Causley Buick GMC

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

185/1,896

Romeo Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

958/517

Jim Riehl's Friendly Cadillac Honda

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

197/761

Serra Buick GMC Cadillac Kia

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

333/830

Matick Toyota

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

7/398

Birmingham

Mike Dorian Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

725/1,128

Fred Lavery Co.

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

18/301

Moran Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

457/3,140

Bloomfield Hills

Nissan of Macomb

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

8/120

Erhard BMW of Bloomfield Hills

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

148/354

Parkway Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

207/3,678

Golling Alpha Romeo Fiat

CL, P&S, A, R, S

6/285

Summit Place Kia East

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

5/12

Golling Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

129/2,520

Mercedes-Benz of Bloomfield Hills

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

45/300

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

39/537

Al Deeby Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

17/822

John Bowman Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

279/1,933

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

55/423

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

207/894

Erhard BMW of Farmington Hills

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

133/164

Jaguar Land Rover of Farmington Hills

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

166/147

LaFontaine Volvo Cars of Farmington Hills

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

13/109

Eastpointe Genesis Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

237/468

Page Honda of Bloomfield

Porsche of The Motor City

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

42/24

Clarkston

Elder Hyundai

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

21/196

Genesis Alfa Romeo-Fiat

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

12/196

Jaguar Land Rover of Macomb

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

79/113

Nissan of Macomb

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

74/69

Russ Milne Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

896/1,334

Sellers Subaru

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

81/429

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

114/2,164

Macomb Township

Richmond Dick Huvaere's Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Roseville

Oakland County

Macomb County

Dealership

Brighton Chrysler Dodge

Macomb County

Livingston County

Brighton

Commerce Township LaFontaine Subaru Farmington Sellers Buick GMC Farmington Hills

Golling Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

144/1,262

Suburban Honda

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

34/393

Jeffery Acura

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

0/2

Suburban Imports of Farmington Hills

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

158/750

Jeffery Honda Kia

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

36/510

Suburban Toyota of Farmington Hills

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

23/355

Jeffery Nissan

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

25/181

Tom Holzer Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

640/1,159

St. Clair Shores

Ferndale

Genesis Cadillac

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

140/132

Dunning Honda of Ferndale

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

12/126

Mercedes-Benz of St. Clair Shores

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

22/54

Hodges Subaru

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

12/320

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Feature || Dealer Sales Report

AMENITIES KEY: CL: Customer lounge P&S: Parts & service on-site A: Accessories on-site R: Rentals (based on availability) S: Shuttle Service UC: Used cars

Dealership

Amenities

Buy/Lease

Dealership

Amenities

Buy/Lease

Suburban Buick GMC

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

121/322

Elder Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

762/517

Suburban Ford of Ferndale

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

121/346

Jaguar Land Rover of Troy

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

94/274

Lamborghini Maserati Troy

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

4/20

Highland Charter Township Feldman Chevrolet of Highland

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

625/843

Lincoln of Troy

CL, P&S, A, S, UC

91/554

LaFontaine Cadillac Buick GMC

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

798/1,746

Mike Savoie Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

88/1,252

Szott M-59 Dodge

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

26/532

Suburban Buick GMC

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

121/322

Tony Serra Highland Nissan

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

15/91

Suburban Cadillac Buick

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

456/523

Suburban Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of Troy

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

134/1,555

Suburban Hyundai

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

19/166

Suburban Imports of Troy

CL, P&S, A, R, S, IC

102/1,133

Holly Szott Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

185/383

Lake Orion CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

69/793

Suburban Infiniti of Troy

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

14/77

Milosch's Palace Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

80/1,253

Suburban Exotic Motor Cars of Michigan

CL, P&S, A, R, S, VC

12/7

Skalnek Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

131/602

Suburban Toyota

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

143/548

Wally Edgar Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

165/1,421

Troy Honda

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

24/395

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

8/638

Joe Lunghamer Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

155/1,353

Lunghamer Buick GMC

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

91/739

New Hudson Feldman Chevrolet of New Hudson

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

206/662

Feldman Hyundai of New Hudson

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

21/178

Hines Park Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

445/823

Oakland County

Golling Buick GMC

Novi

Shuman Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Waterford Township

Cadillac of Novi

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

642/517

Suburban Ford of Waterford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

810/1,229

Feldman Chevrolet of Novi

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

318/1,971

Summit Place Kia

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

25/904

Feldman Kia of Novi

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

13/279

Szott M-59 Toyota

CL, P&S, A, S, UC

11/259

Mercedes-Benz of Novi

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

30/226

Waterford Mitsubishi

CL, P&S, A, R, S, VC

4/98

Suburban Infiniti of Novi

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

30/226

West Bloomfield Township

Varsity Lincoln

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

6/879

Cauley Ferrari

CL, P&S, A, UC

0/7

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

76/857

Ann Arbor Infinity

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

4/20

BMW of Ann Arbor

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

48/86

Oak Park Oakland County

Walled Lake

Northland Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

White Lake Charter Township CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

35/396

Szott M-59 Chrysler Jeep

Ortonville Randy Wise Ford

Ann Arbor CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

117/253

Rochester Hills Audi of Rochester Hills

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

58/261

Dunning Toyota Subaru of Ann Arbor

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

90/983

Bill Fox Chevrolet Inc.

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

153/1,204

Fox Ann Arbor Acura

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

8/48

BMW of Rochester Hills

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

61/66

Fox Ann Arbor Hyundai

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

2/7

Crestview Cadillac

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

233/367

Fox Ann Arbor Nissan

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

10/86

Fox Toyota of Rochester Hills

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

24/464

Germain Honda of Ann Arbor

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

37/440

Mercedes-Benz of Rochester

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

36/101

LaFontaine Buick GMC of Ann Arbor

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

123/332

Rochester Hills Chrysler Jeep Dodge

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

95/1,023

LaFontaine Kia of Ann Arbor

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

5/165

Serra Ford of Rochester Hills

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

660/935

Lexus of Ann Arbor

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

29/149

Shelton Buick GMC

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

325/1,007

Mercedes-Benz of Ann Arbor

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

48/93

Porsche of Ann Arbor

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

7/31

Sesi Lincoln Volvo Mazda

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

18/386

Suburban Alfa Romeo and Fiat

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

0/1

Suburban Chevrolet Cadillac of Ann Arbor

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

282/446

Suburban Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Ann Arbor

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

35/324

Varsity Ford

CL, P&S, A, S, UC

250/1,408

CL, P&S, A, S, UC

13/119

Matthews-Hargreaves Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

152/857

Royal Oak Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

235/832

Village Jeep

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

10/238

Southfield

Washtenaw County

Royal Oak

Art Moran Buick GMC

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

178/480

Art Moran Mitsubishi

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

1/8

Volkswagen of Ann Arbor

Avis Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

333/1,082

Chelsea

Glassman Automotive Group

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

90/860

Chelsea Chevrolet Buick

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

29/141

Meade Lexus of Southfield

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

111/447

Golling Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Chelsea

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

7/147

Motor City Mini

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

27/78

Dexter

Page Toyota

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

35/329

LaFontaine Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, S, UC

176/341

Star Lincoln

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

80/627

Milan

Serra Chevrolet of Southfield

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

240/922

Victory Chevrolet Buick

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

32/197

Southfield Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

92/947

Saline

Tamaroff Automotive Group

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

78/627

Bill Crispin Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

89/391

Briarwood Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

97/452

LaFontaine Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

15/303

Troy Acura of Troy

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

22/65

Dean Sellers Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

420/819

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Dealer Sales Report || Feature

Washtenaw County

AMENITIES KEY: CL: Customer lounge P&S: Parts & service on-site A: Accessories on-site R: Rentals (based on availability) S: Shuttle Service UC: Used cars

Dealership

Amenities

Buy/Lease

Ypsilanti

Dealership

Amenities

Buy/Lease

Southgate Lincoln

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

54/373

Cueter Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

21/391

Taylor

Fischer Honda

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

42/234

Moran Buick GMC

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

222/708

Gene Butman Ford

CL, P&S, A, S, UC

83/347

Taylor Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

299/1,238

Taylor Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

714/2,231

Telegraph Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

108/1,692

Jack Demmer Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

379/1,245

Mark Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

22/656

Atchinson Ford Sales

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

185/1,250

Canton Township

Wayne County

Belleville

Wayne

Kia of Canton

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

14/122

Nissan of Canton

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

4/103

Victory Toyota

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

10/252

North Brothers Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

112/995

Fairlane Ford

CL, P&S, A, S, UC

186/604

Todd Wenzel Buick GMC of Westland

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

197/772

Jack Demmer Lincoln

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

141/499

Woodhaven

LaFontaine Honda

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

17/424

Feldman Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

CL, P&S, A, R, S, VC

98/1,278

LaFontaine Toyota

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

45/1,276

Gorno Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

203/1,441

LaFontaine Volkswagen

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

7/254

Michael Bates Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

162/1,197

Les Stanford Cadillac

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

428/1,692

Les Stanford Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

68/355

Nissan of Dearborn

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

12/102

Superior Buick GMC

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

3/36

Village Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

359/1,252

Westborn Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

3/930

Bob Maxey Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

65/298

Bob Maxey Lincoln

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

90/273

James Martin Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

135/310

Jefferson Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, S, UC

40/146

Jorgensen Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

179/774

Ray Laethem Buick GMC

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

97/405

Ray Laethem Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

29/518

CL, P&S, A, R, S, VC

197/666

Gordon Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

200/1,433

Suburban Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Garden City

CL, P&S, A, S, UC

81/1,026

CL, P&S, R, S, UC

27/596

Bill Brown Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

1,176/3,833

Feldman Chevrolet of Livonia

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

295/1,257

Livonia Chrysler Jeep

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

26/306

Ralph Thayer Automotive

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

8/345

Blackwell Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

86/1,066

Bob Jeannotte Buick GMC

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

130/569

Dick Scott Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

43/740

Fox Hills Chrysler Jeep

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

37/432

Hines Park Lincoln

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

135/869

Lou LaRiche Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

63/765

Suburban Cadillac of Plymouth

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

434/294

Victory Honda of Plymouth

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

30/488

George Matick Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

505/1,392

Pat Milliken Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

465/2,242

Snethkamp Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

77/967

Dick Genthe Chevrolet

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

92/1,103

Genthe Honda

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

20/215

Southgate Ford

CL, P&S, A, R, S, UC

216/2,443

Dearborn

Westland

Totals

2019

Purchased

Detroit

Wayne County

2020

30.6% 93,500

33,295 | 18%

Leased 69.4% 211,841

149,736 82%

Flat Rock Crest Ford of Flat Rock

Totals

Garden City

305,341

183,031

Highland Park Bill Snethkamp Chrylser Dodge Jeep Ram

Dealer Top 10

Livonia

Plymouth Township

Redford Township

Southgate

PURCHASED VEHICLES 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Bill Brown Ford, Livonia // 1,176 Suburban Ford, Sterling Heights // 1,226 Romeo Ford, Romeo // 958 Russ Milne Ford, Macomb Township // 896 Suburban Ford of Waterford // 810 Mike Dorian Ford, Clinton Township // 725 Taylor Ford // 714 LaFontaine Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Highland // 708 Serra Ford of Rochester Hills // 660 Cadillac of Novi // 642

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Bill Brown Ford, Livonia // 3,833 Parkway Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Clinton Township // 3,678 Serra Whelan Chevrolet, Sterling Heights // 3,675 Moran Chevrolet, Clinton Township // 3,140 Ed Rinke Chevrolet, Buick, Clinton Township //2,583 Golling Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Bloomfield Hills // 2,520 Taylor Ford // 2,231 Sterling Heights Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram // 2,167 Dick Huvaere’s Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Richmond // 2,164 Jim Riehl’s Friendly Chrysler, Jeep, Warren // 1,896

LEASED VEHICLES

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Cover Story || Automotive

THE

CAPTAIN TEAM PENSKE

With a steady demeanor and a penchant for perfection, Roger Penske has built a business empire that’s the envy of the world. But even the most famous man in automobile racing has a soft spot. BY TIM KEENAN

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Automotive || Cover Story

DBrief Penske Corp.

Headquarters Bloomfield Township Business Units Penske Truck Leasing Penske Automotive Group Inc. Penske Performance Inc. Penske Entertainment Corp.

Founder and Chairman Roger S. Penske Employees 56,000 Revenue $32 billion

AFTER A BUSINESS CAREER THAT’S SPANNED more than 60 years and has made him an automotive industry titan and a racing legend, Roger Penske doesn’t get ruffled easily. But after acquiring arguably the most famous racetrack in the world, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Penske found himself in an unfamiliar position.

“I was shaking like a leaf,” Penske admits about making the traditional track owner’s call to start the engines at the beginning of the Indianapolis 500 in May. “When you see all the pageantry and you stand there to say, ‘Drivers, start your engines,’ you ask, What have I gotten myself into?”

Some of the emotions coursing through his veins had to do with welcoming fans to the hallowed Brickyard for the first time since he bought the racetrack in late 2019.

“For me, having had a year to prepare (due to COVID-19), and then to have two or three times as many people as you have at a Super Bowl (350,000-person capacity), and be able to execute the way we have, I have to say the team did an outstanding job, and the feedback is off the charts.”

From his motorcoach at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix in June, Penske — called The Captain by his early pit crews because he managed his race teams with military precision — reflected on his acquisition of the famed Indianapolis Speedway, the Indianapolis 500 race itself, the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race, the NTT IndyCar Series, and IMS Productions.

The previous owners, the Hulman family, had operated the track for more than 70 years.

“When he purchased IndyCar, no (team) owner moaned about a potential conflict of interest,” says Bob Pockrass, FOX Sports’ NASCAR reporter and a longtime observer of the racing world. “They know he’ll treat everyone professionally and fairly. They trust that he’ll look out for the sport and the speedway as a whole. His love of the facility and his professional approach to business will guide him.”

Indianapolis isn’t Penske’s first foray into racetrack ownership. Between 1972 and 2007, he owned, at various times, the Michigan International Speedway in the Irish Hills of Brooklyn, Mich., Nazareth Speedway in Pennsylvania, and North Carolina Speedway in

DRIVEN TO WIN As a driver in the 1960s, including here at the former Riverside International Raceway in California, Roger Penske was driven to win.

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can see the winner’s celebration Rockingham, and he built California Speedway, now Auto Club “If he wants something done, he doesn’t want to know why it can’t be done. He Speedway, in Fontana, Calif. wants to know how to make it happen, and then come up with a plan to achieve it,” Although the Indianapolis racetrack has been upgraded sevPockrass says. “Having run racetracks and race teams, he understands the chaleral times over its 111-year lifetime, including as recently as 2016 lenges both face and how they can work together to be part of the solution.” for the 100th running of the Indy 500, observers were interested Penske himself said in January 2020, when announcing his plans for track upto see what improvements Penske would make. They didn’t have grades: “When you see some of the things we’re going to accomplish before the to wait long. Shortly after he took possession of the track in Janrace, believe me, this is really starting to write a new book from the standpoint of uary 2020, Penske announced several projects, all slated to be what we can do here as we go forward.” completed by May 2020, when teams and fans were scheduled Dan Assenmacher of Bloomfield Hills, a longtime race fan and a former senior to arrive for the 104th running of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racaccount executive at BorgWarner, which sponsors the trophy that goes to the wining.” But the race was postponed until Aug. 23, 2020, due to the ner of the Indy 500, has spent numerous Memorial Day weekends at Indy and COVID-19 pandemic, and was run without fans in the stands. thought Penske’s purchase of the track was a positive move.

“The month of May at IMS is my favorite time of year and, like “The Hulman family did great things to bring the track back from disrepair after our fans, I’m disappointed we had to reschedule the Indy 500,” World War II to the hallowed racing ground it is today,” Assenmacher says. “Time, Penske said in a statement when the 2020 race was delayed. however, continues to take its toll on the track, and I think Penske truly under“We’re going to double down on the customer experience in the stands what needs to be done to IMS to take it to the next level for both the drivers months ahead and I’m confident we’ll greet fans with a transand fans.” formed facility and a world-class spectacle.”

In addition to physical upgrades, Penske has added new sponsors — Pennzoil, It took until May 2021 before the racing faithful were able to Verizon, Snap-On Tools, Road & Track magazine, Global Medical Resee the improvements Penske made to the Brickyard, sponse, and DEX Imaging — to the Speedway, the 500-mile race, and the which included: NTT IndyCar Series. That additional revenue allowed Penske to increase • Improved seating the total Indy 500 purse to more than $8.8 million, with close to $2 mil• Twenty new video boards lion going to the winner.

• A new media wall in Pagoda Plaza WHEELER DEALER In an ironic twist, former Penske driver Helio Castroneves took home • 5G cellular data connectivity Encouraged by his success on the track, $1.8 million when he won his fourth Indy 500 on May 30.

• New entry points Roger Penske quit “We’re investing in the track but also trying to provide additional mon• Paved parking lots driving race cars in ies to the teams that are successful here,” says Penske, 84.

• Renovated restrooms with added amenities 1965 to open his first Like all of his businesses, Penske wants to grow the Indianapolis • 25,000 square feet of new fencing dealership, a Chevrolet • An elevated victory lane platform so spectators store, in Philadelphia. Motor Speedway. He envisions a year-round entertainment venue that can host business conferences, meetings, and outdoor concerts. “We’ll continue to invest, to make it better,” Penske says. “Every time I go there, I find something else that we can make better.”

As far as plans for the future are concerned, nothing has been announced, but a company spokesman says further improvements for fans and enhancements of their experience at the speedway can be expected.

The Penske journey began with his birth in Shaker Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, in 1937.

As a teenager, he bought old cars, repaired them, and sold them at a profit. He studied business administration, and in 1959 graduated from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., and started racing cars.

By 1960, Sports Illustrated named him the Sports Car Club of America Driver of the Year.

Among his accomplishments as a driver were 55 race victories, competing in two Formula 1 Grand Prix races, and being named North American Driver of the Year by The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times.

Penske retired from the cockpit in 1965 to focus on his first car dealership, a Chevrolet store in Philadelphia. Banks and insurance companies didn’t want to back him if he was driving race cars.

“It was a business decision, and it wasn’t a hard

PENSKE CORPORATION

Cover Story || Automotive

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LAT USA

Automotive || Cover Story

a great human being and it’s been a pleasure to drive for one because I felt, longer term, I could build a business and have a race him and more of a pleasure to get to know him as a team, and that’s exactly how it evolved,” Penske told former NASCAR drivperson. His work ethic is pretty amazing, with all he er Kyle Petty on his YouTube feature, “Coffee with Kyle” in 2019. does at his age. It’s mind-blowing.”

In 1966, Penske made his debut as a race car owner at the 24 Hours of PEP TALK Team Penske’s entire racing operation is headquarDaytona. With his driver, Mark Donohue, they made their first start in Roger Penske offers tered in a 424,000-square-foot complex on 105 acres in the Indianapolis 500 in 1969. His first of 18 open wheel conquests of the words of encourageBrickyard as an owner came in 1972. The pair’s first NASCAR win came ment to his race team Mooresville, N.C. “Just walk through the Penske shop and see how in 1973. Tragically, Donohue died a few days after a crash during practice prior to the 2016 Detroit Grand Prix, won well things are run, operated, and organized and that’s for the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix.

Since then, some of the greatest drivers in the history of motorsports by Team Penske’s Will how he runs his businesses,” Blaney says. “It makes Power. you see the bigger picture. It’s no wonder why he’s suchave driven for Team Penske, including Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, Bobcessful in everything he touches. He takes that pride in everyby Allison, Rusty Wallace, Al Unser, Al Unser Jr., Emerson Fittipaldi, Rick Mears, thing he does — not just his race teams, but his dealerships and Tom Sneva, Danny Sullivan, and Castroneves. His current IndyCar stable includes other business ventures.”

Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power, and Scott McLaughlin. Rochester The key to Penske’s success in business and in racing, accordHills native Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, and young gun Ryan Blaney pilot the ing to observers, is that aforementioned attention to detail. One Captain’s current NASCAR fleet. example is the “tile guy” at the Team Penske race shop.

“Growing up in the sport, I always appreciated the team and Roger in particu“There’s a dedicated tile guy at Penske,” Blaney explains. lar,” says Blaney, a third-generation racer who joined Team Penske as a “The whole race shop floor is tile. If one gets cracked, it’s get19-year-old in 2012. “I didn’t meet him until I decided to sign with the team. ting fixed before the end of the day. A cracked tile looks bad and It was pretty intimidating at first, but at the end of the day he’s an extremely that’s not acceptable.” kind person with a killer attitude, sometimes, but I think you’ve got to have While racing is Penske’s most visible enterprise, he’s also that to be as successful as he’s been over the years. chairman of Penske Corp. in Bloomfield Township. Penske Corp.

“It’s been great to get to know him and learn from him,” Blaney continues. “He’s September - OctOber 2021 || DBUSINESS.COM 73

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IMS PHOTO

With his large contingent of dealerships in the U.S. and abroad, Penske is paying includes the Penske Automotive Group, featuring more than close attention to the focus automakers are putting on electrification.

300 automotive franchises in nine countries on four continents, “I don’t think you’re going to see the world going all electric by 2030,” he predicts. the Penske Motor Group of four dealerships in California and “You’ll see a lot of hybrid solutions in all sorts of transportation. There might be Texas, and Penske Truck Leasing, which operates more than mandatory electrification in certain cities and high-density populated areas.”

330,000 vehicles and serves customers from more than 3,000 He says the demand for EVs in Europe is stronger than in the U.S. because many locations in North America, South America, Europe, Australia, high-density population centers overseas are mandating electrification. and Asia.

“Demand is building, but infrastructure is critical in order to make that happen,” “We run the racing business like we run our other businessPenske says. “We’re looking at it in our truck business, but I don’t see it moving to es,” Penske says. “It’s all about the people, delegation, and low 10 percent or 15 percent of the market overnight.” turnover. There are people with a lot of experience in the comHe says his organization is looking at electrification in the future strategically pany. We have a flat organization. There are people here (at — specifically, what the dealerships are going to need to have parts and be able to the race) today that execute in our business and vice versa. We service the machines. “With 300 million vehicles (in the world), you start looking if want to bring people in at the entry level, (and) let them grow there’s a 5 percent or 10 percent compounded annual growth rate. It’s going to take with the organization. It’s hard to get in and hard to leave.” quite a while before the ICE (internal combustion engine) would be out.”

Edsel B. Ford II, a former member of the Ford Motor Co. While he has become an icon in racing and in business, he hasn’t forgotten his board of directors, says Penske has been a positive force in the adopted home of the metro Detroit community. business community for decades, “whether it has been his dealIn 2006, he chaired the Host Committee for Super Bowl XL. A year later, and erships, his transportation companies, his manufacturing, and again in 2012, he spearheaded the effort to bring the Detroit Grand Prix back to certainly in the motor racing industry. He’s a strategic thinker Belle Isle. In 2014, Penske contributed $10 million to help shelter the treawho has been able to successfully oversee businesses all sures of the Detroit Institute of Arts during Detroit’s Chapter 9 bankruptover the world, while maintaining his personal touch cy. Last year, Penske Corp. donated $5 million to revitalize the Lenox Comand influence in all of them.” munity Center and the park in which it is located in the Jefferson Chalmers According to Penske, the racing and nonracing eleneighborhood on Detroit’s far east side. ments of his empire work hand in hand.

BRICKYARD BARON “It’s where I live,” Penske explains about his devotion to the Motor City.

“I think you need to have something within your Roger Penske purchased the “We’re automotive-related. We became a dealer here with Chevrolet back in brand that shows you can win,” he says. “The people Indianapolis Motor 1965, and I guess ever since then we’ve focused on the automobile business. that work for you, that’s what we built our whole comSpeedway in November “We’ve got to give back. And the way to give back probably started in pany on. Racing is a common thread throughout the 2019. Since then, he’s 2002, when we were asked to head up the Super Bowl. Once we got concompany. And that performance and winning certainly added numerous nected there, it’s hard to leave and people asked us what we’re going to do has helped us, not only internally but externally.” upgrades.

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Automotive || Cover Story

next. Part of that happened to be getting together with General Motors Co. and Mark Reuss (president of GM) and bringing racing back to Detroit. We made a huge investment here (paving) the paddock.”

In addition, Penske has been active in the Downtown Detroit Partnership and the Clean Downtown Initiative. He also was a driving force behind Detroit’s QLine modern streetcar, and the successful effort to raise $8 million in private funding for new police and EMS vehicles.

“Roger's commitment to Detroit has been unwavering, and it’s one of the things people admire about him,” Ford says. “Whether it was leading the effort to bring a Super Bowl here, helping rebuild and revitalize Belle Isle through capital improvements brought about through the Detroit Grand Prix, or numerous other business and charitable efforts, Roger is always one of the first to step up to help when the Detroit area needs it.”

But it has been in motorsports where Penske has achieved the most visible success and fame that has resulted in numerous honors, including inductions into five motorsports-related halls of fame, the 2017 Horatio Alger Award and, in 2019, the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump.

Over the past 55 years, Team Penske has won more than 590 individual races including victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, 650-plus pole positions, 16 IndyCar championships, 18 Indianapolis 500s, a pair of NASCAR Cup Series titles, two Daytona 500s, a Brickyard 400, three Australian

WIN FOR THE AGES Simon Pagenaud won the 2019 Indy 500 for Team Penske with a Chevrolet engine. It was the 18th win for Penske at Indianapolis.

Supercars championships, and five NASCAR Xfinity Series titles.

“I think it’s safe to say that he could be considered the most successful team owner in motor racing history, and what’s impressive is that he has been able to be successful in so many different forms of the sport,” Ford says. “We feel fortunate that his team is a major part of our NASCAR effort. Roger approaches motor racing with the same intensity and passion he does with all his business efforts.”

LAT USA

Is the Future of Racing Electric?

THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY HAS BEEN USING RACING TO PROMOTE ITS PRODUCTS since Henry Ford beat Alexander Winton in a 10-mile race in Grosse Pointe. At the 1901 race, Ford was behind the wheel of a vehicle called Sweepstakes.

Today, the industry has its collective pedal to the metal in the race to fill the nation’s — and the world’s — roads with electric vehicles. What does that mean for the future of motorsports, which depend on automaker marketing dollars and technical knowhow?

Can the OEMs’ focus on electric vehicles mean they will someday push to make Formula 1, IndyCar, IMSA, and NASCAR all-electric and less noisy?

A cautionary tale has been played out on the Detroit River. Much quieter Vietnam-era turbine helicopter engines replaced the thundering World War II fighter airplane powerplants in unlimited hydroplane powerboat racing in the 1980s, and some fans say the sport hasn’t been the same since.

One of the first all-electric racing series is the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, a single-seater motorsport championship that uses only electric cars and tours the world. Audi, Jaguar, Mercedes, Nissan, and Porsche are involved in Formula E. There’s also the Extreme E worldwide off-road series, in which General Motors’ GMC is involved.

“Is that relevant to what they’re selling?” asks Roger Penske, a longtime race team owner and chairman of Penske Automotive Group in Bloomfield Township, about Formula E. “ I don’t know. I would say that each one of (the automakers) is focusing on which part of motor racing they want to be in. What we have to do is have a product that’s exciting enough to watch, and have technology tie it back to a particular automaker.”

Could that technology make auto racing much quieter in the next 10 to 20

years? The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) has announced it will introduce an electric class of racing for the 2022 season.

“We at Ford have been studying the electrified racing landscape for several years and, much like the automotive industry itself, it’s moving forward with us quickly,” says Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsports. “It’s one of the reasons we debuted two new all-electric demonstrators last year — the Mach E 1400 and the Mustang Cobra Jet 1400. Both vehicles have allowed us to push the limits on electrified performance vehicles and helped us develop our knowledge base on these types of vehicle powertrains.”

Chevrolet also has developed a concept eCOPO Camaro all-electric drag racer, and Ford recently announced it’s producing the hybrid-electric Ford Puma for the 2022 World Rally Championship, which runs in Europe.

“The 2022 NASCAR Next Gen Mustang Cup car was designed with future hybrid or full electric powertrains in mind,” Rushbrook says. “We’re seeing more and more sanctioning organizations looking at future powertrain options and how they’ll fit into the automotive landscape."

Jim Campbell, vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports at GM, agrees. “Several series in which Chevrolet competes are incorporating hybrids into their future development road maps.”

Penske says even if the on-track product isn’t all electric in the future, the sanctioning bodies and the tracks themselves are going the extra mile to be more environmentally friendly.

“There’s no question that we need to be responsible,” Penske says. “We’re looking at ways to decarbonize sustainably so we can make our racing footprint rational in dealing with the expectations around the world.” — Tim Keenan September - OctOber 2021 || DBUSINESS.COM 75

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Promotional Content

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P R O M OT I O N A L CO N T E N T

Personal Wealth Q&A

Q: What is the most overlooked issue in wealth management in 2021?

A: In 2021, the answer is clearly risk. This is particularly true given the rumblings of tax law changes and inflation on the horizon. And perhaps the most overlooked area of risk is in the engine that has driven much of that wealth accumulation, namely the value held in privately owned businesses. The truth is, many private business values have grown substantially, perhaps even more so than investment portfolios and real estate. As we finish off 2021, changes in Washington D.C. represent a massive increase in risk to many privately owned businesses.

The waning months of this year represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to consider how best to transfer business assets to new generations, maintaining future opportunities for family and workers while also shielding value from what is likely to be an unfavorable tax environment. At UHY, we have spent the last several years feverishly positioning business assets so that the clients can preserve their wealth and the prosperity that it has brought.

UHY Advisors Jacob M. Katz, CVA Senior Manager 12900 Hall road, Ste. 500 Sterling Heights, MI 48313 586-843-2587 uhy-us.com/professional/ jacob-katz jkatz@uhy-us.com

Q: What is the difference between probate and non-probate assets?

A: l In the probate and estate planning arenas, clients often confuse the distinction in the relationship between a decedent’s estate, a trust, or other assets called non-probate assets. The distinction between probate and non-probate assets primarily relies on the manner in which ownership to certain property (real or personal) is affected by an individual’s death.

“Probate assets” are those owned by a decedent’s estate upon his or her death. It is these assets that are subject to the probate administration process to determine their ultimate distribution to an heir-at-law, devisee, creditor, or other interested

person, as defined in Michigan Estates and Protected Individuals Code (“EPIC”).

Contrarily, “non-probate assets” are those of which legal ownership transfers as a result of the decedent’s death by operation of law (i.e., beneficiary-designated assets or property owned jointly with another with a right of survivorship).

Since a non-probate asset is ultimately governed by a separate written instrument as required by MCL 700.6101(a), it is generally exempt from being treated or distributed the same way as the probate assets.

Attorney at Plunkett Cooney Trusts and Estates Practice Group 38505 Woodward Ave., Suite 100 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304 (248) 433-7052 rbourjaily@plunkettcooney. com

plunkettcooney.com

Q: What is top advice you can offer people about estate planning?

A: According to a recent Key Private Bank Advisor Poll on estate planning, the biggest misconception people have is that they are not that old and can do it later. Yet, the majority of advisors say the ideal age to start putting an estate plan in place is before 40— earlier than many people think.

If you are unsure where to begin, here are eight financial planning to-dos that high-net worth individuals and their families must tackle for their estate plans, ranked in order of priority.

• Meet with a financial advisor to discuss estate planning wishes • Designate a financial and healthcare power of attorney

• • •

Decide on and draft healthcare directives Create a will Determine and regularly update beneficiary designations • Determine whether to create a trust • Plan asset ownership • Communicate with heirs Do not wait for these moments Even if you are in the early stages of your life and career, consider meeting with your advisor to talk about your estate planning wishes and things you can do now to protect and preserve your wealth for the long-term.

Key Private Bank

Vito P. Gioia Michigan Market Manager & SVP 248-204-6561 Vito_Gioia@keybank.com key.com/getthere.

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Exec Life

INSIDE || FALL/WINTER FASHION | RETURN ON INVESTMENT | PRODUCTION RUN | OPINION | THE CIRCUIT

Stone Rose navy floral shirt, $135, at MATURE, Detroit; 313-279-7577; maturelook.com

FALL FASHION

Gorjana “Venice” gold necklace, $65, at Whitetail Farm, Dexter; 734-253-2066; whitetailfarm.shop.

As summer turns to autumn, look your best at work, in a boardroom, or at a restaurant or a club.

STYLED BY REBECCA VOIGT MARTIN VECCHIO

Marni striped sweater, $980, at Tender, Birmingham; 248-258-0212; tenderbirmingham.com.

Zota Unique brown leather oxfords, $198, at dolce MODA.

Bruun & Stengade floral bow tie, $55, at dolce MODA, Birmingham; 248-399-6200; dolcemoda.com.

Marni navy and brown flats, $850, at Tender.

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Exec Life || Fall and Winter Fashion

Baleen “Coco” bracelet, $38, at Whitetail Farm.

Dorothee Schumacher knit cropped camisole, $320, at Tender.

“Taner” small hoop earring, $50, at Whitetail Farm, Dexter; 734-253-2066; whitetailfarm.shop.

Gorjana “Harper” necklace, $70, at Whitetail Farm.

“Port” hoop earring, $50, and “Port” bracelet, $70, at Whitetail Farm.

QL2 Quelledue plaid blazer, $1,095, at Tender, Birmingham; 248-258-0212; tender-birmingham.com.

Robert Clergerie “Anja” suede platform shoes, $625, at Tender.

Denim “At-traction” pant, $450, at Tender.

Double twist belt, $240, at Tender.

Ted Baker resin chain crossbody bag, $289, at dolce MODA, Birmingham; 248-399-6200; dolcemoda.com.

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Fall and Winter Fashion || Exec Life

R.D.D. Royal Denim Division selvedge jeans, $130, at MATURE, Detroit; 313-279-7577; maturelook.com.

Ron Tomson turtleneck sweater, $108, at dolce MODA, Birmingham; 248-399-6200; dolcemoda.com.

The Tie Bar linen dot tie, $38, at MATURE.

Ted Baker “Darall” pale blue leather trainers, $170, at dolce MODA.

A Fish Named Fred big check blazer, $399, at dolce MODA.

Fish print pocket square, $50, at dolce MODA.

Rains navy backpack, $110, at MATURE.

Navy nubuck leather belt, $95, at dolce MODA.

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Exec Life || Return on Investment

GOLDEN VIEW Lisa Lillelund, who is part of a battery technology company, was born in Ann Arbor, raised in Charlevoix, and today lives in San Francisco, where her home overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge.

Electric Lady Lisa Lillelund tapped her penchant for sustainability to help pioneer zero-emission school buses and heavy-duty vehicles.

for sustainability to Charlevoix, where she spent her early years appreciating how unique and special her surroundings were.

“I was born in Ann Arbor, but my German father was a ski lover who wanted to be close to Boyne Mountain, and he moved us up north to Charlevoix when I was 5 years old,” she recalls.

“Charlevoix had a really big impact on me.

“You grow up surrounded by (the) beauty of the water — Lake Charlevoix and Lake Michigan, and the woods, and the beautiful four seasons. You’re outdoors all the time, skiing in the winter on Mount McSauba, and then in the summer we did the 4-H sailing class, and you just get a love for nature and the things you love and want to protect.”

Lillelund attended school in Charlevoix from kindergarten through her junior year in high

school. The following year, she attended Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School (formerly Kingswood School) in Bloomfield Hills as a senior boarder. During that time, she began to appreciate the generational contributions her family had made to advancing society.

“We didn’t have a lot of AP classes in Charlevoix, so many of my friends were going to the community college in Petoskey,” she says. “My mother knew about Kingswood from growing up in Birmingham, and my grandmother, Alice Wessels Burlingame, was a columnist for The Birmingham Eccentric newspaper for 32 years with her gardening column, ‘Down to Earth.’

“At Bloomfield Hills House, on the grounds of Cranbrook, she founded the Garden Auxiliary of volunteers, which is still going strong today,

LISA LILLELUND

L

isa Lillelund can barely contain her pleasure as she explains her job as director of sales at Proterra Powered, an industry leader in the design and manufacturing of heavy-duty vehicles with zero tailpipe emissions.

A battery technology company, Proterra Powered is part of a string of national and global businesses Lillelund has either operated or managed.

“I launched the sales division, which sells the technology to other OEMs like Thomas Built Buses, with their school bus, and Van Hool, with their coach bus. They also manufacture their own battery-electric transit buses. So I’m in the medium and heavy-duty electric vehicle space.”

Lillelund traces her enthusiasm and passion

BY TOM MURRAY

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Return on Investment || Exec Life

nourishing the beautiful gardens at Cranbrook.”

When the time came to pick a college, there was really only one choice for Lillelund. “The University of Michigan played a big role in my family,” she says proudly. “I’m a third-generation alum.”

Although choosing a college was easy, it took Lillelund a while to figure out where she wanted to focus her energies for a degree.

“I probably had four different majors,” she laughs. “I started out thinking maybe (I was) good at math, and then I decided I didn’t want to do that, and I thought psychology, and then law.

When you were a liberal arts major you had to take a foreign language, which I think is incredible, so I took German.”

One of her instructors encouraged Lillelund to take her junior year abroad.

“He said there was this beautiful program in Freiburg, which is in the Black Forest,” she says, “and he said, ‘Lisa, it’ll be life-changing, you’ve got to do it.’ Today, kids only go for a semester, but back then you did a junior year abroad for 12 months, and you really got immersed — language, the culture. You even start dreaming in the language. It’s just really cool.”

The experience also reinforced Lillelund’s awareness and penchant for respecting and caring for nature.

“It was wonderful to see how other people live, and how mindful they were of electricity and gas and food waste and different things, and it put a different lens into my world,” she says. “From that moment on, I never looked back. I had a global mindset that the world doesn’t begin and end in America. I went back to my senior year and couldn’t wait to just graduate and get back to Europe.”

As planned, she graduated and then landed a job in Dusseldorf at Hitachi Metals, a Japanese company, soon after her return to Germany. “I started as an import clerk and then was promoted to sales, one of the first women at this multinational company, helping to sell their automobile parts in Germany to customers like BMW. I loved it. And I got the bug of business,” Lillelund says.

Within a few years she was back in the United States, in San Francisco, working in sales for an export company with a large portfolio of international customers.

“Then I went to get my MBA in Arizona, at the Thunderbird School of Global Management,” she says. “I heard about it in Europe, and at the time it was the top international business school in the country. To get in, you needed to have lived overseas, everybody spoke at least two languages, and I felt like I found my people: They all had this international mindset, loved business, and loved to travel and see the world.”

Lillelund not only earned her MBA, but also met her husband, Mads, a Dane from Copenhagen — and almost immediately found her next

job with Cybex International, a manufacturer of medical testing and training equipment.

“I was recruited out of Thunderbird for that job,” she says. “I spent two years at their headquarters in New York and then moved to Brussels, Belgium, and opened up the European headquarters, where I was managing director of Europe for six years, managing the business in 16 countries. It was awesome. I felt like I was so lucky; I was getting paid to explore the world.”

Lillelund spent eight years at Cybex before leaving voluntarily, because she and Mads wanted to start a family. “I wanted to be home more if I had young children,” she explains.

Over the next dozen years, while raising two sons, Lillelund utilized her business experiences as a consultant and a writer — “taking after my grandmother, Alice.” The family hopscotched around the globe — from Brussels to Dublin, then on to New Jersey and Massachusetts.

During their peripatetic journey, Mads managed to launch Mango Networks, a data networking company that manufactured equipment he designed. Soon after the launch, Lillelund signed on as head of operations.

“Within two years my husband got recruited to be CEO of another company, and I transformed Mango Networks into my own environmental communications company. I ran it for 10 years, advising businesses and towns and resorts on how to be more sustainable,” she says. “For instance, I would recommend an EV charging station for a town or a business park, or electric vehicles or buses.”

During that time, Lillelund also made a strong connection with her roots in Michigan.

“I rented a branch office in Detroit at TechTown in 2015” and “discovered Proterra and was suggesting their electric bus would be great for some of my clients,” she says. “And the next thing you know, I met with them and they ended up offering me a job in 2018.”

The new position meant yet another move for Lillelund, to Proterra’s headquarters in Burlingame, Calif. — a location with a significant connection to the Lillelund family.

“Burlingame is named after Anson Burlingame, a distant relative of ours who also went to the University of Michigan and was known as a fighter for human rights (and) an abolitionist who campaigned for Lincoln,” she says. “He was also Lincoln’s appointed ambassador to China, where he created the first treaty to acknowledge the rights of Chinese citizens, known as the

Burlingame Treaty.”

When Burlingame died in 1869, Mark Twain penned a glowing obituary, praising him for, among many other noble qualities, his sense of diplomacy: “In every labor of this man’s life,” Twain wrote, “there was present a good and noble motive; and in nothing that he ever did or said was there anything small or base.”

Following in her family’s footsteps, Lillelund utilizes her own sense of diplomacy, enthusiasm, and dogged determination as she pursues her goal of making a positive impact on the environment, specifically the school bus market.

“Greenhouse gas emissions from transportation accounted for 29 percent of the U.S. emissions in 2019,” she says. “The U.S. school bus fleet of around 480,000 yellow buses is the nation’s largest public transportation fleet, carrying around 25 million schoolchildren, on average, on a daily basis. A 2018 report by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund found that converting U.S. school buses from diesel to electric would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 5.3 million tons per year — the equivalent of taking about 1 million cars off the road.”

Lillelund is especially excited about the progress she’s made on sustainability in her home state. “Michigan’s the perfect place to have a lot of this innovation happen,” she says.

“I was really proud that it was one of the first states in the country to devote its round one (federal stimulus) funding exclusively to electric school buses. We were fortunate to partner with DTE Energy to provide special grant funding to Ann Arbor public schools. They have four buses, and Roseville has two. It’s especially rewarding for me to have zero-emissions, clean transportation for children.”

CHANGE AGENTS Mads and Lisa Lillelund take part in the 2017 People’s Climate March in Washington, D.C.

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Top Business Restaurants || Exec Life

2021

TOP BUSINESS

RESTAURANTS in metro Detroit

DUE TO COVID-19, RESERVATIONS ARE OFTEN NEEDED. PLEASE CALL AHEAD FOR AVAILABILITY.

ANN ARBOR

THE CHOP HOUSE

An elegant steakhouse destination featuring grain-fed beef like filet mignon and New York strip — usually a great spot before or after a U-M football game. 322 S. Main St., Ann Arbor, 888-456-3463, D Daily / 55 / 40 / / The Chef’s Table. Seats 10-12 people at the front of the restaurant, with a view of Ann Arbor’s Main Street.

GANDY DANCER

Located in the elegantly restored 1886 Michigan Central Depot railroad station, the Gandy Dancer specializes in seafood, steak, and pasta dishes. 401 Depot St., Ann Arbor, 734769-0592, B Sun., L Mon.-Sat., D Daily / 42 / 130/ / / Window tables with a scenic view of the train tracks.

PAESANO RESTAURANT & WINE BAR

A cozy atmosphere featuring rustic Italian dishes with an emphasis on regional preparations. The menu also boasts variety, offering dishes such as duck ravioli and barbequed ribs flavored with orange molasses and vinegar. 3411 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor, 734-971-0484, L&D Daily / 28 / 65/ / N/A ZINGERMAN’S ROADHOUSE

A down-to-earth establishment, Zingerman’s serves fresh regional American foods. Entrées include Uncle Joe Burroughs’

AVERAGE PRICE OF DINNER ENTRÉES

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Southern fried whole catfish platter, rainbow trout, or Alaskan halibut. 2501 Jackson Ave., Ann Arbor, 734-663-3663, B, L, D Daily / 28 / 65 / / NA

seafood, offers a renowned wine list with more than 100 selections. 323 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 248-723-0134, L Sat.-Sun., D Daily / 53 / 72 / / / The Captain’s Table seats eight people in large, comfortable chairs.

and steelhead trout. 298 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 248-283-4200, B, L, D Daily / 27 / 12 / / / With an open floor plan and the large expansive space, every table is as advantageous as the next.

LELLI’S OF AUBURN HILLS

FOREST

PHOENECIA

This Italian restaurant is known for its filet mignon with zip sauce, a 32-oz. porterhouse, and tableside Caesar salad. Originally located in Detroit. 885 Opdyke Rd., Auburn Hills, 248373-4440, L & D Daily / 45 / 350 / / / Located in a high-profile part of the restaurant, the tables by the bar are highly requested.

Located in Birmingham’s Triangle District, the culinary team prepares charcuterie and traditional bistro dishes. The chef emphasizes fresh, local ingredients. 753 Forest Ave., Birmingham, 248-258-9400, L Sat., D Tue.-Sat. / 33 / 30 / / / The restaurant’s corner booth seats up to 14 people and provides ample privacy.

BIRMINGHAM

HYDE PARK PRIME STEAKHOUSE

A unique and refined menu for Middle Eastern cuisine, inspired by Old World Beirut.

Owner Sameer Eid selects the finest cuts of meat every morning and uses them in specialty dishes such as the baba ghanoush and hashwi with lamb confit. 588 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 248-644-3122, L Mon.-Fri., D Daily / 25 / No private meeting room, but the dining area can comfortably accommodate parties of up to 10 people. / / Booths 1, 2, and 21 are popular for meetings.

The two most private booths can seat up to six people and are located beside the wine cellar.

AUBURN HILLS

BIG ROCK CHOP HOUSE

This Birmingham staple, set in a historic train station, offers an award-winning menu highlighted by unique steak and seafood offerings including cold water lobster tail and a 24-oz. porterhouse. 245 S. Eton, Birmingham, 248647-7774, D Tue.-Sat. / 39 / 400 / / / Under the outdoor gazebo or, if you’re looking to see or be seen, table 30 or 31 in the center of the dining room. Both tables seat five to six people.

FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE & WINE BAR

MADAM

This steakhouse, accompanying a menu complete with aged prime beef and fresh

MEETING ROOM CAPACITY

VALET

The popular downtown venue offers both traditional and specialty steaks, including dry-aged reserve prime offerings, as well as shrimp and lobster tail. 201 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 248-594-4369, D Mon.Sat. / 53 / N/A / / / The plush red Gotti booth is a customer favorite, but for more privacy the Board Room seats 8-10.

Other popular areas of the restaurant include six rooms for private dining, and stained glass-ornamented Room 11, which includes a flat-screen TV and a fireplace.

WI-FI

The new downtown venue inside the Daxton Hotel serves American cuisine and beverages. Entrées include scallops, flat iron steak,

BEST TABLE IN THE HOUSE

RUGBY GRILLE

Tucked inside Birmingham’s Townsend Hotel, the Rugby Grille offers steaks, seafood, and racks of lamb. Or sit outside on the expansive sidewalk patio, which offers a great view of who’s coming in and out of the main entrance doors. 100 Townsend St., Birmingham, 248642-5999, B, L&D Daily / 52 / NA / / / Tables 71 and 74 have unparalleled vantage points of the restaurant.

TOWNHOUSE

Located in downtown Birmingham, this

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Exec Life || Top Business Restaurants

American bistro serves up everything from lobster rolls to footlong cheesesteaks to accompany an extensive alcohol selection.

180 Pierce St., 248-792-5241, D Tue.-Sun., B, L Sat.-Sun. / 34 / N./A / / N/A

BLOOMFIELD HILLS ANDIAMO BLOOMFIELD

Popular year-round, the Italian eatery offers a range of traditional dishes such as ravioli and lasagna, along with premium cuts of beef.

6676 Telegraph Rd., Bloomfield Hills, 248865-9300, L Mon.-Fri., D Daily / 30 / 150 / / / Table 40 is at the center of the restaurant near a fireplace. With a low wall to one side and a high wall to the other, this secluded table offers ample privacy for a group of eight.

EDDIE MERLOT’S

This is the first and only Eddie Merlot’s in Michigan and, in keeping with the restaurant’s mantra, it provides top-of-the-line steaks and seafood. 37000 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, 248-712-4095, D Tue.-Sat. / 47 / 600 / / / Table 441, located in the center of the restaurant, seats up to eight people and offers views of the entire restaurant and the wine wall. Table 119 is also highly

requested for a more private setting.

JOE MUER SEAFOOD

Joe Muer Seafood in Bloomfield Hills is the second Muer seafood restaurant in the region.

The menu is the same, and the décor is distinctive with a central bar, black-and-white marble floors, live acts, and an extensive wine collection. 39475 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, 248-792-9609, D Daily / 49 / 80 / / / The Bloomfield Hills location seats up to 250 people, with several prime locations.

ROADSIDE B&G

This bar and grill is retro-themed and specializes in everything from burgers, ribs, and fish and chips to steaks and seafood. 1727 S. Telegraph Rd., Bloomfield Township, 248858-7270, D Daily / 20 / 40 / Tables on the patio are the most requested.

CANTON TOWNSHIP

ANTONIO’S CUCINA ITALIANA

Family recipes feature authentic Italian cuisine, like linguine primavera, ravioli, and cannelloni, that truly reflects the old country.

2220 N. Canton Center Rd., Canton, 734-9819800, L&D Daily / 16 / 140 / / The VIP Room. This plush and private room,

equipped with a 20-foot-long captain’s table and captain’s chairs, has a widescreen TV with a DVD player.

CLARKSTON VIA BOLOGNA

Designed to remind customers of the romantic atmosphere of European dining, this Italian restaurant specializes in pastas, veal, chicken, and fish entrées. 7071 Dixie Hwy., Clarkston, 248-620-8500, D Daily / 20 / 50 (only before 3 p.m.) / / Table 14 is tucked away by a window.

CLINTON TOWNSHIP THE BREWERY RESTAURANT

A casual American restaurant featuring upscale, world-class cuisine including steak, chops, fresh seafood, and daily specials. 39950 Hayes, Clinton Township, 586-286-3020, D Tue.-Sat. / 26 / 30 / / A corner table by the patio that seats up to eight people and offers plenty of privacy.

DEARBORN

ROMAN VILLAGE CUCINA ITALIANA

This family-owned restaurant sticks to its

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traditional Italian roots and uses family recipes. For example, their polenta consists of cornmeal topped with Italian sausage and meat sauce. 9924 Dix Ave., Dearborn, 313842-2100, L&D Daily / 12 / 110 / / A round table in the center of the room.

DEARBORN HEIGHTS

ANTONIO’S CUCINA ITALIANA

This location, just as the Rugiero family’s other locations, produces its own pasta daily. Apart from ravioli Florentine or mannicotti, pair their fresh gnocchi with the house special pancetta and mushroom sauce. 26356 Ford Rd., Dearborn Heights, 313-278-6000, L&D Daily / 16 / 110 / The secluded south room, with its few tables, is reminiscent of old school Italian restaurants and is located away from the main room’s hustle and bustle. It’s private and quaint.

DETROIT

ANDIAMO RIVERFRONT

Located on the Detroit River in the Renaissance Center, this scenic eatery offers authentic Italian dishes including ravioli and lasagna, and has numerous wine selections.

400 GM Renaissance Center, Detroit, 313567-6700, L Mon.-Sat., D Daily / 29 / VALET

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BEST TABLE IN THE HOUSE

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Top Business Restaurants || Exec Life

200 / / / The Galleria. Accommodating up to 90 guests, the elegant room offers plenty of privacy for meetings both small and large.

THE APPARATUS ROOM

Housed in the former Detroit Fire Department Headquarters that is now the 100room Foundation Hotel, the Apparatus Room features regional riffs on traditional American dishes. Entrées include braised farm chicken, lamb shank, and seafood bourride. 250 W. Larned, Detroit, 313-8005600, D Wed.-Sun. / 36 / 10 / / / The Chef’s Table, a 10-seat space that offers a multi-course tasting menu, and also serves as a home for visiting chefs and pop-ups.

BESA

An exceptional modern dining experience in a 1917 building. 600 Woodward Ave., Detroit, D Mon.-Sat. / 36 / 55 / / / The Chef’s Table, a 15-seat space on the lower level that features its own lounge.

CAUCUS CLUB S:16.25"

The Caucus Club, which originally opened in 1952 and then closed in 2012, is enjoying

GIOVANNI’S RISTORANTE

new life and new ownership in the Penobscot Building. House favorites include tenderloin steak bites, roast prime beef, and pan-seared halibut. 150 W. Congress, Detroit, 313-965-4970, D Daily/ 55 / 22 / / / Table 53, a corner booth that’s right in the middle of the restaurant, is the most sought-after spot, but table 31, a “Vegas-style booth,” is the favorite of owner George Sboukis.

A recipient of a DiRoNA award for being among the best restaurants in North America, Giovanni’s is a cozy Italian eatery offering ravioli, lasagna, and gnocchi. Guests have included Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. 330 S. Oakwood, Detroit, 313-841-0122, D Tue.-Sat../ 25 / 24 / / The Sewing Machine Table, in a corner that overlooks the entire restaurant, seats up to four people.

CUISINE RESTAURANT

JOE MUER SEAFOOD

Set in New Center, this quaint French-American restaurant is located inside a residential manor and offers seared sea scallops, beef tenderloin, and roasted Alaskan halibut. 670 Lothrop St., Detroit, 313-872-5110, D Tue.-Sat. / 59 / 100 / By request / / Tables 15 and 16 are on the old porch overlooking Lothrop Street.

With sweeping views of the Detroit River and a modern interior, the menu offers various seafood dishes, sushi, and classics such as Dover sole, whitefish, and surf and turf. There’s also a piano bar and a small patio. 400 Renaissance Center, 313-567-6837, L Mon.-Fri., D Daily / 49 / 130 / / / A table in the main dining room, next to floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the river, the RiverWalk, and Windsor.

D.PRIME

Set in MGM Grand Detroit, featuring a modern twist on flame-grilled steaks, signature cocktails, and a fresh atmosphere, D.PRIME offers its take on a Detroit steakhoue. 1777 3rd St., 313-465-1645, D Wed.Sun. / 58 / N/A / for hotel guests / / NA

THE LONDON CHOP HOUSE

Renovated and paying homage to the original restaurant, The London Chop House is like dining in private luxury. Also harkening back to the original restaurant, the new establishment serves old favorites like a porterhouse steak. 155 West

Congress, Detroit, 313-962-0277, D Mon.-Sat./ 43 / 40 / / / Booths 1 and 2. In the restaurant’s early days, and even today, these booths hosted celebrities and auto luminaries.

PRIME + PROPER

Aiming to be Detroit’s premier steakhouse, Prime + Proper dry-ages all meats in-house and offers 100 percent USDA prime beef and lamb, as well as seafood. In the lower level is a truly private bar called Cash Only. 1145 Griswold, Detroit, 248-294-0700, L Sun., D Tue.Sun. / 40 / 30 / / / Table 1 is one of the restaurant’s most private and sought-after tables, while Table 2 offers the chance to see and be seen.

RATTLESNAKE CLUB

Enjoy Maine diver sea scallops and a host of seafood and steak selections on the covered terrace, when weather permits, and take in the views of the Detroit River. 300 River Place, 313567-4400, D Tue.-Sat.. / 32 / 40 / / / Any table along the riverfront provides a wonderful view for guests.

ROAST

Tucked inside the Westin Book Cadillac Detroit, Roast offers everything from beef

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MADAM, Birmingham

SELDEN STANDARD

This seasonally driven restaurant allows guests to enjoy flavors born on local farms and captured at the peak of the season, for ultimate taste and quality. The eatery offers meals such as seasonal flatbread, grilled trout, and charred octopus, as well as local brews and craft cocktails. 3921 2nd Ave., Detroit, 313-438-5055,D Thu.-Sun.. / 22 / 30 / The chef’s counter seating area is highly requested and very interactive.

THE WHITNEY

Detroit’s most iconic mansion, this historic eatery retains all of its charm and refinement while appealing to contemporary tastes with offerings such as bourbon beef Wellington, bourbon-glazed salmon, and crispy pan-

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roasted duck. 4421 Woodward Ave., 313832-5700, B, L &D Sat., D Thu.-Fri. / 72 / 60 / / / Table 28 is in the center of the bay window area and overlooks Woodward Avenue. The table seats two and looks out over a colorful, expansive garden.

WRIGHT & CO.

This restaurant offers contemporary American food, small-plates style, along with craft cocktails. The menu typically features nine plates and three desserts, which change with the seasons. 1500 Woodward Ave., Second Floor, Detroit, 313-962-7711, L&D Mon.-Fri., D Sat.-Sun. / 15 / NA / / Table 40. The round table underneath the chandelier is by the front window and overlooks Woodward Avenue. It comfortably seats a minimum of five people and a maximum of eight.

FARMINGTON HILLS

ANTONIO’S CUCINA ITALIANA

Signature dishes include gnocchi Rita, chicken Antonio, various veal dishes, and pizzas — all in an Italian countryside setting. 37646 W. 12 Mile Rd., Farmington Hills, 248-994-4000, L&D Daily / 16 / 45 / NA

CAFÉ CORTINA

This Farmington Hills restaurant may be the “best-kept secret” in metro Detroit. A garden provides fresh ingredients like arugula, basil, eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes for the Northern Italian cuisine. 30715 W. 10 Mile Rd., Farmington Hills, 248-474-3033, D Daily / 44 / 185 / / / When weather permits, the ideal table is one by a fireplace on the patio, with a scenic view.

HONG HUA

With more than 80 years of combined experience, the chefs at Hong Hua offer guests authentic Chinese cuisine like Peking duck in an upscale setting. Other selections include stir-fried choice rib-eye, king of the sea, and Phoenix nest. 27925 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills, 248-489-2280, D Tue.Sun./ 21 / 200 / Private meeting rooms are available.

GROSSE POINTE FARMS DIRTY DOG JAZZ CAFÉ

In an intimate pub atmosphere, this restaurant provides live music along with entrées such as Vietnamese short ribs, confit chicken fettuccine, and braised pork chops. 97 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe Farms, 313-882-5299, L&D Tue.Fri., D Sat. / 26 / 22 / / For entertainment, Table 4 offers an up-close view of the live music, but for a quieter and secluded setting, the Board Room is a private room with a 64-inch screen and speakers that allow guests to see and hear the band, yet still conduct a private meeting. Live music may not be available during the pandemic.

GROSSE POINTE WOODS DA EDOARDO

STEVEN LELLI’S ON THE GREEN

Located at Copper Creek Golf Course, Lelli’s Inn continues the tradition started in 1939, serving filet mignon with zip sauce, bone-in filet mignon, and veal marsala. 27925 Golf Pointe Blvd., Farmington Hills, 248-994-1111, D Tue.-Sun. / 43 / 200 / / / Tables in the Red Room or the Champagne Room are very private.

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Family-owned by the Barbieri family for more than 25 years, Da Edoardo offers rich Italian cuisine like fettuccine Alfredo, tuna au poivre, and veal saltimbocca. 19767 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Woods, 313-881-8540, D Tue.-Sat./ 14 / 75 / Fireside booths, with elegant mahogany and leather features, offer an impressive and intimate setting.

VALET

WI-FI

JOE VAUGN

pierogi to stuffed Hungarian hot peppers to porterhouse for two and roasted chicken.

The owner is Iron Chef Michael Symon of “Food Network” fame. 1128 Washington Blvd., Detroit, 313-961-2500, D Tue.-Sat./ 46 / 36 / / / For privacy, there are cozy booths behind the bar, as well as a private room near the entrance. For a more scenic view, sit next to the windows that look out onto Washington Boulevard.

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Top Business Restaurants || Exec Life

LIVONIA

ANTONIO’S PICCOLO RISTORANTE

This new upscale casual, family-owned restaurant is decorated with oil paintings and mosaics on its walls and serves its fan-favorite linguine with white clam sauce, as well as a fresh, steamed mussels appetizer, and spaghetti carbonara. A full carry-out menu is available. Everything, including the gelato, is made in-house in this authentic Italian restaurant. 31735 Plymouth Rd., Livonia, 734-513-8000, L&D Daily / 16 / 15 / / NA FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE

An ideal setting for entertaining clients, this restaurant offers award-winning steak and seafood, including New York strip, bone-in ribeye, and double breast of chicken. Desserts can easily be shared. 17400 Haggerty Rd, Livonia, 734-542-9463, D Mon.-Fri. / 60 / 60 / / / A table in the main dining room, next to the reserve wine room with more than 100 bottles.

MITCHELL’S FISH MARKET

Fish so fresh, the menu is printed twice daily. Mitchell’s provides a wide array of fish, and their crab cakes are a guest favorite. 17600 Haggerty Rd.,

734-464-3663, L&D Daily/ 32 / / / NA

21 /

NORTHVILLE

GAUCHO STEAK HOUSE

This authentic Brazilian steakhouse offers a vibrant atmosphere and 17 types of unlimited meats including filet mignon, rib-eye, and lombo com parmesao. 39550 W. Seven Mile, Northville, 248-380-7770, L Mon.-Fri., D Daily / 49 / 40 / / Table 7 is located in the second dining room and, conveniently, near the salad bar. This table offers privacy, and one of the restaurant’s waterfalls accentuates the surroundings. There’s also a private dining room that seats up to 30 people.

HYDE PARK PRIME STEAKHOUSE

The venue offers both traditional and specialty steaks, including dry-aged reserve prime offerings, as well as shrimp and lobster tail. 17107 Haggerty Rd., Northville Township, 248-679-0007, D Tue.- Sun./ 41 / 60 / / / NA

NOVI

NO. SIX PRIME

Serving prime steaks and seafood in an elegant setting, this Novi establishment located inside the Crowne Plaza Hotel is

known for its live Maine lobster and generous cuts of beef. 27000 S. Karevich Dr., Novi, 248-308-5100, D Mon.-Sat. / 32 / 25 / / Any of the oversized luxury booths.

STEVE & ROCKY’S

Opentable.com’s Diner’s Choice Winner for 2016. Chefs Steve Allen and Chuck “Rocky” Rachwitz offer local American fare favorites including filet mignon, shrimp Provencal, and lake perch sauté. 43150 Grand River Ave., Novi, 248-374-0688, L Mon.-Thur., D Daily / 22 / 250 / / The perimeter tables offer the most privacy.

TOASTED OAK GRILL & MARKET

Located in the Baronette Renaissance Hotel next to Twelve Oaks Mall, the upbeat restaurant offers an array of steak and seafood prepared in-house, including grilled pizza, Lake Huron trout, local grass-fed rib-eye, and Creekstone Farms tenderloin. 27790 Novi Rd., Novi, 248-277-6000, B, L, D, Tue.-Sat., Brunch Sat.-Sun. / 19 / 50 / / A private dining room is available that can extend near the fireplace. With its doors shut, the private dining room holds approximately 26 people.

PLYMOUTH

LA BISTECCA ITALIAN GRILLE

The Grille offers pollo alla picatta and an array of

steak and seafood such as a 16-oz. New York strip and salmon al griglia. All steak is certified Piedmontese beef. 39405 Plymouth Rd., Plymouth, 734-254-0400, L Sat.-Sun., D Wed..Sat. / 37 / 100 / / / Table 11 is tucked away in the corner of the dining room off the beaten path, giving you a full view of the room. Table 22 is more private, in an area where diners don’t see many others.

PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP CANTORO TRATTORIA

This restaurant offers a selection of homemade gelatos, cannoli, breads baked fresh daily, and a cheese room. Hundreds of wines complement appetizers, salads, fish, meats, seafoods, pastas, and pizzas.

15550 N. Haggerty Rd., Plymouth Township, 734-667-1199, L Tue.-Sat., D Tue.-Sun. / 35 / 200 / / Table 19 is the most popular. The restaurant can’t guarantee reservations for it, but takes requests.

ROCHESTER

PARK 600 BAR + KITCHEN AT THE ROYAL PARK HOTEL

Park 600 bar + kitchen is a well-appointed restaurant that has memorable flavors and locally sourced foods. The expansive menu features Indian Brook rainbow trout,

D PRIME, Detroit

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Asian-styled pork shank, and pasta carbonara. 600 E. University, Rochester, 248453-8732, B Sun., L Thu.-Sun., D Wed.-Sat. / 26 / 118 / / / Booths near the fireplace or half-booths along the back wall are recommended.

1968. Beef and fish are delivered to the restaurant twice daily, in order to keep meals fresh. 29850 Groesbeck Hwy., Roseville, 586-777-7770 L&D Mon.Sat. / 25 / 182 / / / The larger booth in the back corner of the restaurant.

ROCHESTER CHOP HOUSE

The Kruse and Muer restaurant offers great, affordable steaks, chops, and seafood such as Maine lobster tails, stuffed shrimp, and Australian lamb chops. 306 Main St., Rochester, 248651-2266, L&D Daily / 28 / 60 / / / Table 210 is highly requested and is located in the center of the restaurant. The table is halfmoon-shaped and near the piano, providing a nice view of the restaurant.

SILVER SPOON RISTORANTE

A new location that embraces the culture and feel of dining in Italy. There are plenty of homemade dishes to satisfy any palate.

534 Main St., Rochester, 248-652-4500, D Mon.-Sat. / 25 / 15 / / / Will accommodate upon request.

ROCHESTER HILLS MITCHELL’S FISH MARKET

Fish so fresh, the menu is printed twice daily. Mitchell’s provides a wide array of fish, and their crab cakes are a guest favorite. 370 N. Adams Rd., Rochester Hills, 248-340-5900, L Tue.-Sun., D Daily/ 26 / 32 / / / Tables 91, 92, 93, and 94 are horseshoe-shaped booths that are semiprivate, and located in the back of the restaurant. Each one seats up to six people.

ROMULUS REFLECTION

Located inside The Westin at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Reflection offers a contemporary setting with a modern American menu that provides a wide array of options including pasta, salads, and soups. 2501 Worldgateway Place, Detroit, 734-229-6782, B, L&D Daily / 25 / 10 / / / Table 29 is next to the tranquility pond in the atrium, and provides an intimate and relaxed setting. A great way to relax before or after a flight.

ROSEVILLE

MR. PAUL’S CHOPHOUSE

This family-operated restaurant offers steaks, seafood, pasta, and classic dishes in a club-like setting with bricklined walls. A mainstay on the east side, the restaurant has been operating since

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SOUTHFIELD

BACCO RISTORANTE

Classic Italian cuisine meets a contemporary ambience. The restaurant boasts an impressive selection of authentic Italian dishes made with fresh ingredients. 29410 Northwestern Hwy., Southfield, 248-3566600, L&D Tue.-Fri. / 35 / 70 / / / Tables 40 and 44. Private rooms are also available upon request.

TAYLOR

PETE’S PLACE

Fresh food and great service has been the motto for the past 30 years. A new addition has taken the motto a step further to include 40 draft beers, 26 of which are Michigan craft beers. The menu includes an array of salads, sandwiches, pasta, and more. 12245 Telegraph Rd., Taylor, 734-374-0088, B, L&D Daily / 11 / 40 / / A large hightop table seats up to 10 people and is highly requested by larger parties.

TROY

THE CAPITAL GRILLE

Located at Somerset North, the Capital Grille offers prime steaks and seafood, accompanied by an extensive wine list.

2800 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 248-6495300, L&D Daily / 41 / 36 / / / Table 64 is the most secluded table, and 61 is great for romantic occasions such as anniversaries and engagements.

EDDIE V’S PRIME SEAFOOD

Eddie V’s, which opened its first Michigan restaurant in June 2017, offers fresh seafood, a wide selection of steaks, jazz played by local musicians, and more than 300 wines. 2100 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 248-649-7319, D Daily / 40 / 60 / / / The V Lounge offers live jazz every night in a comfortable, secluded area. Live music may not be available during the pandemic.

MON JIN LAU

Enjoy cuisine infused with Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, and Vietnamese influences, a lengthy sushi list, and a lively atmosphere. Menu selections include cashew chicken, Mongolian rack of lamb, and spicy Korean pork chop. 1515 E. Maple Rd., Troy, 248-689-2332, D Daily / 15 /

60 / / / The patio is spacious, and can be rented for private events.

MORTON’S STEAKHOUSE

Enjoy an intimate setting among lush wood tones and unique caricatures — it’s as close to an Old World steak and seafood club as you can get, and famous for its large portions. 888 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 248-4049845, D Daily / 45 / 88 / / / Booth 70 is often requested, and is set against a brick wall. Table 51 is highly requested for a party of eight. The round table encourages interaction between guests.

OCEAN PRIME

This contemporary version of a rich American supper club is an award-winning steakhouse that offers prime beef and seafood on its made-from-scratch menu. 2915 Coolidge Hwy., Troy, 248458-0500, L Mon.-Fri., D Daily / 38 / 60 / / / Table 10 is highly requested for a party of eight. An allglass room that seats up to eight people is a popular setting.

WARREN

ANDIAMO WARREN

The flagship location of a bustling Italian franchise. Joe Vicari’s Andiamo Italian Steakhouse features cuts of premium beef and seafood, and tableside Caesar salad, cordials, and a dessert cart. It has all the ambience of an upscale steakhouse. 7096 E. 14 Mile, Warren, 586-268-3200, L Mon.-Fri., D Daily. / 24 / 750 / / / Tables in the main or west part of the restaurant allow diners privacy.

WEST BLOOMFIELD PRIME29 STEAKHOUSE

A contemporary steakhouse featuring prime cuts of seafood and beef aged for 29 days. The 24-oz. bone-in rib-eye is a restaurant specialty. 6545 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield, 248-737-7463, D Daily / 30 / 229 / / A table inside a glass-partitioned room adjacent to the main dining area.

WYANDOTTE PORTOFINO

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAKHOUSE

With more than 40 years of rich history, Ruth’s Chris boasts an extensive offering of steak and seafood, and an award-winning wine list. Steak selections include filet, New York strip, and porterhouse. Well located near I-75. 755 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 248-2698424, D Daily / 54 / 60 / / / Table 50, a special round table that accommodates 10.

STONEY RIVER STEAKHOUSE AND GRILL

An upscale steakhouse specializing in hand-cut steaks, fresh seafood selections, signature salads, and house specialties.

Lunch and dinner specialties include steak and biscuits, wild mushroom meatloaf, and burgers, sandwiches, and bistro chicken. 155 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 248925-4730, L&D Daily / 40 / 10 / / / NA

A Wyandotte riverside landmark for almost 40 years, the restaurant’s menu is current, with seafood and pasta being the main focus. Lunch and dinner are available all day.

Specialties include Italian cuisine like seafood, pastas, baked Italian sausage pasta, and authentic Italian desserts. “Small Plate” offerings include ahi tuna, shrimp and grits, lobster crab cake, and calamari steaks. “Big Plate” selections offer filet mignon, New York strip, chicken marsala, gnocchi, and more.

3455 Biddle Ave., Wyandotte, 734-281-6700, L Wed.-Sun., D Tue.-Sun./ 18 / 200 / / / The August Room seats up to 18 people.

Compiled by DBusiness All restaurants are reviewed anonymously, all expenses are paid by Hour Media, and the listings have no relationship to advertising in the magazine.

UTICA

FILIPPA’S WINE BARREL

A tradition in dining excellence for more than 40 years, Filippa’s offers quality steaks and seafood, but the hand-rubbed, sweetsauced ribs are a favorite. 45125 Mound Rd., Utica, 586-254-1311, L&D Tue.-Fri., Sun., D Sat. / 19 / 120 / / Table 5 and 91. Table 5 is in a corner by a window and faces the main dining room area. Table 91 faces the bar and is near a bulk counter.

With the terrace to the right, this is a great option for guests looking for a serene setting.

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Opinion || Exec Life

EV Charge Before electric vehicles reach mainstream appeal, thousands of fast-charging stations must be installed around the country, while new technology is needed to extend range.

T AUSTIN PHILLIPS

he days of having a limited choice of electric vehicles are gone. Today’s EV product portfolio encompasses vehicles from legacy manufacturers to year-old startups.

Whether it’s an electrified full-size truck, a premium SUV, a performance vehicle, or a light-duty commercial vehicle, the list of electric options continues to grow.

BY MARTIN FRENCH car or a truck, and the pure fun of driving an But numerous obstacles remain. EV range EV and being immersed in the technology anxiety, slow charging times, the lack of a naaround it, mass adoption remains slow. tional charging network, and a steep drop in While continuous enhancements to EVs will resale values challenge the market. The batterhelp drive future sales, it’s time for some seriies, once they reach their end life, also are diffious education. The average range of EVs on cult to recycle.

U.S. roads is 250 miles, while the average Getting past such barriers may take years, American drives less than 40 miles per day. By even as the range of products available is exassessing consumer behavior, we panding. Recent announcements “IN A WORLD WHERE find that an EV could seamlessly

by Ford Motor Co., General MoTHE AUTOMOTIVE GAME support most lifestyles. The custors Co., Stellantis, and other auIS SHIFTING FROM tomer experience, infrastructomakers are further evidence ‘UNITS SOLD’ TO THE ture, development of the that more and more investment AMOUNT OF DATA AND charging ecosystem, and adwill go into product portfolios, SHARE OF ATTENTION dressing public perceptions batresearch and development, bat HARNESSED PER through education will be the tery manufacturing, and vehicle CUSTOMER, THERE’S true game-changer. production.

MORE THAN ONE WAY Technological advancements With global production on the OF DRIVING EV SALES.” also will be needed to expand the rise — approximately 2.5 million market. Consider customers can fill their gas EVs were produced in 2020 — China and EuEu tanks in less than five minutes, but it takes at rope account for the largest market share by least 30 minutes to recharge an EV battery far. At the same time, the adoption rate among pack to 80 percent. In turn, while EV owners consumers in the U.S. remains low, accounting can recharge their batteries overnight at home, for just 1.8 percent of light-duty vehicles sold in equipment and installation can run as much as informa2020, according to IHS Markit, an informa $2,000 per garage. tion and analytics firm that operates an office People who live in apartments and rely on in Southfield. street parking have an even bigger challenge The company forecasts EV sales in 2021 will finding a suitable outlet to charge their car batsurpass 3.5 percent nationally, and will concon teries overnight. tinue to increase to more than 10 percent To address some of the drawbacks, the auspecin 2025. Across the automotive spec tomotive industry must continue to partner trum, a wave of new EV products up. OEMs, utilities, charging solution providand brands will support EV growth ers, startups, and state and federal governin 2021 and beyond. More than ments have a massive role to play in expand100 new EV offerings are expected ing the marketplace and educating the public. between 2021 and 2025.

That includes building more power plants. If To expand the market further, every American drove an electric vehicle, the spendPresident Joe Biden has proposed spend U.S. would need 25 percent more electricity elecing $174 billion to accelerate the shift to elec than it does today. tric propulsion, including installing half a In a world where the automotive game is million charging stations across the country shifting from “units sold” to the amount of data and converting the federal fleet to EVs. and share of attention harnessed per customer, Changes to carbon emissions standards will there’s more than one way of driving EV sales. likely force manufacturers to further increase But to get there, automakers, utilities, and mutheir EV portfolio. nicipalities must work in unison to extend the Despite a multitude of vehicle options, the range of EVs, reduce charging times, and build potential to save thousands of dollars in fuel and more charging stations and power plants. maintenance costs over the average lifetime of a MARTIN FRENCH is managing director of Berylls Strategy Advisors Corp., a multifaceted automotive consulting firm in Royal Oak. September - OctOber 2021 || DBUSINESS.COM 91

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SPONSORED BY STARTUPNATION

A Life of Purpose Jessica Robinson moved to Detroit and started Assembly Ventures, the first transatlantic mobility-focused venture capital fund in the world.

092.VentureDev.Sept.21.indd 92

Ford’s Smart Mobility team, where she led the development of next-generation mobility efforts. Today, she’s co-founder and a partner in Assembly Ventures, the first transatlantic mobility-focused venture capital fund in the world.

In her role, she invests in and strategically supports entrepreneurs and mobility companies.

Robinson is also a founding board member and chair of the Michigan Mobility Institute, an organization that accelerates the development of talent for the mobility industry through educational workforce development, upskilling programs, and postsecondary degrees.

“I don’t think there’s anyplace in the world where you see the importance of transportation and economic mobility as you do in Detroit,” Robinson says. “Doing this work while in Detroit, and (being) connected to the community here, keeps me grounded in reality. Yes, there’s high-flying technology, but what’s the point if it doesn’t help make movement easier for those who will ultimately use it?”

In her own words, Robinson lives a life of purpose by investing her time and energy into work that helps drive change.

“Increasingly, I’m thinking about how I can

build places or spaces or tools that allow other people to plug in, and have an impact and make space for others to add their own voice or talents — whether it’s working with startup founders or bringing together a community of entrepreneurs focused on mobility,” Robinson says.

“That’s what’s really exciting to me, because then it’s not about my one vision. It’s about bringing the best of those ideas together and giving them the light of day, where they wouldn’t have before. I would be much prouder to have created the space or the opportunity for someone to bring their idea to life than my own.”

JEFF SLOAN is founder and CEO of StartupNation and Aria Ventures, both in Birmingham.

EE BERGER

E

ntrepreneurs, business leaders, and innovators possess a unique driving force that pushes them to be the best version of themselves in order to illicit change in the world. Jessica Robinson, a leader in the mobility industry and a champion of the city of Detroit, believes in driving change for the social good through innovative and progressive thinking, and the execution of bold initiatives.

Born in Colorado and raised in Massachusetts, Robinson found herself on the West Coast at the beginning of her career. With a bachelor of arts degree in anthropology and a background in consumer-packaged goods, she transitioned to the mobility space through a key field leader role with Zipcar.

“We were trying to change people’s access to a car, so instead of owning one or dealing with the hassle of renting one, we were trying to make that process easier,” Robinson says. “For me, the conversations I had with our team members at that time really hooked me into what a fascinating industry this was (and), frankly, how important the ability to move is to all of us.”

While working in growth, operations, and marketing for Zipcar across North America, Robinson had the opportunity to launch the world’s largest car-sharing organization in Detroit — and she never left.

When she moved to Detroit, the city had just filed for bankruptcy and wasn’t an ideal location for new transplants. However, as she began working and learning about the local transportation needs of Detroit’s residents, Robinson recognized the opportunity to not only make a difference in the mobility sector, but to also be involved in a meaningful way in making positive change in her newfound community.

“I wasn’t ready for the disparities that I saw (when it came to) opportunity for people, whether it was education or quality of housing or access to government services. What I saw was ... that you couldn’t just ignore the fact that there really was a mandate to do well for your company, but, frankly, also to be involved in a meaningful way in the community,” Robinson says. “I didn’t see that level of community or civic engagement in the other places I had lived. It really is something that sets Detroit apart from other cities in the country.”

After relocating to Detroit, Robinson joined

BY JEFF SLOAN

8/12/21 10:13 AM

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Exec Life || The Circuit

Tuskegee Heroes PATRICK GLORIA

On Memorial Day, a six-foot-tall bronze statue of four Tuskegee Airmen who touched down in 1942 was dedicated at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Airport in Detroit. More than 150 people attended the dedication.

1. Liam Hood, Adam Vandermolen, Harrison Humes, Nathan Zieman 2. Miranda Butler-Tillman, Carla Cooke, Crystal Lewis, Maj. Bob Tillman, Shantel Hampton 3. Beverly Kindle-Walker, Lt. Col. Leo Burke 4. Capt. Wendell O. Pruitt, Lt. Andrew Maples, Lt. John A. Gipson, Lt. Milton Hall (statue) 5. Lt. Col. Lawrence Millben

1

2

3

4

5

Designer Party PATRICK GLORIA

DesignConnect, a nonprofit organization in Detroit that provides career pathways in creative design for inner-city youth, hosted a fundraising party on June 18 at a private residence in Oakland County.

Guests enjoyed food, drinks, and music throughout the evening.

6. Andrew and Gabriele Strong, Ralph Gilles 7. Lynn and Chad Johnson, Doris Gilles 8. Mary Ann Schott, Mike Beauregard, Cami Bolton 9. James Rosseau, Ronit Marom, Reggie Hartfield 10. Curt Catallo, Felicia Molnar, John Steele

6 9

7

8

10

Beyond Basics PATRICK GLORIA

The Beyond Basics 2021 Coming Together for Children Spring event took place June 23 at the Detroit Athletic Club.

The event raised $250,000 for the program, which encourages literacy for metro Detroit youth.

11. Scott and Marina Houghton, Dianna Bennett, Tony Soave 12. Jennifer and Jiri Fischer 13. Stuart Dow, Jacob Durrah, Derron Sanders 14. Paul and Mary Glantz 15. Nikolai and Rachel Vitti

12 15

11 13

14

WEBEXTRA To view more photos from these events, please visit dbusiness.com.

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WH ER E LUXURY LIVES

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Exec Life || The Circuit

Cars and Cigars PATRICK GLORIA

On June 10, the seventh iteration of Cars and Cigars was held at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill in Sterling Heights. The event raised $1.4 million, which benefited the Cigar Family School in the Dominican Republic and underprivileged family and children through Gleaners Community Food Bank and Capuchin Soup Kitchen.

1. Ron Rapson, Phil Serra, Stephen Fragnoli, Jeff Samerino 2. Peter Lucido, James Craig, Tom Celani, Dario Bergamo 3. Kip Sheward, Sam Shehadeh, Joe Cipriano 4. Warren Evans, Tammy Carnrike, Tony Michaels, Rhonda Walker 5. Brook Adams, Genna Rose, Kristin Penrose

1 3

2 4

5

European Affair PATRICK GLORIA

The 10th European American Chambers of Commerce Networking and Wine Tasting event took place on July 22 at Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester Hills.

The party featured French wine, a car show, and a silent auction to benefit Le Detroit Scholarship.

6. Stephanie Latos, Diane Forrest 7. Nicole Cobb, Denis Roy 8. Adam and Marie Baron 9. Nicolas Stasevich, Nezha Uhlenbecker 10. Keith and Leigh Monstevens, John Nikolas

6 9

7

8

10

Vista Maria PATRICK GLORIA

Vista Maria’s 22nd Annual Celebrating Women Event, held July 22 at Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester Hills, drew over 300 people and raised more than $280,000 for its programs.

11. Carin van Acker, Sonia Pastore, Janet Twomey, Mary Kosch 12. Angela Aufdenberge, Alexis Wiley 13. Claire Bernacki, James S. Bernacki, Lauren Bernacki 14. Kelly Martin, Sara Krueger, Monika Jencikova 15. Dr. Lynette Bryant, Mary Fenech, Barbara Sterling

12 15

11 13

14

WEBEXTRA To view more photos from these events, please visit dbusiness.com.

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EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES SPONSORED BY DBUSINESS

ASSOCIATION FOR CORPORATE GROWTH The Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Detroit Chapter is a 430-member nonprofit business organization of professionals from corporations, lenders, and private equity firms who invest in middle-market companies. We also provide advisory services for accounting, investment banking, law, and other firms. Our professional and social development functions include networking opportunities, panel discussions, etc. Attendance by members at regular events will be free of charge through 2021. To learn more about the event calendar and membership criteria, please visit acg.org/detroit.

AUBURN HILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | IMPACT 2021 The Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce presents IMPACT 2021 on Thursday, Sept. 16, from 8 a.m. to noon at Baker College - Auburn Hills. This event celebrates innovation and inclusion in the workplace. An audience of CEOs, COOs, HR executives, and those responsible for DEI initiatives will hear from local business thought leaders who demonstrate successful trailblazing efforts in workforce development and inclusion. Our Event Partners, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and Oakland County Michigan Works! will provide critical updates. For registration and sponsorship information, please call 248-853-7862 or visit auburnhillschamber.com.

AUBURN HILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | TASTE ON THE GO The Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce is hosting Taste on the Go this fall. Trion Solutions serves as our presenting sponsor. Please support the 20-plus local member restaurants via carryout or indoor dining, for a chance to win fabulous prizes! Explore a participating restaurant anytime from Friday, Oct. 15, to Sunday, Oct. 24, scan the QR code on display with your smartphone, submit elected form, and instantly be entered for prizes. Access is unlimited, so eat out often! Winners will be announced on Monday, Oct. 25. For detailed information and sponsorship opportunities, call 248-853-7862 or visit auburnhillschamber.com.

PROFESSIONAL GOLF PLANNERS OF AMERICA | STUDENT LEADERSHIP SERVICES INAUGURAL GOLF OUTING Please join us for our inaugural charity golf outing on Monday, Sept. 20, at the beautiful Links of Novi. Since 1982, Student Leadership Services has worked to ensure our youth remain healthy, safe, and alcohol/drug-free. Every dollar raised will go directly toward building teen skills through the SLS programs. Registration (now open!) includes driving range, golf cart, lunch, awards ceremony, dinner, raffle, silent auction, and gift bag. We are proud to partner with the Professional Golf Planners of America for this event. PGPA offers a signature $10K Hole-in-One contest! For detailed information and sponsorship opportunities, visit progolfplanners.com/sls.

PROFESSIONAL GOLF PLANNERS OF AMERICA | HOT PINK DEICER BREAST CANCER CHARITY GOLF OUTING Please join us for our first annual Hot Pink Deicer Breast Cancer Charity Golf Outing on Friday, Oct. 8, at the beautiful Links of Novi. Proceeds will directly support our 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Hot Pink Helpers. Established in 2021, it provides monetary assistance to breast cancer patients and families who struggle financially during their battle with this disease.

Registration includes greens fees, golf cart, range balls, lunch, awards ceremony, dinner, raffle, silent auction, and gift bag. We are proud to partner with the Professional Golf Planners of America for this event. The signature games of PGPA include a $10K Hole-in-One contest, golf ball launch cannon, and more! A personalized memorial sign, dedicated to your loved one, may be purchased.

For detailed information and sponsorship opportunities, visit progolfplanners.com/hotpink.

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Top Intellectual Property Law Firms || From the Top

Top Intellectual Property Law Firms in Metro Detroit 1. BROOKS KUSHMAN 1000 Town Center, 22nd Floor Southfield 48075 248-358-4400 brookskushman.com Total IP attorneys: 66 Total attorneys nationwide: 72 2. HARNESS, DICKEY AND PIERCE 5445 Corporate Dr., Ste. 200 Troy 48098 248-641-1600 hdp.com Total IP attorneys: 46 Total attorneys nationwide: 93 3. DICKINSON WRIGHT 500 Woodward Ave., Ste. 4000 Detroit 48226 313-223-3500 dickinsonwright.com Total IP attorneys: 45 Total attorneys nationwide: 490 4. HONIGMAN 2290 First National Building 660 Woodward Ave. Detroit 48226 313-465-7000 honigman.com Total IP attorneys: 40 Total attorneys nationwide: 328 5. HOWARD & HOWARD 450 W. Fourth St. Royal Oak 48067 248-645-1483 howardandhoward.com Total IP attorneys: 25 Total attorneys nationwide: 152 6. YOUNG BASILE* 3001 W. Big Beaver Rd., Ste. 624 Troy 48084 248-649-3333 youngbasile.com Total IP attorneys: 22 Total attorneys nationwide: 42 7. CARLSON, GASKEY AND OLDS 400 W. Maple Rd., Ste. 350 Birmingham 48009 248-988-8360 cgolaw.com Total IP attorneys: 23 Total attorneys nationwide: 21 8. QUINN LAW GROUP 21500 Haggerty Rd., Ste. 300 Northville 48167 248-380-9300 quinniplaw.com Total IP attorneys: 20 Total attorneys nationwide: 20

CARLSON, GASKEY AND OLDS, Birmingham

9. REISING ETHINGTON 755 W. Big Beaver Dr., Ste. 1850 Troy 48084 248-689-3500 reising.com Total IP attorneys: 19 Total attorneys nationwide: 19 10. BODMAN 1901 St. Antoine St. 6th Floor at Ford Field Detroit 48226 313-259-7777 bodmanlaw.com Total IP attorneys: 17 Total attorneys nationwide: 154 11. FISHMAN STEWART 800 Tower Dr., Ste. 610 Troy 48098 248-594-0600 fishstewip.com Total IP attorneys: 23 Total attorneys nationwide: 23

13. MILLER CANFIELD 50 W Jefferson, Ste. 2500 Detroit 48226 313-963-6420 millercanfield.com Total IP attorneys: 14 Total attorneys nationwide: 212 14. BUTZEL LONG 150 W. Jefferson Ave., Ste. 100 Detroit 48226 313-225-7000 butzel.com Total IP attorneys: 16 Total attorneys nationwide: 148

15. BEJIN BIENEMAN 2000 Town Center, Ste. 800 Southfield 48075 313-528-4882 b2iplaw.com Total IP attorneys: 11 Total attorneys nationwide: 14

16. THE DOBRUSIN LAW FIRM 29 W. Lawrence, Ste. 210 Pontiac 48342 248-292-2920 patentco.com Total IP attorneys: 13 Total attorneys nationwide: 13 17. DYKEMA GOSSETT 400 Renaissance Center Detroit 48243 313-568-6800 dykema.com Total IP attorneys: 4 Totally attorneys nationwide: 26

19. JAFFE, RAITT, HEUER, AND WEISS 27777 Franklin Rd., Ste. 2500 Southfield 48034 248-351-3000 jaffelaw.com Total IP attorneys: 5 Total attorneys nationwide: 114 * Did not respond to request for information.

Source: DBusiness research

18. CANTOR COLBURN 201 W. Big Beaver Rd., Ste. 1101 Troy 48084 248-524-2300 cantorcolburn.com Total IP attorneys: 4 Total attorneys nationwide: 110

12. DINSMORE AND SHOHL 900 Wilshire Dr., Ste. 300 Troy 48084 248-647-6000 dinsmore.com Total IP attorneys: 17 Total attorneys nationwide: 93

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From the Top || Largest Conventions

2022 Largest Conventions in Metro Detroit (AS OF AUGUST 10, 2021) EVENT

ARRIVAL

DEPARTURE

ATTENDANCE

FACILITY

Informa

9/8/21

9/19/22

8,300

Hyatt Place Detroit Novi at the Suburban Collection Showplace

Midwest Cannabis Business Conference

9/20/21

9/24/21

7,500

TCF Center

Motor Bella

9/23/21

9/26/21

40,000

M1 Concourse

American Festival of Speed

9/30/21

10/3/22

40,000

M1 Concourse

National Association for Surface Finishing SUF/FIN 2021

10/31/21

11/6/21

2,600

TCF Center

Rocket Mortgage MAC Football Championship Game

12/4/21

12/4/21

20,000

Ford Field

Michigan DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America)

3/1/22

3/8/22

5,000

TCF Center

Injection Molding and Design Expo 2022

3/13/22

3/18/22

4,000

TCF Center

SAE World Congress, WCX

3/29/22

4/9/22

12,000

TCF Center

Lipari Food Show

4/2/22

4/7/22

5,500

Hyatt Place Detroit Novi at the Suburban Collection Showplace

Michigan Dental Association Annual Session

4/26/22

4/30/22

6,000

Hyatt Place Detroit Novi at the Suburban Collection Showplace

Society of Manufacturing Engineers

5/10/22

5/22/22

2,000

TCF Center

Detroit Grand Prix

6/11/22

6/13/22

95,000

Belle Isle Park

Silicone Expo

6/17/22

6/23/22

3,000

TCF Center

International Council on Systems Engineering

6/21/22

7/2/22

1,200

TCF Center

Herbalife North America Extravaganza

7/10/22

7/17/22

25,000

Ford Field

Rocket Mortgage Classic

7/25/22

7/31/22

NA

Detroit Golf Club

North American International Auto Show

9/21/22

9/26/22

500,000

TCF Center/Downtown Detroit

Women of Color STEM Conference

10/4/22

10/10/22

5,500

TCF Center

Youmacon

10/28/22

11/1/22

20,000

TCF Center

Sources: Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau and individual organizations.

All attendance figures are estimates.

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Largest Meeting Venues || From the Top

Top 25 Largest Meeting Venues in Metro Detroit VENUE

ADDRESS

CITY

TELEPHONE

WEB ADDRESS

SQ. FT.

TCF Center

One Washington Blvd.

Detroit

313-877-8777

tcfcenterdetroit.com

2,400,00

Hyatt Place Detroit Novi at the Suburban Collection Showplace

46080 Grand River Ave.

Novi

248-513-4111

novi.place.hyatt.com

349,000

Comerica Park

2100 Woodward Ave.

Detroit

313-471-2000

313presents.com

325,213

Ford Field

2000 Brush St.

Detroit

313-262-2000

fordfield.com

200,000

The Parade Company

9500 Mt. Elliott St., Studio A

Detroit

313-923-7400

theparade.org

200,000

Macomb Community College

14500 E. 12 Mile Rd.

Warren

586-445-7561

tinyurl.com/macomb-college-events

175,000

Little Caesars Arena

2645 Woodward Ave.

Detroit

313-471-7000

313presents.com

163,501

Detroit Opera House/Michigan Opera Theatre

1526 Broadway

Detroit

313-961-3500

michiganopera.org

150,000

Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center

400 GM Renaissance Center

Detroit

313-568-8000

detroitmarriott.com

100,000

Macomb Community College Sports and Expo Center

14500 East 12 Mile Rd.

Warren

586-498-4198

macomb.edu/eventservices

75,000

MotorCity Casino-Hotel

2901 Grand River Ave.

Detroit

866-782-9622

motorcitycasino.com

67,000

Ford Piquette Avenue Plant/ Model T Automotive Heritage Complex

461 Piquette Ave.

Detroit

313-872-8759

fordpiquetteplant.org

57,510

Eastern Market

2934 Russell St.

Detroit

313-833-9300

easternmarket.org

53,000

Detroit Symphony Orchestra at the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center

3711 Woodward Ave.

Detroit

313-576-5100

dso.org

50,000

Detroit Institute of Arts

5200 Woodward Ave.

Detroit

313-833-7900

dia.org

46,940

Inn at St. John's

44045 Five Mile Rd.

Plymouth

734-414-0600

theinnatstjohns.com/

42,000

GM Renaissance Center

100 GM Renaissance Center

Detroit

313-567-3126

gmrencen.com

41,000

The Henry Ford

20900 Oakwood Blvd.

Dearborn

313-982-6001

thf.org

38,950

The Detroit Zoo

8450 W. 10 Mile Rd.

Royal Oak

248-541-5717

detroitzoo.org

35,000

Ford Conference and Event Center

1151 Village Rd.

Dearborn

313-621-2900

facebook.com/FordCEC/

35,000

Westin Book Cadillac Detroit

1114 Washington Blvd.

Detroit

313-442-1600

bookcadillacwestin.com

35,000

Westin Hotel, Detroit Metropolitan Airport

2501 Worldgateway Place

Romulus

734-942-6500

tinyurl.com/westin-dtw

32,727

Macomb Center for the Performing Arts

44575 Garfield Rd.

Clinton Township

586-286-2141

macombcenter.com

32,600

Crowne Plaza, Detroit Downtown Riverfront

2 Washington Blvd.

Detroit

313-965-0200

tinyurl.com/cpdetroit

32,000

JD Racing

44225 W. 12 Mile Rd.

Novi

248-773-8777

jdracing.com

32,000

Atheneum Suite Hotel and Conference Center

1000 Brush St.

Detroit

313-962-2323

atheneumsuites.com

30,000

MGM Grand Detroit

1777 Third Ave.

Detroit

313-465-1777

mgmgranddetroit.com

30,000

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PROMOTIONAL CONTENT

WHERE TO MEET, WHERE TO STAY

MGM GRAND DETROIT 877-MGM-EVNT (646-3868) • SALES@DET.MGMGRAND.COM • MGMGRANDDETROIT.COM LUXURY ACCOMMODATIONS. Business facilities. Lounges and restaurants. MGM Grand Detroit thought of everything to create the Midwest’s premier meeting destination. Located in the heart of the entertainment district, it’s even conveniently located 18 miles from the airport.

MEETINGS MGM Grand Detroit has one goal: Make your event, trade show or black-tie affair a complete success. That’s why you’ll find over 30,000 square feet of customizable space for up to 1,200 people. Highlights include a 14,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom and executive boardrooms equipped with Wi-Fi, video conferencing, freight access and more.

Or, choose a unique lounge or restaurant to create the perfect setting.

ACCOMMODATIONS Relax in grand style at Detroit’s only hotel to earn “Four Stars” from Forbes Travel

Guide and AAA’s “Four Diamond” award.

Each of the 400 oversized rooms feature a marble shower, pillow-top bed, 50” HDTV and more. Guests can even take relaxation to the next level at IMMERSE spa which features signature treatments, a fitness center and indoor saltwater pool.

M LIFE® REWARDS Free to join, the M life Rewards loyalty program lets you earn rewards for virtually every dollar spent. And with MGM Grand Detroit’s 19 sister properties, there are even more places to play and get rewarded for it.

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT Experience dining at its best. Enjoy an original take on a modern steakhouse and lounge at D.PRIME Steakhouse. Discover comfort foods, 50+ beers and 40+ TVs at TAP Sports Bar or grab a quick bite at Breeze Dining Court. When it comes time to win, step into the casino featuring nearly 150 table games, video poker, a premiere poker room and close to 2,800 slots. Take in all the sports action at BetMGM Sportsbook and Lounge or take a swing with high-tech golfing at the Topgolf Swing Suite. Keep it cool with frozen daiquiris at 32 degrees and live entertainment at AXIS Lounge.

YOUR SUCCESS STARTS HERE: TRAVERSE CITY FIND OUT MORE AT TRAVERSECITY.COM/MEETINGS/ IT’S NOT JUST A MEETING. IT’S TEAMbuilding. It’s a new direction. It’s reimagining.

It’s reinvigorating.

Whether hosting a large convention, mid-sized meeting, or small corporate retreat, Traverse City offers an eclectic mix of lodging and meeting venues.There are large event spaces that can host thousands of participants, but there are also unique smaller locations.

Discover preserved historical sites that include grand converted barns, or agritourism hot spots like wineries, breweries, and distilleries.

When the meeting is over, the work is just starting.This is where Traverse City shines. It’s famed for tall ship cruises, wine and brew tours, Lake Michigan fishing, epicurean adventures, scenic road tours, trail biking, winter skiing, fall color tours, and spring blossoms. It’s home to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, chosen by viewers of ABC’s“Good Morning America”as the Most Beautiful Place in America.

102_DB0921.indd 1

If you need team-building activities, consider group golf on championship greens, a freshwater fishing expedition, or a ropes course.

If your team needs to unwind, there are plenty of options. Look out over amazing lake views from award-winning wineries and craft breweries, get a spa treatment, or lay back at the beach or pool.

Getting here has never been easier.This area is connected to the world by Traverse City Cherry Capital Airport.Airline providers include

American, Delta, United, and Allegiant. Direct flights are scheduled to key aviation hubs nationwide. It’s an easy drive from cities like Chicago, Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Cincinnati.

Traverse City is the place to escape and explore.This is where you let your guard down.

This is where your creative mind runs free.

Detach from the crush of big-city worries.You’re free to collaborate with others. Free to ask the big question:“What if we…?”In Traverse City, everything comes together.

8/16/21 2:44 PM

PROMOTIONAL CONTENT

WHERE TO MEET, WHERE TO STAY

AT GRAND TRAVERSE RESORT AND SPA, THE ENTIRE PROPERTY IS YOUR HOME. WITH 86,500 SQUARE FEET OF INDOOR

The design of the space was inspired by the natural

pleasure while enjoying our full-service spa. The

and outdoor meeting space, endless dining options,

beauty of the Traverse City area. Updated meeting

renowned Spa Grand Traverse brings a relaxing

plus opportunities to relax or have fun, the Resort is

space restrooms include all touchless features. All

element to meetings and events. Looking to work

your one-stop meeting spot.

new airwalls offer increase sound dampening.

on your short game? The Resort is home to three

21-inch digital reader boards are outside of all

championship golf courses, including Jack Nicklaus’

meeting rooms. The ballroom is furnished with

The Bear. Engage in positive team building at The

linenless classroom tables and new Michigan-made

Den, Traverse City’s entertainment hub. Located off

debuted the final leg of a nearly three-year, $3

banquet chairs. Michigan Ballroom is also equipped

the main lobby, The Den features axe throwing,

million renovation to all meeting spaces. “As

with a state-of-the-art Crestron sound system,

boutique mini bowling, an escape room, and more.

northern Michigan’s largest convention center, we

lighting, and increased bandwidth.

Whether it’s a summer meeting at our private

A GRAND NEW LOOK In March, Grand Traverse Resort and Spa

are thrilled to offer state-of-the-art upgrades and features in every one of our meeting spaces,” says Katie Leonard, director of sales. “Located off the

beach, or in a ballroom with space for 2,500, all that YEAR-ROUND MEETINGS

and more awaits at our Michigan conference center.

With four seasons of adventure and 86,500

lobby, the 10,000 square-foot Michigan Ballroom is

square feet of event space, we will show you how a

seen by so many. The chic design and natural colors

small-town meeting can make a big difference. With

are eye-catching.”

custom event design, an award-winning meeting staff, and indoor and outdoor spaces to choose

To learn more about holding a meeting or

matching “lake effect” theme in the 19,000

from, Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is not like

event at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, visit

square-foot Governors’ Hall and Tower Ballroom.

other hotel event venues. Mix business with

www.grandtraverseresort.com/meet.

Michigan Ballroom renovations include the

Where to Meet, Where to Stay || DBUSINESS.COM

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PROMOTIONAL CONTENT

WHERE TO MEET, WHERE TO STAY

YOUR SUCCESS IS OUR SUCCESS BOUTIQUE HOTEL PROFESSIONALS (BHP), a management company that specializes in operating luxury hotels and resorts, is disrupting the traditional property management model. Its fresh approach,“Your Success is Our Success,”is threefold.

First, BHP restructured the property management fee, inverting how it’s calculated.

Rather than basing management fees on gross revenue, BHP devised a fee structure directly correlated to a property’s success.“We succeed as a company when you succeed at your property,”explains Paul Wegert, co-founder and chief executive officer. He says this structure reduces an ownership’s upfront overhead costs and promotes a partnership between the property owners and BHP. Second, BHP takes a hands-on leadership approach.“We’re a team of industry experts with decades of experience in all aspects of luxury independent properties focusing on property repositioning, turnaround solutions, creating team leadership and culture, curating the perfect guest experiences, and maximizing returns for investors,”explains Eric Djordjevic,

vice president of food and beverage.

“Leveraging our expertise at the property level provides a vital resource that maximizes your investment potential,”adds Jenifer Neptune, co-founder and chief visionary officer at BHP. Third, people are truly BHP’s priority, and the BHP Hospitality Leadership Program provides ongoing training and skill-building to ensure each team member’s success.The program incorporates an outreach element for high schools, technical schools, colleges, and universities.“Finding and retaining employees is essential to a property’s success, and we’re committed to our goal to be the employer of choice in hospitality,”says Jim Fowler, vice president of operations at BHP. Boutique Hotel Professionals currently SPONSORED CONTENT manages The Inn at St.John’s, an AAA Four-Diamond resort with a 27-hole golf course and 48,000 square feet of meeting space for corporate events, conferences, and luxury weddings. Its portfolio is set to grow quickly as it takes on independent high-end properties in Michigan and nationwide.

9 MUST-SEE DEVELOPMENTS SEPTEMBER 10 – 12, 2021

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PROMOTIONAL CONTENT

WHERE TO MEET, WHERE TO STAY

MOTORCITY CASINO MOTORCITYCASINO.COM WHEN YOU NEED YOUR NEXT event to be unforgettable, there’s only one place to go. With luxurious high-tech boardrooms, 67,000 square feet of flexible banquet and meeting space and the state-of-theart Sound Board theater, the only thing you won’t find here is ordinary.

MISSION POINT 906-847-3057 • INFO@MISSIONPOINT.COM • MISSIONPOINT.COM FOR FAMILIES, BUSINESSPEOPLE, AND world travelers alike, Mission Point is the resort you choose when you want to discover Michigan’s crown jewel. It’s so special, you have to take a ferry to get there.

Mission Point Resort on Mackinac Island transcends time. The moment you step off the ferry, onto an island where no cars or worries are allowed, there’s an instant sense of nostalgia. Just as you notice the glistening waters holding steadfast to the horizon, you’re warmly greeted by staff who welcome all guests and encourage them to experience the tranquility of Mackinac Island.

Perched on 18 acres overlooking the water’s edge, Mission Point attracts people who are craving to reconnect with themselves, their passions, and their surroundings. It’s Mackinac Island’s largest family-owned resort hotel and features 241 guest rooms and suites, including dog-friendly guest rooms, six restaurants and eateries, ample activities including bike rentals and

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putt-putt golf, and 38,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.

While Mission Point is a great place to spend your vacation, have you considered booking an event at the resort? The recently renovated Promenade Deck Pavilion is Mackinac Island’s newest outdoor event space, offering unparalleled views of the Straits of Mackinac and ample room for

events, meetings, and receptions. Mission Point is also home to Mackinac Island’s only dedicated conference center, which was renovated in 2020 and features a fresh color palette along with new carpeting and furniture.

The world of meetings and events is looking different today, and the team at Mission Point is incredibly knowledgeable, creative, and dedicated to offering a great experience.

8/16/21 3:26 PM

Closing Bell || Automotive CAR SHARK Preston Tucker planned to sell his Tucker 48 automobile at a price of $2,450, but only 51 cars were produced. Today, the remaining cars can be seen at places like Stahls Automotive Foundation in Chesterfield Township or the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.

Magnetic Marketer Preston Tucker worked his way up through the automotive ranks to produce his namesake car, but ambiguity persists over how everything went bust.

“The First Completely New Car in Fifty Years,” proclaimed Tucker’s advertisement in the fall of 1947, noting that testing had occurred at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The features list included “Cyclops Eye.” This third headlamp, mounted just below the pointed hood, in a novel twist rotated with the front wheels. A padded dashboard and reinforced roof supported the claim that the Tucker 48 was “the safest car ever built.”

The horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine made by Aircooled Motors, a descendant of the once-great Franklin Automobile Co., sat in the rear.

The output of 150 horsepower was needed, as the car weighed more than two tons and, at 18.2 feet, was longer than a hippopotamus.

Born in 1903 in Macomb County, Tucker matured in Lincoln Park. After dropping out of Cass Technical High School in Detroit, he worked as an office boy for the Cadillac Division, tried the assembly line at Ford Motor Co., and peddled cars of various brands. He was following an upward arc when he and racing engineer Harry Miller sold Ford on the idea of a fleet of single-seaters for the 1935 Indianapolis 500.

Everybody went all out, but the exquisite failure of this undertaking left egg on many faces in Dearborn and earned disrepute for Tucker.

Yet Tucker, who stood six feet two inches, could turn his brown eyes on you — and beware

of enlisting in his next pie-in-the-sky project. He would build 60,000 cars a year. He planned to add a gas-turbine car to the lineup. He also laid out an international sales and marketing team.

Things were seemingly going as planned, until the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission took exception to his financial maneuvers.

The bad news caused the company’s share price to crater, and lenders stayed away. Tucker furloughed his staff, closed the plant, and faced an onslaught of lawsuits. After a long trial, Tucker and his board members were acquitted of fraud and conspiracy charges, but it came too late, and the company was dead. Corporate assets — including the 51 pilot-production cars — went for 18 cents on the dollar.

“The idea that Tucker was railroaded is actually very easy to support,” says Steve Lehto, an attorney in Southfield and author of “Preston Tucker and His Battle to Build the Car of Tomorrow.” “Tucker was a legitimate car guy trying to build cars. There’s no question that people in government were out to get him. We just don’t know why.”

In late 1956, Tucker died in Ypsilanti, leaving behind his wife, Vera, and five children. He’s buried in Flat Rock. The mark he made in the auto industry was big — and oddly similar to the one left by his successor at Cass Tech: John DeLorean.

COURTESY MARK LIEBERMAN/NOSTALGIC MOTORING LTD.

“W

e want the car!” the crowd chants during the reveal ceremony in the 1988 biopic, “Tucker: The Man and His Dream.”

Event attendees at Preston Tucker’s Chicago factory in June of 1947 represented the 150,000 prospects who wrote to express interest and the 1,700 dealers who signed up to sell the “Car of Tomorrow.”

Despite backstage mayhem, Tucker — portrayed by Jeff Bridges — remains suave, ad-libbing about changing the engine in 20 minutes.

“What’s he saying that for?” asks a Tucker Corp. board member. When the ecstatic moment finally arrives, the Tucker 48 gets pushed, not driven, onto stage.

World War II had ended two years earlier, and the Detroit automakers lacked new products. Kaiser-Frazer Corp. and Tucker were brash startups. The launch of Kaisers and Frazers, built at Ford’s former Willow Run bomber plant, went smoothly in the summer of 1946. Nevertheless, despite their newness, the slab-sided cars disappointed. Folks had drooled over the 1938 Buick Y-Job concept car and futuristic renderings by Michigan illustrator Arthur Radebaugh. The Tucker 48 fit in between.

BY RONALD AHRENS

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CONVENE WITH CONFIDENCE Every step we take toward a healthier, safer meeting experience is an important one.

When you are ready to plan your next event, let us help you meet safely. With best in class meeting technology for hybrid and virtual or in-person with spacious rooms, superior ventilation, and enhanced cleaning standards; we allow you to stay focused on meeting objectives while putting the health and well-being of your group first.

2021

Contact 877.MGM.EVNT (646.3868) or sales@det.mgmgrand.com mgmgranddetroit.com

© 2021 MGM Grand Detroit. Excludes Michigan Disassociated Persons.

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