DBUSINESS DIRECT

Historic Book Tower to Reopen

Following $300M Renovation

This summer, Bedrock will open the Book Tower in downtown Detroit, which has undergone a seven-year, $300 million-plus restoration. New uses include residences, the ROOST Apartment Hotel, retail, and office space.

Rolling The Greens

American professional golfer

Jordan Spieth is one of many PGA Tour champions who use SuperStroke oversized putter grips, developed and sold by SuperStroke USA in Wixom.

Corktown Housing Complex

To Open this Fall

A seven-story multifamily housing project, Perennial Corktown in Detroit, will open this fall. It is being developed by Oxford Capital Group, Hunter Pasteur, and The Forbes Co., and includes apartments and retail space.

With the amount of exposure we get every week with the PGA Tour players, it just went gangbusters.”

The company, with 25 employees, had revenue in excess of $40 million last year. Marketing and distribution are handled in Wixom, while the grips are made in China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. In April 2022, a South Korean private equity firm paid $250 million to buy out Dingman’s two equity partners.

Dingman’s affinity for golf runs in the family. His parents owned a Caddy Shack golf store franchise that they eventually moved to San Diego, and he managed a Nevada Bob’s Golf shop in Dearborn Heights.

In 1998, Dingman and his brother, Darin, acquired a defunct golf company, Tiger Shark, and began manufacturing and marketing golf clubs and equipment under that brand. Soon, the brothers felt the squeeze from major golf equipment companies.

“We thought there wouldn’t be any niche products we would be able to make that they wouldn’t want to have a share of, so we started looking into what could be a parallel business,” Dingman says. “We started selling a Tiger Shark putter grip that was oversized, and it started doing pretty well.”

In 2008, the brothers bought the SuperStroke brand from a failing company, adopted the name, and added a grip selection tool on the website that asks customers about their swing arc, grip style, and putter length. From there, the selection tool recommends putter grips.

“Making one or two more putts might be the difference in winning or losing,” Dingman says. “There’s an edge with our grip, and I think that’s why we have so many Tour players using it.”

Given the company’s success, Dingman says he isn’t tempted to abandon Wixom. “My family is here, everything we’ve built is here. We wouldn’t have anything without my team, so we’re not going anywhere. Besides, I don’t mind the cold and I’m a big fan of the Upper Peninsula.”

LaFontaine Automotive Group

Acquires Lou LaRiche Chevrolet

LaFontaine Automotive Group in Highland Township has acquired Lou LaRiche Chevrolet in Plymouth Township for an undisclosed sum. It is the second acquisition for LaFontaine in 2023.

Rocket Spins Off Rock Events

As Stand-alone Company

Rock Events, a team that provides event services to Rocket Cos. and has managed multiple gatherings in Detroit, has launched as a stand-alone company. Its venues include OCM16, The Madison, The Icon, and State Savings Bank.

ABB to Expand Auburn Hills

HQ and Robotics Facility

Switzerland-based ABB has begun construction on a $20 million expansion of its North American robotics headquarters and manufacturing facility in Auburn Hills. The project will be completed in November.

Change Of Menu

The Novi Restaurant

formerly known as Steve & Rocky’s reopened in March as Brentwood Grille, an upscale eatery featuring modern American cuisine, after a change in ownership led by Robert Loomis.

“It’s an honor to carry on the legacy of Steve & Rocky’s, and to introduce Brentwood Grille to those who have been loyal to this restaurant for decades,” says Loomis, managing partner of Brentwood Grille. “Our team is dedicated to providing an exceptional dining experience for our guests in a fresh and inviting atmosphere.”

Brentwood Grille retained the restaurant’s entire staff, including former Steve & Rocky’s co-owner Steve Allen, who remains as executive chef and culinary consultant.

The decision to sell Steve & Rocky’s originated from the desire of former owners Charles “Rocky” Rachwitz and Allen to take a step back from day-to-day restaurant operations. With his new role at Brentwood, Allen will continue working at the restaurant, focusing solely on the kitchen operations and menu development.

New lunch and dinner menus will introduce a selection of American dishes including certified Angus steaks, fresh seafood, sandwiches, and entrée salads, along with a rotating selection of seasonal dishes such as rib eye steaks, pastas, and more.

By Olivia Sedlacek

Novi’s Lineage Logistics Opens

Headquarters in Madrid, Spain

Lineage Logistics in Novi has opened a new southern Europe headquarters in Madrid, Spain, highlighting the company’s continued investment in the region and laying the foundation for continued growth.