Our roundup of the latest news from metro Detroit and Michigan businesses as well as announcements from government agencies. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.
Fair Lane Offers Special Bronco Raptor Opportunity to DBusiness Readers
Fair Lane in Dearborn, the home of Clara and Henry Ford, is offering readers of DBusiness a chance to double their chances to win a Ford Bronco Raptor as part of the estate’s fundraiser.
DBusiness readers and their family and friends who purchase $25 dollars worth of raffle tickets will receive 20 tickets rather than the usual 10 tickets. Visit here and use the DBUS100 promo code to enter.
Those who enter will have a chance to win a 2023 Ford Bronco Raptor with the Lux Package, an off-road SUV that combines brawn and brain, according to the manufacturer. The strong engine and sophisticated suspension make it a comfortable cruiser as well as an off-road beast. The “Raptorized” Bronco also is capable of towing up to 4,500 pounds and sprinting to 60 mph in fewer than six seconds.
The Bronco SUV has a multi-configurable four-wheel-drive system and a suspension setup with Fox dampers that can handle any terrain, 37-inch tires with deep treads, and skid plates galore. Standard equipment includes a sturdy drivetrain comprised of a 10-speed automatic and 4.7 axle ratio, and all of the off-roading amenities that create off-road dexterity. A B&O audio system is standard and utilizes 10 speakers, including a sub-woofer.
In Related News: Fair Lane is raising funds to improve its grounds and gardens.
Improvements will include small repairs to the repair leaks in the estate’s Upper Greenhouse and recreation of the benches in the Lower Greenhouse. Exterior walls of the Greenhouse Garden are being stabilized, waterproofed, and a new layer of concrete will be poured.
For more information, visit here. To give to the garden project, visit here.
Hanah Steakhouse in Detroit’s Financial District Celebrates Year Anniversary
Hanah Steakhouse in downtown Detroit is one of Detroit’s hottest new restaurants and is celebrating its one-year anniversary.
Hanah is owned and operated by two brothers, Peter and Chris Han, who came onto Detroit’s restaurant scene and immediately noticed a void in the market. Together, the brothers sought to fill that void with the development of Hanah Steakhouse, a high-end, 130-seat-capacity Asian influenced steakhouse, bringing a new twist and dining destination to the city’s thriving culinary scene.
in the space that once housed the former downtown location of Brome Modern Eatery, the Hahn’s have transformed this space to include cherry blossoms. It offers guests an intimate and elegant dining experience.
The restaurant’s menu takes a modern spin on Asian-inspired dishes from Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Thai.
Diners can enjoy a selection of small plates for sharing, a mix of sushi and nigiri, depending on their preference, or heartier meals such as lamb shank covered in a Thai Curried Elote, adding an international twist to the dish. Other notable menu items include a 38-ounce dry aged Wagyu bone-in tomahawk steak that encourages family-style eating.
Pontiac Opens New Skatepark in Oakland Park
The highly anticipated new skatepark in Oakland Park is open and skate enthusiasts already have already put it to the test.
This amazing new facility was a collaboration between the city of Pontiac, Pontiac Skatepark Project, local activists, skate enthusiasts, the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, Oakland County Commission, and The Skatepark Project (formerly known as the Tony Hawk Foundation).
The skatepark is an estimated 10,000 square feet and features several ramps of various sizes, handrails, flat rails, ledges, and many other amenities to accommodate skaters of all skill levels. Also important to the skatepark’s design is a rain garden providing a green solution to assist with water drainage, landscaping with native plants and new sidewalks leading to the skatepark.
Skatepark winter hours are 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Nov. 16-March 14, 2024.
U-M to Lead Clinical Study of UroShield Ultrasonic Therapeutic Device
The University of Michigan has agreed to perform a randomized control trial of a portable ultrasonic therapeutic device called UroShield.
UroShield is manufactured by New York-based NanoVibronix Inc., which also makes PainShield and WoundShield surface acoustic wave (SAW) portable ultrasonic therapeutic devices.
“We are partnering with a team of distinguished researchers at the University of Michigan to further advance clinical evidence of the efficacy of UroShield,” says Brian Murphy, CEO NanoVibronix. “UroShield is cleared under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Enforcement Discretion, and we hope positive outcomes from this independent study will support an application to the FDA for permanent clearance. RCTs are considered the ‘gold standard’ in clinical research, and we are pleased to be working with the team at the University of Michigan.”
Ypsilanti’s LuxWall to Receive Energy Department Funds to Advance Glass Manufacturing
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that LuxWall Inc. in Ypsilanti is one of seven U.S. companies selected to receive funds to strengthen clean energy supply chains and accelerate domestic clean energy manufacturing.
According to the DOE, $275 million will be assigned to projects that “boost U.S. manufacturing, strengthen domestic clean energy supply chains, and revitalize energy communities.” The $31.7 million federal cost share assigned to LuxWall will support plans to increase its manufacturing footprint in Michigan.
LuxWall designs, develops, and manufactures next-generation high-performance, energy-efficient vacuum-insulating glass that delivers a glass insulation value of R-16. The company’s Enthermal products have the potential to disrupt the traditional glass industry as its products are very thin, yet have superior insulative properties.
“We are grateful that U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Granholm and the DOE recognize the value of our technology and its importance to the built environment and to the state of Michigan,” says Scott Thomsen, CEO of LuxWall. “To ensure our planet’s survival, the energy efficiency of buildings must improve exponentially and that’s where LuxWall comes in.”
To learn more about LuxWall products, visit luxwall.com.
Tipping Point Theatre, Living and Learning Enrichment Center Join Forces
In a step toward fostering a more inclusive community, Tipping Point Theatre (TPT) in Northville has announced a partnership with the Living and Learning Enrichment Center (LLEC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Northville dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals with disabilities.
This partnership represents a shared vision of LLEC and TPT to create environments where everyone, regardless of their backgrounds or challenges, can enjoy cultural events without the fear of judgment or exclusion.
The theater, with a seating capacity of 140, promises an intimate setting conducive to a comfortable and inclusive atmosphere. Members, staff, friends, and families of the LLEC are invited to a very special performance of “A Very Northville Christmas” on Dec. 16 at 2 p.m. Additionally, attendees will have the chance to admire the photography of Lily Newcomb, Living and Learning’s team leader, featured in the projection design of the production. Members, staff, friends, and family of LLEC can purchase tickets by calling the Ticket Office directly at 248-347-0003.
Ultimation Industries Shares Five Industry Trends Shaping Material Handling in 2024
Economic conditions and other factors are driving manufacturers and distributors to look for creative ways to gain more efficiency and productivity from their material handling operations, according to Ultimation Industries in Roseville.
“Warehouses and distribution centers are evolving based on the changing demands faced by modern supply chains,” says Kali Wahrman, general manager of Ultimation. “In 2024, we expect the growth of e-commerce and continuing economic uncertainty to influence the way manufacturers and distributors address productivity challenges in their facilities.”
Based on interactions with customers, Ultimation has identified these five industry trends that it believes will shape material handling decision-making for warehouses and distributors in 2024:
Rising cost of square footage. The price of goods and services is rising, but so is the cost of commercial construction. Simply adding onto a manufacturing facility or distribution warehouse to meet growing demand is out of reach for many small and medium-sized businesses. That’s why many are looking to maximize the space they have through conveyors and other material handling systems that make the most of small footprints or utilize otherwise unused vertical space. Lifters and overhead conveyor systems are an affordable, effective solution that can be deployed relatively quickly, moving totes, cartons and pallets from one level to another with carriers designed to handle multiple load weights and sizes.
Worker shortage. Manufacturers and distributors are increasingly turning to automated systems and robotics to meet production schedules in the face of worker shortages. While some are making longer-term capital investments in new technologies, others are adopting flexible solutions that can be deployed quickly without reconfiguring production lines or factory footprints. One example is Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) or warehouse robots that move materials within a facility. Unlike automated guided vehicle (AGV) or cart (AGC) systems which require a path or track to navigate or use wires or lasers, warehouse robots use integrated sensors to read their environment. Companies are also looking for more “smart” systems such as barcoding technologies that integrate with their existing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and inventory systems to streamline processes and gain efficiencies.
Growth of e-commerce. A few short years ago, shopping for conveyors or other material handling equipment online was unthinkable, according to Wahrman. Today, the same companies that are trying to keep up with the pace of e-commerce are using it themselves to outfit their facilities with conveyors and other material handling solutions that can be deployed quickly and inexpensively. Supply chain procurement managers can now compare costs and shop for a growing variety of warehouse and distribution center products and parts with the click of a button.
Faster delivery times. It’s not just consumers who want it now. Today’s supply chains are scaling fast and there’s rarely time to wait for expensive, custom-designed systems. Lead times for many material handling solutions have improved since 2020, but are not yet back to pre-pandemic levels, according to Wahrman. She adds that off-the-shelf, quick-ship conveyor solutions that can be configured almost overnight for their specific requirements are helping supply chains keep pace.
Energy-efficiency. Reducing energy consumption is gaining a greater sense of urgency as overall operating costs continue to rise. Replacing legacy conveyor systems with alternatives that only use electricity when they are actively moving cargo can be an important part of an overall energy-efficiency strategy. Conveyors equipped with motorized driven roller (MDR) systems, for example, operate with 24-volt DC power and run on demand. Wahrman estimates that replacing a typical 5-foot ¬¬¬¬Chain Driven Live Roller conveyor system using approximately 0.75kWh of energy for operation could save up to 81% in energy usage by replacing it with a same-size MDR system.
Visit here for more information.
Headliners Announced for 2024 Traverse City Comedy Fest
The 2024 Traverse City Comedy Fest — to be held Jan. 31-Feb. 3, 2024 at seven venues across the downtown Traverse City area — will feature an all-star lineup of national headliners including Rory Scovel, Zainab Johnson, Joe List, Dwayne Kennedy, and Norm Stulz.
The event will feature more than 80 performers and dozens of shows – including four improv groups, a murder mystery show, Hip-Prov, Daily Dozen, Comedy Rumble, Clean Comedy Showcase, and more.
Tickets for the second annual Traverse City Comedy Fest — presented by Traverse City Tourism — are on sale now at TCComedyFest.com.
Holocaust Center Hosts Virtual Screening of Holocaust Survivor Film
The Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills is hosting a virtual screening of “Determined: The Story of Holocaust Survivor Avraham Perlmutter” at 7 p.m. on Dec. 5.
During a war-torn childhood, Holocaust survivor Perlmutter formed a bond with the Beijers family that hid him in the Netherlands. This story comes to life in this documentary, directed by Perlmutter’s daughter, Keren Perlmutter.
The documentary will be available for viewing from now until Dec. 5. To register, visit here.
Skiing and Riding Begins this Weekend at Crystal Mountain
Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville, southwest of Traverse City, is opening for skiing and snowboard riding this weekend.
The lifts start spinning today at noon with the first chair celebration happening on the Crystal Clipper high-speed chairlift. The first four people in line will get to pose with the iconic CrystalFIRST banner.
Crystal Mountain has received nearly one foot of natural snowfall since Thanksgiving. It was the ideal temperatures and humidity levels, however, that allowed the Crystal Mountain snowmaking team to fire up its arsenal of snowmaking machines for several days, creating a 12-to-24-inch base on the slopes.
For more information, visit here.
Veterans Thrift Store in Roseville Hosting Vets Returning Home Christmas Party Dec. 9
The Veterans Thrift Store in Gratiot in Roseville is hosting a Vets Returning Home’s Christmas party from 6-9 p.m. on Dec. 9.
Music will be provided by Jim Gold & Gallery. The event is free and so are the beverages and food.
Editor: R.J. King
Associate Editor: Tim Keenan