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Customer-Influenced New Look Brings Southfield City Centre Marriott to Foreground
Customer-Influenced New Look Brings Southfield City Centre Marriott to Foreground southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Customer feedback fueled the design choices for a $14 million interior renovation at the Detroit Marriott Southfield on Northwestern Hwy. in the Southfield City Centre. Phase one of the renovation was completed in May 2018 and updated and refreshed the lobby, all 226 guest rooms, all conference rooms, board room, and ballrooms, according to Rodney Jackson, general manager.

But something was still missing.

“In 2019, I went back to the owners and told them they did a fantastic job with the interiors, but the outside still looked like it did before,” says Jackson. His suggestion sparked a $300,000 exterior update that uplifts the whole property. “We went with a gray color palette, light and dark gray, and it’s been really well received by customers and corporate businesses in the area.”

For the interior renovation, customers offered their top improvements wish list, which included clean, fresh wood tile flooring throughout – including guest rooms – all new lighting and bedding, plus industry standard-exceeding 50-inch smart TVs with internet and Netflix. “If you come to the hotel, you don’t need to bring all of your devices,” says Jackson. “You enter your own Netflix credentials and when you check out, your information is erased. We wanted it to be as close to home as you can possibly make it.”

Improvements at the City Centre’s Marriott live up to the enhanced, pedestrian-friendly feel of the City Centre overall, says Jackson. And with a bikeshare station right in the hotel parking lot, guests can use the shared-use path of the Southfield City Centre Trail to move around the City Centre with ease.

“The bikeshare is so popular. I didn’t realize it was used as much as it is until I watched bikes come and go from the station,” Jackson says. “It’s a lot more popular than I imagined.”

The new modern exterior look coincided with an exterior update of the Courtyard Detroit Southfield property next door, and together they move their corner of the Southfield City Centre forward, Jackson says.

“When we look up and down the street, we don’t fade into the background, especially with Beaumont close by and all the updates they have done to their building,” he says. “We and the Courtyard wanted a more modern look to be more a part of this area, instead of in the background.”

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Southfield Area Chamber Welcomes New Executive Director
Southfield Area Chamber Welcomes New Executive Director southfieldcc_3ik8d2

A meeting with Jason Blanks is an energy-boosting experience. Even a phone conversation is like a shot of espresso, because Blanks, the new executive director of the Southfield Area Chamber of Commerce, has an incredible amount of energy.

And it’s infectious.

That’s a good thing, because Blanks has hit the ground running with a list of goals and action items. He comes to the Chamber with a rich career history in the public and nonprofit sectors.

“I’ve been in this role for two weeks now, and it has been super rewarding,” says Blanks. “I’ve met so many great people. Everyone is so welcoming.”

In his first two weeks, Blanks has developed a partnership with the Detroit chapter of the Association for Talent Development, a nonprofit professional development organization, to offer training to Southfield Area Chamber members. Courses in engagement with visuals, workforce revolution, and leading in the digital age are some examples that member organizations can benefit from. He’s also gearing up for a one-on-one series to engage with small businesses and offer whatever tools, insight, and direction they may need.

“Our goal is to make sure businesses have the resources to be successful,” Blanks says. “We want to make sure our partners are receiving that individualized service.”

A service-dedicated career

When Blanks was an industrial engineering student at Western Michigan University, he recognized that a career in engineering might not allow him the level of human interaction he enjoyed. “I thought I might be better suited to working in hospitals, so I switched my degree to pre-med.” While completing his degree, Blanks worked full time at Hope Network, assisting individuals with cognitive behavioral issues.

Blanks graduated and moved back to southeast Michigan to work as a case manager in a grant-funded prisoner reentry initiative at the Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency, where he would steadily move up the management chain and gain valuable experience and a skill for connecting people to services and resources. At OLHSA, he filled a supervisory role with Head Start, and wrote and facilitated a grant program for the DNR and Department of Justice aimed to provide employment readiness skills to youth between 15 and 18 years old.

“My background switched once I received these grants, and I was able to bring in additional funding to a group of individuals not being served,” Blanks says.

When the grant ended, Blanks transitioned to the City of Detroit where he worked as operations general manager in human resources, managing a $40 million budget and database tracking system. Still, Blanks was able to facilitate a charitable giving campaign with the United Way.

“I still have a heart and passion for giving back to the community,” he says.

An executive director position with the Humane Society of Monroe County gave Blanks his first executive director-level experience and granted him the responsibility of building memberships and bringing dollars into the agency to benefit animals and their community.

“We facilitated about eight charitable campaigns and auctions,” says Blanks. “It was a very unique experience.”

Southfield Area Chamber: a “perfect fit”

When the chance to lead the Southfield Area Chamber of Commerce presented itself, Blanks was eager to step in.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance. I had already worked closely with the chamber in Monroe, and I was interested in this position because I knew I could make a major impact in the city where I live, right in my own community.”

Currently, Blanks is working to learn as much as he can about the business climate in Southfield, including the Southfield City Centre, so he can create specific programming. He’s building on his strong skill of connecting people and building relationships to help grow businesses and resources.

When Blanks isn’t busy building connections, he’s supporting his wife, who works for the State of Michigan, and cheering on their three sons in their extracurricular sporting pursuits of basketball, soccer, and swimming.

Heeding the words of his past career mentors, Blanks has built a philosophy that he applies to both his personal and his business life. “As long as you are working to get the job done, put your all into it,” Blanks says. “And I do that with every aspect of my life.”

Blanks replaces Tanya Markos-Vanno, who left the Chamber in September for a business development role at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

National Study Confirms High Value of a Lawrence Tech Degree
National Study Confirms High Value of a Lawrence Tech Degree southfieldcc_3ik8d2

SOUTHFIELD – A new national study of the value of a college education placed Lawrence Technological University fourth in Michigan and in the top 7 percent of 4,500 colleges surveyed by the U.S. Department Education for its 2019 College Scorecard.

The government data was analyzed by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. Using a complex calculation of net present value of a college degree, a Lawrence Tech graduate can expect a net-present-value return of $1,124,000 over 40 years on the investment in a college degree. That places the university fourth among Michigan colleges, just ahead of Michigan State University. It ranks first in the three-county Metro Detroit area.

The study ranked private universities ahead of public universities nationwide in the career-long value of a degree. Three of the top 10 colleges were specialty pharmacy schools in New York, Missouri, and Massachusetts. Two others were maritime academies in Maine and New York.

“The results of this study emphasize Lawrence Tech’s commitment to preparing its graduates for productive careers,” LTU President Virinder Moudgil said. “Our graduates are ready to hit the ground running in their first job and usually that will result in greater earning power in the years to come. A Lawrence Tech degree gives our graduates a head start on their peers at most other universities.”

Lawrence Technological University, www.ltu.edu, is a private university founded in 1932 that offers more than 100 programs through the doctoral level in its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, and Engineering. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 15 percent of universities for the salaries of its graduates, and U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best Midwestern universities. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.

Tech248 Special Event at Centrepolis Accelerator Dec. 3
Tech248 Special Event at Centrepolis Accelerator Dec. 3 southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Wonder what that genius product idea that has been knocking around in your head might actually look like in real life? Curious about how to get that product to market?

Learn more about how to take a product from concept to prototype to market and connect with expert help at the Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University at the Tech248 special event on Dec. 3 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Located in the Southfield City Centre, the Centrepolis Accelerator is an entrepreneur and business support asset specifically focused on companies that manufacture and commercialize a physical product.

This event is the first time the newly-opened Centrepolis Accelerator will host Tech248, the series of meetup events organized by Oakland County that brings together tech talent from the more than 2,000 IT and tech companies across Oakland County to network, learn, engage, and share.

The Centrepolis Accelerator, which opened officially on Oct. 4, 2019, is a 6,200 square-foot facility with coworking spaces, conference rooms, a premier manufacturing technology lab, training spaces, and expert support from the brightest minds in the manufacturing industry. Its affiliation with the prestigious Lawrence Technological University allows members access to the very latest in engineering, design, and product development techniques.

December’s Tech248 meetup is a great time to get an inside look at this state-of-the-art workspace, says Dan Radomski, director of the Centrepolis Accelerator.

“This is a great event for people that have a physical product idea and need help prototyping,” says Radomski. “We encourage people to bring their product idea or existing prototypes to the event for one-on-one prototyping and go-to-market advice.”

Oakland County tech businesses will get to see Michigan’s newest accelerator, says Greg Doyle, manager of the Oakland County One Stop Shop at the Oakland County Department of Economic Development & Community Affairs.

“The Centrepolis has a really nice focus on the industrial product, which matches with the technology side and the business demographic in Southeast Michigan, where we have a high concentration of engineers, production and manufacturing,” says Doyle. “I’m excited to have the Centrepolis Accelerator as another major piece of the entrepreneurial support system in Southeast Michigan and particularly in Oakland County.”

In addition to hearing a panel discussion, participating in networking, and touring the development lab, prototyping center, additive manufacturing lab, and virtual reality studio, Tech248 attendees can also bring their ideas and products to the event and get expert advice, says Radomski.

The event is free of charge, but advance registration is required. Click here to register and learn more.

 

Tech248 Special Event: Centrepolis Accelerator
Tuesday, December 3 from 2 – 4 PM

Centrepolis Accelerator
21415 Civic Center Drive
Suite 100 | Southfield, MI

 

Agenda

  • 2:00 p.m. Arrival & Networking
  • 2:15 p.m. Welcome & Opening Remarks
    • Greg Doyle, Tech248
  • 2:20 p.m. Overview of Centrepolis Accelerator
    • Dan Radomski, Centrepolis Accelerator
  • 2:35 p.m. Panel: Prototyping mistakes to avoid
    • Dan Radomski, Centrepolis Accelerator
    • David Bolognino, Integrated Additive Solutions
    • John Bracknell, Mirari
  • 2:55 p.m. Networking & Tour of Centrepolis Product
    • Development Lab, including:
    • Prototyping Center, Additive Manufacturing
    • Lab and Augmented and Virtual Reality Studio

Inaugural Southfield City Centre Ghost Walk: Part History, Part Spooky
Inaugural Southfield City Centre Ghost Walk: Part History, Part Spooky southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Chilly autumn air and a darkening sky set the stage for the inaugural Southfield City Centre Ghost Walk. On the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 22, an intimate crowd gathered to set off on the first of two scheduled six-stop historical walking tours to discover the hidden past of what is now a modern mini-urban walkable district.

With Thaddeus Gunter, original Michigan surveyor from 1815, as their guide, participants took a journey through pre-colonial Southfield, to the days of the active Underground Railroad, and the celebration of accomplished educator and early settler Mary Thompson on the historic farm she bequeathed to the City of Southfield.

Along the way, guests learned how Southfield was settled, discovered how the City Centre advanced from acres of farmland bisected by a Native American trail that led south to Detroit, how Fannie Richards worked to bring equity to education, and how the city earned its name. They also learned some of the City Centre’s spookier histories, from ghostly sightings near the cemetery of the original Covenanter Church of Southfield to ancient Native American cures for scurvy and rattlesnake poisoning, to eerie sightings of early Southfield City Centre residents who met their untimely ends.

At Mary Thompson’s Farm, participants enjoyed cider and doughnuts and shared their thoughts about the event.

“I really enjoyed the experience of discovering something new about Southfield,” said Andy Curriston. He and his wife Liz Curriston moved to Southfield recently from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and said they enjoy exploring the Southfield City Centre on foot, something they started doing when they attended the Kimmie Horne Jazz Festival in August. They said they particularly enjoyed the narrative tone of Thaddeus Gunter, and the spooky crypt keeper who appeared in the church cemetery.

“It was fascinating to learn the history of the community,” said Rita Lewry, who lives in Birmingham and participated in the later of the two ghost walks. “The stories came alive through the narrators at each stop.” Tom Lewry agreed. “I enjoyed the first-person perspective because it made it more immediate,” he said.

Kathy Kelley of Southfield said she liked each stop on the ghost walk equally. “I liked them all, and it was worth it for the history,” she said.

Each participant received a Southfield City Centre Trail Map and covered a three-quarter mile segment of the 7-mile shared-use path during the 75-minute ghost walk. The trail, which will see an expansion in the spring of 2020, is fast becoming a signature component of the City Centre, and guests learned just why one small portion of the path near Southfield Reformed Presbyterian Church remains narrower than the rest of the trail. The reason is enmeshed in a ghostly history of unmarked gravesites, and Heather Rockensuess of Southfield said she enjoyed piecing together the puzzle.

“I always wondered why the wide sidewalk suddenly narrowed,” she said. “I also like learning about the house fire and the history behind what was on that site where TGI Fridays is now.”

The event raised funds for the Southfield Historical Society and the Friends of the Southfield Public Arts, and was made possible by the volunteer efforts of a dedicated team from Southfield Department of Planning, Southfield Business and Economic Development, Southfield Public Arts Commission, Southfield Public Library, Southfield Parks & Rec, Southfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Southfield Public Schools, Lawrence Technological University, and many others.

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Cybersecurity Panel Talks Threats and Solutions at LTU / WWJ Program
Cybersecurity Panel Talks Threats and Solutions at LTU / WWJ Program southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Data breach. Identity theft. Cybercrime. These are all buzzwords individuals and businesses living and operating in the modern world have become familiar with. If you haven’t yet experienced a breach of your personal data, you know someone who has.

Three of the top 15 metropolitan cities for identity theft reports are in Michigan, according to 2017 information from the Federal Trade Commission, as shared by the Michigan Attorney General’s website.

Recognizing October as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Lawrence Technological University hosted a special event as part of the WWJ Newsradio 950 Leaders & Innovators Series on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 17 on their Southfield City Centre campus.

WWJ’s business editor Murray Feldman moderated a panel discussion about cybersecurity with Colin Battersby, counsel in the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group with McDonald Hopkins in Bingham Farms; Brad Gramlin, director of enterprise sales for Comcast Business; and David Derigiotis, corporate vice president with Farmington Hills-based insurance broker Burns & Wilcox.

Your data is out there

The conversation ranged from the prevalence of data breaches in organizations from financial to social media to the danger of intermingling of personal and business passwords, to the “industry” practices of data thieves that hijack files for ransom.

“How many of us have a phone we use for email?” asked Derigiotis, who is also the author of Parental Advisory: How to Protect Your Family in the Digital Age of Identity Theft & Data Breaches. “We all communicate electronically with our corporate or personal email accounts spread across so many sites. Some are critical, like banking, but we use the same email address for Facebook or Instagram.”

Email is a constant target, said Derigiotis, sharing that 2.8 million emails are sent every second of every day, and many are spam. One click or one opened attachment exposes us to ransomware or data theft, he said.

One piece of advice offered is to always use a separate, anonymized email address for functions where security is critical, like banking, rather than having one email address that is used for everything from social media to credit card accounts. And be smart about your passwords, said Battersby.

“The corporate best practice is to change your password every 90 days,” he said. “People are now using pass phrases that are easy to remember and not likely to be guessed. There are different ways to manage your passwords, but keeping them secure is key.”

Once captured, data points are widely available

The discussion included a live demonstration in which an audience member’s personal email address was scrutinized to see if personal data had been accessed without her knowledge. When her address was entered into a site called Have I Been Pwned?, she recognized some companies she has done business with, but many others she has not. “Pwned” is the industry term for being “owned,” or otherwise a victim of data breech.

The exercise, while initially disturbing, highlighted the common business practice of aggregating data and making it available to anyone who can pay for it or steal it. Organizations collect as many different data points on users as possible – including our pet preferences, where we live, if we rent or own our homes – all useful information from a marketing perspective. But once gathered, the information is easily compromised.

Protecting the small business

For small businesses, compromised data can cause big problems, the experts said. When data thieves steal personal and credit information about customers or literally kidnap the data system and render it unusable until ransom is paid, the effects can be devastating.

If this happens to a small business, they have three choices, said Battersby. “They can start over with new data, they can restore from backup, or they can pay the ransom,” he said. Often in the range of $5,000 to $10,000, the ransom demanded could be up to several million dollars.

“We have seen this happen here in Michigan in the healthcare industry,” said Gramlin. “The threat of ransomware is keeping IT professionals up at night. It’s the bogeyman for them. Especially in the small business, the removal of ransomware is not easily negotiated, Often it takes a week or two and there is a huge loss of productivity.”

Businesses of any size can preempt these problems by having a robust incident response plan in the case of data breach, the experts said. Then practice using it, similar to a fire drill. A good place to start is to make sure backups are taking place, and that the data is accessible.

“This is a conversation I have monthly with the reps in the three states I cover. Too frequently, backups don’t happen,” said Gramlin.

Learn about future series events at LTU and listen to the full cybersecurity program as a podcast at WWJ Newsradio 950.

Elevator or Stairs? Take Both at the Town Center’s Gift of Adoption Fund Climb
Elevator or Stairs? Take Both at the Town Center’s Gift of Adoption Fund Climb southfieldcc_3ik8d2

For Josh Jackett, it’s the stairs, every time, because each flight of stairs offers Jackett the opportunity to build fitness and meet his training goals. As a competitive stair climber, Jackett travels the country, participating in as many as 10 events each year. Most benefit one nonprofit organization or another, and all require effort for a great cause.

But the Gift of Adoption Fund Michigan Chapter “Stepping Up to Bring Families Together” climb is dear to Jackett’s heart. In addition to offering a chance for people to gather together on Saturday, Nov. 23 to climb to the top – or just half way – of the iconic 2000 Town Center building in the Southfield City Centre, the event benefits children and the families who adopt them.

“This is a special charity because you don’t see a lot of stair climbs that benefit this type of organization,” Jackett says, who shares that his father was adopted, as well as his maternal grandmother. “People I knew in college have adopted kids and to see what they have gone through, I’m so happy to help out to raise money and awareness.”

A Great Climb for a Great Cause

Specifically designed to challenge participants to fundraise for the Gift of Adoption Fund Michigan Chapter (GOA), the event will engage every fitness level and offer many participation options for people aged 5 and older. The event is a way for coworkers, families, and friends to work together to support a worthy organization that believes that having a family is the basic right of children everywhere and which works to give as many children without families a life they would not have known otherwise. Gift of Adoption is a volunteer-driven nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.

All money raised through donations for the GOA Stepping Up to Bring Families Together climb will support adoption assistance grants to connect vulnerable children with families in Michigan. Each climber is encouraged to raise $100 and can create a personal fundraising page after registering for the event.

A Category for Every Ability

While most people balk at the idea of climbing one flight of stairs – much less 28 – Jackett says stair climbing is a great activity for runners and cyclists who want to maintain fitness during the winter months. And for those looking to get into shape or face a pre-Thanksgiving challenge, stair climbing for a good cause ties everything together. Even those who want to take it at a slower pace can find a suitable participation category.

“I think anyone can stair climb. You don’t have to go all out,” says Jackett, who lives near Milwaukee and has family in Metro Detroit. “If your goal is to get faster and you have stairs to train on, you can track your progression. It’s great cross training, and you may hate it because it’s hard, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it.”

Jackett, who has been climbing competitively since 2013, will be participating in the “Power Hour,” climbing to floor 28 and descending by elevator as many times as he can in 60 minutes. He thinks he’ll probably be able to make it to the top 10 times, or maybe 11.

“Not everyone climbs at this pace, but anyone can do it. I definitely say anyone can do it, and you may even get hooked.”

Learn more about the event and about Gift of Adoption Fund Michigan Chapter.

Centrepolis Accelerator Celebrates Manufacturing Day with Grand Opening
Centrepolis Accelerator Celebrates Manufacturing Day with Grand Opening southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Manufacturing Day, a national day of recognition for the past, present, and future of manufacturing, was an appropriate moment in time for the grand opening celebration of the Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University. With the morning of Friday, Oct. 4, dedicated to the introduction of the 6,300-square foot, state-of-the-art space to dignitaries and the afternoon open to the public, the Centrepolis Accelerator welcomed hundreds of visitors on its first official day of operation.

“We had a great turnout with startups, small businesses, large companies, and economic development organizations and other incubators and accelerators in attendance,” says Dan Radomski, director of the Centrepolis Accelerator. Individuals from state, local, and regional entities were among the more than 400 people who attended the event.

Southfield Mayor Kenson Siver joined LTU President Virinder Moudgil, Oakland County Executive David Coulter, U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Southfield), Josh Hundt, executive vice president and chief business development officer at the Michigan Economic Development Corp., Mark Brucki, director of corporate and community partnerships at LTU, Fred Zorn, Southfield City Administrator, Rochelle Freeman, business and economic development director for the City of Southfield, and others, in recognizing the value of the Centrepolis Accelerator at the event.

Celebrating the Centrepolis Accelerator’s mission to support entrepreneurs and businesses that manufacture physical products, Lawrence focused on the new face of product development. “The days of dark, dirty buildings, the days of not getting respect for working with your hands, those days are over, and we need to make sure we need to highlight all the amazing opportunities in manufacturing. There is so much technology tied to manufacturing now,” said Lawrence, according to a release from LTU.

Top industry support in the product manufacturing and development process for entrepreneurs and businesses is what sets the Centrepolis Accelerator apart from other coworking spaces, even those with active makerspaces, says Radomski.

“It’s easy to say [the Centrepolis Accelerator] is just another coworking space with some cool lab tools and that can do some prototyping. There are plenty of those types of makerspaces in town.

What isn’t so easy to pick up is that what we do here is a whole unique program to help companies and entrepreneurs along every stage of product development,” he says.

A physical space with state-of-the-art prototyping equipment, including artificial reality and virtual reality, is made all the more valuable with talent and industry experience to support clients in all their product development and marketing needs.

“We have the best and brightest minds to work with clients to get it right,” says Radomski. “Entrepreneurs can make a lot of costly mistakes and spend a lot of money and time unless they talk to experts first.” The Centrepolis Accelerator has a wealth of expertise, especially within the LTU alumni community, to work with companies to help clarify how to develop their products from prototyping to engineering to design, he says. “Ultimately the companies that go through our programs are more successful than those that don’t. We haven’t had a company fail yet, and many wouldn’t have their products to market without our support.”

On hand to share their experiences were early Centrepolis Accelerator clients Wareologie, manufacturers of magnetic buttons that allow people with dexterity limitations to dress independently; Gaddis Gaming, creator of electronic gaming tables for tabletop games; Maxfit, developers of a portable workout device; and Pingree Detroit, makers of fine leather goods, according to the LTU release.

“We have always been pleased to have the business development and programming resources and expertise of the Centrepolis Accelerator here in the Southfield City Centre and are really just thrilled that they now have a strong physical presence to complement all the services they provide,” says Freeman. “The focus on manufacturing really blends well with the district’s well-established high-tech businesses, and we hope that Centrepolis Accelerator clients consider setting up their businesses permanently in the City Centre.”

Centrepolis Accelerator partners include the City of Southfield, the Michigan Economic Development Corp., the Michigan Energy Fund, and the New Economy Initiative.

Learn more about the Centrepolis Accelerator at http://www.centrepolisaccelerator.com/

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RPT Realty Finds a Perfect Michigan Home In Southfield City Centre
RPT Realty Finds a Perfect Michigan Home In Southfield City Centre southfieldcc_3ik8d2

A freshly-designed collaborative workspace in the heart of the Southfield City Centre has become the new Michigan footprint for RPT Realty, a New York-based organization that owns and operates open-air shopping destinations in metro Detroit and across the country. In August, RPT Realty moved its 60-person Michigan workforce into a newly-designed 11,000-square foot office space in Oakland Commons at 20750 Civic Center Drive in the Southfield City Centre.

The move offers RPT Realty the opportunity to create a more environmentally-friendly office space in a well-supported, amenity-rich urban community.

“Offering a modernized landscape highlighted by an open floor plan, fresh local artwork and natural light, RPT’s new centrally located office in Southfield fosters collaboration and teamwork, both of which are vital in continuing the company’s mission of building on the incredible culture that has evolved over the past year,” says Brian Harper, president and chief executive officer of RPT Realty. “Keeping consistent with RPT’s commitment to good corporate citizenship, the Southfield office’s footprint is 15,300 square feet smaller than the former Farmington Hills location, reducing both cost and environmental impact.”

The Southfield City Centre location capitalizes on plentiful natural light in an open, collaborative design that translates to workplace wellbeing for its associates.

“We universally agree that the large windows and abundant natural light in our new space are an extraordinary benefit,” says Renay Rath, asset management administrative assistant with RPT Realty.

“I cannot express how fantastic it is having exposure to natural light while working,” says Tanya Maglothin, accounts receivable specialist. “I cannot express how thankful I am for this change. It has brought more positivity and energy into my days.”

When RPT Realty associates aren’t soaking up the natural light in their new workplace, they’re gradually getting to know the Southfield City Centre’s many amenities. “There’s so much to do right here in the Southfield City Centre, both within walking distance, via bikeshare, and within a short drive that I haven’t even made it through half of what the area has to offer,” says Heather Roberts, lease transaction coordinator. “I truly appreciate the feeling of community, and I think others moving to the area, whether office or residence, will experience a similar sense of community. We’re not just working in Southfield; we get to be part of something positive and impactful.”

Leveraging and Celebrating Michigan Talent

For its unique workspace, RPT Realty blended elements that inspire and recognize local talent, says Harper. “We tapped several Michigan partners to assist in carrying out our mission to curate a space that would inspire our employees while enabling them to contribute their full talents and thrive,” Harper says. “Every aspect of the Southfield office was designed with intention.”

This commitment aligns with the Southfield City Centre’s mission to recognize art in various formats. One example is an original work called “Big Blue Two” which hangs proudly in RPT’s conference room.

“The piece was commissioned through Friendship Circle’s Soul Studio Program, which empowers special needs artists to create works of art and makes them available for sale in its Bloomfield Hills community,” Harper says. “Big Blue Two” was painted by a 26-year-old woman with autism. “The piece is particularly meaningful to the team, provided our organization volunteers with Friendship Circle.”

Other Michigan companies and artisans involved in the office design and development include Interior Environments Furniture, Capricorn Diversified Systems, Inc., 123Net, LogicalisUS, PLAYGROUND DETROIT, Kaiser Sudan, Scott Reeder, and Matt Wolcott.

Expressing an Evolved Corporate Culture

In tandem with a new workplace came a corporate “change in narrative” that touches many aspects of the business, according to Rath. “The move to Southfield is significant in that it represents more than just a change in our physical location but a major shift in our corporate culture as well,” Rath says. “It finally feels as though all the pieces fit together.”

Their new office environment helps associates live the company’s core values on a daily basis, says Roberts. “There are many thoughtful collaborative spaces throughout the office, allowing us to be bold in our creativity while pursuing excellence together,” she says. “We’re committed to improving ourselves, both personally and professionally, individually and collectively, and this new space provides us with the tools and the environment to be successful in such pursuits. All of these things lead to us enjoying what we do.”

Deanna Cain, head of human resources, agrees with her colleagues’ assessments, and she’s excited about the future here in Southfield.

“The RPT Southfield office will continue to have a positive culture where people can thrive. It is a place where ideas are cultivated, and creativity and teamwork are encouraged.”

IHS Markit Takes Home The Southfield Community Cup
IHS Markit Takes Home The Southfield Community Cup southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Ask Katelyn Abell from IHS Markit what she thinks catapulted her team to the top of the charts in the Southfield CommUNITY Cup this summer, and she will probably shout that it was her team’s performance in the Amazing Race that sealed the win.

Abell, along with other IHS Markit team members, received the coveted Southfield CommUNITY Cup trophy at the Southfield City Council meeting on September 23.

As a first-time team chair and as a first-time participant in the Southfield CommUNITY Cup challenge, Abell is thrilled that her team performed so well. But she’s even more excited about sharing community involvement with other Southfield City Centre teams during the summer-long event.

“What really helped me was finding a person at IHS Markit to chair each individual event, and they got their teams together,” says Abell. “I was worried that people wouldn’t be able to attend after work events, but everyone was really excited to mingle with their coworkers and network and get to know people from other companies.”

IHS Markit, a global data management company, was one of 21 teams to participate this year. Teams competed to earn top points in events like goofy golf, kickball, trivia night, and bowling.

But Abell elected to chair the Amazing Race competition herself, and together with three IHS Markit colleagues, Abell worked hard to beat out competitors.

“We were all women on our team and we joked that it was girl power that helped us win,” she says. Twenty trivia questions led the team to various historical landmarks or challenged them to run with a random individual along the Southfield City Centre Trail while capturing the antics on video. “They probably thought we were crazy,” Abell laughs.

Strategic planning and physical fitness helped the team climb from sixth place to first place through the Amazing Race category, and they carried the No.1 score to the final kickball event.

“We knew that if we didn’t do well in kickball, that we would lose. But we kept winning and winning. We thought we would go home early, but we were there at 6:30, still playing,” says Abell.

While the DENSO North America team ultimately won the kickball event, IHS Markit had earned enough points to take home the cup.

In addition to being a fun team-building event, the Southfield CommUNITY Cup also works to support a local cause. This year, the teams worked together to beautify Southfield’s Bedford Woods Park. The centerpiece of the effort was a mural that adds color and excitement to the public park.

“Planning and painting the mural was a really nice way to give back,” Abell says. IHS Markit joined team members from The Mars Agency, Comau, Moncur and City of Southfield to design, prepare, and implement the plan. It was a true team effort.

Energized for next year’s event, Abell looks forward to further strengthening the community inside IHS Markit and in the wider Southfield City Centre.

“The people I work with a great, and it’s a united community, which you don’t always get to have,” she says. “Southfield is a larger city, but I feel the City Centre tries to do a lot with their community, and that’s huge. Everyone I have met here is really nice.”

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