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LTU Design Students Cultivate Real-World Skills in City Centre Firms
LTU Design Students Cultivate Real-World Skills in City Centre Firms southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Problem solving through collaboration and exploration along the edge of creativity is, in a nutshell, what the design team at Airea does in an average working day. This Southfield City Centre-based interiors dealership is dedicated to designing and bringing to life innovative and inspiring workspaces for a variety of enterprise, automotive, educational clients and more.

Erica Kimber, director of design at Airea, spends her days meeting with clients, brainstorming creative projects, and reimagining spaces—but mentorship is a big part of her role, too.

As a student at the College for Creative Studies, she interned at Airea for a couple of years before graduating with a degree in interior design in 2011. She remembers the value of her real-life experience for building a broader understanding of the working world, and she enjoys paying it forward to emerging design professionals.

That’s why Airea has worked to develop a strong relationship with Lawrence Technological University. In addition to being a good neighbor, LTU’s strong graphic and architectural design programs cultivate students who are eager to gain practical work experience in their industries.

Aside from traditional internship opportunities, Airea partnered with LTU to help students recognize their close physical proximity in the City Centre district and to establish projects to augment on-campus learning. Because the company is an interiors dealer, Airea has active partnerships with architecture and design firms, as well as business interiors manufacturer Haworth. In addition to the nut-and-bolts of interior design, there is much for a budding designer to learn about the roles that all of these different entities play in providing services to clients.

“It’s important to us to make sure students and new batches of designers are familiar with what the contract furniture world is all about,” says Kimber. Airea conducts student day events to help these young professionals learn more about products made by Haworth.

These connection opportunities allow students and companies to size one another up and develop a deeper understanding of what they can each bring to the table.

“Everyone is looking for the next batch of the most talented designers in the industry. Having this real-life experience and seeing who stands out is appealing to these firms,” says Kimber.

Double-layered education

Through cultivated partnerships, LTU offers a double-layered educational experience for students, says Christopher Stefani, adjunct faculty in interior architecture and associate director for the LTU’s Detroit Center for Design + Technology. The college’s studio course is a one-semester deep dive into the practice of design.

“Academically, we are pushing rigor and simultaneously working with the real end-users and clients to understand limitations in the professional world,” says Stefani. Through professional collaborations, students develop the skills to pull together a design, and partners can leverage fresh ideas, emerging technologies, and things that have a high cost to implement inside a company.

For companies, collaborating with an LTU studio make a lot of sense.

“It’s more cost effective to sponsor a studio and get the brain-share of 10 to 12 young emerging professionals than it is to pay a quarter of the salary of a new professional,” he says.

At Airea, for example, the studio course challenged each student to design their own version of a 4,000 square foot office space. “For students, the beauty of this is they get access to real-world resources and really build an understanding of the concept of costing and variables of design. It’s an opportunity for practicality, so we aren’t putting students into the real world with pie-in-the-sky ideas,” says Stefani.

“Our goal is to release professionals, who are able to be leaders, carry on conversations at a high level, and think holistically past the surface.”

Pitch Contest Blends Students, Faith Community, and Education at Lawrence Tech
Pitch Contest Blends Students, Faith Community, and Education at Lawrence Tech southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Through a unique collaboration between higher education and a faith-based community, student entrepreneurs challenged themselves to bring their best business ideas forward in what may well be the first ever business pitch contest of its kind.

On March 7, teams of high school students pitched their concepts on stage at Lawrence Technological University’s campus in the Southfield City Centre during an event sponsored by Centrepolis Accelerator and Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit, funded by a grant from the New Economy Initiative (NEI).

“NEI was looking for innovative ways to share and spread awareness of entrepreneurship among youth. There are many programs trying to get into the schools, but never in faith-based organizations, which are entrepreneurial by nature,” said Ross Sanders, manager of corporate partnerships with LTU, who has been working with youth entrepreneurs for about 15 years. “Essentially, faith-based communities are communities, and that’s what entrepreneurship is all about: creating community and connections.”

The competition allowed students to gain plenty of business know-how, Sanders says.

“When you learn about business, you learn math, computer science, how to work in a team, finances, pitching, developing a website, funding, equity, and investment. So regardless of whether you go on to launch a business, you’ve experienced a lot of learning through this event,” he says.

In first place was a product called Scholarship and Homework Aid Finder, or SHAF, an app that helps students get ready for college through support for finishing homework, and searching for colleges and financial aid sources. The winning business concept took home $1,000 in cash and $5,000 in LTU scholarships.

The second place award of $500 in cash and $2,500 in LTU scholarships went to StressLess Funerals, a website designed to support families who have lost a loved one. In third place, winning $375 in cash and $1,750 in scholarships is a product called Slashguard that helps stop toilet flush splashing.

Other pitched ideas ranged from toys embedded in soap to encourage bathing for small children, an online network for suicide prevention, a biometric gun lock to prevent accidental shootings, and a shoe-leasing business for high-end designer footwear.

“I was surprised by the ingenuity of the pitches,” says Sanders. “The students came up with a lot of innovative stuff, in my opinion.” The footwear leasing concept was an exercise in applying one business model to a new segment, as the students intuited that people who like to drive high-end vehicles will lease, thereby creating an additional market for the sale of those used cars. “The kids said ‘why can’t we do the same with shoes?’ It was an interesting thought, and a business model that fills a customer need.”

Sitting on the judging panel were Lee Gaddis, founder and CEO of Gaddis Gaming, a Detroit-based gaming table manufacturer; Lee Gorman, owner of Barton Consulting Services LLC, an Ann Arbor business consulting firm; and Belinda Turner-Dubois, loan officer at CEED Lending, a small business lending center of the Center for Empowerment and Economic Development, an initiative of the Great Lakes Women’s Business Council.

Part of the business pitch experience were four Saturday bootcamp-like coaching sessions with Jackie Stavros and Matt Cole, who are professors in Lawrence Tech’s College of Business and Information Technology, and Sibrina Collins, executive director of LTU’s Marburger STEM Center.

Business students from LTU also volunteered to act as team coaches. “The student coaches were major contributors to this event. It would not have gone off as well as it did without them,” says Sanders. “Each team was assigned a student coach, who worked with them and helped come up with and refine their business ideas.”

The high school participants toured LTU’s campus, visited the Detroit Food Academy at Eastern Market to learn about youth-run food businesses, and stopped off at Tech Town, the midtown Detroit-based startup accelerator.

“Tech Town is within a few minutes of Tabernacle Church, and it really exposed the students to all the entrepreneurial resources available there,” says Sanders.

Overall, the faith-based student pitch contest highlighted the need for more engagement with high school and middle school youth in entrepreneurship. The high turnout for this event is an indication of its value for the educational, business, and faith communities.

“These kids now know more about business than a lot of adults,” Sanders says. “They learned about scaling, leveraging, building platforms, multiple revenue streams, and a lot of other deep concepts.”

Surprise Yourself: Hit the Trail!
Surprise Yourself: Hit the Trail! southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Follow the Southfield City Centre Trail Map and explore heart-healthy activity close to home (or work!)

Are you ready to shed winter and join the birds and flower buds in appreciation of early spring? Southfield City Centre now has more shared-use paths than ever before, just waiting for you to explore. Surrounded by a friendly urban ecosystem, you’ll find public art, natural beauty, historical landmarks, and a park made entirely of red poles that at night, magically twinkle blue.

Upgrade alert: be aware that during the spring and summer, about two miles on either side of the Northwestern Highway service drive will be under construction. Along the southbound side, construction will take place from Civic Center Drive to 9 Mile Road. On the northbound side, the work will take place from Northwestern Highway to Lahser Road. This minor inconvenience is work that extends the trail, so be sure to come back in the fall when the work will be complete.

Bike, hike, walk, or run along the expanding Southfield City Centre Trail. Here is a brand-new trail map to help you find your way. Watch for updates to the map as the trail expands.

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Technosoft Expands in the Southfield City Centre
Technosoft Expands in the Southfield City Centre southfieldcc_3ik8d2

When Technosoft Corporation was preparing to expand its corporate footprint at One Towne Square in the City Centre, Southfield became its location of choice, edging out other locations across the country. With support from the Michigan Strategic Fund, Technosoft is creating a Digital Transformation Center of Excellence to deliver data solutions to its clients, using blockchain, robotic automation, and data science.

Business development support from Southfield helped make the decision to expand here an easy one.

“We think Southfield is very business friendly,” says Glenn Moore, vice president of marketing for Technosoft. “The city government was helpful in getting permits quickly when we were building out space and putting out signage. They helped us understand funds that were available to us, got to know us, and helped us with a lot of outreach.”

An IT company that helps clients digitize their businesses, Technosoft also embeds tech talent directly into its customer locations to work on projects, innovate, and create solutions. The Digital Transformation Center of Excellence will bring together talent teams to build and test applications, manage projects, and create digital solutions using artificial intelligence.

“We will have cross-functional tech teams work together to do cool project work for our customers,” says Moore.

With more than 4,400 employees globally, 1,200 employees in the U.S. and 900 right here in Michigan, it made sense for Technosoft to expand its presence here in the Southfield City Centre. The initiative is projected to create 104 high-paying jobs, according to information from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

In 2018, Technosoft applied for funding from the Going Pro talent fund through Oakland County Michigan Works! Southfield, which provides up to $117,000 reimbursement for tech skills training for new and existing employees.

“We are creating higher skilled employees in the area who are getting higher wages with better skills,” says Moore. “The City of Southfield [Business Development Department] was very helpful in making us aware of this program and helping us understand how it works. We give the City of Southfield some kudos for their support.”

Southeast Michigan has the talent that Technosoft needs, and Southfield provides a geographically attractive location for employees who live in different parts of metro Detroit. “We also like have Lawrence Tech so close by,” says Moore, who also serves as an adjunct instructor on campus. “We have been forming closer ties with the university for a potential pipeline for tech talent.”

When attracting talent, it helps that the Southfield City Centre offers walkability in a mini-urban environment, which helps potential employees visualize a comfortable fit in Technosoft’s office at One Towne Square. “With the Evergreen Road renovations and a nice walkway in front of our building, the city has made some improvements that make it more appealing,” Moore says.

“We have noticed the investments that have been made to make the City Centre a more interesting place to work.”

Southfield Reclaims its Sense of Place with Public Art and a Walkable Center
Southfield Reclaims its Sense of Place with Public Art and a Walkable Center southfieldcc_3ik8d2

In 1958, Dwight D. Eisenhower sat in the Oval Office and Soapy Williams was Michigan’s governor. A ‘58 Chevy Bel Air cost about $2,500 brand new, and gas to fill its tank was 30 cents a gallon.

As Detroit’s car culture was revving up, so too was the city of Southfield, the 26-square mile inner-ring suburb that in 2018 celebrated its 60th anniversary.

And while Southfield boasts more than 800 acres of parks and green spaces, its reputation is vehicle-centric, thanks to its vast network of roads.

Read the full article here…

Bigger Than Before: Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Event Returns to City Centre
Bigger Than Before: Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Event Returns to City Centre southfieldcc_3ik8d2

On Saturday, June 8, 2019, hundreds of people will take to the shared pathway in the Southfield City Centre in a symbolic walk to raise awareness and money to combat inflammatory bowel disease, as the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation embarks upon their second year hosting this event within the City Centre district.

And the group will be even stronger this year.

On December 4, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation announced a merging of the metro Detroit and the Ann Arbor area Take Steps events to form Take Steps Southeast Michigan. Event walkers, fundraisers, family, and friends from both geographic areas will meet in June in the Southfield City Centre for their combined event.

“We are excited to be joining with our neighbors to build awareness of inflammatory bowel disease and will make this event the premiere Crohn’s & Colitis walk in southeast Michigan,” says Sarah Arminiak, Take Steps manager with Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.

The Southfield City Centre is a perfect location for the expected crowd of 1,500 participants at June’s expanded event, Arminiak says. This year will mark the event’s eleventh year, and event planners are hoping it will be the best-attended yet.

With ample space on extra-wide shared pathways throughout the district that can accommodate walking groups of all speeds, the Southfield City Center offers a nearly tailor-made experience. Along the 2.6-mile route, walkers of every ability will find space to roam, art installations to stop and enjoy, and welcoming benches to rest and take in the scenery.

And walkers will have a new exciting experience as they walk through the expanded Red Pole Park, a new interactive art installation along Northwestern Hwy. Just beyond Red Pole Park, walkers will see the new NOAH’s Event Venue—both destinations have been completed since last year’s event.

Year after year, participating in the Take Steps Walk may be a very good way to experience the growth and development of the district.

In the planning is a pre-walk festival on the Civic Center front lawn. The festival will start at 9:00 a.m. and kick off the event with entertainment and information about inflammatory bowel disease. The walk will begin at 10:30 a.m.

“The front lawn gives us ample space to grow, and there’s plenty of parking, which makes it so convenient for people to attend,” says Arminiak.

A partnership experience with the Southfield City Centre made the choice to continue hosting the event in the City Centre district an easy one, says David Paull, president of Medical Weight Loss Clinic, and board president with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Michigan Chapter.

“We really appreciate the partnership,” Paull says.

With dual objectives of building awareness and raising funds to support programming, walk organizers hope to top the $157,000 raised in 2018, which was up from $130,000 the previous year. Additional business involvement is a goal for this year’s event, and organizers are interested in building collaborations to drive more walk participants to businesses, and to build awareness among employees, visitors, and customers here in the City Centre.

Want to build a fundraising team and participate in the walk? Learn how here.

Get Hands-On with a Career in the Skilled Trades
Get Hands-On with a Career in the Skilled Trades southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Attend the BUILD YOUR FUTURE event, Feb. 14.

An average working day for a plumber, electrician, or carpenter–what’s it like? Unless you have a family member or friend in the trade, you probably don’t know.

Here’s your chance to find out.

On February 14, the Southfield Pavilion will welcome the BUILD YOUR FUTURE Skilled Trades event to showcase smart, accessible careers in a wide variety of skilled trades including drywall installation, painting, HVAC, information technology, construction, mechanical contracting, and much more.

As many as 30 booths will feature companies, unions, technical education centers, and community colleges, all offering actual opportunities to interact with aspects of the trades represented. Here, you can ask questions to learn more about what that average working day in a skilled trade is really like.

“This is not your typical careers fair,” says John Dignan, director of Post-Secondary Options & Community Partnerships at Southfield Public Schools, the sponsor of this event. “We say ‘every dream has a journey and every career has a path,’ and it’s absolutely true.”

For students—and adults, too

Informational booths from Oakland County Michigan Works Southfield, Southfield Public Library, Easter Seals, Jewish Vocational Center, U of D Cybersecurity and many others will round out the experience, which is open to students and those of any age who are looking to establish a new career path with the potential to earn a good salary.

This event is a great way to get to know today’s version of skilled trades, says Dignan. “Technology has changed the nature of skilled trade work,” he says. “What people traditionally view as the skilled trades may not be up-to-date. Even for those who lay floors and carpets, technology has changed their vocation.”

At the day-long event, 8th grade students from Thomson Middle School and Levey Middle School, and 11th and 12th grade students from University High School Academy, Southfield Regional Academic Campus, and Southfield High School for the Arts and Technology will visit during the morning and afternoon.

The event is open to the public from 6:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. on February 14.

“We’re hoping students will bring their parents back so they can show them the options and keep them informed of possible future career tracks, says Rochelle Freeman, business and economic development director for the City of Southfield. “Unfortunately, Southfield has a slightly higher unemployment rate than the rest of Oakland County. There are people here who need options to get back into the workforce. This is a great chance to explore future careers and find out what their aptitude might be. The outstanding staff from Oakland County Michigan Works will be on hand to help people find out about what is available to them with regard to career assistance, too.”

Jump start to a great job

Training or an apprenticeship in the skilled trades can be a fast track to a stable career that is always in demand, says Dignan, who encourages everyone to make time to attend the evening event.

“In a lot of cases, a job in the skilled trades is access to the middle class, with good wages in high demand fields. Through this hands-on event, kids and adults are able to explore, engage and interact with experts in different industries, and gain an awareness of what careers are out there and the skills needed for employment.”

Attend the SOUTHFIELD BUILD YOUR FUTURE event on Thursday, February 14, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Southfield Pavilion, 26000 Evergreen Road.

Book some time to see “The Peacock”
Book some time to see “The Peacock” southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Visit the Southfield Public Library and say hello to the City Centre’s latest art installation. “The Peacock,” a fanciful, minimalist sculpture by Arthur Kraft, was installed this fall on the circular drive at the library’s main entrance.

Like other pieces acquired by Southfield after the close of Northland Mall, The Peacock was discovered in a sealed room of the basement tunnel system. “The Peacock was found on its side, on the floor, with construction around it. It was broken, but all of the pieces were there,” says Jeffrey Ligan of the Southfield Public Arts Commission.

Made of varying lengths of bronze rod stock and enameled panels, the sculpture is unique among Kraft’s work, who is largely known for his painting. “We are almost 100 percent sure this was a collaboration with another artist named Gwen Lux, who was noted for her enamel work,” Ligan says, adding that as a sculpter, Lux was recognized for her expertise in stone carving.

A study in minimalism with a distinct Midcentury look, The Peacock is unique among Kraft’s sculpture work, which is more often solid, concrete animal figures.  

The piece is considered a windfall for the city’s collection for its unique value, and for its contribution to the art world. The chosen location at the library, where it will be enjoyed by many, is also a perfect match, says Ligan.

“Selecting the location is a collaborative process, and all of us on the Commission voted to choose that particular location,” Ligan says. “The ring of trees behind it form a background, and the current positioning on a high pole lends itself to the space.”

Planned landscaping at the base of the pole will give an impression that The Peacock is taking flight. 

“I have to credit Mayor Siver. It was through his impetus that we were able to get the shopping center under control for development, and if not for that we would not have known about The Peacock. If the mall had been sold to another developer, they would have scrapped it.”

Be sure to spend some time with The Peacock on your next visit to the Southfield Public Library. You can’t miss it!

Farbman Group Donating Hats, Mittens, Scarves to Baldwin Center
Farbman Group Donating Hats, Mittens, Scarves to Baldwin Center southfieldcc_3ik8d2

As they pull on hats, scarves, and mittens for their daily commutes, employees of Farbman Group in the Southfield City Centre are thinking about more than just keeping warm. They’re thinking about those who struggle every day in our community.

That’s why Farbman Group employees are sponsoring a collection drive for new and slightly used hats, mittens, gloves, and scarves. Between December 10 and December 17, 2018, they will be gathering these items to donate to the Baldwin Center in Pontiac.

The effort is a “pay it forward” initiative that Tammy Felhandler, accounts payable specialist at Farbman Group, says is important for community support.

“I believe that if you have the ability to help, that kindness goes a long way,” Felhandler says.

This is not the first charitable effort that Farbman Group, a commercial real estate firm based on Northwestern Hwy., has spearheaded. In fact, social responsibility is woven into its way of doing business. With “Farbman Cares,” a committee dedicated to seeking out ways of supporting the community, the company does a local fundraising effort each month.

Organizations such as Almost Home Animal Shelter in Southfield, Gleaners Community Food Bank, and Game on Cancer at Henry Ford Hospital and others have benefitted from Farbman employees’ generosity.

“We always try to brainstorm how we can help others, or collaborate with organizations that are doing this work,” says Felhandler.

No effort is too small. March Madness collections have benefitted the Southfield High School forensics team in the past, she says.

“We try to put out to our employees that they get a day each year to take and volunteer wherever they’d like,” shares Felhandler. “Over the summer we went to the farm at Forgotten Harvest and worked in the field. We were exhausted, but it felt good to do good.”

Individuals can donate to the Baldwin Center warm accessories drive by simply bringing items to Farbman Group’s office by December 17.

Find Farbman Group at 28400 Northwestern Highway, 4th floor, Southfield. (248) 353-0500. For larger donations, please email farbmancarescommittee@farbman.com.

2019 Metro ASource Magazine
2019 Metro ASource Magazine southfieldcc_3ik8d2
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