News

When experienced entrepreneur Alex Downs of Michigan startup StarAgilis was ready to advance to proof-of-concept stage for a 5G controller for consumer and industrial applications, he sought to maximize design and testing resources and build connections where manufacturing expertise is already strong. His research led him to the Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University in the Southfield City Centre.

Downs connected with Centrepolis Accelerator director Dan Radomski and expert-in-residence Dennis Shaver. To help Downs advance his concept to a physical product, they hatched a unique collaboration with Lawrence Tech’s College of Architecture and Design and College of Engineering. Faculty members from each college embraced the opportunity in different ways.

The team knew the students would not only benefit from cross-disciplinary development of a real physical product but that they’d likely jump at the opportunity, too, given that this controller has an appropriate application in the video-gaming market — gaming being an activity familiar to and enjoyed by many students. Using 5G technology, the product can operate an augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) headset and drone simultaneously, which was not possible under earlier communications protocols.

“We came in with the technology and LTU is really helping us develop it. The students are on track and their output is good,” says Downs, who is originally from New Hampshire but currently lives in Hong Kong. “Our proof-of-concept will be basically proving a novel industry 4.0 application.” The connection with the Centrepolis Accelerator is a good match, as the business development resource exists to support entrepreneurs and established businesses prototype, test and manufacture physical products.

Radomski and Downs worked with Li Chen, adjunct faculty with LTU’s College of Architecture and Design and George Pappas, assistant professor with LTU’s College of Engineering who set to work with students to collaborate and advance the product design. Industrial design students worked in teams to develop the look and feel of the controller while engineering students designed the electrical controls and mechanical placement. Both sets of students needed to pay attention not only to packaging space, but water and humidity intrusion, thermal management and impact resistance.

For students who typically work in silos, the opportunity to collaborate across disciplines and negotiate their needs on behalf of an actual product is a real-world experience, Radomski says. Participating students can go on to use the experience in their own portfolios.

“We really have a captive audience with the students because a lot of them are gamers and they really understand the product,” Downs says. “They have very good insights and they approach it from their own perspective, with a lot of knowledge of what’s on the market right now. This is expertise we can really leverage.”

A grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation Business Accelerator Fund, together with financial support from StarAgilis, has funded the hardware and provided stipends for some of the student work, according to Radomski.

Ultimately, the 5G controller could be put to use in construction and industrial applications, and Downs is confident that Michigan is the place to advance his product to the manufacturing stage. With a goal to find partners — in the automotive and medical industries, specifically — StarAgilis is positioned to advance technology and manufacturing in southeast Michigan.

“Our hope is to be part of the ecosystem in Michigan that leads to great connections with great companies and people,” says Downs. “It’s really a people business and finding and attracting talent is very important. We are grateful for LTU for working with us and we appreciate what they are doing for us.”

Learn more about StarAgilis and the Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University at centrepolisaccelerator.com.

To cap off an unprecedented year in the Southfield business community, the Southfield Area Chamber of Commerce will host a 2020 Excellence In The City event. The virtual event will center around a 45-minute video presentation beginning at noon on December 8. The event will highlight key points from Southfield Mayor Ken Siver and bridge the gap from the annual State of the City event, which was canceled in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Excellence In The City will be broadcast through YouTube and Facebook Live.

To recognize the hard work of dedicated individuals and businesses in the Southfield area, 2020 Excellence In The City will be a celebration of award winners from five categories: Young Professionals, Health Heroes, Community Cares, Chamber Member of the Year and Innovation.

The Southfield Area Chamber is encouraging individuals to nominate the individual or business they feel most aptly embodies the spirit of each category. Award winners MUST be Southfield Area Chamber members. Nominators are encouraged to create and submit a 60-second video that highlights the nominee’s accomplishments and qualifications. Cell phone videos are perfect for this submission.

Nominations will be accepted through November 13, 2020.

Here’s a look at the categories up close:

Ascension Providence Health Hero Award

Candidates demonstrate community benefit by improving the health of their communities through healthcare, economic, or social initiatives. Ascension Providence Health Hero Award nominees demonstrate a passion for improving the health and well-being of the community through a profound dedication to their healthcare profession. They represent the healthcare industry with integrity, fighting for the health and safety of our community.

Centrepolis Accelerator Innovation Award

Candidates are businesses or entrepreneurs with a unique blend of vision, energy and perseverance. They develop innovative solutions to navigate through challenges and experience business growth as a result.

International Minute Press Chamber Member of the Year Award

Candidates are individuals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in service to the Southfield Area Chamber of Commerce with enthusiasm and dedication. They promote the mission of the Chamber: creating connections that drive and strengthen businesses.

Young Professional Award

Candidates have consistently demonstrated a commitment to some or all the following: contributing to the community, growing and excelling in their field through professional development, and/or achieving notable professional accomplishments. YP’s 40 and under are eligible to receive this award.

The Mars Agency Community Care Award

Candidates have consistently demonstrated that they are operating to enhance the workplace and community while impacting social change with their business beliefs, practices and profits. Nominees for the Community Care Award demonstrate an individual, business, or corporate social responsibility model, including financial commitment through economic and social initiatives.

The 2020 Excellence In The City sponsors are Ascension Providence, Lawrence Technological University, Comcast Business, the Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University, the City of Southfield, International Minute Press, The Mars Agency and Michigan First Credit Union.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available, including some award category sponsorships.

Learn more about the 2020 Excellence in the City event and register at southfieldchamber.com.

In a virtual awards ceremony, Red Pole Park, a larger-than-life interactive public art installation in the Southfield City Centre was recognized by the Michigan Chapter of the American Association for Landscape Architects (ASLA). The recognition took place in the virtual State of the Chapter and Awards Ceremony.

The General Design Merit Award was presented by ASLA President Wendy Miller to Landscape Architects Mijung Ko, ASLA, PLA, LEED GA and Mark Hieber, ASLA, LEED AP, Principal at HED, a national architecture and engineering firm with a local office in Southfield, that was retained by the Southfield City Centre to design the first phase of a shared use pathway system and this environmental art feature as a centerpiece for community engagement.

“This design award is a nod toward the power of landscape, in all its forms, to enhance the positive perception of ‘Place,'” said Hieber. “It is the result of a broad vision by the City of Southfield and its planning department to advance Southfield toward a more walkable and bikeable city.”

Hieber graciously recognized the partnership with the City of Southfield and Director of Planning, Terry Croad, AICP, ASLA, also a member of the Michigan Chapter of ASLA.

“We want to congratulate Mijung and Mark for working on this exciting project,” said Croad. “This was a goat path before the pathway went in and Mark and his design team created a series of outdoor rooms. This was built not along a river or an old rail-to-trail, but a freeway that has 110,000 cars that go by it every day.”

Recognized as “monumental and memorable”

The award is significant in that it was adjudicated by the Iowa Chapter of ASLA, rather than by a local panel. The jury said, “The creative solution and innovative approach to using existing utility infrastructure not only pushed the design further but worked within the limited budget.

The buzz this project generated is very exciting and not surprising considering its unique, monumental and memorable quality. This project shows what can happen when the role of the landscape architect is expanded beyond the traditional definition.”

Consisting of 65 red poles, each 35-feet tall, the installation intersects the extra-wide shared-use path at a segment of the Southfield City Centre Trail visible to the vehicles that traverse the Lodge Freeway each day. Red Pole Park represents the past, present and future of civic mindfulness in Southfield, with special historical recognition for past generations and founders of Southfield, as well as the growth and development of civic leaders yet to come.

At night, the tallest of the poles are lit with twinkling blue lights, which signal safe harbor, much like Michigan’s many beautiful and historic lighthouses. Walkers, runners and cyclists on the Trail can interact with the poles, which are home among native wildflowers, trees and unique birdhouses.

“We felt that we needed something bold and exciting to get people’s attention and it has done that and more,” said Croad during the awards ceremony. “It was the first piece of a 2.25-mile trail that has continued to be expanded on along M-10 the Lodge through the city of Southfield. We want to congratulate HED for our partnership with the city on this project that has been a catalyst to a number of redevelopments along this corridor including a new North American headquarters for Clarience Technologies, a convention center, two new hotels and expansion at Lawrence Tech University.”

Creative…and creatively funded

As unique in its design is the story behind how Red Pole Park came to be. Sparked by the generosity of 3,665 sponsors in a 2017 Patronicity crowdfunding campaign, the funding was matched by a grant through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s (MEDC) Public Spaces, Community Places funding initiative.

Installed in 2018 and dedicated in a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 22, 2018, the park is located directly on the Southfield City Centre Trail along the Northwestern Highway service drive, just north of Civic Center Drive and is accessible on foot year-round. Red Pole Park is just one of several art installations available along the Southfield City Centre Trail and within the district.

There is grant money available until the end of 2020 to help your manufacturing company become more agile and part of the Industry 4.0 age. It’s a unique program available to the first 300 qualified manufacturers.  There are also opportunities for manufacturing adjacent companies (e.g., distributors, installers, service and support, and light fabricators) in a related program.

Working with Automation Alley, Oakland County is funding consultations, training and equipment that can help your company change and adapt during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.  Manufacturers accepted into the program will receive:

• Strategic Guidance on how to transform from legacy operations to digital manufacturing
• An Industry 4.0 Assessment outlining where your business stands today and what digital opportunities best fit your needs
• Connections and Introductions to state-of-the art vendors and applied research that can help you along your path to Industry 4.0
• A Financial Investment, including grant money to purchase Industry 4.0 and state-of-the art digital technologies like a production part capable 3D printer—valued at more than $20,000, at no cost to you—or an Augmented Reality (AR) manufacturing system
• Essential Business Designation for those manufacturers continuing to produce PPE

The COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly reshaping and accelerating the digital transformation of the manufacturing sector. The U.S. needs to be better prepared to respond to future emergencies and demand for PPE, ventilators and other related healthcare supplies and equipment. This program will position our region as an agile, digital-ready and essential source of manufactured goods in times of national crisis.

To qualify, companies must be a small or medium sized manufacturer residing in Oakland County. To apply, visit  AutomationAlley.com/PPEgrant

If you are a manufacturing adjacent company, you can submit a different form on the Automation Alley site.

For an introduction to Industry 4.0, see attached document.

If you have questions on this program, please contact Automation Alley (Troy):
info@automationalley.com  |  (800) 427-5100

In 1980, Etkin, LLC celebrated the opening of a sleek new five-story office building at 26261 Evergreen Road, directly across from Southfield’s Municipal Center. Now, Evergreen Atrium Office Building is marking its 40th anniversary as one of the city’s most iconic modern workplaces with the completion of its sophisticated new lobby and select common areas, including the restroom facilities.

The building’s original lobby opened to reveal a five-story skylit atrium with three glass-faced passenger elevators, a fountain and towering indoor trees. After four decades, the redesigned open space lobby now provides the warmth and sense of connection necessary to compliment Etkin’s corporate brand message.

Faudie Architecture was commissioned to lead the design for the lobby transformation. Faudie has designed several signature properties for Etkin and is a long-term tenant at Evergreen Atrium Office Building.

“Their designs are very clean and inspiring, the Faudie team understands how to make our vision come to life. We wanted the focal point to center on the atrium’s water feature and three glass elevators,” said Etkin Vice President, Josh Suardini. “They responded by creating a unique lounge area, which is defined by a trellis-like hardwood slat ceiling with matching accent wall panels. The new lounge area creates an intimate, more human scaled space. Our goal was to ‘activate’ the lobby to create opportunities for socialization among the tenants and places where tenants can collaborate or work independently beyond their suite,” commented Suardini.

Faudie’s design includes three large-scale TV monitors, lobby Wi-Fi access, comfortable lounge seating, a long-bar with stools, smaller areas to impromptu meetings, low planters, stone-clad columns and unique flooring patterns.

Evergreen Atrium also offers and a diverse number of dining options with on-site restaurants including TGI Fridays, Potbelly Sandwich Shop, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Beyond Juicery + Eatery and the addition of Market Twenty 4 Seven, a self-checkout micro market offering an ever-rotating selection of fresh, delicious grab-and-go meals, snacks, premium beverages and sundries.

Office floors offer full-height windows, open floor plates and generous finish allowances. The fifth floor is currently available for lease with 33,725 SF of space, which includes signature sign rights on the top of the building. Smaller office suites are also available and may be viewed at EtkinLLC.com.

ABOUT ETKIN

Etkin has played a prominent role in southeast Michigan real estate development and acquisition for nearly four decades. The privately owned company was formed in 1982 and is led by principal, Douglas Etkin, and president, Curtis Burstein. Etkin has been involved in over 9.5 million square feet of office, industrial, retail, hotel, senior living and mixed-use developments. The company also offers fee-based management and development services to a select number of third-party clients, financial institutions, hospital organizations and physician groups. For additional information, visit EtkinLLC.com.

The Southfield City Centre Trail will be the venue for the 2020 Walk to Bring Awareness of Domestic Violence to be held on October 4.

Sponsored by 411 Therapy, the event is a collaborative effort of The City of Southfield, Southfield Police and Fire Departments, the 46th District Court, Haven Oakland, the Southfield Domestic Violence Group and the Dr. Martin Luther King Task Force.

“We don’t have a lot of serious crime here in Southfield, and that’s a great thing. But sadly, domestic violence is almost an everyday occurrence,” says Kenson Siver, Mayor of the City of Southfield. “We are stepping up to respond to the incidence of domestic violence in the City of Southfield. Unfortunately, it’s the No.1 police run in the city.”

To reduce the number of participants at any one time, the event will be held in two shifts, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 to 4 p.m. The approximately 2.5 mile walk will begin and end on the front lawn of the Southfield Municipal Campus in the Southfield City Centre.

Participants must register prior to the event at the walk website: http://walktoraiseawarenessofdv.qmigroupinc.com/.

To highlight the City of Southfield’s new strategy to address and reduce domestic violence and its impact on families and individuals in Southfield, the event will begin with a press conference prior to both shifts of the walk.

The extra-wide shared use pathway provides strategically placed benches and trash receptacles, public art installations and other pedestrian-friendly amenities, making it the ideal venue for walkers of all abilities.

Learn more about the event and register at http://walktoraiseawarenessofdv.qmigroupinc.com/.