News

PPE Resilience Grant Funding

PPE Resilience Grant Funding southfieldcc_3ik8d2

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

Southfield Goodfellows faces off with COVID

Southfield Goodfellows faces off with COVID southfieldcc_3ik8d2

The Southfield Goodfellows’ Annual Drive to provide clothing and gifts for low-income families in our community is facing a greater challenge this year due to the COVID pandemic. Our primary goal is to assure that no child in Southfield or Lathrup Village is forgotten during the Holiday Season.

In addition to the families that usually need our help, there are even more families whose hardships have been made worse.  We still want to be there for them if we can.  The pandemic has necessitated the cancellation of our newspaper drive and giving tree thus reducing our resources (funds, volunteers, and gift/toy donations).

In the past, companies sponsored families and purchasing gifts specifically for each child. Sadly, we needed to adjust our giving. Southfield Goodfellows is seeking only monetary donations to purchase gift cards for eligible low-income families and senior citizens that live in Southfield and Lathrup Village.  The significant challenge demands a significant goal.  We anticipate we’ll need to raise about $50-75,000 this year to help the increased number of families.

The City of Southfield Human Services Department manages this program on behalf of theSouthfield Goodfellows to certify family need.  Distribution of gift cards will be made by drive-thru pickup appointments for the safety of the volunteers and families.

The Southfield Goodfellows is an all-volunteer non-profit 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization.  To make a monetary contribution, please donate on our secure website at http://www.southfieldgoodfellows.org/donateonline.html  or make a check or money order payable to Southfield Goodfellows and mail (early) to P. O. Box 2336, Southfield, MI 48037-2336.

Last year, Southfield Goodfellows assisted over 1,200 children, seniors and their families. We hope that you will be able to help us continue to support to families as we have for the past 70 years.  Your support is needed today to join our efforts to make the holiday season special for everyone.

[ult_buttons btn_title=”DOWNLOAD THE FLYER” btn_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.southfieldcitycentre.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F10%2FSouthfield-Goodfellows-2020-Holiday-Giving-Flyer.pdf|target:_blank” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_bg_color_hover=”#dd3333″ icon_size=”32″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left”]

Marelli Establishes its North American Headquarters in the Southfield City Centre

Marelli Establishes its North American Headquarters in the Southfield City Centre southfieldcc_3ik8d2

When Magneti Marelli and Calsonic Kansei came together in 2019 under the new name Marelli, they brought together 62,000 employees around the globe to form one of the largest automotive suppliers in the world. And Marelli has chosen the Southfield City Centre for its new North American headquarters.

For its new home, the company has selected 26555 Northwestern Highway, the former Federal-Mogul building. In 225,000 square feet of the three-story building that sits on the corner of Lahser Road and the Lodge Freeway, Marelli will create workspace for 450 employees with room to grow, says Lisa Van Giesen, head of marketing and communications, North America, for Marelli Holding USA LLC.

Separately, Magneti Marelli and Calsonic Kansei each had a presence in southeast Michigan and were looking for a location to bring together several hundred employees under one roof. It’s not an easy task to find the perfect building that blends ample space and convenience of location, but it’s an important step forward for the company, says Van Giesen. The move will relocate employees from three locations in Auburn Hills and Farmington Hills.

“Having everyone under one roof will go a long way in terms of integration, will drive collaboration and cohesiveness, and it’s great for morale,” Van Giesen says.

The current plan is for employees to begin to move in mid-February 2021, and move-in will be complete by spring, 2021. Prior to this, the building will undergo extensive renovation which will change the iconic midcentury exterior of the building. “We want to bring the building up to date with a look that is more current and will take us into the future,” Van Giesen says.

Interior renovations will provide amenities that some employees don’t currently have in their workplaces, including a cafeteria, fitness room and indoor and outdoor meeting spaces. About 100,000 square feet will be used for R&D activities for several automotive business units, and there will be conference rooms and an auditorium for larger gatherings.

“We are really happy to be able to move in and preserve certain elements of the building, paying homage to its architectural history, but also making it our own, branding it with the Marelli name and having it be our home for the foreseeable future,” Van Giesen says.

The Southfield City Centre location, with easy access to major freeways, is an attractive feature of the new Marelli building.

“While it’s important for us to be in close proximity to our automotive clients, it’s just as important to ease the transition for our employees,” said Gene Spektor, Marelli’s senior vice president of sales and business development North America, in a statement about the move. “Our new location will have minimal impact on the average commute, and will provide employees with a modern, open and collaborative work environment.”

To that end, Van Giesen has developed an internal communications campaign to provide information to employees about the building, its amenities and its wider surroundings to better acquaint everyone with Southfield and the Southfield City Centre. “This is a great introduction for our employees to Southfield. Many won’t be familiar with it and one of the goals of our campaign is to make employees feel at home when we move in,” she says.

While the move may be incremental due to the continuing effects of the coronavirus pandemic, Van Giesen plans to conduct tours to give employees a sneak peek as to how the space will look once renovation is complete.

With the goal of soon becoming official members of the Southfield business community, Marelli is excited to bring commerce to the already bustling business center corridor. “We plan to plant roots here, and are looking at ways to get involved with the city to provide support. In fact, Gene Spektor was recently sworn in as a City Centre Advisory Board Member,” Van Giesen says.

The Southfield City Centre extends a warm welcome, and excitement about sharing its summer concert and food truck series known as Eat To The Beat, the business-focused Southfield CommUNITY Cup Challenge as well as other community-building events that take place here.

“We are looking forward to welcoming Marelli employees to the Southfield City Centre and introducing Marelli employees to all the great and convenient amenities here,” says Rochelle Freeman, business and economic development director with the City of Southfield. “We hope they enjoy the newly expanded Southfield City Centre trail network and bike-share system and take full advantage of walking and biking opportunities to get out into the community to see what is here.”

Southfield’s Evergreen Atrium Office Building’s New Lobby Makes a Stunning First Impression

Southfield’s Evergreen Atrium Office Building’s New Lobby Makes a Stunning First Impression southfieldcc_3ik8d2

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.

Walk Will Bring Awareness to Domestic Violence

Walk Will Bring Awareness to Domestic Violence southfieldcc_3ik8d2

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/.

Hit the Trail for the Michigan Trails Week Challenge

Hit the Trail for the Michigan Trails Week Challenge southfieldcc_3ik8d2

During the week of September 20 – 27, the Southfield City Centre Trail is the ideal venue for the Michigan Trails Week Challenge, a statewide event that encourages trail users to walk, hike, run and cycle on thousands of miles of trails throughout Michigan.

Participants can register, then hit the trail on foot or bicycle and log miles on the Michigan Trails Week Challenge website to earn badges and be entered in a drawing to win outdoor gear and Michigan-branded prizes. The event is free.

Joined by thousands of miles of local, county and federally managed trails and pathways, the Southfield City Centre Trail’s accessibility makes it a convenient place to log miles during the Michigan Trails Week Challenge.

“We always encourage people to seek out nature that is nearby and remind everyone that we can all recreate in our own backyard,” says Andrea LaFontaine, executive director of the Michigan Trails & Greenways Alliance, which has partnered with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to sponsor the challenge. “During COVID-19, we have found that people are staying close to home and still discovering new places. We like the idea that people can include Southfield into the local trail system in southeast Michigan.”

A significant segment of the Southfield City Centre Trail system was finished this fall, marking completion of a 2.75-mile stretch of the main greenway segment, which links into a full 7.75-mile trail system in the City Centre district. The trail system has transformed a largely vehicle-centric corridor into a safe and welcoming place for nonmotorized traffic.

“By completing this portion of the trail, we have reached a milestone of our own and we are excited to encourage participants of the Michigan Trails Week Challenge to explore the trail and find out what the district has to offer,” says Terry Croad, director of planning with the City of Southfield. Strategically placed benches, bike repair stations, public art installations — including iconic Red Pole Park — and numerous wayfinding amenities welcome pedestrians and cyclists to the trail.

“The challenge is a fun way for City Centre residents and people working at businesses in City Centre to get out and enjoy some beautiful fall weather, get to know the district, and walk the newest portions of the trail along the Lawrence Tech University corridor of Northwestern Highway,” says Croad. “Students who have just returned to LTU, as well as faculty and staff, will especially enjoy taking part in this challenge event.”

Learn more about the Michigan Trails Week Challenge at www.michigan.org/event/michigan-trails-week-challenge. Learn more about the Southfield City Centre and download a trail map at www.southfieldcitycentre.com.

Continue to Celebrate Summer with Eat to the Beat – September 10

Continue to Celebrate Summer with Eat to the Beat – September 10 southfieldcc_3ik8d2

Summer is not over yet! There’s plenty yet to enjoy, so mark your calendar for Eat To The Beat on Thursday, September 10. Grab some lunch and watch Eat To The Beat on the Southfield City Centre’s Facebook page or on the Cable 15 live page on the City of Southfield website.

September’s virtual event will feature The Will Cyprian Experience and Larry Lee & The Back In The Day Band.

The Will Cyprian Experience is a group of talented musicians led by saxophonist Will Cyprian.

Larry Lee & The Back In The Day Band is a collection of professional musicians from The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Spinners and many more. The band plays an upbeat mix of original music and cover versions spanning the genres of soul, blues, hip-hop, disco, rock, pop, R&B and funk. Their website calls the Larry Lee & The Back In The Day Band “Detroit’s hottest Party Band.”

Eat To The Beat, the Southfield City Centre’s signature summer food truck and live music monthly event looks a little different this summer, in response to COVID-19. This creative effort is presented as a safer alternative to the traditional Southfield City Centre gathering.

Grab your lunch and a cool beverage and enjoy Eat To The Beat VIRTUAL on one of these platforms:

The Southfield City Centre Facebook page (on demand, any time)

Or

The Cable 15 live page on the City of Southfield website (broadcast at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 10.)

City of Southfield to hold 2020 Walk to Bring Awareness of Domestic Violence October 4

City of Southfield to hold 2020 Walk to Bring Awareness of Domestic Violence October 4 southfieldcc_3ik8d2

The City of Southfield, Southfield Police & Fire Departments, 46thDistrict Court, Haven Oakland, Southfield Domestic Violence Group and the Dr. Martin Luther King Task Force will host the “2020 Walk to Bring Awareness of Domestic Violence”on Sunday, October 4 beginning at the Southfield Municipal Campus, 26000 Evergreen Road. The event is generously sponsored by 411 Therapy.

Two walk timeframes are available for participants to choose from:  11 a.m. – 1 p.m. & 2 – 4 p.m. in an effort to reduce the number of participants gathering and to provide appropriate space for social distancing. The first 125 people to register for the Walk in each time slot will receive a free walker’s package mailed to their home, which includes a walk t-shirt, wrist band and face mask. The approximately 2½ mile walk will begin and end on the front lawn of the Southfield Municipal Campus.

The event will kick-off with a press conference prior to both scheduled events to announce the City’s new strategy to address and reduce the impact and occurrence of domestic violence. All walkers must register by Thursday, September 10 to participate at: http://walktoraiseawarenessofdv.qmigroupinc.com.

If you or someone you know needs assistance with a situation involving domestic violence, please contact the Southfield Police Department or Haven. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of the abusers and those who are abused!

For more information, call Southfield Police at (248) 796-5500 or visit www.cityofsouthfield.com.

The Lucky Library Is a Tribute to a Four-Legged Friend Who Appreciated Reading

The Lucky Library Is a Tribute to a Four-Legged Friend Who Appreciated Reading southfieldcc_3ik8d2

When Vicki Perry was an elementary school principal in the Southfield Public School District, she shared a common love for books with a friend who supported efforts to help children become confident readers, even though she herself couldn’t read.

That friend was a black labrador named Lucky. Perry says Lucky was an appropriate name for her companion for a couple of reasons. Two decades ago, during a heatwave in Detroit, Perry purchased Lucky, then a tiny puppy with no name, from some guys who asked $5 for the dog. “We gave them $10 and took her to a vet around the corner and waited 90 minutes to get her in. She was beautiful but sick. Our $10 turned into about $900,” she says.

With a lot of care, Lucky recovered. “She was lucky that we took her to the vet because she probably wouldn’t have made it,” Perry says. “But we were lucky to have found her because she was a wonderful dog. Smart, smart, smart.”

Lucky’s gentle nature made her a perfect reading companion in kindergarten and first-grade classrooms at the schools where Perry worked. “She went to work with me a couple of times during the week. She had her glasses and a book bag and the children would take turns reading to her, and I think they really enjoyed it because Lucky never told them they mispronounced a word. She never corrected them. She never judged them,” Perry says.

Five years ago, after nearly 14 years of companionship, Perry said goodbye to Lucky. But just prior to this farewell — and during a walk near Perry’s cottage in Canada — Perry noticed in a neighbor’s yard a special bookshelf dedicated to a beloved pet. “It had a sign that said ‘Feel free to take a book,’ and I thought that’s so wonderful,” she recalls. Ever since then, Perry has planned to create a Lucky Library to honor her own pet.

“I needed to retire and research it and I was finally able to purchase the library,” says Perry, now an assistant to Southfield Mayor Ken Siver. “With the assistance and wonderful responsibility of Kyle Bryce and Terry Croad in the planning department and the Southfield City Centre Advisory Board, it was approved.”

The library was installed on Thursday, August 13 and a ribbon-cutting took place on Sunday, August 16. “I put the first books into the Lucky Free Library, and they are all about dogs,” Perry says. The library sits on the southwest corner of Evergreen Road and Civic Center Drive and exists to support literacy in the community.

“The books I purchased years ago as a reflection of my dog, and in the library will be books of all genres and for all ages,” Perry says. Soon, she hopes to adorn the library with a nameplate that says “The Lucky Library.”

While Perry does not have a new dog to take Lucky’s place in her family, she says she does enjoy “timesharing” Oliver, a dog that belongs to family members and enjoys long visits with Perry throughout the year. In fact, Oliver and Lucky met briefly, and Perry says she likes to think Lucky passed a message to Oliver — in whatever dog language they communicate — to step in whenever Perry may need him.

“Oliver is such a perfect dog. He’s so good,” says Perry.

Take a book, leave a book, enjoy The Lucky Library. It’s on the southwest corner of Evergreen Road and Civic Center Drive in the Southfield City Centre.

Southfield City Centre Welcomes Clarience Technologies Global Headquarters

Southfield City Centre Welcomes Clarience Technologies Global Headquarters southfieldcc_3ik8d2

This fall, a bright new light will shine in the Southfield City Centre’s business community when Clarience Technologies welcomes employees to its new global headquarters on Civic Center Drive at Northwestern Highway. The parent company of Truck-Lite Co., LLC, DAVCO Technology, Road Ready, RIGID Industries and Lumitec, Clarience Technologies serves 68 countries with lighting products, visibility systems, telematics and other solutions, primarily for the transportation industry.

The new two-story, 50,000 square-foot building has room for about 150 employees and boasts several innovative design features to maximize the efficiency and purpose of the five subsidiary companies under the Clarience Technologies umbrella. “A lot of thought has been put into the layout,” says Beth English, vice president of marketing for Truck-Lite, a Clarience Technologies company.

In addition to a fitness center, cafe and lounges, the building features collaborative areas and open workspaces as well as a traditional office environment for employees. A customer care center in the lobby welcomes visitors with corporate-specific videos projected on glass walls and an artifact wall to display products. High tech monitors and state-of-the-art communications systems are spread throughout the building for easy and efficient connections with Clarience Technologies offices and subsidiary companies around the globe.

“A truck bay large enough to hold a full semi-tractor trailer is a great site for demonstrations and training, with an observation deck, all fully enclosed in the building,” says English.

But perhaps what is most innovative is the Road Ready Command Center, a central hub for fleet management. “Road Ready is one of the fastest-growing telematics businesses. The Road Ready Command Center will be a huge area that will display all of the fleets we have on the Road Ready system and will be managed from the headquarters building,” English explains. “There is a wall with a 30-foot screen to display the active fleets and is powered by an extensive IT support component.”

The Southfield City Centre: a deliberate choice

While many prospective sites in southeast Michigan were considered, the Southfield City Centre emerged as the winner due to its proximity to a strong talent pool to fill managerial, sales, engineering and technical positions for the growing electronics company, as well as the convenient location, pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly trail network, robust community-building business events and other attractive features typically enjoyed by a millennial workforce, according to English.

“One of the key draws for us to Southfield was the community and what it has to offer, as well as the adjacency to universities, which will provide a high-quality workforce. The Southfield City Centre parcel is a large space, and we want to be a good corporate citizen and part of what is going on locally,” English says.

The steel and concrete structure was built largely by local teams of suppliers and contractors, says English. In its design, the nearly 5-acre corner location has attractive brickwork, landscaping, lighting and seating, creating a beautiful space where employees and visitors will want to spend time, right on the Southfield City Centre Trail network.

A pedestrian plaza will be added by Clarience to link the headquarters to the City Centre Trail.  The Southfield City Centre will also contribute funding to this development, as well as to the installation of benches, trash receptacles, landscaping and lighting, according to Terry Croad, director of planning for the City of Southfield. The plaza was approved by the Southfield Public Arts Commission because it meets the standards of its art requirement and will contribute to the rich public arts aesthetic in the district.

“We’re excited to be located in this development hub that is accessible and close to many universities including Lawrence Tech,” says communications manager Andrew Liuzzo. “We look forward to establishing ourselves in the Southfield City Centre and adding value to what it already offers.”

Learn more about Clarience Technologies at www.clariencetechnologies.com.