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About / News / Michigan

Business leaders more optimistic on Michigan, but challenges remain

Posted By: The Detroit News on January 16, 2024.  For more information, please click here to read the source article. Sector leaders in Michigan showed modestly increasing optimism in the economic outlook and that Michigan is a good place to business, according to annual survey results from Ann Arbor’s Baker Strategy Group. The state posted improvement in four […]

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Novi battery startup Our Next Energy launches pilot production at new plant

Posted By: The Detroit News on November 1, 2023.  For more information, please click here to read the source article.   Our Next Energy, a Novi-based battery startup, said Wednesday that it’s launched pilot production of lithium iron phosphate batteries at its new plant in Van Buren Township. The startup plans to supply battery cells for customers in […]

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Amazon announces its first Michigan solar farm project

Posted By: mlive on November 13, 2023.  For more information, please click here to read the source article. Amazon is entering the Michigan solar farming business. Amazon, the world-famous online retailer, has announced its first renewable energy project in Michigan: a new 85-megawatt solar farm to be built in Van Buren County’s Lawrence Township, the company said on Monday, […]

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American Battery Solutions in Lake Orion to Supply EV Batteries to Bus Manufacturer

Posted By: DBUSINESS on October 4, 2023.  For more information, please click here to read the source article. American Battery Solutions (ABS) in Lake Orion, which designs and manufactures modular battery solutions for the transportation, industrial, and commercial sectors, has signed a multi-year contract with Canadian bus manufacturer NFI Group Inc. The contract call for supplying custom battery […]

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The Mall at Partridge Creek Welcomes Five New National Retailers

Posted By: DBUSINESS on September 11, 2023.  For more information, please click here to read the source article. The Mall at Partridge Creek in Clinton Township has signed five new tenants: Box Lunch, JD Sports, Kids Empire, Lovesac, and Windsor. The Box Lunch location at Partridge Creek opened its doors this summer, while the other new tenants are slated […]

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Michigan pushes $17M toward commercial drone infrastructure

Posted By: Detroit News on August 21, 2023.  For more information, please click here to read the source article. The state of Michigan is starting to explore how to create “highways in the sky” to prepare the state’s aeronautic infrastructure for the advent of commercial drone usage. In the new state budget that starts Oct. 1, the Legislature […]

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Consumers Energy to Explore Selling 13 Hydroelectric Facilities

Posted By: DBUSINESS on August 9, 2023.  For more information, please click here to read the source article. Consumers Energy in Jackson will be issuing a request for a proposal to explore the possibility of selling its 13 hydroelectric facilities located throughout the state of Michigan as the energy provider continues to evaluate the future of the dams […]

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Michigan, Daimler North America, DTE Working to Build Truck Stop of Future

Posted By: DBUSINESS on June 30, 2023.  For more information, please click here to read the source article. The state of Michigan is working to develop a working prototype program known as the Mobility Charging Hub, which will help to enable companies to transition their commercial fleets to electric commercial vehicles (EVs). Michigan will have access to $13 […]

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2 planned Amazon Fresh stores in Metro Detroit appear to have been scuttled

Posted By: The Detroit News on May 11, 2023.  For more information, please click here to read the source article. Plans for at least two Amazon Fresh locations in Michigan appear to have been scrapped. The Madison Heights space once believed to be planned to house the grocer is now available for sublease, according to marketing materials. The […]

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Farmington Hills moves forward with four-story luxury apartment complex proposal

Posted By: Hometown Life on April 13, 2023.  For more information, please click here to read the source article. City officials recently took another step toward approving a proposed $30 million luxury apartment complex along Northwestern Highway. City council voted 5-1 Monday to approve a planned unit development for a four-story apartment community at 32680 Northwestern Highway, near […]

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How Michigan battery startup Our Next Energy plans to conquer mass EV market

Posted By: The Detroit News on April 9, 2023.  For more information, please click here to read the source article. The idea that would eventually become a business valued at more than $1 billion first struck Mujeeb Ijaz in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic when he — like many people — was spending a lot of time […]

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Against the grain: These retailers are adding stores in Michigan

Posted By: The Detroit News on March 10, 2023.  For more information, please click here to read the source article.   For more than a decade, a former Kmart store sat vacant in the Utica Park Place shopping center on Hall Road. The 61,000-square-foot space finally got a new use this past fall with the opening of the […]

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Ancor Automotive to Open Software Innovation Hub in Troy

Posted By: DBUSINESS on March 8, 2023.  For more information, please click here to read the source article.   Ancor Automotive, a Tier 1 automotive supplier of data management and VIN-specific label solutions, announced its plans to open a software innovation hub this May in a 2,000-square-foot space within its current global headquarters at 2360 Bellingham Dr. in […]

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Michigan, Metro Detroit outpaced nation in economic recovery, report says

Posted By: The Detroit News on February 8, 2023.  For more information, please click here to read the source article. Michigan and Metro Detroit have outpaced the nation’s economic recovery in the wake of COVID-19, according to the Detroit Regional Chamber’s State of the Region report released Wednesday. “Starting in the summer of 2020, the Detroit region and […]

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Asian-themed Project Sakura Novi Adding Korean Steakhouse, 117 Apartments

Posted By: DBUSINESS on January 30, 2023.  For more information, please click here to read the source article. Sakura Novi, Michigan’s first Asian-themed, mixed-use real estate development, today announced a lease has been executed for The Dancing Pine Korean Steakhouse, while a joint venture agreement has been executed with Robertson Brothers Homes to build 117 townhouse apartments. The […]

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GM to invest close to $1B in 4 US factories, 2 in Michigan

Posted By: Detroit Free Press on January 20, 2023.  For more information, please click here to read the source article. General Motors is investing $918 million in four U.S. plants for expanded V-8 engine production in light-duty full-size pickups and large SUVs as well as component parts for electric vehicles. GM made the announcement Friday at Flint Engine […]

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Mara Technologies Secures Credit, Will Open Manufacturing Facility in Holly

Posted By: DBUSINESS on January 12, 2023.  For more information, please click here to read the source article. FrontWell Capital Partners Inc. in Toronto announced the closing of a CAD $25 million secured credit facility with Mara Technologies Inc. and Mara Technologies USA Inc., which is in the process of launching a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Holly. […]

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Michigan’s cannabis industry has gone through some growing pains: What to expect in 2023

Posted By: Detroit Free Press on January 9, 2023.  For more information, please click here to read the source article. Michigan’s still-young legalized recreational cannabis industry went through some growing pains last year. Prices of marijuana products rapidly declined and, as a result, cannabis companies struggled to survive. At the same time, some of those companies continued to innovate, […]

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New Wyandotte entertainment venue hopes to attract big music acts, weddings

Posted By: The Detroit Free Press on December 14, 2022.  For more information, please click here to read the source article.   Two entrepreneurs are teaming up to put Downriver on the map with a new live music venue that they hope will find success like the Magic Bag in Ferndale or the Crofoot in Pontiac. District 142, […]

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Is an Amazon Fresh under construction in Plymouth Township? Supervisor says yes

Posted By: Hometown Life on December 7, 2022.  For more information, please click here to read the source article.   It appears e-commerce giant Amazon has plans to bring Amazon Fresh, the company’s brick-and-mortar grocery shopping concept, to Plymouth Township. Although Amazon is typically mum on company plans, Plymouth Township Supervisor Kurt Heise said building plans have gone […]

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SyBridge in Southfield Purchases Assets of Chicago Industrial Tech Company

Posted By: DBUSINESS on December 12, 2022.  For more information, please click here to read the source article.   SyBridge Technologies, a global industrial technology company based in Southfield, has announced that its wholly owned affiliate, SyBridge Digital Solutions, has been selected as the winning bidder to purchase certain assets of Fast Radius Inc., a provider of digital manufacturing solutions […]

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Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Debuts New Farmington Hills HQ

Posted By: DBUSINESS on September 28, 2022.  For more information, please click here to read the source article.   Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA (MBFS), which provides brand-specific financing and leasing products and insurance services, has opened its newly constructed corporate campus in Farmington Hills. The headquarters project, designed to support MBFS’ new hybrid workforce model, was completed within […]

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M1 Concourse in Pontiac Will Add a Service Center for Performance Vehicles

Posted By: DBUSINESS on September 27, 2022.  For more information, please click here to read the source article.   M1 Concourse, an 87-acre motorsports community and entertainment facility in Pontiac, and Rochester Hills-based Prefix Corp., have agreed on a strategic partnership to create a new Service Center for the property, while providing private garage owners with a variety […]

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Mecosta County, township officials approve 30-year Renaissance Zone incentive for potential battery project

Posted By: MiBiz on September 26, 2022.  For more information, please click here to read the source article.   A trio of Mecosta County municipalities have approved a 30-year tax incentive to help lure a multi-billion dollar electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility that promises more than 2,000 jobs. Officials from the county, Big Rapids Charter Township and Green […]

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Dana Thermal Products Announces $44 Million Investment In Auburn Hills

Posted By: Inside Auburn Hills on August25, 2022.  For more information, please click here to read the source article. Signature Associates’ Greg Hudas and Joe Hamway are proud to have been a part of this deal.   Dana Thermal Products, a subsidiary of Dana Incorporated, a global leader in thermal management technologies for the mobility industry, has announced […]

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Main Art theater demolished Monday afternoon in downtown Royal Oak

Posted By: The Detroit News on July 25, 2022.  For more information, please click here to read the source article.   The curtains were literally coming down Monday afternoon on the Main Art theater in Royal Oak as a crew worked to demolish the 80-year-old venue, a  showcase of independent cinema in Metro Detroit since the 1990s. Red curtains […]

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Is Pontiac on the cusp of a development boom?

A $300 million-plus plan to bring more than 1,000 residential units to a long-vacant waterfront site in Pontiac is perhaps the splashiest proposed development in the city in recent memory. But throughout the city, a grab bag of new residential, commercial and industrial construction, as well as renovations and redevelopments, has percolated in recent years. […]

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Over 200 acres by Ann Arbor’s Briarwood Mall now zoned for high-density development

The biggest property rezoning in recent Ann Arbor history is now finalized. City Council voted 8-3 Monday night, April 5, to OK reclassifying over 200 acres around Briarwood Mall under the city’s new TC1 transit-corridor zoning category to pave the way for downtown-style development on the city’s south side. “I’m very excited about this step […]

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Walmart adding 4 fulfillment centers, more than 4,000 jobs

Walmart is adding four new fulfillment centers to its existing capacity, a move that will bring more than 4,000 jobs and make next- or two-day shipping available to more Americans. The announcement comes at a time when consumers are relying on packages being shipped to their homes more than ever before. While online ordering has […]

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Michigan’s small businesses had a growth spurt in 2021, highest new job count in two decades

Michigan customers had lots of options to support a new, small business in 2021. They could get a “Millennial Lunchable” in Saginaw, an “all-beef dirty water plain dog” in Kalamazoo or BYOC — bring your own container — and fill up on cosmetics in Ann Arbor. Despite a labor shortage and a wave of resignations defining the first year after coronavirus […]

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Construction costs for Detroit area office build-outs soar at ‘unprecedented’ rate

For those looking to build out new office space, it’s going to set you back much more this year than it did last year. A new report from JLL, a Chicago-based brokerage with an office in Royal Oak, says the cost of constructing new office space in metro Detroit has increased by double digits in […]

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As Michigan office vacancies increase, what happens to the unused space?

A few years ago, Butzel decided it had more office space than it needed in Oakland County and Detroit and wanted to downsize. Having gone digital, the law firm didn’t need a library or a place to store files. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit the state in March 2020, forcing many businesses to shift staff to remote […]

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Michigan leaders eye Marshall area land in push for big projects

Michigan officials have increased their focus on a 1,700-acre “megasite” in the Marshall area as the state pursues large and yet-to-be-named economic development projects, according to interviews and records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. The effort to lure companies to the site, which is near the interchange of Interstate 94 and Interstate 69, […]

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Perrysburg countertop company expands to Columbus area

Cutting Edge Countertops, Inc., started 16 years ago this month in Perrysburg with three owners and just two employees — now it’s a multi-state operation that is expanding to the Columbus area for its sixth location. “Columbus is great for us,” said Brian Burns, co-owner and founding partner of Cutting Edge. “They also service the Dayton […]

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Fowlerville getting $3.7 million apartment and commercial development downtown

A local couple is preparing to break ground on a more than 13,500-square-foot commercial and apartment building in downtown Fowlerville. The Michigan Strategic Fund board on Tuesday approved a $1.45 million loan through a Michigan Economic Development Corporation program, which will help them finance the estimated $3.7 million construction project. Jennifer Cooke and her husband, Dan — […]

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Utilities on the hunt for thousands of acres for solar development

DTE Energy Co. is in the market for 20,000 to 35,000 acres of southern-facing flat land in Michigan to erect solar arrays over the next 10 to 15 years. Consumers Energy Co., which generates 40 megawatts of electricity from solar today, has plans to be at 8,000 megawatts of energy from the sun by 2040, requiring […]

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80,000 marijuana plants will fill West Michigan grow facility once complete

With phase one complete, the first marijuana plants are expected to start growing in a week at 305 Farms.  The 44,000-square-foot building in Lawrence’s industrial park will house 2,500 marijuana plants for 305 Farms. The facility held a grand opening Monday, March 15. A final inspection should happen in the next few days, and then plants are […]

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Commercial foreclosures remain low in Detroit, but will that last?

The pandemic has not caused commercial landlords to lose their properties to foreclosure en masse like they did during the Great Recession. At least not yet. In spite of concerns about tenant rent payment early in the pandemic — including from restaurants, bars, gyms, apartment renters, office users and others — as government restrictions to stop the […]

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Oakland Mall may join Fairlane Town Center as second mall selling this month

A new owner is nearing a purchase of Oakland Mall, Crain’s has learned. Mario Kiezi, a real estate investor and developer based in Troy, confirmed that he has the mall under contract for purchase for an undisclosed price. Letters have been sent to the mall’s tenants informing them of the pending ownership change. Kiezi declined […]

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Public cannabis companies making headway in maturing Michigan industry

As Michigan’s cannabis industry grows, it’s drawing in more giants of the business: publicly traded companies. Historically, many public companies and those with complex ownership structures were skipping Michigan or choosing to invest indirectly through licensing agreements, lending relationships or real estate. Getting a marijuana business license here meant turning in piles of paperwork for […]

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State incentivizes redevelopment of former Northville/Plymouth prison

Michigan’s economic engine on Tuesday approved incentives for redevelopment of the former prison site in Northville and Plymouth townships. The $38.7 million project calls for a nearly 66,000-square-foot commercial flex space development from an affiliate of Novi-based real-estate firm Hillside Investments, a large stormwater retention pond and 9,000-square-feet of infrastructure improvements that include sidewalks, curbs, asphalt paving […]

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Zoup! Eatery Plans Major 2022 Expansion in Michigan

Zoup! Eatery, a fast-casual soup concept based in Farmington Hills with locally owned and operated restaurants across the U.S. and Canada, has announced plans for an extensive expansion in Michigan in 2022. Markets it plans to expand to include Detroit, Ann Arbor, Lansing, and Grand Rapids. As part of the rollout, Zoup! Eatery is seeking qualified franchisee […]

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Gardner White taking over part of old Art Van campus in Warren

Gardner White will take over a portion of the massive former Art Van Inc. headquarters in Warren as it needs more space for distribution and corporate staff. The Auburn Hills-based furniture store said Monday afternoon that it would occupy part of the property’s warehouse as well as the store and corporate office. In a Monday […]

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SIGNATURE ASSOCIATES SELLS TROPHY INDUSTRIAL BUILDING IN AUBURN HILLS, MICHIGAN

Signature Associates is pleased to announce the sale of the 443,340 square foot industrial building located at 3600 Giddings Road in Auburn Hills to a partnership between Foundation Capital Partners, LLC and Wheelock Street Capital, LLC. Joe Hamway and Greg Hudas of Signature Associates represented the partnership in the purchase of the building and are […]

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Industrial development district for ‘flex-tech’ facility being considered by Ann Arbor City Council

A biotechnology company and SPARK Ann Arbor are spearheading efforts to create a city industrial development district to encourage growth and provide a tax abatement for owners in the area. The Ann Arbor City Council took public comments at its Jan. 3 meeting about the possibility of creating an industrial development district at 3874, 3990, […]

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Whitmer OKs extending development tax incentives by 5 years

Michigan developers with “transformational” plans to redevelop brownfield sites can continue to seek tax incentives after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Legislature extended the program for an additional five years. The state’s economic development board can approve new projects through 2027, instead of 2022, under a bill signed last week. The law, which was enacted in 2017, […]

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Construction underway on $2.5M mixed-use development in Holland

A mixed-use residential and commercial building now is under construction on the site of the former Goog’s Pub & Grub in Holland. Among the first construction under the city of Holland’s new unified development ordinance (UDO) that promotes mixed uses in commercial zones is a new 14,000-square-foot Goog’s building on the city’s south side. Construction […]

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Downtown Birmingham sees surprise surge of new retailers

While some downtowns, malls and shopping centers struggle to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on in-person shopping and office space needs, Oakland County’s downtown Birmingham is emerging as a bright spot. The sidewalks and parking structures are busy once again with visitors and downtown workers on lunch break, and at least eight retailers and four new food establishments have in recent […]

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Developer envisions massive tower for former Joe Louis Arena site

A developer has put forth a conceptual design for a massive tower with 500 apartments to be built on the site of the demolished Joe Louis Arena. Detroit-based Sterling Group, which owns the former arena site, submitted a conceptual site plan to the city in July showing a 25-story, 290-foot-tall residential tower called The Louis where the old Red Wings arena […]

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Lake Trust Credit Union, other financial institutions wade into Michigan cannabis banking market

As the cannabis industry continues to expand in Michigan, there are a limited number of options for the businesses to put their money while their business is still illegal at the federal level. But that is changing. Nearly $125 million worth of recreational cannabis was sold statewide in September, up from $60 million the same […]

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New seafood-centric restaurant opening in Birmingham

A new restaurant with a heavy influence on seafood from the Mediterranean is set to open in downtown Birmingham. Debuting Wednesday is Mare Mediterranean, a seafood-forward restaurant with an influence from Greek, Italian and Spanish flavors. Restaurateur Nino Cutraro partnered with Jay Feldman of the Feldman Automotive Group to open the new spot. Cutraro also owns nearby […]

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Mixed-use building set for Junior League site

A mixed-use three-story building is planned for the former Junior League of Birmingham site, and has received preliminary site plan approval by the Birmingham Planning Board. The new building, to be located at 460 N. Old Woodward, received unanimous recommended preliminary site plan approval from the planning board in late July, with conditions that must […]

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Northville to clear psych hospital property, repurpose for ‘active recreation’

The site of a former state psychiatric hospital in Northville Township will be cleared and redeveloped as an “active recreation site,” after township trustees approved a $12 million bond sale to fund the work, the township announced Tuesday. The bond funding will pay for the removal or relocation of the remaining 11 buildings on the 332-acre site, […]

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Lake Orion electric vehicle battery business expands as industry readies to boom

An electric vehicle battery business in Lake Orion has become a success story and earned a visit from Governor Gretchen Whitmer Monday. Subhash Dhar is the founder and chairman at American Battery Solutions. Despite a pandemic — the company is thriving in its manufacturing production of lithium-ion batteries. This comes as the US makes a […]

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Key retail property across from Oakland Mall sells for $34 million

Amid a global pandemic that has shaken the brick-and-mortar retail industry even more, a Baltimore buyer is betting $34 million on the success of a key property across from Oakland Mall in Troy. Continental Realty Corp., a private equity fund, has purchased Oakland Center and Oakland Square at 14 Mile and John R roads totaling some 392,000 […]

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Shovel-ready state? Push on for site-prep money after Ford plants head south

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration, economic developers and industry groups are pushing for the creation of a $100 million fund for industrial development on large tracts of land after Tennessee and Kentucky landed $11.4 billion in investments from Ford Motor Co. and a battery maker. The $100 million would give the Michigan Economic Development Corp. a pot of money to […]

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Automotive ‘country club’ in the works for Howell site

A racecar-loving father-and-son business duo are moving forward with an ambitious plan to bring a multimillion-dollar automotive country club and garage development to a 270-acre site owned by the city of Howell. The project, Motorsports Gateway, calls for 67 private garage suite units along a 2.2-mile, European-inspired road course geared toward local car enthusiasts, said […]

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Jiffy Mix maker plans new 120K-square-foot warehouse in Chelsea

Chelsea will soon make room for a whole lot more Jiffy Mix. Chelsea Milling Co., the family-owned maker of baking mixes shipped across the country, hopes to break ground on a new, 120,000-square-foot warehouse in the spring. When they’re not in “baking season” in the fall and winter, the company stores hundreds of thousands of its […]

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6 Michigan Industries With A Good Economic Outlook

Knowing which industries have a good economic outlook can help you to make savvy career choices. Whether you’re starting out or you’re thinking about your next promotion, choosing a sector or specialty that’s primed for growth can provide you with job security and lucrative opportunities. Similarly, if you’re a budding entrepreneur and you dream of […]

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Region’s third known Amazon Fresh grocery store coming to Troy

The region’s third Amazon Fresh grocery store concept is believed to be under construction in Troy. Permits and site plans obtained from the city through a Freedom of Information Act request show a layout and design similar to other Amazon Fresh stores around the country, including locations Crain’s previously first reported in the spring in Shelby […]

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Car wash company building $30M headquarters in Holland

VisionQuest Companies plans to begin construction this month on a a $30 million headquarters near the corner of M-40 and Waverly Road. VisionQuest, which owns car wash companies and manufactures car wash equipment, says the new building is expected to be complete by fall 2022. It includes 75,000 square feet of office space and a […]

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TriMas in Bloomfield Hills Expands Packaging Business with New Ohio Facility

Bloomfield Hills-based TriMas Corp. announced today that Rieke Packaging Systems, part of the TriMas Packaging Group, is expanding its North American manufacturing presence by building a 230,000-square-foot facility in New Albany, Ohio, with operations set to commence in the second quarter of 2022. The new facility will be located near Rieke’s current New Albany manufacturing […]

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Parade Co. gets the OK to buy long-vacant Brodhead Armory to turn it into new HQ

The Detroit City Council approved the sale of the R. Thornton Brodhead Naval Armory to the Parade Co. on Tuesday, paving the way for the nonprofit behind Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day parade to turn the long-vacant building into its new headquarters. At a meeting Tuesday the council approved amending the city’s Master Plan to make way for any redevelopment of the site […]

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