Signature Associates

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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, […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 — […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

A small stretch of Auburn Road in Auburn Hills is being built out with a raft of new apartments, office and retail space. The main business district between Squirrel Road to the west and stretching a few blocks to the east has about $55 million in new buildings under construction or completed recently across seven […]

Signature Associates is proud to be a part of this transaction. A new, modern seafood restaurant with Greek, Italian and Spanish influences is coming to downtown Birmingham later this year. Bella Piatti owner Nino Cutraro has teamed up with Jay Feldman of Feldman Automotive to open Mare Mediterranean where Cameron’s Steakhouse was at 115 Willits. Cutraro […]

A pair of open-air shopping centers not so far apart are facing different fates. The Mall at Partridge Creek in Clinton Township is looking down the barrel of receivership after its Miami Beach, Fla.-based owners defaulted on a $725 million mortgage, buckling under the weight of massive debt, the COVID-19 pandemic and e-commerce. Tenants, in […]

A Detroit-based developer recently acquired three properties near downtown Grand Rapids as part of a larger mixed-use plan to redevelop the former Sligh Furniture Co. building. Sturgeon Bay Partners, doing business as JV SBAM SA LLC, acquired 188 Wealthy St. SW, 190 Wealthy St. SW, and 440 Grandville Ave. SW on May 14 for a total […]

Ahead of possible action by the U.S. Congress, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is one of nearly two dozen governors pushing for legislation to reform marijuana banking laws. Whitmer and a bipartisan group of governors sent a letter on Monday to leading lawmakers in Washington, D.C., urging passage of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking […]

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic last March, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued Executive Order 2020-21 directing all “Michigan businesses and operations to temporarily suspend in-person operations that are not necessary to sustain or protect life.” The downside of the order reverberated throughout the state’s economy, resulting in bankruptcies, a sharp runup in unemployment filings, […]

The proposed remodeling of the former Gander Outdoors store in Shelby Township could be a harbinger of a new grocery option making its way across the country: Amazon Fresh. A site plan I obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request to Shelby Township shows a new exterior to the building at 13975 Hall Road […]

Michigan’s largest cities are seeing the negative effects of largely empty office buildings as white-collar workers work remotely — with no predictable end date for the COVID pandemic. Getting those employees back into offices is a short-term solution to repopulating central business districts and restoring customers for the restaurants, shops and services that depend on […]

The Birmingham 8 movie theater has joined the Emagine family. Emagine Entertainment Inc. said Tuesday it has acquired the downtown Birmingham movie theater, effective immediately. The theater is not expected to undergo any changes to its interior or to its marquee, but it is getting a new name: Birmingham 8, Powered by Emagine. “We are pleased to […]

Lithia Motors Inc. is poised to acquire Troy-based Suburban Collection, one of the nation’s biggest privately owned dealership groups and the largest in metro Detroit, according to a source familiar with the matter. The deal, giving Lithia a key foothold in the Midwest, could be announced as early as this week, according to the source. The […]

There’s little doubt that living under a year of a global pandemic has caused many of us to adopt new routines and trends.  Purchases from Amazon, groceries by delivery, dining outdoors, meetings by Zoom.  But how many of those changes will remain after the coronavirus is finally under control? “This year has forced us to […]

Michigan has been ranked third in the country, and Detroit has been ranked first in the country for foreign direct investment projects, according to new rankings released by Site Selection magazine. The rankings are based on U.S. projects the magazine has tracked since 2015 that have had at least a share of involvement by a foreign-based firm. […]

A chemical company is building a new innovation center and regional headquarters in the Ann Arbor area. Wacker Chemical Corporation is investing in a nearly 14-acre site at 4950 S. State St. in Pittsfield Township. The North American Innovation Center and Regional Headquarters will house 300 employees, including those in its Adrian headquarters and 70 […]

Powertrain part maker Tenneco Inc. is abandoning its plans to move to Northville Township. Its new $23 million building at 15701 Technology Drive near Five Mile and Beck roads sits vacant and is now up for sublease, according to a marketing brochure from the Southfield office of brokerage house Cushman & Wakefield. Steve Blow, executive […]

The Kroger Co. and grocery ecommerce firm Ocado Solutions will build a $95 million customer fulfillment center to Romulus. The 135,000-square-foot facility at 15675 Wahrman will create 250 jobs, officials said Monday. The companies had previously announced plans to build a center in the Great Lakes Region. “Kroger is incredibly excited to develop one of our industry-leading customer […]

Innovative Industrial Properties Inc., the first real estate company on the New York Stock Exchange focused on the regulated U.S. cannabis industry, today announced it closed on the acquisition of a property located at 29600 Stephenson Highway in Madison Heights (halfway between 12 Mile and 13 Mile roads). The purchase price for the property was […]

The city of Wyoming announced the grand reopening of Ideal Park. The reopening of the nearly 100-year-old park comes after severe weather-related damage in 2014 caused by a tornado and subsequent flooding events caused delays in reconstruction. With an investment of over $1.8 million, Ideal Park, 5843 Crippen Ave SW, features improved parking and enhanced […]

Michigan is No. 1 in automotive manufacturing strength, according to the recent rankings by Business Facilities magazine, but the Great Lakes State also scored top-10 honors in seven other categories. The state was in the top 10 in manufacturing output percentage of GNP (No. 3), manufacturing employment (No. 4), foreign direct investments (No. 5), opportunity zones (No. […]

After a year-long search, the Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association has announced the location of a new vertical-launch spaceport in the state. The Sterling Heights-based trade organization has identified a location just north of Marquette in the Upper Peninsula as the best site from which to launch rockets from launch pads. The location along the shores […]

Green Peak Innovations in Lansing, a vertically integrated cannabis operator, today provided an update regarding the company’s COVID-19 response, second quarter performance, and plans for growth across Michigan. Jeff Radway, co-founder and CEO of Green Peak, says the company has remained fully operational throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as cannabis cultivators, processors, and retailers were deemed […]

Heidtman Steel Products, Inc., a Toledo-based processor of flat-rolled steel, is expanding its operations in Bedford Township and the city of Bedford Township to create a new steel tubing operation that is expected to create 65 jobs when finished. Heidtman, which has nine steel processing facilities in four Great Lakes states, is backing a new […]

Michigan is now No. 13 in Chief Executive magazine’s 16th annual Best and Worst States for Business survey, released this week. The state jumped 19 spots, one of the biggest single-year moves in the ranking’s history. According to Chief Executive, CEOs who selected Michigan as the best state for doing business cited the workforce, regulatory environment, overall favorable business […]

As states consider when and how to loosen stay-at-home restrictions, some West Michigan business owners look to summer tourism with careful optimism. Their hope followed a startling hit to the country’s tourism industry, which hemorrhaged as coronavirus disease 2019 infected more than a million people and killed tens of thousands of others. “In the short term, […]

Michigan manufacturers return to work Monday. But how many employees come back remains a question as demand is still likely muted and Michigan’s manufacturing sector plays a smaller role in the state’s economy. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced May 7 that manufacturers could resume operations on May 11, catering to auto industry demands that would facilitate automakers starting […]

Up until last month, the industrial market in Macomb County was performing about as well as any in the region. The vacancy rate in Metro Detroit was 4 percent across nearly 399 million square feet, with one-fifth of that market, or nearly 83 million square feet, in Macomb County outpacing the region at just 2.8 […]

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will allow the construction industry to get back to work May 7, a spokesman for the governor confirmed Wednesday morning. The Michigan Information & Research Service (MIRS News) first reported the date on Tuesday. Zack Pohl, a Whitmer spokesman, confirmed the report. “No one should be surprised that the governor would open […]

Michigan was ranked 12th among the top states for doing business, according to the Tax Foundation’s 2020 State Business Tax Climate Index that was released this week. The new ranking is up five spots from last year, and Michigan is one of only two Midwest states to be in the top half of the rankings. […]

A 72,000-square-foot expansion at Gun Lake Casino will allow the operation to grow its gaming, restaurant and entertainment options. Preliminary site work for the $100 million project is currently underway. Gun Lake Casino expects construction to begin in the coming weeks, with an opening expected in summer of 2021. The expansion, which involves adding a new […]

Michigan is the most attractive state in the Midwest for new aerospace manufacturing businesses. That’s according to a recent report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), a global consulting firm. The annual rankings report, which also raised the state from 8th nationally in 2018 to fourth in the 2019 report, cited the state’s “favorable corporate tax structure” and […]

Livonia-based Team Schostak Family Restaurants has acquired 56 Wendy’s restaurants in Michigan. With the addition, family-owned Team Schostak now owns and operates more than 160 restaurants throughout Michigan. “As our team actively sought opportunities to grow TSFR’s restaurant business, this unique opportunity came up in our home state to purchase these Wendy’s and the acquisition […]

Michigan harvested nearly 35,000 acres of pickling cucumbers in 2018 — more than any other state The state’s well-drained, sandy soils and temperate climate are conducive to cucumber growing Pickle industry emerged before WWI and now counts Heinz, Hausbeck, Vlasic and Topor’s among its giants   Long before Michigan became the automotive capital of America, […]

Michigan ranks ninth among the top 10 states with the most economic development projects according to Site Selection magazine’s 2018 Governor’s Cup rankings, moving up two places from last year’s list. The magazine covers economic planning and expansion nationwide. “There is no doubt that Michigan is a home for economic opportunity, and these rankings are a testament […]