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Gateway Pediatric Therapy Expands Statewide Presence With Southgate Location

Gateway Pediatric Therapy center for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) opened its fourth Wayne County location in Southgate. The 7,158-square-foot facility located at 1 Heritage Place offers fully customized ABA therapy. The clinic will be overseen by Lauren Lobbestael, M.ED., BCBA.

ABA is the most effective, evidence-based therapy available to target positive behavior change and skill building for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The new clinic will fill a significant need within the community as waitlists remain high for behavioral services. The Southgate location will feature 24 private therapy rooms to provide highly individualized assistance to the challenges your child may be facing.

“At Gateway we recognize and value the potential of every client,” said Clinical Director Lauren Lobbestael.  “Our team of expert ABA therapists work tirelessly to support your child in the reduction of challenging behaviors and the acquisition of foundational skills. We are excited to meet the growing need for services in Southeast Michigan.”

The Southgate clinic is currently hiring for Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBAs) and Behavior Technicians. Gateway prides itself on offering the highest quality ABA therapy, which is recognized as a highly effective therapy for children and is deeply rooted in the scientific principles of learning and behavior. The team includes ABA practitioners who develop and apply an individualized treatment plan for each child. These services seek to provide meaningful, socially significant outcomes for Gateway’s clients.

Gateway’s expert team, modern facilities, and state of the art technology has established the company as the premier center for ABA therapy in Wayne County. They offer best-in-class therapy and intervention services, conducted at any of their twelve clinics or in the convenience of a client’s home.

“We are excited to welcome Gateway Pediatric Therapy to One Heritage Place. Gateway is a very professional company that has been in business for many years,” said Charlie Laurencelle, President of Laurencelle Properties, Inc. “Their expertise is apparent in the success of the company and all of the different geographic locations they serve.”

Families interested in the Southgate location are encouraged to contact the clinic during regular business hours at 734-767-2250. Once the team receives your message, a client relations specialist will answer questions and arrange the next steps.

For more information on Gateway Pediatric Therapy or ABA therapy, visit https://www.gatewaypediatrictherapy.com/

Significant Progress Made on Gordie Howe International Bridge Project in 1st 1,000 Days

Work progresses on the U.S. side of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project. Photo courtesy Gordie Howe International Bridge

Windsor, Ontario — On July 1, 2021,the Gordie Howe International Bridge team marked 1,000 days since the start of construction and are celebrating the determination, commitment and hard work of staff, contractors, labourers and suppliers contributing to the progress achieved on all four components of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project.

Progress over the past 1,000 days notably includes near completion of all design work; earthworks, utility work, the start of building construction and the completion of the Perimeter Access Road at the Canadian Port of Entry (POE); earthworks and utility work at the US POE; demolition and start of reconstruction of three road bridges as part of the Michigan Interchange; and completion of the tower foundations and the start of construction of the bridge towers.

“Reaching the mark of 1,000 days of construction gives us an opportunity to reflect on where we have been and what we have accomplished but also look ahead,” said Bryce Phillips, the CEO of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority. “As I see the tower legs now rising from the ground I think back to standing at that same location at the start of construction and I am filled with the same feelings of inspiration and drive, feelings that are shared by all of us who have the privilege of working on this great project.”

Construction activities are undertaken while limiting any potential adverse effects on the natural environment, cultural resources, and neighboring residents and businesses. As well, a robust health and safety regime is followed to ensure workers are safe on the job site.

On June 25, Bridging North America (BNA) and their subcontractors celebrated 3 million hours of work without a lost time injury. A lost time injury, also known as an LTI, is an important key safety indicator for any construction project. This is in addition to the safety precautions put in place to protect against the spread of COVID-19.

“It is awe-inspiring to watch this project take shape and further enhance one of the longest binational trade relationships in history,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said. “I am committed to creating jobs by rebuilding Michigan’s vital transportation network, and the Gordie Howe International Bridge dovetails nicely with that goal. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is demonstrating on this project like so many others across the state why they are leaders in project management and oversight. As we mark this milestone, I thank MDOT employees and our Canadian partners for their ongoing collaboration on this important economic advancement.”

Over the past two and a half years, more than 145 local business in Windsor-Essex and Detroit have been engaged by BNA and more than 3,900 workers, 46 per cent of which are local, have been oriented to the project. The coming years are expected to be among the busiest times of construction on the project.

Some quick facts about the project:

  • Official construction of the $5.7 billion (CDN) Gordie Howe International Bridge project began on October 5, 2018.
  • The Gordie Howe International Bridge project includes the construction of a six-lane, cable- stayed design bridge with a clear span of 853 metres (0.53 miles) and a total length of approximately 2.5 kilometres (1.5 miles). It also includes new Canadian and US Ports of Entry and an interchange in Michigan connecting Interstate 75.
  • Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority and Bridging North America continue to work toward a 2024 opening date.
  • In addition to construction, the project team has made significant progress on the delivery of the Gordie Howe International Bridge Community Benefits Plan and sustainability activities.

“Bridging North America takes great pride in the work and safety record that has been accomplished over the past one thousand days of construction,” said Michael Hatchell, CEO, Bridging North America. “As the project components continue to go up, it further ignites the excitement on the team for being part of this once-in-a-generation mega project. BNA looks forward to continuing our momentum.”

LAFCU credit union offers scholarships to adult women

Michigan credit union LAFCU is offering three scholarships for women whose lives have “gotten in the way” of career preparation. The $1,000 Lansing Community College scholarships are ideal to complete some classes for a degree or certification. Essay contest entries due 7/31 at www.lafcu.com/wheel.

Languishing to Flourishing: Re-Evaluating Your Career Post-Pandemic

Prior to the spring of 2021, there wasn’t an easily identifiable way to label the feeling that nearly everyone has experienced at some point during the pandemic: Languishing.

Languishing is the overall sense of “blah” that we’ve all experienced for short or long periods of time. It isn’t exactly depression or hopelessness, but it can express itself as a similar lack of energy or excitement for things that one would typically enjoy. Over the past year, this feeling has been broadly experienced due to our shared exposure to extreme and persistent stress.  

Languishing applies to our personal lives as much as it does our professional lives–Because, let’s be honest, there is no such thing as “work-life balance” anymore. Anyone who has simultaneously juggled the three separate jobs of being an employee, stay-at-home parent, and homeschool teacher know that this is the truth.

This feeling of being alive rather than living has also permeated into the overall workforce. 

Multiple recent surveys indicate that somewhere between 40-60% of American workers plan to leave their current company once the pandemic concludes. This reality may sound terrifying for managers and executives, but it will also create a new period of widespread renewal and engagement.  

If you’ve contemplated leaving your current role during COVID or were laid off due to the economic fallout, this is an incredible opportunity to create a new reality that is meaningful and fulfilling for you. You don’t have to languish; you can flourish.

The behavioral changes that will result from the pandemic are only starting to be studied and understood. But you know it’s true. You think and behave a bit differently than you did in 2019; even if that means behaving similarly to the way you did then, but louder. 

When re-evaluating your career, it’s important to avoid getting distracted by the base desirables, like being able to Work From Anywhere or making X% more money. Instead, take this opportunity to think about what you’ve discovered about yourself between streaming binges and reflect on what you value and why.  

Take a pause and think long-term. What are a few things you want to be proud of at the end of your life? What do you want to achieve in your career? What do you need to do over the next 5-10 years to position yourself for that? Do you need to move, earn a new certificate or degree, change relationships, or learn new skills? Thinking bigger than the minimum salary and 50-mile radius filters on Indeed will help you identify what you actually want and need to do next.

Titles and bigger paychecks are great, but what gets you genuinely excited? What is a mission, purpose, or cause, that is meaningful to you? Does processing TPS reports really fulfill you? If not, changing to a company that processes SPT reports won’t make you feel any more fulfilled. The reality is you may need to make a more drastic and potentially uncomfortable change.  

You may also need help and guidance to navigate these decisions. Life, career, and leadership coaching can be a resource for an objective third party to ask you the tough questions, force you to evaluate your priorities, and show you how to achieve what you want. But know this, everything you have ever wanted to achieve is within your power with the right will, attitude, and tools. 

The current job market is fully in favor of the employee. You have endless options and opportunities before you. The challenge isn’t finding a job but rather finding fulfillment. When you find out what will make you feel fulfilled, you will be able to go after that next role, or you might be even be inspired to stay within your current organization. 2020 may have been about languishing, but with a few intentional decisions in 2021, you’ll spend the rest of your career flourishing.

Matthew Anderson of Leadership Coaching for Results has a master’s degree in conflict management, is a member of Mensa and a former consultant and in-house trainer to a Fortune 500 company. He’s the author of numerous nationally published articles and co-author of a book about resilience.

Pandemic Stress on Supply Chain, Other Shocks Mean Shortages of Goods and Materials

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the coronavirus pandemic that struck in early 2020, experts say, exacerbated weaknesses in the supply chain that will continue to reverberate through the economy for months.

From new vehicles and personal electronics and the microchips that go into them, to paints and plastics and the chemicals from which they’re made, raw materials as well as finished goods are often scarce around the country due to breaks in the supply chain brought about by the pandemic and several other shocks, including the February winter storm in Texas, the May cyberattack on the Colonial fuel pipeline and a 2021 hurricane season that’s barely begun.

Delays have resulted in higher prices for some goods and mean that manufacturers wait longer for their materials and consumers wait longer for products they’d like to buy.

Increased demand — and rapidly changing demand from consumers who, because of the pandemic, began going out less and working from home more — has also stressed the system, experts say, forcing companies to pivot to meet demand by, for instance, quickly finding new markets for their products and new ways of getting those products to market.

“When supply chains fail people pay attention, but in between we just expect it to run,” said Anshu Prasad, the CEO at Leaf Logistics, a New York City startup that uses artificial intelligence and predictive analytics in transportation logistics to help clients find efficiencies.

Logistics professionals and consultants who keep a close watch on logistics in order to advise corporate clients say the pandemic has highlighted the fragility of the supply chain.

“We are just not ready for handling disruption and change the way we should be,” Prasad said.

“Almost everybody is having huge issues in transportation right now,” said Dr. Zach Zacharia, an associate professor of supply chain management and director of the Center for Supply Chain Research at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. “Everybody is having trouble getting supplies in, getting their product out.”

Zacharia said it may get worse before it gets better as companies prepare for the Christmas retail rush, which typically requires that goods from China, where so many consumer products are made, start being shipped in the summer so that they can be on store shelves in time for the holiday buying spree.

“What people forget is if you want something in December it’s got to leave China in June, July or whatever,” he said. “It takes that long to go through the entire system.”

The Lehigh CSCR in late June issued its supply chain risk management index for the third quarter of 2021, putting the average risk for July, August and September at 69.35. (Any number over 50 indicates increased risk; the maximum is 100.) The index is based on supply chain managers’ responses to a survey about 10 different factors that impact the chain — transportation, cybersecurity and data, government intervention, customer behavior and several others — and the transportation risk index for the quarter was set at 86, the highest of any single risk factor since the index was launched five quarters ago.

The labor link
In comments accompanying the report, survey respondents cited labor shortages and labor costs, raw materials prices, coronavirus outbreaks, trucking costs, greater demand, bottlenecked seaports and the possibility of increased taxes and government regulation as among their concerns related to the supply chain.

Compounding the gaps in transportation right now, for companies struggling to overcome supply-chain problems, is a shortage of workers.

“Labor has lots of options right now, and we’re seeing labor jump around,” said Steven Wybo, automotive practice leader at the consulting firm Conway MacKenzie, part of Riveron.

People at auto suppliers he works with tell him, “We can’t get parts and we can’t get people and we can’t get transportation,” said Wybo, who is based at Conway MacKenzie’s Birmingham, Michigan, office.

“All the manufacturing companies I talk to have 10-, 15-, 20-percent (work force) vacancy,” said Zacharia.

A labor shortage is also hurting the trucking industry, experts said, while the need for freight-hauling has increased due to the reopening of the economy and a surge in demand. “The truck drivers are not coming back into it because they can find better jobs,” Zacharia said.

Labor, however, doesn’t appear to be a problem now at the Port of Los Angeles, which handles about 20 percent of the cargo shipped into the U.S. and is the busiest container port in North America. Productivity is up 50 percent since before the pandemic, said Phillip Sanfield, the port’s director of media relations: POLA averages 15 ships per day at berth — that is, docked and being unloaded or loaded — compared to 10 per day before coronavirus, he said.

Shutdowns, shifting demand
But greater productivity can’t keep up with skyrocketing demand for goods shipped into the port, mostly from Asian countries. On June 29, according to the POLA online dashboard, there were seven ships at anchor, waiting for a berth; before the pandemic, Sanfield said, it was unusual for arriving ships to have to wait for a berth.

“We started to see ships at anchor last October as the American buying surge really kicked into gear,” Sanfield wrote in an email. There are other contributing factors, he said, but demand is the primary cause for the backups.

Manufacturing shutdowns during the early days of the pandemic meant inventories were drawn down, and when businesses reopened, consumer demand rebounded strongly.

“All that pent-up demand got released, and it got released far faster than most companies were expecting,” said Ara Surenian, senior director of product management at the Troy, Michigan, -based Plex Systems, which offers manufacturing, automation and supply-chain planning software and services.

The pandemic also abruptly changed some consumer habits, forcing some companies to quickly shift relationships with suppliers and markets in response to resulting supply-demand imbalances.

Leaf Logistics, for example, worked with a beverage company that saw demand from bars and restaurants plummet because of pandemic-related shutdowns, but then saw increased demand for packaged drinks from people who were consuming them at home, Prasad said. That required the company to buy more cans from its supplier, he said, meaning that sheet-metal deliveries, which had slowed in the automotive sector because of closed assembly plants, were moved toward can production.

The worldwide microchip shortage is probably the best-known example of the imbalance: At the beginning of the pandemic, demand from automakers weakened and chip-makers began shifting more of their output toward the consumer electronics, such as computers, televisions and gaming systems, that were in high demand. When vehicle assembly ramped back up, automakers suddenly needed more chips, but shortages have forced auto plants around the country to shut back down temporarily.

The average new vehicle contains about a thousand microchips, according to Wybo.

“Now consumer goods are going to get shorted,” said Mazair Adl, a co-founder of Gocious, a southern California startup that specializes in product planning. “There’s just not enough capacity for everyone.”

Chip prices are “going through the roof” and, pandemic-related problems aside, the demand for microchips worldwide is rising “almost exponentially,” Adl said.

Looking ahead
Adl said there is a serious push to increase chip-making capacity, and also to build more computer chip factories in the U.S. Currently, only about 12 percent of the world’s chip supply comes from U.S. factories, according to Business Insider.

But increasing production, Adl said, is a time-consuming, capital-intensive process, and the machines used to produce the chips are made in just a few countries and hard to come by.

“This is not something that’s just going to get fixed in the next six months,” he said.

More broadly, some experts foresee a coming readjustment of supply chains that could see companies establish and strengthen relationships with alternative suppliers, “reshore” or “near-shore” raw materials and parts sources closer to where they’re needed, and relax the just-in-time delivery philosophy, which often leaves manufacturers with few or no stocks of the materials they need to keep operating during supply-chain breaks.

“Instead of having five days of inventory on hand, have 10, have 15,” said Wybo, the Conway MacKenzie auto sector consultant. “I’m not saying we’re going to abandon lean at all, but plan and prepare.”

“The future of supply chain is going to be a mix of different approaches,” said Surenian.

Most of the professionals surveyed by Corp! expected to see kinks in the supply chain into early next year, or even later.

“You’re starting to see that things are slowly getting back to normal,” said Surenian. Lumber prices, which shot up in the spring only to start coming down more recently, are an indicator of that, he said.

“A lot of catch-up has to happen to get everybody back on track,” said John Ruther, managing director of the Grand Rapids, Michigan, office of the corporate consulting firm O’Keefe.

“It’s going to be through the first half of 2022, depending on the industry” before all issues are worked out, said Surenian. Ruther predicted an even longer supply-chain recovery — late 2022.

“The next quarter is going to be pretty dire,” said Zacharia, referring to the third quarter. “Hopefully, by the time we get to the end of the quarter we see some light at the end of the tunnel.”

Leading a Hybrid Team with Integrity and Authenticity: 7 Steps to Take Now

Though difficult to imagine now, after a year plus of sweatpants as our work-from-home uniform, we used to dress up for work – in suits and ties and dresses.

I once worked at a company that relaxed its dress code on Friday –– “Jeans Day,” they called it. But then nobody on the executive team wore jeans. I was one of the first ones to do so.

That example pales in comparison to the massive paradigm shifts we’ve seen in the pandemic era. But the principle is the same: The C-suite must model the behavior it expects from others in the organization.

Currently, we’re in a period of transition. Some of us want to go back to the office; plenty of others don’t. But most leaders now recognize, that a hybrid model is a must. Without embracing flexible work and the opportunities it presents, we won’t attract Gen Z talent, and we’ll stifle innovation.

That means leadership has to embrace the hybrid model, too. If a company’s executives are in the office five days a week, its culture hasn’t really changed.

Any transition of this magnitude, however, is a challenge for leaders. Although we learned a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re still figuring out what a hybrid team looks like. We’re wondering how to manage, nurture, and motivate them. There’s no manual for leadership in these times, but we can employ strategies that help our most precious resource –– our people –– start fresh after so much upheaval.

This is the power of the restart: an intentional milestone in your life or in your calendar; a blank page, a new attitude.

How many times have you tried to kick a bad habit (or start a new one) and decided to start on Monday, or the first of the month? In business, you might roll out changes in a new quarter. And of course, the ultimate restart is a new year. 

There is psychological power behind a restart. Economists Hengchen Dai and Katherine Milkman call it a “temporal landmark” –– the idea that initiating goals is particularly effective at the start of a new period of time.

As we return to the office (at least some of the time), we have a golden opportunity to restart. We can break the mold of corporate leadership that has been holding us back for decades. Now is the time to lead with authenticity and heart. We can use this period of transition to create a high-performance team, galvanized by a purpose-driven culture.

These seven strategies will help you establish a foundation for that team and navigate this transition in a way that will make everybody feel good, confident, trusted, and inspired.

1. Connect IRL (in real life) –– and intentionally

It was one of the most difficult things about the pandemic: the lack of face-to-face connection. We crave it. As human beings, we need it. We’ve missed conversations between meetings, hellos in the hallway, and water cooler chats.

Now, we have to be more intentional about our interactions.

Over the course of my career, the immediate reaction by leadership to team-building activities was: What’s the bottom line? But the bottom line is much more than just numbers now. It’s just as important to invest in the people at the heart of your business.

Many of us are managing a hybrid workforce. You may have new members on your team who have never even met their colleagues offscreen. I recommend hosting in-person events with an agenda centered on forging (or reestablishing) interpersonal connections.

Ask your team to come prepared with one or two things they learned during the pandemic (sourdough bread, anyone?) Encourage them to share pictures.

2. Air it out

We’ve been through a lot throughout the last 18 months. We’re still worried about what the “new normal” looks like. Perhaps some of the people you work with harbor resentments or frustrations with each other which may have festered during the time away from the office.

We don’t need to bring this baggage with us into the future. Instead, do an exercise I call “getting it off our chests.”

Write down the ideas, problems and/or errors, and categorize them into groups. Some items might be action items, others not. But it’s crucial to give your people dedicated time and a safe space to work through whatever might be holding them back, so they can focus on what’s ahead.

3. Keep what works

Now, let’s look on the bright side: What do we love about the way we’re working right now or the way we worked during the pandemic?

There were definitely some distinct upsides: We learned how to do things faster. Countless executives told me they couldn’t believe how quickly projects were approved and executed.

Most of us enjoyed the flexibility of working from home. I’ve also heard people talk about how 2020 humanized their senior-level leaders, who stripped off the corporate mask and dealt with their children or pets video-bombing their Zoom meetings. They seemed more authentic, more approachable, more relatable. And that in itself builds trust.

Ask your team what they appreciated or enjoyed while working remotely, and retain those things in your culture. They might be business processes or behaviors. Remember: Google’s corporate-culture study Project Aristotle shows psychological safety is the number one trait of a high-performance team, so it’s important everyone feels heard and seen.

4. Embrace your strengths

I’m not good with numbers; I never have been. I just like to know the total at the bottom of the spreadsheet and how it came to be. But I do know how to weave that black-and-white data into a story and a strategy and a decision. My time is better spent doing that kind of work, not struggling with calculations.

Most of us recognize our weaknesses at a gut level. But not everyone is confident claiming (and thus able to cultivate) the things they do best.

Here’s a simple but powerful exercise to do with your teams:

Split into small groups of three or four people. Everyone should write down, and then share, one professional strength (like technical skills or subject-matter expertise) as well as one behavioral strength they admire about each other. The latter could be something like: I love the way you show empathy with your team, or I admire your transparency; you always put issues right out on the table.

It works because, we usually don’t praise our teammates this way. Often, the exercise can be quite emotional, too. Participants say: I didn’t realize that you thought that about me, or even I didn’t see that as a strength.

A great organization understands, reinforces, and celebrates the strengths of its people. And its leaders ensure everyone’s duties make the most of those strengths. It’s what I call the “team multiplier effect.” 

5. Recharge your ‘trust battery’

Trust is difficult to define. It’s ephemeral, a feeling. We know it when we sense it. When we don’t have data to judge someone we just met, we have to go with our perceptions –– which, of course, we humans have honed over millennia. We want and need to feel safe.

As business leaders, we absolutely must earn the trust of our teams. If we don’t have it, communication is difficult and sometimes painful. We’re compelled to copy a dozen colleagues in an email. Every interaction feels sticky and fraught with obstacles.

We all know how to read the battery icon on our phones and laptops. It’s a good way to think about the relative level of trust you’ve built among everyone you work with.

Charging that trust battery takes effort –– and every bit is worthwhile. When we trust each other, communication is effortless.

How can we charge the trust battery when it’s low –– or depleted?

Listen to your teams with an open mind and an open heart. Strive to understand their concerns and take action to rebuild that bond.

It won’t happen overnight, though. Specific, intentional steps are the only way to recharge that battery.

6. Build on your best behavior

In team meetings, leaders tend to talk about objectives and deliverables –– and praise those who produce them. But we should focus just as much on building behavioral strengths. Behavior is where culture happens.

Engage your teams with these questions: How do you want to be known? What is your team brand? How will you make decisions? How do you handle conflict? How can you hold each other accountable? How do you define success? How will you celebrate it?

As you work through these prompts and plan your approach for leveraging the very best qualities of the individuals in your organization, you’ll create a blueprint for a high-performance team.

7. Keep it going

The final step of this process –– which never really ends –– is to develop a cadence for accountability and a framework for a cycle of continuous improvement.

The key is to keep it positive and motivational. Think check-ins, not reports, that follow up on ideas that arise from these exercises.

For example: If you build a team brand around the strengths of its members, how should people reinforce the brand in situations where they’re an ambassador of your organization? What happens when somebody does something out of line with your brand? You should have that discussion up front, in a positive environment, so everyone is committed to your mutually agreed-upon values.

Seize the day (and the opportunity to restart)

As leaders, we tend to thinkour policies and procedures are the reason why things get done. But to me, culture is how things really get done. And leaders are the ones who establish culture and inspire their workforce to embody the values of an organization.

Now is the time to harness the power of the restart –– the “temporal landmark” of our post-pandemic season. We help people put their missteps in the past and elevate their confidence.

Every day is an opportunity for a restart. But this one is special. Let’s make the most of it –– together.

Jan Griffiths is the president and founder of Gravitas Detroit, which provides workshops, keynotes, the Accountability Lab, and the Finding Gravitas podcast to accelerate high performance through authentic leadership. A veteran executive in the automotive industry, Jan previously served as chief procurement officer for a $3 billion, tier-one global automotive supplier. As podcast host of Finding Gravitas, Jan explores what made these authentic leaders who they are today, understand what they consider to be their Gravitas, and what they do every day to practice great leadership

Greenleaf Trust announces CFP® Certification

Greenleaf Trust’s Senior Wealth Management Associate Brian Farrell, CFP® has been authorized by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) to use the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP® certification marks in accordance with CFP Board certification and renewal requirements.

Buddy’s Pizza, Detroit-Style Pizzerias Nationwide Raise More Than $10K For Nonprofits

Detroit   To celebrate its 75th anniversary and the first annual National Detroit-Style Pizza Day on June 23, Buddy’s Pizza, creator of the Original Detroit-Style Pizza and founder of the national day, partnered with pizzerias around the U.S. to give back to their communities.

\Each Detroit-Style pizzeria from around the country donated a portion of sales on June 23 to a local organization whose mission is to fight hunger and/or homelessness.

“Not only did we want to celebrate National Detroit-Style Pizza Day and raise awareness about a pizza style that’s changing the industry and growing in popularity nationwide, but we also wanted to ban together and give back to nonprofits that were greatly impacted by the pandemic,” said Wes Pikula, chief brand officer of Buddy’s Pizza. “Supporting the community is a core value for Buddy’s, and we’re thrilled to have partnered with great companies from all over the U.S. who share our mission.”

To make it an official Michigan observance, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recognized Buddy’s for their contribution to the community over the last 75 years with an official proclamation for National Detroit-Style Pizza Day.

In total, the group raised just over $10,500 that will be donated to nonprofits local to and chosen by the pizzerias.

On June 23, the following donations were made to benefiting nonprofits listed below by the participating pizzerias:

June 23 is also known as Buddy’s Pizza Day in Detroit, which was recognized by former Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and Detroit City Council to credit Buddy’s Pizza for putting Detroit on the map and showcasing the city’s innovation. The new national day allows Detroit-Style pizzerias around the nation to honor the history, style and roots of where it began, all for a good cause.

Buddy’s Pizza opened in 1946 at the corner of Six Mile and Conant in Detroit, previously a speakeasy called Buddy’s Rendezvous. Using a bit of ingenuity and square blue steel pans intended to hold nuts and bolts at local automotive plants, Gus Guerra, along with friend and employee Concetta “Connie” Piccinato, created the first Detroit-Style Pizza – a square-shaped pie that was the first of its kind in a world of round pizza.

CAPS Remodeling $10K Challenge Grant leads to $105,000 raised for nonprofit Grace Centers of Hope

Grace Centers of Hope has raised over $105,000 in individual and corporate donations, far exceeding a $10,000 matching grant fundraising challenge that was made by Madison Heights-based CAPS Remodeling in May. The funds will support GCH’s homeless and life skills programs for adults and families.

Chilly Tails Frozen Treats for Dogs Now Available at Woodward Corner Market by Meijer in Royal Oak and Detroit K-9 Pet Supplies on Cass

Chilly Tails Frozen Treats are non-GMO ice cream products for dogs made from all-natural ingredients by Detroit-based PawStroll. Detroit K-9 Pet Supplies on Cass is the first retail outlet within the city of Detroit to carry Chilly Tails Frozen Treats. More info at www.pawstroll.com.

“Phil the Air with Music” pops up across the community

For the second summer in a row the Michigan Philharmonic is performing throughout the community with “pop up” concerts at local businesses, senior centers, and community libraries. “Phil the Air With Music” is again being sponsored by the Michigan First Mortgage company.

Madison Heights opens Priority Health Fitness Court at Huffman Park for public use

Madison Heights, Priority Health and the National Fitness Campaign are pleased to announce the launch of an outdoor Fitness Court at the city’s Huffman Park. The new Court is an open-air wellness center that allows the public to leverage their own body weight to get a complete workout.

United Unveils Campaign Featuring Team USA Olympic and Paralympic Athletes

Boom Supersonic's aircraft will cut travel times in half and operate on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel.

CHICAGO (PRNewswire) — United, the official airline sponsor of Team USA, debuted its new advertising campaign featuring five of the world’s most accomplished and decorated Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

Driven by the tagline “Time to Let Yourself Fly,” the campaign highlights Team USA’s return to the Games and honors the feeling many Americans have as they consider returning to travel. Customers traveling with United this summer will experience touches of the Team USA collaboration through signage displayed throughout United terminals and limited-edition amenity kits and pajamas available on select flights.

Selected for their shared values of ambition, excellence, diversity and unity on a global stage, Team United is comprised of the following athletes:

  • Simone Biles – Gymnast from Houston, Texas, and the world’s most decorated female gymnast in history
  • Kolohe Andino – Surfer from San Clemente, California, who holds the record for most championship titles in U.S. surfing history
  • Julie Ertz – Soccer Defender from Mesa, Arizona, and two-time World Cup champion
  • Jessica Long – Swimmer from Baltimore, Maryland, and 23-time Paralympic medalist
  • Oz Sanchez – Hand Cyclist from San Diego, California, and six-time Paralympic medalist

“The upcoming Olympic and Paralympic games mark the 40th year we’ve supported Team USA on their journey from practice to the podium,” said Janet Lamkin, senior vice president of market and community innovation at United. “Like the athletes we’ve flown over the years to compete on a global stage, United is an airline committed to doing the hard work to be the best and engage deeply in the communities we serve.”

For the last four decades, United has proudly sponsored Team USA Olympic and Paralympic athletes as part of its long-standing relationship with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. As the official airline sponsor of Team USA, United flies athletes along with their equipment and gear, and maintains reservations agents dedicated to Team USA’s travel needs.

Leading up to and throughout the Tokyo Games, United will also encourage fans to “let yourself fly” with United through airport and onboard marketing activations. Campaign visuals will be displayed on signage throughout United’s airports. Customers flying in premium cabins this summer will receive limited-edition Team USA-themed amenity kits and on select international flights, customers in United Polaris® business class will dream like an Olympian in Team USA-themed pajamas. To keep up with Team United’s travel journeys to Tokyo this summer, follow @United on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

U.S. Bank Acquires PFM’s Asset Management Business

MINNEAPOLIS (BUSINESS WIRE) — U.S. Bank has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase PFM Asset Management LLC under its subsidiary, U.S. Bancorp Asset Management. 

PFM Asset Management will continue to operate as a separate entity. PFM Asset Management and U.S. Bancorp Asset Management had combined assets under management and assets under administration of more than $325 billion on March 31, 2021.

“PFM Asset Management brings a wide array of client relationships and product offerings, including local government investment pools, outsourced chief investment officer services and separately managed accounts in both fixed income and multi-asset class strategies,” said Eric Thole, head of U.S. Bancorp Asset Management. “These services complement U.S. Bank’s current book of business, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to increase our presence nationally and solidify U.S. Bank’s position as a leading provider of investment solutions.

“PFM Asset Management has a great reputation in the public space, and that’s a testament to its talent,” Thole added. “U.S. Bank is known for working with clients one-on-one to understand their unique needs and delivering customized, proactive solutions to help them meet their objectives. We’re excited to put the variety of resources offered by U.S. Bank to work for our new colleagues and clients.”

Marty Margolis, head of PFM Asset Management, said, “This sale combines the resources of two organizations who recognize the importance of providing clients with exemplary customer service; our commitment to clients will remain a priority throughout the transition. We’re also very pleased that U.S. Bank aligns with our fundamental belief in creating a diverse, inclusive and ethical culture.”

PFM’s financial advisory business is not part of this acquisition and will continue to operate independently as the nation’s leading independent financial advisor in terms of transactions and par amount. For the year ended Dec. 31, 2020, PFM advised on 995 overall transactions totaling more than $69.7 billion in par amount, according to Ipreo.

“PFM will continue to provide outstanding financial advisory and consulting services to state and local governments and the non-profit sector,” said Dan Hartman, who currently leads PFM’s financial advisory practice and will lead PFM as its president and CEO after closing.

U.S. Bancorp Asset Management is part of U.S. Bank’s Wealth Management and Investment Services division, which has more than $8.6 trillion in assets under custody and administration and $244 billion in assets under management, globally. In addition to offering asset management products and services, it also offers global corporate trust and custody services, alternative investment, fund custody and administration services, and wealth management services.

The deal was signed on July 7, 2021 and is expected to close in fourth quarter 2021, subject to regulatory approval and satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Piper Sandler & Co. served as strategic and financial advisor, and Dechert LLP served as legal counsel to PFM. McCarter & English served as legal counsel to PFM’s financial advisory business. Jones Day served as legal counsel to U.S. Bank.

Pepsi Foundation, National Urban League Unveil First Grantees Of $10 Million Black Restaurant Accelerator Program

PURCHASE, N.Y. (PRNewswire) — The PepsiCo Foundation and the National Urban League announced the first grant recipients of their Black Restaurant Accelerator Program, a joint $10 million initiative that will provide 500 Black restaurant owners in 12 cities over the next five years with capital, technical assistance, and mentorship services.

As the United States begins to reopen, this program is providing critical support to Black restaurateurs who were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

Officials said the announcement “recognizes the vital contributions” of Black-owned restaurants to the fabric of American culture, as well as the need to preserve these institutions. The program provides a tangible pathway towards substantive pandemic recovery and lasting economic equity. The first grantees include:

  • Victoria’s Kitchen & Catering Soul Food Restaurant in Philadelphia, PA
  • Takoma Station Tavern and Wingery in Washington, D.C.,
  • Beaucoup Eats, Taste & See and Addis NOLA in New Orleans, LA,
  • Odom’s Kitchen Catering in Baton Rouge, LA,
  • Local Green Atlanta and Slutty Vegan in Atlanta, GA,
  • Taste-T-Love Baby Food, Rich Taste Catering Service and De’Lish LLC in Dayton, OH,
  • Southern Grace Cincy Catering LLC in Cincinnati, OH, and
  • Chef’s of the Streets in Laurel, MD.

“As the pandemic exposed existing disparities many minority business owners face, we saw a fundamental threat that could erase the decades of progress Black-owned restaurants have made. This investment will help Black restaurateurs not only recover from the pandemic but set them on a path to long-term economic resilience,” said C.D. Glin, Vice President, Global Head of Philanthropy at The PepsiCo Foundation. “We are inspired by the progress we are making through our collaboration with the National Urban League to address a fundamental gap and create opportunities for Black-business owners to build generational wealth and continue to strengthen their communities.”

Black business owners have been particularly vulnerable since the pandemic, as 41% of Black-owned businesses have shuttered since February 2020 compared to just 17% of white-owned businesses.

Many Black-owned restaurants have had to adapt to meet the challenges brought by the pandemic – from trimming staff to creating an online presence with little to no guidance, navigating the intricacies of third-party delivery apps, allocating funds to set up outdoor dining services, and more. Through the grant funding from The PepsiCo Foundation and the National Urban League, as the country fully reopens, grantees of the Black Restaurant Accelerator will now have access to critical funding and tools these restaurateurs need to compete and thrive. These tools and mentorship services include back office and accounting systems support, inventory management, and marketing support to attract more patrons.

“Black businesses and consumers are among the key contributors to the economic strength of our nation, and they deserve equal recognition and support for the vital role they play in our communities,” said Marc H. Morial, President & CEO of the National Urban League. “We are proud to partner with The PepsiCo Foundation on a matter of crucial importance that helps business owners and addresses one of the critical economic disparities impacting Black communities.”

Born out of the culinary contributions and traditions of Black people, Black owned restaurants provide more than just food – they create jobs, serve as safe spaces in the community and celebrate Black culture. Black-owned businesses also help Black families build legacies and are key to closing the United States’ Black–white wealth gap, which is projected to cost the economy $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion per year by 2028.

As one of the world’s leading food and beverage companies, PepsiCo recognizes the importance of combatting deep-rooted inequity and creating long-term economic opportunity for Black communities. This program is an important step along PepsiCo’s Racial Equality Journey, a more than $500 million commitment over the next five years to support Black and Hispanic people, businesses and communities in the U.S. to address issues of inequality and create opportunity.

SBA Connecting Technology Innovators, Entrepreneurs with Research Funding

WASHINGTON (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The U.S. Small Business Administration will host 2021 National SBIR Week July 19-23 for small business innovators.

The virtual event will connect entrepreneurs working on advanced technology to the country’s largest source of early-stage funding – the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman will provide welcome remarks on July 19.

“The $4 billion in federal non-dilutive funding offered through SBA’s SBIR/STTR programs is often a critical milestone in moving an entrepreneur’s research idea from concept to commercial product/services. This national conference will enable entrepreneurs across the country to engage virtually with the federal program managers that oversee more than 7,000 awards annually,” said John Williams, Director of Innovation and Technology. “SBA is committed to making sure innovators – particularly women, minorities, and those located in states with less access to federal or private funding to advance their ideas – are aware of the SBIR and STTR programs and gain a higher percentage of that funding moving forward.”

The SBA is committed to building an inclusive innovation ecosystem to ensure that entrepreneurs from historically underrepresented communities can fully participate in next-generation research and development. SBIR Week will feature complimentary events from organizations involved in supporting entrepreneurs across the country including, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC).

The MBDA InVision Tour will take place on July 21. The InVision Tour is designed to empower minority entrepreneurs to bring new technologies to the commercial marketplace. Throughout the entire week, program managers from the participating federal agencies will conduct virtual one-on-one meetings with small businesses, take part in live targeted panels, discuss technology areas, and share insights into how the agencies make funding decisions.

Small technology firms, innovators, scientists, or researchers seeking more information, including the event schedule and participating agencies, should visit https://www.sbirroadtour.com/.

New Unemployment Claims Up, Overall Claims Falling as U.S. Creates 692,000 Jobs in July

Statistics released Thursday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show states reported some 373,000 workers filed for new unemployment benefits last week.

That’s an increase of 2,000 from the previous week. Despite the new claims, the total number of workers continuing to claim state unemployment benefits dropped to 3.3 million.

The U.S. Department of Labor last week announced private sector employment rose by 692,000 jobs from May to June. Job openings held at a record 9.2 million in May, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Some 14 million people overall are receiving some type of unemployment aid. That includes about 10.7 million people enrolled in emergency programs such as the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program for gig workers and the self-employed and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, which offers an additional 24 weeks of benefits.

Both programs are slated to be eliminated by half the states by the end of July, part of a phase-out of enhanced unemployment benefits that will cut the total number of claimants down considerably in the weeks ahead.

Biden Touts Federal Spending to Boost Jobs, Economy in Chicago Suburbs

Chicago — In his first visit to an Illinois county won by former GOP President Donald Trump in 2020, Democratic President Joe Biden on Wednesday made the case for his nearly $600 billion infrastructure plan and another expensive proposal in Congress to expand education, childcare tax credits and other assistance to workers and families as a way to boost the economy and create jobs.

During his speech, the president likened the plan to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs during the Great Depression.

“Folks, I laid a lot of plans here,” the president said. “But that’s because it’s time we have to think bigger. We have to act boldly, we have to build back better.”

After greeting Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, Biden stumped at McHenry County College, a community college in Crystal Lake, Ill., for his American Jobs Plan and the 10-year, $1.8 trillion American Families Plan — two massive federal spending proposals meant to stimulate the economy by putting people to work on infrastructure projects across the country, providing free community college tuition to millions of Americans and expanding tax credits for workers and families, according to the White House.

The American Families Plan extends much of the relief through a variety of tax credits offered to families by a previous federal pandemic aid program approved by Congress, according to an analysis by the Brookings Institution, a liberal think tank in Washington, D.C.

Biden beat the drums for his proposals to invest more than $3 trillion in spending and tax credits over 10 years.The plans include incentives to help shift the economy away from greenhouse gasses and speed up the transition to clean energy at a time when climate change is fueling more intense and frequent wildfires and more severe and prolonged droughts in western states, and more frequent flooding in the Midwest.

“We can’t wait any longer to deal with the climate crisis,” Biden said Wednesday. “We see it with our own eyes.”

Undergirding much of the president’s infrastructure plan are efforts to build an economy that relies more heavily on clean and renewable energy. That includes building more electric vehicle charging stations across the country, carbon emissions reductions by capping tens of thousands of abandoned oil wells across the Southwest and building more energy-efficient homes and public light fixtures nationwide. 

The plan includes investing $174 billion in consumer rebates for electric vehicles purchases, and grants and other financial incentives to build 500,000 new charging stations, according to an analysis of the infrastructure plan from the Committee for a Responsible Budget, a nonpartisan nonprofit think tank based in Washington D.C.

The plan also includes roughly $400 billion in clean energy tax credits and a hefty list of other infrastructure and jobforce investments.

Biden suggested paying for the spending plan in part by raising taxes on major Fortune 500 companies and closing loopholes on capital gains taxes. The president said that could also help pay for expanding childcare tax credits, which would help cut worker absenteeism and increase productivity, he argued.

“The last couple years, for example, 55 of the Fortune 500 companies making billions of dollars did not pay a single penny in taxes. Not one single cent. I don’t want to punish anybody, but everybody — and I hope someday my grandchildren grow up to be billionaires, that’d be wonderful, especially for a guy who for 36 years was listed as the poorest man in the United States Congress — but having said that, all kidding aside, everybody has to pay their fair share. I’m not trying to gouge anybody.

“If we put in place a minimum 15 percent tax on the profits of corporations, the ones that didn’t pay any taxes, that would raise a quarter of a trillion dollars, $240 billion. There’s a loophole in the system called Stepped-Up Basis — and the loophole goes, if I made a capital gain and I was a wealthy person and I was gonna cash in my stock … if on the way to cash it in and I get hit by a truck, God forbid, and die, and I left (that) to my daughter — there’d be no tax paid. We close that loophole, that saves us $400 billion over this period, which is enough to pay for the childcare tax credit.”

Biden also proposed raising $90 billion by ending “tax breaks for fossil fuels,” ensuring that “polluters clean up the messes they made” and by elminiting Trump’s 2017 income tax cuts, restoring them to former GOP President George W. Bush levels.

Biden said that would generate about $13 billion a year alone.

“We’re going to reimagine what our economy and our future could be and show the world, just as important we’ll show ourselves, that Democracy can deliver — (that) the people of Illinois, the people of America and the world can lead again.”

Vincent to join Detroit Regional Chamber’s board of directors

Thomas P. Vincent, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Plunkett Cooney, was recently elected to serve as a member of the Detroit Regional Chamber’s board of directors. His one-year term is set to begin on July 1.

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