Southside : Innovation & Job News

After 32 years in business, Ayers Basement Systems has no plans of slowing down. The Lansing-based company provides basement waterproofing and foundation/crawl repair services not only to the Greater Lansing area, but throughout the lower peninsula.
 
"We've been in growth mode for the past 4 years," reports Marketing Manager, Cathy Burke. Ayers currently has a staff of 41 and is in the process of hiring management level and sales representative staff.
 
Ayers is part of a network of more than 300 basement systems dealers throughout North America, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. No strangers to innovation, Basement Systems, Inc. has been awarded 28 patents and 19 innovation prizes on waterproofing products, including a battery back-up sump pump system. "That's innovation Ayers is bringing to the Lansing area every day," Burke says.
 
Spending the past 31 years in the Greater Lansing area has been good to the company, allowing them to cultivate a new, alternative energy branch of the company, Dr. Energy Saver. 
 
Source: Cathy Burke, Ayers Basement Systems    
Writer: Veronica Gracia-Wing, Innovation News
 
Have an innovation news story? Send Veronica an email here.

Built upon the expertise of the professionals at Ayers Basement Systems, is the home energy efficiency company, Dr. Energy Saver of Lansing. Established in 2009, the home energy audit network strives to help make homes comfortable, energy efficient, and affordable for Lansing residents.
 
Fully experiencing the growing green movement, Dr. Energy Saver of Lansing is riding a growth wave. "Dr. Energy Saver currently employs 25 staff members," says Marketing Manager, Cathy Burke. "At this time last year, we had a staff of 13." The growth doesn't stop there: Burke says the company anticipates building the staff to 35 by the end of 2013.
 
Dr. Energy Saver technicians are thoroughly trained, certified, and updated at the National Energy Conservation Center. Local partnerships are important, too, explains Burke. "We have a great relationship with the Alternative Energy program at LCC," she explains. "In fact, we've hired 20 people to date that have graduated from the program."
 
The company works closely with DTE, Consumers Energy, and the BetterBuildings for Michigan program, all helping to bring home energy efficiency and savings to Lansing area customers. 
 
Source: Cathy Burke, Dr. Energy Saver of Lansing   
Writer: Veronica Gracia-Wing, Innovation News
 
Have an innovation news story? Send Veronica an email here.

Students at Learn Live Lead Entrepreneurial Academy (L3) can now add money management skills to their young resumes. In an exciting partnership between the Lansing Academy and the PNC School Bank Program, L3 students are getting hands-on banking experience with the grand opening of an in-school bank.
 
"L3's cutting edge approach to education offers a perfect fit for the PNC School Bank Program, which has several features aimed at developing good savings habits and money management skills," explains PNC Retail Market Executive, Jim Paul. The program is part of PNC's Grow Up Great initiative, which has served more than 1.5 million at-risk children nationally.
 
The bank will open twice a month during the school year. Five L3 students will staff the branch during lunch periods, opening bank accounts and taking deposits. The program provides an opportunity for students to establish their first bank accounts, as well as improve their math skills as they track their savings and calculate interest earned.  
 
"PNC offers leadership, advocacy, funding, volunteers and educational resources because we believe that an investment in our children now makes good economic sense and plants the seeds for the dynamic workforce of tomorrow," says Paul.
 
Source: Jim Paul, PNC  
Writer: Veronica Gracia-Wing, Innovation News.
 
Have an innovation news story? Send Veronica an email here.

On January 3, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that it has awarded Lansing's MBI International and Novozymes up to $2.5 million to develop new enzyme-based technologies to convert corn stover into sugars for subsequent conversion into biofuels.
 
"This award marks a significant milestone in MBI’s efforts to develop and commercialize our novel AFEX™ technology," says Allen Julian, MBI Chief Business Officer. "The collaborative effort with Novozymes made possible by this award will enable us to progress the technology needed to make efficient, economical cellulosic sugars available to biofuels and biochemical companies that are looking for non-food competing sugar sources."
 
The award will be used to further fund research and development needed to optimize the enzymes needed to extract fermentable sugars from AFEX™ treated biomass. Creating enzymes that are specifically engineered to work with AFEX™ treated biomass will reduce the cost of cellulosic sugars.
 
Julian explains the relationship between Novozymes and MBI: "There are two key challenges in converting agricultural biomass into bio-based fuels, chemicals, and other products: finding an economical way to handle, store and haul low density biomass from the farms where it is produced to biorefineries where it can be converted into useful products; the second involves technologies to efficiently break the biomass down into fermentable sugars. MBI’s AFEX™ technology addresses these challenges by providing a very effective and economical means to convert raw biomass into a stable, dense, pellet that can be produced close to the source of the biomass and readily shipped, using existing infrastructure, to biorefineries. Novozymes brings world-class enzyme development capability to the collaboration, enabling the development of an enzyme system specifically engineered to work with AFEX™ treated biomass to extract the maximum possible sugars at the lowest possible cost."

2012 was a year of growth and fine-tuning for the Center for Business Innovation (CBI). The technology service provider, headquartered in Lansing, experienced growth in their Cloud Computing and Managed Services offerings, as well as their Enterprise Wireless services. Because of this, CBI is continually expanding their storage and resources for their datacenter. 2013 is shaping up to be just as successful.
 
“One of our main goals this year is to continue focusing on mobility,” explains Marketing Coordinator, Katie Martz, “especially as tablets, mobile phones, laptops and other mobile devices are finding their way into organizations.” Another 2013 focus for the company is to continue educational events. “The technology world is quickly and forever changing. Our educational events are designed to keep our partners updated on the latest trends. Our partners can also learn of new ways technology can be implemented within their own organization,” says Martz.

The Lansing and corporate locations currently staff 46, and hired approximately 10 new staff members throughout 2012. CBI plans to hire an additional five to ten positions by the end of the 2013 as they expand their product and service offerings. The expanding CBI team will look at their partner organizations as a whole, beginning with building a relationship, understanding their everyday work styles and identifying their goals, in addition to looking for new ways to help optimize business operations through the use of technology.

With a recent expansion to Warren and their eyes set on a new facility in Grand Rapids, DRM Genesis Home Healthcare Providers is poised for significant growth locally and across the state. Policy manager and academic advisor, Katreva Bisbee explains DRM’s purview: “We specialize in traumatic brain/spinal cord injury and Alzheimer’s/dementia care, and provide a variety of service that include In home services, wound care, skilled nursing and non-skilled duties, case management; as well as managing an educational training component – DRM International Learning Center.”
 
It was the learning center that actually inspired the home care agency. Re’Shane Lonzo started the International Learning Center in 1997 as a mentoring center for at-risk teens. A variety of life experiences compelled Re’Shane to found DRM Genesis several years later and the company has not stopped growing since. DRM currently has 55 employees, hiring 25 in just the past year and plans to hire at least 20 in the upcoming year.
 
Of the Lansing community, Bisbee says, “DRM Genesis has established and maintained various partnerships thorough out the Lansing area. Partnerships range from small facilities, to individual private homes to large hospitals. These relationships have resulted service referrals and contracts, business recognition for a quality service, and many other accolades. DRM Genesis thanks all of our partners that work with and support us.”

2012 was a busy and productive year for Dewpoint, and 2013 promises to be even busier for this Lansing-based IT consulting and integration firm. Specializing in developing short- and long-term strategic technology plans, Dewpoint services many industries, including government, healthcare, financial services, biotechnology, manufacturing, and insurance.
 
“Dewpoint was founded in Lansing;” says Director of Marketing Communication, Kristine Buyers, “we are glad to be able to continue to support the growth of our community.”  She adds, “Lansing’s centralized geography and strong blend of commercial, education and government organizations make it an excellent location for our headquarters. Dewpoint’s team of experts averages 10-15 years of experience, and Lansing provides a large pool of talented people. We enjoy being part of this vibrant IT community.” 
 
Hiring 15 new staff members in just the past year, the company anticipates increasing their 65-person team by 25 new hires in 2013. Of other company goals, Buyers says, “We’re planning for continued development of both our Government Solutions and Commercial Solutions groups. Our additional staff will be supporting new and expanding projects. We are also launching a proprietary Total Cost of Ownership analysis tool to help organizations better optimize their entire database environment.” Dewpoint also looks forward to a brand refresh in 2013. 

2012 has been a busy year for Granger Construction. The Lansing-headquartered company, founded in 1959, went through a re-branding process to solidify what innovation they can bring to their customers.
 
“Our new slogan is 'Advance the Art of Building',” says Human Resources Specialist, Emily White, “and we do this by providing customized solutions to our customers and partners, by utilizing building information technology, LEAN and green building techniques, and through consistent and effective communication.”
 
Granger has around 130 employees, from construction foremen, to CEO Glenn D. Granger, and employs between 100 and 125 (both Granger employees and union workers) in the field. In the past year, they have hired 16 new employees and 11 interns. 3 positions have been filled just since May; a preconstruction professional, project engineer, and marketing and communications assistant. Additionally, they are currently hiring for a full-time commercial construction driver/yard assistant.
 
Company goals are to continue to be a solution-focused partner and to use state-of-the-art technology and techniques to maximize customer return on investment. Granger plans to continue to hire additional employees as workloads increase and projects are won.
 
Of Lansing, White says, “Lansing is our hometown. We have been in business here for over fifty years! Our employees live, work and play in this area and in the great state of Michigan. Most of our work is done right here in Michigan. We value our customer relationships whether they are in energy, data centers, universities, k-12 buildings or hospitals.”

Offering 200 hours of programming for Lansing area youth from low-income and under-represented backgrounds, GET City students experience year-round science and engineering of energy sustainability at a hands-on level, using advanced information technology to make an impact in their community.
 
The result of collaboration between Michigan State University’s colleges of education and engineering and the Boys & Girls Club of Lansing, Green Energy Technology (GET) in the City began in 2007, with the help of a National Science Foundation grant. Since, GET City youth have been challenged with various energy projects, understanding how they can change their carbon footprint in their communities, and how they can get others to help create change.
 
“Some of our past participants provided our Boys & Girls Club facility with an energy audit, and staff has actually implemented their plan,” offers Boys & Girls Club President, Carmen Turner. “These children walk with their heads held high; they feel they have a voice, that they’re actually listened to.”
 
The Afterschool Alliance and MetLife Foundation honored GET City in mid-October with a 2012 Afterschool Innovator Award for youth development in science, technology, engineering, math, and information technologies. One of only five afterschool programs in the country to receive the recognition, a check for $10,000 was awarded to help expand GET City’s work.
 
“I love being able to open children’s eyes to all the different aspects of engineering, to open up a whole new world of possibilities and to watch as kids investigate their interests; this award helps to ensure we can continue to provide that experience,” says Turner. 

When we last visited IDV Solutions, they had just announced a major partnership with Microsoft. The Lansing-based data visualization company continues to appeal to industry top dogs, recently signing with Yahoo!, Launching new versions of their flagship data visualization software, Visual Fusion, and updating their signature Visual Command Center product, - all this no doubt, helping to spur growth.
 
Director of Marketing, George Siegle says, “From a business perspective, we’ll be working hard to ensure that we continue to grow profitably. More and more organizations are embracing the data they already have. And Visual Fusion can help them analyze, understand, and take action on all their big data challenges. We’ll be evolving Visual Fusion to deliver on our customer’s expectations for the product – as a market leader for data visualization.”
 
In response to the growth, IDV is looking to fill several software development and internship positions. Newly hired Executive Vice President of Global Sales, Scott Sieracki, will lead the company to more growth, which includes growth in partnerships and sales team. While they don’t have a set goal of new hires, Siegle explains that IDV will definitely try to land candidates they like on the team.
 
About finding developers, Siegle says, “It’s turning out to be a bit challenging to find developers right now. Information Technology is definitely a bright spot for Lansing – between the web companies, other software development firms, and our insurance companies – Lansing has a big base of IT, but the flip side of that is that many of them are hiring too, and it’s very competitive to find developers.”

South Lansing’s new Chick’n & Fix’ns isn’t your ordinary fast casual restaurant. Bob Hoffman, who owns Chick’n & Fix’ns with partner Kenny Schmidt, describes the restaurant as a setup that is similar to Panera Bread and a service style comparable to Chipotle – but with food like no where else.
 
“This is the filet mignon of the chicken,” says Hoffman. “It’s very different than what other people call chicken tenders.”
 
This high quality cut of chicken is then used with Schmidt’s special homemade recipes around which the restaurant was created. A culinary school graduate, Schmidt’s recipes include house and southern recipe chicken fingers, hand-made sides such as garlic smashed potatoes, mac and cheese, sweet potato fries and more.
 
“We also have a pulled chicken sandwich with spicy barbeque,” says Hoffman. “It’s a sandwich that goes at least to your wrists, if not to your elbows.”
 
The 2,100-square foot location on Cedar Street near Edgewood Boulevard in Lansing seats 56 diners and employs 27 workers.
 
Hoffman, who grew up in Holt and also owns a sports bar in Adrian, brought his Chick’n & Fix’ns concept back to his old stomping ground after a corporate restaurant career in Atlanta. 
 
“The south side of Lansing had no fast casual concepts,” he says. “We felt it was a good place to have one.”

Lansing’s Potter Park Zoo had been without black rhinos for three years. When their older rhinos passed away, the Zoo decided to take the opportunity to renovate the rhino exhibit. Though the $1.5 million renovation brought much-needed space and amenities to the area, visitors and zoo staff alike were more than ready to have rhinos back in the exhibit by the time they arrived in June.
 
“It’s great to have them here,” says Payal Ravani, Marketing Coordinator for Potter Park Zoo. “They are definitely a favorite among visitors here, and the exhibit allows people to get pretty close to them.”
 
The new black rhinos are a 4-year-old female named Doppsee from Kansas and 7-year-old Jello from Miami. The pair was selected by Black Rhino Species Survival Plan of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums as ideal breeding partners. As Doppsee is still too young, however, they’ll each remain in separate areas for two years.
 
Though Jello and Doppsee arrived in June, their arrival was celebrated last week after all final renovations were done to their exhibit.
 
“It’s a little bit of trial and error when we get new animals in a new exhibit,” says Ravani. “We had to repair some things that were broken when they arrived.”
 
The renovations to the rhino exhibit include doubling of the space available to the animals, watering holes, shaded areas and more. 

A sure sign of an iconic Lansing business is one that serves generations of local customers.

"We're kind of a household name when it comes to portrait photography now," says Ron Jones Jr., owner of Edwards Photography. "Later this year I'm photographing a wedding where the parents wedding was photographed by my dad. Before that, we'd done the parents' senior portrait."

This year Edwards Photography is celebrating 50 years in business. According to Jones Jr., it's that repeat, family business that has been at the heart of their longevity.

Edwards Studio was founded by Ed Hicks in 1961. Hicks was joined by Ron Jones, Sr. soon after in 1968. His son, Jones Jr., now operates the business that he and Jones, Sr. co-own.

Jones, Sr. recently received the 2011 South Lansing Business Association's Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the community.