Entrepreneurship : In the News

The electronic gift card company GiftZip.com, has added another employee, this time encouraging a Michigan State University (MSU) graduate to leave his job in Boston and move back to the Capital region.

According to excerpts from the article:

 John Gwillim, a 2007 MSU finance alum, will be joining the team in the coming weeks as Chief Operations Officer and will oversee the day-to-day activities of the company. He is tasked with ensuring the long-term profitability of the GiftZip.com concept.

Gwillim joins GiftZip.com from Boston-based BNY ConvergEx, a successful 2006 Bank of New York spin-off providing software solutions for hedge fund trading markets. 

“The ability to come back to Michigan and still work in a fast-moving, high-tech environment was something I really wanted to pursue," Gwillim said. "I’m from Michigan, I’ve known [founder] Sam [Hogg] a long time, and GiftZip.com is a very attractive opportunity poised for growth. The more I looked at it, the more it made sense to me.” 

Hogg credits a changing East Lansing entrepreneurial culture for attracting talent like Gwillim away from Boston, often thought of as second only to Silicon Valley as a hub for technology start-ups. Hogg said being able to showcase things like the Technology Innovation Center (where GiftZip.com is located) as well as other MSU-based start-ups will keep more ofthe talent in the area and even get some to return, like Gwillim. 

Read the entire article here.

Ramon’s, a Tex-Mex restaurant in Lansing, reopened in a new Westside Lansing location on Saginaw Street earlier this year and has seen a steady increase in business.

According to excerpts from the article:

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Former bookstore managers Tom Muth, Aaron Larvick , Adam Seyburn and Ken Kerbyson recently opened Collegeville Textbook Co. in East Lansing.

According to excerpts from the article:

"We'd go out to the bar and have beers and talk about how great it'd be to have our own store," said Tom Muth, a 2003 graduate of Michigan State University.

Muth, Aaron Larvick , Adam Seyburn and Ken Kerbyson opened Collegeville Textbook last month at 321 E. Grand River Ave . — within a block of Ned's Bookstore and Student Book Store.

The owners all have been managers at bookstores in East Lansing and other college towns. They have combined experience of more than 70 years in the industry.

Read the entire article here.

The family behind the popular Restaurant Mediteran got its start in Bosnia, a country they escaped 20 years ago for better opportunities, first in Croatia, then Germany and finally the United States.

According to excerpts from the article:

While the disquietude of their experiences in Bosnia has been eased with a new life and successful restaurant — downtown Lansing’s Restaurant Mediteran — the memories of a devastated homeland linger.

“The war was very rough, very violent,” Igor Jurkoic said. “We didn’t have any other choice but to leave the country and look for safer place. We could either leave or stick around and die.” He returned to Bosnia on vacation a month ago. "It's changed now, but since we have found our peace here, it would be ridiculous for us to go back, since we got bad memories and everything else."

Jurkovic's family came to the United States in 1999, unable to speak English. But within six years, they manifested the American dream into Restaurant Mediteran. 

Read the entire article here.

Webberville-based Michigan Brewing Co. parlayed the Downtown opening date for its Downtown Lansing location for about a year, but the brewer is now preparing to open by the end of 2009.

According to excerpts from the article:

Officials say plans are back on track and the 50-employee site on Washington Square near Kalamazoo Street should open within a few weeks.

"It's been proposed for a while but the economy made it difficult to get the necessary financing," said Ernie St. Pierre, general manager for the company's expansion. "We finally worked it out this spring."

The cost of the project has not been disclosed by the privately owned company.

Michigan Brewing Co., based in Webberville, opened in 1995. Its 76,000-square-foot headquarters includes a brewery, pub, tasting room, distillery, winery and store that caters to home brewers and wine makers. Its beer is distributed in 10 states and Sweden.

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MC Squared Technology Group is planning to add a few more staff members to the four employees already hired in 2009.

According to excerpts from the article:

Leaders at the technology company said that can-do attitude is what has fueled MC Squared's transformation from a one-man operation to a growing business that has hired four people so far this year and looks to add as many more before the year is out.

President and CEO Scott McAuley started the company in 2002 as an after-hours computer repair service. MC Squared has since developed into a web design and development firm as well as remaining an on-call problem solver.

"What we tell people is you do what you do best, and we'll take care of the technology," McAuley said.

Read the entire article here.

Courthouse Pub's Joe Ghinelli has brought a new look to a popular Mason pub, which he and a partner recently renovated.

According to excerpts from the article:

The Courthouse Pub in downtown Mason has just about everything any blue-collared, red-blooded happy-hour reveler could want. After a couple of decades in the restaurant business, general manager and co-owner Joe Ghinelli knows a thing or two about what brings customers through the door, and more important, what keeps them coming back.

Like his good-looking bar keeps behind the hexagonal bar, Ghinelli is ever ready to chat about anything from sports to politics, or, if you're feeling uninspired, just the weather. Makes no difference, as long as you enjoyed your visit, a gregarious Ghinelli said.

"The best part is the people," said Ghinelli, along time Mason resident in his own right. "Growing up here and seeing all the people I haven’t seen in a long time is by far the best part."

Read the entire article here.

Downtown Lansing fine dining restaurant, Troppo, is in the middle of an expansion that will move the restaurant across the street and include expanded eating space, a kitchen and banquet facilities.

According to excerpts from the article:

An expanded dining room, patio, bar, kitchen and banquet facilities are all part of Troppo's plans for its new restaurant, now under construction.

Troppo, located in 5,000 square feet at Washington Square and Michigan Avenue, plans to double its space in a new two-story building across Michigan Avenue.

Tavern on the Square, also located on Washington Square, is expected to move into Troppo's current location. The new Troppo will be located adjacent to the One Michigan Avenue office building.

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Slate magazine reporters recently spent some time at the Information Technology Empowerment Center (ITEC) in Lansing, a redeveloped facility designed to encourage technological development in the Capital region.

According to excerpts from the article:

The site is the future home of leading technology, education and MSU affiliated organizations. The choice of the location was to profile stimulus funding around Michigan. The Lansing office space is providing training through the Capital Area Michigan Works WIA Youth program funding through stimulus dollars.  

“The focus of the program is to give kids in the Lansing area an opportunity to get real work experience and to pick up skills that make them more employable” said Ryan Vartoogian, President of Spartan Internet Consulting.

Situated in the former Holmes Street School in Lansing, ITEC focuses on imparting technological skills to children and adults by conducting activities related to the fields of science, mathematics and engineering.

Read the entire article here.

Michigan State University (MSU) graduate Julielyn Gibbons recently opened her Internet communication company, i3 Strategies in the East Lansing Technology and Innovation Center.

According to excerpts from the article:

Located in the East Lansing Technology Innovation Center, 325 E. Grand River Ave., Gibbons helps clients strategize how to use the Internet and social networking Web sites to their benefit. Some of her clientele include nonprofit organizations and campaigning politicians.

“I help them do whatever they’re trying to do, whether it’s market a new program, or if it’s just general outreach to the public,” she said. “I put together a strategy that all kind of work together through the greater goal.”

Gibbons works closely with Cliff Lampe, an MSU professor of telecommunication, information studies and media, whose research deals with social networking. Lampe said he sees social media expanding to more companies and organizations in the future.

Read the entire article here.

Collegeville Textbook Co. is the newest textbook store to find a home on Grand River Avenue in East Lansing.

According to excerpts from the article: 

Collegeville Textbook Co. started as a pipe dream, brewed among friends at a bar.

But after years of climbing the management ladder at bookstores owned by big companies, four local textbook industry veterans set out on their own.

"We'd go out to the bar and have beers and talk about how great it'd be to have our own store," said Tom Muth, a 2003 graduate of Michigan State University.

Muth, Aaron Larvick, Adam Seyburn and Ken Kerbyson opened Collegeville Textbook last month at 321 E. Grand River Ave. — within a block of Ned's Bookstore and Student Book Store.

Read the entire article here.

The economic challenges facing the nation also offer economic opportunity to entrepreneurs willing to face them, says Michigan State University (MSU) Accounting Professor Sanjay Gupta.

According to excerpts from the article:

“There always are challenges in setting up a new business, whether in good times or bad,” said Gupta, chairperson of the Department of Accounting and Information Systems in the Eli Broad College of Business.

“However, there are some unique challenges budding entrepreneurs face, especially during the current economic downturn,” he said.

New entrepreneurs willing to take a chance may be catalysts in turning around the entire economy, but they need to adhere to sound business principles to succeed.

Read the entire article here.

Local toy store, TreeHouse Toys & Books, is closing its Eastwood Towne Center location, but will reopen in Okemos in mid-September as Brilliant Sky Toys & Books.

According to excerpts from the article:

Brilliant Sky is the name of similar toy stores owners Brent and Sonia Taylor began franchising in 2007.

"This is a very positive thing for us and we believe that this is going to allow us to bring our customers an even better store at an even better location," he said. "We really think this is the key to really thrive and grow, and strengthen the Brilliant Sky brand, as well."

The Central Park Place store also comes with 5,000 square feet of basement storage. TreeHouse's Eastwood site was 4,700 square feet, he said.

Read the entire article here.

Wild Wing Café, a Southern-style family restaurant, is scheduled to open in the former Bennigan’s building in Okemos.

According to excerpts from the article:

The new management plans to hire about 120 workers. More than 20 existing Bennigan's employees are expected to transfer to the new restaurant.

LaBelle Management of Mount Pleasant kept the Bennigan's restaurants open in Michigan despite widespread closings nationwide after the chain filed for bankruptcy last summer.

But the bankruptcy hurt the restaurant's image and sales declined at some Michigan locations, said Joe Koz, general manager for the new Wild Wing Cafe.

Read the entire article here.

NBA player and Lansing native Desmond Ferguson recently returned to Lansing to help young ballers and check on his business, Moneyball Sportswear, a Lansing-based athletic apparel company that sells basketball jerseys to high school teams.

According to excerpts from the article:

Headquartered in Lansing, Ferguson's company started out selling uniforms to public high school basketball teams in Detroit.

"I wanted something to fall back on after basketball and I've never wanted to work for anybody but me," said Ferguson, Moneyball's president.

Moneyball has expanded nationwide. Locally, it supplies uniforms to Lansing's three high schools—Everett, Eastern and Sexton.

Everett, Ferguson's alma mater, was the first school in Lansing he approached.

Read the entire article here.