capitalgains - In the News

MSU Grad's Enliven Software Company Expanding Into International Markets

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

East Lansing-based Enliven Software recently moved into a larger space within the East Lansing Technology Innovation Center (TIC) and is now expanding into west African and Australian markets.

According to excerpts from the article:

A map would tell people Nigeria and East Lansing are worlds away. Bunmi Akinyemiju would tell people they share a border.

The international expansion wouldn’t be possible without MSU’s commitment to global initiatives and reputation as a worldly university, he said.

“MSU is one of the top global universities in the country,” said the MSU alumnus, who was born in Michigan when his parents came to MSU from Nigeria to earn their master’s and doctoral degrees. “I think that (MSU has) invested in really making sure the education that students get here is global.”

Read the entire article here.

Time for Chickens: New County Ordinance Opens Door to Poultry in the City

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The City of Lansing is examining how a new Ingham County ordinance that allows for chicken raising in non-agricultural urban areas should be handled within city limits.

According to excerpts from the article:

Lansing resident Dale Huber had not announced his three new chicks to his neighbors yet when one did the job for him.

“When they are smaller, they’re not as smart as they are when they’re older. One of them actually got out and there was a knock at the door and here’s the neighbor holding a chicken and he goes, ‘I think this is yours, we see them in the backyard every once and a while,’” Huber said.

Huber, who grew up on a farm, purchased his three hens last March and began raising them in his backyard.

The Ingham County ordinance allows nonagricultural properties in urban areas to keep up to five hens, which cannot be slaughtered an the property.

Read the entire article here.

Former GM Employee Open Quinney’s Southern Soul Food on Lansing's South Side

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

After 24 years with General Motors, Vickie Quinney and her husband Mack have opened a southern style restaurant on Cedar Street.

According to excerpts from the articles:

Quinney’s Southern Soul Food found a home in an old strip mall on Cedar Street. just north of Holmes Road.

After 24 years of laboring at the now-shuttered Fisher Body plant, Vickie says long days with her husband (the pair have no other employees) are a breeze.

Vickie’s parents are natives of Alabama, products of the Deep South who migrated north yet kept their cooking heritage intact. The family spent time cooking together, and Vickie decided to continue the legacy through her new restaurant.

Read the entire article here.

City of Lansing Receives $17.4 Million to Help Improve Target Neighborhoods

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The City of Lansing has received $17.4 million to improve area neighborhoods overburdened with foreclosures as part of $223 million in federal funds awarded to Michigan cities.

According to excerpts from the article:

"It's a great opportunity for Lansing and will be a great benefit to our neighborhoods in fighting the negative impacts of foreclosure," said Randy Hannan, Mayor Virg Bernero's deputy chief of staff.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the money as part of $2 billion in Recovery Act funding to states, local governments and nonprofit housing developers. The money is distributed through HUD's Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

In Lansing, city officials and the Ingham County Land Bank Fast Track Authority plan to demolish 258 housing units, rehabilitate 98 and construct four new ones, said Bob Johnson, Lansing's director of planning and development.

Read the entire article here.

MSU Federal Credit Union Headquarters Receives LEED Gold Certification

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The new East Lansing-based MSU Federal Credit Union headquarters has been recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council for achieving a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification.

According to excerpts from the article:

LEED recognizes construction that embodies sustainable environmental design. Evaluation includes site development, water conservation, efficiency in heating and cooling, low VOC material selection, recycled and recyclable materials, healthy lifestyle and indoor air quality.
MSU Federal Credit Union is celebrating its achievement with a “So Green We’re Gold” campaign. Members can earn higher dividends with Gold certificates and benefit with a lower loan rate given to members selecting fuel-efficient vehicles.

According to MSU FCU President/CEO Pat McPharlin, the designation is an important milestone as it further reinforces the credit union’s eco-friendly policies and commitment to the communities it serves.

Read the entire article here.

State Housing Agency Rolling Out New "Pure Michigan Living" Campaign

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Issue Media Group, the parent company of Capital Gains Media, is working with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) to launch the “Pure Michigan Living” campaign, a site designed to draw positive attention to the state.

According to excerpts from the article:

“’Pure Michigan Living’ is dedicated to sharing the quality of life stories in Michigan communities, stories about individuals moving their families and businesses to Michigan,” said Joe Borgstrom, a Division Director with MSHDA. “It seeks to raise the visibility of new economy opportunities in Michigan, to highlight the people who are choosing Michigan as a place to live, shaping what is next for our state.”

To help draw attention to the site www.puremichiganliving.com, which is inspired by Travel Michigan’s national award-winning Pure Michigan campaign, MSHDA and MEDC officials are hosting a weeklong online rally that invites state residents to tell their “Why I Choose Michigan” stories. Entries will become eligible for three randomly selected weekend getaway packages at Michigan resorts and hotels. The packages are being donated by the resorts and hotels. The goal is to collect at least 1,000 entries during Jan. 26-Feb 1. Winners will be randomly selected and will be announced the first week in February.

Two randomly selected entrants will win either a “Two Night Mountain Getaway Package” donated by Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa of Thompsonville or a “Downtown Detroit Getaway” donated by the Westin Book Cadillac.

For more information, click here.

Lansing Receives Chunk of $223 Million Federal Neighborhood Housing Grant

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Lansing is one of a dozen cities that will benefit from a $223 million federal grant designed to demolish blighted buildings and revitalize neighborhoods.

According to excerpts from the article:

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Thursday announced the money as part of $2 billion in Recovery Act funding to states, local governments and nonprofit housing developers under its Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority last year applied for $290 million in federal money under the program and proposed launching what's called the "New Michigan Urban Neighborhood" plan with the funds.

Read the entire article here.

Jackson National Growing, Currently Looking For 40 New Hires

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Lansing-based Jackson National Life Insurance Company is looking to hire 40 employees. In 2009, the company hired more than 400 employees.

According to excerpts from the article:

Holly Ledesma was laid off in July 2009 after working for the same insurance company for 7 years. Ledesma says, "I was worried and I really wanted to look for something that would be a good fit and I was a little bit concerned. After you've been employed for about 7-8 years for one employer, you don't really anticipate being laid off. So, this was a little bit scary."

However, she found a new job in October 2009 at Jackson National Life Insurance Company in Lansing. Currently, they are looking for up to 40 people to hire. Ledesma says, "In Michigan's economy, this is a great opportunity for people to apply."

Annie Topie, Manager of Community Relations says, "Jackson is a successful, growing company and...there are consistent openings within the Lansing area."

The company is doing so well, they hired just shy of 400 people in one office building alone in 2009. Vice President of Corporate Communications Tim Padot says, "When we moved into this building, we had a little more than 900 employees and today we're approaching 1,700."

Read the entire article here.

Lansing Making Strides To Become a More Walkable and Attractive City

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Lansing isn’t the most walkable community in the Capital region, at least not yet. Several organizations both private and public, are working to make the Capital Region much more pedestrian friendly.

According to excerpts from the article:

Only about one in every 40 residents walks to work, according to U.S. Census data. Compare that to about one in five in East Lansing.

But in the past several months, a movement to take the city in the opposite direction has gained traction.

Last year, the Lansing City Council passed what's called a complete streets ordinance, essentially pledging the city will make its transportation network more accommodating to pedestrians and bicyclists.

But what makes a city walkable is about more than sidewalks and trails. It's about the way a city is built, the look and feel of the streets, about what there is to walk to.

That means the Lansing Walking & Bicycling Task Force—a coalition of public officials, nonprofits and city residents that hopes to double the number of walking trips in the city in five years—has its work cut out.

Read the entire article here.

Dowding Machining Affiliate Scores $7 Million Incentive for Green Technology

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Astraeus Wind Energy Inc., an affiliate of Eaton Rapids-based Dowding Machining, received $7 million in federal stimulus funding to build machines for wind turbine production.

According to excerpts from the article:

Astraeus Wind Energy Inc. won the largest grant among five Michigan companies that received a total of $15.5 million Wednesday.

The grants are expected to allow the five companies to retain or create 713 jobs over the next two years, Gov. Jennifer Granholm said in a statement.

Companies with 500 or fewer full-time employees were eligible to apply for the grants to get into the business of manufacturing renewable energy technologies such as wind, solar, geothermal and biomass.

Nearly 80 companies requested almost $198 million.

Read the entire article here.

Innovations and New Developments Mark Bright East Lansing Economy in 2009

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

2009 was a good year for the Capital region, which welcomed several important economic investments including the $550 million FRIB facility, the Technology Information Center (TIC) and IBM’s move to East Lansing.

According to excerpts from the article:

While Michigan felt the pain of the highest unemployment in the nation, the bankruptcy of GM and Chrysler, a tanking housing market and a sharp slowdown in commercial sales, East Lansing could point to the following developments:

1.) FRIB, okay, Facility for Rare Isotope Beams. The $550 million Department of Energy-funded nuclear physics research facility will be a science facility dedicated answering complex questions about the structure of matter, about the stars, about basic elements on our plan, event how the planet came into existence.

Its practical benefits, as well: $1 billion economic impact over the first decade, 180 new jobs for scientists, 5,800 one-year construction jobs, 220 spin-off jobs.

Read the entire article here.

Vaccine Developed at MSU Lands on Discover Magazine's Best Stories List

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Discover magazine placed Michigan State University (MSU) researcher A. Mahdi Saeed’s vaccine development for a strain of E. coli on its list of top stories in 2009.

According to excerpts from the article:

Saeed, professor of epidemiology and infectious disease in MSU's colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Human Medicine, has studied enterotoxigenic E. Coli — which is responsible for 60 percent to 70 percent of all E. coli diarrheal disease — for 25 years. The disease also causes health problems for U.S. troops serving overseas and is responsible for what is commonly called traveler's diarrhea.

"A working vaccine has the potential to save millions of lives," said Saeed, who hopes human clinical trials will begin in early 2010. "This strain of E. coli has a huge impact on humanity."

As part of its year-end issue on newsstands now, Discover magazine counted down 100 of the year's top stories; Saeed's work on the vaccine came in at No. 36. Other featured stories include one on tropical heat speeding up evolution and another on the Hubble Space Telescope's new abilities.

Read the entire article here.

Entrepreneur Uses E.L. Technology Center to Launch Social Media Business

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Julielyn Gibbons, president of i3 Strategies, used the East Lansing Technology and Innovation Center (TIC) to launch a social media business that’s becoming a household name in the Capital region.

According to excerpts from the article:

In 2009, she decided to start her own business, because she realized that very few people could do what she could; and because instead of getting pigeonholed into being a politico, she wanted to make the biggest impact possible working with the biggest number of people possible.

Therefore, even though the economy seemed to be screaming “NO,” after she met “a great group of people in the area, that emboldened [her] to become entrepreneurial,”as well as Jeff Smith, who runs the Technology Innovation Center (TIC) in East Lansing.

Total capital required? “Less than $1,000,” she answers with a smile.

“I’ve been incredibly lucky because since I’ve started, all of my business has been word of mouth,” she says. Her most notable recent work has been for Capital Area Michigan Works! for whom she coordinates and presents monthly workshops for job seekers on how to use social media to find a new job. She said the work “hits home on a multitude of levels,” because at one time or another in the past two years, both of her parents and siblings have lost their jobs.

A good portion of her work is done in the form of workshops and presentations on social media. “I’ve gone all over the country: Boston, Pittsburgh, Grand Rapids, Detroit. It’s really something. ”

Read the entire article here.

Couple Buys Old Diner and Opens New Boondox Restaurant in Wacousta

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Mary and Roger Hansen recently renovated an old diner in Wacousta, northwest of Lansing, transforming into an upscale restaurant.

According to excerpts from the article:

Owners Mary and Roger Hansen, who spent three months turning a pink-and-white diner into a sleek space with lots of warm oak paneling and homey touches, are hoping for a liquor license soon for serving drinks with meals. They say, though, that their place will stay family-friendly and never turn into a bar.

Boondox opened Dec. 11 and Roger says the staff served almost 100 dinners in four hours.

"All we heard was how they'd be back," he said.

Boondox is a true home-grown place whose owners hail from Pewamo-Westphalia (Mary) and St. Johns (Roger). At Wacousta and Herbison Roads, it's "right in the middle of everything," as Mary puts it.

Read the entire article here.

MSU Researchers Uncover Important Link to Causes of Diabetes Complications

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Michigan State University (MSU) professors have discovered a link between diabetes and bone marrow nerve damage that may help treat one of the disease's most common and potentially blindness-causing complications.

According to excerpts from the article:

The key to better treating retinopathy — damage to blood vessels in the retina that affects up to 80 percent of diabetic patients — lies not in the retina but in damage to the nerves found in bone marrow that leads to the abnormal release of stem cells, said Julia Busik, an associate professor in MSU's Department of Physiology.

"With retinopathy, blood vessels grow abnormally in the retina, distort vision and eventually can cause blindness," said Busik, whose research appears in a recent issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine. "There has been a lot of progress in treating the complication, but most treatments use a laser that is painful to the patient and destroys parts of the retina."

"This opens up new avenues to better treatments outside of the retina that focus on stem cells and the causes of the nerve damage in bone marrow," said Busik, whose collaborators included other researchers from MSU and the University of Florida. "We know what happens in the retina and have treatments that are very invasive; we now can look at a host of other options."

Read the entire article here.

Holt Goes Green in 2009, Marks Business Milestones

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Holt ended 2009 as a greener, more economically viable Capital region community by focusing on sustainable practices and facilitating economic growth.

According to excerpts from the article.

When there were opportunities to make the area "greener," they were taken, including the opening of the new Sam Corey Senior Center.

It is the first building of its kind in the state to be certified as "environmentally friendly."

The building's geothermal heating and cooling system as well as its organic roof are just a part of its Green accents.

The rocks used to create its fireplace where brought in from another part of the state.

Read the entire article here.

CATA Using $1.7 Million to Assess Michigan/Grand Avenue Transit Options

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) is using $1.7 million in federal funds to determine how to improve public transportation through the region’s main business corridor.

According to excerpts from the article:

The money was made available to CATA in February, and the Michigan/Grand River Transportation Study Group was formed four months later. It's goal is to figure out what the business corridor could become.

"What we're looking for here: Is there a better way to handle transportation in the corridor, making it more attractive?" said Jon Coleman, executive director of the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission.

About 1.5 million people use CATA public buses in the Michigan/Grand River corridor each year. That represents more than 13 percent of CATA's ridership in the area.

Read the entire article here.

MSU Scientists Using $1.7 Million Grant to Study Impacts of Cellulosic Biofuel

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) received a $1.7 million grant from the federal government to work with the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center to study the environmental benefits and consequences of cellulosic biofuel crops.

According to excerpts from the article:

The Department of Energy awarded a total of $8.1 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to the center, which includes partners University of Wisconsin-Madison and MSU. About half of that money will be used to enhance and accelerate sustainability research, and the other half will research plant cell wall imaging technology.

The money allocated to biofuel sustainability research will be used to study carbon cycling, water quality and greenhouse gas emissions associated with biofuel cropping systems, as well as develop more complex modeling technology, said Phil Robertson, MSU professor of crop and soil sciences who leads GLBRC sustainability research.

“Quantitative models, together with the underlying field research, will allow us to design biofuel cropping systems that are both profitable and environmentally sustainable," he said. "We need to ensure the crops we’ll be using for cellulosic energy do in fact contribute to climate stabilization and cleaner air and water, as well as provide biodiversity benefits such as habitat for birds and beneficial insects.

Read the entire article here.

Discovery Channel Touts MSU Green Roofs and Greenhouse Gas Study

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Discovery Channel has taken note of a recent Michigan State University (MSU) study that shows green roofs will help absorb greenhouse gasses.

According to excerpts from the article:

While green roofs certainly won't solve the global warming problem, their ability to sop up greenhouse gases — even just a little bit — bolsters the case for planting them on city buildings, despite extra costs on the front end, said lead researcher Kristin Getter, of Michigan State University in East Lansing.

"The key to fighting global warming is capturing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in new reservoirs that weren't storing carbon before," Getter said. "In the whole scheme of things, green roofs are not the one answer to sequestering carbon, but they will certainly help."

Green roofs offer a long list of known benefits. They lower air-conditioning costs in the summer by absorbing and reflecting heat. They lower heating costs in the winter by adding extra insulation.

Read the entire article here.

MSU and Northern Technologies Get NSF Funding to Develop Bio-Based Packaging

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Northern Technologies International Group is working with Michigan State University (MSU) to expand solutions for bioplastics packaging and technology.

According to excerpts from the article:

Northern Technologies International Corporation (Nasdaq:NTIC) announced that it has been awarded two National Science Foundation (NSF) awards — one in June 2009 as a Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant for $150,000 on Advanced PLA Materials for biobased and biodegradable products. The second last week as a Phase I SmallBusiness Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for an additional $150,000 on "Biobased coatings for corrosion protection."

These NSF grants will help NTIC develop biobased technologies for new innovative applications in the Zerust(R) and Natur-Tec(R) business areas. The research and technology development will be conducted in collaboration with Michigan State University (MSU), Lansing, MI. NTIC plans to use modified polylactic acid (PLA) chemistries and soybean oil based coatings formulations developed at MSU to expand its product portfolio with enhanced solutions for bioplastics packaging and corrosion management respectively. Phase II grants for further development and commercialization of these technologies would potentially bring in $1,000,000 in additional funding to NTIC.

Prof. Ramani Narayan, University Distinguished Professor at MSU and developer of PLA technology for Cargill Inc., will be collaborating with NTIC in this work. Prof. Narayan stated, "MSU and NTIC have worked together in the past to successfully commercialize biodegradable and biobased products. The NSF projects will reinforce stronger ties among the two organizations and serve as a classic example of university-industry symbiosis." NTIC, in particular, will benefit from the specific expertise that Prof. Narayan brings to the table in the area of bioplastics.

Read the entire article here.

New MSU Study Says Green Roofs Could Help Fight Global Warming

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A Michigan S t ate University (MSU) study conducted by horticulturist Kristin Getter and Professor Brad Rowe finds that green roofs could help fight global warming.

According to excerpts from the article:

Kristin Getter and Professor Brad Rowe found replacing traditional roofing materials with green plants in an urban area with a population of about 1 million, would be equivalent to eliminating a year's worth of carbon dioxide emitted by 10,000 mid-sized sport utility vehicles and trucks.

The researchers said their study is the first of its kind to examine the ability of green roofs to sequester carbon, which may impact climate change.

Getter and colleagues say scientists have known green roofs also absorb carbon dioxide, a major green house gas that contributes to global warming, but nobody had measured the impact until now.

Read the entire article here.

Grand Ledge Man a Finalist for $100,000 National Alternative Energy Prize

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Grand Ledge resident Alan Fox is one of five finalists for the ConocoPhillips Energy Prize, a competition designed to foster citizen-driven alternative energy options.

According to excerpts from the article:

More than 150 proposals were submitted for the contest, which seeks new ideas to develop alternative energy, improve energy efficiency or combat climate change.

Fox will present his concept — using pressurized hydraulic fluid to improve wind turbine power output — to judges in Houston on Monday. He won $25,000 as a finalist and will compete for the $100,000 first-place prize. The first runner-up receives $50,000 and the second runner-up wins $25,000.

Fox, 51, owns a custom glass company that specializes in glass etching for commercial and residential use.

"A couple years ago I was thinking about the problems with wind energy, the cost of the turbines and the fact that the energy is created inconsistently," he said.

Read the entire article here.

Ingham Township Family Use Straw to Protect Against Michigan Winters

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Ingham Township resident Coni Barlow and her family have stuffed their walls with straw bales, an environmentally sensitive way to insulate their home during the harsh winters.

According to excerpts from the article:

"We think we're going to be paying a lot less for heat than other people," Don Barlow said. "But everyone laughs when they hear about it and mentions the Three Little Pigs."

But it's going to take a lot more than a huff and a puff to blow down this 2,700-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bathroom house.

The use of straw in construction dates back centuries, and the use of straw bales as a modular construction material has a hundred-year history. But because the method is relatively uncommon in Michigan, there are many misconceptions, Barlow said.

Read the entire article here.

Entrepreneur Magazine Sings Praises of Innovative East Lansing/MSU Partnerships

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

According to Entrepreneur Magazine, the many innovative partnerships between local businesses, the City of East Lansing and Michigan State University are jumpstarting business and creating a bright spot in a tough economic climate.

According to excerpts from the article:

In economically hard-hit Michigan, there’s at least one thing going right: Michigan State University is pulling no punches in an effort to create and incubate new local business ventures.

The MSU Product Center for Agricultural and Natural Resources is commercializing new food manufacturers. The Lansing Area Economic Partnership is working with MSU-bred startups to find resources to keep them in the community. The Prima Civitas Foundation, partly funded by MSU, is working to bring biotech and alternative energy projects to central Michigan. MSU Technologies is a tech transfer office on steroids and — along with MSU Business Connect, which links businesses with local resources— is the anchor tenant in East Lansing’s new Technology Innovation Center.

“The synergy between these initiatives is helping to improve the culture of innovation in the community,” says Tim Dempsey, director of planning and community development for East Lansing.

This is a community doing everything possible to jumpstart a new entrepreneurial vision for itself, and the university is its key power source.

Read the entire article here.

$6 Million Cooley Expansion Adds 25,400 Linear Feet of Library Stack Space

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Thomas M. Cooley Law School is adding 25,400 linear feet of stack space to its existing library.

According to excerpts from the article

By early next year, it will be an annex to Thomas M. Cooley Law School's library. The two-story structure — once part of Knapp's department store — is in the midst of a $6 million renovation, which will add an all-night study lounge, additional classrooms and 25,400 linear feet of stack space.

The renovated facility, called the Center for Research and Study, will open in piecemeal fashion, a first-floor study area and student lounge first, space for books as it's needed, further study spaces and classrooms on the second floor sometime in the next year or two.

When it's complete, Cooley will have nearly 139,000 square feet of library space in Lansing.

Read the entire article here.

East Lansing Amtrak Station Possibly Part of $3.6 Million High Speed Rail Upgrade

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The East Lansing Amtrak station could benefit from a $3.6 million improvement slated for the Battle Creek Amtrak station as part of a proposed high-speed rail connecting Detroit to Chicago.

According to excerpts from the article:

An environmental assessment released earlier this month of a proposed high-speed rail connecting Detroit and Chicago details major renovations planned for the Battle Creek station, which links East Lansing to the rail.

East Lansing’s Amtrack station would connect to the high-speed rail at the Battle Creek station, said Lori Mullins, East Lansing’s community and economic development administrator.

The assessment includes information about $3,620,552 that would be used for interior and exterior renovations for the Battle Creek station, which has not had major renovations for about 20 years. Renovations would create a more modern and user-friendly facility.

Read the entire article here.

IBM Celebrates As New Delivery Center in East Lansing Opens Doors

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

IBM recently celebrated the grand opening of its delivery center in East Lansing on Michigan State University’s (MSU) campus.

According to excerpts from the article:

The center, originally announced in January 2009, is the first of its kind in the United States for IBM. The opening ceremony included both Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and MSU President Lou Anna Simon, as well as representatives and customers from IBM and university students, faculty, and staff.

The intent of the center, which is a place of business for the vendor, is to develop best practices in providing application development and support services to modernize older and less efficient IT systems for state and local government agencies and universities, as well as customers in telecommunications, healthcare, and other industries. In addition, the center houses an IBM legal center of competence, which analyzes customer contracts in support of complex service engagements.

MSU and IBM will collaborate across several of academic programs, including business, engineering, natural science, and social science. Also, students will be candidates for employment by programs in the center.

Read the entire article here.

Lansing/East Lansing Area Rated Among Top Five Most Affordable Family Places

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

MSN has rated the Lansing/East Lansing area number two on its Top Five list of the most affordable places in the country to live for median income families.

According to excerpts from the article:

Lansing, located on the banks of the Grand River, is the state capital. A two-hour drive from Detroit, it is next to East Lansing, home of Michigan State University's 5,200-acre campus. Like much of the Midwest, prices in the Lansing area never skyrocketed during the housing boom and remain affordable for most people with a median income.

Homes affordable to median-income families: 96.2%

Affordable homes Q2 2004: 90.6%

Median home price: $88,000

Median family income: $67,000

Unemployment rate: 12.7%

Read the entire article here.

Downtown Lansing MBC Location Draws Clientele with 17 Draft Beers

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Webberville-based Michigan Brewing Company (MBC) opened a new location in Downtown Lansing, drawing beer lovers from around the area.

According to excerpts from the article:

“The concept was to create a place that was going to be a fun place to gather and talk,”said service manager Melinda Carpenter. “Good food, great beer and smooth music playing in the background. No televisions, no smoking; there is definitely no place else like this.”

Well, not outside the family, at least. The pub’s mothership is the original Michigan Brewing Co., headquartered in Webberville. That 76,000-square-foot location serves many functions: brewery, distillery, winery (Michigan Brewing also has its own signature gin, vodka and wine), and home to “Things Beer,” a novelty store, selling T-shirts, beer steins and home brewing supplies.

Owner Bobby Mason had been eying a new Lansing location on Washington Square near Kalamazoo Street since February 2008, but the sluggish economy and recent snafus with liquor license transfers kept the project from hopping along.

The new establishment, simply called MBC, is a bit more focused on the pub side of the business, and with that focus comes a spotlight on food and service. Carpenter formerly managed a fine dining seafood restaurant in Grand Rapids, and she said she’s happy to now call Lansing home. Kitchen manager Stephen Joseph honed his culinary skills at the Lansing area Scalawags restaurants, where he got to know his way around seafood.

Read the entire article here.

MSU Student Businessman Featured on Touring Entrepreneurialism Panel

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Michigan State University (MSU) student Brett Kopf gave a glimpse of what it’s like to start two companies while in college during a panel discussion hosted by the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour.

According to excerpts from the article:

The event, part of a nationwide tour by an online group, featured a business idea workshop, speeches from young entrepreneurs and a chance to network.

Michigan State University senior Brett Kopf was among the panelists. The 22-year-old is starting two companies while he works on his degree in food industry management.

One company offers social media strategies. The other will provide text message and e-mail alerts to remind students when class assignments are due.

"There's no better time than now," he said of starting his own company. "When the whole world is retrenching and stepping back in their little hole, there needs to be people to step up and take the reins."

Read the entire article here.