Our roundup of the latest business news from metro Detroit and Michigan, as well as announcements from government agencies. To share a business or nonprofit story, send us a message.
Gilbert Family Foundation Commits $1. 8 Million to Provide Jobs and Green Space for Detroit Residents
The Gilbert Family Foundation announced a $1. 8 million, three-year investment in The Greening of Detroit to bolster the organization’s impact in Detroit. The announcement was made in a special rite honoring 22 new graduates of The Greening of Detroit’s flagship workforce progression. program, the Detroit Conservation Corps.
“Forest cover is critical to reducing pollution, mitigating heat, and creating safe, walkable streets,” says Laura Grannemann, executive director of the Gilbert Family Foundation. “Unfortunately, we see a disproportionate lack of green space in predominantly Black communities. This partnership addresses this factor by creating job opportunities while also expanding access to quality green space in Detroit.
The foundation’s investment will ensure more equitable access to quality green space in Detroit, create jobs for Detroiters, bring young people closer to educational opportunities, and improve the quality of life in the city’s neighborhoods.
The $1. 8 million program, which represents the largest personal philanthropic gift in Greening of Detroit’s history, is made up of 4 parts:
Workforce Development: 12 cohorts of at least two hundred interns will complete the Detroit Conservation Corps (DCC) six-week educational program as tree artisans and landscaping technicians. Approximately 60 percent of AFC trainees are returning citizens who face significant barriers to employment. due to his incarceration. Greening of Detroit has an 85% placement rate for AFC interns and aims for at least 70% of them to stay employed for up to a year.
TreeKeepers Kids: 140 youth will participate in indoor systems focused on environmental awareness and management. Participants will come from Detroit Public School Community District (DPSCD) schools and the City of Detroit’s summer recreation camps.
The Shade Salon: Detroiters will bring their wisdom about art, science, and history to 12 classrooms to talk about an art assignment for their community. The result will be 7 art assignments, one of them consistent with the Detroit district, focused on nature and trees.
Community Tree Planting: 1,000 trees will be planted at locations decided by Detroiters through applications.
“I appreciate the fact that we announced this program at a Detroit Conservation Corps workforce development graduation ceremony with 22 of our newly trained forestry technicians,” said Lionel Bradford, president of The Greening of Detroit. “Good, well-paying jobs must be created. ” We have in this industry, and systems like this will innovatively teach other people that nature and trees can have a positive effect on many tactics in each and every corner of Detroit. “
The investment with The Greening of Detroit is part of the Gilbert Family Foundation and Rocket Community Fund’s 10-year, $500 million commitment to provide equitable opportunities for all Detroiters.
Flo and General Motors Expand Workplace Load at Warren Tech Center
Flo, a Canadian supplier of EV charging stations with a production facility in Auburn Hills, says it has a larger number of EV chargers at General Motors Co. ‘s Global Technical Center. in Warren, making it the largest on-site deployment of trabajo. de Flo chargers in a single location in North America.
As part of the expansion, more Flo CoRe chargers and SmartDC fast chargers were installed on campus to meet the growing EV charging desires of workers and visitors.
“GM’s Global Technical Center is at the center of its generation engineering and innovation, and it makes perfect sense for FLO to grow its workforce, another electric vehicle innovator in Michigan,” said Louis Tremblay, president and chief executive officer of Flo. Working together, GM and Flo offer drivers even more reliable EV charging options. “
In addition, as the Global Technical Center is part of DTE’s MIGreenPower program, those Flo sets will qualify the cars as renewable energy.
“GM has long been a proponent of creating and expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure,” said Kristen Siemens, GM’s vice president of sustainable workplaces and lead chief sustainability officer. “Providing more load responses in our services that supply energy produced through renewable technologies is a win-win solution and one that we are very excited about. “
The chargers were shipped from Flo’s facility in Auburn Hills and are designed to be durable and weatherproof. Flo began supplying paint chargers to GM in 2021 and to date has shipped more than 1200 chargers to GM facilities and production sites in North America as part of the program. .
Pure Michigan Offers Fresh Perspectives with Expanded ‘Keep It Fresh’ Campaign
As Michiganders welcome the arrival of spring and the season of renewal, Pure Michigan encourages travelers to come and revel in all the freshness the Great Lakes State has to offer, from cultural delights in colorful towns to adventures and everything in between.
The award-winning “Keep It Fresh” campaign, introduced last spring to motivate visitors through new perspectives, continues to embrace each new update of the season and highlight the voices that live, work and play on both Michigan peninsulas.
This season, a new version of the crusade will feature 4 new “Fresh Lives Here” ads showcasing Michigan’s cities, sports culture and adventure. The “Fresh Rides,” “Fresh Climb,” “Fresh Notes,” and “Fresh Goals” programs of cultures and new reports that communities like Detroit, Grand Rapids, Marquette, and the Keweenaw Peninsula have to offer visitors.
“From our winding shores and boundless nature to our colorful towns and varied communities, we invite travelers to feel a sense of renewal to come and revel in the warmth of Pure Michigan,” says Kelly Wolgamott, interim vice president of Travel Michigan, Michigan component. Economic Development Corp. ” This next evolution of the ‘Keep It Fresh’ crusade embodies much more than just sunny skies and warm weather; it’s a birthday component of endless opportunities to notice new odds in Michigan.
The expanded “Keep It Fresh” campaign will be brought to life across digital, connected and linear TV, print, social media, radio and audio streaming through July 31 of this season. The campaign will leverage $7. 2 million in investments in logos and spouses with targeted efforts targeting the state of Michigan, as well as Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Fort Wayne, Green Bay, Indianapolis, Louisville, Milwaukee, South Bend, St. Petersburg, St. Louisville, Illinois, Louisville, Louisville, Louisville, Louisville,John’s. Luis and Tampa.
This season, Pure Michigan has 25 attractive travel partners from across the state contributing financially to the warm weather campaign.
Walsh College Among Military-Friendly Schools
Walsh College in Troy has been named one of the ten most sensible and military-friendly schools for the 2024-2025 school year through VIQTORY, a veteran-owned organization in Pittsburgh that connects the military’s network with civilian opportunities.
This is the year in a row that Walsh College has earned this honor.
“Walsh College is very proud to be identified for the fifteenth consecutive year as a military-friendly school,” says Suzy Siegle, president of Walsh College. “We are also ranked among the top 10 most sensitive schools in the United States as a friendly military school. I am so grateful to the team members at Walsh College for their hard work on this remarkable designation. We are very proud to continue to provide services to our veteran students and alumni.
The Military Friendly School designation is awarded to establishments for their ability to exceed benchmarks in several critical functional areas. These include school retention, graduation rates, paint placement, loan repayment, forbearance (grade advancement or transfer), and default rates for all. academics and, more importantly, for veteran students.
Veterans’ projects at Walsh include:
Meijer Continues the Fight Against Hunger with $2 Million Donation to Midwest Food Bank Partners
Meijer, founded in Grand Rapids, announced a $2 million donation to 30 key food banks to help fight hunger in their local communities. These targeted donations will have a greater impact by helping food banks better meet the desires of those they serve, which will have a positive ripple effect on communities across the Midwest.
“We recognize the critical role food banks play in the fight against hunger and are proud to support our members in making a meaningful difference in the lives of others facing food insecurity,” said Rick Keyes, president and CEO of Meijer. We know there is a great desire in many of our communities and we want to do our bit to feed our hungry neighbors. “
Michigan banks receiving the grant include:
Visit Detroit to host the On The Clock Tour at Somerset Collection in Troy on April 4
Visit Detroit, in collaboration with the Detroit Sports Commission and local partners, will host an On The Clock Tour community event at North Grand Court the Somerset Collection in Troy from five p. m. to 7:30 p. m. on April 4.
All of the events on the “On The Clock Tour” feature a mobile or Detroit hub, the D-Rover. Temporarily rebranded as the Draft Rover, the flexible shipping truck will feature a 2024 NFL Draft design as well as video and audio capabilities, adding two 43-inch TV monitors and a plug-in microphone for messaging, as well as a retractable canopy.
“This is an exciting time for our region, and the On The Clock excursion will allow all citizens to be a part of the party and bring recruitment to their community,” said Claud Molinari, president and CEO of Visit Detroit.
North Grand Court will offer local merit with DJs playing all day as visitors grab bite to eat at restaurants such as Chick-fil-A, Shake Shack, Crispelli’s, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and activities featuring the Williams-Sonoma Crispy Rice Decoration, South. La Décor table biscuits, face painting, prizes and much more.
All On The Clock Tour events are free and open to the public. Events are subject to change and more tour stops in the area will be announced.