Livonia’s Business Connection May/June

2017

It was to be my honor to represent our community at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s policy conference on Mackinac Island during the last week of May.

There are some 1,700 people who convene on the

Island for four days of networking, deal making, and educational forums.

For a second year, the Livonia Chamber of Commerce Board dispatched me to this important conference to share more of Livonia’s story with this gathering.

And my, do we have a story to share this year, starting with Amazon’s ongoing plans to build a one-million-square-foot fulfillment center in our city this year. This announcement last December grabbed a lot of attention from people outside who asked the question: Why Livonia?

Representatives from Amazon and other companies that are moving to and growing in Livonia tell officials the city’s central location, easy access to two freeways, low tax rates, and excellent municipal services are big factors in their decisions.

“It has been an exciting time for our city,” said Livonia Mayor Dennis Wright. “It is good to see people from outside our area realize the good things we have to offer in Livonia. These new companies coming to town have created a lot of excitement for our residents and business owners.”

Here are highlights of the business growth in Livonia:

Amazon is building a 1 million-square-foot fulfillment center, which is scheduled to open in October with at least 1,000 workers.

MASCO is moving its headquarters and some 250 employees to Livonia in June.

Republic National Distributing Co. plans to build a new headquarters and warehouse in Livonia, which will house at least 400 employees when it opens in 2019.

Ford Motor Company, Trinity Health, UPS, and Consumer’s Energy each added a significant number of jobs in recent years.

Five new tenants occupy a redeveloped, 1 million square feet industrial facility on Middle Belt Road that was closed as an auto plant years ago.

why livonia? Mackinac Conference is great place to answer question

INSIDE

Upcoming Events................2

New Chamber Members..3 & 6

Ribbon Cuttings...........4 & 12

Renewals......................5 & 6

Connecting Cultures……….….10

Western Wayne Business

Leadership Banquet…………..14

chamber to launch

new livonia map

The Livonia Chamber of Commerce has once again partnered with NovoPrint USA to update our official area map.

This ALL NEW, full-color, Multi-Media Map will provide the Livonia Chamber of Comm erce m emb er s an affordable opportunity to promote their business, while showing their support for the community and their Chamber.

Maps will be distributed throughout our area using acrylic displays with a QR code and laminated wall maps with a QR code in over 50 locations. Our member sponsors will be represented in Print, Online and Display exposure all for the price of one advertisement.

NovoPrint USA will design your advertisement free of charge. The maps will be in circulation for two years.

Please contact NovoPrint representative Lori DeLaus for further information or to set an appointment to secure your spot on this exciting new project.

Lori DeLaus Phone: 585-737-3655

Lori DeLaus Email: lori@novoprint.com

Column continues on page 8.

Dan West, President/CEO

Chamber News

Several leaders with ties to Livonia attended this year’s Mackinac Policy Conference: From left, Wayne RESA Supt. Dr. Randy Liepa, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Livonia City Council Member Maureen Miller-Brosnan, St. Mary Mercy Hospital CEO

David Spivey with wife, Julie Spivey. Read more on page 8.

2017 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Chair Dan Laible NYX, Inc.

Chair Elect Paul Bohn Fausone Bohn

Treasurer Charles Dardas AlphaUSA

Brenda Durling Schoolcraft College/VisTaTech Center

Karen Sanborn Madonna University

2017 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jeremiah C. Belton PNC Bank

Terry Crouson The Growth Coach of West Metro Detroit

Vanessa Denha-Garmo Denha Media Group

Cheryl Doelker Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches

Denise Fair Henry Ford-Livonia Medical Center

John Hiltz OHM Advisors

Jamison Janda Detroit Metro Airport Marriott

Joe McCallion Lis, McCallion, Raymor & Co., P.C.

John Murphy Commercial Lawnmower

Andrea Oquist Livonia Public Schools

Sue Sabo MASCO

David Spivey St. Mary Mercy Livonia

Mark Taormina City of Livonia

Ben Tiseo Tiseo Architects

Kimberly Van Vliet Ford Motor Company

STAFF

Dan West President/CEO

Dawnne Toppa Vice President/CCO

Debbie Ferensic Office Manager

Laura Tahmouch Director of Marketing & Events

Rachel Fetter Marketing Assistant

Livonia Chamber of Commerce 33300 Five Mile Road, Suite 212

Livonia, MI 48154 734.427.2122

734.427.6055 (Fax) www.Livonia.org

Chamber News

new members for april– may 2017

Congratulations to the following organizations for recently investing in the work of the Livonia Chamber of Commerce.

2

Upcoming Events

Login and register for events at www.livonia.org.

Need to setup your login or forgot your password? Email Toppa@livonia.org

july

Monday, July 10 Livonia Golf Outing Presented by Mercy Elite Sports Performance Idyl Wyld Golf Course & 1 Under Banquet Center (35780 Five Mile Road) Shotgun Start: 10:00 a.m. $150 per Golfer Join us at our annual Golf Outing and enjoy the golfing package which includes 18 holes, cart, gifts, lunch, dinner, fun contests and more!

Thursday, July 20 3rd Thursday Networking with Southfield and Redford Hosted by George Matick Chevrolet (14001 Telegraph Road) 4:00 p.m.—6:00 p.m. Free for Members Join us to network with area chambers members to meet prospective clients, vendors and more.

august

Wednesday, August 23 Neighborly Networking Hosted by Courthouse Grille (41661 Plymouth Road) 5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Free for Members Enjoy networking with the Plymouth Community chambers of commerce and get in front of some new faces!

Save the Date!

Thursday, September 7 Connecting Cultures Sponsored by NYX, Inc., Fausone Bohn, Schoolcraft College and PNC Bank VisTaTech Center at Schoolcraft College 11:30 a.m.—1:30 p.m. $30 per Member Thursday, October 3 Western Wayne Business Leadership Banquet Sponsored by Bank of America—Merrill Lynch and Beaumont Ford Motor Company Conference & Event Center $1500 per Corporate Table

www.facebook.com/ LivoniaChamberofCommerce www.youtube.com/

TheLivoniaChamber

@djwest777 @livoniachamber

Chamber News Chamber News 3

96 Printing, LLC Category: Printing and Copying

Contact: Erron Reed 34935 Schoolcraft Rd Suite 102

Livonia, MI 48150 248-957-1696

A-kit America

Category: Technology Consulting Contact: Masahiro Imoto

39111w. Six Mile Rd. Suite 126 Livonia, MI 48150

734-953-2411 a-kit.us/en

Americas Best Value Inn Category: Hotels and Motels

Contact: Saad Yousif 28512 Schoolcraft Rd.

Livonia, MI 48152 734-425-5150

www.americasbestvalueinn.com

Artistic Upholsterers Category: Upholstery Contact: Bob Pizzuti 13189 Wayne Rd. Livonia, MI 48150

734-266-2929

Aspen Assisted Living Category: Assisted Living Contact: Natasha Thomas

32406 West Seven Mile Rd. Livonia, MI 48152

248-987-4460 aspenalf.com

Beautiful Minds Learning Center

Category: Child Care Center Contact: Beverly Hogan

27520 Joy Rd. Livonia, MI 48150

734-266-5188

Compass: Christian Business Alliance

Category: Clubs & Organizations Contact: Ken McMullen

Livonia, MI 48154 734-927-6876 ext. 113

www.michigancompass.org

Core Elements Lifestyle Center Category: Health & Wellness

Contact: Glenda Jeffords 19203 Merriman Rd. Livonia, MI 48152 73248-880-5495

www.yourcoreelements.com

FirstLight Home Care Category: Non-Medical Home Care

Contact: Pandora Ashley 17314 Farmington Rd.

Livonia, MI 48152 734-855-4758

www.FirstLightHomeCare.com

Hair Free Category: Laser Hair Removal

Contact: Linda Zaya 42000 W. Six Mile Rd. Suite 105

Northville, MI 48168 248-308-3882

hairfreecenter.com

I-Know-a-Guy Window Cleaning

Category: Window Cleaning Contact: John & Pam Mitchell

33157 Lancashire St. Westland, MI 48185

(734) 578-4257 www.iknowaguy

windowcleaning.com

L.J. Griffin Funeral Home Category: Funeral Home Contact: David Griffin

8809 Wayne Rd. Livonia, MI 48150

734-522-6200 www.griffinfuneralhome.com

Main Street Opera Theatre

Category: Non-Profit Contact: Noelle Jacquez

650 Church St. Room 204 Plymouth, MI 48170

734-656-8871 www.mainstreetoperatheatre.org

Masri Orthodontics

Category: Orthodontist Contact: Dolly DeVos

15230 Levan Rd. Livonia, MI 48154 (734) 261-8860

www.masriortho.com

Michigan Broadband Systems, Inc

Category: Computer/IT Consulting Contact: Steve Gladden

4043 Carpenter Rd. Ypsilanti, MI 48197

734-527-7150 www.michiganbroadband.com

Michigan Financial Mortgage Company, Inc. Category: Mortgage Brokers

Contact: Adam Rebandt 8404 N. Wayne Rd. Westland, MI 48185

248-233-6321 www.michiganfinancial.net

My Computer Doctors

Category: Computer/IT Consulting Contact: Dennis Ward 9329 N. Haggerty Rd. Plymouth, MI 48170

734-212-2337 www.mcdmd.com

No Place Like Home Health Category: Home Health Care

Contact: Kevin Sharples 15360 Blue Skies St.

Livonia, MI 48154 734-259-4200

www.nplhh.com

OccMed Connect Category: Medical

Contact: Nicole Adams-Gibson 27544 Schoolcraft Rd.

Livonia, MI 48150 734-718-1969

www.occmedconnect.com

Olive Garden Category: Restaurant

Contact: Renee Raydon 14000 Middlebelt Rd.

Livonia, MI 48154 734-458-5100

www.olivegarden.com/home

Premier Business Products Category: Office -

Equipment & Supplies Contact: Renda Ashour

1744 Maplelawn Troy, MI 48084

248-687-7700

www.premier-business.com

Raymond James, Livonia Category: Financial Services

Contact: Kevin Krym 37727 Professional Center Dr.

Livonia, MI 48154 248-427-1600 x2

raymondjameslivonia.com

new members for april– may 2017

Congratulations to the following organizations for recently investing in the work of the Livonia Chamber of Commerce.

New Members continue on page 6.

Chamber News 4

ATI Physical Therapy celebrated their grand opening on April 26 They are located at 29539 Plymouth Rd. Livonia, MI 48150 and can be reached at

734-793-0768. www.atipt.com

Burke Architectural Millwork celebrated their grand opening on April 28. They are located at 30940 Industrial Rd. Livonia, MI 48150 and can be reached at

734-744-9492. www.burkemillwork.com

Mother Bear’s Cub Care celebrated their grand opening on May 3. They are located at 16700 Newburgh Rd. Livonia, MI 48154 and can be reached at

734-972-3099.

FirstLight Home Care celebrated their grand opening on May 15. They are located at 17314 Farmington Rd. Livonia, MI 48152 and can be reached at

734-855-4758. www.firstlighthomecare.com

Olga’s Kitchen celebrated their grand opening on May 16.

They are located at 37612 Six Mile Rd. Livonia, MI 48154 and can be reached at

734-464-1400. www.olgas.com

livonia ribbon cuttingslivonia ribbon cuttingslivonia ribbon cuttings!!!

Bicentennial Dog Park celebrated their ground breaking on May 19. It is located at 36000 W. Seven Mile Road at

Bicentennial Park. Livonia, MI 48152.

Chamber News 5 Chamber News

Thank you to the following organizations for continuing to invest in the Livonia Chamber.

renewals april - may 2017

96 Printing, LLC

Abbey Flooring & Design

ACE Print & Promo dba Ace Business Forms & Systems

AFLAC Independent Agent -

Kimberly Valicento

All Night Auto

American House

Architectural Hardware & Supply Co.

Arlington Agency, Inc.

Aristeo Construction Co.

Ashley Capital

Atheneum Suite Hotel and Conference Center

Bank of America

Best Western Hospitality Hotel

BIGGBY Coffee

Bill Brown Ford, Inc.

Blessings in a Backpack—

Livonia

Block Advisors

Brighton Gardens of Northville

Canterbury Park Apartments

Canton Computers

CDP Diamond Products, Inc.

Chris Furniture, Inc.

Community Choice Credit Union- Livonia South Branch

Community Opportunity Center

Connor’s Family Dining #2

Courtyard by Marriott

Derenzo & Associates

Domus Vita, Inc.

Don-Lors Electronics

Dr. Mark R. Mortiere, M.S., D.D.S., P.C.

Edward Jones-Robin Whitfield

Elite Catering Company

Embassy Suites

Fairfield Inn & Suites

Feldman Chevrolet of Livonia

Festival of Trees

First Centennial Title, Inc.

Flagstar Bank

Ford Motor Co.-Transmission

G & D Accounting

George’s Senate Restaurant

Golden Gifts

Grace Communion International

Green For Life Environmental

Guardian Plumbing & Heating

Henderson Glass, Inc.

Home Aide, LLC.

Infoview Systems, Inc.

Jay-Bilt Construction

Jet’s Pizza

K & M Underwater Recovery Services

KTX America, Inc.

Ladywood High School

Laurich Dentistry, PLLC.

LegalShield

Lighthouse Plumbing

LIV Open MRI

Livonia AM Rotary

Livonia Anniversary Committee

Livonia Dental Group

Livonia Dermatology, PLLC

Luigi’s Pizza Café

Malone Staffing Services

Mitchell’s Fish Market

Modern Xterior Improvement

Neely-Turowski Funeral Home

Nesco Resource

New Hope Center for Grief Support

New Horizons

Learning Solutions

Nocerini Strategy Group, LLC.

NYX, Inc.

O’Malley’s- Supper, Spirits & Song

Outback Steakhouse

Panchero’s Mexican Grill

Parkside Credit Union

Perry & Drummy, Inc.

Phoenix Theatres Laurel Park

Renewals continue on page 6.

livonia ribbon cuttingslivonia ribbon cuttingslivonia ribbon cuttings!!!

Chamber News 6

Thank you to the following organizations for continuing to invest in the Livonia Chamber.

april-may 2017 renewals continued

Principal Associates

State Farm Insurance – Martin Wilder

Ram Construction Services

Renewal by Andersen

Residence Inn by Marriott

Sanctuary at Villa Marie

Sandler Training—

Turning Point Training and Development, LLC.

Schostak Bros. & Co., Inc.

Senate Coney Island

Shepard Insurance Agency

Skynar Bookkeeping Services

Standard Die & Fabricating, Inc.

Starloft Photo & Video

StorTronics

Sunny Media Group

The Angel House

The Crack Team

Title One

Two Men and A Truck

Valaset Services, LLC

Wright Beamer, PLC

XFER Communications

Rels Adult Day Service Category: Adult Day Care

Contact: Myrna Moss 9212 Middlebelt

Livonia, MI 48150 734-466-5059

www.relshomecare.org/ adult-day-care

Showermans

Fine Wine & Liquor Category: Party Stores Contact: Sam Shoukri

15333 Merriman Livonia, MI 48154 (734) 427-0930

Star Truck Rentals, Inc.

Category: Truck Rental Contact: Paul Turrentine

31766 Enterprise Dr. Livonia, MI 48150

734-422-9336 www.starlease.com

St. Rafka

Maronite Catholic Church Category: Churches

Contact: Tony Massad 32765 Lyndon St. Livonia, MI 48154

734-525-2828 www.saintrafkamichigan.com

Thrivent Financial Category: Financial Planning

Contact: Ken McMullen 14492 Sheldon Rd. Suite 350

Plymouth, MI 48170 734-927-6876 ext. 113 connect.thrivent.com/

great-lakes-region

Total Home Lending Category: Mortgage Lending

Contact: David Cardenas 36887 Schoolcraft Rd.

Livonia, MI 48150 734-632-9300

www.totalhomelending.com

Town Grill Category: Restaurant Contact: Brian Cacani 17162 Farmington Rd.

Livonia, MI 48154

Trigon Metal Products Category: Manufacturing Contact: Steve Gordon

12725 Inkster Rd. Livonia, MI 48150

734-513-3488 trigonmp.com

Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Category: Restaurant Contact: Debbie King 30971 Five Mile Rd. Livonia, MI 48154

734-427-5500 mi07.tropicalsmoothie.com

Tyme Consulting Engineers Category: Architects, Engineers, & Planners

Contact: Oge Udegbunam 32121 Schoolcraft Rd.

Livonia, MI 48150 734-522-0300

www.tymeengineering.com

Valpak Advertising & Media Solutions

Category: Direct Mail Advertising

Contact: Ron Gruskin 28180 Schoolcraft Rd.

Livonia, MI 48150 248-730-6996

valpak.com

Vartanian Photography Category: Photography Contact: Mary Vartanian

35416 W Chicago St. Livonia, MI 4850 734-905-0295

www.vartanianphotography.com

Walgreens Category: Drug Stores

& Pharmacies Contact: John Magnan

8850 Newburgh Livonia, MI 48150

734-524-9662

new members for april-may 2017 continued

Chamber News Chamber News 7

Chamber News 8

Three new hotels are under construction in Livonia as local demand climbs.

Vacancy rates (about 4%) for warehouse and industrial

space in the city at its lowest rate in 17 years.

To support the business growth, the Livonia Chamber of

Commerce leads efforts to boost the available workforce for the

region’s employers with several programs to grow skilled and

technical workers. The Livonia Chamber partners with

neighboring chambers and communities to advance the

workforce discussion and promote Western Wayne County as a

logistics hub.

We also have two recently rebuilt, major freeways run through

Livonia, which keeps drives from the city within 30 minutes of

downtown Detroit, the I-696 corridor of Oakland County,

Metro Airport and Ann Arbor. This makes Livonia a strategic

location for business, and a convenient location for residents.

Livonia is Michigan’s ninth-largest city with some 97,000

residents, and it was designed with smart planning that utilizes

its central location. Livonia is balanced with a healthy

industrial corridor along I-96 and nearby rail system, which is

separated from some 1,300 acres of parks, nature preserve, and

golf courses across the city. Livonia has the most

municipal-controlled green space of any city in Michigan.

There are other factors that contribute to Livonia’s strong

business climate:

The Detroit Metro Visitors and Convention Bureau report Livonia has the second-fastest rate of increased hotel stays, only behind downtown Detroit.

The state reports Livonia’s unemployment rate was 2.7% in March – about half of the state’s rate.

The city’s diversified economy features 10 different industries that make Livonia’s top-20 employers.

Recent real estate analysis indicates Livonia has one of the

fastest “days on market” rates for new home sales in

southeastern Michigan.

Commercial real estate brokers tell us they are really busy these

days as more companies look for new facilities in and around

Livonia. It is a great business environment these days in and

around Livonia, and it will be a lot of fun to tell others about it.

reasons to choose livonia Column continued from cover.

Chamber News Chamber News 9

Chamber News 10

At a time business managers are searching to better manage

millennials in their workforce, the Livonia Chamber of

Commerce organized a panel discussion to support a productive

multigenerational and multicultural workforce.

The second annual Connecting Cultures to Business Luncheon

returns to the Schoolcraft College VisTaTech Center at 11:30

a.m. Thursday, Sept. 7. The program is sponsored by NYX

Inc., Schoolcraft College, the law firm of Fausone Bohn, and

PNC Bank.

The panel features four highly regarded business professionals

who represent unique generations and cultures: Peter Ventura

of Principal Associates, Kellen Winslow Sr. of Madonna

University and an NFL Hall of Famer, Martin

Manna of the Chaldean American Foundation and Chamber of

Commerce, and Van Nguyen of the Beaumont Foundation.

The program will be moderated by Ron Fournier,

editor and publisher for Crain’s Detroit Business, who will also

share his insights into trends with the much-discussed millennial

generation.

“We had a great response to our first Connecting

Cultures luncheon last year, and we are honored that this panel

is willing to discuss how all of us can better understand a

workforce with so many backgrounds and experiences,” said

Dan West, president of the Livonia Chamber of Commerce.

Each panelist represents uniquely defined generation. Each

generation has similar characteristics based on communication,

shopping, and motivational preferences, according to the Center

for Generational Kinetics. The Center identifies the “Silent

Generation” as those born before 1945, the “Baby Boomer

Generation” as those born between 1946-1964, “Generation X”

as those born from 1965-1977, “Millennials” or “Gen Y” as

those born from 1978-1995, and “Gen Z” or “Centennials” as

those born before 1996.

“Generation-shaping trends are most influential as people come

of age, which means that members of a particular generation

will develop and share similar values, beliefs, and

expectations,” according The Center’s website. “It is important

to remember that at an individual level, everyone is different.

But looking at people through a generational lens

offers useful predictability for those trying to reach, inform, or

persuade a large cross-section of a population.”

The Connecting Cultures panel comprises business leaders from

four of these generations who will share their observations, and

their experience managing people from other

generations. Each panelist also represents a unique ethnic

group, and they will discuss how those dynamics come into play

in the workplace.

“We look forward to this incredible and valuable

discussion designed to help all of us appreciate and understand

everyone’s uniqueness, and how it can help each of us

productively work together,” West added.

Admission to the Connecting Cultures for Business Luncheon

is $30 for Chamber members, and $40 for guests. For more

information, call the Livonia Chamber at 734.427.2122.

CONNECTING CULTURES RETURNS WITH FOCUS

ON DIVERSE WORKFORCE ETHNICITIES, AGES

Van Nguyen, Panelist Beaumont Foundation

Martin Manna, Panelist Chaldean-American Chamber

Kellen Winslow, Sr, Panelist Madonna University

Peter Ventura, Panelist Principal Associates

Ron Fournier, Emcee Crain’s Detroit Business

Chamber News Chamber News 11

CONNECTING CULTURES RETURNS WITH FOCUS

ON DIVERSE WORKFORCE ETHNICITIES, AGES

Monday, July 10

Idyl Wyld Golf Course & 1 Under Banquet Center

2017 Livonia Chamber Golf Outing

18 Holes • Cart • Variety of Fun Contests

Gifts • Lunch at the Turn • Raffle • Dinner

IMPROVE YOUR SCORE WITH A GOLFER’S AID PACKAGE

Package includes: Two shot extenders,

One Mulligan, One power drive

REGISTRATION BEGINS AT 9 AM

SHOTGUN STARTS AT 10 AM

DINNER & RAFFLE AT 4:30 PM SINGLE GOLFER AID PACKAGE $20

FOURSOME GOLFER AID PACKAGE $80

$150

Per Golfer

Foursome

$600 $125

Tee Sign

Foursome

+ Tee Sign

$650

Chamber News 12

livonia ribbon cuttingslivonia ribbon cuttingslivonia ribbon cuttings!!! continued from page 4continued from page 4continued from page 4

Healthy Urgent Care celebrated their grand opening on May 31. They are located at 26531 Plymouth Rd. Livonia, MI 48150 and can be reached at

248-865-7481. www.healthyurgentcare.com

Athletika Sports and Fitness celebrated their grand opening on June 1.

They are located at 11844 Hubbard St. Livonia, MI 48154 and can be reached at

734-744-5636. athletikasports.com

AM Data Service celebrated their grand opening on May 23 They are located at 33097 Schoolcraft Rd. Livonia, MI 48150 and can be reached at

734-744-5300. www.amdataservice.com

Core Elements Lifestyle Center celebrated their grand opening on June 6. They are located at 19203 Merriman Rd. Livonia, MI 48152 and can be reached at

248-880-5495. www.yourcoreelements.com

For more information on scheduling a ribbon cutting, please contact Dawnne Toppa at Toppa@Livonia.org

Chamber News Chamber News 13

Chamber News 14

The leader of a company moving much of the business development in downtown Detroit in recent years will visit Western Wayne County leaders during its annual gathering in October.

Matt Cullen, the principal of Rock Ventures, will be the keynote speaker at the fifth annual Western Wayne Business Leadership Banquet to be held Tuesday, Oct. 3, at the Ford Motor Company Conference and Event Center in Dearborn.

Rock Ventures serves and connects Quicken Loans Founder and Cleveland

Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilbert’s portfolio of more than 100 companies, while leading key initiatives in real estate development, community investments and economic development.

Cullen is a 29-year veteran of General Motors (GM), where he was general manager of economic development and enterprise services. Cullen was chief architect of the automaker’s $500 million acquisition and development of the Renaissance Center as the automaker’s global headquarters.

Crain’s Detroit Business Editor and Publisher Ron Fournier is set to return as the event’s emcee.

The Western Wayne Business Leadership Banquet attracts hundreds of business and political leaders for an evening of premier networking and regional collaboration. The event is coordinated by the Conference of Western Wayne (CWW) and the Livonia Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with

the region’s mayors, township supervisors, and chamber of commerce leaders.

Last year, 375 people registered to the event highlighted by motivational comments by Shinola President Jacques Panis.

“This event is just another example of how our nonpartisan, nonprofit board comes together to achieve real solutions that enrich the quality of life in our region,” said Jordyn Sellek, the executive director of the CWW, the organization that represents 18 Western Wayne communities comprising 700,000 residents.

The CWW region includes many communities along the I-275 corridor, such as Livonia, Westland, Plymouth, Canton, Northville, Dearborn, and Romulus.

Sponsorships and corporate table packages are now available for

the banquet. For more information, contact the Livonia

Chamber of Commerce at 734.427.2122.

Matt Cullen, Principal, Rock Ventures & CEO, JACK

Entertainment will speak at the 5th Annual Western Wayne

Business Leadership Banquet

rock ventures’ matt cullen highlights 5th western wayne banquet

Last year 375 people gathered to hear Jacques Panis, Shinola President, speak about the growth and passion at

the Detroit company.

Chamber News Chamber News 15

rock ventures’ matt cullen highlights 5th western wayne banquet

Chamber News 16

tastefully livonia Thank you to the following

organizations for being a part of the 2017 Tastefully Livonia.

Bravo Cucina Italiana

Burton Manor

Dream Dinners

Elite Catering Company

Jimmy John’s

Joe’s Gourmet Catering & Events

MOD Pizza

Olga’s Kitchen

O’Malley’s– Supper, Spirits & Song

Sweet Lorraine’s Café and Bar

VisTaTech Center at Schoolcraft College

chamber snapshot

Members of the Livonia, Dearborn Area, Southern Wayne County and Westland chambers came together for some neighborly networking on April 19.

Livonia Chamber members gathered for a fun evening on April 26 with the Sports Radio Guys, Steve Courtney, sports director at WJR-AM and Art Regner, sports radio personality. Sponsored by State Farm—Jared Chapman and Lis, McCallion, Raymor & Co. They shared some behind the scenes stories and talked about observations they have made about sports.

On June 1, Chamber members created new connections over fine wines at our annual Uncorked networking event sponsored by Upstream Investment Partners and Greener Method Cleaning and Restoration. The event took place at Andiamo Restaurant, located on Seven Mile Road.

Chamber News Chamber News 17

31st annual livonia business expo

The 31st Annual Livonia Business Expo, sponsored by MASCO, took place on May 11 at the Laurel Park Place Mall. Each year more than 50 exhibitors participate in the show to speak to members of the Livonia community, create relationships and build credible business.

On May 5, 2017 members of the Livonia Chamber, City of Livonia and Livonia Community gathered in celebration of George Dimopoulos’ 80th year operating Senate Coney Island. The restaurant has been a place for good food, family and fun.

senate coney island’s 80 year celebration

The 2017 Business Breakfast Roundtable, sponsored by Edward Jones and Schoolcraft College, took place on May 11 to open the Livonia Business Expo.

Chamber News 18

Each of the city’s top-five employers added workers over the past year, according to a new report of Livonia’s Top-20 Employers compiled in April by the City of the Livonia and the Livonia Chamber of Commerce.

Ford Motor Company, Trinity Health, Livonia Public Schools, NYX Inc., and St. Mary Mercy Hospital each added jobs between April 2016 and 2017. The job counts include full-time and part-time workers.

“These are great indicators of Livonia’s recent economic momentum,” said Livonia Chamber President Dan West. “Most of our leading employers saw a bump in employment, and the growth extends over several industries. We have 10 different industries represented among our top-20 employers.”

The city’s leading employer, Ford Motor Company, added 145 jobs over the past year, fueled by the company’s plan to invest $1.4 billion to develop a new transmission line at the Livonia Transmission Plant. These numbers could continue to grow as Ford recently announced another $350 million investment planned for the Livonia Transmission Plant which is expected to save or add a total of 500 more jobs. While the transmission plant is a notable presence in Livonia, Ford operates several other facilities in the city.

Trinity Health, which is the country’s second-largest, Catholic-run health care organization, added 300 jobs to its corporate headquarters located in Victor Corporate Park.

Company officials said 200 of the jobs were relocated to Livonia during a consolidation that closed another facility elsewhere. Trinity Health is the corporation that oversees St. Mary Mercy Hospital and the St. Joseph Mercy Health System.

Other companies with notable job gains include UPS, which nearly doubled its workforce in Livonia, based at its regional distribution center on Schoolcraft near Middlebelt. This facility was slowed a bit in recent years with the freeway projects on I-96 and I-275, but with those construction jobs complete and significant growth in the shipping industry, UPS bolstered its workforce over the past year.

Consumer’s Energy added 90 jobs after completing a rebuild of its regional service center on Farmington Road near Plymouth Road.

Two of the current top-20 employers, AM General and A123 Systems will leave the city for new facilities in the coming months, but they will be replaced by two other large employers coming to town in 2017. Amazon is building a 1 million-square-foot fulfillment center on the corner of Amrhein and Eckles roads, which is expected to be complete and operational in October with at least 1,000 workers. MASCO, which produces many lines of home improvement products, constructed a new 90,000-square-foot building near Schoolcraft College, which will serve as the company’s headquarters and hold some 250 employees when it becomes operational this summer.

livonia’s top employers continue growth

Compiled by City of Livonia, Livonia Chamber (2017)

livonia’s top-20 employers

Includes part-time and full-time employees Includes employees based in Livonia facilities

Chamber News Chamber News 19

These featured members are honored as Ambassadors of the Month for their volunteer time for member retention, member development and Chamber events.

july

ambassadors of the monthambassadors of the monthambassadors of the month

august

Heathor Balazy

Parkside Credit Union (734) 525-0700

www.parksidecu.org

Kimberly is an Independent Agent with Aflac. She works

with Business of all sizes to provide Supplemental Benefits at

no cost to the Business Owner. Aflac has many options such

as Disability, Life, dental, vision, hospital, accident, critical

care, and cancer plans. Aflac also has options for Identity

theft protection! All these great benefits are at no cost to the

Business and the best part is you can actually save money to

your bottom line by offering the products pre tax!! Aflac is a

great fit for all businesses whether you are offering benefits

to your staff or not. Kim has been an active member of the

Livonia Chamber of Commerce. She regularly attends

community events and networking groups in the Livonia

area.

Kimberly Valicento

AFLAC (248) 767-7518 www.aflac.com

Photo: Michael Shuster Photography

Heathor is Branch Manager at the Livonia branch of Parkside, a credit union that is committed to improving the financial well-being of its members and the communities they serve. Heathor manages day-to-day operations of the branch as well as the new Member Response Center. In addition to her duties at Parkside, she is actively involved with the Michigan Credit Union League, serving as a board member for the Metro West Chapter. Heathor graduated with a B.S. from Michigan State University and has been working in the financial services industry for over 20 years. In her spare time, Heathor and her husband Mark are members of the Grosse Ile Yacht Club, where Mark served as Commodore in 2015. Heathor enjoys volunteering in the community and most recently chaired a fundraising event for Vista Maria.

Thank you to all our

Landmark Businesses

& Trustee Members

for their continued support!

UNDERCOVER SELF STORAGE

13995 Haggerty Road, Plymouth, MI 48170 734-354-9855 • www.undercoverselfstorage.com

Lighted & Fenced

Gated Entry & Climate Control Units

Short & Long Term Rental

Extended Access Hours 7 Days a Week

Locks, Boxes & Packaging Supplies Available

Security Alarms with Every Rental

Undercover Self Storage is expanding to better serve

the Livonia area!

We have just broken ground to build additional indoor storage units.

We are also adding outdoor parking for boats, RVs and campers.

If you are interested in advertising in

Chamber News contact Laura Tahmouch at

734.427.2122 or email tahmouch@livonia.org

Don’t forget to ask about discount

with a full year of advertising.

Advertising Rates

Business Card 2 x 3.5 $100.00 per issue

Quarter Page 4 x 5 $200.00 per issue

Full Page Inset $200.00 per issue

Half Page 5 x 8 $350.00 per issue

Full Page 8 x 10 $700.00 per issue