Jeep omits Upper Peninsula in Super Bowl LV ad with Bruce Springsteen
DETROIT โ Weโre not sure why this keeps happening to the Upper Peninsula, but another giant company has decided to erase its existence. Jeepโs Super Bowl LV spot, featuring Bruce Springsteen, features a map of the U.S. at the end of the commercial -- but it was missing the Upper Peninsula. Jeep is headquartered in *checks notes* Auburn Hills. The commercial was about finding โthe middle,โ and uniting the country -- but itโs hard to believe the message when Jeep decided to cut out an entire portion of a state. More: A look at the commercials of Super Bowl LV
McKinsey agrees to pay nearly $600M over opioid crisis
The global business consulting firm McKinsey & Company has agreed to a $573 million settlement over its role in the opioid crisis, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File)The global consulting firm McKinsey & Company agreed to pay nearly $600 million for its role in advising businesses on how to sell more prescription opioid painkillers amid a nationwide overdose crisis. Washington's attorney general announced a separate $13.5 million deal and West Virginia announced a $10 million settlement with the New York-based company. On a video call with journalists Thursday, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein said that McKinsey worked for Purdue for 15 years. AdIn a statement, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said that McKinsey would pay out more than it made advising companies on opioid sales.
Michiganโs first certified organic cannabis company opens shop in Ann Arbor
ANN ARBOR โ In a town dense with cannabis dispensaries, it can be difficult to navigate the wide selection. But the newly-opened Apothecare Ann Arbor hopes to stand out from the crowd. It is Michiganโs first organic cannabis company, certified by Certified Kind, featuring 100% organic cannabis flower, concentrates and edibles. (Shanley Pearl)โWe are pleased and proud to finally debut our store and to showcase our unique organic cannabis products,โ co-owner Jack Edelstein said in a news release. Apothecare Ann Arbor features individual consultation stations.
Ann Arbor staffing agency hosting food drive through Feb. 3
SAN MATEO, CA - NOVEMBER 29: Donated canned foods sit in a bin at San Mateo High School on November 29, 2017 in San Mateo, California. San Mateo High School students are counting thousands of cans of food and donated packaged food items for their annual food drive. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)ANN ARBOR โ As the Big Game approaches, Express Employment Professionals of Ann Arbor is holding a โSouper Bowl Driveโ to tackle hunger in the local community. Now through Feb. 3, Express Ann Arbor will be collecting canned goods to donate to Food Gatherers. Since 2014, Express Ann Arbor has employed more than 35,000 people.
How an Ann Arbor company became a leading COVID testing lab in Michigan
A QuantStudio 12K Flex Real-Time PCR System at LynxDx's headquarters in Ann Arbor. โWe did -- and continue to do -- all of their screening and asymptomatic testing.โLynxDx also does testing for St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor Hospital. As of Jan. 20, the company is the second leading lab for COVID testing in Michigan, following Curative DC, according to MDHHS. Drive-thru testing in Ann ArborIn mid-November, LynxDx opened a drive-thru testing site in Ann Arbor in the parking lot of 2|42 Community Church at 648 S. Wagner Rd. in Ann Arbor.
Ann Arborโs PassiveBolt Inc named CES Innovation Awards Honoree for second consecutive year
ANN ARBOR โ PassiveBolt Inc. announced Monday it has been named a CES 2021 Innovation Awards Honoree for the second year in a row for its newest Shepherd Lock product. The worldโs most influential technology event, CES 2021 is taking place for the first time digitally now through Jan. 14. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Assiciation, the annual CES Innovation Awards program is a competition which recognizes groundbreaking consumer technologies across 28 product categories. PassiveBoltโs Shepherd Lock Gen2 is a home lock which features keyless entry technology and provides access based on facial recognition and touch. โWe are thrilled to win this highly prestigious award two years in a row,โ Kabir Maiga, PassiveBolt co-founder said in a news release.
Airbnb hopes to raise up to $2.6B in mid-December IPO
Airbnb hopes to raise as much as $2.6 billion in its initial public stock offering this month, betting investors will see its home-sharing model as the future of travel. Itโs a remarkable comeback for the company that delayed its IPO when the coronavirus pandemic crippled global travel in the spring. Airbnb has more than 7 million listings on its platform, run by 4 million hosts worldwide. But Airbnb has recovered more quickly than traditional hotels as travelers seek whole homes in rural areas far from crowds. Airbnb said it also expects more business people will book vacation rentals, since many can now work from home.
Ann Arborโs Llamasoft acquired by Coupa Software for $1.5B
ANN ARBOR โ California-based Coupa Software announced Monday that it has acquired AI supply chain company Llamasoft for approximately $1.5 billion. Llamasoftโs AI-powered cloud platform helps companies make quick, informed supply chain decisions. Now more than ever, supply chain agility remains critical as economic conditions, consumer preferences and the political landscape continue to change amid the global pandemic. At the beginning of the year, Llamasoft launched its newest product llama.ai, which helps bring forward valuable insights via proven supply chain algorithms. โWe are very excited about joining forces with Coupa,โ Razat Gaurav, CEO at LLamasoft said in a news release.
Another restaurant chain, Friendly's, stumbles in pandemic
โ Friendly's Restaurants, an East Coast dining chain known for its sundaes, is filing for bankruptcy protection. The company, which runs the restaurants under the parent company FIC Restaurants Inc., will sell substantially all of its assets to the restaurant company, Amici Partners Group. All 130 of its locations will remain open while in restructures under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the company said late Sunday. At least 10 chains have filed for bankruptcy protection since the pandemic began this year. But Friendly's Restaurants, like most other chains that have stumbled this year, had been struggling.
Hundreds of Regal, Cineworld movie theaters to close
Cineworld Group Plc said Monday that it would close 536 Regal cinemas in the U.S. and 127 Cineworld and Picturehouse venues in the U.K. this week, affecting some 45,000 employees. Last week groups representing theater owners, movie studios and directors issued a plea to U.S. lawmakers to provide relief to ailing movie theaters. Cineworld had also been highly leveraged, having largely funded its acquisition of Regal Entertainment in 2018 through debt. Greidinger hopes that that might be settled before Christmas, in time for โWonder Woman 1984.โโI will be the happiest man to open the cinemas for โWonder Woman," he said. โBut we will also need to look beyond โWonder Womanโ to January and February.โ
Ann Arbor based Home Point Financial dedicating $1 million grant to create 50 minority and female owned mortgage businesses
ANN ARBOR, Mich. โ In the spirit of Small Business Week here in Michigan Home Point Financial, a wholesale mortgage lender based in Ann Arbor has an exciting opportunity for aspiring business owners in the mortgage industry. On Friday, Home Point announced a new charitable community foundation, from which it will dedicate $1 million in grants to fund 50 new minority-owned and female-owned mortgage brokerages throughout the nation. The lender will allocate $500,000 to create 25 minority-owned brokerages and $500,000 to create 25 female-owned mortgage brokerages throughout the country. โAt Home Point, weโre passionate about expanding opportunities for people from all walks of life interested in participating in the mortgage industry,โ said Phil Shoemaker, President of Originations at Home Point Financial. We look forward to helping people make their entrepreneurship dreams a reality.โRead More: Ann Arbor Business
Ready to vote but need a ride? This company says itโs stepping in to help
And just like every election year, itโs of the utmost importance that citizens cast their ballot in this yearโs election. If youโve registered but are already concerned about how you will make it to a polling station, the ride-sharing company Uber wants to step in and lend a hand. As Election Day approaches, and as part of its โGet Out the Voteโ campaign, the company aims to help people find their polling location, as well as offer discounted rides to and from the poll during early voting. โAs we look ahead to this yearโs election, we are committed to doing our part to make sure every citizen has access to vote,โ Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said. Uber officials said as Election Day nears, people will begin to have access to important information in the app.
Frolic and Fawn brings comfort to newborns
Becoming a new mom has its special moments and its challenges. One company based south of Ann Arbor in Saline is bringing comfort to new moms by bringing comfort to their newborns. Frolic and Fawn is a company that makes soft cozy swaddling blankets and caps for newborns. Cara Fritz and her mother Christine Laginess joined the show to talk about the company. To learn more about Frolic and Fawn watch the segment above.
What Detroit CEOs had to say about George Floyd death, social injustice
In a joint statement the Detroit leaders condemned the acts of injustice in the tragic murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor and the many other men and women whose lives have been cut far too short." MORE: Detroit business leaders speak out against racism, institute plans to combat systemic problemsTogether the leaders agreed to eliminate bias, racism, sexism and violence within their companies. Heres more of what the Detroit CEOs had to say Wednesday:Rev. And when that officer put his knee down on George Floyds neck, it ripped that scab off and its bleeding. Were here today to say that the conditions of systemic racism in law enforcement will change when everybody joins the cause.
Team behind Wheelhouse Graphix helping other small Metro Detroit businesses during virus outbreak
Sean Flynn, president of the Bloomfield Hills company, said it is important to them to give back to the community. They are worried about how small businesses will survive and realized they could offer something that might help. Wheelhouse Graphix is making free signs for other small businesses, like restaurants, to help let the public know they are open for business. Small businesses that reach out to Wheelhouse Graphix will receive two lawn signs and a banner. Wheelhouse Graphix also printed thank you signs to place near hospitals in the metro Detroit area.
Team behind Wheelhouse Graphix helping other small Metro Detroit businesses during virus outbreak
Team behind Wheelhouse Graphix helping other small Metro Detroit businesses during virus outbreakPublished: March 20, 2020, 6:17 pmWheelhouse Graphix has seen its business slow down during this coronavirus crisis, but the team behind the company is focused on how they can use their time and resources to help other small businesses.
Parent company of more than 60 restaurant chains warns customers of potential data breach
HOUSTON โ Landryโs Inc., a Houston-based company behind more than 600 restaurants, hotels and casinos in the United States, warned customers about a data breach that could have compromised credit card information. According to the company, the data breach likely affected cards used in the 7-month period between March 13 and Oct. 17, 2019. The company owns more than 60 restaurant chains, including Del Friscoโs Grill, Bubba Gump Shrimp and Joeโs Crab Shack. Landyโs stated on its website that unauthorized access to their network that supports payment processing for restaurants, food and beverage systems. For more information and steps on how to protect your data, the full statement from Landryโs Inc. can be found here.