Don’t miss your chance to attend the Macomb Business Awards next Tuesday, Feb. 14! Today is the last day to purchase tickets, which are available online at macombbusiness.com/bizawards.
Over the last few weeks, we have shared with you the nominees for Champion of Workforce Development, Corporate Citizen, Diversification Leader, Efficiency Expert and Model of OneMacomb awards. Here are the exciting new companies that have been operating for less than four years and have more than two full-time employees that are nominated for the final category: Startup Business to Watch.
Allegiance Gym (Warren)
Allegiance Gym provides health, skills and fitness training to suit every age and level of experience. They offer jujitsu, live sparring, Muay Thai training, wrestling, boxing, submission grappling, mixed martial arts and more. Their instructors help children and young adults gain confidence in their abilities to effectively ward off an attacker, and law enforcement officers who are part of their clientele indicate feeling better equipped to adequately protect themselves in a hand-to-hand combat situation. In just under one year, owners Chris Wisniewski and Brendan Seguin have developed a uniquely strong bond with their clients, which has helped their business grow.
allegiancegym.com
Avaneer Dental Studio (Warren)
Avaneer is a dental laboratory that specializes in designing advanced all-ceramic restorations. Founded in October of 2013 with one employee, the company now has 13 full-time employees plus two co-op employees. The business has been profitable from the first year of operation, and once they started growing at an accelerated rate, Avaneer partnered with an investor, adding value to the company. In less than three years, they upgraded from a 1,100-square-foot facility to a 3,500-square-foot suite. Though uncommon for a startup lab to expand beyond their local region, Avaneer already provides dental laboratory services to five states.
avaneerdental.com
Miller’s Big Red (Washington Township)
Miller’s Big Red was acquired in June of 2013. It is a fruit orchard that offers you-pick strawberries, raspberries, peaches, plums, cherries, 22 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, 16 varieties of apples, asparagus and a variety of other products. Significant efforts and monies have been allocated for saving, reviving and expanding the business. Currently under construction is a year-round cider house and brewery scheduled to open early this year. The facility will also be utilized for manufacturing hard cider, beer and spirits. Big Red is committed to serving the metro Detroit area as a local venue and source for Michigan-made products.
millersbigred.com
Brown Iron Brewhouse (Washington Township)
A premier destination brewpub and full-service restaurant, Brown Iron opened in January of 2015. They showcase small batch craft beer made in-house and specialize in freshly made smokehouse cuisine. They have quickly become a fixture in northern Macomb County, combing several pieces of blighted property and transforming it into a German-style brewpub. In their first year of business, Brown Iron was named Best Beer Bar in Michigan by craftbeer.com. They welcomed more than 200,000 guests in the first 18 months, and sales have increased more than 16 percent since last year. Brown Iron continues to grow and is seeking a second location within Macomb County.
browniron.com
Laser Mark-It (Richmond)
Laser Mark-It traveled to New Mexico to learn glass etching and stone craving, added dye sublimation, porcelain memorials, ad specialties, signage and UV printing. They also offer laser engraving, photo throws, tile murals and wall tributes. From a simple metal tag to a beautiful photo on wood, Laser Mark-It can make a keepsake that lasts a lifetime. They take pride in what they do and have filled a need in the area for this type of work. They are always pleasant with customers and employees and are also involved in community events. Due to their growing business, they recently moved into a larger shop.
lasermark-it.com
Macomb Construction LLC (Shelby Township)
From small handyman projects like a rejuvenated kitchen or bathroom to an entire custom home remodel, Macomb Construction provides complete professionalism. They are a licensed and insured full construction company that specializes in roofing; siding; windows; additions; garages and garage doors; concrete driveways; basement, bathroom and kitchen remodeling; custom builds; rooftop snow removal; and landscaping. They are an expanding company with a great work ethic. Their jobs are done in a timely and very expert manner.
macombconstruction.com
Rose-A-Lee Technologies (Sterling Heights)
Rose-A-Lee is an economically disadvantaged woman-owned small business incorporated in 2013 that offers engineering services with prototype manufacturing. They specialize in tool and fixture design as well as reverse engineering for the U.S. government. Their capabilities include sheet metal stampings, fabrications and CNC machining. Rose-A-Lee’s primary market is the defense industry, and they have been able to enter the market and increase sales year after year in a time when spending has been reduced. In 2016, the company purchased two vertical mills and a CNC lathe to keep up with orders as a prime and tier one supplier to the U.S. government.
rosealeetechnologies.com
TM Solutions (Roseville)
TM Solutions is a metal fabrication business that supports the automotive, defense and commercial industries. Their services include laser cutting, CNC forming, robotic welding, metallurgical engineering, certified welding and product design. TM Solutions’ goal is to emerge as a leading global manufacturer from concept to completion. Their engineering and manufacturing expertise is integrated, which allows for innovative, cost-effective and on-time delivery of their custom solutions to market. They are their customers’ single source for innovative design, engineering and flexible manufacturing.
tmsglobalservices.com
Trillium Facility Solutions (Shelby Township)
Trillium FS exists to make the lives of their clients simpler. They are a provider of facility solutions for clients with geographically dispersed properties. Their technology platform provides a single source for all facility services by engaging their pre-qualified network of contractors, offering a range of services including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, painting and carpentry. They also offer snow and ice management as well as landscaping services. Trillium FS is transforming the facility management industry through the use of technology. They are currently developing mobile app tools that will soon become the next big Uber-style app for facility management companies nationwide.
trilliumfacility.com
United Shore Professional Baseball League (Utica)
USPBL is the first professional independent baseball league in Southeast Michigan. The league’s inaugural season in 2016 featured three teams: Utica Unicorns, Eastside Diamond Hoppers and Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers. USPBL attracted more than 225,000 fans during its first season at Jimmy John’s Field. Starting the league was a Herculean task that included working with city and county officials, securing corporate sponsors, constructing a state-of-the-art stadium, designing team logos and uniforms, hiring more than 400 employees, marketing and launching a baseball finishing school. USPBL has significant plans for growth in the future including a fourth team next season and additional stadiums in the future.
uspbl.com
Caitlin Gerds-Habermas is an associate planner in Business Outreach and Communications for the Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development.
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