Selection:

Ann Arbor.com Business Review seeks nominations for both Executive of the Year and Company of the Year, as well as companies that fit seven sectors that lead the local economy. Nominations are then pared to three finalists. From those finalists, one winner in each category.

The nomination process for 2011 will begin in mid-August.

 

 

 

2010 Winners and Finalists:

Company of the Year
Zingerman's: Ann Arbor is a town that prides itself on its history, its character and its entrepreneurial spirit. And we like to think of ourselves as unique. Only a portion of Ann Arbor businesses can say they meet all of those criteria. And of those, just a handful can lay claim to the term “iconic.” Yet that’s exactly how the Zingerman’s brand is regarded both here and across the U.S. It evokes the image of Ann Arbor as a group of retail products backed by the essence of the company: Quality ingredients, creative presentation, exceptional service and, driving it all, a social conscience. More...

Executive of the Year
Jeff Williams: The health care system is better off because Jeff Williams helped HandyLab develop its technology to the point where it was ready to disrupt the market for infection detection devices. Williams, who became CEO of HandyLab in 2004, built the University of Michigan spinoff company to the point where corporate competitors were ready to hand over their life savings to get the company. And that’s essentially what happened. More...

Commercial Real Estate
Kapnick Insurance: The company bought the former La-Z-Boy store at Briarwood, turning the high-profile retail building into a consolidated office for its two Ann Arbor operations.

Masco Cabinetry (winner): The former Flint Ink headquarters in Ann Arbor Township will become another corporate headquaters, this time for a division of Masco Inc. that’s relocating from Lenawee County and expanding.

University of Michigan Credit Union: The 7-branch operation will move its administrative staff into the former Ann Arbor News building in downtown Ann Arbor.

Construction & Development
120-124 W. Michigan, Ypsilanti/Maurer Properties: Three long-vacant buildings downtown were purchased for redevelopment into loft apartments and updated retail space.

Maple Shoppes/Magellan Properties: The developer turned some dated retail properties at Maple and Dexter into the city’s first commercial brownfield redevelopment, featuring Aldi and room for other new stores.

North Quad/University of Michigan (winner): The first new dormitory on U-M’s campus in decades, North Quad also contains classroom space and added hundreds of residents to South State.

Health Care
Altarum Institute: The Ann Arbor-based nonprofit is adding 25 jobs after receiving a $19.6 million federal grant to establish the Michigan Center for Effective IT Adoption, which is helping health care organizations adopt electronic medical records technology.

Kellogg Eye Center: The University of Michigan’s $132 million new eye care tower includes 7eye care clinics with surgery suites and research space solidifying the center’s status a national destination for eye care.

NanoBio Inc.(winner): The University of Michigan biotechnology spinoff is adding 4laboratories and office space after striking a licensing deal with GlaxoSmithKline, which is paying up to $40 million for the right to market NanoBio’s cold sore treatment.

Nonprofit
Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Regional Chamber of Commerce (winner) :The merger of two chambers made financial sense for each group but also sent a regional message of effective consolidation.

Fair Food Network: The Ann Arbor-based nonprofit regrouped after financial disaster destroyed its first incarnation, and over the last year gained steam in part due to a $3 million grant to connect low income people to local produce.

Merit Network: The Ann Arbor-based nonprofit received more than $111 million in federal funds to lead an initiative to extend broadband Internet access to universities, schools and public institutions throughout the Midwest.

Research
Cerenis Therapeutics: The biotechnology firm, which has dual headquarters in Ann Arbor and France, received more than $51 million in venture capital to accelerate its HDL cholesterol therapies, reflecting Michigan’s biggest VC deal in nearly four years.

Domino’s Pizza (winner): The Ann Arbor Township-based international chain spent 18 months researching and testing an entirely redesigned pizza recipe, and customers and franchisees embraced it this year, turning a risky move into a significant revenue boost.

Quantum Signal: The University of Michigan imaging and robotics technology spinoff plans to add 47 jobs to support its technology development after reaching a deal to acquire Saline’s former Union School.

Retail
Jolly Pumpkin Café and Brewery: Owner Ron Jeffries moved his beer-making business into the retail realm, opening a bar and restaurant into a long-vacant space on Ann Arbor’s Main Street and during its first year turning it into one of the street’s top destinations.

Spotted Dog Winery: The Saline retailer went from a few commercial clients to 45 in a matter of months, prompting the store to purchase the 6,000-square-foot former Stucchi’s manufacturing facility in Saline to expand its winemaking capacity.

Underground Printing (winner): The local screen printer also is adding retail locations in select college towns in the U.S. The growth touched two Ann Arbor locations, when the company bought the iconic Moe’s Sport Shop and opened a store on Main Street.

Technology
Arbor Networks: The University of Michigan spinoff network security firm was acquired by Plano, Texas-based Tectronix Communications, which plans to add 30 software jobs in Ann Arbor to support the company’s growth.

Mobiata: The Ann Arbor-based mobile software startup expects to double its revenue in 2010 and is actively hiring after runaway success for its mobile apps and new corporate partnerships with global travel companies.

Renaissance Venture Capital Fund (winner):The fund, led by Ann Arbor-based investor Chris Rizik, raised $50 million from corporate partners to provide cash to venture capital firms with a focus on Michigan technology investments.

2009 Winners and Finalists:

Banking and Finance: Winner - Lycera (click for AnnArbor.com coverage)

Lycera: The University of Michigan spinoff biotech firm landed $36 million in venture capital funding to accelerate clinical work on its top drug candidates.

NanoBio: The Ann Arbor-based biotech firm and U-M spinoff secured $22 million in two rounds of venture capital to continue developing its nanoemulsion technology, which has applications in a variety of therapies.

Local microloan collaborative: Several groups collaborated to create four microloan programs collectively worth $1.5 million to boost early-stage entrepreneurial efforts in Washtenaw County.

Commercial Real Estate: Winner - Cooley Law School (click for AnnArbor.com coverage)

Cooley Law School:Expands into Ann Arbor by leasing the 84,500-square-foot former Ave Maria Law School building in June.

Thomson Reuters: Ongoing growth of the global company - particularly its health division- prompted it to lease another floor in the 777 building, which now bears its logo.

Xoran Technologies: Its move into 45,000 square feet on South State filled long-vacant space and doubled the growing company’s footprint in Ann Arbor.

Construction and Development: Winner - Near North (click for AnnArbor.com coverage)

Near North:Developers teamed with Avalon Housing to get city approval and neighbor collaboration on the plan to build 39 affordable units north of downtown.

University of Michigan’s Stephen Ross School of Business: The $145 million, 270,000-square-foot hub of business education opened in January.

Cedars of Dexter: Framing is underway on half of the 60 two-bedroom retirement cottages that have an estimated construction value of $10 million.

Health Care: Winner - Terumo Heart (click for AnnArbor.com coverage)

Terumo Heart:The subsidiary of Japanese giant Terumo Corp. is concluding a $3.6 million expansion as its sister company on the Scio Township campus still grows after a 2008 tax abatement.

St. Joseph Mercy Health System and Chelsea Community Hospital: Their merger was finalized, and the health system contributed $25 million to create the Chelsea Area Wellness Foundation.

Life Science Innovation Partnership: The University of Michigan’s Life Sciences Institute raised more than $2 million to allow its faculty to continue pursuing innovative scientific ideas that might have global health applications.

Nonprofit: Winner - Packard Health (click for AnnArbor.com coverage)

Gift of Life Michigan: The statewide organ transplant agency completed its two-year renovation and expansion of its 40,000-square-foot building, growing its capabilities even as it posted new records for number of donors and transplants.

Packard Health:The clinic opened a facility on the west side of Ann Arbor, its first expansion after 36 years of providing local health care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.

Neighborhood Senior Services: The nonprofit announced that it would merge with Catholic Social Services as response to an ongoing funding crisis, setting a leadership example among nonprofits as the consolidation cuts costs while retaining services.

Research: Winner - Sakti3 (click for AnnArbor.com coverage)

Sakti3:The Ann Arbor-based vehicle battery startup, a U-M spinoff led by global battery expert Ann Marie Sastry, raised $5 million in private capital, expanded into bigger facilities and struck a technology partnership with General Motors.

U-M solar energy center: The university won an intense competition to land a 5-year, $19.5 million federal grant to establish a solar energy research center that solidifies the university’s status as a national leader in photovoltaic technology.

NeuroNexus Technologies: The Ann Arbor-based tech signed a deal with Netherlands-based giant Philips Research to develop a device to treat Parkinson’s disease.

Technology: Winner - Clean Energy Coalition (click for AnnArbor.com coverage)

TechArb: U-M collaborated with McKinley Inc. and RPM Ventures to create a free business incubator for student entrepreneurs.

GDI Infotech: The longtime Ann Arbor IT consulting firm acquired local firm Soft-Link International in a deal that allows GDI to expand into new markets.

Clean Energy Coalition:The Ypsilanti-based nonprofit vaulted to a statewide profile after acquiring a $15 million grant to help Michigan cities, companies and transportation organizations acquire clean energy vehicles and install alternative fueling infrastructure.