July 20, 2021 | Top Stories:
American Rescue Plan | Centrepolis Accelerator | Silicone Expo | Ciena Healthcare | Kawasaki Robotics | Federal Contracting Program | Economic Development Partner Meetings | Industry 4.0 Technology Road Show | NACo Award | Zoning Board of Appeals | PLC Technician Training Program | NPower Tech Fundamentals Program | Veterans Food Package Giveaway
A Message from Ingrid Tighe
Oakland County Economic Development Director
On Tuesday, July 13 in Oak Park we kicked off our Local Business Connect program with our first in person business workshop. Nearly 60 local business leaders registered for this regional training session that covered some of the most requested business support needs including financial management, business planning, and maximizing online presence.
Along with our content expert presenters from the Small Business Development Center and Pitch Black Media, this series of workshops will feature small business resource organizations, including CEED Lending, Chaldean Chamber of Commerce, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, Greater Farmington Area Chamber of Commerce, Huron Valley Chamber of Commerce, Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority, Main Street Oakland County, Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association, Michigan Small Business Development Center, Oakland County Business Finance Corporation, Oakland County Michigan Works!, Oakland County Veterans’ Services, Ortonville Downtown Development Authority, Pitch Black Media, Pontiac Community Foundation, SOAR—South Oakland Area Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Troy Chamber of Commerce—bringing information and support directly to communities throughout Oakland County.
This series continues in communities throughout Oakland County including:
- July 20 at the Flagstar Strand Theater in Pontiac
- July 21 at the Old Town Hall in Ortonville
- July 22 at the United Methodist Church in Lake Orion
- July 28 at the Salvation Army in Farmington Hills
Each event runs from 8 to 10:30 a.m. For more information visit OakGov.com/LocalBusinessConnect. Our team looks forward to reconnecting with you in person and helping you build strategies for success.
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Business
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The American Rescue Plan (ARP) will Allow Oakland County to Leverage Funds for COVID-19 Short-Term Recovery and Invest in Long-Lasting Growth
Through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Oakland County has been allocated $244 million to be used by December 31, 2024. Oakland County Executive David Coulter has convened a task force of community and business leaders who are working on evaluating the following areas for ARP funding:
- Economic Development for Future Prosperity
- A Skilled and Educated Workforce
- Affordability, Equity, and Opportunity
- Quality of Life and Sustainability
- Coordination with State, Regional, and Local Governments
Oakland County’s goals for the ARP funding are to ensure ongoing support; cover short-term public health, economic stabilization and recovery needs; coordinate with state, regional and local governments on medium-term priorities; and solicit and evaluate long-lasting transformational initiatives.
The work to allocate ARP funds has already begun with the Board of Commissioners reviewing recent resolutions and fund allocations focused on acute and immediate community needs involving housing, mental health and economic recovery, as well as funding for the Oakland Together Skilled and Educated Workforce Program. For more information: News | Oakland County, Michigan (oakgov.com)
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Centrepolis Accelerator Awarded a Regional Industry 4.0 Readiness Grant
The Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University has been awarded grant funding to provide regional Industry 4.0 programming and services to increase manufacturers’ readiness to adopt Industry 4.0 technologies. The funding is part of a Michigan Economic Development Corporation-led initiative to ensure 50% of Michigan manufacturers are prepared to adopt Industry 4.0 technologies by 2025. Learn more and apply here: Demo Fund | i4.0 Accelerator (i40accelerator.com)
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Silicone Expo – Save-the-Date
June 21-23, 2022
On June 21-23, 2022, the TCF Center in Detroit will host Silicone Expo, a must attend conference for anyone in medical device, manufacturing, innovation, engineering and health care. The event offers the opportunity for matchmaking, education and exhibiting. Silicone Expo is the world’s first free-to-attend commercial trade show and conference for the silicone industry. More than 180 global exhibitors from the entire manufacturing and extended supply chain (of elastomers, resins, fluids and gels) industries will be pitched face-to-face with over 3,500 buyers and delegates from a multitude of the industries served. Details: silicone-expo.com
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Ciena Healthcare Breaks Ground on Skilled Nursing Facility
Oakland County congratulates Ciena Healthcare on the groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting of a new skilled nursing and rehabilitation center in Troy, Mich. Regency of Troy will provide short-term rehabilitation and traditional long-term care for geriatric patients. The 154-bed facility on West Maple Road, between Coolidge and Crooks Roads, will create 250 to 300 full- and part-time jobs. Scheduled to open in February 2023, it will be the sixth Ciena Healthcare center in Oakland County and 49th location in Michigan. Read The Oakland Press article: http://ow.ly/RtMD50Fl3qx
and the DBusiness article: http://alturl.com/gh5p9
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Kawasaki Robotics Expands Facility
On June 28, 2021, Kawasaki Robotics (USA), Inc., broke ground on the new addition to their facility, which serves as the company’s North American Headquarters and Training Center.
This event marks the 16-year anniversary, to the day, of the company’s initial groundbreaking, symbolizing the automation industry’s continued growth and expansion. This new addition to Kawasaki’s facility is not just an exciting moment for the company itself but a testament to the resiliency and momentum of the automation industry. Learn More: Kawasaki Robotics (USA), Inc. Breaks Ground on Facility Expansion | Kawasaki Robotics
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Oakland County’s Government Contracting Program Training Continues
There is still time to register for the Wednesday, July 28, event, “GSA Schedules – Don’t Take No For An Answer.”
There’s a training for every business – no matter if you are considering selling your product or service to the government or if you have already been doing so. Increase your customer base, sales and success through these training opportunities and one-on-one assistance from our expert staff. Program benefits include an opportunity outlook for Oakland County businesses; finding contracting opportunities at no cost; assistance with writing a winning grant proposal; federal contracting training events; and access to regional small business resources. Check out the newly added Federal Contracting events here: OakGov.com/DTFC
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Sneak Peak: Economic Development Partner Meetings Return
Starting Wednesday, August 18, Oakland County Economic Development Partner Meetings will resurrect. They will be hosted in the L. Brooks Patterson Building Conference Center on a quarterly basis. The purpose of these meetings is for CVT officials, economic development directors, downtown directors, chamber presidents and stakeholders like the MEDC, MMTC, SBDC, etc. to share updates about economic development topics and initiatives taking place throughout Oakland County. More information coming soon.
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Industry 4.0 Technology Road Show
Oakland County
On August 12, 2021, at the Oakland County Executive Office, join the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, in partnership with Oakland County, to showcase and discuss some practical solutions to optimize your equipment and create a clear ROI in your manufacturing process.
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Community
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NACo Shines Light On Oakland County Pandemic Response
Oakland County’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic is capturing national recognition, garnering 12 NACo Achievement Awards. The county’s award-winning pandemic response programs included Oakland County Economic Development’s ReOpen Kits. Oakland County staff worked across departments and with partner municipalities, downtown organizations, chambers and the private sector to expeditiously assemble and distribute 15,000 free ReOpen Kits to small businesses, nonprofits, faith-based organizations and voting precincts to help them reopen safely within health protocols. The kits contained critical and hard-to-find Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), including masks, gloves, sanitizing solutions, thermometer, social distancing decals and industry-specific reopening guides via a companion reopen website. Read the full story about all the award winning pandemic response programs: oakgov.com/pages/news.aspx#/naco-shines-light-on-oakland-county-pandemic-response-county-garners-12-naco-achievement-awards
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Zoning Board of Appeals: Volunteers Who Listen, Evaluate and Help Protect the Integrity and Personality of Their Community
Hundreds of residents in Oakland County volunteer each year to serve on a Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). Serving can be difficult; however, it is an important role they perform for their community.
Last month, Oakland County’s Department of Economic Development partnered with the Michigan Association of Planning to train 67 residents from 22 cities, villages and townships to help prepare them for their role as a ZBA member.
Zoning is an ordinance, adopted by a local government, that regulates development of land, uses, activities and structures. In Michigan, zoning is under the jurisdiction of a city, village or township specifically (not a county).
Sometimes, a business or resident is unsatisfied with a decision or has a special ordinance request and comes to the ZBA. The ZBA functions as a quasi-judicial body dealing with land and is empowered to hear and decide appeals and grant variances. Decisions can impact current and future landowners, the use and value of the land and the larger community.
Training is important because a lot is expected of a ZBA member, including:
- Knowing, interpreting and upholding the requirements of a community’s zoning ordinances
- In an open forum, impartially evaluating the appeals of administrative decisions and requests for variances
- Ability to assess the potential long-term impact of various decisions
A ZBA member must treat each person and property in a fair and consistent manner—and excuse themselves from the decision-making process when there is a conflict of interest.
The Planning Commission, not the ZBA, is responsible for drafting zoning ordinances and the master plan, which is a guide for future development in a community. The planning and zoning functions need to balance various, often competing, interests of businesses and residents while maintaining the welfare of neighborhoods and protecting property values.
Contact your local municipality if you are interested in becoming a ZBA member. For a Zoning Board of Appeals Handbook, visit: mml.org/pdf/ZBA_Handbook_2015.pdf
See the American Planning Association for more information on community planning. Visit AdvantageOakland.com for Oakland County’s planning services, including planning training events, current and future land-use maps and statistics and more.
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Workforce
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Oakland County Michigan Works! PLC and Robotics Technician Training Program Provides New Career Opportunities
Unemployed or underemployed persons interested in pursuing a new post-pandemic career in the robotics industry are invited to apply for a spot in an upcoming training program for programmable logic controller (PLC) and robotics technicians, both of which are in high demand across southeast Michigan.
The program is administered by Oakland County Michigan Works!, in partnership with Oakland Community College (OCC) and the Workforce Intelligence Network for Southeast Michigan. Since its launch in 2017, the program has graduated 129 people, with 80 percent now working full-time in the field. The next cohort starts on July 19. Read the full story: News | Oakland County, Michigan (oakgov.com) and watch the Local 4 news story: Robotics technician training offered via Oakland County Michigan Works (clickondetroit.com)
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NPower Tech Fundamentals Program – Now Accepting Applications for Fall 2021
The NPower Tech Fundamentals program—done from the comfort of your home—will have you on the job in less than six months. This free, 16-week instructor-led virtual training offers an opportunity for paid internships or project-based learning experiences and an opportunity to earn industry-recognized certifications. Certifications include CompTIA A+ and IT Fundamentals +, as well as a Google IT Support Certificate and exposure to Microsoft, Cisco, AWS and other leading technologies. To Learn more or to apply visit: Application Process | NPower
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Veterans
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Veterans Food Package Giveaway – Tuesday, July 27, 2021, 9:00 a.m. to Noon
On Tuesday, July 27, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, a Veterans Food Package Giveaway will be held at the Holly Area Veteran Resource Center. All veterans, active duty, guard and reserves, as well as their families, are welcome to receive giveaway items, which include boxes of food and information on community resources. Registration is required: Click Here to Register
For help with registration, contact Joe Mishler:
[email protected] | (810) 348-9960
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