Nancy Bishop's
Ann Arbor Living
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Nancy Bishop'sAnn Arbor Living
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Procedures/01 Help/policies_and_procedures_tmphhp/policies_and_procedures.chm
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TechnologyTechnology
Technological Developments in Ann Arbor:
Meriton Networks, a leading provider of optical networking technologies, has become an Internet2 Corporate Partner. Meriton will work with the Internet2 community to develop and deploy leading-edge network services and capabilities that will contribute to the creation of next-generation Internet architectures and enable the most advanced network applications. Meriton Networks' focus on breakthrough technologies to support high-performance networking will play a key role in Internet2's Hybrid Optical and Packet Infrastructure (HOPI) project by providing the capabilities that enable revolutionary network architectures. HOPI is providing the Internet2 community with the experience in deploying scalable networking capabilities that advanced network applications.
Link: http://www.meriton.com/
The Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Smart Zone concentrates its efforts on growing small
companies that are established and/or currently exist in the community. While
remaining open to new technologies, the Smart Zone focuses its efforts on
industries with high potential for utilizing two or more of the area's historic
competencies, which include: advanced manufacturing, alternative energies,
information technology, small technology, life sciences and wireless technology.
The Smart Zone is also home to Ann Arbor SPARK.
Link: http://www.annarborspark.org/
If a computer or a digital camera is on your back-to-school shopping list, Ruth to the Rescue has a secret that could save you hundreds of dollars. From flying saucer toys to laptops, E-Gismoz in Ann Arbor says they'll save you money by selling overstock items that were sent back to the manufacturer. The idea is to get it from a manufacturer to the consumer as fast as possible. Brand names like Dell, Apple and IBM come from the big name electronics stores, but cost 25 to 80 percent less than at some other stores. E-Gismoz’s motto is essentially stack it high and watch it fly and that basically means we have to have the right things inside our store to make sure that our consumers are looking to buy it. E-Gismoz is also an alternative for anyone concerned about buying electronics over the Internet.
Link: www.egismoz.com
Nanotechnology:
Monal Labs: ANN ARBOR, Mich., Dec. 6, 2004 - John Allen, vice president of Monal Labs, feels the fields of nanotechnology, life sciences and biotech have the potential to lift the state into the next decade and beyond. But researchers and entrepreneurs need places to work on their scientific advances. And those places involve more than just setting up shop in an empty warehouse or office building. The people involved in nanotech, the advancement of new medicines, or even the automotive industry need rooms that are free of contaminants. These rooms, aptly called clean rooms are designed for work requiring a highly controlled environment. That's where Monal Labs of Ann Arbor, a biotech and specialty construction firm comes in. Monal is a division of Monal Incorporated Construction Services, a general construction company that has been around since 1978. Monal Labs is about four years old and is a bit more specific. “Monal Labs’ focus is to target industries that are technologically driven, the life sciences, nanotechnology and life sciences industries,” Allen said. The 20-person company helps in determine budgets for a project, plan the layout and flow for lab and manufacturing facilities and works on all of the other construction aspects. The company, along with Stephen Sussman Architect and Associates and Allen and Associates Architects, was chosen as the design-build team for a 45,000-square-foot expansion for North American Lighting Inc., a lighting supplier with a technical center in Farmington Hills. The company, which does work in the Midwest including Michigan, Illinois and the New England area, also renovated several wet labs in the University of Michigan's Medical Science II building. The roots of clean rooms come from the semiconductor industry. Clean rooms have different categories. For example, A Class-10 room keeps less than 10 particles one-tenth of a micron in size or larger from a cubic foot of air over one minute of time. A Class-100 room has less than 100 particles three-tenths of a micron or larger. “Certain operations don't want anything getting in the room and other systems, nothing getting out,” Allen said. While large, established companies often have their own divisions to create such rooms and deep pockets, fledgling companies often can't afford the cost of specialty laboratory facilities costing hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. A collaboration, spearheaded by companies or universities that can bring in together scientists, students, engineers and business leaders to work in one facility. An example of such collaboration is the Central Michigan University Research Corp., which this year received a $2.15-million federal grant from the Economic Development Administration allowing for the expansion of its nanotechnology research facility. “These are jobs that take education, take skills and they pay well,” Allen said. “And it's growing. There's a huge push on by the FDA to upgrade a number of facilities.” But finding funding for such rooms for research and development continues to be a problem, especially in Michigan, Allen said. “It's frustrating in some ways because I don't think the funding is available yet,” he said. “In Michigan the industry is in the very beginning stages. In Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, those states are offering a lot of money to bring people into these industries. It's been slow in developing but I feel it’s going to grow more. These are exactly the kind of jobs you want to have here for a great future.”
Who's Already HereThe Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area’s vibrant economy is centered on five main industry clusters:
• Automotive The Automotive sector has a long history in our community and plays a strong role in the local economy. Automotive sector activities are centered on research and development, manufacturing, testing, sensing devices, and information technology. Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti automotive companies include General Motors Powertrain, Visteon, Toyota Technical Center, and Lotus Engineering, and most recently, the announcement that Hyundai had selected our community for their North American Headquarters and Technical Center. . Life sciences is an emerging industry cluster. Eighty companies in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area are involved in the life sciences, particularly in the disciplines of pharmaceuticals, disease management and treatment, medical devices, and tools and instruments. Bioinformatics companies and contract research organizations support the critical work of life science research and development. Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti life sciences companies include Pfizer Research and Development, Terumo Cardiovascular, and Siemens Ultrasound. The printing and print technology sector has deep roots in our county. The Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area is the nation’s short-run book printing capital. Magazine and book publishing houses and print software are also found here. New ink technologies, such as digital inks, electronic digital inks, and RFID, are being developed here as well. Companies in this sector include Flint Ink, Car & Driver Magazine, Sheridan Books, and Borders Group headquarters. Small tech is another emerging sector. Small tech is a platform used to develop many products, such as sensors, fiber-optics, thin films, and other devices used in automotive, medical, telecommunications, and other industries. Two common small tech platforms are MEMS (micro electro-mechanical systems) and WIMS (wireless integrated micro systems). The University of Michigan houses the NSF’s MEMS Engineering Research Center. Information technology is the area’s largest industry sector, with 300 IT companies located in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area. Information technology functions in two ways. The first IT function is stand-alone applications, such as Internet service providers, web hosting, media and multimedia, and health databases. Second is IT applications that support industry sectors, such as CAD/CAM, industrial controls and automation, materials handling, sensors, and data mining. Information technology companies located in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area include GE Medical Systems IT, Aston, and EDS. Top Employers
Top 25 Employers Company Name - Number of Employees Business Description
University of Michigan - 30,574 Public University University of Michigan Health Centers - 7,645 Hospital, research, education Visteon - 5,581 Manufacturer of automotive parts & accessories General Motors Corp/Powertrain Div - 4,394 Manufacturer of automotive transmissions & components Pfizer Global Research & Develop. - 3,400 Pharmaceutical R&D St. Joseph Mercy Hospital - 3,300 Hospital Eastern Michigan University - 2,200 Public university, education Washtenaw County - 1,300 County government Borders Group, Inc. - 1,295 Book retailer headquarters Veterans Hospital - 1,235 Hospital ProQuest - 1,130 Microfilm & computer data base products Sheridan Books - 1,107 Book printing Creative Solutions, Inc. - 700 Software for accountants DaimlerChrysler Proving Grounds - 690 Endurance & durability testing Toyota Technical Center - 635 Research center Domino's Pizza Inc. - 550 Pizza preparation & distribution Chelsea Community Hospital - 530 Hospital Edwards Brothers, Inc. - 480 Book printing Unibar Maintenance Services, Inc. - 480 Custodial service to mainly manufacturing plants MEDSTAT Group - 450 Health care information, software, databases Pall Life Sciences, Inc. - 425 Biomedical devices and filters General Dynamics - 400 R&D imaging technology Malloy Lithographing Inc. - 350 Book printing JAC Products Inc. - 350 Injection molded parts, SUV racks Chelsea Milling Company - 330 Manufacturer of pre-mix baking mixes
Top 10 IT Employers ProQuest Creative Solutions MEDSTAT Group General Dynamics. ADP National Account Services ArborText, Inc. Metavante Fry Multimedia MSC Altarum
Top 10 Manufacturing Employers Visteon General Motors Corp/Powertrain Div Sheridan Books Domino's Pizza Inc. Edwards Brothers, Inc. Pall Life Sciences, Inc. JAC Products Inc. Malloy Lithographing Chelsea Milling Company Cottage Inn Pizza Inc NSK Corporation
Top 10 Life Sciences Employers Pfizer Global Research and Development MEDSTAT Group Pall Life Sciences, Inc. Terumo Cardiovascular Systems i3/STATPROBE, Inc. Cayman Chemical Company Terre Clinical Siemens MacDee, Inc. Assay Designs NuStep
Foreign Owned FirmsAGC America - Japan Lotus Engineering Inc - Malaysia Amcor - Australia Martinrae International - Canada American Honda - Japan Materialise - Belgium American Soy Products Inc - Japan MEDSTAT Group - Canada American Wera Inc - Germany Mercedes -Benz Emission Test Lab - Germany Applied Dynamics International Inc - Netherlands Mitsubishi Motors R&D - Japan Automotion, Inc - Switzerland Mueller-BBM - Germany AVL Powertrain - Austria Nagel PRecision - Germany AW Technical Center - Japan Neilsoft, Inc - India Barret Paving Materials - France net-linx Publishing Solutions - Germany Borries Marking Systems - Germany NSK Corporation, Bearing Division - Japan Bosal NA - Belgium Permo-Drive Technologies LTD - Australia Bott USA, Inc - Germany PEUS Systems Inc - Germany Brain North America Inc - Germany Philips Display Components - Netherlands Calty Design Research, Inc - Japan Piolax Corporation/Michigan Office - Japan Cameron Balloons - United Kingdom Pollard Banknote Ltd - Canada Cinpres Gas Injection Inc - United Kingdom Pribusin Inc - Canada Complete Design & Automation - Germany Quality Container - Canada Condat Corporation - France Schnorr Corporation - Germany Creative Solutions Inc - Canada SIKO Products, Inc - Germany DaimlerChrysler Proving Grounds - Germany STM Power - Netherlands Dexter Fastener Technologies - Japan Subaru Research and Development Inc - Japan Eco Physics, Inc - Switzerland Sunnex Inc - Japan Entivity Software Group of Phoenix - Germany Techstreet Inc - Canada ETAS Inc - Germany Terumo Cardiovascular Systems - Japan EWAB Engineering Inc - Sweden Thona Corporation/SarrGummi - Sweden GEAC Performance Management Inc - Canada Total Vinyl Products - Canada GFG Instrumentation - Germany Toyota Technical Center - Japan Gudel Lineartec Inc - Switzerland UBE Machinery, Inc. Horiba Instruments Inc - Japan Unimerco Inc - Denmark Hyundai America Technical Center - South Korea V&F Instruments Inc - Austria IAV Automotive Engineering, Inc - Germany Wandres Micro-cleaning - Germany IMRA America, Inc - Japan Wintek Electro-Optics Corporation - Taiwan Industrial Tectonics Inc - Sweden Woodbridge Foam Corporation - Canada Jobo Fototechnic, Inc - Germany Xycom Automation - Japan Kia Engineering of Michigan - South Korea Zap International - Germany Liebherr - Germany Zoller - Germany Lindapter North America - United Kingdom
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Other Nancy Bishop Websites:
NancyBishop.com;
NancyBishop.net;
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