LANSING  – Michigan Celebrates Small Business has named more than 60 businesses, including the 2017 Michigan 50 Companies To Watch, to this year’s crop of growing companies. Winners will receive their awards May 4 at the Thirteenth Annual Michigan Celebrates Small Business Awards dinner.

“The companies selected this year give us an understanding of Michigan’s successful entrepreneurial ecosystem,” says Jennifer Deamud, Director of Michigan Celebrates Small Business and Associate State Director of the Michigan Small Business Development Center. “These companies are significant drivers of our economy. In addition, they play a critical role in their communities as job creators.”

Awardees, guests and small business supporters will gather for an evening to highlight the importance of small businesses in Michigan and to acknowledge sixty companies that are creating jobs and growing. The awards gala will be held at the Lansing Center.

The awards program will occur during National Small Business Week, April 30 – May 6, drawing extra attention to Michigan’s role in stimulating the national and global economy.

Companies nominated for the “Michigan 50 Companies to Watch” list must be second-stage companies, defined as having six to 99 full-time-equivalent employees and generating $750,000 to $50 million in annual revenue or working capital from investors or grants. In addition, the companies must be privately held and headquartered in Michigan.

Judges from the banking, economic development, entrepreneurship development and venture capital communities selected the winners. The judges evaluated the nominees’ demonstration of intent and capacity to grow based on the following:

• Employee or sales growth

• Exceptional entrepreneurial leadership

• Sustainable competitive advantage

• Other notable factors that showcase the company’s success

The following companies will receive the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch Award:

  • • Advanced Blending Solutions – Wallace
  • • Advanced Battery Concepts – Clare
  • • Air and Liquid Systems, Inc. – Rochester Hills
  • • Ambassador Software – Royal Oak
  • • America’s Preferred Home Warranty – Jackson
  • • ASK – Lansing
  • • Brown Iron Brewhouse – Washington
  • • Collective Idea, Inc. – Holland
  • • Continuity Programs, Inc. – Walled Lake
  • • Dataspeed Inc. – Rochester Hills
  • • Decypher – Berkley
  • • Doberman Technologies – Mason
  • • Downtown Restaurant Investments – Bay City
  • • DROUGHT – Royal Oak
  • • Edify North – Holland
  • • Environmental Testing and Consulting – Romulus
  • • Freshwater Digital – Grand Rapids
  • • Goldner Walsh Garden & Home – Pontiac
  • • Hurley Marine, Inc. – Escanaba
  • • Image360 – Traverse City
  • • IMC – Independent Machine Company – Escanaba
  • • inFORM Studio – Northville
  • • J Keller Properties, LLC – Ann Arbor
  • • JetCo Solutions – Grand Rapids
  • • K & M Industrial – Gladstone
  • • Kalkaska Screw Products – Kalkaska
  • • K-Tec Systems – Farmington Hills
  • • Latitude 42 Brewing Company – Portage
  • • Love & Buttercream – Royal Oak
  • • ManoByte, Inc. – Grand Rapids
  • • McCreadie Group, Inc. – Ann Arbor
  • • Mixed Staffing & Recruiting – Grand Rapids
  • • Mobile Defenders – Kentwood
  • • Motor City Carpet & Flooring – Warren
  • • MTW Industries LLC – Mt. Pleasant
  • • Northern Promotions, LLC – Lachine
  • • OneStream Software – Rochester
  • • P.J. Wallbank Springs, Inc. – Port Huron
  • • RBV Contracting – Detroit
  • • Safety Net Inc. – Traverse City
  • • Sandalwood Engineering & Ergonomics – Livonia
  • • Stone House Bread – Traverse City
  • • Tech Defenders – Grand Rapids
  • • Torrent Consulting – Ann Arbor
  • • Towel Tracker – Grand Rapids
  • • United Technical Inc. – Whitmore Lake
  • • Van Straten Brothers, Inc. – Baraga
  • • Vollwerth & Baroni Companies – Hancock
  • • Xeratec Corporation – Hancock
  • • Youngtronics, LLC – Wixom

In addition to the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch award, the following companies will be honored at Michigan Celebrates Small Business:

  • • Main Street USA Award: Sandlot Sports – Saginaw
  • • Innovation of the Year Award: Light Guide Systems (LGS) – Wixom
  • • Government Contractor of the Year Award: RBV Contracting – Detroit

Tickets are available for $135 per person or attendees can reserve a table of eight for $900. Tickets can be purchased online at www.MichiganCelebrates.biz.

Now in its thirteenth year, Michigan Celebrates Small Business has a strong network of over 600 awardee alumni.  To celebrate the continued success of past award winners Michigan Celebrates Small Business will be presenting two new awards. The Strategically Focused Award and Most Engaged Workplace Award will be announced soon and will be awarded at the gala.

Michigan Celebrates Small Business is a partnership of the Michigan Small Business Development Center (Michigan SBDC), Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), the Edward Lowe Foundation, Small Business Association of Michigan, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Michigan Business Network. MITechNews.Com is a media sponsor.

The Michigan SBDC is the managing partner of Michigan Celebrates Small Business in 2017.