EVANSVILLE, Ind.–Metronet, the nation’s largest independently owned 100% fiber data network, announced that construction of new networks has begun in Portage in Kalamazoo County and Kentwood in Kent County. The installation will allow residents and businesses in those communities access to multi-gigabit data access. In Portage, the company said construction has begun near the intersection
DEARBORN–Ford Motor Co. Announced it had reached an agreement with Tesla Motors that will provide Ford electric vehicle customers access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across the U.S. and Canada, doubling the number of fast-chargers available to Ford EV customers starting next spring. “This is great news for our customers who will have unprecedented
DEARBORN–Ford Motor Co. has entered into a long-term agreement with Quebec-based Nemaska Lithium for the supply of lithium products, including lithium hydroxide, over an 11-year period. Ford also announced a lithium supply agreement with Chile-based Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM) (NYSE: SQM; Santiago Stock Exchange: SQM-B, SQM-A). The Nemaska agreement calls for
AUBURN HILLS–Flo Inc. was named a founding member of a new effort led by the U.S. Department of Energy to develop EV charging solutions on behalf of Americans, the National Charging Experience Consortium. Flo and other members of the group will work to measure and identify opportunities to improve customer experience with public EV charging infrastructure. “There
ESCANABA–Highline, the high-speed internet provider, announced the availability of 2-gigabit-per-second internet service in the markets it serves in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the Thumb area. Company officials said Highline is on target to complete construction to more than 32,000 Upper Peninsula and Thumb residential households while fulfilling the company’s mission to address unserved, underserved and previously
PETOSKEY–Petoskey Plastics announced the installation of a new manufacturing line designed to make disposable gowns for the healthcare industry. The company has invested approximately $2 million in engineering and first phase of the project. Additional lines and automation are in their final design stages. Mike Barto, Vice President of Sales, stated, “We have worked hard
DETROIT–RoboTire, the Detroit-based robotics and automation developer, announced it has installed its tire-changing system at a Detroit Garage, a tire shop at 33939 Plymouth Road in Livonia. The installation marks the first retail operation of a RoboTire system in the company’s hometown. RoboTire’s tire-changing system is designed to provide a faster, safer, and more efficient
SOUTHFIELD—The county executives of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties got together for a discussion Friday sponsored by the Detroit Regional Chamber, a bit of a preview of the traditional “Big Four” meeting at the Chamber’s Mackinac Conference that also includes the Detroit mayor. Warren Evans of Wayne County, Dave Coulter of Oakland County, and Mark
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.–The Norwegian hydrogen technology developer Nel announced plans to build an electrolyzer manufacturing plant in Michigan. The final location hasn’t been determined, but Nel announced that the plant would employ more than 500 people. The announcement came at the SelectUSA Investment Sumit at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor. Michigan
DETROIT–Tiicker, which claims to be the world’s first shareholder loyalty and engagement platform, announced it has closed on a $5 million seed funding round, led by Grand Rapids-based Baysore Advisory Group, East Lansing-based Red Cedar Ventures, and Flipturn Ventures, with participation from a group of tech and consumer CEOs and family offices. The Tiicker financing
