November 2021 | Top Stories:
Veterans by the Numbers | Quarantine & Isolation Guidelines | Oakland Together 40 Under 40 | 8 Mile Boulevard Association | American Battery Solutions Ribbon Cutting | Project Diamond | Technica Engineering | Shop Small and Local | Michigan Air Line Trail Dedication | NoHaz Year-End Report | MDA Presentation | Advantage: Apprenticeships Funding Program | Extension of Gulf War Presumptive Period | Veterans Resource Fair
A Message from Ingrid Tighe
Oakland County Economic Development Director
Dear Colleagues,
From groundbreakings, brand new funding opportunities and exciting events, Oakland County Economic Development has so much to celebrate this month!
First and foremost, we would like to take a moment to honor all who served this Veterans Day. To celebrate, Oakland County has put together a new Resource Fair on the 18th as well as video on Veteran Services home page honoring some Oakland County Veterans. To learn more about the large community of Veterans here in Oakland County take a look at the “Data Corner” below.
This November we are also grateful for some big successes and growth here in Oakland County. We celebrated American Battery Solutions’ ribbon cutting ceremony for an innovation Center in Lake Orion and recognized Rochester Hills based Air and Liquid Systems for their successful use of a Markforged 3D printer that they received through the Oakland County PPE Resilience Grant and Automation Alley’s Project Diamond initiative. We also celebrated the dedication of the Michigan Air Line Trail in Commerce Township and welcomed the German-based company, Technica Engineering, to Waterford.
If you are looking for ways to grow your business, why not consider apprenticeships? Oakland County Michigan Works! is launching the Advantage: Apprenticeships program to encourage companies to pursue registered apprenticeships, by providing them with funding to help offset apprentice tuition, on-the-job wages, and other related costs.
We are also grateful for our many small, local businesses located in Oakland County. To recognize our local businesses, our team is looking for community partners to help promote “Small Business Saturday” this November 27th and shopping “small and local” throughout the holidays. A special thank you to Genisys Credit Union for their generous contributions to the Main Street Oakland County communities to help promote shopping small and local in their downtowns!
Upcoming events include: Small Business Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021, Veterans Resource Fair, Nov. 18, 2021 and National Apprenticeship Week, Nov.15-21, 2021.
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Data Corner |
 Veterans by the Numbers in Oakland County
Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919 – the first anniversary of the end of World War I – and became a national holiday in 1938. In 1954, President Eisenhower signed legislation to change the name to Veterans Day as a way to honor all who served.
51,189* – The number of veterans in Oakland County (5.1% of the county’s
adult population).
57.3%* – The percentage of Oakland County veterans age 65 or older. At the other end of the age spectrum, 5.6% of the county’s veterans are younger than 35.
$45,949* – The median income for Oakland County veterans in 2019, 12.2% higher than the median income for all Oakland County adults with income.
$4.9 billion** – The annual value of sales/shipments/revenue of the nearly 2,000 veteran-owned employer firms in Oakland County. There are more veteran-owned firms in Oakland County than any other county in the state.
26,559** – The number of workers employed by veteran-owned firms in the county. These firms also pump more than $1.3 billion in annual payroll into the local economy.
Interactive resources and related information:
• Detailed veteran population profile from the 2019 American Community Survey
• Who Are Veterans – U.S. Census Bureau blog post on veterans in the United States
• Oakland County Veterans Services
• Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency
*U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-year estimates (2019)
**U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Business Survey (2017); figures include wholly veteran-owned employer firms and firms opened equally by veterans and non-veterans
Business
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 Oakland Together 40 Under 40 – Now Accepting Applications until November 19, 2021
Are you a dynamic leader who is making a difference in Oakland County? Know someone that is making big strides in their industry in an honorable way? We encourage you to apply for the Oakland Together 40 Under 40 Class of 2022.
To learn more about the program and how to apply, visit: OaklandCountyBlog.com/2021/10/19/Young-Leaders-Sought-for-OaklandTogether40-Under-40-Class-of-2022/
Oakland County Team Attended the 8 Mile Boulevard Association Annual Luncheon
On October 14, the Oakland County Executive team, Business Development, Planning, and Community Affairs groups attended the 8 Mile Boulevard Association (8MBA) annual luncheon. 8MBA comprises of thirteen communities and three counties along Eight Mile Road, as well as the Michigan Department of Transportation, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments and the Greater Detroit Economic Group. Its goal is to facilitate collaboration toward the revitalization of Eight Mile Road, with a focus on the corridor from I-94 to I-275 – a span of 27 miles.
To learn more about 8MBA, visit: EightMile.org
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 Pictured above: Chris Barnett,Orion Township, Michigan Supervisor; Michigan's Governor Gretchen Whitmer; Subhash Dahr, Founder, Chairman and CEO of American Battery Solutions; Ingrid Tighe, Economic Development Director, Oakland County; and Rosemary Bayer, Michigan State Senator.
American Battery Solutions Inc. Celebrates Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for new Innovation Center in Lake Orion
Congratulations to American Battery Solutions Inc. (ABS) on the expansion of their Innovation Center in Lake Orion, Michigan. The new facility will manufacture lithium-ion batteries for clients on the cutting edge of mobility and electrification. It will also create over 100 jobs with plans of doubling its workforce in Michigan by 2023. This advanced technology will not only help Oakland County’s manufacturing companies, but will also contribute to the global fight against climate change. The development of the next generation of lithium-ion batteries for vehicles is one of the essential keys in getting closer to carbon neutrality.
To read Governor's Office news release, visit: ow.ly/BJLT50GtstQ
To learn more about ABS, visit: AmericanBatterySolutions.com/
PPE Resilience Grant, Project Diamond and Markforged 3D Printers Helping Companies Adopt Industry 4.0 Technologies
On October 25, Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter, Deputy County Executive Sean Carlson, Oakland County Economic Development's Director Ingrid Tighe, Michigan Economic Development Corporation's CEO Quentin L. Messer, Jr. and leaders from Automation Alley gathered at Air and Liquid Systems, Inc. in Rochester Hills to discuss the success that has come from the PPE Resilience Grant and Project Diamond initiative for the Oakland County manufacturing company.
Air and Liquid Systems is a small business manufacturer of air, liquid filtration and separation equipment. Since being awarded the Oakland County PPE Resilience Grant and being part of Automation Alley’s Project Diamond, they have received a Markforged 3D printer that has not only increased their production and sales but also innovation and design capabilities while decreasing cost and production time. Engineers at Air and Liquid Systems soon realized they could use the 3D printer to make actual parts and save money. A $98 piece now costs $2 to make. Another piece went from $6.85 to $1.44 per part.
If you are a manufacturing company based in Oakland or Macomb Counties interested in learning about or applying for this program, visit: ProjectDiamond.org
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Oakland County Welcomes Technica Engineering to Waterford
Technica Engineering, a German based company, has chosen to locate in Oakland County. The new location will be in Waterford as they bring their engineering knowledge and products to the North American market. Due to the proximity of many Automotive OEM's and Tier Suppliers, Technica is in the perfect place to help car manufacturers with the development of Autonomous Vehicles, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, and architecting secure automotive networks in vehicles. Helping to lead this new operation as C.O.O. and Regional Manager is a life-long Oakland County resident, Anthony Morrone. To learn more about Technica Engineering, visit: Technica-Engineering.de/en/
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Community
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 LET’S GO: Shop Small and Local
We are looking for community partners to help us promote Small Business Saturday (on November 27 this year) and shopping “small and local” throughout the holidays. Here are three easy ways to participate:
① SHOPPER CARDS: Order or pick up some Shopper Cards at Oakland County’s Executive Office Building* and distribute to your small businesses to use. The reverse side is blank for them to do some custom messaging (e.g., special incentives or activities they have during the holiday shopping season). To place an order, contact Erick Phillips at phillipse@oakgov.com | (248) 858-4070
② COMMUNITY LISTINGS: Let us know any special activities or small businesses you would like to highlight on the website OakGov.com/ShopSmall. It is organized in alpha order by community name and is designed as a resource to attract potential shoppers to your community. For a community listing, email Paula Harrington at harringtonp@oakgov.com
③ SOCIAL MEDIA: If you or any of your small businesses would like to connect with this “Shop Small and Local” campaign, here are the main handles and hashtags:
#ShopLocalOaklandTogether | #OaklandCounty | @AdvantageOak
NOTE: A special thanks goes out to Genisys Credit Union and their gennerous contributions to the Main Street Oakland County communities to help them promote shopping small and local in their downtowns.
*To pick up Shopper Cards at Oakland County’s Executive Office Building | Open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. | Located at 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, Waterford, MI 48328 – Building 41W. Come to Main Entrance | Reception Desk.
 Group gathers at a ribbon cutting to celebrate Phase 1 of the MI Air Line Trail.
Michigan Air Line Trail Dedication in Commerce Township
The dedication of Phase 1 of the Michigan Air Line Trail and a new trailhead in Commerce Township took place in September. This is the newest completed rail-trail in Oakland County. The 5.3-mile asphalt trail links directly to the West Bloomfield Trail, local businesses in the downtowns of Wixom and Walled Lake, schools, parks, and the M-5 Metro Trail. To complete this major infrastructure project, many public, private and non-profit organizations collaborated, including Wixom, Commerce Township, Walled Lake, West Bloomfield, the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, Mike Levine Family Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Rochester, SEMCOG, Michigan Department of Transportation, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, L. J. Construction, Spalding DeDecker, Stantec, and On The Dunes Restaurant. Kristen Wiltfang, administrator, in Oakland County’s Planning Division was instrumental in helping to coordinate this project. The MI Air Line is also designated as a segment of the Great Lake to Lake Trail - Route 1, a cross-state destination trail that extends from South Haven to Port Huron.
For more information or to download a trail map, visit:
MIAirLineTrail.com/ | GreatLakeToLakeTrails.org/
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NoHaz 2021 Year-End Report
2021 was another successful year for household hazardous waste collection in Oakland County. The NoHaz program bounced back from the pandemic with a full slate of collection events, even achieving record-high attendance at one location. Here are some high-level stats from this year's events. A total of 656,867 lbs. of household hazardous waste was collected. A little over 4,400 Oakland County residents participated, dropping off an average of 149 lbs. per vehicle. Since the program's inception in 2003, NoHaz has collected 8,016,415 lbs. of household hazardous waste, contributing to making Oakland County safer, cleaner and more environmentally responsible.
To learn more, visit: NoHaz.com
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Economic Development Staff Share Their Expertise on Managing Effective Boards and the Value of Downtowns and County Government Working Together
Some downtowns and municipalities in the county regularly tap into the resources of the Department of Economic Development and form strong partnerships with the Planning Division. Other groups are just not aware of the expertise and services that are available to them through the county.
Recently, some county staff and a community partner banded together to share their knowledge and experience with the Michigan Downtown Association conference attendees. John Bry, supervisor, and Annaka Norris, senior planner, in the county’s Local Business Development unit gave a presentation on “How to Be An Effective Board Member,” and Annaka joined with Kate Knight, executive director, Farmington Downtown Development Authority, to provide some specifics on “Downtowns and County Governments: How Do We Best Work Together.”
In case you know anyone who could use a refresher, the first presentation included Good Board Member Etiquette Tips, such as: Show up on time. Read the board packet before you get to the meeting. Let everyone in the room have a voice. Participate. Share your knowledge. Treat everyone with respect, even when you disagree. Contribute financially.
The county’s downtowns, in all their forms, and the Main Street Oakland County (MSOC) coordinating program are major assets for attracting residents, businesses, workers, students, and visitors. MSOC is flexible, supporting a diverse group of downtowns and commercial corridors in 25 county communities. Kate and Annaka shared in their presentation some of the benefits of being in the program—especially during the pandemic, including:
- Small business grants and reopening tool kits
- Restaurant relief grants
- Educational opportunities
- Technical visits
- Conceptual façade designs
- Opportunities to collaborate with surrounding communities
- Increased economic development
If you would like to know more about the benefits of being a Main Street community, visit: MainStreetOaklandCounty.com
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Workforce
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Oakland County Launches "Advantage: Apprenticeships" Funding Program To Help Local Employers Attract Talent
Oakland County Michigan Works! is launching a program to encourage companies in a variety of industries to pursue registered apprenticeships, by providing them with funding to help offset apprentice tuition, on-the-job wages and other related costs.
Advantage: Apprenticeships, funded by a $625,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, is being introduced as part of Oakland County’s celebration of National Apprenticeship Week, November 15-21.
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Veterans
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Extension of Gulf War Presumptive Period
The Department of Veteran Affairs has extended the presumptive period for qualifying chronic disabilities resulting from undiagnosed illnesses in Persian Gulf War veterans to December 31, 2026. To learn more about Veterans Affairs and Gulf War veterans, visit: Benefits.VA.gov/Persona/Veteran-GulfWar.asp
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Veterans Resource Fair – Thursday, November 18, 9:00 a.m. to Noon
On Thursday, Nov. 18, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, a Veterans Resource Fair will be held at the VFW Post 1370 in Pontiac. All veterans, active duty, guard and reserves, and their families are invited to receive housing counseling, career planning, training programs, boxes of food, information on community resources and more. To register or learn more, visit: Eventbrite.com/e/Veterans-Resource-Fair-Tickets-194680634017
Contact: Modesto De La O at vfw1370@gmail.com or (248) 821-9203
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