Crain's Detroit Business - 25th Anniversary Issue, May 3, 2010 - (Page E7)

May 3, 2010 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Page E7 25 Companies to Watch Successful companies model area’s trajectory A n anniversary is a good time to reflect on the past, but it also provides an opportunity to look toward the future — in this case the future of Southeast Michigan’s economy. Will the auto industry still be important to our economy? Of course. But different kinds of companies will emerge, and the degree to which they succeed will be important. Crain’s has identified 25 companies in a range of sizes that we believe represent important ideas about the economy over the next 25 years. They each fall in at least one of the following categories: Established companies that have learned to successfully adapt to changing market conditions. New big projects in desirable industries that have the potential to be large employers. Small and second-stage companies carving out market niches and finding ways to grow. Companies working on promising new technologies or products. Crain’s also has identified a dozen outstate companies to watch and an emerging “solar valley” in mid-Michigan. Those companies appear on Pages E21 and E22. And, finally, there is a core of well-known companies beyond the Detroit 3 that have been important contributors to the metro Detroit economy and its civic life and are expected to continue into the future. Twenty-five of those “mainstay” companies are listed in the right-hand columns on Pages E9, E11, E13, E15, E19 and E20. Manufacturing W Industries Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E9 Plastipak Holdings Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E10 Plex Systems Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E10 General Electric Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E11 WILLIAM JORDAN DAYMON HARTLEY W industries Inc. J.S. Vig Construction Co. BY MICHELLE MARTINEZ SPECIAL TO CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS wenty-five years from now, Detroit’s economy won’t be measured by how much horsepower it can build, but by how much brainpower it can accumulate. Metro Detroit will have a smaller economy overall, but so-called knowledge-based industries including life sciences, engineering, design, health care and advanced manufacturing for everything from alternative energy to medical equipment will grow as automotive’s influence recedes, economists say. But just how much the region flourishes in the future depends on how much is invested in education now. Knowledge-based industries “show the most promise to lead future economic growth,” said Don Grimes, a University of Michigan economist who studies the Detroit regional economy. But they require skilled and educated workers, he said. “If we’re lucky, we’ll be smaller but richer,” he said. Metro Detroit lost more than 208,000 manufacturing jobs T If we’re lucky, we’ll be smaller but richer. Don Grimes, University of Michigan and health services will jump to 20.4 during the past decade, according to percent from 16.3 percent, according figures from Moody’s Economy.com to Economy.com; and analyst Sophia Koropeckyj. professional and busiAnd if five years ago the region ness services, which had 141,000 workers in automotive includes jobs like manufacturing, by 2035 that will likemarketing and public ly shrink to 56,000 workers, Grimes relations, will inch up predicted in a 2007 analysis for the to 17.6 percent of area Southeast Michigan employment from 17.2 Council of Governpercent. ments. Short-term, That analysis Michigan Departincluded Wayne, ment of Energy, Oakland, MaLabor and Ecocomb, Washtenomic Growth naw, Livingston, forecasts show Monroe and St. by 2016 occupaClair counties. Lou Glazer, Michigan Future Inc. tions ranging Grimes’ 2007 from personal fistudy provided a benchmark forecast nance advisers to against a more optimistic and pessoftware engineers and network anasimistic glimpse into the future. Metro Detroit is currently performing lysts growing by double digits. Educators — particularly health just below the pessimistic track, he educators — pharmacy technicians, said. physical therapists and physician as“We didn’t capture [the degree of] sistants are forecast to experience loss of white collar auto industry big growth as well. jobs,” Grimes said. The boost in health care services “We’ll still have disproportionately high auto jobs,” Grimes said. “We’ll isn’t a surprise, Grimes said. Southeast Michigan’s population is older still be concentrated more than any compared to the national average. other place in the country.” By 2035, about one-quarter of But what will be left will leverage innovation in engineering, design and metro Detroit’s population will be 65 and older and will be big consumers manufacturing, requiring more eduof health care. cated workers, he said. But beyond demographics, the othThat holds true for metro Deer sectors rely on the region’s readitroit’s other future growth emness to do things differently and to ployers. even think differently about economic While manufacturing as a opportunity, analysts say. whole will drop to about 8 percent of employment by 2030 from See Economy, Next Page 10.5 percent last year, education DUSTIN WALSH/CDB Region’s possible future: A smaller, smarter economy Either we get younger and better educated, or we get poorer. Green/Energy Hantz Farms L.L.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E11 J.S. Vig Construction Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E11 Xtreme Power/Clairvoyant Energy . . . . . . . E12 ITC Holdings Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E12 Ilumisys Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E12 Adaptive Materials Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E13 A123 Systems Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E13 DRIVE Developments Inc. Defense DRIVE Developments Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . E14 Quantum Signal L.L.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E14 Pixel Velocity Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E14 GLENN TRIEST Rockwell Medical Technologies Inc. Health care/biotech H2H Solutions Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E15 Rockwell Medical Technologies Inc. . . . . . . E15 Axiobionics L.L.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E16 Asterand plc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E16 HealthMedia Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E17 NATHAN SKID/CDB GlobalHue Media Group Inc. Professional services/retail GlobalHue Media Group Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . E18 ePrize L.L.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E18 Urban Science Applications Inc. . . . . . . . . E18 Foresee Results Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E19 EEI Global Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E19 HoMedics Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E19  http://www.Economy.com http://www.Economy.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crain's Detroit Business - 25th Anniversary Issue, May 3, 2010

Crain's Detroit Business 25th Anniversary
Looking Forward
25 Companies to Watch
25 Mainstays
25 People Then and Now
25 Scandals and Dubious Deeds.
25 Philanthropic Gifts
25 Newsmakers of the Year
25 Big Stories
25 Innovations
25 Gone But Not Forgotten
Health Care
Defense
Suppliers
The Internet and Communication
Energy
Finance
Signs of the Times

Crain's Detroit Business - 25th Anniversary Issue, May 3, 2010

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