The good times are never too sweet for DesignHub, and the bad times are never too sour. It turns out both things are a recipe for steady-but-modest, year-to-year growth at the Saline-based digital marketing agency. DesignHub has averaged high single-digit gains each of the last several years. It's not hockey stick growth spikes, but its the type of momentum that keeps the company consistently headed in the right direction. "We work really hard and grind out the hours, and this is where we seem to land," says Chris Kochmanski, partner at DesignHub. "The three partners are all over 50, and by this stage in our lives, we're seeing how doing excellent work for a limited number of preferred clients can be much more satisfying than run, run, run all the time in pursuit of growth for the sake of growth." The five-person company handles most creative and development work while relying on a stable of trusted freelancers when needed. It gets roughly half of its business through website design and development with the remainder coming from marketing strategy and planning, content development, advertising and publicity, and design and production of marketing materials for print and other media. DesignHub has grown its work with existing clients like Dynamic Computer Corp, Advanced Photonix, Berry & Associates, Center for Automotive Research, Corner Health Center, Daycroft Montessori School, Dexter Research, Dimensional Engineering, and the City of Saline. It has also added several new clients like doing an advertising campaign for Huron Valley Financial, fundraising appeals for Evangelical Homes of Michigan, and new sales support materials for VolunteerHub. "We have a lot of prospective clients we are dealing with right now," Kochmanski says. Source: Chris Kochmanski, partner at DesignHub Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Housing, affordable and otherwise, is a problem in the nation's most vibrant cities, stifling both economic growth and diversification. Part of that reason is protectionist policies of NIMBY's, who aren't keen to share their neighborhood communities (but very happy to benefit from the sky-high property values that accompany growth). Excerpt: Protectionist housing policies are bad for people who’d like to work in Silicon Valley, of course. But NIMBYism is also bad for the nation as a whole. Even though labor productivity has grown the most over the last few decades in three specific U.S. cities—New York, San Francisco, and San Jose—that local growth hasn’t translated to greater national growth at all, thanks to a lack of housing. Read the rest here.

M Den's flagship store, adjacent to the University of Michigan's campus, is taking over the retail space once occupied by La Mersa Meditterean Cuisine. The store already occupied most of the building at the 300 block of South State Street. Taking over the former restaurant space, 301 S State, will complete its occupation of the entire structure. "The only thing we didn’t have is the downstairs of 301," says Scott Hirth, co-owner of M Den. The boutique retailer that specializes in University of Michigan apparel will turn 40 years old next year. It currently employs 125 people (which doubles in size during football season) after hiring 20-plus people over the last year. It currently has six brick-and-mortar stores after opening its sixth last August. It also has 12 retail locations inside University of Michigan athletic facilities during games, like Michigan Stadium. M Den is currently working on the build out of the expansion of its flagship store, which it hopes to open in time for the Ann Arbor Art Fair later this summer. "We are going to use it for an expanded women's and children's sections," Hirth says. Source: Scott Hirth, co-owner of M Den Writer: Jon Zemke

To say Therapeutic Systems Research Laboratories has been through a lot over the last year might be an understatement. The Ann Arbor-based life sciences firm lost its president and general manager, John Hilfiger, in April of last year. That led to the promotion of Elke Lipka as president of the company just at the time when it started to pivot its business model from drug development to technology accelerator. "We are partnering intensely with academic institutions," Lipka says. "We are providing the wet lab space and drug development services." ...And more importantly showing its clients the way to non-dilutive seed capital. Therapeutic Systems Research Laboratories, commonly known as TSRL, uses an ongoing collaborative process that lets entrepreneurs leverage its expertise to obtain the data and non-dilutive funding necessary to develop and commercialize their technologies. In exchange, TSRL takes a fee and small equity stake in the company. "Much smaller than a venture capital firm would take," Lipka says. TSRL is focusing on companies that optimize treatment for infectious diseases, such as influenza, HSV, VZV, CMV, EBV, poxvirus, HPV, Adenovirus, and RNA viruses. It is currently working with a handful of partners, including one from the University of Michigan. "Three are pretty active right now," Lipka says. TSRL has hired two people over the last year, including a business development manager and a chemist. It is currently looking to hire a research scientist to add to its staff of 10 employees and one intern.

Motawi Tileworks has been on a hiring streak over the last year. The Ann Arbor-based firm has hired four production workers in the last 12 months and is looking to add another three right now. The 23-year-old art tile firm and its sister company, Rovin Ceramics, now employ 35 people combined. Company leaders expect that number to grow for it to be able to keep up with the current workload. "We have taken on numerous projects," says Christa Quinn, marketing & communications coordinator for Motawi Tileworks. "They include installations in public places and in private homes." Motawi Tileworks specializes in arts-and-craft ceramic tiles, such as ceramic pieces of art people use to make a kitchen back splashes pop. It acquired Rovin Ceramics, its primary ceramics supplier, a few years ago to make sure it supply chain wasn't interrupted. Since then Motawi Tileworks has expanded its tile line and embarked on a partnership with the Ann Arbor Art Center where it’s tiles are sold there on consignment. Quinn points out that Motawi Tileworks’ revenue is up but declined to say how much. She is optimistic for the company’s near-term prospects. "Our plan is to always keep growing," Quinn says. "We want to grow both sides of the business (art tile retail and installations)." Source: Christa Quinn, marketing & communications coordinator for Motawi Tileworks Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Another week, another list. Ann Arbor just landed on fDi Intelligence's 2015 list of Small American Cities of the Future, with top scores in human capital and lifestyle. The city was ranked the #10 Small City of the Future overall. Excerpt: The top 10 of fDi’s third biennial ranking of American cities is a wholly North American affair, with all entrants located in Canada or the US. Rebounding somewhat following a turbulent economic period, FDI projects into North America increased 4.55% between 2012 and 2014. Read the rest here. PDFs of the rankings are at the bottom of the page.

Construction workers are hurrying toward the finish line for the 618 South Main project on the southern edge of downtown Ann Arbor. The $27 million development plans to open its first half of the building to residents in August and then the second half in September. The six-story building is expected to bring 164 more apartments into the city’s center. "One of the things downtown needs to be viable is people," says Dan Ketelaar, president of Urban Group Development, co-developer of 618 South Main. "People are not driving into downtown to do their shopping anymore." 618 South Main is one of a number of new mid-and-high-rise buildings that have been built or are under construction in downtown Ann Arbor. Most of the structures have been geared toward students at the University of Michigan. Ketelaar was working on one of those projects six years ago when he realized there is just as much demand for dense, luxury, urban living from young professionals as there is from students. Construction started on 618 South Main in January of 2014 in the space that once house the old Fox Tent & Awning business. A few hundred construction workers have worked on the project since, preparing it for its opening. 618 South Main is currently a little more than 40 percent leased out. It is made up of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units that range in price from $1,395 per month to $2,905 per month.  Residents can also rent out one of the 132 parking spaces underneath the building or access its Zipcar. "We thought a lot of these young people will not have cars," Ketelaar says. "Right now about 50 percent of the leases are taking parking spaces." Residents will have access to common deck with a pool, outdoor grills, fire pits and lounge areas both inside and outside of the building. All of the water runoff from the building (about 900,000 galloons per year) is also filtered through a rain garden system and into the Huron River. "This is essentially a lifestyle community for young professionals," Ketelaar says. Source: Dan Ketelaar, president of Urban Group Development, co-developer of 618 South Main Writer: Jon Zemke