Logic Solutions has enjoyed some significant success thanks to the growth of its products, such as Showcase Sales apps. Now the Ann Arbor-based tech firm is enjoying some awards as part of that success. The Showcase Sales mobile platform was recently named Technology of the Year at Corp! DiSciTech Awards. Winners of the award are seen as leaders in the digital, technology, and science industries that push the boundaries of their fields through innovation and research. The Showcase Sales app serves as a catalog, order, and file management system for sales and marketing professionals. Its content management system gives the user total control of their brand, including your product catalog, pricing, and sales collateral. The platform started out as a customized enterprise solution before moving to a SAAS system a year ago. It appeared in the Apple and Andriod app stores last fall. "There is more functionality," says Angela Kujava, director of innovation at Logic Solutions. "It's more accessible to a broader audience." Kujava adds that the app has proven popular to sales force with products that lack a little bit on the excitement side. Think manufacturers and industrial firms who have lots of literature about the technical side of their products. "We would love to be known as one of the top (business-to-business) mobile apps for sales and marketing professionals," Kujava says. "But when we talk about the mission that drives us, we want companies to see Showcase as the trigger point for successfully increasing productivity through mobile technology." Logic Solutions has hired about 10 people in Ann Arbor over the last year, primarily professionals in marketing and sales. The firm employs 50 people in Ann Arbor and 250 total around the world. Source: Angela Kujava, director of innovation at Logic Solutions Writer: Jon Zemke

When a bridge collapses, hand-wringing and fear become the rule of the day. And yet attention to infrastructure never seems to be a priority until it’s too late. A new Ann Arbor-based startup is working to get ahead of that problem before the worst happens. AlumaBridge uses aluminum as its principal material for prefabricated pieces of bridging in order to extend the life of aging bridges. The aluminum bridge deck panels are made using friction stir welding and have a non-skid surface. They can easily be applied to the steel girders on existing bridges, giving many more years of service. "I would like to address some of the nation's most deficient structures,” says Greg Osberg, president & CEO of AlumaBridge. "It's a matter of getting the technology out there and commercializing it." Osberg worked at Sopa Extrusions studying new ways to extend the life of the countries aging infrastructure. His work focused on aluminum bridge options and he spun out AlumaBridge last fall. The company is now working to install its first bridge in Quebec and is working on test panels for bridges in Florida. Check out a video describing AlumaBridge’s product and installation here. "It mirrors the strength of concrete but is one fifth of the weight," Osberg says. Stories of the country’s aging bridges have grown more numerous in recent years. Last year "an Associated Press analysis of 607,380 bridges in the most recent federal National Bridge Inventory showed that 65,605 were classified as "structurally deficient" and 20,808 as "fracture critical." Of those, 7,795 were both — a combination of red flags that experts say indicate significant disrepair and similar risk of collapse," according to a story in USA Today. "This (AlumaBridge’s product) offers them an option," Osberg says. "It offers them a longer bridge life with a recyclable product." Source: Greg Osberg, president & CEO of AlumaBridge Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

I got aut Bar. How about you? Try the test here.

Imagine military uniforms that can assess the environment they're in. Or even the condition of the soldier wearing them? An Ann Arbor start-up isn't just imagining such a thing, they're developing it. Excerpt: "A pair of professors, one at the University of Michigan, has completed the first round of funding for PsiKick, a two-year-old start-up aiming to sell ultra-low-power chips that can be embedded in a T-shirt or other clothing, do not need a battery or wires and can run on heat, vibrations and sunlight." Read the rest here.

The much anticipated hotel coming to the corner of Ashely and Huron in downtown Ann Arbor now has a name. Developer First Martin announced last week that Residence Inn by Marriott will be the brand of hotel to occupy the planned six-story building. An extended stay model, the Resident Inn will offer studio, one- and two-bedroom suites. "There are different types of segments in the hotel industry, so we looked at the performance of each segment we were attracted to the extended stay market," says Mike Martin, vice president of First Martin Corporation. "Of that market we thought that the Residence Inn was far and away the leader."  The 110-room hotel is expected to open in late summer or early fall of 2015. Those rooms will significantly grow the 274 hospitality rooms that are currently available downtown. While the extended stay option is especially convenient for business travelers, Martin says visitors of all kinds will be attracted to the Residence Inn. "There is a lot of flexibility in that type of room," he says. "You have people who are staying for just one night, but would like a little bigger room who will also enjoy it. The rooms have a desk and a couch, so they speak to wide range of travelers."  In addition to the hotel, the proposed First Martin development will include nearly 6,000 square feet of first floor restaurant or retail space. Source: Mike Martin, First Martin Corporation Writer: Natalie Burg

Nickels Arcade is about to get Mix-ed up — in a good way. Ypsilanti's popular women's clothing and accessories shop is opening a second location in the former home of Beagle Brain.  "It was sort of a no brainer," says Leslie Leland, who owns Mix with business partner Bonnie Penet. "We discovered the space at Nickels Arcade was open and we just loved the ambiance of that location, and it's historic nature. We thought t would be an absolutely fabulous fit for our clothes." Renovations to the 850 square foot shop are now underway. Most of the work is focused on creating Mix's unique lighting. The Ann Arbor location will be a third of the size of the original Mix, which opened about four and half years ago. The two stories will carry similar "mixes" of new and second-hand clothing and accessories, with enough variety to make visits to both stores worthwhile.  "The similarity will be in the clothing that we carry, which is really artistically chic," Leland says. "We're in New York [at a trade show] right now and we've added some incredibly exciting clothing to our line."  The new Mix store is slated to open in June. The store currently employs a staff of five part-time workers. Penet and Leland plan to staff the shop themselves in the beginning and add staff as needed.  Source: Bonnie Penet and Leslie Leland, Mix Writer: Natalie Burg

Akervall Technologies is becoming a Saline-based company this week, making the move from Ann Arbor to a bigger space that should allow the mouthguard maker to do more of its own production. "First, we're going to do packaging," says Sassa Akervall, president & COO of Akervall Technologies. "Eventually we will do manufacturing, which we currently outsource." The 7-year-old company makes a thin-yet-tough mouthguard made of non-compressible, perforated material, and is 30 percent stronger than conventional mouthguards. The SISU Mouth Guard is the creation of Dr. Jan Akervall, a local ear, nose and throat specialist and Sassa Akervall's husband. Akervall Technologies has grown its sales by 45 percent last year and is projecting another revenue spike of 50 percent in 2014. It as also hired four people over the last year, expanding its staff to eight employees. "We're hoping to be at least 15 people by the end of the year," Akervall says. Akervall Technology’s new facility measures out to 15,000 square feet, but the firm will only occupy 9,000 square feet to start. "We're looking for tenants right now," Akervall says. "Our plan is to fill that space within two years." Source: Sassa Akervall, president & COO of Akervall Technologies Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Solartonic has landed three new partnerships that the Ann Arbor-based solar company expects will help it bring its product, solarap, to new customers in Texas, Africa and the Middle East. "They're market channels to get us to the customers in those markets," says Brian Tell, managing partner of Solartonic. The 3-year-old company is commercializing solar panel technology, solarap, that is flexible and able to attach to non-traditional surfaces, such as wrapping around the pole of a street lamp. The idea is to generate power during the day to power the light at night. Solartonic is aiming to install these in places, like in light poles in parking lots, along walking paths and other remote places. "Places that are inaccessible where it would be too expensive to build out the infrastructure," says Harry Giles, managing partner of Solartonic. Solartonic employs a team of 10 after adding three people over the last year. That staff is currently working to open new markets in North America, including one in Detroit. "We're trying to ramp up our sales," Tell says. "We're working on a demonstration project at NextEnergy Detroit we will debut in the fall." Source: Brian Tell and Harry Giles, managing partners of Solartonic Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.