Hile Creative has made its share of business-plan pivots in its 29 years, making the switch from a design firm to an advertising agency, among others. Now the Ann Arbor-based company rebranded itself again earlier this year, focusing on its strengths in branding and web development. It has also hired three people over the last year, expanding its team to 11 employees. “I’m really happy to have a team now that I feel is the best we have had in our 29 years,” says Dave Hile, founder & president of Hile Creative. Some parts of Hile Creative are the same. It still does a lot of work with toy companies and local start-ups working with Ann Arbor SPARK. And some larger local bio-tech companies such as Esperion Therapeutics and Aastrom Biosciences are among its clientele. The firm also works with the University of Michigan. “We love having an eclectic client base,” Hile says. Source: Dave Hile, founder & president of Hile Creative Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

On the football field U-M and Notre Dame are rivals, but when it comes to the parking lot why not get along? Ann Arbor-based Park n Party and Game Day Parking out of South Bend say it makes sense to play together in their business of taking the hassle out of game day parking and tailgating. Park n Party has created a reservation system for parking spots, tailgate spaces and other amenities in cooperation with parking lot owners, and Game Day Parking has built an app to identity parking lots and spaces at several universities, including U-M, MSU, Purdue and Wisconsin. This season, Park n Party will offer its services to Notre Dame fans, and its the first stop in an expansion that Park n Party co-founder Jason Kapica says will reach Detroit, East Lansing, Columbus, Ohio, Madison, Wisconsin and other Big 10 campuses. “Nobody has ever put together a service like Park n Party, and we’re confident the idea will catch on like wildfire among fans in town for Notre Dame football,” says Kapica. “We expect to be all over the country in the near future.” John Ross, GameDay Parking's chief and a Notre Dame graduate, joined with Park n Party because of the demand for online parking and tailgating reservation system for Notre Dame home football games. "Park n Party's system is perfect for the Notre Dame market. Fans will love how it helps to take the uncertainty out of game day parking, and parking lot owners will really appreciate how it makes their lives easier," Ross says in a release announcing the partnership. "In the end, it makes game day better for everyone." Park n Party has also expanded into event planning and works with fans to plan parties and tailgates, hooking them up with event spaces, caterers and of course the parking spaces. "We regularly receive calls from all over the country from U of M Alumni and Alumni of visiting teams. They want to hold a nice tailgate event. They need a venue, parking, and catering," says Park n Party co-founder Taylor Bond. "We're certainly helping the local economy by bringing together buyers and sellers. Those benefitting form our services include lot owners, venues, and caterers." Writer: Kim North Shine Source: Taylor Bond and Jason Kapica, founders, Park n Party

Coyote Logistics is opening a new office in Ann Arbor, an investment worth $1.2 million that is expected to create up to 125 new jobs. "Ann Arbor is an amazing place," says Jodi Navta, vice president of marketing & communications for Coyote Logistics. "There is an amazing school there in the University of Michigan. ... Ann Arbor is a town that fits in well with our culture and we think we will fit in well there." The Chicago-based company specializes in providing third-party logistics and transportation services for North American shippers. The significant number of the company's employees are graduates from Michigan universities, including Navta and the company's CEO, both alumni from the University of Michigan. The Michigan Economic Development Corp is providing Coyote Logistics a $1 million Michigan Business Development Program incentive to set up the facility. The City of Ann Arbor and Ann Arbor SPARK are also expected to offer financial support to assist with recruitment efforts. Coyote Logistics expects to finish the build out of its new office in Ann Arbor this fall. It will be staffed with transfers from its Chicago operations and new hires. The company expects to hit the 125 employee number within three years. Source: Jodi Navta, vice president of marketing & communications for Coyote Logistics Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

A small jewelry-making company is starting to go national from its home in Chelsea. Hoola makes small kits of jewelry that allow its users to make their own custom-set of earrings by adding gemstones or precious metals to the hoop. The company started out as a one-woman operation selling jewelry at art fairs and private parties. It is now growing into a national operation where sales people sell the kits at parties of their own. "A woman does the design on her own," says Ginger Sissom, vice president of operations for Hoola. "You put them together in all these different ways so you can make your own new earrings." Hoola now employs a core team of six people and another eight part-time artisans in Chelsea. It is expanding to a team of 50 sales reps across the middle of the U.S. in states like Michigan, Ohio and Texas, among other states in the Midwest and South of the country. The company hopes to expand to more territory across North America over the rest of this year and next. "We've grown pretty quickly pretty fast," Sissom says. "Everything just fell into place. We got the product line right and made it affordable to sell the kit to a single sales rep." Source: Ginger Sissom, vice president of operations for Hoola Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.