Mar 27, 2009
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Great New Space - A Special Vision for Detroit
This month we moved our Michigan offices into a great new space in Southfield. Its got tons of room and a nice training center. Its perfect for our company.
Aside from the fit with our corporate goals, the space reflects our vision for the changing face of Metro Detroit and its future.
The space is located at the crux between Detroit proper and the suburbs. Its right off of 8 mile road.
The building itself is a mix of dedicated front office and light industrial. Like the location, it is a meeting point of urban and suburban, physical and virtual, industrial space and internet space -and it captures a moment in time.
These days are a fulcrum. These are the times when the citizens of this area can decide what they want to be in the future or let the forces of the past drag them down. No-one is helping. Its up to the people alone. If people don’t step up and move themselves forward, this area will be dragged down further and it won’t be pretty.
Its up to the everyday people to re-envision what they want this area to look like, what kind of opportunities to create and new businesses to develop.
There are a tremendous amount of talented individuals here. But for too long people became complacent to entrepreneurship, complacent to starting radical new ideas, to taking risks to throw out a shingle or start a new company or service that had nothing to do with automotive industry.
Understandably so. It was easy to get hooked on the vast flow of wealth the auto companies generated. The opportunities and volume they provided were unprecedented. People spent a lot of time and energy trying to plug into that enormous flow. People forgot, though, that there are other ways to make a living and that even base hits help move a team forward. Hitters don’t need to swing for the fences to make it. Or, for that matter, to be a big success. A World Series can be won with consistent hitting, consistent pitching, team play, mutual support and heart. This area has got that in abundance.
Now-a-days, it doesn’t take a big capital investment to launch an idea. It doesn’t take a ton of machinery or a long term contract with an OEM to get cash-flow going or to get excited about a dream. Things don’t have to be made out of steel, rubber or cement. The base hits of today are made out of creativity, out of great service, out of taking care of people’s needs. They are made out of good work.
Base-hits and winning teams are fueled by energy, dedication and resolve -by keeping an eye on the ball. These are what the base hits of today are made of. And they are the same ingredients as today’s home-runs.
Our vision for the space is to take advantage of this moment and to transform it into a source of positive energy and growth. We want to do this both for our company and for the area as a whole. We’ve brought a few local “visionary” type of people here and they’ve gotten it -and given back awesome energy for the potential it holds. With everyone moving forward, there’s no reason it can’t succeed.
We look forward to having an open-house once we’ve finished unpacking and sprucing up. And from there? Stay tuned. There are a lot of ideas we want to make real.
Mark,
I enjoyed reading this and I hope your ideas and creativity come to fruition…it would be great for all of us who care about Detroit and the future.
Mark,
Good for you.
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
A lot of people talk the talk, but you’re walking and talking.
Hope it all works out.
Aviva Sandler
Mark,
where did you move FROM? What considerations were the major motivators in going to Southfield, as opposed to, say, Ferndale or Warren? Does the Southfield area work better for existing employees? I agree and congratulate you on the decision, but, as a business owner myself, I’d like to hear more about the decision making process that brought you to settle in Southfield
Roger
Great stuff Mark. I am excited for the change you and Tony will make. Maybe we should have a clean up/painting party.
I recently moved to New York after living in Michigan for 14 years.
I wish you a lot of success in your endevour in the Detroit Metro Area. Michigan all in all has great people and ones who just want to respectfully earn a wage for a simple way of life. I hope you can teach new ways of business and bring some newly needed progress to the state. Wishing you all of the success and prosperity.
Mark, Great article. Tremendous inspiration in the tone and the temperament. Great things ARE happening around this area and it is encouraging to see and read about new beginnings right in our own backyard. From the movie industry opportunities, to the people making national news in Hamtramck, to the weekend long business start-up seminar in Detroit that happened this past weekend. I get the sense that companies and individuals are getting a second wind and are ready to come back stronger than ever.
David Baron, PMP
Here are a selection of comments from the 313digital Group on LinkedIn.Thanks, Mark, for sharing your vision for a renewed Metro Detroit. We need to continue to build momentum for the Creative Economy in Michigan, with more ‘can-do’ activities like the Vertabase company expansion in Southfield, the Stardock company expansion in Plymouth, or the ePrize office remodeling in Pleasant Ridge, etc.By Advertising Game DeveloperPeople need to see what GREAT THINGS are happening. Great article!By New Media and PR professional