The Career Matchmaker let users assess their skills or desired skills and identify the industries, occupations and employers within those industries for subsequent job searches. Visitors can also select industries and find the skills needed for occupations in the selected industry. Once an occupation or industry is identified, users can use the Career Investment Calculator to determine the investment value of the training or education needed for their desired career.

Amy Cell, Senior Vice President, Talent Enhancement for the MEDC, commented, “This is going to be such an amazing resource to job seekers, parents, veterans and career counselors.” The MiTalent site and applications were highlighted in a press conference by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder on December 1, 2011.

The InfoReady matchmaking platform connects people with information using a powerful search and discovery engine coupled with familiar social media tools for an easy, intuitive interface. “We have built our software specifically to meet the growing requirements for easy-to-use information matchmaking and collaboration applications in this age of information explosion. We are excited that we have the opportunity to implement our software to energize Michigan careers,” stated Bhushan Kulkarni, CEO of InfoReady Corporation.

Paul Krutko with Dr. Won Suk Cho, President, Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc. in front of the 2012 Car of the Year.

Hyundai is investing over $15 million in the expansion project, which it anticipates will create 50 new high tech automotive research and development jobs over the next three years.

“Ann Arbor SPARK’s business development team proactively works with businesses in the region to meet their needs as they grow and evolve,” said Paul Krutko, Ann Arbor SPARK president and CEO.  “Working with Hyundai, Ann Arbor SPARK was able to identify ways that the region and state could support the growth of the company’s North American technical center.

“Superior Township was a critical partner; the Township’s willingness to provide incentives for Hyundai’s expansion is crucial support for the new project,” Krutko added. “It’s this type of collaborative economic development between Ann Arbor SPARK, the state and regional communities that makes business choose to locate and grow here.

The Hyundai American Technical Center Inc. is a key design, technology, and engineering facility for Korean-based Hyundai-Kia Motors Group. This investment continues to demonstrate that the Ann Arbor region and southeast Michigan is a global hub for automotive research and development.

“MEDC support for Ann Arbor SPARK’s East incubator extends and enhances opportunities for start-ups throughout the region,” said Paul Krutko, president and CEO, Ann Arbor SPARK. “Business incubators play an important role in our economy: The start-ups that receive assistance through SPARK East attract investment, retain talent and create jobs here in the region. Ann Arbor SPARK business incubators provide the critical support that start-ups need to become drivers of economic success.”

Ann Arbor SPARK was awarded $500,000 for the SPARK East business incubator, located in Ypsilanti, Mich. The funding will enable Ann Arbor SPARK to offer additional business incubator scholarships and business acceleration programming. The funding will also support new services developed specifically for students, including entrepreneur education.

To date, 42 start-ups have been assisted through programs and support offered at the SPARK East business incubator.

Lakeside Software, a leader in business intelligence solutions for IT professionals, today announced the acquisition and opening of a new R&D facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This facility will be primarily utilized for product design and development, and will accelerate company growth by making it easier to hire top technical talent from the Ann Arbor metropolitan area. The new facility is fully operational and is located at 112 South Main Street in Ann Arbor; Lakeside’s corporate headquarters will remain in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

The company had announced in March 2011 plans to expand in the Ann Arbor area, and had received a Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA) tax credit to help encourage the expansion.

Founded in 1997, Lakeside Software has grown organically without outside investment. The company’s products employ differentiated technology in the form of a patent-protected distributed database architecture for data collection and aggregation that delivers unprecedented depth of information and insight into user experience. Lakeside has also successfully established key partnerships with global systems integrators and technology firms that use the company’s technology to implement desktop transformation and virtualization services. The company was recently designated Technology Company of the Year by Automation Alley, Michigan’s largest technology business association.

“We’re excited to be expanding in Michigan and in the Ann Arbor area. Michigan is technology-friendly and offers a wealth of technology talent that we will employ to drive our continued growth.” Michael Schumacher, founder & CEO, Lakeside Software.

“Ann Arbor SPARK worked with Lakeside Software early on to support the company’s expansion efforts to our region, including working with MEDC and other officials to secure the incentives that emerging companies need to grow. The tech talent here will ensure that Lakeside Software will hit the ground running, quickly ramping up its operations and getting down to business. Long term, the depth of tech talent in Ann Arbor will be a strategic asset for Lakeside Software.” Paul Krutko, President and CEO, Ann Arbor SPARK.

Ann Arbor SPARK’s Business Development team has arrived in California this week on a business and talent attraction trip surrounding the MichAGAIN campaign that is administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. We are hosting three events during our stay in the San Jose area and have meetings set up with business leaders. Our team hopes to educate businesses about all the opportunities that are available for them in the Ann Arbor area.

We arrived yesterday and weren’t even able to make it past the rental car booth without running into a fellow Michigander, IT Professional from Hyundai’s Technical Center in Superior Township, out here working for a few days at their Menlo Park office. We were on our way and surprisingly hit a “Michigan sized” pot hole (yes, they do exist in California too). We found a lively sports bar in Palo Alto to catch the Detroit Lions game with some other very enthusiastic fans. Michigan pride runs strong in the Valley. Today is a packed day of meetings with technology company executives and tonight we host a group of CEO’s for an executive dinner. It looks to be a beautiful day here, about the same weather as Pure Michigan!

Some of the event organizers: LeRoy Newland, GE; Stefanie Ridenour, MEDC; Me; Valerie Furchi, GE; and John Hill, MSU

     What do you get when you mix a handful of Michiganders and 125+ alums from the great state? An amazing night filled with networking, laughs, rivalry talk and memories. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s MichAGAIN Campaign was in full effect last night at Policy Lounge in Washington DC. The group of state and local economic development professionals, university officials, and company representatives put on what some said was “the best event I have ever been to since moving to DC from Michigan”.

Marshall Weir of Mobiata

The masses came out to hear what is really happening in Michigan. The evening included humorous and inspirational talks from Stephen Rapundalo of MichBIO, John Hill of the Michigan State University Alumni Association, and Joan Dunbar of Wayne State University. The theme of the discussion then turned to the ever popular topic of JOBS. Kimberly Bankston of General Electric and Marshall Weir of Mobiata stole the show by sharing their amazing stories of the growth, success, and expansion that both companies are experiencing in Michigan. Combined they were offering the crowd over 300 opportunities that are currently open and challenged them to consider Michigan for their next career opportunity. The party continued well into the night with many Spartans and Wolverines closing the place down together with Pure Michigan on their minds. Watch out DC there are over 125 new ambassadors of Pure Michigan on the streets after last night.

MichAgain's VC luncheon attracted attention to the state's growing companies

What do you get then you put 15 high powered VCs in a room?  About $1 billion of capital to spend and a whole lot of interest in our entrepreneurial endeavors.

Our first MichAGAIN Boston event was a ravishing success.  Our informal program was packed with dynamic speakers including our very own VC expert Skip Simms, as well as Ken Nisbet, head of U-M Tech Transfer Office, Eli Thomssen, CEO of Armmune Bioscience and Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition winner and Mike Flanagan, head of MEDC’s capital markets team.

Several of the VCs in attendance signed up to volunteer for the next Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition in November and a few shared their stories of successful investments in Michigan firms.  They all asked that we keep the dialogue ongoing and some expressed interest in spending time in Michigan and meeting one-on-one with our technology start-ups.

So sharpen up your pitches local entrepreneurs and prepare for a future Boston VC invasion.

Lakeside Software plans to invest $6.1 million to expand existing operations in Bloomfield Hills, as well as locate operations in Ann Arbor. The company expects the projects to create up to a total of 198 direct new jobs, 73 in Ann Arbor.

“The Ann Arbor region is rich in software development talent,” said Skip Simms, interim director and CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK.  “For a fast growing company like Lakeside Software, that immediate access to talent is an important consideration when choosing a location for expansion.  Being able to hire the right talent, quickly, will boost Lakeside Software’s expansion efforts.”

The MEGA award helped convince Lakeside Software to invest in Michigan over a competing site in California.

Since the Michigan Microloan Fund Program was established in July 2009, 42 companies have received over $1.6 million in subordinated loans.

Read more about the news here.

JAC Products is a leading tier 1 manufacturer of functional exterior automotive trim.  It is in the process of designing and developing 11 new roof rack/ trim systems for Toyota, Ford, Chrysler, Nissan, Subaru, Honda and Hyundai.  These products will launch from JAC Products’ Saline facility and be supported by its Shelby Township facility.

Read all about the news here.