Member Spotlight: St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor

Name: Bill Manns

Title: President, St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor and St. Joseph Mercy Livingston

How long has your company been a member of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber?

We have been a member of the Chamber since December 1, 1968.

What is a typical day like for you?

A typical day for me begins at 6:30 a.m. with a series of morning meetings with physicians, my direct reports and health system leadership. These meetings are spent discussing patient care, staffing needs and growth strategies for various service lines, as well as St. Joe’s position within the health care market. After lunch and some quiet reflection, my afternoon is filled with more meetings and time devoted to rounding on hospital units. Regular rounding offers me an opportunity to meet with and hear from our patients, their families and frontline staff. By devoting time to rounding and listening, I can better understand the experience of our patients and work with nurse managers and other leaders to offer guidance, support and additional resources to ensure we deliver the very best care possible.

What do you enjoy most about the A2Y Chamber?

The Chamber brings together a group of like-minded people looking to bring jobs and economic growth to our region. As a major health care provider and employer in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, it’s really important that St. Joe’s be engaged. We want to ensure that we are doing everything we can to help create a thriving economy and a vibrant community. We’re proud to be an A2Y Chamber Legacy Leader as the Chamber embarks on its next 100 years of supporting the local business community.

What’s your favorite tip for someone in your industry?

There are two pieces of advice that come to mind. First, God gave us one mouth and two ears for a reason. Regardless of your job role or how high up in an organization you might be, you should listen twice as much as you speak. People often want to give their thoughts or opinion on an issue without fully understanding it first. Second, a career in health care administration is a calling, not a job. This is a complex and evolving industry in which we need to balance our commitments and responsibilities to our patients, community, and staff, with our commitment to the fiscal wellbeing of the hospital and health system.

What is a surprising fact about your business?

Three things. One, St. Joe’s sits on 340 acres which makes us one of — if not the largest — single hospital campus in the country by acreage. Second, our industry is constantly evolving. Currently, the health care industry is coming to terms with the hospital being a “provider without walls.” We are now meeting our patients where they are, whether that is in community outpatient centers or their homes using telemedicine. Third, our health system is an innovator when it comes to the hiring process. We are currently implementing evidence-based selection at St. Joe’s that removes unconscious bias from the hiring process and helps hiring managers better identify the diverse pipeline of health care talent available within our community. This is a major initiative that we expect will reduce turnover, save money, and increase diversity among staff. I recently gave a presentation on this initiative to the A2Y Chamber Workforce Pipeline Summit in March.

If you would like to be featured in our Member Spotlight, contact us.

Member Spotlight: A.F. Smith Electric, Inc.

Name: Brian Koepp

Title: President

How long has your company been a member of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber?

Since 1991!

What is a typical day like for you?

A typical day for me is full of surprises. I may arrive at work with a specific list of tasks to complete during the day, however, soon after arriving, any number of things can jump in the way and my day is completely re-directed. We are a service-oriented business, so if one of our existing customers, or even a new customer, have an urgent need, we/I take care of them.

That being said, my days are filled with going through the mail, reading/responding to email, executing contracts, going over proposals and working with my team of Estimators/Project Managers to be sure we are quoting projects as accurately as possible and projects are receiving the attention they need, and many other things.

What do you enjoy most about the A2Y Chamber?

Bringing business together for the good of our business and personal communities

What’s your favorite tip for someone in your industry?

The high cost of safety. All aspects of construction have a certain level of danger, however, being an electrical contractor adds another level to deal with and we take this very seriously.

What is a surprising fact about your business?

The danger that it is!

If you would like to be featured in our Member Spotlight, contact us.

Member Spotlight: CMIT Solutions

Name: John Holbel

Title: President, CMIT Solutions

How long has your company been a member of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber?

Since May 2018

What is a typical day like for you?

5:30 am – Have breakfast, catch up on news of the day & recent cyber attacks and breaches, and check for important emails.

6:30 am – Layout the work day, review client tickets, and the day’s appointments.

7:30 am – Align priorities for the day, review issues list, facilitate team scrum, and action plans for the day.

Daylight hours (8 am to 6 pm) are spent with client’s, appointments, implementations, networking, and business development. Dinner time with family fluctuates depending on training events, industry conferences, and networking events. Then I wrap up the day by checking email and reading, which is a passion of mine.

What do you enjoy most about the A2Y Chamber?

The A2Y chamber community is very active. Members are willing to help each other and collaborate. There is a broad range of knowledge, industry, and activity across the Washtenaw community. The A2Y Chamber is very proactive and presenting opportunities for business to connect with one another and help the community grow.

What’s your favorite tip for someone in your industry?

Cyber Crime is a business issue and not a technical issue. Business Assets can be protected.

What is a surprising fact about your business?

There is a severe shortage of cybersecurity skill-sets and there is no evidence of improvement over the last 3 years. There will be a 1.8M gap in information security jobs by 2022 and the average cybersecurity professional is two years behind in knowledge from what current cybercriminals are currently doing.

If you would like to be featured in our Member Spotlight, contact us.

Member Spotlight: NewFoundry

Name: Richard Chang

Title: CEO, NewFoundry

How long has your company been a member of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber?

Four years

What is a typical day like for you?

I’ve actually been out of NewFoundry’s day-to-day operations for about 2 years. My other two partners, our wonderful leadership team, and our staff keep NewFoundry running and delivering the outcomes that we hope exceed our clients’ expectations.

My days are primarily spent on business development initiatives for NewFoundry and also trying to give back to the community which we have been fortunate to be a part of. The latter is typically achieved by being a part of various non-profit boards (such as the A2Y Chamber of which I’m the Chair for 2019, United Way, Michigan Works Southeast, and Intermitten), volunteering via other organization committees, and also doing speaking engagements. My favorite speaking engagements have been when I get to be in front of students at Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor school districts.

What do you enjoy most about the A2Y Chamber?

The A2Y Chamber has a lot going for it that separates it from other Chambers: (1) the diversity of companies that are members, (2) the diversity of the members in our board of directors, (3) the great content programming and diversity of participants at our events, (4) our Public Policy committee is one-of-a-kind and absolutely amazing, and (5) the A2Y Chamber staff is wonderful!

What’s your favorite tip for someone in your industry?

Diversity is the word by which we all should live and also run our businesses: diversity of team members, diversity of clients, diversity of income sources, diversity of thought and approaches to solutions… the list goes on and on! Nothing but good can come about when living by that one word.

What is a surprising fact about your business?

Visitors to our studio are always surprised when we tell them that our building once housed a medical practice. Our open teamwork area was once segmented into individual physician’s exam rooms and our large conference room was the waiting room. We completely opened up the space when we bought it, but you can still see the niche where an aquarium once stood; we now use it for our trophy case!

If you would like to be featured in our Member Spotlight, contact us.

Member Spotlight: Amy Cell Talent

Name: Amy Cell

Title: Chief Matchmaker, Amy Cell Talent

How long has your company been a member of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber?

Two years

What is a typical day like for you?

Ha! Every day is different. I am usually working with a few different clients to help them with recruiting and HR issues. I am also networking with “opportunity seekers” as we provide coaching and workshops to help people find their passion, too.

What do you enjoy most about the A2Y Chamber?

I love the programs and learning about current events in the local business community.

What’s your favorite tip for someone in your industry?

Put together a long term talent pipeline program and grow your talent – it is much cheaper and more effective than needing to rely on recruiting during this type of “war for talent” market. Invest in internships, co-ops, apprenticeships and providing opportunities for high school students.

What is a surprising fact about your business?

There are actually a lot of amazing people available and looking for new opportunities.

If you would like to be featured in our Member Spotlight, contact us.

Member Spotlight: Weber’s Restaurant and Hotel

Name: Michael Weber

Title: Vice President, Weber’s Restaurant and Hotel

How long has your company been a member of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber?

Since 1967!

What is a typical day like for you?

My typical day is never dull. From working with and serving our guests to planning our next renovation, there is always something to keep me engaged. The fun thing about owning and operating a hotel is the variety of things you get to learn about day in and day out.

What do you enjoy most about the A2Y Chamber?

I enjoy networking with other chamber members and keeping updated on events that affect the business community.

What’s your favorite tip for someone in your industry?

Hard work is good for the soul.

What is a surprising fact about your business?

We started as a gas station that served hamburgers, beer, and had a pinball machine in 1937

If you would like to be featured in our Member Spotlight, contact us.

Member Spotlight: Governmental Consultant Services (GCSI)

Name: Kirk A. Profit

Title: Owner/Director, Governmental Consultant Services Inc.

How long has your company been a member of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber?

… Decades!!

What is a typical day like for you?

Every day is different with new challenges and opportunities as are presented [with a] broad range of issues facing our local community, region, and state.

What do you enjoy most about the A2Y Chamber?

The engagement of its leadership team and membership in issues that matter to our community and region.

What’s your favorite tip for someone in your industry?

Be relevant!

What is a surprising fact about your business?

Most of our clients are long term relationships spanning decades. While we continue to attract new clients with interests in impacting local, regional, and state decisions, we have a number of clients who have been with us for nearly 40 years.

If you would like to be featured in our Member Spotlight, contact us.

Member Spotlight: The Back Office Studio

Name: John Newman

Title: Community Manager, The Back Office Studio

How long has your company been a member of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber?

We opened in 2018

What is a typical day like for you?

A typical day for The Back Office Studio involves giving individuals, remote workers and entrepreneurs a great place to do meaningful work. We have fast WiFi, conference rooms, phone booths, cafe seating, sit-to-stand desks, private offices, and fresh Hyperion coffee.

What do you enjoy most about the A2Y Chamber?

The A2Y Chamber is a great way for us to connect with other businesses in the Ypsi and Ann Arbor area. We love the programming and events that the chamber supports.

What’s your favorite tip for someone in your industry?

You don’t have to work at home or at a noisy coffee shop. We have a great space for you to do your best work in downtown Ypsi. Come join us for a day and see if coworking is good fit for your work.

What is a surprising fact about your business?

In a recent study of coworkers, 84% report that they are more engaged and motivated, 67% experience improved professional success, and 69% feel more successful.

If you would like to be featured in our Member Spotlight,contact us.

Member Spotlight: Beyond Primary Care

Name: Dr. Jeff O’Boyle

Title: Owner

How long has your company been a member of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber?

Beyond Primary Care, a family medicine and addiction medicine clinic has been a member of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber since October 2018.

What is a typical day like for you?

A typical day for Dr. Jeff O’Boyle involves getting out of bed early for a cardio, yoga, or weight work-out (need to do what I myself encourage my patients to do!) followed by a dog walk with my two huskies. Then I make an oatmeal or yogurt parfait breakfast and it is off to the clinic!

First I start my day by answering any emails from patients. Then I mix in patient appointments, in-clinic medication refills, in-clinic blood draws, business appointments, and personally following up with my patients over phone, webcam, or text.

I spend time in coordination of care between my patients and their other healthcare providers, as well as connecting to learn more about other physicians, chiropractors, naturopaths, pharmacists, health coaches, and nutritionalist in the community.

In the evening I head home, where making and sitting down for dinner with family is an important daily routine (also encouraging my patients to do the same).

What do you enjoy most about the A2Y Chamber?

As a small business owner, I know that great employees are important to success, and treating them like family helps build loyalty. I know how challenging it is to provide affordable health care for employees. As a physician, I also know that having health insurance does not guarantee healthcare. Through the chamber, I have had the absolute pleasure of meeting and connecting with some of the most genuine people and small business owners one could hope to meet in the community. I listen to the stories and concerns regarding the ever-increasing cost of health insurance and share everyone’s desire for affordable and accessible healthcare.

What’s your favorite tip for someone in your industry?

My advice is to keep innovating to add value to your services, never be content to rest on your laurels. At Beyond Primary Care, one way we provide innovation is routinely offering same-day access to appointments with minimal wait times with a dependable physician is who can address more than one concern at a single visit.

What is a surprising fact about your business?

Beyond Primary Care is a new approach to family medicine that creates the time and space that your health deserves. All appointments at Beyond Primary Care are a minimum 1 hour long. Our patients don’t have to stay that length, but the option is there for them. We love taking care of people who are looking for individualized healthcare, a strong and seamless doctor-patient relationship, and affordable and accessible healthcare that we create through eliminating the unnecessary overhead in the insurance model.

If you would like to be featured in our Member Spotlight,contact us.

Member Spotlight: Red Effect Infrared Fitness

Red Effect Infrared Fitness offers an unparalleled fitness experience, fusing infrared heat with class-based high intensity interval training,

kick boxing circuit training, cycling, yoga and barre, and combinations of these concepts under one roof. Red Effect also deploys revolutionary heart-rate monitor technology that creates the ultimate workout. The HIIT workouts are designed to achieve and maintain heart rates in the target zones that stimulate the metabolism, increase energy and achieve an “after-burn” effect that can last up to 36 hours post workout.

The infrared heat emitted throughout the Red Effect fitness studio warms the body naturally, which raises core body temperature and enhances the workout to produce a deep, healthy and detoxifying sweat at a cellular level where most toxins reside. Among the many workout benefits of weight loss, conditioning, toning and stress relief, working out in an infrared environment is also known to reduce inflammation, aid in anti-aging and produce overall cardiovascular health.

Ann Arbor members will enjoy numerous extra perks at the Ann Arbor Executive Club 10,000-square foot Studio, including unlimited use of infrared saunas, a full schedule of watch and post-game victory parties in the studio’s social lobby, a full service Stretch Smart Infrared Therapy Center and a smoothie bar.