Tech firms Aysling and Juggernaut are merging, but the combination of the two companies isn't going to be difficult. "We have shared the same office (they are both in the old Borders headquarters) for several years now," Emily Kania, director of marketing for Aysling. Aysling, formerly known as Aysling Digital Media Solutions, sells and manages Adobe and WoodWing digital publishing software and digital media production services for publishers, retailers, and corporations. Juggernaut develops its own customer relationship management platform. Aysling will now sell and manage Juggernaut’s software. The Ann Arbor-based companies are both connected through local angel investor David Fry. "He's invested heavily in both companies," Kania says. Juggernaut's nine employees are now assimilated into Aysling's operations and will work under the Aysling brand. The company has a staff of 32 employees and one intern. It has hired seven people over the last year, mostly in software development, sales, and a new controller. Source: Emily Kania, director of marketing for Aysling Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Brighton-based iVantage Group has gone through a lot of changes over the last year. The 10-year-old staffing firm has moved into a bigger home (4,500-square-feet) and hired a new recruiter. The firm is looking to add three more recruiters and two sales professionals to the team. It has also made strategic investments in its technology infrastructure, allowing its recruiters to work more efficiently. "We did all of this stuff without going into debt," says Juliet Shrader, president & CEO of iVantage Group. The company specializes in staffing services for the IT, insurance and banking sectors, helping its clients find IT, engineering, finance and executive talent in the tech world. It was able to leverage its internal investments into a growing revenue, hitting nearly $10 million in revenue. "We're doing business smarter," Shrader says. Today iVantage Group employs a staff of 14 core team members and about 100 people in the field. Shrader expects to grow both numbers significantly in 2015. "We're going to continue to add to those numbers," Shrader says. Source: Juliet Shrader, president & CEO of iVantage Group Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

We're #31!  We're #31!  Okay, so we seriously question the jounralistic intergity of a publication that's sole goal is to rank things about college campuses, but there's no getting around the fact that the Michigan League is a pretty darned awesome-looking place to hold a wedding. Excerpt: "The Michigan League on the beautifully wooded Michigan campus is the premier place to hold seminars, conferences, and receptions, serving the University as well as the community. It was built to be a “building that would become a center for women’s social, cultural and recreational activities on campus.” It serves as a facility for ceremonies and receptions of all faiths and orientations without regard to affiliation with the University." Read the rest of the list here.

Clearing snow from your sidewalk has become the bane to many an Ann Arbor homeowner. One neighborhood decided to pool their resources and purchase their own SnowBuddy. Excerpt: "Tinkerhess decided to see if he could mobilize a community sidewalk-snow-clearing service funded with the model popular with public radio stations: Provide the service for free to the neighborhood, then ask for donations to offset the costs once it was up and running. As the co-creator of the popular Water Hill Music Fest, Tinkerhess was already a recognized leader in the community. It took only a couple of weeks to raise the $18,000 in startup funds that the board of the SnowBuddy (now registered as a formal nonprofit) had set as their first goal. It was enough to buy a $43,000 tractor on a four-year plan and still have some funds to cover their estimated expenses of $25,000 a year—including a $2 million liability insurance policy." Read the rest here.

It wasn't long ago when, Binod Dhakal and his wife opened Cardamom Restaurant on Plymouth Rd. in Ann Arbor. Less than two years later, the popular place with the tagline "Fresh Indian" is expanding, allowing them to serve more customers more quickly.  "The expansion area design will allow folks to wait for a table or carry out order comfortably, and grab a drink while they wait," says Dhakal. "It will also make the dining room more comfortable for seated guests because there won't be all the in and out traffic. And perhaps most importantly will be what you won't see: an expanded kitchen so we can produce more food." The Courtyard Shops restaurant is currently 1,709 square feet, plus an adjacent outdoor patio. The closing of the Biggby Coffee shop next door is allowing them to expand into an additional 1,105 square feet. "We knew after about two weeks in business that if we ever had the opportunity to expand we would need to grab it, so when this space came open next door we had to go for it," Dhakal says. "It's a risk since we've only been in business 20 months, but we have really great regular customers and we hope they will lend us their patience through this construction and transition." Dhakal is waiting for his plans to be approved by the city, but should everything move forward as expected, he hopes to open for business in the new area sometime this summer. He anticipates remaining open as much as possible throughout construction.  Dhakal anticipates growing his staff by eight to 10 workers after the expansion. In terms of future plans, he hopes to continue to grow and eventually add catering to Cardamom's offerings.  Source: Binod Dhakal, Cardamom Restaurant Writer: Natalie Burg

Current Motor Co is launching a new product line this winter, expanding on its core offering of electric scooters. The Ann Arbor-based company's Mini-fleet-in-a-Box product consists of four Current Motor Co’s new Nb Electric Cargo Motorcycles inside a shipping container that also acts as a solar charging station. That way the patent-pending product can be transported to remote locations with everything from a train to a helicopter. The standard Mini-fleet-in-a-Box comes in a standard 20-foot shipping container but can be made to fit a larger container as necessary. "We can do a large one as well," says Lauren Flanagan, executive chair of Current Motor Co. "It's not a problem. I like to say they work outside of the box." Current Motor Co is targeting customers that need self-supportive transportation options in remote locations, such as international mining and manufacturing companies. The 5-year-old firm has completely redesigned its electric scooter to create the Nb Electric Cargo Motorcycle, a 100-percent electric vehicle. The Nb Electric Cargo Motorcycle is advertised as very low maintenance requirements because it has no belts, chains or gears. It has a top speed of 70 mph, and can go up to 50 miles per charge. The motorcycle’s frame has been made stronger to carry more cargo (a driver and substantial cargo or two passengers and light cargo) through the use of high-strength Niobium (Nb) micro-alloyed steel. Current Motor Co's Nb Solar Charging Station can easily fit in a standard shipping container, allowing it to house four Nb Electric Cargo Motorcycles. The station can charge the bikes in five hours with its solar-powered 22-kilowatt-hour battery. The whole package starts retailing at $130,000 and can reach as much as $300,000 depending on the extras. "It really depends on what you put on it," Flanagan says. She adds, "We build it out to fit that need." Current Motor Co has hired five people over the last year. Those new jobs include business development professionals, technicians, engineers, and skilled labor. The company currently has a staff of 17 employees. That team is looking to start shipping the first orders of the firm’s Mini-fleet-in-a-Box this month. "I think we’re going to have a very good year," Flanagan says. Source: Lauren Flanagan, executive chair of Current Motor Co Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

No joke: A longtime Ann Arbor institution and a local business that has been around the block a few times meet in a downtown bar. The result is a brighter 2015 for both. Q LTD is working with The Ark, the renown performance venue, to redesign and revamp its online presence. The downtown Ann Arbor-based non-profit hasn't updated its website in more than a decade. The new website is now mobile friendly and includes more information about The Ark's well-known events, such as the Folk Festival. "The Ark is heading into its 50th year this year and it's kicking off a capital campaign," says Christine Golus, managing director of Q LTD. The 34-year-old firm has been doing more work in recent years and is looking to add to its staff. Q LTD currently has a staff of 12 employees and an intern. It’s looking to hire a software developer, too. The Ann Arbor-based firm has taken on a wide variety of projects as of late. Those include work for the University of Michigan's Human Resources and SIGGRAPH, which is short for Special Interest Group on GRAPHics and Interactive Techniques. "We are feeling a definite uptick in projects and work," Golus says. "We are seeing an improvement in the economy." Source: Christine Golus, managing director of Q LTD Writer: Jon Zemke