Xoran Technologies recorded its best year in nearly a decade in 2014. The Ann Arbor-based company installed more of its Mini CAT CT scanners this year than any year since 2006. "2014 was actually a really good year for us," says Rachel Gajda, director of marketing for Xoran Technologies. "We hope to kick it up even more in 2015." The 13-year-old bio-tech company manufacturers and sells point-of-care CT scanners. Its principal technology is MiniCat, a compact machine that can produce high-resolution bone window imaging of the sinuses, temporal bones and the skull. It controls about 75 percent of the market it serves. Xoran Technologies has been developing a second product called xCAT, a mobile, inter-operative CT scanner. The company plans to start selling these in earnest within the next 12 to 18 months. "2015 will bring Xoran Technologies to a new level of innovation and advancement," Gajda says. In the meantime the firm is expanding its staff to accommodate that. It has hired seven people over the last year and is looking to bring on another six right now. Source: Rachel Gajda, director of marketing for Xoran Technologies Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

People want TurtleCell's iPhone case with retractable earbuds so badly they are willing to give the Ann Arbor-based startup $10,000 to get the job done. Twice. The smartphone accessory startup won the People's Choice award at last year's Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition, which came with a check for $10,000 in seed capital. The company did it again earlier this month, taking the People’s Choice award at Accelerate Michigan and another $10,000. "We do feel like we're a fan favorite," says Jeremy Lindlbauer, co-founder and director of branding & marketing for TurtleCell. "We weren't surprised. We were holding our breath for a bigger check." The 2-year-old startup didn't win one of the main prizes (top prize came with $500,000) but its team did leave knowing it would be able to deliver on its promise to sell iPhone case with retractable earbuds. The company is working with Digital Treasures in Auburn Hills and expects to sell between 300,000 and 500,000 units next year. "We're expecting to be in mass production and delivery by next March," Lindlbauer says. TurtleCell got its start when a couple of University of Michigan students got frustrated with constantly untangling the earbuds for their iPhones while walking to class. The group of three went through a few prototypes and started to really gain traction with their latest version. TurtleCell's main product allows full access to the smartphone’s buttons and has a four-foot-long headphone that easily retracts back into the case. The earbuds are higher-quality. TurtleCell has hired five people over the last seven months to get the product ready for sales in 2015. "We have a lot going on over the next few months," Lindlbauer says. Source: Jeremy Lindlbauer, co-founder and director of branding & marketing for TurtleCell Writer: Jon Zemke

High heels are one of those accessories that are usually high fashion with low functionality. A new startup based in Ann Arbor thinks it can improve the functionality. High heels are notorious for being unstable pieces of footwear that can be tough to walk in. Heel Secret is making a small insole that helps keep the users foot securely in the shoe. "That insole has a clear elastic strap that goes over your heel and forces your foot into the shoe," says Kiri Chapman, founder of HeelSecret. Chapman is a student at the University of Michigan going for a bachelors in dance and a certificate in entrepreneurship. She is also a dancer who worked in a professional ballet troupe before coming to Ann Arbor. College came with more opportunity to wear high heels for Chapman, which presented both a problem and an opportunity. "That's when I started to play with my shows to make them fit better," Chapman says. She launched HeelSecret a year ago and then took second place the student portion of the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition earlier this month. That showing comes with $5,000 in seed capital that will help Chapman create more prototypes of her insole, which she plans to perfect before selling them to the public. "We really want a product that will speak for itself," Chapman says. Source: Kiri Chapman, founder of HeelSecret Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Did you know we rank third among Michigan's economic regions but 241st among the nations top 382 metro areas? Check out The Bridge's thumbnail analysis of Ann Arbor's economy and enlighten yourself! Read it here.

Somebody smells money. If there's one thing Texans don't fool around about it's football, oil and, of course, making money. To wit, Houston-based venture capital firm Mercury Fund has set up shop in The Deuce. Excerpt: "He said there is a depth of engineering, computer science and machine-learning talent in the area, bolstered by graduates of the University of Michigan. One of Mercury's main areas of investment is biotech, and there are numerous contract research organizations in Ann Arbor that were founded by former Pfizer Inc. employees after it closed its local operations in 2008." Read the rest here.

After a decade working in insurance repair, Mark Dixson says he understands a side of the insurance business many agents haven't experienced firsthand: clients who are not properly covered. Now that he's an agent himself, and opening his first Ann Arbor office, he says that is a quality that sets him apart.  "I've dealt with so many clients in the past who were under-insured. I wanted to think about those clients and bring the the kind of policy they need," says Dixson, whose The Dixson Agency is slated to open by the end of December. "When a client is paying a premium, they want to make sure all of their property is covered." Often, he says, people don't realize until after a flood or sewage break that they didn't have the coverage they thought they had. That is something he hopes to address when opening his office, which is tentatively planned for a 500 square foot space in South State Street Commons.  "We're here to stay in the Ann Arbor area, and we're bringing some value for clients," Dixson say "We're just happy to be in Ann Arbor." The Dixson Agency has been operating for about a year from a location in Canton. Dixson plans to hire two staff members to help operate his new Ann Arbor office.  Source: Mark Dixson, The Dixson Agency Writer: Natalie Burg

Three years ago, Yen and Nick Azzaro were in Chicago working as an art dealer and photographer, respectively. When they moved back to the Ann Arbor area, the husband and wife University of Michigan grads retargeted their services to the local market, creating Chin Azzaro, an art, design and photography studio. Now, the pair is expanding their operations to a new storefront in downtown Ypsilanti.  "Part of it was client necessity. People would say, 'Where's your studio?'" says Yen Azzaro. "A lot of things just came together at the same time, and a lot of it was happening in Ypsi. So even though we were located in Ann Arbor, it just made sense to open in Ypsilanti." In addition to Nick Azzaro's commercial work, he's been partnering with local schools to teach studio photography and taking photos for families in Ypsilanti's Hamilton Crossing. In their new downtown space, Chin Azzaro will offer weekly photography discounts to Ypsilanti residents. Yen Azzaro's services include art consulting, as well as marketing and publicity.  "As people have learned more about us, our services have expanded, and our partnerships too," Azzaro says. "We are really open to working and collaborating with people in the community." Chin Azzaro opened their new, 800 square foot studio Tuesday, which includes both studio space and an office. The Azzaros plan to continue to expand their services and find even more ways to work with the community and local students.  Source: Yen Azzaro, Chin-Azzaro Writer: Natalie Burg

Leon Speakers is forever evolving, and the evolution of the Ann Arbor-based company has accelerated over the last year. The high-end electronics company got its start in a University of Michigan dorm room making custom speakers in 1997. It has since grown into its own international business with dozens of employees. The company executed its first acquisition late last year, and has now upgraded its manufacturing process by implementing lean manufacturing. "It's been a pretty big transition lately," says Noah Kaplan, founder & president of Leon Speakers. The company has hired a dozen people over the last year, bringing its staff to just under 50 people. Among its new hires are product managers, sales directors and factory labor. That expanded staff has helped the company post double-digit revenue gains over the last year. A big part of growth is thanks to Leon Speakers acquisition of Florida-based Media Decor, makes custom frames for flat screen TVs. Leon Speakers has folded Media Decor's portfolio into the rest of the company. It has also upgraded its factory to enable a more efficient production. It can now produce high-end electronics that can aim to be price competitive with electronics made overseas. Leon Speakers is also working to make its newly redone factory into a tour-ready facility that it wants to make part of its artistic expression. The company is also aiming to expand its physical presence to Europe next year. "We are leveraging the factory and our capability to manufacture so we can compete internationally," Kaplan says. He adds, "we're looking at some more exponential growth and a tour-ready factory." Source: Noah Kaplan, founder & president of Leon Speakers Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.