We’re starting the year off with a major announcement: Bruce Richardson has been promoted to President of Logic Solutions and Logic Systems Engineering.  Jimmy revealed the good news to Logic’s employees in his annual New Year’s letter, citing Bruce’s exemplary work growing both companies during his years as COO. 

Bruce’s focus will be on managing sales, marketing, software development, and operations, allowing Jimmy to concentrate his efforts as CEO on strategic direction, acquisitions, and continued product development of Showcase.  Please join us in congratulating our new President!

Logic welcomes Shi Chen, who recently joined Logic as a Technical Intern.  An expert in user experience, her primary responsibilities include turning project business and functional requirements into System Requirements Specifications, designing application wireframes, assisting in usability studies, user experience integration, and testing applications.

Shi is a student in Human-Computer Interaction at the School of Information at the University of Michigan.  She expects to graduate with a Master of Science in Information in April 2012.  Shi also holds a Master of Arts in Museum Studies from the University of Florida, and a Bachelor of History in Archaeology and Museum Studies from Sichuan University.  In her free time, Shi enjoys jogging,                                          reading, and occasionally cooking.

Tecumseh Products Company, with world headquarters here in Ann Arbor, is a global manufacturer of hermetically sealed compressors for residential and specialty air conditioning, household refrigerators and freezers, and commercial refrigeration applications. In late 2011, Tecumseh approached Logic to build an Electrical Service Parts (ESP) app on iOS and Android platforms.  

The ESP app provides critical assistance to the service tech in the field.  After assessing the problem, the tech can quickly enter the broken compressor’s model number (or other identifying information such as its voltage, RLA, LRA, and more) in the app’s clean, no-fuss interface.  The app will then return a list of available replacement compressors that match the entered specifications.

Tecumseh’s ESP app eliminates time-consuming product matching and lookup, allowing a service tech to quickly identify the part he/she needs.  The result is faster supply ordering and job close-out, reduced costs, and increased productivity and customer satisfaction.  

Tecumseh’s ESP app is the first of several such apps the company plans to release.  We look forward to a continuing this rewarding relationship with a successful, Southeast Michigan manufacturer!

The Annual Collaboration for Entrepreneurship, ACE ‘12! 

ACE is an event that celebrates and promotes entrepreneurship in the Great Lakes region. ACE brings together entrepreneurs, service providers, investors, students, government agents and other members of the business community to network, learn and connect.

Hundreds of people attended ACE '11, and the event garnered national attention in the Detroit Free Press and the New York Times. Join Logic, and our local and national communities in 2012.  The event takes place January 31 at Skyline High School.  To register, please visit the ACE '12 registration page.

Challenge Detroit

By uniting a group of innovative, entrepreneurial thinkers, Challenge Detroit takes a significant step toward energizing our city’s creative and professional core. The goals of Challenge Detroit are simple but ambitious. By bringing tomorrow's leaders together to experience Detroit for a year, we will jump start a very important initiative: to attract and retain a creative and professional class in the city.

Challenge Detroit will invite 30 of tomorrow's leaders to live, work, play, and give in and around the Detroit area for one year.  Can retaining and attracting 30 of the best and brightest innovative thinkers make a difference? Detroit is betting on it. 

Find more about the Challenge and how you can become involved.

Our business development crew is hitting the pavement (slopes, beach, and desert) this month for a string of major trade shows this month. They’ll be exhibiting Showcase, our exciting new iPad app designed to help product-based companies drive B2B sales. Since you’ve last read, Showcase’s official launch was quickly followed by global adoption by one of our favorite clients, Maui Jim. Read about the latest developments, and contact us if you’re interested in a free consultation. 

Andres Montejo, Mike Huegli, and Doug Zeffer are heading west for their select industry shows in Las Vegas and Denver, respectively. Sales vet (and Automation Alley Member of the Year) Al Carpinelli, journeyed Westward to Chicago, and Dave is headed south to sunny Orlando. Here’s an overview of their expeditions:

Al

Working off a hot lead from our friends at Tecumseh, Al enjoyed the scenery swap at the International Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigerating Exposition (AHR) at McCormick Place in Chicago. The Chicago winter promised to be much the same as Ann Arbor’s, but Al reported adequate warmth mixing among the show’s prominent heating companies.

Dave

Dave joined more than 40,000 golf pros, manufacturing executives, and industry leaders for the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando.  Needless to say, with temps in the mid- to high-70s, those of us in Ann Arbor wish we could score similar business trips.

Andres

Andres is destined for Las Vegas Market, set in Sin City between January 30 and February 3. More than 1,500 exhibitors—most of them major furniture manufacturers—will furnish the World Market Center in Vegas for this flagship show. While they’re hard-at-work showcasing their latest products, Andres be doing the same!

Mike and Doug

Mike is adamant that Denver’s annual Snow Sports Industries America (SIA) Show will flourish with or without the support of Mother Nature, but you can bet everyone is keeping a close eye on the powder reports. Hosted between January 26 and January 29, the SIA Show is the place to find the industry’s hottest trends and innovations… at least until next year’s show.

Jimmy just returned from his first 2012 trip to our China offices, joining the teams in Lunar New Year Celebrations.  This year is the Year of the Dragon.   Of the twelve signs in the Chinese Zodiak, the dragon is the only one that is legendary.

Corp! Magazine recently honored Jimmy as a Michigan Entrepreneur of Distinction.   The organization states, “Michigan has many hometown entrepreneurial heroes of its own in the automotive, cereal, construction, pharmaceutical, legal, medical and other fields. Corp! Magazine is proud to honor 28 individuals who have led their businesses toward success”.  Congratulations, Jimmy!