Business & Professional

MEMOS

New Jobs

Mon Yaakov
Kapen, son of
Rachel and Shelly
Kapen of West
Bloomfield, has
been elected presi-
dent of the Long
Island chapter
Kapen
of the American
Jewish Committee. He is a corpo-
rate attorney and partner in the
FarrellFritz law firm on Long Island.
Kapen is a graduate of Brandeis
University in Waltham, Mass., where
he received his degree in econom-
ics. He received his law degree from
Cornell University Law School in
Ithaca, N.Y.

Planterra expansion to provide economic boost.

G

round was broken Oct. 16 on
the Planterra Conservatory,
which developers say will help
fuel the local economy and bring new
permanent jobs to the area.
West Bloomfield Trustee
Stuart Brickner, Oakland County
Commissioner Marcia Gershenson and
Oakland County Executive L. Brooks
Patterson were among local leaders who
were on hand.
The new facility is on Drake Road,
between 14 and 15 Mile roads. Planterra
Corp. currently contributes 70 non-
seasonal green collar jobs to the local
economy.
The 23,000-square-foot, conservato-
ry-style facility, due for completion next
fall, comprises three adjoining glass
greenhouse structures with European
hipped rooflines. The structure will
house the largest selection of tropical
ornamental foliage, orchids and decora-
tive pottery in the region.
"This is an important moment for
West Bloomfield:' Brickner said at the
groundbreaking ceremony, "as we pro-
ceed to keep our promise to bring new
commercial ventures — indeed new life
— into this community."
Brickner continued: "Now, with the
total cooperation of the township gov-
ernment, and with the participation
of the private development sector, the
Planterra Conservatory dream is well on
its way to becoming a reality"
The Planterra Conservatory's large
inventory will feed Planterra's core
interior landscaping business. However,
the collection will be open to the public.
Planterra is owned by the Pliska family.
The local project team includes
Neumann/Smith Architects, Jonna
Construction, interior designers Ron
Rea and Roman Boninslawski and
finance partner Level One Bank. The
glass structure of the building will
come from greenhouse specialists
Private Garden Greenhouse Systems
of Hampden, Mass., and Deforche of
Belgium. ❑

Conservatory Facts

•Size of project: 23,000 square
feet
•Cost of construction: Over $3
million
•Employed at facility: 70, initially
•Completion Date: Fall 2009

Karen Small, Planterra senior designer, and her father, Dr. Erwin Small

Miller

Newman

The following
attorneys from
Rochester-based
Miller Law Firm
P.0 were recog-
nized as super
lawyers by Law &
Politics magazine:

E. Powell Miller

Associate James M. Stock, RA, Neumann/Smith Architects; Oakland

County Commissioner Karen Spector of West Bloomfield; Oakland County
Commissioner Marcia Gershenson of Beverly Hills; Planterra CEO Carol Pliska

Fink

of Rochester Hills,
business litigation; Marc L. Newman
of Huntington Woods, business
litigation; David H. Fink of West
Bloomfield, class actions. This is the
second consecutive year the firm's
three senior partners have been rec-
ognized.

and West Bloomfield Trustee Stuart Brickner

Maddin

fritericr
Plaritino s '

Gene Farber, chairman, West Bloomfield Planning Commission; Planterra prin-
cipal Shane Pliska; West Bloomfield Trustee Stuart Brickner

Hauser

The legal research
publication
Chambers USA:
America's Leading
Lawyers for
Business 2008 has
awarded special
recognition to
three attorneys at
Southfield-based

Salesin

Memos on page A44

October 30 • 2008

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