Ann Arbor has a thriving business community. We know readers want coverage of real estate, development, technology, manufacturing, consumer issues and other business topics.
You'll find all that - and more - under the Ann Arbor Business Review name on our site when it launches the week of July 20. Since 2003, the Business Review has established itself as a credible source for local business news, both in a weekly print edition and online at Mlive.com/business.
The Business Review announced today that it will cease publishing Aug. 13, but the name and content will continue through several channels on AnnArbor.com.
Leading that effort will be Paula Gardner, who will serve as our business director, and Nathan Bomey, who will be a digital journalist. Both will be joining the staff of AnnArbor.com to provide content in such areas as real estate and development.
Business content will be prominently located in the topics area on AnnArbor.com, and we'll invite people to sign up for a weekly e-newsletter featuring our Business Review coverage. In addition, readers of our Sunday newspaper will find expanded Business Review content beginning Aug. 16.
Paula and Nathan are both well-known and respected journalists in the business community, and we know they'll be a great addition to our staff. We're pleased to be offering readers high-quality business coverage under a brand they know and trust.
Paula, 44, is an original employee of the Ann Arbor Business Review, joining the team before the January 2003 launch. Her first beats were retail, manufacturing and real estate. Paula's interest in real estate led to the development of the popular Square Footage section in Business Review and established her as a leading regional real estate reporter.
Paula was promoted to editor in spring 2007 and also was editor of Oakland Business Review. She established the Michigan Business Review presence on MLive.com.
Paula's experience in local journalism includes time at the Ypsilanti Press, Ann Arbor News and Detroit Free Press. Paula, her husband and children live in Ann Arbor.
Nathan, 25, joined the Ann Arbor Business Review in September 2006, covering technology, alternative energy, life sciences, venture capital, manufacturing and the Michigan economy.
He created the "Michigan Business Innovation" blog on Mlive.com and has a strong online presence - breaking news on the Web, live blogging at events, taking photos, shooting and editing video interviews and managing content online.
Nathan's past experience includes several years of local news reporting, starting at The Saline Reporter and The Milan News-Leader. At Eastern Michigan University, Nathan was managing editor of the Eastern Echo in his senior year, overseeing a staff of about 100. He lives in Howell with his wife, Kathryn Prater, a reporter at the Lansing State Journal.
We welcome your feedback on our business coverage and look forward to keeping the Business Review brand alive.
Congrats to Miss Gardner & Mr Bomey. Beein following both on Twitter for some time and they will be excellent additions to the AnnArbor.com staff. They're two experience business writers who have grasped Web 2.0 completely and will work to leverage it to its fullest.
Looking forward to their continued reporting on the economy and business environment of Washtenaw County.
What's the over/under for July @NathanBomey?
Pformer Pfizer
I'm excited to join AnnArbor.com and to continue covering business news in the Ann Arbor region. Until our transition is complete, I'd like to invite you to e-mail me at nathanb@mbusinessreview.com, follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NathanBomey or read my blog at http://blog.mlive.com/businessinnovation.
Anxious to join the team!
Nathan
Surely you are bringing Sven Gustafson with you. Right? Can't let an excellent reporter like that go...
"Brand they know and trust", "keep the brand alive". Maybe you are listening. Several posters told you it didn't make sense to dump a 174-year-old brand, yet now you play up a 5-year-old brand? Maybe you realize your mistake? If only you'd get rid of that silly acorn and "The Deuce" next. Listening to what your customers want is a good thing.
Sorry Jake. But it's slowly becoming clear that unless these customers blog, tweet, shoot video, ignite, design or develop, they aren't interested.
Hip new toys are happening; delivering simple facts for the masses aren't what it's about.
Agreed. But the problem with hip new toys, such as classmates, friendster, myspace, etc. is that they don't stay hip for long. 2002's hip new toys are old, stale, boring, useless.
Facebook is at middle-age, if not close to retirement (parents think it's cool). Twitter is rather annoying. Twine might be the hip new toy by Christmas and done next July. Not sure this venture can keep up with the changes. We'll see.
Jake; I agree that chasing the new technology is a losing bet. Does Newhouse really want this demographic anyway? Transient, short attention span, zero loyalty, here today gone tomorrow? I’m sensing it’s more about the process of tweeting as opposed to the relevance of the tweet.
What I’ve yet to hear about is the business plan? What is the value proposition to prospect advertisers? Who is in charge of this side of the business?