By Jenn Goeddeke

AVER SIGN COMPANY WAS FOUNDED IN 1998 BY THE ULCH FAMILY: Terry Sr., Diane, and their two sons: Terry Jr., and Vance.

They started with a great idea by Terry Jr., an older truck, and lots of hard work. Now in their 24th year of success, they humbly describe themselves as a “work in progress, with a lot of team effort – where we have learned to handle each situation as it comes up!”

Currently, they own a fleet of 20 trucks and manage 26 employees. They purchased the building at 359 Livernois (which they originally rented) 20 years ago. Additionally, they own another site across Hilton (at 1280 Wordsworth) which is about the same size, but with more yard space for storing signs.

MANY OF THE COMMERCIAL SIGNS THEY MANUFACTURE CAN BE TECHNICALLY COMPLEX; for example, the Toledo Mud Hen’s scoreboard, or a high-rise building sign, like Citizens Bank in Southfield.

“Everything is certified. It is imperative to get permits, and then there aren’t any problems. We have key people around us and we think of them all as family. These people are vital and they’re the reason we are still here,” said Terry.

Some signs, especially for corporate clients, are pre-manufactured, and then Aver Sign handles the details. Signs weigh up to 700-800 lbs, and often enormous machinery is needed. Sometimes, substantial holes are dug – 24 feet or even deeper!

The biggest challenges they have faced have been financial. For example, newer trucks cost around $150k each. “We started from dirt! Every dollar we made was reinvested for quite a while because it takes three-four years to get established for financing. The years 2008-2010 were particularly hard-going. Banks kept a tight cap on funds, and we had many fixed costs to pay. It was a tough two years.”

BUSINESS HAS FORTUNATELY FLOWED THEIR WAY since those difficult times. “We have since bought out three other smaller sign companies, and we have steadily grown. We have been blessed.”

“Our two sons are workhorses!” Terry emphasized. “There are no Saturdays and Sundays with them. For example, they have just been to Grand Rapids for a trade show. They had to prepare, set up, tear down and stay the night. The next day, they were right back to their regular work. We were very strict in raising the boys and it seems to have paid off!”

Overall, the business has brought huge rewards for the Ulchs and their loyal staff: “The upside to our business is growing from a tiny thought process and entity into a beautiful organization, with a great group of people! We frequently see our signs as we are driving in Michigan or Ohio, and story-telling within our social gatherings is always entertaining.”

Diane and Terry Ulch are also in the fitness industry together. They own the award-winning gym 359 Fit above Aver Sign. They have competed together in 11 bodybuilding shows for 11 years in a row! Terry’s last show was in Las Vegas at age 71. Their boys were introduced to the gym at 12 years old and both keep active in their home gyms.

I ASKED THE ULCHS FOR ANY SECRETS TO THEIR SUCCESS STORY. Firstly, Terry stated, is to treat others with respect. “I usually reflect on what I’m getting and I set firm boundaries. Overall I emphasize politeness.” Secondly, Diane mentioned joining forces with a good accountant and lawyer, as there can be some tough lessons to learn and a few growing pains along the way.

The Aver Sign Company is located at 359 Livernois St in Ferndale. Contact them at 248.542.0678 or visit their website at: www.aversign.com. For inquiries, email: info@aversign.com.
Check out their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/AverSignCompany.

By Lisa Howard

WHEN MICHIGAN-NATIVE MADONNA SANG ABOUT LIVING IN A MATERIAL WORLD, she could have just as easily been singing about living in a concrete world.

The ubiquitous building material is everywhere – driveways, porches, patios, foundations, roads, et cetera. “Concrete is really good ground covering here given our Michigan weather,” says Aaron Davis, owner of Cement Lab Studio. “If it’s laid properly, it can withstand freeze-thaw cycles and heavy winters without moving or shifting.”

It’s also affordable and surprisingly reusable – Aaron points out that when his crew rips out driveways, they take the concrete to a cement-crusher where it’s crushed back into aggregate that’s used again. (Quick vocab lesson: although people tend to use “cement” and “concrete” interchangeably, cement is an ingredient of concrete. Cement plus aggregate plus water equals concrete.)

AARON HAS BEEN WORKING WITH CEMENT AND TILE EVER SINCE HE APPRENTICED to a tile expert at the tender age of 17. Even though he attended college and eventually emerged with an MBA (which came after majoring in music), he decided to pursue a hands-on career instead. Not only does it feel good to do physical labor, he says, it’s rewarding to see the finished projects. Initially, he focused more on redoing kitchens and bathrooms – he has another company called the TileLab – but when Covid-19 hit, outdoor work got a lot more appealing and he started laying more patios and driveways.

Another in-demand concrete job is fixing porches. “I’d need three or four lifetimes to get to all the porches that need repair in Ferndale,” Aaron admits. Part of why porches are a perennial problem for many residents in the area is because houses in Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge, and the east side of Ferndale were often built with root cellars that extend beyond the basement and underneath the porch. When that’s the case, extra skill is needed during a repair/rebuild to prevent the underside of the porch from caving into the basement proper.

Along with having the engineering savvy needed for handling finicky jobs, Aaron prides himself on having enough skilled workers on his crews to lay driveways in a single day. “We don’t leave you with a torn-out driveway that you can’t park on for a week. We come with enough manpower to do it in one day flat. Our crew of eight or nine guys shows up at 8:00 A.M. to tear out the old driveway, and then we’re pouring a new one by 11:00 A.M.” This quick turnaround, he says, is what customers tell him they most appreciate about his work.

ANOTHER SERVICE HE LIKES TO OFFER IS PERSONALIZING DRIVEWAYS and patios and whatever else people might want to imprint with their unique signature, whether that’s a handprint or a child’s name. Or a pet’s pawprint – even cats can be persuaded to meander across not-quite-set concrete to create indelible kitty tracks.

Summertime is high season for driveways, but that season vanishes once Michigan’s frost laws come into play in November, a legal aspect of cement work that’s not well known by the public. Frost laws govern seasonal load weight – the restrictions prevent roads already tenderized by frost from becoming more damaged. That means Aaron and his crews can’t haul the amount of cement or stone they’d need to lay a driveway in a single truckload. Translation: have your patio installed between November and April. Smaller jobs aren’t impacted by frost laws, plus lawns become a lot sturdier and it’s easier to get machinery around to the back of a home.

Turns out there is something to be said for Michigan winters!

www.tilelabstudio.com/cementlab-studio | 248.595.6555
tilelabstudio@gmail.com

By Lisa Howard

PETS AREN’T JUST ANIMALS THEY’RE FAMILY MEMBERS. And family deserves the best!

When Janet Platt first brought home a shih tzu named Maestro, she quickly realized that commercial dog treats were far from the best. Most weren’t even good. It didn’t take her long to start making Maestro treats from scratch, using fresh and mostly meat ingredients.

Other people wanted to feed their furry family members better too, so she opened her first store in Bloomfield Hills in 2012 and called it Maestro’s Dog Haus. Four years later, she opened a second location in Ferndale.

“We have people who stop in almost every day,” says Drew McLenon, the manager at the Ferndale store. “Especially people with puppies. They’ll be out for a walk and come in to get the puppies more socialized and used to being in stores. We love to see them!”

Four-legged visitors are offered treats, while their two-legged companions can browse the day’s freshly made offerings. The chicken chips are the most popular — they’re 100 percent chicken breast that has been dehydrated and baked, resulting in a potato-chip-like texture. For those picky eaters who may shun chicken, exotic choices like emu jerky and dehydrated ostrich necks are available. Drew says those are also excellent picks for pets with allergies or sensitive stomachs since emu and ostrich are hypoallergenic meats.

ONE INGREDIENT THAT YOU WON’T SEE in Maestro’s handcrafted treats are grains. The Maestro bakers do make a handful of items with veggies like sweet potatoes and lentils, but the vast majority of their products are 100 percent meats that have been alternatively baked, dehydrated, and/or freeze-dried.

Their freeze-dried salmon bites are another customer fave, and the bakers also make cupcakes that are also salmon-flavored. Chews and grain-free bones (including peanut, beef, and chicken varieties) are toothsome treats, while the cupcakes and freeze-dried options are soft. Maestro’s also offers four- and five-star commercial kibbles and wet foods.

Along with their edible treats, Maestro’s is stocked with pet toys for dogs and cats. Drew says that aside from getting to meet so many friendly faces (furry and otherwise), finding fun new toys is her favorite part of the job. She has a cat at home, so she’s well aware of how valuable intriguing toys can be.

She knows the cross appeal of Maestro’s treats, too – Kiki, her brown tabby, loves the chicken chips as much as her barking brethren do. And Kiki also gets to enjoy the filler-free cat food that Maestro’s has in the store. Commercial cat food tends to have even more fillers than commercial dog foods, which is all the more puzzling (and distressing) given that cats are obligate carnivores. Many of Maestro’s customers come into the store looking for foods that don’t contain fillers, byproducts or added colors, either because their dog or cat is experiencing chronic health issues like skin disorders or because they just want to improve their pet’s overall health and energy levels.

IN HER FIVE YEARS AT THE FERNDALE STORE, DREW HAS SEEN more and more pet owners come in to make the switch to better quality foods. Being on West Nine Mile just off Woodward, Maestro’s gets tons of foot traffic in their small but well-provisioned shop. (The Bloomfield Hills location is where the bakery is located; it’s more of a stock-up-here store.)

The three-person staff has their hands full, especially during the summertime months when their ever-popular frozen yogurt reappears. Made with raw goat’s milk and offered in an array of pet-favorite flavors like strawberry, beef bone broth, and peanut butter, Maestro’s is an essential stop for any dog and their human!

Maestro’s Dog Haus | 310 W. Nine Mile, Ferndale
248.632.1199 | https://maestrosdoghaus.com

By Lisa Howard

WITH A 20TH ANNIVERSARY COMING UP IN THE FALL and a grand opening happening on June 11, Luna Calley is one busy lady.

“I need ten of me,” she says. That’s no exaggeration: Luna runs Thru Luna’s Eyes Salon & Healing Arts on top of providing hairdressing services and teaching classes ranging from reiki to meditation. She changed the salon’s name to include Healing Arts two years ago after she had ramped up her class offerings.

And she just opened Luna’s Lemuria in Birmingham, where she sells everything from hair jewelry and wigs to crystals and gemstones. She sells those items in the salon, too, but when the opportunity to snag a new space popped up, she seized it. Now she has ample accommodations for her retail items, classes and hair services.

“We’re always growing and expanding,” Luna says. “New people come in with fresh ideas. We keep up with trends, and do continuing ed for our staff.”

Extensions have gotten really popular, she adds that’s her personal specialty — and that’s a service her salon has long offered. Dreadlocks and creative color are two more of their top niches. Luna has been providing the latter for almost 30 years, dating back to when she co-owned the Dungeon Hair Studio in Clawson.

SHE TOOK A YEAR OFF BETWEEN RUNNING THE DUNGEON and opening Thru Luna’s Eyes and re-immersing herself in the world of hair. Since then, she’s done several hair balls (winning a Best Of award in the process) and worked with designers at various venues to put on her own hair shows.

“The city has grown so much since I first opened!” she says. “There were only a few hair salons back then, and now there are what – 20? But I don’t mind, because we have a different kind of niche. Besides, one of the reasons people come to Ferndale now is because we do have so many salons.”

Although many of her clients are fellow Ferndalians, some come from other states. The reverse also happens — one of Luna’s staff was recently flown out to do dreadlocks. And, perhaps not surprisingly given the salon’s artistic bent, back when the film industry was hard at work in Michigan, her staff was in demand on sets. One actually went with the industry when it decamped and headed back west.

Most of her staff have come and gone throughout the years, Luna says, but her staff has always consisted of people who have created a fun, energetic environment for themselves and their clients. That atmosphere is one of the highlights of Luna’s multi-decade career.

ANOTHER IS SOCIETY’S GROWING ACCEPTANCE OF CREATIVE HAIR. “When I started doing those styles, sometimes certain cuts or colors would cause people to lose their jobs; sometimes schools wouldn’t let students have pink hair or attend prom with certain hair colors. Now, though, society has really embraced the more creative side of hair.”

She points out that even workplaces are more accepting, especially retail establishments and bars and restaurants. That said, she caters to everybody from all walks of life — her slogan is “conservative to alternative.” She caters to Ren Fest goers, too, offering fairy hair and mermaid braids.

That kind of hair art will be showcased during Luna’s 20 anniversary party on September 3rd. Fall will also see her offering crystal and gemstone classes in addition to her movement, meditation and mantra programs. While Luna will still be styling hair, she’s planning on moving more into teaching. Life is too short to not pursue passions! Even if there’s only one of her instead of ten.

513 W. Nine Mile Rd, Ferndale | 248.545.5413 | Facebook