Fairway Innovations, part of the Acme Group, spoke at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management Entrepreneurship Club on November 14, 2011.  Special Thanks to Brett Tremain for inviting us and coordinating the event.  We decided to discuss how our system of helping inventors reach out to manufacturers works in real-world scenarios, prototyping, business strategies and how vitally important it is for startups to get the right system in place to anticipate growth.

Big Thanks to the students and facilty from the Kellogg School of Management 

I'm sorry... it's been awhile since we've talked.

Things here at Acme Mills are running at top-speed. New products are under development, our staff is prepping for two major releases of product over the next few months, and man are they gonna be awesome.

We have also had the pleaseure of working with Veronika Scott, founder of The Empowerment Plan. "What's the Empowerment Plan?" you ask? Well, here is your answer...

• to employ homeless females within the city of Detroit
• to give coats or the Element S coat to individuals living on the streets
• to establish trust and communication with individuals deemed by the shelters as unreachable in the homeless community for example the mentally impaired
• to teach sewing manufacturing/ production skills to people that need jobs
• to offer a sense of pride to the women who have been employed in the production of the coats.

We have been working with Veronika on materials sourcing issues and overall business planning for about 8 months now, and it's been an amazing experience. Especially since it's helping out our hometown folks, the people of Detroit.

If you would like to help, or have an idea on how we can help more, call us at 800.894.7110 or contact Veronika directly at http://detroitempowermentplan.blogspot.com

Notice to our customers:

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has announced a phase-out agreement with the two U.S. manufacturers and the primary U.S. importer of the flame retardant decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE) by the end of 2013. DecaBDE has been one of the worlds most widely used fire retardants for electronics, textiles, wire insulation and other aerospace components.

Help reach out to the victims of the recent tornado outbreaks in the south with a charitible donation, our hearts go out to each and every person affected by this tremendous tragedy.

United Way of West Alabama: 2720 Sixth St. No. 100, between Lurleen Wallace Boulevard and Capitol Park,  205-345-6640  The United Way could use donations of nonperishable food items, clothes, tarps, and feminine hygiene products. You can also make cash donations, all of which will stay local, by credit card at www.uwwa.org.

St. Mark United Methodist Church: 1421 McFarland Blvd., Northport, Alabama, 205-339-5990 The church is currently serving as a shelter for the displaced, and you can send it nonperishable food and clothes. If you're in the area, they could also use volunteers with medical training.

Red Cross: The Red Cross has already set up temporary shelters across the damaged states and is providing meals and medical assistance to families. As usual, you can donate $10 to their relief effort by texting "REDCROSS" to 90999. You can also donate online or by calling             1-800-RED-CROSS.

The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services is also providing food to the displaced. You can donate $10 to them by texting "GIVE" to 80888. To donate online, go to salvationarmyusa.org, and to give via phone, call 1-800-SAL-ARMY and say you'd like to designate your funds for the "April 2011 Tornado Outbreak."