Jeweler’s futuristic window display
delights shoppers

Haig’s of Rochester Fine Jewelry’s creative Christmas window display provided a glimpse of what future holidays may look like for retailers. The display featured a real robot, programmed to show passersby jewelry from a large blue sparkly gift bag.

The robot, on loan from FANUC Robotics America, Inc., of Rochester Hills, and programmed by Orion-based Applied Manufacturing Technologies, Inc., is the LR Mate 200iC. Its tabletop size makes it a perfect fit for small retailers and window displays, according to store-owner Paul Haig. This was the first time AMT has programmed a robot for a retail display.

The robot joined another eye-catching display at the store: a huge waving Santa and reindeer, extending high over the storefront, a part of downtown Rochester’s Big Bright Lights holiday display.

Patrick Heller, owner of Liberty Coin Service in Lansing, was named to the American Numismatic Association’s Budget & Finance Committee. Committee members unanimously elected Heller to chair the committee. The American Numismatic Association is the world’s largest organization for coin collectors, with nearly 33,000 members.

IKEA crews came to Lansing’s Old Town January 7 to begin makeovers of 10 Old Town businesses. The business community won the makeover as the grand prize in IKEA’s nationwide “Main Street Makeover” contest. The crews will work together with volunteers for a two-week period to paint, assemble and install furniture.

An Open House is scheduled for January 19, from 11 – 2, to show off the new spaces to the community and especially to those who voted for and supported Old Town in its bid to win the contest.

At www.ikea.com/business, each of the businesses has a “before” video including an interview with the owners describing what they would like to see happen in the business and why they love Old Town. The website videos will be updated as the transformations progress.

The Lynch Sales Company, a sales promotion firm based in Grand Rapids and Florida, announced the launch of its newly redesigned website. The web address—www.lynchsales.com—remains the same, but the content, streaming video and design have been updated to reflect the many changes taking place within the furniture industry.