Assets International LLC Honored as One of the 2010 “Michigan 50 Companies to Watch”

Assets International LLC (www.assets-

international.com) has been recognized as one of the 2010 “Michigan 50 Companies to Watch,” an awards program sponsored by the Edward Lowe Foundation and presented by Michigan Celebrates Small Business.

The Southfield-based assets location company, a global leader in locating missing heirs and with reuniting individuals and companies with non-real estate cash assets, will be honored at an awards ceremony during the sixth annual Michigan Celebrates Small Business event, April 29 in Lansing, Mich.

Assets International is a licensed private investigation agency and industry leader in locating assets and their rightful owners, as well as missing heirs, all over the world. Using proven investigative techniques combined with an individualized approach to customer service, Assets International has successfully recovered millions of dollars for corporations and individuals and located many missing and unknown heirs on behalf of families and estates.

“To be chosen as one of the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch is an honor and testament to the hard work of everyone in our company," said Assets International President Michael Zwick. "This recognition means we have been able to follow through in our promise to clients that we can assist unknown and missing heirs recover inheritances that are rightfully theirs."

“Now 300 strong, the second-stage businesses that comprise the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch have not only persevered through challenging times, but also found opportunities to grow,” says Penny Lewandowski, director of entrepreneurship development at the Edward Lowe Foundation. “They continue to hire and develop new markets for their products and services. Some have attracted significant amounts of venture capital, while others have been awarded prestigious federal grants. They are making a substantial difference in their communities — and their industries. Our 2010 inductees are proof that entrepreneurs are, and always have been, the future of Michigan’s economy.”

Companies making it to the “Michigan 50 Companies to Watch” list are a remarkable group of second-stage companies. Defined as having 6 to 99 full-time-equivalent employees and generating $750,000 to $50 million in annual revenue or working capital from investors or grants, these companies form the back-bone of Michigan’s economy. Representing all regions of the state and a diverse range of industries, companies like Assets International are known for their exceptional entrepreneurial leadership, creation of innovation or use of innovation in creative ways, and their sustainable competitive advantage.

Winners were selected by Michigan-based judges from the banking, economic development, entrepreneurship development and venture capital communities.

Michigan 50 Companies to Watch is presented by Michigan Celebrates Small Business. PNC Bank is the lead underwriter for Michigan Celebrates Small Business, with additional underwriting support from Clark Hill PLC, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan Certified Development Corporation, Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, Comcast Business Class, Comcast Spotlight, and Dynamic Edge.

Michigan Celebrates Small Business is presented in association with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, Small Business Association of Michigan, the U.S. Small Business Administration – Michigan, and the Edward Lowe Foundation.

Information about the 2010 Michigan 50 Companies to Watch program can be found at http://companiestowatch.org/index.ctw?aff=Michigan&page=home. For information about Michigan Celebrates Small Business, visit http://MichiganCelebrates.biz.

“Who Do You Think You Are?”

One of the hottest new television shows is NBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?” Each episode follows a different celebrity in his or her quest to learn more about his family history. This past Friday night’s episode focused on Emmitt Smith, the Hall of Fame running back and “Dancing with the Stars” winner.

Smith’s search took him from his Dallas home to Florida, Alabama, Virginia, and an African slavery sanctuary. Smith fully expected to learn that his family tree includes slaves. He learned a few other things though that both shocked him and shed light on the twists, turns and roadblocks that any genealogy search may encounter.

While America is one of the most open countries in terms of public records and archives, some families’ history and lineage are easier to trace than others. Due to the awful treatment of African Americans prior to the 1960’s, public officials did not feel the need to record major life events or even the existence of all people equally. Some census takers in some locales carried such ugly hate that they didn’t believe that people with darker skin counted as people. This shows how self-destructive racism can be. States receive more federal money and congressional representation when they count more people. By failing to count everyone, these census takers denied their states their money and representation.

On a more personal level, the missing accounts of family connections can impact our lives today. What genes do we carry that might predispose us to certain diseases? What if an unknown relative had the kidney that could save a life? What if we were missing heirs of a small fortune? What might our past mean to future generations? While he hit some roadblocks, Smith’s search enabled him to uncover valuable family information as could yours.

That Smith’s ancestry involved a then-taboo interracial relationship and crossed an ocean made his search all that much more complex and difficult. Not everyone will encounter these problems. There is however the potential in any genealogical search that some places or sources may have better record keeping than others. Notwithstanding a person’s best efforts to research his or her family history, consulting with professional genealogists may be necessary.

If it's a hobby, is it anything but a money maker?

Assets International is in the business of working with some very dedicated hobby enthusiasts. Not the stamps, antiques, or baseball card collecting enthusiasts, and not the fishing or hunting enthusiasts (though we like those hobbies, too!).

Instead, we work with many people who take their genealogy and family trees seriously, people who often pour in money into genealogy books and training, paying for online resources, and the like. Usually the last thing these people expect is to make money off their hobby.

But in the first week of March 2010, we were handed not one, but two cases of people who had died leaving no known heirs. And in both of those cases the decedent had some unknown genealogical enthusiasts in the family who put up their family trees online. That left us as family reuniters, sort of like being a matchmaker, only a lucrative one.

Two decedents with unknown heirs - two families about to inherit many thousands of dollars.

While this doesn't happen every day, it shows that genealogy can actually be profitable!

Assets International Celebrates Record Month

The staff of Assets International is thrilled to announce that February was a record month. We recovered over $890,000 for our clients; one client alone received over a quarter million dollars. A widow of 50 years finally got $57,000 from her husband’s estate thanks to AI working with the courts in both New York and Michigan.


One of our more complicated cases was resolved this February. After three years, a well respected public administrator who served as conservator for a decedent when she was alive contacted us because there were no known heirs. Not only did we identify six nieces and nephews we discovered the woman’s only child. One of the nieces told us she had been contacted by another search firm, but they were unable to locate other family members. AI successfully located all of them including the nephew with a very common ”John Smith”-type name who was the beneficiary of an annuity. We are happy to say that he now has his inheritance.


Rather than use valuable staff time and resources, contact Assets International for any “missing heir” or “no known heir” searches.

Protecting Your Data and Identity

Recent events featured in international news have again turned a spotlight on the threat of identity theft. Some of our colleagues around the world have stated that they personally know people whose identities seem to have been stolen and forged onto European passports in the recent Dubai assassination.

It goes without saying that Assets International takes the utmost care to guard the data about people that it has at its fingertips. We are quite good at not only at finding missing heirs and identifying entitled beneficiaries, but also know how, and how important it is, to maintain the privacy of our clients, always.

So what are some of the tactics you can use to help safeguard your identify on a daily basis?

-Avoid leaving behind ATM or other receipts

-Refrain from giving information to online sources from whom you have not initiated contact or have not granted online access to your information

-Use a shredder to destroy documents that contain your personal information

-Avoid carrying your social security card with you

-Always keep your credit cards within your line of sight

And above all, be sure to check your credit report, at least annually, for any inaccuracies or unauthorized credit access.