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Yes Michigan, The Turnaround Has Begun
Six months ago we declared Michigan's economic turnaround had begun based on the dramatic reforms being passed in Lansing that align with the Michigan Turnaround Plan and the optimism these changes were fueling among our members - Michigan's largest job providers. The skeptics wanted to wait until the hard data came in. Now it has and it says Michigan is in full turnaround mode.
Michigan's unemployment level has dropped faster than the national average while personal income and the overall level of economic output is rising faster than most states over the past year. The rebound of our automotive industry and the manufacturing sector have been major drivers of these improvements and it underscores the importance of continuing to support these critical businesses. But the state's turnaround is also being powered by businesses from all sectors, large and small, that are gaining renewed confidence in Michigan as a place that is finally committed to a long-term turnaround.
When Business Leaders for Michigan unveiled the Michigan Turnaround Plan in 2009, we thought it would take five years to implement most of the recommendations and another five to see major results. In one year, thanks to a tremendous commitment from Gov. Snyder, Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville and House Speaker Jase Bolger to accelerate Michigan's job recovery and return our state to prosperity, much of the original Michigan Turnaround Plan either has been fully or partially addressed. We are already seeing tangible economic benefits. From adopting long-term budget plans and aligning public sector employee benefits with the private sector to getting Michigan's business taxes in line with other states and reforming archaic regulations, Michigan is on a path to global competitiveness.
One year doesn't complete an economic turnaround and, after a decade of decline, Michigan will need several more years of progress to accelerate growth as fast as we would like. But 2011 marked the year the state's long-awaited turnaround began. Happy New Year 2012 - you have a hard act to follow. |
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Space is limited! Register today!
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Michigan Turnaround Radio on WJR |
Listen to Turnaround Michigan Radio on WJR to hear fresh perspectives and get answers to your questions on important topics from CEOs and other prominent thought leaders.
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BLM Social Networks |
Business Leaders for Michigan 600 Renaissance Center, Suite 1760, Detroit, MI, 48243-1802
Phone: 313.259.5400
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UPDATES ON BLM INITIATIVES |
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Listen to our December Radio Show :
2011 Wrap-up & Outlook for 2012
Click here to listen to our December Turnaround Michigan Radio Show to hear James Nicholson, new BLM Board Chair, discuss Business Leaders for Michigan's 2011 accomplishments and plans for 2012. Find out what progress has been made on the Michigan Turnaround Plan and what the priorities are for the upcoming year. |
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TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Ranked Among Top Franchise Opportunities by Entrepreneur Magazine
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®,the nation's largest independently-owned moving company, has landed on Entrepreneur magazine's 2012 Franchise 500® list-a ranking of the top 500 franchise business opportunities in the U.S. and Canada. The company is the only moving service-based business to make the magazine's popular list of top 500 franchises this year. It is the 18th time the company has made the prominent list. Read more. . . |
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DATA SUPPORTING THE TURNAROUND PLAN |
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Michigan Ranked #1 for R&D Jobs by Site Selection Magazine
According to the January issue of Site Selection Magazine, Michigan ranked first in the nation for research and development facility project announcements, beating out Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and North Carolina.
The article "States Reinvent the Future through Industrial R&D," also highlights Michigan as being in the top 10 for the reported investment and job creation plans associated with these projects and highlights our "critical mass of engineers."
Click here to read the full article: "States Reinvent the Future through Industrial R&D."
Click here to view the full January issue of Site Selection Magazine. |
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Michigan's 2011 In/Out Migration Rate Nearly Equal for first time in Decade
The Atlas Van Lines in/out-migration survey shows Michigan had nearly as much in-migration as out-migration in 2011 for the first time in nearly a decade!
Click here to read the full article.
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Best Cities for Creating Technology Jobs:
Detroit Ranks #40
A new study by New Geography analyzed 2, 5 and 10 year growth trends, industry concentration, and 5 and 10 year growth momentum in creating technology jobs to develop a ranking of the best cities for technology job creation. Detroit ranks 40th, beating Chicago, but ranks far below other mid-west cities like Columbus and Indianapolis. Read more. . . |
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Michigan Cities Look Good in Economic Recovery
During the recovery period from the Great Recession, our two largest metro regions are among the strongest economic performers in the nation  according to data from the Brookings Institution. Click here to read the full report.
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Now That the Factories are Closed, It's Tee Time in Benton Harbor, Mich.
New York Times Magazine, December 15, 2011
On the northern edge of Benton Harbor, just beyond the grim grid of housing projects, shuttered storefronts, boarded-up homes and junk-laden yards that dominate much of the town, sits an emerald oasis known as Harbor Shores. As the name suggests, Harbor Shores is a resort development. At its heart is a pristine Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course that meanders along a river and creek; through woods and wetlands; and, most striking, across tall, white sand dunes overlooking Lake Michigan. Read more... |
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Tom Walsh: The Best Michigan Business Stories of 2011
Detroit Free Press, December 24, 2011
Entering the final week of the year, let's reflect today on Michigan's 10 Best Business Stories of 2011.
Notice that I say the 10 "best" -- not the 10 biggest, or 10 most important or 10 most sensational.
The intent is not to ignore looming fiscal challenges or chronic unemployment, but rather to celebrate promise amid all the anxiety. So without further throat-clearing, here, in alphabetical order, are the 10 Best. Read more... |
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Editorial: Michigan Finally Moves to 
Get Business Right
New measures enacted in 2011 set up the state to compete for jobs and investment
The Detroit News - December 27, 2011
This might go down as Michigan's most consequential year in terms of unshackling the state from its obsolete economic past and positioning it for new prosperity in the 21st century.
Michigan entered 2011 as a rusted-out industrial state with a tax and regulatory structure and work force designed for a manufacturing era that began withering 40 years ago, and is now almost gone. It ends the year with remarkable new policies in place aimed at improving its competitiveness and drawing back the jobs and investment that abandoned Michigan in such large numbers over the past decade. Read more... |
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In Michigan, decade of job loss is finally
coming to end
Detroit Free Press, December 26, 2011
Like a patient surviving a medical emergency, Michigan has the chance to learn some important lessons as it emerges from 10 straight years of job losses.
And like a patient learning to do push-ups and knee bends, Michigan must learn to become better educated and entrepreneurial in its business model as it recovers from this lost decade. Read more... |
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About Us
Business Leaders for Michigan, the state's business roundtable, is dedicated to making Michigan a "Top Ten" state for job, economic and personal income growth. The organization is composed exclusively of the chairpersons, chief executive officers or most senior executives of Michigan's largest companies and universities, which contribute nearly 25% of the state's economy and provide over 320,000 jobs in Michigan, generate over $1 Trillion in annual revenue and serve over 135,000 students.
Find out more at: www.businessleadersformichigan.com
Business Leaders for Michigan
600 Renaissance Center, Suite 1760, Detroit, MI 48243-1802
Phone: 313.259.5400
E-Mail Address: info@businessleadersformichigan.com |
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