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VIEWPOINT


February 2015

No Time to Lose 

 

The 2015 legislative session is already underway, and it's clear that state lawmakers and the Governor have a busy year planned. So do we.

 

There's no time to lose when it comes to implementing the Michigan Turnaround Plan. In fact, we must act more aggressively than ever to boost jobs and incomes. We need to invest in the assets that matter most, our transportation and higher education infrastructure, and take steps to cement the gains we've made so far.

 

BLM is a strong supporter of this May's road funding ballot proposal. We're also pushing hard for increased funding for job training and the state's colleges and universities. We applaud the Governor's 2016 budget recommendation because it recognizes the importance of these things in boosting incomes and growing jobs. Our agenda also includes ongoing work to ensure support for the growth of New Michigan industries like life sciences, mobility, engineering, natural resources, and logistics. We are aggressively working to help grow the things that matter most-transforming Michigan into a center for innovation and an aspirational destination for all.

 

It's going to be an exciting year as Michigan takes more steps toward its future as a Top Ten state. 

OUR WORK 


How Higher Education Can Help MI Become a Top Ten State

February 12, 2015
 

Michigan's community colleges and universities must play a more central role if the state is to achieve an economic transformation, according to a report released by Business Leaders for Michigan. 
"As our overall economy becomes more knowledge-based, we're seeing a growing demand for both more skilled and highly-educated workers and a greater reliance on higher education to drive innovation," said Doug Rothwell, President & CEO. "Higher education is one of the state's most critical assets for moving MI forward.  We need to ensure affordability and access, strengthen outcomes and employment transitions, and grow overall economic impact."
The report was developed in collaboration with higher education experts from across MI and the U.S., as well as business, economic, and public policy leaders, and clearly shows a correlation between educational attainment and per capita income.  Read more. . .

New Initiative to Cultivate MI's Biosciences Industry

dBusiness.com | January 29, 2015 Life Sciences Hub Image  

 

MichBio, in partnership with Business Leaders for Michigan and the University Research Corridor, has launched a statewide effort to grow the state's biosciences industry over the next three to five years. Called the Michigan Bio-Industry Roadmap 2015, the plan will focus on functional areas including innovation, industry growth, business climate, capital access, and education and talent development. The proposal will assess needs and opportunities across several bio-industry sectors where MI has a recognized strength and/or potential for growth. Read more. . . 

 

BLM EVENTS


Register Today! 
New Michigan Summit Logo

Thursday, March 26, 2015
Lansing Center, Lansing, MI
8:00 am-12:00 pm
No cost to attend

Agenda 

 

The New Michigan Playbook for Growing a Vibrant Economy

Find out why the New Michigan strategy matters more now than ever in attracting and growing good paying jobs

Hans-Werner Kaas, Senior Partner & Director, McKinsey & Company

 

Progress in Building a New Michigan Economy

New data will reveal which of Michigan's strongest assets are creating the most new jobs

Doug Rothwell, President & CEO, Business Leaders for Michigan

 

Ohio's Third Frontier Program

Hear how another Great Lakes state is investing in its future through an internationally-recognized initiative to grow its economy

Ray Leach, Chief Executive Officer, JumpStart, Inc.

Brian Hicks, President & CEO, Hicks Partners & chief architect of Third Frontier

                                               

Roundtable Discussion on Opportunities for Michigan to Drive Economic Growth

Panelists will explore options for implementing the New Michigan Strategy and whether other states' initiatives could work in Michigan

Steve Arwood, Director, Talent & Economic Development Dept. & CEO, MEDC

Brian Hicks, President & CEO, Hicks Partners

Michael Jandernoa, Board of Directors, Perrigo Company

Hans-Werner Kaas, Senior Partner & Director, McKinsey & Company

Ray Leach, Chief Executive Officer, JumpStart, Inc.

Charles (Chip) McClure, Managing Director, Michigan Capital Partners, LLC

Sandra Pierce, Chairman & CEO, FirstMerit - Michigan

                                               

Click here to download the detailed agenda or register for the event!
Mark your calendar!    
CEO Summit logo

Thursday, November 12, 2015
Westin Book Cadillac Detroit
8:00 am - 2:00 pm
Tom Kelley, General Manager of IDEO
Keynote Speaker: Tom Kelley 

Tom Kelley is one of the world's most respected experts on managing innovation and design. He is General Manager of IDEO, the award-winning global design firm that uses a human-centered, design-based approach to help organizations in the public and private sectors innovate and grow.


 

 Cost to attend $125. More details to follow.  

 ADVANCING THE MICHIGAN TURNAROUND PLAN & THE NEW MICHIGAN STRATEGY



The Michigan Turnaround Plan reflects the significant progress that has been made in making Michigan more competitive.  It identifies areas where we can compete, invest and grow in order to make our state stronger for generations to come.

 

COMPETE: 


Our view:  As there are an unlimited number of places where businesses can locate in a global economy, MI has to be as good or better on most business climate factors compared to competitor locations.
Why BLM is Supporting the Roads Proposal and You Should too!

As winter takes hold, Michiganders will encounter one of our state's most challenging issues-deficient roads and bridges. Everyone has their own story of how our bad roads have impacted them, whether in unplanned and costly car repairs or overall aggravation that comes from dealing with bad weather on top of potholes. While our recovery remains strong-jobs and personal income are growing again-we still have large gaps to fill, namely in our roads.

 

MI's urban roadways are in such poor condition - they rank 45th in the nation.  Not a great surprise, considering MI spends nearly one-half of the average of Great Lakes states on its roads. Moreover, 33 percent of our state's bridges are deficient.  Businesses contemplating a MI location take these factors into account.

 

BLM's position: We need to make sure our roads are safe, strong for our families and capable of supporting our businesses and the economy we want. The May Ballot Proposal is about making our roads safe and requiring those that fix our roads to guarantee their work. BLM supports the proposal.

Hiring begins for Detroit-Windsor bridge project

Detroit Free Press | February 1, 2015  

 

The early organizational work for the planned new bridge between Detroit and Windsor appears to be speeding up. In January, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, a nonprofit Canadian entity that is leading the bridge project, sought applicants to fill a range of staffing jobs in administration, communications, information technology, human resources, policy analysis, accounting and finance, engineering, operations and legal. Michael Cautillo, president and CEO of the bridge authority, said more job postings would be published as operational needs are identified.  Read more. . . 

GROW: 


Our view: MI is known as a hub of innovation and as a thriving, welcoming state that cultivates its strongest assets. 

Venture Capital Investment Doubles to $220M in Michigan

dBusiness.com | January 20, 2015

 

Startup companies in Michigan received nearly $220 million in venture capital investments in 2014, nearly double the amount received the year prior, says a new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association. This uptick mirrors a national trend, in which venture capitalists invested $48.3 billion in 2014, up 61 percent when compared to 2013. Read more. . .  

DATA SUPPORTING THE TURNAROUND PLAN


Michigan Unemployment Drops to 6.3%

 

The Office of Labor Market Information reported that Michigan's unemployment rate dropped to the lowest rate since 2002 in December to 6.3%. This compares to a 5.6% rate nationally. Michigan's rate dropped 2% vs. a 1.2% drop nationally in 2014. Read more. . .

MI Budget Reserves: Better, But Below 100 Day Operating Expense Benchmark

 

The Pew Foundation reports that Michigan's budget reserve was sufficient to operate for 33 days - better than the national average of 24 days, but short of the 100 day benchmark for best practices. Read more. . . 

 

High Performing Regions: Grand Rapids #25, Detroit #135

 

The Milken Institute annually ranks the economic performance of U.S. regions based on job, wage and high-tech job growth. For 2014, Grand Rapids broke into the top 25 with the consolidated Detroit region ranking 135. Once again, southern and western regions dominate the top of the list. Read more. . .   

Auto Industry Expands West & South

  Area Development Logo

Area Development reports that while the auto industry continues to be largely based in an "Auto Alley" centered by I-75 with a Michigan hub, rival corridors are emerging along a western corridor between I-35 and I-55 with a Mexican hub. The report concludes that while the traditional Auto Alley is here to stay, the growth of the new corridor is likely to be higher in the future. Read more. . .    

 

 

 

Michigan: Out-Migration Continues

 

MI is gaining population, but is losing ground in national migration studies that track who is moving where, whether by choice or due to circumstance. MI was again a "high outbound" state in 2014, according to United Van Lines, which ranked MI the 36th "most moved to state" in the country. That's a step backward for MI from last year when United showed the state in relative "balance" of in and out-migration. The United Van Lines study is similar to a migration study by Allied Van Lines, which ranked MI as the fourth-heaviest "outbound" state.  Read more. . .     

 

SPOTLIGHT ON OUR MEMBERS


Nexteer to move HQ to Detroit

Detroit News | February 2, 2015
 

 
Nexteer Automotive, Saginaw County-based auto supplier, said it will move its headquarters to Metro Detroit. Nexteer, a former parts unit of General Motors known as Saginaw Steering Gear that specializes in wheel-to-wheel advanced steering and driveline systems, will announce where it will move next year. It plans to house 150 people at the new headquarters including top leaders and staff in areas such as human resources, sales and purchasing. Some would be new hires."Establishing a stand-alone global headquarters in the greater Detroit area demonstrates our commitment to the state of Michigan and provides us with a strong platform for long term success," said Laurent Bresson, president & global chief operating officer.  Read more. . . 

Ford unveils 'Mobility Plan' at CES

Detroit News | January 6, 2015 Ford Logo

In an effort to be more innovative and address global transportation concerns, Ford Motor Co. is testing everything from a car-swapping program for its Dearborn employees to an app that finds available parking spaces for London commuters. In a Tuesday keynote at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show, President and CEO Mark Fields unveiled Ford's "Smart Mobility Plan," including a series of 25 experiments around the world meant to test new ideas and address commuting issues in congested places like Los Angeles and India.
Read more. . .  

IN THE NEWS. . .


Howes: Mich. change charts new future, not old comeback

Detroit News | January 22, 2015

 

Whatever the dubious marine metaphor in his "river of opportunity" riff, Gov. Rick Snyder is right to use Tuesday's State of the State to say Michigan still has a long way to go.  Because it does, proof of just how far the state slid in its "lost decade." The easy stuff now is done: Budgets are balanced because they must be, and business taxes are reformed because state policy otherwise was dreadful. Harder is getting Detroit out of bankruptcy, far sooner than the experts predicted.  Read more. . .

UPCOMING EVENTS. . .


SAVE-THE-DATE!

 

March 26, 2015:  
Don't miss the 2015 New Michigan Summit at the Lansing Center in downtown Lansing. REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Click here to reserve a seat!

November 12, 2015: 
Mark your calendar for the 2015 Michigan CEO Summit
at The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit in downtown Detroit.

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Business Leaders for Michigan 
600 Renaissance Center, 
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Phone: 313.259.5400
E-Mail:  info@businessleadersformichigan.com

About Us

 

Business Leaders for Michigan, the state's business roundtable, is dedicated to making Michigan a "Top Ten" state for jobs, personal income and a healthy economy. The organization is comprised of the chairpersons, chief executive officers, or most senior executives of Michigan's largest companies and universities.  Our members drive over 25% of the state's economy, provide over 325,000 direct and 820,000 indirect jobs in Michigan, generate over $1 Trillion in annual revenue and serve nearly one half of all Michigan public university students. Find out more at: www.businessleadersformichigan.com