Growing more good jobs for Michigan
Our Great Lakes State has made a proud and remarkable comeback. But Michigan is still 300,000 jobs below peak employment before the Great Recession hit hard and ranks just 33rd in per capita income. Beyond that, neighboring states Ohio and Indiana and southern states like South Carolina and Kentucky have improved too and are outhustling and outspending us 7 to 1 in job attraction efforts.
 
We've got to do whatever it takes to grow more and better jobs right here at home. That includes making sure Michigan has basic but essential economic development and jobs attraction tool it needs to compete - a simple but potent tax incentive that's transparent, doesn't pick winners and losers and only pays out if jobs are created. One that will help grow our communities and grow our families' paychecks.
 
BLM viewpoint: The Good Jobs for Michigan proposal will do just that. This soon-to-be introduced legislation will make sure Michigan can compete with anyone and win large-scale projects with good-paying jobs.
 
We encourage you to get involved today. Let your legislators know that you support this important legislation.  We can't afford to let other states lure away businesses that should be coming to Michigan. Michigan can no longer afford to be the only state besides Alaska with a corporate income tax - without a program to attract large projects.
OUR EVENTS
Have you registered yet?


We all want Michigan and its communities to be 
financially stable and healthy.

Hear why Michigan's fiscal health is so important to growing our state and learn 
about best practices we can put in place to ensure our state and local governments 
are ready to face financial challenges head on.


Monday, April 17, 2017  | 12:00-5:00pm
Radisson Hotel, Lansing, Michigan
Registration Fee: $50


Full list of speakers and agenda will be released soon!

Limited number of sponsorships available.  Click here if you're interested in being a sponsor.
EFFORTS UNDERWAY TO BUILD A NEW MICHIGAN
Ford Gets $1B Stake in Artificial Intelligence Company to Develop Self-driving Autos
MLive.com | February 10, 2017 Ford Logo

Ford Motor Company's investment in next-generation autonomous vehicles continues as the Dearborn-based automaker announces its new $1 billion stake in an artificial intelligence company. Argo AI will to develop a virtual driver system for the automaker's autonomous vehicle coming in 2021 - and for potential license to other companies, according to Ford. Learn More 
Suppliers See Opportunity as Auto Industry Shifts to Mobility
Crain's Detroit Business | February 14, 2017

The automotive industry landscape is changing via rapid advancements in technology. So much so, that automotive is positioning itself in a new industry all together - mobility. Three of Southeast Michigan's top auto supplier executives spoke to the Detroit Economic Club in a meeting about mobility, their place in it and Detroit's competitiveness. David Dauch, chairman and CEO of American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc.; Matt Simoncini, president and CEO of Lear Corp.; and James Verrier, president and CEO of BorgWarner Inc., are navigating their companies through a transformation. Learn More 
DATA SUPPORTING THE NEW MICHIGAN PLAN
UM Spends $1.39 Billion on Research in 2016, 2nd Highest in Nation

UM's total volume of research expenditures for 2016 was its highest ever at $1.39 billion in 2016, the university announced in October. That ranks first among all public universities in the United States, and second overall to only Johns Hopkins, representing a 7.2 percent increase from the previous year. Learn More
Localities Support Emergency Manager Reforms
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An overwhelming majority of local government leaders in Michigan support reform of the state's controversial emergency manager law, according to a new survey by University of Michigan researchers. Officials from more than 1,300 cities, counties, townships and villages participated in this latest Michigan Public Policy Survey, conducted by the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy at U-M's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Learn More
Top Imports, Exports by State

A decade ago, North Dakota's economy rose and fell with crop prices. Today, the state is so heavily dependent on oil harvested from the Bakken formation that nearly a third of its exports come in the form of crude oil, shipped off to refineries in other parts of the country. Michigan's economy, for so long dependent on the American automotive industry, is still cranking out cars.

Fed Report Shows Michigan Leading Great Lakes Area Economic Growth
Anchored primarily by growth in manufacturing and services, Michigan continues to outpace other nearby Great Lakes states. That's according to the findings of the most recent Midwest Economic Index (MEI), released by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, highlighting the month of December. Learn More
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR MEMBERS
JPMorgan Chase Announces $1.2 Million In Grants To Boost Detroit
CBS Detroit | February 23, 2017

JPMorgan Chase says more than $1.2 million in funding will help boost the revitalization of Detroit neighborhoods. The company says the money is for six community development programs that involve housing development, blight removal, new business creation, parent education and neighborhood beautification. Learn more 
Amway Finds Success with Brick-and-Mortar 'Experience Centers'
MLive.com | February 10, 2017

More brick-and-mortar shops are part of the company's strategy for growing market share. The facilities are designed to provide a place where distributors, known as Amway Business Owners, or ABOs, can bring people interested in buying or selling the company's products. The newly opened Russian center, for example, has a coffee shop area for distributors to gather for casual meetings. Most offer programming, from cooking classes incorporating Amway cookware to cosmetologist-led makeup sessions using the company's Artistry cosmetics line. Learn more 
IN THE NEWS 
Howes: Who says Chicago is Business Capital of Midwest?
Detroit News | February 9, 2017

For the first time in who knows when, southeast Michigan and the reinventing city at its core can legitimately compete to become the regional headquarters of choice for the Midwest. That's an honor for way too long owned by Chicago. Yes, the mind reels: Detroit, not Chicago. Woodward Avenue, not the Magnificent Mile. The Lions and Pistons, not the Bears and the Bulls. Detroit Metropolitan Airport, one of the best in North America with direct flights around the globe, not the reliably choked Chicago O'Hare. Learn More 
Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids Rank in Top-10 of Best Cities for Small Businesses
MLive.com | February 14, 2017
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According to a study released by Value Penguin, four Michigan cities ranked in the top-20 with Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids/Wyoming ranked 9th and 10th respectively. East Lansing/Lansing tied for 18th and Kalamazoo/Portage came in at 20th in the country among the 200 metropolitan areas observed in the study. The various regions were ranked based on how they compared to each other in the following categories: taxes, economy and business community. The study used data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Small Business Administration to rank the cities. Learn More 
Seven Michigan Companies Named to Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies List
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Fortune Magazine named seven Michigan corporations to its World's Most Admired Companies rankings. BLM members include Lear, Stryker, Whirlpool, Domino's Pizza, Ford Motor Company and General Motors. Learn More 

Business Leaders for Michigan
600 Renaissance Center, Suite 1760
Detroit, MI, 48243-1802
Phone: 313.259.5400
info@businessleadersformichigan.com
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 composed exclusively of the chairpersons, chief executive officers, or most senior executives of Michigan's largest companies and universities. Our members drive 32% of the state's economy, provide nearly 375,000 direct 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