Category Archives: Economic Development

A "Turnaround Plan" for Michigan

By The Center for Michigan | Published: September 25, 2009
In it’s reincarnation as Business Leaders for Michigan, the group formerly known as Detroit Renaissance has offered up a “Michigan Turnaround Plan” which combines reform notions pitched by many business groups with tax investment in future-oriented strategies like urban centers, mass transit, and higher education. Specific to-do items in Doug Rothwell’s plan: Reduce business taxes to make [...]
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Kurt Metzger stops crunching numbers and speaks up

By John Bebow | Published: September 10, 2009
For many years, Kurt Metzger has served as Metro Detroit’s ace demographer. Journalist, public policy wonks, business executives, and politicians who need quick reads of the region’s pulse keep Kurt on speed dial. This week, Kurt put down his spreadsheets and picked up his prose pen to contribute to the treasure trove of forward-thinkers who have [...]
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Health IT a Bright Spot in Michigan's New Economy

By John Bebow | Published: September 2, 2009
Garry C. Faja and Paul Browne As Michigan works to convert its manufacturing-based economy to one that will more effectively compete globally, state leaders should embrace the economic development potential found in electronic health records and health information technology in general. We are at the forefront of a movement – bolstered by a $21 billion appropriation [...]
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SPECIAL REPORT: Here's a toast to Michigan's booming wine industry

By The Center for Michigan | Published: August 13, 2009
Editor’s Note: As part of the Center for Michigan’s continuing series of reports on what’s working well in Michigan, internationally known wine critic Chris Cook explains the growing stature and economic footprint of Michigan’s vineyards. By Chris Cook The economic pain gripping the country has made its way into the rarified world of wine competitions this year, [...]
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MI's slow birth rate has long-term consequences

By The Center for Michigan | Published: August 13, 2009
Editor’s Note: Michigan is one of the slowest growing states in the nation in recent years in terms of babies born. That stat has significant long-term consequences on a mid-20th Century public sector system of roads, governments, schools and universities built with the expectation of an ever-growing population. One of Michigan’s leading demographers, Kurt Metzger, [...]
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SPECIAL REPORT: A deep dive on Michigan jobs

By John Bebow | Published: July 16, 2009
Michigan’s unemployment rate now tops 15 percent. And it’s no secret that our state has lost 750,000 jobs this decade, most of them in the manufacturing-based industries that made Michigan’s economy the envy of the world for much of the 20th Century. But did you know that more than 250 occupations actually gained numbers in Michigan [...]
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Big Ideas for Business Growth

By John Bebow | Published: June 25, 2009
Most of us working stiffs didn’t have time to head to downtown Motown for this months National Summit on the economy. But there’s still time for us to catch up on the big-picture thinking. Go to PBS  to watch quick prescriptions for economic growth from a couple dozen leading corporate execs. Speaking of big-picture thinking, Chris [...]
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More evidence of diversification

By John Bebow | Published: June 11, 2009
Our report last week on Michigan’s gross state product — and the statistical evidence that our state economy thru 2008 is growing in several sectors and certainly beats public perception — led to emails filled with both both cheers and disbelief. “Your article — ‘Out of the Shadow of the Ren Cen’ — was timely and [...]
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2010 can be a corrective lens for Michigan's blurred vision

By John Bebow | Published: June 11, 2009
Wars aren’t won by brilliant evacuations,” Phil Power writes this week. “Quite simply, we must develop a long-term proactive strategy for the survival and prosperity of Michigan, and then tailor both taxing and spending to that strategy. To understand why, look at any company. To survive, it may be necessary to cut costs. But merely [...]
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Out of the RenCen shadow

By John Bebow | Published: June 3, 2009
Michigan’s economy is better than you think it is. Really. Even in the face of the the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies that punctuate the most unsettling business cycle in Michigan since the Great Depression. Brand new economic data released by the federal government this week showed Michigan’s total economy declined faster than every state in the union [...]
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