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In Michigan, Is There Life After the Big 3?
If you missed it, Pete Engradio had an interesting piece in the NY Times about economic opportunities sprouting up around Metro Detroit. He reports multinationals and start-ups—airplane makers, solar panel producers, aerospace companies, and the like—are increasingly turning to the city to get R&D and early-phase production projects off the ground. These companies come to Southeast Michigan to take advantage of the concentration of skilled workers, the diverse manufacturing capabilities, and the low-cost industrial space.
Engradio writes:
In September, for instance, NTR, a solar energy company from Ireland, awarded contracts to two Detroit-area auto suppliers, including the race-car engine developer McLaren Performance Technologies, to make components for thousands of SunCatcher solar dishes.
“It should be no surprise we went to Detroit,” says Jim Barry, NTR’s chief executive. “The standard of manufacturing in the automotive industry is extraordinarily high, and that is the only place you can find such a concentration of skills.”
Engradio concedes these this won't replace all the auto-related jobs lost over the past decade any time soon. However, should this trend take hold, he reports this could leave the state with a "healthier, more diverse industrial base" for the future.
We agree—so let's make sure we the right policies in place to encourage this type of growth.
Photo by JonnyAlive used under Creative Commons. The article higlights Global Wind Systems's work in Detroit.
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