What the Governor’s Talking about
Today
Friday, October 8,
2010
Governor Says
Greenville Spurred Plan to Build New Michigan
Economy
In her weekly radio address, the governor today said
that on Monday she’ll be returning to Greenville where a plant closing several
years ago set in motion her administration’s plan for building a new Michigan
economy.
“Early in my first term as governor, we received word
that Electrolux was going to close its Greenville
plant and move to Mexico,” the governor said.
“Lost would be 2,700 jobs — devastating to a community of about 8,000
people.”
“Working with the Greenville community and the UAW, we offered
Electrolux an incentive package that was unprecedented,” the governor
continued. “Electrolux thanked us for our proposal, but said nothing could
change its mind because in Mexico, Electrolux could pay wages of
$1.57 an hour. The world had changed, and we needed to change,
too.”
Key
messages:
- The Granholm
administration’s response to Greenville was a
plan for a new Michigan economy. To create jobs, we
needed to diversify. Six economic sectors were targeted for growth:
clean energy, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, homeland security and
defense, the film industry and tourism.
- To train workers
like those in Greenville for new jobs in these sectors, we
created No Worker Left Behind, a program that’s now training workers at
quadruple the national rate.
- We also began
building partnerships between government, business and local communities that
would bring new investment and create jobs. Such a partnership helped to
bring United Solar Ovonic, a manufacturer of solar panels, to Greenville three years
ago. Now 300 people work at United Solar’s two plants in Greenville with hopes the
workforce will grow to about 800.
- Greenville hasn’t
yet replaced all of the lost Electrolux jobs, but it’s moving in the right
direction. And so is Michigan. Thanks to our economic
diversification and job training initiatives, we’re laying the foundation for
a new Michigan economy.
To listen to the radio address, click on the following
link:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov270Full_334520_7.mp3
Governor, Michigan Film Office
Advisory Council Discuss Impact of Film Incentives
Helping mark the two-and-a-half year anniversary of the
Michigan film
incentives, the governor today attended a Michigan Film Office Advisory Council
meeting to discuss the economic impact the film incentives have had on the
state. In the first two years the incentives have created more than 7,000
production jobs, and by the end of the year more than $648 million will have
been invested in Michigan by the film
industry.
Key
messages:
- We’re watching an
entire new industry emerge in Michigan. The number of productions
being filmed in Michigan is increasing, we’re
creating jobs and attracting production facilities, and we’re keeping our
young people here in Michigan. The incentives have provided
important economic benefits for the state while also helping to diversify our
economy.
- This year, 38
projects have wrapped in Michigan with eight other projects currently
in production or pre-production. These projects are expected to bring in
more than $300 million to the state by the end of the
year.
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