From: Whipple, Deb (GOV)
Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 4:36 PM
Subject: What the governor is talking about today
What the Governor’s Talking about Today
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
 
Governor Hails Creation of Federal Trust Fund to Clean Up and Reuse Closed GM Plants
 
The governor today hailed the announcement of a landmark federal framework that will invest more than $800 million to speed the cleanup and redevelopment of closed GM plants in Michigan and 13 other states to put those facilities back into productive use.  Michigan will garner the most funds of any state under the trust fund.
 
Of the 90 sites covered by the plan, 47 are in Michigan.  Affected communities include Bay City, Burton, Detroit, Flint, Lansing, Lansing Twp., Livonia, Mt. Morris, Pontiac, Romulus, Saginaw, Van Buren Twp., Wyoming and Ypsilanti.
 
The framework will allocate $536 million for the cleanup of the properties and approximately $300 million to assist the states and communities in dealing with property taxes, demolition costs, plant security costs and other expenses.
 
Michigan’s Project Phoenix program ( http://www.michiganadvantage.org/Project-Phoenix/Default.aspx), introduced by the governor in her 2010 State of the State address, brings the state, current and former property owners, businesses, communities, developers and other parties together to inventory and promote for reuse former manufacturing sites.  The program includes buildings of 500,000 square feet or more and land sites of 80 acres or more where former manufacturing facilities already have been demolished.
 
Key messages:
 
•  We are extremely pleased the Obama administration is providing tools to help Michigan communities transform these iconic properties for the new economy.  This will help turbo-charge our own Project Phoenix program to revitalize communities by reusing idled manufacturing plants.
 
•  If companies are looking to expand or relocate, these properties will be available much sooner than anticipated.  We are thankful for the efforts of the Departments of Treasury and Justice, the EPA and Dr. Ed Montgomery, director of the White House Council on Automotive Communities and Workers.
 
Governor Announces More Than 900 New Jobs for Michigan

The governor today announced that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation is helping four companies grow in Michigan and backing a brownfield redevelopment project in downtown Flint.  Combined, the five projects are expected to create 910 new jobs (431 direct) and generate $99.4 million in new investment in the state.
 
The Michigan Economic Growth Authority board today approved incentives to win the following projects for Michigan over competing states and countries:
 
ConAgra Foods Packaged Foods LLC — The manufacturer of many leading brands of packaged foods, including Healthy Choice, Chef Boyardee, Hebrew National, Hunt’s and others, plans to invest $73 million to expand in Kentwood to grow its private-label snack-bar business and increase its manufacturing capacity.  The project is expected to create up to 460 new jobs (205 direct and 255 indirect).
 
Grandpapa’s Inc. — The company specializing in manufacturing, baking, packaging, distributing and shipping of a variety of snack foods plans to invest $4.1 million to expand and renovate a 130,000-square-foot facility in Detroit.  The project is expected to create up to 269 total jobs (125 direct and 144 indirect).
 
Proto Manufacturing Inc. — The developer of applications for customers in the aerospace, alternative energy, medical device technology, defense, power generation, nuclear and automotive industries plans to invest $5.2 million to relocate and expand its operations to a new 18,800-suare-foot facility in Taylor to include in-house laboratory services. The project is expected to create up to 88 jobs (46 direct and 42 indirect).
 
TK Holdings Inc. — Takata Corporation’s North American headquarters, TK Holdings Inc., which manufactures automotive safety equipment including seatbelts, airbags, steering wheels, interior trim and textiles, plans to invest $14.6 million to expand in Auburn Hills to allow the company to enhance onsite automotive crash simulations.  The company is expected to create up to 78 jobs (40 direct and 38 indirect).
 
City of Flint — State and local tax capture valued at $227,786 and an additional $287,115 in local-only tax capture will support a brownfield project that will redevelop two vacant, blighted commercial buildings on the north end of downtown.  The project will generate $2.5 million in new capital investment and create up to 15 new jobs.
 
Key messages:
 
•  We are working tirelessly to bring new jobs to Michigan, going anywhere and doing anything to show companies that we have the tools and talent to help them grow.  Today’s company announcements highlight the positive impact of our aggressive economic diversification plan.
 
•  Successful collaboration with our local economic development partners enabled us to win these projects over stiff competition from other states and countries.
 
# # #