Business leaders outline state’s assets
The newest ideas from a coalition of corporate CEOs and university presidents seek to build on what Michigan already does well to drive employment and economic growth in the years ahead.
Building on Michigan’s engineering and logistics acumen; growing the life sciences sector further; boosting agricultural processing and exports and tourism; strengthening higher education; and leveraging the auto industry’s legacy for new forms of transportation are the key elements of a “New Michigan” strategy rolled out by Business Leaders for Michigan.
If the New Michigan goals are achieved, the economic impact will result in 200,000 to 500,000 new jobs and an $18,000 increase in per-capita personal income for the state over a decade — and that’s on top of the normal growth rate, the group estimates.
“We believe these are the best opportunities for creating good-paying jobs and strengthening our economy,” Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. said last week as Business Leaders for Michigan rolled out the new ideas. “Our vision is to do a better job of building what’s already in Michigan (and) our existing assets to take advantage of global trends.”