Great Lakes Wire

LANSING, Mich.— On June 16, 2023 , Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced she will be leading a one-week mission to France and Germany next week, focusing on bringing jobs, investment, and high-tech supply chains back to Michigan from overseas and supporting Michigan service members serving in the region. The mission follows the announcement of the Make it in Michigan agenda, designed to attract jobs and talent to Michigan from other states and bring the supply chain home from overseas.

“I will go anywhere, work with anyone, and compete with everyone to grow Michigan’s economy, bring supply chains home, and create good-paying, high-skilled jobs across our state,” said Governor Whitmer. “We are taking this opportunity to tell Michigan’s incredible story, build relationships that bring more jobs, investments, and the supply chain to Michigan, and spend time with the dedicated servicemembers deployed in the region to protect national security. Let’s keep working together to show the world that Michigan is the best place to live, work, and invest."

 While in France and Germany, Governor Whitmer will meet with business leaders from a diverse set of companies to discuss investment opportunities in Michigan for aerospace, defense, future mobility, and manufacturing. The governor will also meet foreign dignitaries in Germany to discuss deepening ties between Michigan and regional economies and governments. Finally, as Commander in Chief of the Michigan National Guard, the governor will visit Michigan servicemembers stationed in the region supporting regional and NATO partners.

 “We continue to take Michigan’s message of global leadership in mobility, defense and advanced manufacturing sectors, international business tradition, openness to newcomers and our strong business environment across the globe,” said Quentin L. Messer, Jr., CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “Team Michigan is committed to winning projects that will provide inclusive economic growth for all Michiganders.”

 In January, Governor Whitmer embarked on a five-day investment mission to Norway and Switzerland, where she met with government and business leaders to discuss investment in Michigan and attended the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. Due to a meeting with Norwegian Company Nel Hydrogen, where the governor made the case for Michigan’s attractive business climate, talented workforce, and focus on hydrogen development, the company chose Michigan over other states for a $400 million investment creating more than 500 good-paying clean energy manufacturing jobs.

 Growing Michigan’s Economy and Make it in Michigan

In December 2021, Governor Whitmer brought Republicans, Democrats, and public and private sector leaders together to establish powerful new economic development tools that would help Michigan compete for transformational projects. Since then, the state has won $16 billion of projects and more than 16,000 good-paying jobs building electric vehicles, batteries, semiconductor chips, and clean energy—all industries of the future.

 To keep this momentum going, the state must continue its successful economic development strategy and expand the toolkit. The governor proposed the Make it in Michigan plan, a comprehensive strategy to build on the work we are doing and help more families and businesses make it in Michigan.

 The plan has three pillars: competing for and winning projects to bring manufacturing and supply chains home, investing in people so they can pursue their potential from Pre-K through postsecondary and have their freedoms protected, and revitalizing places to make them more attractive places to live, work, and invest. The Make It In Michigan plan proposes spurring more cutting-edge research and development in Michigan, lowering costs for businesses so they can hire more Michiganders, and working to land more transformational projects in Michigan communities while making parallel investments in local child care, housing, infrastructure, and workforce programs.

Original source can be found here