August 17, 2007

LANSING - In her weekly radio address, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today outlined her goals for next week's investment mission to Sweden and Germany.  Granholm said she will focus on bringing high tech industries, like alternative energy, and good paying jobs to Michigan.

"As I've said many times before, I'll go anywhere and do anything to bring jobs to Michigan, and this week that means going back overseas," Granholm said.  "I'll be in Sweden and Germany talking to business leaders to attract great companies and new jobs in cutting-edge industries to Michigan."

The governor's weekly radio address is released each Friday morning and may be heard on broadcast stations across the state.  The address is available on the governor's Web site (www.michigan.gov/gov) for download, as is a clip of the quote above.  The radio address is also available as a podcast on the Web site, as well as on iTunes and via RSS feed for general distribution to personal MP3 players and home computers.  Links to the audio files and text of today's address follows.

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm
August 17, 2007

Full Radio Address Audio: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov106_Full_205880_7.mp3
Short Clip: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov106_Edit_205881_7.mp3

This is Governor Jennifer Granholm.
  
As I've said many times before, I'll go anywhere and do anything to bring jobs to Michigan.

And this week, that means going back overseas.  I'll be in Sweden and Germany talking to business leaders to attract great companies and new jobs in cutting-edge industries to Michigan.

My previous overseas jobs missions have led to $300 million of investment from over 30 companies, creating and retaining 2,400 Michigan jobs.  There's just no substitute for these face-to-face meetings.  They help me and my economic development team understand what CEOs are looking for; they build relationships with the CEOs who are looking to come to Michigan; and we can show them everything that Michigan has to offer.

Michigan's growing alternative energy industry is going to be a great selling point when I visit Sweden.  The Swedes are a generation ahead of America in alternative energy technologies.  And that means that Swedish companies are looking for ways to bring their products and their manufacturing facilities and research and design labs into the United States.

Sweden, as a country, is very similar to the state of Michigan.  It's got abundant natural resources and forests and lots of coast line.  The Swedes have taken on the challenges of creating a vibrant alternative energy sector, and we can learn and benefit from their progress.

From Sweden, I will be traveling to Germany.  Earlier this year, when I met with business leaders in Germany, I secured over $20 million in investments, creating and retaining nearly 800 jobs here in Michigan.  This week, I want to pick up right where we left off - and I'm thrilled to be able to talk to companies about our new competitive business tax structure.  That new tax structure, called the Michigan Business Tax, is an economic development tool that I can now tout for the first time.

Going overseas is one way to seek out jobs, but I've also been searching within our own borders.  Just this year, I've met with over 100 CEOs, and I've traveled to Washington D.C., Texas, and Chicago.  If a company is looking to expand, I'm ready to listen and pitch Michigan as the best place to do business.

From our competitive business climate with the new Michigan Business Tax, to our 21st Century Jobs Fund, to our world class universities and workforce, to our focused efforts on expanding our alternative energy sector, we have a lot going for us here in Michigan. We've set the right plans in motion.

And that's what I'll be talking about in Sweden and Germany all next week - and I'll check in again while I'm on the road to let you know how our jobs mission is going.

Thank you for listening, and I'll talk to you soon.

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