April 21, 2006
LANSING – In her weekly radio address, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today said that while Michigan continues to feel the effects of the manufacturing crisis in America, the state is experiencing some encouraging signs of job creation in Michigan. The Governor plans to build on that news by traveling to Massachusetts where she will encourage companies to invest in Michigan as part of her pledge to go anywhere, do anything to bring jobs to Michigan.
“From northern Michigan to southeast Michigan to the west side and all the way back to Gratiot County right smack in the middle of the state, this past week was full of encouraging news about job creation in Michigan,” Granholm said. “Several companies announced that with our assistance, they are expanding their operations, creating and retaining hundreds of jobs that would have otherwise gone to other states.”
Among those companies highlighted by Granholm are:
• Hess Industries which is moving one of its divisions from Indiana to Niles in Berrien County, creating more than 130 new jobs; and,
• Otsego Paper Company which chose to expand in Michigan instead of New York, bringing hundreds of jobs just north of Kalamazoo.
The Governor has continuously demonstrated her commitment to go anywhere, anytime to bring jobs to Michigan. In past weeks, Granholm traveled to Chicago, touting the state’s skilled labor force and business-friendly initiatives to bioscience firms, and next week, she is scheduled to travel to Massachusetts where she’ll meet with several Boston-area companies to encourage them to consider coming to Michigan.
In December, Granholm signed legislation giving manufacturers a $600 million tax cut. The tax cut included incentives for companies to create and consolidate jobs in Michigan instead of outsourcing them to other countries. The Governor has also created the $2 billion 21st Century Jobs Fund which provides state grants to a diverse group of innovative companies interested in expanding in Michigan.
With these initiatives and the new rigorous high school graduation requirements the Governor just signed in to law, Granholm believes businesses will be eager to hire Michigan workers who have the skills needed to be successful in the 21st century.
“Michigan has so much more to offer than just financial assistance from the state,” Granholm said. “We have the best workers in the world. On a level playing field, no one can out-compete our Michigan workforce.”
The Governor’s weekly radio address is released each Friday at 10:00 a.m. and may be heard on broadcast stations across the state through an affiliation with the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. The address will also be available on the Governor’s website on Mondays as a podcast for general distribution to personal MP3 players and home computers.
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Broadcasters Note: Governor Granholm’s radio address can be accessed through Sunday evening exclusively through the Members Only page of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters website.
Publishers Note: The text of today’s address is attached.
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