Radio address highlights 50  Michigan companies worth watching

LANSING - In her weekly radio address, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today said that news this week of an agreement to secure Chrysler's future coupled with a celebration of "Michigan's 50 Companies to Watch" is good for the state's economy.

"The 2009 class of ‘Michigan's 50 Companies to Watch' is showing the same kind of entrepreneurial spirit that gave birth to the auto industry and that will help our state prosper in the 21st century," Granholm said.

The governor said that these companies represent regions all over the state, and that they have collectively generated $1.1 billion in revenue and have added more than 700 employees in the past four years.  The businesses make up more than 95 percent of Michigan's employers and range from specialty stores to companies that serve Fortune 500 clients.

"Michigan's businesses are critical to the vital work of diversifying our state's economy," Granholm said. "More than ever, we need the energy, the determination, and the innovation these companies exhibit as we work to diversify our economy and create all kinds of jobs for all kinds of people."

Granholm said Michigan is committed to providing tools to help citizens start their own businesses by offering tax incentives and programs like the 21st Century Jobs Fund and Michigan Business One Stop.        

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 at (www.michigan.gov/gov) for download, together with 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 vi2a RSS feed for general distribution to personal MP3 players and home computers.  Links to the audio files and text of today's address follow.

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm

Radio Address:  Small Businesses Drive Michigan's Progress

Full:  http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov195Full_276854_7.mp3

Edited:  http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov195Edit_276855_7.mp3

Quote:  http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov195Quote_276856_7.mp3

Hello, this is Governor Jennifer Granholm.

We've all heard that old saying - "what a difference a day makes."  Well, that certainly was the case this week when months of uncertainty for Chrysler came to an end with an announcement by President Obama that a path has been cleared for the company to not only survive, but thrive.  The agreement - which includes a global strategic alliance with the Italian automaker Fiat - will keep the company open, it will preserve jobs, and it will bring new technologies and new products that will attract new customers. 

So, that was good news for the tens of thousands of workers who not only rely on the company for their jobs but who voted overwhelmingly to accept concessions and support the company's restructuring efforts.  It also came in spite of a few greedy hedge funds that didn't care how much pain the company's failure would have inflicted on families and communities everywhere.  Their refusal to share in the sacrifice forced bankruptcy proceedings to begin.

Even so, the Chrysler announcement was good news for our state, and it came on the same day we celebrated 50 Michigan companies worth watching.  The 2009 class of "Michigan's 50 Companies to Watch" is showing the same kind of entrepreneurial spirit that gave birth to the auto industry and that will help our state prosper in the 21st century. 

They represent all regions of the state, and they collectively have generated $1.1 billion in revenue; those businesses, those entrepreneurs have added more than 700 employees over the past four years. They range from a design firm that started with just two people and now serves a roster of Fortune 500 clients, to a thriving specialty store that grew out of the owner's love of antique hardware.

We celebrate them, because they are among the small businesses that make up more than 95 percent of Michigan's employers, and because they are essential to the diversification and transformation of our state's economy.  More than ever, we need the energy, the determination, the innovation these companies exhibit as we work to diversify our economy and create all kinds of jobs for all kinds of people.

It's also why we're committed to helping citizens start their own businesses. We're helping in a variety of ways from offering tax incentives that support small businesses and entrepreneurial initiatives, to helping fund startups through the 21st Century Jobs Fund, or offering our new Michigan Business One Stop - an online service for those who want to start or operate or expand a business.  These are just some of the tools Michigan provides to help business owners combine innovation and determination to make their dreams come true.

So whether it's Chrysler or that small business around the corner, Michigan's businesses are critical to the vital work of diversifying our state's economy.

Thank you for listening.

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