Snyder: Michigan ranks No. 4 for major new corporate facilities and expansions
Tuesday, March 5, 2013LANSING, Mich. - Site Selection magazine has named Michigan the No. 4 state for major new corporate facilities and expansions in 2012, Gov. Rick Snyder announced today.
"Once again, the nation is taking notice of the bold reforms now driving Michigan forward. More companies are choosing to grow their futures in Michigan and that is reinforcing our well-earned reputation as America's comeback state," Snyder said. "The best way to boost our state's economy and improve the quality of life for all is to create an environment that encourages business investment, job growth and innovation."
Site Selection (www.siteselection.com), a global business publication, verified 337 projects in Michigan that met capital investment, job-creation or size standards as part of its annual Governor's Cup ranking. This year, Michigan finished behind first-place Texas, second-place Ohio and third-place Pennsylvania. Rounding out the top 10 were Illinois, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky.
Major new corporate projects for Michigan in 2012 included expansions by leading automotive suppliers MAHLE (Farmington Hills), Brose (New Boston, Auburn Hills and Warren), and Dart Container's headquarters expansion (Mason); General Motors' new innovation center (Warren), Magna Sealing and Glass Systems (Holland Charter Township) and Hark Orchids' new propagation facility (Kalamazoo), the company's first global expansion outside of Germany.
"This recognition sends a message around the world that Michigan's highly competitive business climate and tremendous workforce capabilities make our state a top location for new corporate expansions," said Michigan Economic Development Corp. President and CEO Michael A. Finney. "In the last two years, we have greatly improved Michigan's business climate and infrastructure, making it easier for businesses to find new paths to prosperity, and our changes are paying off."
Site Selection awards the Governor's Cup each year to the governor of the state with the highest number of qualified capital investment projects the previous calendar year. The publication's proprietary New Plant database is populated with private-sector projects that meet one or more of these criteria: an investment of at least $1 million, creation of 50 or more new jobs or construction of new space of at least 20,000 square feet.
Site Selection magazine provides expansion planning information to 44,000 executives of fast-growing firms in 117 countries. The Governor's Cup rankings are available online at http://www.siteselection.com/issues/2013/mar/cover.cfm.
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