December 08, 2003
December 8, 2003
PLYMOUTH – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm met today with Michigan’s business and labor leaders at the Michigan Manufacturing Matters Summit to discuss issues related to the state of manufacturing in Michigan and develop a consensus agenda to take to Washington, D.C. to seek federal action to address their concerns.
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“Today, we agreed to work together on two critical fronts to support manufacturing in Michigan,” Granholm said of the summit. “We will work together to make Michigan more attractive to our existing and new businesses, and we will take the message to Washington D.C. that we need help to make real improvements for this critical sector of our nation’s economy.”
Granholm was able to deliver immediate results on one of the issues that business and labor leaders discussed when she signed an executive directive directing the Department of Labor and Economic Growth (DLEG) to create an online “one-stop shop” for all state business permits and licenses. The concept is being developed by the DLEG to reduce the bureaucracy and waiting period for businesses to get licenses and permits.
“Currently, our state’s permitting and licensing process for businesses is a maze of bureaucracy and red tape,” Granholm said. “This initiative will create a clear path to economic expansion and growth in Michigan.”
Participants in today’s summit represented several large and small manufacturers and labor organizations. They had an open discussion about issues ranging from health care to foreign currency. The consensus agenda that the group will push in Washington early next year contains specific action steps that will improve the state of manufacturing in Michigan and the nation Granholm said.
“Manufacturing is the backbone of our state’s economy,” said Granholm. “We are committed to finding ways to make it easier to retain, expand, and grow manufacturing here. When this important sector of our economy is growing, we are able to invest more in education, health care, and the environment – the key quality of life issues that make Michigan a great place to raise a family and grow a business.”
A copy of the consensus agreement that the summit participants reached is attached separately.
While the summit today is the culmination of three months of legwork by Governor Granholm to meet with manufacturers and labor representatives in roundtables, personal meetings, and tours of manufacturing sites, she emphasized that today’s event is just the first step in the journey to send the message on a national level that manufacturing matters and is vitally important to the U.S. economy. Granholm said Wisconsin held a similar summit in October, and Ohio is planning a manufacturing summit for December 11, joining the nationwide movement she started to draw awareness to the need for changes on the federal level to strengthen the manufacturing sector.
“We will continue to have an ongoing discussion with business, labor, and education leaders about the need to address the concerns of manufacturing in Michigan,” Granholm said. “Our state’s history is built on a foundation of being a manufacturing powerhouse. Our state presently is a global leader in manufacturing and research and development. Our state’s future is strongly tied to this sector, and we must do whatever it takes to ensure its continued success and growth.”
