Granholm Says State is Fostering Rich Entrepreneurial Culture That is Planting Seeds for a Diversified Economy, Job Creation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 12, 2010

Governor presents nine organizations with Regional Entrepreneurial Collaborative grants 

LANSING - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today said Michigan is fostering a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem and noted that nearly 80 percent of the recommendations designed to support and grow a state culture of entrepreneurship are being met, making Michigan a state where entrepreneurs can thrive.  Michigan was recently ranked 5th in the rate of increase of new firm entrants, an important measure of entrepreneurial activity in the state. 

 "Over the past eight years, we have nurtured a culture in which entrepreneurs can thrive," Granholm said during a discussion with entrepreneurs from around the state. "We have planted the seeds for a new, diversified Michigan economy by providing start-up businesses with seed capital, coaching and the support infrastructure needed to develop entrepreneurship in Michigan.  Our work continues to today with the announcement of our Regional Entrepreneurial Collaborative grants."  

Recipients of the grants, which are funded though Michigan's No Worker Left Behind (NWLB) program and will help prepare entrepreneurs for business start-ups and establish entrepreneurial support systems, are:

• $200,000 to the Michigan Works! Job Force Board/Six County Employment Alliance for the Centers of Entrepreneurial Knowledge and Excellence collaborative. These partners, representing 28 Northern Michigan counties, will create three sub-regional centers providing market research, financial consulting and access to lenders. 
• $199,576 to LEAP, Inc. for the Greater Lansing Regional Entrepreneurial Collaborative to expand its extensive programming portfolio to include youth and teen entrepreneurial training, networking programs, and a business incubator. 
• $144,026 to the Middle Michigan Development Corporation for the Mid-Michigan Entrepreneurial Collaborative to conduct an entrepreneurial asset map, develop a website portal for entrepreneurial resources, create new and enhance existing social networking opportunities and promote regional entrepreneurial resources. 
• $104,000 to Montcalm County for the Montcalm Alliance to network of existing entrepreneurial resources into a cohesive asset collection and expand a pilot mentoring and review program. 
• $148,808 to the Muskegon County Department of Employment & Training for the Muskegon/Oceana Entrepreneurial Collaborative to hire an administration staffer, create a web-based entrepreneurial clearing house, and implement an entrepreneurial mentor-match system.
• $199,997 to Saginaw Valley State University for the Saginaw Valley State University Regional Entrepreneurial Collaborative to expand existing programs such as a virtual business incubator, a virtual business resource center and grow-from-within economic gardening resource.
• $200,000 to the South Central Michigan Works! to conduct asset and stakeholder analysis, create entrepreneurial community awareness programs, and expand Hillsdale County's web-based "The e-Spot" resource tool. 
• $90,000 to Thumbworks! for the Thumb Area Research and Innovation Network to mentor and support entrepreneurs and support the Junior Achievement program in all Thumb area high schools; and 
• $176,318 to Northwestern Michigan College for the Traverse Bay Regional Entrepreneurial Collaborative to consolidate multiple regional entrepreneurial strategic plans into an integrated plan, establish an incubator on Northwestern Michigan College's Aero-Park campus and provide administrative oversight. 

In 2007, the Council for Labor and Economic Growth (CLEG) created the "Supporting & Growing a State Culture of Entrepreneurship" committee that was asked to make recommendations on several key issues, including education, workforce and economic development, using high-leverage strategies to enable small businesses to grow in Michigan.  At the end of last year, CLEG delivered its report titled "Bold Voices, Bold Choices," which outlined 57 recommendations fundamental to Michigan's future success. Of those recommendations, 79 percent have been adopted by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and other state agencies. 

"Michigan is already a strong entrepreneurial state," said MEDC President and CEO Greg Main. "The state's 187,300 small businesses -- businesses that have fewer than 500 employees -- account for 98.4 percent of the state's employers. Michigan offers a wide variety of resources, services and support for entrepreneurs, because entrepreneurship is a key factor in Michigan's future economic growth."                            

"In Michigan, our state government is currently supporting 77 unique entrepreneurial programs," said Andy Levin, Acting Director of the Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth. "In fact, Michigan now ranks 5th in the nation for our rate of increase of new firm entrants, an important measure of entrepreneurial activity." 

Participating in today's discussion were:  Keith Brophy of RCM Technologies in Grand Rapids, Alain Piette of SpaceForm in Madison Heights, Dr. Therese Cummings of Cummings Chiropractic in Lapeer, Rolf Kletzien of Metabolic Solutions in Kalamazoo, Christine Gibbons of Histosonics in Ann Arbor and Pat Farver of Blissfield Manufacturing in Blissfield.  Also participating were members of CLEG, company executives receiving the Bureau of Workforce Transformation's Regional Entrepreneurial Collaborative awards, and representatives from the state's Small Business Technology and Development Centers, the Michigan Credit Union League and others from organizations in the MEDC entrepreneurial support networks.  

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