LANSING – In announcing a number of new corporate projects that she said would bring or retain more than 10,800 jobs to the state, Gov. Jennifer Granholm said the state can hope that it is finally starting to emerge from the long economic downturn that has plagued it like no other state.
Speaking to the board of the Michigan Economic Growth Authority and reporters, Granholm said the state was by no means out of the slowdown that had caused it lose more than 800,000 jobs over the past decade. But there were signs the state was starting to recover.
Greg Main, president of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, agreed, saying, “The recovery is at hand.” The state would start to see some “pretty dramatic numbers” in terms of job development programs in the next several months, he said.
The largest project that the MEGA board approved in Tuesday’s meeting was a $56 million tax credit for Detroit Diesel that would mean the state would retain more than 1,900 jobs directly with the firm and a total of more than 7,700 jobs. The company had considered moving production of diesel engines to Mexico, but is maintaining its facility in the state with a combination of agreements from the state, Redford Township and a contract with the United Auto Workers. The company will spend $194 million to expand its Redford operations.
Other projects approved Tuesday include a $1.7 million tax credit to Gordon Food Service to allow it to consolidate its warehouse facilities into a center in Wyoming, near Grand Rapids. The company plans to spend $24 million on the center, which will create 170 jobs directly and indirectly a total of 400 jobs.
And Fisher and Company will spend more than $14 million on its automotive seating plants in St. Clair Shores and Sterling Heights. Aided by a $778,000 tax credit, the project is expected to retain 189 jobs, of that 138 will be at the company.
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