Granholm claims victory on missions

Governor Granholm is reporting evangelical success with her overseas investment missions intended to bring new businesses and jobs to Michigan.

Since 2004, Granholm has gone wheels-up on 10 investment missions to countries including Germany, Italy, Austria, Belgium and Japan.

"These missions have been part of my efforts to go anywhere and do anything to bring new investment and jobs to Michigan and to further diversify the state's economy," she explains.

"These missions have resulted in 48 international companies announcing almost $1.7 billion in new investment in Michigan and the creation or retention of more than 13,000 jobs," Granholm said.

The governor said Kostal Kontakt Systeme, part of the Kostal Group that is an independent German family-owned business, is the latest company to come to Michigan. Last week, Kostal was approved for a state tax credit by the Michigan Economic Growth Authority to build a new manufacturing facility in Rochester Hills for its solar connector systems.

"My investment mission this past April was to Germany and Italy," Granholm reports. "And when I was in Germany, I met with representatives of Kostal to make the case why Michigan was the best location for its new facility. I touted our manufacturing infrastructure, our skilled workforce, our great natural resources and our quality of life. So now Kostal is coming to Michigan and with it an estimated 642 jobs."

"Now through the end of the year, I'll continue working on diversifying our economy and creating jobs," Granholm said. "And if I have to travel to Germany or any other spot on the globe to bring new investment and jobs to Michigan, I'll do it, because every day, creating new jobs and a new Michigan economy remains our top priority."

State's strength hinges on wellness

The true front lines in the fight for community health and wellness are far from the sleek conference rooms where many of the campaigns are designed. They are not in insurance company actuarial tables, or at the construction of jogging tracks and health clubs.

The front lines are in places like Benton Harbor, on a steamy Sunday afternoon in August, at a city park where residents have gathered for picnic fare, games, a Moon Bounce and a sense of civic pride. They are there to watch their kids demonstrate what they've learned in Tai Kwan Do classes and see them swell with individual pride.

The front lines are also across the street, in a parking lot where Cigna has wheeled in a semi truck outfitted as a wellness Mobile Learning Lab. The interactive exhibits in the inviting, brightly colored truck draw children looking for video games, and who end up learning about healthy lifestyles in the process.

The front lines are manned by people like Jeff Doemland, a Cigna employee and co-founder of the Communities of Health demonstrations in Michigan. The programs bring people together in collaborative dialogue to explore social conditions that are the major influences of health and illness, in a way that generates deeper collective awareness and community-driven action. The initiative also rests on the premise that healthy communities, and states, depend on the well-being of workers who can productively contribute to their companies and the economy.

To Doemland, the truck and the program are also about "exposing people to and building awareness of the social determinants of health." He explains that, according to researchers, approximately 45% of everything that determines an individual's health can be attributed to factors such as access to medical care and resources that help them behave in a healthy fashion. But 55% can be attributed to social determinants, such as where an individual lives and how he feels about his environment. For example, Doemland explains, "if you live in a place where there is a pervasive distrust of neighbors, the stress level is enormous....It can be like running a car engine at a high rate of RPM, eventually leading to burnout and breakdown."

Other social determinants can include access to transportation. Sometimes, for example, owning a car can mean the difference between getting to the other end of town to shop for healthy food in a grocery store, or a diet of primarily dense fast food fare.


There is so much to be done, as even a few minutes watching people cycle through the Mobile Learning Lab reveals. One boy who dons a weighted vest to discover what it feels like to be 20 pounds overweight gets a first-hand sense of what it means to make healthy or unhealthy choices. Others drop by to thank Doemland and Cigna for their efforts, expressing hope that even more can be done to reach and educate children at a grassroots level. If successful, the hope is that Communities of Health outreach such as the Learning Lab and community events, and with support of corporate backers like Cigna and Whirlpool, can be replicated across Michigan. Marcus Robinson, leader of the Consortium for Community Development, says his group has identified some 700 municipalities in need of substantial help.

On this day in August, however, the focus is on Benton Harbor, a town hit hard by job loss and economic recession. It is a town that has taken it on the chin, perhaps moreso than any other in Michigan. Yet it is also a place of tremendous spirit and faith, where a population of around 10,000 gather in more than 100 churches to share their experience, strength and hope. It is that place where kids can gather in the park and make proud their parents who stand near and daydream about brighter futures. It is on the front lines in the battle for the health, well-being and prosperity for the state and all it's children and grown-ups, embracing change the way a fresh breeze from across the Lake Michigan embraces them.

MichBio launches Career Center

MichBio, the trade association for Michigan’s biosciences industry, has added a new, online MichBio Career Center dedicated to serving employers and job seekers in the biosciences space.

The new job posting tool enables employers to post one or multiple positions for various lengths of time at affordable prices and receive monthly updates of recently uploaded resumes. They are also able to highlight their listings with “featured employer” and/or banner ads on the site for an additional fee. MichBio members receive a 20% discount on postings and advertising.

Job seekers can set up free accounts to upload resumes and receive automated emailed job alerts. Resumes can also be posted anonymously.

“In a MichBio member survey last January, one of things we heard was that members wanted more assistance in posting and finding bioscience employment opportunities,” said Stephen Rapundalo, MichBio president and CEO. “Since then, we have been searching for a program to fulfill that need, and the launch of this full-service MichBio Career Center on our website (http://www.michbio.org/) accomplishes that goal.”

MichBio is the biosciences industry trade association and the official Michigan affiliate of the Biotechnology Industry Organization, BIO, which represents biotechnology companies across America and in 33 other nations. MichBio also works closely with other national organizations including AdvaMed, Medical Device Manufacturers Association, PhRMA, among others. Formed in 1993 as the Michigan Biosciences Industry Association, MichBio is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and represents the more than 500 bioscience-related companies in the state.

Golf brings Benton Harbor to fore

The camera crew from CBS took its position. Four sporting legends took their places at the first tee. The gallery grew as still as the mid-August morning air, and nearly as heavy with anticipation for an answer to the unspoken question of whether a golf course can save a city.

Or at least contribute to its survival.

That was the scene Aug. 10 at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor. The 18-hole, $18 million course designed by sports legend Jack Nicklaus opened in early July but was officially christened with the Harbor Shores Champions for Change Golf Challenge which also included Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Johnny Miller.

“I consider Arnold, Tom and Johnny among my closest friends in golf," Nicklaus said prior to teeing off for a "skins" game in which he teamed with Palmer. However, Nicklaus observed the day's importance to economic redevelopment in the area.

“The Harbor Shores Champions for Change event is a great opportunity to highlight how golf is being used as a vehicle for social and economic revitalization, particularly in the Benton Harbor community,” he said.

In the mid-80s, the cities of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph, once thriving shipping and manufacturing communities, were devastated by the closing of several factories. More than 5,000 jobs were lost over a period of 18 months. Since that time, St. Joseph has evolved into a thriving Midwest tourist destination as it is conveniently located just 90 minutes east of Chicago. On the other hand, Benton Harbor, adjacent to St. Joseph to the northeast, has struggled to find a new identity and a new source of economic stability. Over the past few decades, Benton Harbor has become one of the most poverty-stricken cities in the state of Michigan – and the country -- where more than 60% of the children live below the poverty line.

With the vision to revitalize Benton Harbor, local non-profits, Whirlpool Foundation, Cornerstone Alliance and the Consortium for Community Development, came together to work towards broad-based community revitalization efforts that include virtually every other non-profit organization in the area. Organizations like Harbor Habitat for Humanity, The Boys & Girls Club of Benton Harbor, The First Tee, Michigan Works and many others are in partnership to drive revitalization in both economic development as well as a human capacity building, designed to address the needs of citizens of all ages and stages of life.

The signature component of years of redevelopment work is Harbor Shores, a 530-acre beach and golf resort community designed to serve as a major economic enabler for Benton Harbor’s transformation. With a unique non-profit ownership structure and a true public/private partnership, it is believed that Harbor Shores will continue revitalization efforts by creating several hundred permanent new jobs, increasing the tax base, stimulating new consumer spending and focusing on creating new opportunities for the local citizens.

The cornerstone and central amenity of Harbor Shores is The Golf Club at Harbor Shores, the Nicklaus Signature Golf Course along the shores of Lake Michigan that will host the 2012 and 2014 Senior PGA Championships. It is widely considered one of the most anticipated golf course openings in 2010 and a true testament to how golf is being used as an enabler for social and economic change.

The true testament to the golf's importance, however, will be recorded with other measures.
"From the community's standpoint, the main issue is whether Harbor Shores can drive enough value into the daily life of residents," said Marcus Robinson, leader of the Consortium for Community Development and head of the community-development side of the project. Moreover, he says, Harbor Shores is "a reinvention of the brand of the city of Benton Harbor" and its image among tourists as well as state residents. Adding to the upbeat prognosis, Whirlpool recently announced it will build and occupy three new office buildings, totaling 270,000 square feet, in downtown Benton Harbor, consolidating 1,000 jobs into the town.

But for the day at hand on Aug. 10, the emphasis was purely on golf, and Nicklaus, Palmer, Watson and Miller did not fail to please the gallery of some 3,500 who followed them along the course through sweltering heat. One highlight came on the 10th hole, with a four-tiered green of more than 10,000 square feet -- one of the biggest Nicklaus has ever designed. After Miller complained of a terrible position after his approach shot, Nicklaus obligingly offered to take Miller's putt and show him how it was done. He promptly drained the 100-foot uphill putt, thrilling the crowd and resulting in a clip on ESPN Sports Center as well as YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw67MO4DDYk

Can a golf course save a city? Of course not. But can a group of highly dedicated, motivated and like-minded people intent on a new beginning? Of course they will.

MI resident leads safety engineers

A long-time Southfield resident and member of the North America Management team of ABB Inc. is the new president of the oldest safety society in the world, the American Society of Safety Engineers.

In the new role, Darryl C. Hill, PhD, CSP, will continue his drive to increase workplace safety and eliminate suffering while minimizing financial losses.

Elected by his peers of more than 32,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professionals to lead ASSE in its 100th year, Hill, with more than 20 years of experience, aims to lead the occupational safety and health profession as it continues to work towards improving workplace safety for all while contributing positively toward the bottom line.

“Based on my experience in occupational safety and health, it is evident to me that safety decisions must not be based on 'I think' or 'I feel'... but on statistical process control tools, risk assessments and incident trend data,” Hill said. “Once the scientific work is done, however, foresight and intuition are quite effective in helping us to expand our understanding of tomorrow and make better decisions now," he said.

Hill, an ASSE member for more than 20 years, is vice president for safety and health, ABB North America, in Auburn Hills, MI. At ABB his responsibilities include occupational health and safety management for multi-plant, service and project locations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Hill has a BS in occupational safety from Iowa State University, an MS in hazardous waste management from Wayne State University and a Ph.D. from Oakland University, MI, in educational leadership. He also served as an adjunct faculty member at Oakland University and is a certified safety professional (CSP).

As a volunteer ASSE member, Hill served as the vice president for finance, as regional vice president, as the construction practice specialty administrator and as a member and chair of the ASSE public relations committee. He was awarded the prestigious ASSE Edgar Monsanto Queeny Safety Professional of the Year (SPY) honor; the Charles V. Culbertson Outstanding Volunteer Service award; the Oakland University occupational safety and health leadership award; the Michigan Safety Conference distinguished service to safety award; and, many more chapter recognitions.

Internship training available to employers

The Grand Rapids-based West Michigan Internship Initiative next week will offer a new round of Employer Internship Training aimed at keeping the state's best and brightest at home and working.

“The expansion of internships is one of the best methods for retaining and expanding our intellectual capital base in West Michigan" says Cindy Brown, Project Manager for the Initiative.

"Internships are an inexpensive recruiting tool and an opportunity to train future employees. Interns can bring current technology and ideas from the classroom to the workplace, they can complete projects that have been set aside for various reasons and they can be another source for the recruitment of diverse employees into your workforce."

Brown believes this is the perfect time for companies to begin developing a comprehensive work plan for their internship programs. To aid area employers with the creation or enhancement of their organization’s internship program, employers can attend a training session on Tuesday August 10, 2010 from 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. or 3:00-4:30 p.m. Employers will be presented with the Employers Internship Toolkit, a guide that was created with the input of various businesses and career services professionals from universities and colleges in the region, along with other pertinent information in helping enhance or develop their own internship program.

To sign-up for this training sessions or get additional information,contact Cindy Brown at 616-871-2452 or cbrown@wm-alliance.org.

To learn more about the West Michigan Internship Initiative or download a copy of the Employers Internship Toolkit, visit the WMSA website at: http://www.wm-alliance/.

Chrysler retains Sterling Heights plan

Chrysler announced it will keep its Sterling Heights Assembly Plant open beyond 2012 and add a second shift of nearly 900 workers in early 2011 in order to support the company’s long-term product plan.

“After a careful review of all of our manufacturing operations, it became evident that more production capacity was needed and it made good business sense to extend the life of SHAP,” Sergio Marchionne, Chrysler Group CEO said in a statement. “We appreciate the tireless support we have received from Governor Granholm and D. Gregory Main, Chair of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, as well as Sterling Heights Mayor Richard Notte and the City Council to retain jobs in Michigan.”

During President Barack Obama’s appearance at Chrysler’s Jefferson North Assembly Plant last week, Marchionne told reporters that the company plans to build Fiat-based successors to theChrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger at the factory.

Governor Granholm called the announcement "the best news of the summer."

"The fact that the more than 1,000 workers at the plant will keep their jobs, and a second shift of another 900 workers will be added in 2011, is a tremendous economic boost. This is fabulous for Chrysler and Michigan."