U.S. Senator Joe Manchin vows to vote against the Build Back Better bill, but Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell says that will hurt the state and its efforts to lead EV transformation — and attract jobs.
Business Watch
Covering the intersection of business and policy, and informing Michigan employers and workers on the long road back from coronavirus. Our Michigan Economic Dashboard shows key metrics that show how the state is performing.
Why electricity rates may be next fight in Michigan’s bid for auto jobs
Power companies say they need to cut rates for advanced manufacturing so that Michigan stays competitive. There’s some skepticism that other customers won’t have to pay for it.
‘This is it’: Michigan nears giant tax incentive to lure GM, manufacturers
Bridge talks incentives with state Sen. Ken Horn, a key player in Michigan’s tax incentive debate. He says it’s his job to ‘rob other states of workers.’
Inflation is at 39-year high. Michigan consumers and businesses feel pinch
Prices are up for almost everything. Now, 76 percent of consumers say inflation is more serious than unemployment. An interest rate hike is likely. Then what?
Another real estate shortage: Grand Rapids running out of industrial space
Adding industrial parks and finding ways for manufacturers and other businesses to expand is a goal for the Grand Rapids region in 2022, business leaders say.
After losing out on Ford plants, Michigan fast-tracks new business incentives
Michigan officials are pushing a major new business incentive program they contend could help the state land major deals. But critics say such programs are a boondoggle to taxpayers.
For booming Grand Rapids, a larger ambition: Midwest technology hub
Forget about Austin and Nashville. Randy Thelen, of The Right Place economic development group, is pitching West Michigan’s business community on becoming the nation’s next tech hotspot within a decade.
Holiday sales could set records. Michigan's 'makers' want a piece of it.
The state’s smallest businesses are growing in number. Now ‘solopreneurs’ hope to grow their sales during the holiday sales season that is expected to be robust.
Poised for ‘Drinksgiving,’ Michigan bars fret COVID will dampen party
Thanksgiving Eve is the biggest money maker of the year for bars, as friends gather before the family events that follow. Bar and restaurant managers say they don’t know what to expect Wednesday as state virus cases spike.
Michigan’s economy on track for near-full recovery in 2023, forecast says
University of Michigan forecast is full of optimism. But inflation and supply issues could present roadblocks.