Nearly given up for dead a few years ago, Michigan’s automakers have come roaring back and are leading one of the strongest state economic recoveries in the nation. Today, General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC are churning out billions of dollars in profits and are hiring thousands of workers. But we’ve seen […]
State again riding auto upswing
Posted inBusiness Watch
Is ‘reshoring’ boosting Michigan’s economy?
Michigan Ladder Co., a 111-year-old Ypsilanti business that assembles wood and fiberglass ladders for the industrial market, used to buy its fiberglass ladders from suppliers in China. But the company recently decided getting ladders from suppliers that were thousands of miles away didn’t make financial sense. So, it began assembling its own fiberglass ladders in […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
* An Iowa legislator wants to move his state away from “no-fault” divorce. The no-fault system is the dominant one in the United States, including in Michigan. The state’s divorce (and marriage) rates have been on a consistent decline since at least 1990, according to the Census Bureau. However, Iowa’s marriage rate is higher and its […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Guest column: Expanding preschool is first step in education advance
By Michele Corey/Michigan’s Children Advocates across the state are rejoicing in Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed $65 million expansion ($130 million over two years) for the Great Start Readiness Program– Michigan’s public preschool program for 4-year-olds at-risk of being under-prepared for kindergarten. Credit is due to the Center for Michigan and Bridge Magazine for bringing additional […]
Posted inTalent & Education
As student debts mount, universities see little good news in state budget figures
Danielle Horton, 21, will be graduating in May from Michigan State University with a degree in social work and a debt that worries her. “I will be approximately $60,000 in debt,” says the mother of two young children. “It’s discouraging. I pray I make enough money to afford tuition for my children so they will […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
What’s up, who’s down in state economy?
While the Holland area may be better known to outsiders for its Dutch heritage and pristine Lake Michigan beaches, the locals know its economy is driven by manufacturing. The area suffered as manufacturing output fell by a third during the Great Recession. Unemployment exceeded 13 percent. But a strong rebound by auto suppliers, office furniture […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Mapping Michigan’s growth in 2011
While Michigan has 83 counties and hundreds upon hundreds of communities, when it comes to economics, the only number that really matters is 14. That figure represents the “metropolitan statistical areas” defined by the federal government as cohesive economic units. Those 14 places – sometimes a single county, sometimes multiple counties – account for nearly […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
How did your city’s economy do in 2011?
PICTURE OF PROGRESS: Downtown Grand Rapids and the rest of the Grand Rapids-Wyoming MSA posted a 2.3 percent growth rate in 2011, matching the statewide figure. (Bridge archive photo) The Holland-Grand Haven area had the best 2011 when it came to economic growth in 2011 – at least as it compared to 2010. Still, though, […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
From the ashes of Hudson’s, finally a phoenix for Detroit?
NEW LIFE FOR SITE?: The J.L. Hudson store’s enormous flag was unfurled on its Woodward Avenue facade on Flag Day 1976. The banner, called the world’s largest at the time, now rests in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. At a policy conference in Detroit last week, Matt Cullen of Rock Ventures announced a proposal […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
* The Kalamazoo Promise (which offers college scholarships) is paying dividends: “We find positive effects of the Kalamazoo Promise on Promise eligible students large enough to be deemed important—about a 9 percent increase in the probability of earning any credits and one less suspension day per year. We also find large increases in GPA among African-American students.” […]
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