The media tends to break these down to local announcements, which is frustrating because you don't see the full picture over the entire state when they roll these MEGA credits out. I already did a brief on the Farmers announcement, and here is the Roskam addition from the GR Press article above:
Two Grand Rapids-area businesses announced expansion plans this morning that could add up to 3,100 jobs -- news described as "a significant shot in West Michigan's arm."You can read the full MEDC release on over 11,000 total jobs for the state here. My favorite was another west side project:
The announcements this morning -- by Farmers Insurance Group and Roskam Baking Co. -- may be the largest job-creation announcement for the region in recent years.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm joined Robert Woudstra, chief executive of Los Angeles-based Farmers, and other officials at a morning press conference at the Foremost complex in Caledonia Township.
Farmers announced plans to bring 1,600 jobs to West Michigan, and an $84.4 million expansion of its Foremost Insurance complex. Roskam Baking Co., meanwhile, announced the addition of 1,500 jobs and investment of $60.4 million at its Kentwood operations.
Energetx Composites LLC – The manufacturer of composite components plans to invest $37 million to ramp up production in Holland of utility-scale wind turbine blades and other composite parts for the wind energy industry. The project will create 2,599 total jobs, including 1,068 directly by the company. The MEDC estimates the increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 1,531 indirect jobs.Between the wind turbine blades and Johnson Controls getting into the advanced battery business, Holland is certainly benefiting from the push into alternative energy. Hope they remember who it was that fought to bring this business to the state, and who it was that spent the better part of a year trying to block it. I know I will.