LANSING - Long-term budgeting, investing in transportation infrastructure and education and looking at public employee compensation are all areas of reform and investment state policymakers should focus on in the coming year, a series of speakers said during the Business Leaders for Michigan and The Center for Michigan summit on Monday. More than 500 people
LANSING - Governor-elect Rick Snyder said Monday after meeting with a top Canadian official on the proposed Detroit River International Crossing that he is "generally supportive of a second span," but wants to ensure the project does not put state taxpayers at risk. Snyder met for more than two hours in Lansing with Chuck Strahl,
ANN ARBOR ? Skip Simms on Monday was named the interim president of Ann Arbor SPARK after current CEO, Mike Finney, resigned to assume an even bigger job ? president and CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. In his new role, Simms, who joined Ann Arbor SPARK in 2006, will oversee the organization?s efforts
LANSING - Calling it a model of collaboration, Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Governor-elect Rick Snyder held a joint press conference Monday to announce new leadership at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Named as the chief executive officer of the MEDC was Michael Finney, current head of Ann Arbor SPARK and long-rumored to be Snyder's choice
LANSING - Governor-elect Rick Snyder and legislative leaders told a crowd of more than 500 on Monday that they are committed to working together to solve the myriad issues facing Michigan. "We've started a good dialogue and we'll continue that path. We have to make this a team method," Snyder said of his relationship with
DETROIT ? Armune BioScience of Kalamazoo won the $500,000 grand prize in the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition on Saturday, while the $25,000 student portion of the competition was won by ReGenerate, created by four University of Michigan students. Armune BioScience is developing a technology that uses autoantibodies created by the body?s own immune system to
RESTON, VA ? Nearly $22 billion has been spent online during the for the 40 days of the November-December 2010 holiday season, a 12 percent increase from a year ago. During the most recent week (week ending Dec. 10), online spending reached $5.15 billion, an increase of 11 percent versus the same week a year
LANSING - Those involved with providing social services, or who might have to direct people to those who do, can now have the information they need at their fingertips wherever they are. The Department of Human Services launched the first known mobile phone application for human services resources. The current app works on Android phones
GRAND RAPIDS ? The greater Grand Rapids region should experience stronger economic growth than the rest of the state in 2011 and 2012, economist George Erickcek predicted in his annual West Michigan economic forecast. Erickcek, with the W.E. Upjohn Institute in Kalamazoo, gazed into his crystal ball on Wednesday morning during the Right Place Program
ANN ARBOR ? The Semi-Finalists for the Accelerate Michigan $1 million business plan competition have been selected. We're providing a complete list of the companies vying for the $500,000 top prize Saturday in Ann Arbor. Accio Energy is an Ann Arbor-based early-stage renewable energy company led by experienced and successful previously venture-backed executives. The company