BATTLE CREEK - A Japanese company will generate more than 50 direct factory jobs in the Battle Creek area under a stimulus bill battery grant wrapped up Tuesday. Toda America Inc. will invest about $70 million in the plant, which is planned for startup operations in February 2011 and full production by 2013. It will
MIDLAND - The BlueWater Angels Tuesday announced its first investment for 2010 - $250,000 in an award winning green tech startup called Advanced Battery Concepts. Advanced Battery is a tenant at the MidMichigan Innovation Center in Midland and has developed technology called Green Seal that it says will revolutionize the lead-acid battery industry. There will
ANN ARBOR - Three Michigan companies recently received a combined total of $95,000 through the Michigan Microloan Fund Program. Buycentives, CIMple Integrations, and Local Orbit received the funding to support commercialization of their core products. Ann Arbor-based Buycentives helps manufacturers deliver customized sales incentives to online car shoppers during the shopping process. Via information provided
DETROIT - WWJ Newsradio 950 is reporting that Ford is going to cut one of the shifts at its assembly plant in Flat Rock, Michigan, cutting nearly 900 jobs. That plant builds both the Ford Mustang and Mazda6. Ford says it is doing this to bring supply in line with demand. Interestingly, the Mustang has
PLEASANT RIDGE - In a story published Feb. 9 about ePrize Founder Josh Linkner getting moved to chairman from CEO, it was incorrectly reported that ePrize investor Dan Gilbert owns Rock Financial Showcase. Blair Bowman is the owner. Rock Financial purchased the naming rights. To read the corrected story, click on ePrize a>>
LANSING - The Save Our Students, Schools and State Coalition is looking for caps on what districts have to pay toward health care and retirement and automatic renewal of the 18-mill local school tax as ways to keep districts out of deficits in the coming years. But the state also needs to step up and
WASHINGTON DC - On Tuesday, the US will undergo a simulated cyberattack to help policymakers decide how well the country would cope. The cyberattack simulation, called Cyber Shockwave, was created by Michael Hayden, a former CIA director general, and the National Security Preparedness Group of the Bipartisan Policy Center, which is a three-year-old nonprofit organization
DETROIT - You may be sick and tired of hearing about all these recalls at Toyota, but here's another one. The company is voluntarily calling back some 8,000 Tacoma pickups. A small number of 2010 models with four-wheel drive may have tiny cracks on part of the front driveshaft that could cause the shaft to
LANSING - Pure Michigan ads depict vast lake scenes, woods afire in autumnal colors, serene winter landscapes, and have won awards and praise for helping restart Michigan's tourism industry during one of its worst economic crisis. Yet, there is a small number of critics who charge the ads' beauty belie a false government premise. Led
LANSING - Economists have been hedging about the timing of Michigan's economic comeback, but it will be this year, said Michigan Economic Development Corporation CEO Greg Main in a recent interview with Gongwer News Service. At the most recent revenue estimating conference, and at several prior conferences, economists have indicated that Michigan employment should begin