LANSING - The Michigan Strategic Fund board Wednesday approved a $6.9 million grant to Thomas Township to make public infrastructure improvements needed for the expansion of the Hemlock Semiconductor Group's solar cell manufacturing facility, which could create up to 300 jobs over the next two years. Hemlock Semiconductor is a joint venture of Dow Corning
DETROIT - If you're a Wayne State University student and you have an idea for a new business you only have until close of business on March 18 to appy for the E2Challenge grant program that will pay the winning team up to $45,000 this summer to help fund salaries and patent application costs. To
DETROIT - Wayne State University TechTown First Friday program on April 3 will feature an update by Toby Dahm of Hennessey Capital on the options start up businesses have for financing, including the asset based (as in accounts receivables) financing provided by his company. To listen, click on MITechNews.MediaRica.Com a>>
ANN ARBOR ? If you've been thinking about entering the spring Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest Business Plan writing contest, time is running out. The application deadline is 5 pm March 30. Final documents are due on May 15. Companies competing in the New Business Idea category will prepare five-page executive summaries. More established companies will
ROCHESTER HILLS - Energy Conversion Devices' shares plummeted 23.2 percent in trading on Tuesday, after the solar-equipment maker warned investors that its third-quarter earnings would fall short of earlier projections amid a weakening economic environment. The company, which issued its warning after the markets closed on Monday, announced that it would cut 70 positions, issue
LANSING - Construction of high-speed Detroit-Lansing and Detroit-Ann Arbor rail lines, using hydrogen batteries in conjunction with a technology used on only a few rail systems around the world, will be studied by a bipartisan task force announced on Monday. The proposed $2.3 billion elevated rail line would not use government funding for its construction,
LANSING - Already this year there have been a number of calls for Michigan to revamp its overall tax system, but major proposals to change the tax system are thus far lacking. There is one significant proposal, though, that has started working its way through legislators and interest groups: scrap the already hated Michigan Business
NEW YORK - Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, a new website called IrishCentral was launched, which provides news, info and a sense of community for people of Irish heritage around the world. It has received an undisclosed amount of funding from an interesting group of investors, including Don Keough, chairman of Allen &
LANSING - A 12-bill package dubbed by proponents as the "Hire Michigan First" plan because it targets economic development incentives to businesses hiring Michigan residents was passed by a mostly bipartisan House on Thursday. However, main objections to the bills by Republicans remained, namely that the bills don't require state construction done by unionized workers
LANSING - With the recent changes in electric regulation that included requirements for renewable power and energy efficiency and with Gov. Jennifer Granholm's recent directive that all options be explored before issuing permits for new coal-fired generation, Michigan is poised to attract renewable power production facilities that will export that equipment at least regionally, Energy,