BUSINESS LEADERS FORECAST: MICHIGAN WILL GROW FASTER THAN U.S. ECONOMY

Most of state’s largest job providers add jobs in 2012; Plan more hiring in 2013

DETROIT, Mich., February 5, 2013 – Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM), the state’s business roundtable, continues to forecast that Michigan’s economy will grow more than the U.S. economy over the next six to eighteen months.  The forecast is reinforced by 60 percent of BLM members planning to increase hiring in Michigan in just the next six months.  Nearly-two thirds added jobs in Michigan last year.    

“The avoidance of the fiscal cliff and slow, but steady domestic growth has boosted the overall economic outlook of Michigan’s largest job providers.  But they remain far more optimistic about Michigan vs. the nation’s economy by the largest margins we have seen since we started conducting these surveys in 2009,” said Doug Rothwell, President & CEO.  “The optimism of the state’s largest job providers for Michigan is based on progress made stabilizing the state’s finances, addressing long-term debt and structural budget deficits and improving the costs of doing business here.  These are the same issues they feel are not being addressed in Washington and are holding the national economy back from full recovery.  They demonstrated that optimism by adding jobs in Michigan last year and planning more this year.  Michigan is not an island and will be affected by slower national growth, but BLM members continue to believe we will out-perform the American economy over the next eighteen months.”

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Business Leaders for Michigan releases Fiscal Scorecard

Scorecard measures five indicators of fiscal health, shows promising turnaround in most areas. Pension costs need to be addressed.

DETROIT, Mich., May 17, 2012 – Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM), the state’s business roundtable, today released the annual Michigan Fiscal Scorecard, “Assessing the Management of Michigan Governments”. This review of state and local government finances measures five indicators of fiscal health – revenue and expenditures, cash balances, reserves, pension obligations and debt levels-  and is part of BLM’s strategy to determine whether Michigan’s fiscal management practices are improving. The report was prepared for BLM by Anderson Economic Group, LLC.

“The Michigan Fiscal Scorecard gives us a clear picture of the progress the state and local governments are making in managing their finances, as well as identifying those areas that still need improvement, “ said Doug Rothwell, President & CEO, Business Leaders for Michigan. “As we continue to work to turn around Michigan and make it a Top Ten state for job, economic and personal income growth, this realistic review of the state’s fiscal health allows us to gauge how Michigan compares to other states, whether benchmarks are being met, and what steps need to be taken to ensure continued fiscal strength.”

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Business Leaders For Michigan Supports Increased University Funding Based On Performance And Accountability; Calls For Changes To Administration’s Plan

Urges state to shift from prison investment to university investment

LANSING, Mich., February 15, 2012 — Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM), the state’s business roundtable, today in testimony before the Michigan Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Higher Education at the State Capitol building, urged state policymakers to end the more than decade long trend of disinvesting in the state’s public universities and renew the state’s investment in one of Michigan’s greatest assets for driving job, economic, and personal income growth.

Patrick Doyle, President and Chief Executive Officer of Domino’s Pizza, and a BLM Board member, described Michigan’s public universities as key drivers for talent production, innovation, and economic growth in the state, and deserving of a higher priority in the budget process. “While many factors influence where a business decides to locate or expand, the quality of a region’s university system is a significant consideration, because every company wants access to the best talent. This fiscal year, Michigan will spend 76% more general fund dollars on prisons than we will on universities. Our public universities are a major driver of Michigan’s economy yet we are spending more on prisons than we are to help a Michigan student go to college. This investment strategy is upside down if we want to attract business investment and good paying jobs.”

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Download a copy of the Senate committee testimony

Download a copy of Doug Rothwell's House committee testimony

4Q ECONOMIC OUTLOOK SURVEY: More optimistic about long-term outlook for both U.S. and Michigan

DETROIT, Mich., January 17, 2012 – A survey of Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM), the state’s business roundtable, shows that the state’s largest employers are increasingly optimistic about Michigan’s short and long-term economic outlook.  “Michigan’s largest job providers are getting downright bullish on the state’s economic prospects and backing it up with increased hiring and investment,” said Doug Rothwell, President & CEO.  “Business leader optimism about the state’s long-term economy is at a three year high and nearly a third of the largest job providers are planning increased hiring and investment in the next six months.”

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Michigan makes huge strides in 2011

Column by Doug Rothwell, President and CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan and Phil Power, the Founder and President of The Center for Michigan 

Michigan has much to be thankful for as this year comes to a close: Better managed state and local government, a brighter economic outlook and more efficient delivery of public services. Our state’s turnaround has begun, but in many ways the hardest work still lies ahead.

A year ago, our two organizations held a summit, “Common Sense Reforms for a New Michigan” in Lansing. We drew nearly 400 people, including newly elected Gov. Rick Snyder and many legislative leaders for a discussion of structural changes we felt were needed to turn around Michigan and put us firmly on the path to prosperity.

The summit resulted in recommendations to improve state and local government efficiency, business climate and quality of life in our state.  We also pledged to report on progress one year later — hence this column. There is much progress to report.

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