Economic development gurus across the state are working to unite the state's manufacturing development, and Holland has scored big points by landing two major lithium ion battery manufacturing plants in the last year.
According to excerpts from the story:
Parochialism is poison to economic development.
"Where there are opportunities to be supportive of each other, we should be, as opposed to fighting to keep one project going to another community," said CEO of Ann Arbor Spark Michael Finney.
The growth of each individual community in Michigan generally boosts the state's brand - and improvements in the state's image affect all of us.
Here's a concrete example: The city of Holland on Michigan's west coast is quickly becoming an epicenter for electric vehicle battery production. Holland has landed two major battery plants over the last year: A $220 million project byJohnson Controls-Saft and a $303 million project by Korean firm LG Chem, which is supplying lithium cells to General Motors for use in the Chevrolet Volt.
Holland's success accelerates Michigan's efforts to earn a label as a global leader in battery technology and production.
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