[MittenDweller82]

With all the negative electricity flowing in this thread, I ask readers to put for some suggestions as to what industries would help this state become a new leader in the technological era. We all know what ties manufacturing has to Michigan, so what is the ticket to our success?

[suydam]

Hopefully it's biomed/biopharm since it appears we've already hitched our wagon to that train.

I'd say the key is diversification... so "everything, even more automotive" is the answer to what would help Michigan.

[kaypurdue]

Green technology... solar panels and the like. We already have a couple of those kinds of companies here, and they are growing.

[MIhome]

Technological?Do you believe that is the only thing we should try to invest in,as a base for our economy?Maybe we should rephrase the question to "What things".We tried the one deal thing,as as you can tell,it didn't pan out to well,so bottom line is more than one indutry should be ventured into,save we end up in the same boat in 50 years basing our economy on one thing instead of many.

[odinloki1]

Really anything manufacturing, the facilities are there, they just need to be renovated.

[Cliffie]

I still fail to understand why there aren't more munitions factories in this state pumping out bombs and machine-gun shells "for the duration." That would allow us to expand considerably, and have plans in place for when the war ends.

There are lots of things we can be doing here. I keep hoping Changing World Technologies will put a plant or two here. Then we could have some of those empty factories downtown producing solar panels and wind turbines, and others processing MI corn into MI ethanol. Chelsea Mills (the people who make Jiffy Mix) could double its output and hire many more people by producing a line of dairy-free products that would accomodate the needs of the majority of the US population, which is overwhelmingly lactose-intolerant. Heck, they could CORNER that market. I heard recently that MI has more diabetics per capita than any other state -- and the numbers are increasing everywhere, so why aren't there more diabetes-specific treatment facilities, food factories, book publishers, you name it?

[MIhome]

careful about the diabetic's,start offering to help them and you'll **** off the pharmecutical industries....

[Cliffie]

Originally Posted by MIhome

careful about the diabetic's,start offering to help them and you'll **** off the pharmecutical industries....

Pfizer doesn't scare me! Neither does Glaxo-Smith-Kline!

Anyway I am wondering how long this medicotech boom will last. They just seem to assume that as the Baby Boomer generation ages, they'll be on more and more meds and all medical concerns will make huge profits. But the pendulum is beginning to swing away from "defensive medicine" and the absurd number of meds people are on. People may well start to refuse those unnecessary tests and make do with Tylenol instead of Vicoden, and then where will poor Forest Pharmaceuticals be?

[magellan]

Originally Posted by Cliffie

I still fail to understand why there aren't more munitions factories in this state pumping out bombs and machine-gun shells "for the duration." That would allow us to expand considerably, and have plans in place for when the war ends.

There are lots of things we can be doing here. I keep hoping Changing World Technologies will put a plant or two here. Then we could have some of those empty factories downtown producing solar panels and wind turbines, and others processing MI corn into MI ethanol. Chelsea Mills (the people who make Jiffy Mix) could double its output and hire many more people by producing a line of dairy-free products that would accomodate the needs of the majority of the US population, which is overwhelmingly lactose-intolerant. Heck, they could CORNER that market. I heard recently that MI has more diabetics per capita than any other state -- and the numbers are increasing everywhere, so why aren't there more diabetes-specific treatment facilities, food factories, book publishers, you name it?

The so-called "War on Terror" can be very profitable. We have several aerospace companies in Grand Rapids that are doing extremely well in their military segments, and expanding like wildfire. Plus, the Blackwater Security company that has been getting all the criticism lately in Iraq was started and is owned by a Holland native (Erik Prince).

[joedekock]

Originally Posted by kaypurdue

Green technology... solar panels and the like. We already have a couple of those kinds of companies here, and they are growing.

My father owns a standby power business that services all sorts of homes and business in all of Michigan. Including some government buildings.

He has found a way to make a wind generator very low cost, and more effective than much more expensive ones. he made his first one by hand.

He is thinking of starting another business, or tying it into his current one. He figures he could sell these wind generators for under $5000, which is affordable to most people if they want to install one on their home. Michigan has some of the most windy spots on the globe because of our great lakes.

I told him to check into government grants both federally and locally from the state to see about getting some funding to get it off the ground. I figured because this is a "green" way of supplying power to homes and small business', he would have no problem getting some free money from the government to get it started.

After doing some research he found out why no wind generator company has come to Michigan yet. Because Granholm announced last year, that she wants to impose a tax on wind generators. Can you believe that! Granholm wants to generate wind!

So my father is doing it on the side for now for friends and family only. He built his first one for $1500 and all by hand. It can power an entire 2500 sq ft. home. If you tie it into your current power boc you get from your electric company and the meter spins backwards because the wind generator is suppling enough power from the wind, the electric company by law has to by back that power and credit you. So this is a huge thing for Michigan, for any one looking to get into the wind generator business, and for the environment. But no one will touch it from the business side until she makes up her mind to tax it or not.