Pure Michigan joins the world’s newest automotive concepts and designs at the North American International Auto Show as the state’s growing branding efforts intermingle with the industry’s greatest nameplates on the Auto Show’s main floor for the first time.The main Michigan Economic Development Corporation display highlights Michigan’s new business friendly-environment, abundant talent for advanced manufacturing and technology companies.
“Our main floor exhibit space gives us a rare chance to share the Pure Michigan story with people from around the globe and show them Michigan offers more opportunities than ever,” said MEDC President and CEO Michael A. Finney. “We offer much lower business taxes, a workforce unmatched anywhere and economic development tools to drive new investment and job creation.”
Located in the new Oakland Hall addition of Cobo Center, the Pure Michigan display will feature two key economic gardening initiatives that are contributing to Michigan’s economic turnaround:
- Pure Michigan Business Connect, the more than $8 billion program linking Michigan businesses with increased access to capital and opportunities to increase their sales, or tap free legal and other professional services. The effort includes the Pure Michigan Business Connect Economic Gardening Pilot Program and the Michigan Get Your Business Online program.
- www.mitalent.org, the state of Michigan’s new web-based talent matchmaking site and central hub for talent, announced by Gov. Snyder in November.
Visitors will be able to stroll through the two Pure Michigan kiosks highlighting programs that connect talented workers with employers and provide support to Michigan’s businesses. MEDC staff and partners will also be on hand. There will be a stage and seating area with a 70” video screen featuring the four-minute video, Why Michigan.
To encourage retention of the state’s top young engineering talent, on January 10 the MEDC is sponsoring the first-ever Pure Michigan Collegiate Engineering Day, which will include a stop at the NAIAS and a visit to Pure Michigan’s exhibit, for about 300 engineering students from several Michigan universities. The students will also hear from Governor Rick Snyder and Jeff Mason, executive director of the University Research Corridor.
For the third year in a row, the MEDC will host the Pure Michigan Ride and Drive Track – a quarter-mile indoor ride-and-drive test track surrounded by landscaped terrain, where visitors can ride in electric and hybrid vehicles provided by more than 30 auto manufacturers. This year’s expanded ride and drive area will feature a sand-covered road to convey a Pure Michigan dune look and feel, and 40 banners displaying natural Michigan scenes will also help create a unique driving experience.
The NAIAS is open to the public January 14 through January 22. It is expected to draw more than 4,500 automotive journalists, representatives from 1,700 auto-related companies and more than 700,000 visitors to one of the world’s premier industry events.
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Source: MEDC
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