Almost 200 Michigan Israel Business Bridge (MIBB) supporters attended the first Ambassador Awards Dinner at the Detroit Athletic Club on Thursday, September 18th. Those in attendance were there to honor Chuck Newman with the MIBB Impact Award and General Dynamics Land Systems with its MIBB Bridge Builder Award. As Steve Cole, Chairman of the dinner stated, “What started out as an idea by Chuck Newman in Ann Arbor has now spread throughout Michigan and Israel.”
MASTER OF CEREMONIES “BIG AL” MUSKOVITZ LIGHTENS THE EVENING UP WITH “SHTICK”
It was a stroke of genius to allow funnyman Al Muskovitz to be Master of Ceremonies at the MIBB Ambassador Awards Dinner and roast his brother-in-law, Chuck Newman in front of the audience. With true Presidential flair, Muskovitz impersonations (George W. Bush and Clinton) kept the audience laughing with his jokes, mispronunciations and barbs. As Hannan Lis, President of the MIBB remarked, “Big Al” was truly a tough act to follow.
Nonetheless, Hannan did a wonderful job of speaking to the growth, important work and impact MIBB has had in just seven (7) short years. From Mr. Newman’s vision to help bring back jobs and economic development to metro Detroit, research, economic growth and business opportunity has flourished both in Israel and Michigan from MIBB’s hard work. With two past Michigan gubernatorial trips to Israel to strengthen the economic ties between these two states, another mission is being planned to allow increased business for companies from both states interested in expanding ties with one another. MIBB has become such a force that it has recently installed an advisor in Israel to further support its mission here in Michigan.
INCREASED TRADE OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN ISRAEL AND MICHIGAN
Pam Lippitt, Executive Director of MIBB who has been at the helm during its meteoric growth, acknowledged the outstanding Board of Directors and happily reported the MIBB staff has recently doubled its capacity to two in the local office. She reminded attendees to please get ahold of the MIBB office if anyone is aware of Israeli businesses traveling to Michigan. Further greetings and remarks came from Ralph Gerson, Guardian Industries and the William Davidson Foundation, Yariv Becher, Counsul for Economic Affairs, The Government of Israel Economic Mission to the Midwest, The Honorable Roey Gilad, Counsul General of Israel to the Midwest and Gil Pezza, on behalf of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).
CONCLUSION
As reminded by Mr. Pezza, Israel was not a “target market” of Michigan until the last several years, which was a direct result of the hard work performed by the MIBB. Now, with all the wonderful IT, defense industry trade, health products, smart car technology and R & D flowing between the two states, Michigan and Israel are poised to further ramp up their trade, which already numbers in the tens of millions of dollars annually. As business continues to increase between Israel and Michigan, the future looks even brighter based on closer business ties between the two states. From strength to strength shall it continue.
ROBERT E. MATTLER, Associate Broker, Attorney and LEED AP BD+C, is Director of Green Brokerage at Armada Real Estate Services in West Bloomfield, Michigan. He speaks, writes and reports about emerging green real estate and development issues in Michigan and elsewhere. Bob is a senior correspondent for www.greeningdetroit.com . For more information, contact Bob at Armada Real Estate (248) 855-1221; or by e-mail: bmattler@armadarealestate.com
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