Ford Wants to Improve Michigan and Add Jobs

During the Mackinac Policy Conference on June 1, FordFordUnited States of America, 1903 > present92 models
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Executive Chairman Bill Ford expressed his desire to create high tech-jobs in Michigan.

“While Michigan is the home of the auto industry, the trends affecting our industry offer a great opportunity to make it the home of a variety of other industries as well,” said Ford. 

Ford said that he wants Michigan to become a Silicon Valley for batteries and electric mobility. For every job that an automaker creates, nine more jobs are created by suppliers. Also Michigan, and especially Detroit, are located on the border with Canada, and it needs a better infrastructure to take advantage of that location.

Ford, the company, wants electric and battery-powered vehicles to become a core part of its business in the near future. If it is going to build these vehicles in Michigan, then it needs suppliers to build the batteries and other components. 

Most importantly, Michigan needs to remain competitive as a state. Ford recommended that the state do away with personal property taxes and an update to the electric grid.

In truth, it will take a lot more than that to make Michigan competitive. There are swathes of Detroit that are literally a no-mans land where the mayor has decided to let entire mostly abandoned neighborhoods return to nature. The median home price in Detriot is 95,000 versus, and in Forbes list of the most miserable cities in 2012, Michigan held five of the 20 spots. 

“At Ford, we have invested nearly a billion dollars to build electric vehicles and the battery packs that power them right here in Michigan. We want this technology to become a core competency for us in the 21st century. And we are building the expertise to do that right here in our home state," said Ford.