Gov. Rick Snyder will be among featured participants at forums on mobility, entrepreneurism and sustainably held Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Tianjin, China. The governor is leading a Michigan delegation on a foreign investment and trade mission, exploring shared opportunities in manufacturing, mobility technology, agricultural exports, and tourism.
“The forum is a dynamic hub for private-industry leaders and public officials working together to consider new policy possibilities in a fast-changing global economy,” Snyder said. “It’s extremely important for Michigan’s voice to be heard along with promoting the state’s efforts to elevate our automotive and mobility initiatives.”
Tuesday’s WEF sessions featuring Snyder include “Creating the Next General of Ecosystems for Entrepreneurship and Innovation,” “Accelerating Sustainable and Green Manufacturing,” and “Shaping the Mobility Ecosystem.”
Throughout this mission, Snyder has reiterated the importance of building relationships with other nations.
“My attendance and participation at WEF make the case for building ties with foreign companies that have similar goals, to ensure we are partners rather than competitors. This can lead to new jobs for Michiganders and increases in our exports to nations all over the world,” Snyder said.
The WEF is a gathering of global leaders from industry and government that explores pressing economic, social, moral, and environmental issues in what the think tank defines as the emerging Fourth Industrial Revolution, an era defined by rapid technological breakthroughs redefining mobility, communications, and businesses practices. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, WEF defines itself as impartial and not tied to any political, partisan, or national interests.
Since taking office in January 2011, the Snyder administration has made 29 foreign investment missions, including trips to France, Japan, South Korea, Canada, the Netherlands, Brazil, Mexico, Latvia, Israel, Chile, Colombia, India, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Austria, and the United Kingdom.
From 2011 to August 2018, 406 foreign direct investment projects were created in Michigan, resulting in 51,596 jobs and a total capital investment of $12.7 billion. Additionally, Michigan saw a 24-percent increase in international travel spending from 2011-2017, with international travel spending in Michigan hitting $2.2 billion in 2017.
The participating companies are:
- Advanced Blending Solutions (Menominee) – A designer and supplier of material handling, blending, and controls for the plastics industry.
- AeroTrain Corporation (Flint) – Designs and develops training aids for avionics, aircraft engines, aircraft systems, instruments and electrical system relevant to aircraft maintenance training.
- Carter Manufacturing Co. Inc. (Grand Haven) – Offers a full line of roller and needle bearings, including specialty items such as stainless steel, polyurethane coated and chrome-plated options.
- Corrigan Air & Sea Cargo (Romulus) – Provides turnkey supply chain management services and solutions.
- eVitamins.com (Shelby Township) – An online retailer of health and beauty products including vitamins, supplements, herbs, skin care and more, with shipping to more than 86 countries worldwide.
- McKeon Products (Warren) – A leading manufacturer of a full range of moldable and pre-molded silicone and foam earplugs for hearing protection needs.
- P3 North America Inc. (Southfield) – Provides management consulting and inventive engineering solutions that accelerate the development of mobility products and services.
- Qtek LLC (Chassell) – A mineral technology company dedicated to developing innovative solutions, and promoting and evaluating advancements in mineral technologies.
- Supply Chain Solutions (Grand Rapids) – Optimizes supply chain performance, helping clients reduce costs and improve service to their customers.
- Tech Defenders (Grand Rapids) – A U.S.-based IT asset disposition/repair depot that specializes in iPads, MacBooks, and Chromebooks.
- Techmark Inc. (Lansing) – A globally active engineering firm specializing in the design, installation and service of ventilation systems for produce storage. Techmark specializes in potato and other root crops.
