Peters' Statement on Designation of Southeast Michigan's Wayne County Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE) as a Recipient of IMCP Program Funds

Press Release

Today, U.S. Representative Gary Peters released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that Michigan had been selected as one of the first twelve community designees as part of the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP).The Advance Michigan initiative, which encompasses a 13-county Michigan region anchored by the cities of Ann Arbor, Detroit, Flint, Lansing and Pontiac, will be led by Wayne Country EDGE to focus on innovations that support increased efficiency and enhanced safety in the automotive sector. Advance Michigan will receive a portion of a $1.3 billion funding award to support manufacturing revitalization in Southeast Michigan.

"Michigan has always lead the nation in manufacturing, and today's announcement just validates that Southeast Michigan is a technology and innovation hub where investments will be best utilized," Peters said. "Our state's economic future and the success of our middle class depends on smart investments in our manufacturing sector, and the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership rightly selected our region because we have the workforce ready to pioneer research and lead the country in economic development, competitiveness and manufacturing."

The U.S. Commerce Department-led program is designed to accelerate the resurgence of manufacturing in communities nationwide by supporting the development of long-term economic development strategies that help communities attract and expand private investment in the manufacturing sector and increase international trade and exports. Southeast Michigan will also receive a dedicated federal liaison to help navigate available federal resources. The Wayne County Economic Development Growth Engine will also be recognized on a government website, accessible to prospective private foreign and domestic investors, looking for information on communities' competitive attributes.

Peters is an outspoken champion for domestic manufacturing and job creation in Michigan. As Co-Chair of the Congressional Auto Caucus and a member of the House Financial Services Committee, Rep. Peters was instrumental in securing the government loans needed to restructure GM and Chrysler in 2009. The restructuring of GM alone, saved 1.5 million U.S. jobs. He is also co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship and has helped create two successful small business programs, the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) and the Small Business Lending Fund (SBLF), which have been credited with helping to leverage millions in private investment, spurring small business growth and creating thousands of jobs in Michigan. Most recently, he has been leading efforts to stop an unfair innovation tax on Michigan entrepreneurs, gathering support to petition the Office of Management and Budget to exempt the U.S. Patent Office from sequester cuts.

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