Crain's Detroit Business - Mackinac Section - June 7, 2010 - (Page 1)

® www.crainsdetroit.com Vol. 26, No. 23 ©Entire contents copyright 2010 by Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved JUNE 7 – 13, 2010 Special Mackinac Edition IN THIS ISSUE Economic makeover Mary Kramer on the lessons of Pittsburgh, Page M6 Lesson plan for education reform It goes beyond the budget, panelists say, Page M9 Keys to the future of JEFF JOHNSTON/CDB Teaming up for action Center for Michigan and Business Leaders for Michigan have common goals, Page M11 Time for a cultural revolution Michigan needs to value education, says Michigan Future’s Lou Glazer, Page M19 Defense Industry Defense mechanism Washtenaw County’s tech firepower, Page M25 Reaping the state’s agribusiness potential BY MICHELLE MARTINEZ SPECIAL TO CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Business Education Spotlight on internships Slowing the state’s brain drain Programs on the front lines in the fight to keep college graduates in Michigan, Page M31 O Intern, Employers of the Year See which companies won recognition from the Detroit Regional Chamber and Crain’s Detroit Business, Pages M35, M37 What makes Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan intern Yan Isayev so special? Page M34 ne of Michigan’s biggest opportunities for economic growth could come from stoking innovation in one of its oldest industries: agriculture. Agriculture ranks behind only manufacturing among the state’s largest economic generators. And even while the rest of Michigan hunkered down during the recession, the state’s agricultural industry was growing. Four years ago, the economic impact of the state’s agriculture industry was pegged at $60.1 billion in a study by the Michigan State University Product Center. Last year, that figure had grown to about $71.3 billion. “Food products are something everyone is going to consume three times a day,” said Bill Knudson, one of the authors of the study, along with Product Center Director Chris Peterson. “No matter how bad the economy is, people are still going to eat.” But taking full advantage of the increasing demand for locally and sustainably grown food at home, and simply supplying more food for countries such as China and India, means transitioning farmers to technology and market-savvy entrepreneurs, Knudson said. “In order to transition a ‘traditional’ farmer, the focus needs to turn from a farm-level ‘minimize cost of production’ mind-set to a consumer-focused, marketopportunity mind-set,” Knudson said. Making that transition in a meaningful way may be more difficult than it sounds. More than half of Michigan’s 55,000 farms “ No matter how bad the economy is, people are still going to eat. Bill Knudson, Michigan State University Lansing must boost life sciences, backers say BY TOM HENDERSON CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS ” are small family operations that make less than $10,000 a year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But finding the right mix of services and financing to service the growing industry could reap big rewards. The state’s agribusiness sector is plenty more than just “cows, plows and overalls,” Don Koivisto, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture, said. The sector includes everything from food processors such as Jiffy Mix maker Chelsea Koivisto Milling Co. and Kellogg’s, to pesticide suppliers and retail outlets. Taken together, the agribusiness supply chain could see as much as a $1 billion economic boost and 23,000 new jobs by 2011, according to the 2006 MSU study. See Agribusiness, Page M4 report by Battelle released at the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s international convention in Chicago early in May showed that Michigan continues to be a middleSurvey says: of-the-pack state when it Stakeholders comes to life science incritical of state vestment and commercialrole, Page M3 ization. “Concerned”: The report ranked states UM watches in a wide range of catestem cell bills, Capitol Briefings, gories — including emPage M3 ployment in life sciences, academic research, fundRoundtable: Life science ing by the National Instileaders say term tutes of Health, the number limits hurt state, of clinical trials and venPage M16 ture capital investment — and Michigan rarely made the top 10. Greg Main, president and CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corp., which sponsored a booth at the convention, said Michigan, after more than a decade on spending to support life sciences, is poised to move up the rankings. A PRO SCIENCE See Life sciences, Page M4 Grow your business. Shrink your waistline. aHealthierMichigan.org Leading Michigan to a healthier future. SM http://www.crainsdetroit.com http://aHealthierMichigan.org http://aHealthierMichigan.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crain's Detroit Business - Mackinac Section - June 7, 2010

Crain's Detroit Business - Mackinac Section - June 7, 2010
In this Issue
Economic Makeover
Lesson Plan for Education Reform
Teaming Up for Action
Time for a Cultural Revolution
Defense Mechanism
Slowing the State's Brain Drain
Intern, Employers of the Year

Crain's Detroit Business - Mackinac Section - June 7, 2010