Michigan Governor Aims to Bring Major Microchip Factory to State
As Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s second term progresses, she has set her sights on a significant ambition: securing a major microchip manufacturing facility for Michigan by the time she leaves office in 2027. Speaking from a modern training lab at Kettering University in Flint, Whitmer outlined this vision as a critical opportunity for the state’s economic future.
Whitmer emphasized the transformative potential of such an investment, describing it as a “once-in-a-century” opportunity. She stated, “It would change the destiny of an entire region and state – making it an economic magnet for ambitious families to move here and to put down roots, and it’s exactly what we need.”
The governor envisions this semiconductor fab, as it is known, as a continuation of Michigan’s storied industrial history, bringing a cutting-edge supply chain to the area. Whitmer warned against complacency, urging, “We cannot sit on our hands while other states and countries, without our manufacturing advantages, pass us by.”
The project promises to create thousands of jobs in construction and advanced manufacturing, though Whitmer did not specify any particular initiatives or strategies. However, she mentioned discussions with President Donald Trump regarding a potential project in Genesee County, which is establishing an advanced manufacturing zone.
Tyler Rossmaessler, executive director of the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance, noted the potential of the Genesee County site, describing it as an ideal location for such an investment. “It’s nearly 1,200 square acres and it is a perfect opportunity to attract the type of investment that the governor was talking about today,” he said. “Something that would create thousands of jobs, create good-paying jobs, provide billions of dollars of investment.”
However, Whitmer’s plans are not without controversy. Her business incentives program has met resistance from both sides of the political aisle. Critics argue that state incentives have been opaque and have not fulfilled their promises regarding job creation. House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp.) has suggested reallocating funds from the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve to infrastructure instead. Additionally, some progressives oppose spending public money on what they term corporate welfare.
Addressing these criticisms, Whitmer said, “There are some on the far left and the far right in Lansing who say we should unilaterally disarm, just get rid of those tools and let the jobs go to Georgia, Kentucky, Arizona or, god forbid, Ohio,” adding emphatically, “I say, hell no.”
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