Michigan best place to invest for UK automotive and aerospace industry

Michigan is an attractive region for UK automotive and aerospace industry to invest thanks to business incentives, expert talent and an innovative environment, Lt. Gov. Brian Calley of the State of Michigan told attendees at a business forum in Coventry.

The 27 September event, which was part of a trade mission by state and business leaders to the UK and Ireland, brought together advanced manufacturing and technology companies in the automotive and aerospace sectors to discuss the advantages of locating and doing business in Michigan. The state is keen to strengthen relationships between businesses in the region and those in the UK and Ireland to ensure long-term success.

“I’m here to tell companies in the UK automotive and aerospace industries that Michigan is the best place for them to grow their businesses thanks to our favorable business climate and outstanding talent,” Calley said. “Michigan is one of the fastest growing states in the US with huge potential for innovative companies eager to succeed. I look forward to welcoming more exciting companies to our state so they can see for themselves the advantages of doing business there.”

Michigan has a vibrant automotive and aerospace industry, as well as a long heritage in manufacturing. The ability of the local workforce to successfully apply their world-renowned automotive manufacturing skills to aerospace is one of the main reasons why this aerospace industry has grown so successfully in the state, according the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Fast facts about Michigan

• No. 1 in the US in new manufacturing jobs with 173,000 since 2009

• 23 assembly plants

• 200,000 skilled trade workforce

• 370 R&D centers – more than 75 percent of nationwide automotive R&D spending is from Michigan

• Leader in materials R&D with Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT) and the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IIACMI), both located in Detroit.

• No. 1 nationally in concentration of industrial and mechanical engineers and R&D professionals

• Home to 63 of the top 100 automotive suppliers to North America

• Home to more than 100 aerospace companies and 600 businesses related to the industry

• Top 10 ranking in aerospace manufacturing attractiveness by PriceWaterhouseCooper.

• Nine Michigan universities offer aerospace programs, including the #1 engineering program at the University of Michigan.