DETROIT BUSINESS MAIN 09-18-06 a 9 CDB.Qxd
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
DETROIT BUSINESS MAIN 09-18-06 A 9 CDB 9/15/2006 12:05 PM Page 1 September 18, 2006 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Page 9 MARY KRAMER: The curious campaign role of China Northwest Airlines wants to add China operations creat- in China. the same time, Amway set up man- Michigan jobs were added to sup- a new Detroit-Shanghai nonstop ed by Amway under Enough! This back- ufacturing in China to sell prod- port the China operations. route next March. The route would then-CEO Dick DeVos and-forth is damaging ucts in China, not to sell China- Third, if Michigan wants to shave several hours from the one- has got to offend any Michigan’s long-term made products in the U.S. In an build its brand as a global player stop route it has now, with a lay- business manager who business interests. De- interview with Crain’s last week, in the 21st century economy, it over in Japan. has had to make deci- mocrats don’t mention Granholm repeatedly referred to needs to act like a global player. Competing domestic airlines sions based on market — or perhaps don’t un- this as a “shift in resources.” It’s This rhetoric doesn’t cut it. also want to add a China route conditions and relent- derstand — three im- actually a shift in markets. If you Final question: If Northwest originating in such cities as Dal- less global competition. portant things: castigate DeVos, what about execs gets the China route, will the gov- las, Newark and Washington, D.C. Yet Democrats, in- First, accusing De- at General Motors Corp. and else- ernor’s office have the nerve to is- The U.S. Department of Trans- cluding Gov. Jennifer Vos of “sending” where executing similar market- sue a press release touting this portation will pick only one. Granholm, repeatedly Michigan jobs to China driven strategies? great new economic advantage? Northwest is lobbying hard. Logi- and erroneously link in the late 1990s isn’t Second, profits from China sales Mary Kramer is publisher of cally, Michigan’s economic-develop- the two separate ac- true. The company did come back to Michigan; Detroit Crain's Detroit Business. Her weekly ment team should be, too. Nonstop tions: job reductions in the U.S. be- reorganize and reduce its work- News columnist Dan Howes re- take on the latest business news airs routes traditionally lead to business cause of lagging sales and a change force in Michigan and worldwide, ported China operations con- at 6:40 a.m. Mondays on the Paul W. development. Companies like to be in the business model with invest- but the reorganization was trig- tribute about $2 billion annually to Smith show on WJR AM 760. E-mail close to the quickest routes to their ment in new production facilities gered by lower U.S. sales. About Alticor’s $6.4 billion revenue. her at [email protected]. international operations. Question: How is the anti-China rhetoric spewed forth in this state’s hot governor’s race playing in Washington and Beijing? Democrats are demonizing com- panies, uh, make that one Michigan- based company, for setting up man- ufacturing operations in China. Regardless of who your favorite candidate is, this assault on the LETTERS CONTINUED ■ From Page 8 Northwest has developed a series of options to address work actions by the Association of Flight Atten- dants-CWA, but we hope that we will not need to employ them. Northwest wants a consensual agreement with the AFA and is working hard to achieve that goal. Northwest is looking at a number of ways to structure an agreement with flight attendants and wel- comes any input from AFA. We have also asked a federal court in New York to enjoin any work action because we believe them to be illegal. Legal action aside, we look forward to reaching No pain. Lots of gain. an agreement with our flight atten- dants as soon as possible. Andrea Fischer Newman Senior vice president-government affairs Northwest Airlines Inc. A big change of heart Editor: I wanted to take a moment to congratulate you on Living and In- vesting in the D (Aug. 21). I consid- BUSINESS SWEEP CHECKING er myself one of the hardest people Interested in making your business’s returns bigger and to sell on the city of Detroit. I’ve stronger with as little effort as possible? Then feel the power .00% lived in the suburbs for three short APY* years, but am a native of Chicago. I Introductory APY is guaranteed now rent and although I would like of BUSINESS SWEEP CHECKING, where you earn interest through February 28, 2007. to buy, never considered Detroit a and we do the work. Each night, we automatically sweep long-term potential home for me. The magazine creates a great pic- your idle checking balances into an interest bearing money ture for Detroit’s neighborhoods, ** communities and its future. The ar- market savings account. You run your business, we earn 5 ticles, the map, the photos all ap- you money. No sweat. To apply stop by any branch, visit EARN IN OUR peal to someone my age (late 20s) as REWARDS PROGRAM. ASK US HOW. they will to a much older audience. NationalCity.com or call 888-NCB-4BIZ (622-4249). Emphasizing the positives has ex- cited me about the prospect of mov- ing to the city in the next year or so. This is an amazing change of heart. I look forward to reading the rest of the publication and asking my Detroit resident friends to show me some of these neighborhoods. Business Banking • Personal Banking • Investments • Mortgage Loans Thank you for the positive, ap- proachable look at Detroit. Natalie Bruno *Offer applies to Business Sweep Checking accounts opened at National City offices located in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan or Missouri by 11/30/06 with funds not currently on deposit. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) applies to all balances in excess of Development officer, Detroit Chamber Winds & target balance up to $1,000,000 and is guaranteed through 02/28/07. After 02/28/07 the APY may change. Minimum opening deposit $20,000. One account per customer or taxpayer ID. Limited to small businesses with sales under $5 million annually. Strings, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival Not available for Private Client Group, Corporate Banking or public fund accounts. Offer may be withdrawn at any time. **By law, the number of sweeps from the savings account back to the checking account is limited to six per statement cycle. On the sixth Southfield sweep, all funds are transferred back to the checking account and all sweep activity is suspended until the start of the next statement cycle. Points from National City is a National City Corporation® service mark. Member FDIC • ©2006, National City Corporation® DBpageAD.qxd 8/28/2006 3:01 PM Page 1 Could $2 billion help your business get started? Then let’s go. Thanks to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, businesses have access to the $2 billion 21st Century Jobs Fund. This is the single, biggest financial commitment in the country to support the 21st century economy. Hundreds of businesses from around the world applied. And now the first-round winners have been selected! The winning proposals may use the money to establish, grow or move their business to Michigan. Visit michigan.org to see all the ways Michigan helps businesses fi nd success. And to see the winning proposals. Remember, wherever in the world you compete, Michigan can give you the upper hand. michigan.org DETROIT BUSINESS MAIN 09-18-06 A 11 CDB 9/15/2006 12:10 PM Page 1 September 18, 2006 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Page 11 EPORTER S NOTEBOOK R ’ Hope for enclave suburbs 75 Detroit Jennette Smith writes about Highland Park, Hamtramck real estate and pin renewal hopes on new Davison Fwy hospitality. Call Highland developments. Park (313) 446- Woodward Hamtramck 0414 or write Page 13. jhsmith@ crain.com wayne county Jennette Smith Communities lock horns over plant proposal Trenton wants a new engine plant and the jobs that would come with it so badly it is willing to close down a section of a major road. Grosse Ile Township isn’t so The right lure pleased about its neighbor’s plan to shut down Van Horn Road to make way for DaimlerChrysler AG. That’s because Van Horn is the main artery that provides access to Downriver the free bridge to the island. There are many examples of how regional cooperation has created backers better recreation assets while helping to attract corporate investment along the Detroit River. target bass But when it comes to Van Horn, there’s no easy compromise. anglers, bird Trenton Mayor Gerald Brown said he’s in daily contact with DaimlerChrysler, waiting to find watchers with out if the $800 million project is a go. Part of that would hinge on a request to Wayne County to emphasis on close a section of the road. “We tried several ways to move the footprint around to avoid road outdoor tourism closure, but when it got down to crunch time, it was a deal-breaker. BY JENNETTE SMITH John Hartig, refuge “We want the 700 jobs. If they CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS manager of the don’t build it here, they are going Detroit River to build it somewhere else.” n the surface, bass fishing and bird- International Grosse Ile Township Supervisor watching may seem like unlikely eco- Wildlife Refuge, says the potential Kurt Kobiljak said Van Horn is the O nomic drivers.