2011 Recap
2011 was a banner year for Michigan Manufacturing Week — literally! The street in front of the State Capitol was lined in yellow this year with banners celebrating Michigan Manufacturing Week, leading legislators and government officials from the Capitol Building to the MMA Headquarters. It was a great visual message that helped to ensure that manufacturing in Michigan was acknowledged during this week which is set aside each year by gubernatorial proclamation to celebrate the importance of manufacturing and the extraordinary individuals who call themselves manufacturers.
It is during Michigan Manufacturing Week that MMA holds its annual CEO & Executive Forum and the Legislative & Executive Reception. Both events are intended to bring manufacturers together to celebrate, network and share what is uppermost in their minds — the things that keep them awake at night and the trends and opportunities they are excited about.
This year’s Forum featured presentations from State Budget Director John Nixon and keynote speaker Peter Perez, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Manufacturing for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Below are excerpts from each of their presentations. You can access audio versions of these presentations in their entirety, as well as those given in the afternoon sessions by Richard Walawender, principal and director of international and automotive prices at Miller Canfield, and Kurt Rankin, economist for PNC Bank, at the links below. Also, be sure to check out a copy of the recap slideshow [pdf file] to see highlights of the event.
John Nixon, State Budget Director
Keynote Presentation: Manufacturing for Growth and The President’s National Export Initiative
Peter Perez, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing, U.S. Department of Commerce
Globalization Upside Down:
Understanding the New Era of Emerging Markets
Richard A. Walawender, Principal and Director of International
and Automotive Practices, Miller Canfield
2011-2012 Economic Outlook for Michigan Manufacturers
Kurt Rankin, Economist, PNC Bank