20,000 Manufacturing Jobs Keep Sector Strong in Lansing Area

Bob Sherer, executive director of the Capital Area Manufacturing Council says that manufacturing is continuing to thrive in Mid-Michigan, with more than 20,000 jobs in the region.

According to excerpts from the article:

Last week, the council brought more than 60 manufacturers together to meet with Daniel Luria, research director at the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, to figure out how to keep manufacturing both alive and well in Lansing.

Luria said the one reason this region is more insulated than other areas of the state from the manufacturing losses is government. While the rest of Michigan relies on manufacturing for almost 18 percent of all jobs, the Lansing area looks to manufacturing for just over 9 percent.

The Lansing area looks to government, including state government and Michigan State University, for 30 percent of its jobs, while the rest of the state only has about 14.5 percent of its jobs in government.

Another reason the region's manufacturing is alive and ticking? Many local companies are good at what they do, Sherer said. Examples include General Motors Corp.'s Lansing Delta Township plant, which has brought jobs at suppliers as well as the factory. Other local companies also are expanding.

Read the entire article here.