GRANHOLM - Jobs Journal (First Entry)

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Jobs Journal (First Entry)

Governor Granholm and US Ambassador to Sweden Michael Wood discuss alternative energy opportunities at the opening press conference for E-Days.

Hello from Sweden. We arrived here yesterday afternoon after flying from Detroit to Gothenburg Airport (with a layover in Amsterdam) and then driving two hours to Vaxjo (pronounced "Vex-sha").

This morning I spoke to a group of several hundred business leaders who are gathering here at a meeting of the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce. I told them all about Michigan's alternative energy economy and how they can become a part of it - Michigan can be their gateway to the North American market. Many of these Swedish companies have technology that can be successful in the U.S., and that can create jobs in Michigan. In fact, Vaxjo was recently designated the "greenest" city in Europe -- almost 100% of the homes are heated by renewable energy sources. What a great place to find cutting edge technology that can benefit Michigan citizens!

Governor Granholm meets with the President of Trelleborg Automotive to discuss their expansion in Northville.

During our drive from the airport yesterday, I got a good taste of the Swedish countryside... frankly, it looked a lot like up north - thick forests and lots of green. Although, there is a lot of "moose fencing" on the roads - apparently that's the only way to keep moose from wandering on to the highways. Regardless, I think that Swedish alternative energy companies will feel right at home in Northern Michigan or the UP.

Governor Granholm and Swedish Foreign Minister for Trade Sten Tolgfors chat during the E-Days luncheon.

This week, I'll be joined by leaders from Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, Automation Alley, the Oakland County economic development team and others who will help out with our efforts to bring jobs to Michigan and build relationships with Swedish companies. All of this is organized by our great team at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation - their experts know how to maximize our impact on this kind of jobs and investment mission, so that we can make a great impression on CEOs who might invest in Michigan.

I'll check in again tomorrow and tell you about some of my one on one meetings with business leaders - we're going to build some great relationships that can pay big dividends down the road as our bio-economy continues to grow.

- JMG