This morning I met with two more companies in Tokyo. These meetings were with companies I have not met with before so it was all about building a relationship with companies who are considering investments in Michigan. I was so pleased with the welcome reception we received and the strong interest in our 21st Century Jobs Fund. Companies, whether Michigan-based or international, understand the need to diversify and are impressed by our commitment to invest $2 billion in growing new, high tech industries in Michigan.

Then, it was off to Nagoya. So we boarded the bullet train and settled in for the two-hour trip south. We had been to Nagoya on our last jobs trip, too - on that mission we arrived on a Sunday and had a few hours to explore an exquisite, ancient temple right in the middle of this bustling modern city. Not this time, though – we were only scheduled to be in the city for a short time so once we arrived and dropped our bags in our new rooms, it was back to work. I had the chance to sit down with executives from Toyota to thank them for their commitment to Michigan (and to remind them of our interest in an assembly plant too!) We also talked to company executives from Takao American and Howa Textile about the future of their Michigan operations.

Our day ended with a chance to visit with some old friends. I was joined for dinner by executives from Denso, Aisin and Tokai Rika … companies that I met with during my last trip who expanded their Michigan operations last year. It’s always such an honor to say thank you to job providers who are making a commitment to our state and our workers.

Tomorrow brings a few more meetings before we head home . . .