Oakland County bets on High-Tech, Wins Big

[Allan]

Sunday, March 28, 2004

Oakland bets on high-tech, wins big

Automation Alley draws thousands of jobs, cash to county

By Amy Lee, Jennifer Brooks and John Wisely / The Detroit News

Tucked away quietly in suburban industrial parks and office buildings, the high-tech business consortium known as Automation Alley is giving local firms a worldwide reputation.

Launched just over four years ago by Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, Automation Alley has grown from 40 member businesses to 500, mostly in Oakland County. In that time, the number of high-tech businesses in Oakland County has grown from 1,800 to more than 3,000, according to the county.

While the definition of high-tech has evolved since then, Automation Alley officials estimate the county

[ClevelandNO!]

unfortunately outside of "automation alley" oakland county is dying in terms of job growth. I can't remember who stated it, might have been the census bureau, or whoever does economic forecasting, but oakland county's job growth over the next decade will be next to zero.

There was an article in the daily tribune, have to dig that up.....

[Allan]

Yeah, if you find the article, post it here. I can see the job market growing a little, but unfortunately the boom days of the 90s are over.