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Yeah, I noticed that too. Ah well. Some things are better left unsaid (for a USA Today article).

What's the bit about the Stokes house having been built in 1916, but relocated to the present site? That seems unlikely...parts of the addition done by the Stokes included using materials salvaged from Europe and imported here, but it's not as if the house was moved to Bonnell from somewhere else...perhaps they got their facts mixed up...

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haha I read it, and am still stuck on "Davisburg". There is no such place in Michigan, I beleive they were refering to "Davison" in Genesee County, an hour north of Detroit because it's inextricably linked to Suburban Flint. :) Leave it to the New York Times to write a story about a state none of them have ever been to. I guess that's the beauty of journalism.

I do wonder tho, how Michigan would fare, if the Big three could do things such as pay people a competitive rate based on the productivity of their position, paying someone $17 an hour vs. $35 would make a huge difference in making them more nimble, and gosh maybe even profitable. Tho I know their problems are bigger than that, Michiganders lived in an economic bubble to long. The struggle of the last six or so years really show that. I firmly believe tho If one of the big three go under, It could spell out economic disaster, maybe even a depression. Most likely for the majority of the state not just the eastern side. G.R. is insulated, but not immune. Tho the arguement could be made that if say, GM went under, we'd feel it all the way out here.

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haha I read it, and am still stuck on "Davisburg". There is no such place in Michigan, I beleive they were refering to "Davison" in Genesee County, an hour north of Detroit because it's inextricably linked to Suburban Flint. :) Leave it to the New York Times to write a story about a state none of them have ever been to. I guess that's the beauty of journalism. ...

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=da...sa=N&tab=wl

It's near Clarkston, which is closer to Pontiac than Flint.

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Ooops, I just re-read the article and there is an interview from the east side. Still, it seems to value West Michigan views IMO. The part that got me the most was, "The state’s economy has been in recession for years, with some experts convinced that it never emerged from the last national recession, in 2001." Ouch! :(

It doesn't really take an expert to see that it's true (for the State as a whole):

3066555859_0cf4c427fa.jpg

Someone in the Flint thread talked about the resiliency of Grand Rapids. That's an understatement! Despite the chart of Michigan above, Grand Rapids is treading water despite a seemingly insurmountable current:

3083405152_97030e71bf_o.jpg

And take a look at this data from the State. Toggle down to the different cities. Notice anything?

http://www.milmi.org/?PAGEID=67&SUBID=200

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In a Wall Street Journal article, Bill George (former CEO of Medtronic), does a great analysis of bold moves that GM should take to turn things around, INCLUDING the idea of moving GM's headquarters to Dallas, Atlanta, or Grand Rapids, to drastically shake up the culture.

To lead this new company, GM needs new management, much like the team of Louis Gerstner and Jerry York that restored IBM to health. Without question, current GM CEO Rick Wagoner got dealt a weak hand by his predecessors, but fresh new leadership from outside the GM culture is needed to turn it around. The best candidate for CEO is Carlos Ghosn, who has achieved remarkable success at both Renault and Nissan. A new headquarters location should be established – somewhere like Dallas or Atlanta, or Grand Rapids, if it is essential politically to remain in Michigan – with a very small corporate staff. Finally, the company should be governed by a new board of directors.

(you can get to the full article by first going through google.)

What do you guys think of that? I wonder if GM's exposure to the growing sustainability culture here would catch on?

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While it might be fun to see them move here, the idea of moving their headquarters for the sake of shaking things up is stupid. They don't have the money to do such a thing, and if they did, why would they want to move management so far away from all their vendors and factories? Would they take all their engineers too? Detroit is to the auto industry what silicon valley is to software.

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Look what happened to the Saturn Division that started in Tennessee. Why did they choose to build plants and management facilities outside of Detroit? Look how successful they were. I think it would benefit GM to move here but at the present time they can not afford to move anywhere. After the dust settles and for their long term profitability, image and more, they should move here.

It would also be great to have GM move here to give them more of a reason to have a bullet train between here and Detroit. :yahoo:

~John

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Look what happened to the Saturn Division that started in Tennessee. Why did they choose to build plants and management facilities outside of Detroit? Look how successful they were. I think it would benefit GM to move here but at the present time they can not afford to move anywhere. After the dust settles and for their long term profitability, image and more, they should move here.

It would also be great to have GM move here to give them more of a reason to have a bullet train between here and Detroit. :yahoo:

~John

The saturn division never actually became profitable

The idea of moving just to move and "shake things up" is one of the dumbest ideas I've heard. a lot of companies move thier headquarters and it seems add very little value to a company. there is no question that it costs a lot.

Medtronic has been a successful company but it operates in a very different area and now they find themselves in a lot of hot water because of some of thier previous 'strategies'. I think that they are going to find the going a little tougher under the scrutiny that they face now.

Edited by jasonsquiresdo
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The saturn division never actually became profitable

The idea of moving just to move and "shake things up" is one of the dumbest ideas I've heard. a lot of companies move thier headquarters and it seems add very little value to a company. there is no question that it costs a lot.

Medtronic has been a successful company but it operates in a very different area and now they find themselves in a lot of hot water because of some of thier previous 'strategies'. I think that they are going to find the going a little tougher under the scrutiny that they face now.

I'm not sure to what you are referring, but we deal with Medtronic and they seem to be a good company. They do have exposure to the Grand Rapids culture, as they have a cardiovascular unit here in GR.

I don't think I would want the "same old GM" here. But if it were a new GM, that emerges out of this mess with a new brand and focus (as mentioned in the article), it would be a huge boon for Grand Rapids. It sounds like he is just proposing the headquarters move here (now in the Ren Cen), not the massive GM Tech Center in Warren, where most of the product development takes place.

It sort of reminds me of when KMart was looking at moving here.

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I'm not sure to what you are referring, but we deal with Medtronic and they seem to be a good company. They do have exposure to the Grand Rapids culture, as they have a cardiovascular unit here in GR.

I don't think I would want the "same old GM" here. But if it were a new GM, that emerges out of this mess with a new brand and focus (as mentioned in the article), it would be a huge boon for Grand Rapids. It sounds like he is just proposing the headquarters move here (now in the Ren Cen), not the massive GM Tech Center in Warren, where most of the product development takes place.

It sort of reminds me of when KMart was looking at moving here.

mostly shady consulting contracts which are being investigated as kickbacks for using thier products. the one that is specifically being investigated now and was just in the news is off label use of Infuse (BMP-2) in spine surgery.

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I'm not sure to what you are referring, but we deal with Medtronic and they seem to be a good company. They do have exposure to the Grand Rapids culture, as they have a cardiovascular unit here in GR.

I don't think I would want the "same old GM" here. But if it were a new GM, that emerges out of this mess with a new brand and focus (as mentioned in the article), it would be a huge boon for Grand Rapids. It sounds like he is just proposing the headquarters move here (now in the Ren Cen), not the massive GM Tech Center in Warren, where most of the product development takes place.

It sort of reminds me of when KMart was looking at moving here.

Didn't Medtronic in GR sell to some other company? I worked there around 2000, but then took another job as it was apparent that the place was going to be sold. They still have a presence in GR other than selling the goods that are made in GR by the new contract manufacturer?

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Didn't Medtronic in GR sell to some other company? I worked there around 2000, but then took another job as it was apparent that the place was going to be sold. They still have a presence in GR other than selling the goods that are made in GR by the new contract manufacturer?

They did sell the manufacturing unit and the medical sterilizer building next door, to Atek Manufacturing early this decade. They also sold off an injection molding facility that makes parts for the manufacturing plant. However, they still rent the sterilizer building and run Sterile Systems, Inc, a contract medical sterilizer. They also have a very small R&D unit in an office in the manufacturing facility and distribution center for the entire East Coast is located out in Walker near 3 Mile.

Edited by fotoman311
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Didn't Medtronic in GR sell to some other company? I worked there around 2000, but then took another job as it was apparent that the place was going to be sold. They still have a presence in GR other than selling the goods that are made in GR by the new contract manufacturer?

DLP was based in Grand Rapids. Medtronic acquired them and then gradually the steps in fotoman's post took place.

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mostly shady consulting contracts which are being investigated as kickbacks for using thier products. the one that is specifically being investigated now and was just in the news is off label use of Infuse (BMP-2) in spine surgery.

Ah, not good. We just buy diabetic supplies from them.

Even if the GM HQ move to Grand Rapids is pretty far-fetched, I think it's cool that he would mention Grand Rapids (at least it's on people's radars). Despite Medtronics problems, this Bill George guy was the former CEO and also sits on the boards of ExxonMobil, Goldman Sachs and Novartis.

Since GM is basically in its death-throes, maybe we will see some large-scale fundamental changes at the company. Imagine for a minute a rebranded GM (even with a new hip logo), drastically reduced core profitable car lines, still making trucks, cars and SUV's, but with some of the best fuel efficiencies on the U.S. market, new electric and hybrids in the mix, in a sweet new totally green-showcase HQ in downtown Grand Rapids (bring back 275 Fulton Place!!). It would be quite the Cinderella story, with Grand Rapids at the center. GR is for a Green GM!! :shades:

(takes off metrogrkid's hat) :)

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While driving by the Grand Rapids Montessori on Sunday, I noticed that their sign said they were chosen as one of the top 75 schools in the country. Congrats, maybe it will start turning around the thought that G.R. schools are terrible.

Speaking of GRPS, Fox News got on the Superintendent in this nationally televised interview now on YouTube.

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Speaking of GRPS, Fox News got on the Superintendent in this nationally televised interview now on YouTube.

Watching Fox News represents a greater danger to the mental well-being of today's youth than an H in Geometry. I'm sorry, but sometimes there isn't a clear "right" and "wrong" and some issues have too many nuances to be be easily boiled down to the comprehension level of a bloviating bleach blonde bubblehead. I'm not sure how I feel about this issue of grading but my opinion will be formed after careful thought, not after being lectured by that bald media whore Keith Ablow. Plus, he can kiss my pasty white bottom after that backhanded stab at Michigan and the auto industry. What a putz.

:angry:

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Speaking of GRPS, Fox News got on the Superintendent in this nationally televised interview now on YouTube.

What a bunch of junk. Do people seriously watch those cable snooze point/counterpoint shows? Yes, Taylor seemed agitated, but he came across as at least somewhat knowledgeable given the short time he was given. I don't understand the 50%, 10% differentiation though.

BTW: What PR person in their right mind would let the Superintendent go on a show like that?

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