I think the headline here should really read “Young don't see promise of auto industry in Michigan.” I read very different articles about how people are flocking to the plants in the south, how people are moving to places like Mississippi for auto jobs.
The difference? Big 3 (“don't see promise”) vs. Toyota/Nissan/Hyundai (lots of promise, apparently). If the Big 3 could get more competitive, this wouldn't be such an issue.
A Toyota plant in Michigan (it's possible, read here) would be the best thing to happen to my home state.
For the record, I'm part of the census count mentioned in the article, single (at the time) 20-somethings leaving the state (and the auto industry) for greener pastures.
Here is the link to the entire week-long Free Press series of articles.
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Mark Graban
Mark Graban is an internationally-recognized consultant, author, and professional speaker who has worked in healthcare, manufacturing, and startups. He is author of the Shingo Award-winning books Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen, as well as The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen. His most recent book is the anthology Practicing Lean that benefits the Louise H. Batz Patient Safety Foundation, where Mark is a board member. Mark is also a Senior Advisor to the technology company KaiNexus. His latest book has been released as an "in-progress" book, titled Measures of Success.
Governor Granholm, and several County Executives, seem to agree with those twenty-somethings; they are working very hard to attract high-tech companies to Michigan–especially in the Metro Detroit area–in an effort to bolster the economy as the Big Three decline and move out of Michigan.