Ford plant to be developed into alternative energy park

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.purchasing.com/article/355602-Ford_plant_to_be_developed_into_alternative_energy_park.php

For more than half a century, Ford's Wixom, Mich. plant churned out Thunderbirds and Lincoln Continentals by the thousands. But when automotive appetites changed, the plant was idled and for two years it has sat near-dormant awaiting its fate.

In a true sign of the times, earlier this month, Ford struck a deal to see the entire plant to two companies focused on the creation and storage of alternative energy. According to Ford officials, the plant is being sold to Xtreme Power of Austin, Texas, and Clairvoyant Energy of Santa Barbara, Calif., for $725 million and will be redeveloped as a renewable energy park.

According to a Ford statement, "the Wixom site proved ideal for redevelopment for new manufacturing facilities with an existing, highly developed infrastructure including rail and electrical power access and critical scalability with more than 4.7 million square feet of space for manufacturing." The Wixom project is expected to create about 4,000 jobs.

[MoJoWorkin]

1. As President Obama says, "this is what I'm talkin' about"

[madokie]

2. Sounds like good news to me

[ensho]

3. good news

nt

[Barack_America]

4. Will create 4,500 jobs and > $1 billion investments...

In exchange for $125 million in tax breaks.

http://www.statenews.com/index.php/article/2009/10/a_new_kind_of_plant

[blue_onyx]

5. Thankfully

Our governor has been focused on bring green energy jobs like these to Michigan. The jobs are really needed and is great news for the state.

[Barack_America]

6. Agreed. Green jobs can both benefit from the automotive base in the state...

while helping the automotive base at the same time.

It's a win-win.

I do hope, however, that the state's efforts to build a biomedical science base are not forgotten in all of this. Michigan also needs an industry not tied to manufacturing.

[blue_onyx]

7. It's not being forgotten

Gov. Granholm has always pushed for a focus on four areas: alternative energy, advanced manufacturing, life science, and homeland security. I think green energy tends to get more news coverage. There's likely a lot of life science investment going on that we just never hear about.

MI also passed film incentive which have brought in a lot of investment (another non-manufacturing industry).