REPORT: Daimler to open Mercedes hybrid electric research base in MI
In an all-too-rare win for Detroit's automaker base, the state of Michigan and Daimler have reportedly reached a deal to see a new Mercedes-Benz hybrid and electric car research and development facility built in neighboring Ann Arbor. Among other things, the facility will develop hybrid transmissions, electric motors, and powertrain management software.
The German automaker is reportedly seeking a 65,000 square-foot facility to house the R&D works, and the development will also see the relocation of an existing facility currently located in Troy. Over the course of the next decade, the new operation is expected to represent a $9.9 million investment and generate 454 jobs – 223 of them directly. However, in order to secure the facility in Michigan (California and South Carolina were reportedly also considered), the state has had to cough up a tax break package worth some $7.5 million over 10 years.
[Source: MLive]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Santosh Tiwari 2:01PM (3/19/2009)
/me hugs Diamler.
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Luis 2:07PM (3/19/2009)
Further proof that public investment in our higher education facilities is so important. Without the University of Michigan, there would be little reason that Daimler would locate this facility Ann Arbor. Remember that the next time your legislator proposes reduced education funding.
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Epyx 2:21PM (3/19/2009)
Remember that next time someone complains about the Football team and all the revenue a 120K seat stadium brings in.
Also, higher education is fine. The US still has the best universities in the world (nice to still say that about something). Professors are paid on merit and the best schools get the best professors. U of M is a great academic school. There is really no quality difference between the best public universities and the best private ones.
It is the public high schools that suck and need fixed. No, it is not all the teachers fault. We need better people wanting to be teachers. More pay would help. But as a taxpayer I only want to pay the good ones more, and fire the bad ones. No more tenure.
The difficult part is in the evaluation and I don't have the answer to that. Unfortunately, some of the people the go to teachers college do so because they could not get into the good schools - that is backwards and needs to change.
Luis 2:27PM (3/19/2009)
I agree - bad teachers shouldn't have guaranteed jobs, but good teachers need to be rewarded. I think our President is on board with this however those pesky unions get in the way sometimes.
I also agree there's little difference between good public universities and the best private ones. I live a 10 minute walk away from Harvard and work across the street from MIT and they're no better than my alma matter.
Epyx 2:42PM (3/19/2009)
The teachers union is the worst of them all. The UAW gets a bad rap but compared to the teachers union the UAW are girl scouts. They even admit that their negotiations do not take the interests of the students into account.
BigWill 3:00PM (3/19/2009)
Not bashing UMich, but I seriously doubt it trumped the tax abatements. It's dubious that Ann Arbor has an absolute monopoly on engineers since they obviously found people for the existing Daimler facility in Troy.
Ligor 2:19PM (3/19/2009)
it's going to be hard to get
with so many engineers that have lost their jobs around this area, MB won't have a hard time picking out the best of the crop, some of which are likely to be EE and CE students directly from UofM
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Galley 2:46PM (3/19/2009)
While I'm disappointed Greenville, SC wasn't chosen, there are a lot of good people in need of work in Michigan.
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Santosh Tiwari 6:11PM (3/19/2009)
CUICAR in Greenville does not compare with UMTRI Michigan.
So Diamler made a wise decision.