While picking up the paper today, I was struck by the headline. It seems that despite our best efforts, a new election, a new mayor, and 1000 miles between us, Kwame Kilpatrick is still making headlines for his attempts to skirt his probation responsibilities. While I agree that Detroiters have a right to know, I would also make a case that these stories are serving to supplant the often under-reported success of our road to revival. Furthermore, the idea that perception can become reality is dangerous in a world where 24 hour news seems bent on reminding us of our past woes.
It is equally important to separate reality from the idea of being realistic. We are, after all, a community and state with arguably the greatest challenges ahead, garnering the worst of the national headlines, and an anticipated recovery three times farther out than the national average. Having acknowledged those realities, though, I now ask you to suspend belief for a moment. Consider why in the midst of our present plight, lies perhaps the greatest opportunity of a generation, the chance for metro Detroit to not only right the ship, but to help lead our nation forward.
Start by considering the fact that, as a nation, financial disaster has historically bred innovation and ultimately driven success in each of the past economic disasters. Wall Street titans such as FedEx, United Technologies, Proctor and Gamble, & IBM all grew their roots during the most turbulent downturns of our nation’s history.
Among these storied legacies it is one of America’s great enduring companies, General Electric, that is perhaps the most compelling tale. Today’s GE may “bring good things to life,” but its birth came in the midst of a less-than-rosy outlook. The year was 1873, major investment firm Jay Cooke & Co. had just collapsed, and a downturn later known as “The Long Depression” had taken hold. To the modern day observer, the headlines of 1873 are frighteningly familiar, and lend credence to the adage “those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
To GE’s founder, Thomas Edison, these headlines instead sparked inspiration and opportunity. While others were closing shop, Edison worked tirelessly through more than 1000 unsuccessful attempts to create the ubiquitous device we know today as the light bulb. When later asked how he persevered, Edison simply replied that he never failed, but instead learned more than 1000 ways to not to make a light bulb. It is in this single statement that Edison captures the ingenuity, passion and perseverance that I see alive and well in the MotorCity.
As Detroiters, we are at a crossroad, and history will judge this as a defining moment in the evolution of our city and the direction our world. From wars sparked by the clash of societies, to our attempts to redirect the runaway climate, from bio-technology’s impact on life’s beginning, to healthcare’s impact on its end, metro Detroit business leaders are playing critical roles in the conversation.
For instance, according to Alix Partners L.L.C., a Southfield-based defense analyst, military spending will likely be cut by $150 billion in the next few years, but Michigan’s defense funding is expected to experience a muted decrease or remain stable. This is due in part to metro Detroit’s automotive infrastructure and its key partnership developing the Joint Strike Vehicle, the replacement to the current Humvee. Many partners, including Sterling Heights based General Dynamics Land Systems and BAE Systems, will play key rolls in its projected $15 to $30 billion development. Entrepreneurs in the burgeoning Sterling Heights Defense Corridor are likely to reap the rewards as smaller contracts and supporting funds trickle down to the rest of the local economy.
Next, consider metro Detroit’s rise as a central player in battery development for the future of the electric vehicle (EV). Michigan companies took home over a $1.35 billion of the $2.4 billion in federal grants for EV development and the Big 3 alone garnered more than $400 million. Current generation hybrid vehicles represent only a stop gap solution and pollution-free fuel cell vehicles are still a dream of the future. In this reality, the EV programs, and the Detroit businesses that drive them, will represent a critical cog in the rebirth of our city. Perhaps even more importantly, they put metro Detroit in a pivotal role of helping save America - and our world – from its love affair with the gas guzzling automobile.
Finally, consider southeast Michigan’s role in the national healthcare landscape. With all of the financial crisis headlines, it is easy to forget the first quarter announcement that University of Michigan will be a leading competitor for a share of more than $10.4 billion in National Institute of Health research grants. Similarly, biotech and life sciences are still a strong emerging sector in Michigan according to MichBio - 550 firms, employing over 44,000 Michiganders, at average salaries of over $73,000 is a pretty good start in my book. When you throw in last May’s announcement of $2.4 million in funds for a TechTown research lab, metro Detroit is sure to play a critical role in this Michigan revolution.
These are the headlines and stories that are all too often buried in the era of 24 hour news cycles and shock TV. As this column progresses, I hope to help shine a light on the under-reported stories that are shaping our city’s future. These stories will ultimately pave the road to rebirth, which will be lined with equal parts innovation, perseverance and yes… even failure. Like Edison, we have the choice to succumb to this failure, or create our own future as a city defined by grit and determination. My hope and inspiration is that history will show we are the latter.
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