Conversations from Mackinac: Which Tools Does Michigan Need to Attract Business and Investment?

The Week That Was on Deadline Detroit

Craig's guest is Mark Burton, partner and co-leader of the Economic Development Incentives Group at Honigman, a post he took in March. Prior to joining Honigman, Mark Burton was the CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corp., which works to attract businesses and investment to the state, and tries to create a good environment for businesses to thrive. The two discuss which tools are emerging as the most effective in luring companies to Michigan, and what we have learned about past incentive programs that didn't always live up to expectations. Things like community benefits agreements, employment guarantees, and environmental impact assessments are much more common today than even a decade ago. They also discuss the importance of regional cooperation and avoiding a so called "race to the bottom" of tax incentives.