DEGC receives $800,000 federal earmark to help create jobs

The Detroit Economic Growth Corp. has happily wrapped its arms around a $825,000 federal earmark.

The money, secured by Rep. Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick, will be used to fund the operations for DEGC, the city's primary economic development organization. It focuses on everything from helping grow local businesses like W Industries to negotiating the Cobo Center expansion to heading up the rehabilitation efforts for the Book Cadillac Hotel.

"We still feel that most jobs will come from companies that are already here," says George Jackson, CEO of DEGC.

The DEGC and Cheeks-Kilpatrick announced the earmark on the factory floor of W Industries. The Detroit-based firm has made an impressive migration from automotive-centric manufacturing in 2005 to a combination of automotive, defense and aerospace manufacturing today. It's also looking at alternative energy as a way to help it continue to fuel its growth.

Source: George Jackson, CEO of the Detroit Economic Growth Corp
Writer: Jon Zemke
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