Since 9/11, homeland security spending has accounted for a big chunk of the country’s economy. Now two Michigan groups are hoping to position the state to take in more of those security dollars.
The Michigan Homeland Security Consortium and Battle Creek Unlimited have announced a new partnership that will work to present the state as a one-stop shop for security, says consortium director Ted Green, who’s also president of Ann Arbor’s Greenview Data.
"The purpose is to help companies investing in any kind of security-related products in the state expand the market and be able to market together," he explains. "If anyone is trying to find a supplier can they find a supplier in Michigan… there are an enormous number of suppliers in Michigan, but they don’t have one voice to make themselves known."
A number of Ann Arbor companies are on board with the Battle Creek-based coalition, Green says – homeland security, Green says, can encompass anything from anti-terrorism needs to school safety products.
The partnership is working to create a $10 million investment fund to drive new businesses and create new jobs.
"It’s simple - next raise a bunch of money and invest in a bunch of companies," says Thomas Hines, president of the consortium and CEO of Grand Rapids-based SecureMatrix LLC, a homeland security technologies company.
Hines said he envisions investments in 10 to 20 companies in 2008, Hines says.
Source: Ted Green, Michigan Homeland Security Consortium
Writer: Nancy Kaffer
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