Developers work to build public trust

Massive manufacturing projects raise questions | BY

After spending months behind the scenes on complex negotiations and crafting incentive packages to lure major advanced manufacturers, Michigan economic development organizations now face another challenge to landing projects: public sentiment.

Speci cally, the involvement of overseas companies or their U.S.-based subsidiaries have stoked

KAYLEIGH VAN WYK

fears about the state of Michigan doing business with U.S. political adversaries, including through a $2.4 billion battery manufacturing plant near Big Rapids. Other concerns involve disrupting vast tracts of rural land with heavy industry as well as potential environmental pollution.