Michigan winning some job tug-o-wars

LANSING, Mich., Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm is finding some success tempting Massachusetts companies to relocate in the Great Lakes State, officials said.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick tipped his hat to the rival governor saying Granholm "busted my chops," by luring battery company A123 to Michigan, The Boston Globe reported Monday.

In addition, using tax breaks combined with federal help, Michigan has persuaded alternative fuel producer Mascoma to build a $200 million factory in Kinross, Mich. Massachusetts solar panel maker Evergreen Solar also choose Michigan for a new factory, the newspaper said.

Granholm said she is doing "what you've got to do," to lure job-producing companies to her state. Patrick, in return, said Massachusetts "just couldn't match" incentives offered by Michigan, which has suffered from a sharp downturn in the automotive industry.

Nick d'Arbeloff, head of the New England Clean Energy Council, said, "the federal government is being very generous with any company or organization that has some means to help Michigan up from its dire circumstances."

Out of $2.4 billion Department of Energy grant money targeted for production of electric vehicles more than $1 billion went to projects that would help Michigan go from rust belt to green belt, the newspaper said.