I reminisced this week about group projects during my school days.
When working with a good team, it ignited energy and excitement for the assignment.  Gathering ideas from multiple minds created a better final product.  When the result was an excellent grade, everyone celebrated the success together.
The recent announcement of Dexter Chassis Group's expansion in White Pigeon is like those school days.
However, the Dexter team project was longer than most school assignments - about eight months in the making - and involved a larger group.
While scheduling a "retention" call last fall, the EDC learned of Dexter Chassis Group's expansion plans.  They had grown to a 13-building campus during their years as the former Leland Engineering and wanted to consolidate their operation in one 260,000 - square-foot building.
The question became whether the new building would be constructed in White Pigeon or in Indiana, closer to their headquarters and customer base.  Competing against another state is not easy.  Taxes, transportation costs, location advantages and incentive packages enter into the equation.  In our case, Michigan was the underdog.
We immediately sought help from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and  Tom Tarleton along with his many team members.  Dan Czajkowski and the village of White Pigeon offered any and all support possible.  Senator Cameron Brown and Representative Rick Shaffer visited Dexter, telling them how important they are to our area.  MDOT stepped up to help with engineering and grant application assistance,  John Hayes of the Sturgis EDC brainstormed alternatives with us.  And, Governor Jennifer Granholm placed a personal call to Dexter Chassis Group's president.
In the end, along with the advantage of the excellent workforce in this county, Dexter Chassis was impresses by our group effort and chose to build here.
While the recent news release mentions the 29 new jobs that will be created by this expansion, I believe that most important detail is the 180 jobs and tax base that will stay in our county.
For that, I would award this team project an A-plus.