Michigan could be promised land for Israeli start-ups
by Julia Bauer | The Grand Rapids Press
Thursday November 13, 2008, 7:15 AM
Press Photo/Lance Wynn.
Joe Parini works in his office at InterMet in Kentwood. Parini, who has business connections with companies in Israel, helped plan a trip to Israel, meant to drum up new business in Michigan.
GRAND RAPIDS -- Israel is proving to be fertile ground for innovative products and new technologies, but the nation has too few people to launch many businesses.
So, a contingent from Michigan is traveling there next week to encourage Israeli start-ups to start up here.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Birgit Klohs, president of The Right Place economic development group, are in the entourage. The group is led by the Michigan Israel Business Bridge, a nonprofit, secular business development group that has been jelling this year.
"Israel has the highest output of patents on a per capita basis, but it only has 7.2 million population," Klohs said Wednesday.
"That's not a large enough market to capitalize."
She first traveled to Israel with Grand Rapids businessman Joe Parini, who chairs the board of Elbit Systems of America LLC, a branch of Israel's largest defense firm.
"When I was head of Lear Siegler here, we did a lot of work with Israel, in upgrading the airplanes the U.S. shipped over there," Parini said.
Years later, he got involved in Israeli businesses and now chairs Elbit, with $800 million in sales and 10 sites in the U.S.
Parini is also president and owner of InterMet Systems Inc. in Kentwood, maker of high-altitude weather balloons.
He set up meetings for Granholm and Klohs across Israel.
"There are 24 innovation centers across the country, patented products that are looking for markets," Klohs said.
Sectors suiting the goals of West Michigan economic planners include medical devices, alternative energy, homeland security and water purification products.
Parini sees opportunity in Israel's aggressive investment in its innovation centers.
"Then they have to look for companies in the U.S. or other markets that can access them to larger markets either by distribution, manufacturing, marketing, whatever," he said.
"That's basically what I'm trying to do: get some of those people interested in coming to West Michigan."
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Governor Granholm seeking investment from Israeli companies.