After a 4 a.m. wake-up call, we departed Stuttgart for a day of meetings in Graz, Austria.  Our early morning flight took us over the breathtaking Alps.  It was a clear day, so the view was stunning!  We arrived in Graz, a charming town located at the foot of the Alps, situated on the Mur River - no time for sightseeing though…we were off to an another important meeting with Austrian-based company Magna Steyr.

We were greeted at Magna Steyr and spent half the day learning more about the company and talking to top officials about bringing their business to the Great Lakes State.  Magna Steyr is a great leader in the advanced automobile manufacturing sector.  I continued to pitch our state as the right place in North America for their company to invest and grow.  We hope to be doing business with them in the near future.

After a quick lunch, we traveled to AVL Powertrain Engineering Inc.  AVL, a cutting-edge company bringing together auto engineering and psychology, is choosing Michigan to invest and grow - evidence our plan is beginning to pay dividends.  AVL has decided to accelerate the hiring of 125 workers for its new technology center in Ann Arbor and will expand its operations with an additional 80 workers.

After a full day of meetings, I enjoyed a traditional snack of pretzels and mustard in the sun.  I did catch a glimpse of a beautiful clock tower at the top of the hill overlooking the delightful town.  I sat enjoying the bright day with a beautiful view of the Alps, and looked back on the week's events and meetings.  Late in the afternoon, we left Graz to head back to Frankfurt, Germany, where we will depart in the morning for the U.S.  Although the trip was a success for Michigan - creating and/or retaining 787 jobs - it is always comforting to get back home to family.  Each company we've met with during this mission has taken note of our aggressive economic plan, our business-friendly climate, and our outstanding workforce.  I feel energized and hopeful about the economic future of Michigan.