Sour Grapes? L. Brooks Patterson Launches Tech Initiative, Challenges Dan Gilbert
By Edward Cardenas
SOUTHFIELD (CBS Detroit) - Two of metro Detroit's biggest personalities got into a verbal battle Wednesday over technology companies.
The initial salvo was fired by Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson while he was announcing the launch of tech248 – a branding and business development initiative to market the county as a global technology hub.
Patterson launched the initiative before about 140 Oakland County-based tech firms and government officials at Koala CoWork in Southfield, stating the county "wants to harness the energy, the spirit, the technical excitement, innovation and creativity these companies experience on a daily basis. We want to help them collaborate and grow while developing and attracting talent."
While touting the nearly 2,000 tech firms, and 42,000 jobs in the tech field, Patterson stated that he will fight to keep them in Oakland and not move to downtown Detroit into building purchased by Detroit businessman, and Quicken Loans founder, Dan Gilbert.
"Are you listening Dan? I would be more impressed with Mr. Gilbert's efforts if he were to bring in high tech companies from Ohio, Indiana and Illinois rather than looking through the fertile vineyards of Oakland County," Patterson said in a release.
The Detroit Free Press received a statement from Gilbert responding to Patterson's statement, "I would actually be more impressed if Brooks had gotten his facts correct. Of the more than 120 technology companies that have opened shop in SE Michigan's leading high-tech corridor along Woodward in downtown Detroit, more than 100 of them were launched right in the heart of the region's urban core.
"However, we did recently 'woo' a large financial institution's regional HQ from the 'fertile vineyards of Oakland County,' " said Gilbert, referring to the move by Fifth Third Bank from Southfield to Detroit. "In all seriousness, it would be much more productive if we could all work together to grow the region and state, leaving the divisive politics of the past in the past where they belong. Are you listening, Brooks?"
Patterson responded with a tweet Thursday afternoon:
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