Lenawee County continues to be one of the most business-friendly counties in our state thanks to great programs like the Economic Crimes Unit (ECU). A recent letter to the Daily Telegram from AGET Manufacturing illustrates this program’s great success. This program is essential to continued economic development success for our community and is in danger of being eliminated without the renewal of the tax limitation in November.
In his letter to The Daily Telegram, Tim Kirkendall, Vice President and general manager of AGET Manufacturing, wrote “I was astonished, as I had no idea that an option like this existed. The next morning I called the ECU to discuss my own case that has been keeping me up at night.” Kirkendall later added, “I would have never had this opportunity nor seen progress on our issue at this rate without being informed by that article. It has made all the difference and likely will have kept us from losing over $35,000 from a bad sale.”
The article Kirkendall is referring to is a story written about a similar situation involving Lily Ann Cabinets, a local cabinetry manufacturer. Owner, Bill Decker contacted the Economic Crimes Unit (ECU) after a customer and service provider didn’t pay money they owed his business. The ECU worked with Decker to recover the money and return it safely.
The ECU is an economic development tool used to help businesses recover lost money. The unit also gives local business owners the confidence to form sales and not worry about being taken advantage of. “Since the ECU started in April 2014, it has recovered more than $250,000 for businesses and government agencies in Lenawee County,” explains Detective Bob Kellogg. This program is essential to continued economic development success in Lenawee County and is in danger of being eliminated without the renewal of the tax limitation next month. To learn more, visit http://www.lenawee.mi.us.