Five years ago, Canton, Michigan, was a rare bright spot in Midwest manufacturing, with Duo-Gard Industries churning out polycarbonate canopies for skylights, translucent walls, and bike and transit shelters. “We managed to grow through the recession,” says Dave Miller, the company’s president. “The stimulus package from President Obama had a lot of transit in it, and that carried us through.”
In the rest of the Midwest, things were different. “Five years ago, we were still recovering,” says Bill Blazar, senior vice president of public affairs and business development for the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. “One of the great lessons of the recession,” he adds, “was just how significant the building products industry is in Minnesota. The recession hit that industry hard.”
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