Foreign Investment
From the Heartland to China
By Jennifer Norbut |
As
the newly elected president of the Michigan Association of Realtors, Bill
Milliken, CCIM, CIPS, president of Milliken Realty Co., in Ann Arbor, has set
his sights on expanding Michigan’s international business and trade
opportunities, which will have economic benefits for real estate professionals
statewide, he says. Commercial Investment
Real Estate asked Milliken to share the drivers behind his interest in expanding
cross-border opportunities.
CIRE
: What sparked your interest in exploring
global real estate initiatives?
Milliken: I have had a continuing
interest in international matters for years. My first job after graduating from
Colorado College was in field development work for Youth for Understanding, an
international, high school-level student exchange program for which I traveled
to four continents. In the commercial real estate field, I earned the Certified
International Property Specialist designation from the National Association of
Realtors in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2004.
CIRE
:
What steps will you take as MAR president to create new international
investment opportunities in Michigan?
Milliken: I am already working with a
Michigan law firm to help increase Chinese investment in our state. Michigan
Gov. Rick Snyder led a trade mission to China last fall, and as a member of CCIM’s
2006 Trade Mission to China led by CCIM Past President Pius Leung, I know there
is an emerging Chinese market. Michigan’s industrial heritage will continue to
be a magnet for Asian investment as they reach out for new U.S. automotive
investment and manufacturing opportunities. We are also mindful that only the
Detroit River separates us from Canada, the U.S. largest international trading
partner.
Read more about
Milliken’s state and public policy initiatives in CIRE’s January/February 2013 CCIM Connections column.