Terumo Cardiovascular Systems Corp. agrees to give up $35 million in profits

SILVER SPRING, Md., March 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that Terumo Cardiovascular Systems Corporation (TCVS) of Ann Arbor, Mich., and two of its officers, Mark A. Sutter, president and chief executive officer, and Mark Lincoln, vice president of Quality Assurance and Operations, have signed a consent decree of permanent injunction.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090824/FDALOGO)

The consent decree, to be filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan by the Department of Justice, Office of Consumer Litigation, and the United States Attorney’s Office, prohibits the company from manufacturing and distributing two heart-lung bypass systems and other cardiovascular devices to new customers.

The consent decree also restricts sale of these systems to existing customers until TCVS complies with the FDA’s current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) and Medical Device Reporting (MDR) requirements.

TCVS also agreed to pay the federal government $35 million in disgorgement of profits derived from past sales and additional disgorgement amounts should it fail to comply with the provisions of the consent decree in an effective and timely manner.

"Medical device manufacturers must comply with the FDA’s current Good Manufacturing Practice and Medical Device Reporting requirements, as this action demonstrates," said Steven Silverman, director of the Office of Compliance in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. "These requirements protect patients by assuring that medical devices are safe, effective, and high quality."

During an inspection from January through March 2010, FDA investigators observed numerous cGMP and MDR violations at the company’s Ann Arbor manufacturing facility. The violations included deficiencies in processes for corrective and preventive action, nonconforming product, complaints, purchasing, process validation, design controls, and adverse event reporting.

The FDA has twice warned TCVS about its cGMP problems, issuing warning letters to the company in 2004 and in 2006.

Heart-lung bypass systems, also called perfusion systems, keep blood circulating and oxygenated by temporarily taking over the function of the heart and lungs during cardiac or thoracic surgery.

The consent decree restricts the company from distributing and manufacturing the following products:

Terumo Advanced Perfusion System 1
Sarns Modular Perfusion System 8000
Sarns Centrifugal System
HX2 Temperature Management System
Sarns TCMII Cooling and Heating System
CDI 500 Blood Parameter Monitoring System
Sarns Sternal Saw II System and Replacement Blades
T-Link Data Management Systems (Software Upgrades)
Cannulae for cardiopulmonary bypass
Cannulae for cardioplegia delivery
Vents, suckers, dilators, connectors, and reducers.

The company must also stop distributing the CDI 101 Hematocrit/Oxygen Saturation Monitoring System, which has yet to be reviewed by the FDA.

Because of concerns about possible shortages, the consent decree does not require TCVS to remove the listed products from the market. The company will be allowed to continue to provide service, replacement parts, and loaner devices to existing customers that submit documentation of medical need.

TCVS will be sending its customers a notification guide, which will include instructions for completing and returning a certificate of medical necessity. Its customers can contact the company by phone at 1-800-521-2818 or by email at cardiovascular@terumomedical.com. TCVS plans to establish a customer website: www.terumo-cvs.com/consentdecree.

The decree becomes effective when it has been filed with and entered by the court.

For more information

Aug. 31, 2004 FDA Warning Letter to Terumo Cardiovascular Systems

Aug. 31, 2006 FDA Warning Letter to Terumo Cardiovascular Systems

Media Inquiries: Karen Riley, 301-796-4674; karen.riley@fda.hhs.gov
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration

LIVONIA, MICHIGAN – February 10, 2011- In an effort to reduce traffic fatalities and serious accidents Michigan auto accident attorney Terry Cochran says all motorists need to be responsible and stop texting while driving.

While Michigan in 2010 enacted legislation banning texting while driving the law is not being broadly enforced yet statewide. Because enforcement of the law is challenging, Cochran urges voluntary compliance by all motorists.

“Far too many people have been killed or maimed for life because of thoughtless driver’s who feel compelled to text while driving,” says Cochran, “Michigan took the right step by banning texting while driving but it is challenging for police officers to spot violations so I urge all motorists to simply stop engaging in this deadly practice!”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 20 percent of all injury crashes in 2009 involved distracted driving and in 2009 some 5,474 persons were killed and 448,000 injured in crashes involving distracted driving. Other studies show that:

· Motorists who engage in texting while driving are 23 times as likely to be involved in an accident that those who don’t.

· Texting while driving is more dangerous than drunk driving. A motorist texting while driving at 35 mph will travel 25 feet before bringing the car to a complete halt compared to four feet a drunk driver would cover at the same speed.

· A Pew Research study in 2010 shows that 47 percent of adult drivers admit to texting while driving compared to 34 percent of teenagers.

These findings and others convinced Oprah Winfrey to conduct a nationwide campaign in 2010 to persuade Americans to sign a No Phone Zone pledge to agree not to phone or text while driving. In response, more than 200,000 persons signed the pledge including more than 60 celebrities such as Sandra Bullock, Elton John, Jerry Seinfeld, Morgan Freeman, Tina Fey and others.

Cochran also noted that U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a strong advocate of measures to reduce accidents caused by distracted drivers, met with Ford and Chrysler CEOs on January 25, 2011, to discuss automotive safety technology related to driving distractions.

In January 2011 T-Mobile added the DriveSmart phone app as a trial to one of its phones that senses when the phone owner is in a moving car and then forwards to voice mail all income phone calls and text messages, eliminating the urge to pick up the phone while driving to read or return a text. 911 calls would not be blocked. T-Mobile plans to offer the app on several other devices.

“I am pleased that communication technology leaders have joined with Oprah to raise national awareness of the dangers of texting while driving in an effort to reduce the tragic consequences of this silly habit,” adds Cochran. “Unfortunately, despite the practice being illegal in Michigan and several other states, the practice of texting while driving still continues to cause needless deaths and disabling injuries.”

Cochran is making the appeal because of personal experience in dealing with families and survivors of persons killed by distracted drivers. Cochran obtained a $1.3 million judgment for a Marlette MI family whose son was killed in an accident caused by a truck driver who was distracted because of fatigue.

In the recent past Cochran also has campaigned for the Michigan Transportation Department to adopt an aggressive program to widen two-lane highways throughout areas to make high-speed travel safer for all as well as his campaign to lower the mandatory retirement age for truck drivers to 65.

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—The University of Michigan Board of Regents voted Thursday (Jan. 20) to install new high definition (HD) video scoreboards at Michigan Stadium, Crisler Arena and Yost Ice Arena. The boards will be installed at each venue prior to the 2011-12 season.

"We are excited about the conversion to HD and the installation of LED boards at our three biggest venues," said Dave Brandon, athletic director. "These new boards will provide our fans with the opportunity for enhanced and crystal-clear viewing of not only the event, but of replays, announcements and other fun ways to create game day excitement."

Due to the construction at Crisler Arena, the Michigan Sports Television Production Studio, which manages and controls the video boards, will be relocated to Michigan Stadium until the arena is completed in 2012-13. The athletic department will convert to high-definition equipment with the installation of the new video boards.

The estimated cost of the project is $20 million. The athletic department will be funding the project through internal resources.

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman has approved the final report on implementation of the new smoke-free policy that goes into effect July 1.

Leaders of the effort say the final plan was crafted after more than a year of extensive input from many in the campus and surrounding community.

"At the outset, we said we wanted to hear from representatives of all members of our community—faculty, staff, students, area residents, smokers, nonsmokers and never smokers—and we did," said Kenneth Warner, former dean of the School of Public Health and the Avedis Donabedian Distinguished University Professor of Public Health. "Five different subcommittees compiled surveys, conducted focus groups, held numerous meetings, and more, to get input from those who would be impacted by this change. The final report is a reflection of the input we received."

The steering committee for the Smoke-free University Initiative’s report includes 14 recommendations that define campus smoke-free boundaries, commit to treatment and support for those who wish to receive assistance to quit, and outline expectations for compliance. Among the recommendations:

• While all U-M facilities, buildings and grounds will be smoke free, smoking will not be prohibited on sidewalks adjacent to public thoroughfares on the Ann Arbor campuses

• All parking structures and surface lots should be smoke free. This does not include smoking in privately owned vehicles within these locations.

• Peer support, supervisory oversight and voluntary compliance should be relied upon to lead to behavioral changes over time. Smokers refusing to extinguish the product or repeat offenders of the policy should be addressed through existing disciplinary or other appropriate processes.

• U-M should provide resources to support managers, supervisors, students, faculty and staff with methods to address violations in a respectful manner.

• MHealthy and the University Health Service Health Promotion and Community Relations department should support faculty, staff and students in their stop-smoking efforts.
Coleman announced in April 2009 the plan for all three U-M campuses to go smoke free. A target date for implementation was set as July 1, 2011, to allow the subcommittees—facilities, grounds and the Ann Arbor interface; faculty and staff; guests, events and athletics; student life; and communications—the opportunity to gather input and make recommendation to the steering committee. It also allowed time for each campus to develop its own implementation plan.

"We were very pleased that so many in the university took the time to express their opinions, ask thoughtful questions and challenge the steering committee to come up with a policy that considers the impact on all of its constituents. We also are grateful to the many people who spent numerous hours working on the five subcommittees," said Dr. Robert Winfield, U-M’s chief health officer and director of University Health Service. "We are confident that with all of this great input we have a policy that achieves our goal of promoting a healthy campus while being as respectful as possible to the needs and concerns of all in our community.

One of the questions heard most often from the various groups was about how boundaries would be defined. While the report calls for all university facilities, buildings and grounds, including athletic properties, to be smoke-free, it makes two exceptions: smoking inside personal vehicles and along main thoroughfares. The ban does not include smokeless tobacco products.

The steering committee recommendation that smoking should not be prohibited along public thoroughfares was a decision based on the fact that the streets are not university-owned and, therefore, U-M has no authority over the adjacent sidewalks. To be consistent, it also treated the sidewalks along major roads on North Campus—which are university-owned—as areas outside of the smoking ban. Sidewalks within a campus area, such as the Diag, however, will be smoke free. Some signage, website maps and the presence of smoking receptacles in those places that are not included in the ban will help define the areas, leaders say.

In order to keep people from having to walk through smoke-filled areas, the ban also included sections of sidewalk adjacent to access drives, loading docks, parking structures, parking lots or along driveways—even if these areas are along major thoroughfares.

A second question frequently asked by students, faculty and staff was how the policy would be enforced.

"This was carefully considered by the group and it was decided that we would rely on voluntary compliance, along with peer and supervisory support, rather than fines or other means of enforcement," said Laurita Thomas, associate vice president for human resources.

The smoke-free policy will be included in the university’s Standard Practice Guide, which outlines disciplinary procedures for staff who violate any university policy. Student-related smoking violations would get directed to the Office of Student Conflict Resolution, which handles issues involving student conduct.

Thomas says the steering committee heard from a number of supervisors who were concerned about what they should do when faced with violators. The team is in the process of sharing the final report with the supervisors, and will equip them with information that will assist in helping others adapt to the new policy, she says.

According to surveys, students (both smokers and nonsmokers) were most concerned about the rights and accountability of their peers. While 45.4 percent of students indicated that the initiative would affect them "slightly" or "not at all," 21.5 percent indicated that the initiative would affect them "a great deal." All of these populations were concerned that smokers and nonsmokers alike be treated with respect and fairness

Another key recommendation in the plan called for MHealthy and the University Health Service Health Promotion and Community Relations department to support faculty, staff and students who want to stop smoking and wish to receive assistance. Shortly after the smoke-free campus announcement was made, both programs announced a number of incentives and services for those who wanted to take the campus ban as an opportunity to quit.

Faculty, staff and their spouses or other qualified adults can receive free smoking-cessation counseling, use of Web or phone assistance smoking-cessation programs, and the inclusion of generic over-the-counter nicotine replacement products in the Tier 1 pharmacy benefit. They also can count participation in a quit program toward a $100 MHealthy incentive. Similarly, UHS has offered students free quit classes, counseling and over the counter nicotine replacement products when enrolled in a counseling program, along with discounted smoking-cessation prescription products.

The plan also lays out some communication goals to make sure students, faculty, staff and visitors are aware of the change. Communication through recruitment and orientation channels (faculty, staff and student), promotional materials provided to visitors, and outreach via campus and external media has been under way since shortly after the announcement of a smoke-free campus was made. Last week, materials targeted at students—which received student feedback prior to final approval—were distributed widely across campus. A similar awareness campaign to launch in February is planned for faculty and staff.

The final recommendations in the report charge the Tobacco Consultation Service with day-to-day management and monitoring of the policy, and call for an advisory committee to assist the chief health officer in evaluating any recommended changes to it, should any be suggested over time

Read the final report and find information on assistance for those who wish to quit at smokefree.umich.edu.

ANN ARBOR, MI – Free WiFi and 10-ride tickets to try the A2Express bus service to Ann Arbor from Chelsea and Canton are being offered to area commuters by the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (TheRide).

TheRide recently added WiFi to its A2Express buses and reduced the fare on each of the routes after taking over operation of the service from a contracted vendor. The fare on either route is now $99 a month, down from $125. Also available for riders are a 10-ride ticket priced at $40 and a one-way cash fare of $5. Eligible University of Michigan faculty and staff members and individuals with a go!pass are eligible for a reduced fare.

Each express route provides two weekday trips each morning and two return trips each afternoon for commuters between Chelsea or Canton and downtown Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus.

The A2Express began in May, 2008 as a new kind of bus service for TheRide, characterized by the commuter-oriented nature of the schedule and the premium fare. The Chelsea Express was the first implementation of longer-distance commuter service into Ann Arbor, followed 15 months later when the Canton Express was initiated.

Both routes were operated initially by a subcontractor, but have since been taken in-house by TheRide resulting in a significant reduction in costs. In fiscal year 2010, the budget for A2Express service was $509,428 and for fiscal year 2011, the budget has been set at $241,687, a 53 percent reduction.

The service was originally funded by a federal demonstration grant. The Chelsea route is no longer covered by the grant, but a portion of the funding remains for the Canton Express.

Current riders are enthusiastic about the service and have actively encouraged other to try it out. Several participated with TheRide in promoting the service at the Chelsea Parade in August. Combined ridership on the routes is currently about 82 trips per day, or 41 riders daily.

In describing his positive experience on the A2Express, rider Alan Vollmer said recently, “I park at the Arctic Coliseum in Chelsea and take the Chelsea Express. Riding a commuter bus saves me 700 miles of wear and tear on my car and 25 hours of driving time per month! I was sold after my first trip on the bus!”

The free 10-ride tickets may be requested through the A2Express web site www.a2express.org, or by calling TheRide at 734.973.6500. The tickets are available only to first-time riders.

The latest information on AATA routes, schedules and detours is available at 734.996.0400 and on the AATA Routes and Schedules page.

ANN ARBOR, MI–(Marketwire – November 8, 2010) -  Fifty eight Michigan companies have been awarded federal tax credits or grants under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Program. The initiative was created to promote research and development of products and therapies with promise to significantly advance healthcare in the country.

MichBio, the trade association driving biosciences industry growth in the state, announced that the 58 companies statewide received $18,374,696 million from the program, which was created as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.

"The award of the QTDP grants is a great boost for Michigan’s biotech start-ups, and in particular the timing couldn’t be better as it comes during very challenging economic times when companies are seeking capital investment from any source to sustain their commercialization efforts," said Stephen Rapundalo, PhD, MichBio president and CEO. "The QTDP award/credit program recognizes that young companies typically don’t have revenues, much less profits, and the ability to recoup some of their expensive R&D costs will allow them to reach their business milestones, grow jobs and contribute to the state’s economic revitalization. Also, we hope that the Congress will see fit to renew the QTDP program vs. being a single-time offering as it will no doubt be a huge catalyst for biomedical innovation and growth."

The U.S. Treasury Department reported that it received more than 5,600 applications requesting more than $10 billion. Only firms with 250 or fewer employees were eligible for credits or grants. A total of 2,923 companies specializing in biotechnology and medical research in 47 states and the District of Columbia received awards under the program. In all, 4,606 applications from these nearly 3,000 companies were awarded funding.

Michigan companies that received grants were:

Aastrom Biosciences, Inc.
Accord Biomaterials Inc.
Accuri Cytometers, Inc.
Adeona Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
AlphaCore Pharma, LLC
Angott Medical Products, LLC
ApoLife, Inc.
Armune Bioscience Inc.
Art Optical Contact Lens, Inc. 
AureoGen Bioscience Inc.
Aursos, Inc.
Cardiavent Inc.
Cayman Chemical Company Inc 
Cerenis Therapeutics Inc
Compendia Bioscience, Inc.
CytoPherx, Inc.
Delphinus Medical Technologies, Inc.
Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
Genetics Squared, Inc.
Great Lakes BioSciences
Housey Pharmaceutical Research Laboratories, LLC
Hygieia Inc
Innovative BioTherapies, Inc.
Integrated Sensing Systems
IPGDx LLC
Life Magnetics, Inc
LPIT Solutions, Inc. 
LVAD Technology Inc.
Lycera Corp.
Meditrina Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Metabolic Solutions Development Company
Michigan Critical Care Consultants Inc d/b/a MC3 Inc.
Michigan Technology & Research Institute, LLC
NanoBio Corporation
NanoVir, LLC
NEPHRX Corporation
NeuroNexus Technologies, Inc.
Novalung, Inc.
Nustep, Inc.
Nymirum, Inc.
OtoMedicine Inc.
Phrixus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
ProNAI Therapeutics, Inc.
QuatRx Pharmaceuticals Company
RealBio Technology, Inc. 
RetroSene (aka RetroSense) Therapeutics LLC
Rockwell Medical Technologies, Inc.
Rubicon Genomics, Inc.
Sonetics Ultrasound, Inc.
Swift Biosciences Inc.
Tangent Medical Technologies 
TCH Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Therapeutic System Research Laboratories, Inc. (TSRL)
Tolera Therapeutics, Inc.
Ultrasound Medical Devices Inc.
Velcura Therapeutics, Inc.
Xoran Technologies, Inc.
zuSyn, Inc.

View full list of projects and awards

A total of 90 projects are being funded in Michigan. Awards were made for tax years 2009 and/or 2010 and varied amongst the companies. Not all successful awards were fully funded relative to their original requests. Nonetheless, it is likely that companies receiving their awards will sustain or create additional jobs in the industry that already provides over 37,000 high quality jobs in Michigan and 1.42 million nationally and is an important growth engine for our economy.

MichBio is committed to driving the growth of Michigan’s biosciences industry and fostering the collective impact of its members by serving as their unified voice and providing them with education, information, connections and other services. MichBio members include biosciences companies, academic and research institutions, biosciences service providers, and related organizations.

Saline, MI (October 14, 2010) – The Saline Recreation Center (www.cityofsaline.org/reccenter) has a new membership brochure, produced by DesignHub, Inc. (www.design-hub.com), the Saline-based creative services and marketing firm.

The Rec Center, operated by the Saline Parks and Recreation Department, is located at 1866 Woodland Drive, just south of Textile Road. The department’s mission is to provide a variety of recreational opportunities and promote health and wellness within the Saline community and surrounding areas.

The new brochure, entitled the “Fun & Fitness Guide,” details the Rec Center’s programs, classes, and equipment. The most popular sports, fitness, and aquatic offerings are listed and described. The brochure is extensively illustrated with photos of the Rec Center is use by members and guests.

A prospective Rec Center member can fold out the brochure to see detailed floor plans of the facility, including the aquatic center, gymnasiums, racquetball court, cardio equipment room, aerobics studio, free weights area, locker rooms, and more. Rec Center highlights are keyed to points on the floor plans.

There is also a map of the Rec Center’s extensive outdoor facilities, including baseball and softball diamonds, tennis courts, soccer field, sand volleyball court, play structures, picnic grounds, and nature area.

The brochure outlines the Rec Center’s membership plans for 2011. These include individual, family, youth, senior, senior family, and summer student plans. Pricing for annual and monthly memberships are listed, along with discounted rates for Saline residents and daily admission fees.

DesignHub proposed the brochure’s “Fun & Fitness Guide” concept, then wrote, designed, and produced the brochure – all to the review and approval of the Rec Center’s director, Carla Scruggs, and her professional staff.

Goetzcraft Printers, Inc. (www.goetzcraft.com) of Ann Arbor handled the initial press run, completing the brochure in time for distribution at the Rec Center’s recent 10-10-10 Open House.

Copies of the brochure can be obtained at the Rec Center, or by calling the facility at (734) 429-3502.

About DesignHub

DesignHub works with clients on website design and development, brand development, brochures, annual reports, newsletters, advertising, public relations, direct marketing, packaging designs, signage, and exhibits, as well as marketing strategies and plans. The company was founded in 1999.

Principals of DesignHub include: Karen Ragland, business manager and account executive; Ted Chesky, creative director and graphic designer; and Chris Kochmanski, marketing strategist, account executive, and copywriter.

The firm has on-staff and freelance professionals for graphic design and website design and development.

Further information is available from DesignHub, Inc., 600 W. Michigan Ave., Saline, MI 48176. Phone: (734) 944-8705. Email: info@design-hub.com. Online: www.design-hub.com.

Oct. 29th event has new venue and Italian theme

ANN ARBOR, Mich., (October 12, 2010) – The Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Ann Arbor (BRAG) recently announced its 19th annual Festive Affair gala – which benefits  The Salvation Army of Washtenaw County’s Ken and Marianna Staples Family Center will take place Friday, Oct. 29 at 5:30 p.m. at an exciting new location, Weber’s Inn.

The event features live and silent auctions, food and fun with proceeds benefiting the Staples Family Center— an emergency shelter that in 2009 serviced nearly 400 local homeless individuals and families.

“The success of this event directly improves lives and helps to strengthen our community,” said 2010 Festive Affair Honorary Chairman Joe Grammatico. “Funds raised impact the amount of support the center is able to offer, such as job support, counseling, meals and lodging.”

This year’s Festive Affair will feature an Italian theme complete with entertainment by Italian opera singer Lucia Campbell. For ticket or sponsorship information visit www.thefestiveaffair.org or call (734) 996-0100.

The Salvation Army (TSA), an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church dedicated to serving people in need without discrimination. Operating in Washtenaw County for more than 100 years, the non-profit addresses the physical and spiritual needs of the area through various programs and service centers located in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Essential services provided by TSA of Washtenaw County include a food pantry, soup kitchen, clothing, an emergency family shelter, transitional housing and counseling for veterans, character building for youth, camp programs, emergency and disaster relief, utility assistance and eviction prevention. For information about TSA-WC, visit www.sawashtenaw.org or call 734-668-8353.

You can become a fan of TSA-WC on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@sawashtenaw).

Steele Campaign Waiting for Dingell on Other Debates

Ann Arbor, MI – The Rob Steele for Congress campaign announced today that a debate is scheduled for October 20. The scheduled debate will take place at the Monroe Community College’s La-Z-Boy Center.  It will be run from 6:30pm to 7:30pm.  The doors open at 5:45pm.

"Michigan has been suffering for a long time.  This state has very real issues that need to be fixed.  It is the responsibility of candidates to make sure that the voters know where they stand," said Dr. Steele.  "A debate is the best way for candidates to present their view on the crucial issues that face our state and our country today."

The Rob Steele for Congress campaign has accepted debate requests from the Southern Wayne County Chamber of Commerce and the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Chamber of Commerce. Outside of public posturing, there has been no official response of acceptance or refusal from the Dingell for Congress campaign. Since the United States House of Representatives has adjourned for the remainder of the campaign there is no longer an excuse for the Dingell campaign to refuse these other debate requests.

NFIB members overwhelmingly choose Snyder over Bernero

LANSING, September 27, 2010 – The National Federation of Independent Business announced today that it will endorse candidate Rick Snyder for governor of Michigan in the upcoming gubernatorial election.

“After a thorough examination of the candidates it is clear to us that Snyder has the experience and leadership skills to bring Michigan out of its economic malaise and put it back on the map as a place to grow a small business,” said Charles Owens, NFIB State Director. “Our endorsement process included a survey of our membership that resulted in overwhelming support for Rick Snyder over challenger Virg Bernero.”

In addition to the NFIB/Michigan member survey, the endorsement was subject to review and approval by the NFIB Federal PAC Board in Washington D.C. which analyzed candidate information before reaching a decision.

Snyder said that he was proud to have been endorsed by the state’s leading advocate for small businesses.

“I am grateful to have the endorsement and support of the NFIB,” said Snyder. “Helping Michigan small businesses grow and thrive is a major component of my ten point plan to reinvent our state. Small businesses across Michigan need to know that their governor will stand up for their needs and fight for lower taxes and less regulation so they can create more and better jobs for our citizens.”

Owens said Michigan members were most impressed with Snyder’s business-world experience.

“Small-business owners respect the experience and know-how that Snyder gained from his time working in the business world,” Owens said. “He understands the challenges that business owners face and he appreciates the need for government policies that support free enterprise and encourage job growth and expansion.”

Snyder has indicated his support for such NFIB-backed initiatives as the elimination of the Michigan Business Tax.

NFIB has an extensive grassroots network that reaches across the state which will allow it to communicate directly with its 10,000 members in order to drive small-business owners and their employees to the polls of behalf of Snyder. In fact, NFIB research shows that small-business owners vote at a much higher average than the general public.