Bill Laitner

Detroit Free Press

Downtown Detroit's premier jobs booster and real-estate investor should keep his hands off Oakland County's employers, Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson warned Wednesday.

Patterson's saber-rattling talk came in a speech in Southfield, where the outspoken county boss cheered the introduction of the county's new tech248 initiative, aimed at expanding and marketing the county's technology jobs base, but lashed out at Dan Gilbert's recent prospecting north of 8 Mile Road.

Speaking to an audience of 140 technology firms at a tech firm's offices, Patterson told the techies: "I'll fight to keep you here in Oakland County."

Then, in a direct shot at Gilbert, Patterson added: "Are you listening Dan?" evoking laughter from listeners, who included numerous Oakland County officials.

"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.

Late Wednesday, Gilbert's spokeswoman Carolyn Artman released a response from Gilbert.

"I would actually be more impressed if Brooks had gotten his facts correct," said Gilbert in the statement. "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,' " Gilbert added. "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?"

Gilbert has lured numerous employers to his renovated buildings in Detroit's reviving downtown. Last week, Fifth Third Bank announced it would move its regional headquarters from Southfield to Gilbert's One Woodward Building, the Yamasaki-designed skyscraper at West Jefferson, built to hold the headquarters of the former Michigan Consolidated Gas utility — now part of DTE Energy.

Oakland County has been widely hailed for effectively branding its economic development initiatives, as the county replaces lost manufacturing jobs with knowledge-based employers.

Prior to tech248, which plays off the county's telephone area code, branding included Medical Main Street, a trademarked term for the county's health care and life-sciences job base; and Automation Alley, a high-tech group of largely auto-oriented companies.

Oakland County has become the home of about 100 tech companies in the past 10 years, investing more than $586 million and creating more than 10,500 jobs, said Steve Huber, spokesman for Oakland County Economic Development and Community Affairs.

The focus includes software development, network and data, health, game development, connected cars, digital media, mobile technology, cyber security and other evolving technologies, Huber said.

Contact Bill Laitner: blaitner@freepress.com or 313-223-4485