Detroit is known for lots of things including being home to a bevy of iconic and cool consumer brands that have dazzled the world for decades because of their sway.
Names like Ford, General Motors and Domino’s
were singled out on a list of 250 most iconic American companies released by Time magazine earlier this year as part of a survey they did to celebrate our country’s 250th anniversary.
The magazine partnered with Statista, which surveyed 10,000 Americans and came up with its list as they examined things including evaluating financial success alongside cultural impact of each brand.
Ford was No. 1, while GM was No. 7and further down the road, Ann Arbor-based Domino’s was No. 40, and even from further southwest is Whirlpool at No. 131 (started in Benton Harbor).
Bill Ford, Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer at Google (No. 9 on Time’s list), and Scott Kirby, CEO of United, will be part of what I'm sure will be a riveting panel discussion about it and more this Tuesday, Sept. 29, at Michigan Central Station – an iconic structure in Detroit. The discussion will be moderated by Jessica Sibley, CEO of Time.
They’ll talk about brands, the economy, AI, tech challenges, policy and no doubt – the Motor City.
And Michigan Central will be part of the conversation, too.
Besides serving as executive chair of the company started by his great-grandfather, Bill Ford should take a bow as he was the person who saw a future for the once majestic but crumbling train station left in disarray in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit that had become the butt of jokes as a national eyesore.
Ford decided to do something about it. He envisioned a second chapter there as an innovation and mobility hub and brought it back to life along with other business, community and political champions. Ford invested $1 billion. Ford purchased the station – built in 1913 and closed in 1988 – in 2018 .
Since then, it’s been evolving – surrounded by 30 acres, which is all part of the thriving endeavor.
Today, there are startups, educational opportunities, a hotel coming soon along with restaurants, retail stores and talk of having trains running nearby again as they did decades ago.
It’s been a major league economic development catalyst in its first few years with more ahead.
Michigan Central Station was also mentioned by Time as one of its 25 standout buildings and monuments across the nation as part of its 250th coverage.
“Michigan Central’s renewal in particular defines the American moment: creating spaces where technology and community converge to solve shared challenges. It proves that the next era of innovation isn’t just about what we build, but about building places that bring us together," Ford said in the magazine's article about the station.
I talked to Porat, of Google, which has an office in Detroit, a few years ago when she was in the Motor City. She told me Google was smitten by the undertaking and wanted to get involved.
The West Coast tech company signed on as a founding member of Michigan Central and has been helping train high school students and others for high-tech jobs.
I’ve talked with Bill Ford more than a few times about his leadership of the company at this challenging time amid tariffs, evolving global, political and consumer needs too.
Ford was born with a “D” for Detroit in is DNA and obviously loves the family business. Three of his four children are involved, too, which no doubt makes dinner conversations at the Ford house interesting.
I asked him not long ago what he thought his great-grandfather – who created the assembly line and revolutionary $5-a-day pay for workers – might say about the Blue Oval today.
“Until three or four years ago, he would have recognized it. But things are changing so quickly now, he wouldn’t recognize it,” Ford said.
He added with a laugh, “He also would have said: 'What took you so long!’ ”
With much changing at Ford, Michigan Central and in his home town, Ford did share one regret: “That I’m not 30 years younger ... and able to watch it all unfold.”
Cool destination
The impact of Ford and General Motors being in metro Detroit reverberates too as it has helped the region gain international attention as a cool destination for tourists and conventions alike.
“We know that nearly 50% of our members visit The Henry Ford for the automotive innovations and history we share through our venues, Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Greenfield Village and the Ford Rouge Factory Tour," Wendy Metros, spokeswoman for The Henry Ford, told me.
Brett McWethy, of Visit Detroit, told me their goal is to attract 25 million visitors to the metro region by 2030.
“While the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation is Michigan’s most visited cultural attraction, there are others, too,” he said. “The new Hudson’s building (which Detroit entrepreneur and champion Dan Gilbert built as well as the building next door, where GM moved its headquarters earlier this year) is the second-tallest building in the state of Michigan."
And showing the global allure of Detroit, autos and European soccer, Visit Detroit just partnered with the Juventus Football Club, which is among Italy’s largest brand with 560 million fans: The Visit Detroit logo is featured on the club’s jerseys alongside the Jeep logo.
Contact Carol Cain at clcain@cbs.com. She is senior producer/host of "Michigan Matters,"which airs at 5:30 a.m. Sundays on CBS Detroit and at 9:30 a.m. Sundays on CW Detroit 50. See former Ambassador John Rakolta Jr., Oakland University’s David Dulio, and former state legislators Tonya Schuitmaker and Rebekah Warren on this Sunday’s show. You can watch it simultaneously on the two stations' listings on Fubu, Pluto TV, YouTube TV and Apple TV.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Iconic brands we know so well will be in spotlight at Michigan Central
