Championing the American Middle Class

Manufacturing companies who invest in inner cities help create sustainable jobs and that will lead to the revival of the American middle class, Shahid Khan, President & CEO of Flex-N-Gate, told the Detroit Economic Club on Tuesday. Khan recently opened a state-of-the-art plant in Detroit with help from city leaders to meet the needs of U.S. automakers – and change the lives of area residents. “What the Mayor is doing for the city is an inspiration and if anyone were to ask me what brought the city back, I would say Mayor Duggan,” said Khan. “It would have been a lot cheaper for me if he had not been in the office, but last year we launched the state-of-the-art factory. I knew it was going to be hard, but it is amazing. We have over 600 employees and their families have changed in a good way." -- Speaker: Shahid Khan President & CEO Flex-N-Gate   Presiding Officer: The Honorable Mike Duggan Mayor City of Detroit   Moderator: Daniel Howes Columnist & Associate Business Editor The Detroit News