- The Maryland-based high tech firm Eccalon is locating its new corporate headquarters right here in Detroit, creating up to 800 new jobs.

I had a chance to sit down with the company's founder and CEO Andre Gudger at the recent Detroit Policy Conference presented by the Detroit Regional Chamber.

We talked about why he selected Detroit over other cities and the opportunities that he sees in our region.

Andre Gudger, welcome to Detroit.

Welcome to Michigan and welcome to Detroit PBS.

It's great to see you.

- Hey, it's great to see everyone here.

Thanks for having me.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

It's cold outside, but it was a very warm welcome.

- (laughs) Colder than it is in Maryland for sure.

Although, not right now.

Not this week.

- Yeah.

Not this week.

- So, I want to talk to you about your business and what you guys do, but before we get to that, I just want have you talk about this decision to move your business from Maryland, which is a state I know really well, I lived there for a long time, to Michigan.

We don't hear a lot about people making that kind of decision.

We hear from a lot of people that we're getting it wrong on business attraction and workforce development and all the things that people kinda look at when they try to relocate their business.

So walk me through that decision on your part.

- You know, that's a phenomenal question and a very complicated decision - Is that?

- to be honest with you.

Yeah, you know, when you're in search of finding the right home and reevaluating the home you're in, maybe that is the right home.

You have to boil the ocean.

You're looking at everything.

You're looking at the economy, the people, and quite frankly, you're looking at a workforce or the workforce of the future.

- Yeah.

- And, I will tell you that in Michigan, there is a lot of right happening.

We may not tell the story as well as we want to or need to right now, but it's happening, it's evolving and it's a dynamic picture.

So what attracted us to Michigan was the fact that Michigan wanted us.

- What are those things that we're getting right?

Because I don't think most people here necessarily feel like that's the case.

(chuckles) - Yeah, look, I'm gonna to tell you one thing you got right, was the people.

- Yeah.

- What happens at the grade school level on up, making talented people, multidisciplinary people, interdisciplinary people, sequential thinkers, kind people is the reason why we're here.

And we were more fortunate to have Michigan than Michigan have us.

- So when we talk about Michigan being behind, right?

40th in educational outcomes, 40th in per capita earnings.

What about that doesn't scare you, I guess?

What about that says to you, ah, I can work with that.

- Hey, it's an opportunity for Eccalon bringing in a new industry, bringing in a 22nd century industry.

Bringing in a new economy.

It's right.

So we're gonna bring high paid high tech jobs, high science jobs into the State of Michigan.

We're gonna attract ancillary industries into the State of Michigan, that's alongside of what we do.

And I see the education numbers as an opportunity.

When I meet the people, I talk to the people, it may not be the best test takers in the world, but they're sure smart.

- Yeah.

- And, it's something to build on.

It's a very capable workforce that's very unique in nature because it is very practical.

- Yeah.

- The hands on this of this city, the hands on mission that this state has had, and as it transform into a digital economy, Eccalon can be one of those vessels to get that right.

Help it stay on that narrow path of righteousness.

- We make stuff here, we have for centuries, and that's an opportunity.

- Absolutely.

In fact, when people think of Eccalon, they see us as a machine learning, high science and tech company.

And we do those things.

But we also manufacture, we also study novel materials.

- Yeah.

- We also in the biotechnologies.

So those things will be designed made in Michigan.

- In Michigan.

Yeah.

So let's talk about your company and sort of how it started.

You've got a story too about where all this comes from.

- Yeah, you know, it was one lonely morning in February of 2017, thinking about creating intellectual property that could be transformative and taking the things I learned from the time I was in the government and looking at what this country needed to restore American's dominance across the world.

And I'm locked into that both on the commercial side and on the government side.

And I wanted to birth a company that would create a unique set of minds that could come together and do make the impossible possible.

- Yeah, yeah.

No, that's really great.

Well, we're excited.

You're gonna locate right here in the city of Detroit?

- Yes.

- You said on the riverfront, right?

- Look, it's a phenomenal facility.

It handles everything.

It has the best name in the world.

It's called the Icon.

I didn't name it, - The icon.

(laughs) - I inherited.

So it's, and I have a great partner there, you know, in Bedrock.

And so, it just, the perfect suit came together - Yeah.

- to make something very special.

- Yeah, well, we're excited that you're coming and I'm sure you're excited to be coming here with us.

- Well, I'm elated and nothing, you know, Detroit against everyone now.

- Yeah, yeah.

- I'm part of that.

- Now you're on the right side of that.

- I'm on the right side of it.

That's a hundred percent.

- Well, thanks for being here with us.

- Thank you.

- Yeah.

Okay.