Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 114,024, which includes about 30,000 students. A person from Ann Arbor is called an "Ann Arborite." The city itself is often called A2 ("A two") or A² ("A-squared"), and less commonly Tree Town (or, usually tongue-in-cheek, The People's Republic of Ann Arbor). Recently, some youth have taken to calling Ann Arbor Ace Deuce or simply The Deuce.

Economy

The University of Michigan plays a major role in shaping Ann Arbor's economy, both through its role as the city's largest employer (with approximately 15,000 workers plus an additional 6,000 at its medical center), and by attracting companies through its graduates and research and development work. Aside from education, high tech, health services and biotechnology are major components of the city's economy, with numerous medical offices, laboratories, and associated companies located within the city. Companies associated with the automobile industry, such as General Motors, Ford, and Visteon, also employ a large number of residents. Nevertheless, the city's economy remains relatively stable due to the major presence of the University of Michigan.

Related Topics:
High tech - Biotechnology - Automobile industry - General Motors - Ford - Visteon

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There are a number of high-tech companies located in the city. Ann Arbor Terminals, during the 1980s, was the manufacturer of the famous video-display terminal, the Ann Arbor Ambassador. Other high-tech companies in the area include Arbortext (provider of XML-based publishing software), Harris&Baseview (provider of newspaper publishing software and ASP services), and ProQuest, which includes UMI.

Related Topics:
Ann Arbor Terminals - 1980s - Arbortext - Harris&Baseview - ProQuest - UMI

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Websites and online media companies located in the city include All Media Guide, Everything2, and the Weather Underground. Ann Arbor is also the site of the Michigan Information Technology Center (MITC), whose offices also house Internet2 and the Merit Network, a nonprofit research and education computer network.

Related Topics:
All Media Guide - Everything2 - Weather Underground - Internet2

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Pfizer operates a large pharmaceutical research facility on the northeast side of town. It was previously operated by Warner-Lambert and, before that, Parke-Davis. The city is the home of other research and engineering centers, including those of General Dynamics and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Other research centers sited in the city are the Environmental Protection Agency's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory and the Toyota Technical Center.

Related Topics:
Pfizer - General Dynamics - National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration - Environmental Protection Agency - Toyota Technical Center

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Ann Arbor serves as the headquarters to several major companies. The original Borders Books was opened on Ann Arbor's State Street in 1971 by brothers Tom and Louis Borders, and began operating other outlets around the region beginning in 1985. The Borders chain is still based in the city, as is its flagship store (although not in its original location). A little-known fact is that dogs are allowed inside the flagship store, and the cashiers have a stock of doggy treats for canine visitors. Domino's Pizza's headquarters are in Ann Arbor on Domino's Farms, a massive 271-acre, Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired complex in the northeastern portion of the city. Another major pizza company, Cottage Inn, opened in Ann Arbor in 1948 and is still headquartered in the city. Flint Inc., another Ann Arbor-based company, is the world's largest privately held ink manufacturer; it is among the top 220 private companies in the U.S. according to Forbes and one of Michigan's top ten privately held companies.

Related Topics:
Borders Books - 1971 - 1985 - Domino's Pizza - Frank Lloyd Wright - Cottage Inn - 1948 - Ink - Forbes

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Many cooperative enterprises were founded in the city during the 1960s and 1970s; among those that survive today are the People's Food Co-op and the Inter-Cooperative Council at the University of Michigan, a student-housing cooperative. There are also three cohousing communities located just outside the city limits to the west.

Related Topics:
Cooperative - 1960s - 1970s - People's Food Co-op - Inter-Cooperative Council at the University of Michigan - Cohousing

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