Insider Intelligence

This week, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed key pieces of legislation appropriating billions of dollars in federal funding. The first was a bipartisan supplemental, which provides: $150 million for COVID school testing $140 million for rental assistance $36.3 million to help communities tackle lead, fund water distribution, inspections, blood testing, and more $14.1 million for a […]

During their final day of session for 2021, the House and Senate passed an economic development plan. One of the bills, introduced by Senator Ken Horn (R-Frankenmuth), focuses on economic development and helping businesses in Michigan. The bill appropriates $1 billion to the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR) Fund, $409 million to help businesses […]

Governor Gretchen Whitmer kicked off the MI Small Business Summer tour this week. Throughout summer, the governor and members of her cabinet will visit and recognize small businesses that showed resiliency throughout the pandemic. The goal is to bring together small businesses, state and local policy makers, regional economic development leaders, and other stakeholders to […]

As home to the largest concentration of Dutch Americans in the country, a small group of us with Grand Rapids ties saw the opportunity to create an organization that could help strengthen the cultural and economic ties between West Michigan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.  In 2010, the West Michigan Global Initiative (WMGI) was […]

In order to increase collaboration and innovation between Michigan and Finland related to clean technology industries, autonomous energy storage, and battery technologies, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Finland. Signed with Mika Lintila, Finland’s Minister of Economic Affairs, the MOU acknowledges a global approach to sharing research and knowledge to spur […]

The Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, through the Waseyabek Development Company, and the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi, through Gun Lake Investments, announced the joint acquisition of McKay Tower in downtown Grand Rapids. The acquisition represents a rare co-investment by the non-gaming economic development entities of two Michigan Native American tribes. McKay Tower is the […]

This week, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive directive expanding the list of determining factors used during the state purchasing process. Currently the Department of Technology, Management, and Budget (DTMB) would only use the following factors to make a best value determination: price, quality, transition costs, experience, market share, timeliness, and agreement to terms. Under […]

In an effort to streamline and better coordinate efforts to meet the state’s business and labor needs, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an Executive Order renaming and reorganizing one state department. The new department is called the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) and replaces the Department of Talent and Economic Development (TED). The department […]