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Regional Prosperity Initative Strategies

Creating Vibrant Places
Strategy: Strengthen the quality of place throughout Northeast Michigan to entice talent and business development.

  1. Target investment into small, urban centers.
  2. Coordinate placemaking at a regional level to link urban and rural places visually, functionally and culturally.

Regional Branding
Strategy: Increase national and global recognition of the region by showcasing a consistent and effective Northeast Michigan image.

  1. Engage a branding consultant to develop the regional brand and brand guidelines.
  2. Utilize the regional brand in all marketing materials and communications.

Supportive Systems for Business Growth
Strategy: Facilitate entrepreneurship and grow existing businesses in the region.

  1. Create a supportive environment throughout the region for entrepreneurial development.
  2. Diversify and globally connect businesses in the region.

Industry Cluster: Tourism
Strategy: Present Northeast Michigan to the global community as a high quality regional destination

  1. Establish a strategic tourism partnership for Region 3.
  2. Create a positive visitor first impression with service excellence.
  3. Access the national and global tourism Market Place through Web-based presence.
  4. Excel in quality product development by collaboration with agencies involved with tourism.
  5. Encourage regional promotion, marketing, and communications.
  6. Protect natural resources and the environment

Industry Cluster: Wood
Strategy: Expand, enhance, and support the Wood Products Industry Cluster in the Region.

  1. Continue to provide professional marketing and business development assistance to continue to implement the production of value-added furniture products in the region.
  2. Implement effective vocational and entrepreneurial training programs for the wood industry.
  3. Provide lifelong learning opportunities for the wood industry.
  4. Bring the wood industry wider recognition.

Industry Cluster: Local Foods
Strategy: Expand, enhance, and support the Local Foods Cluster in the Region.

  1. Establish a food hub in Northeast Michigan.
  2. Increase the number of food product entrepreneurial businesses in Northeast Michigan.
  3. Engage local residents in food products manufacturing.
  4. Increase the awareness of residents of the local food industry.

Energy & Efficiency
Strategy: Move toward sustainability by seizing green opportunities in Northeast Michigan.

  1. Develop a Renewable Energy Goal for Northeast MI
  2. Expand renewable energy opportunities in the region.
  3. Increase energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy.

Aerospace Research, Testing & Maintenance
Strategy: Expand, enhance, and support the Aerospace Cluster in the Region.

  1. Increase the number of aerospace business opportunities in the region.

Cultivating Our Workforce & Talent
Strategy: Attract, develop and retain a talented workforce in Northeast Michigan.

Michigan Works! Agency:

  1. Increase funding for workforce programs
  2. Improve the region’s workforce image.
  3. Increase cooperative activities and improve operational effectiveness and efficiency.

Post-Secondary Education:

  1. Improve the awareness and availability of beyond-high school training opportunities to increase the incidence of talent and resident retention.
  2. Allow for greater economies among post-secondary educational organizations.
  3. Increase worker retention rates, grow worker earnings, improve production capacities, and create company/organizational growth.

Adult Education Service Providers:

  1. Reduce the number of dropouts, increase the number of people using Adult Basic Education (ABE) services, increase General Educational Development (GED) completions and create better client employment capacities.
  2. Maximize limited fiscal resources for service effectiveness, efficiency, and diversity and ensure residents can more easily obtain services at locations “close-to-home”.

Talent Retention:

  1. Retain talent workers in the region.

Public Transit:

  1. Provide transportation to work and training.

Infrastructure
Strategy: Ensure adequate infrastructure exists which meets the needs of business, residents, and visitors.

  1. Expand high speed internet access throughout the region.
  2. Ensure adequate municipal infrastructure exists.
  3. Enhance transportation connections.

Regional Agency Collaboration
Strategy: Collaborate to provide consistent and coordinated level of service in the region.

  1. NEMCOG
  2. MEDC
  3. Economic Development Organizations
  4. Chambers of Commerce
  5. SBDC
  6. Business Expeditor Team