About Katie Curnow

Housing development opportunities will be a focus the 6^th Annual I-69 Thumb Regional Summit when it convenes Sept. 21 at the Lapeer Country Club, 3786 Hunt Rd. in Lapeer.

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSDHA) will roll-out a regional report on housing, as part of a panel discussion on housing development, said Janice Karcher, Senior Vice President of Economic Development at the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce.

Attendees will also hear about development tools and incentives from a panel of economic development professionals, during the half-day summit that will be held from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The day begins with a recap major projects and successes in the region over the past year.

Later that morning, the finals of the Catapult Business Plan Competition will be decided by a panel of judges, consisting of: Dom Holmes, Manager of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Automation Alley; Neal Bishop, Area Manager, Local Government and Community Affairs, International Transmission Co.; and Peggy Nolde, Director, Genesee County Equalization Board. The winners will be announced in the afternoon.

The first-place winners of the seven county-level competitions, held earlier this year, will make their final presentations to a panel of judges at the regional summit. The top prize is $5,000, with $3,000 for second place and $1,000 for third.

The contestants: Happy Little Greens Farm (Genesee County); Simply Enjoyable Snacks (Lapeer County); Imperial Sauces (Tuscola County); Sibling Rivalry LLC (Huron County); Thumb Roast Coffee (Sanilac County); and Smart Shelf (St. Clair County). (The finalist for Shiawassee County will be determined on Sept. 14).

Read the entire story at Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce.

Dan Casey, CEO of Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County, announced expansion news and job growth opportunities for St. Clair County. Watch the video to learn more about this exciting development. Learn more at ebw.tv.

US Farathane, LLC—a global automotive supplier that serves the automotive industry, including OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers—is expanding in the city of Port Huron, MI. The company will invest $15 million in the project, which will create an additional 205 jobs in the area over the next three years.

“The company has been awarded several new contracts to manufacture interior and under-hood components and plans to expand two of its Michigan subsidiaries,” said Jim Gregory,CFO of US Farathane.

Read the entire story at Business Facilities.

St.Clair, Michigan – April 24, 2017

Michigan Specialty Coatings, located in St. Clair, Michigan has been recognized with two national awards from CoatingsPro Magazine.  Industry winners were recently announced in New Orleans at the 2017 inaugural Contractor Awards Program designed to showcase and recognize the projects and crews that demonstrate excellence in the field of high-performance coatings.

Read entire story at EDA of St. Clair County.

Michigan’s I-69 Thumb Region is highlighting Ecotourism in the seven county Region which includes Genesee, Huron, Lapeer, Sanilac, Shiawassee, St. Clair and Tuscola counties.
Ecotourism can be defined as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education” (TIES, 2015).

On Thursday, May 4, 2017 there will be an Ecotourism Symposium at The Willows Ecology Center at Chatfield School in Lapeer. Participants will hear from energetic speakers and learn about how to promote and develop ecotourism sites and events that will attract visitors and get locals excited about conservation. The day-long Symposium is open to all and the cost is $20, which includes breakfast, lunch, an I-69 Thumb Region water bottle and optional guided paddle on beautiful Farmers Creek.

To register, or if you have questions, please click the link https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WWH57VX  or call the Genesee County Metropolitan Planning Commission at 810.257.3010.

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Media Contact:
Anna Pinter, Planner III
GLS Region V
1101 Beach Street, Room 223
Flint, MI  48502
810.257.3010
apinter@co.genesee.mi.us

(Port Huron, MI) – P.J. Wallbank Springs, Inc. has been recognized as one of the 2017 “Michigan 50 Companies to Watch,” an awards program presented by Michigan Celebrates Small Business.

P.J. Wallbank Springs, Inc. will be honored at an awards ceremony during the twelfth annual Michigan Celebrates Small Business gala event, May 4, 2017 in Lansing, Mich.

Read the entire story at EDA of St. Clair County.

Today, the Great Lakes Commission and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) announced nearly $21,000 in grants to fund river, stream, and creek cleanup events around the state.

Michigan’s Volunteer River, Stream, and Creek Cleanup Program provides $500 to $5,000 in grants to clean and improve Michigan’s waters. Local governments often partner with nonprofit organizations or other volunteer groups for the cleanups, which include removal of trash and other debris from streams and stream banks. Removal of natural materials like fallen trees, branches, and rocks is not allowed to ensure the continued health of the waterway.

The groups selected to receive grants in 2017 include:

• Macomb County Public Works Office, “Keeping It Clean with the Clinton River Watershed Council” – $4,917.50
• Huron River Watershed Council, “Huron River Coordinated Cleanups” – $4,310
• City of Grand Haven, “7th Annual Ottawa County Grand River Cleanup” – $3,000
• Grand Traverse Conservation District, “Boardman River Clean Sweep 2017” – $2,050
• Shiawassee County Health Department, “22nd Annual Shiawassee River Cleanup” – $1,900
• St. Joseph County Conservation District, “St. Joseph River Cleanup” – $1,775.50
• Barry Conservation District, “22nd Annual Thornapple River Cleanup” – $1,525
• Calhoun Conservation District, “Kalamazoo River Cleanup & Celebration” – $1,210

The cleanup grant program began in 1998 and is funded by the sale of the state’s water quality protection license plates. Grants are administered by the Great Lakes Commission, under contract with the MDEQ. These grants help foster local stewardship and a sense of community while protecting Michigan’s waters.

For more information, visit http://www.glc.org/work/VRSCCP.

FLINT, MI — The state awarded a $2.5 million Michigan Strategic Fund grant to support the Flint Ferris Wheel Innovation Center and 100K Ideas in downtown Flint.

With the renovation of the seven-story building comes 100K ideas, an innovation platform that is expected to “put a new spin on the way innovators approach the startup process by offering a ‘one-stop-shop’ to support them from concept to commercialization,” according to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

“Not only will this project redevelop a seven-story vacant building in downtown Flint, but the business climate and entrepreneurial hub will add vibrancy, people on the street, and a viable way forward for many Flint residents well into the future,” said Steve Arwood, CEO of the MEDC. “Our hope is that entrepreneurial businesses graduating from the space will continue to thrive in downtown Flint, locating their businesses to surrounding buildings and commercial spaces.”

Read entire story at MLive.

FLINT, MI — Huntington National Bank plans to expand its call center in downtown Flint, investing nearly $5.4 million in renovating its Saginaw Street complex and creating 60 new jobs.

A $450,000 performance-based grant from the Michigan Strategic Fund brought the overall cost to relocate the bank’s call center to Flint lower than a competitive site in Ohio, according to a Michigan Economic Development Corporation news release.

Along with the creation of 60 new jobs, Huntington plans to invest $5.4 million in building renovations at the complex, formerly the regional headquarters of FirstMerit, to expand its call center. Huntington acquired FirstMerit in 2016.

Read entire story here at MLive.

Businesses are growing in the Blue Water region, the craft beer is brewing, and the pace of development continues to accelerate. Through it all, philanthropists, business owners, educators, and real estate developers are collaborating in innovative ways to build competitive talent pipelines, attract investors to new ventures, and invigorate downtown life. Read about the investment firm that chose to locate its $19 million fund in St. Clair instead of Chicago, the brewery that’s planning a $5 million, 10,000-beer-barrel expansion, a “reverse scholarship” that pays people to relocate to the area, and more in our Crain’s Michigan Business special report: http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20170312/NEWS/170319980

For more information about St.Calir County EDA, visit: http://www.edascc.com/