Mecosta County Development News and Updates

Call for Economic Development Projects

The West Michigan Regional Planning Commission (WMRPC) is soliciting projects from communities in the region that might be eligible for funding under programs administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration. Each year, the WMRPC updates the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) document required by EDA. Only projects included in the current CEDS document are eligible for funding consideration under EDA programs. Counties covered by the regional CEDS document include Allegan, Ionia, Kent, Mecosta, Montcalm, Osceola, and Ottawa.

Additional information on project listing and inclusion in the CEDS document, including the project evaluation criteria and submission form can be found in the documents below. The Regional Planning Commission is targeting a May 1, 2011 deadline for project submission. For questions on the program or those needing additional information, contact the Mecosta County Development Corporation or the West Michigan Regional Planning Commission directly.

Project Solicitation Memo

Project Evaluation Criteria

Project Submission Form

Governor Snyder’s Reform Messages

Shortly after taking office, Governor Rick Snyder introduced the first of what promised to be a number of important messages to the Legislature and the citizens of the State of Michigan detailing proposed reforms in a number of critical areas of state government. The first of these, titled Community Development and Local Government Reforms was delivered on March 21, 2011 and emphasized consolidation and service sharing, accountability and transparency, and controlling compensation costs. A copy of this first message can be read here.

The governor delivered another message on the topic of infrastructure reforms in October, 2011. The message, titled Reinventing Michigan’s Infrastructure: Better Roads Drive Better Jobs, covered the topics of transit authorities, roads and bridges, financing, public and mass transportation, air transportation, international trade, water and sewer, dam removal, and broadband access. Details of the governor’s entire message on infrastructure can be read here.

MEDA's Initiative to Remake Michigan

In September 2010, ahead of the November general elections that year, the Michigan Economic Developers Association created a Whitepaper to identify the challenges and opportunities facing the state and to present solutions to address these from the perspective of the practicing economic developer. The report, Economic Development Practitioners' Perspective: An Initiative to Remake Michigan, relied on a survey of six focus groups to provided the bulk of the data as well as a comparison of other plans proposed from a variety of sources. The final set of recommendations were published in the resulting Whitepaper. The findings were divided into three broad categories of issues and solutions which included business climate issues, the role of the state in economic development, and incentives. The purpose of the Whitepaper was to provide guidance and thoughtful solutions for policy makers to the myriad of concerns affecting the economic health and wellbeing of the state. A copy of the final report can be read by clicking on the link here.

Mecosta County Means Jobs!

Not only is Mecosta County a great place to recreate, live, and raise a family, it is also a great place to work and grow your business. This fact was once again demonstrated in late 2009 when two major employers, Haworth Corporation and Wolverine World Wide, both announced plans to expand their workforce at their Big Rapids locations.

While the news was good for the Mecosta County community, it unfortunately meant the loss of jobs in two out-of-state communities. In the case of Haworth, this meant relocating their wood furniture operation in Calgary, Alberta, Canada to west Michigan. As a result, the communities of Holland and Big Rapids anticipate a total of 649 new jobs over the next five years; an estimated 112 of those jobs are projected to come to Haworth’s Big Rapids Components facility during that same timeframe. For Wolverine World Wide, this move meant closing its Jonesboro, Arkansas plant and expanding their Big Rapids plant to include full assembly of selected footwear. The estimated 286 new jobs are expected to be created over the next three years because of this decision. Applying Mecosta County’s employment multiplier of 1.89 to these numbers (as established independently by Montgomery Consulting), the total direct and indirect jobs to be created over the next three to five years is 752 across all sectors of the county economy. In an era when employers are facing a challenging economic climate, this is good news indeed for Mecosta County!

The Mecosta County Development Corporation is proud to have been part of the decision by these companies to expand in their Big Rapids facilities. Community members, staff, and state representatives spent the past year meeting with company officials and offering an incentive package that played a part in their decision to relocate and expand locally. Officials from both companies cited the quality and flexibility of their workforces as another factor driving their decision. Why not treat your company to an environment that is home to the fastest growing public university in the state, an available and well-trained workforce which focuses on quality production, and a business-friendly environment? For more information, contact the Mecosta County Development Corporation at 1-866-MECOSTA (632-6782), locally at 231-592-3403, or by e-mail at mecostaedc@co.mecosta.mi.us We would love to have you!

Education is a Priority in Mecosta County—And We Can Prove It!

What’s better than receiving a medal in recognition of achieving excellence in your area of specialization? Two medals of course! That was the case late in 2009 when both the Big Rapids Public Schools and Crossroads Charter Academy were notified that they were among the top schools in the state as identified by an annual study commissioned by U.S. News and World Report.

In the methodology which assessed more than 21,000 high schools across the nation, a three step process was used. In the first two steps, the schools were evaluated on their ability to serve all their students well, using state proficiency standards as the benchmarks. Schools that passed these first two tests were then assessed on the degree to which they prepared their students for college-level work.

Big Rapids High School was one of only nineteen schools statewide to receive a Silver Medal according to the report. Nationally, only 461 high schools achieved this status. According to these results, Big Rapids High School is among the top 2.3% of all high schools in the state.

Crossroads Charter Academy was awarded a Bronze Medal ranking according to the report’s methodology. They share this honor with seventy five other Michigan high schools and 1,189 schools nationally. Based on the methods used to rank the schools in the report, both schools are considered to be in the top 8.7% of all schools in the state, according to standardized test scores. Only one school in Michigan received the Gold Medal ranking awarded to the top 100 schools nationally.

The news was especially welcome since the recognition from U.S. News is not something that schools apply for but is instead recognition for what the schools are naturally doing. According to Big Rapids High School’s Principal Tim Haist, it shows what is going on in the community and the education that is continually offered to the students on a daily basis. Now Mecosta County can boast that not only is it home to Ferris State University, the fastest growing public university in the state, but it is also home to a superb public school system that is recognized for its ability to train future workers to excel in the workplace.

Is a quality education important to you and your employees? If so, we welcome you to learn more about the educational programs Mecosta County has to offer. Quality education for today’s youth, continuous training opportunities for the current workforce, and an environment where innovation in education prepares today’s and tomorrow’s workers to anticipate and excel in emerging technologies. What’s not to like? To find out more, contact the Mecosta County Development Corporation at 1-866-MECOSTA (632-6782), locally at 231-592-3403, or by e-mail at mecostaedc@co.mecosta.mi.us We’re here for you!