Lenawee, 5 other counties form regional development group

Lenawee Now has joined with economic development organizations in Hillsdale, Jackson, Livingston, Monroe and Washtenaw counties in an effort to attract businesses to the region.

“Lenawee County is more than pleased with our newly formed partnership in the Greater Ann Arbor Region. Combining the resources and assets of our six counties brings a wealth of strength to the economic development process within our region,” said Jim Van Doren, executive director of Lenawee Now, in a news release.

Through the Greater Ann Arbor Region, the counties are to make a collaborative effort to market the area to company executives and site selectors considering new business locations, Van Doren stated. The effort is funded with a grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

Marketing efforts are designed to highlight the region’s unique assets, specifically in manufacturing, life sciences, automotive, software and information technology, according to the news release. Outreach efforts will also promote the Greater Ann Arbor Region’s university and college system.

“Each of the counties involved in the Greater Ann Arbor Region marketing push brings unique strengths and assets to the table, but it’s in the combination of assets that a strong, compelling story emerges,” said Paul Krutko, president and CEO of Ann Arbor Spark. “This collaborative effort to promote the Greater Ann Arbor Region shines a spotlight on the importance of regionalism and how, by working together with our peers and neighbors, we can drive our economy forward.”

To kick off its outreach efforts, the Greater Ann Arbor Region created a new website that features research data, available properties and other tools that businesses can use to evaluate location options. The website also features case studies of successful regional businesses, including VenTower of Monroe, C. Raker and Sons of Hillsdale and NuStep of Ann Arbor.

The partners are to launch a targeted email and social media marketing campaign to create awareness of the Greater Ann Arbor Region. Tours of the region are also to be hosted for site selectors.

The Greater Ann Arbor Region collaborative includes Ann Arbor Spark, the Hillsdale County Economic Development Partnership, The Enterprise Group of Jackson, the Monroe County Business Development Corp. and Lenawee Now.