2023 Quarter 1 Economic Development Report
60
Q1
New Projects this Qtr
108 Open Projects this Qtr 1
New Company Created
9
Companies Visited
04.30.2023 Lenawee Now is a public-private partnership dedicated to economic and business expansion throughout Lenawee County. By attracting new businesses, helping to grow established businesses, and supporting entrepreneurial endeavors in Lenawee, Lenawee Now is creating an economically viable and vibrant region.
What We Do Our Mission:
To preserve existing jobs and foster the creation of more jobs for our citizens and more tax revenue for our communities. To support and collaborate with initiatives to improve the quality of life for all Lenawee County citizens thus making Lenawee County the choice for new and existing business growth.
Our Methods:
Lenawee Now functions as a project coordinator for both the communities we support and the companies we serve. Our efforts can be fairly simple, such as compiling information for a company to use in its decision making, or as involved as full project management for large company attractions / expansions. This can include everything from: • Connecting clients to proper resources • Working with clients and or their site selectors to help determine a location for a project • Managing the incentive paperwork and process • Advising entrepreneurs on the process to create and grow a business • Making presentations to key public and private decision makers • Assist companies in finding and securing financing • Talent recruitment and training efforts When companies apply for local or state incentives, they fill out applications that require both job creation and investment estimates. Lenawee Now considers these projects a success after they are publicly announced or when the required approval process has taken place for the incentive sought by the company. Our jobs and investment numbers are based on these project announcements provided by the companies. Whatever role we might play, we report jobs and investments for projects where we have played an active role in helping a company decide to move forward.
Quarterly Highlights
Patrick Farver was named as Lenawee Now’s Executive Director, starting
PEOPLE
March 15. Pat is a seasoned business leader with experience doing business on regional, national, and international levels. He has over 40 years of economic development involvement in Lenawee County and 45 years in sales, marketing, engineering, and management with a Lenawee-based international manufacturing company.
Board of Directors At the March 2023 Lenawee Now Annual meeting, the following officers were elected. Chair: Mindy Bradish-Orta, Consumers Energy Vice Chair: Jim Kapnick, Kapnick Insurance Secretary: Kathryn Mohr, Mohr Budds Law Treasurer: Jason Hess, Krieghoff-Lenawee.
Quarterly Highlights continued
Align Center for Workforce Development
ACTIVITIES
Lenawee Now has a work group comprised of Lenawee Now staff and other subject matter experts working on a natural extension of the Align Talent System, The Align Center for Workforce Development. The Center will provide training and workforce resources to employers in Lenawee County. The Center also will prepare workers for current and future employment skills needed by employers. The Center will partner with local educational and workforce e The development groups to leverage existing resources for workforce development. The Center will need physical space to deliver programs and services and to establish a Makers Workspace to engage with the community. Lenawee Now is applying for grants to help with start-up costs. Other matching funds will come from local foundations and employers. The long-term goal is for the Center to be financially viable and self-sustaining. We anticipate significant progress on this project in 2023.
Automotive Dealership Collaborative The Automotive Dealership Collaborative, hosted and supported by Lenawee Now, had an eventful first quarter. Trying to fill a need for entrylevel technicians, Lenawee Now worked with the LISD TECH Center to put together a course for existing dealership employees who need to pass State certification tests. Without certifications, these employees lack career advancement opportunities and are limited in what they could do for their employers. e The Eleven employees from four different dealerships were enrolled by their employers in a Brakes and Braking Systems course at the LISD TECH Center. All 11 were successful in completing the course and have received their Brakes certification from the State of Michigan. All 11 are now enrolled in a Steering and Suspension course and are expected to soon be certified in that area as well.
Quarterly Highlights continued
ACTIVITIES
Winery Collaborative Late in 2022, Lenawee Now partnered with Visit Lenawee to form a Winery Collaborative consisting of four Lenawee County wineries and this collaborative has had a busy first quarter of 2023. The first order of business was to establish a Wine Makers apprenticeship for the group to train the next generation of winemakers for our local businesses. Next, the group established the new “River Raisin Wine eTrail” Theto work on common issues and jointly market our local wineries to the surrounding metro areas. With the help of Lenawee Now, the group recently submitted a grant application for a new mobile semiautomatic bottling line that could be shared by all four wineries. The official public unveiling of the “River Raisin Wine Trail” will take place on May 20, 2023, with the River Raisin Wine Trail Fare and Pair event hosted at the wineries.
Regional Child Care Planning Grant Lenawee Now was awarded a $230,000 regional childcare planning grant from the Early Childhood Investment Corp. It is an 18-month grant that will also cover Monroe and Hillsdale counties. The grant will help us assess the lack of childcare in the three-county region and devise regional remedies. We will bring together a variety of stakeholders including, parents, employers, and childcare facilities to better understand the scope of the problem e The and the necessary solutions.
Quarterly Highlights continued
Learning Management System (LMS)
ACTIVITIES
Align's LMS has more than 150 courses among 15 different categories. Not only is it a resource to address the great need for professional skills training, but it includes leadership, human resources and technical skills training as well. The LMS allows us to market our affiliate trainings as well, including those for youth and adults. The courses available through the LMS will help ease the staff time needed to conduct onboarding and other annual compliance training for companies.
e The
Align also has the ability to create customized training for organizations and ensure company privacy, even though multiple companies are utilizing the same system. The system allows for a lot of customization in the set up for each company. Contact Shelia Blair: sblair@lenaweenow.org for details
Healthcare Workgroup The Healthcare Workgroup is working hard to establish career exploration curriculum for middle and high school students. Their work will culminate in a day camp for middle and high school students, with the opportunity for students to do hands-on exploration of several different medical careers, including Biomedical Technology, Phlebotomy, Infection Disease, Laboratory Technology and Pharmacology. The event will be held on June 14th on the campus of Siena Heights University and using their medical labs to provide Lms, marshall cte, etc students with that real-life experience. All students from 7-12th grades are invited to attend, but the day camp is only available to the first 50 registrants. Students may register at https://s.surveyplanet.com/72n55v0j Following the camp, the curriculum will be used in the classroom to provide students with medical career exposure and skills.
Quarterly Highlights continued
ACTIVITIES
Adopt-A-District This is a new program started by our Align Talent System. The purpose of this program is to recruit local businesses and employees to partner with their local school districts in the following ways: • • • • •
Speak to students about career paths and opportunities. Host events at their location (Manufacturer’s Day, Student Tours, etc.), so students can get a better understanding of their workplace. Serve as a guest speaker in certain classes*. Sponsor a field trip related to their industry. Serve as an expert in their field**.
*Someone from an organization could teach part of a class. For example, if the class is English, perhaps a Manager can come to the school to demonstrate the skills needed to write a business report.
e**The Theschool may need someone to critique resumes. As an HR specialist or hiring manager, one would be able to provide expertise. The future is happening now in Lenawee County. Our businesses and our schools need to have a more seamless relationship as more and more students are going directly into the workplace. This program brings local businesses and schools together to understand and meet each other’s needs.
Quarterly Highlights continued
EVENTS
CEO Challenge: Starting in January, Lenawee schools took part in the first part of the Junior Achievement CEO Challenge: Spark. At this event, students heard from a panel of local entrepreneurs and participated in a structured activity where they created a fun business concept to pitch in a two-minute infomercial. Following that experience, individuals returned to their schools, and assembled teams, for Ignite, the second section of the CEO Challenge. Over the course of six weeks, students would develop a product or service, and strategy for turning it into a viable business. On Saturday, March 18, the final part of the CEO Challenge: Launch took e The place at the Jackson Area Career Center. At this event, 13 teams of three to six high school students in Lenawee and Jackson Counties give a business pitch in front of a panel of judges. After the initial Elimination rounds, the final three teams went against each other to compete for the grand prize of $1,000. Lenawee Now was proud to be one of the sponsors and participate in this event.
Career Connections Job Fair: The second annual Career Connections countywide job fair was held Wednesday, March 22, 2023, and it more than doubled the participation levels of last year. The event allowed more than 40 employers to meet with over 275 local adults, college students and high school juniors and seniors. New aspects to this year’s Career Connections Job Fair included offering mini seminars to high school students. We identified four presenters to deliver 15e Theseminars on the following topics: minute • Tuition reimbursement and scholarships • What community resources are there upon graduation? • Skilled trades and apprenticeships • The role social media plays in getting a job Lenawee Now thanks the sponsors and partners that helped to put this event together.
Quarterly Highlights continued
EVENTS
You Be The Chemist: Lenawee County’s first regional You Be The Chemist challenge was hosted on March 8, 2023, at the Adrian High School Center for Performing Arts. This regional contest was an initiative of the Lenawee County Chemical Collaborative, a group of local chemical companies and supported by Lenawee Now. This is a science-based quiz bowl-style competition, where teams of fifth through eighth grade students from Lenawee County school districts competed. The event is meant to help Lenawee students develop an interest in chemistry and learn about local jobs and companies in this field. In addition to the quiz bowl, competitors are also tasked with creating a five-to-seven-minute video, based on a topic selected by the Chemical Education Foundation, demonstrating the real-world application of the principles of chemistry. At this event, an Onsted Middle School team took 3rd place and teams from the Springbrook Middle School took 1st and endThe 2 . State winners will be announced in April. Then the five teams from across the nation scoring the highest when combining the video and regional challenge scores will be qualified to compete in the national competition in Houston, Texas.
Lenawee Now Metrics
The project pipeline January 1, 2023 – March 31, 2023
QTR
These metrics track projects that are /were in our pipeline this period / YTD.
Metrics of success are recorded when Lenawee Now assists projects that successfully create jobs and/or investment in the community. Won-Pending: projects that will close soon but waiting on public announcement. RFP Responses: Number of responses to prospect attraction requests. Other Services: # of services provided to clients outside of RFP responses. Attraction Visit: # of in-person visits from attraction clients. The Call Program is Lenawee Now’s outreach program to local employers (private & public). These visits are made to build relationships, identify projects, and connect employers to community resources.
Lenawee Now celebrates all projects that may have an impact on our county. We do not count jobs and investments where we were not directly involved.
New Projects Projects in Pipeline Open Projects as of 4-1-23 Potential New Jobs Potential New Investment
60 108 78 1416 $562M
Success Metrics
Successful Projects Companies Created Won-Pending Projects New Jobs New Investment
1 1 1 1 $0
Activity Metrics
RFP Responses Other Services Provided Attraction Site Visits
15 122 1
Company Visits
9
FTEs at Companies Visited
260
Project Pipeline
Call Program
YTD
Successes Client Mendoza Consulting
Client Type Start-Up Client
Sector 61: Educational Services
Mendoza Consulting – City of Adrian A consulting firm specializing in the medical industry.
New Jobs
Investment 1
$0
11: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
Projects by Cluster
22: Utilities
Open in Qtr 1
23: Construction 3% 2% 10%
31-33: Manufacturing
1% 3%
42: Wholesale Trade
1%
2% 2%
44-45: Retail Trade
3%
48-49: Transportation and Warehousing
2% 1%
51: Information
5%
46% 53: Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
7%
54: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
2% 8%
3%
56: Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 61: Educational Services 62: Health Care and Social Assistance 71: Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 72: Accommodation and Food Services 81: Other Services (except Public Administration)
Projects by Client Type Open in QTR 1
21%
Existing Lenawee Business 35% Attraction Client
Start-Up Client
44%
Pipeline As of 4-1-2023
Client ID
Client Type
Sector
New Jobs
Investment
C-1968
Attraction Client
11: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
C-1943
Attraction Client
22: Utilities
$0
C-1949
Attraction Client
23: Construction
$0
C-1910
Attraction Client
31-33: Manufacturing
400
$0
C-1128
Attraction Client
31-33: Manufacturing
25
$800,000
C-1912
Attraction Client
31-33: Manufacturing
100
$4,000,000
C-1945
Attraction Client
31-33: Manufacturing
288
$200,000,000
C-1958
Attraction Client
31-33: Manufacturing
$0
C-1971
Attraction Client
31-33: Manufacturing
$0
C-1983
Attraction Client
31-33: Manufacturing
$0
C-1985
Attraction Client
31-33: Manufacturing
150
$152,000,000
C-1989
Attraction Client
31-33: Manufacturing
20
$0
$0
Pipeline As of 4-1-2023
Client ID
Client Type
Sector
New Jobs
Investment
C-1953
Attraction Client
42: Wholesale Trade
100
$30,000,000
C-1904
Attraction Client
44-45: Retail Trade
$0
C-1978
Attraction Client
44-45: Retail Trade
$20,000
C-1980
Attraction Client
C-1952
Attraction Client
C-1947
Attraction Client
C-1867
Attraction Client
51: Information 53: Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 53: Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 62: Health Care and Social Assistance
C-1627
Attraction Client
51: Information
$0
C-1627
Attraction Client
51: Information
$0
C-1635
Existing Lenawee Business
23: Construction
C-1638
Existing Lenawee Business
23: Construction
$0
C-1763
Existing Lenawee Business
31-33: Manufacturing
$0
C-1285
Existing Lenawee Business
31-33: Manufacturing
40
$0
C-1868
Existing Lenawee Business
31-33: Manufacturing
60
$15,000,000
$0 $30,000,000 $0 125
1
$0
$0
Pipeline As of 4-1-2023
Client Type
Sector
C-1877
Existing Lenawee Business
31-33: Manufacturing
$0
C-1882
Existing Lenawee Business
31-33: Manufacturing
$0
C-1249
Existing Lenawee Business
31-33: Manufacturing
15
$40,864,500
C-1026
Existing Lenawee Business
31-33: Manufacturing
2
$50,000
C-1416
Existing Lenawee Business
31-33: Manufacturing
$0
C-1416
Existing Lenawee Business
31-33: Manufacturing
$0
C-1146
Existing Lenawee Business
31-33: Manufacturing
$50,000,000
C-1026
Existing Lenawee Business
31-33: Manufacturing
C-1856
Existing Lenawee Business
31-33: Manufacturing
$0
C-1231
Existing Lenawee Business
31-33: Manufacturing
$12,000,000
C-1076
Existing Lenawee Business
31-33: Manufacturing
$0
C-1076
Existing Lenawee Business
31-33: Manufacturing
C-1794
Existing Lenawee Business
44-45: Retail Trade
$0
C-1866
Existing Lenawee Business
44-45: Retail Trade
$0
C-1925
Existing Lenawee Business
44-45: Retail Trade
$0
Client ID
New Jobs
Investment
2
25
$130,000
$2,000,000
Pipeline As of 4-1-2023
Client ID
Client Type
Sector
New Jobs
Investment
C-1948
Existing Lenawee Business
44-45: Retail Trade
$0
C-1951
Existing Lenawee Business
$0
C-1930
Existing Lenawee Business
C-1323
Existing Lenawee Business
44-45: Retail Trade 48-49: Transportation and Warehousing 48-49: Transportation and Warehousing
C-1858
Existing Lenawee Business
C-1807
Existing Lenawee Business
C-1922
Existing Lenawee Business
C-1987
Existing Lenawee Business
51: Information 53: Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 53: Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 54: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
C-1719
Existing Lenawee Business
61: Educational Services
$12,000
C-1929
Existing Lenawee Business
$0
C-1666
Existing Lenawee Business
C-1923
Existing Lenawee Business
C-1926
Existing Lenawee Business
C-1988
Existing Lenawee Business
61: Educational Services 72: Accommodation and Food Services 72: Accommodation and Food Services 72: Accommodation and Food Services 72: Accommodation and Food Services
C-1312
Existing Lenawee Business
92: Public Administration
$4,000,000 $0 5
$190,000 $5,600,000 $0 $0
$0 5
$60,000 $0
5
$0 $0
Pipeline As of 4-1-2023
Client ID
Client Type
Sector
New Jobs
Investment
C-1991
Existing Lenawee Business 92: Public Administration
$0
C-1891
Start-Up Client
31-33: Manufacturing
$0
C-1890
Start-Up Client
31-33: Manufacturing
$0
C-1955
Start-Up Client
42: Wholesale Trade
$0
C-1918
Start-Up Client
44-45: Retail Trade
$0
C-1990
Start-Up Client
44-45: Retail Trade
$0
C-1888
Start-Up Client
51: Information
$0
C-1946
Start-Up Client
C-1942
Start-Up Client
C-1977
Start-Up Client
C-1878
Start-Up Client
C-1920
Start-Up Client
C-1940
Start-Up Client
C-1860
Start-Up Client
C-1889
Start-Up Client
51: Information 53: Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 56: Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 62: Health Care and Social Assistance 71: Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 71: Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 72: Accommodation and Food Services 72: Accommodation and Food Services
$1,000,000 $11,600,000
$0 $0 $0 $0 45
$1,700,000 $0
Pipeline Client ID
As of 4-1-2023
Client Type
Sector
New Jobs
Investment
C-1944
Start-Up Client
C-1900
Start-Up Client
C-1970
Start-Up Client
72: Accommodation and Food Services 72: Accommodation and Food Services 72: Accommodation and Food Services
C-1865
Start-Up Client
81: Other Services
C-1908
Start-Up Client
81: Other Services
$50,000
C-1976
Start-Up Client
81: Other Services
$0
Total
77
$0 $0 $0 1
1414
$30,000
$561,106,500
Call Program The Call Program is a core economic development strategy that involves proactively outreaching and engaging with our existing employer base to determine where they face opportunities and challenges. These calls allow us to: • Gather information about local businesses that can be aggregated to reveal trends • Determine valuable resources that can assist in the client’s development • Identify growth projects that require assistance • Serve as an ombudsman between businesses and government Proactive outreach helps companies address challenges before they become problems, supports their continued growth and helps them see that our area is invested in their success Companies go where they are wanted and stay where they are appreciated.
Client
Location
Sector
PPG Industries
City of Adrian
31-33: Manufacturing
Black Fire Winery
Tecumseh Township
31-33: Manufacturing
Daejin Advanced Materials USA
City of Adrian
31-33: Manufacturing
Cambridge Cheese Co.
Village of Onsted
31-33: Manufacturing
General Broach
City of Morenci
31-33: Manufacturing
Roth Fabricating Inc. Sweetie Pants Children's Boutique
City of Morenci
31-33: Manufacturing
City of Tecumseh
44-45: Retail Trade
Get Lenawee
City of Adrian
51: Information
PlaneWave Instruments
City of Adrian
31-33: Manufacturing
Dashboard
Unemployment
Laborforce
February 2023
Q3 2022
February 2023
Michigan: 4.6%
Michigan: $1,236
Michigan: 4,839,421
Lenawee: 5.1%
Lenawee: $976
Lenawee: 44,735
The unemployment rate in Lenawee County increased by 24% from the December 2022 rate of 4.1%. The state unemployment rate increased by 21% from the December 2022 rate of 3.8%.
The average weekly wage in Lenawee County increased by 5.8% from Q2 to Q3 2022. The state average weekly wage increased by 4.66% from Q2 to Q3 2022.
The laborforce in Lenawee County increased by 0.65% from the December 2022 count of 44,447. The state laborforce increased by 0.38% from the December 2022 count of 4,820,879.
Source BLS.gov
The local dashboard tracks demographic trends that are important measures of economic growth. The data is complied from a range of sources, including the Bureau for labor Statistics, the Census, and more. using the most recent data available. Timing of updates vary by source.
Wages
Source BLS.gov
Source BLS.gov
Social Media Analytics
The number of times a post or story showed up in different users’ feeds throughout its lifetime.
Social media impressions
75,393
Number of times that users engaged (liked, commented, shared, etc.) with a post during its lifetime.
Social Media Interactions
3,498
Website Visits
4,234
You Tube Video Views
909
New Followers
82
Total Followers
4,412
Lenawee Now Economic Lunch:
Upcoming Events
The Centre, May 15, 2023 Keynote Speaker: Stephanie Ludwig As the Program director for the University of Michigan’s Economic Growth Institute, Stephanie is uniquely qualified to share insights and resources for workforce training, enhancing manufacturing processes, product engineering, and product development capacity. Since earning her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University, she has gained over 15 years of experience in a plethora of fields, including healthcare, education, and retail. For the last three years, she has worked at the Institute for economic growth, as a project manager and has recently made the transition to managing the program. Register at www.lenaweenow.org/lenawee-economic-club-2/
Launch Lenawee: Adrian Armory Orientation: May 17, 2023.
First class: June 14, 2023
Launch Lenawee is holding an open to all orientation on Wednesday May 17 at 5pm. This will be an overview and Q & A for the upcoming Launch Lenawee business development program. In our sixth year, we provide a comprehensive overview of the basics for small business operations. Running a business and want to improve? Thinking of developing a new business? Come join us for an informative session to answer your questions! Our Launch Lenawee class will begin on Wednesday, June 14 at 5pm at the Adrian Armory and runs for 10 weeks. Register at www.LaunchLenawee.org
Donors
Contact Details
Contact Details Tim Robinson, CEcD, Director of Operations Tim@lenaweenow.org 517-265-5141