What areas of West Michigan are included? For this article, we have included the four counties where The Right Place provides direct business development support services to local businesses: Kent, Ionia, Newaygo, and Montcalm counties. These meetings give us qualitative insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by companies. Our business research and intelligence team is then able to compare that informationwith thequantitative labor market information platform, Emsi. This combination of qualitative and quantitative information provides more complete insight on regional economic trends. Let’s start with the quantitative side of the equation. I nWestMichigan, businesses are growing. The economy is booming. Yet, persistent challenges remain. For manyWest Michigan businesses, 2018 began with the same fast pace and volatility felt throughout 2017. The good news? Business is up. West Michigan companies are investing in growth initiatives and creating jobs. The bad news? Familiar challenges persist. The rapid advancement of technology and automation continue their disruption, the future of NAFTA remains uncertain, and years of record-low unemployment levels make talented employees harder to find. Although businesses are facing challenges and uncertainty, there are also opportunities. Many of West Michigan’s industries are growing at rates out-pacing the state and nation. The Right Place is dedicated to working with these growing industries, providing businesses the assistance they need to create jobs in our community. Specifically, we serve businesses in Kent, Ionia, Montcalm, and Newaygo counties, where we meet with over 400 companies each year.
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THE STATE OF OUR REGION
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