Detroit Chamber, Counties Launch Economic Development Campaign At Mackinac
MACKINAC ISLAND (WWJ) - The Detroit Regional Chamber and three southeast Michigan county economic development offices plan a $6 million, three-year joint campaign to drive economic development and investment in Detroit and the rest of the region.
"Successful economic regions have regional economic development efforts," said Chamber president Sandy K. Baruah in announcing the effort on the porch of the Grand Hotel to kick off the chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference.
Baruah said the campaign, called the Detroit Regional Prosperity Campaign, would be aligned to the goals of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. It will focus on presenting and marketing southeast Michigan to economic development and investment prospects. Activities will include regional marketing strategy and materials, as well as coordinated national and international investment missions.
The chamber and its partners aim to raise $2 million a year for three years from the private sector to fund the campaign. Wayne County, Oakland County and Ann Arbor Saprk are initial backers of the campaign.
The first regional marketing materials that will be part of the campaign are to be launched Wednesday at 12:45 a.m. at the Mackinac conference.
The campaign will be co-chaired by DTE Energy chairman, president and CEO Gerry Anderson and Meritor Inc. chairman, CEO and president Chip McClure.
"Perceptions of Michigan are tangibly different than they were a year or two ago," said Anderson, adding that the new effort will build on moving those perceptions further.
