September Twenty Twenty Newsletter
Monroe County's Lead Economic Development Organization geared up with a growth strategy for the 21st Century …

Your Opinion Matters!
How would you describe Monroe County? What are our characteristics? How would you tell the story?

The Monroe County Link Image & Brand Pillar Team has contracted with Phire Group to put our best foot forward. After numerous community focus groups, we now want to hear from EVERYONE. TO DO SO, WE NEED YOUR HELP!

We ask that you take a few minutes to complete a survey so we can capture your thoughts on two potential brand concepts. PLUS you will have a chance to receive a $25 gift card and inaugural t-shirt!

We appreciate you, your time, and your commitment to helping tell the story of Monroe County!
Mid-American Group's New Product Offering
We are happy to share a new program just launched by one of our investors, Mid-American Group. This program is a product that is used to stabilize shores and assist with high water issues that surround our local community and state.

Mid-American Group's "Breakwaters" are a product for shoreline restoration and control. Breakwaters are designed to absorb energy of the waves that strike either by using a large mass or a revetment slope. The product absorbs incidental swells, reduces wave overtopping and minimizes reflection.

Breakwaters using Mid-American's tetrapods dissipate the force of incoming waves by allowing water to flow around rather than against it. They reduce displacement by allowing a random distribution of tetrapods to mutually interlock and settle into a linked configuration. Tetrapod barriers are flexible and maintain their hydraulic performance even after collapse. The collapse is a design feature allowing the tetrapods to work together forming a strong barrier for erosion and security.

Learn more by clicking on the presentation above or by visiting Mid-American Group's website!
New MC Hospital Update

The COVID-19 pandemic has put an unintended delay on the building of the new ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital. The original groundbreaking was scheduled for this year on the Raisin River Golf Course property purchased on North Dixie Highway. Due to COVID implications, the new facility's grand opening has been pushed back to sometime in 2025 or 2026.

ProMedica still intends to build a new hospital in the county per Darrin Arquette, President of ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital and BDC Board Member. "Our commitment to a new facility has not wavered," Arquette said. "None of us want to wait longer for a new facility ... but we need to have a dedicated focus on navigating the pandemic."

The pandemic has motivated ProMedica to rethink their original plans for the hospital as new innovations emerge. "There are a lot of lessons learned going through this pandemic. You get one shot at these facilities and they have to last a long time. We want to make sure it's done right," Mr. Arquette said.

We look forward to hearing more about this exciting project in the future months!
The Monthly Link Plan Update by Florence Buchanan
What’s going on with the Monroe County Link Plan?

As we all know, August is a big vacation month for Michiganders, but I am happy to say, the Image & Brand Pillar Team remained on target for developing a county-wide brand, as the project moved into the next phase. Seven virtual focus groups were held during August with representation from Bedford, the Greater Monroe area, Luna Pier, Dundee and the Young Professionals Networking Group. Each focus group provided feedback on the remaining two options for the county-wide brand. All who participated eagerly voiced their opinions and recommendations. The focus groups were definitely a success!

The next phase of the project is launching a county-wide community brand survey to gain additional opinions and perspectives from residents throughout the county. We want you to take the survey and share with family and friends because your opinions count! Please see above article, Your Opinion Matters and participate in the survey!
The Grow Strategically Pillar Team is working on a Business Development Hub. The mission of the Hub is to grow and sustain diverse sectors of small-medium enterprises, including both start-ups and grow-ups throughout the county. The development process will be a collaborative effort of businesses, educators, financial institutions and various other stakeholders. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the focus on the sustainability and growth of small-medium size businesses underscoring the need for the Business Development Hub.

The BDC and the Grow Strategically Pillar Team has taken the lead and will continue to provide support by providing access to resources and business education opportunities. In addition, you can visit the Entrepreneurial Resources section of our website.
Welcome New Investor - Industrial Power Systems
Industrial Power Systems (IPS) joined our line up of investors this month! IPS is a 35-year strong regional EPCM leader providing solutions to their clients from concept to completion. Their full range of capabilities allow them to exceed client expectations while embodying Integrity, Performance, and Safety. IPS prides themselves in setting industry leading standards while delivering engineering/design, procurement, construction, and maintenance services (EPCM). 

We think IPS is going to be a great addition to our family of investors. We look forward to building on our relationship with them and introducing them to other investors. Learn more about IPS by visiting their website!
Our Annual Fall Event

We are excited to announce our annual fall event. The date is not set as yet but we do have a place! ... Focus On The Future 2020 will be virtual! The Monroe County Community College will be co-hosting this event with us again this year and the plans are underway.

Watch for details to be released soon!
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