February 2021 Newsletter
Monroe County's Lead Economic Development Organization geared up with a growth strategy for the 21st Century …
2020 Monroe County Link Program
Year In Review
The year 2020 presented many challenges for economic development. The COVID-19 pandemic affected the progress of the Link Plan initiatives but most of the Pillar Teams were able to pivot from in-person to virtual meetings and achieve significant milestones. The virtual meeting format became the norm.

Collectively, over 60 volunteers representing large and small businesses, local government and education institutions volunteered 369 hours in 2020 and collectively 1,442 since 2018, not including additional time spent outside the scheduled meeting times. This is a very impressive volunteer effort for the betterment of our community.

The volunteers were able to accomplish four significant initiatives:

  • A county-wide brand was developed that will serve to bolster tourism and promote quality-of-life amenities.
  • A program was started to beautify the county’s I-75 interchanges by using eligible inmates from the county jail system for labor. The I-75 Beautification Program also includes a lawn maintenance certification opportunity that will provide a path to employment for inmates upon their release.
  • A business development hub was initiated that will provide business education resources, mentorship opportunities, funding opportunities and an overall comprehensive strategy for business development for start-ups and grow-ups. A shared workspace is one of the long-term goals.
  • One of the Link Plan Priority Development Areas located in Frenchtown Township was finalized resulting in a $100 million investment in the County.

To take a closer look at the Monroe County Link Plan accomplishments, you may view the full 2020 Year In Review Report!

I would like to thank all Link Plan volunteers and the BDC Team who worked tirelessly to sustain the Plan’s forward progress and address the needs of the business community. It was truly a collaborative effort! I am looking forward to 2021 and continuing these exemplary efforts.

We welcome more volunteers! If you are passionate about contributing to the economic growth and overall success of Monroe County and would like to serve on one of pillar teams, please contact me or one of the BDC Team via email.
Florence Buchanan
Project Manager | Monroe County Link Plan | Customer Experience360
fbuchanan@monroecountybdc.org or fbuchanan@customerexp360.com | 419-654-1934
Matching Fund Program Invests in ZoomBroom
The Matching Fund Program for Monroe County supports and encourages business growth with a variety of seed funding opportunities. The BDC partners with ProMedica Innovations to offer support to our community entrepreneurs.

The Matching Fund Program provided $40,000 in financial support to Monroe County's Randy Kuckuck and Kevin Newcomer for their new product, ZoomBroom. Their company will be matching this amount and expects to have their new product available on the Kickstarter platform in April 2021.
Randy stated, “It has been a great experience working with the Monroe County BDC. They were very responsive and supportive as we went through the application process for the Matching Fund Program. We look forward to continuing our work with them as we grow the business and bring jobs to Monroe County.”

Read the full Press Release here. Learn more about the Matching Fund Program here.
Two Strong Leaders Combine Forces on
Sustainable Mobility
Formed from the combination of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot S.A., two groups with strong track records and sound finances, Stellantis starts from a position of considerable strength. With a proud heritage stretching back 125 years, Stellantis is home to a full portfolio of storied brands. It’s this broad portfolio that is uniquely suited to offer distinctive, affordable, efficient and sustainable mobility solutions to meet their customers’ evolving needs.

Read more about Stellantis Press Release of January 19, 2021.
Going Pro Talent Fund Awardees

Michigan's Going Pro fund provides awards to employers for training which will lead to increased employee productivity and the competitiveness of Michigan businesses.

We were fortunate to have all 7 Monroe County Manufacturer's that made application to the program receive funding. Congratulations to the following awardees on their successful applications: Fluid Equipment Development Company (FEDCO), Tailor Welded Blanks (TWB), Autokiniton Global Group Axis Engineering, Dundee Manufacturing Company, Jaytec, Tooling Tech Group (TTG) Automation, and Premier Industries. Special thanks to our partners at Monroe County MI Works! for helping the companies through the process.

This is a phenomenal program and we look forward to the recently announced collaborative training program being released by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity sometime this Spring. Stay tuned for information regarding the new program in the BDC's Manufacturer's Update. If you are not yet on the Manufacturer's update list, please click here to email Matt.
More to come ...

Monroe County ... Michigan's Cornerstone. We hope that if you haven't heard about it, you go out and see what this new brand is all about. It is for you, and for your business! It is about us, our past, and our future!

Visit michcornerstonecom to learn more. Then, follow Michcornerstone on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to get exciting new developments that will be announced soon!
To Our Investors:
Email invites have been sent out to all of our investors. We hope that you will be able to join us for our Annual Investors' Meeting being held on Wed., March 10! Our meeting this year will be held virtually beginning at 8:00 am est.

Please register to attend and join us for a virtual tour of one of Monroe County's manufacturing gems!
Scheduling with the BDC Just Got Easier

The BDC's primary role as an organization is to make sure that we are checking in with our existing manufacturing, agricultural, transportation and logistics businesses throughout Monroe County. Nearly 80% of new capital investment and job creation comes from our existing businesses, and we want you to know that we are here to support you every step of the way.

We want to hear from you whether it be virtually or in person! In order to make the process easier, we have linked calendars with the Calendly app. Simply click the button below to schedule a Business Retention Check-In or quick Chat with us today!
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