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October 2010 News Update
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OCEA Receives Award
Small Business Development News
Michigan's Economy: Perspectives, Directions and Opportunities in 2011
News From Northern Initiatives
Otsego County Economic Alliance Receives Award
Gaylord, Michigan - The Otsego County Economic Alliance was honored by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) at the 2010 Michigan Downtown Conference on September 14. Jeff Ratcliffe, Executive Director of the Otsego County Economic Alliance, was presented with the 2010 MEDC Local Partner Award. Ratcliffe was cited by the MEDC as being a constant advocate for his region and clearly exceeding the expectations as an economic developer in the communities he represents. He was commended as an experienced professional who continually promotes programs, including the MEDC's,. to all of his communities. Ratcliffe's work with the City of Gaylord on facade improvement projects over the past two years and numerous infrastructure projects in the City, Bagley and Corwith Townships were recognized.
Ratcliffe, working with the City of Gaylord, Bagley Township, Corwith Township and Otsego County, has secured over $21 million in state and federal investment and $5.5 million in local financing that has assisted local business and industry with critical infrastructure and supported overall community development. "The Alliance's partnership with our business community, local governments, Gaylord DDA, Otsego County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, NEMCOG, MEDC, MDOT and the MDNRE have been critical to securing the investments necessary to support our community's growth and development" said Ratcliffe. "There hasn't been one of our projects that didn't involve collaboration between multiple entities, but the MEDC partnership has been the one constant."
Small Business Development News
Small business assistance provided by the Small Business and Technology Development Centers of Michigan in Northeast Lower Michigan has increased dramatically over the past year. Under the leadership and direction of Joel Schultz, the Director of the Region 1 program (the entire Upper Peninsula) and supported by a partnership with NEMCSA/Michigan Works!, Region 3 now has more small business consultants meeting with more small businesses than ever before. See this newsletter for details of their efforts throughout the region.
Michigan's Economy: Perspectives, Directions and Opportunities in 2011
There are at least three important groups that have weighed in on Michigan's future under new political leadership in Lansing starting in 2011: Michigan Economic Developers Association, the state-wide association representing over 470 members; Business Leaders for Michigan, a private, non-profit executive leadership organization dedicated to making Michigan a "Top Ten" state for job and economic growth headed by Doug Rothwell, the MEDC CEO during the Engler administration; and The Center for Michigan, a private, non-profit "think-and-do" tank founded by Phil Power in early 2006. Below are the reports/white papers prepared by each of these organizations. Click on the report(s) below you would like to read.
1) Economic Development Practitioner's Perspective: An Initiative to Remake Michigan
2) Michigan Turnaround Plan
3) Michigan's Defining Moment: 10,000 Voices to Transform our State
News From Northern Initiatives
The following is news from Dennis West, Executive Director of Northern Initiatives (NI), a private, non-profit community development corporation that provides rural entrepreneurs with access to capital, information and markets. Northern Initiatives' loan fund, business consulting and sector development services support rural entrepreneurs, from start-ups to established businesses. Their goal is to keep rural Michigan a viable and valuable participant in the economy.
On the Northern Initiatives front we had a couple of good things happen in September. First, we learned that we will receive a loan ($400,000) and grant ($100,000 to support technical assistance) from the USDA under their new Rural Microenterprise Assistance Program. The significance is that it gives us some money to serve all of our service area counties with microloans. Heretofore we were limited to seerving 34 of the 49 counties in our Northern Lower Michigan service area. This also helps to simplify for all prospective customers our use of the on-line application at www.niupnorth.org. So, if you have prospective customers in the counties on the map, we now can offer microloans and technical assistance support. (This means this program is now available in Otsego County!!).
The second part of what happened in September was the Small Business Bill which passed Congress yesterday. It will, among other things, raise the SBA Microloans to $50,000 which will also be a nice additiion of opportunity for our customers. It also included a provision to create a pilot program that our Senator, Carl Levin, has worked on to put into law for five years. The provision will create a pilot program in support of growing businesses who are not yet bank ready, but exceed the limits of the microloan fund. The persistence of the Senator and his staff has been remarkable to finally make this come about.
Finally, we are pleased to say that through August we closed twenty-two loans and over two-thirds have been to start-ups. Those borrowers have created 115 jobs and helped to retain 106. Already this year, it represents the highest job creation number for us since 2006 (and we have four months to go).
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For More Information Contact:
Jeff Ratcliffe, Executive Director
Otsego County Economic Alliance
1062 Cross Street | Gaylord, MI 49735
(989) 731-0288 | (989) 731-0289 FAX
© 2005 Gaylord - Otsego County Economic Alliance
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