Author: KMF Infotech

ZEELAND, Mich. – Lakeshore Advantage announced today the appointment of two new members to the board of directors. Elected to serve three-year terms are Phil LaMothe, plant manager of fairlife, LLC and Nick Nykerk, CEO of Lakewood Construction with terms beginning this month.

 

“We look forward to learning from Nick and Phil’s expertise,” said Board Chair Neil Boehm. “Nick will serve as a resource as the team works to add additional industrial sites and understand the ever-changing construction industry to support our growing employers. Phil will bring the agriculture and food processing voice to our board—a key and thriving industry sector for our region.”

 

LaMothe has worked in food processing for 11 years. He is currently Plant Director at fairlife, LLC. He has extensive food processing experience having worked at Gerber, Nestle and Leprino Foods prior to joining fairlife. Nykerk is the president of Lakewood Construction, a commercial construction firm that serves clients throughout West Michigan, bringing with him nearly 20 years of experience in the industry. He is also currently the chairman of the Associated Builders and Contractors Association.

 

“Our board is representative of the geographic region and industries our organization serves,” said President Jennifer Owens. “Their expertise helps ensure our organization continues to be responsive to the changing needs of the region’s primary employers. We are looking forward to learning from them.”

 

Lakeshore Advantage board of directors sets overall policy of the organization, long and short-term goals and assures adequate funds are in place to fulfill the work plan. A full list of the organization’s board members can be found HERE (https://www.lakeshoreadvantage.com/about-us#board-members).

Jan. 3, 2023 // ZEELAND, MICH  – Lakeshore Advantage, the economic development organization for Allegan and Ottawa counties, released its 2022 Successful Projects & Achievements report which revealed substantial business expansion activity in the two counties. Both the number of expansions and dollar-amounts invested were sizeable increases over previous years. In 2022, businesses invested a total of $2.38 billion and leveraged an additional $436 million to expand their operations. Along with the expansions, 3,352 jobs were created or retained in the area last year—a nearly 500% increase over 2021.

 

“Our team supported a record number of expansion projects last year” said Lakeshore Advantage President, Jennifer Owens. “The manufacturing industry that’s so prevalent in this region hasn’t slowed down. Our business intelligence data shows that leaders are cautiously optimistic about the year ahead.”

 

The largest investments were made by companies like Gentex and LG Energy Solution, with combined commitments to invest nearly $2 billion. Most projects supported by the Lakeshore Advantage team came from the incremental growth of small- and mid-sized companies.

 

“The lion’s share of projects in our region came from existing small- to mid-size companies investing an average of $12 million per project into their facilities, equipment and machinery,” said Vice President of Business Solutions, Amanda Murray. “This year’s two major projects have also prompted companies within those supply chains to inquire about relocating to the lakeshore region.” Lakeshore Advantage // West Michigan’s Business Advantage 

 

In total, Lakeshore Advantage supported 33 local businesses in expanding their facilities. Classic Transportation & Warehousing, an employee-owned company, opened their second state-of-the-art facility in two years, according to CEO Rod Cooper.

 

“As an employee-owned company, our roots run deep here, and we are grateful for the opportunity to grow to meet our demand. We are especially thankful to the team at Lakeshore Advantage for the support and guidance they provided during our expansion projects,” said Cooper.

 

In addition to supporting expansion projects, other key achievements include:

• Opened a new business incubator, the SURGE Center, in downtown Holland. The center is now home to more than 30 early-stage companies.
• Secured $60 million in state funding support to construct a massive wastewater pipeline that will connect Muskegon County and Coopersville’s systems that will generate $187M in agricultural investment and add 145 new jobs over 3 years.
• Assisted 63 startup companies last year who collectively raised $31.7M in capital investments.
• •acilitated investment of $2.1M ARPA funding into transformational workforce development projects which expand career opportunities for the emerging workforce.
• Awarded $130,150 to three educational institutions for automation and healthcare training equipment.

 

This support is appreciated by the primary employers the Lakeshore Advantage team serves. “Lakeshore Advantage had the knowledge and experience to help us navigate what was an unfamiliar process for us with confidence. We are grateful for the work they do to help make West Michigan an attractive and competitive manufacturing community” said Impact Fab’s President, Ross Haan.

 

The full Lakeshore Advantage 2022 Successful Projects and Achievements Report can be found HERE.

 

12/15/2022 -ZEELAND, Mich. – Primary employers in Allegan and Ottawa Counties have experienced remarkable growth in 2022, with 97% reporting increased or stable market share of their key products. Sixty percent of companies interviewed in the West Michigan Lakeshore Region plan to expand in the next three years, according to the 2022 Industry Trends report released today by Lakeshore Advantage.

 

“This feedback and insight of more than 100 senior business leaders is invaluable to ensuring our economic development efforts and initiatives are focused on the real-time needs of our area employers,” said Jennifer Owens, president of Lakeshore Advantage. “In the new year, we will continue to work side by side with our primary employers to help ensure this forecasted growth and remove barriers standing in their way now or in the future.”

 

The report is an analysis of 120 senior-level executive interviews with primary employers in Allegan and Ottawa counties during the 2022 calendar year. The report features primary research and secondary data to show key points about the economic health of area employers and the region as a place to do business. Along with the report, Lakeshore Advantage presented stories of business growth, growing pains and economic growth opportunities during a webcast on Thursday, December 15, to an audience of nearly 200 local business leaders.

 

Some key points from the report reveals the robust economic health of the region as a place to do business. Of the over 120 companies interviewed:

• 82% plan to introduce new products, services, or capabilities in the next two years
• 29% report working added hours of operation/overtime
• 99% report company investment in employee
• training is stable or increasing
• 61% offer internship, apprenticeship, or co-op opportunities

 

One of the biggest trends affirmed by the report is that manufacturing is and will continue to be critical to the regional economy. Thirty percent of all jobs in the two-county region are tied to manufacturing. The top industry sectors in our region are Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing, Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing, Food Manufacturing, and Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing.

 

The top barriers shared by employers include access to talent and supply chain disruptions. Sixty nine percent of companies surveyed reported recruitment problems, with majority of responses identifying skilled positions. The top positions needed by employers were in engineering, production, and machinists. Eighty percent of employers reported supply chain disruptions in 2022, only half a percentage point difference from 2021. Currently, the largest disruptions are from regional and national suppliers, in 2021 it was primarily international supplier disruptions.

 

“Forty percent of companies who reported supply chain disruptions indicated they plan to bring outsourced goods and services back in house,” said Amanda Murray, Vice President of Business Solutions at Lakeshore Advantage. “They’re mostly bringing machining, painting, and anodizing back in house. We’re also seeing more vertical integration as companies identify how they can adapt and take more control over their timelines.”

 

Manufacturing job growth will be 2% higher in the region than the US average, the effect of which is notable considering manufacturing positions’ average earnings were nearly 30% higher than overall average earnings across industries.

 

Lakeshore Advantage, along with Grand Haven-Spring Lake-Ferrysburg Chamber of Commerce conducted over 120 interviews of C-level executives at primary employers in Allegan and Ottawa Counties. The 2022 Business Intelligence Report is the analysis of interviews conducted during the 2022 calendar year. The report was unveiled via a webcast on Thursday, December 15, to an audience of business and community leaders.

 

Full Report

10/4/2022 | ZEELAND, MI – The International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the largest nonprofit association for professional economic developers in the world, has selected the recipients of its 2022 Excellence Awards. Recognized each year at the IEDC’s Annual Conference, the awards honor organizations for exemplary economic development marketing campaigns, projects, and programs. This year, IEDC recognized Lakeshore Advantage’s Industry 4.0 awareness campaign with an Excellence in Economic Development award.

 

The Lakeshore Advantage team launched their Industry 4.0 Awareness Campaign in 2020 to help local companies adopt new technologies and remain competitive in today’s global economy. In collaboration with The Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (MMTC), Greater Muskegon Economic Development, and The Right Place, Lakeshore Advantage created a microsite packed with resources on Industry 4.0 technologies, including case study videos showcasing local employers who have successfully implemented Industry 4.0 technologies.

 

“We’re honored to have been recognized by the IEDC for our Industry 4.0 Campaign,” said Jennifer Owens, President, Lakeshore Advantage. “Industry 4.0 technologies are essential to the continued innovation and growth of companies in our region, and we’re excited to be providing resources for implementation across Ottawa and Allegan counties. Our region has a lucrative automation and manufacturing environment, and we know that our future lies within these new technologies.”

 

Lakeshore Advantage’s Industry 4.0 videos have been viewed over 1,100 times, The site has had more than 1,600 visitors.

 

“Communities need our profession now more than ever. This year’s awardees exemplify the ingenuity, leadership, and determination needed to meet the challenges of today and the future,” shared IEDC President and CEO Nathan Ohle. “The winners of IEDC’s Excellence in Economic Development awards represent the best of economic development and demonstrate the level of leadership that our profession strives for every day.”

 

To learn more about the work Lakeshore Advantage is doing to help manufacturers become more aware of and prepared to implement smart manufacturing technologies, you can view the site at https://i40.thecenterwest.org.