85% of Businesses Report Stable or Increasing Sales
HOLLAND, Mich. (October 22, 2025)—Lakeshore Advantage, the economic development organization for Allegan and Ottawa Counties, announces the release of its annual Industry Trends Report detailing the economic status of the region. Based on interviews with over 130 local executives conducted from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025, the report shows a majority of those interviewed reported increased or stable sales, but fewer reported plans to expand in the next three years.
Lakeshore Advantage conducts business retention interviews with a sample of the region’s more-than-600 primary employers—businesses that export goods and services outside the region, bringing wealth and jobs into the region—to understand their challenges and identify opportunities for growth.
“We’re grateful to the business leaders who take time to share honest and detailed insights with us,” said Jennifer Owens, president of Lakeshore Advantage. “Their input is invaluable—it’s the primary research that guides our work and helps us design economic development strategies tailored to the needs of our region’s businesses.”
The report analysis includes the following highlights:
- 85% of businesses reported stable or increased sales, compared to 89% last year.
- 33% reported plans to expand in the next three years; last year 41% reported plans to expand.
- 40% of businesses surveyed reported recruitment issues, a decline from previous years when demand for talent spiked following the Covid-19 pandemic.
- 76% of companies introduced new products in the last two years.
Additionally, the report identifies key themes of barriers to growth that these businesses face. The report identifies a lack of workforce housing, continued demand for talent, industrial real estate scarcity, and rising costs as top barriers to business growth. The demand for talent shows a downward trend; however, the survey shows persistent gaps for skilled labor positions including mechanical technicians, software developers and hardware engineers. This represents the work ahead to attract and retain the necessary workforce, a focus of Lakeshore Advantage’s NextGen Talent initiative.
“This research helps us meet the demands of businesses, step alongside them where they’re at to connect them to resources, and to each other,” said Amanda Murray, vice president of business solutions for Lakeshore Advantage. “It lets us know where to focus our efforts to ensure this region continues to thrive in the long term.”
The full report is now available on the Lakeshore Advantage website: https://lakeshoreadvantage.com/it-2025/
