What the Southwestern Alliance Does for Southwest Michigan

The Southwestern Michigan Economic Growth Alliance (also known as SMEGA) is a proactive organization, encouraging positive economic development activities that will benefit our community in both short term and long term ways.

SMEGA recognizes that promoting the area for the type of development that will increase employment is a major interest of the community, and is dedicated to ensuring that the necessary foundation is in place to attract desirable business growth.

SMEGA serves as a central clearinghouse for economic development initiatives. Business members can contact SMEGA for information regarding program incentives, credits, and assistance with business expansion projects. Services are also provided to non-members when those objectives will provide economic benefits to the community.

The Southwestern Michigan Economic Growth Alliance:

• Markets existing opportunities for industrial development
• Actively seeks new and expanding business interests
• Responds to prospects researching the local area
• Participates in business retention visits and information collection
• Promotes the utilization of business assistance programs
• Helps identify employer needs such as specialized skill sets and customized training
• Assists with promoting and coordinating workforce education programs to support new and expanding businesses
• Provides staff and leadership support for special projects and encourages infrastructure planning, including utility, telecommunication, and transportation, to address and increase readiness of potential commercial development areas
• Maintains an online searchable database of available properties for sale or lease in the southwestern Michigan area - including all industrial parks (Updating in progress)
• Maintains an active network of professional relationships with representatives at all levels of government
• Maintains an active network of business service organizations providing assistance to all size and types of businesses
• Maintains comprehensive business data, market analysis, labor statistics, current information on taxation, utility costs, property values, demographics, wages and workforce data (Updating in progress)