Non-profit
Midland Tomorrow strives to build economic growth in Midland County and its communities despite the economic recession. Mid Michigan Second Wave writer Julia Woehrer interviewed Midland Tomorrow CEO Scott Walker to learn more about the impact the organization has had on the local economy and its plans for the future.
Mid Michigan Second Wave: How has Midland Tomorrow been able to encourage growth in the county despite the economic recession?
Scott Walker: Due to our strengths in the chemical industry, Midland County has rebounded faster from the recession than areas of the state that rely primarily on automotive manufacturing. That said, the recession was still a real issue for us.
Over the last six years, we've implemented an "economic gardening" program, where we work directly with local second-stage businesses to define paths for growth and connect them with resources that can get them there. Much of the work we've done during the recession has been related to this--helping local small businesses pursue creative growth strategies in a down market.
MMSW: Midland is probably most known as being the headquarters for and the birthplace of The Dow Chemical Company. Tell me briefly about the history of chemical plants in Midland and the importance that they've had on the local economy.
SW: It's hard to overstate the impact of the chemical industry on Midland's economy. As I mentioned before, the chemical industry was relatively steady through the recession when other industries weren't, which helped shield Midland from some of the economic downturn.
Looking at it more broadly, though, Midland's focus on the chemical industry has really driven the assets we now have here: tremendous infrastructure that can easily handle manufacturing needs, world-class education systems and programs that train workers in specific industry skills, and a whole array of business service providers--from financial institutions to construction firms--that really understand the needs of manufacturing projects and how to meet those needs. We've created an environment that focuses on the intersection of traditional manufacturing and cutting-edge technology, which has created a broad base of knowledge and skill in the region.
MMSW: What are some of the main qualities of Midland and its people that appeal to companies that are looking to come to Midland?
SW: In general, the clients we work with first look at Midland because their business has a specific need within the chemical industry, or a need for the kind of manufacturing skill that services the chemical industry--workforce talent, knowledge and expertise are a primary driver of industrial site selection decisions, and Midland workers have those skill sets in abundance for chemical and technology manufacturing.
That said, when we bring people here for a tour, they're pleasantly surprised at the amenities for residents--the quality of the educational offerings, the recreational opportunities, the housing values. So we find that Midland shows itself off very well once people actually get here and spend some time here. This is one of the reasons we launched a virtual tour of Midland at
TourMidland.com -- so clients who aren't yet able to visit Midland can get a sense of how much more is here than the statistics might suggest.
MMSW: Why are companies choosing to keep their plant operations in Michigan as opposed to outsourcing them to another country?
SW: Michigan still understands manufacturing better than just about any other state--particularly in the auto industry, of course, but that manufacturing knowledge is applied to a host of other industries as well. That means our state and local municipalities get what it takes to help companies launch successful manufacturing projects, from permitting through completion.
MMSW: Midland Tomorrow currently assists more than 90 businesses in the area with product development, growing their customer base and their business. How many companies do you hope to add to this group over the next few years?
SW: We're proud of the number of businesses we work with, but it isn't really about the quantity of contacts we make. Our goal is to work with any local manufacturing business that can use our help to define and execute plans for growth. If we're doing that, then we feel we've been successful.
MMSW: How has the mission of Midland Tomorrow changed over the years?
SW: The mission of Midland Tomorrow has actually remained remarkably consistent over the years: to help attract and retain quality businesses and diversify our economic base. The paths we've taken to get there have changed somewhat, however: The traditional economic development model sees economic developers as deal-makers that are focused on reducing bottom-line costs for companies. There are still times and places for that approach, but our new economic gardening model focuses on helping companies achieve top-line business growth by helping them define opportunities to reach new customers and markets and connecting them with the resources to get there.
MMSW: Great Lakes Bay Economic Development Partnership was formed three years ago, connecting Bay, Midland and Saginaw counties to bring solar businesses to the region. Has this partnership been successful?
SW: Yes, this partnership has really been the first sustained effort between the three counties to partner for business attraction. We've jointly attended tradeshows around the world and built a number of strong relationships with growing alternative energy manufacturers. We've also worked to raise awareness of our region as a destination for technology manufacturing.
MMSW: What is your dream for the future of Midland County?
SW: My dream is for Midland County and the region to buck the state and regional trend and grow--in our economy, the size of our workforce and population, and the wealth of our people and over the next decade. That will ensure that Midland is not only a great place to make a career, but also a great place to make a life.
Editor's Note: This interview was edited and condensed.
Julia Woehrer is a freelance writer and photographer. She attended the School of Art and Design at Northern Michigan University where she concentrated in photography and minored in journalism. She volunteers at a local no-kill cat shelter and enjoys spending time with her cats, Bella and Macy.