GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 20252 GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 CONTENTS 06 Overview of the Great Lakes Region Policy issues impacting the region lay the foundation for the formation of the Great Lakes EDC. 11 COVER STORY A Roadmap to the Future: Four experts weigh in on the challenges and opportunities awaiting the Great Lakes Region. 16 Leadership Interviews Four perspectives from both sides of the border. 25 The Blue Economy How the Great Lakes change everything – and the people making it happen. 28 Ports of Call Shipping lanes from the Great Lakes to the world form the backbone of the regional economy. 32 Automotive Epicenter EVs, batteries and more — the mobility of the world turns on the region’s automotive cluster, which explains why two of the Big Three have new HQs. 35 Semiconductor Supply Chain From IBM to Micron and more, the chips of the world go through the Great Lakes. 37 Quality of Life There are few places on earth that can compare to the Great Lakes Basin when it comes to quality living. 40 Tourism and Hospitality From Niagara Falls to the Georgian Bay, tourists flock by the millions to see Mother Nature perform her finest work. 43 Higher Education It’s not just Big 10 Country, Notre Dame and the Ivy League. It’s a whole network of higher education that matters. 46 Community Colleges and Workforce Training Amazon Web Services and Ivy Tech in Indiana have figured it out: This is the place to upskill for the future. 49 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel? No, it’s just the BATWorks in Brooklyn. 51 Business Incubation and Acceleration From 1871 to mHub, DMZ and more, this is the place where world-changing ideas take flight. 53 Leading Industries From the research desk of the Conway Projects Database, we offer a primer in what makes the economy of the Great Lakes hum. 56 Case Study 1 Why Amgen Corp. selected New Albany in Central Ohio not once but twice for major expansion projects. 60 Case Study 2 When Google “googled” Indiana, it found Fort Wayne and a whole lot of talent. 62 Great Lakes EDC Membership Directory Cover design by Ashleigh Porter ON THE COVER: Pictured clockwise from upper left: Cleveland, Ohio; Montreal, Quebec; Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Toronto, Ontario; Niagara Falls, New York.4 GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 TAKE THIS GUIDE WITH YOU ENJOY Read the digital edition on your tablet and phone. Click on links within articles for even more information. SHARE Share the magazine on social media with your friends and community. LINK Feature the magazine on your blog, website or newsletters with a link or one of our easy-to-use tools. ssmag.link/GL2025 The publishers believe that the information contained in this publication is accurate. However, the in formation is not war ranted, and neither Conway Data Inc., nor Great Lakes Investment Guide, assumes any liability or responsibility for actual, consequential or incidental damages re sulting from inaccurate or erroneous information. PHONE: (770) 446-6996 • TOLL FREE: (800) 554-5686 FAX: (770) 263-8825 email: editor@conway.com web: siteselection.com/issue/great-lakes-2025 This publication is sponsored by Great Lakes Economic Development Council. The Great Lakes Investment Guide is published annually by Conway Data Inc., 6625 The Corners Parkway, Suite 200, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 USA. PRINTED IN USA. ©2025 Conway Data, Inc. CUSTOM CONTENT Publisher/Director LAURA LYNE Executive Vice President RONALD J. STARNER Editor in Chief ADAM BRUNS Editor Emeritus MARK AREND Managing Editor KELLY BARRAZA Associate Editor ALEXIS ELMORE Art DirectorNEGIN MOMTAZ Production Coordinator/Designer BOB GRAVLEE Lead Designers SEAN SCANTLAND RICHARD NENOFF Designer ASHLEIGH PORTER Data Services Manager KAREN MEDERNACH Senior Research Associate BRIAN ESPINOZA Research Associate McKENZIE WRIGHT GLOBAL SALES & MARKETING Vice President of Sales CHARLES FITZGIBBON Regional Director — Northeast U.S. MIKE GLENNON Regional Director — Midwest U.S. CATHY McFARLAND Regional Director — Southeast U.S. MARTA RUSSELL Regional Director — Western U.S. PAUL NEWMAN Regional Director — U.S. MARGARET ROSE EuropeBRENDAN DOHERTY, +44 7999 786752 Japan HIROKO MINATO, +81 50 8882 3456 Korea CHUL LEE, +82 2 466 5595 Sales Administrator CHRISTI STANSBERRY Sales Development Representatives BRE ROGERS NAN JANIS BUSINESS DEPARTMENT Chief Financial Officer DEBBIE PORTER Accounting Associate DAVIS WILSON CIRCULATION Circulation Manager JULIE CLARKE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY TEAM Director of Programming & Analytics DANIEL BOYER IT CoordinatorMARK BERTRAM Webmaster DANIEL MONAGHAN ONLINE EDITION6 GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 hen you think about the Great Lakes, what naturally comes to mind is the vast ecosystem supported by these fi ve bodies of water that collectively account for one-fi fth of the planet’s supply of freshwater. e drainage basin from these lakes alone is larger than most U.S. states. Because of that, many lucrative economic development opportunities are just waiting to be harvested. Among them is the rapidly growing mass timber industry in the region. On September , Element announced a $ million investment to expand its mass timber operations in St. omas, Ontario. e project will double the site’s production capacity and create new jobs. By increasing production of Glulam and cross-laminated timber (CLT) made from lumber sources in Northern Ontario, Element will strengthen the province’s forestry sector while reducing reliance on imported building materials. Invest Ontario is supporting the project with a loan of up to $ million. Because St. omas is located just minutes from the shores of Lake Erie and right in the middle of Lakes Huron, Ontario and Erie, any timber mill in the area faces strict regulation designed to promote sustainable production practices. at’s where policy comes into play. roughout the two Canadian provinces and eight U.S. states within the Great Lakes region, there are a host of policy issues impacting economic development on both sides of the border. ese issues include, but are not limited to: • e ongoing need to revitalize the regional economy in both nations. • e need to attract, recruit, train and retain skilled workers to fulfi ll the production needs of the thousands of factories in the region. by RON STARNER Creating policies that retain young graduates and attract new residents is essential. — Darin Buelow, Principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP W How to Build a SUSTAINABLE FUTURE In the Great Lakes OVERVIEW: POLICY ISSUES Preserving serene settings like this one on Lake Superior in winter is a key policy aim of government offi cials and residents alike in Ontario, Canada. Photo courtesy of Destination OntarioNext >