< Previous8 GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 • Ongoing population loss that limits the ability to fi nd qualifi ed workers. • e need to modernize and upgrade infrastructure at all levels including roads, airports, waterways, seaports, bridges, power plants, transmission lines, fi ber-optic cables to support production operations and logistics networks. • Regional and cross-border cooperation. • Sustainability issues that impact the supply and quality of freshwater in the Great Lakes and the development surrounding them. A CALL FOR REGIONAL BRANDING Darin Buelow, principal for infrastructure and real estate for Deloitte Consulting LLP in Chicago, says there is a continuing need throughout the Great Lakes region to align multi-state infrastructure and economic development policies to strengthen the region’s competitiveness. is includes, he says, “promoting regional branding to attract talent and investment and strengthening U.S.–Canada cooperation on trade, energy and Great Lakes stewardship.” On the talent and population front, he adds that “addressing brain drain by creating policies that retain young graduates and attract new residents” is essential. Tim Feemster, CEO and managing principal of Foremost Quality Logistics in Dallas, says the entire region faces the daunting challenge of stemming the tide of population migration to Texas and the Southeast. He also cites the ongoing trade tariff squabbles and “lack of seasonal workers for the agricultural business” as critical challenges. Feemster cites data that reveal the consequences of population loss in just one state — Illinois: • Loss of Congressional Seats: e continued population decline led Illinois to lose a congressional seat after the Census. • Weakened Economy: A shrinking population, especially among workers, can strain the state’s economy and ability to fund public services and debts. • Demographic Concerns: e loss of young people and working-age individuals raises long-term concerns about the state’s future. BRAIN DRAIN CONTINUES Region-wide, the population losses are mounting. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Illinois experienced a net migration loss of , people in . at was third- most in the nation. Meanwhile, Michigan lost , people, Wisconsin lost ,, New York lost , (second-most in the country), and Pennsylvania lost ,. e only state in the Great Lakes region to show a net gain in migration last year was Indiana, with an increase of , residents. According to the Ontario Ministry of Finance, in the second quarter of , “Ontario saw a net interprovincial migration loss of , people to the rest of Canada, compared to a net loss of , people in the same quarter of . Ontario experienced net losses in its exchanges with of the other provinces and territories” in , per the ministry. Quebec, meanwhile, is trending in the opposite direction. According to the Quebec Institute of Statistics, “Québec’s migration losses to the rest of Canada are estimated at , people in , among the lowest in recent decades. e defi cit has gone down signifi cantly since the mid-s, when it stood at about , people annually.” Companies Metro Sector Category Types Investment (Million USD) Jobs POWERHOUSE DATA CENTERS LLC / PA Data Center Partners Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA IT & Comm. New Data Center 15000 Amazon Web Services, Inc. South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI IT & Comm. New Data Center 11000 400 T5 Data Centers, LLC Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN IT & Comm. New Data Center 10000 800 Cologix, Inc. Columbus, OH IT & Comm. New Data Center 7000 Coreweave, Inc. Lancaster, PA IT & Comm. New Data Center 6000 175 Eli Lilly and Company Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN Life Sciences Expansion- Facility Manufacturing 5200 200 TRACT PTY LTD Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI IT & Comm. New Distribution Warehouse 5000 Dg Fuels, LLC Fargo, ND-MN Energy New Manufacturing 5000 650 Energy Capital Partners III, LLC York-Hanover, PA IT & Comm. New Data Center 5000 NorthVolt AB Montréal, Quebec Electronics New Manufacturing 5000 3000 Eli Lilly and Company Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN Life Sciences Expansion- Facility Manufacturing,Offi ce 4500 400 Eli Lilly and Company Kenosha, WI Life Sciences Expansion- Facility Manufacturing 4000 750 SK hynix Inc. Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN Electronics New Manufacturing, R & D 3800 800 Stellantis N.V. Rockford, IL Automotive New Manufacturing 3200 HATCHWORKS LLC Fort Wayne, IN IT & Comm. New Data Center 3200 30 GREAT LAKES BIGGEST PROJECTS AUGUST 2023 TO JULY 2025 source: Conway Projects DatabaseGREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 9 T he Great Lakes Economic Development Council was incorporated in 2017 by a group of people who believe in the economic potential of this bi-national region comprised of eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. Anchored by the five Great Lakes — which together account for 20% of the world’s freshwater – this region has vital importance not just to the United States of America and Canada, but to the entire global population. Food and other crops grown and harvested here feed the world. The incredibly clean and pure freshwater that flows from the Great Lakes is used to develop disease-curing pharmaceuticals, process food and beverages, cool data centers used to manufacture artificial intelligence and cloud hyperscaling and produce the electric batteries powering the transportation modes of the future. The organization’s website states: “The GLEDC offers its members professional development, networking opportunities and a comprehensive offering of resources, both on and offline. The Great Lakes region of North America has a long history of leadership in the U.S. and Canadian economies. As a center for research and innovation, the region is known around the world for its industrial, agricultural and academic strengths. It is home to some of the world’s greatest businesses, entrepreneurs, educators and scientists. The Great Lakes Economic Development Council (GLEDC) seeks to leverage these resources to accelerate continued business investment in the region through advocacy, education and promotion efforts. It is a voluntary association of governments; colleges and universities; economic development organizations; private businesses, associations and other interested parties.” In the following exchange with the leadership of GLEDC, the organization outlines its mission and purpose: TELL US ABOUT THE FORMATION AND PURPOSE OF THE GREAT LAKES EDC. by RON STARNER The Great Lakes EDC is committed to building the industries of the future. Shaking Off the Rust, Forging A New Image OVERVIEW: FORMATION & PURPOSE OF GREAT LAKES EDC10 GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 MICHIGAN GREAT LAKES EDC: We want this to be about the collective movement. When you look at the size and economic impact and natural assets of the Great Lakes region, one of the things you realize is that the leaders of economic development have learned to work together for mutual benefit. But this was not always the case. Going back to the 1970s and the 1980s, the Great Lakes region was being tagged with the Rust Belt nickname, the Cuyahoga River was on fire, Cleveland was being called the Mistake on the Lake, etc. That bothered a lot of folks because people in the region knew it was not true. So, we incorporated the Great Lakes Economic Development Council in 2017 and developed a working council of 20 people – two from each state and province. That has been in place for almost two years now — since early 2024. We hired Tim Hines out of Pittsburgh who took on the role of Executive Director. We hired another person to do event planning. We picked Detroit for our first conference. Why Detroit? It was symbolic. It is located right on the Detroit River. You can see Windsor from Detroit, and you can see Detroit from Windsor. The relationship from a trade standpoint is very strong. WAS THERE ANY PARTICULAR EVENT OR IMPETUS FOR THIS NEW INITIATIVE? GLEDC: It was not anything in particular. We just felt like the timing was right. A lot of things were happening around the region that came together around the same time. A lot of independent things were happening that were putting the Great Lakes region on a course to do this. We are focused on making the individual states and provinces more competitive. DO YOU FEEL LIKE OLD STEREOTYPES — LIKE THE “RUST BELT” MONIKER — STILL STICK TO THIS REGION? GLEDC: Yes, we do. When filmmaker Michael Moore made Roger and Me, that image of a rusty and broken-down Midwest just kind of took and remained in place for a long time. We are still trying to shake it. WHAT CAN YOU DO TO CHANGE THAT? GLEDC: The primary challenges include the misperception of the weather. Why do places like Colorado celebrate cold and snow and yet it is perceived to be a negative here? The union issue is probably overblown. Every site consultant would tell you so. You still have a cooperative and hardworking labor force here. We need to highlight all the innovation that is occurring in the region. Michigan laid down the first smart grid highway in the country. A Wisconsin leader is coming to tell companies how to evaluate risk around sustainability and water. Those are probably the top issues today. WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE THE READERS OF THIS PUBLICATION TO KNOW? GLEDC: Don’t count the Great Lakes region out. It is on a comeback trajectory for a number of reasons: The location is still good. It is well connected by transportation networks. You have some major universities throughout the region that are driving innovation and providing a highly skilled workforce. Good skilled labor still remains in the region. Having 20% of the world’s freshwater is a big competitive advantage. We are finally seeing issues around climate resiliency coming through in the RFIs. There are no floods or earthquakes here. The Great Lakes is not dead yet. Great Lakes EDC Region Map Source: Great Lakes EDCGREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 11 The region’s challenges are many, but they can be overcome, say four experts. by RON STARNER NAVIGATING ny roadmap to the future for the Great Lakes region of North America must begin by taking an honest assessment of where this resource-rich place fi ts into the global economy. For all of its competitive advantages — the largest concentration of freshwater on earth; abundant supplies of energy; large tracts of land available for development; world-class research universities churning out talented graduates in huge numbers each year; spectacular scenery and outdoor recreation; central location in North America; best-in-class transportation and logistics networks connected to global ports in every mode of transport; and an aff ordable cost of living — the eight states and two provinces in this region face some prevailing headwinds that must be addressed. To better understand these issues, we turned to several experts: Phil Schneider, principal of Global Location Strategies; Ernie Goss, professor of economics at Creighton University; Helena Volzer, senior source water policy manager at the Alliance for the Great Lakes; and Tracey Hyatt Bosman, managing director, Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Co. Here are their perspectives on the challenges facing the Great Lakes and some recommended remedies. A COVER STORY: ROADMAP TO THE FUTURE Murky Waters Fall colors at Thumb Lake, Charlevoix County, Michigan Image Courtesy of Pure Michigan12 GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 Phil Schneider, Principal, Global Location Strategies: As principal at Greenville, South Carolina- based Global Location Strategies, Schneider brings over 35 years of experience in global location strategy, site selection, incentives negotiation and economic development. He has advised leading companies such as Google, Apple, Toyota and Johnson & Johnson, completing more than 400 projects across industries including manufacturing, technology, R&D and shared services. Based in Wisconsin, he is considered an expert in location strategy and is extremely knowledgeable on economic conditions in the Great Lakes region. His work spans the U.S. and international markets, supporting both corporate clients and investment promotion agencies worldwide. A past president and chairman of the Site Selectors Guild, Schneider is widely regarded as a thought leader in his field. When I asked him to identify the most pressing issues impacting the Great Lakes region, here is what he had to say: “Each Great Lakes state, of course, has its own unique set of economic and political policy issues, but given their relatively similar economies, many of those key issues are similar. Although not limited to the Great Lakes region, some shared regional policy concerns directly related to economic development include: • Threats to economic growth, particularly in agriculture and manufacturing, caused by high tariffs and new labor immigration policies. • Need for hundreds of billions of dollars in infrastructure improvements, including roads, bridges, utility systems, and public transit. • Increasing skilled workforce shortages, now exacerbated by strict immigration policies. • Health care: rising costs, limited access — especially in more rural areas — and shortages of medical personnel. • Rising cost of living driven by steadily increasing housing, health-care and utility costs. • Changing state and federal education policies eroding funding and eliminating teacher positions.” Schneider added that “the Great Lakes states share critical policy issues related to the waters of the region, and related, likely future negative impacts of climate change. Given their uniquely abundant water resources, the Great Lakes states are beginning to prepare for increased demands on freshwater resources from industries, tourists and residents, both existing and those likely to relocate to the region in the future to access those water resources. And with climate change driving not only warmer weather, but also more intense rains and floods, droughts, fluctuating lake and river levels, the region’s policy makers are looking at longer-term policies to build environmental and infrastructure resilience.” Finally, he said: “Other shared regional water policy issues include an aging water infrastructure, requiring billions of dollars to modernize and maintain, the impact of water pollution [agricultural, residential, commercial] on regional water resources and the negative effect of invasive water species. Add to that, across the region, the ever-rising water demands from mega data centers and metals mining is increasing pressure on regional water resources, prompting calls for better industrial water policy and planning.” Lake Michigan Shoreline at Kohler - Andrae State Park Photo courtesy of Travel WisconsinHelena Volzer, Senior Source Water Policy Manager, Alliance for the Great Lakes: The following perspective by Volzer is an excerpt of a guest column she authored for Site Selection in May 2025 on the impact of data centers on the Great Lakes region. Generating electricity to meet data centers’ needs via coal, natural gas or nuclear-fired power plants requires water. Some refer to this relationship between water and energy generation as part of the “water-energy nexus.” Per the Great Lakes Regional Water Use Database, 70% of Great Lakes’ reported water use in 2023 was associated with generating electrical power. That’s overall water use (not the percentage of consumptive use), and that percentage generally matches each state’s water use as well. Because the electric utility is the entity that reports its water use and corresponding consumptive use to the database, we don’t have a clear understanding of what the total water footprint of an individual data center or the data center industry is. New research shows that it’s taken just four years for the total capacity of hyperscale data centers (megawatts of load a data center can handle) to double, while both the number of facilities and average capacity rapidly climb. To meet the demand on existing power grids, states will have to add capacity while also meeting state renewable energy targets. In some states, that may necessitate reactivating or expanding nuclear power plants. That’s already happening in Michigan (Palisades), New York (Three Mile Island), and Ontario (Bruce). In others like Ohio, it’s driving the construction of new natural gas plants. The corresponding increase in the cumulative use of water by data centers — both in their indirect energy needs and direct cooling needs — must be better quantified and understood. States should be examining all large-scale water uses of groundwater, including for data centers, to determine whether they’re appropriate in a given watershed or basin and whether those uses pose enough of a threat to other nearby watersheds that the use should be avoided altogether. As climate change continues to dramatically alter precipitation patterns, laws will need to change and adapt in concert to ensure there’s enough water to support economic development and protect our most precious shared freshwater resource, the Great Lakes.14 GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 Ernie Goss, Professor of Economics, Creighton University: WHAT ARE SOME INDUSTRIES IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION THAT ARE BEING IMPACTED BY THE NEW U.S. TRADE TARIFFS IMPOSED ON GOODS COMING FROM CANADA AND VICE VERSA? GOSS: Agriculture and ag-connected businesses like ethanol in Minnesota and Illinois; agricultural equipment manufacturing; dairy farming in places like Wisconsin that sell a lot of dairy products to Canada; medical equipment makers and life science companies. ARE OTHER INDUSTRIES RESURGENT IN THIS REGION? GOSS: Yes. Steel and autoworkers are showing increases in productivity. WHAT ARE THE MAJOR HEADWINDS? GOSS: There are higher costs are in the U.S., and it is still cheaper to make goods abroad. Second is population. Growth has not been strong in the Great Lakes. Third, trade stands out. Those states and provinces do a lot of the trade with other countries. They ship out through the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. Trade is important. A piece of automotive equipment can make five or six trips across the Canadian-U.S. border. That is also linked to the value of the dollar. The value of the dollar is linked to the fortunes of those states. Manufacturing and farming are the two biggest sectors affected by the value of a dollar. They want a weak dollar. The weakening of the dollar this year has helped. It happened at a good time. But on the downside, the manufacturing sector in the U.S. has lost almost 1% of its jobs over the past year. ANY ADVICE FOR GOVERNORS AND PREMIERS? GOSS: Pay attention to the U.S. budget deficit running up to $2 trillion to $3 trillion this year — that undermines the value of the dollar. That results in the reverse flow of capital. We buy European goods, and they have our dollars. Capital flows are very important. DOES THAT CAUSE INFLATION? GOSS: Yes, in some ways, but they may deal with it via Quantitative Easing by the Fed [meeting today in Jackson Hole, Wyoming]. The President has called for lower interest rates. They will probably come down short-term in September. (The Fed lowered the interest rate by 0.25% in September — Ed.) Photo courtesy of Travel WisconsinTracey Hyatt Bosman, Managing Director, Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Co.: “At a national level, tariffs. Tariffs are affecting all states, but those areas that “make things” are more heavily impacted. Some companies are looking to establish new capacity in the U.S. due to tariffs; others are finding themselves unable to move forward due to capex shortages created by trying to cover tariffs burdens in the short-term, and many more are taking a conservative wait-and-see approach, hoping there will be greater visibility to economic conditions in the future. The Great Lakes, as a region that ‘makes things’ is feeling all of these impacts. “The environmental health of the lakes themselves is important to the region’s economic success. This includes addressing biodiversity issues and invasive species, the integrity of oil pipelines under the lakes, and protecting water quality overall. This is important not only for the quality of life in the region, but also for the myriad of companies (particularly food and beverage) that are drawn to and rely on the availability and quality of the water. “Energy policy : The auto industry is obviously responsive to EV policies, whether an administration is encouraging or discouraging investment in EVs. Given the concentration of automotive production and assembly in the Great Lakes region, current policy has an impact on local industry.” The Upjohn Company Building in Kalamazoo, Michigan, originally built in the 1930s, is today owned and operaated by Bronson Hosptal. Photo courtesy of Michigan Economic Development Corporation16 GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 he Michigan Economic Development Corporation has been on a big roll lately, racking up an impressive tally of major economic development project wins and national rankings. In fact, Site Selection magazine recently ranked Michigan as the No. Best State Business Climate in America — an improvement of spots from just three years ago. Why is Michigan winning, and what are the factors causing this turnaround? We recently caught up with Quentin L. Messer Jr., the president and CEO of MEDC, for a conversation around these topics. Here is that exchange: WHAT HAVE BEEN MICHIGAN’S THREE BIGGEST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WINS SO FAR IN 2025? MESSER: We are proud that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation was designated an Accredited Economic Development Organization by the International Economic Development Council this year. As one of only two U.S. state agencies to obtain this accreditation, we see this honor as an acknowledgement that the work behind the state’s ‘Make It in Michigan’ strategy, with its focus on supporting People, Places, and Projects is positioned to drive economic growth throughout the state. rough this Make It in Michigan strategy, we are seeing impactful investments that are making a diff erence in the lives of Michiganders, including: In April , Corning Incorporated announced that it would be increasing its previously announced investment in Michigan to $. billion for its new manufacturing facility in Saginaw County, creating , advanced manufacturing jobs. e investment continues Corning’s presence in Michigan and will address the increased demand for U.S.-made solar components. e project is already receiving national recognition. In January , Corning’s investment was recognized in the Clean Energy Manufacturing category of Business Facilities’ Impact Awards, part of the publication’s annual Deal of the Year awards. e company was acknowledged alongside the MEDC, Consumers Energy and Saginaw Future. Corning was also recognized as a Manufacturing Project of the Year by Area Development’s Annual Shovel Awards. In Spring , Gov. Whitmer secured a game-changing F-EX fi ghter mission for Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County, further cementing Michigan’s leadership in national security and the defense industry. Selfridge plays a key role in Michigan’s overall defense industry, which contributes $ billion to the state’s economy annually and supports approximately , jobs. Selfridge contributes an estimated $ million to Michigan’s by RON STARNER Rose Up The state engineers a rapid turnaround in economic development. How Michigan The Ranks Quickly LEADERSHIP INTERVIEW: MEDC Grand Rapids is a bustling center of commerce in Western Michigan. Photo courtesy of MEDC and Pure MichiganGREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 17 economy, supporting 30,000 jobs statewide and over 5,000 members of the Air and Army National Guard and Reserve components. It is home to units from every U.S. Armed Service except Space Force, as well as homeland security operations by Customs and Border Protection. With this new fighter mission, the future of Selfridge is bright and secure. Finally, our investment in placemaking grant programs has yielded significant results, adding critical housing units and revitalizing our communities statewide. From Transformational Brownfield Plan- supported projects in Muskegon and Southfield that will convert vacant spaces into mixed-use developments with over 1,000 housing units combined to Revitalization and Placemaking program projects that will rehabilitate blighted properties and transform them into community assets, our placemaking programs are adding vibrancy and residential density throughout Michigan. RECENT DEMOGRAPHIC MIGRATION DATA SHOW THAT PEOPLE AGES 25 TO 44 ARE MOVING IN GREATER NUMBERS TO COUNTIES IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN AND AROUND METRO DETROIT AND GRAND RAPIDS. TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THAT? MESSER: The truth is in the numbers. In the past year alone, 66% of Michigan counties grew, and growth in Michigan’s young adult population is accelerating faster than 45 other states. Grand Rapids was recently named the No. 1 City on the Rise for jobs and talent by LinkedIn, and we’re also seeing several Northern Michigan counties growing fastest per capita statewide. To account for these significant trend shifts, we can look at those factors about which this younger generation cares: affordability and access to homeownership, lower-density regions and quality of life. In Michigan, we check all those boxes: Our overall cost of living is below the national average; our communities range from charming small towns to thriving metro areas; and the quality of life found in Michigan is unmatched, thanks to our lakes — great and small — recreational opportunities, and four seasons of beauty. As housing availability remains a key consideration for relocations, Gov. Whitmer recently announced that the state met its five-year housing goal of adding 75,000 new or rehabilitated units — a year ahead of schedule. This milestone reflects a commitment to building a Michigan where people can live, work and raise a family. In addition to housing, the MEDC and State of Michigan are invested in attracting people to our state. We were the first state in the nation to launch a statewide population growth effort through the Michigan Growth Office (the team behind the ‘You Can in Michigan’ campaign), and the first to appoint a Chief Growth Officer — Hilary Doe — in June 2023. Programs like Make MI Home, which supports locally tailored strategies that encourage population growth, are helping to retain and attract talent to Michigan. It is this combination of our state’s unique attributes, intentionality addressing workforce housing availability and concerted population growth strategy that is moving the needle. FORD MOTOR COMPANY NOW IS MOVING FORWARD WITH A $2 BILLION INVESTMENT TO EXPEDITE EV PRODUCTION. HOW WILL THIS NEW COMMITMENT IMPACT MICHIGAN AND ITS WORKFORCE? MESSER: Ford has been part of Michigan’s story for more than a century, helping to shape not only the global auto industry, but also the livelihoods of generations of Michigan families. Ford’s $2 billion investment builds “ From brands like Rocket and Stryker to Carhartt and Little Caesar’s Pizza, among others, Michigan has been home to standout customer and business-to- business brands across multiple industry supply chains. ” — Quentin Messer, President and CEO, Michigan Economic Development Corp.Next >