< Previous18 GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 on this history with an eye toward the future. By accelerating the production of electric vehicles, Ford is ensuring that its home state, Michigan, remains at the forefront of the mobility revolution. For Michigan’s skilled workforce, this continued investment in the state’s automotive ecosystem means good-paying jobs, opportunities to reskill and upskill, and a stronger pathway for the next generation to build their careers right here. For communities across the state, it means growth, stability and the ability to continue leading in an industry that is rapidly evolving. The people and businesses in Marshall are seeing the dividends from the significant investment from Ford at Blue Oval Battery Michigan. We are grateful for Ford’s longstanding partnership and are proud that Michigan remains at the vanguard of mobility’s future. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION THAT MOST PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT MICHIGAN? MESSER: One of the biggest misconceptions is that our state’s economy is only about automobiles. We are incredibly proud of our long-standing leadership and heritage in the automotive industry, and we continue to be recognized as the top state in the U.S. for automotive manufacturing. That will always be a part of the Michigan story. As we have for decades, we are diversifying our economy. With investments in entrepreneurship and innovation, defense and aerospace, semiconductors, deep tech and hard tech, and more, we are ensuring that companies in these focus industries and beyond can Make It in Michigan. 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. Recently, I joined Gov. Whitmer as a delegation for an investment mission to Singapore, Japan and Germany. During this mission, we announced the latest investment from American Rheinmetall, bringing $31.7 million and 450 new jobs to Michigan that will build on the state’s leadership in the defense industry, and the new global headquarters for JR Automation, a Hitachi company, that will bring 150 jobs and $72.8 million to the City of Zeeland. This summer, we also announced that Torc Robotics will be establishing an engineering innovation center in Ann Arbor Township, creating up to 500 new knowledge-economy jobs in the R&D space. WHAT IS ONE CITY IN MICHIGAN THAT NEVER GETS ANY MEDIA ATTENTION BUT SHOULD? MESSER: Choosing one city is an impossible task, because every community across our two peninsulas possesses its own unique characteristics of Michigan. That’s what makes our state such an incredible place. Building on the previous “biggest misconception” question, often it seems that people outside of Michigan only associate our state with Detroit — and even then, those views are outdated given the incredible resurgence happening in the Motor City in recent years. As a Michigander by choice, I can attest that beauty and surprise are found in every corner of our state. And while native Michiganders revel in having visitors and the media discover the treasures hidden in plain view that are found in Pure Michigan, the MEDC’s goal is to aggressively present today’s Michigan to business and leisure audiences so that over time, all the state’s assets worthy of more media attention will come as less of surprises and be more known organically. The new Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn opens this year to much fanfare. Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Co.20 GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 hen Invest Ontario announced on September that Chapman’s was investing over C$ million to expand its ice cream production operations in Markdale, it marked the latest victory for Invest Ontario in economic development. e investment allows Chapman’s to introduce products never before sold in Canada to consumers, while also positioning the company to develop its export business to meet growing demand in international markets. e project creates new jobs and adds , sq. ft. with three new production lines coming online initially and another three lines planned in ensuing years. e investment is also being supported by a loan of up to C$ million through the Invest Ontario Fund. is project win is not an anomaly for Ontario. Year in and year out, Ontario produces corporate facility expansion deals at the highest rate in all of Canada — a performance that does not happen without leadership. As CEO of Invest Ontario, Khawar Nasim leads a team of economic developers with international experience. Nasim himself brings over years of global experience across public and private sectors. is experience pays dividends for a province that annually leads all Canadian provinces in gross domestic product, foreign direct investment and total corporate facility projects. Before joining Invest Ontario, Khawar led one of Canada’s largest diplomatic missions when he served as acting consul general in New York. His overseas career includes senior postings in Rome, Barcelona, e Hague and Minneapolis. In the private sector, Khawar spent four years in Toronto as vice president of external aff airs at Yamana Gold. We recently caught up with Nasim for this wide-ranging interview on economic development: WHAT WERE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CORPORATE FACILITY INVESTMENT PROJECTS OVER THE PAST YEAR IN ONTARIO? NASIM: We have had a very strong year. Just to contextualize this, Invest Ontario is only fi ve years old. We are very lean, effi cient and eff ective. Our numbers have exceeded expectations. We have helped companies announce over C$. billion in investments since inception. Among the biggest over the past year were: • Linamar announced an investment of over C$ billion and more than , jobs in the automotive sector in Guelph. • In the life sciences domain, AstraZeneca announced an C$ million investment that creates over jobs in Mississauga. • Chocolate maker Ferrero announced a C$ million deal that adds jobs in Brantford. • Minth Group, an auto parts maker out of Taiwan, is investing nearly C$ million and creating over , jobs in Windsor — In a time of unrest, Canada’s largest province reaps big investment rewards. by RON STARNER W ONTARIO: ‘A Beacon of Stability’ LEDERSHIP INTERVIEW: INVEST ONTARIO Algonquin Provincial Park and Georgian Bay are popular tourist destinations in Ontario and offer many hidden gems, per Invest Ontario CEO Khawar Nasim. Photos courtesy of Destination Ontario ‘A Beacon of Stability’GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 21 and they are doing that without any incentive funding from Invest Ontario. That is a testament to the vitality of the auto parts sector in Ontario. WHAT ARE THE FASTEST-GROWING INDUSTRIES IN ONTARIO NOW? NASIM: Ontario is the economic engine of Canada. We are not monolithic in our economy. We have a vibrant manufacturing sector, technology sector and life sciences industry. And if you look at our growth in AI, particularly at the University of Toronto and other schools in Ontario, we are creating very talented AI specialists. This strong AI talent pool has recently propelled Toronto to No. 3 in all of North America in CBRE’s tech talent ranking — just behind the Bay Area and Seattle and ahead of New York City. In the life sciences area, we learned a lesson from the pandemic, and that is you must have sovereignty and strength in life sciences. In the medical isotopes area, we will double production as the province is putting C$18 million into this sector. AstraZeneca, Roche, Sanofi and other big names are investing a lot of capital and creating a lot of new jobs in Ontario, and emerging technologies are being supported here too. In addition, we are seeing a lot of interest in the defense industry space; and we continue to be a national leader in the production of steel and vehicles. WHAT ARE YOUR AGENCY’S TOP THREE PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS? NASIM: We are five years old now, and we have the attention and focus of the government to create high-impact investment. We have the ability to be agile, responsive and nimble and to work at the speed of business. One top priority is that we align very closely with the provincial and federal governments in the critical minerals area. We are harnessing and developing new nickel and cobalt resources in Ontario. It is really important to ensure that we are not dependent on foreign markets. Secondly, it is important to align with the government on affordable housing. Thirdly, we want to see businesses grow in Ontario, and we want to make sure that the return to the province is generated in the near term and in the long term. We have hired smart people to lead our team, and we are now looking at new sectors. No investment happens just because of one agency. We work with all partners. We are part of an ecosystem. We have strengthened our collaboration, and we have expanded our international reach. We have overturned the unturned rocks. We are going to Austria and Sweden and other countries that other nations may overlook. Finally, we are focused on long-term job creation in Ontario. We have colleges and universities that are producing outstanding talent in film and TV production, digital gaming and other forms of digital media. We have over 70,000 STEM graduates per year coming out of our colleges and universities in Ontario. We have expedited immigration processes for international students. We know that we have very smart people who can fill good jobs. HOW IS ONTARIO RESPONDING TO THE TARIFFS ENACTED BY THE UNITED STATES, AND HOW ARE THE TARIFFS IMPACTING THE PROVINCIAL ECONOMY? NASIM: I think it is creating hesitancy and caution. We are very aware of it. We are shifting into focusing on our domestic supply chain. I want to be clear: Markets go through peaks and valleys, but the fundamental reasons why you want to invest in Ontario remain stellar. Our fundamentals are so sound that we are a beacon of stability during times of unrest. I am convinced that the investments will happen. Our product will win out in time. Site Selection magazine said that we are the No. 1 most competitive jurisdiction in Canada. Our government has not raised taxes in eight years. In fact, they have decreased taxes here. They have made Ontario one of the most attractive business destinations in the world. “ Markets go through peaks and valleys, but the fundamental reasons why you want to invest in Ontario remain stellar. Our fundamentals are so sound that we are a beacon of stability during times of unrest. ” — Khawar Nasim, CEO, Invest Ontario22 GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 s vice president of foreign direct investment at Investissement Québec International in Montreal, Daniel Silverman has a front-row seat to economic development at the highest levels in this Canadian province just north of New York. In a recent interview, we caught up with Silverman to learn more about the factors driving investment in Quebec. Here is that exchange: WHAT ARE THE DOMINANT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRENDS IMPACTING QUEBEC RIGHT NOW? SILVERMAN: The obvious response is the relationship between the United States and Canada. The incertitude of tariffs has had an impact on both investment and trade for Quebec. The usual volume we see from U.S. investors has slowed since the beginning of the year. This has also had an impact on other foreign investments into Canada as some investors use Canada as an entryway to the U.S. market. The defense sector has had a significant impact. Canadian government spending is expected to increase significantly, as are other markets such as Europe. This presents an exciting opportunity for Quebec-based businesses and other companies looking to expand into Canada and more specifically to Quebec. With one of the top aerospace sectors in the world, globally recognized artificial intelligence, quantum computing and microelectronic ecosystems, and a province rich in critical minerals, Quebec is positioned to innovate the Canadian defense industry and bring our expertise to other regions of the world. WHAT WERE SOME OF YOUR BIGGEST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT WINS OF THE PAST YEAR? SILVERMAN: We have been quite fortunate over the past year in securing projects in our strategic sectors of quantum computing, life sciences, microelectronics, critical and strategic minerals, energy transition, artificial intelligence, and aerospace and defense. Some of the key investments include Chantier Davie, Delpharm, MDA, Telesat, Boeing, Air Liquide and Hitachi, to name a few. WHAT ARE YOUR ORGANIZATION’S TOP THREE PRIORITIES FOR THE COMING 12 MONTHS AND BEYOND? SILVERMAN: Help businesses in Quebec (domestic and foreign) diversify their export markets with the use of the IQI Export team and the network of 37 Quebec delegations across the globe. Also, we will help businesses in Quebec be more productive, innovative and automate with our suite of financial programs and our team of innovation engineers. Finally, we will help them scale domestically and internationally and bring Quebec expertise to strategic markets and ecosystems. LEADERSHIP INTERVIEW: INVEST QUEBEC QUEBEC STAYS Globally Engaged IN UNCERTAIN TIMES by RON STARNER A Rafters enjoying the Jacques Cartier river in Quebec, Canada Photo by David Boutin Photography/Getty ImagesGREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 23 ARE DATA CENTER CAMPUSES A HOT TREND IN QUEBEC THESE DAYS? IF SO, WHAT ARE THE LOCATION FACTORS ATTRACTING THEM TO YOUR PROVINCE? SILVERMAN: Quebec has always been an attractive destination for data centers, thanks to green renewable hydropower availability. The demand remains extremely high. However, the energy is less abundant than it was in previous years and therefore we are being more strategic in the allocation of energy in Quebec. IN GENERAL, WHAT ARE THE SITE SELECTION FACTORS THAT MAKE PLACES LIKE MONTREAL AND QUEBEC CITY ATTRACTIVE LOCATIONS FOR NEW BUSINESS INVESTMENT? SILVERMAN: In general, Quebec has done a great job in creating cross-sectoral engaging ecosystems that work together to support one another. This has created a melting pot of talent that can transition from one sector to another, a market that attracts new talent and post- secondary institutions that work with corporations and government to continue to feed talent and innovation into businesses in the province. Multinational corporations choose Quebec for the opportunity to grow their business globally. They can use the services and network of Investissement Quebec to develop business opportunities abroad, recruit talent, source locally, innovate, fund expansion projects and integrate into the multiple arrays of strategic ecosystems. “ Quebec has always been an attractive destination for data centers, thanks to green renewable hydro- power availability. The demand remains extre mely high. ” – Daniel Silverman, Vice President, Foreign Direct Investment, Investissement Québec International24 GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 utgoing Wisconsin EDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes spent six years leading her state to achieve $8 billion in new capital investment and the creation or retention of 45,000 jobs. After a performance like that, the new gubernatorial candidate paused to reflect on the highlights of this era in a recent interview. YOU RECENTLY HOSTED THE NFL DRAFT IN GREEN BAY. HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO USE THAT EVENT TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN WISCONSIN? HUGHES: It gave us two different opportunities to showcase Wisconsin. One was the big national show where millions of people got to see Wisconsin in all of its glory. Second was the smaller event we did with the site selectors. They were able to ask us questions. We could ask them questions too. It was a highly valuable exchange. WHAT WAS THE REACTION OF VISITORS TO WISCONSIN? HUGHES: Folks were pleasantly surprised and said that Wisconsin was what they expected in a good way. Midwest hospitality was something they all experienced. They all said it was so wonderful to have volunteers welcoming them off the plane. Wisconsin has a reputation for beer, cheese, snow and hospitality. I think we gave them everything but the snow. This was our biggest event since Ryder Cup. Milwaukee was also featured as the “Top Chef” location, and that brought a lot of attention to our state. WISCONSIN IS DOING A LOT TO PROMOTE INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP. HOW IS THAT EFFORT SHAPING YOUR ECONOMY? HUGHES: Wisconsin has always been a state of innovation. With our farming background, we are always solving problems. Our manufacturers are always solving problems. Plus, we have research coming out of the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Now, we are taking that heritage and tradition of innovation and asking — how do we do this intentionally? Microsoft is a key partner in this effort. It is amazing to have them as a partner at Titletown Tech. They are also investing in Southeast Wisconsin with a big data center, as well as a co-location lab in Milwaukee. Companies are ecstatic about what they are able to accomplish there in a short period of time. You can then use those building blocks to solve other problems. THE $800 MILLION KIKKOMAN EXPANSION DEAL IS ONE OF THE LARGEST FOOD PROCESSING INVESTMENTS IN U.S. HISTORY. HOW DID WISCONSIN WIN THAT DEAL? HUGHES: We won that deal through a lot of hard work. They have been here for 50 years. It made more sense for them to go to another state and diversify, but because we have been such excellent partners and leaned in at the hyper-local level building those relationships in Jefferson and Wadsworth, that made a real difference. They wanted a partner for a long time. We were so excited when they chose Wisconsin for that deal in Jefferson and Wadsworth. It is very significant. It is part of a series of big wins for us. We also won a $4 billion Eli Lilly facility and the $3.3 billion Microsoft facility. WHAT ARE SOME OTHER BIG ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WINS OF THE PAST YEAR IN YOUR STATE? HUGHES: We just had two others. Yaskawa is a Japanese company that has been here and had a headquarters in Illinois. They are moving their operations from Illinois to Wisconsin. They will build robots in Franklin. This is the first time they are building robots outside Japan. That is very exciting. We also just announced an expansion with Milwaukee Tool and 300 jobs. That now will bring their total to over 4,000 jobs in Wisconsin. The quality of the engineers and high-skilled jobs that we are churning out of our colleges and universities is truly remarkable. by RON STARNER Wisconsin SHINES On The Global Stage LEADERSHIP INTERVIEW: WEDC Missy Hughes, former Secretary and CEO, Wisconsin EDC Photo: Getty ImagesGREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 25 f you were to total the miles of shoreline encompassing the Great Lakes region, you would arrive at a number north of , — an amount greater than all seacoasts in the U.S. combined. And if you were to count all the islands in this region, the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth, the calculation would put you at roughly , . With over % of the world’s surface freshwater supply and a topography shaped by ancient glacial movements, the Great Lakes are known for their bounty of natural water and water-derived resources, a rippling “blue economy” that aims for both the conservation of its freshwater ecosystems and a sustainable use of its resources to drive economic growth and the betterment of local communities. A WATERSHED OF WEALTH A mountain of organizations are putting in the eff ort to conserve the precious resources the Great Lakes have to off er. One such organization is Michigan Sea Grant (MISG), which has committed to research, outreach and education to support the Great Lakes coastal ecosystems, communities and economies in the state since the late s. “ e Great Lakes are the beating heart of our region and are among the world’s largest lakes,” says Dr. Silvia Santa Maria Newell, Michigan Sea Grant director and University of Michigan professor for environment and sustainability. “ ey support a $ billion fi shery, a $ billion shipping industry, millions in coastal tourism and more — all of which form a signifi cant part of the basis of our regional economy.” A signifi cant way of sustaining the aquatic resources of the Great Lakes blue economy is the protection and restoration of wetlands, which enable native fi sh and animal species to remain extant in the region. Certain fi sh populations hold a high value to commercial and recreational fi shers. In Saginaw Bay, stocking programs have led to fi sheries being built over the years for the walleye, a prized cold-water game fi sh native to most of Canada and the northern United States. Lake sturgeon, whitefi sh, salmon and trout are just a few of a dozen species of fi sh that contribute to the Great Lakes commercial and recreational fi shing base. From to , MISG turned $ million of federal and state funding into nearly by KELLY BARRAZA I How this valuable resource is driving economic growth in the Great Lakes region. THE BLUE ECONOMY The H 2 O Economy Lake sturgeon release Photo courtesy of Todd Marsee/Michigan Sea Grant26 GREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 $86 million in direct economic benefits for Michigan, Newell says. Put another way, for every $1 in core funding the program received, $4 in value was generated for the state of Michigan. The work of the program has moved to focus more on the people of Michigan and emphasizes on-the-ground work, including community work to help ensure sustainability, workforce development and lifelong learning. “Our scope expanded to include aquaculture in the interest of food sustainability and security,” Newell says. “And we are helping municipalities, schools and marinas manage stormwater and flooding through green infrastructure. We have also really seen the value of increased collaboration with agencies and organizations throughout the state and the entire region, including Canadian partners.” The Michigan Sea Grant is used to working hand-in-hand with research organizations, developed out of a partnership among the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). When asked how the program uses these connections, Newell notes that they are “lucky to be able to leverage the strengths of both of our host institutions.” “The research strength of University of Michigan makes it a natural home for our research program, as well as allowing us to easily collaborate with the other Great Lakes NOAA programs that are housed here,” she says. “Michigan State University Extension provides our Extension educators access to extensive resources, connections and training to support them in their roles of engaging with community and partners.” THINK CIRCULAR The Great Lakes RENEW (Recovery of Energy, Nutrients, critical Elements and Water) Engine is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and aims “to develop and implement policies, practices and technologies that help reduce, reuse and recycle water and recover the valuable resources it carries,” says Alaina Harkness, CEO and principal investigator of Great Lakes RENEW and CEO of its lead anchor organization, Current. The RENEW engine has over 75 affiliates that include universities, national labs, global industry leaders, utilities, nonprofits and community organizations. Current is RENEW’s Chicago-based water innovation hub. The goals of the organization are as vast as the waters RENEW is keen on harnessing to build a circular blue economy in the Great Lakes region. “Our engine gives us the structure to build a powerful coalition working in alignment toward these shared goals of economic prosperity and water stewardship,” says Harkness. “If the Great Lakes Region were a country, its $6 trillion GDP would make it the third largest in the world. Collectively, our region brings not only market and innovation heft — from Fortune 500 companies to startups and venture capital — but a shared stewardship obligation to our globally significant freshwater resources.” Often called the “universal solvent,” water is a known master of absorbing and mixing other materials like electrolytes, food nutrients, heavy metals and PFAS. Selective separation technologies help leverage and combat this ability of water when needed, allowing for the ability to sense, target and remove specific materials like nutrients, critical minerals or harmful contaminants from water. RENEW is seeking out the funding and advancement of new materials, sensors and processes that could recover valuable resources in the process of cleaning water from the Great Lakes, adding to an existing toolbox of technologies used in this field such as membranes, activated carbon, ion exchange and electrochemical processes. “There are so many reasons we need to scale these technologies and shift toward circular water management,” says Harkness. “Instead of flushing away mineral-rich tailings and slurry from mining, we could secure domestic supply chains for critical minerals like lithium and copper. Instead of sending excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus downstream where they create harmful algal blooms, we could recover them for fertilizer.” Current, the main water innovation hub of RENEW, primarily operates out of Chicago. Photo courtesy of Current Innovation NFPGREAT LAKES INVESTMENT GUIDE 2025 27 A big boon to Current was a National Science Foundation grant that was awarded to the organization in January 2024. The inaugural award was $14.7 million for the first two years of work toward a potential $160 million over the 10-year award period. Through strategic partnerships with Nomadic Venture Partners and mHUB, RENEW is building specialized accelerators to support water technologies for the mining and manufacturing industries. The engine is planning on launching annual competitive funding calls to support around 10 new R&D projects each year — each lasting two years and with funding up to $500,000. This work, along with efforts to remediate PFAS water contamination, should help secure an innovation pipeline to accelerate the transition to a circular blue economy. For critical minerals like lithium, “demand is skyrocketing, driven by renewable energy, semiconductors, manufacturing and data centers,” says Harkness. “The lack of domestic availability of these materials creates significant supply chain and security risks. At the same time, these minerals are present in wastewater systems, from sources like mines and brines but also in our municipal wastewater. The challenge is to understand which of these unconventional sources has the most potential and feasibility for cost-effective recovery — and that takes research and experimentation.” An H2NOW installation will provide real-time data on water quality in Chicago rivers. Photo courtesy of Current Innovation NFPNext >