The state engineers a rapid turnaround in economic development.
The 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. 10 Best State Business Climate in America — an improvement of 20 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.
Through this Make It in Michigan strategy, we are seeing impactful investments that are making a difference in the lives of Michiganders, including:
In April 2025, Corning Incorporated announced that it would be increasing its previously announced investment in Michigan to $1.5 billion for its new manufacturing facility in Saginaw County, creating 1,500 advanced manufacturing jobs. The investment continues Corning’s presence in Michigan and will address the increased demand for U.S.-made solar components. The project is already receiving national recognition. In January 2025, Corning’s investment was recognized in the Clean Energy Manufacturing category of Business Facilities’ 2024 Impact Awards, part of the publication’s annual Deal of the Year awards. The 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 2025, Gov. Whitmer secured a game-changing F-15EX fighter 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 $30 billion to the state’s economy annually and supports approximately 166,000 jobs. Selfridge contributes an estimated $850 million to Michigan’s 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.
“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.
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 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.
The new Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn opens this year to much fanfare.
Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Co.
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.
