ABOUT US
West Michigan's Business Advantage
Focus
Founded in 2003 by business and community leaders, Lakeshore Advantage is a non-profit economic development organization that connects businesses to the resources they need to grow in Allegan and Ottawa Counties. We accomplish this by working to:
Core Values
People who interact with Lakeshore Advantage can expect to experience our team's core values. Our core values define how we deliver services to employers, partners and each other. They are:
Our Why
Ensuring current and future generations want to live and work in our vibrant economy.
We Serve
Supporting primary employers*, from start-ups to grown ups.
*A primary employer grows our region’s Gross Regional Product (GRP).
Our Services
We offer traditional economic development services, including site location and business expansion assistance.
We work with company leaders to maintain a robust business base and help them to tackle challenges to growth. Data drives our work, and we meet with plant managers and business leaders to understand and help fulfill immediate needs for them to succeed in our region.
We work with entrepreneurs through SURGE, our virtual commercialization program and startup support community, to foster growth of tomorrow’s primary employers.
Our Target Market
- Growth minded entrepreneurs, business leaders and decision makers at current or future primary employers who:
- See obstacles and opportunities for growth
- Are willing to ask for help
- Located in or considering location in Ottawa and/or Allegan Counties
- Investors that support our primary employers.
Our 10-Year Target
By 2030: We will be ranking at or above our comparative communities for Median Household Income, Average Annual Pay and Total Employment Growth, and at or above the national average for Education Attainment.
Click here for more information.
What Makes Us "Lakeshore Advantage"
- Driven by unique primary research and utilize secondary data to benchmark our region’s competitiveness
- Act as a member of a current or future primary employer’s team to tackle challenges and assist with growth opportunities.
- Cultivate ideas between public, private and non-profit sectors to position our community for growth.
- Sharing the region’s business value proposition & provide thought leadership to the broader community.