A New Breed of Economic Developer

Business In Focus

June 2020 

Despite the increasing growth of larger urban centers, newer micropolitan areas are rising to compete. In Michigan’s Dickinson County, on the state’s Upper Peninsula, the Dickinson Area Economic Development Alliance has forged strong, private sector-led connections between businesses, educational institutions, and government agencies to help usher in a new era of growth for the region. 

 As a smaller micropolitan area, Dickinson County and its surrounding areas had fallen under the purview of a combined chamber of commerce/economic development organization. But when local business owners believed progress in the region was slowing, they realized a new type of organization was needed.