The Detroit Regional Chamber is pleased to present its 2015 Year in Review, which highlights the Chamber's initiatives a
2015
Powering Innovation and Economic Growth for Southeast Michigan The Detroit Regional Chamber is pleased to present its 2015 Year in Review, which highlights the Chamber’s initiatives and achievements over the past year. Building on the region’s positive momentum, the Chamber continued to focus on its core mission of moving the economic needle in Southeast Michigan. From serving as the leading voice of business in Lansing, to convening premier policy events, the Chamber continues to play a role in the city and region’s prosperous future. This year in review highlights the most noteworthy accomplishments from the past 12 months.
Ford Motor Co.’s Executive Chairman Bill Ford speaks at the Mackinac Policy Conference.
CBS Detroit’s Carol Cain interviews Mayor Mike Duggan on Michigan’s Center Stage at the 2015 Mackinac Policy Conference.
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Gov. Rick Snyder calls on automotive leaders to put the “pedal to the metal” on the state’s signature industry at the 2015 MICHauto Summit.
A Relentless Commitment to Business In today’s fast-paced, increasingly connected world, organizations and businesses must be flexible and willing to adapt to the rapidly changing marketplace. The Detroit Regional Chamber continues to rise to that challenge. As one of the oldest, largest and most successful chambers of commerce in the country, the Chamber is committed to improving and growing the business community in Southeast Michigan. Representing a united 11-county area, the Chamber brings together business, philanthropic, government, education and community leaders to create economic vitality across the region. From the startup to the Fortune 500 company, the Chamber represents nearly 3,000 organizations from every sector of the economy. The Chamber is committed to providing its members with the resources and connections they need to succeed, attracting high-level talent, encouraging continued investment and innovation, and showcasing the region as a great place to live, work and play. With a relentless commitment to powering the economy for Southeast Michigan, the Chamber is focused on four pillars: economic development, regional collaboration, education reform and membership value.
Economic Development Attract and retain talent and business investment in the Detroit region.
Regional Collaboration Act as a platform for problem-solving by uniting government and business leaders and regional stakeholders to share ideas to impact Michigan’s turnaround.
Education Reform Advance education reform to ensure businesses have the highly skilled workforce they need to adapt to the ever-changing global marketplace.
Membership Value Provide members, from the Fortune 500 company to the new startup venture, the resources to succeed while advocating for policies to create the best possible business climate.
A Relentless Commitment
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Economic Development
The Frankfurt Auto Show serves as an annual destination for the Chamber’s economic development team.
Attracting Business and Investment from Around the World Sharing Detroit’s momentum with the rest of the world, the Chamber traveled the globe this year telling the city’s comeback story and promoting the region as a premier location for domestic and foreign investment. Along with the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) and regional partners, the Chamber attended five trade missions in China, France, Germany, Italy and Japan to champion the city and region’s resurgence while building and strengthening relationships with key governments, businesses and associations. The Chamber also attended 11 national and international trade shows and conferences and 10 domestic site consultant trips while hosting 15 delegations from around the world. For the first three quarters of the calendar year, the Chamber contributed to the generation of 430 jobs and $42.7 million in investment. An annual economic development report will be published in March with the complete results for the year.
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The Frankfurt Auto Show features numerous concept cars from the world’s leading automotive OEMs and suppliers.
Strengthening Ties with Japan and Germany with Gov. Snyder and the MEDC Making the case for Southeast Michigan, the Chamber traveled to Japan and Germany for a weeklong investment mission in September with Gov. Rick Snyder and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) to strengthen business relationships and attract job-creating investment. During the trip, the Chamber attended the Midwest U.S.- Japan Association Conference in Tokyo and met with automotive, hospitality and medical companies looking to expand in the United States. The Chamber also attended the 66th Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany, meeting with over 100 automotive suppliers and 130 c-suite executives to promote Michigan’s business-friendly tax structure, reduced regulations and talent pool. The Governor’s mission culminated in Daimler North America Corp.’s announcement to move its headquarters to Michigan, resulting in the creation of 30 jobs.
DELEGATION PHOTO
Chamber CEO Sandy Baruah (fourth from left) and Gov. Rick Snyder meet with business leaders during the trade mission to Japan.
Sharing Detroit’s Story with International Delegations
A Taiwanese delegation consisting of representatives from 14 automotive companies pose for a photo while visiting Detroit during the SAE World Congress in April.
As Detroit’s international profile continues to rise, this year the Chamber welcomed delegations from Austria, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Korea, Malaysia, Switzerland and Taiwan, as well as the Chicago International Trade Commissioners Association (CITCA) and International Tenant Representation Alliance, who were interested in learning about the region and the automotive industry’s revitalization. The delegation visits reflect the Chamber’s ongoing goal of building relationships with investors and facilitating partnerships between Michigan and international manufacturers.
Economic Development
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MICHauto Coalition Launches Initiative to Expand Michigan’s Mobility Leadership Strengthening, protecting and promoting the state’s leadership in automotive and next-generation mobility development is at the core of the Michigan Mobility Initiative. First announced at the 2015 Mackinac Policy Conference, the Initiative is a coalition of statewide business, automotive and university groups convened by MICHauto that includes the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC), Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM), Michigan Department ofTransportation (MDOT) and University Research Corridor (URC). The Initiative promotes economic development and the state’s global leadership as a premier location for next-generation mobility R&D, creates awareness for the physical infrastructure needed to support connected vehicle technology, and works to ensure Michigan’s secondary and higher education systems are prepared to develop talent to support deployment and advancement of next-generation mobility.
Chamber CEO Sandy Baruah announces the Michigan Mobility Initiative with partners (from left to right) MICHauto’s Glenn Stevens, Michigan Department of Transportation’s Kirk Steudle, Michigan Automotive Office’s Kevin Kerrigan, Business Leaders for Michigan’s Kelly Chesney, and the University Research Corridor’s Jeff Mason.
MICHauto works to build relationships between the automotive industry and lawmakers in Lansing.
As part of that effort, coalition partners collaborated on a map featuring 28 existing facilities that play a role in developing and testing smart mobility technology in the state to promote Michigan’s assets to companies and entrepreneurs looking to be part of the mobility sector.
Legislative Hearing Focuses on Preserving Automotive Industry Raising awareness of the importance of the automotive industry to Michigan’s economic growth, in February, MICHauto testified in front of the Michigan House Commerce Committee in Lansing. MICHauto provided newly sworn-in members of the Legislature an overview of the industry, emphasizing the importance of talent attraction and technological development as keys to preserving, protecting and growing the industry across the state.
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“Autoline Daily” host John McElroy leads a panel discussion with (left to right) the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Kirk Steudle, Cisco System’s Andreas Mai and Michigan Automotive Office’s Kevin Kerrigan.
MICHauto Summit Challenges Industry to Embrace Innovation in ‘Brave New Automotive World’
Telogis’ Jason Koch delivers the lunch keynote address at the 2015 MICHauto Summit.
In a brave new automotive world where technology, business models and new opportunity are paired with risk, how will Michigan’s automotive industry respond? That question served as the backdrop for the third annual MICHauto Summit. Drawing leaders and stakeholders from across the state, the daylong Summit continued to serve as a premier platform to discuss Michigan’s automotive and next-generation mobility future. Nearly 500 leaders from industry, academia, government, startups and professional service firms joined experts to discuss how Michigan can build on its unrivaled automotive resources and R&D and ultimately win the race for the autonomous vehicle. In addition to keynote speeches by Telogis President and CEO Jason Koch, General Motors’ Harry Lightsey III and Gov. Snyder, the Summit also included over 30 speakers and panelists who challenged the status quo for Michigan’s automotive industry.
Start Garden’s Mike Morin urges attendees to embrace disruptive forces and new technology at the MICHauto Summit.
For the first time the Summit included a connected ride experience through the city of Detroit watched by over 300 people around the world via the livestreaming platform Periscope. In addition, the Summit attracted strong Internet traffic, as its official hashtag, #MAS15, trended locally on Twitter.
Economic Development
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Regional Collaboration
The Chamber and its 12 economic development government partners sign a new protocol agreement to coordinate business attraction efforts.
Collaborating to Bring International Investment to the Region The Chamber and its 12 government economic development partners in March renewed a more detailed protocol agreement to enhance collaboration on business attraction efforts designed to bring increased national and foreign investment to the region. The protocol is one of the first outcomes of the Regional Business Attraction Strategy funded by JPMorgan Chase in 2014. The protocol recognizes that regional messaging and coordinated outreach adds value and impact to business attraction efforts and strategies. In signing the protocol, the partners agreed to work closely and collaboratively with the Chamber. A second outcome of the Regional Business Attraction Strategy is the development of a unified brand to market the communities and assets of Southeast Michigan to domestic and international business attraction targets. The Chamber and Royal Oak-based creative agency Factory Detroit developed this brand with feedback from numerous stakeholders, including the government economic development partners. Expected to be rolled out in 2016, this new brand will serve as a common marketing platform for the Chamber as it travels with its partners helping to more clearly articulate Southeast Michigan’s strengths, diversity and identity as a premier target for investment.
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Protecting and Growing Michigan’s Defense Industry Continuing its work to protect and grow Michigan’s defense sector, the Chamber engaged in numerous activities this year to increase awareness for Macomb County’s military corridor. An active participant on the TACOM Advisory Council, the Chamber provided input on community awareness opportunities to promote the economic impact and job creation of the U.S. Army’s TACOM Life Cycle Management Command and the innovative research and development at the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC). As part of that effort, in September the Chamber participated in a tour of the corridor hosted by the Michigan Army and Air National Guard and TACOM to provide Michigan’s congressional delegation an up-close look at the region’s defense assets and educate lawmakers on the economic impact of military manufacturing. The Chamber is also serving as a voice on the Protect and Grow Initiative, Michigan Economic Development Corp.’s effort to develop a statewide strategy to protect the industry, by providing input on retention and growth strategies for the defense sector in Michigan.
Members of the Michigan congressional delegation tour Macomb County’s military corridor. Participants included: Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan) and U.S. Reps. Dan Benishek (R-Crystal Falls), Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn), Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland), Sander Levin (D-Royal Oak), Candice Miller (R-Harrison Twp.) and Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph).
Regional Collaboration
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John Hope Bryant and Mayor Mike Duggan kick off recruitment of corporations to host or support HOPE Inside Centers in Detroit.
Partnering with Mayor Duggan and John Hope Bryant to Recruit HOPE Inside Centers The Chamber partnered with John Hope Bryant and Mayor Mike Duggan in a kickoff campaign this fall to recruit 20 organizations to serve as HOPE Inside Centers throughout the city of Detroit. The recruitment campaign stemmed from a 2015 Mackinac Policy Conference To-Do List item to promote financial literacy in targeted communities through partnerships with financial services firms and the foundation and nonprofit community. Bryant gave an impassioned keynote speech at the Conference in May, stressing the importance of transforming neighborhoods by closing the gap of poverty and financial literacy in order to move the city and region forward. Prior to that speech, the first HOPE Inside Center opened at the Northwest Activities Center supported by Fifth Third Bank.
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Support for Grow Detroit’s Young Talent Employs Over 5,000 Youths In June, Mayor Duggan announced that Grow Detroit’s Young Talent (GDYT), a new program designed to connect Detroit youth with summer jobs and create sustainable career pathways, exceeded its first-year goal of employing 5,000 students. Following the Mayor’s announcement of the GDYT program at the 2014 Mackinac Policy Conference, the Chamber made it a Conference To-Do List item. As a lead partner, the Chamber hosted the Mayor’s kickoff breakfast this past January, partnering with the Detroit Employment Solutions Corp., The Skillman Foundation, The Bing Youth Institute and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, along with other community groups, to recruit participation. Throughout the enrollment campaign, the Chamber engaged with numerous member organizations, who pledged support through hiring students, making a donation, or both.
Manufacturing Day Gives Students Up-Close Look at Skilled Trades
Mayor Mike Duggan announces that Grow Detroit’s Young Talent exceeded its first-year goal of providing 5,000 summer jobs for Detroit youth.
U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) addresses students at Manufacturing Day.
Over 5,000 students from across the region participated in Manufacturing Day, a nationwide event held in October aimed at changing misperceptions about skilled trades and fostering interest in manufacturing careers. With support from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC), the Chamber coordinated regional participation in the event, working with Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties, along with the city of Detroit, to recruit students. Through the Chamber’s efforts, the event attracted over double the amount of students from previous years, who toured over 100 manufacturing facilities.
Regional Collaboration
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CNBC analyst and former Congressman Harold Ford Jr. joins Ariel Investments’ Mellody Hobson for discussion on financial literacy, millennials and the new economy.
Mackinac Policy Conference Draws Record Roster of National Speakers to Michigan’s Center Stage This year’s Mackinac Policy Conference attracted a record number of national speakers and unprecedented media coverage, reaffirming its status as one of the country’s premier policy events. For the first time in its history, the Chamber welcomed three Pulitzer Prize-winning authors and a record-breaking 16 national speakers to Michigan’s Center Stage. Doris Kearns Goodwin, best-selling author of “Team of Rivals,” The Detroit Free Press’ Stephen Henderson and The Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson joined more than 1,600 Conference attendees, providing impactful discussion focused on the pillars of talent, cohesion and urban revitalization. This year’s lineup brought thought-provoking dialogue including keynote speeches by Operation HOPE CEO John Hope Bryant, Ariel Investments President Mellody Hobson, FIRST Robotics founder Dean Kamen and TV personality Mike Rowe. In addition to main stage programming, the Conference did not shy away from difficult topics with sessions focused on racial and economic disparity, including a continuation of the “Uniting Two Detroits” conversation from the Detroit Policy Conference. The compelling content helped Mackinac nearly double its media coverage, as the event garnered more than 700 instances of media coverage, including 200 national media hits. The Chamber also brought winning teams from the FIRST in Michigan robotics competition, who demonstrated their projects to Conference attendees to highlight the importance of STEM education in building Michigan’s workforce. Members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Civic Jazz Orchestra were also invited to perform to showcase civic organizations that impact Southeast Michigan.
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Shattering Misperceptions of the Skilled Trades with Mike Rowe Mike Rowe, host of CNN’s “Somebody’s Gotta Do It” and 2015 Mackinac Policy Conference keynote speaker, dramatically personified the need to close Michigan’s skilled trades gap at this year’s Conference. Using humorous narrative juxtaposed with national statistics, Rowe outlined the need for skilled trades awareness to move Michigan forward. During the Conference, the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and Gov. Snyder also announced a partnership with Rowe for a series of commercials to change perceptions and promote the skilled trades. As a continuation of the discussion from Mackinac, the Chamber’s September edition of the Detroiter magazine prominently featured Rowe on its front cover and highlighted the reality of today’s skills gap while showcasing some of the good-paying careers in the skilled trades. Mike Rowe of “Dirty Jobs” fame challenges Mackinac attendees to think differently about the definition of a good job.
Ciditiaspiet mos quos millitat. Epernatatur, inctiur? (From Theadist Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson, the Detroit Free Lableft) iusam pa quidele secepta tibereperum Press’ Stephen renowned presidential historian quatur reiumHenderson, quo comnisand is dolorrum quis mod Doris Kearns Goodwin chat at a special reception featuring the three Pulitzer Prize winners.
Whole Foods’ Walter Robb speaks to the ethos of “doing well by doing good” at the Mackinac Policy Conference.
Regional Collaboration
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Ciditiaspiet mos quos millitat. Epernatatur, inctiur? Lab iusam adist pa quidele secepta tibereperum quatur reium quo comnis is dolorrum quis mod
Education Reform
Students listen to an overview of the Detroit Scholarship Fund program during a summer ceremony at the Max M. Fisher Music Center.
Detroit Scholarship Fund and Detroit Compact Provide Access to Education Recognizing that today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce, this year the Detroit Scholarship Fund (DSF), administered by the Chamber, helped over 400 students from 60 high schools enroll in a tuition-free path to an associate degree in the fall. DSF complements the Detroit Compact, the long-standing tuition assistance program resulting in collaboration between the Chamber, public and private universities and Detroit Public Schools to help students pursue bachelor’s degrees. For the 2015-2016 academic year, 202 new students are pursuing a four-year degree through the Detroit Compact.
A student asks Detroit Scholarship Fund coordinators a question about eligibility requirements.
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Reforming Detroit Public Schools With the start of the new year, Chamber President Sandy Baruah, along with Chamber Board members John Rakolta Jr. and Richard DeVore, joined a diverse cohort of 36 community leaders to craft comprehensive recommendations to improve academic achievements in schools operating in Detroit and solve the Detroit Public Schools debt issues.The Coalition for the Future of Detroit Schoolchildren met over the course of 100 days and presented its recommendations to Gov. Snyder in March. Among the recommendations, the Coalition called for the creation of the Detroit Education Commission to oversee all aspects of school governance in the city. In addition, the Coalition recommended merging the Education Achievement Authority into a properly funded State School Reform Office to manage failing schools and for the state to assume the debt for DPS and return the district to an elected school board versus control by a state-appointed emergency manager. The recommendations helped influence the Governor’s plan unveiled in October.
Supporting STEM Education, Higher Standards in the Classroom As a leading voice for business, the Chamber continued its support for comprehensive education reform, making the issue one of its Top 10 Legislative Priorities for 2015. Leveraging its relationship with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, the Chamber worked on numerous issues this year focused on increasing accountability and transparency in education, including advocating for an assessment tied to Common Core curriculum standards, transparent and user-friendly school rating tools, teacher evaluation reform and high reading standards for thirdgraders. In September, the Chamber hosted 20 regional business leaders, who voiced their support for STEM education funding in the classroom during a roundtable discussion with state Rep. Adam Zemke (D-Ann Arbor) and other state government officials. In October, the Chamber joined with the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) to advocate for rigorous testing standards to prepare the state’s college and career-ready workforce.
Crain’s Detroit Business’ Mary Kramer leads a panel discussion on education reform at Mackinac with (from left) The Skillman Foundation’s Tonya Allen, Walbridge’s John Rakolta Jr, and Chamber CEO Sandy Baruah.
Increasing Educational Attainment in the Region The Chamber’s talent retention and education efforts were recognized by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), who awarded the Chamber a Lumina Award for Educational Attainment in August. The Chamber was one of five chambers across the country chosen for having demonstrated momentum in setting education attainment agendas and establishing innovative postsecondary attainment goals and strategies. The one-time award, along with funding from the New Economy Initiative, supports the Chamber’s “Detroit Drives Degrees” initiative. The initiative’s goal is to grow the number of individuals in the region with post-secondary degrees and other high quality credentials, with the goal of ensuring that 60 percent of the adult population has a post-secondary degree or credential by 2025. As part of that work, the Chamber is convening higher education partners, K-12 educators and business and community leaders to develop a strategy focused on three areas: increasing access to college, improving college graduation rates and retaining graduates in the region. A communication plan and policy recommendations that support the goal of increased education attainment are also being planned.
Education Reform
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The Chamber’s Brad Williams leads discussion with (from left) Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton, Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly Jr. and Gov. Snyder, about the importance of investing in Michigan’s roads.
Membership Value
ADVOCACY Serving as the Business Voice for Road Funding The Chamber continued its aggressive support of transportation funding, leading the call for the state Legislature to pass a fiscally responsible solution that would fix the roads while protecting the services that businesses and individuals rely on for Michigan’s economic growth. As part of that effort, the Chamber was one of the leaders of Safe Roads Yes!, a several month-long campaign to educate voters on the importance of passing Proposal 1. In addition to creating a comprehensive toolkit outlining the business case for road funding, the Chamber’s Brad Williams appeared on several local and statewide media outlets to advocate for Proposal 1’s passage. Despite the proposal’s defeat, the Chamber remained committed to holding the Legislature accountable for its promised “Plan B.” The Chamber issued its Five Principles for Transportation Funding in May. The issue also received prominent attention at the 2015 Mackinac Policy Conference, leading to a Conference To-Do List item. With the Legislature seemingly at an impasse, in the fall, the Chamber Board approved a letter to legislators characterizing the lack of a roads plan as a “failure of leadership.” Following the roads vote in November, the Chamber again served as a leading business voice, as it was one of the only business organizations to vocalize serious concern with the long-term implications of the legislation. Prior to the vote, portions of a statement expressing those concerns were read into the record on the House floor by Minority Leader Tim Greimel (D-Auburn Hills). Throughout the process, the Chamber was quoted by numerous media outlets, reflecting its status as the respected business voice in the region. The Chamber is widely recognized as the second most effective business lobbying organization in Lansing.
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Launching the Michigan Automotive Caucus In an effort to improve familiarity and increase communication between automotive stakeholders and legislators in Lansing, the Chamber and MICHauto continue to cultivate a positive relationship with the Michigan Legislature’s newly created Automotive Caucus. The Chamber hosted caucus members for a private tour and reception at the North American International Auto Show in January and a reception with caucus members and stakeholders at the Mackinac Policy Conference. In May, MICHauto also hosted 25 legislators, their staffs and other industry leaders for its annual Supplier Reception.
Successfully Supporting Doubling the Skilled Trades Training Fund
State lawmakers hear about some of the most anticipated vehicles at the North American International Auto Show.
To address the constantly changing needs of Michigan’s manufacturing industry, the Chamber served as a leading advocate to successfully double the funding for Michigan’s Skilled Trades Training Fund (STTF), which incentivizes incumbent worker training programs to help fill the talent pipeline. The Chamber also successfully advocated for funding increases in the state’s Community Ventures Program, focusing on structurally unemployed workers, and the Michigan Advanced Technical Training Program (MAT2), an apprenticeship-type program supported by Gov. Snyder and designed to promote the importance of skilled trades in education curriculum.
Mike Rowe of “Dirty Jobs” calls for increased effort in supporting the skilled trades across the country.
Membership Value
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The Detroit News’ Nolan Finley (far left) leads a discussion about uniting Detroit with a panel including: (from left to right) Ignition Media Group’s Dennis Archer Jr., Strategic Staffing Solutions’ Cindy Pasky, Councilman André Spivey, Wayne State University’s Eric Williams and co-moderator WDIV’s Devin Scillian.
CONNECTING MEMBERS WITH RESOURCES AND LEADERS Detroit Policy Conference Tackles Tough Issues for City’s Next Chapter In its fourth year, the Detroit Policy Conference brought over 800 business, community and political leaders together at the MotorCity Casino Hotel to tackle issues facing Detroit’s post-bankruptcy future. Over 40 of the region’s most dynamic leaders provided insight into transit, education and the role of race and economic opportunity in the city’s resurgence. In addition to keynote speeches by Mayor Duggan and urban strategist and best-selling author Peter Kageyama, Nolan Finley, editorial page editor for The Detroit News, led an impactful discussion on race and economic opportunity in a panel focused on “Uniting Two Detroits.” The panel featured Ignition Media Group’s Dennis Archer Jr., Strategic Staffing Solutions’ Cindy Pasky, Detroit City Councilman André Spivey and Wayne State University’s Eric Williams focused on diversifying the clientele in downtown Detroit, educating young African-Americans about business startup opportunities and removing barriers to entrepreneurialism. The panel was a precursor to a broader conversation at the Mackinac Policy Conference.
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State of the Region Report Highlights Economic Opportunity, Challenges This year saw the release of the second annual State of the Region, which offers an analysis of the economic indicators related to business growth, talent, innovation and international commerce for Southeast Michigan. The report highlights the automotive, aerospace and defense, health care, transportation, distribution and logistics, and metalworking technology industries. In December, the Chamber hosted local chambers of commerce and economic development agencies throughout the region for a deeper dive on the report’s findings and how it can be used to attract business investment.
Networking with the Big Four Over 300 Chamber members participated in receptions with Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel in April and Wayne County Executive Warren Evans in September. The quarterly networking receptions offer members a chance to meet with the Big Four regional leaders from Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties, and the city of Detroit, along with their key staff, and are part of ongoing efforts to promote regional collaboration among businesses and political leaders.
Chamber CEO Sandy Baruah presents the inaugural State of the Region last year.
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans introduces key staff at a Chamber quarterly networking reception.
Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel addresses Chamber members at a quarterly networking reception.
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Leadership Detroit unites leaders from East and West Michigan to discuss opportunities and challenges for the state’s continued growth.
East Meets West: Mobilizing Statewide Leadership and Collaboration The Chamber continues to bring East and West Michigan together to foster relationships, move the state forward, and create “one Michigan.” Most recently, 40 graduates from the Chamber’s Leadership Detroit initiative and Leadership Grand Rapids participated in a series of educational discussions to explore the politics, opportunities and challenges of the state’s two largest regions. Participants collaborated on ideas and strategies to better align the Detroit and Grand Rapids regions on statewide issues with a specific focus on building economic equity and understanding diversity. “East Meets West” continues a 2011 Mackinac Policy Conference To-Do List item to improve collaboration between businesses and key institutions across the state. Previous outcomes include: touring Grand Rapids with a delegation of Detroit leaders in 2011, attending the West Michigan Policy Forum in 2012, and hosting West Michigan business leaders in Detroit in 2012 and annually at the Mackinac Policy Conference.
Driving Health Care Savings for Members In 2015, HealthForward, an initiative of the Chamber, solidified its status as a resource for employers and other health care purchasers through its informative ForwardThinking programming. In collaboration with longtime partner Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the initiative supports economic growth by containing employer health care costs. HealthForward also shifted its focus to three core initiatives: creating education and solutions for employer health issues, assisting employees and consumers when using the health care system, and supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in health technologies in Southeast Michigan.
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(From left) Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Aaron MacDonald and Kushner & Company’s Ben Cohen discuss employer health care savings at Forward Thinking: Business Strategies for Health Care.
Data Center Offers Easy Access to Region’s Assets
In partnership with:
Supporting and Growing Middle Market Businesses In November, the Chamber launched its Middle Market Council, partnering with the National Center for the Middle Market (NCMM), the foremost expert and leading resource on knowledge, leadership and innovative research on the U.S. middle market. The Council is the first of its kind in the state and will provide resources for middle market companies to retain and attract top-notch talent, navigate government regulations, outperform competitors, manage and increase capital and accelerate business growth. Events exclusively for middle market companies are scheduled for 2016, as well as a robust online resource center.
The Chamber launched its Data Center, a customizable platform that allows members to easily create reports tailored to specific communities in Southeast Michigan. The Data Center offers information, including business costs, workforce, demographics and quality of life for businesses that engage in national and international operations. It can also be used for making informed business decisions related to talent recruitment and industry trends.
Chamber Today Informs Members of Latest Happenings Launched in 2015, Chamber Today provides a central location where members can see how their membership dollars are impacting growth in the region, while nonmembers can learn about the Chamber’s work in economic development, regional collaboration, education reform and membership value. Accessible at today.detroitchamber. com, Chamber Today aggregates updates from different initiatives and events.
DETROIT REGIONAL SNAPSHOT
summer 2015
POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHICS 11-County Region
5.3million residents in the 11-county region
Race and Ethnicity % % 4% 3 2
21
%
70%
white black hispanic asian other
12th most populous
metropolitan area in the nation
7,062
square miles City of Detroit
139
square miles ECONOMY
10th fastest growing economy
in the nation’s 50 most populous metropolitan areas from 2009 to 2013, outpacing Seattle, Boston and Chicago
ECONOMY
13 Fortune 500 companies call the Detroit region home
Membership Value
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The cover of the September/October 2013 Detroiter magazine features key leaders driving Detroit’s revitalization.
CHAMBER STRENGTH Detroit’s Comeback Story Earns ‘Best in Show’ Award from ACCE The Chamber’s continued effort to share the story of opportunity in a post-bankruptcy Detroit with the rest of the world garnered a “Best in Show” and “Grand Award” at the 2015 Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) Annual Meeting. The Chamber was recognized for its 2014 Detroit Policy Conference video, which brought to life the illustrated cover of the September/October 2013 Detroiter magazine featuring many of the key leaders and organizations driving Detroit’s transformation as it navigated bankruptcy. The video has been integrated into presentations by Chamber President Sandy Baruah to highlight the positive change occurring in Detroit at several events throughout the country. It also was included as part of a larger presentation showcasing Detroit’s momentum during a meeting of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s elite Committee of 100 in March.
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ACCE President Mick Fleming presents the “Grand Award” to the Chamber’s Jim Martinez in Montreal.
Macomb Celebrates Business Attraction Partnership The Macomb County Department of Planning and Economic Development honored the Chamber with its “Economic Development Partner of the Year” award in February, recognizing the Chamber’s work to bring national and international business investment to Southeast Michigan. Over the past year, the Chamber partnered with Macomb County to host numerous foreign delegations, attend investment missions and promote the county’s military corridor at trade shows, including the Association of the United States Army’s (AUSA) annual meeting and expo in Washington, D.C., which is attended by more than 500 key military leaders across the nation.
Serving as the Voice of Business in the Media
Thank you to Major Investors Your leadership and contributions make our impact stronger.
The Chamber continues to serve as the voice of business in regional and statewide media while also telling the Detroit story of opportunity to national media in the postbankruptcy era. Through the first three quarters of the calendar year, the Chamber had more than 1,000 total media placements, with approximately 247 national media hits in outlets including: Bloomberg News, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, Fortune, Miami Herald, NBC News, The Washington Post and Yahoo News.
Benefits Corp. Acquisition Creates Nation’s Largest Office Supply Purchasing Program In September, the Chamber’s National Commerce Group acquired San Diego-based Benefits Corp., forming one unified Office Depot purchasing program, the largest chamber affinity program of its kind in the United States. The affinity program provides discounts on business essentials through Office Depot utilized by over 100,000 chamber members throughout the country and gives back $3.5 million to chamber affiliates annually.
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