Providing resources for communities and entrepreneurs to create and retain jobs in Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan & Emmet Counties.

NLEA Overview

Northern Lakes Economic Alliance    231-582-6482    info@northernlakes.net

The Northern Lakes Economic Alliance was established in 1984 to provide economic and community development expertise for our region. Counties recognized the need to have someone working with area manufacturers, to increase long-term economic vitality and create year-round jobs for residents. Recognizing the value of pooling limited funds, both public and private sector entities joined together creating a groundbreaking resource—more effective than what any entity could have created individually. Our member counties work collaboratively for the benefit of all. “When we all work together; we win together.”

Today, NLEA is considered one of the “best practices” in the state of Michigan for economic development, and regularly get requests to explain our approach.  We are a 501c3 organization and refer to ourselves as a “regional public/private partnership organization.”

The NLEA is governed by a 23-member Board of Directors with representatives from both the public and private sector. Likewise, our funding comes from, public sector, private sector, and fees for services. This was designed to leverage taxpayer dollars as well as to ensure other “non-governmental” businesses and organizations would invest and participate in the program.

Member counties each invest an annual amount towards operations based on a taxable value formula, devised as a fair and equitable approach to spread costs based on the “economic size” of the counties. This is leveraged by other memberships and investments by cities, villages, townships, regional partners and private business. This model provides a robust economic development program for all, staffed by professionals at a savings to county taxpayers.

Our mission is to “provide resources and assistance for communities and entrepreneurs to create and retain jobs in our service area.”  To accomplish this, we implement programs and services on two fronts.

  • We assist businesses and entrepreneurs and have a variety of tools and resources targeting new and existing businesses that possess the desire and potential to create family-supporting jobs (base jobs) with benefits.
  • We assist communities in finding the most effective approach to meet their needs to support business, industry retention and growth. 

Our work plan is divided into four basic components.  For maximum capacity we leverage our staff expertise and resource even further by working closely with other regional and state-wide organizations. 

  • Business Retention & Growth. Retaining and growing existing companies.
  • Business Attraction & Growth. Assisting communities to “be prepared” for new business attraction as well as having a solid foundation and support services for new and start-up businesses.
  • Community Development. Assisting with a wide range of community projects ranging from place-making to infrastructure. With a goal to make communities attractive for company retention, employee recruitment, etc.
  • Grant writing & Administration. Identifying grant opportunities (public and private), assisting with the application process and administration of the grant to insure compliance with state and federal regulations.

Additional assistance and programming provided to communities:

  • Retention visits to large companies and base job providers to deepen relationships, express gratitude for their investment in the County and to discuss wants, needs and/or challenges.

 

  • Assistance to communities during the process to become Redevelopment Ready Certified, which helps communities identify target sites for redevelopment.

 

  • Forming eTeams in each community with representatives from various groups/organizations that effect business and community development to align community goals.
  • NLEA Broadband Consortium works to provide access to high speed broadband internet throughout the region.
  • Business Model Competition “Pitch Night.” Entrepreneur competition for startup capital. Last year we had 36 entrepreneur contestants and awarded over $80,000 in startup capital with 21 new business startups.
  • Shovel ready sites inventory. We update major shovel ready sites on the state’s database, for major companies wanting to relocate and/or sites that existing companies could expand on so as to not lose the company, jobs, tax base.
  • DDA assistance. NLEA provides assistance for area DDAs, such as sharing a DDA Director, to technical assistance and quarterly DDA training forums.

For more information, feel free to contact the NLEA, or visit our website:  www.northernlakes.net

Core Partners

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