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Southwestern Alliance
CONNECTIONS
Southwestern Michigan Economic Growth Alliance and the Berrien County Manufacturers Council |
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March, 2009 - Volume 1, Issue 1 | |
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| Greetings! |
Thank you for taking a minute to browse through SMEGA's first E-Newsletter. We believe the simplicity of producing this type of newsletter will allow us to provide you with the most up-to-date information available on a variety of subjects related to our area's economic development. While this first issue is short and sweet, as we build our connections and solicit more input, we expect the newsletter will become a valuable communication tool. Please feel free to forward this newsletter (use the forward button at the bottom of the newsletter) to your contacts and distribution lists so they too may subscribe to receive the Connections E-Newsletter. |
| PTAC of Southwest Michigan |
 If you haven't already noticed, the government buys a lot of stuff! Every level of government and every branch of the military purchases everything from soup to nuts or bike racks to rockets. You could become part of this supply chain with assistance from the Procurement Technical Assistance Center located in Kalamazoo. PTAC assists businesses who want to sell products or services to the government through an electronic bid matching process. In addition to providing assistance in completing necessary forms, PTAC also provides one-on-one counseling and training. The Kalamazoo office provides these and a wide variety of other services to businesses in Allegan, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Van Buren counties. For more information please check out PTAC's website at www.ptacsofmichigan.org or call 269-381-2977.
Services are free! |
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| Industrial Facilities Tax Exemption Certification (IFT or Tax Abatement) |
 Local units of government can use a property tax abatement as an incentive for companies to renovate and expand aging manufacturing plants or to build new plants in Michigan. Public Act 198 of 1974, as amended allows the legislative body of the city, township, or village in which the facility will be located to grant an abatement which reduces local property taxes approximately 50 percent on new plants and facilities. Abatements cover both real and personal property and can run from one to twelve years at the option of the local unit of government.
The process has specific timelines and regulations - it is important to submit an application to the local unit prior to beginning your new or expansion project. The first step is to establish an Industrial Development District for the property (through resolution by the local unit) and then submit an application for the IFT, also subject to public process and accepted by resolution of the local unit. The application is then submitted to the State Tax Commission for final approval.
The Southwestern Michigan Economic Growth Alliance can assist you with the application process - to learn more, please contact Shelley Klug at either smega1@sbcglobal.net or by calling 269-683-1833. |
| Recreation and the Economy? |
 It's a great feeling to know we can contribute to our area's economic fitness at the same time we're improving our own physical fitness. As the work day ends and the weekend beckons, a different economy begins to hum. Each year, Michigan hosts more than 750,000 licensed hunters who contribute $1.3 billion to our economy. Licensed resident and nonresident anglers contribute $2 billion and recreational boaters add an additional $2 billion each year.
Before winter ends and the boats come out of storage, there's still plenty of time to be part of the $1 billion economic impact of snowmobilers in Michigan. You don't even have to go far from the Niles Industrial Park to participate. The Michigan Interactive website (see link below) has a map of a snowmobile trail that goes north all the way to Napier Avenue at M-140 and comes south to the east of Niles with a staging area on the southeast side of Barron Lake along M-60. All that outdoor activity provides jobs and increases demand for a wide array of associated products; a great incentive to get out there to play!
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| Berrien County Manufacturers Council Annual Meeting |
| The Berrien County Manufacturers Council Annual Meeting is scheduled for March 27, 2009 at the Orchard Hills Country Club in Buchanan. There will be a breakfast buffet at 8:00 a.m. followed by a short business meeting to elect new officers. The featured speaker is U.S. Representative Fred Upton who will bring the latest news on legislative action in Washington, the "stimulus package" and how it all might impact Berrien County. The meeting is open to all members; please RSVP to Shelley Klug at smega1@sbcglobal.net before March 20, 2009. |
| It's Happening Here! |
We're all interested in the new, the big, and the amazing. Don't wait for your  Christmas letter to tell us what you're doing - do it here and do it now! Send your press releases, your news blurb, your little announcement about your grand opening, or any other big news. If you have an idea that will help the rest of us be bigger and better too, share it - we'd love to know. Send your message to smega1@sbcglobal.net. | |
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Shelley Klug, Executive Director
Southwestern Alliance
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