Market Report from the MLCC, MAF, & EA: please be sure to allow images to fully enjoy this newsletter.
November 2015
                 
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Employment Numbers 

Labor Force        
Aug 2014 = 77,800
Aug 2015 = 77,900
Sept 2014 = 76,400
Sept 2015 = 76,900
Oct 2014 = 76,400
Oct 2015 = 76,700


Employment
Aug 2014 = 72,300
Aug 2015 = 73,800
Sept 2014 = 71,500
Sept 2015 = 73,300
Oct 2014 = 71,900
Oct 2015 = 73,000

 
Goods Producing Jobs
Aug 2014 = 15,100
Aug 2015 = 15,300
Sept 2014 = 15,100
Sept 2015 = 15,300
Oct 2014 = 15,100
Oct 2015 = 15,500


Service Providing Jobs
Aug 2014 = 48,400
Aug 2015 = 49,100
Sept 2014 = 48,700
Sept 2015 = 49,300
Oct 2014 = 48,300
Oct 2015 = 48,900


 
Business Counseling Appointments 

SCORE & MI-SBDC
Aug 2014 = 24
Aug 2015 = 44
Sept 2014 = 33
Sept 2015 = 56
Oct 2014 = 33
Oct 2015 = 51





Muskegon County Housing Data

Number of Homes Sold
Aug 2014 = 218
Aug 2015 = 199
Sept 2014 = 193
Sept 2015 = 258
Oct 2014 = 232
Oct 2015 = 268


Average Sale Price  
Aug 2014 = $121,716
Aug 2015 = $112,060
Sept 2014 = $112,660
Sept 2015 = $127,292
Oct 2014 = $115,578
Oct 2015 = $141,414





Muskegon Airport Traffic

Takeoffs & Landings 
Aug 2014 =3,686
Aug 2015 = 3,032
Sept 2014 = 2,896
Sept 2015 = 2,974
Oct 2014 = 2,353
Oct 2015 = 2,258



Airport Cargo in lbs.  
Aug 2014 = 13,552
Aug 2015 = 18,995
Sept 2014 = 282
Sept 2015 = 24,477
Oct 2014 = 1,410
Oct 2015 = 21,067

 
Commercial Passengers  
Aug 2014 = 3,570
Aug 2015 = 4,283
Sept 2014 = 2,605
Sept 2015 = 3,289
Oct 2014 = 2,895
Oct 2015 = 3,307





MI Works! Muskegon Employment Stats

Jobs Filled
Aug 2014 = 180
Aug 2015 = 50
Sept 2014 = 248
Sept 2015 = 464* 
Oct 2014 = 170
Oct 2015 = 68

*includes one employer end of year hires

Job Seekers (Unique Visitors)
Aug 2014 = 2,365
Aug 2015 = 1,662
Sept 2014 = 2,220
Sept 2015 = 1,530
Oct 2014 = 2,037
Oct 2015 = 1,787


 
Top Industries Advertised Online Demand 
Industry
Oct.
2015
Oct.
2014
Retail Trade213163
Healthcare & Social Services119127
Manufacturing98103

Top Muskegon Job Occupations Advertised Online (October 2015)
Occupation
New Job   Postings
Production Worker55
Retail Sales Worker52
Retail Sales - Lead45
Truck Driver29
Registered Nurse27

Statistics provided by:
The Department of Energy, Labor, & Economic Growth; Local Municipalities, The Michigan Association of Realtors, Muskegon County Airport, Muskegon Area First, the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, Michigan Works! Muskegon/Oceana and the Michigan Small Business Development Center.
Spectrum Health Breaks Ground in Muskegon

Spectrum Ground Breaking
Spectrum Health has officially entered the Muskegon marketplace with the groundbreaking of a patient care facility - the Spectrum Health Integrated Care Campus (ICC) at Muskegon.  The new 30,000-square-foot, single story facility is being constructed north of Muskegon at 2009 Holton Road, an 11.4 acre lot at the intersection of Holton and Roberts Road.

The site will provide patients with primary care, radiology, endoscopy, lab services and rehabilitation services. Spectrum Health is working with the Muskegon County Habitat for Humanity - ReStore to salvage materials from buildings that currently sit on the property. The center is expected to be opened in the fall of 2016.

"This new facility will enable Spectrum Health to deliver important care services close to our patients in the Muskegon area," said Seth Wolk, MD, President, Spectrum Health Medical Group. "We have found that these centers are convenient for our patients and open the door to care from medical experts throughout our system."
Brewing and Distilling Downtown Muskegon
Pigeon Hill Brewing Team
Pigeon Hill Brewing Co. Co-Owner, Michael Brower has been busy! He, and partners Chad Doane and Joel Kamp, are in the final stages of preparing their new production facility in downtown Muskegon.  The recently purchased 9,500-square-foot facility will initially host brewing and canning, with long term plans for a full-scale retail operation on site. The new facility would open in addition to the 2,500-square-feet that Pigeon Hill currently has across the street in the renovated Noble Building.  Click here to read more about these expansion plans on Mlive.

In addition to the expansion at Pigeon Hill, Brower recently announced his newest endeavor - 18th Amendment Spirits Co., a distillery that will open in the old Muskegon Savings and Loan building at 350 W. Western Ave. near the brewery.   He's joining forces with Mark Fellwock, one of the co-founders of Holland's Coppercraft Distillery, and a group of investors who "care deeply about developing downtown Muskegon." The building will play host to a tasting room and will also include a "unique-to-Muskegon" food concept.  Click here to read more about Michael's story and this project in the Grand Rapids Business Journal.
Breaking Ground on Midtown

The City of Muskegon broke ground on the new Midtown Square Housing Development on December 3, 2015.
Midtown Square is a private/public partnership between Allen Edwin Homes and the City of Muskegon, with the goal of constructing nine single family homes in the highly walkable and family friendly area of the city - where the downtown meets Nelson neighborhood. 

The homes will be constructed along both Monroe and Houston streets at the intersection of 4th Street.  "There is a great need for new housing in our downtown area.  Citizens have told us they want to live downtown, but can't quite find the homes that meet their needs.  This housing development will offer those individuals and families an opportunity to live downtown with all of the amenities they expect in a newer development, plus the great added benefit of living in a walkable distance to arts, culture, the Farmers Market, our breweries, and everything else downtown has to offer," stated Frank Peterson, City Manager. 

Homes will be ready for new owners by Spring 2016!
Muskegon's First Promise Scholar! 
Sam Hansen
On Friday, November 6, 2015, Samuel Hansen drove to the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District to hand deliver his acceptance form for a two-year Muskegon Area Promise Scholarship. By placing the form in the hands of MAISD Superintendent John Severson, Hansen became the first official Muskegon Area Promise Scholar. The scholarship will cover tuition, books, and mandatory fees up to $4,050 for the Muskegon High School Graduate.
Hansen is currently enrolled at Muskegon Community College and plans to use the scholarship to fund his pursuit of a Business Administration degree.

Severson said it was a pleasure to meet Hansen in person. "Samuel shared what a difference this will make and he wanted all of the donors to know how thankful he was for their generosity.  He also shared that his mother was very proud and thankful too.  Furthermore, he talked about how this will reduce the pressure of going to school," said Severson.
 
Last week, scholarship offer letters were sent to eligible high school students who graduated with at least a 3.5 GPA in 2015 from Muskegon, Muskegon Heights, or Holton High Schools. Graduates from these same high schools are eligible in 2016, and then the scholarship extends countywide for all 2017 high school graduates. Students must graduate from and live within the district boundaries to qualify.

Frontier Business Edge