Diplomat’s Jeff Rowe delivers keynote address
(FLINT, Mich. – March 23, 2015) Sustained optimism for the region’s economic prospects was a key message at the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 Annual Meeting today at the Holiday Inn Gateway Centre. Overall, quality-of-life indicators are also on the upswing as the reinvention of Flint & Genesee County moves forward, said Tim Herman, Chamber CEO.
In addition, Herman said the region’s diversification strategy is working. “There has been solid growth over the past year in several sectors, including health care, electronics, IT, alternative energy, advanced manufacturing and medical technology. This is a good thing because a diverse economy is generally more stable.
“Through leadership, vision and strategic partnerships we have achieved a strong, competitive business climate. We are seeing continued major investment in our area, incremental growth in jobs, new entertainment venues and a resurgent downtown Flint.”
Following are 2014 accomplishments directly related to the Chamber’s economic development, tourism and education efforts, and other programs and services:
· Supported $879 million of total investment and contract value, up considerably from 2013 with the significant investment by General Motors in its Van Slyke Road complex
o 41 investment projects generated an estimated $41 million in annual payroll
o 761 jobs created and retained
· 1,020 government contracts won with assistance from the Chamber’s Procurement and Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) and 349 companies counseled
· $128.6 million in tourism economic impact due to overnight hotel room rentals in Genesee County
· Served 13,673 students through 371 career prep workshops
· Graduated 742 students from the TeenQuest leadership and pre-employment training program
· Hired 627 teens through the Summer Youth Initiative (SYI) Job Fair
· Served more than 3,629 students in county elementary and middle schools through YouthQuest
· Conducted 83 workshops, which served 1,100 firms and trained 1,732 employees
Jeff Rowe, Executive Vice President, Operations for Diplomat, delivered the keynote address.
“The Flint & Genesee Chamber is a remarkable facilitator of the ongoing progress in our region,” said Robert Rummel, Senior Vice President of Chase and the Chamber’s new Board Chair. “From economic development projects to youth education and training initiatives, the Chamber’s impact has been significant and we will continue to strive for solid results in 2015.”
A copy of the Chamber’s Annual Report is available online at flintandgenesee.org.