Our Company

The MEDC is a public-private partnership that serves as the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, equitable job growth, and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. Our mission is to achieve long-term economic prosperity for Michiganders through the Make It in Michigan economic development strategy by attracting and developing people, cultivating and revitalizing places, and competing for and winning projects of all sizes.  

The MEDC was established through an Interlocal Agreement between the Michigan Strategic Fund and more than 50 interlocal partners in 1999 under then-Governor John Engler. Interlocal agreements allow public entities (like state and local governments) to partner with each other and with private entities. Economic development collaboratives (EDCs) are organizations formed under these agreements to promote economic growth in a region or city, often through business attraction, site or workforce development, etc. The MEDC works with interlocal partners and EDCs to keep state-level strategies aligned with local needs and priorities. 

In August 2025, the MEDC’s strategy was recognized by economic development leaders across the state, who called for the renewal or extension of existing statewide programs in seven of their top ten priorities for Michigan’s continued growth and prosperity. These leaders agree that many of the state’s current efforts are working well and are worthy of continuing and consistent investment.

The Michigan Strategic Fund has broad authority to promote economic development and create jobs. Established by PA 270 of 1984, with additional responsibilities set by Executive Orders 2012-9 by then-Governor Rick Snyder, as well as 2019-13 by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, its 13-member board decides whether to support the investment of dollars into certain projects and initiatives as recommended by the MEDC. This can include grants and loans under the Michigan Business Development Program and Michigan Community Revitalization Program, for example. 

Nine members of the MSF Board are appointed by the governor, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate; the other four are the leaders of the MEDC and the state departments of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Treasury, and Transportation (separately). One of the appointed members is nominated by the state Senate majority leader, and one is nominated by the Speaker of the state House of Representatives.

Since 1999, the MEDC has provided administrative services to the MSF. The fund allocates four percent of its annual appropriation to pay for the MEDC’s administrative services. Each month, MEDC staff bring forward recommendations for proposed projects and initiatives for consideration by the MSF Board.

It’s easiest to think about the MEDC’s efforts in three broad categories as part of the Make It in Michigan strategy: People, Places, and Projects. 

People 

• The Talent Solutions division and its Talent Action Team work directly with industry leaders and higher education institutions to strengthen Michigan's talent pipeline, attract new workers and upskill the state's workforce. 
• MEDC also supports The Michigander Scholarship Program, which offers top tech and engineering students in Michigan schlorship funds and exclusive opportunities in the EV, mobility, semiconductor, and aerospace/defense sectors, as well as career guidance, job-seeking support, and networking with industry employers. 
• MEDC is also responsible for You Can in Michigan, the state's talent attraction campaign meant to help retain and attract high-tech workers. In addition, MEDC runs the Michigan Career Portal, which provides job seekers with access to more than 140,000 job postings across the state.
• Furthermore, Make MI Home invites recent grads, those moving from across the country, and others, to join this first-in-the-nation program and make Michigan home. The Michigan Growth Office is housed within MEDC and is charged with growing the state’s population through Make MI Home and other initiatives.

Places 

• MEDC supports Michigan communities through the Revitalization and Placemaking program, Transformational Brownfield Plan program, Michigan Main Street, Michigan Community Revitalization Program, Public Spaces Community Places and many others. These program aim to renovate blighted properties, add critical housing, award grants for beautification projects, and make other improvements that impact the lives of those who call Michigan home. 
• The state's travel and tourism division, better known as Pure Michigan, is also housed within MEDC. 2026 marks 20 years of success for this nationally known, award-winning tourism brand.
• Michigan’s vibrant arts and cultural scene are important to the state’s communities, excellent quality-of-life and thriving economy. The Michigan Arts and Culture Council is part of MEDC and is the state’s key conduit for arts and cultural information, grant funding and more.
• Furthermore, The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) is also housed within MEDC. SHPO helps property owners, developers, as well as local and state agencies identify and seize opportunities to celebrate and rehabilitate historic places that define local communities and make our state uniquely Michigan. 

Projects 

• MEDC has dedicated offices and teams that work in specific focus industries. These include but are not limited to, the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME), the Office of Defense and Aerospace Innovation (ODAI), and the Michigan Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (MORIO).
• A key component of MEDC are the resources and funding the state offers to busiesses of various sizes. For example, MEDC's Michigan Business Development Program provides financial support from the MSF in performance-based grants or loans to eligible businesses that create qualified new jobs and/or make qualified new investment in Michigan. To help support businesses, MEDC field staff live and work in every corner of the state, coordinating directly with business owners and communities on expansion, attraction and retention opportunities. 
• MEDC's Capital Access Program also supports Michigan businesses by working directly with lending institutions who in turn provide traditional financing and access to capital to small businesses.
• International Trade services and the STEP (State Trade Expansion Program) Financial Assistance Award are more instrumental programs at MEDC that help small business exporters and International Trade Centers by providing counseling, market analysis and more. 
• For entrepreneurs and tech-based startups, MEDC's Entrepreneurship and Innovation Initiative offers support to commercialize university technology, accelerate research, license intellectual property, and match tech startups with financial assistance that fit different stages of growth. 
• Additionally, thanks to a network of 27 Small Business Support Hubs throughout the state, 20 SmartZones, and MEDC-supported organizations like Michigan's Small Business Development Center, passionate entrepreneurs can get the help they need to turn their business ideas into innovation.

As Michigan’s lead economic development agency, the MEDC has a strong commitment to keep citizens informed about programs and incentives supported in part by their tax dollars, and makes a variety of reports and data freely available through its website, including an annual financial audit report for the MEDC and MSF and an annual report to the legislature. 

Michigan is in the top ten states for economic development transparency, according to a 2022 evaluation by the nonprofit Good Jobs First, ranking seventh in the nation and ahead of California, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas. 

Oversight and management of the MEDC is governed by an Executive Committee consisting of twenty (20) members, appointed by the Governor of the State of Michigan. The Executive Committee also appoints the Chief Executive Officer, who is tasked with administering programs, funds, personnel, contracts, and all other administrative transactions of the MEDC, subject to oversight of the Executive Committee. 

As a public body corporate, MEDC Executive Committee is subject to both the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Michigan Open Meetings Act (OMA).  Per OMA, Executive Committee meetings are open to the public.  

Separate from the Executive Committee, the Corporation Board is composed of approximately 57 interlocal members.  The Corporation Board is charged with evaluating the performance of the MEDC pursuant to standards established by the Executive Committee and may review acts of the Executive Committee, as deemed necessary. Meetings of the Corporation Board are generally held annually and are subject to OMA. 

Some are state employees, while others are considered corporate employees, but in practice it doesn’t make much difference. Functionally, corporate and state employees work side by side across teams to deliver on the MEDC’s Make It in Michigan strategy with little to no distinction for our customers and stakeholders.  

The MEDC has a plan that reflects the value of a Team Michigan approach, strengths-based marketing, placemaking, small business solutions, and talent retention: the state’s “Make It in Michigan” economic development strategy. Unveiled in May 2023, the strategy is summarized in a one-page strategic focus that lays out the mission, vision, process, and principles underlying the MEDC’s efforts. 

Get informed by subscribing to MEDC email newsletters, following the MEDC’s social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram, and by checking out MEDC's Voices, storytelling initiative. 

You can also get engaged by volunteering for your local economic development organization or sharing your interest directly with your state and local officials.