Posted by – Stephanie Carroll, Manager of Business Development & Community Relations

This past Wednesday, I had the pleasure to serve on a panel regarding the business site selection process for the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) University.  The room was filled with everyone from chamber of commerce directors to local economic developers.  Two panelists were site selectors and it’s always great to get such positive feedback on how the City of Auburn Hills embraces the development community and understands how to get things done.

The goal was to help everyone understand what they can expect from business site selectors and how they can be more proactive during the process. There was a lot of great dialogue and all of the speakers hit on important issues such as infrastructure, incentives and creating an environment within their organizations that can support and encourage business growth and sustainability.  While the program was focused on communities in southeast Michigan, these insightful strategies could be implemented by anyone who interacts with site selectors.

As economic conditions continue to improve in Michigan, it’s important that we remain focused on what municipalities can do to help support and grow the region’s assets, business climate, talent and innovation.