LOCAL TO GLOBAL2018 ANNUAL REPORTLANSING ECONOMIC AREA PARTNERSHIP (LEAP)

ADMINISTRATION

Bob TrezisePresident & CEO

Marchelle SmithController

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Karl DorshimerVice President of Economic Development

Anum MughalEconomic-Corridor Development Specialist

Kris KleinEconomic Development Specialist

Seated L to R NEW ECONOMY DIVISION

Tony WillisDirector of New EconomyPresident of PROTO Accelerator

Jerry Norris*Business Accelerator Manager

Siso DhladhlaNew Economy Development Specialist

Joe CarrDeputy Director of New EconomyVice President of PROTO Accelerator

BUSINESS ATTRACTION

Keith LambertVice President of Business Attraction

Dillon Rush Tri-County Development & Placemaking Manager

Marsha Madle* (not pictured)Business Retention Specialist

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Victoria MeadowsVice President of Marketing and Communications

Katlyn LindstromMarketing Content Manager

Raechel Marks*Graphic Design

Standing L to R

THE LEAP TEAM

Vision, Mission & Core Values

STATEMENTVISIONTo be the best destination for global talent and investment, their home by choice.

MISSION We build a stronger community for all, working every day to grow, retain and attract business.

LEAP CORE VALUESWe commit to:

1. Relentless advocacy on behalf of our entire region.

2. Demonstrating the highest ethical conduct and transparency.

3. Embracing inclusion, equity and diversity.

4. Partnerships as the foundation of our success — Stronger Together!

5. Well-defined measurable results.

6. A passion for creativity and innovation.

7. Persuade and persevere.

32

Lansing Brewing Company, 2015 LEAP project

*Contractor

The Lansing region’s economic development efforts are as hot as ever! Nearly $3 billion in investment is either underway, announced or soon to be announced throughout the entire region. That is historic.

In 2018, LEAP projects created by the private sector will near the $700 million mark in private investment with 654 direct jobs created. Since 2012, private sector projects substantially assisted by LEAP total $2.6 billion in private investment and 5,513 new direct jobs.

In 2018, LEAP announced the best year in the history of our region for successfully recruiting companies from outside of the region:

• Glanbia, Ireland’s fifth largest company which brings a $470 million dairy processing campus project to St. Johns, which will be the largest operation in the state.

• Proliant Dairy Ingredients, an Iowa-based dairy processor, brings an additional $85 million to St. Johns related to the Glanbia project.

• Norm Fasteners, a rapidly growing manufacturer from Turkey, announced a $1 million initial distribution before manufacturing begins in the city of Lansing.

• Metal Stripping Services, from outside of our region, invested $500,000 in Williamstown Township.

While LEAP played key lead roles in these efforts, the projects never would have happened without critical local and state partnerships, all of which were outstanding! And the LEAP attraction pipeline is still full.

LEAP also assisted or completed many other projects across our entire region, under the Ingham County contract (Thank you Chair Celentino) and the City of Lansing contract (thank you Mayor Schor): The $150 million Village of Okemos project, Pat Gillespie’s downtown Lansing Capital City Market/hotel project, Brent Forsberg’s “Wing” building rehab project and the Dunkel Road housing project. LEAP also continues to hold regular meetings with McLaren and the MSU Foundation, working toward a new $550 million hospital and the eventual reuse of what will be the former McLaren hospital sites.

Additionally, we have been putting the finishing touches on the downtown East Lansing Harbor Bay twin high-rises, the former downtown Lansing YMCA, the long vacant Oliver Towers building next to LCC, the Red Cedar Renaissance project and so many more, all at some level of final development.

In 2019, LEAP is launching its PROTO InsurTech program in partnership with our initial founders, Delta Dental of Michigan and Farm Bureau Insurance. This important program, as a benefit to our insurance industry and high-tech ecosystem, will enable insurance companies and our community to better compete with other national insurance hub communities like Silicon Valley, Des Moines and Hartford.

LEAP is crucial to our burgeoning startup ecosystem. LEAP’s quarterly pitch competition, The Hatching, our state-renowned Youth Startup Expo, our PROTO Accelerator equity investment fund, running the Regional SmartZone including the Business Accelerator Fund, counseling startups, consulting and working closely with our great friends at MSU Innovations, the MSU Foundation and the Lansing Small Business Development Center—all represent just a fraction of our entrepreneurial programming.

LEAP played a key leadership role with our wonderful colleagues at Capital Area Michigan Works! in creating Teach, Talent, Thrive (T3), a workforce development organization meant to better connect public and private sectors. T3 is now kicking off MI Bright Future, MiCareer Quest and Reverse Job fairs — all workforce development programs that didn’t previously exist in our region.

LEAP continues its placemaking grants with PNC Foundation, creating better places in strategic public locations around our region. We will continue to sponsor the Lansing Poet Laureate and diversity programming. We are marketing and branding our region around the world in targeted, sophisticated ways.

Does it matter?In 2017-2018:

Lansing was the 4th Best Place in America for Millennial Homebuyers

Lansing was the #1 Best Most Affordable Place in America

Lansing was one of only two major cities in the entire state to grow population

Lansing was the 4th Best Place in the Great Lakes for college grads to live and work

GDP of high-tech sector in our region grew from #98 to #21 nationally

#1 in state for growing population between 25 – 34

#1 in state for educational attainment ages 25 – 64 over the last five years

#1 in state Labor Force Growth in last five years, 16+

Only region in Michigan to have a positive overall employment growth 2012-2017

Opposite page:Robert L. Trezise, Jr.

President & CEO, LEAP@BobTrezise

April ClobesPresident & CEO, MSUFCU

2019 Board Chair, LEAP

A MESSAGE FROM BOB

TABLE OF

CONTENTS2

LEAP Organizational Structure

4Homegrown Prosperity

14Creating Jobs and Investment

18Cultivating Innovation

20Launched In Lansing

22Our People. Our Place.

24Purpose and Prosperity

4

Executive OfficersApril Clobes, Chair President & CEO MSU Federal Credit Union

Edythe Copeland, Vice ChairPresident & CEO Capital Area Michigan Works!

Daryl Adams, Treasurer-Secretary President & CEO Spartan Motors, Inc.

Steve Curran, Past ChairPresident & Creative Director Harvest Creative Services

At-Large MembersJeff Benson President & CEO CASE Credit Union

Goran Jurkovic CEO Delta Dental of Michigan

Don McNabb CEO & Principal ScientistTriterra

Kirk Ray Regional President McLaren Health System

2019 LEAP Executive Committee

5

Steve Reynolds Vice President, Corporate Secretary & Services, AF Group

Tim SalisburyRegional President Mid Michigan PNC Bank

Don Simon Executive Vice President Farm Bureau Insurance

Deanna Swisher Shareholder Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith, P.C.

PRIVATE SECTOR

ACCOUNTINGJeffrey J. Fineis, Partner, Andrews Hooper & Pavlik, P.L.C.

ASSOCIATIONSDeborah Mikula, Executive Director, Arts Council of Greater Lansing

Tim Daman, President & CEO, Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce

BIOTECHNOLOGYAdam Havey, EVP, BioDefense Division Emergent BioSolutions, Inc.

CONSTRUCTION/DEVELOPMENTSteve Roznowski, President & CEO, The Christman Company

CONVENTIONS & TOURISMJack A. Schripsema, President & CEO, Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau

CREATIVESteve Curran, President & Creative Director, Harvest Creative Services

EDUCATIONDr. Brent Knight, President, Lansing Community College

Kathleen Wilbur, Executive Vice President of Government & External Relations, Michigan State University

ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE, PLANNING & SURVEYING

Tim Inman, Principal, Applied Technology, Spicer Group, Inc.Jeffrey D. Ledy, Vice President, Midwest Buildings, Bergmann

ENVIRONMENTALDon McNabb, CEO & Principal Scientist, Triterra

ENVIRONMENTAL & ENGINEERINGMark Quimby, Senior Project Consultant, Soil & Materials Engineers, Inc.

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONSJeffrey Benson, President & CEO, CASE Credit Union

Peter Kubacki, President, Dart Bank

Timothy Jewell, President, Eaton Federal Savings BankTom Ruis, Mid Michigan Market President, Fifth Third BankDavid Snodgrass, President & CEO, Lake Trust Credit UnionApril Clobes, President & CEO, MSU Federal Credit UnionTim Salisbury, Regional President, PNC Financial Services

FINANCIAL/INVESTMENT SERVICESMark McDaniel, President & CEO, CinnaireBrian J. Lefler, Managing Director, Public Finance, Robert W. Baird and Company, Inc.

FOUNDATIONSDennis Fliehman, President & CEO, Capital Region Community Foundation

HEALTH CAREMatthew Rush, President & CEO, Sparrow Eaton HospitalKirk Ray, President & CEO, McLaren Greater LansingJoseph J. Ruth, Acting President & CEO, Sparrow Health System

HOTELSKenric Hall, General Manager, Radisson Hotel Lansing/Churchill Companies

INSURANCESteve Reynolds, Vice President, Corporate Secretary & Services, AF GroupB.J. Puchala, Sr. Community Liaison, Community Responsibility, Blue Cross Blue Shield of MIGoran Jurkovic, Chief Operating Officer, CFO & CRO, Delta Dental of MichiganDonald E. Simon, CEO, Farm Bureau Insurance of MichiganDavid Zyble, Assistant Vice President of Government Relations, Jackson National Life Insurance Company

LEGAL SERVICESJarrod T. Smith, Attorney, Dykema Gossett PLLC (Lansing)Deanna Swisher, Shareholder, Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith, P.C.Mick Grewel, Sr., Founding & Managing Partner, Grewel Law PLLCJack Davis, Partner, Loomis, Ewert, Parsley, Davis & Gotting, P.C. Alan Wallace, Principal, Miller, Canfield, Paddock & Stone, P.L.C

MANUFACTURINGMitch Tomlinson, President, Peckham, Inc.Daryl Adams, President & CEO, Spartan Motors, Inc.Scott VanWagenen, President, Triton Industries

MEDIAStaci Holmes, Advertising Sales Manager, Lansing State Journal/Gannett Group Chris Holman, Founder, Michigan Business Network

REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENTVan W. Martin, Chairman & CEO, Martin Commercial PropertiesMarsha Zimmerman, Marketing Manager, Dart DevelopmentColin Cronin, Vice President, DTN ManagementMark Clouse, CFO & General Counsel, George F. Eyde Family LLCPat Gillespie, President, Gillespie GroupBrent Forsberg, President, T.A. Forsberg

TRANSPORTATION

Brad Funkhouser, CEO & Executive Director, Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA)

Wayne Sieloff, President & CEO, Capital Region Airport Authority

Kellie Dean, President & CEO, Dean Transportation

UTILITIES

Chris Thelen, Area Manager, Consumers EnergyRichard Peffley, CEO, Lansing Board of Water & Light (BWL)

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENTEdythe Copeland, CEO, Capital Area Michigan Works!

PUBLIC SECTOR

Robert Showers, Commissioner & Chair, Clinton CountyJohn Hayhoe, Supervisor, Delhi Charter TownshipKen Fletcher, Supervisor, Delta Charter TownshipSue Leeming, Mayor, City of DeWittRick Galardi, Supervisor, DeWitt Charter TownshipMark Meadows, Mayor, City of East LansingTerrance Augustine, Commissioner, Eaton County Aaron Desentz, City Manager, City of Eaton RapidsThom Sowle, Mayor, City of Grand LedgeMark Polsdofer, County Commissioner, Ingham CountyAndy Schor, Mayor, City of LansingRuss Whipple, Mayor, City of MasonPatricia Herring-Jackson, Trustee, Meridian Charter TownshipDana Beaman, Mayor, City of St. JohnsJohn Maahs, Trustee, Watertown Charter TownshipCorey Schmidt, City Manager, City of WilliamstonMarcus Braman, Supervisor, Windsor Township

LEAP COMMITTEES & WORKGROUPSAgriculture and Food Processing Workgroup

Accelerating Capital Region Workgroup

Attraction Workgroup

Lansing PROTO Advisory Committee

Placemaking Committee

LEDC Runway Advisory Committee

Public Space Design Pros

2019 LEAP BOARD OF DIRECTORS*

*Members as of 3/30/19. For updated list visit purelansing.com/board

Mayor Mark Meadows of East Lansing and Mayor Andy Schor of Lansing.

76

2012-2018 CUMULATIVE IMPACT

Companies Launched Projects Jobs Created

148 86 5,513

Total Project Investment

$2,582,797,188

The geometric installation on downtown Lansing’s footbridge lights up with a rainbow of colors.

98

$99

$466

$271

$137

$201.8

$725.4

$682.5

LEAP’S 7-YEAR IMPACT REGIONAL PRIVATE INVESTMENT AND JOB CREATION

MILLON

S OF US DOLLARS

780

2,105

463 470398

654

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 20182012

NUM

BER

OF J

OBS

CREA

TED

643

DEWITT

EAST LANSING

LANSING

ST. JOHNSFOWLER

WESTPHALIA

MAPLE RAPIDS

OVID

ELSIE

GRAND LEDGE

MASON

DIAMONDALE

EATONRAPIDS

OLIVETBELLEVUELESLIE STOCKBRIDGE

DANSVILLE

WILLIAMSTON

MULLIKENSUNFIELD

VERMONTVILLE

CHARLOTTE

POTTERVILLE

WEBBERVILLE

HOLT

CLINTON

INGHAMEATON

9

1517

1319

21

22

2314

16

18

20

12

11

8

10

32

26

27

24 30

28

25

29

31

▲3

▲2

▲1

■38

■49

■52

■51

■41

■39

■48

■40■53

■50

■44■46

■42

3335

34

▲5

▲4

▲7

▲6

36

37■43

■45

■47

BUSINESS ATTRACTION PROJECTS 2012-2018 PRIVATE JOBSPROJECT NAME YEAR INVESTMENT CREATED COUNTY

1. Profile Metal Forming Inc. 2012 $34,175,000 25 Eaton

2. Van-Rob Assembly Facility 2014 $24,820,659 175 Clinton

3. Macritchie 2016 $2,990,000 3 Ingham

4. St. Johns Dairy Processing Campus 2018 $555,000,000 300 Clinton

5. Metal Stripping Services Relocation 2018 $500,000 10 Ingham

6. Norm Fasteners US Distribution Operations 2018 $880,908 17 Ingham

7. JMT US Operations Warehouse 2018 $500,000 2 Ingham

PLACEMAKING PROJECTS 2012-18NAME OF PIECE YEAR CITY NAME OF PIECE YEAR CITY

8. A Great Place To Start 2012 DeWitt Twp. 23. The Ledges 2015 Grand Ledge

9. Silver Respite 2012 Mason 24. Artistic Bike Racks 2017 Grand Ledge

10. Brilliant 2013 DeWitt 25. Artistic Fence Panels 2017 East Lansing

11. Mendius Prime 2013 Meridian Twp. 26. Charlotte Rising 2017 Charlotte

12. Opolis 2013 St. Johns 27. Keys to the Cities 2017 Charlotte

13. Bicycle Yoga 2014 East Lansing 28. Penn4People 2017 Lansing

14. Budget Friendly 2014 East Lansing 29. Portrait of a Dreamer 2017 Lansing

15. Circle Back 2014 East Lansing 30. Prosperity 2017 Lansing

16. Dream Mobile No. 1 2014 East Lansing 31. Seniplarips 2017 Charlotte

17. GBC 2014 East Lansing 32. Under The Bridge 2017 Lansing Twp.

18. Holt Farmers Mkt. Sign 2014 Delhi Twp. 33. Art Alleys Murals 2018 Mason

19. Peace Tree 2014 East Lansing 34. Let Me In 2018 Lansing

20. Stop and Smell the Roses 2014 Delta Twp. 35. Pocket Park Piano 2018 Charlotte

21. Greetings From Lansing Mural 2015 Lansing 36. Lansing Riverfront Park 2018 Lansing

22. Splash 2015 St. Johns 37. Beacon South Park 2018 Lansing

EXPANSION & REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS 2018 PRIVATE JOBS PROJECT NAME TYPE INVESTMENT CREATED

38. ASK Expansion/HQ Relocation EXP $2,000,000 40

39. Mr. Taco Restaurant EXP $350,000 15

40. 517 Coffee Company EXP $80,000 2

41. B2 Outlet EXP - 542. Bake n Cakes FI $90,000 5

43. REACH Studio Art FI $39,000 -

44. 204 E. Grand River FI $28,570 2

45. Biggby Coffee - 2002 W. Saginaw FI $24,000 346. Mourer-Forster Insurance FI $7,500 -

47. Wheel House Studio FI $4,478 1

48. 3600 Dunckel Redevelopment RRD $52,000,000 25

49. Capital City Market RRD $41,500,000 75

50. 735 Hazel Redevelopment (The Wing) RRD $14,547,537 50

51. Mid-West Self Storage RRD $5,747,500 2

52. Ellison Brewery & Spirits REO Town RRD $3,000,000 35

53. Fledge 2.0 RRD $300,000 10

RRD = Real Estate Redevelopment • EXP = Expansion • FI = Façade Improvement

1110

▲ Business Attraction Projects 2012-2018

● Placemaking Projects 2012-2018

■Expansion & Real Estate Development Projects 2018

* All 2018 projects are indicated by orange-colored symbol

2018 YEAR-END IMPACT

Total Project Investment

$682,554,240 Jobs Created Projects Companies Launched

654 21 32

Wynken, Blynken and Nod, are one of the most distinct parts of the city of Lansing’s skyline.

1312

BUSINESS ATTRACTION

Jobs Created Projects Retention Visits

329 5 104

Total Project Investment

$557,000,000

74%MEDC

(28)

26%LEAP (11)Percentage of direct

LEAP Searches vs. MEDC Searches

SITE SEARCHES

REAL ESTATE REQUESTS

10%Office

(6)

90%Industrial

(52)

Percentage of Space Type

CREATING JOBS & INVESTMENT

Site Searches Active Projects LEAP Searches that Announced Projects from Site Visits Resulted in Site Visit from Site Visits

57 4 30% 2

Businesses from around the world want to invest in the greater Lansing community. Business Leaders for Michigan identified our region as the only regional workforce in Michigan to achieve positive employment growth from 2012–2017. Lansing’s innovative business ecosystem and the LEAP team’s top-notch attraction and development efforts have made “global Lansing” the place to be for businesses looking to launch or expand in the U.S.

In 2018, LEAP played a significant role in bringing international leaders from key industry growth sectors such as Glanbia plc, JMT US and Norm Fasteners to the Lansing region.

Transforming the Michigan Dairy Industry: GlanbiaIn September 2018, Glanbia, Ireland’s fifth largest company and the world’s #1 producer of American-style cheddar cheese, broke ground on a $555 million dairy processing campus in St. Johns designed to process 8 million pounds of milk every day — nearly one quarter of all milk currently produced in Michigan. The 146-acre industrial park is expected to be fully operational in October 2020 and will be the largest dairy processing plant in Michigan, employing more than 250 people.

This massive investment includes a joint venture partnership between Glanbia, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) and Select Milk Producers Inc. to form Spartan Michigan LLC, which will invest $470M to develop state-of-the-art cheese and whey processing facilities. Iowa-based Proliant Dairy Ingredients is investing an additional $85M into adjacent facilities that will use the dairy solid byproduct from Spartan Michigan to manufacture a variety of whey permeate products.

Thanks to 1,500 dairy farming families across the state, Michigan is home to the most productive cows and the highest quality milk in the country. Following years of low milk prices

due to market oversupply, Spartan Michigan’s significant addition of processing capacity in the center of the state should help stabilize Michigan’s dairy industry.

AgTech Innovation: JMT USIn December 2018, JMT US, the U.S. subsidiary of French-based food storage solution company Janny MT, announced its new distribution operations based out of Lansing. JMT US’s innovative technology extends the life and quality of fresh produce, reducing spoilage and waste of unsold products. This empowers growers and farmers to make better selling decisions and earn higher margins and affords customers longer availability of their favorite fruits and vegetables.

LEAP’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) soft landing program assisted JMT US by connecting them with web development, insurance, logistics support providers and other professional services, including initial office space managed by T.A. Forsberg. The company originally landed in Lansing in 2015 and took part in a research partnership with Michigan State University.

Elite Manufacturing: Norm FastenersIn October 2018, Norm Fasteners, one of Turkey’s fastest growing manufacturers, announced new distribution operations in Lansing, their first North American footprint. The company, a subsidiary of Norm Group, will be chiefly responsible for fulfilling a contract to supply fasteners for Tesla’s new Model 3 and a similar contract with John Deere.

Norm Fasteners’ investment in the region demonstrates the continued power of Lansing’s strong automotive roots, having beat out competing locations in both Illinois and Indiana.

The company plans to expand operations to include a production line in the coming year, deepening its investment in our community and facilitating additional job creation.

BUILDING SIZES REQUESTED

1-25k 26-75k 76-150k 151-300k 300k+

8

13

89

3

REQU

ESTS

SQUARE FEET

VACANT LAND SIZE REQUESTED

0.5-5 6-20 21-50 51-100 201+

REQU

ESTS

ACRES101-200

1 1 1

2

3

0

100% jobs above $12/hour42% above $20/hour

1514

REAL ESTATE REDEVELOPMENT & BUSINESS EXPANSION

Project Investment

$119,718,585 Jobs Created Projects

270 16

Thanks to investment in expansion and redevelopment efforts along vital corridors, our urban core is transforming into an anchor for vibrant communities throughout the region.

In 2018, LEAP partnered on projects including the downtown Lansing stadium district’s Capital City Market, the continuation of downtown East Lansing’s Center City District project, Beacon Southwest Park, Brownfield Redevelopment Plans at Dunckel Road and along the Red Cedar and facilitation of six projects as part of the City of Lansing’s Corridor Façade Grant Program. In addition, LEAP continues to manage the Lansing Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (LBRA), Tax Increment Financing Authority (TIFA) and Lansing Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) boards through contract with the City of Lansing.

Capital City Market to Address Downtown Lansing’s “Food Desert”The Gillespie Group announced a $41.5 million investment in downtown Lansing to address its current lack of grocery store access. The project will span nearly one whole city block along Michigan Avenue near Cooley Law School Stadium and will be both hotel and apartment space with a Meijer-owned grocery store on the first floor.

Center City District Celebrates Progress with Beam SigningLEAP celebrated progress on the $125 million Center City District project, a premier example of a Public-Private Partnership (P3), with a Beam Signing Ceremony in May 2018. The project brings together numerous partners around a shared vision to convert a former city-owned parking lot into a large-scale urban, multi-generational, mixed-use development.

Beacon Southwest Will Bring Soccer to South LansingFollowing a successful $50,000 crowdfunding campaign, the Beacon Southwest park and soccer field project earned a 1:1 matching grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). On the heels of Lansing Ignite—Michigan’s first professional soccer team—the Beacon Field project will play a key role in revitalizing south Lansing with a quality field and park for soccer, community events and more.

Brownfield Redevelopments Activate Blighted Areas3600 Dunckel Road received Lansing Brownfield Plan approval from the LBRA and the City of Lansing and will dramatically improve first impressions of Michigan’s capital

city. The $52 million investment will soon be the location of a 286-unit, market-rate family community, envisioned to meet the housing needs of healthcare professionals joining the local workforce in conjunction with McLaren’s already underway health campus development.

Corridor Façade Program Beautifies Urban CoreLEAP facilitated six projects as part of the Lansing Corridor Façade Program, an initiative that provides targeted assistance for improving the appearance and structural conditions of building façades in highly visible and critical areas of the city. The program is directed toward commercial, office and mixed-use buildings adjacent to main corridors and neighborhood nodes outside Lansing’s downtown area.

Developments that will change the skyline of East Lansing will have a positive effect on communities throughout the region.

1716

CULTIVATING INNOVATION

ENTREPRENEURSHIP EVENTS

Youth Startup Total Events Event Attendees Expo Participants

27 920 150

517 Coffee CompanyIASO TherapeuticsLotus beauty lounge, LLCAgileCare (Smart Staffing, LLC)Trackk’s Footwear, LLC1CAVEAT, LLCTrinHydralART + TEXTURE STUDIOS, LLCBrite BitesTrack?ORARUtility

ZapNabit, LLCOliver Brown Styling Co.Take It, LLCBuilding Blocks of Michigan, LLCLingco Language Labs, LLCHealth OpXCraft It Yorself, LLCMenu BubbleShape ScientificTarn BiosciencesSunrise, LLC

Wurtz Brothers CompanyFibroIXStitched Fashion ConsultingMelissa’s Mobile MealsSmart HandOrasisM30 BulletproofRunabout Coffee Co.BABZION, LLCupRoot

Communities that empower local visionaries and support small business growth in turn contribute to a more diverse, robust regional economy of innovation that can compete successfully on a global scale. Businesses need innovation. Talent wants an entrepreneurial culture. LEAP’s New Economy Division plays a key role in shaping our entrepreneurial ecosystem, helping creative individuals develop big ideas from concept to completion.

LEAP provides a variety of resources and support opportunities, such as the Start Chart Resource guide, mentorship programs and startup accelerators such as PROTO Accelerator and Accelerate the Runway. 2018 was the New Economy Division’s strongest year

to date, with more than $5 million in follow-on investment.

LEAP also supports emerging entrepreneurs, youth and newcomer communities through our Newcomers, New Ideas program in partnership with the Refugee Development Center, our Youth Startup Challenge and the quarterly Hatching pitch competitions. Our region is also second in the state for receiving Business Acceleration Fund (BAF) approvals, a program designed to assist high-tech companies with growth.

All these offerings contribute to greater Lansing’s new ecosystem of innovation, entrepreneurship and a thriving environment for startups and small-business owners, as robust as any community in America.

Private Investment

$4,836,645Public Investment

$999,010 Business Accelerator Fund (BAF) Funds Acquired

$81,71032 Total Companies Launched

19 High-Tech Startups Launched 55 Jobs Created

1918

Launching a business in Lansing continues to be a great chance to grow in a global community. In 2018 alone, Lansing made the fourth largest leap of any U.S. community with growing jobs, technological development and wage gains in the Milken Institute’s Best Performing Cities report, moving 49 spots to #89 in the institute’s rankings. Our region is also home to vibrant, diverse communities overflowing with talent.

Vade Nutrition: Accelerating Among the Sharks

Following an inital investment from Lansing PROTO (now PROTO Accelerator), Vade Nutrition, a participant in the accelerator's first-ever cohort for physical products, rose to national acclaim when the startup received a $700,000 investment from Mark Cuban and Aaron Rodriguez on ABC’s Shark Tank. Joe and Megan Johnson, an East Lansing-based husband and wife duo, worked with LEAP to develop their idea for individual, dissolvable protein powder pods.

Vade’s initial product was a protein shaker bottle with a liner to reduce the smell that soaked into the bottles. PROTO’s innovation team helped Vade recognize the far larger problem of mess and inconvenience associated with protein powder supplements and recommended a solution. From here, the Johnsons worked with PROTO to develop the dissolvable protein pod pitched on Shark Tank.

Vade’s pre-portioned scoops are packaged in a food-grade film that dissolves in liquid, making them ideal for athletes on the go. The powder is also 100 percent whey isolate, containing no fat or sugar and fewer calories than other powders on the market.

The Johnson’s started selling their patent-pending product in July 2017 to test the market and had $80,000 in

lifetime revenue in November 2018 when they appeared on the show.

Mark Cuban and Aaron Rodriguez jointly invested $700,000 for a 40 percent stake in the company, greatly surpassing the Johnson’s original ask of $250,000 for a 20 percent stake.

Saddleback BBQ: Hatched and Honed

Saddleback BBQ is Lansing’s premier craft BBQ joint, featuring authentic Southern BBQ with a unique Midwestern flair. The restaurant participated in the Hatching pitch competition in 2015 and, while unsuccessful in the competition, continued to cultivate strong relationships with LEAP and our New Economy Division to bring the idea to fruition.

Co-owner Matt Gillett spent more than half his life working in the food industry and cultivated his passion for bringing customers joy through food while Assistant General Manager at Dusty’s Cellar in Lansing. Gillett partnered with Travis Stoliker to open Saddleback BBQ in 2015, just down the street from LEAP’s REO Town office.

Since its opening, the restaurant has quickly become a hometown favorite, opening a second location in Okemos in 2017 and offering its famed BBQ Sauce in stores after a successful 2019 Kickstarter campaign. Saddleback is the perfect example of how strong community partnerships and passionate ideas propel growth and success, even if that initial pitch competition doesn’t go quite as planned.

Whether a business is bringing quality barbecue to Lansing’s backyard or preparing to be the next Shark Tank success, LEAP helps local entrepreneurs leap forward to achieve their highest success.

LAUNCHED IN LANSING

Saddleback BBQ earned the Michigan Celebrates Small Business 2018 Michigan Best Small Business of the Year award.

2120

OUR PEOPLE. OUR PLACE.

LEAP Public Art for Communities program places permanent public art in strategic locations across the region.

Years Pieces

6 35Investment

$210,000

The stakes are high when it comes to creating places where people want to live, work and play. As competition for talented workers intensifies, cultivating attractive communities can make or break economic success.

Lansing has 20 percent more millennials — defined by Gallup Inc. as anyone born between 1980 and 1996 — than any other comparably-sized metro across the U.S. Attracting and retaining these emerging professionals requires creating a strong sense of place within our region by focusing on people and communities.

Placemaking and retention efforts that emphasize inclusion, equity and accessibility; active listening and community engagement; fostering creativity; and balancing the desire for community and individuality are critical to creating an authentic sense of place rooted in belonging, togetherness and personal expression. The most successful places foster a strong sense of community ownership and provide opportunities to customize experience based on individual needs.

LEAP is proud to celebrate the diversity of our region through our annual Diversity Star Award, which recognizes a LEAP member-business that exemplifies our commitment to diversity and inclusion; the annual signing of LEAP’s diversity and equity statement, which reaffirms our commitment to ensuring diversity, equity and inclusion remain guiding principles in our work; and the continual processes of learning, listening and acting to create a more equitable community.

Through partnerships like our work with Teach, Talent, Thrive (T3), our Public Art for Communities grant, the Lansing Poet Laureate program and more, LEAP is able to leverage the power we hold as a prominent community organization to advance the mission of creating more communities with more equitable access to opportunity and with a vibrant sense of community ownership by all residents.

We continue to allow our communities to inform the spaces we work to create and to guide us as we realize a collective vision for our place. Our Lansing.

The Inspiration sculpture will soon be at the heart of the Community Foundation’s Rotary Park project.

2322

PURPOSE AND PROSPERITY#1 school (MSU) for supply chain talent in the US and worldwide Source: US News & World Report

#1 in MI for growing population ages 25-34 in 2017Source: Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM)

#1 in MI for educational attainment ages 25-64 over the last five years Source: Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM)

#1 in MI in labor force growth ages 16+ over the last five years Source: Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM)

Educational pipeline produces nearly 18,000 college graduates each yearSource: Emsi Dec 2018 report

Only region in MI with positive overall employment growth from 2012-2017Source: Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM)

Lansing has 20 percent more millennials than comparably-sized metros across USSource: Emsi Dec 2018 report

Lansing is 2018’s #1 Best Affordable Place to Live in America Source: Livability.com

Lansing is the 4th Best Place in America for Millennial Homebuyers Source: Lending Tree early 2018, we fell off this list when they updated/corrected

Birthplace of the Michigan Organization for Human Rights in 1977 and state’s first localized LGBT group, the Lansing Association for Human Rights Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_Organization_for_Human_Rights & https://lahronline.org/main/index.php/history/

At 460 acres, Lake Lansing is the largest lake in the area.

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The city of Lansing’s annual holiday tree, as seen from the Michigan capitol building.

ARE WE MOVING THE NEEDLE?

The data on these pages help tell the story of our region’s economic health by looking at significant factors affecting talent attraction and retention, and overall economic health.

Steady gains in per capita income and consistent recovery in workforce participation have a positive effect on talent attraction for the greater Lansing region by suggesting the presence of more and higher quality job options. Wage growth could also be related to an increase in educational attainment, suggesting a connection between education and overall quality of life.

2726

$34,505

197,240

195,360

225,250

266,477

244,646

243,906251,489

$35,459

$36,317$36,659

$37,863

$39,064

$40,148

7-YEAR COMPARISON OF PER CAPITA INCOME ALIGNED WITH LABOR FORCE PARTICPATION

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 20182012

$14.910 $15.203$15.790

$16.554

6-YEAR COMPARISON OF REGIONAL PRIVATE SECTOR VS. GOVERNMENT SECTOR GDP GROWTH

2013 2014 2015 2016 20172012

BILL

ION

S OF

CUR

REN

T US

DOL

LARS

$17.487 $17.871

$4.691$4.601$4.443$4.219$4.112$4.065

PRIVATE GOV

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

Source: GIS Planning Inc. (ZoomProspector)

The boardwalk at Hawk Island Park is part of the 20 mile Lansing River Trail system.

Occupations within the knowledge sector grew significantly compared to previous years, further suggesting that a more educated population in turn creates additional job opportunities and improved wages. Educational attainment rates, knowledge sector job growth and workforce participation highlight the strength of our region’s workforce, especially for businesses seeking talent in key sectors.

As birth rates decline statewide, highlighting a strong workforce is increasingly critical to fostering in-migration, which is especially strong with the international population and international students in particular. The Lansing region also leads the state in growing population ages 25-34 and has 20 percent more millennials than comparably-sized metros across the U.S., which could help offset lower birth rates and an aging workforce.

2928

466,666

468,348

470,458

472,412

473,676473,097

479,533

POPULATION GROWTH TRENDS

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 20182012

HUN

DRED

S OF

THO

USAN

DS O

F PE

OPLE

Knowledge Sector: (Percent Change 2005-2017)The change in occupations classified within the “knowledge sector,” compared to change in total occupations.

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics

1.83%All Occupations

+6.50%Knowledge SectorOccupations

NET MIGRATION (3 COUNTY)2015 2016 2017+336 +2,038 +1,818

Source: US Census Bureau, Population Division

MIGRATION 2010-2017

TOTAL INTL DOMESTIC1,807 +14,460 -12,653

3-YEAR COMPARISON OF REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

ASSOCIATES BACHELOR’S GRADUATE

TOTAL DEGREE ATTAINMENT

43.12%

43.41%

44.96%

10.30%

10.02%

10.34%

19.88%

19.5%

18.69%

14.78%

13.89%

14.09%

Source: GIS Planning Inc. (ZoomProspector)

Biggby Coffee – with a side of nitrogen ice cream – coming to Eaton Rapids

Nanomaterial manufacturer XG Sciences to expand with facility in Vevay Township

$30,000 in Public Art Funding Available Through LEAP’s Public Art for Communities Grant

City of Lansing Introduces $140,000 in New Creative Placemaking Projects

2018 Best Affordable Places to Live - #1 Lansing, MI

Charlotte-based Spartan Motor’s Division Joins California Firm to Build All-electric Walk-in Vans

MSU’s Facility for Rare Isotope Beams gets $97 million in federal funding for 2018

Cool Spaces: Rooftop patio, fitness center make Marketplace Apartments Phase II stand out

‘All of the sudden we have a town’: New businesses bring new life to downtown DeWitt

Nine Opportunity Zone Designations Approved Across the Tri-County Region

More than 330 luxury apartments proposed in Grand Ledge

Lansing is a top city for millennial home buyers

MP Social is downtown Lansing’s new eatery, with patio right on Grand River

Charlotte hospital will get $9M upgrade before Sparrow takes ownership

Michigan State prepares for what could be its largest freshman class ever

Douglas J, True North Development plan to invest $100 million in downtown Okemos

CubeSmart Self Storage Facility to Host Grand Opening Celebration

Michigan School for the Blind campus revitalization plans ahead of schedule

Michigan State eyes Spartan Village for massive redevelopment

City of Lansing Corridor Facade Program Expanded

GM TO INVEST $175 MILLION AT LANSING GRAND RIVER ASSEMBLY PLANT

NEW PLANS FOR PARK DISTRICT IN EAST LANSING CALL FOR 270 APARTMENTS, HOTEL, RETAIL SPACE

Ellison Brewery + Spirits to open second location in REO Town$35-million facility planned for MSU College of Music

AMERICAN BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION TO WELCOME LANSING TEAM THIS FALL

$555 MILLION DAIRY PROCESSING OPERATION WILL ADD NEARLY 300 JOBS IN ST. JOHNS

Editorial: New dairy processing plant a big win for St. Johns, Greater Lansing

East Lansing City Council approves $105M Park District plan, including 10-story hotel

A decade later, Facility for Rare Isotope Beams director can see the finish line

DEVELOPERS WANT TO BRING APARTMENTS, MOVIE THEATER TO DOWNTOWN EAST LANSING

Putnam: With an urban grocery store, has Lansing’s time finally arrived?

Meijer market, hotel project billed as ‘game-changer’ for downtown Lansing

‘Meat candy,’ mac and cheese and big plans: Gravity Smokehouse & BBQ plans Holt restaurant

Grand Ledge to get area’s first full-menu Grill and Chill Dairy Queen

$555-million Dairy Processing Campus Breaks Ground in St. Johns

Capital region becomes an insurance capital with 10,000 jobs

MSU High-tech Turbine Startup Accelerates with LEAP’s PROTO Accelerator

LEAP Receives Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the International Economic Development Council

LEAP’S PROTO ACCELERATOR LAUNCHES INSURTECH PLATFORM

$242 million project at former Red Cedar Golf Course approved by City Council

Medical marijuana company to hire 170 in Lansing region, official says

$9.2M redevelopment of 80-year-old school in Eaton Rapids to move forward

Marijuana investor secures $13M real estate deal at Harvest Park

Auto-Owners plans 250,000-square-foot expansion in Delta Township

Bake N’ Cakes to open second location in south Lansing with homemade doughnuts

Old Lansing YMCA building to be demolished in next month, contractor says

New dancewear store, Dancy Pantz Boutique, opens in Okemos

MSU receives $30 million gift - largest in school history from single donor

Klavon’s Pizzeria & Pub taking shape in Mason, could open in January

Rocket Fizz, a soda pop and candy shop, to open at Eastwood Towne Center

LANSING CLOSES ON $2.2 MILLION SALE OF FORMER WAVERLY GOLF COURSE

Lansing Region Grows by 70,000 People

Lansing Pro Soccer Team Likely To Begin Play This Spring At Cooley Stadium Downtown

The Lansing Metropolitan Statistical Area Just Got Bigger

Sieloff: Travel with Capital Region International Airport provides endless opportunities

LEAP’S PROTO ACCELERATOR LAUNCHES INSURTECH PLATFORM

LEAP Business Attraction Lands Tesla Supplier in City of Lansing

Pro soccer in downtown Lansing gets go-ahead from City Council

Arcadia Smokehouse and brewery has opened on Lansing’s east side

Diversity: A Winning Strategy for the Lansing Region

MICHIGAN STATE RECOGNIZED AS GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP HUB

TRIO PLANS TO RESURRECT LOS GRINGOS’ TACOS, JB’S PIZZA WITH NEW DIAMONDALE EATERY

With enrollment up and a $62 million pavilion, MSU business college is raising its profile

An Artisan Hotel Is Taking Shape In A 139-Year-Old Former Grand Ledge Church

MSU Ranks Among Top 100 Global Universities

‘Cold and Sterile’ bank building transformed into mid-century modern space in Charlotte

Former MSU athlete’s $700K ‘Shark Tank’ VADE Nutrition deal excites family, friends

Electric car charging stations could be a requirement for large East Lansing developments

Outdoor retailer Sportsman’s Warehouse to open first Michigan location in Delta Township

FRENCH AGTECH COMPANY EXPANDS US OPERATIONS IN LANSING REGION

Delta Dental Plaza to include outdoor fireplace, ‘lighted forest’

MCLAREN, MSU OFFICIALS BREAK GROUND ON $450 MILLION HOSPITAL

Okemos is one of the best places to live in the United States

MSU gets nearly $30M to turn dormant power plant into classrooms

$3B planned in new construction reflects Greater Lansing’s growing economic diversity

Company to invest $2.7M, add jobs in Delta Twp.

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Cover Photo: Spartan Michigan Dairy Processing Campus, St. Johns, MI Photo Credits: Pages 2, 4, 13: Dave Trumpie; Pages 8, 11, 20, 22,24, 26: James Lenon

Lansing Economic Area Partnership1000 S. Washington Avenue, Suite 201Lansing, MI 48910 purelansing.com

LANSING ECONOMIC AREA PARTNERSHIP

stronger together