Partners and Resources
Partners
Benzie County
Bordering more than 60 miles of Lake Michigan coastline, hosting 57 inland lakes, and receiving 80 to 100 inches of snowfall each year, Benzie County is a rural paradise for the outdoor enthusiast and nature lover. Click here for recent Benzie County highlights.
City of Traverse City
Located along the shores of beautiful West and East Grand Traverse Bays, the City of Traverse City is a magnificent place to live, work, and raise a family.
Garfield Township
The Charter Township of Garfield is home to the most diverse business community in Grand Traverse County. Visit their new website for a wealth of information on owning a business, living, working and playing in this township. Garfield Township encourages local business owners to request to be listed under the township Business Directory, where a short description of and map to your business will be displayed.
Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools (GTACS)
Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools has been providing the gift of Catholic education to children in grades preschool through twelfth in the Grand Traverse region for over 120 years. The school system is comprised of four distinct schools that are separated by grade level, but united by a common mission.
Grand Traverse County
Grand Traverse County’s appeal is evident with the first visit: a small population in a beautiful location, with all the amenities of larger cities. Shopping, entertainment, recreation, employment opportunities, and gorgeous views of the Grand Traverse Bays, cherry orchards, and 69 inland lakes make Grand Traverse County a great place to be. Click here for recent Grand Traverse County economic developments.
Kalkaska County
Kalkaska County boasts 225 miles of rivers, 75 inland lakes, and 80 miles of snowmobile trails. The Village of Kalkaska is located on a highly traveled section of US 131, making this area a prime spot for business expansion. Click here for recent Kalkaska County economic developments.
Leelanau County
Widely promoted by residents as one of the most beautiful spots on Earth, Leelanau County sits on a small peninsula otherwise known as the "pinky finger" of the mitt of Michigan. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, inland Lake Leelanau, and the lighthouse in Northport are just a few of the county’s treasures. Click here for recent Leelanau County economic developments.
Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
MEDC helps companies locate and grow in Michigan, leveraging the many incentives the state has to offer. They provide help with expanding your business, financing, starting a business, technology, relocation, and more. References such as maps, county economic profiler, demographic data, labor information, and more can be found at the MEDC web site.
Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center (MI-SBTDC)
Headquartered at Grand Valley State University’s Seidman College of Business, the MI-SBTDC has offices in twelve regions around the state. The Northwest Michigan region covers ten counties, with two offices in Traverse City. Small business counselors provide free one-on-one assistance with a wide array of business needs: writing a business plan, developing financial statements and projections, obtaining financing, marketing strategies, site location, and more.
Northwestern Michigan College (NMC)
The Mission of NMC is to provide lifelong learning opportunities to our communities. They serve more than 50,000 learners annually in the five-county region of Northwest Michigan. Their many and varied programs support vocational and technical education needs, as well as credit transfer to universities.
Northwest Michigan Council of Governments
The Council of Governments is a ten-county public agency providing services in Workforce Development, Business and Economic Development, Regional Planning and Community Development, and Corrections.
Northwest Michigan Tooling Coalition (NMTC)
Northwest Michigan Tooling Coalition is a group of twelve local manufacturers, collectively designated as a Tool & Die Recovery Zone under the Renaissance Zone Act. Organized by the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce, the twelve member firms of NMTC collaborate on business-building efforts, including marketing, development of standardized processes, and more. 2010 Meeting Dates
SCORE, Counselors to America’s Small Business
No longer limited to retired business people, SCORE counselors are successful entrepreneurs, managers, CEOs, and directors, volunteering their time to help you achieve the same success. They can help assess business startup needs and ideas, as well as expansion efforts.
Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District (TBAISD)
TBAISD’s Career-Tech Center offers vocational and technical education to high school students and adults in the five-county Grand Traverse area. Training utilizes the latest technology and state-of-the-art equipment, preparing the workforce for high demand jobs.
Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS)
Traverse City Area Public Schools has created a place where extraordinary staff and students work together with high levels of collaboration and high quality educational programs. It offers a comprehensive K-12 curriculum with an enrollment of over 10,000 students throughout a 300-mile geography and nearly 1,500 teaching and support staff. District school facilities include 13 elementary schools (including one Montessori school), two middle schools, two senior highs, and an alternative high school.
Resources
Builders Exchange of Northwest Michigan
The Builders Exchange works to foster the growth and progress of the Northwest Michigan region by encouraging high standards of quality workmanship and promoting trade schools and the education of artisans in the community for the interchaning of ideas.
Home Builders Association of the Grand Traverse Area
The Home Builders Association of the Grand Traverse Area represents the home building industry in the five-county region. They have nearly 600 members consisting of licensed builders, developers, bankers, suppliers, sub-contractors and others related to the building industry.
Homestretch
Homestretch is a non-profit regional developer of affordable housing in the Traverse Bay region. Through various partnerships, Homestretch builds houses that are within reach of low-income families.
Land Use and Transportation Study
Funded by Michigan Department of Transportation, a group of individuals are coordinating a citizen-led process to select a contractor for a comprehensive, multi-modal transportation plan. These individuals, appointed by Grand Traverse County, make up the Land Use and Transportation Study Coordinating Group.
Michigan Business One Stop
Governor Jennifer Granholm has announced the launch of Michigan Business One Stop. It's a state-of-the-art interactive solution that represents a whole new way of doing business with state government. Whether you're starting, operating or changing a business, it's the place to go to access what you need. It's fast, streamlined and easy to use with online customer service that operates 24/7, 365 days a year.
Michigan Land Use Institute
The MLUI focuses its work on land stewardship, energy development, resource protection, agriculture, transportation, and environmental and economic policy. They offer services to members, local governments, businesses, state policy makers and community groups who are seeking to apply innovative concepts for economic development. The Traverse Bay EDC is one of the proud sponsors of the MLUI's annual Taste the Local Difference guide. Click here to view the guide.
Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (MMTC)
Michigan Manufacturing Technology Centers provide innovative training and consulting for small and medium manufacturers. Northwestern Michigan College Training and Research Center (TRAC) is home to MMTC in the Northwest Michigan region. They provide seminars and workshops, on-site training, mentoring, transformation planning, and benchmarking services, among many others.
Munson Healthcare
The Traverse Bay region is the proud home of Munson Healthcare, headquartered in Traverse City with subsidiaries in Leelanau and Kalkaska Counties. Munson Healthcare is the area’s largest employer, offering high quality healthcare and specialized, advanced medial services, including oncology, cardiology, and orthopedics. Munson Medical Center repeatedly ranks among the Top 100 Hospitals by Solucient which maintains the nation's largest health care database.
NorthSky Nonprofit Network
Northern Michigan nonprofit organizations benefit from their own nonprofit management support organization, NorthSky Nonprofit Network. Headquartered in Traverse City, NorthSky provides a wide range of services including training, consulting, information & resources, and advocacy; all designed to build the capacity of area nonprofit organizations.
Northwest Michigan WORKS!
Northwest Michigan WORKS! provides services to job seekers and businesses alike. Job seekers receive help with writing resumes, career information and job search, interest assessments, and more. Businesses receive the resource of a single point of contact from a human resources expert – the Michigan WORKS! Business Liaison.
Traverse Area Association of Realtors (TAAR)
TAAR is a five-county association, boasting 775 licensed REALTOR® members. Their web site provides an easily searchable database of residential and commercial MLS listings in the area.
Traverse Bay Poverty Reduction Initiative
The Traverse Bay Poverty Reduction Initiative consists of a group of dedicated organizations and citizens, working towards reducing poverty in the area. Their goal is to reduce poverty by 25% by 2010. Efforts are centered on six issue categories: Employment & Wages, Housing, Health Care, Education & Training, Early Childhood, and Social Attitudes.
Traverse City Downtown Development Authority
The DDA is involved in retail and office recruitment efforts, public improvements such as streetscapes, partnerships with Traverse City Light & Power to bury utilities and planning and development issues. The DDA also operates the Sara Hardy Downtown Farmers Market. Funded through a 2 mil levy and management contracts, the DDA serves as the conduit for funds through contracts. It is govered by a 12 member board appointed by the City Commission.
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
The U.S. SBA helps you to manage your business from start to finish, expand your business, and increase your business knowledge. They also connect you with a team of experts in your area. Services include financial assistance, contract opportunities, disaster assistance, online training, counseling, and more.