Organization: LANSING ECONOMIC AREA PARTNERSHIP
Mission: WE BUILD A STRONGER COMMUNITY FOR ALL, WORKING EVERYDAY TO GROW, RETAIN AND ATTRACT BUSINESS.
Activities: BUSINESS ATTRACTION DIVISION PROVIDES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE METRO LANSING REGION (INGHAM, EATON, AND CLINTON COUNTY). THE DIVISION HAS A PROACTIVE BUSINESS EXPANSION, ATTRACTION AND RETENTION TEAM THAT WORKS DIRECTLY WITH KEY BUSINESSES IN TARGETED INDUSTRIES DOMESTICALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE AND INCENTIVES THAT RESULT IN THE CREATION AND RETENTION OF JOBS AND INVESTMENT IN THE LANSING REGION. THIS IS ACHIEVED BY REGULAR COMMUNICATION WITH REGIONAL BUSINESSES, SITE SELECTION, COLLABORATION WITH REGIONAL MUNICIPALITIES AND WORKING WITH LOCAL UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGES TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN TALENT. FIVE PROJECTS WERE INTENTIONALLY OR EFFECTIVELY, FROM START TO FINISH, RECRUITED TO OUR REGION, INCLUDING THREE FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES, CONSTITUTING $180,170,000 IN PLEDGED INVESTMENT AND THE CREATION OF 1183 JOBS. 108 BUSINESS RETENTION VISITS WERE MADE, 82% OF WHICH RESULTED IN VALUE ADDED RESOURCE PROVISION AND 18% OF WHICH RESULTED IN EXPANSION PROJECT DISCOVERY. OF THE 1183 IN COMMITTED JOB CREATION, 99% OF JOBS ARE ABOVE $12/HOUR (SINGLE PERSON ALICE THRESHOLD WAGE +30%), 14% ARE ABOVE $20/HOUR (DOUBLE ALICE WAGE) AND 8% ARE ABOVE $29/HOUR (ALICE FAMILY OF 4 THRESHOLD WAGE).
NEW ECONOMY DIVISION ASSISTED IN FORMING 17 STARTUPS BECOME COMPANIES, FOLLOW ON FUNDING WAS ACHIEVED AT TOP LEVELS CONSTITUTING $6,566,180 IN INVESTMENT AND THE CREATION OF 32 JOBS. LEAP-LED AND LEAP-SUPPORTED START UP EVENTS WERE DONE AT A HIGH LEVEL OF QUALITY, ATTRACTING OVER 1200 PARTICIPANTS. FINISHED #1 IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF MICHIGAN IN DOLLARS AWARDED AND NUMBER OF SUBMISSIONS. THE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURIAL EXPO WAS HELD AND BROKE ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION RECORDS. HATCHING PITCH COMPETITIONS ALONG WITH SPECIALIZED MINI-PITCHING COMPETITIONS WERE SUCCESSFULLY HELD.
THROUGH A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF LANSING AND THE LANSING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (LEDC), LEAP MANAGES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND PROGRAMS. THROUGH THIS CONTRACT, LEAP ASSISTED THE CITY OF LANSING WITH GAINED APPROVALS FOR 15 DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. THESE 15 PROJECTS REPRESENT $311 MILLION IN PRIVATE INVESTMENT THAT WILL CREATE 421 JOBS AND RETAIN 25 JOBS IN LANSING. LEAP MANAGES, ADMINISTERS AND PROVIDES STAFFING TO THE LEDC, THE LANSING TAX INCREMENT FINANCE AUTHORITY AND THE LANSING BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. LEAP MANAGES GRANTS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY INCLUDING THOSE FROM EPA, MEDC, MDEQ AND DOE. LEAP ALSO MANAGES A BUSINESS FINANCING LOAN PROGRAM AND COORDINATES BOND FINANCING FOR MAJOR BROWNFIELD AND LEDC PROJECTS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF LANSING.
NTEE category: Community Improvement & Capacity Building
Secondary category: Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations