This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Time is winding down for Howard Miller, the storied furniture company and clockmaker in western Michigan that said this summer it will close after 99 years. It identified the Trump administration’s […]
Greater Grand Rapids’ population grew 0.4% in 2025, down from close to 1% the previous year but still ahead of the statewide growth rate Total jobs in the region stood just over 600,000 this year, roughly the same as in 2024 and 2023 Still, the region topped its goals for economic investment and remained a […]
About 200 houses were on land picked by Michigan to become a ‘megasite’ for a large factory State money will pay for their demolition, which started this year All told, about $31.6 million is going toward tearing down houses, clearing trees and other site leveling A state lawmaker is calling for economic developers to pause […]
Candy maker Ferrero finalized its purchase of the WK Kellogg Co. in October and plans to keep its North American cereal headquarters in Battle Creek Known as the Cereal City, cereal production has shrunk drastically in Battle Creek over the decades City leaders worry whether Ferrero will continue the kind of investment in Battle Creek […]
Ford is moving its headquarters for the first time in seven decades The carmaker is relocating to a newly constructed building 3 miles away in its longtime home of Dearborn The new HQ is 5 to 10 minutes away from Ford’s current HQ in the ‘Glass House.‘ It is designed to enhance collaboration and innovation DEARBORN— […]
Legislators are debating next year’s funding for a quasi-governmental partnership that oversees billions in job-growth programs That spending is controversial; some lawmakers call it ‘corporate welfare, ’ others say subsidies are vital Bridge dug into documents to lay out how the MEDC was created and how it functions Funding for Michigan’s controversial economic development agency […]
Michigan Senate Democrats on Thursday proposed legislation to divert money from economic development to roads The plan would ax $500M in annual funding for the SOAR fund, sending some of that back to a state transportation fund The proposal comes as Michigan lawmakers race to finalize a budget deal to avoid a government shutdown next […]
Michigan’s record-setting business subsidy plan was cut out of the 2026 state budget on Friday The program, known as SOAR, turned controversial as skepticism grew over the billions in taxpayer money promised to companies Opponents cheered the move, but business leaders caution that Michigan’s competitiveness could be harmed When lawmakers passed an $81 billion state spending […]
State House lawmakers are proposing two new bills that would abolish the agency in charge of business growth The legislation follows other MEDC-ending legislation proposed last week in the state Senate Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says she will veto the bills if they pass to protect Michigan’s economy One month after lawmakers chopped Michigan’s economic development spending, […]
Michigan is a top 10 state for migrant farmworkers here on H-2A visas, with some 15,000 farmhands in the state The federal government just lowered the minimum wage for such workers by as much as $4.50 an hour Many farmers welcome the change and the associated cost savings, but others wonder if they’ll still be […]