“Overall, I’ve got to tell you that I’m really pleased with the partnership.” These were the words Ken Jones, president of the St. Joseph County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) board, used to sum up the working relationship with Kalamazoo-based Southwest Michigan First in 2012. The comments came as Jones presented the EDC’s annual report for [...]

Last week – in a unanimous action – the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners approved two documents establishing a new approach to economic development in the county, an approach that partners the St. Joseph County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) with Kalamazoo-based Southwest Michigan First Corporation and Southwest Michigan Partnership, LLC. This week brought additional [...]

“This is a good and exciting day and we’re ready to work, and we’re really looking forward to what’s going to happen this next year and for many years to come.” These were the words of Ken Jones, president of the St. Joseph County Economic Development Corporation (EDC), Tuesday evening (January 3rd) following unanimous action [...]

Economic development in St. Joseph County was in the spotlight again Monday (October 3rd) during a St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners work session. Up for discussion was a proposal from the St. Joseph County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) for a partnership with Kalamazoo-based Southwest Michigan First. As noted in minutes of the County Board’s [...]

Community Capitalism spurs economic growth I cannot take credit for the forthcoming content in this column. I am lifting it from a book called, Community Capitalism, written by Ron Kitchens. Ron is the Chief Executive Officer at Southwest Michigan First, a regionally-focused economic development organization in Kalamazoo. The book begins this way. “In the past [...]