Other Voices—
From the Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff, Ann Arbor SPARK, exclusive to Saline Journal. [1,2]
One of the most rewarding parts of my job in economic development is the opportunity to visit companies around the area and learn about what they do, and how they do it.
The range of businesses (and buildings) I have visited is immense, as are the people I’ve met. This puts economic developers in a unique position — meeting with companies individually can help develop connections that wouldn’t otherwise exist. In one instance, a company in Saline that was sourcing work outside of Michigan began buying products from a company literally across the street after they finally met through a chamber event. [3]
Because Ann Arbor SPARK works throughout the area, we get a chance to see communities in a different way than they may see themselves.
Saline, for example, is far more international than it may initially appear. Companies in Saline hail from Germany, Japan, Canada, and France, among others. Some of those business relationships have developed into community ones, like Saline’s Sister City relationship with Lindenberg in Germany, a partnership that can be traced to Liebherr’s growth in Saline (Liebherr has operations in Lindenberg, too). [4]
Saline’s business community is also far more diversified than places of a similar size. [5]
Saline has slightly over 9,400 people, and more than 50 percent of its residents have at least a bachelor’s degree, far more educated than the statewide average.
It’s also home to autonomous vehicle technologies, printed circuit boards, and life science-related companies that you would not expect in a city its size. Saline benefits from being close to over 730,000 people that live within a 35-minute drive, making Jackson, Monroe, parts of Wayne and Oakland counties, and more all reachable within a reasonable commuting time. [6-9]
There’s a lot to celebrate.
We’ve learned a lot through our outreach efforts, including understanding the work that still needs to be done. Employers’ biggest concerns are directly tied to attracting and retaining employees. [10-12]
So far, 2020 remains a job seekers market and that translates into challenges for companies with job openings. Wages have increased over the past year, especially in the direct labor market, which is good news. At the same time, some companies are still struggling to find the type of talent that can help them meet their customer’s needs. Many companies have hit a plateau in hiring, or have had to look at other markets to find available people — especially in manufacturing.
Ann Arbor SPARK believes that one solution to these hiring challenges is doing more with middle and high school students, which can be valuable. Setting up engagement opportunities is important, and having the business community educate students about career paths is critical. A great example of this is when companies welcome high school students into their facilities. In addition to learning more about the students, it provides exposure to career opportunities that students may not know exists.
Another critical employee attraction and retention concern is transportation, especially for direct labor. [13]
While Saline businesses can cast a wide net to attract job seekers — including metro Detroit, Ypsilanti, Jackson, and beyond — the need for reliable access to transportation is high on the list of reasons why employees don’t stay in their jobs. [14-16]
It’s still unclear whether there is enough demand for employer-paid transportation options — a solution successfully implemented in Howell, which is pulling talent from Flint.
Saline and the greater Washtenaw County area offer an incredible quality of life for its residents, and a great place to live is a great place to start a business. There is much to appreciate about our area, and yet still much to do. [17]
While often there is no clear answer, perhaps the solution is that we keep talking to each other, because you never know when a better solution will be right across the street.
References
- “Phil Santer” Ann Arbor SPARK.
- Ann Arbor SPARK (home page).
- “Experts shared insights on 2020, both commercial and residential real estate market during A2Y Chamber ‘Early Edition’” Dell Deaton (January 15, 2020) Saline Journal.
- Liebherr (home page).
- “QuickFacts: Saline City, Michigan” United States Census Bureau.
- “QuickFacts: Jackson County, Michigan” United States Census Bureau.
- “QuickFacts: Monroe County, Michigan” United States Census Bureau.
- “QuickFacts: Wayne County, Michigan” United States Census Bureau.
- “QuickFacts: Oakland County, Michigan” United States Census Bureau.
- “Saline Mayor Marl, Washtenaw County Commissioner Beeman talked priorities, concerns during ‘Coffee Hour’” Dell Deaton (December 14, 2019) Saline Journal.
- “Global Manufacturers Are Hiring Employees At All Skill Levels To Help Their Saline Operations Continue To Succeed” Dell Deaton (August 8, 2018) Saline Journal.
- “‘Everybody Isn’t Cut Out for Trade Work,’ Advises Dr Rose Bellanca, Washtenaw Community College President” Dell Deaton (May 21, 2018) Saline Journal.
- “Mackinac Policy Conference 2019, Part 3: A renewed, competitive passion for multimodal transportation” Dell Deaton (May 31, 2019) Saline Journal.
- “QuickFacts: Detroit City, Michigan” United States Census Bureau.
- “QuickFacts: Ypsilanti City, Michigan” United States Census Bureau.
- “QuickFacts: Jackson City, Michigan” United States Census Bureau.
- “QuickFacts: Washtenaw County, Michigan” United States Census Bureau.