Meet the Mid-Michigan & Great Lakes Bay Region

For many, the Mid-Michigan and Great Lakes Bay Region is the Goldilocks of Michigan. Not too small, not too big — just right. Anchored by major towns like Midland, Bay City, Mount Pleasant and Saginaw, this central region offers classic city amenities, but won’t overwhelm you with hustle and bustle.

It also borders Lake Huron, granting residents a balance between lake life and options for inland outdoor recreation. The region blends its high quality of life with economic vitality, offering careers in advanced manufacturing, agribusiness and healthcare.

Leading the Way

• 1,400-Foot-Long Canopy Walk at Dow Gardens in Midland, the Longest in the U.S. (Dow Gardens)
• 77+ Miles of Freshwater Coastline Surround the Region (Go Great Lakes Bay)
• 900+ Manufacturing Businesses (Saginaw Future)

Who’s Hiring?

• Dow Chemical
• Central Michigan University (Fire Up, Chips!)
• Corning
• Hemlock Semiconductor

Off the Clock

• Experience the Japanese Cultural Center, which features a tea house and gardens symbolic of the decades-long friendship between Saginaw and its sister city, Tokushima, Japan.
• Bring the kids to the Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum, a 12,000 square feet eco-friendly facility that covers math, science, world cultures, regional history and the arts.
• Take a stroll through Dow Gardens, a 110-acre botanical garden featuring lush landscapes, seasonal floral displays and serene trails.
  Visit the 10,000-acre Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, a designated Important Bird Area, which is a critical landing spot for migratory birds.

What’s New

• Corteva Agriscience and DuPont are both planning multi-million dollar expansions in Midland. Corteva’s $27.5 million expansion will retain 45 jobs, while DuPont’s $20 million expansion will create 20 new jobs and retain nine existing positions.
• Great Lakes Bay Business Hub awarded 12 small businesses a total of $231,699 in grant funding.
• Northwood University’s Center for Automotive & Mobility Studies (CAMS) offers undergraduate and graduate, non-credit and professional training programs for the automotive industry and is expected to be fully operational by 2026.
• The Middle Michigan Development Corporation received a $310,848 Trusted Connector grant from the MEDC to launch the Middle Michigan Place-Based Business Initiative, which will serve entrepreneurs and under-resourced businesses.
• Midland, Bay City and Saginaw received a total of $2.5 million in grant funding through the MEDC’s Revitalization and Placemaking program.

Partners (with Additional Resources for Job Seekers)

• Saginaw Future Inc. (SFI) provides proactive and focused economic development assistance to business executives, site selectors, developers and investors.
• Middle Michigan Development Corporation helps businesses to locate, expand and compete in Clare, Isabella and Osceola Counties.
• Hey, Bay City! is the chamber of commerce for Bay City and a great resource to find open jobs, events and things to do in the area.
• Midland Business Alliance helps businesses find the products, customers, workforce and markets they need to locate, grow and find success in Midland.
• Midland Young Professionals (MYPros) is open to anyone between the ages of 20 and 40 who works, lives or plays in Midland and is looking to invest in their future and Midland’s.
• The Saginaw County Young Professionals Network is an organization whose mission is to support the attraction and retention of young talent to the Saginaw Valley and Great Lakes Bay region while developing the next generation of leaders.