2026–2028 Strategic Plan for the Greater Grand Rapids Region

Competing at the Next Level

Greater Grand Rapids has moved up a weight class.

After decades of strategic investment and private–public collaboration, our region now benchmarks, competes, and wins alongside some of the highest-performing metropolitan areas in the country. The Right Place’s 2026–2028 Strategic Plan outlines how we will elevate our competitive position even further, strengthening talent, accelerating business growth, and ensuring long-term regional prosperity.

The Right Place is the regional economic development organization serving the seven-county Greater Grand Rapids Region. We lead coordinated efforts in business retention, expansion, and attraction while advancing workforce development, site readiness, and community growth.

Our Strategic Lens: People. Place. Prosperity.

Economic development is most effective when talent, community, and business growth strategies are aligned. This plan advances that alignment through three integrated pillars.

People

Workforce Development & Talent Attraction

A competitive economy begins with a strong, adaptable workforce.

Over the next three years, we will:

• Expand employer engagement across K–12, higher education, and workforce development partners
• Support 1,000+ internship opportunities annually
• Strengthen talent attraction and relocation efforts
• Provide data-driven labor market insights to employers
• Position Greater Grand Rapids as a premier destination for talent at every career stage

Our goal is to build the most work-ready talent base in the nation.

Place

Site Readiness & Community Development

Strong places attract strong investment.

We will:

• Expand development-ready industrial, office, and mixed-use sites
• Advance placemaking and public space investments
• Support municipal readiness and infrastructure capacity
• Strengthen regional housing and mixed-use development strategies
• Increase nonstop air service to support business connectivity

Our focus is ensuring businesses have space to grown and residents have places to call home.

Prosperity

Economic growth requires intentional strategy.

We will:

• Conduct 1,500 business retention visits over three years
• Support high-growth and second-stage companies
• Attract aerospace, defense, medical device, and nationally recognized technology firms
• Accelerate manufacturing diversification and Industry 4.0 adoption
• Strengthen the region’s innovation ecosystem through Tech Week Grand Rapids

Our priority industries include Advanced Manufacturing, Health Sciences, and Technology.

2026-2028 Regional Impact Goals

By 2028, we aim to achieve:

• 4,500 jobs created or retained
• $700 million in capital investment
• $30 per hour average payroll for supported projects
• $200 million in community development investment
• 100 new industry–education partnerships

These measurable outcomes are designed to elevate the Greater Grand Rapids Region’s national competitiveness while expanding shared prosperity.

A Region-Wide Effort

This strategic plan was shaped by more than 550 regional leaders, business executives, educators, and community stakeholders. Economic development is a team effort, and this strategy reflects a shared commitment to sustained growth across our region.