Link to the Benzie County Economic Development Action Plan

Benzie County Economic Development Action Plan Click Here

(excerpts from the plan)

Benzie County Economic Development Strategic Plan 

Introduction 

Over the course of 2014 the Traverse Bay Economic Development Corporation (TBEDC) has worked with the Benzie County Commissioners and its appointed Task Force to develop an Economic Development Strategic Plan for the County. TBEDC staff worked with the Task Force to facilitate the development of major economic development goals for the County, and to develop related tactics, or specific projects, necessary to achieve the plan’s objectives. The Task Force articulated three major goals to drive future prosperity: 

1.   Enhance critical infrastructure serving the county to accommodate long-­‐term growth 

and prosperity; 

2.   Encourage skilled trades training for youth and the underemployed; and 

3.   Develop new opportunities related to value-­‐added agriculture and agri-­‐tourism, 

especially for the small farmer and entrepreneur.   

This report is a compilation of findings and recommendations to date. It outlines the plan’s objectives and related scope of work, highlights specific socio-­‐economic characteristics, identifies strengths and weaknesses, enumerates the Task Force’s major goals, and 

recommends tactics for achieving those goals. 

......There was a general consensus that Benzie County is well positioned to continue as a tourist-­‐

based economy. Sleeping Bear Dunes, Crystal Mountain, Crystal Lake, blue ribbon trout streams, open fields and forestlands, and a general bucolic nature all underpin a tourist-­‐based destination economy. At the same time, the Commissioners expressed a concern that Benzie County simply was not doing enough to promote a diversified economy capable of meeting the future needs of a younger generation. These concerns are amplified as new local zoning regulations are being explored that could have long term impacts on job creation, especially for future generations. 

This was perhaps best highlighted when Frankfort-­‐based Production Industries Inc. sought a new manufacturing facility in 2010 to accommodate new growth and expansion. Its plans to acquire property and construct a new building were thwarted by local government officials who were not supportive of the initiative. The company found it difficult to locate a suitable site within the County, and when it finally settled on a location, elected officials were unsupportive. In the ensuing years, little was accomplished by County leaders to identify and overcome the 

constraints to economic development.