Flint & Genesee’s progress in becoming a top-five county by 2040

Over the course of the last few months, Flint & Genesee Group COO Kristina Johnston has been doing a “road show” for local municipalities and other groups across the county. The presentation shares progress made on Forward Together, an economic vitality plan that aims to make Genesee County a top-five community in Michigan based on jobs, talent, livability and equity by 2040.

The presentation touches on multiple elements of the plan, with a specific focus on the plan’s five indicators of success. These metrics provide insight into our economic prosperity and allow our community to measure its progress in comparison to other communities in Michigan.

For, instance, in 2019, the average wage for Genesee County was $879 per week, putting the region at 22^nd out of 83 counties in the state. According to latest numbers, in 2021, that increased to $957 per week.

“This is good movement. However, it doesn’t mean we’re keeping up,” says Johnston, noting that other counties in the state are moving faster in terms of average wages. Genesee County’s ranking dropped slightly to 24^th, with Oakland, Wayne, Washtenaw, Midland and Macomb counties leading the way.

“But (improving our ranking) is attainable,” Johnston adds. “When we attract businesses that pay higher wages, we could see ourselves moving up.”

In the indicator of net in-migration – the number of people coming in and leaving our community – we saw a loss of about a thousand people in 2018, putting Genesee County at 78^th out of 83 counties. “Loss of population or loss of working age people is probably one of the largest threats to our community,” Johnston notes.

In regard to educational achievement, in 2018, 32 percent of our residents over the age of 25 had a post-secondary degree. By 2020, we gained one percentage point, but fell in the rankings from 29^th to 35^th. According to Johnston, raising this metric along with net in-migration is critical, and has the power to influence many of the other metrics in a positive way.

One area where Genesee County is seeing strong gains is GDP growth rate. From 2017 to 2018, we were growing at a .88 percent rate, putting our community at 49^th out of 83 counties. From 2019 to 2020, that rate increased to 1.17percent, pushing Genesee County to 20^th. “This really speaks to business growth and the health of those businesses being created and coming to our community,” says Johnston.

In 2021, Genesee County had a family poverty rate of 12.9 percent. While that’s great that poverty levels are declining the county is still at 81^st out of 83 counties. “That’s significant. Other places that are doing well with this are Livingston County, Leelanau, Clinton, Ottawa and Oakland, so we have a long way to go.” But by addressing some of the aforementioned indicators – attracting people to the community, driving up wages and increasing educational attainment – Johnston predicts we can pull more people out of poverty.

According to Johnston, she’s often asked if she can pull out the data for a particular community within the county. Sometimes she can, sometimes she can’t. Ultimately, however, the information is most impactful when viewed as a whole.

“The health of any one of our municipalities is dependent upon the health of the others,” she says. “(We need) to make sure we’re all thinking collectively and have a common goal in mind.”

To watch the full presentation, which takes a deeper dive into the background of Forward Together and some of the related data, check out the recording below. More information is also available at forwardtogethergenesee.org.

A statement from Tim Herman, CEO of Flint & Genesee Group: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the sudden death of Genesee County Commissioner and our board member, Bryant (BB) Nolden, who passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 7. Bryant was a warm and caring man. He served our Board with enthusiasm and great commitment. He had a wonderful work ethic and was passionate about making Flint and Genesee county a great place to live. From policy making and ensuring that the concerns of his constituency were met through his work as a commissioner to his work as the executive director of the Friends of Berston Fieldhouse, a nonprofit that was formed to operate this historic community and sports center on the north side of Flint, Bryant dedicated his life to helping people, especially youth, succeed. His passing is a devastating loss for our community and all of us at the Flint & Genesee Group are keeping his family and friends in our thoughts.” For his obituary and service details, click here.

Momentum continued in 2022 despite the backdrop of inflation, talent shortage and supply chain disruptions. And as we come to the end of year, it’s a good time to reflect on the journey. As the Genesee County economy continues to recover, we are seeing signs of forward momentum in a variety of ways, most recently through development activity. For example, Flint is closer than ever to transforming the 350-acre Buick City into a state-of-the-art industrial park, ultimately bringing thousands of jobs and an investment of $300 million. Another exciting example is Mara Technologies, a global electronics manufacturer that is establishing its U.S. headquarters in Grand Blanc Township. Mara will invest $28 million in the project and create nearly 300 jobs.

Flint & Genesee Group would like to thank the organizations, foundations, businesses, and individual donors that made contributions in 2022 to support the efforts of the Group and its divisions.   “Over the past year, our funding partners and donors have helped us deliver a variety of programs and services designed to strengthen the local economy, build our workforce and improve quality of life for residents,” said Tim Herman, CEO of Flint & Genesee Group. “We are grateful for their support and shared commitment to our community.”   READ MORE

Based out of Burton, M.A.C. Transport, Inc.’s roots began in the 1940s with Chris Marlowe’s great-grandfather was a pig farmer. As a pig farmer, he would collect food scraps from his neighbors to feed his livestock. When that became undoable due to regulation changes, the neighbors were still in the market for waste removal. So, the pig farm turned into a landfill, launching the Marlowe family’s first transportation company. “My husband and I met when we were 15 years old, and both worked for his family’s company,” says Cynthia Marlowe whose grandparents were also farmers that relied on transportation, specifically horse-drawn trailers, to haul crops. “After a while, Chris’ great-grandfather’s business was sold, and other family members started their own businesses. After my husband worked for one of the businesses that the family company was sold to, we decided to go out on our own.” READ MORE

Dec. 14 – Chamber Luncheon   Jan. 20 – African American Advisory Committee Meeting

People and businesses on the move

About Flint & Genesee Group

Flint & Genesee Group supports the region through its commitment to developing business, talent, and place. Marketing its services through four divisions – Explore Flint & Genesee, Flint & Genesee Chamber, Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance, and Flint & Genesee Education & Talent – as well as with community partners, the organization works to strengthen the Flint and Genesee County economy and create a place where people thrive, and businesses invest and grow. For more information, visit flintandgenesee.org, and check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.