Working diligently to assure that the collective voice of the business community in Michigan’s Great Southwest is heard loud and clear in ongoing planning for re-engaging the Michigan economy, Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber Exec Arthur Havlicek is working overtime to openly share the concerns of the region at the big table in Lansing.
Havlicek, with his history of work at the Michigan Legislature, is a key cog in the wheel that is churning right now through a joint coalition of 30 regional chambers teaming up with the Michigan Chamber in the release of a tangible COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Agenda for Michigan.
Based on input from several thousand Chamber members located in all 83 counties and working throughout various industries and business sectors, the Michigan Chamber and those 30 local and regional chambers are working tirelessly to help get Michigan’s economy restarted.
Prominent among the 30 regional chambers, the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber, as the Voice for Business in our area, is assuring local concerns are understood. Havlicek and the SWM Regional Chamber have been a vocal advocate for re-engaging safe sectors of Southwest Michigan’s economy. He says that joining the statewide conversation demonstrates his organization’s commitment to ensuring Southwest Michigan businesses have a seat at the table.
Havlicek says, “We are doing everything we can to ensure the voice of Southwest Michigan business is heard,” adding, “We appreciate the opportunity to combine our voice with the Michigan Chamber in releasing priorities for a safe, responsible, and thoughtful restart to Michigan’s economy.”
By way of example, Havlicek notes several priorities reflected in the plan are particularly important to our region of Southwest Michigan, saying, “Supporting tourism by funding the Pure Michigan Campaign and prioritizing workforce development by funding the GoingPro Training Fund are key advocacy priorities for our members,” adding, “We are encouraged to see them included among the priorities that will help our community, and our state, regain its footing.”
At the Michigan Chamber, Jim Holcomb, Senior Executive Vice President, says, “From the US Chamber in Washington D.C. to the Michigan Chamber in Lansing and local Chambers in communities all across Michigan, the Chamber Federation remains strong,” and adds, “The Michigan Chamber and the local Chambers who signed on to our agenda will advocate for policies that help our members recover quickly from this public health emergency and promote free enterprise and entrepreneurism. Now, more than ever, we must get back to the basics and foster our economic recovery from the ground up. That starts with our main street businesses in cities and towns all across Michigan.”
Local Chambers in Support of the COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Agenda include:
- Adrian Area Chamber of Commerce
- Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce
- Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce
- Bay Area Chamber of Commerce (Bay County)
- Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce
- Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce (Port Huron)
- Boyne Area Chamber of Commerce
- Cadillac Area Chamber of Commerce
- Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce
- Fenton & Linden Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Ferndale Area Chamber of Commerce
- Frankenmuth Chamber of Commerce
- Gaylord Area Chamber of Commerce
- Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce
- Jackson Chamber of Commerce
- Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce
- Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce
- Midland Business Alliance
- Monroe County Chamber of Commerce
- Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce
- Oscoda AuSauble Chamber of Commerce
- Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce
- Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber of Commerce (Taylor)
- Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Stockbridge Area Chamber of Commerce
- Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce
- Tecumseh Area Chamber of Commerce
- Three Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce
- Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce
The full COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Agenda can be viewed on the Michigan Chamber Website or by simply clicking this link: https://tinyurl.com/RestartingMichigan
