A Time for Regional Growth
Plante & Moran is committed to the success of the companies we have served for more than 80 years. The organizations are primarily middle-market, owner-managed, and entrepreneurial, and their fundamental soundness is too often overlooked. In fact, we have seen such companies grow, thrive, and contribute real-dollar wealth to tens of thousands of individuals.
In the fall of 2006, Plante & Moran surveyed 102 business leaders in this segment. Despite the widespread concerns about the economy and its affect on their future, most of them were optimistic about their organization’s performance and continued growth. At Plante & Moran, we see many reasons to be hopeful about the future of this region.
- Midwestern values of work, savings and steady improvement make for an excellent, committed workforce.
- Quality of life and cost-of-living advantages favor the region.
- An unexpected concentration of private wealth and investment exists here.
- Abundant natural resources are available, perhaps the most important being ample fresh water.
- Supportive infrastructure of high quality and wide distribution — road, rail, aviation, power transmission, sewer and water, communications — already exists here, with capacity for growth.
- Regional commitment has been made to, and there has been extensive investment in, higher education and technical education at the university, college, and community college levels.
With these advantages, why has this region waited for the kind of development that has favored other areas of the country? Although it’s partly due to the global change in old-economy industries that dominated 20th century economic success, we feel the region has not yet unified to capitalize on its strengths or to market them to the world.
We must recognize our strengths. Focusing on core strengths will help drive regional success.
