Gov. Whitmer Secures Continued Support for 28 Small Business HUBZones

Resources from US Small Business Administration will empower business owners, grow Michigan’s economy, and create good-paying local jobs

LANSING, Mich. -- Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced Michigan secured continued Small Business Administration (SBA) support for 28 counties and census tracts across Michigan through the SBA’s HUBZone program following petitions to the agency. The HUBZone program fuels small business growth in historically underutilized zones by awarding 3% of federal contract dollars to HUBZone businesses every year.  

“Small businesses are the backbone of Michigan’s economy and critical to building a brighter future for our residents,” said Governor Whitmer. “The Small Business Administration’s HUBZone program will continue to support communities across Michigan by connecting our hardworking small business owners and entrepreneurs to federal contract dollars, creating high-skilled, good-paying jobs right here at home. Let’s keep working together to support small businesses and help more small business owners ‘make it’ in Michigan.” 

“Michigan is a state of dreamers and doers who work tirelessly to chase their next innovative idea and change the world,” said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “Securing Small Business Administration HUBZone support will connect entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources they need to thrive, growing our economy and creating jobs in communities across Michigan. Together, we are opening doors for opportunity and giving more Michiganders access to achieving their version of health and wealth. Governor Whitmer and I will continue Standing Tall so more families and small businesses can ‘make it’ in Michigan.” 

“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, America is experiencing a historic small business start-up boom with over 18.5 million created,” said Geri Aglipay, SBA Region V - Regional Administrator. “For many of these small businesses, these Governor-identified HUBZones will bring expanded opportunities in 28 census Michigan tracts for small businesses to be certified for federal contracting. This helps them create good paying jobs and bring dollars into their communities that will benefit historically underutilized business areas and economically challenged places. With SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman’s leadership to expand business development on federal contracting, many Michigan small businesses can greatly expand revenues, which helps them build wealth for themselves, their employees, and their communities. HUBZones  help small businesses create good jobs and hire from their local communities, especially those who live in underserved areas. Those jobs spurred by small businesses help generate household savings as well as spending dollars – dollars spent locally have higher rates of being re-circulated in the neighborhoods and re-invested back into the community.” 

Companies located in Michigan HUBZones and certified under the HUBZone program also qualify as Geographically Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (GDBEs) for state procurement. In FY21, 59 Michigan HUBZone businesses were awarded $219,272,900 in contracts.  

The 28 areas in the Whitmer-Gilchrist administration petition are home to over 350 small manufacturing sites that have demonstrated their potential for creating jobs and leveraging private investment. Over the last five years, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation business development and capital services programs have helped companies in these areas announce projects expected to create over 1,800 new jobs and more than $3.5 billion in planned private investment. These planned projects are in industries as diverse as automotive and automotive parts manufacturing, machinery manufacturing, and various service industries. 

“We are grateful to the Small Business Administration for its continued support of its community-transforming HUBZone program, which will impact small businesses and the communities in which they thrive across the state,” said Quentin L. Messer, Jr, CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “As Team Michigan executes its ‘Make It in Michigan’ economic development strategy focused on People, Places and Projects, this federal support creates opportunities for Michigan’s small businesses to generate greater community impact.”   

The designations will be added to the HUBZone map within the next week, which is available here. 

Find out more about the SBA’s HUBZone small business support program here. 

Supporting Small Businesses 

Governor Whitmer is committed to supporting small businesses as Michigan continues growing its economy.  She signed a bipartisan tax cut, reduced the tax burden, and increased tax flexibility for small businesses. She signed an executive directive to increase state procurement and contracts with GDBEs and later set a new goal to ensure 20% of total expenditures from state departments and agencies go to GDBEs beginning in FY2023-24. In 2023, Michigan was ranked as a top ten state for business, climbing in national economic competitiveness, strong job growth, advanced manufacturing leadership, and the low cost of doing business & living. 

Last year, Governor Whitmer signed a bipartisan supplemental budget to invest $75 million to support small business smart zones, business accelerators, and entrepreneurial activities and announced the new Small Business Support Hubs program to bring comprehensive resources to small businesses across the state. 

  

 

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn, and Twitter.