Helping your community grow through economic development

Counties, cities, and townships are valued partners. Cultivating prosperity in the communities we serve is how we define success. Ann Arbor SPARK is proud to serve your community and provide real-time, relevant resources for whatever you need related to business attraction, expansion, and retention when you need it.

Our business development team can assist with feasibility studies, review available sites for projects of any size, provide economic and labor market data and analysis, industry sector analysis, compensation analysis, facilitate connections to regional, state, and national partners, and much more. When municipalities invest in Ann Arbor SPARK, we are able to deliver specific benefits and results.

State Street in Ann Arbor

Benefits of investing with Ann Arbor Spark

SPARK values its county, city, and township partners. Together, we cultivate prosperity in the communities we serve.

PUBLIC SECTOR COMMITTEE

Engage in SPARK’s public sector committee focused on economic growth in and around Washtenaw and Livingston Counties

OUTREACH

Outreach and services tailored to growing and existing companies located in your community

SITE SELECTION SUPPORT

Incorporation of suitable real estate options and crafting responses for business attraction requests

REGIONAL BUSINESS DATA

Access regional data, demographics, business info and more with SPARK staff support for customized research

SPARK EVENTS

Access to SPARK events for networking and information sharing

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT

Technical assistance related to economic incentive programs and project management for investments and job creation

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR HIGHER-LEVEL MUNICIPAL INVESTORS

Ann Arbor SPARK can provide guidance on strategic projects. This could include data, implementation of a specific economic development strategy like Redevelopment Ready Communities®, neighborhood improvement programs, marketing of high-priority development projects, or other community-focused projects.

  • Economic development strategies
  • Brief economic impact studies
  • Economic development technical assistance
  • Grant support and technical assistance
  • EPA brownfield assistance
  • Workforce and talent pipeline development strategies
  • Resources for state incentive programs
  • Deal structuring and negotiation
  • TIF projections
  • Review or development of pro formas
  • Assistance with PA 198 Applications
  • Customized research and data analyses

We're Here to Help

Consider us an extension of your team — your feet-on-the-ground, local resource for checking things off of your to-do list.

Email the Team
Phil Santer

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Jennifer Olmstead

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Melissa Sheldon

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LIVINGSTON TEAM

Marcia GEBAROWSKI

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Tami Salisbury

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