Executives from across the state attended the Cadillac Chamber of Commerce business breakfast in northern Michigan on Tuesday morning.
They teamed up with local businesses to talk about the future of the local economy.
“It puts us on the same page, brings other partners together and introduces us; so we can all work together and walk a trail together,” said Caitlyn Berard, President of the Cadillac Area Chamber of Commerce.
The pandemic has affected many factors in the economy, including inflation, employment and housing.
“I think it’s important for all of our industries to come together and take a moment to look at our current state of our economy, our services and our business,” said Mike Kelso, executive director of the Cadillac Area YMCA.
One of the guest speakers was Jim Robey, economic forecaster and President of Robey Analytics. Robey has broken down the past, present and future of our economy.
Many business leaders said inflation and a shortage of workers are two of the biggest factors limiting local economic growth, along with childcare and affordable housing.
“The first step in the right direction is identifying the problem and making sure we’re all on the same page,” said Henry Wolf, executive director of the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance. “A lot of what we discussed here today was identifying issues at the local level so we can bring them into our state-level legislation.”
While there is no clear end in sight to other factors such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the impact of COVID-19, local experts remain hopeful for the future of the economy.
“Here in northern Michigan, the power is in numbers when we all come together and unite for a cause,” Wolf said. “We discussed a variety of issues today, but I think most importantly, we’re all rowing in the same direction as we continue to focus on affordable housing, affordable childcare and workforce development. We will make progress.”
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