What Saginaw Future does

Saginaw Future Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit economic development organization founded in 1992 through a collaborative agreement among the County and City of Saginaw, the Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce, 16 local municipalities, educational institutions, labor organizations, and local foundations. The organization operates as the public-private economic development vehicle for Saginaw County and the broader 8-county Great Lakes Bay Region in Michigan, providing site selection assistance, business expansion support, incentive and financing packaging, government contracting connections, export assistance, workforce development coordination, and community-liaison services to businesses, local governments, and job seekers.

The organization does not develop proprietary technology products; its underlying delivery platform is a tiered investor membership structure (eight tiers from $100 SFI Supporter to $30,000+ Leadership Circle) combined with direct enterprise engagement and partnerships with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Great Lakes Bay Business Hub, and anchor corporate and foundation investors including Dow, Nexteer Automotive, Hemlock Semiconductor, Huntington Bank, Morley Companies, Cignys, and the Harvey Randall Wickes Foundation. Its core service catalog (Site Selection, Business Expansion Assistance, Government Contracting, Workforce Development, Incentive/Financing Assistance) is delivered by a nine-person staff led by President & CEO Tom Miller Jr., who succeeded JoAnn Crary effective January 1, 2025.

Cumulative outcomes since 1992 — $8.5 billion+ in facilitated investment, nearly 900 business expansions, 36,913+ jobs created or retained, 963 projects, and $961M+ in government contract value facilitated — establish Saginaw Future as one of Michigan's most results-oriented regional EDOs. Recent single-year momentum has been strong, with $930M in new investment, 1.2M+ sq ft of new development, and 1,400+ jobs created/retained in 2024. Revenue is generated through annual investor contributions, local government contracts, and access to state-level grant programs, with no public equity ownership and a board-governed non-profit structure.

Name

Saginaw Future

Legal name

Saginaw Future Inc.

Website

https://saginawfuture.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Saginaw Future Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit economic development organization founded in 1992 that delivers site selection, business expansion, incentive packaging, workforce development, and government contracting services to businesses and municipalities across Saginaw County and the 8-county Great Lakes Bay Region of Michigan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Land Use Planning (BPAHAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Infrastructure, Housing & Community Development (BPAGABAL)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Site selection assistance
• Business expansion support
• Workforce development coordination
• Incentive packaging services

Headquarters

HQ city

Saginaw

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Investor Membership Contributions: Saginaw Future generates revenue through tiered investor membership contributions from businesses, ranging from $100 (SFI Supporter) to $30,000+ (Leadership Circle). These contributions fund economic development activities including business attraction, expansion assistance, and workforce initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Saginaw Future is a 501(c)(3) non-profit economic development organization providing proactive economic development services in Saginaw County and the Great Lakes Bay Region. It assists businesses with site selection, business expansion and attraction, incentive and financing packaging, government contracting connections, export assistance, and workforce development coordination. The organization operates as a public-private partnership connecting businesses, local governments, education institutions, labor organizations, and community foundations to drive investment, job creation, and business retention.

Product overview

Saginaw Future is an economic development organization offering a suite of services focused on business attraction, expansion, and workforce development in Saginaw County and the Great Lakes Bay Region. Their core offerings include site selection services, business expansion assistance, government contracting support, workforce development programs, and incentive/financing assistance. These are service-based offerings rather than technology products or software platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $8.5 billion invested in Saginaw County under Saginaw Future's leadership
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Great Lakes Bay Business Hub (GLBBH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional collaboration providing business support and workspace solutions across the Great Lakes Bay Region. Offers flexible conference and office spaces in Bay City, Midland, Saginaw, and Mt. Pleasant. Partners with Small Business Development Center, regional chambers, and economic development organizations.
• Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level strategic partner providing Critical Industries Program performance-based grants, State Essential Services Assessment exemptions, Strategic Site Readiness Program grants, and community revitalization program support for Saginaw County projects including Corning's $900M facility.
• Saginaw County Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner in Saginaw Future Inc. alliance. Collaborative agreement established in 1992 for economic development in Saginaw County.
• County and City of SaginawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding government partners in Saginaw Future Inc. 501(c)(3) organization established through collaborative agreement in 1992.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP): Regional EDO serving the Lansing tri-county area with business attraction, expansion, and workforce development services. Directly comparable as a Michigan public-private economic development organization.
• Detroit Regional Partnership: Regional EDO focused on business attraction, site selection, and incentive packaging across southeast Michigan. Closest direct peer to Saginaw Future in terms of mission, service mix, and Michigan-based public-private structure.
• Ann Arbor SPARK: Regional EDO serving the Ann Arbor area with business acceleration, talent services, and investment attraction. Comparable as a Michigan public-private EDO with a focus on advanced industries.
• Greater Cleveland Partnership: Cleveland-area chamber-plus-EDO combining business attraction, retention, and advocacy. Comparable as a Rust Belt public-private economic development organization with similar advanced-manufacturing orientation.
• Greater Rochester Enterprise: Regional EDO focused on business attraction and expansion in the Rochester, NY region. Directly comparable as a county-level public-private EDO competing for advanced manufacturing and life sciences investment.
• The Right Place (Grand Rapids): Regional EDO for the Grand Rapids area providing site selection, business retention, and workforce solutions. Comparable in scale and service mix as another leading Michigan-based EDO.

Broad incumbents

• Greater Houston Partnership: Major regional chamber-and-EDO combining business attraction, advocacy, and economic research. Comparable in its public-private structure and emphasis on heavy industry / chemicals, though at a much larger metropolitan scale.
• Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC): The state-level economic development agency that funds and partners with Saginaw Future. Directly comparable as a public-private EDO operating in Michigan, though at state-wide rather than county scale.
• Greater Phoenix Economic Council: Large regional EDO in a fast-growing Sun Belt market. Comparable as a public-private partnership driving advanced manufacturing and semiconductor site selection, though operating in a very different growth market than Saginaw.

Regional players

• Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce: Founding partner of Saginaw Future and the broader regional business advocacy organization. Comparable as a Michigan chamber providing business support, advocacy, and workforce connections, often co-delivering services with SFI.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/saginawfuture
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MarketingSaginaw
• Facebookfacebook.com/saginawfuture
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saginaw-future-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/saginawfuture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Saginaw Future