West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission

What West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission does

West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission (WMSRDC) is a federally and state-designated regional planning and development agency founded in 1970 and headquartered at 316 Morris Avenue, Suite 340, Muskegon, Michigan. The agency serves 120 local governments across Lake, Mason, Muskegon, Newaygo, and Oceana Counties, functioning as the neutral coordinating body for intergovernmental cooperation on regional planning issues. Its core mandate is to provide planning services that local jurisdictions cannot efficiently deliver individually, including economic development strategy (CEDS), metropolitan and rural transportation planning (WestPlan MPO, Rural Transportation Task Force, Small Urban programs), environmental planning (watershed management, Clean Air Action Program), GIS mapping, and Materials Management Planning under Michigan Part 115.

WMSRDC's operating model is built on government appropriations and federal pass-through funding, including EDA investments (55 documented since 1966), Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) funding, and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) program support. Approximately $2.3 million in rural federal transportation funding is administered through the agency's Rural Transportation Task Force. Core technology centers on Esri's ArcGIS platform, with internal capabilities in ArcGIS Survey123, ArcGIS Dashboards, and an ArcGIS Open Data Portal (geohub-wmsrdc.openda ta.arcgis.com), supplemented by an MS2Soft integration for traffic counts and a redesigned public website launched in June 2026 with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility and 80-language translation. The agency is led by Executive Director Erin Kuhn and operates with a lean staff structure (11-50 employees) including a Transportation Planning Director and program managers across transportation, environment, economic development, local government services, and materials management.

Name

West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission

Legal name

West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission

Website

https://wmsrdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WMSRDC is a federally and state-designated regional planning agency that delivers transportation, economic development, environmental, GIS, and local government planning services to 120 local governments across five West Michigan counties, funded primarily by government appropriations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Planning and Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Infrastructure Planning, Capital Programs & Project Delivery Offices (PMOs) (BPAIALAJ)

Keywords

• Regional planning services
• Transportation planning
• Economic development strategy
• GIS mapping services
• Environmental planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Muskegon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal and State Funding: As a federal and state designated regional planning and development agency, WMSRDC receives funding through federal programs including Economic Development Administration (EDA), Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), and state environmental programs.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

WMSRDC is a federal- and state-designated regional planning and development agency providing transportation planning (MPO, regional, rural, small urban), economic development (CEDS, EDA funding access), environmental planning (watershed, air quality, coastal resilience), GIS mapping services, local government support (land use, master, recreation plans), and Materials Management Planning to 120 local governments across five West Michigan counties. Core outputs are planning documents, data platforms, and direct technical assistance rather than commercial products.

Product overview

WMSRDC is a federal and state designated regional planning and development agency offering a portfolio of interconnected planning and coordination services across five core program areas: Transportation Planning (including the WestPlan MPO, Rural Transportation Task Force, and Small Urban programs), Economic Development (with CEDS as its central strategy document), Environmental Planning (covering watershed management and air quality), GIS Mapping Services (supporting all programs with spatial analysis and an open data portal), and Local Government Services (including plan writing and Materials Management Planning). The organization does not offer a single software product but rather delivers services through staff expertise, planning documents, data platforms, and collaborative programs. Key digital offerings include an Open Data Portal, Near-MISS Survey tool, and interactive TIP project mapping.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WestPlan: West Michigan Metropolitan Transportation Planning Program - the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Muskegon and Northern Ottawa County

Products and services

• Economic Development Program Manages the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) and provides technical assistance to local communities for accessing EDA funding, including industrial park and infrastructure improvements, technology centers, technical assistance, and loans for the five-county region.
• Environmental Program Facilitates regional cooperation for the improvement, resiliency, and sustainability of West Michigan's natural resources and water quality, including watershed management, the Clean Air Action Program, and coastal resilience planning for local governments.
• GIS Mapping Services

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Muskegon Area Transit System (MATS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1973WMSRDC staffs the Metropolitan Planning Organization (WestPlan) since 1973 and assists MATS with transit planning including services related to seniors and individuals with disabilities.
• West Michigan Clean Air Coalition (WMCAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMSRDC is a member of the West Michigan Clean Air Coalition, a partnership of businesses, academic institutions, government agencies, industry, and non-profit organizations in Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, and Kalamazoo counties working together to achieve cleaner air through education and promotion of voluntary emission reduction activities.
• Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMSRDC works with MDOT to administer rural federal transportation funding, coordinate on transportation planning programs including Highway Performance Management System (HPMS), and implement the West Michigan Pike Scenic Byway corridor management plan.
• Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMSRDC collaborates with EGLE for air quality planning, environmental initiatives, Area of Concern delisting, and Materials Management Plan development as required by Part 115 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act.
• Michigan Infrastructure Council (MIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMSRDC is participating in the Regional Infrastructure Coordinating Hubs (RICH) pilot program, part of the 30-year Integrated Infrastructure Strategy to build regional capacity for data-driven, sustainable infrastructure management.
• Harbor TransitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMSRDC assists Harbor Transit in northern Ottawa County with transit planning through the MPO program.
• West Michigan Watershed Partners (WMWP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMSRDC collaborates with watershed groups and local governments to provide a central location for regional environmental coordination, conducting conferences, educational workshops and forums to share best practices.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study (KATS): A Michigan MPO serving the Kalamazoo urbanized area that produces a Metropolitan Transportation Plan and TIP, performing the same federally required MPO functions that WMSRDC delivers via the WestPlan MPO.
• Northeast Michigan Council of Governments (NEMCOG): A regional planning commission covering 11 counties in Northeast Michigan with planning, economic development, and transportation programs, structurally similar to WMSRDC's multi-county regional planning mandate.
• SEMCOG (Southeast Michigan Council of Governments): Michigan's largest regional planning agency serving seven counties in Southeast Michigan, performing the same combination of MPO, economic development, environmental, and GIS planning services that WMSRDC delivers at a smaller regional scale.
• Northwest Michigan Council of Governments: A regional planning body covering a multi-county area in Northwest Michigan, providing transportation planning, economic development strategy, and local government services analogous to WMSRDC's five-county regional planning mandate.
• Southwest Michigan Planning Commission: A regional planning commission serving multiple counties in Southwest Michigan with transportation, economic development, and environmental planning responsibilities, structurally analogous to WMSRDC's role in West Michigan.
• West Michigan Regional Planning Commission (Grand Valley Metropolitan Council): A neighboring West Michigan MPO and regional planning body that operates an MPO, conducts regional planning, and coordinates economic development across Kent and adjacent counties, directly comparable to WMSRDC's WestPlan MPO and regional planning services.
• East Michigan Council of Governments (EMCOG): A multi-county regional planning agency in East Central Michigan that provides MPO staffing, CEDS, and community development services across a rural service area, comparable to WMSRDC's federal/state planning designations.
• Region 2 Planning Commission: A regional planning agency serving Jackson, Lenawee, and Hillsdale counties in Michigan, providing MPO and regional planning services that parallel WMSRDC's transportation and economic development functions.

Broad incumbents

• Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT): The state-level transportation agency that WMSRDC partners with on HPMS, TIP, and rural federal funding administration; functions as a broader incumbent counterpart whose statewide programs overlap with WMSRDC's regional transportation work.

Regional players

• Macatawa Area Coordinating Council (MACC): A West Michigan MPO serving the Holland-Grand Haven area, comparable to WMSRDC's MPO role in Muskegon and northern Ottawa County; operates as a peer MPO within the same region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission