Midland Business Alliance

What Midland Business Alliance does

Midland Business Alliance (MBA) is a non-profit, membership-based economic development organization headquartered in Midland, Michigan, operating from the recently renovated Carl A. Gerstacker Commerce Center. Founded in 2015 in its current form (with operational roots tracing to 1989), the MBA functions as the lead economic development partner for Midland County and the collective voice for more than 3,000 member businesses, ranging from local startups to Fortune 500 corporations such as Dow. The organization delivers a diversified portfolio of services including business advocacy, networking events, workforce development (TalentX, MYPros, Leadership Midland), flood reduction and resiliency programs, housing initiatives (Housing Forward), the Midland Area Farmers Market, and the Midland Blooms community beautification program.

The MBA's core service architecture is structured around four pillars: (1) Business Membership & Advocacy, (2) Economic Development targeting five industry verticals (Advanced Chemicals & Materials, Clean Tech Manufacturing, Advanced Manufacturing Logistics, Healthcare/Life Sciences, and Agri-Processing), (3) Community Initiatives spanning flood resilience, housing, broadband, and talent attraction, and (4) Managed Programs including the Farmers Market and Midland Blooms. The organization has no proprietary technology products; it operates on the Accrisoft economic development platform for membership management, events, and marketing. Infrastructure advocacy has become a defining strategic focus, with the MBA serving as a co-sponsor alongside the City and County of Midland on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers General Investigation studies of the Tittabawassee River Watershed — a relationship that has helped secure over $70 million in flood reduction grants.

The MBA's revenue model is built on two primary streams: annual membership dues across tiered benefit packages and corporate sponsorships structured at Diamond, Platinum, and Gold levels, supplemented by foundation grants (notably from the Charles J. Strosacker, Rollin M. Gerstacker, and Patricia and David Kepler foundations). GTM is sales-led and relationship-driven, with 60+ events annually attracting 7,000+ attendees, an ambassador referral program, and direct engagement with member businesses across Midland County and the broader Great Lakes Bay Region. The 22-person staff supports a leadership team headed by President and CEO Tony Stamas and VP of Economic Development Nicole Wilson.

Name

Midland Business Alliance

Legal name

Midland Business Alliance

Website

https://mbami.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Midland Business Alliance is a non-profit, membership-based economic development organization serving as the lead business hub for Midland County, Michigan. It represents 3,000+ member businesses through advocacy, workforce development, networking events, and flood reduction initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Midland

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The MBA generates revenue through business membership fees, with various membership tiers and benefits packages.
2. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships at various levels (Diamond, Platinum, Gold, etc.) provide significant revenue, with sponsorship opportunities for 2026 featuring 750+ members, 60+ events, and 7,000+ guests annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Midland Business Alliance is Midland County's integrated business hub and lead economic development partner, providing business membership, advocacy, networking, and community programs. It serves more than 3,000 businesses ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies through initiatives including Economic Development, TalentX workforce solutions, MYPros, Leadership Midland, Housing Forward, Flood Reduction & Resiliency, Midland Area Farmers Market, and Midland Blooms. The organization also manages a Small Business Capacity-Building Grant Program in partnership with the Charles J. Strosacker Foundation.

Product overview

Midland Business Alliance operates as an integrated business hub and chamber of commerce organization offering a unified portfolio of economic development, membership, and community programs. The core offerings include Business Membership & Advocacy services representing over 3,000 businesses, Economic Development partnership programs, and workforce initiatives like TalentX and MYPros. Supporting programs encompass Leadership Midland, Housing Forward, and Flood Reduction & Resiliency efforts. The organization also manages the Midland Area Farmers Market and Midland Blooms community programs. A Small Business Capacity-Building Grant Program provides funding support in partnership with the Charles J. Strosacker Foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Membership & Advocacy Represents over 3,000 businesses as Midland's business hub, providing advocacy, networking opportunities, and membership support for businesses ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies.
• Economic Development Lead economic development partner for Midland County, supporting business attraction, retention, expansion, and creation of new business sectors across targeted industries.
• TalentX Workforce development initiative focused on attracting and retaining talent in the Midland area, including video showcasing community experiences.
• MYPros (Midland Young Professionals) Supports young professionals through networking, development, and community engagement to attract and retain talent in the region.
• Leadership Midland Leadership development program building skills and community connections among local professionals.
• Housing Forward Community collaborative to address attainable workforce housing deficits and identify barriers to rehabilitation and development of housing in Midland County.
• Flood Reduction & Resiliency Comprehensive flood reduction efforts including collaboration with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, infrastructure projects, and community preparedness programs.
• Midland Area Farmers Market Market connecting residents with local farmers and producers, offering fresh locally grown food and agribusiness products, operated at Dow Diamond East parking lot.
• Midland Blooms Annual community beautification program coordinating volunteer planting along Eastman's Avenue corridor, now in its 33rd year.
• Small Business Capacity-Building Grant Program Capacity-building grant program supporting financial planning, marketing, technology upgrades, and operational improvements for local small businesses, in partnership with the Charles J. Strosacker Foundation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 37:1 ROI on flood reduction investments - $70 million+ in grants secured
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• U.S. Army Corps of EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering on General Investigation (GI) flood study of the Tittabawassee River Watershed since 2021. Second study kicked off November 2024 with three-year duration.
• Northwood UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner hosting community events and the Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center. Collaborates on flood study initiatives and community programs.
• City of MidlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey local government partner for economic development, flood reduction, and community initiatives. One of three local sponsors for USACE GI study.
• County of MidlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey local government partner and one of three local sponsors for USACE GI flood study. Collaborative partner on infrastructure initiatives.
• Spicer GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering firm providing technical services for flood reduction projects, scoring process evaluation, and flood study support.
• CBM ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiamond sponsor and co-location partner at Gerstacker Commerce Center alongside MITCON.
• MITCONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatinum sponsor and co-location partner at Gerstacker Commerce Center providing IT services.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ann Arbor SPARK: Michigan-based economic development organization providing business attraction, retention, and expansion services. Operates a similar model of membership, sponsorship, and public-private partnership to drive regional economic growth, making it a close functional peer.
• Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce: A Michigan-based chamber of commerce providing membership services, advocacy, events, and economic development programming. Highly comparable in structure and offerings to the MBA, though serving a larger West Michigan market.
• Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP): A Michigan-based economic development organization combining chamber-style membership services with business attraction and workforce development. Closely parallels the MBA's hybrid chamber/economic development model in a different Michigan region.

Broad incumbents

• Detroit Regional Partnership: A larger-scale regional economic development organization serving Southeast Michigan. Directly comparable as a Michigan-based economic development entity, though operating at a larger regional scale with broader geography than the MBA's Midland County focus.
• Greater Houston Partnership: One of the largest U.S. chamber/economic development hybrids, combining membership services, advocacy, and business attraction. Comparable in dual chamber/economic development mandate, though operating at much greater scale and in a different industry mix.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: The national federation of U.S. chambers of commerce, of which local chambers like the MBA are typically members. Provides a national-level reference point for chamber operations, advocacy, and programming that the MBA emulates at the local level.
• Bay Area Council: A regional business association that combines advocacy, economic development, and research across the San Francisco Bay Area. Comparable in integrated business leadership model and corporate membership base, though serving a much larger and more diverse economy.
• Greater Cleveland Partnership: A large metropolitan chamber and economic development organization that has formally integrated chamber and economic development functions. Comparable in integrated service model and corporate engagement approach, though at significantly larger scale.

Regional players

• Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC): Michigan's state-level economic development corporation that partners with local entities like the MBA. The MBA is identified as a recipient/administrator of MEDC-administered state funding, making MEDC a direct upstream partner and functional peer in economic development.
• Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce: A neighboring Michigan chamber of commerce serving Saginaw County within the same Great Lakes Bay Region as the MBA. Comparable as a regional chamber peer and likely partner organization for cross-regional economic development initiatives.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=oIuJHC89SrE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/midlandbusinessalliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Midland Business Alliance