Great Lakes Metro Chamber Coalition
 |
Map represents the metropolitan chambers that
make up the Great Lakes Metro Chambers Coalition |
In an unprecedented show of regional unity, the Greater Cleveland Partnership joined forces with other metropolitan chambers from the 12-state Great Lakes area, dubbed the Great Lakes Metro Chambers Coalition. The group is using the region's central location and other strengths to focus on five growth opportunities:
- Federal transportation and infrastructure funding and policy
- A 21st century border with Canada
- Investment in the Great Lakes to transform our economic region
- Great Lakes innovation strategy
- Federal immigration policy
Those five areas and their potential for growth are examined in a coalition document, An Agenda for Jobs and Economic Transformation in the Great Lakes Region.
The Coalition was formed following the publication of a Brookings Institute study in 2007: Preserving the Vital Center Renewing the Economy of the Industrial Heatland. Metropolitan chambers from throughout the Great Lakes region met to discuss the findings of the study and subsequently formed the Coalition. In addition to the 12 Great Lakes states, Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec are represented in the Coalition. This powerful region represents the second largest economy in the world, trailing only the United States.
As the Coalition continues to move forward, more unified activities and efforts aimed at promoting business growth in the Great Lakes region are now being planned.