Hello West Michigan

West Michigan's cultural diversity supports a thriving arts scene.

From an economic history rooted in design-driven furniture and manufacturing industries to a thriving contemporary arts scene, West Michigan's economy and culture is inextricably linked to the arts. West Michigan boasts the world's largest art prize, vibrant local music, numerous public art and music festivals, innovative museums, and nationally-renowned performing arts troupes. You'll find culture for every taste in West Michigan.

Building on Unparalleled Philanthropy

West Michigan Is a National Leader in Giving Back

The vitality West Michigan exhibits is a tribute to the generousity of its citizens, major philanthropists and regular citizens alike. Recognized repeatedly as one of the most generous regions per capita in the United States, West Michigan philanthropists have pioneered ground-breaking private-public partnerships, a billion dollar public school scholarship program, a multi-billion dollar medical research institute, cutting edge museums, and top-flight arts institutions. In West Michigan, philanthropy is more than a legacy; it's a way of life.

A Better Life Awaits in West Michigan

Whether you choose the vibrancy of urban living in a downtown condominium, the youthful energy of one of the region's college towns like Kalamazoo, or the quiet of a big country house with a garden, you're just a quick drive, maybe even a short walk, away from work, schools, volunteer opportunities and cultural events. With one of the lowest cost of living in the United States, diverse entertainment options, top schools, and rich economic opportunity, West Michigan is consistently recognized as one of the top places to live in the United States.

A Global Leader in Sustainable Living

West Michigan has set environmental trends for decades.

West Michigan is wonderfully, beautifully green. But "green" doesn't refer to the color of the landscape; it's the simple term that sums up what is perhaps the region's most acclaimed accomplishments: being a global leader in the design and construction of some of the world's first, and best, environmentally-savvy built environments.

What Thousands of Entrepreneurs Call 'Home'

New Businesses Thrive in West Michigan

From innovative bio-medical or information technology startups to world-beating manufacturers and suppliers, West Michigan is a launchpad for entrepreneurial success. With well-developed angel-investing networks, a business-friendly culture, top-notch colleges and university, and deep talent pool from which to hire, West Michigan is a nurturing environment where startups and other innovative ventures can grow.

Latest Hello West Michigan Tweets

NEWS Pure Michigan tops all state tourism web sites in page views, Facebook love

For the 5th consecutive year, michigan.org - the state's official travel and tourism website - had the most visits of any state tourism website in the country, according to the independent online measurement company Experian Hitwise.

Part of that is due to the highly effective Pure Michigan campaign, which got a $10 million boost from Gov. Rick Snyder last March.

The campaign has Tim Allen waxing poetic about our state treasures in ads that are heard and seen around the Great Lakes area and beyond. (See the winter ad below)

NEWS Want to learn more about Hello West Michigan? Join us at our Annual Meeting!

Join us February 9, 4-6 PM at the Herman Miller GreenHouse.

Hello West Michigan, formerly known as Quaeris, had another exciting year as it helped leading West Michigan Companies join forces to attract the nation's top talent. Human resource professionals are benefitting from recruitment and retention best practices, resume sharing and other resources.

Come hear about 2011 successes, new member programs and what's in store for 2012!

NEWS Revisiting stories of people in West Michigan who did good, showed grace in 2011

In a word?

Grace.

That’s what struck me time after time as I shuffled back through the columns I’d written during 2011.

That’s not to say there wasn’t some taking, some whimsy, some folly. And just plain interesting — like Ward Blanchard, who at 89 years old earned an award from the “Iron Butt Association” for putting in 1,000-plus miles on his motorcycle in 24 hours.

But the majority of the people I brought to your front porches were men and women and even some children who continue to teach us giving beats getting.

NEWS The Talent Dividend: How more college grads can add to Grand Rapids' bottom line

What if Grand Rapids could attract a company that generated revenues of a billion or more to our city? Think along the lines of megabank PNC or a sizzler of a tech company like Facebook.

Or think about this: by increasing the number of college graduates in Grand Rapids by one percent of our population, what would be generated in additional personal incomes, or revenue? Annually?

"The best way to measure the economic success of a city is per capita income and the simple most direct connection of per capita income is college attainment," says Lee Fisher, president of CEOs for Cities, a civic lab and network of urban leaders across the country.

NEWS One Click, Thousands of Jobs. (77,605 Michigan jobs to be exact)

We’re excited to introduce you to Pure Michigan Talent Connect (www.mitalent.org), the state of Michigan’s new web-based talent matchmaking site and central hub for talent, employers and educators announced today by Governor Snyder.

The site features information and resources that give job creators the tools necessary to help identify and develop their talent base and job seekers the ability to create a personalized plan to help them find new jobs and effectively navigate career searches.

PROFILE

Frances H. | Haworth

I'm originally from Puerto Rico and have been in the United States for the past 23 years. Before coming here, I lived all over -- I went to school in Boston, then moved to New York, and then Texas while I worked in Mexico. I also lived in Ohio, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. I came to West Michigan looking for a better work/life balance. I wanted a community that was family oriented, and I found that place in Holland. MORE