Page 24 - LRCC January 2022 Focus

ECONOMIC CLUB FOCUS MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2022

Anderson Messer

2022 Economic Outlook: Challenges and Opportunities

he troubling combination of Covid, inflation, supply According to the study, the strengths of the region
chain disruptions and a continuing labor shortage were affordable housing, and a high Gen Z population.
Twill challenge the economy throughout 2022. Anderson said the region should seek to leverage those
However, out of those challenges are some opportunities strengths plus high-tech employment and improve
for Michigan and particularly the Greater Lansing region educational attainment.
should seek to leverage to improve its competitiveness.
Those were messages delivered to the Lansing Economic “If we do those things well, we will win and be happy that
Club at its December meeting by speakers Patrick we seized the moment,” said Anderson.
Anderson, principal and CEO, Anderson Economic Group
and Quentin L. Messer, Jr., president & CEO, Michigan Messer said Michigan needs to get four things right as
Economic Development Corporation. it seeks to strengthen its competitive position, including
creating an environment that celebrates risk, focusing
“Consumers are still very worried and that is something on entrepreneurship, getting things done at the State
we need to be concerned about,” said Anderson. Capitol and serving our customers.

Working with the Lansing Regional Chamber of “This is about teamwork,” said Messer. “If you are going to
Commerce and the Lansing Area Economic Partnership, build a great program, you have to think about sustaining
Anderson Economic Group recently completed a first- it over multiple years.”
of-its-kind benchmarking study comparing the Lansing
region to 11 other competitive communities around Messer also encouraged the Lansing region to better tell
the country. Anderson told the crowd that two of the its own story, which is a good one.
significant shortcomings the study found are that the
region needs to focus on are increasing the size of the “It’s not bragging if what you are saying is true,” said
private sector and a low population base. Messer. “There is a genuine humility in this region which
sometimes prevents us from telling a story that needs to
“We need to attract more people here,” said Anderson. be told.” l

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