The Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced that Lenawee Now, coordinator of the Adrian-Tecumseh SmartZone, has been approved for $190K to create a “gatekeeper” position and supporting programs over two years. This new staff person will be responsible for identifying, nurturing, and growing competitive-edge technology opportunities in Lenawee. Lenawee Now will manage this position and will work with SmartZone partners, Adrian College’s Innovation Center, and Ann Arbor SPARK to identify candidates for the new position.
“This award will allow Lenawee Now to extend its operations and further support entrepreneurs, specifically in the tech industry. The gatekeeper will be Lenawee Now staff but will spend much of her or his time working directly with entrepreneurs from the greater Lenawee area as well as the Adrian College Innovation Center,” said Jim Van Doren, Executive Director at Lenawee Now. “What most excites us is this is a major step in our effort to re-build the entrepreneurial spirit in Lenawee County. It increases Lenawee’s self-reliance and challenges our community to reach its potential.”
The Adrian-Tecumseh SmartZone is a set of designated areas and not an actual building. Entrepreneurs may start in an incubator and then expand into the designated areas with a new building of their own or the gatekeeper may attract an existing business to relocate. The SmartZone is approved by the state to capture part of the new taxes created by the addition of new buildings created in the designated TIF (Tax Incrementing Financing) areas in Adrian and Tecumseh. An independent SmartZone board governs the initiative and manages the collected tax funds.
“This gatekeeper award will only enhance our robust entrepreneurial efforts already in place,” said Mayor Jack Baker of Tecumseh. Mayor Baker is the chairperson and Judge Margaret Noe is the vice-chairperson of the Adrian-Tecumseh SmartZone board. The award, while intended for two years, is contingent upon mutually agreeable company and job creation milestones.
Lenawee Now is one of five non-profit or university organizations awarded funds by the Michigan Strategic Fund to provide business incubator and accelerator services to tech companies.