Detroit Regional Partnership 2021 Impact:  5,000 Jobs Created or Supported, Nearly $1 Billion in Investment and Construction

Organization releases annual report and overall economic impact data

DETROIT (April 14, 2022) – Today, the Detroit Regional Partnership (DRP) released its total economic impact and job creation numbers at its annual meeting at the Detroit Wayne Port Authority. The non-profit economic development organization secured 21 project wins in 2021, which created or supported more than 5,000 jobs while driving nearly a $1 billion in investment and construction output in the 11-county Detroit Region.

“The Detroit Regional Partnership is really hitting its stride as we enter just our third full year of operations,” said Maureen Donohue Krauss, president and CEO of the DRP. “We are helping businesses move at the speed of the market as they simultaneously evaluate available talent and select the perfect site for their operations.”

The event’s theme was “One Region Together” and attended by more than 100 business, civic, and philanthropic leaders,  including the DRP’s Board of Directors and Regional Leadership Circle. The DRP’s annual report included its total economic impact and project win numbers.

2021 Total Economic Impact:
Jobs Created and Supported: 5,184
Increase in Payroll: $293 million
Investment and Construction Output $913.5
Pathway Jobs: 1,153

2021 Project Wins:
Deals Closed: 21
Direct Jobs: 2,146
Investment: $363.4 million
Payroll: $102.9 million
Pathway Jobs: 653 direct

“Over the first three years of our work together, we’ve gotten off to a good start. We’ve delivered thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions in investments,” said Gerry Anderson, executive chairman, DTE, and chairman of the DRP board of directors. “But honestly, we are still only scratching the surface.”

Last year, the DRP executed a hybrid business development strategy participating in more than 60 virtual or in-person trade missions, delegations and conferences as public health guidelines allowed. Resuming in-person travel in May, the DRP notched most of its project wins in the autonomous and electric mobility, smart manufacturing, and tech sectors. Key expansion and development projects included: Yanfeng in Highland Park, Pace Industries in Novi, XL Fleet in Wixom, and AGP E-Glass in Canton Township.

“While the pandemic is limiting some international deals, we are experiencing one of the hottest industrial markets in the past 50 years and companies are showing a lot of interest,” said Justin Robinson, senior vice president of business development for the DRP. “We continue to proactively engage prospects so they understand the depth of talent and assets that make this region so innovative.”

By year’s end, the DRP will participate in more than 30 trade missions and shows, up to eight international delegations, and 28 site selector engagements, mixing in virtual and in-person formats.

About the Detroit Regional Partnership
Launched in 2019, the Detroit Regional Partnership is a public-private economic development partnership focused on marketing and business attraction for the 11-county Detroit Region. It serves as a convenient single point of contact to all regional resources and works with companies and site selectors to help manage their projects and support their transition into the region. It specializes in helping companies understand and access the competitive advantages of our region – from workforce data to state and local incentives. Learn more at: DetroitRegionalPartnership.com