Chamber News | February 10, 2026

February 10, 2026

Economic Forecast for NW Ottawa County

Dr. Paul Isely, Associate Dean and Professor of Economics at Grand Valley State University’s Seidman College of Business presented to a group of 175 business and community leaders last week at the 2026 Economic Forecast event for Northwest Ottawa County.

Thank you for attending the annual Economic Forecast event for Northwest Ottawa County earlier this week. A special thank you to Dr. Paul Isely of Grand Valley State University for sharing his insights and expertise. His outlook always provides valuable context to help our business and community leaders better understand the trends and opportunities ahead.

Dr. Isely touched on the following:

Manufacturing orders are down
Business margins are compressed
Overall investment is down, though AI and data center spending remain strong
Variances in consumer spending patterns between the top 30% and bottom 70%
Cost of housing in our region remains high
Tariffs and price-sensitive consumers are thinning margins.
Investments and interest rates look more promising in the second half of the year

SAVE THE DATE: 2027 Economic Forecast | February 2, 2027

VIDEO PRESENTATION

SLIDESHOW

Going PRO Talent Fund

842 West Michigan companies expressed interest in the Going PRO Talent Fund for Fiscal Year 2026, Cycle 1.
100 applications received an award for a total of $6.4M.
11 Companies in Northern Ottawa County received a combined award amount of $814,024.

The Going PRO Talent Fund makes awards to employers to assist in training, developing and retaining current and newly hired employees. Your Chamber is pleased to partner with West Michigan Works! to support and promote the Going PRO Talent Fund in our region.

Applications for Cycle 2 are expected to open in April 2026.

Visit the West Michigan Works! website at Going PRO Talent Fund | West Michigan Works! to learn more.

The full press release from the State of Michigan, Labor and Economic Opportunity can be viewed here: LEO - Gov. Whitmer awards $25 million in grants to support worker training in Michigan.

For more information about the Going PRO Talent Fund, click here.

For answers to commonly asked questions, click here.

Secure Your Chamber Sponsorships for Q2

Position your business front and center with Chamber members by securing your sponsorships for the upcoming quarter. Chamber events and programs offer unmatched visibility, meaningful connections, and opportunities to reinforce your brand with business and community leaders across our region.

Quarterly sponsorships fill quickly and provide consistent exposure through event recognition, eNews features, social media and direct engagement with fellow members.

Whether your goal is lead generation, brand awareness, or community leadership; a Chamber sponsorship is an investment that delivers real value.

Don’t miss your chance to stand out and support the work that strengthens our local business community.

Contact Heather to secure your sponsorships today!

Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsorship spotlight: Networking at Noon

PREMIER SPONSORSHIP - $1,000 includes recognition at each quarterly event for 12 months, 2 complimentary registrations at each event, expo table at each event, recognition at the event, company logo and link on event registration page, company logo in E-news, social media mentions, and access to attendee list following the event.

EXPO TABLE SPONSORSHIP - $150 (LIMITED AVAILABILITY) Includes registration for (1) 6-foot table with tablecloth, recognition from the podium at the event, opportunity to place hand out at every seat, and access to attendee list following the event.

Email Heather here.

Travel to Ireland with Mary Ellen Murphy, host of Good Morning Grand Haven!

Attend an informational meeting on February 12 at the Kirby House at 4:00 pm. Don’t Miss Out! Call Cruise & Travel @ 800-798-9950 or click here to learn more!

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Potential Utility Bill Savings

The Chamber of Commerce Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Ferrysburg participates in the Tenurgy Energy Savings Program through the Michigan Chamber of Commerce. This partnership allows our investors access to a FREE utility bill audit that can uncover real cost savings. To learn more, click here.

Tenurgy is a Michigan-based utility and telecom auditing firm that helps businesses find billing errors, recover overpayments, and reduce ongoing utility costs. Tenurgy reviews bills for electricity, gas, water/sewer, waste, and telecom and there is no cost to run an analysis; they are only paid if savings are found. To run the analysis, click here.

Chamber member organizations across the state have uncovered savings and we are excited to offer this benefit to members of our Chamber.

Let me know if you have any questions and if you would like an introduction…you have nothing to lose and you may just save some $$$$.

Interested in learning more? Contact Mark Allen, 616.842.4911 or by email.

The Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony

The deadline for nominating a business or nonprofit is Friday, February 27, 2026

Mission in Action Award - recognizing non‑profits that demonstrate extraordinary impact and service.
Entrepreneurial Excellence Award - celebrating small businesses (less than 30 employeese) that embody innovation, resilience, and growth.
Strategic Success Award - honoring medium‑sized businesses (31-150 employees) that balance growth, community impact, and leadership.
Business Innovator Award - spotlighting large businesses (over 150 employees) driving transformation and setting new standards.

SUBMIT NOMINATIONS HERE

Join us to celebrate excellence in our community at the Chamber Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony on Thursday, April 30, 2026!

Community Impact Day Sites Needed

Community Impact Day needs your projects!

Nonprofit organizations of NW Ottawa County are encouraged to submit volunteer opportunities for Community Impact Day 2026! We are looking for projects in and around your organization that need a few extra hands. Projects can be small and require only a few volunteers or large and require many volunteers. Projects should be able to be accomplished within a 4–6-hour time block. Not sure about your project? Contact Nicole by email or by calling 616-842-3860.

SUBMIT A PROJECT HERE

February

12 | BASH at 100GROUP

17 | Coffee & Council: 2026 in practice: How new laws are playing out

17 | Chamber Takeover Happy Hour at New Holland Brewing

20 | Early Bird Breakfast at the Holiday Inn Spring Lake

25 | Chamber 360: Boost Your Business

March

12 | BASH at Straight Line Design

20 | Early Bird Breakfast at Holiday Inn

24 | Chamber Takeover Happy Hour at Off the Chain Brewstillery

26 | Networking at Noon

April

16 | BASH & Community Connections

17 | Early Bird Breakfast at Spring Lake Country Club

30 | The Annual Chamber Celebration 2026

Have an event that you want to add to our calendar?

It's easy to submit an event!

From the Chamber homepage, go to 'Calendar,' and then you will find 'Submit Your Event' in the upper, righthand corner. After you submit it, Hanna will approve it and then it will appear on our calendar as a Community Event.

Learn more about upcoming events by visiting our events calendar.

Curious about event sponsorship opportunities? Contact Heather Solomon by email or by calling 616.842.4910.

We would like to recognize our Premier Partners

Our office is open M-F 9AM - 4PM,

call at 616.842.4910, or email a staff member directly.

We look forward to hearing from you!

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