Article Author: Southwest Michigan First Press Release

Funds will allow Southwest Michigan First to expand community, economic and workforce development projects in southwest Michigan with a focus on Calhoun County. Kalamazoo, Michigan – Southwest Michigan First has been awarded a $600,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) to accelerate implementation of their new strategic plan, The Path to Regional Prosperity. Launched […]

Construction would be privately funded so the residents of Kalamazoo County would not face new or increased taxes. Kalamazoo, Michigan – For the benefit of Southwest Michigan, Catalyst Development Co. has announced plans to construct a privately funded event center in downtown Kalamazoo. The 320,000+ square foot, state-of-the-art facility will have capacity to host over […]

This morning Southwest Michigan First’s newly appointed CEO, Lee Chatfield, submitted his resignation to the Southwest Michigan First Board of Directors. A statement from the organization confirmed the following, “At our 10:00 a.m. meeting today, the board accepted Lee’s resignation. We wish the very best for Lee and his family. “In recent days, the announcement […]

UPDATE: On Monday, February 22, 2021, Lee Chatfield resigned as CEO of Southwest Michigan First. In a statement to the community, Southwest Michigan First updated its plans on how it will approach the future search. You can read that update here. Regional economic development catalyst Southwest Michigan First today announced Lee Chatfield, former Speaker of […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 24, 2019 Contact: Ron Kitchens chief executive officer and senior partner Southwest Michigan First 261 East Kalamazoo Avenue, Suite 200 Kalamazoo, MI  49007 269.553.9588 rkitchens@southwestmichiganfirst.com Kalamazoo, MI – Bee Joyful Shop earned the coveted Makers’ Mart title at Catalyst University, a daylong leadership event annually hosted by the regional economic development […]

Forman Glass trades up to Southwest Michigan from their former home base of Fort Wayne, Indiana, bringing 20 new jobs to our region! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 1, 2019 Contact: Joe Agostinelli partner Southwest Michigan First P.O. Box 50827 Kalamazoo, MI  49005-0827 269.553.9588 jagostinelli@southwestmichiganfirst.com Comstock Township, MI — Forman Glass, LLC, a residential and commercial […]