Regional Overview

Southeastern Michigan - Global Gateway

The Great Lakes Interchange is located in Oakland County in southeast Michigan. This area is the nucleus of Michigan research and development with access to one-third of the state’s high-tech workers. The headquarters for many technology and manufacturing companies, 38 percent of Fortune 500 companies do business in Oakland County, including the U.S. headquarters of three of the world's largest automotive manufacturing companies. Other nearby SmartZones in Detroit, Ann Arbor and Lansing offer a variety of research and businesses and help tie state resources together.

World Class Infrastructure

Three international airports are less than an hour away from the nexus of the Great Lakes Interchange as are major freeways and four entries into Canada, including the busiest international border in North America. Shipping routes along the Detroit River are connected to both Lakes Erie and Huron for ease of international transportation. A highly developed infrastructure makes it easy for any company to relocate to this area and “plug in and play.” High-speed Internet access (including T3, T1, broadband, satellite and DSL) is available in most communities.

Outstanding Education Resources

Great Lakes Interchange partners, Oakland University and Lawrence Technological University offer lab space, degree candidates and licensing resources to businesses and encourage outside collaborative ventures. Walsh College in Troy also calls the area home, and M-TEC at Oakland Community College is an information technology training facility built for both business and industry. A number of other major universities call southeast Michigan home, including Michigan State University in East Lansing, Kettering University in Flint, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Dearborn and Wayne State University in Detroit.

Site Locations

• Rochester Hills
• Southfield
• Troy