Collaboration the key to success
For the past 30 years, Gratiot County has been served by a unique organization that has been the catalyst for change and progress. This organization was one of the first to embark on a county-wide collaborative effort.
The organization Greater Gratiot Development (GGDI), was born in the mid-1970s at a time when Gratiot County was in the midst of a major crisis. At that time, the mobile home industry, which had been a integral part of the County’s economy, moved South. The first round of oil embargoes were in effect and they hit the auto industry hard. Therefore, auto-parts suppliers were hurting. And last, but certainly not least, was the demise of Velsicol Chemical in St. Louis. All of these events took place within a period of 10 to 12 years and the effect on the County was devastating.
Local leaders collectively decided it was an unacceptable situation and they needed to make a move. They began to form a structure that would allow for the evolution of economic development in Gratiot County. They wanted to bring together the municipalities and the County to form a new structure.