Michigan Economic Developers Association

On May 25th, 1960, MEDA was established by a group of 15 men at the Kellog Center in East Lansing, MI inorder to have a; "discussion of the merits of having an independent organization of men who devote the majority of their time to industrial development. The meeting, "concluded with the agreement that an informal organization was advisable for the present." As written in the 1989-1990 Annual Report, "MIDA's roots can be traced to an Industrial Development Advisory Committee to the Michigan Department of Economic Development, a small agency which later became a component of the Commerce Department. This committee included industrial agents employed by five railroads, four public utilities and three communities. The Michigan State Chamber was starting and also wanted an advisory committee made up of the same individuals. Motivation for a separate association in 1960 was a desire for independence from both government control and chamber influence. Since then, the pendulum has swung back and forth like the clapper of the Liberty Bell, with some resounding pronouncements and a few cracked notes. Chairman of the advisory committee was Horace Brewer, MIDA's founder, an Industrial Agent working for Consumers Power Company. His colleagues had mentioned the need for an informal professional association. He found an opportunity to discuss it with his boss while returning in the company limousine from a plant dedication. The Vice President offered enthusiastic support for the idea and suggested that Brewer invite the developers to a company camp at Tippy Dam for an organizational meeting. This is the origin of the apocryphal story that MIDA was conceived in the back seat of a limousine and born at Tippy Dam." Click here to view our 50th Anniversary Historical Magazine. We also created a video of photos that we collected. Click here to view our 50 Years of MEDA - Thanks for the Memories video.