Economic Development Services

We can created a customized package of available incentives, tools and programs to reduce your operating costs and help make your outreach more effective.

Economic Development Products

Whittaker Associates offers unique products targeted to creating economic growth for small to mid-sized companies, communities, and organizations.

Experience & Case Studies

Since 1987 Whittaker Associates has worked with economic development agencies at the local, regional, and state levels.

Our Solutions

Having difficulty finding skilled workers?
Looking to expand your region’s economic tax base?
Overwhelmed with the follow-up required for your BR|E and attraction efforts?

We can help you solve your most pressing economic development problems while saving you money, time, and resources!

How We Can Help

Target Industry Analysis

Recommendation of the best target industries for your location based on industry trends, your community’s attributes, and the skills of your workforce.

Business Profiling

In-depth industry intelligence including STEEP trends and how they will affect your target industries, sectors that are poised for growth and where they are locating.

Existing Industry Services (BR|E)

Priority-ranked database of your local firms most likely to expand or be at risk of downsizing.

Lead Generation (Business Attraction)

Priority-ranked database of the most feasible and desirable companies to attract to your area.

Our Products

SmartLeads™

Limited edition subscription to a database of growing companies within your target industries likely to expand or relocate to your area, tailored to fit your parameters, ranked in priority order for follow-up, and delivered in increments of 25 leads per month. 6-Month and 12-Month subscriptions available.

U.S. Layoffs Subscription

Our customized subscription offers you dedicated access to a database of companies that are downsizing or closing operations. Utilize this information to identify talent pools across the U.S.

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Our Experience

Since 1987, Whittaker Associates has worked with economic development agencies at the local, regional, and state levels. We have also assisted a number of utilities in their economic development efforts.

During this time, we have worked with over 120 economic development agencies in 35 states and three provinces in Canada. Whittaker Associates has also worked with over 25 cities, 12 chambers of commerce, 20 counties, 30 regional agencies, 8 state agencies, and 10 utility clients. We have also worked with a number of international economic development agencies in Europe.

Whittaker Associates Client Map

"My experience has been that dealings with Whittaker are not a transaction, but a partnership. Dean and his team take a personal interest in me, my organization and our goals. They offer informed and valuable guidance to support our success."

Jim Alexander, AllianceSTL

Get Started Today

Schedule a Consultation

Get In Touch

The Whittaker Report

Email

dean@whittakerassociates.com

Phone

616.403.5076

Address

156 West 11th Street
Suite 107
Holland, MI 49423

Latest

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Jun 30, 2025

Ever since reading Isaac Asimov’s iRobot, I’ve been fascinated by the idea of humanoid machines. Early portrayals often painted robots as threats—menacing figures in fiction and film. The movie iRobot, with its army of AI-controlled machines, only amplified that fear....

AI in Economic Development – Issue 19.0

Jun 30, 2025

Artificial Intelligence—Is the Emperor Really Naked? Recently, I came across an intriguing article titled, "The Emperor Has No Clothes," highlighting the outsized hype surrounding artificial intelligence—or what I prefer to call digital intelligence. This got me...

Economic Development Services