Health Sciences
The Perfect Formula: A 150-year life science legacy. Collaborative networks supporting complex biological, organic and pharmacological research. Advanced manufacturing expertise in medical devices. A cadre of clinical and contract research organizations. Venture Capital availability. All make Southwest Michigan home to the nation’s hottest and fast-growing health science cluster.
Southwest Michigan First offers you access to all the pieces that a company needs to come together for success: a history of life science innovation that began when Dr. W. E. Upjohn invented the first pharmaceutical pill and now offers biological, organic, pharmacological and advanced manufacturing expertise; the $65 million Southwest Michigan First Life Science Fund believed to be the largest sum of community-based private capital ever to be raised and managed by an economic development organization; an angel network committed to entrepreneurship; the Southwest Michigan Innovation Center, a 69,000-square-foot life science incubator and the Michigan Medical Device Accelerator. The region is home to:
- Home to over 200 regional life science companies
- More than three dozen successful life science start-ups since 2003
- $65 million Southwest Michigan First Life Science Fund
- Southwest Michigan Innovation Center
- Michigan Medical Device Accelerator
- International Food Protection Training Institute
- Midwest’s 4th largest cluster of medical device suppliers
- 8th largest biopharmaceuticals cluster in the U.S.
- One of the nation’s strongest and most respected concentrations of contract research organizations
- $100 million anonymous gift to Western Michigan University in 2011 for formation of a medical school, the nation’s 2nd largest university gift ever!
- Over 80,000 employed in the health sciences
- Over 3,500 health science jobs created since 2008
- Six Fortune 500 companies are headquartered or physically present, including Stryker, Kellogg, Pfizer, Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic and Thermo Fisher Scientific
- #1 Top 5 Medium MSA with the highest concentration of employment for Drugs and Pharmaceuticals (Business Facilities, August 2009)
- #2 Top 5 Medium MSA with the highest concentration of employment for Medical Device and Equipment (Business Facilities, August 2009)
- Ranks in Top 100 metro areas for device patents according to a report by the Taimerica Management Company (2007)
- One of the nation's most educated demographics: 1.98% of the population hold doctoral degrees (1.14% is national average); 9.3% hold a masters' degree (7.12% is national average); and 19.80% hold a bachelor's degree (17.52% is national average)
- More than 220,000 college and university students within a 75-mile radius
Top Regional Employers
| Back Office and Consulting Services | Location |
|---|---|
| Accretive Health | Kalamazoo, MI |
| BioSTAT Consultants, Inc. | Portage, MI |
| Galahad Consulting, PLC | Portage, MI |
| Global Clinical Connections, LLC | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Globefunder | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Marketing Technology Service | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Pharmaceutical Development Consulting, LLC | Kalamazoo, MI |
| PharmaMed Resources, LLC | Portage, MI |
| PharMor Consulting | Portage, MI |
| PM & I Consulting | Kalamazoo, MI |
| ProPharma Group | Portage, MI |
| ProReg Resources | Portage, MI |
| Rolf Bates Associates | Portage, MI |
| Team Support Services | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Trauma Soft | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Nutraceuticals | Location |
| Abbott Nutrition | Sturgis, MI |
| A.M. Todd Company/WILD Flavors | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Fresh Solution Farms | White Pigeon, MI |
| International Food Protection Training Institute | Battle Creek, MI |
| J. Rettenmaier | Schoolcraft, MI |
| Kalsec, Inc. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| The Kellogg Company | Battle Creek, MI |
| Post Foods / Ralcorp Holdings | Battle Creek, MI |
| VanBeek Nutrition | Schoolcraft, MI |
| Welch's | Paw Paw, MI |
| Food Processors | Location |
| Adkin Blue Ribbon Packing Company | South Haven, MI |
| Arcadia Brewing Company | Battle Creek, MI |
| Bell's Brewery | Galesburg, MI |
| The Blueberry People | Grand Junction, MI |
| Coca-Cola / Minute Maid | Paw Paw, MI |
| Covance, Inc. | Battle Creek, MI |
| Contessa Wine Cellars | Coloma, MI |
| Domaine Berrien Cellars | Berrien Springs, MI |
| Fenn Valley Vineyards and Wine Cellar | Fennville, MI |
| Food Testing Center For Exellence | Battle Creek, MI |
| Founders Wine Cellar | Baroda, MI |
| Free Run Cellars | Berrien Springs, MI |
| Freestone Pickles | Bangor, MI |
| Harrison Packing Company, Inc. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Hickory Creek Winery | Baroda, MI |
| Honee Bear Canning | Lawton, MI |
| Karma Vista Vineyards and Winery | Coloma, MI |
| The Kellogg Company | Battle Creek, MI |
| Knouse Foods Cooperative, Inc. | Paw Paw, MI |
| Lawton Ridge Winery | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Lemon Creek Winery and Fruit Farm | Berrien Springs, MI |
| Michigan Blueberry Growers | Grand Junction, MI |
| Post Foods / Ralcorp Holdings | Battle Creek, MI |
| Round Barn Winery | Baroda, MI |
| St. Julian Wine Company | Paw Paw, MI |
| Tabor Hill Winery | Buchanan, MI |
| Hospitals, Healthcare Services and Healthcare Education | Location |
| Allegan General Hospital | Allegan, MI |
| Battle Creek Health System / Bronson Health | Battle Creek, MI |
| Battle Creek VA Medical Center | Battle Creek, MI |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan | Portage, MI |
| Borgess Medical Center | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Bronson Healthcare Group | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Cheff Center for Therapeutic Riding | Galesburg, MI |
| Community Health Center | Coldwater, MI |
| Family Health Centers | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Hillsdale Community Health Center | Hillsdale, MI |
| Kalamazoo Speech Associates | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Lakeland Regional Health System | St. Joseph, MI |
| Michigan Blood | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Michigan Commission for the Blind | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Oaklawn Hospital | Marshall, MI |
| Pennock Hospital | Hastings, MI |
| Priority Health | Portage, MI |
| Seneca Medical Supply | Kalamazoo, MI |
| South Haven Community Hospital | South Haven, MI |
| Sturgis Hospital | Sturgis, MI |
| Southwest Michigan Rehabilitation Hospital | Battle Creek, MI |
| Three Rivers Health | Three Rivers, MI |
| Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo, MI |
| West Michigan Cancer Center | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Health Science Research and Development | Location |
| Armune Bioscience | Kalamazoo, MI |
| AureoGen Biosciences | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Aursos, Inc. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Axonia Medical | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Azenic Dental, Inc. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Beyer Research | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Biosciences Research and Commercialization Center | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Bridge Organics | Vicksburg, MI |
| CeeTox, Inc. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Charles River Laboratories | Portage, MI |
| Covance Inc. | Battle Creek, MI |
| Cyntech Corporation | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Cytech Corporation | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Emiliem, Inc. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Genemarkers, LLC | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Kalexsyn | Kalamazoo, MI |
| MedElute | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Metabolic Solutions Development Co. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Michigan High Throughput Screening Center | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Michigan State University | Kalamazoo, MI |
| MuciMed, Inc. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| NanoVir, Inc. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| NephRX | Kalamazoo, MI |
| OtoMedicine, Inc. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Petfood Enterprise Technologies | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Pfizer Animal Health | Kalamazoo, MI |
| PharmOptima | Portage, MI |
| ProNAi Therapeutics, Inc. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| RealBio Technology, Inc. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| S&J Laboratories | Portage, MI |
| Sunapten Therapeutics | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Tolera Therapeutics, Inc. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Vestaron Corporation | Kalamazoo, MI |
| zuSyn | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Health Science Contract Research Organizations | Location |
| Anisyn Inc. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| AzoRx, Inc. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| BioMedPharmIS | Kalamazoo, MI |
| CeeTox, Inc. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Center for Clinical Research Solutions (C2RS) | Kalamazoo, MI |
| DePierre & Associates, LLC | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Eurofins AvTech Laboratories, Inc. | Portage, MI |
| Innovative Analytics | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Jasper Clinical Research & Development | Kalamazoo, MI |
| KAR Bioanalytical, Inc. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Micromyx, LLC | Kalamazoo, MI |
| MPI Research | Mattawan, MI |
| PharmOptima | Portage, MI |
| Proteos, Inc | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Velesco Pharmaceutical Services | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Manufacturing | Location |
| Albemarle Corporation | South Haven, MI |
| HistoSonics, LLC | Portage, MI |
| Perrigo Company | Allegan, MI |
| Pfizer, Inc. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Phadia US, Inc. | Portage, MI |
| W. Soule & Company | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Torrent Pharma North America | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Incubators/Accelerators | Location |
| M-TEC at the Groves | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Michigan Medical Device Accelerator | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Southwest Michigan Innovation Center | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Medical Device Design | Location |
| Afmedica | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Alliant Engineering | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Alumilite | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Arc Engineering | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Bangor Plastics | Bangor, MI |
| Forensic Fluids | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Keystone Solutions | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Michigan Medical Device Accelerator | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Orthopedic Development, Inc. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Radio Frequency Identification Technology Center | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Ronningen Research and Development Company | Vicksburg, MI |
| RX Optical | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Stryker Corporation - Headquarters | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Tec Lab | Kalamazoo, MI |
| TEKNA | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Medical Device Manufacturing | Location |
| Advanced Cooling Therapy | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Aleydis Centers | St. Joseph, MI |
| Alliant Healthcare | Richland, MI |
| AmFab, Inc. | Galesburg, MI |
| Autocam | Dowagiac, MI |
| Corners, Limited | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Covance | Battle Creek, MI |
| Dill Instruments | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Dimplex Thermal Solutions | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Eimo Technologies | Vicksburg, MI |
| Ennew Medical Devices, LLC | Kalamazoo, MI |
| FlowTech Corporation | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Freeman Manufacturing Company | Sturgis, MI |
| The HAC of America Group | Portage, MI |
| Hanger Prosthetics and Orthodics | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Humphrey Products | Kalamazoo, MI |
| J. Sterling Industries, Ltd. | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Keystone Solutions Group | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Meints Glassblowing | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Micro Machine Company | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Milestone Medical | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Mol-Son, Inc. | Mattawan, MI |
| Monteris Medical | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Mossberg Precision Diagnostics | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Ostial Solutions | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Redline Manufacturing | Galesburg, MI |
| Safari Circuits | Otsego, MI |
| Stryker Corporation - Headquarters | Kalamazoo, MI |
|
Kalamazoo, MI |
|
Portage, MI |
|
Kalamazoo, MI |
|
Kalamazoo, MI |
|
Kalamazoo, MI |
|
Kalamazoo, MI |
| Sturgis Molded Products | Sturgis, MI |
| Thermo Fisher Scientific | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Vaupell | Constantine, MI |
| W. Soule & Company | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Westone | Portage, MI |
| Wright Coating Company | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Capital Access Groups | Location |
| Apjohn Group, LLC | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Biosciences Research and Commercialization Center | Kalamazoo, MI |
| First Angels | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Open Prairie Ventures | Kalamazoo, MI |
| Southwest Michigan First Life Science Venture Fund | Kalamazoo, MI |
| TGAP Ventures | Kalamazoo, MI |
Average Wage by Occupation
| Occupation | Mean Hourly Wages |
|---|---|
| Agricultural & Food Science Technicians | $19.85 |
| Agriculture & Forestry Support Activities | $14.15 |
| Beverage & Tobacco Products Manufacturing | $14.71 |
| Biological Technicians | $18.38 |
| Chemists | $32.45 |
| Chemical Technicians | $19.12 |
| Environmental Scientists & Specialists, Including Health | $32.45 |
| Farming, Fishing & Forestry Occupations | $14.67 |
| Farmworkers & Laborers, Crop, Nursery & Greenhouse | $10.94 |
| Farmworkers, Farm & Ranch Animals | $13.72 |
| Food Manufacturing | $21.66 |
| Hospitals | $24.83 |
| Health Care & Social Assistance | $17.36 |
| Life, Physical & Social Science | $32.44 |
| Life, Physical & Social Science Technicians | $24.15 |
| Medical & Clinical Laboratory Technicians | $25.63 |
| Medical & Health Services Managers | $42.72 |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $46.46 |
| Natural Science Managers | $23.89 |
| Office & Administrative Support | $14.78 |
| Physical Scientists | $17.96 |
| Purchasing Managers | $20.61 |
| Transportation, Storage & Distribution Managers | $17.17 |
Source: Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget, 2010-2011
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