Five Regional Organizations to Be Honored at the 17th Annual Celebration of Regional Growth Awards on Tuesday, November 1

Five organizations will be honored for their commitment to the Lansing region at the 17th annual Celebration of Regional Growth (CORG) Awards, taking place Tuesday, Nov. 1 at the Kellogg Center Hotel and Conference Center in Lansing. This year’s CORG honorees include Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan, Ferguson Development, McKesson, Moneyball Sportswear and TechSmith. All five organizations are recognized for investments that are making a transformational impact in the community.

The luncheon will take place as part of Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Lansing Economic Club. The CORG Awards is an annual event presented by the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. This year’s luncheon is sponsored by PNC Bank and Loomis, Ewert, Parsley, Davis & Gotting, P.C. Consumers Energy will serve as the video sponsor.

“This year’s group of CORG recipients reflect the wonderful diversity of our economic base in the Greater Lansing region,” said Tim Daman, president and CEO, Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. “They are not only creating millions of dollars in new investment and jobs, they are literally helping transform our region and our quality of life.”

2022 CORG Award Honorees:

Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan is being honored for its $6.8 million dollar expansion of its corporate headquarters located in Delta Township. The project is expected to generate a total private investment of $6.8 million and create 69 jobs. Farm Bureau integrated its employees throughout the process of designing the expansion with the goal to provide the best tools for work-life balance and well-being. Founded on energy star building improvements, the corporate headquarters’ interior will radiate a refreshed and environmentally-conscious atmosphere to further attract, retain and develop talent.

Ferguson Development is being recognized for the development of the Red Cedar Project. The 35.5-acre project, $260 million project is the located on the long-abandoned Red Cedar golf course along Michigan Avenue and U.S 127 on the eastern edge of Lansing, directly adjacent to the City of East Lansing. Long viewed as an important yet under-realized corridor of possibility, this project will serve as a powerful catalyst for new multi- generational housing, vibrant activity, wide-ranging economic impacts, and regional pride.

McKesson, global healthcare supply chain company has made significant investment in a pharmaceutical distribution center in Delhi Township. The project has created more than 80 jobs in the region. The new 174,000 sq. ft. facility opened in the fall of 2021 on an approximately 23-acre parcel of industrial park land at the southeast corner of Holt Road and Holloway Drive. The McKesson footprint into the Lansing region’s growing medical technologies (medtech) industry cluster, which has doubled in employment size over the past decade, adds another critical piece to the region’s global healthcare ecosystem The new facility is located just a few miles south along US-127 from McLaren Healthcare’s $600M new hospital campus.

Moneyball Sportswear founder Desmond Ferguson is a Lansing native who went on to star as a basketball player at Detroit Mercy and in the NBA. Desmond returned to his roots in 2002 to start a successful sportswear company. Moneyball Sportswear’s mission is to provide the highest possible quality sportswear at an affordable price points. In the 20 years since founding the company Desmond has provided uniforms to teams in every major sport around the world. Equally impressive as his business acumen has been Desmond’s deep commitment to the community. Some of their more well-known efforts are in sponsoring free athletic summer camps, Money Ball Pro Am and their annual “Socks for the Homeless” campaign.

TechSmith opened its new corporate headquarters in September on the campus of Michigan State University which marked a return to where the company began its journey 30 years ago. The 63,000 square-foot, two-story office building is located on approximately five acres of land on the MSU campus. The new, shiny two-story structure cost more than $15 million and was built with a forward-thinking and employee well-being mindset and is designed for employees to collaborate remotely or in-person. TechSmith employs approximately 300 employees, and intends to hire around 30 additional full-time positions across several areas of the business. The new building reinforces TechSmith’s culture, creativity, and collaboration and will enhance the company’s ability to attract and retain talent.