Ionia County: Picture rolling hills, babbling brooks, open meadows, forested ridges, lakes, and the Grand River winding its way through the woods and fields, and you have a portrait of Ionia County. Situated between Grand Rapids and Lansing, Ionia County’s 575 square miles are home to some 62,000 persons. Interstate 96 runs through the county, which is bisected into a northern and southern region by the Grand River. Ionia and Portland are developed along the Grand River and the city of Belding is developed along the Flat River. The village of Lake Odessa is developed around Jordan Lake. The village of Lyons and Saranac are also developed along the Grand River.

Transportation: Gerald R. Ford International Airport is 30 minutes away along I-96. Benz Aviation provides full aircraft ground support for Ionia County Airport, serving mostly single-engine planes. Mid Michigan Rail Road provides access in Belding, Grand Rapids rail provides access in Saranac and Ionia, and CSX rail provides access in Lake Odessa and Clarksville.

Communication: Ionia County is a member of the West Michigan Broadband Coalition, working to increase access and use of broadband within the county. The type of broadband access available depends on the location within the county.

Land & Infrastructure: Orchard View Business Park in Ionia, with water and sewer, is located along M-66 within minutes of M-21 and I-96, and only 35 minutes from Grand Rapids and Lansing. Two business parks, the Apple Tree and Swartz Business Park offer full services and are located on M-66 with close access to I-96. A prospective Business/lndustrial Park is planned for Boston Township along I-96, close to Grand Rapids. The Belding Business Center, with access to M-44 and Grand Rapids, has 54,000 square feet of space available to offer firms interested in a tax-free location.

Ionia County Economic Alliance partners with Michigan State University Extension to provide research and professionals to better serve our clientele. Contact the Ionia County Economic Alliance with inquiries.

Industry: Ionia County’s industry sectors include extruded metals, storage systems food processing, and agriculture. Larger employers include Meridian Automotive Systems, TRW Inc., Brown Corporation of Ionia, Inc., Tomco Tool and Die, Inc., IEM, Viatec Process, Granco Clark, Inc., Herbuck Poultry Ranch, Inc., SunnyFresh Foods Twin City Foods, Inc. The county has 129 manufacturers and 200,000 acres of rich cropland.

Education: Montcalm Community College’s satellite center, located in Ionia offers programs in information technology, manufacturing skills and technology, business literacy, quality assurance, and teamwork. Flexible delivery formats offer, video-based training, Internet classes, hands-on training at local employer sites, and customized training for business and industry in addition to traditional classroom training. The Heartland Institute of Technology, in Ionia provides quality technical education. The Michigan Technical Education Center, M-TEC, in Greenville offers training and assistance for business and industry.

Ionia County’s K-12 systems provide opportunities from programs for alternative education through gifted and talented students.

Lifestyle: Cities and villages are developed around lakes and rivers providing rural living within reach of amenities in Grand Rapids and Lansing. The 4,500-acre state-owned Ionia Recreational Area provides excellent birding with more than 199 species identified by the Audubon Society. There is hunting, trapping, field-dog competitions, horseback riding, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, hiking and biking, shooting and archery range, picnic shelters and areas with fire pits, and a boating launch site.

Ionia County Fair is the nation’s largest free fair. Regional Soaring Championships feature a prime updraft area for glider planes. Portland and Ionia have miles of paved trails along the Grand River. County-owned Bertha Brock Park has wooded, rustic campsites, picnic areas along a trout stream, three stone bridges, historic Palmer Lodge, four miles of hiking trails, a huge winter sledding hill and miles of cross-country ski trails, covered pavilions, tennis courts and a softball field.