GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — Amid a challenging economic climate impacted by inflation, tariffs, and rising costs, Grand Rapids is bucking the national trends.

That’s according to an assessment by The Right Place, the local economic development organization, which delivered its 2026 economic outlook for the greater Grand Rapids area on Thursday morning. The presentation, held at the downtown Marriott, attracted hundreds of local business leaders.

“Grand Rapids, I think, is performing better than a lot of different areas for a variety of reasons,” said Michael Horrigan, the president of the W.E. Upjohn Institute in Kalamazoo.

He says the area has done an admirable job of diversifying its economy among various sectors, which has protected the area from significant downturns.

“Grand Rapids has ch

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