Investing in Michigan: Perspectives From Amazon

• Learn from your employees and workforce how to solve problems within your organization.
• Michigan towns and community organizations interested in partnering with Amazon should focus on why the partnership would benefit their community, and if they are ready to welcome Amazon to their area. 

Amazon leaders highlighted successful collaborations strengthening communities statewide during a lunch-and-learn at the 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference. They also shared direct insights into how Michigan nonprofits and governments can grow partnerships with Amazon to get land site-ready and support local economic growth. 

The discussion started by discussing Amazon’s time in Michigan since opening its Livonia and Romulus Performance Centers in 2018. Since then, it has grown to 26 facilities across the state, supporting its operations and logistics network and employing over 22,000 people.  

Conyers credited this “hockey stick” growth to Amazon’s “customer-obsessed” work model and principles, and that extends beyond the traditional C2B transaction. This includes focusing on private-public collaborations with the City of Detroit and other local community organizations to identify talent and site selections, like the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit. 

“Something that’s very interesting about that site, for being as large as it is for Amazon, is we don’t often have buildings that big in an urban area,” Conyers said. “… so how can we connect local groups to what we’re doing at the site? We partner with groups like East State Fair Block Club … to really listen to what’s going on in the community and make sure they have that relationship with the site.” 

“I think it’s nearly 60% of small businesses that are on the Amazon platform or local businesses and allowing their own community members to see them as such,” DeGiulio said. 

The panelists also discussed how other towns and communities across Michigan can begin a relationship with Amazon to be considered for partnerships like site considerations, which is surprisingly more straightforward than one would think. 

“The most important thing is to return the call or email … you’d be surprised [that] sometimes, that doesn’t happen,” Conyers said. “… it’s great to be a promoter of your community, but that’s what your website’s for…. Have a frank conversation with us…and be clear if the community is also ready to receive Amazon.” 

“Over the past five years, we’ve supported over 150 hyper-local organizations with about $5 million of direct investment,” DeGiulio said. “[That] lets organizations do what they do best…we know they know how to support the community at the table.” 

This 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference session was hosted by Amazon.