As Macomb County continues its series highlighting National Economic Development Week, we are showcasing the members of the business development team at Macomb County Planning and Economic Development (MCPED) and what makes them an integral part of business ecosystem in the county. Thus far you’ve been introduced to Dan Rochon, Curt Chowanic and Jack Johns.
Today our spotlight is on Camille Silda and all that she does within the team and the county. In her current position as project manager, she helps companies in the logistics/transportation, medical/health care, automotive, energy, agriculture/food processing, advanced manufacturing, retail and marine industries. She also works with companies and organizations from Germany and the Eastern Europe geographical areas. Her background with the Community Development Block Grant program has also given her the tools needed for business expansions with building projects. In addition, her prior work done in the Planning and Environmental Services areas of MCPED helped her develop a deep understanding of the types of collaborations that are most beneficial to both new clients coming to Macomb County as well as those currently here that need a larger footprint.
Camille holds a master’s degree in urban planning from Wayne State University, a bachelor’s degree in human resource development from Oakland University and a University of Michigan Business Leadership Certificate. She represents Macomb County on the Detroit area chapter of the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce Board, serves on Sterling Heights’ Local Development Finance Authority, is a member of the Michigan Economic Developer’s Association and is a 30-year member of Michigan Association of Planning.
No matter the industry or geographical area a company is in, Camille brings a unique perspective to each project with her more than 30 years of experience working for the county. Her extensive knowledge and keen ability to connect with clients has led to many successes. Healthmark Industries is an excellent example of that and we invite you to read more about the project below.
Healthmark Industries
Healthmark Industries started in a family garage and has grown into a multi-million dollar company serving international clients. The company began doing residual blood testing on endoscopy medical equipment and realized that the diversification from hospital instrument trays into additional medical devices and services including Personal Protection Equipment such as gowns and gloves was in its best interest as a long-term strategy for the company.
Before the company’s most recent expansion the company was housed in a variety of buildings in the City of Fraser’s Industrial Park. In an effort to increase efficiency and production and reduce costs, the company decided to consolidate its campuses into one large complex, remaining where it started in the City of Fraser. The expansion has been executed in three phases and is coming to completion in 2020.
Working with Camille and other business development staff from MCPED, the company received information and assistance in completing tax incentive applications and working with the many city departments to achieve the best possible experience for them over the last four years.
Conference calls with Camille and others from Macomb County, the City of Fraser and the Michigan Department of Treasury were held on more than one occasion to achieve the desired outcomes. The local community had to approve one site that was functionally obsolete so that the company could request a Plant Rehabilitation District, then approve multiple applications related to the Plant Rehabilitation and Industrial Facilities Tax Exemption application. The company investment exceeded $15 million and it received three tax abatements over the course of the three phase project.
Once fully completed, the new state-of-the-art building will have over 230,000 square feet of architectural innovation, a high-tech testing lab, assembly area and warehousing for hundreds of products ready to be shipped anywhere globally.
The company has exceeded its initially projected job creation of 140 positions and will continue to add more laboratory staff for a total of 320 jobs. These positions will be highly skilled professionals well versed in the advanced technology that is utilized today in the medical industry.
It’s undeniable that everything Camille touches is met with the perfect mix of tenacity and compassion needed to accomplish goals of all shapes and sizes. If you want to connect with her, feel free to send an email to camille.silda@macombgov.org.
To learn more about the entire business development team and the variety of resources available to businesses in Macomb County, visit www.macombbusiness.com.