The Great Lakes International Trade and Transport Hub (GLITTH) is a project to capitalize on the immense freight traffic to and from the Port of Halifax through the Detroit and Port Huron gateways. These two crossings, when combined, make southeast Michigan the largest international trade gateway in the country, yet only 6% of that traffic stops in the state[1]. A freight hub near these crossings would, through both direct and indirect means, create over 66,000 jobs in the region[2].

But it isn’t just the Detroit-Flint-Lansing triangle that stands to gain: despite a lack of exposure and public awareness, Michigan’s agricultural sector is booming, and the ability to get commodities to market more quickly, both domestic and international, will help agribusiness and other industry vital sectors across the rural areas of the state. Further, easy access to transit and freight routes will induce logistics and manufacturing jobs throughout the state. 

To address the vastly underutilized resource that is Michigan’s geographic place in the global supply chain, Prima Civitas is partnering with:

• Michigan Economic Development Corporation
• The Port of Halifax
• Michigan State University - College of Social Science
• Michigan State University -Eli Broad College of Business
• Canadian Studies Center at MSU's Institute for Public Policy and Social Research 
• Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Dalhousie University

This group will spearhead this revolutionary endeavor to build Michigan as a center of trade and transport for the Great Lakes and the world.

In October of 2011, the GLITTH partners collaborated on the "Developing an Action Agenda to Create Jobs" Summit. The event was well-attended and set actionable steps for taking the initiative forward. To view a report summary from the Summit, click here.