Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The Great Lakes region is stepping into a new era of binational economic cooperation, and the leaders behind that transformation join us today.
On this episode of Bring It Home, JP Hampstead welcomes Tim Hines and Alia Abbas of the Great Lakes Economic Development Council, a brand-new organization uniting 8 U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces around one of the world’s most valuable resources: freshwater.
Together, they break down:
🌊 The Great Lakes Advantage
Why water is becoming “liquid gold” for advanced manufacturing and data centers
How 21% of the world’s fresh water is shaping industrial strategy
Why companies now rank utilities above tax incentives in site selection decisions
🇺🇸🇨🇦 Cross-Border Reality
8,000–10,000 trucks crossing daily and how delays can shut down U.S. factories
How tariffs are reshaping investment and why border towns like Windsor–Detroit and Buffalo–Niagara are on the front lines
Why Canada insists on “staying at the table” to protect the shared Great Lakes economy
🏭 The New Industrial Mix
Growth in hydrogen, green energy, life sciences, AI data centers, and the blue economy
Why the region is shifting beyond its automotive legacy
The surprising personal factors that still influence corporate investment decisions
📈 What’s Next
How the Council will unite policymakers, site selectors, and economic developers
Regional working groups designed to harmonize logistics, infrastructure, and talent
A collective effort to rebrand the Great Lakes from Rust Belt → Resilience Belt
If you care about the future of North American manufacturing, logistics, or cross-border trade, this episode is essential.
#EconomicDevelopment #GreatLakes #ManufacturingRenaissance #DataCenters #Trade #Reshoring #Onshoring #FDI
The Great Lakes region is stepping into a new era of binational economic cooperation, and the leaders behind that transformation join us today.
On this episode of Bring It Home, JP Hampstead welcomes Tim Hines and Alia Abbas of the Great Lakes Economic Development Council, a brand-new organization uniting 8 U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces around one of the world’s most valuable resources: freshwater.
Together, they break down:
🌊 The Great Lakes Advantage
Why water is becoming “liquid gold” for advanced manufacturing and data centers
How 21% of the world’s fresh water is shaping industrial strategy
Why companies now rank utilities above tax incentives in site selection decisions
🇺🇸🇨🇦 Cross-Border Reality
8,000–10,000 trucks crossing daily and how delays can shut down U.S. factories
How tariffs are reshaping investment and why border towns like Windsor–Detroit and Buffalo–Niagara are on the front lines
Why Canada insists on “staying at the table” to protect the shared Great Lakes economy
🏭 The New Industrial Mix
Growth in hydrogen, green energy, life sciences, AI data centers, and the blue economy
Why the region is shifting beyond its automotive legacy
The surprising personal factors that still influence corporate investment decisions
📈 What’s Next
How the Council will unite policymakers, site selectors, and economic developers
Regional working groups designed to harmonize logistics, infrastructure, and talent
A collective effort to rebrand the Great Lakes from Rust Belt → Resilience Belt
If you care about the future of North American manufacturing, logistics, or cross-border trade, this episode is essential.
#EconomicDevelopment #GreatLakes #ManufacturingRenaissance #DataCenters #Trade #Reshoring #Onshoring #FDI
