Talent

In today’s marketplace, business no longer needs urban roots to succeed. Modern technologies such as high speed Internet and wireless broadband are connecting small-town life to big-time business.

Antrim County is home to nearly 24,000 people; half of those people make up the workforce. According to the latest federal census, per capita earnings for the area averages nearly $24,000 annually. Each household earns an average of $45,000 annually. Bellaire has 3,430 potential employees.

Although manufacturing accounts for the highest amount of personal income, most of the area’s employees – nearly 3,000 – work in the service jobs, with retail trade employing an additional 2,700. Many of these jobs are a result of county’s flourishing tourism industry, with employers ranging from restaurants and lodging establishments to antique shops and snowmobile dealerships.

The county’s attributes have spurred growth, with the population increasing more than 28 percent from 1990-2002.