.90.png)
It’s been a wild year for Michigan’s corporate landscape. Longtime hometown giants have made headlines by selling to out-of-state interests, first Steelcase shocked Grand Rapids by announcing a $2.2 billion sale to an Iowa rival, then Kellogg’s legacy cereal business struck a $3.1 billion deal to go Italian with Ferrero. These buyouts left many Michiganders asking: “Which major companies are still Michigan-owned and headquartered here in the Great Lakes State?” Despite the shakeups, our state remains rich with homegrown brands that continue to thrive on Michigan soil. Let’s take a friendly tour of Michigan’s biggest locally based companies, from Motor City auto titans to West Michigan retail dynasties, and see how they keep our economy humming.
Ford Motor Company, Facebook
Metro Detroit’s Automotive and Industry Cornerstones
When it comes to Michigan companies, you have to start with cars. Metro Detroit earned its Motor City nickname honestly, and it still headquarters two of the world’s largest automakers: Ford Motor Company and General Motors. Both firms have navigated many ups and downs but remain rooted in Southeast Michigan. In fact, Ford and GM each pulled in around $170 billion in revenue last year, making them Fortune 20 corporations that keep tens of thousands of Michiganders employed. Ford’s iconic Glass House world headquarters still stands proudly in Dearborn, and GM’s global HQ fills Detroit’s Renaissance Center, a familiar skyline sight for any local. These companies aren’t just historic legacies; they’re driving into the future with electric vehicles and autonomous tech, all while staying Michigan-based. That’s a point of pride for locals who often have a friend, neighbor, or family member working in an auto plant or engineering center.
Detroit’s auto influence goes beyond just Ford and GM. Stellantis (the successor to Chrysler) may now be part of an international company, but its North American operations are centered in Auburn Hills, employing thousands, a reminder that even when ownership changes, Michigan often remains the operational heart of the U.S. auto industry. The region also hosts major auto parts suppliers like Lear Corporation (Southfield) and BorgWarner (Auburn Hills), which quietly design and build the components for cars worldwide. And it’s not only autos: Metro Detroit is home to powerhouse firms in other fields, too. For example, DTE Energy, the utility serving millions of Michigan customers, is headquartered in Detroit and ranks among our state’s Fortune 500 companies. Ally Financial, once GM’s finance arm (GMAC), is now a top online bank based in downtown Detroit, it jumped 81 spots on the Fortune list recently. Even Rocket Companies (parent of Quicken Loans) grew from a small Detroit mortgage startup into a national finance leader, helping revitalize Detroit’s downtown in the process.
In short, Southeast Michigan’s corporate scene is far from empty. The auto industry’s hometown stayed the auto industry’s hometown. Our Detroit-based giants in cars, energy, and finance continue to anchor Michigan’s economy, and as a lifelong local (and real estate geek), I can attest that when these companies invest in new factories or office space, whole communities feel the boost.
For a deeper look at GM’s move and the Hudson’s project’s job impact, see our breakdown of the Hudson’s Site redevelopment
West Michigan’s Homegrown Business Giants
Head over to the other side of the state, and you’ll find that West Michigan boasts its own roster of big-name companies still proudly headquartered here. This region’s economy has long been fueled by a mix of manufacturing, retail, and entrepreneurship, and that tradition carries on with several family-owned and locally grown firms leading the way.
One name every Michigan family knows is Meijer. The superstore chain where many of us do our weekly shopping (gotta love those 10 for $10 sales!) is not just a regional retail favorite, it’s one of the largest private companies in America. Meijer is headquartered in Walker, just outside Grand Rapids, and remains controlled by the Meijer family who founded it in 1934. While rivals like Kmart faded or were absorbed by outsiders, Meijer has kept its roots firmly in Michigan soil, expanding to hundreds of stores across the Midwest while keeping its operations local. It’s pretty neat knowing the huge store you frequent is led from right here at home.
Another West Michigan juggernaut is Amway, based in the small town of Ada, MI. Co-founded by Jay Van Andel and Rich DeVos in 1959, Amway grew into a global direct-selling empire (nutritional supplements, home products, and more) that’s still privately held by its founding families. Drive around greater Grand Rapids and you’ll see the DeVos and Van Andel names on hospitals, arenas, and museums, a testament to how these homegrown business successes pour back into the community. Despite its worldwide reach, Amway’s brain trust never left Michigan.
West Michigan is also famous for something you might be sitting on right now: office furniture. Grand Rapids is often called the office furniture capital, historically home to the “big three” of office furniture makers, Steelcase, Herman Miller, and Haworth. With Steelcase now being acquired and moving its ownership out of state, the spotlight falls on its two rivals that are still Michigan-owned. Herman Miller, now part of the merged MillerKnoll group, continues to design iconic chairs and desks from its Zeeland, MI headquarters. And Haworth, founded in a Holland, MI garage in 1948, remains a family-owned furniture innovator based in Holland to this day. These companies have showrooms in New York and sell globally, but their leadership and heritage stay in West Michigan. (If you’ve ever admired a classic Aeron chair or Eames lounge, give a proud nod, much of that innovation came from right here in Michigan!).
Let’s not forget Wolverine Worldwide in Rockford (just north of Grand Rapids), which owns popular footwear brands like Merrell, Saucony, and Hush Puppies. It’s yet another example of a locally run West Michigan firm whose products are known around the globe. And there are others: SpartanNash, a Fortune 400 grocery distributor based in Grand Rapids, supplies supermarkets and military commissaries nationwide. UFP Industries (formerly Universal Forest Products), headquartered in suburban GR, is a Fortune 500 company making building materials and lumber products. The list goes on. The bottom line? From grocery stores to global furniture and footwear, West Michigan’s economy is anchored by companies that grew here and stayed here. Locals take pride in that, it’s common to have a friend employed at “Meijer corporate” or a neighbor who designs office chairs for Herman Miller. These firms are part of the community’s fabric, sponsoring local festivals, funding parks, and keeping the region economically strong.
Curious what’s next for the RenCen once GM moves? Here’s a local guide to the complex and what’s ahead
Dow, Facebook
Beyond the Big Cities: Michigan’s Statewide Corporate Champions
Michigan’s major companies aren’t only in Detroit or Grand Rapids. In fact, some of the biggest names are headquartered in smaller cities and towns across our state, powering local economies from Mid-Michigan to the Upper Peninsula. You might not see their logos on billboards, but their impact (and revenues) are enormous. Here are a few of Michigan’s industrial and innovative heavyweights spread around the state:
- Dow Inc. (Midland): This century-old chemical powerhouse is based in Midland and remains one of the world’s largest chemical manufacturers (Fortune 100, with over $44 billion in revenue). Dow’s research and production in the Great Lakes Bay Region helped make everything from plastics to pharmaceuticals, all while calling Michigan home since 1897.
- Whirlpool Corporation (Benton Harbor): The maker of KitchenAid mixers, Maytag washers, and many of the appliances in our homes has its global headquarters in the small southwest Michigan city of Benton Harbor. Whirlpool is a Fortune 500 company (about $20 billion annual revenue) and has been in Michigan for over a century. The company’s presence is a huge deal for the Twin Cities of Benton Harbor/St. Joseph, providing thousands of jobs and community investment along Lake Michigan’s shore.
- Stryker Corporation (Kalamazoo): Founded in 1941 by an orthopedist in Kalamazoo, Stryker has grown into one of the world’s top medical technology firms. They make hospital beds, surgical robots, implants, if you’ve been in a hospital, you’ve likely encountered Stryker equipment. Despite its global reach and nearly $21 billion in revenue, Stryker is still headquartered right in Kalamazoo. It’s a major reason this mid-sized city has such a strong life sciences and healthcare industry today.
Those are just three examples, and there are more. Consumers Energy (officially CMS Energy), based in Jackson, provides power to much of the state and is another Fortune 500 nameplate headquartered locally. Over in Lansing, Auto-Owners Insurance has quietly become a Fortune 500 company as well, with roughly $13 billion in revenue and customers across the country. It may not be a flashy brand, but many families (including mine) trust their policies to this Lansing-based insurer that’s been Michigan-owned since 1916. Lansing is also home to Jackson National Life (Jackson Financial), a major annuities and retirement services provider. And let’s give a shout-out to Traverse City’s own success story: Hagerty, an insurer specializing in classic cars, which started up north and recently went public on the NYSE – putting an Upper Peninsula-flavor (well, northern Lower Peninsula, to be exact) on the financial map.
From Midland to Kalamazoo to Traverse City, these companies show the breadth of Michigan’s economic might. They’re leaders in manufacturing, energy, finance, and healthcare, all headquartered in our state. For local communities, having a Fortune 500 or other major employer in town often means more than just jobs, it means scholarships for students, downtown development, and a sense of stability. As a real estate professional, I’ve seen how a thriving hometown company can boost home values and spur new construction. When Stryker expands in Kalamazoo or Dow builds a new lab in Midland, for example, you get new residents moving in, houses being built, and small businesses opening to support the growing workforce. Michigan’s statewide companies truly help hold our communities together.
Beloved Brands That Are Pure Michigan
Big factories and Fortune 500 stats are impressive, but let’s talk about something closer to our hearts (and stomachs): the beloved consumer brands born and bred in Michigan. You might be surprised how many everyday names in food, fashion, and fun are still Michigan-based. Unlike Kellogg’s (which is restructuring and selling off its cereal division), these brands remain proudly rooted here:
- Domino’s Pizza – Ann Arbor: Yes, the world’s largest pizza company by sales is headquartered in Michigan! Domino’s began as a tiny pizza shop in Ypsilanti in 1960. Today its headquarters campus on the outskirts of Ann Arbor oversees over 20,000 stores worldwide. A few years ago, Domino’s even overtook Pizza Hut for global pizza supremacy, all while keeping its central operations in the Ann Arbor area where it all started. Every time you order that lava cake or extravaganZZa pizza, you’re supporting a company that calls Michigan home. Pretty cool, huh?
- Little Caesars – Detroit: “Pizza! Pizza!” has been a Detroit slogan since 1959, when Little Caesars was founded by Mike and Marian Ilitch in Garden City. The company, famous for its $5 Hot-N-Ready pizzas, is still family-owned by the Ilitch family and headquartered in downtown Detroit, right next to the Fox Theatre. It has grown into the third-largest pizza chain in the U.S., with roughly 4,200 locations and $4.5 billion in annual sales. Little Caesars Arena, home of the Red Wings and Pistons, even bears its name. It doesn’t get more locally rooted than that! Detroiters take pride in seeing the Little Caesar mascot on the arena marquee, it’s a daily reminder that one of America’s biggest restaurant brands is ours.
- Carhartt – Dearborn: If you see someone wearing a tough canvas work jacket or iconic knit beanie with a little “C” logo, you’re looking at a Carhartt product, and a piece of Michigan history. Carhartt, founded in Detroit in 1889, is a family-owned workwear company still based in Dearborn, MI. Over 130 years old and going strong, Carhartt has exploded in popularity far beyond construction sites; it’s become a fashion statement from New York hipsters to Alaskan fishermen. Through it all, the Carhartt family’s fourth generation keeps headquarters in Michigan, employing thousands in Metro Detroit. The brand’s longevity and loyalty to its home state are a point of pride, my own Carhartt jacket feels warmer knowing it represents some true Michigan grit and legacy.
These are just a few of the household names that remain “Pure Michigan” brands. We could also talk about Vernors ginger ale or Faygo soda, Detroit-born favorites, but those are now owned by outside companies, so they don’t count as Michigan-owned anymore. (They’re still essential at any Detroit picnic, of course!) The key is that many major consumer companies are not only from Michigan originally, but have kept their leadership here. They show that our state isn’t just about heavy industry; we’re also about pizza, apparel, and other fun stuff that touches everyday life.
From a local perspective, these beloved brands give Michigan a bit of swagger. We crack open a cold Vernors or grab a hot slice of Little Caesars and remember that we make good things here. For savvy locals and families alike, there’s a sense of trust and familiarity with these companies. They sponsor our sports teams (Little Caesars owns the Detroit Tigers and Red Wings via the Ilitch family), support charities, and continue to invest in Michigan communities. As someone who’s both a lifelong Michigander and a Metro Detroit real estate specialist, I love pointing out these connections to newcomers, it instantly clicks for them that Michigan is more than meets the eye. We’re not flyover country; we’re the home of global brands that just happen to prefer our lakeshores and downtowns over Manhattan or Silicon Valley. And honestly, who can blame them?
For statewide growth and jobs context that explains why HQs stay in Michigan, see our 2025 Economic Outlook
.png)
Proud, Locally Rooted – and Looking Ahead
Michigan may have seen a few iconic names change hands recently, but the heartbeat of our economy is still very much homegrown. From Detroit’s automotive giants and pizza empires to West Michigan’s retail kings and innovative manufacturers across the state, these companies prove that Michigan’s business community is alive, well, and powering forward. They’ve stayed loyal to Michigan, and Michigan, in turn, provides the talented workforce, supportive communities, and stable home base that help these companies thrive in a competitive world. It’s a symbiotic relationship that has been built over generations.
As a community, we celebrate these wins. When a big company keeps its headquarters here or a family business reaches global heights without leaving town, it boosts our collective confidence. It means opportunities for our graduates, funding for local nonprofits, and a future for our Main Streets. And it’s not just about nostalgia; these companies are evolving and expanding. Many are investing in new technologies (think autonomous vehicles at GM or renewable energy at Consumers Energy), creating even more job opportunities for the next generation of Michiganders. The mix of old and new, a Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck rolling off a Dearborn assembly line, or a Domino’s delivery via self-driving car tested in Ann Arbor, shows that Michigan’s businesses are adapting to the times, all while keeping their roots firmly planted here.
For families considering a move to Michigan or locals curious about our economic future, the message is reassuring: Michigan is open for business, and much of that business is staying right here at home. Our state’s identity is intertwined with these companies, they’re part of what makes living here special, providing stable careers and community leadership.
Are you thinking about planting your own roots in Metro Detroit or anywhere in Michigan? As someone who truly knows this area, I can tell you there’s never been a better time. Our communities are strengthened by the success of our local companies, and that creates great places to live and raise a family. If you’re curious about opportunities in the area, whether it’s housing near a growing corporate campus, up-and-coming neighborhoods, or just local insider advice, reach out and let’s chat. I’m a lifelong Michigander who loves to share real-world insights, and I’m here to help you make the most of all that our region has to offer. Consider this an open invitation to connect. After all, just like our favorite Michigan brands, I’m locally based and invested in our community’s success. Let’s keep the conversation going, neighbor!
DON'T KEEP US A SECRET - SHARE WITH A FRIEND OR ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
THINKING OF MOVING TO Metro Detroit, OR LOOKING TO RELOCATE IN THE AREA? VIEW A LIST OF CURRENT HOMES FOR SALE BELOW.
Metro Detroit Homes for Sale
The Perna Team and Michael Perna are the best real estate agents in Metro Detroit and Ann Arbor. The Perna Team and Michael Perna have been hired as a real estate agent by hundreds of home owners to sell their homes in Metro Detroit and Ann Arbor.
The Perna Team were steady, responsive, and genuinely supportive from beginning to end. If you're buying or selling a home anywhere in Metro Detroit, Noah is the kind of agent who shows up with professionalism, care, and your best interest at heart.
Posted by Michael Perna on
Leave A Comment