ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT CONTACTS
Jeff Coney
Community Development Specialist
Phone: 269-659-7233


Ryan Conrod
Downtown Event Coordinator
Phone: (269) 651-1907


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Site Selection

CommunityDemographicsIndustrial ParksTransportationUtilities

Community

A working community with small-town charm, Sturgis is located in St. Joseph County, Michigan on the Michigan-Indiana border. The City of Sturgis offers a number of great amenities including a strong school system, several excellent neighborhoods, a traditional downtown, commercial shopping district, and community facilities.

Geographically located halfway between Detroit and Chicago, Sturgis is a day trip away from these major metropolitan areas and a short drive from other commercial centers including Kalamazoo, Fort Wayne, and South Bend/Mishawaka. The Sturgis area is also surrounded by recreation and natural resources including golf courses and numerous rivers and lakes, many of which offer further housing options.

For more information, check out our For Visitors and For Residents pages.

Demographics

A community of 11,000, the City of Sturgis benefits from being a regional hub for work and shopping. Sturgis draws its labor force from St. Joseph, Cass and Branch Counties in Michigan as well as LaGrange, Noble, and Elkhart Counties in Indiana. Nearby inland lakes and rivers provide an additional summer tourist base for community businesses.

For detailed demographic, labor force, and business statistics for the Sturgis area, visit our community page at Sites.Southwest Michigan First. If you need further information, please contact us at [email protected] or by phone at (269) 651-2321.

Industrial Parks

The City has sites at Bullard Industrial Park available for development.  For more information visit this link:  BULLARD INDUSTRIAL PARK. The sites at the City’s three other industrial parks (Airport, Stapleton, and Dresser Business Park) are currently sold to private owners and are either developed or under development.  Please contact the City regarding other available industrial properties.

Transportation

Interstate and Highway Access
The City of Sturgis offers easy access for business transportation. The community is served by Interstate 80/90 (Indiana east-west toll road) just one mile south of Sturgis; US-12 and M-66 run through the city and connect to other State and national highways.

Air Access
Kirsch Municipal Airport in Sturgis features two runways; the primary runway is 5,200 feet long with a secondary, crosswind runway 3,457 feet long. The airport is located in the northwest corner of the city, one mile from the downtown business district and adjacent to two of the City’s industrial parks. The airport is suitable for corporate jet aircraft as well as smaller shipping aircraft. For more info visit sturgismi.gov/airport.

For larger planes and more extensive air services, Sturgis is conveniently located to three commercial airports: Kalamazoo, just 45 miles to the north; South Bend, 45 miles to the west; and Fort Wayne, 50 miles to the south.

Rail Access
For rail service the City of Sturgis is served by Michigan Southern Railroad Company. Several industrial buildings are served by local rail.

Utilities

The City of Sturgis owns and operates the local water, sewer, and electric services within the city limits. Sturgis electric also serves customers in the surrounding area.

Sturgis electric has several different rate classes for businesses depending on their electric demand and usage. Representatives are willing to discuss these options for new or expanding business customers. The City also has a Wastewater Discharge Permit which is required for most industrial, as well as some other business users. Please contact the department to determine whether your business is required to apply for a permit.

For more information on rates, connections, and other Sturgis utilities information, visit sturgismi.gov/utilities.

Other Local Utility Companies
Charter Communications – Cable / Internet / Phone
Frontier Communications – Phone / Internet
Michigan Gas Utilities – Natural Gas