Considering expanding your business in North America?

If you are seeking to establish your business in the North American market, TechTown is the ideal place to start.

TechTown is located in Detroit, Michigan, right on the border of Canada; TechTown also has a strong relationship with the Mexican government, giving us a unique window onto the NAFTA market.

Detroit is home to the global automotive industry and is a well-developed location to manufacture and distribute products throughout the continent.

Detroit has numerous other competitive advantages, including:

• An abundance of very low-cost office and factory space
• Skilled workers
• An international airport
• Some of the lowest cost housing in the Western world
• A supportive state economic development authority

But how do you explore all of these advantages at minimal cost?

TechTown can help.

Use TechTown as your first port of entry for exploring the North American market. We offer a wide range of services designed to help you establish your business here.

TechTown supports companies with the following services:

• Access to space
• Business services
• Technology
• Business acceleration
• Talent
• Entrepreneurial capital
• Networking

TechTown is a Michigan SmartZone and is one of a small selection of sites approved by the National Business Incubator Association as an International Soft Landings program.

What type of international companies do you support?

TechTown’s space and services for international companies are subsidized and designed to help overseas firms that are already generating revenue in their home countries or are very close to launching a product or service.

TechTown supports all types of businesses, including health care, information technology and manufacturing.

Make TechTown your first U.S. address.

TechTown helps companies ready to open a U.S. office while also giving them easy access to other world markets.

At TechTown, you get:

• A U.S. mailing address in a secure modern building with 24/7 access
• Cubicles or private offices available
• A dedicated telephone line with a 313 area code and voicemail
• Shared office services including reception, access to TechOne Printing; copiers; mail delivery and shipping; kitchen facilities and off-street parking
• Unlimited Wi-Fi and wired internet access from a shared line
• Free access to meeting rooms
• Access to video conferencing facilities
• Janitorial services included
• Flexible lease options
• Access to funding sources (loans, angel networks, venture capital)
• Access to mentors, coaches and interns
• Access to subject matter experts through university connections (Wayne State University, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Lawrence Technological University)
• Industry connections in life sciences, alternative energy, automotive, advanced manufacturing, arts and entertainment, and water technologies
• Connections to economic development tools at the local, regional, state and federal government levels
• Introductions to selected service providers to assist you with business structure; immigration/visa; translation; tax, accounting and legal planning; employment matters; and public relations and marketing
• Connections to national and international media networks
• Notification of and invitations to key regional events of benefit to your company sponsored by government, industry and media
• Access to participate in business plan competitions throughout the State of Michigan
• Access to all Michigan SmartZones

Market discovery and launch pad

Is your company seeking to expand into the U.S. and North America but isn’t yet ready for a physical move?

TechTown has the resources to assist you:

• A U.S. mailbox and mailing address at TechTown
• A dedicated telephone number with a 313 area code and remote-access voicemail
• Free conference room usage when you are in Michigan
• Shared reception services; access to Wi-Fi and an affordable print center
• Free monthly mentoring and coaching
• Resources to access marketing and sales talent, distribution networks, business capital and industry partners
• Referrals to selected service providers to assist you with business structure; immigration/visa; translation; tax, accounting and legal planning; employment matters; and public relations and marketing
• Access to media networks
• Notification of key regional events of interest to your company

Virtual office

Establish a virtual U.S. office at TechTown in Detroit, Michigan, and you can get:

• A U.S. mailing address and mailbox at TechTown
• A dedicated telephone line with a 313 area code, remote-access voicemail, and fax number
• Free conference room usage when you are in Michigan
• Referrals to select service providers for assistance with immigration/visa, formulating your U.S. business structure, and tax, accounting and legal planning
• Listing on the TechTown website
• Mailing forwarding services (additional charges apply)

Benefits of being a TechTown company

• Add TechTown’s address to your company’s business cards and corporate website; benefit from TechTown website visits by individuals in more than 80 countries each month
• Tax benefits: TechTown’s TechOne building will soon be a Foreign Trade Zone; TechTown is a City of Detroit designated Innovation Center, which gives TechTown and its tenants relief from property taxes; and the State of Michigan designated the 12-city block area that is TechTown as an Alternative Energy Zone. Companies in the zone involved in alternative energy can apply for relief from personal income and corporate tax.
• TechTown is two miles north of the City of Detroit’s central business district in the heart of the cultural, medical and university district
• TechTown is within walking distance of the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Public Library, Wayne State University’s libraries and schools of medicine and engineering, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Kresge Eye Institute, and cafes, boutique hotels, shops and night life.
• TechTown is two miles from the Canadian border; the University of Windsor is a tenant and the Windsor-Essex Economic Development Commission is its partner.
• The Mexican government’s TechBA-Michigan program is a TechTown tenant providing access to trade with Mexico and joint ventures for international companies seeking partnerships with Mexican companies.

Noteworthy facts about TechTown

Here are some key indicators of TechTown’s success:

• Total attendance at our networking events was 5,257 in the 12 months ending October 2010
• Monthly email newsletter has a circulation of 8,500
• Website visited by individuals in more than 80 countries each month
• More than 3,000 attendees at TechTown’s business events were introduced to our entrepreneurial training programs between June 2009 and October 2010
• More than 1,600 individuals enrolled in formal training programs, 75 percent of whom graduated between June 2009 and October 2010

Our clients

International companies we have supported include:

• A European medical device company working to gain FDA approval to launch a range of pathology needles in the U.S.
• A Mexican manufacturer of auto parts searching for a local partner to develop sales to Ford, GM and Chrysler
• An information technology company introducing its software products to the U.S.
• A stem cell research company seeking to carry out research in the U.S. in collaboration with local National Cancer Institute partners

Want to learn more?

To take your first step into one of the world’s biggest markets, please fill out the inquiry form below, and a TechTown representative will respond to you shortly.