The Sagninaw Metropolitan statistical and labor market area is popularly known as Midland-Bay City-Saginaw or the MBS Metro Area and the local airport is called the MBS Airport.

This market area covers the three Michigan counties of Sagninaw, Bay, and Midland, all with beautiful scenary, historical sites, State Recreation Areas, bird sanctuaries, Native American installations, local festivals, sucessful small businesses, and friendly people.

I travel to this area 5-6 times per year and enjoy the scenic views up through the lower peninsula along I-75 and further up around lake Huron on the Huron Lake Circle Tour that takes you completely around the that large Great Lake. Huron means "The Seeet Sea" in Native American languages of the early peoples that settled in the Saginaw Bay area about 1,000 BC.

The Tri-County area of MBS is a great tourist area, boosting the economy through the Tourism, Accomodations, and Hospitality Industries. Teh other sectos of the economy that are relatively strong are Heahthcare (strongest) and Manaufacturing.

1. Sales & related jobs, including Retail Salespersons & Customer Service Reps
2. Healthcare Practitioners and Techs
3. Food Preparation and Serving Jobs
4. Education, Training, and Library Positions
5. Healthcare Support
6. Building & Grounds Cleaning/Maintenance Jobs
7. Registered Nurses [RNs}
8. Transportation & Material Moving Jobs
9. Management Occupations - all fields
10. Business & Financial Operations

An additional five higher-demand jobs include:

• Personal Care & Service
• Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids & Hskprs
• Waiters & Waitresses or Wait Staff
• Community & Social Services Occupations
• Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants (other healthcare support)

The following lists of occupations contains jobs increasing through 2016 by anywhere from 20% to 44% overall.

1. Medical & Physician's Assistants
2. Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts - IT
3. Life, Physical & Social Science Techs
4. Employment, Recruitment & Placement Specialists
5. Database Administrators - IT
6. Physical Therapists & Physical Therapist Assistants
7. Grounds Maintenance Workers
8. Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters
9. Special Education Teachers: Preschool, K, Elementary, and Middle School (Preschool though age approx. 12)
10. Medical Transcriptionists
11. Registered Nurses [RNs]
12. Network and Computer Systems Administrators - IT
13. Training & Development Managers - all fields
14. Physicians & Surgeons
15. Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers

I visit Frankenmuth twice a year and am always impressed by the cleanliness of the city and the low crime rate. Located just 25 miles south of Bay City, it is close to I-75. The High School is adjoined to a major natural amphitheater in a valley and this is the location each June of the Oldies Palooza, featuring Rock N' Roll and Metal bands from the 60s and 70s. It's sponsored by WHNN-FM with Johnny Burke and Blondie.

Frankenmuth began as a German (Bavarian) settlement in 1845 to bring missionaries to the Chippewa Nation that had been so profuse in Michigan, especially around Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron. The original mission was scrapped and the Germans wrote home asking for more people to come to settle, and more Lutheran pastors to minster to the settlers. The famous chicken eatery, Zehnder's Restaurant, stands on the site of the Exchange Hotel that was built in 1856, Zehnder's having purchased it in 1927. A large dining room covers the first floor and the lower level offers shops, a cafeteria and a great bakery with reasoable prices.

The Frankenmuth Mutual Insurance Company started way back in 1868 after the Civil War and the city was finally incorporated in 1959. It now has a covered bridge, a boat tour, horse carriage rides, a flour mill, a doll factory, a golf course, a cheese factory, a Clam and Lobster Fest, a Lumberjack Festival, Christkindlmarkt (Christmas Market), and the annual Bavarian Festival.

Not only does this city have a wide array of shops and restaurants, but also a wonderful, invitingly decorated public library with banks of computers and refreshments. At the edge of town is Bronner's Christmas Store that is open 362 days a year. It features not only Christmas goods, but holiday celebration materials for several holidays and additional faiths. The parking lot is so big that shuttle busses are provided and the Christmas Light Display around its perimeter is free of charge, compared to $25 or more for some other holiday light shows in Michigan and Ohio. A replica of the Silent Night Chapel in Bavaria sits at the edge of the lot and is open the same hours as the store. The carol Silent Night is posted in dozens of languages inside with the museum quality show pieces and chapel, and these translations include one in Navajo.

Next to Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland (since 1945, with over 200,000 sq. ft. of displays) is a Zehnder's hotel and Indoor Water Park and behind the Christmas Store on an adjoining road is a military & space museum and a petting zoo.

Midland

• Dow Chemical
• MidMichigan Medical Center
• Midland Public Schools

Saginaw

• Delphi
• Covenant HealthCare
• St. Mary's of Michigan Health
• Saginaw Public Schools
• Genral Motors Powertrain

Bay City

• Bay Regional Medical Center
• Bay City Public Schools
• Dow Corning
• Delta College
• Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn