The three heartland cities were honored for building the right playbook to help their communities thrive.

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, as part of the 2026 Heartland Summit, think-and-do tank Heartland Forward honored three cities across three states—Huntsville, Alabama; Grand Rapids, Michigan and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma—as Secret Sauce Communities. In showcasing each city’s distinct and innovative approaches to economic growth, community development and cultural vitality the recognition highlights the three cities for having the right ingredients to thrive.

“Heartland Summit is about bringing people together around the momentum we’re seeing across the heartland and turning that into action,” said Krista Cupp, executive director of the Heartland Summit and executive vice president of partnerships and events at Heartland Forward. “We selected Huntsville, Grand Rapids and Oklahoma City as this year’s Secret Sauce cities because each has found its own formula for creating opportunity and building a more competitive economy while staying rooted in the people and culture that make it uniquemomentum. Chip Cherry, David Van Andel and Mayor David Holt shared what’s working in their communities and what others across the heartland can learn from it. That’s the bigger story of the heartland right now. This region isn’t waiting for America’s economic future to happen. We’re building it.”

Known as “The Rocket City”, Huntsville, Alabama anchors its economy in aerospace, defense and advanced manufacturing and ranks among the fastest-growing metros in the country, with a population topping 500,000. The city’s pipeline is fed by strong engineering programs and steady in-migration, giving it one of the highest concentrations of engineering per capita nationally. Billions of dollars in public and private investment are flowing into the region’s defense, space and advanced-industry sectors.

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle emphasized the city’s commitment to building relationships across all levels of government. “It’s all about collaboration, and collaboration is just about making new friends,” said Mayor Battle. He cited the city’s ongoing collaboration with county, state and federal government entities, including more than 70 federal tenant agencies stationed at Redstone Arsenal. “We work with everybody,” he said.

Grand Rapids, Michigan has a diverse and resilient economy spanning manufacturing, health care and design, with a regional GDP of approximately $77 billion and a population of more than 1.1 million in the metro area. The city pairs a strong talent pipeline with a high quality of life, from education partnerships to arts and outdoor access attracting and retaining residents. A key to the city’s success is the close public-private collaboration between its strong philanthropic base business community and local government around building the infrastructure to create economic opportunity across the region.

Civic engagement runs deep in Grand Rapids, according to Mayor David LaGrand. “This town is full of people who think, if there’s a challenge or a thing that has to [be] dealt with…[people] think, how are we all going to do that,” said LaGrand. He described this civic ownership as foundational to the city’s health stating, “In my opinion, the secret sauce is that Grand Rapids is filled with people who go out of their way to take care of each other, and who don’t want credit for the good work they’re doing.”

Oklahoma City has transformed over the past few decades and grown to the 21st-largest U.S. city with a diversified economy anchored by Tinker Air Force Base. Since 1993, Oklahoma City voters have approved 15 consecutive tax initiatives for development, funneling roughly $10 billion in self-imposed investment into the city’s infrastructure, quality of life and civic identity without a single measure failing at the ballot box. The city is also a national leader in energy, anchoring a sector continuing to drive investment and jobs across the state. Its rising profile extends beyond the economy, too, as OKC is home to the 2025 NBA World Champion Oklahoma City Thunder and seven events of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Mayor David Holt attributes the city’s progress to its political culture, describing a partnership between City Hall and the business community that makes metropolitan area development initiatives possible. “That ability to work together, that unity, that consensus building that we seem so good at has allowed us to pass all these initiatives, which has allowed us to invest in our city to an unbelievable degree,” said Holt.

About Heartland Forward
Heartland Forward is a non-profit, policy think-and-do tank that turns ideas into action for states and local communities. Our mission is to accelerate economic growth, change the narrative about the middle of the country and generate $500 million of economic impact to the heartland by 2030. We do this through applied research, community-driven programs, policy and convenings—focusing on regional competitiveness, talent pipeline and health and wellness.

About the Heartland Summit
The Heartland Summit was co-founded by Olivia and Tom Walton and Steuart Walton in 2018 to kick-start economic growth and help change the narrative about the middle of the country. The Summit is a forum for frank conversation about our shared challenges, creating positive action and strengthening connections.

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SOURCE Heartland Forward