From the Economic Development Desk of the
October 23, 2019
You are receiving this email because your organization is at one of the economic development tiers  with the Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce. As always, we encourage your comments and questions.
Below is a sampling of activities the economic development team has been involved in since we last wrote...

  • Participated in a review of properties that are Brownfield eligible
  • Hosted representatives of the Michigan Launch Initiative
  • Provided an update to the Presque Isle Economic Development Corporation board
  • Reviewed our loan portfolio status with the loan committee
  • Met with the Small Business Development Center regional manager to discuss innovation/product development support
  • Hosted our new Michigan Economic Development Corporation representative
  • Hosted and provided a tour to an out of region developer
  • Reviewed available properties in the PIEDC industrial park with two interested parties

From Jim Klarich...
In a recent meeting, I was made aware of something that I really never thought about before. The regional manager of the SBDC told me that he had been researching where the majority of patents are filed in region three and he told me that most come from the Alpena area. It makes sense, as we are the economic and commercial hub of our region. Like I said, I’ve never broken down the strength of our ability to innovate to that level but the reality is that there are companies (people) designing, redesigning, creating intellectual property, new products, and more efficient ways to do things all around us (regardless of whether a patent is filed or not for that matter). Their ability to innovate leads to diversification, profitability, and relevancy that creates an entire chain of value and future opportunity for our community.

If you ever wonder what the future of the Alpena area looks like, I would say it will be directly linked to our ability to continue to innovate.

Still seeking your input...
Thank you to those of you who responded to last month's email with input as to what you'd like to see in this monthly email. We are still collecting input so please, if you have ideas as to what would provide you more value in this monthly email, let us know by replying. Thank you!

Thank you for your support...
As 2020 nears, we will soon be preparing membership investment invoices (December). We appreciate all of the businesses who have committed to staying at, or moving up in an economic development investment tier of membership. We cannot continue the work we do, or grow the work we do without your support.
The following businesses have committed to moving up in tiers in 2020. Thank you.

Alpena Community Credit Union – Partner Level
Bannan Funeral Home – Chairman Level
Compassus Hospice - Sponsor Level
Lewis & Lewis Professional Surveying, Inc. – Sponsor Level
Michigan Works! Center – Sponsor Level
Real Estate One of Alpena – Sponsor Level
Sunrise Behavioral Health Clinic - Sponsor Level
Wolverine State Credit Union - Chairman Level
Chairman Level ($3,201+)
Alpena Agency, Inc.
Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union
Alpena Community College
Alpena County
Alpena Power Company
Bannan Funeral Home
Besser Foundation
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Charter Township of Alpena
City of Alpena
H.P.C. Credit Union
Huntington Bank
Lappan Agency
mBank
Presque Isle County
Presque Isle Electric and Gas Co-Op
Wolverine State Credit Union

Leader Level ($3,200)    
Edward Jones - Marc Ferguson, Charles R. Ingle, Pamela Kirchoff, Andrew Kowalski, Bryan Strong
Lafarge 
MidMichigan Health
 
Partner Level ($1,500) 
Alpena Community Credit Union
Alpena Public Schools
Bedrock Contracting and Excavating
Besser Company
Chemical Bank
Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan
Downtown Development Authority
Decorative Panels International
DTE Energy
Employment Services Inc. (ESI)
The Home Depot
ITC Holdings, Corp.
Keystone Rental Equipment
LeFave Pharmacy
Northland Area Federal Credit Union
Pennzoil Ten Minute Oil Change Center of Alpena
PNC Bank
Propane Plus Inc., MI Stop Citgo, MI Stop Deli
Ripley and State Street Auto Washes
Star Staffing Alpena
Timm Construction Company, LLC
Walmart
  
Sponsor Level ($475)
Alcona Health Center 
Alpena Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
Alpena Beverage Company
Alpena Biorefinery
Alpena Community Credit Union
Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library
Alpena Events Complex
Alpena Glass Company, Inc.
Alpena News Publishing Company
Alpena Supply Company
Art Van Furniture/Young Appliance
Austin Brothers' Beer Company
Ball Tire
Banner Realty
Besser Senior Living Community, Inc.
Boldrey, Senchuk, Rouleau & Williams, CPA's, PC
Bolenz Jewelry
Cardell and Sons Landscaping
Century 21 Crow Realty
Clark Construction Company
Cliff Anschuetz Chevrolet Inc.
Compassus Hospice
Consumers Energy
Control Solutions Inc
Cutting Edge Construction
Dean Arbour Ford Lincoln
Downtown Union 76 LLC
Everett Goodrich, Inc.
Fiber Char
H&R Block
Holiday Inn Express & Suites
Huron Engineering & Surveying
Industrial Image, Inc.
Lewis & Lewis Professional Surveying, Inc. 
Michigan Works! Center
Neiman's Family Market
NEMCSA, Inc.
NEMROC, Inc.
Northern Eye
Omega Electric & Sign Company Inc.
Ossineke Industries
Plowman's Collision Service
Pompeyos Mexican Grill
R.A. Townsend Company
R.S. Scott Associates, Inc.
Ramada Alpena
Real Estate One of Alpena
ServiceMaster Home & Office
Sherwin Williams
Sixty Minutes to Freedom
Skiba Insurance Services
SkyWest Airlines
Specification Stone Products
Straley Lamp & Kraenzlein P.C.
Suez
Sunrise Behavioral Health Clinic  
Switzer Veterinary Clinic
Tarkington Family Dentistry
Team Elmer's
The Drug Store
Thunder Bay Accounting
Thunder Bay Electric, Inc.
Thunder Bay Eye Care
Thunder Bay Family Dentistry
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Thunder Bay Therapy & Sports Medicine
Thunder Bay Tree Services, LLC
Time to Shine Carwash
True North Radio Network
W.G. Benjey Inc./S&A Company
WATZ
Weinkauf Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
Werth Development, LLC
White, Wojda and Curtis
Wolf Family Dentistry
Wolgast Corporation
Zen 24 Hour Fitness Center