From the Economic Development Desk of the
June 19, 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.
Good things keep happening! The activities and to-do list never end. Keep reading for some activity highlights over the last month.

  • Participated in an Economic Development summit in Rogers City
  • Met several times with a local company regarding expansion and growth plans
  • Met with an out-of-region developer looking at opportunities in the area
  • Participated in a City Brownfield Authority meeting
  • Met with our loan committee to review a new loan request
  • Participated in an Iron Bell Trail expansion meeting
  • Met with developers regarding the former Alpena Power Company site
  • Held discussions with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation regarding the former Alpena Power Company site and Antique Mall

A message from Klarich...
I’m still amazed at the diversity and quantity of the subjects that we are asked to support. Small business counseling, small business loans, federal and state agency audits, multiple layers of new residential housing initiatives, workforce development initiatives through our schools, employers, and community college, business expansions, business growth, business relocation, area marketing, site selection, site preparation, site design and planning, import/export assistance, growing and maintaining agency relationships at the federal and state levels, to name just some of it. The funny thing is that one minute you might be in a meeting talking about residential development, the next minute you’re talking with the feds about the results of the audit of your loan portfolio, and the next about the quality of the state parks and the beaches in your area. Whew!

While each of these topics are important on their own merit, economic development is about stitching all of it together into a coherent story and getting a positive result out of it. Our board(s), our customers, our mission statements, our staff, our partners and our supporters, don’t just provide us with a level of oversight, they help keep us focused and on task in a vast universe of varied topics.

So thank you to each of you who’ve played a role in supporting our organization. Your input has had a profound and positive influence in moving Alpena forward.

A Final Thought...
As our newest employee, Membership Director Valerie Skorupski heads out to talk to more of our members, she is finding a common theme of an area of interest is economic development. Many of our members continue to support this organization annually because of the economic development impact we have. That is important for us to know and hear so we can plan accordingly in the future. Your support is much appreciated and incredibly important for us to be able to continue this work.
We would like to recognize the following members who have made commitments to move up or joined at a higher tier:

Skiba Insurance Services - Sponsor Level
Time to Shine Carwash - Sponsor Level
Zen 24 Hour Fitness Center - Sponsor Level
Chairman Level ($3,201+)
Alpena Agency, Inc.
Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union
Alpena Community College
Alpena County
Alpena Power Company
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

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 Public Schools
Bannan Funeral Home
Bedrock Contracting and Excavating/Keystone Rental Equipment
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.
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
Wolverine State Credit Union
  
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 Glass Company, Inc.
Alpena News Publishing Company
Alpena Supply Company
Alpena Events Complex
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.
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.
Neiman's Family Market
NEMCSA, Inc.
NEMROC, Inc.
Northern Eye
Omega Electric & Sign Company Inc.
Ossineke Industries
Ossineke Township
Plowman's Collision Service
Pompeyos Mexican Grill
R.A. Townsend Company
R.S. Scott Associates, Inc.
Ramada Alpena
ServiceMaster Home & Office
Sherwin Williams
Sixty Minutes to Freedom
Skiba Insurance Services
SkyWest Airlines
Specification Stone Products
Straley Lamp & Kraenzlein P.C.
Suez
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.
WATZ
Werth Development, LLC
White, Wojda and Curtis
Wolf Family Dentistry
Wolgast Corporation
Zen 24 Hour Fitness Center