Mark your calendars! The Alliance Annual Meeting is Thursday, March 16, at 7:30 a.m. CT at Pine Grove Country Club. All Alliance Investors are encouraged to attend. The Annual Meeting provides an opportunity to reflect on the organization’s accomplishments during 2022 and to update the Investors on our plans for 2023 – including the debut of our new multi-media talent campaign titled Belong. Please watch for your email invitation and RSVP to info@daeda.org.

Over 50 attendees took part in the Cybersecurity Best Practices and Insurance Requirements training offered by Guide Star, a division of CCI Systems, on February 8, at Bay College West Campus and offered virtually. The Alliance and Loyal 2 Local hosted the event. Attendees walked away with a better understanding of cybersecurity awareness and threats and how to evaluate and obtain cybersecurity insurance options.

The Guide Star team donated three great prizes, and winners were chosen through a random drawing of those in attendance. Congratulations!

Alliance Executive Director, Lois Ellis, attended several events in conjunction with the annual UP200 Sled Dog Race, despite the actual race being canceled this year due to course conditions. Many state legislators and other officials still gathered in Marquette for networking. In addition, InvestUP hosted an outdoor industry event, where panelists shared their enthusiasm and plans for growing opportunities in the outdoor industry sector to include research, innovation and manufacturing alongside traditional tourism attractions. The week was also highlighted by the Operation Action U.P. Annual Meeting, where local company Northwoods Manufacturing was honored with an Award of Excellence – congratulations to Tom Betters and the entire team!

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The Dickinson County website hosts the county-wide GIS mapping system, Colligo. This tool allows you to view parcel and land information throughout the County in one place. To use Colligo, visit the County’s website and click on the Geographic Information System icon (pictured at right) on the homepage. The system also includes tutorials to help users navigate the resource and find the information they seek. Once you enter Colligo, click on the Help button on the upper right to access assistance.

Are you looking for area data? The Alliance has access to several data sources and can likely assist. Please visit the Dickinson County Data Booklet on our website to review common data sets. If you have a special request for additional data, please reach out to Lois Ellis.

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity is surveying Michigan businesses to better understand the need for talent. The survey hopes to gain insights into the issues businesses are facing to determine if the state can better target outreach, training and programs. Your participation is appreciated and will inform further efforts around talent development. The survey should take around 10 minutes to complete. Access the survey here.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Energy Services is offering matching grants for implementing process improvements in small manufacturing companies that will improve their process efficiency and drive down the cost per unit produced. The Maximum Grant is $25,000 and requires a 100% match. Funding is first come, first serve until funds are expended (or May 31, 2023, whichever comes first).

·        Manufacturers with significantly less than 500 employees worldwide

·        Improvements to the onsite manufacturing process

·        Utilizing state, federal, and utility energy assistance programs

·        Adoption of continuous improvement programs or practices

·        Adoption of innovative or cutting-edge technology

·        Activities with significant environmental and economic benefits

·        High-value success stories of interest to many other manufacturers in Michigan

Interested manufacturers can find details here.