MEDC comes north to see innovation in its real environment

MEDC Roadshow Visits Sault Ste. Marie for a Firsthand Look at the EUP SmartZone

On June 26, Headwaters North welcomed leaders from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to Sault Ste. Marie for a firsthand look at the Eastern Upper Peninsula's only SmartZone. The visit brought together MEDC leadership, regional and legislative leaders, EUP economic development partners, and SmartZone and Small Business Support Hub clients from across the region.

The day began at the Center for Freshwater Research and Education (CFRE), where Don Gerrie, Mayor of Sault Ste. Marie and Board Chair of Headwaters North, opened with a welcome to the Soo and a candid word of thanks to MEDC. Wearing his board chair hat, he spoke plainly about the SmartZone's reapproval and the governance and accountability the organization has built to deliver on what it promised. What the Eastern UP produces, he said, is not flashy startups but real business owners taking real risks.

Dr. Kevin Kapuscinsk,Assistant Director of Research, then led a tour of CFRE and the work happening through the MiWater Sensor Network and the Freshwater Innovation Fellow program. Along the way, MEDC met Headwaters North clients who each represent a different thread of the region's economy. Ron Kurnik of Superior Coffee Roasting started the morning strong with a Small Business Support Hub story built on grit and good coffee. Mike Heise of Cloverland Electric, who also serves on the Headwaters North board, shared a spin-out innovation product from Cloverland Electric.

Vince Nystrom, Headwaters North's Entrepreneur in Residence, laid out the commercialization work taking shape on the SmartZone side, the engine behind the deeper technical growth happening across the region.

Over lunch at the newly remodeled DelMar, Headwaters North CEO Nikki Storey led a panel with Small Business Support Hub owners from across the Eastern UP. Lacey and Adam Ingrao of Bee Wise Farms in Newberry, Chris Burger of Northern Wings in Newberry, and Tina Thibault of Bins Ahoy in Sault Ste. Marie shared what SBSH has changed for them, from international reach into Africa, to aerospace parts bound for Mars, to a clear pipeline from small business support into deeper commercialization work.

As an MEDC SmartZone, Headwaters North is part of a statewide innovation network. Through the SmartZone and our Small Business Support Hub program, we help a wide range of entrepreneurs across the Eastern UP reach funding, mentorship, and markets they might not otherwise touch, from Main Street business owners to deeply technical founders building the next generation of products and services.

For MEDC, the day put that statewide strategy in a local light.

"It was great experiencing firsthand the 'Make it in Michigan' economic development strategy in action in Sault Ste. Marie and Chippewa County. Economic development is a team sport, and we are grateful to our local partners at Headwaters North, City of Sault Ste. Marie EDC, and Chippewa County EDC for the positive impact and tireless work each and every day."

Vicki Schwab, Managing Director, Michigan Economic Development Corporation

"The Eastern UP is moving faster than it ever has, and the reason is simple: the people. Our founders are authentic, driven, and not afraid to take risks. They are reaching markets in Africa, building software for rural utilities, and making aerospace parts bound for Mars. MEDC's partnership with us, through both the SmartZone and the Small Business Support Hub, is what makes that kind of scale possible, and we are proud to be part of Michigan's statewide innovation network."

Nikki Storey, CEO, Headwaters North

Curious what the SmartZone means for the EUP? Learn more at headwatersnorth.org.