Michigan Economic Development Corporation:  Small Business Relief Program Grants​ ​The State of Michigan has announced a grant program totaling $10 million statewide. The Upper Peninsula applied for $1 million and received $500,000 total to available businesses across the U.P.   To qualify for this, program your business must meet these fundamental criteria: Does your company have 50 or fewer employees? Does your company need working capital to support payroll, rent, mortgage payments, utility expenses, or other similar expenses that occur in the ordinary course of business? Can your company demonstrate an income loss resulting from an Executive Order and/or the COVID-19 outbreak? Applications… Read More »

January 23, 2020 CHIPPEWA COUNTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CIU) INCREASES PASSENGER COUNTS IN 2019 Total passengers at Chippewa County Int’l Airport (CIU) increased 5% in 2019, when compared to 2018, which too was an increase from past years. 48,344 passengers flew to/from the Chippewa County Airport in 2019, which was an increase of 2,000 passengers over 2018. “The way our passenger numbers were increasing throughout the year, I really thought we would break 50,000 passengers this year”, stated Airport Manager Tami Beseau, but we came up a little short”. “Although that would have been great, what business isn’t pleased with a… Read More »

January 20, 2020 County EDC Board Welcomes Appointments to Board of Directors The Chippewa County Board of Commissioners during its Regular session on Thursday, January 2nd appointed Mr. Jeff Hagan as a Board of Director of the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation. Mr. Hagan will replace Mr. Kurt Perron who elected not to be considered for reappointment. In addition the EDC also welcomed the reappointment of Director’s Dan Dasho and Dr. Ralf Wilhelms to the County EDC Board for a 6 year term. Mr. Hagan is currently the CEO of Eastern Upper Peninsula Regional Planning and Development Commission (EUPRPDC). The… Read More »

Portland business leaders fly restored DC3 to Normandy, France for 75th Anniversary of D Day PORTLAND, OR – On Friday morning, May 24, a group of Portland area business leaders will fly to Normandy, France, to join the celebration commemorating the 75th Anniversary of D Day, honoring the brave soldiers of that historic battle. 11 adventurous passengers and crew will make this trip in a restored DC3. And, to make this special trip even more interesting, they will follow a flight path of the actual troop carrier flights en route to D Day. On the morning of May 24, 2019,… Read More »

Press Release: May 21. 2019 For Immediate Release Chippewa County Potential Spaceport Michigan Aerospace Manufacturing Association discuss Potential Spaceport in Chippewa County Gavin Brown, executive director of the Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association, speaks to local officials at the Chippewa County EDC about a potential Northern Michigan spaceport in Chippewa County. Chippewa County International Airport is one of five sites in Northern Michigan under consideration for the proposed spaceport. Brown plans to announce the site selection in September 2019. CIU– Chippewa County International Airport is one of the five airports in the state being considered as a potential site for a… Read More »

The Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation applied for and received an Economic Development Administration Technical Assistance and Planning grant. This grant will allow the EDC to hire a professional firm to devise a planning strategy for its Air and Industrial Park in order to attract firms, generate jobs, and help identify key areas of infrastructure investment. “These grants are highly competitive and a key tool to assist the EDC in positioning itself for business attraction”, stated EDC President Chris Olson. “This project will also directly tie into the recent efforts between the City of Sault Ste. Marie EDC and the… Read More »

The Chippewa County Board of Commissioners during its Regular session on Thursday, February 14th appointed Dr. Kimberly Muller as a Board of Director of the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation. Dr. Muller will serve the remaining term of Mr. Kevin White who resigned from the Board in December 2018. Dr. Muller’s appointment is effective immediately and will expire on March 31, 2022. Dr. Muller is currently the dean of Lake Superior State Universities College of Innovation and Solutions, comprised of LSSU’s School of Engineering & Technology, the School of Mathematics & Computer Science, and the Lukenda School of Business. Muller… Read More »

The addition of the Minneapolis flight in November of 2017 has really paid off for the entire EUP and Algoma region. Total passengers at Chippewa County Int’l Airport increased 5.5% in 2018. 46,343 passengers flew to/from the Chippewa County Airport in 2018. “The new flight to Minneapolis had never been tried and we weren’t sure how it would be received by the flying public”, stated Airport Manager Tami Beseau. The thought process behind the additional hub change was that CIU passengers would have more flight options, competitive pricing, greater international flight options, and we would also eliminate the 5:00 a.m…. Read More »

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A state grant will help Chippewa County find new uses for vacant buildings at a former Air Force base in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Department of Environmental Quality has awarded $45,000 in brownfield funding to the Chippewa County International Airport. It will help the county’s Economic Development Corporation evaluate under-used buildings on the airport grounds and determine what types of cleanups and asbestos treatments are needed. The airport was formerly the Kincheloe Air Force Base. It was closed as a military installation in the late 1970s. The state DEQ uses brownfield grants to help communities make… Read More »

Chippewa County International Airport (CIU) recently completed a runway lighting modernization project. New airfield lighting on Runway 10/28, the 5,000 foot crosswind runway, was upgraded to LED lights. This upgrade will replace the current 19 year old lighting, reduce energy costs, and minimize future maintenance. J.R. Ranck was the contractor on this project which totaled $800,000.00. In addition to lighting, all runway and taxiway surfaces were crack sealed to maintain the integrity of all pavements that were improved several years ago. “Infrastructure improvements increase safety and benefit the airport for many years”, stated Tami Beseau, Airport Manager. “Public use of… Read More »