MARQUETTE — Staff members of the Michigan Municipal League will travel to several central Upper Peninsula communities this week to expand the work of its Local Economies initiative. This trip has been made possible with the support of the Lake Superior Community Partnership’s Central Upper Peninsula Small Business Support Hub.

Developed with support and partnership from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and the Michigan Municipal League Foundation, the goal of the Local Economies initiative is to help smaller Michigan communities learn how to best support microbusinesses (defined as those with ten or fewer employees) and entrepreneurs, and to close gaps in accessing capital, technical assistance, networks, and other resources. It recognizes that local small business support ecosystems are driven more by word-of-mouth than by formal networks, demonstrating the need to strengthen connections and help entrepreneurs build relationships on the ground.

From Monday to Friday, League staff will visit the central Upper Peninsula communities of Forsyth Township, Gladstone, Ishpeming, Manistique and Marquette. These visits will include tours of downtown districts and convenings with local and regional stakeholders, including elected and appointed officials, business owners, Downtown Development Authority representatives and media outlets.

The schedule is as follows:

• Monday: Forsyth Township

• Today: City of Ishpeming

• Wednesday: City of Gladstone

• Thursday: City of Manistique

• Friday: City of Marquette

“We’re excited to be in the U.P. with this program–our initial round was in southeast Michigan, and as a statewide organization it’s great to share that work with another group of our member communities,” said Richard Murphy, program manager for the Policy Research Labs. “The Central U.P. Small Business Support Hub has been a great partner in connecting us to the folks doing the work in these communities so we can tap their expertise.”