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MARQUETTE -- InvestUP, the lead private sector-led, non-profit economic development organization for the Upper Peninsula, has announced a series of business developments of interest across the region. Headquartered in Marquette, its main goal is driving economic growth, job creation and prosperity across the region.
• Stormy Kromer expands collegiate collection across 38 universities
Ironwood-based Stormy Kromer has more than doubled its collegiate collection for 2026, expanding to 38 universities across 12 states and adding collegiate wool vests to the lineup. New schools include the University of Wisconsin, Ohio State, Indiana University, University of Iowa, and several others across the Midwest and Mountain West, joining U.P. institutions including Michigan Tech University, Northern Michigan University and Lake Superior State University. Every collegiate cap continues to be cut and sewn at Stormy Kromer's factory in Ironwood, while the new wool vests are also cut and sewn in the United States. The expansion gives the 120-plus-year-old U.P. manufacturer a larger national customer base while keeping its signature product tied directly to its Ironwood workforce and manufacturing operation.
• Build U.P.-supported redevelopment project adds housing, new business to Manistique
A $1.34 million redevelopment project is underway at 109 River Street in downtown Manistique to add new housing and business activity to a vacant building. Led by Emily Navarra-Meftah and Eric Meftah through Modes of Motion LLC, the project will create three apartments and Auntie Em's Joy, a dance studio and retail space. The project is bringing together several economic development tools, including a $585,820 Michigan Economic Development Corporation Revitalization and Placemaking grant and $460,820 in collateral support through InvestUP's Build U.P. program in partnership with Peoples State Bank. The City of Manistique also established an Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act district for the property and provided additional support for an ADA-accessible public restroom. Auntie Em's Joy has also received a Small Business Support Hub Direct Grant that is administered by the Central Upper Peninsula Small Business Support Hub with funding through the MEDC. Navarra-Meftah states, "We're very excited to make use of this space, create some new memories, and bring some vitality back to a building that has been vacant for so long and neglected. It's got great bones; it's got beautiful brick that we've exposed so far. We're pretty excited to be at this point." Navarra-Meftah goes on to explain that, "programs like Build U.P. give ordinary people the opportunity to invest in the communities they call home, and we hope our project is one example of the lasting impact that investment can have," reaffirming how important redevelopment projects in the Upper Peninsula are to the communities and economy.
• Baraga County Memorial Hospital's new mobile clinic targets rural health care gaps
Baraga County Memorial Hospital is developing a mobile clinic in order to bring hospital-level services directly to rural communities across the Western Upper Peninsula. Supported through the federal Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health and developed in collaboration with Homeward Health, the clinic is expected to offer services including prenatal care, wound care, cardiology, and lab work. BCMH is considering stops in communities including Aura, Duncan Township, Pelkie, Michigamme, and Ontonagon, where residents have faced longer travel times for care since the closure of the local hospital. The project is still in development, with equipment, staffing, locations, and community feedback all part of the planning process. If launched as expected next year, the mobile clinic will be the second in the U.P., joining Munising, and could give residents in some of the region's most rural communities better access to specialty and primary care.
• Island Resort adds third course to growing nationally recognized golf reputation
Island Resort & Casino has opened its new nine-hole Cedar Course, or Kishki, for limited preview play, adding a third course to the resort's golf lineup. The new Golden Age-inspired course joins Sweetgrass and Sage Run, bringing the property to 45 holes of golf and expanding an amenity that has become a big draw for visitors to the Central Upper Peninsula. Cedar Course will operate on a limited basis through the remainder of the 2026 season before joining the resort golf packages in 2027. The investment gives Island Resort & Casino another way to extend stays, attract golf travelers, and build on the region's inventory of incredible courses across the U.P., which was already recognized as the best in the nation by USA Today.
• National award recognizes NMU's campus-wide well-being efforts
Northern Michigan University has received the 2026 Excellence in Mental Health and Well-Being Award from the Insight Into Academia magazine, crediting its campus-wide approach to supporting students, faculty, and staff. NMU was one of 38 institutions selected nationally and will be featured in the magazine's September issue. The well-earned recognition is due to the work across campus to expand mental health resources, preventative programming, peer support, and opportunities that build connection and resilience. Programs including Wellbeing Ambassadors, Critical Incident Stress Management, GreenDot, and the Wellbeing Advisory Committee are part of the university's effort to make health and well-being a shared campus priority.
• Upper Peninsula competes for best fall color destination
The Upper Peninsula is currently in the running to place among the top 20 destinations in USA Today’s 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards for Best Destination for Fall Colors. With nearly seven million acres of forest, three Great Lakes shorelines, and ten fall color routes covering almost 1,500 miles, the U.P. continues to stand out as one of the country's most beautiful autumn destinations. Being among the top destinations for fall brings national attention to the region's outdoor assets and the communities and businesses that benefit from fall travel. Help keep the U.P. in the top spot by voting daily.
• Twin Lakes State Park reopens after $2.5M renovation
Twin Lakes State Park campground welcomes campers back following more than a year of renovations supported by $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding. Improvements include a new bathroom building, new water lines, and paved park roads, replacing an aging infrastructure at one of Houghton County's busiest campgrounds. The reopening brings campers back to a park that is typically near or at capacity during the summer camping season and sees heavy off-road vehicle traffic. Beyond improving the camping experience, the investment supports an outdoor recreation asset that attracts visitors into the Twin Lakes area and helps increase activity for nearby businesses and communities.
MTU researchers selected for DOE Genesis Mission Projects
Michigan Tech University researchers are involved in three proposals selected for award negotiations through the U.S. Department of Energy's Genesis Mission, a national initiative using artificial intelligence to address science, energy and national security challenges. One project is led by MTU, and the other two include Michigan Tech researchers working with national laboratories and university partners. The work centers on improving predictions of water availability for energy development, using MTU's Pi Convection Cloud Chamber and AI to better understand cloud formation and precipitation. The projects put Michigan Tech's atmospheric science expertise and research infrastructure into a national effort that connects AI, high-performance computing, energy, and water resources. If funded, the work would bring additional federal research activity to Houghton and help strengthen Michigan Tech's position in advanced science and technology.