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MARQUETTE -- This roundup of regional business activity was prepared by InvestUP, a private-sector-led economic development organization based in Marquette.
• Two U.P. providers among 23 advancing statewide broadband projects
BARAGA -- Baraga Telephone Company and Upper Peninsula Telephone Company are among 23 providers statewide that have finalized agreements through the Michigan Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, progressing their broadband expansion projects into the pre-construction phase.
With contracts signed, providers can begin work such as permitting and other preparations necessary before construction starts. Statewide, the BEAD program represents a $1.447 billion investment, including $916 million in federal funding and $531 million in private matching funds, with projects expected to connect nearly 200,000 homes, businesses, and community institutions to high-speed internet.
Providers will have four years from the execution of their agreements to complete their projects. The inclusion of two U.P.-based providers moves additional rural broadband investment closer to construction and strengthens infrastructure that increasingly underpins business growth, workforce participation, and access to essential services across the region.
• MDOT Awards $6M to Delta County for mobility initiative
ESCANABA -- Delta County will receive $5,986,407 through the Michigan Department of Transportation's Infrastructure Projects Authority Fund to support the Delta County Mobility Transformation Initiative, one of the projects selected in the fund's first round of statewide awards.
Administered through the Delta Area Transit Authority, the investment will support new service and capital improvements that will strengthen public transportation in the county. The award is part of $65 million in statewide transit funding intended to expand service, address longstanding transportation gaps, and improve connections to employment, healthcare, education, and other essential destinations.
The Infrastructure Projects Authority Fund was established through Michigan's Fiscal Year 2026 transportation funding plan to provide a long-term source of capital for new and enhanced public transit projects. At nearly $6 million, the Delta County award is a substantial investment in regional mobility, providing new resources for transportation access and the infrastructure that connects residents with employers, services, and economic opportunities.
• Northcross Group Makes Inc. 5000 for third year in row
MARQUETTE -- Northcross Group has been named to the Inc. 5000 for the third consecutive year, ranking 1,869 nationally in 2026 after posting 185% growth over three years.
NCG, an InvestUP board member, also ranked 96 in the Business and Corporate Services category. The professional services firm specializes in system integration, cybersecurity, privacy and governance, risk and compliance, with an office located in Marquette as part of its expanding footprint.
• Gogebic Community College awarded $476K for maritime workforce training
IRONWOOD -- Gogebic Community College will receive $476,496 through Michigan's Industry-Driven Skills Training Program to expand training capacity for maritime, shipbuilding, and advanced manufacturing occupations.
GCC is one of five community colleges selected for more than $3 million in statewide workforce investments directed at preparing workers for high-demand maritime careers. The funding may be used for equipment purchases, instructor training and recruitment, and improvements to existing laboratory space. GCC will also work directly with employers through the Michigan Maritime Employer-Led Collaborative to align curriculum and technical training with current and anticipated industry needs.
The investment addresses a persistent workforce development challenge in the Western U.P. by locating advanced technical training closer to both employers and prospective workers. It also gives GCC more ability to build a regional training model shaped by employer demand, reducing geographic barriers to skills development while increasing the availability of skilled workers for maritime and advanced manufacturing employers.
• InvestUP Welcomes Lindsey Clark as director of community development
MARQUETTE -- InvestUP has named Lindsey Clark as director of community development, adding more than a decade of experience in community and economic development to the organization.
Clark spent the past eight years with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, where she worked with communities across the state on downtown revitalization, small business initiatives, housing, and public-private development projects. In her new position, she will lead InvestUP's work around regional economic vitality, affordable housing, and community development initiatives across the Upper Peninsula.
Her addition expands InvestUP's capacity to work with communities on complex development projects that require coordination, financing tools, partnerships, and sustained local engagement. Marty Fittante, CEO of InvestUP, states, "Lindsey understands community development from both sides of the table. She has helped communities advance important projects and housing developments through her work at the MEDC, and she knows firsthand that our communities prosper when small businesses thrive because she has built and operated one herself to see its local impact on community."
• Midwest Living Names Keweenaw Peninsula Michigan's Best Fall Getaway
HOUGHTON -- The Keweenaw Peninsula has been named Michigan's best fall getaway by Midwest Living, earning the state's spot on the magazine's list of top autumn destinations in the nation.
The publication points to the region's combination of fall color, Lake Superior scenery, waterfalls, historic sites, and outdoor recreation, including Hungarian Falls, Quincy Mine, M-26 and Brockway Mountain Drive. Midwest Living also calls attention to the communities that make the Keweenaw a destination beyond its scenery, including Houghton, Hancock, Calumet, and Copper Harbor, along with local lodging and recreation businesses.
Recognition from a well-known travel publication provides additional visibility on the Keweenaw during an important tourism season, supporting visitor spending across lodging, restaurants, attractions, retail, and outdoor recreation businesses.
• New Film 'Choosing Trail' examines economic, community value of Marquette Trails
MARQUETTE -- A new short film, “Choosing Trail,” examines the future of the greater Marquette region's extensive non-motorized trail system and the increasingly complex questions surrounding its long-term sustainability.
Produced by Aaron Peterson and Darryn Schulte for the Trail Sustainability Coalition, the 27-minute film draws from the Greater Marquette Region Strategic Trails Plan, which estimated the economic impact associated with the region's trails at approximately $41 million. Through conversations with land managers, business owners and trail advocates, the film considers the value trails contribute to recreation, quality of life, tourism, and the local economy while examining the pressures created when trail access, housing development, job creation, and private investment compete for finite land and financial resources.
With more than 900 miles of non-motorized trails in the region, the discussion extends beyond maintaining individual routes to questions of permanent easements, sustainable funding, liability costs, and the long-term relationship between public access and private land. Choosing Trail debuted at the 2026 Fresh Coast Film Festival and is intended to continue that discussion beyond Marquette.
While the circumstances explored in the film are specific to the region, the underlying issues are increasingly relevant to U.P. communities considering how outdoor recreation fits alongside housing, economic development, private property, and other demands on limited community resources.
• MIOSHA opens $500K in small business safety grants
MARQUETTE -- Michigan small businesses with 250 employees or fewer can apply for matching grants of up to $5,000 through the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Workplace Improvement to Safety and Health program.
The grants provide a dollar-for-dollar match for eligible safety equipment and related training intended to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses. During the 2025-26 fiscal year, MIOSHA awarded $500,000 to 129 employers, with construction accounting for the largest share of recipients. Funding supported purchases such as safety helmets, high-visibility apparel, gloves, safety glasses and fall-protection equipment.
The new grant cycle opened Oct. 1 and will remain available until funds are exhausted. Preference will be given to employers in high-hazard industries and projects aligned with state and national safety emphasis areas, making the program a great funding opportunity for U.P. businesses planning workplace safety upgrades.