Dear Friends,

The ‘Father’s Day Flood’ left a big impact on our community, well beyond the physical damage. It will take time for all of the pieces to be put back together, but Yoopers are uniquely equipped to face down adversity. Thanks to the gritty determination of volunteers, the generous offerings of donors, and the support from all our friends and neighbors, we are well on our way. Our resilience was tested, and we rose to the occasion. 

The carnage and pain of the flood has been well documented, in the news and on social media. The shocking photos and videos have made some people question plans to visit the Keweenaw. Our economy relies on our ability to attract people to the area to enjoy a piece of life not available anywhere else. From sightseers and thrill seekers to international students and professionals, we have a reputation of delivering a unique experience to those seeking contact with nature, adventure, and seclusion while still being close to comfortable lodging, great restaurants, and world class education.

All of those components that have always attracted people to our area are still in place. Our infrastructure is being repaired at mind boggling speed. Our businesses are open and ready to serve. While some of our trails and waterways are not yet available, we have always enjoyed an abundance of options in that area. People don’t need to cancel their visit, we just need to let them know. 

If you love the Keweenaw, tell the whole story. Tell the story of the flood, but also tell the story of the recovery. Make sure that everyone knows that while the Copper Country took a big hit, we are Still Strong, and we are Still Open. 

Thank you for your support,

Brian Donnelly

President

Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce

Ace Hardware of Calumet, Inc.

Aire Care

American Forest Management, Inc.

AmericInn of Calumet

AmericInn of Silver City

Associate - Dana Johnson

Bukema Trucking

Calumet Electronics Corporation

Chassell Carpentry & Woodwork, Inc.

Copper Country Veterinary Clinic

Crampton Surveying, Inc.

Cross Country Sports

Crown Cleaners

Culver's

D&L Janitorial, Inc.

Downtowner, Inc.

Edochi, LLC  

Freshwater Vacation Rentals, LLC

Gardenview Assisted Living & Memory Care

Gogebic Community College

Gogebic Lodge

Great Lakes Accounting, PC

Hannula Agency

Holiday Inn Express

Holombo Masonry

Houghton Rotary Club

InSight EyeCare

John Nelson, Financial Advisor, Edward Jones - Houghton

Keweenaw Brewing Company

Keweenaw Community Foundation

Keweenaw Co-op Market & Deli

Keweenaw Gem & Gift, Inc.

Keweenaw Overhead Door, Inc. Keweenaw Petroleum Services

Koppers, Inc

Lake Superior Magazine

Mattila Rock and Dock, LLC

New Beginnings Angel Mission

Northern Heating and Plumbing, Inc. Northern Light Cottages

Northern Michigan Land Brokers Northwinds Adventures

Northwoods Resort and Apartments Omega House

Pat's Motor Sports, Inc.

Peterson's Fish Market

Pilgrim River Steakhouse

Portage Dental Health

Quincy Mine Hoist Assn.

Ramada Waterfront

River Valley Bank

Sherwin Williams Company

Shopko Hometown

Suomi Restaurant

Superior Screed Service

Superior Service Towing

Surplus Outlet

The Calumet Theatre

Torch Lake Area Sewage Authority

U.P. Engineers & Architects, Inc.

Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center VAST

World of Wood

A huge thank you to everyone for supporting the concert!

The concert raised a total of $14,149 for the  Portage Health Foundation 's fund for flood relief.

A huge thank you to  Keweenaw Chevrolet  for being the exclusive sponsor. And of course the bands,  Keweenaw Brewgrass ,  Chasin' Steel , and especially  The Paul Family Bluegrass Band  who helped put this all together.

Thank you so much for supporting our community! A special thanks to  Bonfire Steakhouse  for making sure the bands had something to eat, and  Coca-Cola of Hancock  and  Keweenaw Petroleum Services  for donating beverages.

Presenter Andre Laplume spoke to attendees about Initial Coin Offerings & Bitcoin Entrepreneurship.

Sponsored by the Keweenaw Co-op,

Lunch & Learns are offered monthly.

Give us some background on yourself/your business.

Hi, I'm Lynn! I'm a tech grad and a digital marketing professional with over 12 years of experience in websites, social media, and digital advertising. I'm a business development director for a location independent collective of digital media professionals called Apiary Digital . When I moved back to the Keweenaw in August of 2017, I found myself quickly going stir crazy working out of my home office (the deer don't talk much).

I met Jake Northey, co-founder of 101 Quincy Coworking, in March of 2018 and realized we had a similar vision for a shared workspace. Since then, we planned and updated the second floor of 101 Quincy (formerly the Wisti Law Office) to be a coworking space that launched on May 30 as 101 Quincy Coworking .

How many years have you been in business?

A little over one month!

 

What’s an interesting fact about your business most people don’t know?

The concept of coworking is hard for some to imagine when they haven't experienced it themselves. Marketing agencies, in particular, have moved toward open concept workspaces to share ideas, inspire different thinking, and randomly help people meet each other. In addition to shared work spaces, we also have a rentable conference room.

 

Do you have any advice for new business owners?



Be open to feedback and seek input from supporters but don't get stuck in analysis paralysis -- which is easy with the overwhelming number of decisions needed to launch a new business. Be willing to try something that might fail--you'll learn something either way!  

What brought you to the area?

Initially Michigan Tech. After college I lived in the area for 6 years. Most recently I moved back to get out of traffic, rebuild a personal community, and for my husband to accept his dream job with Orbion Space Technology.

What keeps you here?

The people, the outdoors, and the energy for new ideas! 

What are your business's goals?

We hope to have 12 members by May 2019. 

How does being in this community affect your business?

The local community is the reason we launched the business--to grow, thrive, and build a shared workspace together. Coworking spaces aren't new. My hope is that the first members will help us engage more people in the community who are more remote workers, solopreneurs, and creatives who need a shared workspace and want to give coworking a try. 

Brian Donnelly, President

Financial Services Representative

Superior National Bank

Mary Myers - Vice President

Account Executive

WLUC TV6

Matthew Maise - Treasurer

Karin Van Dyke, Secretary

Vice President for University Relations

Finlandia University

Matt Thyer

Owner

Up and Running Technology Solutions

Morgan Impola

Regional Engineer

UPPCO

Carrie Richards

Partner Engagement Program Manager

Michigan Technological University

Angela Luskin

Health and Fitness Manager

UP Health System-Portage

Jan Cole

Managing Partner

Edochi, LLC

Marilyn Clark

CEO

MTEC SmartZone

James Desrochers

Associate Director, Industry Relations

Michigan Technological University

Upper Peninsula Power Company was created in 1947 through a merger of three utilities. One of them, the Houghton County Electric Light Company, earlier acquired the interests of Peninsula Electric Light and Power, which began operating in the Keweenaw in 1884 – just five years after Edison invented the light bulb.

From the Edison bulb to high-tech electronics of today, you might say UPPCO has been providing “ U.P. Power ” for more than 130 years. 

Customer Service

( 800-562-7680 )

[email protected]

24-Hour Electric Emergencies/Outages

1-800-562-7809

Outage Updates

@UPPCOstorm

News @uppcopower

• Safe & Reliable Service

• Renewable Hydroelectric Generation

With Public Recreational Opportunities

• Proud Community Supporter

Learn more at

www.uppco.com

Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce

902 College Ave, Houghton, MI 49931

906.482.5240 | [email protected] | www.keweenaw.org