November 2018 Newsletter

www.keweenaw.org

November 2018 - Issue #76

Dear Chamber Members & Friends,

November is the month of gratitude. First, we honor our military Veterans for all of their sacrifice. Then, we enjoy the bounties of our natural surroundings with the opening of firearm deer season. We finish the month celebrating all of our blessings with friends and family at Thanksgiving.

November also marks the beginning of the holiday season, a time of year that is critically important to our local businesses. Holiday shoppers, whether buying gifts or stocking up for big feasts, can have a huge effect on local retailers. For some, the last 45 days of the year may be the difference between profit and loss.

Buying local is always important, we all know that, but the Father’s Day Flood made supporting our local businesses so much more crucial. All local businesses were affected by the flood. Some businesses suffered direct damage, some saw a decline in business, and some chose to contribute time, money, or supplies to the recovery.

There are countless businesses (and households) who made the selfless decision to give back while simultaneously trying to put their own world back together. Our Chamber member businesses really stepped up to the plate to help our community in need. The Campioni family, owners of Pat’s Foods, Festival Foods, and other businesses in the area, are a great example of how our business community responded in our time of need. The family business was directly impacted by the flood when the Wilderness Car Wash off Sharon Avenue was heavily damaged. Yet, for a period of time in the weeks following the flood, the Campioni’s donated 30% of sales to flood relief through the Portage Health Foundation. Keweenaw Chevrolet supported our benefit concert with a generous donation of $8,000 on top of the $250 promised donation of per car sold. There are too many examples of generosity to list, but none go unnoticed.

To help encourage buying local, the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce is pleased to offer Keweenaw Cash: a gift certificate program that can be used at more than 300 Chamber member businesses. Since its launch, the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce has issued over $341,000 worth of Keweenaw Cash. That money goes right back into local businesses!

So this holiday season let’s all show our local businesses how grateful we are that they are here to serve us and to support our community when we need it most.

Thank you for your support,

Brian Donnelly

President

Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce

Top Chamber Supporters

Welcome New Chamber Members

Please support our Chamber Member Businesses!

One of the 21 Heritage Sites of the Keweenaw National Historical Park, and their primary objective is to preserve the story what life and work was like for miners, loggers, farmers, business people, homemakers and children. The museum displays bring to life the people who built the mining towns and villages of Atlantic Mine, South Range, Baltic, Trimountain, Painesdale, Winona, Toivola, Donken, Redridge, Beacon Hill, Edgemere, and Freda.

The museum collections include photographs, books, and artifacts from the everyday lives of ordinary people.

Their operating hours are June - September, or open year round by appointment.

Visit their website and follow their Facebook for more information.

Thank you for renewing your membership

Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home

Copper Island Engraving

Credit Services, Inc.

Down Wind Sports

Finlandia University

Franklin Township

G & J Site Solutions, Inc.

Gardenview Assisted Living & Memory Care

Gitzen Company

Hannula Agency

Houghton County

Joey's Seafood and Grill

Keweenaw Auto Body

Keweenaw Automotive

Keweenaw County Historical Society

Massie MFG., Inc.

Neuvokas Corporation

Papa Murphy's

Pasty.Net, Inc.

Rukkila, Negro & Associates, CPAs, PC

Superior Smiles

U.P. Oil Company

Village of South Range

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Stay connected to our latest news, events, and job postings.

Mark Your Calendars!

Upcoming Events

Are you interested in being on the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors? Please fill out an application here . If you would like more information, please contact us.

Event Recaps

Congratulations to GrandBridge Business Centre on their new Houghton location. They have beautiful private offices, open/co-working spaces, and a conference room in a sleek modern building.

Visit them at 902 Razorback Drive, Suite 5 in Houghton.

October 25th: Presenter Jason Mack gave attendees a insight on what a Maker Space is and how it will benefit our community.

Lunch & Learns are offered monthly.

Sponsored by: Keweenaw Co-op

Member Spotlight:

Keweenaw Young Professionals

Give us some background on your organization.

Keweenaw Young Professionals (KYP) was founded 2013 by local community members as a group for young professionals to be social, network, get involved in the community and have fun. In 2016, KYP became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization allowing us to further our efforts to achieve our mission of providing opportunities for area young professionals to connect and grow through community engagement. KYP is organized and operated by a volunteer board of up to eleven board members that meets monthly to plan events and initiatives to further the KYP mission.

How have you served the community over the years?

Since 2013, KYP has offered over 65 social meetups, over 30 service events, and over 20 educational professional development events. Social meetups include events like the KBC Brewery Tour, Gourmet Gone Wild food sampling and fly casting lessons, and Painting with a Twist wine and paint night. We also have hosted family friendly social meetups such as a tour of the Isle Royale Queen and a tour of the Coast Guard Vessel Tour. Our service events include volunteering with CopperDog and Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly, and the Holiday Hoopla that raised money for the Community Action Agency Western UP Food Bank. To support the development of area young professionals we have offered meetups with community leaders and elected officials and a professional development series with topics ranging from disconnecting with technology and how to work with anyone.

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

KYP events and membership are open to all community members. There are no age restrictions or career requirements. You will find people of a variety of ages and career pathways from across the Keweenaw Peninsula as members of KYP, attending KYP events, and serving on the KYP Board of Directors.

Do you have advice for community members?

No prior experience with KYP? No problem! We always welcome new attendees to our events, to join our membership, and to serve on the KYP Board of Directors. We encourage area young professionals to support their professional development by becoming a KYP member or share their talents and interests with the community by serving on our Board of Directors. KYP membership is $25 for six months or $50 for one year, and membership provides free or discounted access to social events, develop a large personal and professional network, connect with community leaders and elected officials, get VIP access to select events, and ability to list KYP Membership on professional resume. The nomination form is open to join our 2019 Board of Directors and is due by November 28. We have openings on the board for the positions of co-chairs, treasurer, and general board members. As one of our current board members, Angela Hoffman said, “Joining the KYP Board of Directors provided me the opportunity to do many fun things I wouldn’t have otherwise done, with great people I would not have met, had it not been for KYP.”

How can the community connect with you and learn more?

Want to connect with KYP? Check out some of our upcoming events, including the KYP Autumn Mixer on Wednesday, November 7 at 5:30 p.m. at the Bonfire Steakhouse or the KYP 2019 Kickoff on Saturday, January 19 at 4 p.m. at the Downtowner Lounge Banquet Room. Both events are free to attend and will provide opportunities to network in a fun way, learn more about KYP, and enjoy tasty appetizers. Follow us on Facebook or check out our website to stay up to date on our upcoming events!

Is your business/organization interested in being in our member spotlight? Contact us for more details!

Your Opportunity to Learn More

Contact the Chamber for free access to Skillshare

Member Events

Is your business or organization having an upcoming event? Send us your flyer and we will include it in our newsletter - Email: [email protected]. Also - be sure to post your events on our community calendar!

Member Announcements

Are you familiar with Keweenaw Cash?

Does your business have brochures?

Board of Directors

Brian Donnelly, President

Financial Service Representative

Superior National Bank

James Desrochers - Treasurer

Associate Director, Industry Relations

Michigan Technological University

Karin Van Dyke, Secretary

Vice President for University Relations

Finlandia University

Morgan Impola

Regional Engineer

UPPCO

Mary Myers

Account Executive

WLUC TV6

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

Matt Thyer

Owner

Up and Running Technology Solutions

Our roots run deep in the Keweenaw

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.