Experts say collaboration is key to improving the local economy
MARQUETTE -- Hundreds of U.P. business leaders packed NMU Wednesday morning for the 5th annual Great Lakes Economic and Workforce Development Summit. They came to gain economic clarity and left inspired.
"There's great info here for businesses," said Paul Arsenault, President of Concepts Consulting. "They bring in good speakers, and information is key to a successful business."
"I really appreciate the opportunity to meet with people of like minds, and everybody here is very positive about the Upper Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula's growth," said Vickie Micheau, Director of the Delta County Chamber of Commerce.
But the real star of today's summit was the unveiling of the Upward Initiative. The initiative brings local business stakeholders together to focus on improving the economy of the U.P. and Northern Wisconsin region by working together.
"A lot of what we're doing has to do with alignment," said initiative facilitator, Bob Eslinger. "There's a lot of really good things going on throughout the Upper Peninsula and Northern Wisconsin, and they're being done in pockets, and what we're trying to do is to get some synergy out of all those individual efforts."
Individual efforts include angles of achieving economic prosperity in our region, like natural resources, higher education, tourism, infrastructure, health care, business growth and development, and education and workforce training.
"A lot of it has to do with what's already going on and by teaming together," Eslinger said.
For more information about the Upward Initiative, an executive report is available for download at www.jobforce.org.
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