Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette Consultant Amy Clickner gives an update on the Baraga County Economic Development Corporation’s activities at the EDC’s annual update Wednesday afternoon. The EDC announced a new partnership with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community at the meeting.

BARAGA — The Baraga County Economic Development Corporation announced a new partnership with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community at the end of an annual update Wednesday at the Ojibwa Casino.

“This collaborative effort establishes the first true public-private-tribal partnership in Baraga County, and we look forward to working and growing together with the KBIC,” said EDC Treasurer Ethan Johnson.

Jennifer Misegan, the KBIC’s assistant CEO and also an EDC board member, had helped facilitate talks.

“It’s been something that’s in discussion just for services that they need assistance with, and we’ve been working on it for two years trying to build out what would be perfect for both organizations,” Mary Myers, director of business development for the EDC.

The $10,000 contract will include services both for new and existing businesses, Myers said.

“It’s pretty much just helping businesses all the way from startup to succession planning, and then the tribal businesses that need help with entrepreneurship,” she said.

During Wednesday’s presentation, consultant Amy Clickner outlined some of the services the EDC provides.

It can help provide labor market analysis and wage studies, which helps both existing businesses and startups, Clickner said. It also aids businesses through Zoom Prospector, a service that lists available properties and buildings in the county.

“If you’re interested in starting your business, expanding your business, looking for any type of property, it can get right down to ‘What is the electrical?’ ‘What are the utilities?’ ‘Is there rail nearby?’,” she said.

The EDC has also had success in obtaining state grant funding, which she said was particularly helpful during the COVID era to aid local businesses. Recent grants have included a Michigan Economic Development Corp. grant for a manufacturing company to purchase equipment, and more than $120,000 in assistance for 26 companies through the MEDC’s Restart Grants.

Over five years, the EDC’s client services had resulted in $11.525 million in investment services and the creation of 732 new jobs, Clickner said.

Looking ahead, Baraga County is dealing with many of the same struggles as other counties, Myers said: child care, housing and talent.

“I don’t think that the talent issues will be addressed until the housing is addressed and child care is addressed,” Myers said. “So we’ve really been working on those.”

Part of that involves lining up assistance through state programs. The EDC was involved in helping Western Upper Peninsula Planning & Development Region’s successful application for a $50,000 grant to establish a non-profit community development corporation in the L’Anse area. It will also be used to work with L’Anse Township and the Village of L’Anse to prepare a township-owned tract of land for housing development.