The L’Anse Warden Electric Power Plant is an 18-megawatt one unit steam generating power plant located on Lake Superior, in the village of L’Anse, in Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula. L’Anse is in Baraga County on the base of the Keweenaw Bay. In July of 2007, the plant was purchased by Traxys North America and the station was converted to a biomass fuel burning plant. The biomass conversion was completed in August 2009. The Plant generates electricity at 13,800 volts, which is stepped up 69,000 volts and fed in the integrated system. The Plant delivers 17.7 MW to the grid and is sold to the MISO footprint. On August 10, 2010 the MPSC approved the 20-year long-term biomass contract having a value of $245 million for the life of the contract.
 
Recipient: JR Richardson
Natural Resource Commissioner J.R. Richardson is a life-long resident of the U.P. He has had a 31-year career in the paper industry ending in December of 2007. He started as a Union Coal Handler, Paper Machine Laborer and Recovery Boiler Operator in 1976 with Champion International Corporation. Through his career he had worked as a Process Engineer, Engineering Supervisor, Production Supervisor and Quality and Environmental Manger. Richardson ended his paper industry career as an Operations and Technical Manager for Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation. Starting in December 2007, he has worked for the New York-based TRAXYS Corporation, where they are creating renewable energy alternatives for producing power in the U.P.

A graduate of Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Richardson has a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering and has completed course work towards a business engineering administration degree. While working in the Forest Products Industry, Richardson has been a leader in developing safe, profitable, environmentally-friendly processes and procedures. J.R. directed the development of an Environmental Management System that led the way to the State of Michigan’s Clean Corporate Citizen designation for the Ontonagon paper mill. The Ontonagon facility became the first paper mill in the State to receive this designation, and only the fourth industry overall to accomplish this. Under Richardson’s leadership, the mill also attained a Longevity Award from the Clean Corporate Citizen program in 2004, and three Neighborhood Environmental Partnership designations.

Richardson also received the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Partner in Conservation Award in 1993. This was based on working with the local sportsman’s groups on habitat rehabilitation and fish plants, along with managing an award-winning wastewater treatment plant in Michigan. He was honored by the Michigan Manufacturer’s Association as a finalist for the John G. Thodis Award in 2006. He has received numerous awards from Champion International for team excellence, and selected for the Chairman’s Award of Excellence in 1996 celebrated at the corporate headquarters in Chicago.

In his community, he served on the Ontonagon Village Council and EDC from 1996 to 2004 and has served as a member of the Volunteer Fire Department, Marina Commission and as a Hazardous Materials Certified Technician. Richardson is also a member of the Rotary Club, Whitetails Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, Ontonagon Valley Sportsman’s Club, the Lake Superior Special Designation Task Force, as the President of the Upper Peninsula Sports Fisherman’s Association and as the hair of the Solid Waste Planning Committee. For the Timber Industry, he has served on the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s Task Force for Best Management Practices. He is a Certified Stormwater Inspector and a C-3a Certified Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator in the State.

Richardson was appointed to the NRC by Governor Jennifer Granholm in 2007. He resides in Ontonagon and is an avid fly fisherman, annual backpacker in the Porkies, hunter, stamp collector and outdoorsman. He says “come on up to the U.P. and we can go fishing, eh.”

GS Engineering was started in September 2002 by Glen Simula. He hired 2 additional engineers and one MTU engineering student. GSE was the anchor tenant in the MTU Business Incubator, starting with one room and growing to occupy the entire first floor. In March 2008, GSE moved to its own new 14000 sq ft building on US 41 just south of MTU.

GSE is an agile engineering consulting business for military ground vehicles – both for the US Army and prime contractors. In 2005, GSE was selected as one of the inaugural Michigan 50 Companies to watch, and then as the Michigan Government Contractor or of the Year in 2010. GSE has received over 300 contracts during this time, including 9 SBIR awards.
 
Recipient: Glen Simula
Graduated from Redford Union High School 1977
Graduated MTU Feb 1981 Mechanical Engineering
Graduated U of M 1984 Mechanical Engineering
Bechtel Power 1981 – 1983
Keweenaw Research Center MTU 1983 – 2002
Started GS Engineering in 2002

Oldenburg Group Incorporated is a Milwaukee-based supplier of performance-engineered products used in the defense, mining, energy and architectural lighting industries worldwide. The company’s facilities in Kingsford and Iron River, Michigan and Rhinelander, Wisconsin employ nearly 400 people and contribute over $30 million annually into the regional economy. In recent years, Oldenburg Group Incorporated has invested several million dollars to modernize its factories, and is currently building a new $5 million technology and administration center in Kingsford, Michigan.
 
Recipient: Dr. Tim Nerenz
Tim Nerenz is Executive Vice President of Oldenburg Group Incorporated, a global supplier of engineered heavy equipment and architectural lighting products headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Tim’s business career spans over 35 years with three prominent Wisconsin and Michigan companies – Getty’s Manufacturing, Rayovac, and Oldenburg Group. He has exported American-built products to over 30 countries. Dr. Nerenz holds three graduate degrees in business; his Ph.D. dissertation examined government bundling of small business contracts, and he writes business case studies used in international MBA programs around the world. He has served as a past advisor to the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and serves on the boards of Wisconsin Prosperity Network, Prosperity USA, and Athabasca University. He writes a weekly commentary on government policy, economics, and trade.

Tim is a native of Ironwood, Michigan.

QuickTrophy is an internet based company which offers a full line of trophies, awards, medals, plaques, name tags, name plates, and office signs. QuickTrophy was started in 2000 by 3 partners: Stephen Polk and Michael Kane of downstate Bloomfield Hills and Terry Dehring of Marquette. QuickTrophy was started with no physical retail location which was unique for a trophy company at the time and is still quite rare. The past decade has seen dramatic growth for QuickTrophy with annual revenues in excess of 1 million dollars, making it one of the largest trophy and awards companies in the US.

Customers from around the world place orders on their web sites: QuickTrophy.com and QuickNameTags.com. All orders are engraved and manufactured for the customer in their factory and shipped out by the next business day. With such a quick turnaround, they are the fastest trophy company on the planet–hence the name: QuickTrophy. QuickTrophy currently employs 15 people, including several current NMU students. They are located at 446 E. Crescent St., near Lakeshore Blvd in Marquette.

 
Recipient: Terry Dehring

Terry Dehring is the President of QuickTrophy, LLC. Terry graduated from Northern Michigan University in 1980 with Bachelors and Master’s degrees in biology. Following graduation, he lived and worked in Madison, Wisconsin in a variety of fields including computer programming, market research, and restaurant development. He relocated back to Marquette in 2000 and started QuickTrophy. Terry and his wife Anne have 2 daughters: Julia, a sophomore at NMU majoring in international studies, and Isabelle, a junior at Marquette Senior High School.

Creative Composites is a small business located in Rapid River, MI that designs, develops, engineers & manufactures structures and armor using advanced composite materials such as carbon fiber, Kevlar & ballistic fiberglass. The company strives to advance the state of the art in composite materials and structures, keeping costs low & producing high-quality products.

Creative has many “firsts” to its credit: The first abrasive waterjet machining operation in the U.P. (and still the only company with 5-axis cutting capability), the first successful snowmobile composite front suspension, as well as development of many new and first-ever composite structures for military vehicles.

During a time when manufacturing is struggling in Michigan, Creative Composites has had an exemplary year. Not only have they maintained their current market share, but also expanded and hired new highly skilled employees, taking their employment numbers from 10 to 35 as of December 2009. Creative Composites believes increasing manufacturing operations needs to be the focus to improving the vitality of the regional economy.

Getz’s Inc. has been a clothier in Marquette since the mid 1880’s and continues to evolve and grow. While remaining authentic to the original vision, providing the highest quality clothing and gear for the workplace, Getz’s has also adapted to today’s demands for a wide array of clothing an footwear for the entire family.

In 1997, the company added an internet business through getzs.com primarily focusing on quality work wear and outdoor apparel. Getz’s provides outstanding customer service and embodies time-tested practices in their store. The old-world charm of the store coupled with the use of technology to meet today’s needs provides for an interesting mix that is not easily integrated. Yet Getz’s has accomplished this without compromising their traditional operations. Drawing visitors and residents alike to downtown Marquette, Getz’s provided important traffic to the downtown merchants.

Calumet Electronics has been manufacturing high-performance printed circuit boards since 1968. The company is a registered Small Business and a certified HUBZone Enterprise currently employing over 100 local residents.

Calumet has built its success on consistently delivering high quality products to performance driven markets. It has responded to the globalization of manufacturing by investing in technology and creating an environment of innovation.

Calumet Electronics remains committed to supporting American manufacturing by providing a Made in the USA option to companies that place a premium on performance.

American Transmission Company began operation in January 2001 as the nation’s first multi-state, transmission-only utility company.  ATC’s high voltage electric transmission system (aka “The Grid”) enables energy producers to transport electrical power from the locations where it’s generated to local distribution utilities for consumption by their customers. ATC’s transmission network provides transmission service to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and portions of the State of Wisconsin.  ATC maintains an office in Kingsford, Michigan and is headquartered in Pewaukee, Wisconsin.

Since its inception, ATC has invested more than $0.5 Billion to improve upon the infrastructure that serves Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It has rebuilt and upgraded aging assets and has constructed new assets where necessary to meet a growing demand for energy. Much of its work in the U.P. and northern Wisconsin has been completed utilizing U.P. based contractors and vendors.

ATC initiated its U.P. Energy Collaborative during 2008 to engage a broad range of customers and stakeholders from the region to assess future needs and evaluate solutions. Opportunities for new sources of renewable energy are also being evaluated through the Energy Collaborative to insure the region is well poised to meet the demands of the future. ATC’s Energy Collaborative has been cited by the Michigan Public Service Commission as the “Best Practice for other transmission companies to employ”.

V.I.O. began as Viosport, creating helmet cameras that attached to camcorders for recording adventure and sports, such as mountain biking, motocross, skiing, snowboarding and motorcycling. In response to demand from military, law enforcement and homeland security agencies, and to better meet the needs of tactical professionals, Viosport created a line of rugged, wearable video technology under the VioTac brand in 2005. Viosport has since grown into the industry leader in wearable point-of-view (POV) video technology and is now offering the new standard in integrated POV video systems, the POV.1. As a result, Viosport changed its name to V.I.O. to reflect the company’s focus on POV video for both tactical and sport applications.

For over 85 years, Pinecrest Medical Care Facility has been providing quality care to our Upper Peninsula communities and families.  Owned by Delta, Dickinson and Menominee Counties, Pinecrest is centrally located in Powers, Michigan.  As a recognized area leader in long-term care, Pinecrest offers skilled medical care, Alzheimer’s care, physical, occupational and speech therapy, can welcome up to 160 residents, and was named the “2006 Facility of the Year” by the National Association of Healthcare Assistants (NAHA).  Pinecrest’s Pine Grove facility, which opened in January of 2007, was the first “greenhouse” facility in the Upper Peninsula and the second in Michigan.  Pinecrest Medical Care Facility is a nationally recognized facility that demonstrates its commitment to its workforce, its residents and the community through action.

P: 906-226-6591          F: 906-226-2099