Billerud funding included in state budget

What's happening: One of the Upper Peninsula’s largest employers, the Billerud paper mill just outside Escanaba, will get significant funding to help with expansion and improvements. The state will now fund roughly 20 percent of the total $1 billion investment, which will help the plant change the type of products it makes and keep more than 1,200 jobs in the Upper Peninsula. 

How it's funded: Local lawmakers are supporting the supplemental spending bill signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday, Jan. 31, which included the $200 million improvement. The supplemental spending bill also funded numerous proposals featured in the State of the State address like childcare access and funding for apprenticeships.

What they're saying: “This is a monumental victory for the Upper Peninsula,” said 110th District Representative Greg Markkanen. “Due to this investment, at least 1,240 jobs will be retained at the Escanaba facility. Further, much-needed machine and facility upgrades are now on the horizon. This will lead to a flurry of job opportunities, and a more vigorous U.P. The mill was recently facing closure; however, this investment will keep the mill running and set it up for generations to come.”

What's next: State Sen. Ed McBroom believes that the funding, when paired up with international investments from Billerud, will keep the plant economically relevant for 60–100 years. But first, it will take additional construction workers and planning to construct the changes. According to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), the investment will lead to approximately 2,000 employment opportunities.