What's happening: Northern Hardwoods Lumber has received a $250,000 Michigan Business Development grant from the Michigan Strategic Fund, money that will help fund the installation of a new biomass boiler and back-pressure steam turbine at the company's facility in Atlantic Mine, Houghton County.
What the investment means: The upgrades to the facility will provide the opportunity to reduce operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions leading to a more energy-efficient process. The investments will also add longevity to the company's operations and the retention of 85 jobs. Without this investment, the company would have to close its doors at the end of the current boiler's lifecycle.
What they're saying: "Northern Hardwoods continues its long history of providing good paying jobs through the process of some of Michigan's highest value timber from the hardwood forests of the Upper Peninsula," says Jeff Ratcliffe, executive director of the Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance.
Overall investment: The grant represents is among more than $5.5 million in business investment and community revitalization projects in the U.P., protecting 85 high-paying jobs in the region.
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