When you're looking for local business success stories, the Keweenaw is pretty fertile ground. That was readily apparent in the last stop of the
Michigan Economic Development Corporation's Entrepreneurial Services Bus Tour in Houghton recently.
Houghton was the final stop of 15 across the state, as the bus tour highlighted state programs available to assist early-stage businesses and entrepreneurs. It was hosted by
MTEC SmartZone, which works to do the same thing in Houghton and Hancock.
The fledgling Entrepreneur Support Center, a collaboration between MTEC SmartZone and
Finlandia University, was a good place to start, having helped to form thirty companies since this time last year.
As part of the bus tour, MTEC SmartZone program director Jonathan Leinonen also presented awards to three local start-ups. G&S Tool Company was given the Innovative Product of the Year award for its invention, the Hand Dozer.
"My partner and I didn't have business experience and MTEC SmartZone helped us with our approach, especially with marketing. We've come up with new signs and packaging and even new uses for our product, all with the SmartZone's help. We've been contacted by five manufacturers already and anticipate expanding to Europe," says George Oikarainen, owner of G&S Tool Company.
Student Start-Up of the Year was won by Michigan Tech student Jess Tompkins for her women's hunting and fishing gear company, Two Bows. Business of the Year was awarded to Patrick Curtain and Sam Lockwood of Old School Baking Company in Lake Linden, which makes artisan breads distributed throughout the U.P.
Other start-ups highlighted were Superior Nautical,
Baisikeli Ugunduzi, Crazy Joe's Salsa, AsfalisMed, Bugs & Blooms/Into the Woods Mini Golf, a new farmer's market, ZT Web Development, Clever Cloud and Tidy Traveler.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Jonathan Leinonen, MTEC SmartZone
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