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Charlevoix city manager Rob Straebel (from left), East Jordan city administrator Chris Yonker and Boyne City city manager Michael Cain spoke with the Petoskey News-Review last week about their strategies to attract industry and jobs to Charlevoix County. (FILE PHOTOS / March 4, 2013) |
When manufacturing in Michigan was in its heyday during the last century, a boom of industrial growth spread across Northern Michigan and much of it centered around bodies of water such as Lake Charlevoix where natural resources were plentiful and close proximity to railroad tracks.
There was Dura Automotive in East Jordan, a coal-fired power plant and the tannery in Boyne City and Big Rock nuclear plant in Charlevoix, to name a few.
All of those have since closed.
"The waterfront used to be the commercial and industrial hub for the community," explained Michael Cain, city manager of Boyne City. "Times changed," he said, after the railroads stopped running and downtown waterfronts became valued for their natural beauty and draw for tourism.
In those three Charlevoix County municipalities, industry may have faded and tourism boomed, but the city managers of all three say industry still plays a large role in the economy of their city.
The way it looks and where it is located has merely shifted.
East Jordan, Boyne City and Charlevoix each has an industrial or business park located within the city, but outside downtown. Each is actively recruiting manufacturing and industrial businesses to occupy its park.
Year-round industry can offer a living wage and fringe benefits for workers, adding to individual and community wealth, said Chris Yonker, East Jordan city administrator, which can offset the seasonality of tourism.
"While we are pushing for Charlevoix County to have a year-round tourism aspect ... We understand full well we typically do better in summer than winter," he said. "We can't put all of our eggs in tourism. But then again, these days, you can't put all of your eggs in industrial recruitment and new industry either. Finding a balance makes us much more resilient and more sustainable."
Still, attracting new or existing businesses to East Jordan's industrial park is a major focus of the city administrator. Managers in Boyne City and Charlevoix agree on its importance.
Bringing good-paying, high quality jobs to the area, said Rob Straebel, Charlevoix city manager, is good for the city not only because it increases the tax base as that industry pays property taxes, but also brings more people into town who work at those factories who purchase property of their own and patronize local businesses.
"It helps maintain our tax base," he said, "And if we bring in more families to the community, we also bring more kids into the school, which helps the local school system."
Cain said he looks at the economy of Boyne City as if it were a three-legged stool.
There are the residential areas of town, the commercial or retail area -- which is mostly located downtown -- and the manufacturing area, which is mostly located in the industrial park. Each is as important as the next, he said.
Industry provides what Cain calls "family-sustaining jobs."
"I think you have to have that mix," he said, "When manufacturing went downhill things were tight. It was good to have those other two legs to stand on."
And the three areas of the economy complement one another, he said.
"It all cross pollinates each other," he explained.
He is constantly recruiting and reaching out to bring new businesses to Boyne City and into its business park, he said.
There was Dura Automotive in East Jordan, a coal-fired power plant and the tannery in Boyne City and Big Rock nuclear plant in Charlevoix, to name a few.
All of those have since closed.
"The waterfront used to be the commercial and industrial hub for the community," explained Michael Cain, city manager of Boyne City. "Times changed," he said, after the railroads stopped running and downtown waterfronts became valued for their natural beauty and draw for tourism.
In those three Charlevoix County municipalities, industry may have faded and tourism boomed, but the city managers of all three say industry still plays a large role in the economy of their city.
The way it looks and where it is located has merely shifted.
East Jordan, Boyne City and Charlevoix each has an industrial or business park located within the city, but outside downtown. Each is actively recruiting manufacturing and industrial businesses to occupy its park.
Year-round industry can offer a living wage and fringe benefits for workers, adding to individual and community wealth, said Chris Yonker, East Jordan city administrator, which can offset the seasonality of tourism.
"While we are pushing for Charlevoix County to have a year-round tourism aspect ... We understand full well we typically do better in summer than winter," he said. "We can't put all of our eggs in tourism. But then again, these days, you can't put all of your eggs in industrial recruitment and new industry either. Finding a balance makes us much more resilient and more sustainable."
Still, attracting new or existing businesses to East Jordan's industrial park is a major focus of the city administrator. Managers in Boyne City and Charlevoix agree on its importance.
Bringing good-paying, high quality jobs to the area, said Rob Straebel, Charlevoix city manager, is good for the city not only because it increases the tax base as that industry pays property taxes, but also brings more people into town who work at those factories who purchase property of their own and patronize local businesses.
"It helps maintain our tax base," he said, "And if we bring in more families to the community, we also bring more kids into the school, which helps the local school system."
Cain said he looks at the economy of Boyne City as if it were a three-legged stool.
There are the residential areas of town, the commercial or retail area -- which is mostly located downtown -- and the manufacturing area, which is mostly located in the industrial park. Each is as important as the next, he said.
Industry provides what Cain calls "family-sustaining jobs."
"I think you have to have that mix," he said, "When manufacturing went downhill things were tight. It was good to have those other two legs to stand on."
And the three areas of the economy complement one another, he said.
"It all cross pollinates each other," he explained.
He is constantly recruiting and reaching out to bring new businesses to Boyne City and into its business park, he said.
