More than 75 area government officials, school superintendents and principals, community leaders, and business owners learned this region is ideal for certain businesses and it holds the potential for job creation in areas other than the tourism industry. This message was the focus of an economic development conference at the Sault Ste. Marie middle school October 21.

Area leaders attended the day-long conference called the E3 = C, Eastern Upper Peninsula Economic Development Summit. The three “Es” are education, economy, and environment, and the “C” stands for community.

“The value of this conference is to generate new ideas for the future to combine education and economics to create a job market for local students,” said Jim Farero, a Mackinac County commissioner who attended the meeting.

“The only thing I’m scared about is not stretching,” said Ric Peterson of Peterson Public Sector Consulting from Lansing. “It’s about taking control.” Taking control, he said, means students turning the television off, stepping away from electronic games and music, and making the choice to study. Future economic success, he added, also means that schools must require four years of high school mathematics and must prepare students for college or additional training after high school.

“Education is the only way out,” Mr. Peterson said.

The Upper Peninsula, he said, is ideal for potential business opportunities, like airline repair facilities, computer software help desks, electricity generating plants, accounting services, technology repair facilities, and research services.

Gerald Peterson, the Negaunee city manager and former Marquette city manager (not related to Ric Peterson), spoke to the crowd about tourism and economic development.

While city manager at Marquette, he said, a plan was developed to make the area one of the best biking locations in the county. The bike path that was built has brought people out and has resulted in a vibrancy in the community. The bike path wasn’t that expensive, he said, and it served as a promotional vehicle for visitors and provided community spirit. “

“There has to be a clearly articulated vision for economic development,” he said.

To promote the bike path and to develop a sense of community pride, he said, whenever an outside article was written about it, they publicized the information to the community to let area residents know the program was working.

People usually have to travel a long distance to get to the Upper Peninsula, said Mr. Peterson. “We have to be good in the U.P., not cheap,” he said. “We have to offer quality.”

“If we aren’t willing to invest in our community, why should anyone else?” he asked. “It sends a message.”

He told attendees they need to know who their visitors are and what those visitors expect while visiting the area, not what they think the visitors want.

The Upper Peninsula, Mr. Peterson said, is rich in natural products. In a recent trip through South Dakota, he met a man who had used a tree stump to construct a chair and was selling it to a gallery in New Mexico. The man, he said, was selling the stump for $20,000 and he suggested people look for products that are here naturally, like the tree stump.

He said Upper Peninsula communities need sustainable business besides tourism. Tourism, he said, “brings in money for gas and restaurants, but not the community.”

He suggested communities seek partnerships and leaders provide a community vision. A project, he said, can take up to five years to complete.

“The presenters and speakers reinforced the idea that economic development doesn’t just happen,” said Michelle Walk, director of the Michigan State University Extension office in St. Ignace, after the conference. “A community needs a clear vision and a willingness to invest its own resources before they can expect others to invest in their community,” she said.

Other speakers at the conference included Steve Gordon, assistant superintendent at Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools, W. Toby Rhue of the Hiawatha National Forest, Dr. Gene Wicks, a science teacher at Sault Ste. Marie High School, Michael Porter of the Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District, Gwen Worley, the executive director of Michigan Works, and Glenn Lahti of the Great Waters tourism project.

The conference was sponsored by Chippewa, Luce, and Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporations, Sault Ste. Marie Schools, Bay Mills Community College, Lake Superior State University’s Center for Social Research, Michigan State University Extension Service, Chippewa County Health Department, War Memorial Hospital, Michigan Works, EUP Regional Planning and Development Commission, and the Multipurpose Collaborative Body of Chippewa County.