ESCANABA — Many of you are familiar with the catch phrase “Make it in Michigan” adopted by our state’s leadership. The budget for 2025 is filled with tools to help with many of our issues, including housing, blight elimination, talent and business attraction, education and many more programs designed to help businesses and citizens be successful. I am excited by the information that came out of the Leadership Summit, September 25th in Lansing. Another group of individuals have shown they are also committed to “Make it in Michigan”, the Detroit Tigers. This extremely young group of professional baseball players have overcome heavy odds to make the MLB playoffs for the first time since 2014. Not only have the made the playoffs, but immediately let the Houston Astro’s know that they could start their offseason vacation sooner than they have in several years. The Gritty Tigers will start their next playoff series today against the Cleveland Guardians at 1:08 p.m. This group of young men will be performing in a home playoff game in Comerica Park on Wednesday October 9th. Quite an accomplishment for a group that most thought had no chance to do anything like this earlier this summer. This group displays all of the traits I have written in this column that are needed by our leaders to make special things happen in our area. The Tigers have been a selfless and supportive of their teammates. Always looking for ways to make the team better. Leaving anything that doesn’t support the team goals outside their scope. If they go no further in the playoffs, they have showed how to be a group that can put the greater good in front of any individual goals, true winners. They are a great example for all of us that depend on team success to make great things happen. They are also my Mom’s favorite team.

On September 26th I had the great pleasure to host and welcome our 2024 Delta Force Leadership participants to Economic Development Day. The group is made up of leaders sponsored by their organizations to attend nine sessions during the year dealing with many different topics that are important to our area. I found the group very attentive and looking to gain knowledge as they had presenters talk with them in the morning. I had an opportunity to talk to them about the role of the Delta County Economic Development Alliance and our goals for the organization. I also review strategies we utilize as an organization, as well as the board leadership we have been blessed with since the organization’s inception in 1993. The group also received presentations from Marty Fittante the CEO of InvestUp, Laura Marohnic the Regional Director for the Small Business Development Center and Vickie Micheau the Executive Director for the Delta County Chamber of Commerce. The feedback was extremely positive for the group of presenters. The participants spent the afternoon getting a tour of EMP’s operation and then had the opportunity to tour Van Aire. They came away like I always have from the tours with a better understanding of the critical role both businesses play in their respective industries. They are both leaders with respect to the products they produce for their customers, as well as the team oriented environment for their employees. The Delta Force last session is Media Day and then they will graduate at the Chambers Annual Dinner on October 10th.

We have many opportunities coming to the area: new businesses, new housing, new infrastructure and we live in a unbelievably beautiful area! As former Michigan Football coach Jim Harbaugh and his family like to say, “Who has it better than us.”

Would it be too much to ask for a Tigers vs. Brewers World Series?

Best wishes,

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Ed Legault is executive director of the Delta County Economic Development Alliance