Skip to Main Content Easy Reading Mode: Off
Site Search

Local Businesses Receive More Than $1.4 Million for Employee Training


Fifty-one Northwest Michigan area businesses have received grants totaling more than $1.4 million from Michigan’s Going Pro Talent Fund (formerly the STTF) for the 2019 fiscal year. The grants, applied for through Northwest Michigan Works!, will help the companies train new and incumbent workers in a variety of skills.

Grants in the region included $73,500 for LexaMar Corporation in Boyne City. The company says the grant will help them to continue to invest in their employees. “Going Pro allows LexaMar to grow and continuously improve the knowledge base of its technically skilled workforce, positioning the company for new program awards in 2019 and beyond,” said Charlie Siska, General Manager of LexaMar Corporation.

AlcoTec Wire Corporation in Traverse City received $22,500. AlcoTec says the grant will allow them to greatly enhance their training program. “Thanks to the assistance of Northwest Michigan Works!, AlcoTec was able to develop a strong business case needed to obtain this funding, ensuring that we can maintain and grow our talent and their capabilities through advanced training in the areas of Safety, Quality, and Lean Manufacturing,” said Kimberly Simon, Human Resources Manager at AlcoTec.

MR Products in Copemish received $33,639 from the Talent Fund. The company says this year’s grant and the one it received last year are helping with employee training, including their apprenticeship program. “The Going Pro grant has helped MR Products to strengthen our employee training program and provide the resources to train unskilled workers, allowing them to become valuable employees with solid skills on which they can build a career,” said Carol Mathias, Human Resources Manager at MR Products.

Cadillac Fabrication participated in the Going Pro program for the first time and received $21,814 to

train its employees. “The funding that we received will be a huge help in growing our business and our employees. It should help us be more consistent and a company that people want to work for,” said Kris Saller, HR Administrator at Cadillac Fabrication.

The Talent Fund provides competitive awards to assist in upskilling, as well as developing and retaining current and new employees through public-private partnerships with employers. Statewide for the 2019 fiscal year, more than $29 million dollars was awarded to 780 employers to train nearly 24,000 employees.

The program is implemented locally by the Michigan Works! organizations which conduct outreach to inform employers of the program. Employers with a need for skill enhancement, including apprenticeship programs and advance-technology training programs for current employees or individuals to be hired, may be eligible to apply for the grant.

More information about the Going Pro Talent Fund and a full list of the 2019 grant recipients is available at: nwm.org/goingpro.

Our Township greatly benefits from Network Northwest's experience, depth of knowledge and understanding. Because they work with so many diverse communities in our ten-county region they understand the local land-use issues and are already working on solutions by the time we realize we need some help.
- Susan Odom, Chair, Suttons Bay Township Planning Commission