UPPER PENINSULA — Business leaders from across the Upper Peninsula gathered in Marquette on Feb. 12 to celebrate regional progress and honor four companies with Excellence Awards during the Operation Action U.P. annual meeting.
The event, held at the Northern Center Ballroom at Northern Michigan University, focused on recognizing significant economic contributions and reviewing organizational updates for the coming year.
The meeting brought together community partners and economic development leaders for networking and recognition of local business growth. Operation Action U.P. President and Co-Chair Joe Esbrook and Co-Chair David Paananen opened the program with updates on regional initiatives aimed at strengthening the peninsula’s business landscape.
The 2025 Award of Excellence was presented to four businesses, including Ironwood-based Burton Electronic Manufacturing Services Inc. Known as Burton EMS, the third-generation, family-owned company provides customized manufacturing solutions for medical devices, transportation and wireless communication markets. The firm has expanded its manufacturing footprint in Ironwood twice since moving to the Upper Peninsula in the early 2000s.
Cloverland Electric Cooperative, headquartered in Dafter, also received an excellence award. The member-owned utility serves approximately 34,000 members across five counties and 58 islands in the eastern Upper Peninsula. The cooperative employs more than 130 people and generates 30% of its power through a hydroelectric plant that has operated since 1902. Its overall fuel supply is approximately 50% renewable.
G&J Site Solutions, Inc. was recognized for its work as a site-work and environmental services contractor. The company specializes in erosion control, site stabilization and highway safety for construction and utility projects. Its operations focus on maintaining regulatory compliance while minimizing environmental impact on land disturbance projects.
Great Lakes Sound and Vibration, located at an airpark in the Keweenaw, was the fourth award recipient. The company, which began as a home-based firm in 1996, now employs more than 65 people and designs quieting products for U.S. military vehicles, including the Abrams tank and F-16 Fighting Falcon. The firm recently expanded its facility to 60,000 square feet and completed a 30% employee stock ownership plan transaction.
The meeting featured keynote presentations from regional leadership and economic experts. InitiativeOne Leadership Institute CEO Tracy Johnson presented “Growing Through Fear. Leading Through Conflict.” InvestUP CEO Marty Fittante delivered a presentation titled “Time to Step UP.”The event concluded with a presentation from the Upper Peninsula Economic Development Alliance. The alliance named Great Lakes Recovery Centers as its Non-Profit of the Year.