MARQUETTE — The Michigan Strategic Fund Board gave the green light last week to the creation of the state’s sixth Next Michigan Development Corporation.

The Superior Trade Zone aims to attract businesses to the central U.P., by offering businesses certain incentives and services that are available in Delta and Marquette County. State Rep. John Kivela has been working on getting the Superior Trade Zone up and running for some time.

“Its incentives to attract business to give some out of state or out of town businesses a little edge to create opportunities in this area,” said Kivela. “This has been five years in the making. We started working on this prior to my tenure in the legislature. We started this at the city level. I’m glad to have Senator (Tom) Casperson partner with me in creating it.”

“This is simply a very innovative and effective way, proven in the other five Michigan zones, that it works,” said Marquette Mayor Mike Coyne. “We’re very happy to get going on this because I think it will work. It really involves inter–model transportation, better connectivity between communities, and better co–operation. We have two deep–water seaports in Delta County and Marquette County and an international airport. We need a better infrastructure of rail and once we get that going, businesses will be able to do economic development by being here.”

The Superior Trade Zone is the only Next Michigan Development Corporation currently in the U.P.