MTEC Smartzone impacts community…Part 1

It’s been 12 years since the MTEC Smartzone opened up in the Copper Country.

Before the MTEC Smartzone opened up in Houghton about a dozen years ago, business was not headed in the right direction.

The problem wasn’t confined to the Copper Country, much of the state was in a decline and something needed to be done.

Houghton County was awarded one of the ten Smartzones, a collaborative effort between the local community and Michigan Technological University to nurture high–tech businesses.

One of the first companies to come out of the Smartzone was GS Engineering.  With only a couple of employees to start…they have now brought dozens of new jobs to the area.

MTEC Smartzone is designed to give companies the boost they need to survive the early years of doing business.

Tomorrow, we’ll look at how the SmartStart program and the Entrepreneur Support Center helps someone turn their idea into a new business.