Traverse City man comes back to his alma mater FORTY YEAR OLD Joe Thiel has a history with Marquette--he was an NMU football player and an industrial technology major almost two decades ago--and now he has a future here. He's the new CEO of the Innovate Marquette Smartzone and the executive director of Invent@NMU. He ... Continue Reading
Vista Restoration, Smartzone Retirement, Grandview Vacancies, and Praise for Vango’s, Jean Kay’s, and Elizabeth’s
MARQUETTE HAS TO be envious. Its next door neighbor, Negaunee, has a classic old theater which is still in use, and now finally, it's getting some TLC. Consider this: Over the last two years, the Vista Theater and the annex, which date back to 1926, have gotten some sorely needed repairs to the roof and the back wall, ... Continue Reading
Tech Jobs in Marquette: Not So Unusual Anymore
CAN MARQUETTE EVER become a mini-Silicon Valley? A regional center for tech-based businesses? Skeptics may question that possibility, noting that the SmartZone here, designed to attract young, innovative tech businesses, is now nearly five years old, and yet still only a handful of tech businesses call Marquette ... Continue Reading
Marquette’s SmartZone After Four Years: A Success?
IT OFFICIALLY OPENED four years ago--Innovate Marquette, Marquette's brand new smartzone. It was this city's attempt to attract high tech entrepreneurs, nurture them, and enable them to become income-producing, job-creating businesses. It had happened all over the country--Silicon Valley, Boston, Boulder, Austin, even up ... Continue Reading
Iron Bay Is Crazy Busy, Marquette Hotels Are Pricey, VR Is Staying, SmartZone and Invent@NMU Are Flush, Heroin Is on the Rise, the Township Finds a Way, and Blueberries Look Promising
BUSY DOWNTOWN. PEOPLE everywhere. The epicenter seems to be the recently opened Iron Bay Restaurant and Drinkery. Co-owner Joe Constance is reluctant to talk about numbers but concedes that the restaurant is averaging more than 600 customers a day. Some days, it's hit 800 plus. Crazy volume. Double what he was ... Continue Reading