What has 10,000 copies, is in all the Michigan Welcome Centers, is handed out at outdoor vacation shows in Detroit, Indianapolis, Chicago, Cleveland, Milwaukee and others and is all about Cheboygan? If you said the “Cheboygan Today” you would be right! The Cheboygan Today magazine is the Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce’s number one marketing tool and the 2018 issue is being printed now and will be ready in time for everyone in attendance at the Annual Chamber Community Awards Dinner on March 15 to receive one. For many years the Chamber has partnered with Straights Area Printing in Cheboygan to produce this one of a kind publication that is part community profile, part Chamber Directory, part area resource guide, and all about Cheboygan. In the last week, or so, I have had several discussions with some long time Cheboygan residents that for one reason or another have never read the Cheboygan today. I was a little surprised at first, but then we talked some more and they told me that they always thought that it was written just for tourists or area visitors and that there wasn’t anything in there for longtime residents. This is just not the case. While it is true that many visitors use it to plan their trip to our area, there is so much more to the Cheboygan Today. This year’s issue celebrates some of our businesses that have significant anniversaries and introduces some new businesses to the community while also profiling some of the programs and strategies being used in the economic development of our area. Inside there is also contact information for every 320 + member Businesses or Organizations of the Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce as well as a yearlong calendar of events and area demographics.
Each year the Executive Director of the Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce writes the intro to the Cheboygan Today. This year, I thought it might be interesting to share that intro with all the readers of the Tribune and encourage you to pick up a copy of this year’s Cheboygan Today when they are ready mid-March.
“That’s Cheboygan! (Excerpted from the 2018 edition of Cheboygan Today)
Welcome to the new Entrepreneurial Capital of Northern Michigan! That’s a pretty bold statement, but one that Cheboygan is working hard to live up to. With seven new businesses having opened this last year in a small three block area, close to twenty new businesses community wide and more new growth on the horizon, Cheboygan is experiencing a positivity toward economic advancement that is exciting to be a part of.
Cheboygan is open for business, and looking for people to invest in our community. This investment could come in many different forms. Visitors are investing by coming to explore our natural beauty; boat the inland waterway or ride our hundreds of miles of four season trails. Current residents and long standing business owners are investing and continuing to reinvest in the rich culture and history that has made Cheboygan what it is today, and help it be ready for tomorrow. New entrepreneurs are finding that Cheboygan is a place where they can invest for the future and be welcomed into a community that is enthusiastic about supporting their efforts to write the next chapter in the book of Cheboygan. This year’s issue of the Cheboygan Today will explore all of these topics and more while introducing you to some of the individuals who are making a difference in our community and the region.
So, what part do you play in this production? Just by virtue of reading this publication you do have a part to play in Cheboygan. Maybe you are one of our longtime residents, business owners or annual vacationers. Maybe you are interested in visiting Cheboygan for just a day. Maybe you are interested in putting down some roots and staying with us a little longer. Or maybe you are a little bit of all of the above. Whatever your current story might be, we invite you to be part of the continuing story of Cheboygan.
We have a saying around here, “That’s Cheboygan”. With our new role as the Entrepreneurial Capital of Northern Michigan, “That’s Cheboygan” is quickly becoming an enthusiastic rallying cry for the advancement of our community. Whether your time with us is long or short we hope that you experience all that we mean when we say, “That’s Cheboygan” and we hope you will join us in saying it too. With all of our stories woven together, past, present and future mixed with an excitement for entrepreneurism, now… “That’s Cheboygan!”
Scott A. Herceg, CAE Executive Director Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau”