Supplemental State Bill Includes Support for Escanaba Paper Plant

Governor Gretchen Whitmer yesterday signed a $1.1 billion supplemental appropriations bill with significant implications for the Upper Peninsula.

The allocation includes $200 million in incentives to a Swedish company that plans to make a major investment in the U.P. 

Billerud will sink $1 billion into a paper mill in Delta County that will serve as the cornerstone of the company’s expansion into North America. It is the largest private-sector investment ever made in the Upper Peninsula. The plant is the U.P.’s largest private employer.

State Representative Greg Markkanen was one of five Republicans who broke party ranks and voted in favor of the supplemental in the state house. State Senator Ed McBroom was one of four GOP members who supported the bill in the state senate.