ESCANABA – Gov. Rick Snyder re-signed legislation that included the central Upper Peninsula into the NEXT Michigan Economic Development Act. It took place Thursday with community leaders from Marquette and Delta Counties at the Delta County Historical Museum in Escanaba.

Snyder credited the group with giving the economic development zone a distinctive name.

“I want to give you credit for the best marketing of one of these zones that I’ve seen yet by naming it the Superior Trade Zone,” he said with a laugh. “I hope you recognized that when you came up with the name.”

Escanaba City Manager Jim O’Toole was instrumental in establishing the zone. He said it was good to get the recognition from the Governor.

“It was nice that the Governor recognizes and that Lansing recognizes what we are trying to do as a region to help bring back Michigan, to help retain jobs, to help create new jobs,” he said.

O’Toole said the next step for the Superior Trade Zone is to determine how it will operate. That will take cooperation among the participating community groups.