ESCANABA – Gov. Rick Snyder told members of the Delta Chamber of Commerce Thursday that Michigan has made major progress over the past several years. He spoke at a luncheon at the U.P. State Fair.

He said Michigan went through a difficult time calling it the lost decade.

“We led the country in unemployment for years and years. Now we are actually below the national average. We are at 4.5 percent, had 475,000 private sector jobs created in just the last five years. That’s number six in the country and best in the Midwest. We need to bring more and more of the jobs here,” Snyder said.

Snyder talked about tourism, agriculture and food production and manufacturing including forest products. To support those industries he said the state needs to focus on job creation and quality of life by upgrading infrastructure and having communities work together.

“You have awesome quality of life here. This is a great place to live. This is Pure Michigan,” he said.

Earlier in the week, Snyder went kayaking at Munising to learn more about how tourism is affecting that community and the Michigan State University Extension Center in Chatham where they are experimenting with growing barley for the craft beer industry.

In Escanaba, Snyder toured Bay College’s career technical facilities and Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad before heading to Marquette for a press conference on the announcement this week that Cliff Natural Resources and WEC Engergy have entered into a power purchase agreement and the investment into two natural gas generators in the U.P.

At the fair, Snyder walked the grounds with State Rep. Ed McBroom and met with the Grand Champion and Grand Reserve Champion at the swine, goat and beef barns.