PETOSKEY, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – North Central Michigan College (NCMC) may be small in size but it’s impact on the community is larger than life.

The Petoskey school boasts an $80 million dollar a year impact spread out over four principal counties, according to a new economic impact study recently released.

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“This report reflects the heart of North Central’s mission, which is to provide exceptional, accessible, relevant higher education that fuels economic opportunity and regional vitality,” NCMC President David Roland Finley said in a press statement. “When our students succeed, our communities thrive. The ripple effects are far-reaching and long-lasting.”

And the community has something to say about the quality of students graduating from NCMC. “I’d hire 50 more machinists [from North Central] in a heartbeat,” said Nate Holmes, human resources manager at Moeller Aerospace, a precision aerospace manufacturing company based in Harbor Springs.

The study, which covered fiscal years 2023 and 2024, reports NCMC supports more than 1,000 jobs across Emmet, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, and Otsego counties.