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New fueling cooperative opens for forest products industry

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The Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce had a ribbon-cutting ceremony in June for new member The Great Northern Cooperative. From left are chamber ambassador Mick Gayan; Justin Knepper, Michigan Association of Timbermen; Amy Berglund, Invest UP; Donna Lacourt, Michigan Department of Agricultural and Rural Development; Bill O’Brion, Lyme Great Lakes; Vicki Schwab, Michigan Economic Development Corporation; Todd Johnson, TD Johnson Forestry; Jon Guth, Shamco; Scott Lofstrom, Great Lakes Petroleum Service; Luke Thiel, Great Northern Cooperative; Kris Gray, Louisiana Pacific; Denny Olson, Breitung Township supervisor; and Suzanne Larson, Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce CEO/executive director. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN -- The Great Northern Cooperative, a new member-owned fueling cooperative supporting Michigan's forest products industry, is now open and actively recruiting members across the Upper Peninsula.

GNC also has joined the Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce, which had a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the business in June.

Formed by and for the logging and forest products community, GNC provides 24/7 unmanned fueling services, offering safe, reliable and affordable fueling options, according to the co-op. The first station is at W6664 U.S. 2 in Quinnesec, just across from the truck entrance to the Billerud Americas paper mill in Breitung Township.

GNC is open to loggers, haulers, truckers, mill operators and others in the forest products supply chain. Members will have access to high-quality on-road diesel, off-road diesel, and diesel exhaust fluid. The co-op's mission is to improve the bottom line for its members, recognizing fuel can account for up to 40% of a typical logger or trucker's cost structure, the co-op stated in a news release.

Members for now pay $49 a year to join the co-op. Additional stations are planned for Escanaba and Grayling, according to the co-op’s website.

Interested members can learn more or request membership information by contacting Great Northern Cooperative at 517-853-8880 or by email at info@greatnortherncoop.com or by going online to the co-op’s website at greatnortherncoop.com.

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Compiled by Betsy Bloom of The Daily News.

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