Daniel J. Kobasic Foundation Investment Helps Build U.P. Expand Housing and Skilled Trades Pipeline
MARQUETTE, MI (May 7, 2026) – The Daniel J. Kobasic Foundation has announced a $1.4 million commitment to Build U.P., the housing development fund managed by InvestUP, to provide funding for the Upper Peninsula’s growing Career and Technical Education (CTE) housing partnership. The investment, announced at the 2026 InvestUP CEO Summit, will help sustain and expand efforts already underway with Intermediate School Districts (ISD) and state-approved CTE Construction Trades programs that are constructing homes in communities across the Upper Peninsula.
The commitment will help advance a program that addresses two of the region’s most pressing challenges at once: the housing shortage and the need to build the next generation of the skilled trades workforce. Through this partnership, students gain experience in residential construction while simultaneously helping bring new single-family homes to market in communities that need them. Just as importantly, the program helps position students to stay in the U.P. after graduation with marketable skills, industry exposure, and relationships that can lead to employment opportunities.
The Build U.P. CTE Partnership Program has already helped launch home construction projects through participating ISDs in communities including Escanaba, Houghton, Hancock, Cedarville, L’Anse, and Manistique. This significant investment from the Daniel J. Kobasic Foundation positions the program not only for future growth across the region, but also to create opportunity through providing preference to U.P. suppliers.
“This commitment from the Daniel J. Kobasic Foundation builds on the strong early success of Build U.P.’s CTE Housing Partnership Program. We have already seen how this model can create new housing, strengthen local building trades programs, and open doors for students. This support will help us carry that momentum forward and expand a solution that is meeting real needs in communities across the U.P.” said Marty Fittante, CEO of InvestUP.
The partnership between Build U.P. and regional CTE and building trades programs is helping restore a model that once gave students real-world residential construction experience while directly benefiting their communities. With the funds to help cover development costs, schools are able to move beyond shop-based instruction and put students on active job sites where they take part in planning, budgeting, construction, and project completion.
The President of the Kobasic Foundation, Danica Stanciu, added, “We see this as an investment in the future of the Upper Peninsula. Consistent with the legacy left by my father, we believe in the potential of our next generation, the importance of strong communities, and the value of partnerships that create lasting regional impact, like the Build U.P. CTE Partnership.”
Stanciu went on to also say, “This investment also offers a challenge to other companies, organizations, and individuals to invest in the region as that investment is critical if the U.P. is going to embrace the opportunity that is before it. It is the Kobasic Foundation’s hope that this investment motivates others to follow our lead.”
“With this investment, the Kobasic Foundation just builds upon its legacy of supporting skilled trades and education in not only Delta County but the Upper Peninsula,” added Trent Ballinger, Director of Career and Technical Education for the Delta Schoolcraft Intermediate School District, which recently received a sizeable investment from the Foundation into a state-of-the-art welding facility. “At a time when our communities are losing working-age population, and we are in desperate need locally of skilled trades workers, investments into programs like this are helping our students build their competitive advantage.”
In addition to helping create new homes, the program is intended to generate expanded interest in the building trades for the U.P.’s construction industry. Build U.P. is also working to strengthen the initiative by connecting participating programs with U.P.-based building component manufacturers, helping schools gain affordable access to materials while exposing students to regionally made products that are part of the local construction economy.
“The support from Build U.P. and the Daniel J. Kobasic Foundation makes it possible for students to receive the kind of experience that stays with them. They are not just learning construction skills in a classroom setting. It gives students the opportunity to work through real planning, building, and problem-solving while contributing to a project that addresses an important need in their own community,” added Corey Soumis, Director of Career and Technical Education for the Copper Country ISD.
According to Fittante, the Daniel J. Kobasic Foundation’s donation will build on the early success of the Build U.P. CTE Partnership Program, which, in 18 short months, has seen one home already built and sold, with five more homes currently under construction, and 160 students across the U.P. engaged in the program.
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About the Daniel J. Kobasic Foundation:
The Daniel J. Kobasic Foundation invests in education, workforce development, and community initiatives that create lasting opportunity. Based in Escanaba, the foundation supports practical pathways that help individuals build skills, pursue meaningful careers, and strengthen their communities. While the Foundation gives to a variety of causes, its primary focus remains grounded in supporting long-term impact close to home.
About InvestUP:
InvestUP is a regional economic development organization serving the Upper Peninsula, working to advance prosperity across all fifteen counties of the U.P. Leveraging the region’s strengths, assets, and stakeholders, it works in partnership with the private sector, municipal and non-profit leadership, and institutions to drive the region’s economy by seizing near-term opportunities and addressing long term strategic objectives that center on people, projects, place, and promotion. investupmi.com.
About Build U.P.:
Build U.P. is a sustainable fund managed by InvestUP that provides long-term impact by addressing the U.P.’s housing shortage. By offering investment returns that sustain the fund over time, Build U.P. helps facilitate development without depleting resources, ensuring ongoing support for regional growth and housing initiatives. buildupmi.com
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