WUPPDR
WUPPDR is a Michigan-designated regional planning agency serving six western Upper Peninsula counties, providing comprehensive planning, GIS, hazard mitigation, materials management, and grant administration to 14 member local governments and two tribal nations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1968
- HeadquartersHancock, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What WUPPDR does
WUPPDR (Western Upper Peninsula Planning & Development Region) is a multi-jurisdictional regional planning agency designated by the State of Michigan under Public Act 281 of 1945, one of fourteen such Regional Planning Agencies in the state. Founded in 1968 and headquartered in Hancock, Michigan, WUPPDR serves the six western counties of Michigan's Upper Peninsula — Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, and Ontonagon — covering approximately 80,000 residents across 14 member units of government (six counties, three cities, two villages, two charter townships) and two tribal nations (Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa). The agency operates with a lean staff of seven, led by Executive Director Jerry Wuorenmaa, and functions as the regional clearinghouse for federal and state grant programs, including EDA Partnership Planning, MDOT Rural Task Force, EGLE Materials Management, USDA Rural Development, and FEMA hazard mitigation.
WUPPDR's service portfolio spans comprehensive planning, transportation planning, hazard mitigation, housing programs, food systems planning, recreation planning, materials management, GIS support, broadband/energy planning, and third-party grant administration. Its core technology platform is the Rural Hazard Resilience Tools (RHRT), developed in partnership with Michigan Technological University and the University of Washington, comprising a GIS visualization tool, a Google Earth Engine-based flood risk simulator, and a crowdsourced Flood Photo Submission App that uses machine learning to validate and improve flood hazard models. WUPPDR also operates county-specific regional data portals and provides GIS hosting and mapping services.
Revenue is derived from four primary streams: federal grants (EDA, USDA, FEMA), state transportation and environmental grants (MDOT, EGLE), member-government dues apportioned by population and equalized value formulas, and fee-for-service technical assistance offered to member and non-member local governments. The go-to-market motion is event-driven — Rural Task Force meetings (RTF13A and RTF13B), Materials Management Planning Committee meetings, public hearings, and stakeholder convenings — combined with sales-led fee-for-service engagements for specialized technical work such as comprehensive planning, GIS support, recreation planning, and grant writing. Distribution is direct to government buyers across the six-county footprint; no commercial resellers or external distribution channels are used.
WUPPDR firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WUPPDR
- Legal name
- Western Upper Peninsula Planning & Development Region
- Website
- https://wuppdr.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1968
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- WUPPDR is a Michigan-designated regional planning agency serving six western Upper Peninsula counties, providing comprehensive planning, GIS, hazard mitigation, materials management, and grant administration to 14 member local governments and two tribal nations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WUPPDR industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Regional Planning Services
- NAICS
- Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Rural, Tribal & Special-Population Housing Programs (FSALAKAL)
Keywords
Where WUPPDR is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hancock
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
WUPPDR business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel
Revenue model
- Federal Grant Programs: Funding from federal agencies including Economic Development Administration (EDA) Partnership Planning program and other EDA project grants, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, FEMA hazard mitigation programs
- State Transportation Planning Grants: Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) transportation planning programs including Rural Task Force and Small Urban programs
- Fee-for-Service Technical Assistance: Charges fees for specialized technical assistance including comprehensive planning, GIS support and hosting, recreation planning, grant writing, and third-party grant administration to member and non-member local governments
- Project-Specific Grants: Funding for specific initiatives such as the $50,000 Rural Readiness Grant from Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for housing development initiatives
- Materials Management Program Grants: Administers recycling infrastructure grants from Michigan EGLE for regional materials management planning and facility improvements
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Fee-for-service technical assistance for specialized services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
WUPPDR product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WUPPDR is a designated Regional Planning Agency that provides comprehensive planning, economic development, GIS, transportation, hazard mitigation, housing, materials management, recreation, and grant administration services to county, city, village, and township governments across the six western counties of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It also develops specialized GIS-based hazard resilience tools and acts as a clearinghouse for federal and state grant programs.
Product overview
WUPPDR is a regional planning agency serving Michigan's Upper Peninsula, providing diverse planning support through multiple service areas. The core offerings include Planning Services (covering Asset Management, Community Planning, Childcare, Food Systems, Hazard Mitigation, Housing, Materials Management, Recreation, and Transportation), Economic Development Services (including CEDS, Pandemic Recovery, Tourism, and Grant Administration), Regional Data services with county-specific information, and specialized GIS capabilities. Additionally, WUPPDR operates the Rural Hazard Resilience Tools (RHRT) - a technology platform featuring GIS Visualization, Google Earth Engine flood simulation, and crowdsourced Flood Photo Submission with machine learning capabilities for disaster resilience.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Rural Hazard Resilience Tools (RHRT) A suite of tools including a GIS Visualization Tool, Google Earth Engine flood simulator, and Flood Photo Submission App designed to help rural counties enhance flooding and coastal disaster resilience and adaptation in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
- Planning Services
- Economic Development Services
- Regional Data
- GIS Services
- Grant Administration
Quantifiable outcome
- $100 Million+ in public infrastructure damaged in 2018 Houghton County flood, driving need for hazard resilience tools
Companies that use WUPPDR
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
WUPPDR technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
WUPPDR partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Michigan Technological UniversitycoreCollaboration on Rural Hazard Resilience Tools project; Michigan Tech serves as project lead for flood modeling tools, GIS visualization, and machine learning algorithms for community flood resilience. WUPPDR serves as civic partner providing regional access and community engagement.
- University of WashingtoncorePartner in Rural Hazard Resilience Tools project bringing remote sensing data resources and geospatial processing expertise to address flood hazard modeling gaps in rural communities.
- Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT)coreState agency providing transportation planning programs including Rural Task Force (RTF) and Small Urban programs. WUPPDR administers RTF13A and RTF13B programs.
- Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE)coreState agency providing Recycling Infrastructure Grants and overseeing Materials Management Planning. WUPPDR received $825,000 FY2026 grant.
- Western UP Food Systems CollaborativemajorCollaborative initiative addressing regional food systems. WUPPDR staff collaborate on food systems planning and support Portage Lake Seed Library.
- Lake Superior Stewardship InitiativemajorRegional initiative focused on environmental stewardship. WUPPDR staff provide support and collaborate on community initiatives.
- Keweenaw Bay Indian CommunitymajorTribal nation partner with representation on WUPPDR Commission and collaboration on hazard mitigation planning and community development.
- Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior ChippewamajorTribal nation partner with representation on WUPPDR Commission and regional planning coordination.
- Michigan State University ExtensionmajorUniversity extension service with ex officio representation on WUPPDR Commission and partnership on community development programs.
- Central Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Regional CommissionminorRegional planning agency partner for Upper Peninsula-wide initiatives such as Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Study.
- Eastern Upper Peninsula Regional Planning and Development CommissionminorRegional planning agency partner for Upper Peninsula-wide initiatives.
- Baraga County Chamber of CommercemajorLead local partner for L'Anse Area CDC initiative with committed in-kind personnel and financial support.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
WUPPDR competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Central Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Regional Commission: Sister regional planning agency serving the central Upper Peninsula counties of Michigan under the same Public Act 281 of 1945 designation. Already a confirmed partner of WUPPDR on UP-wide initiatives (Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Study), with nearly identical statutory mandate, revenue structure, and service portfolio.
- Eastern Upper Peninsula Regional Planning and Development Commission: Another Michigan Regional Planning Agency serving the eastern Upper Peninsula counties under the same Public Act 281 framework. Direct peer with identical statutory designation, federal grant funding model, and regional planning scope; already a confirmed WUPPDR partner on UP-wide initiatives.
- Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG): Largest of Michigan's regional planning bodies, serving the 7-county Southeast Michigan region under the same statutory framework. Provides same core functions (comprehensive planning, transportation, hazard mitigation, GIS) but at much greater scale with professional staff; demonstrates the institutional model WUPPDR operates within.
- Northwest Michigan Council of Governments: Michigan regional planning body serving 10 counties in Northwest Lower Peninsula under the same Public Act 281 designation. Direct peer with comparable comprehensive planning, transportation, and economic development functions; somewhat larger scale than WUPPDR.
- West Michigan Regional Planning Commission: Michigan regional planning agency serving Kent County and surrounding West Michigan communities under Public Act 281 framework. Direct peer offering same comprehensive planning, GIS, transportation, and economic development services to local governments.
- Northeast Michigan Council of Governments: Michigan regional planning body serving 11 counties in Northeast Lower Peninsula. Direct peer under same statutory framework with comprehensive planning, transportation, hazard mitigation, and economic development functions targeting rural communities similar to WUPPDR's service area.
- Southwest Michigan Planning Commission: Michigan regional planning agency serving Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties. Direct peer with same Public Act 281 statutory designation, federal grant funding model, and planning service portfolio targeting local government members.
- East Central Michigan Council of Governments: Michigan regional planning body serving the East Central Lower Peninsula counties under the same statutory framework. Direct peer offering planning, transportation, and economic development services to local governments.
Others
- Michigan Association of Regions: Trade association representing Michigan's 14 Regional Planning Agencies including WUPPDR. Functions as the coordinating body and advocacy organization for all RPAs in the state — a peer-of-peers ecosystem participant rather than a direct service competitor.
- National Association of Regional Councils: National membership association for Regional Councils and Councils of Governments across the United States. Provides advocacy, training, and policy support for organizations like WUPPDR; ecosystem participant rather than direct service peer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
WUPPDR social profiles
Digital presenceWUPPDR financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WUPPDR leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
WUPPDR funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WUPPDR M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WUPPDR
What does WUPPDR do?
WUPPDR is a designated Regional Planning Agency that provides comprehensive planning, economic development, GIS, transportation, hazard mitigation, housing, materials management, recreation, and grant administration services to county, city, village, and township governments across the six western counties of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It also develops specialized GIS-based hazard resilience tools and acts as a clearinghouse for federal and state grant programs.
Is WUPPDR a public or private company?
WUPPDR is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was WUPPDR founded?
WUPPDR was founded in 1968. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is WUPPDR based?
WUPPDR is headquartered in Hancock, United States, in the North America region.
How does WUPPDR make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Federal Grant Programs are the primary driver. The others are state Transportation Planning Grants, fee-for-Service Technical Assistance, project-Specific Grants and materials Management Program Grants.
Who are WUPPDR's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Central Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Regional Commission, Eastern Upper Peninsula Regional Planning and Development Commission, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), Northwest Michigan Council of Governments, West Michigan Regional Planning Commission, Northeast Michigan Council of Governments, Southwest Michigan Planning Commission and East Central Michigan Council of Governments. Others are Michigan Association of Regions and National Association of Regional Councils.
Does WUPPDR have an API?
No public API is recorded for WUPPDR.
What industry is WUPPDR in?
WUPPDR's product category is Regional Planning Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSALAKAL, Rural, Tribal & Special-Population Housing Programs. Its NAICS code is 92512 and its SIC code is 8300.