Our Facilities, Our Future
As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, our headquarters is yours too. That’s why we want to keep you in the loop on what the future of our facilities looks like. Here, you’ll find updates, key milestones, and resources. This expansion is all about creating value for you—safe, reliable, and affordable for the long haul.
Then and Now
Our promise to provide service that is member-focused, safe, reliable, and affordable is the same today as it was almost 90 years ago when Cherryland first turned the lights on. While our core mission has remained the same, the cooperative has changed quite a bit over the years.
By the time the cooperative moved from its Cass Street location to our current headquarters in Grawn, we had grown exponentially and have continued growing since. In the more than 50 years we have been in our current headquarters facility, we have seen membership grow by 317%, miles of line by 140% and employees by 72%. Based on 5-year growth trends we will most likely more than double our membership in the next 50 years.
The cooperative’s growth is now outpacing the capacity at our current facility in a way that could possibly impact our mission. We will continue to operate as lean as possible, however as our membership grows, our resources will need to grow too in order to keep up the service members deserve. This is why Cherryland is moving forward with a plan for a new headquarters, ensuring we never have to compromise on the value we provide to current and future Cherryland members. No matter how things change over the years, we’ll always keep our promise to provide member-focused, safe, reliable, affordable power.
Stay up to date on the journey by exploring our progress below.
Updates
Summer 2025
Current Facility Faces More Challenges
The well servicing the main facility failed; thankfully, the cooperative was able to connect to Blair Township water. This provided more insight into the state of the current facility and the need for the future building.
June 2025
Public Announcement of Future Facilities
At the 87th Annual Meeting, our CEO, Rachel Johnson, gave members the scoop on the cooperative’s brand-new headquarters plans.
April 2025
Northern Michigan Ice Storm Highlights Needs
Last March 2025, an ice storm hit two neighboring northern Michigan cooperatives pretty hard. Cherryland pitched in to help out, and this experience highlighted additional tweaks we needed to make to the plans. It also reinforced the need for and value of the new building.
March 2025
Property Permits Underway
Cherryland continues to work with the land developer and Garfield Township on items like water/sewer, development plans, construction permits and zoning application.
January 2025
Infrastructure Preparations Begin
Initial preparations for water and sewer connections are underway. Cherryland continues working with Garfield Township and the land developer to ensure zoning requirements align with our facility plans.
December 2024
Board Approves Facility Planning Next Steps
The board heard the latest updates from the facility process, including the latest feasibility findings and design process figures. The board of directors approved signing with Cunningham-Limp Development Company to work on the next design phase of the building.
November 2024
Property Survey Completed
Grand Traverse Survey conducted a complete property survey, finalizing site measurements and helping guide development plans.
October 2024
Facility Discussion on BMB Podcast
Cherryland Leadership discussed the project’s long-term impacts and member benefits on the Board Meeting Brief Podcast.
September 2024
Evaluating Options and Choosing a Path Forward
Following extensive research, a study assessed whether a new build or upgrades to our current facility would best serve the cooperative. Findings strongly supported new construction for long-term viability.
2023
Laying the Groundwork
Cherryland senior staff visited multiple utilities and other businesses to review building layouts, design options, and safety measures. In the meantime, the cooperative purchased an offsite storage facility to keep supplies and equipment safe and out of the elements.
2022
2022 Land Purchase Process Begins
After identifying a site right in the heart of things, giving room to grow and easy access for our membership, the board of directors approved the negotiation of a land purchase agreement. The land purchase agreement is contingent on certain land rights, rezoning, and other site preparations. This event marked a milestone in planning for the future.
2020-2021
Initial Exploration
In order to assess possible options for the cooperative’s future, a relator was engaged to explore locations. This led to the eventual identification of a potential new site.
2016
Discovery of Facility Shortcomings
Many phases of modifications, facility challenges, including equipment security and safety issues, highlighted the need for a long-term solution. This prompted the start of strategic discussions about the cooperative’s facilities‘ future.
1972
Cherryland Moves to Grawn Headquarters
Just over fifty years ago, Cherryland moved from Cass Street to its current facility in Grawn. This move provided an opportunity for years of growth inside and outside the cooperative walls.
Facility Mentions
Frequently Asked Questions
We know you may have questions about Cherryland’s new facility project. Below are some of the most commonly asked questions.
Further Questions?
We’d love to hear from you! Feel free to give us a call at (231) 486-9200 or send us an email at [email protected].
