Katrice Perkins/Daily Mining Gazette Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tobacco Company board members and Co-owner Travis Heron and Odie Porter, of Seneca Manufacturing, gathered as Jennifer Misegan cut the ribbon at the company's grand opening ceremony.

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tobacco Company (KBICTC) celebrated its grand opening on Tuesday at the company’s headquarters in Baraga.

It has been a long time coming for the community’s efforts to get the company up and running.

The project has been in the works since 2008 when tribal members visited the Seneca nation in New York and created a relationship with Seneca Manufacturing.

Tobacco Board member, and council member, Jennifer Misegan said the delay in starting the company was a result of difficulties with the state.

“It wasn’t until we had had several seizures of our cigarettes by the state of Michigan that we were forced into the difficult process of obtaining our federal license to manufacture tobacco products,” said Misegan.

The company board, which consists of tribal council and non-council members, applied for a license in March, 2017, and it was finally granted in November.

“This venture to us just isn’t about cigarettes but we are making an excellent quality project here. …it’s truly about the sovereignty of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and it’s about us determining our own destiny,” she said.

Misegan said the company is a method for providing some of the needs of the community through employment opportunities and the revenue generated will support the general welfare support program, which provides yearly checks to community members, with varying amounts dependent on revenue earned.

Community member Allen Gauthier, doesn’t smoke anymore but agreed it was a good thing for the community.

Although he is a part of a program to help people stop smoking, he said the benefits of the welfare check are a good thing.

“That part of it is good,” he said. “I have no problem with that.”

A percentage of the revenue will also go to tobacco-related programs.

The tobacco company vice president and council president, Warren “Chris” Swartz spoke about the mission and values of the community and preserving tradition and culture.

He said, “it’s important to us that we don’t lean on Indian gaming, that we look to our sovereignty and see how we can diversify our portfolio.”

Co-owners, Travis Heron and Odie Porter, of Seneca Manufacturing, were present as well. The two gave praises of KBIC and the new business.

Community member Robin Lindblom said it was awesome to have the new business and that she was happy about the cheaper price for the cigarettes.

The cigarettes are $3.50 per pack and $35 per carton and are being sold solely to community members at this moment.