Governor Granholm spent time Wednesday in Northern Michigan. 

The Governor began her day in Cadillac where the Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Governor's Breakfast.

Governor Granholm addressed a group of local entrepreneurs, state lawmakers, and students from the Cadillac area.  In her speech, Granholm emphasized the importance of occupation diversity in the work force. 

After the breakfast, the Governor met with the new owners of Four Winns in Cadillac, one of the areas largest employers.  The company says they've already rehired about 100 workers and plan to put hundreds more back on the payroll as they pick up production on a new line of boats.

Governor Granholm continued her day in Traverse City where she announced a new program designed to help more small businesses get off the ground.

At a roundtable discussion with area business leaders she talked about the new training program called "Fast Trac".

It's funded through a foundation grant, not state money and offers scholarships to people who want to learn what it takes to start a business. The first scholarship will be handed out in Traverse City next month.

In all, 1,000 scholarships will be awarded through the Fast Trac  program.  For more information click on THIS LINK.