MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Ahead of an appearance at the U.P. State Fair on Thursday, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist made a stop in Marquette on Tuesday to tour the headquarters of Kall Morris Incorporated.
Established in 2019, KMI has taken the U.P.’s name of aerospace engineering by storm. Over its years inside the Masonic Square of downtown Marquette, KMI has grown to work alongside world-renowned astronauts, as well as send its debris grabbing robot ‘REACHH’ for testing at the International Space Station.
Gilchrist made his appearance to explore these developments that started right here in the Upper Peninsula.
“It’s incredible and they’ve seen tremendous success and growth, I’m so excited for their future,” Gilchrist said. “I wanted to highlight this and come see for myself the space where they made something that no one else has accomplished.”
What started as two roommates (Adam Kall and Austin Morris) and a brother (Troy M. Morris) has turned to collaborations with NASA, the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Air Force. Now as a multi-million dollar company with over 15 awards under their belt, Kall says they have no plans of going anywhere.
“We still recognize the talent base here,” he said. “Michigan and especially the U.P. still has the talent that is necessary for conducting space missions, and we want to be here to give that opportunity.”
Funding for KMI has heavily been directed from Lansing, utilizing grants like the Michigan Innovation Fund and the Make It In Michigan Competitveness Fund. Without this insight at the state level, these projects might’ve never traveled as far as they have.
“I’ve worked hard to make sure we have programming and funding for people who want to make things in Michigan better than they could anyone else,” said Gilchrist. “This company is the latest iteration of that, and we hope to see more people inspired by this example to do more across Michigan.”
For more information about Kall Morris Incorporated, visit here.
