Safeguarding Our Drinking Water: How White Water Associates Is Strengthening Its Foundation in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
A Small Business Support Hub grant helps a long-standing environmental lab stay resilient and responsive in remote Michigan.
Tucked in the forested community of Amasa, Michigan, just off the banks of the Hemlock River, White Water Associates has quietly become one of the region’s most trusted names in environmental laboratory testing and natural resource consulting. For more than 40 years, the firm has served municipalities, tribes, nonprofits, and individuals with a commitment to science-based stewardship.
In 2022, White Water entered a new chapter of leadership under Sally Hedtke and Jen Toivonen, two longtime employees who stepped into ownership with a vision to modernize operations while preserving the company’s deeply rooted mission.
That mission was put to the test recently, when aging infrastructure inside their facility needed upgrades and replacement. In 2024, with support from a Small Business Support Hub grant through MTEC SmartZone, the company was able to replace its water purification system, an essential component that underpins nearly all of their laboratory testing operations.
“Having reliable systems in place is critical for our work,” said Jen Toivonen, Co-Owner and Laboratory Director. “This upgrade wasn’t flashy, but it was foundational. It allows us to continue delivering high-quality results and ensures that we’re operating as efficiently and safely as possible.”
As a woman-owned, HUBZone-certified business, White Water Associates represents the kind of technical excellence and community-driven entrepreneurship that MTEC SmartZone is proud to support. The funding helped the company strengthen its core infrastructure, maintain testing capacity, and stay focused on delivering trusted environmental services in a remote region.
“One of our biggest challenges is just letting people know we’re here, and that we’re capable of supporting everything from drinking water testing to ecological surveys across the Midwest,” said Hedtke. “This grant helped us shore up the behind-the-scenes work that keeps all of that moving forward.”
Beyond the lab, White Water also leads environmental education programs, ecological fieldwork, and resource management consulting, often partnering with tribal organizations, nature centers, and schools. Their work helps translate complex science into actionable insight for land and water protection.
As one of several MTEC SmartZone Small Business Support Hub recipients, White Water’s story highlights how even basic infrastructure investments can have a lasting impact supporting the essential work of businesses that serve both people and the planet.
Explore White Water Associates’ full range of services at white-water-associates.com
Learn more about the Small Business Support Hub at mtecsz.com
Photos of Hedtke and Toivonen courtesy of Jim Paul / The Daily News
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About MTEC
Michigan Tech Enterprise Corporation (MTEC) is one of 21 SmartZone Incubators in the State of Michigan. MTEC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). Its mission is to facilitate the creation and ongoing success of high-tech value propositions in conjunction with the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. Since 2003, the MTEC SmartZone has provided mentoring, technical support, and other services to local companies, leading to the creation of over 800 high-tech jobs in the Houghton and Hancock, Michigan area.
About MEDC
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation, in collaboration with more than 100 economic development partners, markets Michigan as the place to do business, assists businesses in their growth strategies, and fosters the growth of vibrant communities across the state. MEDC’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation initiative establishes Michigan as the place to create and grow a business by providing high-tech start-up companies with access to a variety of critical resources, such as funding and expert counsel, from ideation to maturation. For more on MEDC Entrepreneurship & Innovation, visit michiganbusiness.org/entrepreneurship.