Background

Bay City is a host port for the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE®, a series of races and rallies organized by Tall Ships America. In 2019, Bay City celebrates eighteen years of award-winning maritime festivals having hosted the fleet every time it has visited the Great Lakes in 2001, 2003, 2006, 2010, 2013 and 2016. Bay City has been awarded the coveted “Port of the Year” four times by Tall Ships America - more than any other host port in all of North America.

Welcome to Tall Ship Celebration: Bay City, the best tall ship festival in North America!

PRESENTING

Since its founding, more than a century ago, when six independent sugarbeet companies merged, Michigan Sugar Company has perfected the process of turning one of the region’s largest cash crops – sugarbeets – into pure, all-natural sugar.

Headquartered in Bay City, Michigan Sugar Company is a grower-owned cooperative with sugarbeet processing facilities in Bay City, Caro, Croswell and Sebewaing. The company’s nearly 1,000 farm families plant and harvest about 160,000 acres of sugarbeets each year in 21 Michigan counties, as well as Ontario, Canada. Each year, those beets are sliced and turned into about 1.2 billion pounds of sugar that is sold under the Pioneer and Big Chief brands.

Today, Michigan Sugar Company is the third largest beet sugar processor in the United States and has 850 year-round employees and an additional 1,300 seasonal and campaign workers. The company is the No. 1 employer in Huron County, No. 2 in Bay and Sanilac counties and No. 3 in Tuscola County. The company has an annual payroll of about $65 million and an annual local economic impact of about $520 million.

Michigan Sugar Company is a first-time presenting sponsor of Tall Ship Celebration in 2019.

ADMIRAL

Consumers Energy is one of the nation’s largest combination utilities, providing electric and natural gas service to more than 6 million of Michigan’s 10 million residents, with the help of more than 7,500 employees - 1,000 of them located right here in the Great Lakes Bay Region. Consumers Energy is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, an international corporation that is a leader in energy infrastructure businesses. Each day, Consumers Energy employees work to safely deliver affordable, reliable energy to customers throughout Michigan. The company is committed to operating sustainably and caring for the communities they serve. Consumers Energy has been a Major Ship Sponsor in 2006, 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019.

ADMIRAL

Founded in 1983, Dave Hausbeck Trucking started with one truck moving freight around the country. Since that time, DHT has grown to several related companies including Tanker, Gravel Train, Flatbed, Van, Excavating, and also Landscape Supply yard. DHT also operates a 24-hour full service repair facility.

DHT has several locations to better serve you. Our home base is in Resse, Michigan, but we also have locations in Port Huron, Sault St. Marie, and Detroit, Michigan. DHT is licensed in 48 states, and traveling into Canada is just a stroll across the bridge. D.H.T. is a first-time sponsor of Tall Ship Celebration in 2019.

COMMODORE

Wildfire Credit Union offers a fresh approach to banking as usual and provides a full range of financial solutions in the Great Lakes Bay Region. Delivered with passion and enthusiasm, every member encounter goes beyond the expected. A Wildfire Credit Union experience is a difference you’ll notice immediately. Wildfire Credit Union has been a Major Ship Sponsor in 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019.

COMMODORE (Co-SPONSOR)

Chemical Financial Corporation is the largest banking company headquartered and operating branch offices in Michigan. The Corporation operates through its subsidiary bank, Chemical Bank, with 212 banking offices located primarily in Michigan, northeast Ohio and northern Indiana.

Since 1917, Chemical Bank's home town approach to banking has been focused on community banking, highlighted by local leadership and decision making, a devotion to community and personalized service. Chemical Bank has been a Major Ship Sponsor in 2016 and partnered with Amerilodge Group in 2019.

COMMODORE (CO-sponsor)

Amerilodge Group is a privately-owned company which manages, operates and owns hotels in the Midwest. The company’s experienced management, combined with our long-term strategy of investing and our industry wide affiliations, has made us one of the fastest growing hospitality companies in the industry.

Above all else, we believe in putting our clients and our associates first. People helping people. That’s what life is about and we show that through our ethical business practices. Fairness and compassion is what runs our company. It’s at the core of all of our other business values.

Amerilodge Group is a first-time Major Ship Sponsor in 2019 in partnership with Chemical Bank.

COMMODORE

Ascension St. Mary’s has long been known for clinical excellence and its comprehensive and coordinated medical care. As a regional referral center, Ascension St. Mary’s provides advanced care in neurosciences, cardiology, cancer care, orthopedics, emergency and trauma care. We are a verified Level II Trauma Center and certified Primary Stroke Center. We offer excellence in cancer treatment through our Seton Cancer Institute and offer high quality care at more than 20 specialty care centers throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region.

As part of Ascension, the largest non-profit health system in the U.S. and the world’s largest Catholic health system, we can provide more options for health and wellness needs, more access to a connected integrated group of medical professionals, and enhanced patient experiences. In Michigan, Ascension operates 15 hospitals and hundreds of related healthcare facilities. Ascension St. Mary’s has been a Major Ship Sponsor in 2006, 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019.

CAPTAIN

Huntington is a full-service banking provider primarily operating across an eight-state banking franchise of Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Our “Welcome” philosophy centers around deep relationship-building capabilities to best meet each customer’s specific needs. Following the conversion of FirstMerit locations to Huntington, service will be available through a banking network of nearly 1,000 traditional and supermarket branches, and through digital, telephone and ATM banking, including over 1,800 ATM locations. Huntington is a first-time sponsor of Tall Ship Celebration in 2019.

CAPTAIN

McLaren Bay Region is a 404-bed acute care hospital in Bay City, MI, providing specialty, primary and preventive services including cardiovascular, neuroscience, oncology, orthopedics, Family BirthPlace/women’s health, surgery, outpatient services, rehabilitation, home health and hospice care, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and Emergency Department. McLaren Bay Region’s Main Campus is located at 1900 Columbus Ave. Our West Campus is located at 3250 E. Midland Rd., Bay City, which is also home to Karmanos Cancer Institute and McLaren Bay Special Care hospital. McLaren Bay Region is the only accredited Chest Pain Center in the Great Lakes Bay Region, is a Primary Stroke Center, Neuroscience Center of Excellence, and has earned a Patient Safety Excellence award from Healthgrades. McLaren Bay Region has been a Major Ship Sponsor in 2003, 2016, and 2019.

CAPTAIN

With more than 60 locations across Michigan’s lower peninsula, Independent Bank Corporation (Nasdaq Symbol: IBCP) is a Michigan-based bank holding company with total assets of approximately $2.5 billion. With a full range of financial services including commercial banking, mortgage lending, investments, and title services, we’re committed to providing exceptional service and value to our customers, our stockholders, and our communities. Independent Bank has been a Major Ship Sponsor in 2003, 2006, 2013, 2016, and 2019.