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DCEDC Developments
January 2018
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The
DCEDC
staff
extends to you and yours
hopes for a prosperous and healthy 2018
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2017 Recap
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Help's available to buy a Door County home! |
This year saw continued evidence of an improving global economy, as well as progress on a number of Door County projects and initiatives.
DCEDC hosted the first annual Manufacturing Days. The two-day event hosted Door County high school students and welcomed members of the general public
.
Our incubator, the Door County Business Development Center, welcomed three new tenants in 2017, including
Richard Rose Culinary,
Crossfit Armati, and
Tweak Social Media and Marketing. DCEDC also closed four new loans in 2017 totaling more than $430,000 through our Revolving Loan Funds, leveraging more than $5.5 million in private financing and requiring the creation of 18 new jobs in the county over the next three years.
At our annual investors' meeting in April 2017,
Pro Products
was recognized as the Door County Industry of the Year, and went on to win the Small Company division of the Greater Green Bay Chamber's Manufacturers of Distinction Awards. The Johnson Family of Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant & Butik was named the Door County Entrepreneur of the Year.
Due to its immense popularity and strong impact on area workforce readiness in the construction trades, we revived the High School Home Construction project in 2017. Eleven students from the four mainland high schools are currently building a single-family home near the YMCA in Sturgeon Bay
.
The 2017
Door / Kewaunee Legislative Days were a resounding success, with more than 130 delegates lobbying state legislators and agencies on issues specific to our region.
DCEDC and the Door County Board of Realtors created a
Homebuyer Assistance Video
, to educate viewers about locally available home buyer assistance programs.
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Sign-up for the Business Plan Course - Begins January 22
Ready to make your business dreams come true? Time to take your business to the next level?
Take the Entrepreneurial Training Program, beginning Monday, January 22.
For 8 Monday nights at NWTC-Sturgeon Bay, this business planning course takes students through a step-by-step approach to researching and writing a professional business plan.
The cost for the Door County Entrepreneurial Training Program course is only $250, including books and materials. The course usually costs $1000, however the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is offering an Entrepreneurial Training Grant to qualified applicants that covers 75% of the tuition, dependent on the completion of a passing-grade business plan.
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Workforce News
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Inspire Door County has been rolled out into all five county school districts and has spread throughout the local business community since it was implemented last spring by the DCEDC's Business & Education Partnership. High school students are using Inspire Door County to assist them in their academic and career planning through the state-mandated Career Cruising computer program. There are 41 businesses and "career coaches" on board. Students are connecting with many of those businesses/career coaches for career discussions and job shadows. Businesses can join Inspire Door County by contacting BEP Manager Korey Mallien at 743-3113, ext. 205.
The High School Home Construction Program was revived this school year with assistance from the Door County Homebuilders Association, Portside Builders and Van's Lumber & Custom Builders. There are 11 Door County students from four school districts participating in the building of a single-family home located at 344 N. 19th Ave. in Sturgeon Bay. The team, led by Sturgeon Bay teacher Seth Wilson, includes Sturgeon Bay's Jaeger Brusky, Jason Claybough, Caleb Diller, Elijah Heimbecher, Peter Anschutz and Erik Escalera; Sevastopol's Eli Zielke and Tyler Dvorak; Southern Door's Jared Delwiche and Caleb Buchberger; and Gibraltar's Ben Desotelle.
More than 250 Door County high school students were introduced to fascinating machines and finished products, such as a robotic welder and an industrial oven that baked cookies in just 45 seconds, during the inaugural Manufacturing Days event held Oct. 20-21 in the Sturgeon Bay Industrial Park.
Students from Sturgeon Bay, Southern Door, Sevastopol and Gibraltar high schools toured nine businesses on Oct. 20, including Cadence, Hatco Corporation, Hi-Tec Fabrication, Key Industrial Plastics, N.E.W. Industries, Pro Products, Sunshine House, Therma-Tron-X, and the event-sponsoring Door County Economic Development Corporation and its business incubator.
Many of the same businesses opened their doors for public tours on Oct. 21. There were approximately 500 unique visits to the seven businesses open to the public.
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Buy Local - "Mix"-ing it up in 2018!
How vital are local customers to your business? If you answered VITAL!, come to the monthly Buy Local Mixers
(except for summer months - we know you don't have time!).
Are you on the email RSVP list? If not,
email Paige
and she'll add you to the VIP list!
Mixers are the FIRST Wednesday of the month, 5:30-7 p.m.
A suggested $5 donation per person is appreciated. Proceeds help offset mixer costs and advertising the importance of Buying Local to keep our Door County economy THRIVING!
MARK YOUR CALENDAR with these 2018 MIXER Dates and Locations:
- January 10 (Co-Hosted by NexGen): DCEDC, Business Development Center, 185 E. Walnut St., Sturgeon Bay.
- February 7: Starboard Brewing Co, 151 N. Third Ave., Sturgeon Bay
- March 7: Jim Olson Ford, 632 Green Bay Rd., Sturgeon Bay
- April 4: The Clearing, 12171 Garrett Bay Rd., Ellison Bay
- May 2: Sully's Produce, 7054 County C, Nasewaupee
- June 6: Door County Brewing Co., 8099 Hwy 57, Baileys Harbor
- October 3: Door County Coffee, 5773 Hwy 42, Carlsville.
- November 7: Door County Medical Center, 323 S. 18th Ave., Sturgeon Bay
- December 5: Door County Maritime Museum, 120 N. Madison Ave., Sturgeon Bay
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Executive Director's Note
'Tis the season! The season for gratitude, that is. "What are you grateful for?" is a common question around the holidays. For better or worse, I've been ruminating a lot lately. I'm not sure if it's the holiday season, the start of a new year, or too little to do outside when it's dark at 4:30, but I've been engaging in some deep thinking lately (watch out!), specifically about gratitude.
And the recurring theme within those thoughts about gratitude is relationships - professional, familial, and otherwise. I'm grateful for our dedicated staff and board, and the volunteers on our many committees who do significant work over and above their already hectic 9-5 to make Door County a better place for us and our children. I'm grateful for the entrepreneurs who took the leaps of opening a healthy deli, refurbishing a tired restaurant, and successfully testing a brand new culinary concept for Door County; the prodigal children who bought their family's dairy operation in Southern Door with an eye toward greater sustainability; and the countless mom-and-pop retailers who have sacrificed adequate sleep for decades to provide a unique Door County experience to residents and visitors alike.
The things I'm grateful for this time of year are the things that make up the fabric of what it means to live in and love Door County. Luckily for me and the long-term health of my brain, I don't have to think too hard to find reasons to be grateful to call this place home.
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Board Moves
At the December meeting of the DCEDC Board of Directors,
Doug Wilson of Door County Coffee was elected to fill outgoing Door County Manufacturers Association representative
Mike Baudhuin's seat on the board.
The board and staff heartily thanked Mike (of WireTech Fabricators)
, for his six years of service on the Board, including the last 3+ as Chairman.
At the January board meeting, our 2018 slate of Board officers will be officially elected; nominees include:
Darren Voigt, Bank of Luxemburg
(Chair);
Patti Vickman, Superintendent of Southern Door Schools
(Vice-Chair);
Jeff Miller, Nicolet Bank
(Treasurer); and Caleb Frostman (Secretary).
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Door County Wages & Benefits
Thanks to the 80 Door County businesses who answered the exhaustive list of wage and benefits survey questions! Each business that takes the time to fill out the survey receives the survey results for use in hiring and business planning.
If you would like to receive this information, please
EMAIL US
, and we'll add you to the list for the 2018 survey!
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Manufacturing Vitality Index
The eighth annual Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance's Manufacturing Vitality Index found the manufacturing sector remained strong over the past year. Manufacturing, which accounts for 23% of the region's employment base, continues as a bright spot in the discussion of the region's economic future. Highlights from the survey include:
- 75% of respondents expect an increase in sales in 2018;
- 74% plan on plant modernization in the next 12-24 months;
- 57% of companies expect to hire additional employees in 2018;
- Most difficult to fill positions: Machinists and CNC Machinists
- 9 out of 10 companies expect to have difficulty recruiting qualified employees. 88% cannot find needed talent (compared to 29% in 2011)
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Want to expand or improve your business?
COIN Microloan Program Expanded
Did you make a New Year's resolution to expand or improve your business? Looking to add staff or equipment to your operation?
You may qualify for the
COIN Micro-Loan Program!
The Door County Community Foundation made an additional $250,000 of business capital available to local entrepreneurs through an expansion of its COIN Micro-Loan Program. COIN was created to stimulate economic activity which leads to the creation of new jobs.
Nicolet National Bank is an integral partner in this program and will originate and service all COIN loans.
COIN loans make it affordable for promising entrepreneurs to start or expand their business in Door County!
Entrepreneurs interested in learning more or applying for a loan should contact DCEDC at 920-743-3113 or visit: InvestDoorCounty.org.
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