Focus on Calumet
A periodic update on economic development opportunities in Calumet County
and the region for businesses, entrepreneurs, and communities.
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Inspire Calumet Outagamie Will Help Businesses Connect with Local Students
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Inspire Calumet Outagamie (CO) is a collaboration of educators and employers across Calumet and Outagamie Counties, supported through a partnership of CESA, Calumet County, Heart of the Valley Chamber, and other organizations. The program aims to address career- and life-ready skills gaps, establish a talent pipeline for local businesses, and build awareness of career and employment opportunities within the region. Inspire CO will engage and inform local students about the career, vocational training, and educational options available to them, linking today’s employers with tomorrow’s workforce.
In Wisconsin, the expectation is that every student who graduates from high school will be academic and career ready by participating in the Academic and Career Planning (ACP) program in middle and high school. Inspire is a relatively new statewide program that compliments ACP efforts by helping to directly connect students and businesses. It will provide students with meaningful career experiences so they graduate with an inspiring and realistic idea of which path to pursue upon graduation.
Local school districts in Calumet and Outagamie Counties are preparing to implement the cloud-based platform during the upcoming spring semester, and into the 2019-2020 school year. Local businesses will be contacted over the coming months to learn more about joining Inspire to build direct student connections. Businesses interested in getting started now can contact
Mary Kohrell
.
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WEDA to Create Entrepreneurship and Innovation Committee
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The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation has established a new priority on Entrepreneurship and Innovation by forming a committee to focus on those issues at the request of Gov. Tony Evers. Ultimately, the committee will help ensure that entrepreneurs and Main Street businesses benefit from economic development funding. For more information or to learn how to be part of the committee, click
here.
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Insight on Manufacturing, January 11, Mary Beth Matzek:
Manufacturers
across the New North anticipate plenty of hiring in 2019 — if they can find enough workers. According to the NEW Manufacturing Alliance 2019 Manufacturing Vitality Index, 59 percent of manufacturers plan to hire during the first quarter, with 45 percent planning to hire more workers overall throughout the year. When it comes to business investment, 70 percent plan to spend on modernization, and after seeing strong sales in 2018, 80 percent of manufacturers anticipate the same for 2019.
The annual study serves as an indication of the strength and vitality of manufacturing employers in the region, says Mike Kawleski, public affairs manager for Georgia-Pacific and chair of NEWMA’s communications taskforce. “This year’s report showcases that manufacturers are very bullish for 2019 and plan on investing in their businesses more than any time before in the nine years we’ve been doing the study,” he says.
New North manufacturers are working from a position of strength, says NEWMA Director Ann Franz.
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Wisconsin's Economy Generally Looks Strong Heading into 2019
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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 28, 2018:
While industry leaders generally agree Wisconsin’s economy is strong and they're optimistic heading into 2019, the path forward isn't free of peril. A recession doesn't appear likely in the near term, and deregulation and lower corporate income taxes should help keep the business climate on the upswing, some industry leaders say in the just-released annual “WBA Wisconsin Economic Report” by the
Wisconsin Bankers Association.
But at the same time, Wisconsin’s
agriculture industry, especially dairy, is hurting
, and tariff retaliation by foreign countries is raising the cost of raw materials for manufacturing and housing here. And, across industries, companies in the state are concerned there aren’t enough workers to fill their job openings in 2019.
“Wisconsin tends to lead the U.S. into a recession and lag it coming out,” said economist Brian Jacobsen. “If recession risks are rising in the U.S., they’re even more critical in Wisconsin. But I think some of the recession risks are overblown, which means full-steam ahead for Wisconsin.”
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The Mystery of Pittsburgh: How Some Shrinking Cities Are Thriving in the New Economy
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Stateline: an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts, December 12, 2018:
Fewer people are living in Pittsburgh — 95,000 fewer than in 2000. But the remaining residents are growing wealthier even as the Steel City shrinks: Income per capita is up 24 percent during the same period. Population growth also has decoupled from average income in Buffalo and Utica, New York; Providence, Rhode Island; Springfield, Massachusetts; and Gulf Coast cities such as New Orleans and Beaumont, Texas. Even Huntington, West Virginia,
hit hard by the opioid epidemic
and the decline of coal mining, has experienced a growing income per capita despite a shrinking population.
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A robotics institute at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. High-tech manufacturing has helped the Pittsburgh area increase income per capita despite losing population.
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Some of these metro areas have high-paying jobs in energy, health care, or education. Others have managed to reshape their manufacturing legacies for a new economy. All of them are evidence that despite conventional wisdom, cities don’t necessarily need population growth and more jobs to be economically healthy.
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The lesson: STEM and high tech jobs contribute to rising incomes, even in the face of population declines. Calumet County still needs people to fill job vacancies, but our high tech jobs are an asset.
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Belke Financial Group Moves to New Location
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Belke Financial Group, New Holstein, has moved its business to a new location. After extensive remodeling, owners Dan and Karen Weber and their employees moved into the former Bank Mutual building. The new facility has numerous upgrades, including a large conference room that will allow the company to offer presentations to over 50 people at one time.
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Hilbert Redevelopment Site
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Located along Highway 57 in the Village of Hilbert, a 2.25 acre vacant land parcel is available for redevelopment. All utilities are available. The property is marketed by NAI Pfefferle.
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Pathways and Pitfalls Leading to a Higher Level of Teamwork and Collaboration in Your Workplace
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Teams are an integral part of the way that many businesses are structured today. Regardless of your industry or position, you have probably experienced both the benefits and the challenges of leading and working with others in teams. This one-day workshop will help you to appreciate the value of teams in the workplace and provide some tips and techniques for increasing collaboration and effectively managing conflict.
Here is what will be covered during this workshop:
- How teams have changed the way that work gets done in organizations
- Seven proven tips and techniques that can help to insure optimal team performance
- How to build collaboration, improved performance, and a higher level of employee engagement through effective work teams
- Pathways and pitfalls to effective conflict resolution in work teams
Date: February 12, 2019 | 8:30-3:30 pm
Location: Advance Business & Manufacturing Center, Green Bay
Cost: $200
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Maintaining Professionalism While Under Pressure and Leading Without Authority
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Maintaining Professionalism Under Pressure
During the first half of the day, participants will learn their own natural tendencies while under pressure and explore the sources of stress along with some of the factors which keep us from successful execution of our goals. Through a series of examples, we will conduct a “Before/After” analysis of approaches to common workplace challenges discussing strategies for navigating those stressful moments while maintaining professionalism.
Leading Without Authority
In this half-day session, we will explore the traditional sources of power and how they can positively impact our ability to build legitimacy in our leadership. Participants will discover their own tendencies while communicating with others and strategies for increasing their effectiveness. This session will conclude with a look at the “other side of leadership,” which focuses on how any leader can challenge themselves on a daily basis.
Date: February 26, 2019 | 8:30-3:30 pm
Location: Advance Business & Manufacturing Center, Green Bay
Cost: $200
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Examines aspects of distribution and inventory management, document management, and procurement integral to international trade logistics. Considers different regulatory, financial, geographical, cultural, and consumer requirements. Explores how organizations obtain resources and manage logistical systems within the global value chain to minimize costs and risks and maximize potential.
Dates: March 26-May 14, 2019 | 5:30-8:20 pm
Location: Online or Fox Valley Technical College - Chilton Regional Learning Center
Cost: $637.45
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Free Small Business Counseling Available
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Once a month, a counselor with the Green Bay Small Business Development Center meets with entrepreneurs and existing business owners at the Calumet County Courthouse in Chilton; he is also available to meet with Calumet County entrepreneurs and businesses on a periodic basis at other locations in the county or his office as schedules permit. These free, individual business counseling sessions are held to help answer questions and put businesses and entrepreneurs in a better position to make the best decisions for themselves and their businesses.
To schedule an appointment with the business counselor, contac
t
Mary Kohrell
using the information provided below. The next regularly scheduled session will be held on Tuesday, February 19.
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WWBIC -
Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation Classes
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The Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation - offers classes statewide for new entrepreneurs, seasoned business owners and anyone looking to improve their financial health. Click
here
to see a list of classes held at the Appleton WWBIC location.
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Calumet County Community Economic Development contact information:
Mary Kohrell,
Community Economic Development Director
Connie Leonhard
, Program Assistant
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