Focus on Calumet
A periodic update on economic development opportunities in Calumet County
and the region for businesses, entrepreneurs, and communities.

Monday, December 10, 2018
April 10 Career and Job Fair to be Held in Chilton
Calumet County is working in partnership with CESA 6 and the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board to co-sponsor a Career and Job Fair on Wednesday, April 10, 2019. The event will take place at Chilton High School. Two daytime sessions will bring together nearly 700 students from local high schools who will participate in career exploration workshops and a Career Fair, while a late afternoon session will feature a public Job Fair. Local employers who are interested in reserving booth space at the Career or Job Fair or who would like to offer a career exploration presentation are encouraged to email Mary Kohrell , or watch this newsletter for more specific details coming soon!
WEDA Legislative Update
WEDA:  As everyone knows by now, there was a major shift in the Wisconsin political landscape when Tony Evers defeated incumbent Scott Walker to become the next governor of Wisconsin.

Despite what will be a change in leadership and an inevitable shift in policy priorities coming from the Evers administration, WEDA's Legislative Agenda for the 2019-20 legislative session will not be significantly impacted. One notable exception is the future of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC).

Governor-Elect Tony Evers has said - both during the campaign and after the election - he plans to eliminate WEDC and replace it with a Department of Commerce-like state agency. WEDA believes that would be a mistake. We will be meeting with the Evers transition team next month to discuss our concerns with the potential elimination of WEDC and to make our case why the public-private agency has been effective creating jobs and encouraging business growth across the state. In addition to urging the incoming governor to preserve WEDC in its current form, WEDA will also advocate for the preservation of key economic development programs administered by WEDC.
Calumet County is a member of WEDA – the Wisconsin Economic Development Association – and will follow and report developments through the transition process.
W orkforce Housing and Development Conference Recap
Mark Eppli speaks during the WPS Workforce Housing and Development Conference at Lambeau Field.

“There are crazy good numbers nationally for employment, but Wisconsin is not keeping up with national numbers because we don’t have enough workers. And why don’t we have enough workers? They have no place to live.”

Mark Eppli, WPS Housing Conference.
Insight on Business: MaryBeth Matzek - Wisconsin is in dire need of more housing to meet the current demands as well as future demands as the state’s workforce continues to grow, says Mark Eppli, who is with the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate at the Wisconsin School of Business. Eppli was the keynote speaker at the WPS Workforce Housing & Development Conference Wednesday, November 7, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The event featured two other speakers in addition to Eppli – Jason Vangalis of Ady Advantage and author Alonzo Kelly – and nine 20×20 presentations where presenters had 20 seconds to speak for each of their 20 sides. Topics ranged from new workforce housing opportunities through WHEDA and economic development homesteading to the one-year extension of TIFs for housing development and creating a new urban model for attracting and retaining employees.

Affordable, quality housing is necessary to help the economy grow, Eppli says. He adds that a lack of affordable, quality housing also makes it more challenging for businesses to recruit workers.
To see copies of Eppli’s and Vangalis’ presentations, along with the nine 20x20 afternoon presentations, click here. Presentations included Jon Cameron from Ehlers reminding participants that Wisconsin TID law allows a one-year TID extension for an affordable housing extension anywhere in the municipality. Christian Schock presented about Wausau’s “Live it Up” program which provides a $10,000, 0% interest loan to residents who agree to redevelop a historic Wausau home 50 years old or older. Who knows -- we may see some of our Calumet County communities implementing these or similar efforts in the future to help address housing shortages.
Solving the Manufacturing Workforce Shortage
Much has been written in previous issues of this newsletter about the increasing concerns with filling jobs in the manufacturing sector. A report recently issued by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, their fourth skills gap study, summarizes the plight of the U.S. manufacturing industry. The report presents a number of reasons for concern, along with suggested opportunities for countering the problem. These problems have already been experienced locally, and Calumet County is working with local manufacturing employers, communities, schools, and the state WEDC to develop local and Wisconsin solutions.

It is worth exploring the reasons for the workforce shortages. First, the U.S. economy is currently in the midst of the second-longest expansion in history. Deloitte expects the number of new jobs in manufacturing to accelerate and grow by 1.96 million workers by 2028 (see figure below). Second, even with a delayed retirement age (estimated now to be 66 years) more than 2.6 million baby boomers are expected to retire from manufacturing jobs over the next decade.   Deloitte’s study projects that more than half of the open jobs in 2028 (2.4 million) could remain unfilled. 
The study’s conclusions recommend that manufacturers continue addressing needs to fill their current workforce while also looking to the future in several ways. These include supporting, exploring and embracing automation; apprenticeship programs; trying to extend the retirement age of retiring workers; in-house training with digital technology; public-private partnerships; working to change the perceptions of manufacturing; and supporting STEM education in the K-12 education system. Wisconsin has a strong and active support network to help manufacturers and the communities in which they’re located to implement these programs. If every company and community does its part, Wisconsin’s manufacturing economy will not only survive – it will thrive! Read the 24-page Deloitte and Manufacturing Institute 2018 Skills Gap Study.
Tax advice: Learn the New Law, or Else
AP Strictly Small Business: Ignore the details of the new tax law at your peril. If you want to get ready for next spring's filing season, the IRS has begun issuing guidelines for complying with key changes. AP's Joyce M. Rosenberg examines them and highlights benefits already available to small business owners:
  • Sole proprietors and owners of S corporations determining whether they can claim a 20 percent deduction need to count all taxable income. The thresholds — $157,500 for individuals; $315,000 for couples filing jointly — include work you might do separate from your company.
  • Owners tempted to convert to C corporations to reap lower rates should remember that there's double taxation — the company is taxed and owners’ dividends are taxed.
  • If you buy equipment and deduct and/or depreciate the cost, it must be up and running — what the IRS calls "placed in service" — by December 31.
  • Businesses can no longer deduct entertainment expenses like tickets to events or the cost of activities like golf. But meals are deductible, and food bought at an event — like hot dogs at a baseball game — is 50 percent deductible.
Local Business Updates
AgriStaff of Kiel is 2018 Governor’s Award Finalist
Tri-County News : AgriStaff USA LLC of Kiel is among two dozen Wisconsin companies which have been named finalists for the 2018 Marketplace Governor’s Awards. More than 300 nominations were received this year recognizing the achievements of businesses of all sizes and industries.

AgriStaff is a finalist in the Rising Star award category. Winners will be announced on December 13 during the 2018 MARKETPLACE Conference, which honor outstanding Wisconsin businesses owned by minorities, women and service-disabled veteran s.
Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest
The sixteenth Annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest is accepting entries online for the 2019 competition until 5:00 pm. Thursday, January 31, 2019. The contest is designed to encourage entrepreneurs in the startup stage of tech-based businesses in Wisconsin. The contest links up-and-coming entrepreneurs with a statewide network of community resources, expert advice and mentoring, management talent, and possible sources of capital. Over time, the contest has led to valuable public and media exposure for the top business plans and spurred economic growth in Wisconsin. In 2018, finalists shared in more than $150,000 in cash and in-kind prizes.

All entries are submitted through the website govsbizplancontest.com . That’s where contestants will also find business plan templates and other information, such as the Entrepreneurs’ Toolkit, and where people can register to become a judge or learn about sponsorship opportunities. Companies or individuals that have raised less than $25,000 in private equity for their plans in a current form are eligible to enter. 
Upcoming Events
Need Help Writing Your Business Plan?
Attend the Entrepreneurial Training Program
Whether your business is growing or brand-new, writing a business plan is critical to building a profitable venture, especially to attract financing from lenders or investors. The Small Business Development Center at UW-Green Bay is sponsoring the Entrepreneurial Training Program of eight efficient sessions to help you develop a plan for a thriving, profitable business. In this program, you will learn to identify customers, determine their needs, and analyze that information into a feasible plan for starting or growing your business.

  • Organize and better manage your business.
  • Identify Opportunities and market your business.
  • Understand and get your business financials in order.
  • Get Funding for your business.
  • Write a detailed, comprehensive business plan.
  • Network with other entrepreneurs.
  • Develop a network with small business support services.

Outagamie County
Dates: Tuesdays, February 5 to March 26, 2019 | Time: 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Location: Concordia University, 4351 W. College Avenue, Room 100, Appleton

Brown County
Dates: Wednesdays, February 27 to April 17, 2019 | Time: 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Location: Advance Business & Manufacturing Center, 2701 Larsen Road, Green Bay

Sheboygan/Calumet Counties
Dates: Mondays, April 1 to May 20, 2019 | Time 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Location: UW-Green Bay, Sheboygan Campus, One University Drive, Sheboygan

Cost of the Program:
Your cost is only $250 (includes book and all material) IF you complete an accepted business plan on or before the one month date after the course end. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) provides the remaining $750 in tuition assistance grant. That's $1,000 worth of business training for $250! Applications are available by calling (920) 496-2117. You must register both online as well as apply for the grant to be fully registered for this course. 

Register:
Click here to register or e-mail sbdc@uwgb.edu .
Click here to apply for the $750   grant .
Free Small Business Counseling Available
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 sessions will be held on December 18 and January 15.
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