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

Monday, March 18, 2019
Tri-City Nights to Offer Cool Family Fun in New Holstein
By Mark Sherry
Tri-County News , 3/7/19

A group of local organizers are currently raising funds and encouraging businesses, organizations, and individuals to join them in starting Tri-City Nights, events which would take place every Friday evening in New Holstein from June 7 through September 27.
This snowy parking lot in New Holstein will soon be buzzing with weekly Friday night fun. Photo credit: Mark Sherry
Dwight, Allison, and Falena McShaw and Casey Suttner are the current board members of a soon-to-be official nonprofit organization which has already done a lot of legwork not just in New Holstein but also in Kiel and Chilton to try to make the event happen.  

Tri-City Nights would be held from 4 to 9 p.m. each of those Fridays in the parking lot of the former Gruett’s Implement building along STH 32/57. Joe and Marci of Honeymoon Acres now own the lot and accompanying building and are donating the use of the property for these events, but Honeymoon Acres is not the sponsor of Tri-City Nights.

Daughter-in-law Allison McShaw said the vision is to bring the communities of New Holstein, Chilton, and Kiel—as well as visitors from many other places—together on Friday evenings for family fun, much like Friday evening “Pizza on the Farm” events did in the area in the past.
Calling All Job Seekers
The Calumet County Job Fair will be held from 3:30 to 5:30 pm at Chilton High School on Wednesday, April 10, 2019. Over 40 local and regional employers will be on hand to speak with people seeking jobs or new employment opportunities. The following is a preliminary list of employers that will be present. Job seekers can register and learn more about the event by going to http://tinyurl.com/calumetcareer. Attendees are encouraged to dress appropriate for an interview and to be prepared to complete applications onsite.
 
Companies registered to participate as of March 11 are: A to Z Machine Company, Inc.; JF Ahern; Americollect; Ariens Co; Bill Lorrigan Construction; Brillion West Haven; C.D. Smith Construction, Inc.; Calumet County; Chilton Chamber of Commerce; D & D Equipment Co/DVO Inc.; Fox Valley Technical College; HUI Manufacturing; Johnsonville; Keller, Inc.; Kohler Co.; Land O’Lakes, Inc.; Lunda Construction Company; M-B Companies, Inc.; Metko Inc.; Midwest Overhead Doors; North Shore Health Care – Willowdale Health Services; Ornua Ingredients; Pierce Manufacturing; Premier Financial Credit Union; ProAmpac; Remedy Intelligent Staffing; Sargento Foods Inc.; The Osthoff Resort; Van Horn Automotive Group; Veterans Service Office of Calumet County; Wisconsin Department of Corrections; Wisconsin Lift Truck; and Worthington. 
Manufacturing Their Future at Kimberly High School
Kimberly Area School District, 3/5/19
A visit to the technology education department at Kimberly High School (KHS) isn’t complete without seeing the machining classrooms inside the school and the welding shop, a separate building located directly behind the school. After students complete the course curriculum, they design and manufacture projects related to their interests. The workstations are full of students learning the hands-on skills related to the different aspects of their projects – designing, cutting, welding, and grinding. Some of the projects students manufacture include custom signs, tables, fire pits, and grills.
Teacher Luke Smith (right) helps student Andrew Kieffer with the new CNC plasma cutter at Kimberly High School.
Kimberly has a strong technology education program where students learn how to use a manual mill and lathe, Computer Numeric Control (CNC) milling machine, CNC lathe, CNC router, CNC plasma cutter, laser engraver/cutter, and 3D printers. Students can also learn how to use high-end graphics printing/cutting machines, photography and video production equipment along with the latest software used in industry, including 3D modeling and Adobe software products. The equipment and skills that students develop are enhanced by a focus on employability skills. 

Kimberly High has been making improvements to its technology education facilities for the past seven years. With the recent upgrade to the welding shop and new CNC equipment acquired over the last two years, teachers are working to develop additional student learning activities utilizing the new equipment. All of these opportunities are helping students learn more about themselves and career options in order to graduate prepared for their future. 
Calumet County Offers a Great Bang for the Buck
A ccording to a recent analysis published by Smart Asset™, Calumet County offers the second best value for property tax dollars in Wisconsin. To conduct the analysis, Smart Asset™ looked at school rankings, crime rates, and property taxes for every county in the country to create a ratio of the community score to the per capita property tax paid to show where property tax dollars are going the furthest. That analysis places Calumet County second in the state. 
 
See the interactive map, a description of the methodology used in the calculation, and more detailed data here . 
Help Found: Workers recruited from Wind-Shorn Island
Thanks to the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation “Economic Progress and Opportunity Update” for this article.

Plymouth Review – A U.S. island ravaged by storm. Workers without jobs. Can Sheboygan County businesses short of workers step in? There's at least one effort to try.
 
The Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation (SCEDC) is backing efforts by Kiel-based staffing agency LaborOne USA to solve Sheboygan County's labor shortage with workers from Puerto Rico.
 
Heading the effort is LaborOne co-founder Frankie Rodriguez, who has prioritized helping members of the Hispanic community find jobs since forming his agency in 2014. Rodriguez, who is from Puerto Rico himself, put greater focus on Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017, which dealt a massive blow to the Puerto Rican economy.
 
"We've been relocating individuals to the area since 2015 on a smaller scale," Rodriguez said. "You know, two or three people. Most recently, for Hurricane Maria, we went out and had a job fair for Johnsonville, and we were able to bring back 26 individuals. Altogether, between Johnsonville and other companies in the area, we've been able to bring back 50 to 60 individuals."

Note: LaborOne USA is located in Kiel, and is very willing to work with Calumet County employers to help address workforce shortages.
Wisconsin Employers Continue to Add Jobs
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) recently released the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) preliminary employment estimates for the month of January. The data showed Wisconsin added 4,900 total non-farm jobs in January. Employers added 6,000 private-sector jobs with a significant 5,200 jobs added in the retail sector. After BLS benchmarking of 2018 monthly data, Wisconsin added 22,600 private-sector jobs over the year from January 2018 to January 2019. Wisconsin's unemployment rate remained at 3 percent in January. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in January remained at 3 percent, while the national unemployment rate was 4 percent. The full BLS report can be viewed on DWD's website, www.WisConomy.com .
How to Predict Consumer Spending Trends
AP Strictly Small Business, 3/9/13
S mall business owners who want to predict what consumers will buy next month, next season, or next year can get some answers by mining the internet for data, and thinking about what that data means. First, retailers and manufacturers should expect that a current trend will run its course, and they should anticipate that something that's been hot for several seasons or years will run out of steam. Joanna Duda, owner of Pirillo Swimwear, a Chicago-based online retailer of women's swimsuits, is changing her color mix now that yellow has been popular the past few years.

Some tips for forecasting consumer spending trends:
  • Look for consumers' search and buying patterns on your own website, Google Trends and Amazon. Search trends tell you what they want and what they'd like to find.
  • Social media can show you what consumers are interested in. Find hashtags related to your type of business on Instagram and Twitter, and search for Facebook groups with potential customers can help you learn what consumers want. Engage with your own customers. “Social media helps inform your understanding of consumer psychology and allows you to plan accordingly and make changes,” says Andrew Thornton, co-owner of Allegory Gallery in Ligonier, Pennsylvania.
  • Get creative with what you learn. If you can glean that customers are moving in a new direction — for example, staying home more — think about the purchases they're likely to make, says Marshal Cohen, a senior analyst at NPD Group, a company that tracks consumer trends.
  • Look beyond your current core group of customers. Most of the people who sign up with Africa Travel for safaris tend to be age 45 or older, says Steve Pritchard, digital marketing consultant for the Leeds, England-based company. Pritchard looks at younger consumers' searching and buying habits, expecting that they would be the next wave of travelers to Africa.
Local Business Updates
Chilton Agency Strives to Fit Best Products with its Clients
By Faye Burg
Tri County News , 3/12/2019

As an independent health insurance agent, Kate Suttner strives to find just the right products that fit the insurance needs of her clients.
Suttner owns Health Insurance Solutions and Benefits in Chilton and offers health insurance solutions and benefits including full service Medicare and Individual and group medical health insurance options.
Sue Herrmann (left) and Kate Suttner work to find the best insurance products to fit their clients’ needs.
“We are certified agents in Medicare and Marketplace/Affordable Care Act Exchange and we are able to consult and sell products that fit the needs of anyone looking for Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage or individual polices with tax-credit subsidies (Marketplace),” Suttner explained.

“Currently, I am appointed with all major Medicare and major medical insurance companies including Anthem, AARP United Healthcare, Network Health, Security Health, Humana, WPS, Arise Health, Cigna, Common Ground and Molina,” she added.

Licensed for nine years, Suttner is also appointed with Delta Dental, Medi-Share (Christian Sharing) and National General for all ancillary insurance products ranging from dental, vision, short-term medical, cancer, accident and more. 
Clutter Solutions Opens in Darboy
Dan Rowe opened Clutter Solutions, a business that installs overhead storage racks, work benches, slat walls, and other storage systems in garages and basements. Dan can be contacted at 920-851-9471, on Facebook at Clutter Solutions or by e-mail at cluttersolutions1@aol.com .
Changes Coming to Briess in Chilton
Ryan O’Toole, COO of Briess Malting, has announced that production at the 118 year old Chilton Malthouse will be completed in the next three years due to the facility age. Briess Headquarters and current manufacturing will remain in Chilton. The company is making additional investments at their malting facility in the City of Manitowoc. All Chilton Malthouse employees will have employment opportunities within Briess.
Hair Salon has New Owner
Hot Heads, LLC, Brillion, a full service hair salon in downtown Brillion, is announcing a new owner. Marissa Lannbrecht has been a stylist at the salon for five years, and has taken over ownership from previous owner, Lacey Miller-Kalies. Miller-Kalies remains engaged in the business as a stylist and the building owner.
Upcoming Events
Entrepreneurial Training Program
Successful business owners have a plan — let us help you build yours!

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 Entrepreneurial Training Program (ETP) is 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.

Your cost is only $250 if you complete an accepted business plan. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) provides the remaining $750 in tuition assistance. That's $1,000 worth of business training for $250! Applications are available by calling 920-496-2117. You must both Register Online as well as  Apply for the Grant here   to by fully registered for this course.

Date: April 1-May 20, 2019 | 5:30-8:30 pm
Location: UW-Green Bay, Sheboygan Campus, One University Drive, Sheboygan
Cost: $250 with successful application
Microsoft Excel Level 3
Extend your knowledge of Microsoft Excel and learn about automating common tasks, conditional formatting, advanced data analysis, collaboration on workbooks with other users and protecting workbooks and their content.
 
Learn About:
  • Working with multiple worksheets and workbooks
  • Using lookup functions and formula auditing
  • Sharing and protecting workbooks
  • Automating workbook functionality
  • Creating sparklines and mapping data
  • Forecasting data

Tuesday, March 26, 2019, FVTC Chilton Regional Center
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
 
$179 | Materials & refreshments provided
Details  |  Register        
Supervisory Leadership 101
Invest in the future by building your leadership skills today!

Guidance for aspiring or new leaders and pragmatic recommendations for leaders who seek to develop strong teams and drive outstanding results.

Supervisory Leadership 101 offers guidance for aspiring or new leaders and pragmatic recommendations for leaders who seek to develop strong teams and drive outstanding results. Explore different leadership styles and discover your own unique style. Understand the transition into leadership and how your role and responsibilities are defined.

Leadership is a conscious choice. Gain the tools and approaches necessary for professionals at all stages of the leadership life cycle to understand your role, establish fundamental practices, integrate your actions with the organization’s strategy, and motivate and inspire your teams.

Date: April 9-10, 2019 | 8:30-3:30 pm
Location: Advance Business & Manufacturing Center, 2701 Larsen Rd, Green Bay
Cost: $450
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 session will be held on Tuesday, April 16.
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