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

Monday, September 3, 2018 On this day when the U.S. celebrates Labor Day, we honor the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Village of Hilbert Putting Final Touches on Village-Wide Development Plan

The Village of Hilbert Economic Development Committee met in early August to discuss and receive a draft copy of its Village-Wide Economic Development Plan. The plan was funded with $25,000 of village funds and a $25,000 HUD Community Development Block Grant – Planning Grant. Hilbert retained the services of Cedar Corporation, with offices in several WI locations, to lead the village through the plan development process. The Economic Development Committee is reviewing the plan prior to a presentation to the Village Board and the community. Included in the draft plan are recommendations to attract housing, especially affordable housing; facilitate the attraction of new opportunities into the downtown; and expand the village’s industrial park. Hilbert officials expect to adopt the plan in the next month and will then begin implementation.

WI Manufacturers and Commerce Address Tariffs

Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce has produced a new 2-minute video featuring the impact tariffs are having on many businesses across the state, including Husco International and Argon Industries. Watch the video below.

Spoiler alert: There are Wisconsin businesses that are being harmed by tariffs.

Foxconn Contributes More Funds for Wisconsin and Beyond

Foxconn Technology Group, Advocate Aurora Health Inc., Johnson Controls International plc and Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. announced today (August 29) they have formed a $100 million corporate venture capital fund to invest in startup companies worldwide. The announcement confirms a previous BizTimes Milwaukee report that Foxconn was working to raise a venture capital fund as large as $100 million and had been interviewing potential co-investors. The corporate partnerships bring in additional stakeholders, with each of the four organizations contributing an equal $25 million.   Read the full article

Foxconn chairman Terry Gou discusses the new venture capital fund at an event Tuesday. Earlier in the week, Foxconn and UW Madison announced Foxconn’s plans to invest $100 million in engineering and innovation research. The investment will be used to build the Foxconn Institute for Research in Science and Technology, or FIRST, near Racine and serve as a technological hub for initiatives in medical, materials and data science, as well as creating a research facility for the UW College of Engineering. UW receives the contribution if it is able to raise an equal amount of funds as part of a $3.2 billion fundraising strategy.

Wisconsin Launches First-ever National Campaign to Attract Veterans Transitioning to Civilian Life

The state of Wisconsin has launched a $1.9 million national marketing campaign to encourage military personnel and their spouses who are transitioning to civilian life to live and work in Wisconsin once they leave the service.   The campaign, a collaborative effort between the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA), and the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, is a part of the state’s new $6.8 million marketing campaign aimed at attracting talent to address Wisconsin’s current and future workforce needs. This marks the first time the state has launched a comprehensive talent attraction campaign aimed at military personnel and spouses.

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Small Business Insights from SCORE: Customer Payment Preferences

Fewer Americans Uproot Themselves for a New Job

Wall Street Journal - Fewer Americans are moving around the country to pursue new work opportunities, as a tighter labor market and changing family ties make people less willing to uproot their lives for a job. About 3.5 million Americans relocated for a new job last year, according to census data, a 10% drop from 3.8 million in 2015. The numbers have fluctuated between 2.8 million and 4.5 million since the government started tracking job-related relocations in 1999 - but have been trending lower overall, even as the U.S. population grew by nearly 20% over that stretch. Wall Street Journal subscribers can click here to read the full story.

Local note: More divorces with two-parent custody arrangements, and multi-generational households are causing the number of people who are willing to relocate to decline. Businesses and communities must work harder than in the past to encourage people to relocate for a job or a new home.

Tax Incremental Financing: What is it, What it Brings to Oshkosh

S ome of Oshkosh's most recognizable properties owe their existence to one statewide program. The City Center, the Menominee Nation Arena, the Granary, and the upcoming Oshkosh Corp. headquarters are just some of the properties in the city launched with the help of tax increment financing districts, an incentive program the state created in the 1970s. Some districts have done well, some haven’t, but Oshkosh has made use of TIFs on a more frequent level than many other cities of a comparable size in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin State Legislature passed a statute in 1975 allowing municipalities to create tax incremental financing districts. Oshkosh first used the program four years later, and the city has run with it ever since. The phrase is a mouthful, but essentially works like this.  When municipalities create a TIF district, taxable property values are locked in place and any increase in property values — and therefore taxes — is pumped back into development projects within the district. The relevant taxing bodies (think city, county, and school district) only receive the original tax rate for however long the district is active. It’s a tool for trying to trigger economic development in areas that would not see such development without the implementation of a district, and Oshkosh is rife with them .  Source: Oshkosh Northwestern

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Local perspective: Most cities and villages in Calumet County utilize the TIF tool to support local economic development projects. Learning how other communities implement TIF projects can help build awareness about other options .

Entrepreneurial Training Program Starts Fall 2018 Classes

Successful business owners have a plan — let the SBDC help build yours!  Whether a 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 develop a plan for a thriving, profitable business. In this program, participants learn to identify customers, determine their needs, and analyze that information into a feasible plan for starting or growing a business. Calumet County businesses and entrepreneurs can opt to attend the 8-session ETP classes in Sheboygan on Wednesdays (begins 9/12) or Green Bay on Mondays (begins 9/10). The cost is $250 with a successful application.

Click for more information or to register online.

Business Updates

New Dentist Joins New Holstein Family Dental

Dr. Caitlin Bloomer, a Chilton high school graduate, has joined the staff of New Holstein Family Dental and Kiel Family Dental and is seeing patients in both offices. She has joined the practice in anticipation of the retirement of Dr. Barbara Karls, who is retiring after 38 years in the practice.

Free Business Counseling Offered

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. 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 session will be held on September 18.

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Calumet County Community Economic Development contact information: Mary Kohrell, Community Economic Development Director (920) 849-1680 | mary.kohrell@calumetcounty.org Connie Leonhard , Program Assistant (920) 849-1450 x4| connie.leonhard@calumetcounty.org ‌ ‌