Faith Technologies Incorporated (FTI), the parent brand to EnTech Solutions, held an Open House on June 15 at its rural Stockbridge Lakeside Vision Center to showcase the organization’s renewable energy capabilities. The off-grid facility is powered by clean energy Xcape™ and DCentrIQ™ microgrids which consist of ground-mount and roof-top solar, battery storage, a natural gas generator and DCentrIQ power controls. The area around Lakeside is at the end of a utility power line where power has historically been unreliable, which was a factor behind this development.

WELCOME TO CALUMET COUNTY, Faith Technologies Team. This facility offers many exciting future economic development possibilities!

In fact, child care costs more than college or housing, a non-partisan think tank found. The average annual cost of child care for an infant in Wisconsin is $12,567 according to a study by the Economic Policy Institute. This makes infant care in Wisconsin 48.3% more expensive than the average in-state tuition for a four-year public college. The average annual cost of college in 2020 was $8,475 and $9,994 for housing. 

The Wisconsin Department of Tourism recently released its 2021 economic impact data, showing Wisconsin tourism generated $20.9 billion in total economic impact. Statewide, total economic impact increased 21 percent, with all 72 counties reporting double-digit growth over 2020. Locally in Calumet County, tourism generated $61 million in economic impact, a 15.5% increase from 2020.

In 2021, tourism supported more than 169,700 full and part-time jobs statewide across diverse sectors of the industry, up 7 percent over 2020; in Calumet County it supported 583 jobs, a 6.3% increase. Visitors generated $1.4 billion in state and local taxes because of tourism spending. Without this tax revenue, each Wisconsin household would need to pay $580 to maintain the current level of government services generated by tourism.

Population data shows people are spreading out from cities, and EMSI job postings data shows jobs are following them.  For Emsi Burning Glass’ new report, Rural’s Rise: Shifting Trends in Rural and Urban Job Postings, they opened up their database of more than 1 billion current and historical job postings to see what they say about this trend. 

Endries International Inc., Brillion, has announced its acquisition of Store Room Fasteners. Store Room, started in a Montgomery, Alabama, storage shed by Tim Wilsford in 1984, has emphasized meeting the needs of original equipment manufacturers and industrial businesses for nearly 40 years. In addition to the Montgomery facility, Store Room operates Alabama facilities in Opelika and Selma, along with sites in Lagrange, Georgia, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Read More

The City of Appleton has relocated the Appleton Public Library to the former Best Buy on South Kensington Drive. The move is temporary while the current library location undergoes renovations. This is the first and perhaps the only time the Appleton Public Library will have a Calumet County location. Read More

AriensCo Hospitality and Mile of Music Festival have teamed up to offer a Summer 2022 Concert Series at Stone Prairie in Brillion. Doors open at 5 pm with a bar and food truck; showtime is 5:30-7:30 pm. There are 6 concerts in the series, the second which takes place on June 22.

The Main Street Bounceback Grant program provides $10,000 to new or existing businesses and non-profit organizations moving into vacant properties in Wisconsin’s downtowns and commercial corridors. Funds can be used to pay leases or mortgages, operational expenses, and other business costs related to the newly opened location.

The reimbursement grant program is open to new or existing businesses opening a new location or expanding operations in a vacant commercial space as of January 1, 2021. Calumet County. Contact the grant program coordinator at East Central WI Regional Planning Commission for information. Application deadline is December 31, 2022.

Ray York of the Small Business Development Center serves Calumet County with business assistance to existing and start-up businesses throughout the county. Small Business Development Center services are available at no cost to businesses. Ray’s goal is to provide opportunities to clients by guiding them to make informed decisions to start, expand, or transition their business. He can be reached by phone at (920) 946-9379 or york@sheboygancountyedc.org.