Focus on Calumet
A bi-weekly update on economic development opportunities in Calumet County
and the region for businesses, entrepreneurs, and communities.
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Covid-19 Resources for Businesses & Communities
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Due to the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court decision,
Wisconsin Legislature vs. Palm,
Calumet County recommends that individuals, businesses, and customers continue to practice safe habits as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. While the order is gone, the virus is not. These safe habits are:
- Maintain physical distancing of six (6) feet between people not residing in a single living unit or household;
- Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds as frequently as possible or using hand sanitizer;
- Cover coughs or sneezes (into the sleeve or elbow, not hands);
- Regularly clean high-touch surfaces;
- Not shake hands;
- Use a mask or cloth face covering. Note: the use of masks or cloth face coverings is strongly recommended but shall not be required due to equity concerns regarding the challenges that either may cause for individuals because of disabilities and/or shortages of PPE; and
- Follow all other public health recommendations issued by State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce the risk of becoming infected or transmitting COVID-19 during this pandemic.
For specific guidance for businesses, it is recommended that businesses should follow
WEDC’s 15
specific industry reopening guidelines
. Food and hospitality workers in particular may find assistance from
this video, recommended by Calumet County Public Health.
Additionally, Calumet County Community Economic Development has prepared two resources that may be of use:
Public health officials from Calumet, Outagamie, and Winnebago Counties will extend COVID-19 testing through May 22 and open the service to non-symptomatic individuals, beginning May 18. Testing will be available from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday at the campus of the Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC), 1825 N. Bluemound Dr., in Grand Chute. Individuals interested in receiving a test should complete
this form. Testing is available to anyone over the age of five years, but minors must be accompanied by an adult.
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Update on Inspire Calumet County
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Public school administrators and representatives from the local business community have met nearly monthly since last October under the umbrella of
the Calumet Business Education Partnership (BEP
). The purpose of the BEP is to connect businesses and educators to offer meaningful educational and employment experiences for students and local employers.
Aside from missing the monthly meeting in April for what was supposed to have been the Annual Career Expo for local high school students (which was cancelled due to COVID-19), the BEP met again in mid-May, this time virtually. School administrators shared the transitions that have taken place within their local districts to continue serving the educational needs of students through online instruction. Local businesses – all of those who participated are essential businesses who continued have continued operations -- shared their internal transitions and efforts to keep employees safe while maintaining productivity.
The Youth Apprenticeship program has continued to grow in Calumet County. CESA had 41 students in the Youth Apprenticeship program in the current school year, and 16 of them will continue next year. Fifty applications were submitted for next school year. CESA is working to continue placing students, conduct interviews, and managing the new circumstances. The BEP encourages ALL local businesses in Calumet County to learn more about this important program.
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The Force is Strong With this One…The Labor Force
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Summary
- A loyal workforce is the goal of every industrial business. Replacing workers can cost up to 6 months of wages and lost productivity.
- High performing businesses have learned how to use design elements to engage and attract workers – especially in manufacturing and distribution.
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Attracting and Retaining Employees isn’t a Jedi Mind Trick
2020 rolls along through the impacts of COVID-19, one of the legacies from the previous year that is not changing is “the force,” that is, the labor force, and industrial companies’ need for workers.
At an industrial conference in the Fall of 2019, the global director of real estate for a major manufacturer and distributor put it this way: their business
struggles to identify locations
with plentiful labor. They often are forced to occupy space in markets that do not have adequate labor resources.
Are these the workers you’re looking for?
Pre COVID-19, US unemployment stood at 3.6% and many markets across the US were stressed for workers. This reality was especially true in metro markets where labor resources were even more scarce. However, as unemployment claims skyrocket during the pandemic the demand for workers remains strong as industrial businesses continue to hire. The long-term question remains that even if a labor force can be identified and recruited, can you retain them?
Replacing workers can cost a business the equivalent of 2-6 months of wages due to recruiting and training costs, as well as loss of productivity. Identifying new workers, onboarding and training can churn time and resources.
Is your vision 20/20?
For the remainder of 2020 and beyond, we see three principles for industrial businesses to follow to attract and retain workers. None of them require you to be a Jedi Master:
- Make location decisions based on labor, not real estate. Too many companies look through the wrong end of the telescope when expanding their business. Instead of starting with a building search, identify the key characteristics for the short and long-term sustainability of the business. Labor force analytics are a great place to start, taking a deep dive into data and trends to identify communities which can supply the labor needed. Then and only then address the building.
- Retaining workforce takes a cultural change. Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn put it this way, “The three qualities of people I most enjoy working with are: Dream Big, Get Stuff Done, and Know How to Have Fun.” In the long run, today’s labor force has aspirations beyond earning wages to pay their bills.
- Aesthetics impact the workforce. The nexus between employees and employer is the physical environment in which they work. Creating a workspace that is bright, colorful, and engaging is not limited to just office or retail spaces.
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FREE Small Business Survival Coaching Available Throughout Calumet County
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This is a challenging time for many small business owners and Calumet County wants to help. That's why a new partnership has been started with the Rural Ideas Network to offer all small businesses free access to "
Small Business Survival Coaching" until June 30, 2020.
The Rural Ideas Network is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that specializes in helping rural entrepreneurs and communities spark growth. Their experienced business coaching team will help develop an Outbreak Survival Plan through a series of virtual one-on-one sessions. This service is specifically designed to help create relevant solutions to the current crisis. Working with a coach, participants will:
1. Complete a cash flow analysis
2. Learn about any available disaster relief funding
3. Consider alternative income opportunities (online, etc.)
4. Review tools and strategies for remote working (if it’s an option)
5. Evaluate down-time improvement opportunities
This service doesn’t replace the
SBDC counseling services offered by
Ray York. It is an enhancement to that service because the Rural Ideas Network has a larger staff capacity and is able to spend more time with each business. It may be especially useful for businesses that are trying to determine disaster relief funding, assess their continued viability, or just need an external set of eyes and ears to help make critical business decisions.
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Business counseling is also available through the Small Business Development Center. Ray York is eager to serve entrepreneurs and start-ups that are considering going in to business, and it isn’t too late for businesses feeling the effects of COVID-19 to contact the SBDC. Use the
online contact form, or reach Ray by phone (920-946-9379) or
email.
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City of Brillion receives two grants for BIW site
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Grant help is on the way for the City of Brillion in the redevelopment of the Brillion Works site. Two grants, one worth $500,000 and another worth at least $358,000, will go toward the cleanup of the site and the restoration of Spring Creek.
The city received notice last week that it will receive $500,000 from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for cleanup purposes at the site under the EPA’s Brownfields program. “These communities are ready to move forward with redevelopment; they just lacked the funding to take that next step,” EPA Regional Administrator Kurt Thiede said through a press release. “EPA’s Brownfields grants help jumpstart the process by providing support for assessments and cleanups.”
The city had previously received a $500,000 idle site grant for demolition of the former Brillion Iron Works buildings from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). With demolition out of the way, cleaning contaminated areas on the site is the next step. “Before we can develop, we need to do some cleanup,” Brillion City Administrator Lori Gosz said.
A “brownfield” is a property whose future use is complicated by potential presence of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants. There are estimated to be more than 450,000 of them in the country. Every grant that the city applies for is unique. The city must match a percentage of the funding to receive the grant. Those vary by grant. Some funding allows the city to use other grants to meet their necessary match, like the EPA grant where they need to contribute a $100,000 match.
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Romenesko Family Dentistry Provides Comfortable and Personable Dental Care
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By Megan Roehl, Summer Intern 2019
Romenesko Family Dentistry
in Brillion is independently owned and operated by Dr. Nick Romenesko. He purchased the business from the retired Dr. Johnson in 2010 and Dr. Vernon Goin’s business in 2015. Currently, the practice has grown to seven employees and two dentists available to serve patients. Dr. Bryan Mick joined the in 2019 and has been a great fit. He has enjoyed the tight community feel and patients have enjoyed his candor and relaxed personality.
Serving the Brillion area, Romenesko Family Dentistry prides themselves on the ability to provide high quality and compassionate dental care. All employees reside in the local area, which allows for the employees to know many patients outside of the dentist’s office. Providing dental care with a patient-centered approach ensures that each patient has a comfortable visit by treating them individually and accommodating their specific needs. Dr. Romenesko has enjoyed being able to care for multiple generations of families from grandparents to grandchildren. Consequently, another highlight has been being able to continually care for children and families as they age and have different dental needs.
They attribute their success to treating each patient individually, remembering their concerns and going out of the way to provide a comfortable experience. Drs. Romenesko and Mick offer a wide array of dental procedures from standard fillings and crowns, extractions, restoring dental implants, dentures, orthodontics, and Invisalign. Patients are often impressed with how particular the doctors focus on the esthetics of their work as they create beautiful smiles. As they move forward with their business, they look forward to offering the same high-quality care and concern for each patient as they were able to in the beginning. This will allow for them to make each patient visit as comfortable as possible.
Note the clinic is open only for emergency dental care at the current time.
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- The Job Center of Wisconsin keeps an updated list of jobs for job seekers. It is searchable by type of position and community.
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Lessons Learned from WI CEOs
on how they are managing the COVID crisis
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Fridays, May 22 and May 29
11:00 am
The COVID-19 pandemic poses unprecedented challenges to all types of Wisconsin businesses whose operations are impacted by disruptions to their supply chains, demand for their products, and worker unavailability. As members of the Wisconsin business community, we want to help you address your company challenges by engaging, collaborating, and communicating with you and our thousands of valued businesses across Wisconsin.
Join state business and health leaders for the latest medical updates, insights into how companies are adapting their operations to the COVID-19 pandemic and how these best practice examples might apply to your business.
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By registering for this webinar, you will also be registered for the remaining webinars in the series, each featuring different prominent CEOs from across Wisconsin.
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Wisconsin Rural Summit (Rural Partners Event)
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June 17 and 18
Marshfield
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E-seed Express: Entrepreneurship Training
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Participants develop a business plan through completion of weekly activities and business planning templates. Experts from the small business and entrepreneurial community provide insight into legal, management, marketing, technology, accounting, and financing aspects of operating a successful small business.
You will learn about:
- Small business ownership - is it right for you?
- Identifying and analyzing your industry, competition, and market
- Legal issues facing business owners
- Bookkeeping and accounting systems
- Networking with other peers, small business owners, entrepreneurs & business leaders
Starts Monday, June 8, 2020
Fee: $299.00
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Explore Starting a Business
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
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Work for Yourself
at 50+
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Thursday, July 16, 2020
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Managing Offsite Employees
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Explore the best practices and helpful tools for a productive and engaged dispersed workforce. Learn how to communicate effectively, maintain a sense of community, cultivate teamwork and develop relationships built on trust. You will also learn how to proactively spot potential problems. This seminar does not cover the technology aspect of working remotely.
Friday, June 5, 2020 | 8:00 am - 12:00 noon
Fee: $149.00
Virtual Classroom
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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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