DCEDC is currently soliciting nominations for the annual Door County Industry of the Year Award and the Door County Entrepreneur of the Year Award. The awards celebrate businesses that help to create a positive business climate in Door County.

The Industry of the Year award recognizes a construction, service or manufacturing business that has made a substantial impact on the community and enjoyed significant accomplishments during the past year. The Entrepreneur of the Year Award celebrates those individuals or small companies who have taken the initiative to start and grow a successful small business in Door County.

Any Door County resident or business can nominate a business or entrepreneur; self-nominations are also encouraged. Nomination forms are available from DCEDC or on the Corporation website (link below). Nominations are due to DCEDC by Friday, March 3rd, 2006. The award winners will be announced at the DCEDC Annual Meeting this spring.

Nominations are also being sought for the third annual Wisconsin Family Business of the Year Awards. The awards celebrate companies that best exemplify the family spirit of doing business together for everyone’s success. Nomination forms, along with a list of past winners and frequently asked questions, can be found on their website. All nominations are due February 25th; awards will be presented April 27th at a banquet in Madison.

DCEDC staff has already begun implementing our priority recommendations from the Economic Development Adjustment Plan. This month, our Board of Directors will begin the process of developing a comprehensive branding campaign for Door County as a prime location for high-growth, high margin businesses and to grow the workforce in the area. DCEDC is also facilitating the first meetings of a Door County angel investment network that will consider investment proposals from new technology and high- growth businesses. DCEDC has been working to locate and secure the funding necessary for the implementation of the workforce training initiatives that are an integral part of the Sturgeon Bay Shipbuilding Cluster Master Plan.

The DCEDC staff continues to be available to local municipal governments and other community groups to present the findings of the Door County Economic Development Adjustment Plan and to solicit support and volunteers for implementation of the Plan recommendations. If your group is interested in hearing a presentation on the Plan, contact Sam Perlman, Economic Development Manager at 920-743- 3113 x204.

Organized by the Highway 41 Corridor International Development Program, the Northeast Wisconsin Global Speaker Series is a set of quarterly luncheon presentations by renowned experts on important business topics and trends. Perfect for business owners, senior company leadership, financial industry representatives, economic development professionals, elected officials and educators, the Global Speaker Series focuses on pertinent themes directed at improving the international competitiveness of area businesses.

The next presentation will be Tuesday, February 21st by Patrick Bartling of Phillips Lighting Co., talking about “Global Supply Chain Management.” Registration for the Northeast Wisconsin Global Speaker Series is $30 per person. For more information, visit the Green Bay Area Chamber website or call Fred Monique at (920) 496-9010 x27.

The December session of the Global Speaker Series featured a presentation from the Wisconsin Procurement Institute, a nonprofit organization established to "bridge the gap" for Wisconsin companies interested in supplying their products or services to federal, state and local agencies and contractors. WPI guides, trains and provides hands- on assistance to firms in developing government business and improving technical capabilities to access and compete in the Government marketplace.

WPI can help firms locate government contracting opportunities, identify grants and other sources of funding, navigate the Government procurement process, prepare proposals and subcontracting plans, understand proposal, contract and subcontracting issues, and integrate electronic commerce in the procurement process. Interested companies should visit the WPI website.

The New Year also brings new members to the DCEDC Board of Directors. We are pleased to welcome Joe Innis (Superintendent, Southern Door School District) and Lars Johnson (Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant) as voting members of the DCEDC Board. New ex-officio Board members are Bob Loss (Dean – Sturgeon Bay Campus, NWTC) and Bob Kufrin (Sister Bay Village Administrator). The new members will be formally welcomed to the Board at our February 14th meeting. Additionally, new Board officers will be elected that day. Nominees for the officer positions are: Chair – Cindy Weber (SBVCB & Homespun Touch); Vice Chair – Sharon Haines (DC Chamber & Baylake Bank); Treasurer – John Severson (Citizens Bank) and Secretary – Bill Chaudoir (DCEDC).

We are especially grateful to our retiring board members for their many years of service to DCEDC and their strong support of our continuing efforts to improve the Door County economy: David Weber (Pinkert Law Firm); Bob Grimmer (Superintendent, Sturgeon Bay School District); and Jay Krauss (Sturgeon Bay City Administrator).

The annual Career Day for Door & Kewaunee County 8th grade students will be held on Wednesday, March 15th, 9am to 2:30pm at NWTC-Sturgeon Bay, sponsored by the Door Kewaunee Business & Education Partnership and the Sturgeon Bay Noon Rotary Club. The Career Day program gives area students an understanding of local career clusters and the variety of occupational opportunities available; information about the skills that employers are looking for; and recommendations about what courses and extracurricular activities they might participate in during their high school years to prepare them to enter the local workforce.

On Wednesday, April 26th, DKBEP is partnering with Sturgeon Bay Grade Schools to host Tool Time at the Sunrise School, 8:30-11am. This activity for 2nd - 4th grades is a hands-on opportunity for students to see a wide variety of tools, see how they are used and talk with the people who use them in their jobs every day. If you would like to volunteer as a presenter for either Career Day or Tool Time, please contact DKBEP Program Manager Sharon Spengler at 920-743-3113 x205.

In January, DKBEP, in cooperation with the Door and Kewaunee County economic development corporations and dozens of area businesses, submitted an application to the Wisconsin Department of Commerce for a Community-Based Economic Development (CBED) grant. The application for a “Door and Kewaunee Counties Regional Training and Development Program” proposed four initiatives: in-school career presentations and on-site business tours and job shadow opportunities; post-high school training and employment programs; developing and expanding a co-op youth apprenticeship program; and the development of a high school house construction project.

The programs are designed to provide career awareness and training programs for area youth to help fill the current and future employment needs of businesses in the region; the establishment of workforce bridges for young people into area business sectors is essential for the long-term survival of our regional industrial base. Once funding is secured, DKBEP will welcome business and community support in the implementation of the four program initiatives. A funding decision on the $36,100 grant application is expected from Commerce by the end of March.