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Developments
December 2009
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Greetings!
The DCEDC staff wishes you a joyful holiday season
filled with family, fun, food and frivolity.
May we all have a safe, healthy, peaceful and prosperous New Year! |
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2009 Recap/2010 Forecast
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 2009 was a challenging business year for Door County and DCEDC, but a year that also saw significant progress on a number of projects and initiatives. Our staff provided assistance to more than 200 new and existing businesses looking to start or expand in Door County. 2009 saw the final approvals for the relocation of WireTech Fabricators to the Sturgeon Bay Industrial Park and the eventual redevelopment of the current WireTech site for workforce housing. The City of Sturgeon Bay reached an agreement with Bay Shipbuilding to disburse $6 Million in state grant funds for construction of the first section of a new floating dry dock, with the second section to be completed by the end of 2012, as part of the on-going implementation of the Sturgeon Bay Shipbuilding Cluster Master Plan. DCEDC helped secure almost $9 Million in federal stimulus funds from the Corps of Engineers for rebuilding the south wall of the Sturgeon Bay canal and dredging the Sturgeon Bay shipping channel. DCEDC and the Door/Kewaunee Business & Education Partnership (DKBEP) received a $22,500 Community-Based Economic Development grant from the state Department of Commerce to fund a Regional Training and Development Program, providing career awareness for area youth and help filling future employment needs in the region, including developing a partnership with area healthcare facilities to provide on-the-job training to students interested in medical fields. The DCEDC Workforce Taskforce initiated a wages and benefits survey of local manufacturing companies from both Door and Kewaunee Counties. The data collected will enable area companies to better understand the local labor market and keep employee compensation packages competitive. DCEDC coordinated the fundraising, planning and execution for Door County Legislative Days. Our staff provided leadership for the 105 delegates from Door and Kewaunee Counties who made the trip to Madison for 2 days of meetings with legislators and state agency secretaries and representatives to present agenda items important to the community. Click the link for a summary of our 2009 Major Accomplishments.
The DCEDC Board of Directors is in the process of establishing our priority strategic objectives for 2010, including working to establish a locally based equity investment fund; securing the funding and approvals to implement the final phases of the Sturgeon Bay Shipbuilding Cluster Master Plan; optimize social networking as a marketing tool to attract new businesses to the county; develop and implement a Workforce Taskforce action plan to address labor market issues; and partnering with other groups to help grow and strengthen the tourism industry. As always, the DCEDC staff will continue to be available to provide on-going guidance and assistance to the entrepreneurs and business owners of Door County. |
DCEDC Takes Entrepreneurs to the NxLevel™ of Business Planning
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 DCEDC, in association with the UW-Green Bay Small Business Development Center, is proud to once again sponsor the NxLevel™ Entrepreneurial Training course in Door County. Beginning February 1 at NWTC- Sturgeon Bay, this ten-week course takes students through a step-by-step approach to writing a professional business plan. The course is designed for those who are considering starting their own business, existing small businesses struggling to get a handle on all the details or successful businesses looking to grow. The cost for the NxLevel™ Entrepreneurial Training course is only $250, including books. The course usually costs $1000, however, the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network are offering an Entrepreneurial Training Grant to qualified applicants that covers 75% of the tuition. Click for registration forms and additional information. As a preview to the course, DCEDC and the Sturgeon Bay Noon Rotary Club will host a free introduction to business-planning seminar, "Starting A Business in Door County," on Monday, January 18, 6-8pm at NWTC-Sturgeon Bay. This one-evening course will talk about some of the basics that go into a start-up business. The session will also allow interested students to sign up for the NxLevel™ Entrepreneurial Training course and apply for the Entrepreneurial Training Grant. |
Computer Numeric Control (CNC) Training
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DCEDC recently hosted a meeting of area school administrators and local CNC manufacturing firms to discuss workforce needs, growth potential for the industry and the feasibility of a regional CNC training facility to more effectively offer CNC training to K-12students. Equipment and technology costs are prohibitive for most schools to continue to offer this training on their own. The businesses indicated this industry is growing significantly and the availability of a qualified workforce is the major deterrent limiting the growth of jobs in this sector. A steering committee will be formed to study the situation and develop recommendations for the future. If you are interested in helping with this initiative, please contact Bill Chaudoir at 920-743-3113 x203 or bill@doorcountybusiness.com. |
Board Moves
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The New Year will bring a new member to the DCEDC Board of Directors. We are pleased to welcome noted economic consultant Dr. David Ward (NorthStar Economics) as a voting member of the Board. Additionally, all current ex-officio Board members were re-elected: Jim Stawicki (Sturgeon Bay Utilities); Bill Chaudoir (DCEDC); Jack Moneypenny (DCVB); Rob Burke (UW-Ext); Bob Loss (NWTC); Dale Swanson (WPSC); Steve McNeil (City of Sturgeon Bay); Mike Serpe (County of Door); Bob Kufrin (Village of Sister Bay); and Todd Trimberger (SBVC). We are especially grateful to retiring board member Steve LaLuzerne (Ambient Homes) for his many years of service to DCEDC and strong support of our continuing efforts to improve the economic vitality of the County and its residents. |
Regional Business Plan Contest
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Area entrepreneurs are encouraged to enter the Northeast Wisconsin Business Plan Competition for a chance to win a portion of $25,000 in cash prizes being awarded. The goal of the Competition is to encourage the preparation of business plans for start-up businesses, those making significant changes to existing businesses or launching new products in northeast Wisconsin. Past winners have represented diverse industries from throughout the region and have included Town Accounting of Sturgeon Bay and WaterScape Designs LLC from Forestville. $25,000 in prizes will be awarded with a top prize of $10,000. Second place will receive $6,000; third will receive $4,000; fourth will receive $3,000; and fifth will receive $2,000. Entry forms and specific entry information is available online. Entry deadline is January 11, 2010. |
Green Initiatives at the Door County Business Development Center
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 The Door County Business Development Center, the small business incubator located in the Sturgeon Bay Industrial Park and operated by DCEDC, underwent an energy audit during 2009 and subsequently implemented a number of energy and cost saving initiatives around the facility. The energy audit - completed by Sturgeon Bay Utilities/WPPI Energy - measured the facility's current energy usage and recommended a number of action steps designed to lower energy use. Lower operating costs for the facility helps keep costs down for the start-up businesses that make up the Business Development Center's client list.
The largest component of the changes was the installation of a new, highly efficient boiler system and additional ductwork around the building, which should greatly reduce the cost to heat and cool the 32,000 square foot facility. Ceiling fans were placed in occupied industrial bays to also help with heating and cooling operations. In the first month of operations, we were encouraged to experience a 66% reduction in heating costs versus the same period last year.
Other recommended changes that were implemented at the Business Development Center included:
· Occupancy sensors installed on common area lights to reduce the amount of time these lights remain on during the day;
· DCEDC also replaced three metal halide light fixtures in the Center's lobby with compact fluorescent fixtures;
· A timer was placed on coffee machines and vending machines to reduce their power consumption.
The Business Development Center currently has a variety of spaces available for rent: four finished offices from 150 to 267 sq ft; and 11,850 sq ft of light manufacturing space. Much of the available space is dividable to accommodate the needs of any size or type of business. For more information regarding available space in the Door County Business Development Center, contact Victoria Marquardt, at (920) 743-3113 x202 or vicky@doorcountybusiness.com. |
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