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MONTHLY
NEWSLETTER
November 2023
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Business Advancement & Advocacy | Entrepreneurial Growth
Sustainable Living | Communications & Engagement
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DCEDC is proud to be a partner with the Town of Liberty Grove, which was created in 1859 and encompasses 45 miles of shoreline at the northern most tip of the Door Peninsula.
One of the most populous towns in Door County, Liberty Grove is home to 2,100 residents and nearly 200 businesses.
DCEDC works with the town’s Committee on Community Development and Technology, which meets monthly, toward enhancing economic vitality for its residents and businesses.
Check out Liberty Grove’s new website HERE!
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ClerkMinutes, Vente Tours top local pitch contest | |
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Congratulations to the winners and all of the contestants in the Lighthouse Launch business pitch contest held Nov. 15!
Dustin Overbeck placed first with a new project called ClerkMinutes under HeyGov, Inc., a company that helps cities and other municipalities become more efficient in conducting business; and Emily Hubbard placed second with Vente Tours, a personalized tour driving service.
Overbeck was awarded $1,000, Hubbard received $500, and they both advance to the New North, Inc. regional pitch contest Nov. 30 at Titletown Tech in Green Bay.
Also presenting great business pitches were Andrew Grumbles with Hook & Punch; Dawn Krueger with Freeze Dried Door County LLC; and Amber Novotny with Hype Studios LLC.
The contest included five aspiring Door County entrepreneurs and was co-hosted and organized by the Door County Economic Development Corporation, Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation and UW-Madison Extension Brown & Kewaunee Counties.
The event was featured on NBC26
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2024 Entrepreneur Training Program scheduled | |
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DCEDC is excited to announce another year of partnership with UW-Green Bay Small Business Development Center to offer its Entrepreneurial Training Program!
Through instruction, guest speakers and coaching, the Entrepreneurial Training Program is designed to help new business owners chart their course to success. It equally benefits existing business owners looking to improve or grow.
The program begins Jan. 18 at the DCEDC Business Center in Sturgeon Bay and is open for all Door County individuals and businesses to apply. We are proud of the 2023 participants pictured above along with instructor, Tara Carr.
For more information, please contact Devin Vandertie, Director of Business Development, at devin@doorcountybusiness.com or (920) 743-3113, x 2.
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Introducing Dorner's Spin Cycle, Fire Fitness Camp | |
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Two new businesses are coming soon to the Clearwater Plaza in Sturgeon Bay.
Entrepreneurs Adam and Kristi Dorner expect to open their side-by-side businesses, Dorner’s Spin Cycle and Fire Fitness Camp, in late January, early February.
DCEDC is pleased to assist the Dorners in their exciting business ventures. Check out the video to learn more about the Dorners and their businesses.
Clearwater Plaza is located at 1449 Green Bay Road, entering the City of Sturgeon Bay, and home to seven other small businesses.
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Shop small and support local businesses | |
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Attention Door County shoppers!
Saturday, Nov. 25, is Small Business Saturday, a day to celebrate and support small businesses and the local economy.
Founded by American Express in 2010 and officially co-sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration since 2011, Small Business Saturday has become an important part of small businesses’ busiest shopping season. Last year, U.S. consumers who shopped independent retailers and restaurants spent an estimated $17.9 billion on Small Business Saturday.
Small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy, and that’s certainly true of Door County. There are hundreds of small businesses up and down the peninsula that contribute to our vibrant local economy, and we encourage you to shop locally not only Saturday, but year-round.
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MFG roundtable highlights partnership opportunities | |
Door County business, education and community leaders recently participated in a Manufacturers Roundtable at Sturgeon Bay High School to collaborate on issues of importance to our local community and manufacturing sector.
The roundtable was part of DCEDC's monthlong Manufacturing Month campaign in October.
Door County Administrator Ken Pabich presented export grant opportunities for Door County businesses, and Sturgeon Bay High School Principal Keith Nerby introduced new partnership opportunities between our business and education communities.
| And the student survey winners are . . . | |
DCEDC is pleased to have awarded Culver’s restaurant gift cards to five area high school students who completed surveys following the Door County Manufacturing Tours in October.
The winners are Celeste Ashley of Gibraltar, Lizzie Bohrer of Sturgeon Bay, Addison Kluge of Southern Door, Lanie Brauer of Sevastopol and Gabrielle Srnka of Algoma.
Approximately 400 students from five high schools toured 12 Door County manufacturing businesses during a special Manufacturing Month career-exploration event organized by DCEDC.
Ninety-five percent of the students who took the survey said the tours helped them gain a better understanding of careers in manufacturing. Additionally, 38.6 percent of the students said the tours helped them become interested in pursuing a career in manufacturing. Engineering, welding, marketing and sales topped the list of manufacturing jobs that students expressed the most interest in, the survey showed.
Here are some comments from students about the tours:
“This opened my eyes to opportunities in Door County.”
“It was fun to get to see the ‘behind the scenes’ for some businesses that I hadn’t know much about.”
“The tours were very helpful and fun to go through.”
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'Gabbin' with Gabi' debuts with a YA conversation | |
The DCEDC team is excited to have launched a Door County business video series called 'Gabbin' with Gabi,' hosted by our youth apprentice Gabi Tjernagel.
Check out Gabi's first episode at N.E.W. Industries, where she interviews fellow youth apprentice Bradan Wessel, who's gaining valuable work experience and training in CNC machining.
We would love for you to share comments and suggest story ideas as we look to highlight and promote Door County businesses. Please send your thoughts and ideas to DCEDC Marketing and Communications Director Korey Mallien at korey@doorcountybusiness.com or call (920) 743-3113, x3.
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WISCONSIN ECONOMIC SUMMIT | | |
Wisconsin's workforce drives strong economy | |
Wisconsin’s economy is strong, but demographics and childcare availability are cause for concern to future growth, according to state officials at the 2023 Wisconsin Economic Summit in Appleton.
DCEDC staff attended the summit, hosted by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.
Department of Workforce Development Secretary Amy Pechacek reported that the state hit a new record for total non-farm jobs in September and has broken its low unemployment record three separate times in 2023.
Wisconsin is among the country's leaders when it comes to workforce participation. John Koskinen, chief economist for the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, reported that 85 percent of Wisconsin’s prime working age population – categorized as people between the ages of 25 and 54 – are engaged in the workforce.
Pechacek and Koskinen said future statewide challenges to the economy include an aging population and child care services that have not recovered from pandemic losses and could keep some parents out of the workforce.
To learn more about the summit visit: https://wedc.org/wisconsin-economic-summit/
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FINCANTIERI BAY SHIPBUILDING recently christened an LNG (liquefied natural gas) bunker barge that was manufactured at the company’s Sturgeon Bay facility.
The 340-foot-long Clean Everglades was built for Texas-based business Seaside LNG and is a sister ship to Clean Canaveral, an LNG bunker barge built by Bay Ship in 2021.
PENINSULA PLAYTERS THEATRE in Fish Creek was awarded a $330,000 grant from the state’s American Rescue Plant Act (ARPA) to complete funding for its new dormitory complex.
Peninsula Players is one of five state recipients of ARPA funds that Governor Tony Evers designated to projects that he said “will have long-term impact on our state’s economy and on economic development in these communities...”
Peninsula Players, which was established in 1935 and is America’s oldest resident summer theatre, attracts nearly 40,000 visitors annually.
HATCH DISTILLING COMPANY in Egg Harbor was recently featured in the 'Just Dropping By' video series produced by The Business News, a Northeast Wisconsin business publication. Watch this intriguing video here with Hatch owner Chris Roedl and his Door County business.
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Did you know that the Door County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) is a public/private partnership dedicated to improving the economic vitality of the county and its residents?
DCEDC partners with companies and entrepreneurs to help build successful businesses in Door County and continuously improve the area’s economic climate. It’s a relationship that allows businesses to tap into the expertise of area leaders, and provides them with access to a variety of local, state and federal resources.
| FREE No Cost Services to Door County Businesses | |
Hundreds of businesses and entrepreneurs have benefitted from DCEDC services at no cost!
- Workforce Development
- Entrepreneurship Assistance
- Financial Assistance
- Attraction & Site Selection
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