Door County Economic Development Corporation

TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF DOOR COUNTY AND ITS RESIDENTS.

ENHANCING DOOR COUNTY TOWARD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HAS CHANGED IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. MUCH OF DCEDC'S EFFORTS INECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN 2021 CENTERED AROUND ENHANCING DOOR COUNTY'S AVAILABILITY OF LABOR, HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO TAKE BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS TO THE NEXT LEVEL. WORKING WITH PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, DCEDC SPEARHEADED AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE COUNTY'S TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE, NAMELY WORKING TO ENSURE THAT THE COUNTY CAN SERVICE ITS RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES THROUGH ENHANCED BROADBAND ACCESS. DCEDC FACILITATED A FEASIBILITY STUDY AND ENGINEERING ASSESSMENT TOWARD ENSURING THAT BROADBAND NEEDS COULD BE MET. THE COUNTY OF DOOR HAS BEEN ABLE TO LEVERAGE THE STUDY TOWARD CREATING A BROADBAND COORDINATOR POSITION AND WILL WORK WITH DCEDC AND OTHER PARTNERS TO APPROACH THE ISSUE LEVERAGING COUNTY ACCESS AND RESOURCES TO ENHANCE THE ENTIRE COUNTY'S ACCESS TO BROADBAND. ATTAINABLE HOUSING IS ALSO AN ISSUE ACROSS DOOR COUNTY. DCEDC HAS BEEN WORKING WITH ITS PARTNERS TO ADDRESS THE HOUSING SHORTAGE AND DCEDC HAS SERVED AS A CONDUIT FOR BUSINESSES AND POTENTIAL RESIDENTS IN THE COUNTY TO CONNECT WITH AVAILABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES AND SUPPORT MEASURES TO CONSTRUCT NEW RENTAL HOUSING FOR NEEDED WORKFORCE. CLOSELY INTERTWINED WITH THE HOUSING ISSUE IS THE LACK OF AVAILABLE WORKFORCE. DCEDC WORKED IN 2021 TO NOT ONLY CONNECT BUSINESSES WITH TALENTED WORKERS, BUT ALSO TO DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION OF WORKFORCE THROUGH CREATING PROGRAMS TO INTEREST YOUTH IN DOOR COUNTY APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES.

CONNECTING DOOR COUNTY BUSINESSES TO FINANCING OPPORTUNITIES - ONE OF DCEDC'S CORE PRIORITIES IS TO CONNECT THE COUNTY'S BUSINESSES WITH FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITIES. IN 2021, THIS CONTINUED TO BE OF KEY INTEREST TO DCEDC'S CONSTITUENCIES. DCEDC'S WORK IN 2021 INCLUDED CONNECTING BUSINESSES TO STATE AND FEDERAL GRANTS AND ADMINISTERING SEVERAL REVOLVING LOAN FUND PROGRAMS. THE CARES ACT LOAN PROGRAM DCEDC ADMINISTERED HELPED EIGHT BUSINESSES RECEIVE A TOTAL OF $326,000. THE JOINT STURGEON BAY DOOR COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REVOLVING LOAN FUND ADMINISTERED BY DCEDC HELPED TWO BUSINESSES SECURE A TOTAL OF $85,000. BUSINESSES FROM SEVEN COMMUNITIES RECEIVED THE LOANS, AND THOSE COMMUNITIES WERE AS FAR SOUTH AS BRUSSELS AND AS FAR NORTH AS SISTER BAY. CONNECTING DOOR COUNTY BUSINESSES TO GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FROM THE STATE OF WISCONSIN, WHICH WERE ESTABLISHED TO HELP BUSINESSES RECOVER FROM THE PANDEMIC, WAS AN ESSENTIAL ROLE FOR DCEDC IN 2021. IN TOTAL, OF THE ELEVEN PANDEMIC RELIEF GRANTS DCEDC PROMOTED, 1942 GRANTS WERE APPROVED, TOTALING $14.7 MILLION.

PROMOTING DOOR COUNTY BASE INDUSTRY ACTIVITY - ANOTHER PRIORITY OF DCEDC IN 2021 WAS TO PROMOTE THE BASE INDUSTRIES OF DOOR COUNTY. THIS CONNECTS POTENTIAL WORKERS, INCLUDING YOUTH, TO OPPORTUNITIES IN DOOR COUNTY, AND INCREASES AWARENESS OF THE IMPACT THAT MANUFACTURING AND OTHER BASE INDUSTRIES HAVE ON DOOR COUNTY'S ECONOMY. THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING AWARENESS TO MANUFACTURING BY ORGANIZING THE ANNUAL MANUFACTURING DAY CELEBRATION. HISTORICALLY THE CELEBRATION INVOLVED TOURS OF MANUFACTURING FACILITIES IN THE STURGEON BAY INDUSTRIAL PARK. THIS YEAR HOWEVER TOURS WERE OFFERED AS FAR NORTH AS ELLISON BAY, AND, NOT JUST THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WERE INVITED TO ATTEND, BUT THE HOME EDUCATED CHILDREN AS WELL. THIS YEAR'S CELEBRATION ALSO INCLUDED MANUFACTURING FUN FACT TRADING CARDS FOR SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS; CREATORS CLUE, A GAME DESIGNED FOR ELEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS TO EDUCATE CHILDREN ABOUT MANUFACTURING AND THE CAREERS ASSOCIATED WITH MANUFACTURING; MANUFACTURING FACT CARDS DISTRIBUTED AT GAS STATIONS; AND A MANUFACTURING DAY SUMMIT AT NWTC.