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Fond du Lac County Economic Development Newsletter Volume 2, Number 8
In This Issue • 2016 Annual
Evening
• Business Innovation - Supply Chain
Marketplace - Inspire FDL
Breakfast Series • Entrepreneurism
- Imagination Network location announcement and Jan. 12 meeting
- Emergent Technology Center
- IGNITE! expands - Is the Next
Great Generation Among Us?
• Business
Intelligence - 2016 Economic
Forecast - Metro Employment
Index
• Business News - Focus on FDL
Videos - FABOH Wellness
Conference - Site Location
Survey - I-41 Collaboration
• President’s Corner
2016 Annual Evening You are invited to join FCEDC as we celebrate our 27th Annual Evening.
Greg Tehven, a Tedx Talks presenter (link to his talk), will share his passion for his community and how just a few individuals changed the perception of Fargo, North Dakota. You will be challenged to think: “If Fargo, why not Fond du Lac?”
Huge changes will also be revealed that will change FCEDC forever. Say goodbye to our current logo as we welcome the image that will take us into the future. Say goodbye to our current website as we bring an intuitive design that will please site selectors, business representatives and the general public alike. Say goodbye to this newsletter layout as we change that, too. Say hello to innovation and your time to make Fond du Lac the best community for all to live and work.
Young Professionals of Fond du Lac members are invited at a discounted rate to see this phenomenal presentation as we call on all generations to make a difference.
The details:
FCEDC 27th Annual Evening Thursday, January 28, 2016
Registration begins 5:30 p.m. Program 6 – 8 p.m.
Where: UW-Fond du Lac campus
Register now: http://fcedc.com/events.html
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Mission Statement Aggressively pursue, promote and facilitate economic opportunities and growth for Fond du Lac County through the attraction, retention, expansion and development of jobs and investments that increase the standard of living for all communities and residents.
Vision Statement The vision of the FCEDC is to be the most effective economic development organization in the nation, creating an environment of progressive businesses innovation, expansion, recruitment and retention as a means of improving the quality of life for the communities we serve.
Business Innovation Supply Chain Marketplace
Have you ever wondered if there was a way to introduce your company and capabilities to a wider audience of businesses throughout Northeast Wisconsin? What if you could place a profile of your company on a comprehensive website that instantly connects you to potential opportunities for business growth? That is exactly what the Supply Chain Marketplace webpage can do.
This initiative will introduce suppliers to new market opportunities with the objective of creating increased market exposure and, ultimately, increased sales. Participation is free and each participating company will receive access to market intelligence, industry diversification strategy, and opportunity for new work through their searchable company profile. The Supply Chain Marketplace Directories will:
• Highlight company capabilities • Be searchable via keywords and categories • Be a connecting interface for business-to-business transactions • Organize suppliers for new go-to market opportunities • Make locating suppliers as easy as entering a few keystrokes
Recently, FCEDC and Moraine Park Technical College held a seminar to introduce area companies to the Supply Chain Marketplace and those in attendance left with a new tool in their quiver for business growth. To find out more information, contact Jim Cleveland at 920-929-7581 or [email protected].
Paul Reetz, President of Integrity Saw & Tool, recently attended a workshop on the Supply Chain Marketplace.
“As a small and growing company, we are always looking for ways to expand our business and its scope of customers. It was a very worthwhile investment of time on our part where we were able to learn about the Supply Chain Marketplace and what it entails, and how our company can get in contact with a vast web of like industries and target these potential customers. We learned from other larger local businesses on what it takes to start relationships with them. Small companies can’t just walk into the Mercury (Marine)’s of the world and say “Let’s do business!” You must strategically plan and make sure you’re in front of the correct decision-makers. Working any and all personal relationships helps tremendously as well. We also benefitted from finding out from everyone attending that cold-calling isn’t the only way to go anymore. From the seminar, we immediately ended up with 2 new customers, strengthened an existing customer relationship, and have quoted 2 other projects.”
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Our Board of Directors - Ryan Kamphuis, Chair; Bank of Oakfield - Jim Eden, Vice Chair; Moraine Park Technical College - Troy Rademann, Secretary; Bomier Properties - Louie Lange, Treasurer; The Commonwealth Companies - Steve Holz, Past Chair; National Exchange Bank & Trust - Gary Boyke, Vir-Clar Farms - Allen Buechel, Fond du Lac County - Martin Farrell, Ripon College - Mike Gyorog, Mercury Marine - Jim Jarvis, J.F. Ahern - Todd Koss, Grande Cheese Company - Don Lauby, Wells Vehicle Electronics - Kathy Leifer, Alliant Energy - Kevin Lichtenberg, FIVES Giddings & Lewis - Holly Lifke, Society Insurance - Joe Moore, City of Fond du Lac - Bob Poch, Keller, Planners – Builders – Architects - Paul Reetz, Integrity Saw & Tool - Joseph Reitemeier, FDL Association of Commerce - Steve Schmudlach, Fox Valley Savings Bank - Robert Twohig, Twohig Funeral Homes - Daniel Vande Zande, Vande Zande & Kaufmann, LLP - Bruce Wadman, Alliance Laundry Systems
“Inspire Fond du Lac” Breakfast Series FCEDC is pleased to announce a 2016 Breakfast series called “Inspire Fond du Lac.” This new initiative of the FCEDC is a cooperative effort with Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP). The series will feature a wide array of topics all designed to assist in growing your business and making it more efficient. Topics will include:
• Talent Management
o Proven methodology to retain top talent, improve bench strength and get all employees engaged and aligned to your strategy.
• Growth
o Strategic marketing planning: How to identify new customers and new market opportunities. Proven methodology for executing plans that grow your business.
• ExporTech
o Global Expansion Opportunities – Exporting is simpler than ever and resources are ready to help you develop a successful exporting strategy today to reach the 95% of the market located outside the United States.
• Reducing Costs and Gaining Efficiencies
o Most companies have 35-40% excess capacity due to hidden inefficiency, even ones who think they are “lean”. Learn how to identify and remove non-value added activity using simple and practical tools.
• Best Practices in Certification
o How certification can positively impact your company’s top and bottom line. Learn why companies who have gone through certification report millions of dollars of impact per project.
• Supply Chain Optimization for Leaders
o The benefits and approach to optimizing your supply chain.
• Innovation
o Identify technologies to expand your product base, bringing more value to your customers and serving new markets.
This informative series will run for seven months in 2016 (one topic per month) and each session will be two hours with a complimentary breakfast served. Additionally, this is a free event brought to you in partnership with WMEP. Stay tuned for more information regarding dates and venue after the first of the year.
For more information or questions, please contact Jim Cleveland at 920-929-7581 or [email protected].
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Our Investors FCEDC would like to thank its investors who help make it possible for us to assist the members of Fond du Lac
County:
Chairman’s Council ($50,000+) Mercury Marine
Platinum ($10,000-24,999) Keller, Inc. – Planners, Architects, Builders Gold ($5,000 – 9,999) Agnesian Healthcare Alliance Laundry Systems Alliant Energy J.F. Ahern Co. Michel’s Corporation Wells Vehicle Electronics Silver ($2,500 – 4,999) Advanced Tooling American Transmission Company Brenner Tank Fox Valley Savings Bank Grande Cheese Company Hometown Bank Horicon Bank Integrity Saw & Tool Mid-States Aluminum National Exchange Bank & Trust Bronze ($1,000 – 2,499) American Bank Bank of Oakfield Basic American Medical Products BCI Burke Company BMO Harris Bank C.D. Smith Construction Capelle Bros. & Diedrich Chase Bank Excel Engineering Inc. Guaranty Bank Holiday Automotive Lenz Truck Marine Credit Union McNeilus Steel RB Royal Industries Schenck Business Solutions Society Insurance The Commonwealth Companies Waupun Utilities
Entrepreneurship Igniting Fond du Lac County
Imagination Network Peer Group News The free peer group for inventors and entrepreneurs to connect with and learn from one another took a holiday break in December, but not before enjoying a record turnout at the November pitch and show ‘n tell event. Six area entrepreneurs showcased their products and inventions at Moraine Park Technical College on November 10. Mike Pelland, founder and inventor at Princeton Audio, discussed what it takes to pitch your idea and yourself, as well as how he went from an idea to a product.
Imagination Network returns in January to learn about budgeting for a small business (presented by Kathy Diederich of Schenck, SC).
When and Where: January 12, 2016 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Park Terrace Restaurant, Moraine Park Technical College, 235 North National Avenue (park in B parking lot off Campus Drive). Limited beverage items will be available at no cost during the meeting (beverage and menu subject to change at future meetings).
Meeting agenda: 5:30 – 6:00 p.m.: Registration 6:00 – 6:15 p.m.: Overview and announcements 6:15 – 6:45 p.m.: Introductions 6:45 – 8:00 p.m.: Program and networking
For more information and to RSVP, check out the current flyer or call FCEDC at 920-929-2928. You can also like and sign-up on Imagination Network’s Facebook page. Imagination Network meets every second Tuesday of the month.
Imagination Network is an initiative of IGNITE! Business Success.
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Copper ($500-999) Adashun Jones Baker Cheese Baumhardt Sand & Gravel Bob and Maureen Poch Bomier Properties Dean Uelmen DDS Drexel Building Supply Holiday Inn/WISCO Partners Hornung’s Golf Products Huberty CPAs & Trusted Advisors Flood Homes Inc. Grant Thornton Jackson Kahl Marchant Schmidt Marian University National Bank of Waupun Natural Stone Veneers International Ottery Transportation Quality Packaging Ripon Printers Shea Electric & Communications Signature Homes Summit Automotive Timon Perron Trucking Tom’s Quality Millwork US Bank Vande Zande & Kaufman Vir-Clar Farms Warehouse Specialists WIPFLi Friend of Business (-$500) Accurate Controls Inc. Actra Rehabilitation Advanced Paper Enterprises Advantage Accounting Ahern-Gross Al and Betty Buechel Baird Inc. Bluemkes, Inc. Burg Homes & Design Condon Oil Cowles-Henke-Kemmel Ins. Agency Davis & Kuelthau Edgarton, St. Peter, Petak, Rosenfeldt Edward Jones Fond du Lac Skyport Ford & Harbridge Ins. And Financial Forest Mall Foy & Springborn Graphic Center Guenther Supply Guilfoile Insurance Haber/M&M Printing Hierl Insurance
Emergent Labs is Calling You! The Emergent Technology Center is a collaborative effort where innovators, entrepreneurs and like-minded individuals can learn Lean and Agile business practices, share ideas and receive assistance when launching a high-tech business. Four teams graduated from the Emergent Labs accelerator program in 2014, including Health Connection LLC, BoviSync, Abysmal Ninja LLC and Princeton Audio. Find out more about these companies HERE.
Emergent Labs is looking for the next cohort to go through the intensive 12-week, mentor-driven accelerator program. At the end of the process, participants will be able to pitch their products to angel investors for the chance to receive seed capital funding to launch or grow their product.
If you are an entrepreneur in a technology-based startup company, apply for the next accelerator program set to begin in early February 2016. Applications available HERE.
IGNITE! Expand Network and Program IGNITE! Business Success has expanded its network of entrepreneurial services to include the City of Waupun. This increases the number of providers to 17. The goal is to make Fond du Lac County the “epicenter of entrepreneurship in the State of Wisconsin”.
“Healthy business startups are essential to changing the economic picture in Waupun and we are excited to be bringing the resources of the Ignite! Network to our community”, stated Kathy Schlieve, Economic Development Planner for the City of Waupun. “Waupun has long been a supporter of FCEDC and with this partnership local entrepreneurs will now have access to a broad network of providers who can assist them with their business needs. Our focus in economic development is on strengthening our local economy. Entrepreneurial success will contribute to the development of our local economy, creating jobs and adding wealth to enhance the quality of life for our residents.”
IGNITE! Business Success is also working on youth entrepreneurship with the County’s high schools to encourage students to explore business formation as a career option immediately after high school or college graduation. This also will include an “idea challenge” where high school teams compete in finding solutions to a community or specific business issue in Fond du Lac County.
“Youth entrepreneurship development will help set a foundation for new business formation in Fond du Lac County”, noted Jon Ann Giese-Kent, Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Innovation for the Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation. “We continued to be amazed by the ideas that our youth population present and believe that the IGNITE! youth entrepreneurship program has the potential of generating new businesses in the County. We also see the program as a way of encouraging our youth to remain in Fond du Lac County rather than moving away.”
The IGNITE! Youth Idea Challenge has begun since high schoolers were brought together on December 4, 2015. A new Facebook group for participants to collaborate in the future has been formed. Follow it HERE as the initiative expands and learn more about how the youth challenge started in the next article.
More information on IGNITE! Business Success may be found at www.IGNITEFondDuLacCounty.com.
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New Holstein students learn from Nemesis Metals owner, Joe Skelton
Friend of Business (cont.) Jack Twohig’s Carpet One Jet Stream Enterprises Lutheran Homes & Health Services Manowske Welding McNamara & Thiel Insurance Nett Construction Osborn & Son Trucking Sadoff Iron & Metal Sam Meyer/State Farm St. Bernard’s Animal Medical Center Team Clean The Combination Door Co. The Nielsen Company Timon Perron Trucking Vanderkin Plumbing W.J. Leasa Electric W.W. Electric Motors Waupun Memorial Hospital Wausau Equipment Company, Inc. Webster’s United Foods Wendt’s on the Lake West Bend Machine Works Wisnet.com
Want to know how your investment in FCEDC
can help your community? Contact
Steve at 920-929-2063 or [email protected]!
Community Investors City of Fond du Lac City of Ripon City of Waupun Fond du Lac County Town of Fond du Lac Village of Brandon Village of Campbellsport Village of North Fond du Lac Village of Oakfield
Our valued reciprocal partners Campbellsport Area Chamber of Commerce, Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce, Ripon Area Chamber of Commerce, Village of Rosendale, Waupun Area Chamber of Commerce
Is the Next Great Generation Among Us? On Friday, December 4, seven area businesses opened their doors to over 50 high school students from six schools to not only show them their business but to give an overview of how they became entrepreneurs. The businesses spoke to students about why they started a business, what were some of the issues they faced and how they overcame them, what resources were needed and how they market their business. To say this was an eye opener to students is an understatement.
Engaging high school students is a focus area of the Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation (FCEDC) and IGNITE! Business Success, a go-to resource network of 17 organizations supporting local entrepreneurs. Currently, Wisconsin ranks 50th in the nation for entrepreneurship development, so entrepreneurship education needs to begin earlier. To that end, IGNITE! representatives reached out to area high schools in the fall of 2015 to better understand what would help drive the conversation with students. To an educator, tours rose to the top. Let students see and “touch” what is like to run a business.
Students were not the only ones that benefited from the tours. The businesses had the opportunity to have a new generation into their facilities to learn about their company and in turn, know that they helped inspire those students to perhaps become entrepreneurs. Joe Skelton, Nemesis Metals, believes strongly in assisting students in helping them with their futures. ”At Nemesis Metals, we believe it is important for us to bring in students and educate them on what it takes to run a business. By doing this, we benefit by creating a stronger Fond du Lac County.”
To take the experience to the next level, Moraine Park Technical College hosted all the students and educators on campus for the afternoon to allow students to hear from the inventors of The Great Plate, a panel discussion of their peers that are currently operating a business while still in high school, and finally, be introduced to the spring IGNITE! Youth Idea Challenge. This Idea Challenge will consist of teams of students that will develop a business idea, work with a local mentor and culminate with a “pitch” competition in April 2016. Student teams will present their business idea to a panel of judges and the best “pitch” will be chosen.
FCEDC and the partners of IGNITE! Business Success would like to thank the following businesses for participating:
• Advanced Tooling, Inc. • Club Fitness • Fox Computing and Networking • LaClare Farms • Mix-It-Up Bakery • Nemesis Metals • Sully’s Sporting Goods
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Contact Us at FCEDC 116 N. Main Street PO Box 1303 Fond du Lac, WI 54935 920-929-2928 www.fcedc.com [email protected] Steve Jenkins, President 920-929-2063; [email protected] Joe Becker, Vice President - Business Finance 920-929-7552; [email protected] Jim Cleveland, Vice President – Business and Community Competitiveness 920-929-7581; [email protected] Jo Ann Giese-Kent, Vice President – Entrepreneurship and Innovation 920-322-1878; [email protected] Sarah Spang, Director of Strategic Initiatives 920-929-2061; [email protected]
Participating High Schools were:
• Campbellsport High School • Laconia High School • New Holstein High School • Oakfield High School • Waupun High School • Winnebago Lutheran Academy
A Facebook group for participants to collaborate in the future has been formed HERE. Feel free to “like” the page and follow along with the progress of these innovative students as well as view additional photos from the December 4 event.
Business Intelligence 2016 Economic Forecast Released
FCEDC’s Business Intelligence Services has released its first annual Economic Forecast for Fond du Lac County. The Forecast was developed with input from 40 private business leaders across Fond du Lac County representing both a cross-section of business sectors and sizes. This should be considered a planning tool and not the definitive projection of the upcoming economy for the County. This should not displace individual business planning for each business.
The 2016 Economic Forecast Panel was asked to assess the overall economic outlook for 2016, employment, wages, revenue, capital investments, and competitive pressures. These are considered key indicators for future economic health and growth in addition to the economic prospects for the County residents. The full forecast can be viewed on our website at the following link: http://www.fcedc.com/sft386/fcedc2016economicforecast.pdf. If you have any questions about the information in the forecast, please do not hesitate to contact Steve Jenkins at [email protected] or 920-929-2063.
Metro Employment Index Fond du Lac County, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, is approaching zero job growth at the end of 2015. What can be done to change this as neighboring communities continue to see growth?
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Business News Focus on Fond du Lac
2015 was a small but impactful year for the Focus on Fond du Lac video series. ACH Foam Technologies celebrated the grand opening of their second Fond du Lac facility earlier this year and proudly spoke to us about why they will never leave the Fond du Lac community. Legacy Express, a trucking company founded by two entrepreneurial spirited individuals, understand the many lives their business impacts and aim to please their employees just as much as their customers. Holiday Automotive started their business when the west side of Fond du Lac was undeveloped and has made a name for themselves with the stellar business they provide day after day.
A special episode will be coming soon featuring the community of Waupun, but until then, catch up on our new episodes and find out why Fond du Lac is the best community to locate a business. The entire playlist of videos can be found HERE.
2016 FABOH Wellness Conference Well City Fond du Lac participants and interested wellness leaders alike: Mark your calendars for Thursday, January 21, 2016 from 7:30 a.m. to noon for the 2016 FABOH Wellness Conference. Admission is offered at $25, or half-price, for Well City Fond du Lac participants. Registration required by January 15 to Katie Schwartz at [email protected] or by calling 920-924-3780. Please call or email Katie for any additional information you may need.
Location: Holiday Inn Conference Center, Fond du Lac Time: 7:30 a.m. breakfast and registration, program 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Keynote Speaker: Scott Foster, President of Wellco Corporation
2015 Site Location Survey Results
Area Development has conducted site location surveys consistently over the years and is recognized as a reliable source of location demand trends. Although there are some separations between the corporate executives and the site consultants, there are some consistency for:
• Highway Accessibility • Available Land • Proximity to Major Markets
To find out what factors ranked highest for corporate executive site location, quality of life factors, and more, you can review the results though Area Development online at the link below: http://www.areadevelopment.com/Corporate-Consultants-Survey-Results/Q1-2015/annual-corporate-executive-business-expansion-survey-287775.shtml
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I-41 Collaboration In recent months, a coalition of economic development organizations has been discussing working together to attract more businesses to the region. These organizations, including FCEDC, cover Fond du Lac County, Oshkosh, Appleton and Green Bay. The site selection consultants that help communities select new business locations have repeatedly told the economic development community that unless we work together, the communities alone will not have the “critical mass” to succeed. The “critical mass” includes population, workforce, and economic assets. Since the region shares an economic base and a very fluid workforce, the regional approach to marketing makes sense and offers a more powerful business message and brand. The economic development organizations are close to finalizing a memorandum of understanding, code of conduct, operating procedures, and rules of engagement that will guide the external marketing and prospect response. This will not be a new organization but instead a collaborative of independent organizations with the goal of marketing the assets of the I-41 corridor based on targets present for each community. Each community will be responsible for responses to prospect inquiries and requests for information. Each community will also continue to pursue targets that are particular to that community and not the corridor. Concurrently with this effort and an outcome from the Economic Adjustment grant from the Department of Defense resulting from the layoffs at Oshkosh Corporation, the same region is also working together to build an aviation cluster. This involves the same economic development organizations, the four airports and the Wisconsin Aerospace Partners. Research conducted as a part of the grant clearly indicates that the region has very promising attributes for such development. More to follow as the initiatives move forward in 2016.
I-41 Corridor discussions have an impact on Fond du Lac, Winnebago, Outagamie, and Brown counties as each county is unique but shares one important commonality: easy
access to I-41.
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President’s Corner Steve R. Jenkins, CEcD – President, FCEDC
Future Economic Success in Fond du Lac County There is a dramatic evolution occurring in the economy that is sometimes overt, sometimes subtle. Complacency and status quo approaches will hinder or eliminate immense opportunities being presented by the new economy. In the past, we prided ourselves as a low cost operating environment in Fond du Lac County, but this will not drive a quality economic environment in the future.
“In a rapidly changing world those who copy the past have doomed their future.” Steve Blank, Entrepreneur
In 2015, we saw the emergence of new drivers for economic development; those being innovation, adaptability and creativity. The deployment of technology in all economic sectors is at a staggering and unrelenting pace. Manufacturers are automating to increase global competitiveness and to replace missing skills, and not necessarily people. “Dark factories” are growing in which there are no people and the operation is 24/7 for 365 days. We are seeing manufacturing productivity at historic levels with fewer workers. The Retail and Finance sectors are also applying technology to address new market demands. The bottom line is that the national, regional and local economies are rapidly evolving as a result of the Great Recession and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future. Manufacturers are deploying complex processes that take little or no advanced skills to operate. Granted, it takes highly skilled workers to design, build and maintain such production equipment, but those are far fewer than what was typically used in past manufacturing processes. The Internet of Things (IoT) makes it easier to work from home, shop from home, bank from home, etc. Information Technology applications will increase at staggering rates over the next few years, contributing to the continued evolution of the economy, and it will impact all sectors. Additive manufacturing (3D printing) is changing the way products are produced, including jet engines, and will in the future change the way products are distributed. We must aggressively work to attract more diverse employers, greater capital investments and create the environment for entrepreneurs to start new businesses. We must realize that Generation Z (2 years old to 17 years old) and Generation Alpha (2 years and under) will be the largest generations in the history of the nation and will be the most intelligent and technologically-adept ever. These generations will determine the fate of not just our national economy, but that of Wisconsin and Fond du Lac County. We want to keep young people in our community and these generations offer the greatest opportunity as long as they are engaged in our community now, not after they graduate. These changes are also impacting what communities consider economic success. In the past, success was centered on jobs, any and all jobs. Today, it must be about the quality and sustainability of the jobs in key sectors that leverage increased community wealth. Because of the increased use of technology, capital investments are of greater importance which in turn grows the tax base. Median household, per capita, and disposable incomes are increasing markers of a community’s economic health.
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The presence of an educated workforce, particularly in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics (S.T.E.M.) area is rapidly becoming a factor examined by employers when searching for new locations. The formation of new and diverse startups and businesses are increasingly a key foundation for future economic growth. Communities and economic development organizations, including the Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation must recognize these changes and adapt with innovative programming and initiatives that are focused on economic growth and prosperity, robust support for existing businesses, and the creation and sustainability of businesses that will be leaders in the new economy. How FCEDC intends to address this will be revealed at its Annual Evening on January 28, 2016. Recently, we have had some business closures, such as 3 Guys and a Grill, which enhanced the downtown. Previously, in the same location was Trinity Restaurant, which also closed. Many people ask “why don’t we have this or that” in Fond du Lac. There are two answers. First, there must adequate disposable incomes to support such businesses. That is directly related to the community wage structure. If one examines the wage structure comparted to surrounding counties, there are some disparities as exhibited below. All Wages Manufacturing
Fond du Lac: $39,684 $50,902 Winnebago: $47,428 $63,857 Sheboygan: $43,024 $53,837 Outagamie: $42,484 $54,279
Let’s look at the employment of 55,770 in the County and the average for all wages of $39,684. Then take the next highest average of $42,484 in Outagamie County which is an annual average difference of $2,800 multiplied by the County’s employment. One could say that we are missing out on an average of $156.2 million in wages. Now, this is a simplistic view because it doesn’t take into consideration commuting patterns, but it does highlight an issue concerning community wealth. Second, we must be willing to support our businesses consistently over time. If there isn’t money going into the cash registers of our small businesses, they will close. As we prepare to commence a new year, I encourage every citizen, every organization, to make a commitment to support our future by shopping local first. Patronize all organizations that can impact our future, employ innovative programs, and collaborate to build the local economy of our future. If we don’t do it, who will? Happy Holidays!
FCEDC Performance to Date for 2015 Clients served: 151 (target for 2015: 150)
RLF Loans Approved: 9 City Grants Approved: 3
