Economic development group focuses on growth

02/17/2010

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By LARRY HANSON
Daily News Staff

A three-year strategy for moving Economic Development/Washington County from a start-up partnership to an entrepreneurial economic development organization will be revealed at the end of the third quarter of this year, EDWC executive director Christian Tscheschlock announced Thursday morning at the group’s annual meeting at the Prairie Center at West Bend Mutual Insurance.

Following the release of the three-year strategy, which will have measurable goals as the group looks to increase economic activity in the county, specifically by utilizing local supply chains, there will be an investment campaign in the fourth quarter of this year.
“It’s not something that’s going to sit on a shelf,” Tscheschlock said of the strategy. “It’s not going to be a large document.”

Tscheschlock also said stage 2 businesses, defined as having between 10 and 99 employees, have the biggest potential for growth, as opposed to attracting new growth. “If we bank solely on business attraction, the return on investment is not going to be there,” Tscheschlock said. “The mindset of a company just starting out is different than one at stage 2.”

Three steps of Tscheschlock’s plan to grow the organization are finding a niche focus, the three-year strategy with measurable objectives and business-to-business products.
Tscheschlock, who has been the group’s executive director since December, said he was pleased with the way companies from various communities have come together in EDWC’s four years in existence. “As a county, we can leverage our resources better than you can as a single community,” Tscheschlock said, noting potential parochialism is a possible threat for the organization.

Among the strengths he highlighted in his 30-minute talk to about 150 business people from around the county are the group’s committee structure, leadership, solid foundation and innovative approach. Weaknesses he identified included the goals being difficult to measure, the risk of losing purpose by trying to be all things to all people and narrow funding streams.

Also, at the meeting, the new board of directors was elected, with Tony Warren serving as president, Dave Lenz as vice president, David Nixon as secretary, Pat Thomey as treasurer and Doreen Buntrock as past president.

“We’ve accomplished so much and there is so much left to accomplish,” Warren said. “The best is yet to come.”

For the 2009 budget year, the group reported $226,788 in income and $198,950 in expenses, for a net excess of $27,838. The group has net assets of $236,064. For 2010, the budget has projected $224,191 in income and $221,000 in expenses.

Buntrock, in her comments, said 2009 was a year of accountability, as unemployment in Washington County rose from 5.4 percent in December of 2008 to 8.6 percent in December of 2009. “Two thousand nine was a crazy year, to say the least,” Buntrock said. “We had to make some tough decisions. I’m so excited about where we’re going. In a tough economy, we still had some positives.”