Sam Perlman, left, economic development manager at the Door County Economic Development Corporation, and Tom Nikolai, cochair of Washington Island’s Economic Development Committee. – Photo by Mary Marik
On Monday, Dec. 3, Sam Perlman, economic development manager at the Door County Economic Development Corporation, visited Washington Island and made a presentation about the DCEDC’s business retention programs.
Perlman’s visit came at the invitation of the Washington Island Economic Development Committee. His two-hour presentation took place in the Mosling Room of the Rec Center. Several committee members and additional members of the public attended.
Perlman led off by describing the DCEDC as a “public-private partnership dedicated to economic development in Door County by improving the business climate, helping new businesses get started, and growing existing businesses.”
He described what the DCEDC does to help with business financing – “a challenge,” Perlman called it – and went on to tell of almost $1 million worth of loans arranged in 2012 for six county businesses that used the money to create 90 jobs and retain 52 jobs.
He also described the Business Development Center, a small-business incubator located in the Sturgeon Bay Industrial Park. Tenants pay competitive rents and share services and equipment. Training and having access to business consulting is part of the package.
The DCEDC has had success by going after businesspeople who already love Door County – they are already familiar with it because they visit here or vacation here – and it tries to attract these people as long-term local business owners.
Perlman noted that after Frontier Communications purchased the northern Door County territory from Verizon, Frontier invested significantly and made many improvements in Washington Island’s telecommunications infrastructure.
On the topic of business retention, Perlman stated, “40 to 80 percent of new employment growth comes from existing businesses. And the DCEDC works with existing businesses through ‘conversations’ to find out whether local businesses are healthy.”
“We try to see if there are problems and ways we can help,” said Perlman.
To accomplish this, the DCEDC uses software from Executive Pulse as an online business retention data management system.
Perlman described how trained community members interview business owners or managers about their evaluation of the current business climate in the county.
During these interviews, which are conducted on a regular schedule and by using a series of standard questions, the interviewers often learn of problems or opportunities for business retention.
Perlman cited one business that needed early-morning plowing during the winter because trucks making deliveries often arrived before the plows did. To accommodate this need, plowing schedules were changed.
In another case, a speed limit at a business site was set very low for actual traffic conditions; a change was made to make the limit more realistic for the area.
Perlman explained that small changes such as these can show businesses that they are valued and that the local government and local community care about retaining them.
After Perlman explained the DCEDC’s conversation strategy, a question-and-answer exchange brought up the fact that most Island businesses are family owned and family members might not want to divulge details of their operations, clarified who the interviewers were and how they were chosen, and regretted that most Island business owners do not attend meetings like this one.
Perlman reiterated that the DCEDC program gives business owners “the opportunity to speak and make a difference.”
By Mary Marik
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