rapid growth at persona leads to ... - watertown works · housing units remained strong through...

WATERTOWNDEVELOPMENTCOMPANYNEWS Issue#2,Spring2017

Watertown Development

Company News

Quarterly

ABOVE:NEWPERSONAOFFICELOCATIONONOAKWOODROADINWATERTOWN

PersonahasexpandedintoathirdlocationinWatertowntoaccommodatetheiracceleratinggrowth.Thenewlocationisat705OakwoodRoadinWatertown.

PersonareachedouttoWDCstaffinDecembertoinquireaboutadditionalspacetheWDChadavailableandthecompanysignedaleasewiththeWDCearlierthisyear.

Thecompanycurrentlyemploys290inWatertownandhas57positionopeningsjustforWatertown.Theopeningsincludeofficepositions,welders,supervisorsandtrainers.TheWDCwillbeprovidingworkforceincentivesforupto20ofthosepositions.

Personaisrecognizedasbeingthelargestproviderofhotelandmotelsignageacrosstheglobe,andisnamedasoneofonlythreesignageprovidersforMcDonald’s.ThecompanyalsomakessignsforPapaJohn’s,Domino’s,Casey’sGeneralStore,andHolidayStationstores.

Intotal,PersonaoperatesthreefacilitiesinWatertownandoneinMadisonthathousea

totalof173,077squarefeetforfabrication,76,400squarefeetforinventorystorage,and17,988squarefeetforsupportservices.

PersonaMain,locatedinWatertown,hasbeenaroundfor34yearsandisdesignatedastheircorporateheadquarters.Thefacilityincludesmorethan65,800squarefeetofmanufacturingspaceandmorethan26,400squarefeetofindoorstorageforcompletedsigns.

PersonaWest,alsoinWatertown,isa27,277square-footfacility,andoperatesasaface-decorationanddistortion-formscreeningfacility.

TheirlocationinMadisonis80,000squarefeet.TheLEDandneonchannelletterfacilitycontainsalargeframedepartmentandadditionalproductionflowlines.

Dakota Portable Toilets Expanding to Watertown Lot31ofEndresIndustrialParkwaspurchasedinFebruary,leavingEndresIndustrialParkofficiallyfullwithnootherlotsavailableforsale.

WadeandKaylaKoenecheofDakotaPortableToiletsInc.outofBrookingspurchasedthelotandplantoconstructafacilityinWatertownwithintwoyears.

Thecompanyoffersawiderangeofequipment,fromportablehandwashingstationstoavarietyofportabletoiletoptions,tosupportcontractioncrew,eventstaff,orguests.

AVAILABLEPROPERTIES

TheWDCmaintainsadatabaseofavailablepropertiesalongwithamappingfeatureonourwebsiteatwatertownworks.com.

Ifyouhavepropertyavailablethatyouwouldliketodisplayonthewebsite,contact:

TraciStein

DIRECTOROFMARKETING

6058840340

traci@watertownworks.com

Rapid Growth at Persona Leads to Expansion, Adding Jobs

WATERTOWNDEVELOPMENTCOMPANYNEWS Issue#2,Spring2017

InMarch,TheWatertownDevelopmentCompany(WDC)heldacontestwiththeintentofpromotingtheopeningofthePrairieLakesWellnessCenter.

TheaimofthecontestwastopromotethequalityoflifeinWatertown,SDtoindividualsandfamilieswhomayconsidermovingtothearea.Todothis,theWDCaskedcontestantstosubmit5reasonsastowhyWatertownWorksforthem.Inreturn,theirsubmissions

wereenteredintoadrawingfortheopportunitytowinoneoffive,one-yearmembershipstothenewPrairieLakesWellnessCenter.

SponsorsoftheprizesincludedPrairieLakesHealthcare,SanfordClinic–Watertown,WatertownCommunityFoundation,WatertownDevelopmentCompany,andBigStoneTherapies.TheWatertownAreaChamberofCommerceandtheWatertownPublicOpinionprovidedadditionalsupportthroughassistanceinadvertising.

Thecontestreceived35entries.TheWDCwillbeutilizingallsubmissionsprovidedbycontestentrantsinfutureadcampaignsthroughsocialmedia,print,radio,andwebintargetedmarkets.ThiswillalsohelpusgainsomeinsightastowhatmakesWatertownworkforourresidentsandpassthisinformationalongtoothersthattheWDCistargetingtomoveorrelocatetothecommunity.

Stats of the contest: NumberofEntries:35

FacebookPostEngagements:Increased170%

WebsiteVisits:Increased33%

WDCBoardrepresentativesandstaffmetonMarch1stforanafternoonofideasharingandtoassessthecurrentgoalsoftheWDC.ThemeetingwasfacilitatedbyKeithDeibert,BusinessAdvisorwithSDManufacturingandTechnologySolutions.

TheWDCstaffhadbeendoingamidplanreviewanddecidedwiththenewcampaigncomingupin2018,itwasagoodtimetoassessthecurrentgoalsoftheFocusWatertownIVcampaign.Thesessionwasthenplannedandboardmembers,includingWDCstaff,mettoreaffirmthemissionoftheWDCandhowitsactionscanmeettheneedsofmultipleconstituenciesandmakerecommendationsforfuturegrowth.

KeithDeibertstartedoffthemeetingwithareviewofthecurrentgoals.Amindmappingexercisewasincludedinthesessionwhichallowedmemberstosharetheirideasondifferenttopicsrelatedtoeconomicdevelopment.

ThegroupendedthedaywithbriefdiscussiononWDCseizingtheirfreshideasandhowtomoveforwardonthosegoals.

ThoseinattendancefortheretreatincludedJillFuller,CEO,PrairieLakesHealthcare;JimRedlinger,CEO,RedlingerBrosandHeating;SteveLehner,GeneralManager,WatertownMunicipalUtilities;CurtTrego,MarketPresident,GreatWesternBank;JamesA.Seuer,CEO,GlacialLakesEnergy;JimRoby,Attorney,GreenRobyOviattLLP;TroyZebroski,MarketPresident,DacotahBank;JamesD.Olson,MarketPresident,WellsFargo;DewayneHibbert,SpartonCorporation;MichaelCartney,President,LakeAreaTech;DonRoehrich,President,ActiveHeating;SteveThorson,MayorofWatertown,andWDCstaffMichelleKakacekandTraciStein.

Attendeesexpressedthattheretreatwasanenjoyableandengagingsession.

hy

WDC Supports New Rec Center Opening by Holding Contest

Above:KeithDeibert,BusinessAdvisorwithSDManufacturingandTechnologySolutions

WDC HOLDS BOARD RETREAT

WATERTOWNDEVELOPMENTCOMPANYNEWS|Issue#2,SPRING2017 3

GROWTHINNUMBERS

Figure1:Capitalinvestmentpermitsanddollarsinthemillions(ThroughFebruary,2017)

Capital Investment ConstructionactivityisstrongintheWatertownarea.Thisisagoodindicatorofcontinuingeconomicgrowth.

Figure2:NewSingleFamilyhomepermitsanddollarsinthemillions(ThroughFebruary,2017)

New Single Family Construction Buildingpermitsanddollarsfornewsingle-familyhousingunitsremainedstrongthrough2016.AccordingtoKiplinger’slatestreport

1onhousingstartsandhome

sales,residentialconstructionisimprovingasatightjobmarketandhealthierfinancesgivefolkstheabilitytobuy.Atthesametime,ashortageofready-to-buildlotsandskilledlaborcontinuestoposeheadwindsforthehomebuildingindustry.

Figure3:Newcommercialconstructionpermitsanddollarsinthemillions.(ThroughFebruary2017)

New Commercial Construction Buildingpermitsanddollarsfornewcommercialbuildingsprojectsin2017areshowingagoodstart.Theuptickin2014and2015islargelyduetocompletedWatertownMiddleSchoolandWatertownRecCenterprojects,whichcreatedsignificantspikesinthenumberofdollars.

Figure4:WatertownUnemploymentRate(ThroughFebruary2017)

Watertown Unemployment Rate Watertown’sunemploymentrate(above)roseinFebruaryfromthe2016averageof3.0percent,accordingtotheSDLaborMarketInformationCenter.

Figure5:Watertown-PeopleEmployed

Watertown – People Employed ThenumberofpeopleemployedinWatertowndroppedslightlyoverthelastyear,endingatanaverageof11,364employedthroughFebruary2017.

Figure6:WatertownLaborForcenumbersaredecreasing

Watertown – Labor Force ThenumberofpeopleintheworkforceinWatertowndroppedslightlyin2016,continuingthatsametrendwithanaverageof11,807throughFebruary2017.

COMINGSOON

SD GOED Conference Set TheSDGovernor’sOfficeofEconomicDevelopmentwillbeholdingitsannualmeeting,thisyearentitled“GearingUpforSuccess,”-withanApril25receptionattheSheratonHotelandsessionsalldayonApril26attheConventionCenterinSiouxFalls.

WDCboardmembersareinvitedtoattendonbehalfoftheWDC.Tomakearrangements,pleasecontactMichelleorTraciattheWDCoffice.

Thisyear’sKeynotespeakerwillbeSimonT.Bailey.HeistheCEOofSimonT.BaileyInternational,apremiumeducationcompanyspecializingincreatinglearninganddevelopmentcontentforindividualsandorganizations.Baileyisknownforinspiringmenandwomenwithasimpletransformationalframeworkandthetoolsneededtocreateapurposefullifeandameaningfulandprofitablebusiness.

CommissionerScottSternwillalsobetheretodiscussGOED’snewstrategiesinbusinessrecruitment,refiningthestate’skeyindustries,aligningtheorganizationaroundtheirgoals,andtheongoingworkforcedevelopmentcampaign.

BrianBingold,AutomatedDrivingSolutionsDivision,andDavidFormisano,DirectorofStrategy,InternetofThingsGroupatIntel,willdiscusshowtechnologyandcommunicationsareshapingourfuture.

Moredetailsabouttheconferenceareavailableatwww.sdreadytowork.com

References:

[1]“InventoriesTightasHousingDemandGrows”Kiplinger'slatestforecastonhousingstartsandhomesales,March31,2017,http://www.kiplinger.com/article/business/T019-C000-S003-housing-market-forecast-housing-starts-home-sales.html

$46.0$45.0$63.0$65.0$68.1

$3.0

527 456 484 475 571

52

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

$6.5$7.0$6.6$9.4$6.9

37 47 43 49 45

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

$10.0$10.7

$26.9$40.0

$13.1

$1.7

23 2321 21

17

2

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

4.2 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.03.8

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

11,59111,60611,58311,640

11,584

11,364

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

12,09412,06512,01112,048

11,951

11,807

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

WATERTOWNDEVELOPMENTCOMPANYNEWS|Issue#2,SPRING2017 4

Watertown Development

Company News Quarterly

1EastKempAvenueWatertown,SD57201