north central wisconsin regional planning commission · strategy provides an overview of the...

NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSINREGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ELEMENT

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Regional Comprehensive Plan Page 1 Economic Development

This is the sixth of nine elements that comprisethe Regional Comprehensive Plan. This elementis based on the statutory requirement for a“compilation of objectives, policies, goals, maps,and programs to promote the stabilization,retention, or expansion of the economic baseand quality employment opportunities”. Ananalysis of the labor force and economic baseof the Region is included, as is an assessmentof:

• categories or particular types of new business,• industries that are desired,• the Region’s strengths and weaknesses

with respect to attracting and retainingbusinesses and industries, and

• the number of sites for such businesses and industries.

The use of environmentally contaminated sitesfor commercial and industrial re-developmentis evaluated and promoted. County, regional,and state economic development programs thatapply to the Region are identified. Economicdevelopment Issues, recommendations, andimplementation strategies will also be discussed.

This chapter of the Regional ComprehensivePlan serves as the economic developmentelement described above and comprises the“regional economic development plan”. As such,local units of governments are encouraged tocompare their objectives, policies, goals, andprograms to those within this regional economicdevelopment plan.

ELEMENT SIX:ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The Comprehensive Planning Legislation alsoestablishes 14 state planning goals. Of these14 goals, two relate directly to economicdevelopment, while three more are related toeconomic development. The two economicdevelopment goals are:

1) Promoting the expansion or stabilizationof the current economic base and thecreation of a range of employmentopportunities at the state, regional, andlocal levels.

2) Promotion of the redevelopment of landswith existing infrastructure and publicservices and the maintenance andrehabilitation of existing residential,commercial, and industrial structures.

The three related goals are: Protection ofeconomically productive areas, includingfarmland and forests; Building of communityidentity by revitalizing main streets andenforcing design standards; and Providingadequate infrastructure and public services andan adequate supply of developable land to meetexisting and future market demand forresidential, commercial, and industrial uses.

Beyond the requirements of the ComprehensivePlanning Legislation, this economicdevelopment element acts in concert with otherfederal, state and regional economicdevelopment efforts to improve Wisconsin’soverall tax and business climate as well asmaximize the human resource potential of thestate.

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As part of its role as an Economic DevelopmentDistrict, as designated by the U.S. Departmentof Commerce, Economic DevelopmentAdministration (EDA), the North CentralWisconsin Regional Planning Commissionannually prepares a Comprehensive EconomicDevelopment Strategy report each year. Thereport serves to summarize and assesseconomic development activities of the pastyear and to present strategies for the upcomingyear. That report will build upon the foundationdeveloped in this element and will continue tobe updated annually.

I. BACKGROUND

Originally, the Region’s diverse natural andagricultural resources were the basis of theeconomy, whether it was the fertile soils of thecentral and southern areas or the vast forestsof the north. As more people settled in theRegion, they developed roads, railroads, anddams for power. This new infrastructure, inturn, expanded the economy beyond simplefarming and logging operations. Resources thatonce left the region in their “raw” state werenow transformed into finished products here.Communities like Rhinelander, Merrill, Wausau,Stevens Point, and Wisconsin Rapids capitalizedon their location to form value added industriesfocused on wood products, agriculture, andmanufacturing. As these industries progressed,so did the service-oriented industries such asgovernment, transportation, communications,public utilities, trade, finance, insurance, andreal estate. The result is the wide diversity ofeconomic industries we see in the Region today.

A. Previous Economic DevelopmentEfforts

1. The Framework Regional Development

The North Central Wisconsin Regional PlanningCommission’s current “regional comprehensiveplan” was prepared in 1981. This plan identifiedseven overall goals, numerous policies andseveral actions. The most important goal thatrelates to economic development is: Promotionof orderly growth, diversification, anddevelopment of the Region’s economy.

The Framework also went on to identify fourregional issues that are still pertinent today.These are:

Employment Opportunities:

High unemployment is a current problem inmuch of the region, and chronic unemploymentis found in a number of areas. Low incomes,often associated with underemployment, arealso problems. Seasonal unemployment iscommon in the resort and forest areas.Migration of young adults, often with valuableskills, is a drain on the available work force.

Industrial Expansion and Diversification:

Some communities lack sites which are readyfor industrial development. Most, if not all,urban centers need to have sites available forindustries. Such sites should have facilities suchas sewer and water, and highway and railaccess. Many rural centers have felt the needto establish industrial parks. However, whereno new industries have been secured for theseparks, public investments have gone to waste.Many communities, particularly rural centersand some of the smaller urban centers, areheavily dependent on one type of industry, suchas forest products or tourism. Such dependencemeans that local employment, as well ascommercial retail trade, goes up and down withthe business cycles for the dominant localindustry.

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Decline of Downtown Commercial Areas:

There are declining downtown commercialareas in many communities. This decline resultsin a lower return on existing investment inbuildings, land, and public facilities, and maybe associated with overall loss of trade forurban and rural centers.

Enhancement of Natural Resource-BasedEconomic Activity/Tourism:

More intensive forest management practicesand production of higher-value crops orlivestock are possible in some areas. Land withvalue for farm, forest, or mineral production isbeing lost to development in many parts of theregion. The central economic developmentissue in most waterfront areas is themaintenance and enhancement of therecreation and tourism industries. Associatedwith this are such needs as preserving naturalfeatures like forest cover and natural shorelineappearance, water quality, etc. Cranberrygrowing, irrigation and related water storageuse land in conservancy areas, and often makelarge withdrawals from ground and surfacewater sources.

2. Economic Development DistrictDesignation and the ComprehensiveEconomic Development Strategy Process

As stated in the Issues and OpportunitiesElement, no other planning effort continues tounify the region as does the ComprehensiveEconomic Development Strategy. Formaleconomic development planning in the Regionbegan in 1978 when the NCWRPC producedthe first Overall Economic DevelopmentProgram (OEDP). The OEDP was required aspart of the process to gain designation for theRegion as an Economic Development District(EDD) from the U. S. Department of Commerce,Economic Development Administration. InMarch of 1980 the designation was granted andit maintained to this day. Adams County wasnot included in the original OEDP or EDDdesignation, but was later added in 1993. TheOEDP was renamed the ComprehensiveEconomic Development Strategy (CEDS) in 2000to better reflect the strategy focus of theprocess. This report is annually updated.

The Comprehensive Economic DevelopmentStrategy provides an overview of the Regionaleconomy and identifies an overall strategy foreconomic development. The document focuseson the ten major economic sectors:government; agriculture, forestry and fishing;mining; construction; manufacturing;transportation and communication; wholesaletrade; retail trade; finance, insurance and realestate; and services.

The Island, Minocqua

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II. INVENTORY & TRENDS

This section of the element is to inventory thearea’s economy and identify trends within theRegion. The following sections will provide acomparative analysis of the Region’s economyto the state and nation using some basiceconomic analysis. The employment and laborforce data used in this element is from theWisconsin Department of WorkforceDevelopment (DWD), while the U.S. CensusBureau data was used for population andincome.

A. Population & Labor Force

Total Regional population determines the sizeof the Regional labor force. In 2000, thepopulation was 429,744 and the labor force was225,236. The labor force is simply the numberof people, sixteen and over, employed or lookingto be employed in an area. Those persons oversixteen who are students, homemakers, retired,institutionalized, or unable/unwilling to seekemployment are not considered part of the laborforce.

As indicated earlier in the Issues & OpportunitiesElement of the plan, the Region has experiencedpopulation growth over the last two decades,although that growth is not uniform among themajor age groups. In 1980, almost 39 percentof the population was 17 and under, while lessthan 13 percent were 65 and older. By 2000,there were only 21 percent 17 and under, whilethe 65 and older grew to over 15 percent. Thesetrends create serious issues for expansion ofthe local labor force.

Much of the growth in the Region’s labor forcehas been due to the increase in the participationrates. In 1980, only 61 percent of thepopulation over 16 was in the labor force. By

2000, that rate increased to 67 percent. Thenational participation rate in 2000 was 48percent, and the state rate was 69 percent. SeeTable 1.

Two counties in the central sub-region arehigher than state average, while all the countiesin the north sub-region and the south sub-regionare below the state average averages. Vilasand Oneida Counties exhibit a high participationrate likely due to the tourism industrymeanwhile, other counties in the north andsouth sub-regions have lower participation ratesprobably due to a higher proportion of retirees.High unemployment rates have been apersistent problem in the Region, especially inthe northern sub-region.

Unemployment is defined as the differencebetween the total civilian labor force and totalpersons employed. Table 2 displays the totalcivilian labor force by county, sub-region, andRegion. Historically, unemployment in theRegion, especially in the northern sub-area, hasbeen higher than the state average, however,that gap has decreased in recent years.

In 1980 the Region had 8.5 percentunemployment, compared to the state rate of6.6 percent. In 2000, the Region had 5.6percent unemployment, compared to the staterate of 4.7 percent. Unemployment in Adamsand Vilas Counties increased dramatically duringthis period in terms of percentage growth whileMarathon County held the lead in the leastpercentage of unemployed.

B. Vocational and Technical Education

Worker productivity has often been cited asone important reason for the strength ofWisconsin’s economy. Education and trainingis critical to maintaining that productivity, as

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Table 1: Labor Force & Participation Rates

County Population Labor Participation Population Labor Participation

16 & over Force Rate 16 & over Force Rate

Adams 10,602 5,306 50% 15,220 8,522 56%

Forest 6,698 3,273 49% 7,815 4,379 56%

Juneau 15,656 8,853 57% 18,892 12,068 64%

Langlade 14,770 8,160 55% 16,386 10,298 63%

Lincoln 19,811 11,774 59% 23,226 15,346 66%

Marathon 81,182 53,172 65% 96,478 69,190 72%

Oneida 23,927 13,749 57% 29,592 18,311 62%

Portage 43,383 26,960 62% 53,135 37,932 71%

Vilas 12,997 6,682 51% 17,238 9,869 57%

Wood 53,338 33,430 63% 58,610 39,321 67%

Region 282,364 171,359 61% 336,592 225,236 67%

North 78,203 43,638 56% 94,257 58,203 62%

Central 177,903 113,562 64% 208,223 146,443 70%

South 26,258 14,159 54% 34,112 20,590 60%

State 3,532,459 2,263,413 64% 4,157,030 2,869,236 69%

Source: U.S. Census 1980, 2000 & NCWRPC

1980 2000

Table 2: Unemployment Rates

County 1980 1990 2000 1980 - 2000

Change

Adams 12.7% 10.6% 7.8% -4.9%

Forest 10.4% 7.7% 7.6% -2.8%

Juneau 7.3% 6.6% 6.1% -1.2%

Langlade 9.2% 6.4% 5.8% -3.4%

Lincoln 9.7% 6.6% 5.3% -4.4%

Marathon 7.5% 3.9% 3.8% -3.7%

Oneida 9.6% 6.4% 6.0% -3.6%

Portage 7.5% 5.0% 5.9% -1.6%

Vilas 13.2% 7.7% 6.1% -7.1%

Wood 8.4% 6.1% 5.0% -3.4%

0.0%

Region 8.5% 7.1% 5.6% -2.9%

North 10.1% 6.8% 5.9% -4.2%

Central 7.8% 4.8% 4.7% -3.1%

South 9.3% 8.1% 6.8% -2.5%

State 6.6% 5.2% 4.7% -1.9%

Source: U.S. Census 1980, 1990 & 2000

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well as keeping our Region competitive. Thevocational-technical education system and thetraining available are of particular importance.As business and industry continues to grow andchange, the demand for highly trained andskilled labor grows. The state provides a varietyof initiatives to develop the workforce througheducation, training, and cooperative ventureswith business and industry. Worker trainingprograms are very important as the locationalmismatch between worker skills and availablejobs continues to widen.

Employment and training services for dislocatedworkers are primarily delivered through “JobCenters”. There are job centers located in ninecities of the Region: Rhinelander, Merrill, Antigo,Wausau, Stevens Point, Marshfield, WisconsinRapids, Mauston, and Adams. These centersare one-stop resources for employers to meettheir workforce needs and job seekers to getthe career planning, job placement, and trainingservices they need to obtain jobs.

Partnerships between local businesses,governments, and educational institutions arevery useful in developing the Regional economy.Institutions such as UW-Stevens Point, UWMarathon County and Wood County,Northcentral Technical College (NTC) (Wausau,Antigo, and Spencer), Midstate TechnicalCollege (Wisconsin Rapids, Adams, StevensPoint, and Marshfield), Nicolet College(Rhinelander and Minocqua), and WesternWisconsin Technical College (Mauston) oftendirect their programs to the training needs oflocal workers and businesses. Organizationssuch as the North Central Wisconsin WorkforceDevelopment Board are important to thisprocess as well.

C. Income Trends

There are two measures of income: medianhousehold income and per capita income.Median household income provides an indicationof the economic ability of the typical family orhousehold unit while per capita income providesa measure of relative earning power on a perperson level. As identified in the Issues andOpportunities Element of this plan the MedianHousehold income in 2000 was $40,538 andthe Per Capita income was $19,529. BothMedian and Per Capita Incomes have risen overthe last twenty years, by 23 and 48 percentrespectively. Both of these rates exceed stategrowth rates for the same time period.

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis rankedWisconsin 21st in the nation with respect topersonal per capita income, up from 24th in1980. While Wisconsin is not among thewealthiest states in the nation, it does rank inthe top half. The Region increased in per capitaincome slightly more than the state, but bothfaired far better than the nation as a whole.Over the last twenty years within the Region,Forest County showed the highest gain in percapita income while Lincoln County showed thelowest. Income gains were relatively uniformin each sub-region however.

D. Total Employment

Between 1980 and 2000, the Region added over73,000 jobs, for an increase of 58.6 percent.During the same period, the state increased by42.6 percent and the nation by 42.8 percent.Overall the Region has done well overall,especially in the north and south sub-regionswhere job growth increased by over 61 percent.The Region’s share of total state employmentin 1980 was 6.6 percent, but that has increasedto about 7.3 percent in 2000.

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Table 3 displays employment totals for eachcounty and sub-region over the last twentyyears. In terms of percentage growth, VilasCounty increased the most with over 93 percent,while Wood grew the least only increasing by44 percent. However, the three central countiesaccount for about 70 percent of the Region’stotal employment.

E. Economic Analysis

There are two techniques used here to analyzethe Region’s economic data. One is called“Location Quotient” and the other is called“Shift-Share”. Both of these techniques arecommonly used and they provide some basiceconomic information. Both of these tools arebest used with more detailed data. The datahere is presented in very general terms andoften the uniqueness of an industry is lostbecause of the aggregation of data. TheComprehensive Economic Development

Strategy that the NCWRPC prepares examinesthe data at these more detailed levels. Thatsource provides a more complete analysis andincludes county level information as well.Appendix A provides additional detail on thesetechniques.

Table 3: Total Employment

County 1980 1990 2000 1980 to 2000 1980 to 2000

% Change Net Change

Adams 2,168 2,643 3,558 64.1% 1,390

Forest 1,826 2,060 2,988 63.6% 1,162

Juneau 5,345 7,195 8,596 60.8% 3,251

Langlade 5,275 6,439 7,838 48.6% 2,563

Lincoln 7,793 9,795 11,953 53.4% 4,160

Marathon 40,051 49,407 65,630 63.9% 25,579

Oneida 9,943 12,192 16,753 68.5% 6,810

Portage 18,632 24,821 30,191 62.0% 11,559

Vilas 3,758 4,428 7,256 93.1% 3,498

Wood 29,811 36,172 42,926 44.0% 13,115

Region 124,602 155,152 197,689 58.7% 73,087

North 28,595 34,914 46,788 63.6% 18,193

Central 88,494 110,400 138,747 56.8% 50,253

South 7,513 9,838 12,154 61.8% 4,641

State 1,882,772 2,165,996 2,684,824 42.6% 802,052

Source: WI DWD; 202 Reports, 1st Quarter; 1980, 1990, 2000 & NCWRPC

Papermill, Rhinelander

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1. Location Quotient Analysis:

This analysis technique compares local, stateand national employment levels by sector. Theresult of this analysis is a number called alocation quotient. If that number is greater than1.00, it is determined to be an exporting sector,while if it is below 1.00, it is determined to bean importing sector. Exports bring money fromoutside the Region into the local economy andimports represent local dollars flowing outsidethe Region.

Compared to the state, the Region exports insix sectors, lead by Agriculture, Forestry andFishing, fol lowed by Transportation &

Communication, Retail Trade, Manufacturing,Finance & Insurance, and government. Whencompared to the nation, the Region is anexporter in only three sectors. These are:Manufacturing, Retail Trade and Transportation& Communications. Those sectors that Regionexports in are critical to the continued economicgrowth of the area. See Tables 4A & 4B.

Each of the sub-regions varies in comparisonto the state and nation. The north sub-regionis strong in four sectors compared to both thestate and nation. Meanwhile the central sub-area is strong in five sectors and the south sub-region is strong in only three. Only one sector,Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing is strong in all

Table 4A: Location Quotients Compared to State, 2000

Sector North Central South Region

Government 1.25 0.86 1.71 1.01

Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing 2.00 1.61 2.32 1.75

Mining 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Construction 1.22 0.89 0.76 0.96

Manufacturing 0.86 1.09 1.24 1.05

Transportation & Communication 0.89 1.22 0.87 1.12

Wholesale Trade 0.62 1.09 0.48 0.94

Retail Trade 1.26 1.03 0.96 1.08

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate 0.53 1.25 0.46 1.03

Services 0.93 0.86 0.67 0.86

Source: Department of Workforce Development; 202 Reports, 1st Quarter; 2000 & NCWRPC

Table 4B: Location Quotients Compared to Nation, 2000


Government 1.11 0.77 1.52 0.90

Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing 0.76 0.61 0.89 0.67

Mining 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Construction 1.02 0.74 0.63 0.80

Manufacturing 1.43 1.82 2.06 1.74

Transportation & Communication 0.81 1.10 0.79 1.01

Wholesale Trade 0.61 1.08 0.47 0.93

Retail Trade 1.32 1.07 1.00 1.12

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate 0.51 1.19 0.43 0.98

Services 0.78 0.72 0.56 0.73

Source: Department of Workforce Development; 202 Reports, 1st Quarter; 2000 & NCWRPC

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Table 5A: National Growth Component, 1980 to 2000

Sector North Central South Region Actual Difference

Government 2,199 5,500 830 8,529 7,198 (1,331)

Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing 124 352 17 493 2,074 1,581

Mining 5 53 - 58 (135) (193)

Construction 433 1,064 68 1,565 4,230 2,665

Manufacturing 3,273 11,334 949 15,556 10,921 (4,635)

Transpotation & Communication 451 1,775 145 2,371 4,837 2,466

Wholesale Trade 368 1,963 72 2,403 3,928 1,525

Retail Trade 2,493 6,545 643 9,681 15,685 6,004

Finance, Insurance and Real Estate 459 3,224 68 3,751 2,091 (1,660)

Services 2,418 6,017 392 8,827 22,149 13,322

Totals: 12,223 37,827 3,184 53,234 72,978 19,744

Source: Department of Workforce Development; 202 Reports, 1st Quarter; 1980, 2000 & NCWRPC

Table 5B: Industrial Mix, 1980 to 2000


Government (793) (1,985) (299) (3,077)

Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing (130) (366) (17) (513)

Mining (10) (112) - (122)

Construction 81 200 13 293

Manufacturing (4,128) (14,294) (1,197) (19,620)

Transportation & Communication (85) (335) (27) (448)

Wholesale Trade (96) (513) (19) (628)

Retail Trade 636 1,670 164 2,471

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate 53 376 8 437

Services 4,758 11,840 772 17,370

Totals: 286 (3,519) (603) (3,836)


Table 5C: Competitive Share, 1980 to 2000


Government 1,429 (49) 366 1,746

Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing 588 1,280 226 2,094

Mining (6) (65) - (71)

Construction 845 1,381 146 2,372

Manufacturing 2,408 11,115 1,460 14,982

Transportation & Communication 533 2,339 43 2,915

Wholesale Trade 353 1,723 77 2,152

Retail Trade 1,680 2,057 (206) 3,531

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate (262) (1,896) 60 (2,098)

Services (1,931) (2,072) (47) (4,050)

Totals: 5,638 15,812 2,124 23,574


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three sub-regions when compared to the state,while when compared two sectors showstrength, those are Manufacturing and RetailTrade.

2. Shift-Share Analysis:

The second analysis technique is called “Shift-Share”. This is an analysis technique thatexamines economic change over time andincorporates a “what-if” component. The theorybehind shift-share is that local economic trendscan be determined to be “up” or “down” relativeto national trends, called the National GrowthComponent. It also identifies if the growth isin fast or slow growing industries or sectors,called Industrial Mix; and finally, it identifies howcompetitive an area is for attracting differenteconomic sectors, called the Competitive Share.

The National Growth value is the result ofcomparing the Region’s economic growth ascompared to the national growth rate of 42.75percent and what actually occurred over thosetwenty years. Using this method we wouldexpect the Region to gain about 53,240 newjobs. Compared to the actual results, whichshow 72,978 new jobs added, we conclude that

the Region’s “share” of growth from nationalgrowth only accounted for about 74 percent ofoverall growth.

The Industrial Mix value is either a positive ornegative and attempts to describe the Region’semployment trend as either fast-growth or slow-growth. If the IM is positive, it means that themajority of the Region’s employment is engagedin fast growth sectors; a negative value meansthe Region’s employment is engaged in slowgrowth sectors. The more the value is awayfrom zero (be it positive or negative), the moreclosely associated the Region’s employment isrelated to fast or slow growth industries. Growthin fast growing sectors is the most desirable.

In general the Industrial Mix indicates that theRegion has fewer employees engaged in fastgrowth sectors, than it has employees in stableor declining sectors.

The Competitive Share component is similarto the IM in that it also will result in a positiveor negative value. It is an indicator of howattractive the Region is to a particular sector. Ifan area has a large number of persons gainfullyemployed in a given sector, the model concludes

Table 6: Regional Employment by Sector

Sector 1980 1990 2000 1980 to 2000 1980 to 2000

% Change Net Change

Government 19,950 21,560 27,148 36.1% 7,198

Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing 1,153 2,014 3,227 179.9% 2,074

Mining 199 117 - -100.0% -199

Construction 3,660 4,375 7,890 115.6% 4,230

Manufacturing 36,390 41,026 47,311 30.0% 10,921

Transportation & Communication 5,543 8,901 10,380 87.3% 4,837

Wholesale Trade 5,621 7,444 9,549 69.9% 3,928

Retail Trade 22,647 30,561 38,332 69.3% 15,685

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate 8,775 9,235 10,866 23.8% 2,091

Services 20,650 29,860 42,799 107.3% 22,149

Totals: 124,588 155,093 197,502 58.5% 72,914

Source: Department of Workforce Development; 202 Reports, 1st Quarter; 1980, 1990, 2000 & NCWRPC

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that the area must be an attractive location forthat type of industry. On the other hand, if thearea has proportionally fewer employeesengaged in a given sector, the model draws theopposite conclusion. Again, the higher thepositive value, the more competitive thelocation; and the lower the value, the lesscompetitive.

In general the Competitive Share indicates thatthe Region is competitive in most sectors, exceptin Services and Finance, Insurance & RealEstate. At the sub-regional level, the north sub-region appears to have a majority of businessesin the fast growth categories unlike the southand central sub-regions. Manufacturing is easilythe most competitive sector for all three sub-regions. The south sub-region does notcompetitively attract retail trade. Services arenot competitive in any of the three sub-regions.

3. Economic Sectors

There are ten basic economic sectors that arepresented in this section. They are:government; agriculture, forestry & fishing;mining; construction; manufacturing;transportation & utilities; wholesale trade; retailtrade; finance, insurance & real estate; andservices. It should be noted that the numberof employees in certain sectors, particularlythose workers engaged in agriculture, forestry& fishing, may be understated because thisinformation utilizes Department of WorkforceDevelopment data; those who are self employedor work in family businesses are not reflectedin this data.

Between 1980 and 2000, the three fastestgrowing sectors were agriculture, forestry &fishing, construction and services. Althoughagriculture, forestry & fishing were the fastestgrowing in terms of percentages, it accountsfor less than two percent of total employment.

Only the mining sector displayed a decrease,but that was for disclosure reasons. In termsof total employment, manufacturing is largestsegment of the economy, followed by servicesand retail trade. Manufacturing as a percent oftotal employment has decreased from 29percent in 1980 to less than 24 percent in 2000.See Table 6.

Tables 7A, 7B & 7C display the ten sectors bysub-region. The north sub-region’s three largestsectors are services, retail trade andmanufacturing. Combined these three sectorsaccount for 65 percent of all employment. Thefastest growing sector was agriculture, forestry& fishing.

The central sub-region’s three largest sectorsare manufacturing, services and retail trade.Combined these account for 65 percent of allemployment. The fastest growing sector wasagriculture, forestry & fishing.

The south sub-region three largest sectors aremanufacturing, government and retail trade.Combined these three sectors account for 68percent of total employment. The fastedgrowing sector was agriculture, forestry &fishing.

F. Economic Sector Review

The following section reviews the ten majoreconomic sectors and the relative strength ofthat sector. Tables 6 & 7 display the 1980, 1990and 2000 employment for each county, sub-region and region.

GovernmentBetween 1980 and 2000, this sector grew by36 percent outpacing both state and nationalgrowth rates of 22 percent and 27 percentrespectively. Over 27,100 persons are

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Table 7A: North Sub-Region Employment by Sector

Sector 1980 1990 2000 1980 to 2000 1980 to 2000

Net Change % Change

Government 5,143 5,749 7,978 2,835 55.1%

Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing 291 548 874 583 200.3%

Mining 11 78 - (11) -100.0%

Construction 1,013 1,088 2,372 1,359 134.2%

Manufacturing 7,657 7,995 9,210 1,553 20.3%

Transportation & Communication 1,054 1,871 1,953 899 85.3%

Wholesale Trade 861 1,271 1,486 625 72.6%

Retail Trade 5,832 7,925 10,642 4,810 82.5%

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate 1,074 1,466 1,325 251 23.4%

Services 5,656 6,893 10,901 5,245 92.7%

Totals: 28,592 34,884 46,741 18,149 63.5%


Table 7B: Central Sub-Region Employment by Sector

Sector 1980 1990 2000 1980 - 2000 1980 - 2000

Net Change % Change

Government 12,866 13,760 16,333 3,467 26.9%

Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing 823 1,265 2,089 1,266 153.8%

Mining 124 39 - (124) -100.0%

Construction 2,489 2,973 5,134 2,645 106.3%

Manufacturing 26,512 29,805 34,668 8,156 30.8%

Transportation & Communication 4,151 6,616 7,929 3,778 91.0%

Wholesale Trade 4,591 5,800 7,764 3,173 69.1%

Retail Trade 15,310 21,006 25,583 10,273 67.1%

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate 7,541 7,500 9,245 1,704 22.6%

Services 14,076 21,607 29,862 15,786 112.1%

Totals: 88,483 110,371 138,607 50,124 56.6%


Table 7C: South Sub-Region Employment by Sector

Sector 1980 1990 2000 1980 - 2000 1980 - 2000

Net Change % Change

Government 1,941 2,051 2,837 896 46.2%

Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing 39 201 264 225 576.9%

Mining - - - - 0.0%

Construction 158 314 384 226 143.0%

Manufacturing 2,221 3,226 3,433 1,212 54.6%

Transportation & Communication 338 414 498 160 47.3%

Wholesale Trade 169 373 299 130 76.9%

Retail Trade 1,505 1,630 2,107 602 40.0%

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate 160 269 296 136 85.0%

Services 918 1,360 2,036 1,118 121.8%

Totals: 7,449 9,838 12,154 4,705 63.2%


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employed in this sector at the local, state andfederal levels. Government is the forth-largestemployer in Region, accounting for about 14percent of total employment. In the south sub-region it is the second largest sector, and in thecentral and north sub-region it is the forth-largest sector. The north sub-region saw thelargest percentage increase in employmentduring 1980 to 2000, growing by 55 percent.The Location Quotient analysis indicates thatthis sector is comparable to the state (1.01)and is somewhat less than the nation (0.90).The Shift-Share analysis indicates that thissector lagged behind overall national growthand nationally was a slow growth industry.However, the Region does indicate showcompetitiveness for this sector.

Agriculture, Forestry & FishingBetween 1980 and 2000, this sector grew byabout 180 percent, which was comparable tothe state’s growth in this sector of 182 percent,but much greater than the national level wherethe sector actually declined by almost 2 percent.Over 3,200 persons are employed in this sector.This is the ninth largest sector in the Region,accounting for about 2 percent of totalemployment. Employment in this industrysector has increased dramatically across theregion, especially in the south sub-region, whereit grew by almost 577 percent. It grew by 200percent in the north sub-region and by 153percent in the central sub-region.

This natural resource based sector is critical tothe sector. It is these products that supply theneed of the areas major industries. Agricultureproduction of milk, potatoes, oats, barley andhay, snap beans, green peas, sweet corn,soybeans, and cranberries is critical for thedairies and food processing industries. Thetimber produced in the area supplies the lumbermills, the pulp and paper mills, the millwork

and housing components industries and thefactory-built housing industry.

Public Utilities and Communication is the sixth-largest employer, accounting for over 5 percentof total employment. All three sub-regions grewat over 47 percent or more in this sector.

The location quotients for this sector indicatean exporting sector when compared to the state(1.12) and nation (1.01). The Shift-Shareanalysis indicates that this sector grew beyondthe overall national economic growth and wasa slow growth sector. This is a highlycompetitive sector for the Region.

Wholesale TradeBetween 1980 and 2000, this sector grew byabout 70 percent outpacing both the state andnational growth rates of 46 and 32 percent.Over 9,500 persons are employed in this sector.Wholesale Trade is the seventh-largestemployer, accounting for about 5 percent of totalemployment. The growth was consistent acrossthe entire region with all sub-regions growingby at least 69 percent.

The location quotient for this sector indicatesthe Region below the both the state (0.94) andnation (0.93). The Shift-Share analysis indicatesthat this sector grew beyond the overall nationaleconomic growth and was a relatively slowgrowth sector. This is a highly competitivesector for the Region.

Retail TradeBetween 1980 and 2000, this sector grew by69 percent outpacing both the state and nationalgrowth rates of 45 and 54 percent. Over 38,300persons are employed in this sector. RetailTrade is the third-largest employer, accountingfor about 19 percent of total employment. Thenorth sub-region showed the most growth, but

________________________________________________________________________________


all regions grew significantly. All experiencedat least a 40 percent growth rate in the sector.

The location quotient indicates that the Regionis an exporter in this sector when compared tothe state (1.08) and nation (1.12). The Shift-Share analysis indicates that this sector grewbeyond the overall national economic growthand was a relatively fast growth sector. This isa highly competitive sector for the Region.

Finance, Insurance, and Real EstateBetween 1980 and 2000, this sector grew byabout 24 percent, which lagged well behind boththe state and national growth rates of 56 and48 percent. Over 10,800 persons are employedin this sector. Finance, insurance and RealEstate is the fifth-largest employer, accountingfor about 6 percent of total employment. Thelargest percentage of growth in this sectoroccurred in the South Sub-Region at 85 percentwhile the North and Central Sub-Regionsexperienced a lower growth rate at just over20 percent. State and national percentageincreases were 55.7 percent and 47.74respectively.

The location quotient indicates is close to thestate (1.03), but lags behind the nation (0.98).The Shift-Share analysis indicates that thissector lagged behind the overall nationaleconomic growth and was a relatively fastgrowth sector nationally. This is not a highlycompetitive sector for the Region.

ServicesBetween 1980 and 2000, this sector grew by107 percent outpacing the state growth rate of104 percent, but lagged behind the nationalgrowth rate of 127 percent. Almost 42,800persons are employed in this sector. Service isthe second largest employer, accounting forabout 22 percent of total employment.

The location quotient indicates that this sectorlags far behind both the state (0.86) and thenation (0.73). The Shift-Share analysis indicatesthat this sector grew beyond the overall nationaleconomic growth and was a relatively fastgrowth sector. The Region is not competitivefor this sector.

G. State Trends & Emerging EconomicSectors

1. State Trends

Over the last twenty years there has beensubstantial economic growth in the Region andthe state. The key economic trends identifiedto for Wisconsin, as listed in the state’s“Wisconsin Projections 1998-2008” publicationproduced by the state’s Bureau of Labor MarketInformation and Customer Services, include:

A rapid decrease in the growth of thestate’s population;

A decreasing number of young peopleavailable for entry-level jobs;

A rapidly growing number of older peoplereaching retirement age;

Industry employment, which is growing muchmore rapidly than the state’s population;A growing geographic mismatch between thelocation of jobs in the state and the populationsegments that might fill those jobs.

2. Emerging Economic Sectors

The recent statewide study called Wisconsin’sEconomy in the Year 2010, completed by UW-Madison, reviews the states general economyand identifies emerging sectors. Those sectorsidentified are:

________________________________________________________________________________


Computer and Data Processing Services,including Software – Electronic data processing,prepackaged software, computer integratedsystems design, computer-programmingservices are all industries that could thrive inthe Region. Such businesses could draw uponthe local universities and technical colleges andoffer environmental amenities sought byprofessionals in these types of occupations.

“Natural” and Organic Foods – Whileconventional grocery has been growing at 3 –5 percent per year, the natural and organicmarkets have grown by 20 percent per yearthroughout the 90’s (Cadwallader, 2001). Thisis not a niche market, but an untapped one. Itis estimated that at least 30 percent ofAmericans would be inclined to purchase theseproducts if they were made available due tothe absence of pesticide residues and perceivedquality enhancement.

Plastics – Molding and fabrication technologiesinvolving the plastics require technical trainingand typically serve only regional markets. TheRegion could provide the appropriate trainedlabor with education programs through localinstitutions.

Forest Products - The Region has an excellentraw materials base for forest and wood relatedindustries, which reduces transportation costs.Firms specializing in technologies that promoteefficiency and the development of value-addedgoods could enjoy low operating costs and agood labor market.

Bio-technology – The region’s agricultural baselends itself to the development of geneticallyengineered agricultural products, cell culturetechnologies, and testing labs.

Production Machinery and Equipment –Technologies that increase the efficiency andeffectiveness of industries such as: agriculture,food, welding, paper, printing, packaging,materials handling, and manufacturing systemassemblies would find the Region attractive.Firms already involved in these productionsectors are well established in the Region andtherefore provide an agglomerative economy;that is, production costs are reduced due to 1)shared suppliers of intermediate inputs, 2)common labor market (moving expenses arelow when employees change jobs), and 3) rapidexchange of information and diffusion oftechnology.

Customer Service and Technical Support CentersAs communications technologies become moresophisticated, phone-related service industriescan employ persons in areas of highunemployment, particularly in rural areas.These industries prefer the Midwest and candraw upon the inexpensive labor cost of theRegion.

As a Region, there are several economic sectorsthat have been identified as important orattractive, including: Manufacturing, Insurance,Transportation/Logistics, Papermaking, andPrinting. The Wisconsin Department ofTransportation (WisDOT) projects that thelargest industries in the central and south sub-regions will be Paper, Hotels, Machinery &Computers, Professional Services, WholesaleSales, and Eating and Drinking Establishments(WisDOT, 2001). In the north sub-region,Machinery & Computers, Medical, Retail Sales,Real Estate, Paper Manufacture, and WholesaleSales are expected to be the largest industries.

Telecommunications technology is one potentialindustry that can occur almost anywhere givenits ability to ignore political boundaries and easily

________________________________________________________________________________


DISPLAY 1. REGIONAL STRENGTHS ANDWEAKNESSES

STRENGTHS:

ECONOMIC RESOURCESReasonable Cost of LivingExcellent Health Care ServicesStrong Tourism IndustryLow Wage RatesResorts/Attractions/Accommodations are GoodImproving Tax SituationBusiness/Residents desire to Stay is StrongGovernor’s support for Economic Development isstrongAdequate and Inexpensive UtilitiesRelatively Low Prices on Land and Buildings

INFRASTRUCTURENumerous Business, Industrial and TechnologyParks with Appropriate Infrastructure andCapacity for Growth.Necessary utilities, services andtelecommunications available

HUMAN RESOURCESQuality and Talent of the local Labor ForceCommitment to EducationStrong Work EthicQuality Technical Colleges and UW SystemAbundant Skilled Labor ForceHigh Level of Interest in Economic Development

NATURAL RESOURCESQuality of LifeStrong Wood Related/Paper IndustryNatural ResourcesFour Season ClimatesExcellent Environmental Resources, RecreationAmple Wood SupplyGood Water and Air Quality

WEAKNESSES:

ECONOMIC RESOURCESLack of Financing (Venture, RLF, Seed,Conventional)Need for Better Coordination and CooperationEconomic Aid at State Level is Low Comparedwith other areas.Lack of Recognition of the Small Business asEconomic DevelopmentOver Regulation (all levels)Property/Personal Income TaxesLocation to Major MarketsLack of Promotion for the “North”Indian Treaty Rights vs. RecreationAvailability of Federal, State and LocalAssistance and Incentives.Lack of Broad-Based Marketing Programs for theRegionLack of Community PreparednessOut-of-State Control of BusinessMovement of Manufacturing to Other States andCountriesSlow Decision making by State and LocalGovernments

INFRASTRUCTURELack of Suitable Manufacturing Buildings forLease or SaleTransportation Limitation Imposed by InterstateSystem Access

HUMAN RESOURCESLack of Public Education Towards EconomicDevelopmentCitizen ApathyIndividual and Group Attitudes to Preserve theStatus-Quo

NATURAL RESOURCESLoss of National ForestGarbage Disposal/Solid Waste Issues

________________________________________________________________________________


span long distances. Businesses involving E-Commerce and information can reachconsumers across the globe. The high standardof living and recreational amenities of theRegion offer a competitive edge not found inlarger communities.

H. Regional Economic Strengths &Weaknesses

The Region has several economic strengths andsome areas of weaknesses for attractingcompanies and or creating new firms. Throughthe CEDS process and again during the processof developing the recent Technology Zoneapplication the economic strengths andweaknesses were identified. There are fourbasic categories that were created: EconomicResources, Infrastructure, Human Resourcesand Natural Resources.

First, “opportunities” and “constraints” wereidentified to create development strategies.Opportunities for economic development arethose factors that give the area a comparativeadvantage for developing and sustainingproductive activities. Examples of potentialopportunities include: under utilized human andnatural resources; proximity to resources, basicindustry, and markets; condition and capacityof supporting utilities and transportationsystems; education, health, and cultural facilitiesand services; environmental and climaticconditions; attitudes of the public toward growthand development; and quality of a place to liveand work. Constraints to economicdevelopment include: 1) external factors suchas the cost of investment capital, national andinternational business cycles, and cost ofenergy; and (2) deficiencies in one or more ofthe factors of development potential such thatthey would prevent or restrict realization ofparticular development activities. The Central

Wisconsin Economic Summit described anattempt to identify these opportunities andconstraints by members of the private sector,planners, educators and economic developmentspecialists from throughout the Region.

I. Business and Industrial Parks &Economic Development SmartGrowth Areas

This section designates existing business andindustrial parks within the Region as adequatesites for locating those businesses and industriesthat 1) are desired by the Region, and 2)representative of the Region’s strengths andweaknesses for attracting new business andindustry. Every county in the Region has atleast one or more fully serviced industrial parks.Business and/or industrial parks can often bean important asset to the development of acommunity ’s economy. The parks areessentially a group of land parcels that are“ready-to-build” industrial/business sites. Allnecessary capital improvements are in place toallow a firm to begin operation after constructionwith minimal difficulty. There are currentlythirty-nine business/industrial parks throughoutthe region with the majority located in thecentral and south sub-regions.

Industrial Park, Merrill

________________________________________________________________________________


Ta

ble

8:

Bu

sin

ess &

In

du

str

ial

Pa

rks

County

Park

Nam

eAcr

es

Availa

ble

Wate

rSew

er

Gas

Ele

ctric

Rail

Hig

hw

ay A

ccess

Adam

sTow

n o

f Rom

e B

usi

ness

Park

80

80

NN

YY

NH

WY13

N

ort

h I

ndust

rial Par k

35

5N

NY

YN

HW

Y 1

3 &

21

City o

f Adam

s In

dust

rial Par k

38

15

YY

YY

YH

WY 1

3

South

Indust

rial Par k

50

50

NN

YY

NH

WY 8

2Fore

stCity o

f Cra

ndon I

ndust

rial Par k

18

14

YY

YY

YH

WY 8

, 32 &

55

Juneau

Elroy I

ndust

rial Par k

15

15

YY

YY

NH

WY 8

0 &

82

Lyndon S

tation I

ndust

rial Par k

60

55

YY

YY

YH

WY 1

6 &

12, I9

0/9

4

Maust

on I

ndust

rial Par k

390

120

YY

YY

YH

WY 1

2 &

16;

I90/9

4

Maust

on B

usi

ness

Par k

230

85

YY

YY

NH

wy 8

2, I9

0/9

4

Nece

dah I

ndust

rial Par k

178

153

YY

YY

YH

WY 8

0, 21 &

I-9

0

New

Lis

bon I

ndust

rial Par k

30

30

YY

YY

YH

wy 8

0, I9

0/9

4N

ew

Lis

bon B

usi

ness

Par k

24

24

YY

YY

NH

WY 1

2, 16 &

I-9

0/9

4

Cam

p D

ougla

s In

dust

rial Par k

10

10

YY

YY

YH

WY 1

2, 16 &

I-9

0/9

4Langla

de

City o

f Antigo I

ndust

rial Park

146

94

YY

YY

NH

WY 4

5, 52 &

64

Elc

ho I

ndust

rial Park

20

10

YY

YY

NH

WY 4

5

White L

ake I

ndust

rial Par k

10

6N

YY

YY

HW

Y 6

4 &

Cty

MLin

coln

Tom

ahaw

k I

ndust

rial Park

South

60

60

YY

YY

NH

WY 5

1Tom

ahaw

k I

ndust

rial Park

Nort

h60

27

YY

YY

NH

WY 5

1

Merr

ill A

irport

Indust

rial Park

111

55

YY

YY

NH

WY 1

07

Mara

thon

City o

f Abbots

ford

Busi

ness

Par k

45

10

YY

YY

NH

WY 2

9 &

13

Centr

al W

isco

nsi

n B

usi

ness

Park

186

50

YY

YY

NH

WY 1

53 &

I-3

9

Vill

age o

f Ath

ens

Indust

rial Park

110

17

YY

YY

NH

WY 9

7

Colb

y B

usi

ness

Par k

31

16

YY

YY

NH

WY 1

3

Vill

age o

f Roth

schild

Busi

ness

Park

317

136

YY

YY

YH

wy 5

1

City o

f Sch

ofield

Busi

ness

Par k

240

0Y

YY

YN

HW

Y 2

9 &

51

Spence

r Busi

ness

Par k

152

148

YY

NN

YH

wy 1

3

Wausa

u W

est

Indust

rial Par k

551

200

YY

YY

NH

WY 2

9 &

51

Str

atf

ord

Busi

ness

Park

150

117

YY

YY

NH

WY 9

7 &

153

W

est

on B

usi

ness

Tech

nolo

gy P

ar k

160

80

YY

YY

YH

WY 2

9O

neid

aRhin

ela

nder

Indust

rial Par k

29

29

YY

YY

NH

WY 8

Port

age

Am

hers

t Busi

ness

Park

40

40

YY

YY

YH

WY 1

0

Port

age C

ounty

Busi

ness

Park

422

422

YY

YY

NH

WY I

-39 &

HW

Y 1

0

Tw

in T

ow

ers

Indust

rial Par k

100

36

YY

YY

YH

WY I

-39

Pin

es

Corp

ora

te C

entr

e112

98

YY

YY

YH

WY I

-39 &

HW

Y 5

4

Ste

vens

Poin

t In

dust

rial Park

300

0Y

YY

YY

HW

Y I

-39

Vila

sEagle

Riv

er

Indust

rial Park

80

0Y

YY

YN

HW

Y 4

5 &

70

Eagle

Riv

er

Busi

ness

Par k

40

40

YY

YY

NH

WY 4

5 &

70

Lac

du F

lam

beau B

usi

ness

Par k

60

10

YY

NY

NH

WY D

& 4

7W

ood

Mars

hfield

East

Indust

rial Park

260

0Y

YY

YN

HW

Y 1

0, 13 &

97

W

isco

nsi

n R

apid

s In

dust

rial Park

450

450

YY

YY

YH

WY 1

3 &

54

W

oodla

nds

Busi

ness

Par k

40

40

YY

YY

YH

WY 1

3 &

54

Rapid

s East

Com

merc

e C

ente

r240

235

NN

YY

YH

WY 5

4

Mill

Cre

ek B

usi

ness

Park

154

142

YY

YY

NH

WY 1

0 &

13

M

ars

hfield

Air B

usi

ness

Par k

26

12

YY

YY

NH

WY 1

0 &

14

N

orw

ood I

ndust

rial Park

60

55

YY

YY

NH

WY 1

0

Yello

wst

one I

ndust

rial Park

84

84

YY

YY

YH

WY 1

0Sourc

e:

NCW

RPC

________________________________________________________________________________


Parks

5 0 5 10 15 Miles

Minor Civil Divisions

#

#

##

#

#

#

##

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

Lac du Flambeau Eagle River

Three Lakes

Rhinelander

Tomahawk

Elcho

Crandon

White LakeAntigoMerrill

Wausau

Schofield

Athens

Abbottsford

Spencer

Stratford

Marshfield

Mosinee

Stevens Point

Stockton

Plover

Wisconsin Rapids

Camp Douglas

Necedah

Rome

Preston

Adams

Mauston

Elroy Lyndon Station

Almond

Amherst

Map 1

Business &Industrial Parks

NCWRPC

Prepared By:

North CentralWisconsin RegionalPlanning Commission

210 McClellan Street, Suite 210, Wausau, Wisconsin 54403 (715) 849-5510 www.ncwrpc.orgSOURCE: WI DNR

This map is neither a legally recorded map nor a surveyand is not intended to be used as one. This drawing isa compilation of records, information and data used forreference purposes only. NCWRPC is not responsible forany inaccuracies herein contained.

County Boundaries

Legend

#

Railroad

US & State Highways

________________________________________________________________________________


These parks provide over of 4,000 acres ofindustrial land. Most of the business andindustrial parks listed have a full range of utilityservices (water, sewer, gas, and electric) andseveral have rail access. Table 8 provides asummary of the size, services, and acresavailable in these parks. Map 1 provides thelocations of each industrial park within theRegion.

Certain areas of the Region have been identifiedas potential “smart growth areas.” These areasare the most viable for locating new businessesand residential development, since they can beserved by existing public infrastructure in themost cost effective manner. Generally, theseareas include:

1) Land currently served by existinginfrastructure such as paved roads,municipal water and sewer, natural gaspipelines, electricity, andtelecommunications;

2) Land adjoining existing infrastructure;3) Infill development and reuse of

abandoned industrial and commercialsites.

The effect of developing in smart growth areasis to see a reduction in the expense of creatingnew infrastructure when existing infrastructurecan be utilized to a greater degree. The result

saves on development costs and lowersmunicipal expenditures on new capitalimprovements. When local units ofgovernments prepare their plans they need tomake sure to include these areas, often thesewill be areas called Brownfields.

Brownfield’s are usually defined as abandoned,idle or under-utilized industrial or commercialfacilities where expansion or redevelopment iscomplicated by environmental contamination,or the perception of such contamination.Wisconsin’s “Land Recycling Law” wasdeveloped to assist communities revitalize theseproperties both environmental ly andeconomically. The Department of NaturalResources, Bureau of Remediation andRedevelopment oversees the investigation andcleanup of environmental contamination and theredevelopment of contaminated properties.

Table 9 provides a summary listing of thenumber of DNR identified brown fields in theRegion by County. The most are in the centralsub-region.

J. Review of Economic DevelopmentResources

The following is a brief listing of federal, state,regional and local resources and programs toassist economic development efforts in theRegion. This list is only a summary of some ofthe programs available, and provides the mostcurrent program information. The reader shouldseek current information on any of the programslisted.

1. Federal Programs:

Economic Development Administration (EDA):The EDA is part of the U.S. Department ofCommerce focusing on using research-based,market-driven to implement economic

County Spills LUSTs ERP No Action Other Total

Adams 115 68 22 21 2 228

Forest 36 65 20 15 - 136

Juneau 139 156 61 45 5 406

Langlade 102 93 37 66 - 298

Lincoln 195 130 32 64 2 423

Marathon 495 451 197 192 6 1,341

Oneida 190 233 80 94 4 601

Portage 349 216 112 99 4 780

Vilas 65 163 36 110 - 374

Wood 560 323 125 99 6 1,113

Region 2,246 1,898 722 805 29 5,700

North 588 684 205 349 6 1,832

Central 1,404 990 434 390 16 3,234

South 254 224 83 66 7 634

Source: Department of Natural Resources; 2002

Table 9: Brownfields

________________________________________________________________________________


development programs. EDA works withstates, regions, and communities to assist inthe creation of wealth and minimize povertyusing capacity-building and planning techniquesas well as research grants and strategicinitiatives. All EDA investments must betargeted in areas that demonstrate need oreconomic distress and, out of those qualifyingcommunities, assistance is directed towardthose projects that will generate long-termeconomic growth. EDA’s programs include:

Public Works Program – empowers distressedcommunities to revitalize, expand, or upgradetheir physical infrastructure to attract newindustry, encourage business expansion,diversify local economies, and generate or retainlong-term, private sector jobs and investment.Examples of past investments include water andsewer facilities, industrial access roads, railspurs, port improvements, skill-training facilities,technology related infrastructure, as well as thedemolition, renovation, and construction ofpublicly owned facilities.

Economic Adjustment Program – assists stateand local interests in the design andimplementation of strategies to adjust or bringabout a change in economy due to industrial orcorporate restructuring, natural disaster,reduction in defense expenditures, depletion ofnatural resources, or new federal laws orrequirements.

Technical Assistance Program (Local) – oftensupports feasibility studies on potentialeconomic development projects to help fill theknowledge and information gaps that mayprevent local leaders in distressed areas frommaking optimal decisions on economicdevelopment issues. Often these studiesinvolve evaluations of proposals for industrialparks or business incubators. Sometimes,however, these funds may be used to sponsor

conferences, develop revitalization plans, or toestablish Geographic Information Systems forlocal planning and development purposes.

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): TheSBA provides financial, technical, andmanagement assistance to help citizens start,run, and grow their businesses. The SBA hasmany programs focused primarily on makingbusiness loans and providing counseling andtraining programs for small businesses.

The SBA’s Certified Development Company(504) Loan Program provides growingbusinesses with long-term, fixed-rate financingfor major fixed assets, such as land andbuildings. 504 loans can be used to fund landpurchases and improvements, grading, streetimprovements, utilities, parking lots andlandscaping, construction of new facilities, ormodernization, renovation, or conversion ofexisting facilities. A Certified DevelopmentCompany (CDC) is a nonprofit corporation setup to contribute to the economic developmentof its community. The Region utilizes thestatewide Wisconsin Business DevelopmentFinance Corporation to access this program.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, RuralDevelopment: RD provides a wide range ofprograms to assist in community and economicdevelopment in farm and rural areas across theUS. While the USDA’s housing, empowerment,and utility programs are beneficial to the stabilityof communities, it is their business andcooperative programs that are the most directlyapplied to economic development.

The Business and Industry (B&I) GuaranteedLoan Program - helps create jobs and stimulatesrural economies by providing financial backingfor rural businesses. This program providesguarantees up to 90 percent of a loan made by

________________________________________________________________________________


a commercial lender. Loan proceeds may beused for working capital, machinery andequipment, buildings and real estate, andcertain types of debt refinancing. The primarypurpose is to create and maintain employmentand improve the economic climate in ruralcommunities.

The Intermediary Relending Program (IRP) -finances business facilities and communitydevelopment projects in rural areas. This isachieved through loans made by the RuralBusiness-Cooperative Service (RBS) tointermediaries. Intermediaries re-lend fundsto ultimate recipients for business facilities orcommunity development. Intermediariesestablish revolving loan funds so collectionsfrom loans made to ultimate recipients in excessof necessary operating expenses and debtpayments will be used for more loans to ultimaterecipients.

The Rural Business Enterprise Grants (RBEG)Program – available to public bodies, privatenonprofit corporations, and Federally-recognized Indian Tribal groups to finance andfacilitate development of small and emergingprivate business enterprises located in areasoutside the boundary of a city or unincorporatedareas of 50,000 or more and its immediatelyadjacent urbanized or urbanizing area.

The Rural Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG)- promotes sustainable economic developmentin rural communities with exceptional needs.This is accomplished by making grants to paycosts of providing economic planning for ruralcommunities, technical assistance for ruralbusinesses, or training for rural entrepreneursor economic development officials.

2. State Programs:

The Wisconsin Department of Commerce is thestate’s primary department for the delivery ofintegrated services to businesses. Theirpurpose is to 1) foster retention of and creationof new jobs and investment opportunities inWisconsin; 2) foster and promote economicbusiness, export, and community development;and 3) promote the public health, safety, andwelfare through effective and efficientregulations, education, and enforcement. Inaddition, Commerce offers programs to“targeted businesses” such as minority ownedbusinesses, women owned businesses,recycling businesses, the dairy industry, etc.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)- Economic Development Program:This federally funded program provides grantsto communities to loan to businesses for start-up, retention, and expansion projects.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)- Public Facilities for Economic DevelopmentProgram:This federally funded program helps underwritethe cost of necessary infrastructure for businessdevelopment retaining or creating employmentopportunities. Funds may be used forimprovements to public facilities such as watersystems, sewage systems, and roads to meetbusiness retention or creation needs.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)-Public Facilities Program:This federally funded program provides fundsto help finance facilities that principally servelow and moderate income persons and oftenhave a secondary economic developmentbenefit. Using these CDBG funds, localgovernments can improve publicly owned utility

________________________________________________________________________________


systems, streets, sidewalks, facilities for thedisabled, community centers, libraries, firestations and medical facilities.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)-Emergency Grant Program:This federally funded emergency responseprogram helps restore or replace criticalinfrastructure that has been damaged ordestroyed as a result of a natural or man-madecatastrophe. Local governments may use thesefunds to restore or replace publicly owned utilitysystems, streets, sidewalks, community centersand other community facilities. Any ruralWisconsin county, city, village, or town with50,000 or less population is eligible to apply forgrant funding.

Community Based Economic DevelopmentProgram (CBED):The state’s CBED program provides fundingassistance to local governments and community-based organizations that undertake planning,development, and technical assistance projectssupporting business development. For example,CBED program funds may be used to financeeconomic development plans, small businessand technology-based incubator grants,revolving loan programs, and entrepreneurtraining programs for at-risk youth.

Main Street Program:This program helps communities organize torevitalize their downtowns. The Main Streetprogram promotes a four-pronged approach of:organization, promotion, design, and economicrestructuring. State assistance includes trainingfor community-based program managers,workshops, on-site visits, and on-going technicalsupport.

Wisconsin Technology Zone Program:This program offers tax-credits to high-tech firmsthat meet certain criteria. The North Central

Advantage Technology Zone covers all countieswithin the Region except Juneau County, whichis part of the western Wisconsin technologyzone.

Wisconsin Development Zone Program:The State’s Development Zone Program is a taxbenefit initiative designed to encourage privateinvestment and to improve both the quality andquantity of employment opportunities. Thereare two of these zones in the region, eachconsisting of multiple counties and extendingbeyond the study region of this plan. They are:1) Florence-Forest-Langlade-Lincoln Counties,and 2) Adams-Juneau-Marquette Counties.

Enterprise Zone Program:The State of Wisconsin provides tax incentivesto new or expanding businesses whose projectswill affect distressed areas. The zone is “sitespecific” and applies to only one business.Projects must affect distressed areas sufferingfrom high unemployment, low incomes, decliningpopulation, declining property values, and plantclosings and that have high numbers of peopleon public assistance. Businesses earn creditsonly by creating new full-time jobs or byconducting environmental remediation on a“Brownfield” site. The region currently has fourdesignated enterprise zones and all located inthe central sub-region. They are: RenaissanceLearning in Wisconsin Rapids, Award Flooringand Marathon Electric in Wausau, and Lands’End in Stevens Point.

The Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) Program:The IRB program involves an allocation of Federaltax-exempt status on bonds that will be issuedby a business to finance an expansion project.By classifying the bonds as tax exempt, thecompany is able to offer the bonds at a reducedinterest rate. Although this program is heavilyutilized, its use is limited to small and mid-sizemanufacturers with strong financial statements.

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Customized Labor Training (CLT):The CLT program can provide grants to helpcover a portion of the costs associated withtraining employees on new technologies,industrial skills or manufacturing processes.Eligibility is typically limited to those companiesthat are making capital investments newtechnologies that subsequently necessitate thetraining of existing or new employees.

The Wisconsin Department of WorkforceDevelopment (DWD) offers several programs inthe area of workforce investment including Adultapprenticeship programs in construction,services, and industrial/manufacturing activities,including vocational rehabilitation, employeetraining, and child care, to name a few.

Forward Wisconsin: Forward Wisconsin, Inc. isa unique public-private state marketing andbusiness recruitment organization. Its job ismarketing outside Wisconsin to attract newbusinesses, jobs and increased economic activityto the state

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources(DNR), Bureau of Remediation andRedevelopment:The DNR provides a comprehensive, streamlinedprogram that consolidates state and federalcleanups into one program (e.g., hazardouswaste cleanup, underground storage tankinvestigation & cleanup, spill response, state-funded clean ups, and Brownfield sites).Assistance is also provided to businesses seekingto clean up and re-use existing Brownfield sitesfor commercial, public or green space uses.

The DNR also inventories Brownfield sitesthrough their Tracking System (BRRTS) andGeographic Information (GIS) registry. Thesedatabases connect to statewide informationabout contaminated sites, spills, cleanups andother data.

3. Regional Programs:

The North Central Wisconsin Regional PlanningCommission is a designated EconomicDevelopment District (EDD) by the U.S.Department of Commerce, EconomicDevelopment Administration. Under thisdesignation, the Commission maintains acontinuous process of planning assistance thatsupports the formulation and implementationof economic development programs designedto create or retain full-time permanent jobs andincome. The NCWRPC provides services suchas: economic research, marketing, financialpackaging, evaluation and analysis of publicinfrastructure needs that support privateeconomic development activity, and works withlocal units of government to maintain eligibilityfor certain grants.

The North Central Wisconsin DevelopmentCorporation (NCWDC) is a regional organizationcreated for the purpose of managing a regionalrevolving loan fund. The Corporation iscomprised of the following counties: Adams,Forest, Juneau, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon,Oneida, Portage, and Wood. The NCWDC is anon-profit organization and is staffed byNCWRPC. To date, the Corporation has loanedout more than $600,000 to regional businesses.

4. County & Local Programs:

Most of the counties within the Region havefull-time economic development organizations.These corporations were created to assist localeconomic development activities throughoutthe Region. The six staffed countywidedevelopment corporations are listed in Display2. In addition to those countywide organizationslisted above, many individual communities havetheir own development groups; some areassociated with chambers of commerce, while others are local development corporations.

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DISPLAY 2: COUNTY ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS (EDC)

Adams County Rural & IndustrialDevelopment CommissionJuneau County EDCLincoln County EDCMarathon County EDCOneida County EDCPortage County Business Council

The primary financial assistance available at thecounty & local level are revolving loan funds.Many of these have been capitalized withWisconsin Department of Commerce CDBG-EDfunds.

III. GOAL, OBJECTIVES &RECOMMENDATIONS

Goal 1:Promote the expansion or stabilization of thecurrent economic base and the creation of arange of employment opportunities at the state,regional, and local levels.

Objective 1:Maintain and diversify the economy of theRegion.

Recommendation 1:Promote the Retention and Expansion of Exist-ing Businesses.

Recommendation 2:Attract new employers and encourage the start-up of new firms in the Region.

Objective 2:Develop a well-trained workforce in the Region.

Recommendation 1:Determine employment characteristics andneeds.

Recommendation 2:Encourage educational institutions to developtraining programs needed by the area’sbusinesses.

Objective 3:Maintain and enhance public facilities through-out the Region.

Recommendation 1:Inventory all business and industrial parks andavailable sites.

Recommendation 2:Suitable areas with needed infrastructure shouldbe available for industrial and commercialdevelopment in the Region.

Recommendation 3:Promote telecommunications infrastructure andother technology development and expansionin the Region.

Objective 4:Pursue increased funding from both public andprivate sources for the Region.

Recommendation 1:Pursue U.S. Economic DevelopmentAdministration and USDA - Rural Developmentfunds, among others.

Recommendation 2:Pursue Wisconsin Department of Commerceand Wisconsin Housing and EconomicDevelopment Authority funds, among others.

Recommendation 3:Continue to utilize local revolving loan fundsand seek additional recapitalization to providecapital throughout the Region.

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Recommendation 4:Bring additional venture capital into theRegion.

Objective 5:Promote compatibility between economicdevelopment and natural resources within theRegion.

Recommendation 1:Preserve the quality of life, and high aestheticvalue the Region holds through soundmanagement practices.

Recommendation 2:Encourage and promote the tourism industrythroughout the Region.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Krikelas, Andrew and Thomas Mondschean, An Economic Analysis of Wisconsin Regions,(Madison: Wisconsin Department of Development, May 1987).

Munley, Michael and William Strauss “Manufacturing Sector Critical in Midwest Recovery”;Chicago Fed Letter, May 2002, Number 177; Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Chicago, IL.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation – Bureau of Economic Planning, TransportationInvestment, Economic Development, and Land Use Goals in Wisconsin; , December 2001.

Wausau / Marathon County Chamber of Commerce, “The Central Wisconsin Task Force of theWisconsin Economic Summit: Report of the Task Force Meeting”; 2000.

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