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E Bulletin June 2008 -Vol
4, Issue 4 Articles featured in this issue of the Development Association bulletin include:
MEMBER PROFILE: Superior Choice Credit Union
SCCU opened its doors in 1932 as the Coop Credit Union. Today, it has grown to over 23,000 members living in northwest Wisconsin and northeast Minnesota. With 83 employees and over $150 million in assets, SCCU has a very big impact on the economy of the community. Membership is open to people residing in or employed in Ashland, Bayfield, Burnet, Douglas and Iron Counties in Wisconsin and portions of St. Louis County and all of Carlton County in Minnesota (for complete membership details go to the SCCU website). SCCU has five full-service branches in Superior (two locations), Hermantown, Ashland and Mellen. Some locations offer extended hours on weeknights and Saturdays. In January 2006, SCCU opened its services to the business community. “We recognized a need for our services in the business community,” said Gary Elliott, SCCU president and CEO. “SCCU has always handled deposits for business members.” Jim Peterson, with 22 years of experience in commercial lending, joined the staff as commercial loan manager and implemented policies and procedures to support business lending. Business lending, with a complete line of associated products and services, is now a growing segment of SCCU. SCCU is a long-time member of the Development Association. “We are members of the Development Association because it is a good
forum for an exchange of ideas in the business community,” said Elliott.
“The Development Association is actively involved with aiding and
assisting existing businesses and also trying to find places for new
businesses in our community.” New Development Association Member Fraser Shipyards, Inc. Survey of Local Businesses Begins Beginning this week, business people in Superior and Douglas County will be given an opportunity to voice their concerns as part of a comprehensive, business retention and expansion effort undertaken by the Development Association of Superior and Douglas County, Executive Director Andy Lisak announced today. "The economic well-being of our county comes from our private businesses," Lisak said. "Because of their importance to our community, positive steps are being taken to identify and meet the needs of these firms." An in-depth survey of Douglas County firms will be conducted under the sponsorship of the Development Association, General Mills, Superior Water, Light and Power (a subsidiary of Minnesota Power), Dahlberg Light and Power and the Wisconsin Department of Commerce in cooperation with the City of Superior, Village of Poplar, Village of Solon Springs, Village of Lake Nebagamon, Douglas County, East Central Energy, Superior-Douglas County Chamber of Commerce, the Superior Business Improvement District, UW-Extension, UWS, WITC, Northwest Wisconsin CEP and the Northeast Entrepreneur Fund. Lisak who serves as Project Manager of the study, said that twenty members of the community have been recruited to conduct interviews with the over 130 firms targeted for the study. "Our survey has several objectives," Lisak said. "We want to better understand how local business people view our community's economy and how we can strengthen the relationship between the business community and county and city government." "Most of all, we want to establish a system which provides local government with early warning of local business problems to prevent needless business losses and retain jobs and tax dollars." "It's a fact that the majority of new jobs created in communities like ours come from expansion of existing, successful business," Lisak said. The Business Retention and Expansion model was initially designed by Ameritech Wisconsin in 1984. A revised and updated version of the model is implemented today by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. The Superior/Douglas County study is part of a statewide initiative. According to Lisak, the process already has been completed successfully in over 150 communities around the state where a variety of business problems were uncovered and consequently addressed by local government. The last time the survey was conducted in Superior/Douglas County was in 2002. "We want to work in partnership with our businesses to help solve problems," Lisak said. "The strength of our local economy is our common concern. I urge all business people contact to take advantage of this opportunity to share their views."
General Mills Poplar Facility for Sale or Lease The General Mills facility in Poplar is for sale or lease. The facility is currently used by General Mills to manufacture taco shells. General Mills intends to cease operations in September 2008. The facility has a gross area of approximately 38,000 square feet (18,000 s.f. manufacturing, 17,000 s.f. warehousing and 4,000 s.f. office) on approximately seven acres. The facility is located on U.S. Highway 2 within the Village limits of Poplar. The facility would be ideal for one large user or several smaller businesses. For more information please go to http://www.northlandconnection.com/douglaswi/poplarvillage/property/index.php?SiteID=800 or contact Andy Lisak (lisaka@developmentassociation.com) or Michelle McKercher (mckercherm@developmentassociation.com).
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