How do the missions of economic development organizations and chambers of commerce best connect?

Recent example:  When a German manufacturer, Thomas Magnete, was searching for a North American production headquarters in SE Wisconsin, representatives of Waukesha County Economic Development Corporation (WCEDC), the City of Brookfield, Milwaukee7 and the State of Wisconsin worked to locate them in the County. The company manufactures fluid power devices for the automotive, machinery, construction and agricultural equipment markets.

The projected job growth of 27 jobs along with a $3MM investment by Thomas Magnete USA is certainly reason to celebrate.  But the next phase of this project is ensuring long-term growth of the company as it occupies the facility, hires a workforce and develops relationships in the community.

The  Greater Brookfield Chamber of Commerce – led by Carol White (President), Dan Schultz (Membership Development) and Tina Majinski (Member Services) - can now spring into action.  Connecting the leadership of Thomas Magnete USA to resources in Brookfield and Waukesha County will benefit both the manufacturer, the membership of the chamber and the region.

Economic development is truly local, and needs quality chamber of commerce partnerships for ongoing success.

Of the six most recent projects in the WCEDC inbox, all of them have cited workforce/talent as a major driver in the complex decision to expand in Waukesha County. Six for six.

TCI, LLC is a rapidly growing manufacturer of assemblies that filter power for variable speed generating equipment – saves utility costs for businesses and reduces wear and tear on the power grid. TCI needs more space for this growth. When we met recently, I was surprised to learn that, of all the factors under consideration in making an investment to expand (real estate, transportation, access to capital, etc.) the availability of a trained manufacturing workforce was THE most important factor.

Economic development has morphed from simple selling a business on the benefits of a community for success, into making the economic case for the planned expansion. We are mitigating risk for business leaders that take risks every day in ensuring their businesses’ profitability.

Has the recession impacted job and investment growth in SE Wisconsin? Sure. But what is really happening in the lonely corners of CEO’s and CFO’s offices is calculating the risk level of a new department, division or expansion of existing facilities to serve their customers profitably.

We address this issue collaboratively, or businesses will find solutions outside Waukesha County.

And the availability of workforce with the right skills, or at a minimum the ability to be trained quickly and effectively is a critical factor in assessing this risk.

When approached by Burghardt Sporting Goods recently about expanding their production capacity, it appeared to be a fairly routine need for access to capital. WCEDC receive over one hundred such inquiries each year.

What I have learned since Chip Burghardt’s first call is how this family owned enterprise represents the heart of a community’s economy. Serving the Milwaukee area since the 1800′s, Burghardt’s is recognized as one of the oldest family owned and operated sporting goods stores in the nation.

The company serves dozens of schools in the SE Wisconsin region with uniforms and sports equipment, sponsors many community events for kids, and does it with class and sincerity. WCEDC’s Revolving Loan Fund committee, while evaluating Burghardt’s request for financing new silkscreen printing equipment, was impressed with the conservative yet innovative way they have operated and expanded over the past 100 years.

At a time when economic development is thought to be hitting for the fences – recruiting the next big corporate headquarters – it’s important and rewarding to support a local small business success story and its steady, profitable growth.

WCEDC was honored to assist in funding this company to add capacity, jobs and tax base to Waukesha County.