Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/100667
U P F RO N T regional roundup Development in the New North By Mar yB eth Matzek For links to economic development groups in the New North, visit www.thenewnorth.com/communitiesmap. Survey: Northeast Wisconsin businesses show growth on the web For complete survey results, please visit www. firstbusiness.com/data/FBB_2012_NE_ Report_Final.pdf �� Highway 41 Corridor Brown, Calumet, Outagamie, Winnebago, Fond du Lac Counties Mercury Marine continues adding to workforce Mercury Marine is hiring 170 additional workers at its Fond du Lac operations. 12 | Insight ��� J a n u a r y 2 013 Jackie Boyd A strong manufacturing sector is driving business growth throughout the region, according to the 2012 First Business Economic Survey of Northeast Wisconsin. The report, which is sponsored by First Business Bank and conducted by the A.C. Nielsen Center for Marketing Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business and Insight Publications, was released at the New North Summit on Dec. 7 in Appleton. Many businesses across Northeast Wisconsin have returned to where they were in 2008 in terms of sales revenue, profitability and number of employees, says Mickey Noone, president of the Northeast Region of First Business Bank. Manufacturers continue to drive growth, he adds, with 57 percent of manufacturers reporting an increase in profitability compared with 41 percent in 2011. Wages also rose at 79 percent Mark Herzog, president of Holy Family Memorial Hospital, Manitowoc (second from right), discusses results of the First Business Bank Economic Survey at the New North Summit. Also on the panel, from left, are Dennis Winters, chief economist for the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development; St. Norbert College President Tom Kunkel; Lisa Johnson, vice president of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.; and Alta Resources CEO Jim Ber��. of manufacturers in 2012 compared with 62 percent in 2011. ���The manufacturing sector is showing steady growth in the New North. Businesses in other areas are following the manufacturing lead, a good sign for the region,��� Noone says in the report. A slightly higher percentage of businesses reported higher sales revenues in 2012 ��� 58.85 percent to 55.96 percent in 2011. Things were better for B2B companies too, with 17.31 percent reporting no change in sales revenue, up from 8.77 percent in 2011. Looking ahead, 83 percent of companies expect 2013 to be better than 2012. ���There is definitely optimism in the air,��� says Noone. This is the fourth year in a row that First Business Bank has conducted the economic survey in Northeast Wisconsin. A news release from the company says workers are needed as the company increases its manufacturing capacity to meet customers��� demands for outboard engines. Many of the new workers will be assigned to weekend-only shifts. They will work 36 hours, but be paid for working 40. Since September 2009, Mercury has added 1,100 employees. Some of those jobs were created as the company shifted manufacturing from a site in Stillwater, Okla., to Fond du Lac. St. Norbert College releases economic impact study St. Norbert College recently completed a study looking at the economic impact that the De Pere institution has on Brown County. w w w. i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m