Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/100667
insight on Economic By Mar yB eth Mat zek development Winning combination A diverse economic base and a high quality of life at affordable prices has become a winning combination for Oshkosh. The Oshkosh/Neenah metropolitan statistical area recently ranked first in Wisconsin for job and economic growth by Area Development Magazine and third in the nation as a livable bargain market by MSN Real Estate and Bert Sperling of Sperling���s Top Places. Those honors, coupled with the most new commercial construction among New North w w w. i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m P H O T O g r a ph s C O U R T E S Y O F T H E O S H K O S H C O N V E N T I O N & V I S I T O RS B U R E A U Strong manufacturing base, tourism industry set Oshkosh apart from the crowd The Riverwalk in Oshkosh connects Leach Park on Lake Winnebago to the Wiouwash State Trail. Completion of such projects improves the quality of life for residents and draws tourists, says Rob Kleman, senior vice president of economic development for the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce. municipalities in 2012 (more than $25 million), truly set the community apart, says Rob Kleman, senior vice president of economic development for the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce. He credits the city���s diverse economy, which includes Oshkosh Truck and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh as well as thriving technology companies and growing retail and tourism sectors. ���We are fortunate with the variety of industries we have here,��� he says. While Oshkosh Truck made the headlines last fall by announcing plans to lay off up to 450 workers because of declining defense spending, Kleman says the company remains on solid ground. ���A few years ago, they only employed 2,000 and even after the layoffs, it will be somewhere about 3,500 ��� that���s still substantial,��� he says. ���We also have several other [continued] �� J a n u a r y 2 013 ��� Insight | 37