Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/338735
38 | I nsIgh t • J u l y 2 0 14 w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m have opened or relocated to the historic downtown area, filling vacant buildings and sprucing up storefronts. Barry nelson, one of the entrepreneurs leading the charge, says the area is starting to hit a sweet spot in its resurgence, much of it driven by property owners and business owners doing the simple things well. "I think people are seeing the challenges that downtowns face are solvable," says nelson, who along with his wife Lisa, owns four downtown buildings and operates the Manitowoc trading Co. "We are getting the right people in place who believe in downtown." simple improvements, such as fresh paint on building facades, have helped generate a buzz about what's happening downtown, nelson says. not that he wants to take anything away from the efforts of shop owners who oen work 80 to 90 hours a week. "You spend less than $1,000, and all of a sudden everyone is talking about it," he says. to me, that's money well spent." Clusters of industries e Lakeshore Industry Cluster Initiative launched a little more than a year ago is now moving from the planning phases to implementing projects that can help the various sectors grow. e manufacturing cluster, which is the most active of the groups, plans to launch a supply-chain directory for manufacturers in the county. e cluster will adapt the soware used by new north for its Wisconsin Wind Works directory, which will save costs and allow the project to move ahead at a quicker pace, Loden says. "We have 75 companies in now and we expect more," Loden says. "I think a lot of them were surprised to learn there were local suppliers or potential customers right here. It's been a real active group." In addition to the manufacturing cluster, the Lakeshore Initiative includes dairy, agriculture and tourism clusters. One of the more interesting ideas to emerge from the agriculture cluster is an idea to tie into the local and regional breweries that have sprouted up in Wisconsin by reintroducing hops as a cash crop to the area. "It was a hops growing area at one time," Loden says. "It would allow brewers to create some unique regional tastes." Bottling success two Rivers and Manitowoc County have pledged a combined $1 million in financing to help Paragon Partners move its bottling operations to the Lakeshore area. e Manitowoc County Loan Review Board approved a $250,000 loan, while the two Rivers City Council signed off on $750,000, to help Paragon Partners purchase and renovate the abandoned Paragon manufacturing plant that shut down more than a decade ago. Paragon Partners will be putting up $1.15 million towards the $2.15 million purchase price, and could be bottling Danny's Deliriously Delicious Coconut Water as well as a beverage called Increase Energy in the facility by year's end. In with the new e EDC has changed its name to Progress Lakeshore to better represent its mission and the area it serves. e name change, announced in May, comes as the organization celebrates its 10th anniversary. tapping into expertise from partners such as Lakeshore technical College and holy Family Memorial, the private economic development corporation determined a more active brand better communicated its approach to economic development, Loden says. "We wanted a business name that more clearly defined who we are and what we do," she says. e new name also eliminates the confusion that the group is part of the county or other governmental organization. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Your Partner In Unified Communications Corner of Main & Monroe • Downtown Green Bay (920) 435-5353 • Online @ www.cccp.com To schedule a demo and learn what ShoreTel can do for your organization, please contact one of our ShoreTel Specialists at (920) 435-5353 If all you are getting from your phone is a dial tone, it's time to rethink your system. Unified Communications Systems from ShoreTel connects workers to production, elevates customer relationships from ordinary to extraordinary, and transforms call centers into profit centers. It will change the face – and voice – of your business.