Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/468967
I N D E V E L O P M E N T 2 0 1 5 15 F ast and furious is more than a movie franchise to developers in the greater Sheboygan area — it's a way of life. Since the end of the Great Recession, Sheboygan County has experienced some of the fastest growth in the state in terms of jobs and GDP. Its unemployment rate has fallen to 3.9 percent, according to the latest labor department reports. The area's economy has grown at a rate three times the average for the rest of the state, and there are more than 1,200 current job openings at companies within the county. As companies in the Sheboygan area continue to expand, so do the opportunities for development that can support the need for more workers, says Dane Checolinski, director of the Sheboygan Economic Development Corporation. "Right now we are looking to meet a lot of auxiliary business opportunities," Checolinski says. "We need housing, we need retail. There are a lot of opportunities on the business to consumer space." The signs of growth can be seen in major expansions such as ACUITY insurance, which has embarked on a multi- million dollar expansion of its headquarters and parking facilities to accommodate a growing workforce, Sargento Cheese announced an 80,000-square-foot expansion in Kiel and Aurora Health Care just announced an $86 million outpatient surgery center in Sheboygan. In addition to company expansions, the county is poised to move ahead with restoring an 11-mile rail line, has opportunities to redevelop the downtown mall in Sheboygan and is in need of warehousing to help companies that are major suppliers to Amazon. Major projects: ACUITY INSURANCE Cost: $100 million Completion date: 2016 Corporate HQ & parking expansion; 1 million square feet AURORA HEALTH CARE Cost: $86 million Outpatient surgery center (proposed); 120,000 to 140,000 square-feet; Pending approval from local government Dane Checolinski, director Sheboygan County Economic Development Corp. (920) 452-2479 Sheboygan seeks developments that fuel its rapid growth Two Rivers IRONWOOD PLASTICS Projected cost: $19 million General contractor: A.C.E. Building Service I ronwood Plastics announced a $19 million expansion expected to triple the size of its workforce by creating 80 new jobs. The first phase involves purchasing a nearby 27,000-square-foot building this year, a $6 million investment expected to result in 40 new jobs. A second, $13 million phase over the next five to eight years would involve a building expansion, resulting in another 40 jobs. Progress Lakeshore assisted Ironwood Plastics and the City of Two Rivers with this project. The city partnered with the WEDC to provide an incentive package to make the expansion possible. Fond du Lac A grande gateway G rande Cheese is building a grand gateway to Fond du Lac County and the New North. In late 2014, the cheese company announced plans to build a new, 87,000 square-foot national headquarters and research and development facility on a 40-acre campus it plans to develop in Fond du Lac. The first component of a three-phase development that will incorporate the latest in LEED, sustainability and wellness concepts, will be one of the first things visitors to the region see a they drive north on Interstate 41 into the New North. "It's important for economic development that we are getting a national headquarters and the research facility," says Steve Jenkins, president of the Fond du Lac Economic Development Corp. "It will set a tone for visitors as they enter the community from the south. It will be visually impressive." The first phase is expected to be complete in 2016. Future phases will include a manufacturing research pilot plant and a comprehensive landscaping plan featuring an expanded orchard and vineyards, vegetable gardens and a greenhouse. The new facility will replace Grande's current home office in Lomira. The general contractor for the project is CD Smith from Fond du Lac; the principal design architect is Overland Partners from San Antonio, Texas; the interior architect is Gensler from Dallas and the landscape architect is Olin from Philadelphia. Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corp. Steve Jenkins, president (920) 929-2928 steve@fcedc.com