by GCDC | Jan 30, 2020 | Events
Tickets On Sale Now; Award Nominations Accepted Until Feb. 5
MONROE – What does economic development really look like? Why is it so important to our communities? How can it transform these places we call home?
The Green County Development Corporation (GCDC) will consider these questions at its Annual Dinner and Recognition Meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Keynote speaker Rick Dickinson, president and CEO of Greater Dubuque Development Corporation, will share insights gained from Dubuque to help understand the issues better. Although Dubuque faced a host of challenges in previous decades, by transforming its leadership and approach to development, the city has turned itself around. Today, residents enjoy the benefits of a robust business climate and a beautifully redeveloped river district. Dickinson’s presentation promises to be relevant and enlightening for Green County elected officials, and community and business leaders.
GCDC’s Annual Meeting and Recognition Dinner is open to the public. Tickets are now available and cost $40 each; tables of eight are available. The dinner, held at Turner Hall in Monroe, begins with a social hour at 4:30 p.m. Dinner is at 6 p.m., followed by presentation of awards and the keynote speaker.
Tickets can be ordered online through a link on the GCDC website at greencountyedc.com. (A service fee applies for online orders.) To be invoiced for tickets, contact gcdc@tds.net or call the GCDC office at 608.328.9452.
GCDC is also accepting nominations for its annual awards to be presented during the event. These awards are:
- The Outstanding Business of the Year, which honors a business that has demonstrated exemplary commitment to Green County’s economic growth. This business will have made a significant improvement to strengthen its market position or will have overcome an obstacle affecting the company’s ability to grow.
- The Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, which honors an entrepreneur with a hunger for opportunity, a growth mindset, a willingness to learn, a willingness to find solutions to challenges and problems, and a strong work ethic.
- The Richard B. Schmied Leadership Award, which honors an individual who exemplifies the character of a true leader.
Any individual, group or business may nominate a business or leader, and businesses and individuals may nominate themselves. Businesses and individuals from throughout Green County are eligible.
To nominate a business or individual, visit greencountyedc.com and look for the link for a fillable form under the News & Events tab. A list of past winners is also available there. More information and assistance is available by emailing gcdc@tds.net or calling 608.328.9452. Nominations are due Wednesday, Feb. 5.
by GCDC | Dec 11, 2019 | News
MONROE – The Green County Development Corporation is now accepting nominations for special awards to be presented during its Annual Meeting and Recognition Dinner, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 25 at Turner Hall in Monroe. These awards are:
- The Outstanding Business of the Year, which honors a business that has demonstrated exemplary commitment to Green County’s economic growth. This business will have made a significant improvement to strengthen its market position or have overcome an obstacle affecting the company’s ability to grow.
- The Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, which honors an entrepreneur with a hunger for opportunity, a growth mindset, a willingness to learn, a willingness to find solutions to challenges and problems, and a strong work ethic.
- The Richard B. Schmied Leadership Award, which honors an individual who exemplifies the character of a true leader.
Any individual, group or business may nominate a business or leader, and businesses and individuals may nominate themselves. Businesses and individuals from throughout Green County are eligible. To nominate a business or individual, visit greencountyedc.com and look for the link for a fillable form online under the News & Events tab. More information and assistance is available by emailing gcdc@tds.net or calling 608.328.9452. Nominations are due Wednesday, Feb. 5.
TO NOMINATE A BUSINESS OR INDIVIDUAL:
Click here to access the nomination form
The form is fillable; you can fill it out on your computer screen, save it and return it to gcdc@tds.net, or you can print it out, write your answers and return to GCDC, 1016 167th Ave., Monroe, WI 53566.
PAST BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP AWARD-WINNERS:
Click here to see past award winners
by GCDC | Oct 29, 2019 | Programs
Do you have a startup or new business (in business 5 years or less) that could use gap financing to grow? Green County Development Corporation can help you achieve your financing goals!
GCDC’s Growth Opportunity Fund loans of up to $100,000 per business are available for high growth startups and emerging growth companies such as advanced manufacturing, agriculture or food processing, information systems or software, medical devices, biosciences and energy.
There is no job creation requirement to be eligible. Financed activities must be located within Green County or within a municipality partially located in Green County. As businesses pay back their loans and interest, that funding will be used to make loans to more businesses (a revolving loan fund).
Interest Rates and Eligible Activities
The rate may be fixed or graduated on a fixed schedule, but the interest rate will never be more than 2 percent above the Wall Street Journal prime rate at the time the loan is issued.
Eligible activities for loan monies include: acquisition of land, buildings, and fixed assets; site preparation and the construction or reconstruction of buildings or the installation of fixed equipment; clearance, demolition, or removal of structures or the rehabilitation of buildings and other improvements; payment of assessments for sewer, water, street, and other public utilities if the provision of the facilities will directly create or retain jobs; and working capital (inventory and direct labor costs only).
Apply Now!
First, contact our local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) business counselors at swwisbdc@uwex.edu to figure out how much money you need and discuss funding sources. Then we can help you work with your local lender to determine how much funding you can obtain in the private market and the amount still needed to start or grow your business (the gap). Your local SBDC business counselor will help you complete your application for the gap funding you need. Applications are then submitted to the Growth Opportunity Fund Committee for review.
Applications may be submitted at any time and will be processed in the order received. For more information, contact GCDC at (608)328-9452 or gcdc@tds.net.
by GCDC | Oct 24, 2019 | Programs
MONROE – Come find out more about Green County’s new Growth Opportunity Fund and how it could benefit your business at a free workshop at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29 in Monroe.
The workshop will include important information on how to present a competitive application for the Growth Opportunity Fund, along with insider tips on what the selection committee is looking for.
Green County Development Corporation administers the Growth Opportunity Fund, which provides gap funding to startup and new businesses (in business 5 years or less) in Green County or within a municipality partially in Green County. These businesses could be advanced manufacturing; agriculture or food processing; information systems or software; medical devices; bioscience; or energy. There is no job creation requirement to be eligible. The loan fund may not be used for multi-family housing.
GCDC is raising funds totaling $375,000 from local donations, with a matching $375,000 in funds from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. As money is repaid with interest, funds are lent to help other businesses – a revolving loan fund.
The workshop will be held at the Enterprise Center at Blackhawk Technical College Monroe Campus. The center’s entrance is located on the north end of BTC, across from Alp & Dell Cheese Store.
More information about the Growth Opportunity Fund is available from GCDC at 608.328.9452 or emailing gcdc@tds.net.
by GCDC | Apr 30, 2019 | News
Ashley and Dan Wegmueller were the recipients of the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award for their business, the Dairy at the Wegmueller Farm. He is shown with GCDC Executive Director Cara Carper.
Tim Hayes and Todd Prien, co-owners of Monroe Powersports, was named Green County Development Corporation’s Outstanding Business of the Year. They are pictured with GCDC Executive Director Cara Carper.
The Richard B. Schmied Leadership Award went to Brodhead Mayor Doug Pinnow. He is shown with GCDC Executive Director Cara Carper.
GCDC Executive Director Cara Carper earned an award for her contributions to the success of the Small Business Development Center. Presenting the Award is Neil Lerner, SBDC associate state director.
MONROE – The Green County Development Corporation honored an outstanding local business, a visionary young couple and an exemplary leader at its Annual Meeting and Recognition Dinner on Wednesday, April 24.
The winner of the Outstanding Business of the Year was Monroe Powersports. The award honors existing businesses that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the county’s economic growth through innovation, job creation, new investment, and/or extraordinary long-time interest in supporting others in business.
Quality products and service that keeps customers coming back – and strategic growth to meet customers’ needs – have been the keys to Monroe Powersports’ success. More than 20 years ago, Tim Hayes and Todd Prien purchased Monroe Powersports on County N. They built their current building at 2820 County DR and have gone through numerous expansions of staff and additions for storage and a service building. They are now completing their latest building. In the every-changing business of ATVs/UTVs and snowmobiles, Monroe Powersports continues to adapt and grow. As Joe Klein of the Bank of New Glarus and Sugar River Branches said in nominating Monroe Powersports, the business has “an excellent reputation for their service department, and people come from around the area and well in to Illinois. They are exactly what the area needs and have been growing since the day they bought the business.”
Dan and Ashley Wegmueller were named recipients of the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award for The Dairy at the Wegmueller Farm, a “farmstay” destination on their 50-head Brown Swiss dairy farm just outside Monroe. The Entrepreneurial Spirit Award honors an entrepreneur with a hunger for opportunity, a growth mindset, a willingness to learn, a willingness to find solutions to challenges and problems, and a strong work ethic.
Like so many other farmers, the Wegmuellers were confronted with the growing crisis in the dairy industry. The Wegmuellers found a unique solution: After the unexpected death of Dan’s parents, they turned the family home into a farmstay destination, giving guests an opportunity to interact and take in the day-to-day activities of a working dairy farm. Opening last September, the Wegmuellers have already hosted guests from as far away as Rwanda and Great Britain. The Wegmuellers also help promote others in the community by providing their guests with a Welcome Basket of local products. In nominating the couple, Lisa Kivirist of the Inn Serendipity and Soil Sisters said the Wegmuellers “authentically demonstrate the positive, forward-thinking visionary mindset that brings not only success to their business but stimulates economic opportunity for all of Green County.”
Doug Pinnow, mayor of Brodhead, is the winner of this year’s Richard B. Schmied Leadership Award. The award commemorates Richard B. Schmied, remembered for the characteristics of leadership he exhibited. The winner of the award exemplifies the character of a true leader.
Pinnow, a life-long resident of Brodhead, has always supported and has spent countless hours devoted to helping his community. After graduating from Brodhead High School, he earned a degree in Pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin. He then owned and operated Pinnow Pharmacy, a mainstay of Brodhead’s downtown business district, for many years before retiring. He has served on the Brodhead school board for 12 years; was on the city council for seven years; and has served as mayor since 2004. In addition, he’s been a member of Brodhead’s Chamber of Commerce, BID Board, Lions and Optimist Clubs and served his church – all of which he has served in a leadership role, wrote John Bernstein of the GCDC Board of Directors in nominating Pinnow. He’s a familiar face at community events – participating and working at events and functions. Brodhead is a better community because of Pinnow.
Cara Carper, GCDC executive director, was also honored during the event. Neil Lerner, associate director of the state Small Business Development Center, presented Carper with a Friend of the Wisconsin SBDC award for her contributions to the success of SBDC services in Green County and the Prosperity Southwest region.
As part of GCDC’s annual dinner event, UW students and staff presented brief summaries of their UniverCity Year projects. The UniverCity Year program is a partnership in which UW faculty and students use research and state-of-the-art technology to help local communities solve pressing problems. In Green County, UniverCity projects covered a wide gamut, ranging from public health to sustainable energy to use of public spaces. More information about the UniverCity Year program in Green County is available online at https://univercity.wisc.edu/greencounty/.
GCDC, a multi-jurisdictional economic development corporation, was formed to bring professional economic development expertise to its member communities to create a competitive advantage to spur job creation and new investments. The organization is building the economic future of Green County communities and businesses through public-private partnerships. For more information, visit GCDC at online at www.greencountyedc.com.
