A Joint Initiative Between     Heart of Wisconsin     Business & Economic Alliance and     Community Foundation of Greater     South Wood County

Home About Us B2B Club Breaking News Contact Donate Events / Programs Feedback Ideas Incubator Industry Clusters Links / Resources Progess Funds Progress Teams Public Art / Murals Publications		Breaking News September 14, 2004 By Colin Atagi, Daily Tribune Staff The South Wood County area already has its share of paper and forestry businesses, but there's room for improvement, according to members of the Paper and Forestry Industry cluster group. Group members are trying to determine how valuable the industry is to the region, and they hope to consult with groups in other cities about effective ways to encourage growth. The paper and forestry cluster also is trying to develop ways to measure the industry's health, said Steve Hieger of Vulcan Chemicals, who is chairman of the group. "It can't just be measured by the number of people employed," he said. The group's long-term objectives include finding opportunities for business development in sheeting, printing, corrugated boxes, packaging, lumber products and workforce development, Hieger said. Other goals include encouraging businesses to buy local paper products, add value to them and sell them. "We think there's a reasonable expectation we can attract one new business a year," Hieger said. "They may not be big, but we have a tremendous manufacturing base right now, and we've got to expand and diversify that industry." There is demand for lumber products, and central Wisconsin has the highest concentration of lumberyards in the state, said Dave Reynolds, owner of Reynolds Lumber and Hardware in Wisconsin Rapids. "Location is the hard part to come up with (when starting a lumber business)," he said. "It's a lot of time and sweat." It could take about seven years for a new business to establish itself, said Reynolds, who has been in business for 18 years. "It still takes time," he said. "There's always going to be a turnover of people in the community. Service is the key to a small lumberyard and maintaining customers." Reynolds, who isn't a member of the cluster group, thinks there are enough lumber businesses in the area, though, he said. Group members plan to identify services that are exported from the local community and encourage more local businesses to use them, Hieger said. "We'd like to try and have local companies support the base industry," he said. "We want to make sure we give our local businesses the opportunity to compete." Members also are trying to identify obstacles to their goals. Some of the obstacles include power and electricity costs and import competition. The cluster's efforts will continue over the next three years and members say anyone who has knowledge about the paper and forestry industry to participate, Hieger said. The Program The cluster program began in June as part of the three-year Community Progress Initiative. The Heart of Wisconsin Business & Economic Alliance and the Community Foundation of South Wood County organized the initiative to enhance the local economy and to build optimism. The eight clusters focus on industries like paper and forestry, agriculture, tourism, financial services, downtown revitalization, new economy, small business, education and workforce development. About the cluster: * Paper and Forestry Industry cluster group participants: Tim Laatsch, Stora Enso North America; Dave Bruener, James Bruener Timber Products; Ginny Johnson, Domtar Industries; Jim Custer, retired; Ed Keller, retired; Steve Hieger, Vulcan Chemicals; Christine Toutant, Corenso North America; Jeff Pearl, Pearl Engineering; Al Javorski, Mid-State Technical College; Dave Pryor, Quality Plus Printing; Traci Biolo, Quality Plus Printing; Heather Wessling, Heart of Wisconsin Business & Economic Alliance; John Gethers, Power Computing Solution; Craig Timm, Domtar Industries; Ralph Hamel, Forest Products; Rick Stensberg, Stensberg Printing; Pam Roth, Opportunity Development Center; Seth Milkey, student; Jill Thornburg, Community Foundation; Jim Giese, Stora Enso North America. * Short- and long-term goals: To find opportunities for business development in different areas of the paper and forestry industry, to encourage other local businesses to use the industry's products and to add at least one new business per year. Editor's note: About two months ago, organizers of the Community Progress Initiative formed industry cluster groups to enhance the local economy. This is the sixth of an eight-part series introducing readers to those clusters and examining their progress.
		Copyright © 2004, Community Progress Initiative, South Wood County & Town of Rome