Nicolet Bank - New North News 12-08

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“Regional economic development organizations such as New North, Inc., are a vital component of our efforts.” — Tony Hozeny, Wisconsin Department of Commerce

By Pam P ir man

Survey says:

Business looks to New North to spread the word The New North region is well recognized within its own boundaries, but a majority of local business leaders believe the time is right to spread the word about the region to other areas, according to results of The Business Pulse, a survey of chief executive officers and other leaders in Northeast Wisconsin. The survey is conducted quarterly by IntellectualMarketing for Green Baybased Nicolet National Bank. More than 60 percent of survey respondents say the New North is not well recognized or well understood outside the region. The results do not surprise Jerry Murphy, executive director of New North, Inc. “Much of our focus in the past four years has been on connecting internal resources, building relationships and establishing our brand within the 18-county region,” says Murphy. “To a great extent, we’ve accomplished those things. Now, we can begin implementing strategies specific to other geographies, and we are well underway with plans to do so.” Survey respondents say marketing the region to attract new businesses, as well as connecting economic development resources in the region, are the primary charges of New North, Inc. Tony Hozeny, communications director for the Wisconsin Dept. of Commerce, says his agency strongly supports the role of New North. “Regional economic development 10 | Insight • D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

organizations such as New North, Inc., are a vital component of our efforts,” says Hozeny. “They have firsthand knowledge of what’s happening on the ground, and are in a great position to reach out locally and at the state level. We are enthusiastic partners in their work.” Murphy is pleased to see business leaders understand the organization’s role. “With the startup of any new entity, there are questions about how will things work, who will be doing what, and what are you trying to achieve. Clearly, those questions have been answered for our stakeholders,” he says. The organization should also play a role in creating new market opportunities for existing businesses, according to nearly 20 percent of respondents representing employers with fewer than 100 employees. “This fits well with what we can offer those smaller organizations who don’t have internal market development capabilities,” says Murphy. When it comes to innovation, research and development activities, 65 percent of respondents say private business dominates these efforts, rather than higher education or government. Jeff Lindsay, director of solution development for Innovationedge, Inc., Neenah, sees some evidence of collaboration among the three sectors. “The Fab Lab at Fox Valley Technical College is a great example of higher-

The Nicolet Bank Business Pulse New North Survey How is the New North viewed outside the region?

4% New North is recognized and well understood outside our market 29% New North is recognized but not well understood outside our market 67% New North is not recognized or well understood outside our market.

What is the primary charge of New North? 27% Linking regional economic development resources to fulfill a common regional agenda 25% Marketing the region to attract new businesses within targeted industries to the area 16% Addressing long standing challenges to business development with the direct involvement of private business 16% Developing new market opportunities for existing businesses and industries in Northeastern Wisconsin 9% Marketing the region to attract new, diversified human resource talent to the area 8% Bringing business leaders together with education/training institutions to address regional workforce challenges

New North innovation, research and development tend to be dominated by:

65% Private Businesses 21% Universities and Colleges 14% Government, other than public educational institutions

ed and the private sector coming together to drive innovation,” says Lindsay. “Creating opportunities and helping entrepreneurs results from the involvement of all three, but right now it is mostly in the private realm.”

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