wceda 2011 annual report
DESCRIPTION
A review of WCEDA activities in 2011.TRANSCRIPT
Annual ReportWCEDA2011
2}The main goal of economic
development is improving the economic well being of a community through efforts that entail job creation , job retention , tax base enhancements and quality of life . WCEDA is
dedicated to imp r o v i n g the quality of life for W a l w o r t h C o u n t y residents by working with public and private sector p a r t n e r s to advance efforts that create jobs and build private sector investment in our communities.
WCEDA Mission
Statement
Table of Contents2011 In Review 3Business Retention & Expansion Activities 4Community Support & Engagement 5Reducing Barriers To Growth 6Workforce Development - The Next Generation 7Regional Economic Development Efforts 8WCEDA 2011 Annual Meeting 9Historical Economic Data 102011 WCEDA Financials (Unaudited) 132011 WCEDA Membership 152011 Board, Committees & Staff 18
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Dear Economic Development Stakeholders,
2011 proved to be a great year for the WCEDA as a whole. Thanks to the board’s leadership we
were able to develop and adopt a new mission statement for the organization; as well as a set
of goals that we are focused on achieving over the next several months and years. As you look
through our 2011 annual report, you will notice that we have outlined these goals and reported
on the progress we have made in 2011 to achieve them.
These are just the first steps in what the board and staff have worked so diligently to establish
as a strong foundation for WCEDA to build upon. In 2012, we plan on developing and adopting
a five year strategy for WCEDA, which will help to guide future strategic, financial, and staffing
decisions.
As we move into 2012, I am truly excited about how things are progressing at WCEDA and the direction which we are
headed. I encourage anyone who is interested in learning more about WCEDA, or has comments on how you think
we could be more effective, to contact myself or any of my fellow board members.
I speak for the entire board of directors when I say thank you for another wonderful year, and we look forward to
working with you to address Walworth County’s economic development needs in 2012 and beyond.
Sincerely,
Bruce Kepner, Alliant Energy
President, WCEDA
Dear WCEDA Members,
It has been an absolute please to serve you over the last year. As I am sure all of you are aware,
2011 was a year of transformation for WCEDA, with the board adopting significant changes
to almost every aspect of the organization. All of these changes are focused on one thing,
developing an organization that can act as a resource to help local companies grow.
When I took over as executive director in October 2010, I made communication a top priority for
the organization. Since then, we have refined our regular email updates, developed a quarterly
newsletter, and finished a complete revamp of our website to help ensure that you, non-member
companies, and the general public are aware of economic development programs and initiates in
and around Walworth County that exist to help encourage job creation. Again, I want to thank you
for your support of WCEDA in 2011, and I hope to maintan that trust in 2012 and beyond. As always WCEDA is here
to serve you and connect you to the programs, resources, and incentives that will help your company grow.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, I encourage you to please contact my office at 262-741-8527.
Sincerely,
Mike Van Den Bosch
Executive Director, WCEDA
2011 In Review
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Identified as one of the organizations core objectives for 2011, WCEDA’s
board and staff aimed at promoting the organization as a business retention
and expansion resource. To do this, WCEDA collaborated with economic
development organizations from around the region including Rock, Racine,
Kenosha in Wisconsin and Boone and Winnegabo counties in Illinois to
develop and conduct a uniform survey tool that is designed specifically to
engage existing employers in a discussion regarding their current business
performance, areas of need, and specific issues that need to be addressed
by the communities which they call home.
Through a grant from the Federal Economic Development Administration, all
six counties were able to collectively engage the services of Blane Canada,
a company that has built its business on serving economic development organizations in several ways including
developing software for business retention.
In 2011, WCEDA conducted 51 site visits with Walworth County companies, representing over 3,400 employees to
help determine the types of issues and concerns these companies are currently, or anticipate, experiencing that would
act as barriers to growth.
Promote WCEDA as a business retention and expansion resource through immediate and ongoing interactions with county businesses.{
Companies WCEDA staff visited in 2011 specifically to conduct our business retention and expansion survey51
3,463 Employees that work for the 51 companies that WCEDA conducted its business retention survey with in 2011
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Source: Blane, Canada Ltd.
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Promote WCEDA as a resource to Walworth County communities through constant engagement and communication .
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Walworth CountyIn 2011, WCEDA handled many different inquiries, both through the State and directly, from several diverse industries that were considering Walworth County for relocation and/or expansion.
WhitewaterIn conjunction with the City’s Community Development Authority and the University, WCEDA assisted in the marketing and promotion of the City’s business and technology parks.
East TroyWorking with the East Troy Economic Development Committee, WCEDA helped the Village put together a flowchart that was designed to help businesses navigate the Village’s approval process.
Lake GenevaWCEDA assisted to the Lake Geneva Economic Development Corporation in conducting several site visits with employers, as well as helped to put together a marketing plan for the Organization’s business parks.
ElkhornWorking with the Broker of the Elkhorn Industrial park, WCEDA marketed Elkhorn for new business opportunities and provided informational and statistical data to interested parties.
DelavanWhile not a member in 2011, WCEDA assisted the City in conducting several site visits with local employers. The City of Delavan became a member of WCEDA in 2012.
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Walworth County communities that WCEDA served directly in 20116
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Despite a non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 7.8%1 in Walworth County for 2011, employers across
the County have indicated a difficulty in finding skilled labor. While this issue is not unique to Walworth County, the
Milwaukee 7 region, or even the State of Wisconsin, WCEDA has identified this issue as a major barrier to growth.
In an effort to get a better handle on this problem, WCEDA teamed up with the Walworth County Job Center to conduct
a survey of current and projected job openings in Walworth County, and to find out specifically
the types of jobs available, and the exact difficulties that employers are facing.
The results of this survey shed light on several issues, the top three of which are:
• Lack of skills & experience
• Lack of drive / motivation
• Basic work habits are not up to employer standards
Through WCEDA’s business retention and expansion call program,
staff visited with Walworth County employers throughout 2011 to discuss these issues and
others. While immediate employment gaps are proving to be a barrier to growth, significant
gaps in future workforce availability have been identified. Future gaps are due primarily to
lack of interest by younger generations in manufacturing careers, which employs over 20%
of the Walworth County workforce, and offers the highest average wage of any industry in
Walworth County at $46,235 annually (2010)2.
Reduce barriers to growth in Walworth County{P
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Lack of Skills & Experience
Companies that answered the Walworth County Workforce Development & WCEDA employer survey82
915 Jobs Walworth County employers had vacant or anticipated having available in 2011
1 Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development2 Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development - 2011 Walworth County Workforce Profile
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Workforce Development The Next Generation
In 2011, WCEDA started on a project to connect employers with the local school systems in an effort to help encourage
them to better communicate their current and future employment needs. The main avenue that has been used to help
initiate this conversation has been the reintroduction of youth apprenticeships as an opportunity to help employers train
and retain local talent, and provide students with alternatives to pursuing a 4 year degree.
The goal of this initiative is to rebrand manufacturing from a perception of being dirty, dumb, and dangerous, and
instead demonstrating its advanced nature. Through youth apprenticeship programs, we hope to develop a workforce
that builds on the strong local work ethic the Midwest is known for, and promote a philosophy of continuous training
and improvement. As a result we hope to see more youth enter areas in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Career programs available to high school juniors and seniors in youth apprenticeships10
WCEDA makes it easy to stay connected to the latest economic development news in Walworth County through:
• www.walworthbusiness.com
• Facebook: My Walworth County Economic Development Alliance
• Twitter: @MyWCEDA
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The Milwaukee 7, launched in September 2005, was formed to create a regional, cooperative economic development platform for the seven counties of southeastern Wisconsin: Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha. Working with M7, the seven county economic development corporations are developing a regional strategy to help guide future public sector investments economic development.
State of Ingenuity (SOI) is a regional collaboration that provides a seamless network of entrepreneurial support at every stage of business development through the sharing of resources, facilities, curriculum, training, and collective expertise. Through this collaboration, WCEDA provides new and existing businesses with access to information and resources throughout Southeastern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.
Leverage current assets and resources available to Walworth County businesses, and contribute to a strong regional growth strategy.
Working with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (formerly the Wisconsin Department of Commerce), the Town of Darien, and Walworth County, WCEDA was able to help facilitate a $1.3 million forgivable loan to Birds Eye Foods (Pinnacle Foods) to purchase equipment for the planned $40 million expansion, which is anticipated to result in the creation of 127 new full time jobs by the end of 2013.
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Goal to promote job growth through business startup, retention, expansion, and attraction1
Founded in 2010, the Whitewater University Technology Park (WUTP) is a partnership between the City of Whitewater and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to startup and attract businesses to the park with the overall goal of providing employment opportunities for residents and future graduates of the University. Throughout 2011, WCEDA helped to market the park to brokers and businesses.
Lake Geneva Economic Development Corporation (LGEDC) is Lake Geneva’s business retention, expansion, and attraction organization. In late 2011, representatives from LGEDC, WCEDA, and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Small Business Development Center started to craft a plan to promote Lake Geneva to businesses outside the area in an effort to attract new employment opportunities to the area.
The City of Whitewater’s Community Development Authority (CDA) exists to encourage and help people and businesses to invest in the city, creating jobs, increasing the tax base and improving the community’s quality of life. In 2011, WCEDA worked with the CDA to introduce Whitewater to a broad array of businesses covering retail, manufacturing, and information technology, planting the seeds to help attract and grow business in the City.
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Dr. Robert Spitzer speaks after receiving the WCEDA Lifetime Achievement Award for this unwavering commitment to strengthening our local communities over the past several decades.
Rich Gruber, vice president of Mercy Health System accepts the 2011 Walworth County Workforce Investment Award for its commitment to providing high quality, highly skilled positions that contribute to the economic growth and stability of the area.
Tom Timm, plant manager of Birds Eye Foods, Darien, accepts the 2011 Walworth County Capital Investment Award for their investment of roughly $40 million in a facility expansion, which includes over $28 million in new equipment, and the creation of 127 new full time jobs in Walworth County
2012
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Attendees at WCEDA’s 2011 Annual Meeting2373 Awards presented to area employers and community leaders
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Historical Economic Data
How employment & unemployment are defined:
• People with jobs are employed.• People who are jobless, looking for jobs, and available for work are unemployed.• People who are neither employed nor unemployed are not in the labor force.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Employment is the total number of persons on establishment payrolls employed full or part time who received pay for any part of the pay period that includes the 12th day of the month. Temporary and intermittent employees are included, as are any employees who are on paid sick leave, on paid holiday, or who work during only part of the specified pay period. A striking employee who only works a small portion of the survey period, and is paid, would be included as employed under the CES definitions.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
0.00%
2.00%
4.00%
6.00%
8.00%
10.00%
12.00%
Local, State & National Unemployment Rates 2007-'12
United States Wisconsin Walworth County
44,000
46,000
48,000
50,000
52,000
54,000
56,000
58,000
Jobs
Walworth County Employment2004-'11
Employment
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Historical Economic Data
The Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) is the proportion of the working-age population that is employed or unemployed and seeking work.
Typically “working-age persons” are individuals between the ages of 16-64, excluding students, homemakers, and persons under the age of 64 who are retired.
Source: Data - Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development; U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSource: Description - Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
Since the beginning of 2010, Walworth County has seen growth in employment. In Walworth County, employment generally peaks in late August or early September, and drops until the end of March or beginning of April, when it begins to rebound. The drop in employment is due primarily to the seasonality of the County’s tourism industry, which historically remains flat during the first quarter.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011Walworth County 72.3% 71.3% 70.5% 70.4% 69.9% 69.0%Wisconsin 70.8% 71.2% 72.0% 70.4% 70.5% 69.5% 68.6%United States 66.0% 66.2% 66.0% 66.0% 65.4% 64.7% 64.1%
60.0%
62.0%
64.0%
66.0%
68.0%
70.0%
72.0%
74.0%
Local, State & National Labor Force Participation Rates
47,000
48,000
49,000
50,000
51,000
52,000
Jobs
Walworth County Employment 2010-'11
Employment Linear (Employment)
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Historical Economic Data
The industrial vacancy rate is the amount of available industrial space as a proportion of the total industrial space (both vacant & utilized) in a market. Since the middle of 2010, Walworth County’s industrial vacancy rate has dropped significantly from it’s post-recession high of 8.5% (Q2, 2010) to it’s post-recession low of 4.3% (Q4 2011).
Source: Xceligent
Absorption of industrial space, or the amount of industrial space that is being leased and/or sold and taken off of the open market, has led to the significant drop in industrial vacancy over the past year and a half. At its current rate, industrial absorption can not be sustained without the construction of new space or the vacancy of currently utilized space.
Source: Xceligent
(82,668)
64,900
261,617
728,395 628,175
377,886
2009 2010 2011
Walworth County Indusrial Space Absorption vs Vacancy
Absorption Vacant Space
Walworth County, 4.3%
Milwaukee Region, 7.5%
2.0%
3.0%
4.0%
5.0%
6.0%
7.0%
8.0%
9.0%
10.0%
Q1 '9 Q2 '9 Q3 '9 Q4 '9 Q1 '10 Q2 '10 Q3 '10 Q4 '10 Q1 '11 Q2 '11 Q3 '11 Q4 '11
Walworth County vs. Milwaukee Region Industrial Vacancy Rate
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2011 Financial StatementsWalworth County Economic Development Alliance, IncConsolidated Income StatementFor Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2011
(Unaudited) 2011
Operating
(Unaudited) 2011
Restricted2010
Operating2010
Restricted
RevenuesCorporate Memberships $ 57,030 $ - $ 66,739 $ -
Individual Memberships $ 700 $ - $ - $ -Government Memberships $ 68,968 $ - $ 79,623 $ -Grant Income $ 7,052 $ - $ 18,269 $ 55,665
Revolving Loan Fund Fees $ - $ 769 $ - $ 895Interest (Bank & Notes) $ - $ 19,958 $ - $ 12,461Marketing & Advertising $ 4,420 $ - $ 2,016 $ -Events $ 3,665 $ - $ - $ 1,500Other $ 391 $ - $ 100 $ -
Total Revenue $ 142,226 $ 20,727 $ 166,747 $ 70,521
ExpensesPersonnel (Including Benefits) $ 68,431 $ - $ 72,368 $ 22,922Fees & Penalties $ 935 $ 157 $ 433 $ 480Accounting & Legal $ 6,755 $ 625 $ 6,645 $ 3,321Travel/Meetings $ 7,783 $ - $ 8,910 $ -Supplies $ 4,866 $ 660 $ 2,052 $ 8,697Printing & Copying $ 5,216 $ - $ 466 $ 1,077Postage, Shipping $ 1,941 $ - $ 1,556 $ 2,923Equipment $ 3,074 $ - $ 944 $ 742Rent & Parking $ 10,500 $ - $ 10,018 $ -Insurance $ 2,527 $ - $ 2,560 $ 76Advertising $ 784 $ - $ 12,087 $ 8,482Membership Events $ 9,055 $ - $ 3,942 $ -Professional Development $ 910 $ - $ 500 $ -Interest $ 31 $ - $ 840 $ -Depreciation $ $ - $ 5,427 $ -Bad Debt Expense $ 5,000 $ 27,304 $ - $ 48,000Loan Servicing $ - $ - $ - $ 451Contracted Services $ 9,613 $ - $ 16,224 $ 6,560Membership Dues $ 2,336 $ - $ 2,577 $ 78Miscellaneous $ 312 $ - $ 237 $ (19)
Total Expenses $ 140,068 $ 28,747 $ 147,786 $ 103,790
Change in Net Assets $ 2,158 $ (8,021) $ 18,961 $ (33,269)
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(Unaudited) 2011
Unrestricted
(Unaudited)2011
Restricted2010
Unrestricted2010
Restricted
AssetsCash $ 3,888 $ 260,101 $ 1,544 $ 169,070
Notes Receivable $ - $ 192,816 $ - $ 272,054Fixed Assets $ 4,612 $ - $ 4,612 $ -Other Assets $ (5,000) $ (24,270) $ - $ (3,102)
Total Assets $ 3,500 $ 428,647 $ 6,156 $ 438,022
LiabilitiesAccounts Payable $ 3,374 $ - $ 1,720 $ -Line of Credit $ 8,000 $ - $ 12,413 $ -Lease Payable $ 4,348 $ - $ 5,738 $ -
Total Liabilities $ 20,902 $ -
EquityRetained Earnings $ (14,746) $ 438,022 $ (33,707) $ 471,291Net Income $ 2,158 $ (8,021) $ 18,961 $ (33,269)
Total Equity $ (12,588) $ 430,001 $ (14,746) $ 438,022
Total Liabilities & Equity $ $ 430,001 $ 6,156 $ 438,022
2011 Financial StatementsWalworth County Economic Development Alliance, IncConsolidated Balance SheetAs of December 31, 2011
Walworth County Economic Development Alliance, IncOutstanding Notes (Hometown Entrepreneur Loan Program)As of December 31, 2011
Outstanding Notes1-09-003 $ 31,072
1-09-004 $ 25,4911-09-005 $ 39,2641-09-006 $ 25,4891-09-007 $ 26,1771-09-013 $ 14,7921-09-015 $ 14,4031-09-017 $ 10,4881-10-001 $ 5,638Total $ 192,816
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Accounting & Auditing ServicesChamberlain & HenningfieldDuick & CompanyTracey’s Tax Service
Architectural & Engineering ServicesGRAEFKapur & AssociatesKehoe-Henry & AssociatesThe ICS GroupAllan ICS
Banking*Commercial Bank*Community Bank CBD*First Citizens State Bank*M&I - BMO Financial Group*People’s Bank
Business ServicesBridger Business SolutionsCommunity Green EnergyElkhorn Chemical & Packaging*Image Source
Business Services (Continued) Martin GroupSIA Computer Corporation
Construction & Related ServicesLakes Brick & BlockMagill ConstructionScherrer ConstructionThe Fixer GuysThe Peter Scherrer Group
Distribution
Alder Companies
Government & Education*City of Elkhorn*City of Whitewater*County of Walworth*Gateway Technical College*George Williams College*University of Wisconsin - Whitewater*Village of East TroyVillage of Mukwonago
Increase membership to 100 paying members{
WCEDA members in 201173
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2011 WCEDA MembersHealth Care*Fort HealthCare*Mercy Health SystemWisconsin Community Mental Health Counseling Centers
Individual MembersCynthia BalestrieriDavid HildrethCassandra KordeckiDavid KoscielniakTyson Ray
Insurance, Legal and Financial ServicesBenefit ConceptsGodfrey, Leibsle, Blackbourn & HowarthMarilee Engelman, TransAmericaSierra Insurance MarketingSweet & MaierThorpe & Christian
ManufacturingBetter by Design*Kikkoman Foods*Mode IndustriesMonarch-McLarenThe Colman GroupYunker Plastics
Non-ProfitsElkhorn Area Chamber of Commerce*Lake Geneva Economic Development Corporation
Non-Profits (Continued)Lakeland Builders AssociationUW-Whitewater Small Business Development CenterWalworth County Visitors BureauWisconsin Housing & Economic Development Authority
Photography/VideographyIdeal Impressions Photography
Print/MediaBliss Communications
Real Estate Sales & Property ManagementJohn Henderson, NAI MLG CommercialLighthouse Real Estate Services
Recreation/Tourism*Geneva National Golf Club*Geneva Ridge Resort*Grand Geneva Resort & SpaEvergreen Golf ClubLake Geneva Canopy Tours
RetailAction MarineHome LumberKunes’ Country Auto Group
Utilities*Alliant Energy*We Energies
*Indicates a Premium Member
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Mem
bers
2010 vs 2011 Membership Breakdown
2010
2011
17
Platinum
Gold
Communities
2011 Premium Members
Village of Mukwonago
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2011 Board, Staff & Committees
Office & Personnel Committee• DeWayne Egly, VP of Administration, Chair• Kim Howarth, Immediate Past-President• Nancy Russell, Member• Geoff Hale, Board Member• Peter Scherrer, Board Member
Membership & Events Committee Budget & Finance Committee• Alan Larsen, Treasurer, Chair• John Henderson, Board Member• Kevin Paluch, Board Member• Tracey Hennessey, Member• Gail Ellis, Member
• Laura Patterson, VP Membership, Co-Chair• Bill Henry, VP Public Affairs, Co-Chair• David “Koz” Koscielniak, Board Member• Allison Bohuslav, Member• Vacant Seat
WCEDA’s board and staff would like to thank all of our committee members for their hard work and dedication in 2011. We look forward to working with you in the future to build a stronger and more vibrant organization.
Members on the WCEDA Board of Directors184 Committees that make it all possible
Executive Committee• Bruce Kepner, President• Kim Howarth, Immediate Past-President• DeWayne Egly, VP-Administration• Laura Patterson, VP-Membership• Bill Henry, VP-Public Affairs• Alan Larsen, Treasurer• Geoff Hale, Secretary
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2011 Board of Directors & Staff
Bruce Kepner, President Economic & Community Development Manager, Alliant Energy
Bill Henry, VP-Public Affairs Vice President, Kehoe-Henry & Associates Architects
13400 Bishop’s Lane • Suite 100 Brookfield, WI 53005 (262) 797-9400 Offices also in Milwaukee, Appleton and Madison, WI www.mlgcommercial.com
The Leader In Commercial Real Estate.
Professional Profile Scope of Service Experience John specializes in assisting multi-market corporations manage their real estate portfolio. Advises on space acquisitions and dispositions, site selection, lease management, real estate strategy and financial analysis. Background and Experience John serves as a Corporate Real Estate Services Team (CREST) Executive, NAI Business Director and Senior Vice President for NAI MLG Commercial and has been with the company since 1989. As a CREST Executive, John is a full, strategic partner and consultant for local, national and international clients to set performance standards, benchmarks and objectives. He delivers a wide range of real estate services from strategic consultative services, to expansions, acquisitions and dispositions.
John was honored with the 2008 NAI Global "Circle of Excellence" designation for achieving top performance standards through the NAI network for 11 years. John has been "Associate of the Year" at NAI MLG Commercial four times and is consistently a top producer. John has also received the NAI "Chairman’s Award" for the Central Region three times.
Professional Affiliations and Designations NAI Global Corporate Services Team Member NAI Global Leadership Board Member (2001-2003) NAI CREST Council Member (Chairman 2001-2003) Charter Member of the Elkhorn Rotary Club (40 years) Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin, Inc. (CARW) Former Board Member of the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin, Inc. (6 years) Founding Board Member of The Elkhorn Fund - an endowed community fund Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) NAI CREST Designation NAI NAFTA Regional Director NAI Business Director - Wisconsin National Association of Realtors (NAR) Wisconsin Realtors Association (WRA) Education BBA Marketing, University of Wisconsin - Madison CCIM Candidate MCR Candidate
Significant Transactions John's clients include: Novo_1, School Specialty, MGIC, WOW Logistics, Miller Brewing, Clear Channel Outdoor, Harley-Davidson, Hypro, Roadway Express, CTI, Crown Cork & Seal, Massey Ferguson, Prologis, SPX Process Equipment, Invensys
John Henderson, SIOR Senior Vice President—Corporate Services [email protected] • (262) 938-4430
John Henderson Vice President, NAI MLG Commercial
Geoff Hale, Secretary
President, Home Lumber Company
Alan Larsen, Treasurer
Vice President-Cheif Credit Officer, Peoples Bank
Laura Patterson, VP-Membership VP of Commercial Lending, M&I-BMO Financial - Delavan
DeWayne Egly, VP-Administration Principal, Sierra Insurance Marketing
Kim Howarth, Past-President
Principal, Godfrey, Leibsle, Blackbourn & Howarth Attorneys
Bryan Albrecht President, Gateway Technical College
Richard Telfer Chancellor, University of Wisconsin Whitewater
Kevin Brunner City Manager, City of Whitewater
Kevin Paluch
Chief Operating Officer, Geneva National Golf Club
Rich Gruber Vice President, Mercy Health System
Peter Scherrer President, The Peter Scherrer Group
Robert Spitzer Board Member, Kikkoman Foods
John Zinzow
John Zinzow is co owner of Benefit Concepts, Inc., a firm that specializes in the delivery of cost effective employee benefits and financial services. John has a strong business background and adds value to client relationships by providing benefit and legal research, benefit analysis and design, vendor negotiation and employee communication and education. For clients that are interested in reducing benefit costs by promoting healthier populations, John works with clients on the integration of healthy lifestyles into company health plans.
John’s professional experience includes resort hotel planning, development, construction and management from 1970 through 1985 in Wisconsin, Michigan, New York and Illinois. Local resort projects include: The Abbey (expansion planning & management) and Lake Lawn (construction). From 1985 to 1989 John taught Business Finance and Real Estate in the School of Business at UW – Whitewater. In 1990, John formed Benefit Concepts, Inc. with is wife, Holly Neault, a Northwestern Mutual Financial Advisor. John earned his MBA from UW – Whitewater in 1973.
Walworth County and the greater Kettle Moraine area is an attractive location to live and conduct business. Our area is unique. It boasts diverse activities and active lifestyles that would be attractive to prospective employers and their employee populations. John’s goal is help WCEDA develop a competitive advantage to attract new employers to our area through strategic merchandising and promotion of what we have to offer. John would add an additional perspective to the WCEDA Board based on his professional experience and his knowledge and contacts as an endurance athlete in the world of active sports and lifestyles.
www.benefitconcepts.us
John Zinzow Vice President, Benefit Concepts
Dave Koscielniak Principal, Kozitecture
Jim Simons
President, Quilters RulePhoto Not Available
Mike Van Den Bosch,
Executive Director, WCEDA
Staff
Executive Committee Board of Directors
Brennon Garthwait
Intern, WCEDA
Walworth County Economic Development Alliance, Inc.
1000 East Centralia Street | Elkhorn, WI 53121 | 262-741-8527 [email protected] | www.walworthbusiness.com