Organizers of the new Door County Buy Local initiative will host an open-to-the-public kickoff event and business mixer on Thursday, October 21, from 5:30 – 7 pm at Stone Harbor Resort, 107 North First Avenue, Sturgeon Bay.
The Door County Buy Local program is a grass-roots economic development initiative that seeks to improve community quality of life by strengthening local businesses and improving job opportunities for residents. A brief program will feature information about the new initiative and an opportunity to join. Complementary snacks and refreshments will be provided, courtesy of Flanigan Distributing and Stone Harbor Resort.
In certain industry sectors, Door County loses a considerable amount of business to neighboring counties. For example, in the Electronics and Appliance Store category, although over $3.4 Million was spent in Door County in 2009, an additional $1.6 Million was spent outside the County. The Door County Buy Local program will encourage Door County residents and business owners to purchase goods and services from their local providers whenever possible, to keep more money within our local economy.
“As we slowly emerge from a recessionary economy,” says DCEDC Executive Director Bill Chaudoir, “every little bit that we can all do to help our local businesses is important. Buying locally as much as possible can only help our Door County companies survive and thrive.”
Door County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) is a public/private partnership dedicated to improving the economic vitality of the county and its residents. Founded in 1989, DCEDC has been successful in helping existing businesses create and retain thousands of jobs through a myriad of programs and initiatives. Additionally, DCEDC places strong emphasis on fostering entrepreneurial instincts in county residents as well as those who vacation on the Door County Peninsula. Door County Economic Development Corporation offices are located within the small business incubator DCEDC founded in 1997 at 185 East Walnut Street in the Sturgeon Bay Industrial Park.
“Buy Local” needs to start with the DCVB, the SBVC and other Door County tourism marketing entities who, for some reason, believe they need to hire firms from Milwaukee, Madison and Lake Geneva to handle Door County’s design and marketing materials. In our little county of 27,000 or so, we have more than our share of qualified design professionals.
Until we see our tourism bed tax money start to stay in Door County, the appeal to “Buy Local” is just lip service.
It is difficult when we are “colonized” by people with little or no loyalty to Door County who are hired and brought in to run the agencies and media that shape the marketing and publish news about this region. We are like the Irish living under the thumb of outside forces. It’s funny how successful Door County design and marketing firms manage to attract clients from all over the world. Must be the 50-mile rule…