Sheboygan, WI – “The Promise of Sheboygan County,” a documentary designed to promote Sheboygan County as a World Class business destination, premiered at the Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday evening.
The 15-minute video produced by the Jake’s Café Creative Community was the keynote event at the annual meeting of the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation (SCEDC). It will be available for viewing beginning on Wednesday, November 17, 2010, at http://www.SheboyganCountyEDC.com, according to Executive Director Patrick Drinan.
“For years, Sheboygan County has been keeping a promise it’s never made,” said Drinan. “This past July, we decided it was time we made the promise, which after considerable research we determined was the ability to simply “Do More.” From business opportunities, to community amenities, and recreational options to geographic diversity, business owners and families can simply accomplish more in Sheboygan County.”
In July of 2010, the SCEDC commissioned members of the Jake’s Cafe Creative Community to seek and define that promise. Tryg Jacobson, Jake’s Café president and former Chairman of Jacobson Rost Advertising lead the effort.
“To determine what it was about Sheboygan County that makes it such a unique place to live and do business, we interviewed key executives across Sheboygan County,” said Gary Dulmes, SCEDC Board Chairman. The interviews were conducted/filmed by Producer Blaine Huber of Huber Creative and Philip and Chris Leclerc of Leclerc Brothers Motion Pictures.
The interviewees included:
Laura Kohler of the Kohler Company
Ralph Stayer from Johnsonville Foods
Richard Bemis from Bemis Manufacturing
Terry Kohler from Vollrath Company
Lou Gentine from Sargento Foods
Carl Claerbout from Dutchland Plastics
Ben Salzmann from Acuity
Michael Brotz from Plastics Engineering Company
Stefano Viglietti from Trattoria Stefano
Sebastian Schmidt from Kurtz North America
Julia Loo-Sutcliffe of The Feedmill Shops
“The results confirmed what we believed all along,” said Blaine Huber of Huber Creative. “That Sheboygan County is simply a place where people can “Do More.” No other community in Wisconsin provides such a high level of geographic diversity affording a wide variety of world class assets in such a tight footprint.”
Sheboygan County’s quality of life is a powerful draw for the creative class, according to Jacobson. “It’s the creative class, the innovators, the inventors, the idea people, that will play a fundamental role in the emerging ‘Creative Economy.’ These are the people that will drive the innovation we need to keep our manufacturing and business sectors growing,” said Jacobson.
“We spent nearly five months shooting Sheboygan County’s most beautiful attractions,” said Chris Leclerc. “And something wonderful happened in the making of this film that we hadn’t prepared ourselves for,” said Philip Leclerc. “And that was how it would affect those people who already live here. It’s a powerful film that leaves you with a feeling of pride regarding this great county in which we live.”
SCEDC Executive Director Patrick Drinan hopes that Sheboygan County’s business community will become just as much a part of extending the promise as they will be in keeping it. “We believe, and it is our hope,” says Drinan, “that in the coming years this video will help position Sheboygan County as a premiere destination for businesses to stake new claims and grow into World Class companies.”
Interesting facts/notoriety regarding Sheboygan County.
1. Golf.com (Golf Magazine). “Whistling Straits is consistently ranked as one of the top 100 courses you can play by Golf Magazine’s panel of experts.”In 2010, Whistling Straits was ranked 3rd. Blackwolf Run is ranked 12th. Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run are consistently ranked as 2 of the top 100 courses.
2. Reader’s Digest. In 1995, “Sheboygan County was voted #1 by Reader’s Digest as the Best American City to raise a family.”
3. Field and Stream Magazine. In August 2006, “Field and Stream Magazine ranked Sheboygan as the top pick in the nation for salmon fishing.”
4. Money Magazine. In June 2002, “Sheboygan is one of eight best places to retire.” In the article Money Magazine refers to Sheboygan, “A small town with everything,” and calls it the “Bratwurst Capital of the World.”
5. Morgan-Quinto Press. In January 2004, Sheboygan was ranked the 7th safest city in the nation, amongst 281 metropolitan areas, based on 2002 crime statistics.
6. Forbes Magazine. In March 2008, Sheboygan ranked 114 in the nation as the Best Small Places for Business and Career.
7. Expedition Outdoor Supply, eosoutdoor.com, and many other publications, call Sheboygan the freshwater surfing capital of the world.
8. Larry “Longboard” Williams, “Sheboygan is a Midwest hotspot for surfing.” Williams is the founder of the The Dairyland Surf Classic, the largest lake surfing competition in the world.
For more information, contact:
Patrick Drinan, SCEDC Executive Director
508 New York Avenue, Room 209
Sheboygan, Wisconsin 53081
Office: (920) 452-2350
Mobile: (920) 946-9379
Facsimile: (920) 452-2783
Email: drinan@SheboyganCountyEDC.com
Website: http://www.SheboyganCountyEDC.com
