Formed in 1993, the St. Croix Economic Development Corporation (SCEDC) is a private non-profit organization which operates exclusively for the economic development of St. Croix County, Wisconsin and the respective cities, villages, and towns therein. SCEDC actively promotes and solicits the location of industry and business to St. Croix County. At the same time, the organization works to foster the expansion of existing companies and the successful start-up of newly formed ones. To achieve the foregoing, SCEDC relies on three primary sources of revenues - an annual grant from St. Croix County, annual grants from respective cities, villages, and towns in St. Croix, and membership fees from private sector partners such as banks, utility companies, contractors, and various manufacturing concerns located throughout the area. This combination of funding sources results in a successful collaboration of public and private sector partners for the SCEDC.
Annual expenditures are attributable to numerous initiatives relating to promotion, prospect development, retention, fund raising, or general management activities.
Up to nineteen individuals from all areas of St. Croix County serve on the corporation's board. SCEDC retains a full-time executive director as well as a part-time administrative assistant. The board meets monthly to conduct regular business and at the annual meeting in May, a new slate of officers and directors are elected.
The Business of the Year Awards Program recognizes outstanding businesses in St. Croix County.
Ryan Sicard, president of St. Croix Economic Development Corporation, announced the EDC’s selection of the following companies as recipients of the 2011 business of the year awards in St. Croix County, Wisconsin:
Future Farm Food and Fuel, LLC (rural Baldwin) as 2011 Emerging Business of the Year (based in St. Croix County and in business for five or fewer years)
Stevens Engineers (Hudson) as 2011 Small Business of the Year (29 or fewer employees)
Sajan, Inc. (River Falls) as 2011 Business of the Year (30 or more employees)
The companies will be honored at an awards banquet on Thursday, February 16, 2012 at Kilkarney Hills (rural River Falls, Wisconsin). An invitation and registration information is available online at www.stcroixedc.com/byinvitation.
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2010 Business of the Year winners (l to r): Steve Weinzierl and Michael Fuchs of Engineered
Propulsion Systems, Inc.; Director’s Award recipient John D. Soderberg; Greg Mitsch, of
GaMra Composites, Inc.; and Todd and Jerry Gilbert of Valley Cartage, Inc.
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Site Visit Program - St. Croix EDC staff, board and community leaders visit with businesses in the county to learn about the businesses, to identify and address issues that are barriers to successful business advancement and to assist them with any expansion plans.
Preparation and distribution of the SCEDC’s quarterly newsletter the Chronicle;
Preparation and monthly electronic distribution of the St. Croix Business Facts;
Maintain an online inventory of available building and sites for industrial, commercial, and office users;
Marketing St. Croix County to selective manufacturing firms to encourage them to relocate in the St. Croix area;
Removing barriers to economic growth in St. Croix County and enhancing community capability to foster growth;
Maintaining readiness to initiate and respond to industrial expansion and location opportunities;
Identify important legislative issues and bring them to the attention of state and federal officials;
Partner with other organizations to enhance St. Croix County, such as: the WI Department of Commerce, Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Network, Momentum West, Small Business Development Center, UW-Extension Office, Workforce Resource, Cooperative Health Choices of Western Wisconsin, St Croix Valley Employers Association, St Croix Valley Regional Tourism Association, West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, Regional Business Fund, WBD Finance, The SCORE Association, North West Manufacturing Outreach Center, St. Croix Valley Legislative Days, West Central WI Rail Coalition, SciTAC, St. Croix Valley Angel Network, Local Chamber of Commences, Local EDCs, UW-River Falls, WITC, CVTC, and more;
St. Croix EDC is a one-stop source for St. Croix County business assistance.
