Thursday's Series Story
Community events can be hit just as hard as any businesses by a slumping economy.
Editor's Note: This is the third in a weeklong Times' "Stretched Thin" series looking at how the weakened economy has affected business and daily life in Green County.
BRODHEAD - Brodhead has seen its share of economic bad news in the past year or so.
Several of the city's larger employers have suffered business slowdowns as a result of the recession and cut their workforces.
The economic mood of the city started to sour noticeably in April 2007, when Stoughton Trailers, which manufactures truck trailers, announced it would lay off more than 300 workers in Brodhead, along with more than 800 additional workers at the company's Stoughton and Evansville facilities.
The company later announced another layoff, this one affecting 184 Brodhead employees, during the summer of 2008.
Numerous companies in the Janesville-Beloit area announced also shutdowns and layoffs, further affecting some Brodhead residents. And, in April 2008, Albany's Chromalox, which makes heat and control components, announced it was laying off 110 employees between its Albany and Orfordville locations.
In October 2008, Woodbridge in Brodhead announced a layoff affecting 70 workers. In February of this year, the company cut about 100 employees in its foam seat line. The company still is in operation, but in a limited capacity producing composite wood products.
Then in March 2009, Kuhn North America, which manufactures farm equipment, announced it was laying off 60 workers at its Brodhead facility, effective immediately. In contrast, the company had been on the upswing in 2007 and 2008, adding employees at the Brodhead plant because of growth in the farming sector.
Even Brodhead's public school system has been directly affected by the recession. Superintendent Chuck Deery said the district laid off a library media director and Family and Consumer Education teacher for next year as a direct result of budget concerns brought on by the economy.
Ultimately, it's the residents themselves who bear the brunt of economic difficulties - residents like the parents of children attending Brodhead schools.
The school district is aware that more families are struggling to make ends meet, Deery said.
The district has seen a slight increase in applications for free and reduced cost free lunches. He expects the district will see more in the fall, as some people don't realize they can apply for free and reduced cost lunches at any time, Deery said.
The district included a link to resources available to those with financial difficulties on its Web site a few months ago in an effort to get information out to families who may be hurting from the slow economy and loss of jobs, he said.
"In talking with kids and families, there's a lot of families that are really struggling. What we see is through the grapevine. There's no hard and fast data. Some families are very private. Some are hurting more than they let us know," Deery said.
Brodhead Mayor Doug Pinnow has seen the effect the layoffs have had on his own business, Pinnow Pharmacy, in downtown Brodhead.
"It's slowed down," he said. "I can only speak for myself, but it's slower."
He said he noticed business slowing six to eight months ago. Still, he added, it's not at a critical point for his business.
As for the city government, it's business as usual. Layoffs and sluggish business haven't impacted the city's budget, he said.
"The budget was pretty tight to begin with," he said. "We're right on bare bones as it was."
Pinnow has been mayor for five years. He's owned Pinnow Pharmacy since 1986, and has seen ups and downs in the local economy. One other bad time that sticks out in his memory is when the highway through town was closed. That was bad for business for a lot of people, he said.
Pinnow is hopeful the planned Crosswinds Subdivision, a residential and commercial development, still will come to pass. Located at the intersection of 104b and Wisconsin 11, the subdivision has 80 lots and a commercial spot for a gas station and fast food restaurant as an anchor.
The project's developer built three or four houses on speculation and was even able to secure state approval to have an entrance to the gas station on Wis. 11, Pinnow said. Everything was in place, but now the project is at standstill.
"We're still hoping subdivision will come through, " he said. "It will help a lot."
BRODHEAD - Brodhead has seen its share of economic bad news in the past year or so.
Several of the city's larger employers have suffered business slowdowns as a result of the recession and cut their workforces.
The economic mood of the city started to sour noticeably in April 2007, when Stoughton Trailers, which manufactures truck trailers, announced it would lay off more than 300 workers in Brodhead, along with more than 800 additional workers at the company's Stoughton and Evansville facilities.
The company later announced another layoff, this one affecting 184 Brodhead employees, during the summer of 2008.
Numerous companies in the Janesville-Beloit area announced also shutdowns and layoffs, further affecting some Brodhead residents. And, in April 2008, Albany's Chromalox, which makes heat and control components, announced it was laying off 110 employees between its Albany and Orfordville locations.
In October 2008, Woodbridge in Brodhead announced a layoff affecting 70 workers. In February of this year, the company cut about 100 employees in its foam seat line. The company still is in operation, but in a limited capacity producing composite wood products.
Then in March 2009, Kuhn North America, which manufactures farm equipment, announced it was laying off 60 workers at its Brodhead facility, effective immediately. In contrast, the company had been on the upswing in 2007 and 2008, adding employees at the Brodhead plant because of growth in the farming sector.
Even Brodhead's public school system has been directly affected by the recession. Superintendent Chuck Deery said the district laid off a library media director and Family and Consumer Education teacher for next year as a direct result of budget concerns brought on by the economy.
Ultimately, it's the residents themselves who bear the brunt of economic difficulties - residents like the parents of children attending Brodhead schools.
The school district is aware that more families are struggling to make ends meet, Deery said.
The district has seen a slight increase in applications for free and reduced cost free lunches. He expects the district will see more in the fall, as some people don't realize they can apply for free and reduced cost lunches at any time, Deery said.
The district included a link to resources available to those with financial difficulties on its Web site a few months ago in an effort to get information out to families who may be hurting from the slow economy and loss of jobs, he said.
"In talking with kids and families, there's a lot of families that are really struggling. What we see is through the grapevine. There's no hard and fast data. Some families are very private. Some are hurting more than they let us know," Deery said.
Brodhead Mayor Doug Pinnow has seen the effect the layoffs have had on his own business, Pinnow Pharmacy, in downtown Brodhead.
"It's slowed down," he said. "I can only speak for myself, but it's slower."
He said he noticed business slowing six to eight months ago. Still, he added, it's not at a critical point for his business.
As for the city government, it's business as usual. Layoffs and sluggish business haven't impacted the city's budget, he said.
"The budget was pretty tight to begin with," he said. "We're right on bare bones as it was."
Pinnow has been mayor for five years. He's owned Pinnow Pharmacy since 1986, and has seen ups and downs in the local economy. One other bad time that sticks out in his memory is when the highway through town was closed. That was bad for business for a lot of people, he said.
Pinnow is hopeful the planned Crosswinds Subdivision, a residential and commercial development, still will come to pass. Located at the intersection of 104b and Wisconsin 11, the subdivision has 80 lots and a commercial spot for a gas station and fast food restaurant as an anchor.
The project's developer built three or four houses on speculation and was even able to secure state approval to have an entrance to the gas station on Wis. 11, Pinnow said. Everything was in place, but now the project is at standstill.
"We're still hoping subdivision will come through, " he said. "It will help a lot."