MONROE - The Green County Development Corporation released its business retention and expansion survey results of 62 businesses Friday morning, and the results are mixed.
Dave Martens, area development manager, Division of Business Development in the Wisconsin Department of Commerce said the opinion of the business climate in Green County has increased, showing there was hope and optimism among those surveyed.
Employment needs are expected to increase 20 percent by 2012, but businesses said they are having difficulty with recruiting, especially professional and technical personnel.
Monroe Mayor Ron Marsh said, when talking to businesses in Green County, from a technical standpoint, professionals could get a job offer, but the deterrent from taking the position is a spouse's needing to find a job also.
Both spouses are looking for career satisfaction, and many times professionals become commuters and live in a location where they can split the travel time.
The greatest factors affecting recruiting included personal taxes and the climate, but available housing was also a factor.
The best recruiting factors in Green County were Blackhawk Technical College, the K-12 educational system, the cost of living and quality of life.
About 72 percent of the businesses surveyed have corporate headquarters in Green County, 82 percent own their own facility and about 56 percent are over 20 years old. These figures represent a stability in the county, Martens said.
The survey also showed an interest in expanding, about 20 percent locally. The levels are 10 percent elsewhere in Wisconsin, and 15 percent out of state.
"What really drives people to stay or relocate is suppliers," Martens said. "It is a critical thing, especially with larger companies. Smaller companies have other reasons."
Only 10 percent of the businesses said their customer numbers are decreasing, and 7 percent said their share of the market is shrinking.
Monroe City Administrator Mark Vahlsing, a member of the GCDC Retention Committee, presented the goals for the county based on the survey results.
Vahlsing said about 20 goals were identified by the leadership team, but the group chose five or six to "sink our teeth into.
"We decided to try to do what we could do best - some long-term and some to be done by other organizations," Vahlsing said.
"Our extremely strong quality of life" is the biggest marketing tool and a focus in the Monroe Main Street Master Plan, Vahlsing said.
Some other goals Vahlsing highlighted included identifying businesses at risk of being recruited to other states, identifying employee labor training needs better, marketing programs at Blackhawk Technical College better and promoting the Green County School to Work Consortium.
Dave Martens, area development manager, Division of Business Development in the Wisconsin Department of Commerce said the opinion of the business climate in Green County has increased, showing there was hope and optimism among those surveyed.
Employment needs are expected to increase 20 percent by 2012, but businesses said they are having difficulty with recruiting, especially professional and technical personnel.
Monroe Mayor Ron Marsh said, when talking to businesses in Green County, from a technical standpoint, professionals could get a job offer, but the deterrent from taking the position is a spouse's needing to find a job also.
Both spouses are looking for career satisfaction, and many times professionals become commuters and live in a location where they can split the travel time.
The greatest factors affecting recruiting included personal taxes and the climate, but available housing was also a factor.
The best recruiting factors in Green County were Blackhawk Technical College, the K-12 educational system, the cost of living and quality of life.
About 72 percent of the businesses surveyed have corporate headquarters in Green County, 82 percent own their own facility and about 56 percent are over 20 years old. These figures represent a stability in the county, Martens said.
The survey also showed an interest in expanding, about 20 percent locally. The levels are 10 percent elsewhere in Wisconsin, and 15 percent out of state.
"What really drives people to stay or relocate is suppliers," Martens said. "It is a critical thing, especially with larger companies. Smaller companies have other reasons."
Only 10 percent of the businesses said their customer numbers are decreasing, and 7 percent said their share of the market is shrinking.
Monroe City Administrator Mark Vahlsing, a member of the GCDC Retention Committee, presented the goals for the county based on the survey results.
Vahlsing said about 20 goals were identified by the leadership team, but the group chose five or six to "sink our teeth into.
"We decided to try to do what we could do best - some long-term and some to be done by other organizations," Vahlsing said.
"Our extremely strong quality of life" is the biggest marketing tool and a focus in the Monroe Main Street Master Plan, Vahlsing said.
Some other goals Vahlsing highlighted included identifying businesses at risk of being recruited to other states, identifying employee labor training needs better, marketing programs at Blackhawk Technical College better and promoting the Green County School to Work Consortium.