Regional economic development group highlights talent-recruitment website, developer tours and research into a housing fund

Angel Laidlaw of Synergy told the committee that the regional economic development organization is promoting talent attraction and supporting business recruitment with a new website (centraltosuccess.com), marketing toolkits, developer tours and advocacy work in Madison.

Nut graf: Synergy said its actions aim to address local employer demand for skilled workers and developers’ repeated comments that capital-stacking and higher local development costs — from shipping materials and lower local rents — make projects economically challenging. Angel Laidlaw described developer tours that generated developer interest in Wausau and Stevens Point and said Synergy is researching a possible regional housing fund to help bridge finance gaps.

Laidlaw described a centraltosuccess.com site that collects local community information, school-district data and relocation stories to help businesses and workers evaluate Central Wisconsin. She described “Experience Central Wisconsin,” an annual developer tour that drew 10–12 developers and produced two developers who agreed to work with local communities on projects. Laidlaw said the group’s advocacy outcomes in the previous legislative year included support for a dental-hygienist certification and tax-credit changes geared to capital investment and childcare.

On housing, Laidlaw said Synergy is coordinating a regional housing study with the regional planning commission and courting private-sector and municipal partners to explore a regional housing fund. She said similar funds in other Wisconsin counties ranged up to $10 million and would be structured with application rubrics and capital-stack support for eligible projects; Synergy is still in a research phase and has met with more than a dozen developers for feedback.

Supervisor Lemmer asked for detail on the proposed fund; Laidlaw reiterated the research status, the need for private-sector participation and that the next six months of research will help shape viability and governance. Laidlaw invited committee members to upcoming workforce and economic development events.

Ending: Synergy will share presentation slides with committee staff and continue housing-fund research and outreach to developers and municipal partners.