Economic development staff report strong tourism survey results, business retention visits and branding work

Economic development staff shared highlights from a county survey, completed business retention and expansion visits and a branding initiative partnership, and reported that the Vernon County guide is on track for mid- to late-April printing.

Larkin summarized survey findings: 91% of respondents would recommend Vernon County as a place to visit and 82% said they would recommend it as a place to live. Word-cloud responses favored descriptors such as ‘‘rural,’’ ‘‘beautiful,’’ ‘‘friendly’’ and ‘‘scenic.’’ Larkin said the results show a strong sense of community and that UW Extension is performing deeper analysis to help shape branding and messaging.

On business retention, Larkin said staff conducted visits across several communities and sectors (food, beverage, hospitality, manufacturing, farm and ag). Common challenges reported by businesses included staffing and wage pressure, financing constraints, limited owner capacity in small firms, and regulatory timelines for state approvals. Staff said multiple firms report diversified business models (for example, combining hospitality and events or retail and manufacturing) that help stabilize revenues.

Larkin also briefed the committee on a branding project with Elevate Media to promote tourism and the local economy, and said Elevate will consult businesses and local events in a video series. He reported the Vernon County guide copy collection is ongoing with printing expected in mid- to late April.

Staff asked committee members for suggestions of businesses or topics to prioritize in the next round of outreach and noted continuing coordination with partners such as Driftless Wisconsin and Bridal Wisconsin.