Released in April 2005, the Door County Economic Development Adjustment Plan is a strategic economic plan that will serve as a pathway to the future economic growth in the county over the next five to ten years. The plan presents a comprehensive snapshot of the current Door County economy, and suggests seven specific strategies and 75 distinct action steps to pursue the economic goals established by research and community input.

The Seven Strategies:

1. Develop programs and initiatives that raise the education and skill level of the future workforce; design programs that attract new workers to Door County; and encourage programs that explore the full utilization of older workers.
2. Expand economic development around key existing clusters and business concentrations that have demonstrated market opportunities.
3. Tap into the early retiree, visitor and seasonal resident communities as sources of new businesses in Door County. Create a good business climate and business infrastructure to attract people 50+ who will continue to work at their current occupation or establish new business careers.
4. Develop strategies that expand off-season business activity to reduce the seasonality of Door County’s business cycle.
5. Form economic development strategies around emerging demographic and economic trends that create market opportunities for existing and new businesses.
6. Address common economic development base needs that will support the economic strategies listed above and the general Door County business community.  Move to a New Economy model that includes and supports seed capital formation, higher educational attainment, new business start-ups, networking, and technology infrastructure and technology/innovative product flow.
7. Attract younger families to reside in Door County using the high quality of education and life and the completion of the four lane Highway 57 project as prime advantages of raising a family in Door County.

Priority action steps include reactivation of the DCEDC Workforce Task Force, continued implementation of the Sturgeon Bay Shipbuilding Cluster Master Plan, establishment of a local equity seed capital program and continued improvement in telecommunications infrastructure and broadband access.