Dan Schwarz, founder and owner of Dan’s Fish Inc. in Sturgeon Bay (http://www.fullfish.net/dansfish.html), is the winner of the ninth annual Door County Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Wood Orchard is a family owned fruit farm established in 1955 by Jim and Barbara Wood, after moving their young family to cool Door County from hot and humid St. Louis, Missouri. Jim’s son, Steve, and grandson, Jeff, now work together to grow about 200 acres of strawberries, raspberries, cherries and apples on the Door Peninsula.

Steve’s wife, Janice, manages Wood Orchard Market just north of the village of Egg Harbor. Wood Orchard Market sells much of what is grown in their own orchards, along with a unique selection of gift items, a large variety of specialty foods, and products from their in-house bakery.

Innovative in their industry, Wood Orchard is part of a nationwide consortium of apple growers who have brought two new and highly successful apple varieties to market in recent years: the Honeycrisp and SweeTango^®. For many years, McIntosh and Cortland apples were the main varieties in their wholesale and retail business. Now, however, Honeycrisp is the apple that is attracting the most attention. When their initial planting of SweeTango^® is complete, Wood Orchard projects to have about 10,000 trees in the ground in Door County, producing enough apples to supply their retail markets and wholesale partners.

When their source for providing dried apple products went out of business, the Woods developed a process for peeling, coring, drying and packaging Honeycrisp apples locally that is superior in flavor, texture, color and taste to what was previously available. The investment in equipment to manage this process was significant, however it now adds to their off season production and enables them to provide year-round employment.

“We are pleased to recognize Wood Orchard as our industry of the year,” said DCEDC Executive Director Bill Chaudoir. “Agriculture has always been a primary driver of the Door County economy, and Wood Orchard is also an excellent example of the successful intersection between agriculture and the tourism industry.  They have been an important part of our local economy for many years and we can only hope that will continue for many years to come.”

This year marks the 39^th year of the Door County Industry of the Year Award, first presented by the Door County Chamber of Commerce in 1973. Last year’s award winner was WireTech Fabricators. Other recent winners of the Industry of the Year Award include Roen Salvage Company, Door Peninsula Winery, N.E.W. Industries, Marine Travelift/ExacTech and the Washington Island Ferry Line.

In addition to the keynote address by Murphy, the annual investors meeting will include the presentation of the Door County Industry of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. The Industry of the Year Award recognizes a construction, service or manufacturing business that has made a substantial impact on the community and enjoyed significant accomplishments during the past year. The Entrepreneur of the Year Award celebrates those individuals who have taken the initiative to start and grow a successful small business in Door County. The luncheon meeting will also include the annual report to the community about the accomplishments of DCEDC during 2011.

Mark Murphy, possessor of extensive experience in professional football and sports administration, is in his fourth year as the Packers’ President and CEO. Under Murphy’s guidance, the organization reached the pinnacle of success on the field in 2010 with a victory in Super Bowl XLV. Off the field, the club continues to perform well in its business operations, which allows the organization to support football operations. The fan experience at Lambeau Field, a top priority for the organization, continues to be ranked among the best in sports.

Murphy, who holds a law degree and an M.B.A. in finance, brought a unique and highly qualified background to his role as head of one of the NFL’s flagship franchises, first drawing from a deep understanding and appreciation of the game that comes from an eight-year playing career with the Washington Redskins. Later, he served a combined 16 years as director of athletics at Colgate University and Northwestern University, and was an assistant executive director of the NFL Players Association and a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice.

In addition to his playing career and work with the NFL Players Association, Murphy maintained his ties to the NFL through his work on the Commissioner’s Player Advisory Committee (1994-2002) as well as the NFL Youth Football Committee (2002-present). Additionally, his NFL experience now includes Super Bowl wins as a player (XVII, 1982) and as a CEO (XLV, 2010), believed to be the first such occurrence in NFL history.

The DCEDC annual investors meeting will start promptly at 12pm. Tickets for the April 25 luncheon are $30 per person or $280 for a table of ten. Tickets are available from the DCEDC office. For more information, please contact DCEDC at (920) 743-3113 x200 or by email at cindy@doorcountybusiness.com.

The 2012 DCEDC Annual Meeting has been generously sponsored by: Associated Bank, Baylake Bank, the Door County Manufacturer’s Association, Door Peninsula Winery & Distillery, ERA/Starr Realty, the Green Bay Packers, Main Street Market, Peninsula Building Systems, Stone Harbor Resort, Sturgeon Bay Utilities, Soik Communications, Sturgeon Bay Florist, Therma-Tron-X and Wisconsin Public Service.

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The networking event, sponsored by Sustain Door, is open to anyone interested in learning more about the Buy Local initiative in Door County. There will be food and beverages available; attendees are asked to make a $5 donation to help defray costs. To RSVP for this event by March 2nd, or if you have questions, please call or email DCEDC: 920-743-3113 ext. 204 or sam@doorcountybusiness.com.

The Door County Buy Local program is a grass-roots economic development initiative that seeks to strengthen local businesses, increase employment opportunities and educate the public about the importance of buying locally whenever possible.

 Door County, WI – The Door County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) and the UW-Green Bay Small Business Development Center (SBDC) are proud to once again sponsor an entrepreneurial training program in Door County. Beginning Thursday, March 8 at NWTC-Sturgeon Bay, the eight-week FastTrac® NewVenture™ course from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Entrepreneurship takes students through a step-by-step approach to researching and writing a professional business plan.

 Building a business to withstand the test of time requires a unique set of tools. That’s where the FastTrac® NewVenture™ course makes a difference by providing the opportunity to:

• Explore entrepreneurship;
• Identify and meet market needs;
• Objectively evaluate your concept and plans for moving forward;
• Develop a working knowledge of business fundamentals such as marketing, product/service development, management, and financials;
• Begin building an infrastructure for your business operations and processes;
• Explore the risk and success factors in the marketplace;
• Understand how to access the human, financial, and business resources;
• Network with entrepreneurs and professionals;
• Respond to changes that can impact your business; and
• Build an actionable business plan.

Every Thursday evening, March 8 through April 26, course participants will gain the knowledge and skills to create a plan for the ultimate success of their business. The course is open to those who are considering starting their own business, existing small businesses struggling to get a handle on all the details or successful businesses looking to grow.

 The cost for the Door County FastTrac® NewVenture Entrepreneurial Training program is only $250, including books and materials. The course usually costs $1000, however the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Network are offering an Entrepreneurial Training Grant to qualified applicants that covers 75% of the tuition.

Registration forms and additional information are available at: http://www.doorcountybusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/RegistrationPack2012.pdf.

Registration is due by Wednesday, February 29, 2012.

The Industry of the Year award recognizes a construction, service or manufacturing business that has made a substantial impact on the community and enjoyed significant accomplishments during the past year.  Selection criteria include the firm’s stability within the marketplace, growth through job creation and capital investment, innovations in technology and/or business processes, leadership within the industry and business community and corporate citizenship, including involvement in community affairs and development.

This year marks the 39th year of this prestigious award, first presented by the Door County Chamber of Commerce in 1973.  Last year’s award winner was WireTech Fabricators. Other recent winners of the Industry of the Year Award include Roen Salvage Company. Door Peninsula Winery, and the Washington Island Ferry Line. 

The Entrepreneur of the Year Award — last year given to Dale and Kristin Seaquist and Jim and Robin Seaquist, owners of Seaquist Orchards in Northern Door County — celebrates those individuals who have taken the initiative to start and grow a successful small business in Door County. Eligible businesses include those with fewer than 50 employees that exhibit recent growth and future potential through job creation, innovation and/or investment in the business, have at least three years of successful business experience and demonstrated civic and community involvement. 

Any Door County resident or business can nominate a business or entrepreneur by contacting DCEDC.  Self-nominations are also encouraged. Nomination forms are available from DCEDC or on the Corporation website: www.doorcountybusiness.com.  Nominations are due to DCEDC by Friday, February 17^th, 2012.

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DCEDC and the UW-Green Bay Small Business Development Center will be offering free, one-on-one business counseling sessions for any new or existing business owners in Door County.

Chuck Brys, Business Counselor for the Small Business Development Center, will be providing advice on business planning, financing and other issues. Brys is a CPA and former Chief Financial Officer for several Wisconsin companies, with over 30 years of business experience and knowledge to share with local entrepreneurs.

Individual, confidential sessions will be held at the Door County Business Development Center, 185 East Walnut Street, Sturgeon Bay. An appointment is required and can be made by contacting Cindy Wick at 920-743-3113 x 200 or via e-mail at cindy@ doorcountybusiness.com.