Business leaders discuss impact of Covid-19

The coronavirus pandemic took center stage during the Ozaukee Economic Development’s outreach event on Wednesday, Aug. 26.

“We did some amazing things this past year, but we had to learn how to pivot and that has really been what we’ve done,” OED Executive Director Kathleen Cady Schilling told area business leaders during the event at The Watermark at Shully’s in Thiensville.

Cady Schilling said OED has been working with the Village of Grafton and the City of Mequon by using former revolving loan funds to create an Emergency Covid Loan program to help businesses with rent payments, inventory and other costs.

Loans ranged from $1,500 to $15,000 with an interest rate of 1%. Cady Schilling said four Grafton companies received loans.

“Both programs have funds available. If we have businesses that are still struggling, these are great programs with no closing cost,” she said. 

OED has worked with the county’s Chambers of Commerce to get grants totaling $1.125 million for more than 260 companies through Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. The organization also helped companies apply for Paycheck Protection Program loans with the Small Business Administration.

In the past 12 months, Cady Schilling said OED has completed eight projects that created 80 new jobs and retained 350 employees in the county.

OED President Dean Rennicke said it is vital for community business leaders to work together during the pandemic. 

“We are learning, as everybody else is, you have to have to do more things on the fly and figure out how to do things more quickly,” he said. 

Speaker Tom Metcalfe, president of We Energies, said electricity sales for commercial and industrial companies dropped by 18% in the last six months and about 8% for small businesses, while there was a 4% increase in residential sales.   

“Electricity sales are a barometer for the economy. Now is not the time to take the foot off the gas,” he said, noting the Port Washington power plant is one the largest and most efficient in the state.

He said it is critical for large companies like Charter Steel in Saukville, Cedar Valley Cheese in Belgium and Pace Industries and also the Aurora Medical Center, both in Grafton, to continue their normal operations to help keep the economy afloat. 

Keynote speaker Tim Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, said the biggest challenge is companies struggling to find talented employees because there has been a lack of education in the skilled trades.    

He said county schools’ co-op programs are helping overcome that employment challenge and districts are becoming a great resource for employers to help cover those gaps.

“Our schools are an asset to our community. We’re in one of those markets that’s going to continue to rise,” he said.