When motorists on Interstate 43 pass Sheboygan, they may not realize they’re entering an oasis for business and industry that offers ongoing opportunities for development, expansion and revitalization.
This city of Germanic origins is an entry point to vibrant manufacturing, trade, service, leisure and hospitality sectors — all anchored by a historic downtown and a dramatic series of improvements on the lakefront.
"I kind of view it as a secret city," says City of Sheboygan Economic Development Manager Chad Pelishek. "When you commute on I–43, you might just drive by it. But there’s a move to funnel more traffic off of I–43. If we can do that, we can continue to drive the downtown, the lakefront and the Taylor Drive corridor."
The Sheboygan area was recognized as the number one place to raise a family in the April 1997 Readers Digest magazine. It’s also been recognized by Golf magazine for its courses and Field & Stream magazine for salmon fishing.
At a recent economic summit at the Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center, Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Dee Olsen heard from attendees who were unaware of what the area offers.
"I can’t believe the number of people who’ve driven past us and [then] said ‘I am amazed at what I’ve seen in Sheboygan,’" she says. "Somehow, we’ve got to get people off of Interstate 43 to see how many great places and good things we have going on in Sheboygan."
A place to work
Although the Sheboygan County area has not been immune to business closings and job layoffs, Olsen says the region has not been hit as hard as most other areas of the state.
J.L. French, a maker of diecast aluminum components and assemblies for the automotive industry, employs 1,325 people. In the last five years, the company has gone through expansions on an almost annual basis, she says.
Sargento Foods Inc. continues to grow its consumer products, food service and food ingredients. Its plants in Plymouth, Kiel, Elkhart Lake and Hilbert, which now employ 1,278 employees, have added 112 employees in the last five years.
Among the largest employers in the county, Kohler Co. remains firmly entrenched as the largest, with more than 7,000 employees.
Behind that are companies such as Bemis Manufacturing with 1,600 employees, Aurora Health Care with 1,450 workers and Johnsonville Foods, which employs about 824 people in sausage and related food production.
A strong work ethic has been the basis for Wisconsin’s steady development in the 20th century, says John Rogers, business development director for the Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce. Nowhere has that ethic been more prevalent than in Sheboygan.
"There’s a tremendous amount of pride that the people who live here and work here display," says Rogers. "You have someone from Sheboygan and you know they’re going to do the work."
Retail strength and revitalization
Motorists will see a series of major chain stores fronting I–43. On the west side is Deer Trace Mall in Kohler. To the east is the 35-year-old Memorial Mall in Sheboygan, which includes an expanded Kohl’s store.
Wal–Mart Super Centers have been built on the city’s north and south sides, replacing the Wal–Mart store that had been the centerpiece to Taylor Heights, a strip mall on Taylor Drive.
The status of the Taylor Drive corridor, an area running parallel with I–43, will remain a concern for the city, Olsen says.
Omnni & Associates have taken on a study of the Taylor Drive corridor between Erie Avenue and Indiana Avenue. Residents’ views are being sought in a series of public meetings this spring on what should happen there, Olsen says.
There are more reasons to visit downtown than ever before, with a series of new businesses designed to bring people of all ages to live and work there.
People find they can live economically in condominiums and apartments downtown, while visitors can spend the night at a growing number of hotels and other facilities.
Landmark, a 71-unit condominium complex for senior living, opens in May downtown between Sixth and Seventh streets. The Grandstay, an extended stay hotel, is being built between one block away, Olsen says.
Such developments will bring people to nearby restaurants, retail establishments such attractions as the Stephanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts and the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Olsen says.
They also will be near historic Eighth Street to see live entertainment at the Sheboygan Theatre or visit Chocolate Fantasies and a series of upscale restaurants, such as Field to Fork and the recently opened Margaux.
