Muskego CDA Gives Marketing Consultants the Nod

Ken Vierbicher of Vierbicher Associates, a marketing firm which specializes in community development, met with members of the Community Development Authority Tuesday night at to answer questions about how they could help the city address the issue of economic development.

Vierbicher, partnering with Voltedge, another marketer that specializes in business-to-business and industrial development, proposed a thorough analysis of the city's attributes in order to help determine which businesses play to its strengths.  The CDA requested the meeting to ask further questions of Vierbicher/Voltedge's proposal to clarify what the information can mean for city planning, especially with multiple areas of redevelopment in the works over the next few years.

Basically, the study would include a gathering data on Muskego's labor force, schools, taxes, crime statistics and various other facets that potential businesses look at before considering calling a city home.  Once the data is collected and analyzed, the city would be given a detailed implementation plan to use the data to better market itself when they call on businesses.

Jeff Muenkel, city planner, said "generally the objection we hear is based on traffic counts."  The challenge will be what the response will be beyond those objections, he added.

Vierbicher explained, "the goal is not just to approach businesses, but to win them over, and a marketing plan helps lay out the attributes right off the bat. Knowing what companies are looking for before you call them will help you be more successful."

The study will focus on various areas of the city, including the Janesville Road, Pioneer Drive, and Tess Corners corridors, as it was agreed each has its own specific benefits that can attract one business over another.  What the study will provide is a listing of such businesses and where they would fit best in the city based on what their criteria are known to be.  A bit of business-to-community matchmaking, if you will.

The CDA quickly saw the opportunity of applying the study to current proposals, like the Pioneer Drive revitalization and the lake development.

"I know that's been an issue in this city, to have more lake access," Vierbicher said. "If you could create something that's a community gathering place, it could be a catalytic project that can make a retail project go."

Concerns were raised over the ability to take the results and implementation plan to execute the tasks needed for successful economic development.

"That's the real wild card in this," said Alderman Dan Soltysiak. "We could have another great plan, but we need to have the people in place to act on it."

Suggestions to have the CDA create a task force to make the appropriate business contacts based on an implementation plan were made as well.

As Vierbicher said, "there are plans that sit on the shelf, and you don't want that to happen. We try to put the implementation plan into bite-size chunks so no one person has 40 pages to shoulder on their own."

The CDA voted unanimously to recommend the firm be hired to begin the study.