Why doesn’t Dane County’s economic development corporation do more to retain and attract businesses with high-paying jobs?
The answer is as simple as it is disturbing: Unlike so many other regions across Wisconsin and the nation, Dane County doesn’t have an economic development corporation.
The glaring absence of such a force for prosperity is one of the top concerns of the Collaboration Council, a 40-member group of regional business and community leaders. The group is developing ways to promote economic growth in Dane County while preserving its quality of life.
“We are lethargic at promoting ourselves,” said University Research Park Director Mark Bugher, who heads the council’s business retention and recruitment committee. “We’ve relied too much on the public sector for our economy. Those days are over.”