The Economic Structure of the Fox Valley : A Study of Economic Opportunity

The analysis presented in this report is intended to provide the FCEDP Research Committee with insights on the economic structure of the regional economy with a particular focus on the identification of specific industrial strengths and weaknesses. The authors are responsible for all errors of omission or commission. The opinions expressed in this report are those of the authors with the contribution of the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The following Fox Cities Economic Development Partnership members provided insight and support to the Research Committee for this study. The time and effort they gave contributed greatly to the success of this effort. The intent of the study is to identify potential areas of economic growth and development for the region. The ultimate goal of this study is to provide insight and identify potential future policy directions by the Partnership and other economic development practitioners and policy makers. Key findings include, but are not limited to: v For purposes of data generation using IMPLAN, only complete county data are available. Therefore, occasional use of the term " Fox Valley " indicates the use of Winnebago and Outagamie County economic data. The Fox Cities is a strong, dynamic community. While not as fast as the national average, it's population is growing and becoming diversified. Since 1969, total employment growth in the Fox Valley outpaced the state and the nation in every sector except retail. It has seen many new business starts, but established companies, especially manufacturing, continue to provide the strong economic base. Paper is king in the Valley and remains a strong foundation for the economy. Whether this reliance on manufacturing, especially paper, in the wake of national trends to the contrary, should continue at the same pace, will be one of the issues examined in this study.