Building Business

New North Summit addressed bringing businesses to the region
By Janet Ortegon Sheboygan Press staff

When Gov. Jim Doyle traveled to Ireland several years ago, he hoped to find out how the small British nation went from being one of the poorest members of the European union to the one of the richest.

Among other things, he found the secret to Ireland's success was a shared vision of the country's goal of economic stability.

Addressing approximately 600 people attending the New North Summit at Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center Friday morning, Doyle said finding a common goal worked for Ireland and it will work for the New North, too.

New North is a consortium of business people, educators and government leaders from 18 counties in northeast Wisconsin working toward attracting businesses and workers to the region.

"What they were out to accomplish was to upgrade and modernize the Irish economy and that was understood from the person on the street to the person at the highest levels of government and the corporate world," Doyle told summit attendees. "And I applaud the efforts you have made in the New North because it seems to me that perhaps above all else, you have created and worked to build a shared vision in the region of what it is that you need to accomplish." More here.