Rock County offers businesses economic, strategic advantages
Excerpted from Midwest Real Estate News
By Brian Wasag
For businesses considering relocation, Rock County, Wis., certainly offers its fair share of advantages, according to the Rock County Development Alliance.
James Otterstein, economic development manager for the Rock County Development Alliance, pointed to the county’s central location and connectivity as one major advantage.
“The county’s geographic location, coupled with its advanced transportation network, creates cost saving just-in-time and supply chain connections for companies serving domestic – as well as international – needs,” he said.
The county is located within 500 miles of one-third of all manufacturing operations within the U.S.; it does not have toll roads; it is served by three railroads; and it has the 24/7, year-around Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport.
The county also features an abundant and skilled labor supply, Otterstein said. He added that the county’s state-line location enables employers to access cross-border commuters that travel from Madison, Milwaukee, Rockford and the Chicago area.
Some of the businesses locating to Rock County include advanced and green manufacturing companies, food processing and technology firms, health care and medical technologies, logistics companies and value-added agriculture, according to Otterstein.
“There’s been a resurgence of manufacturing,” Membrino said. “Most of it is smaller. You’re seeing people looking for 40,000, 50,000 or 100,000 square feet of good manufacturing space. It’s filling up quite rapidly, but that’s a lot of the business we’re seeing.”
In fact, since Jan. 1, the county has witnessed 45 private sector development projects, $652 million in new capital investment, 2,029 new jobs, 1.3 million square feet of construction and 1.7 million square feet of space leased or sold, according to Otterstein.
“The economy has not only stabilized, post Great Recession, but also diversified and grown,” Otterstein said.
