Door County Business News May 14 – 28

• Sina.com, the highest travel website in China awarded the Linden Centre, run by Brian and Jeanee Linden of Ellison Bay, and its programs the Best Boutique Hotel in China. The honor is especially noteworthy as it is rare for a foreign hotel, especially one that has been in business for less than two years, to receive this level of recognition.

Word-of-mouth has also made the Linden Centre the Top Ranked Hotel in China (Out of 28,000 hotels) during April 2010. The careful restoration of the Linden Centre and the Lindens knowledge of the area and culture has been highlighted in the media worldwide. The 2010 Frommers China Guidebook has written that the centre is “perhaps one of the best restoration projects conducted in all of China.”

For the 2010-11 seasons, the Lindens are offering several Cultural Immersion Theme Tours including Photography with Alison Wright (Fall 2010), Culinary Adventures with Savory Spoon (Fall 2010), Photography with Doug Beasley (Winter 2011), Writer’s Workshop with Don George of Lonely Planet (Spring 2011), and Painting Workshop with Scott Powers (Spring 2011).

To learn more, visit the Linden Gallery in Ellison Bay or visit http://www.linden-centre.com.

• Door County Interiors & Design in Egg Harbor will host an open house May 28 through May 31, 9 am – 5 pm, to introduce the store’s new look and collections.

The furnishings store and design center has transformed its showroom with new lines of furniture and accessories for great rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, outdoor spaces and more.

A highlight of the open house is the unveiling of the rough luxe interior design style. The rough luxe look is created when wood furnishings that look worn are paired with beautiful upholstery, according to Carol Trimberger of Door County Interiors & Design.

“It’s the whole idea of mixing the rough and natural look with the sophisticated casual look,” she said.

Door County Interiors & Design is located at 7266 Highway 42, about two miles south of downtown Egg Harbor. For more information visit doorcountyinteriors.com.

• The Door County Visitor Bureau introduced an exciting new web brand at http://www.DoorCounty.com.

Approximately five months in development, the new Door County web brand is a comprehensive and interactive user experience that captures the charm of a vacation in Door County. Since the website’s inception, visits to the site are up 38 percent. The format communicates the county’s new brand message, “Your stories. Our setting. Like nowhere else.”

Developed by the DCVB in partnership with NOISE Inter.Active, the new website contains traditional information such as lodging information, activity ideas, and an extensive calendar of events. But the new site also offers the popular “Explore the Door” video travel show series, a visitor forum/blog and an interactive map that allows users to choose certain activities and locate these activities within Door County. The new site also features a “Scrapbook Your Visit” element that incorporates Facebook and ScrapBlog, allowing visitors to share photos, stories and even individual itineraries.

• Door and Kewaunee Counties joined the rest of Wisconsin in experiencing a positive bump in home sales for the first quarter of 2010. When comparing the first quarter of 2009 to the first quarter of 2010, Door and Kewaunee Counties had increases in home sales of 6 percent and 52.9 percent respectively. Overall, the state reported an increase of 16.8 percent during that same quarter.

While the number of homes sold in the first quarter of 2010 increased, the median price of homes took another dip with the median home price in Door County slipping 7.5 percent to $185,000 and the median home price in Kewaunee County dropping 41.9 percent to $70,262.

“We’ve had a significant amount of people taking advantage of the $8,000 homebuyers credit,” commented Bob Starr, President of the Door County Board of Realtors and Co-Owner of ERA/Starr Realty. “Many of the homes sold in the last quarter of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010 were first time homebuyers or foreclosure situations. This contributes to that median home price continuing to drop.”

For a complete listing of all homes for sale in Door and Kewaunee counties visit http://www.dcbr.org or call the Sturgeon Bay office at 920.743.9651.

• Fm 106.9 the Lodge recently won an award at the 2009 Wisconsin State Broadcasting Association Awards. The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association handed out awards in several categories at the “Excellence In Broadcasting Program” ceremony in Madison, recognizing outstanding achievement in radio and television broadcasting. Door County’s fm 106.9 the Lodge won the award in their division for “Best Commercial” placing third in the state for their Door County Ice Cream Factory ad. The complete list of winners is available at the Wisconsin Broadcasters website at wi-broadcasters.org. For more information call 920.854.3400.

• The Door County Economic Development Corporation and the UW-Green Bay Small Business Development Center will be offering free, one-on-one business counseling sessions on Thursday, June 3, 9 am – 5 pm, for any new or existing business owners in Door County.

Chuck Brys, Business Counselor for the Small Business Development Center, will be providing advice on business planning, financing, and other issues. Brys is a CPA and former Chief Financial Officer for several Wisconsin companies, with over 30 years of business experience and knowledge to share with local entrepreneurs.

Individual, confidential sessions will be held at the Door County Business Development Center, 185 East Walnut Street, Sturgeon Bay. An appointment is required and can be made by contacting Janet Frick-Warecki at 920.743.3113 (extension 200) or via e-mail at [email protected].

• Neighbor-to-Neighbor Volunteer Caregivers is pleased to announce the hiring of Ann Bennett as its new Executive Director. Bennett is familiar with the Door County Community, having previously been employed at the Jim Larsen Boys & Girls Club and, most recently, the Door Kewaunee Business & Education Partnership. One of Bennett’s goals is to increase the number of volunteers who provide companionship for people who are homebound and/or have no regular visitors.

“Neighbor-to-Neighbor has a wonderful opportunity for adults and young adults to make a difference in their community,” states Bennett. “Sharing a half-hour to an hour of your time each week making an in-person visit or a phone call can make a huge difference in the life of someone else.”

All of Neighbor-to-Neighbor’s services are provided free of charge. It is estimated that Neighbor-to-Neighbor saved Door County residents more than $400,000 in 2009. The organization is supported by grants, monetary donations, and the efforts of volunteers. For more information call 920.743.7800.

• Richard and Sandy Weisgerber, owners and operators of Weisgerbers’ Cornerstone Pub in Baileys Harbor, sold their family run business of 24 years to Paul Salm of Sturgeon Bay. Manager of The Ladder House Sports Bar and Restaurant for the past three years, Salm will maintain the theme and bill-of-fare that the clientele have come to know from the Cornerstone Pub.

Tom Alberts and Bob Wolter of Creative Business Brokers brokered the transaction.

• Door County Trolley, Inc. celebrates its 10th anniversary in Door County tourism. The business launched in May 2000 with one themed tour and has since added a repertoire of tours, along with a fleet of eight trolleys, that feature various Door County attractions. The popular rides include a lighthouse tour, scenic tour, premier wine tour, progressive dinner outing, a winter wonderland tour, and various ghost tours; as well as private charter tours and wedding rentals.

Owner A.J. Frank credits the success of his business to his employees: “Every year they entertain the guests of Door County. I enjoy seeing families have fun on the tours and experience what we have to offer.”

Door County Trolley, Inc. will be celebrating its 10th anniversary with a private party at The Orchards Golf Course.

Door County Trolley, Inc. is located at 9197 Highway 42 in Fish Creek. For more information call 920.868.1100 or visit http://www.doorcountytrolley.com.

• Mike and Barb Lautenbach celebrated 20 years of business at Mike’s Port Pub on May 13. The couple worked for Gene and Sharon Kessen when the business in Jacksonport was named Geno’s; they bought the business and changed the name to Mike’s Port Pub in 1991.

The pub is known for excellent burgers, soups, Friday night fishplates and broasted chicken dinners. Mike’s will have a “20th year special” every Tuesday with $2 burgers. At any time, military personnel, both active and veterans, can receive a 10 percent discount. Also, every Wednesday starting on June 2, from 5 – 9 pm, Mike’s will be hosting a Cruise In. The public is welcome to bring in their antique or hot rod car and enjoy an outdoor food and beverage stand.

Mike’s Port Pub is located at 6269 Highway 57 in Jacksonport. For more information call 920.823.2499.

• Know as “ Door County’s Adventure Center” Team Leadership Center has opened a full service paddle shop in Egg Harbor.

The kayak team provides safe family fun tours, kayak instruction by ACA Certified Instructors, fully outfitted adventures and trips, and a paddle retail shop. For the past 15 years, as a division of the Team Leadership Center, Inc. Tim Pflieger, Founder/Owner has provided kayak tours, workshops, and lessons to visitors to Door County.

Kayaking Adventures Door County Paddle Shop is located at 4692 Rainbow Ridge Court, 1/2 mile south of Egg Harbor on Highway 42, next to the Door County Outpost. The paddle shop will be open from 9 am – 5pm on May 29. Regular business hours are 8 am – 5 pm. For more information call 920.746.9539 or visit http://www.kayakingadventuresdoorcounty.com.

• The Bridge, Organic Coffee House, is open for the season and celebrating its 10th Anniversary. Memorial Day Weekend of 2000, the doors opened offering coffee and books to patrons in an Internet café environment with an amazing view.

Coffee bean and used book deals will last throughout the weekend with a casual public event scheduled for Saturday, May 29 from 3 – 5 pm. A house specialty, Floating Iced Coffees, and hot brewed specialty coffee will be served free to all visitors.

The open house will also include the opening of an exhibit of Meg Anderson’s wildlife portrait pastels. She will be available for questions and comments. Also during the open house, Rick & Mick will perform acoustic rock.

The Bridge is opens daily, 8 am – 12 pm, reopening by chance or event in the afternoons. Memorial weekend, The Bridge will be open 2 – 5 pm, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

• Standard and Poor’s (S&P) recently affirmed the AA ratings on the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority’s (WHEDA) single family program and removed the Authority from Credit Watch.

This news follows WHEDA’s return to lending March 1 with the WHEDA Fannie Mae Advantage. To date, WHEDA has funded $13.6 million in loans, and has a pipeline of more than $40 million in loans.

To learn more about WHEDA and its single-family programs, visit http://www.wheda.com.