Get to know: Colan Treml
Economic Development Director, Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce
Colan Treml is no stranger to the work of chambers of commerce. Growing up in Sycamore, Illinois, Treml’s mother was — and still is — the president of the local chamber.
“I’ve always been a chamber fan and a lot of that came from my mom,” Treml says. “Living in a small town, your economy relies on a thriving downtown and local business atmosphere. That was something I’ve always been passionate about, and now it translates to me being here at the Oshkosh Chamber.”
It was this background that prompted Treml to look into the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce when he arrived in the city to attend the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, where he also played baseball for four years. In 2019, Treml graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism, and interned at the Oshkosh Chamber before holding positions with J. J. Keller and First Weber Realtors.
Treml returned to the chamber in the role of economic development director in November, filling the position previously held by Rob Kleman, who was promoted to president and CEO of the organization as of Jan. 1.
In his role, Treml will be responsible for developing and executing the economic development program of the chamber. This includes existing business development, development of entrepreneurial and startup endeavors, business recruitment and community preparedness.
Building on the success of Amplify Oshkosh, a chamber program designed to grow Oshkosh’s tech industry, will be another of Treml’s responsibilities.
“I absolutely love Oshkosh and it gets me so amped [to see] the direction we are going, especially with what the city and chamber are doing to bring business to Oshkosh,” he says. “I’ve got some big shoes to fill, but the chamber is in fantastic hands. And I’m super excited to see where Oshkosh heads in the next decade.”
— Amelia Compton Wolff
Manitowoc on the map
In December, Manitowoc was one of 18 communities across the country designated as an American World War II Heritage City by the National Park Service for its support of America’s war effort. Only one American World War II Heritage City can be designated in each state. Manitowoc received the designation for its substantial involvement in World War II, most notably its production of 28 Gato Class Submarines by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company. Many other local companies were involved in wartime production, including Aluminum Goods Manufacturing, Burger Boat, Lakeside Packaging and Heresite Protective Coatings. “Having our city’s contributions to the war effort recognized on a national scale will place Manitowoc as a premier travel destination for learning about our nation’s World War II history,” said Visit Manitowoc Director Courtney Hansen.
Scaling up
The Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation has partnered with Lakeland University and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to launch the Sheboygan County Accelerator for Learning Entrepreneurship (SCALE). The new accelerator program invests in up to six startups per cohort, per year. The program helps pre- or early-revenue startups prepare for participation in equity-based accelerators or to raise from angels, crowd investing or pre-sales. Beginning Feb. 21, the course will run for 10 consecutive weeks at Jake’s, A Lakeland Community. “SCALE is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs with a startup business,” said Ray York, business counselor at the Small Business Development Center at UWGB. “The program will educate these entrepreneurs while accelerating their progress by connecting them to the resources in our innovation community.”
Economic outlook
Nationally acclaimed economist Elliot Eisenberg will return as the keynote speaker for the 2023 Fox Cities Economic Outlook Lunch Tuesday, Feb. 7 at the Hilton Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton. The event, hosted by the Fox Cities Chamber along with presenting sponsors ThedaCare and Community First Credit Union, brings together both macro- and micro-economic insights as Eisenberg will share how national and global trends could impact the Fox Cities’ economy. The results of the Fox Cities Economic Outlook Survey will also be distributed at the luncheon. The survey covers area business trends from 2022 and projections for 2023.
