BALANCED GROWTH:

Seeing Superior As A Boomtown

If you’ve been around Superior and Douglas County in the past five years, you’ve seen it — the growth, a new energy and a changing persona of what Superior is all about.

The empty storefronts being filled, larger businesses expanding their headquarters, manufacturing moving into larger spaces, and “Now hiring” signs all over have been staples over the last few years.

Superior’s business community has been seeing unprecedented growth, and as Jim Caesar, our close economic development partner and executive director at The Development Association would say, “Welcome to the Boomtown.”

Having both big and small businesses in a community and fostering an environment where both can grow is important to keeping a local economy strong.

We need businesses of all sizes, and Superior and Douglas County are lucky to have such a mix as it supports a diverse economy, creates a shared workforce, and leads to an increase in community support.

Businesses of all sizes and types support our community in numerous ways, directly and indirectly. Every one manufacturing job supports approximately six general community jobs. For every dollar spent at a small business, nearly 70% stays within the local economy.

New developments create opportunities for engineering, construction and trade jobs. Each new business opening a storefront will spur the local supply chain, organic growth, trade, and inspire more small business entrepreneurship.

This growth causes the hospitality, food and beverage industry to also grow, as the growth in other sectors creates a demand for a better quality of life throughout the region, which in turn supports and grows the tourism industry and what it offers our visitors and locals alike. This symbiotic and reciprocal relationship then leads to the business’ support of the community via donations to local events, clubs and organizations, helping keep our community going strong.

It is important to show support to businesses of all sizes and types in the same way they show support for our community. At the Superior-Douglas County Area Chamber of Commerce, we work daily to advocate and advance the business interests and foster community growth throughout Superior and Douglas County. The issues and concerns of the business community are our issues and concerns. We advocate on behalf of the business community at the local, state and federal levels and work to keep our business community informed, as well as illustrate their unique to community leaders.

One major way we celebrate and congratulate our business community is by hosting our Chamber’s Annual Meeting and Business Awards. This annual get together welcomes all of the new community businesses from the prior year to attend and be showcased as award nominees.

We also believe that by hosting this event, we are painting a positive picture for all commerce and also providing focus on all of our business nominees — from our youngest new businesses to our oldest cornerstone organizations — to celebrate their achievements and highlight their successes.

We welcome all businesses to join the Chamber, big and small, because in all, it takes a community to support a community.

Buying and supporting all local businesses is one way we can support one another and be a voice for the positive growth we have been and continue to see.

Good things are on the horizon; let’s make sure everyone gets there together.

Nikky Farmakes is the director of marketing and social media at the Superior-Douglas County Area Chamber of Commerce.

Self-pour taproom comes to Superior

By Shelley Nelson Superior Telegram

Duluth Tap Exchange owner Jordan

DeCaro credits the establishment of his self-pour taproom to a lot of sleepless nights.

“Three years ago, I was building my house and I was living in a little garage on my property,” DeCaro said. “I would stay up at night and Google different concepts and came across the I-pour-it concept.”

After clicking on a link to show his interest in the concept, DeCaro had the opportunity to visit a self-pour establishment in the Twin Cities.

Now, the doors will soon open to a second self-pour taproom in the Twin Ports, this time in Superior. The Tap on Tower was slated to open Friday, Oct. 15, at 1106 Tower Ave.

After a delay in gaining occupancy of the remodeled building, DeCaro said the plan was to offer staff training the week of Oct. 18 and host a previously planned wedding Oct. 23. The establishment was set to open after that.

Here’s how it works:

Customers will check in with the hostess, who collects credit cards and IDs and scans them before providing customers with a wristband.

Customers will grab a glass and tap the wristband to the logo for the beer they want to drink. A light will turn green, allowing them to pour their selection.

The Tap on Tower will offer ciders, craft and domestic beers and white wine on tap. He said 10-12 will be local varieties and three to four will be domestic options.

Customers can pour just a little to taste something new or fill up a glass and relax. It will also feature a full bar.

Like the Duluth Tap Exchange, the décor consists of brick and barn wood, but the Superior location is a little bigger, DeCaro said.

In addition, the Tap on Tower will have food options — Shelton’s Pizza of Saginaw and ice cream from Love Creamery in Duluth.

But food options don’t stop there.

“You can also bring food in,” DeCaro said. “So, if you want Anchor or Thirsty Pagan, those are also options.”

DeCaro said he anticipates the Tap on Tower, like Duluth Tap Exchange, will evolve over time.

“It’s our stamp” DeCaro said. “It’s not like a franchise.”