Without the Door County Economic Development Corporation, Cody Bolton may have never made the leap from employee to owner of his Fish Creek business. Bolton recently became the new owner of Fish Creek Scenic Boat Tours after working under the guidance of former owner Eric Lundquist since 2013. With help from DCEDC’s entrepreneurial services program, he was able to write his business and financial plan and find a lender to make the purchase. DCEDC Executive Director Jim Schuessler says the experience showed the importance of succession planning.

Schuessler says with help from the Small Business Development Center at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, they were able to develop a plan to help keep the company in sound financial shape for years to come.