Chris Malm, Managing Director of Park Street Properties in Merrill has been elected to the board of directors of Centergy, a Central Wisconsin economic development group.
His election to the Centergy board provides for representation of the Merrill community in the North Central Wisconsin economic development group. Malm’s election results primarily from the city’s decision to join Centergy in addition to Lincoln County’s membership in Grow North, a similar group made up mostly by counties to Merrill’s north whose primary economic engine is tourism. Malm said because of Merrill’s location within the “gravitational retail and commuting pull” of Wausau, there can be opportunities for the city to enhance its economic growth in concert with Wausau, as well as independently.
Centergy was formed in 1989 under the name of Central Wisconsin Area Economic Development Council (CWAEDC). The group, comprising a varied range of businesses, organizations and individuals, came together to find ways to improve the region’s business climate and civic infrastructure. An early accomplishment was advocating, lobbying and being approved for a major state investment in road improvements. Today as Centergy, the group serves as a central resource, bringing together the efforts of many entities, and providing a unified voice to be heard by state and local governments and the greater business community. Centergy continues to encourage business cluster development, support local businesses, attract new businesses, achieve growth for higher education facilities, and improve life in general for all central Wisconsin residents.
“The focus of Centergy is on the Central Wisconsin region,” Malm said. “By Merrill being part of this, now we’re at the table for those discussions.”