A CITY WITH ACCESSIBLE GROWTH As a small rural community, Columbus has a surprising variety of industrial and business opportunities.This is due to the city’s position at the crossroads of several major highways, including Highways 151, 73, and 89.“That just makes Columbus a great option for a place to live and to build a business,” emphasizes Mayor Joe Hammer. The city has recently initiated a seven-acre residential development, set to add 16 new single-family homes and 42 apartments, while also preserving a historic farmhouse on the property. “A lot of people are wanting to live here, but we haven’t had a lot of new residential development. So that’s the new trend in Columbus,” conveys Mike Kornmann, Director of Community and Economic Development. “We also have people that are living in Columbus that want to move from a home into an apartment or condo. So, this new development that we have going forward is going to start to fill some of that gap, and we’re excited to see that.” Along with residential growth, infrastructure is a major focus, with a Highway 73 project planned for 2025. “That’s a DOT grant-funded project,” shares Matt Amundson, City Administrator. The city is also working on a five-year capital improvement plan to prepare for growth. “We will continue the city’s efforts towards managing and upkeeping existing infrastructure, and as we grow, sustainably look at increasing our infrastructure as it results in supporting future development,” he relays. BUSINESS-FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT Columbus is fast becoming a center of industry and innovation. As for what makes the city a desirable area for businesses, Kornmann describes, “We have a great geography, lower land values, and great services. Employers, and employees always want a good school district. We have a great one, and we also have Prairie Ridge Hospital and Clinic.They have all the specialty physicians that you could probably want, and the ability to get in in a reasonable amount of time. It’s really a fantastic business.” QOC Innovations, a company focused on manufacturing enterprise resource planning (ERP), is one of Columbus’s newest employers. Since setting up in the city six months ago, the company has doubled in size, with plans to double again soon. QOC Innovations Managing Partner, Paul Osterhaus, details “One of the things that makes Columbus great for a business like ours, is the access to good people, the access to the schools, the access to the healthcare that’s here. It’s been a great community. It’s been very welcoming to QOC, and we’ve had great success hiring people that are local and recruiting people here. That’s been very helpful to us.” Kornmann adds, “We’re thrilled to have QOC 115 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 10 COLUMBUS, WI
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