The slopes at Paul Bunyan Ski Hill in Lakewood, in Oconto County. PC: Fox 11 Online
OCONTO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A warm Wisconsin winter has led to an unwelcome cool down for businesses that rely on cold weather and snow to make money. Help, in the form of small business loans, could soon be on the way for those who are struggling.
There’s snow on the slopes at Paul Bunyan Ski Hill in Lakewood, in Oconto County now, but owner TJ Kerscher had to work for every inch, making most of it with machines.
He said, “The first half of the season has been a real struggle. We were not able to open during the Christmas holidays. We didn’t get the season open until the first or second week of January.”
The lack of snow and cold weather not only postponed the opening of the season, but with very little natural snow there were very few extra visitors to his bar and restaurant on site.
According to Kerscher, “It’s a little bit of a struggle. We lost 1/3 of our season. Then plus, coupled with the fact the snowmobile trails were not open so we lost that revenue as well.”
While things have picked up a bit at Paul Bunyan, just south in Mountain, at Spur of the Moment Ranch, cabins sat vacant the entire month of January. And, there have only been a few reservations in February.
“It’s pretty hard when the cabins aren’t full. In the summertime, spring, summer and fall we’re full so we plan for a slower winter, but not this slow,” said Sarah Losurdo, whose parents have owned Spur of the Moment for almost 25 years.
The impact of the empty cabins and empty trails not only being felt here, but countywide too.
Losurdo said, “If we don’t have people, everybody is down. The restaurants are down, the bars are down, the little stores are down so everybody benefits from people being in the Northwoods.”
According to the Oconto County Economic Development office, the county’s sales tax revenue was down about $22,000 in December alone.
Governor Tony Evers and Sen. Tammy Baldwin announcing this week they’ve worked with the U.S. Small Business Administration to open up the ability for small businesses, struggling because of the warm winter, to apply for zero to low interest loans.
“Any business that has been impacted negatively by the fact that it’s 50 degrees out today, frankly, and so the information will be brought to them in the very near future so that they can seek those loans,” said Evers.
TJ Kerscher says because of the warm winter, he won’t make any money this year, but he also doesn’t anticipate losing any either so he doesn’t plan to apply for any assistance.
Meanwhile, at Spur of the Moment, Sarah Losurdo said they’d consider applying but would honestly rather just entertain guests. She added, “We did fill something out through Oconto County, but it’s like anything, that stuff takes time and it’s easier to just fill the cabins.”
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