Waterloo-based Trek overcoming Brexit hurdles

Trek Bicycles, a global company with Waterloo roots, is successfully navigating the trade landscape left by Brexit. But the company’s rep says there’s still uncertainty ahead. Brexit is the name given to the U.K.’s departure from the European Union in

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State apprenticeship navigators help connect people to jobs

The Department of Workforce Development has created five new positions called apprenticeship navigators to help Wisconsinites find open opportunities.  Apprenticeship is a training model that combines on-the-job learning with job-related classroom instruction. Apprentices are employed and earn wages from their

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Marinette Marine gets $1M from DOT

State support of $1 million will help boost shipbuilding at Marinette Marine. The Transportation Economic Assistance grant, approved by Department of Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson, supports a $2.6 million reconstruction of Ludington Street in Marinette that will provide better access

Read More »

Tourism faces labor shortage

Wisconsin’s tourism hubs are expecting a flood of visitors to enjoy the state’s recreation, food and event offerings. But businesses fear they won’t have the staff to accommodate them. Door County is gearing up for its busy season, which is

Read More »

State begins local targeting of COVID-19 vaccinations

As vaccinations start to slow, local county health departments are beginning “hand-to-hand combat” to reach herd immunity. The gap is closing between the percentage of people who have started their vaccine series and those who are fully vaccinated. This means

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Madison-area mayors ready for recovery

Dane County’s mayors see positive marketing as the way to boost economic recovery coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce hosted six Dane County-area mayors for a webinar about post-pandemic recovery.   “When it comes to

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Cash flow automator Esker sees growth during pandemic

Middleton-headquartered Esker says a pandemic-induced acceleration of going digital is helping the company grow. Esker is a global cloud platform, automating the procure-to-pay and order-to-cash processes for clients. Instead of having employees manually punch in invoices, for example, that work

Read More »

PSC approves Alliant Energy solar project

The PSC has approved permits for Alliant Energy to undertake a massive solar project. With the commission’s unanimous vote in hand, Alliant will start on the first four of six solar farms totaling 675 megawatts. This will take the company

Read More »

West Bend expands with Midwestern tribute

West Bend Mutual Insurance is expanding into new markets nationwide with a nod to its Midwestern roots. Using the Silver Lining brand, West Bend is branding new markets in Southeast and West with a tribute to its home turf. Short

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Foxconn deal positive for state economy

Foxconn Technology Group is confident a new agreement with Wisconsin will attract other businesses to the state.  The new deal slashes the maximum tax credits the company could earn while providing more flexibility after plans for the southeastern Wisconsin plant

Read More »

New Foxconn deal prompts cautious optimism from critics

Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz, who has consistently knocked Foxconn, says he hopes the new deal Gov. Tony Evers’ administration signed with the Taiwanese manufacturer brings “better transparency and clarity.” Evers’ office didn’t announce details of the new agreement, which

Read More »

Waterloo-based Trek overcoming Brexit hurdles

Trek Bicycles, a global company with Waterloo roots, is successfully navigating the trade landscape left by Brexit. But the company’s rep says there’s still uncertainty ahead. Brexit is the name given to the U.K.’s departure from the European Union in January 2020. The two entities signed a trade and cooperation

Read More »

State apprenticeship navigators help connect people to jobs

The Department of Workforce Development has created five new positions called apprenticeship navigators to help Wisconsinites find open opportunities.  Apprenticeship is a training model that combines on-the-job learning with job-related classroom instruction. Apprentices are employed and earn wages from their first day on the job. Upon completion of their programs,

Read More »

State to set new record for outdoor recreation in 2021

Wisconsin is on pace to break its 2019 record for outdoor recreation-related economic activity this year. Since the start of the pandemic, Wisconsin has outpaced the national average in travel spending, acting Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers said. In 2020 this led to a local spending infusion of $2.5 billion that

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Marinette Marine gets $1M from DOT

State support of $1 million will help boost shipbuilding at Marinette Marine. The Transportation Economic Assistance grant, approved by Department of Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson, supports a $2.6 million reconstruction of Ludington Street in Marinette that will provide better access to the Fincantieri shipbuilding facility. Fincantieri Marinette Marine recently received

Read More »

DHS awaits FDA approval of Pfizer for ages 12 and up

The state health department is “eagerly awaiting” FDA approval of a vaccine for kids 12-15 as the teenage demographic continues to lead in Wisconsin COVID case counts. The FDA is expected to authorize the Pfizer shot for children 12 to 15 years old, a decision that could come early next

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Tourism faces labor shortage

Wisconsin’s tourism hubs are expecting a flood of visitors to enjoy the state’s recreation, food and event offerings. But businesses fear they won’t have the staff to accommodate them. Door County is gearing up for its busy season, which is usually a bell curve of visitors from May to October.

Read More »

State begins local targeting of COVID-19 vaccinations

As vaccinations start to slow, local county health departments are beginning “hand-to-hand combat” to reach herd immunity. The gap is closing between the percentage of people who have started their vaccine series and those who are fully vaccinated. This means fewer people are starting their vaccine series. “We really thought

Read More »

Madison-area mayors ready for recovery

Dane County’s mayors see positive marketing as the way to boost economic recovery coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce hosted six Dane County-area mayors for a webinar about post-pandemic recovery.   “When it comes to economic development, one of the things I’d like to see

Read More »

Cash flow automator Esker sees growth during pandemic

Middleton-headquartered Esker says a pandemic-induced acceleration of going digital is helping the company grow. Esker is a global cloud platform, automating the procure-to-pay and order-to-cash processes for clients. Instead of having employees manually punch in invoices, for example, that work is automated. The Esker platform also allows organizations to be

Read More »

Wauwatosa a step closer to reaching net-zero carbon goals

Arch Electric has completed about 10 weeks of construction and installation of a new solar panel system for the city of Wauwatosa.  The project is atop the building that houses the city hall, civic center and public library. The city estimates the power generated by the solar panels will reduce

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Trade experts support R&D investments, deals to bolster ag industry

Endless Frontier Act investments could help U.S. beat China in tech, and existing tariffs could give U.S. negotiating power in China trade deals. That’s according to panelists who were part of yesterday’s virtual WisBusiness.com-Wisconsin Technology Council luncheon on “Dealing with China.” The bipartisan bill, co-sponsored by GOP U.S. Rep. Mike

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Workforce housing solutions making their way through Capitol

Both sides of the political aisle are circulating legislation to increase affordable housing as a way to tackle workforce issues. Statewide housing supply is at historic lows. Median home prices continue to rise and apartment rent increases are outpacing wage growth. The situation is spurring possible fixes from Democratic Gov.

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PSC approves Alliant Energy solar project

The PSC has approved permits for Alliant Energy to undertake a massive solar project. With the commission’s unanimous vote in hand, Alliant will start on the first four of six solar farms totaling 675 megawatts. This will take the company two-thirds of the way toward its goal to integrate more

Read More »

West Bend expands with Midwestern tribute

West Bend Mutual Insurance is expanding into new markets nationwide with a nod to its Midwestern roots. Using the Silver Lining brand, West Bend is branding new markets in Southeast and West with a tribute to its home turf. Short ads and a company film highlight neighbors helping neighbors after

Read More »

Foxconn deal positive for state economy

Foxconn Technology Group is confident a new agreement with Wisconsin will attract other businesses to the state.  The new deal slashes the maximum tax credits the company could earn while providing more flexibility after plans for the southeastern Wisconsin plant were dramatically scaled back. Under the new agreement, Foxconn could

Read More »

New Foxconn deal prompts cautious optimism from critics

Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz, who has consistently knocked Foxconn, says he hopes the new deal Gov. Tony Evers’ administration signed with the Taiwanese manufacturer brings “better transparency and clarity.” Evers’ office didn’t announce details of the new agreement, which will be reviewed by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. Board

Read More »