FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 30, 2018

Contacts
WEDC: Mark Maley, 608.210.6706
mark.maley@wedc.org

MadREP: Jessica Reilly, 608.571.0407
jreilly@madisonregion.org

Madison Region companies invited to informational session on how to bid for work during Foxconn construction 

Representatives from construction management firm and WEDC to provide updates on construction opportunities available to businesses statewide

Construction-related companies in the Madison region that want to learn more about becoming a vendor, subcontractor, supplier or professional service provider during the construction phase of the Foxconn project are invited to informational sessions in Madison and Janesville on April 9.

The sessions will be hosted by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), the Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP) and M+W|Gilbane, the professional construction manager on the project. Madison’s meeting will take place at the Madison Area Technical College, Room D1630A/C, 1701 Wright St. and run from 9 to 11 a.m. The Janesville session will be held at Blackhawk Technical College, 6004 S. County Road G and run from 2 to 4 p.m. The sessions are free but advance registration is required.

The meeting is designed to assist construction-related companies in understanding the nature of the project and the procurement process for work related to construction of Foxconn’s $10 billion advanced manufacturing campus in Racine County.

For more information, and to register, visit:

• Madison:  http://bit.ly/FoxconnMadison

• Janesville: http://bit.ly/FoxconnJanesville

At each meeting, construction-related businesses will receive information regarding the process for submitting bid proposals, standard terms and conditions related to the project, basic construction information, and a preliminary construction schedule for Phase One of the Wisconn Valley Science and Technology Park. Representatives from WEDC and M+W|Gilbane will be on hand to answer questions about the Foxconn project and the opportunities available to Wisconsin companies.

“Foxconn is a transformational project that will have a positive economic impact on every part of the state, including the Madison region,” said Mark R. Hogan, secretary and CEO of WEDC, the state’s lead economic development organization. “I encourage businesses throughout the region to attend this meeting and learn more about the many opportunities that will exist during the construction phase.”

“We are grateful that WEDC, M+W|Gilbane and Foxconn are reaching out to the Madison region contractors for this project,” said Paul Jadin, president of MadREP. “MadREP is pleased to help facilitate these informational sessions for all our great companies and partners.”

To ensure a fair and open process, construction-related companies seeking to bid on work related to the construction phase are asked to complete the following steps to be considered for such opportunities:

• Register with M+W|Gilbane to receive automatic bid alerts and notifications on upcoming pre-bid and matchmaking sessions. A link to the registration website can be found on the Wisconn Valley Science & Technology Park website atwisconnvalley.wi.gov. Registration is required to bid on construction projects.
• Attend one of the 12 informational sessions being held throughout the state. Companies also are urged to sign up for the Wisconn Valley News e-newsletter to get the latest information on project status, road updates and more.
  Sign up at wisconnvalley.wi.gov/newsletter.
• Attend a pre-bid and matchmaking session that will outline a clear and detailed process with good faith efforts to place “Wisconsin First” while building significant capacity in both workforce and businesses. Companies that register with M+W|Gilbane will receive notifications on upcoming pre-bid and matchmaking sessions.

The informational meetings are among 12 that will be held statewide in the coming weeks as construction is about to get underway for the campus that will be at least 1,000 acres. Foxconn is expected to spend more than $10 billion during the four-year construction period, and the project will create about 10,000 direct construction jobs and 6,000 indirect jobs annually during construction.

The campus will also serve as a science and technology park to promote research and development in advanced technologies in areas such as artificial intelligence, Big Data, the Internet of Things and robotics.

Work on the project is expected to begin in 60 days and will include site work, material procurement and temporary logistics preparation.

About the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) leads economic development efforts for the state by advancing and maximizing opportunities in Wisconsin for businesses, communities and people to thrive in a globally competitive environment. Working with more than 600 regional and local partners, WEDC develops and delivers solutions representative of a highly responsive and coordinated economic development network. Visit wedc.org or follow WEDC on Twitter @WEDCNews to learn more.

About Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP)
MadREP is the economic development agency for the eight-county Madison Region, founded by business and community leaders to create a dynamic environment where people and businesses prosper. MadREP and its partners aim to proactively and strategically position the region to take advantage of economic and business development opportunities. Visit https://madisonregion.org for more information.

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Excerpted from Baraboo News Republic
By Ben Bromley

A national economic analysis ranks the Baraboo area the 15th-most prosperous small community in America.

Policom Corporation’s recently released economic strength rankings place Baraboo 15th among “micropolitan” markets. The Florida research firm used county-level statistics in analyzing employment, earnings, growth and stability. That means the high ranking is a feather in the caps of both Baraboo and Sauk County.

“It’s great to show we’re a strong economic driver,” said Bobbie Boettcher, executive director of the Baraboo Area Chamber of Commerce.

“Being ranked 15th in the country, that’s pretty remarkable,” Mayor Mike Palm said. “We will strive to be No. 1.”

Policom’s ranking is the latest honor for Baraboo. In September, the Circus City made U.S. News & World Report’s list of six up-and-coming American cities. In 2013, Smithsonian Magazine named Baraboo the No. 4 small town to visit in the U.S. The next year, the book “The Economic Viability of Micropolitan America” noted Baraboo as a success story.

Baraboo is the top-ranked micropolitan market in Wisconsin. Madison placed 13th among metropolitan markets.

Boettcher and Palm said the Baraboo area’s diverse economy is critical to its strength, boasting robust tourism, manufacturing and retail sectors. “We weathered the recession so well because we have that diversity,” Boettcher said.

The community’s latest honor is another selling point for the Baraboo area. Boettcher said it’s one more accolade the Chamber of Commerce can promote, along with Devil’s Lake State Park being the most popular in the Wisconsin system. “It’s part of our portfolio,” she said. “It’s another part of the story we can tell.”

Read the full story.

Excerpted from wedc.org

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) today announced that 11 organizations have been awarded a total of $500,000 in grants to help develop or expand innovative programs aimed at advancing the climate for entrepreneurship throughout the state.

The grants are being awarded as part of WEDC’s Entrepreneurship Support Program, which is now in its second year. The grants will help fund activities that promote entrepreneurship or deliver education, training and other resources to assist new and aspiring business owners. More than 400 entrepreneurs are expected to receive services through a wide variety of initiatives.

The Madison Region recipients are:

• Green County Development Corporation, Monroe, ($40,000) will implement an entrepreneurship support strategy to engage, assess, and provide mentorship and coaching resources to current and aspiring entrepreneurs.
• WiSolve Consulting Group, Madison, ($50,000) will provide new technology-based ventures with entrepreneurial consulting services delivered by scholars and mentors from science and technology fields at UW-Madison.

WEDC received 36 applications for the program, which provides matching grants to nonprofit organizations and communities. The Entrepreneurship Support Program is the latest addition to WEDC’s suite of entrepreneurship resources, which also include support for startup accelerators, seed capital funds, investment tax credits and technology development loans. In addition, WEDC supports and engages an existing statewide network of partners that offers business training, mentorship and financing to aspiring entrepreneurs.

Read the full press release.

Excerpted from Wisconsin State Journal
By Barry Adams

The newest addition to the state’s growing craft beer scene offers panoramic views of the Wisconsin River, an outdoor beer garden, 40 tap lines in the main bar and a stylish 250-seat wedding and banquet facility.

The 26,000-square-foot, $7 million Vintage Brewing Co. facility that opened Monday could help pave the way for a hotel, bring more business to the village’s downtown and draw customers from Madison, Wisconsin Dells and nearby Devil’s Lake State Park, which drew nearly 3 million visitors last year.

But the heart of the operation is a 30-barrel brewhouse in the basement that will ultimately be used to pump out 8,000 barrels of beer a year, on top of the 2,000 barrels being produced at the Vintage on Whitney Way in Madison.

The way this family-owned company is growing, the Sauk City brewery, scheduled to begin production next month, is going to be a busy place. By next fall, Vintage, which also has a bar and restaurant at the corner of University Avenue and Francis Street, will have four locations. The company not only opened the doors of its newest venture on Monday but announced that it will also have a restaurant and bar in the eight-story Gebhardt Building in the 800 block of East Washington Avenue in Madison.

“There are no lack of opportunities,” said Trent Kraemer, one of six owners of Vintage. “Craft beer is hot.”

Read the full story.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 8, 2018

Madison, WI – The Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP) today expressed its congratulations to County Executive Joe Parisi and Airport Director Bradley Livingston for their success in adding a daily non-stop flight between Dane County Regional Airport and San Francisco. Securing a non-stop route between San Francisco and Madison has been a goal for the MadREP Board of Directors and the regional business community for years. This announcement is not only welcome, but an indication of the region’s stature within the airline community, especially given that Madison will be the smallest community east of the Mississippi River with such a flight.

“It bodes well for the retention of existing businesses in the region and for possible attraction of new business to the area, in addition to reinforcing the unique relationship between the established tech community in the San Francisco Bay Area and the burgeoning tech ecosystem here,” said MadREP president Paul Jadin. “Airports have an obligation to provide comfort and quality service to their passengers through adequate parking, clean terminals, and great vendors, but ultimately they are judged on where their planes are going,” he added. “This checks a significant box on that front.”

Contact
Paul Jadin, pjadin@madisonregion.org, 608.571.0401