FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 14, 2015

The Board of Directors of the Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP) has issued a resolution on Governor Scott Walker’s proposed funding cuts to the University of Wisconsin System.

In recognition of the tremendous economic development impact of the UW System schools within the eight-county Madison Region – including UW-Madison and UW-Whitewater, as well as the two-year institutions UW-Rock County and UW-Sauk County – the Board voted at its March 18 meeting to issue a resolution urging the Governor and the Legislature to reduce the level of budget cuts to the UW-System and pass a budget that maintains the excellence and impact of our local Universities.

“Though the MadREP Board of Directors rarely weighs in on legislative matters, we determined that the threat facing the UW System by these proposed funding cuts is so profound that such an action is warranted,” says Bill White, Chairman of the MadREP Board of Directors. “The University of Wisconsin is a dynamic economic engine that represents one of the region and state’s most important competitive advantages for its role educating our workforce, performing world-class research, and creating new jobs and companies.”

The resolution in its entirety is posted here.

Please note that the UW-Madison economic impact numbers included in the resolution are accurate as of the Board’s March 18, 2015 vote; updated economic impact numbers are available in UW-Madison’s report released on April 14, 2015. 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 14, 2015

Madison has been selected as a featured site in the Third Americas Competitiveness Exchange (ACE), a tour designed to showcase advanced technology centers, innovation hubs, public-private partnerships, exports, and foreign direct investments in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois.

ACE is a collaboration among the U.S. Department of Commerce, through the International Trade Administration (ITA) and the Economic Development Administration (EDA), the U.S. Department of State, the Government of Guatemala, as Chair Pro Tempore of RIAC 2015, and the Organization of American States (OAS).

Madison Region Economic Partnership will host the international delegation on April 21 & 22, having submitted a winning proposal to the ACE consortium. The delegation consists of nearly 50 foreign trade and innovation ministers, private sector leaders, mayors from major cities, chancellors/presidents of universities, presidents of competitiveness councils and other senior leadership from 28 countries, including many in Latin America as well as Canada and Georgia.

Several high-ranking officials from the U.S. government will also be in Madison during the tour, including The Honorable U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Jay Williams.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity to feature Madison and its many academic, innovation and industry assets to a prominent foreign delegation,” notes Paul Jadin, president of Madison Region Economic Partnership. “Being selected for the ACE tour points to the region’s global recognition as a leader in technology and innovation that invites international exchange.”

The EDA has issued a detailed press release about the ACE tour, available at this link: http://www.eda.gov/news/press-releases/2015/04/14/ace.htm

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Excerpted from Janesville Gazette
By Gina Duwe

A plan for an agricultural education and innovation center that originated in Evansville will be built in the village of Marshall in eastern Dane County, the nonprofit group proposing the project announced Tuesday.

Southern Wisconsin Agricultural Group, or SWAG, announced they will collaborate with the village after months of meetings and discussions with communities across southern Wisconsin.

“The SWAG Board of Directors have found a true partner in moving forward with their plans to develop a complete venue for agricultural education, engagement and promotion,” the news release stated.

“We had a lot of fantastic communities and sites that we visited.  In the end it came down to which community checked the most boxes on our site criteria list and that, without a doubt, is Marshall,” said John Morning, board member and site selection chairman.

“At the top of that list was a community that would be a great partner, where we could have frank conversations about everything involved in a development such as this. We have found village representatives, school district staff, business owners and community members all to be excited and welcoming to our vision.”

Marshall is located a few minutes off of Interstate 94, features easy accessibility, rural support, a great school district, Little Amerricka Amusement Park and ample land options, according to SWAG.

Read the full article.

Excerpted from Wisconsin State Journal
By Karen Rivedal

Ball Corp. in DeForest is expecting to hire up to 40 people in the next year to help staff an $18 million expansion adding an aluminum container line at the can-making plant, where steel packaging for food and household products has been made for decades.

The new line for impact-extruded, aluminum aerosol cans, which went online for commercial production last week, is Ball’s first in the U.S. — a fact not lost on the local managers and employees tasked with making it work. With sales of $8.5 billion in 2013, Ball is a multinational metal container conglomerate that makes packaging for beverages, food and household products in 64 locations worldwide, including 30 in 16 U.S. states.

So company leaders had lots of choices for its first domestic aluminum aerosol line — including two other company plants in Wisconsin alone, in Milwaukee and Fort Atkinson — but chose the one in DeForest over all.

“It meant a lot that Ball has allowed this plant to bring a new technology into North America for our company,” said Aaron Hatleberg, plant manager in DeForest since 2011. “It says a lot about our people and the workforce in the local area, and the confidence that the company has in the workforce here to make that a success.”

“Dane County and the surrounding area boast a long legacy in manufacturing, making it an ideal location for Ball Corp.’s expansion,” said Paul Jadin, president of the Madison Region Economic Partnership, in a statement. “With facilities located all across the nation and globe, Ball’s decision to grow locally illustrates the region’s capacity for high-end production and skilled labor.”

Ball’s DeForest expansion was announced as part of a deal with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., the state’s quasi-public job creation agency, which promised up to $400,000 in state economic development tax credits for the company over the next three years.

To get the full credits, Ball had to commit $18 million to expand and equip the new line, while adding 40 jobs and retaining the plant’s existing 106 positions. Hatleberg said the money was spent over about two months starting in July, when an area of warehouse in the company’s 400,000-square-foot plant was cleared and reconfigured to house the new aluminum line’s horizontal press, which Ball bought from an overseas supplier.

As for the new hires, Rabbitt said he hoped to make most of them in the next year, if business ramps up quickly enough.

Read the full article.

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The Madison MSA scores big in Site Selection Magazine’s annual Governor’s Cup rankings, jumping to spot #5 for like-sized metros by number of projects. The rankings assess the top metros for new and expanded corporate facilities for 2014. Last year, the Madison MSA ranked #8.

Read the full article.