Excerpted from Wisconsin State Journal
By Judy Newman

American Family Insurance has agreed to put its financial backing behind the StartingBlock Madison project slated for the 800 block of East Washington Ave.

Madison-based American Family is not saying publicly yet how much money it will commit toward the proposed central city base for entrepreneurs but project facilitator George Austin called it “major support.”

“We have a champion that believes that the objectives embodied by this entrepreneurial hub … are worthy of investment,” Austin said. “We’re able now to move to the next stage with a good sense that this project will be able to become a reality.”

Local entrepreneurs and mentors have been talking about creating StartingBlock for two years. It is intended to bring together many of the elements needed by those who want to start a business: the Sector67 maker space, gener8tor tech accelerator, Capital Entrepreneurs mentor group, as well as prototyping space and support services.

“American Family Insurance believes in the power of dreams, combined with the entrepreneurial spirit, commitment and collaboration needed to achieve those dreams,” Jack Salzwedel, president and CEO, said, in a written statement.

American Family and Madison Gas & Electric hosted a brunch Friday for about 75 people — potential contributors — “who may have an interest in the StartingBlock project,” Austin said.

He said the goal is to raise $1.5 million for construction, to match the city’s allocation, by July 1, 2015, and another $1.5 million for operating costs later.

“If we can do that, then the project is a reality,” said Terry Sivesind, president of StartingBlock’s board of directors.

If all goes well, construction will start in the second half of 2015 and the building will be ready in late 2016, Austin said.

Read the full article.

Excerpted from Janesville Gazette
By Jim Leute

Chicago Fittings based in Belvidere, Illinois, said Wednesday it would break ground next spring on a 30,000-square-foot facility at the southeast corner of Gateway Boulevard and Colley Road.

The project is expected to reach full operations by the second half of 2016.

Staffing initially is pegged at 15 with additional growth projected through 2020.

“After thoroughly evaluating various operational factors, Beloit’s Gateway Business Park provided the optimal solution to meet our company and customer needs,” Joseph Tarquini, president and owner of Chicago Fittings, said in a news release.

“We appreciate the responsive, professional support offered by the community’s economic development team and are truly excited to join a community within a state that is committed to the growth and development of small business.”

“We will be working with the company as needed to facilitate construction and are confident they will be as successful as other corporate entities that have selected a Gateway Business Park location,” City Manager Larry Arft said.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. authorized up to $175,000 in state tax credits over the next four years. The actual amount of credits received will depend upon the number of jobs created.

“WEDC is pleased to assist Chicago Fittings in making the move from Illinois to Wisconsin,” said Reed Hall, WEDC chief executive officer.

“This is yet another indication of the strong business climate and quality workforce in Wisconsin and Rock County,” Hall said.

Read the full article.

PRESS RELEASE: December 9, 2014

The Mid-America Economic Development Council presented its annual Economic Development awards at the 2014 Mid-America Competitiveness Conference & Site Selector Forum, held December 7-9 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Chicago.

MadREP received the first place award in the Annual Report: Large Market category for its 2014 State of the Madison Region Report.

The Mid-America Economic Development Council is a multi-state association dedicated to being the leading resource for education, making connections, and sharing best practices for economic development professionals.

For many years, The Mid-America Economic Development Council has sponsored the annual Economic Development Awards competition to recognize and stimulate the creative use of quality marketing by economic development organizations throughout the ten-state Mid-America region in promoting their respective communities.  The Mid-America Economic Development Council’s awards partner is Site Selection magazine, and all first place winners will be highlighted in an ad in the January issue of Site Selection magazine. Recognition was presented to:

Annual Report

Small Division:

• 1st place – Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corp. –  Iowa Lakes Corridor Annual Report 2013 – Spencer, IA
• 2nd place – Greater Fremont Development Council – Greater Fremont is “Forging a New Path” – Member/Prospect Communication – Fremont, NE
• 3rd place – Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation – Chippewa County EDC 2013/14 Annual Report – Chippewa Falls, WI

Large Division:

• 1st place – Madison Region Economic Partnership – 2014 State of the Madison Region Report – Madison, WI
• 2nd place – Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation – Madison, WI

Business Retention & Expansion

Small Division:

• 1st place – Iowa City Area Development Group – Making Iowa City and Iowa’s Creative Corridor a Hub for Workplace Culture – Iowa City, IA
• 2nd place – Whitley County Economic Development Corporation – Toolbox Campaign – Columbia City, IN
• 3rd place – Norfolk Area Economic Development Council – BR!E by Norfolk, Nebraska

Large Division:

• 1st place – Rockford Area Economic Development Council – 2013 Voice of the Customer Summary Report – Rockford, IL
• 2nd place – Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development – Lincoln Business Retention & Expansion Program – Lincoln, NE
• 3rd place – Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce – Quad Cities Business Retention and Expansion Program – Davenport, IA

Marketing Program

Small Division:

• 1st place – APEX (Area Partnership for Economic Expansion) Data Center Attraction Strategy – Duluth, MN
• 2nd place – Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation – Special Purpose Website – Chippewa Falls, WI
• 3rd place – City of Hudson – “Businesses Welcome Workforce Ready” Marketing Campaign – Hudson, OH

Large Division:

• 1st place – Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation – Wisconsin Video Brochure – Madison, WI
• 2nd place – Greater Dubuque Development Corporation – Greater Dubuque Development Marketing Program – Dubuque, IA
• 3rd place – Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation – Wisconsin Business Climate Television Commercials – Madison, WI

Workforce Development

Small Division:

• 1st place – Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corp. – Manufacturing Workforce Training – Spencer, IA
• 2nd place – Norfolk Area Economic Development Council – NorfolkNow Magazine – Norfolk, NE
• 3rd place – Whitley County Economic Development Corporation – Industry Immersion – Columbia City, IN

For more information about The Mid-America Economic Development Council, please visit www.maedc.net.

Excerpted from Xconomy Wisconsin
by Jeff Engel

A vacant 1.75-acre piece of land in downtown Madison, WI—once the site of a car dealership—could become one of the most important hubs for tech entrepreneurship in the state’s capital, if the backers of a proposed project called StartingBlock Madison make their vision a reality.

StartingBlock would put startup accelerator Gener8tor and maker space Sector67 under one roof, and be the go-to event host for networking group Capital Entrepreneurs. The exact details are still being worked out—including who will foot the bill for the roughly $30 million-plus project, and whether startups will flock to it—but the early plan is to construct a 10 to 12-story mixed-use building totaling between 113,000 and 140,000 square feet. StartingBlock would be the anchor tenant, taking up about 50,000 square feet.(The above picture shows an early rendering that is subject to change.) The building would include a co-working space, office suites with flexible lease terms that are conducive to startups, conference rooms, a 1,500-seat performing arts venue, and commercial and retail space.

The idea is to coalesce some of Madison’s key tech organizations and create an environment where small, young companies can set up shop next to all the resources they need to grow. Investors, business services providers, and universities are expected to have a presence. Organizers intend to hold educational workshops and community events.

The project’s supporters hope the space will spark plenty of collaboration among the various tenants. Say, for example, a startup going through Gener8tor’s three-month accelerator program is working on a Web-enabled device, but needs an engineer to build a prototype. The founder might be able to walk down the hallway to Sector67 and find someone who could build the device on site.

“Our hope is there’d be a lot more serendipitous outcomes by bringing all these groups together,” says Gener8tor co-founder Troy Vosseller, a member of StartingBlock’s planning committee.

Advocates clearly have high hopes for StartingBlock. Michael Gay, Madison Region Economic Partnership’s senior vice president of economic development, put it this way: “This is not just a physical location. This is not a real estate play. This is a game-changing centerpiece of innovation and ideas and economic growth.”

Gay sees StartingBlock as a way to amplify the Madison area’s existing strength in information technology and advanced manufacturing through a physical hub that would help align the local sectors, similar to what The Water Council built and the Mid-West Energy Research Consortium is building in Milwaukee. At the same time, efforts are underway to strengthen another one of Madison’s industry clusters, life sciences, through a possible expansion of the successful University Research Park.

StartingBlock organizers specifically cite Chicago’s 1871 as an inspiration for their project, although they think that having a maker space will set StartingBlock apart. It’s a feature not found in many co-working offices for digital startups, they say.

Supporters have been planning StartingBlock for more than two years, and the project has hit a crucial juncture, Gay says.

“This next month or two is going to be extremely instrumental in rallying the coalition of interested parties around the table to invest in this project and to move it forward to the next phase,” Gay says.

Madison’s aspirations to become a leading tech startup hub don’t hinge on StartingBlock coming to fruition, but the initiative could form a “critical piece of the ecosystem puzzle,” says Greg Robinson, a former Silicon Valley venture capitalist who moved to Madison this year to manage 4490 Ventures, a $30 million IT-focused fund.

If successful, StartingBlock would help support a “critical mass” of startups that could keep talented young people from fleeing to the coasts. The initiative could also have residual effects on the surrounding neighborhood, like the development of more offices, restaurants, and coffee shops, Robinson says.

Read the full article.

Advertising space in the Madison Region Economic Development Guide is available for local businesses, but only for a limited time. Advertisers will be able to advertise in print and online, and have the option to develop a customer acquisition and retention program. 

The official Madison Region Economic Partnership-sponsored publication targets a defined audience of potential residents, new businesses and visitors and will be distributed throughout the year.

For more information on becoming a part of the Madison Region Economic Development Guide, email sales@jnlcom.com or call (800) 333-8842 ext. 292.