As appeared on WisBusiness.com

Press Release: December 4, 2013

Lighting and rigging manufacturer ETC has experienced substantial growth in recent years, leading the company to open a 355,774-square-foot manufacturing facility in Mazomanie, which will support its Middleton headquarters.

ETC was founded in 1975, when University of Wisconsin students Fred and Bill Foster and Gary Bewick developed a groundbreaking lighting control console in a garage in Madison. The company grew rapidly, opening offices around the world, with its headquarters located in Wisconsin. In 2004, ETC constructed an expansive 250,000-square-foot facility in Middleton’s industrial park to house the bulk of its global operations. In just a few short years, the workforce at ETC’s headquarters had increased and the new facility was no longer large enough to keep the pace of product development and production. So in 2008, ETC expanded its factory by an additional 78,000 square feet. The company quickly outgrew the addition and made the decision to buy a second facility to allow for future growth.

While many other companies have shifted their manufacturing overseas in recent years, ETC has committed to staying in Wisconsin. “ETC has an extremely skilled and dedicated workforce that has been at the heart of our company from the beginning,” explains ETC CEO Fred Foster. “ETC has always called the Madison area home, and keeping our production located here was very important to us.” After a dedicated search, the company found the perfect space in Mazomanie.

ETC purchased the new facility – located on the newly christened ETC Drive – which had previously housed printing company Sunny Industries. KEE Architecture was chosen to be the architectural firm and Design Structures was the builder in charge of transforming the structure to meet ETC’s needs. Frank Miller, ETC’s corporate architect, also contributed to the project, choosing office furniture and designing workspaces.

The structure comprises four conjoined buildings, and initially ETC will occupy 158,000 square feet, with much of the remaining space open for further expansion. “By the second week of December, the Mazomanie factory will be fully operational,” says ETC President Dick Titus. “It will primarily house our rigging and power-distribution assembly, and will be used for warehouse and storage space. The venue will also have offices for support staff, and eventually will become home to ETC’s woodshop, where we construct our tradeshow booths. We’ve even added a studio where our Marketing department can film promotional videos and conduct photo shoots.” ETC plans to rent out one of the buildings – a 145,000-square-foot unit with office space, a break room, and shipping and receiving docks – in the future.

The new Mazomanie building is just one of the projects ETC has undergone recently to accommodate its growing business. The company is currently in the process of remodeling and expanding its local office in New York City, and has renovated or purchased additional manufacturing, training and office space for its hubs in Ede, The Netherlands; Holzkirchen, Germany; Hong Kong; London and Rome.

MadREP is pleased to announce the launch of a new marketing initiative that will showcase the eight-county Madison Region’s many business and quality of life assets.

We’ve partnered with Journal Communications, an award-winning custom publisher, to develop the Madison Region Economic Development Guide, a high-quality print publication distributed to talent prospects, site selectors, and key economic development and government partners. The print publication is accompanied by a companion website and digital version.

We expect to launch the inaugural issue of this annual publication in Spring 2014.

We invite businesses, organizations, and municipalities in the Madison Region to join us in this important effort to tell the region’s story. This marketing initiative provides advertisers with year-round exposure on multiple media platforms, while providing an opportunity to expand your reach and reinforce your brand to more potential customers through this annual promotional program. Learn more about advertising opportunities in this short video.

Matt McWhorter of Journal Communications will be in the area for the next several weeks to talk about advertising options in the magazine. Please join us in welcoming him to the region. If you wish to contact Matt, you may email mmcwhorter@jnlcom.com or call 800.333.8842 ext. 272.

Thank you for your support in this joint effort to promote the Madison Region.

Press Release: November 26, 2013

The Organic Processing Institute, a nonprofit focused on expanding the organic business sector in the upper Midwest, is launching a School for Organic Processing Entrepreneurs.

The School will be offered for the first time in 2014, beginning January 14. Fifteen weekly sessions will cover topics relevant to small food processing start-ups and current processors interested in adding an organic line of products. Sessions will be held in Madison, Wisconsin, or students can attend remotely via real time, interactive streaming video. Class size is limited to allow for optimum discussion and interaction among students and instructors.

“We are bringing students together to learn from practitioners and other experts, and we’re developing a vibrant, supportive network of organic processing entrepreneurs,” says project coordinator Jenny Buckly. “These sessions cover a wide range of the complexities involved in starting and operating a successful food business, from selecting a processing facility to organic certification and labeling.”

While OPI provides education and competency to enable businesses to pursue organic certification, sessions are open to anyone interested in food businesses, whether they are considering entrepreneurship, are currently developing a business, or are curious about going organic.

Fees for the sessions have been kept at a minimum to encourage participation, and discounts apply for attending more than five. A single session costs $30, 6-9 sessions are $25 each, and 10-15 sessions are $20 each. Rebates for completing course evaluations will further reduce net cost.

“Organic farming is now core to the Midwest economy; processing provides an additional option for those farms to turn their products into value added ingredients to create business enterprises. We’re offering these sessions as one step towards growing the organic food processing sector in the upper Midwest,” says OPI Executive Director Carla Wright.

More information about the School for Organic Processing Entrepreneurs, including registration materials, is available online at organicprocessinginstitute.org/sope.

Contact: Carla Wright, Executive Director
608.833.5370 | carla@organicprocessinginstitute.org

 

Excerpted from Janesville Gazette
By Frank Schultz

United Alloy of Janesville will expand and add jobs with the help of a forgivable loan from the city of Janesville.

The city council approved the agreement at its meeting Monday night.

John Beckord, president of Forward Janesville, lauded city staff for its efforts to keep the company here, noting Janesville was “up against southern states.”

“Congratulations to all of you,” Beckord said. “This is good for Janesville.”

The agreement calls for the city to provide an incentive package worth $887,460. In return, United Alloy would double the size of its plant at 4100 Kennedy Road and add at least 40 workers by 2017.

The city’s part of the deal would be financed through Tax Increment Financing District 25.

A TIF district uses the property taxes on the increased value of the property to pay off the city’s costs. This deal includes:

• The city gives the developer 7 acres of the industrial park located just south of the existing site. The land is valued at $191,625.
• The city provides a 12-year, forgivable TIF loan to pay for construction of the approximately 112,500-square-foot expansion to the production facility at 4100 North Kennedy Road.
• The loan also would pay for retention of 100 full-time employees and creation and retention of 40 additional full-time jobs after 2017.

The deal requires United Alloy to guarantee its property tax assessment would increase by $3.37 million as a result of the expansion, for an increase in annual property tax payments of at least $79,463.

“If United Alloy fails to meet any of the above requirements, they will be required to pay back all or a portion of their annual debt service,” according to the memo.

City staff and acting City Manager Jay Winzenz both agreed to recommend the deal to the council, according to a memo from the city’s economic development office.

“United Alloy is a valued community partner, and their continued growth and success is an important piece of our economic recovery,” Winzenz said in the memo.

Dillon said company officials have decided to stay in Janesville and quickly build a new production/warehouse facility, doubling its current size.

Construction could begin as soon as December and finish by the end of next summer, Dillon said.

Read the full article.

As appeared on datcp.wisconsin.gov

Press Release: November 21, 2013

The news is good again for Wisconsin’s agricultural industry. The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has announced that the value of agricultural exports increased 6% through the first nine months of 2013 over the same period last year.

Wisconsin exported over $2.3 billion worth of agricultural products from January to September 2013. The state ranks 13th in the nation for the value of its agricultural exports.

The most valuable export product for America’s Dairyland is dairy-related products, including eggs and honey. Wisconsin exported $275 million of dairy-related products through the third quarter of 2013, a 34% increase over the same period in 2012. Wisconsin ranks fourth nationwide for the value of our dairy-related exports.

“Dairy-related products continue to do exceptionally well in Wisconsin’s growing agricultural exports, benefiting the state’s farmers, businesses and economy,” said DATCP Secretary Ben Brancel. “The great contributions of Wisconsin agriculture will work to meet worldwide demand for safe food and high quality agricultural products.”

Canada continues to be the top market for the state’s agricultural products. Wisconsin exported $1.1 billion of agricultural products to Canada during the first nine months of 2013. Almost all of Wisconsin ethanol exports, valued at $133 million, go to Canada.

China, Wisconsin’s second most valuable agricultural export market, imported $211 million of agricultural products from the state in 2013, an increase of 78.5% over the same period last year. China was the leading animal feed destination for the state. During the first nine months of 2013, Wisconsin exported $106 million of animal feed worldwide, an increase of 28% over the same period the year before.
Mexico was the state’s third most valuable agricultural market through the third quarter. Wisconsin exported $175 million of agricultural products to Mexico, an increase of 12.5%. Mexico continues to be the top market for Wisconsin dairy products.

Other valuable destinations for Wisconsin agricultural products are Korea and Japan. The state exported agricultural products to more than 140 countries during the first nine months of 2013.
Wisconsin exported $230 million of miscellaneous food ingredients from January to September 2013, an increase of 6%. Other top valuable export products for the state include ethanol, raw furskins and baking-related goods.

The Wisconsin International Trade Team provides various services to help all the state’s agriculture related businesses succeed in their exporting efforts. Contact the Wisconsin International Trade Team to participate in one-on-one consultations, educational seminars, market research, buyers missions or trade missions.

Contact: Ashley Andre
608.224.5002 | international@wisconsin.gov