Excerpted from inWisconsin.com

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) today announced approval of financial support for several emerging Wisconsin companies.

“Wisconsin is known for its innovation, so it’s important we provide the business climate for entrepreneurs to launch their ideas,” said Lisa Johnson, Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Innovation with WEDC. “On the heels of Global Entrepreneur Week, we want companies to know that the state is here, ready to help them start up and grow in Wisconsin.”

WEDC approved Technology Development Loans for: Aurora Spectral Technologies, LLC, Milwaukee ($160,000); SoLoMo Identity, Madison ($250,000); Super Vitamin D, Eau Claire ($250,000); Stablebody Technologies, Madison ($75,000); Modern Movement, Waunakee ($70,000); Murfie Inc., Madison ($500,000); Stealth Theraputics, Madison ($250,000) and PerBlue, Inc., Waunakee ($200,000). The Technology Development Loan is for Wisconsin companies to facilitate research and development and commercialization of innovative technology products.

WEDC approved Qualified New Business Venture tax credits for: Perfect Cross, Nashotah; Dynamis, LLC, Madison; Strategic Fishing Systems, LLC, Madison; Moxe Health, Madison; PeptiMed, Fitchburg; Pure Oxygen Labs, Middleton; Greenwhey Energy, Turtle Lake; Seven Marine, Germantown; and Nature Tech, Milwaukee. The Qualified New Business Venture status makes investors in the company eligible for a 25 percent tax credit on the amount they invest in the business.

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I am honored to have joined MadREP this month as president. The Madison Region has the assets and potential to lead the State of Wisconsin in economic growth, and I am committed to assisting this region in reaching its full potential.

In my recent post as Secretary & CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, I had the good fortune of serving on the Strategy Committee that oversaw development of the Advance Now Strategy. This five-year blueprint poises the Madison Region for proactive, aggressive growth and aligns closely with statewide goals. Wisconsin’s economic development regions play a tremendous role in the implementation of these goals, and my experience at the state, regional, and local levels prepares me well to execute this important work.

My approach toward leading MadREP is to serve as a collaborative colleague with the talented individuals and organizations who operate in the region’s economic development landscape. We will leverage and supplement existing resources, serving as a catalyst and convener for the initiatives that will drive implementation of the Advance Now Strategy. We will take constant input from our colleagues throughout the region to make sure that our strategy is consistent with local plans, and that we are giving these professionals the best opportunity to succeed.

We are committed to delivering real results and will hold MadREP accountable to specific goals and metrics. Our immediate workplan includes the expansion of a coordinated business retention and expansion program across all eight counties. We also intend for the Madison Region to be the first in the state to incorporate WEDC’s new In Wisconsin brand. These priorities, among others, will provide a unified direction for the region’s collective economic development efforts.

I look forward to the hard work that lies ahead, and anticipate many opportunities to share success stories with you. Thank you for your interest in MadREP and the Madison Region. I wish you a warm and happy Thanksgiving holiday.

Regards,

Paul Jadin
President, MadREP

Excerpted from Janesville Gazette
By Neil Johnson

It was 7:45 a.m. on a Thursday, and high school junior Dylan Counter already had been at work nearly two hours at Componex in Edgerton.

Across the plant floor, sophomore Kaleb Kruckenberg eyed a computer monitor as he tapped a metal balancing rod into the end of a finished aluminum shaft.

This was work but also school for Counter and Kruckenberg. They are guinea pigs—picks of the guinea pig litter, actually—for “Pipeline to Employment,” a new public-private work-study program between the Edgerton School District and several area businesses. Componex, a small Edgerton company that manufactures precision aluminum rollers for printing, laminating and product packaging, chose Counter and Kruckenberg from a pool of five Edgerton High School students who applied eight weeks ago for a new, paid internship and apprenticeship program at the plant.

The program is the first of a host of potential planned partnerships, and it’s being trumpeted as a big win for the school district and local manufacturers.

District officials say it gives students a jump on learning real-life job skills. Business owners say the program grooms students for potential future careers in the local workforce at a time when industries nationally are battling the “skills gap”—a critical shortage of workers with the talents needed for precision work in manufacturing and technology fields.

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Excerpted from The Dodgeville Chronicle

The Iowa County Area Economic Development Corporation (ICAE-DC) is proud to announce its first group of local business leaders chosen as Iowa County Area Entrepreneurs of the Year. The awards are being presented in conjunction with Global Entrepreneurship Week, Nov. 12-18, 2012.

Rick Terrien, Executive Director, says that the ICAEDC Board of Directors chose this year’s five winners as representatives of the diverse and exciting entrepreneurs and business leaders that call Iowa County home.

According to the Global Entrepreneurship Week website, this is the world’s largest celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare.

The celebration of Global Entrepreneurship week is about unleashing ideas and doing what it takes to bring them to life-spotting opportunities, taking risks, solving problems, being creative, building connections and learning from both failure and success. It is about thinking big and making one’s mark on the world-doing good while doing well at the same time.

Terrien says that Iowa County is home to some of the best entrepreneurs in the world, as represented by the distinguished recipients of the 2012 Iowa County Area Entrepreneurs of the Year.

The ICAEDC celebrates this year’s winners and welcomes new entrepreneurs to opportunities across Iowa County.

“This year’s award winners highlight both established and new businesses popping up all over Iowa County,” Terrien says. “This is an exciting time to be an entrepreneur, and Iowa County is a great place to grow new businesses.”

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Excerpted from The Business Journal
By Jeff Engel

Superstorm Sandy’s projected impact on generator sales will push Generac Holdings Inc. to hire about 100 production workers and to start manufacturing operations in a Jefferson facility that it initially intended to use for warehousing and distribution, The Business Journal has learned.

Sandy’s impact on the short-term demand for Generac’s portable generators and the expected long-term demand for its home standby generators was a tipping point in the decision for how to use the 252,500-square-foot Jefferson facility, president and chief executive officer Aaron Jagdfeld told The Business Journal on Wednesday. Generac (NYSE: GNRC) is a Genesee-based generator and engine-powered products manufacturer.

Generac expects manufacturing at the Jefferson building to begin by Jan. 1. The Jefferson facility will be used for manufacturing, warehouse and distribution, Jagdfeld said. The company will move some production lines from its Whitewater plant to Jefferson and expand capacity in Whitewater.

Some employees might move from Whitewater to Jefferson, and Generac might then add more employees in Whitewater, Jagdfeld said. Overall, he said the company looks to add between 100 and 200 new employees total at both facilities over the next year.

Generac now employs 2,250 and has manufacturing operations in Genesee, Eagle, Whitewater and Berlin.

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