More and more of the food and other agricultural products grown by Wisconsin farmers continue to be enjoyed by consumers around the world. That's according to the state's agriculture department, which announced this week that Wisconsin is on pace for another record-breaking year for agricultural exports. Wisconsin shipped over $1.8 billion worth of farm products abroad to 134 countries between January and June of this year. That was an 8.8 percent increase over the same period in 2016; placing the state 12th in the nation in ag exports. "Our solid first-half export numbers, which outpaced the U.S. increase in exports, is yet another indication of the overall strength of Wisconsin's economy," Governor Scott Walker said. "We are seeing more companies of all sizes and industries gain access to new markets and new customers through exporting. This is outstanding news for the state business and farmers." 

 

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Kollege Town Sports operational in new Sun Prairie Business Park facility  

 

Kollege Town Sports' new 102,125 square foot facility means more opportunity for the company. "We have more room to do our thing, more space for equipment, inventory, offices and a beautiful showroom to bring our customers to so they can see how we stand out from our competitors," said vice president Jeff Handlen. More than 172 employees -- the majority of whom work at the Sun Prairie facility -- are part of the production, sales, design and administration teams. City of Sun Prairie officials worked hard to beat out surrounding municipalities in landing the new Kollege Town Sports facility here, to provide jobs for residents and boost the local economy. The Sun Prairie City Council OK'd creating Tax Increment Finance (TIF) District 12 to offer the company $1.3 million in a pay-go TIF incentive over the course of eight years. As part of the agreement, the company agreed to build a facility worth $7.5 million and hire 240 employees by 2021, according to Taylor King, the city's Economic Development Specialist.

 

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The ecosystem for early-stage companies is maturing, a Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation report suggests. The report, released Wednesday, examined companies that earned the state's Qualified New Business Venture certification in 2016. The certification allows investors in the company to earn tax credits for invested fund, with the idea behind the program being to incentivize investment in Wisconsin firms. Investors into certified companies earn a tax credit equal to 25% of the equity investment. Total funding to those certified companies topped $281 million in 2016, up from about $176 million in 2015. It's the largest funding total in at least the past 10 years.

 

Duluth Trading Co. celebrates expansion; downtown Mount Horeb reaps the benefits

 

The additional 2,219 square feet at the Duluth Trading Co. store in downtown Mount Horeb is adding to the energetic vibe of this village's troll-themed downtown that will also gain the Duluth headquarters in 2018 in a five-story building under construction a block away from the store. "We are thriving. It's hard to keep up," said Melissa Theisen, executive director of the Mount Horeb Area Chamber of Commerce.
Since opening its flagship store in Mount Horeb in 2010, the company has added 20 more stores and two outlets. This fall it will open six more stores in four states. "Its tremendous success gave us the confidence to pursue our retail store expansion," Duluth's CEO Stephanie Pugliese said. "Mount Horeb has been very good to us, and we are proud to present our town with a newly renovated store and later with a new Duluth Trading headquarters building just a few blocks away." 

 

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