Plenty has been happening at Momentum West and within the region since we last connected. Foxconn, along with Governor Walker and Mark Hogan, president of WEDC, broke the news of the purchase of property in the Chippewa Valley to be used for an innovation center to spur innovation and entrepreneurship and to support the talent and supply chain in the region and beyond. Foxconn is expected to create at least 150 jobs at Foxconn Place Chippewa Valley. We also had a major announcement regarding the redevelopment of the former St. Croix Meadows dog track, which promises to be an exciting project to watch as it evolves.
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One of the highlights of the month of July was the Entrepreneur Resource Forum hosted by Momentum West, UW Stout, Dunn County EDC, WEDC and Ignite WI. The event featured several panel discussions on resources and facilitation, as well as a session lead by Aaron Hagar, vice-president of entrepreneurship and innovation for WEDC, on identifying gaps in available resources in the region, but the presentation by world renounce speaker Ernesto Sirolli stole the show.
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The outcome of the Entrepreneur Resource Forum is the formation of a task force that will be looking at working with our partners to fill existing support gaps and exploring the possibility of bringing Ernesto back to the region to conduct a multi-day session on enterprise facilitation.
This edition of the Momentum West newsletter also contains information on the collaborative UWIN regional internship program with UW River Falls, UW Eau Claire and UW Stout, as well as information on a new marketing effort to promote the quality of life in the region via a five-year program with Livability Media.
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Regional Marketing:
I wanted to share news with you on an exciting development that will help us promote West Central Wisconsin as a place to live, work, invest in and grow.
Momentum West is partnering with Livability Media, a division of Journal Communications, on the inaugural
West Central Wisconsin Economic Development
publication. Livability Media’s content marketing program will put our story in front of corporate executives and site-location professionals and be an integral part of our efforts to recruit talent to the region.
This multi-platform program includes:
•
West Central Wisconsin Economic Development
, a high-quality print publication that will highlight the region’s key success metrics, assets and advantages as a place to do business and as a place to live. A customized distribution plan will put the print magazine into the hands of business decision-makers, fast-growth companies and talent prospects from around the country.
• A dedicated landing page and featured content for West Central Wisconsin on Livability.com, a nationally recognized authority on best places to live and work that draws more than 10 million visitors annually. Content on Livability.com is optimized for web and mobile devices and can be shared easily.
• A digital version of
West Central Wisconsin Economic Development
that will be hosted on Livability.com, with content that can easily be shared.
• Promotion of West Central Wisconsin content through Livability Media’s social engagement platforms.
The publishing program with Livability Media will be the centerpiece of our regional marketing efforts. A representative of Livability Media will be in our area soon to detail advertising opportunities with this program. For more information please email sales@livmedia.com or call (800) 333-8842, ext. 292. I encourage you to support this effort, which will benefit all of us.
Thank you for your support in this joint effort to promote West Central Wisconsin.
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UWIN
The partnership of Momentum West and the three UW System schools in the region is closer to making the UWIN (University of Wisconsin Internship Network) a reality. Print collateral is being designed, a website address that will also be accessible via our and our partners websites has been secured and the site is under construction. We have applied for a grant to assist with the rollout and promotion of the program, and plan to introduce it in late October. This should create an efficient pathway for business of any size and in any part of the ten-county region to apply for an intern either online or via an in-person visit, which hopefully will result in keep more of our regions UW System educated students in the region after graduation.
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Inspire Connections
We are working with the Workforce Development Board to provide the equivalent of one full time employee to work with business and industry in the ten-county region regarding setting up profiles, developing experiential leaning opportunities, develop mentors and assist with the overall launch of the platform in the region. Shortly we will go live with the communications feature of the software allowing students to communicate with mentors at business and industry throughout the region.
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11
th
Annual Manufacturing Advantage Conference
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Manufacturing Advantage is designed for Wisconsin Manufacturers to discover
innovative ideas, compelling insights, and effective strategies to improve your manufacturing operation. Learn to take
the upper hand with insights from industry pros, cutting-edge technology, networking with peers, and actionable takeaways you can integrate at your operation.
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This program is being hosted by University of Wisconsin-Stout’s Professional Education Programs & Services and UW-Stout Wisconsin Manufacturing Outreach Center (
MOC
).
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Where:
UW-Stout, Memorial Student Center, 302 10
th
Ave. E., Menomonie, WI 54751
When:
October 10, 2018
Time:
9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Contact:
Heidi Rabeneck
715-232-5506
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BrightStar Wisconsin Held First Chippewa Valley Hatch Event
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BrightStar Wisconsin Foundation had its first Chippewa Valley Hatch event in Eau Claire Thursday the 26th. The event was attended by close to 80 people, and the audience and judges heard five great presentations. The winner of the "pitch" competition was Andrew Niese of Eau Claire, the creator of a web-based app called Fixity. It allows citizens to report problems in their city and provides the city with a management portal to track and resolve issues.
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Governor Walker’s Cabinet Speaker Bureau
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Are you looking for a speaker for your organization’s next event? We invite you to visit Governor Scott Walker’s Cabinet Speakers Bureau
webpage
.
The Cabinet Speakers Bureau is comprised of top appointees overseeing Governor Walker’s 17 Cabinet agencies. These are executive-level, nationally regarded experts in a variety of areas such as economic development, talent attraction, education, transportation, women in government and more. Among the Cabinet’s many duties is to build awareness of the laws, policies, trends and other elements that support working families, advance Wisconsin’s economy and ensure state government remains accountable to the taxpaying public.
At the Cabinet Speakers Bureau
webpage
you can review each’s Secretary’s areas of expertise, access his or her bio, and request an appearance for your next event.
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WEDC TRADE VENTURE: AUSTRALIA
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A MATURE MARKET WITH DIVERSIFIED OPPORTUNITIES
Australia is a highly developed, internationally competitive, advanced market economy. The world’s second-wealthiest nation in terms of wealth per adult, Australia has a high standard of living and excellent quality of life. It is the 13th largest global economy according to nominal GDP—on par with or larger than countries such as Mexico, Russia and Spain. In 2017, Australia celebrated its 26th consecutive year of economic growth, marking the longest stretch of growth in modern history. It is an open market with minimal restrictions on the import of goods and services, which has increased productivity, stimulated growth, and made the economy more flexible and dynamic. Because of all these factors, Australia should be a consideration in Wisconsin companies’ export growth strategies.
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These annual regional forums are designed to bring together people involved and interested in promoting, enhancing and preserving Wisconsin’s small communities. All Forums will take place from 12 noon to 4:30 PM.
- August 9, Egg Harbor
- August 22, New Glarus
- September 6, Pepin
- September 19, Hurley
For more information, see the Wisconsin Rural Partners website.
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New Regional Marketing Effort Underway
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Bryan Symes, Chair
Seth Hudson
Bruce Barker
Eric Turner
Maureen Carlson
Julie Thoney
Char Gurney
Lynn Nelson
Jess Miller
Bob Meyer
Jon Menz
Rob Kreibich
Alison Page
Janet Andrea
Rick Geisen
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Without the support of our investors and partners, Momentum West would not exist to make a difference in the region. Follow the links below for a listing of the organizations that make a direct investment to the economic development of the Momentum West region.
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