Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes and Deputy Secretary Sam Rikkers will be shopping at De Pere businesses today (December 8th). This is a part of the “Shop Small Wednesday” initiative, in which Tony Evers is encouraging everyone to support local businesses. (Adapted from “WEDC Secretary, Deputy Secretary to Talk About Shop Small Wednesday in De Pere Today,” December 8, 2021, Seehafer News) The post WEDC Secretary, Deputy Secretary to Talk About Shop Small Wednesday in De Pere Today appeared first on Think-Make-Happen In Wisconsin ..read more

Eight Wisconsin businesses received top honors in the 2021 MARKETPLACE Governor’s Awards competition, which recognizes outstanding businesses owned by minorities, women and service-disabled veterans. Three individuals were also honored with distinguished awards for their work supporting and leading diverse businesses as part of MARKETPLACE’s 40th anniversary celebration. (Adapted from “40th annual MARKETPLACE Governor’s Awards recognize outstanding diverse businesses,” December 9, 2021, WISBusiness) The post 40th annual MARKETPLACE Governor’s Awards recognize outstanding diverse businesses app ..read more

The Cooperative Education Service Agency (CESA) 7 was awarded $150,00 in grant money from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to help further computer science and coding in the eastern part of the state. CESA-7 is an educational co-op which serves 38 districts in eastern Wisconsin. It plans to use the grant money to train teachers on computer science and to offer internships for students. The program would focus on offering computer science courses to kindergarten students and then move on to upper grade levels. “These are exactly the type of investments that we need to be ma ..read more

Governor Tony Evers and Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes visited Washburn today to see how the Main Street Bounceback Grants have transformed the small Bayfield County city’s downtown. “Small businesses are the heart and soul of our Wisconsin communities,” Gov. Evers said. “These businesses not only provide jobs and build wealth, they bring vitality and life to our downtowns. The creativity and spirit these business owners bring is part of what makes Wisconsin a wonderful place to live.” (Adapted from “State officials in Washburn to encourage ‘Sh ..read more

Providers and non-profit groups in Green County have teamed up to bolster child care where demand exceeds supply so drastically that the county has been called a child care desert. The third major part of Green County’s child care project is covered by a $100,000 “seed accelerator” grant awarded in July by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC), with the money going to child care providers. Providers will use the money for new employee signing bonuses. Funds from the grant will also cover classes that unlicensed providers need to be certified or licensed with the state, with additiona ..read more

Plush Clothing boutique owner Yolanda Coleman has four words for the upcoming year of her business: “Let the games begin.” The Downtown Racine retailer offering plus-size clothing, and accessories for all, recently won a mini-makeover courtesy of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. The win is more than welcome for Coleman, who opened her business in 2019 and was also diagnosed with breast cancer around that time. The year of 2020 wasn’t an ideal period for a brand-new business owner, either, when the pandemic hit and closed Coleman’s doors for some time. The mini-makeover took place throu ..read more

Several state organizations need your help in developing an environmental equity mapping tool. They’re hoping to put together a map of Wisconsin communities based on different challenges they face, from pollution, to socioeconomic factors, to health and environmental hazards and more. “By layering in that information and data to the levels of distress we already see, that will help us not only make better policy, but that’ll help us get resources to the folks that need it most,” said Deputy Secretary and COO Sam Rikkers with WEDC. (Adapted from “State looking for your feedback on environmental ..read more

A new development is coming to downtown Sun Prairie more than three years after an explosion shook the area thanks to a grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. WEDC announced Monday a $250,000 grant that will be used for the development of a multi-use building including a new Glass Nickel Pizza location and 10 apartments. The new development will be located at 410 E. Main St. (Adapted from “‘It’s a step toward recovery’: WEDC contributes $250K for redevelopment of Sun Prairie explosion site,” November 1, 2021, Channel3000) The post ‘It’s a step toward recovery’: WEDC contrib ..read more

OCONTO – Gov. Tony Evers stopped at two small Oconto businesses that received $10,000 grants from the governor’s Main Street Bounceback program. The Main Street Bounceback program, administered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., provides $10,000 grants to new or existing businesses that move into vacant storefronts in downtowns and other commercial corridors around the state. (Adapted from “Gov. Evers quietly visits two small businesses in Oconto to hear how they’ll use state money ,” October 28, 2021, Green Bay Press-Gazette) The post Gov. Evers quietly visits two small businesses i ..read more

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. said it will award an additional $9 million in Enterprise Zone tax credits to Waukesha-based Generac Holdings Inc. if the company completes its goal of another $53 million investment in facilities across Wisconsin and the creation of more than 700 jobs by 2024. “The promised investment in Wisconsin means more jobs, more contractors, more construction, more suppliers both for services and for goods and more economic development for the state of Wisconsin,” Generac’s chief operating officer Tom Pettit said at Tuesday’s event. Pettit said the Pewaukee buil ..read more