Regional Report: April 2017

As part of Momentum West’s agreement with the Ignite WI board of directors, Momentum West is offering $1,500 grants to each of the ten counties economic development corporations  within the region to support entrepreneurial efforts in each county.  These will be 2017 grants and the projects must be completed and grant dollars spent by the end of the 2017 calendar year. The EDC’s will have until the end of May to apply for the grants by submitting a short statement on how the dollars would be used to support entrepreneurial activities. Grant applications can be submitted to steve@momentumwest.org. Momentum West will then review the applications to verify that the dollars will be spent to support entrepreneurial efforts in the counties.  These programs can be stand alone or in partnership with other organizations.

The NWITA (Northern Wisconsin International Trade Association) is working with UW-Stout based Exportech on a June trade forum.  The forum will feature two panels, one offering advice from the legal and financial arena as well as the State in terms of efforts and resources.  The second will feature firms from the region involved in international trade. This should be an excellent opportunity for those not currently capitalizing on potential markets overseas as well as those currently leveraging markets overseas.

 Work is also in the early stages of a half day program on developing industrial property geared toward municipalities and property owners.  Further details in the next few months as this will most likely be a mid-late summer forum.

Progress is being made on providing rail transportation to and from the Twin Cities with several stops between Eau Claire and St. Paul.  Several upcoming meetings are scheduled and we encourage interested parties to attend to learn more about this project.

                Wednesday, April 26

                6:00 p.m. CVTC Business Education Center, 620 W Clairemont, Eau Claire

                Program: Presentation by Corridor Capital, one of the private companies interested in being       involved in the project by providing equipment and possibly management services

                Thursday, May 18

                7:30 a.m. Simultaneous sessions at CVTC in Eau Claire (Clairemont Campus) and CVTC River Falls

                Program: Arum Rao, WisDOT Passenger Program Manager, update on Wisconsin's passenger rail activities, including potential expanded Chicago-Milwaukee trains

Most of you, if not all, have seen the attached media release on the new Mill’s Fleet Farm distribution center to be built in Chippewa County.  Congrats to the work done by the folks in Chippewa County to get this done!

Although the work done to secure this is due to the counties/municipalities hard work, Momentum West played a role in this effort by setting up the initial tours for the site selectors of seven potential properties in the region as well as providing site and regional data.  We’re thrilled that this landed in our part of the state of Wisconsin!

Thanks to all of you that attended the annual meeting ad a special thanks to our title Sponsor Bremer Bank and Gold level sponsors Ruder Ware, Xcel Energy, Market & Johnson, Security Financial and Westconsin Credit Union.  Additional sponsors include Cedar Corp, Royal Credit Union, Manpower, AgStar and Hoeft Builders.