News and Media

The digitization of the site selection process - already well underway in years past - has unquestionably been greatly accelerated by the pandemic. From online proposals and virtual tours to customizable local data layers, GIS Planning has cemented its position as the leader of economic development location analysis software wit...Continue Reading

It wasn’t a life long dream for Emily Jacobson to open a healing center. But it turned into a calling.  For decades, Jacobson has been practicing massage, later becoming a certified acupuncture practitioner and tai chi instructor.  On March 9, after scouting locations for her small business, she realized that what sh...Continue Reading

Covid has had a devastating impact on many small businesses, forcing hundreds of thousands of them to shut down. Now comes word about the impact the disease has had on small business owners. A new survey from Capital One Business found that many of the owners are exhausted. And for goo...Continue Reading

January 11, 2022 –  Good morning, Chairman Kooyenga and Members of the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Revenue. Thank you for taking the time today to discuss two pieces of legislation intended to improve access and opportunities for Wisconsin’s start-up business communities and investors. I will provide information on both bill...Continue Reading

You should be optimizing your video on social media because you already invested in quality video. You know it’s the most effective medium for telling your story. Not only is it compelling, it’s also an easy experience for your audience to engage with. Now it’s time to optimize video t...Continue Reading

Economic development strategic planning is on the minds of most economic developers. Every community will be facing a need to rebuild its local economy as we begin to emerge from the pandemic in 2022. But even in the best of times, only three things can happen to any economy: I...Continue Reading

States have always competed for new development projects and expansions to broaden their tax base and create good-paying jobs for their workers. Incentive packages typically include free workforce recruitment, training, and other support, as long as the companies hit their investment and employment goals. However, the COVID-19 has disrupted th...Continue Reading

I'm mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore” declared the longtime news anchor Howard Beale in the 1975 film classic Network. A similar debate is raging across the world about the future of work, and there is a lot more at issue than how often to commute...Continue Reading

What started as a closet at the end of the guidance counseling hallway is being transformed into a private, clean and open space for students in need of clothes and personal care products..  River Falls High School senior Olivia Redmond was working with high school social worker Jacqueline Graham when sh...Continue Reading

It’s no secret that the recipe for economic success usually includes generous portions of innovation and technology. That has been part of the economic development story for many years in such places as Boston, Seattle, the Research Triangle, and Silicon Valley. But just as you can find more and more cutting-edg...Continue Reading

We present to you the Best Economic Development Websites for 2022. Each year, backed by research, conferences, and the latest trends, the Golden Shovel Agency team puts together a list of what we consider to be the best economic development websites. This is always difficult, as there are many deservin...Continue Reading

We present to you the Best Economic Development Videos for 2022. Each year, backed by research, trends, and videography expertise, the Golden Shovel Agency team puts together a list of what we consider to be the most impactful economic development videos. BEST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VIDEOS FOR 2022 Take some time to appreciat...Continue Reading

We present to you the Best Economic Development Resources for 2022. Each year, backed by research, conferences, and the latest trends, the Golden Shovel Agency team puts together a list of what we consider to be the best economic development resources. BEST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES Take some time to appreciate these bes...Continue Reading

In India, COVID-19 was nothing short of a humanitarian crisis disrupting lives, business and the ways in which people worked. As the pandemic set in, much like other parts of the world, tens of millions of employees adjusted to working from home (WFH). Daily tasks such as meetings, customer interaction...Continue Reading

Students on the brink of graduating from their community college, university or vocational technology school don’t necessarily know whether their state ranks well in workforce development relative to other states. Military personnel ending a tour of duty at a base and transitioning to the private sector are likely in th...Continue Reading

As the world enters its third year of COVID-19, site selectors are doubling down on predictions they made a year ago. From reshoring and supply-chain tightening to remote working and worker shortages, site selectors are telling us that the trends exacerbated by the global pandemic will become even more pronounce...Continue Reading

This day and age, every entrepreneur should use a VPN. With so many nefarious actors on the internet, you don't want to get targeted and risk your valuable data being leaked on the web. Protecting your information is paramount in the digital age and with these VPNs, you'll be wel...Continue Reading

It has been a year of expanding broadband internet access to rural communities in western Wisconsin. In July, Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services, located in Ellsworth, launched Swift Current Connect, expanding broadband access to communities across its coverage area. In October, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin announced the recipients of Broadban...Continue Reading

MADISON, WI. DEC. 30, 2021 – Wisconsin’s rural communities and residents have access to a new and growing directory of resources and success stories offering aid and inspiration on topics ranging from affordable housing and economic development to cultural programs and environmental protection. “Wisconsin’s rural communities face unique challenges,” said Miss...Continue Reading

EAU CLAIRE — Gov. Tony Evers, together with Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes and Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary-designee Amy Pechacek, announced 12 regional projects aimed at developing long-term solutions to Wisconsin’s workforce challenges. Gov. Evers directed $100 million to invest in the Workforc...Continue Reading

Council members got their first look at the much anticipated Housing Study commissioned by the city and completed by MSA Professional Services in December.  The purpose of the study was to “inventory the existing housing stock in the city and assess where gaps exist in the housing market. The purpose o...Continue Reading

Ateam of University of Wisconsin-Stout students was hoping for colder weather and thicker ice on area lakes so they could try out their Engineering Technology 100 class creation, a fully automated ice fishing rod. The students demonstrated their invention at the STEMM Student Expo on Dec. 9. The rod and reel use...Continue Reading

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WKBT) -A little more than $29 million will support projects in Eau Claire aimed at workforce challenges in Wisconsin. Governor Tony Evers announce the support Tuesday morning through the first round of Workforce Innovation Grants. As much as $10 million will support Chippewa Valley Technical College to help teac...Continue Reading

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire received a $9.4 million grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. through the agency’s Workforce Innovation Grant program. Gov. Tony Evers announced UW-Eau Claire’s award at a press conference on campus on Dec. 14. UW-Eau Claire’s three-year award, the first of 12 such grants announce...Continue Reading