Click here to become a sponsor!
2013 Corporate Sponsors:
Diamond Sponsor
Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
www.inwisconsin.comAs the state’s lead economic development organization, WEDC nurtures business growth and job creation in Wisconsin by providing resources, technical support, and financial assistance to companies, partners and communities they serve. WEDC has these key areas of focus to elevate Wisconsin’s economy to be the best in the world:
- Economic and Community Development – To elevate Wisconsin’s economy by investing in high quality job creation and expansion and by enabling a world-class, high performing state economic development network.
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation – To elevate Wisconsin’s economy by increasing the amount of R&D and investment capital, and by providing an effective entrepreneurship network.
- Business and Industry Development – To elevate Wisconsin’s economy by advancing targeted, high growth business consortia and industry sectors
- International Business Development – To elevate Wisconsin’s economy by increasing Wisconsin exports, increasing foreign investment and expanding export assistance capacity in the state.
- Marketing and Communication – To elevate Wisconsin’s economy by promoting Wisconsin as a business-friendly location.
- Finance and Administration – To elevate the Wisconsin economy by providing WEDC and its economic development partners with the tools, technology and support necessary to meet strategic goals and operational advantage.
Platinum Sponsor
AT&T Inc. is a premier communications holding company in the United States and around the world, with operating subsidiaries providing services under the AT&T brand. AT&T is the recognized world leader in providing IP-based communications services to businesses and the U.S. leader in providing wireless, high speed Internet access, local and long distance voice, and directory publishing and advertising through its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations. AT&T is the nation’s premier wireless carrier based on subscribers, serving 58.7 million customers under the AT&T Wireless brand. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding video entertainment offerings to include such next-generation television services as AT&T U-verseSM TV.
Gold Sponsors
Alliant Energy, headquartered in Madison, is a Fortune 1000 energy-services company. Alliant Energy provides electric, natural gas, water and steam to more than 1.3 million customers in the Midwest. Our Economic Development Department provides professional business expansion and relocation services to a variety of businesses. As part of our commitment to expanding Wisconsin's business vitality, we work confidentially and professionally with key executives to select new locations or expand existing ones.
www.atcllc.com
American Transmission Co. provides the pathway for power into communities in portions of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois. ATC owns and operates the high-voltage electric transmission system that helps to keep the lights on, businesses running and communities strong. 2010 WEDA Platinum Corporate Sponsor
Madison Gas and Electric Company
www.mge.com
Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) is an actihttp://www.adyvoltedge.com/ve development partner with public and private organizations. MGE is an information source for business growth, employment growth, economic and investment trends, and an active advocate and resource provider to the area business community. MGE also has an active history of working with entrepreneurs and supporting business incubators. MGE works closely with business and community leaders to ensure well-planned economic growth and stability.
Marshfield Clinic, one of the largest comprehensive medical systems in the United States, is the largest private group medical practice in Wisconsin with 781 physicians and 6,500 additional staff at 48 locations. The Clinic system sponsors significant research and substantial education programs through Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation and Marshfield Clinic Education Foundation; has a Division of Laboratory Medicine with clients throughout Wisconsin and across the United States; and owns and operates its own health maintenance organization, Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, Inc.
Xcel Energy is the fifth-largest combination natural gas and electricity company in the nation with regulated operations in 8 Western and Midwestern states. The company was named to the 2006-07 Dow Jones Sustainability Index which recognizes its standing as an economic, environmental and social leader in North America. Xcel Energy is the nation’s leading purchaser of wind energy and the largest renewable energy provider in Wisconsin. It provides a variety of economic development resources for businesses looking to relocate or expand to its service territory in Wisconsin, including five industrial park partnerships. Xcel Energy’s Wisconsin headquarters are located in Eau Claire and the company serves 240,000 electric and 90,000 natural gas customers in the state. More information is available at www.xcelenergy.com
Wisconsin Business Development Finance Corporation
Wisconsin Business Development Finance Corporation is a private, non-profit, member-based organization created to assist small businesses gain access to capital, create jobs, and promote community development through long-term, fixed-rate financing at a market-based interest rate. WBD's mission is to provide the knowledge, service and resources that foster economic development solutions to grow jobs, businesses and communities.
Silver Sponsors
We Energies is the largest electric and natural gas provider in the state of Wisconsin, serving over 18 thousand square miles of electric and gas in Wisconsin and over 5 thousand square miles of electric in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. We Energies serves more than 1.1 million electric customers in Wisconsin and Michigan and more than one million natural gas customers in Wisconsin. We Energies is the trade name of Wisconsin Electric Power Company and Wisconsin Gas LLC, the principal utility subsidiaries of Wisconsin Energy Corporation (NYSE: WEC). Visit the We Energies Web site at www.we-energies.com. Learn more about Wisconsin Energy Corporation by visiting www.WisconsinEnergy.com.
www.wisconsinpublicservice.comWPS has been lighting and warming homes for more than 125 years. Our Vision, Mission & Values: WPS is made up of people creating a premier and growing energy company. We want to give customers the best value in energy and related services. And we're guided by clear values — including integrity. WPS serves more than 440,000 electric customers and more than 315,000 natural gas customers in northeast and central Wisconsin and an adjacent portion of Upper Michigan. We've grown and changed along with our local communities. Your electricity can come from many sources, including coal, natural gas, wind, water solar and biogas. WPS buys supplies through our parent company, Integrys Energy Group. We support supplier diversity.
www.wppienergy.orgWPPI Energy is a regional power company serving 51 customer-owned electric utilities. Through WPPI Energy, these public power utilities share resources and own generation facilities to provide reliable, affordable electricity to more than 192,000 homes and businesses in Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and Iowa.
Bronze Sponsors
www.adyvoltdege.comThe main focus of Ady Voltedge is to serve organizations that seek to attract business investment, attract talent, and enhance the quality of life in the areas in which they operate. We offer a broad line of services to economic development organizations, including target industry analysis and other sector research, positioning and branding, marketing plan development, turnkey website development, and targeted marketing implementation.
www.ayresassociates.comAyres Associates is a multi-specialty architectural/engineering consulting firm that has assisted public and private clients since 1959. Corporate headquarters is in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Our staff of 400 people provides services in transportation, civil, structural, wastewater, water resources, and river engineering; architecture; environmental science; surveying; photogrammetry; and geographic information systems.
Center for Community Economic Development
www.uwex.edu/ces/cced/The Center for Community and Economic Development (CCED): Working with UW-Extension county and campus partners we create, apply and transfer multi-disciplinary knowledge to help people understand community change and identify economic development opportunities. The CCED is a unit within Cooperative Extension, a Division of the University of Wisconsin Extension that extends the knowledge and resources of the University of Wisconsin to people where they live and work.
Division of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development: UW-Extension
www.wisconsinsbdc.net/uwex_deed/The Division of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (DEED) fosters, supports and coordinates entrepreneurship and economic development activities occurring at the University of Wisconsin campuses and the communities they serve. We do this through partnerships with governmental entities, educational institutions, non-profit organizations and the business community. DEED, via the Small Business Development Centers and the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Network, helps entrepreneurs create new businesses and grow existing businesses by providing training; information about financial, technology and other resources; one-on-one business counseling; and networking opportunities.
www.ehlers-inc.comEhlers is an independent financial advisory firm. Our fiduciary responsibility to clients is to design customized financial solutions to help grow their communities. We assist clients in strategically planning projects and balancing fiscal implications for the short and long term. Comprehensive advisory services from Ehlers include: Debt Planning and Issuance; Economic Development and Redevelopment Services; Financial Planning; Strategic Communications. Building relationships with clients in Wisconsin is a key characteristic of Ehlers as an independent advisor. That means the company does not have any relationship with any other parties that attempt to influence the direction or advice of Ehlers. Our main goal is to only serve local governments. Ehlers is a proud sponsor of WEDA.
www.kellerbuilds.comKeller, Inc. is a commercial design/build company with offices in the Fox Cities, Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau. With almost 200 employee owners, Keller recently celebrated 50 years in business. As a leading Design/Build Firm covering the Midwest, Keller is proud to be the Top Metal Builder in the Nation as reported by Metal Construction News. Keller’s 30 Project Managers are passionate about building up Wisconsin and pride themselves on finding creative financing to help their customers grow their businesses.
www.twindisc.comOur products are essential to the function and productivity of critical machines working in rugged conditions all over the world.
A fishing trawler in the middle of the Bering Sea. An aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle poised for emergency service at virtually any airport. An armored military truck enduring the heat and sand of the desert. A rock crusher or wood chipper making molehills out of mountains. A gas- and oil-field servicing rig keeping our energy up. Or simply a lone irrigation pump running around the clock in the middle of nowhere to make arid land fertile.
UW-Madison Office of Corporate Relations
www.ocr.wisc.eduThe Office of Corporate Relations is the University of Wisconsin-Madison unit devoted to developing Madison’s, Dane County’s and Wisconsin’s economy. Since 2003, OCR has facilitated more than 5,000 connections between the university and business and industry. OCR helps companies, organizations and entrepreneurs access UW resources for:
• Recruitment of top quality talent
• Executive education and professional development
• Faculty and staff expertise
• Technology transfer
• Global competency
• Entrepreneurship
OCR is committed to helping strengthen the Wisconsin economy. Learn more about OCR at www.ocr.wisc.edu or call toll free at 1-877-OCR-WISC (1-877-627-9472).
www.viaraillogistics.comVia Rail Logistics is a site development engineering company which provides services to a broad network of industrial developers, economic development professionals, shippers, and railroads. Via Rail ensures effective client representation acting as a liaison to railroads in an industry that is difficult to navigate. Utilizing their Class I experience, Via Rail assists clients with railroad infrastructure development; performing services from feasibility studies and cost estimates, to railroad approvals and construction documents.
www.vierbicher.comVierbicher is a team of professional engineers, planners, community development specialists, surveyors, GIS specialists, water resources and environmental scientists. We are committed to providing the highest level of skill and expertise to clients in the Upper Midwest.
Vierbicher is a firm established to provide comprehensive solutions for an array of project issues. We are dedicated to providing our clients with quality services, skilled staff and the loyalty and integrity we believe are necessary. No matter how large or small, we devote ourselves to developing successful projects. Our goal is to build relationships of trust and understanding. It is that trust that promotes cooperation, teamwork and lasting client relationships.
Wisconsin Innovation Service Center
www.uww.edu/wisc/The Wisconsin Innovation Service Center at UW-Whitewater provides assistance to businesses to advance economic development in the state. Our Wisconsin Innovation Service Center (WISC) provides market research services to assist in commercializing new technologies, conducting customer assessments, identifying market diversification opportunities, as well as other assistance. Our Small Business Development Center (SBDC) office provides Merger & Acquisition help to identify potential targets and assist in making those connections.
Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership
www.wmep.orgThe Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP) enhances the success of Wisconsin manufacturers by providing real-world knowledge and consulting expertise in the areas of growth and innovation, continuous improvement, sustainable product and process improvement, export assistance, extended enterprise management, and business strategies and best practices. Since 1996, WMEP has provided assistance to more than 4,000 small and midsize manufacturers to help them improve their productivity and profitability, and create and retain jobs. In the past five years, WMEP customers have reported nearly $1 billion in economic impact with 6,557 jobs created or retained as a result of WMEP consulting services. For more information, please visit www.wmep.org or call 1-877-856-8588.
Associate Sponsorship
Burnett County Development Association
Why People Call Burnett County Home
Manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism combined make Burnett County a great place to work and play! Your business can grow here like many have for years. Take a look around and you will like what you see. We have information here to support your business. And if you don’t find something you need, don’t hesitate to contact us! We are here to help you make it happen in Burnett County.
Centergy is the Central WI Alliance for Economic Development covering Marathon, Portage and Wood Counties. Our mission is to stimulate measurable economic development in Central Wisconsin by aligning resources, encouraging cooperation among all sectors of our regional economy, and promoting the value of doing business in Central Wisconsin.
A rich history and a bright future. We are more than just a railroad. We are a transportation company that offers integrated transportation services: rail, intermodal, trucking, freight forwarding, warehousing and distribution. We continue to deliver the goods year in and year out.
Greater Beloit Economic Development Corporation
The Greater Beloit Economic Development Corporation is public/private investor-based non-profit organization that fosters economic development in the Greater Beloit area. The GBEDC provides value-added services tailored to meet the needs of investors and the community, including financing assistance, site selecting services, access to training grants, and workforce development services, and marketing focused on targeted industry clusters.
Hooper Corporation is your full-service electric power and mechanical contractor. Headquartered in Madison, Wis., since 1913, Hooper has extensive experience in completing large and complex projects and is capable of traveling throughout the continental U.S. and Canada. Learn more about the industries we serve and see the value added to your next project by working with Hooper Corporation.
Founded in 2011, Key Commercial Real Estate was formed by merging two well-known and respected firms in the Madison, Wisconsin area. Gelbach Commercial Real Estate and Best Real Estate Group had built a reputation of straightforward, hardworking professionals providing the highest level of services for their clients. This merger now offers a dynamic team of experienced advisors offering proven results – even in the most challenging real estate situations.
There is no cookie-cutter process at Key Commercial. Each transaction, no matter how large or small, will be offered tailored services to efficiently and effectively get the job done. Whether you are a small business looking for your first location, or a savvy real estate investor, each client will get our time, attention and complete dedication to getting the job done
Key Engineering Group, Ltd. (KEY) is a full-service engineering and science consulting firm specializing in environmental engineering/science; geology, civil, geotechnical, survey and construction engineering/management.
KEY was established in Wisconsin in February of 1992. With controlled and steady growth, KEY now has offices in Milwaukee and Green Bay, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C. While located in the Midwest, KEY Rail has executed projects throughout the United States. Our Professional Engineers are licensed in most of the states and are able to obtain licenses in the remainder of the states.
www.kikkomanusa.comAs the world’s leading soy sauce brand, Kikkoman has been supporting the development of Japanese food culture since the 1600s. Since its establishment in 1917, our management policy has been to blend our deep-seated traditions with a sense of innovation that is both responsive and perceptive.
Kikkoman’s motto is, “To promote the international exchange of food culture.” Whether introducing Japanese food culture to the world, or bringing Japan in contact with the food cultures of other countries, Kikkoman is committed to the ongoing fulfillment of this goal.
Lakeshore Technical College is a leading provider of technical education offering over 100 career programs, customized training for business and industry, continuing education for personal and professional enrichment, and basic skills education.
Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board
The Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board (MAWIB) is a public/private partnership between government and business that plans, administers and coordinates employment and training programs for adults and youth in Milwaukee County. As a workforce development board, MAWIB creates and manages a focused education, training and employment system that involves local educators, prospective training operators, area employers, job seekers and employees.
Minnesota Power, a division of ALLETE, Inc., is committed to the reliability and security of the regional power system that provides electricity in a 26,000-square-mile electric service area in northeastern Minnesota. Minnesota Power supplies retail electric service to 144,000 customers and wholesale electric service to 16 municipalities.
Our disciplined, customer-centric approach to marketing is driven by our commitment to establish and achieve measurable results. This proprietary process, NS Metrics™, applies to annual planning for integrated programs as well as stand-alone strategic initiatives.
Discover. Formulate. Execute. Measure.
PFM is the Nation’s Leading Independent Municipal Financial Advisory firm specializing in Financial Planning, Capital Planning, Investment Advisory, Arbitrage Compliance, Debt Management, Strategic Consulting and Investment Consulting. Our goal is to provide the highest quality advice to enable our clients to raise, invest and manage the resources they need in the most cost-effective manner possible.
Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation
The Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation, a countywide private/public partnership, leads economic development efforts to improve the economic well-being and long-term prosperity of the businesses, residents, and communities of Sheboygan County, through collaborative retention, expansion, and attraction efforts for business and employment development.
Springsted is a public sector advisor with services spanning every stage of your community’s life cycle. Whether planning effective strategies, discovering development options, funding projects, or managing your organization and staff, we can help answer your questions with confidence.
The Samuels Group is a full-service commercial construction contractor with offices in Wisconsin and Iowa. We provide comprehensive construction, remodeling and design services for new and existing projects. Our extensive project resume spans across the Midwest and includes projects in the corporate, healthcare, education and government fields. The Samuels Group specializes in green building facilities and utilizes the latest technology and delivery systems such as Building Information Modeling and Integrated Project Delivery to give our clients the best quality and value in commercial construction.
Transportation Development Assn. of Wisconsin
The Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin is a statewide alliance of 400-plus transportation stakeholders committed to advancing the best in transportation. TDA members include businesses, labor unions, citizen groups, units of government and individuals. All share one important goal: the development and maintenance of a strong, interconnected transportation network that will support a robust economy and enhance the quality of life for everyone in Wisconsin.
www.universityresearchpark.org
University Research Park, established in 1984 and located three miles west of the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, is home to more than 126 companies that employ over 3,500 people. The non-profit, internationally recognized research and technology park has 37 buildings with more than 1.8 million square feet of office and laboratory space used by a broad range of start-up companies, many of which are focused on biotechnology.
Wisconsin Housing & Economic Development Authority
WHEDA is Wisconsin’s state housing authority. WHEDA serves Wisconsin residents and communities by working with government agencies, lending institutions, private developers and other community-based organizations to provide creative financing resources and information. Its goal is to stimulate and preserve affordable housing, small business and agribusiness. WHEDA's housing programs receive no state tax revenue assistance.
Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin
www.wdbscw.org
The Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin serves a six-county area to make positive economic change in the local area and beyond. It is a one-stop workforce development connection for businesses, workers and leaders in Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Marquette and Sauk counties. We also work with people and organizations throughout the region to make our area a better place to work and do business.
Join Us! 
Sign in here!