The objective of MMAC's Blueprint for Economic Prosperity for GROWTH is to foster a thriving and inclusive economy.

2017-2019 RESULTS

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Economic Development
Objective: Grow, expand and attract corporate business, investment and jobs, nationally and internationally, and focus on the region’s cluster industries.

Corporate expansion & attraction

• In 2019, the Milwaukee 7 Economic Development Partnership recorded its 100th project win since launching in 2005.
• During its most recent campaign (2015-2020), M7 recorded 46 new project wins with a combined $1.88 billion in capital investment, $649 million in combined payroll and 10,833 pledged jobs with an average wage of more than $60,000 per year – 20% above the average wage for the M7 region.
• Partnered with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. and Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership to launch the Transformational Productivity Initiative (TPI), a new best-practice program designed to improve productivity in Wisconsin’s small and midsize manufacturers.
• M7’s Business Development in Distressed Communities program, supported with a five-year EDA grant, is helping low-income areas of the region to retain, grow and attract businesses through targeted business development and foreign direct investment efforts, talent development, export assistance, venture funding and start-up loan programs.

Entrepreneurship

• With funding from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC) and Milwaukee Economic Development Corp. (MEDC), launched first $1 million M7 Venture Capital Fund to provide loans and grants to second-stage startups in advanced manufacturing and technology. Distributions completed in 2019.
• Established second $1 million M7 Venture Capital Fund in June 2019, focused on pre-seed and seed stage companies in advanced manufacturing and technology. Funding provided by WEDC, MEDC and Milwaukee Development Corporation (MDC).  
• Provided $1.5 million to the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp. (WWBIC) Fund that has lent over $5.8+ million to low-to-moderate income recipients, including 40% to minority-owned and 60% to women-owned companies in the Milwaukee region.
• Provided $136,000+ in micro-loans to 51 Milwaukee-area companies through internet-based crowdfunding program KIVA. More than 60% of recipients were women-owned companies.
• Supported the M7 “Marshalling Our Resources” Entrepreneurial Advisory Network to connect and leverage resources available for startups.
  

Advance Leading Industry Clusters
Through FaB (Food and Beverage) Wisconsin:

• Launched a food safety training certificate for food and beverage and related manufacturers.
• Launched a two-year industry talent outreach strategy, including the expansion of a high school career discovery program.
• Graduated three FaBcap Accelerator classes and launched FaBcap 4, with each class consisting of 10 growing food, beverage, ingredients, equipment or packaging manufacturers and technology companies
  

• M7 partnered with the Ohio Aerospace Institute to study accelerated technology sharing between companies in the Ohio-Wisconsin corridor and federal laboratories, such as the NASA Glenn Research Center.
  

Global Business Engagement

• The M7 Export Development Grant Program provided matching funds of up to $4,000 to Southeastern Wisconsin companies that export or want to begin exporting to international markets.
  
• Awarded a total of $467,000 to 93 companies over the past four years to subsidize the costs of entering new international markets. Companies reported a combined $21 million in new export growth as a result of the program.   
  

Ethnically Diverse Businesses

• The Business Council, an affiliate of the MMAC, is dedicated to growing ethnically diverse businesses in Metro Milwaukee. The organization focused on improving the climate for minority-owned businesses and strategic match-making with corporations.
  

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Competitive business climate
Objective: Advocate for public policies that support regional business growth.

• Blocked proposed $516 million reduction in the Manufacturing Activities Tax Credit.
• Prevented proposed $505 million Capital Gains Tax increase.
• Repealed the state moratorium on mineral mining.
  
• Allowed corporations the option of lowering costs and increasing participation through virtual shareholder meetings.
  
• Blocked proposed repeal of statewide labor law uniformity requirement.
  
• Blocked proposed repeal of Right to Work.
  
• Created “Benefit Corporation” classification for state companies that want to highlight their community benefit work.