Category: M7 Partnership

Milwaukee Tool plans $32M expansion, creating 350 new jobs

7/17/2018

Milwaukee Tool is expanding again in Brookfield, with plans to build a $32 million R&D facility - a project expected to create 350 new jobs.
The company has purchased a 3.5-acre site near its current facility that will house an advanced manufacturing research and development facility and office space. The 114,500-square foot, multi-story building is expected to be completed by late 2019.The company plans to create 350 jobs at the facility over the next five years - primarily engineering and software positions with an annual average salary of $75,000.

Top business, economic development thought leaders contribute to M7 Forum on Talent

6/8/2018

“The regions that get out in front and identify how to get more people not only into the workforce but prepared for the jobs of the future, will be the leaders in both workforce AND economic development. That’s where we want to be."

GOV. SCOTT WALKER

More than 200 business people and representatives from the economic development, education, and workforce development communities attended the second annual Milwaukee 7 Economic Development Forum on June 6. The event was designed to inform and inspire new solutions to the talent shortage.

Governor Scott Walker kicked off the day by sharing a stunning and sobering statistic: Wisconsin’s unemployment rate has reached an all-time low of 2.8 percent. While more people in Wisconsin are employed than ever before, there are currently more jobs than people to fill them. And there remains a disparity in employment in Milwaukee’s central city with too many people left on the sidelines of our growing economy.

Milwaukee 7 Venture Capital Fund announces first loans to local start-up firms

1/10/2018

The Milwaukee 7 Economic Development Partnership has announced the first round of loans to be awarded from its new Venture Capital Fund. The $1 million fund – supported with a $500,000 grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s Capital Catalyst Program that is matched by the Milwaukee Economic Development Corp. – provides loans and grants to early and growth stage companies. The fund targets seed-stage ventures in advanced manufacturing and other technology sectors, including graduates of local accelerator programs such as The BREW, WERCBench Labs, FaBCAP and Gener8tor.

The fund provides additional capital to emerging companies and second-stage start-ups in southeast Wisconsin for activities leading to investment readiness or revenue generation. The capital is intended to help companies achieve measurable business development milestones, such as feasibility assessments, product development and market validation... >>READ MORE

Pleasant Prairie plans to sell land to Haribo for $20.7 million

12/15/2017

Company planning $242 million production plant

Wes Sabber, Haribo of America chief financial officer, at the MMAC all-member meeting.

The Pleasant Prairie village board could approve the sale of 136.8 acres for $20.7 million to German gummy bear maker Haribo during its meeting Monday.

Haribo of America Manufacturing LLC announced plans earlier this year for a $242 million, 500,000-square-foot production facility in Pleasant Prairie.

The land sale is included on the agenda for the meeting on Monday, but the actual documents related to the sale were not included in the meeting documents. The agenda also includes a certified survey map dividing a large portion of the Prairie Highlands Corporate Park into two lots and two outlots... >>READ MORE

MMAC/Milwaukee 7 instrumental in recruiting Foxconn to MKE Region

7/31/2017

by TIM Sheehy

President of the MMAC

Rep. Adam Jarchow tweeted a photo after the White House press conference on July 26 announcing FoxConn coming to SE Wisconsin.
L to r: Terry Gou; FoxConn; Speaker Ryan; Pres. Trump; Gov. Walker; Sen. Johnson & VP Pence

After months of behind-the-scenes work supporting Gov. Scott Walker, his administration, and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation -- the MMAC and the Milwaukee 7 were proud to participate in last week's announcement at the White House and Milwaukee Art Museum to celebrate Foxconn's decision to make a significant investment in the region.

"Significant" is an understatement for the Foxconn Technology Group's plant, which is projected to support more than 35,000 jobs on an ongoing basis when fully operational. The impact on economic output is also significant, estimated at $11B, with almost half of that amount in state gross domestic product. Significant also in the one-time economic "shock" from a $10B capital investment to construct and equip the facility. Construction and equipment sourced in Wisconsin is estimated to be $5.7B, fueling 16,000 construction and related jobs over the four-year construction period. The 13,000 Foxconn workers are projected to earn an average base wage of $53,875, with benefits pushing total average compensation to $73,500.