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New collaboration to help Milwaukee Region companies attract, retain and train talented workers Responding to Milwaukee Region companies’ urgent need to for talented employees, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) and Milwaukee 7 Economic Development Partnership (M7) are convening employers in collaborative solutions. For more than a decade, MMAC has been working to find ways to restructure our state and local tax system in a way that encourages economic growth. For nearly a year now, we have been facilitating discussions with county and municipal leaders throughout Milwaukee County on ways we might make progress toward that goal locally. The Move Forward MKE proposal, announced today with support from MMAC, the Greater Milwaukee Committee, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, Milwaukee County Board Chairman Theo Lipscomb and the mayors of every municipality in Milwaukee County, was a major step toward that goal.
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THE AGENDA: Legislative update by Steve Baas - Senior VP of Government Affairs The state legislature’s budget-writing Joint Committee on Finance completed its work last week, and the budget heads to the full legislature for approval next week. Some highlights of the committee’s work as it pertains to MMAC’s public policy agenda are included:
 Manufacturers lead list with 12 winners, affirming region’s strength
MILWAUKEE -- The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) and its Council of Small Business Executives (COSBE) have announced the 2019 Future 50 awards winners. Each year since 1988, the Future 50 awards have recognized 50 of the fastest-growing companies in the seven-county Milwaukee Region. Twelve of the 50 firms on this year’s list are manufacturers, providing yet another indication of the Milwaukee Region’s continued strength in manufacturing. The construction industry also was well-represented with 10 winners, while 8 business/professional services firms made the 2019 list.
Since its launch in November 2015, the Export Development Grant Program has grown regional exports by providing financial assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises in the seven-county Southeastern Wisconsin region to enter new international markets.
THE AGENDA: Legislative update by Steve Baas - Senior VP of Government Affairs A big “thank you” to the Wisconsin legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance members who stepped up last week to eliminate more than $1 billion in new taxes that had been included in the governor’s budget proposal. The two largest tax hikes removed included a proposal to scale back the Manufacturing Activities Tax Credit (MAC) by more than $500 million and a proposal to increase capital gains taxes on individuals by more than $500 million.
The MAC has been one of Wisconsin’s most effective tools to attract and retain high-paying manufacturing jobs. Scaling it back would have done significant damage to our economic competitiveness. Similarly, increasing capital gains taxes would make Wisconsin a less attractive place for individuals to invest in new businesses and innovation. MMAC applauds the finance committee for its action on these items, and their appreciation for the need to maintain a strong toolbox of public policies that help keep Wisconsin competitive in the national and global marketplace for jobs and talent. THE AGENDA: Legislative update by Steve Baas - Senior VP of Government Affairs
THE AGENDA: Legislative update by Steve Baas - Senior VP of Government Affairs After failing in their attempts to pass a business property tax hike last year, a coalition of legislators is back to try again this year. The so-called “Dark Store” bills they are pushing would empower local municipal assessors to double-tax businesses by allowing business value and profitability (which is already taxed by the state) to be included in the assessed value of their real estate for property tax purposes as well.
This tax assessor empowerment act is being pushed in the name of prohibiting businesses from lowering their property tax assessments by comparing new buildings with vacant or dilapidated properties. That justification is a myth, however, since such apples to oranges comparisons are already prohibited by state law. Over the past decade, commercial and manufacturing property owners in Wisconsin have seen a more than 2 percent increase of their share of the statewide property tax burden, while residential homeowners have seen a reduction in their share of the tax burden. MMAC will continue its fight against this proposed business property tax again this session. Now is no time to be giving local tax assessors more tools to burden the businesses that fuel their local economies. THE AGENDA: Legislative update by Steve Baas - Senior VP of Government Affairs
MMAC supports the growth of high-performing schools, regardless of their sector or governance structure. We hope legislators were listening to this powerful testimony -- and look for ways to expand, rather than restrict, high-performing education options in our region.
THE AGENDA: Legislative update by Steve Baas - Senior VP of Government Affairs One of the keys to having a competitive climate for economic development is a regulatory climate that creates consistency, certainty and efficiency. Currently, city codes do a good job at this, with the Common Council creating broad development parameters and the City Planning Commission (CPC) reviewing project specifics to ensure that they adhere to the standards set by the Council.
A newly proposed ordinance moving forward in City Hall would add unnecessary new layers to this process by empowering the Common Council to conduct its own review and approval of project specifics. By MMAC President Tim Sheehy
MMAC encourages students to apply for $5,000 Holloway scholarships |
 MMAC President Tim Sheehy | Yesterday you may have seen a number of news reports related to the Foxconn development, including: “Foxconn Reconsidering Plans to make LCD panels in Wisconsin.” This and other headlines related to Foxconn's plans understandably caught a lot of attention. As reported, some comments made by Louis Woo, Special Assistant to Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou, looked like a sharp deviation from what had been expected: “In terms of T.V., we have no place in the U.S., we can’t compete...” Louis has communicated with me and stated in subsequent news reports that Foxconn has not shelved its commitment to invest in Wisconsin. He did note that due to the dynamics of their industry, the company is considering which thin-film-transistor technology to build in Wisconsin. |
David D. Haynes, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 One answer to the shortage of computer science workers and instructors may be getting both students and teachers up to speed earlier in the process. That's the idea behind a 10-year-old Microsoft program called TEALS, which is now in 34 Wisconsin schools. (Photo: Raimond Spekking / Wikimedia Commons) | See that phone in your hand? Someone wrote the code that lets you use it to post to Instagram or Twitter or tell a Snapchat story. Someone wrote the code that allows you to text or share photos or recipes. Problem is, right now we don’t have enough of those someones. In a widely cited statistic, there are expected to be 1.4 million computer science jobs open in the U.S. by 2020 but only 400,000 computer science grads with the skills to do them. In Wisconsin alone, there were recently 7,000 open computing jobs, according to Code.org, which advocates for more computer science training. That yawning skills gap could mean fewer innovations down the road — or that the next big thing gets developed elsewhere. And it could mean millions of dollars of lost economic activity. >>more |
By Tim Sheehy - President of MMAC
“65% of the jobs our children will apply for don’t exist today” - Becky Frankiewicz President of ManpowerGroup N.A. | This issue of Milwaukee Commerce looks into the future make-up of the region’s economy. Disruptive technologies, shifting demographics and new business models all converge to cloud that picture. Living with change seems to be the only place to live. >>View Milwaukee Commerce winter edtion |
By Todd McLees - Founder & Managing Partner, Pendio Group
 | The exponential rate of innovation is disrupting entire industries and creating new ones. Technological advancements are outpacing our individual abilities to adapt. That's why this is an ideal time for a company like Foxconn to come to our region. |
I had the good fortune to spend time with hundreds of Wisconsin companies in 2018. One of my key takeaways from those experiences is that while we all know that technological innovations are changing the world, we don’t necessarily grasp how fast it is happening.
M7 news: Leonardo DRS building $56 million facility in Menomonee Falls, creating 220 new jobs
12/13/2018
Leonardo DRS Inc. is building a new manufacturing facility and offices in Menomonee Falls to accommodate its growing Naval Power Systems line of business -- a project expected to create up to 220 jobs in southeast Wisconsin.
The company will invest $56 million in a new best-in-class engineering and manufacturing facility to serve as the focal point for most of its business development and production activities.
The facility, expected to open in 2020, will house the design, test and manufacturing facilities for naval and marine power distribution, power conversion, motor controls, drives and automation/control equipment for the U.S. Navy, commercial and international customers.
In an interview with the Milwaukee BizTimes, MMAC president Tim Sheehy said the Milwaukee 7 economic development partnership exhausted all possibilities for the company in Milwaukee before considering other options. The company also was exploring options outside Wisconsin.
>>View full edition from December 13, 2019 MMAC Insider
The company will invest $56 million in a new best-in-class engineering and manufacturing facility to serve as the focal point for most of its business development and production activities.
The facility, expected to open in 2020, will house the design, test and manufacturing facilities for naval and marine power distribution, power conversion, motor controls, drives and automation/control equipment for the U.S. Navy, commercial and international customers.
In an interview with the Milwaukee BizTimes, MMAC president Tim Sheehy said the Milwaukee 7 economic development partnership exhausted all possibilities for the company in Milwaukee before considering other options. The company also was exploring options outside Wisconsin.
>>View full edition from December 13, 2019 MMAC Insider
MILWAUKEE…The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) has updated its interactive Milwaukee County school quality map to include academic results from the 2017-18 school year.
“This web-based tool provides parents and policymakers alike an interactive way to easily identify and quantify quality education options throughout the metro area,” said MMAC President Tim Sheehy.
“This web-based tool provides parents and policymakers alike an interactive way to easily identify and quantify quality education options throughout the metro area,” said MMAC President Tim Sheehy.
Divided government was the big winner both locally and nationally in the midterm elections.
by Steve Baas, Senior VP of Governmental Affairs
On the national front, Democrats claimed a narrow majority in the House of Representatives while Republicans expanded their majority in the US Senate. Since 1900, there have only been two midterm elections where the party in the White House did not lose seats in the Congress. This year was no exception, though the Republicans’ net loss of roughly 25 seats in Congress actually outperformed most recent presidents’ first term midterms - President Reagan (-26); Clinton (- 63); George W. Bush added seats in 2002 the wake of 9/11 terrorist attacks but lost 36 in the 2006 midterm; Obama (-69). Meanwhile, the status quo held in our Wisconsin congressional delegation, with all incumbents winning comfortably and Republican candidate Brian Steil winning the open seat being vacated by Paul Ryan.