A Joint Initiative Between     Heart of Wisconsin     Business & Economic Alliance and     Community Foundation of     South Wood County

Home About Us B2B Club Breaking News Contact Donate Events / Programs Feedback Ideas Incubator Industry Clusters Links / Resources Progess Funds Progress Teams Public Art / Murals Publications		Breaking News May 17, 2006 - Progress Initiative to conduct Telecommunications Infrastructure Assessment For Immediate Release Wisconsin Rapids, May 17, 2006: With support from the Ford Foundation provided in their grant to the Community Progress Initiative, NorthStar Economics of Madison, WI, is conducting a telecommunications study for the South Wood County area. The study is a result of the New e-Conomies Industry Cluster which mapped the technology assets in the area as part of their initial cluster work. The New e-Conomies Cluster is one of seven industry clusters created by local residents and business people as part of the Community Progress Initiative. The need for a telecommunications infrastructure study became apparent when discussing local technology assets with Jim Haguewood, industry cluster specialist in Washington State, that south Wood County has a strong potential competitive advantage in telecommunication resources that few other communities have. Haguewood has worked with Progress Initiative Clusters on several occasions. The Heart of Wisconsin area offers an extensive infrastructure for New Economy types of business development. This is due to the benefit of having a locally-owned international software company, a locally-owned, innovative telephone company, along with other telecommunication providers serving the local area. The New e-Conomies Cluster recently launched the Ideas Incubator. This Web-based tool matches ideas with entrepreneurs, and the cluster is continuing on its path to maximize the use of telecommunications resources that people often take for granted. “The next step is to determine how we leverage our multitude of telecommunications infrastructure for new business growth and development – something this study by NorthStar Economics will help identify. This independent study by a nationally recognized firm will certainly add creditability to our efforts for marketing the technology assets that exist within our community. This will also help us as we develop further strategies for identifying and attracting business opportunities,” explained JR Siewert, New e-Conomies Cluster Co-Chair. Heart of Wisconsin Business & Economic Alliance and the New e-Conomies Cluster will work with NorthStar Economics to inventory the telecommunications infrastructure assets in the area and identify potential business opportunities. NorthStar will identify the main suppliers and users of the telecommunications infrastructure in the greater Wisconsin Rapids area. Through interviews and other sources of information, NorthStar will assess the adequacy and possible gaps in the area’s infrastructure. Through the evaluation, NorthStar will be able to identify potential business opportunities that would benefit from the existing telecommunications infrastructure along with areas that could be improved within telecommunication services. “One of the driving forces behind the New (knowledge-based) Economy is the ability to exchange ideas, information, and goods and services over telecommunication systems such as the Internet, telephone, cable, broadband, wireless and satellite resources. Therefore, having an advanced telecommunications infrastructure is crucial to be competitive in this area of growth in today’s knowledge-based economy,” commented Dennis Winters, Vice President of Research with NorthStar Economics, who will head up the project. NorthStar Economics, based in the MG&E Innovation Center in University Research Park in Madison, is a private economic consulting and research firm dedicated to the development and implementation of New Economy economic development strategies. They are recognized as a leader in the economic development field, with a technology cluster and New Economy focus. NorthStar was founded by Dr. David J. Ward in May of 2000 and has served a wide variety of clients in both the public and private sectors. NorthStar Economics is a leading firm in developing strategies for success in the New Economy, as demonstrated by the Regional Alliance Stewardship award for the Northeast Wisconsin Economic Opportunity Study. NorthStar’s principles have over 50 years in economic and financial consulting to the public and private sectors. Doug Wenzlaff, CEO and General Manager of Solarus in Wisconsin Rapids, comments, “We feel that a study such as this is a key to leveraging and utilizing our highly developed telecommunications infrastructure. Our competitive advantage, applied appropriately, can substantially advance our economic development efforts for the region.” Heart of Wisconsin Business & Economic Alliance and Community Foundation of South Wood County received announcement of the Ford Foundation’s support of the Community Progress Initiative at the beginning of this year. For more than fifty years, the Ford Foundation has been a resource for innovative people and institutions across the United States and around the world. Ford supports innovative efforts by individuals and organizations in every state to find solutions to the most challenging problems facing communities today. The Community Progress Initiative is a community building effort designed to address the economic impact of the changing global economy in the south Wood County area. The objective of Community Progress Initiative is to create an innovative, self-reliant & business friendly culture in a vibrant community with a prosperous local economy. Launched in April 2004 as a three-year initiative, thousands of citizens from throughout the Heart of Wisconsin area have participated in programming offered in two primary focus areas: Building a Strong and Positive Community; and Creating a Business Friendly Culture. The Progress Initiative has been recognized nationally as a model in community economic development by the Small Business Administration as one of 19 Best Practice examples and as Wisconsin Rural Partners’ Top Rural Development Initiative. Community development professionals across the U.S. are working with organizers at Heart of Wisconsin Business & Economic Alliance and Community Foundation of South Wood County to study the Community Progress Initiative’s use of all seven social capitals necessary to revitalize and sustain healthy, vibrant communities. Additional information may be found at www.progressinitiative.com.
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