Dept. of Commerce: Gov. Doyle Announces $750,000 in Community-Based Economic Development Grants

Contact:
Tony Hozeny, Department of Commerce, 608/267-9661

MADISON – Gov. Jim Doyle today announced that 24 Wisconsin community-based
organizations will share 26 grants totaling $753,100 from the Department of
Commerce (Commerce) Community-Based Economic Development (CBED) and
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Programs. Commerce Secretary Mary
P. Burke made this announcement on the Governor’s behalf at the Commerce
Building, Madison.

“My ‘Grow Wisconsin’ Initiative calls for investing in our communities by
promoting entrepreneurship and business development,” said Gov. Doyle.
“These grants will help 21 organizations continue to create economic
opportunities across Wisconsin.”

The CBED Program is designed to promote local business development in
economically distressed areas. The program awards grants to community-based
organizations for development and business assistance projects and to
municipalities for economic development training. The program also helps
community-based organizations plan, build, and create business and
technology-based incubators, and can also capitalize an incubator tenant
revolving-loan program. For further information, contact Jim Frymark,
Commerce, 608/266-2742.

The recipients are as follows:

* Genesis Development Corporation, Madison, Dane County, $15,000 CBED
grant
Genesis Development Corporation will use the grant for operation of
its incubator. The incubator provides good jobs for minority young adults
and has created nearly 100 jobs in three years.

* Asset Builders of America, Inc., Madison, Dane County, $22,500 CBED
grant
Asset Builders of America, Inc. will use the grant increase its
presence in Milwaukee and expand its entrepreneurship activities. The
company will specifically continue teaching young people about money
management.

* Homeboyz Interactive, Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, $50,000 CBED
grant
Homeboyz Interactive will use the grant to help statewide non-profit
organizations develop websites. The project will help the company expand
its training programs to other Wisconsin cities and introduce disadvantaged
youth to state-of-the art technology.

* Wausau Business Incubator, Inc., Wausau, Marathon County, $45,000
CBED grant
Wausau Business Incubator, Inc. will use the grant to equip its new
technology incubator. This project will leverage $3 million in additional
funding.

* Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council, Inc., Independence
Trempealeau County, $45,000 CBED grant
Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council, Inc. will use the
grant to expand its statewide Common Market project to more populated
regions. The project is developing a website for Wisconsin-made products.

* Platteville Business Incubator, Platteville, Grant County, $30,000
CBED grant and $30,000 CDBG grant
Platteville Business Incubator will use will use the CBED grant to
rehabilitate space in its facility for a rapidly expanding engineering firm.
The project will increase revenue for the facility and will encourage
growing businesses paying quality wages to remain in Wisconsin. Platteville
Business Incubator will use the CDBG grant for operating costs.

* T.E.C. Center Inc., Madison, Dane County, $15,000 CBED grant
T.E.C. Center, Inc. will use the grant to provide business
assistance to its high-tech occupants. The project has been developed in
conjunction with Madison Area Technical College and a private developer.

* ADVOCAP, Inc., Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County, $15,000 CBED grant
ADVOCAP, Inc. will use the grant to develop a state-of-the-art
technology center for small business in the Berlin area. This is an area
where access to web services is limited.

* Center for Teaching Entrepreneurship, Milwaukee, Milwaukee County,
$15,000 CBED grant
Center for Teaching Entrepreneruship will use the grant to fund the
operation of its program that serves many inner-city youth interested in
starting a business.

* Urban League of Greater Madison, Madison, Dane County, $20,000 CBED
grant
Urban League of Greater Madison will use the grant to help plan a
multi-purpose building, including a business center to serve Madison’s
minority community. This project will leverage nearly $2 million in
additional funding, pending a successful feasibility study and plan.

* Oaklawn Harmony Center, Menomonie, Dunn County, $50,000 CBED grant
Oaklawn Harmony Center will use the funds to move two successful
local incubators, the UW-Stout Technology Incubator and the Crossroads Food
Incubator, into its new facility.

* Advance Business Development Center, Green Bay, Brown County,
$50,000 CBED grant
Advance Business Development Center will use the grant to cover
operating and equipment costs for a new $5 million Technology Incubator in
Green Bay.

* Urban Economic Development Association of Wisconsin, Inc.,
Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, $45,000 CBED grant
Urban Economic Development Association of Wisconsin, Inc. will use
the grant to provide assistance to incubators throughout the state and to
the Wisconsin Business Incubator Association. The project will also include
the coordination of a statewide incubator conference to improve the
operation and marketing of incubators.

* Common Wealth Development Corp., Madison, Dane County, $10,000 CBED
grant
Common Wealth Development Corp. will use the grant to study the
feasibility of starting an arts incubator in Madison. The proposed facility
is a vacant building on Madison’s East Side, where many area artists reside.

* East Side Business Improvement District #10, Milwaukee, Milwaukee
County, $10,000 CBED grant
East Side Business Improvement District #10 will use the grant to
turn an unused building in its neighborhood into an Arts Incubator. The
site is next to a new Arts School being built by the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Incubator will provide businesses opportunities
and technical assistance to graduates.

* Wisconsin Assembly for Local Arts, Inc., Madison, Dane County,
$10,000 CBED grant
Wisconsin Assembly for Local Arts, Inc. will use the grant for
training sessions. The sessions will focus on increasing awareness of
artists associations about opportunities to improve sales and profitability
through organizations such as the Small Business Development Centers and the
Wisconsin Common Market.

* Science and Technology Accelerator Corporation, River Falls, Pierce
County, $20,000 CBED grant
Science and Technology Accelerator Corporation will use the grant to
expand a River Falls technology incubator. The company will collaborate
with University of Wisconsin – River Falls, the City of River Falls, and a
private developer.

* Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation, Milwaukee,
Milwaukee County, $94,600 CBED grant
Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation will use the grant
to continue funding its statewide business assistance programs that are
located around the state.

* Heart of Wisconsin Community Incubator, Wisconsin Rapids, Wood
County, $20,000 CBED grant
Heart of Wisconsin Community Incubator will use the grant to develop
a comprehensive system to provide technical assistance to small businesses
in the Wisconsin Rapids area.

* Wisconsin Business Innovation Corporation, Spooner, Washburn County,
$19,000 CBED grant
Wisconsin Business Innovation Corporation will use the grant to
organize a venture fair that will seek to identify new partners in
investment and companies with growth potential that need capital.

* Wisconsin Technology Council, Madison, Dane County, $55,000 CBED
grant
The Wisconsin Technology Council will use the grant to continue its
venture capital fair and expand activities throughout the state.

* Northwest Regional Planning, Spooner, Washburn County, $19,000 CDBG
grant
Northwest Regional Planning will use the grant to design and develop
a flexible wall system for use in its six incubators. The project should
greatly reduce the operating costs for incubators and make space easier to
rent.

* Marinette Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Marinette, Marinette
County, $8,000 CDBG grant
Marinette Chamber of Commerce Foundation will use the grant to
perform a feasibility study for development options, including a countywide
incubator.

* Ashland Area Development Association, Ashland, Ashland County,
$19,000 CDBG grant
Ashland Area Development Association will use the grant to continue
operating a 60,000-sq.-ft. incubator. The incubator is operating at more
than two-thirds of its available capacity and has become a major source of
economic development in northern Wisconsin.

* CAP Services, Stevens Point, Portage County, $15,000 CDBG grant
CAP Services will use the grant to operate its virtual incubator
project. This project has leveraged over $280,000 in both federal and
private funds.