Dept. of Commerce: Governor Doyle Announces $250,000 to Help Northern Crossarm Expand, Create Jobs in Chippewa Falls

Contacts:
Tony Hozeny, Department of Commerce, 608-267-9661
Anne Lupardus, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2162

CHIPPEWA FALLS – Governor Jim Doyle today announced that Northern Crossarm Company of Chippewa Falls will receive $250,000 in Technology Zone tax credits for an expansion project that will create 20 new jobs. The Governor made the announcement during his “Capital for the Day” tour of Chippewa and Dunn Counties.

“At the heart of my Affordability Agenda is a commitment to create good jobs and grow our economy,” Governor Doyle said. “To do that, we are using technology, training, trade promotion, and new investment to innovate and modernize Wisconsin’s economy. This investment in Northern Crossarm is a great example of how the state can work with manufacturers to encourage investment and job creation right here in Wisconsin. I’m pleased that we could help Northern Crossarm expand and create jobs here in Chippewa Falls.”

“The Governor’s leadership is helping me expand my business by 50 percent,” said Patrick Bischel, President and Co-founder of Northern Crossarm. “Northern Crossarm has a national reputation for introducing innovative methods to protect wood from degradation. This new technology is exciting because we believe this revolutionary product maybe the perfect way to protect wood from rot, decay, and insect attack, with little or no negative environmental impact.”

Northern Crossarm will construct a 12,500 square-foot building that will house the equipment for an innovative new lumber treatment process that uses Timbersil, which is non-toxic, less susceptible to fire, and is arsenic-free.

Established in 1922, Northern Crossarm is the first company to commercially treat wood with Timbersil and is the Midwest industry leader in the manufacture of pressure-treated wood without the use of chromated copper arsenate, which was recently banned by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The new constructions will take place in the I-94 Corridor Technology Zone, which provides incentives for high-tech growth in Biotechnology, Information Technology, and Automatic and Precision Fabrication, among others. The I-94 Technology Zone includes the counties of Dunn, Chippewa, Eau Claire, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix. For more information about the Technology Zone program, contact Todd Jensen, Department of Commerce, at 608/266-3074.