WisBusiness: Entrepreneurs’ conference draws hundreds for panels, speakers

China looms large for SE Wisconsin businesses

Dan Brink, an attorney from Reinhart, Boerner, and Van Deuren, led a morning panel discussion at the Milwaukee conference discussing tips, taboos and trends on the horizon for Southeastern Wisconsin companies doing business abroad.

The panel focused in particular on China, in which Brink identified the automotive, technology and aerospace sectors as the three that will dominate the Chinese economy in the imminent future.

“Over the next 10 years, aerospace is going to be the biggest growth engine in the Chinese economy,” said Brink.

Legislature should lead on biofuels, panelists argue

An afternoon panel moderated by Greg Lynch of Michael Best & Friedrich explored how Wisconsin companies can tap into the burgeoning biofuels market.

Panelists Eric Apfelbach of Virent Energy Systems and John Biondi from C5-6 Technologies delivered particularly harsh criticism of the state Legislature on the issue, taking lawmakers to task for a lack of political will that is holding the state back from becoming a major player in the biofuels market.

“There is a lack of political will,” said Biondi. “Not from the Governor’s office, but generally from the state Legislature.”

“It doesn’t pay to be second,” added Apfelbach.