— After two strong years for the state’s agriculture industry, this summer has many state farmers grappling with adversity. Dick Gorder, a Mineral Point dairyman and vice president with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, has a mixed and mildly optimistic assessment of the situation. On the down side, Wisconsin agriculture is suffering from depressed milk and grain prices, as well as a downturn in export markets. Worse, some farmers in the northern two-thirds of the state are facing near drought conditions that could result in reduced harvests. On the upside, however, fuel prices are less than 50 percent of what they were last year, falling from $4.33 a gallon to as low as $1.63 this spring. And futures markets are trending up are rising on anticipation that the nation will come out of its deep recession by early next year. See more in a new WisBusiness interview with Gorder: — Columnist Kevin Reardon says business owners on the brink of retirement are facing potentially the worst conditions for selling or handing off a business in decades. But Reardon says their circumstance should serve as a lesson to their younger and future business owners to build an exit plan that works under both sunny and stormy conditions. See his newest column for tips on making an exit plan: http://blogs.wisbusiness.com/bizopinion/2009/07/re-setting-business-exit-plan-in-tough.html — June saw local unemployment rates rise in all of Wisconsin’s 12 major metro areas, but 11 of the state’s 72 counties had a decrease in the jobless rate. The local unemployment report from the state Department of Workforce Development also finds that 15 Wisconsin cities reported double-digit employment in June, with Beloit topping the list at 18.6 percent. Workforce Development Secretary Roberta Gassman says students and others entered the job market looking for summer employment in June, leading to a seasonal bump in the jobless rate. See the DWD release on local unemployment rates: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=165175 — Forty years and one week after humans first walked on the moon, visitors to the country’s biggest annual air show will be able to see a piece of the lunar surface in person. NASA is bringing a moon rock to EAA AirVenture, the Experimental Aircraft Association’s fly-in, held in Oshkosh, Wis., July 27 to Aug. 2. The rock is part of a larger exhibit that celebrates NASA’s contributions to space exploration, aeronautics research and Earth science. See the release for details: http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?STORY=/www/story/07-22-2009/0005064553 TOP STORIES Strike begins at Bemis plant in W. Indiana : Hundreds of workers have gone on strike at a western Indiana factory after union officials say members overwhelmingly rejected a contract offer. Time Warner Cable to add 125 telemarketers: Time Warner Cable Inc. announced Wednesday that it is adding 125 employees to the company’s marketing department, which is housed in its downtown Milwaukee office. Gannett to close Fondy printing plant: Gannett Wisconsin Media will close its printing and production plant in Fond du Lac, leaving 47 employees without jobs. Business park planned for Verona : A 200-acre commercial and industrial park is planned on Verona’s southeast side. Liberty Business Park will be developed east of Highway 18-151, roughly between Highway M and Whalen Road, on property annexed to the city on July 13. About 20 acres of the park are north of Whalen Road. Madison’s tech sector is growing : In what proponents see as a sign of growing strength in the local tech sector, nine companies focused on biotechnology and information technology recently became new tenants of University Research Park or its Near East Side offshoot, the Metro Innovation Center.
************************************************************ See commentary from around the state and columns from WisBusiness contributors Jennifer Sereno, Kevin McKinley, Tom Burzinski, Gregg Hoffmann, Tom Still and Steve Jagler: ************************************************************
BIOTECH (back to top)
ECONOMY (back to top)
MANUFACTURING (back to top) – Denali Flavors expands Moose Tracks plant
LABOR (back to top) – Unemployment creeps up in Oshkosh, county – Milwaukee: Area unemployment rate jumps to 9.8 percent
REAL ESTATE (back to top) – West Allis retail space to be converted to apartments
TRANSPORTATION (back to top) – AirTran pulls in a second-quarter profit – Marten Transport’s 2Q net income jumps – Clunker cash creating big buzz
TOURISM (back to top)
UTILITIES (back to top) – Veolia names CEO for Milwaukee-based division
HEALTH CARE (back to top) – Survey: Doctors see jump in cancellations – Surgeon sues LasikPlus over firing
FINANCIAL SERVICES (back to top)
MANAGEMENT (back to top) – Veolia names new CEO of solid waste division PRESS RELEASES (back to top) For these and more releases visit http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Content=82 |
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