— In the latest episode of “Talking Trade,” E.M. Wasylik Associates Managing Director Ken Wasylik discusses his approach for reaching new international markets.
He highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted those efforts, such as meeting and forming connections with clients.
“Whether it’s a trade mission, trade venture — basically sending some sales person to that particular market, and that’s how you built it pre-pandemic,” he said. “During the pandemic, that whole travel, that section stopped. You just couldn’t do it.”
Whether it’s developed through meeting in person or over video call, he emphasizes that “trust is the number one element” for any business relationship.
Wasylik touches on trends in North American supply chains, how companies are addressing ongoing challenges in this arena and how alternative suppliers are helping address those issues. And he discusses the outlook for inflation and rising interest rates.
“Everybody’s trying to manage those particular challenges,” he said. “What we’re seeing is that inflation is a universal global issue. Every market around the world is experiencing inflation, whether it’s in fuel prices, food prices, manufacturing goods, transportation.”
Watch the show here: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2022/wisbusiness-the-show-with-e-m-wasylik-associates-managing-director-ken-wasylik/
See more episodes: https://www.wisbusiness.com/category/talking-trade/
— This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” is with Steve Glynn, chief Milwaukee officer and co-host of the Experience Milwaukee podcast.
He discusses the focus of the Milwaukee-based program, as well as a new related effort called Work in MKE. This series aims to highlight businesses and industries in Wisconsin’s largest city, helping to recruit talent to the area and boost Milwaukee’s reputation.
Companies that have signed onto the series include Harley-Davidson, ManpowerGroup, Wantable, Northwestern Mutual and Direct Supply.
“We’re finding really cool, unique things about these companies and what it’s like to work there,” he said. “I think for sure what listeners can expect is you get the insider view of these organizations; you’ll get a really emotional feel for what is important to the people who work there.”
Listen to the podcast here: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2022/wisbusiness-the-podcast-with-steve-glynn-chief-milwaukee-officer-for-experience-milwaukee/
See a full list of WisBusiness.com podcasts: https://www.wisbusiness.com/category/podcast/
— In the latest episode of “WisBusiness.com: The Show,” Wisconsin Conservative Energy Forum Executive Director Scott Coenen discusses the group’s belief that addressing climate change is possible while balancing economic security for all.
The Show also previews upcoming events hosted by the Wisconsin Technology Council.
In the show’s Tech Metrics section, Tech Council President Tom Still talks about the state’s final 2021 early stage investment numbers as well as federal initiatives affecting Wisconsin.
Watch the latest episode here: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2022/wisbusiness-the-show-with-scott-coenen-wisconsin-conservation-energy-forum/
— Opponents of a high-voltage transmission line provided no evidence of bias by former PSC Commissioner Mike Huebsch in his support of the project and subpoenas seeking his personal communications about the case were improper, a split state Supreme Court has ruled.
Environmental groups raised concerns about more than 200 phone calls between Huebsch and a lobbyist for one of the companies involved in the Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line as they alleged he may have engaged in improper communications about the project. They also pointed out after leaving the PSC Huebsch applied to be CEO of Dairyland Power Cooperative, which was involved in the transmission line, though he didn’t get the job.
Writing for the majority, Justice Pat Roggensack wrote some of the allegations bordered on “frivolous pleading.” She wrote there is a “presumption of honesty and integrity” accorded to the decisions of public officials, and opponents had failed to meet the burden needed to justify giving them access to Huebsch’s smartphone.
What’s more, the Dairyland CEO job opened up after Huebsch had already left the PSC and he didn’t even get an interview for the position, underscoring that opponents had offered more innuendo than substance, Roggensack wrote.
Huebsch, a former GOP Assembly speaker and former Gov. Scott Walker’s first DOA secretary, praised the ruling, accusing opponents of a “targeted campaign of harassment and a sustained attack on my reputation and the Public Service Commission.”
See the full story at WisPolitics.com: https://www.wispolitics.com/2022/thu-pm-update-scowis-rules-no-basis-for-subpoenas-seeking-huebsch-communications-in-psc-case/
— The Dane County Regional Airport is getting $2.6 million in federal funding for a number of improvements, officials have announced.
The funds come from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Federal officials yesterday announced about $1 billion in funding for 85 airport terminals around the country.
According to an overview from the Federal Aviation Administration, this is the first round of funding out of the $5 billion allocated to U.S. airport development projects through the infrastructure law.
“Americans deserve modern airports that meet the needs of their families and growing passenger demand,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “Funded through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, today’s grants will improve airport terminals while also creating good jobs in communities across the country.”
The regional airport in Dane County, designated MSN and also known as Truax Field, will use its allocation to resurface pavement, install 400 new energy efficient LED lights, improve public bus access and safety, improve signage and guidance, and improve traffic movement efficiency to reduce emissions.
See the release: https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/biden-administration-announces-nearly-1b-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-funding-improving
See more details: https://www.faa.gov/bil/airport-terminals
— COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death among Wisconsin residents in both 2020 and 2021, according to data provided by the state Department of Health Services.
The earliest COVID-19 deaths in the state began in March 2020, the DHS site shows, with the first major peak in cases occurring in November when about 100 state residents died from the disease in a single day.
A total of 5,396 residents died from COVID-19 in 2020, the DHS dataset shows. Only heart disease and malignant neoplasms — or cancerous tumors — resulted in more deaths in the state that year, with 12,625 deaths and 11,657 deaths, respectively.
In 2021, 5,254 COVID-19 deaths occurred among Wisconsin residents. As with 2020, just heart disease and cancer resulted in more deaths, with similar numbers to the prior year.
Provisional DHS data for the first four months of 2022 suggest a similar trend was happening earlier in the year, as the second major spike caused by the omicron variant only began to recede in early February. But the number of COVID-19 deaths has dropped off significantly since that time.
Findings from the National Institutes of Health show COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death nationwide in 2020 and 2021.
DHS has confirmed a total of 13,164 COVID-19 deaths in Wisconsin since the start of the pandemic.
See the DHS page on COVID-19 deaths: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/deaths.htm
— The state’s seven-day average for new COVID-19 cases continues to slowly decline, reaching 1,220 per day at the latest count.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin’s latest percent positivity rate by test was 13 percent, remaining relatively steady since mid-May.
And just two counties in the state — Barron and Rusk — continue to see high levels of COVID-19 community activity, according to a CDC measure that captures hospital bed usage, hospital admissions and the total number of new cases in the area. That number has fallen from 18 counties in mid-May.
Eighteen counties are now seeing medium levels of community activity, and the rest are in the lowest category, the DHS site shows.
Over the two-week period ending July 5, COVID-19 patient hospitalizations were growing by 21 percent in the state’s south central region. At the same time, they were declining by 41 percent in the Fox Valley region. The rest of the state saw no significant change in hospitalizations during that time.
See more COVID-19 figures: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/data.htm
<i>For more of the most relevant news on COVID-19, reports on groundbreaking health research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com.</i>
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— Gov. Tony Evers has announced the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians will be getting up to $4.6 million in grants for a planned housing development.
According to a release from the guv’s office, the Workforce Innovation Grant Program funding will support water infrastructure for a 32-unit development to be built by the tribe in 2025.
“This workforce housing initiative has been thoughtfully designed to meet the unique needs of the local community and region, including ensuring that residents will have ample access to Tribal services, transportation, and local jobs,” Evers said in the release.
See the release: https://www.wispolitics.com/2022/gov-evers-announces-4-6-million-to-support-workforce-housing-through-workforce-innovation-grant-program/
— Evers also announced more than $1.4 million for projects aimed at economic development and shoreline protection in coastal communities.
According to a release, the funds will be used by local, state and tribal governments, regional planning bodies, universities and nonprofits. They’re going toward 41 projects totaling over $3.4 million.
See more details here: https://www.wispolitics.com/2022/gov-evers-announces-more-than-1-4-million-in-grants-for-wisconsins-coastal-communities/
#TOP STORIES#
# How COVID vaccines for kids under 5 are changing things for child care providers
# Pleasant Prairie considers $17M in assistance for redevelopment of We Energies power plant site
# Wisconsin Supreme Court sides with former utility regulator accused of bias in power line case
#TOPICS#
# AGRIBUSINESS
– Free well water testing at farm technology days
– DATCP to host global dairy symposium at WDE
# CONSTRUCTION
– Construction costs are rising. So are downtown Milwaukee apartments.
– Hines’ Third Ward apartment tower on course for September start
– Building Blocks: Madison Corners apartment project
# EDUCATION
– Madison-based Sonic Foundry opens a college hub in the Bahamas
– Updates to Bradford High School auditorium still underway
# ENVIRONMENT
– Companies combine to design zero-carbon building material
# LEGAL
– Wisconsin court sides with former PSC member in line dispute
# MANUFACTURING
– Charter Steel hires former Modine Manufacturing exec as president
– Owners of Wauwatosa brewery Stock House Brewing want to sell business
# POLITICS
– GOP leaders still hopeful about convention agreement with Nashville
# REAL ESTATE
– The Avenue developers buy parking structure attached to Hyatt Regency
– Jason Korb, Milwaukee architect who designed Ascent, working on a taller mass timber tower in St. Louis
# REGULATION
– Kenosha County Board lifts ban on firearms on county properties, declares 2nd Amendment sanctuary
# RETAIL
– Calypso expands retail distribution to 3,000 additional outlets nationwide
– Timeline shows Kohl’s suitors bid as much as $72 per share before bottom fell out
– How I-41 helped make Grand Chute the state’s most concentrated retail center
# SPORTS
– OAW indoor sports complex partially collapses during Tuesday storms
# TECHNOLOGY
– Madison company serving cattle industry to buy animal reproductive tech firm for $170M
# TOURISM
– Sofar Sounds to expand surprise concert series in Milwaukee
– Viroqua’s Night Market returns for summer 2022; Andy Hughs to perform Friday
– Trends, tips from Milwaukee-area travel agents during ‘skyrocketing’ demand
# TRANSPORTATION
– Bridge over troubled coffers: Investment in infrastructure long overdue in rural Wisconsin
– Interstate 41 tied Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, Appleton and Green Bay together. Here’s how.
# UTILITIES
– Supreme Court reverses decision of Circuit Court in power line case
# PRESS RELEASES
<i>See these and other press releases:
https://www.wisbusiness.com/press-releases/ </i>
Northwestern Mutual: Enriches Milwaukee’s art scene with acquisition of Roxy Paine’s “Cleft”
