— Biohealth companies in south central Wisconsin are drawing on the region’s growing pool of skilled talent as they expand.
Speaking yesterday during the Wisconsin Biohealth Summit hosted by BioForward Wisconsin in Madison, panelists acknowledged the workforce challenges facing most industries in Wisconsin. But they said the influence of UW-Madison and established industry leaders in the region has helped them surmount this obstacle.
“Madison is a really unique place,” said Lori Aschenbrenner, director of drug development and regional strategy for Labcorp, which has a flagship campus in the city. “It is a place where you have a university, you have places like Epic, you have a lot of technology within a small area — that does facilitate attracting the top talent.”
The company employs about 1,200 people at its Madison site, which is focused on drug development research, testing for efficacy and safety, environmental risk assessments and more.
Another nearby business involved in research and development, MilliporeSigma, last year opened a $65 million expansion to its operations in Verona. David Goeddel, the company’s R&D director for active pharmaceutical ingredients or APIs, yesterday attributed that decision in part to the attractive labor market.
The facility now produces 26 different commercial APIs, serving a wide array of customers including manufacturers producing cancer drugs. Goeddel said it’s “focused on a few different technology areas, but most of them are really inside the state, so it’s a pretty strong industry.”
Meanwhile, Catalent Senior Director of Commercial Operations Justin Koepsel highlighted the company’s decision to expand in 2021 after opening its Madison site in 2013. It originally launched as a hub for early-stage programs, he explained. But the company saw an opportunity to start attracting more later-stage, commercial and large pharmaceutical clients. It now employs more than 500 workers there.
“It made sense to reinvest here, to leverage the process development expertise,” he said. “A lot of that is driven by the academic base coming out of the UW. And then what’s been growing is a really strong, I’d say biomanufacturing workforce.”
Aschenbrenner also noted the rise of remote work and more flexible work options have helped with talent recruitment. And she noted a program placing local high school students into summer internship positions with the company has also paid dividends.
“We have folks that have worked their way up to very high levels in the organization that have started in those types of programs,” she said.
Listen to an earlier podcast with BioForward Wisconsin CEO Lisa Johnson: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/wisbusiness-the-podcast-with-lisa-johnson-bioforward-wisconsin-3/
See the group’s latest report on the state’s biohealth industry: https://www.bioforward.org/economic-impact/
— The Business Council next year will take over operations of Scale Up Milwaukee, a program that provides resources for minority and women-owned businesses in underserved communities.
This effort of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, first launched in 2013, offers educational content and programs on key aspects of running a business such as sales, marketing, finances and hiring.
Under the helm of the Milwaukee-based Business Council, Scale Up Milwaukee will have access to more resources focused on entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds. The Business Council Executive Director Marjorie Rucker says the group will “carry on the foundation of growth” for startup leaders facing barriers to success.
“This work must continue in our community to offer access and create equitable opportunities for entrepreneurs and Milwaukee as a whole to experience sustainable growth,” she said yesterday in a statement.
See details on the change: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/gmc-transitioning-scale-up-milwaukee-initiative-to-the-business-council/
See more on Scale Up Milwaukee: https://www.scaleupmilwaukee.org/
— Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman has announced the system will shut down the UW-Platteville Richland campus and end in-person instruction at two other branch campuses amid enrollment declines.
In-person instruction and UW-Milwaukee at Washington County and UW-Oshkosh Fond du Lac will end in-person learning with a goal date of June 2024. The students will be offered enrollment at other Universities of Wisconsin schools.
“The purpose of these actions is to align our branch campuses to current market realities and to prepare for the future,” Rothman said yesterday in a press conference.
Rothman has also asked chancellors at the remaining two-year campuses to consider the best uses for their facilities to meet student and regional needs.
The announcement comes following Rothman’s decision to suspend in-person instruction at UW-Platteville Richland due to low enrollment. Rothman didn’t announce a firm date when the campus would close, adding the universities are working with Richland County on exiting the lease.
The majority of the branch campuses have seen enrollment declines, with the exception of UW-Green Bay Manitowoc, UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County and UW-Whitewater Rock County, according to fall enrollment estimates.
“I think that’s the market is telling us that the mission … of the two-year branch campuses is not as attractive to prospective students as it once was,” Rothman said.
Senate Universities and Revenue Committee Chair Rob Hutton in a statement said the announcement is unfortunate, but reflects ongoing challenges for higher education in Wisconsin and nationwide
“I commend UW leadership for taking these difficult, but necessary, first steps in reducing our physical footprint for those two-year campuses facing significant enrollment declines,” the Brookfield Republican said.
— The Assembly has approved 69-27 with bipartisan support a deal to keep the Brewers in Wisconsin through 2050.
The two bills would provide $546 million in public money for Brewers stadium upkeep in exchange for extending the team’s lease through 2050.
They now head to the Senate.
An Assembly committee last week amended the package to require the city and county to contribute $135 million combined toward the costs over the next 27 years. The state would kick in $411 million in exchange for the team extending its lease through 2050. It now expires in 2030.
See more at WisPolitics: https://www.wispolitics.com/2023/tue-pm-update-third-party-investigator-found-former-senate-chief-clerk-credibly-accused-of-nonconsensual-sexual-contact-before-he-resigned/
<br><b><i>Top headlines from the Health Care Report…</b></i>
— Sen. Melissa Agard, D-Madison, is introducing a bill to provide free menstrual products at state, local and school buildings, arguing these products are necessities, not luxuries.
<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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#TOP STORIES#
# DNR says bottled water companies aren’t required to test for PFAS in Wisconsin
# Wisconsin Assembly approves $545 million Brewers stadium deal
# Federal jury convicts two employees in fatal Wisconsin corn mill explosion
#TOPICS#
# AGRIBUSINESS
– Federal budget woes delay new Farm Bill progress
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=931&yr=2023
– Wisconsin researchers explore alfalfa intercropping
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=929&yr=2023
# EDUCATION
– UW System ending classes at 2 more campuses due to declining enrollment and ‘market realities’
– UW System to end classes at two branch campuses
– UW Oshkosh layoffs draw response from faculty and staff union: ‘A devastating week’
# HEALTH CARE
– Crisis pregnancy centers would get $1M a year under Senate bill
– Aurora Medical Center-Bay Area workers to protest wages, staffing Thursday
# LABOR
– Occupational skills training returns to Milwaukee County Community Reintegration Center
– BMO plans layoffs at downtown Milwaukee tower
# LEGAL
– Months after the closure of Xperience Fitness customers still struggle with cancellations and refunds
# MEDIA
– Bucks, Brewers still on Bally Sports Wisconsin but future’s in flux. This timeline explains why.
# POLITICS
– Brewers stadium renovation would get $546 million under Assembly plan
-$546M funding package for Brewers stadium wins Assembly approval
– American Family Field funding bill passes Assembly, moves to the Senate
# RETAIL
– Kwik Trip restores many of its systems disrupted by network outage causing issues for customers
# UTILITIES
– We Energies asks for another rate increase, as WPS asks for a rate decrease
# PRESS RELEASES
<i>See these and other press releases:
https://www.wisbusiness.com/press-releases/ </i>
St. Norbert College: Celebrates 125th anniversary
Edgewood College: Polacek honored with Marriage and Family Therapy Award
