FRI AM News: WisBusiness: the Podcast with Clifton Phelps, JCP Construction; WPF report explores impacts of Medicaid expansion in Wisconsin

September 27, 2024

— This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” is with Clifton Phelps, vice president of business development for JCP Construction.

This family-owned general contracting business has been operating in Milwaukee for 15 years, and has played a role in several high-profile projects in Wisconsin’s largest city. That includes the first Northwestern Mutual tower in 2016-2018 and the Milwaukee Bucks arena.

Phelps discusses some of the company’s current projects, including the Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy in the Bronzeville neighborhood and the ThriveOn King development, which he calls a “beacon” for the community.

“It’s a project that allows these great organizations and nonprofits to intermingle here in the community, as well as the surrounding areas of Harambee, Halyard Park and Brewers Hill,” he said. “It kind of brings a melting pot.”

In a return to the Deer District downtown, the company is also going to be working on a new Frank Productions concert venue, “which we’re very happy about,” Phelps said.

The podcast also explores broader trends in the construction industry including how interest rates are influencing development plans, projects from architects and engineers in the pipeline, as well as potential opportunities.

“We’re involved a lot in health care … so we’re just kind of keeping track of the merger from Advocate Aurora and Atrium, to kind of see what that new brand looks like so that we could be a part of that transformation there,” he said.

Phelps also weighs in on the future of JCP Construction, noting the company doubled in size last year.

“We see ourselves growing … continue to grow and continue to hire,” he said. “Obviously looking for better opportunities to gain our traction here.”

Listen to the podcast and see the full list of WisBusiness.com podcasts.

— The Wisconsin Policy Forum finds Medicaid expansion in Wisconsin would add fewer enrollees than in the other nine non-expansion states, but bring a larger fiscal benefit.

Full Medicaid expansion would increase recipients by 7% to 9% — the smallest percentage increase by far across the other states that haven’t approved the change, according to the forum. It would reduce Wisconsin’s uninsured population by 8.1%, which the report says is a “comparatively modest” drop.

The expansion would also produce an estimated $1.7 billion in general purpose revenue savings in 2025-27. Previously, GOP lawmakers have rejected such proposals in Dem Gov. Tony Evers’ budgets that would raise the income eligibility threshold to 138% of the federal poverty level from the current cap of 100%. The poverty level for 2024 is $15,060 for an individual and $31,200 for a family of four.

Wisconsin is one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid after the Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010.

The report said Wisconsin would see fewer enrollees because many of those eligible for Medicaid already have health coverage. It also said Wisconsinites in rural counties are most likely to benefit by Medicaid expansion.

The report also finds that if Medicaid is expanded in Wisconsin, insurers and providers would no longer receive substantial subsidies in the form of federal Affordable Care Act tax credits.

Further, medical providers would possibly receive reduced reimbursements for care because some Wisconsinites would shift from ACA plans to Medicaid coverage, though the report says policymakers could address this by using some or all of the projected expansion savings to boost Medicaid reimbursement rates to providers.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein, D-Middleton, this week released a Legislative Fiscal Bureau memo that went over the fiscal impact for the state if it approved the expansion plan.

For more of the most relevant health care news, reports on groundbreaking research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics and WisBusiness.com.

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— SHINE Technologies has received $1.1 million in federal funding to develop technology for capturing byproducts of nuclear fuel processing.

The Janesville company yesterday announced the grant funding from the Department of Energy through the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs.

It will be used in developing various materials to “more economically capture and properly dispose of” the elements xenon and krypton that are produced during processing of nuclear fuel. The announcement notes the United States has about 86,000 metric tons of nuclear waste and is adding about 2,000 tons per year, while the entire world is producing about three times that much annually.

Because this spent fuel still holds about 90% of its energy capacity, according to SHINE, the company aims to advance efforts to recycle and reuse it. Goals include improving the environmental sustainability of the nuclear energy field and addressing “one of the greatest obstacles” of wider adoption of nuclear energy.

“This grant is a crucial step in advancing our ability to better understand and derisk the off-gas capture work needed to bring us closer to making nuclear fuel recycling a viable solution for the U.S. energy landscape,” said Ross Radel, CTO at SHINE.

The company says it’s “well into” the R&D phase for the process and plans to scale technologies developed in earlier stages of its growth, including technology to help return fuel to nuclear reactors and recoup precious metals.

SHINE earlier this year received $32 million from DOE for production of a key medical radioisotope, molybdenum-99, used in diagnostic procedures.

See the release and listen to an earlier podcast with SHINE CEO Greg Piefer.

— Gov. Tony Evers and the state DOT have announced $10 million in federal funding aimed at lowering air pollution and traffic congestion in Wisconsin.

This funding, from the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, is administered by the state Department of Transportation, yesterday’s release shows. Grants are used by counties in southeastern and northeastern Wisconsin for projects to improve the flow of traffic, add turn lanes and intersections or otherwise improve roadway mobility, as well as upgrading public transit and supporting emissions-free options like biking. The reimbursement program offers 80% cost sharing for eligible projects.

See the release and the full list of funded projects.

— WMC and Johnson Financial Group have rolled out the top 16 finalists in this year’s Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest, which will now compete in the tournament-style Manufacturing Madness bracket.

The contest recognizes companies for their contribution to Wisconsin’s manufacturing industry with a focus on specific products. Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce says nearly 40,000 votes were cast during the past week on the 130 different products that were nominated.

“Not only do these products represent the diversity of things made in Wisconsin, they represent the high-tech, high-skill and high-wage career opportunities found in the manufacturing sector,” said Nick Novak, WMC’s vice president of communications and marketing.

The top eight nominees will be selected in the first elimination round, with voting open through 5 p.m. Tuesday.

See the 16 finalists in the release.

Million-dollar grant energizes Janesville tech company

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EDUCATION

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