By Brian E. Clark
RISING
Early-stage companies
Early-stage Badger State companies attracted $147 million in private
funding last year from individual angel investors, angel networks,
early-stage funds and others interested in Wisconsin start-up deals.
That was a 43 percent gain over 2006, according to a report released by
the Wisconsin Technology Council.
A survey conducted by NorthStar Economics and the Wisconsin Angel
Network said the investments in 2006 were only $102.9 million in 2006.
Venture capital investments in Wisconsin – later-stage funding done
after early-stage companies begin to grow – also increased in 2007 to
$90 million from $73 million in 2006, the survey showed.
Minnesota, by comparison, had $434 million in venture deals in 2007.
For the United States as a whole, venture capitalists invested $30.5
billion, with most of the money going to firms on the coasts. Wisconsin
ranked 28th, Illinois was 12th, Minnesota 15th, Michigan 25th and Iowa,
43rd.
MIXED
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers recorded net income of $23.3 million for their
2008 fiscal year, which they called a disappointing 5.9 percent
increase from 2007.
With the team going 13-3 and hosting two playoff games, including the
NFC Championship Game at Lambeau Field, team officials had hoped for
better financial results.
Revenue increased 10 percent to $241 million, with national revenue
making up $135 million of that total. Included in that figure is $87.5
million from the National Football League’s national television
contract, which is split among the 32 teams.
But operations profits fell to $21.4 million in 2008, a drop of 37
percent from $34.2 million in 2007. That was due mainly to rising
player costs — $110 million in 2007 vs. $124 million in 2008 —
including bonus payments made to veteran players.
FALLING
Cherry crop
Wisconsin’s tart cherry crop will be drastically reduced this year. And
up in Door County, growers say they may harvest no crop at all because
a drought and cold winter weakened their trees.
The crop is expected to come in at 200,000 pounds, a stunning drop from
the 10.4 million-pound harvest in 2007, according to the Wisconsin
office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural
Statistics Service.
The huge tart cherry crop last summer stressed many trees and hurt bud
development, while a big temperature swing in late January from the
low-40s to below zero within several hours hurt.
