Wis. Technology Council: Economic impact of federal contracts is topic of May 25 WIN-Madison meeting

MADISON – What do major federal contracts mean to the companies, communities and people where Uncle Sam’s dollars are deployed? Hear from Richard McCreary, president and CEO of Marinette Marine Corp., on the economic benefits of Department of Defense contracts at the May 25 meeting of WIN-Madison.

The luncheon will be held at the Sheraton Hotel on Madison’s John Nolen Drive. Registration and networking begin at 11:30 a.m., lunch at noon and the presentation at 12:30 p.m. The cost is $25 for WIN members, $25 for BPC participants, $35 for non-members, $10 for students and included with corporate memberships.

Register here: http://www.wisconsintechnologycouncil.com.

Marinette Marine has built one high-speed combat ship for the U.S. Navy, as well as many other ships for the U.S. Coast Guard and commercial customers. A second “littoral combat ship” is under construction at Marinette Marine’s shipyards, which employ 900 people about 45 miles northeast of Green Bay. That jobs figure could rise to nearly 2,000 if the company wins a contract to build 10 more ships to modernize the Navy’s fleet. Up to 55 ships in the LCS class could be built over 20 years.

Tech Council representatives were among those who toured the shipyards May 13. To learn more about the project, read a May 13 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel story on state efforts to help Marinette as it competes for the federal contract.

“If Marinette Marine wins the Navy contract, it would be the largest defense industry project in Wisconsin since World War II, when submarines were built in Manitowoc,” said Wisconsin Technology Council President Tom Still.

Marinette Marine Corp. is owned by the Fincantieri Marine Group, an Italian shipbuilder. After his presentation, McCreary will be joined by Jack Heinemann, director of the Wisconsin Security Research Consortium, during a question-and-answer period.

WIN is the membership arm of the Tech Council, the independent, non-profit science and technology adviser to the governor and the Legislature. It has chapters in Milwaukee, Madison, Northeast Wisconsin, Central Wisconsin, the Lake Superior region and Western Wisconsin.