Dept. of Commerce: Governor Doyle Announces Mid-State Tech to Share $5 Million Grant to Develop National Network for Pulp and Paper Technology Training

Contacts:
Tony Hozeny, Department of Commerce, 608-267-9661
Ethnie Groves, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2156
Elizabeth Moran, Mid-State Technical College,
715-422-5326

College Will Establish a National Center for Pulp and
Paper Technology on its Wisconsin Rapids Campus

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – During a visit to Wisconsin Rapids today,
Governor Jim Doyle announced that Mid-State Technical College will lead a
12-state region to develop a National Network for Pulp and Paper Technology.
The technical college will share a $5 million Advanced Technological
Education (ATE) National Center of Excellence Grant from the National
Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a National Center for Pulp and Paper
Technology on its Wisconsin Rapids campus.

“I congratulate Mid-State Technical College for representing
Wisconsin’s paper interests and leading this nationwide initiative,”
Governor Doyle said. “Wisconsin is the number one paper producer in the
country, and the paper industry is key to the strength of our state’s
economy. That’s why I have worked so hard as Governor to strengthen our
paper industry. Mid-State Technical College’s work on this project is
another important step forward in our efforts to grow our economy.”

In addition to establishing a National Center for Pulp and
Paper Technology on its Wisconsin Rapids campus, Mid-State Technical College
will also use the grant to lead the development of the National Network for
Pulp and Paper Technology Training. The network will focus on providing the
pulp and paper sector of the United States forest products industry with a
technologically advanced workforce that will preserve this core industry and
help assure that it is globally competitive.

“Mid-State Technical College has a long and successful
relationship working with central Wisconsin’s papermaking and allied
industries to provide employee training and technical assistance on
specialized projects,” said Mid-State Technical College President John
Clark. “We look forward to expanding this role and responsibility, with our
partner colleges and universities, as we position to be a greater resource
to specified regions and the nation.”

Through his “Grow Wisconsin” plan, Governor Doyle has taken
a number of steps to strengthen the paper industry, including reducing
permit times, implementing the most aggressive regulatory reform in the
Midwest, eliminating the tax on creating jobs, and creating a sales tax
exemption on energy used in manufacturing.

“These initiatives mean that significant tax relief is on
the way for Wisconsin’s paper industry,” Governor Doyle said. “Just
recently, my Administration announced that these efforts mean that Wisconsin
will now have the second best tax climate for manufacturing among 10
industrial states. We’ve made some progress, but we still have a lot more
work to do.”

The charter partners of the National Network for Pulp and
Paper Technology Training include Mid-State Technical College, University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Alabama Southern, Auburn University, Kennebec
Valley Community College, University of Maine, Lower Columbia College,
University of Washington, University of Minnesota, and the Technical
Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI).

For more information on the National Network for Pulp and
Paper Technology, contact Elizabeth Moran at Mid-State Technical College at
715/422-4326.