By Brian E. Clark
WisBusiness.com
MADISON — As Mary Burke was preparing to take over as head of the
state’s Commerce Department early this month, more than a few people told
her she had big shoes to fill.
Burke doesn’t disagree.
Her predecessor, Cory Nettles, spearheaded Gov. Jim Doyle’s “Grow
Wisconsin” program that the administration says helped create 70,000 new jobs in the
state and also produced — thanks to bipartisan cooperation in the
Republican-run Legislature — significant regulatory reform.
But in a luncheon speech Tuesday to members of the Wisconsin
Innovation Network, Burke made it clear there is plenty of work to do to
further improve the state’s economy. The event was sponsored by the
Wisconsin Technology Council, WisBusiness.com and WisPolitics.com.
“I did some research as I was getting up to speed to become
Commerce secretary and some of the figures I found shocked me,” she said,
citing a 2003 report by the Corporation for Enterprise Development.
The report gave Wisconsin a “C” for business vitality, “D” in
entrepreneurial energy and ranked the state 46th in the nation for new
company formation.
Moreover, the study said Wisconsin’s innovation capacity was
29th, that only 3.4 percent of the state’s jobs were high-tech vs. 5.5
percent for the country. And that venture capitalists are only investing
$18.53 per worker compared to the U.S. average of $163.54.
“Wisconsin’s still behind the ball,” she said. “We’re not doing enough.
We have a lot of work to do.”
On the flip side, however, she said Wisconsin is ranked in the
top 10 for producing new patents — most coming from the University of
Wisconsin’s Madison campus. She also said the state does well in
attracting federal research dollars to its labs but must build on its
well-earned reputation for cutting edge research to create jobs and
companies.
Burke said much is being done to attract investment dollars to
the state by granting tax credits to angel investors, creating an
entrepreneurs network and by investing millions in companies that are
using new technology.
“If the money is available, people will come to start firms here
because Wisconsin is a wonderful place to live,” said Burke, who was an
executive with her family’s Trek Bicycle for many years.
“In many ways, we are doing well now, and it may take several
years before we see the full results of some things that have been done,”
said Burke, who said she wants to continue Nettles’ legacy of working
well with legislators of both parties.
But she added: “A lot of other states are doing more and we need to stay ahead of them.”
Burke said she believes Wisconsin will remain a manufacturing
state. But those companies will have to innovate with technology,
products and management to prosper, she said.
She cited Trek, which makes most of its high-end frames in Waterloo, as
an example of a company that has been able to compete and thrive in the
global market while many other bike makers were failing.
Burke said she believes new jobs will come in high-tech areas.
While the nation was shedding 2.6 million jobs from 2001-2003, she noted
that 600,000 new high-tech positions were added.
She said creating new jobs in Wisconsin is important, especially
in light of Tuesday’s announcement that nearly 400 Lands End employees in
Cross Plains and Dodgeville will be laid off come June.
“It’s disappointing and I feel for the people who are losing
their jobs,” she said.
“Layoffs like this make it all the more important to create new
businesses that will hire more people,” she said. “We must also look for
ways to make our existing businesses more competitive.”
Burke pledged to her audience — many of whom were executives and
entrepreneurs — that she and her department hope to work closely with
them.
“We will collaborate and offer leadership, coordination and some
funding,” she said.
“And in the end, we will be accountable for the money we spend to
create new jobs and new companies for our state,” she said.
