— The state Legislature has passed a bill to allowing the state’s utility regulator to set statewide standards for small wind farms. The bill is backed by the state’s business lobby, who says it will help advance stalled wind projects. The new law will help Wisconsin meet the requirement that 10 percent of the state’s electricity come from renewable resources by 2015. See reaction from WMC: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=170364 — The Hammes Co. is perhaps best known for creating huge stadiums filed with rabid sports fans and hospitals for healing the sick. But the company also has a hospitality side, which has proposed a controversial $110 million remake of the Edgewater Hotel on the shore of Madison’s Lake Mendota. The focus now is the Edgewater project, which has run into strong neighborhood opposition even as Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz is backing the project and has endorsed $16 million in tax incremental financing (TIF) support. The opposing sides are now negotiating a compromise. But before that project put the company in the spotlight, it built the Kohl Center (for hockey and basketball) on the UW-Madison campus and managed the $295 million renovation of the Packers’ Lambeau Field. Read more about the company in a new WisBusiness interview: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=170423 — Century-old historical landmarks and ‘green’ buildings might seem worlds apart, but hidden within the ornate, steeplelike Milwaukee City Hall, constructed in 1895 and recently renovated to the tune of $70 million, is a 21st-century success story: The City Hall complex, which includes two attached office buildings, has earned silver LEED certification for energy efficiency. The icon of Old World architecture is an official ‘green’ building. The Wisconsin Green Building Alliance presented the city’s LEED Silver certification award at the alliance’s annual conference Wednesday in Milwaukee. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett told attendees that “Thirty or 40 years ago, the environmental movement was viewed as an enemy of the economic movement. What has happened has truly been a transformation. Environmental concerns and business are not enemies; in fact, they are powerful, powerful allies.” See more on the designation: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=170343 — Madison Gas and Electric has received the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Utility Green Power Program of the Year Award. The award was announced at the Green Power Leadership Awards banquet in Atlanta, Georgia. See details: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=170375 — Gov. Jim Doyle, in Chi9na fora trade mission, witnessed the signing of a long-term agreement between Wisconsin-based Cooperative Resources International (CRI), a leader in the field of dairy and beef genetics, and Flying Crane Dairy, one of China’s leading producers and distributors of premium infant formula and milk powder. “This agreement supports a long-term partnership between CRI and Flying Crane Dairy where CRI will provide expertise on dairy genetics, farm management and dairy production technology and Flying Crane will expand their dairy farm operations and increase their milk processing capacity,” Doyle said. See more: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=170377 ************************* TOP EXPERTS TO DISCUSS WIS. GREEN JOBS FUTURE “Green Jobs: Growing Wisconsin Employment” is part of a series of forums at Discovery World and aims to assess Wisconsin’s future in the green jobs market. The forum, sponsored by the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, UW-Milwaukee, We Energies, Wisconsin Environmental Initiative and Johnson Controls, begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 9 a.m. Breakfast begins at 7:15 a.m. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett will provide remarks about his city’s efforts to cultivate green jobs. Confirmed panelists include: The event is organized by WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com with the help of MMAC, Discovery World, and UW-Milwaukee. More sponsorship opportunities are available; contact Jim Greer at 608-237-6296 or greer@wispolitics.com. The event is open to the public, and the price is $30 per person. But WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com subscribers, members of the Wisconsin Academy, the UW-Milwaukee community, and members of MMAC and Discovery World are able to attend for $20 per person. The price includes the breakfast buffet but not parking. ************************* TOP STORIES
Suit says Merc failed to pay bonuses: About 100 Mercury Marine managers say the company has failed to pay $7 million in bonuses they are due for helping the company save $78 million in 2008, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court. The lawsuit seeks a total of $10.5 from the company. Defense Secretary will visit Oshkosh Corp.: Defense Secretary Robert Gates will travel to Oshkosh to look at Oshkosh Corp.’s progress in building the military’s new all-terrain vehicle versions of the Mine-Resistant, Ambush Protected vehicles, a newspaper reported Wednesday. National group backs cap for Wis. payday loans : A national group is urging Wisconsin lawmakers to pass a bill that caps interest rates on payday loans at 36 percent. CRI Signs Agreement to Help Chinese Build Mega-Dairy Farm: Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, who is in the midst of leading a trade mission to Japan and China this week, has announced at least one large agreement that took place during the trip. The Shawano-based Cooperative Resources International has entered into a long-term agreement with Flying Crane Dairy, one of China’s largest producers and distributors of premium infant formula and milk powder, to help them build larger dairy operations in that country. Schneider National to close Ashwaubenon facility, cut 50 jobs: Schneider National is closing a fuel and maintenance center on South Broadway in Ashwaubenon and eliminating 50 jobs. It also is closing a center in Seville, Ohio, where 55 jobs will be eliminated.
************************************************************ See commentary from around the state and columns from WisBusiness contributors Jennifer Sereno, Kevin McKinley, Tom Burzinski, Gregg Hoffmann, Tom Still and Steve Jagler: ************************************************************ TECHNOLOGY (back to top)
ECONOMY (back to top)
LABOR (back to top)
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INVESTING (back to top)
REAL ESTATE (back to top) – Downtown high-rises seek public funding – State Fair Park taking over Exposition Center
AGRIBUSINESS (back to top) – Raw milk sickens at least 35 in Wisconsin – Shawano co-op partners with Chinese dairy firm
TRANSPORTATION (back to top)
RETAIL (back to top) – LeRoy Butler buys Ford dealership in Waupaca
TOURISM (back to top)
HEALTH CARE (back to top)
FINANCIAL SERVICES (back to top) – Marine Bank parent receives OK for bankruptcy filing
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