— Manufacturers in rural areas are more vulnerable to disruption from the transition to electric vehicles, according to a WEDC official.
Flannery Geoghegan, senior director of policy at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., yesterday discussed findings from a recent study focused on the state’s electric vehicle supply chain strategy. She spoke during a webinar hosted by Wisconsin Clean Cities, a nonprofit organization that works to advance sustainable technologies.
“Wisconsin has a tremendous opportunity here to develop a globally competitive industry cluster centered on manufacturing EVs and EV-related equipment, which in turn can help enhance Wisconsin’s automotive manufacturing industry and drive statewide economic development,” she said.
But leveraging that opportunity will require manufacturers to “quickly and efficiently” move from producing components for internal combustion engines to electric vehicle parts, Geoghegan noted.
Because auto suppliers in the state are already concentrated in industries that make components for both types of vehicles, the sector overall is “relatively less vulnerable” to disruption than downstream suppliers that are dependent on the internal combustion engine market, she said.
Auto suppliers in the state are largely clustered in eastern parts of the state, with more than half located in the Milwaukee area, followed by Green Bay and Madison.
“Wisconsin’s non-metropolitan areas are home to a disproportionate share of ICE-oriented manufacturers,” she said. “As such, non-metropolitan areas are comparatively more vulnerable to the EV transition due to the general disruption of more ICE-oriented manufacturing portfolios.”
Also during yesterday’s webinar, Electrification Coalition Policy Manager Emma Heins said Wisconsin is ranked near 34th in the country for electric vehicle market share, with EVs making up about 3.6 percent of vehicles purchased in the state. This national group advocates for more widespread adoption of EVs.
Heins noted that figure is increasing as more public charging stations come online, reducing the “range anxiety” that experts say is holding back the EV transition.
“That’s probably the number one concern that I hear in my work, of why people are hesitant to adopt electric vehicles … So we’re really seeing impressive trends in terms of charging installations across the country, as well as in Wisconsin,” she said. “Wisconsin is definitely keeping pace with national trends of charging investments.”
See a list of charging stations in the state: https://chargehub.com/en/countries/united-states/wisconsin.html
— President Joe Biden in Milwaukee credited his economic policies for bringing manufacturing jobs back to Wisconsin and improving infrastructure.
Biden at the electric vehicle charger manufacturer Ingeteam yesterday argued “Bidenomics” are to credit for reducing inflation, increasing wages and bringing manufacturing jobs back to America. He also touted the nation’s and Wisconsin’s record low unemployment rates.
And as Biden regularly does during appearances in Wisconsin, the president took a series of shots at U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson for his economic positions, saying the Oshkosh Republican is a fan of outsourcing.
“He doesn’t think American workers should manufacture products that require a lot of labor,” Biden said.
The stop was Biden’s sixth in Wisconsin since becoming president. He often has thrown barbs at Johnson. Politico earlier this year dubbed Johnson the “senator Biden loves to hate.” Johnson, meanwhile, has been a frequent critic of Biden on various fronts and has focused on the legal troubles of his son.
The senator’s office said he wasn’t immediately available yesterday for comment.
See more coverage at WisPolitics: https://www.wispolitics.com/2023/tue-pm-update-biden-touts-economic-policies-takes-shots-at-johnson-during-milwaukee-stop/
— Bradley Corporation has announced plans to expand its operations in Wisconsin before the end of the year.
The Menomonee Falls manufacturer yesterday said it will be moving production of restroom partition and locker products from a plant in Ohio to sites in the state. The business currently produces plumbing fixtures, restroom accessories and emergency equipment at facilities in Menomonee Falls and Germantown.
While the company says it expects to add jobs to support the expansion, the announcement doesn’t specify how many will be created.
Bradley Corp. Vice President and Marketing and Strategy Jon Dommisse says the business is “well-poised to provide more streamlined operations and a better overall customer experience” through the move.
See the release: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/bradley-corp-adds-to-its-wisconsin-manufacturing-operations/
— The state’s cranberry crop is projected to hit 4.97 million barrels this year, marking an increase from last year’s 4.84 million barrels.
That’s according to the latest U.S. Cranberry Marketing Committee projections released by the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association. The group notes Wisconsin would remain the largest cranberry producer in the world under this outlook, making up about 60 percent of the U.S. supply for the fruit.
This year marks the 29th year in a row the state has led the nation in cranberry production, the release notes.
Tom Lochner, the association’s executive director, says the cranberry industry generates $1 billion in economic impact in the state and supports thousands of jobs.
“Our 250+ multigenerational family farmers are hard at work preparing for harvest season, and will soon have another crop of cranberries ready for tables across the U.S. and around the world,” Lochner said in a statement.
That harvest usually takes place in late September through mid-October. The berries are grown across 21,000 acres in 20 counties in central and northern Wisconsin. Just 5 percent of the crop is sold as fresh fruit, while the rest is frozen and sold in other forms such as juices and sauces.
Other top cranberry growing states include Massachusetts with 1.95 million barrels, New Jersey with 561,000 barrels and Oregon with 520,000 barrels, the release shows.
See the release: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/wisconsin-state-cranberry-growers-association-2023-wisconsin-cranberry-crop-projected-at-4-97m-barrels/
<br><b><i>Top headlines from the Health Care Report…</b></i>
— State officials are calling for more funding for school-based mental health services to support the well-being of girls and young women.
<i>For more of the most relevant news on COVID-19, reports on groundbreaking health research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com.</i>
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#TOP STORIES#
# Siemens to make solar energy equipment for US market in Wisconsin
# Part of a cancer cure? Wisconsin doctor discusses growth of nuclear medicine
# Germantown software firm attracts $156M private equity investment
#TOPICS#
# AGRIBUSINESS
– Vertical farming in fire station helps combat food insecurity
– Wisconsin State Fair attendance up 4% this year
# CONSTRUCTION
– Senate committee votes down proposal to adopt new state building code
# ECONOMY
– Wisconsin utilities want more than $500 million in rate increases. How much more will you pay?
– 46 Wisconsin companies make 2023 Inc. 5000 list
– 13 Milwaukee firms make Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies
# ENTERTAINMENT & THE ARTS
– Pink wows, breaks record as Wisconsin’s first female stadium headliner
– FPC Live drops one of two venues from Deer District plans
# ENVIRONMENT
– DNR: Stella wells have some of the highest levels of PFAS in the US
# HEALTH CARE
– Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers to expand south side headquarters, clinic
# INVESTING
– Milwaukee-based Advanced Ionics closes $12.5 million funding round
# MANUFACTURING
– Menomonee Falls manufacturer unveils newly built $21 million facility
# MEDIA
– ‘Top Chef’ picks two signature Milwaukee spots for filming this week
# POLITICS
– Biden’s Milwaukee visit touts ‘Bidenomics’ as 2024 cycle heats up
# SPORTS
– Brewers lead the way in lobbying, too, as they seek stadium funding
# TOURISM
– Hotel financing becoming a challenge in the post-pandemic economy
# COLUMNS
– Opinion: Solar can save Wisconsin grocers and their customers
# PRESS RELEASES
<i>See these and other press releases:
https://www.wisbusiness.com/press-releases/ </i>
