It's happening! Get ready for one of the biggest Chippewa Valley economic events - the Annual Meeting - on Friday, August 27, 2021 from 11:45 am to 1:30 pm at the canvas tent by the stage on the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds. More information is coming soon; we hope to see you there! If you would like to RSVP, please register here.
It was just last week that the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) teamed up with Workforce Resources and over 35 local companies throughout the Chippewa Valley to host an outdoor job fair. A major feedback that CCEDC received from companies that participated in the event was that they are still having difficulty finding workers-especially those who are eager to return to work. This lack of worker participation in the job market is now turning into a crisis which threatens the viability of hundreds of local businesses in the region. Many hiring companies believe that this shortage of workers is enhanced by current continued state & federal pandemic-related unemployment benefits being offered in Wisconsin. Typically, the state of Wisconsin requires persons seeking unemployment benefits to look for and complete (4) four unique work [...]
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin (May 12, 2021) – Over seventy attendees supported the nine registered entrepreneurs that participated in the event. Organized and held during the International Economic Development Week, the event is aimed at strengthening the Chippewa Valley’s ecosystem for business startups and highlighting the mentoring programs that CCEDC and other economic development organizations do to support business growth in the Chippewa Valley. Similar to the Shark Tank Television Show, a panel of local business owners served as judges to select the best business idea, product or plan pitched to them by registered entrepreneurs. This event also provided an opportunity for local entrepreneurs to network with members of the Chippewa Valley Angel Network and share their fresh and creative business ideas to other supportive investors, businesses, and community members. During Round-Up HATCH, presenters [...]
The Open Air Job Fair, an outdoor employment event at the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport parking lot, is coming up next Thursday at 3-5 pm! Over two dozen companies will be there to answer questions, interview, and even hire stellar candidates. The dress code is business casual, and safety precautions will be in place so everyone stays safe. If you have any further questions, please contact Dan Kitchen at Workforce Resource (kitchend@workforceresource.org). Hope to see you there!
2021’s first regional free open air job fair will take place, weather permitting, between 3 to 5 pm on Thursday, May 13, 2021 at the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport parking lot. There will be over 30 companies there. In the event of weather cancellation, information will be provided at www.chippewa-wi.com and on the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation Facebook page. The Open Air Job Fair is organized in partnership with a variety of community organizations to celebrate National Economic Week 2021. The Chippewa Falls Economic Development Corporation [CCEDC], Workforce Resource, Inc., Chippewa Falls Chamber, Department of Workforce Development, Momentum West and the West Central WI Workforce Development Board have partnered to assist workers in landing a job with employers. While the pandemic has been difficult on the industrial field, the CCEDC is excited [...]
Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) understands the impact that internet connectivity has on our local economy. Effective and affordable broadband access increases the growth potential of our local businesses by helping them access new markets. It is necessary for any precision agriculture operation. It is a catalyst for rural prosperity by connecting rural households, schools, and healthcare with each other. It also is a “must” if small communities are to attract new residents and talent. Today, one thing that was made abundantly clear by the 2020-21 pandemic is that it is even more necessary has because of the huge increase in demand for high-speed internet within the Chippewa Valley as businesses, education, healthcare, and workers transitioned to online services. Over the past several years CCEDC has worked with our local Telecom providers [...]
Fostering entrepreneurship is essential for any community to grow, no more so is this true than in rural areas like Chippewa County. It takes a certain type of person that wants to create new products or services. These entrepreneurs stimulate new employment, which positively impacts our economic growth. So, it makes sense that the sooner entrepreneurs are cultivated, fostered, incubated, and supported-the more benefits our local region will receive. One does not need to look far to find success stories of young adults that have taken the entrepreneurial route. According to www.investopedia.com - Hart Main created manly-scented candles when he was 13 only after he kept teasing his sister about her girly-smelling candles. Then there is Caine Monroy, who transitioned some space in his father’s auto parts store into a makeshift arcade at [...]
Governor Evers spent the afternoon in Chippewa Falls, WI with a shovel in his hand while discussing the importance of Wisconsin’s infrastructure alongside Department of Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson. The duo is touring the state while fixing potholes to promote the governor’s proposed roads budget for 2021-2023. Evers and Thompson also made stops in Wausau and Appleton. Evers discussed repairing bridges, roads, and investing in our transportation throughout the state as local communities like Chippewa Falls need reliable infrastructure to allow people to safely get to point A to point B. “Thompson and I want to emphasize that we feel very strongly about this issue. The hard work for repairs is done by local workers, municipalities, and cities as they are responsible for this. The state has to do their job to financially [...]
In speaking with Chippewa Valley contractors one topic continues to rise to the top…..rising costs of lumber and steel! In recent weeks steel price increases have caused many contractors to rework the material costs on their jobs. Lumber prices, which skyrocketed upward at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 began to come back down around the end of the summer of 2020. Currently both the lumber and steel prices have taken off again surging 20% to 25%. Experts predict that lumber and steel prices will remain elevated into 2022, but lower than the current extreme rates. According to the Producer Price Index, softwood lumber prices increased 73% while Iron and steel scrap jumped 50% over the past year. Many potential homeowners are rapidly being forced out of the market due to these [...]
CCEDC would like to wish a Happy International Women's Day! It is important to celebrate the women who lead, inspire and achieve every day! This year's theme is #ChoosetoChallenge, calling on us all to think critically about our own thoughts and actions and how we can better promote gender inequality and celebrate women's achievements. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women‘s achievements here in the Chippewa Valley and beyond. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world. From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge!
