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BEAR-Speed to Market

In today’s economy, speed is quietly deciding more deals than ever. Companies want to move quickly; investors expect faster returns; site selectors are trimming timelines. For communities, speed to market isn’t a bonus—it’s a baseline requirement. Those who respond with certainty and cadence win more projects, while delays translate into missed opportunities. When a project slows, costs rise. Permitting hiccups, unclear timelines, or unfinished sites create risk that companies will avoid whenever possible. Conversely, communities that move quickly send a powerful, enduring signal: we’re ready. Speed to market has become a defining competitive advantage in economic development because it reduces risk, accelerates returns, and strengthens the confidence of developers and manufacturers alike. Chippewa County’s speed-to-market advantage is evident in practice. It is committed to turning readiness into results, anchored by four pillars: Responsiveness: [...]

BEAR-Speed to Market2026-05-28T14:52:43-05:00

Recognizing Youth Apprenticeships: The Linchpin of Lasting Growth

In mid-May, the Chippewa Economic Development Organization (CEDC) brought together community leaders, business partners, and dedicated residents for its annual meeting — a morning defined by resilience, collaboration, and a shared conviction that Chippewa's best days lie ahead.  The breakfast meeting's standout moment came from keynote speaker Maggi Thorne, who took the stage at the Eau Claire Event District with calm, grounded confidence. Her message was straightforward and powerful: "never give up!" Thorne spoke candidly about the realities facing rural economies today — market volatility, inflation, workforce uncertainty, and the growing urgency for locally driven solutions. Yet rather than dwelling on those challenges, she offered a clear roadmap rooted in persistence, community ownership, and practical action. She framed economic development as a high-stakes obstacle course where resilience, precision, and teamwork determine who moves [...]

Recognizing Youth Apprenticeships: The Linchpin of Lasting Growth2026-05-26T13:13:11-05:00

Sarah Kowal Blogging for CEDC-From Founder to Capital Connector: A Western Wisconsin Entrepreneur Comes Full Circle with BEAR ’25

When I was building WeatherVane Creamery (note: website intentionally frozen in time), I was trying to do more than just open a vibrant Wisconsin-themed deli in River Falls- I was painting a vision. I wanted people to see what I saw: a vital, community-centered, proudly Wisconsin space that could become something special right now, not “someday.”   And thankfully, people did see it. I built an advisory board of experts, restaurateurs, and dairy industry insiders. I crowdfunded. I launched investor dinners. I had the American Cheese Society's stamp of approval. I got a ton of media coverage. It was alive and moving, being the scrappy Western Wisconsin founder working tirelessly to rally Cheeseheads.   What I didn’t have… was a clear investor path. Ask any rural founder in these parts, and they’ll likely tell you a [...]

Sarah Kowal Blogging for CEDC-From Founder to Capital Connector: A Western Wisconsin Entrepreneur Comes Full Circle with BEAR ’252025-07-31T16:47:34-05:00

CEDC’s 2025 Annual Meeting

Join Us for CEDC's Annual Meeting – Friday, May 16th as we celebrate Shaping Tomorrow's Economy: Communities are the Core! Don’t miss the Chippewa Economic Development Corporation’s Annual Meeting and Charity Golf Outing on Friday, May 16th! This exciting event is an excellent opportunity to connect, learn, and give back to the community. This year's meeting is hosted at the beautiful Eau Claire Event District: The Crescent. The CEDC Charity Golf Outing will follow with a shotgun start at 10:30AM at Whispering Pines Golf Course in Cadott, WI. Event Schedule: Breakfast & Connecting: Start the day with breakfast and connecting with fellow community leaders. Annual Meeting: Stay informed with updates from CEDC on our initiatives and local economic developments. Golf Outing: Head to Whispering Pines Golf Course in Cadott for a round of [...]

CEDC’s 2025 Annual Meeting2025-05-14T17:49:12-05:00

A CEDC Christmas Tale of Economic Development – Spreading Joy and Prosperity

In the picturesque region of Chippewa, nestled among the snow-draped Blue Hills and the ever-flowing Chippewa River, the Christmas season is a time of warmth, laughter, and togetherness. It's the perfect season to reflect on our accomplishments, our failures, and our experiences. Yet, in many other communities, the past few years have brought worry into the hearts of their townsfolk. Their local economies have slowed, businesses have shuttered, and many families faced a difficult Christmas without jobs. Unlike Chippewa, these communities lacked an organization like CEDC to unite behind. The Chippewa Economic Development Corporation (CEDC)—renowned for its community-focused initiatives—continued to partner with their towns to revitalize the Chippewa Valley. Fueled by a can-do attitude, abundant collaboration, community involvement, and adaptive, ground-breaking ideas, CEDC helped Chippewa County, Wisconsin become a dynamic and prosperous area [...]

A CEDC Christmas Tale of Economic Development – Spreading Joy and Prosperity2024-12-23T16:19:32-06:00

Winter Expansion: Chippewa County Company Builds Toward Prosperity

As winter frost blankets the Chippewa Valley, the local economy is heating up with exciting developments. Water’s Edge Cheese Curds has officially broken ground on a 12,000-square-foot facility in the Lake Wissota Business Park in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. This expansion marks a significant investment in the company’s future, aimed at improving efficiency, increasing capacity, and enhancing its ability to meet growing customer demand. Despite the chilly temperatures, contractors are hard at work through the winter to bring this facility to life. Their dedication ensures that the project stays on schedule, reflecting the resilience and determination that define our community. Water’s Edge Cheese Curds began in 2010 with a secret recipe crafted in the kitchen of a Northwoods Wisconsin supper club. What started as a small venture has grown into one of the nation’s [...]

Winter Expansion: Chippewa County Company Builds Toward Prosperity2024-12-12T15:18:26-06:00

Chippewa County Awarded a BDO Zone

CEDC is the pioneering business services consultant in Chippewa County, Wisconsin. The organization supports hundreds of regional entrepreneurs and businesses, helping them reach their full potential from the startup stage onwards. The CEDC’s efforts to attract, retain, and expand local businesses have fostered a vibrant and thriving startup ecosystem in the area. CEDC provides continuous guidance and tools to empower entrepreneurs throughout the Chippewa Valley. With this in mind the CEDC has spent the last year working with the agricultural community on establishing a BDO Zone for the region. The BDO Zone Initiative certifies regional readiness for bio-based manufacturing, fosters global connections with project developers, and drives the influx of clean energy opportunities. A BDO Zone rating is an internationally recognized, standards-based technical risk assessment of biomass feedstock, supply chain, and infrastructure risk, [...]

Chippewa County Awarded a BDO Zone2024-07-26T15:12:34-05:00

Our Favorite Week in May

Spring has sprung and Wisconsin is in bloom. You might not know, but May is a very busy month. For instance, May is American Cheese Month, Beef Month, Correct Your Posture Month, International Drum Month, National Asparagus Month, National Motorcycle Awareness Month, National Returning Youth Month, Sturge-Weber Syndrome Awareness, National Mental Health Awareness Month, National Wildfire Awareness Month, National Brain Cancer and Brain Tumor Awareness Month, Date Your Mate Month... you get the point! There are myriad reasons for festivities, with specific weeks in May set aside for celebration, such as National Small Business Week. However, our most cherished week in May is Economic Development Week (May 6-10, 2024), when communities throughout Wisconsin honor the efforts of professional economic developers in enhancing the economic vitality and quality of life. This week serves as [...]

Our Favorite Week in May2024-05-10T13:09:01-05:00

Raise Your Milk Glass to Dairy Farmers in June!

The Chippewa Economic Development Corporation works tirelessly to support and promote the Chippewa Valley's dairy industry, just as dairy farmers work tirelessly to provide the world with the Wisconsin dairy products we know and love. We have helped farmers explore exporting opportunities, improved their supply chain, and assisted in mentoring programs. We have even helped farmers obtain loans to implement automation equipment. The economic impact that agriculture has on the Chippewa Valley cannot be overemphasized. June is National Dairy Month, which has been nationally recognized since 1937. The Wisconsin dairy industry generates $45.6 billion each year, making Wisconsin the nation's highest producer and exporter of dairy. The Chippewa County agricultural industry contributes over $650 million to the local economy. This month, let's thank our dairy farmers for keeping the state's economy moving and [...]

Raise Your Milk Glass to Dairy Farmers in June!2022-06-13T08:38:29-05:00
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