When Brent Heuth and a team of researchers at the University of Wisconsin decided to measure the economic impact of cooperative-owned businesses in the United States, they didn?t figure it would be too hard.
Quoted: Professor Morris A. Davis, a real estate expert with the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business.
A new company will run the state of Wisconsin?s two college savings programs, starting late this year. The state will put out a request for bids in the next few weeks for a firm to handle the EdVest and Tomorrow?s Scholar programs.
SwedishAmerican Health System?s board of directors has approved a business plan to build and operate a free-standing outpatient cancer center in collaboration with UW Health and its nationally-recognized University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center.
With seven biosafety hoods, plenty of space and a big screen to project images from microscopes, a new stem cell classroom at Madison Area Technical College is a major advance from the cramped quarters where students previously learned how to grow the cells. The expanded space, dedicated Tuesday, means up to 24 students can be trained each semester, up from eight before. The added capacity could supply more workers for the burgeoning stem cell industry in Madison and around the country.
Gov. Scott Walker announced Monday he is creating a new council to help better prepare students for college and careers. The move comes after Walker and the Legislature last year cut $71 million over two years from funding for Wisconsin?s technical colleges, whose primary mission is to train students for available jobs. Democrats and others criticized that cut and a $250 million reduction in funding for the University of Wisconsin System as harmful to worker training efforts.
Gov. Scott Walker announced Monday he is creating a new council to help better prepare students for college and careers. The move comes after Walker and the Legislature last year cut $71 million over two years from funding for Wisconsin?s technical colleges, whose primary mission is to train students for available jobs. Democrats and others criticized that cut and a $250 million reduction in funding for the University of Wisconsin System as harmful to worker training efforts.
An elite group of up-and-coming biotech companies from around the country – as well as a number of the nation?s biggest, most successful health-related firms – will be making presentations this week to the investment community at the 30th annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, Monday through Thursday. Cellular Dynamics International, the Madison company founded by UW-Madison stem cell pioneer James Thomson, will be among them. It will be the second year that CDI has been invited to participate in the event, considered the biggest and most prestigious in life sciences in the U.S., said CDI chief executive Robert Palay.
There are some new faces on the Fox 47 9 p.m. news. The Madison television station WMSN, Channel 47, has ended the agreement it had since 1999 for WKOW-TV Channel 27 to provide it with news. As of Jan. 1, WISC-TV Channel 3 is serving as the news source for the local Fox network affiliate.
The days of University of Wisconsin sports teams? uniforms being stamped with the familiar Adidas logo may be numbered. On Thursday, the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) released a document that further outlines alleged sweatshop abuses at a factory Adidas subcontracted with in Tangerang, Indonesia. The memo also picks apart the apparel giant?s assertion that it wasn?t producing at the factory when the alleged violations took place, and therefore isn?t responsible for any wrongdoing. In recent years, similar findings by the WRC have led UW-Madison to end licensing agreements with Nike and Russell Athletic. But those deals — worth between $40,000 and $50,000 each — were relatively minor compared to the current arrangement between UW-Madison and Adidas, which pays the university roughly $2.5 million annually in both royalties and equipment.
Jerry O?Brien, executive director of the Kohl?s Center for Retailing Excellence at UW-Madison, believes the move to focus on smaller communities could be a boon for the Shopko brand and its customers.”To find new places right now with the growth that Target and Walmart have had is very challenging,” O?Brien said. “I think it?s really good for these towns. Some of these more outlying towns are not very well served. This will be fun to watch.”
The University of Wisconsin football program is enjoying the benefits of two consecutive trips to the Rose Bowl with record-breaking sales of trademarked University of Wisconsin merchandise.
Periodically we read about laborers in foreign countries working in bad conditions to make uniforms and sports equipment for our university teams, such as UW-Madison, and being cheated out of wages. Since UW alone purchases over $2 million per year, what would happen if all NCAA teams were required to buy American?
If there were any doubts about fans? enthusiasm over the Badgers? second consecutive Rose Bowl appearance, they were put to rest by the turnout for Monday?s Rose Bowl watch party at Union South. Badgers fans flocked to Union South in larger-than-expected numbers to cheer on Bucky. Riley Garcia, general manager for restaurants at Union South, said the university was planning for between 300 and 1,000 guests. Instead his staff of eight student employees – diminished by students who hadn’t returned from winter break – hosted closer to 1,500 fans.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said that there was a tremendous police response resulting in the 100 block of State Street closing down, restaurants closing early, and the presence of a police mobile command post, which is only used during extreme circumstances. UW-Madison senior Lisa Anderson, who lives on the 100 block of State Street, discovered the scene after leaving her apartment for Ian?s Pizza around 2 a.m. Police questioned her since the 100 block was closed to pedestrians. In response to Anderson?s safety concerns, police said it was safe at the time and to return to her apartment. Anderson said it was “kind of unsettling” not knowing the details of the incident. She also reported seeing overturned tables and broken glass in Frida?s later Sunday morning.
PASADENA, Calif. — While the University of Wisconsin football players had to travel far from home as they gear up for next week?s Rose Bowl matchup, some Badgers fans call the Los Angeles area home. For many California-based Badgers fans, it might seem tough to get into the team spirit when Bucky is so far away. That?s why so many West Coast UW alumni are so excited to welcome the Badgers back to their home for the Rose Bowl. In fact, there?s even a bar in Santa Monica that is about as Badgers-crazed as a fans can get on the West Coast.
Three weeks ago, in the wake of the University of Wisconsin football team?s win in the Big Ten Conference title game, players and coaches were ushered into a banquet room at Camp Randall Stadium decked out like the set of “The Price is Right.” Inside there was an array of items such as tablet computers, flat-screen televisions, recliners and Rose Bowl-themed items such as custom bar stools. Everyone was allowed to choose one of the more expensive pieces or a hodgepodge of smaller items. This shopping spree, known as the “gift suite,” is offered annually to all 10 schools participating in Bowl Championship Series games.
They will have wings. They will shine like a mallard?s feathers. They will do just about everything but take flight. The uniforms the Oregon Ducks will wear to the Rose Bowl are “the most advanced football uniform system ever assembled,” according to uniform designer Nike. Nike unveiled the new uniform designs Tuesday with the flourish of a bird shaking its tail feathers.
Quoted: Justin Doherty, UW associate athletic director
There are more mixed signals on the Wisconsin jobs scene. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday released a report showing Wisconsin with the second-highest number of unemployment claims from mass layoff events in the nation last month. A “mass layoff” is any event affecting at least 50 workers, according to the BLS. Its mass layoff report for November estimated Wisconsin with 90 such events in the month, impacting 9,359 individuals.
“The tilt against manufacturing over the last few months is hitting Wisconsin pretty hard,” says Laura Dresser, a labor economist with the Center on Wisconsin Strategy, a UW-Madison think tank.
The state Building Commission approved several projects on Wednesday.
UW Health won an award this month from the American Society of Health System Pharmacists for reducing the number of patients who develop life-threatening blood clots.
AT&T may very well look for a smaller wireless company to buy now that it has given up on plans to acquire T-Mobile USA, or it may just wait for a new administration in Washington, D.C., two UW-Madison School of Business finance experts say. “They?ve got some difficult decisions to make. The government now has set the bar,” said Jim Seward, director of the Nicholas Center for Corporate Finance and Investment Banking. Assistant professor Oliver Levine said he thinks AT&T may wait until a new president is elected before trying another merger. “In a different political environment … they may try to do it again,” Levine said.
The UW athletic department is self-funded. The athletic department operating budget does not receive state aid. During the 2010-2011 academic year, the athletic department revenues were $81.7 million. The largest chunk, $27.3 million, was ticket sales, and its share of Big Ten Conference revenue was $23.3 million. Other revenue is derived from private and corporate gifts, $13.8 million, and concessions, $6.8 million. The athletic department?s revenue covers salaries, operating expenses, and athlete scholarships.During recent years, returns on investments have been twofold. UW teams have been very successful on the field. On-field success leads to more merchandise sales, more paid attendance, and more television and postseason revenue. Businesses throughout the state, including bars, restaurants and clothing stores, benefit from UW athletics.
According to an April 2011 study by NorthStar Economics Inc., the UW athletic department has a total economic impact of nearly $1 billion on the state of Wisconsin. The NorthStar study revealed 8,853 jobs were created and supported, and nearly $53 million of tax revenue was generated by the athletic department.The last line of a popular song played at UW sports games is, ?When you say Wisconsin, you?ve said it all.? The self-funded athletic department might not literally do it all; however, it has a significant impact on the state?s economy, without costing taxpayers a dime.
A new Wisconsin law expanding the hours alcohol can be sold by retailers won?t apply in the city of Madison, according to the Madison Police Department. That?s because municipal ordinances can be more restrictive than the state law, according to the language in 2011 Wisconsin Act 97, which amends the state statutes regarding how many hours in a day a business can sell alcohol.
A liberal-leaning Milwaukee think tank is out with a new report blaming state budget program cuts and public worker paycheck reductions for exacerbating Wisconsin?s job struggles. The report from the Institute for Wisconsin?s Future says the reduction in take-home pay for tens of thousands of public employees is now hurting the private sector, as are the drastic state budget cuts for K-12 education. Steve Deller, an economics professor at UW-Madison, says that reducing spending during a deep recession can often make things worse, as this blog chart suggests.
“Economic modeling shows that the extreme cuts to state and local programs cost thousands of jobs and put Wisconsin in a weak position to create jobs,” says Deller, who appeared at the Capitol on Tuesday with Norman and Rep. Brett Hulsey, D-Madison, to introduce the IWF report.
The following is a guest post by Gilles Bousquet, the dean of the Division of International Studies and vice provost for globalization at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He is also chair of the Statewide International Education Council and co-chair of the University of Wisconsin System Task Force on Economic Development and Globalization.
At a roundtable discussion last spring in Milwaukee hosted by the Wisconsin International Education Council, the vice president of global human resources at Johnson Controls told educators: ?Our talent development and acquisition activities across the organization are the most critical factors for us as a company to grow and to thrive. So, it is all about people.? At a series of meetings I had with business officials in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai in November, executives at several American companies ? including giants like 3M and Caterpillar in addition to up-and-coming ones like Madison-based Promega and TrafficCast ? vigorously repeated that same message.
Thirty-nine-year-old Jessica Peters-Michaud didn?t intend to create a business when she started her professional life ? much less one that employs almost 70 people and has attracted national attention from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Kevin Conroy, president and CEO of Exact Sciences, a Madison-based cancer research company, said Wisconsin has one of the best research institutions, UW-Madison, and does some of the best scientific research, but despite that opportunity, lags in funding and opportunities for venture capital. UW “is consistently ranked No. 2 in total federal research dollars, second only to Johns Hopkins University, and Wisconsin inventors are awarded patents at a higher rate than the national average,” Conroy said. “But we rank very low in terms of venture capital dollars invested and new company formation.”
“If you look broadly across the state, it?s still really rare for a retail establishment to take a stand,” said Dan Olszewski, director of the Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship at UW-Madison. The standard business maxim is that there?s little upside to mixing politics and commerce, although there are notable exceptions, Olszewski said.
Editorial mentions that the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Urban Land Economics Research studied the impact of low- to moderate-income housing developments on communities.
Wisconsin?s loss, Google?s gain.Matt and Reena Vokoun grew up here South Milwaukee and Town of Delafield, respectively, graduated from college here, met each other in their mid-20s at a birthday party in San Francisco and are doing very, very well for themselves – in California.
Cellular Dynamics International is out with a new product: stem cell-derived neurons. The Madison company, founded by UW-Madison stem cell pioneer James Thomson, says it is the first commercial release of human brain cells, created through the company?s stem cell technology, in large enough quantity, quality and purity for use in life science research.
Christmas carols with a labor-oriented twist could be heard atop Bascom Hill Monday as members of a student organization rallied to demand action over the university?s relationship with Adidas.
He?s not an architect, developer or politician, but George Austin has left an imprint on Madison?s landscape like few others. As a former city Planning and Development director and a private consultant since 1998, Austin led the most complex, iconic projects in the city, including Monona Terrace, Overture Center and the recently opened Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery ? a half-billion dollars in construction in the past 15 years.Now, Austin, 59, is engaged in two more high-profile initiatives within a block of the state Capitol, both presenting the sort of challenges that confronted previous big efforts.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is jumping onto the “XXX” bandwagon, with the goal of preventing pornographic sites from tarnishing its name.
The UW System Board of Regents also unanimously approved the proposed Memorial Union renovation plans, the destruction of Brothers Bar and Grill on University Avenue and the addition of club seats in the Kohl Center.
Delta Air Lines announced on Monday that it has added two non-stop flights from Madison for fans headed to the Rose Bowl. The Delta flights from Dane County Regional Airport to Los Angeles International Airport will leave on Dec. 30 and Dec. 31, and return overnight Jan. 2/3 and early the afternoon of Jan. 3.
I am confused about Gov. Scott Walker?s inspiration for taking money from UW-Madison, one of the premier educational institutions in the world working on advancing human knowledge in breakthrough subjects you can?t even pronounce, then letting Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation give $4 million to a group of overpaid “experts” at Spectrum Brands who can?t make batteries or waffle irons without going bankrupt and losing the stockholders? money.
On Sunday, the Cap Times posted my blog which noted UW-Madison is considering cutting ties with Adidas because the sports apparel company is being accused of sweatshop abuses. Although the piece didn?t run until Sunday, it was written on Friday. Two phone calls and two emails to Adidas representatives on Friday did not produce a contact, so I noted attempts to reach officials with the company were not successful. However, over the weekend an Adidas public relations representative emailed me a statement.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has played a leading role in recent years when it comes to attempting to curb sweatshop abuses at companies that produce college-logoed apparel. But will Bucky still flex his muscle when the company coming under fire is Adidas — which supplies the university?s sports teams with everything from shoes and jerseys to athletic gear? “This time around, it?s a bit more complicated because of our involvement and close ties with Adidas,” says Vince Sweeney, UW-Madison?s vice chancellor for university relations. “We?re still in fact-finding mode.”
“I don’t believe money is going to ultimately drive this decision, and I hope I’m right,” says Lydia Zepeda, a UW-Madison professor of consumer science who chairs the university’s Labor Licensing Policy Committee (LLPC).
Major projects are on the agenda as the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents meets for two days.
Upon recommendation by the University of Wisconsin administration, an environmental study group hosted a public meeting Wednesday night to explore the possible green impacts the renovations planned for the Memorial Union could have on the surrounding area.
With apartment vacancy rates at the lowest level in 16 years, Madison developers said now is the time to act. From studios to five-bedroom apartments, redevelopment projects are targeting University of Wisconsin-Madison students. Nick Garcia, a UW-Madison junior, lives at 1323 W. Dayton St., and he said the location was a big reason he wanted to live there.
With apartment vacancy rates at the lowest level in 16 years, Madison developers said now is the time to act.From studios to five-bedroom apartments, redevelopment projects are targeting University of Wisconsin-Madison students.
Overall, things are better for Dane County businesses this year, but company executives are not so optimistic about 2012. That?s the gist of the 2011 First Business Economic Survey of Dane County, being released Wednesday. Of 3,584 surveys sent, 337 were returned. The sample size has a margin of error of 5 percent….The survey was conducted by UW-Madison’s A.C. Nielsen Center for Marketing Research in September and October.
Physicians Plus is suing UW-Madison?s doctor group, saying the doctors? threat to stop treating the insurance company?s patients is illegal. Physicians Plus, owned by Meriter Health Services, says the doctor group, UW Medical Foundation, demanded fees that are too high. After Physicians Plus refused to pay the fees, it says the doctor group threatened to stop serving most of the insurance company?s patients starting in 2013. Both sides say they?re still negotiating.
UW-Madison law professor Jonathan Lipson wants to correct what he says is a big misconception about where he works. The university?s law school isn?t anti-business, Lipson said, and it does a lot more than try to help the disenfranchised and free the wrongly convicted.
Microloans are common in developing countries to help the poor start a business. A Wisconsin micro-lending organization started by UW students operates on the same principle.
UW-Madison should put Badgers uniform provider Adidas “on notice” because of alleged worker rights abuses, a campus committee recommended on Friday. At issue is a factory owner in Indonesia who reportedly failed to pay more than 2,800 workers an estimated $3.2 million in severance, according to a university news release. The payments equal nearly one year?s salary per worker at minimum wage.
A university committee recommended Friday UW-Madison put top apparel manufacturer adidas on notice after an allegation of workers? rights abuses in Indonesia.
A UW-Madison office in Shanghai could be open as soon as June, according to officials who just returned from a trip to China to explore the possibility of the university?s first foreign outpost. Gilles Bousquet, dean of the division of international studies and vice provost for globalization, said that would be the “ideal” timeline but it hinges on continued support here and getting the necessary permits in China. He said UW-Madison is convening a planning team to determine next actions.
A university committee recommended Friday UW-Madison put top apparel manufacturer adidas on notice after an allegation of workers? rights abuses in Indonesia. The Labor Licensing Policy Committee, made up of student representatives, faculty and administrators, voted university officials propose a 90-day deadline for adidas to make $3.2 million in legally mandated severance payments owed to displaced factory workers in Indonesia.
While the market for owner-occupied housing remains weak, the interest in new apartment construction in Madison is soaring. A number of major projects are envisioned, including plans for a 12-story apartment tower near the UW-Madison campus and an architecturally intriguing 115-unit project facing Monona Bay.
Ten doctors at UW-Madison received $48,000 or more from drug or medical device companies last year, a State Journal analysis of campus disclosure records found. Six of the doctors were orthopedic surgeons, and each made $99,000 or more in consulting or royalty fees on top of their salaries averaging $750,000. The top earner ? Dr. Thomas Zdeblick, with nearly $1.7 million in medical industry income ? has been the subject of investigations and media reports about conflicts of interest in medicine. But he?s not alone in earning large sums, according to university records that only recently have included specific amounts of income instead of broad ranges.
Members of a city business group scrutinized a proposed design for remodeling the Memorial Union, a controversial plan that could alter the famed campus landmark and increase student accessibility.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has managed to become very effective at keeping electronic waste out of area landfills.
A 2008 UW-Madison analysis of Downtown bars found that things were little different there: noise complaints and assaults rose precipitously as the night went on, peaked between 2 and 3 a.m. after most bars closed, then fell.
The Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery has received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification in time for its one-year anniversary Friday.
In celebration of the building?s first anniversary, multiple celebrations, including a variety of tours, are slated to take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Discovery Building.
AquaMost, a Madison company developing a new type of water purification technology, has received another $4 million in investment funds and grant money. AquaMost?s technology, called photoelectrocatalytic oxidation, was invented at UW-Madison.
