• Interstate 41 Corridor
Brown, Calumet, Outagamie, Winnebago, Fond du Lac Counties
UW-Oshkosh debuts center for cybersecurity research
The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh opened a new cybersecurity center that provides space for research, training and outreach related to cybersecurity. The center, known as the Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, was established in partnership with the Wisconsin Cyber Threat Response Alliance.
The space is located in the Culver Family Welcome Center on the Oshkosh campus and features a live-fire cyber range where users can experience real-world cyber threats in a controlled, educational environment. The center also includes classrooms, a lab and a small data center.
Michael Patton, a UW-Oshkosh information systems lecturer, said the center is a manifestation of the UW System’s Wisconsin Idea, which states that the university should improve the quality of life for all state residents.
“There is no more appropriate subject for the Wisconsin Idea than cybersecurity,” Patton said. “There is no Wisconsinite today who doesn’t have a cyber presence — from a Facebook account to your banking information. And yet, to most people, cybersecurity is this mysterious, specialized body of knowledge that they hope ‘the experts’ are taking care of for them.”
The goal of the center is to take the “mystery and intimidation” of cybersecurity away, so everyone has a basic knowledge of the important steps they need to take to protect themselves, he said.
The center is free to university students and will offer programming for the greater Oshkosh community. Students will have access to a one-of-a-kind venue from which they can expand their cybersecurity awareness and skills in a practical, marketable way through courses, events, lab work and internship opportunities.
Georgia-Pacific investing $500M in Broadway mill
Georgia-Pacific will invest more than $500 million in its Green Bay Broadway mill location to enhance the company’s retail consumer tissue and towel business.
Investments to the mill include building a new paper machine using through-air-dried technology, as well as adding associated converting equipment and infrastructure. Engineering and related work begins immediately, with startup of the new machine scheduled for the first half of 2024.
About 150 jobs will be created to operate the new papermaking complex, in addition to the mill’s 850 current employees. The project will have as many as 500 construction and contract-related workers onsite at the mill.
The improvements will allow expansion of Georgia-Pacific’s own brands as well as supporting the growth of current and potential customers’ private label brands. Investments to the Green Bay mill include building a new paper machine and adding associated converting equipment and infrastructure.
The Green Bay Broadway mill currently operates seven paper machines and several converting operations to make bath tissue, paper towels, napkins and facial tissue for both retail and away-from-home uses. Since 2006, capital investment at all of Georgia-Pacific’s Green Bay facilities have totaled more than $700 million.
“This truly is an investment in our customers and consumers who value the quality of our products,” said Georgia-Pacific President and CEO Christian Fischer. “We appreciate the local community, Brown County, state officials and all of our employees’ hard work and efforts to continue making our Green Bay Broadway mill more competitive for the long term.”
• The Lakeshore
Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Sheboygan Counties
Kohler acquires technology firm, expanding clean energy focus
Kohler Co. has expanded its clean energy management offering with the acquisition of Massachusetts-based Heila Technologies. Heila will become part of Kohler’s Power Group.
Heila Technologies will operate as a standalone entity within the Kohler Power Group with Francisco Morocz, general manager, reporting directly to Brian Melka, group president-power. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
“With this acquisition, we are leveraging our history of trusted expertise in power resiliency with newer clean energy technologies.
Resilient energy control through distributed energy resources is a crucial part of the development of the energy sector’s infrastructure needs of the future,” Melka said.
Heila Technologies was founded in 2015 as a Massachusetts Institute of Technology-born company and is dedicated to simplifying the integration and operation of distributed energy resources and microgrids.
As a developer of power source hardware and software, Heila can integrate and optimize distributed renewable energy resources and storage solutions to create a modular microgrid, providing reliable power when the grid cannot.
MilliporeSigma to build new Sheboygan production facility
MilliporeSigma will build a new production facility at the company’s Sheboygan site using a $136.7 million contract awarded from the U.S. Department of Defense, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contract is part of an effort to ensure secure local supply and production capacity for critical products for pandemic preparedness.
MilliporeSigma is the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of science and technology company Merck KGaA, of Darmstadt, Germany. The division is undertaking a multiyear program to increase production capacity and capabilities to support the growing global demand for vaccines, therapies and diagnostics.
The facility will produce MilliporeSigma’s Hi-Flow Plus Lateral flow membrane, which is used in rapid diagnostic test kits for several applications, including infectious disease testing as well as in women’s health, biomarker detection, drug testing, food safety and animal health.
The Life Science business had already invested in a second membrane casting line in Cork, Ireland, which was recently completed, and expanded the range of other critical reagents used to develop lateral flow rapid test kits. These strategic investments position the Life Science business as a key raw material supplier for the diagnostic market, especially as the company prepares for in-vitro diagnostic regulation and medical device regulation.
The Sheboygan facility is expected to be complete in three years and support the overall Life Science business sector’s strategy to add physical capacity and expand its regional network.
• West Central
Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara, Marquette, Green Lake Counties
Amherst Communications expands access to broadband services
Amherst Communications has purchased Union Telephone Co. This strategic acquisition continues Amherst’s focus on its core broadband areas and will expand fast fiber internet to rural Wisconsin communities.
The company’s service area will be expanded to include exchange areas around Coloma, Hancock, Plainfield, Bancroft and Almond, said Rick Letto, general manager of Amherst. The change will offer an expanded opportunity to build high-speed, gigabit-capable internet for more Wisconsin residents.
In addition, Amherst acquired Unitel, Inc. in November. Unitel, which has offices in central and Northeast Wisconsin, designs and installs IP telephone systems and related equipment. Both acquisitions will allow the company to provide a wider range of high-speed internet, data, phone, security, cloud and wholesale carrier solutions.
• The Northwoods
Florence, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto Counties
New state website provides directory for rural communities
A new website will provide Wisconsin’s rural communities and residents access to a directory of resources and inspiration on topics such as affordable housing, economic development, cultural programs and environmental protection.
“Wisconsin’s rural communities face unique challenges,” said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., adding that while there are numerous state, federal and nonprofit resources for communities and residents, “finding and navigating those programs can be difficult, especially for smaller communities that may not have dedicated staff.”
Ruralwi.com is a project of WEDC’s Office of Rural Prosperity and was one of the recommendations of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Rural Prosperity.
Success stories featured include efforts to connect food producers with their buyers, early childhood education enhancements and creating ways for high school students to get career experience. Readers can submit ideas for success stories to be featured by emailing rural@wedc.org.
The site will continue to add resources and success stories. The office also is working with Wisconsin’s Native American tribes to include their input and targeted resources.
