The Certified In Wisconsin® Program, offered in partnership by WEDC and Deloitte Consulting, is accepting new applications for industrial properties of 20 acres or larger.
Since 2013, WEDC has offered the Certified In Wisconsin Program to provide a statewide inventory of industrial sites that have undergone a rigorous prequalification process to ensure they are “shovel ready” for immediate development. By certifying that these sites meet common basic requirements for development, WEDC provides assurances for potential companies eager to get their projects completed quickly, and in the process makes Wisconsin as a whole more competitive when it comes to attracting new projects.
A Certified Site designation indicates that a wide range of concerns have been considered—environmental and geological factors, transportation access, utility and infrastructure capacity, zoning, property rights—and that the site is ready for industrial development. WEDC works with Deloitte to evaluate sites to determine if they are ready for development and meet certification requirements.
The Certified In Wisconsin Program is a partnership between WEDC and communities with Certified Sites. WEDC covers a portion of the certification cost and provides a site summary for each community. Each Certified Site also benefits from WEDC’s comprehensive marketing strategy, including a dedicated webpage and a print piece offering that lists details about each site, as well as inclusion in a search utility that allows site selectors to quickly and easily find sites that meet their criteria.
“A major attraction to new businesses is the ‘shovel-ready’ availability for immediate development,” said Coleman Peiffer, business and investment attraction director for WEDC. “This program paves the way for faster development and mitigates risk in the development process, both for the site owner and for the company making the investment. Certified Site designation is a ‘fast track’ for your property to get the attention of site selectors and real estate developers. Certified Sites also have the ability to respond to requests for information (RFIs) quickly and comprehensively because they have successfully addressed the basic requirements associated with significant development projects.”
Wisconsin currently has 21 economic development projects on the state’s Certified Sites. Those projects, when complete, are expected to create nearly 2,300 jobs and generate nearly $400 million in capital investment.
The 17 Certified In Wisconsin sites are located in Beaver Dam, Beloit, Black River Falls, Chippewa Falls, DeForest, Fitchburg, Hobart, Howard, Janesville, Menomonie, Prescott, Stevens Point, Verona, West Bend, Westport, Whitewater and Wisconsin Rapids.
