Updates will ease connections for buyers and sellers in Wisconsin and beyond

MADISON, WI, OCT. 8, 2019 – The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) is launching a new website to help connect new and existing businesses in Wisconsin with the buyers, suppliers and service providers they need.

The new Wisconsin Supplier Network (WSN), which can be found at wisconsinsuppliernetwork.com, will take the place of the previous Wisconsin Supply Chain Marketplace site. It features a free online directory of suppliers and services as well as a communications platform that provides regular newsletters and alerts to promote new business opportunities, supplier development resources and industry networking initiatives.

“We want to do everything we can to make it easy for businesses in our state to grow,” said WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes. “The Wisconsin Supplier Network will help companies—whether they’re new businesses, existing businesses looking to expand, or out-of-state businesses looking to come here—make the connections they need with suppliers and service providers.”

The Wisconsin Supplier Network is supported by WEDC, which leads economic development efforts for the state by providing resources, operational support and financial assistance to companies, partners and communities in Wisconsin.

Working with more than 600 partners across the state, including regional economic development organizations, academic institutions and industry clusters, WEDC develops and delivers solutions that help businesses, communities and people maximize their potential in Wisconsin.

“WSN is one example of the resources available to manufacturers as they look to increase productivity, accelerate technology adoption and compete globally while responding to rapidly evolving market trends and customer needs,” said WEDC Director of Business and Investment Attraction Jela Trask. “WEDC takes a holistic approach in working with partners to ensure Wisconsin is manufacturing-ready by supporting small and midsize manufacturers in leveraging technology and talent development opportunities.”

The original Wisconsin Supply Chain Marketplace was the result of a collaboration between WEDC and the New North, the regional economic development organization covering the 18 counties in northeast Wisconsin. The initiative was intended to support supplier diversification by developing supplier resiliency to help offset the cyclical nature of national defense spending.

Due to the tremendous positive response and desire to offer the directory on a statewide scale, New North and WEDC worked together to expand the platform to support all regions in assisting supplier and buyer connections while helping diversify new growth in key driver and emerging industry sectors.

The new site will feature a number of improvements, including better quality data, easier user interface, and integration with third-party platforms, such as those of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to streamline supplier evaluation to facilitate procurement. In addition, WSN will be a key asset in assisting business attraction, expansion and retention efforts. WEDC will also leverage WSN in industry cluster development.

The site was developed by DataChat, a Madison-based data democratization company that uses advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to allow users to gain insights from data by simply holding a conversation in DataChat’s engineered natural language. This will be another unique feature in facilitating supplier and buyer connections on WSN.