Investments across Wisconsin are helping to build an Economy for All

John W. Miller, Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, WEDC

One of the best ways to measure WEDC’s progress in building an Economy for All, where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, comes at the end of each fiscal year when we tally the results of the previous 12 months’ investments in our state’s businesses and communities.

Preliminary figures for fiscal year 2026 (FY26), which ended June 30, show that WEDC invested $229 million in 67 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties, supporting hundreds of local businesses, nonprofits, partner organizations, and communities throughout the state.

WEDC aims to recruit and retain talented workers by investing in childcare, housing, and community development; bolster Wisconsin’s entrepreneurs, startups, and Main Streets; support rural economies; and expand Wisconsin’s global exports.

WEDC assisted 40 businesses in moving to or expanding in Wisconsin by authorizing more than $132 million in performance-based Enterprise Zone (EZ) and Business Development Tax Credits (BTC), including:

• Eli Lilly’s $4 billion expansion project in Kenosha County  is expected to create more than 750 high-paying jobs; WEDC is assisting the project by providing up to $100 million in EZ tax credits.
• WEDC is also assisting Carl Buddig and Company, which is undertaking a $125 million expansion of its plant in Sheboygan Falls and creating 75 jobs, with up to $2.75 million in BTC support.
• Belmark Corp. is investing $121 million to expand its De Pere operations, provide childcare and healthcare facilities for employees, and create more than 140 jobs—a project that qualifies to receive up to $2.5 million in BTC support.

In FY26, WEDC provided 225 grants to businesses, communities, and nonprofits, totaling $39.26 million, including:

• Nearly $10 million to five counties, including Waukesha, Sauk, Richland, Wood, and Sheboygan, to convert University of Wisconsin branch campus facilities into housing, commercial space, and other uses
• A total of $5 million in Talent Recruitment Grants to 17 community organizations to address targeted workforce needs (recipients include Greater Wausau Prosperity Partnership, Driftless Development Inc., Envision Greater Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Technology Council, Employ Milwaukee, Appleton Downtown Inc., New North Inc., Green County Economic Development, Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce, Kenosha Area Business Alliance, Milwaukee County, Heroes for Healthcare Inc., Family Friendly Workplaces Inc., Vernon County, the City of Oshkosh, Cassville Economic Development Corporation, and the City of Medford)
• A total of $1.5 million in Small Business Development Grants to 10 community organizations around the state to help small businesses access needed capital

As I’ve mentioned previously, business and community leaders across Wisconsin have identified access to affordable childcare and housing as critical to attracting and retaining workers. In addition to the Belmark expansion in FY26, WEDC supported three major projects to address childcare needs:

• Outagamie County received $250,000 to convert part of a county-owned complex into a childcare facility for 100 children of county employees and local residents.
• The Village of Coleman received $147,000 to expand Shine Bright on Main, a local childcare facility, to serve 47 children from four Marinette County communities.
• The City of Oshkosh also received $250,000 to establish Wisconsin’s first childcare incubator through ADVOCAP, which will provide up to three shifts of care for workers in the community.
• To meet community housing needs, WEDC supported 11 projects that call for creating 192 new residential units, including an 80-unit development in Thiensville and a 60-unit development in De Pere.

In the state’s rural areas, WEDC’s Office of Rural Prosperity worked with 10 communities to complete the first round of the Thrive Rural  program aimed at addressing housing, community development, small business development, regional collaboration, and leadership capacity building needs. An additional 10 have been selected for a second round of projects.

With funding from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, WEDC and the Bank of Luxemburg also launched the Emerging Rural Developer Fellowship, which will place fellows in Door County, Bayfield County, and Southwest Wisconsin to work on housing development, gain experience, and help local partners move forward with new housing opportunities.

To keep Wisconsin’s competitive edge, WEDC also invests in our state’s entrepreneurs and innovators. In FY26, WEDC launched Ignite Wisconsin, which will provide a total of $3.5 million to four organizations supporting startup companies in targeted sectors with high growth potential, such as fusion energy and emerging technologies. WEDC also launched Accelerate Wisconsin, which welcomed 14 entrepreneurs from nine countries to advance startups throughout the state.

Finally, to maintain Wisconsin’s global presence during a time of uncertainty over tariffs and trade, WEDC led in-person international trade missions visiting Mexico and Japan, as well as a virtual trade mission to Canada. These missions brought together a combined 17 companies—plus representatives of two industry groups and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection—to assist small and midsize businesses from a variety of sectors in promoting their products and working to further their export strategies.

WEDC’s foreign direct investment strategy is focused on positioning Wisconsin as a top destination for advanced manufacturing, food and dairy production, biotechnology, water technology, and innovation. These efforts strengthen the state’s competitiveness and drive investment, innovation, and job creation.

While managing all of these programs, WEDC continued to maintain the highest standards of internal controls, fiscal discipline, and transparency. For the 13th consecutive year, the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) gave its highest award to WEDC for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. WEDC also received GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its FY26 budget.

Through its broad range of programs and resources, WEDC aims to support communities in every corner of Wisconsin by helping to create and maintain vibrant downtowns, partnering with existing and new businesses to support their growth, enabling startups to progress from concept to reality, and promoting Wisconsin goods and services in the global marketplace.