According to Grothman, “The EPA set National Ambient Air Quality Standards, in particular ozone, at 120 parts per billion (ppb) in 1971, and now the EPA has proposed a new rule of 65 ppb set to take effect in October 2015, which cuts the standard nearly in half since 1971. By 2015 the EPA will have changed ozone standards over five times. Changing it again will damage Wisconsin, specifically counties in the 6th Congressional District, disproportionately more than other states around the country. These regulations also put United States businesses at a comparative disadvantage globally, in particular with countries like China and Russia.”

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The City of Appleton plays a key role in this project. As the deal is currently envisioned, they will purchase the land on which the center will be built, install infrastructure improvements for the center, and own the building once constructed. These economic development roles are totally appropriate for the City, and we support them contributing to regional growth and prosperity in these ways.

It is important to understand, however, that the City will NOT be paying to build the center. Construction costs will be funded by hotel room tax revenue that will come from the entire Fox Cities region. Action will be needed from all communities to leverage this funding tool in support of this project. In the end, then, the building will be paid for by visitors to the region, not residents.

After years of study, we have learned that an exhibition center will generate $6.5 million in new annual economic activity. This is in addition to payments to the City to cover the cost of municipal services. Given these benefits, the project is a good deal for taxpayers. It just makes sense.

So what if this project doesn’t happen? The economic activity the center would generate will be lost, but the region will lose so much more than that. We will lose the sense of forward progress we have from things like Mile of Music. Other sectors of the economy, like sports tourism and retail, will feel the squeeze, because there will be fewer people visiting the area. Interest rates are low and the cost of construction will only increase with time, so we need to move this project forward now.

What can you do?

• Communicate with Appleton Common Council members and tell them you favor the exhibition center project. This page allows you to email all members at once: http://bit.ly/1ov49vv
• Attend the January 21 meeting of the Council to show your support in person. You do not have to speak at the hearing! Simply by showing up you can make a statement.
• Finally, talk to your friends, neighbors, and co-workers and ask them to speak up. The more people urging the Council to move forward, the more likely we will see this project become a reality for the Fox Cities region!

Questions? Please reach out to Shannon Full, President and CEO of the Fox Cities Chamber by email:  sfull@foxcitieschamber.com or by phone: 734.7101 to learn more about why the Fox Cities Chamber feels so strongly about this important step forward for the region. Thank you for your engagement with this issue!

The post Appleton Expo Center: An important step forward for the Fox Cities Region appeared first on Fox Cities Chamber Blog.

You’ve probably heard about home automation. Maybe you have even considered it but thought it would be too difficult to implement and use. Maybe it seems unnecessary.

 Actually, home automation is simple to use and installation might not be as difficult as you think.  Northeastern Wisconsinites are realizing why home automation isn’t just for the wealthy; it’s for anybody who wants to take advantage of technology that provides safety and convenience for their families.

Home Automation is The Future

According to iWatchlife.com, the sale of smart home devices has doubled from 2012 to 2013. Experts predict a rise in the number of smart home devices as more companies begin to provide home automation services.

You probably already have a smartphone or tablet in your home. You’d be surprised at how easy installing a home automation system is for Fox Valley residents.

Peace of Mind

With the flick of your finger on your tablet or smartphone you can make sure your garage door is shut while you’re watching your kid’s soccer game. After you finally hit the road for the family trip to Mount Rushmore, you panic that you left the stove on and whether or not the kids turned their bedroom lights off. You can simply take out your phone and turn off the lights and stove.

 At the touch of your fingertips you can control:

• lights

• music

• temperature

• security system

• and more

You can wake up to a cold Wisconsin morning and, from your cozy bed, turn up the temperature of your home.

The Safety Factor

 Yes, northeastern Wisconsin is generally a safe area of the country in which to live, work and go to school. However, things do happen. Home automation can relieve major safety concerns. Best of all – it’s right there on your smartphone or tablet.

Security alarm goes off? You and the police will be notified. You’re away for the night? You can turn on your outdoor lights, and possibly indoor lights to make it look like you are home.

A concern for all parents is the safety of their children. Home automation provides the ability to see when someone enters the home and what electrical sources they are using (sorry – sneaking in after curfew will be difficult).

Home Automation in the Fox Valley

Fox Valley residents are smart citizens. I encourage you to spend some time researching home automation and think about how it could create a more convenient and safer home environment for you and your family.

When You Live an Automated Life, the Possibilities are Endless

Infographic provided by Control4. www.control4.com

(Imagery provided by Control4)

The post Home Automation in the Fox Valley by Michael Martin appeared first on Fox Cities Chamber Blog.

Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce supports The Future Wisconsin Project

Don’t miss this chance to influence the direction of Wisconsin and show that the Fox Cities is passionate about our future! The Fox Cities Chamber is organizing a Fox Cities Table for the event, and we’d love to have you join us. Please register here, then let us know you’ll be joining our table by emailing Linda Myers at lmyers@foxcitieschamber.com so we can count you in!

The Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce is joining with the State Chamber of Commerce and five other state organizations to embark on a 20-year strategic economic plan for the state.  The Future Wisconsin Project is designed to make the Badger State the most competitive state in the nation

Why is this project necessary? Twenty years ago, there was no iPad or WiFi.  There were no social media directors or cloud computing services.  And words like blog, Google, millennial, and staycation didn’t exist.

Baby Boomers were not turning 65 at a rate of 10,000 a day.  The number of incoming kindergartners still exceeded the number of graduating 12^th graders in Wisconsin.  The unemployment rate was holding steady at 4.5%.  And troubling demographics and Wisconsin’s business competitiveness were not front page news.

However, what if . . .

. . . 20 years ago, when we knew there was a severe labor shortage coming . . . and we did know . . . we had put a plan in place to address it?

. . . 20 years ago, we had branded the state . . . not as cheeseheads from the frozen tundra but as entrepreneurs from the state of innovation . . . as an attractive place for the next generation?

. . . 20 years ago, everyone . . . Republicans and Democrats alike . . . had agreed on a set of measures and goals that would ensure Wisconsin’s economic competitiveness?

. . . 20  years ago, we had established an academic and career plan, and work experiences . . . for every student . . . to guide them and their parents in selecting a meaningful career track?

. . . today, we decided not to let history repeat itself?

A Georgetown University study suggests Wisconsin will add 317,000 jobs this decade.  The Applied Population Lab at UW-Madison says we will add 15,000 working age people between now and 2030.Since 1997, the number of kindergartners has not been replacing our graduating seniors.Wisconsin will double its 65-year-old and older population in the next 25 years, from 750,000 to 1.5 million.

Do you see the problem yet?

• How about our loss of college graduates every year?  14,000.

• How about the economic uncertainty caused by political swings in the past 10 years?

• How about the skills gap we have seen throughout Wisconsin as students pursue degrees that do not lead to careers, while jobs go wanting skilled applicants?

Now, are you ready for the good news?  We can overcome all of these challenges.  That’s why we are participating in The Future Wisconsin Project. And we want YOU to participate, too!

To ensure prosperity for the communities of Wisconsin, and rewarding and high-paying careers for our citizens, the Badger State must be positioned as a leader in the following areas:

• Talent Development, Attraction and Retention
• Business Competitiveness
• Global Engagement
• Government Effectiveness
• Life Quality
• Entrepreneurial Spirit

These six areas are known as the Competitive Quality Indicators (CQIs) – areas of focus that are critical if Wisconsin is to be a competitive place to do business 20 years from now.  With the cooperation of the University of Wisconsin System, Wisconsin Economic Development Cooperation, the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Wisconsin Technical College System and the Department of Workforce Development, as well as our long-time partners among local chambers of commerce, we are positioned to effectively plan for the future.

More than a year in the making, the project has seen Wisconsin businesses, educators, and leaders begin the discussion of ensuring a competitive state.  Advisors with expertise in the six focus areas have been identified to react to ideas generated by hundreds of Wisconsin citizens.  And a culminating event has been planned for December 3 in Milwaukee to organize and prioritize the initiatives we will take forward together.  This process will be repeated every year to ensure Wisconsin’s competitiveness.

This year, the WMC Foundation has presented to business and educators at all 16 technical college campuses reaching nearly 1,000 people; written guest columns and done media appearances; engaged the local chambers of commerce; identified advisors for each of the six critical areas; and finalized a game plan through the end of the year.  We are excited about The Future Wisconsin Project because it will bring with it the power of the state’s business community, higher education, economic development, public and private sector, and an estimated 3,000 Wisconsin citizens.

Though there are barriers to overcome such as increasing venture capital, filling the skills gap, infrastructure problems, a state image problem, issues in some urban communities, and obstacles for growing jobs and the economy, we have great strengths.  The Badger State boasts business diversity, a strong work ethic, a high quality of life, great business and education partnerships, good schools, an improving business climate, and a “can do” attitude.

Whether you are Democrat, Republican or Independent, whether your party is in the majority or the minority, we must define and measure business competitiveness and strive to make Wisconsin irresistible to employers and employees alike.  It starts by having a WISconversation.

Join us at the event on December 3 to include your voice!

The post It’s time for a WISconversation appeared first on Fox Cities Chamber Blog.

Here’s a fascinating history of the paper industry in the Fox Cities by Cindy Glass of HC Miller Press in Green Bay, WI.

Source: pubs.usgs.gov

 Almost Two Hundred Years of Papermaking

In 1848, just before Wisconsin became an official state, the paper industry began its ascent. The first paper mill in Wisconsin was actually in Milwaukee, but the first paper mill of the Fox Valley opened in Appleton.

By 1860, Wisconsin produced the most paper in the Midwest, and by the 1870s the state was the first to recycle paper.

In 1889, the famous John Kimberly and Charles Clark opened their paper mill along the Fox River in Kimberly, WI.

As the 19th century came to a close, the paper industry was booming. Paper mills had popped up all along the Fox River, and Wisconsin was number one in lumber production.

As the century turned, the U.S. Forest Service created a research lab to study how to conserve Wisconsin’s beautiful forests. Consolidated Papers created the managed timberland model, which means you plant more trees than you cut. In 1944, University of Wisconsin-Madison creates a tree planting machine.

By the 1920s, Kimberly-Clark invented Kleenex, disposable diapers, hospital masks and gowns, and those handy paper towels.

In 1958, the paper industry reached its peak amount of businesses at 81, and 10 years later reaches its peak employment of 21,500 employees.

In 1971, PCBs are banned from use and paper mills discontinue using them. With safer mill practices, there is less damage on the ecosystem. But recovery didn’t begin immediately. It would take decades before PCBs would be gone from the Fox River.

As the 20th century drew to a close, paper industries overseas began to become more prominent and caused strain on the Wisconsin paper industry.

By 2009, China became the world’s largest paper producer. In that same year, the Fox River started a $1 billion project to remove PCBs from the river and is estimated to be complete by 2017.

Due to the Internet, eBooks, personal computers, and smartphones, the paper industry has shrunk. However, books, newspapers, magazines, and just paper itself is still important and has a long way to go.

Source: JSOnline The Wisconsin Story

The post History of the Paper Industry in the Fox Cities appeared first on Fox Cities Chamber Blog.

The Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP) has planned lots of great events to celebrate Manufacturing Month. Check out more information here:

http://www.wmep.org/node/2645

Happy Manufacturing Month!

The post October is Manufacturing Month in Wisconsin! appeared first on Fox Cities Chamber Blog.

The Business Insider has mapped the issue of tech jobs in search of talent. They break it down by region and show how many tech jobs need to be filled per 10,000 residents, and even track the changes from March to May of 2013. Click here for the full article.

A shortage of technology workers is a problem for employers from coast-to-coast. The Fox Cities Regional Partnership is working to help solve this problem for employers in our area. Do you have tech jobs that need to be filled? Are you a worker looking for a job that utilizes your high-tech skills? Tell us your story in the comments below!

The post Fox Cities: Can’t Hire Tech Workers Fast Enough appeared first on Fox Cities Chamber Blog.

Most of us are familiar with the terms “economic capital” or “human capital”, but have you considered the notion of “psychological capital” and how it relates to your work life? Researchers studying the application of Positive Psychology to the workplace have carefully considered this idea – as a growing body of evidence demonstrates that a positive mindset can not only affect our attitudes toward work, but the outcomes which follow. Indeed, the “psychological capital” that we bring to the table, can have a significant impact upon work and career.

Recently we discussed, how the tenets of positive psychology might provide a guide to help us achieve greater levels of workplace happiness. Overall, the movement stresses the identification of what is “right” with our work lives – building on positive contributors (emphasizing our strengths, celebrating smaller successes, gratitude). Central to this theory is the mechanism by which we build our “psychological resources” and how we utilize this collected energy to digest and cope with our work lives.

Along this vein, researchers have identified a high-order construct, aptly named Psychological Capital (PsyCap). Psychological Capital is comprised of a number of key psychological resources that we bring to our work life experiences. In combination, we utilize these resources to meet the challenges of our daily work lives. (Referred to as “HERO”.)

The HERO resources:

Hope. A belief in the ability to persevere toward goals and find the methods or paths to reach them.
Efficacy. The confidence that one can put forth the effort to affect outcomes.
Resilience. The ability to bounce back in the face of adversity or failure.
Optimism. A generally positive view of work and the potential of success.

Of key importance, studies have established (Avey, et al., 2011) a clear positive relationship between PsyCap and a number desired workplace outcomes, including as job satisfaction, organizational commitment and psychological well-being. Moreover, the construct has been shown to be negatively correlated with negative organizational behaviors, including cynicism, anxiety, stress, and the intention to turnover.

Impacting levels of psychological capital appears to be the next imperative (information is emerging). On a promising note, PsyCap appears to be a “state like” quality and open to change. This is in contrast to traits that tend to be largely stable over time – such as the “Big 5” personality traits, of extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness. As a result, psychological capital can be developed and strengthened. Certainly, this has broad implications for key workplace attributes such as the quality of performance feedback, role design and leadership style.

Republished from Dr. Marla Gottschalk, Industrial & Organizational Psychologist / Workplace Strategist

The post Why Positivity is So Essential in the Workplace appeared first on Fox Cities Chamber Blog.

The FIRE UP program reaches out to local primary employers (those businesses who do more than half their business with customers outside our region) to thank them for doing business here. We also want to discover what opportunities are out there for growth and expansion, and uncover any hurdles or obstacles they face. We do this through face-to-face visits that include our municipal partners and volunteers from local businesses.

Since January 1, 2013 we have conducted 27 such visits, and discovered that more than half of the companies we visited plan to add workers in the coming year, but 2 in 5 are not satisfied with the local workforce available to them. We also heard that more than 3 in 5 are seeing growing sales, and 3 in 5 are doing business internationally. Based on what we are learning we will design programs and connect them to resources to help keep them growing here in the Appleton Region.

Investing time in building relationships with our local employers is a smart long-term investment, and I will continue to improve our retention program throughout 2013. We want to make our visits as valuable to employers as possible, and leverage our partners and resources to solve problems effectively. I welcome your comments and questions about business retention, and encourage you to tell your elected officials how important business retention is to keep the Appleton Region a vibrant economy for us and the next generation.

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