Wisconsin Development Fund awards announced

Golden Batch Sugar Wafers Source: Heritage Wafer

MADISON, Wis. – Gov. Jim Doyle announced Thursday that 10 recipients will share $555,210 in Wisconsin Development Fund awards. The awards were made at the Wisconsin Development Finance Board meeting held July 26 in Madison.
“My Grow Wisconsin Initiative calls for promoting economic development by making investments in training, business expansion and technology development,” Doyle said.
Doyle noted the projects will create 114 jobs, train 288 employees and leverage $1.09 million in additional investment.
eMetagen, LLC, received a $150,000 Technology Development Fund award. This Madison-based start-up firm will use its award to continue research and development on its patented methods for extracting, manipulating and expressing large fragments of environmental DNA from previously untapped sources of microorganisms.
Heritage Wafer, LLC, was awarded a $22,560 Customized Labor Training grant (CLT). Fond du Lac-based Heritage Wafer produces sugar wafer products sold under the Golden Batch label and in private labels for customers. The company is installing a $1.8-million wafer product distribution and wrapping system. It will use its grant to train 20 current and three new employees on the new equipment. The training project will leverage $22,560 in private investment.
Marchant-Schmidt, Inc., also of Fond du Lac, received a $32,000 CLT grant. The company manufactures stainless steel products and equipment for the food and dairy industry. Marchant-Schmidt is obtaining ISO 9001:2000 Certification. It will use the grant to train 55 current and seven new employees. The training project will leverage $32,000 in private investment.

Perkins Engineering Co., Inc. earned a $12,100 CLT grant. The Sussex-based business specializes in CNC machining, metal fabrication and design engineering. The company is seeking ISO 9001 Certification. It will use the grant to train 22 current employees. The training project will leverage $54,715 in private investment.
R. J. Zeman Tool & Mfg. Co., Inc. was awarded a $23,100 CLT grant. R. J. Zeman Tool & Mfg. Co., based in Waukesha, designs and manufactures tools, gages, specialty castings and machinery. The company is seeking ISO 9001:2001 Certification. It will use the grant to train 42 current employees. The training project will leverage $68,301 in private investment.
Curwood, Inc., of Oshkosh, received an $118,600 CLT grant. Curwood manufactures flexible packaging and pressure sensitive materials for various industries. The company is investing $6 million in new equipment for new product lines at its Oshkosh and Neenah locations. It will use the grant to train 25 current and eight new employees at the Oshkosh plant and five current and 12 new employees at the Neenah plant. The training project will leverage $118,600 in private investment.
BWAY Corporation, of Sturtevant, garnered a $29,000 CLT grant. Headquartered in Atlanta, BWAY is a manufacturer of steel containers for paint, coffee and certain other consumer and industrial products. It is opening and equipping its first Wisconsin plant in Sturtevant at a cost of $6 million. The plant will manufacture aerosol cans. The company will use the grant to train 49 new employees on new equipment. The training project will leverage $29,000 in private investment.
Salm Partners, LLC, earned a CLT grant worth $30,600. The New Franken-based company is a start up private-label sausage manufacturer. The company is building and equipping a $7.5-million, 20,000-sq.-ft. facility manufacturing facility. It will use the grant to train 18 new employees on new equipment. The training project will leverage $44,000 in private investment.
American Plastics Company, Inc. received a $36,000 CLT grant. American Plastics Company, of Rhinelander, manufactures multi-layered plastic packaging films. The company is investing $3.9 million on equipment for a new product line. It will use the grant to train 15 current and seven new employees on new equipment. The training project will leverage $36,625 in private investment.
Lastly, the UW-Extension Small Business Development Center was awarded a $101,250 grant. Since 1977, the SBDC, located on 13 UW campuses and headquartered in Madison, has helped more than 200,000 Wisconsin residents start and grow their businesses by providing one-to-one business counseling and a variety of professional development programs and business management classes. The SBDC will use the grant to fund up to 75 percent of the participants’ first-year tuition costs. The project will leverage $33,750 in additional investment.
The Department of Commerce staffs the W0isconsin Development Fund. The independent Wisconsin Development Finance Board considers proposals and awards funds.