• Market Info
• Idea Pathway
• EDC Services & Programs
• About Us
• Contact Us

• Community and statistical reports/profiles
• Business recruitment marketing campaigns
• Business retention and expansion programs
• Facilitation of site selection process
• Financial packaging of local, state and federal financial programs
• Entrepreneurship, innovation and recognition programs
• Government program application services for business development
• Community infrastructure plans to facilitate business park development
• Regulatory assistance for area businesses

If the Eau Claire Area EDC cannot directly help your business, we can direct you to the organizations that can.

• Bush Brothers -Bush Brothers & Company has come to be recognized as the brand leader in the baked bean category. The company has developed into a multi-million dollar franchise and has actually tripled its market share since 1994. Much of this growth can be attributed to tactical marketing techniques focused on the Bush Brothers’ secret family recipe. This recipe was actually developed at the Augusta, WI facility.
  
  The Augusta location is one of only two production facilities that meet growing customer demand for the company’s nine varieties of baked beans and is a vital part of the production and distribution network. In 2010, Bush Brothers announced its plans to invest over $14 million into this location. The investment includes construction of a new warehouse, which began in the fall of 2010, and enhancements to production operations in existing facilities. These enhancements will not impact employment levels.
  
  In order to secure Bush Brothers’ investment, the EDC worked with Ayers Associates and the Regional Planning Commission to assist the City of Augusta in amending Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) District #4. The changes were completed on an aggressive timeline of only 60 days and allowed the City to relocate public water services and increase the capacity of surrounding storm sewers. These modifications were necessary to address public safety and a 228 acre drainage basin that flowed through the Bush Brothers property, limiting the company’s ability to expand.
  
  As part of the ongoing project, the City of Augusta has relocated water mains and laterals and has developed a rain water management plan that will enhance public drainage ways and utilize several retention ponds. In addition, Union Pacific Railroad will enhance the rail system near the Bush Brothers facility which will require public
  street improvements.
  
  The EDC played a key role in facilitating this process and meeting the timelines required to ensure the expansion. Because of this investment, 138 jobs will be retained in Augusta.
  
  
• CURT Manufacturing, Inc. - As part of a development project that started in 2010, the company will be constructing a 150,000 sq. ft. warehousing and logistics facility. Construction will take place next to the company’s existing 165,000 ft. manufacturing facility on a 20 acre site purchased from a private land owner and annexed to the City of Altoona in December of 2010.
  
  The new facility will house additional production, as well as a paint line system that is environmentally sensitive and extends the life of coating products. The company plans to increase employment by 125 positions in Wisconsin by 2014. All of the new positions will receive Curt Manufacturing’s impressive full benefits package and wages above 150% of minimum wage, with 31 of these positions exceeding 200% of minimum wage.
  
  In order for this expansion to occur, the EDC worked with numerous programs and organizations to bring necessary funding to the project. Public improvements will include an expansion of Mayer Road to the north along with a new traffic signal at the US Highway 12 and Mayer Road intersection. CURT was also able to access low cost financing through the purchase of Federal Recovery Zone Bonds by M&I Bank.
  
  The EDC coordinated the applications for public road improvements and assisted the City of Altoona in structuring the final development agreements.
  


• Regional Business Fund (RBF) - Allocated the County Revolving Loan Fund to the RBF to ensure Eau Claire County and City of Eau Claire businesses can access low-interest loans focused on downtown building facades and business start-up financing. Four loans to small businesses have been made in the past year using the RBF programs.

Featured Investors

View Information	View Information	View Information
View Information	View Information	View Information
View Information	View Information	View Information
View Information	View Information	View Information
View Information