Wisconsin technology executives speak out on state economy

While most technology industry executives hold a dim view of current state economic conditions, 45 percent of those responding to the first WisBusiness.com Tech Leaders Survey said the Wisconsin economy will improve during the next year and nearly three-quarters of the executives rated the overall prospects for their own companies as good or excellent.

The new quarterly survey gauges the perceptions of senior executives in four Wisconsin technology industries: Information technology, biotechnology and medical devices, advanced manufacturing, and clean technology and agricultural biotechnology. It measures the executives’ ratings on five key business indicators, including the condition of the state’s economy, their industry, their company, the capital markets and the labor market.

Sixty-six percent of survey respondents rated the current condition of Wisconsin’s economy as fair, while 22.4 percent rated it as poor. Nearly 12 percent said the state’s economy is good.

Tech industry executives are more optimistic about the future of Wisconsin’s economy. Almost 45 percent of executives who responded to the survey believe the state’s economy will improve during the next 12 months. Almost nineteen percent said the state’s economy will get worse in the next year, while 36.4 percent believe economic conditions in Wisconsin will stay the same during that period.

Executives who responded to the survey are most optimistic about the prospects for the company they run. Nearly three-quarters of the executives rate the overall prospects for their own companies as good or excellent. Twenty-two percent rate those prospects as only fair and 5 percent rate them as poor. Seventy percent of survey respondents said that things will get better for his or her company during the next 12 months. More than a quarter believe things will stay the same for their company in the next year. Only 2.5 percent believe things will get worse.

“While Wisconsin’s tech company executives take a decidedly dim view of the state’s economy in the second-quarter WisBusiness Tech Leaders Survey, those same executives feel good about the state’s economic future and even better about the prospects for their own companies,” says Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. “Capital availability remains a challenge for companies in Wisconsin’s tech industry and the results of our second-quarter survey reinforce just how challenging the capital markets are for our tech companies. The Tech Council will continue to work closely with the governor and state Legislature to improve access to the capital that is so critical to the success of companies across the spectrum of Wisconsin’s rapidly-growing tech sector.”

The survey is a project of theWisconsin Technology Council, in partnership with WisBusiness.com and the Luminis Group Ltd.

The initial survey was conducted from June 23 through July 6, and collected responses from 277 technology company executives from across Wisconsin.

Leadership program takes on new name

After 25 years, the Wisconsin Rural Leadership Program has launched a new name and look, branding itself as Leadership Wisconsin.

The change is designed to more effectively communicate the program's goals by reflecting participants who have both urban and rural backgrounds. As the only state-wide leadership program, Leadership Wisconsin remains committed to its key mission: Developing Leaders to Strengthen Communities.

“The goal of our new look is to increase the understanding, benefits and outreach of our work with all of Wisconsin," says Board President Sarah Halstead.

Applications are being accepted for the next group of Leadership Wisconsin fellows. If you or someone you know is up to the challenge of leadership development, contact Stormer at (608) 263-0817 or visit www.LeadershipWisconsin.org. 

MOVERS

>> Cannella Response Television has added Kyle Scott as a media consultant and Christine Kastenson as a media assistant in its Burlington headquarters. The company has also added Roxanne Coble and Tina Nazarian as assistant media consultants in its Los Angeles office.

>> Thomas N. Shorter, shareholder and member of Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.’s Health Care Practice Group in the Madison office, has been elected to the State Bar of Wisconsin Health Law Section Board of Directors.

>> ElderSpan Management LLC in Madison has promoted David Griffin to president; former president Greg Griffin has assumed the role of chief financial officer.

>> Daniel Cowell has been promoted to vice president at Irgens Development Partners LLC.

>> Attorney Dean R. Dietrich, a partner with the Ruder Ware Law Firm, was recently honored with a special award of appreciation at the 2009 Volunteer Lawyers Project Awards Reception hosted by Legal Action of Wisconsin. The annual reception honors distinguished pro bono achievement by Wisconsin attorneys.

>> Alliant Energy Corp. has announced the appointment of Wayne Reschke as vice president of human resources.

>> Timothy T. Flaherty, M.D., has been named chairman of the board of WPS Health Insurance. Eugene Nordby, M.D. has been named chairman emeritus of the WPS Board.

>> Mortenson Construction has added Andrew Wiegman as construction executive.

>> Irving Chung is the new president of Discover Mediaworks.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

BROOKFIELD: North Shore Bank been recognized as one of the “Healthiest Companies in America” by Interactive Health Solutions (IHS), a national provider of employee health management programs. The award recognizes 103 U.S. companies who have demonstrated a commitment to the well-being of their employees by creating a corporate culture that encourages individuals to take charge of their health and maintain an active role in preventative care. IHS, based in Arlington Heights, Ill., selects its “Healthiest Companies in America” winners from more than 2,000 organizations that participate in its health management programs. Awards are based on clinical evaluations of employee participants across an index of key health factors, including smoking, indications for heart disease and diabetes, and other health status measures that can be at least partly controlled by individuals. North Shore Bank has assets of nearly $1.9 billion and 43 offices throughout eastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois.

GREEN BAY: Immel Construction has been awarded a contract for the renovation and expansion of the eastside Wal-Mart. The store is being converted into a Wal-Mart Supercenter with the addition of 34,000 square feet of grocery space. In addition, the store will undergo a complete renovation of the exterior and interior including a new pharmacy, vision center, garden center and a total replacement of the parking area and landscaping. Construction began Aug. 1, 2009, and will be completed in July of 2010. Immel has also been awarded two additional renovation projects at Wal-Mart stores in Red Wing and Hutchinson, Minn.

MILWAUKEE: Jefferson Wells, a global provider of risk advisory, tax, and finance and accounting-related services, has established an alliance with S&S Business Solutions, a leading provider of professional services in India. The alliance agreement, completed on July 15, enables Jefferson Wells to meet its growing clients’ needs in the region by aligning with S&S’s established practice in India. India is one of the fastest growing markets in the world with a high demand for risk advisory, tax, and finance and accounting services. >> Engineering News Record Magazine has released its 2008 list of the Top 100 Green Design Firms in America and Kahler Slater, headquartered in Milwaukee with offices in Madison, Green Bay, North Carolina and a recently opened sixth office in Singapore, came in at No. 44. This is the first year Kahler Slater has made the list and it is the only Milwaukee-based firm to be included. It’s also the highest ranked of three Wisconsin firms on the list.

WEST ALLIS: Dedicated volunteer Wisconsin Dental Association dentists participating in the WDA Foundation’s Donated Dental Services program provided a record-setting $1,017,347 of comprehensive oral health care to disabled, senior, poor and uninsured state residents who qualified for the program in the 2008 - 2009 fiscal year. Since this program began 11 years ago, 527 dentists have donated more than $5.2 million in care to 2,010 patients. Donated Dental Services patients do not qualify for government assistance programs and cannot afford dental care, because a permanent disability, chronic illness or advanced age restricts their income-earning capability. The average patient requires extensive dental work, usually including bridges, crowns or dentures, typically valued at more than $3,500 per individual.