Chippewa Valley quietly impacts national defense Tanks, ships and airplanes. That’s what comes to mind when thinking of national defense work. Super contract for Cray Inc. Everyone in business who has information technology people on the payroll knows those invaluable experts don’t deserve the “nerd” and “geek” caricatures of popular culture. Still, one can’t help but smile and imagine guys throwing their shirt-pocket protectors in the air when hearing about workers nearly dancing in the hallways at Cray Inc., a few months ago. Oh, the stories they can’t tell... Sometimes Department of Defense work is top secret, especially when it deals with intelligence matters and weapons systems. New focus at SGI In a way, business isn’t all that complicated. Give your customers what they want, and they’ll buy. NASA picks SGI NASA selected SGI as one of its prime contractors for a seven-year deal to supply information technology products to the agency, the company announced in May. Firm working to improve battlefield communications. One of the things that sets Corky Seeber apart is that he’s . . . well, bilingual, although not in the usual sense of the term. Small Tree is awarded a defense contract worth $2.85 million Small Tree Communications was awarded a $2.85 million defense contract in May for continued development of communications technology. Pliant: Better lives for soldiers The links are now well established: a research and development facility in Chippewa Falls, a Department of Army center in Massachusetts, legislators in Washington, D.C., and military personnel around the world. EDI supplies Pliant,and works on contracts of its own Federal contracts don’t just bring revenue into the companies that have them. The money turns over within the economy several times, benefitting multiple businesses. Suppliers of federal contractors are among the first to benefit in this secondary fashion. Rex Systems finding ways to make life safer for soldiers and civilians When terrorists struck the World Trade Center’s twin towers on Sept. 11, 2001, killing about 3,000 people, the only people trained and equipped to react to the civilian structures were firefighters, police officers and other rescue workers. Wisconsin Procurement Institute exists to help companies earn government dollars. When a Wisconsin congressman rises to a position of power and influence, he’s in a position to help bring business the state’s way. Business women on Water Street Eau Claire is easy to recognize from the air. There’s the stretched crescent of Half Moon Lake and the blue expanse of Dell’s Pond. If you aren’t dazzled by the lakes, you’ll see the two rivers that run through Eau Claire: the Eau Claire and the Chippewa. The boys on the block Although women power much of the commerce on Water Street, a fair number of the pistons are men. Pioneer Hi-Bred uses its Eau Claire research center to improve corn varieties The small plots of corn that are the focus of Mike O’Leary’s attention this growing season probably wouldn’t warrant a second glance from most Midwestern residents. With The Waterford, Goldridge Group launches its most ambitious project yet If you’ve driven down Hastings Way, you’ve seen it: Waterford, adjoining the Eau Claire Country Club, has been rising steadily, month-by-month and day-by-day. Former Super Valu owners Don and Nona Williams have given much back to community Newcomers to Menomonie may notice that one of the modern jewels of the community is the fine athletic stadium at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, bearing the name “Don and Nona Williams Stadium.” Personal liability for corporate criminal acts is serious business You are sitting in your office hard at work, and your assistant buzzes to tell you that someone from the Department of Justice is on the phone for you. You are informed that your corporation has been suspected of criminal acts, either by the way you do business or by one of your officers or employees. Roth 401(k) offers new opportunities I am frequently asked the question, “My employer now offers a Roth 401(k) as an option in my company’s retirement plan. Should I be signing up for that?” Employee training can reduce risk of workplace problems With proper training and education, the risk of problems occurring in the workplace can be tremendously reduced. Failure to provide proper training and education, on the other hand, can lead to disaster. Business Happenings Three new members were seated on the Chippewa Valley Technical College board July 1. They are Gary Mitchell, Withee village president; Larry Hagness, president of Durand Builder Services; and Ramona Matthews, a manager at Marshfield Clinic in Eau Claire. Does Wisconsin benefit from trend toward free and open markets? Since 1945, the trend has been towards free and open markets. Neighboring nations have formed trading blocs to reduce tariffs and increase capital mobility. Free trade benefits consumers by reducing prices and expanding choice, while businesses benefit from extended markets and reduced cost of resources. |
