Economic Development

The Alliance is a key partner in promoting economic development in Waukesha County. To enhance the work of the Waukesha County Center for Growth, the county’s economic development organization, we advocate for local, state and federal policies that support business growth and allow Wisconsin to remain competitive with other states. Waukesha County’s economy is inextricably linked to Milwaukee and the broader region – as such the Alliance is also an active participant in the efforts of the Milwaukee 7 to build a vibrant regional economy incorporating entrepreneurship, innovation and transformational technology.

2022 Policy Priorities:

Advocate for pro-business tax policies that allow Wisconsin to be competitive.
Advocate for a pro-business regulatory climate that allows Wisconsin to compete more successfully on national and international playing fields.
Serve as an advisor and advocate for the Waukesha County Center for Growth and promote the organization’s GROW Fund.
Support Wisconsin’s Manufacturing and Agriculture Tax Credit.
Promote the use and expansion of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) as an economic development tool for local municipalities.
Promote Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) programs that drive economic growth and align incentives to emerging strategies to address workforce shortage, such as automation.
Increase exports and improve trade for Wisconsin businesses.
Support entrepreneurship by connecting start-ups and early-stage companies to resources such as Small Business Development Center (SBDC) services.
Support liability protections for employers against frivolous lawsuits related to COVID-19.
Support policies that facilitate a positive economic recovery to the pandemic and ongoing challenges.

Alliance Partners in FlexRide Launch

March 9, 2022

Government, business, nonprofit, and other leaders came together on March 9 to celebrate the launch of FlexRide Milwaukee. FlexRide Milwaukee is helping people who take city buses get to their jobs more easily. The Alliance’s Senior Vice President of Public Policy Amanda Payne was recently interviewed by CBS58 to discuss the program along with other partners. Amanda […]

Waukesha County Poised for Growth

January 31, 2022

As we kick off 2022, Waukesha County businesses are optimistic about growth. Despite the ongoing pandemic, a Waukesha County business survey from fall of 2021 reported that more than 79 percent of businesses plan to expand in the next three years. These results are on par with prior years, including 82 percent in 2019 and […]

Alliance Supports Micro-Transit Project

January 4, 2022

A national award-winning proposal from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is targeted at addressing two problems — one of them fairly recent and one chronic. The recent problem is the labor shortage that afflicts many businesses trying to come out of the pandemic. The chronic problem is getting unemployed workers in Milwaukee to jobs in the suburbs, particularly […]

I-94 East-West Public Involvement Meetings: Dec. 8 and 9

December 5, 2021

WisDOT is hosting Public Involvement Meetings this week regarding the I-94 East-West Freeway Corridor Study from 70th Street to 16th Street. Completion of the I-94 East-West project has been a longtime policy priority of the Alliance. The corridor is one of the most heavily traveled corridors for business, commercial and personal traffic and key to […]

Waukesha County Business Survey Shows Increased Optimism for Growth

November 2, 2021

For the last several years, the Waukesha County Business Survey has been conducted in cooperation with the Waukesha County Business Alliance, Waukesha County Center for Growth, Waukesha-Ozaukee-Washington (WOW) Workforce Development Board and Waukesha County. The data from this year’s survey was obtained by surveying Waukesha County employers from July 2021 through August 2021. Respondents included […]

Alliance hosts workforce roundtable

July 20, 2021

The Alliance hosted more than 25 CEOs for a roundtable discussion with state leaders yesterday on the critical topic of workforce and hiring. Waukesha County business leaders were joined by Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) Secretary Missy Hughes, Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) Secretary Joel Brennan and Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Amy […]