Welcome to Eau Claire, WI

Eau Claire is a regional center of West Central Wisconsin. Advantageously located on Interstate 94 between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Chicago and home to the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport it is an ideal location for regional and global businesses alike. Living in Eau Claire means that you have a great community to work in, raise your family or grow your business.
Financial Assistance is available to relocating or expanding businesses looking for new commercial space. Close relationship between businesses and local institutions of higher learning create many Internship Opportunities.

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Eau Claire News

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6th Lowest Crime Rate in the Nation

In the U.S. Crime Rate Ranking in annual publication from CQ Press, Eau Claire, WI MSA ranks #6 in the list for lowest crime rate ranking among the 332 U.S. metropolitan areas that are ranked. Read the full report

Eau Claire's Healthcare ranked #1 in Wisconsin

Winter 2009 Newsletter

Our latest newsletter is full of statistics, business news and even a chance for your business to win an achievement award. Click here to read it.

New Request for Proposals

The City of Eau Claire Economic Development Division has issued an RFP for website hosting and maintenance. Proposals are due December 18, 2009.

2009 - a record breaking year

In November the total new building valuations exceeded $190 million, breaking the city's record from 2000, when the total valuations were $175 million. This is due to a very active commercial sector, which alone exceeded the total building valuations of 2008.

Lowest unemployment rate in 2009

The newly released October unemployment data show a .4% decline in the City of Eau Claire unemployment rate bringing it down to 6.2%, well below the national unemployment rate of 9.5% and that of Wisconsin 7.6%. It is also the lowest rate for Eau Claire since the beginning of 2009.
Compared to other Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Areas, the Eau Claire MSA is the third lowest with 6% following only Madison (5.5%) and La Crosse (5.9%). The data is reported by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

Eau Claire Ranks the Best in Wisconsin

The Milken Institute published the 2009 Best Performing Cities Index and ranked Eau Claire 58th out of 124 small metro markets. In 2009 Eau Claire's ranking topped all other Wisconsin cities in large or small metros.

2 South Barstow Newly Issued RFP

The Eau Claire Redevelopment Authority (RDA) has reissued an RFP for 2 South Barstow at its meeting on October 21st.

Click here to view the Request For Proposal (pdf). 2 South Barstow is part of the North Barstow Redevelopment district and as such developers are required to comply with the Design Guidelines(pdf) as defined by the City.

New Financing Options Announced

High New Building Valuations

As of August the City of Eau Claire has issued permits for new construction worth $143.7 million. This already represents the second highest year in the history of Eau Claire. The new buildings include a $104 million expansion of Luther Midelfort, $4.9 million dollar addition to Hobbs Ice Arena, $1.6 million new mixed-use Phoenix Neighborhood building and $1 million Midelfort Clinic Radiology remodeling.

Eau Claire is the 5th Fastest Growing City in Wisconsin

According to the DOA population estimates 2009 as published in August 2009. Following Madison, Milwaukee, Kenosha, and Sun Prairie. Eau Claire gained 356 housing units between 2000 and 2007.

UW Eau Claire ranks No.6 in the Midwest

The 2009 edition of "America's Best Colleges" ranks UW-Eau Claire No. 6 among the top regional public universities in the Midwest and 29th among all private and public institutions in the Midwest. The U.S. News and World Report has ranked UW-Eau Claire among the top public institutions in the Midwest every year since 1995. Rank details

New Mixed Use Building Groundbreaking Ceremony

Moeding Partners and Wisconsin Street Associates broke ground on Thursday, August 13, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. at 316 Wisconsin Street (next to The Livery). The new building with residential and retail space is part of the North Barstow Redevelopment District.

Genesis 10 Ribbon Cutting

On Tuesday, August 11, 2009, Genesis 10 officially opened the door of their Eau Claire office. The ceremony was well attended by local dignitaries as well as the newest local employees.

40 New Jobs Announced for Eau Claire

The City of Eau Claire Economic Development Director announced today that Genesis10, one of the nation's largest privately held business and technology firms, opened a new operation in Eau Claire that will add at least 40 jobs to the local economy. Read the full press release.

New Employer in Eau Claire

RAI Stone Group announced their decision to locate in Eau Claire. This provider of custom financial consulting solutions for small and medium sized businesses chose Eau Claire because of its stable workforce, initiatives that support business innovation and start-up, sustainable economy, proximity to institutions of higher education and strong technology infrastructure.

Best Place in Wisconsin to Raise Your Kids 2009

According to BusinessWeek's "Best Places to Raise Your Kids 2009", Eau Claire ranks #1 in Wisconsin ahead of Appleton and Racine. The magazine selected towns with at least 50,000 residents and a median family income between $40,000 and $100,000. The list was then narrowed down using the following weighted criteria: school performance; number of schools; household expenditures; crime rates; air quality; job growth; family income; museums, parks, theaters, and other amenities; and diversity. School performance and safety were weighted most heavily, amenities and affordability followed close behind.

Recovery Act Loans Available on June 15th

If your small business is stressed meeting expenses during these economic times, the U.S. Small Business Administration has a new loan program designed just for you.

SBA’s America’s Recovery Capital Loan Program can provide up to $35,000 in short-term relief for viable small businesses facing immediate financial hardship to help ride out the current uncertain economic times and return to profitability.  Each small business is limited to one ARC loan.

ARC loans will be offered by some SBA lenders for as long as funding is available or until September 30, 2010, whichever comes first SBA Participant Lender Fact Sheet or visit the 2009 Recovery Act page

Eau Claire Unemployment Rate Below State Average

The unemployment data announced on July 22 show a slight increase. The June unemployment rate in Eau Claire was 7.8 percent compared with 7.2 percent in May and 7.4 percent in April. Compared to a year ago the unemployment rate is 3.4 percent higher. Wisconsin unemployment rate was 9.2 percent in June of 2009 and 4.7 percent the previous year. More detailed information

Lowest Cost of Living in Wisconsin, again!

The ACCRA Cost of Living Index released 2nd quarter data. Once again Eau Claire was the most affordable city in Wisconsin. Read the details.

Economic Development Division Annual Report Released

The City of Eau Claire Economic Development Division published today its 2008 Annual Report. The Annual Report describes how the Economic Development Division works with businesses to increase the quality of living, add well-paying jobs, and grow tax base.

the report highlights Eau Claire's economic growth. Downtown redevelopment recorded a year of steady growth, industrial construction in Eau Claire was the highest in three years, and the Eau Claire cost of living remained well below the state's average.

MN Wire Building Demolition

One of the first buildings acquired as part of the West Bank Redevelopment district was demolished on April 20, 2009. Read more about the Redevelopment District.

First Quarter 2009 Residential Construction Up

Residential construction started strong in 2009. Residential sector valuations increased 18.7% in the first quarter of 2009 as compared to Q1 2008. Overall building valuations were down 27.5% View the details or read the press release.

Eau Claire Named One of the Best Places to Retire by U.S. News and World Report

Eau Claire's low cost of living, easy access to high-quality healthcare, recreational opportunities and cultural events make Eau Claire one of the Best Places to Retire see the details.

$5,000 for Best Business Plan

Downtown Eau Claire, Inc. is again organizing the Jump-Start Downtown Business Plan Competition. The competition is open to any entrepreneur over the age of 18, who wants to locate their business in the downtown area. Prizes include $5,000 in start-up capital and $1,000 scholarship to the Entrepreneurial Training Program. For more details visit the Downtown Eau Claire website.

New Source of Venture Capital Funding

In April, Google announced a launch of a new venture capital fund with $100 million in financing called Google Ventures. According to the Google Ventures web page, the fund will consider a broad range of industries, including consumer Internet, software, hardware, clean-tech, bio-tech and health care. The company also states that they'll invest anywhere from seed to mezzanine stage and embrace the challenge of helping young companies grow from the garage to global relevance.

Eau Claire Unemployment Rate - 4th Lowest in Wisconsin

The Department of Workforce Development just released January 2009 unemployment rate data. See the details.

Make Mine a Million $ Business Race (M3 RACE)

is a program of Count me In for Women's Economic Independence and Founding Sponsor American Express OPEN. It is the only national initiative committed to the needs of women-owned businesses to help them grow their business to $1 million in annual revenues. Take the challenge and win $100,000 for your business.

Wisconsin State Economic Recovery

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act designates spending in over 130 different state and federal programs. Please visit www.recovery.wisconsin.gov for further details. You can also easily search for programs your business might be eligible for.

Eau Claire Increased Industrial Construction During 2008

Industrial construction in Eau Claire, WI increased by 327% compared to 2007. The largest industrial projects included United Products warehouse ($3.9 million), new facility for Central Warehouse and Storage ($3.4 million), Cascade Tissue Group expansion ($2.5 million), and Great Lakes Educational remodeling ($2.5 million). Click here to see the full statistics.

Up to 75,000 for Import-Impacted manufacturers

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) is a U.S. Department of Commerce program designed for manufacturers adversely affected by imports. This program offers 50/50 cost sharing of projects aimed at improving a firm's competitive position, up to a total of $150,000 in projects with a maximum TAA cost share of $75,000. The amount the program can cost share is dependent upon the demand on program, funding level and company size and sales. Funds are applied toward the cost of consultants, engineers, or other outside professional service providers a firm chooses to implement projects.

To qualify, a manufacturing firm must have lost some domestic business to import, and experienced sales and employment declines over the last two years. Details and more information at http://www.taacenters.org/
 

Downtown Retail is Growing Fast

In 2008 downtown Eau Claire recorded a significant growth in retail. 6 new businesses opened, bringing the downtown retail vacancy rate to a historical low of 1.8%. This rate is significantly lower than the City's average of 5.93%. The downtown area represents approximately 8% of the Eau Claire market's retail area. Read the full Press Release

www.EauClaireDevelopment.com on WQOW

WQOW ran a story about the Economic Development website - click here to view

Eau Claire Cost of Living - Lowest in Wisconsin

The most recent results of the Cost of Living Index, as analyzed by the Council for Community and Economic Research, indicate that Eau Claire with 91.3 points is well below the national average of 100 and is the city with the lowest cost of living in Wisconsin. To compare the cost of living in Eau Claire to other cities, please visit our cost of living page.

At the end of October, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will welcome Phillips Plastics Corporation® Multi-Shot to the Green Tier Program. Already an ISO 14001 certified, Multi-shot will focus its Environmental Management System on waste reductions, energy use reductions, and continued exploration of new recycling options. view details

Eau Claire is Healthy

The UW Institute for Population Health ranked Eau Claire County 3rd in the state of 72 counties in the most recent county health rankings report. View the report.

Phoenix Park Neighborhood Development

As of June 1st, development for the much anticipated Phoenix Park neighborhood has entered into its first stage. The first new building will feature retail and restaurant space together with 33 apartments. Learn more about living downtown.

Luther Pharmacy - Downtown

As you drive downtown you'll notice that the Luther Pharmacy is quickly growing at the intersection of Madison and N. Barstow. The pharmacy opened its doors for public on September 1st, 2008.

West Bank Redevelopment

A new redevelopment district, as proposed by the Eau Claire Redevelopment Authority, is being formed on the west bank of the Chippewa river north of West Madison Street along Oxford Avenue north to the railroad bridge.

Designing a redevelopment district is a public process in which all parties are encouraged to share their opinions. The revised plan was considered by the Plan Commission on June 2nd, and was approved by City Council after all comments and amendments were considered.