WATER’S EDGE CHEESE CURDS
LAKE WISSOTA BUSINESS PARK
UPCOMING EVENTS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 07
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
LUNCH & LEARN - Manufacturing
Competitiveness in the 21st Century Series: Vision Inspection with AI Deep Learning
CVTC - Chippewa Campus 770 Scheidler Rd Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10
BEAD Engagement Meeting: Town of Delmar & Ntera
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Legislative Speed Dating Breakfast
Location TBD
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 05
Valley Rally
THURSDAY, MARCH 06
CEDC Collaborative Entrepreneur Showcase: Valley Sports Academy
FRIDAY, MARCH 14
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
LUNCH & LEARN: Manufacturing
Competitiveness in the 21st Century Series: Cyber Culture for Compliance and Competition
CVTC - Chippewa Campus 770 Scheidler Rd Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
SATURDAY, APRIL 26
“Reclamation” Event with Dr. Lona Cook
TENTATIVE DATE:
FRIDAY, MAY 16
Annual Meeting & Golf Outing
CEDC Board of Directors Update
CEDC Board of Directors met for their monthly meeting at the Chippewa Area History Center in January to begin planning and organizing the Annual Meeting and Golf Outing tentatively scheduled for May 16th. The CEDC Board of Directors Advocacy Committee – led by Dr. Lona Cook – is seeking input on key issues that will help us develop our legislative priorities heading into this legislative session. These issues will form the basis of our foundation for communication, education, and discussion topics for the CEDC’s Annual Legislative Speed Dating Breakfast.
Please contact Brittany@chippewa-wi.com for more information and to secure seat at the table.
INSPIRING ENTREPRENEURS THROUGH COLLABORATION & SHOWCASE
Entrepreneurship is often seen as a gateway to freedom, innovation, and financial success. However, for many aspiring entrepreneurs in Chippewa County, the fear of failure can become a major obstacle. Recognizing this challenge, the Chippewa Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) is dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs to overcome their fears and turn their ideas into reality.
“What holds back many would-be entrepreneurs is fear,” explains Charlie Walker, president and CEO of CEDC. “Helping them overcome that fear has been a core focus of our efforts to cultivate talent and capital investment in Chippewa County for decades.”
To address these challenges, CEDC has developed programs to connect entrepreneurs with mentorship, resources, and local investment opportunities. “Our goal is to link idea-driven individuals with local investors and collaborators,” says Walker. “In recent years, we’ve seen the Chippewa Valley embrace more risk-taking, inspired by the successes of others within the community.”
One of the most exciting initiatives in this effort is the CEDC Collaborative Entrepreneur Showcase. More than just an event, this program offers a space for entrepreneurs to learn from those who have succeeded, share their own ideas, and receive valuable feedback. By fostering connections and highlighting re-
al-world success stories, the showcase aims to build confidence and equip participants with the tools to tackle the challenges of entrepreneurship.
Through events like the Collaborative Entrepreneur Showcase, CEDC continues to inspire bold thinking, collaboration, and innovation— helping to transform fears into opportunities and ideas into thriving businesses.
START UP
OVERCOMING FEAR OF FAILURE CEDC ENCOURAGES LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS
"What keeps many would-be entrepreneurs from succeeding – or even trying to succeed – is fear of failure", says Charlie Walker, president and CEO of the Chippewa Economic Development Corp.
And helping entrepreneurs overcome that fear is one of the goals of the Chippewa EDC, which for decades has been laser-focused on cultivating the investment of talent and capital in Chippewa County.
It’s a goal that’s closer than ever, thanks to CEDC programs to encourage, mentor, and incentivize the entrepreneurial spirit across the Chippewa Valley.
“The purpose of our entrepreneur program is to connect entrepreneurial idea peoplewiththelocalpeoplewhowantto take a risk and make an investment, and they don’t necessary have to go to New York or elsewhere to do that,” says Walker.
“In the last five or six years, I’ve seen the Chippewa Valley actually embrace more risk-taking,” Walker says. “I think it’s because they’ve watched others succeed.”
Some of those successes have come thanks to the CEDC’s annual competi-tion, HATCH: A Business Pitch Event. The
regional Shark Tank-style competition was launched in 2018 and is supported by key sponsors M3 Insurance and Security Finance Bank. HATCH was held most recently in November as part of Wisconsin Startup Week, and judges chose Christina Funk of MetabolicCareNP as winner of the grand prize, which includes $5,000 and an appearance on the CEDC’s “BEAR Discussion Podcast.”
But HATCH isn’t really about the prize money, Walker says: It’s about the networking opportunities and the chance to celebrate entrepreneurship and innovation in the Chippewa Valley. “There’s a lot of entrepreneurs who it takes them years to get the confidence up that their product or their service is actually viable,” Walker explains. “We form a safety net that keeps pushing them up, saying ‘You can do this, you can compete.’ ”
Of course, there’s no guarantee of safety in the world of entrepreneurship: There is no reward without risk.
“The purpose of the HATCH is to communicate to the public at large that we have
a thriving entrepreneur ecosystem and supporting failures, quite frankly,” Walker explains. “Entrepreneurs fail many times before they get the right spot. So we’re building an ecosystem that understands that failures in business aren’t necessarily a bad thing.”
In early December, the CEDC was recognized by its peers in the Mid-America Economic Development Council during that group’s annual Economic Development Awards. CEDC received an Entrepreneurial Award in the medium division for its HATCH competition. According to the Mid-America Economic Development Council, the Economic Development Awards “recognize and stimulate the creative use of quality marketing by economic development organizations throughout he 13-state Mid-America region in promoting their respective communities.” The award winners, including CEDC, will also be recognized in the January issue of Site Selection magazine.
“When your peers across the country think you’re doing some cool stuff, it’s gratifying to know we’re on the right track,” Walker said of the award. Since the announcement, economic development agencies in Georgia, Texas, and elsewhere have reached out to CEDC to learn about starting similar programs themselves.
In the coming year, the CEDC aims to increase opportunities for mentoring and coaching for start-ups. The CEDC already has two coaching peer groups, and also refers entrepreneurs to other agencies –such as the Small Business Development Center – and potential investors. In past
years, for example, HATCH judges have taken promising applications to local angel investors who might be able to provide start-up capital.
“There are different funding mechanisms,” Walker says. “If your idea is good enough, there are these avenues that you can launch that business.”
Walker is confident that the region’s start-up spirit is strong, and noted that entrepreneurs in health- and wellness-related fields have begun to blossom in the wake of closures announced last year among local health care institutions.
“I think entrepreneurs are going to be the ones that save us,” he says.
CEDC EARNS
PRESTIGIOUS RECOGNITION
The entrepreneurial spirit was alive and thriving at HATCH 2024: A Business Pitch Event, hosted by the Chippewa Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) during Wisconsin Startup Week. Held at River Bend Winery and Distillery, the soldout event featured innovative business pitches, a food truck showcase, and invaluable connecting opportunities for entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders. Notable winners included Christina Funk of MetabolicCareNP, who secured the $5,000 Grand Prize, and Good Energy LLC, the Audience Choice Award recipient.
HATCH has become a key initiative in fostering entrepreneurship, supporting startups, and driving economic growth in the Chippewa Valley. The event’s success also earned CEDC recognition from the Mid-America Economic Development Council (MAEDC) in the Entrepreneurial Program category, highlighting its role in strengthening the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“Programs like HATCH demonstrate the deep impact that innovative initiatives can have on building vibrant communities where opportunities and innovation thrive,” said Matt Marshall, President of MAEDC. CEDC President/CEO Charlie Walker emphasized the unique collaboration with community entrepreneur organizations that nominates contestants to compete for cash prizes, further enhancing the region’s entrepreneurial culture.
With continued support from CEDC and recognition from national organizations like MAEDC, the Chippewa Valley is positioned to remain a hub of creativity, collaboration, and economic opportunity for years to come.
WATER’S EDGE CHEESE CURDS
IN LAKE WISSOTA BUSINESS PARK
As winter blankets the Chippewa Valley in frost, CEDC continues its work on helping our existing companies grow and expand. Through collaborative efforts with Chippewa County and the City of Chippewa Falls, CEDC worked aggressively with Water’s Edge Cheese Curds on their construction of their 12,000-square-foot facility in the Lake Wissota Business Park in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Water’s Edge Cheese Curds officially broke ground in December. This significant expansion is designed to boost production efficiency, increase capacity, and meet growing customer demand.
Even in the coldest months, contractors are hard at work to keep the project on track, showcasing the resilience and dedication that define our community.
Since its founding in 2010, Water’s Edge Cheese Curds has grown from a secret recipe crafted in a Northwoods supper club kitchen to a nationally recognized brand. Entrepreneurs Rick and Sara Drolet, along with Luke Grube, have turned Water’s Edge into a leader in Wisconsin’s celebrated cheese curd market.
This expansion represents more than just business growth—it reflects the strength of Chippewa County’s economic development. A collaboration between the City of Chippewa Falls, Chippewa County, the Chippewa Economic Development Corporation (CEDC), and Water’s Edge Cheese Curds has made this project possible, further solidifying the region’s food processing sector and creating new job opportunities.
ADVANCING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & RURAL BROADBAND
For years, the CEDC has led the efforts to drive progress and innovation by expanding our county’s broadband services in our rural communities. CEDC helped organize a recent town hall meeting in conjunction with CEDC Stakeholder – Mosaic Technologies. This meeting brought together local leaders, business owners, and residents to discuss the importance of economic development, the need for rural broadband expansion, and to gain support for local BEAD Program (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) grant applications.
The BEAD broadband project provides an essential solution to addressing broadband accessibility challenges in Chippewa County. Expansion of broadband will bring numerous benefits, including:
• Reducing isolation for seniors, veterans, and economically disadvantaged individuals by increasing connectivity.
• Enhancing education and enabling effective remote learning opportunities for at-home school days.
• Expanding access to telehealth services for improved healthcare options.
• Supporting the development of digital county resources like self-service registrations, contact directories, and real-time emergency alerts.
The next BEAD engagement meeting is scheduled for February 10th at 8PM in the town of Delmar in Chippewa County. This meeting will discuss CEDC Stakeholder – Ntera’s BEAD application proposals.