The Chamber

Economic Development

The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce supports and will aggressively advocate for economic development initiatives that will make area businesses stronger, healthier and more prosperous.

State Priorities

1. Support the ‘Be Bold Initiative’ ideas including:

Restructure economic development organizations to align processes and financial resources by creating quasi-public organization to manage economic development efforts and creating a statewide Innovation focused non-profit to deliver technical services, manage and fund investment programs.

Create and expand financial programs to bolster innovation and attraction of capital intensive projects.

Align economic development, educational, business and public leadership around key target industry sectors tied to statewide and regional clusters Develop statewide business retention program strategies to retain leading position in key industry sectors.

Utilize available technology to manage, build and expand effectiveness of business interactions and visibility across multiple economic development stakeholders.

Separate regulatory activities from business development functions.

2. Make tax credits portable

3. Eliminate prevailing wage and wage lien mandates

Federal Priorities

1. Do not enact the so called Employee Free Choice Act

2. Enact an investment tax credit to promote investment

3. Reduce borrower and lending fees for small business lending programs