Finalists for the 2025 Community and Economic Development Awards were announced last week by the Wisconsin Economic Development Association.
The CEDAs recognize businesses, projects, organizations and communities that make significant contributions to Wisconsin’s economy.
Three economic development projects or programs were selected in each of the four following CEDA categories: Business Retention and Expansion; Economic Development Initiative; Real Estate Redevelopment and Reuse; and Talent Attraction, Development and Retention.
The winners in each category will be announced at the CEDA ceremony luncheon, which will be held on Thursday, Sept. 25, as part of WEDA’s Fall Best Practices Conference in Oshkosh.
The finalists in each category include:
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Business Retention and Expansion — DeForest-Windsor Small Business Grant Program (Deforest), FUNDiversity (Ashland) and WRNC Business Opportunity Fund (Fond du Lac County);
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Economic Development Initiative — Food and Beverage Innovation Campus (Jefferson County), Kenosha Innovation Center-Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood & Miron Construction (Kenosha) and HATCH Idea Pitch Competition & BEAR Pitch Showcase (Chippewa County);
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Real Estate Redevelopment & Reuse — Collective on 4th (La Crosse), The Emree-F Street/city of West Bend (West Bend) and The Collective Campus/Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation (Watertown); and
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Talent Attraction, Development and Retention — Fond du Lac Retention, Opportunity, Community, Knowledge (Fond du Lac), Miron Construction Youth Apprenticeship Program (Neenah) and West Allis Business Conference: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs (West Allis).
