Wisconsin Competitiveness Report

Description

Wisconsin's economy is at a crossroads, and the decisions made now will shape where families and employers choose to build their futures. Join us as Kurt Bauer of the WMC Foundation's Future Wisconsin Project presents the Wisconsin Competitiveness Report, a metric-driven look at how our state compares on the indicators that matter most to businesses and communities.

The presentation will walk through the report's key findings, including:

• Demographics and workforce: population growth trends, falling birth rates, and the challenge of attracting working-age residents
• Manufacturing, taxes, and regulations: what the state's business climate means for the industry that employs nearly half a million Wisconsinites
• Health care costs: why Wisconsin ranks among the most expensive states and the policy solutions the report proposes

Whether you're an employer, a community leader, or simply curious about Wisconsin's economic outlook, this is a chance to hear the data firsthand and ask questions.

Meet Your Speaker
We're pleased to welcome Kurt Bauer, President & CEO of the WMC Foundation's Future Wisconsin Project. He will share insights from the report and be available to answer your questions.

Kurt R. Bauer became the fifth head of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) in 2011. Founded in 1911, WMC is the combined Wisconsin State Chamber of Commerce, Wisconsin Manufacturers’ Association and the Wisconsin Safety Council. WMC represents 3,800 employers of all sizes and from every sector of the economy, and is referred to as “the state’s most powerful business and manufacturing group” by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Under Bauer’s watch, WMC became the first organization to win both State Chamber of the Year (2020), and the Council of State Manufacturers Associations Leadership Award (2023).

Prior to joining WMC, Bauer spent 18 years working for financial industry trade groups, including serving as CEO for both the Wisconsin and Arizona Bankers Associations.

Bauer has served on multiple state, regional and national committees, councils and boards. He is a past chair of the Council of State Manufacturers Associations and the current vice chair of the National Association of State Chambers.

Bauer is a Wisconsin native and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.