| 101 North Farwell Street. Suite 101 | 715.834.0070 or 1.800.944.2449 | ec.info@eauclaire-wi.com |
| PO Box 1108 | 715.834.1956 (fax) | |
| Eau Claire, WI 54702 |
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2010 Recipient
CURT Manufacturing, Inc.
CMI stands for EXCELLENCE in our products and our people. CMI is a manufacturer, importer, and distributor of towing system products, OE trailer products and specialty equipment products that combine competitive price, unsurpassed quality and unparalleled aesthetics. CMI aspires to be the industry leader by recognizing that the customer is KING and that our people are our greatest asset.Visit Curt Manfacturing’s Web Site - http://www.curtmfg.com/index.cfm
2009 Recipient
Menard, Inc.
Through times of economic change, Menard, Inc. has continued to create quality job opportunities and facilitate economic growth in the Eau Claire area. Menards has two retail stores and ten manufacturing facilities in Eau Claire that use the latest in robotics to make products that will be sold in their stores. Menards has plans of opening 13 new stores in 2009, bringing the total to 253 stores in 12 states. Menards employs over 3,000 employees in the Eau Claire Area.
In 2008, Menards stores and facilities provided $2,479,633 in personal property, real estate, sales and use tax revenues for Eau Claire County. Menards utilizes alternative energy sources and incorporates recycling in its Eau Claire facilities. They generate hot water heat in two wood-fired boilers that burn scrap wood and pallets in order to heat the majority of their large buildings while reducing the need to dispose of this waste material in a landfill. In addition, Menards produces heat by using corn from neighboring farms to heat kilns to cure concrete blocks and recycling by burning used engine oil in specialized furnaces to heat buildings.
“On behalf of everybody at Menards I would like to thank those who nominated us. We appreciate the recognition and the support that everybody has given us over the years,” Executive Vice President J.R. Menard said upon accepting the Paragon Award.
“We appreciate the recognition from the Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corporation,” Menards Spokesperson Jeff Abbott said. “Menards has long been known as your local hometown hardware store with the lowest prices in town. What makes us truly unique is that we manufacture and distribute many products right here in Eau Claire, helping develop the local economy while keeping our prices down.”
2008 Recipient
Minnesota Wire & Cable Co.
MWCC has built a solid foundation on cutting-edge manufacturing processes, rapid design-to-delivery of custom interconnect solutions.
MWCC created 39 jobs in 2007; their Eau Claire facility employs approximately 117 people, with plans to add additional personnel to support its new defense
division, Minnesota Defense. MWCC has recently expanded into an existing 60,000 square foot facility that provides additional opportunities for employment
and defense business growth. This expansion has also enabled the City of Eau Claire to create a new redevelopment area that includes MWCC's former facility.
MWCC has invested heavily in new technologies within the last three years, with numerous product patents or patents pending and approximately $5 million
dedicated to research and development.
MWCC is also very involved in the local community, contributing to activities with Junior Achievement, Literacy Volunteers of the Chippewa Valley, United
Way, and Eau Claire County D.A.R.E. Program, among many others.
"The Paragon Economic Impact Award reflects our ideals about building a meaningful business while giving back to the community, and to those who have
secured our freedom," says Paul Wagner, Chairman and CEO.
Visit Minnesota Wire's Website
Past Recipients
| 2007 Recipient | 2006 Recipient |
| Luther Midelfort - Mayo Health System | Sacred Heart Hospital |
| Luther Midelfort - Mayo Health System serves 123,000 patients at four hospitals, eleven clinics, and three long-term care facilities throughout seven counties. Over the past three years, Luther Midelfort has created 125 full-time and 55 part-time jobs. The organization has invested over $22 million in construction and over $35.5 million in capital equipment. | Working to meet the needs of its patients, Sacred Heart Hospital also strengthens its community. Its recent growth and expansion provided over 200 new jobs within the organization and attracted over 80 new, exceptional physicians to the area. |
| 2005 Recipient | 2004 Recipient |
| Hutchinson Technology, Inc. (HTI) | Huebsch Laundry Company |
| HTI has employees serving in many capacities with community organizations, including the Eau Claire Area EDC, YMCA, Boy Scouts of America, Unite Way of Greater Eau Claire, and Junior Achievement. HTI awards eight annual scholarships. | Established in 1891, Huebsch Laundry Company has been a significant and steady employer in Eau Claire and the Chippewa Valley. During the fast five years, Huebsch has employed over 100 employees at its plants in Eau Claire and Eagan, Minnesota. |
| 2003 Recipient | 2002 Recipient |
| Nestlé | Royal Credit Union (RCU) |
| Nestlé adopted Roosevelt school and participates in Reading is Fundamental by donating books to area children twice a year, and sponsors multiple meals through the Community Table lunch programs. | RCU has been an investor in the EDC for more than 15 years and participates in community loan pools for Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, and Rice Lake. RCU's CEO, Charlie Grossklaus, has been actively involved in economic development issues through his participation on committees and boards. |
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