Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/997721
5 M I D -Y E A R R E P O R T 2 018 18 Mid-Year Supply Chain Marketplace A real team player New North expands Supply Chain Marketplace statewide, creates Foxconn directory B y M a r y B e t h M a t z e k them. e possibilities are endless." at tool was so successful for New North businesses that the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. provided the region with funding last year to develop a similar tool for the state's other economic regions. Last summer when Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn announced plans to build a $10 billion manufacturing complex in Racine County, it quickly became apparent the tech giant needed a way to connect with Wisconsin businesses. e Supply Chain Marketplace provided just the answer, says Jela Trask, WEDC's business and investment attraction director. "Aer seeing the success of the Supply Chain Marketplace, it made sense to create one just for Foxconn," she says. "It's amazing to see the evolving of supply chain mapping into an actual marketplace." New North responded quickly, adding a new, Foxconn-specific directory in the Supply Chain Marketplace within a matter of days. e New North could then organize businesses indicating their interest in working with the company, Loden says. Companies interested in supplying Foxconn can add their profile to the Foxconn directory simply by clicking a box if they already have a profile in the marketplace. Wisconsin companies not currently in the marketplace can enter a profile at no cost and be included in up to eight industry- specific sector directories via the one- time profile entry process. New sector directories can be added to the Supply Chain Marketplace, as demand warrants, making it a very dynamic, flexible tool. "When word got out we were putting together a database for potential Foxconn suppliers, it definitely added interest and more businesses to our supply directory," Loden says. Trask is working with Foxconn to learn more about its needs and any special certifications its suppliers must have. She can then take that information back to potential suppliers, so they have time to earn any necessary designations or certifications. "Our goal is to make sure Foxconn has a smooth landing in Wisconsin," Trask says. Some New North companies are already seeing a benefit from the Foxconn connection. So far, two companies — Neenah Foundry and veteran-owned trucking company Panacea Group of Seymour — have signed contracts to work on the plant's construction, which is expected to get underway this summer. New North's diverse manufacturing base offers a strong range of production capacity that can be applied in multiple markets. e Foxconn project demonstrates the appeal of that diverse W hat began as a tool to help Oshkosh Corp. suppliers weather a decline in defense spending now provides businesses statewide a means to learn about opportunities to work with Foxconn. e Supply Chain Marketplace, a free online tool that allows users to sort entries using a variety of categories, was created using funding from a Department of Defense-Office of Economic Adjustment grant designed to help regional businesses find other markets for their wares. e worry was that the up-and-down nature of relying on Oshkosh as a major customer could force some companies to lay off employees or close altogether. "We created a tool that allowed us to work with those suppliers and organize it in a way that other manufacturers could look at and see there was a regional business, for example, that could supply them with a part," says Connie Loden, senior project manager with New North Inc. "e tool could also be used to show other industries there were suppliers here — ready to work with continued >