Photo: Chancellor Katherine Frank, center, and other representatives of UW-Stout pose with the Large Business of the Year award. (Photo courtesy Menomonie Area Chamber of Commerce)
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University of Wisconsin-Stout’s massive economic impact, extensive outreach, and innovative approach to meeting the community’s needs helped it earn the Menomonie Area Chamber of Commerce Large Business of the Year award.
In addition to an annual economic impact estimated at more than $306 million, UW-Stout employs 1,100 faculty and staff, enrolls approximately 7,000 students, and aids hundreds of businesses through its Manufacturing Outreach Center and numerous other programs.
“I don’t know what Menomonie would be without UW-Stout,” said Menomonie Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Ashley DeMuth. “Stout creates solutions, that’s the best way I can put it.”
Chancellor Katherine Frank and other university representatives were on hand to accept the award at the chamber’s annual meeting on May 28.
“Receiving this award is an incredible honor,” Frank said. “It celebrates the partnerships, relationships, and collaboration between UW-Stout and the broader community that make our work impactful and meaningful. It also reinforces the power of our synergistic relationship that has a profound effect both locally and throughout the region and state.”
UW-Stout received the Large Business of the Year award for 2024. Previous winners of the annual honor include prominent regional businesses such as WESTconsin Credit Union, Walmart Distribution Center and Culver’s.
The award spotlights all that UW-Stout offers to the greater Menomonie area, such as in terms of workforce development and business services, she said.
“There are a plethora of services that Stout offers for a business that’s interested in taking something to the next level – doing something new, looking at efficiencies,” DeMuth said.
For example, UW-Stout’s Manufacturing Outreach Center (MOC) engages directly with small- and medium-sized manufacturers across northwestern and west-central Wisconsin. The MOC – which is affiliated with the National Institute of Standards and Technology/Manufacturing Extension Partnership – worked directly with 371 manufacturers between 2021 and 2023, generating more than $276 million in economic activity and creating and retaining hundreds of jobs.
UW-Stout is also home to the Fab Lab, a workspace that gives members of the community and campus access to laser cutters, 3D printers and other leading-edge digital fabrication tools that they can use to create proof-of-concept models, custom parts and more.
Last year, UW-Stout was also instrumental in establishing a joint economic development position for Dunn County. The position was created by the university, the county and the City of Menomonie with support from the Dunn County Economic Development Corporation, Greater Menomonie Development Corporation and the Stout Technology and Business Park. In September, Adam Accola was hired for the position with the mission of helping retain and expand current businesses; developing and attracting new businesses, including start-ups; and fostering the development of new housing.
And more recently, UW-Stout partnered with WiSys, the technology transfer office serving 11 campuses in the Universities of Wisconsin, and Office on Main, a collaborative downtown business space, to create WiSys VentureHome-Menomonie, which will serve as a hub to connect local entrepreneurs with statewide resources.
DeMuth also praised the university for the numerous cooperative education and internship opportunities and capstone projects that integrate students’ educational experiences into countless businesses in Menomonie and beyond. These programs are part of UW-Stout’s polytechnic philosophy, which emphasizes applied learning and research, business and industry collaboration, and career-focused experiences for students.
In addition to all these off-campus impacts, the university contributes greatly to the regional economy by drawing thousands of students who lend their talents to local businesses as employees, especially in the hospitality and tourism industry, DeMuth added.
Furthermore, she said, UW-Stout provides invaluable resources to nonprofits and other community organizations. Under Frank’s leadership, the university established a Community Outreach Committee, which exists to share information and build connections between UW-Stout and the community. The committee consists of more than 20 employees who serve on local boards and committees for groups such as the Boys and Girls Club, Bridge to Hope, the Community Foundation of Dunn County, Downtown Menomonie, Stepping Stones, and many more.
