UW-Whitewater's SBDC to help Janesville's displaced GM workers

October 9, 2008

As the city of Janesville and Rock County face challenging obstacles with the impending closing of the General Motors facility, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Forward Janesville have created a partnership to provide services and support for the displaced workers and small businesses to be affected.

This partnership includes a satellite office of UW-Whitewater’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Janesville. The facility will provide a direct connection to UW-Whitewater and will offer easier access to clients needing business counseling services.  The satellite project is expected to continue for at least three years.

Director of the Small Business Development Center Ronald Gayhart said, “A SBDC satellite office in Janesville will provide a closer collaboration between the SBDC and Forward Janesville to address anticipated challenges resulting from closure of the GM production facility.”

The overarching goal of the SBDC satellite is to accelerate job creation and business formation. The long-term economic development opportunities UW-Whitewater hopes to implement and strengthen include launching new businesses, sustaining current businesses, expanding existing markets and diversifying business capability.

The Whitewater and Janesville communities and the public are invited to attend Forward Janesville’s showcase of the new SBDC satellite Thursday, Oct. 9 at 5 p.m. in downtown Janesville.

“Sustaining existing business and assisting with the launch of new ventures will be enhanced by being ‘closer to the customer’ in the downtown Janesville setting,” Gayhart said. “Training, counseling and development of growth strategies are some of the services available from the Small Business Development Center.”

Forward Janesville President John Beckord said, "Much of the economic success of Rock County over that past 100 years can be traced to local citizens deciding to develop an idea into a business venture.  Entrepreneurship is part of our community's DNA. I am excited about the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's decision to be a partner with Forward Janesville to make this SBDC satellite a reality. Our intent is to encourage more small business development, employment opportunities, and investment."

UW-Whitewater is conscious that educational training may be necessary for much of this economic development to be successful.  The university will provide programs, courses and opportunities to the displaced workers to aid them in becoming more marketable within the business industry. 

UW-Whitewater faculty actively involved in the effort to restore Janesville’s economy include economics professors Russell Kashian and Mark Eiswerth; management professors Thomas Bramorski and Madan Manohar; information technology professor Choton Basu; marketing professor Jimmy Peltier; and occupational, environmental, safety and health professor Edward A. Kapp.

For more information regarding the SBDC Satellite please e-mail Ronald Gayhart at gayhartr@uww.edu or John Beckord at johnb@forwardjanesville.com