MSTC may add tech park

BYLINE: Adam Wise

Daily Tribune Staff

GRAND RAPIDS — Students at Mid-State Technical College might be able to receive more on-the-job training on campus in the coming years.

John Clark, MSTC president, presented the concept of a technology park during a school committee meeting Monday night.

The conceptual park would occupy the approximately 55 acres of land to the east of the current campus and house 10 businesses to partner with the college and offer work experience to students.

"It would give students an occupational experience on campus here," Clark said. "As we grow those possibilities and grow those companies, the impact on the community through that economic development ... turns over and has a multiplying effect we're trying to achieve."

MSTC will have to work with the town of Grand Rapids as well as the city of Wisconsin Rapids in several areas prior to development, including water and sewer access.

"We have a long ways to go," Clark said, "but (we) would like to move quickly."

While he didn't give an exact time frame for the project, Clark said he would like things to take shape within the next three months.

Clark said there would be a few requirements for the prospective businesses.

"They need to be clean, high-tech, environmentally friendly," he said. "Those are some of the watch words we are looking at that have occupations that correspond to the programs we have here."

Businesses offering precision machining and fabrication and medical equipment were mentioned as feasible businesses for the park.

Randall Dhein, chairman of the MSTC District Board, said the park would be available for new local companies as well as ones looking to expand.

"We're not saying we want companies out of Madison or Milwaukee," Dhein said. "There are local companies that are thinking about growth that would be welcome into that park."

Dhein backed the idea of the park, saying it is easier to bring in many smaller businesses that offer 50 to 75 new jobs as opposed to a large employer that would create 500 new jobs.