Regional Profile
Population growth outpacing the Wisconsin average!
Very Competitive Cost of Doing Business
The region offers lower-than-average wages and affordable utilities, resulting in a cost of doing business that is significantly lower than the national average. The mean hourly wage in the Fox Cities Region is lower than the U.S. and Wisconsin averages.
Union Membership in the Fox Cities is on par with the Nation
Active and Thriving Workforce Training
Fox Valley Technical College is the leading vocational and adult education provider in the Fox Cities Region, serving about 50,000 people annually; including over 1,600 employers with contracted services annually serving over 24,000 employees via contracted training annually.
Excellent Transportation and Market Access
The Fox Cities Region is a powerhouse when it comes to transportation.
Appleton International Airport (ATW), a certified commercial service airport with air cargo services provided by FedEx and maximum runway length of 8,002 feet.
Class I railroad, Canadian National provides regular and reliable freight railway service to many of the Fox Cities Region’s industrial parks.
Four Interstate Highways in the region: I-43, I-10, I-41 and I-45.
Access to the Ports of Green Bay (30 miles north) and Milwaukee (100 miles south) with access to the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Telecommunications are provided by AT&T, US Sprint, MCI, Charter Communications, and Nsight Telservices.
A Diverse Mix of Industries and World-Class Companies
| Rank | Company Name | Location | Industry | Fox Cities Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ThedaCare | City of Appleton | General medical and surgical hospitals | 6800 |
| 2 | Affinity Health System | City of Menasha | Offices of physicians (except mental health specialists) | 3900 |
| 3 | Kimberly-Clark Corp. | Town of Menasha | Consumer paper products | 3200 |
| 4 | Thrivent Financial | City of Appleton | Direct life insurance carriers | 2000 |
| 20 | Expera Specialty Solutions Inc. LLC | City of Kaukauna | Specialty paper products for consumer & industrial applications | 1800 |
| 7 | Faith Technologies | City of Menasha | Electrical contractor | 1700 |
| 9 | Pierce Manufacturing | Town of Menasha | Fire truck manufacturing | 1500 |
| 5 | Plexus | City of Neenah | Electronic circuit board manufacturing & assembly | 1450 |
| 8 | Miller Electric MFG | City of Appleton | Welding and soldering equipment manufacturing | 1400 |
| 11 | J.J. Keller & Associates | Town of Vinland | Regulatory compliance & safety training materials | 1400 |
| 10 | Bergstrom Corp | City of Neenah | New & used auto & truck sales & service | 1200 |
| 6 | Bemis Co, Inc. | City of Neenah | Flexible food & consumer product packaging | 1100 |
| 15 | R.R. Donnelley & Sons | City of Menasha | Book & catalogue printing | 1000 |
| 17 | West Corp | City of Appleton | Telemarketing bureaus and other contact centers | 1000 |
| 18 | Gulfstream | Town of Greenville | Aircraft manufacturing | 1000 |
| 12 | Neenah Enterprises, Inc | City of Neenah | Municipal & industrial iron castings | 950 |
| 14 | Appvion | City of Appleton | Thermal, carbonless & specialty paper products | 850 |
| 19 | Menasha Corp | City of Neenah | Plastics, packaging, paperboard products & POP displays | 850 |
| 13 | Nestle USA-Pizza Div | Village of Little Chute | Frozen specialty food manufacturing | 800 |
| 16 | SCA Tissue North | Town of Menasha | Paper converting, facial & toilet tissue & napkins | 750 |
| 22 | Guardian Life Insurance Co | City of Appleton | Direct life insurance carriers | 650 |
| 23 | Alta Resources | City of Neenah | Telemarketing bureau | 650 |
| 21 | Appleton Coated LLC | Village of Combined Locks | Coated & uncoated paper products | 620 |
| 5 | Presto Products | Town of Grand Chute | Plastic bags, wrap, stretch film & zippers, soil stabilization, surface & turf protection products & polyethylene pavers | 600 |
| 24 | McCain Foods USA Inc. | Town of Grand Chute | Frozen specialty food manufacturing | 550 |
| 25 | Neenah Paper Co | Town of Menasha | Quality bond, text, cover & recycled papers | 500 |
Reliable Electric, Gas and Telecommunications, and Plentiful Water
Electricity is provided by a combination of local and regional providers, including Alliant Energy, Wisconsin Electric Power Company (WE Energies) and Wisconsin Public Service.
Natural gas is provided by WE Energies.
Telecommunications are provided by AT&T, US Sprint, MCI, Charter Communications, and Nsight Telservices.
High-quality, fresh water sources are abundant in the Fox Cities Region. Water utilities draw from publicly-owned supplies such as Lake Winnebago and from ground water wells. The Fox River serves as a water source in case of emergency.
The utility providers in the Fox Cities Region offer many economic development tools to help make your utility usage work hard for you. Examples include: interruptible load credits, market-based pricing, new construction programs and technical assistance, and more. Local municipalities and others provide numerous incentives as well. Contact Fox Cities Regional Partnership for more information on which incentives would be available for your specific project.
Business-Friendly Taxes & Incentives
In Wisconsin, the corporate income tax is 7.9% and the state sales tax is 5.0% (below the average U.S. median of 6.0%). Beginning in 2016, the Wisconsin Manufacturing & Agriculture Tax Credit will be equal to 7.5% of a company’s qualified production activities income and can be taken against the corporate income tax liability, thus reducing the tax rate on Wisconsin manufacturing income from 7.9% to 0.4%. (A 5.526% tax credit is available for tax year 2015)
Wisconsin exempts property taxes on all advanced manufacturing machinery and equipment as well as on computers, software, and electronic peripheral equipment.
The Fox Cities Regional Partnership offers businesses access to a multitude of resources and programs, ranging from training, education and advice to loans and other financial resources.
See our Taxes and Incentives page for more information and links.
Living in the Fox Cities Region
School districts in the Fox Cities Region produce more graduates that exceed both state and national averages.
Source: ACS 209-2013
