Blog written by Chad Eschler, Business Development

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‍When people think of Wisconsin, what comes to mind may be the Green Bay Packers, cheese, brats, and the great outdoors. What may be news to some folks is that Wisconsin is also becoming a top destination to plant roots for science and technology businesses from across the U.S. Having lived here my entire life, I have seen this first hand as there is an increasing need for local state-of-the-art facilities to support research, innovation, technological advancements, and more!

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Hearing this, you may be asking yourself, “why Wisconsin?” There are three main areas that answer this question:

• Accessible research: Our state has a wealth of knowledge. For example, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has been one of the top universities for decades and home to famous discoveries, ranging from Hector F. DeLuca's research on vitamin D to Jamie Thomson's research on stem cells.
• Growing career opportunities: We used to hear about the brain drain from Wisconsin. In my experience, this has lessened over the years with the increasing career opportunities offered by science and technology businesses coming into our state. For example, Madison is the third-fastest growing technology employment market in the U.S as described by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Central location: Being positioned in the Midwest has made Wisconsin a viable place for science and technology. With its strong infrastructure and geographical location, Wisconsin is serving as a hub between the coasts.

Considering the science-based opportunities Wisconsin has to offer, specialized facilities are in demand by new businesses entering our state. With a pulse on the industry, Findorff adapted its approach to building science and technology facilities. We focus on five key areas:

• Understanding client needs: Not all science is the same. Nor are the building requirements for each project. Considering this, we start each project with the question of "why?" This ensures a clear understanding of our clients' goals and needs.
• Recognizing FDA/cGMP regulations: During the early planning stages, we discover and analyze any necessary requirements that would impact construction. Often projects need to follow FDA/cGMP regulations. In these instances, we track all items that go into a project against specific facility and process requirements to ensure compliance.
• Supporting speed-to-market delivery: Once a product is approved, companies only have so much time to capitalize on patents. This drives us to build quality facilities through efficient scheduling.
• Building projects of all sizes: Findorff has the expertise to support various project sizes. A major asset that makes this possible is our Special Projects Group. It is experienced in remodeling, renovation, maintenance, and trades-related work. Often such efforts are even performed in occupied spaces so our clients' staff can keep working. In turn, Findorff understands how to perform quality work, regardless of scope.
• Serving as a local resource: With nearly 130 years under our tool belts working in Wisconsin, we leverage an expansive network of resources that make Findorff more than a builder. We are a partner with local insight into how clients can achieve success both on and off the construction site. This is possible because of our skilled talent and array of services that we tailor to our clients' needs.

To learn more about our efforts in the growing science and technology industry, make sure to check out several of our relevant projects.