Superior businesses navigate shipyard expansion, gas plant cancellation as new opportunities emerge

There have been several significant business developments in the greater Superior region recently. On the growth side is the sale of Fraser Shipyards to a Miami concern as part of an expansion of the longtime Superior shipbuilder. The other side of the business roster was marked by the abandonment of the proposed $1 billion Nemadji Trail Energy Center gas plant by one-time partners Dairyland Power Cooperative and Allete. Those developments come as the region’s businesses prepare to adjust to the Blatnik Bridge closure early next year. “One major project left the region, and another major investment arrived,” said Chris Wojtowicz of the University of Wisconsin-Superior Small Business Development Center , who also advises on international trade. “I’m optimistic that while all of that is happening, we have these major projects and infrastructure investments that are going to create different opportunities.” Wojtowicz joined WPR’s Robin Washington on “Morning Edition” for a rundown of area business development in a period of change. Understanding Wisconsin, Together. WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter. Comments This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Email Subscribe The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. Robin Washington: Let’s start with the Fraser Shipyard sale. Who are the new owners, and what does it mean? Chris Wojtowicz: I know them as Wildcat Defense. They’re a Miami-based company. It’s a $350 million private investment in one of the region’s most important maritime assets. It’s a strong signal that investors still see that tremendous long-term value. RW:  While they’re expanding, another enterprise is abandoning plans to expand — the $1 billion NTEC natural gas plant by Dairyland Power Cooperative and Allete that was challenged by the city and other groups. CW: I think we’re still feeling the pain of the 2018 Husky disaster . It’s still in people’s minds, and perhaps because of that this just wasn’t a popular thing. Also, NTEC might have been a temporary build where the Fraser shipyard is going to be a long-term economic boon. RW: The abandonment also means an end to all the litigation that NTEC’s backers and its opponents were facing, so people can concentrate on more positive activities. CW: Yes — rather than continuing on with expensive litigation and perhaps more bad feelings. RW: There’s one project that’s a bad-news, possibly good-news scenario: the city of Superior’s assignment of leases for the former CHS grain elevators that shut down last year to an entrepreneurial enterprise in Poplar. CW: The CHS grain elevator project may actually turn out to be that missing piece that ties all of this together because it demonstrates that Superior’s economic future really isn’t dependent on a single project. You know we’ve got investment occurring across multiple sectors simultaneously. RW: There’s another project that hasn’t reached a conclusion yet: the city’s possible takeover of the water utility currently provided by Superior Water Light and Power. That appears to be headed for a referendum , although the original one planned for this fall was kicked down the road. Speaking of roads, there are many businesses that will be affected by the Blatnik Bridge closure next year. The Superior Business Improvement District and other groups have been holding a series of workshops to help local businesses navigate the rebuild. CW: One of the things that I really liked about the Blatnik Bridge project is that city leaders on both sides of the bay there got together and had discussions with local businesses about how they could best provide their services to the project, whether as subcontractors or just a cog in the wheel. People still are going to want to eat, people are still going to want to shop. And, fortunately, we’ve got the (Richard I.) Bong (Memorial) Bridge as an alternative. RW: It’s always great to have a spare! If you have an idea about something in northern Wisconsin you think we should talk about on “Morning Edition,” send it to us at [email protected]. Transcript Expand Collapse Transcript Terms of Use Transcripts are provided for accessibility and convenience and may be created using a mix of automated tools and human review. While we strive for accuracy, transcripts may contain errors or omissions and are provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. The audio version is the official record of WPR programming. All transcripts are owned by WPR and protected by U.S. and international copyright law. They are provided for personal, non-commercial use only. You may not reproduce, modify, distribute, or use transcripts for public or commercial purposes without prior written permission from WPR. For permissions, contact [email protected] . RW:   0:00 And this is Morning Edition on WPR News. I’m Robin Washington in Superior. Business is booming in Superior, or it certainly is changing. In the last few months, there have been several significant developments in the region, including the sale of Fraser shipyards, the abandonment of plans to build a natural gas plant, and the assignment by the city of leases for the former CHS grain elevators to an entity in Poplar, as all local businesses begin to adjust to the closure of the Blattnick Bridge next year. Here to help us wade through all those changes is Chris Wotowitz of the Small Business Development Center of the University of Wisconsin Superior. Welcome to Wisconsin Public Radio, Chris. CW:   0:43 Thank you, Robin. Certainly appreciate the opportunity to talk. Yeah, holy cow, we’ve got a lot of stuff going on in the area. RW:   0:52 Right. So before we begin to dig into all this, you’re an advisor to small businesses, and I just mentioned some of the biggest enterprises in the region. You comfortable talking about all that? CW:   1:03 Absolutely, Robin. You know, I handle the counties from Douglas County out to Iron County, including Washburn, Price, and and then I’m the international trade consultant as well. Certainly, this whole change about with Fraser Shipyards is going to encompass that that global trade. RW:   1:24 Well, let’s start with that. Who are the new owners, and what does it mean? CW:   1:29 Well, I know them as Wildcat Defense. They’re a Miami-based company. As the WPR has reported before, is a $350,000,000.05 year deal. I’m pretty excited about that. You know, their their plans are to you know make that huge investment in Superior. I’m excited because you know Superior continues to attract that significant industrial investment. We’re seeing that 350 million dollar private investment in one of the region’s most important maritime assets. I mean, Fraser Shipyard’s been around for a long time, but really, for all businesses, large and small, in our area, that’s a strong signal that investors still see that tremendous long-term value. RW:   2:21 Well, while they’re expanding, another business is pulling out, or at least abandoning plans to expand. The 1 billion-dollar natural gas plant that was challenged by the city and other groups. Tell us about that. CW:   2:35 Well, I think one major project left the region, and another major investment Arrived, we’re still feeling the pain of that 2018 Husky disaster, and it’s still in people’s minds. And it’s just you know perhaps maybe that just wasn’t a popular thing; it wasn’t going to happen. But we look at again opportunities because every major manufacturing facility supports a network of small businesses, right? You have welders, fabricators, trucking companies, machine shops. I mean, restaurants. All these industries benefit. All these companies benefit when industrial activity grows. So, I see. You know, Entech might have been a temporary build where. the the Fraser shipyard that’s going to be a long te