Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $3 Million to Build a Workforce Training and Business Development Center in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $3 million grant to the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians in Wisconsin, to build a workforce training and business development center. According to grantee estimates, the project is expected to create 40 jobs, retain 30 jobs, and spur $6 million in private investment.

“The present state of the American workforce has been of the utmost concern to President Trump,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “Through the construction of this new center, the community of Lac du Flambeau will have access to the opportunities needed to achieve greater success and growth.”

This investment will support the construction of the 20,000 square-foot Lac du Flambeau Workforce Training and Business Development Center. The Center will broaden the community’s access to trade, entrepreneurship, innovation, and business development opportunities in the manufacturing and forestry sectors. This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission and the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council. EDA funds the North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission and the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment, and create jobs.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.