Springfield delegates tour Madison

A group of 45 delegates from Springfield took the trip north Aug. 14–16 to compare the two cities and touch on topics ranging from business-college partnerships to quality of life issues.

Madison is another Midwest city built around a large state university. However, Madison has nearly a third more residents in its metropolitan statistical area and the University of Wisconsin boasts 41,000 students, more than twice that of Missouri State University.

“We usually look for a city that’s roughly the same size as Springfield,” said Brad Bodenhausen, executive vice president of Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, which organized the three-day trip. “We don’t always stay in the Midwest – we’ve gone to the Southeast and the West – but it does add something when it’s another Midwestern town and a university town.”

Leading research

Bodenhausen said one of the key reasons for choosing Madison was University Research Park, a technology and research facility run cooperatively with UW that helps advance university research from idea to commercial product.

The park, which has a strong focus on biotechnology, is similar to the Jordan Valley Innovation Center, but again on a larger scale. The Madison park is home to 115 companies, employs more than 3,500, and boasts a $1 billion university research budget.

While the park’s method of operation also is different, using research from university faculty and students rather than outside companies, MSU Vice President for Research and Economic Development Jim Baker said there is a lot to be learned from Madison’s operations.

One item that drew particular interest was UW’s corporate relations office.

“It basically serves as a front door for the business community to get in and get access to the university resources, primarily the smart people that are in there,” Baker said, noting that JVIC is considering a similar approach using Springfield Innovation Inc. in that corporate relations capacity. “You could pick up the phone and call (Springfield Innovation Chief Operating Officer) Allen Kunkel, and he could point you to the right people at the university.”

Baker also was impressed with UW’s Master of Science in biotechnology program, which combines science with business education.

“We have a very strong college of business and science programs, so we’re going to investigate developing something similar,” Baker said, noting that such development would take at least a year.

Quality workers

Madison officials also talked about their efforts to attract and retain employees, a pivotal job for any city with a major university.

Delegation member Jay Handy pointed out various inexpensive ways Madison has worked to improve its citizens’ quality of life. Handy knows firsthand – before moving to Springfield last year to co-found Walnut Capital Management, he lived in Madison for nearly 15 years.

Among the events is the downtown farmers’ market, which Handy said is much more than just a place to shop.

“There’s music, the cafés are open, there’s entertainment, and it’s a cultural event – 50,000 people show up every weekend,” Handy said. “That’s not an expensive thing, and it’s not a tax initiative. Springfield can do little things like that to add color and culture to the fabric of the community.”

Handy noted that all new roads in Madison include bike lanes – encouraging fewer cars and less traffic congestion – and that many building projects in that city are required to hold back a certain amount of space for public art.

“It’s part of the building process – it doesn’t have to be argued for and no one has to pound a desk at a city meeting,” he said.

Bodenhausen said that Madison’s quality of life is part of the reason it’s successful at both retaining college graduates and attracting good-paying jobs; per-capita income in Madison averages just more than $40,000, 41 percent more than Springfield.

“They’re attracting professionals in various high-tech industries that could live anywhere in the country,” he said. “Making it an appealing place to live with jobs available that pay well enough to be competitive is a key part of that. It’s something we’re trying to do here.”

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