BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Growth & Prosperity

New or expanding retail businesses or manufacturing facilites should consider Portage as the ideal place to establish their operations. Already home to manufacturers of plastics, glass, batteries, silicone products, coated paper, pre-cast concrete, a tool and die maker and a food processor, we are eager for more industries to join them in our business park. The downtown retail district is a great location for the entreprenuer selling a unique product. Ideally situated along Interstates 90/94 and 39, just outside of Madison--and within a few hours of busy markets in Milwaukee, Chicago and the Twin Cities--Portage is an economic hub.

Working jointly, the City, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Columbia County Economic Development Corporation facilitate economic development initiatives by providing leadership and direction. With continued redevelopment of the historic downtown area, the new Portage Enterprise Center (a business incubator), and excellent transportation access available including our municipal airport, Portage is the place your business should be.

Many business resources exist to get what you need and help you succeed. We have provided a number of them for you here:

Local:
City of Portage
Columbia County Economic Development Corporation
Portage Area Chamber of Commerce
Thrive

State:
Wisconsin Small Business Development Center
State of Wisconsin Business Wizard
Wisconsin Entrepreneur's Network
WI Department of Commerce-Business Development
WI Department of Revenue-Businesses
WI Department of Financial Institutions-Business Creation Resources
WI Department of Workforce Development
Forward Wisconsin: Business Toolkit
Wisconsin Angel Network

The Wisconsin Business AnswerLine provides free information to small business owners and their staff in the state of Wisconsin on a wide variety of business topics. AnswerLine staff have access to an extensive document library, phone and web resources and often field calls about starting a business, business planning, permits and licensing, insurance, legal entity types and business financing topics. These resources can also be e-mailed to the caller to answer their questions quickly and efficiently. The AnswerLine is available from Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Call: 608-263-7680 or 800-940-7232. Or use this secure online form: https://secure.wisconsinsbdc.org/busanswer/

Other resources:
Alliant Energy Economic and Community Development
Find available properties here.