September 9th marked the third Quarterly Member Meeting of 2015! Through the course of the afternoon, attendees discovered new opportunities at WEFTEC 2015, learned about water stewardship, and met the new BREW Crew. Thank you to ABB in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin for hosting us!
ABB’s Leap Towards Sustainable Innovation
ABB, founded in 1988 in Switzerland, is now one of the largest global engineering companies, employing over 145,000 people worldwide. Their organization breaks down into five main divisions, power products, power systems, discrete automation and motion, low voltage products and process automation. Their second largest location in the United States is currently located in Wisconsin.
After their plant in New Berlin reached capacity, ABB decided to expand to the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee’s Innovation Campus with a new building to match the cutting-edge persona of their company. As a global leader in power and automation technologies, ABB is on the look out for new ways to refine their business and productions and saw a new building as the perfect opportunity. Their Wauwatosa location now holds a Gold LEED Certificate. The company works within the local footprint of Southeast Wisconsin and employs around 600 people within the state.
KEYNOTE: Official Premier of Alliance for Water Stewardship – North America
Matt Howard, Director of Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) – North America, the newest addition to The Water Council team, brought up a question that has become increasingly relevant over the past year, ‘how can companies prosper in a water stressed world?’
As a ‘Megadrought’ looms on the horizon of the United States in the coming decades and Central California continues to pump ground water at increasing speeds, institutional investors are bringing up questions of water risk with large water using companies. Businesses are scouting for answers, and in the past year, 68% of companies reported water as a substantive business risk. Howard describes the AWS International Water Stewardship Standard as part of this solution.
AWS’s multi-stakeholder organization is dedicated to enhancing water stewardship by working with companies to identify risks and act strategically, being proactive, and demonstrating leadership in water stewardship through the implementation of the Standard. Organizations interested in learning more about the AWS Standard and certification can discover more here.
A Fresh New Look
The Water Council has been working behind the scenes on a new look that is ready to launch this fall! Along with the re-branded Tide, The Water Council’s monthly e-newsletter and updated event registration, a new website is under way. Can’t wait for the official launch? Join us at WEFTEC for a sneak peak.
Engage with Wisconsin at WEFTEC 2015
Meghan Jensen, Director of Marketing & Membership, discusses how The Water Council, in partnership with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, is promoting the state’s strong business climate for water technology companies through the Wisconsin Water Innovation Pavilion at WEFTEC 2015. Join The Water Council and 36 other Wisconsin companies at the world’s largest annual water quality exhibition Sept 26-30 in Chicago. Learn more about the Wisconsin Pavilion here.
Talent Campaign – Building the Water Generation
Over the past few months, the Talent Campaign has been working on new methods of connecting interns with leading organizations in the water industry. Sometimes finding the time to connect in a busy lifestyle can be difficult, but with Inspire, a new career and college ready software targeted for middle and high students, it no longer has to be. Connecting with students is now only a click away.
A New Batch of BREW
Elizabeth Thelen, Director of Entrepreneurship & Talent, introduced our new group of global entrepreneurs in BREW Batch 3. The six new participants are ICONAC, IX Power Clean Water, OXYMem, Radom Corp., Solar Water Works, and Optiktechnik. They have settled into the Global Water Center and are looking for ways to engage with members. Learn more about the new businesses here.
Introducing the Small Business Channel
Karen Frost, Small Business Program Manager, shared the new name of The Water Council’s program that works with small businesses. The “Small Business Channel” which was previously known as the “Center of Excellence for Freshwater Innovation & Small Business Development” provides resources and services to small and medium water technology businesses across the nation.
A key component of helping organizations in our Water Technology Cluster connect with global businesses and talent is through the Global Water Port, the only tool of its kind—developed to enhance collaboration within the water technology sector and among those interested in finding solutions to water-related challenges. Stop by the Wisconsin Water Innovation Pavilion (Booth #455) at WEFTEC for a chance to test out the Port’s new features, including IBM’s Watson super charged search engine capabilities.
A huge thank you to ABB for hosting another successful Quarterly Meeting! Save the date for our Q4 Member Meeting, December 9th, with more details to come!
Click here for the full slide presentation.
Interested in joining The Water Council? Please contact Isaiah Perez, Member Services & Development Coordinator, at iperez@thewatercouncil.com