Check out this editorial by Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council:

Appleton Post-Crescent

Published June 24, 2009

The image of Wisconsin’s Lake Superior region is that of a laid-back vacation getaway, a place where a woman’s motorcycle club from Manitowoc can share a lakeside bar with preppie sail boaters from Chicago and a smattering of locals. And everyone gets along.

Tourism long has been a pillar of the economy in the Lake Superior region, along with three other traditional “Ts” — timber, transportation and taconite, an iron-bearing rock that is still shipped from the ports in Duluth and Superior.

Of late, however, a fifth “T” has crept into the local development vocabulary — technology.

Persistent efforts by private industry in the region, backed by economic development professionals, higher education and several statewide groups, have accelerated the diversification of the Northwoods economy. Some of those efforts were on display at this month’s meeting of the Wisconsin Technology Council in Ashland; others will be highlighted at the Lake Superior Technology Conference Aug. 5-6 in Ashland. Most important, they’re all emblematic of long-term commitment.

A group of Lake Superior region businesses told Tech Council board members how they have come together to forge a Chequamegon Bay area manufacturing alliance that could mean more jobs and better value for their customers.

The North Star Manufacturing Alliance involves four businesses, including Ashland Industries in Ashland, Washburn Iron Works in Washburn, Eagle Forge in Ashland, and World Class Precision Products in Bayfield. Products and services produced by the four include metal fabrication, steel and aluminum forging, precision machining, mold, die and pattern making, production welding, paint and powder coating, prototype development, layout and design, and assembly, packaging and shipping.

Bob Peltonen of World Class Precision Products said the alliance combines the manufacturing strengths of all four companies to provide more value to clients by being able to offer them a single point of service for related tasks and products.

Other examples of economic growth leveraged by technology include businesses in health care, heavy equipment, synthetic lubricants, transportation logistics and biofuels.

The Lake Superior economy may always rest on wise use of the region’s natural resources, but technology is increasingly providing added value for customers and jobs for those who produce the goods and services. The region may never be a technology hub, but those who care about its future are also determined not to be a forgotten side road.