In the groundbreaking ceremony celebrating the start of the construction of a $40.5 million addition to Grainger Hall, a distinguished panel spoke of the advantages the addition would bring to the University of Wisconsin business program.

Along with the speakers, the UW Marching Band, the UW Spirit Squad and Bucky Badger performed at the UW School of Business' annual Homecoming Bash for alumni Saturday morning at Grainger Hall.

"I like this kind of groundbreaking," said Gov. Jim Doyle, who attended the event. "Usually at a groundbreaking event, you are trying to get the shovel in the ground, but this is the right kind with champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries."

Michael Knetter, dean of the UW School of Business, expressed his excitement for what the new facility will accomplish, adding he is grateful to the large donation from the Grainger Foundation and alumni Peter and Patricia Fucchette.

"The new addition will attract better faculty, better and more students and also will encourage alumni to come back and be more involved with our programs," Knetter said.

According to Melissa Amos, assistant dean for administration, the 131,416-square-foot addition will house the MBA program of the School of Business and will include 22 meeting rooms, four large formal classrooms and the MBA program office and career center. There will also be state-of-the-art seminar rooms, a new dining facility, an undergraduate computer lab and student organization offices.

Doyle, Chancellor John Wiley and UW System Board of Regents President David Walsh were all among the event's panel. Each of the three panelists said the addition will strengthen the business program's commitment to excellence.

Wiley said the addition is going to be "phenomenal" for the business school.

"A lot of people feel like there are so many cranes on the skyline of this campus today — that it's literally hard to see the forest [through] the trees," Wiley said. "I promise you this is going to be the most memorable part of this campus for future generations of students."

According to Doyle, the addition will help UW continue to expand and move forward as a world-class university. UW is currently tied with Harvard University for the greatest number of CEOs of Standard & Poor's 500 companies in the country.

"This addition is such an important step forward to making our business school one of the very best in the country, and I have no doubt that under Dean Knetter's leadership that's where we are and where we will be in the coming years," Doyle said.