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Product Development Center (PDC)



About BCE's Product Development Center

Since April 2019, the Product Development Center (PDC) has supported the BCE mission by offering our workers the opportunity to be part of the Design, Support, and Promote Teams. Located in Oakhill Correctional Institution (OCI), this shop works directly with our sales and marketing staff, as well as other BCE shops across the state, to create digital assets in support of BCE sales activities.

Workers in the PDC sharpen their business acumen by developing technical skills as they master the various applications and software used within the PDC daily. This experience helps improve the possibility of our workers successfully re-entering the workforce upon their release and contributing to their communities in productive ways.

Design Team

Using computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) programs like SolidWorks, our Design Team creates, modifies, analyzes, and optimizes technical drawings, blueprints, and 3D models. The Design Team works closely with our wood fabrication, upholstery, and furniture sales teams to render concepts into exact measurements, material specifications, and structural details, which optimizes production.

Members on this team must complete a certified CADD training offered at three other institutions: Fox Lake, Kettle Moraine, and Stanley Correctional Institutions. When they are eligible for relocation to a minimum-security facility and get transferred to OCI, they can apply for a position in the PDC. Additional training is offered at the PDC, along with the opportunity to earn advanced certifications in SolidWorks.

Support Team

Tasked with maintaining the BCE website and product pricelists, our Support Team ensures information remains up-to-date. From troubleshooting to compliance, this team is instrumental to our business, bridging web development with data management. Regardless of prior knowledge or experience, our workers receive resources and references to learn how to understand web technologies (i.e., HTML, CSS), database tools (NetSuite), web analytics, SEO best practices, ADA compliance, and more.

Since 2025, the Support Team has been tasked with building out an application on the back-end of our website to configure, price, and quote (CPQ) items, allowing our sales team and clients to customize products more efficiently. This work is done in collaboration with the Department of Corrections Bureau of Technology Management (BTM) and Oracle NetSuite professionals who train the members of our Support Team and answer questions via virtual meetings. Some of our workers come to us with years of experience, and projects like this allow them to refine their skills. Others, with little-to-no prior experience, get to learn from experts and their peers, often matching the output of those with years of experience.

Promote Team

Working closely with teams across BCE as well as external clients, the Promote Team focuses on developing marketing collateral, such as sell sheets, catalogs, social media graphics, videos, and more. While our workers’ education and creative abilities vary, they are led by qualified design and marketing experts who provide the insight and training materials needed to become a great marketing and design professional. Workers quickly learn how to navigate programs like Blender and Adobe Creative Cloud software. They also learn what it’s like to work on a creative team where feedback is crucial for improvement.

Are you looking for a design and marketing partner? The Promote Team offers design and marketing services, including:

  • Brand Identity
  • Social Media
  • Print & Digital Handouts
  • Event Graphics & Signage
  • Email Marketing
  • Photo & Video Editing
  • Web Design & Development

Each PDC Team works on different projects daily; however, many projects require cross-team collaboration. Workers are encouraged to learn from each other, including more about what each team does. PDC workers are self-starters who are eager to learn and well-equipped to receive feedback with professionalism.

Get in Touch

For more information regarding BCE's Product Development Center, contact us.

BCEProductDevelopmentCenter@wisconsin.govContact BCE PDC

Location: Oregon, WI