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Published by the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce for Chamber members
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UNIQUE APPROACH TO SQUELCHING METABOLIC ABUSE IN THE STUDENT POPULATION
Health in the workplace Simultaneously benefiting bodies and bottom lines
ADVANCE
25 YEARS OF MOVING BROWN COUNTY BUSINESS FORWARD GREEN BAY’S SUPERIOR BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE
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Contents. Volume 18, #4 | August/September 2010
FEATURES
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ADVANCE
This chamber program celebrates 25 years of spurring economic development to move Brown County business forward
16 LIFE OF AN ATHLETE
Unique approach to squelching metabolic abuse in the student population by focusing on their athletic performance and sense of competition
22 Health in the workplace
Simultaneously benefiting bodies and bottom lines
App happy? 06
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BBJ DEPARTMENTS
16 20 22
04 VIEW POINT 06 TECH WATCH 08 BOOK REVIEW 09 BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT 20 MEET A MEMBER 26 CHAMBER BRIEFS 28 CHAMBER NEWS
ADVERTISERS VISIT THE GREEN BAY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AT:
titletown.org
PRESIDENT Paul Jadin EDITOR Lori Kaye Lodes GRAPHIC DESIGNER Josh Beaton
05 American Express 27 B aker Tilly 02 B ank Mutual 02 B aylake B ank 02 Camera Corner/Connecting Point B ack Cover Cellcom 27 Children’s Hospit al of Wisconsin Inside Front Cover Curly's Pub 01 Future Technologies 07 K I 01 Network Health Plan Inside B ack Cover Prevea 19 TD S
COVER IMAGE Josh Beaton
The BBJ is published bimonthly by the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 1660, Green Bay, WI 54305-1660. The BBJ is supported entirely by advertising revenue from member companies of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. For information about the advertising rates and deadlines, contact Sales at 920.593.3404. The BBJ (USPS 010-206) is published bimonthly for $18 a year by the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 1660, Green Bay, WI 54305-1660. Periodicals postage paid at Green Bay, WI. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The BBJ, P.O. Box 1660, Green Bay, WI 54305-1660. PH: 920.593.3423. Copyright© 2008 Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
VIEW POINT TEXT PAUL JADIN
Kids Count
Earlier this year the Green Bay Press-Gazette undertook a “Think Bold” initiative in which readers collaborated with the editorial board to come up with the quintessential problem that Greater Green Bay should tackle in order to make this a better place to live. From among the many alternatives that were put forward the group chose to focus on children’s health and “Kids Count” was born.
pictures of the Bellin Run, the Cellcom Marathon and all the youth activities of the Ys, the Boys and Girls Club, our schools and our parks and recreation programs. This would be in contrast to the beer-bellied, brat-eating, cheesehead-wearing images that most people outside of Wisconsin have of folks in Titletown (not that that’s a bad thing) and could assist, as part of our “Better by the Bay” efforts, in employee recruitment and business attraction.
The mission of the “Kids Count” program is to “Create a communitywide environment where families can raise the healthiest children in America.” Since this is truly a bold undertaking it will take the entire community and virtually every institution in it to effect the change necessary to realize success.
We will issue a white paper with recommendations for bold action by the end of the calendar year and those recommendations will come with a strong commitment from the business and non-profit communities to support implementation. Everyone involved in this effort agrees with me that “We do not want to be a part of something that won’t bring about real change.”
I am honored to have been asked to lead the direction-setting phase of this endeavor and delighted that, in my search for partners, I have encountered an unparalleled zeal for this project. Indeed, no one who has been invited to participate has said no and many who were not invited have enthusiastically volunteered. What started as a search for a 13-member task force has grown to two separate groups of more than 30 people. The “Gold” group has already met and is busy trying to define “healthiest children” and what exactly constitutes success for this project. This group of extraordinary leaders and service providers in the community will also provide an inventory of programs that are currently in place or are about to be undertaken in the Green Bay area so that we may avoid “reinventing the wheel” while doing a better job of coordinating existing resources. In many respects they will not only be the architects, but also the implementers, of change. By September I expect that the “Green” group will convene to review the status quo, share internal corporate initiatives and provide its unique vision for “Kids Count.” These chief executives represent a workforce of about 30,000 people and insure close to 75,000 lives. They are obviously concerned about the health of our youth simply because healthier kids make for happier families and, ultimately, more livable communities. However, there is a business case for developing America’s healthiest kids as well. Clearly, healthier kids translate into lower insurance rates. Furthermore, it doesn’t take a university study to tell us that healthy kids grow up to be healthy adults and that is the workforce on which our business community will depend in the future. Finally, if successful, the “Kids Count” initiative will go a long way toward reinforcing a better image of Green Bay, one that features 4
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Raising the healthiest kids in America qualifies as “real change.”
TASK FORCE MEMBERS Gold team John Benberg, Boys and Girls Club of Green Bay Rebecca Deschane, Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Karen Early, Brown County UW-Extension Pat Finder-Stone, retired nurse Regan Gurung, UW-Green Bay Tom Harden, UW-Green Bay Steve Harty, Greater Green Bay YMCA Gregg Hetue, Brown County United Way Stan Kocos, Green Bay Area Public School District Tom Kunkel, St. Norbert College Damian LaCroix, Howard-Suamico School District Eileen Littig, NEWIST/CESA 7 Greg Maass, Green Bay Area Public School District Kelly McBride, Green Bay Press-Gazette Becky Meert, Brown County Health Department Betsy Mitchell, Green Bay Packers Inc. Cindy Moon-Mogush, Aurora Health Care JD Murphy, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College David Pamperin, Greater Green Bay Community Foundation Suzy Peifer, Encompass Early Education & Care Inc.
Michelle Schleis, newARTS Nancy Schopf, Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Elaine Wagner, YWCA Green Bay-De Pere David Yeghiaian, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Wisconsin Green team Tom Hinz, Brown County Executive Gail McNutt, Women’s Fund of Greater Green Bay George Kerwin, Bellin Health Wendy Arnone, UnitedHealthcare Rick Hill, Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin Mark Skogen, Festival Foods Mike Haddad, Schreiber Foods, Inc. Dick Resch, KI Therese Pandl, St. Mary’s/St. Vincent Charlie Schrock, Wisconsin Public Service Jeff Mason, BayCare Clinic LLP Phil Flynn, Associated Banc-Corp Kelly Wolff, Georgia-Pacific Jim Schmitt, Mayor of Green Bay Ashok Rai, Prevea Health Kevin Corrado, Green Bay Press-Gazette Paul Jones, Shopko Stores
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TECH WATCH TEXT AL PAHL
App happy? You should be Sometimes advertisers make a claim and you say, “No way.” Not so with Apple’s near-iconic line, “There’s an app for that.” The story is bigger than Apple, but it’s no exaggeration. There pretty much is an app for everything, regardless of your flavor of smart phone; Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile or Apple’s family of iPhone, iPad andiPod Touch (to be clear: the latter two are not phones, but run most of the apps iPhones do and can connect to the Internet. To be even clearer: “app” is short” for “application,” which is a synonym for software; we’re talking about software you run on your smart phone.) There’s an app for this, that AND the other thing It’s safe to say: Find a reasonable use for your smart phone, and there are multiple apps to accomplish it. In fact, there are usually multiple apps for unreasonable – or even downright silly – uses for your smart phone. Many have associated software you run on your desktop or laptop computer. Some apps are available only for one smart phone platform, while others cover the field. Many are free. Some have free entry-level versions and charge for more sophisticated features. Some apps charge for everything. “The most functional apps sync with the cloud,” says St. Norbert College Web Developer Scott Crevier, referring to using the Internet as a conduit for storing information on someone else’s server. “Just look at the standard e-mail app that comes with any (handheld) device; you can check e-mail from your phone, and still check the same e-mail at home. You don’t have a situation where there is something you can do on one device but not on the other.” Like most users interviewed, it wasn’t hard to get him raving about his favorite apps. “I really like Notemaster because I can edit it on the remote device and sit down at my home computer and have the same documents,” says Crevier. During a meeting, you may see him taking notes on his iPod Touch, 6
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which are stored on the Touch –or directly in the cloud, if he can sync via Wi-Fi during the meeting. At his office, or home, Crevier can sync those notes onto either desktop computer. Google docs – a Web-based app that performs most of the same functions as Microsoft Office – facilitates editing the documents. “Heck, I can start a shopping list in Google docs,” Crevier notes. “No little pieces of paper to carry around. Shopping, meeting notes, it doesn’t matter.” One thing that matters to Crevier is his calendar view. He prefers a month-long view and believes, “Saisuke’s month view is way better than any other month-view calendar application.” Like all good apps today, Saisuke allows true two-way synchronization. When users add an event on any of their devices, it syncs to all others. Not only does Crevier no longer carry lists on little pieces of paper, but he also uses Discover to store larger documents and carry them electronically. “I put meeting agendas in there,” he explains. “I can go back two months and see what we talked about. It’s handy to have it there without carrying all that paper around.” The fact Saisuke’s calendar view was a major factor in Crevier’s app selection shows the richness of choices available. Since many apps do basically the same things, the little twists often become the determinants. For instance, many of Discover’s functions can also be handled by Dropbox, the document-management app preferred by Infinity Technology Network Engineer Curt LeCaptain. “Let’s say I want my documents on the go, I drop them into my Dropbox on my PC and open then on my phone,” says LeCaptain, who is finding Android “one of the better operating systems on a phone I have ever used.” LeCaptain also makes frequent use of Xtralogic remote desktop, allowing him to perform remote administration of servers and other computers. “I have 100 percent access to my network when I need it,” he says. “I can do almost anything from Android that I could do if I were standing in front of the servers.”
Music to his ears Regardless where he’s standing, LeCaptain is high on the smart-phone version of Internet-based Pandora Radio. “I absolutely cannot live with it, especially in my car,” he admits. “I plug my phone into my car. Any place I want Internet radio, as long as I have a cellular signal, I can plug it in and listen.” Pandora, a free service, allows users to pick a song, artist or genre and, essentially, build a radio station around that choice. Beyond your initial pick, Pandora will choose similar songs and play them. Play it safe – the future of in-vehicle texting Talk of cars brings us to what is arguably the coolest app readers shared with Tech Watch: Vlingo. “The killer thing is, you hold down a button on the phone, speak into the phone and it turns whatever you just said into text,” enthuses Nick Wautier, whose day job is inside sales and social media at Camera Corner/Connecting Point. “In the car, texting is going to be illegal, which also means e-mail will be illegal. However, with a hands-free kit, I press one button and whatever I say just became an e-mail or a text.” That’s the free edition. Invest $14 for the Pro version, and you can use your voice to search the Web or update your Twitter/Facebook comments. The Safe Reader feature reads your incoming text and e-mails to you. Wautier employs the software on his BlackBerry, but it’s also available for other phones. Interestingly, the text-to-speech conversions happen not on the smart phone, but on Vlingo servers. Because the apps on those servers perform thousands upon thousands of voice interpretations daily, from users all across the country (think: accents and dialects), they get better at it; the conversion algorithms are constantly honed and refined.
Wautier, a blogger and special-events DJ who takes on a variety of projects outside of 9-to-5, is also a big fan of TimeTracker Pro, which tracks his phone conversations with clients, allowing him to easily invoice them. “It sends an e-mail to me that says I took a call from ‘x’ person and we talked for this long,” he explains. “The way mine is set up, it tracks all calls over five minutes. Then, once a month, it prints a list of invoices for me to bill.” Waiting until the end of the month is wayyyy too slow for Jody Weyers, communications and volunteer director for the American Red Cross. Her favorite business-related apps allow her to update Facebook and Twitter in real time. “It doesn’t make sense to tweet about something five hours later,” says Weyers, who said she’d post fewer updates if she couldn’t do them from the palm of her hand. “Disasters happen quickly. Volunteers phone me and say they are at an east-side fire affecting four families. I can get it up (to the Internet and) to the media immediately. By doing that status update, I get it out there that we are responding in our community. Later, I can provide more details as the incident unfolds.” Weyers has seen her posts directly generate media coverage. “I have found social-media applications have bettered our relationship with the local media because they all have Twitter and Facebook. This is how they brainstorm,” she says. “I put up some photos from a birthday party we had for a volunteer who turned 94 and FOX 11 called and did an in-studio interview with her.” Soooo, all of her smart phone’s apps deal with work? “There is one for horiscopes,” she haltingly admits with a nervous laugh, “Well, you know…”
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BBJ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 10 | 7 7/14/10 4:30 PM
BOOK REVIEW REVIEWED BY Sandra Kallunki, BROWN COUNTY LIBRARY
Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us AUTHOR Daniel H. Pink
PUBLISHER New York: Riverhead Books, 2009
Has your business or organization upgraded to Motivation 3.0? In his best-selling book "Drive," Daniel H. Pink introduces the concept of Motivation 3.0, explains the science behind it, argues our critical need for it and offers strategies to achieve it. Pink contends society’s underlying theories about motivation can work like a computer’s operating system. In the beginning, he says, we had Motivation 1.0, which was based on the biological drive for survival. Then we upgraded to Motivation 2.0, which assumes human behavior is driven by rewards and punishments. Now, he argues, growing evidence calls for migration to Motivation 3.0, which is based on a “third drive” consisting of three human needs: autonomy, mastery and purpose. Opening with research on puzzle-solving rhesus monkeys conducted at the University of Wisconsin in 1949, Pink lays out decades of lab experiments, field studies and real world examples to support his arguments. He includes examples relevant to businesses, non-profit organizations, government, education, medicine, sports, exercise, environmentalism, relationships and mental health. Pink cites seven reasons “carrots and sticks don’t work.” For example, external rewards, such as bonuses for reaching quarterly sales goals, can narrow an employee’s focus to do only whatever it takes to reach that short-term prize. This detracts from investments in research, cooperation, long-term planning and developing creative, new approaches. It encourages cheating, shortcuts and unethical behavior. The author does point out ways in which external rewards can be effective, especially with routine tasks in which a worker can follow set instructions to get the expected result. Unfortunately, routine jobs are more likely to get automated or outsourced, and only 30 percent of job growth currently involves this type of work. Instead, today’s economy needs workers who can come up with new and creative ideas and solutions. Pink advocates that businesses nurture Type I (intrinsically motivated) rather than Type X (extrinsically motivated) behavior. He devotes a chapter each to the three essential ingredients for Type I behavior: autonomy, the opportunity to do great work with the freedom to choose how, when, where, and with whom; mastery, the desire to “get better and better at something that matters”; and purpose, the need to see how your work contributes toward a greater good. 8
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Motivation 3.0 values “benefit maximization” but does not “reject profits.” Similarly, Type I workers still need fair compensation. Indeed, Pink makes a case for how companies can actually save money by offering above average pay. The book concludes with “The Type I Toolkit,” which offers a variety of tips to bring Motivation 3.0 to life and a discussion guide to jumpstart thinking about new ways to look at what really matters in your own organization and your own life. Now in its fifth month on The New York Times best-seller list, "Drive" is scheduled to be translated into more than 20 different languages. Daniel H. Pink’s previous books include "Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself" and "A Whole New Mind: Why RightBrainers Will Rule the Future." He writes on business and technology for The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Wired.
Additional title available at the
Brown County Library
n Good To Great: Why Some Companies Make The Leap and Others Don't Collins, Jim New York: HarperBusiness, 2001 n Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else Colvin, Geoff New York: Portfolio, 2008 n Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly New York: Harper & Row, 1990 n The Daily Drucker: 366 Days of Insight and Motivation for Getting the Right Things Done Drucker, Peter F. and Joseph A. Maciariello New York: HarperBusiness, 2004
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT TEXT Damian Sanderson, Cellcom product manager - devices and features, and Nic Beining, Cellcom associate product manager – Data Products
8 ways to tap the power of mobile and build your brand The business world already depends on smart phones to serve as a mobile office – and it’s efficient. According to a recent study, a typical BlackBerry user converts one hour of downtime per day into productive time, which equates to 250 hours per user per year.
mobile device uses GPS to merge the user’s location with online databases to find who or what is in the immediate vicinity. Customers can search for the nearest restaurant, gas station or retailer carrying a specific product. Offering mobile coupons and sending text alerts or online promo codes can help steer consumers to your business rather than a competitor.
But the value of mobile doesn’t end with productivity gains in the workplace. Today’s consumer relies on one portable device for calls, email, texts, Internet, video, games, music, documents and GPS. The mobile Internet is adding to the dramatic shift in consumer behavior. Americans now spend an average of 2.7 hours a day on the mobile Internet, which means people no longer have to wait until they are in front of their computers to do their work, check email or the weather forecast, update their Facebook status or do comparison shopping. What we once did on a computer is now being done on a phone. This increasing attachment to mobile devices is reshaping the way we go about our personal lives, and it gives businesses a new way to connect with consumers and increase the bottom line.
An app for that. Developing a customized application (app) for your business, such as mobile payment or online payment, can help build a loyal customer base. Reaching customers at the right time keeps them coming back. It’s also hard for a customer to walk away from a feature that makes life easier and offers convenience.
Tweet it. Mobile strategies can be relatively simple, extremely low cost and highly effective. Small companies can now tap the power of mobile as easily as medium or large businesses. A great example is a local ice cream shop that uses Twitter to broadcast its flavor of the day. The information can be received on the Web, through a Twitter smartphone application or via a text message. In addition to boosting sales, this initiative builds top-ofmind awareness. Text me. Text messaging campaigns can be tied to a company’s traditional advertising efforts such as direct mail, email, print ads and websites. A call-to-action can invite consumers to send a keyword to a short code (a five- or six-digit phone number) to receive a discount, promotional code or special offer. The beauty of text messaging campaigns is that nearly every phone, whether it’s a smartphone or a very basic handset, can accept and send text messages. No clipping required. Retailers can also take advantage of mobile coupons to drive traffic. Because they are portable and easy to use – the customer receives a text message with a coupon code or a link to website with a barcode for the cashier to scan – mobile coupons have an impressive response rate and are a highly successful strategy for both customer retention and attracting new customers. Since customers are rarely far from their mobile devices, this is a critical feature. The perfect sauce. Location-based services (LBS) are a technological advancement that’s been referred to as the “secret sauce” of mobile Internet. With LBS, a
The view. Most businesses have a website, but not all sites are optimized for viewing on mobile devices. If a site is not in a handset-optimized format, only the corner of the page will appear and images won’t display properly. To deliver the same rich experience your visitors are accustomed to, tailor your website for mobile. The scoop. The media represents another critical segment that can be reached with mobile initiatives. Journalists are increasingly going to social networks via their smartphones to look for story ideas. Use Twitter, Facebook or a blog to announce events, new products or a news conference. Don’t blink. Finally, if you venture into mobile marketing, pay close attention to the ever-changing line-up of devices and device platforms consumers use to view campaigns. Google’s Android™ platform is the latest entry and, with a large number of handset manufacturers and price points, it is rapidly gaining popularity. The mobile Internet is fundamentally changing the way we communicate and it’s added a new touchpoint for reaching your target audience. If you want to stay engaged with your customers and get your word out quickly, integrate the mobile platform. It’s the easiest way to follow your customers.
Damian Sanderson is product manager - devices and features and Nic Beining is an associate product manager - data products for Cellcom. The company's renowned network is customized to its rural markets and customers. It is a sister company of Nsight Telservices and a subsidiary of Nsight, a provider of national communications services. Visit cellcom.com for more information or call at 920.617.7800.
BBJ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 10 |
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COVER STORY
Advance celebrates 25 years of economic development Nancy Barthel TEXT submitted PHOTOGRAPHY
Twenty five years ago an innovative concept was broached among local business and government leaders and the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. Why not create an economic development program through a public-private partnership designed to nurture the community’s great entrepreneurial spirit while at the same time help grow existing businesses? And so began the history of Advance, the economic development arm of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. The name is a take off on Wisconsin’s motto “Forward,” which reflects the state’s continuous drive to be a national leader. Since 2005, Advance has made its home on the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) campus in the Business Assistance Center at 2701 Larsen Rd., just down the road from the Green Bay Botanical Garden. And just as its name describes, the program has advanced the continuous growth of business by growing partnerships with the public and private sectors. Since its inception in 1985, 244 new and existing businesses have blossomed through the nurturing services of the Advance Business Incubator. Advance has also provided a wealth of vital economic data through its research projects. For those businesses looking to grow their businesses internationally, the no-fee Northeast Wisconsin International Business Development Program has provided invaluable help in navigating the intricacies of doing business on a global scale. And in its location at the Business Assistance Center, Advance partners with not only NWTC but also the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB) 10 | BBJ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 10
Small Business Development Center, the Wisconsin Business Development Finance Corporation, the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Network, SCORE and E-Hub (formerly Urban Hope) to provide business entrepreneurs and established business the very best in resources. During the early 1980s, economic times were much like they are now, maybe even worse, remembers Nan Nelson, executive vice president of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. She was there at the very beginning of Advance and for more than a decade served as its executive director. “All of this unified programming was envisioned from the beginning … the idea of how you go about helping economic development has not changed,” she says. From 1982-1984, the United States was in the midst of a tough recession. The unemployment rate in Brown County was 12 percent, says Nelson. The region’s heavy reliance on the paper industry was a concern and American manufacturing was seeing competition from nations like Germany and Japan. It became apparent, she says, that “One of the things we needed to do was diversify our local economy.” A three-prong plan was devised that focused on 1) new business formation, 2) helping existing businesses to expand, and 3) recruiting businesses to relocate here.
“The incubator is probably one of the most significant things we did,” says Nelson. It was founded in 1987 and established on Potts Avenue in Ashwaubenon. “It was a pretty new idea at the time,” she says. “I have to say we were one of the first in Wisconsin.” Business funding Crucial to a start-up business’ mere existence and to an existing business’s ability to grow is proper funding. In April, the marketing and administration of Brown County’s Revolving Loan Fund (BCRLF) transferred to Advance. This fund offers a competitive financing option for capital improvements or investments necessary to create, expand or maintain employment opportunities and production levels within the county. The fund was previously administered by a Brown County Planning office; it made sense to bring it into the fold of Advance’s economic development programs.
The Advance team includes (from left): Cindy Gokey, Fred Monique, Lisa Harmann and Jessica Beckendorf.
In addition, Fred Monique, vice president of economic development, is in the final stages of establishing an Advance Microloan Program geared to existing business, starting with initial seed capital of $400,000 with commitments (as of press time) from M&I Bank and Associated Bank. “With today’s difficult lending situation following the credit crisis, there is a definite need for capital,” says Monique. “We will give loans of up to $100,000 to help existing small businesses grow to the next level.”
“One of the things we needed to do was diversify our local economy.” -Nan Nelson, executive vice-president, Green Bay Area Chamber Of Commerce
Advance 2010 As Advance celebrates a quarter century of success, its current director is Monique. The primary focus of Advance continues to be diversifying the economy in Brown County, he says, and all the topics discussed in the early 1980s when Advance was a fledgling idea continue to be daily topics. Business creation, business retention and workforce development are the challenges Monique and his three full-time staff members tackle every day. In essence, their job is to service the life cycle of business in Northeast Wisconsin. Lisa Harmann is program manager of the Advance Business Center, perhaps known better in the community as the business incubator. Jessica Beckendorf is associate vice president of economic development and Cindy Gokey is the economic development coordinator. Advance takes a broad approach to diversifying the local economy, says Beckendorf. “So much of what we do is behind the scenes,” she continues. Once the public learns about the success of one Advance project, “We’ve already moved on to 10 other projects,” she adds.
Perhaps Gokey’s biggest job is oversight of the annual Fox Valley Wage and Benefit Study. It’s something Advance has done for 25 years, a one-of-a-kind study that queries 160 companies each spring through the end of summer. Results are available in fall. Another important resource provided by Advance is the Business Retention Study that uses 20 to 30 volunteers to obtain information from local businesses on their growth plans. The goal, says Beckendorf, is to find out if there is “anything that we can do for you.” For example, Advance looks for regional supply chain gaps to ascertain opportunities for business development. The annual Fact Book that Advance puts together provides a wealth of research and detailed demographics that businesses can use for continued success. In that same vein of continued marketability and business viability, the municipal issues committee is involved in a study, conducted by the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, of making Green Bay an intermodal port that could accommodate not only bulk deliveries, but also cargo. Business retention committee While business retention is not the exclusive effort of the Advance business retention committee, this all-volunteer committee gives a voice to various Brown County businesses’ challenges in the course of everyday business. Whether it was Meat Processors’ challenge with promoting its annual sale during the winter holidays because of industrial park signage rules (for which Monique obtained a waiver for them) or Belmark’s intermittent power outages that resulted in hours of setup time for its print presses when the power was restored (for which the committee tapped Wisconsin Public Service engineers to better configure power access, saving Belmark its anticipated out-of-pocket $80,000 investment for filtering its power), the committee addresses issues that can bog down business. Volunteers travel into the community, complete structured questionnaires, log the issues with Gokey and then address and assign their resolution at the monthly committee meetings. “We get the whole committee involved but make the assignments to the person who has the most expertise in a given area,” says Monique.
BBJ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 10 | 11
Advance awards And it is Advance’s annual Manufacturing Awards of Distinction, now entering its 11th year, that honors some of those successes. Beckendorf oversees the awards process, with the annual awards banquet held each November. Wisconsin manufacturers have had more than their fair share of adversity. Yet many are thriving – and growing – in the face of tough times. They are creating jobs, increasing sales and moving into international markets. “Manufacturing is such a critical component of our local economy,” says Monique, noting, “I think a lot of people forget that.” The awards program is open to manufacturers in Brown, Door, Kewaunee, Marinette, Shawano and Oconto counties. Award categories are based on company size, length of time in business, use of high technology and exporting.
other Brown County communities. “The agreement obligates municipalities to communicate with each other if businesses are contemplating moves within the county, and we’ve been doing a very good job of that,” says Monique. That committee has also extended its big-picture view to a biannual legislative breakfast, the first of which it held in December. The breakfasts provide a forum for municipal leaders to bring their issues to legislators’ attention. A recent topic: multijurisdictional TIF districts. “The law says each municipality can set up a TIF, but we are using the Ashland Avenue corridor as a pilot,” says Monique. “Given that it runs through Green Bay, De Pere and Ashwaubenon, we’d like to see if we can have uniformity in the development of it as one TIF.” Right now, the committee is also very involved in the conversion of Hwy 41 to interstate status as I-55. Since the initial discussion, the Legislature has cut $300 million from the project, which prompted the Department of Transportation to cut plans to reconstruct the Hwy 41/I-43 interchange at Velp Avenue to interstate standards. The municipal committee is lobbying for the funding for the changes necessary to make it an interstate. “I-55 ends in Chicago and with the proposed change, we want I-55 to provide a ubiquitous interstate from Marinette all the way to New Orleans,” says Monique. “It is important for the future marketing our area.” The incubator and other onsite Advance partners The incubator is perhaps the most public of Advance’s endeavors. It offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to collaborate with other growing small businesses while benefiting from some very prestigious resources available through the other Business Assistance Center partners who call the facility home. “It really is designed to be a beautiful partnership,” says Harmann.
Those partners include the Wisconsin Business Development Finance Corporation, which assists eral Advance partners to provide a rich, one-stop resource for business entrepreneurs. Wisconsin businesses to gain access to capital, create jobs and promote community development; as Advance also sponsors the Excellence in Business Award which, since well as the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Network, which includes over 60 1987, has each year recognized a business of 100 or more employees economic development organizations, technical colleges, small business located in Northeast Wisconsin that is also a member of the Green Bay development centers and chambers of commerce. Area Chamber of Commerce. The recipient must have shown outstanding growth in the past two years, significant achievements in innovation and The NWTC Center for Entrepreneurship provides a variety of educational superior community involvement. The 2010 award will be presented at opportunities, including an associate degree in business management, the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce annual meeting in early fall. which includes an optional 18-credit entrepreneurship track. They also offer a 15-credit Entrepreneurship Certificate as well a three-credit Looking across municipalities elective course in entrepreneurship. Since 2005, Advance’s municipal issues committee (featuring representation from all villages/municipalities) has worked collaboratively to Another partner to Advance is SCORE, “Counselors to America’s Small make some notable accomplishments that transcend physical boundar- Business.” Gokey coordinates the free counseling services the retired exies. Most notable is the economic development cooperative agreement ecutives offer to upstarts and ongoing businesses. Six workshops are also adopted in mid-2008, a first for the state of Wisconsin. This progres- held each year on how to start a business. The next will be held in October. sive resolution was adopted by the communities of the villages of Allouez, Ashwaubenon, Bellevue, Denmark, Howard, Pulaski, Suamico The Small Business Development Center of UWGB is part of a statewide and Wrightstown; cities of De Pere and Green Bay; towns of Lawrence, network that uses a variety of resources to help small business owners. Ledgeview and Scott; and the county as a whole. The gist of the agree- Services are targeted towards businesses that are planning for expanment is that municipalities will not solicit business from businesses in sion, improving efficiency of operations or resolving specific problems. Advance calls the Business Assistance Center, located on the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College,
home. It houses administrative offices for Advance, the newly renovated business incubator and sev-
12 | BBJ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 10
Information and guidance is offered on business plans, exports and imports, cash flow management, record keeping, bank financing, personal inventory, marketing, production and product innovation. And E-Hub – formerly known as Urban Hope – is a partner well-known for its education series that for years now has served as a starting point for exploring opportunities in entrepreneurship. The incubator provides about 50,000 square feet of space, including recently renovated areas that are now conducive to light manufacturing. Harmann said that NWTC was instrumental in the renovation project. From 1987 until 2005 the incubator was located on Potts Avenue in Ashwaubenon. Since 1987, more than 244 businesses have been through Advance’s incubator. Some have been there for just a few months, others for years. But all receive the same opportunity for administrative support, use of conference space, help from Business Assistance Center partners – and perhaps most important, the collegial support of fellow entrepreneurs using the Business Incubator.
Originally the program was limited to Brown County businesses, but in 2006 it was expanded to include Fond du Lac, Oshkosh and the Fox Cities and was then renamed the Northeast Wisconsin International Business Development Program. Funding comes from the Fond du Lac Economic Development Corporation, Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce and the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board in return for the services the International Business Development Program provides to their respective service territories. “It is less costly for them to contract for our services than to provide the same degree of service on a stand-alone basis,” explains Monique.
“Manufacturing is such a critical component of our local economy. I think a lot of people forget that.” -Fred Monique, vice-president of economic development, Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
“It’s really rewarding to work with these different businesses,” says Harmann. Why choose incubation? Simple. It keeps operating expenses extremely low, which allows businesses to grow and instead invest money and time into the new business rather than high overhead costs. Shared services and benefits include: • • • • • • • • • •
Flexible lease terms Free high-speed Wi-fi Free use of all conference rooms including mixed media classroom Color copy machine at generous per-copy rates Free fax machine use Receptionist to welcome your guests Mailboxes, daily UPS, stamps Loading docks and forklift Shared storage space 24-hour access
The incubator has a very high success rate; current occupancy includes 23 physical tenants and seven virtual tenants. For people working out of their homes, using the incubator virtually lends credibility to their endeavor, says Harmann. Applicants to the incubator go through a review process by the incubator committee of the Advance board of directors. “We try to turn things around very quickly,” says Harmann. Tenants are generally at the incubator from one to three years. If they outgrow the need for the incubator before one year they are not held to their lease. International assistance The International Business Development Program was added to Advance with the hiring of Monique in September 1999. “The purpose of the program is to provide no-fee counseling to small- to medium-sized companies that would like to either begin international commerce or to expand their current overseas sales,” says Monique. “Our efforts cover a host of exporting and importing topics from pre-sales market surveys to all of the commercial activities involved in exporting as well as networking opportunities including seminars on topics of interest.”
And through the International Business Development Program businesses have access to the Free Trade Zone. The Austin Straubel International Airport designation as a general-purpose foreign trade zone includes more than 2,300 acres of airport property. Foreign trade zones are designated areas within the Untied States where foreign and domestic merchandise is considered to be outside the territorial United States for customs purposes. Consequently, merchandise can be imported into one of these zones without going through federal customs entry procedures or paying import duties. The International Business Development Program also has sister city relationships with Gronigen, the Netherlands, Lucca, Italy and Irapuato, Mexico. Looking ahead Twenty five years since its founding, Advance continues to do what it set out to do. Its greatest achievement, says the program’s first executive director Nan Nelson, has been job creation. The goal from the very beginning of Advance was through the diversification of business Brown County would always have a lower unemployment rate than either the state or nation. That has been achieved, she says. Ted Penn, director of business and community development with Wisconsin Public Service, has been on the Advance board of directors for about a dozen years. He has served as its chairperson and is now chairperson of the investment committee. This year, the goal is to raise about $120,000 to support programming and even in a tough economy he says businesses, banks, utilities and municipalities continue to appreciate the value Advance brings to the economy and invest in the program. “Advance helps grow the economy and that growth in jobs benefits everyone,” says Penn, from fellow businesses to municipalities that depend on a strong tax base. “Advance is a positive for the community.” Advance’s success is satisfying. “It’s kind of fun to drive by the business park and look at the companies that we helped get business loans or helped relocate from some place else,” adds Nelson. BBJ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 10 | 13
Advancing business, one business at a time
Nancy Barthel TEXT submitted PHOTOGRAPHY
At the heart and soul of Advance is its people, the people who founded it and the people who nurture it today. Many of the people who used the Advance Business Center (a.k.a., the incubator) in its earliest days are among the business and civic leaders of today. For those using the services of the incubator 2010, they dream of a prosperous and fulfilling future. And the names of those on the Advance board of directors provide an insight into the unique private-public partnership that serves as inspiration for Advance’s success these past 25 years. Each of these individuals in their own way today are caretakers and stewards of the Green Bay area’s economic future.
With the insurance claims just closed out late last year, “If it wouldn’t have been for Advance we would have had to close,” he says.
“Recognition of regional top performing manufacturers is critical.” -Craig Aderhold, president, Heartland Business Bank- Northeast Wisconsin market
Mayor Jim Schmitt is very familiar with Advance for back in early ‘90s, before he ever dreamed of becoming mayor of Green Bay, he was a tenant of the first incubator location on Potts Avenue in Ashwaubenon. He leased 500 square feet for his paper converting business that provided disposable goods for the barber and beauty industry. His Famis Corporation outgrew the space and eventually employed more than 20 people. Incidentally, his idea for the product line came to him while working for Little Rapids Corporation, and they were the ones to buy his business when he became mayor in 2003. “We would never have been successful without the help of the Chamber and Advance,” says Schmitt, adding, “I wish more people knew about Advance.” His time at the incubator is a fond memory. “It was fun growing the business,” he says. “When you start with Advance your goal is to grow… everyone has a vision.” Schmitt now serves on the Advance board of directors. Allan Duchateau, president and owner of Arrow Concrete, says he has Advance to thank for the continuing success of his business. Founded in 1960, it was just three years ago, on April 2, 2007, when his neighbor came to his house to tell him his business was on fire. Duchateau said he could see the smoke from his yard a couple miles down the road and knew instantly it was bad. Indeed it was. The buildings for this business that provides much of the concrete for this part of Northeast Wisconsin were gone. At the 14 | BBJ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 10
time Arrow Concrete employed 25 people and another dozen at their gravel pit. It was Advance who contacted him, says Duchateau, offering office space at no charge. And when the bank wouldn’t loan him the money he needed to keep Arrow Concrete operating, he credits Advance with loaning him $250,000 from the Revolving Loan Fund.
Craig Aderhold, president of the Northeast Wisconsin Market of Heartland Business Bank in De Pere, has been on the board of directors for Advance since August 2009. Heartland Business Bank has been a long-time sponsor of the Manufacturing Awards of Distinction. “Advance is a great source of support for the budding entrepreneur,” he says. “Fred Monique and Lisa Harmann have done a fantastic job of increasing occupancy of the incubator in recent years. Fund-raising has continued to be strong despite the economic conditions due to the community support when an ‘ask’ is made.” He also credits Jessica Beckendorf, associate vice president of economic development, for her oversight of the Manufacturing Awards of Distinction. “Recognition of regional top performing manufacturers is critical,” he says. Susan Finco, president and owner of Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc., was a member of the Advance board of directors from 1999 through 2002. “Small businesses make up the bulk of businesses, not just locally, but nationally as well,” says Finco. “As they grow, they provide jobs not just for their owners but others as well. They tend to be involved in the community and want to give back. You want a strong small business community because it results in a strong local economy and opportunities for everyone.”
Advance is a great community resource, she continues. “Advance has provided so many entrepreneurs with the opportunity to learn and grow. A lot of people have great ideas, but going from an idea or something you’re good at, to creating a successful business is another story,” says Finco, noting, “Advance is also very good at connecting new entrepreneurs with established business leaders in the community. That kind of networking can be invaluable.” The story of Paper Transport, Inc., is among the incubator’s shining stars. Today the carrier for the paper industry employs 320 people and provides services with 250 tractors and 850 trailers But when Lennie Shefchik and his wife Joan co-founded the business along with Roger and Amy Grimsley at the incubator on Potts Avenue, they had only four employees and three trucks. And with the support of Advance, “We only stayed a little less than a year,” says Shefchik, today chief financial officer of Paper Transport. With 14 employees and 10 trucks, “We just outgrew the place.”
Lennie Shefchik, founder of Paper Transport, Inc. (PTI) (left, pictured with his son, Jeff Shefchik, president) successfully established PTI in the Advance business incubator at its former Potts Avenue location.
The administrative and technical support provided by Advance made all the difference. “We could focus all of our energy on getting the business running,” he says. “I believe anybody who’s starting a business, if they knew about it, a high percentage would use it.” Among the current tenants of the incubator at 2701 Larsen Rd. is Cory Albrecht, owner of IEP Services, LLC. His energy company works with power plants on the East Coast to purchase and sell energy. When he was laid off from his prior energy employer in February 2010 he decided to start his own business. Word of mouth brought him to Advance in March, he says. “I knew what I wanted to do in my head,” says Albrecht. It was the guidance of the Advance board of directors that helped bring clarity to that vision. “It was very helpful just getting my business organized …. I’m on the right track.” Maribeth Conard, owner of Conard Creative Group, has leased from the incubator for two years. She went through the Urban Hope – now E-Hub – entrepreneurial program to develop the business plan for her graphic design and marketing firm. For five years she worked from her home, but finds the atmosphere at the incubator a better work environment for her. “It’s given me visibility and it’s given me credibility,” she says.
Young said he’s found tremendous support from partners of Advance like the Small Business Development Center of UWGB which also calls the Business Assistance Center home. Students from UWGB earned course credits while doing a business analysis for him. He says he’d still be struggling if it weren’t for Advance. Debbie Cherney is among the many success stories of the incubator. Just two years after its inception in 1987, Cherney came to the Advance in 1989, employing just herself and two other people. Cherney Microbiological Services, like many entrepreneurial endeavors, grew from the unmet potential she saw at her former employer. Her company does testing for the dairy industry. Cherney Microbiological Services grew slowly, she says, and with expansion at the Potts Avenue incubator location, she became its anchor tenant. Because of the requirements of her work, she put a lot of improvements into the building and stayed there for 11 years. In 2000 she moved to the I-43 Business Park. Today she has 44 employees and clients in 30 states from Maine to California though “we concentrate in the Midwest,” she says. An expansion of 14,000 square feet is planned and Cherney said she anticipates adding 75 to 100 employees. Today she serves on the Advance board of directors and helps to oversee who gets the nod to become the newest incubator tenants. “Advance gave me a start. It gave me a home. It gave me a nest,” she says. She noted that Cherney Microbiological Services uses 35 incubators to do its work. Advance, she said, “does exactly what our incubators do. It gives us a warm incubator and a place to grow … a safe haven.”
“Small businesses make up the bulk of businesses, not just locally, but nationally as well.” -Susan Finco, president and owner, Leonard & Finco Public Relations
Dan Young, owner of DY Technology, is also in his second year at the incubator. He’s an authorized dealer of Broadview Security, providing services to both residential and business customers. A paramedic and firefighter with the City of De Pere Fire and Rescue, his business plan’s goal has him going full-time with DY Technology in two years.
“It’s really something,” Cherney says of the business she grew with the help of Advance. “I shake my head a lot of times. It was a dream to fill a need.”
BBJ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 10 | 15
Life Of An Athlete A positive opportunity for tomorrow’s adults starts on the athletic field.
lee marie reinsch TEXT submitted PHOTOGRAPHY
It’s almost that time of year again. Friday night high school football games. Opportunities to cheer for your alma mater at everything from volleyball to basketball tournaments. But are you making the RIGHT investment? Are you getting behind community efforts that go beyond trophies and supporting tools to help our students become successful adults? That’s the premise behind Life of an Athlete – the latest tool in the arsenal of the Partners in Education Drug Alliance. This program is rooted in the fact that athletics have the nearly unlimited opportunity to go beyond season records and scoreboards. Instead, it’s an opportunity to focus on molding well-adjusted adults, one athlete at a time.
grades, fewer accidents and deaths, and fewer discipline or criminal issues. In addition, morale and community pride in school sports will increase because respect for athletes will be restored. Life of an Athlete doesn’t focus only on chemical abuse or punishment for breaking athletic codes (not to mention state law), but on the bigger picture of the overall health and well-being of the athlete, says Rebecca Deschane, youth development manager, Partners in Education, a program of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. “We will say, ‘If you want to be a successful athlete, there are things you need to do to be successful,’” Deschane says. “We look at, ‘What are you doing with training, are you doing the right things, are you refueling, are you rehydrating, are you getting enough sleep?’”
What is Life of an Athlete? Life of an Athlete focuses on the positive – the potential, the performance optimization, the good health and endurance – of an athlete by It points out that if athletes drink and party, it’s detrimental to their ability emphasizing both the negato be athletes, and that affects tives of engaging in activities the whole team, sometimes that undermine them and the even the whole school. “It’s unbelievable to look at; the brain (under the positives of chemical-free, influence of alcohol) looks like Swiss cheese." peak performance. Character development and keeping teammates account -Mary Lynch, Bellin Health Developed by John Underable to each other and to wood, president and founder themselves carry as much of the American Athletic Instiweight in the Life of an Athlete tute, Life of an Athlete is designed to confront chemical health issues program as living cleanly and obeying the athletic code. and impact the problems that face today’s student-athlete. Piloted in New York State by the New York State Public High School Athletic As youth development manager at the Chamber, Deschane serves as Association, this five-year program is now being expanded across the the program manager for the Partners in Education Drug Alliance. The country. Underwood, a former NCAA All-American and Olympic coach, program is in its second year of funding through the Strategic Prevenhas been a crusader for drug-free sport at all levels. He has conducted tion Framework State Incentive Grant from the state to implement the the only physiological case study of the residual effect of alcohol on program. “Our charge with funding is to find ways to make environmental elite athletic performance and is passionate in his pursuit to share his changes that will help to reduce underage alcohol use,” says Deschane. findings with all athletes, and those who care about athletes. “Life of An Athlete helps us work toward that goal by addressing the role social influences have on alcohol use by athletes.” “I really believe that educating kids on what they’re doing to their bodies (when they ingest chemicals) and how it’s affecting their performance The program targets athletes because every school has them, Deschane is going to be a huge selling point,” says Green Bay West High School says. “It’s the largest targeted population, in that athletes make up 40 to Athletic Trainer Mary Lynch of Bellin Health. 50 percent of the student body in urban schools, and in rural schools, it’s 70 to 80 percent,” she says. The American Athletic Institute (AAI) says its program will result in fewer injuries, faster recoveries, improved muscle development and better The thinking goes that because they’re often seen as leaders training. AAI says that outside of sports, the program will produce higher or cool people, athletes’ behavior set the tone for the rest of the 16 | BBJ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 10
student body. Research and evaluations collected from the piloted New York State Schools found that the percentage of high-school athletes who drink is higher than the percentage of non-athletes. Contact sports players drink more than non-contact sports players, and team sports athletes drink more than individual sports athletes, according to the AAI. The program is called “Life” of an Athlete because it integrates other parts of a student’s life besides high school sports. It rallies involvement from parents, coaches, administrators, team captains, athletic code enforcers, law enforcement, fans and the players’ fellow teammates. It ‘s more than another AODA program. It emphasizes the importance of getting enough sleep, eating the proper foods for recovery from a workout, and nutrition. And of course, competition. “Our athletes are becoming more and more competitive; they are competing against their best friend down the street now, and they are competing at different levels” in the sport, says Lynch. “Athletes are always looking to see what other schools are doing.” Voluntary summer weight programs used to be rare, but now they’re the norm. “Now so many schools have weightlifting programs because their opponents are doing it, so they need to buckle down and do it, too,” she adds.
The AAI uses the term ‘metabolic abuse’ rather than drinking or doing drugs to hit home the concept that those behaviors are self-destructive. Lynch is one of a group from Brown County that traveled to Lake Placid, N.Y., to meet and learn from Underwood. Representatives from school districts from Appleton, Howard-Suamico, Sheboygan and Brookfield were there as well. Among the more dramatic exhibits Underwood uses in his presentations to schools and parent groups: photographs of the brains of athletes on and off alcohol. “In his research, he does brain scans of athletes to show how brain activity is decreased,” Lynch says. “It’s unbelievable to look at; the brain (under the influence of alcohol) looks like Swiss cheese. Not that there are holes in it, but when you look at the surface area of the brain, the activity in the brain is decreased compared to the brain of someone who did not drink.” The photo-image exercise involves asking athletes who have and have not consumed alcohol or drugs to tap their fingers on their desks while under observation and scanning their brains. “You will see certain parts of the brain activity is there before (consuming alcohol), seen as bright areas where brain is active. In after pictures of athletes who have abused chemicals, those parts of the brain are not lit up,” Lynch says. “And that is just tapping a finger. Imagine when an athlete goes out onto football field and is doing something a little more active than tapping a finger.” Among the points of the Life of an Athlete program that caught Lynch’s attention: · Alcohol decreases the immune capacity. “So if our athletes are constantly abusing they get sicker more often and are more prone to infections. A simple cut could start as a simple cut but come to something worse,” she says. · Alcohol abuse can lower testosterone level. “Some males who drink heavily have testosterone levels similar to that of females,” Lynch says. “It makes no sense to put so much work into this (training for the sport) and by drinking you don’t have that one hormone it takes to build muscle.” · Alcohol can reduce endurance and the ability to react quickly. · Alcohol increases fatigue by decreasing the amount of REM-stage sleep, the stage of complete rest.
John Underwood, president and founder of the American Athletic Institute, Life of an Athlete, focuses on the positive benefits of avoiding metabolic abuse.
‘Blown away’ by findings Lynch works with athletes from the gamut of sports offered at Green Bay West High School. Her enthusiasm for Life of an Athlete stems from the program’s desired effects on athletes’ bodies. “I’m more in it for the health and performance aspect,” Lynch says. “After listening to what (leaders) had to say about the effects of metabolic abuse and what it does to the body, I was blown away.”
“If you are not getting enough REM sleep, you will be extremely fatigued,” Lynch says. “You will have slower reflexes, your endurance will be decreased and your overall strength will be decreased. You will have slower start-up speed. Where you hear the gun go off and you need to go, that explosive movement is going to be extremely slow.” What if they mess up? Kids often don’t understand how drinking and drugs impact their health and how much better their performance would be if they did not use them, says Mark Hebert, associate principal at Bay Port High School. He was among the locals who traveled to Lake Placid, N.Y. in early June for the AAI workshop with the founder. BBJ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 10 | 17
Hebert’s no head-in-the-sand ostrich: He realizes there will be some kids who choose not to follow code no matter what. Life of an Athlete helps authority figures do an intervention that will leave the athlete wanting to do better rather than feeling like dropping out of activities altogether and giving up. It frames the issue from a punitive-only response to one that confronts the issue at hand. “We’re able to say to the student and the parents, ‘We are concerned you have a problem, and we want you to get the help you need to be able to be a successful athlete and to develop into a productive adult,” says Deschane. Life of an Athlete puts into place the pieces of the athlete’s whole life with respect to overall wellness and character development, as well as the positive aspects of not drinking. “In essence, it takes away the punitive model, because as we can see, that hasn’t always been successful in deterring teen alcohol use,” Deschane adds. But make no mistake: It’s not that coaches will turn a blind eye to bad conduct; Life of an Athlete is all about personal accountability, and if coaches can’t be held accountable for holding athletes accountable, who can? If the athletic code needs to be enforced, it will be enforced, Hebert says. Others, such as parents and teachers, will be involved if that happens, but it will be made clear to students that they’re wanted back on the team if they can stay clean. “Your parents will be more involved with getting you back into the program,” Hebert says. “There is some education required on the part of the parent and student to get back into the program.” Hebert called the program “more holistic in nature” than previous incarnations of drug-resistance programs. “Kids want discipline, they want structure, it’s part of nurturing. They want to be at their best when performing,” Hebert adds.
Some of the other findings of the American Athletic Institute highlighted in the Life of an Athlete program: • Getting drunk can undo up to 14 days of training efforts. • Training hormones are reduced for up to four days after a bender. • Drinking alcohol after training “negates training effect.” • “Drinking alcohol after competition hinders recovery.” • “Residual effect of alcohol from elite athlete lab test shows effect on heart rate, lactic acid/muscle performance and respiratory/ventilation levels.” • “Muscle protein synthesis (repair of muscle fiber) is diminished, predominantly in fast-twitch muscle fibers.” • Alcohol is a diuretic, which leads to dehydration and Vitamin B deficiency which in turn impacts “recovery and conversion of hormone precursors into androgenic training hormones.” • “Reaction time can be affected even 12 hours after alcohol consumption.” • Players who drink are twice as likely to become injured . • “Alcohol compromises an athlete’s already vulnerable immune system.” • The “associated residual effect of the alcoholic hangover has been shown to reduce athletic performance by 11.4 percent.”
18 | BBJ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 10
“For every kid busted for alcohol, there are many more kids who are quietly doing right thing,” Hebert says. “Kids are under peer pressure and Bay Port isn’t any different from other schools. But off the top of my head, I can name 10 kids who come from solid families who will do the right thing.” Hebert wants Life of an Athlete to serve as a framework and a resource. He knows not everyone will follow it. “Kids will follow it if the program comes full circle,” he says. “There will be kids who won’t follow it, but we have to do our best.” No quick fix Life of an Athlete isn’t something that can prove its mettle by Christmas. Rather, it’s a five-year, five-phase program that includes the following steps: • Mandatory preseason meetings for entry-level athletes and parents. • Developing an athletic code of conduct for involvement in sports. • Effective training for coaches. • Developing leadership to confront behaviors of concern. • Stakeholder unity -- getting the community on board with the program. One of the biggest challenges is that the program is going to be a big change, Lynch says. “Every time there is a change, there will be some sort of gripe about it,” she says. “But we need to be proactive about this.” Locally, PIE will be working with the 10 school districts it covers, assisting with programming, parent support networking, putting out information and working with schools to inform parents of the dangers of alcohol use by minors. In those 10 districts are a combined 40,000 students and 5,000 teachers. “It’s a community effort. Our hope now is to sit down and talk about our next steps, with respect to how are we going to bring this back and working with Partners in Education’s school districts to make sure schools have the information they need,” Deschane says. Partners in Education covers the school districts of Ashwaubenon, Denmark, De Pere, Green Bay, Howard-Suamico, LuxemburgCasco, Pulaski, Seymour, West De Pere and Wrightstown. This includes public, private, parochial and tribal schools. Ultimately, Lynch believes Life of an Athlete will be a change for the better. “(Athletes’) overall health will be improved if they are chemical free: their energy levels will be up, their class work will improve, their home life could be improved, their experience on the field could be a whole different experience,” Lynch says. “Everything could be in a new light if all of the team were chemical free.”
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MEET A MEMBER
Chris Knight CEO, SparkNET
On SparkNET: Started in 1996, SparkNET served as an early Internet pioneer. Originally, the company served as an internet service provider, later evolving into a permission-based e-mail newsletter hosting service provider. SparkNET weathered the dot-com crash in 2001. Starting in 2004, it began a comeback with two employees and now has 80 employees. One million unique visitors per day: EzineArticles.com, SparkNET’s most popular website, offers users a unique experience. Nearly 300,000 expert authors and writers submit articles that are then available to Internet users. EzineArticles receives 30 million visitors per month. Knight acknowledges this is an incredible achievement, but still yearns for more. “It took five years for EzineArticles to go from nearly zero viewers to one million per day. Now we can aim for one million before noon or even before the sun rises.” According to Alexa, EzineArticles.com is the 112th most popular website in the world out of more than 220 million. In the U.S., the website ranks as the 62nd most popular. SparkNET’s expansion: The company broke ground for its new four-story building on May 17. Knight jokingly refers to its De Pere location as the “Silicon Cheese Valley.” “We’re a company that belongs in Silicon Valley, Calif., but there is a much lower cost of living here, great work ethics and ultimately a competitive advantage to being in the Midwest.” SparkNET’s new building will feature innovative amenities for employees, including: a giant slide, free food, showers, a sauna, a fitness center, pool tables and more. “Every day, we’re doing things we’ve never done before. There are so many things that are impossible on the Internet and we’re trying to make them possible.” When not working: Knight enjoys staying active. Racquetball, running, biking, swimming and competing in triathlons are some of his favorite activities. Favorite Green Bay hotspots: Western Racquet and Fitness Club and the Fox River Trail. Favorite tech gadgets: The iPhone 4 and the iPad 3G are two of Knight’s favorites. He enjoys reading books, social media, monitoring key performance stats and conducting business on both devices. Inspiration: “I read nearly 800 self-help and business books to get started,” says Knight. He credits Tony Robbins, motivational peak-performance speaker and author, for inspiring him. Also, author Dr. Wayne Dyer made a strong impact on Knight. Rock star dreams: “I grew up wanting to be a rock star, but I didn’t get the rock star voice or the looks. The reason I wanted to be a rock star is because I wanted to impact millions of people at once. The SparkNET/EzineArticles team and I now have the opportunity to provide positive value for millions of people all over the planet. That’s exciting!”
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Craig Dickman
CEO, chief innovation officer, Breakthrough Fuel On Breakthrough Fuel: The company has devised innovative concepts to save clients money pertaining to their fuel usage, sustainability and overall fuel management. It is estimated the company has saved more than $100 million for clients since 2005. Breakthrough Fuel has grown to include 17 full-time employees and many national clients, including Georgia Pacific and Shopko. Dickman’s professional background with experience in moving products and managing fuel gave birth to this innovative concept. Breakthrough Fuel even owns a patent pertaining to its technology. Breakthrough Fuel’s “customer-of-one” philosophy: “If you’re going to be successful in business, you have to have core values,” says Dickman. The customer-of-one value treats each customer as if he/she were the only customer. Breakthrough Fuel realizes each customer is unique and has different needs, allowing the company to meet the customer’s needs, versus having the customer conform to meet the company’s needs. Political passion: “It has been with me all my life,” says Dickman of his passion for politics. He first discovered this love when, at the age of 15, he volunteered for a local campaign office. Since then, he has continued to support political causes and politicians on all levels. Dickman has served on many boards and committees, including the Chamber’s Good Government Council for many years. Traveling: “I would love to see the rest of the United States,” he says. Dickman has visited 48 of the U.S. states, having yet to visit Hawaii and Vermont. He has also visited Europe nine times, but would love to travel to Australia, China and the Middle East. “There are four cities in the United States that everybody should visit: New York City, New Orleans, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco,” he says. Recommended read: “Superfreakenomics.” Upon reading this book, Dickman says, “It will do the thing great books do – challenge conventional thinking.” Favorite movie: “Field of Dreams.” All-American past time: Dickman is an avid baseball fan. Having served as treasurer, vice chairman and chairman of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, he has fed his appetite for the sport. Influential mentors: Dickman’s high school social studies teacher, Jim Bruscoe, encouraged community involvement, and recommended Dickman to the Green Bay Board of Park Commissions. In college, Jon Harris, recently retired management professor of University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, was another mentor for Dickman. “He made business humanistic and gave a broad sense of what it takes to be successful,” he says. Also, Bob Shade, owner of former Shade Information Systems, was another mentor for Dickman. “He challenged people to reach their potential,” he adds. Dickman spoke of a reunion, at which 28 past employees of Shade went on to develop or own their own businesses.
Do you know of an interesting Chamber member who warrants a "Meet the Member" profile on these pages? Send up to a 50-word description of the person you think should be highlighted to Lori Kaye Lodes, editor, at llodes@titletown.org for consideration.
BBJ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 10 | 21
Corporate health and wellness For bodies and bottom lines Jennifer Hogeland TEXT submitted PHOTOGRAPHY
Controlling healthcare expenses is especially challenging for businesses, but trends are taking employer’s responsibilities beyond footing a large part of the insurance costs. Companies are increasingly accepting the task of educating and motivating employees to improve their overall health and wellness – and their bottom line. It’s well worth their attention – a meta-analysis of workplace disease prevention and wellness programs found that for every dollar spent on the program, medical costs dropped by about $3.27 and absenteeism costs dropped by about $2.73, according to Worksite Wellness Programs Can Generate Savings, Health Affairs February 2010.
With the Sonic Boom program offered through the Co-op, participants are challenged to reach 5,000 steps twice a week for a year, or for 75 days from January to September. The more members exercise, the less the group’s premium will be. “Last year, 73 percent of our employees reached the 75-day goal, which was three times the average. They received a six percent maximum rate increase; the Green Bay average was about 17.3 percent. That is a big deal for employers,” says Randy Connour, executive director of the co-op in Green Bay. Group members saved hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Member-owned Co-op influences group rates Several years ago businesses, particularly small-to-medium sized businesses, in Northeast Wisconsin were in need of help to control healthcare costs. They turned to the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce for assistance in finding affordable healthcare. The Chamber led the effort, encouraging the state to create the Wisconsin Cooperative Care Law. Unique in the nation, the law allows Wisconsin businesses on a non-profit basis to come together to purchase healthcare. The Healthy Lifestyles Cooperative was established in 2007. Its mission has been to stabilize health insurance rates through cooperative purchasing, personal accountability and healthier lifestyles to provide a distinct combination of health insurance and wellness program. The primary focus: to drive down the cost of health insurance. The Co-op has since had 70 members under contract, serving more than 1,500 members. Randy Connour, executive director of the Healthy Lifestyles Cooperative, embraces activity as part
The Co-op’s insurance renewal rates are driven by exercise of every day. participation and health risk assessment. The program is driven by a 21st century tracking device called an accelerometer, a high-tech pedometer worn on a shoe to track both steps taken and minutes of activity. The wireless device automatically uploads to a website when a wearer walks within 50 feet of a computer receiver.
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“What this program really does is it begins to drive engagement further into the employee population. Now there is no excuse,” he adds.
As of May 1, 2010, local companies of any size could take advantage of Healthy Lifestyles Cooperative wellness initiatives without purchasing the insurance. Active employer involvement is instrumental in the program’s success. Company CEOs are required to be committed both personally and professionally by attending CEO meetings, setting organizational goals and encouraging full employee participation. Champs are appointed by each employer to serve as a liaison between the Healthy Lifestyles Cooperative and the employees. The Champ network serves as a priceless resource as members share ideas on what works for their company and what doesn’t. “We are driven by our members. Our members want to be actively involved because it goes right to their bottom line,” says Connour.
Gregg Hetue of the Brown County United Way holds his likeness that hangs on a felt football field in the organization's cubicles. The felt field tracks distance remaining to reach the targeted 5,000 steps.
Bottomline benefits of Co-op Area businesses that are active in the Co-op program have reported positive results. Some have seen dramatic lifestyle transformations within their workplaces.
Sierra Coating Technologies is on its second three-year commitment with Healthy Lifestyles Cooperative; they’ve had Sonic Boom in place since Jan. 1.Two-thirds of the company’s employees are on their feet all day, so the step goal was easy for them to achieve; however, the program opened the eyes of the office staff to their sedentary lifestyle. The 15 participants eventually figured out a way to get their steps in.
The Brown County United Way originally joined Healthy Lifestyles Cooperative four years ago because it saved the group a significant amount of money – something especially important for a non-profit. In January 2010, the United Way became part of the Co-op’s Sonic Boom program; all nine employees on the program were forced to get moving to keep their insurance costs as low as possible. The entire office got in on the action.
The company originally joined the Co-op to keep healthcare costs low. “From a corporate point of view this has always been about the really big line item called insurance expenses on our P&L and trying to control that,” says Marsha Lefko, controller with Sierra Coating Technologies in De Pere. “And when we sell it to our employees, we explain what it would cost them if we didn’t keep our rates down.”
To motivate employees to reach the targeted 5,000 steps, the office created a visual reminder. A felt football field hangs across cubicle walls with a photo of each employee tacked on the board, marking the distance remaining to reach the goal. Once the 75 days are achieved, Gregg Hetue, president and CEO of Brown County United Way, rewards the employee with a small gift certificate to a local store. “It started out as something we ‘had’ to do for insurance. But I know several of my staff – an enthusiastic percentage of the staff – looks at it as friendly competition and a sets a personal goal,” says Hetue. Employees use the website to monitor coworkers’ progress, generating a friendly competition.
Liebmann, Conway, Olejniczak & Jerry, S.C. in Green Bay has been part of the co-op for the last two and a half years. Roughly 35 of their 53 employees are on the insurance plan. Employee Jennifer Zavada says they went with the Co-op because of the low insurance rates but the firm also wanted a wellness plan to offer their employees. Liebmann, Conway, Olejniczak & Jerry, S.C. is completing its third year of the Healthy Lifestyles Cooperative Vitality program. Under Vitality, employees get rewarded for participating in healthy activities – doing fitness assessments, donating blood or taking a CPR class. She says, “The intangible benefit of the program is that people are eating better and exercising more so they should be more productive.” she says.
Hetue takes his CEO commitment seriously, actively participating in the Sonic Boom program by walking more than 7,000 steps a day. He offers kudos to the program, which has helped him drop 20 pounds and lower his cholesterol by 50 points without the use of medication. “The business and practical side of the program is, this is a necessary activity for us to do to keep our insurance [rates] down. But the thing I like about this is it actually created a lifestyle change in many of our employees.” Hetue adds, “I know it has now become part of me.”
The firm has taken its health and wellness commitment a few steps further, hosting community walks, offering nutrition classes and paying for fitness assessments. They’ve even had their own version of “The Biggest Loser.” Large corporations continue health focus Many major employers have had health and wellness initiatives in place for years. Humana in Green Bay has had a long-standing commitment to BBJ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 10 | 23
employee health. Fitness centers are located within corporate buildings. Food service provides healthy options in both the cafeteria and vending machines. Educational health webcasts are available monthly. Humana promotes three-to-four health campaigns each year. “We feature current topics our employees are interested in,” says Elona DeGooyer, consultant in human resources at Humana. “It is our way to reach out to those who may not be regular program participants.” The company has an interactive lifestyles program for employees to manage their weight, learn about nutrition, work on stress management, stop smoking or prevent back pain. Health coaches are available to assist employees; wellness champions in each office location get the buzz out about the latest corporate initiatives.
The company’s commitment to health and wellness is to create happier and more productive employees. “Our internal program tagline is ‘live life well.’ We don’t want to tell our employees exactly what they have to do to be healthy. We want them to figure out what they need to do to live life well,” says DeGooyer. Humana provides the tools and resources for their employees so the workplace is as healthy as possible. She adds, “People are encouraged to embrace a culture of health and well-being while they are at work and to bring that culture home to their families.” Rising prescription drug expenditures get attention Prescription drug costs in the United States were $234.1 billion in 2008, nearly six times that spent in 1990, according to a 2010 report by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Although prescription drug spending has been a relatively small portion of national health care spending, it is one of the largest growing insurance expenditures for employers. Employers have had to respond to rising prescription drug costs by increasing the amount employees pay for their medications. The Kaiser Family Foundation report revealed 78 percent of workers with employer-sponsored coverage were in plans with three or more tiers of cost sharing for prescription drugs in 2009, three times the portion in 2000. “Employers want to provide health insurance but to remain competitive they need to offer these different tiers,” says Gary Krider, pharmacist and owner of Krider Pharmacy & Gifts in Green Bay. “The way businesses control costs is by purchasing fewer benefits for their employees.” Co-pays are on the rise; many employees have deductibles to meet before insurance plans kick in. “You are seeing more people in plans that have to reach a certain expenditure and then all your different insurances take effect, including your drug plan,” says Jeff Kirchner, pharmacist and CEO of Streu’s Pharmacy Bay Natural in Green Bay.
Jodi McWilliams, benefit manager at KI in Green Bay, presented the employer's perspective on having a smokefree campus for years at the July 21 presentation, "Are You Compliant? After the Smoke-Free Wisconsin Law."
The Green Bay office is piloting two programs designed to measure health and wellness program success. They partnered with “The Biggest Loser” and are offering employees a discount to join. Weight is entered and tracked throughout the program, generating excitement among the employees. The second initiative is creating a personal health score – attaching biometrics to the annual health risk assessment. “This will help employees see their entire health picture. We are hoping the additional pieces of data may motivate our employees to seek out a healthier lifestyle,” says DeGooyer. Humana strives to create an environment in which employees can function effectively and efficiently. The company has brought in more natural lighting, opened stairwells and created common areas for employees to congregate to further enhance the workplace. 24 | BBJ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 10
Locally owned pharmacies are seeing more and more customers carrying around health benefit cards. This method transfers the task of controlling prescription costs to the employee. The wellness movement is in full swing as businesses try to reduce the number of chronic conditions and lower prescription drug expenditures. “Businesses are taking an active role in the health of their employees,” adds Kirchner. “There is a lot to be said about prevention.” Smoking ban takes effect On July 5, the Wisconsin law prohibiting smoking in the workplace became a reality. The Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, along with the Wisconsin Safety Council, took an active position to keep their members compliant with the new rules and regulations. A past Chamber program reviewed the health components of the ban; a symposium on July 21 explored employers’ obligations under the Wisconsin Act 12.
The “Are You Compliant” event brought a pulmonologist, local benefits manager and a presenter from the American Lung Association together for an overview of the law; a Q&A session ended the morning meeting. Jodi McWilliams, benefit manager at KI in Green Bay, came to discuss the implications of the smoking ban from an employer’s perspective. Having a smoke-free campus for years, KI willingly shared its best practices. Insurance policies and specific program initiatives were of most interest to the attendees. McWilliams explained KI treats smoking like any other health issue. As part of annual health assessment, points are deducted from smokers. They have the opportunity to earn their points back by taking a course aimed at smoking cessation. A corporate commitment to wellness drives the company’s aggressive stance on smoking. “We know there are claims out there from those who smoke that could have been prevented. We’ve always taken the stance we are going to go after the types of things we can control,” says McWilliams. “Move It or Lose It” forum held While employers have been bombarded with information on the rising costs of healthcare, a new topic of corporate health was introduced to a special get-together of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce’s CEO and CFO Roundtables on May 13. “With health and well-being as hot business topics, we wanted to bring [leaders] something to help them better manage the healthcare programs within their organizations,” says Ray Kopish, vice president of member services at the Chamber.
thinkers, and to figure out how the entire community benefits from being healthy,” he adds. The business leaders felt the information presented should be shared with the community. A November health care forum is in the planning stages. “Kids Count” task force forms According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the national rate of obesity has more than doubled for preschool and adolescent children over the past 30 years; it has more than tripled for children ages 6 to 11. “Wisconsin isn’t exempt from the national trend, a trend we as adults need to battle,” says Stan Kocos, extended learning coordinator for the Green Bay Area Public School District. The community’s determination to raise the healthiest kids in the country has recently made great strides. A new initiative, “Kids Count,” arose out of the Green Bay Press Gazette’s “Think Bold” campaign. Paul Jadin, president of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, was called on to lead a task force. On July 13, Jadin assembled various players in the community – school superintendents, hospital presidents, Boys and Girls Club leaders and more – to discuss childhood obesity concerns, debate what needs to be done and outline the areas that need the most community cooperation. Twenty people made up the resource committee and another 15 are on the task force. (See Viewpoint in this issue for more details.)
"The thing I like about this is it actually created a life-
The intent is to establish programs and set norms on how to raise healthy children. Jadin says, “It is more than physical health. It includes a child’s mental health and well-being as it relates to the culture and arts.”
The discussion didn’t touch on style change in many of our employees.” the healthcare issues being -Gregg Hetue, president and CEO, Brown County fought in Madison and Washington. Instead, Dr. Whitcomb United Way from Aurora Healthcare stood before the group of more than Area schools are doing their 50 to reveal how executives part, pushing nutrition and could control their own destiny, costs and health. “The intent was to exploring activities that appeal to children with all levels of interest. give leaders ideas on how to cut healthcare costs on the home front, “Because of varying degrees of ability we look at different athletic starting with them personally,” explains Steve Van Remortel, one of the activities to challenge students,” says Kocos. Green Bay Area Public creators of the roundtable program and president and chief strategist Schools have done a great deal to re-examine the types of foods at SM Advisors, Inc. in Green Bay. If company leaders guide by example available not only in the lunch program but also what types of beverthen everyone else will fall in line. ages are stocked in machines on school grounds. “What we are doing is getting the message out that health and wellness starts at the top of the organization and they drive improvement down through the organization. It is about exemplary leadership,” says Kopish.
The efforts are currently fragmented. “Kids Count” was formed to establish a unified approach to health and wellness programs. “It is a complex issue that begs for a strong community-coordinated response,” says Kocos. “The message needs to be consistent.”
“The way we do healthcare in the future has to change,” says Dr. Whitcomb. “We need to start thinking differently.” He suggested the community needs to take responsibility for what it costs to run a business – for Green Bay businesses to be healthy, they can’t be spending 17 percent of their income on healthcare. “Let’s cut down the costs of healthcare by getting the entire community involved in taking care of themselves. And, the best way to change human behavior is by having the whole environment doing it together.”
Jadin expects the task force will issue a report by the end of the year, outlining the specific tasks and initiatives that will be established to tackle children’s health concerns. He challenges anyone with the expertise or interest in the topic to come out and be heard. “I’ve tried to assemble people who I believe belong at the table but the whole community really belongs at the table,” he says.
He explained that making meaningful lifestyle changes adds years to a life; Dr. Whitcomb shared shocking statistics on the impact vitamin D has on the body. “The goal is to put together a campaign, to be broad BBJ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 10 | 25
Chamber briefs
Advance/economic development
Karen Matze, recently retired Suamico village administrator (June 6), received the Administrator of the Year Award from the Wisconsin City/County Management Association in recognition of her contributions to the various Wisconsin communities she worked in over the years. Matz was a member of the Advance municipal issues committee and Advance board of directors…Don Noskowiak, Advance board of directors, is one of the principals in a new start-up company, LIVEyearbook, which recently was the grand prize winner in the 2010 Governor's Business Plan Contest, which included $50,000 in cash and services. LIVEyearbook has developed a software-as-service platform that can be used by schools and students to produce online yearbooks….On June 30, the Advance Business Center incubator officially celebrated the completion of two major renovation projects with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Prior to remodel, the center's 40 offices were 95 percent occupied while its light industrial area was only at nine percent. Part of the industrial area was transformed into four private office suites each sporting their own modular offices, conference room and cubicles. This helped to free up individual offices of high interest to small, start-up firms and allow companies that have grown move into the office suites. The second remodeling project took four of the 1,000 sq ft industrial bays and upgraded them to better meet the needs of true light industrial business entrepreneurs. The bays received increased power of 440v-3 phase along with 10' x 10' overhead garage doors, exterior access through service doors and a dust collection system.
Government affairs
The Good Government Council interviewed selected Republican 8th District Congressional candidates on July 1. The deadline for declarations of candidacy in state and local races this fall was July 13– more interviews and examination of the voting records of incumbents running for a variety of state and national offices will be held this summer and fall in preparation for the September primary election…We presented a seminar on July 15 about the new Wisconsin Act 290, alerting members that the state is preventing employers from communicating with their employees and restricting their ability to respond to union organizing efforts…We wrote US Rep. Steve Kagen on June 24 urging that he vote no on H.R. 5175 the DISCLOSE Act, which has been crafted to specifically disadvantage corporations and the associations that represent them in political speech, an assault on rights protected by the First Amendment. It was narrowly approved, 219-206, but Rep. Kagen was not among the 36 Democrats who voted no. It now goes to the Senate, where we've sent U.S. Senators Feingold and Kohl the same message…The Ritter Forum on Public Policy discussed new efforts for fire department collaboration on July 27…We've notified the US Chamber of Commerce that we intend to apply for "Accredited" status in 2011…Chamber boards and committees are working on their tactical plans and budgets for the program year beginning Sept. 1.
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Leadership Green Bay
On June 10 and 11, Leadership Green Bay hosted a Wisconsin Community Leadership Coordinators Conference with UW Extension Leadership programs from throughout the state. Also attending the conference was a delegation of officials from Kazakhstan who enjoyed the conference through an interpreter. Keynote speakers were Tom Mosgaller, director of change management, Center of Health Advancement Systems Studies, UW Madison; and Bret Bicoy, Bicoy Philanthropic Advisors….Leadership Green Bay Class of 2011 applications are in and the class is being finalized…The Leadership Green Bay Golf Outing planning is in full swing for the Sept. 13 outing at Thornberry Creek Golf Club. If you are interested in attending, please contact Heather Heil at heatherh@aosbiz.com
MEMBER SERVICES
The Chamber is in its initial planning stages for a third social media event to follow "What the Tweet Is Social Media Marketing" and "Be A Social Media Rock Star," anticipated to be held in early 2011…The new "Lead the Way" Chamber events calendar is enclosed in this issue of the BBJ. Additional copies are available from the Chamber by calling 437-8704; an electronic version is posted at titletown.org… The Chamber kicks off its new season of Business After Hours events with an after hours at aloft Hotel on Wednesday, Sept. 8…You can nominate a deserving individual who has furthered the advancement of women in general for this year's ATHENA Award. Both men and women are eligible; criteria and nomination forms are available by calling 437-8704 or visiting titletown.org. Nominations are due Aug. 21 and the recipient will be honored at the Chamber's annual meeting this fall…
Partners in Education
Partners in Education Youth Apprenticeship Program helps grow our future workforce in 15 industry areas–auto collision, auto technology, cabinetry, construction, engineering, mechanical design, financial services, health services, industrial equipment technology, information technology, lodging management, logistics, manufacturing machining, printing and welding. More than 100 juniors/ seniors from the 10 area school districts are seeking an area worksite for workplace training. If this program could help in the development of your workforce and you are willing to mentor one of these apprentices, please contact Nancy Schopf (593-3413) or Lisa Schmelzer (593-3411)… Attract future employees to your industry by joining area businesses at the annual Partners in Education Career Expo on Dec. 7 at Shopko Hall for more than 5,000 sophomores. Call Brian Johnson (593-3408) to reserve your booth… As Partners in Education approaches its next 20 years of existence, the PIE executive board is developing strategic plans to move Partners in Education programming from "good to great." To be a Partners in Education volunteer, contact Nancy Schopf (593-3413) to get involved.
We’ve changed (sort of). For more than 75 years, you’ve known us as Virchow Krause, one of the country’s strongest accounting and advisory firms. We have simply changed our name, cementing our commitment to Baker Tilly International—the world’s 8th largest network of accounting firms—further enhancing our ability to help clients around the globe. Today is a great day. And tomorrow will be even better.
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Make sure your insurance plan includes Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin-Fox Valley • Pediatric specialists and subspecialists from allergy to urology. • Fox Valley’s top-level intensive care nursery. • The only hospital in the region that treats children exclusively and has pediatricians on site 24/7. It’s easy to see why Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin-Fox Valley means the best care for kids. And just in case your child ever needs more, we’re your connection to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, rated one of the best in the nation. Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin-Fox Valley 130 Second St., Neenah (920) 969-7900 chw.org/foxvalley
BBJ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 10 | 27
CHAMBER NEWS
A representative from Wisconsin Public Service talks with students about the importance of classroom skills and how they are used by his team in the field. The vehicle and other tools were used to provide a hands-on opportunity for students to learn about careers in a variety of industries during the Careers on Wheels program offered by Partners in Education for local elementary schools.
The Children’s Museum of Green Bay broke ground on its new location on June 25. Pictured are John Kress, Green Bay Packaging; John O’Connor, Schreiber Foods; Paul Meyer, Calumet County Bank; Paul Witek, Oneida Nation; John Vetter, Vetter-Denk Architects; Dona and Jim Schmitt; Julie Van Straten, UnitedHealthcare; and Jacque Kress, community volunteer.
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Andrea Phillip and Sue May of Heartland Business Systems visit with a potential client at their booth at the Business Recognition Luncheon on June 9 at the KI Convention Center.
The Advance Business Center/incubator celebrated its renovated manufacturing bays and office areas with a ribbon cutting on June 30. Included in the celebration were (left to right): Dan Seidl, NWTC; Paul Jadin, Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce; Mark Weber, NWTC; Greg Runnoe, Smet; Paul Belscher, Smet; Fred Monique, Advance; Greg Gauthier, Foxwood Associates; Lisa Harmann, Advance Business Center; Sen. Dave Hansen; Mayor Jim Schmitt; Rick Hill, Oneida Tribe; Lynn Zettel, Chamber ambassador; and Sen. Rob Cowles.
➜ The 39 members of the 2010 Leadership Green Bay graduating class celebrated graduation at the Tundra Lodge Resort & Waterpark. They are, first row, left to right: Ronda Schauer, Lisa Manske, Darin Schumacher, Sheryl VanGrunsven, Shaun Jacquet, Dolores Watson, Hollie Conard, Dan Roarty, Jamee Haslam and Mary Kay Capelle; second row, left to right: Debbie Leoni, Joan Nyamhondoro, Jennifer Nelson, Michelle Kelsey, Jennifer Allen, Kevin Brennan, Tina Przybylski, Linda Willis, Phil Bellis, Janis Robertson, Alena Holcomb and Jennifer Hill-Kelley; third row, left to right: Jason Helgeson, Jim Stamatakos, Chad Bronkhorst, Matt Petersen, Liza Hadler, Gary Sams, Heath Urick, Paul Kaster, Brian Flood Jill DeGroot-Schulke and Rebecca Lesperance; and last row, left to right, Nate Sorenson, Kyle Hoops, Bill Bongle, Craig Vanderwerff and Jeff Verkuilen. 28 | BBJ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 10
lead well. Wellness is the future–a movement. It’s your best opportunity to lower your company’s healthcare costs. But the effort requires expert attention to be its best. When you partner with Prevea Health & Wellness, that’s exactly what you get. Northeast Wisconsin’s most comprehensive corporate wellness program, supported by the region’s premier healthcare specialists and Western Racquet & Fitness Club’s progressive fitness offerings. We’re committed to help your employees live well. Committed to help your business do well. Hear the message. Lead the movement. Visit leadwellwis.com or call 920-574-6449.
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Bay Park Square Mall, Green Bay (920) 617-6565
(920) 617-7800
Offer valid from 8/1/10 – 8/31/10 or while supplies last. Activation at time of service, two-year service agreement and credit approval required. New line activation or qualified upgrade required. A line set up fee and early termination fee may apply. If applicable, the early termination fees may be reduced proportionately to the remaining months of the term of the agreement. Prices do not include taxes, fees or other charges. Universal Service Fund (USF) and regulatory and other recovery fees charged on all service lines. An E911 fee or Police & Fire Protection fee charged on all service lines. The amount or range of taxes, fees and surcharges vary and are subject to change without notice. See retail location or www.cellcom.com/fees for details. Promotion offer subject to change. Available on select business calling plans $39.95 or higher with a subscription to a data or Quik|TxT package of $9.95 or higher for a minimum of three months. 30 Day Guarantee: If within 30 days you are not completely satisfied with Cellcom’s wireless service, pay for the services you have used and return the equipment in acceptable condition. Offers not valid with myChoice prepaid wireless service. Other restrictions apply. See store for details.
Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 1660 300 N. Broadway, Ste. 3A Green Bay, WI 54305-1660
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