Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Newsletter
The month of January marked my 10 year Anniversary here at the Chamber of Commerce! Where does time go? I would like to thank you for your support and friendship over the past years. It is such an honor to work for a group of vibrant individuals and businesses that make up the Heart of the Valley Chamber family! We are showing our LOVE for our business community during the month of February and making everyone a member for a month! This is a great time for not-yet-members to see all of the exciting things happening here at the Chamber. We encourage our current members to get more involved with what the Chamber has to offer! This month we have partnered with DIVERSIFIED investigations, llc to host a “Workplace Violence Seminar”. This day-long event will feature educational tips and procedures for you to implement in your workplace to protect you, your staff and customers. Join us for our Business After Hours this month at the Draft Gastropub for great drink specials and a delicious selection of appetizers! In celebration of National Heart Month, we have focused our educational seminars on ways to keep you healthy while maintaining work-life balance. Advocacy this month will focus on the Governor’s Budget. Todd Berry, President of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance will be here to discuss what the budget means for our school districts and our business community! Our Annual Awards event will take place on Thursday, February 23 rd! This event will honor Chamber Members for their success over the years as well as feature a four course beer pairing! Sponsorship opportunities and tickets are still available.
February 2017
"Each of the HOTV Chamber's annual Signature Events – the Taste From the Heart, Annual Awards to the Golf Outing – has its own attraction to attendees and sponsors. We get to meet new business contacts, exchange ideas, strengthen existing relationships and enhance our brand with members. We enjoy bringing existing contacts into the valley; knowing HOTV will help us all make the right connections; in our line of work we need connections in almost all aspects of construction. From the general Contractor to plumbers, electricians, masons and landscapers, so, being connected is very important to us." - Kristine Newhouse, L & H GYR
If you have any suggestion for upcoming educational seminars or other chamber programming, please contact the Chamber! We love hearing from you to help us serve you better!
Kelli Clussman, Executive Director 920.766.1616 kclussman@heartofthevalleychamber.com
What’s Inside?
Upcoming Events
Photos from this past month’s events
New Members
Good News is Worth Repeating
Member Spotlight
1st Annual Workplace Violence Seminar Thursday, February 9, 2017 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM DIVERSIFIED investigations llc and the Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce have partnered to present the 1st Annual Workplace Violence Seminar.
The Department of Labor reports victims of domestic violence lose nearly 8 million days of paid work per year in the US, resulting in 1.8 billion loss. Attend this seminar to hear how domestic violence impacts your workplace and how to respond to it.
This Seminar is a must to attend. You will be glad you did. 2 Connecting People – Promoting Business
To register for an event, go to www.heartofthevalleychamber.com
Member Spotlight
N485 Milky Way Appleton, WI 54915 - 920.739.5400 - www.ClearWaterCarWash.net
Clear Water Car Wash is a state-ofthe-art car care and detail center that is committed to helping customers protect their investment and the environment by performing professional car care services that conserves water and use only environmentally-friendly products, located off of HWY 441 and CE, near Lowes and Festival. Clear Water Car Wash first opened October 31st, 1994. Both locally owned and operated, Clear Water Car Wash knew the demand for such a business, and the owner had the experience to satisfy those needs. The primary services offered were car washing packages from 1994-1996. In 1996, Clear Water Car Wash expanded to include a Quick Lube and Detail Center. Through many loyal employees and customers, Clear Water Car Wash has remained a foundation in car care throughout the east side of Appleton and surrounding communities. At Clear Water Car Wash our top priority is making our customers happy by providing quality and excellent customer service. If you are not completely satisfied with our car care service, we will do whatever it takes to make it right. We recently celebrated 22 years in business and we are extremely proud of that accomplishment. The car wash industry is considered very competitive in our community with many players in the market for customers to choose to take their vehicle. We cannot
thank our customers enough for being so loyal to us over the years and referring others to Clear Water Car Wash. We look forward to continuing our services to you and our community for many years to come. The greatest obstacle we face day to day is the weather. You can have three or four really solid days of business, or you can have one week of sleet, rain and snow - similar to what we've been having. However; during those down times our Lube and Detail Departments remain open. Every full service oil change comes with a car wash, so on those not-so-good weather days, we provide our customers a rain check to come back to get their vehicle cleaned on another day. We also continue to strive to keep up with the latest car wash industry trends in order to help better serve. The way people care for their vehicles is completely different than it were 20 years ago, so we want to insure we are taking the right precautionary steps to ensure our customers are satisfied with their vehicles and we are providing them with the best possible vehicle care; along with keeping our environment clean. The Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce brings resources to assist in a successful business; specifically small businesses like ourselves. HOVC invest in us and wants to see us succeed, which leads to a more successful community where we all live and work. We are proud to be a part of a strong Chamber like The Heart of the Valley Chamber!
Presented By:
Entertainment Sponsor:
Reception Sponsor:
Karben4 Sponsor:
Dessert Sponsors:
Décor Sponsor:
Reserved Table Sponsors:
Sponsorship Opportunities Still Available!
Reception Partner
$1,500
* Reserved Table for 8 * Name on cocktail napkins used at the event * Full color, 1/2 page ad in the Heartbeat Publication * Sponsor of Karben4 “Welcome Beer” * Opportunity to be featured “Member of the Month” * Will accept 4 partners at this level * Category exclusivity per industry
Reserved Table
Dessert Partner
$1,500
* Reserved Table for 8 * Name on dessert picks used at the event * Full color, 1/2 page ad in the Heartbeat Publication * Logo on all reception area table tents * Opportunity to be featured “Member of the Month” * Will accept 4 partners at this level * Category exclusivity per industry
$500
* Reserved Table for 8 * 2-Full color, 1/2 page ads in HeartBeat Publication For more information, visit www.heartofthevalleychamber.com or email Diane@heartofthevalleychamber.com
Business After Hours: Midwest Design Homes
Business Card Exchange: American National Bank
6 Connecting People – Promoting Business
Business Between Hours: Chamber Utilization Tools for Marketing Presented by: Susan VandenHeuvel
8 Connecting People – Promoting Business
Protect Your Privacy: App Security Tips Despite ongoing review and efforts to keep fake apps out of popular app stores, fraudulent apps still pop up and it’s up to users to keep a watchful eye. Apps remain the most common way your phone and data stored in it can be compromised, so it is important to be discerning and responsible with the apps you choose to download. Why fake an app? There are a variety of motives. Some apps are simply knock-offs of hit apps or games that are trying to compete for downloads with the popular apps. Other apps appear to be from a popular brand, but there purpose is to simply serve ads (which is usually apparent upon opening the ad). Unfortunately, there other fake apps with malicious intent to infect your device, convince you to enter your credit card number or attempt to steal your personal information. While there is no fool-proof method for avoiding malicious apps, here are some tips to help keep your device and personal information safe.
Be leery of paid apps being available for free from an outside website — App developers do occasionally discount the price of their app, but usually do so within the official app store. A free app offer on an outside website should be a red flag that the app is not legitimate and is probably malicious in nature. Check the downloads and reviews — Use the additional feedback given by fellow consumers to see if an application is living up to the developer's
intentions. An app with a lot of downloads, high ratings and positive reviews will usually indicate an app is meeting expectations. An app with fewer downloads, low ratings and complaints can signal a questionable app. Review permissions — Be aware of what parts of the phone you are giving the application access to and make sure you are comfortable with granting the access. If something doesn't seem right, don't download it. Your smartphone contains a lot of sensitive information; it's important to be proactive and protect that information. Watch for other red flags, as well, including misspellings or bad grammar in the app description, multiple apps appearing to be from the same brand with different developers or apps featuring deals that are too good to be true. App stores continue to work to weed out the bad apples, but taking a second look remains an important step to protect your smartphone and ultimately your personal information.
Cellcom is an innovative wireless company that provides nationwide service for its customer base throughout Wisconsin and Michigan, with 60 retail and agent locations. Cellcom is respected for its long-standing reputation of delivering extraordinary customer care, being a strong community partner, and for its renowned network, which is customized to its rural markets. As a subsidiary of Nsight, Cellcom is part of a family of companies offering complete telecommunications services.
* Simon’s cheese has been providing world class cheese to the valley for over 75 years. * When they say “world class” they mean it. They were named Best in Class 13 times at the last 2 world championships. * Simon’s provides fantastic quality gift baskets to area companies as well as organizations across the country. * They don’t just do cheese! We offer pizzas, sausage, beer, wine, fudge, clothing gifts and so much more. Simon’s does it all! * They offer a selection of grab n’ go items with cheese and sausage that are all ready for you to serve Click here to view our Member to Member discounts.
2735 Freedom Road Appleton, WI (920) 788-6311
Welcome New Members US Tech Force 4010 W. Spencer Street STE. 101, Appleton 920.832.1200 corey@ustechforce.com
Corey Wilbur, Branch Manager
US Tech Force has been a locally owned and managed company since 1990. Being local means our commitment is to the businesses in our communities - not stakeholders. US Tech force takes pride in separating ourselves from the average “staffing company” by supplying our clients with responsible and efficient employees instead of just a body. By holding high standards we satisfy the need for greater productivity, and lower turnover- which result in lower training and employment costs for our clients.
Rawhide E7475 Rawhide Road New London 920.531.2593 amoore@rawhide.org You might be surprised to find that Rawhide is more than cars and teenage boys. As you get to know them better, you will see that they have multiple programs and services that get youth and families on the right track. For instance, Rawhide now offers outpatient counseling services in Appleton, Green Bay, Milwaukee, New London and West Bend. The outpatient counseling services are available to boys and girls of all ages as well as families and couples. Amanda’s role at Rawhide is to impact the lives of at-risk youth by sharing the mission of Rawhide. She loves sharing all of the giving opportunities that provide funding for education, counseling services, work experience, as well as subsidies for the individual care of the boys while they participate in the Rawhide Residential Care Program. Although Amanda usually works with donors and in the community she still says her favorite part of the job is Amanda Moore working with the Rawhide boys during the Fish Fry season. Development Specialist
Mission Village of Kaukauna 2200 Green Bay Road Kaukauna, WI 54130 920.241.4248 mvkaukauna@commonwealth.net | www.commonwealthco.net
Tina Truehart
Tina Truehart, Property Manager announces the opening of Mission Village of Kaukauna. This Commonwealth Property offers affordability housing with a preference to veterans but open to all qualified applicants. Commonwealth Management Corporation is a locally owned Wisconsin based company who specializes in exceptional, quality affordable housing.
Property Manager
Mission Village of Kaukauna cottage style living is now accepting lease-up applications for April 1st and expected to accept applications through the August lease up period. Each spacious cottage-style two or three bedroom home features a private entrance, large kitchen, washer & dryer hook ups, central heat, in-wall air conditioning, attached garage and is a pet friendly community. Your caring responsive management team awaits your call or e-mail so act fast and contact us today. 10 Connecting
Good News is Worth Repeating KELLER, Planners, Architects, Builders, a Design/Build General Contractor, will build an office addition for CMD under the direction of Keller Project Manager, Dale Hulce and Architect, Steve Klessig. KELLER, Planners, Architects, Builders, a Design/Build General Contractor, will build an interior office space for UFS, LLC under the direction of Keller Project Manager, Dave Stubbs and Architect, Steve Klessig. KELLER, Planners, Architects, Builders, a Design/Build General Contractor, will build an addition to an existing restaurant for El Tapatio under the direction of Keller Project Manager, Jesse Hall and Project Designer, Jim Stojke. KELLER, Planners, Architects, Builders, a Design/Build General Contractor, will remodel the interior of an existing convenience store for Moto Mart under the direction of Keller Project Manager, John Elrick and Architect, Steve Klessig. Schenck is proud to announce their affiliation with The Leading Edge Alliance, a global network of independent member accounting firms focused on accounting, financial, tax and business advisory services, with expertise across a wide range of industries. Schenck is offering an Excellence in Leadership Foundations series, a focused, four-month program designed to provide in experienced or untrained managers with the critical knowledge necessary to successfully manage and lead a team. Attendees will learn how to effectively manage themselves and their teams, while Greg Barber, CPA, president/CEO remaining aligned with their organization’s strategy. Schenck SC is pleased to announce Deb Bukouricz, CPA; Chris Hendricks, CPA, CVA; Brad Kussow, CPA, CMA, CM&AA; Sue Pable, CPA; and Chris Roble, CPA, have recently been named shareholders of the organization.
First National Bank – Fox Valley (FNB Fox Valley) has promoted Steve Barry to Vice President – Commercial Banking and has hired Andy Wallace as Vice President - Commercial Banking. Investors Community Bank is pleased to announce the addition of Julie Blaha as Vice President – Deposit Operations. Additionally, the bank recently announced three promotions at its Manitowoc headquarters:
Cyrene Wilke was promoted to Senior Vice President – Operations
Brad Kussow
Sue Pable
Deb Bukouricz
Chris Hendricks
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Cyrene Wilke
Laura Wiegert was promoted to Senior Vice President – Marketing
Elena Staabs was promoted to Portfolio Manager in the Ag Credit department. Laura Wiegert
Marco has promoted Todd Erne to VP of IT Solutions. Horizon Community Credit Union, with two locations in Green Bay, 3139 Voyager Drive and 700 Eastman Avenue, joined Fox Communities Credit Union.
Elena Staabs Anniversary Home Builders Association Executive Vice President Heidi Zich, IOM, recently celebrated 15 years of employment with the organization. Home Builders Association of the Fox Cities has hired Membership & Workforce Development Manager Shelly Van Skyhawk and Administrative Assistant Stacie Hazlett. Home Builders Association of the Fox Cities has hired
Heidi Zich
Chris Roble
Julie Blaha
Stacie Hazlett
Shelly Van Skyhawk
Membership & Workforce Development Manager Shelly Van Skyhawk and Administrative Assistant Stacie Hazlett.
Contact Us
Give us a call for more information about our services and products. Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce 101 E. Wisconsin Ave. Kaukauna, WI 54130 (920) 766-1616 jamie@heartofthevalleychamber.com Visit us on the web at: www.heartofthevalleychamber.com