Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Publication
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
AMPLITEL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Upcoming Events Ways to Build Long Lasting Customer Relationships Meet a Member
June 2015
Business After Hours: The Little Chute Windmill
Member Spotlight: Amplitel Technologies
Meet a Member: Ben Hietpas
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Mark your calendar for these upcoming events! All events are held at the Chamber Office unless otherwise stated.
We invite you to join us at an upcoming Chamber event!
Tuesday, June 9 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Effective Ways to Retain Good Employees We all know how difficult it can be to hire good employees, ones that have the skills, motivation and commitment to help a business go on to greater levels of success. It can be just as daunting, and sometimes significantly more difficult, to keep those employees once they are on board. Please join Dave Salzwedel, Excalibur Edge Consulting, as he helps you to gain new insight on the following critical aspects of retaining good employees:* You’ll leave with a new set of tools and ideas to retain that hiring investment you have made.
Thursday, June 25 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Business Card Exchange is a structured process for facilitating introductions and conversation between people who don't know each other. Each participant is allotted a period of time to introduce themselves with a prepared short elevator speech which summarizes key elements of their company, their products and their services.
Thursday July 23 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Thursday, August 13 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Wednesday, June 3 5:00pm - 7:00pm The Chandelier Club 162 Eisenhower Dr. Appleton Join us for some drink specials, networking, appetizers catered by High Cliff Restaurant and live music.
Thursday, July 30 5:00pm - 7:00pm Waverly Beach N8770 Fire Lane 1, Menasha Thursday, August 20 5:00pm - 7:00pm Tanners Grill & Bar 730 S. Railroad St. Kimberly
Thursday, September 24 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
N.E.W. Emerging Leaders Tuesday, June 2 | 11:45am - 1:00pm Appleton Beer Factory 603 W. College Ave. Appleton Come learn about the process of making beer, enjoy a great lunch and network at one of Appleton’s newest restaurants.
Government Relations Roundtable Group Meeting Friday, June 12 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Chamber Office Karen Harkness – Director of Community & Economic Development for the City of Appleton – will present to the group.
To register, visit www.heartofthevalleychamber.com
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6 Heart Beat | April 2015
6 Ways to Build Long Lasting Customer Relationships In this age of consumerism, there's a choice for every product. You alone do not hold a monopoly on your product so you must understand that the customer is king. For a business to be sustained and stay viable, the customer must always come first. Keeping them happy and returning for more is the ultimate goal for any business.
Share Your Knowledge
exclusive offer is made to them, or to a select group of frequent customers. Not only does a loyalty program provide a practical, hard reason for continuing to buy (the accumulation of points towards a reward, or higher level of service) but it also provides information about the customers that allows their needs to be met more efficiently and effectively. Rewarding existing customers for their Several studies have shown that repeat continued loyalty will not only increase customers buy significantly more on their retention, but also increase the number visit than first time customers and repeat Customers appreciate informative advice of new customers your business brings customers are also more likely to in. This will occur through positive so if you are able to display your recommend you to someone close to feedback from existing customers and knowledge and expertise in your field, them. In our current environment of also eye-catching loyalty deals, which there is every chance they will warm to increasing competition, building will draw them in. Example of reward you. Staying professional in approach relationships with customers has now and demeanor are essential to success. programs include loyalty programs, been brought into the spotlight and offering discounts on selected lines, The most widespread channel for businesses are focusing a lot more of knowledge sharing is the Internet. This is point rewards, and also giving away free their attention on the matter. Customers the biggest platform to show your items with multiple purchases. are real people with feelings and customers that you are an expert in your emotions, which can be tapped to estab- chosen field. Be Active on Social Media lish a bond. Customers are not nameless faces on the Internet, nor are they Respond to Customer Queries faceless voices on the phone. For a business, each customer is a distinct individual who matters. As ad man There is a new tool available called extraordinaire David Ogily said, “The social customer relationship customer is not a moron. She is your management or CRM. This tool has wife.” become one of the most important
Show Them Respect
A customer’s query immediately answered builds goodwill and increases the chances of his returning for a purchase. Have a process in place to collect customer feedback and a way to log not only complaints, but also how you and your company respond to issues as they are reported so this can be replicated if the issue ever arises again. Customers are real people with real This is not only the case for negative emotions. Each one is a distinct feedback. Businesses should also pay individual who matters; not one more close attention to positive feedback. Not than the other, but all of equal only do positive comments help tell a importance. You must establish a bond company what they are doing right but from the outset. Customers are crucial to they also encourage others to take the survival of your business and they notice of them. deserve the best possible behavior. In order for them to warm to you, you must show sincerity and be respectful to them Reward Them and their needs. Carrying yourself in a mannerly and professional fashion will help you win their respect. This is the first step to thawing the ice.
marketing tools for many businesses. It lets you make the most of your social media interactions by tying them in with a database and allowing you to manage the data easier. Social networks are a great way to stay in touch with customers and build relationships. Through social media we get a front row seat into the latest developments of our customers’ lives and in doing so can begin to measure their needs. Facebook and Twitter are the most popular tools for business to interact through social media, so “Likes” and “Follows” are the first steps in building a customer relationship. Comments on your business or mentions in the industry you are in, can be used as valuable feedback and will determine how best to move forward. Frequently update your social media sites to try and garner some feedback and interaction from customers.
Customers feel rewarded when an 7
Good News Is Worth Repeating BEI Services and ENX Magazine recently selected Marco as an Office Technology Service Excellence Award recipient. This honor is given to dealerships that have proven to meet or exceed national performance standards in areas relating to customer satisfaction as defined by BEI Services. Thirty-nine Marco technicians were recognized for their outstanding service and Marco also received the dealer award. Keller, Planners, Architects, and Builders, a design/build general contractor with offices in Madison, Milwaukee, Wausau and the Fox Cities, will build a 16,250 square foot office and tool & die shop for Swenson Tool & Die under the direction of Keller Project Manager, Bob Poch, and Architect, Steve Klessig. Schenck SC is pleased to announce Thomas Schultz, PHR, has joined the firm as Senior Human Resources Consultant. He will serve clients firm-wide. Dana Baumgart joined Stellar Blue Technologies, a digital marketing agency, as a marketing strategist.
Gunnlaugsson
Baylake Corp., parent company of Baylake Bank agreed to buy NEW Bancshares Inc., Parent of Union State Bank of Kewaunee. Ann (Hanson) Gunnlaugsson has joined Competitive Strategies, Inc. as a Business Consultant. Gunnlaugsson will focus on accounting software implementation, custom application development and business process improvement.
Herbert
First National Bank – Fox Valley (FNB Fox Valley) welcomes new employee, Sara Hebert as their Sales and Service Trainer. Chris Hanson of Hanson Benefits in Appleton, Wisconsin, was named IIAW Employee Benefits Agent of the Year.
Chris Hanson (center)
Any change or update within your business such as a promotion, new addition, award won, etc. can be included in this section. News must be submitted by the 15th of the month for the following month’s publication. Send to: jamie@heartofthevalleychamber.com 8 Heart Beat | June 2015
Fox Cities Sign & Lighting Fox Cities Sign & Lighting Services started nearly a decade ago servicing exterior business signs and lighting. Since then they have grown to a full service sign company that can design, install and maintain all types of interior and exterior signs and lighting. They can also make vehicle wraps, window graphics, flag poles, neon, electronic message centers and energy-saving LED conversions. Fox Cities Sign & Lighting Services is proud to have serviced over 3,000 locations in and around the Fox Valley. Whether you need a little spruce up or a complete overhaul, Fox Cities Sign will happily help make your business look great! Visit their facebook page for photos of some of their work and ask for a free quote today. Phone: For Sign Service - Call 920-378-3515 For Sign Quotes - Call 920-851-3246 Website: http://www.foxcitiessign.com/ Address:1125A W. Tuckaway Ln. Menasha, WI Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fox-CitiesSign-Lighting-Services-LLC
Chic to Chic Chic to Chic, LLC opened 9 years ago on Eisenhower Dr in Appleton. During those 9 years, they have expanded and evolved during that time period and currently located at 301 N Mall Drive. Chic to Chic is a Name Brand/Mall Brand that consigns clothing/shoes/jewelry and handbags no more than 2 years old. They price the items 1/2 to 1/3 of the original price and the consignor receives 40% of the selling price. They have over 4,000 women consigning with us including several outside WI. Chic to Chic is co-owned by Tammy Eiting and Jill Nelson. Phone: 920-882-2200 Website: http://www.chictochicconsignment.com/ Address: 301 N Mall Dr. Appleton, WI 54913 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ chictochicllc?fref=ts
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Business After Hours: The Little Chute Windmill Beautiful weather, refreshments and friendly new faces made for a great Business After Hours.
10 Heart Beat | April 2015
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
920.759.4773
ampliteltech.com After Aaron Lahm received his bachelor’s degree in Management Information System from UW Oshkosh, he spent 10 years in various segments of the Information Technology field. When he started Amplitel Technologies in 2007, he was working out of his truck and his garage He knew that gaining business’s trust to work on their networking equipment was going to be tough, so he took a different approach. At first he began working on phone systems, knowing that once he was a trusted partner, he could offer them IT services. Business was slow in the beginning, so he supplemented by installing audio/video systems in new construction homes. He had experience as an electrician so this was an easy transition. The audio/video experience soon lead to residential security systems which lead to data cabling, access control, commercial security, CCTV and fire systems. This evolved into what Amplitel refers to as their Low Voltage Systems Division.
Aaron Lahm
Meanwhile, all of these new clients had a need for a trusted IT service provider. Amplitel answered by creating an IT division and hiring associates to work on both sides of the business. They soon became a “one stop shop” for all their clients. They currently have four associates in their Low Voltage Division and five associates serving customers in their IT division. Amplitel separates itself from their competition by keeping their clients’ needs and budgets at the front of all decisions. They are honest, provide reliable advice and never oversell, by custom designing each client’s project. Amplitel’s client “niche” are small businesses who need help with their IT infrastructure. They provide supplemental help to network administrators that may not have the knowledge or skills required for specific jobs. They are also the IT department for small businesses that do not have the staff or understanding of IT. Informational technology not only encompasses servers and desktops, but also camera systems, access control, security systems and even cabling. They can offer best in class advice and systems for all solutions in this realm. Aaron is most proud of accomplishing his dream to start and run his own business. In the past year, they have added four new employees: two in the Information Technology division and two in the Low Voltage Systems division. They have seen tremendous growth due to referrals which shows them that they are doing something right! Staying on top of the ever changing IT field while still providing the quality of service their customers expect, is always a challenge. Finding the time to send associates to training and minimizing the impact on their clients has been an obstacle since they started. One way they have addressed this issue has been by cross training their engineers after they have attended a training. They have also had issues finding qualified IT professionals who are able to relate in a comfortable manner with their clients. Because of this, it is clear they also need to train their employees in personal skills that they require. They can see an increased demand for cloud based solutions, including hosted servers\desktops, voice over IP phone solutions, and Managed Services. Cloud based solutions can eliminate the need for onsite servers, phone systems and even desktops. These solutions are not for every business though. Therefore, they continue to train their staff on the different options and make sure they have all the information for their clients to help them make the best decisions for their businesses. Most of the time a hybrid solution is what works best for the business, but each business is different and they need their staff to be knowledgeable in all aspects to provide the best advice for their clients. Amplitel has plans to upgrade servers in their datacenter and collocate servers to equip themselves with the infrastructure needed for the future. Amplitel’s secret to success has been creating a custom infrastructure for each client, not trying to oversell unneeded products or services. Being honest and becoming the trusted partner that we strive for with each client, has referrals coming in from all directions. The Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce provides them with a chance to meet potential clients and provide valuable “IT” related information to other members of the chamber. Amplitel is hoping to utilize the Chamber to inform the members of the ever changing technologies available to them including the cloud solutions mentioned above. The Chamber provides them with a great platform for delivery of the ever changing technologies.
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AROUND TOWN
For more than 25 years, Cold Stone Creamery has served up the finest, freshest ice cream, cakes, smoothies and shakes using only the highest quality ingredients and of course, their signature process of preparing your custom ice cream creation on a frozen granite stone. Learn more about us at the links below! http://www.coldstonecreamery.com/
At Debbie Daanen Photography, with two full time photographers, Debbie Daanen and Ashley Schmit, and part-time help from recently retired photographer Dave Andre', they are able to combine a variety of photographic perspectives to ensure a variety of images in a timely fashion. http://www.debbiedaanen.com/
Spruce It Up Lawn Maintenance, LLC is a full service lawn care provider based in Kaukauna, WI and servicing the Fox Valley area. Spruce It Up is a provider of lawn mowing, spring and fall clean ups, fertilizing, aerating, dethatching, mulching and more. http://www.spruceituplawn.com/ Northstar Contracting has full shop capabilities for cabinets, reception counters, conference tables and custom furniture, dining tables, booths and more. They can work with any budget with various laminate surfaces, veneers and solid surfaces. Custom woodworking and laminating to match and enhance any interior. http://www.northstarcontracting.com/
At PUSH PERSONAL FITNESS their educated, certified and experienced Personal Trainers will create a customized program, just for you! Their Trainers are there to keep you accountable and help you reach your fitness goals. http://www.pushpf.com/
Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Gift Certificates make the perfect gift for every one. From golf to gas, groceries to lumber, gift certificates can be redeemed at over 100 area businesses. 12 Heart Beat | April 2015
Meet A Member Ben Hietpas Energy Consultant/Account Manager Abcon Lighting A Division of Abcon Electric, LLC www.abcon-lighting.com
Give us a brief description/history of your business…. Abcon Lighting specializes in energy efficiency solutions and upgrades for commercial property owners to reduce monthly utility bills and annual maintenance expenses. We are a Registered Trade Ally with the statewide program Focus On Energy, which offers hefty incentives towards these efficiency projects in order to aide in lowering the upfront costs to the business or building owners. Closing on our 3rd year of the efficiency business, Abcon Lighting has helped nearly 400 businesses throughout the area upgrade!
Q: What is the worst job you’ve ever had? Honestly, I’ve liked all of the jobs I have had. This is my first “full-time” job since graduating college. Throughout school, I worked at Mid Vallee Golf Course in the Pro Shop and loved every minute of it. My mentality towards work is easy…do something I enjoy doing.
Q: OK, now the good stuff. What do you like to do for fun? Where to start!? Snowmobiling is for sure one of my biggest hobbies. I get out to Wyoming every year to ride up in the mountains with my friends and go to the U.P. pretty much Q: How did you get started in your field? every weekend in the winter to ride off-trail. I am also big into I got the idea from my brother Chris, who owns Abcon Electric, bow hunting in the fall and golfing in the summer. LLC. Once I graduated college in December of 2011, he brought forward to me the idea of an energy efficiency division. Q: What’s your favorite movie and why? It was then that I decided to learn about the products and The Wolf Of Wall Street. It was an empowering movie to watch benefits for businesses to upgrade. I then got myself familiar and motivated me to be more of an entrepreneur than I with the statewide Focus On Energy incentive program and already am. started marketing our business to local facilities. Q: Is your desk messy or organized? Q: Who is the one person that helped to make you who you I am an extremely organized person, so it is safe to say that are today? my desk is pretty much ALWAYS organized. Once in awhile My Dad is probably the person that helped make me who I am there will be a quite a few post-it notes, but for the most part today. He always had a strong background in business, so it everything has its place! was easy to go to him for advice with anything. Q: Green Bay Packers or another team? Q: What do you like most about working in the Heart of the Aaron Rodgers all the way! Valley area? I definitely like the amount of business opportunities within the Q: Where was your best vacation and why? area. A lot of these businesses are locally owned, which is an Probably Hawaii, I love the beaches and things to do there. awesome opportunity to help them out in lowering their Looking forward to getting back there sometime soon! monthly expenses. Q: What are the Top 3 items on your bucket list? This is a tough one…but I would have to say scuba diving, learn the guitar and base jumping.
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What Our Members Are Saying “The Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce allows me to better connect and serve my clients by creating an environment that enhances my organizations visibility in the area. The Chamber provides a peer to peer network that provides the opportunity to meet businesses we want to align with and serve, but most importantly the Chamber allows access to its dynamic professional staff to provide direct connections, assistance with branding and a membership engagement plan. We are thankful for the opportunity to serve the Heart of the Valley Chamber and we greatly appreciate how the Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce has served our company and provided a quantifiable return on our investment.”
Maria Young - Prospera Credit Union
“We are a proud member of the Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce. The business we acquire from networking events with the Chamber is immeasurable. The membership directory is an excellent resource of business services that we are able to utilize to work with other members in our community. We look forward to our continued membership with the Chamber and all the benefits it has to offer.”
Sarah Fauske - Securitel
“Being involved in the Chamber has given me a greater appreciation for local businesses and their commitment to our community. The chamber provides me with engaging networking events where I can share ideas with local business and community leaders. Each year I look forward to the annual "Taste of the Heart" event which showcases the culinary skills of local restaurants and as a chamber volunteer I have made many important connections that have been an integral part of my business.”
Corey Grimes - Van De Hey Financial Services, Inc. 14 Heart Beat | April 2015
101 E. Wisconsin Ave. Kaukauna, WI 54130 920.766.1616. www.heartofthevalleychamber.com