December 1 Appleton International Airport began construction on a $6.8 million terminal upgrade to expand the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint; provide a new restaurant, gift shop, conference room and mother’s room; and to enhance ticket counters, baggage claim and the customer service center. The terminal upgrade project is funded by a mix of federal and state aid and airport funds. Completion is expected by July. December 8 The Basic Needs Giving Partnership awarded $5.56 million in grants to 163 nonprofit organizations across northeast Wisconsin which provide programs addressing the root causes of poverty. Funds were provided to the region’s community foundations to distribute to local service providers and break down in this manner: $3.5 million to the Fox Valley Region; $1.02 million to Greater Green Bay; and $1.04 million to the Oshkosh Area. The Giving Partnership is collaboration between the U.S. Venture Open, J. J. Keller Foundation, and the three regional community foundations. December 8 The U.S. Labor Department reported 228,000 new jobs were created across the country in November, nudging the national unemployment rate down 4.1 percent. Employment continued to trend up in professional and business services, manufacturing and health care.
December 12 Port of Green Bay officials reported 140,300 metric tons of cargo passed through the port in November, down substantially from November 2016 cargo and down 7 percent year-to-date from the same time a year ago. The year-to-date decline is mostly attributed to a drop in petroleum product imports and limestone imports. A total of 145 ships have come through the port as of the end of November, four less than the same time in 2016. December 13 Annie’s Fountain City Café in downtown Fond du Lac and K Sera Salon and Spa in downtown De Pere were among five businesses statewide named finalists in the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.’s Main Street Makeover Contest. The contest will determine a winner in January which will receive up to $10,000 in upgrades for their retail façade. The two-day business “makeover” event is scheduled for late spring. December 13 Fox Cities Sports Development, Inc., a not-for-profit subsidiary of the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau, announced plans for what could be as much as a $25 million, 150,000-sq. ft. indoor sports complex in Grand Chute. Fox Cities Sports Facility will include a combination of ice and hard-court surfaces, and will be located on a 20-acre property near the intersection of McCarthy Road and County Road GV
S TA R T I N G 2 0 1 8 WITH A BANG Our Small Business of the Year award from the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce is just the beginning. We’re sparking monumental change in 2018 – breaking out of our marketing box and igniting fireworks in our world. Our vision is to be the best and brightest. Are you with us?
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