Business Intelligence for the New North
Export
Expeditions State-sponsored trade ventures abroad help northeast Wisconsin firms develop fertile foreign markets
Godspeed, Jeremy Monnett From the Publisher Eyes in the Sky Marketing Plexus Innovation Human Resources
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Business Intelligence for the New North
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July Features 16 COVER STORY
Export Expeditions
State-sponsored trade ventures abroad help northeast Wisconsin firms develop fertile foreign markets
24 HUMAN RESOURCES
Plexus Innovation
One local employer’s solution to foster a specialized workforce to meet its growing customer demand
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30 MARKETING
Eyes in the Sky
Emerging opportunities for commercial drone use could change the manner in which some conduct business
Departments 30
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From the Publisher
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Since We Last Met
10 Build Up Pages 23 Guest Commentary 35
Professionally Speaking
36 Who’s News 44 Business Calendar 45 Advertising Index 46 Key Statistics
www.newnorthb2b.com
NNB2B | July 2015 | 3
From the Publisher
Godspeed, good friend Tragic passing of industry, community leader a loss for Wisconsin and aviation by Sean Fitzgerald, New North B2B publisher It’s with a heavy and sorrowful heart that I write about the passing of a northeast Wisconsin community leader, industry influencer and dear personal friend. Jeremy Monnett, CEO of Oshkosh-based kit airplane innovator and manufacturer Sonex Aircraft, departed us unexpectedly this past June 2 in an accident at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. That accident also took the life of Sonex assembly mechanic Mike Clark, 20, who joined the flight to learn a bit more about the plane’s functionality.
served on the board for Big Brothers Big Sisters. He coordinated the effort to raise funds and light both the Main Street and Jackson Street bridges across the Fox River in Oshkosh. Hardly a one-dimensional business owner, Monnett strongly believed in grass-roots economic development efforts, serving on the board of the Chamco industrial development agency in Oshkosh and more recently led the charge among private business owners in forming the Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corp.
In a short 40-year life, Monnett leaves behind a legacy influencing Oshkosh, northeast Wisconsin and general aviation worldwide. A close personal friend, Jeremy, his parents – Betty and aviation legend John – and his twin brother, Jason, joined me when I initially shared the idea for B2B magazine in late 2001. Months later, on a sweltering Saturday afternoon of Fond du Lac’s Walleye Weekend during June 2002, Jeremy piloted me in his Sonex – one of several flights I’d taken with him – so that I could snap an aerial photo for the inaugural cover of B2B magazine in our July 2002 debut. Monnett was a contributing guest columnist in B2B on a handful of occasions writing about trends in the aviation industry that had the potential to positively impact northeast Wisconsin’s economy. He was also my go-to resource for any coverage B2B wrote about regarding aviation. As a fellow business leader, Monnett and I regularly traded I.T. and software solutions, discussed human resource issues, and gathered to tackle larger community challenges along with his twin brother, Jason. First as general manager and then as CEO of Sonex, Monnett tirelessly volunteered time to serve on a Federal Aviation Administration special committee which drafted the guidelines for its sport pilot licensure, which opened the opportunity to fly airplanes to a much wider audience. Monnett chaired the aviation committee for the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce and was a visible and avid member of the Experimental Aircraft Association, promoting several of its initiatives over the years. Monnett enthusiastically promoted the aviation and aerospace cluster study released by Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. in 2013, and had taken a leading role in a regional aerospace industry cluster study involving businesses based out of Wittman Airport, Outagamie County Regional Airport in Greenville and Fond du Lac County Airport. Within the Oshkosh community, Monnett served as president of the Oshkosh Jaycees, chaired the board of directors for Christine Anne Domestic Abuse Center, and 4 | July 2015 | NNB2B
Jeremy Monnett
Photo courtesy of Jim Koepnick
Family business man
Apart from these efforts in the greater community, Monnett helped his parents build a globally recognized aviation company from the ground floor. An engineer by education and training, Monnett graduated from the University of Wisconsin Madison to go work for The Boeing Company in Seattle, gaining world-class corporate business experience he brought back to Wisconsin when he joined the fledgling family business in 1998. At the time, Sonex simply consisted of Monnett, his parents and a handful of volunteer aviation enthusiasts who would drop into the hanger to lend a hand. I fondly recall stopping in for lunch 13 years ago at the Sonex hangar’s Hornet’s Nest Café and hearing Monnett’s excitement in a kit airplane order he’d taken earlier that morning. “That’s the third airplane we’ve sold this month already!” Today it’s not uncommon for Sonex to sell three kit airplanes by lunchtime on any given day. Between Jeremy, his father John, and a network of trusted aviation colleagues, Sonex’s research and development efforts innovated several new lines of sport aircraft, gliders and just last year unveiled one of the industry’s first jet airplane kits. www.newnorthb2b.com
Sonex currently supports nearly 25 employees – all based in Oshkosh – infusing millions of dollars into the region’s economy each year. Sonex’s success and contributions to the economy of northeast Wisconsin haven’t gone unnoticed. The company is a past Family Business of the Year from the Wisconsin Family Business Forum, Small Business of the Year from the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, received Entrepreneur of the Year accolades from Marian University’s annual Business & Industry Awards, and was named runner up Small Business Persons of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. When he finally stepped away from the office at the end of each day, Monnett was a doting husband to his wife, Kate – who were my next door neighbors when they started dating and eventually married – and an influential father to his two young boys, Miles and Brooks. Monnett made hundreds of friends across the country, the state and northeast Wisconsin, and worked diligently to keep those relationships strong and vibrant. He greeted each new person he met with a charming, genuine smile that made them feel special, and left nearly every social conversation still wanting to know more about the topic under discussion. He was a driving force behind my decision to run for the Oshkosh City Council a few years ago, and was among the most vocal supporters encouraging others to assist my campaign with their vote. During my time as a publicly elected official, I sought Monnett’s perspective on various issues the council considered, most notably the Aviation Industrial Park in Oshkosh, which was established last year. I chatted with Monnett on the phone for about 10 minutes on the afternoon of June 2 seeking his assistance planning and giving shape to the unmanned aerial drone article appearing on page 30 of this edition of New North B2B. He took off from work that day, spending the morning with his boys, then returned my call while heading out to the hangar. Sunny, clear skies with no wind and temperatures Inaugural cover of B2B magazine fro in the mid-70s made for the most m July 2002. The ph oto was taken fro idyllic conditions to enjoy flying a ma Sonex piloted by Jeremy Monnett. Sonex. My emotions deflated immediately when I heard news of the crash. What a tragic, unjust loss to Jeremy, his family and so many others. He inspired, he led, he unselfishly brought others together, and he generously ensured others were taken care of before himself.
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He’ll be sorely missed, not only for all the lives he touched in 40 short years, but for the potential impact he would have made in the next 40 years. And while he only stood 5 feet, 6 inches in height, he’s a man so many of us looked up to. I strongly suspect the legend of Jeremy Monnett will someday describe him as 10 feet tall. Godspeed to you, good friend… www.newnorthb2b.com
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ARCHITECTURE I FUNDING I CONSTRUCTION I SERVICE | 5 NNB2B | July 2015
Sean Fitzgerald Publisher & President x sean@newnorthb2b.com Carrie Rule Sales Manager x carrie@newnorthb2b.com Kate Erbach Production
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NEW NORTH B2B is published monthly by WINNEBAGO B2B LLC for $20 per year or $3.95 for a single issue. POSTMASTER: send address changes to: WINNEBAGO B2B LLC, 923 S. Main St., Oshkosh, WI 54902. Bulk-rate postage paid at LaCrosse, WI.
Contributing writers J. S. Decker Lee Marie Reinsch Chief Financial Officer Vicky Fitzgerald, CPA
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Since We Last Met
Since We Last Met
Since We Last Met is a digest of business related news occurring in the Greater Green Bay, Fox Cities, Oshkosh and Fond du Lac areas in the one month since the previous issue of New North B2B.
May 20 Bellin College of Bellevue and the University of Wisconsin Colleges signed a credit articulation agreement allowing students to transfer credits from two-year institutions such as UW Fond du Lac and UW Fox Valley in Menasha toward a bachelor’s degree in nursing or radiologic sciences from Bellin. May 21 The Moraine Park Technical College District Board named Bonnie Baerwald as the next president of the Fond du Lacbased technical college, succeeding Sheila Ruhland, who left the school in December to take a similar job in Washington. Baerwald had served as interim president since January. Baerwald has been with Moraine Park since 1993, serving in various financial positions before being named vice president of finance and administrative services in 2007. Prior Baerwald to joining Moraine Park, Baerwald was a senior auditor at Grant Thornton LLP in Fond du Lac.
2005 July 14 – Carter’s Inc. of Atlanta finalized its acquisition of Oshkosh B’Gosh, Inc. Carter’s purchased the Oshkosh retailer and wholesaler of children’s clothing for about $312 million, or about $26 per share. 2006 July 17 – The city of Kaukauna began accepting bids to raze the grandstand on the former greyhound racing park site at U.S. Highway 41 and State Road 55. Demolition is expected this winter. 2006 July 21 – Wisconsin Power & Light Co., a subsidiary of Alliant Energy, bought the development rights to a wind farm project in southeastern Fond du Lac County. The project includes nearly 40 wind turbines in the town of Eden and Empire, which would generate a projected 80 to 100 megawatts of electricity.
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May 26 Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt reported a development group composed of ownership between Smet Construction Services and Titletown Brewing Co. plans to acquire and redevelop the remainder of the Larsen Green property on North Broadway. The approximately $30 million development proposal tentatively includes a hotel, retail space, office space and upper-level residential. The same development group recently renovated another portion of the former vegetable cannery into Titletown Brewing Company’s new brewery and tap room at 320 N. Broadway, which opened in November 2014. June 1 The state Department of Transportation began work on the $5.9 million project to install nearly 3,200 I-41 interstate shield signs along 180 miles of highway from Green Bay to the Illinois border. Installation of all new signs is scheduled to be complete by mid-November.
2008 July 10 – Allegiant Air, a low-cost destination airline with flights to Las Vegas, announced it will begin service out of Outagamie County Regional Airport in Greenville beginning Aug. 21. The service is transferring from Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay. 2010 July 5 – The statewide cigarette smoking ban went into effect, disallowing smoking inside any Wisconsin workplace, including all bars and restaurants. Individuals violating the law can be fined $100 to $250, while businesses violating the law will be given a warning and then subject to a maximum daily fine of $100. 2012 July 12 – Prevea Health and St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay announced an agreement with Madison-based Dean Health Plan to offer health insurance products beginning this fall enrollment through an integrated, managed care provider network in northeast Wisconsin. Called Prevea 360 Health Plan, the insurance products will feature a network of hospitals, Prevea’s physicians group and ancillary providers.
NNB2B | July 2015 | 7
Since We Last Met
June 3 The State of Wisconsin Building Commission approved a $7.63 million expansion and renovation project at Reeve Memorial Union on the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh campus. The two-story 6,560-sq. ft. addition includes an ADA-accessible entrance on the building’s south side, as well as a welcome desk. Interior renovations will reconfigure the Student Leadership and Involvement Center and make all restrooms ADA compliant. Funding for the entire project will come from student segregated fees. Construction on the improvements will begin next February and is expected to be complete by March 2017.
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June 5 The U.S. Department of Labor reported 280,000 jobs were created across the country during May, leaving the national unemployment rate essentially unchanged at 5.5 percent. Job gains occurred in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and health care. Mining employment continued to decline. June 11 Green Bay Area Catholic Education Inc. named Kim Desotell its next president, succeeding the Rev. Dane Radecki, who completed his three-year commitment to the top post for the school system with more than 2,200 students. Desotell most recently served as director of development at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. She’s previously held a variety of positions in education including as a middle school science and social studies teacher and as a principal of a middle school in suburban Milwaukee. June 14 The Wisconsin Department of Transportation closed two ramps at the U.S. Highway 10/WIS 441 interchange with Racine Road/County Road P in Menasha as part of the larger U.S. 10 expansion project. Both the westbound on and off ramps to Racine Road will remain closed until at least late 2016 as the interchange undergoes a multi-year reconstruction. The transportation improvement project also includes realigning the mainline of the highway and constructing roundabouts at the ramp terminals. June 16 The YMCA of the Fox Cities launched the community phase of its $9 million Growing Stronger Together Capital Campaign, which already raised just shy of $7.1 million. The campaign aims to improve and expand four of its facilities, including a gymnasium addition to the Fox West YMCA in Greenville and additions to the Heart of the Valley YMCA in Kimberly for office space and aerobic and cycling studios. Other planned improvements include renovations to the Appleton downtown YMCA, wellness equipment upgrades, and renovations to the Neenah-Menasha YMCA, among other projects.
8 | July 2015 | NNB2B
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June 16 The Village of Allouez Board of Trustees rejected a proposal from Kwik Trip to build a new convenience store and fuel station at 1910 S. Webster Ave. on property currently owned by the Diocese of Green Bay, indicating it didn’t feel such a development and the vehicular traffic it would generate fit into future land use plans in that area of the community. The Allouez Plan Commission recommended against the proposed development when it met back in March. June 17 Officials from the Port of Green Bay reported 24 ships came through the port in May, the same number as in May 2014. A longer shipping season so far and strong shipments of cement, coal and salt have driven year-to-date tonnage 23 percent higher than totals for the same period a year ago. June 19 Oshkosh Corp. was awarded a five-year, $780 million contract from the U.S. Army to recondition nearly 1,800 of its heavy tactical vehicles originally manufactured by Oshkosh Defense. The company’s Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks will be stripped down and rebuilt to “likenew” condition with modern safety features and upgraded technology. The contract also includes an order for 1,000 of its Palletized Load Systems trailers. Work on the contract is expected to begin later in 2015 and continue into 2019.
to through traffic for the duration of the project, which is expected to be completed in November 2016. The County Road V interchange project also includes construction of an overpass, removal of the jug handle ramps at U.S. Highway 45, and the construction of a frontage road connecting County V and U.S. Highway 45. The interchange will be open to traffic by December 2016. June 24 Wisconsin’s Natural Resources Board approved final updates to rules intended to streamline and improve how the state permits air emission sources, simplifying the air pollution permitting processes for businesses. The changes relate more specifically to construction and operation permits, ultimately cleaning up outdated rules and clarifying confusing regulatory language. In addition, the changes align state requirements with federal air emission regulations. June 24 Valley Transit will pilot a new route to Neenah’s Southpark Industrial Center beginning in July to help attract prospective employees who would rely on the transportation service to get to work. The route will be tested through the end of 2015 and will be provided at no cost to riders, subsidized by nearly $24,000 contributed by employers in the industrial park and an additional $31,000 of state and federal transportation grants. n
June 23 The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development began work on the $10.1 million project to improve the U.S. Highway 151 bypass around Fond du Lac, including the construction of an overpass at County Road T and a full interchange at County Road V. County Road T will be closed
Better Business Bureau New Members Businesses accredited through the Northeast Wisconsin office during May 2015 1st Choice Landscaping, Green Bay A Closer Look Home Inspections, Appleton Helm Technology, Oshkosh I Supply Wireless, Green Bay Microlinx Technologies, Kaukauna Midwest Properties Commercial Development, Greenville Much Better Jobs, De Pere Northwoods Construction & Roofing, Argonne Precision Builders, Bonduel Property Maintenance Services, Appleton Quality Services, Fond du Lac Reed Construction, Greenville Senior Helpers, Appleton ServPro of the Fox Cities, Appleton Tire Reps, Oshkosh Van Ess Concrete, Luxemburg
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NNB2B | July 2015 | 9
Build Up Fond du Lac
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Fond du Lac 1 - 46 S. Rolling Meadows Dr., Fond du Lac Mi Tech Services, a 3,900-sq. ft. addition to the existing office and warehouse building. Project completion expected in July. 2 - 77 N. Pioneer Road, Fond du Lac Hampton Inn, a three-story, 73-room hotel. Project completion expected in July. 3 - 255 County Road K, Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs Academy, a 92,000-sq. ft. addition to the existing high school campus.
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5 - 250 Camelot Dr., Fond du Lac Grande Cheese Company, an 87,000-sq. ft. new corporate headquarters and research center. Project completion expected in early 2016. 6 - Industrial Parkway, Campbellsport Swenson Tool & Die, a 16,250-sq. ft. industrial facility and offices. Project completion expected in September. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.
4 - 545 W. Pioneer Road, Fond du Lac Mercury Marine, a 45,000-sq. ft. addition to its paint facility. Project completion expected in January 2016.
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9 2 0 . 7 3 3 . 3 1 3 6 y 866.966.3928 y www.newbt.org 10 | July 2015 | NNB2B
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Build Up Oshkosh
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7 - 3500 N. Main St., Oshkosh Bemis Healthcare Packaging, a 162,790-sq. ft. addition to the existing manufacturing facility and office complex. Project completion expected in late fall.
13 - 2301 Universal St., Oshkosh Multicircuits, a 28,162-sq. ft. addition to the existing manufacturing facility and offices. Project completion expected in August. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.
8 - 2200 N. Jackson St., Oshkosh DADL LLC, a multi-tenant retail building.
14 - 2450 Badger Ave., Oshkosh Curwood Inc./Bemis Specialty Films, an addition to the existing tandem coater building.
9 - 1074 N. Washburn St., Oshkosh Panera Bread, a new restaurant building. Project completion expected in early fall.
15 - 2340 State Road 44, Oshkosh Taco John’s, a new restaurant building.
10 - 1005-1015 N. Washburn St., Oshkosh Dick’s Sporting Goods and Petsmart, a multi-tenant big box commercial retail building.
16 - 4991 South U.S. Highway 45, Oshkosh Lakeside Elementary, an addition to accommodate seven new classrooms. Project completion expected in August.
11 - 1522 S. Koeller St., Oshkosh Ross Dress for Less and Sports Authority, a 37,000-sq. ft. retail center. Project completion expected in July. General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay.
Projects completed since our June issue: • Noodles & Company, 1560 S. Koeller Road, Oshkosh.
12 - 2875 Atlas Ave., Oshkosh 4imprint, an addition to the existing distribution facility and training center.
Coming to B2B in August 2015 Young Professionals
2nd Annual 3 Overachievers Under 30
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NNB2B | July 2015 | 11
Build Up Fox Cities
Build Up
Fox Cities
Indicates a new listing
1 - W6490 Greenville Dr., town of Greenville Wolf River Community Bank, a 3,350-sq. ft. new financial institution branch office. Project completion expected in fall. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna. 2 - 5401 Integrity Way, town of Grand Chute Costco Wholesale, a 154,497-sq. ft. wholesale club store and fuel station. 3 - 1271 N. Casaloma Dr., town of Grand Chute Discount Tire, a 9,554-sq. ft. automotive and tire service center. 4 - 4201 W. Wisconsin Ave., town of Grand Chute Bank First National, a 6,697-sq. ft. financial institution office. 5 - 2 Systems Dr., town of Grand Chute Hooper Law Office, a 3,974-sq. ft. addition to the existing office building. General contractor is R&R Steel Construction Company of Appleton. 6 - 320 N. Westhill Blvd., town of Grand Chute Milwaukee PC, a 5,760-sq. ft. multi-tenant retail building. 7 - 4800 W. Prospect Ave., town of Grand Chute Werner Electric Supply Co., a 260,775-sq. ft. corporate office and distribution center. Project completion expected in late fall. General contractor is Consolidated Construction Company of Appleton. 8 - 430 E. South Island St., Appleton Neenah Paper Inc., a 44,000-sq. ft. addition to the existing specialty paper mill. Project completion expected in late 2016. General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay. 9 - 225 E. Harris St., Appleton St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran School, a 17,182-sq. ft. addition and interior renovation of the existing school building. 10 - 1818 N. Meade St., Appleton Appleton Medical Center, a two-story, 7,500-sq. ft. addition to the existing hospital for a hybrid operating room. Project completion expected in fall. 11 - 3925 Gateway Dr., Appleton Fox Valley Hematology & Oncology, a 60,000-sq. ft. cancer treatment facility. Project completion expected in late summer. 12 - 2500 E. Capitol Dr., Appleton ThedaCare Regional Cancer Center, a cancer treatment facility. Project completion expected in mid 2016. 13 - 2900 Zuehlke Dr., Appleton a 20,000-sq. ft. addition to the multi-tenant light industrial facility. Project completion expected in July. General contractor is Frontier Builders & Consultants of Kaukauna. 14 - 2911 W. Evergreen Dr., Little Chute Feeding America - Eastern Wisconsin, a 39,720-sq. ft. food pantry distribution center. 15 - 1500 Lamers Dr., Little Chute Building Services Group, a 4,960-sq. ft. addition to the existing warehouse. Project completion expected in September. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna. 16 - 804 Grignon St., Kaukauna Trinity Lutheran Ministry Center, an 11,888-sq. ft. addition to the existing church building. Project completion expected in August. General contractor is James J. Calmes & Sons Construction of Kaukauna. 12 | July 2015 | NNB2B
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17 - 2520 S. Kensington Dr., Appleton Kensington Properties, a new fitness center. 18 - 1600 W. Prospect Ave., Appleton St. Francis Xavier Catholic High School, an addition and interior remodel of the existing school building. 19 - 1499 Appleton Road, Menasha Kwik Trip, a new convenience store, fuel station and car wash. 20 - 177 Main St., Menasha One Menasha Center, an eight-story, 100,000-sq. ft. multi-tenant office building to include Faith Technologies, Community First Credit Union and RLJ Dental.
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21 - 912 Haase St., town of Menasha Stowe Woodward LLC, a 5,556-sq. ft. addition to the existing industrial facility for a new crane bay and new offices. 22 - 2215 Harrison St., Neenah Kuehl Electric Inc., a 4,320-sq. ft. addition to the industrial building. Project completion expected in July. General contractor is Frontier Builders & Consultants of Kaukauna. 23 - 201 E. Bell St., Neenah Morton Long Term Care Pharmacy Solutions, a 7,050-sq. ft. addition to the existing commercial office building. 24 - 1645 Bergstrom Road, Neenah Menasha Packaging Company, a two-story, 103,900-sq. ft. corporate office complex. Project completion expected in fall 2016. NNB2B | July 2015 | 13
Build Up Greater Green Bay area 1 thru 3
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Greater Green Bay area 1 - 1751 Wildwood Dr., Suamico Wagner RV, a 7,700-sq. ft. addition to the existing recreational vehicle dealership and service center. Project completion expected in August. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna. 2 - 2673 Lineville Road, Howard Salvanz Enterprises, a new commercial office building. Project completion expected in August. 3 - 2447 Lineville Road, Howard Dunkin’ Donuts, a 1,900-sq. ft. restaurant building. Project completion expected in July.
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Indicates a new listing
4 - 1524 Atkinson Dr., Green Bay Northeast Asphalt Inc., an addition to the existing industrial/ office facility. Project completion expected in August. 5 - 205 N. Fisk St., Green Bay Chappell Elementary School/Green Bay Area Public School District, an addition to the existing school for more classroom space. 6 - 201 Main St., Green Bay Hampton Inn/Fox River Hospitality, a complete refurbishment of the existing structure for a new 136-room hotel. General contractor is Consolidated Construction Company of Appleton.
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7 - 301 E. Main St., Green Bay KI Convention Center, a 30,000-sq. ft. addition to the existing convention center facility. Project completion expected in late summer. 8 - 100 E. Main St., Green Bay CityDeck Landing, a six-story, mixed-use development to include 76 residential units and 7,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor. Project completion expected in fall. 9 - 1230 Ontario Road, Green Bay Seura, an 11,400-sq. ft. addition to the existing manufacturing and distribution facility. Project completion expected in July.
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10 - 1160 Kepler Dr., Green Bay Aurora Baycare Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center, a 39,400-sq. ft. addition to the existing orthopedic clinic for new offices and a separate 31,000-sq. ft. addition to the ambulatory surgery area. Project completion expected in early 2016. 11 - 3200 S. County Road P, Denmark Riesterer & Schnell Inc., a 12,000-sq. ft. storage facility. Project completion expected in the fall. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna. 12 - 2500 Block of Holmgren Way, Ashwaubenon Prevea Plastic Surgery & Rejuvenation Center, a 14,000-sq. ft. medical clinic. Project completion expected in late fall. 13 - 2821 S. Oneida St., Ashwaubenon Van’s Honda, a 45,000-sq. ft. automotive dealership and maintenance shop. Project completion expected in November. 14 - 1001 Main St., De Pere Festival Foods, an 8,174-sq. ft. addition to the existing grocery market for a new wine and spirits department. Project completion expected in November. General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay.
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15 - 506 Butler St., De Pere De Pere Christian Outreach, a 5,116-sq. ft. addition to the existing retail store. Project completion expected in late summer. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna. 16 - 1900 Williams Grant Dr., De Pere Hemlock Creek Elementary School/West De Pere School District, a 24,000-sq. ft. addition to the existing school building for a new classroom and gymnasium. Project completion expected in September. 17 - 755 Scheuring Road, De Pere Syble Hopp Elementary School/West De Pere School District, an 18,285-sq. ft. addition to the existing school building. Projects completed since our June issue: • Lineville Intermediate School/Howard-Suamico Schools, 2700 Lineville Road, Howard. • Bellin Memorial Hospital, 1220 E. Mason St., Green Bay. • Shorewest Realtors, 839 Lombardi Ave., Green Bay. • Austin Straubel Airport international terminal, 2077 Airport Dr., Ashwaubenon.
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NNB2B | July 2015 | 15
Cover Story
Export Expeditions State-sponsored trade ventures abroad help northeast Wisconsin firms develop fertile foreign markets
Story by Sean Fitzgerald, New North B2B publisher
16 | July 2015 | NNB2B
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More pesos, more dollars, more yuan, more yen, more euros. Revenues to Wisconsin companies from Mexico, Canada, China, Japan and western European countries continue to increase year after year. In 2014, exports from state firms totaled a record $23.4 billion, and opportunities abound to further increase that value. In late June, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Trade Promotion Authority, which would set enhanced guidelines for domestic companies to negotiate deals with countries like Canada and Japan involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership. As daunting a task as selling to foreign customers might seem, businesses inexperienced in exporting don’t have to navigate the process alone. Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. boasts a litany of resources to help business owners and managers seek out new global markets and successfully increase their international presence. One segment of that assistance is through state-sponsored global trade ventures, in which Wisconsin companies take arranged trips abroad to markets in which they’re targeting customers and have the intelligence of WEDC’s international division at their fingertips. Several northeast Wisconsin firms have taken advantage of these trade missions and discovered them to be a springboard for growing customer orders in the foreign markets where their high-quality products are demanded. WEDC Chief Executive and Secretary Reed Hall said the agency has 55 contracted representatives available worldwide to assist state businesses conducting commerce in stable, emerging economies where more and more citizens are progressing into the middle class, affording them the luxury to purchase goods and services beyond the daily necessities of merely surviving. These state supported global trade representatives help conduct market analyses, make connections with key personnel at foreign-owned companies, and guide Wisconsin exporters through often confusing and complex international commerce regulations. “They’re instrumental in the efficiency (Wisconsin firms) are able to achieve,” Hall said of such business expeditions abroad.
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Gaining visibility in China
When Miller Electric Mfg. Co. of Appleton learned Gov. Scott Walker would be leading a trade mission to China in April 2013, the company aimed to capitalize on the opportunity. The manufacturer of high-tech welding systems had already made an agreement with a Shanghai automotive manufacturer
By the Numbers $23.4 billion
the total value of exports from Wisconsin companies during 2014, a record high
the estimated number of companies in the state doing some business outside the U.S.
the number of trade representatives contracted by the state around the globe to assist Wisconsin businesses in foreign markets
the value of foreign sales of Wisconsin-made industrial machinery during 2014, representing 27 percent of all Wisconsin exports and by far the largest product segment
the value of Wisconsin exports to the United Kingdom in 2014, representing a 25 percent increase above 2013 sales and moving the U.K. into the state’s top five export destinations
8,500 55
$6.4 billion
$848 million
Source: Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.
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to purchase 50 of its Appleton-made welding units – and because Gov. Walker was already going to be in Shanghai – it joined the trade mission and arranged a ceremonial contract signing with its buyers and local Chinese government delegates. The stately act provided the company just the boost it needed to gain traction in one of the world’s fastest growing economies. “We’ve been penetrating into the China market, and this was a big step for us,” said Ed Panelli, the general managing director of the automotive segment for ITW Welding, of which Miller Electric is a division. “It helped put an accent on the work we’ve been doing in China.”
welding robots in China is about 8,000 units annually, Panelli said. By comparison nearly 32,000 similar units were sold in the U.S. last year, a domestic market in which manufacturing technology is far more mature. As Chinese industry invests more capital in automation, Miller Electric is well positioned to be the supplier of choice. “What the state did is give us a public relations boost, because Miller Electric was not a big name in China,” Panelli said. Additionally, Panelli said the growing relationship with WEDC enabled it to learn the mechanics and processes of doing business in China. The experience also introduced the company to the dynamic of working with state-level trade offices, a lesson bound to assist Miller Electric as it pursues other foreign markets for its products.
Finding a market conduit
Sometimes the best approach to growing international sales is to find a local business professional to make the sale for your firm.
Compassionate
Submitted photo
Gov. Scott Walker, center with the red tie, is joined by executives from Miller Electric Mfg. Co. and local government officials during a ceremonial contract signing in Shanghai, China in April 2013.
Miller Electric’s largest competitor in China – the 800-pound gorilla in the country’s automotive welding segment – is a European manufacturer which owned the marketplace until Miller Electric began gaining marketshare within the past few years. Panelli said the goodwill gained through mingling Wisconsin’s governor with local government officials and industrial leaders in Shanghai paved the way to other opportunities with robotics manufacturers designing robotic welding equipment for the Chinese automotive industry. Miller Electric is currently working with Chinese economic development officials to establish an automated automotivewelding distributor to sell its Fox Cities-manufactured products to vehicle producers across the country, Panelli said. The Red Dragon’s potential market is enormous. Demand for automated
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NOMINATE YOUR EMPLOYER
Shelmet Precision Casting Company of Wild Rose in Wautoma County never placed much emphasis on finding customers outside the United States. The company had a handful of incidental customers in Mexico, Australia and Israel, but none the company actively pursued, according to Joe Klenke, sales manager for Shelmet. Through its relationship with Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Shelmet enrolled last year in the organization’s ExporTech initiative, a three-session training program designed to provide small to midsize manufacturers in the state with the basic outline of a strategy to sell more goods abroad. Shelmet officials used the experience to define a market strategy in Canada.
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“That was an eye-opening experience. I’d recommend to anyone to take the ExporTech program,” Klenke said. As a niche manufacturer of short-run, highly specialized castings, Shelmet’s customers tend to come from heavyduty industries such as automotive, forestry, mining and shipbuilding
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Cover Story – all prominent segments of The Great White North’s gross national product. Klenke also said the NAFTA free-trade agreement as well as cultural similarities made Canada an attractive destination to test the waters of global commerce. “We have a common language to work with,” Klenke said. “That’s a really big issue when you start working on exporting.”
and appointments with those individuals Klenke and Oliver wanted to meet in person. “They scheduled a full day of meetings without us otherwise having to go there and stumble around,” Klenke said. “WEDC does a fantastic job of doing the research before you even get on a plane. If you had tried to set this trip up on your own, you could have never have been as productive.”
Shelmet’s involvement with ExporTech brought WEDC’s international trade services to the manufacturer’s attention, and when a state-sponsored trade venture to Canada was scheduled this past March, Klenke and Shalmet Vice President Gary Oliver booked their tickets. But the two didn’t go there looking to foster direct customer relationships. Their mission was to identify a Canadian sales professional they could hire to conduct business development activities across the industries Shalmet could pursue in Canada.
Klenke said the company has since identified three potential candidates for the role, and plans to hire at least one of those individuals by August. It’s an exciting pursuit for Shelmet Castings, and Klenke feels the “market is starving” for the type of high-quality, precision components it supplies. “This will allow us to go into a market that is saturated in the automotive industry.”
Prior to departure, Klenke said WEDC’s contract representatives in Canada provided Shelmet with a list of candidates and even arranged a suitable meeting location
Building relationships face to face
On the Web Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. Trade Ventures inwisconsin.com/export/goglobal
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Though the world feels much smaller to many in this Internet Age, the fact of the matter is that business relationships built on trust still transcends borders and cultural differences. That concept will always make face-to-face meetings critical to enhancing commerce, according to Peter Zaehringer, who recently became vice president of economic development for the Greater Green Bay Chamber this past June. “The most efficient way (to develop an international market) is usually if you do it in person,” said Zaehringer, a German native who spent the past decade working in economic development in northeastern Ohio.
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During his career Zaehringer has participated in several trade missions himself, indicating they’re an effective tool to identify potential customers, suppliers and distributors in markets which companies wouldn’t otherwise be familiar. But he advised such trips are just one component of doing business abroad, and that other efforts back at the home office are just as crucial in order to be successful in the global marketplace. WEDC’s Hall said the agency typically plans two to three trade missions each year. This past February, a delegation of state business leaders and government officials traveled to the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain. Another such trade mission is planned for Japan and Taiwan this coming September. “We’re going to the countries that we already have a relationship with, and we go there to nourish these relationships,” Hall said.
Foreign direct investment While such global trade ventures help Wisconsin companies further penetrate foreign markets with their products and services, the trips serve a dual role for state economic development officials looking to attract foreign-owned companies to invest in Wisconsin. As of 2014, foreign-owned companies in the state employing Wisconsin workers totaled more than 1,500, with more than 25 percent of those being Canadian-owned firms, Hall said. It makes sense for companies from other countries to manufacture product in Wisconsin because of its positive workforce attributes and easy access to those products sold domestically in the U.S. It’s additionally valuable to those foreign firms when the value of the U.S. Dollar is weaker than their own currency, allowing for some potential cost savings when compared with manufacturing in their own countries. Such foreign direct investments, as they’re called, build property tax base in Wisconsin communities and contribute billions of dollars in payroll to the state’s economy, enabling Wisconsin residents a healthy quality of life. Last month Gov. Walker and representatives from WEDC lead a business development mission to Canada to meet with industry leaders from corporations owning manufacturing plants in the state. The goal was to encourage future investment in production at the companies’ Wisconsin facilities. One such meeting was with executives from Agropur, the Montreal-based dairy foods processor with facilities in Little Chute, Weyauwega and Luxemburg under the name Trega Foods. Strengthening business relations with Canada makes good economic sense for state development officials. Canada is Wisconsin’s largest export destination, with state companies sending nearly $8 billion in goods to the country during 2014. That’s nearly a 6 percent increase from the previous year. Reciprocally, Wisconsin imported about $4.5 billion in goods from Canada in 2014, primarily plastics, paper and wood products. n
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It doesn’t have to be a foreign language.
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Guest Commentary
Investing in the Badger State Uncertain about mission of state economic agency? It’s called competition. by Tom Still
MADISON – During a debate over what to do next about Wisconsin’s lead economic development agency, a Republican member of the Legislature’s budget-writing committee took an openly skeptical stance. “I don’t really agree with the main mission of (the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.),” said Rep. Dean Knudson (R-Hudson). “I never did. It’s really not a proper role of government to be doing this.” “This” to Knudson apparently means all state economic development programs run through WEDC. Those programs include business grants, loans and other initiatives aimed at encouraging startup companies, attracting new businesses, retaining companies already here, or generally working to improve Wisconsin’s business climate. It’s a legitimate laissez-faire view, undoubtedly shared by others on both sides of the partisan aisle, but one that is hard to reconcile in an increasingly competitive world. While some policymakers in Wisconsin have talked of doing away with state business loan programs or WEDC altogether, other states continue to march ahead with their own loan programs – and much more – in the race to create companies and jobs. In fact, 47 of 50 states directly operate state business loan programs and the three that don’t – North Dakota, Wyoming and Alaska – do so through coalitions of cities and other groups. In 45 of 50 states, direct loans, participation loans and loan guarantees are among the top five economic development programs in those states’ toolkits. In many cases, state business loan programs are needed to qualify for federal programs that match state and private dollars.
A national perspective
A recent example of a state going above-and-beyond simple loan programs is Arkansas, where Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, had called the state’s General Assembly into a May 26 special session to adopt a bond issue to help Lockheed Martin bid on the opportunity to build military vehicles in Arkansas. The goal in Arkansas is to land a contract to manufacture the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, the successor to the Humvee. Lockheed Martin is competing with AM General Corp. and Wisconsin’s Oshkosh Corp., which submitted its proposal to build the new Army and Marine Corps vehicle in February. In other words, while Wisconsin talks about doing away with business loan programs and other incentives because of a few bad apples, other states are doing more to compete against the Badger state. Unilateral disarmament is not an option in the competition of companies and jobs in the United States or globally. What’s needed from Wisconsin policymakers is a strong debate about the proper mix of economic incentives, which includes three main categories – encouraging entrepreneurial activity, spurring business attraction and retention, and a “green field” approach to setting the right tax, regulatory and infrastructure climate. SSTI’s Berglund, who follows state economic development efforts in all 50 states, said it’s more about adopting the right policies than how a state agency is organized. In Wisconsin, the WEDC is a quasi-public agency established in mid-2011 as a successor to the former Department of Commerce, which was public. “We have long believed that whether an (economic development organization) is a state agency or quasi-public is immaterial to its success,” Berglund said. “It appears to be more about the processes that are in place and the people leading the organization and implementing those processes. It is most important that any of these organizations be set up with transparency – while protecting confidential business information – and accountability in mind.”
The state-by-state data comes from the State Science and Technology Institute, the Center for Regional Competiveness, the Center for Community and Economic Research and the Praxis Strategy Group, all organizations with a history of tracking state economic development trends.
The Legislature and the WEDC board will revisit the agency’s mission and procedures soon enough. While there are many ways to prioritize the state’s economic development efforts, walking away from a competitive world isn’t one of them.
“We are not aware of any state of Wisconsin’s size that doesn’t offer (small business) loans,” said Dan Berglund, director of the Ohio-based State Science and Technology Institute.
Still is president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. He is the former associate editor of the Wisconsin State Journal.
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Human Resources
Plexus
innovation One local employer’s solution to foster a specialized workforce to meet its growing customer demand
Story by Lee Marie Reinsch
What do you do if you’ve got a job requiring such a specialized skill that there’s no one in your area who’s got it? Answer: You create your own workforce. Neenah-based Plexus Corp. did exactly that, with the help of Fox Valley Technical College, the state Department of Workforce Development, the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board, Kelly Services, and a Fast Forward grant from the state. No, they didn’t build robots. Rather, they did things the old-fashioned way: They set up a formal training program to teach 70 actual humans how to do the specialized circuit-board soldering conducted at Plexus’s manufacturing facilities in Neenah and Appleton. Kelly Services found the prospective workers for Plexus. Fox Valley Tech served as the educational partner, developing a certificate program, holding classes and providing the instructor and facilities. The college received a soldering laboratory out of the deal, with equipment and
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workstations provided by Plexus, and 70 recruits earned certifications and offers for fulltime employment. Plexus also provided instructor training. Fox Valley Workforce Development Board helped Plexus apply for the Wisconsin Fast Forward grant, garnering $173,000 that went toward instruction, according to Steve Straub, dean of manufacturing for Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton. He said the college and Plexus were required to match part of the grant, which they did in the form of equipment, facilities and other softer costs.
What is Plexus, anyway?
Plexus Corp. is categorized as an electronics manufacturing company, but there’s a wee bit more to it than that. “We’re a services company,” said Plexus Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Todd Kelsey. “We design and manufacture our customers’ projects.” Its main market sectors include:
v Networking and communication;
v Healthcare and life sciences;
v Industrial and commercial; and
v Defense, security and aerospace.
Some of its key customers include GE Healthcare, Coca-Cola and Honeywell’s aerospace division. For Coca-Cola, Plexus makes those mindboggling touch-screen beverage machines that offer 100-plus flavor combinations found at places like Noodles & Company, Burger King or Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Plexus manufactures the entire unit here in the Fox Valley and ships them around the world, Kelsey said. For GE Healthcare, Plexus builds ultrasound units. But by far, aerospace is its most thriving sector, Kelsey said. He credits an increase in air travel in recent years. According to the U.S. Office of Travel & Tourism Industries, international nonstop air travel to and from the United States increased 7 percent in 2014 over the previous year, for a total of 197.3 million people traveling to and from the country. “Ultimately the bulk of the components that we build end up in either a Boeing or an Airbus airplane, and they have a very strong order pattern right now so their backlogs go out about a decade,” Kelsey said. “So it’s a really strong demand.” Plexus employs more than 12,000 people worldwide in its 26 facilities around the globe, with four sites in the Fox Valley, including the world headquarters in downtown Neenah. The company has grown its labor force in Wisconsin by 16 percent in the last five years, Kelsey said. Globally, it’s grown even more substantially.
Submitted photos
At left, an ultrasound unit Plexus manufactures for GE Healthcare. At right, a touch-screen beverage dispenser Plexus produces for Coca-Cola.
volume, high-complexity (products), so our organization is very well aligned around that strategy and the markets that fit within that strategy,” he said. “The other key differentiator for Plexus is our drive toward operational excellence and customer service excellence.” Kelsey defines operational excellence as “exceptional quality on time at a fair price” and customer service excellence as “building upon that, but viewing problems from the eyes of our customer.” Those two factors have helped Plexus gain new customers while expanding business with current ones, he said.
Crafting an aerospace ‘center of excellence’ The word “plexus” is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “an interlacing network, especially of blood vessels or nerves.” It’s pretty apropos, once one begins to understand the nitty-gritty of what Plexus does.
Plexus’s less than 2-year-old, 475,000-sq. ft. operations site in Neenah’s Southpark Industrial Center is the company’s largest North American facility. It’s also a targeted growth location for the Americas, specifically for customers in the defense, security and aerospace sectors, according to Laura Biehn, director of human resources for Plexus. “The Neenah Operations manufacturing center is looked upon as an aerospace center of excellence,” she said. “As such, a lot of the products that go into our DSA (defense, security and aerospace) customers require a very specific skill called hand soldering. If you can imagine taking very, very tiny components and hand soldering them onto a circuit board, that’s really what this skill is.”
Kelsey credits the company’s high performance rather than the economy.
In addition to beverage machines, these circuit boards go into products such as braking systems and black boxes on airplanes, items that demand a critical attention to detail.
“We have a very focused strategy. We focus on mid- to low-
“Since in (northeast Wisconsin), we don’t have a ton of other
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companies that do this kind of work, we had a demand to be really creative and create this workforce on our own,” Biehn said. Kelsey said it’s important to note such intricate soldering is an uncommon ability. “It takes some real craftsmanship to build these aerospace products,” he said. “The way that they’re manufactured is very complex. It’s a rare skill set in general and it’s particularly rare in this area.” In fact, so rare is the skill that until they trained enough new employees, Plexus had to import workers from its sister site in Boise, Idaho. The past few years have been good ones for Plexus, and when the company determined it needed to hire around 70 people to hand solder circuit boards, it talked to the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board, which represents a six-county area around Lake Winnebago. Such soldering skills just weren’t available here in the Fox Valley, said Paul Stelter, CEO of the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board. “They were looking to keep the work here, so they had been talking to us and also with FVTC about what might be done to alleviate that,” Stelter said. “We realized this may be an opportunity to provide the training funds to get people trained to fulfill these needs.”
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Paying for the training So what is Fast Forward?
Wisconsin Act 9, passed in spring 2013, earmarked $15 million in state funds over the following two years for Fast Forward grants to address the state’s need for skilled workers through worker training grants and investments to prepare workers for current and future jobs. Administered by the state Department of Workforce Development’s Office of Skills Development, Fast Forward awarded a variety of grants in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, small business, transportation, information technologies, customer service, financial services, healthcare and agriculture. Businesses can make suggestions for grant programs and make skills development inquiries on the program’s website, wisconsinfastforward.com. That’s where more information can be found about current and upcoming grant application information and deadlines.
In addition to beverage machines, these circuit boards go into products such as braking systems and black boxes on airplanes, items that demand a critical attention to detail.
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Human Resources “We work with WEDC (Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.), the technical college system and the Office of Economic Advisors, which is the labor market analysts and the research technicians for the state, so we can identify what the local economy requirements are for the workforce and what specific skill gaps might exist in the local area,” said Scott Jansen, division administrator for employment and training for the state Department of Workforce Development.
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Fox Valley Tech repurposed a computer lab into the bootcamp soldering lab. In all, the lab consists of 10 workstations with soldering equipment and compressed air. Seven groups of 10 students each went through an intensive four-week boot camp in late 2014 and early 2015, finishing up the program with an industry-recognized certification as well as a certificate conferred from Fox Valley Tech. The program is completed as far as delivering the training outlined in the Fast Forward grant application. And while Plexus is “continually hiring” at its locations in Appleton and Neenah, according to Biehn, there aren’t any immediate plans to bootcamp more of these detailed-solder workers. “We’re hiring for all kinds of skill sets, not just this skill set,” Biehn said. “This is just a really unique opportunity for us to get some folks who were here onsite through our Kelly services temp agency. We went through a very highly selective process, along with letters of referral, and the outcome of that was they got to go through this training, and upon the successful completion of the training became fulltime Plexus employees.” Plexus offered fulltime positions to all 70 students, but not all accepted. Biehn said they retained 85 percent of the students, or approximately 60. The others found employment elsewhere, according to Straub. Biehn declined to disclose the salaries of the new employees but said Plexus’s starting pay for entry-level production work lies between $11 and $12.50 per hour plus benefits. Plexus isn’t terminating the connection with Fox Valley Tech. “We would hope to continue that partnership for sure, but we’re still going through some logistics of what that looks like,” Biehn said.
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Plexus used Fox Valley Tech this summer for some recertification and has had ongoing discussions with the college to reinforce that partnership, Biehn said. The lab equipment stays on the Fox Valley Tech campus as part of its fixtures.
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Biehn said she’s gotten lots of positive feedback on the training program. “It was a great opportunity to create a lab there for these 70 trainees to go through and get some hands-on experience,” she said. Straub said the partnership shows the Fox Valley is more than cheese and paper. “One of the things this demonstrates is the diverse manufacturing base we have here in the Fox Valley district,” Straub said. “That includes high-tech electronics companies like Plexus, as well as traditional heavy metal companies, forging, food production like cheese making, papermaking. We make fire trucks. We make welding machines that welders use. Gulf Stream makes private jet aircrafts.” We could add that the Fox Valley also makes skilled employees. n Photo submitted by Fox Valley Technical College
Lee Reinsch of Green Bay worked 18 years at daily newspapers before launching her freelance business, edgewise, in 2007.
Plexus employees-in-training learn hand soldering techniques in the newly established lab at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton.
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Marketing
Eyes in the sky Emerging opportunities for commercial drone use will change how business is conducted Kids, hobbyists and soldiers fly drones all the time. Businesses are the only group left behind as the Federal Aviation Administration takes its time developing rules for the rapidly-advancing technology. At long last in February, the FAA proposed how it might regulate commercial use of unmanned aerial vehicles, and is now sifting through more than 4,500 comments before finalizing those rules – expected sometime in 2017. That’s still not soon enough for some business professionals. “Real estate brokers are chomping at the bit to use them for listings and so forth, but the FAA is standing in the way,” lamented Debbi Conrad, director of legal affairs for the Wisconsin Realtors Association. That sector is getting used
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Story by J. S. Decker
to rapid change after the Internet put property listings at everyone’s fingertips. Photos are great marketing, she said, but a home looks much more exciting when filmed from every angle. All the features can be seen in relation to each other, including the flaws. “You’ve got to be careful you don’t go too high because you might show the neighboring property that looks better!” Conrad added. A few real estate agents are already using drones for interior videos, which is perfectly legal, but their patience is being tested on exterior shots outdoors. For as little as $30 a remote-controlled battery-powered helicopter with a camera can be bought in the toy section of many department stores. Resolution, performance and endurance increase with the sale price of the rotary and www.newnorthb2b.com
fixed-wing aircraft, from several hundred to several hundred thousand dollars. Without a human pilot on board, the aircraft can be lighter and smaller. Sometimes the most expensive part of the entire set-up is elaborate camera gear that records far beyond the visual spectrum. The United States is well behind the rest of the world, where oil companies use aerial drones to monitor pipelines and farmers keep an eye on crop growth. Uses are seemingly limitless, although the February proposal only covers aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds, flying no higher than 500 feet, and remaining within sight of the operator. Such a diminutive aircraft is all any wedding photographer needs, and American brides don’t want to wait any more. Several photographers have received requests to use drones they already own for commercial purposes. Companies can apply for a Section 333 exemption, which allows a pilot to operate a drone for pay.
“Real estate brokers are chomping at the bit to use them for listings and so forth, but the FAA is standing in the way.” Debbi Conrad, director of legal affairs, Wisconsin Realtors Association
The appeal of drone use
Aerial drones with still and video cameras are dynamic, versatile tools that do far more than snap a few pictures of the scenery. Drones produce video that looks like Superman might have filmed it, with rotating lenses darting over or through a landscape or a skyline at varying speeds. Not everyone is waiting for the law to catch up. It’s not hard to find a production company willing to take payment for photos and video shot by a drone. Once it is legal, the number of providers will skyrocket. That means less work for traditional aerial photography. Steve Ryan, owner of Ryan Commercial Photography of Green Bay, remains confident he can provide a better service flying in a rented Cessna than a robot ever could. “Most of the aerial photography I do cannot be done, or at least cannot be done at the same quality, using a fixed wing or helicopter drone,” he asserted. The 500-foot restriction is good news for him. “Larger projects require more elevation and less wide angle coverage,” he explained. “The wide angle coverage distorts perspective and geometry.” Over the last 25 years his clients have included the Green Bay Packers, municipalities and corporations. “Some of it is for engineering purposes in order to aid in mapping and scale,” he said.
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Capitalizing on drone demand An Oshkosh light aircraft manufacturer is joining the ranks of unmanned aerial vehicle – or UAV – producers. The Xenos motorglider by Sonex Aircraft LLC won’t need its two seats when Navmar Applied Sciences Corp. of Pennsylvania sells it as the Teros drone. The Teros is intended to provide extended range, high altitude performance in a wide range of environments, with the U.S. Department of Defense expected to be the primary customer. “I don’t see it as becoming a weaponized platform, but that doesn’t mean that’s out of the question,” said Sonex General Manager Mark Schaible. Surveillance gear and extra fuel will fill the 40-inch wide cockpit, with a pilot on the ground controlling flight. “There’s also potential application for things like pipeline surveillance and railroad security,” he added. “So, homeland security, but also some corporate infrastructure applications.” Mostly, Schaible said he’ll never know what the final mission is. “We at Sonex may never know outside of vague references. It’ll mostly be within the sphere of gathering data, whether optical or digital surveillance.” Under an agreement signed in May, Navmar will receive airframes built in Oshkosh and install surveillance and control systems before shipping them off to military clients. Navmar’s Unmanned Aerial Systems Group Manager Chris Patton said the Xenos offers exactly the performance needed for the new Teros to be a success. “Sonex Aircraft LLC was selected to produce the aircraft for conversion to a UAV based upon their reputation for excellence in engineering, quality production and customer support,” Patton said. Schaible pointed out the new FAA regulations now being proposed won’t affect Teros operations, because its empty weight of at least 750 pounds and operating ceiling of at least 29,000 feet far exceed the 55-pound and 500-foot limits of those rules. “This is a far cry from an Amazon.com drone. This is a serious aircraft. Even when they are operated within our borders, 90 percent of the time they’ll be operated by government agencies.” The new regulations will help set firm guidelines to keep airspace safe, Schaible added. “We don’t want a bunch of unregulated drones flying around. On one hand, you’ve had model airplanes flying around for years, and those folks fly unregulated without problems. But there seems to be more common sense in those operations.” These days anyone can pilot an impressive toy from his or her iPhone without any aviation experience. “There’s a pretty clear distinction between model-scale quadcopters and full-size airframes. The public and the media fails to see the line,” he said. Drones may be getting a lot of attention, but Schaible said it’s the pilots who will always be the heart and soul of aviation. “Manned aviation is still going to be the overwhelming majority of fullscale airframes for the foreseeable future.” - by J.S. Decker
NNB2B | July 2015 | 31
Marketing Yes, drones will compete against his services, Ryan acknowledged. “I do see they are a competitor and there certainly is the potential that they would take market share.” But, he suggested, “Quite honestly, I don’t know that they can do it for less cost.”
Gaining early experience
Doug Heim was very happy running AngelCopter out of Oneida. “In 2007 my wife and I invested big bucks in a high-tech drone that could fly programmed flights. We saw a vision of aerial photography,” he recalled. “Two months after we bought it the government came out and put out a rule that you can’t fly drones anymore.” “We continued to fly under the radar. I made $500 in 3 minutes,” Heim said. “I’d take the thing up, snap some pictures, land the thing and go off to my next job.” Heim suggested use of the technology to some of his real estate agent acquaintances early on, but at the time none of them shared his enthusiasm, yet. “I showed them the difference of the aerial picture vs the ground picture. They didn’t get it. It amazed me,” he said. “There was a lot of resistance in the beginning. Now, everybody gets what a drone is. It’s not a toy. Its a machine that can go up and accomplish missions.” He did just that before he sold his several custom-made
drones. “I’d take these model helicopters and mount cameras and stabilizing equipment and remote control viewfinders.” Now he just has one and is planning to sell it, too. “I was doing this for several years,” he pointed out, and the threat of an enforcement action never seemed to be more than a threat. “I was in downtown Green Bay taking pictures with a drone of a church steeple that was being re-roofed and a policeman came over. He was just fascinated with the helicopter,” Heim noted. “Its’ not a local law, a state law, it’s
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Marketing not even a federal law, it’s a regulation.” So, he quit while he was ahead? “I quit while I had a head, let’s put it that way!”
Penalties not worth the risk
FAA Spokesperson Les Dorr said jail time is not one of the consequences for commercial operation of a drone without proper approval. “The amount of a proposed civil penalty depends on the egregiousness of the safety violation. The statutory maximum penalty is $25,000,” he said. Officials from the FAA office in Chicago, which oversees the Midwest airspace, indicated there hasn’t been a single FAA civil penalty issued against Wisconsin residents for unmanned aircraft systems violations. Enforcement seems to follow far behind education. According to Dorr, “When we find out about an apparent unauthorized UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) operation, we promote voluntary compliance by educating individual UAS operators about how they can operate safely under current regulations and laws.” Punishment seems reserved for those flying drones near airports or otherwise posing a danger to other aircraft. Dorr continued, “We may take enforcement action against anyone who operates a UAS in a way that endangers the safety of the
national airspace system.” There’s more at risk than a slap on the wrist, Ryan insisted. “As a business, if you start violating the law, if anything happens you’re going to lose your future. I work with big corporations. I don’t put them at that risk,” Ryan said. If a 55-pound flying object goes off course, it can cause substantial damage or even death. “The liability issue cannot be ignored,” he added, “If there was an accident it would be the operator and it would also be the client who is liable.” Aero Insurance of Madison is already writing policies for the new market, said agent Jeff Rasmussen. It’s a tricky field because it’s so new. There’s not decades of data on unmanned aerial drone crashes to establish premium costs. “We’ve written about a dozen policies in the last six months. Some for manufacturers, some for operators,” he said. “The FAA is trying to make it very, very strict and very, very tight who can operate legally. One of the things that is banned is flying over densely populated venues like sporting events and concerts.” “It’s going to be a very rapid growth area for aviation but it’s a potentially scary aspect for insurance,” Rasmussen predicted. “Here’s all the rules and regs, but so what? Unless you’re going to have people from the FAA walking around, looking to shut down drone operators, (it won’t matter much).” n J.S. Decker is a business journalist based in Oshkosh.
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Professionally Speaking
Professionally Speaking is a paid promotional spot in B2B.
Changes In Wisconsin Non-Compete and Severance Agreements by Mary S. Gerbig of Davis & Kuelthau, s.c.
Given a variety of court cases over the last decade, employers and employees have pondered the question of what constitutes sufficient consideration to support a non-compete agreement. In response to conflicting court cases a bill was introduced into the Wisconsin Legislature in March that sought to change the enforceability of non-compete agreements in Wisconsin. Specifically, the bill seeks to expand the required elements of non-compete agreements in Wisconsin, as well as place restrictions on Wisconsin courts when interpreting the language of noncompete agreements. The bill is currently before the Senate. The Wisconsin law regarding non-compete agreements was also clarified in April 2015, when the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision, Runzheimer Int’l, Ltd. v. Friedlen. In Runzheimer, an employee was required to sign a restrictive covenant
920.431.2242
agreement in return for his continued employment with the company and the right to participate in an incentive bonus plan. The Wisconsin Supreme Court stated the employer’s forbearance in exercising its right to terminate the at-will employee constituted lawful consideration for him signing the non-compete agreement.
agreements violated Title VII because they interfered with the employees’ rights to (1) file charges, (2) communicate voluntarily, and (3) participate in investigations with the EEOC. An example of a separation agreement provision that the EEOC disfavors is a non-disparagement clause.
Runzheimer and the Legislative bill on Wisconsin employers should provide needed guidance for employers related to non-competes. Wisconsin employers now can require current employees to sign noncompete agreements, or risk termination. However, if the pending bill is enacted into law, Wisconsin employers will need to review and revise existing non-compete agreements to ensure enforceability.
Non-compete agreements and separation agreements can be effective tools for Wisconsin employers in protecting their business’s interests. However, given the developing changes in laws and regulatory guidance surrounding noncompete agreements and separation agreements, Wisconsin employers should first consider consulting with legal counsel before implementing and enforcing such agreements.
Wisconsin employers should also be mindful of recent initiatives by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) related to the enforceability of separation agreements. The EEOC has initiated several recent lawsuits in which it claimed aspects of employer separation
Mary Gerbig is a shareholder with Davis & Kuelthau, s.c. in Green Bay. Ms. Gerbig provides counsel to private and public sector employers on a wide variety of labor and employment law matters. Ms. Gerbig can be reached at mgerbig@ dkattorneys.com or 920.431.2242 for further information/advice.
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NNB2B | July 2015 | 35
Who’s News
Incorporations
New North B2B publishes monthly new business incorporations filed with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. Brown County
Red Carpet Ready Boutique LLC, Robin Nicole Tinnon, 2218 S. Ridge Road, Ashwaubenon 54304. Goldeneye Identity Solutions INC., Steve Ferris, 2093 Lost Dauphin Road, De Pere 54115. Studio 1thirty2 LLC, Claude Robinson, 132 S. Broadway, De Pere 54115. JR Inspections LLC, Jeffrey S. Rosner, 4592 Scenic Way, De Pere 54115. Code 3 Counseling & Consulting LLC, Paul Michael Smith, 3311 S. Packerland Dr., De Pere 54115. Fox River Printing INC., Anthony Teebo, 2864 Spring Meadows Dr., De Pere 54115. Uprooted Tree Removal LLC, Terica Lynn Cable, 1971 Swan Road, #221, De Pere 54115. The Nail Studio & Spa LLC, Cheng Thao, 327 Main Ave., De Pere 54115. Anduzzi’s of Kimberly LLC, Anthony J. Szymanski, 2295 Lost Dauphin Road, De Pere 54115. Old Mexico Mexican Bar and Grill LLC, Amber Barajas, 469 N. Ninth St., De Pere 54115. Classic Custom Cabinets LLC, Mark Soderlund, 1251 Scheuring Road, De Pere 54115. Redline Home Inspections LLC, Nick J. Hermes, 2225 Samantha St., Apt. 45, De Pere 54115. Noah’s Ark Animal and Reptile Rescue LLC, Mark Lyle Luedeman, 2758 Golden Glow Road, De Pere 54115. Taicher’s Udder Side Trucking LLC, Ricky L. Taicher, 5182 Frontier Road, Denmark 54208. BKS Trucking LLC, Barry J. Kaliebe, N1504 Irish Road, Denmark 54208. Velocity Baseball and Softball LLC, Michael Paul Collins, 127A Wisconsin Ave., Denmark 54208. The Cobbler Shop LLC, Thomas Leonard Brumlic, 3714 S. County Road P, Denmark 54208. Above & Beyond Learning Center LLC, Reneasha N. Hawthorne, 1651 Cass St., Green Bay 54302. Nolan Carter Architectural Design LLC, Toni Wilson, 1233 Barnard St., Green Bay 54301. Leon’s Transportation Service LLC, Horacio Leon Gonzalez, 2021 Deckner Ave., Green Bay 54302. Sil Resturant LLC, Walter Melgar, 1212 Marine St., Green Bay 54301. Deep Feet Bar Therapy By Teresa LLC, Teresa K. Sawyer, 1467 Waterford Dr., Green Bay 54313. Sunridge Dental LLC, Jill Carter, 2926 Finger Road, Green Bay 54311. B & D Water Meter Testing & Repair LLC, Jeffrey R. Dunks, 515 E. Kalb Ave., Green Bay 54301. Boucher Trucking LLC, Jamie Maria Swienton, 4556 Edgewater Beach Road, Green Bay 54311. Green Bay Doulas LLC, Emily Laura Jacobson, 1553 Morrow St., Green Bay 54302. Vantage Insurance Services LLC, Alex Mirhashemi, 1498 University Ave., Green Bay 54302. Royal Montessori Academy East LLC, Tara Collins, 680 Cormier Road, Green Bay 54304. Northern Sales and Service LLC, Jesse J. Wagner, 101 S. Military Ave., Green Bay 54303. In-Home Pet Sitting LLC, Tanya C. Smejkal, 1075 Schanock Dr., Green Bay 54303. Compass Accounting Group INC., Ralph D. Jensen, 3246 West Point Road,
36 | July 2015 | NNB2B
Green Bay 54313. Rolling Aces Entertainment LLC, Allan Charles Eckola, Jr., 3211 Evergreen Ave., Green Bay 54313. Pachecos Roofing LLC, Roberto Pacheco Luna, 1025 Heyrman St., Green Bay 54302. Vann Law Group LLC, Shari Lynn Vannieuwenhoven, 1224 Folkstone Dr., Green Bay 54313. Achieve Brown County INC., Adam Hardy, 2701 Larsen Road, Green Bay 54303. Life Is Sweet Bakery LLC, Kenlyn Sue Rosera, 434 Bellevue St., Green Bay 54302. Grandiflora Landscape INC., Tyler G. Kelley, 1324 Desnoyers St., Green Bay 54303. Lenz Auto LLC, James G. Lenz, 965 Duchateau Ave., Green Bay 54304. Horizon Home Renovations and Property Maintenance LLC, Steven Michael Haskins, 1140 Moraine Way, #24, Green Bay 54303. All WI Insurance and Financial Services LLC, Anna Lautenbach, 1233 Cass St., Green Bay 54301. Better Days Mentoring LLC, Eddie Thomas Boyce, 300 Terraview Dr., Green Bay 54301. Zimmerman Writing Services LLC, Richard Zimmerman, 515 S. Baird St., Green Bay 54301. De Pere Publishing LLC, Mary C. Guldan-Lindstrom, 1462 Russell St., Green Bay 54304. Rustic Touch Renovations LLC, Jennifer Delvaux, 5965 Clover Valley Dr., New Franken 54229. Rick Blaser Trucking LLC, Rick Blaser, 3150 Anston Road, Suamico 54313.
Fond du Lac County
K Brown Plumbing LLC, Kenneth S. Brown, N3840 Savage Road, Brandon 53919. Giese Ag Services LLC, Dennis N. Giese, 520 North St., Brownsville 53006. Badgerland Bait LLC, Christopher Ryan Ford, W4521 Terrace Lane, Campbellsport 53010. Organics The Greenway LLC, Eric Martinson, N1692 County Road W, Campbellsport 53010. Painless Stump Grinding LLC, James Duffus III, N4456 U.S. Highway 45, Eden 53019. Zooks Custom Concrete and Landscaping INC., Shiela Zook, 317 N. Elizabeth St., Eden 53019. T Mrazek Floorcovering LLC, Thomas Robert Mrazek, 485 Mustang Lane, Fond du Lac 54935. Lewis Avionics Consulting LLC, Cal Lewis, 40 Roberts Ct., Fond du Lac 54935. The Pool Guys LLC, Jamie Rebedew, 160 W. Cotton St., Fond du Lac 54935. Bfour Computers LLC, Brian Arden Balfour, 37 Elm Tree Lane, Fond du Lac 54935. Integrity Lawn Care Solutions LLC, Peter J. Vercouteren, N8336 Deadwood Point Road, Fond du Lac 54937. Rick Claudel’s Handyman Services LLC, Rick Claudel, 306 E. Merrill Ave., Fond du Lac 54935. Pudley’s Produce & Trina’s Treasures LLC, Katrina Dudzinski, 289 Southview Road, Fond du Lac 54935. Ledgeview Dairy Consulting Services LLC, Greg Booher, 140 W. Waupun St., Oakfield 53065. Ralph Benedict Ceramic Design LLC, Dana Moracco, 412 Fenton St., Ripon 54971. Northstar Farm Cattle & Soybean Exchange LLC, Timm Paul Duzinske, N8747 N. Douglas St., Ripon 54971. Mueller Farms LLC, Dennis C. Mueller, N88224 Nitschke Road, Van Dyne 54979. Pine Tree Auto Sales & Service LLC, Gerald Labrec, N3019 S. Frontage Road, Waupun 53963. Home Tile Solutions LLC, Derek James Minnema, 703 Oak Ln., Waupun 53963.
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Green Lake County
Global Products Group LLC, James Thoma, N231 State Road 49, Berlin 54923. Impact Cleaning Systems LLC, Dale E. Jezwinski, N8898 River Road, Berlin 54923. Bobby’s World Tattoo LLC, Bobby Lewis, 301 N. Wisconsin St., Berlin 54923.
Outagamie County
Mobile Blasting Solutions LLC, Blair Evan Erdahl, 1516 E. Moon Beam Tr., Appleton 54915. Galvan’s LLC, Spresim Useini, 2220 E. Northland Ave., Appleton 54911. Pathway Massage LLC, Kylie Elizabeth Wales, 5601 W. Grande Market Dr., Appleton 54913. Old Mexico Mexican Restaurant LLC, Hector Leon, W6036 Sweet William Dr., Appleton 54915. JRL Lawn Care INC., Joseph R. Ludwig, Jr., W3353 Ed’s Lane, Appleton 54913. Pippi’s Gems LLC, Thomas Henry Sutter, 2631 N. Meade St., Ste. 101, Appleton 54911. National Soft Skills Association INC., Terrence M. Schmitz, 1321 S. Casaloma Dr., Appleton 54914. All For You Event Planning LLC, Jennifer Ann Fechter, 1400 S. Walden Ave., Appleton 54915. Healthy Glow Airbrush Tanning LLC, Crystal M. Rivers, W6029 Nettie Dr., Appleton 54915. Megan’s Nanny Care LLC, Megan Anderson, 3206 N. Bluemound Dr., Appleton 54914. Green & Gold Maintenance LLC, Alfred Aquino, 2279 W. Pershing St., #15, Appleton 54914. Traviz Events LLC, Travis A. Zielinski, 2909 N. Union St., Appleton 54911. Moondance Realty LLC, Scott C. Barr, 2401 E. Enterprise Ave., Appleton 54913. Balanced Chiropractic LLC, Kalista Anne Sawyer, 4876 W. Lawrence St., Appleton 54914. Plan Design Partners INC., Kevin Speich, 1213 N. Superior, Appleton 54911. Dietzler Flooring LLC, Kirt Dietzler, 227 N. Bennett St., Appleton 54914. L.A. Suarez MD LLC, Louis A. Suarez, M.D., 2011 N. Nicholas, Appleton 54914. GEC Home Inspections LLC, Paul Vander Heiden, 4325 E. Appleview Dr., Appleton 54913. Michael’s Dog Treats LLC, Marian L. Shipps, 3631 Cherryvale Cir., Unit 6, Appleton 54913. Alexander Photography & Graphic Design LLC, Alexander Ghali, 1 Wittmann Ct., Appleton 54915. Lindo Michoacan Mexican Restaurant LLC, Pedro Juarez, Jr., 207 N. Richmond St., Appleton 54911. Dins Designs LLC, Jeffrey Alan Dins, 418 S. Weimar St., Appleton 54915. Ko Chiropractic LLC, Khristine Renee Kennedy Otto, 611 N. Lynndale Dr., Ste. 140, Appleton 54914. Learning Coach LLC, Dana Lynn Coenen, 1531 N. Elinor St., Appleton 54914. Northeast Wisconsin Construction & Landscape LLC, Chris Allen Vanheuklon, W1797 Elk Lane, Freedom 54130. First Rate Home Inspections LLC, Matthew David Dercks, W7106 Glen Valley Dr., Greenville 54942. Valley Pro Home Inspections LLC, Robert E. Steffes, W7206 Fox Hollow Lane, Greenville 54942. The Curb Depot LLC, Ryan M. Wolfrath, N2591 Chapel Hill, Hortonville 54944. EZ Does It Siding and Soffit LLC, Darek Stuber, 705 Hedgewood Lane, Kimberly 54136. Pain Relief INC., Maurizio Z. Albala, M.D., 69 E. Fox Point Dr., Little Chute 54911. Well-House Dryer Vent Cleaning LLC, Paul G. Welhouse, 4204 W. Brook Ct., Oneida 54155. Eagle Feather Trucking LLC, Linda Kay Jorgenson, N8290 Cooper Road, Oneida 54155. Granddaddy’s Soul Food CORP., Valerie Elaine King, 439 E. Factory, Seymour 54165.
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Who’s News Winnebago County
On Wisconsin Magazine LLC, Troy Daniel Reissmann, 5091 Pumpkin Ct., Larsen 54947. Reliable Lawn Service LLC, James M. Weber, W5595 State Road 114, Menasha 54952. Huempfner & Thurber Construction LLC, Greg Huempfner, 108 De Pere St., Menasha 54952. Natural Pain Remedies LLC, John Joseph, 1517 Rue Reynard Road, Menasha 54952. Modify Hair Studio LLC, Shannon C. Peterson, 230 Main St., Menasha 54956. Studio R Beauty Lounge LLC, Rebekka Fonseca, 182 Main St., Menasha 54952. Daniel Clausz Law Offices LLC, Daniel Clausz, W5878 Augusta Pl., Menasha 54952. The Shinery Neenah LLC, Elizabeth Ann Reissmann, 303 N. Commercial St., Neenah 54956. Streck Realty Advisors LLC, Wayne C. Streck, 516 E. Forest Ave., Neenah 54956. AML Roofing and Home Improvement LLC, Joseph M. Gillis, 803 Jean St., Neenah 54956. Helios Addiction Recovery Services LLC, Jesse Heffernan, 1010 Strohmeyer Dr., Neenah 54956. The Speech Teach LLC, Tina Marie Janichek, 1160 Westwind Dr., Neenah 54956. Neenah National Golf Club LLC, Daniel J. Weilep, 8130 Golf Course Dr., Neenah 54956. Green Bay Cartage INC., Herbert J. Goetz, 765 Manchester Road, Neenah 54956. Beds For Less LLC, Timothy J. Wallace, 621 E. Ontario St., Omro 54963.
Sayler Farmacy LLC, Austin Sayler, 4240 Rivermoor Road, Omro 54963. Black Horse Acres INC., Leslie Black, 1169 Broderick Road, Omro 54963. Omro Area Softball Association INC., Gary Herring, 114 E. River Dr., Omro 54963. Walter Plumbing LLC, Scott Robert Walter, 5166 Tamarack Tr., Oshkosh 54904. The Northwoods Films LLC, John Pata, 407 N. Main St., Oshkosh 54901. Cutting Edge Sales & Products LLC, Ryan Seeley, 823 Eastman St., Oshkosh 54901. Omega Brewing Experience LLC, Stephen Brian Zink, 3009 Wylde Oak Ct., Oshkosh 54904. Sky Haven Pilot Development LLC, Alexander Philip Marsh, 1400 W. South Park Ave., Oshkosh 54902. Sundquist Trucking LLC, Walter D. Sundquist, Jr., 737 Division St., Oshkosh 54901. Soundchaser DJ & Karaoke LLC, Patricia Delrow, 203 W. Nevada Ave., Oshkosh 54901. Generations Barbering LLC, Monica Alejandra Harvey, 613 Otter Ave., Oshkosh 54901. The Anchor of Truth Church INC., Larry Tenut, 1706 W. 7th Ave., Oshkosh 54902. Jirschele Insurance Agency LLC, Steven Jirschele, 923 S. Main St., Oshkosh 54902. Elevated Roofing and Construction LLC, Ryan L. McCrory, 400 E. Parkway Ave., Oshkosh 54901. Eagleshead Web Design LLC, Moosey Goljenboom, N9309 Oak Road, Pickett 54964. Margo Videography LLC, Margo Harrison, 220 N. 9th Ave., Winneconne 54986.
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Building permits
B2B includes a monthly list of building permits (not to include residential projects) in excess of $400,000. Walmart Stores, 351 S. Washburn St., Oshkosh. $600,000 for interior alterations to the existing big box department store to include restroom upgrades. General contractor is Corporate Construction Ltd. May 6. Mattress Firm, 3626 W. College Ave., town of Grand Chute. $466,500 for an interior renovation of the existing retail building. General contractor is Innovative Construction Solutions of Brookfield. May 6. Nicolet Elementary School/Green Bay Area Public School District, 600 N. Irwin Ave., Green Bay. $2,613,300 for interior alterations to the existing school building. General contractor is IEI General Contractors of De Pere. May. Costco Wholesale, 5401 Integrity Way, town of Grand Chute. $12,320,000 for a 154,497-sq. ft. wholesale club store. General contractor is Robinson Construction of Oregon. May 11. Kwik Trip, 1499 Appleton Road, Menasha. $2,000,000 for a new convenience store, fuel station and separate car wash. Contractor listed as self. May 11. Menasha Packaging Company, 1645 Bergstrom Road, Neenah. $23,100,000 for a two-story, 103,900-sq. ft. corporate office complex. General contractor is Miron Construction Co. of Neenah. May 12. Morton Long Term Care Pharmacy Solutions, 201 E. Bell St., Neenah. $500,000 for a 7,050-sq. ft. addition to the existing commercial office building. General contractor is RJM Construction of Black Creek. May 13. Franklin Middle School/Green Bay Area Public School District, 1234 W. Mason St., Green Bay. $1,182,465 for interior alterations to the existing school building. General contractor is Lueck’s Inc. of Oshkosh. May. Rogers Memorial Hospital, 4351 W. College Ave., town of Grand Chute. $500,000 for an interior alteration of 8,300 square feet of commercial space for an outpatient services clinic. General contractor is VJS Construction Services of Pewaukee. May 14. Curwood Inc./Bemis Specialty Films, 2450 Badger Ave., Oshkosh. $2,274,124 for an addition to the existing tandem coater building. General contractor is C.R. Meyer & Sons Co. of Oshkosh. May 15. Bank First National, 4201 W. Wisconsin Ave., town of Grand Chute. $1,775,000 for a 6,697-sq. ft. financial institution office. General contractor is ACE Building Service of Manitowoc. May 18. Stowe Woodward LLC, 912 Haase St., town of Menasha. $2,600,000 for a 5,556-sq. ft. addition to the existing industrial facility for a new crane bay and additional offices. General contractor is Lorrigan Construction of Hortonville. May 20.
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Syble Hopp Elementary School/West De Pere School District, 755 Scheuring Road, De Pere. $744,611 for an 18,285-sq. ft. addition to the existing school building. General contractor is Miron Construction Co. of Neenah. May 28. Koeller Center, 1020-1142 S. Koeller St., Oshkosh. $901,900 for façade improvements to the existing retail strip mall. General contractor is Iconica of Madison. May 28. Discount Tire, 1271 N. Casaloma Dr., town of Grand Chute. $750,000 for a 9,554-sq. ft. automotive and tire service center. General contractor is D21 Construction Services of Michigan. May 29. www.newnorthb2b.com
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NNB2B | July 2015 | 39
Who’s News One Menasha Center, 177 Main St., Menasha. $13,470,213 for an eightstory, 100,000-sq. ft. multi-tenant office building. General contractor is Miron Construction Co. of Neenah. June 1. Katsu-Ya of Japan, 344 W. College Ave., Appleton. $655,000 for an interior remodel of the existing commercial building. General contractor is Tom Berceau Construction of De Pere. June 3. St. Francis Xavier Catholic High School, 1600 W. Prospect Ave., Appleton. $585,000 for an addition and interior remodel of the existing school building. General contractor is Boldt Construction Co. of Appleton. June 5. Kensington Properties, 2520 S. Kensington Dr., Appleton. $2,500,000 for a new fitness center. Contractor is Ronal Kahler Construction. June 8. Walgreens, 3330 E. Calumet St., Appleton. $2,750,400 for an interior remodel of the existing retail store. General contractor is Horizon Retail Construction of Sturtevant. June 8.
New businesses Site Landscape Architecture opened in Appleton by owner Brian DeMuynck, who has nearly two decades of landscape design experience. For more information about Site, go online to www.sitelandscapearchitecture.com. TeamLogic IT opened in Green Bay by Todd and Bianca Dehn. The franchise offers IT management services for businesses. Todd Dehn has 33 years of professional experience, mostly in sales and business development, while Bianca Dehn has 15 years of business technology experience. The firm can be reached by telephone by calling 920.393.9496.
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The law firm of Strang, Patteson, Renning, Lewis & Lacy opened recently with office locations in Green Bay, Oshkosh and Madison. The firm provides legal services to businesses and governmental bodies, with an emphasis on labor and employment, business law, immigration law and school and higher education law. The firm’s attorneys include Kirk D. Strang, Ann L. Patteson, Tony J. Renning, Shana R. Lewis, Geoffrey A. Lacy, Todd W. Martin, Chad P. Wade, Jenna E. Clevers and Kevin J.T. Terry. The firm can be reached by calling toll free to 844.833.0830. More information about the firm’s personnel and practice is available online at www. strangpatteson.com.
New locations First Bank Financial Centre opened a mortgage lending office at 211 N. Broadway, Ste. 222 in Green Bay. The office can be reached by calling 920.445.3899 or by going online to www.fbfcwi.com/greenbay. Hospital Sisters Health System – Eastern Wisconsin Division opened St. Gianna Clinic on the campus of HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center at 1727 Shawano Ave. in Green Bay. The Catholic-based clinic, staffed by family medicine physician Dr. Scott Stillwell, will provide primary care according to the teachings of the Catholic Church. More information is available by calling 920.884.3590.
Mergers/acquisitions 866-799-0530 | N2971 Hwy. 15, Hortonville
www.wiroofer.com
40 | July 2015 | NNB2B
Menasha Corp. of Neenah acquired Portable Packaging Systems, Inc. of Ontario. Portable Packaging designs promotional packaging and displays for retailers and consumer packaged goods companies, and provides material sourcing, assembly, repacking, fulfillment and distribution services. The company has about 100 fulltime
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Miller
Schultz
Stephens
employees and expands Menasha Corp.’s presence further into the Toronto and Montreal markets.
Business honors Gold Cross Ambulance Service of Menasha received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline STEMI Systems of Care EMS Gold Level Recognition Award. The award recognizes the ambulance’s services efforts to collaborate with hospital providers in delivering heart attack response services leading to increased numbers of patients’ lives saved. Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce presented one of its three 2015 Business Friend of the Environment Awards in Sustainability to Oshkosh Defense LLC, a division of Oshkosh Corp. Future Neenah Inc. presented its annual awards to the following local businesses: Building a Better Future Award to Miron Construction of Neenah, Consolidated Construction Co. Inc. of Appleton and Nordon Business Environments of Appleton for its office renovation; Innovator Award to Stellar Blue Technologies of Neenah; and Downtown Business of the Year Award to Scanlan Studios of Neenah. Blue Door Consulting LLC of Oshkosh was recognized with five Communicator Awards from the International Academy of the Visual Arts for work done in 2014. The firm earned Silver Awards of Distinction for its project in the following categories: print, corporate logo for Wisconsin Aerospace Consortium; print brochure, business-to-business for Fedco Batteries; websites, consumer goods for Service Litho-Print Inc.; and online advertising and marketing, content marketing/ social for 4imprint amplify app as well as a separate award in the same category for ThedaCare/Waupaca CHAT Drug Drop. The Fox Cities Chamber recently presented the following 2015 Business Awards: Business of the Year to Menasha Corp. of Neenah, Alpha-Prime of Menasha, McClone of Menasha and Midwest Restoration of Little Chute; Rising Star Awards to R3NEW LLC of Neenah, Nutritional Healing of Appleton and Green Gecko, Inc. of Appleton; Company Innovation Award to AeroInnovate of Oshkosh; Exemplary Marketing / Performance Awards to Fox Valley Technical College of Appleton and SOAR Fox Cities of Appleton; and its Corporate Citizen / Corporate Leadership Awards to Innovative Services, Inc. of Appleton and Stellar Blue Technologies of Neenah.
O’Connor
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Scharer
Gunnlaugsson
Balzola
Schneider
Raab
Fond du Lac-based Ahern was ranked 20th largest mechanical contractor in the U.S. in Contractor Magazine’s 2014 Book of Giants annual listing. Ahern ranked No. 26 in the 2013 list. Among sub-categories, Ahern ranked No. 2 in water/wastewater contracting and No. 5 in fire protection contracting revenue. The Greater Green Bay Chamber recently presented the following 2015 Business Recognition Awards: Entrepreneurial Award to O’Connor Connective LLC of De Pere; Growth Award to Great Lakes Calcium Corp. of Green Bay; Special Accomplishment Award to Brown County Oral Health Partnership of Green Bay; and Cornerstone Award to Northern Electric, Inc. of Green Bay.
New hires ATW Miller Group in Oshkosh added Wendy Miller, CPA as vice president. Miller previously worked 14 years as controller and human resource manager with SMC Metal Fabricators in Oshkosh. She’ll primarily work with community banks and credit unions to assist their business customers obtain U.S. Small Business Administration-secured financing. Appleton-based Schenck S.C. hired Thomas Schultz as a senior human resources consultant. Schultz has more than 20 years of experience, having recently worked in manufacturing as well as in transportation and logistics. Breakthrough Fuel in Green Bay hired Elaine Stephens as its lead data scientist and Matt Balzola as its global sales director. Stephens previously spent four years as the director of global IT, applications development and support for Oshkosh Corp. Balzola previously worked as the general manager for Genco Freight Solutions in Green Bay. Consolidated Construction Co. Inc. in Appleton hired Mitch Schneider as a project engineer and Hollie Raab as a marketing assistant. Schneider has several years of experience in the construction industry, previously working as a project manager, takeoff estimator, team leader and lead carpenter. BayCare Clinic Plastic Surgery added Elizabeth A. O’Connor, M.D. to work with patients at its Women’s Center at Aurora Medical Center in Oshkosh, while Baycare Clinic added foot and ankle surgeon Brandon M. Scharer, DPM to see patients at Aurora Health Center in Kaukauna and at Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Green Bay. Dr. O’Connor offers a spectrum of plastic surgery services including cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries. Dr. Scharer treats common and complex foot
Hebert
Forster
Sachs
NNB2B | July 2015 | 41
Who’s News
Anderson
Vanden Avond
VandenLangenberg
and ankle issues, as well as providing foot and ankle reconstructive surgery and total ankle replacement surgery. Appleton-based Competitive Strategies, Inc. hired Ann Gunnlaugsson as a business consultant focusing on accounting software implementation, custom application development, and business process improvement. Menasha-based First National Bank – Fox Valley hired Sara Hebert as its sales and service trainer. Hebert has 28 years experience in the financial industry, most recently working as the learning and development lead at Thrivent Federal Credit Union in Appleton. Frontier Builders & Consultants of Kaukauna hired Andy Forster to its construction team. Forster has 14 years of steel erection and construction industry experience. Miron Construction Co., Inc. of Neenah hired Craig Sachs as director of business innovation. Sachs has 21 years of design, planning and architectural experience, most recently serving as a senior architect for McMahon in Neenah. Ashwaubenon-based Prevea Health added Laura Nelson, M.D. as its vice president and chief medical officer for its northern division. Dr. Nelson previously spent 21 years with Marshfield Clinic where she served in a variety of roles, most recently as its chief medical officer. She began her career in a clinical setting and has since spent 17 years in health care leadership throughout central and northern Wisconsin.
Michener
Reinke
Walker
compulsive disorders and adjustment disorders. Herrling Clark Law Firm, Ltd. in Appleton hired Tyler J. Claringbole as an associate attorney. He has a general practice with an emphasis on business law and related issues. Cornerstone Business Services in Green Bay hired Gina Barth as a client relations manager. Barth most recently worked 10 years managing the consumer affairs team for a large food manufacturer. ThedaCare At Work in Appleton added Ryan Zantow, M.D. and Christopher Westra, M.D. Dr. Zantow has 10 years experience in rehabilitation and musculoskeletal care, having most recently served patients at ThedaCare Orthopedics Plus in Appleton. Dr. Westra has more than 20 years experience in occupational medicine, having recently served as medical director at Kimberly-Clark Corp. in Neenah and working in occupational health at another health system. Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company in Neenah hired Mike Alexander as its senior vice president of commercial lines. Alexander previously worked as the senior vice president of national sales and strategy at National General Insurance – formerly GMAC Insurance – in North Carolina. Aon Risk Solutions hired the following new employees to its Green Bay office staff: Katrina Brandner, Sarah Leet and Kara Sullivan as account specialists; Mike Brod and Drew Pollack as account executives; and Jeremy Bellin as a claims consultant.
Oshkosh-based Clarity Care hired Karen Anderson as its director of residential services. Clarity Care’s residential division provides services to nearly 300 consumers throughout northeast and central Wisconsin.
Appleton-based Hanson Benefits Inc. hired Carrie Abraham as an account executive. Abraham has more than 20 years of employee benefits management experience.
H.J. Martin and Son in Green Bay hired Tom Vanden Avond as its tool room lead. Vanden Avond previously spent seven years at Total Rental and five years at United Rentals. He also previously worked as a carpenter for H.J. Martin in its commercial flooring division.
DFB Wealth Planning in Oshkosh hired Megan Kok as its marketing coordinator. Kok most recently served as the business development and marketing manager for SBG Financial in Oshkosh, and has previous experience as the member relations manager for the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce.
Appleton-based Catalpa Health recently added Erin VandenLangenberg as a licensed psychologist, and added Michelle Michener, Ashley Reinke and Liz Walker as mental health therapists to its care team. VandenLangenberg specializes in treating anxiety, depression and other mood disorders, eating disorders, obsessive
Steinert Printing in Oshkosh hired Teri Yost as a customer service representative. She has more than 25 years experience in the printing industry, having worked most recently with DigiPrint in Neenah.
Claringbole
42 | July 2015 | NNB2B
Barth
Abraham
Yost
Krumrie
Hunt
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Key
Hallett
Williams
Wunderlin
Bytof
Meisel
Promotions
Individual awards
Hager, Dewick & Zuengler, S.C. of Green Bay named Attorney Ryan D. Krumrie a partner in the firm. Krumrie’s practice focuses on business planning, contracts, real estate and business transactions, condemnation law and collections.
Chris Hanson, principal of Hanson Benefits in Appleton, was recognized as Employee Benefits Agent of the Year for 2015 by Independent Insurance Agents of Wisconsin.
The Appleton Group promoted Alexander Hunt to advisor. Hunt joined the firm in February 2014 as a research associate.
SHARON HULCE, president of Employment Resource Group Inc. in Appleton, was awarded the International Top Ten Billing Owner of the Year Award from Management Recruiters International. PAUL RISTAU, vice president at Employment Resource Group, was recognized with a Pacesetter Award from Management Recruiters International for his work in the energy renewables industry.
Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh promoted Hal Bryan to senior editor of EAA Publications. Bryan, an experienced pilot, joined EAA in 2009 as the organization’s inaugural online community manager. He began to add written features for EAA’s websites and magazines in the past year. Kondex Corp. in Lomira promoted Steven Key to business development manager. Key joined Kondex in 2009 as an account manager and has more than 20 years experience in sales and marketing. Thedacare promoted Mark Hallett, M.D., to chief operating officer for Appleton Medical Center and Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah. Dr. Hallett most recently served as chief clinical officer for ThedaCare, and previously led ThedaCare Orthopedics Plus and served as senior medical director for ThedaCare Physicians. Breakthrough Fuel in Green Bay promoted Kelly Williams to managing director and vice president. Williams joined the firm in 2013 as the vice president of go-tomarket. Prior to joining Breakthrough, she worked as a general manager for national accounts at Schneider National, Inc. in Ashwaubenon. Ahern in Fond du Lac promoted Adam Wunderlin to chief financial officer. Wunderlin joined Ahern in 2011 as accounting manager, and most recently served as controller. First National Bank – Fox Valley promoted Heather Bytof to customer care banker lead, Beth Meisel to retail operations specialist at the bank’s Appleton North location, and Rebekah Baker to mortgage and consumer loan assistant in Neenah. Bytof has been with FNB since November and is based out of the bank’s corporate headquarters in Neenah. Meisel has been with the bank since September, having most recently served as teller supervisor. Baker joined FNB in December and recently served as a teller.
Baker
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Hanson
Busch
The Greater Green Bay Chamber presented its 2015 Business Person of the Year Award to MARK KAISER, president of Lindquist Machine Corp. in Ashwauenon. Anthony T. Busch, owner of Priora Cash Flow Management in Appleton, was recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration as its 2015 Financial Services Champion in Wisconsin.
Elections/appointments Peter J. Prickett, president and CEO of Neenah-based First National Bank Fox Valley, was elected to serve as the 2015-2016 chair of the Wisconsin Bankers Association. Fond du Lac-based Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts Executive Director Kevin Miller was elected chairperson of the Wisconsin Arts Board.
Certifications John P. Kelly, leader of the food and beverage division for Cornerstone Business Services, Inc. in Green Bay, earned the Certified Business Intermediary designation from the International Business Brokers Association.
Prickett
Miller
Kelly
NNB2B | July 2015 | 43
Business Calendar
Suttner ACCOUNTING
Business calendar
New North B2B encourages businesses and organizations looking to attract interested persons to upcoming events to email info@newnorthb2b.com. July 7 Greater Green Bay Chamber Power Networking Breakfast, 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the chamber offices, 300 N. Broadway, Ste. 3A in Green Bay. No cost to attend for chamber members. For more information, call 920.437.8704 or email members@ titletown.org. July 7 A.M. Oshkosh, a morning networking event from the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, 7:45 to 9 a.m. at Fox Valley Savings Bank, 1700 W. 20th Ave. in Oshkosh. Cost to attend is $2. For more information or to register, call 920.303.2266 or go online to www.oshkoshchamber.com. July 9 Women in Management – Oshkosh Chapter monthly meeting, 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. at La Sure’s Banquet Hall, 3125 S. Washburn St. in Oshkosh. Leadership and scholarship awards will be presented. For more information or to register, go online to www.wimiwi.org or email Lisa at lkoeppen@communityblood.org. July 14 Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Before Hours, 8 to 9 a.m. at the chamber building, 101 E. Wisconsin Ave. in Kaukauna. For more information or to register, email info@heartofthevalleychamber.com.
Stephanie Geurts, CPA Partner sjg@suttnercpa.com 920.235.6789
Tax Planning & Preparation Financial Statements Bookkeeping/Write Up Payroll Services Visit suttnercpa.com/client services for a more complete list of services
July 14 Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce Sales Club, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at the chamber building, 120 Jackson St. in Oshkosh. No cost to attend for chamber members. For more information, call 920.303.2266 or go online to www.oshkoshchamber.com. July 14 Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce Business Connection, 5 to 7 p.m. at Trolley Square, 619 S. Olde Oneida St. in Appleton. No charge to attend for members. For more information or to register, contact Pam at receptionist@foxcitieschamber.com. July 15 Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Between Hours, 11 a.m. to noon at the chamber building, 101 E. Wisconsin Ave. in Kaukauna. Program will focus on identity theft. For more information or to register, email info@ heartofthevalleychamber.com. July 30 Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m. at Waverly Beach, N8770 Fire Lane 1 in Menasha. For more information or to register, email info@heartofthevalleychamber.com. August 4 Greater Green Bay Chamber Power Networking Breakfast, 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the chamber offices, 300 N. Broadway, Ste. 3A in Green Bay. No cost to attend for chamber members. For more information, call 920.437.8704 or email members@ titletown.org. August 11 Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce Sales Club, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at the chamber building, 120 Jackson St. in Oshkosh. No cost to attend for chamber members. For more information, call 920.303.2266 or go online to www.oshkoshchamber.com. n
Quality ❘ Value ❘ Timeliness 44 | July 2015 | NNB2B
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Advertiser Index ATW Miller Group ⎮www.atwmillergroup.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Aurora Health Care ⎮www.aurorahealthcare.org. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Bank First National ⎮www.bankfirstnational.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Bayland Buildings ⎮www.baylandbuildings.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Borsche Roofing Professionals ⎮www.wiroofer.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Brown County Port of Green Bay ⎮www.portofgreenbay.com. . . . . . . . 15 Business Success Summit ⎮www.newbizsummit.com. . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Candeo Creative ⎮www.modmadmen.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Competitive Strategies ⎮www.wemakesoftwarework.com. . . . . . . . . . 45 Consolidated Construction Company ⎮www.1call2build.com. . . . . . . . 5 Davis & Kuelthau, s.c. ⎮www.dkattorneys.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Dynamic Designs ⎮www.dynamicdesignspulaski.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 First Business Bank ⎮www.firstbusiness.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 First National Bank ~ Fox Valley ⎮www.fnbfoxvalley.com. . . . . . . . . . 39 Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau ⎮ www.FoxCities.org/bringithome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Fox Communities Credit Union ⎮www.foxcu.org. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Fox Valley Savings Bank⎮www.FVSBank.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Greater Oshkosh Economic Development ⎮www.greateroshkosh.com.18 Guident Business Solutions ⎮www.guidentbusinesssolutions.com. . . 21 James J. Calmes & Sons Construction ⎮ www.JamesJCalmesConstruction.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Keller Inc. ⎮www.kellerbuilds.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Marian University ⎮www.marianuniversity.edu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 National Exchange Bank & Trust ⎮www.nebat.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Network Health ⎮www.networkhealth.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 NEW Building & Construction Trades Council ⎮www.newbt.org . . . . . 10 NWTC Corporate Training & Economic Development ⎮ www.corporatetraining.nwtc.edu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Outagamie County Regional Airport ⎮www.atwairport.com. . . . . . . . . 27 Pamco Executive Suites ⎮www.pamcosuites.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Plexus Corp. ⎮www.plexus.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 R&R Steel Construction Company Inc. ⎮www.rrsteelconstruction.com.15 SITE Landscape Architecture ⎮www.sitelandscapearchitecture.com. 21 St. Norbert College MBA program ⎮www.snc.edu/go/mbasnc. . . . . . . 38 Suttner Accounting ⎮www.suttnercpa.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 UW Oshkosh College of Business ⎮www.mba.uwosh.edu . . . . . . . . . . 20 Verve, a Credit Union ⎮www.verveacu.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Waterfest ⎮www.waterfest.org. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Winnebago County Solid Waste Management ⎮ www.co.winnebago.wi.us/solid-waste/container-rental-program. . . 9 Wisconsin Fast Forward ⎮www.wisconsinfastforward.com. . . . . . . . . 37
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introducing...
Wendy Miller, cpa Wendy provides general bookkeeping and accounting services, payroll processing, financial and cash flow analysis. • Business Lending Advisory Services • Business Advisory Services • Accounting Advisory Services atwmillergroup.com 920.203.0520 ATW Miller Group, LLC is not registered as a CPA firm, is not engaged in the practice of public accounting and does not perform attest services.
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NNB2B | July 2015 | 45
Key Statistics
If there are indicators you’d like to see in this space, contact our office at 920.237.0254 or email sean@newnorthb2b.com.
local gasoline prices
u.s. retail sales
Per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline.
june 21 . . . . . . . . . . . june 14 . . . . . . . . . . . june 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . may 31. . . . . . . . . . . . june 21, 2014 . . . . . .
local unemployment
may
$2.73 $2.73 $2.67 $2.67 $3.67
$444.9 billion 1.2% from April 2.7% from May 2014
Source: New North B2B observations
existing home sales
u.s. industrial production
may
(2007 = 100) may
homes sold median price brown cty . ....................322 ....................$145,500 Fond du Lac cty ............101 ....................$132,000 outagamie cty . ............242 ....................$145,000 winnebago cty .............217 .................... $132,100
105.1
0.2% from April 1.4% from May 2014
WI Dept. Revenue Collections
air passenger TRAFFIC (Local enplanements) may 2015 may 2014 Outagamie Cty. ATW.....................20,495 ...... 20,160
april
$1.403 billion
Austin Straubel GRB..........................N/A ....... 25,959
17% from April 2014
VICTORIA BATES GRAPHIC DESIGNER
EXPLORE
BRYAN ASCHENBRENNER GRAPHIC DESIGNER
MORE
KAYLA PULVERMACHER GRAPHIC DESIGNER
april march apr ‘14 Appleton ....... 3.9% ...... 4.6% ....... 4.9% Fond du Lac ... 4.2% ...... 5.0% ........5.1% Green Bay........4.4% ...... 5.3% ....... 5.8% Neenah ........... 3.9% ...... 4.7%.........5.5% Oshkosh . ....... 4.2% ...... 5.2% ........5.6% Wisconsin ..... 4.4% ...... 5.4% ........5.6%
natural gas prices Prices for small businesses using less than 20,000 therms. Listed price is per therm.
june.............................$0.357 may..............................$0.341 june 2014................... $0.856 Source: Integrys Energy
ism index Numbers above 50 mean expansion. Numbers below 50 mean contraction. may. . . . . . . . . . . . . 52.8 april. . . . . . . . . . . . 51.5
JAMIE BOUCHER ART DIRECTOR
AT
WWW.MODMADMEN.COM OR GIVE US A RING 920.252.8128
46 | July 2015 | NNB2B
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Published on Jun 30, 2015
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