May2011

Alla tua

Salute!

Patience and persistence pay off for our 6th annual employer wellness award winners

Unfunding Main Street Government

Parody of Parities Pierce Stronglove

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new north b2b MAY 2011

20 26

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32

Features

20 COVER STORY ❘ 6th Annual Alla tua Salute! ❘ Profiling our 2011 corporate wellness program award winners

26 GOVERNMENT ❘ Unfunding Main Street ❘ Proposal to cut funding dollars could hobble downtown programs

30 HEALTH CARE ❘ Comparing costs ❘ Our annual update on medical procedure cost comparisons across the area

32 SMALL BUSINESS PROFILE ❘ A call to serve ❘ Life! Promotions reaches out to teens worldwide all year long

Departments 4 From the Publisher 5, 36 Professionally Speaking 6 Since We Last Met 11 Firefighters Progress Report 12 Build Up Pages 18 Around the Boardroom 19 Pierce Stronglove 38 Business Plan Winners 40 Who’s News 46 Business Calendar 47 Advertiser Index 48 Election Results 50 Key Statistics

On our Cover image illustration by Kate Erbach of New North B2B.

NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 3

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Biz plan contest in need of polishing

Region’s annual entrepreneurship contest has a solid base. Now it’s time to start growing the economy.

Sean Fitzgerald New North B2B Publisher 4 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

Like a miner heading into the wilderness in hopes of unearthing a small, buried fortune that no one else has discovered, business plan competitions are typically intended to be an exercise in prospecting for those fresh new ideas which have the potential to grow in value quickly, add jobs, and create economic wealth in the region.

But that’s not the intent of the Northeast Wisconsin Business Plan Competition, nor has it been the result in the five years since the inaugural class of winners were selected in 2006.

Of the 14 business plans recognized and awarded a total of $64,000 in cash prizes during the first three years of the competition from 2006 to 2008, only four companies remain in business with regular operations. Of those four, three companies actually made investments and increased the number of jobs in their operations since being recognized in the competition.

Those three – Neenah-based Stellar Blue Web Design, Carmel Crisp & Café of Oshkosh and green3 LCC of Oshkosh – all represent some of the attributes that constitute the kind of payload business plan competitions are typically intended to mine. Stellar Blue has grown from three to six employees, and acquired two other firms since it won 5th place and $2,000 back in 2007. Carmel Crisp went from start-up to 10 employees and has become a bustling coffee shop, confectionary and gift retailer since winning 5th place and $2,000 in the 2008 competition. Lastly, green3, a specialty apparel manufacturer and wholesale/catalog retailer, increased from two to 13 employees since capturing one of the finalist honors and a $2,000 prize back in the inaugural 2006 competition.

With a good deal of money and potential prestige at stake, the low rate of success picking winners over the years in the regional competition has left other business plan entries – a number who continue to have thriving businesses long after their entries were shunned – asking what exactly is being evaluated, and what isn’t being considered.

Judges for the competition say they have a narrow, highly-defined range of criteria from which to evaluate the business plans they’re comparing against one another. There’s no judgment of character of the entrepreneur, or even any subjective consideration to whether

such a business could actually make it in this market – at least not until the round of five finalists make an in-person presentation in front of a panel of judges at the very end.

There’s no financial background evaluation, and there’s no criminal background check of the individuals submitting business plan entries. Both of those criteria are used in other business plan competitions, and potentially would have filtered out some of the past winners by indicating past histories of poor business management. Following the competition, there’s no accountability of how prize money is spent, even if the business plan writer never takes any further steps to actually get the business off the ground.

For a complete list of winners for the 2011 Northeast Wisconsin Business Plan Competition, turn to page 38 in this issue of New North B2B. But these and other potentially distinguishing criteria aren’t considered at this point, primarily because the competition is simply intended to encourage residents of northeast Wisconsin to write business plans, not to actually enhance the economy of the region.

As a result, the regional competition hasn’t even captured many of the business plans from the area that have advanced to higher levels of the Governor’s Business Plan Competition in recent years.

Don’t get me wrong – the business plan competition is an outstanding practice for unearthing the region’s next green3 or next Liveyearbook, the Neenah-based firm which went on to become northeast Wisconsin’s first winner of the Governor’s Business Plan Competition in 2010. It should be an exceptional vehicle for identifying ripe opportunities for venture capital investors who want to support entrepreneurship in the area.

But the Northeast Wisconsin Business Plan Competition needs to be polished up a bit to achieve that kind of success, and that means modifying its current format.

The Governor’s Business Plan Competition is a good place to start. By replicating more of the format and more of the evaluation criteria from effort, our regional business plan competition can be better positioned to genuinely attract investment, create jobs and grow wealth in the New North.

www.newnorthb2b.com

PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING

Proposed changes to Wisconsin FMLA (part 2)

by Davis & Kuelthau, s.c.

Tony Renning

920.233.6050

If you have a particular labor/employment law question, please forward your question to Mr. Renning at info@ newnorthb2b.com. If he responds to your email in a future issue, your name and company will be withheld to preserve your privacy.

Reader Question: What is being done to conform the Wisconsin Family and Medical Leave Act (WFMLA) to the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?

Tony Renning: As we discussed last month, Senate Bill 8 (the “Bill”) proposes to make various changes to the WFMLA to conform that law to the FMLA. The Bill requires an employee to give the employer notice of the employee’s intent to take family or medical leave for the birth or placement of a child or for planned medical treatment not less than 30 days before the leave is to begin, except that, if the date is less than 30 days, the employee must provide notice to the employer in a reasonable and practicable manner. Currently, the law only requires advance notice in a reasonable and practicable manner.

Under current law, if an employee requests leave due to the serious health

Sean Fitzgerald

Publisher & President

sean@newnorthb2b.com

Carrie Rule

Sales Manager

carrie@newnorthb2b.com

Kate Erbach

Creative Director

kate@newnorthb2b.com

Contributing writers

Cheryl Hentz John R. Ingrisano

Chief Financial Officer

Vicky Fitzgerald, CPA

condition of the employee, of a child, spouse, parent or domestic partner or of a parent of the spouse of the employee, the employer is limited as to the information it may request. The Bill permits an employer to request, in addition to the information permitted under current law, more specific information (e.g., the fact the employee is needed to care for others and the amount of time they are needed, the medical necessity for intermittent leave and the duration of that leave, etc.)

Finally, the Bill permits an employer to place an employee returning from family or medical leave either in the employee’s old position or in an equivalent position without regard to whether the old position is vacant. Under current law, when an employee returns, the employer must place the employee in the position the employee held immediately before the leave began, if that position is vacant, or, if the position is not vacant, in an

NEW NORTH B2B is published monthly

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equivalent employment position (i.e., equivalent pay, benefits and other terms and conditions of employment).

For updates as to the status of the proposed modification to the WFMLA as well as advice and counsel as to the various provisions thereof, contact Tony Renning at (920) 232-4842 or trenning@ dkattorneys.com or any other member of the Davis & Kuelthau Labor and Employment Team.

Tony Renning is an attorney in the Oshkosh office of Davis & Kuelthau, s.c.

(219 Washington Avenue). Mr. Renning provides counsel to private and public sector employers on a wide variety of labor and employment law matters. This article is intended to provide information only, not legal advice. For advice regarding a particular employment situation, please contact a member of the Davis & Kuelthau, s.c. Labor and Employment Team.

Green Bay

Fox Cities

Oshkosh

Fond du Lac NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 5

SINCE WE LAST MET

Since we last met Since We Last Met is a digest of business related news occurring in the Green Bay, Fox Cities, Oshkosh and Fond du Lac areas in the one month since the previous issue of New North B2B.

March 21 Invenergy LLC retracted plans to develop a 100-turbine wind farm in southern Brown County, indicating Wisconsin’s regulatory environment is too unstable to invest millions of dollars into the project. The proposal had been on hold as Invenergy awaited new guidelines from the state Public Service Commission, which was prompted by a proposal from Gov. Scott Walker to curtail wind energy development in Wisconsin. Several farmers and landowners in southern Brown County stood to earn nearly $8,000 a year to lease their properties to Invenergy to host the turbines.

March 21 Piggly Wiggly told the state Department of Workforce Development it plans to either close or sell its Oshkosh grocery store in late May, effectively laying off 46 employees.

2005 May 12 – The Lakeside Park dredging project in Fond du Lac stopped when unexpectedly high levels of metal contaminents were found at the site, increasing the projected cost above the $462,000 budgeted.

2006 May 11 – The city of Oshkosh received $600,000 in federal Environmental Protection Agency grants to clean up industrial contamination along the Fox River in proposed development areas. The clean up will concentrate on properties along the south bank including parts of the Jeld-Wen site, the former Boat Works property and a parcel along Fourth Avenue. On the north bank, grants will be used to clean up the former Cook & Brown site and the existing Mercury Marine facility.

March 23 The Oshkosh School Board approved new one-year contracts with its teachers and other unions that will save the district an estimated $4 million in payroll and benefit expenses during the 2011-12 school year. Under the new contract, school district unions agreed to limit wage increases to no greater than inflation, pay more for their pension contribution and health insurance premium benefits, and allow administrators to change health insurance providers. The new contract should help balance the district’s projected 2011-12 budget and make up for an estimated $4 million cut in state-shared revenue.

March 23 Wisconsin Treasurer Kurt Schuller drafted a bill that would eliminate his office and the office of the secretary of state, both partisan elected positions under Wisconsin’s constitution. Schuller, a Republican elected to his first four-year term last November, campaigned on the promise that he would work to eliminate the treasurer’s and secretary of state office, both of which he argued have little power. Under the governor’s 2011-13 budget proposal, the state treasurer’s responsibilities would be reduced to only retain control over unclaimed property, while the secretary of state’s notary public and trademark duties would be transferred to the state Department of Financial Institutions.

March 24 Administrators from the Oshkosh School District punished the president of the Oshkosh Education Association teachers’ union with an unpaid suspension for using districtprovided email to encourage teachers to use sick leave to join political demonstrations in Madison back in mid-February. District administrators indicated those staff members who used sick leave to join the protests in Madison will not receive pay for those days and will be required to reimburse the district $100 per day for the cost of a substitute.

March 25 The Green Bay City Council approved contract extensions with some of its 15 employee unions that are expected to save the city as much as $600,000 for the remainder of 2011 and as much as $1 million in each of 2012 and 2013. The new agreement does not include any pay increases and requires increased health and dental insurance and pension contributions.

March 28 The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction reported

6 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

www.newnorthb2b.com

SINCE WE LAST MET scores on statewide reading and math tests increased from 2005 to 2010. Results from the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examinations indicated reading scores improved from nearly 73 percent at either the proficient or advanced levels in 2005 to 77.2 percent in 2010. In math, scores improved from nearly 82 percent at either the proficient or advanced levels in 2005 to 83 percent in 2010.

March 28 The Wisconsin Department of Transportation began work to demolish the Breezewood Lane overpass of U.S. Highway 41 in Neenah, as well as close down the on/off ramps to the highway. The project, part of the US 41 expansion to six lanes in Winnebago County, will include multi-lane roundabouts at the ramp terminals and at the intersections with the nearby frontage roads. The project will be completed and reopen to traffic in October.

March 29 The 33 second-stage firms named Wisconsin Companies to Watch for 2011 included Liveyearbook Inc. of Neenah, Aurizon Ultrasonics LLC of Kimberly and Cherney Microbiological Services, Ltd. of Green Bay. The list is compiled annually by the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Network, and winners are invited to attend a three‐day Leadership Retreat this summer at the Michigan headquarters of the Edward Lowe Foundation, a nonprofit entrepreneurial development agency.

March 30 West Business Services announced it will add 80 new fulltime jobs at its Appleton location during the next three months. Back in January, the company announced it would hire up to 160 people during the first three months of 2011.

The newly created jobs primarily include inbound and outbound sales for business clients.

March 30 The U.S. Open of Grass/Waupaca Boatride Volleyball Tournament and Festival was awarded a $32,900 Joint Effort Marketing Grant from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.

The grant is aimed at helping promote the second annual event in Oshkosh this coming July, which attracts thousands of volleyball players to the area for five days.

March 31 The Outagamie County Board of Supervisors approved two-year contracts with five of the county employee unions estimated to save the county about $7.1 million during the next two years. The new agreements, which cover about 725 employees, include: no pay increase in 2011 and a slight wage increase in 2012; a new high deductible health insurance plan with a health savings account beginning in 2012; increased rights for management to subcontract certain work to private entities; and a 50 percent increase in employees’ contributions toward their pensions.

April 1 The U.S. Department of Labor reported 216,000 new jobs were created in March, keeping the national unemployment

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SINCE WE LAST MET rate relatively unchanged at 8.8 percent. Job gains occurred in professional and business services, health care, leisure and hospitality, and mining.

April 4 Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac announced it will hire about 150 manufacturing and distribution employees for roles including assembly, machining, die-cast, trim and warehousing. Some of the positions are a result of transferring manufacturing work from the company’s stern drive plant in Oklahoma.

April 4 The United States Postal Service announced plans to close its Oshkosh mail processing facility and consolidate its operations into the Green Bay plant by the end of September, effectively eliminating 54 jobs in Oshkosh. The consolidation of operations is expected to save the postal service about $4.6 million a year. Postal service officials said drastically declining use of the mail service is requiring more efficient operations.

April 4 The Wisconsin Department of Transportation began work on the U.S. Highways 41 and 45 interchange near Oshkosh in Winnebago County, closing down all ramps as well as closing U.S. 45 between County Road T and Fernau Avenue. The closed segment of U.S. 45 is expected to reopen in November, as will the southbound exit and entrance ramps. Northbound exit and entrance ramps won’t reopen until late June 2012.

The entire interchange reconstruction project is expected to be completed by late June 2012.

April 5 Voters in both the Omro and Rosendale-Brandon school districts rejected referenda seeking additional operating funds to help balance future budgets. In Omro, a separate request to borrow $1 million for several building maintenance projects failed by just 70 votes, while voters also turned down a request to exceed state revenue caps by $200,000 a year for the next three years to cover the cost of proposed curriculum and technology upgrades. In the Rosendale-Brandon district, voters turned down a request to increase property taxes by a total of $5.7 million over the next four years by 129 votes.

The request asked voters for authority to exceed state revenue caps each year in a range from $800,000 in the 2011-12 school year up to $1.9 million during the 2014-15 fiscal year.

April 5 The U.S. Senate repealed a law that would have required all businesses to send an IRS 1099 Miscellaneous Income statement to every vendor paid more than $600 per year. The U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal the law in February.

The reporting requirement was originally passed in 2010 as part of the healthcare reform bill, and was intended to generate more federal tax revenue by more diligently tracking business income and having the Internal Revenue Service pursue any unpaid taxes. Opponents of the measure argued the new

US 41 business resources Tools to help your business during construction on US 41 available at

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8 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

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SINCE WE LAST MET 1099 reporting requirement would impose onerous recordkeeping and paperwork that would stifle business growth.

April 6 The Kaukauna Common Council approved a measure to purchase the 174-year-old Grignon Mansion from the Outagamie County Historical Society for $1. The city will assume the upkeep and maintenance of the historic property.

April 7 Recall papers were filed with the state Government Accountability Board for state Sen. Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac), marking the second submittal of a recall petition among efforts statewide against 16 senators. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin said more than 22,500 signatures were collected supporting a recall of Sen. Hopper, exceeding the nearly 15,200 required. A special election will likely be scheduled for sometime in late Hopper June, six weeks from the time when the state certifies the recall petition. Earlier in April, voters in western Wisconsin submitted a recall petition against Sen. Dan Kapanke (R-La Crosse).

April 8 Blyth, Inc., the parent company of Miles Kimball Company operations in Oshkosh, reported fiscal 2011 income increased to $25.6 million, or $3.00 per share, compared

to fiscal year 2010 earnings of $17.7, or $1.98 per share, despite yearly revenue declining nearly 6 percent to $900.9 million. Company officials attributed most of its annual operating profit increase to significantly improved gross margin at Miles Kimball. Company officials also projected fiscal year 2012 earnings to be in the range of $2.80 to $3.00 per share.

April 11 The Wisconsin Department of Transportation approved a $100,000 project to upgrade an automated weather observation system at the Outagamie County Regional Airport in Greenville. The project – which will be financed by $80,000 in state funding and $20,000 in funding from Outagamie County – is expected to be completed by this coming winter.

April 11 The Brown County Culinary Kitchen, a new shared-use kitchen incubator located at NEW Curative Rehabilitation, Inc.’s Dr. William Nystrom Center in Green Bay, officially opened its doors to help culinary entrepreneurs start operating without making the substantial, high-risk investments in equipment and food preparation space. The incubator provides culinary entrepreneurs access to commercial stoves, convention oven, refrigerators, freezers, mixer, stainless steel work tables, bakers’ racks and more. The kitchen was put together through a collaborative effort between Advance, a program of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce; N.E.W. Curative Rehabilitation; Algoma Farm Market Kitchen; and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.

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NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 9

SINCE WE LAST MET April 12 Town of Menasha residents attending the annual town meeting endorsed a $100,000 loan to Raven Manufacturing, which moved into a former Kimberly-Clark plant last fall. Raven, which relocated from Wrightstown, employs about 25 people. The food processor needed the 35,000-sq. ft. space for a planned expansion, which could possibly double the size of its existing workforce.

April 13 Town of Grand Chute residents gave advisory consent to a proposal to increase the town’s hotel room tax by 2 percent – which would set it at 8 percent – to generate additional revenue for a recreational trail system linking the Fox River Mall with Fox Cities Stadium and other destinations in the town.

Any such measure would still need approval from the town board of supervisors before being enacted.

April 14 The Moraine Park District Board appointed Sheila Ruhland as the next president of Moraine Park Technical College, succeeding Gayle Hytrek who will retire in June after seven years as president of MPTC. Ruhland currently serves as vice president of instruction at Rockingham Community College in North Carolina. She also served as vice president of instruction at Clatsop Community College in Oregon; as an assistant professor in Ruhland the department of work, community and family

education at the University of Minnesota; and as a dean of business at Western Wisconsin Technical College in La Crosse and at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College in Fennimore.

Ruhland will take office in July.

April 18 Recall papers were filed with the state Government Accountability Board for state Sen. Luther Olsen (R-Ripon), marking the third submittal of a recall petition among efforts statewide against 16 senators. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin said more than 23,000 signatures were collected supporting a recall of Sen. Olsen, exceeding the nearly 14,700 required. A special election will likely be scheduled for sometime in late June, six weeks from the Olsen time when the state certifies the recall petition.

April 19 A total of 21 finalists were named in the eighth annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest, including the following local entries: InterMeds, Marco Araujo of Green Bay; Matrix Reading Solutions, Richard Bowers of Hobart; and PureTech Systems, Brad Schwei of Neenah. The finalists were selected from a field of 220 first-round entries. Winners of the 2011 competition will be announced in June.

April 19 Marquis Yachts in Pulaski received a $2 million low-interest industrial loan from Brown County via a state Department of Commerce Community Development Block Grant to purchase new equipment and for working capital. The manufacturer of freight containers is expanding its operations after winning federal supply contracts. State officials said the expansion could create more than 375 jobs.

April 19 The Winnebago County Board of Supervisors approved new contracts or contract extensions for four of its employee unions aimed at saving the county money through the remainder of 2011 to the end of 2012. All four of the agreements require employees to contribute toward their pensions.

Each includes varying provisions in regard to pay freezes or increases, as well as some changes to overtime rules.

April 21 Recall papers were filed with the state Government Accountability Board for state Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay), marking the fifth submittal of a recall petition among efforts statewide against 16 senators, and the first against any of the Democrats who fled the state to Illinois during budget repair bill discussions in February. Republican organizers of the recall campaign collected more than 19,000 signatures, exceeding the nearly Hansen 13,800 required to initiate a recall election. A special election will likely be scheduled for sometime in late June, six weeks from the time when the state certifies the recall petition.

10 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

www.newnorthb2b.com

FIREFIGHTERS PROGRESS REPORT

Firefighters of northeast Wisconsin Getting started

Methodology

Gary Vaughan and Guident Business Solutions are donating time and expertise to work with Action Painting owner Rueben Contreras to cure some of the financial woes his business is suffering.

Vaughan met with Contreras and his wife, June, in early April and explained the typical process Guident uses when working with its consulting clients. Vaughan collected a copy of the last 12 months of profit and loss statements, and began to assess the validity of the information Contreras is using in making his business decisions.

“This is one of the most important steps in our process,” Vaughan said. “As business owners, often times we don’t know what we don’t know. From these documents we can begin to understand what has been happening in the business and what needs to happen differently in the future.

Eventually, Vaughan and Contreras will look at the balance sheet and cash flow statements, but initially “we begin with the profit and loss statement as it affords us the best assessment of how the business is actually performing,” Vaughan said.

Some of what Vaughan uncovered were typical mistakes most business owners make.

“Ruben and June know that running a business is not only a job and Vaughan a career, but it is a lifestyle they share. From the onset of their business, they have blended their personal and business finances,” Vaughan said. They will now be separating the two, allowing Contreras to see exactly what expenses belong to the business, increasing the validity of the data provided in the profit and loss statement.

Next, Vaughan will work with Contreras to create an annual budget, and the two will begin strategizing and setting specific goals for Contreras to accomplish in the near future and beyond. That will allow them to eventually compare actual business results to the budget projections.

Steve Van Remortel and SM Advisors is donating its services to work with IT Connexx co-owners Kevin Scholz and Brian O’Shaughnessy, who are struggling to set clear boundaries and develop separate strategies between IT Connexx and its sister company, DVM Connexx.

Van Remortel initially met with the two in early April to learn about the two owners, their companies, and began to define the key strategic challenges they face. He identified those challenges as: lack of organizational clarity with two companies functioning as one; a lack of a unified vision; uncertainty about how to differentiate themselves in their respective industries; and lastly, little time working “on” the business as opposed to Van Remortel always working in the business.

“In other words, they’re always fighting fires,” Van Remortel said. He indicated those strategic challenges will be more clearly defined after Scholz and O’Shaughnessy complete an organizational and team assessment of their companies.

Lastly, Van Remortel reviewed his proprietary Stop Selling Vanilla Ice Cream Process, which helps business owners develop and deliver a differentiating competence, target markets that add value to the competence, and to effectively communicate that value and capture new business.

“It is apparent to me that IT Connexx will experience significant value from the Stop Selling Vanilla Ice Cream Process, most notably an increase in sales and profitability,” Van Remortel said.

For periodic updates in between issues, go online to our blog at newnorthb2b.wordpress.com.

New North B2B kicked off its inaugural Firefighters of Northeast Wisconsin initiative in April 2011, aimed at assisting those northeast Wisconsin small business owners who feel as if they’re constantly burning the candle at both ends, putting out fires, spinning their wheels, but intent on finding a way to improve.

We put out a call for nominations back in January. In the end, our staff selected two businesses: IT Connexx of Green Bay, an IT contractor for small to mid-sized companies throughout the region, and Action Painting & Carpet Care of Appleton.

Through the generous help of Steve Van Remortel of SM Advisors in Green Bay and Gary Vaughan of Guident Business Solutions in Appleton, the two dedicated-to-improve businesses are receiving four to five month’s worth of consulting at no cost to help their owners work on the strategy of growing their business rather than regularly attending to problems.

B2B is providing a monthly update on the progress of their efforts in each issue of B2B leading up to September 2011. In between issues, additional updates will be provided online at our blog newnorthb2b.wordpress.com.

Guident Business Solutions LLC www.guidentbusinesssolutions.com

On the Web

SM Advisors www.smadvisors.com

NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 11

BUILD UP FOND DU LAC

1

2

C - Indicates a new listing

Build Up Fond du Lac

1 - 430 E. Division St., Fond du Lac,

Agnesian Healthcare St. Agnes Hospital, a build out of the fourth through sixth floors of the existing South Tower of the hospital for private patient care rooms.

Projects completed since our April issue: • Grande Cheese, 246 Trowbridge Dr., Fond du Lac.

2 - 1155 S. Military Road, Fond du Lac, Rolling Meadows Development, renovation of a former nursing home building and an addition to the fourth floor shell for a 101room hotel and conference center. Project completion expected in the spring of 2012.

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BUILD UP OSHKOSH

3&4 5

6

C - Indicates a new listing

7

Build Up Oshkosh 3

- 800 High Ave., Oshkosh, University of WisconsinOshkosh, a four-story, 191,000-sq. ft. academic building for the College of Business Administration. Project completion expected in August.

4 - 600 Block of Algoma Blvd., Oshkosh, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, a five-story, 340-bed student residence hall.

5 - 755 Dempsey Trail, Oshkosh, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, a 17,185-sq. ft. biodigestor energy plant.

6 - 1530 S. Koeller St., Oshkosh, Party City, an addition to the existing retail space for a new party supply store. Project completion expected in May. 7 - 1515 Planeview Dr., Oshkosh, C Cobblestone Inn, a two-story, 31-room hotel.

NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 13

BUILD UP FOX CITIES The Build Up department of New North B2B includes a monthly two-page spread identifying significant commercial and industrial construction projects ongoing in the Fox Cities area. The listing does not include multi-tenant residences, interior renovation projects or commercial buildouts.

C - Indicates a new listing

1

5

- 271 River St., Menasha, Exopack, a 7,660-sq. ft.

addition to the existing industrial facility. Project completion expected in May.

6

- 130 Second St., Neenah, Theda Clark Memorial

Hospital, a 10,897-sq. ft. addition to the first floor of the hospital and remodel of existing patient rooms.

- 2505 E. Evergreen Dr., Appleton, Evergreen Suites,

a 9,126-sq. ft. multi-tenant commercial center to include Klusendorf Chiropractic. Project completion expected in May.

7 - 901 S. Green Bay Road, Neenah, C CVS Pharmacy, a 13,225-sq. ft. new retail store.

General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

2-

3300 E. Calumet Ave., Appleton, U.S. Bank, a new

8 - 913 S. Green Bay Road, Neenah, Kwik Trip, a 5,800sq. ft. convenience store, fuel station and car wash.

retail bank building. Project completion expected in May.

3 - 1506 S. Oneida St., Appleton, St. Elizabeth Hospital,

Projects completed since our April issue: • Fox Valley Spring Co., N915 Craftsmen Dr., town of Greenville.

a 6,370-sq. ft. addition and remodel of the existing cancer

• Bergstrom Infinity, 2950 Victory Lane, town of Grand Chute.

center at the hospital.

• Pawn America, 500 N. Westhill Blvd., town of Grand Chute.

4

• PowerSports1, 3000 Spirit Court, Little Chute.

- 1050 Cold Spring Road, town of Menasha,

• Subway Restaurant, 1050 Midway Road, Menasha.

Kimberly-Clark Corp., a 129,150-sq. ft. addition to the existing

• Foremost Farms USA, 1815 W. Spencer St., Appleton.

manufacturing facility to expand production and warehousing

• Bergstrom Chevrolet, 150 N. Green Bay Road, Neenah.

for its adult care products. Project completion expected in May.

• Curwood Inc., 1815 Marathon Ave., Neenah.

A

FACE of Keller

I am your next door neighbor. I may have seen you

at a Chamber function or at a high school sporting event. As a commercial Project Manager, I may have built your bank or your veterinarian’s clinic.

I am a face of Keller and I live and work in your community. I am an Employee Owner, Project Manager, and Design/Build Expert. But don’t just take me at face value, call today and experience for yourself the difference that is Keller, Inc.

Construction Excellence Since 1960 See Cory’s work at the following local businesses: Riesterer & Schnell, Horicon Bank, Pulaski Vet Clinic, Cummins NPower, and Marinette Marine to name a few.

1.800.236.2534 l www.kellerbuilds.com Offices in the Fox Cities, Madison, Milwaukee & Wausau 14 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

Cory Project Manager Co-Owner

www.newnorthb2b.com

BUILD UP FOX CITIES 1

3

2

4 5 6 7 &8

NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 15

BUILD UP GREEN BAY

Multiple locations.

Including your pocket.

The Build Up department of New North B2B includes a monthly two-page spread identifying significant commercial and industrial construction projects ongoing in the Green Bay area. The listing does not include multi-tenant residences, interior renovation projects or commercial buildouts.

C - Indicates a new listing

Introducing goBank.

The mobile banking application that puts financial control at your fingertips.

Check balances and transfer funds for any account, anytime and anywhere.

1 - 2806 Riverview Dr., Howard,

Dermatology Associates

of Wisconsin, a 7,552-sq. ft. dermatology clinic.

2

- 1461 W. Mason St., Green Bay, C Rabideau Auto

Mart, a new automotive retail building.

goBankFirstNational.com

3

- 1168 W. Mason St., Green Bay, C Auto Zone, a

5,653-sq. ft. addition to the existing automotive retail store.

4 - 930 Main St., Green Bay,

CVS Pharmacy, a new retail

store and pharmacy.

5 - 1960 University Ave., Green Bay,

C Family Dollar, an

addition to the existing structure for a new retail store.

6

- 3146 Yeager Dr., Green Bay, Yeager Properties,

a 75,332-sq. ft. office and warehouse building. Project completion expected in May. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

7 - 1315 Lime Kiln Road, Green Bay, The Salvation Army

u o Y k Employees for Thanyour commitmenttotoourHealthy Lifestyles,

to our Partners for the needed resources, and to New North B2B for recognizing our workplace

Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, a new multi-level community center. Project completion expected in August.

8

- 600 Willard Dr., Ashwaubenon, PCM Employees

Credit Union, a 12,276-sq. ft. financial institution office.

Project completion expected in July.

9

- 1121 W. Main Ave., Ashwaubenon, SparkNet

Interactive, a four-story, 69,000-sq. ft. commercial office building. Project completion expected in June.

Integrated Community Solutions, Inc. (ICS) is an entrepreneurial non-profit in Green Bay The three facets of our business are: vHuman Services Program Administration vPersonnel Connection – Employment Staffing Agency vRISE Leader Development – Consultants in culture, leadership, and sales

Learn more about us at www.ics-gb.org, www.personnel-connection.net, and www.riseleadership.com A Ladder of Hope

16 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

Projects completed since our April issue: • Huron Automotive Service Center, 1001 S. Huron Road, Green Bay. • Cherney Microbiological Service, 1110 S. Huron Road, Green Bay. • Corrigan’s Custom Built Structures, 421 Lawrence Dr., De Pere.

www.newnorthb2b.com

BUILD UP GREEN BAY

1

2

3 4

5

8 7

6

9

NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 17

AROUND THE BOARDROOM

4.5

Title: America’s New Downtowns: Revitalization or Reinvention?

Author: Larry R. Ford Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (2003) Pages: 360 List Price: $52.00

The effective tax rate on new investment by businesses in Wisconsin, the fourth lowest among all states nationwide.

Source: Ernst & Young LLP, Quantitative Economics and Statistics Practice

Why Buy: What makes a good downtown, and why? Are today’s downtowns, with their waterfront parks, festival markets, sports arenas, and cultural centers, more vibrant and lively than the “central business districts” of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries?

Was there ever a “golden age” of downtowns? In this book, noted urban scholar Larry Ford casts a critical and practiced eye on sixteen contemporary urban centers to offer an expert’s view of the best -and worst -- of downtown America.

8 dumbest...

...things said in sales meetings Some people don’t know whether to laugh, cry or dive under the desk when it happens: The worst-possible words they could say to a customer tumble out of their mouths.

Call it a case of Salespeople say the Darndest Things (apologies to Art Linkletter).

When this happens to you, the best you can hope for is that the customer has a good sense of humor or that you can quickly recover before what you said sinks in. Sometimes, your rebound can be a sale-saver.

Here are eight true tales from the trenches — embarrassing slip-ups sales pros admit they’ve done. The names are withheld to protect their honor.

❶

Did you hear the true story about the salesman who regularly regaled a customer with tales of his drunken escapades — until the customer told him he was a Mormon? The salesperson apologized — and then asked, “How many wives do you have?”

❺

❷ “We flew to a client, and the head of the department

❼

came to the lobby to tell us that our key contact had died during the night. And my boss said, ‘Well, who’s her replacement? We flew up here and expect to present to someone.’”

❸

“I was working for Dr Pepper. A vendor catered lunch at headquarters. With Coke products.”

❹

An all-male ad agency team told the female marketing team that they understood tampons better than the women.

18 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

A seller told a customer: “What’s your title? We usually present to someone higher than you.” ❻ One customer said people often stereotype Southerners. Like the time a rep said, “When I hear your accent, I start deducting IQ points.”

One manager dropped in on a sales presentation for a few minutes, and then she left. The rep then asked: “Your boss is smokin’. Is she single?”

❽

A customer was unimpressed when his name was misspelled on the first slide of the presentation. His name? Smith.

Written by Charlie Walker, with examples taken from “14 of the Stupidest Things Ever said in Sales Meetings,”

by Jim Nichols

www.newnorthb2b.com

AROUND THE BOARDROOM

Parody of Parities

B

etty could feel the warmth of her flushing face.

Did parking lot passersby notice? All morning she had entertained her secret fantasy of slipping away during her lunch hour to fill her pantry with exciting provisions from Goodman’s Meats & Grocery, and now the motion detector at the main entrance was sliding open the large, smooth glass doors. They yawned, welcoming her to enter and again renew the union she knew so well.

Blood coursing through every corner of her being, she approached Health & Beauty. Quivering ever so softly, she could feel herself, both powerless and yielding, swept into the shampoo and conditioner aisle. Unstoppable now, she dipped her head slightly and breathed in the Nexxus® Humectress Ultimate Moisturizing Conditioner – $19.99. Caressing the tall, slender bottle, her eye wandered only a moment when she caught a glimpse of a stranger: Suave® Professionals Humectant Conditioner – $1.29.

Her eyebrow raised skeptically, Betty was still open to toying with Suave’s bold suggestion: “SALON PROVEN to moisturize as well as Nexxus®.”

Her Lady’s Speed Stick® 24/7 was now failing as she felt moisture sliding between the gentle folds of her, um, underarms. Was this betrayal? Her mind was a storm of fury as she flipped open Suave’s lid, gently squeezing now to release the fragrance that penetrated her flaring nostrils.

“Mmmm. Fresh coconuts.”

Snapping the lid closed confidently, she guided the pearlescent bottle into her basket. After all, it was HER life and HER money and HER decision and HER hair, and only $1.29. Turning on her stiletto heels, she walked away. Nexxus sat on the shelf, lifeless.

Thirsting for more, she suavely strolled into Goodman’s refrigerated section. She unbuttoned the top button on the front of her already tousled blouse. Betty knew what she wanted, and right now the cool air was a welcome respite from her rejection of Nexxus, and even the promise of a new tryst with Suave.

She always knew what to expect here. Tropicana® 100% Pure & Natural Orange Juice would be waiting for her. Always 100 percent not-from-concentrate. Always waiting. Always ready for Betty.

Alert and darting, her quick eyes were again momentarily distracted by a package using a close copycat of Tropicana’s white, green and orange color palette. It was different, yet

strangely familiar: HomeMaker® Premium 100% Pure Florida Squeezed Orange Juice. $2.09. “Still 64 Ounces!” its shelf dangler taunted.

Betty looked accusingly at Tropicana. $3.79. And 59 Fluid Ounces? “You bastard!” she screamed. No one would downsize her orange juice, the juice that began every day of her wonderfully dramatic and self-absorbed fantasy life.

Size mattered to Betty. She was nobody’s fool.

She could feel her heart of hearts being torn between loyalty and scorn. Now she leaned into HomeMaker and scrutinized the copy line running quietly along the bottom of its engaging face. Her breath steamed in the frigid air. “From Concentrate and Not-From-Concentrate.”

It was another moment of truth for Betty. She was a strong, uncompromising woman. But now her world was crumbling.

She wanted ALL of Tropicana. She knew the sludge of filth from which concentrated orange juice flows. She knew it all too well when she was younger and naïve.

“More like HomeWRECKER!” she sneered, haughtily tossing her head. Violently, she clutched Tropicana.

This wasn’t over. Maybe she couldn’t have all 64 ounces, but she’d take what she could get from Tropicana for now – for today – and fill the void with bitterness ripe for the picking should another, more reasonably priced not-from-concentrate discover and quench her juice-sensitive lips.

Behind the façade of Mr. Stronglove is an advertising professional wielding his strategic and conceptual stealth in all forms of media (except book jackets). Send comments (or crisp twenties) to piercestronglove@gmail.com.

NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 19

COVER STORY

Alla tua

Salute!

Patience and persistence pay off for our 2011 employer wellness award winners

Story by Sean Fitzgerald New North B2B Publisher

Alla tua Salute! 2011 6th Annual New North B2B Corporate Wellness Awards

Emeritus Wellness Program Award

J.J. Keller & Associates, Neenah Miles Kimball Company, Oshkosh Leadership in Wellness-Large Company

WOW Logistics, Appleton Leadership in Wellness-Small Company

Integrated Community Solutions, Ashwaubenon 20 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

Even through all the discussions of so-called ObamaCare during 2010, the overall health of Americans continues to suffer. And while the federal Health Care Reform Bill signed into law more than a year ago is aimed more specifically at health insurance reform, it does little to encourage habits of healthy living.

The new law offers an approach toward preserving many of the longstanding paradigms of Americans’ poor diet and sedentary lifestyles while ensuring more citizens receive insurance coverage. Opponents of the federal legislation argue the United States missed a real opportunity for health care reform to mean something substantial – mainly, that health care can change institutionally simply by creating programs encouraging individuals to take greater responsibility for their own health and wellness.

That’s the belief and the message heralded by the employers recognized in New North B2B’s Alla tua Salute!

Awards, presented each year since 2006 to those companies in the region who’ve actively sought to minimize their group health insurance rate increases by creating a genuine culture of wellness within the workplace. These companies have expanded benefits offerings to educate employees about their health and provided avenues to improve their health, often offering tangible incentives to do so. These employers have fully bought into the concept of wellness, from the ownership and top-level management all the way down to the entry-level members of the staff.

Workplace wellness programs are typically offered as a risk-management practice for an employer’s group health insurance plan. From B2B’s perspective, we’ve witnessed

www.newnorthb2b.com

COVER STORY a heightened aptitude among the nominations we’ve received in the six years we’ve conducted our annual employerbased wellness awards – Alla tua Salute!

Derived from the Italian phrase meaning “to your health,” our four award winners in 2011 – selected by a panel of some of the region’s leading experts in health plan and wellness program design – represent excellence in employerbased wellness programming at the top of its game in northeast Wisconsin.

In our 6th annual corporate wellness awards, our panelists acknowledged Miles Kimball Company of Oshkosh and J. J. Keller Inc. of Neenah as Emeritus Wellness Program Award honorees, WOW Logistics of Appleton with our Leadership in Wellness Award – Large Employer, and Integrated Community Solutions Inc. of Ashwaubenon with the Leadership in Wellness Award – Small Employer.

Leading the way With more than a decade each of robust wellness initiatives in the workplace, both Miles Kimball Company and J. J. Keller Inc. have become mentors for other employers in the area starting out on the path of their own wellness journeys. For their efforts, our panel recognized both companies with our Emeritus Wellness Program Award.

Catalog and Internet retailer Miles Kimball received B2B’s inaugural Alla tua Salute! Award in 2006, and has been recognized in five of the past six years. The company’s Wellness Connection initiative began conducting annual health risk assessments with its employees and their spouses dating back to 2000, and has 11 years of concrete data to illustrate its employees are much healthier today than ever before. At the same time, its group health insurance premiums have increased at a far lesser rate than its industry counterparts.

Results from its recent January 2011 health risk assessments indicated 77 percent of its group health plan participants ranked in the low health risk population, with 20 to 23 percent in the medium-risk group, according to Susan Boettcher, human resources manager at Miles Kimball.

Miles Kimball has less than a 3 percent rate of employees within the highrisk group, but federal health regula-

tions require third-party administrators of HRA data to report a minimum of 3 percent in the high-risk category – even though actual results may be less – so employers can’t easily identify and potentially target those few employees with poor health.

Compare that to results 11 years ago when the company reported a low-risk population of just 23 percent, a medium-risk group at 58 percent and a highrisk segment at 18 percent of its workforce. It’s a rate of improvement almost any company would envy.

For its efforts, Miles Kimball was recognized this past year with the gold level Well Workplace award from the Wellness Council of America.

And yet, the company continues to evolve and improve its Wellness Connection program.

In 2010, the 600-plus employee company initiated its Live Lean Challenge, a weight management program aimed at

encouraging employees to end the year at a lesser weight than the beginning of the year. Boettcher reported 82 percent of employees at the company’s warehouse and fulfillment facility dropped pounds by the end of last year, while about two-thirds of staff at its corporate offices met the challenge. The weight management challenge stemmed from a recognition that composite body mass index statistics had been increasing slightly from past HRA screenings.

Additionally, the company’s fleet of vending machines – which have long subsidized the low-cost on healthier food choices – have continued to increase sales of items with less than eight grams of fat. Even more healthy options were offered in 2010.

“We continue to modify and make the healthier items even healthier,” Boettcher said.

The company’s medical plan covers the cost of routine physicals, well-care

Selecting our award winners

Since early February, B2B solicited nominations for the healthiest employers in the region. We sought companies who promote innovative wellness initiatives and track and improve employees health year to year.

Each member of our panel reviewed all of the nominations and observed a variety of factors. Wellness initiatives needed to include all eligible employees, not simply offer a pat on the back to those already healthy employees with a history of proper exercise and nutrition. Our panel also gave a nod to employers who were able to demonstrate an ability to improve the health of the workforce over time, as well as awarding creativity in providing unique, out-of-the-ordinary benefits.

Efforts to communicate wellness program results to employees was also carefully considered by panelists. Lastly, our panelists gave recognition to those companies who demonstrated strong support for wellness from ownership and upper management.

HEALTH CARE PANEL

Michael Bina

principal partner IntellectualMarketing, Green Bay

Chris Hanson

president Hanson Benefits Inc., Kimberly

Barbara Van Gorp David Brand vice president of employee benefits, McClone Insurance Group, Inc., Menasha

employee benefits specialist with Valley Insurance Associates, Oshkosh

NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 21

COVER STORY

Alla tua

Salute!

child visits, mammograms, vision exams and colorectal screenings. Flu immunizations are provided to employees onsite at no cost each year.

And if being healthier isn’t enough, money always serves as a good incentive. Miles Kimball employees and their spouses scoring “excellent” or “good” on the HRA can receive a discount of up to $60 per pay check on their health insurance premiums.

Paying employees back Toward the end of 2010, executives at J. J. Keller realized the company’s self-funded health plan would likely finish the year being overfunded. As a result, the company didn’t deduct health insurance premiums from any employee’s paychecks during the month of November.

“We actually debated not having any for December as well.

It was close,” said Tim Pingel, the safety, security and wellness supervisor for J. J. Keller.

The news was a holiday shopping stimulus package for employees, Pingel joked, but offered a direct and tangible reward for the effort employees made over the year in staying healthy and keeping health insurance claims at a minimum.

Wellness is deeply ingrained into the culture of J. J. Keller.

The Neenah-based provider of safety and regulatory compliance products and services has 15 years of health risk assessment data. It opened a 2,000-sq. ft. state-of-the-art fitness center for employees back in 1998, and boasts the longestrunning Weight Watchers at Work program in the state. The company launched the in-house program back in 1995 and pays 25 percent of the cost for employees.

In early 2009, J. J. Keller established an onsite health clinic

staffed by a fulltime nurse practitioner and a part time medical assistant. With a goal of increasing productivity by allowing employees to receive health care treatment sooner, as well as reduce time away from the office traveling and waiting for appointments, the clinic has been a hit with staff. Pingel said nearly 64 percent of employees went in to use the clinic during the first 12 months it was open, demonstrating $150,000 in direct savings compared to what otherwise would have been health plan expenses for doctor’s office visits.

“Utilization was booming right from Day One when we opened the clinic,” Pingel said.

J. J. Keller operates its own onsite food service cafeteria – as opposed to having it run by a third-party caterer – allowing company officials to determine and provide healthier nutrition options like a salad and sandwich bar and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Cookies don’t need to be gigantic in order to charge a few bucks to increase margins. As an in-house entity, food service doesn’t need to make a profit, so Pingel and his staff make the call on menu selections and portion sizes.

Preventative care is also a critical component of J. J. Keller’s wellness program. During the past three years, the company experienced a dramatic 21 percent decrease in chronic disease claims.

Both J. J. Keller and Miles Kimball are serving as mentors for the ongoing, respective Well City – Fox Cities and Well City – Oshkosh initiatives. Each are hosting learning circles on an every-other-month basis to help less-experienced leaders of wellness initiatives at other employers in the community learn best practices to develop a culture of wellness and get the most bang for their company’s wellness budget.

Focus on prevention In a period of just four years, Appleton-based WOW Logistics has gone from zero to 60 with a robust, well-rounded wellness offering that includes several initiatives often not employed in more experienced wellness programs.

After determining two years ago that HRA indicators were pointing to employees having high blood pressure and high levels of bad cholesterol, the company began offering coronary artery calcium examinations to qualifying employees as a preventative approach to detecting various heart risks, said Amy DeBruin, a human resources generalist for the warehousing and

Take the first step toward a professional, quality built construction project...

Building Quality Communities Contact us or visit our Web site for a full listing of your local construction professionals.

9 2 0 . 7 3 3 . 3 1 3 6 y 866.966.3928 y www.newbt.org 22 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

www.newnorthb2b.com

COVER STORY logistics company. During the course of the past two years, about 20 employees have taken advantage of the offer, in which they receive a certificate to go into a cardiac specialist and receive a CT scan of their heart. The company picks up the bill.

The company hosts a variety of activity challenges throughout the course of the year, often partnering employees with one another, aimed at losing weight and encouraging staff to become more physically and mentally fit.

“We do a lot of ‘partner challenges’ because we’ve found that you have better success when you’re able to hold each other accountable,” DeBruin said, adding that each challenge is usually accompanied by prizes or other incentives.

WOW Logistics sports a more attentive focus on mental health, resulting from past HRA indicators that stress levels have been high among employees. Such a focus has led to periodic breaks during the work week to engage mental activities like crosswords and other brain teaser puzzles. It also offers a “Pay it forward” program, in which the company gives each employee two $25 gift cards with the stipulation that one of the cards is given to someone in need, based on the notion that giving generates a positive emotional reaction that fosters mental health.

The company has been offering HRAs to employees for the past four years, and has witnessed its aggregate score increase by more than 6 percent since 2009. To encourage staff, employees can earn a discount on their health insurance premium by scoring at least 76 or higher on their HRA, or by improving their score at least five points from one year to the next.

In addition to the CT scan, all preventative screenings are covered at 100 percent of the cost, leaving employees with no excuse to miss regular mammograms or colorectal checkups .

The company also provides fresh fruit at each location every Monday, typically enough to last employees throughout the week. It’s fostered more of a healthy grazing atmosphere, and has all but eliminated unhealthier birthday festivities in which employees bring in cake and doughnuts.

Another component of WOW’s wellness repertoire – the use of Patient Care

advocacy services – was praised by our panelists as a progressive measure to align employees with their health care experience. Patient Care, the brand name for the health advocacy agency, has professionals available by telephone or online to help employees resolve their insurance issues, as well as provide specific cost and quality information to help make decisions about tests, surgeries and other health care services.

WOW just began offering the service to employees back in January, DeBruin said, and employees have been using it to research medical procedures and receive an in-depth explanation of their benefits.

2006

Miles Kimball Company

2007

Miller Electric 4imprint

Persistence pays off Not-for-profits typically lag behind private industry on various employer-based trends because the costs to support such initiatives generally aren’t essential to the organization’s mission. That’s particularly the case with wellness programming.

But for Ashwaubenon-based Integrated Community Solutions Inc. – or ICS, for short – employee wellness initiatives were borne out of necessity more than a decade ago.

In the late 1990s, the agency – which delivers self-sufficiency and home ownership programs for low-income families throughout Brown County – found itself with an unhealthy workforce that was racking up a disproportionate amount of catastrophic claims. It was maximum-rated on its group health insurance plan, and paying exorbitant premiums, according to Lori DeGrave, human resources manager at ICS. About eight years ago and with no guidance from health care professionals, management at ICS requested healthier choices in vending machines, introduced fun and educational weight loss challenges among staff, and nixed the longstanding tradition of filling the break room as much as three times a week with less-than-healthy treats employees would randomly bring in for co-workers to nosh on throughout the day.

“It’s pretty progressive for a small group,” said panelist Barbara Van Gorp, vice president of employee benefits for Menasha-based McClone Insurance Group. “They have a wellness champion in there doing some great work.”

2008

Miles Kimball Company

2009

Miles Kimball Company Sadoff & Rudoy Industries Lutheran Homes of Oshkosh

2010

Appleton Inc. J.J. Keller & Associates Miron Construction

NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011l 23

COVER STORY

Alla tua

Salute!

Four years ago, the agency enrolled in the Green Bay-based Health Lifestyles Cooperative, joining a cohort of other employers from the region who were formalizing their wellness journey down a defined path of improvement. The 31-employee agency began taking health risk assessments annually, routinely measuring their activity by time and with pedometers, and educated staff about improving their diet.

The result to its bottom line – the 2011 group health insurance renewal increase was zero percent.

“To get that phone call (that insurance rates wouldn’t go up for the coming year), that was the best news I had in my professional life,” DeGrave said.

It was the first time the agency didn’t experience an increase in its rates from one year to the next, said Jon Syndergaard, who’s been president and CEO of the organization since 1995.

With the uncertainty of federal and state budgets in the upcoming cycle and the fact that ICS relies on various government grants to fuel its program costs, Syndergaard said the health

24 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

plan savings are especially good news because it means the organization can stretch its benefit dollars even further in 2011.

“We’re going to have to do more with less. A lot less, in some cases,” Syndergaard said in regard to potential funding uncertainty.

Despite not having many of the wellness perks of larger employers, the organization has continued its enthusiasm toward healthy living. Last year, their wellness program cut back on the incentives given to employees for reaching particular fitness milestones or marked improvement on their HRAs. Health risk assessments are mandatory for all employees and their spouses enrolled on the groups health insurance plan. Through the Healthy Lifestyles Co-op, ICS employees have access to health coaches and other information to help improve their health and ultimately their HRA scores.

For its part, Integrated Community Solutions has been patient as its aggregated group HRA scores have remained about the same and in some years improved slightly. But they haven’t gone down. That level of wellness program stamina captured the attention of our panelists.

“I thought this company showed great patience even after their results were flat, said Michael Bina, principal partner with Green Bay-based IntellectualMarketing, which conducts substantial amounts of health care and wellness publicity.

But from the agency’s perspective, careful and steady improvement is part of the long-term strategy.

“We understand it takes time to form new habits and make lifestyle changes,” DeGrave said. “Gradual change versus drastic change will lead to new habits that stick for a lifetime.”

www.newnorthb2b.com

We think locally.

Because we’re local.

We’re in touch with your community because we’re part of it.

Decisions regarding the plans and services we offer your company are made by our local management. Plus, we provide locally based sales, customer service and claims processing. Always backed by one of the largest networks of doctors and hospitals.

Because keeping our community healthy benefits everyone.

To see how Anthem can be a part of better health for your employees, go to anthem.com/connects2 today.

Life and Disability products underwritten by Anthem Life Insurance Company. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of: In Colorado and Nevada: Rocky Mountain Hospital and Medical Service, Inc. In Connecticut: Anthem Health Plans, Inc. In Indiana: Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. In Kentucky: Anthem Health Plans of Kentucky, Inc. In Maine: Anthem Health Plans of Maine, Inc. In Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area): RightCHOICE® Managed Care, Inc. (RIT), Healthy Alliance® Life Insurance Company (HALIC), and HMO Missouri, Inc. RIT and certain affiliates administer non-HMO benefits underwritten by HALIC and HMO benefits underwritten by HMO Missouri, Inc. RIT and certain affiliates only provide administrative services for self-funded plans and do not underwrite benefits. In New Hampshire: Anthem Health Plans of New Hampshire, Inc. In Ohio: Community Insurance Company. In Virginia: Anthem Health Plans of Virginia, Inc. trades as Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia, and its service area is all of Virginia except for the City of Fairfax, the Town of Vienna, and the area east of State Route 123. In Wisconsin: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin (“BCBSWi”), which underwrites or administers the PPO and indemnity policies; Compcare Health Services Insurance Corporation (“Compcare”), which underwrites or administers the HMO policies; and Compcare and BCBSWi collectively, which underwrite or administer the POS policies. Independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ® ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

GOVERNMENT

Unfunding

Main Street Loss of program dollars under governor’s proposed state budget could hobble local downtowns

Story by Cheryl Hentz

One noticeable omission from Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed 2011-13 biennial state budget is the elimination of Wisconsin’s highly successful and well-regarded Main Street Program. Started in 1988 to help revitalize traditional downtown commercial districts in communities across the state, the economic development initiative has spawned 36 formal Main Street programs throughout Wisconsin, with local programs helping out downtown retail districts in Ripon, Fond du Lac, De Pere and Green Bay. These local programs are financially sustained by their own communities, often through downtown business improvement districts – via special assessments for properties in the district, parking meter revenue, etc. – and occasionally through partial support from a chamber of commerce or other financial gifts from businesses and foundations in the community.

But that doesn’t mean state assistance hasn’t been helpful

26 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

– or even been critical, in some instances. The state Department of Commerce has a staff of four fulltime employees providing highly intensive training to Main Street organizations’ staff and volunteer boards during the first five years after they’re admitted into the program, as well as regularly recurring assistance after their five-year start-up period.

That equates to an estimated value to each community of more than $125,000 in the first five years and an additional value of about $5,000 per community in each subsequent year. Local Main Street program staff – and particularly, the volunteer board of directors – change often enough to make continued training warranted long after an organization is accepted into the program.

The cost of operation for Wisconsin’s Main Street program is about $400,000 annually, but the return on investment has proven tremendous. Since 1987 the program has stimu-

www.newnorthb2b.com

GOVERNMENT lated the following economic successes: 17,865 new jobs created; 4,030 new businesses opened; more than 5,600 building rehabilitation projects; and more than $1.1 billion of private investment generated within Wisconsin’s Main Street communities. In addition, façade improvements and building rehabilitation projects have upgraded the image of many historic centers of commerce, and promotional activities have brought communities together in a positive way. Wisconsin Main Street works in the commercial core of a community by strengthening businesses, maintaining a sense of place and community life for the people of Wisconsin.

“As an economic stimulus, the Main Street Four Point Approach (organization, design, business development/economic restructuring and promotion) has proven to be one of the most cost-efficient economic development programs at work in the state,” said John H. Sigwart, president for the Wisconsin Main Street Alliance, a not-for-profit union of the state’s more than 30 formal Main Street programs. Sigwart added that every state dollar invested in the Wisconsin Main Street program has provided a return on investment of $49.34.

“This is a very small program with a very big impact. Unlike other programs in the Department of Commerce, the Wisconsin Main Street Program does not give money away. It teaches locally hired Main Street staff, municipal employees and volunteers how to improve the appearance, economic climate, property values and prosperity of businesses located in their downtowns,” said Jim Schuh, executive director for the alliance.

On the Web

Wisconsin’s Main Street Program www.commerce.state.wi.us/CD/CD-bdd.html “With no funding, it would leave these communities without a fair amount of expertise. Communities could hire those kinds of services or try to find volunteers who might be able to help with some of those things, but they’ve experienced a number of shared revenue cuts and so forth in recent years, so their money is tight, too. That is the biggest problem I see. There’s also the statewide networking that’s provided through the state program that would likely be lost if there’s no funding.”

Schuh and his office have been in contact with Gov. Walker since last November outlining the benefits of the program, but as of late April, have had no response, he said.

“He says one of his biggest goals is job creation. But here we have a program that has created thousands of jobs since its inception and costs very little to operate, in comparison, each year, and there is no money being provided for it,” Schuh said, adding they’ve also been talking to legislators, especially those who have communities in their districts with active Main Street programs.

Pioneering the idea in Ripon Ripon is one of those communities. In fact, Ripon’s program is one of the oldest in the state, dating back to 1988.

During those more than 20 years, dozens of new businesses have been recruited to downtown Ripon, decreasing the building vacancy rate from 26 percent to less than 3 percent, according to Craig Tebon, downtown manager for the city of Ripon.

“

We’re talking about a wellrounded program and it will hurt to not have the access to people who can help us with future challenges we face.

”

Craig Tebon, downtown manager city of Ripon Numerous redevelopment projects have helped increase assessed property values by nearly 75 percent, amounting to more than $14 million in public and private investment. And the state’s Main Street program has assisted with public improvement projects such as the Watson Streetscape renovation, implemented an aggressive business recruitment and retention campaign, and created promotions such as the Village Green Concert Series, Dickens of a Christmas, Pumpkin Fest and the Watson Street Farmer’s Market.

On three occasions during the last decade, Ripon was selected as a semifinalist for the Great American Main Street Award which recognizes exceptional accomplishments in downtown revitalization across the nation. The economic development projects initiated by Ripon Main Street, Inc., such as the renovation of Pratt’s Block and most recently the Scott Street building, are attracting a great deal of attention from other communities interested in organizational initiated development.

“But it’s the downtown as a whole that we’re proud of.

There aren’t many downtown districts that are continuous. Our downtown is relatively small – it’s only about three blocks long – but it’s really almost identical in appearance to the way it was in the 1800s when the buildings were first built,” Tebon said, adding that to lose the statewide resources would hurt Ripon more in the long run than the short term.

“Right now we’ll be okay, but where it will hurt is losing those quarterly training seminars that we’ve been attending. They have helped create a really well-rounded economic development program. We’re not just talking about business recruitment and we’re not just talking about creating a festival. We’re talking about a well-rounded program and it will hurt to not have the access to people who can help us with future challenges we face.”

A strong tradition in De Pere De Pere’s Main Street Program started in 1990 and has since been merged with a downtown business improvement district to form the De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce, though it is still a vital and vibrant program within the chamber.

NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 27

GOVERNMENT “The program was started because at that time most blocks that would eventually become the Main Street district had an 80 percent vacancy rate. That was before we had significant development,” said Cheryl Detrick, president and CEO of the De Pere chamber.

“Everything along Reid Street, the Reid Street Crossing, the Marquette Center, Nicolet Highlands Apartment, the 555 Reid Street Apartments, the Humana Dental Building that sits at Reid and Fourth; none of that existed back then. Today we have an occupancy rate of about 94 percent, and I would say the vast majority of it is a direct result of the Main Street program.”

Since becoming a Main Street Program, Detrick said 377 new businesses started, while another 179 had been expanded and a total of 1,839 jobs created in downtown De Pere.

Detrick said her staff hasn’t used state program assistance as much in recent years, but recognized it’s been good to know it’s available when needed.

“We’ve been members of the program for awhile, so we’re not in that heavy need time. But still, there are seminars and technical assistance that we’ll lose if there’s no funding in the budget. We’ll also lose access to resources like small business specialists in Madison,” Detrick said. “That would mean we – and every other community – would probably have to buy that kind of expertise themselves, which we probably wouldn’t do. We would just try to find other ways to create the data or other materials they provide.”

They are also entitled to three free architectural drawings per year that they would lose access to, meaning they would then

28 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

have to find and pay for those services on their own.

“The direct dollar loss to De Pere isn’t going to be what it will be to a community that hasn’t been in the program that long. But what we will lose on an aggregate basis, which I think is much more important, is that concentrated focus on reviving our downtown and this 21- or 22-year old formula that we know works. And I think that denigrates us all,” she noted.

Green Bay’s On Broadway Among the most prominent Main Street programs in the region is On Broadway, Inc., located in Green Bay’s Broadway district on the west side of the Fox River. The organization was admitted into the state’s program in October 1995.

Christopher Naumann, executive director of On Broadway, said prior to the launch of the organization, there were businesses that were “nefarious, to say the least. There were taverns that were very poorly run and managed; there were rumored houses of ill-repute; there were things going on here that were not family-friendly and that were not conducive to positive economic development.”

As a program, it’s been successful in reclaiming an area of the historic west side of downtown Green Bay, bringing it back from being a red light district and turning it into an area that caters to small businesses, boutique shopping and unique restaurants, while also preserving the historic atmosphere and character of the buildings. On Broadway has also helped enhance private investment and economic development in the area, as well as helped grow promotional events.

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GOVERNMENT “Our Farmer’s Market has grown to the point where it is the second largest Farmer’s Market in the state, drawing an average of 5,000 to 6,000 people a week for 20 weeks. We also have a taste event, which is like a food sampling event, and we draw 16,000 to 18,000,” Naumann said. “These kinds of events have really distinguished our program from other Main Street programs in terms of where our growth vehicle is. And they’ve really become a primary source of funding for our organization because we are completely independent as a nonprofit.”

As with other more distinguished Main Street programs, if state funding is cut, On Broadway isn’t going to be as significantly impacted as those communities whose programs are fairly new and just getting started.

“We’ll feel it, but not as much as some of the smaller, newer programs that rely more heavily on the technical support from the state,” Naumann said. “That said, I came into this position last year, not having any Main Street program experience as a new director. And I personally leveraged the state program for my technical training to get up to speed on how to run the program.

“For our day-to-day operations we don’t lean on the program as much, but certainly for leadership development and consistency and continuity in our programs, the state program has been critical for us.”

Fond du Lac Fond du Lac has one of the newer Main Street programs in the New North region, having been admitted after a spirited and in-depth application process that engaged much of the community in 2004. The program operates through the Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership, which is supported through the Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce.

Amy Hansen, executive director of the Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership, wasn’t in her position when Fond du Lac started its Main Street program, but believes it helped the community get organized to start new initiatives.

“When you become a Main Street program, (the state assistance) helps you to stay more focused. There’s the ongoing training development, the networking amongst all the other Main Street communities that helps keep your program stronger, and you rely on the other executive directors for advice and professional support,” she said.

While Hansen couldn’t point to any specific successes the city has realized as a direct result of the state Main Street program, she did say community awareness and support for the Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership has steadily increased.

And she acknowledges they’ll lose professional resources if no funding is provided for the program, but she wouldn’t speculate what the organization would do without those resources and services.

Cheryl Hentz is a freelance writer from Oshkosh with more than 25 years experience. Her articles have appeared in several newspapers and magazines and cover topics including business and economic development, minority issues, family pets and animal rights, finance, politics and women’s issues. She can be reached at 920.426.4123 or via email at cheryl.hentz@gmail.com.

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w w w. o s h ko s h ym c a . o rg Downtown | 236-3380 | 324 washington ave 20th ave | 230-8439 | 3303 w. 20th ave

NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 29

HEALTH CARE

Comparing health care costs The Wisconsin Hospital Association Information Center regularly collects and publishes data about charges and services provided by Wisconsin hospitals and outpatient surgery centers. Providing this cost and quality data was part of a state government and WHA initiative to make health care more transparent to Wisconsin patients.

Each year since 2002, New North B2B has published average charges from each facility in our readership area for sample services and procedures common to employers. To compare cost figures from other health care facilities or for other procedures, visit Wisconsin’s PricePoint System online at www.wipricepoint.org.

30 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

Normal Newborn, Birthweight 2500g+ .Discharges St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton .......................... 1,026 New London Family Medical Center .....................105 Theda Clark Medical Center, Neenah .................. 1,190 Appleton Medical Center, Appleton . .....................995 Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh ...........................523 Agnesian Healthcare, Fond du Lac .......................828 Bellin Health, Green Bay....................................... 1,099 St. Vincent, Green Bay............................................833 Aurora Baycare, Green Bay.................................. 1,433 St. Mary’s, Green Bay.............................................589 Aurora Medical Center, Oshkosh ...........................599 State Average . ........................................................

Median $969 $1,441 $1,447 $1,458 $1,487 $1,764 $1,785 $2,153 $2,340 $2,661 $2,851 $2,388

Knee Replacement . .................................. Discharges Theda Clark Medical Center, Neenah ....................205 Appleton Medical Center, Appleton . .....................474 Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh ...........................495 New London Family Medical Center ......................57 St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton ............................249 Bellin Health, Green Bay.........................................722 Aurora Baycare, Green Bay....................................183 Aurora Medical Center, Oshkosh ...........................200 Ripon Medical Center, Ripon ..................................21 St. Vincent, Green Bay............................................255 Agnesian Healthcare, Fond du Lac .......................145 St. Mary’s, Green Bay.............................................260 State Average . ........................................................

Median $22,885 $23,802 $24,055 $25,604 $25,813 $30,354 $30,838 $33,162 $33,173 $34,734 $37,712 $37,780 $35,266

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease .Discharges Theda Clark Medical Center, Neenah .....................75 Appleton Medical Center, Appleton . .....................106 Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh ............................44 St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton .............................98 Bellin Health, Green Bay..........................................61 Ripon Medical Center, Ripon ..................................19 Aurora Medical Center, Oshkosh ............................57 St. Mary’s, Green Bay..............................................66 Aurora Baycare, Green Bay.....................................99 St. Vincent, Green Bay.............................................70 Agnesian Healthcare, Fond du Lac ........................85 State Average . ........................................................

Median $6,613 $6,751 $7,299 $8,426 $9,688 $9,690 $10,448 $11,839 $13,366 $13,367 $15,236 $12,460

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HEALTH CARE Major Bowel Procedures ......................... Discharges New London Family Medical Center........................5 Appleton Medical Center, Appleton . .....................203 Theda Clark Medical Center, Neenah .....................81 St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton ............................141 Ripon Medical Center, Ripon ..................................12 Aurora Medical Center, Oshkosh ............................48 Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh ............................43 Aurora Baycare, Green Bay....................................110 Bellin Health, Green Bay.........................................149 Agnesian Healthcare, Fond du Lac ........................81 St. Mary’s, Green Bay..............................................74 St. Vincent, Green Bay............................................103 State Average . .......................................................

Angioplasty w/o Heart Attack ................Discharges Theda Clark Medical Center, Neenah .................... 34 Appleton Medical Center, Appleton....................... 115 Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh ........................... 60 Aurora Medical Center, Oshkosh ........................... 44 Aurora Baycare, Green Bay................................... 252 Bellin Health, Green Bay......................................... 85 St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton ............................ 46 St. Vincent, Green Bay........................................... 129 Agnesian Healthcare, Fond du Lac ....................... 40 St. Mary’s, Green Bay............................................. 82 State Average . .......................................................

Vaginal Delivery . ........................................Discharges

Median $17,146 $20,137 $20,978 $21,031 $25,256 $26,744 $27,042 $35,018 $37,290 $37,543 $39,128 $42,144 $39,045 Median $23,061 $30,169 $32,849 $34,180 $34,293 $34,461 $36,919 $39,101 $40,069 $45,763 $43,927

Appleton Medical Center, Appleton . .................... 764 New London Family Medical Center ..................... 76 Theda Clark Medical Center, Neenah ................... 936 St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton ........................... 868 Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh .......................... 436 Aurora Medical Center, Oshkosh .......................... 449 Bellin Health, Green Bay........................................ 841 St. Mary’s, Green Bay............................................ 478 Aurora Baycare, Green Bay.................................. 1,174 St. Vincent, Green Bay........................................... 701 Agnesian Healthcare, Fond du Lac ...................... 665 State Average . .......................................................

Median $3,086 $3,223 $3,301 $3,393 $3,512 $3,591 $3,983 $4,414 $4,699 $4,814 $6,176 $6,746

Cesarean Delivery .....................................Discharges Appleton Medical Center, Appleton . .................... 287 Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh .......................... 154 St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton ........................... 250 Theda Clark Medical Center, Neenah ................... 474 Aurora Medical Center, Oshkosh .......................... 183 New London Family Medical Center...................... 30 Bellin Health, Green Bay........................................ 314 St. Vincent, Green Bay........................................... 220 Aurora Baycare, Green Bay................................... 429 St. Mary’s, Green Bay............................................ 132 Agnesian Healthcare, Fond du Lac ...................... 201 State Average . .......................................................

Median $6,930 $7,169 $7,443 $7,467 $8,371 $8,925 $9,638 $10,427 $12,286 $12,904 $14,014 $13,304

NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 31

P R O F I L E

SMALL BUSINESS PROFILE

Small Business

PROFILE

A call to serve

Known locally for orgainzing Lifest, Life! Promotions reaches teens worldwide all year long

Story by John R. Ingrisano

32 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

This is not your typical business profile about a harddriving CEO with a constant eye on the bottom line.

Yes, Life! Promotions President Bob Lenz works hard. However, he spends little time in the office. In fact, he doesn’t even have an office in his organization’s Appleton-based headquarters. And though less about profits than about a faith-based mission, Life! Promotions still manages to pump millions of dollars into northeast Wisconsin’s economy every year. The business lesson is how passion, dedication and focus on your goals can lead to growth and success.

On one hand, Life! Promotions is a thriving business that generates millions of tourism dollars into the Fox Valley through its annual five-day Lifest, drawing close to 100,000 people and making it the third largest event in Oshkosh each year behind EAA AirVenture and Country USA. On the other hand, this nonprofit organization is a hands-on Christian youth ministry that touches the lives of nearly a half million people each year in all

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SMALL BUSINESS PROFILE

Submitted photo

A nightime shot of a frenzied crowd during Lifest 2010.

50 states and in 15 countries around the globe.

Most of all, it is the passion of Lenz, Life! Promotions’ founder, whose relentless goal is to stop the epidemic of teen suicides that plagues our society.

Lenz, who is 47, started Life! Promotions as a division of Solid Rock Ministries 27 years ago. He was motivated by his disabled brother, who questioned if his life had purpose. Today, Lenz is on the road 150 days a year, talking about hope and faith to teens in high schools across the country. His primary messages are suicide prevention and bullying, both of which involve issues of self worth.

“I decided to focus on teens,” Lenz said in an interview with B2B magazine. “Do you realize that 1,800 teens attempt suicide each day – and 18 succeed? In America 30,000 people take their lives every year.

“I focus on youth because it is an age that is volatile,” he explained. “This is a strategic age. We take a faith-based approach to teaching teens that they are valued and have a purpose.”

From the business perspective, Life! Promotions has been a financial success. The annual budget has grown from $80,000 its first year to $2.3 million today, all of which supports 14 fulltime employees, plus some part-time help and thousands of volunteers.

However, Lenz prefers to talk about other numbers.

“It took us 20 years to reach our first million kids,” he said, PROFILE

Name:

Business:

Location: Year started:

Employees:

Web site:

Bob Lenz, 47, president Life! Promotions, youth and suicide prevention ministry Appleton 1984 14 fulltime www.lifepromotions.com

Bob Lenz is the author of Grace: For Those Who Think They Don’t Measure Up. His second book, Dignity Revolution: Fighting for the Value of Every Person, is due out this summer.

“

In school, I got a C-minus in speech and my teacher told me never to go into public speaking.

”

Bob Lenz, founder Life! Promotions in Appleton, who speaks to nearly a half million teens every year about suicide prevention “then four years to reach our second million. Today, we speak to between 400,000 and 500,000 kids every year.”

Why has Life! Promotions done so well? Lenz readily gives credit to others. A graduate of Teen Challenge Ministry Institute in California, he overcomes his lack of business acumen by relying on quality people, from his own staff to professionals in other organizations. Plus, he added, “We have stayed connected to the issues of youth.”

Is there a business strategy? Of course, but Lenz doesn’t have much to say about that.

“We have some plans, but we’re more about our mission.”

Early on, Life! Promotions began to grow quickly. “Because of our success, we got diversified. Changes in the economy made us refocus. We shrunk back to our core and impacted more kids than when we were diversified. I’ve learned that we need to focus on doing what we do well,” Lenz said.

In this respect, his core message of hope has not changed over the years.

He also values the skills of other people.

“I love to glean from others,” he said, pointing out that he appreciates working with people who know more than he does, especially when it comes to business.

His biggest ongoing challenge? As with most any business, it’s the money.

“We’re a nonprofit organization,” said Lenz, while adding with a bit of a chuckle, “We used to say that was because we couldn’t make a profit.”

NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 33

SMALL BUSINESS PROFILE Not your typical business person

Submitted photo

Faithful fans of Lifest bask in the atmosphere of last year’s event.

Lenz, though founder and president, is more like the organization’s travelling salesman. On the road 150 days a year, he doesn’t even have his own office at Life! Promotions’ Appleton headquarters. When in town, Lenz finds work space where he can. He prefers to concentrate on the people aspect of Life! Promotions. Currently, he is the primary speaker, but the organization is in the process of building a speaker’s bureau and has about 10 people already on board.

In spite of his travel schedule, Lenz maintains a strong personal life. He and his wife, Carol, married for 27 years, have five children ages 18 to 26, as well as one grandchild. Referring to his hectic travel schedule, Lenz said “This is our normal.

It is demanding. I struggle with that.”

“I try to keep my schedule to one week gone, one week home. I admit I’m close to a workaholic, but I want my family to see that God, Mom and family come before work.”

When asked about his toughest day, Lenz admits it was during Lifest a few years ago in 2007, when a 16-year-old festival volunteer died in an accident.

“Lifest changed her life, and then the accident happened, and she lost her life.”

There’s also a good deal of ongoing emotion surrounding the issue of suicide prevention. Lenz recounted how he was invited to Pennsylvania earlier this year to talk with the parents of a 15-year-old who committed suicide as a result of being routinely bullied.

“The hardest part is hearing the stories,” Lenz said.

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SMALL BUSINESS PROFILE

“

Find a need among people, and find a passion in your heart.

”

Staying inspired and motivated

Final advice

Lenz admits it can be difficult to remain motivated when hearing such tragic stories. But that in itself helps motivate him. He readily acknowledges having three heroes. The first is Billy Graham, because “he stands for the core message without becoming negative or becoming political.”

Another is Wes Stafford, head of Compassion International, who works to release children from poverty. For Wes, said Lenz, “it’s not a job, but his passion in life.”

However, his biggest inspiration was his mother.

“In school, I got a C-minus in speech and my teacher told me never to go into public speaking. My mother told me I could do anything that God told me to do. She always believed in me.”

Lenz also admits to being inspired by the employees at Life!

Promotions.

“Our employees work for less than two-thirds what they could get in the market somewhere else. It’s not just a job for them. They are dedicated.”

When asked what advice he’d share with others, Lenz first said “being the leader isn’t always fun.”

It’s also important not to take yourself too seriously.

“As a friend once told me, ‘People who don’t know Bob really respect him.’”

Also, to avoid getting an inflated sense of ego, Lenz suggested, “Never read your own press releases.”

Finally, Lenz offered up a universal value, whether in business or undertaking any other activity.

“Find a need among people, and find a passion in your heart. Then put those two together, and you’ll have something sustainable…a calling.”

Managing volunteers Life! Promotions also works with more than a 1,000 volunteers every year for Lifest. Many people would say that managing volunteers is like herding cats - pretty much impossible. However, Lenz has nothing but praise for the organization’s volunteers.

“We have the best volunteers in the world,” he boasted, adding they encourage people to volunteer not for the perks like free tickets or T-shirts, but to serve.

“Our Lifest festival does not so much have volunteers, but rather servants,” he explained. “When you find people who really want to make a difference, respect them enough to let them be a part. We have volunteers who take their vacations to come and serve. They set up stages and tents, park cars, do whatever they can to help. We have to turn down volunteers some years.”

John Ingrisano is a Wisconsin-based business journalist, marketing strategist and public speaker. If you would like John to review your company’s needs or do a presentation for your business group, contact him at john@thefreestyleentrepreneur.com or call 920.559.3722.

Did you know?

Lifest – the five-day “youth-focused, family-driven” event held in Oshkosh every year – enjoys average attendance of between 16,000 to 18,000 people a day. Last year, said Life! Promotions President Bob Lenz, “we had between 23,000 to 25,000 people on Sunday.”

The 2011 event is scheduled for July 6 through 10.

NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 35

PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING

Gift of a Lifetime, a true Story...

by Independence Financial, LLC

Unique tax laws available in 2011 have created a spectacular environment for estate planning. Amazing things can be accomplished when you take the time to plan ahead. We can often learn from others example, so I would like to share a true story with you about a client who recently chose to make a significant difference in our community.

“Mary” approached us because of her passion for our community and her desire to share a portion of the assets she has been fortunate enough to save during her working years. She was interested in leaving a significant legacy to our community.

Making use of current tax laws and working closely with the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, we created a strategy with a lasting impact. We are able to decrease the income and estate tax liability of her IRA, and avoid

Michael Scott

36 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

the income tax normally due on her required minimum distributions. Through the leverage of a specially structured life insurance contract, she is able to guarantee a legacy that has blossomed to several times the size of her current IRA, while still retaining her IRA account.

Through the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, many community organizations will benefit for countless years to come thanks to her $1,000,000 gift.

“These professionals listened to my goals and created a strategy that leaves a legacy far greater than I ever thought I could leave. Not only that, they were able to explain the complex concepts involved at a level I could truly understand.”

People are often surprised at the size of the gift they can leave for others while also improving their own taxable situation. Retirees that are fortunate enough to have accumulated an IRA that is be-

920.236.6587 yond what they will need in retirement are particularly well suited to take advantage of the tax laws in effect for 2011.

To reduce your tax obligations and multiply the impact of your legacy, contact Michael Scott, CLU, CFP®. Mike is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM practitioner with Independence Financial, LLC, an Oshkosh firm for 79 years. (920) 236-6587 or Michael@ IndependenceFinancialLLC.com.

This testimonial may not be representative of the experience of other clients and is not indicative of future performance or success. The testimonial stems strictly from the client’s experience as an insurance and/or securities product customer.

Registered Representative of, and Securities and Investment Advisory services offered through Hornor, Townsend & Kent, Inc., (HTK), Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC, 1030 W. Higgins Rd. Suite 212 Park Ridge, IL 60068 Phone (800) 607-3300. Independence Financial, LLC is independent of HTK. A1JC-0418-03

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PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING

Do wellness efforts save money for employers?

by WEA Trust Could spending $2.55 for birthday card as part of a wellness initiative save an employer $125,000?

In the case of one very unglamorous effort, we find that persistence, combined with a financial incentive and a sense of humor, yield big savings for the employers we insure.

The initiative is colorectal screening aimed at detecting colon cancer. According to medical literature and our research, the current average cost of treating a person diagnosed with colon cancer is over $125,000. In this type of cancer, however, the median survival rate for people who undergo this type of treatment is about 11 to 13 months.

That is, even after a year of cancer treatment, a patient may not beat the cancer.

A colonoscopy, which screens for colorectal cancer, costs about $1,600. It is recommended for people age 50 and Sharon Espinoza, RN a

608.276.4000 over. For most people, a colonoscopy isn’t something they look forward to getting. That’s where a sense of humor and an incentive helps.

The humor comes in the way of sending a special birthday card to people when they turn 50, encouraging them to schedule a colonoscopy. If an individual receives the screening, we send them $50 as a “birthday” gift.

Does it work? Our numbers show the program is very successful. The percentage of people getting screened has been increasing steadily since we began the campaign.

The national average for colorectal screening is around 45.3 percent – for individuals covered by a Trust health plan, the rate is 70 percent.

And in at least one case, the campaign may have saved a life. One school district employee took up the offer to get the $50. Her colonoscopy found nearly

100 pre-cancerous polyps.

“If I would not have received the Trust’s birthday card, I would not have set up an appointment so quickly. I’m just so thankful for the card,” she says.

Sharon Espinosa is the Director of Member Health Services at WEA Trust and oversees the wellness and care management efforts at the company.

“Professionally Speaking” is a promotional spot for business professionals to share their expertise with New North B2B readers. To learn more about how your business can take advantage of opportunities with Professionally Speaking, contact Carrie at 920.237.0254 or email carrie@newnorthb2b.com.

Are your employees at increased risk?

by Aurora Health Care Carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel syndrome are two painful, progressive conditions caused by compression of key nerves in the wrist and arm. These common and often disabling conditions can affect anyone who performs repetitive hand motions.

Employers should know that the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome is far greater for those performing assembly line work or repetitive motions.

Hereditary predisposition may also be a factor. That is, the carpal tunnel is simply smaller in some people than in others.

The median nerve and several tendons run from the forearm to the hand through a small space in the wrist called the carpal tunnel. The median nerve controls movement and feeling in the thumb and the first three fingers, but not the little finger.

Pressure on the median nerve causes carpal tunnel syndrome. This pressure

Loren Potter, DO

may be caused by swelling (or anything that makes the carpal tunnel smaller).

Symptoms include numbness and tingling in the hands, as well as pain and weakness that can radiate up the arm.

Although not as well known as carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, also called ulnar neuropathy, is caused by increased pressure on the ulnar nerve, which passes close to the skin’s surface in the area of the elbow commonly called the “funny bone.”

Symptoms include: • Pain and numbness in the elbow; • Weakness and tingling, especially affecting the ring and little fingers; • Decreased ability to pinch the thumb and index finger; • Decreased overall hand-grip strength; • Muscle wasting in the hand.

The common cause of this nerve compression syndrome is increased pressure, usually from bone or connective tissue,

920.303.8700 on a key nerve. In most cases, cubital tunnel syndrome can be managed with conservative treatments. However, more severe cases may require surgery to reduce pressure on the affected nerve.

For both carpal and cubital tunnel syndrome, early diagnosis and treatment will help avoid permanent damage, relieve pain and reduce the risk of disability.

Aurora Health Care offers a minimally invasive surgical technique called endoscopic carpal tunnel release. This type of surgery offers shorter recovery times (a bonus for both employers and employees) and can bring relief to those suffering from this condition.

Loren Potter, DO, is a fellowshiptrained hand and upper extremity orthopedic surgeon at the Aurora Health Center in Oshkosh. He is trained in minimally invasive surgical techniques, including endoscopic carpal tunnel release.

NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 37

BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION

Region’s business plans recognized

The 6th Annual Northeast Wisconsin Business Plan competition recognized five start ups in the region in mid-March.

The goal of the business plan competition is to encourage the preparation of business plans for start-up businesses, for those making significant changes to existing businesses, or those launching new products in northeast Wisconsin.

Judges for the competition – coordinated by the Northeast Wisconsin Regional Economic Partnership – selected the five finalists who will share $25,000 in prize money, which is to be used to put the business plan into action within the next year.

Here are the 2011 winners:

1

1st Place - $10,000 prize The Docking Station, Green Bay

2 3

2nd Place - $6,000 prize RagSpun Studio LLC, Fond du Lac

owners Peter Nugent and Dana VanDenHeuvel The Docking Station is a shared work environment in downtown Green Bay that offers collaborative work spaces, private offices and conference room facilities with a full suite of office amenities for freelancers, entrepreneurs, start-ups, small businesses, and knowledge professionals.

owner Rhonda L. Horvath RagSpun Studio is a wholesale provider of quilting, sewing and crafting supplies. It will also conduct informative educational sessions.

3rd Place - $4,000 prize BreadStreet LLC, Neenah owners Mark Elliott and Jeffrey Hayes BreadStreet specializes in Web site development for medium size service clubs and organizations. The easy-to-use Web sites allow users to manage groups of people, profiles, volunteers, email lists, news updates, board of directors and activities.

4

4th Place - $3,000 prize Athletic Recruiting Consultants, Appleton

5

5th Place - $2,000 prize Going Places Family Hair Care & Tanning, Pulaski

owners Larry Brush and Mary Martin Athletic Recruiting Consultants provides consulting services to families of student athletes in northeast Wisconsin looking to develop a plan to maximize the potential of being recruited by college coaches, receiving athletic scholarship offers, and playing college sports.

owner Christine Smith Going Places is a salon that offers a full range of beauty services including hair, nails, massage services and tanning.

38 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

www.newnorthb2b.com

2011 SUMMER Leisure GUIDE Create a Welcoming Environment!

Phone 920.235.2864 1.800.809.0315

Lake Breeze Golf Building business & relationships go hand in hand.

Call today & schedule your outing!

www.heavycritters.com

920-582-7585 6333 Ball Prairie Rd.

T H E U LT I M AT E S TAT E M E N T

Plan Ahead!

Winneconne

Irish Fest June 3- 5 Country USA June 21- 25 Sawdust Days June 30- July 4 Brews ‘n Blues July 9 Waterfest June-August (Thursdays)

Book the for your next summer event Community & non profit events • Private Parties & Weddings Corporate Events and Picnics For profit Concerts and Shows

VisitOshkosh.com Oshkosh Convention & Visitors Bureau

920-236-5080 office www.leachamphitheater.com NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 39

WHO’S NEWS Incorporations New North B2B includes a monthly list of new business incorporations filed with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.

Brown County Tommy’s Hardwood Floors LLC, Huy Duy Nguyen, 2487 Altair St., Bellevue 54311.

McHugh Events LLC, Frank Hickey, 125 S. Braodway, De Pere 54115.

Country View Dairy of Wisconsin LLC, Jeffrey S. Mencheski, 5848 County Road W, De Pere 54115.

Packerland Adhesives LLC, Holly S. Hintz, 1837 Eisenhower Road, De Pere 54115.

Dairyland’s Best Delivery Service LLC, Chad Collar, 1258 Scheuring Road, Apt. 15, De Pere 54115.

Energy Conservation Systems & Innovations LLC, Bruce W. Tielens, 1625 S. Broadway, De Pere 54115.

New China Kitchen LLC, Jintang Yu, 598 Redbird Circle, De Pere 54115.

Black Eagle Construction LLC, Alan W. King, W1559 Town Road, De Pere 54115.

Affordable Concrete Lifting LLC, Kent J. Meyer, 3174 Manitowoc Road, Green Bay 54311.

Robak’s Tile and Handyman Service LLC, Jason Robak, 2460 Robin Lane, Green Bay 54303.

Go 2 Flat Rate Realty LLC, Roy Hanson, 1530 Temple More Lane, Green Bay 54313.

Casimir Creations LLC, Thomas Kowalski, 2934 Baylite Dr., Green Bay 54313.

Lepak’s Avenue Garage LLC, Cletus M. Lepak, 2454 Forest Meadows Ct., Green Bay 54313.

Hyperactive Cleaning Technologies LLC, Aaron Michael Brown, 3713 Shawano Ave., Green Bay 54313.

The Traveling Tutors LLC, Kerstina E. Wirtz, 3908 Tall Pine Ct., Green Bay 54313.

N.E.W. Gift Store LLC, Brian Bowser, 850 Nicolet Ave., Green Bay 54304.

S.R.G. Plastering LLC, Seth Ra’shadd Gregoire, 3869 Silver Bow Dr., Green Bay 54313.

Carnitas El Bajio LLC, Juan Mosqueda Zendejas, 1119 Suydan St., Green Bay 54301.

Coaches Corner Village Green LLC, 40 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

Patrick James Olejniczak, 314 Bryan St., Green Bay 54301.

Cortes Auto Repair LLC, Jose Luis Cortes, 740 VanderBraak, Green Bay 54302.

Simply Ballroom LLC, Michael John Witte, 812 East Briar Lane, Green Bay 54301.

Unified South Broadway Neighborhood Association Inc., Tim Schultz, 1219 S. Chestnut Ave., Green Bay 54304.

Custom Machinery Automation LLC, Polly Jo Worthington, 1820 Industrial Dr., Green Bay 54302.

M & M Millwork LLC, Michael J. Meyer, 2937 Nikki Lee Ct., Green Bay 54313.

Sweet Frosting Cupcake Shop LLC, Danielle Goetsch, 2144 Town Hall Road, Green Bay 54311.

Desired Look Beauty Supply LLC, Herman Keith Rogers, 557 Rothe, Green Bay 54302.

John T. Warren, MD, LLC, John T. Warren, M.D., 1685 MacArthur St., Green Bay 54301.

Encap Real Innovations LLC, Daniel P. Madigan, 3913 Algoma Road, Green Bay 54311.

Flow Films Corp., Catalina Taboada, 2701 Larsen Road, Green Bay 54303.

The Battery Medic LLC, Joseph Malcolm Guldan, 1263 Alice Dr., Green Bay 54304.

Great Lakes Radon Testing and Mitigation LLC, Jason T. Trimberger, Sr., 2055 Westline Road, Green Bay 54313.

J&D Gerczak Liquor and Catering LLC, John Gerczak, 2712 Danbar Dr., Green Bay 54313.

Moments Photography by Kristy LLC, Kristin Buhler, 2397 Sycamore Dr., Apt. 23, Green Bay 54311.

JNJ Repo LLC, James Walter Maher, III, 807 William Charles Court, Green Bay 54304.

Hilltop BP LLC, Sharon M. Ness, N7284 County Road U, Oneida 54155.

J Cuts Lawn Service LLC, Jonathan J. John, N7101 Path of the Bear, Oneida 54155.

S&J Painting and Construction LLC, Steven Michael Nelsen, 2927 Van Hoof Road, Suamico 54313.

Z Fencing Decking & Railing Inc., Jason A. Zuelke, 3143 Maple Grove, Suamico 54173.

Fond du Lac County Marketing & Travel Service Inc., Susan J. Little, 242 S. Woodward St., Brandon 53919.

KT Hoof Care LLC, Kevin Tighe, N11033 Center Dr., Brownsville 53006.

Jim’s Forge & Woodworks LLC, James M. Stoffel, W2430 Century Dr., Campbellsport 53010.

Timber Hill Farms LLC, Seth Allen Gade, N3048 Creekview Road, Campbellsport 53010.

Assured Roofing Plus LLC, Michael John Nee, N3177 State Road 67, Campbellsport 53010.

Mr. Machine LLC, Daniel L. Kindschuh, N6728 Giebel Road, Eldorado 54932.

Apex Promotions Inc., Andrew Armit, 222 Oak St., Fond du Lac 54935.

Top Brass Mechanical LLC, Victor A. Scarpita, 917 Mequon Ave., Fond du Lac 54935.

Batterman Farms LLC, Ruth Batterman, W5590 County Road B, Fond du Lac 54937.

Gilbert Paint Company LLC, Daniel L. Gilbert, 1186 Martin Ave., Fond du Lac 54935.

Axemout Stump Grinding and Garden Tilling LLC, John Francis Zeleske, W6262 Willowlawn Road, Fond du Lac 54937.

Ransom Delivery LLC, Michael J. Ransom, W5056 Paradise Lane, Fond du Lac 54937.

Law Office of Attorney Curtis P. Julka LLC, Curtis Paul Julka, Esq., W3775 Evergreen Ct., Malone 53049.

BJL Trucking LLC, Brett M. Laning, W7113 Briar Ct., Oakfield 53065.

DJ’s Personal Touch Property Care LLC, Richard Jahns, 39 Sunset Ave., Ripon 54971.

O’Brien & Felten Harvesting LLC, Ronald J. Felten, N5200 Hackbarth Road, St. Cloud 53079.

St. Bernard Animal Medical Center LLC, Kimberly Helen Everson, DVM, N8545 Ridge Road, Van Dyne 54979.

Outagamie County SK Roofing & Siding LLC, Shannon Kain, 2935 N. Lynndale Dr., Appleton 54914.

Mr. Taco LLC, Luis A. Morales, 2450 Honey Lou Ct., #102, Appleton 54915.

Central Appleton Storage LLC, Thomas F. Murphy, 1212 E. Opechee St., Appleton 54911.

Specialty Care Products LLC, Maude

www.newnorthb2b.com

WHO’S NEWS M. Gasman, 725 E. Grant St., Appleton 54911.

Built To Last Construction LLC, Timothy James Nelson, Jr., 914 N. Durkee St., Appleton 54911.

General Electronix LLC, Peter Neienge Thao, 2245 S. Oneida St., Ste. 2, Appleton 54915.

GPS Asset Track Inc., Cindy Seidl, 700 Randolph Dr., Appleton 54913.

Laurin Bellg, MD S.C., Laurin Bellg, 8 Brokaw Place, Appleton 54911.

The Perfect Cut Inc., Camren Zemlock, 988 W. Polaris Ct., Appleton 54913.

AA Credit Repair LLC, Kelley Dewitt, 1711 W. College Ave., Ste. 103, Appleton 54914.

Rosol Photography LLC, Robert Earl Campbell, 2409 Meade St., Appleton 54911.

Walter Avenue Mercantile LLC, Lynne Goeldner, 323 E. Songbird Lane, Appleton 54913.

Valley Oasis Landscape Design LLC, James Matthew Buchs, 237 E. Taft Ave., Appleton 54915.

Restoration Services of America Inc., Eric David Barthelmy, 536 N. Richmond St., Appleton 54911.

K&R Small Animal Sanctuary Inc., Kristin Ahrens, 1611 N. Ullman St., Appleton 54911.

Pine Tree Storage LLC, Linda L. Meyer, 4831 Fuji Dr., Appleton 54913.

Emerald Ridge Assisted Living LLC, Katherine R. Tegen, W3124 Van Roy Road, Appleton 54915.

El Jaripeo LLC, Antonio Sandoval, 3825 E. Calumet St., Appleton 54915.

Ladybugs LLC, Rose Banks, 508 N. Morrison St., Appleton 54911.

Fox Valley Gracie Jiu-Jitsu LLC, Steven Anthony Graves, 1014 N. Superior St., Appleton 54911.

Chester’s Pub LLC, Chester Krawze, 3012 N. Oneida St., Appleton 54911.

Hmong TV LLC, Kor Xiong, 337 W. Wisconsin Ave., Appleton 54911.

All Things Jerky LLC, Jessica Ellenbecker, 1518 W. Spencer St., Appleton 54914.

Soteria Wellness LLC, Dawn S. Olsen, 809 S. Ridge Lane, Appleton 54914.

Grand Chute Mini Storage LLC, Timothy Edward Rausch, 1606 W. Haskel St., Unit A, Appleton 54914.

GNC Logistics Inc., Terry Abraham, 395 Stroebe Road, Appleton 54914.

Technology Consulting Corp., Thomas Burke, 903 W. Spring St., Appleton 54914.

Pixel Dust Communications LLC, Lisa Hubert, 209 Wallace St., Combined Locks 54113.

Bright Spot Web Design LLC, Kelly Thebo, W6569 Rickey Lane, Greenville 54942.

Hoffman Custom Carpentry LLC, Paul Stanley Hoffman, W6815 Appletree Court, Greenville 54942.

Weld-Motion Inc., William Robert Hrncirik, N1091 Midway Road, Hortonville 54944.

Walker Construction Services LLC, Lisa Rose LancourPeterson, W8524 Hillview Road, Hortonville 54944.

JRS Lock N Key LLC, Bonnie Sue LaFave, W9332 Garvey Road, Hortonville 54944.

We’re in the Business of Making You Better

The goal – each and every day at Agnesian HealthCare’s IntegtNet – is to provide comprehensive services designed to enhance employees’ quality of life through a safer work environment; enhanced personal health maintenance; and effective injury management.

• Work Injury & Case Management • Drug & Alcohol Abuse Testing • Pre-Employment Physicals • Executive Physicals • Wellness Programs & Screenings • Employee Assistance Program • Post-Offer/Pre-Employment Testing • Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) • Fit-For-Duty Evaluations • Work Hardening • Injury Prevention Programs • On-Site Services: Flu Shots, Immunizations, Biometrics, Health Risk Assessments

The Integrated Network of Health Services for Business Fond du Lac & Waupun • agnesian.com For more information, contact Ann Schneider at (920) 926-4893 or schneiderann@agnesian.com.

NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 41

WHO’S NEWS 1 Hour Dry Time LLC, Andy Joseph Kramer, Sr., 601 W. 9th St., Kaukauna 54130.

MS Farming LLC, James Ostrom, N3603 Vanden Bosch Road, Kaukauna 54130.

Ahhh Massage LLC, Jessica Strike, 205 E. 9th St., Kaukauna 54130.

ES Donation Solutions LLC, Austin Lee Baker, 801 Blackwell St., Kaukauna 54130.

Rachel Roche’s Farm LLC, Jeffrey A. Roche, W2844 Center Valley Road, Kaukauna 54130.

D & E Van Groll Farms LLC, David Van Groll, 317 E. 16th St., Kaukauna 54130.

Timbers Bar & Grill LLC, Jean M. Heim, 529 W. 10th St., Kaukauna 54130.

Fox Valley Foods LLC, Adam Dennis Steinmann, 3610 Electric City Blvd., Kaukauna 54130.

When Seconds Count Fire & Rescue LLC, Gene Russell Prellwitz, 700 Brill Road, Kaukauna 54130.

Skunk Hill Bar LLC, Kurt Murphy, N4102 County Road C, Kaukauna 54130.

R.P.M. Graphics LLC, Stephen Robert Berg, 1003 Skyview Ave., Little Chute 54140.

Dentsmart of Little Chute LLC, Andrew Laux, 725 E. Main St., Little Chute 54140.

Winnebago County Badgerland Restoration & Remodeling of Wisconsin Corp., Jason David Engelke, 515 Schindler Place, #10, Menasha 54952.

D. S. Food Mart Inc., Harinder Singh, 1427 Stadler Ct., Menasha 54952.

Valley Home Inspections LLC, Robert Lawrence Docter, 1117 Kernan Ave., Menasha 54952.

AE Jewelers of Appleton LLC, Richard L. Meyer, 971 S. Green Bay Road, Neenah 54956.

J & J Machine LLC, Joseph Peter Valima, 1267 Green Acre Lane, Neenah 54956.

Fox Cities Lawn Service LLC, Tom Janikowski, 6464 Paynes Point Road, Neenah 54956.

Value Auto LLC, Dilip K. Tannan, 555 S. Washburn St., Oshkosh 54904.

Hartmen Webmaster LLC, Edward A. Eberhart, II, 219 Sullivan St., Oshkosh 54902.

Creature Comfort Clinic LLC, Christina M. Lehner, DVM, 1028 Grove St., Oshkosh 54901.

Day by Day Warming Shelter Inc., David Hayford, 449 High Ave., Oshkosh 54901.

Martell Heating & Cooling LLC, Matthew Louis Martell, 1635 Chatham Dr., Oshkosh 54904.

Asana Mindfully Yoga Studio LLC, Melissa Rosenquist, 404 N. Main St., Ste. 605, Oshkosh 54901.

Lakeside Grill LLC, Eugene L. Treichel, 1530 Valley Road, Oshkosh 54904.

Rolling Meadows Hospitality LLC, Timothy Burns, 1500 Arboretum Dr., Oshkosh 54901.

E-Tech Technical Solutions LLC, Erik Folske, 4285 Ripple Ave., Oshkosh 54904.

Night Move Aviation LLC, George Gendron, 6902 Wentzel Shore Road, Winneconne 54986.

42 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

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WHO’S NEWS Building Permits B2B includes a monthly list of building permits (not to include residential projects) in excess of $400,000.

Auto Zone, 1168 W. Mason St., Green Bay. $450,000 for a 5,653-sq. ft. addition to the existing automotive retail store.

General contractor is Draven Payant Construction Company.

March 11.

Cobblestone Inn, 1515 Planeview Dr., Oshkosh. $900,000 for a two-story, 31-room hotel. General contractor is Brimark Builders LLC. March 13.

CVS Pharmacy, 901 S. Green Bay Road, Neenah. $900,000 for a 13,225-sq. ft. new retail store. General contractor is Fred J. Piette Co. of Appleton. March 14.

Kohls Department Store/ Northland Mall, 800 W. Northland Ave., Appleton. $950,000 for an interior remodel of the existing retail store. General contractor is Thomas-Grace Inc. of Minnesota. March 16.

Family Dollar, 1960 University Ave., Green Bay. $712,916 for an addition to the existing structure for a new retail store.

General contractor is Smet Construction Corp. of De Pere.

March 17.

Rabideau Auto Mart, 1461 W. Mason St., Green Bay. $650,000 for a new automotive retail building. General contractor is Bayland Buildings Inc. March 16.

Theda Clark Memorial Hospital, 130 Second St., Neenah. $1,262,089 to renovate the first floor radiology and center elevator area of the existing hospital. General contractor is Boldt Construction Co. of Appleton. March 29.

New businesses Discovery Clothing Company opened at 4651 Michaels Dr. in Appleton. Information about the store is available by calling 920.733.9500 or online at www.DiscoveryClothing.com.

The Orchid Bug was opened by Denise Kirchmayer at 233

N. Broadway in Green Bay. Bespoke Solutions, LLC was opened by James Oliver, Jr. in the Fox Cities to help start-ups and existing companies develop credible business plans for equity investments, loans and expansions. Oliver’s resume includes work in public accounting and auditing with Deloitte & Touche, financial services with Prudential, and he founded and served as CEO of a small business. Bespoke Solutions can be reached by emailing james@ bespokesolutionsllc.com.

Commando Paintball Sports of Suamico opened a new laser tag game facility, Commando Laser Tag, at 2600 S. Ashland Ave. in Ashwaubenon. The facility features a 14,000-sq. ft. arena with artificial turf and more than 30 inflatable bunkers. More information about the facility is available by calling 920.826.5554.

New locations Chic to Chic, LLC opened its third womens consignment boutique at 417 N. Main St. in Oshkosh. Chic to Chic operates two established stores in Appleton. The Oshkosh store serves as Chic to Chic’s outlet, retailing all of the inventory that didn’t sell at the two Appleton stores. Prices at the Oshkosh outlet are half off.

Mergers/acquisitions Belson Company in Green Bay acquired OPL Services Company of Green Bay, adding the Continental Girbau brand of coin-operated and commercial laundry equipment to its professional laundry division. OPL founder and owner Fritz Baenen will remain on board with Belson.

Business honors Awards and honors earned by individuals are listed separately in the Who’s News section of the New North B2B. Leibold of Neenah received four gold and three silver Addy Awards from the Fox River Ad Club during its recent 2011 awards program. Most of the awards were for work Leibold did for Kimberly-Clark Corp. products Kleenex, Huggies and Cottonelle.

NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 43

WHO’S NEWS Menasha Packaging’s Folding Carton Group received the Chairman’s Safety Award from the Paperboard Packaging Council for boasting the most consecutive production hours worked – more than 477,000 – without an Occupational Safety & Health Administration recordable incident.

previously worked for Independent Printing and Blue Dog Digital in De Pere as regional sales marketing manager.

Short Elliott Hendrickson in Appleton hired John Katers as an environmental engineer to work with municipal, agricultural and industrial clients on waste management and energy challenges. Katers co-chairs the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s Environmental Management and Business Institute, as well as assists in developing new products made from waste materials at Encap, Inc. in Green Bay. He has conducted extensive research, published numerous papers and consulted with a variety of clients on anaerobic digestion of dairy manure and development of markets for recycled products and materials.

Directions in Neenah received a silver Addy Award from the Fox River Ad Club in the advertising industry self-promo category.

McMahon Group in Neenah received the Outstanding Highway Construction Award for Excellence in Concrete Paving from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation-Northeast Region for its work as the project manager for the reconstruction of U.S. Highway 45/Main Street in downtown Oshkosh during 2010.

Elmstar Electric Corp. in Kaukuana hired Bryan LeClaire as a TEGG maintenance sales representative. LeClaire has six years sales experience within the financial and technology industries to the position. LeClaire will be responsible for developing new relationships with business owners and building managers.

Spark Advertising in Neenah received four silver Addy Awards from the Fox River Ad Club for work conducted for Menasha Packaging, Barbicide and for the American Advertising Federation District 8.

Unity in Green Bay hired Barb Voigtman as a clinical nurse specialist with a pediatric emphasis. Voigtman most recently worked as a pediatric palliative clinical nurse specialist with St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay since 2004, and prior to that, served as a pediatric hematology/oncology clinical nurse specialist with St. Vincent, a pediatric clinical nurse specialist with Bellin Health System in Green Bay and as a pediatric nursing instructor at Bellin College of Nursing in Green Bay.

BrownBoots Interactive Inc. in Fond du Lac received two silver Addy Awards from the Fox River Ad Club for work conducted for Manning Lighting Inc. and Mercury Marine.

New hires Advance in Green Bay hired Marianne Dickson as the director of the recently established Brown County Microloan Program. Dickson has more than 20 years in banking, having assisted in establishing the corporate lending division at TCF National Bank in the Milwaukee area and worked as an independent contractor for the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp., a statewide microlender.

Stellar Blue Web Design LLC in Neenah hired Ben Benesh as a Web/mobile developer.

The Commonwealth Companies in Fond du Lac hired Richy Goeden as vice president of landscape and maintenance.

Goeden has more than 20 years experience in the landscape industry, having most recently served as a project supervisor and landscape designer for a landscaping company in the area.

Directions in Neenah hired David Jensen as director of strategic development. Jensen has 13 years experience in executive management, national sales and marketing, having

Dickson

Jensen

Katers

LeClaire

Goeden

Larson

Rasmus

Hable

Wojcik

Schmudlach

44 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

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WHO’S NEWS Skyline Technologies, Inc. in Green Bay and Appleton hired Kara Larson as a technical recruiter. She worked the past 10 years as a technical recruiter for various organizations in the Madison area.

Evergreen Therapy Services in Oshkosh hired Kyle Rasmus as a physical therapist assistant and Susan Hable as an occupational therapist. Rasmus has worked in a physical therapy facility as an aide since 1996 and then as a physical assistant since 2000. Hable has been practicing occupational therapy for 19 years.

The Karma Group in Green Bay hired Brittany Wojcik to its account services department. Wojcik has five years experience, most recently serving as an account/media coordinator at an advertising agency in Milwaukee.

Fond du Lac-based Fox Valley Savings Bank hired Steven R. Schmudlach as senior vice president and chief credit officer.

Schmudlach has more than 30 years of business banking and senior management experience, most recently serving 10 years with M&I Bank as community bank president and senior lender for its Oshkosh, Fond du Lac and Ripon banking locations.

Hermes Law, Ltd. in Green Bay hired Jennifer Hickey as its director of marketing. Hickey has more than 15 years of marketing experience including in-store marketing campaign development, branding and product development.

Promotions Oshkosh Marine Supply Company promoted Matthew Schertz to sales manager.

Elmstar Electric Corp. in Kaukauna promoted Ron Fosick to general manager of its TEGG service division. Fosick has been with Elmstar for 15 years and will continue to hold his business process management position with the company.

Stellar Blue Web Design LLC in Neenah promoted Amanda Betts to marketing director. Betts began with Stellar Blue as its social media strategist and was eventually made the agency’s assistant marketing director. Her responsibilities include keyword research, developing complete Internet marketing strategies, writing Web site content, and handling project leads.

Unity in Green Bay promoted Kristen Moen to nurse practitioner with an adult emphasis. Moen joined Unity’s staff in 2004, having most recently served as assistant director of pa-

Hickey

Fosick

Colbert

tient services. She also helped coordinate Unity’s interdisciplinary care teams in its three-county service region.

Citizens Bank appointed Wayne Colbert as branch manager for Citizens Bank-Appleton East. He previously served as branch manager for Citizens Bank-Allouez. Colbert has more than 10 years experience in the banking industry.

Evergreen Retirement Community in Oshkosh promoted Jennifer Bolen to staff nurse in Creekview North. Bolen has worked at Evergreen as a certified nursing assistant since 2007.

The University of Wisconsin-Fond du Lac promoted Maggie May to associate dean. May has been an assistant professor of mathematics at UW-Fond du Lac since 2007. In her new role, May will lead curriculum development efforts and work with other administrators on enrollment management and new program development.

Individual honors Randy Dummer, partner with Baker Tilly Virchow Krause LLP, was awarded the Outstanding Discussion Leader Award by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for 2010. Dummer is one of 14 recipients of this award, who were selected from nearly 240 speakers from leading AI-CPA seminars nationwide. This is Dummer’s third consecutive year receiving this award.

The Oshkosh Area Community Foundation presented the Community Volunteer of the Year Award to Mike Dempsey, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Bank First National.

Bob Westphal, senior vice president of construction operations for Michels Corp. in Brownsville, was named 2011 Trenchless Technology Person of the Year by the North American Society for Trenchless Technology. Westphal serves as vice chairman on the NASTT board of directors and previously served as president of the Pipe Line Contractors Association board of directors.

Certifications Beth Ehlers, co-owner of E&S Entrepreneur Advisors LLC in Appleton, earned the Certified Management Accountant designation from the Institute of Certified Management Accountants. The CMA designation indicates a level of aptitude was achieved in strategy, management accounting, corporate

Bolen

May

Dummer

NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 45

BUSINESS CALENDAR finance, operations management, internal control, financial accounting, statistics, economics and ethics.

cost to attend for chamber members. For more information or to register, call 920.303.2265.

Business calendar

May 11 Global Trade Outlook & Briefing 2011, a presentation from the Northeast Wisconsin International Business Development Program, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Bridgewood Hotel & Conference Center, 1000 Cameron Way in Neenah. Learn about export assistance and opportunities for your business in Brazil, Canada, China and Mexico. Cost to attend is $20.

To register, contact Fred Monique at 920.496.2118 or email monique@titletown.org.

New North B2B encourages businesses and organizations looking to attract interested persons to upcoming events to send an announcement to: New North B2B, Attn: Who’s News, P.O. Box 559, Oshkosh, WI 54903.

For more events, log on to www.thenewnorthevents.com.

May 4 Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce Coffee Connection, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at the Fond du Lac County Historical Society, 336 Old Pioneer Road in Fond du Lac. Cost to attend is $2. For more information or to register, call 920.921.9500 or go online to www.fdlac.com.

May 5 “Record Retention,” a presentation through the Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Over Breakfast series, 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the chamber office, 101 E. Wisconsin Ave. in Kaukauna. Speaker is Mary Schils of Schenck Business Solutions. Register by calling 920.766.1616 or go online to www. heartofthevalleychamber.com.

May 10 Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce Sales Club, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at the chamber building, 120 Jackson St. in Oshkosh. No

May 12 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. Program will be “Female Veterans of Foreign Wars.” For more information or to register, go online to www.wimiwi.org or contact Nicole at braytonbb@ntd.net or 920.267.0300.

May 13 Soaring Through Spring with Sonex Aircraft, an event from Propel, the young professionals organization in Oshkosh, 7:15 to 8:45 a.m. at Sonex Aircraft, located on Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. Tour of a light aircraft company and networking. For more information or to register, go online to www. propeloshkosh.com or contact Nicole at 920.203.0220.

Better Business Bureau - New Members Businesses accredited through the Northeast Wisconsin office during March 2011

3W Design Inc., Sister Bay Accupro Business Solutions LLC, Fond du Lac AJ’s Mobile Marine Inc., Greenville Appleton Asphalt Inc., Appleton Chuck’s Power Vac, LLC., Oostburg CK Automotive LLC, Kaukauna Curb Appeal LLC, Greenville Damrow Construction Company Inc., Sheboygan Dean’s Electric LLC, Sheboygan Dentsmart of Appleton Inc., Neenah Dock Systems Inc., Appleton Expert Floor Care LLC, Suamico Farmers Insurance, Appleton Gensler Construction LLC, Oshkosh Green Clean of Wisconsin LLC, Sheboygan Innovative Homes & Design, Green Bay JW Weyers Construction LLC, Seymour Landscape Associates, DePere Lindow Contracting LLC, Florence Quality Aire Inc., Manitowoc Spatial System Designs LLC, Green Bay Tommy’s Hardwood Floors LLC, Green Bay US Contracting LLC, Green Bay Wisconsin Auto & Truck Repair, Appleton

46 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

www.newnorthb2b.com

BUSINESS CALENDAR May 17 Manufacturing Matters! Conference, presented by Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Frontier Airlines Center, 400 W. Wisconsin Ave. in Milwaukee.

Includes address from Gov. Scott Walker, keynote presentations from David DeLong and Susan Schmitt, and 18 breakout sessions throughout the day. Cost to attend is $345 for manufacturers and $469 for non-manufacturers. For more information or to register, go online to www.manufacturingmatters.org or call 877.856.8588.

May 17 Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce Business Connection, 5 to 7 p.m. at Rolling Meadows Golf Course / JR’s On the Green Bar & Grill, 560 W. Rolling Meadows Dr. in Fond du Lac. Cost is $2 if pre-registered or $5 at the door. For more information or to register, call 920.921.9500 or go online to www.fdlac.com.

June 1 Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce Coffee Connection, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at Charter Business in Fond du Lac. Cost to attend is $2. For more information or to register, call 920.921.9500 or go online to www.fdlac.com.

June 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 or to register, call 920.303.2265.

Advertiser’s Index Agnesian Healthcare www.agnesian.com....................................... 41 Anthem www.anthem.com............................................................ 25 Aurora Health Care www.aurorahealthcare.org. ................................. 37 Aspen Coffee & Tea www.aspencoffee-tea.com. ................................ 36 Bank First National www.bankfirstnational.com.................................. 16 Capital Credit Union www.capitalcu.com........................................ 31 Care Plus Dental Plans www.careplusdentalplans.com.......................... 9 CitizensFirst Credit Union www.citizensfirst.com . ............................ 28 Davis & Kuelthau, s.c. www.dkattorneys.com..................................... 5 Encore Event Planning www.planonencore.com................................ 39 Epiphany Law www.epiphanylaw.com. ............................................ 52 Fast Signs www.fastsigns.com....................................................... 46 First Business Bank www.firstbusiness.com. .................................... 34 Guident Business Solutions www.guidentbusinesssolutions.com............ 10 Heavy Critters www.heavycritters.com............................................. 39 Heidel House Resort & Spa www.heidelhouse.com........................... 50 Horicon Bank www.horiconbank.com. ............................................. 47 Independence Financial, LLC www.IndependenceFinancialLLC.com. ....... 36 Integrated Community Solutions www.ics-gb.org........................... 16 J. J. Keller & Associates www.jjkeller.com..................................... 29 Keller Inc. www.kellerbuilds.com ................................................... 14

Lake Breeze Golf Club www.lakebreezegolfclub.com........................... 39 Leach Amphitheater www.leachamphitheater.com.............................. 39 McClone Insurance Group www.mcclone.com................................... 7 National Exchange Bank & Trust www.nebwi.com............................. 2 Network Health Plan www.networkhealth.com . ................................ 51 NEW Building & Construction Trades Council www.newbt.org.......... 22 Oshkosh Convention & Visitors Bureau www.visitoshkosh.com/events.html.. 39 Oshkosh YMCA www.oshkoshymca.org.. ......................................... 29 Outagamie County Regional Airport www.atwairport.com. .... 13, 15, 17 Sadoff & Rudoy Industries www.sadoff.com................................... 12 Skyline Technologies, Inc. www.skylinetechnologies.com. ..................... 7 Stellar Blue Web Design www.stellarblue.net................................... 43 Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. www.stifel.com . ......................................... 49 TEC www.tecmidwest.com. ............................................................ 24 TEC - Fond du Lac/Oshkosh www.tecmidwest.com........................... 49 Tee’d Off at MS www.davesteedoffatms.org. ...................................... 42 WEA Trust www.weatrust.com. ...................................................... 37 WELCOA - Wisconsin www.wellnesscouncilwi.org.............................. 35 WI Dept. of Transportation www.dot.state.wi.us................................. 8 Winnebago County Solid Waste Mgmt. www.co.winnebago.wi.us/solid-waste/container-rental-program. ..................... 42 NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 47

ELECTIONS

April 5 general election results County Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach 32,143, Andy Nicholson 22,800 Outagamie County Executive Thomas Nelson 21,974, Jack Voight 20,028 Winnebago County Judge – Branch 6 Daniel J. Bissett 19,166, Edmund J. Jelinski 14,675

City Councils Appleton Common Council District 1 - Chuck Schmidt 215, Cindy Farrell Hoffman121 District 11 - Teege Mettille 588, Earl Brooker 394 De Pere Common Council District 1 - Larry Lueck 825, Paul Kegel 611 Fond du Lac Common Council (three seats available) Richard D. Gudex 5478, Mick Burroughs 5056, Rebecca Lunde-Ross 3718 and John J. Piper III 3518 Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt 13,916, Pat Evans 9038 Kaukauna Common Council District 1 - Lin Collins 369, Tim Couillard 297 District 4 - Tony Penterman 618, Jerry Hennes 201 Menasha Common Council District 1 - Chris Klein 228, Joanne Roush 219 District 3 - Stanley P. Sevenich 198, Katherine L. Bauer 178 District 5 - Steve Krueger 212, Eric R. Hendricks 158

Waupun Common Council District 1 - Julie Nickel 339, April Cox 131

Villages Allouez Board of Trustees (three seats available) Lynn Green 2669, Paul Zeller 2450, Ray Kopish 2250, Bobbie Fredericks 1482 Ashwaubenon Board of Trustees Wards 3-4 - Gary Paul 300, Scott Swain 236 Denmark Village President Roger Stein 268, Laurel Towns 254 Denmark Board of Trustees (three seats available) Dan Dvorak 353, Helen Mleziva 329, Steve Geise 344, James Bomski 237 Hobart Board of Trustees (two seats available) Dave Dillenburg 1219, Donna Severson 1156, Robert E. Van de Hey 688 Little Chute Village President Mike Vanden Berg 1511, Charles Fischer 871 Little Chute Board of Trustees (three seats available) Bill Peerenboom1193, Dale Smith 1063, Bob Berken1024, Brian Joosten 985, John Elrick 973, Don Van Deurzen 823 North Fond du Lac Board of Trustees (two seats available) Michael Streetar 608, Michael Will 700, and Jim Scharf 457 Pulaski Village President Ronald Kryger 433, Keith Chambers 400

Neenah Common Council District 1 - Cari Lendrum 736, Jim Hemes 667

Pulaski Board of Trustees (three seats available) Reed Woodward 444, Edward Krause 408, Gerald Wojkiewicz 358, Jim Resick 345, Francis Karchinski 335

Oshkosh Mayor Burk Tower 6644, Tony Palmeri 6063

Suamico Village President Patricia Gaura-Jelen 2055, Elizabeth Sheedy 1230

Oshkosh Common Council (three seats available) Bob Poeschl 6830, Deb Allison-Aasby 6227, Tom Pech Jr. 5483, Jef Hall 5469, Ron Hardy 4562

Suamico Board of Trustees (three seats available) Jerry Vandersteen 1197, Tom Lund 1665, Mary Steffen 1313, Michelle Eckert 1260

Seymour Common Council Wards 1-2 - Darlene Werner 181, Jeffrey Crooks 148 Wards 5-6 - Vernon Court 118, Jeff Schroeder 101

48 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

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ELECTIONS School Boards Appleton Board of Education (three seats available) Sharon Fenlon 10,159, Diane Barkmeier 9418, John Gosling 8746, Spencer Rotzel 6182

An International Organization of CEOs

A new TEC group coming to Fond du Lac/ Oshkosh area!

De Pere Board of Education (two seats available) Robert Mathews 3310, Jonathon Paque 2743, and Sayuri Pearson Longnecker 1412 Fond du Lac Board of Education (three seats available) Mark Strand 6172, Julie Nett 5756, Mark Jurgella 5318, Laurie Obrecht 4864, Scott Matthew 3516 Freedom Board of Education (two seats available) Gary Schumacher 1342, Allan Tiedt 1039, Tom Olson 893 Kimberly Board of Education (two seats available) Montgomery Elmer 1742, Ammie Ebben 1651, Dan Lenz 1448 Menasha Board of Education (two seats available) Joyann Eggert 2075, Benjamin M. Adams 1863, Peter Dewolf 1537

Neenah Board of Education (three seats available) Scott Thompson 4732, Dan Westphal 4415, Peter M. Kaul 4262, Colleen Zuro-White 4131

Oshkosh Board of Education (two seats available) Allison Garner 9226, John Lemberger 8899, Derek Kloiber 6209, John Daggett 3200

Pulaski Board of Education Hobart/Oneida seat - Christine Vandenhouten 2757, Donsia Strong Hill 1230 Seymour Board of Education Zone 6 seat - Jill Karweick 1326, Chris Stedl 1065 Waupun Board of Education (two seats available) Jane Derksen-Chene 877, Anne Kraintz 706, Jim Van Buren 633 Winneconne Board of Education (two seats available) Patrick Seubert 1898, Rob Rebman 1894, Mark D. Kunde 1281 Wrightstown Board of Education (three seats available) Jeanne Wall 948, Dan Clarahan 745, Carolyn Green 738, Jenny Glodowski 546, Mark Berndt 517, Leslye Moraski Erickson 484

Attend the upcoming TEC Breakfast & Speaker Event featuring Bill Eisner on the topic of “Branding” DATE: Wednesday, May 18, 2011 TIME: 8:00 a.m. until Noon (Plated breakfast will be served) LOCATION: Holiday Inn - Fond du Lac 625 W. Rolling Meadows Drive Learn about the TEC concept and find out what TEC can do for your business and yourself. There is no cost or obligation to attend so reply today!

Reservations required by contacting Alfred Lazaga at 262.416.8547 or alazaga@earthlink.net.

Financial Strength.

Client Interests First.

Stocks • Bonds • Mutual Funds • IRAs • Money Market Funds Annuities • UITs • Managed Money • CDs • Retirement Plans Cash Management • Financial Planning

David F. Priest • Vice President / Investments, Branch Manager Ronald W. Schmude • Vice President / Investments

(920) 303-1686 1819 Witzel Avenue Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54902 Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated | Member SIPC and NYSE

NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011 l 49

KEY STATISTICS Per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline.

$3.85 April 10 $3.80 April 3 $3.70 March 27 $3.60 Apr. 17, 2010 $2.88 April 17

Source: New North B2B observations

March

549,000

7.2%

from February

13.4%

from March 2010 March

2.7%

March

$389.3 billion

0.4%

from February

7.1%

from March 2010 (2007 = 100)

March

93.6

0.8%

from February

5.9%

from March 2010 (Manufacturers and trade)

February

$1,458 billion

0.5%

from February

from January

from March 2010

from February 2010

9.7%

9.1%

February Jan. Feb. ‘10

Appleton Fond du Lac Green Bay Neenah Oshkosh Wisconsin

9.6% 9.2% 9.6% 9.1% 11.2% 11.0% 9.7% 9.4% 8.1% 7.6% 8.5% 8.2%

12.0% 12.5% 13.6% 12.2% 9.7% 10.3%

Prices for small businesses using less than 20,000 therms.

Listed price is per therm.

$0.933 March $0.912 April ‘10 $0.893 April

Source: Integrys Energy (Numbers above 50 mean expansion. Numbers below 50 mean contraction.)

March February

61.2 61.4

If there are indicators you’d like to see in this space, contact our office at 920.237.0254 or email info@newnorthb2b.com.

Return to productivity in a “green” lakeside setting.

Heidel House Resort & Spa has achieved a 4 Green Key Eco-Rating and has been a proud Travel Green Wisconsin member since July 2007. Our green initiatives include; recycling bins in meeting rooms, utilizing Energy Star equipment and donating barely used amenities.

Return to the place you’ve always wanted to be.

Heidel House Resort & Spa 643 Illinois Ave. • Green Lake, WI • www.heidelhouse.com • 920.294.3344 • info@heidelhouse.com

50 l NEW NORTH B2B l MAY 2011

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Network Health Plan members now have more options than ever, including access to Affinity Medical Group and ThedaCare Physicians.

For a complete list of providers, visit us at networkhealth.com.

Kathryn Blom Attorney at Law

Ryan Plisch Attorney at Law

Melissa DeVantier Attorney at Law

A Boutique Law Firm Business Law | Estate Planning | Litigation

You run your business… we’ll worry about the details.

920-996-0000

www.EpiphanyLaw.com 4211 N. Lightning Drive | Appleton, WI 54913

Kevin Eismann Attorney at Law

Valerie Revnew Attorney at Law

• Employment Law • Litigation, Arbitration and Mediation • Business Acquisitions and Sales • Debt and Equity Financing • Franchising • Asset Protection • Intellectual Property • Contracts • Real Estate • Construction Law • Succession Planning • Business/Entity Formation • Non-Profit Entity Formation • Estate Planning