CHAMBER
FEBRUARY 2013 Volume 14, Issue 2
FOX CITIES
we’ve avoided the “cliff,” now what do i need to know?
www.foxcitieschamber.com
save money and time with agile accounting solutions
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this issue
Volume 14, Issue 2 | FEBRUARY 2013
Fox Cities
EVERY ISSUE
Chamber of Commerce & Industry
3 President’s perspective Views from Chamber President/CEO Shannon Meyer Full
18 Accolades, Advancements, Announcements 21 New members
Chairman of the Board Greg Bell, Woodward Communications, Inc. Chairman-Elect Kip Golden, Miron Construction Co., Inc. Past Chairman Linda Kennedy, Business Lending Group, Inc. Secretary/Treasurer Bruce Zak, JPMorgan Chase, N.A.
We’ve Avoided the “Cliff,” Now What Do I Need to Know?; p 4
features
Kevin Eismann Epiphany Law, LLC
4 We’ve Avoided the “Cliff,” Now What Do I Need to Know?
Daniel P. Ferris SECURA Insurance Companies
6 Save Money and Time with Agile Accounting Solutions
Sharon Hulce Employment Resource Group, Inc.
Robyn Gruner AT&T
10 Sponsor Thank You
Dennis Jochman The Bechard Group
12 Pulse
Lyssa King Venus Jewel USA John Krause Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP Marty Lenss Outagamie County Regional Airport Vic Lutz McMahon
Save Money and Time with Agile Accounting Solutions; p 6
John Milanowski Innovative Machining, Inc.
Highlights 12 Economic Development 17 Business of the Month 20 Department Updates 25 Save the Date
Publisher: Shannon Meyer Full Editor: Melody Lane Buller Design: Coalesce, Inc. Printing: Northeast Wisconsin Printing Co. Advertising Sales: Susan Vanden Heuvel, 920-734-7101
Bill Mundy West Corporation Robert Pedersen Goodwill NCW Jen Wagner Mauk Affinity Health System Monica Vomastic Landmark Staffing Resources, Inc.
Fox Cities Chamber Business (v 259180). Published monthly by the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 125 N. Superior Street, Appleton, WI 54911. PH 920-734-7101. WEB www.foxcitieschamber.com. Periodical postage paid at Appleton, WI. Annual subscription fee to members for Fox Cities Chamber Business is $9 and is included in dues. Publisher: Shannon Meyer Full. Editor: Melody Lane Buller. Design: Coalesce Inc. Printing: Northeast Wisconsin Printing Co. Advertising Sales: Susan Vanden Heuvel, 920-734-7101. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Fox Cities Chamber Business, PO Box 1855, Appleton, WI 54912-1855.
president’s perspective Dear Members, Many of you are familiar with the famous quote, “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Well, perhaps this group didn’t change the world, but they made a significant difference for some of our members. On January 10th, we held the inaugural Cultivate – Business Growth Series that was attended by over 160 business professionals. It was hugely successful due to the hard work of a group of volunteers and dedicated Chamber team members. Thank you to all of you that gave of your time and talent to make this successful. Through outreach to our members, we have discovered that many of our members are looking for affordable yet beneficial personal/professional development opportunities for themselves and their team members. Based on that feedback, we developed a professional and business development growth series that came to be Cultivate. Cultivate kicked off with a dynamic keynote from internationally renowned speaker Seth Mattison, who challenged us to think about how we are working with the different generations within the workplace. He gave us tips that can be utilized by every business professional. Attendees then moved into a series of breakout sessions, conducted by our local experts on a variety of topics that were as diverse as the members attending them.
SHANNON MEYER FULL PRESIDENT/CEO
“A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
We are excited about the future opportunities to serve our membership through Cultivate as we plan on holding sessions twice a year. Please continue to look for opportunities to get engaged with the Chamber throughout the upcoming year. As always, I welcome your feedback on how we can better serve you, our members. Sincerely,
Shannon Meyer Full
Thanks to our Cultivate Sponsors:
Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
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featured story
We’ve avoided the “cliff,” now what do I need to know? On January 2, 2013, President Obama signed into law the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (the Act), providing a reprieve to fiscal cliff negotiations, but also leaving taxpayers questioning how the law affects them, as well as what decisions they should make now. To determine those answers, they need only to look at the income they are reporting on their annual tax return. Dan Ehr tax manager, Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP
While the Act extended many familiar individual and business credits and incentives—including the research tax credit (also applies to process/product improvements) and the section 179 and bonus depreciation deductions (expensing fixed asset purchases in the year purchased) — it did not extend the two percent payroll tax holiday. This means the Social Security portion of employees’ and self-employed individuals’ payroll taxes will again be 6.2 percent, affecting taxpayers at all income levels. Also, the “Pease” limitation is reinstated to limit itemized deductions for married couples filing jointly (MFJ) who make more than $300,000 and single taxpayers who make more than $250,000. Taxpayers above these thresholds are subject to phaseouts of their itemized deductions and personal exemptions. Taxpayers making under $250,000 (MFJ)/ $200,000 (single) Income taxes generally will remain unchanged for MFJ who earned less than $250,000 or single filers who made under $200,000. Long-term capital gains and dividends will continue to be taxed at 15 percent. For now, key new taxes will not impact them.
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Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
Taxpayers making $250,000 to $450,000 (MFJ)/$200,000 to $400,000 (single) While the income tax rate schedule stays the same for MFJ taxpayers making $250,000 to $450,000 and single taxpayers making $200,000 to $400,000, you will see a 3.8 percent Medicare surcharge tax on your “net investment income.” Many taxpayers are already working with advisors to manage what income is subject to the surcharge. In addition, taxpayers in this range will be subject to limitations on their itemized deductions, as discussed above. Taxpayers making more than $450,000 (MFJ)/$400,000 (single) MFJ taxpayers making more than $450,000 and single filers making more than $400,000 will see their tax rate jump to 39.6 percent. They will also see their qualified dividends and long-term capital gains taxed at 20 percent. Their net investment income will be subject to the 3.8 percent Medicare surcharge tax, and they will be subject to itemized deduction and personal exemption phaseouts as discussed above. Business owners Business owners are often in higher brackets, when the business is held via a pass-through entity. These higher taxes could affect reinvesting earnings back into their business. However, there are still opportunities to mitigate some of these tax hikes on 2012 business returns. Business owners should carefully consider what depreciation elections they make on 2012 business returns and how they will affect them in the future. Now is the time to work with your tax advisor to develop strategies to minimize your taxes in this new environment.
Join Schenck for a business improvement workshop 2013 Real Estate & Construction Forum – February Designed for builders, developers, real estate investors, and professionals that support the industry, the Real Estate & Construction Forum will provide powerful strategies, both conventional and non-traditional, to maximize your profits and reduce taxes. 2013 Human Resources Forum: HR for the Small Employer – March If you’re an owner or office manager who wears multiple hats within your company, you won’t want to miss the Human Resources Forum. You’ll learn tools for good employee practices including common HR mistakes, recruiting, termination, and more. Power Formula for LinkedIn Success – April Not sure how to use LinkedIn to promote your business? Wayne Breitbarth, a nationally recognized speaker, will present on ways to use LinkedIn to your business’ advantage.
Visit schencksc.com/events for more information and to register. 200 E. Washington Street • Appleton • 800-236-2246 • schencksc.com © Schenck sc 2013 1.13
Let the images speak for themselves
www.craigaugustinephoto.com P. 920.810.2616
Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
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featured story
Save Money and Time
with Agile Accounting Solutions
Traditional financial programs are losing ground to agile and innovative challengers. They’re outmaneuvering the old ways of doing business by simplifying the process and focusing on niches. Here are several web-based solutions to help your business flex and grow.
Proposal / Quote Software Quoteroller, Bidsketch and TinderBox simplify making, sharing and tracking quotes and proposals.
Quoteroller lets you create branded template proposals and fill them with stats, pictures and videos. When you send a quote to a client, they can view it online or download a PDF version. If they view it online, Quoteroller tracks their time so you can see how closely they read each section. When they accept the quote, they’re asked to sign their name with their mouse, and it’s legally binding. It costs $15-$30 a month and integrates with Harvest, Highrise, FreshBooks, RightSignature, Xero, Basecamp, GoogleApps and others. Bidsketch lets users mix and match content, fees and designs to quickly turn around proposals. Create templates, add optional fees, add private client notes to proposals, get fast approval with an e-signature, brand your proposals, get notifications when a client viewed the proposal, quickly see any client changes and track how long they read the proposal. It costs $19-$99 a month and integrates with Harvest, Highrise, FreshBooks and RightSignature.
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Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
TinderBox offers many of Quoteroller’s features, but they focus on helping enterprise clients quickly generate trackable proposals consistent in content and branding to boost close rates. It integrates with Salesforce.com so when a sales rep fills out an event, it automatically adds pricing and product information to a proposal. It designates roles for collaborators so only certain people can edit, publish, etc. Pricing varies.
Mobile Payment Solutions
Square, PayPal Here and PayAnywhere brawl for retailers’ credit card transactions. Square’s unobtrusive square-inch reader dominates mobile payment solutions. The card reader is free, they accept major credit cards and they charge 2.75 percent per swipe with no additional fees with next day deposits. PayPal Here is cutting into Square’s business by charging 2.7 percent per swipe, taking checks in addition to major credit cards, offering 24-hour telephone support and same day deposits. The reader is free and it integrates with PayPal. PayAnywhere undercuts them both by aggressively pricing each swipe at 2.69 percent. Their reader is free, and they offer 24-hour telephone support and analytics. It costs $10 to sign up, but it’s reimbursed as credit after clearing $150 in sales.
Traditional financial programs are losing ground to agile and innovative challengers.
Online Accounting Software Xero, FreshBooks and LessAccounting are challenging QuickBooks’ dominance by simplifying accounting for freelancers, SMBs and large businesses.
Xero offers online accounting, bank reconciliation and invoicing. It automatically connects bank accounts and transactions and reconciles invoices in a click. You can highlight a specific line item, add a comment, and share it with employees, board members and accountants. Since it’s in the cloud, you can access it anywhere. It costs $19-$39 a month and integrates with ADP, PayPal, Vend, Highrise and others.
Since it’s cloud-based, it can also be used on tablets and smartphones. It tracks time, imports and categorizes expenses, and accepts payment via credit card, PayPal and 12 other payment gateways. It costs $0-$40 a month. LessAccounting offers online bookkeeping to freelancers and SMBs with fewer than 20 employees. It connects to bank accounts and credit cards, imports daily transactions, tracks expenses, edits and sends template proposals, sends invoices, and accepts payments via PayPal. It costs $30 a month and integrates with ZenCash, Highrise, Basecamp, PayPal and others.
FreshBooks targets SMBs with online accounting featuring automatic upgrades, live support, automatic backups and collaboration.
Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
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2013 Economic Outlook Breakfast Premier Sponsor:
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 7:30-9:00 a.m. (Registration opens at 7:00 a.m.) Radisson Paper Valley Hotel Downtown, Appleton
Jeff Howe is the author of Crowdsourcing
Registration: To register go online to the Chamber website: www.foxcitieschamber.com Or call 920.734.7101 Individual member $25.00 Prospective member $35.00 Table member Prospective table
$225.00 $325.00
Jeff Howe is a professor of journalism at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts and a former Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. He previously worked as a contributing editor at Wired Magazine, where he covered the media and entertainment industries. In June 2006 he published “The Rise of Crowdsourcing” inWired. He has written for Time, U.S. News & World Report, The Washington Post, Mother Jones and numerous other publications.
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Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
Cultivate Business Growth Series Steve Van Remortel, SM Advisors
Kurt Heikkinen, Montage Talent
Don Herrmann, Herrmann Advantage Consulting, LLC Seth Mattison, Keynote Speaker
Brad DePasse, Ark Media Group
Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
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sponsor thank you
We Can’t Do It Without You! The Fox Cities Chamber strives to create programs of value available to all our members at the lowest fees possible. To that end, we acknowledge and thank the many sponsors that enable us to keep providing the services, programs and training our members expect from us.
Meet Your Legislators Our annual Meet Your Legislators Business Connection was held on Monday, January 21, 2013. It was well attended by our members, along with our local, state and federal legislators and their representatives. The Chamber understands the importance of providing this opportunity for our members to interact with our elected officials. We thank SECURA Insurance Companies, The Boldt Company, Wisconsin Distributors Appleton LLC, Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group, Fox Communities Credit Union and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans for investing in this program.
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Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
out and about PULSE December Dinner
Youth Leadership Arts Day
Leadership at The PAC
Featuring All Heidelberg Equipment High quality short to mid run printing Magazines & Catalogs Sell Sheets & Brochures Specialty die cut items Pocket Folders Marketing & Mailing Services Postcards & much more 1718 E. Wisconsin Ave. Appleton, WI 54911 Phone: 920.735.6777 • Toll Free: 888.563.0400 • newprinting.com
Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
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economic development
SITE SELECTORS:
HELPING US STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD While the concept of economic development may seem at times to be somewhat obscure, the fact is that there are parallels in daily life that make it quite understandable. Let’s examine the notion of a site selection consultant. Since coming to Wisconsin some months ago, I have had many occasions to explain the important role that these consultants play within economic development. And because they are not typically in evidence as one walks down the street, there is often little understanding of their function.
rizontal logo
Contributed by: Larry Burkhardt, CEcD
cked logo
Over the past 30 years, site selection consultants have become powerful forces within the practice of economic development, as they have become the go-to folks for companies in movement. Site selectors access extensive community data, analyze it and make recommendations based on that data. In the past, many companies had significant corporate real estate departments that functioned very similarly to site selectors—analyzing communities to determine their appropriateness for new facilities. Given today’s economic realities, corporate real estate departments have become a luxury few firms can afford. Very simply, a site selection consultant plays the same role for expanding or relocating employers as your copy of Consumer Reports does for you. From coffee makers to vacuums to used cars, Consumer Reports provides valuable information which we use to inform our buying decisions. For example, if I want to purchase a food processor, chances are that Consumer Reports has
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Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
completed an analysis of 10 or 15 different brands. Their staff has assessed the materials for durability, the motor for power, the price for value and any other special features that are important to the cook. Chances are that they have ranked the food processors into top, mid- and low-range groupings, based on their findings. This process aligns quite closely with what a site selection consultant does for its clients. In our example, we simply substitute the food processor for a community in which to locate a project. Once the site selector has met with the client and determined what factors are important to their decision, they will conduct a thorough analysis of several communities that appear on first blush to be candidates. The site selector will examine the communities from top to bottom—determining prevailing wage rates, labor availability, tax and regulatory policy, education, community amenities, and so on—making comparisons of each community to the others. The site selector will then group communities into those that should receive top consideration, those that should receive lesser consideration, and those that should be eliminated. This information is then passed on to the client, who weighs all of the various factors and their relative importance to the location decision. Although consumers will select a food processor for different reasons, in the final analysis they will make their choice based on its functionality, value and affordability—but overall based on its ability to get the job done. Companies do much the same. After examining the data, companies will weigh factors to determine which community offers the best overall value based on numerous considerations, while at the same time providing the best opportunity for the company to be profitable.
As a side note, I have had occasion in other jobs that I have held (no one here would make such a statement!) where a community leader would ask, “What company would not want to locate in our city? Just look at how beautiful it is!� For the same reasons that you or I would not purchase a food processor simply because of its attractive casing, companies do not make location decisions based simply on the appearance of a community. An important assumption in our example is that Consumer Reports has knowledge of a particular food processor. While quite unlikely within retail markets because of limited product choices, it is possible that a high-value food processor could escape the awareness of Consumer Reports, perhaps due to precious little marketing. In that case, a huge potential sales opportunity would have been missed, because that machine would be overlooked in the Consumer Reports analysis.
not concern itself with marketing itself as a business location is quite mistaken. If a community remains an unknown quantity, it cannot expect that it will be one that is analyzed and recommended by a site selector. We have no intention of letting the Fox Cities remain unknown within the community of site selection consultants. Within its scope of work, the Fox Cities Economic Development Corporation will put a high priority on establishing productive relationships with and marketing our communities to site selectors and others, detailing how our communities can provide quality employers with all they need to be profitable.
This scenario is far more likely to occur when communities are being considered as potential locations for expanding or relocating companies. With literally thousands of communities and an estimated 5,000 economic development organizations competing across the country, it is critical that communities position themselves and effectively market themselves to these site selection consultants. The idea that an individual community need
Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
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pulse The Fox Cities Future 15 Young Professionals Awards Pulse Young Professionals, a program of the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce and Industry and The PostCrescent, will be honoring the top 15 young professionals in the Fox Cities on May 15, 2013. This is the third year of the Fox Cities Future 15 Young Professionals Awards, and will be hosted by our partner UW-Fox Valley at the communications arts center. Appleton Trophy & Engraving will be sponsoring the awards. Pulse and The Post-Crescent will be honoring and recognizing 15 young professionals who have taken their career responsibilities and involvement in the community far beyond set expectations. These individuals are the future leaders of the Fox Valley. Future 15 recipients will be chosen based on their dedication, strong sense of vision for the Fox Cities and understanding of the importance of volunteering and giving back. Nominations are currently being accepted, and can be from their coworkers, managers and local business leaders. All nominees will be sent an application which they need to complete. The applications will be given to five local business leaders for review; personal information will be removed from all applications to keep the applicants’ anonymous. These five business leaders will individually
score each applicant based on professional growth, community service and vision. Their scores will account for 90 percent of the applicant’s total. In March, all applicants’ profiles and photos will be placed on postcrescent.com for a week long public vote. The online voting portion will contribute 10 percent of the total score and will be combined with the judges’ scores. These combined results will then determine this year’s Future 15.
Upcoming Pulse Events How to Manage Your Career and the Difficult Conversations That Come With It Monday, February 18, 2013 Location: Time Warner Cable 5:15 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, March 5, 2013 Community Clothes Closet 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Increase Your Impact, A Panel Discussion – Community Involvement, Part 2 Wednesday, March 20, 2013 Holiday Inn Neenah Riverwalk 11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
NOMINATE AN EXCEPTIONAL YOUNG PROFESSIONAL TODAY! The Fox Cities has thousands of young professionals who excel within their places of employment and in the community. It’s time to recognize these individuals for the great work they do. Nominate someone today at
PulseYoungProfessionals.com/Future15 Self-nominations are encouraged. Nomination deadline is February 8.
AWARDS
Presented by Pulse and The Post~Crescent.
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Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
2401 E. Enterprise Avenue Appleton • 920-882-4070 www.McCarty-Law.com
Growing to serve your needs McCarty Law LLP welcomes Attorney Janet K. Porter to its Fox Valley practice. Jan, a resident of Appleton, received her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and earned her law degree from Marquette Law School. Jan’s practice consists of advising clients in planning for the orderly transfer of property to their families and charities through gifts, wills, trusts and marital property agreements. Her practice also includes assisting clients in giving effect to those plans through the probate and trust estate settlement process.
I. Gregg Curry IV • John J. Russo • Steven J. Cerasoli • Scott C. Barr • Reg P. Wydeven • Rebecca L. Kent Kristy A. Christensen • Jennifer T. Bania • Michael W. Curry • Philip A. Munroe • Melissa R. DeVantier Of Counsel: Dennis M. Wydeven • Randall A. Haak • John A. Esler • Janet K. Porter
Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
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We Thank Our Renewing Members to the Fox Cities Chamber 91.9/91.5 – The Family
First Weber Group Realtors
Riverside Florists & Greenhouses, Inc.
A2Z Design
Fleet Wholesale Supply Co., Inc.
ACES Xavier Educational System
Fox Banquets Rivertyme Catering
RR Donnelley - Menasha Print Operations
Adams & Woodrow, SC
Fox Cities Eye Clinic, SC
Agape of Appleton, Inc.
Fox Cities Tax & Financial
Apple Valley Veterinary Clinic
Fox River Insurance & Financial Services
Appleton Family Dentistry Appleton Trophy & Engraving, Inc. Arrow Moving Systems, Inc. Bazil’s Pub & Provisions Bomier Properties Inc. Builders Exchange of Wisconsin, Inc. Butte des Morts Country Club CareQuest, Inc. CN Canadian National Railway Company Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group Community Eyecare, Inc. Cross Walk Church D & D Landscape Service, Inc. Denkins Drywall, Inc. Dental Associates, LTD, Fox Valley Dillon, Endries, Otto & Calmes, LLC Employment Resource Group, Inc. Esler Commercial, Ltd. Excel Engineering, Inc. Excel Underground, LLC FABCO Industrial Services Femal’s Auto Body
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Schenck SC Security Insurance Services, Inc. Silver Lake College of The Holy Family Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc.
Fox River Mall
The Dialogue Partnershop
Garrow Oil & Propane Corps
The Learning Shop
Globe University-Appleton
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Graphic Composition, Inc.
The Packaging Store
Gunderson Inc.
The Rankin Company, Inc.
IMPACT Printing, Inc.
Time Warner Cable
J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc.
Touchmark on West Prospect
Kindercare Learning Centers
Tri-County Community Dental Clinic
Klusendorf Chiropractic SC
U.S. Venture, Inc.
Krieger Jewelers
United Financial Group, Inc.
Krueger’s True Value
Unitel, Inc.
Lawrence University
Universal Insurance Advisors, Inc.
McClone Appraisal, Inc.
Valley Home Builders
Milbach Construction Services
Valley Label Company, LLC
Mills Fleet Farm
Van De Hey Financial Services, Inc.
N.E.W. Anesthesiology, SC
Verstegen Technical Sales, Inc.
NAI MLG Commercial
Village of Hortonville
Natural Healthy Concepts
Wal-Mart 2958
OMNNI Associates
WFRV - TV 5
Pace Corporation
WiscoLift, Inc.
Paper Discovery Center
Wisconsin Business Development Finance Corp
Patz Corporation RanderCom, Inc.
Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
Zuleger Advisors, Inc.
business of the month
MOTIONWORKS
BUSINESS OF THE MONTH | FEBRUARY 2013 Address: 1158 Westowne Drive, Neenah, Wisconsin 54956 Established: 2010 Telephone: (920) 215-2050
MotionWorks Physical Therapy is an out-patient physical therapy practice for patients seeking high quality, manual physical therapy from experienced, licensed physical therapists. Its hands-on approach to care delivers faster results for all types of injuries, but is an especially beneficial approach for post-operative, sub-acute or chronic injuries that have not responded to the typical physical therapy approach. MotionWorks also provides runners evaluations, sports performance evaluations and training, and custom-made foot orthotics. MotionWorks Physical Therapy was nominated because of the superior customer service it provides to patients. MotionWorks was started by Jill Murphy (owner/lead physical therapist) so that she could provide a level of service that she was unable to provide while working for a large hospital system. “Steps from the Door” parking, flexible hours and the ability to see the same therapist each time are just some of the differences that create the over-thetop customer service. The clinic has an upscale boutique vibe rather than a sterile medical clinic environment. They stretch past the décor by offering gourmet flavored coffee (or hot chocolate for non-coffee drinkers) to each patient, current magazines to read, free WiFi and letting patients choose the type of music they’d like to listen to while being treated. The Chamber proudly salutes Jill Murphy and her team for being the February Business of the Month. If you know of a Chamber member that deserves recognition, please nominate them at http://applications.foxcitieschamber.com/.
Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
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accolades, advancements and announcements
accolades Susan Hennes, Branch Manager for Citizens Bank in Kaukauna has received the company’s prestigious “Business Banking Certificate.” The certificate, which takes up to a year to earn, requires successful completion of a series of educational classes combined with hands on training while working with business owners. “The certificate means Susan is uniquely qualified to work with business owners,” said David Rucker, Citizens Bank district officer. “Business Banking is a very specialized area, yet many financial institutions deal with business owners the way they deal with their largest corporate customers. We believe it’s important to understand the specific needs of business owners and provide the service and products geared to their circumstances. That’s why we developed this comprehensive certificate process.” Hoffman Planning, Design & Construction, Inc., an integrated Total Project Management firm, has been named a 2012 winner of the Workplace Excellence Award. The award, which Hoffman received at the New North Summit at the Paper Valley Hotel on Friday, December 7th, recognizes organizations that improve their competitive advantage through people practices, leading to successful business results. Hoffman was selected for the award, which is presented by New North, Inc. and Right Management Inc., by the Attract, Develop and Retain Diverse Talent Committee of New North. “Receiving the Workplace Excellence Award is a tremendous honor for everyone at Hoffman,” said Miles Girouard, Hoffman owner and president. “Our employees are our greatest asset, and we continually strive to offer a positive work environment that gives them ownership and fosters constant interaction to share ideas and improvements. We want to help them achieve their individual career and personal goals, and to become company, industry and community leaders.”
advancements Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP, (Baker Tilly) is pleased to announce the promotion of Abby Liebergen. Abby, a member of the Retail Services team, has been promoted to Senior Accountant. She has been with the firm since 2008 and specializes in tax preparation and planning. With more than 1,400 employees, Baker Tilly provides a wide range of accounting, tax and advisory services. Ranked as one of the top 20 largest firms in the country, Baker Tilly serves clients from offices in Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, New York, Washington D.C. and throughout Wisconsin.
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Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
OMNNI Associates is pleased to announce the addition of Camie R. Ferrier, P.E. to the OMNNI team. Ferrier is a traffic engineer with experience in transportation planning and traffic engineering. Her experience includes intersection capacity analysis, traffic signal design, signal timing, traffic modeling, analysis and optimization, traffic studies and reports, traffic data collection and analysis, signing and marking, work zone traffic control, and construction staging. She also has experience in urban and rural roadway design, intersection design, and roadway rehabilitation projects. Ferrier’s responsibilities at OMNNI will focus on providing transportation planning and traffic engineering services for municipal, state and private sector clients.
announcements Schenck SC offered a tax update for our members. Effective January 1, 2013, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (including vans, pickups and panel trucks) will be: • 56.5 cents per mile for business miles driven (currently, 55.5 cents per mile) • 24 cents per mile for medical or moving purposes (currently, 23 cents per mile) • 14 cents per mile driven in service to a charitable organization (same rate as 2012) An employer that requires employees to supply their own autos may reimburse them at a rate that doesn’t exceed 56.5 cents per mile for employment-connected business mileage during 2013, and the reimbursement will be treated as a taxfree accountable plan reimbursement. The employee must substantiate the time, place, business purpose and mileage of each trip. Additionally, an employee’s personal use of lower-priced company autos during 2013 may be valued at 56.5 cents per mile, if certain conditions are met. The standard mileage rates for business, medical and moving purposes are based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile. The charitable mileage rate is set by law. An employer may also reimburse employee automobile expenses with a mileage allowance, using a flat rate or stated schedule that combines periodic fixed and variable rate payments – a FAVR allowance. The FAVR allowance must be based on the cost of a standard automobile selected by the employer. The cost of that standard automobile may not exceed 95 percent of the automobile’s retail price, plus state and local taxes, nor may the cost exceed $28,100 in 2013 (up from $28,000 in 2012). For trucks or vans, the 2013 standard
vehicle cost used to compute the FAVR allowance cannot exceed $29,900 (also up from $29,300 in 2012). The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley received a $5,000 AT&T Innovation & Investment Award to help support its mentoring program for 65 at-risk youth during an event at the Club on Monday, January 14, 2013. The AT&T donation will support the Club’s “Targeted Outreach Initiative,” which provides mentoring-based support for higher-risk students to help them advance their academic and career goals. Students in the program not only receive tutoring support, but also access to career development programs and college readiness activities like university campus visits. The program also helps 8th grade students successfully transition to high school. The AT&T Wisconsin Innovation & Investment Award program provides grant funding to local organizations that enhance and give back to their communities. This is the ninth grant awarded under the new program. Apprenticeship students representing six different classes at Fox Valley Technical College raised more than $9,600 for four area non-profit organizations as part of a year-end fundraising activity. The organizations that received donations from these students and their employers include the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin—Fox Valley,
Old Glory Honor Flight, Make-a-Wish Foundation of Wisconsin—Northeastern Office, and the Fox Valley Humane Association. The students make up a combined group of ABC of Wisconsin industrial and construction electrician apprentices from various levels. It was the second consecutive year that students from these program areas embarked in an end-of-year fundraising effort. The Post-Crescent and the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region are accepting nominations through February 11 for “Celebrating Our Volunteers 2013.” The April 23, 2013 event will honor volunteers for their contributions to community service, health care, youth leadership, mentoring, business/ nonprofit partnership, the arts and education. Since 1998, award sponsors have given more than $472,000 back to the community in the name of the award recipients. The Youth Award winner will receive a $1,500 scholarship upon graduation from high school and $1,000 to be given to a local charity of choice. All other award winners will receive $5,000 for their favorite Fox Valley charities. Award descriptions and the nomination form can be found at celebratevolunteers. org. Nomination forms will also publish frequently in The Post-Crescent, or can be requested from the Community Foundation at (920) 830-1290.
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Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
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department updates
advocacy •
Actively engaged in efforts to ensure that road, bridge and intersection construction plans for the 10/41/441 project remain on schedule. Parts of the project have been in the offing for 20 years. Governor Walker has requested that the plan be put on hold for an additional two years. Current conditions represent significant deficiencies in functionality, as well as safety concerns that are well documented. Completion of the project on the current timeline remains a major Chamber priority.
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Scheduled the date for the release of the Coalition’s legislative agenda for the 2013-2014 legislative session. This agenda, created in conjunction with the Northeast Wisconsin Chambers Coalition, will be formally introduced to area legislators on February 17th at the Radisson Inn Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton. The event will begin with a full breakfast, and conclude with a presentation by one of the top authorities on the Wisconsin State Budget, Todd Berry, of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance. We will also hear from federal officials on the recent fiscal cliff “temporary fix,” and what will be needed to finish the job.
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membership •
Welcomed the following businesses as new Chamber members: Clean Energy Inc., CruiseOne, Graphic House Inc., New North B2B, Romy’s Nitingale, Shoto Corporation and Van’s Waste, Inc.
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Debra Michiels and her team at Fox Banquets Rivertyme Catering are excited to host the Business Connection on Wednesday, February 20, 2013. To register, please contact us at 734-7101 or visit foxcitieschamber.com.
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Chamber Ambassadors attended ribbon cuttings and open houses: Maurices 2133, Festival Foods-Neenah, The Office Technology Group, Brothers Three PizzaSalad–Wings, Osorio’s Latin Fusion LLC, All Things Jerky and Massage Envy. If you are interested in becoming a Chamber Ambassador, please contact the Chamber at 734-7101 or email info@foxcitieschamber.com.
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Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
Reminder: Please join us on a trip to Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce’s Business Day at the Capitol on February 13th. Speakers will include former CIA Director General Michael Hayden, political analyst Stephen Hayes, economist and bestselling author Dr. Barry Asmus, as well as an address by Governor Scott Walker. We will also take a trip to the Capitol to visit with a number of our legislators. For additional information on how you can join the caravan to Madison, call Thom Ciske at the Chamber at 734-7101 or visit wmc.org/programs/business-day-in-madison.
pulse •
Accepting nominations to our 2013-2014 committee positions. The Pulse committees are highly interactive, vital in shaping our organization and programs, and not to mention fun and a great development opportunity. We are looking for energetic individuals for our Events, Membership, Marketing and Communications, and Steering Committees. If you or someone you know is looking to make a difference in connecting our young professionals to the Fox Cities community, development opportunities and each other, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Brooke Parish at bparish@foxcitieschamber.com for additional information or to submit a nomination. Self-nominations are encouraged. Learn more about Pulse or register for events at www.foxcitiesyoungprofessionals.com.
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Join us for part II of our community involvement series “Increase your Impact” on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Holiday Inn Neenah Riverwalk
fox valley institute for educators (formerly known as the Christa McAuliffe Academy) •
2013 marks the 18th annual Christa McAuliffe Academy, renamed as the Fox Cities Institute for Educators. Approximately 200 plus teachers each year attend the Institute and potentially impacting 5,000 children. The children in our schools are the ultimate benefactors. To date, more than 60,000 students have been impacted by the Institute trained teachers. The program is held at Appleton North High School and it runs from July 1519th, 2013.
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The Fox Valley Institute for Educators seeks to promote student achievement through the professional staff development of Pre-K-12 educators in all subject areas. Hands-on learning is emphasized to help teachers engage students in collaborative problem solving and higher order thinking.
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The Institute is a collaborative effort of the Fox Cities Alliance for Education, a division of the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Inc., University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and local school districts.
new members
We welcome new members to the Chamber Clean Energy, Inc.
Graphic House, Inc.
Romy’s Nitingale
CruiseOne
New North B2B
Shoto Corporation
Ms. Nicole Johnson 1421 Churchill Street Waupaca, WI 54981-2027 (715) 258-7780 ENERGY MANAGEMENT www.cleanenergywi.com
Mrs. Jackie Reuning W5071 Cherrywood Court Sherwood, WI 54169-9510 (920) 560-4775 CRUISE & VACATION SPECIALIST www.SetSail4Fun.com
Mr. Mike Johnson 9204 Packer Drive Wausau, WI 54401-9368 (800) 472-0402 SIGNS www.graphichouseinc.com Mr. Sean Fitzgerald P.O. Box 559 Oshkosh, WI 54903-0559 (920) 237-0254 MAGAZINE PUBLISHER www.newnorthb2b.com
Mrs. Dawn Balthazor N5670 County Road A Black Creek, WI 54106-8424 (920) 850-2941 BANQUET FACILITIES
Van’s Waste, INC.
Mr. Jeff Vander Heiden N2061 Vandenbroek Road Kaukauna, WI 54130-9351 (920) 687-2631 Sponsor: Heather Wessley WASTE DISPOSAL www.vanswasteinc.com
Mr. Phil Maples 6450 Highway B Two Rivers, WI 54241-9398 (920) 682-0196 MANUFACTURER CUSTOM WOODWORK www.shotocorp.com
Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
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out and about Ribbon Cutting All Things Jerky
Ribbon Cutting Festival Foods – Neenah
Ribbon Cutting Massage Envy
Ribbon Cutting Affinity Medical Group
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Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
Ribbon Cutting Osorio’s
Ribbon Cutting A&E Jewelers
Ribbon Cutting Maurices
Ribbon Cutting The Office Technology Group
Ribbon Cutting Brothers Three Pizza
Ribbon Cutting Pandora
Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
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EVENTS Meet Your Legislators—January Business Connection with elected officials. Averaging 300+ attendees Premier Sponsors: Contributing Sponsors: Future 15 Young Professional Awards Premier Sponsors:
$750 $500
Golf Outing—August Premier Sponsor: Golf Cart Sponsor: Golf Lunch Sponsor: Golf Reception Sponsor: All in One Sponsor: Tee or Hole Sponsors: Beverage Sponsors:
$3,500 $2,500 $2,000 $2,000 $ 800 $ 350 $ 100
$1,000
Cultivate: Business Growth Series Presenting Sponsor: $7,500 Premier Sponsor: $5,000 Contributing Sponsors: $2,500 Career Fair Presenting Sponsor: Premier Sponsor: Contributing Sponsors: Small Business Sponsors:
$3,000 $1,000 $ 500 $ 250
A N N UAL S I G N AT U RE E V E NT S Economic Outlook Breakfast— February Results of the economic outlook survey are presented. Averaging 600+ attendees Presenting Sponsor: $2,500 Premier Sponsors: $1,000 Contributing Sponsors: $ 500 Octoberfest & License to Cruise Secondary Sponsor: $4,000 Stage Sponsor: $3,000 Family Fun Area Sponsor: $2,000 License to Cruise Sponsor: $2,000
Business Awards—June Presenting Sponsors: $7,500 Premier Sponsors: $1,000 Business Expo—June Together with the Business Awards Program. Presenting Sponsors: $2,500 Premier Sponsors: $1,500 Contributing Sponsors: $ 750
P RO G R AM S Pulse, Young Professionals Network Opportunity for Corporate Underwriters for the entire year available at different levels. Pulse monthly events $600 — $1,000 Future 15 Awards Presenting Sponsor:
$1,500
Pulse CEO Breakfast Presenting Sponsor:
$1,500
Leadership Fox Cities Opportunity to sponsor monthly events ($750—$1,000) LFC Retreat $2,500 LFC Graduation $1,500 LFC Executive Program $1,500 LFC Youth Program $1,500 Executive Program $1,500
Attendance 100. Sponsorship includes time for sponsor on stage. Presenting Sponsor: $1,000
The Event—mid-October to early November Annual Meeting averaging 900 attendees Presenting Sponsor: $10,000 Premier Sponsors: $ 5,000 Contributing Sponsors: $ 2,500 Corporate Packages: $ 750
A DV E RT IS I N G
Fox Cities Institute for Educators
(formerly Christa McAuliffe Academy)
Provides business/educational learning experience for K-12 teachers in the areas of math, science, technology education, literacy and professional development.
Presenting Sponsor: Premier Sponsor: Contributing Sponsors:
NEW! Breakfast Business Connection
$2,000 $1,000 $ 500
Fox Cities F.O.C.U.S. (fostering our communities understanding of STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics). A shared resource and economic system for all things related to STEM including mentoring of students. Host a tour for students Sponsor an event: $1,000 Work-Based Learning Portal A tool for students to find a: job shadow, internship and youth apprenticeship. A tool for teachers to locate a speaker, company tours and professional development opportunities.
Fox Cities Chamber Business,
the Chamber’s monthly print magazine, has 83,000 touches in the business community per issue, reaching business owners, senior level executives, managers, supervisors, sales & marketing and small business owners.
Up2Date Electronic Newsletter Sent weekly to the Chamber membership emails. $40 per edition (sold in monthly units only) Chamber Blog Daily electronic blog is read by individuals of the Fox Cities Chamber community, the cyber public and shared through internal distribution with many more. $100 per month. Member411 Bi-weekly e-newsletter consisting of information from Chamber members. Reaches 3,200 email addresses. Rates based on number of words per message.
For detailed information about a specific event or program, contact the Chamber at (920) 734-7101 or information@foxcitieschamber.com 24
Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
Please check the Chamber website foxcitieschamber.com for updated information about each of the event dates, times, locations and costs. You can register directly online.
Signature Events Economic Outlook Breakfast Wednesday, 2/6/13 Radisson Paper Valley Hotel 333 W. College Ave., Appleton 7:00-9:00 a.m. Presenting Sponsor: Appleton Group Wealth Management, LLC
Legislative Dialogue Breakfast Monday, 2/18/13 Radisson Paper Valley Hotel 333 W. College Ave., Appleton 7:00-9:00 a.m.
Golf Outing Monday, 6/3/13 Butte des Morts Country Club 3600 W. Prospect Ave., Appleton Sponsorships available
Business Trifecta Business Awards/ Business Expo/Business Connection Wednesday, 6/12/13 Radisson Paper Valley Hotel 333 W. College Ave., Appleton Awards Luncheon 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Expo 1:30–5:00 p.m. Business Connection 5:00–7:00 p.m. Awards Sponsors: First National Bank - Fox Valley Schenk
Fox Cities
Chamber of Commerce & Industry
The Event ~ Celebrating Business November 2013 Details to be determined Presenting Sponsor: Baker Tilly Sponsorships available
Wednesday, 8/14/13 High Cliff Restaurant, Banquets and Catering W5095 Golf Course Rd., Sherwood
Tuesday, 9/10/13
Business Connections 5:00-7:00 p.m.; $2 prior to the event; $4 at the door; $20/prospective member
Wednesday, 2/20/13 Fox Banquets Rivertyme Catering 111 E. Kimball St., Appleton
Tuesday, 3/12/13 Osorio’s Latin Fusion 1910 N. Casaloma Dr., Appleton
Tuesday, 4/9/13 Butte des Morts Country Club 3600 W. Prospect Ave., Appleton
Tuesday, 5/21/13 Waverly Beach N8770 Firelane 1, Menasha
Wednesday, 6/12/13 Part of the Business Expo Radisson Paper Valley Hotel 333 W. College Ave., Appleton
Tuesday, 7/16/13
Gardens of the Fox Cities 1313 E. Witzke Blvd., Appleton
Wednesday, 10/16/13 Wednesday, 11/13/13 Tuesday, 12/3/13 Locations to be determined
Breakfast Networking Connections Different locations around the Fox Cities 7:30-9:00 a.m.; $15 March 21 April 18 May 16 June 20 July 18 August 15 September 19 October — no meeting November 21 December 19
Appleton Yacht Club 1200 S. Lutz Dr., Appleton
Please check the Pulse website foxcitiesyoungprofessionals.com for updated information about each of the event dates, times, locations and costs. You can register directly online.
Future 15
CEO Breakfast
Call for Nominations
October
Recognition Event Wednesday, 5/15/13 University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley Communication Arts Center 1478 Midway Rd., Appleton 5:00-9:00 p.m.
Fox Cities Chamber Business FEBRUARY 2013
25
FOX CITIES
CHAMBER
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Fox Cities Chamber Business c/o Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Inc. PO Box 1855 Appleton, WI 54912-1855