WINTER 2015 | VOLUME 16 | ISSUE 4 by Fox Cities Chamber

fox cities chamber

Energizing & Empowering Enterprise

2015 A Year in Review

Winter 2015 Volume 16, Issue 4

InThis

ISSUE Every Issue

Cover Story

2. President’s Perspective Views from Chamber

6. A Year in Review • Talent

President/CEO Shannon Meyer Full

4. Tips Tools & Techniques

Highlights

20. Your Voice

• Leadership Fox Cities • Pulse

12. Octoberfest and License to Cruise 14. The EVENT Award Recipients 32. Fox Cities Regional Partnership: Expansion Attraction Outcomes

Budget in Review Paying Dividends

29. Diamond Members 29. New Members 30. Calendar of Events

Fox Cites Chamber Business (v259180). Published quarterly 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.

Photography by: BConnected, LLC

Committed to building vibrant communities since 1909

Postmaster: Send address changes to: Fox Cities Chamber Business, 125 N. Superior Street, Appleton, WI 54911.

NEENAH WI

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VALPARAISO IN

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Fox Cities Business December 2015

President’s

PERSPECTIVE “Talent is the top priority for the chamber as we enter into the new year. We have numerous programs dedicated to assisting our local companies with talent recruitment, acclimation, retention and development.” Dear Members, As another year comes to a close, I wanted to share with you some of the happenings from this past year. The chamber continues to address business challenges and opportunities through innovative programming, relationship connections, and collaborative efforts. The top three needs from our businesses this year were talent – attraction, development and retention, small business services – relationship building and resourceful programming, and business attraction and retention. Talent is the top priority for the chamber as we enter into the new year. We have numerous programs dedicated to assisting our local companies with talent recruitment, acclimation, retention and development. All of these are highlighted in this magazine, and we are committed to working with our companies and partnering organizations to continue to develop and implement these critical programs. Small businesses are the foundation of our community, a majority of the chamber membership and their success is essential to the success of our larger corporations, non-profit organization and government entities. Therefore, we are working diligently with our small businesses to provide them access to relationship building opportunities, marketing services, and professional development and business training programs. The sustainability of this community is dependent upon the strength of our existing companies and the growth of new ones in our region. The economic development division of the chamber, the Fox Cities Regional Partnership has working alongside hundreds of business owners to connect them to the resources necessary to maintain and grow their operations. We are also identifying and leveraging opportunities to recruit new companies here. This year has been an extremely busy one for the chamber internally and externally as we launched a new refreshed brand. We are focused on making sure that all of you, our local business and community leaders, are aware of the services we provide and the work that we are doing to achieve our mission of enhancing the growth and prosperity of our region. I want to personally invite you to attend the upcoming 2016 Report to the Community on January 12th, where you will have the opportunity to learn first-hand about the strategic priorities of your chamber of commerce and dialogue with other business and community leaders about the future of our region. Finally, I want to thank you for your investment of money, people and trust. I am grateful to be working with all of you to enhance our community, build stronger businesses, and make an impact of the future of our region. I look forward to seeing you in January and working with you throughout 2016.

Chairman of the Board Daniel P. Ferris SECURA Insurance Companies Chairman-Elect Bruce Zak JPMorgan Chase, N.A. Past Chairman Kip Golden CR Structures Group, Inc. Secretary/Treasurer Kathi Seifert Katapult, LLC Board of Directors Jen Bauer Miron Construction Lisa Cruz, Red Shoes PR, Inc. John Dennis Gardan Inc. Kevin Eismann Epiphany Law, LLC James Fenlon Village of Little Chute Travis Froze BMO Harris Bank Robyn Gruner AT&T Eric Higgs Kimberly Clark Corporation Sharon Hulce Employment Resource Group Inc. Dave Jansen ThedaCare Lyssa King OuterEdge Stage Vic Lutz McMahon Chris Matheny Fox Valley Technical College Jen Wagner Mauk Affinity Health System Rick Parks Modern Woodmen of America Todd Romenesko Calumet County Bruce Sasman We Energies Mark Scheffler Appleton Group, LLC Gary Vaughan Guident Business Solutions Monica Vomastic Landmark Staffing Resources Bob Zemple Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP Publisher Shannon Full Editor Rachel Birschbach Design Wild Apple Creative Photography BConnected Printing JP Graphics

Get To Know Your Chamber Staff The Chamber is a dynamic group of dedicated professionals that provide business services to businesses of all sizes within the Fox Cities Region. The Chamber acts as an access point for solving business challenges, establishing and growing professional and social networks, and providing assistance for business leaders to achieve their goals.

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Operations 1. Shannon Full, President/CEO sfull@foxcitieschamber.com 2. Linda Myers Executive Assistant to the President lmyers@foxcitieschamber.com 3. Amy Flanders Vice President, Administration & Operations aflanders@foxcitieschamber.com 4. Rachel Birschbach Marketing & Communications Coordinator rbirschbach@foxcitieschamber.com 5. Caitlyn Quast Signature Events Coordinator cquast@foxcitieschamber.com 6. Connie Barlow Receptionist receptionist@foxcitieschamber.com 7. Pam Schweitzer Receptionist receptionist@foxcitieschambers.com Economic Development 8. Manny Vasquez Vice President, Economic Development manny@foxcitiesregionalpartnership.com 9. Beth Pritzl Director, Research & Technology beth@foxcitiesregionalpartnership.com

10. Rob Peterson Director, Existing Industry Services rob@foxcitiesregionalpartnership.com Member Services 11. Leah Schapiro Vice President, Membership Engagement lschapiro@foxcitieschamber.com 12. Jan Grignano Membership Engagement Strategist jgrignano@foxcitieschamber.com Public Policy 13. Mark Rahmlow

Vice President, Public Policy mrahmlow@foxcitieschamber.com Talent 14. Patty Milka,

Vice President, Talent & Education pmilka@foxcitieschamber.com 15. Adrienne Palm

Director of Pulse – Young Professionals Network apalm@foxcitieschamber.com 16. Joy Kapheim

Director, Leadership Fox Cities jkapheim@foxcitieschamber.com 17. Emily Feagles

Program Manager, Talent Collaborative efeagles@foxcitieschamber.com

Shannon Full President/CEO

Fox Cities Business December 2015

TIPS TOOLS &Techniques

Connect your Car with Delphi Connect For the mobile worker and many small businesses, vehicles are a key to livelihood and success. Intelligently connecting to a vehicle can help monitor the health of a vehicle and create business efficiencies to contribute to the bottom line. Delphi Connect is a 4G LTE modem with GPS that plugs into a vehicles’ OBD-II connector port and sends vehicle data to the cloud. The information is compiled in an easy-to-use dashboard accessible from an Internet browser or smartphone app. A mobile worker or small business owner can use the Delphi Connect system to monitor vehicles, track recent trips or receive alerts for specific event information. Notable features for businesses include: • Live Tracking - track up to 10 vehicles on a map with updates every 5 seconds showing vehicle location, speed and heading. • Recent Trips - automatically save all the trips taken in a vehicle and the trip details, including start/end locations, distance traveled and engine idle time. In addition to viewing the route

a vehicle took on a map, trip details can be exported to a spreadsheet, making mileage and expense tracking more efficient than ever. • Geo-fencing - allows users to create up to 6 boundaries per vehicle on a map and be alerted anytime a vehicle enters or exits a specified area. • Alerts – gives useful event and status information to an account owner, such as geofence crossings, speeding, high engine RPM, low battery and vehicle motion (only when parked). Alerts can be emailed or sent as text messages. • Health - automatically assesses a vehicle’s performance - such as why a check engine light is on – and translates trouble codes into useful descriptions that help businesses and vehicle owners make better repair decisions. Delphi Connect can also serve as an in-vehicle Wi-Fi hotspot. It works on almost all vehicles sold in the US since 1996 and is ideal for the mobile worker who needs to stay connected, detail their mileage and know their vehicle is in top shape. Delphi Connect can also be used for a small business with a fleet of ten vehicles or less. For more information on Delphi Connect or vehicle monitoring solutions for larger fleets, visit www.cellcom.com. Cellcom is an innovative wireless company that provides nationwide service for its customer base throughout Wisconsin and Michigan, with nearly 70 retail and agent locations. Cellcom is respected for its long-standing reputation of delivering extraordinary customer care, being a strong community partner, and for its renowned network which is customized to its rural markets. As a subsidiary of Nsight, Cellcom is part of a family of companies offering complete telecommunications services.

Helping your business succeed TALK TO PEOPLE WHO KNOW YOUR INDUSTRY At Schenck, you’ll work with professionals who serve other businesses like yours and understand the issues driving your industry. Our expertise includes: f Agriculture & Food Processing

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To learn more about our full line of solutions and how we can help, visit us online at schencksc.com or call 920-731-8111.

200 E. Washington Street | Appleton | 800-236-2246 | schencksc.com

Did we cat ch yo ur e? ey

Do you have business knowledge or experience to share?

3001 East Venture Drive Appleton, WI 54911 Phone 920-733-4483 Fax 920-733-1700 www.jpinc.com

The Chamber is looking for member-contributed articles for our Spring and Summer 2016 issues. Articles must be 500 words or less on the following topics:

•Wellness in the Workplace •Mobile Pay •Ways to optimize your website •Setting up an office space at home

If you’d like to submit an article for consideration, contact Rachel Birschbach (rbirschbach@foxcitieschamber.com).

Printing ... as Promised 4

Fox Cities Business December 2015

Talent: A Year In Review

TALENT: 2015 Highlights Concierge Plus A customized service that assists businesses with recruitment and acclimation of talent through a personalized Fox Cities experience for the recruit and their family.

Approximately 3,000 8th grade students from area schools attended the 2015 Your Future 8th Grade Career Expo at the Radisson Paper Valley on April 20th.

Leadership Fox Cities Celebrating its 25th year in 2016, this successful program continues to develop prominent leaders from various Fox Cities businesses through professional and community experiences including leadership training, community awareness and an impactful community service project. (See highlights on page 8.)

8th grade students interacted with more than 80 professionals, representing 48 local businesses, through hands-on trade show-like booths at the 2015 Your Future 8th Grade Career Expo. The 48 business booths were divided in zones encompassing the following industries: STEM, Manufacturing, Business, Arts, Communication, Health & Human Services and Construction.

PULSE – Young Professionals This dynamic young professionals program develops the next generation of passionate leaders through business relationships, social opportunities, leadership, professional development and community involvement. (See highlights on page 11.)

The Talent Collaborative facilitated Kimberly High School’s Staff Development Day in October where 105 educators had the opportunity to visit several local businesses to learn about workforce and talent needs.

The Talent Collaborative partnered with Miller Electric for the first Smart Girls Rock event on October 20, 2015 at Neenah High School. The event focused on showing freshmen and sophomore girls career options available in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) by providing them opportunities to connect with established women in the field.

Talent Upload

There is an ongoing demand and focus to develop, attract and retain high quality talent throughout the Fox Cities. Today’s business environment is continually evolving and the ability to compete is essential for our community to thrive and prosper. Developing a solid pipeline requires the alignment and engagement of all aspects of our community. Over the past year, the Talent Collaborative has grown from a small group of champions who have supported the creation of resources for business and education to a larger cross-section of business and educational leaders in our community who are committed to the mission. Through our events, resources and programming, the efforts of the Talent Collaborative will continue to enhance business leaders’ knowledge of education issues and empower them to become better partners and advocates while strengthening education in the Fox Cities. The Talent Collaborative will continue to listen to the challenges of businesses to develop innovative programming like Talent Upload to tactically address the needs of our partners along with highlighting the assets of our community to retain the best and brightest. The next several pages will give you a glimpse into the year in review around attracting, developing and retaining talent in the Fox Cities. Look around. Do you have a workforce challenge you’d like to discuss? If so, please call me, I’d love the opportunity to listen. Patty Milka, Vice President of Talent and Education, 920.734.7101.

TALENT

COLLABORATIVE

Fox Cities Business December 2015

This innovative, internationally awardwinning program of the Fox Cities Regional Partnership, is a recruitment tactic to expose cutting-edge IT and Engineering talent from Midwestern colleges to the Fox Cities region through tours of local businesses and the community.

The Leadership Fox Cities Class of 2015 spent a day in May at Heckrodt Wetland Reserve in Menasha to learn about the environment, understand the effect we have individually and professionally, and how we can get involved to help the community.

Your Future 8th Grade Career Expo This upcoming year is the 10th annual 8th Grade Career Expo where approximately 3,000 8th graders from Fox Cities area schools experience almost 50 various businesses in an experiential trade show-like experience to explore careers in the Fox Cities and beyond as they transition into high school.

Kimberly High School’s Staff Development Day, held on October 22, 2015, featured a morning of speakers, including Department of Workforce Development’s Secretary Reggie Newson, followed by a panel of professionals speaking on current and future talent needs in their industries.

Your Future Fox Cities A web-based platform which streamlines connections between businesses, educators and students to fulfill career-based learning experiences. www.yourfuturefoxcities.com

The Smart Girls Rock event gave female students the chance to learn about STEM careers through a “speed mentoring” opportunity where the students rotated every five minutes.

The Talent Collaborative, a division of the Fox Cities Chamber, continues to pursue new ways to align resources among business, education and the community to anticipate, adapt and respond to the Fox Cities’ talent and workforce needs.

The November Talent Upload event attracted a select group of Computer Science/IT and Engineering college students to expose them to opportunities in the Fox Cities. The Employer Expo and Reception combined a traditional career fair with direct networking to immerse the students with Fox Cities businesses.

The Leadership Fox Cities Class of 2015 got creative during Arts Day at Pinot’s Palette in Appleton. The class explored a sampling of arts in the community during the day.

Fox Cities Business December 2015

2015 Major Accomplishments

CONGRATULATIONS to the Leadership Fox Cities Class of 2015!

LEADERSHIP FOX CITIES A PROGRAM OF

38 GRADUATES from 37

6 community

PROJECTS

ORGANIZATIONS

completed

Community

Groups

POSITIVELY

Impacted

• Boys & Girls Club • Make-a-Wish • Fox Valley Sibling Support Network (FVSSN) • Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin-Fox Valley Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

39New

PARTICIPANTS

for 2016

• Valley Packaging Industries • Children’s Literacy through the Little Libraries Program Eric Aronson – Schenck Jennifer Banta-Kroll – Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company Jennifer Blackmore – Kimberly-Clark Corporation Bob Bobnock – Appvion Drew Bodway – FNB Fox Valley Betsy Borns – Valley Packaging Industries Jake Dietz – Nicolet National Bank Mary Downs – Fox Valley Technical College Josh Dukelow – Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce Lindsay Fenlon – Housing Partnership Mary Gronbach – SECURA Meagan Hardwick – UW-Fox Valley Chris Hauser – WE Energies Janice Jackering – Affinity Health Systems Stephen Jensen – Wilhelm Law Travis Jones – BMO Harris Bank Preston Kendall – Robert W. Baird & Co. Amy Kester – Lawrence University Zach Knase – Appvion

Julie Luker – Bank First National Erin Marquez – Radisson Paper Valley Hotel Michele Martin – Bemis Company, Inc. Jennie Moore – Goodwill Industries NCW Amy Neumeyer – Make-a-Wish Wisconsin Sondra Norder – St. Paul Elder Services Tracey Ratzburg – Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Nancy Rietveld – Thrivent Financial Heidi Schmidt – Appleton Area School District Suzanne Seegers – Wipfli, LLP Brenda Smongeski – First English Lutheran Church Chris Snyder – Epiphany Law Kimberly Stevens – Globe University Chris Van Dreese – Miron Construction Manny Vasquez – Fox Cities Regional Partnership Kevin Weil – Miller Electric Lisa Werner – Marketplace Financial Group Anna Wilcox – ThedaCare Danielle Zarling – Homeless Connections

WELCOME to the 2016 Leadership Fox Cities Class Amy Attenberger (Kimberly Clark), Jordan Baitinger (Marian University), Danielle Brand (Schenck SC), Allen Brant (Appleton Area School District), Vanessa Cebulski (BConnected LLC), James Fenlon (Village of Little Chute), Craig Gagnon (Lawrence University), Kate Girouard (BMO Harris Bank), Brian Gruender (SECURA), Melissa Hietpas (FNB Fox Valley), Rachael Hoffmann (SECURA), Trudy Hooyman (ThedaCare), Katie Horan (Appleton International Airport), Emma Jelinek (Bank First National), Jeri Johnson (Appvion), Josh Kilgas (United Way Fox Cities), Amanda Krueger (American National Bank), Jodie Larsen (Pierce Manufacturing), Stephanie Lehrer (Boys & Girls Club – Menasha), Eric Lempke (BMO Harris Bank), Brad Logsdon (Miller Electric), Alison Mayer

Fox Cities Business December 2015

(Ministry Health Care), Kari Meixl (Bassett Mechanical), Jennifer Michiels (Fox Banquets Rivertyme Catering), Megan Nussbaum (Miron Construction), Adrienne Palm (Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce), Mary Remter (Thrivent Financial), Nicholas Sattler (Roberts, Ritschke & Tyczkowski, LTD), Devon Schoenbohm (Edward Jones), Melinda Schultz (Gulfstream Aerospace), John Schweitzer (Appvion), Greg Smedema (WE Energies), Taylor Strane (Valley Packaging Industries), Alex Tyink (Goodwill NCW), Jill Van Asten (Fox Valley Technical College), Shane Vandenberg (Thrivent Financial), Jessica Vander Zanden (Network Health), Kerri Veleke (ThedaCare), Christopher Winiecki (Northeast Asphalt)

Fox Cities Business December 2015

Betting It All ON CULTURE

2015 Milestones FEBRUARY Unveiled our new branding website, mission, vision and values to the community at a sold-out, 5th annual FUTURE 15 Awards. Attandance increased by 60%.

APRIL Partnered with NEWaukee and eight other Young professional organizations throughout the state to create YP WEEK.

APRIL (continued)

Photo courtesy of Kim Thiel Photography

What PULSE is all about There is an ongoing demand and focus to develop, attract and retain high quality talent throughout the Fox Cities. Today’s business environment is continually evolving and the ability to compete is essential for our community to thrive and prosper. Developing that talent pipeline requires the alignment and engagement of all aspects of our community.

Mission Pulse Young Professional Network acts as a catalyst for growth and collaboration in the Fox Cities through opportunities to connect, develop and inspire our community.

Vision To foster a diverse and innovative community that enhances the vitality of the Fox Cities region, making it an attractive place for young professionals to call home.

Fox Cities Business December 2015

1. Emily Reetz of SketchTag at the July 11th Artery in Jones park. 2. The sold out 2015 Future15 Awards got a gorgeous backdrop from OuterEdge Stage. 3. After Dark: Cafe Refuge, a late night French dinner hosted at Cory Chisel’s new stomping grounds, The Refuge.

Hosted our first urban arts market “The Artery” as a finale to YP WEEK. 600+ people attended this inaugural event. The night prior we hosted a party at the History Museum at the Castle that entertained 100+ attendees.

4. Three time Artery vendor Katie Meulemans vision extends beyond the canvas.

AUGUST

6. A partnership with NEWaukee leads to the creation of YP Week, a statewide initiative to attract and retain young talent in WI - Pulse responds with an epic party hosted at the History Museum at the Castle with MoM alumni GGOOLLDD performing. (Photo by Graham Washatka)

Partnerships on projects in the community are forged, including but not limited to: The Alley Project, Restaurant Week and After Dark: Cafe Refuge.

OCTOBER Our ninth annual CEO Breakfast boasted record attendance and addressed the topic of innovation in the workplace. In addition to the C-Suite professionals on the panel, we also included the YP’s who are implementing organizational change.

NOVEMBER Participated in the first annual YP Summit to share best practices with a diverse group of YP leaders and other economic development groups around the state.

5. Pulse Director Adrienne Palm enjoys the fruits of collaboration with the City of Menasha at their annual farm-to-table dinner.

The brilliant and beautiful Rebekka Smith took home a coveted award for ugliest sweater at our 2014 endof-year party!

8. From left to right: Jenny Vanden Heuvel, Alison Mayer, Trina Doxtator and Alison Suski enjoying a YP Week lunch. 9. Our “Learn to Curl” event gave everyone an opportunity to fall flat on their faces in a large group... it was pretty fun too!

MEMBERSHIP GROWTH

10. Jessica Boogaard does a live art demonstration at The Artery.

Membership has steadily increased by 38% over last year.

11. “Pedaling Toward Sustainability: Designing for the Future” was a lunchtime affair with the East Central WI Regional Planning Commission. We enjoyed the view provided by Fratello’sRiverfront Restaurant almost as much as the presentation.

Values Leadership Inclusion Collaboration Philanthropy Innovation

YEAR IN REVIEW

Fox Cities Business December 2015

Mark your calendar

Octoberfest 2016

will be a celebration of

35 years

License to Cruise

FRIDAY September 23, 2016

2015 OCTOBERFEST And License To Cruise Octoberfest and License to Cruise 2015 was one for the record books with perfect weather and activities for everyone. The two-day event brought in over 100,000 people and was filled with great music, entertaining family fun activities, unique arts and crafts, and nonprofit food booths serving a wide-range of tasty treats to satisfy all cravings. This year, License to Cruise featured the Volkswagen. For 34 years, Octoberfest has remained true to its mission of showcasing the Fox Cities nonprofit community. The event is a community-driven festival that has become a tradition of providing family-friendly events for all ages while raising funds for more than 100 local nonprofit organizations. It’s also a tradition for nonprofits with nearly 83% returning year-after-year to fundraise for their missions. Octoberfest would not be a gem of the community it is without the hundreds of hours the volunteer committee dedicates to planning the event. It is a year-round commitment with monthly meetings and committee work. In addition to their service, Octoberfest and License to Cruise staffs 700+ volunteers for all of the activities. Octoberfest was founded by downtown Appleton retailers in 1981 to promote local business, improve community image and showcase the downtown area. Every year the Octoberfest Board of Directors continues the tradition of awarding grants to local nonprofit organizations using proceeds from the previous year’s Octoberfest. There are three grant cycles each year; Dec. 15, March 15 and June 15. For more information on grant guidelines and the application process visit octoberfestonline.org.

Fox Cities Business December 2015

The 2015 grant recipients include:

·Appleton Police Department ·Appleton Flag Day Parade ·Boys and Girls Club of the Fox Valley ·Creative Downtown Appleton, Inc. ·Fox Cities Building for the Arts ·Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra ·History Museum at the Castle ·Light Up the Fox, Inc. ·VSA Wisconsin

2015 Sponsors Fox Cities Chamber, Budweiser, Cellcom, J.P. Morgan Chase, GLK Foods, Renewal By Andersen, Fox Communities Credit Union, Ho-Chunk Gaming Nekoosa, O’doul’s, Roundy’s Pick-N-Save and Tundraland.

Stage Sponsors The Woodward Radio Group; WAPL 105.7 FM, KZ Radio 92.9 FM and 104.3 FM, Nash 99.5 FM and 104.9 FM, KISS 95.9 FM. Cumulus Media; WVBO 103.9 FM and WNAM 1280 AM.

Media Partner

Octoberfest

SATURDAY September 24, 2016

WGBA-TV NBC 26. Supporting Sponsors: Insta Print Plus, Van’s Waste and Appleton Downtown, Inc. Fox Cities Business December 2015

Robyn Gruner - Young Professional of the Year Award Robyn, Director, External Affairs, AT&T, was selected for her work of making the Fox Cities community a great place to live. Robyn has hosted numerous events at area high schools in order to educate teens about the dangers of texting while driving through AT&T’s “It Can Wait” program. As a volunteer, Robyn has accepted key leadership roles including as a founding member of a new non-profit, CASA of the Fox Cities (Court Appointed Special Advocates).

Lisa Cruz - ATHENA Leadership Award®

2015 Award Winners From left to right: Tony Busch, Jon Stellmacher, Brian Gottlieb, Robyn Gruner, Lisa Cruz, John Bergstrom, Richard Bergstrom, Les Van Ornum

The Fox Cities Chamber and presenting sponsor, Baker Tilly, honored numerous business leaders during their annual meeting The Event: Celebrating Business. Individuals recognized have a unique blend of vision, energy, perseverance and skill and have demonstrated outstanding achievements in operating businesses as well as leadership in the community.

Tony Busch - Joyce Bytof Exceptional Mentor Award

Tony is Managing Member of Priora® Cash Flow Management, LLC. Tony has over 30 years of banking experience, spending 27 of those years in business lending as a credit analyst and ending as President of a community bank. In 2003, Tony started his own company, Priora Cash Flow Management, LLC, to assist many business owners to improve the performance of their business and their banking relationships.

Jon Stellmacher - Gus A. Zuehlke Distinguished Service Award

A Special Thank You to This Year’s EVENT Sponsors Presenting Sponsor

Premier Sponsor

Executive Sponsor

Athena Award Sponsor

Jon is a Retired Senior Vice President of Thrivent Financial. He completed a 32-year career with Aid Association for Lutherans/Thrivent Financial for Lutherans in 2010. Following its merger, Jon served as the lead local executive of Thrivent from January 2002 until his retirement. Jon’s community service in the Fox Valley has included serving on the boards of Appleton Boychoir, Appleton Medical Center Foundation, Community Early Learning Center of the Fox Valley, Fox Cities Building for the Arts and many more. Jon has made many outstanding contributions through leadership in business and service during his years as a Chamber member.

Lisa, owner of Red Shoes PR, received this award for her professional excellence and commitment to improving the quality of life for others in the Fox Cities community. Lisa started Red Shoes PR in 2008 and provides strategic counseling in a number of areas for clients such as crisis communications, media relations, internal communications, image management and more. Lisa also serves on a number of boards including LEAVEN, Fox Cities Building for the Arts, Fox Cities Chamber and various other committees.

John Bergstrom and Richard Bergstrom Business Hall of Fame Inductees John is Chairman and CEO, Bergstrom Corporation and Richard “Dick” Bergstrom is Vice Chairman. TIME Magazine has named Bergstrom Corporation the “Number One Quality Automotive Dealer” in the country. Brothers John and Richard’s organization was highlighted by the “Wall Street Journal” in a front-page article focusing on outstanding customer service. John serves as a director of Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Wisconsin Energy Corporation, Advance Auto Parts, Associated Bank, and the Green Bay Packers. Richard serves as a director of Anchor Bancorp, Legacy Private Trust Company, continues to serve on the Investment Committee of NEW Venture Capital Group and serves as Foundation President for the St. Mary Central High School Foundation.

Les Van Ornum - Champion of the Chamber Award Les and his wife, Helen, started Merchants’ Choice Card Services, LLC in 2001 with a vision of excellent customer service, affordable products and community involvement. Les has been in the Fox Valley for almost 40 years. Whether he was working at a local bank or being a small business owner, the Fox Cities Chamber has always been an integral part of Les’ business.

Brian Gottlieb - Entrepreneur of the Year Award Contributing Sponsors AT&T The Boldt Company Fox Banquets Rivertyme Catering Kimberly-Clark Miron Construction 14

SECURA ThedaCare Thrivent Financial Woodward Communications

Fox Cities Business December 2015

Brian, owner of Tundraland, was selected for his inspirational traits. He believes each person within an organization possesses the ability to make a difference. His leadership style is about developing the hearts of others and building a culture of enthusiasm and purpose. Brian is an impactful leader who has taken Tundraland from a brand new startup in 2009, to one of the largest home improvement companies in the nation.

Save The

Date

2016T EVEN

Thursday 11/10/2016

Fox Cities Business December 2015

Proud Partner of the Green Bay Packers

BAKER TILLY IS PROUD TO BE THE PRESENTING SPONSOR OF THE EVENT AWARDS PROGRAM BATHROOMS

SUNROOMS

WINDOWS

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At Baker Tilly, we are proud to pair up with the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce and businesses in our community. Helping businesses evolve and thrive is what we do. It’s just one way we can help keep our community vibrant and strong, because when we work together, we all win. Connect with us: bakertilly.com

Local connection to endless opportunities Smart companies across the Fox Cities know that a strong banking relationship is key to creating and seizing opportunities that will move their business forward. Providing seamless access to our Smart companies across the Fox Cities know network of experts across the that a strong banking relationship is key to firm, your Wisconsin-based creating and seizing opportunities that will move their business forward. banker brings you proactive Providing to our network of insight,seamless tailoredaccess financial solutions experts across the firm, your Wisconsin-based and personalized service to banker brings you proactive insight, tailored financial solutions and personalized meet your growing needs.service to

Local connection to endless opportunities.

“ Fox Valley Tech is a key contributor in growing and developing our region’s workforce.” Kim Wetzel Foundation Director Bemis Company Foundation

Employment Connections

Linking Students & Employers

meet your growing needs.

Your local team is invested in you, yourlocal business and our community. Your team is invested in you, your business and ourus community. Visit at www.jpmorganchase.com Visit us at www.jpmorganchase.com to learn more. to learn more.

Hiring new employees can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. Call Employment Connections to find out how we can connect you to the right students with the right skills. www.fvtc.edu/EmployerResources 920-735-JOBS (5627) • EmploymentConnections@fvtc.edu

Students had a chance to listen to McMahon representatives as they start preparing for their future during Talent Upload.

The Fox Cities Regional Partnership is the 2015 winner of the Best in Show for Excellence in Economic Development Award from the International Economic Development Council. The Talent Upload program was also chosen as a winner of the Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award in the category of Special Event.

Local employers were able to interact with computer science/IT & engineering students during the Fall Talent Upload Fox Cities Tour program.

Back in June, Department of Workforce Developmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Reggie Newson toured the Gulfstream with Chris Nowicki and Mark Rahmlow and learned about the Student Leadership Program.

Feeding America opened their new facility in November on the north side of Appleton off of I-41.

Alta Resources provided students an overview of their company, a guided tour and extra time for networking during Talent Upload.

Congratulations to Nutritional Healing, LLC on their multi-phase expansion within Richmond Terrace over the last 6 months!

Appleton International Airport hosted over 80 students at their Platinum Flight Center for a takeoff reception during Talent Upload.

Congressman Ribble, Lt. Gov. Kleefisch, Former Congressman Petri and WisDOT Secretary Mark Gottlieb unveil I-41 signs.

Congressman Ribble meets with transportation stakeholders at the Fox Cities Chamber office back in September.

U.S. Cellular sponsored the November business connection hosted by Lake Park Sportzoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s facility.

Appleton International Airport unveiling ceremony. (Left to Right: Lance Schmidt, Fox West Chamber, Former County Executive Toby Paltzer, Current County Executive Thomas Nelson, Airport Director Abe Weber, CVB Director Pam Seidl, State Senator Roger Roth, Amy Flanders)

Governor Scott Walker visits 441 project site with Fox Cities stakeholders.

In October, the City of Appleton invited the Fox Cities Regional Partnership to share their booth during the Manufacturing First Expo.

On Friday evening, students participating in Talent Upload attended an employer expo and reception at the Timber Rattlers Stadium.

Fox Cities Business December 2015

Business connections are a great way to catch up with friends and meet other professionals.

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson addresses the Fox Cities and Oshkosh Chamber Members back in May.

Congressman Grothman addresses Fox Chamber members at Miron Construction.

Mark Rahmlow, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, and Jayme Sellen (Green Bay Chamber) meet in D.C.

Fox Cities Business December 2015

YOURVOICE Advocating for pro-business policy in the Fox Cities

Public-Private Partnerships Paying Dividends For Fox Cities By: Mark Rahmlow

The work the Regional Partnership does is certainly not in a vacuum, but requires the efforts of important public and private partners. It may require a community to establish a TIF district, or provide some other incentives. It may require the Regional Partnership to provide data and research on the area’s workforce. It may also require incentives from the state of Wisconsin or the utilization of programs offered through the local technical college. In all cases, it requires collaboration and communication among stakeholders to ensure that business gets the best information possible prior to making a major decision like where to locate or expand. For example, one local company, with facilities in Northeast, Southeast and Central Wisconsin had to make a decision about whether or not to expand in the Fox Cities. The Regional Partnership, through its business retention visits learned about this company’s needs, but also worked closely with the public sector to gather data and present the company with options for expanding their footprint here. Ultimately, they chose to expand in the Fox Cities.

More than three years ago, the Fox Cities Regional Partnership formed to help assist existing employers expand their businesses in the Fox Cities, in addition to attracting employers outside this region to set up shop in the area. Part of that goal also included a pledge to assist in the creation of 1,200 jobs in the Fox Cities. As the Regional Partnership closes in on that goal by serving as a resource to help area companies create more than 1,000 jobs already, it is a good time to reflect on the accomplishments of this Fox Cities Chamber program and look ahead to the future at the same time. Currently, the Regional Partnership is working diligently on a combination of projects. Any combination of those projects going forward will mean at least 200 more jobs for this region with the overriding goal being achieved well ahead of schedule. This work cannot be done without the involvement of the Regional Partnership’s public and private partners. In particular, the public sector has been quick to step up because they realize that recent state budget cuts in shared revenue and general transportation aids have placed a strain on their local budgets.

Fox Cities Business December 2015

By investing in the Regional Partnership, they are investing directly in economic development initiatives that will lead to a larger tax base, which will result in more revenue to local governments. Businesses in the Fox Cities could produce their products anywhere in the U.S. In fact, states like Georgia, Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma regularly reach out to our local business community to find out what incentives they need to either do their next expansion in that state, or leave Wisconsin altogether and move the entire operation. Economic development is a highly competitive field, and it’s important for the Fox Cities to stay engaged.

Initiatives like Talent Upload have also sprung out of the Regional Partnership’s activities. Talent Upload, now an internationally awarded program, brings together college students with area employers looking to close the skills gap. It also helps in the decade’s long fight to reverse the “brain drain” while offering graduates good-paying jobs here. It directly markets to them area offerings like Mile of Music, The Artery, recreational trails and other quality of life issues that are so important to the millennial workforce. There is a lot of great news coming out of the Fox Cities Regional Partnership. Stay tuned because there’s more on the way! Mark Rahmlow is currently the Vice President of Public Policy for the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce.

Budget In Review By: Craig Thompson The most recent state budget passed in July, but the transportation portion of that budget wasn’t really settled until the first week in November. That is when the Joint Finance Committee took action to release $350 million of contingency bonds that was authorized in the budget pending their approval. The journey to get to that early November vote was a rough road indeed. Going back to the end of 2014, the Department of Transportation submitted a budget request to Governor Walker that would have generated about $750 million of additional revenue over the biennium. The two biggest sources were a 2.5 percent fee on the sale of new cars and about a 5-cent increase in the gas tax. WisDOT proposed setting the bonding level at about $800 million. This would have been a reduction from the level in the previous biennium of about $990 million, but the percentage of revenue consumed by debt service would have gone down significantly due to the broadening of the base. Governor Walker submitted his budget in February, which included no new revenue, but increased bonding to $1.3 billion. This level of bonding without broadening the base would have resulted in 25 cents of every state transportation dollar going toward debt service. Many groups, including TDA, raised serious concerns about what that debt load would do to the future of the fund. Legislators in both houses immediately balked at that level of debt as well. What ensued was a prolonged debate about priorities, funding and geographical divides. Without the appetite to increase revenue or debt, very difficult decisions were left. Debate ensued about the trade-off of keeping the largest state project – the Zoo Interchange – on schedule versus priorities everywhere else in the state. Ultimately, the legislature did not opt to increase the level of debt. In fact, they voted to cut bonding from the approximately $990 million to $500 million without any revenue increases to soften the blow. This reduced funding would have meant a cut in the state highway program of about a third. It also meant delaying five major highway projects by two years and dozens of highway rehabilitation projects. The budget did have a provision that gave the Joint Committee on Finance (JFC) the authority to lessen that cut by releasing $350 million in contingency bonds. Ultimately, the JFC voted 10-6 on a bipartisan basis to release the contingency bonds. Now those five projects will be delayed one year rather than two and the miles of highway that had been removed from the 6-year rehabilitation program were restored. The legislators voting no argued that this over-reliance on bonding is unsustainable. The ten members voting in favor all seemed to agree with that notion but recognized the time to settle upon a sustainable funding plan in this budget had passed. The positive news moving forward is all legislators will have the opportunity to put their money where their mouth is next budget and pass a transportation package with a sustainable revenue source. Craig Thompson is Executive Director of Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin.

YOURVOICE Advocating for pro-business policy in the Fox Cities

Fox Cities Business December 2015

Member SPOTLIGHT EDCi The contact center team at EDCi focuses on communications, collaboration and enterprise operations – with services ranging from consulting, design and implementation to managed services and continuous improvement. EDCi leverages best practices, experience, process, and technology to fulfill our mission of enabling our customers to achieve excellence in communications. The main goal is to build efficient and effective processes and communications. We do this by partnering with our customers to identify gaps and understand business objectives in order to best align them with processes and technology creating a holistic solution. From business process automation, to real-time collaboration, and contact center expertise, we provide necessary tools for bringing your organization to the next level. So, what does the “next level” mean? In our eyes, it’s very simple – empowering you to deliver an excellent customer journey. Because organizations differ greatly in culture, size and vertical, EDCi offers tailored

Our company is committed to “Building Excellence”

Fox Cities Business December 2015

Member Spotlight opportunities are a benefit to Chamber members at the Grow, Engage, Accelerate, Influence and Lead levels. If you are interested in seeing your business featured in the next magazine, email marketing@ foxcitieschamber.com for more information.

solutions both on premise and in the cloud. In fact, EDCi is proud to be the first company in Northeast Wisconsin to offer a full, all-in-one, cloud-based communication platform. This collaboration application – Pure Cloud – is free! You can give it a try at: www. edci.com/FreePureCloud. EDCi has earned the experience necessary to assist companies from the Fortune 100 realm, across the spectrum to small, local businesses. Our team of consultants, engineers and project managers understand nearly every aspect of the customer experience. This affords us the ability to fulfill the communications needs of the vast majority of businesses within the Fox Cities. Moreover, EDCi embraces a culture that values serving each of our customers in a unique way that best fits their needs. We also make sure to mix fun in with our work on a regular basis! Beyond the contact center, EDCi also supports business efficiencies in the information technology arena. Our virtualization, data center and security expertise address a range of needs with an ultimate goal utilizing technology to improve business efficiency and operations. Edci.com

and continually invests in its employees, equipment, training, and new construction methodologies to exceed the expectations of partner firms and clients. The company’s vision truly embodies its culture: “Our commitment reaches beyond construction; our passion brings dreams to life.”

Miron Construction Co., Inc. is one of the nation’s premier construction firms and is recognized as an industry leader. The forward-thinking, fastgrowing private company provides innovative preconstruction, construction management, designbuild, industrial, and general construction services throughout the nation. Miron self-performs concrete, masonry, carpentry, steel erection, precast concrete erection, and heavy rigging. With its comprehensive approach to construction including ExperienceBased Design methodologies, LEED and green building, Virtual Construction and BIM, Miron provides customized solutions for its clients.

Member Spotlight Submissions

Miron serves a wide variety of markets and industries including educational, healthcare, commercial, industrial, and food processing, to name a few. The company engages with clients to understand their visions and philosophies and becomes a true partner throughout the construction process. Miron is excited to announce the opening of its new Eau Claire office. The new location will focus on serving the western portion of the state. In addition, the company plans to build a new office and warehouse operations facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, providing better support for local project sites and space for the company to grow. miron-construction.com

ITU AbsorbTech Waste Free Absorbent System is a unique reusable absorbent program that helps manufacturers and printers achieve their sustainability and safety initiatives. SorbIts® absorbents soak up the industrial process fluids in and around machinery to prevent slips and falls. SorbIts® Ultra Printer Towels were specifically engineered for the unique demands of the graphics industry for wiping and cleaning up inks and solvents. SorbIts® absorbents and towels are professionally laundered at one of ITU AbsorbTech’s ISO 14001 processing facilities for reuse. Recovered oils and solvents are recycled - eliminating the waste stream. Helping Eliminate Solid Waste to Landfill On average, manufacturers eliminate over 3,000 lbs of solid waste from landfill every year by utilizing the SorbIts® program. In addition, companies typically reduce costs by 20% or more by switching from disposables or other alternatives to SorbIts®.

Omni Resources is an employee-owned, technology consulting company with offices in Appleton, Milwaukee and Madison. We focus on things such as custom software design and development, mobile and interactive website development, business intelligence, big data and analytics consulting. Our projects range from five-hour quick fixes to 3,000+ hour marathons and everything in-between. Our clients look to us to help them understand and capitalize upon the latest and greatest opportunities like the Internet of Things, machine learning and predictive analytics. Our clients are in a variety of industries and we have particular strength and expertise in healthcare, insurance, manufacturing and retail. As an example, one of our clients is a division of Amazon so we have deep expertise working in highly complex ecommerce environments. We also do innovative work

If you’re interested in learning more about the value of your membership with the Chamber and to take advantage of the many marketing opportunities offered, email Leah Schapiro at lschapiro@foxcitieschamber.com.

SorbIts® are picked up and delivered directly to a customer by a certified ITU AbsorbTech service team. The team provides ongoing inventory management, program reporting and regular customer program reviews. Committed to Genuine Service Excellence ITU AbsorbTech’s way of doing business has been guided by Genuine Service Excellence. An internationally recognized training program, tenured service teams and superior safety practices help ITU AbsorbTech build loyal partnerships with companies that share their philosophy of sustainable business practices. They are recognized by federal, state and local agencies as being at the forefront of industrial laundries in environmental capabilities and have assisted thousands of customers who value environmental stewardship. Family Owned and Operated Company ITU AbsorbTech is a family owned and operated company with over 80 years of delivering managed service programs for SorbIts® absorbents, shop towels and printer towels, floor mats, garments, mops, gloves, cotton roll towels, and first aid. Their facilities are located in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. ituabsorbtech.com

with entrepreneurs. For example, start-up software companies that receive venture capital funding often need to get things off the ground quickly so they turn to Omni for help. These companies often have cuttingedge ideas and unique challenges that our software engineering team loves to sink its teeth into! Omni is the only employee-owned technology company in the state of Wisconsin and that has a unique effect on our culture. We look to hire people that we believe will make great co-owners. And, we don’t hire big egos – they just don’t fit with our culture. Instead, a typical “Omni person” has a unique blend of amazing talent – yet is really humble about their skills. We look to hire people who are self-motivated, passionate about technology and lifelong learners – people who want to learn and grow. We also attract people who like to use Slack and do things like reverse engineer quad-copters and build things from scratch like the Fans of Fury game that adorns our Appleton office. omniresources.com

Fox Cities Business December 2015

Member SPOTLIGHT

Member Spotlight Submissions Member Spotlight opportunities are a benefit to Chamber members at the Grow, Engage, Accelerate, Influence and Lead levels. If you are interested in seeing your business featured in the next magazine, email marketing@ foxcitieschamber.com for more information.

appointment wait time, and projects delivered on time and under budget.

instructors than any other organization, ensuring a quality student experience. Finally, our passion around service is incredible and to top it all off, every student enjoys a hot, fresh cookie every afternoon.

New Horizons of Wisconsin provides students the value of personal and career development through continuing IT education and training. Since we understand that unique learning styles exist, we tailor our learning options around the needs and wants of the individual and offer several learning solutions including traditional instructor-led training, live virtual training, mentored learning, self-paced learning, private classes and on-site training. There are several areas that we provide significantly more value than our competition. First, the amount of live certified training classes we provide is outstanding. Over 7,000 live courses per year, delivered by 450 certified instructors in over 650 different technologies. Second, we employ more award-winning and certified

Given that technology influences every facet of business today, our prospective student is everyone. New Horizons of Wisconsin has a unique opportunity to train and educate individuals in all phases of their lives. New Horizons of Wisconsin has recently launched VITAL, a career accelerator designed to help successminded individuals leapfrog into some of the highestpaid and most sought after tech-careers in either Software Development, Cyber Security, Business Intelligence or Computer Networking. Our Accelerator is so effective that we guarantee certification. In an effort to be a part of the transformation in building our tech community, we have scholarship dollars available. For scholarship opportunities, please visit: http://www. vitalaccelerator.com

Epiphany Law is a boutique law firm specializing in business law, estate planning and litigation. We fill a void in the legal services realm by providing pragmatic advice, utilizing systems and processes and producing superior results at predictable, below market costs. We are guided by a strong vision and unwavering value system – which is not hung in a dusty frame on a wall in the lobby, but rather is lived by individual team members. It has adopted customer service best practices, including no screening of calls, zero call and

will match the senior’s preferences, and escort the senior and family on tours, to make sure they have the right information to make an educated decision on a Senior Living Community.

With our aging population growing rapidly and many of our elderly living way beyond the average age of 85, the need for long-term care is becoming wildly needed. Oasis Senior Advisors is a realtor for Senior Living Communities – Independent, Assisted Living and Dementia Care. As the owner, I personally meet with the senior/family to find a community that will fit their unique needs including cost, care and geography. This service is FREE for the Senior and Family, and the ultimate goal is to find the “perfect” Senior Living Community with the least amount of stress. I personally meet the senior/family and gain an understanding of the needs and personality of the senior needing placement into a Senior Living Community. I then provide three to four options that

Fox Cities Business December 2015

Our core clients are business owners and executives of mid-sized regional businesses generally with annual revenues in excess of $10,000,000. We do, however, work with many individuals and smaller businesses particularly in our Small Business Services, Litigation and Estate Planning sections. Epiphany Law has continued its steady growth pattern. Recently we hired Attorney Matt Van Nuland who specializes in real estate and business law, Paralegal Julianna Durie to assist in litigation and Paralegal Tina Panske to assist with collection work. epiphanylaw.com

newhorizonswi.com

Sandler Training – Eric Thompson

Oasis Senior Advisors – Lisa Magnuson

My target client is anyone who is vested in finding the appropriate Senior Living Community – could be the senior (65 +) themselves, an adult family member (45 to 60) or a medical professional; anyone who has concerns for a senior’s health, safety and socialization. My passion in regards to the senior population, is those who have been diagnosed with Dementia – of which they are over 40 different types, Alzheimer’s being the most common. It is my plan in 2016 to help facilitate educational programs for family members whose loved one has dementia. The major program being the Virtual Dementia Tour – a tool that provides greater understanding of dementia through the use of patented sensory tools and instruction – “being able to walk in the shoes of dementia.” foxvalley.oasissenioradvisors.com

When you are running a business you may be frustrated with a sales team that can’t close. They aren’t bringing in new clients and the team isn’t staffed properly. Are you building the right team? Are your frontline team members missing opportunities? These, as well as management performance, leadership, sales performance, customer service, communication (internal and external), etc. are some of the many things we help with. Sandler Training isn’t a quick fix or a patch for whatever issues might exist. We focus on success looking at behaviors, attitudes and techniques. It’s an all-encompassing plan that promotes lasting change in behavior and attitude in your team. Sandler Training has been changing the way teams work for over 40 years. It’s built around the concept of incremental change and growth over time. Sandler Training provides basic training to start improvement quickly, but then includes the advanced strategies needed to continue to build on that initial change. Repetition, reinforcement, coaching and accountability support the building process.

Who we serve: Game-changers such as salesdriven organizations, non-selling professionals and entrepreneurs. We best serve leaders, self-starters, and highly motivated people who believe in investing in themselves, their company and the growth of their team. They have a good business going but struggle in taking their organizations to the next level. At Sandler we are always developing tools for our clients to use. For folks struggling with complex sales, Sandler enterprises selling tools have been a game changer. Not only does Sandler bring the sales process but we now have tools for account planning and collaboration between sales teams and delivery in organizations. As part of its continuing mission to grow and support top-performing professionals, Sandler Training is pleased to announce its latest book series looking at topics such as selling technology, customer service, prospecting, leadership, accountability and more. Get a free PDF copy of “LinkedIn The Sandler Way: 25 Secrets that Show Salespeople How to Leverage the World’s Largest Professional Network”. Visit www.psta. sandler.com/linkedinbook. We would be curious if the tips work in your world! ethompson@sandler.com

Fox Cities Business December 2015

Member SPOTLIGHT Pro Floor Restore Whether you need carpet cleaning, tile cleaning, upholstery cleaning, or water damage clean-up, Pro Floor Restore is here to help! We are passionate about delivering an exceptional floor cleaning experience. When you hire Pro Floor Restore, you are hiring a team of IICRC Certified Carpet Cleaning Professionals who are extensively trained and skilled to deliver outstanding results to your home or business. At Pro Floor Restore, we use the latest and most advanced technology in the market today. Our process thoroughly removes dirt, grime, and odor-causing

Senior Helpers As the senior population increases, the need for professional in-home care grows. At Senior Helpers of the Fox Cities, we are dedicated to providing quality, personalized services for your loved ones. Familyowned and operated by the Bortolameolli family, each of us has a passion and loyalty to our clients and caregivers. We promise dignity and respect as we meet the individual care needs of your loved one. It is our commitment and devotion to enable the elderly and their families to enjoy a better quality of life. Senior Helpers is dedicated to providing customized services for your loved ones including Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care, Personal and Companion Care and “Peace of Mind Visits”. Our visits range from 1-hour to round-the-clock care, including weekends. We professionally train our caregivers, using our Senior Gems™ Approach, focusing on what your loved one can do, not on what they can’t do. Senior Helpers proudly serves Appleton, Kaukauna, Menasha, Neenah, Oshkosh and the surrounding area

Cities Business December 2015 826FoxFox Cities Business November 2015

bacteria, which will leave your floors healthier and cleaner for you, your family and your patrons. Each Pro Floor Restore technician is IICRC certified and works tirelessly to provide an exceptional restoration experience with honesty, integrity and quality. We take pride in every project that we do, and we consider every project equally as important as the next. By measuring our success one client at a time we maintain a steadfast focus on delivering quality every time! Pro Floor Restore was awarded the “BEST OF 2015” distinction because of our outstanding customer reviews. Our future plans include giving everyone who requires floor care the opportunity to say, “I never knew my floors could get this clean!” At Pro Floor Restore we hear that a lot! profloorrestore.com

with professional and compassionate in-home care for adults and the elderly. Our clients range from 18 years of age to 100+ years old. Whether help is needed 24-7, or just a few hours a week, Senior Helpers of the Fox Cities provides general housekeeping to assistance after a hospital stay to specialized dementia care using our unique Senior Gems Approach for anyone needing extra help maintaining their independence. Our caregivers are carefully matched to meet the needs of each of our clients and help them enjoy living independently at home. Each member of Senior Helpers has a passion and loyalty to our clients and caregivers. Senior Helpers promises dignity and respect as we meet the growing demand for individual care needs of the aging population. It is our commitment and devotion to enable the elderly and their families to enjoy a better quality of life. In 2016, we continue our mission to not only provide quality home care services, but to also educate family members through our Dementia Care Workshops and soon our Balancing Act: Parkinson’s Care Workshops. The Bortolameolli family strives to fulfill and pursue their personal mission to truly care and provide the best care as a business today and in the future. seniorhelpers.com

the art and we are an experience unique to Wisconsin since we focus on the stories of Wisconsin’s artists.

The Fine Fox offers an inviting and year-round location to discover handmade works of art, clothing, accessories and gifts. We carry exclusive works made in Wisconsin which allows us to promote the abundance of local talent throughout our great state – and there’s so much to find! Most of our work is oneof-a-kind or limited edition and that allows us to deliver something truly unique to our community. We are the largest collective of our type in the Fox Cities. Featuring works by over 50 artisans, we have carefully curated the highest quality and most modern works from all over the state. We are more than just a sales space – we are a place to learn the stories behind

Two Men And A Truck is a full-service moving company with fully trained, licensed, insured, and uniformed movers that are here to help you. Two Men And A Truck provides moving services for residential, businesses, apartments, senior living, colleges, and anyone who needs something moved! Besides moving services, we also sell packing supplies such as boxes, packing paper and bubble wrap. In addition, we also provide packing and unpacking services for your moving needs. Our customer service team is here Monday through Saturday to answer your questions regarding a current or upcoming move. Our team are the Movers Who Care and ready to serve you! At Two Men And a Truck we believe in treating our customers like we would treat our grandmothers: with patience, dignity and respect. We care about our customers and want to deliver a stress-free move for them. Our company has been serving the community

Our customers appreciate the arts and value the high quality and care that goes into handmade works. We gravitate toward the trendy and hip while keeping room for basics. With thousands of works available every day and changing weekly, we’re sure to have something for every art lover! This year, we’ll be focusing on bringing our art directly to you and making it convenient to shop local and support local! We offer an online shopping option that’s brand new and includes a special holiday gift wrapping option – you order your gifts online and we’ll have them gift wrapped and tagged for pickup within two hours during normal business hours. We’re also participating in dozens of events throughout our region. You’ll discover more on our Facebook page (facebook.com/FineFoxNeenah). finefoxneenah.com

since 1993 and we have the experience and knowledge to handle almost any move. Our managers on staff have been here for over ten years and were once movers themselves! Our team has firsthand experience moving items and helping you. Our moving service includes complimentary stretch wrapping and padding to protect your items. Our team has a 95% referral rate and have an immense amount of repeat customers. We service customers from all walks of life; we have helped families move into their first home, helped with transitions into a senior living facility and also helped businesses move across the city to a new building. We work with anyone who needs expert moving assistance. Being the “Movers Who Care” we are not only a full service moving company, but we also are conscious of the community we live in. Annually, we hold our Movers For Moms and Movers For Meals drives both which give back to local Women’s shelters and food pantries. We also provide charity moves for non-profit local organizations such as the March of Dimes, Harbor House, Christine Ann Center, Family and Childcare Resources of N.E.W and many more organizations. We are passionate with our communities and happy we can make a positive influence in other’s lives. twomenandatruck.com

Fox Fox Cities Cities Business Business December November 2015 2015

27 9

Increase Your Sales By 31 Percent Our 13 week course combines these proven sales tools with a powerful support system

• • • • •

Client-focused sales skills Increased inner-belief boundaries Goal achievement Activity management Improved quality of life issues

• • • • •

Personal growth and emotional control Successful self-coaching Communications skills Motivational intelligence Redefines selling success and failure

Discover New Ways to Impact Your Sales Abilities REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! Limited seating is available in the following classes:

Wausau, WI - Wednesdays, 8:00 AM – 10:30 AM (January 13 – March 30, 2016) Madison/Milwaukee, WI (Pewaukee) Thursdays, 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM (January 14-March 31, 2016) Hudson, WI – Tuesdays, 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM (January 12 – March 29, 2016) Appleton, WI – Fridays, 8:00 AM – 10:30 AM (February 12 – April 29, 2016) Course Fee: $1,750

For more information or to register please contact: Bridget Wenman, Authentic Sales Training Group, LLC (715) 581-3350 • bwenman@perspectivestraining.com

Welcome

NEW MEMBERS The Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce relies on its members to continue its work in promoting business interests in the Fox Cities region. Without these committed members, the Chamber would not be able to provide the high quality services it is known for.

Ahava Salon and Spa

Oasis Senior Advisors

400 N. Richmond Street, Suite I Appleton, WI 54911-4602 (920) 221-3226 www.ahavasalonandspa.com HAIR SALON

1224 W. Summer Street Appleton, WI 54914-3515 (920) 716-9406 foxvalley.oasissenioradvisors.com CONSULTANT

Detail XPerts

Planet Fitness of Appleton (East)

N9360 Cheyenne Drive Appleton, WI 54915-8776 (920) 798-4430 AUTOMOTIVE DETAILING

W3165 Van Roy Road, Suite 7 Appleton, WI 54915-3996 (920) 815-3592 www.eastappleton.wi@planetfitness.com FITNESS CLUB

Morton LTC

Rightsize Facility Performance

201 E. Bell Street Neenah, WI 54956-5096 (920) 727-3853 www.mortonltc.com PHARMACY

W6792 Sunnyvale Lane Greenville, WI 54942-8695 (920) 358-7266 www.rightsizefacility.com OFFICE FURNITURE

North American Corporation “The Authentic Salesperson Course has offered me multiple opportunities to explore and expand my sales techniques. This unique approach has boosted my confidence level by challenging my inner beliefs and attitudes and focusing on my connection with others. Course facilitators foster growth among each and every class member. The 13-week class has changed my life and I’m already experiencing positive results. I’m excited to experience the benefits in the years to come.” Patti Weaseling “The Authentic Salesperson Course has completely changed my mind set when it comes to interacting with clients and prospective clients. I started to experience positive changes in the way I conduct business immediately upon commencement of the weekly sessions. I have no doubt that several of the techniques and lessons taught by the course will be used for my entire career.” Preston Kendall – Robert W Baird

1800 S. Sylvania Avenue, Suite 200 Sturtevant, WI 53177-2162 (847) 832-4000 www.na.com PACKAGING/INDUSTRIAL SERVICES & SUPPLIES

Senior Helpers 2501 S. Oneida Street, Suite B Appleton, WI 54915-1755 (920) 749-9700 www.seniorhelpers.com HOME CARE

DIAMOND MEMBER

Honor Roll December 2015

Diamond Members are companies that have supported the Chamber and community for more than 40 years. We’d like to express our gratitude to the following Diamond Member businesses for their membership and support to the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce.

Company Member since Nordon Business Environments 12/1/1972 Pace Corporation 11/1/1974 Schenck SC 12/1/1930 Wayne Hummer Wealth Management 12/1/1966 We Energies 12/1/1966 Fox Cities Business December 2015

EVENTS & Sponsorships

Success

January 2016 Chamber Report to the Community Tuesday, January 12, 2016 Bridgewood Best Western Neenah, WI

Overtime Happy Hour with Pulse Thursday, January 14, 2016 Location TBD

Workforce Conversation for Healthcare Tuesday, January 19, 2016 Fox Cities Chamber Office Appleton, WI

Business Connection Thursday, January 21, 2016 Butte Des Morts Country Club Appleton, WI

Your community helped you achieve it.

Want to give back?

We can show you how.

CMY

920-830-1290 cffoxvalley.org info@cffoxalley.org

2016 REPORT TO THE

COMMUNITY We cordially invite you to join other community leaders and stakeholders for the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce’s

Annual Report to the Community Tuesday, January 12 7:00am-7:30am Light breakfast 7:30am-9:00am Report to the Community

February 2016 Executive Leadership Program Begins

Bridgewood Resort Hotel & Conference Center 1000 Cameron Way Neenah, WI 54956

Saturday, February 6, 2016 Locations vary throughout the community

Economic Outlook Breakfast Tuesday, February 9, 2016 Radisson Paper Valley Hotel Appleton, WI

Overtime Happy Hour with Pulse Thursday, February 11, 2016 Location TBD

A sincere

NEW Chamber Coalition Legislative Dialogue Breakfast

THANK YOU

Monday, February 15, 2016 Bridgewood Resort & Hotel Neenah, WI

Business Day in Madison

to our clients and staff.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016 Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center Madison, WI

First Business is proud to have received an outstanding 97% in our annual client satisfaction survey. We’d like to thank our clients for this great compliment, and our staff who works hard each day to go above and beyond in delivering outstanding client satisfaction.

Future 15 Awards Thursday, February 25, 2016 OuterEdge Stage Appleton, WI

Business Connection (available: Contact Caitlyn Quast for more information at: cquast@foxcitieschamber.com)

March 2016 Business Connection

Member FDIC

(Available: Contact Caitlyn Quast for more information)

These results are based on a survey conducted by an independent third party expert.

Overtime Happy Hour with Pulse Thursday, March 10, 2016 Location TBD

Fox Cities Business December 2015

BUSINESS BANKING

PRIVATE WEALTH

SPECIALTY FINANCE

PROJECT NAME

NEW JOBS ANNOUNCED

REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP ROLE

Neenah-based electrical Warehouse and distribution company looking to double in size, seeking appropriate location for 200,000 sq. ft. building. Company considering Fox Cities location as well as out of state options

Provided assistance in identifying real estate options, coordination with WEDC for economic incentives, consultation on preparation of presentation for public sector, coordination of meeting with prospect community

$ 21,241,767

119

Hortonville manufacturer engaged in $5.5 million, 65,000 sq. ft. expansion associated with having landed a contract to supply pipe to a liquefied natural gas export facility in Maryland

Assisted the company with financial assessment, application and packaging of State incentives and site considerations

$ 61,712,172

Cheese producer expanded Hilbert plant capacity and increased production jobs

Working with Plymouth, WI headquarters, Regional Partnership provided extensive labor and demographic research in response to company concerns about being able to access sufficient numbers of employment candidates

$66,217,679

350

Menasha-based company engaged in major expansion of its engineering sector

Responded to company request for potential real estate options. Responded to City of Menasha request for economic impact numbers associated with expansion

$62,385,121

Kaukauna-based frozen pizza manufacturer engaged in 25,000 sq. ft. expansion of its bakery department

Provided economic and industryspecific wage data to the company and packaged available local and State incentives

$8,513,702

A DIVISION OF

WERNER ELECTRIC

E X PA N S I O N & AT TR AC TI O N P R OJ E C T O U TCO M E S 1 2 CO M PA N I E S PROJECT NAME

THIEL CHEESE

GALLOWAY FOODS

AMEREQUIP

POLYFLEX

WINONA FOODS

SIMPLY INCREDIBLE

COATING SYSTEMS

NEW JOBS ANNOUNCED

12 5

2 01 3 -2 01 5

$ 3 63 , 879 , 2 6 1 I M PAC T

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

ECONOMIC REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP ROLE IMPACT

Cheese producer acquired new equipment that significantly expanded processing capacity

Assisted with governmental land use compliance and economic incentive process

Liquid processing of concentrated dairy blends and sweetened Provided assistance with state condensed milk. The company is economic incentive process the largest manufacturer of frozen dairy dessert mixes in Wisconsin

$ 8,903,494

$ 3,709,789

Participated in problem solving process involving City, County, DNR. Assisted with coordination of state economic incentives

Plastics blow molding company headquartered in Walworth, WI. Company growth demanded more production space. Decision made to build 59,000 sq. ft. new facility in Kaukauna

Assisted the City of Kaukauna with marketing of the area to the company, and worked with the Industrial and Commercial Development Commission, the Community Development Department and the Common Council to facilitate negotiations and approval processes

$ 15,857,807

Cheese processing company headquartered in Green Bay acquired smaller cheese shredding company in Kaukauna. Acquisition will trigger move of Wisconsin -based production operations into Kaukauna, along with operations currently located in four states

Assisted the company with state incentive process

$ 21,516,777

120

Central Wisconsin frozen cranberry snack food processor purchased City of Menasha steam generation plant to site expanded production activities

Generated economic impact report to assist City with project assessment and feasibility

$ 58,911,120

Provided assistance to company Hortonville trucking company that owner and business consultant has expanded into pipe coating, with application process heat-treating and painting as a associated with Outagamie contractor to Piping Systems. County Prosperity Fund

$4,315,028

103

Appleton, WI 54911

Fox Cities Business December 2015

PIPING SYSTEMS

(DIRECT, INDIRECT & INDUCED)

Contract manufacturer producing equipment for OEM’s, including Ariens, Toro, John Deere and others. Company has established fast growth plans, and considered expansion in Kiel and in North Carolina.

125 N Superior Street

1 , 0 41 N E W J O B S

920.831.4905

$ 30,594,805

SARGENTO FOODS INC.

FAITH TECHNOLOGIES

BERNATELLOS FOODS

FoxCitiesRegionalPartnership.com

140

“As company leadership was considering where to expand, we were looking at options locally as well as out of state. The Fox Cities Regional Partnership assisted Werner Electric and worked with the Town of Grand Chute in trying to keep us in the region by identifying real estate options, coordinating with WEDC for economic incentives, and bringing in other local partners whose support was necessary in the making of this project.” Craig Wiedemeier Vice President of Operations Werner Electric

125 N Superior Street

ECONOMIC IMPACT

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

“The Regional Partnership helped us by packaging the different local and statewide economic incentives available for growing companies like ours. It also provided us with economic and industry-specific wage data, which was valuable to the company as we continue to grow our local workforce. We look forward to the Regional Partnership’s continued support as we seek to hire and train more people in the near future.” Rick Pfrang General Manager Bernatello’s Foods/Orv’s Pizza

Appleton, WI 54911

920.831.4905

(DIRECT, INDIRECT & INDUCED)

“The Fox Cities Regional Partnership assisted Piping Systems with the application and packaging of State incentives, as well as with other site and financial assessments. Ultimately, the State of Wisconsin granted the company up to $350,000 in Economic Development Tax Credits over the next three years to support our growth. The Village of Hortonville is also providing us over half a million dollars in incentives to support the project.” Jeffrey M. Bunker President Piping Systems, Inc.

FoxCitiesRegionalPartnership.com

Fox Cities Business December 2015

fox cities chamber

PERIODICAL

POSTAGE

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Fox Cities Chamber Business C/o Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Inc. 125 N. Superior Street Appleton, WI 54911

PAID

AT APPLETON, WI