VO L 17 #3 J un e / J ul y 2 0 0 9
Published by the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce for Chamber members
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Smart Business Savings Are you getting your share of the $1.76 million in savings?
Advancing business
Advance, the economic development arm of the Chamber, works behind the scenes to recruit and retain business
Brown County Waste Transformation initiative
A real cash cow
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Contents.
FEATURES
Volume 17, #3 | June/July 2009
10
Brown County Waste Transformation initiative A real cash cow that transforms waste into a viable fertilizer product
13 Advancing business
Advance, the economic development arm of the Chamber, and its retention committee work behind the scenes to recruit and retain business
18 Smart Business Savings 10
09
Are you getting your share of the $1.76 million in savings on Chamber member exclusive discounts?
BBJ DEPARTMENTS
13 22 18
04 VIEW POINT 06 TECH WATCH 09 BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT 21 HEALTH HINTS 22 SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTS 24 CHAMBER NEWS
ADVERTISERS
VISIT THE GREEN BAY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AT:
titletown.org
PRESIDENT Paul Jadin EDITOR Lori Kaye Lodes GRAPHIC DESIGNER Josh Beaton
05 American Express Delt a Card 0 8 AO N B ack Cover Arise Health Plan 17 Associated Merchant Services 20 B aker Tilly 0 8 B ank Mutual Inside Front Cover Cellcom 07 Children’s Hospit al o f Wisconsin Inside B ack Cover Focus on Energy 0 8 ijobs 23 Launch Film 01 Network Health Plan 15 NWTC 07 Mike Roemer Photo Insert TD S 02 Time Warner Cable 01 UWG B
COVER IMAGE Josh Beaton
The BBJ is published bimonthly by the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 1660, Green Bay, WI 54305-1660. The BBJ is supported entirely by advertising revenue from member companies of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. For information about the advertising rates and deadlines, contact Sales at 920.593.3404. The BBJ (USPS 010-206) is published bimonthly for $18 a year by the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 1660, Green Bay, WI 54305-1660. Periodicals postage paid at Green Bay, WI. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The BBJ, P.O. Box 1660, Green Bay, WI 54305-1660. PH: 920.593.3423. Copyright© 2008 Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
VIEW POINT TEXT PAUL JADIN
Fix what’s
broken The State’s Legislative Fiscal Bureau has determined that tax collections are short of projections by $1.6 billion which has sent the Governor and Joint Finance Committee back to the drawing board to develop a budget for the next biennium. The Governor is calling for 16 days of unpaid leave for state workers along with 1,100 layoffs (if contracts can’t be renegotiated) and rescission of the two percent pay increases that were granted to nonunion workers. Cuts to shared revenue and school aids are almost certain to be a part of the budget-balancing recipe which means that local units of government will have to rethink their next budgets as well. Property tax increases are inevitable as are significant staff and program cuts. This is all very painful but necessary medicine in this unprecedented economy but, at a time when bold and creative solutions are more likely to be given an appropriate hearing (i.e., “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”), why is there still no talk of revamping the state pension system? The state has nearly 600,000 people covered by a defined benefit plan with assets of more than $90 billion and is collecting roughly $1.3 billion a year from employers. The City of Green Bay, Brown County and the Green Bay Area School District are paying a combined total of more than $26 million a year to the fund.1 The vast majority of public employers are paying 100 percent of this cost through labor agreements which, decades ago, eliminated any employee share. Trying to “take back” this benefit at the bargaining table is virtually impossible under Wisconsin’s Municipal Employment Relations Act because any attempt to do so would lead to arbitration and arbitrators have consistently argued that, when eliminating or reducing a benefit, the employer must provide a dollar-for-dollar quid pro quo. Therefore, if you want to cut a million dollars’ worth of pension costs all you have to do is create a new benefit, or supplement an existing one, at a cost of one million dollars.
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That’s not the approach I am suggesting here. Indeed, as a former labor negotiator I can appreciate labor’s argument that these benefits were achieved through good faith negotiation and should not be removed, therefore, by legislative fiat. Instead, why shouldn’t the legislature mandate that all public employees hired after a date-certain, say Jan. 1, 2010, be required to invest in their own retirement? An employee who historically may have had a 12 percent contribution made on his/her behalf could, under this new provision, be required to match a certain portion. For instance, the employer would be mandated to pay only six percent while the employee could match up to an additional three percent. This would still represent a very generous benefit, would grandfather existing employees, would get new employees to appreciate the benefit more and would save public sector employers throughout Wisconsin 25 percent of their current costs upon full attrition. Using the numbers above there would be a $325 million annual savings statewide and our three largest local public employers would save about $7 million a year. Granted, these savings would be phased in over 30 plus years as existing employees retire but the initial savings would be substantial and would grow each year. Furthermore, the new employees would have foreknowledge of this benefit and would make their employment decision accordingly. The private sector has made extraordinary changes in the way it funds retirement over the past couple of years and it is foolish for us to treat our nearly one hundred billion dollar system as if it is off limits. Maybe then we can look at abolishing the nonsensical sick leave payout for new employees as well. 1
2006 Employee Trust Fund Annual Report (most recent available)
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TECH WATCH TEXT AL PAHL
Netbooks yay or nay?
It’s been said “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Perhaps nowhere in the world of computing is that currently truer than when discussing Netbooks. Reviewers offer divergent thoughts on these ultra-portable laptops, which are smaller, lighter and less expensive than the laptops we are used to, but have seriously more screen real estate and storage than smartphones. Some say these machines are little more than toys, while others see them as a fine compromise. And, there is this opinion: Netbooks are good now, but will get significantly better.
Netbooks are designed for consuming content, not designing it. You’re unlikely to create a major PowerPoint from scratch, but you might edit one. It’s not that there’s not enough power to create, but that there is a lack of screen real estate.
Around Green Bay, most of those contacted – including Humana and St. Norbert College – are just beginning to investigate Netbook purchases. A few others have seen or read enough to decide against acquisition – at least for now.
Screen size. For netbooks, 10 inches is a common size and that means a lot of scrolling. Some folks will get used to – perhaps even proficient at – scrolling their documents. But the bigger challenge can be the operating system (OS) itself. Forget about Vista; it demands more out of the hardware than netbooks typically have to give. Windows XP works pretty well, but when you shrink it below 12 inches, it gets really crowded. There may be times when the OS windows and dialog boxes are too big to fit. For example, the “OK” and “cancel” buttons might be unclickable because the window is too big for the screen. When this happens, the average user will get pretty frustrated and could end up having to reset the system.
Netbook basics
For our purposes, a netbook has a screen smaller than 12 inches. Netbooks are light, weighing two to four pounds, and cost less than $500. Or, at least, they start at less than $500. Netbooks typically do not have an optical drive, (a CD/DVD drive). Manufacturers expect you to use the onboard software or download your applications, either wirelessly or through a wired, network/internet connection. These machines have either conventional hard drives or solid-state drives. Of course, we make no pretense that Netbooks have the computing power of a conventional laptop. However, one technician pointed out 2009 netbooks equal the computing power of some three-year-old laptops. What’s important is that power is not the attraction here, but size and price. 6
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The downsides
Some custom applications and many pop-up internet windows lock the size of the window. If your screen isn’t big enough to handle it, then the app or page becomes nearly impossible. Before you ask, “Couldn’t I just change my screen resolution?” consider this: Most Netbooks have a fairly low resolution, primarily because of price. Even if cost weren’t an issue, if you go to a very high resolution, sure, you get a lot more on the screen, but it will be hard to read anything; the type will be too small.
The beta version of Windows 7 has advantages, according to some reviewers, including Business Week’s Stephen Wildstrom. “Windows 7 runs pretty well on a Netbook,” he said on a recent podcast. “The user interface is somewhat cleaner than Vista, but still pretty busy for screens this size.” The Linux OS is installed by some Netbook manufacturers, but will users be comfortable in this environment? Some will. Others will battle the fact that it is an unfamiliar environment, filled with unfamiliar applications. On machines like its 1000Mi, HP employs a version of Linux called Ubuntu and hides that from the user with an interface HP designed. When you fire it up, there are two main areas: A summary of your inbox and a summary of your browser. There is also an area for other applications. You can click on a program’s tile, which is actually a big button, and then you get tiles that represent your programs. They are just like icons, only bigger; much easier to deal with on a small screen. Keyboard size. Some reviewers have been frustrated with keyboard size, but HP claims the 1000Mi’s keyboard is 92 percent of full size. A consequence of diminished keyboard size that you may not think about until the machine is in front of you is this: When some manufacturers make the screen smaller, familiar buttons like “insert”, “delete”, “page up” and “page down” may get moved to unfamiliar locations. This could significantly slow those users who move between these and full-sized keyboards.
The upsides
Best care for kids Children’s Hospital is ranked No. 3 in the nation by Parents magazine. And, we once again achieved Magnet status for nursing excellence. Children’s Hospital offers experienced, compassionate inpatient and outpatient care in more than 70 pediatric subspecialties. Special programs and amenities make coordinating complex care as easy as possible for families. www.chw.org
Easy to tote. Who’s going to buy these? Look for road warriors more interested in staying connected than creating big presentations in the field. At St. Norbert College, Director of Information Technology John Beck is considering Netbooks “primarily for loaner systems,” he said. “I don’t think we have gone there (road warriors) yet. We brought a couple of them in to look at as loaner laptops in the library (for use within the library). For one thing, they are about half to one-third the cost of a fully configured laptop.”
On-Location Photography
The Green Knights may be onto something. “We haven’t had a user request a full-sized laptop since we first got them,” a network administrator in Pennsylvania wrote on a technical-support listserve. “People like the portability and long battery life.” At Schenck Business Solutions, Robert Wery, an IT manager, told management, “I want to try one. For what I use a machine for, the mobility is more important than the horsepower of a full machine. I use email and internet. The main app. I use is Web-based. If I have the internet, I have that. “I’ve sat in airports trying to balance my 15-inch laptop. A smaller form factor would be a lot more convenient. The ones I have seen, the resolution is outstanding. That would work for me.” Wery foresees docking the Netbook with a full-sized keyboard and monitor in the office, but isn’t scared of working without them in the field. “I’ve typed Word documents on my smartphone,” he wryly pointed out. He likes the idea of a solid-state hard drive because it would be “instant on. Not so much mechanical stuff needs to happen. Compare that to watching Windows pass by,” Wery said. “In the office that doesn’t matter so much, but in the airport, that would be outstanding.”
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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT TEXT Eric Haas, President, Automated Records Management Systems (A.R.M.S.)
Records Management: Getting down to the basics
Has it been months, if not years, since you’ve gone through your old records in the back room full of cabinets or leaning towers of boxes? All too often filing and records management are placed on the “back burner” and can quickly become unmanageable. Here are some tips for where to begin: Why keep files –The bottom line is, federal law says you must keep certain files and records. Many federal laws are based on PCI compliance, which applies to all organizations and businesses that accept, transmit or store cardholder data, regardless of the size of the organization or the number of transactions. FACTA (Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act), HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and Sarbanes-Oxley all need to be taken into account with your records as you or your business can be audited at any time. What to keep – What you should keep differs from business to business. Consult your legal and accounting staff to determine what your business needs to retain. Consider keeping the following on file: financial statements, past employee personnel records, accident reports, internal audit reports, purchase orders, expired insurance policies, accounts payable and accounts receivable statements, payroll records and summaries. You may also want to consider keeping copyrights, trademarks, patents, audit reports of public accounts, year-end financial statements, property records including blue prints and tax returns indefinitely. How to keep and secure files – Many companies believe their files are secure but haven’t taken into account the impact of a disaster like a flood or fire or the wrong person getting their hands on their files. Files and records should always be backed up. Scan documents to convert them into electronic files and back up your hard drive. Make a hard copy of all files, blueprints and photographs and store the copies off site. Lock all files in a filing cabinet, safe, vault or separate room. Limit access to the files by password-protected computers and selecting only a couple trusted employees with the passwords and keys to your files. If you have a large number of files containing confidential information, consider installing security cameras. Also, consider an off-site storage facility to further secure your records.
How long to keep files – Many people think seven years is the rule of thumb when it comes to cycling out records; however, this is not true for all documents. Once again, talk with a trusted advisor and your legal and accounting staff. Storage lengths are based on federal regulations, so keep in mind PCI compliance, FACTA, HIPAA and Sarbanes-Oxley. Never assume it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to holding onto documents. During an audit, federal law says they can go through all of your records on hand, regardless of age. How to discard files – When discarding documents is the right decision, it’s critical to discuss the safest and most secure way to properly destroy records. If you are considering using a professional service, make sure you use an NAID (National Association of Information Destruction) AAA approved vendor as it signifies the highest level of excellence of information destruction. Make sure document destruction rules are communicated with staff and roles are clearly defined as to who has permission to handle the destruction of records. Shred files whenever possible, including old discs or CDs with information on them. If you have large quantities of items to shredded, take advantage of local services that offer on-site shredding. It’s also integral to develop a plan for staying organized – Develop a retention and destruction plan that incorporates specifics on document types on file and an exact date each file can be discarded. Also include how you plan to discard of old files, and who is allowed to know passwords and have access to locked files. Commit to updating your retention and destruction plan monthly or at minimum each quarter. Becoming organized may take some time initially, but you will sleep a lot better knowing your most important asset is now protected.
Founded in 1983, A.R.M.S. (Automated Records Management Systems) provides information management and protection services to businesses throughout Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. As a full-service commercial records center, A.R.M.S. provides “Information Management from Inception through Destruction” for customers ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 firms. BBJ JUNE/JULY 09 |
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COVER STORY
From dust to du$t Brown County Waste Transformation Initiative Lee Marie Reinsch TEXT MIKE ROEMER PHOTO PHOTOGRAPHY
Humans do it, animals do it, factories do it. Even cells do it. Producing waste is just one of those unavoidable evils – right up there with facing our mortality and being accountable to the Internal Revenue Service. But what happens to all the waste we and our fellow biological beings produce, and – no pun intended -- where do we go with it? The Brown County Waste Transformation Initiative (BCWTI) has come up with a possible answer: Process it and sell it around the world as nutrient-rich, pathogen-free fertilizer nuggets. “It’s a win-win for everyone involved,” says Brown County Executive Tom Hinz. “We will be cleaning up the environment and generating a product that can be sold on the market, while creating jobs at the same time. It’s a situation you don’t see all that frequently.” The BCWTI, a project led and supported by county and private enterprise, is slated to “take waste and turn it into an asset, pelletizing it and shipping it out to other places in the world that need nutrients,” says Jayme Sellen, legislative assistant for Hinz. Not reinventing the wheel Making fertilizer out of waste is nothing novel for a local company involved in the BCWTI. FEECO International – short for Fertilizer Engineering and 10 | BBJ JUNE/JULY 09
Equipment Company – already does this on a bigger scale. The 58-yearold company builds equipment, systems and facilities around the world that make fertilizer pellets out of animal waste. Because it’s 90 percent water, shipping the raw material is impractical. So it makes sense to dry it out first, which FEECO does. “The heart of the system is a paddle mixer and a rotary dryer,” says FEECO International Vice President and General Manager Lee Hoffmann. One of FEECO International’s current projects in Australia is for a Japanese firm that owns a 250,000-animal beef-farming operation. The waste transformation plant FEECO International is building there will produce 100,000 metric tons of pellet fertilizer per year, Hoffmann says. Compared to that waste situation, Brown County’s manure production pales. “The challenge we have in Brown County is that we have (farm manure) waste, but not enough to build a (waste transformation) plant,” Hoffmann says. That’s precisely why the project is called waste transformation instead of manure transformation. It uses waste from the metropolitan sewerage districts and slaughterhouses in addition to manure.
The waste for the local project would come from: · Two Green Bay beef processing plants – each of which emit three kinds of waste (barn manure, paunch or undigested food from the slaughtered animals’ stomachs, and liquid); and · Biosolids from two metropolitan sewer systems – Green Bay and De Pere. · Manure from dairy and cattle operations. Partners in the BCWTI project development include FEECO International; ENCAP; Sanimax; American Foods Group; JBS Packerland (formerly Smithfield Beef); Daanen & Janssen, Inc., Ag Ventures, LLC; Brown County Land & Conservation Department; Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce; Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District; and the De Pere Wastewater Treatment Plant. But FEECO International isn’t creating the world from dust in seven days. It’s following a similar business model it did when it formed the offshoot company ENCAP, says Hoffmann. ENCAP takes unrecyclable waste from the paper industry – pulps and fibers that have been recycled so many times that they can’t be made into paper again – and creates a wide variety of garden products by encapsulating it with seeds, lime, gypsum and other ingredients in a way that minimizes runoff, Hoffmann says. Its products are sold nationwide. Where is the manure coming from? The issue of animal waste and what to do with it worked out better in our grandparents’ day, when farms were smaller, with fewer animals and more land, and there were more of them. Each farm could use its own animals’ manure for its own crops. But that model didn’t prove profitable enough in an era of global trading and stiff competition. Many farmers either got out of farming or expanded into large farms – some with hundreds or thousands of animals and less land. These farms are known by many names – confined-animal feeding operations (CAFOs), mega-farms, factory farms to name a few – but the upshot is the same as far as the environment is concerned. “The bottom line is we are running out of farm land and ways to take care of this waste and we can’t afford to lose our packing plants,” Hinz says. “If anything, we need to increase production at the packing plants.” Between 1991 and 2001, Brown County’s cattle population grew by 6,900. During the same period of time, its total farmland area shrunk by 22,000 harvestable acres, according to Brad Holtz, agronomist with the Brown County Land and Water Conservation Department. Cows produce 18 times the waste of humans. That means a 1,000-animal megafarm yields as much waste as the municipal sewLee Hoffmann, vice president and general manager, FEECO International, holds an environmental and financial opportunity in his hands.
er for a city the population of De Pere and that the nearly 7,000 cattle adds to the county’s cattle population between 1991 and 2001 adds waste the equivalent of a metro area with almost 126,000 people. That’s a lot of waste to process, and it doesn’t include the amount of industrial waste produced from slaughterhouses. Holtz cites a recent marketing survey of 50 Wisconsin farmers that identified waste as a roadblock to their expansion. “From smallest to largest they all says pretty much unanimously that the biggest problem was what they called a manure bottleneck,” Holtz says. “If the status quo is maintained, they will be hauling their manure farther, which is expensive, or face the challenges of managing the waste stream from that base.” So why can’t we spread it on our fields? Crops can only absorb so much fertilizer and nutrients before they’re saturated. Too many nutrients can be as bad as not enough, says Holtz. Like the human body processing vitamins and minerals, the earth rejects an excess of certain nutrients. For humans, too much of a water-soluble vitamin such as Vitamin C gets excreted through urine. Too much of a fat-soluble vitamin, such as Vitamin A, D or E, gets stored in the fat and liver and can become toxic if there’s too much of it.
Algae blooms compete with fish and other plants for oxygen in the water and end up killing fish and other marine life and causing smelly, green water. So how much too much phosphorous does Brown County produce? Holtz says that, based on “back-of-the-envelope calculations,” Brown County produces 194,000 more pounds of phosphorous per year than the area can possibly use. Brick and mortar facility? The initiative landed the BCWTI a $30,000 grant from the University of Wisconsin Systems Solid Waste Research Council for field trials. FEECO International made 6,000 pounds of fertilizer pellets in midApril as a trial using the combined sources of waste, Hoffmann says.
“We will be cleaning up the environment and generating a product that can be sold on the market, while creating jobs at the same time. It’s a situation you don’t see all that frequently.” -Tom Hinz, Brown County Executive
The trial is underway on three plots of land in Brown County, Holtz says. They’ll be testing and monitoring the land closely.
Tom Hinz, Brown County executive, showcases a mockup of a fertilizer bag proposed for selling waste transformed into fertilizer.
The earth is similar to the human body in this way. “When we apply more nutrients to the plants than the plants can utilize, it attaches itself to the sediment, and when the sediment leaves the fields, it gets into the surface water and causes problems,” Holtz says. The No. 1 problem nutrient for our area is too much phosphorous, Holtz adds. Although phosphorous is a natural nutrient that occurs in soil, it’s a trace mineral, which means most living things need only a tiny amount of the stuff. Most of the phosphorous found in soil is in a fixed form, which means it’s not available for plant use, Holtz says. So when phosphorous is applied to crops via manure or bone meal, runoff of phosphorous happens. “We know from years and years of studies in other counties and in Northeast Wisconsin is that one of the issues is that phosphorous can get in the surface water,” says Holtz. Surface water includes rivers, streams and lakes. It gets contaminated when runoff from farm land, roads and lawns flows into the storm sewers and ultimately into the surface water. “Once it gets into the water, it causes algae blooms,” Holtz says
12 | BBJ JUNE/JULY 09
If all goes as expected – and there’s an 80 percent chance it will, says Hoffmann – the BCWTI could result in a plant that would serve as the official waste transformation plant for the area. It would produce around 17,000 tons of fertilizer, Hoffmann says. Hoffmann says the plant – estimated initially at around $5 million to build – would employ between 15 and 20 people. He’s mum on potential locations, though, and says who would actually own such a plant is still being mulled over. “We are still investigating the best structure for ownership,” Hoffmann says. FEECO has agreed to build the waste transformation plant, should it come to fruition, he says. So far, three of the stakeholders – ENCAP, Daanen & Janssen and AgVentures—have indicated a desire to take the transformed fertilizer product to market, Hoffmann says. He adds that they’re still trying to gauge which of the waste-producing stakeholders would want to own or run such a plant. Meanwhile, Hinz is eager to see the plan go forward. Having the BCWTI in place would allow dairies and cattle operations to expand, he says, because it would answer the question of what to do with all of the waste. “From a dairy standpoint, it would allow better compatibility, to allow cows and humans to live together,” Hinz says.
Advancing
business Lee Marie Reinsch TEXT MIKE ROEMER PHOTO PHOTOGRAPHY
When fire destroyed Arrow Concrete’s main plant in Pittsfield on April 1, 2007, owner Allan Du Chateau saw almost 50 years of his family’s life work go up in flames. Things began to look even worse when customers started backing away from Arrow, assuming the company couldn’t fulfill its contracts, and taking their business elsewhere. “We would have found a way to retain the services,” Du Chateau says. Even Arrow’s competitors were offering to help Arrow fulfill its contracts. But the biggest slap in the face came when Arrow’s insurance agent informed them their policy came up short. “We were underinsured, to put it mildly,” Du Chateau says. “We had maxed out our insurance and our bank.” Not the rosiest way to herald in springtime and a new season of Wisconsin construction. But just when things were looking their gloomiest, in swooped Advance, the economic development arm of the Green Bay Area Chamber of commerce.“They asked me if we were going to rebuild, and I said ‘We would, if we could get the funds,’” Du Chateau says. Advance, linked Arrow with Brown County Planning Commission and its revolving loan program. A 20-page form and two weeks later, Arrow had a 10-year loan for $250,000 at four percent interest. “It was totally unexpected,” Du Chateau said. “Especially for them to offer, without our asking; our bank didn’t even offer us anything.” But the surprises kept coming. Advance set Arrow’s office staff up in an office at the Advance Business Development Center (a.k.a., the Advance business incubator) on Larsen Road rent-free from April to October.
“(They) gave us an office and use of all their fax machines and copiers and phone, free,” Du Chateau says. “They didn’t charge us a penny. Not a penny. I told them we may need it all summer, and they said ‘No problem.’” While Du Chateau estimates his company lost about 20 percent of its business that year, it was much better than closing its doors forever. “We didn’t have our main plant, and our main plant is three times bigger than our other (De Pere) plant. Our big projects, we lost to our competitors,” he says. Arrow has a third plant, in Oconto County – way too far to be hauling concrete to jobs in the Green Bay area. Arrow’s main plant closed from April to the end of September 2007 while rebuilding efforts were underway. They moved back in and hit the road running in early October 2007. It cost $1.3 million to rebuild the Arrow Concrete facility at 5484 Glendale Ave. Since then, the company has recovered all but two percent of its original business, and it’s retained all of its 25 to 30 employees. Had Advance not pitched in, Arrow wouldn’t be here today, Du Chateau says.
“They were willing to talk, they were willing to listen, they were willing to help.” -Allan Du Chateau, Owner, Arrow Concrete
“If they wouldn’t have come through, we would have closed the doors and went out of business,” Du Chateau says. “We probably would have (operated that summer) out of our other two (sites) through the end of year, and we wouldn’t have opened back up in ’08.” Arrow does residential, commercial, federal, farm and state projects. Du Chateau’s father, Bernard Du Chateau, started Arrow Concrete in 1960. Du Chateau has no shortage of kind words for Advance. He calls it “one of the best programs out there.” “They were willing to talk, they were willing to listen, they were willing to help,” he says. “They understood, and they were always available – it wasn’t like the bank or something where they say they’ll call you back. They were straightforward. They said they wanted to help businesses stay in this area and keep people employed.”
Allan Du Chateau loads a truck from the control room at Arrow Concrete. BBJ JUNE/JULY 09 | 13
Advance not all hindsight Du Chateau’s and Advance’s paths may not have crossed had the fire not destroyed the Arrow facility. In that instance, Advance responded to a calamity and worked to keep it from dragging the $2.9 million company down. But not all Advance does is reactionary. In fact, most of its efforts are proactive rather than reactive. “Advance is actively engaged in the process of recruiting businesses (to the Greater Green Bay area) and represents the economic opportunities it has to offer,” says Greg Gauthier, chair of the board of directors for Advance. At 8 a.m. every third Tuesday, the core members of Advance’s business retention committee meet to hash over their findings and plan their next effort. They bring in notes from business people they’ve talked with and lists of those they have yet to talk to, and share what they’ve learned. “We want to find out if businesses are having The Advance retention committee meets to brainstorm ideas on business outreach. Pictured problems and – if the problems are big enough to are (from left): Bob Zubella, Cindy Gokey, Julie Brown, Bill Newhouse, Dick Hopfensperger, cause them to relocate – what we can do to help Carol Karls and Fred Monique. them, what the Chamber and city can do to help them,” says Bill Newhouse, the retention committee chair who has volunteered with Advance for the last 13 years. “Say “We make sure (businesses) want to stay in Brown County and continue I’m getting out of Brown County and (taking my business) to Tennes- to grow here,” says Fred Monique, vice president of Advance. “We want see or Outagamie County. What would it take to keep me here?” to make sure they’re satisfied.” The retention committee functions to keep Green Bay area businesses in the area. They pay home visits to as many businesses as they can – not to recruit new Chamber members but to take the temperature of individual businesses.
The retention committee, under the direction of Advance, aims to visit companies in the area that have 30 or more employees. Of course, that’s a lofty goal, especially for such a small group, but to paraphrase Robert Browning, it’s better to aim high and fail than to aim low and succeed.
Such home visits are part of Advance’s comprehensive approach to nurturing the business climate, Gauthier says, and help make business easier for the business owners.
The group shoots for 120 company visits per year. Committee members spend anywhere from 20 to 90 minutes with each business owner, asking questions from a 10-page survey. “Our objective is to have a discussion with you about ways you feel the Chamber or city can help
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you,” Newhouse says. “We aren’t there to get members. We may not even know if you are a member or find out if you are a member; that’s not the point.” Just a few things the surveys cover: • Employment issues (retaining of and quality of employees available in the area, turnover and finding employees and what kinds of programs might be offered for example, at NWTC, to better ready a workforce); • Public works issues or municipal issues (infrastructure, roads, water lines); • Transportation issues (for example, ‘Can my employees get to work, or would extending bus service to a certain area help?’ said Newhouse); and • Import/export issues. Survey results are shared with leaders in the New North so results can be compared with those from other chambers of commerce and economic development organizations in the 13-county New North area, Newhouse says. “People are going to move on for reasons and factors we can’t control, but for the factors we can control, we want to play a part in keeping them here,” Newhouse says.
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Advance retention committee volunteers Bruce Bain, Bayland Buildings Jessica Beckendorf, Advance Julie Brown, NWTC Naletta Burr, Dimension IV Graham Callis, Village of Suamico Gary Delveaux Jared Eggebrecht, NWTC Cindy Gokey, Advance Liza Hadler, Rasmussen College Jami Harrington, city of Green Bay Dick Hopfensperger, NWTC Brad Hutjens, Nicolet National Bank Carol Karls, Wisconsin Public Service Corporation Derek Lord, city of Green Bay Fred Monique, Advance Bill Newhouse, Aecom Ken Pabich, city of De Pere Jeff Pierquet, Consolidated Construction Co. Inc. Greg Runnoe, Smet Construction Quasan Shaw, city of Green Bay Scot Wallace, Robert Zubella, Community First Credit Union
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Other Advance
stories Zepnick Solutions A few years ago, at 2,800 square feet and 17 employees, Zepnick Solutions had long outgrown its rented (and already added-onto) space in Howard.
But the Zepnicks had no idea where to go next. They knew next to nothing about the credit, other than they probably were eligible. “It was like we were standing here in front of a maze,” Zepnick says.
The company makes packaging and product-packaging equipment, mainly for the food industry.
They called the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and were directed to Advance, its economic development arm. Even with Advance’s help, it took months to plow through the intimidating paperwork and tax-credit application forms – but at up to $200,000, it was worth the effort. After filing the taxcredit paperwork with the state, the Zepnicks had to go before a panel of judges to determine their eligibility. “It’s a government process,” Zepnick says. “I don’t know how somebody can navigate their way through all of that without Advance.”
“I don’t know how somebody can navigate their way through all of that without Advance.” -Jody Zepnick, co-owner, Zepnick Solutions
With Advance's guiding hand, Jody and Christine Zepnick of Zepnick Solutions obtained a $200,000 tax credit and a low-interest loan from the Village of Howard.
Mulling over expansion options, co-owners Jody and Christine Zepnick realized it made sense to own their own building rather than continue renting. But the places they looked at would have needed major customizing to accommodate their growing operation. So they started investigating the costs of building new. That’s when Christine caught wind of something called a technology zone tax credit. “We thought that would be helpful in getting something like this as we were growing, and we could leverage those dollars in investments in training or new employees as we grow,” Jody Zepnick says. 16 | BBJ JUNE/JULY 09
Advance also told them about low-interest loans from the Village of Howard for building, so Zepnick secured on that paid for 40 percent of their new building. Zepnick Solutions moved into its new 9,000-square-foot plant at 1310 Brookfield Ave. in Howard in December 2007. The company has hired seven more employees, for a total of 24. It’s got 3,000 square feet of laboratory space for automation, and 6,000 square feet of office space. The tax credit and low-interest loan from the Village of Howard has allowed the company to go where it might not have been able to go otherwise. “It’s allowed us to invest in technology and help us pursue industries, such as the cheese industry, and that is paying off very well,” Zepnick says. “We’re competing nationwide and we’re getting jobs in (areas) whereas a few years ago, we wouldn’t have been able to do this.
“Advance did a great job of getting us going from a business standpoint,” Zepnick says. “That’s my understanding of what the Advance service is – they get businesses going and shove them out of the nest to fly on their own.” Teaosity When Reva and Quasan Shaw realized their plans to move their specialty tea shop and tea lounge into a new, smaller storefront weren’t going to work out as planned, they turned to Advance.
so the Shaws decided to scale down into a spot half that size. “We were working on moving, and while we were waiting for estimates on bump outs, someone bought the building,” Shaw says. Advance had helped them at the very beginning with their young business, so the Shaws picked up the phone and called Advance again. “We said, ‘OK, here’s the scenario,’ and we told them what happened, and checked out what they had (to offer)” including temporary space to house their two-person operation, and everything looked great, Shaw says. But then they found out that in order to process tea, they needed a certified kitchen – which Advance couldn’t offer. But then Advance did what Advance tends to do – find solutions no matter what the problem. “They found us a kitchen,” Shaw says.
"Business itself is hard, but having all those resources under one roof makes it easy if you have the ambition to stick with it.” -Reva Shaw, co-owner, Teaosity
So, for the time being at least, Teaosity is packaging and blending its teas at the Algoma Market Kitchen in Algoma. “We are just a little family-run business,” Shaw says. “We thought, ‘Who can give us guidance?’ Business itself is hard, but having all those resources under one roof makes it easy if you have the ambition to stick with it,” Shaw adds.
Teaosity sells tea retail and by the cup. They order premium loose leaf teas, blend them and package them for retail sale. Teaosity has around 90 teas, ranging from basic black and timeworn oolong to the more mild white and green teas to the exotic, aged black tea called PuErh (pronounced poo-ware). Teaosity has tea concentrates and bubble tea, something popular in larger cities.
Shaw says she and Teaosity feel fortunate to have a resource such as Advance. “For those of us who have a small business, it’s a one-stop shop,” Shaw says. “There’s an abundance of resources under one roof.”
Teaosity’s original brick-and-mortar site, a 2,000-square-foot rented space on Oneida Street in Ashwaubenon, proved too large for its needs,
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The benefits of membership Part 1:
Saving big with Smart Business Savings Katie Steinhardt and Katie Stilp TEXT
If you’re like your business peers, you’re scrutinizing your bottom line more closely than ever before…quantifying and qualifying where you put your hard-earned dollars. Membership in the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce offers a multitude of real solutions and real value for real times. Case in point: The Group Purchasing Smart Business Savings program. Last year, Chamber members saved more than $1.76 million by purchasing Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce endorsed products through the program. They saved big on everything from office supplies to phone service (see sidebar for details on vendors and offerings). “Our mission is to use the group purchasing leverage that members have when they act together in order to obtain favored pricing for services of importance to small businesses,” says Nan Nelson, executive vice president of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. “In many cases, the savings is more than enough to pay for the cost of their Chamber memberships.” While the total savings is eye-stopping, it’s nowhere near what it could be if more of our membership participated in the program. The savings potential is virtually limitless; currently, about 800 of our members take advantage of parts of the program, leaving the door open to many more savings opportunities! “It’s unbelievable how quickly the savings add up. They can be significant depending on the individual company’s needs. And in today’s economy, every single dollar counts,” said Denis Kreft, Imaginasium, Group Purchasing, Inc. board member. “Most of our savings come on purchases we were already making and all we had to do was invest a bit of time and effort into changing our buying habits. As a small business owner, it’s great to know someone is looking out for our needs. The Chamber does a great job of this with this valuable program.” 18 | BBJ JUNE/JULY 09
Savings add up! The Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce created Group Purchasing Inc., a for-profit subsidiary of the Chamber, in 1995. The entity has its own board of directors who work diligently to research and offer an ever-expanding array of products and services to members that add up to Smart Business Savings for participants. Chamber members who enrolled in and took advantage of these exclusive Smart Business Savings benefits in 2008 each saved an average of: • Office Depot office supplies –$333 • Cellcom cellular phone service – $351 (average of 20% savings) • AT&T landline business phone/high speed Internet - $370 • Wisconsin Public Service natural gas - $700 • Associated Merchant Card Services - $1,100 • Healthy Lifestyles Cooperative health insurance - $11,000 “Group purchasing has essentially saved members thousands of dollars,” says Troy Streckenbach, owner of Jimmy Seas, Marco’s Seafood Club and Stir-Ups, and board member of Group Purchasing, Inc. “Ignoring this buying power is just like throwing money out the door.”
“With the Chamber discount, we get anywhere from 10 to 70 percent off, depending on the large item ordered." -Cindy Prevost, accounts recievable, Bay Natural Streu's Pharmacy
How your peers are saving Sue Herms, office coordinator at Yale Materials Handling, has had a large piece of the company’s cellular service business with Cellcom for a few years. She was very pleased with the excellent customer service Cellcom provided and turned to them when she ported 48 lines from another carrier to Cellcom in August 2008. “As with any change, one expects a certain number of issues. I’m pleased to say the porting went very smoothly with no issues,” says Herms. “The level of service since then has gone above and beyond my expectations. [Our representatives] are extremely friendly and easy to work with.” And Yale didn’t have to compromise monetary savings for that level of service. Herms says the company is saving $1,017 per month across its three locations. For Cardiology Associates of Green Bay, Ltd., technology is an integral part of everyday business. Staff need to have connectivity at all the company’s locations, including satellite locations in Northeast Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula. Settling for less is not an option because of what the company does and the unpredictable emergencies it responds to. Penny Mellenthin worked with Cellcom to find equipment and software compatible with the company’s preferences and standards.
Plus, the savings has added up. With 15 nurses, 12 physicians and four nurse practitioners, eliminating most of the pagers at $25 per month plus fees has made a notable change to the company’s monthly statement. Other technologies are part of the Smart Business Savings program as well. AT&T’s offerings include local phone, long distance and business high speed Internet. Bill Chambers, AmericInn, switched to AT&T to take advantage of the Internet speed. “It’s really benefited us cost wise,” he says. “The AT&T DSL Internet services works great and is fast. Anytime you can increase speed and services, that’s a benefit, and it’s been a benefit for us.” In the process, he is saving an average of $162 a month on both his phone and Internet service.
"Anytime you can increase speed and services, that’s a benefit, and it’s been a benefit for us.” -Bill Chambers, AmericInn
Savings on office supplies has proven to be considerable for Bay Natural Streu’s Pharmacy of Green Bay, which takes advantage of the Office Depot discounts available through the program. “Office supplies really add up,” says Cindy Prevost, accounts receivable at Streu’s. “With the Chamber discount, we get anywhere from 10 to 70 percent off, depending on the large item ordered. Plus, if we place a larger order, like $150, $200 or $300, we receive an additional one to two percent discount.” Perhaps the area ripest for monetary savings has been the Healthy Lifestyles Cooperative, with which the Chamber is affiliated. Through pools of companies who obtain health insurance collectively, the Co-op is transforming individuals’ mind-sets and health as well as businesses’ bottom lines.
“Patient care cannot be compromised. In this industry, time is muscle.
“The progress will come not only in terms of insurance premiums, but perhaps even more importantly in terms of being healthier, leading more productive, satisfying and happier lives.” -Bill Ziemendorf, president & CEO, Independent Printing Company We’ve been able to save money by [using cell phones with texting capabilities] and eliminating pagers for most roles in the clinic. We’ve eliminated the ‘wait’ time and need to call back when responding to a page.”
Independent Printing Company got on board with the Co-op at its inception and hasn’t looked back. Bill Ziemendorf, president and CEO, appreciates the organization’s emphasis on wellness to create meaningful change and progress in its members. “The progress will come not only in terms of insurance premiums, but perhaps even more importantly in terms of being healthier, leading more productive, satisfying and happier lives,” he says. Thanks to multi-year insurance contracts with rate caps and incentives and the high-deductible HRA/HSA qualified plans, the Co-op is saving its participants an average of $11,000. “The HLC provides the negotiating BBJ JUNE/JULY 09 | 19
tools for competitive rates,” says Laurie Kraus, controller, Martinson Architects, Inc., which has three employee participants in the Co-op.
“As with any change, one expects a certain number of issues. I’m pleased to say the porting went very smoothly with no issues.” -Sue Herms, office coordinator, Yale Materials Handling
These savings are accompanied by high levels of service. Angela Cervantes, owner of Angelina Restaurant, worked closely with Karen Murto of Associated Merchant Services to wade through her statements to determine if she would benefit from its merchant credit card processing. “She spent a lot of time making sure I understood everything. She told me I could call anytime I had a question, and she has always been there and been very helpful,” says Cervantes. “I’d definitely recommend Associated Merchant Services.”
Where to go to score big savings Chamber-endorsed partners in the Smart Business Savings program include: OFFICE DEPOT – For discounts on a full line of supplies and equipment, with next-day delivery free on orders over $50, Office Depot provides substantial savings. To register, contact Tony Duval 920-246-9032 today! AT&T – Providing local, long distance and business high speed internet, AT&T provides low-cost solutions and small business packages that will enhance and expand your online needs. Call Bob Schmeckpeper at 920-997-3588. ASSOCIATED MERCHANT SERVICES – Does your business use merchant credit card processing? If so, contact Karen Murto at 920-265-7403 to learn more about the Chamber membership discount. CELLCOM – Begin saving money on your cellular/wireless phone services today. Call Chris Lukes at 920-619-8800.
Who in the world is Baker Tilly? For over 75 years, you’ve known us as Virchow Krause, one of the country’s strongest accounting and advisory firms. Now, we’re changing our name to Baker Tilly, cementing our commitment to Baker Tilly International— the world’s 8th largest network of accounting firms, with a presence in more than 110 countries—further enhancing our ability to help clients around the globe. We’ve always taken great pride in the ways we connect with and deliver for our clients. This will never change. At Virchow Krause, and now at Baker Tilly, we understand what clients need in order to do business in this changing world. So, where can we take you?
INTEGRYS – Control natural gas costs by adopting a long-term purchasing horizon to lock in pricing. Contact Jeff Horness at 920-617-6048. HEALTHY LIFESTYLES COOPERATIVE OF BROWN COUNTY – Exclusive to Chamber members, this multi-year contract health insurance plan provides rate caps, incentives and high-deductible HRA/HSA qualified plans. Visit www.healthylifestylescoop.org for more information. The listing of offerings, in their entirety, is available by visiting titletown.org and clicking on “Save big with Smart Business Savings” in the center of the home page of the site.
Important: When contacting the vendors participating in Smart Business Savings, be sure to mention you are a Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce member to ensure you receive the discount. For more details, visit www.titletown.org or call 920-437-8704. © 2009 Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP
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Connect with us: bakertilly.com
HEALTH HINTS TEXT Randy executive director, Healthy Lifestyles Cooperative REVIEWED BYConnour, PERSON, COMPANY
solution healthcare The
to the cost of
All right; I’ll admit it.
Sorry; I don’t. Miracles like that don’t exist.
That was just one of those cheap, attention-grabbing headlines to make you want to read this article.
WE are the problem! Studies clearly show that up to 70 percent of sick care claims are to treat conditions that we have inflicted upon ourselves. We eat too much and exercise too little. Then, when we need sick care to try to repair the damage we have done to ourselves most of us don’t even ask the most basic questions of our providers. Is the care they are recommending really necessary, and if it is necessary, what does it cost?
There IS a solution, or at least a key PART of a solution, but most folks reading this article are probably NOT going to like it. The solution is a dirty little secret that we have known about for a very long time. No matter what grand plans come out of Madison or Washington, or what companies and insurers do to tweak their healthcare premiums, deductibles and coverages, there is little that will have a major effect on sick care costs unless one thing happens: All of us must become personally responsible for our own health.
There is some good news. We really CAN take over the control of our own health, and for most of us making small changes over time have proven to show impressive improvements in health risks.
WOW! What a revelation! Randy, you are a genius! But we have to start. Today. Sorry, I’m not a genius. Like I said, we’ve known this for a long time. Aristotle said: “We are what we repeatedly do.” The problem with this solution is that it is, well, HARD. Admitting that for the most part WE are in ultimate control of our health is not nearly as sexy (or as easy) as blaming the doctors, or the hospitals or the insurance companies – even though they too are contributors to the mess we’re now facing. Peter Drucker, author and management theorist, said it this way: “You can either take action or you can hang back and hope for a miracle. Miracles are great, but they are so unpredictable.”
Start repeating better health habits today. Walk a little today, then a little more tomorrow. Eat a little better today, a little less than you normally eat. Eat breakfast every day. No really, start today. If you need to lose some weight, weigh yourself every day. If you haven’t had a physical in awhile, call your doctor to get it scheduled. Do it today. You are the solution.
Are you waiting for a miracle? Do you really believe that a state or federal government plan will fix the healthcare mess we have created?
BBJ JUNE/JULY 09 | 21
SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTS TEXT Jessica VandenHouten PHOTOGRAPHY SUBMITTED
A second chance at a first impression Area designers can help transform your space into a work of art.
It’s what’s on the inside that counts. Nothing could be truer when it comes to how you present your business, or when you welcome guests into your home. The aesthetics of your home or office portray a first impression before you utter a single word. Let your space become an expression of your personality or business culture.
pieces and even mixing up your furniture arrangement can perk up drab quarters without breaking the bank. “Walls provide the perfect backdrop for the splash of color to evoke the mood you desire," she says. Widi has seen her share of design challenges, most recently, financial ones spurred by the economy. “Over the last few years, our clients have
Keeping an eye on budget is a primary concern for most of us. Yet accents like floral arrangements create an artistic, affordable and easily changed touch that adds visual appeal to any space. Tall, short, bold or subdued, exotic or ornate, floral designs have come a long way since baby’s breath and roses. Peggy Schroeder, owner of Schroeder’s Flowerland in Green Bay says tropical arrangements are quite popular. “We’ve created some unique designs with exotic flowers like birds of paradise and protea,” she says. Forget tall, traditional vases. Schroeder says cubes with mixed flowers have become a favorite among her clients. Schroeder’s team of designers has the ability to turn nature into living art to strike a mood with style and elegance. “One of the first things we ask our clients is if they’ve selected a designated area for their floral arrangement. This helps us determine if the finished piece should be tall or wide, or round and full. We select a container that is appropriate for the décor or theme of the arrangement, keeping in mind the other accents within the room,” says Schroeder. Many arrangements land on desktops and in receptionist areas and lobbies. “Clients often choose silk flowers over fresh for permanent art displays, especially in places like hotel lobby or visitors’ areas. Silk lasts forever.” Adding floral arrangements is a great way to spruce up your décor. “It can instantaneously create a whole new look for a room, while [creating] the perfect aura for your guests,” says Schroeder. Set the mood Nancy Widi, Wisconsin-registered interior designer and vice president and partner of Millennium Architects & Designers, Green Bay, says changing out simple things like wall treatments, wall color and accent 22 | BBJ JUNE/JULY 09
Exotic arrangements have become a top request by clients of Schroeder’s Flowerland to brighten up both the home and office.
pared back on the types of finishes going into their facilities. In response to cost concerns, painting walls versus wall coverings have become more prevalent,” she says. Widi’s clients are also requesting more color and using deeper shades of paint on accent walls to create warm and inviting environments. Robb Mier and Tom Friese, partners at Friese-Mier & Co., are seeing the same trend. “All colors are popular now—we rarely do white walls,” says Mier.
Professional designers can help reinvent your space by: • Making the interior reflect your personality, or business culture. “Your home or office is a huge investment,” says Friese. “In the office, an experienced interior designer can help improve productivity, inspire customer and employee confidence in your business and convey your mission and values.” • Selecting a color scheme that evokes a balanced, welcoming atmosphere. Understanding the psychology of color helps Friese and Mier select a palette appropriate for each space. “Color brings out many emotions and touches on a deeply personal level—we choose colors based on the likes of our clients,” says Friese.
Bellin Health’s Cancer Center located on Green Bay’s west side, designed by Nancy Widi, interior designer for Millennium Architects & Designers, Ltd.
• Interplaying with textures. “Many carpet and upholstery manufacturers have become sensitive to nature, as well as sustainable interiors,” says Widi. “Wood floors and natural stone are also being used on floors and accent walls.” • Bringing new life to old things. Widi recommends reframing and matting existing art to update a space when working with a new color scheme. “Relocating art and furniture can also make a difference in the feeling of the space,” she adds. Over the years, both Mier and Friese have heard their share of design myths, but say we can throw those misconceptions out the window. “The ideas that pictures must be centered over sofas, a mirror over the fireplace, or accessories must be in groups of three are ‘old wives’ tales,” says Mier. Partners of Friese-Mier & Co., Robb Mier (sitting) and Tom Friese (standing) said clients have kept them busy creating one-of-a-kind spaces for nearly 30 years.
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CHAMBER NEWS
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Northern Lights Clinic celebrated its ribbon cutting at its new location on South Ridge Road on May 4.
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The Youth Celebration hosted on May 18 honored several young leaders and provided scholarships to many as well. Pictured are Doug LaViolette (left), his wife Renee (second from left) and their daughter, Kim LaViolette (far right), who provided the Brian LaViolette Foundation Scholarship to Nicholas Kulkoski of De Pere High School, a graduating senior who lives the scholarship's message, "The Journey is the Reward."
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The May Business & Breakfast presentation on Stress in the Workplace featured Brad Bordini, MD, (second from left) and Anthony Marchlewski, MD (second from right). They are joined by Linda Roethle, Bellin Health (far left) and Dan Jones (far right) of Humana, the breakfast's sponsor.
Chamber members enjoyed refreshments in the main conference room as they toured the new building during the Chamber's open house on Thursday, May 7.
The well attended "What the *tweet* is social media marketing?" seminar featured a number of presenters and panelists including (from left): Amanda Brooker, Green Bay Public School District, Susan Finco, Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Greg Linnemanstons, Weidert Group, Caitlin McCabe, Sway, Kiar Olson, Element Creative, Jody Weyers, American Red Cross Lakeland Chapter, Dana VanDen Heuvel, MarketingSavant, and Pat Hopkins, Imaginasium. Not pictured: Jeff Gahnz, Nicolet National Bank.
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GO TO www.titletown.org FOR THE LATEST UPDATES IN CHAMBER NEWS AND EVENTS
In front of a sea of supporters, Governor Jim Doyle prepares to sign smoking ban legislation that will go into effect in July 2010 on Monday, May 18, at Titletown Brewery in downtown Green Bay. Titletown Brewery owner Brent Weycker (at right) watched the historic signing at his restaurant, the first in the city to go completely smoke-free.
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© 2009 Focus on Energy FOEBP-8077-0409
Discover hidden energy savings. In these times, you need to look everywhere to find savings. Focus on Energy will take a 360° look at your energy usage and help you find ways to save. We’ve helped Wisconsin businesses save more than $120 million in annual energy costs. Contact Focus on Energy at 800.762.7077 or focusonenergy.com/baybiz
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4/14/09 4:07:27 PM
Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 1660 300 N. Broadway, Ste. 3A Green Bay, WI 54305-1660
Arise Healthcare
With
incredible
getaways
so
Whether you’re on the job or
nearby, we’re fortunate to call
getting away from it all, we
this state “home.” At Arise
keep you feeling good with
Health Plan, we’re committed
our 100% wellness benefit. At
to offering our members access
Arise Health Plan, we know
to outstanding provider networks
you and your needs because
at the most competitive prices.
we ARE from around here.
We care for Wisconsin.
COMMERCIAL HMO/POINT OF SERVICE
adv-mag-0009 05-09
Managed Care Plans Self-funded Administration Consumer Directed Individual Plans A member of the
family.
COMMERCIAL HMO/POINT OF SERVICE