Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Publication
Upcoming Events How to Grow Your Business Using Content Marketing Meet a Member MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
August 2015
Business After Hours: Waverly Beach
Member Spotlight:
Meet a Member: Kari Stockinger – Nicolet National Bank
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Mark your calendar for these upcoming events! All events are held at the Chamber Office unless otherwise stated.
Website Optimization Emerging Leaders: State Representative Jim Steineke
Tuesday, August 11 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Tuesday, August 4 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Chamber Office
Little Chicago Dining & Spirits N9650 Friendship Road Kaukauna Meet with State Representative Jim Steineke to discuss issues facing businesses and individuals in
the area.
Government Relations Roundtable Group Friday, August 14 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Little Chute Village Hall 108 W. Main Street, Little Chute We have invited our elected state representatives to come in and discuss the recent budget.
Business Card Exchange Thursday, August 13 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Chamber Office
Find out about SEO/blog optimization, using social media channels within a website and improving page loading!
Presented by: Brett Belau B2 Web Studios
EVM Chip Technology: Is Your Business Ready? Wednesday, August 19 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
This program is a structured event where each participant is allotted a period of time to introduce themselves and their business. You can hand out coupons, brochures, samples, etc.
Thursday, August 20 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Tanner’s Grill & Bar 730 S. Railroad, Kimberly
Chamber Office Do you process credit cards? Do you use a credit card? Come to this event and learn how the EVM Chip changes happening on Oct. 1st will affect your business and you.
Thursday, Sept. 17 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Country Inn & Suites 130 Patriot Dr., Little Chute
Presented by: Prospera Credit Union
For more information, visit our website at www.heartofthevalleychamber.com or email Jamie Harvey at jamie@heartofthevalleychamber.com
To register, visit www.heartofthevalleychamber.com 4 Heart Beat | August 2015
GET INVOLVED! The Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce encourages our members to get involved. Getting involved will give you and your business added opportunities for networking and business referrals! Government Relations Roundtable Group This group will represent the Heart of the Valley Businesses in our community and in government.. They maintain open communication with government officials, stays better informed of business issues as they potentially impact our members, conduct monthly meetings and works with municipalities and economic development groups to lead in the attraction of businesses to our area. Marketing Roundtable Group This group works to explore, develop and implement programs that increase membership sales and retention, strengthen communications between the Chamber and our members and market the Chamber’s products and initiatives to satisfy the needs of current and prospective members. Business Education Round Table Group This group provides targeted products, services, events and programs that members consider as essential elements of their success. This council plans our Seminars, Business over Breakfast and Lunch & Learn programs. Workplace Wellness Roundtable Group The Workplace Wellness Group was formed to discuss how members can work together to share best practices for wellness initiatives in their businesses. Members of this group understand the benefits to their company by having healthy, happy employees and want to share ideas and programs with others. Leadership Roundtable Group This group gives business owners and senior managers an opportunity to learn from the expertise and hands-on experience of their peers when looking at challenges that confront them. New members must be pre-approved by existing group. NEW Emerging Leaders Northeast Wisconsin (NEW) Emerging Leaders is an exciting new initiative focused on strengthening and expanding business connections and skills of all members, particularly those you are age 40 and under. Participants in the program will have a forum for networking with other emerging leaders in the community, enhance their I nterpersonal skills, bolster their community knowledge, and be provided with additional professional education and information to help them expand their leadership roles. Non Profit Roundtable Group This group works to give local non profits a platform to discuss issues, share ideas, and form partnerships dealing with the specific needs of a non profit. Ambassador Group This group is a networking group that works to promote business in the Heart of the Valley and the Chamber. The groups meets to share information about the changing businesses and industries in the area. Special Events Task Forces: Work with the Chamber staff to organize and promote yearly special events. Annual Golf Outing Taste from the Heart Dinner
Business Women’s Week Luncheon Annual Dinner
SAVE THE DATE! Wednesday, October 21, 2015 National Business Womens Luncheon Thursday, October 29, 2015 Taste from the Heart 5
Do You Have the Heart of a (Business) Leader? Many years ago I was given the book “Heart of a Leader.” It’s a very small book, the kind of thing you can read quickly. I have used that book for the past 17 years, and as small as it is, I learn something every time I open it. It’s a very good book for business owners and I wanted to share some things I’ve learned from the book. Each of the following quotes was taken from it.
Peale once said, “When I stop learning, I might as well lie down and die.” When I retired from Wal-Mart in 2010 I had all these visions of not doing anything. I soon realized my inactivity and not using my brain to the extent I did in business, was affecting me mentally. So I went back to work. I’m not saying you shouldn’t retire but when/if you do you should never stop learning.
“What
we give our attention to grows”
Finally, the more attention you pay to a behavior, the more it will be repeated. That can be a good thing or a bad thing. If you dwell in negativity that is what you will reap because focusing on the negative often creates situations that demoralize people. When people feel demoralized, they live up to your low vision of them. Accentuating the positive “When you stop learning you stop “Leadership is a high calling” and redirecting the negative are the best As leaders we sometimes focus too hard tools for increasing productivity. When growing” This was a good one to start with. Every on results at the detriment of the people good performance is followed by a involved. If that is your leadership style, day I learn something, and I love it. positive response, people naturally want Whether it is something on the computer, things like morale and job satisfaction will to continue that behavior. What was the fall by the wayside. This type of Facebook, Twitter, or from the many best leadership advice you’ve ever leadership becomes about getting as books that I read, I love to learn received? The quotes and lessons that much as you can for as little effort as something new. In today’s business stick make us who we are as leaders. Try possible. Leading at a higher level is the to adopt more of the positive and less of climate, you have to keep learning because things are changing so rapidly. process of achieving worthwhile results the negative traits and your employees while acting with respect, care and If you’re not staying current with will work harder and spend more time fairness for the well-being of all involved. delighting your customers. technology and the methods of It’s only when you realize it’s not about communication, you are quickly losing you that you began to lead at a higher Ron Orris is the Executive Director of the Bradford your competitive edge. When you stop level. Chamber of Commerce. learning you’re done. Norman Vincent
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Good News Is Worth Repeating Schenck is pleased to announce that it is celebrating its 85th year in business. Dating back to July 1, 1930, the firm was formed in Appleton as a solo public accounting office by Willard Schenck. The first office was simply a desk in a real estate office on Appleton Street, with a rental fee of $20 per month. The office equipment at the time consisted of a used typewriter, an adding machine and one three-drawer file cabinet. Schenck Releases Manufacturing Survey on Reshoring. The Manufacturing team at CPA and consulting firm Schenck recently published the results of a survey, “Reshoring: Is your manufacturing business bringing operations back to the U.S.?” More than 80 Wisconsin-based companies responded. The report highlights their views on reshoring, including its impact on how they manage their business.
First National Bank – Fox Valley (FNB Fox Valley) has hired Dominic Renteria as a Regional Branch Manager. Miron Construction Co., Inc. is pleased to welcome Eric Marcoe, Marty Jensen, Dan Schneider & Christine Bohl to the Miron family! Eric is their new Dream Coach, Marty is a project manager, Dan is their network manager and Christine is a marketing coordinator -- and all are based at their Neenah office. A brighter, better shopping experience — and one that better ties Goodwill’s retail mission to its human services mission — will be available for shoppers in its Menasha Retail Store and Training Center on Friday, July 17.
Jake’s Diapers is excited to announce its celebratory ”Gambling for Missions Gala”. Jake’s Diapers Gambling for Missions Each year Fox Communities Credit Union looks for ways to help out Gala is a casino themed fundraiser to support Jake’s Diapers work the Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity’s new home in providing cloth diapers to babies, children, and adults in extreme owners. Last year they had an employee Jeans Day where poverty, whose caregivers have to choose between food & diapers. employees pitched in to wear jeans and the funds were sent to This lively casino night celebration will be on Thursday, October 1st, Habitat to purchase fire extinguishers for all the new homes in 2014. at The Grand Meridian in Appleton. There will be casino games, a Before getting their new home, the homeowners go through rigorous photo booth, educational displays, a silent auction, raffles, music qualifications to ensure they are prepared to be successful and more! Tickets are $35/person in advance or a table of 8 for homeowners. Fox always encourages financial literacy especially $250! After September 1st, tickets increase.to $40/person, $300/ for their children. Each child in a new home receives a certificate table. Space is limited. from Fox to start their own Kirby Kids Saving Account. The idea behind that is they can begin to save and dream of owning their own CAP Services announces new Deputy Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Grubb, Stevens Point, home one day. recently joined CAP Services as Deputy Chief Financial The redevelopment of the Eagle Mill at Grand KaKalin has been Officer, working at CAP’s administrative headquarters on moving forward despite several floor plan changes. Once complete, Hwy 10 E in Stevens Point. the 80,000 square-foot building will become the new home of the Grubb Frontier Builders & Consultants recently Kaukauna Public Library, corporate headquarters for Expera Specialty Solutions and additional commercial tenants. announced that it is working on a new 9,027 sq. ft. building for Prestige Auto located at N8890 Hwy. 57 near Brillion. The new building is expected to be completed by early November.
Any change or update within your business such as a promotion, new addition, award won, etc. can be included in this section. News must be submitted by the 15th of the month for the following month’s publication. Marcoe
Jensen
Schneider
Bohl
Brian Boehm - Guardian Life Insurance Company We help our business and individual clients achieve synergy across their balance sheet by making better, coordinated insurance and investment decisions. At Guardian, they have high ethical standards, a tradition of delivering on promises and a commitment to creating a better future for our clients and employees. Phone: (920) 540-3609 Website: https://www.guardianlife.com/ Address: 2190 American Drive, Suite 1 Neenah, WI 54956 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Guardian-Life-Insurance-Company-ofAmerica/109336802418404?fref=ts 8 Heart Beat | August 2015
New Member Benefits Thanks to the partnership between Office Depot and Heart of the Valley Chamber, you can now enjoy the benefits of Office Depot’s Store Purchasing Card Program.
The Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Affinity Health System to make healthcare more affordable and accessible. HealtheVisits, the online diagnosis and treatment program launched by Affinity Health System is now available at the discounted rate of $32 for all chamber members. Enter promo code HEALTHEHOV at the time of payment to receive your member discount. HealtheVisits is a convenient treatment option the general public can use for online care. You can use HealtheVisits for the online treatment of common medical conditions like; sinus infection, pink eye, UTI, and more. HealtheVisits is available to the general public, regardless of insurance or if you have an Affinity Medical Group doctor. HealtheVisits is available, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., 7 days a week. If a prescription is needed, one will be provided as a part of your treatment plan. If you submit a request during the hours of operation, there is a 1-hour response time guarantee. If you submit your request outside the hours of operation, your request will be followed up with the following day. The next time you are sick, feel better quicker and seek care online at HealtheVisits. To learn more about HealtheVisits or to register your account please click here. 9
Business After Hours: Waverly Beach Beautiful weather and great company! Thanks to Waverly Beach for the delicious food.
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Mid Vallee, conveniently located right off Interstate 41 between Green Bay and Appleton, celebrated 50 years in business in 2014. What started as the VanDeHey family farm converted to a 9 hole golf course; Mid Vallee has grown to be a beautiful 27 hole facility with 3 different 9s situated on over 200 acres. Mid Vallee offers a host of challenges, while maintaining what we refer to as a “golfer-friendly” course. We also have a full service bar & grill; with great food, great prices and great service. Known for our fantastic Friday fish fry, we offer a great “Golf & Fish Special” every Friday, where you can play 9 holes with a cart and have a fish lunch or dinner for only $31. For those 60 and over, the price is $26.
Our clubhouse includes a 2000 sq ft banquet area which serves our golf outings and events, as well as a 1000 sq ft upper bar for private parties. We host many golf outings, banquets, holiday parties, and special events throughout the entire year. We also have a fully stocked golf shop with a great selection of merchandise, also at great prices. We offer club re-gripping, club fitting, and individual & group lessons as well. Our great practice facility includes a large driving range, chipping and putting area. One of our special attractions is an indoor golf simulator, which is available by appointment to keep you swinging in the off season as well. It is a great way to get together with your golf partners all year long. We offer golf lessons on the simulator as well. Our staff works hard to provide a quality experience for our customers. We are fortunate to have loyal customers who make sure that our hard work does not go unnoticed. Mid Vallee has won the GCOW (Golf Course Owners of Wisconsin) Course Appearance and Maintenance Award in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014. Our great staff won the Golf Shop Service Award in 2006, 2010, and 2012; as well as the Food and Beverage Award in 2013. We appreciate the fact that our customers recognize our efforts and take the time to vote for us. Voting is going on now at www.gcow.org.
This past year, we introduced a new sport to our customers – FlingGolf. Mid Vallee is well known to golfers in the area, but we wanted to share the beauty of the golf course with non-golfers as well. FlingGolf can be played right along with regular golf. It is easy to learn and fun to play. All you need is a golf ball. We provide the FlingStick for you to use, as well as a small bucket of balls to warm up and get your technique down. We also have monthly “Night Fling Scrambles” using glow in the dark balls. They are growing in popularity and are fun for golfers and non-golfers of all ages. If you’d like to learn more about this new and exciting sport, visit www.midvallee.com. We also recently hired Mitch Schaeuble, a Wrightstown grad and standout athlete, as our golf professional. Mitch, who passed his PGA players ability test in 2014, has a degree in kinesiology and human performance and an extensive coaching background. He will be offering film analysis along with his golf instruction. This will give his clients the opportunity to have a visual reference to use both during the lessons and in the future on their own time. It is a great way to fine tune your
Our greatest challenges are the weather and the fact that we are a seasonal business. While there isn’t a lot we can do about the weather, we have expanded our business to include some off season sources of revenue. The use of our indoor simulator has grown to where we are considering putting in a second one this fall. In the clubhouse area, we recently remodeled the upper bar and opened a beautiful 1000 sq. foot outdoor patio area. We strive to make the “Mid Vallee Experience” an enjoyable one. We’ve begun to reach out to the younger generation through FACEBOOK and special age-based pricing, and hope to see popularity of the game of golf increase in the future. We like to attend the National Golf Industry Show, where we learn new ways to grow the game and get ideas from other owners and superintendents around the country. We also rely on the resources available from the NGCOA (National Golf Course Owners Assoc.), GCSAA (Golf Course Superintendents Association of America), Heart of the Valley Chamber and other local organizations that we belong to. We feel that a key to our success is to work hard, never be afraid to try new things, and learn from our mistakes. As in any business, hiring good people and working side-by-side with them is extremely 11
AROUND TOWN Party and Print is a party and scrapbook supply store. Personalized napkins embossed for any occasion. They now have handmade crafts all made locally. www.partyandprint.com Community Child Care Center provides a safe and secure learning environment for children ages six weeks to twelve years while fostering their emotional, social, physical and intellectual development through play and hands-on activities. http://www.communitychildcare.org/index.html
At Van De Hey Financial Services they are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and professionalism in their relationship with you, their client. We endeavor to know and understand your financial situation and provide you with only the highest quality information, services, and products to help you reach your goals. http://www.vandeheyfinancial.com/ Visit Grand Meridian, one of the Fox Valley’s premier banquet venues, to experience the warm, welcoming Mediterranean atmosphere and personable service to help make your special event memorable in every way. http://thegrandmeridian.com/
Jet’s Pizza serves pizzas, submarines, salads and wings with locations across the country. Life is short. Eat better pizza. http://jetspizza.com
BE LOYAL. SHOP LOCAL Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Gift Certificates make the perfect gift for every one. From golf to gas, groceries to lumber, gift certificates can be redeemed at over 100 area businesses. 12 Heart Beat | August 2015
Meet A Member Kari Stockinger Branch Manager Nicolet National Bank https://www.nicoletbank.com/
Give us a brief description/history of your business.... Nicolet National Bank is a community bank founded 14 years ago by Bob Atwell and Mike Daniels. They both came from larger banking organizations and saw the direction banking was headed, less focus on relationships and more about following black-and-white procedures. Nicolet Bank strives to put the focus back on the individual. It's a good feeling to say "yes" when others have said "no".
Q: What is the worst job you've ever had? I don't know if school counseling was the worst job, but it was definitely the hardest. I still communicate with my supervisor and I often tell her, I give her so much credit for being a counselor for over 25 years. If you have an educator in your life, give them a big "Thank You!".
Q: OK, now the good stuff. What do you like to do for fun? I love to go mountain biking. I also like to help build trails when Q: How did you get started in your field? I can. We have added trails at Hartman Creek in the past few I was school counselor, but it didn't take long before I realized years that are worth checking out. Once a year I head out this was not the profession for me. I knew I wanted to be in a West to ride downhill at the ski hills (Winter Park is amazing if career that allowed me to help people and relationship banking you head out to Colorado). was a perfect fit. People ask me all time if I still use my counseling skills and the answer is 100% YES! Being able to Q: What's your favorite movie and why? ask the right questions and uncover people's needs and I don't know if I have one all-time favorite but I never get tired address concerns is a skill that will always be useful. of watching the1995 BBC production of Pride and Prejudice. I would watch it with my mom and grandmother. After a while, Q: Who is the one person that helped to make you who you we watched it so many times we could recite entire scenes. are today? I have to credit my friend Erin Gitter for helping me get where I Q: Is your desk messy or organized? am today. She pushed to get me hired in the mortgage Messy....I'm the Queen of Sticky Notes! :) processing department at another small community bank in Oshkosh. From there I followed her into the title insurance Q: Green Bay Packers or another team? business. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for her What kind of question is that?! :) Packers! supporting me at the very beginning! Q: Where was your best vacation and why? Q: What do you like most about working in the Heart of the I traveled to Japan for summer trip when I was in high school Valley area? and it was amazing. So amazing, I went back for an entire That's an easy answer, the people. Anyone who has lived year later. If you love history, culture and good food, it is worth outside our area can tell you, people are not always this nice the trip. Sushi-haters don't worry, they have McDonalds, or welcoming. The Heart of the Valley area, like Nicolet Bank, Subway and KFC. places the same emphasis on valuing relationships. If you need something, there is always someone who can connect Q: What are the Top 3 items on your bucket list? you with a friend who provides that service. When I first joined Visit Europe and tour some of the great castles, learn to play the chamber I was immediately welcomed by other members piano and visit a volcano. and have developed many great relationships.
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Cellcom Service Wireless Tips for Emergency Preparedness Today we have more ways to speak with one another than ever before. We are used to staying in touch with cell phones, Internet and email, but disasters can change things. The devices we rely on may not be available. Cell phone towers can become overloaded with people trying to reach friends and family. If the power is out at your home, cordless phones, Internet and email may not work either. To prepare for an emergency, the FCC, FEMA and Do1Thing.com offer these tips: Charge your cell phone if a storm is coming. This will help you stay connected in the event the power goes out.
you may be able to use your computer or tablet to go online and send emails. You may also be able to use the battery power in these devices to recharge your wireless phone using a USB cable. Have a car charger or portable charger ready. In the event of a prolonged power outage, this will allow you to charge your device to stay in contact with emergency services as needed. If a natural disaster strikes, keep calm and remember these tips:
* Check your wireless device or manual for ways to conserve battery power, such as dimming the brightness of your display screen and disabling certain applications that frequently look for a signal. * Switch to Wi-Fi or turn off if needed. If you have difficulty accessing your wireless network, consider connecting to Wi-Fi service if available. If the wireless network in your area is damaged and you do not see any signal bars on your phone, consider turning your phone off to prevent the battery from draining as your phone seeks a usable wireless signal.
* Limit non-emergency phone calls. This will minimize network congestion, free up "space" on the network for emergency You can find for more tips at communications and conserve battery www.Do1Thing.com, www.fema.gov, power if you are using a wireless phone. www.ready.gov and on the FCC’s website.
Charge your laptop or tablet computer, as well. If your electricity goes out but your Wi-Fi router has a battery backup,
What Our Members Are Saying The Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce has been a valued partner with the Department of Workforce Development by providing opportunities to share information about our services and workforce tools that connect business with talent, and by providing direct access to business leaders who share their challenges in attracting and retaining the best talent so that we can help build Wisconsin's workforce with the skills our area's businesses demand. - Kevin Virobik, Department of Workforce Development
"The Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce truly lives up to its mission of creating a strong local economy, promoting our community and providing its members with networking opportunities and referrals. Being a part of the Chamber has been a smart investment for First Business Bank and we are proud to play such a role in supporting the Chamber. Thank you for all you do for our business community!" - Jerimiah Janssen, First Business Bank
“The Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce is much more than a conventional group of local businesses that meet monthly for events. This chamber and its excellent staff are dedicated to the success of local businesses and growth of our beloved townships. AnchorBank is proud to be a longtime member of the Heart of the Valley Chamber and cannot emphasize enough the importance for new and existing local businesses to be a part of this organization”” -Stacia Gratke, AnchorBank 14 Heart Beat | August 2015
101 E. Wisconsin Ave. Kaukauna, WI 54130 920.766.1616. www.heartofthevalleychamber.com