Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Newsletter
Finally, warm weather and sunshine is here! I am sure everyone is giving the month of June a warm welcome. I know I am! The month of May came and went like a whirlwind. We have had so many exciting things happening. We have welcomed many new members to our Chamber family, we have had numerous ribbon cuttings, open houses, networking events and member forums. We were proud to co-host a small business seminar – Taking Your Business to the Next Stage with the Fox West Chamber of Commerce. This provided some great insight and ideas for our members. We had a great time hosting the first ever Wine After Nine Women’s Golf outing. It was an absolute blast. Thank you to everyone who joined us for one or multiple events. We truly appreciate your support and value the friendships we have made along the way. The Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce has some exciting events happening in June! Our 27th Annual Golf Outing - presented by James J. Calmes and Sons - will take place on Wednesday, June 15th at Royal St. Patrick’s Golf Links. Over 200 business professionals will be out on the course for a day of golfing, networking and fun! There are still some opportunities for you to get your business involved…we are still looking for goody bag items, raffle items and volunteers! For more information, contact the Chamber at 920.766.1616 or email diane@heartofthevalleychamber.com Check out our upcoming events on page 2 and mark your calendar! This month we are honored to be part of more of our Chamber Members milestones including: anniversary celebrations, expansions and new ownership celebrations! Cinder’s Charcoal Grill on Kensington will host our Business after Hours on June 9th, Al and his staff always do a great job with great appetizers and drink specials!
June 2016 "The Chamber has helped my business by allowing me to expand my visibility of the business through chamber after hours and other chamber events. I have found that when attending these events held by the chamber I'm able to socialize and meet new business owners that I wasn't aware of. Our business has also expanded so much this past year and I've been able to make the public aware of the new items we carry through advertising options with the chamber. The connections I have made through the Heart of the Valley Chamber are a great asset to me. I am able to ask them about advertising options, referrals, and where they do business that may be beneficial to my business. I want to stay at the Chamber because I believe that they are a benefit to the community and they provide many resources that I can rely on and benefit from as a person and as a local business owner." - Lu Ann Vander Zanden, Bridal Elegance and Formalwear
The Chamber is working hard every day to make sure that you are getting the most from your membership. Please contact me with any questions or concerns. We work for you!
Kelli Clussman, Executive Director 920.766.1616 kclussman@heartofthevalleychamber.com
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
What’s Inside?
Upcoming Events
Welcome New Members
Cellcom: Keeping Your Business Together
Upcoming Events Name: 10-year Anniversary and Ribbon Cutting: Fox Cities Sign & Lighting Services, LLC Date: Monday, June 6, 2016 Time: 4:00 PM - Ribbon Cutting Location: 1125 Tuckaway Ln., Ste D, Menasha Name: Business After Hours: Cinder's Charcoal Grill (Kensington) Date: Thursday, June 9 Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Location: Cinders Charcoal Grill 221 S Kensington Dr. Appleton Name: Ribbon Cutting: Linder Ace Hardware (Formerly Hardware Hank) Date: Friday, June 10, 2016 Time: 10:00 AM Location: Linder Ace Hardware, 2001 E. Main Street, Little Chute Name: 27th Annual Golf Outing Date: Wednesday, June 15 Time: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Location: Royal St. Patrick's Golf Links 201 Royal Saint Pats Dr. Wrightstown Name: Business Card Exchange Date: Thursday, June 16, 2016 Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Location: Chamber Office Name: Ribbon Cutting: St. Paul Elder Services Date: Wednesday, June 22 Time: 11:00 AM Location: St. Paul Elder Services Name: Speedy Clean 30 Year Anniversary and Ribbon Cutting Date: Wednesday, June 22 Time: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Location: 1380 Earl St. Menasha
To register for an event, go to www.heartofthevalleychamber.com or email jamie@heartofthevalleychamber.com 2 Connecting People – Promoting Business
HEART OF THE VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Presented
The Heart of the Valley Chamber Golf Outing is an affordable way to put your company name in front of over 200 business professionals as they make their way thru the links. There is still time for you to get involved!
Wednesday, June 15, 2016 Royal St. Patrick’s Golf 8:00am - Driving Range Opens 8:30am - Registration Begins 8:30am - FREE Bloody Mary Bar sponsored by Calmes 10:00am - Shotgun Start 4:00pm - Cash Bar & Buffet Dinner sponsored by Community First Credit Union
Reception Part-
We are still looking for raffle prizes, goody bag items and we still have some opportunities if you would want to bring your staff out and meet and greet the golfers on the course! Call the Chamber today at 920.766.1616 or email Dine@heartofthevalleychamber.com to find out how you can get involved!
Contact Us Give us a call for more information about our services and products Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce 101 E. Wisconsin Ave. Kaukauna, WI 54130 (920) 766-1616 info@heartofthevalleychamber.com Visit us on the web at: www.heartofthevalleychamber.com
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First Annual Woman’s Golf Outing Thanks to Sherwood Golf Course and to all the ladies that came out to golf!
Business After Hours: Baker Tilly
Ribbon Cutting: Bank of Kaukauna
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Grow Your Business co-hosted with Fox West Thanks to The Grand Meridian, the panelists and everyone who attended this event.
Business Card Exchange Thanks to the Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes for hosting this Business Card Exchange.
The 1 Trait All Successful People Have BY NICOLAS COLE It's a lot more simple than you think. First of all, let me start by saying that "success" is relative. However you define success is what success will ultimately be for you. Now... When looking at some of the world's thought leaders, people who have redefined industries, those that grab hold of a market and shake it until it sways to the beat of their own drum, I've noticed a trend. This is a trend I have also witnessed specifically in three of my mentors, Ron Gibori, Aaron Webber, and Mark Beeching. These are masters of their fields, but even more so, masters of their approach to their work. After all, it is the approach that ultimately allows "success" to be transferred from one domain to the next.What I've noticed is that being "successful" doesn't really have to do with waking up earlier, going to bed later, drinking more coffee, doing your work upside-down, incorporating power-saving light bulbs in your office, going for long walks in the wilderness and then coming upon a babbling brook and staring at your reflection, reading books on innovation and creativity, attending seminars and industry retreats, marketing yourself on social media, positioning yourself as a thought leader, or any of those more tactical strategies that all too often hide the fundamental principle that drives all of that in the first place. Those things are great, but they aren't the "core." The 1 trait that all successful people have in common is this: Successful people are 100%
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confident that, whatever the challenge, they will be able to figure it out--and at the same time, they are 100% willing to forgo everything they think they know and admit to knowing nothing. What I mean by that is this: Truly "successful" people are those who lack the fear of being wrong, and instead embrace it (because "wrong" to them is part of the learning process). Truly "successful" people want to know everything about their craft and the industry they're in, and at the same time never want to say the words "I know everything." That means the discovery process is over--and it is never over. It's a trait of duality, then, having such a wide scope of knowledge that, in a sense, you do "know everything," however also having the humility and the child-like wonder to keep both eyes open and admit, at any moment, "I know nothing. I am new to this." So many people fear that state of vulnerability because they view it as a weakness. It is quite the contrary. It is actually the trait, arguably the only trait, that allows someone to constantly reinvent themselves--and subsequently the industries they play within. After all, without admitting you don't have all the answers, how else will you discover the next "answer?"
‘cash only’ in today’s world? How many customers will you need to turn away? Do you have the time and resources to Businesses rely on internet connectivity to process credit card invoice clients? sales. Keeping connected when your primary provider goes down or in locations where wired connections aren’t available A 4G LTE tablet can offer you the connectivity you need on the go, allowing you to take credit card payments and sell to can mean less disruption and more sales. Consider the folmore people (not just those with cash). A tablet can also emlowing situations. power your employees to complete paperwork digitally – process work orders, log hours, create invoices and even take Your primary internet provider’s connection goes down with payments on-site – making your business more efficient! A an unknown time to restoration and you can’t accept credit CradlePoint device can also offer a more robust solutions for card transactions. How much money do you lose in an hour multiple connections at one location. alone? What if it’s out longer? Can you afford to turn away
Keeping your business connected
business?
Mobile internet connections open the door for a variety of The question isn’t whether your business will lose connectivity business applications that can save time, money and prevent to the Internet, but how to protect your business from loss and downtime. For more information on these and other solutions, contact Cellcom today. disruption when it does happen. Mobile internet connections like CradlePoint are a cost-effective way to bridge the gap Cellcom is an innovative wireless company that provides nawith 3G/4G mobile broadband failover. These solutions can tionwide service for its customer base throughout Wisconsin automatically detect access issues with wired line connections and provide seamless connectivity to avoid service inter- and Michigan, with nearly 70 retail and agent locations. Cellcom is respected for its long-standing reputation of delivering ruptions. This means non-stop access for your business. extraordinary customer care, being a strong community partIt’s summertime in Wisconsin and your business hits the road! ner, and for its renowned network, which is customized to its rural markets. As a subsidiary of Nsight, Cellcom is part of a You could be selling produce at a local market, processing family of companies offering complete sales for your landscape business on-site or operating seatelecommunications services. sonally in a remote tourist destination. Can you afford to be
Welcome New Members Plan B Marty DeCoster - Owner 121 W. Wisconsin Ave. Kaukauna, WI 54130 (920) 462-4239 shortpantsz28@gmail.com Everyone needs a "Plan B" and now after being in business for almost 7 years, we are very happy to see our customers choosing us as their plan "A" also! Opening at 6am Monday Thursday and 11am Friday-Sunday, our friendly bartenders are very welcoming to all ages, and types of people in our community! Sit on our outdoor deck overlooking the beautiful Fox River or shoot a game of pool with some friends. Our drinks are all made with love, especially our Old Fashions and Bloody Mary’s from scratch. We also offer pizzas and many other bar munchies, fish and chicken wings. Stop on in, even if we are your "Plan B"!
MCM Systems Inc (DBA Machine Control Specialists) Cindy Steiner - Secretary/Partner 820 B Moasis Drive Little Chute, WI 54140 (920) 788-8052 dan.steiner@mcscontrol.com Established in 1989 Machine Control Specialists (MCM Systems Inc.) is your one stop source for complete industrial control systems. Owners Michele Minkebige, Gail Milne and Cindy Steiner represent the company as a certified Women's Owned Enterprise. Machine Control Specialists feature in-house designing, manufacturing and engraving. As a certified UL (Underwriter's Laboratory) control panel manufacturer, MCS can handle your project from design to installation.
Verve, a credit union Laura Manley- Mispagel - Branch Manager 125 Jackson St. Brillion, WI 54110 920 524 1101 lmanleymispagel@verveacu.com Verve, a Credit Union. Our name stands for all the things we are: enthusiastic, energetic, strong and driven. These characteristics are put to work every day on behalf of those who bank with us. We believe this name truly stands for who we really are and is reflective of how we serve our members and the community as well as our pursuit to bring improved technologies to support our services. Synonyms for Verve include moxie, enthusiasm, vigor, zest, gusto and passion. When you come across such a strong word for what we are and how we want to serve our members, it was a perfect fit for our name. Verve, a Credit Union, is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative with membership and banking services open to anyone who lives, works or worships in the following counties: Brown, Buffalo, Calumet, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Houston (MN), Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Manitowoc, Milwaukee, Monroe, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Portage, Sheboygan, Trempealeau, Vernon, Washington, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, or Winona (MN). Membership is also open to employees of Kimberly Clark, Neenah Paper and the medical services industry and immediate family members of any current member. Currently we have 15 branches across Wisconsin. We are full service offering: Checking accounts, Deposit accounts and CDs, Credit Cards, Auto and Recreational loans, Mortgage and Home Equity loans, Personal loans, Wealth Management, Business deposit accounts, Business loans and Business tools. Contact me directly if you have any questions or we can help you with any of your financial needs! 10 Connecting People – Promoting Business
Herrmann Advantage Consulting, LLC Don Herrmann - Founder/President P.O. Box 1952 Appleton, Wisconsin 54912 (920) 204-1841 donherrmann@gmail.com Herrmann Advantage Consulting LLC is a 100% veteran owned small business growth and strategy business. We work with small business owners of businesses with 50 or fewer employees providing education, tools, training, coaching and most importantly results. Our focus is on your entire business and not simply one of its parts. That focus includes the following: * Product/Service Management & Production * Marketing & Sales * Customer Service & Customer Retention * Waste Management & Team Development * Financial Budgeting Our processes, customized for each business we work with, have proven to increase revenue and profit while also helping business owners reduce the number of hours they have to work in their business. All of our efforts and results are measured and reported to the owner.
Anduzzi's Sports Club Andy Szymanski 800 S. Washington Street Kimberly, WI 54130 (920) 423-3886 aszymanski817@gmail.com Come join us at Anduzzi's Sports Club for the kick off to a great summer! Anduzzi's has been in business since 1999, with four locations, Green Bay West, Howard, Green Bay East and Kimberly. Patio season at Anduzzi's boasts outdoor acoustic music, multiple outdoor big screen tv's, a fantastic menu, patio furniture and two fire pits. Inside we offer live bands, cabaret style entertainment, games for all ages of your family and even more big screen tv's. Join us for great service and great quality food and entertainment. Anduzzi's, where your FUN begins!!
James J. Calmes & Son's Tom Vanden Heuvel N2193 Bodde Road Kaukauna, WI 54130 (920) 841-0529 tom@calmescustoms.com For over 50 years, James J. Calmes and Sons, Inc. has delivered outstanding construction services to clients in Kaukauna and Appleton, Wisconsin, the Fox Valley and surrounding Northeast Wisconsin communities. Whether your project is residential or commercial construction, trust James J. Calmes and Sons, Inc. and its divisions to deliver results-driven solutions that exceed your expectations.
Positive Every Day Cancer Foundation, Inc. Melissa Beyer - Executive Director 601 Stonegate Drive Kimberly, WI 54136 (920) 540-4564 smile@pedfoundation.org Positive Every Day Cancer Foundation has been created to help families of children dealing with cancer see the positive in every day through programs that help beyond the hospital stay. We introduce ourselves to families with our “Sack ‘O Smiles”, a package containing helpful items for the parents during their hospital stay. Once home, the families can then contact us & we will provide a few meals or some funding for childcare to help ease their transition into their new normal.
Good News is Worth Repeating
Frontier Builders & Consultants out of Kaukauna has been awarded the following construction contracts:
Stellar Blue Technologies, a Fox Valley, Wis. based digital marketing firm, launched a new custom website for Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin (Oneida Nation). Stellar Blue was selected to be the web partner after a formal request for proposal process.
Kortz Real Estate Holdings, LLC Small engine retail and repair shop 14,000 sq. ft. Little Chute
Visitors to the Fox Cities spent $456 million, 5% more than in 2014. A study estimates that this spending sustained 5,661 jobs in the tourism industry and $99 million in wages and benefits for Fox Cities Residents.
Lamers Dairy, Inc. 4,000 sq. ft. Warehouse, refrigeration, office addition Appleton
Competitive Strategies, Inc. has hired two new Business Consultants. Tyler Clark and Luke Pribbenow will focus on accounting software implementation, custom application development and business process improvement.
TML Auto Exterior renovation 3250 N. Mayflower Dr.
Clark
Appleton Estimated completion - end of July
KELLER, Inc., a Design/Build General DreamPak Contractor with offices in the Fox Cities, Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau announces the hiring of Pribbenow 10,000 sq. ft. Manufacturing building addition Laura Klinge as an Administrative Assistant in New Berlin the Wausau office. KELLER, Planners, Architects, Builders, a Design/Build General Contractor, will design and build a 115,500 square foot building for Ogden Development under the direction of Keller Project Manager, John Elrick and Project Designer, Jim Stojke. KELLER, Inc., a Design/Build General Contractor with offices in the Fox Cities, Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau announces the promotion of Kyle Vander Loop to Manager of Construction Services.
Independent Banker rates BLC Community Bank as the #9 performing bank in the nation for S-Corp Banks in the $150MM - $300M in assets category! Klinge
Epiphany Law, LLC, a boutique law firm in Appleton, Wisconsin, is pleased to announce Attorney Ryan Plisch will rejoin the Epiphany Law Team after being in-house counsel at Triosim Corporation the last three years. Vander Loop
KELLER, Planners, Architects, Builders, a Design/Build General Contractor, will build a 9,735 square foot dance studio for Starz Dance Academy under the direction of Keller Project Manager, Nathan Laurent and Architect, Chris Manske. KELLER, Planners, Architects, Builders, a Design/Build General Contractor, will design and build a 11,000 square foot remodel for Denmark State Bank under the direction of Keller Project Manager, Mark Nysted and Architect, Steve Klessig.. KELLER, Planners, Architects, Builders, a Design/Build General Contractor, will build a vestibule addition and altar modifications for Saint Paul Episcopal Church under the direction of Keller Project Manager, Mark Nysted and Architect, Rob Lindstrom. “Be Educated – Be Moved – Be Motivated” is the theme of May’s Mid-Day Women’s Alliance monthly ‘[meeting as they welcome Dave Cieslewicz, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Bike Federation.
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The Wisconsin Automobile & Truck Dealers Association (WATDA) and Schenck are presenting a half-day HR training session for dealerships Thursday, June 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon at the Country Springs Hotel, 2810 Golf Road, Pewaukee, Wis. First National Bank – Fox Valley (FNB Fox Valley) has promoted John Hintze to Senior Commercial Banker and has hired Kalley Haen, Natalie Maas, Pat Mahoney, Dawn Pennington, Ashley Kuepper, Cassondra Aldrich and Andy Poquette.
Hintze
Haen
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ThedaStar Air Medical will celebrate its 30th anniversary during a June 8 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Game at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute.
Member Spotlight
Speedy Clean Drain and Sewer, Bill Peotter As a 1982 graduate of Menasha High School, I had no idea what I wanted to do, much less where I was going in life. As the oldest of 6 children and being the only son, I was ready to move out and be on my own at about the age of 16. I had part-time jobs in High School but I also worked with my Dad in his part-time drain cleaning business at night and on the weekends. After I graduated from High School, I moved out, had a couple jobs, and got married in 1984 to Kathy Bouwer (Peotter). In 1986 my father-in-law, Gil Bouwer, presented an opportunity that I could not refuse. To start and mentor me in a business that I already had some knowledge of, dating back to the mid 1970’s, when I assisted my father, Jack Peotter, on residential drain cleaning calls. 1986 was the year Speedy Clean Drain and Sewer was born! I opened with one truck, one employee, a few pieces of machinery and a work ethic to work 12 hour days, 7 days a week from an office in my house. This was the necessary evil, until the business could support itself and add a staff. Speedy Clean Drain and Sewer has been continuously operated as a family business since 1986. My sister, Sue Schabow is the office manager and two of my sons, Dylan Peotter and Blake Peotter, work in the field. In the early 90’s we moved into a small building on the east side of Appleton, and by 2010 we were over spilling the space and found ourselves renting garage space in several locations throughout the valley. Lucky in 2011 we located, purchased and moved into 2 buildings with over 16,000 square feet of necessary space to grow into! The new buildings are located in Menasha at 1380 Earl Street.
I feel extremely blessed and lucky that Speedy Clean has acquired an amazing loyal staff that’s made the company grow into a knowledgeable, professional, respected and reliable part of the community. My family has been a great support team, without them I would not have been able to work as much as I did in the beginning. In every aspect of our business, our staff strives to find new ways to creatively and efficiently solve industry problems, without compromising the quality of the work being completed. One of the things I am proud of is being known for the ability to troubleshoot a job when others in the field cannot. One of the reasons we are able to do this is that we stay at the cutting edge of new technology in the industry, and we are not afraid to invest in state-of-the-art equipment, along with the employees and education to go along with it. From 1986 to about 2011 we had a very consistent even growth for 25 years. We were very lucky that the economy issues in 2008 did not affect our business. Staffing in those first 25 years has always been a struggle. Let’s face it, drain cleaning had a bad rap for only being a business that cleaned toilets! I can’t even describe how much more our business is, but yes, we started out by cleaning toilets! In 2011 I started attending some networking events, which I rarely attended in the past. Prior to that, I was still working “In the field” and was focused on that part of my business, which had me working often into the evening.
Eventually I joined The Heart of The Valley Chamber and a few other organizations and immediately felt the value. I made connections and received referrals and have built some great friendships over the last several years. And my business has more than doubled since 2011! The Heart of Over the years, Speedy Clean has grown and evolved while the Valley Chamber staff is always offering assistance and expanding its capabilities. We currently offer everything from the members have been welcoming to say the least. I would simple residential drain cleaning to extremely complex highly recommend that all businesses, old or new, join their Jet-Vac services, video diagnostics from our Closed Circuit local chamber. They are there to help you! TV Inspection Rigs, Hydro Excavating (digging with water) and our most recent venture, no dig pipe repair with cured in I would like to personally invite all of you to our Open House place pipe repair patching. That ONE truck, ONE man is now 30 Year Anniversary celebration at Speedy Clean Drain & up to 5 Jet-Vacs, 1 Straight Jet, 1 Hydro Excavating Truck, 2 Sewer at 1380 Earl Street in Menasha, Wednesday June 22 CCTV Inspection Rigs, 10 Company Service Vans and 17 from 5-8 p.m. Stop in and enjoy some refreshments and take full time employees and growing! a tour or watch a demo from one of our great staff members. I think you will be impressed with our capabilities and our team!