Business Leader Winter 2016 by Leader Telegram

WINTER 2016

We would be honored if you would Local technology companies launch

Talent search The Chippewa Valley High-Tech Alliance

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♦ January 25, 2016

COVER STORY

WINTER 2016

Graphic Design & Layout ~ John Balgaard _________ Sales Director ~ Kathy.Hayden@ecpc.com ________________ Magazine Advertising & Distribution Coordinator ~

JAMF Software is one of 17 members in new tech organization.

Georgina Tegart and Don Garbers are featured.

COMMUNITY PROFILES

➤ Guest Columns �� Pages 8, 13, 18 ➤ Business Directory �� Page 9 ➤ Book Review �� Page 12 ➤ Campus News �� Page 16 ➤ Briefcase �� Pages 20-25 ➤ Crossword �� Page 26 ➤ Calendar �� Page 27-30 ➤ By The Numbers �� Page 31

Catie.Carlson@ecpc.com

Editor ~ Liam.Marlaire@ecpc.com 715-833-9215 or 800-236-7077

he cover story in this edition of Business Leader details a new local organization — the Chippewa Valley HighTech Alliance — that aims to retain skilled workers in the area and draw others from outside the region. The CVHTA is looking to promote western Wisconsin as a leader in technology. “A large number of companies – past, present and emerging – either employ technology as the core of their business, or rely on technology to deliver their products or services,” reads the organization’s website. Aside from 17 core members, the group has a list of partners that includes such businesses as CURT Manufacturing, Manpower, Mason Cos. and Wipfli. Much has been made of a skills gap in Wisconsin. Some businesses that are looking to hire are having trouble finding qualified candidates. Area universities, colleges and schools

Luke Kempen brings diverse background to SBDC. have implemented a host of programs to address the issue, and a new organization backed predominantly by private-sector interests likely will help take those efforts to another level. Quality of life is a key to attracting and retaining skilled workers, and Eau Claire, Altoona, Chippewa Falls, Menomonie and the surrounding area have made investments in this area. The region always has had an abundance of natural resources, but residents and visitors alike have a growing number of theater, music and dining options. Here’s hoping advancements in the Chippewa Valley continue to improve the quality of life for residents and make the region an increasingly popular draw for skilled workers from outside its borders. Contact: liam.marlaire@ecpc.com, 715-833-9215, @marlaires on Twitter

Published four times per year by the Leader-Telegram advertising department. Copyright 2016 Eau Claire Press Co., 701 S. Farwell St., Eau Claire, WI 54701. All rights reserved. 800-236-7077. www.leadertelegram.com

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COVER STORY

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Staff file photo Jim Ward, pictured in 2014, is president of Applied Data Consultants. The company is one of 17 so far that have signed on to join the Chippewa Valley High-Tech Alliance.

Getting the word out

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Organization aims to brand Chippewa Valley as high-tech hub

By Eric Lindquist, Leader-Telegram staff

f they know about it, they will come. That, essentially, is the philosophy behind the newly formed Chippewa Valley High-Tech Alliance, a group of area companies coming together to raise awareness of the region as a technology leader. The alliance’s not-so-secret agenda is to attract more talented people interested in high-tech careers to the Chippewa Valley. “There is a labor shortage everywhere and we all know it,” said Jim Ward, president of Chippewa County town of Wheaton-based Applied Data Consultants, one of 17 companies so far that have signed on to be part of the alliance. “We want to create a buzz and an awareness that there are some awesome high-tech jobs in the Chippewa Valley.” So far, so good, Ward said, as several partners and companies have contacted the alliance since its kickoff event in November. Steve Jahn, executive director of the regional economic development group Momentum West, is excited to see the private sector taking the lead on this important concern. “Technology is a big employment sector, and

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♦ January 25, 2016

they’re facing the same challenge as everybody else: Where are we going to find the talent that we need to grow?” Jahn said. “The challenge is how do we become an importer of talent as opposed to an exporter of talent in this region.” The issue is only expected to grow in importance over the next decade as more baby boomers reach retirement age and there aren’t enough skilled people to replace them.

Quality of life

With the location of technology industry jobs increasingly limited only by where workers log on to their computers or access high-speed Internet, CVHTA leaders believe they have a recruiting advantage over many other places because of the quality of life available in Chippewa Valley communities. The key is to make potential employees aware of the opportunities available for both work and play in the region. “If you’re married and have a couple kids, you’re never going to leave the Chippewa Valley because of our quality of life. It’s huge,” Ward said. “I travel

around the country every week, and this is such a great place to come home to.â&#x20AC;? Getting that word out to those unfamiliar with the area, however, remains a hurdle. Sam Zordich, CEO and founder of the Eau Clairebased financial technology company RAI Stone Group, has worked on both coasts and understands the image challenge facing Midwestern companies that hope to recruit employees from her old stomping grounds. RAI Stone, which she launched in 2009, has nine employees and provides data and does predictive assessment for small financial industry companies throughout the United States and in the United Kingdom. Yet she acknowledged that hiring people to work here who have expertise in what she called the â&#x20AC;&#x153;bleeding edgeâ&#x20AC;? of financial technology is tough. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I tell friends on the East and West Coast I moved to Eau Claire, they say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Oh, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sorry,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;? Zordich said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People there donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think of this as a place that has anything to offer.â&#x20AC;? But Zordich, also a professor for UW-Eau Claireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entrepreneurship program, strongly disagrees and is optimistic the alliance can help get the word out about what is available in the Chippewa Valley. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the Midwest, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do a good job of tooting our own horn,â&#x20AC;? said Zordich, who originally hailed from the Twin Cities but now has grown attached to life in a city

large enough to have a lot going on but small enough that residents donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to spend two hours a day fighting traffic to get to and from work. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a Midwesterner and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m staying. Living in the Midwest is a great way to have a life.â&#x20AC;?

On a roll

Not only does a smaller city offer a chance for greater work-life balance than a major metro area, but it offers a significantly lower cost of living and gives residents more opportunity to forge a connection with their community, Zordich said. The timing of Eau Claireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s downtown resurgence and the increasingly national reputation of the local music scene couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be better. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great little intangible as we look to pull young professionals into this area,â&#x20AC;? Ward said, adding with a chuckle, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a lot of cool stuff going on here and you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to put up with big-city traffic and the Minnesota Vikings.â&#x20AC;? Doug Rhoten, a senior software engineer with JAMF Software, an international Apple device management company co-founded by Eau Claire native Zach Halmstad, said he believes all of the development momentum, combined with recent advances in the technology and engineering offerings at UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout and See page 6

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from Page 5

COVER STORY

CVHTA

Staff file photo Sam Zordich is CEO and founder of RAI Stone Group in Eau Claire. The business specializes in financial analysis software.

Chippewa Valley Technology College, has the region at a tipping point that soon could bring an influx of high-tech businesses and technology professionals to the area. Rhoten pointed to the 2013 decision by officials from computer chip giant Intel to start an office in Eau Claire as an example. “They realized it would be easier to hire a bunch of smart folks in Eau Claire than it would be to go somewhere else and try to get them to move there,” he said, noting that the joke among computer nerds based on the old “Intel inside” advertising campaign is that “We now have Intel inside Eau Claire.” Some companies without local operations also are allowing employees to work remotely from the Chippewa Valley. “There are a lot of talented people who really want to stay here,” said Rhoten, who has met many of those folks through his work at JAMF and his longtime involvement with a Chippewa Valley software developers group and Chippewa Valley code camps for adults and kids interested in creating software.

Money factor

An important hurdle involves getting talented graduates of local higher educational institutions to recognize that salaries paid by area high-tech companies can be competitive with what they might receive in larger cities, especially when factoring in the cost of living, Ward said. “Some of them won’t even look here now,” Ward 6 |

♦ January 25, 2016

More information about the Chippewa Valley High-Tech Alliance is available at cvhta.com or by emailing members@cvhta.com. Initial members of CVHTA are: Applied Data Consultants, Cray, Draft Design House, Entropy Multimedia, Evrisko Systems, Heartland Business Systems, Hutchinson Technology Inc., Idexx Laboratories, Intel, JAMF Software, JB Systems, RAI Stone Group, Realityworks, SGI, Satellite Six, Superion Technology and WIN.

lamented. However, job satisfaction may be even more important than money for many tech-savvy millennials and Generation X members. “We can pay well, but many of the kids these days don’t really care,” Ward said. “They want to work on cool, cutting-edge stuff. You’ve got to stay innovative and cutting edge to keep your people happy or they’ll go someplace else. They can make money anywhere. They have to love what they’re doing and feel like they’re making a difference or they’re not motivated.”

Spinoff possibilities

Economic development leaders recognize that attracting high-end talent, especially on the cutting edge of the ever-changing technology industry, can have lasting positive effects. The ultimate case in point is Cray Research. When computer genius Seymour Cray, who grew up in Chippewa Falls, decided in 1972 to leave a good job at Control Data Corp. in Minneapolis to form a company in his hometown dedicated to building the world’s fastest supercomputers, it made an unparalleled impact on the regional economy. Twenty years after the father of supercomputing died from injuries sustained in a car accident, his legacy lives on through multiple companies that have employed thousands of people in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls over the years. The most obvious, Seattle-based Cray, still maintains most of its manufacturing and development operations in Chippewa Falls and is the maker of three of the

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Staff photo by Marisa Wojcik JAMF Software, which provides Apple device management products, is located at 215 Riverfront Terrace in Eau Claire. The company now has eight locations around the globe. It added more than 1,900 new customers in 2015, boosting its clientele by 45 percent.

world’s seven fastest supercomputers. The company also is one of the founding members of CVHTA. Seymour Cray’s pioneering efforts also laid the groundwork for a regional economy that remains heavily oriented toward high technology. The biggest source of national recognition of the Chippewa Valley’s high-tech prowess probably still traces back to the original Cray days and all of the spinoff development it generated, said Mike Schatz, economic development administrator for the city of Eau Claire. “You have quite a few people from those days that are still here,” Schatz said, noting that local officials continue to nurture relationships with talented people from the area. “What other spinoffs potentially could happen?” Rhoten asked. “Maybe somebody else from this area will come up with the next big idea.” Alliance members want to get the word out that the region now is home to a whole new generation of companies building and deploying technology in remarkable ways. “In the sectors we’re in, there is some amazing stuff going on here,” said Ward, whose company uses revolutionary Web technologies and employs modern geographic information systems in serving clients throughout the nation. “We don’t have the quantity of high-tech businesses as the Twin Cities, but what we can tout is that a lot of the companies we do have here are national leaders and some are expanding internationally.”

‘Something special’

Zordich added this message for potential high-tech job seekers: “If you have an area you have a passion about working in, it’s probably available here.”

Increasing awareness of the diversity of high-tech companies operating in the region also is important so people considering moving to the Chippewa Valley for a job know there are other options — for themselves and their spouses — if things don’t work out, Schatz said. “We do have something special going on here, and the folks that formed the Chippewa Valley High-Tech Alliance see that,” Jahn said. The challenge, he said, is to get that message to people living outside the area, to college students who come to the region to study and to talented high school students before they decide to leave. Rhoten and others involved in the CVHTA are hopeful the group will help make that possible by serving as a goto source for people seeking information about regional technology businesses and a sort of community megaphone to promote the area’s high-tech offerings. Alliance leaders said they plan to generate awareness through social media and meetings with educators, lawmakers and business and economic development groups. “It’s just a way to start the conversation and make people aware of what’s going on in the Chippewa Valley,” Rhoten said. Contact: 715-833-9209, eric.lindquist@ecpc.com, @ealscoop on Twitter

Featured in this article Jahn

Rhoten January 25, 2016 ♦

Schatz | 7

CEO SPEAK

Manager r o leader

Jeff West is the owner of Bear Down, an executive and executive team coaching company based in Eau Claire (beardowninc.com). He was a founder and CEO of Silicon Logic Engineering. West also currently chairs the local chapter of TEC (The Executive Committee) and Business Partners, a local small-business group. He may be reached at 715-5592195 or jeffatbeardown@ gmail.com.

Latter marked by maximizing potential, promoting initiative and allowing for mistakes

“Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible.” Colin Powell, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and U.S. Secretary of State

H By Jeff West

as your business grown to the point where you should be spending less time on the day-to-day details and more on developing your people?

Did you receive a promotion recently that makes you responsible for others? Have you recently been hired for a new job that has people looking to you for direction? Bottom line: Are you now in a position of leadership? If the answer is yes, ask yourself this: Why should anyone want to be led by you? With great leadership the realm of possibility is nearly endless. Yet how many truly great leaders have you known? The issue is many leaders are hired or promoted for the wrong reasons. Leadership often takes the bronze prize with the cool job title and increase in pay being the gold and silver. It’s something frequently given because of seniority or family connections or because of personal marketing. Rather than seeing it as a privilege and opportunity to serve others, many new “leaders” make the big mistake of trying to lead with control. This doesn’t necessarily make them control freaks; they’ve just never been taught what great leadership is all about. Companies spend a lot of time and resources training people on the technical side of their jobs. However, when it comes to leadership it’s often passed off to HR or some outside company with their 12 DVD series, if it’s done at all. What I see a lot of times is a manager, who’s done a good job, put into a leadership position with no thought to the distinction in the job requirements. 8 |

♦ January 25, 2016

When I ask about leadership everyone has an opinion of what great leadership is. But if it’s so easy to define, why does it seem to be so uncommon? Management jobs are often about controlling things. Making sure processes within a company are adhered to, schedules are followed and goals hit requires someone with good executing skills. It’s easy to see why the status quo can become so ingrained. If something has been working, why change it? A leadership position, though, necessitates our looking at the bigger picture. The status quo is the first thing we need to confront, and our feelings about control need to be challenged. If you find yourself in a leadership position and believe control is the way to lead, ask yourself these questions: Does control help maximize the potential of the people working for you? Does it help them take more initiative? Does it allow them the safety to make mistakes and learn from them? Is it the best way to develop their personal talents? In his great book, “Hacking Leadership,” Mike Myatt writes, “Controlling leaders create bottlenecks, rather than increase throughput. They signal a lack of trust and confidence and often come across as insensitive if not arrogant. When you experience weak teams, micromanagement, frequent turf wars, high stress, operational strain, and a culture of fear, you are experiencing what control has to offer – not very attractive is it?” Less than 12 percent of the original Fortune 500 companies are still on the list today. Yes, I know

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that’s a span of 60 years, but how do 88 percent of the 500 top companies in the country fall off? We’re talking about companies with resources and assets that the vast majority of companies in the world would die for. Companies don’t fail; leaders do. Why can one company or organization get stuck, watch the world pass them by and then wither away while at the same time another company in the same business flourishes? I’d argue the difference is one company is run by managers, the other by leaders. The first group will be able to give a never-ending list of reasons (i.e. excuses) why it couldn’t make it go — the economy is bad, competition is brutal, benefit costs are skyrocketing, lack of quality workers, our market is shrinking, etc. etc. etc. The other company? It has encouraged innovation and collaboration. It has built real teams within the organization and pushed leadership to every level. It constantly challenges the status quo because leadership knows the minute they stop is the minute they begin the deliberate march to extinction. In the next edition let’s talk about some of the qualities of great leaders and what tremendous leadership looks like. Think about people you would consider to be great leaders. Until then I hope you’ll spend some time earnestly looking at yourself. One of the common things I’ve seen in everyone I consider a great leader is they’ve taken time to figure out their strengths and weaknesses. They constantly play to their strengths and continue to grow both professionally and personally as they work on their weaknesses.

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| 9

COMMUNITY PROFILE

World traveler Pho

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ela

Pow

ers

Foundation director putting roots down in Dunn County By Pamela Powers, Menomonie News Bureau

MENOMONIE

rowing up the daughter of a civil engineer, Georgina Tegart lived in 21 different homes before she was 21 years old. Born in the Stafford, England, area, the Community Foundation of Dunn County executive director’s family traveled around the world, living mostly in Africa and the Middle East. “I think one of the advantages is I’m always up for an adventure,” Tegart said. “I love traveling.” On the negative side, she never really got to set down roots, often staying in each place less than two years. Tegart, 42, decided she wanted her daughter, Elizabeth, 4, to have a more traditional childhood within two hours of her extended family in Wausau. Tegart lives in an 1887 farmhouse on 20 acres in rural Downing.

Fresh start

Tegart started at the Community Foundation of Dunn County in December 2013. When the position was advertised, she had no idea where Menomonie was but started researching the organization. “I was blown away by that concept of a community having its own charitable endowments,” she said. “This is the key to unlocking the charitable capital of a community.” 10 |

♦ January 25, 2016

The foundation, which started in 1995, has assets of about $5 million, she noted. If Tegart has one dream for the community foundation, it would be to have more than $1 million in unrestricted general funding. There currently is about $500,000, but the foundation gets many more requests for funding than there is money available. The community foundation provides for groups in need of assistance for expenses and events that serve the community. In 2015, beneficiaries included: the Boys & Girls Club, which received funding for health and nutrition programs; Habitat for Humanity, which received funding to ensure new homes were built in the community; Stepping Stones of Dunn County, which received funds for updates to facilities and equipment at a food pantry and homeless shelter; and the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts, which was able to professionally tune and repair its Steere and Turner pipe organ. “It makes this a better place to work, live and play,” Tegart said. Bruce Siebold, chairman of the Community Foundation of Dunn County board of directors, said Tegart is one of the most intelligent people he has ever met and is fearless in facing challenges. “She is extraordinary in her vision, energy and excitement of working for a nonprofit organization,” he said. Tegart has a genuine interest in helping people and

making Dunn County a better place to live, he added. Clint Moses, vice chairman of the Community Foundation of Dunn County board, also said Tegart is great to work with. “Georgina has a lot of energy and has a lot of knowhow working with smaller nonprofits like we have in Dunn County,” Moses said. “Once she gets a clear goal or direction from the board, she is very good at zeroing in on a target.” Tegart earned sociology and psychology degrees from UW-Madison and is currently working on her master’s degree in nonprofit management from DePaul University in Chicago. After graduating from UW-Madison she worked in the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois. When she turned 30 she decided it was time for a change and became a wedding planner in Chicago. “I had an amazing niche marked for putting on beautiful weddings in downtown Chicago,” she said. She also planned destination weddings to places such as the Bahamas and Virgin Islands. Tegart enjoyed the position for about five years, but she tired of all the planning, marketing and financial bookwork required of a small-business owner. Eventually she took a job at a fly fishing and horseback riding ranch in the Patagonia region of Argentina. She could not speak Spanish at the time nor could she ride a horse. “It was an eight-hour horseback ride from the closest town,” she said. “There was no electricity. I had to cook everything over an open fire. I was the maid, the cook, riding guide and hostess.” Riding with Argentinian gauchos and herding cattle with them is on many horseback riders’ bucket lists, Tegart said. She meant to stay only a few months to gain experience so she could become a hotel event planner, but ended up staying in Argentina for about five years. In the offseason she would work with the cowboys and run cattle with them. “It was beautiful,” she said. She lived in the foothills of the Andes Mountains, building two greenhouses and growing organic vegetables and learning to preserve them. She also had a solar panel for electricity. “I lived off the land,” Tegart said. “If you didn’t grow it or raise it, you didn’t have it, period.” When she decided to have a family, Tegart moved back to the U.S. to be closer to her parents in Wausau. She also finds her position with the community foundation both fulfilling and worthwhile. “It’s the best job in the world,” she said of being the executive director. “I am so grateful every day. My job is to give money to worthy causes.” She also gets to work with other nonprofit groups, donors, government leaders and businesses. “I really have a birds’ eye view of Dunn County,” she said.

Physical Work

When Georgina Tegart took a job at a fly fishing and horseback riding lodge in Argentina, she did not ride nor speak Spanish. When she arrived, she had to ride a horse eight hours to get to a lodge. She rode a quarterhorse named Mucho and also learned Spanish by immersion. She would eventually stay year-round and work with the cowboys and run cattle in the lodge’s offseason. Tegart is currently working on rehabilitating an 1887 farmhouse in rural Downing. The project takes up much of her free time. After ending a wedding planner business she started, Tegart worked as a tree specialist. She would climb trees and cut them down. After eight months at the job she said she grew quite strong and also earned her commercial driving license, which she still has. “I know I can push my body to extremes,” she said. “I don’t think we realize we can be strong.”

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| 11

Book Review

Inspirational tales Kotb uses real-life stories to encourage, enlighten By Terri Schlichenmeyer The Bookworm

ou have to be somewhere today. There’s no hurry or schedule to follow, but you must get there on time. You don’t have a map or itinerary and the destination might be a surprise but once you arrive, as happens in the new book “Where We Belong” by Hoda Kotb (with Jane Lorenzini), you’ll be in exactly the right place. It’s natural: a turn of the calendar, and you’re feeling some inner restlessness. It’s okay to admit it, says Kotb — you sense that there’s more to life and you yearn to find it. The good news is that it’s never too late to start working toward that perfect spot in your world; in fact, here, Kotb introduces readers to people who did. Michelle Hauser grew up in Mason City, Iowa, living sometimes with her mother and sometimes with her father. By age 10, she skillfully ran a household; at 12, she landed a paying job because she sensed a need for self-sufficiency; at 14, she worked in a restaurant, where her love of cooking was cemented. She ultimately The Bookworm is Terri became a chef but, throughout Schlichenmeyer. Terri has her life, she always harbored been reading since she a dream of being a doctor. It was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a would be even better if her book. She lives on a hill in two passions could unite. Wisconsin with two dogs and 12,000 books. Craig Juntenen never 12 |

♦ January 25, 2016

Title: “Where We Belong: Journeys That Show Us the Way.” Authors: Hoda Kotb with Jane Lorenzini. Pages: 272. Publisher: Simon & Schuster (c.2016).

wanted children and had taken steps to ensure that it didn’t happen; his wife, Kathi, had known about his tenets when they were dating, and she accepted them. She was, therefore, very surprised when Craig came home after a golf outing and announced that he had an idea that ultimately changed their lives and their family, when two became five. Kay Abrahams grew up in the lap of luxury with everything she wanted — except parental attention, which she longed for. Her parents loved her, but they were busy with careers and had little time for her. Eventually, she fell into the same situation but a move halfway across the country helped her find the “family” she needed. And for successful businessman Lindley DeGarmo, the move away from a sales career meant moving toward a job closer to his heart – and to his soul. So where’s your turning point? It won’t be identical to the ones you’ll find inside “Where We Belong,” but you’ll get a lot of inspiration just the same; you’ll also get a lot of same. Indeed, the stories here are all very similar and, with one exception, pre-existing wealth shows up quite often in the tales. That may turn a few readers off. And yet, who doesn’t struggle with New Year’s resolutions? If you’ve made ‘em, you probably do, and Kotb offers something here that’ll energize you: true, encouraging stories. If those everyday people can identify, find and accomplish life-changing goals, surely you can too. And so, in the end, I mostly enjoyed “Where We Belong.” It’s a happy book, perhaps just what’s needed to start a year with myriad possibilities. And if you’re eager for that, then this book belongs in your hands.

Staying positive

Guest Column Adam Mohr is a managing partner of the Ameriprise Platinum Financial Services team of Mohr, Kolinski, Noe & Associates. Mohr specializes in building and protecting multigenerational wealth as well as helping pre-retirees and retirees create strategies for recreating their paycheck at which point they choose to stop working. His office and home are in Altoona.

Remaining calm key despite chaos around us By Adam Mohr Ameriprise Platinum Financial Services

t’s not all bad ... I understand why it seems like the world is headed into a downward spiral. Uncertainty and fear dominate the 24/7 news cycles, our water cooler discussions, our minds, and far too often, our decisions. I would argue that every generation thinks theirs bears the greatest burden. With a sigh of longing, I often hear “If only life were like it was in the good ‘ol days.” If we are able to stretch our memories past this morning’s headlines, we would remember that just within the last 40 years, we have witnessed events that have tested humanity’s limits, and yet we have managed to move forward. If history has taught us anything, it’s that mankind is resilient, adaptable and genetically inclined to innovate. In order to put things into perspective, let’s consider the last four decades. 1975: Saigon falls; two assassination attempts on President Ford; American and Soviet spacecraft join in space; U.S. inflation and unemployment both over 9 percent; of the world’s population of 4.1 billion, half live in poverty; U.S. real GDP hits $5.49 trillion; S&P 500 closes at 90.19 with earnings and dividends at $7.71 and $3.73, respectively. 1985: TWA flight 847 hijacked by Hezbollah; first dot-com created; Windows 1.0 debuts; first successful heart transplant; global population is 4.85 billion; U.S. real GDP reaches $7.71 trillion; S&P 500 closes at 211.28 with earnings and dividends at $15.68 and $8.20, respectively. 1995: Oklahoma City bombing; O.J. Simpson trial; Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin assassinated; U.S. sanctions imposed against Iran; eBay opens online auction; global population at 5.7 billion; U.S. real GDP hits $10.28 trillion; S&P 500 closes at 615.93 with earnings and dividends at $37.70 and $14.17, respectively. 2005: Hurricane Katrina; Saddam Hussein on trial; rising oil prices; terrorist attacks on London’s transportation system; Microsoft releases Xbox 360; global population at 6.5 billion; U.S. real GDP at $14.37 trillion; S&P 500 closes at 1,248.29 with earnings and dividends at $76.45 and $22.38, respectively. 2015: Rise of ISIS; Iranian nuclear agreement; Syrian refugee crisis; “Black Lives Matter” riots; Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage; one million consumer drones sold in U.S.; global population at 7.29 billion (of which less than 10 percent live in poverty); U.S. real GDP around $16.4 trillion; S&P 500 closes at 2,043.94 with earnings and dividends reported at $118 and $43, respectively. Thus is the tale of a mere 40 years. Through turmoil and triumph, we’ve experienced global population growth near 80 percent all the while extreme poverty was slashed from 50 to 10 percent. Real U.S. GDP more than tripled and the S&P 500 rose more than 20 times with an earnings increase in excess of 15 times and a dividend boost near 12 times. Simply stated, we’ve experienced the greatest creation of wealth over the last four decades than in the history of the world despite wars, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, threats to natural resources, and the list goes on.

Historical perspective, however, doesn’t help sell ad space. It doesn’t create the necessary feeding frenzy of doomsayers who are glued to the news with laser focus on everything currently wrong with the world, the markets and the economy. What’s worse is these pessimists breed other pessimists in plague-like speed and proportions. If you get nothing else from my commentary, understand this: There has been and always will be world troubles that spook us and cause us to re-evaluate our decisions and tempt us to make hasty ones. The stock market will continue to go up and down, terrorist groups will dissipate while new ones will be birthed and innovation will surely continue to create goods and services we can’t even yet dream up. Because I am only certain about the certainty of uncertainty, I choose to focus on probabilities not possibilities. The sun may not rise tomorrow, but I’m pretty darn sure it will.

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January 25, 2016 ♦

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COMMUNITY PROFILE

Electric company Steady growth marks familyrun motor repair shop

Don Garbers shows an example of his work at Garbers Electric Motor Repair. Photo by Chris Vetter.

By Chris Vetter, Chippewa Falls News Bureau

CHIPPEWA FALLS

hen Don and Nancy Garbers first opened Garbers Electric Motor Repair in 1997 on Canal Street in Chippewa Falls, they found out immediately there was a huge demand for their business. “The morning we started, we had motors show up on our front steps,” Nancy Garbers said. That location was only 1,400 square feet in size, so they moved a couple years later to a 4,700-squarefoot building. When that also proved to be too small, the Garbers acquired a 2.5-acre property at 1975 Olson Drive on the east side of the city and constructed a new 7,200-square-foot facility. “We do everything from small furnace motors to big motors for pumps,” Nancy explained. “When we’re done re-winding a motor, it’s better than new.” The Garbers don’t fix motors that run on gasoline, such as a car. Instead, they focus on electric motors, working on everything from fans to furnaces to air conditioners and farm equipment. “We’ve grown tremendously,” Nancy said. “In 2014, we had a 30 percent increase. We get business from a 100-mile radius.” Including the husband-and-wife team, the Garbers employ six people in their shop. Don, 63, and Nancy, 60, have three generations working there – their son, Tim, is in sales, and their grandson, Conner, is learning the business by helping in the shop. Don shows off the steps of re-winding a motor, placing all new wiring throughout the component. It’s a skill he plans to teach Conner. “It’s tedious – it’s hard to teach young kids, but 14 |

♦ January 25, 2016

I’ve done it all my career,” Don said. “You learn a lot from the experience of older guys, and now I’m one of the older guys.” Chippewa Falls Mayor Greg Hoffman praised the Garbers for leading one of the many businesses that stay under the radar but add to the city. “They are great people, and they’ve been very successful,” Hoffman said. “I think they do an excellent job.” The Garbers are originally from the La Crosse area, but moved around the state as Don took jobs at large and small shops. He has 40 years of experience in the business and was excited about taking the plunge and opening his own shop in Chippewa Falls nearly two decades ago. The move has paid off. “The people just accepted us when we first came to town,” Don said. “It’s a good feeling, that our customers trust us.” He is constantly acquiring the latest equipment to help him stay at the forefront of his industry. “You have to have the vision to keep growing,” Don said. “Our field is changing so much.” While some people might be annoyed by having their weekends interrupted by a call for service, Don says that is the best part of his job – getting a call from someone who needs his help right now, and being able to fix it for them. For example, if a furnace goes out in the winter, and he’s the one people turn to for assistance. “Saturdays, Sundays, we’ll do whatever it takes,” Don said. Contact: 715-723-0303, chris.vetter@ecpc.com

Entrepreneur advocate Kempen brings private-sector background to SBDC

COMMUNITY PROFILE Luke Kempen, director of the UW-Eau Claire Small Business Development Center, is pictured in his office at 7 S. Dewey St. “The most rewarding part of this job is the passion of the people looking to start a business,” he said.

By Gabriel Lagarde, Leader-Telegram staff

In his capacities as both the director of the SBDC and the university’s Outreach Program, Kempen believes one of his most important functions is to guide fledgling entrepreneurs into business environments where they have no experience and many misconceptions. “I never tell anybody ‘Hey, you shouldn’t start a business,’ but I will ask them questions,” said Kempen, who noted that a potential business owner must be prepared to meticulously gather information, plan thoroughly and work more than 80 hours a week for less pay before they can expect their business to grow. Unsurprisingly, in the Entrepreneurial Training Program he teaches every semester, Kempen estimates only half of his students attempt to start their own business. The most important question an entrepreneur must ask themselves is if their family is ready for the challenge, Kempen said. It was ultimately this question that led him to sell Nature’s Pride when it outgrew its Eau Claire market five years after he founded it. Expanding the business would have put unnecessary pressure on his wife, Rhonda, and their two sons, Austin and Trevor. Kempen became a consultant and subsequently joined the development center. He doesn’t point to any particular moment during his career with pride nor does he harbor regrets for how it progressed. When he isn’t tirelessly working, he spends his free time alone, whether it’s working with wood as a carpenter or biking to reach his 75-mile weekly goal on Wisconsin’s roads. But, while Kempen is content for the time being, there is always his entrepreneurial spirit, something Kempen calls “the itch.” He said all it will take is the right idea and the right situation for him to start a new business and pull up stakes once again. Contact: 715-833-9203, gabe.lagarde@ecpc.com

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he director of UW-Eau Claire’s Small Business Development Center may not seem like a driven man. Laid-back and soft-spoken, Luke Kempen would be the first one to say that he’s “not wired to be up or down,” but judging by his career, the man’s even-keeled persona belies a strong independent streak that drew him out of the corporate world to start his own business in 2002. Kempen had been working as a certified public accountant for over a decade — both in private practice and among large national firms — when he founded Nature’s Pride Organic Lawn System in the Eau Claire area. His personality clashed with the bureaucracies of the corporate world, something he believes has its roots in his childhood as one of 11 children on a small family farm near tiny Catawba in Price County. Farm life taught him fundamental lessons about teamwork and self-reliance and he values those lessons above anything he learned during his years as an accounting student at UW-Eau Claire or during his career. It also gave him that strong independent streak. Kempen now uses his experiences, both as an accountant and as a successful entrepreneur, as the director of the SBDC, which specializes in aiding small businesses (typically 50 employees or fewer) with their financing and marketing needs. The center services roughly 200 clients in eight counties and has enjoyed success under Kempen’s two-year tenure. UW-Eau Claire’s SBDC has helped create 44 businesses and 92 jobs, met or surpassed every one of its metrics and garnered national recognition for its work. “The most rewarding part of this job is the passion of the people looking to start a business,” Kempen said. “If you don’t have the passion for what you’re doing, you’re probably not going to make it.”

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January 25, 2016 ♦

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CAMPUS NEWS

Training programs abound at CVTC

Staff members from the Robert S. Swanson Library and Learning Center celebrate their victory in the campus Biggest Reducer Energy Conservation Competition. Signs show how they contributed to the effort. Contributed photo.

Competition yields savings MENOMONIE — UW-Stout saved nearly $4,000 in November, thanks to students, faculty and staff who began paying close attention to how much electricity they were using. The Biggest Reducer Energy Conservation Competition was held during the month, pitting academic and administration buildings against one another to see which one could cut its electrical energy use the most compared with the previous November. The winner was the Robert S. Swanson Library and Learning Center, which reduced

By UW-Stout

consumption by 26 percent. The University Services Building was second with a 20.3 percent drop, while the Memorial Student Center was third at 12.3 percent. Efforts by students, faculty and staff in all buildings saved UW-Stout $3,806 in electricity. Saving that much electricity translates into reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 57,359 pounds, or the equivalent of 2,928 gallons of gasoline or 27,946 pounds of coal. The results were achieved through various measures, including shutting off lights in

UW-EC intern earns full-time post

A week before he graduated from UW-Eau Claire, Christian Dooley got an unexpected but very welcome email — JAMF Software was offering him a full-time job in its Eau Claire office. Dooley, who earned his degree in information systems with an emphasis in systems development in May 2014, had worked as an intern for the growing software company during his last year of college. “I loved my internship and was really happy that JAMF wanted to roll it into a full-time position,” says Dooley. “I couldn’t ask for a better place to work. They treat their employees really well; I have great co-workers and I like the job a lot.” So what was Dooley’s secret to landing first an internship and then a full-time job with the thriving software company? Making the most of all that UW-Eau Claire had to offer. While his UW-Eau Claire coursework gave him a strong foundation of knowledge, it was 16 |

♦ January 25, 2016

By CVTC Chippewa Valley Technical College provides customized training for area businesses and organizations. Depending on training needs, sessions can take place on-site at the company or organization or at one of CVTC's campuses. The technical college has locations in Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, Menomonie, Neillsville and River Falls. Core categories in which CVTC provides training are: business technology, leadership development, emergency medical services, manufacturing, safety and compliance, and transportation. The school also has access to Workforce Advancement Training grants for qualified applicants. For more information about training opportunities, visit cvtc.edu/ businessindustry, email businessindustry@ cvtc.edu or call 800-547-2882, ext. 4676.

unused rooms and other areas, sharing printers, unplugging unused electrical devices and taking stairs instead of elevators. Employees could click on a website throughout the month to monitor the competition and to see how their building was faring. The competition was sponsored by the Sustainability Office at UW-Stout. The previous year, the office sponsored a similar contest among student residence halls, resulting in $2,587 in electrical cost savings.

By UW-Eau Claire

his problem-solving, communication and interpersonal skills that helped him stand out as an intern and gave him an edge when the company was considering hiring him as a fulltime employee, he says. “When I started my internship, my supervisor gave me a list of things I would do, and I knew how to do none of them,” Dooley says. “JAMF has molded me into the employee they want me to be, but UW-Eau Claire helped me develop the kinds of skills that made me someone they wanted to hire. “I showed them as an intern that I can solve problems, ask and answer questions, and work as part of a team. UW-Eau Claire helped me develop a lot of those skills. The speech classes, technical writing classes and group projects all really do matter.” As an intern, Dooley answered phones and served as the first line of service for JAMF customers. He was charged with gathering information and working independently or as part of a team to solve customers’ problems

and ensure they were satisfied. “When people called, you didn’t know what kind of issue they were going to be having so you had to be ready for whatever they threw at you,” Dooley says of his yearlong 20-hour per week paid internship with JAMF. “That’s where the critical thinking and problemsolving skills came in. You had to think on your feet and really be ready for anything.” Dooley says he was surprised when he learned that his first supervisor at JAMF was a geology major and that many of his coworkers had majors from disciplines outside of the College of Business. But once he got to know the company’s culture, it made a lot of sense, he says. “At JAMF, and I think at a lot of other places, they hire people who can learn to do the job,” Dooley says. “It’s about being the right fit. It’s not so much about what you already know. They can teach you the job but they want to know you have the skills to do it well and the ability to learn quickly.”

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January 25, 2016 ♦

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Guest Column

The ACA in the New Year Changes and challenges keep employers on their toes By Attorney Benjamin R. Jones Weld, Riley, Prenn & Ricci

S S

ince 2010, it seems as if employers of all sizes engage in the perpetual effort of preparing for and adjusting to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This preparation is made all the more difficult as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) publishes new regulations, delays the enforcement of others and sometimes fails to provide any practical guidance for difficult issues. With the new year, it is useful to review a few ongoing ACA developments and potentially expensive blind spots, particularly because 2016 is the first year ACA reporting is due and the “Employer Mandate” becomes fully applicable. As a general reminder, employers with more than 50 full-time equivalent employees are required to offer health insurance to all full-time employees or pay a penalty, and these large employers must report certain information to the IRS using the dreaded forms 1094-C and 1095-C. Employers of any size not reporting information on these forms may still be required to report health insurance enrollment information using forms 1094-B and 1095-B if offering self-funded health benefits.

Deadline delayed for distributing reporting forms to employees On Dec. 28, the IRS extended the deadlines for filing ACA reporting forms with the IRS and distributing forms to employees for tax year 2015. The deadline for forms 1095-B, Health Coverage and 1095-C, Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage is extended from Feb. 1 to March 31 of this year. Employees will not need to wait to file their taxes or file an amended return to incorporate these forms if employees rely on other information when filing to determine if they had minimum health insurance coverage or would qualify for ACA subsidies. 18 |

♦ January 25, 2016

Cash-in-lieu of health insurance will count against “affordability,” just not quite yet An employer subject to the Employer Mandate that offers insurance to a full-time employee not considered “affordable” could face a tax penalty of $3,000 for that employee. As defined by the ACA, an offered insurance plan is “affordable” for a full-time employee if the employee is required to pay less than 9.5 percent of the employee’s household income toward offered single coverage insurance. On Dec. 16, the IRS announced that any payment offered to employees choosing to opt out of participation in a health insurance plan must be added to the premium cost of the plan for purposes of “affordability.” An employee that must elect to forego a monthly cash opt-out payment is, according to the IRS, in the same position as if that foregone payment was an added premium cost. This rule will not apply before new regulations are effective and, until that time, opt-out payments do not need to be included as a cost for purposes of affordability. Therefore, when completing forms 1094-C and 1095-C for tax year 2015, employers will temporarily not have to include opt-out payments when completing line 15 of 1095-C. This relief period only applies to any opt-out arrangement that was in effect or approved before Dec. 16 and until such time as relevant regulations become effective.

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Avoid knee-jerk retaliation against employees With the Employer Mandate essentially in full effect, penalty notices from the IRS are imminent. Because of the complexity of Employer Mandate regulations, it is safe to assume that a number of employers will be penalized by

the IRS, even if the employer believed itself to be ACA compliant. While employers can and should review and update policies and procedures to address any penalty assessment, employers may want to avoid taking adverse action against employees that triggered the penalty assessment. The purchase of health insurance through the ACA exchange is what will typically trigger Employer Mandate penalties, and the ACA protects employees that purchase insurance through the ACA exchange market from retaliation by employers. For example, employer XYZ Inc. is subject to the Employer Mandate. XYZ believes it has offered insurance to all of its full-time employees and should therefore be free from any ACA penalty. The IRS sends notice to XYZ that it will be penalized $3,000 because employee John Doe purchased subsidized insurance through the ACA exchange, qualified for subsidies and John Doe reported working more hours than XYZ had anticipated. XYZ promptly terminates John Doe as a result of the $3,000 penalty. This is an example of retaliation that likely violates the ACA’s anti-retaliation provisions. XYZ fired an employee for purchasing subsidized insurance. Less clear, however, is what if XYZ simply reduced the hours of this employee? Or terminated John Doe for working unauthorized hours? Or transferred the employee to a different shift or department? Or what if XYZ responded to the penalty by reducing the

hours worked by an entire department? Unfortunately, these questions have not directly been answered by ACA regulations and will probably have to be answered through future litigation. The trick for employers is to recognize this issue once it arises and to mitigate the risk of engaging in costly litigation by consulting with legal counsel.

Cadillac Tax delayed, but should not yet be forgotten President Obama signed a new appropriations act into law on Dec. 18, which included a two-year delay of the socalled “Cadillac Tax.” The Cadillac Tax is a 40 percent excise tax imposed on the value of employer-sponsored health insurance that exceeds a certain threshold. This tax was set to apply on Jan. 1, 2018, but will now begin Jan. 1, 2020. The Cadillac Tax is designed to slow the growth of insurance premiums and health care costs by reducing tax advantages associated with generous employer-provided health insurance plans. This tax is supported by a number of economists, but consistently receives bipartisan criticism. Whether or not the Cadillac Tax will survive political challenge through 2020 remains to be seen, but for now employers have two additional years to try to bend their own health insurance premium cost curve. This article should not be construed as legal advice and is intended for general information purposes only. If you have any questions regarding this article, you should consult your legal counsel.

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January 25, 2016 ♦

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briefcase Disposal service earns top prize

founded Chippewa Valley Entrepreneurs, “a free, member-led, confidential, peer-sharing group of like-minded entrepreneurs,” according to the organization’s website. Dye is a member of EO, or Entrepreneurs’ Organization, an international group with a chapter in Minneapolis. He decided a similar organization locally would be of value. “The main goal of the group is to support entrepreneurs in the area to build their businesses and manage the challenges of entrepreneurship,” he said. Visit chippewavalleyentrepreneurs.org or email sdye@ senasys.com for details.

Area business incubator planned

Staff photo by Steve Kinderman

Gorilla Dumpster Bag, run by Steve Faacks, left, and Chris Hansen, earned the grand prize and an award valued at $5,000 in The Idea Challenge, an Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corp. program. Gorilla Dumpster Bag was launched to compete with traditional disposal services that, according to Faacks, rely on metal dumpsters that are heavy, lack flexibility, have limited placement options and take considerable time to order and set up. Finalists in The Idea Challenge also were Aunt K’s Natural Healing Powders, TenFour Team Trucking, Wave Stability Bar and XanScan. Visit theideachallenge.com for more information about the ongoing program.

Brew pubs expanding in Eau Claire

Lazy Monk Brewing held a soft opening Jan. 8 at its new location at 97 W. Madison St. in Eau Claire. The company's new tap room has room for about 180, with space for 45 to 50 more in a connected “events” room, compared with a capacity of 70 to 75 at its previous location. There are plans for a patio that could seat 100 as well. Lazy Monk also will be open seven days per week, rather than five. In other brewery news: ■ The Brewing Projekt, at 2000 Oxford Ave., has outgrown its current location and is considering expanding across the street to a vacant warehouse at 1807 Oxford St., which also borders the Chippewa River. The Eau Claire Redevelopment Authority had planned to raze the building, but owners of the Brewing Projekt have about two months to determine if they can renovate the structure to fit their needs and negotiate a price with the RDA. ■ Northwoods Brew Pub & Grill relocated from its longtime location on the south side of Eau Claire to a former dairy plant in Osseo, which also will house a banquet facility. The new site will double the space Northwoods had in Eau Claire, with a 3,000-square-foot brewery area, 1,200-square-foot cooler, and about 4,000-square-foot tap room, said Sean Annis, a partner in the project and general manager. Northwoods is slated to open by the end of February or early March.

Entrepreneurial group launched

Steve Dye, president of Altoona-based Senasys, recently

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A local partnership of the city of River Falls, River Falls Economic Development Corp., UW-River Falls and Chippewa Valley Technical College was awarded a $1.4 million grant to construct a business incubator to serve the St. Croix Valley region. The U.S. Economic Development Administration Investments for Public Works and Economic Development Facilities grant will fund the creation and construction of the St. Croix Valley Business Incubator, which will have about 13,000 square feet dedicated to general manufacturing and 18,000 square feet occupied by offices and common areas. The facility will be located in River Falls at the corner of Casey Street and Sutherland Avenue as the flagship of the newly developed Sterling Ponds Corporate Park. For more information about the incubator, slated to open in the fall of this year, visit rfcity.org/incubator.

Ex-judge joins staff at WIN

Local attorney and former Eau Claire County judge Kristina Bourget joined WIN in Eau Claire as its vice president of Compliance and Contract Management. WIN is an Internet, ethernet, data center and network management services provider. It has built and acquired more than 5,000 miles of fiber-optic network in the Upper Midwest to serve wholesale and enterprise customers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Upper Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and global locations through international partnerships. Bourget “As our company continues to grow and technology increases in complexity, so do our regulatory, HR and contractual obligations,” said Scott Hoffmann, WIN CEO, in a news release. “Kristina has skills and knowledge from previous corporate law experience that will help our business address these obligations.” Visit wins.net for more information about the company.

EC business owner earns state award

Ashley Kosharek, owner of AMK Cleaning Services in Eau Claire, earned the Courage Award from the Wisconsin Community Action Program Association. Recipients of the award have overcome barriers in attaining economic self-sufficiency. Kosharek was nominated by Karman Briggs of Western Dairyland Community Action Agency. Kosharek worked at modest-paying jobs before starting AMK, 2131 Fenwick Ave. She took courses through Western Dairyland to help build her business, which has grown to 27 employees. See page 22

- Guest Article -

National Issues That Will Affect Central Wisconsin Businesses In 2016

By Shaughnessy P. Murphy– Ruder Ware, LLSC

Staying up-to-date and compliant with new laws, rules, and regulations is an ever increasing cost of doing business. Despite the fact that at the end of 2015 Congress took important steps to provide businesses with long-term certainty by permanently extending the federal Research and Development Tax Credit and the Section 179 expensing deduction, much was left undecided. As we look ahead to the rest of 2016, there are numerous proposed regulations and potential laws that may directly affect your business’s bottom line. Here are five national issues that you should keep your eye on:

1. Regulations

Regardless of the size of your company or industry, both state and federal regulators have a large impact on your business. According to the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, there are over 3,000 new federal regulations in the pipeline for 2016. One major regulation for businesses to watch this year is the Department of Labor’s overtime rule. The proposed “overtime rule” more than doubles the minimum salary threshold for an employee before they can be deemed exempt from overtime pay; in other words, under the proposed rule, each employee that makes under $50,440 is eligible for overtime pay. Regardless of your industry, 2016 may prove to be a challenging year on the regulatory front.

2. Health Care

The national debate over health care reform will certainly rage on, but there are a litany of specific rules and regulations that all businesses and health care providers should keep an eye on. For example, the $150 billion Health Insurance Tax (HIT) which was first enacted as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is set to kick in at the end of 2016. The HIT is a tax on health insurance companies based on the “net premiums” they receive from fully insured plans. These fully insured plans are the exact kind that roughly 88% of small businesses purchase for the benefit of their employees. According to the Congressional Budget Office, a HIT “would be largely passed through to consumers in the form of higher premiums for private coverage.” Thus, if the HIT takes effect at the end of 2016, small businesses who do not self insure should be prepared to pay higher health care premiums. Businesses and individuals alike are seeking solutions to provide more choice and reduce their health care costs – unfortunately unless Congress acts, the opposite will likely result.

3. Cyber Security/Data Security

When big businesses like Target or Home Depot get hacked, it is front page news. According to the National Small Business Association, over 44% of small businesses have been hacked – whether they know it or not. In 2016, Congressional leaders may look to expand upon recent legislation which sets up voluntary disclosure portals for businesses to share information with the government regarding a cyber attack. Specifically, a number of recent proposals introduced in Congress would require how businesses report data breaches and when businesses are required to notify customers about a potential data security breach. Businesses need to be vigilant in protecting consumer information and 2016 looks like it could be the year Congress gets in the fight.

4. Workforce Development

While Wisconsin’s unemployment rate was consistently lower than the national average for all of 2015, employers in Wisconsin often struggle to find qualified and skilled employees for many well paying positions. Wisconsin is not alone

in this conundrum. There is a national bipartisan recognition that we have entered a new modern economy, and Congressional leaders are eager to revamp our technical education and skills training programs. A prime example is the pending reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act (CTE). A revamped CTE would update the way we invest in vocational and technical education to ensure we are preparing the next generation workforce for the positions local businesses need. Similarly, as an aside on the state level, for the third year in a row, the Wisconsin Fast Forward program inside the Department of Workforce Development will be awarding up to $15 million in grants to support employer-led worker training – businesses of all sizes are eligible to apply. Building a 21st century workforce to meet the demands of a modern economy requires thoughtful and timely investment by job seekers, employers and governments.

5. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization

You may ask yourself, how does the FAA reauthorization affect my business? The FAA’s current authorization is set to expire on March 31. The FAA is responsible for ensuring that our nation’s air transportation and skyways are efficient and safe. A major component of the FAA reauthorization are the parameters by which local and regional airports receive grant money to expand or improve services and in some instances keep airports operating. For example, in the last four years, the Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA) has received over $15 million directly from the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program to improve its terminal building. These improvements help move people and products to central Wisconsin – and are critical to the growth of our region. Additionally, an emerging concern that will surely be addressed in the FAA reauthorization is the commercial and recreational use of drones. Whether you are a realtor, farmer, business owner, or just out to have some fun – the FAA reauthorization will further set out the registration requirements and the parameters of where, when, and how you can lawfully fly your drone. Regardless of whether your business directly uses an airport, the FAA reauthorization has far reaching implications to businesses, large and small.

Attorney Shaughnessy P. Murphy, Ruder Ware, L.L.S.C. About the author: Shaughnessy P. Murphy is an attorney in the business transactions group at Ruder Ware, LLSC. Prior to joining Ruder Ware, Shaughnessy was a senior aide in the U.S. House of Representatives. 796570 1-25-16

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briefcase From page 20

Gordy’s, Mega form partnership

Gordy’s Market and Mega Co-op announced an agreement that will result in the closing of the Mega East store and a narrowing of the business focus for both companies. Officials said Mega East is expected to close in late February — about the same time as the new agreement between Gordy’s and Mega Co-op takes effect that will leave Gordy’s as exclusively a grocery company and the co-op as solely an operator of convenience stores and fuel centers. The deal calls for all of the remaining Mega grocery stores — Mega West and locations in Barron and Whitehall — to become Gordy’s Markets and all 14 Gordy’s Express convenience stores to become Mega Holiday stations. As a result of the transaction, Gordy’s will own and operate 24 grocery stores, and Mega Co-op will own and operate 33 convenience stores.

Designs unveiled for EC complex

Demolition of buildings along Menomonie Street in Eau Claire is expected to begin in 2016 to clear the way for a large event complex for which construction is expected to begin within five years. To begin preparing a 25-acre site donated to UW-Eau Claire, former offices of Student Transit and some of County Materials’ buildings are expected to come down this year. The school bus company moved to a new building on Fehr Road earlier in 2015, and County Materials scaled back its operations on Menomonie Street. Named after County Materials owners and UW-Eau Claire alumni, John and Carolyn Sonnentag, the new complex planned for the site would replace UW-Eau Claire’s Zorn Arena and the Eau Claire YMCA, plus create a venue for large events in Eau Claire. The Sonnentags made a $10 million donation, including the land, that kick-started the project. The arena would have seating for 4,500 to 5,000 people, but standing room would expand its total capacity to about 6,000.

Futurist speaks at UW-Stout

MENOMONIE — Ideas are assets, a futurist told an audience in November at UW-Stout. Speaking at the eighth annual Manufacturing Advantage Conference, Robert Tucker said innovation will determine which companies will survive. He urged management to provide recognition for employees who are innovative. Starting an Tucker idea campaign is one way to more fully engage workers, he said. “The other value you will find is people in the rank and file you never thought had an idea in their life, and suddenly they dazzle you with an idea,” he said. Tucker is the founder and president of The Innovation Resource, a global consulting company in Santa Barbara, Calif. His clients include 200 of the Fortune 500 companies as well as businesses around the world. His latest book is “Innovation is Everybody’s Business,” and he has appeared on ABC, NBC and the CNBC series “The Business of Innovation.” 22 |

♦ January 25, 2016

TDK acquiring Hutchinson Technology Inc.

Tokyo-based TDK announced in November plans to acquire Minnesota-based Hutchinson Technology Inc. Production could rise at a high-tech Eau Claire factory under the agreement between a U.S. technology company and a major Japanese electronics manufacturer, according to a corporate spokeswoman. The deal is expected to be finalized in the first quarter of this year, and HTI’s Connie Pautz said demand for the locally made disk drive components would grow under the new parent company. “This acquisition represents a great opportunity for our Eau Claire facility,” Pautz said. “TDK will have the capability to produce its own components.” There were 450 employees who worked at HTI’s building at 2435 Alpine Road when the news was announced, producing two out of three pieces the company makes for suspension assemblies used in computer disk drives. TDK also is in the suspension assembly business, but it had been buying some of HTI’s precision-made parts through a subsidiary, Pautz said.

Organization tracks industrial sites

Momentum West maintains a Gold Shovel Ready Site database for developers on its website at momentumwest.org. The resource helps developers find sites in a 10-county region that have: ■ Identified property owners and clearly stated sales prices. ■ Zoning in place or planned. ■ Maps showing public and private utilities and capacities. ■ Information showing transportation networks. ■ Identified any known site restrictions that may hinder development (geological, environmental, easements, etc.). ■ Area statistics and demographic data. Sites currently verified as Gold Shovel Ready are: Stower Industrial Park in Amery, Crossing Meadows Business Park in Ellsworth, Hammond Business Center II, Menomonie Schaefer, New Richmond Business and Technical Park, Roberts Business Park, Thompson Industrial Park in Woodville and Westland Meadows Business Park in Spring Valley.

Pizza Ranch gets new ownership

Restaurant chain Pizza Ranch signed an agreement with entrepreneur Ernie Swanson to take over the company’s Eau Claire location at 2451 Truax Blvd. Under the new ownership, the buffet-style restaurant will be open seven days a week starting in February. Visit pizzaranch. com for more information.

briefcase Confluence fundraising continues

Philanthropic fundraising for the Confluence Project in downtown Eau Claire surpassed $12 million at the end of 2015. Backers are hoping to reach $13.5 million in private dollars. In addition, the performing arts center also will be funded by the state ($15 million), city of Eau Claire ($5 million) and Eau Claire County ($3.5 million). The remaining $3 million is expected to come from new market tax credits or possibly a low-interest loan from the city. The arts center will include a 1,200-seat large theater, a 400-seat flexible theater, offices and classrooms for UW-Eau Claire, rehearsal rooms, backstage areas and public spaces. Construction is expected to start this summer and be completed in late 2018.

Tool aimed at attracting businesses

MENOMONIE — Developers hoping to build in Menomonie could soon have the ability to envision their project more fully, thanks to technology and a new agreement. The Dunn County Economic Development Corp., Greater Menomonie Development Corp. and city of Menomonie plan to enter into a joint venture for the purpose of developing a virtual spec building technology tool. The virtual technology would provide businesses interested in locating in Menomonie or the surrounding area the ability to look at a virtual depiction of buildings on development sites, a move backers hope will boost construction. State-approved plans will be developed by Cedar Corp. of Menomonie, along with a tool that would allow for virtual walk-throughs of buildings. The project will cost about $40,000, Menomonie City Administrator Lowell Prange said.

Mills Fleet Farm acquired

Prange

BRAINERD, Minn. — Family-owned Mills Fleet Farm agreed to sell to New York-based KKR, a large investment concern that has holdings in various industries totaling about $100 billion. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. However, after the Mills put the privately held chain of 35 stores up for sale last fall, there was speculation it would fetch in the neighborhood of $1 billion. Mills Fleet Farm has a location in Menomonie. Nate Taylor, a KKR executive, said while KKR has acquired majority control of the stock, the Mills family will retain a small ownership stake in the 61-year-old company. Several Mills family members will maintain offices and contribute in an advisory capacity. Taylor said the business will be operated independently of KKR’s other retailers, which include Toys ‘R’ Us and US Foods.

Frac sand industry in a slump

A decline in oil prices lessened demand for energy produced by the nation’s shale oil industry and for the Wisconsin sand — much of which is mined in the region within a 60-mile radius of Eau Claire — that has become a key ingredient in America’s recipe for domestic oil. Wisconsin is the nation’s leading producer of sand used in hydraulic fracturing — the drilling technique commonly known as fracking that involves injecting a mixture of sand, water and chemicals deep into underground wells to force oil and natural gas to the surface. The latest fallout came when Hi-Crush Services revealed in a filing with the state Department of Workforce Development that it was laying off 27 workers and suspending production at its site at

S11011 Highway M in Augusta. Similar shutdowns have occurred throughout the region. In Chippewa County, only one of the six operational mines, the Chippewa Sands property in the town of Cooks Valley, was still mining as of late October, said county conservationist Dan Masterpole. Chieftain Sand & Proppant Barron laid off 63 employees at two plants in western Wisconsin, according to filings with DWD. The layoffs are at a wet plant in Chetek and a dry plant in New Auburn. The layoffs are expected to be permanent, according to the filings.

Construction continues on DT hotels

Progress continues on a pair of hotels in downtown Eau Claire. The Lismore, 205 S. Barstow St., began hosting events such as a Children’s Museum of Eau Claire gala at the site that was once the Ramada Convention Center. Local entrepreneur Zach Halmstad, co-founder of JAMF Software, heads the facility’s ownership group: Pablo Properties. The group bought the former Ramada in December 2013 and embarked on a $20 million renovation. The hotel is scheduled to open in the first quarter of this year. Backers of The Oxbow Hotel, 516 Galloway St., received a boost when the project earned a $500,000 grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Halmstad Corp. and $250,000 no-interest loan from the city as a 50 percent match requirement of the grant. Halmstad and fellow local entrepreneurs Nick Meyer, Ben Richgruber and Justin Vernon anchor Longform LLC, the developer of the renovation of the former Green Tree Inn. The project is scheduled to be finished by late summer. See page 24

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briefcase From page 23

In other news

■ Mike Corneiller is planning a mixed-use building with a fast-food restaurant, retail store space and five apartments for the lot he owns at 1709 Harding Ave. Cedar Corp. of Menomonie designed the two-story building, which is scheduled to be built this year on the half-acre lot. ■ Eau Claire-based RCU promoted Betty Laskowski and Andrea Finn, respectively, to organizational relations/recruiting manager and digital marketing manager. Laskowski began working for RCU in 1992 and has served as an organizational talent adviser since 2000. Finn began working for RCU in 2012 and has spent the past three years as digital marketing specialist. Laskowski ■ RCU also earned the Credit Union National Association, or CUNA, 2015 Community Credit Union of the Year Award. The organization earned the award among credit unions with more than $250 million in assets. Applicants were judged on three criteria: member impact, community impact and financial impact. ■ MENOMONIE — Family-run Anshus Jewelers, 300 Main St., celebrated its 100th anniversary in late 2015. Nels Anshus founded the business. It’s currently owned by his son, John, and granddaugher, Lisa Anshus Frank. ■ Adrian Klenz recently launched Klenz Financial Counseling. Klenz is executive director of the REACH Foundation and serves as a faculty member for NeighborWorks America, an organization that promotes affordable housing and community development. Visit klenzfinancialcounseling.com for more information. Klenz ■ A 200-by-90-foot dome, dubbed the Complexx, was built west of Wagner’s Lanes, 2159 Brackett Ave. The Complexx houses three volleyball courts, a tiki bar and a performance stage. ■ WOODVILLE — OEM Fabricators received the 2015 Wisconsin Business Achievement Award, which was presented by the Flowers Family Foundation. The award recognizes outstanding economic and philanthropic contributions of individuals or entities engaged in free enterprise. It includes a $60,000 donation from the Flowers Family Foundation to a Wisconsin-based nonprofit organization of the winner’s choosing. OEM selected Success By 6 of the St. Croix Valley, an organization that supports early childhood development. ■ UW-Eau Claire graduate Sarah Shuda launched a new local business called Open Merit. The company provides email marketing services to save time for businesses. Shuda also operates Sarah Lynn Design, a Web design studio, which recently celebrated its fifth anniversary. Visit openmerit.com for more information. ■ MADISON — The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. named Tim Weber as regional account manager for Wisconsin’s 17 northwestern counties. He assumed the role after serving in WEDC’s credit and risk department Weber since 2013. As a regional account manager,

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♦ January 25, 2016

Weber works with business leaders and economic development partners to encourage and support business startup, attraction and growth initiatives. Contact Weber at 608-210-6772. ■ ALTOONA — Citizens State Bank hired Susan Nelson as general manager and mortgage loan officer for its Eau Claire market location at 1028 N. Hillcrest Parkway. Citizens State Bank has offices in Clayton, Eau Claire, La Crosse and Onalaska. ■ Ross Dress for Less opened Oct. 10 at 4027 Commonwealth Ave. in Eau Claire’s Oak Pointe Plaza Shopping Center. The company is an off-price apparel and home fashion chain with more than 1,200 stores. Visit rossstores.com for more information. ■ Eau Claire-based Citizens Community Bancorp, the parent company of Citizens Community Federal, entered into a purchase agreement to purchase certain assets from, and assume all deposit liabilities of, Central Bank’s branch operations in Barron and Rice Lake. Central Bank is based in Golden Valley, Minn. ■ Minneapolis-based Baldwin Supply Co., an independent supplier of power transmission, electrical control, conveyor belt and other industrial products, announced its expansion into western Wisconsin with the opening of a 10,000-square foot branch office and warehouse in Eau Claire. The facility, located at 1001 Harris St., is the company’s ninth location in the Upper Midwest. ■ BALDWIN — Woodville Warehousing and Distributing is building a 122,500-square-foot cold and frozen storage facility in the Baldwin 1-94 Industrial Business Park. The cost of the project, which is located on a 12-acre site, is about $7 million. Ron and Lorri Riek own the business. ■ MADISON — The One Stop Business Portal, a new online service in Wisconsin, is now live at OpenForBusinessWI. com. The service guides users through three steps to start a new business. It combines forms from the state Department of Financial Institutions, Department of Revenue and Department of Workforce Development. ■ Eau Claire-based home improvement retailer Menards announced plans to build a new tennis center for the Eau Claire YMCA. The eight-court building will be built this year along Menomonie Street on land the YMCA already owns. The deal includes giving Menards the YMCA’s existing five-court tennis and gymnastics center on Moore Street, next to North Hastings Way. ■ BLACK RIVER FALLS — A former accountant at Jackson Electric Cooperative was charged with stealing nearly $200,000 from the business between 2010 and 2014. Jeffrie C. Cook, 47, of Black River Falls was charged with five felony counts of theft in a business setting, which have a combined maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. His preliminary hearing is slated for Feb. 25. ■ Atlanta-based Consolidated Container Co. acquired the assets of Precision Plastics in Chippewa Falls. The site supplies high-density polyethylene containers for the bottled water market, according to a news release, and has fewer than 20 employees. The Chippewa Falls site became CCC’s 55th rigid package manufacturing plant. • Chippewa Valley Airport Service has added a 24-passenger executive mini-coach to its fleet of passenger vans and Lincoln Town Car. The mini-coach is available for events such as tours, sporting events and weddings. Visit chippewavalleyairportservice.com for details.

briefcase • Eau Claire North graduate Becca Cooke, 27, recently opened Red’s Mercantile at 224 N. Dewey St. Visit facebook.com/ redsmercantile/ for more information about the home goods and accessories store. ■ WASHINGTON — Neel Kashkari, a prominent business executive and one-time candidate for governor of California, was chosen to be the head of the Federal Reserve’s regional bank in Minneapolis. Kashkari succeeds Narayana Kocherlakota, who stepped down from the job of Minneapolis Fed president on Dec. 31. Kashkari He had held the position since 2009. ■ BLOOMER — A roofing contractor faced a maximum penalty of $112,200 in fines for reportedly failing to install proper fall protection, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration. It was the fourth time in three years that Affordable Exteriors had been cited, twice each by federal and state inspectors, according to an OSHA news release. ■ BLACK RIVER FALLS — D&S Manufacturing, 301 E. Main St., announced it had laid off 26 employees on Nov. 18 in filings with the state Department of Workforce Development. “Due to the unpredictability of what further actions our company may need to make in order to adjust our business costs,” said Michael Dougherty, D&S president, in a filing, “there may be additional layoffs that may occur.” D&S provides component parts to original equipment manufacturers. ■ Jeffery Morgan was elected vice president of engineering for Eau Claire-based National Presto Industries. Morgan joined Presto in 2010 as chief engineer and was promoted to director of engineering in March. He is the named inventor on more than 40 patents. ■ CHIPPEWA FALLS — Bottling company Premium Waters acquired a small parcel in an industrial park on the east side of Chippewa Falls to expand. The Chippewa Falls City Council voted unanimously to sell the four-acre site. The industrial park is located on the east side of Seymour Cray Boulevard. ■ BROWN DEER — Bank Mutual Corp., the parent company of Bank Mutual, announced it was closing a branch in Eau Claire at 3250 N. Clairemont Ave. and three other locations. The consolidation of the four retail branch offices in March — the others are in Cedarburg, New Holstein and Hortonville — is expected to save the company $1 million annually. ■ A bar and grill-style restaurant is planned for an Eau Claire landmark building that used to house a lumber company office. Plans submitted by owner Jim Rolbiecki show the brick building at 1004 Menomonie St. will be renovated into a new restaurant with a small parking lot added next to it. ■ Chuck Kaiser, co-owner of Americas Best Value Inn - Campus View, 809 W. Clairemont Ave., received the Spirit Award at Vantage Hospitality Group’s annual International Educational Conference & Trade Show in Las Vegas. Kaiser “was recognized for being a ‘good soul’ who strives to create a heartwarming Kaiser atmosphere for all with whom he comes into contact and who gives selflessly to make life better for others,” according to a news release. ■ Commonweal Development’s plans to build two 47-unit apartment buildings on land along Bullis Farm Road in

Eau Claire advanced. The three-story buildings will have underground parking. ■ Demolition of seven buildings began to make way for a mixed-use redevelopment project that would comprise much of the north side of the 200 block of Water Street in Eau Claire. The demolition will make room for a large building that would take up most of that block, said Joe Miller, a real estate agent and property manager for Investment Realty, which is owned by John Mogensen. The building would consist of commercial businesses on the ground floor and apartments in two or three stories above, he said. ■ Ten months after the former Fanny Hill restaurant and dinner theater closed, the scenic property overlooking the Chippewa River valley was donated to Hope Gospel Mission. Northwestern Bank of Chippewa Falls completed the donation of the 17-acre property, which was valued at $932,800. ■ MADISON — The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is leading a delegation to Germany in April during Hannover Messe, an industrial technology event. For details visit inwisconsin.com/hannovermesse or contact Stanley Pfrang, WEDC senior market development director, at 608-210-6777 or stanley.pfrang@wedc.org.

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1. Expanding and relocating EC winemaker. 3. World’s most innovative company, according to Forbes. 4. Employee who makes company a place where people want to work. 6. Annual chamber trip to Madison. 7. Chi-Hi course that provides tech device help for the public. 8. Great Northern Corp. predecessor. 9. 1992 film about Chicago real estate office. 12. “The way to get started is to quit talking and _ _.” Walt Disney. 13. Wisconsin state rock. 15. New local grocery/convenience store partners. 16. World’s most visited city, according to Forbes. 20. Menomonie seller of homes. 22. Fee on high-cost health plans offered by employers. 26 |

♦ January 25, 2016

ACROSS

2. No. 1 among state Department of Workforce Development’s “Hot Jobs” list for 2012-22. 5. Leo Buhlman founded this area dairy product producer. 10. Person authorized by law to certify documents and signatures. 11. New Zacho Sports Center offering. 14. Fall Creek Internet provider. 17. Late-night Menomonie restaurant. 18. State program to identify and promote shovel-ready industrial sites. 19. New Chippewa Valley Home Builders Assoc. staffer. 21. Recently acquired state-based bank. 23. KKR investment firm’s recent acquisition. 24. New Wisconsin lottery director. 25. Act that oversees financial reporting of public corporations. 26. Eau Claire EDC Idea Challenge finalist’s product. 27. Jeffrey Fox book on sales and marketing. 28. Chamber destination in 2016. 29. Chippewa Valley Innovation Center tenant. 30. Sector that added a seasonally adjusted 30,000 jobs in U.S. last year.

January Ongoing

n MENOMONIE — A six-session Lean Certification Series will be from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays, March 1-May 3, at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 403 Technology Drive E. The UW-Stout Manufacturing Outreach Center and CVTC are partnering to offer the program. The event provides “targeted training with real-world applications,” according to its website. For more information visit www.uwstout.edu/profed/lean/leancertification/index.cfm or contact Anna McCabe at 715-232-5484. n Programs in the Supervisory Management Certificate program at UW-Eau Claire meet from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The schedule includes: - “Supervisor Training: Learning to Lead,” Feb. 25-26 at Citizens State Bank, 375 Stageline Road, Hudson; March 10-11 at Holiday Inn South, 4751 Owen Ayres Court. - “Dealing with Conflict,” March 17-18 at Holiday Inn South. - “Supervisor Training: Orientation, Time Management and Delegation,” March 31-April 1 at Citizens State Bank in Hudson; April 7-8 at Holiday Inn South. - “Maximizing Performance,” April 21-22 at Citizens Bank in Hudson. - “Critical Conversations,” May 5-6 at Holiday Inn South. - “Process Mapping and Work Flow Improvement,” May 19-20 at Citizens State Bank in Hudson. UW-Eau Claire also is offering several courses within its Nonprofit Management Certificate program. Each session meets from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The schedule includes: - “Nonprofit Strategic Planning,” April 7 at Hudson Hospital & Conference Center, 405 Stageline Road; May 13 at Sleep Inn and Suites Conference Center, 5872 33rd Ave. - “Nonprofit Financial Management and Reporting,” April 8 at Hudson Hospital & Conference Center. - “Nonprofit Volunteer and Board Member Management,” April 28 at Sleep Inn and Suites Conference Center; May 5 at Hudson Hospital & Conference Center. - “Nonprofit Fund Development,” April 29 at Sleep Inn and Suites Conference Center; May 6 at Hudson Hospital & Conference Center. - “Nonprofit Leadership Effectiveness,” May 12 at Sleep Inn and Suites Conference Center. For more information visit uwec.edu/ce, call 866-893-2423 or email ce@uwec.edu. n The Western Dairyland Women’s Business Center is offering the free program “Are You an Entrepreneur? Women’s Business

CALENDAR Center’s Introductory Session.” Live webinars are noon to 1 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month. The program also meets from 5 to 6 p.m. the third Wednesday of each month at Western Dairyland, 418 Wisconsin St. For more information or to register, visit successfulbusiness.org or call 715-836-7511, ext. 1171. n The Wisconsin Small Business Development Center is offering the “Entrepreneurial Training Program.” The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. offers qualified applicants grants that cover $750 of the $1,000 course fee. Visit wisconsinsbdc.org/etp for more information or to register. Information also is available by contacting the UW-Eau Claire Small Business Development Center at 715-836-5811 or etp@ uwec.edu. n LA CROSSE — The three-session program ExporTech will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, April 5, May 10 and June 14 at the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce, 601 Seventh St. N. ExporTech is a national export assistance program that offers a structured, yet customizable, process that guides companies through every aspect of export growth. The program is limited to six to eight companies. For more information contact Joni Geroux at gerouxj@uwstout.edu or 715232-5270, Marc Schneider at maschn@iastate.edu or 563-221-1596 or Jeff Carr at carrj1998@uwstout.edu or 715-222-3097. n MENOMONIE —‑ UW-Stout is presenting a series of halfday leadership seminars in April. Each is 8 a.m. to noon. “Leading in a Whitewater World of Change” is Tuesday, April 12, “Leading and Facilitating Teams” is Tuesday, April 19, and “Effective Communication” is Tuesday, April 26. The cost for each seminar is $85 or $200 for all three. Visit www.uwstout.edu/profed/Half-DaySeminars.cfm for details. Jan. 26: The Lunch & Learn program “Motivating your Workforce Through Transformational Leadership” will be from noon to 1 p.m. at the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, 101 N. Farwell St. The presenter is Heather Rothbauer-Wanish, a UW-Eau Claire graduate who owns Feather Communications. The cost, which includes lunch, is $20 for chamber members and $40 for nonmembers. For more information or to register, visit eauclairechamber.org or call 715-8341204. Jan. 27: The Chippewa Valley Rally, an annual event conducted by the Chippewa Valley Chamber Alliance, will provide an opportunity for business and community leaders to present economic issues important to Chippewa Falls, Menomonie and Eau Claire in Madison. The group will meet and network with legislators and their representatives. The cost, which includes a luncheon, reception and See page 28

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CALENDAR

January - February

from Page 27 optional bus transportation, is $89. For more information contact the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce’s Scott Rogers at 715-858-0616 or rogers@eauclairechamber.org. n Also on Jan. 27, the program “Attracting and Retaining Employees: Hiring and Recruiting Team Members” will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chippewa County Economic Development Corp., 770 Technology Way, Chippewa Falls. The event is the second in a three-part series by David Kochendorfer, who founded Achieve Results. Sessions may be taken individually. The cost, which includes lunch, is $15. For more information or to register, visit chippewa- Kochendorfer wi.com, call 715-723-7150 or email info@chippewa-wi.com. Jan. 29: MADISON — The date is the nominating deadline for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.’s 2016 Governor’s Export Achievement Award. The awards are open to companies of all sizes as well as to organizations that have contributed to the state’s ability to compete globally. The preliminary nomination process requires a short narrative (250 words or fewer) of the company’s recent exporting accomplishments. The online nomination form can be found at inwisconsin.com/exportawards. A panel of international trade experts will review all submissions and identify semifinalists who will move on to the next stage of the competition, where they will be asked to submit a more detailed application. Chippewa Valley Bean earned a 2015 Governor’s Export Achievement Award. The Menomonie business is the nation’s largest processor of dark kidney beans. “Receiving a Governor’s Export Achievement Award has helped shine a light on Chippewa Valley Bean’s success in reaching customers around the world,” said Cynthia Brown, CEO of the business, in a news release. Visit the aforementioned website or email patrick.roetker@wedc.org for more information. Jan. 31: MADISON — The date is the deadline for entries in the 13th annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest. For initial entries, contestants will submit a 250-word idea abstract online at govsbizplancontest.com. The website is where contestants will find business plan templates and other resources. Feb. 1-3: The program “Lineworker ‘U’” will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at Chippewa Valley Technical College’s Energy Education Center, 4000 Campus Road. The cost for the refresher course for experienced linemen is $325. For more information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or email businessindustry@cvtc.edu. Feb. 2: A program regarding overtime and independent contractors will be held at The Florian Gardens, 2340 Lorch Ave. A first session, “Wage and Hour Law in Light of the New Proposed Overtime Regulations,” is 9 to 11:30 a.m. A second session, “Employee Versus Independent Contractor: Understanding the Difference,” is 12:30 to 3 p.m. The cost is $49 for each program. Those who register for both may attend a networking lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at no cost. For more information or to register, visit uwec.edu/CE/, call 866-893-2423 or email ce@uwec.edu. Feb. 3: MENOMONIE — The Menomonie Area Chamber of Commerce is holding its 77th annual banquet from 5 to 9 p.m. in the Great Hall at UW-Stout. Chamber volunteers will be recognized and the organization’s activities over the past year will be summarized. The 28 |

♦ January 25, 2016

event also will include the announcement of the Small Business of the Year and other award recipients. The cost is $65 or $475 for a table of eight. Visit menomoniechamber.org for details. Feb. 4: The program “Adobe Photoshop Level 1” will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 620 W. Clairemont Ave. The cost is $104. For more information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or email businessindustry@cvtc.edu. Feb. 4-5: MADISON — The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and Dane County Extension are offering the workshop series “Thinking of Transitioning to Organic?” at the DATCP Building, 702 Agricultural Drive. The dairy farmers portion of the program is 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, and the food processors portion is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5. The cost, which includes lunch, is $20 for one day or $30 for both. Visit counties. uwex.edu/dane/?p=6125 for details. Feb. 5: The program “Sales Skills Training to Transform Your Business” will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Room 310 of Schneider Hall at UW-Eau Claire. The presenters are Jerry Kollross, who has 25 years of professional sales experience, has been a small-business owner for 15 years and has taught at UW-Claire and UW-Stout, and Robert Erffmeyer, a marketing professor at UW-Eau Claire. The cost, Erffmeyer which includes breakfast and lunch, is $250. For more information or to register, visit tinyurl.com/nasshvs. n The date also is the deadline for nominations in Wisconsin Rural Partners’ 2016 Top Rural Development Initiatives. Any project, activity or entire community in rural Wisconsin is eligible. They may be state, federal, tribal, nonprofit or for-profit business initiatives, regional or statewide, as long as they meet program criteria. For more information visit wirural.org/programs/toprdi/nominate/ or contact Rick Rolfsmeyer, WRP executive director, at 608-967-2322 or ricky@wirural. org. Feb. 10: CHIPPEWA FALLS — The program “Attracting and Retaining Employees: Retaining Your Winning Team” will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chippewa County Economic Development Corp., 770 Technology Way. The event is the third in a three-part series by David Kochendorfer, who founded Achieve Results. Sessions may be taken individually. The cost, which includes lunch, is $15. For more information or to register, visitchippewa-wi.com, call 715-723-7150 or email info@chippewa-wi.com. Feb. 11: CHIPPEWA FALLS — An eight-hour course, “MSHA Part 46 Annual Refresher Training,” will be from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Horizons Lounge and Banquet Center, 10769 Highway Q. The program satisfies Mine Safety and Health Administration training requirements. Employers must have a training plan to enroll workers in the course. The cost is $125. For more information contact Mark Johnson of Custom Industrial Services at 715-944-9120 or mark@cis-safety.com. Feb. 15: MADISON — The date is the deadline for nominations for Wisconsin Organic Advisory Council candidates. The council has four openings for individuals interested in helping to shape the future of organic farming and food in Wisconsin. Applicants should explain why they would be valuable to the council and include two letters of support. The four openings include one seat for a representative of each of the following: farm, business, consumer and at-large. Members serve three-year terms, and the council meets quarterly. For more information visit tinyurl.com/h2mnp2a, email theresa.feiner@

February - March Wisconsin.gov or call 608-224-5140. Feb. 16: STEVENS POINT — The 2016 Broadband and Economic Development Summit will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Convention Center, 1001 Amber Ave. For more information contact Sue Edington or Chris Nachreiner at sedington@wsta.info or 608-256-8866, ext. 2456, or 608-256-8866, ext. 2454. Feb. 17: CHIPPEWA FALLS — The program “Adobe Photoshop Level 2” will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 770 Scheidler Road. The cost is $104. For more information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc. edu, call 800-511-9095 or email businessindustry@cvtc.edu. Feb. 18: CHIPPEWA FALLS — An eight-hour course, “MSHA Part 46 Annual Refresher Training,” will be from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Horizons Lounge and Banquet Center, 10769 Highway Q. The program satisfies Mine Safety and Health Administration training requirements. Employers must have a training plan to enroll workers in the course. The cost is $125. For more information contact Mark Johnson of Custom Industrial Services at 715-944-9120 or mark@cis-safety.com. n Also on Feb. 18, the program “MSHA 8 Hour Refresher Training” will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 770 Scheidler Road, Chippewa Falls. The cost is $140. For more information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or email businessindustry@cvtc.edu. Feb. 19-21: The Chippewa Valley Home Builders Association is holding its 38th annual Home & Garden Show at the Eau Claire Indoor Sports Center, 3456 Craig Road. The event features more than 200 exhibitors and daily seminars. Call 715-835-2526 for more information. Feb. 21-26: MADISON — The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is conducting a trade venture to Mexico, visiting Mexico City and Guadalajara, the nation’s two largest cities. A trade venture to Canada is March 13-18, visiting Toronto, Ontario, and Winnipeg, Manitoba. Visit inwisconsin.com/export/goglobal for more information. Feb. 24: Business Day in Madison, presented by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Monona Terrace, One John Nolen Drive. The program includes insights on economic trends, political updates and an address by Gov. Scott Walker. The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce will coordinate car pooling, and discounted lodging is available for those traveling the night before. There is a reception for attendees the evening of Feb. 23. An early bird registration fee of $140 is available through Walker Jan. 30. Contact Scott Rogers at 715-858-0616 or rogers@eauclairechamber.org for more information. Feb. 25: The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2016 Sales Conference will be from 8 a.m.tonoon at The Florian Gardens, 2340 Lorch Ave. For more information visit eauclairechamber.org or call 715-834-1204. Feb. 26: The program “Business Plan Basics Webinar” will be from noon to 1 p.m. at Western Dairyland Community Action Agency, 418 Wisconsin St. The cost is $15. For more information or to register, visit successfulbusiness.org, call 715-836-7511 or email info@ successfulbusiness.org. Feb. 27: CHIPPEWA FALLS — The Western Dairyland program, “Mechanics of Starting a Small Business,” will be from 2 to 4 p.m. at Green Oasis, 1403 122nd St. The cost is $29. For more information or to register, visit successfulbusiness.org, call 715-836-7511 or email info@

CALENDAR

successfulbusiness.org. March 1: CHIPPEWA FALLS — The program “Microsoft Excel Basic” will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 770 Scheidler Road. The cost is $104. For more information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800511-9095 or email businessindustry@cvtc.edu. March 2-4: MENOMONIE — The three-day program, “MSHA (Mine Safety Health Administration) Part 46 Initial 24 Hour Training,” is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 403 Technology Drive E. The cost is $295. For more information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-5119095 or email businessindustry@cvtc.edu. March 3: The CVTC 2016 Manufacturing Show will be from 3 to 7 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical College’s Manufacturing Education Center, 2320 Alpine Road. The event will include interactive exhibits, information about manufacturing programs, door prizes and raffles. Visit cvtc.edu/manufacturingshow for more information. March 9: The program “MSHA 8 Hour Refresher Training” will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Room 108 at Chippewa Valley Technical College’s Business Education Center, 620 W. Clairemont Ave. The cost is $140. For more information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or email businessindustry@cvtc.edu. March 10: MENOMONIE — The fifth annual Red Cedar Watershed Conference will be in the Memorial Student Center at UW-Stout. Scheduled speakers include Gabe Brown, farmer and specialist in See page 30 38th Annual

HOME&GARDENSHOW February 19 - 21st, 2016 Eau Claire Indoor Sports Center $6 in Advance / $8 at the Door $12 Weekend Pass at the Door Children 12 & under are free

Outdoor Patio Grand Giveway worth $10,000

Visit www.cvhomebuilders.com for more info or call 715-835-2526. 796335_1-25-16

Est. 1978

January 25, 2016 ♦

| 29

CALENDAR

March - April

from Page 29 soil health movement; Tim Davis, research scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and Maude Barlow, author and former senior adviser to the United Nations. Visit www.uwstout. edu/profed/redcedar/ for details. March 16-17: The Chippewa Valley Technical College program “OSHA (Occupational Safety Health Administration) 10 Hour General Industry Certification” will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. the first day and 8 to 11 a.m. the second day at a site to be determined. The cost is $175. For more information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or email businessindustry@cvtc.edu. March 22: The program “Business Plan Basics” will be from 6 to 9 p.m. at Western Dairyland, 418 Wisconsin St. The cost is $29. For more information or to register, visit successfulbusiness.org, call 715-8367511 or email info@successfulbusiness.org. March 25: The webinar “Website Basics” will be from noon to 1 p.m. at Western Dairyland Community Action Agency, 418 Wisconsin St. The cost is $15. For more information or to register, visit successfulbusiness.org, call 715-836-7511 or email info@ successfulbusiness.org. March 29: The Lunch & Learn program “How to Supercharge Your Presentations” will be from noon to 1 p.m. at the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, 101 N. Farwell St. The presenters are Heidi Schreiner of Artisans of the Earth and a Toastmasters club director, Jeff McRaven of National Presto Industries and Melissa Eslinger of Marshfield Clinic Health System. The cost, which includes lunch, is $20 for chamber members and $40 for nonmembers. For more information or to register, visit eauclairechamber.org or call 715-834-1204. March 29-April 1: MENOMONIE — The four-day workshop, “Leadership Academy Phase I,” will be in the Memorial Student Center at UW-Stout. Coaches include Charlie Krueger, founder and director of the program, president of Krueger Training and Development and former chair of communications, education and training at UW-Stout, and Kari Dahl, an independent organizational development consultant. For more information visit www.uwstout.edu/ldi/, email profed@ uwstout.edu or call 715-232-2793. March 31: The program “Adobe Photoshop Level 2” will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 620 W. Clairemont Ave. The cost is $104. For more information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or email businessindustry@cvtc.edu. April 6: The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce’s Real Life Academy will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Plaza Hotel & Suites, 1202 W. Clairemont Ave. The interactive program teaches money management skills to students from Altoona, Augusta, Fall Creek, Memorial, North and Regis high schools. n Also on April 6, the program “Microsoft Excel Intermediate” will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 770 Scheidler Road, Chippewa Falls. The cost is $104. For more information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc. edu, call 800-511-9095 or email businessindustry@cvtc.edu. April 7-8: The Chippewa Valley Technical College program “OSHA (Occupational Safety Health Administration) 10 Construction Industry Certification” will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. the first day and 8 to 11 a.m. the second day at a site to be determined. The cost is $175. For more information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc. edu, call 800-511-9095 or email businessindustry@cvtc.edu. April 12-26: The program “Planning for a Confident Retirement” 30 |

♦ January 25, 2016

will be from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays in Room 1204 of Centennial Hall at UW-Eau Claire. Presenters are Jennifer Nohelty of Gift Planning Services; Adam Mohr and Kurt Kern of Ameriprise Financial; and Regina Butler, Linda Danielson and Mary Ellen Schill of Ruder Ware. The cost is $99. For more information visit uwec.edu/ce, call 866-893-2423 or email ce@uwec. edu. Schill April 13: MENOMONIE — The program “Adobe InDesign Level 3” will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 403 Technology Drive E. The cost is $104. For more information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or email businessindustry@cvtc.edu. April 15: The date is the deadline to apply for tourism and cultural arts grants through Visit Eau Claire. The organization reviews applications and awards grants twice a year (the second deadline is Nov. 15). Funds are provided by the city of Eau Claire and Wisconsin Arts Board. Visit visiteauclaire.com/partners/grant-information/ for details. April 19: The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce’s 102nd annual meeting will be from 5 to 11 p.m. in the Davies Center at UW-Eau Claire. Invitations will be mailed in mid-March. Visit eauclairechamber. org for more information. n Also on April 19, the program “Microsoft Outlook: Effective Email Management” will be from 9 a.m. to noon at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 403 Technology Drive E., Menomonie. The cost is $49. For more information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or email businessindustry@cvtc.edu. n Also on April 19, the program “Microsoft Outlook: Time Management with Calendars and Tasks” will be from 1 to 4 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 403 Technology Drive E., Menomonie. The cost is $49. For more information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or email businessindustry@cvtc.edu. April 23-24: CHIPPEWA FALLS — Vendor space and sponsorship opportunities are available for the Living Green Festival at the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds. The event will include more than 100 exhibitor booths featuring businesses and organizations promoting green products and services, a farmers market, children’s activities, live entertainment, speakers and outdoor displays. For more information visit livinggreenfest.com or email Lisa Gill, festival director, at lisa@livinggreenfest.com. April 26: MENOMONIE — The program “Microsoft OneNote” will be from 8 a.m. to noon at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 403 Technology Drive E. The cost is $59. For more information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-5119095 or email businessindustry@cvtc.edu. April 28: The program “Microsoft Access: Nuts & Bolts” will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 620 W. Clairemont Ave. The cost is $104. For more information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or email businessindustry@cvtc.edu. May 4: The program “Microsoft Excel Advanced” will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 620 W. Clairemont Ave. The cost is $104. For more information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or email businessindustry@cvtc.edu.

7 10 7.4% 12,000 out of

Number of jobs created in 36 state communities since 1988 through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.’s Main Street Program. The 2016 Main Street Now national conference is May 23-25 in Milwaukee. Visit preservationnation.org/main-street/ for details.

Growth in commercial and industrial construction predicted for 2016 by Associated Builders and Contractors.

11.92

million

Vinyl record sales in 2015, according to Nielsen. That was 30 percent more than in the previous year. Sales of vinyl records have risen for 10 straight years.

By the NUMBERS

Nearly 43% Growth in stock price for Eau Claire-based National Presto Industries in 2015. It was the strongest performance in the Morningstar Wisconsin Ticker, which tracks the performance of the state’s public companies.

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