September 2012

Intelligent Business Reporting for The New North

Crossing the

Chasm

New North entrepreneurs traversing the gap between innovative start ups and sturdy second-stage firms

Digital Doctor’s Office

Health Care

The Blossoming CEO

Leadership

September 2012 $3.95 PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 66 OSHKOSH, WI

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new north b2b September 2012

22 28

34

Features

40

22 COVER STORY ❘ Crossing the Chasm ❘ Bridging the gap between innovative start-up and sturdy second-stage firm

28 INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ❘ Growing New Jobs ❘ Region’s industrial parks are poised for more growth

34 LEADERSHIP ❘ It Doesn’t Have to be Lonely at the Top ❘ Executive coaches, peer groups offer guidance to CEOs

38 FIREFIGHTERS PROGRESS REPORT ❘ The Final Stretch ❘ An update from the trenches of our business makeover

40 HEALTH CARE ❘ Digital Doctor’s Office ❘ Local health systems investing millions into electronic health records

Departments

5,

On our Cover

4 From the Publisher 46 Professionally Speaking 6 Since We Last Met 10 Corporate Earnings 14 Build Up Pages 20 Around the Boardroom 21 Pierce Stronglove 27 Guest Commentary 44 Who’s News 48 Business Calendar 49 Advertiser Index 50 Key Statistics

Entrepreneurship takes flight to “cross the chasm” to becoming a second-stage company.

NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 3

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Changes to the region’s business plan competition support a longerterm strategy for our economy

Sean Fitzgerald New North B2B Publisher

A NEW approach

The Northeast Wisconsin Business Plan Competition is back for its sixth year late this summer, and the initiative enthusiastically took in more than 50 entries by its Aug. 15 deadline for nominations.

That’s up from an average of 30 to 40 entries in recent years, according to Bob O’Donnell, a University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Business lecturer and the chairperson for this year’s business plan competition. The numbers highlight an exciting trend in an increasing amount of ideas from The New North having the potential to evolve from concept to reality, ideally creating jobs and shoveling more coal into the steam engine of the region’s economy. But even more important, exciting new improvements introduced this year to the format of the competition itself aim to foster the success of these conceptual new businesses – including those which might not win any prize money or recognition – and keep them visible in the region’s entrepreneurship pipeline.

Readers might recall a From the Publisher column I wrote in May 2012 challenging the business plan competition to revamp certain aspects of its format for evaluating nominees. Whether or not those comments had some influence on change, the planning committee for the annual event put on

by Northeast Wisconsin Regional Economic Partnership went back to the drawing board to create a business plan competition that more closely resembles the model of the statewide Governor’s Business Plan Competition, O’Donnell said.

As of the recent August entry deadline, each nomination was required to submit a concise 250-word business concept statement. Between then and Sept. 15, each applicant is required to meet with a member of NEWREP to review their business concept statement, discuss the proposed business further, and offer guidance toward a 1,000word business idea abstract. The abstract will include basic information which serves as the foundation of any solid business plan: a company overview; a description of the product or service; a description of the market opportunity, competitors in the marketplace, and definition of customers; a list of capital needs; a list of the management team; and financial projections.

Those abstracts will be evaluated by judges in late September, with 20 semifinalists selected in early October to prepare a more

4 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

formal business plan that expands upon the information in the abstract. The economic development professionals who constitute much of the NEWREP membership will beavailable to work with entrepreneurs on both their abstract and the actual business plan.

From those 20 business plans, four finalists will be selected in November to compete in a final round elevator pitch in front of a panel of NEWREP members, entrepreneurs and investors. That event, scheduled for Dec. 17 at UW Oshkosh, will determine the winners for this year’s event.

It’s the hope of O’Donnell and his NEWREP committee that the timeline of wrapping up the event in December will allow the winners – as well as other entries – to prepare quality entries from the region to submit to the 2013 Governor’s Business Plan Competition, which kicks off in January.

The new format for the business plan competition encourages more interaction between entrepreneurs and NEWREP, a recipe for producing more optimal business plans and ideally, higher quality start-up businesses in northeast Wisconsin. At the same time, the new format ensures a level-playing field across the board for the entrepreneurs who submit business concept statements, giving each access to consistent advice on how to best perform in the business plan competition.

Most importantly, the entrepreneur remains in the local economic development pipeline, where resources can be directed and deployed to help the potential business become successful at any stage along its evolution. While a business plan – or even its owner – might not quite be “ready for prime time” this fall, there’s no discounting that any number of factors might allow their business idea to become more viable down the road, whether changes occur in the market or in the life of the entrepreneur.

Regional business plan competitions are an outstanding stage to showcase northeast Wisconsin’s entrepreneurial fortitude, and ultimately to inject additional economic thrust into the region and create new jobs.

That’s why B2B has enthusiastically shared and celebrated the winners of each Northeast Wisconsin Business Plan Competition since the inaugural event in 2006. Keep an eye out for future issues of B2B as we highlight the finalists in this year’s regional competition. www.newnorthb2b.com

PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING

Employment At-Will Clause may violate NLRA

by Davis & Kuelthau, s.c.

Tony Renning

920.232.4842

If you have a particular labor/employment law question, forward it to Mr. Renning at info@newnorthb2b.com.

If he responds to your email in a future issue, your name and company will be withheld to preserve your privacy.

Reader Question: Do we need to revise the “employment at-will” clause in our Employee Handbook?

Tony Renning: An employment atwill clause in an employee handbook is used to clarify that employment may be terminated by either party, at any time, and for any reason. Additionally, an employment at-will clause generally does not permit the at-will employment status to be modified unless the modification is reduced to writing and agreed to by the employer. According to a recent decision by an administrative law judge for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), requiring an employee to execute an “employment at-will” clause, which is incorporated into an employer’s employee handbook (even a non-union employer), may violate the employee’s right to engage in “concerted activity” under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).

NLRB v. American Red Cross, Case 28-

Sean Fitzgerald

Publisher & President

sean@newnorthb2b.com

Carrie Rule

Sales Manager

carrie@newnorthb2b.com

Kate Erbach Production

Contributing writers

Robin Driessen Bruecker Cheryl Hentz Lee Marie Reinsch Chief Financial Officer

Vicky Fitzgerald, CPA

CA-23443 (2012).

American Red Cross employees are provided with an employee handbook and, as a condition of employment, required to execute an “Agreement and Acknowledgement of Receipt of Employee Handbook” which states in relevant part: “I further agree the at-will employment relationship cannot be amended, modified or altered in any way.” The NLRB alleged the at-will provision in the employee handbook was overly broad, discriminatory and violated the NLRA. The administrative law judge deemed the language at issue violated Section 7 of the NLRA by making it sound to employees as if it is impossible to engage in “concerted activity” in an attempt to modify their at-will status (i.e., collectively bargain to modify their at-will status). In finding the language unlawful, the administrative law judge concluded it constituted “overly-broad and discriminatory language that had a chilling

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effect on employee Section 7 rights.”

Inasmuch as it appears the NLRB is aggressively taking aim at “employment at-will” clauses, now is the time to review the language in your employee handbook and revise, as appropriate.

For counsel as to employee handbooks, contact Tony Renning at (920) 232-4842 or trenning@dkattorneys. com or any other member of the Davis & Kuelthau Labor and Employment Team.

Tony Renning is an attorney in the Oshkosh office of Davis & Kuelthau, s.c. (219 Washington Avenue). Mr. Renning provides counsel to private and public sector employers on a wide variety of labor and employment law matters. This article is intended to provide information only, not legal advice. For advice regarding a particular employment situation, please contact a member of the Davis & Kuelthau, s.c. Labor and Employment Team.

Green Bay

Fox Cities

Oshkosh

Fond du Lac NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 5

SINCE WE LAST MET

Since we last met Since We Last Met is a digest of business related news occurring in the Green Bay, Fox Cities, Oshkosh and Fond du Lac areas in the one month since the previous issue of New North B2B.

July 24 The Live54218 Coalition received a $320,000 Transform Wisconsin grant toward its Eat Smart, Get Active Brown County program to help promote physical activity and create healthy food systems over the next two and a half years.

The coalition will use its funds to strengthen farm-to-school programs to give students access to fresh fruits and vegetables and to implement and promote open gyms between schools and community agencies.

July 25 Fond du Lac and Green Lake counties were among 23 counties in the state designated as primary natural disaster areas as a result of extreme drought conditions earlier in the summer which contributed to excessive crop loss. The declaration allows farmers in the affected counties to qualify for lowinterest emergency loans. The state also released assistance through its Drought Relief Guarantee Program that provides a 90 percent guarantee on agricultural loans up to $15,000 for three years.

July 25 A group of six retired school administrators filed a joint lawsuit against the Neenah School District seeking to recover

2003 September 19 – Oshkosh-based firms Northern Telephone & Data and Internet service provider NorthNet merged together in an effort to deliver enhanced data services.

2006 September 1 – Mercury Marine came to an agreement with the City of Oshkosh to relocate its remanufacturing operations to a 115,000-sq. ft., $6 million facility in the city’s Southwest Industrial Park. The existing Mercury property on Marion Road along the north bank of the

6 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

more than $24,000 they paid in health insurance premiums, which they claim breached a contract guaranteeing full health insurance coverage from their retirement until age 65. In 2011 the district’s board of education began charging retired school administrators 10 percent of the cost of health insurance premiums. District officials say the suit is without merit and plan to defend against it.

July 25 The Oshkosh Area School District discussed using a $3.5 million surplus from the past school year to pay nearly $1.2 million in debt related to new school construction. Payments toward debt service incurred from borrowing referenda don’t impact the state’s school funding formula determining annual school district revenue caps, where other uses for the budget surplus would force the district to lower future budgets.

July 26 The state Department of Transportation approved a $1,526,745 project at Outagamie County Regional Airport in Appleton to replace an aging section of taxiway pavement. The Federal Aviation Administration will contribute more than $1.37 million toward the project cost, while both the state and Outagamie County will contribute a bit more than $76,000 each.

Fox River is part of the Marion Road/Pearl Avenue Redevelopment Area. The Oshkosh Common Council approved $2.87 million earlier this year to purchase the property and assist Mercury with relocation expenses.

2007 September 20 – Little Chute Windmill Inc. asked the village permission to relocate its proposed $2.5 million windmill construction project from the 100 block of Main Street to Island Park. At current, the organization is about $900,000 away from its fundraising goal before it can order the authentic windmill parts necessary for construction.

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SINCE WE LAST MET July 27 Russell L. Thill, owner of Berlin-based NAT LLC which does business as Thill & Company in Oshkosh, pled guilty to a felony charge of willfully failing to pay nearly $384,000 in payroll taxes from his Internet fulfillment business to the Internal Revenue Service from 2005 through 2006. The charge included unpaid payroll taxes withheld from employee’s wages as well as the company’s matching share of these payroll taxes. He agreed to make restitution to the IRS for the unpaid taxes, and faces a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

July 28 The Mason Street interchange at U.S. Highway 41 in Green Bay reopened to traffic after being closed for six months for a $29 million reconstruction project which included demolishing and rebuilding the 46-year old bridge over U.S. 41, constructing new exit and entrance ramps, and construction of three multilane roundabouts near the ramp terminals.

August 1 Experimental Aircraft Association officials reported attendance at AirVenture 2012 was 508,000, including more than 10,000 aircraft arriving at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and other airports in the area. The total was down from 2011 attendance figures of 541,000.

August 1 The annual America’s Top Colleges list from Forbes magazine and Center for College Affordability and Productivity ranked Lawrence University in Appleton at No. 85, St. Norbert College in De Pere at No. 113 and Ripon College at No. 217. The list identified 650 of the nation’s leading undergraduate colleges and ranked them on the following categories: post graduate career success, student satisfaction and retention rate, student debt, four-year graduation rates, and competitive awards such as Rhodes or Fulbright scholarships.

August 1 The Federal Reserve Board maintained its target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent and noted it expects exceptionally low levels on interest rates through at least late 2014. The nation’s economic policy governor indicated economic activity appeared to decelerate during the first half of the year, with household spending rising at a slower pace than earlier in the year and the housing sector remaining depressed.

August 1 The City of Oshkosh was awarded a $60,000 grant through the state’s Strategic Blight Elimination Program to demolish four vacant, blighted residential properties. The funds were available from the National Mortgage Settlement received earlier this year by the state.

NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 7

SINCE WE LAST MET August 3 The U.S. Department of Labor reported 163,000 jobs were created in July, leaving the unemployment rate essentially unchanged at 8.3 percent. Employment rose in professional and business services, food services and drinking places, and in manufacturing.

August 8 The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development awarded Youth Apprenticeship grants to the following school-to-work partnership programs in the region for the 2012-13 year: Fond du Lac, $66,500; Green Bay, $64,800; and CESA 6, $119,700. Each local youth apprenticeship program provides a 50 percent match to the state awards.

August 14 Alta Resources held a job hiring event in an effort to fill nearly 400 newly created positions in its downtown Neenah offices, including customer care, fulfillment, sales and IT. The company attributed its growth to major client wins and several programs expected to ramp up in the third and fourth quarters this year.

August 14 Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. reported exports from the state grew by 7.9 percent in the second quarter of 2012 compared to the same quarter a year ago. Exports of industrial machinery increased 13 percent, agricultural products grew by 5 percent, and exports of transportation equipment increased by 36 percent during the first half of 2012. By geography, exports to Canada were up 11 percent, Mexico was up 7 percent, and exports to China increased by 3 percent.

August 15 Lisa Bartz Vanden Elzen, owner of Dairy Transport Services LLC in De Pere, pled guilty to a felony charge of willfully failing to pay nearly $274,000 in payroll taxes from her business to the Internal Revenue Service from 2005 through 2010. The charge included unpaid payroll taxes withheld from employee’s wages as well as the company’s match-

8 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

ing share of these payroll taxes. She agreed to make restitution to the IRS for the unpaid taxes, and faces a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

August 15 The City of Fond du Lac Common Council tentatively decided to close the Taylor Park pool next year, delay certain capital improvements, and implement a garbage and recycling fee as part of a plan to trim the city’s projected $2.8 million budget deficit for 2013. The garbage collection fee – a hotly contested proposal in recent months – is estimated to generate $1.2 million in revenue for the city.

August 16 A report from Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance indicated total property values in Wisconsin fell by 3.2 percent for 2012, marking the fourth consecutive year of overall property value decline in the state. Residential property values declined 4 percent after falling 1.6 percent last year, while commercial property dropped 1.5 percent after having fallen 2.3 percent in value a year ago. Locally, total property values changed from 2011 to 2012 in the following counties: Brown, down 2.1 percent to $17.78 billion; Calumet, down 2.2 percent to $3.41 billion; Fond du Lac, down 2.5 percent to $6.79 billion; Outagamie, down 2.6 percent to $12.97 billion; and , down 2.0 percent to $11.73 billion.

August 17 The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development awarded Special Response Grant funding to Fox Valley Workforce Development Board in the amount of $52,991 to assist 46 workers, and to Bay Area Workforce Development Board in the amount of $124,100 to assist 250 workers.

The federal Workforce Investment Act funds are intended to provide dislocated workers with re-employment and training services to almost 1,600 dislocated workers such as skills assessments, job search and placement assistance, career counseling, soft-skills training and vocational training.

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CORPORATE EARNINGS

Once each quarter, New North B2B runs a digest of quarterly financial reports from local publicly traded companies, or from out-of-the-area parent companies with significant operations in the Fox Valley.

Associated Banc Corp.

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

2Q 2012

2Q 2011

2Q 2012

2Q 2011

Income

$42 million

$26 million s 64%

Revenue

$4.7 Billion

$4.6 Billion s 1%

EPS

24 cents

15 cents

Income

$881 million

$499 million s 77%

EPS

$1.85

99 cents

s 60%

The Ashwaubenon-based financial institution reported its net income for the quarter was at its highest level since early 2008. The bank’s commercial and business lending balances were up 23 percent compared with the second quarter of 2011, and up $401 million, or 8 percent, compared with the previous quarter.

s 87%

The parent company of Miller Electric Manufacturing operations across the Fox Cities reported its worldwide welding organic revenues grew nearly 9 percent, including a more than 11 percent increase in North America. However, company officials slightly lowered both revenue and earnings expectations for the full fiscal year as a result of weaker international demand.

Kimberly-Clark Corp.

Plexus Corp.

2Q 2012

2Q 2011

Revenue

$5.3 Billion

$5.3 Billion Unchang

Income

$498 million

$408 million s 22%

EPS

$1.26

$1.03

s 22%

The manufacturer of consumer paper and tissue products with significant operations in the Fox Cities reported plans to increase its 2012 share repurchase target to $1.3 billion, up from the previous goal of nearly $1 billion, as a result of expectations for additional excess cash flow in the third and fourth quarters.

3Q 2012

3Q 2011

Revenue

$609 million

$574 million s 6%

Income

$23.5 million

$20.0 million s 18%

EPS

66 cents

56 cents

s 18%

The Neenah-based contract electronics manufacturer reported record revenues for its third fiscal quarter. Company officials said new business development results were strong during the recent quarter, gaining 36 new programs which it expects to generate nearly $203 million in annualized revenue.

VF Corp.

2Q 2012

2Q 2011

Revenue

$2.1 Billion

$1.8 Billion s 16%

Income

$155 million

$129 million s 20%

EPS

$1.40

$1.17 cents s 20%

The parent company of Jansport operations in the Fox Cities reported its revenue growth was driven by 45 percent growth in its outdoor and action sports business unit – which includes Jansport operations – as well as double-digit growth in Europe and Asia.

10 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

Bemis Company Inc.

2Q 2012

2Q 2011

Revenue

$1.3 Billion

$1.4 Billion t 1%

Income

$42.3 million

$54.3 million t 22%

EPS

40 cents

51 cents

t 22%

The Neenah-based supplier of flexible packaging and pressure sensitive materials said lower sales volumes so far during 2012 have been offset by a more favorable raw material cost environment than in recent years. www.newnorthb2b.com

CORPORATE EARNINGS

Brunswick Corp.

Dean Foods

2Q 2012

2Q 2011

2Q 2012

2Q 2011

Revenue

$1.1 Billion

$1.1 Billion t 3%

Revenue

$3.1 Billion

$3.3 Billion t 6%

Income

$83.6 million

$69.3 million s 21%

Income

$56.2 million

($50.5 million)s 211%

EPS

90 cents

75 cents

EPS

30 cents

(28 cents)

s 20%

The parent company of Mercury Marine operations in Fond du Lac reported revenues in its marine engine segment remained relatively flat during the quarter, though sales did increase in both its parts and accessories and outboard engine businesses in the U.S.

s 207%

The dairy-based foods company with extensive operations in Wisconsin, including the Green Bay area, indicated its second quarter 2011 loss was attributed to a $131 million charge related to the settlement of a Tennessee dairy farmer class action lawsuit. Company officials also announced plans to spin off its WhiteWave-Alpro segment into The WhiteWave Foods Company through an initial public stock offering it hopes to close by the end of 2012.

Humana Inc.

2Q 2012

2Q 2011

Revenue

$9.7 Billion

$9.3 Billion s 4%

Neenah Paper

Income

$356 million

$460 million t 23%

2Q 2012

2Q 2011

EPS

$2.16

$2.71

Revenue

$211 million

$183 million s 15%

Income

$12.7 million

$7.8 million s 63%

EPS

77 cents

49 cents

t 20%

The health and benefits company with extensive operations in the Green Bay area lowered its full year 2012 earnings target by 48 cents to a range of $6.90 to $7.10 per share as a result of higher than expected individual Medicare Advantage benefit use by its members.

Oshkosh Corp.

s 57%

The papermaker with significant operations in the Fox Cities reported quarterly records for both sales and profits. Company officials said the 41 percent revenue growth in its fine paper segment resulted primarily from the Wausau brands it acquired during the past year, as well as from double-digit gains in luxury packaging, labels and international markets.

Integrys Energy Group Inc.

3Q 2012

3Q 2011

Revenue

$2.1 Billion

$1.7 Billion s 19%

Income

$37.3 million

$67.9 million t 45%

EPS

41 cents

74 cents

t 45%

The manufacturer of specialty vehicles reported improved performance it each of its non-defense segments, led by 40 percent revenue growth in its access equipment segment, which helped offset a 13 percent decline in its defense segment sales. In announcing its earnings, company officials also announced Oshkosh Corp. will exit the ambulance and European mobile medical businesses, two smaller business units within its fire and emergency segment.

2Q 2012

2Q 2011

Revenue

$842 million

$1.0 Billion t 17%

Income

$48.8 million

$29.1 million s 68%

EPS

62 cents

37 cents

s 68%

The parent company of Wisconsin Public Service Corp. operations across northeast and northcentral Wisconsin reported revenues have decreased as a result of lower demand for natural gas stemming from the unusually warm weather in 2012.

NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 11

CORPORATE EARNINGS

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co.

2Q 2012

2Q 2011

Revenue

$2.5 Billion

$2.6 Billion t 4%

Income

$88.8 million

$12.2 million s 628%

EPS

49 cents

6 cents

s 717%

The printing company with significant operations in the Fox Cities reported substantially higher restructuring and impairment charges and acquisition-related expenses during the second quarter of 2011, which account for the enhanced earnings performance in this most recent quarter.

First Business Financial Services Inc.

2Q 2012

2Q 2011

Income

$1.6 million

$2.5 million t 36%

EPS

60 cents

98 cents

t 39%

The commercial-oriented financial institution serving Madison, Milwaukee and Northeast Wisconsin indicated its second quarter 2011 included a substantial one-time tax benefit, which accounted for the increased earnings a year ago. The bank reduced its non-performing assets down to $17.4 million – its lowest level since the third quarter 2008 – and a decrease of 28 percent in the six months since Dec. 31, 2011 and a decrease of 52 percent from the same time a year earlier.

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12 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

Appleton Inc.

2Q 2012

2Q 2011

Revenue

$214 million

$217 million t 1%

Income

($48.9 million)

($3.3 million) t1,382%

The employee-owned producer of thermal papers reported its substantial operating loss on the quarter was largely attributed to costs related to closing down its Ohio mill as well as costs associated with transitioning its base paper. Company officials also reported $6.5 million in costs associated with the proposed merger with Hicks Acquisition Company II, which never materialized. www.newnorthb2b.com

CORPORATE EARNINGS

Alliance Laundry Systems

2Q 2012

2Q 2011

Revenue

$129 million

$118 million s 9%

Income

$6.0 million

$5.8 million s 5%

The Ripon-based manufacturer of commercial and residential laundry equipment reported it incurred nearly $1 million in costs for legal and other professional fees and expenses related to a potential acquisition.

Blyth Inc.

2Q 2012

2Q 2011

Revenue

$325 million

$192 million s 69%

Income

$8.0 million

($5.2 million) s 254%

EPS

46 cents

(31 cents)

The parent company of Miles Kimball Co. operations in Oshkosh reported its significant revenue increase was related to a more than 450 percent sales growth from its ViSalus business segment, which the company announced it plans to spin off through an initial public stock offering. Blyth’s earnings per share figures reflect the company’s 2-for-1 stock split effective June 15.

Tufco Technologies Inc.

3Q 2012

3Q 2011

Revenue

$28.5 million

$28.0 million s 2%

Income

$647,000

($67,000)

s1,066%

EPS

15 cents

(2 cents)

s 850%

The Green Bay-based contract paper converter reported increased sales volume on the quarter as well as reductions in its operating costs.

s 248%

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BUILD UP FOND DU LAC 1

2 3 4

5

Build Up Fond du Lac 1

4

2

5

- 565 N. Douglas St., Ripon, C Lamers Bus Lines, a 6,280-sq. ft. bus garage, maintenance facility and office.

Project completion expected in January 2013. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

- 390 N. Rolling Meadows Dr., Fond du Lac, C Holiday Mazda, a service bay addition to the dealership.

3 - 676 W. Johnson St., Fond du Lac, C American Bank, an addition to the existing financial institution offices.

- N6425 Stanchfield Dr., Fond du Lac, Wausau Equipment Co., a 9,000-sq. ft. warehouse facility. Project completion expected in September. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

- 123 E. Larsen Dr., Fond du Lac, McNeilus Steel, a 96,000-sq. ft. industrial coil processing facility. Project completion expected in August 2013. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

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BUILD UP OSHKOSH 6 7 8

9

C - Indicates a new listing

Build Up Oshkosh

6 - 1755 W. Fernau Ave., Oshkosh, FedEx Ground, a 13,950-sq. ft. addition to the existing distribution facility.

Project completion expected in September. General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay. 7 - 1821 Jackson St., Oshkosh, Dollar Tree, partially rebuild a former banquet hall facility for a new retail store.

9

- 750 Witzel Ave., Oshkosh, CitizensFirst Credit Union, a new branch office. Project completion expected in September.

Projects completed since our August issue: • Lakeside Packaging Plus, 100 W. Fernau Ave., Oshkosh.

• Kwik Trip, 1725 W. 9th Ave., Oshkosh.

• Fox Valley Technical College - Spanbauer Center, 3601 Oregon St., Oshkosh.

8 - 1410 Algoma Blvd., Oshkosh, Paine Art Center & Arboretum, a 3,600-sq. ft. addition and remodel of the existing carriage house for a conservatory. Project completion expected in December.

NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 15

BUILD UP FOX CITIES Build Up Fox Cities The Build Up department of New North B2B includes a monthly twopage spread identifying significant commercial and industrial construction projects ongoing in the Fox Cities area.

C - Indicates a new listing

1 - 2693 W. Grand Chute Blvd., town of Grand Chute, Appleton Alliance Church, a 105,300-sq. ft. addition to the existing church campus.

2 - 1825 N. Bluemound Dr., town of Grand Chute,

Fox Valley Technical College Jones Dairy Farm Culinary Theatre, a 7,456-sq. ft., 120-seat theater for culinary demonstrations.

Project completion expected in December.

3-

N962 Tower View Dr., town of Greenville, C Great Lakes Mechanical, an addition to the existing warehouse and offices.

4 - 1009 Quality Dr., town of Greenville, C

Finishing Plus,

an addition to the existing industrial facility.

5

- 4301 W. Wisconsin Ave., town of Grand Chute, Target Department Store, a 7,661-sq. ft. addition to the existing retail store. Project completion expected in October.

6 - 4648 W. Spencer St., town of Grand Chute, C Pinnacle Cataract & Laser Institute, a 6,276-sq. ft. addition to the existing medical clinic.

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- 1801 Progress Way, Kaukauna, G&G Machining, a new 37,120-sq. ft. manufacturing facility. Project completion expected in October. General contractor is James J. Calmes Construction Co. of Kaukauna.

8 - 109 W. Second St., Kaukauna, East Wisconsin Savings

Bank, a 25,000-sq. ft. addition to and remodel of the existing bank building. Project completion expected in September.

9-

N9650 Friendship Road, town of Harrison, C Little Chicago Dining & Spirits, a 6,000-sq. ft. restaurant facility. Project completion expected in November. General contractor is Frontier Builders of Kaukauna.

10 - 3813 E. Calumet St., Appleton, PH East of Appleton, a multi-tenant retail building to include Qdoba Mexican Grill restaurant. Project completion expected in September.

11

- 3545 E. Calumet St., Appleton, AE Jewelers, a new retail store. Project completion expected in the fall. General contractor is James J. Calmes Construction Co. of Kaukauna.

12

- 2605 S. Lakeland Dr., Appleton, Flair Flexible Packaging, a 13,935-sq. ft. addition to the existing industrial facility and a new parking lot. Project completion expected in September. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

13 - 3232 S. Oneida St., Appleton, C Kwik Trip, an addition to the existing convenience store to expand the kitchen.

14

- 1205 Wittmann Dr., Menasha, Appanasha Pet Clinic, a new veterinary clinic facility. Project completion expected in late 2012.

15 - 101 Main St., Neenah, Affinity Health System, a two-story, 31,400-sq. ft. medical clinic building. Project completion expected in September.

16 - 647 S. Green Bay Road, Neenah, Festival Foods, a 74,603-sq. ft. retail grocery store building. Project completion expected in November.

17 - 2460 Towerview Dr., Neenah,

American Enterprises LLC, a 13,950-sq. ft. warehouse and office building. Project completion expected in September.

18 - 2444 Schultz Dr., Neenah, Plexus Corp., a 473,369sq. ft. manufacturing facility. Project completion expected in fall of 2013.

Kathy Peotter Vice President kathy@bouwerprinting.com

510 N. Oneida St. Appleton, WI 54911 (920) 734-9997

bouwerprinting.com

16 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

Projects completed since our August issue: • Outagamie County Highway Department, 1313 Holland Road, Little Chute.

• City of Kaukauna Pool, W672 Riverview Ct., Kaukauna.

• Dollar Tree, 651 S. Green Bay Road, Neenah.

www.newnorthb2b.com

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BUILD UP GREEN BAY Build Up Green Bay The Build Up department of New North B2B includes a monthly twopage spread identifying significant commercial and industrial construction projects ongoing in the Green Bay area.

C - Indicates a new listing

1 - 1499 Lombardi Ave., Green Bay, Cabela’s, a 100,000sq. ft. retail store. Project completion expected in August 2013.

2 - 2851 University Ave., Green Bay, Milo C. Huempfner Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic, a new 192,000-sq. ft. outpatient clinic for veterans services. Project completion expected in the spring of 2013.

3 - 2970 Walker Dr., Green Bay, Larsen Converting, a 97,000-sq. ft. addition to the existing industrial facility.

4 - 1976 Lime Kiln Road, Bellevue, Game Stop, GNC, Sports Clips and Verizon, a 9,200-sq. ft. multi-tenant retail center. Project completion expected in October.

5 - 486 Globe Ave, Ashwaubenon, Pioneer Metal Finishing, a 9,800-sq. ft. addition to the existing manufacturing facility.

6 - 3383 Spirit Way, Ashwaubenon, FedEx Ground, a 100,000-sq. ft. distribution center and offices. Project completion expected in June 2013. General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay. 7 - 1494 Mid Valley Dr., town of Lawrence, DeLorey Chiropractic, a new chiropractic clinic and office. Project completion expected in September.

8 - 1537 American Ct., De Pere, C Utech Consulting, a 4,500-sq. ft. office and training building. Project completion expected in December.

9

- 1745 Mathew Dr. East, De Pere, C Construction, a new warehouse facility.

Heyrman

10 - 1212 Enterprise Dr., De Pere, C Amerilux International, a 21,000-sq. ft. addition to the existing warehouse facility. Project completion expected in October. General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay. Projects completed since our August issue: • Multipond America, 2301 Hutson Road, Green Bay. • Bellin Health - De Pere West, 1800 Lawrence Dr., De Pere.

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BUILD UP GREEN BAY

2

1

3 5 6

4

7 8 &9

10

A decade of leading business news coverage in northeastern Wisconsin

We’ve come a long way 2002 2012

www.newnorthb2b.com NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 19

AROUND THE BOARDROOM

656

Title: The Creative Destruction of Medicine: How the Digital Revolution Will Create Better Health Care Author: Eric Topol, M.D. Publisher: Basic Books (2012) Pages: 320 List Price: $27.99

In millions of dollars, the amount of revenue generated through the state’s 583 water utilities during 2011.

Source: Public Service Commission of Wisconsin

Why Buy: What if your cell phone could detect cancer cells circulating in your blood or warn you of an imminent heart attack?

Mobile wireless digital devices, including smartphones and tablets with seemingly limitless functionality, have brought about radical changes in our lives, providing hyper-connectivity to social networks and cloud computing. But the digital world has hardly pierced the medical cocoon. Until now.

Coming to B2B in October

20 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

Transportation

Improving access to and across the New North region.

www.newnorthb2b.com

AROUND THE BOARDROOM

Bounding & Bonding

I

t’s humbling to ponder how long inbound (content) marketing (professional social networks, e-newsletters, blogs, podcasts, online videos and the like) has been embraced by savvier businesses. Exploiting it, they attract prospects, prequalify and convert them, and then continue cultivating a growing stable of increasingly loyal, long-term and profitable customers.

It really smarts for an organization that has staunchly maintained that inbound media strategies were little more a passing “kid stuff” fad. Naively refusing to expand beyond the confines of traditional outbound media (billboards, traditional press releases, printed collateral and direct mail, TV commercials, radio spots and (horrors!) cold calling and commissioned sales), they’re really missing out.

Recent studies indicate that most viewers – 86 percent – skip TV ads, and nearly half of direct mail is thrown away unopened. Research also shows that a company blog will dramatically increase its website traffic while reducing the average cost of generating inbound marketing leads by 60 percent.

Illustration from livingonadsense.com What all this suggests is that buying cycles are evolving.

Where vendor engagement used to occur much earlier, prospects are now seeking useful information largely on their own. This independent online research seems to have moved customers’ buying decisions into a more predisposed state of mind – an efficiency sales teams no doubt appreciate.

Of course, this is predicated on content value. The media have evolved radically and rapidly, but, without useful and meaningful content that speaks to the prospect’s needs, it doesn’t mean jack for sales.

Maybe it’s worth taking a moment to review a few of the basic tenets of sound inbound (content) marketing: 1. Navigate through the noise. Attract your target audience to build your site traffic through blogging, SEO, professional social networks and banner ad placement on relevant, high-quality sites.

2. Keep it Eau So Fresh. Keep your “hooks” fresh so you’re frequently giving visitors a worthwhile reason for click-through.

Our appetites for enriching and relevant online content are growing faster than ever. We not only appreciate it; we expect it. So inform. Entertain. Turn visitors into leads by offering premium, never-stale content optimized with clear calls to action supported by usefully intuitive landing pages when appropriate.

3. Be original. Of course there are exceptions, but I’d strongly recommend resisting the temptation to include clutter that only wastes your real estate, even if it’s content that changes frequently. Examples: local weather conditions, bignetwork RSS news feeds, and exhaustive menus listing all titles from every proud news announcement you’ve made. Deliver useful information you know your prospects need and want.

4. You need help to survive – and thrive. Avoid feeling defeated by your own lack of time and resources. You can hire an inbound (content) marketing agency to do it all for you. Or you can build your own team – as long as they understand the core elements of inbound.

If you build lead-generating campaigns (intelligently), prospects will come – right down the new sales funnel. More will be converted to customers. And with the analytics you gain from this ongoing and living organism, you’ll gain the insights necessary to improve your offerings – as well as your customer relationships.

Behind the façade of Mr. Stronglove is an advertising professional wielding strategic and conceptual stealth in all forms of media (except book jackets). Send comments (or crisp twenties) to piercestronglove@gmail.com. To submit work for review, it must be attached as a PDF in Adobe format with no other attachments.

NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 21

COVER STORY

Crossing the

Chasm

New North entrepreneurs traversing the gap between innovative start ups and sturdy second-stage firms Story by Sean Fitzgerald, New North B2B Publisher

22 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

www.newnorthb2b.com

COVER STORY When New North B2B first wrote about

Charles Gibson back in

2009, the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh chemistry professor’s

nanoparticle energy storage

innovation had

developed in concept as well as tangibly in his campus laboratory, but he didn’t yet have an application to carry his idea to market.

Needing substantial investment to continue to move his research forward and take the initial steps to commercialize his idea, Gibson twice submitted entries for the Governor’s Business Plan Competition, but didn’t reach the final round of award money. Gibson’s participation in the business plan contest did, however, provide greater visibility for the efforts of then-called Oshkosh Nanotechnology, which eventually gained the attention of Tom Shannon and Shamrock Partners, an angel group that provided nearly $600,000 in seed funding in early 2011.

“There were very few people who would take the chance at funding him at such an early stage,” Shannon said, noting Gibson was still early in the development process. “Most investors want revenue, and almost all want a product. We want to optimize a concept.”

Shannon and his partners gambled on the potential of Gibson’s innovative concept. Small ultra capacitors about the size and density of a wristwatch battery but with about a million times more energy storage capacity and significantly more powerful bursts of energy output would be a substantial benefit to industry. And while there are literally hundreds of battery manufacturers around the world, very few do so with activated nanoparticles, and none can do it as less expensive or quicker than the processes developed by Gibson, according to Shannon.

Since capturing new financial investment nearly two years ago, the start-up firm – which changed its name to Shamrock Energy Corp. and is setting up shop in Neenah next month – has demonstrated proof of concept, and is wrapping up an initiative with a large, publicly-traded industry to confirm its metrics. The company has already developed relationships with end-market users such as electronics manufacturers, and hopes to begin producing finished product by the end of this year, said Gibson.

“

Even though it’s taken two years, Shannon said the end result has been the development of three different and distinct nanomaterial applications, each which would provide solutions for three different vertical markets, expanding potential for increased profitability and growth.

As is the goal of all start ups, Shamrock Energy is well on its way across the chasm to a second-stage company that’s providing solutions for businesses in a variety of industry segments.

Helping start-ups take flight The term “Crossing the Chasm” was coined by Geoffrey A. Moore in his 1991 book of the same title. Moore theorized there exists a gap between the early adopters of any technology and the mass market, and that many new technologies often find initial success with early enthusiasts but fail to gain wider adoption in the market, often for any number of reasons often related to sufficient financing and management.

Bridging this gap – crossing this chasm, as Moore put it – is key to creating a multi-million dollar firm as opposed to simply falling by the wayside.

The northeast Wisconsin companies featured here are in various phases of the evolution between start-up and secondstage company. All have innovative new technologies which boast the potential to substantially change the landscape of the market in which they operate. But each endured an arduous process to not only develop their innovation, but to gain proper protection for their ideas, reach out to investors, identify the most strategic path to market, and to secure the necessary financing to execute that strategy.

That final component – the financial piece – still lags in Wisconsin compared to many neighboring states as well as the national average, but has at least taken a few small steps forward since Act 255 was adopted in Wisconsin back in 2005. The entrepreneurial seed capital tool allows investors of qualified

Most investors want revenue, and almost all want a product. We want to optimize a concept.

”

Tom Shannon, lead investor and chairman of the board for both Shamrock Energy Corp. in Oshkosh and Aver Informatics in De Pere.

NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 23

COVER STORY new business ventures to earn a tax credit equal to 25 percent of the cash investment in the firm.

The program has gained steam during the past two years, said Chris Schiffner, technology investment manager for Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., which oversees the program for the state. Schiffner said the program was certifying about 20 companies a year up until 2010, and after 2009 legislation amended Act 255 to broaden the criteria for qualified firms to include innovation companies, the number of firms certified as qualified new business ventures climbed to about 30 to 35 a year.

The program has been a positive force in promoting companies with high growth potential and creating highly-paid jobs across the state, Schiffner said.

“It certainly lowers the bar for a company to attract investors,” he said.

High tech and innovation start-ups looking to attract investment from angel groups and venture capital firms can apply to be certified as a qualified new business venture through WEDC. Schiffner said it’s about a four to six-week process, and tax credits are available for a maximum of up to $2 million.

Growing by leaps and bounds Neenah-based LIVEyearbook, the only northeast Wisconsin firm to win the Governor’s Business Plan competition when it captured the title back in 2010, was certified that same year for $375,000 in investment tax credits through the state.

The following year, LIVEyearbook was identified among 30

24 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

Wisconsin Companies To Watch through the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs Network.

During its recent 2011-12 fiscal year, the software company captured three times the amount of revenue it recorded during the previous year – it’s first full school year in business – and the company plans to grow by another multiple of three over the coming fiscal year, said Dan Nickchen, a co-founder and chief technology officer for the company. Along with his partner, Todd DeNoyer, Nickchen and LIVEyearbook created a software platform for schools to produce and publish annual yearbooks, allowing students to create customizable memories of their school years.

Nickchen said initial rounds of financing helped develop the product through its Beta phase and the resulting tweaks to improve its performance. The product “is fine-tuned” at this point, Nickchen said, yet the company continues to struggle with its sales and marketing efforts. Its team has been reaching out to individual schools across the state, but its outreach efforts will have to grow outside of Wisconsin and become more efficient in order to continue to achieve its goals for revenue growth. “(Sales and marketing) has been the hardest part of what we’ve had to do,” Nickchen said.

LIVEyearbook is always considering additional rounds of financing, Nickchen said, though he said it may not necessarily pursue investment to drive its marketing strategy. Fortunately,

www.newnorthb2b.com

COVER STORY being a small, agile start up has its advantages in a crowded competitive marketplace.

Overcoming stagnant growth Sales and marketing has become the leading challenge for Bill-Ray Home Mobility, the Appleton-based company Joe Vosters started in 2010 to develop, manufacture and sell the rugged and sturdy Friendly Bed Systems he conceived.

Vosters’ product allows those with mobility difficulties from aging or disabilities to have more independence in their homes with functions such as getting in and out of bed or using the restroom. A finalist in the 2010 Governor’s Business Plan Competition, Vosters qualified his business for up to $500,000 in investment tax credits from the state in 2010. He did attract Vosters some investment, which he used to redesign his product in early 2011 to accommodate more cost effective component parts, more efficient packaging, and the ability to add on more modular amenities.

Before developing the Friendly Bed System, Vosters spent 30 years in the paper industry as a mechanical design engineer. He knew how to develop a unique and innovative product – which he developed when his 92-year-old father was no longer able to maneuver in bed by himself while at the same time discovering the products available through many home medi-

E UTIV C E X E FING BRIE ber 7,

m Nove 012 2

cal retailers were flimsy and didn’t hold up to much force. But navigating the retail market channels of the health care industry has proven to be a task in which he has limited experience.

“It’s been much slower than I anticipated,” Vosters said this past month, about a year after he fully commercialized his product and took it to market. Vosters has sold direct to consumers through his Internet site, though he’s been busy establishing relationships with various health care associations and attempting to introduce his product into home medical equipment retailers. He also maintains a working showroom for his products in Appleton.

Vosters knows his primary challenge in growing to a second-stage company is the unlikelihood that his product will be preferred for full Medicare reimbursement – particularly with the impending changes enacted covering medical products – because his product simply costs much more than his less durable competitors. In an environment where government is purchasing product in bulk at the lowest bid, Vosters refuses to compromise on his cost because it would impact the quality of his product, which he argues is its differentiating factor.

As a result, he’s pursuing the higher-end market of wealthier retirees who don’t necessarily need to rely on Medicare to purchase the quality they desire that will enable them to live in their own homes even longer. Beside, Vosters markets that bit of independence as a key characteristic to pay more for his durable Friendly Bed Systems.

“The cost of my product is less than two weeks in the nursing home,” he said.

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NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 25

COVER STORY

A team you can rely on now and in the future.

Front, L to R: Joan Woldt, Meghann Kasper, Erin Vacheresse, Mei Bloechl, Carol Franz.

Back: Brandon Suemnicht, Tasia Florence, Trevor Rabbach, Mike Dempsey.

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Unintended benefits Few other northeast Wisconsin start-ups have grown as fast or offer as much industry changing potential as De Pere-based Aver Informatics.

The health care analytics software developer was hatched less than two years ago by a team of former health insurance executives who recognized the industry had a challenge sorting out errors in claims and improper, occasionally fraudulent payments. It developed a software concept to identify and reduce such instances to help insurers process a higher rate of clean claims.

The company secured $1.3 million in angel funding a year ago from a group of 15 investors, which was lead by Shannon of Shamrock Partners, who also serves as the chairman of the board for Aver Informatics, a role he holds for Shamrock Energy Corp. as well as a handful of other firms.

After developing the software further and using it in a Beta phase with a large health insurer, the organization realized it didn’t just have a software which was a critical solution for the health insurance industry – Aver Informatics had developed a tool which can deconstruct and then reconstruct loads of information very quickly, an application that has the potential to extend far beyond just health insurance.

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“

We have a lot more than what we expected a year ago as far as potential customers and end users for this.

”

Tom Shannon, on the unexpected benefits of Aver Informatics’ innovation

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26 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

“We have a lot more than what we expected a year ago as far as potential customers and end users for this (innovation),” Shannon said.

The result has been a re-evaluation of the company’s potential providing data management solutions for other vertical markets such as other areas of insurance, banking and pharmaceuticals. Shannon said the company has applied for patents to protect its intellectual property relative to the software’s capabilities. He expects another round of financing will be coming up shortly to infuse Aver Informatics with additional capital.

In the meantime, the company is about to get out of the starting blocks on its way to profitability. Shannon said agreements are already in place with a number of large, publicly traded companies, and the horizon of opportunity continues to expand.

“It’s a big space we’re in now and it’s (growth is) accelerating,” Shannon said.

www.newnorthb2b.com

GUEST COMMENTARY

Wisconsin’s future workforce State must look beyond usual suspects to create new jobs in the decade ahead

Tom Still President Wisconsin Technology Council

The good news for Wisconsin’s economy: It added nearly 20,000 jobs in 2011, according to the now-official figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, released in early June.

The not-so-good news: Wisconsin still ranked behind 40 other states when it came to creating jobs.

There are several popular and plausible explanations. The first was the political uncertainty earlier this year surrounding Gov. Scott Walker’s recall election, which led some business owners and managers to adopt a “wait-and-see” stance toward expanding.

The second is the fact that public employees are included in the statistics, and Wisconsin experienced a wave of state and local government retirements in 2011.

There’s a third explanation, and it’s less popular – at least in some sectors – because it requires rethinking long-held views about what makes a modern economy tick. Simply put, Wisconsin is putting a lot of its economic development eggs in a few baskets.

Manufacturing and agriculture are the twin kings of the Wisconsin economy. In terms of overall workforce size and economic value, measured as a function of productivity and wages, they are vital engines. When it comes to creating net new jobs, however, the royal family portrait gets a bit larger.

Wisconsin’s manufacturing employment gains ranked among the nation’s top 10 last year and the state remains one of the top two states in per capita manufacturing (usually jockeying with Indiana for the top spot). While Wisconsin will likely continue to beat most other states in manufacturing employment growth, the national forecast for job growth by 2020 remains flat.

In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts manufacturing employment will decline 1 percent nationally by 2020 as productivity gains, automation and international competition reduce the demand for labor in most industries. Jobs in agriculture will decline by 4 percent nationally, the labor economists predict.

So, where are the opportunities for job growth greatest? Here are some federal forecasts (2010-2020) that should be kept in mind as Wisconsin focuses on building more companies and jobs: Health care and social assistance, up

5.7 million jobs: The health care and social assistance industry is projected to yield about 28 percent of all new jobs created in the U.S. economy. This industry – which includes hospitals, nursing and residential care facilities, and individual and family services – is expected to grow by 33 percent, or 5.7 million new jobs.

Professional, scientific and technical services, up 2.1 million jobs: Employment in professional, scientific and technical services is projected to grow by 29 percent, adding about 2.1 million new jobs by 2020. Employment in computer systems design and related services is expected to increase by 47 percent, driven by growing demand for sophisticated computer network and mobile technologies. Employment in management, scientific and technical consulting services is anticipated to expand at 58 percent.

Computer and information technology, up 758,800 jobs: These occupations are projected to grow 22 percent by 2020. Demand for workers in these fields will be driven by the continuing need for businesses, government and other organizations to adopt and use the latest technologies. Workers in these occupations will be needed to develop software, enhance cybersecurity, and update existing network infrastructure.

Others: Software, Internet publishing and telecom, up 140,000 jobs; architecture and engineering, up 252,800 jobs; and life, physical and social science, up 190,800 jobs Two other mega-sectors of particular interest to Wisconsin are business and financial operations (up 1.2 million jobs) and finance and insurance (up 505,000 jobs).

If the state wants job growth to exceed the U.S. average in coming years, state policy-makers should pay at least as much attention to those sectors that are expected to grow as they do those that aren’t.

Still is president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. He is the former associate editor of the Wisconsin State Journal.

Guest Commentary in New North B2B is offered by invitation of the editor, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Winnebago B2B, LLC or its staff. To inquire about writing a Guest Commentary article in New North B2B, contact the editor at info@newnorthb2b.com.

NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 27

INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

Growing

Jobs Despite the economic slump, area industrial parks are still expanding, with potential for more development on the horizon Story by Lee Reinsch

If municipal industrial parks had class reunions, they would probably be microcosms of the ones we knuckle through every few years.

Of course there’d be the usual self-consciousness, secret comparing of estimated net worth and noting of underarm flab that you’d see at any reunion.

But personal neuroses aside, there’s no reason for any of the ones we met to feel like slackers.

Even those that downplay their successes and practically apologize for their industrial park’s lack of prolificness during recent years still haven’t done too shabbily.

With its hydroelectric power and low utility rates to show off, Kaukauna would be the extroverted reunion emcee, boasting about its ability to attract high energy-use companies.

Little Chute would be the shy, but humble one with a lot of potential hanging out by the hors d’oeuvres table.

And petite little Neenah would stroll in with the $50 million Plexus project on her arm, causing everyone’s jaw to drop.

We sent B2B to the reunion party to sneak a peek at the program and listen in on the conversations. What follows is what we found. By no means exhaustive, these tidbits include industrial-park projects that were either started or finished within the last year. Many of those finished in the last 12 months were years in the making, and some on the list that are just getting started may not finish this year.

28 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

www.newnorthb2b.com

INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT Voted Most Likely To: Energize its surroundings.

Accomplishments in 2012:

• Andres Machine Services, Inc., 20,000-sq. ft. addition.

• Classic Gears & Machining, Inc., 20,000-sq. ft. addition.

• Mid Valley Industries, Inc., is doing a 30,000-sq. ft. addition.

• G&G Machine, Inc., is working on a new 37,000-sq. ft. manufacturing facility.

Of note: These four projects will add $8 million to the assessed value of Kaukauna’s industrial park area, bringing it to just under $103 million and employing 2,000 to 2,400 people, said Kaukauna Mayor Gene Rosin.

What should people know about you? Kaukauna has the lowest electric rates in the Fox Valley, thanks to the hydroelectric plants that supply electricity to many homes, businesses and industrial parks in the Valley, Rosin said.

“For high energy-use companies, we can show them what their usage is and what they are paying compared to what they would pay with Kaukauna Utilities – it’s an eye-opener,” Rosin said. “When you open a business, you aren’t only looking at yearly costs, but 10 or 20 years down the road. It adds up. We’re talking thousands and thousands of dollars.”

Almost half – about 45 percent – of the city’s debt is from land purchases, infrastructure and roads related to its industrial park areas.

“We have made a commitment to industrial parks, but with that investment, it’s actually an investment in jobs,” Rosin said.

Kaukauna

Voted Most Likely To: Get the best parking spots at Packers home games.

What’s new in 2012: • PCM (Paper Converting Machine Co.) built

a 12,000-sq. ft., $2.3 million addition.

• Web-content producer Ezine built a four story, 69,000-sq. ft., $5 million building.

• Circle Business Center built a 9,640-sq. ft.

addition.

• Laser Form built a $400,000, 9,485-sq. ft. addition.

Ashwaubenon

Biggest industrial park news: Fed Ex is building a 99,102-sq. ft., $4 million distribution center to replace its smaller site.

What should people know about you? “We might not have had all that much construction in the business parks, but throughout the village we’ve had quite a bit,” said Village President Michael Aubinger.

Over the last 12 months, visitors to Ashwaubenon’s non-business park areas have seen everything from a brand-new Hobby Lobby to an expansion of Broadway Automotive morph into being. A giant Cabela’s store is under construction this year, too.

What’s new in 2012: Wells Vehicle Electronics (Wells Manufacturing) will move out of its longtime home on Brooke Street in the city’s center, and into its young facility in the Rolling Meadows Industrial Park. A 62,000-sq. ft. addition will help accommodate the move. Over the next three years, Brooke will add 73 new jobs.

“There’s a retention factor here as well,” said Wayne Rollin, community development director for the City of Fond du Lac. “The city has been involved in this, retaining 214 jobs.”

Brooke will give its old site, which Rollin said is environmentally contaminated, to the city, which will conduct a brownfield remediation to prepare the site for redevelopment.

Other 2012 news: McNeilus Steel is adding on a 100,000-sq. ft., $16 million addition that includes railroad access. The expansion will add around 70 jobs over the next few years, Rollin said.

“This expansion activity is exciting to us because it’s indicating that these firms are doing well enough that they need to expand, and they have enough confidence in the future that they are investing millions into the local economy,” Rollin said.

What you want your classmates to know: Fox Ridge Industrial Park along U.S. Highway 41 on Fond du Lac’s south side has a second new occupant: a 60,000-sq. ft. spec building. Chicago Tube & Iron was the first resident in the two-year-old park, which Rollin feels will expand.

“That kind of visibility and access to transportation is really important to our companies,” Rollin said. “That’s where we’ll see future growth in the coming years.”

ac L u d d n o F

NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 29

INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT Industrial park news of 2012: Two companies have broken ground on expansions: Flair Flexible Packaging and Product Handling Concepts.

The latter is doing a 70,000sq. ft. expansion that will lead to 70 new jobs, according to Appleton Community Development Director Karen Harkness.

Building permits overall – not just in the business parks – are up 7 percent this year over the same time last year.

Of note: “I think that the perception that the economy is improving is allowing businesses to feel as though we are headed in the right direction as a nation, as a state, and as a city, and what we see is that they are beginning to talk and actually actionize expansion plans for both building and growth with (respect to) the number of employees in their established businesses,” Harkness said. “Overall I’ve seen an uptick with business growth and business expansion, and that will continue. Interest rates are low, and our companies have weathered the storm of that economic situation that we’ve encountered for the last three years.”

Appleton

What’s new in 2012: The biggest deal is the $50 million, 437,370-sq. ft. future Plexus Neenah Operations in Southpark Industrial Center. It’s currently under construction and slated to be finished by early 2014, according to April Mielke, deputy director of community development and assessment for the City of Neenah.

Of note: The city has 60 acres of industrial park expansion land south of County Road G, Mielke said, which the community development office plans to start marketing later this year. The site isn’t platted, so it can still be divvied up.

“Overall, the activity over the past year has been comparable to the past year or two, with slow but steady projects moving ahead,” Mielke said.

The Plexus project is a significant development that will result in both retaining and adding jobs, Mielke said, and will have a positive influence on the city’s tax base.

“Projects of that scale do not come around frequently, so the city has been very fortunate.”

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Recent accomplishments: • Pepsi Cola Bottling Co., a 6,000-sq. ft. addition • Oshkosh Corp., a 7,000-sq. ft. addition • Muza Metal Products, a 45,000-sq. ft. addition • Jay Manufacturing, a 52,871-sq. ft. addition • AP West Shore, a 15,000-sq. ft. addition • Evco Plastics, a 30,000-sq. ft. addition • FedEx Ground is in the process of wrapping up a 13,950-sq. ft. addition to its existing distribution center.

Oshkosh

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INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT Voted Most Likely To: Outgrow its name.

Big news of 2012: Heartland Business Systems, one of the Little Chute Industrial Park’s biggest employers, bought the property to the west of it, converting a neighboring building and creating an area between the two buildings, according to Chuck Kell, Little Chute Village Administrator. The $1.02 million project gives Heartland an extra 30,000 square feet of wiggle room.

Biggest accomplishment: Loose ends aren’t tied up yet, so Kell can’t name names, but the village approved selling a lot at the corner of Stephen and Nixon streets in the Industrial Park to an injection-molded plastics company that’s currently based in the southern part of the state. The plastics company wants to build a 54,000-sq. ft. manufacturing facility.

“We’re hoping they will start construction before this winter and will be moving here to the village,” Kell said.

Of note: Kell said he expected a more robust year of construction and business deals, based on the number of inquiries late last year.

“I don’t think the economy has turned enough for people to make the investments. It’s better – we have had these expansions – but last winter I would have thought we would have five or six projects of an industrial nature this year. It didn’t turn out that way. A lot of companies that were hot and looking, I think, are holding off. The economy is better, but it’s not where we want it to be.”

Little Chute

Big news of 2012: Larsen Converting, part of Little Rapids Corp., bought the former Nice-Pak Products building on Walker Drive in the I-43 Business Center in addition to the lot next to it, after Nice-Pak (makers of wet wipes) moved its operations to Indiana, according to Jami Harrington, business development specialist with the City of Green Bay. Larsen Converting is undergoing a $3.2 million, 100,000-sq. ft. expansion which will triple the size of the existing industrial facility.

“A 150,000-sq. ft. manufacturing facility in the city of Green Bay is huge,” Harrington said.

Of note: Harrington has her lips zipped on another matter, though – plans for another business to expand in the I-43 Business Center.

“I can’t identify who it is, but there will be a new manufacturing-type facility going in,” Harrington said.

What should people know about you? The city has two remaining parcels to sell in the 750-acre business park, which has around 100 companies and employs some 2,500 people.

Green Ba y

NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 31

INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT Big news of 2012: Foth Corp. christened the Highway 41 Business Park with its $13 million, 98,000-sq. ft. headquarters. It plans to add 100 jobs to its 300-person payroll, according to Ken Pabich, planning and economic development director for the City of De Pere.

In its West Business Park, Utech Consulting is building a new 4,600-sq. ft., $700,000 site, and although it employs just a half-dozen people, the company plans on doubling in size soon, Pabich said.

In the East Business Park, the C.A. Lawton Company built a 26,000-sq. ft., $1.2 million structure. Other noteworthy developments include: • Bayside Machine built a 7,000-sq. ft., $400,000 expansion.

• Sit & Stay Pet Resort did a 3,200-sq. ft. expansion.

• AmeriLux International is currently building a 21,000-sq. ft., $800,000 expansion.

• De Pere Cabinets added on by 17,000 square feet ($800,000).

De Pere

“I think there’s been pent up demand with the economy,” Pabich said. “Everyone was holding tight. I don’t think we’re out of the storm yet but I think there is enough confidence with many of these businesses that they feel there is an opportunity to make that next step, and that’s why they are moving forward, especially with these expansions,” he said. “They’ve done well, and they are at the point where they have to do some expanding, so it’s good to see that.”

Lee Reinsch writes and edits from Green Bay.

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LEADERSHIP

It doesn’t have to be

lonely

at the top

Executive coaches, peer groups offer guidance to CEOs who might not find internal resources in which to turn

Story by Robin Driessen Bruecker

Whether someone starts out at the top of the company as the owner or works his or her way up, upper-level positions require good leadership and people skills. And while an owner or CEO has staff – whether a couple or hundreds – there are issues that are unique to owners and CEOs and best shared with peers.

Several factors play a role in rising to the top: experience, industry knowledge and technical expertise. Soft skills are also important, and that’s where there can be room for improvement even for leaders.

“Leaders may be good at what we do,” said Barbara Jordan, a leadership coach and founder/CEO of AdvantEdge Success Coaching in Green Bay, “but we also need to be versed in the people skills required to lead others in doing what we do.”

A personal coach Executive coaches can help leaders strengthen their people skills and thus strengthen their company.

“Skills such as delegating, evaluating performance, holding critical/difficult conversations, dealing with conflict, influencing others and motivating employees/teams seldom develop naturally,” explained Jordan. “Leaders often need the guidance, accountability, support and structure of a behind-the-scenes si-

34 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

www.newnorthb2b.com

LEADERSHIP lent partner in order to develop these leadership skills. I take healthy, self-motivated, ambitious, successful clients and help them clarify their goals, discover their own strengths and weaknesses, and reach practical, action-oriented solutions.”

“CEOs often work in isolation and, although they may have teams that report to them, they seldom have internal colleagues from whom they can get direct performance feedback or confidential assistance with difficult situations or decisions,” noted Betsy Mitchell of Betsy Mitchell Leadership Development & Consulting in Green Bay. Mitchell previously served as vice president of organizational/staff development with the Green Bay Packers and now provides individual coaching to top executives in the Green Bay area and elsewhere across the country. “An executive coach is a professional with a strong organizational psychology background and personal executive experience who can offer CEOs insight, feedback and clear strategies.”

As the leader of a company, how do you find the right coach?

Before selecting a consulting company or individual coach, Mitchell recommends obtaining references and endorsements, not just locally, but also regionally and online.

Objectivity is one of the benefits of using a coach who is outside the company.

“As you move up to the executive level, developmental feedback from colleagues and employees becomes increasingly important, less frequent, more and more political, and less reliable,” said Jordan. “Your employees, family members or friends are frequently biased, seldom totally objective. What you do or don’t do impacts them. In contrast, a coach is not affected by your decisions, actions or inactions.”

The quick response offered by coaching enables leaders to obtain feedback and support as questions and issues arise.

Additionally, improved leadership can lead to improved staff morale and motivation, better customer service, and an overall increase in productivity and profit. The owner or CEO herself should experience stress reduction and improved time management, work/life balance and emotional intelligence.

Coaching clients also learn to work smarter instead of harder, Jordan noted.

The cost of coaching There are various prices and billing options with executive coaching services. According to Mitchell, individual coaching services are billed at hourly, project or monthly-retainer rates. If clients participate in group meetings that foster knowledge sharing and professional growth among up to 10 executives, that comes with an annual fee.

On an hourly basis, the price tag for executive coaching services generally ranges from $100 to $500 or more, Jordan noted. If the cost seems high, consider the toll ineffective leadership could take on the company, which can be several times an executive’s salary.

“For example, ineffective leaders make poor decisions that have a huge financial impact,” said Jordan. “And sometimes an organization has to replace that leader due to ineffective leadership. Terminating an executive may result in paying out a severance package, hiring a replacement, lost productivity in the succession process, and legal costs if the individual feels [he or she] was terminated unfairly.”

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LEADERSHIP

Lonely at the top Leadership through education Business owners and executives have other options besides coaching. Educational institutions may offer programs on leadership development. As examples, Jordan cited UW Oshkosh’s Executive MBA program – which it’s currently ramping up to launch in January 2013 – and Viterbo University’s Master of Arts in Servant Leadership programs.

AdvantEdge offers a leadership development training program called LeadershipU which uses peer coaching and an experiential, accelerated-learning delivery. It also employs Strengthsfinder, DiSC Profiles, 360-degree feedback and individualized leadership development plans.

“Following each facilitator led-session is a peer-coaching session wherein program participants apply training right then and there to their unique workplace so that they are engaged, motivated, and committed to applying what is learned,” said Jordan. “It emphasizes personal and professional development, and sessions/modules are spread out over time to allow skill practice between sessions.”

Peer to peer feedback TEC is another option for top-level business leaders to consider. Formerly known as The Executive Committee, TEC is an international organization consisting of thousands of small groups of CEOs and business owners around the world, includ-

36 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

“

As you move up to the executive level, developmental feedback from colleagues and employees becomes increasingly important, less frequent, more and more political, and less reliable.

”

Barbara Jordan, founder/CEO AdvantEdge Success Coaching ing dozens of groups in Wisconsin.

Each TEC group has an experienced CEO or other business leader who undergoes an executive “boot camp” before being appointed as the group’s chair. His or her job is to be a coach and mentor who keeps each member on track with their individual goals. Frank Walter, one of the TEC chairs in northeast Wisconsin, worked in technology companies as chief operating officer and president before creating his own coaching business, execMentorTM. “My personal commitment is to inspire, encourage and motivate others to do what they say they want to do,” said Walter. “My experiences taught me to fully understand working

www.newnorthb2b.com

LEADERSHIP solely as a coach to business owners limited my ability to help them with their issues, challenges and opportunities. After all, any coach is merely one person, one set of experiences, and one set of tools. So, I knew I needed to add to my services capabilities and bring more than just me to my clients.” Thus he added TEC to his service repertoire.

Walter said business owners and executive leaders have expressed feeling lonely at the top.

“Working so hard on day-to-day needs of the business, there is often no time to step back and think, bounce ideas off your peers, or get wise counsel from an experienced mentor,” he explained. “An independent survey shows that TEC member companies outperform their competitors and, on average, grow their revenues at three times the percentage growth rate after joining a TEC group.”

Through TEC, members can take part in advisory board-style peer group meetings, private one-on-one mentoring sessions (essentially executive coaching), and various workshops with noteworthy speakers. During the peer group meetings, members speak candidly with each other, sharing objective feedback on business issues ranging from payroll to personnel, coming up with ideas and solutions, and gaining new perspectives. Its members also have access to an online library containing podcasts, webinars and articles, plus an online network that connects TEC members worldwide with one another. A service called Executive Agenda is available to those who report to company owners, such as vice presidents and directors, and there are programs that are structured on criteria by the size of a company’s revenue and its number of employees.

“It is so rewarding to see the time-tested TEC methods help leaders when they find themselves struggling with some tough issue,” said Walter. “It is especially so when working with TEC members from smaller companies and entrepreneurs that simply do not have as many resources available to them.”

Executives of the roundtable Peer roundtables are offered to members of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce who have at least three employees and a desire to improve their company, their staff and themselves, according to Marilyn Heim, special events manager for the chamber. Currently there are eight CEO and three CFO roundtables, each with up to 12 members from businesses that don’t compete with each other. Each group operates along guidelines established by the roundtable program, with a new group leader chosen annually who handles meeting reminders and agendas and ensures the guidelines are being followed.

“The roundtables provide a structured and confidential environment for top-level executives to give and receive the benefit of their experiences to help resolve business challenges,” said Heim.

At a cost of just $125 per year, each participant benefits from improvements in decision-making, communication and relationship building. They share best practices and serve as a sounding board for new ideas and problems, Heim noted.

Robin Driessen Bruecker has 16 years experience in magazine and marcom writing. Contact her at robinbrueck@yahoo.com.

NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 37

FIREFIGHTERS PROGRESS REPORT

Firefighters of northeast Wisconsin

Heading down the final stretch Appleton-based Guident Business Solutions owner Gary Vaughan has been working for the past four months with Lu Ann Vander Zanden, owner of Bridal Elegance and Formalwear in Kaukauna.

As readers recall, Vander Zanden has been in business 13 years but is struggling to turn the corner toward profitability. She hasn’t gone any further in debt – in fact, she’s made tremendous strides over the past seven years to pay off debts related to financial mismanagement by a former partner in the business. At this point in her entrepreneurial career, she’s ready to Vaughan start taking a regular, healthy paycheck and finally buy herself a new car.

During the course of these past four months, Vaughan has identified the critical issue related to the Bridal Elegance’s growth and inability to move forward as the inaccuracy of its financial records and some of the challenges Vander Zanden has had interpreting what the financials were telling her about the status of her business.

Vaughan said there’s a lot of similariVander Zanden ties between the basic principles of financial statements one may have learned years ago and the foreign language courses one might have studied in high school.

“Back when we were in high school or college we took a foreign language course and that was the last time we used the language. Today we may be able to count to ten or say “hello,” but cannot speak the language or understand when someone uses that language when speaking to us,” Vaughan said. “If a business owner has not been taught the language of all their financial statements, how can they be expected to understand what their financials are telling them?”

“We approach the financials like a foreign language and teach the business owner what they need to understand from their financial statements to make the best business decisions and eventually to accomplish their goals,” Vaughan said.

On other fronts, Guident and its team worked with Vander Zanden’s banker to develop financials for the loan she was seeking and eventually received.

Another financial hurdle Vaughan identified was the bookkeeping software Vander Zanden used wasn’t the most appropriate for her business. Though it required some unexpected investment on her part, Vander Zanden purchased QuickBooks and converted her previous financial records over to the new software platform.

As part of that process, the two identified the profit centers of Bridal Elegance and developed a system for tracking gross profit of each center. Vaughan evaluGuident Business Solutions LLC www.guidentbusinesssolutions.com

38 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

Update by Sean Fitzgerald, New North B2B publisher

ated the accuracy of Vander Zanden’s main assets on her balance sheet such as inventory, accounts receivable, and fixed assets. That exercise proved to work in Vander Zanden’s favor, as she has vast amounts of inventory in stock.

“Stating her assets accurately increased her owner’s equity on the balance sheet,” Vaughan said.

Now that she has QuickBooks in place for her store’s accounting, Vaughan said they will structure an annual budget for the remaining months of 2012 and for 2013, and he’ll continue to work with Vander Zanden to do an “actual vs. budget” analysis of her operations and trouble shoot any problems. Eventually, Vaughan said they will develop and implement a cash flow model that works for Bridal Elegance.

In our October issue, we’ll wrap up all of the efforts Vaughan and his team from Guident have worked through with Vander Zanden to put out the fires in her business and work toward providing her with a steady paycheck.

In our other Firefighters episode for 2012, consultant Mike Thuecks with Green Bay-based SM Advisors held a “strategic planning summit” with Caramel Crisp & Café owner Chanda Anderson and her husband, Pete, in mid-July in an effort to shape their 2013 operating plan before the busy rush of the upcoming holiday season.

Thuecks has been working with Anderson since this past April, helping the 4-year-old business settle into a consistent operating strategy. The business has experienced success establishing itself in the market as a coffee shop, a deli and lunch destination, a bakery, an ice cream shop, a retailer of caramel popcorn tins and baskets, and as a gift shop for a variety of knick-knacks and decorative items. Anderson owns all of her Thuecks inventory and the business doesn’t hold any debt. In fact, Thuecks reported two months ago that Caramel Crisp has been on a lengthy stretch of being up every month over the prior year.

Unfortunately, Anderson works nearly every waking hour, and she hasn’t taken a paycheck since the business opened – not because she couldn’t – but because she’s chosen not to, rather reinvesting her gains back into Caramel Crisp operations. She and her husband live off of Anderson the income he earns from his job.

The “summit” – held away from the distractions of the store – helped indentify some goals for the couple and at least a partial roadmap to achieve those goals.

“Our objective is to give Chanda and Pete back at least 10 percent of their day,” Thuecks said, a goal

On the Web

SM Advisors www.smadvisors.com

www.newnorthb2b.com

FIREFIGHTERS PROGRESS REPORT which would be reached by eliminating some of the administrative and otherwise routine tasks that the business should manage on its own.

In addition, the group agreed upon the following key strategic challenges for 2013: • Replace key employee losses and create a legitimate employee/supervisor training plan; • Increase both the amount and consistency of floor traffic; • Optimize the gift shop; • Document processes; • Grasp the financials; • Create more personal time for Chanda and Pete.

“These are the most important challenges that need to be resolved as part of the 2013 business plan,” Thuecks said.

We’ll shed more light on that plan as we wrap up our 2012 Firefighters of Northeast Wisconsin initiative in our coming October edition.

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Methodology New North B2B kicked off its 2nd annual Firefighters of Northeast Wisconsin initiative in April 2012, aimed at assisting those northeast Wisconsin small business owners who feel as if they’re constantly burning the candle at both ends, putting out fires, spinning their wheels, but intent on finding a way to improve.

We put out a call for nominations back in January. In the end, our staff selected two area businesses for this endeavor: Bridal Elegance & Formalwear of Kaukauna and Caramel Crisp & Cafe of Oshkosh.

Through the generous help of Steve Van Remortel and Mike Thuecks of Green Bay-based SM Advisors and Gary Vaughan of Guident Business Solutions in Appleton, the two dedicatedto-improve businesses are receiving four to five month’s worth of consulting at no cost to help their owners work on the strategy of growing their business rather than regularly attending to problems.

B2B is providing a monthly update on the progress of their efforts in each issue leading up to a capstone article in the October 2012 issue of New North B2B magazine.

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NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 39

HEALTH CARE

Digital doctor’s office Local health care systems investing hundreds of millions of dollars into electronic health records to improve patient care Story by Cheryl Hentz There’s no doubt technology has always evolved the way health care is practiced.

Now it’s also changing the way in which it is managed, maintained, and delivered – all through the use of electronic health records.

Electronic health records, or electronic medical records as they’re sometimes called, have been discussed since the Clinton Administration as a means of helping to improve the delivery of health care in the United States.

It wasn’t until the Obama Administration that the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, was signed. The legislation authorized expenditures of approximately $20 billion to promote the adoption and use of digital data management technologies that would ideally be connected through a national health information network.

With various provisions and regulations, the legislation provides assistance, tools and resources to providers to allow for implementation and utilization of electronic health records.

Hospitals and physicians who make “meaningful use” of interoperable electronic health records can qualify for extra pay-

40 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

ments through Medicare and Medicaid. Incentive payments for both physicians and hospitals continue for several years, but are phased out over time.

Eventually, Medicare payments are reduced for physicians and hospitals that do not use a certified electronic health records system that allows them to electronically communicate with others. The legislation also provides additional funds to states for low-interest loans to help providers finance health information technology and grants to regional health information exchanges to unite local providers. And grants are offered for the development and adoption of electronic health records for providers other than physicians and hospitals.

As a result, health care providers are investing billions in new technology to make the transfer and availability of patient information more seamless and more accurate, whether they’re being treated by a general practitioner in Winneconne, a specialist in the Fox Valley or an emergency room while on a business trip in Dallas. So ambitious is the goal of this legislation that the Congressional Budget Office estimates nearly 90 percent of doctors and 70 percent of hospitals will be using comprehensive electronic health records within the next decade.

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HEALTH CARE An Epic journey For many medical providers in northeast Wisconsin, this is just the next step on a journey they began years ago.

As a patient, you’ve no doubt seen computers in exam rooms.

But they’ve also been in the operating room for some time, and nurses often carry laptops or tablets on their carts as they go from room to room visiting with patients.

Providers say the benefits are many – both in terms of efficiency and better patient care and safety using EHRs, including: • Eliminating duplicate tests • Providing automatic allergy and immunization history and alerts • Sharing information with specialists collaborating on care • Reducing the complexity and repeating of information between hospitals and clinics • Tracking medications, drug interaction alerts and automatic pharmacy medication orders • Providing real-time diagnosis and treatment notes “The benefit to our communities is providing quality, safe and integrated care to the patients we serve,” said Tanya Townsend, chief information officer for the group of St. Vincent and St. Mary’s hospitals in Green Bay, St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan and Ashwaubenon-based Prevea Health.

This past January, St. Mary’s and St. Vincent hospitals launched Epic, a secure electronic health records system, even though Prevea started on its Epic journey back in 2002.

“As a group of multi-specialty physicians, we felt that a connected medical record would be the best thing for our patients, where primary care and specialists share the same records and that they’re able to access it from wherever or whatever clinic they were at. We were growing rapidly and we wanted to take on a broader base of patients and we wanted to find a way to make sure the patients knew that they’re their records and not our records,” explained Ashok Rai, president and CEO of Prevea Health.

“By using Epic over the years, we’ve been able to give our patients online access where they can talk to their physicians, or get their lab results right away; and as of the last six months, they can do it from their mobile devices as well.

In 2002 we looked at it as a way for all of us to communicate better, to provide better value, to reduce duplications, and so on. We knew the value to it long before the government did.

We’re just glad that everybody else is now catching up.”

As a system, Prevea has spent about $60 million in the last 10 years on electronic record keeping. One of the benefits is that Prevea now has 10 years of data.

“We’ve also used other products, including Phytel, to sit on top of Epic to start drawing that data out and making it better for us to care for the patients who aren’t even in front of us,” said Rai. “There’s all this data in there about patients who are behind in their care and who haven’t been seen, or who are at high-risk. Now we can really start to treat populations rather than individuals because we’ve got 10 years of experience and data… The electronic record is becoming hugely important to how we do business. We’re able to deliver so much more value than we were before.”

NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 41

HEALTH CARE A next generation upgrade Aurora Health Care was a national pioneer in the implementation and use of electronic health records and was one of the very first big health care systems to implement electronic records. Since 1995, it has spent about $150 million putting electronic health records into all of its hospitals and medical group clinics. They began using Cerner as the vendor, but because these systems are designed to only last 15 to 20 years, they decided in 2010 that it was time to begin upgrading and implementing their “second generation” of EHRs. “For that we’ll be using a different vendor – Epic – and it will be a three-year transition project that will cost another $200 million. We’re more than halfway through that transition now and expect it will be complete sometime in 2013,” said Philip Loftus, chief information officer for Aurora Health Care.

Appleton-based ThedaCare went live with its first clinic on an electronic medical records system in 1999. To date, it has invested about $85 million and has 25 independent specialty practices and 22 ThedaCare practices on their shared electronic health record.

“There are slightly more independent specialty practices on Epic than ThedaCare practices, but the beauty of that from our patients’ perspective is that there are almost 300 specialty physicians who are not employed by ThedaCare who have their shared information,” said Jodie Ausloos, ThedaCare’s clinical systems information officer. “In the end, that’s the biggest goal of an integrated electronic record.”

“

…we wanted to find a way to make sure the patients knew that they’re their records and not our records.

”

Ashok Rai, president/CEO Prevea Health

Speaking the same language Aside from using the Epic system of records management, Menasha-based Affinity Health System is using GE Centricity. While Affinity had been planning for electronic integration of its patients’ health records for a few years prior to the legislation being signed in 2009, its passage was the impetus for the final push.

“We then felt the timing was right to push forward and took it to our board in 2010 for approval and then began our planning and implementation efforts in April 2010,” said Doug Shew, Affinity’s vice president of information systems.

Affinity’s original cost projection was $32 million-plus over a five-year term. Through July 2012 the amount spent has been $11.5 million, though there are a few more investments to make in coming years. While it is not on the Epic system, electronic health records, or a Continuum of Care Document, can still be shared with other providers who are on Epic. That’s 42 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

www.newnorthb2b.com

HEALTH CARE Doctors express satisfaction with electronic health records systems Most office-based physicians who have adopted electronic health records are satisfied with the systems they have chosen and have noted improved patient care, according to a survey by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released this past July.

A total of 55 percent of responding physicians indicated they had adopted at least some electronic health records technology in their practices. In addition, 85 percent of those physicians said they were somewhat (47 percent) or very (38 percent) satisfied with their electronic health records system.

According to the study, three-fourths of the physicians who have adopted electronic health records said it has enhanced overall patient care.

Half of them said they had been alerted to critical lab results within the past 30 days by using the electronic records system, and about 40 percent said they had been alerted to potential medication errors.

About three-fourths of the physicians also reported they had accessed a patient’s chart remotely within the past 30 days, which can be important to patient care when a need arises after office hours or when the doctor is offsite, the study said.

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They could have chosen anywhere in the world... the ultimate goal of the health records legislation – so any provider anywhere will be able to access someone’s medical records, with their permission, to be able to more seamlessly treat them.

“Under the government’s incentives as part of the HITECH Act the government is pushing for and promoting the ability of different vendor systems to be able to interchange information more effectively,” said Loftus. “It’s called a Health Information Exchange. So exchanging information between providers on different systems will get steadily better over the years, but right now it’s still at a relatively basic level.”

Patient security It is important for patients to understand they can “opt out” of having their information shared with other providers, electronically or otherwise. It is equally important for them to feel that if their information is shared, it is safe and secure.

“There’s a huge amount of security in place – double and triple-fold layers of security to get through to get to patients’ medical records,” explained Rai. “In all honesty, this is much safer than paper because paper can get lost, it can get destroyed, it can get shuffled around. But the electronic medical record can’t be lost, it’s redundant so it can’t be destroyed, and we’ve invested much in the security of it. The security of a person’s medical record is our utmost priority.”

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NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 43

HEALTH CARE Other healthcare providers agree: “The technology security infrastructure that’s in place to keep threats away from our electronic records is very sizeable,” said Ausloos. “The reality is there’s a tremendous amount of data, tracking and auditing that’s available electronically today that was never available in a paper chart. At any given time, we can look to see who has been in someone’s record, where they have been, specifically what information was looked at and at what time it was looked at, how long someone was in a record, who updated or made changes to a record, what was changed and when it was done, etc. And we have monitoring systems in place to ensure that people are in patients’ records only on a need-to-know basis.”

“

Now we can really start to treat populations rather than individuals because we’ve got 10 years of experience and data.

”

Ashok Rai, president/CEO Prevea Health

Providers do routine audits to ensure there are no breaches and complex passwords are used. Plus, as the data is trans-

ferred from place to place everything is encrypted and the authentication mechanisms to those systems is also very complex and secure. And in the event of a disaster, information is backed up at an off-site location.

Some people may think that because the government is driving this legislation, it can access anyone’s records whenever it wants. That is completely false, providers say. The only way the government could access someone’s records is with the proper releases in place, just like anyone else, and with the appropriate need to know.

There are some instances when the government would want general-type information – and that would be for population health purposes, explained Townsend. It would use general data to address things like epidemics, pandemics, and the like.

But even when general data is provided, all names and other patient identifiers are redacted from the information before it is given to the government.

Bottom line: Health information technology helps save lives and lower costs.

“It isn’t about following government regulations or recommendations. It’s about improving the health of our population; improving patient safety; and improving the quality and the outcomes of the patients we serve,” said Townsend.

Cheryl Hentz is a freelance writer from Oshkosh with nearly 30 years of professional writing experience. She can be reached at 920.426.4123, via email at cheryl.hentz@gmail.com, or through her blog at www.cherylhentz.blogspot.com.

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Bank changes giving you a negative impression? Make a

POSITIVE CHANGE. When your business bank changes your account numbers and the people serving you, then moves local decision making hundreds of miles from Wisconsin, entrusting it to people who know nothing about you or your business, you’re not working with the bank you chose in the first place. If you’ve got to deal with change, why not make a change for the better? First Business offers the services and resources of a large bank, but with decision making and a board of directors right here in Wisconsin.

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PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING

You built what? Protect it!

by Jackson Kahl Insurance

We hear it every day – the economy has stalled, businesses are closing their doors, and many people are without jobs.

Despite these negative outlooks, many individuals are taking this opportunity to see the glass half full. They are starting their own businesses, creating jobs and putting their own livelihood on the line to become entrepreneurs. The ideas and pure determination to succeed is what makes you want to overcome obstacles and show that your idea or thoughts can, in fact, make it. Does this sound familiar?

It should. We’re talking about you!

As an Entrepreneur, getting your ideas incorporated into an actual business plan can be a daunting task. Add to that the task of protecting all that you have invested and it doubles. However, it doesn’t have to be a path you travel alone. Some key questions you will want to consider as you get up and running include:

Cassie Bornick

800.524.5467

1. What are you trying to protect? What are your assets, property and equipment, and are they properly insured if you were to have a major loss?

2. If someone were to be injured by your product or on your property, do you have adequate liability protection?

3. Should you be covered by your Worker’s Compensation policy as an owner? If not, does your health insurance have 24hour coverage should you become injured or sick. Do you know what 24-hour coverage means?

4. How much life insurance should you purchase to cover both your family and your business? When looking at business loans, should a life policy be put in place to secure approval and protect the business interests?

When looking at all the options of how you may incorporate your business – be it an LLC, an S-corp or other option – there are key advantages and disadvantages

to each. The answers to the above questions will help you to choose the best option and therefore best protection for you, your business and your ideas. Don’t let this task overwhelm you and turn off your entrepreneurial spirit. Reach out to experienced professionals that can help you look at your business from every angle.

Cassie Bornick and Chris Shafer are Insurance Consultants with Jackson Kahl Insurance. They provide clients with innovative insurance solutions including health, business, life, home, auto and farm insurance. Jackson Kahl Insurance is located in Fond du Lac, with additional offices in Ripon, Milwaukee and Illinois.

Call 800-524-5467 or go online to www. jacksonkahl.com.

“Professionally Speaking” is a promotional spot for business professionals to share their expertise with New North B2B readers.

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46 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

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ROI on MBA

PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING

by UW Oshkosh College of Business Like the manufacturing sector, white-collar jobs have taken a hit since the recession began in 2008. So what can you do to give yourself more of an edge in the job market or position yourself to be more marketable?

Have you ever thought about earning your Master of Business Administration degree?

According to the Executive MBA Council, a non-profit association of universities and colleges that offer executive MBA programs, 68 percent of MBA students receive new responsibilities while enrolled in a program and 37 percent were promoted during that time. This advanced degree demonstrates to your employer your commitment to the business.

One of the most important benefits to earning an MBA for some is the networking with others. Students build an extensive network of professional contacts from multiple industries. Additionally, students gain increased confidence in themselves,

Kathy Hagens

their skills and the decisions they make.

In addition to traditional professional MBA programs, many universities are now offering executive MBA programs. The Executive MBA Council also reports that salary and bonus packages of recent executive MBA graduates increased by 16.3 percent from the beginning of the program to completion. UW Oshkosh will be launching its own executive MBA program in 2013. With an emphasis on growing Wisconsin’s economic environment and talent, this new executive MBA program will focus on additional aspects of leadership and business strategy, including an expanded international component and enterprise level thinking.

Employers alike can gain a return on investment by offering tuition reimbursement to employees for MBAs. Let’s say a particular manager in your company makes $500,000 worth of decisions per year. Receiving that MBA

920.424.7407 could improve their strategic and decision making abilities by just 10 percent, resulting in a financial impact or ROI of $50,000 per year. Whether a traditional professional MBA or an executive MBA, this degree pays for itself pretty quickly and can lead to improvements in strategic thinking, leadership and innovation — experiences all immediately transferable to the organization and its bottom line.

Kathy Hagens is the MBA Program Director at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Business. She earned both her MBA and Bachelor’s Degree from UW Oshkosh. She has over 15 years experience leading strategic planning, marketing, branding and communications. She can be reached at HagensK@uwosh.edu.

“Professionally Speaking” is a promotional spot for business professionals to share their expertise with New North B2B readers.

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NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 47

WHO’S NEWS Incorporations New North B2B publishes monthly new business incorporations filed with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.

Brown County

La Fuente Cafe Y Tortilleria LLC, Ana Belia Lopez, 1620 Lime Kiln Road, Ste. D, Bellevue 54311.

Freedom Bible Chapel, Inc., Terry Hoitink, 2061 Charles St., De Pere 54115.

Speaker Matchmakers LLC, Meredith Ann Bartos, 1291 Mourning Dove Ct., De Pere 54115.

Fox Trax Saloon LLC, Phillip Walentowski, 132 1/2 S. Broadway, De Pere 54115.

Bluebird Entertainment Inc., Casey Ladowski, 920 Oak St., De Pere 54115.

Integrated Performance Consultants LLC, Laura J. Hillesheim, 353 Southern Star Lane, De Pere 54115.

Burgess Buffalo Acres LLC, Thomas D. Burgess, 1360 Fox River Dr., De Pere 54115.

GB Salon Concepts LLC, Bobbianne Staszak, 1041 Pagels Pl., De Pere 54115.

East Shore Construction Management LLC, Daniel M. LaPlant, 4022 S. Parker Way, De Pere 54115.

Cloud 09 Events LLC, Jessica Lynn Landini, 1920 Cottonwood Ct., De Pere 54115.

Washworld of De Pere LLC, Peter Jensen, 1755 E. Matthew Dr., De Pere 54115.

Cz’s Geano Beach Bar & Grill LLC, Jeremy J. Czarneski, 5187 State Road 29, Denmark 54208.

Vicente’s Cleaning LLC, Vicente Estrada, 2772 St. Anthony Dr., Green Bay 54311.

Bumbershoot Communication & Learning LLC, Brenda L. Forslund, 2658 He-Nis-Ra Lane, Green Bay 54304.

Excel Driving Center LLC, Sandra Lee Shimek, 1846 Industrial Dr., Green Bay 54302.

5 O’Clock Property Maintenance LLC, Andrew C. Renard, 1819 Canary Lane, Green Bay 54304.

Van’s Lawn & Property Maintenance LLC, James M. Vander Linden, 2637 Ontario Road, Green Bay 54311.

Elite Shuttle LLC, Mark Steven Vanlaanen, 2010 Memorial Dr., Apt. 112, Green Bay 54303.

Belgioioso Park Cheese LLC, Mark Schleitwiler, 4200 Main St., Green Bay 54311.

Ludwig Home Remodeling LLC, Gregory Steven Ludwig, 1283 Fawn Ct., Green Bay 54313.

KB Gutters & Exteriors, Inc., Brandon J. Dondelinger, 1549 Carole Lane, Green Bay 54313.

Van Straten Bookkeeping LLC, Sharon A. Van Straten, 2531 Telluride Tr., Unit E, Green Bay 54313.

Susan M. Stanaszak Private Duty Nurse RN RCS LLC, Susan Marie Stanaszak, 3541 Evergreen Ave., Green Bay 54313.

Selner Tree & Shrub Care LLC, Robert T. Selner, 2249 S. Broadway, Green Bay 54304.

Radtke Engineering and Surveying LLC, Jeff J. Radtke, 2733 Manitowoc Road, Green Bay 54311.

Broyer Home Repair Service LLC, Andrew Broullire, 2496 Laredo Lane, Green Bay 54304.

Big Daddy’s Specialty Products LLC, Susan L. PattersonBrennan, 2104 Memorial Dr., #206, Green Bay 54303.

Masse Aviation LLC, Patrick J. Masse, 1222 S. Quincy St., Green Bay 54301.

Lines In The Lake Fishing Charters LLC, Paul Krause, 2636 Antares Ter., Green Bay 54311.

Two Amigos Mexican Grill Inc., Elena Mercado Prieto, 1282 48 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

Mather St., Green Bay 54303.

Far West Construction Services LLC, Paul B. Belschner, 300 N. Broadway, Ste. 2B, Green Bay 54303.

Smith Bearcat Fish House LLC, Billy Smith, 955 Channel Tunnel Ct., Green Bay 54313.

Law Office Of Bret Liebmann LLC, Herbert C. Liebmann IV, 1039 W. Mason St., Green Bay 54303.

Hungry Bear Cafe & Catering LLC, Annita L. Weber, 2144 Balsam Way, Green Bay 54313.

Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance Inc., Mark A. Kaiser, 610 Baeten Road, Green Bay 54304.

Accurate Custom Cabinets Woodworking LLC, Stephen Patrick Georgel, Jr., 735 E. Allouez Ave., Green Bay 54301.

Bay Metal Works Inc., Arnold W. Schmidt, 2929 Walker Dr., Green Bay 54311.

Lineville Nutrishop LLC, Diana Jaworski, 2352 Lineville Road, Ste. #110, Suamico 54313.

H2Otite Seamless Gutters LLC, Jeremy James Thyes, 1458 White Birch Tr., Suamico 54173.

Fond du Lac County

Rosie’s Detailing LLC, Rose M. Wucherer, N11790 West Line Road, Brownsville 53006.

Heads & Tails Taxidermy LLC, William G. Beck, N4699 Sheehan Lake Lane, Campbellsport 53010.

Kettle Moraine Police K-9 Academy LLC, Julie Ann Kersten, N1682 Canary Lane, Campbellsport 53010.

Jackl Law Group LLC, Jesse Jackl, 406 Willow Dr., Fond du Lac 54935.

Sweet N Easy Events LLC, Theresa Anne Menting, 98 14th St., Fond du Lac 54935.

Valley Health Shuttle Service LLC, Jesse Lee Higgins, 871 S. Main St., Lot 84, Fond du Lac 54935.

CH Welding Inc., Carl Matthew Hamersma, N7250 Winnebago Dr., Fond du Lac 54935.

Lake Winnebago Quality Improvement Association of Fond du Lac County Inc., Ellen Balthazor, 205 S. Park Ave., P.O. Box 1716, Fond du Lac 54936.

Riverside Senior LLC, Commonwealth Management Corp., 54 E. First St., Fond du Lac 54935.

Mighty Apps LLC, Jorg Becker, 17 Forest Ave., Fond du Lac 54935.

Leaders Cleaning Service LLC, Jamin Luke Leaders, 17 Forest Ave., Apt. 403, Fond du Lac 54935.

Casa Del Tequila Restaurant LLC, Edgar Ramirez, 525 N. Peters Ave., Fond du Lac 54935.

Fdl Cleaning LLC, Cheryl A. Feudner, 101 Pheasant Dr., Fond du Lac 54935.

Trifecta Business Consulting Inc., Randy J. Hingtgen, 1038 Danbury Ave., Fond du Lac 54935.

JLZ Pub and Grill LLC, James Lawrence Zielieke, 94 Meadowbrook Blvd., Fond du Lac 54935.

Comma Computer Services LLC, Dwight Sattler, W2841 County Road HHH, Malone 53049.

Appliance Tech Service LLC, Ryan S. Lee, N3252 Oak Center Road, Oakfield 53065.

Reaction Lures LLC, Bert F. Briese, 214 Locust St., Ripon 54971.

Riptide Volleyball Club LLC, Craig Madson, 429 Sandmar Dr., Ripon 54971.

Fleurix Design and Photography LLC, Denis Christopherson, 812 W. Jefferson St., Waupun 53963.

Elliott’s Elite Towing & Recovery LLC, Joshua C. Elliott, 662 Cochrane St., Waupun 53963.

Excel Engineering & Architecture, S.C., Steven J. Soodsma, 27 Meadowview Cir., Waupun 53963.

MW Home Inspections LLC, Michael Polenska, N3268 Lemmenes Parkway, Waupun 53963. www.newnorthb2b.com

WHO’S NEWS Oconto County

Sky Outdoor Cinemas LLC, Jonathan Herzog, 6905 Burdosh Road, Abrams 54101.

Outagamie County

Lush Catering LLC, MyLee Xiong, W2374 Holly Lane, Appleton 54915.

Virtual Admin Xpress LLC, Nicole Wilson, 1801 S. Rebecca Lane, Appleton 54915.

Lisa’s Touch of Health LLC, Lisa Marie Marshall, 1314 W. College Ave., Appleton 54914.

Highway 47 Storage LLC, Jeffrey S. Miles, 3118 Park Lawn Ct., Appleton 54911.

Wolf River Advertising LLC, Joel Thompson, W6735 Jordan St., Appleton 54915.

Nail Envy & Spa Wisconsin LLC, Cam Tu T. Phan, 849 N. Casaloma Dr., Appleton 54913.

Bulldog Investigations LLC, Jon Koski, 2628 W. Darling St., Appleton 54914.

Our Saviour’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Appleton Inc., Brian Knoke, 3009 N. Meade St., Appleton 54911.

Café Nutrition LLC, J.P. Klemstein, 3443 Streamview Lane, Appleton 54913.

Aquamarine Imports LLC, Jose Luis Cerdan, 1117 N. Badger Ave., Appleton 54914.

RK Moving LLC, Ryan R. Richeson, 3920 E. Benvalley Dr., Appleton 54913.

Polar Bear Carpentry LLC, Matthew Jason Hurteau, 506 S. Elm St., Appleton 54911.

Draught Beer System Services Inc., Dan Ritchie, 924 E. Marquette St., Appleton 54911.

Fox Valley Fireplace & Patio LLC, Marty V. Wyngard, N3516 Range Ct., Appleton 54913.

Well Within Chiropractic Center LLC, Kate Danielle Williams, 1314 W. College Ave., Ste. 6, Appleton 54914.

Treasures Resale Store LLC, Joseph Michael Roethig, 2701 N. Oneida St., Ste. C3, Appleton 54911.

EAR Sign Language Services LLC, Erin Aileen Reed, 1009 N. Summit St., Appleton 54914.

Salon Retro LLC, Lori Ann Fleming, 121 N. Douglas St., Appleton 54914.

Light Up The Fox Inc., Barbara Sauer, 425 W. Water St., Appleton 54911.

Mr. Taco Grill & Cantina LLC, Alejandro Morales, 2450 Honey Lou Ct., #102, Appleton 54915.

Plain Labels LLC, Sarah Jane DeBruin, 639 E. Woodcrest Dr., Appleton 54915.

Intrigue Fashions LLC, Renada Rukyia McGraw, 619 W. Wisconsin Ave., Appleton 54911.

Kimberly Lee Agency Inc., Kimberly Lee, 1206 E. Glendale Ave., Appleton 54911.

Framework Therapeutics LLC, Guy Gruett, 1900 Prospect Ct., Appleton 54914.

The Flooring Guys LLC, Erin Kelly Fitzpatrick, 300 Gardners Row, Appleton 54915.

Metanoia Publishing LLC, Daniel J. Felton, W2037 County Road S, Freedom 54130.

EMG Blinds LLC, Eric Greil, W10444 Cloverleaf Road, Hortonville 54944.

Four Winds Transport LLC, Wayne Ayotte, 309 W. 7th St., Kaukauna 54130.

BJN Legal Nurse Consulting LLC, Betty Jean Naze, N2955 Farrell Road, Kaukauna 54130.

The Face of a Keller Customer Our Valued Customer. Without them we would be nothing. This is the face of our company we treasure most. The big smile on the face of someone we just helped to expand their business, remodel their office or build them a business where they can be more productive, effective and happy. People like Al Zierler, CEO of Capital Credit Union, who has chosen Keller for 12 building projects across Northeast Wisconsin.

Al has a face we love, not only because it has a big smile, but because time and time again he trusts the design/build experts at Keller to put that smile on his face. We are Employee-Owned, Design/Build Experts. But don’t just take us at face value, call today and experience for yourself the difference that is Keller, Inc.

Al Zierle r, CEO Capital C re

dit Union

Construction Excellence Since 1960

1.800.236.2534 l www.kellerbuilds.com Offices in the Fox Cities, Madison, Milwaukee & Wausau

A

FACE of Keller

NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 49

WHO’S NEWS Terry Van Asten Plumbing LLC, Terry M. Van Asten, N2564 Maloney Road, Kaukauna 54130.

Pilgrim Recycling Inc., Michelle L. Halbach, 633 Hyland Ave., Kaukauna 54130.

ESchmitt Concrete & Trenching LLC, Edward J. Schmitt, 913 Boyd Ave., Kaukauna 54130.

Rainbow Creations Family Childcare LLC, Lori Baum, 571 Marcella St., Kimberly 54136.

Redbarn Apps LLC, Philip Golding, 717 Eisenhower Dr., Ste. D, Kimberly 54136.

Staley Farm LLC, Allyn D. Staley, N6053 French Road, Seymour 54165.

Better

Leaders Decisions

RESULTS

TEC is about

peers helping peers grapple, wrestle and come out on top with sound solutions to serious and significant business obstacles and, most importantly, new business opportunities. Our membership network has experience with a wide gamut of issues such as: Working with entrepreneurs Risk-taking Dealing with ownership in transition Finding the most effective personnel Strategic planning Benefit and retirement planning Doing business globally Implementing new technologies

TEC offers programs, products

and services for large and small companies. Contact us today to start moving your business forward.

Michele Bernstein

800.236.9832

tec@tecmidwest.com www.tecmidwest.com

50 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

Winnebago County

Richard A. Schultz Agency LLC, Richard Schultz, 851 Racine St., Ste. A, Menasha 54952.

Third Coast Aquaculture LLC, Karen A. Jansen, 1616 Acorn Ct., Lower Level Room 1, Menasha 54952.

Chefos Pancake House LLC, Jose De Jesus Bello, 520 Schindler Pl., Apt. B, Menasha 54952.

Flexmen Moving Company LLC, Greg J. Martin, 1740 Golf Bridge Dr., Neenah 54956.

To Your Health Wellness Center Inc., Robin L. Scott, 401 E. Parkway Ave., Oshkosh 54901.

Sakura Japanese Restaurant Inc., Dan Zheng, 330 N. Koeller St., Oshkosh 54902.

HVAC Armor LLC, ECM Holding Group LLC, 943 N. Main St., Oshkosh 54901.

American Radon Reduction LLC, Debra Renee Fischer, 445 Forest View Road, Oshkosh 54904.

Screwballs Sports Pub LLC, Brett Jason Jungwirth, 216 N. Main St., Oshkosh 54901.

Polygraph Services of Wisconsin LLC, Richard James McHugh, 3130 Bennett Ct., Oshkosh 54904.

Say Cheese Photo Booth LLC, Patricia L. Komorowski, 2522 Fond du Lac Road, Oshkosh 54902.

Building permits B2B includes a monthly list of building permits (not to include residential projects) in excess of $400,000.

Utech Consulting, 1537 American Ct., De Pere. $594,815 for a 4,500sq. ft. office and training building. General contractor is Consolidated Construction Co. of Appleton. July 5.

Amerilux International, 1212 Enterprise Dr., De Pere. $450,000 for an addition to the existing industrial space. General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay. July 9.

Heyrman Construction, 1745 Mathew Dr. East, De Pere. $600,000 for a new warehouse facility. Self contracted. July 12.

Pinnacle Cataract & Laser Institute, 4648 W. Spencer St., town of Grand Chute. $660,000 for a 6,276-sq. ft. addition to the existing medical clinic. General contractor is RJM Construction of Black Creek. July 17.

Plexus Corp., 2444 Schultz Dr., Neenah. $50 million for a $473,369sq. ft. manufacturing facility and offices. General contractor is Miron Construction Co. of Neenah. July 25.

Kwik Trip, 3232 S. Oneida St., Appleton. $500,000 for an addition to the existing convenience store to accommodate a kitchen expansion. Self contracted. August 9.

www.newnorthb2b.com

WHO’S NEWS Mergers/acquisitions Green Bay-based Sunrise Credit Union merged into Appleton-based Fox Communities Credit Union in August, bringing the combined credit union to nearly 70,000 members. Sunrise was chartered 61 years ago as the Green Bay Telco Credit Union for the employees of Wisconsin Telephone Company. In 2009 it merged with Fire Department Credit Union, Unity Credit Union and Moore Employees Credit Union and changed the name to Sunrise.

Green Bay-based Tosca Limited acquired the reusable plastic container division of Georgia-Pacific. The acquisition expands the company’s portfolio of container pooling products and logistics services products and services for the produce, dairy, beverage and protein industries. Tosca will absorb Georgia Pacific’s reusable plastic container division management team and its employees, as well as its three facilities in Tennessee, Texas and California.

Business honors Awards and honors earned by individuals are listed separately in the Who’s News section of New North B2B. The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh ranked No. 14 on the Sierra Club’s annual Coolest Schools ranking of environmentally sustainable universities across the nation. UW Oshkosh ranked No. 35 last year. The ranking assesses more than 10 categories including: energy supply, efficiency, food, academics, purchasing, transportation, waste management, administration, financial investments, innovation and other initiatives.

Fond du Lac-based J. F. Ahern Co. ranked No. 143 in Engineering News-Record magazine’s 2012 list of the Top 200 Environmental Firms. The magazine ranks companies nationwide based on revenue reported in 2011 from environmental services and products. Ahern is listed as the top environmental firm in Wisconsin, and moved up the national rankings five spots from No. 148 a year ago.

Appleton-based WOW Logistics was named to Food Logistics magazine’s Top 100 3PL and Cold Storage Providers for 2012, marking the seventh consecutive year it was named a leading logistics and cold storage provider servicing the food industry.

Menasha-based Network Health received five Telly Awards, including the Silver Award, from The Silver Telly Council for its “Adjudicate” television commercial and for its “We Speak Your Language” overall promotional/branding campaign.

New hires Jerry Medina, Jr. was hired by Dempsey Law Firm LLP in Oshkosh as an associate. He has a general legal practice with emphasis in civil litigation, business and commercial law, organizations, personal injury and labor and employment law.

Unity in Green Bay hired Alisa Gerke as its executive director and Kafi Wilson, MD, to its clinical team as an assistant medical director. Gerke has more than 20 years experience in the health care field, most recently serving as an administrator with skilled nursing facilities in De Pere and Appleton. Wilson has practiced as a hospitalist in the Green Bay area for the past six years.

The Green Bay law firm of Hager, Dewick & Zuengler, S.C. hired Margaret A. Irwin.

Medina

Shopko in Ashwaubenon hired Nancy Altman as senior vice president, chief marketing officer. Prior to joining Shopko, Altman served as vice president of marketing for Ulta Beauty. She also previously worked as senior vice president of marketing at Premier Salons and as senior vice president of marketing for Younkers.

Bayland Buildings, Inc. of Green Bay hired John Lindberg as director of commercial business development. Lindberg was formerly general manager of Open Range Communications.

Gerke

BayCare Clinic in Green Bay added ophthalmologist Dongmei Chen, M.D., urological surgeon Vannhu Nguyen, M.D. and Sarah H. Fenton, M.D. as an interventional cardiologist.

Dr. Chen provides care at Aurora BayCare on West Mason Street in Green Bay. Dr. Nguyen practices at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay. Dr. Fenton has been practicing in northeast Wisconsin since 1998, specializing in coronary artery disease and women’s cardiac health. She provides services at Aurora Health Center in De Pere.

Bassett Mechanical of Kaukauna hired Michael Lutz as vice president of sales and marketing. Lutz most recently was a vice president at Mondi and spent the majority of his career at International Paper and Rexam in a variety of marketing leadership positions.

Miron Construction Co. in Neenah hired Rob Chartier as its vice president of health care. Chartier has 20 years experience in the construction industry, most recently serving as director of project development for a general contractor in Milwaukee.

Wilson

Lindberg

Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin hired Wendy Patzlaff as its grants and statistics specialist with Financial Information and Service Center. She previously worked at the Gardens of the Fox Cities as the development and marketing coordinator.

Engberg Anderson added Jack L. Fischer as a principal and architect. Fischer continues as an active partner and owner of Third Coast Consulting, LLC and The Fischer Group, LLC in Appleton.

Lutz

AIA Corp. in Neenah hired the following new staff members: Sarah Hanson and Corey Krueger as customer service representatives; Paul Weller as director of IT; Tim Brunner as an infrastructure engineer; Pauline Bloede as a collector; Jason Kerr as an IT support technician; and Kelley Schulz as director of accounting.

The University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley in Menasha hired Brandi Alonzo as its athletic director; Rebecca Pfeifer as the TRIO coordinator for the Menasha school district; and Michael McFall as an assistant professor of philosophy.

Alonzo

NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 51

BUSINESS CALENDAR Miron Construction Co. in Neenah promoted Daniel Voss to vice president of food and beverage. Voss previously served as vice president, business development for the firm’s northern operations. He has been with Miron for the past 12 years.

Alonzo most recently served as the assistant softball coach for Louisiana State University-Eunice for nearly two years. McFall was most recently a visiting instructor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

The Business Bank in Appleton hired Dylan Esterling as vice president. Esterling has seven years of banking experience.

Pfeifer

Liebmann, Conway, Olejniczak & Jerry, S.C. in Green Bay hired Steve Krueger as an attorney. Krueger advises business clients on real estate matters, bankruptcy issues, general business matters and mergers and acquisitions.

Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin promoted Voss Shannon Kenevan to diversity and inclusion leader; Emily Wagner to job developer in its vocational support services program; and Lynn Brown to payment partner team leader with its Financial Information and Service Center.

M3 Insurance hired Mandy Kohl as an account manager specializing in employee benefits in the firm’s Green Bay office. She was previously an enrollment manager with UNUM.

Esterling

Individual awards

Thome Benefit Solutions and Principal Financial Group in Appleton hired Trisha Blohm as a financial advisor. She brings seven years of experience in the field.

The Academy of General Dentistry awarded Dr. Michael Hanneman of Oshkosh with its 2012 Fellowship Award.

Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton hired Steve Straub as its dean of manufacturing and agriculture technologies and Doug Waterman as its dean of information technology and distance education.

Krueger

Business calendar New North B2B encourages businesses and organizations looking to attract interested persons to upcoming events to send an announcement to: New North B2B, Attn: Who’s News, P.O. Box 559, Oshkosh, WI 54903.

Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership hired Tom Bierstaker as a manufacturing specialist for the northeast region. He has 25 years experience in the textile/ paper industry. Bierstaker is a lean Six Sigma Black Belt and has done significant training in continuous improvement tools and methodology.

For more events, log on to www.thenewnorthevents.com.

September 5 Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce Coffee Connection, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at U.S. Cellular, 842 W. Johnson St. in Fond du Lac. Cost to attend is $2 for AC members. For more information or to register, go online to www.fdlac.com or call 920.921.9500.

Promotions

Kohl

Ken Johnson, MD, was promoted to chief physician executive for Hospital Sisters Health System - Eastern Wisconsin Division, which includes St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center and St. Vincent Hospital, both in Green Bay, and St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan. Dr. Johnson served as medical director of the emergency department at St. Vincent for 11 years, in addition to overseeing the emergency department at St. Mary’s for the past two years.

September 6 Business over Breakfast, an event from Fox Valley Technical College Venture Center, 7:30 to 9 a.m. at D.J. Bordini Center, 5 Systems Dr. in Appleton. Cost to attend is $15 and includes breakfast. To register, call 920.735.5709 or email venture@fvtc.edu.

The following members of the University of WisconsinFox Valley faculty earned promotions: Tammy Ladwig to associate professor of education; Bill Gillard to associate professor of English; Martin Rudd, UWFox campus executive officer and dean, to professor of chemistry; Teresa Weglarz to assistant professor of biological sciences; and Jill Halverson to assistant professor of business.

September 7 “Coffee and Conversation,” a monthly event from the Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Little Chute Village Hall, 108 W. Main St. in Little Chute. The event will include a forum with candidates for the state’s 3rd and 5th Assembly Districts. No cost to attend. Contact

Blohm

Straub

Bierstaker

52 l NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012

Johnson

Ladwig

Gillard

Rudd www.newnorthb2b.com

BUSINESS CALENDAR the chamber for more information at 920.766.1616 or go online to www. heartofthevalleychamber.com.

September 11 Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce Sales Club, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at the chamber building, 120 Jackson St. in Oshkosh. No cost to attend for chamber members. For information, call 920.303.2266 or go online to www.oshkoshchamber.com.

September 12 Marketplace of Ideas, a half day event from the Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Tanners Bar & Grill, 730 S. Railroad St. in Kimberly. The event includes exhibits from local businesses and breakout sessions. No cost to attend, but registration is appreciated by contacting the chamber at 920.766.1616 or online at www.heartofthevalleychamber.com.

September 13 Women in Management – Oshkosh Chapter monthly meeting, 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. at La Sure’s Banquet Hall, 3125 S. Washburn St. in Oshkosh.

Program is “Women’s Safety and Self Defense” presented by Jay Karner.

For more information or to register, go online to www.wimiwi.org or email Patti at pshea@sheaelectricllc.com.

September 18 Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce Business Connection, 5 to 7 p.m. at FABOH, 140 N. Main St. in Fond du Lac. Cost to attend is $2 in advance or $5 at the door. For more information or to register, go online to www.fdlac.com or call 920.921.9500.

September 19 Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce P.M. Connect, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Nicolet National Bank, 2400 S. Kensington Dr., Ste. 100 in Appleton. To register or for more information, call 920.766.1616 or go online to www.heartofthevalleychamber.com.

September 20 Business Owner’s Buffet/Food for Thought Lunch and Learn, an event from Fox Valley Technical College Venture Center, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at D.J. Bordini Center, 5 Systems Dr. in Appleton. Cost to attend is $25 and includes lunch. To register or for more information, call 920.735.5709 or email venture@fvtc.edu.

September 25 A.M. Oshkosh, a morning networking event from the Oshkosh Chamber

Better Business Bureau New Members

Businesses accredited through the Northeast Wisconsin office during August 2012 Accurate Custom Cabinets & Woodworking, Green Bay ARC Restoration, Neenah Best Beading Secrets, Abrams C & S Home Improvement, Green Bay Dunn Construction, Neshkoro Heating & Cooling Works LLC, Green Bay Last Construction LLC, Oshkosh Owner’s Advocate LLC, Plymouth Retirement Income Designs LLC, Wautoma Thorvie International LLC, Sturgeon Bay WDB Building LLC, New London

of Commerce, 7:45 to 9 a.m. at The Reel Shot, 2755 Algoma Blvd. in Oshkosh. No cost to attend, but registration is required by going online to www.oshkoshchamber.com or calling 920.303.2266.

October 3 Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce Coffee Connection, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at FDL Convention & Visitors Bureau, 171 S. Pioneer Road in Fond du Lac. Cost to attend is $2. For more information or to register, go online to www.fdlac.com or call 920.921.9500.

Advertiser Index Advance Business & Manufacturing Center www.advanceincubator.org. 8 AdvantEdge Success Coaching www.AdventEdgeSuccessCoaching.com... 12 Bank First National www.bankfirstnational.com.................................. 26 Bouwer Printing & Mailing www.bouwerprinting.com.......................... 16 Capital Credit Union www.capitalcu.com........................................ 54 CitizensFirst Credit Union www.citizensfirst.com . ............................ 36 City of Appleton www.appleton.org................................................ 35 City of Neenah www.neenahgov.org............................................... 43 Davis & Kuelthau, s.c. www.dkattorneys.com..................................... 5 Digiprint www.digiprint.biz............................................................ 33 Edgewood College www.edgewood.edu.......................................... 30 EP Direct www.ep-directprinting.com. ............................................... 33 Fast Signs www.fastsigns.com....................................................... 37 First Business Bank www.firstbusiness.com. .................................... 45 First National Bank ~ Fox Valley www.fnbfoxvalley.com. ................... 32 Focus on Energy www.focusonenergy/business.com............................... 9 Guident Business Solutions www.guidentbusinesssolutions.com............ 37 Heidel House Resort & Spa www.heidelhouse.com........................... 44 Jackson Kahl Insurance www.jacksonkahl.com. .............................. 46 James J. Calmes Construction www.jamesjcalmesconstruction.com...... 18 Keller Inc. www.kellerbuilds.com. ................................................... 49 Larson Engineering www.larsonengr.com........................................ 12 Lutheran Homes of Oshkosh www.lutheranhomes.com...................... 47 Moraine Park Technical College www.morainepark.edu..................... 25 National Exchange Bank & Trust www.nebat.com............................. 2 Network Health Plan www.networkhealth.com . ................................ 55 NEW Building & Construction Trades Council www.newbt.org.......... 17 NEP www.neponline.com............................................................... 13 NWTC Corporate Training & Economic Development www.corporatetraining.nwtc.edu......................................................... 42 Outagamie County Regional Airport www.atwairport.com. .................. 7 Rhyme www.rhymebiz.com........................................................... 31 Sadoff & Rudoy Industries www.sadoff.com................................... 14 Security Luebke Roofing www.securityluebkerooting.com. .................... 24 Skyline Technologies www.skylinetechnologies.com............................ 43 Stolley Studio www.stolleystudio.com.................................................x TEC www.tecmidwest.com. ............................................................ 50 Thomas James Real Estate LLC www.tjrsite.com............................ 56 Thome Benefit Solutions www.thomebenefitsolutions.com.................... 26 Tri City Glass & Door www.tricityglass-door.com................................ 39 UW Oshkosh College of Business www.mba.uwosh.edu................... 47 Village of Little Chute www.littlechutewi.org..................................... 41 Winnebago County Solid Waste Management www.co.winnebago.wi.us/solid-waste/container-rental-program. ..................... 41 Womens World Expo www.planonencore.com. ................................. 46

NEW NORTH B2B l SEPTEMBER 2012 l 53

KEY STATISTICS Per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline.

$3.87 August 12 $3.82 August 5 $3.83 July 29 $3.52 Aug. 19, 2011 $3.64 August 19

Source: New North B2B observations

July

July

$403.9 billion

0.8%

from June

4.1%

from July 2011 (2007 = 100)

746,000

1.1%

from June

21.5%

from July 2011 July

July

98.0

0.6%

from June

4.4%

from July 2011 (Manufacturers and trade)

June

0.6%

from June

3.2%

from July 2011

$1,580 billion

0.1%

from May

5.0%

Appleton Fond du Lac Green Bay Neenah Oshkosh Wisconsin

June May June ‘11 9.0% 8.5% 9.6% 9.8% 7.8% 7.6%

8.1% 7.5% 8.9% 8.7% 6.7% 6.8%

9.4% 9.1% 10.7% 9.2% 8.3% 8.0%

Prices for small businesses using less than 20,000 therms.

Listed price is per therm.

$0.602 July $0.574 Aug. 2011 $0.779 August

Source: Integrys Energy (Numbers above 50 mean expansion. Numbers below 50 mean contraction.)

July June

49.8 49.7

from June 2011

If there are indicators you’d like to see in this space, contact our office at 920.237.0254 or email info@newnorthb2b.com.

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Thomas James

Tom Scharpf Real Estate, LLC 920.379.0744

1 DocK & 3 oVErhEaD DoorS

tjr2216@aol.com www.tjrsite.com

GrEaT WESTSIDE LocaTIoN

fIrST fLoor offIcE coNDo

LEaSED 3675 N. main Street, oshkosh

2850 Universal Street, oshkosh

600 S. main Street, oshkosh

For lease 25,000 SF of warehouse/mfg. space and 3,000 SF of office space

For sale or lease, 6,370 SF office building with a basement Separate heated garage with bathroom

For sale 2,950 SF office condo Open office space, private offices, conference room, lunch room 1,100 Sf of basement storage

2 DocKS & 4 oVErhEaD DoorS

WarEhoUSE W/ShoWroom-offIcE

16 UNITS - aLL LEaSED

200 Tower road, Winneconne

2909 Green hill court, Vinland

136 high avenue, oshkosh

For sale or lease 22,200 SF of warehouse/distribution and office space Land for building expansion

For sale 26,000 SF industrial complex plus 2.73 acres of vacant land for lease 2,600 Sf unit and 5,200 Sf unit

Near downtown For sale Various apartment sizes

LaND for SaLE Jackson Street, oshkosh - Zoned c2 2.88 acres - 125,452 SF Price $349,000 - $2.78 PSF or purchase 1/2 acre lots starting at $79,900 Just south of Snell road 3098 Jackson Street, oshkosh - Zoned m1 1.65 acres - 71,874 SF Price $199,900 - $2.78 PSF corner location Jackson & fernau 2308 Jackson Street, oshkosh - Zoned c2 .64 acres - 27,878 SF - Price $249,900 - $8.96 PSF corner location Jackson & Smith

T c a r T coN

prime frontage on Jackson Street, oshkosh Vacant land - 1.1 acres - 47,916 SF corner of Jackson & Linwood

IN

Washburn Street, oshkosh - Zoned m1 2.59 acres - 112,820 SF - Price $350,000 - $3.10 PSF frontage between 9th avenue & 20th avenue 2601 S. Washburn Street, oshkosh - Zoned m3 4.92 acres - 214,315 SF - Price $1,950,000 - $9.09 PSF frontage just off hwys 41 & 44 State road 44 & hwy 91, oshkosh - Zoned m3-pD 2.47 acres - 107,593 SF - Price $425,000 - $3.95 PSF Located at signalized corner

all sites advertised are approximate acres and approximate square footage.

Some sites have buildings on them.

Tom Scharpf ❘ 920.379.0744 ❘ tjr2216@aol.com ❘ www.tjrsite.com