Dec 2015 by New North B2B

Business Intelligence for the New North

Enhanced

Manufacturing Industrial producers across the New North improve the skills of their workforce to work faster, smarter and safer

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Business Intelligence for the New North

December Features 20 COVER STORY

Enhanced Manufacturing

Industrial producers across the New North improve the skills of their workforce to work faster, smarter and safer

26 PHILANTHROPY

Charitable Giving Made Simple Foundations helping businesses make the most impact of their community giving

30 HUMAN RESOURCES

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Several New North companies are diving headlong into the pool of talent represented by returning military heroes

Departments

From the Publisher

Since We Last Met

10 Corporate Earnings 14 Build Up Pages 25 Firefighters Update 34

Voices & Visions

Professionally Speaking

38 Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s News 43 Business Calendar 44 Advertising Index 46 Key Statistics

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NNB2B | December 2015 | 3

From the Publisher

Quietly inching forward Wisconsin’s annual “report card” on economic and fiscal health indicates no emphatic progress, nor any notable regression

by Sean Fitzgerald, New North B2B publisher

The recent “state report card” issued by Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance illustrates that while the economic and fiscal progress of the state continues to inch forward, it’s still average among all other states, if not perhaps so very slightly above average. That’s the finding of the annual benchmarking report for 2015 published by Wisconsin’s leading tax watchdog group, which has provided a similar analysis of 23 measures of economic and fiscal health every year since 1997. Despite the plain-vanilla nature of the recent report, the Badger State continues to demonstrate strength in its workforce readiness virtues. The state’s high school graduation rate improved from 87 to 88 percent during the two-year period leading up to 2013 – to most recent for which data was compared – outdistancing the national average high school graduation rate of 81.4 percent and leading all neighboring states except for Iowa, which graduates 89.7 percent of its high school students. Similarly, Wisconsin routinely ranks near the top nationally on ACT college entrance exams with an average score of 22.4 in 2014, well ahead of the national average of 21.0 but behind Minnesota’s nation-leading average score of 23.2. Wisconsin also generated notable gains in a couple measures of financial security. The state’s median household income has climbed more than 4 percent since 2012 to $55,258, meaningfully above the national average just shy of $52,000 and slowly catching up to Illinois with a median household income of $57,196. Another such benchmark, the percentage of state residents without health insurance coverage, decrease to 9.1 percent – lower than the state has been since 2009 and far ahead of the national average of 14.5 percent of residents without some form of health coverage. Improvements in both of the above measures may not necessarily depict successes for Wisconsin, however. The state’s median household income climbed likely as a result of an increasing number of double-income households in the state, not growth in personal income, which continues to lag the national average as well as the average per capita personal income of all other neighboring states except for Michigan. And the data showcasing the number of residents without health insurance is in a state of flux currently as changing federal health insurance policies continue to take effect.

4 | December 2015 | NNB2B

Another glimmer of promise shines through in Wisconsin’s decreasing combined state and local tax burden, which fell for the third consecutive year to just 11.1 percent of personal income in 2014. While this metric remains above the national average of 10.5 percent, it remains lower than the combined state and local tax burden paid by our neighbors in Illinois and Minnesota. Unfortunately, fewer tax collections may be among some of the factors contributing to the state’s declining highway infrastructure, one of the surprising areas of poor performance. Only about 48 percent of Wisconsin’s highway miles scored among the top categories for condition, a full 10 points below the U.S. average of 58 percent and behind all neighboring states. At the same time, more than 10 percent of state highway miles recorded in the two lowest categories of grading condition, a substantial increase from 2009 when only 4.1 percent of highways captured such a poor grade. With transportation infrastructure being so crucial to the state’s economic health, it was imperative for state legislators to provide more funding for highway improvement projects as it did in a special bill this past October, augmenting the curtailed amount ultimately approved in the 2015-17 biennial state budget approved this past July. The additional amount allows local projects such as the U.S. Highway 10/State Road 441 bypass through the Fox Cities to remain on schedule, rather than drawing out construction an additional two years. Wisconsin also fares poorly in its bond ratings – which, while considered “stable” by Moody’s – trail behind the outlook of all neighboring states with the exception of Illinois, which has among the worst fiscal outlooks in the nation. And once again, the state weighs in poorly on the amount of venture capital disbursed. It’s a theme highlighted annually in this report, particularly as Wisconsin compares to Minnesota and the national average. The measurement is not, however, a measure of venture capital available across the state, meaning the state’s venture funds may in some cases hold a balance of available cash while struggling to find suitable investments toward emerging companies within Wisconsin. Overall, this annual report characterizes the state’s economic and financial performance as one that isn’t standing still, nor is it falling backwards. But Wisconsin isn’t reaching its full potential for job growth and new company creation, and these factors will ultimately hamper the growth of the state’s economy if not improved upon. To read the entirety of the Wisconsin Taxpayer’s Alliance 2015 state economic and fiscal analysis, go online to www.wistax.org and click on the State Report Card dated from November. n

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Sean Fitzgerald Publisher & President x sean@newnorthb2b.com Carrie Rule Sales Manager x carrie@newnorthb2b.com Kate Erbach Production Contributing writers Rick Berg Lee Marie Reinsch Chief Financial Officer Vicky Fitzgerald, CPA

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Since We Last Met

Since We Last Met is a digest of business related news occurring in the Greater Green Bay, Fox Cities, Oshkosh and Fond du Lac areas in the one month since the previous issue of New North B2B. October 27 Marian University in Fond du Lac named Andrew P. Manion as its 16th president, succeeding Robert A. Fale, who has been serving as interim president since June 2013. Currently serving as executive vice president at Aurora (Ill.) University, Manion Manion will begin his new role at Marian on or before March 30, 2016. Manion has a Ph.D. in experimental psychology and a master of arts in psychology, both from Adelphi University in New York. His bachelor of arts in psychology was earned at St. Norbert College in De Pere. Manion has been at Aurora University for the past 17 years in a variety of roles.

October 28 Ashwaubenon-based Shopko Stores Operating Co. announced it will transfer management of its De Pere distribution center to Spectrum Supply Chain Solutions, a Canadian-based warehousing and distribution firm. The change is not expected to impact any of the nearly 247 employees working at the distribution center. October 28 The City of Appleton Common Council voted to increase the city’s room tax rate from 6 to 10 percent as part of the effort to generate financing for the proposed Fox Cities Exhibition Center in downtown Appleton. It’s the first of 10 communities across the Fox Cities that need to approve similar hotel room tax increases to support the financing plan for the nearly $28 million expo center, which would be built on an Outagamie County parking lot adjacent to Radisson Paper Valley Hotel.

2004 December 9 – An anonymous donor gave $1 million to help complete the Leach Amphitheater at Riverside Park in Oshkosh. The contribution allows the city to complete concession buildings, lighting, fencing and walkways without additional tax dollars. 2005 December 12 – State officials unveiled a new $1 million program to help bio-based businesses develop ways to use plant and animal resources for renewable energy, fuels or products. The Biobased Industry Opportunity grant program has $700,000 to award to projects, including development of: new ways to generate usable forms of energy or fuels; new bio-based products; new technologies that enhance bio-based business; or new systems that transform waste streams into energy.

6 | December 2015 | NNB2B

October 29 The state Department of Transportation approved a $2.44 million project at Austin Straubel International Airport in Ashwaubenon for design and construction improvements to the air carrier ramp and the parallel taxiway to the crosswind runway. The project also involves replacing aging indicator light sets on two runways and updating the airport layout plan. The Federal Aviation Administration will contribute $2,187,000 toward the cost of the project, while both the state and Brown County will each pay $125,697. The project is expected to be complete by July. October 29 Wisconsin Department of Transportation officials indicated the proposed project to improve five miles of State Road 44 in Fond du Lac County will be delayed a year to 2017. The project northeast of Ripon extending to the Winnebago County

2006 December 20 – WE Energies said it will sell its Point Beach Nuclear Plant to FPL Energy, part of a group which operates nuclear power plants in Florida, Iowa and New England. FPL Energy will agree to sell 100 percent of the plant output to WE Energies, and will offer employment to all current employees at the 1,033-megawatt facility on Lake Michigan. 2014 December 14 – International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Lodge 1947 representing more than 1,600 production workers at Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac ratified a five-year extension to its current labor agreement which will carry through 2021. The existing contract approved in 2009 wasn’t set to expire until 2016. Mercury employs about 2,800 people at its Fond du Lac headquarters, including nearly 1,200 salaried positions.

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line was originally scheduled for 2016, but was delayed as part of the department’s rebalancing initiative to free up funds for other highway construction projects due to limitations from the 2015-17 state biennial budget. Project improvements will include pavement replacement, shoulder widening, and centerline and shoulder rumble strips, among other enhancements. The project will not include constructing passing lanes – as originally proposed – but will consider passing lanes as future traffic needs arise. November 3 State transportation officials increased the speed limit to 70 miles per hour on nine additional segments of non-Interstate freeway in Wisconsin, including five miles of State Road 29 east of Green Bay between County Road VV and Interstate 41, as well as another five-mile segment of State Road 57 northeast of Green Bay between I-43 and State Road 54.

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November 3 Voters in the town of Greenville turned down a referendum to build a $10.5 million municipal services complex by more than a 2-to-1 margin. Town officials had indicated the doubling of the town’s population during the last 15 years has placed greater demands on town services, but the town’s facilities have not been improved. Approving the measure would have cost property taxpayers about 60 cents for every $1,000 in assessed property value to pay off debt service on the proposed facility, or an additional $60 each year on a property valued at $100,000. November 3 Marian University and Moraine Park Technical College, both based in Fond du Lac, entered into a mutual partnership allowing students to take courses at either institution while working toward both their associate and bachelor's degrees. As part of the partnership, Marian University articulated a variety of Moraine Park's programs into select bachelor degree options, allowing credits from most courses taken at Moraine Park to transfer. November 3 The City of De Pere Common Council approved $381,000 in tax incremental financing assistance for Product Handling Concepts of Appleton to construct a 51,000-sq. ft. manufacturing facility on a nine-acre parcel the company will acquire in the city’s Southbridge Business Park. The city’s agreement with the manufacturer of conveyor systems requires its facility to be complete by the end of 2016 and have an assessed value of at least $3 million. November 4 State officials approved a $6.9 million project to relocate a taxiway and enhance storm water drainage at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. Winnebago County will pay about $2.05 million toward the cost of the project, while the www.newnorthb2b.com

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Since We Last Met Federal Aviation Administration will contribute about $4.62 million. The state will fund $256,000 toward the project, which is scheduled to be completed by next fall. November 6 The U.S. Department of Labor reported 271,000 new jobs were created nationwide in October, leaving the national unemployment rate essentially unchanged at 5.0 percent. Job gains occurred in professional and business services, health care, retail trade, food services and drinking places, and construction. November 11 Cincinnati-based Kroger Company announced an $800 million deal to acquire Milwaukee-based Roundy's Inc., the parent firm of Pick 'n Save and Copps Food Centers across Wisconsin. Roundy’s is the largest grocer in northeast Wisconsin, with 15 grocery stores from Fond du Lac to the Green Bay area. Roundy's headquarters will remain in Milwaukee and the business will continue to be run by much of the existing senior management team. Kroger officials said they have no plans to close stores. November 11 Gov. Scott Walker signed Assembly Bill 45 into law, expanding the ability of towns to cooperate with neighboring cities and

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villages to create multi-jurisdictional tax incremental financing districts. The new law is expected to enable economic development by allowing industrial expansion across municipal lines. November 12 Outagamie County Circuit Court Judge Mark McGinnis ruled the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources improperly imposed high-capacity well monitoring requirements on an Adams County dairy operation owned by Kaukauna-based Milk Source because the agency lacked specific authority granted by the state legislature. In the case at issue, the DNR had imposed groundwater monitoring requirements not authorized under state law on New Chester Dairy, an operation of Milk Source. New Chester challenged the monitoring requirements in court, citing the 2011 regulatory reform law that prohibits agencies from imposing permit conditions not explicitly authorized by statute or administrative code. November 19 Port of Green Bay officials reported October imports of coal increased by more than 15,000 tons and imports of salt jumped by 22,000 tons compared with October 2014 shipments. Exports of petroleum products also saw a healthy boost of 23,000 tons compared to last October. Through the end of October, overall cargo shipments for the season remain down 10 percent compared with the same period a year ago. n

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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 our northeast Wisconsin coverage area.

Associated Banc Corp. 3Q 2015 3Q 2014 Income $47.3 million $49.0 million t 4% EPS 31 cents 31 cents Unch. The Green Bay-based financial institution reported average deposits grew to a record $20.3 billion, up 14 percent from the third quarter a year ago. The bank’s average loans of $18.5 billion increased $1.3 billion, or 8 percent, from the third quarter 2014.

Kimberly-Clark Corp. 3Q 2015 3Q 2014 Revenue $4.7 Billion $5.1 Billion t 7% Income $517 million $562 million t 8% EPS $1.41 $1.50 t 6% The manufacturer of consumer paper and tissue products with significant operations in the Fox Cities reported organic sales increased 5 percent, but the negative impact of foreign currency exchange rates reduced sales by 12 percent. Raw materials costs other than fiber decreased by $45 million during the quarter.

VF Corp. 3Q 2015 3Q 2014 Revenue $3.6 Billion $3.5 Billion s 3% Income $460 million $471 million t 2% EPS $1.07 $1.08 cents t 1% The parent company of Jansport operations in the Fox Cities indicated its outdoor and action sports coalition – which includes Jansport operations – increased revenues 13 percent on a currency-neutral basis driven by 11 percent growth in its The North Face brand and 21 percent growth in its Timberland brand.

10 | December 2015 | NNB2B

Illinois Tool Works Inc. 3Q 2015 3Q 2014 Revenue $3.4 Billion $3.7 Billion t 9% Income $511 million $531 million t 4% EPS $1.39 $1.34 s 4% The parent company of Miller Electric Manufacturing operations across the Fox Cities reported organic revenues from its welding segment decreased by 10 percent on the quarter as a result of significant end market weakness. Its automotive OEM segment grew revenues by 5 percent despite relatively flat worldwide auto growth.

Plexus Corp. 4Q 2015 4Q 2014 Revenue $669 million $666 million s <1% Income $23.9 million $26.5 million t 10% EPS 70 cents 77 cents t 9% The Neenah-based contract electronics manufacturer reported record fiscal fourth quarter revenue and record annual sales for fiscal year 2014 of $2.7 billion, up 12 percent from fiscal 2014 sales. For the full year, Plexus reported income of $94.3 million, or $2.74 per share, an increase from fiscal 2014 earnings of $87.2 million, or $2.52 per share.

Oshkosh Corp. 4Q 2015 4Q 2014 Revenue $1.6 Billion $1.7 Billion t 5% Income $50.2 million $77.5 million t 35% EPS 64 cents 93 cents t 31% The manufacturer of specialty vehicles reported a 10 percent rebound in its defense segment attributable to international military sales, while revenues from its access equipment segment declined nearly 18 percent to $770 million due to a slowdown in North American orders. For the full year, Oshkosh Corp. reported sales of $6.1 billion were down 10 percent from fiscal 2014, driving income of $230 million, or $2.90 per share, down from fiscal 2014 earnings of $309 million, or $3.61 per share.

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Bemis Company Inc.

Humana Inc.

3Q 2015 3Q 2014 Revenue $1.0 Billion $1.1 Billion t 7% Income $62.5 million $17.0 million s268% EPS 64 cents 17 cents s276% The Neenah-based supplier of flexible packaging reported revenues from its U.S. Packaging segment decreased by 4 percent to $690 million for the third quarter, but operating profit from the segment increased to $100 million, or 14.5 percent of net sales, driving the company’s overall growth in net income.

3Q 2015 3Q 2014 Revenue $13.4 Billion $12.2 Billion s 9% Income $314 million $290 million s 8% EPS $2.09 $1.85 s 13% The health and benefits company with extensive operations in the Green Bay area reported anticipated flat performance in its Medicare segment, which it expects to improve significantly into 2016. The company’s pending acquisition by Aetna remains under regulatory evaluation.

Brunswick Corp.

First Business Financial Services Inc.

3Q 2015 3Q 2014 Revenue $992 million $932 million s 6% Income $75.9 million $104 million t 27% EPS 81 cents $1.10 t 26% The parent company of Mercury Marine operations in Fond du Lac indicated its marine engine segment, consisting of Mercury Marine, increased revenues by 4 percent to $588 million during the third quarter. Sales increases were led by the segment’s parts and accessories businesses.

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3Q 2015 3Q 2014 Income $4.4 million $3.6 million s 23% EPS 50 cents 45 cents s 11% The commercial-oriented financial institution serving Madison, Milwaukee and northeast Wisconsin posted record third quarter earnings of $4.4 million, up 23 percent for the same quarter 2014. The bank’s non-performing assets declined to 0.65 percent as a percent of total assets compared with 1.12 percent at the same time a year ago.

NNB2B | December 2015 | 11

Corporate Earnings

Bank First 3Q 2015 3Q 2014 Income $3.4 million $3.2 million s 6% EPS 54 cents 51 cents s 6% The Manitowoc-based financial institution with significant operations across northeast Wisconsin reported total loan growth of $53 million, or an increase of 6 percent, from the end of the third quarter 2014. Core deposits increased by 7 percent over the same period.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. 3Q 2015 3Q 2014 Revenue $2.8 Billion $3.0 Billion s 4% Income $14.3 million $62.2 million t 77% EPS 7 cents 31 cents t 77% The printing company with significant operations in the Fox Cities indicated customer demand has been decreasing throughout 2015. The company’s previously announced plan to create three independent publicly traded companies remains on schedule to take effect in the fourth quarter 2016.

Dean Foods 3Q 2015 3Q 2014 Revenue $2.0 Billion $2.4 Billion t 14% Income $20.2 million ($16 million) s226% EPS 22 cents (17 cents) s229% The dairy-based foods company with extensive operations in Wisconsin, including the Green Bay area, repurchased nearly 3.2 million shares of common stock worth about $53 million during the quarter. Raw milk prices remain down nearly 30 percent from the third quarter a year ago, driving higher operating margins.

Neenah Paper 3Q 2015 3Q 2014 Revenue $232 million $215 million s 8% Income $6.1 million $13.6 million t 55% EPS 35 cents 80 cents t 56% The papermaker with significant operations in the Fox Cities indicated acquisition and restructuring costs associated with the company’s purchase of FiberMark in August contributed to the decrease in earnings. The company improved revenues in its fine paper and packaging segment by 7 percent to $117 million on the quarter.

WEC Energy Group Inc. 3Q 2015 3Q 2014 Revenue $1.7 Billion $1.0 Billion s 64% Income $183 million $126 million s 45% EPS 58 cents 56 cents s 4% The merged operations of WE Energies and Integrys Energy Group, the parent company of Wisconsin Public Service Corp., reported a cool July and August followed by an unseasonably warm September led to lower electrical and natural gas use by customers than what may have otherwise been expected. On a weather normal basis, the company said retail sales of electricity were essentially flat compared with the same period a year ago. 12 | December 2015 | NNB2B

Appvion 3Q 2015 3Q 2014 Revenue $181 million $188 million t 4% Income $181 million ($23.2 million)s880% The employee-owned producer of thermal papers captured substantial earnings growth through the sale of its Encapsys division this past August to an affiliate of Sherman Capital Holdings LLC for $208 million. Despite the decrease in revenues, shipment volumes have largely been increasing across the company’s segments, but have been negatively affected by the strength of the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies.

West Corp. 3Q 2015 3Q 2014 Revenue $574 million $568 million s 1% Income $49.5 million $16.1 million s207% EPS 60 cents 19 cents s216% The enterprise communications service provider with extensive operations across the Fox Cities and Greater Green Bay areas reported the loss of a large client in its telecom services decreased sales by an estimated $5 million during the quarter. West acquired ClientTell, Inc., a provider of automated notifications and lab reporting services to the healthcare industry, and Magnetic North, Ltd., a U.K.-based provider of hosted customer contact center and unified communications solutions.

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Build Up Fond du Lac

Build Up

New tax laws ahead.

Indicates a new listing

Fond du Lac 1 - 255 County Road K, Fond du Lac

St. Mary’s Springs Academy, a 92,000-sq. ft. addition to the existing high school campus. Project completion expected in summer 2016. 2 - 545 W. Pioneer Road, Fond du Lac Mercury Marine, a 45,000-sq. ft. addition to its paint facility. Project completion expected in January. 3 - 250 Camelot Dr., Fond du Lac Grande Cheese Company, an 87,000-sq. ft. new corporate headquarters and research center. Project completion expected in early 2016.

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Build Up Oshkosh

Indicates a new listing

Build Up

Oshkosh 4 - 2947 Green Hill Ct., Oshkosh Trades II, a 24,000-sq. ft. multi-tenant commercial office and warehouse complex. Project completion expected in December. 5 - 1005 N. Washburn St., Oshkosh Petsmart, a big box commercial retail building. Project completion expected in December. 6 - 1580 S. Koeller St., Oshkosh Culver’s Restaurant, reconstruction of a new restaurant building.

7 - 450 W. 33rd Ave., Oshkosh Lakeside Plastics, an addition to the warehouse at the existing manufacturing facility. General contractor is Consolidated Construction Company of Appleton. Projects completed since our November issue: • Michels Corp., 94 S. Rolling Meadows Dr., Fond du Lac. • Bemis Healthcare Packaging, 3500 N. Main St., Oshkosh. • DFB Wealth Planning, 530 N. Koeller St., Oshkosh.

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9 2 0 . 7 3 3 . 3 1 3 6 y 866.966.3928 y www.newbt.org www.newnorthb2b.com

NNB2B | December 2015 | 15

Build Up Fox Cities Build Up

Fox Cities

Indicates a new listing

1 - 2320 N. Casaloma Dr., town of Grand Chute Anagen 11, a 3,380-sq. ft. multi-tenant building to include a salon and photo studio. 2 - 705 N. McCarthy Road, town of Grand Chute TEK systems, a 4,600-sq. ft. addition to the existing commercial office building. Project completion expected in March. General contractor is James J. Calmes & Sons Construction of Kaukauna. 3 - 4740 W. Packard St., town of Grand Chute Interstate Battery, a 17,000-sq. ft. battery storage facility. Project completion expected in February. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna. 4 - 4201 W. Wisconsin Ave., town of Grand Chute Bank First National, a 6,697-sq. ft. financial institution office. Project completion expected in December. 5 - 4800 W. Prospect Ave., town of Grand Chute Werner Electric Supply Co., a 260,775-sq. ft. corporate office and distribution center. Project completion expected in spring 2016. General contractor is Consolidated Construction Company of Appleton. 6 - Plaza Drive, town of Menasha Community First Credit Union, a 120,000-sq. ft. corporate office campus. Project completion expected in late 2016. 7 - 400 E. North Island St., Appleton Neenah Paper Inc., a 45,000-sq. ft. addition to the existing specialty paper mill. Project completion expected in late 2016. General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay. 8 - 1025 W. Navitus Dr., town of Grand Chute Navitus Health Solutions, an office building to expand the existing call center campus. 9 - 2500 E. Capitol Dr., Appleton ThedaCare Regional Cancer Center, a 82,000-sq. ft. cancer treatment facility. Project completion expected in mid 2016. 10 - 100 W. Second St., Kaukauna Kaukauna City Hall, a municipal services building. Project completion expected in May. 11 - 800 block of Schelfhout Lane, Kimberly Anduzziâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sports Club, a nearly 10,000-sq. ft. restaurant building. Project completion expected in early 2016. 12 - 550 Railroad St., Kimberly Dew Products Inc., a 6,130-sq. ft. industrial building. Project completion expected in December. General contractor is Frontier Builders & Consultants of Kaukauna. 13 - 1405 S. Oneida St., Menasha Festival Foods, a new grocery store. Project completion expected in summer 2016. 14 - 177 Main St., Menasha One Menasha Center, an eight-story, 100,000-sq. ft. multi-tenant office building to include Faith Technologies, Community First Credit Union and RLJ Dental. 15 - 333 N. Green Bay Road, town of Menasha ThedaCare Physicians, a 70,000-sq. ft. health care clinic for family practice, internal medicine and endocrinology. Project completion expected in late 2016.

16 | December 2015 | NNB2B

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16 - 1257 Gillingham Road, Neenah Menasha Packaging Company, a 48,382-sq. ft. addition to the existing pre-print facility. Project completion expected in March. General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay. 17 - 1645 Bergstrom Road, Neenah Menasha Packaging Company, a two-story, 103,900-sq. ft. corporate office complex. Project completion expected in fall 2016.

Projects completed since our November issue: • Goldin Iron & Metal Recycling, 300 Farmland Dr., Kaukauna. • Prestige Auto, N8890 State Road 57, Forest Junction. • O’Reilly Auto Parts, W3240 Van Roy Road, town of Buchanan. • Biolife Plasma Services, N161 Eisenhower Dr., town of Buchanan. • Stowe Woodward, 912 Haase St., town of Menasha.

18 - 2474 Schultz Road, Neenah Rollmeister Inc., a 13,606-sq. ft. addition to the existing manufacturing facility. Project completion expected in February. General contractor is Frontier Builders & Consultants of Kaukauna.

www.newnorthb2b.com

NNB2B | December 2015 | 17

Build Up Greater Green Bay area 1 thru 3

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15 & 16

Build Up

Greater Green Bay area 1 - 1838 Cardinal Lane, Suamico North Shore Bank, a 1,750-sq. ft. financial institution branch office. Project completion expected in February. General contractor is CR Structures Group Inc. of Kimberly. 2 - 1701 Cornell Road, Howard Omnova Solutions, an 8,722-sq. ft. addition to the existing industrial facility. 3 - 2467 Glendale Ave., Howard Bode Boot Camp and Healthy Shakes, a multi-tenant commercial building.

18 | December 2015 | NNB2B

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4 - 320 N. Broadway, Green Bay DDL Holdings/Titletown Brewing, an addition to the former industrial facility for a mixed-use retail development. 5 - 2231 N. Quincy St., Green Bay NEW Water/Green Bay Metropolitan sewerage District, a wastewater treatment and electrical generation facility. Project completion expected in late 2018. 6 - 1593 E. Mason St., Green Bay Grand Central Station/Hardeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, a 9,000-sq. ft. multi-tenant convenience store, fuel station and restaurant. Project completion expected in December. General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay.

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It takes more than 100,000 nails to finish the average construction job. But, it takes only one construction company to deliver an exceptional finished product, down to the last nail. 7 - 1811 E. Mason St., Green Bay Tri City Glass & Door, a two-story, 35,000-sq. ft. showroom, offices and production facility. Project completion expected in June. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna. 8 - 1160 Kepler Dr., Green Bay Aurora Baycare Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center, a 39,400-sq. ft. addition to the existing orthopedic clinic for new offices and a separate 31,000-sq. ft. addition to the ambulatory surgery area. Project completion expected in early 2016.

CONSTRUCTION DELIVERED.

9 - 1351 Ontario Road, Green Bay Willow Creek Behavioral Health, a 72-bed, 52,265-sq. ft. psychiatric hospital and substance abuse treatment facility. Project completion expected in late summer 2016. 10 - 2609 Development Dr., Bellevue Pediatric Dentistry Clinic & Family Dental Center, an 8,781sq. ft. dental clinic. Project completion expected in summer. General contractor is CR Structures Group Inc. of Kimberly.

N2193 Bodde Road • Kaukauna, WI 54130 (920) 766-7940 www.JamesJCalmesConstruction.com

11 - 470 Marina Lane, Ashwaubenon Residence Inn by Marriott, a 103-room hotel. Project completion expected in late 2016. 12 - 2461 Holmgren Way, Ashwaubenon Prevea Plastic Surgery & Rejuvenation Center, a 14,000-sq. ft. medical clinic. Project completion expected in December. 13 - 900 Anderson Dr., Ashwaubenon Ashwaubenon Community Center, a 16,275-sq. ft. community center. 14 - 2202 S. Ridge Road, Ashwaubenon a 5,930-sq. ft. multi-tenant retail building. 15 - 1724 Lawrence Dr., De Pere Festival Foods, a two-story, 42,500-sq. ft. corporate office building. Project completion expected in December 2016. 16 - 2130 American Blvd., De Pere Machine Plus, a 10,000-sq. ft. manufacturing facility.

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17 - 675 Heritage Road, De Pere Belmark Inc., a 55,661-sq. ft. addition to the manufacturer’s Plant 5. Project completion expected in December. Projects completed since our November issue: • Walnut Street Center, 509 W. Walnut St., Green Bay. • Van’s Honda, 2821 S. Oneida St., Ashwaubenon. • Festival Foods, 1001 Main St., De Pere.

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NNB2B | December 2015 | 19

Cover Story

Enhanced

Manufacturing Industrial producers across the New North improve the skills of their workforce to work faster, smarter and safer As with any number of businesses, the recession of 2008 and 2009 took a toll on manufacturers’ ability to command new sales and maintain the higher production levels they enjoyed earlier in the decade. Some didn’t survive, and many didn’t do so without trimming back their workforce to the bare essentials. Kiel-based Amerequip Inc. bottomed out at $20 million in annual revenues during 2010 and had laid off half of its workforce to a point where it had just 102 employees when economic recovery began to encourage more customer orders once again, said Mike Vander Zanden, president and CEO. At the time, he said, the 95-year-old manufacturer of component parts for heavy equipment used in the agricultural and lawn and garden industries went through a transformation and set its sights on reaching 400 employees and achieving $100 million in annual receipts by 2020.

20 | December 2015 | NNB2B

Story by Sean Fitzgerald

“If we were going to get there, and when we get there, we don’t want to leave anybody behind,” Vander Zanden said, meaning it needed to continually improve skills sets – both technical and soft skills – for all of its employees. The company reached out to Moraine Park Technical College in Fond du Lac to develop some customized training for its staff to better understand continuous improvement and 5S efficiency methodologies to enhance performance on the shop floor. Shortly after, other training modules teaching leadership development, listening, having difficult conversations or supervisory training, as examples, engaged more of the company’s workforce to sharpen its skills. Moraine Park even assisted Amerequip in applying for Worker Advancement Training grants through the state Department of Workforce Development, which helped pick up as much as half of the cost of the training. Putting an exclamation mark on the commitment to its training efforts, Amerequip constructed a 170-seat training center in 2013, allowing nearly all of the training from Moraine Park instructors to be conducted onsite. www.newnorthb2b.com

The shift from an environment that didn’t appreciate training to one that’s embraced it with zealous passion is evident – the company has now grown to more than 270 employees and enjoys a robust pipeline of customer orders. It’s also evolved its human resource practices along the way, Vander Zanden said.

“It’s a common theme we hear time and time again,” said Kurt Thern, the department chair for automation technology at Appleton-based Fox Valley Tech. “Manufacturers tell us, ‘We have a lot of people internally – could we maybe bring them up from a production position?’”

“We don’t hire for skill and ability anymore, we hire on character and values,” he noted, explaining the company’s new philosophy that an unskilled new hire of exceptional character can be trained for skills like operating a press brake, welding or blueprint reading.

This grant-funded initiative places about 45 current employees from 10 manufacturers across the region in the classroom one day a week for two semesters to brush up on math applications and learn new skills such as hardwire controls and general electrical circuitry, said Steve Straub, dean of manufacturing and agricultural technologies at Fox Valley Tech. Back on the shop floor, the employees implement the lessons learned in the classroom with the guidance of a co-working mentor.

Such hiring philosophies aren’t new to the companies Moraine Park has contracted with to provide training. “Manufacturing environments are fast moving, often changing, and require employees to think critically to solve complex problems,” said Jo Ann Hall, dean of economic and workforce development at Moraine Park. “In today’s environment, it is not uncommon for employers to hire individuals who show the desire, drive, motivation, and integrity they want from their employees, and then train them on the technical skills needed to do the job.” Training opportunities were not necessarily directly related to job responsibilities. Even long-tenured employees on the shop floor – many who initially may have thought the required training was a waste of time – have elected of their own volition to take other training through Moraine Park at their worksite to learn skills like using the Internet or Microsoft Word and Excel. “They recognize we’re investing in them because we care about them and we love them,” Vander Zanden said. “What started out as a challenge five years ago has turned into a real opportunity.”

“(These companies) are looking at the sustainability of their business model and the succession plan of their workforce,” said Straub, noting that the transfer of years of institutional knowledge from an older generation on the cusp of retirement might be lost if not for the opportunity to train younger replacements. Thern helped design the curriculum for the program following conversations with participating manufacturers – including notable local employers such as Neenah-based Bemis Company, Waupaca Foundry and Hoffmaster Group in Oshkosh, among others. While the companies each serve different markets with their products, many of the basic skills they’re looking for in a maintenance technician span across industries, Thern said, such as problem solving and basic troubleshooting. “Controls are controls – that’s what’s operating the machinery in any facility. If you can teach the basics of control theory,

Replacing retiring plant maintenance workers It’s a relatively common thread across mid-size to large manufacturers everywhere that plant maintenance staff are often some of the most experienced and most tenured on the shop floor.

As a result, it’s not surprising that a large number of industrial producers across northeast Wisconsin are experiencing a worker shortage of skilled and knowledgeable maintenance staff to ensure million-dollar pieces of equipment are operating as expected. Replacing such experience through job postings is a tall order. According to the 2016 Manufacturing Vitality Index recently released by Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance, 78 percent of large and mid-sized manufacturers across the New North anticipate some difficulty hiring qualified workers in the year ahead, more than three times the number of companies reporting such difficulty in 2011. In an attempt to provide a solution tailored specifically toward preparing manufacturer’s existing production employees for roles in plant maintenance, a new program is being piloted by Fox Valley Technical College, Fox Valley Workforce Development Board and a collaboration of industrial companies to train the basic fundamentals of industrial maintenance.

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NNB2B | December 2015 | 21

Cover Story that’s transferrable across industries,” Thern said. Participating employers commit to paying wages for their employees to attend the one 8-hour day of class work each week. Employers see the long-term value of investing in the skills of these employees. Employees participating in this inaugural program, which began this past September, earn five credits each semester toward an industrial maintenance certificate. All 10 credits can also be applied toward associate degrees in either electromechanical technology or in automated manufacturing technology should the employee decide to advance their education further. The move from a production worker to a maintenance position is a step up the career ladder and comes with an increase in salary, sometimes a sizable one. For the employers, the program is an investment in a resource they already have, as opposed to a fishing expedition for elusive skilled talent in an already competitive job market. “(This investment) is going to pay off for these employers tenfold in the end,” Thern said.

All under one roof

Efficiency and innovation in manufacturing occur in a variety of ways. One emerging method has been creating convenient access

to multiple vendors within the supply chain. It’s a new idea in northeast Wisconsin – even statewide – but one that’s evolved with the advent of the state’s first “manufacturing mall” established in the town of Menasha this past August. Four small, emerging job shops joined forces under one roof near the Interstate 41 interchange with County Road II, providing an ease of access to one another for parts that require value-added machining, welding and refining by a handful of machine shops. Grassroots Machining founder Chuck Duginski is one of the co-owners of the 12,000-sq. ft. industrial building that houses his 5-year-old business, along with J.W. Welding, Industrial Machine Services and Northern Compressor. The noncompeting, complementary businesses have a relationship with one another for the past two to three years, Duginski said. Each company was growing and needed larger space to accommodate newer equipment, increasing inventories and heightened customer demand. “Neither of us could (buy an industrial facility) on our own, but we could both do it together,” Duginski said, referring to Nick Vander Heyden, his partner in owning the building and one of the principles with both Industrial Machine Services and Northern Compressor. The businesses share mutual customers that utilize all of them, in some cases, noted Duginski, who characterized the relationship as a one-stop shop for other larger OEMs and other manufacturers of component parts. A machinist by trade with 30 years experience, Duginski’s

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staff of nine employees makes handcrafted parts for a number of other manufacturers across Wisconsin and the Midwest. After starting out in his garage with an old milling machine and lathe, he now has four CNC turning centers and four CNC vertical lathes using about 4,000 square feet of space in his new building. But even that’s not enough.

customer. Currently, he said Grassroots Machining accounts for nearly half of his weld shop’s business, making it convenient to be within shouting distance of Duginski. Harold indicates he’s also challenged by growth, needing to acquire additional capital equipment such as a laser cutter.

“We are maxed out in space already,” Duginski said, noting he has an acre of real estate available adjacent to his building and is considering an addition which would double the size of the current facility. “I have the ability (to grow) as far as customers asking me to get larger equipment and be able to make more product.”

“Right now, I’m just looking to get some new equipment so that I can do larger jobs,” he said.

J.W. Welding owner Jason Harold just learned how to weld less than a decade ago. After two years working at Oshkosh Corp. when defense contracts were winding down and layoffs were beginning to take effect, Harold said he saw the writing on the wall. He went out on his own in 2009, launching his own contract welding business, with Duginski as his first

Building for the future

The aforementioned Manufacturing Vitality Index indicates northeast Wisconsin manufacturers expect 2016 to be even more prosperous than this year, which by recent accounts has been a banner year in the post-recession era. That could be perceived as positive news for the region’s workforce, since manufacturing accounts for an estimated 23 percent of northeast Wisconsin’s employment base. But as the unemployment base shrinks to less than 4 percent across the New

Photo courtesy of Fox Valley Technical College

The “manufacturing mall” in the town of Menasha held a ribbon-cutting event this past November.

North, many companies with plans to expand face the limitation of finding resources to fill skilled positions. Workforce training initiatives similar to the examples mentioned above can help the region’s industrial employers stay ahead of their competitors by working faster, smarter and safer. “The manufacturing environment will continue to be one of change and growth,” said Moraine Park’s Hall. “Markets will continue to fluctuate. That’s a given in any economy. But manufacturing drives the economy, so it will always be a stable force in job creation.” n

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Seasons Greetings! WISHING YOU HEALTH AND HAPPINESS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON AND PROSPERITY IN THE NEW YEAR!

We appreciate you and your business and hope to see you in 2016!

NWTC Corporate Training and Economic Development Lisa Francour: 920-498-6911

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Smart Enough to Know... I should attend this event

Inspirational Leadership 2016 The connection between happiness and success Presented by Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage

Friday, April 29 7:30 am - 12:00 noon

Hyatt Regency Milwaukee | 333 W. Kilbourn Ave., Milwaukee, WI

Register online at tecmidwest.com or contact TEC at 262-821-3340 Every attendee will receive a copy of The Happiness Advantage. Shawn Achor, whose TED talk just passed 10 million views, recently received the honor of his presentation being called one of the most popular TED talks of all time by TED.com.

24 | December 2015 | NNB2B

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Firefighters of Northeast Wisconsin

5th Annual

Firefighters

Northeast Wisconsin

Teacher’s business to help a larger audience read more proficiently is off to a fluid start A little more than one month into New North B2B’s fifth annual Firefighters of Northeast Wisconsin endeavor, newlyminted business owner Kelly Steinke of Neenah-based READ Learning Services has learned quite a bit about launching a business and experienced many such lessons first hand. The former teacher who left public education after 15 years to provide reading tutoring, product development and industry advocacy for students challenged by dyslexia has worked alongside Gary Vaughan of Guident Business Solutions in Appleton for the past two months. Under his guidance, Steinke has learned the basic aspects of trademark law, web development, search engine optimization, social media, the importance of networking, and QuickBooks accounting so that she can get her business off the ground. She also recognizes her limitations. “I already knew that I can’t do it all, and am the first to admit when I don’t know something,” Steinke told B2B for her first month update in this year’s Firefighter series. “But I’m putting that knowledge into action by hiring out services that are above and beyond my capabilities and/or time I have to commit to learning something.” One such example is the outsourcing she did to develop her website which launched this past November. Steinke said Vaughan helped navigate conversations with the web developer so that she felt comfortable knowing what questions she needed to ask, the level of quality she required to promote her business online, and the expectations to which she should hold the web developer accountable. Steinke said she also completed the draft of her instructional manual, which will be part of a new product she launches in 2016 providing her proprietary reading education methods to others wanting to read better, dyslexic or not. She’s also found a freelance editor to smooth out the rough edges of her manual, and also hired a graphic artist to provide illustrations for the product. Steinke said Vaughan has been a helpful resource working

“(Steinke’s husband and herself) have conversations about the business from a business perspective – cutting out emotional responses like fear, or irrelevant distractions,” she said. In addition, Steinke said she’s begun writing as a subject area expert for Homeschool Educators Resource Directory, an opportunity to position herself and READ Vaughan Learning Services as leading authorities on reading education to a focused and attentive audience. Looking ahead to B2B’s next update on READ Learning Services in 2016, Steinke said she’s continuing to develop her teaching product to fill gaps currently in many school district’s mandated reading curriculums. “I’ve created supplemental instructional materials that, in my opinion, include the missing ingredient in many spelling/ reading programs,” Steinke said. “I’m hopeful that my product will plug many of the holes that are currently holding struggling readers and spellers back.” n

Methodology New North B2B magazine began seeking entries for its 5th annual Firefighters of Northeast Wisconsin initiative earlier this year, with a goal of 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 this spring, and in the end agreed to help Neenah-based READ Learning Services LLC with its start up. Through the generous help of Gary Vaughan of Guident Business Solutions in Appleton, READ Learning Services owner Kelly Steinke will receive five month’s worth of consulting at no cost to help her work on the strategy of launching and growing her business.

NAME: Kelly Steinke Company: READ Learning Educational Services LLC Location: Neenah Founded: Part time 2011; full time beginning in October 2015. Web: www.readlearnservices.com

B2B is providing a monthly update on the progress of Steinke’s efforts in each issue leading up to a capstone article in the March 2016 issue of New North B2B magazine. Steinke

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through much of the softer side of entrepreneurship as well, such as facilitating business conversations among spouses.

www.guidentbusinesssolutions.com NNB2B | December 2015 | 25

Philanthropy

Corporate philanthropy made simple

Foundations helping businesses make the most impact of their community giving

Story by Lee Marie Reinsch

If you’re a small company on a shoestring, you might feel magnanimous at giving a local charity a small donation. And maybe a second. But before long, you’ve got an endless queue of pompon squads, dandelion preservation societies and Save the Mosquitoes at your door. And the polite, “Would you care to give” inquiries begin to sound like “Gimme, gimme, gimme.” Piles of requests, pressure to donate and the time commitment involved in vetting charitable requests and cutting checks can be daunting. So is there a way to manage your company’s charitable efforts without becoming the Grinch who stole Christmas? Eat the elephant one bite at a time

The old adage about how you eat a pachyderm can apply to doing good. You don’t need a humongous endowment to make a difference in your community, say some small business owners and foundation representatives. “Many times a small business can’t dole out money, but if you can hook up with a charity, your business can provide volunteers to work as a team to help your community,” said

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Bonita Graff, CEO and co-owner of Provident Financial Consultants of Oshkosh. Provident allows an employee to staff the Oshkosh Area Community Pantry weekly for a morning. “If you do it a little bit at a time over time, it’s not painful,” Graff said. “We don’t have anything physical to donate like fishing tackle for the sporting banquet or anything. All we have is our services and our employees’ time.” www.newnorthb2b.com

Provident also supports Oshkosh Celebration of Lights community nights, allowing free entry on certain evenings. For businesses with dress codes, offering “jeans days” wherein employees pay a few bucks for the privilege of wearing jeans to work can help raise funds, too, said Graff. Provident holds jeans days the last Friday of each month, setting aside the proceeds for charitable giving. “If employees want to wear jeans, they can, but it costs them.”

Other ideas

Companies might consider matching, up to a certain amount, employee donations to qualified nonprofits.

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“Even small gifts turn into big gifts when each employee gives,” said Karlene Grabner, director of donor services for the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation. “It adds up.” OptiVision LLC employees learned this recently. Several years ago, they decided that buying their doctors a bottle of wine or a tie wasn’t doing much long-lasting good beyond making their bosses smile. So the vision correction clinic set up a fund at the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation. “You can set up an acorn fund for $500 and keep contributing to that, and when it reaches $10,000, it’s mature and you can start making grants,” said Cherri Vierthaler, marketing director for OptiVision. “All the interest that is spun off the fund is what you can spend every year on something philanthropic.”

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They thought it would take forever to reach $10,000, but it didn’t, especially when the doctors offered to match employee contributions. “It took only four years to hit $10,000,” Vierthaler said. “Now we’re able to start doing something with the interest spun off.” This past spring, OptiVision helped kids from the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh get eyeglasses. “Dr. (Stephen) Dudley went to the club and did vision screening, and we used our fund money to pay for glasses for these children,” Vierthaler said. “It’s been amazing.” Their efforts have been credited with improving academics. One teacher told them one boy is a better student now because he can see. “All this time he just needed glasses,” Vierthaler said. They’d thought they’d stop giving once their fund hit $10,000. But the employees didn’t want to. “They want to keep giving to it,” Vierthaler said. “They love the idea. The concept was ‘Why not create something that isn’t a bottle of wine or a tie, but will live on forever?’”

Narrow your focus

You played guard on your high school basketball team, so you want to support them. But your neighbor’s daughter is going on a mission trip to Hawaii, your brother-in-law is a veteran, and Fran from your church pancake breakfast has a grandniece with a cleft palate.

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Philanthropy “You feel obligated,” said Kurt Gruett, president of WaterRight, Inc., an Appleton-based provider of commercial and residential clean water systems. Pick an area of focus: If you say yes to everybody, pretty soon you won’t have a business left to make money to give next year. You can’t be everything to everyone, so figure out what you care about. “When you dig into it, you find that each donor or company has a very clear pathway on what they are passionate about,” said the foundation’s Grabner. “What they’re passionate about usually has a really strong flavor, whether it’s the arts, drug and alcohol abuse, women, kids, agriculture, the waterways.” OptiVision’s target of helping the needy to see better illustrates that point. Likewise for Provident Financial, which in addition to its volunteer efforts chooses financial education and literacy as its main grant focus. “Poverty is not always something that is thrust upon you. It can be something that is due to lack of knowledge of what you can and can’t do,” said Graff. Its fund with Oshkosh Area Community Foundation has supported efforts for non-native English speakers through the Winnebago County Literacy Council and has sponsored classes. “If you’ve ever traveled to another country and tried to use their currency in a language you don’t understand, you know

it can be very overwhelming,” Graff said. “Imagine trying to understand our currency, paychecks and checking accounts.” The fund is available for uses such as helping an instructor launch a financial literacy class, Graff said. “How many people it’s impacting is what it comes down to,” she said. “Are we making a good impact with that money.”

An experiment in finding focus

Water-Right wanted to give, but it had two problems: They didn’t know to whom, and they didn’t have a focus. “If someone asked us ‘Would you sponsor this?’ we would be like, sure. We didn’t have guidelines,” said Gruett, referring to the years before Water-Right started a fund at Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region. “It was really willy-nilly. There was no rhyme or reason.” Even with the fund at the foundation, the company had put money in but hadn’t disbursed any until last year. “It was hard to give away money because you want to give to groups that really needed it,” Gruett said. To get an idea of where the company’s passions lay, they did an experiment. They offered their 100 employees $250 each to give to their favorite nonprofit, with one stipulation: that they say what inspired them to donate to that charity. The exercise helped Gruett get to know his employees better. “It was interesting to see the reasoning behind it,” Gruett said. “One employee gave their money to Habitat for Humanity

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because they helped build their first house, which floored me.”

better?’”

A couple others donated to an equestrian program that helps those with disabilities. Several others gave to veterans charities.

Money for crisis intervention training is high on police department wish lists, she said. It’s not something donors routinely think of funding, but once they hear it’s needed, they often agree to support it.

“There were a lot of personal things that really tugged at your heart, and from an owner’s standpoint, I hadn’t known they cared about all these things,” Gruett said. “It was overwhelming to see all the thought people put into this.” The experiment helped Water-Right get some direction. Its philanthropy has evolved into a committee system, where department representatives take employee suggestions and vote on how to disburse the funds.

Many donors want to leverage their gifts through special campaigns, said Curt Detjen, CEO of Community Foundation of the Fox Valley Region. “A donor or board of an organization will pledge a certain amount up front and offer a dollar-per-dollar match.”

It’s made easier decisions for Gruett and his family. “It takes the weight off us. It’s not our money anymore. The employees are directing where it goes.”

For example, Thrivent in Appleton doubles donations to the Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign on certain days. These campaigns work well because people appreciate seeing their gifts maximized, Detjen said. “Doubling the impact is of great appeal to a lot of people.”

A solid foundation

Know your ‘yes’

Your company might not have as much time or financial wiggle room. If you employ two people, letting one spend a day at the food pantry equals a tenth of your weekly workforce. You might not want the frustration of tallying up tax deductions, cutting checks or investigating a charity before giving. That’s where community foundations can come in handy. “We do all the administrative steps to finding the organizations they want to support and also doing any of the legal or tax stuff that needs to be done in the middle,” said Grabner. They investigate nonprofits to ensure they do what they purport to do. Many companies set up what’s called a donor-advised fund. “The administrative part of it is worry free: we cut the checks, we do all of that, but (when it comes to choosing a charity), usually the donors want to be a partner in deciding what to do with their money,” Grabner said. Businesses have different reasons for setting up funds through the foundation. Maybe they’ve cashed in a life insurance policy, sold a branch, or need a tax break. “One of the benefits of doing things with us is that a company gets a tax advantage right away but they have a longer time to think through the gift and the strategy they want behind their giving,” Grabner said. “We are a 100 percent custom-based foundation to each fund that we have.”

Giving trends

Co-investing has taken off in recent years, Grabner said. That’s where a donor wants other companies to join forces with them in funding a cause. “That’s become a big thing lately. Donors don’t want to do all of it, they want to see multiple people at the table,” Grabner said. She’s also seeing more partnerships with municipalities and school districts. “Sometimes organizations like the police department are the front line and they see everything (in the community), so we’ve started to go to them and say ‘What is your wish list, and what will help your officers do their jobs www.newnorthb2b.com

Eventually, you’re going to have to say ‘no’ to someone, and if you’re not like the Grinch, it might even break your heart. But in the same way a business needs to be strategic and focused on the markets it serves, charitable giving needs to have a focus as well, said Detjen. “No one can do it all,” he said. “Charitable giving should follow the value system of the business and the interest areas that match up best with the corporate values or those of the employees.” He has some advice on gracefully declining those requests that don’t gel with your mission. “The best way to say ‘no’ is to know exactly what you intend to say ‘yes’ to,” Detjen said. “That way, there’s no reason to feel badly, because your giving is being channeled into the areas that are clearly the priorities for that business donor, and they should feel very good about that.” n Lee Reinsch of Green Bay worked 18 years at daily newspapers before launching her freelance business, edgewise, in 2007. Better Business Bureau New Members Businesses accredited through the Northeast Wisconsin office during October 2015 All Clean Environmental Services, Oshkosh Bergstrom Kia 116, Oshkosh Bergstrom Kia Appleton, Appleton Central Wisconsin Equipment, Marion CNG Technologies Wis, Green Bay D&R Masonry, Bear Creek Edgewater Plumbing, Sheboygan Fox Valley Humane Association, Appleton Fox West Chamber of Commerce, Hortonville Great Lakes Glass, Green Bay Jonathan Olson & Associates, Green Bay Mark Fasel Custom Built Homes, Oshkosh McGlone Mortgage Group, Appleton Ransom’s Home and Business TV & Satellite, Fond du Lac Ridgeline Home Builders, Green Bay Siding & Trim Specialists, Fond du Lac NNB2B | December 2015 | 29

Human Resources

Several New North companies are diving headlong into the pool of talent represented by returning military heroes Story by Rick Berg

In 1935, when Al Schneider started the company that has since become Ashwaubenon-based Schneider National, he needed reliable, skilled and hard-working people to staff his new business. A long-time National Guardsmen himself, Schneider couldn’t think of a better source of talent than the men he had served with in the Guard. Company history recalls that he “understood the exceptionally high level of commitment and skill military members bring to their work.”

30 | December 2015 | NNB2B

To put Schneider’s longtime commitment to veterans in perspective, there’s a national award named in Al Schneider’s honor. The Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States has presented the “Al Schneider Memorial Award” each year since 1991 to “an employer that has demonstrated outstanding support to the enlisted men and women of the Guard and Reserves.” When Al’s son, Don, joined the business fulltime in 1961 after his own military tour of duty in Korea was completed, he brought that same level of regard for military veterans as a source of employee talent. Today, about a quarter of the company’s more than 17,000 employees are veterans.

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So, it’s little surprise that when Rob Reich completed his military service in 1992, he quickly found a home at Schneider as a maintenance supervisor. Today, Reich is a senior vice president at Schneider, responsible for – among other things – driver recruiting.

Fond du Lac-based Moraine Park Technical College, J. J. Keller & Associates of Neenah, Waupaca Foundry, Voith Paper in Appleton, Miller Electric Mfg. in Appleton, Secura Insurance of Appleton, Fox Valley Surgical Associates in Appleton and Briess Malt & Ingredients in Chilton.

Schneider doesn’t just look passively on veterans as a source of employee talent. “We actually do very active and targeted recruiting of military veterans,” said Reich, “and we have programs designed to make it very attractive for veterans to join us.”

Briess Malt & Ingredients, for example, received three awards – the Patriot, Above and Beyond and Pro Patria Awards – in 2012 for its support of veterans.

For example, he noted, a veteran joining Schneider in a job where he or she had similar experience in the military gets credit for that time in service and is slotted in at an appropriate pay grade. Veterans joining Schneider and needing to learn a new skill can take advantage of Schneider’s VA-certified apprenticeship program, which pays them $1,200 a month in GI Bill education benefits, in addition to their Schneider salary. For Guard and Reserve employees called up to active duty, Schneider keeps them enrolled in the company’s benefits program and also “grosses up” their pay, according to Reich. That means Schneider pays them the difference between their Schneider pay and their military pay so employees are not financially penalized for serving their country.

Above and beyond for some companies

If it sounds like Schneider National goes beyond what most companies do in hiring and valuing military service veterans, the company is not alone. Besides Schneider, the list of New North organizations that have been recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense for their noteworthy support of veterans includes Faith Technologies of Menasha, Little Rapids Corp. of Green Bay, Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac, Schutt Industries in Clintonville, Oshkosh Corp., Ariens Company in Brillion, Appleton-based Boldt Co., KI in Green Bay, Oshkosh Door,

Leona Propson, now a quality assurance coordinator at Briess and a retired Army Reservist, said Briess management offered significant support when she was deployed in Kosovo and Iraq between 2000 and 2010, including frequent emails from owner Monica Briess and president Gordon Lane. Propson said she was offered a promotion when she returned from active duty. Mercury Marine, which earlier this year received the Department of Defense Above and Beyond and Pro Patria Awards, held its annual salute to its employee veterans this past November, with company president John Pfeiffer noting that “veterans continue to provide us leadership, and today is our chance to pay them back.”

A lack of understanding

LeRoy Frahm, an electronics technician in the physics department at Lawrence University in Appleton and Wisconsin ombudsman for the Department of Defense’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves (ESGR), said he’s not surprised by the companies that provide stellar, aboveand-beyond support for veterans, Guardsmen and Reservists. Rather, Frahm said he’s puzzled by the number of employers who appear to be unaware of even the minimum requirements prescribed by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, otherwise known as USERRA, which became law in 1994. “With my experience in our awards program, I know that there are a lot of good employers out there who not only meet but exceed the USERRA requirements,” Frahm said. “But for as

Incentives for Employers to Hire Veterans The Returning Heroes Tax Credit is a new tax credit that provides an incentive for businesses to hire unemployed veterans. • Short-term unemployed: A credit of 40 percent of the first $6,000 of wages (up to $2,400) for employers who hire veterans who have been unemployed at least 4 weeks. • Long-term unemployed: A credit of 40 percent of the first $14,000 of wages (up to $5,600) for employers who hire veterans who have been unemployed longer than 6 months. The Wounded Warrior Tax Credit will double the existing tax credit for long-term unemployed veterans with service-connected disabilities.

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The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal tax credit available to employers who hire veterans. • WOTC can reduce an employer’s federal income tax liability by as much as $9,600 per veteran hired. • There is no limit on the number of individuals an employer can hire to qualify to claim the tax credit.

The Special Employer Incentives (SEI) program connects qualified veterans with employers. It provides reimbursement of up to 50 percent of the veteran’s salary during the SEI program, which typically lasts up to 6 months, to cover: • Expenses incurred for cost of instruction; • Necessary loss of production due to training status; • Supplies and equipment necessary to complete training; • VA-provided tools, equipment, uniforms and other supplies.

NNB2B | December 2015 | 31

Human Resources long as this issue has been in the public eye – over 20 years – I am still puzzled today as to why some employers are not more on top of the requirements of USERRA.”

USERRA Compliance Basics An abbreviated summary of the Department of Labor’s compliance guide for the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). For the full text of the compliance guide, visit: www.dol.gov/compliance/guide/userra • USERRA applies to anyone serving in the uniformed services, including the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard and Public Health Service, as well as the reserve components of those services and the Army National Guard and Air National Guard. • Uniformed service includes active duty, active duty for training, inactive duty training (such as drills), and funeral honors duty performed by National Guard and reserve members, as well as the period for which a person is absent from a position of employment for the purpose of an examination to determine fitness to perform. • USERRA requires that returning service members are to be reemployed in the job they would have attained had they not been absent for military service, with the same seniority, status and pay. • USERRA requires reasonable efforts (such as training) be made to enable returning service members to qualify for reemployment. • If the service member cannot qualify for his or her previous position, he or she must be reemployed, if qualified, in any other position that is the nearest to the escalator or pre-service position. • The person must not have been released from service under dishonorable or other punitive conditions, and must have reported back to the civilian job in a timely manner.

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“I think a lot of it is a result of misunderstanding,” Frahm said. “The violations tend to be a result of people not being properly trained in human resource departments. Sometimes there’s a lot of turnover in human resources and for some companies that’s one of the first things to go when costs are cut. That’s part of our mission at ESGR is to educate people to be more aware of the law and its requirements.” ESGR also works with the Society for Human Resource Management to help educate human resources professionals on the law. SHRM has produced the document, Support From Behind the Lines: 10 Steps to Becoming a Military-Ready Employer, designed to guide employers on military-related issues. ESGR also publishes an Employer Resource Guide, which includes a summary of USERRA requirements. It’s available at no cost to employers. The most common violations, Frahm said, tend to be companies that don’t maintain an employee’s seniority while he or she is on active duty, requiring employees to find their own replacement before reporting for active duty, or requiring employees to use vacation time for their military service. Frahm, who served in the Air Force on active duty and reserve for 35 years, said some employers’ lack of regard for Reservists and Guardsmen might stem from an earlier time when those service members were not typically called to active duty and

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32 | December 2015 | NNB2B

“I chose Marian for a magnitude of reasons. The main reason being its reputation. Marian University prides itself on providing a high level of academic standards, while still offering you a close knit community among your professors and fellow classmates.” Renae Beier, UW–Madison, Department of Medicine, Academic Staff, Operations and Data Analyst

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were not always held in the highest regard. “However, we’ve been using the Guard and Reserve at a very high-ops tempo for a long time now,” Frahm said. “Nearly half of our national defense currently is in the hands of our Guard and Reserve. And yet there are some people who don’t recognize that these service members are not just a bunch of draft dodgers and weekend warriors. In fact, they are highly trained, highly committed individuals.”

A good source of talent

With the talent gap facing most employers today and in the near future, both Frahm and Reich find it surprising that more employers don’t take advantage of the talent pool represented by returning veterans. “Some employers do recognize that returning veterans make exceptional employees,” Frahm said. “They’re well trained, they’re physically fit, and they’re drug free. They bring a lot of value to employers today.” Reich agrees. “I just read that there is a record number of job openings in the country today, so if a company is struggling to find people with certain skills, I don’t see how any employer can afford to overlook this pool of talent,” said Reich. “I think a lot of times what it takes to get the ball rolling in a company is to have several veterans within the organization to provide a model for how to take advantage of the unique experiences that veterans can bring to a company.”

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Frahm said his experience with employers on the issue of employing veterans runs the gamut. There are those who clearly see the value veterans bring with their experience, skill, discipline and character, and who actively work to bring those individuals and their characteristics into the culture of the company. There are those, also, who see the value and also believe that supporting veterans, Reservists and Guardsmen is simply good citizenship. “We’ve had some employers, when we’re presenting them with an award, who say, ‘I don’t understand why I’m getting an award just for doing the right thing.’ I love hearing that,” Frahm said.

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Then there are employers who see the active duty call-ups of their employees as an inconvenient interruption of their business. “I’d like to say to them, ‘What’s your legacy? Do you want to be the company that discourages young men and women from pursuing a career in the Guard and Reserve?’ Those are important questions,” Frahm said. “The Guard and Reserve have become a critical component of our national defense.” “I just read a quote from Thomas Payne,” Frahm said. “Payne wrote, ‘Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigues of supporting it.’ I think that sums it up perfectly.” n

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Rick Berg is a freelance editor and writer based in Green Bay.

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1-800-20happy NNB2B | December 2015 | 33

Marketing

V V

oices isions &

A monthly conversation with New North small business owners, each shedding light on the local economy through the perspective of their industry sector.

Dynamic Designs Unlimited was launched by Tammy Brzeczkowski in 1995 primarily as a graphic design service from her home. Within a few years it began offering embroidery, and then screen printing services, before moving to a commercial space in downtown Pulaski in 2002. Today, along with her husband, Bruce, and parents, Barb and Ron Maroszek, the multi-service marketing firm employs a staff of 10 and focuses its efforts on promotional products, decorated apparel and website design. What impact has the improving economy had on your clients’ marketing abilities?

Tammy Brzeczkowski Co-owner

Dynamic Designs Unlimited

The improving economy has enabled our clients to be more creative, and to spend more on their marketing efforts. We are seeing a growing trend in website design and maintenance, and also marketing services, both traditional and non-traditional (technology-based) marketing.

Are you noticing particular industry sectors spending more on marketing than others? We are seeing our manufacturing, agriculture and construction clients spending more at this point in the game. However, overall northeast Wisconsin is a more conservative area, or, shall we say, “cautious,” when it comes to spending money.

Pulaski dynamicdesignspulaski.com

Are some sectors still reluctant to invest much in marketing? We have noticed that the financial industry is really interested in advertising and marketing. They see their competition spending money on advertising and they don’t want to be left out of the game. However, at the same time they seem very cautious about how much they are spending, and not wanting to go overboard. They want to get the most bang for their buck. The financial industry seems more price-conscious than other industries. We try to educate our clients, and make them understand that there is a price to pay for above average service, on-time delivery and quality products. Most of our loyal clients understand this concept. We create lasting relationships, and price is not the determining factor in our world.

34 | Decemberr 2015 | NNB2B

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Marketers always need to demonstrate ROI. Has trackability of marketing performance become more important than ever before, or do gross sales still define marketing’s ultimate success?

Suttner ACCOUNTING

It’s not always easy to determine exactly what the return on each promotional piece that is done, or email blast, or website. We believe that a company needs to mix up their advertising a little, while at the same time focusing on their target market, making sure they are reaching the right audience. Basically, being diverse with your marketing efforts. You never know what is going to trigger that “hot button” for your client. Definitely, gross sales should define your ultimate marketing success in our eyes.

Besides making a strong product, how can a company best keep its reputation when word-ofmouth communication travels at the speed of light? A company needs to stand behind their product and their services. If you make a mistake, fix it in a timely manner. No one is perfect. Mistakes happen. Make sure that you take care of your clients, no matter what. No arguing. Just take care of your clients, and they will take care of you. If you don’t take care of your clients, social media can ruin your reputation.

What new frontier do you see becoming central to marketing? The web has become an essential part of the marketing process. Social media and online marketing is definitely the wave of the future. Keeping up with technology will be the key to keeping up with marketing.

Are there areas of marketing business owners tend to forget about to which they should pay more attention in their budgets? Online marketing is an area that, yes, clients should be looking at more. Social media, websites, content marketing, online advertising. We also believe that your target market should determine where you spend your money. Businesses need to determine their A/B clients. Your best clients are your “bread and butter.” Then determine your target market and go after them. When you know who your target market is, you have a better understanding of where to put your dollars. And mixing it up is okay. Variety is good. www.newnorthb2b.com

Stephanie Geurts, CPA Partner sjg@suttnercpa.com 920.235.6789

Tax Planning & Preparation Financial Statements Bookkeeping/Write Up Payroll Services Visit suttnercpa.com/client services for a more complete list of services

Quality ❘ Value ❘ Timeliness NNB2B | December 2015 | 35

Professionally Speaking

Professionally Speaking is a paid promotional spot in B2B.

Effective philanthropy is our only business by Karlene Grabner of Oshkosh Area Community Foundation 920.426.3993

Whether you are from Neenah, Oshkosh or Winneconne, or somewhere else, chances are you care a lot about your town. Plus, as a business person, you know it’s smart to support the community that supports your business — and your employees. Businesses of all sizes play a vital role in community leadership and philanthropy. Many companies support charities’ grassroots efforts by purchasing tables at fundraising dinners, providing in-kind gifts for raffles and silent auctions, and more. The Oshkosh Area Community Foundation works with businesses to create giving programs that support our charities in ways that are meaningful to employees and the community. When we talk about philanthropy, we often talk about making a difference in our communities. There’s no greater feeling, no

greater satisfaction, than knowing you’re creating positive change. But giving back to your community is also good for business.

charitable support. Additions to your fund and distributions to charities can happen on separate schedules.

Philanthropy helps build relationships with clients and potential clients. It helps build and support your brand — and creates good wordof-mouth about your work. This is especially important if your business is trying to attract Millennials, who tend to be more socially conscious. (Did you know that nearly 30 percent of Millennials believe the No. 1 priority of business should be to improve society?)

k We can help you develop a grantmaking plan that can be modified over time.

The Foundation provides tools to help businesses review and act on requests for charitable support through a Corporate Donor Advised Fund. Some of the benefits of a partnership with the Foundation are: k We research potential grant recipients and review grant requests. k We handle all of the record-keeping and administrative duties to maximize your tax benefits. k We can help you establish a giving strategy that evens out the peaks and valleys of your

k We offer expert support. Philanthropy is the Foundation’s only business and we can help you hone in the community’s greatest needs. Corporate donor advised funds are flexible, and can be used in place of or along side a private foundation. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Foundation can accept complicated assets and provide maximum tax benefits. With the end of the year approaching and the all-important deadline to make charitable contributions, reach out to me or your financial advisor to make the most of your dollars. Karlene Grabner is Donor Services Director with the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation. Grabner engages donors to build bridges between their charitable interests and community needs. Reach her at Karlene@OshkoshAreaCF.org or 920426-3993.

5 Tips for Business Financial Planning for 2016 by Matt Bakalars of Fox Valley Savings Bank It is important to have a plan in place to meet your business’ financial goals. Take time to plan for 2016 using these tips:

920.231.1163

finances, you should always consider the business’ long-term goals. Are you planning on expanding the business to a new location or updating office equipment? Make sure to plan how you are going to save for these goals.

1. Review the budget

3. Examine the business’ savings

Review your 2015 budget thoroughly. Examine what categories you over spent in or which categories had extra money at the end of the year. If you have new business expenses in 2016, make adjustments to your budget as necessary.

Did you save as much as you would have liked in 2015? If not, examine what went wrong. Were there unexpected business expenses that occurred? Was your savings goal unrealistic? Make sure to set an attainable savings goal amount for 2016 and stick to the savings plan for the year.

2. Review the business’ financial goals Make sure to review your financial goals from the previous year. Did you meet them or fall short? Think about what adjustments you can make to reach your goals in 2016. When reviewing your 36 | December 2015 | NNB2B

4. Check on the business’ debt Do you have business debt? Set a goal for how much debt you want to have paid down by the end of 2016. Review your

goal periodically throughout the year and make budget adjustments accordingly. 5. Look at the business’ investments Evaluate where you are investing the business’ money. Review if the investments you made are worthwhile or if there are adjustments that should be made. Remember to be flexible and adjust the business’ spending and budget as necessary, but don’t forget your business’ financial goals for 2016. At FVSBank, we strive to create a personal business banking experience that exceeds your expectations. If you have questions, give me a call at (920) 231-1163.

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Professionally Speaking is a paid promotional spot in B2B.

Businesses Can Lower Domain Name Acquisition Costs via Amortization by Courtney A. Hollander of Davis & Kuelthau, s.c. The IRS recently concluded that certain domain names have to be capitalized as intangible assets and amortized over a 15-year period under Section 197 of the Internal Revenue Code. This means that a business that acquires qualifying internet domain names will be able to realize financial benefits by recapturing 100 percent of the purchase price through amortization, but will not be able to immediately expense the acquisition. Because domain names are valuable business assets and often command significant prices when purchased and sold on the secondary market, this guidance will enable business owners to substantially reduce the applicable net acquisition costs. For a domain name to qualify as an

920.232.4845

amortizable asset, it must meet certain requirements. Non-generic domain names must meet the definition of either a trademark or a customer-based intangible. Because a generic domain name cannot, by its nature, meet the definition of a trademark, it must meet the definition of a customer-based intangible. To be considered a trademark under Section 197, a domain name must “identify goods or services and distinguish them from those provided by others.” Note that under this definition, registration with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is not required. For tax purposes, a non-generic domain name can be a Section 197 trademark without being registered with the USPTO. To be considered a customerbased intangible, the domain name must correlate with an established website which will continue to be maintained by the acquiring business and which will be

used to provide goods and services. As more and more domain names are bought and sold on the secondary market for increasing market prices, either individually or as part of an overall asset acquisition, businesses will benefit from uniform amortization for qualifying generic and non-generic domain names. The decision whether to expense or capitalize an intangible asset remains fact specific. While certain computer software may be expensed in a single year under Section 179, qualifying domain names have to be amortized under Section 197. Courtney Hollander is an associate attorney with Davis & Kuelthau, s.c. in Oshkosh. Ms. Hollander provides counsel to businesses on a wide variety of tax and corporate law matters. Ms. Hollander can be reached at chollander@ dkattorneys.com or 920.232.4845 for further details.

STEP RIGHT UP AND SHOWCAsE YOUR BUSINESS at the

2016 Oshkosh Chamber Business Expo sponsored by:

Thursday, January 28 Oshkosh Convention Center 2 N. Main Street 10a.m. - 7 p.m.

$5 at the door or a business card

Without execution, they’re just numbers. Let us do the math.

Why Attend?

visit more than 100 exhibitors gain knowledge from industry leaders network with peers maintain and build relationships

access to educational and training sessions Contact Samantha Sanchez for more information: samantha@oshkoshchamber.com or (920) 303-2265 ext. 16

www.newnorthb2b.com

Successful Journeys Need a Guide™ 920.427.5077 www.guidentbusiness.com NNB2B | December 2015 | 37

Who’s News

Incorporations

New North B2B publishes monthly new business incorporations filed with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. Brown County

Green Bay Family Dentistry LLC, Adam Pasono, 379 Clermont Ct., De Pere 54115. Renewable Water Technologies LLC, Steven Michael Herman, 1387 Bingham Dr., De Pere 54115. Integrity Towing LLC, Joseph K. Johnson, 510 N. 10th St., De Pere 54115. Premier Aviation Group LLC, James Michael Burns, 1975 Andraya Lane, De Pere 54115. Northeast Wisconsin Job Recruitment Agency LLC, Heidi Ann Mirao, 659 Majestic Dr., De Pere 54115. GCO Pest Solutions LLC, Donald R. Van De Ven, 2713 Boxwood Cir., De Pere 54115. Vandenwymelenberg Dairy LLC, Adam Vandenwymelenberg, 5924 County Road W, De Pere 54115. Schultz Crop Services LLC, Derek D. Schultz, N964 Knutson Road, Denmark 54208. Economy Tree Service LLC, Carla Propson, 17926 Herold Road, Denmark 54208. Imagine Being Well LLC, Angela Renee Ekberg, 330 Packerland Dr., Green Bay 54303. Bay Brewing LLC, Eric Pigo, 2176 Skyview St., Green Bay 54311. Jacksons Auto Clinic LLC, Edward Allen Jackson Sr., 912 S. Greenwood Ave., Green Bay 54304. Cornerstone International Network LLC, Scott Bushkie, 200 S. Washington St., Ste. 205, Green Bay 54301. Mikan Herbals LLC, Megan C. M. Gaurano, 306 Lawe St., Green Bay 54301. Pritzl Landscaping LLC, Adam Pritzl, 2742 Englewood Road, Green Bay 54311. Sei Bella Salon LLC, Gary J. Gloudemans, 2809 Prairie Garden Tr., Green Bay 54313. Aztech Computer Solutions LLC, Joseph D. Gazza, 1039 W. Mason St., Green Bay 54303. Integrity Custom Painting LLC, Craig Richard Georgel, 534 3rd St. Upper, Green Bay 54304. Salmo Trucking INC., Mahat Abdi, 1680 S. Hawano Ave., Apt. #6, Green Bay 54303. M&B Refrigeration Solutions INC., Mark R. Konop, 3049 Ramada Way, Green Bay 54304. Washside Cleaning LLC, Cassandra Marie Lynch, 1974 Trenton Lane, Green Bay 54313. Rene H Cleaning LLC, Rene Hernandez, 228 Laurel Lane, Green Bay 54311. Hedsand & Associates CPA’s LLC, Renee Kathryn Hedsand, 2764 Whippoorwill Dr., Green Bay 54304. Birmingham Counseling LLC, Stephanie Ann Birmingham, 615 Saint George St., Green Bay 54302. Mischief & Magic Entertainment LLC, Keegan R. Eggert, 1210 Spartan Road, New Franken 54229.

Fond du Lac County

Pagel Mink LLC, John W. Pagel, W1019 County Road B, Campbellsport 53010. Fond du Lac Winter Farmers Market INC., Lynda Zeleske, N5534 Hickory Road, Fond du Lac 54937. Cutting Edge Lawn Care & Snow Removal LLC, Joseph D. Groll, 858 Wisconsin Ave., North Fond du Lac 54937. Fast Track Logistics INC., Melanie D. Brewster, 427 Harrison St., #2, North Fond du Lac 54937. Epollesch & A Lot Of Sons Construction LLC, Eric L. Pollesch, 320 E. Jackson St., Ripon 54971. 38 | December 2015 | NNB2B

Rollin Mobile Repair LLC, Alexander M. Rollin, W598 County Road K, Ripon 54971. Tyler Julka Carpentry LLC, Tyler Julka, W10869 Schmoldt Road, Rosendale 54974. Richard Zimmerman Farms LLC, Richard Dennis Zimmerman, W13507 Marshview Road, Waupun 53963. Kounelis Trucking LLC, Ryan Kounelis, 537 1/2 E. Main St., Waupun 53963. K Witt Farms LLC, Kyle J. Witt, 965 Wilcox St., Waupun 53963.

Outagamie County

Jessica’s Candles LLC, Jessica Lancaster, W5828 Sweet William Dr., Appleton 54915. Valor Marksman Club LLC, Bernard F. Sagan, Jr., 2927 N. Roemer Road, Appleton 54911. W.A.S. Broken Auto Repair LLC, Tyler John Westercamp, 1930 S. Telulah Ave., Appleton 54915. Erin Huettl Cleaning LLC, Erin M. Huettl, 2602 W. Glenpark Dr., Appleton 54914. Bowtie Carpet Cleaning LLC, Wayne L. Hoffmann, 2700 E. Plank Road, Appleton 54915. Stoiched Automotive LLC, Ryan Cerny, 4018 Towne Lakes Ave., Appleton 54913. Missy’s Homemade Scents LLC, Missy Ahrens, 42 E. Strawberry Lane, Appleton 54915. Vision Architecture LLC, Adam James Heindel, 3101 E. Fall Creek Lane, Appleton 54913. Bread Etc. On Main LLC, Judith Ghastin, 5810 N. Meade St., Appleton 54913. Professional Plumbing Services INC., Benjamin Joseph Nock, 505 Richard St., Combined Locks 54113. Hill Valley Farms LLC, Bernard Dale Lessor, Sr., N4759 State Road 55, Freedom 54130. Stars & Stripes Entertainment LLC, Eric Theodore Joachim Rehorst, W6867 Sunnyvale Lane, Apt. D, Greenville 54942. Manda Marie Upholstery LLC, Amanda Marie Beyer, W6366 Moonshadow Dr., Greenville 54942. Breathesafe Air Duct Cleaning LLC, Tyler Lee Meyer, 820 Hickory St., Hortonville 54944. Shear Envy Hair & Nail Salon LLC, Stacy L. Maass, 413 W. 11th St., Kaukauna 54130. CDH Finish Carpentrey LLC, Chris Donald Howard, W457 Cindy Ann Lane, Kaukauna 54130. Linda Sanderfoot Realty LLC, Linda Sanderfoot, 1706 Hoover Ct., Little Chute 54140. Platinum Homes And Development LLC, Bryan Bryfczynski, 4338 Windemer Lane, Oneida 54155. Foundation Solutions LLC, Jason L. Strebe, W1737 County Road VV, Seymour 54165. Strive Tax & Accounting LLC, Cory S. Noeller, 340 W. Factory St., Seymour 54165.

Winnebago County

Krueger’s Creations & Transformations LLC, Andy John Krueger, 1115 Home Ave., Menasha 54952. Property Care Specialists LLC, Timothy J. Bucklin, 1038 Elmwood Dr., Menasha 54952. K&M Freight Brokerage LLC, Kenneth Mason, 105 Stanley St., Neenah 54956. In-Home Foot And Nail Care LLC, Cynthia Catherine McFadden, 1960 Marathon Ave., Neenah 54956. Ontrack CFO & Controller Services LLC, Jeffry Paulus, 232 Kraft St., Neenah 54956. Lighting Solutions And Services LLC, Keith Richard Fraley, 1015 Gregory St., Neenah 54956. Dante Automotive LLC, Mark A. Dante, 906 Ohio St., Oshkosh 54902. Mathe CPA LLC, Anthony R. Mathe, 2224 Hamilton St., Oshkosh 54901. Cynical Brewing Company LLC, Paul Fredrick Slaght II, 1010 Mason St., Oshkosh 54902. www.newnorthb2b.com

Building permits

Contractors of De Pere. October.

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

Petsmart, 1005 N. Washburn St., Oshkosh. $675,000 for interior improvements to the new retail facility. General contractor is Northcentral Construction Corp. of Fond du Lac. October 13.

ThedaCare Physicians, 333 N. Green Bay Road, town of Menasha. $13,059,550 for a 73,000-sq. ft. health care clinic for family practice, internal medicine and endocrinology. General contractor is Boldt Construction Company of Appleton. October 2.

No owner listed, 2202 S. Ridge Road, Ashwaubenon. $500,000 for a 5,930-sq. ft. multi-tenant retail building. General contractor is Alliance Construction of Green Bay. October.

Festival Foods, 1724 Lawrence Dr., De Pere. $8,500,000 for a two-story, 42,500-sq. ft. corporate office building. General contractor is Miron Construction Co. of Neenah. October 5. Green Bay Electrical Workers Local 158 IBEW, 2970 Greenbriar Road, Green Bay. $400,000 for interior alterations to the existing office building and labor hall. Contractor is IEI General Contractors of De Pere. October. Boldt Construction Company, 2525 N. Roemer Road, Appleton. $750,000 for interior alterations to the third floor of the corporate office building. General contractor is Boldt. October 8. Tufco Technologies Inc., 3161 S. Ridge Road, Ashwaubenon. $734,000 for interior alterations to the existing manufacturing facility. General contractor is Consolidated Construction Company of Appleton. October. Lakeside Plastics, 450 W. 33rd Ave., Oshkosh. $1,250,000 for an addition to the warehouse at the existing manufacturing facility. General contractor is Consolidated Construction Company of Appleton. October 9. Bellin Memorial Hospital, 744 S. Webster Ave., Green Bay. $680,000 for interior alterations to the existing health care facility. Contractor is IEI General

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Bode Boot Camp and Healthy Shakes, 2467 Glendale Ave., Howard. $800,000 for a multi-tenant commercial building. Contractor not listed. October 16. TEK systems, 705 N. McCarthy Road, town of Grand Chute. $572,916 for a 4,600-sq. ft. addition to the existing commercial office building. General contractor is James J. Calmes & Sons Construction of Kaukauna. October 20. Rollmeister Inc., 2474 Schultz Road, Neenah. $950,000 for a 13,606-sq. ft. addition to the existing manufacturing facility. General contractor is Frontier Builders & Consultants of Kaukauna. October 21. Agnesian Healthcare, 430 E. Division St., Fond du Lac. $770,000 for interior alterations to the fourth floor of the existing hospital. General contractor is C.D. Smith Construction Inc. of Fond du Lac. October 22. Omnova Solutions, 1701 Cornell Road, Howard. $1,051,900 for an 8,722-sq. ft. addition to the existing industrial building. General contractor is Schuh Construction Inc. of Seymour. October 26. Navitus Health Solutions, 1025 W. Navitus Dr., town of Grand Chute. $425,000 for a new office building to expand the existing call center. General contractor is Ideal Builders of Madison. November 6.

NNB2B | December 2015 | 39

Who’s News

New locations Health & Wellness Family Care opened its new family practice center at 3925 N. Gateway Dr. in Appleton. The clinic can be reached by calling 920.702.4890.

New products/services Fond du Lac-based Ahern added fire alarm monitoring to its line of facility fire protection services. The service is available to owners of all fire protection systems.

Business Honors L.P. Mooradian Flooring Co. of Green Bay received the Outstanding Business Award in the women-owned enterprises small business category of the 2015 Marketplace Governor’s Awards, which recognize outstanding businesses owned by minorities, women and service-disabled veterans. Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce recognized the following businesses during its recent annual meeting: Shea Electric & Communications LLC of Oshkosh, Stephen Mosling Commitment to Education Award; 4imprint of Oshkosh, Enterprise of the Year Award; and A.P. Nonweiler Co. of Oshkosh, Small Business of the Year. Advance, the economic development department of the Greater Green Bay Chamber, recognized the following firms with its 2015 Manufacturing Awards of Distinction: Séura of Green Bay, manufacturer with fewer than 100 employees; Bay Tek Games, Inc. of Pulaski, between 100 to 300 employees; and L aForce Inc. of Green Bay, more than 300 employees.

New hires Aurora Health Care added family medicine providers Jackie Koski, D.O. to its North Fond du Lac clinic, Gurkit Miranpuri, M.D. to its Oshkosh hospital, Timothy Rasor, M.D. to its Greenville and Fremont clinics; allergist/immunologist Sudip Ringwala, D.O. to its Oshkosh, Neenah and Fond du Lac clinics; and Ann Severson as a nurse practitioner to its Greenville clinic. OMnNI Associates in Appleton hired Gary Kennedy as a transportation consultant. Kennedy has 34 years experience with the Manitowoc County Highway Department, including the past 20 years as highway commissioner. Kennedy is past president of the Wisconsin County Highway Association and is currently its professional development director. BrownBoots Interactive Inc. in Fond du Lac hired Mary Christopherson as a graphic designer. She specializes in typography, print design and custom web design.

Koski

40 | December 2015 | NNB2B

Miranpuri

Ringwala

www.newnorthb2b.com

Lutz

Bares

Sabel

Creative Business Services of Green Bay hired Shane Gutzman as a business broker focusing on the health care industry. Gutzman previously served as community relations director at Harbor Suites and as a customer service representative with Heartland Home Health & Hospice in De Pere. The Sullivan Group LLP, Certified Public Accountants and Consultants in Oshkosh added Robin Lutz, CPA. Lutz has been a certified public accountant for more than 25 years, most recently with Wipfli LLP. Prior to that she owned her own accounting firm. Kerntke Otto McGlone Wealth Management Group of Appleton hired Eliot Bares as a planning specialist. Bares worked the past decade as a trader and trading desk manager at Hard 8 Futures in Chicago, Las Vegas and London. Green Bay-based Bayland Buildings, Inc. hired Jeff Sabel as a sales representative for its commercial division. Sabel has more than 10 years experience in the construction industry, including positions as a general laborer, foreman and supervisor. Secura Insurance in Appleton hired Todd Thiel as vice presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;information technology. Thiel has 18 years of IT and corporate strategy experience, having previously served as vice president of information technology and vice president of application development for Ameriprise Auto & Home Insurance in De Pere. Agnesian HealthCare added Kent Hartung, M.D. as a family medicine physician to its North Main Street clinic in Fond du Lac. Imaginasium in Green Bay hired Melinda Morella as a business development specialist and Kristin Davies as an executive assistant. Morella previously worked as assistant director of Live54218 while Davies previously worked as a retail administrative assistant at Nicolet National Bank in Green Bay.

Thiel

Hartung

Morella

medicine hospitalist at Appleton Medical Center and Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah, and hired Laura Reed as its chief nursing executive. Reed previously served as chief nurse executive for the University of Minnesota Health and Fairview Health Services, and senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer for Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce hired Jen Feuerhammer as director of communications. Feuerhammer most recently served as the advertising and social media associate manager at Moraine Park Technical College in Fond du Lac. Ahern in Fond du Lac hired Rod Annis as director of service for the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fire protection offices. Annis has nearly 15 years of sales and management experience, most recently serving as the Great Lakes area sales manager for Tyco Integrated Security. Miron Construction Co., Inc. in Neenah hired Melissa Kissinger as a controller and Bill Schaller as an industrial estimator. Werner Electric Supply of Neenah hired Bill Kocha as controller. Kocha previously served as a category controller at Sturm Foods, Inc. in Manawa and as assistant corporate controller at Plexus Corp. in Neenah. Home Builders Association of the Fox Cities hired Cathy Skell as business development specialist. Skell most recently worked as an account executive at Knight Barry Title Services in Appleton.

Kaukauna-based Keller, Inc. hired Nikki Schroeder as an operations administrative assistant and Michael Prosser as a project manager. Prosser has several years of experience in the construction industry.

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay hired J. Lance Cavanaugh as vice chancellor for university advancement and president of the UW-Green Bay Foundation, Inc. Cavanaugh has more than three decades of leadership experience in fundraising and institutional advancement, most recently serving as the vice president for development for the University of Arizona Foundation. He has also worked in institutional advancement for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Iowa State University, Wright State University (Ohio), the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the University of Nevada, Beloit College and Monmouth (Ill.) College.

Appleton-based ThedaCare added John-Jeremiah Kretchy, M.D., an internal

Fox Cities Regional Partnership hired Rob Peterson as director of existing

Davies

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Schroeder

Prosser

Kretchy

Reed

Feuerhammer

NNB2B | December 2015 | 41

Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s News

Peterson

Zittlow

Dempsey

Woldt

industry services. Peterson previously worked for Pierce Manufacturing and Metso Paper in Appleton, Plexus Corp. in Neenah and Thilmany in Kaukauna.

Kreft

Brenner

FVSBank in 2011 as senior vice president and chief credit officer. He was promoted to president in 2014. Quam joined FVSBank in 2006. She is a graduate of the UWMadison Graduate School of Banking and became a certified financial marketing professional this past June.

Greater Green Bay Chamber hired Susan Zittlow as director of workforce development. Zittlow has more than two decades of experience in education and training, most recently serving as assessment coordinator at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay. In this role, she oversees the Current young professional program, the Youth Career Development and Youth Workforce Development programs, and the Leadership Green Bay program.

Integrity Insurance in Appleton promoted Steve Klingemann to vice president of personal lines and marketing and Christian Martin to vice president of claims and sales. Klingemann joined Integrity in 2012, while Martin joined the company in 2011.

Promotions

Individual honors

Bank First National promoted Michael Dempsey to president and Joan Woldt from senior vice president to executive vice president and regional president. Dempsey joined the bank in 2010 and has 32 years of community and commercial banking experience, including 15 years at Associated Bank, where he served as regional president and CEO. Woldt also joined Bank First in 2010 after spending 16 years with Associated Bank as its commercial banking group leader and manager of private banking services.

The Young Professionals of Fond du Lac presented the following individuals with its 2015 Future 5 Award: Jenna Floberg, director and assistant administrator for St. Francis Home/Agnesian HealthCare in Fond du Lac; Tony Goebel, owner and benefits advisor at Goebel Insurance & Financial, Inc. in Fond du Lac; Ryan Haase, human resources manager at Society Insurance in Fond du Lac; Amy Jessen, corporate event planner at Michels Corp. in Brownsville; and Jenny Knuth, art director for wisnet.com LLC in Fond du Lac. Additionally, Knuth was named the 2015 Young Professional of the Year.

Imaginasium in Green Bay promoted Denis Kreft from director of business development to vice president of business operations. Kreft is a founder of Imaginasium and has been with the company for 19 years.

ThedaCare family physician Kelli Heindel, M.D., received the 2015 Family Physician of the Year Award from Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians.

The University of Wisconsin Colleges named 13 regional associate deans/campus administrators, including the following in the northeast region: Bill Bultman, associate dean for academic affairs/campus administrator at UW-Fox Valley in Menasha; Carla Rabe, associate dean for student affairs and enrollment management/campus administrator at UW-Manitowoc; and Bethany Rusch, associate dean for administration and finance/campus administrator at UW-Fond du Lac. Agnesian HealthCare Foundation named Holly Brenner as its president. Brenner also serves as the vice president of strategic development and marketing for Agnesian.

Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce recognized the following individuals during its recent annual meeting: Matt Miller, president of Oshkosh Festivals Inc., Alberta Kimball Community Service; Jack Pelton, chairman of the board for EAA in Oshkosh, Horizon Award; James Macy, attorney and partner at Davis & Kuelthau, s.c. in Oshkosh, Distinguished Service Award; Charles L. Szews, Oshkosh Corp. CEO, Special Recognition; Lurton Blassingame, retired community volunteer, Lynne Webster Leadership Award; Matt Bakalars, vice president of business banking for Fox Valley Savings Bank in Oshkosh, Ambassador of the Year; Tina Schuelke, executive director for Change Management Communications Center in Oshkosh, Outstanding Chamber Volunteer; and Katie Hoxtell, assistant marketing manager at Oshkosh Corp., Propel Young Professional Award.

Fond du Lac-based Fox Valley Savings Bank promoted Steven Schmudlach to CEO and Kirsten Quam to chief marketing officer. Schmudlach began his career at

The Fox Cities Chamber recognized the following individuals during its recent annual awards event: John and Dick Bergstrom were both inducted into

Schmudlach

Quam

42 | December 2015 | NNB2B

Klingemann

Martin

Heindel

Bushkie

Schulteis

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the chamber’s Business Hall of Fame; Jon Stellmacher, retired senior vice president of Thrivent Financial in Appleton, Gus A. Zuehlke Distinguished Service Award; Tony Busch, managing member of Priora Cash Flow Management LLC in Appleton, Joyce Bytof Exceptional Mentor Award; Lisa Cruz, owner of Red Shoes PR in Appleton, Athena Leadership Award; Brian Gottlieb, owner of Tundraland in Kaukauna, Entrepreneur of the Year Award; Les Van Ornum, owner of Merchants’ Choice Card Services in Hortonville, Champion of the Chamber Award; and Robyn Gruner, director of external affairs for AT&T in Appleton, Young Professional of the Year Award.

We Make Software Work

Steve Engmann

Elections/appointments Scott Bushkie, president and founder of Cornerstone Business Services in Green Bay, was elected the 2016 president for International Business Brokers Association. Bushkie has been on the organization’s board of directors since 2012.

Scott Loker

Melissa Schulteis, a virtual construction specialist at Miron Construction in Neenah, was appointed American Institute of Architects Regional Associates Director for the North Central States Region for a two-year term. Tina Krueger

Sage ACT! Sage 100 ERP Access & SQL Sage CRM Sage 50 Custom Programs Mobility Cloud Solutions

Jackie Lingg

Christina Theobald

Kim Engmann

Business calendar

New North B2B encourages businesses and organizations looking to attract interested persons to upcoming events to email info@newnorthb2b.com.

920.993.1077 Appleton WI www.WeMakeSoftwareWork.com

December 1 Greater Green Bay Chamber Power Networking Breakfast, 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the chamber offices, 300 N. Broadway, Ste. 3A in Green Bay. No cost to attend for chamber members. For more information, call 920.437.8704 or email members@ titletown.org. December 2 ThinkShift, the annual New North Summit, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Waterfront Hotel & Convention Center, 1 N. Main St. in Oshkosh. Networking, speakers and updates on the northeast Wisconsin region. For more information or to register, visit www. newnorthsummit.com. December 2 A.M. Oshkosh, a morning networking event from the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, 7:45 to 9 a.m. at the Paine Art Center, 1410 Algoma Blvd. in Oshkosh. Cost to attend is $2. For more information or to register, call 920.303.2266 or go online to www.oshkoshchamber.com. December 2 Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce Coffee Connection, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, 190 N. Main St. in Fond du Lac. For more information or to register, call 920.921.9500 or go online to www.fdlac.com. December 8 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 more information, call 920.303.2266 or go online to www.oshkoshchamber.com. December 8 Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Before Hours, 8 to 9 a.m. at the chamber offices, 101 E. Wisconsin Ave. in Kaukauna. No charge for members. For more information or to register, go online to www.heartofthevalleychamber.com or call 920.766.1616.

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NNB2B | December 2015 | 43

Business Calendar December 9 Greater Green Bay Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Titletown Brewing Company, 200 Dousman St. in Green Bay. For more information, call 920.437.8704 or email members@ titletown.org.

December 15 Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce Business Connection, 5 to 7 p.m. at Fidelity Bank, 1500 N. Casaloma Dr. in Appleton. No charge for members. For more information or to register, contact Pam at receptionist@ foxcitieschamber.com.

December 10 Women in Management – Fox Cities Chapter monthly meeting, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Fox Banquets and Rivertyme Catering, 111 E. Kimball St. in Appleton. Program topic will be on “Happiness Pays.” Cost to attend is $20 and includes lunch. Register in advance online at www.wimiwi.org.

December 16 Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Between Hours, 11 a.m. to 12 noon at the chamber offices, 101 E. Wisconsin Ave. in Kaukauna. Program will focus on EMV chip technology. No charge for members. For more information or to register, go online to www.heartofthevalleychamber.com or call 920.766.1616.

December 10 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 the holiday social. For more information or to register, go online to www.wimiwi.org or email Lisa at lkoeppen@ communityblood.org. December 10 Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m. at Mr. Brews Taphouse, 201 S. River Heath Way in Appleton. No charge for members. For more information or to register, go online to www. heartofthevalleychamber.com or call 920.766.1616.

December 17 Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Card Exchange, 11 a.m. to 12 noon at the chamber offices, 101 E. Wisconsin Ave. in Kaukauna. No charge for members. For more information or to register, go online to www.heartofthevalleychamber.com or call 920.766.1616. January 5 Greater Green Bay Chamber Power Networking Breakfast, 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the chamber offices, 300 N. Broadway, Ste. 3A in Green Bay. No cost to attend for chamber members. For more information, call 920.437.8704 or email members@titletown.org. n

Thank you to the advertisers who made the December 2015 issue of New North B2B possible. Alberts & Heling CPAs ⎮alberts-heling-cpas.com............ 14 Appleton International Airport ⎮atwairport.com............... 39 Bank First National ⎮bankfirstnational.com...................... 7 Bayland Buildings ⎮baylandbuildings.com...................... 16 Borsche Roofing Professionals ⎮wiroofer.com.................. 19 Candeo Creative ⎮modmadmen.com............................... 45 Competitive Strategies ⎮wemakesoftwarework.com........ 43 Consolidated Construction Company ⎮1call2build.com.... 5 CR Structures Group, Inc. ⎮crstructures.com..................... 7 Davis & Kuelthau, s.c. ⎮dkattorneys.com......................... 37 Downtown Oshkosh⎮downtownoshkosh.com.................... 33 Dynamic Designs ⎮dynamicdesignspulaski.com ............ 21 Energy Bank ⎮energybankinc.com...................................... 2 EP Direct⎮ep-direct.com..................................................... 8 First Business Bank ⎮firstbusiness.com............................ 9 First National Bank ~ Fox Valley ⎮fnbfoxvalley.com........ 40 Fox Communities Credit Union ⎮foxcu.org........................ 11 Fox Valley Savings Bank⎮FVSBank.com..................... 13, 36 Fox Valley Technical College ⎮fvtc.edu/BIS...................... 28 Guident Business Solutions ⎮ guidentbusinesssolutions.com...................................... 37 James J. Calmes & Sons Construction ⎮ jamesjcalmesconstruction.com.................................... 19 J. F. Ahern Co. ⎮jfahern.com............................................. 27 Keller Inc. ⎮kellerbuilds.com............................................ 45

44 | December 2015 | NNB2B

Marian University ⎮marianuniversity.edu/business......... 32 Network Health ⎮meetnetworkhealth.com . ..................... 47 NEW Building & Construction Trades Council ⎮ newbt.org....................................................................... 15 NWTC Corporate Training & Economic Development ⎮ corporatetraining.nwtc.edu........................................... 24 OptiVision ⎮optivisioneyecare.com................................... 33 Oshkosh Area Community Foundation ⎮ oshkoshareacf.org.......................................................... 36 Oshkosh Chamber Business Expo ⎮ oshkoshchamber.com.................................................... 37 Oshkosh West Side Association⎮ westsideassociation.com................................................ 44 R&R Steel Construction Company Inc.⎮ rrsteelconstruction.com.................................................. 27 St. Norbert College MBA program ⎮snc.edu/go/mbasnc.. 23 Strang, Patteson, Renning, Lewis & Lacy ⎮ strangpatteson.com....................................................... 46 Suttner Accounting ⎮suttnercpa.com............................... 35 TEC ⎮tecmidwest.com...................................................... 24 Thomas James Real Estate ⎮tjrsite.com.......................... 48 TweetGarot Mechanical ⎮tweetgarot.com........................ 28 Verve, a Credit Union ⎮verveacu.com............................... 22 Winnebago County Solid Waste Management ⎮ co.winnebago.wi.us/solid-waste................................... 43

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partner with candeo creative

and make 2016 your

best year ever.

(920) 252-8128 CANDEOCREATIVE.COM

Manufacturing Dental Convenience Stores

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“We’ve built with Keller many times because they work very hard to design and build our branches with our vision in mind. Keller is always there for us.” -Mark Hietpas Unison Credit Union

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Financial Retail Veterinary Faith-Based Child Care Agriculture Professional Offices Chiropractic Recreation Industrial Assisted Living Educational Funeral Homes Cold Storage Municipal Automotive Warehousing Restaurants Hospitality Medical

NNB2B | December 2015 | 45

Key Statistics local gasoline prices Per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline.

november 22 . . . . . . $1.95 november 15. . . . . . . $2.28 november 8 . . . . . . . $2.35 november 1 . . . . . . . $2.31 november 22, 2014. $2.87

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

u.s. retail sales october

$447.3 billion 0.1% from September 1.7% from October 2014

Source: New North B2B observations

existing home sales

october

homes sold median price brown cty . ....................295 ....................$158,400 Fond du Lac cty ............120 .................... $120,750 outagamie cty . ............183 ....................$146,900 winnebago cty .............172 .................... $139,950 WI Dept. Revenue Collections

1st qtr. fy 2016

$2.91 Billion 3.1% from 1st Qtr. FY 2015

46 | December 2015 | NNB2B

u.s. industrial production (2012 = 100) october

107.2

0.2% from September 0.3% from October 2014

air passenger TRAFFIC (Local enplanements) oct 2015 oct2014 Appleton Int’l ATW..........................N/A ......21,544 Austin Straubel GRB.....................27,285 .......29,305

local unemployment september august sept ‘14 Appleton ....... 3.3% ...... 3.5% ........4.4% Fond du Lac ... 3.5% ...... 3.8% ........4.6% Green Bay........3.7% ...... 3.9% ....... 4.8% Neenah ........... 3.3% ...... 3.9%........ 4.8% Oshkosh . ....... 3.7% .......4.1% ........5.1% Wisconsin ..... 3.6% ...... 3.9% ........4.7%

natural gas prices Prices for small businesses using less than 20,000 therms. Listed price is per therm.

november...................$0.425 october..................... $0.398 november 2014..........$0.768 Source: Wisconsin Public Service

ism index Numbers above 50 mean expansion. Numbers below 50 mean contraction. october . . . . . . . . . 50.1 september. . . . . . . 50.2

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Thomas Scharpf (920-379-0744) (tjr2216@aol.com) (www.tjrsite.com) BUSINESS SALES - SALE LEASEBACKS - MULTI FAMILY - INDUSTRIAL - OFFICE - RETAIL - LAND LAND AVAILABLE..........LAND AVAILABLE..........LAND AVAILABLE OSHKOSH NORTH SIDE & WEST SIDE OR TOWN OF ALGOMA (FROM 1.8 TO 25.7 ACRES)

1020 W 20th Avenue, Oshkosh 12,075 SF Strip Center Lease 4,930 SF Or Owner Occupy It While Collecting Rent On 3 Spaces Lease Rate $11 PSF NNN Purchase Price $1,275,000

4780 State Road 44, Oshkosh 1,350 SF Office Building 7,500 SF Industrial Building 12.5 Acres of Land Purchase Price $394,900

2850 Universal Street, Oshkosh 6,370 SF Office Building w/Basement Heated Garage with Bathroom Lease Rate $9 PSF NNN Purchase Price $599,900

110 Washington Street, Winneconne 200 Ingersoll Road, Winneconne 50,000 SF Industrial Building Is Leased 10,000 SF of 40,000 SF Industrial Building Is Leased LEASE THE 30,000 SF SPACE OR OWNER OCCUPY IT WHILE COLLECTING RENT ON THE 60,000 SF SPACE Lease Rate 3.10 PSF NNN - Purchase Price $2,250,000

200 Tower Road, Winneconne 22,200 SF Industrial Building 2 Loading Docks - 4 Overhead Doors Purchase Price $595,000 Lease Rate $3 PSF NNN 4.5 Acres of Land

923 S Main Street, Oshkosh 6,000 SF Office/Warehouse Building 1,000 SF Warehouse Building Purchase Price $189,900 Lease Offices from $295 per Month

2380-2390 State Road 44, Oshkosh 140 SF Offices $450 per Month 800 SF Suite $1,350 per Month 1,750 SF Suite $2,500 per Month Most Expenses Paid By Landlord

The Above 2 Properties are Personally Owned Properties of Broker Broker Does Not Offer Other Broker Participation or Compensation