February 2014

industrial development pment Industrial development activity across northeast Wisconsin goes for the gold in generating local economic vitality

Blueprint for a Campaign

From the Publisher

Masters of Green

Environment

February 2014 $3.95

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Intelligent Business Reporting for the New North

new north b2b February 2014

industrial development

24 16

Features

26

16 COVER STORY ❘ Bringing Home the Gold ❘ NE Wisconsin industrial development generates local economic vitality 24 MARKETING ❘ Expo Central ❘ Quick tips and advice to help profit from a successful trade show 26 ENVIRONMENT ❘ Masters of Green ❘ Local employers excel in setting green standard for sustainable business practices

Departments

4 From the Publisher 5, 30 Professionally Speaking

6 Since We Last Met 10 Build Up Pages 23 Guest Advice

32 Who’s News

35 Business Calendar 36 Advertiser Index

37 Guest Commentary 38 Key Statistics

On our Cover

Photo illustration by New North B2B.

NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014 l 3

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Blueprint for a prosperous campaign Walker’s proposal to spend budget surplus could be used more wisely for the long term

Sean Fitzgerald New North B2B Publisher 4 l NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014

If you didn’t realize 2014 is a gubernatorial election year in Wisconsin, this past January’s State of the State Address left a trail of breadcrumbs to the voting booth this coming November.

Whereas much of Gov. Scott Walker’s past three State of the State speeches painted a portrait of goals for state government in the year ahead, this recent chapter placed more emphasis on the accomplishments of the past three years as well as plans for disseminating the more than $900 million surplus the state’s Legislative Fiscal Bureau forecast for the current fiscal year. The combination of both ingredients created a recipe that could set the table for Walker’s re-election campaign when it builds steam later this year.

That’s not to say the accomplishments of the past three years haven’t been important, particularly in the arena of job creation, working training, and initiatives to better connect qualified workers seeking jobs with employers in need of those skill sets. Many such programs created in the past three years – some even in the past two months – will continue to produce workforce and economic results in the years to come.

But more efforts are needed, and plans for the coming year perhaps don’t go far enough.

During his address, the governor proposed his Blueprint for Prosperity, a spending plan for the estimated $911 million state budget surplus, with only $35 million being appropriated to the Wisconsin Fast Forward program, a critical state workforce development initiative. Specifically, those funds are recommended to: u support dual enrollment programs between school districts and technical colleges that target high demand jobs; u support technical college operations to eliminate waiting lists in high demand fields like manufacturing, agriculture and information technology; u and support for programs helping people with disabilities enter the workforce.

While many of the problems Wisconsin’s employers and workforce faced during the recession have been conquered, several issues remain. And far more dilemmas exist on the horizon as the Baby Boomer generation begins to phase into retirement.

More funding for workforce development and job creation incentives – more than $35 million, at least – is necessary for Wisconsin

to remain a vibrant state from which business owners can operate 10 years down the road.

Instead, the vast majority of the surplus is proposed to be returned to taxpayers for a one-time reduction in property taxes of $406 million. Supposedly, the typical homeowner would see a reduction of about $101 on their next property tax bill. Similarly, the plan would reduce income taxes by $99 million.

Though nice, large dollar figures to campaign upon, the actual impact of returning such a surplus to taxpayers might be nominal. A tax savings calculator on the prosperity.wisconsin.gov website can figure how much your individual household will save in 2014 as a result of the Blueprint for Prosperity proposal. Just enter your property value and yearly income, and your estimated share of any tax refund boon will be calculated. Here’s what I discovered when analyzing the impact of returning the budget surplus to my wife and myself: “Congratulations! You’ll save $0 on your Property Taxes. $0 on your Income Taxes.”

Thank you Wisconsin.

Let’s not forget this surplus isn’t exactly the windfall of a better-than-expected economy producing state revenues above and beyond budget assumptions. That’s political euphemism.

The surplus means Wisconsin businesses and residents have overpaid in fees. It means we’ve overpaid in taxes. It means state government has cut back too far on its commitment to share revenue with school districts, municipalities, technical colleges and universities across Wisconsin, which all of us in turn are paying more to support.

The governor asked the question during his address, “what do you do with a surplus?”

He responded to give it back to the people who’ve earned it. But one could also restore previous spending cuts that make sense for a better workforce, a better economy, and ultimately lead to lower taxes in the future.

Use the projected budget surplus to truly make an impact on job creation for Wisconsin businesses and improvements to the state’s workforce readiness.

Otherwise, all the talk of returning millions of dollars “back into the hands of hard working taxpayers” is simply a nice campaign gesture – an unexpected $100 gift card – which will be foolishly spent and soon forgotten with no real long-term impact to Wisconsin’s economy. www.newnorthb2b.com

PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING

Significant unemployment law changes

by Davis & Kuelthau, s.c.

Tony Renning

920.232.4842

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

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

Reader Question: What are some of the most recent changes to Wisconsin’s Unemployment Insurance benefits?

Tony Renning: 2013 Wisconsin Act 20 makes a number of changes with respect to an individual’s eligibility for Unemployment Insurance benefits.

Most significantly, as of Jan. 5, 2014, the Department of Workforce Development will consider a two-tier standard for disqualifying claimants who are discharged.

A claimant may be disqualified if he/she is discharged for “misconduct” connected with employment (a violation of written policies concerning alcohol; theft; conviction of a crime on or off duty if conviction makes it impossible to perform his/her duties; harassment, assault or physical violence; absenteeism; falsifying business records and violation of state or federal regulations).

A claimant may also be disqualified if he/she is discharged for “substantial fault” connected with employment. Substantial fault arises when an employee violates a requirement of the employer but the

Sean Fitzgerald

Publisher & President

sean@newnorthb2b.com

Carrie Rule

Sales Manager

carrie@newnorthb2b.com

Kate Erbach Production

Contributing writers

Robin Bruecker Lee Reinsch

Chief Financial Officer

Vicky Fitzgerald, CPA

violation does not rise to the level of misconduct. Substantial fault does not include: minor violations of rules unless the employee repeats the violation after warning; unintentional mistakes made by the employee or not performing work because the employee lacks skill, ability or was not supplied the equipment.

Wisconsin law previously allowed benefits for claimants who quit if their circumstances fell within one of 18 exceptions. As of Jan. 5, a number of those exceptions have been eliminated. Accordingly, only if an employee quits his/her job and the employee’s reason for quitting is covered by a statutory exception will he/she still be eligible for benefits if otherwise qualified.

If an employee quits and the reason is no longer covered by a statutory exception, the employee is ineligible until he/she requalifies for benefits.

Finally, Wisconsin law previously provided a claimant who was disqualified from receiving Unemployment Insurance benefits as a result of quitting a job or refusing an offer of suitable work was required to earn

four times his/her weekly benefit rate in covered employment (and at least four weeks must have elapsed since he/she quit or refused suitable work). As of Jan. 5, a similar claimant must earn six times his/her weekly benefit rate in employment covered by the Unemployment Insurance program to re-qualify for benefits.

For advice and counsel concerning labor and employment law issues and, specifically, issues related to Unemployment Insurance benefits, contact Tony Renning at (920) 232-4842 or trenning@dkattorneys. com or any other member of the Davis & Kuelthau Labor and Employment Team.

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

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Fox Cities

Oshkosh

Fond du Lac NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014 l 5

SINCE WE LAST MET

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.

December 30 The Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau awarded a $250,000 tourism development grant to Lawrence University in Appleton for its proposed $5 million renovation of the Banta Bowl. The athletic facility improvement project would raise and widen the football field playing surface to accommodate soccer and lacrosse. Plans include adding a synthetic playing surface, locker rooms, press box, seating, concessions, restrooms, scoreboard and entrance.

January 5 The Wisconsin Department of Transportation reopened the Interstate 43 Leo Frigo Bridge in Green Bay to traffic following a more than 100-day closure since one of the support piers unexpectedly sank on Sept. 25, 2013, causing the highlytraveled span over the Fox River to sag. The contractor hired to repair the bridge completed the project 12 days ahead of its deadline, earning it a $750,000 incentive under its state contract.

January 7 Walmart officially filed its development plans with the City of Green Bay for a 150,000-sq. ft. superstore on the site of the former Larsen Cannery in the eclectic Broadway district.

The proposal has already faced several months of scrutiny and opposition from Mayor Jim Schmitt and a variety of Broadway business owners, and still requires approval from both the city’s Plan Commission and Common Council.

January 7 The Village of Ashwaubenon Board of Trustees approved an April 1 referenda on a series of four questions asking

voters to borrow more than $20 million for a $3.9 million community center; $7.5 million swimming pool and an $8 million community auditorium at Ashwaubenon High School; and a $1.5 million smaller warm-water pool for youth and senior activities. Each project will be presented as a separate question for voters to consider. The impact of approving all four projects would add an estimated 70 to 75 cents for every $1,000 of equalized property value on a property owner’s tax bill, or an additional $70 on a property valued at $100,000.

January 7 State Assembly Rep. Dean Kaufert (R-Neenah) filed nomination papers to run for mayor of Neenah, challenging incumbent Mayor George Scherck who has held the post since 2002. Kaufert has served in the Assembly since 1991, and had previously served as chairman of the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee.

January 7 The state Department of Transportation suspended the motor vehicle dealer license for Family Auto Budget Sales, 556 S. Military Road in Fond du Lac, after its investigation found the business did not adhere to dealer facility licensing requirements of the state. The suspension remains in effect until the dealer is in compliance with Wisconsin law.

January 7 The Wisconsin Board of Commissioners of Public Lands approved State Trust Fund Loans for 10 projects valued at more than $11 million, including the following five awards in northeast Wisconsin: $400,000 to the Town of Greenville in Outagamie County to purchase equipment and renovate a

Firefighters of Northeast Wisconsin Coming April 2014

We’re not just blowin’ smoke.

Looking for help putting out the fires in your business? Do you know a business owner who is? Get help from a professional consultant at no cost in our 4th Annual Firefighters initiative. For consideration send an email to the publisher at sean@newnorthb2b.com or call 920.237.0254 6 l NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014

www.newnorthb2b.com

SINCE WE LAST MET building; $460,679 to the Village of Hortonville to refinance bank debt and a separate $142,285 to refinance a previous loan from the board; $70,000 to the Town of Metomen in Fond du Lac County to construct an addition to its town hall and a cold storage building; and $550,000 to the Village of Winneconne to finance projects in its TID #8.

January 9 The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents appointed UW Colleges and UW-Extension Chancellor Ray Cross as the next president of the University of Wisconsin System. He succeeds Kevin P. Reilly, who resigned the office last month to advise the American Council on Education and return to teaching. Cross has led UW Colleges and UWExtension since 2011, and has been instrumental in the development and launch of the innovative UW Flexible Option aimed at conferring more degrees within the state workforce.

January 9 Outagamie County officials launched a revolving loan fund aimed at assisting local start ups or existing businesses looking to expand operations in cases where conventional financing is limited. The low-interest loan fund was seeded with $318,000 in proceeds from the retirement of Tax Incremental Finance District 3 in the Village of Little Chute. The loans may be used as part of larger financing packages to help reduce risk exposure to other lenders.

2003 February 28 – Great Lakes Aviation made its last flight out of Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh after the U.S. Department of Transportation stopped subsidizing commercial flights earlier in the week, leaving the Oshkosh airport without a commercial passenger carrier for the first time in 75 years.

2005 February 4 – The City of Neenah received a $500,000 state Brownfields grant to clean up a contaminated site downtown for Alta Resources Corp. to expand. The total investment for this project is $31.4 million.

2009 February 2 – The City of Fond du Lac’s workplace smoking ban ordinance went into effect, prohibiting cigarette smoking in all city workplaces, including taverns, restaurants and bowling alleys. The city’s Common Council had approved the measure back in October 2008.

January 10 The U.S. Department of Labor reported 74,000 jobs were created during December, decreasing the national unemployment rate from 7.0 percent to 6.7 percent.

Employment rose in retail trade and wholesale trade but was down in information.

January 13 The Menasha School District Board of Education set an April 1 referendum asking voters for authority to tax property owners an additional $360,000 each year going forward to maintain its elementary school world language program. If approved, the additional revenue would cover expenses for

2011 February 18 – Both the Kimberly and Freedom Area school districts cancelled classes for the day after superintendents learned several faculty members didn’t plan to come to work in protest of Gov. Walker’s proposed budget repair bill. As many as 180 staff members in Kimberly participated in the “sick out,” while there appeared to be an organized effort to ensure substitute teachers from the area didn’t fill positions on that day.

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SINCE WE LAST MET

New tax laws ahead.

salaries, benefits and supplies for the world language program in the district’s elementary schools. Voters in the Menasha school district approved a referendum to borrow nearly $30 million last April to renovate and construct two additions to the existing high school.

January 13

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The Howard-Suamico School District Board of Education set an April 1 referenda on two separate questions asking voters to borrow more than $13 million for a variety of building repairs throughout the district and improvements to the swimming pool at Lineville Intermediate School. The proposal includes $9.9 million for security upgrades to entrances at various schools in the district, interior remodeling at some schools to increase the amount of instructional space in the district and upgrades to the heating and cooling systems in district buildings, as well as $3.5 million to improve the pool. The impact of approving both projects would add an estimated 9 cents for every $1,000 of equalized property value on a property owner’s tax bill, or an additional $9 on a property valued at $100,000.

11/27/13 8:18 AM

Berlin-based Community Health Network entered into an agreement with Appleton-based ThedaCare to merge the two health care systems. Community Health Network includes Berlin Memorial Hospital and Wild Rose Community Memorial Hospital; 10 clinics; its CHN Medical Group of more than 35 physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants; and a total of about 800 employees system wide. ThedaCare consists of five hospitals including Appleton Medical Center, Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah and New London Family Medical Center; nearly 20 clinics and outpatients centers; and nearly 6,100 employees system wide. The agreement calls for no layoffs of Community Health Network employees and for ThedaCare to install its Epic electronic medical records system at all Community Health Network locations during 2014.

January 15 J.C. Penney announced it will close 33 underperforming stores nationwide and five in Wisconsin, including the anchor store at Forest Mall in Fond du Lac. The stores are expected to be closed by May. The company expects the store closings to save about $65 million a year.

January 22 Oshkosh-based CitizensFirst Credit Union, Neenahbased Lakeview Credit Union and Brillion-based Best Advantage Credit Union announced plans to merge together into a combined financial institution with $600 million in assets and 10 branch locations serving 47,000 members throughout 15 counties in Wisconsin. The merger requires formal approval yet from the membership of both Best Advantage and Lakeview credit unions, and leadership from all three credit unions hope to finalize the deal by April. CitizensFirst Credit Union President and CEO Kevin Ralofsky will serve as the combined credit union’s president and chief executive. Following the merger, the credit union expects to undergo a name change.

8 l NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014

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NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014 l 9

BUILD UP FOND DU LAC

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4 6 5

C - Indicates a new listing

Build Up Fond du Lac

4 - 100 W. Larsen Dr., Fond du Lac, C

1 - 755 W. Johnson St., Fond du Lac, C

Hardee’s, a new

restaurant building.

5 - 1674 Fox Ridge Dr., Fond du Lac,

2

- 1315 S. Main St., Fond du Lac, Roberts Homes, a new office building. Project completion expected in June.

3 - 1060 E. Johnson St., Fond du Lac,

Marchant Schmidt Inc., an addition to the existing manufacturing facility.

Walgreens, a new

retail building and pharmacy.

Con-way Freight, a 47,000-sq. ft. freight terminal and service center. Project completion expected in March.

6 - 321 Camelot Dr., Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac Regional Clinic South, a 50,000-sq. ft. addition to the existing medical clinic. Completion expected in late fall.

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BUILD UP OSHKOSH 7

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C - Indicates a new listing

Build Up Oshkosh 7

- 3321 County Road A, Oshkosh, A.P. Nonweiler, a 16,100-sq. ft. addition to the existing industrial facility.

Projects completed since our January issue: • Ripon Medical Center, 790 Eastgate Dr., Ripon.

• Kwik Trip, 1090 N. Washburn St., Oshkosh.

8 - 639 Witzel Ave., Oshkosh, City of Oshkosh Public Works Building, a municipal operations facility and yard.

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9 2 0 . 7 3 3 . 3 1 3 6 y 866.966.3928 y www.newbt.org NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014 l 11

BUILD UP FOX CITIES Build Up Fox Cities C - Indicates a new listing

1 - W6400 County Road BB, town of Greenville, Fox Valley Technical College Public Safety Training Center, a 93,000sq. ft. training facility for fire protection and law enforcement personnel. Project completion expected in December.

2

- 2380 Holly Road, Neenah, Aerial Work Platforms, a 12,500-sq. ft. office and warehouse. Project completion expected in April. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

3

- 3600 W. Prospect Ave., Appleton, Butte des Morts Country Club, a new swimming pool with a 4,774-sq. ft. attached bar and restaurant. Project completion expected in March. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

4 - 3000 W. College Ave., Appleton, Kolosso Automotive, a 49,000-sq. ft. dealership facility. Project completion expected in June. General contractor is Keller Inc.

5 - 301 N. Bluemound Dr., town of Grand Chute, Gordon Food Service (GFS) Marketplace, a 15,757-sq. ft. grocery store building. Project completion expected in February.

6 - 1825 N. Bluemound Dr., town of Grand Chute, Fox Valley Technical College Transportation Center, a 43,486-sq. ft. addition to the existing transportation education center.

Project completion expected this spring.

7 - 1825 N. Bluemound Dr., town of Grand Chute, Fox Valley Technical College Student Success Center, a two-story, 96,750-sq. ft. academic building. Project completion expected in the fall.

8 - 734 W. Wisconsin Ave., Appleton,

The Free Market, a new retail/commercial building. Project completion expected in March.

9 - 2120 E. Edgewood Dr., Appleton,

Kwik Trip, a 9,821sq. ft. convenience store, fuel station canopy and a 2,790-sq. ft. car wash. Project completion expected in February.

10 - W2520 County Road JJ, town of Vandenbroek, Ken’s Sports, an 18,000-sq. ft. addition for the Honda service center and a separate 19,000-sq. ft. boat showroom. Project completion expected in February. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

11 - 900 Randolph Dr., Little Chute, C Reinders Inc., a 14,340-sq. ft. industrial building. Project completion expected in May. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

12 - 3601 Electric City Blvd., Kaukauna, Albany International, an addition to the existing industrial facility.

Project completion expected in February.

13 - 3600 Electric City Blvd., Kaukauna, Holland Cold Storage, a 42,615-sq. ft. addition to the existing warehousing facility for more cold storage. Project completion expected in April. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

14 - 100 County Road KK, Kaukauna, C Piping Service Inc., a 10,800-sq. ft. addition to the existing industrial building.

Project completion expected in spring. General contractor is Frontier Builders & Consultants of Kaukauna.

15 - 1506 S. Oneida St., Appleton, St. Elizabeth Hospital, a five-story, 90-bed patient tower, as well as renovations to the cancer center and behavioral health.

16 - W647 Knight Dr., Sherwood, Dick’s Family Foods, a 20,598-sq. ft. grocery store building. Project completion expected in March. General contractor is Bayland Buildings Inc. of Green Bay. Projects completed since our January issue: • NEW Printing, 1718 E. Wisconsin Ave., Appleton.

• St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church & School, N2749 French Road, Freedom.

• Plumbers & Steamfitters UA Local 400, 2700 Northridge Dr., Kaukauna.

• Galloway Company, 601 S. Commercial St., Neenah.

12 l NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014

www.newnorthb2b.com

BUILD UP FOX CITIES 10

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11 12 & 13 6&7 8 5 4

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NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014 l 13

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

C - Indicates a new listing

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- 5501 Glendale Ave., Howard, Cellcom/Nsight Teleservices, a 32,000-sq. ft. logistical operations center. Project completion expected in March.

2 - 2522 W. Mason St., Green Bay,

Oneida Mason Street Casino, an 8,000-sq. ft. expansion of the existing facility to accommodate an on-site restaurant. Project completion expected in May.

3 - 1616 W. Mason St., Green Bay, Michaels Arts & Crafts, an addition to the existing retail center for a new store. Project completion expected in February.

4 - 411 S. Military Ave., Green Bay,

Fox Communities Credit Union, a 4,400-sq. ft. credit union branch office. Project completion expected in March.

5 - 301 E. Main St., Green Bay,

KI Convention Center, a 30,000-sq. ft. addition to the existing convention center facility. Project completion expected in spring 2015.

6 - 100 E. Main St., Green Bay, CityDeck Landing, a six-story, mixed-use development to include 76 residential units and 7,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor.

7 - 400 N. Washington St., Green Bay,

Schreiber Foods Inc., a five-story, 250,000sq. ft. corporate headquarters building. Project completion expected in the fall.

8 - 1830 Cofrin Dr., Green Bay, Frehse Transportation, an addition to the existing industrial facility. Project completion expected this spring. General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay. 9 - 2530 S. Hemlock Road, Green Bay, Handling & Conveying Systems, a 33,000-sq. ft. manufacturing facility including 6,000 square feet of office space. Project completion expected in May. General contractor is Bayland Buildings.

10 - 3282 Eaton Road, Bellevue, Community First Credit Union, a 6,705-sq. ft. financial institution office.

11 - 2014 Lime Kiln Road, Bellevue, a multi-tenant commercial building including retail space and a dental clinic.

12 - 2020 Airport Dr., Ashwaubenon, Oneida Main Casino, an expansion and renovation of the existing casino to accommodate another on-site restaurant and additional gaming. Project completion expected in April.

13 - 1921 Airport Dr., Ashwaubenon, Jet Air Group, a 32,375-sq. ft. storage hangar with additional office space and a repair center. Project completion expected this spring.

General contractor is Bayland Buildings Inc. of Green Bay.

14 - 3355 Commodity Lane, Ashwaubenon,

Vibrant Impressions, a 13,400-sq. ft.

addition to the industrial facility.

15 - Label Drive, Ashwaubenon, Green Bay Packaging Inc., a 240,000-sq. ft. coated products manufacturing facility. Project completion expected in late fall.

16 - 3101 French Road, town of Lawrence,

Kelbe Brothers Equipment, a 6,600sq. ft. warehouse building and offices. Project completion expected in March. General contractor is Bayland Buildings Inc. of Green Bay.

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BUILD UP GREATER GREEN BAY 1

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17 - 100 Grant St., De Pere, St. Norbert College Gehl-Mulva Science Center, a 150,000-sq. ft. education and research facility to house the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Green Bay campus. Project completion expected in spring 2015.

18 - 150 Wisconsin Ave. South, De Pere, C Walgreens, a new retail store.

19 - 1891 Commerce Dr., De Pere, C Straubel Company, an addition to the existing manufacturing facility.

Projects completed since our January issue: • Gandrud Nissan, 1001 Auto Plaza Dr., Green Bay. • Kwik Trip, 2618 Monroe Road, Bellevue.

• Infinity Machine, 2249 American Blvd., De Pere.

Better Business Bureau New Members

Businesses accredited through the Northeast Wisconsin office during December 2013 Affordable Concrete, Omro Daily Details Concierge, Kaukauna G.M. Bentley Designs, Fine Hand Engraving, Ellison Bay Holiday Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Fond du Lac Pitsch Law Offices, Appleton SBWire, Green Bay NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014 l 15

COVER STORY

Bringing home the G ld Industrial development activity across northeast Wisconsin tops the medal stand in generating local economic vitality

Story by Lee Reinsch

16 l NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014

www.newnorthb2b.com

COVER STORY If manufacturing and industrial growth were the Winter Olympics, Wisconsin would be on its way to the games in Sochi.

With manufacturing comprising 19.1 percent of the gross state product, Wisconsin ranks No. 4 in the nation among states, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.

Beat out by Indiana with 28.2 percent, Oregon with 27.8 percent, and Louisiana with 22.6, our humble state chugs along slow and steady but ready to take on the world.

Here’s a look at how industry is developing at various locales around northeast Wisconsin.

FOND DU LAC: The Luge

If manufacturing and industry growth were the Winter Olympics, Fond du Lac would be the luge – only in reverse. Instead of speeding downhill, Fond du Lac (Fond du Luge?) is zooming to the top. In the last year, all three of Fond du Lac’s industrial parks have welcomed newcomers and growth.

“Last year at this time, I would have mentioned that Mercury (Marine) added three additions, and they added two more in 2013, for a total of five,” said Wayne Rollin, community development director for the City of Fond du Lac. Between the five additions, Mercury has grown its already sprawling campus by an additional 137,000 square feet in the last two years.

“That’s pretty significant,” Rollin said. “They’re obviously a major employer – they’re up over 3,000 employees in the Fond du Lac area, and certainly that’s where it all starts.”

Wells Manufacturing, maker of after-market electronic automotive components, moved its operations into its Rolling Meadows Industrial Park facility and added 62,000 square feet to the building last year.

“That was a big project,” Rollin said. “They’re real happy in their new home and they’re growing their employment as well.”

McNeilus Steel finished its new 90,000-sq. ft. facility in the Southwest Industrial Park. A Transportation Economic Assistance grant from the state helped tame the costs of putting in a rail line. McNeilus fabricates steel and supplies manufacturers throughout Wisconsin.

Con-Way Freight bought a sizeable parcel in Fox Ridge Business Park for a 96-bay trucking terminal. It plans to add 100 jobs over the next few years. Prior to this, Con-Way had a

small terminal in Fond du Lac. Marchant Schmidt Industries purchased a neighboring building in the Southwest Industrial Park and is adding 11,000 square feet plus employees, Rollin said. They make stainlesssteel equipment for the food processing industry, such as commercial cheese-shredding machines.

Evaporator Dryer Technologies plans a small plant in the city’s West Industrial Park.

NEENAH: Speed skating

Neenah broke its own building record in 2013 when Plexus finished construction on the largest single building ever built in the city. The $50 million building, in Southpark Industrial Center, exceeds 400,000 square feet, said Chris Haese, Neenah’s community development director. “They’ll have 1,000 employees in that facility, and in addition to the investment and the retention of those jobs, the hope for additional job creation.”

Another quieter project: a $5 million, 13,500-sq. ft. expansion at Galloway Company, which provides dairy products like evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and dairy base for uses in ice cream, The new manufacturing innovation candy and beverages. center Plexus constructed in Neenah.

A few other recent highlights from Neenah: • Futek Forms, Tags & Labels, 540 Discovery Dr., built a new $1.2 million building to replace its previous facility lost to NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014 l 17

COVER STORY fire in April 2012.

• Menasha Corp. added an $800,000 addition to its site at 2255 Brooks Dr. • Kundinger Fluid Power, 2437 Progress Ct., built a 10,000 sq. ft. addition to its technology center for around $500,000.

• WS Packaging added a $250,000 addition at 950 Breezewood Lane.

• Bemis/Curwood took out a permit in November for a $13 million “major remodel” to the interior of its facilities off of Marathon Avenue.

OSHKOSH: Biathlon

Excelling at two sports, let alone one, is pretty amazing. No two ways about it – Oshkosh has a lot going on. Only instead of skiing and shooting, Oshkosh is growing its three established industrial parks and planning a fourth, and within that, it’s got its sights set on a business accelerator.

That fourth industrial park really has Oshkosh aloft with excitement. The planned Oshkosh Aviation Business Park will be developed later this year on 80 acres adjacent to Wittman Regional Airport, and will include several lots offering accessibility to the airport’s taxiway.

The project is a collaboration between the city, Winnebago County, East Central Regional Planning Commission, airport tenants, industrial development organization Chamco and the

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

“Winnebago County owns the airport and was looking at expanding the economic impact of the airport,” said Allen Davis, director of community development for the City of Oshkosh. “They were looking at acquiring some land for potential aviation-related businesses.”

Over the years, the community has received inquiries from aviation-related companies interested in being on or adjacent to the airport, but lacked land.

“It (an aviation business park) just makes sense, given the unique assets we have in the area, including the world headquarters of EAA and AirVenture here every year, and we have a really great airport,” said Elizabeth Hartman, CEO of Chamco.

In 2013, the city and county bought an 80-acre farm adjacent to the airport and divided it into 15 parcels ranging from one to 10 acres.

“The (parcels) that abut the airport would have a taxiway directly out onto the airport,” Davis said.

Fox Valley Technical College and UW-Oshkosh already have some aviation-related programming, and a few aviationrelated businesses reside near the airport.

“But to attract businesses like that, typically folks want to be on an airport, with access to the facilities,” Hartman said.

But they’re not going to take just anybody.

“If we truly want to build this (aviation industry) cluster, we have to be disciplined and make sure the businesses that relocate in this park truly are aviation-related businesses,”

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COVER STORY Hartman said. “We don’t necessarily want to jump on the first people that knock on the door.”

One of the first facilities on the docket: a business accelerator. It’s the next logical step, Hartman said, and would involve aviation-related classes and classes integrating some of the local industries – advanced materials, advanced manufacturing, IT – to help spur more businesses.

AeroInnovate, UW-Oshkosh’s initiative to help entrepreneurs in aviation, has a weeklong program at AirVenture capped off by pitch-and-mingle sessions that bring together innovators in aviation with investors, Hartman said.

The project will be aided by an $837,315 economic adjustment grant from the U.S. Department of Defense awarded to help spur economic activity after the demise of its defense contract and subsequent layoffs at Oshkosh Corp.

Groundbreaking for the business accelerator is slated for the week of EAA’s AirVenture.

A $2 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration will help pay for sewer, water and road infrastructure on the site.

“All that means is that we’re going to get the project done quicker and at less cost to the city,” Hartman said.

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APPLETON: Figure skating

If industrial growth were the Winter Olympics, Appleton would be figure skating (only without the ridiculous costumes). With its aesthetically pleasing downtown and muscular industrial sector, Appleton is lacing up to meet the challenges while looking good doing so.

Flair Flexible Packaging was Southpoint Commerce Park’s token expansion in 2013, adding 10,000 square feet that doubled the warehouse space. With another 10,000 square feet of office space, the Appleton facility employs 26 people fulltime, four times the number it employed six years ago when it opened.

Flair, an $80 million company headquartered in Canada, makes high-end packaging for products like the bags for Victor Allen’s and Steep & Brew coffees, as well as packaging for medical supplies.

“We’ve added over 20 jobs locally and we continue to add more,” said director of corporate operations Cheryl Miller.

Appleton Stainless, Inc. in the Northeast Industrial Park put up a 5,000-sq. ft. storage building.

Although stainless piping Flair Flexible Packaging has can be stored outside, it grown its presence in Appleton’s requires enough upkeep Southpoint Commerce Park. that it made sense to build separate quarters, said Gary Fahey, president of Appleton Stainless, which makes piping for the bio-pharmaceutical,

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dairy and food industries. “It was costing us a lot of man hours to retouch it before sending it out to customers,” Fahey said.

The project cost around $160,000.

In Appleton, manufacturing is not limited to industrial parks, said Karen Harkness, the City of Appleton’s director of community development.

“Appleton sits on the river, so a lot of our industry has grown up on our river or in our urban core,” Harkness said.

One of those urban-core companies, Appvion – formerly known to many as Appleton Papers – is planning a state-ofthe-art research center at its Wisconsin Avenue headquarters.

But nothing’s concrete, yet. None of the existing buildings have been demolished to begin construction because plans haven’t quite been finalized, said Bill Van Den Brandt, Appvion’s senior manager of corporate communications, Bill Van Den Brandt.

He said Appvion envisions “a product-design and innovation center designed to promote a lot of collaboration and new product development.” The facility would house 80 researchers currently in three laboratories.

“In terms of, ‘Have we got all the details figured out?’ No. We’re working with the city and with a developer and are looking at the feasibility of building this thing.”

But it’s fair to say it’s on the horizon for 2014, Van Den Brandt said.

ASHWAUBENON: Free-style skiing

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Skiing freestyle encompasses variety to keep it lively: There’s aerials, moguls, ski cross, slope-style and the half-pipe.

Similarly, 2013 wasn’t dull for Ashwaubenon.

Outdoor retailer Cabela’s charged in to town with lots of fanfare, and renovations in the area around Lambeau Field captured much of the limelight. But while such commercial ventures add taxable property value, they really don’t contribute to the number of manufacturing jobs in the area.

On the down side, Ashwaubenon lost a few members of its team to other communities: Foth and Metal Storm moved to De Pere and C.H. Robinson to downtown Green Bay. That’s been tough on Village of Ashwaubenon President Mike Aubinger.

“If the communities partake in switching things around (moving one company out of a Brown County municipality into another), you don’t make any progress. What does make progress is when you bring things from out of town into town,” Aubinger said.

Enter 5 Point Fabrication. Open for less than a year, the little company has already quadrupled its staff. Mark Nelis, president of business development, said the company started with five people – hence, the name 5 Point – and now has 20.

“We hope to have 50 in the next three years,” Nelis said.

That would certainly please village leaders.

“Anytime you add jobs to a community, you add value,” Aubinger said. “You add human value, you add value toward the moral character of your community and also to the financial structure, whether or not (employees) live here or don’t live here.”

5 Point Fabrication does custom metal work for the dairy and bottling industries and for original equipment manufacturers. www.newnorthb2b.com

COVER STORY DE PERE: Speed skating

in

Examples of products 5 Point Fabrication Ashwaubenon manufactures for its clients.

5 Point moved into a building formerly inhabited by Wesco Electrical.

One company didn’t move in from outside, and isn’t adding jobs, but it’s increasing the tax rolls: Green Bay Packaging’s coated products division.

The company is constructing a nearly 300,000-sq. ft. facility in Ashwaubenon, which doubles the size of its current site on South Ridge Road. The move is characterized as a job protector rather than a job creator, said Marty Olson, senior vice president of coated products for Green Bay Packaging.

The coated products division makes the kind of pressuresensitive label paper that ends up on deli containers and supermarket donut boxes.

“With the new facility up and running, it will give us the opportunity in our current facility to look at some new product lines and launch those into the future,” Olson said. “We’ll look at growing in our current product lines and will continue to look at new product lines.”

Olson said he expects the $95 million project to be finished by mid-2015.

It takes a powerhouse of thigh muscle and balance to zip around (and around) that vertiginous rink. Two major companies, Foth and Green Bay Packaging’s folding carton division, each built 100,000-sq. ft. quarters in De Pere’s business parks, thus revealing themselves as powerful quadriceps behind the city’s growth. The GB Packaging project was an addition to its existing facility.

Several other companies made significant strides in the past year: • Metal Storm metal fabricators built a new 40,000-sq. ft.,

$1.6 million building.

• Infinity Machine & Engineering doubled its size with a

40,000-sq. ft., $1 million addition.

• Wash World opened a 60,000-sq. ft. building.

• Cummins N Power on Lawrence Drive added 30,000

square feet for storage.

• Belmark Label Solutions did a 25,000-sq. ft. expansion

in 2013 and is planning a second one, adding 50,000

square feet total.

• Construction on a 20,000-sq. ft. shared-manufacturing

space on Scheuring Road is set to begin in February, to be leased to tenants.

• Straubel Company in the city’s East Industrial Park is

building a $1.5 million, 40,000-sq. ft. addition.

• Fox River Fiber added a 3,000-sq. ft. addition as well as a $1 million pretreatment process to reduce the biochemical oxygen demand of its discharge, according to Ken Pabich, the City of De Pere’s community development director.

“It’s green innovation, and it’s kind of neat,” he said.

KAUKAUNA: Curling

Curling isn’t the sexiest of sports, especially considering those Norwegians and their wacky pants. It’s slow and steady and takes precision. Kaukauna is benefiting from the steady pace of projects in its four

industrial parks.

Despite its reputation as slow and steady, the sport of curling is filled with dramatic moments of high electricity, just like Kaukauna’s industrial residents. Due to the city’s own municipal electric utility that generates hydroelectric energy from the swift current of the Fox River through the community, Kaukauna has the lowest electric rates in the Fox Valley, a key attraction to many high-energy use manufacturers.

“Actually, there is a lot going on in Kaukauna,” noted Mayor Gene Rosin, who mentioned the following highlights of the

Electric City’s recent industrial growth: • G&G Machine built a new 35,000-sq. ft. facility.

• Holland Cold Storage added a 20,000-sq. ft. addition.

• Albany International’s 43,600-sq. ft. addition is almost finished.

• Poly Flex recently purchased 6.3 acres for a 55,000-sq. ft. facility.

G&G Machine’s new facility in Kaukauna.

NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014 l 21

COVER STORY

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GREEN BAY: Bobsleigh

Four people on one bobsled might seem crowded, and likewise, so is space in the City of Green Bay’s I-43 business park.

“It’s like 95 percent built out,” said Greg Flisram, Green Bay’s director of economic development. “The only land that’s left is land that is encumbered with wetland issues or it’s vacant and owned by Aurora as part of their future expansion.”

But that means a smoother ride for other parts of the city that need some new life: • The new $60 million corporate headquarters for Schreiber Foods downtown is slated to open this summer.

• C.H. Robinson moved 60 people into the Watermark Building downtown.

• Handling & Conveying Systems, or H&CS for short, is building a 30,000-sq. ft. facility in University Heights Commerce Center.

Brown County has earmarked some of the 238 acres south of UW-Green Bay on the former county mental health center site it owns for a potential research and business park. The campus would ideally bring higher education, local industry and the private sector together to advance a knowledgebased economy, according to county officials.

“There seems to be a lot of positive support in the development of this, in that meeting the future needs as far as a knowledge-based economy is crucial in northeast Wisconsin,” said Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach.

Other cities with similar research and business areas include Milwaukee with its water-treatment specialty and Madison with biomedical, Streckenbach said.

Green Bay’s could involve any of a number of industries – manufacturing, dairy, utilities, medical or health industries, among others, he said.

“The main constant behind it is creating this direct pipeline of conversation and research between the needs of businesses in the area and the university,” said Chuck Lamine, planning director for Brown County. “And leveraging the two to encourage that future collaboration (and encouraging) the aspiring entrepreneur to say, ‘I want to move to Brown County because they have this research and business park in the area I would like to do my studies in.’”

The opening ceremonies

920.322.3440 wrollin@fdl.wi.gov

The medals have been minted and the Ralph Lauren uniforms – made in the USA this time – await opening ceremonies. The torch is lit. All of the participants’ efforts have led up to this moment.

If Wisconsin’s manufacturing champs can knock out Indiana and Louisiana, stay away from Oregon (home state of notorius retired Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding, after all) and avoid poppy seed bulochkis and steroid-infused borscht, they’ll do OK. Lee Reinsch writes and edits from Green Bay.

22 l NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014

www.newnorthb2b.com

GUEST ADVICE

Tax savings for manufacturing exporters International Sales Corporation status can reduce federal tax burden

Brad Baumann, CPA CliftonLarsonAllen LLP

Wisconsin manufacturers work hard to make products and services competitive in the global economy. The U.S. Department of Commerce indicates about 20 percent of all manufacturing workers in Wisconsin depend on exports for their jobs. What’s more, Wisconsin exports have increased by almost 40 percent since 2009, to $23 billion in 2012.

Clearly, generating foreign sales is necessary for continued growth in Wisconsin.

Many state exporters leverage these international sales to reduce their federal tax burden through an incorporation tool called an IC-DISC. People tend to think smaller companies face big obstacles to exporting. Yet, 88 percent of Wisconsin exporters are small and medium-sized businesses, according to the Department of Commerce. Exporters do face fierce competition – as well as foreign tariffs, fees and taxes – on export sales.

Fortunately, they have at least one federal tax regulation going for them. By creating an Interest Charge-Domestic International Sales Corporation (IC-DISC), a domestic manufacturer or reseller with international sales can defer and/or reduce its overall tax burden related to the income on these sales.

The IC-DISC reduces U.S. taxation on exports of property manufactured here for direct use outside the U.S. Two primary types of sales qualify: sales from products shipped directly outside the U.S. and sales from products sold in the U.S. that ultimately are added to a product that is shipped internationally.

Many contract manufacturers are part of supply chains for large original equipment manufacturers whose products end up outside the U.S. Parts shipped domestically to these OEMs may qualify for this tax-advantaged status, even though on the surface they don’t appear to be foreign sales.

An IC-DISC can be used in a number of ways. The most advantageous is the permanent tax savings on export sales.

Although an IC-DISC is a tax-exempt entity, any cash distributed from an IC-DISC is taxed to the shareholders at the qualifying dividend rate of 20 percent. This result is a federal tax savings of up to 19.6 percent (assuming top individual tax bracket) on the income associated with foreign sales.

It doesn’t take much for a company to

benefit from an IC-DISC. Companies with $1 million or more in export sales have shown savings from establishing IC-DISCs. In addition, the cost of set up and recurring maintenance of this strategy can be relatively minimal compared to the savings.

IC-DISCs have been around for close to 30 years, yet are not widely used in small to midsized manufacturing companies. Why not?

One reason stems from a misconception they are too complicated or administratively burdensome, which is not the case. However, an IC-DISC strategy does require a company to establish a separate entity to report its international sales. The IC-DISC is a “paper” entity created to make the company more competitive. It does not require corporate substance or form, office space, employees or tangible assets. It simply serves as a conduit for export tax savings. Customers do not need to know about the IC-DISC, and contracts remain current. In addition, the transactions required to be reported for the IC-DISC can be summarized and reported once a year.

Another reason for a low IC-DISC adoption rate is that this structure didn’t provide much benefit in the past. There were other provisions in the tax code providing deductions for international sales. These provisions expired a number of years ago, resulting in the IC-DISC strategy once again becoming more advantageous.

If you think this strategy may be an option for your company, it’s important to act quickly. An IC-DISC will only provide benefit beginning on the date it is formed – benefits are not available retroactively.

To maximize savings and ensure proper IC-DISC formation and administration, businesses that wish to create an IC-DISC should seek assistance from a qualified tax advisor. While the concept and administration are relatively simple, it is important the initial set-up is done properly to maximize and protect this tax advantage.

Brad Baumann, CPA, is a principal in the Oshkosh office of CliftonLarsonAllen, and is a leader in CliftonLarsonAllen’s Manufacturing & Distribution practice in Wisconsin. For more information on setting up an IC-DISC, email Baumann at brad.baumann@claconnect. com or call 920.231.5890.

NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014 l 23

MARKETING

Expo Central

Quick tips and advice to help profit from a successful trade show

Story by New North B2B Snow and cold weather traditionally usher in the trade show season for so many northeast Wisconsin businesses.

And while a contingent of business owners and marketing directors may feel such expos have become irrelevant in a digital marketing age, nothing could be further from reality.

Trade shows are perhaps more vital and important than ever as customers and vendors require face-to-face interaction to access information, network, make decisions and close deals.

Rather than comparing product web pages on a computer monitor or Smartphone screen, customers can do some hands-on shopping while tangibly comparing similar products, particularly at an industry trade show, said Carol Van Vreede, owner and CEO of Skyline Exhibit Resource in De Pere.

Most trade shows attract a well-defined audience of attendees, many who are primarily there as an integral part of their product sourcing and buying process, as well as personally meeting current and potential suppliers.

Trade shows and business expos are intended to be a manner of generating leads from this well-articulated audience, not necessarily a venue to sell products right on the spot from your booth. A recent survey published by Expo magazine in concert with Skyline Exhibits revealed that while a bulk of sales that result from show leads are started within the first three months following the event, a surprising 21 percent of sales are started more than nine months after the show.

“Your job at a trade show is not to sell something on the spot,” Van Vreede said. “Your job is to earn the opportunity to sell to them down the line. I always ask everyone if I can follow

24 l NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014

up with them after the trade show.”

Even though her business is selling trade show displays, Van Vreede said the greatest investment any business makes in a trade show isn’t its elaborate display or even the booth registration itself. Rather, the most important investment in a trade show is in the people who staff the booth. Van Vreede offered the following advice for your staff working an expo booth:

• Have an open stance. Keep any literature or lead cards in your hands to avoid crossing your arms or putting your hands in your packets.

• Don’t judge a book by its cover – never underestimate prospects by classifying them by the way they look.

• Stand near the aisle and ask open-ended questions rather than simply saying “hello” to each person who walks past.

• Avoid giving away promotional products to everyone who walks past. Promotional items should be given as a reward for those who visit your booth and stop to have a conversation.

• Take a break every two to three hours rather than sitting in your booth.

• Eat and drink during your break, not at the booth.

• During idle periods, stay off your cell phone altogether – no talking, texting or surfing the web.

• Dress professionally and wear comfortable shoes.

• Smile, be friendly, and have an uplifting attitude.

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In addition to the behaviors and actions of the key team members staffing the booth, the manner in which the booth is staged can have an impact on your organization’s trade show success as well, Van Vreede said.

“A trade show is a little city that’s set up for a few days,” she said. “You want people to come into your store, not just window shop.”

Most exhibit spaces come with a 6-foot or 8-foot table and a chair or two. Van Vreede suggests doing away with them altogether, or at least moving those props out of the way to the back or the side of the booth.

It’s not always appropriate to litter the table of your booth with stacks and stacks of literature and brochures. If possible, leave those items back at the office and don’t necessarily make your trade show booth a kiosk for visitors to grab all the information they think they need on your company.

“If you give everything away at the tradeshow, you have no reason to follow up after the show,” Van Vreede said.

Avoid giving away promotional products that have no meaning, Van Vreede said. Pens with your company name and website on them may be inexpensive, but they don’t quite generate the same kind of excitement they might have 40 years ago. Stick to promotional items that are likely to be used regularly, particularly those that might take permanent residence on top of one’s desk.

Lastly, keep in mind a trade show is a day outside of the regular environment for your staff to sell your company’s products, and also a day outside of the regular environment for your customers to shop. Trade shows generally sport a festive atmosphere, so make it enjoyable!

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NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014 l 25

ENVIRONMENT

Masters of Green Local employers excel in statewide program that sets the green standard for sustainable business practices

Story by Robin Bruecker

26 l NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014

Being a good corporate citizen and naturalresources steward is something any responsible business should strive for, and that in itself is its own reward.

A yardstick by which to compare one’s progress among other companies can be useful, however, and a little kudos for a job well done is always welcome.

Enter the Green Masters, a program of the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council, an entity established through the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business.

The no-cost program allows businesses an opportunity to earn credentials for its sustainability practices in regard to energy and water conservation, waste management and outreach efforts.

“Businesses from every corner of the state, of every size and from almost every sector” have taken part in Green Masters, noted Thomas Eggert, executive director of the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council. The program doesn’t provide training or guidance and instead gives rewards and recognition, although, Eggert said, “we have heard from many companies that our application is frequently downloaded as a template for what companies could be doing in the sustainability area.”

That application is about to be re-opened with a few tweaks for the 2014 year. Eggert noted that Green Masters has grown by 50 percent annually, with the current number of participants at 167.

Why should businesses be interested in adopting sustainability practices and enrolling in Green Masters?

“First, I’d tell them that interest in the program should come from within the business,” said Eggert. “My bet is that they have customers, investors, employees, future employees or their supply chain that is interested in what they are doing from a sustainability perspective.

“Second, I’d tell them that virtually every business gets into sustainability because of the cost savings opportunities,” he went on. “Cutting energy use certainly reduces the environmental footprint of an organization, but it also reduces their energy bill. Reducing the percent of raw materials that becomes waste and is sent to a landfill saves on the cost of landfilling material, but also ensures a greater percentage of raw materials are turned into finished product.”

Among those businesses who apply to participate in the Green Masters program each year, the top 20 percent are awarded the designation of Green Masters. Participating www.newnorthb2b.com

ENVIRONMENT companies are assessed on an objective point system which evaluates sustainability efforts.

Why sustainability matters

A handful of northeast Wisconsin employers are among those designated Green Masters by the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council.

Appleton-based ThedaCare acknowledges sustainability as one of its core values, said Paul Linzmeyer, sustainability leader for the health care provider.

“Businesses and organizations must begin to understand the compelling business case for triple bottom line sustainable practices, and the Green Masters program helps make that case more visible by recognizing successful work and outcomes,” said Linzmeyer.

Another Green Master, contract furniture manufacturer KI in Green Bay, recognizes the value of incorporating sustainability practices into manufacturing and doing business.

“Sustainability principles are an integral part of our core business strategy, products and services, and brand propositions, and, as such, all of our employees are engaged in sustainability,” explained Lisa Evenson, sustainability manager for KI. Sustainability practices also make a favorable impression with customers, as such practices demonstrate innovation – such as material choice and product redesign – social responsibility, and environmental stewardship, Evenson noted.

Appvion Inc. – formerly known to many as Appleton Papers – was among the businesses that expressed interest in developing sustainability criteria back in 2008. The company’s chief environmental and regulatory counsel, Pam Barker, serves on the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council Advisory Board.

“Appvion takes seriously its responsibility to use water, energy, fiber and chemicals wisely, which includes continuously seeking ways to reduce consumption and recycle,” said Bill Van Den Brandt, senior manager of corporate communications.

“Although our company has a long tradition of environmental stewardship, our efforts became more focused and strategic since we developed a detailed sustainability plan in mid2008.”

Schneider National of Green Bay regularly submits its sustainability efforts to Green Masters. In the heavy fuel consumption industry of transportation and logistics, Schneider has been committed to energy efficiency for three decades.

“We are very proud to call Wisconsin home. We are equally proud to be one of the most energy-efficient fleets in the transportation industry. The chance to earn a sustainability distinction honoring Wisconsin companies was extremely appealing to our company,” said Steve Matheys, Schneider’s chief administrative officer, who oversees the sustainability team.

waste from landfills to recycling.”

The recycling means lower tipping fees for ThedaCare, while the energy-conservation projects have a one- to three-year return on investment, Linzmeyer noted.

Another sustainability project involves increasing the use of locally grown food at ThedaCare facilities. ThedaCare donated funds to Riverview Gardens in Appleton for the construction of five hoop houses, with the intent for the gardens to be one of the food suppliers for ThedaCare hospitals.

“We feel that if we can build a local food hub with an innovative, high-technology information and distribution system, that we can bring down the cost of the local food options and make them competitive with more traditional options,” explained Linzmeyer. “Our mission is to build healthy communities and if we are going to succeed, we must include building healthy, accessible, nutritious and affordable food systems.”

In 2012 alone, KI had 35 material-reduction and recycledcontent improvement projects.

Examples included re-designing a table-folding mechanism to reduce the amount of material used; switching from paperbased MSDS, drawings, price lists and work instructions to digital versions; recycling scrap wood for boiler fuel instead of landfilling it; and reclaiming black powder used in powder coating.

The company also incorporates recycled, recyclable and renewable materials into its products, such as bio-based foam or recycled aluminum and steel, Evenson noted. Additionally,

Green practices & the bottom line

ThedaCare has numerous sustainability projects taking place at its facilities. Linzmeyer gave a few examples.

“We have been re-purposing single-use medical devices, which saved us almost $800,000 in 2013. We have been diverting almost 100 tons of operating-room waste from the landfill through our recycling efforts. The last several construction projects have diverted almost 70 percent of NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014 l 27

ENVIRONMENT KI also has set reduction goals for greenhouse-gas emissions, water use and energy use at all of its North American facilities.

“In 2012, KI Wisconsin facilities saw a 6.2 percent reduction in materials, diverted 500,179 pounds from landfills, and achieved a cost savings equating to $507,201,” Evenson said.

In the paper industry, Appvion was among the first to measure and work to reduce its carbon footprint.

“We have introduced new or redesigned products and design platforms that help make product development ‘greener’ by streamlining product designs to use fewer chemicals, increasing design efficiency to use smaller quantities of chemicals, and substituting ingredients that reduce the impact on the environment,” said Van Den Brandt. For its efforts, Appvion was among the first Wisconsin firms in 2010 to receive the Green Masters designation. It’s earned the Green Masters credential each year since.

Making a case for sustainability

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In 2013, marine engine manufacturer Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac also earned a Green Master designation. Since 2011, the company’s Fond du Lac operations have conserved energy in the form of 14 billion British thermal units (BTUs) of building heat. Water conservation equaled 250,000 gallons.

Its products are greener, too. Emissions from Mercury’s outboard engines have been reduced and fuel economy has been improved over the years. A new paint system installed in the Fond du Lac plant in 2011 resulted in a 50 percent reduction in volatile organic compound air emissions and a 50 percent reduction in paint-related hazardous wastes. Almost all of the aluminum used to make engines comes from recycled material.

“We have historically made sustainable activities an integral part of our core business practices, and we began formulizing them under company-wide policies in 2011 to ensure measurement and achievement,” said Mark Schwabero, Mercury president.

Schneider National’s ongoing efforts in fuel efficiency conserve more than 26 million gallons of fuel and reduce more than 300,000 tons of carbon byproducts annually, Matheys noted. For example, Schneider spent $19.8 million in 2012 on incentives that reward drivers for practicing fuel management techniques. The company has been testing natural gas-fueled tractors within its fleet and plans to expand the number of trucks this year.

The insurance industry can go through a lot of office products like paper, electronics and furniture. Appleton-based Secura Insurance, which is new to Green Masters, set up a green committee in 2010 to manage resources and reduce environmental impact.

Numerous recycling efforts at Secura include paper and cardboard, batteries, office electronics, and even employees’ electronics from home, as well as food composting. Printer and copier use is monitored and minimized, with printers on the duplex setting.

Green Bay-based Northeast Wisconsin Technical College created a sustainability team this past year involving faculty and students. Onsite changes to its campus include water filling stations, low-energy restroom remodels, and a building addition that uses advanced energy monitoring software, light www.newnorthb2b.com

ENVIRONMENT tubes and a green roof, according to Amy Kox, associate dean for the energy and sustainability programs.

“The instructor and students in the Energy Management program have completed numerous energy audits for the college and local businesses as part of service learning,” said Kox. “The Solar Energy (program) students submitted grant applications to Focus on Energy for three solar installations on the Green Bay campus and were awarded these grants.”

Sustainable Food & Agriculture Systems program students have a campus organic garden and raised money for a student scholarship by selling community-supported agriculture shares and produce.

“We believe that these programs will provide the educated graduates ready to work, manage and operate green businesses of the future,” said Kox. “We believe we, as an organization, need to live what we teach.”

The right thing to do

For some businesses, sustainability efforts may be made even when they create costs instead of savings.

“Our sustainability plan has a triple bottom line to balance our environmental, economic and social impacts,” said Appvion’s Van Den Brandt. “We consider sustainability in everything we do. In many cases being a good environmental steward provides economic benefits; in some instances sustainability may create additional costs for our company.”

NWTC’s Energy Management team measures the amount of time required to pay back the initial investment in an energy

On the Web For more information or to apply to the Green Masters program, go online to greenmastersprogram.com. savings project, Kox said, but “payback is not all that is considered.”

“There are some projects that we have done that have a longer payback. We do these projects because they are important to us in terms of how we live our sustainability values and how the project may be useful for our students in terms of exposure to new technologies.”

As KI CEO Dick Resch put it, “Sustainability is about striving for continual improvement every step of the way. To us, sustainability isn’t just about ‘going green.’ It’s a fundamental way of doing business – one that conserves natural resources and reduces waste, consumption and operating costs.”

Robin Bruecker (robinbrueck@yahoo.com) has been writing for magazines and marketing departments since 1995.

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onsin Wisc 14 t s a orthe uary 28, 20 the N E m T o r f A – Febr t THE D educational evoernk (NEWIBN) t Netw er. he nex s for t Business rence Cent u in o l J e f a n n o te C natio Inter TC Corpora NW at the

28

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at NWTC!

For details on this event

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920-498-6911 or email corporatetraining@nwtc.edu NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014 l 29

PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING

Invest in your future at Marian

by Marian University

Given today’s volatile economic nature, maximizing return on investment is paramount to succeed. Easier said than done, there are no crystal balls to look deep into the future to find the answers. However, the one thing you can control is an investment in yourself!

The organizational landscape is evolving at an alarming rate, especially as slow recovery has led to workforce reductions and unemployment. Many adults are ensuring their viability by making themselves better informed, more skilled, and more marketable by completing a college degree they may have started, or thought about starting, some time ago.

Why Marian? Marian University has been a leader in adult education for more than a decade, through offering a flexible, convenient, relevant, and personal educational experience. Students can choose from several studentcentered bachelor’s degrees including Organizational Communication, Interdisciplinary Studies, as well as Bachelors of Business Administration Jordan Baitinger

30 l NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014

degrees with concentrations in General Management, Health Care Administration, Human Resource Management, Marketing, and Operations and Supply Chain Management. Marian also offers advanced degrees with a Master’s of Science degree in Organizational Leadership and Quality and a Ph.D. in Leadership.

Flexible: Marian offers an accelerated evening program designed to meet the needs of today’s working professionals. Campus courses meet one night a week, giving you the flexibility that your busy life demands. Marian also offers business degrees that are completely online so you can take your education wherever you go.

Convenient: With three locations in Appleton, Fond du Lac, and West Allis, resources are only minutes away! Campus services include: up-to-date classroom space, computer labs, tutoring, and community workshops. Each location also serves as a prime location to host your organization’s corporate meetings, community events, and educational trainings!

920.923.7650

Relevant: Instructors work within the field that they teach, which provides you with real-world examples to supplement course material. Vibrant class interaction gives you a forum to discuss your current challenges and implement best practices the very next day.

Personal: Investing in an education is a big step. The good news is you do not have to do it alone! At Marian, you will have a personal admission counselor that will learn about your goals and work with you to create a customized academic and financial plan to optimize your investment!

Picture yourself at a place where success is unlimited. Picture yourself at Marian University.

With educational facilities close to where you work and live, your future is closer than you think. Call 920-923-7650 or email admission@marianuniversity.edu to learn more about Marian University. Jordan Baitinger is an Admission Counselor in the Adult and Graduate Admission Office at Marian University.

www.newnorthb2b.com

PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING

Get the most out of Social Security

by Independence Financial LLC How and when you apply for your Social Security income has an enormous impact on the total benefits you will receive.

Making use of some lesser known Social Security rules can result in hundereds of thousands of dollars of additional income over the length of a typical retirement.

Whether you intend to work to your full retirement age or retire at an earlier age such as 62, you don’t have to begin your Social Security benefit at the same time you terminate your employment.

That said, retirees almost always begin their Social Security benefit at the same time they retire. Although this will result in an immediate income stream, it will often result in hundreds of thousands of dollars of missed benefits over the length of the couples’ retirement. This is a substantial difference based on a decision which retirees typically give very little thought. The key takeaway: you don’t always have to work longer to improve your Social Security benefit.

Mike Scott

You may be able to make significant improvements by just optimizing how and when you apply for your benefit.

Social Security rules are complex and ever changing. Some financial planners invest in software to help you understand how to maximize your Social Security income. This software analyzes every possible age you could begin your Social Security benefit and optimizes how your benefit coordinates with your spouse’s benefit. Retirees are often not aware of their ability to access spousal benefits from their spouse’s earnings history before tapping into their own earned benefit. This takes coordination to implement, but when executed properly the additional Social Security income it creates is well worth the effort.

The Social Security Administration offers a great website at www.SSA.gov.

They allow you to learn more about your earned benefit and calculate your benefit at different ages. However, this website does not allow you to coordinate

920.236.6587 your benefits with your spousal benefit for the purpose of maximizing what you can draw for Social Security income.

For that, you should consult a financial planner that has the necessary tools to prepare a custom analysis for your particular situation.

If you or a loved one is trying to decide when it’s best to begin Social Security, contact Michael Scott, CLU, CFP® to request a Social Security Maximization Analysis. Mike is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM practitioner and an owner of Independence Financial, LLC, an Oshkosh firm specializing in retirement planning for over 80 years. (920) 236-6587 or Michael@ IndependenceFinancialLLC.com.

Registered Representative of, and Securities and Investment Advisory services offered through Hornor, Townsend & Kent, Inc., (HTK), Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC, 8501 W. Higgins Rd., Suite 410, Chicago, IL 60631, Phone (800) 607-3300. Independence Financial, LLC is independent of HTK. A4CM-0116-01E2

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

Brown County

De Pere Lacrosse Club INC., Randall Hofer, 1235 Swan Road, De Pere 54115.

Turn Key Tax Solutions LLC, Suann Dombrowicki, 709 Edge Point Ct., De Pere 54115.

Pro Se Divorce Action LLC, Deborah Ann Duby, 1316 Angels Path, #85, De Pere 54115.

KFS Mad Wolf Dairy LLC, Christopher Sampson, 2509 Pickard Cir., Green Bay 54301.

Green Frog Carpet Cleaning LLC, Luke Arthur Young, 2524 North View Ct., Green Bay 54303.

Graphbury Machines LLC, Erico Cruz, 610 Baeten Road, Green Bay 54304.

Somali Women Association Of Wisconsin INC., Mariam Magtayn, 991 N. Military Ave., #2, Green Bay 54303.

Event Power Solutions Of Wisconsin LLC, Jeffrey Van Straten, 335 N. Washington St., #325, Green Bay 54301.

Simply Home And Apartment Rentals LLC, Cynthia L. Tielens, 814 Pine St., Green Bay 54307.

Fairplay Packaging And Conversion LLC, Jerome Haines, 801 Cedar St., Green Bay 54301.

Progressive Music Academy LLC, Darlene H. Rich, 1056 Alpine Dr., Green Bay 54311.

Mad Hair 2 LLC, Kelly Maynard, 2615 S. Packerland Dr., Green Bay 54155.

LJO Cancer Immunotherapy Pharmaceutical Company, Barbara B. Natelle, 2824 Timber Lane, Green Bay 54313.

Techlight Photo LLC, Gary Van Straten, 2091 Mystic Hills Ter., Green Bay 54313.

Plants Of Distinction LLC, Jon M. Streu, 3220 Hidden Pond Road, Green Bay 54313.

Optimal Aesthetic Solutions LLC, Steven Bittorf, 2372 S. Oneida St., Green Bay 54304.

Best Edge Roofing LLC, Derek Lee Rosik, 1679 Conrad Dr., Green Bay 54313.

Graham Forest Products Transportation LLC, Scott A. Graham, 2898 Craanen Road, New Franken 54229.

Four Way Bar LLC, Jamie Whiting, 1801 Riverside Dr., Suamico 54173.

Fond du Lac County

VZ Custom Trucking LLC, Darrin L. Vande Zande, 135 N. Prairie St., Brandon 53919.

Kickstart Bar And Grill LLC, Angela M. Nitschke, N3054 State Road 67, Campbellsport 53010.

Moon Massage LLC, Kristine Moon, N8748 Town Hall Road, Eldorado 54932.

Farm2table Co-Op And Café, No agent listed, 90 S. Main St., Fond du Lac 54935.

FE Sherwood Family Restaurant LLC, Fresia Ericka Kindschuh, 533 S. Park Ave., Fond du Lac 54935.

Nichols Five Star Charters LLC, Jared Jozaitis, 720 Sullivan Dr., Fond du Lac 54935.

Good Sam Rep Payee LLC, Stanley L. Plageman, 1040 4th St., Fond du Lac 54935.

Total Body Massage LLC, Cheryl Birschbach, N8133 County Road QQ, Malone 53049.

R&D Wagner Family Farms LLC, Ronald Wagner, W504 Center Road, Ripon 54971.

32 l NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014

D&J Pinch Farms LLC, Dennis S. Pinch, W11178 State Road 23, Rosendale 54974.

C. Braaksma Electric INC., Chris Braaksma, 259 N. Watertown St., Waupun 53963.

Outagamie County

Unforgettable Underdogs Dog Rescue INC., Gloria Boyce, 1137 W. Brewster St., Appleton 54914.

Valley Green Carpet Care LLC, Michael G. Muthig, W3178 Van Roy Road, Ste. D, Appleton 54915.

Active Pursuit Of Health And Wellness LLC, Karen Marie Warren, W5995 Blazing Star Dr., Appleton 54915.

Higgins Chiropractic INC., Daniel P. Higgins, 1621 S. Hill Crest Dr., Appleton 54914.

Natura Beverages LLC, Vernon C. Sumnicht, W6240 Communication Ct., Appleton 54914.

Kalwitz Trucking LLC, Kathy Ann Pierrard, 1712 W. Rogers Ave., Appleton 54914.

Scott’s Lawn & Garden Tool Sharpening Service LLC, Scott Rehmer, 506 E. Pershing St., Appleton 54911.

Allen H. Schut CRNA S.C., Allen H. Schut, 200 E. Washington St., Appleton 54912.

360 Construction LLC, Todd M. Schuh, N2377 Holland Road, Appleton 54913.

Apple Valley Animal Health INC., Sanjay Jain, D.V.M., 1906 N. Richmond St., Appleton 54911.

The Vape Escape LLC, Judy Lee Vandersteen, 4760 W. Greenville Dr., Appleton 54913.

Clear Water Auto Wash LLC, Dean J. Lamine, N485 Milky Way, Appleton 54915.

Ignite Nutrition LLC, Zachary Stumpf, 4009 Towne Lakes Cir., Appleton 54913.

Massage By Mandy LLC, Amanda Bembenek, W5669 County Road KK, Appleton 54915.

Red Lakes Video Productions LLC, Gerald T. Tate, 4835 N. Cherryvale Ave., Appleton 54913.

Elite Tax Service CPAs LLC, Mary Diane Kosloske, 1909 S. Carriage Lane, Appleton 54914.

Bill Vosters Hoof Care INC., Bill R. Vosters, N3503 Hooyman Ct., Freedom 54913.

Ultimate Truck And Car Accessories LLC, Toys For Trucks Inc., W6411 Greenville Dr., Greenville 54942.

Jokers Pub LLC, Amanda A. Summers, 173 W. Wisconsin Ave., Kaukauna 54914.

Gordy’s Automotive LLC, Clayton H. Hrabik, 1100 Lawe St., Kaukauna 54130.

Best Exteriors And Home Improvements LLC, Jacob Cunningham, 115 Maple St., Kimberly 54136.

Winnebago County

Jason Koslucher Painting LLC, Jason Koslucher, 128 Washington Ave., Neenah 54956.

Imagix Photography & Design LLC, Tom Janikowski, 6464 Paynes Point Road, Neenah 54956.

Valley Apartment Rental LLC, Edward Manske, 1867 McGann Road, Neenah 54956.

Destinations Life Coaching LLC, Sheila Ann Seaborg, 3254 County Road E, Omro 54963.

Doro Family Farms LLC, Steven E. Doro, 9349 Bell School Road, Omro 54963.

Edwin F. Davis, D.C. LLC, Edwin F. Davis, 5430 Reighmoor Road, Omro 54963.

Jace J Studios LLC, Adam N. Doman, 740 Frederick St., Oshkosh 54901. www.newnorthb2b.com

WHO’S NEWS ASB Fragmental Projects LLC, Alejandro Becerra, 225 W. 18th Ave., Oshkosh 54902.

Oshkosh Tavern League Foundation INC., John Popp, 358 W. South Park Ave., Oshkosh 54902.

Village Pub Pizza Company LLC, Justin James Dlugolenski, 1226 High Ave., Oshkosh 54901.

Grace Valley Builders LLC, Jeffrey A. Vogel, 837 Bismarck Ave., Oshkosh 54902.

Aquire Restoration Of Kaukauna INC., Jeffrey Edmunds, 2721 Oregon St., Oshkosh 54902.

Pathway Planit LLC, Margaret A. Rubin, 5190 Killdeer Lane, Oshkosh 54901.

Independence Disability Advocates LLC, Wendy Derby, 1737 Maricopa Dr., Oshkosh 54904.

Houle Engineering LLC, Jesse J. Houle, 105 Washington Ave., Oshkosh 54901.

Vienola Concrete INC., David J. Vienola, 1602 Oregon St., Oshkosh 54902.

Full Draw Construction LLC, Bradley T. Olson, 6366 County Road N, Pickett 54964.

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

Pamperin’s Paint & Decorating, 2411 Holmgren Way, Ashwaubenon. $460,000 for an alteration to the existing commercial space. General contractor is Immel Construction of Green Bay. December 19.

Reinders Inc., 900 Randolph Dr., Little Chute. $675,000 for a 14,340sq. ft. commercial building. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

December 20.

Straubel Company, 1891 Commerce Dr., De Pere. $1,582,585 for an addition to the existing industrial facility. General contractor is Building Creations of Appleton. December 27.

Walgreens, 150 Wisconsin Ave. South, De Pere. $1,850,000 for a new retail store. General contractor is The Redmond Company of Waukesha.

December 27.

Family Owned Commercial Cleaning and Building Maintenance Provider

Mergers/acquisitions Green Bay-based Salon Management Enterprises acquired the seven former Fantastic Sams locations in the Fox Cities and Green Bay area, and has converted each to its NewStyle Salons brand. The new ownership plans to retain all of the existing staff and will honor all Fantastic Sams gift cards, loyalty cards and coupons. Salon Management previously operated three NewStyle Salons, including two in the Green Bay area and one in Appleton.

New locations Bank First announced plans to construct a new Fox Cities office at 4201 W. Wisconsin Ave. in the town of Grand Chute near Fox River Mall. Developers plan to demolish the former Paradise Club building and construct a new financial institution which will open in late 2014.

QuickStart moved its Fox Valley office from Menasha to Ballard Square Office Suites at 3305A N. Ballard Road in Appleton.

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WHO’S NEWS Business honors

Wohlfeil

The Venture Center at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton was one of seven recipients nationally of a “Shared Vision for Small Business” grant from Sam’s Club and the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship. The $20,000 award is being used to provide training and development resources to 11 small businesses in the New North region.

New hires Appleton-based Catalpa Health hired the following new providers: Holly Wohlfeil, Amy Morrissey and Gina Leonardelli as mental health therapists; Jillian Schuh as a psychologist; and Beth Boehnlein as a psych-certified advanced practice nurse prescriber.

Morrissey

BayCare Clinic in Green Bay added anesthesiologist Gregory D. Rypel, M.D. Best Western Premier Waterfront Hotel and Convention Center in Oshkosh hired Matt Winters as executive chef. Winters has more than 30 years experience in the restaurant industry, most recently working the past three years as the corporate chef for Skogen’s Festival Foods and the previous 10 years as the executive chef for Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton.

Leonardelli

Prevea Health added Sherman Jew, D.O. as an occupational medicine physician to its Prevea East Mason Health Center in Green Bay. Dr. Jew will also see patients at Prevea’s Ashwaubenon clinic.

Appleton-based Stellar Blue Technologies hired Chrissi Watry as a studio marketing assistant.

Agnesian HealthCare in Fond du Lac added Jason Przybylo, M.D., as a neurosurgeon.

Winters

H.J. Martin and Son hired Kjirsti Hoffmann and Stephanie Roskam as residential designer/floor sales representatives and Yvette Grossbier as an administrative assistant. Hoffmann works from the company’s Neenah showroom, Roskam works from the company’s Green Bay showroom.

Appleton-based Ledgeview Partners hired the following new employees: Jason Lattimer and Muhanad Agha

as CRM development consultants; Anuj Dhawal as a Salesforce.com engagement manager; Paula O’ Donnell as a CRM application consultant; Mark Masterson as a Salesforce.com development consultant; Melissa Arendt as a Dynamics CRM application consultant; Tim Kisner as a CRM business analyst and project manager; Kim Roberts as an administrative assistant; and Wayne Ulmen as an account manager.

Breakthrough Fuel in Green Bay hired Mark Mullins as vice president for the firm’s Insight division. Mullins previously served as vice president of finance for School Specialty, Inc. in Greenville. He is a certified public accountant and also has certifications as a transportation broker and as a facilitator for Investment in Excellence.

The Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce hired Devan Strebig as its manager of member relations.

De Pere-based Unity hired Christina Brozak as director of marketing, and hired Tricia Millar and Allison Fortney as outreach liaisons in the organization’s marketing department. Brozak has 16 years of marketing experience, including health care industry experience with Prevea Health, St. Vincent and St. Mary’s hospitals and Aurora Health Care.

Promotions Faith Technologies in Menasha promoted Charlie Fredrickson from vice president of preconstruction to vice president of Faith investments, in which he manages the company’s strategic acquisition plans. Fredrickson has been with Faith Technologies since 2010.

Choice Bank in Oshkosh promoted Terri Abraham to vice president of loan operations. Abraham has more than 30 years experience in the banking industry, joining Choice Bank in 2010.

CliftonLarsonAllen named Brad Baumann, CPA, as a principal in the firm’s Oshkosh office. Baumann joined the firm in 2002 and has 13 years of public accounting experience, with a focus in manufacturing and distribution.

Appleton-based Integrity Insurance promoted Jill Wagner from vice president of commercial lines to president.

Wagner joined Integrity in 2010 after previously working for Secura Insurance in Appleton. She has 22 years experience in the insurance industry.

Przybylo

Mullins

Strebig

34 l NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014

Brozak

Frederickson

Baumann

Wagner www.newnorthb2b.com

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

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

February 4 Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Power Networking Breakfast, 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the chamber office, 300 N. Broadway Ste. 3A in Green Bay. No cost to attend for chamber members. For information, call 920.437.8704 or email members@titletown.org.

February 5 Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce Coffee Connection, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at Commonwealth Coffee Company, 57 N. Macy St. in Fond du Lac. Cost to attend is $5. For more information or to register, go online to www.fdlac.com or call 920.921.9500.

February 5 Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry Business Connection, 5 to 7 p.m. at A&E Jewelers, 3545 E. Calumet St. in Appleton. For more information or to register, call 920.734.7101 or go online to www. foxcitieschamber.com.

February 11 9th Annual Economic Outlook Breakfast hosted by the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, 7:15 to 9 a.m. at the Oshkosh Convention Center, 2 N.

Main St. in Oshkosh. Economist Brian Beaulieu, CEO at Institute for Trend Research, will discuss economic trends in 2014. Tickets are $35 for chamber members or $40 for nonmembers. To register, go online to www.oshkoshchamber.com or email Kari at kari@oshkoshchamber.com.

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

February 11 Imagination Network of Wisconsin, 5 to 7 p.m. at the Elks Club, 33 Sheboygan St. in Fond du Lac. No cost to attend. For more information, go online to www.fcedc.com.

February 12 Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Broadway Center, formerly Old Fort Square, 211 N. Broadway in Green Bay. No cost to attend for chamber members. For information, call 920.437.8704 or email members@titletown.org.

February 12 Women in Management – Fox Cities Chapter monthly meeting, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Fox Banquets & Rivertyme Catering, 111 E. Kimball St. in Appleton. For more information or to register, go online to www.wimiwi. org or email questions to foxcitiesprogram@wimiwi.org.

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

Business Banking With a Personal Touch

Left to Right: Anne Russ, Documentation Specialist Chip Coenen, Director Business Development Julie Wettstein, Commercial Loan Officer

Your business matters at Capital Credit Union. Our experienced Business Services team is always ready to help you explore financial options for your business: • Business loans, credit cards, lines of credit • Business checking accounts • Business savings and money market accounts • Business insurance and investment services • Convenient account access options • And more!

For a free, confidential analysis of your business needs, contact Chip Coenen at (920)731-3195, ext. 3123 or chipc@capitalcu.com

920.731.3195 866.731.3195 (toll free) capitalcu.com NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014 l 35

BUSINESS CALENDAR Program is “Lean Manufacturing.” For more information or to register, go online to www.wimiwi.org or email Patty at pshea@sheaelectricllc.com.

February 15 Mock Shark Tank Competition, an event through the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 10 a.m. to noon at Sage Hall, 835 High Ave. in Oshkosh. Come listen as 10 students pitch their business proposals for a chance to earn $17,500 in seed money in addition to a variety of other start-up awards. For information, contact Colleen at 920.424.1456 or merrillc@uwosh.edu.

February 19 2014 Real Estate Forum, a no-cost seminar presented by Schenck, S.C., 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at The Marq, 3177 French Road in De Pere.

Panelists from Schenck’s real estate team will discuss financing, alternative financing options, like-kind exchanges, structuring and planning strategies, and cost segregation, among other topics. No fee to attend. For more information or to register, go online to www.schencksc. com or call Karie at 800.236.2246, ext. 1261.

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ASB Fragmental Projects www.fragmentalart.com............................. 31 Alberts & Heling CPAs www.alberts-heling-cpas.com............................ 8 Bank First National www.bankfirstnational.com.................................. 18 Bayland Buildings www.baylandbuildings.com................................... 14 Borsche Roofing Professionals www.wiroofer.com........................... 19 Builders Exchange of Wisconsin www.bxwi.com............................ 13 Capital Credit Union www.capitalcu.com........................................ 35 Chamco www.Chamco.org. .......................................................... 18 CitizensFirst Credit Union www.citizensfirst.com . .............................. 9 City of Fond du Lac www.fdl.wi.gov.............................................. 22 City of Kaukauna www.CityofKaukauna.com..................................... 12 Clean Image Janitorial www.cijanitorial.com................................... 33 Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative www.CommonGroundHealthcare.org. 7 Competitive Strategies www.wemakesoftwarework.com....................... 25 Davis & Kuelthau, s.c. www.dkattorneys.com..................................... 5 Fast Signs www.fastsigns.com....................................................... 36 First Business Bank www.firstbusiness.com. ...................................... 2 First National Bank ~ Fox Valley www.fnbfoxvalley.com. ................... 20 Fox Valley Savings Bank www.FVSBank.com................................... 33 Fox Valley Technical College www.fvtc.edu. .................................. 36 Guident Business Solutions www.guidentbusinesssolutions.com............ 25 Independence Financial LLC www.independencefinancialllc.com. .......... 31 Keller Inc. www.kellerbuilds.com. ..................................................... 9 Marian University www.marianuniversity.edu..................................... 30 Network Health www.networkhealth.com ......................................... 39 NEW Building & Construction Trades Council www.newbt.org.......... 11 NWTC Corporate Training & Economic Development www.corporatetraining.nwtc.edu......................................................... 29 Oshkosh Public Museum www.oshkoshmuseum.org.......................... 19 Outagamie County Regional Airport www.atwairport.com. ................ 30 Pamco Executive Suites www.pamcosuites.com............................... 27 R&R Steel Construction Company Inc. www.rrsteelconstruction.com..... 28 Sadoff & Rudoy Industries www.sadoff.com................................... 10 Stellar Blue Technologies www.stellarbluetechnologies.com.................. 28 TEC www.tecmidwest.com. ............................................................ 38 Winnebago County Solid Waste Management www.co.winnebago.wi.us/solid-waste/container-rental-program. ....................... 8 Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. www.Succeed.InWisconsin.com.40 www.newnorthb2b.com

GUEST COMMENTARY

Striking an energy balance Neighboring states are investing in a diverse, renewable energy strategy.

Will Wisconsin be late for dinner?

Matt Neumann’s Pewaukee-based company, Sunvest Solar, is running hot these days. It has more than 210 solar energy projects in some phase of installation, he told attendees at a recent conference in Madison, but only one in Wisconsin.

Why? Perhaps because Wisconsin, unlike other states, has yet to officially bless thirdparty owned electric systems. Under this model, the contractor owns the solar panels and leases them to the building’s owner, whether a business or a home owner, thus dramatically reducing initial costs to the consumer.

In case you think Neumann is a classic enviro-liberal, think again: He’s the son of former Republican member of Congress Mark Neumann and a firm believer that the economics of solar power have improved to the point that it now makes sense – as in dollars and cents.

“Any conservative should be in favor of free-market competition,” Matt Neumann said. “It’s the energy industry competing for who can provide power for the lowest cost.”

One speaker after another at the Renew Wisconsin Policy Summit cited examples of how other states, often Midwest neighbors but also politically “red” states around the country, are forging ahead with strategies that involve solar, wind, biomass and other renewable generation sources.

While state officials in Wisconsin are cautious about getting too far ahead of the market’s ability to absorb such energy – and to get that energy where it needs to go – the industry trend is toward a portfolio that includes more renewables. In Wisconsin, which has a strong reliance on coal and natural gas from other states and nations, that trend may be unavoidable over time.

Building a renewable portfolio

Tom Still, President Wisconsin Technology Council

Not all renewables are created equal, however.

Wisconsin has surprising advantages in solar energy and waste-toenergy digesters, for example, but not a lot of available wind energy sites large enough to support massive wind farms.

While solar energy has high upfront costs, the return on investment can be seven to 10 years, and the solar panels continue to provide energy for years to come.

Wisconsin is the nation’s leading state when it comes to building digesters that

convert dairy farm waste into energy – think tons of available cow manure – although other states are closing the gap. A Chiltonbased company, DVO, is the state’s leading producer of such digesters, but much of its work these days is spread from Vermont to Vietnam.

As pressure builds to contain farm waste from reaching groundwater and surface water, especially in parts of the state where the soil is relatively thin, digesters may help provide answers that keep the dairy industry and smaller farms in business.

Wind power sites sometimes encounter local opposition, especially if they’re big enough, and the power they produce can be intermittent. But many supporters of renewable energy think a logical solution is to tap into wind energy produced more steadily elsewhere, such as Minnesota, Iowa and across the High Plains, through transmission lines.

One such project on the docket in Wisconsin is a joint venture by Xcel Energy and American Transmission Company to build a high-voltage line, called the Badger Coulee line, to transport low-cost electricity produced by wind farms into the state’s electric grid. Supporters say it will enhance reliability throughout the system while tapping into a renewable source.

Other factors may influence Wisconsin government and businesses over time. A coalition of Eastern states is petitioning for lower carbon and particulate emissions from Midwest states, and major companies everywhere are expecting other policies, such as a low-carbon fuels standard or a revenue-neutral “carbon tax,” that will affect bottom-line performance.

Renewables won’t be the only answer for Wisconsin, of course. Hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling are producing vast amounts of oil and gas elsewhere, and plans for next-generation nuclear plants are being touted as safer and less expensive. One thing seems certain, however: Wisconsin cannot afford to sit still while others around us embrace more comprehensive and economically sensible energy strategies.

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

NEW NORTH B2B l FEBRUARY 2014 l 37

KEY STATISTICS Per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline.

$3.28 January 12 $3.28 January 5 $3.23 December 29 $3.23 Jan. 19, 2013 $3.19 January 19

December

$431.9 billion

0.2%

from November

4.1%

from December 2012

Source: New North B2B observations

December

November Oct. Nov. ‘12

Appleton Fond du Lac Green Bay Neenah Oshkosh Wisconsin

December

101.8

9.8%

$0.840 December $0.745 Jan. 2013 $0.746

from November

4.6%

3.7%

from December 2012

Source: Integrys Energy

from December 2012 (Manufacturers and trade)

December FY2014

(Numbers above 50 mean expansion. Numbers below 50 mean contraction.)

November

$1.331 billion

$1,700 billion

0.4 %

0.2%

57.0 57.3

December

November

from October

4.0%

from December FY2013

7.5% 6.9% 8.1% 7.8% 6.2% 6.2%

January

0.3%

from November

6.9% 6.6% 7.3% 6.6% 6.0% 5.7%

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

Listed price is per therm.

(2007 = 100)

999,000

6.7% 6.5% 7.5% 6.8% 6.1% 5.8%

from November 2012

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As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation connects businesses to growth-oriented solutions throughout the state. We work with a highly responsive and collaborative network of local and regional economic development partners to provide guidance as you expand your business globally.

To learn more about exporting programs and resources In Wisconsin®, call 855-INWIBIZ (toll free) or visit Export.InWisconsin.com.

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In Wisconsin® is a registered trademark of Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.