January 2016

Business Intelligence for the New North

Travels of an Entrepreneur

8

low to no-cost business resources across NE Wisconsin every business owner should consider

Medical Costs Compared

Health Care Top Ten of 2015

Year in Review Voices & Visions

Retail

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Business Intelligence for the New North

16

January Features 16 COVER STORY

Travels of an Entrepreneur

8 low to no-cost business resources across NE Wisconsin every business owner should consider

24 HEALTH CARE

Comparing health care costs Our annual chart comparing the real costs of procedures common to employers in the region

24

30 YEAR IN REVIEW

Top Ten of 2015

Our list of the Top Ten stories affecting the region’s business community during the past year

Departments 30

4

From the Publisher

6

Since We Last Met

10 Build Up Pages 29 Firefighters Update 36

Voices & Visions

38

Professionally Speaking

40 Who’s News 44 Business Calendar 45 Advertising Index 46 Key Statistics

www.newnorthb2b.com

NNB2B | January 2016 | 3

From the Publisher

Fed hike starts 2016 on upbeat note Along with local economic surveys, there’s a good deal of confidence regarding opportunities for business success in the year ahead

by Sean Fitzgerald, New North B2B publisher

It was little surprise when the Federal Reserve decided Dec. 16 to increase the target for its federal funds rate for the first time in nearly a decade.

Since the only direction to move is upward, and since the economy has clearly been in a state of improvement since its short-term bottoming out more than six years ago, economists have expected some increase in the federal funds rate during 2015.

The last time the Fed raised its federal funds rate was June 29, 2006 – barely six months shy of 10 years ago – when it bumped the nation’s key interest rate benchmark by a quarter point from 5 to 5.25 percent. The rate held steady for a little more than a year from that point, before precipitously falling downward to its historic low at zero by the end of 2008. The fed rate has been stuck in that gear for nearly seven years.

News of the rate increase began to have an immediate effect. Viewed by many as the official end to a historically significant period of our nation’s economy, stock markets surged the same day of the announcement and the value of the U.S. Dollar climbed compared with other currencies in the days that followed the decision.

In making its decision, the Fed indicated there’s likely to be additional increases throughout 2016, with a goal of pushing the rate of inflation to 2 percent while maintaining maximum employment in the job market.

Wisconsin Bankers Association applauded the Fed’s decision, noting the decision had been “appropriately telegraphed” and was conducted in a thoughtful and deliberate manner.

Earlier in December, WBA surveyed its members banks across the state and found 70 percent expected their loan portfolios to remain the same if the Fed did indeed raise interest rates, while 73 percent of bank respondents indicated there would likely be no changes to their core deposits as a result of the rate increase.

The rate increase is likely to nudge procrastinating business owners looking to make large capital equipment purchases, or push forward with facilities expansions. For consumers dragging their feet on purchasing a new home or new vehicle, the increased rate is expected to add a bit of pep to the housing and automotive markets during 2016.

This is good news for manufacturers and business owners in various sectors, and it’s not just occurring in a vacuum.

4 | January 2016 | NNB2B

Various positive local economic forecasts for the coming 12 months suggest such enthusiasm isn’t too far fetched in northeast Wisconsin. The annual First Business Economic Survey – released in early December – indicates a favorable outlook on the year ahead from business owners across the New North region. A total of 78 percent of responding business owners and top-level managers expect some level of revenue growth in operations during 2016, while only 3 percent – the smallest number in the history of the survey – anticipate receipts falling off from this past year.

On the workforce side of the First Business Survey, respondents expect to increase both wages and the number of new employees hired in 2016 compared with last year. In fact, not a single responding business noted an expectation of reducing its workforce by any size in 2016, the first such time that’s occurred in the history of the First Business survey.

The survey results tell a revealing story – not just about the state of the economy in general for 2016 – but in the overall confidence New North business leaders hold for the coming fiscal year. First Business Bank conducts similar regional economic surveys in both southeast Wisconsin and in the Greater Madison area, and found the results of the northeast Wisconsin reported the most positive outlook among all of the regions surveyed.

On a much smaller scale, business leaders in Fond du Lac County shared a similar enthusiasm that 2016 economic performance would at least be as good as the past year, if not even much better, according to a first-time economic forecast survey from Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corp.

The assessment of 40 private industry leaders across Fond du Lac County found 42 percent indicating an expectation that Fond du Lac’s economic conditions in 2016 would remain stable from the past year, while 58 percent responded that economic performance would be “better” or even “much better” in the year ahead. Not a single business leader responding to the Fond du Lac survey believed the economy would decline in the local community during 2016.

When considering the local workforce, 96 percent of survey responents in Fond du Lac believed hiring would either remain at the same levels as in 2015 or increase from last year. Similarly, 96 percent of business leaders also felt wages were likely to either increase or remain stable in the year ahead.

Both local surveys project the sort of optimism that should encourage business decision makers to choose more aggressive growth strategies as 2016 kicks off. To read more in-depth results from either of these two local surveys, go online to fcedc.com (for the Fond du Lac County survey) or firstbusiness.com/survey (for the annual First Business Bank study). n www.newnorthb2b.com

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

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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. November 20 Manitowoc-based Investors Community Bank announced plans to acquire The Business Bank of Appleton and Green Bay in a cash and stock deal valued at about $28.9 million. The deal will create a financial institution with nearly $1.1 billion in combined assets. The merger is expected to close during the first half of 2016.

November 25 The City of Appleton closed on the $2 million real estate deal to acquire an Outagamie County-owned parking lot downtown on which to build a new Fox Cities Exhibition Center. The purchase followed measures by local governing boards from Appleton and nine other neighboring Fox Cities municipalities during the previous four weeks to raise their respective room tax rates from 6 to 10 percent, using a substantial portion of that tax increase to finance much of the estimated $28 million construction price tag. The convention center will include nearly 36,000 square feet of new construction adjacent to the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel, which will manage the

operations of the new facility. The city also committed to nearly $2 million in infrastructure improvements around the site, including a portion of a skywalk connecting the exhibition center and the hotel. Construction could begin by this summer.

November 30 State Sen. Rick Gudex (R-Fond du Lac) announced he would not seek re-election to a second four-year term serving the 18th Senate District next November, indicating he would return to the private sector. Gudex was elected to the seat serving Oshkosh and Fond du Lac in 2012, and holds the roles of Senate president pro tempore and chairman of the legislature’s Economic Development and Commerce Committee. Shortly after Gudex’s announcement, Fond du Lac County Republican Party Chair Dan Feyen reported his intentions to run for the post. Winnebago County Executive Mark Harris already announced his intentions to seek the Democratic slot on the ticket for the seat earlier this past summer.

federal funds rate 50 basis points to 3 percent, the third such slashing since mid-December 2007 when the rate stood at 4.5 percent. In making its decision, the Fed said these cuts should help to promote moderate growth over time and to mitigate the risks of an economic fallout.

2003 January 6 – Democrat Jim Doyle was inaugurated as Wisconsin’s 44th governor at the state capitol in Madison. Former Winnebago County District Attorney and Fond du Lac-native Peg Lautenschlager was sworn in as Wisconsin Attorney General that same day.

2005 January 4 – State officials launched the Wisconsin Angel Network, a program designed to spur the growth of early-stage investing in Wisconsin by linking entrepreneurs with seed-stage equity investment.

2007 January 10 – The U.S. House of Representatives approved a $2.10 an hour increase in the federal minimum wage which would raise the rate from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour in three steps over 26 months.

2008 January 30 – The Federal Reserve Board lowered its target for the

6 | January 2016 | NNB2B

2009 January 28 – The U.S. House of Representatives approved the $819 billion economic stimulus package which includes an estimated $544 billion in federal spending and an additional $275 billion in tax cuts.

2011 January 20 – Both the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate passed a bill which would provide a tax deduction for individual investments into health savings accounts. The measure is expected to make health care more affordable for employees and small businesses.

2013 January 4 – Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. reported it will add nearly 100 jobs at its Outagamie County Regional Airport facility in Greenville to support work on large-cabin aircraft. The plant conducts completion work for Gulfstream’s aircraft including design, cabin configuration and layout, and communication systems.

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December 2 Retlaw Plaza Hotel in downtown Fond du Lac abruptly closed its doors, leaving dozens of employees without a job and cancelling events scheduled for its meeting spaces. The Milwaukee-based court-appointed receiver for the hotel will put the historic 91-year-old building up for sale within the next few months. The hotel had faced financial troubles in recent years and has more than $30,000 in unpaid taxes and utility payments owed to the City of Fond du Lac. City officials chose not to renew the hotel’s liquor license this past summer, citing its debt to the city.

December 4 The U.S. Department of Labor reported 211,000 new jobs were created in November, leaving the national unemployment rate relatively unchanged at 5.0 percent. Job gains occurred in construction, professional and technical services, and health care. Mining and information sectors lost jobs during the month.

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Executive MBA December 7 Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. awarded $2.5 million in economic development tax credits to Secura Insurance in Appleton to help the company with a $90 million expansion project which will retain 250 jobs and create as many as 65 new positions. Secura officials have not yet identified a location or design plans for a new headquarters facility, but do expect to make such decisions within the next year and begin construction in 2017. Secura has increased its annual revenue by more than 50 percent during the past five years, while increasing its workforce by 25 percent over the same period.

December 8 The City of Oshkosh Common Council approved an agreement with the former owner of the abandoned Buckstaff furniture manufacturing property – as well as with FirstMerit Bank, which foreclosed on the property – to raze the site and remediate it from any environmental contamination. The estimated $850,000 clean-up project will be funded through a $532,000 contribution from FirstMerit, as well as potential state grants totaling $300,000 applied for by the city. The abandoned property has been a leading fire risk for city officials to manage since it closed in 2011. It’s had an ongoing lawsuit against FirstMerit and former Buckstaff owner Martin Cowie.

Upon completion of the property remediation, the agreement calls for the city to take ownership of the development-ready site in its South Shore Redevelopment area.

December 9 The HSHS St. Vincent Regional Pediatric Center in Green Bay located inside St. Vincent Hospital has been renamed HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital and was accepted as a member of the Children’s Hospital Association, which represents more than 220 children’s hospitals nationwide. It joins Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin-Fox Valley in Neenah as the second children’s hospital in northeast Wisconsin. www.newnorthb2b.com

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NNB2B | January 2016 | 7

11/27/13 8:18 AM

Since We Last Met December 15 St. Norbert College received approval from the City of De Pere Common Council for a $26 million renovation and expansion of its Schuldes Sports Center. As part of the project, the college will raze its human resources building on Third Street as well as remove two small parking lots. Plans for the refurbished athletic center include improvements to the gymnasium, a new swimming pool, and new administrative offices for athletics staff. College officials are still wrapping up the fundraising phase, with a goal of beginning construction later this spring and opening the renovated building by fall 2017.

December 15 The U.S. Department of Defense upheld its decision to award Oshkosh Corp. a multi-year contract to produce nearly 17,000 of its Joint Light Tactical Vehicles for the U.S. Army and Marines. The deal – estimated at a value of $6.7 billion, with the potential to extend it to nearly 25 years and more than 50,000 vehicles – was awarded to Oshkosh Defense this past August, but the award received a formal protest from Maryland-based Lockheed Martin, one of the primary competitors for the contract. The U.S. Government Accountability Office reviewed the protest and ultimately dismissed it based on Lockheed’s notice it intends to file a protest in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The U.S. Army immediately lifted the stop work order and instructed Oshkosh Corp. to resume production of the JLTV contract.

The first vehicles are expected to be delivered by early fall of this year.

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December 15 The state Department of Administration Incorporation Review Board found the Town of Menasha’s petition to incorporate much of the town into a village met five of the six standards for incorporation, but delayed its decision on the sixth criteria regarding the impact on the greater Fox Cities metropolitan community. State officials indicated a preference that the fate of Stroebe Island in Little Lake Butte des Morts would have been determined in an intergovernmental agreement prior to the incorporation petition moving forward. The Incorporation Review Board is expected to make a final decision by Feb. 2, which could set the stage for an April 5 public referendum on the incorporation for all residents in the affected area.

December 16 The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee raised its target range for the federal funds rate from zero to 1/4 to 1/2 percent, marking the first increase in the bank borrowing baseline in nearly a decade. The Fed determined there’s been considerable improvement in labor market conditions during 2015, and held confidence that inflation will rise to its 2 percent objective. It noted an expectation for subsequent rate increases during 2016.

1-800-20happy 8 | January 2016 | NNB2B

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December 16 Gov. Scott Walker signed Assembly Bill 23 into law, prohibiting an individual from bringing legal action against a bank or credit union regarding an offer for financing unless the offer is written, sets forth relevant terms and commitments, and is signed with authorized signatures.

The purpose of the new state law is to prevent frivolous lawsuits against financial institutions in Wisconsin.

December 16 On the heels of successfully completing a $25 million challenge match, Lawrence University in Appleton received an additional $5 million commitment by the same anonymous donor who issued the $25 million challenge a year ago to help boost student scholarship support. The new gift was pledged on the condition Lawrence can raise $10 million in matching funds by Dec. 31, 2016. Both the gift and the matching funds would be applied toward an endowment for student scholarships that currently stands at nearly $52 million.

December 17 The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wisconsin’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for November checked in at 4.2 percent, marking its lowest point since March 2001. The rate is down from 4.3 percent in October 2015, and well below the year ago rate of 5.2 percent in November 2014. Additionally, the federal bureau reported Wisconsin’s labor force participation rate of 67.8 percent in November outpaced the national rate of 62.5 percent. n

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Better Business Bureau New Members Businesses accredited through the Northeast Wisconsin office during November 2015 B.R. Ellis, Kimberly Behnke Sales and Service, Oconto Centurion Roofing, Fond du Lac CGI Glass Centre, De Pere Denmark Hardware Hank, Denmark J&S Flatwork, Freedom Kuether Services, New London Live Wire Communications, Oshkosh Nathan Potratz Custom Carpentry, Fond du Lac Schmid Custom Cleaning, Fond du Lac Tailored Homes & Development LLC, Appleton Twin Bridge Four Seasons Sales & Service, Crivitz Warner Commercial Roofing, Kimberly www.newnorthb2b.com

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Build Up Fond du Lac

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Indicates a new listing

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

St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Springs Academy, a 92,000-sq. ft. addition to the existing high school campus. Project completion expected in summer.

2 - 545 W. Pioneer Road, Fond du Lac Mercury Marine, a 45,000-sq. ft. addition to its paint facility.

Project completion expected in January.

3 - 250 Camelot Dr., Fond du Lac Grande Cheese Company, an 87,000-sq. ft. new corporate headquarters and research center. Project completion expected in early spring.

Coming to B2B in February 2016 Connecting Careers

Labor joins education to steer young students toward lucrative apprenticeships

10 | January 2016 | NNB2B

www.newnorthb2b.com

Build Up Oshkosh

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Indicates a new listing

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Build Up

Oshkosh 4 - 1580 S. Koeller St., Oshkosh Culver’s Restaurant, reconstruction of a new restaurant building.

Projects completed since our December issue: • Trades II, 2947 Green Hill Ct., Oshkosh.

• Petsmart, 1005 Washburn St., Oshkosh.

5 - 450 W. 33rd Ave., Oshkosh Lakeside Plastics, a 22,000-sq. ft. addition to the warehouse at the existing manufacturing facility. Project completion expected in January. General contractor is Consolidated Construction Company of Appleton.

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NNB2B | January 2016 | 11

Build Up Fox Cities Build Up

Fox Cities

Indicates a new listing

1 - W6931 School Road, town of Greenville Fox West YMCA, an addition to the existing building for a new gymnasium, wellness center and various interior renovations. Project completion expected in summer.

2 - 705 N. McCarthy Road, town of Grand Chute TEK systems, a 4,600-sq. ft. addition to the existing commercial office building.

Project completion expected in March. General contractor is James J. Calmes & Sons Construction of Kaukauna.

3 - 4740 W. Packard St., town of Grand Chute Interstate Battery, a 17,000-sq. ft. battery storage facility. Project completion expected in February. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

4 - 4201 W. Wisconsin Ave., town of Grand Chute Bank First National, a 6,697-sq. ft. financial institution office. Project completion expected in January.

5 - 4800 W. Prospect Ave., town of Grand Chute Werner Electric Supply Co., a 260,775-sq. ft. corporate office and distribution center.

Project completion expected in early spring. General contractor is Consolidated Construction Company of Appleton.

6 - Plaza Drive, town of Menasha Community First Credit Union, a 120,000-sq. ft. corporate office campus. Project completion expected in late fall.

7 - 400 E. North Island St., Appleton Neenah Paper Inc., a 45,000-sq. ft. addition to the existing specialty paper mill. Project completion expected in late fall. General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay. 8 - 1025 W. Navitus Dr., town of Grand Chute Navitus Health Solutions, an office building to expand the existing call center campus.

9 - 2500 E. Capitol Dr., Appleton ThedaCare Regional Cancer Center, a 82,000-sq. ft. cancer treatment facility. Project completion expected in summer.

10 - 1101 Moasis Dr., Little Chute Trilliant Food & Nutrition, a 133,840-sq. ft. addition to the existing industrial facility.

General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

11 - 600 Thilmany Road, Kaukauna Expera Specialty Solutions, a 10,368-sq. ft. industrial building.

12 - 100 W. Second St., Kaukauna Kaukauna City Hall, a municipal services building. Project completion expected in May. 13 - 800 block of Schelfhout Lane, Kimberly Anduzziâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sports Club, a nearly 10,000-sq. ft. restaurant building. Project completion expected in early spring.

14 - 1405 S. Oneida St., Menasha Festival Foods, a new grocery store. Project completion expected in summer.

15 - 177 Main St., Menasha One Menasha Center, an eight-story, 100,000-sq. ft. multi-tenant office building to include Faith Technologies, Community First Credit Union and RLJ Dental.

12 | January 2016 | NNB2B

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16 - 333 N. Green Bay Road, town of Menasha ThedaCare Physicians, a 70,000-sq. ft. health care clinic for family practice, internal medicine and endocrinology. Project completion expected in late fall.

19 - 927 S. Green Bay Road, Neenah Aldi, a 17,825-sq. ft. grocery store. Project completion expected in summer.

17 - 1257 Gillingham Road, Neenah Menasha Packaging Company, a 48,382-sq. ft. addition to the existing pre-print facility. Project completion expected in March. General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay.

20 - 2474 Schultz Road, Neenah Rollmeister Inc., a 13,606-sq. ft. addition to the existing manufacturing facility. Project completion expected in February. General contractor is Frontier Builders & Consultants of Kaukauna.

18 - 1645 Bergstrom Road, Neenah Menasha Packaging Company, a two-story, 103,900-sq. ft. corporate office complex. Project completion expected in fall.

Projects completed since our December issue: â&#x20AC;˘ Anagen 11, 2320 N. Casaloma Dr., town of Grand Chute. â&#x20AC;˘ Dew Products Inc., 550 Railroad St., Kimberly.

www.newnorthb2b.com

NNB2B | January 2016 | 13

Build Up Greater Green Bay area 1 thru 3

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Build Up

Greater Green Bay area

Indicates a new listing

1 - 1838 Cardinal Lane, Suamico North Shore Bank, a 1,750-sq. ft. financial institution branch office. Project completion expected in February. General contractor is CR Structures Group Inc. of Kimberly.

5 - 2231 N. Quincy St., Green Bay NEW Water/Green Bay Metropolitan sewerage District, a wastewater treatment and electrical generation facility. Project completion expected in 2018.

2 - 1701 Cornell Road, Howard Omnova Solutions, an 8,722-sq. ft. addition to the existing industrial facility.

6 - 301 Bay Beach Road, Green Bay McDonald Lumber Company, an 80,000-sq. ft. warehouse.

General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay.

3 - 2467 Glendale Ave., Howard Bode Central, a multi-tenant commercial building.

7 - 320 N. Broadway, Green Bay DDL Holdings/Titletown Brewing, an addition to the former industrial facility for a mixed-use retail development.

4 - 2340 Duck Creek Parkway, Howard Dental Associates, a 3,300-sq. ft. addition to the existing commercial building for a new dental clinic.

14 | January 2016 | NNB2B

www.newnorthb2b.com

8 - 304 N. Adams St., Green Bay Hotel Northland, a substantial overhaul of the existing 8-story building for a 160-room luxury hotel with two restaurants and a spa. Project completion expected in late fall.

21 - 505 Lawrence Dr., De Pere Creative Sign Company, a 10,500-sq. ft. addition to the existing commercial building. General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay.

9 - 1811 E. Mason St., Green Bay Tri City Glass & Door, a two-story, 35,000-sq. ft. showroom, offices and production facility. Project completion expected in June. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

22 - 1724 Lawrence Dr., De Pere Festival Foods, a two-story, 42,500-sq. ft. corporate office building. Project completion expected in December.

10 - 1160 Kepler Dr., Green Bay Aurora Baycare Medical Center, a 31,000-sq. ft. addition to the ambulatory surgery area. Project completion expected in the fall.

11 - 1351 Ontario Road, Green Bay Willow Creek Behavioral Health, a 72-bed, 52,265-sq. ft. psychiatric hospital and substance abuse treatment facility.

Project completion expected in late summer.

12 - 2609 Development Dr., Bellevue Pediatric Dentistry Clinic & Family Dental Center, an 8,781sq. ft. dental clinic. Project completion expected in summer.

General contractor is CR Structures Group Inc. of Kimberly.

13 - 2605 Development Dr., Bellevue Aurora BayCare Plastic Surgery, a 12,000-sq. ft. standalone plastic surgery center and offices. Project completion expected in late summer.

23 - 2130 American Blvd., De Pere Machine Plus, a 10,000-sq. ft. manufacturing facility.

24 - 200 Ninth St., De Pere Rennes Health & Rehab Center, a 20,000-sq. ft. addition to the existing health care facility.

25 - 347 Libal St., De Pere St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, a 2,200-sq. ft. addition to the existing church building. Project completion expected in January. General contractor is James J. Calmes & Sons Construction of Kaukauna.

Projects completed since our December issue: • Prevea Plastic Surgery & Rejuvenation Center, 2461 Holmgren Way, Ashwaubenon.

• Grand Central Station/Hardee’s, 1593 E. Mason, Green Bay. • Belmark Inc., 675 Heritage Road, De Pere.

14 - 1401 S. Webster Ave., Allouez Kwik Trip, a 2,736-sq. ft. convenience store and fuel station canopy.

15 - 470 Marina Lane, Ashwaubenon Residence Inn by Marriott, a 103-room hotel. Project completion expected in late fall.

16 - 2202 S. Ridge Road, Ashwaubenon Ridgeview Liquor, a 5,930-sq. ft. retail building.

17 - 2391 S. Ridge Road, Ashwaubenon Ashwaubenon High School, a new community auditorium and a new swimming pool. Project completion expected in early fall.

18 - 900 Anderson Dr., Ashwaubenon Ashwaubenon Community Center, a 16,275-sq. ft. community center. Project completion expected in June.

19 - 3181 Commodity Lane, Ashwaubenon Valley Packaging Supply, a 41,800-sq. ft. addition to the existing industrial facility. General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay. 20 - 1220 Flightway Dr., Hobart The Driveway, a 10,000-sq. ft. indoor sports facility. Project completion expected in May.

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NNB2B | January 2016 | 15

Cover Story

Travels of an Entrepreneur

8

low to no-cost business resources across NE Wisconsin every business owner should consider

IS THERE ONE “WEIRD TRICK” TO rocket your small business into the stratosphere and blast your brilliant tech idea on to Amazon’s list of companies they must purchase?

OK, so there’s really not one. Other than having dozens of beneficent investors and lumps of gold in reserve, or being BFFs with a certain gazillionaire whose last name rhymes with lump.

All that might help. But the actual one weird trick is: Pick up the phone. And call. Anyone. It doesn’t matter whom. Help abounds.

From Score chapters in 362 American cities, including Green Bay and Appleton, to Fond du Lac’s Ignite! Business Success, which offers the combined power of 17 regional partners, several agencies up and down the Interstate 41 Corridor can help.

And the great thing is, it doesn’t matter which one you call first.

16 | January 2016 | NNB2B

Story by Lee Marie Reinsch

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“(Most every entrepreneur) is confused about where to start,” said Ryan Kauth, director of the Small Business Development Center located at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. “That’s a 10-year-old question. Any of those organizations employ people or have people who are volunteers who know all the resources in the area, and know if they can’t directly help that individual, they know who can.”

We rounded up a few to start with.

1&2 What: Where: Web: Contact:

Score chapters Appleton and Green Bay score.org 920.734.7101 for Appleton, or 920.222.2167 for Green Bay

About: Formerly known as the Service Corps of Retired Executives, this free small business consulting group has been around since 1962.

Reality Check 1 of 3:

Amy Zimmerman of Poppin’ Z’s Gourmet Popcorn, Green Bay Amy Zimmerman loped along with her then-mostly seasonal gourmet popcorn business, Poppin’ Z’s Gourmet Popcorn in Green Bay, for several years before contacting the Entrepreneur Resource Center at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay for marketing help.

“It ended up being so much more than that,” Zimmerman said.

Her business wasn’t responding the way she wanted, and she didn’t know how to promote her products. She signed up for one-on-one coaching with Karen Widmar. “She helped me with understanding how businesses can use Facebook,” she said. “They (ERC) helped me shorten my learning curve and make it more professional rather than personal.”

Zimmerman’s not a digital native and felt out of her element with social media.

Score’s volunteers include retired and active professionals from a host of occupations, including accountants, financial advisors, multigenerational business owners and CEOs. They’ll meet with entrepreneurs to assess a business’s needs, provide mentoring, business direction and help writing business plans. And it’s all free and confidential.

3

What: Entrepreneur Resource Center Where: Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Green Bay Web: nwtc.edu/Business-Industry/Entrepreneur Resource-Center Phone: 920.498.7124 Contact: erc@nwtc.edu

About: Entrepreneur Resource Center, or ERC for short, helps startups and existing business owners identify what tools and direction they need to grow, according to Karen Widmar, director of small business initiatives.

Its frequent webinars at score.org cover strategic planning, human resource issues, the latest apps, obtaining financing and other topics.

“Whether they’ve been in business for one year or several years, there’s always that point in a small business owner’s or entrepreneur’s life where – all of a sudden – reality strikes and they’re like, ‘What do I do now? I’m not growing like I thought I would,’ or ‘I’m having these struggles, I’m hitting a wall. Who do I turn to?’” Widmar said.

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“I don’t have a personal (Facebook) page and don’t want one. But from a business standpoint, it’s how you reach out and develop that customer base because it’s really where (customers) are,” she said.

Widmar listened to Zimmerman’s dreams for Poppin’ Z’s and helped her map out a route, instead of interjecting her own directives. “When you go in there, you are not just another business. You are a person to them, and they make that personal connection with you,” Zimmerman said.

They worked out the marketing challenges, fine-tuned some products and launched new lines. ERC helped her develop her popcorn buffet and promote herself to the wedding and party/event industries.

Zimmerman also wanted to break into corporate gifting, so Widmar introduced her to a promotions professional who helped her with advertising copy, developed flyers and created corporate pricing packages.

The one-on-one sessions weren’t free, but were cost-effective, Zimmerman said.

“I could have easily spent that wasting my money figuring out how to advertise or promote stuff in the wrong direction,” she said, noting she wouldn’t have been able to achieve alone what she did through ERC. “My company’s grown much more than I ever thought it would.”

In years past, Poppin’ Z’s had been mostly seasonal.

“Now we’re looking at a more year-round business, and that’s where I want to be,” Zimmerman said. “We’re moving in the right direction, and I couldn’t have done it without Karen and her team.”

NNB2B | January 2016 | 17

Cover Story “Everything we’re developing or have developed in the center is geared toward that, and … helping those existing smallbusiness owners become stronger and stay in business …. and contribute to the overall health of the economy.”

The ERC is located in the Advance Business & Manufacturing Center on the campus of NWTC along with Score and the SBDC office. All agencies work together toward similar goals.

Perhaps an entrepreneur is just starting out and needs a business plan: ERC will send them to the SBDC offices or Score. Maybe a home-based service business is outgrowing the guest bedroom: “Then let’s get you in the (business) incubator,” Widmar said.

ERC hosts workshops and courses that cover topics like Facebook for business and other marketing strategies. Its peer-to-peer roundtables are confidential groups of business owners that gather monthly to help solve one another’s problems. ERC also offers technical assistance.

“We serve as consultants and coaches and will work one on one with the business owner or their leadership team and address the issues they’re facing,” Widmar said. “Some (issues) may be financing, but a lot of it is about leadership, development, learning how to delegate, improve systems, policies and procedures, and grow…. We want to make sure the entrepreneur has the right skills to keep growing that business.”

4&5

What: Small Business Development Centers, Oshkosh and Green Bay Where: UW Oshkosh and UW Green Bay, with an office on the NWTC campus Web: wisconsinsbdc.org

About: SBDCs are federally and state-funded resources of the U.S. Small Business Administration. In Wisconsin, they’re generally housed on University of Wisconsin System campuses, said Kauth, director of the Wisconsin SBDC at UW Green Bay. Clients include small business owners looking to grow and entrepreneurs wanting to start a business enterprise.

“That may be the nascent entrepreneur who has an idea, to somebody who’s ready to start and needs an experienced advisor to consult them and advise them on, ‘Am I missing something? What are my blind spots here?’”

Colleen Merrill, director of the SBDC at UW Oshkosh, draws upon a health care analogy, referring to her office’s services as the “entire continuum of care,” from concept to succession planning or selling a business. “For businesses with under 500 employees, which is 97 percent of the businesses in Wisconsin, we offer no-cost business consulting,” Merrill said.

“Our primary focus is business consulting for the tire kicker to

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established businesses.”

The initial consultation determines where the business owner is along that continuum vs. where they want to be.

Then Merrill’s team outlines a strategic plan. They’ll do market research, business analyses for established companies to identify inefficiencies, strategic planning and board development, and help with succession plans, mergers and acquisitions, she said.

Green Bay’s SBDC developed training for first-time and experienced supervisors based on local market need. It’s also conducted workshops on leadership, project management, hiring, using financial statements to make decisions, and habits of effective managers. Upcoming programs cover talent development, entrepreneurial training and conflict resolution.

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Both SDBC offices work closely with other business assistance programs to which to make referrals if they’re not able to help.

“If there’s an expertise they need beyond our capability, we’ll get them in contact with that person and, quite often, if we’re giving them a couple different options or referrals, first we’ll advise them to go to someone who is no cost, and if there is no such entity, we’ll let them know,” Kauth said.

So no need to worry about which agency to call first.

6

What: E-Hub/Urban Hope Entrepreneur Center Where: Green Bay Web: urbanhopegb.org Contact: 920.884.9707

About: E-Hub and its entrepreneur center work with readyto-launch entrepreneurs to existing businesses looking to retool. Its key program, Stepping up to New Opportunities, covers everything from business plans to ethics to business management issues.

Since its own launch in 2002, it’s helped start more than 800 businesses in 32 states and has graduated more than 2,400 people. It has no boundaries, so participation isn’t limited.

“As a resource, we aren’t just local but national,” said Mark Burwell, director for E-Hub. “We’re by far the largest organization as far as entrepreneurial development north of Milwaukee.”

E-Hub’s Entrepreneur Advantage series focuses on businesses that are rebooting, looking to make changes to grow. Other topics include digital marketing, workplace civility, start-up entrepreneurial marketing and business modeling.

“Business plans are kind of old hat but are still needed, but business modeling is really the front end and back end of the business,” Burwell said. “That curriculum gets people into the business model by showing them how to develop partnerships, resources and activities – in other words, the value proposition, the basic building blocks, incorporating them into the real-life business situation.”

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Cover Story Reality Check 2 of 3:

Stacey Nellen-Kolze of Nell’s Wigs & Boutique, Allouez Stacey Nellen-Kolze used the resources of the Wisconsin SBDC at UW Green Bay as well as E-Hub/Urban Hope to grow her wig, mastectomy apparel and massage therapy business. The SBDC helped her crunch numbers before she applied for a loan to expand and become Medicare accredited.

“It’s very scary when you don’t know what you’re doing,” she said.

Nellen-Kolze started selling wigs as a cosmetologist from her chair at a local salon in 2007. Two years later she moved into a separate space, and in 2011 she developed her business plan through E-Hub/Urban Hope to add on the mastectomy/post-surgical garment boutique and massage therapy services. When she was ready to take out a loan, E-Hub sent her to the local SBDC office to help her prepare.

“They were able to assist me with the numbers side of it, with knowing how much, exactly, to take out for a loan,” she said. “You can’t just walk into a bank and say ‘Hey, I need money.’”

Nellen-Kolze still attends E-Hub’s seminars occasionally and calls the SBDC office when questions crop up.

She said she was reluctant at first to ask for help, but the people she met put her at ease.

“Everyone is so welcoming – this community is amazing. I don’t know where else you would find so many people willing to help you,” she said.

“It’s one of those places where, if you have a vision and drive, it will happen.”

7

What: Venture Center Where: Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton Web: venturecenterwi.biz Contact: 920.996.2949 or email venture@fvtc.edu

About: Venture Center is a “community of entrepreneurs and business owners as well as people thinking about starting a business,” according to its director, Amy Pietsch. “Through collaboration, education, training and networking, our goal is to help contribute to business launches, small business growth and economic vitality to the communities that Fox Valley Technical College serves,” she said.

Venture Center offers education, training and mentoring for entrepreneurs. Its signature series, E-Seed, has guided many entrepreneurs from business plan to launch and beyond.

“It’s ideal for people thinking about starting a business, as well as early-stage business owners,” Pietsch said.

For existing small business owners with decades of history 20 | January 2016 | NNB2B

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interested in growing customers, sales and profits, Venture Center has answers.

“We provide them with seminars and workshops and also one-on-one technical assistance that helps them increase their skill sets and their abilities to realize those growth objectives,” Pietsch said.

Its Business Model Design workshop is all about “empowering your product or service with a business model that helps provide competitive advantage,” Pietsch said.

In other words, clearly articulating and understanding how your business makes money and then developing business models that promote a competitive advantage.

“It used to be about having the best product or service and building a successful business around that,” Pietsch said.

“Today you still need to have the best product or service or technology, but you need to empower that with a powerful business model that helps you most effectively make money.”

Case in point: Amazon.com. It launched 20 years ago as an online bookseller and evolved many times to remain competitive. Today it’s an online retailer of almost everything – but has also become a technology company that does warehousing and storage of platforms for businesses of all sizes, she said. “For companies that want to be able to compete into the future, having a powerful business model is extremely important.”

Reality Check 3 of 3:

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What: Ignite! Business Success Where: Fond du Lac

Web: ignitefonddulaccounty.com Contact: 920.929.7541

About: Ever spend money chasing a fantasy (say, through one of those “One Weird Trick” ploys) and then want to kick yourself after?

Ignite! Business Success aims to prevent entrepreneurs from wasting money heading down the wrong path.

Ignite! started in 2014 as a means of uniting 14 disparate business-resource partners. It’s grown to 17 resource providers now, from Advocap to Ripon College’s Creative Enterprise Consultants.

“You could be a small mom-and-pop storefront business or an entrepreneur in technology, and we have resources available for all of those,” said Steve Jenkins, president of Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corp., which created and manages Ignite! “We feel we’ve got a complete system – our resources range from technical assistance to financing.”

Dr. Ann Liebeskind of Mobile Health Team, Neenah

Ann Liebeskind grew up the daughter of a sawmill owner.

same time bring in experts with experience in each piece of that, from marketing to financial.

“So to me it was natural to run your own business and come up with your own ideas,” she said.

“They also help you realize, ‘Is this really what I want to do? Is this a good idea? Did I do my market research?’”

Liebeskind, a cholesterol specialist, worked in a medical group for several years. She dreamed of her own practice offering telehealth services and online classes.

Cholesterol specialists aren’t common, which means patients may travel far to see them.

Many services, such as follow-up visits, don’t always have to be in-person.

E-Seed classmates had varied skills and backgrounds, but they adapted. “Most of us had little to no experience in starting a business,” Liebeskind said.

So Liebeskind developed a plan for her own practice, and went through Venture Center’s 10-week E-Seed program in 2013 to help her prepare.

“It’s a course for aspiring entrepreneurs that have a business idea,” she said. “They walk you through writing a business plan, but at the

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Along the way, some classmates discovered they didn’t want to own a business. “Maybe it was too risky, or their idea was out there already and they didn’t realize it,” she said. “(E-Seed) helped me really change some things, fine-tune other things, get rid of some ideas and incorporate others.”

A few months later, Liebeskind took a business model design workshop. Mobile Health Team launched (mobilehealthteam.com) in fall of 2014. It currently employs six, with offices in

Neenah and Wauwatosa. They don’t do house calls, but their online consultations and telehealth follow-ups save patients travel time.

“For a big health care system, it may not be worth the investment if a lot of the providers can’t fit telehealth in, but with a niche specialty like ours, it was a perfect fit,” Liebeskind said.

The Venture Center keeps in touch.

“I really thought I was taking a course, but it’s been a longstanding mentorship. They really try to cultivate people and businesses and really have a stake in wanting you to succeed and fostering that economic development in the area,” she said.

NNB2B | January 2016 | 21

Tech entrepreneurs can take advantage of the Emergent Technology Center, one of the 17 partners, an accelerator based on lean start up. It graduated its first cohort in 2015 and will start a second group this spring for a 10-week course.

Getting started with Ignite! requires meeting to assess a business’s needs.

“What we’ve discovered is that what an entrepreneur thinks are their needs aren’t necessarily what their needs are,” Jenkins said. It also involves a 90-question inventory on the entrepreneur.

“We’re not looking at your business or business idea, but more on your capacity to be an entrepreneur: where are your strengths and weaknesses, and how can your weaknesses be bolstered into strengths?”

Ignite! will refer business owners to its resource partners.

They’re aiming to raise the overall success rate of start-up entrepreneurship. Jenkins said the failure rate for startups is 90 percent within the first five years.

“Even though you may have a good idea, you may not have the attributes necessary to drive that idea to success,” Jenkins said. “If you have weaknesses, we’d advise you to consider bringing on a partner that helps fill the weaknesses.”

The Imagination Network, a peer group of entrepreneurs, meets monthly in Fond du Lac to practice pitching their idea to investors or discuss the myriad of aspects of running a business. The meetings draw a core group of 30 to 40, with some 400 participants on the mailing list.

Jenkins said nearly 90 to 95 percent of the agency’s programs are free to the entrepreneur.

The Ignite! model has drawn national attention from communities interested in doing something similar for entrepreneurs, Jenkins said.

“We have a philosophy that any economic development program should have an entrepreneurship component, and if it doesn’t, you’d better get one pretty quickly – and understand the value that entrepreneurs bring to the economic system of your community.” n Lee Reinsch of Green Bay worked 18 years at daily newspapers before launching her freelance business, edgewise, in 2007.

Someone who’s technically savvy but without business skills might be advised to find a founding partner with business skills, for example.

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Health Care

Comparing health care costs The Wisconsin Hospital Association Information Center regularly collects and publishes data about charges and services provided by Wisconsin hospitals and outpatient surgery centers. Providing this cost and quality data was part of a state government and WHA initiative to make health care more transparent to Wisconsin patients.

Each year since 2002, New North B2B magazine has published average charges from each facility in our readership area for sample services and procedures common to employers.

To compare cost figures from other health care facilities or for other procedures, visit Wisconsin’s PricePoint System online at www.wipricepoint.org. ~ Research conducted by Kate Erbach for New North B2B Normal Newborn*........................ Discharges St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton............... 1063 ThedaCare Medical Center, New London..... 94 Theda Clark Medical Center, Neenah......... 975 ThedaCare Regional, Appleton................. 1170 Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh................. 540 Agnesian Healthcare, Fond du Lac............. 747 Bellin Health, Green Bay........................... 1146 St. Vincent Hospital, Green Bay.................. 794 Aurora Baycare, Green Bay....................... 1471 St. Mary’s Hospital, Green Bay................... 622 Aurora Medical Center, Oshkosh................ 532 State Average..................................................

Median 2015 $923 $2,409 $2,310 $2,306 $1,786 $2,233 $2,231 $2,781 $3,417 $2,724 $3,690 $2,437

Median 2014 $884 $2,293 $2,239 $2,187 $1,683 $2,224 $2,168 $2,481 $3,119 $2,961 $3,732 $3,059

Median 2015 $24,530 $25,968 $27,465 $27,488 $29,997 $29,287 $36,902 $41,547 $40,329 $35,948 $39,266 $36,850 $32,965

Median 2014 $23,457 $24,438 $28,427 $27,106 $29,616 $28,101 $34,396 $39,190 $39,507 $32,577 $40,613 $40,911 $39,662

* Birthweight of 2,500 grams or more

Knee Replacement...................... Discharges Theda Clark Medical Center, Neenah......... 156 ThedaCare Regional, Appleton................... 455 Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh................. 451 ThedaCare Medical Center, New London..... 32 St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton................. 351 Bellin Health, Green Bay............................. 929 Aurora Baycare, Green Bay......................... 330 Aurora Medical Center, Oshkosh................ 165 Ripon Medical Center................................... 34 St. Vincent Hospital, Green Bay.................. 240 Agnesian Healthcare, Fond du Lac............. 168 St. Mary’s Hospital, Green Bay................... 213 State Average..................................................

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Angioplasty w/o heart attack..... Discharges Theda Clark Medical Center, Neenah........... 13 ThedaCare Regional, Appleton..................... 64 Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh................... 37 Aurora Medical Center, Oshkosh.................... 9 Aurora Baycare, Green Bay........................... 31 Bellin Health, Green Bay............................. 106 St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton................... 34 St. Vincent Hospital, Green Bay.................. 126 Agnesian Healthcare, Fond du Lac............... 64 St. Mary’s Hospital, Green Bay..................... 69 State Average..................................................

Median 2015 $30,421 $32,711 $46,062 $51,283 $54,871 $79,600 $50,775 $65,927 $55,125 $66,506 $53,328

Median 2014 $26,013 $38,271 $47,437 $41,255 $56,558 $46,522 $48,938 $55,321 $45,111 $54,659 $61,668

Vaginal Delivery........................... Discharges ThedaCare Regional, Appleton................... 922 ThedaCare Medical Center, New London..... 59 Theda Clark Medical Center, Neenah......... 784 St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton................. 887 Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh................. 479 Aurora Medical Center, Oshkosh................ 405 Bellin Health, Green Bay............................. 913 St. Mary’s Hospital, Green Bay................... 528 Aurora Baycare, Green Bay....................... 1136 St. Vincent Hospital, Green Bay.................. 671 Agnesian Healthcare, Fond du Lac............. 589 Ripon Medical Center................................... 28 State Average..................................................

Median 2015 $3,829 $4,020 $3,907 $3,976 $3,997 $6,051 $5,763 $8,402 $6,746 $8,672 $7,212 $7,096 $5,083

Median 2014 $3,624 $3,890 $3,701 $4,206 $4,135 $4,611 $6,012 $7,137 $5,878 $7,964 $6,808 $5,151 $8,154

Cesarean Delivery....................... Discharges ThedaCare Regional, Appleton................... 303 Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh................. 116 St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton................. 258 Theda Clark Medical Center, Neenah......... 387 Aurora Medical Center, Oshkosh................ 160 ThedaCare Medical Center, New London..... 39 Bellin Health, Green Bay............................. 313 St. Vincent Hospital, Green Bay.................. 249 Aurora Baycare, Green Bay......................... 421 St. Mary’s Hospital, Green Bay................... 121 Agnesian Healthcare, Fond du Lac............. 197 Ripon Medical Center..................................... 8 State Average..................................................

Median 2015 $8,904 $8,400 $8,805 $9,528 $11,854 $10,069 $14,417 $12,691 $16,209 $15,781 $15,933 $17,265 $12,488

Median 2014 $7,830 $8,284 $8,775 $8,501 $10,103 $9,494 $14,824 $12,002 $15,069 $14,785 $15,774 NA $16,223

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NNB2B | January 2016 | 25

Health Care Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary. Discharges Theda Clark Medical Center, Neenah........... 84 ThedaCare Regional, Appleton................... 107 ThedaCare Medical Center, New London..... 22 Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh................... 80 St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton................. 101 Bellin Health, Green Bay............................... 71 Ripon Medical Center................................... 13 Aurora Medical Center, Oshkosh.................. 76 St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital, Green Bay..................... 22 Aurora Baycare, Green Bay........................... 89 St. Vincent Hospital, Green Bay.................... 69 Agnesian Healthcare, Fond du Lac............... 85 State Average..................................................

Median 2015 $8,917 $9,182

$5,883 $11,693 $10,328 $14,657 $16,657 $16,917 $12,463 $16,003 $14,759 $15,702 $12,763

Median 2014 $7,248 $7,975 $7,954 $11,045 $10,067 $14,298 $17,171 $16,831 $13,571 $16,649 $14,801 $14,283 $14,454

Major Bowel Procedure.............. Discharges ThedaCare Regional, Appleton................... 174 Theda Clark Medical Center......................... 89 St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton................. 109 ThedaCare Medical Center, New London....... 5 Ripon Medical Center..................................... 9 Aurora Medical Center, Oshkosh.................. 61 Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh................... 47 Aurora Baycare, Green Bay......................... 167 Bellin Health, Green Bay............................. 169 Agnesian Healthcare, Fond du Lac............... 61 St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital, Green Bay..................... 56 St. Vincent Hospital..................................... 148 State Average..................................................

Median 2015 $27,833 $24,402 $26,533 $19,150 $41,714 $36,713 $32,616 $45,871 $57,946 $51,081 $51,684 $46,091 $38,470

Median 2014 $25,175 $23,637 $25,152 $28,584 $36,536 $38,363 $29,708 $48,732 $59,040 $44,323 $49,416 $49,071 $49,191

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Mammography............................. Discharges Theda Clark Medical Center, Neenah....... 3602 ThedaCare Medical Center, New London.1404 Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh............... 3087 St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton............... 5465 Bellin Health, Green Bay........................... 7566 Ripon Medical Center............................... 1060 Aurora Medical Center, Oshkosh.............. 4676 St. Mary’s Hospital, Green Bay................. 1042 Aurora Baycare, Green Bay....................... 4978 Agnesian Healthcare, Fond du Lac........... 8604 State Average..................................................

Median 2015 $298

$298 $238 $238 $210 $128 $265 $235 $265 $128 $230

CAT Scan (abdomen).................. Discharges ThedaCare Regional, Appleton................. 1132 Theda Clark Medical Center....................... 900 St. Elizabeth Hospital, Appleton................. 992 ThedaCare Medical Center, New London... 356 Ripon Medical Center................................... 95 Aurora Medical Center, Oshkosh................ 612 Mercy Medical Center, Oshkosh................. 620 Aurora Baycare, Green Bay....................... 1288 Bellin Health, Green Bay........................... 1339 Agnesian Healthcare, Fond du Lac............. 939 St. Mary’s Hospital, Green Bay................... 639 St. Vincent Hospital................................... 1151 State Average..................................................

Median 2015 $1,348 $1,348 $1,874 $1,348 $3,564 $4,110 $1,874 $4,960 $3,133 $3,564 $3,300 $3,300 $2,698

Median 2014 costs for this procedure were not available to B2B at its press time.

Median 2014 costs for this procedure were not available to B2B at its press time.

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Firefighters of Northeast Wisconsin

Firefighter Update

Consultant teaching reading instructor how to read the financial data of her business

by B2B Staff As we approach the halfway point of B2B’s 5th annual Firefighters of Northeast Wisconsin initiative, our volunteer business consultant Gary Vaughan of Guident Business Solutions in Appleton has been helping freshly-minted entrepreneur Kelly Steinke become more comfortable with the financial aspects of her business.

Vaughan has been working with Steinke since October to assist her in fully and properly executing the start up of READ Learning Services of Appleton, a multi-faceted business launched by the former fulltime teacher to help dyslexic children read at a higher level, and to provide other private reading consultation services. Steinke is also in the midst of developing a tangible product which would be marketed online to help anyone read at a higher proficiency. B2B has been tracking the progress of their work together since November, and will continue to provide updates until our Firefighters initiative wraps up in March.

Financial data has always been important to Vaughan, and he makes a point of ensuring his clients work with accurate and up-to-date numbers for the business, and that his clients learn to read what those numbers say about the performance of the business.

In the first three months of working together, Vaughan said he’s introduced Steinke to using QuickBooks financial management software. He’s also established a customized chart of accounts within QuickBooks that work for Steinke’s business structure, reflecting profit centers and bank accounts.

Together, they’ve developed a year-to-date profit and loss statement capturing all transactions from the beginning of 2015 when Steinke operated the business on a part-time basis.

“The profit and loss statement will be used as a report card to assess the performance of the business’s profit centers and compare the actual results to our plan,” Vaughan explained.

“Kelly is well on her way to operating her business ‘as a business’ and has begun to ‘corporatize’ her thinking regarding the business transactions she will experience on a monthly basis.” Vaughan said.

Vaughan

Lastly, Vaughan helped Steinke recognize her current assets verses her current liabilities accounts on her business’s balance sheet, and established a year-to-date balance sheet for the company. Vaughan indicated Steinke will have a variety of new experiences in store for 2016.

“READ Learning Services has a bright future with all the normal challenges a new business will face,” he said. n

Methodology New North B2B magazine began seeking entries for its 5th annual Firefighters of Northeast Wisconsin initiative earlier this year, with a goal of assisting those northeast Wisconsin small business owners who feel as if they’re constantly burning the candle at both ends, putting out fires, spinning their wheels, but intent on finding a way to improve.

We put out a call for nominations last spring, and in the end agreed to help Appleton-based READ Learning Services LLC with its start up.

Through the generous help of Gary Vaughan of Guident Business Solutions in Appleton, READ Learning Services owner Kelly Steinke will receive five month’s worth of consulting at no cost to help her work on the strategy of launching and growing her business.

NAME: Kelly Steinke Company: READ Learning Educational Services LLC Location: Appleton Founded: Part time 2011; full time beginning in October 2015.

Web: www.readlearningservices.com

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

Steinke

www.newnorthb2b.com

They’ve established an annual operating budget for the 2016 fiscal year and entered it into Quick Books, so that Steinke can compare her actual performance to budget at any time throughout the year.

www.guidentbusinesssolutions.com NNB2B | January 2016 | 29

Year in Review

TOP TEN of

2015

The news and developments from 2015 have set the stage for tremendous opportunity for northeast Wisconsin businesses in the year to come.

In line with our annual retrospective tradition, New North B2B presents our list of the Top Ten stories affecting the region’s business community during the past year.

1

Construction mirrors surge in economy

If you regularly read B2B’s signature Build Up department in every edition and review our monthly listing of issued building permits, you probably recognized commercial and industrial construction activity surged in northeast Wisconsin throughout 2015.

While official property valuation totals for the past year won’t be available from the state until this next July, preliminary estimates from B2B indicate more than $500 million in building permits for commercial, industrial and institutional projects were issued across our readership area alone during 2015. It’s a sign that pent-up demand to expand facilities just couldn’t wait any longer, and that businesses are eager to spend on new improvements while interest rates remain at historically-low levels.

At one time this past summer, more than 70 construction projects graced the pages of B2B’s Build Up pages – an alltime record high in our 14-year history – representing sizable new construction or additions for facilities in Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, the Fox Cities and the Greater Green Bay Area. In total, more than 175 building projects were featured on our Build Up pages throughout 2015. Here’s an abbreviated list of some of the more notable projects:

30 | January 2016 | NNB2B

An artist’s rendering of the ThedaCare Regional Cancer Center in Appleton.

z ThedaCare began construction on a $37 million, 82,000sq. ft. regional cancer treatment facility. z Grande Cheese nearly completed its $35 million, 87,000sq. ft. new corporate headquarters complex. z Fox Valley Hematology & Oncology completed its $22 million, 60,000-sq. ft. facility on Appleton’s north side. z Georgia-Pacific provided more than $19 million in improvements to its Broadway mill in Green Bay, replacing the clarifiers in its water treatment plant. z Menasha Packaging began work on a $23 million corporate headquarters facility in Neenah to replace its former main offices. z Many of the same developers associated with the Neenah Center complex began work across the Fox River and all the way across Doty Island on the $13 million One Menasha Center, an 8-story, 100,000-sq. ft. multi-tenant office complex which will house new corporate headquarters for Faith Technologies. z Werner Electric began construction on its $13 million, 260,000-sq. ft. corporate offices and distribution center. z 4imprint wrapped up a 100,000-sq. ft. expansion of its distribution center in Oshkosh.

www.newnorthb2b.com

1. Construction mirror surge in economy 2. Jobs to fill = Low unemployment 3. Oshkosh Corp. riding high again 4. Packers Titletown District unveiled 5. Fox Cities Expo Center forges ahead 6. Fox Locks fully open after three decades 7. Highway funding taken, then partially restored 8. Superstores wage war in NE Wisconsin 9. Region’s first medical college opens in De Pere 10. Brown County sales tax ends

By Sean Fitzgerald, New North B2B publisher

Jobs to Fill = Low unemployment

2 3

Unemployment in northeast Wisconsin scaled back down to pre-recession levels and nearly reached the sub-3 percent environment of 15 years ago. The region’s average unemployment rate ended 2015 at roughly 3.1 percent, while employment across the entire New North reached almost 600,000 workers – about 2 percent shy of peak prerecession employment levels as reported at last month’s New North Summit. Nationwide, nearly $2.6 million jobs were created in 2015, down slightly from the $2.95 million new jobs created during 2014.

It’s been good news for job seekers. But the other side of the coin isn’t quite as celebratory for employers struggling to fill open positions. Several employers have been hiring consistently throughout 2015, and offering more innovative incentives to attract the best candidates. Job fairs became a common occurrence across northeast Wisconsin during the past year. As a result, top-notch employers are discovering that investing in employee skills development can help stem the tide of a workforce shortage, allowing fewer employees to have greater productivity.

www.newnorthb2b.com

Oshkosh Corp. riding high again

Oshkosh Defense learned in late August that it was awarded a $6.7 billion Joint Light Tactical Vehicle contract from the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command.

The highly-sought and heavily-contested contract orders nearly 17,000 tactical military vehicles over an eight-year span, filling the production pipeline for the Fortune 400 manufacturer and the hundreds of vendors in its supply chain across northeast Wisconsin.

The contract includes provisions to be extended to as long as 2040, with the potential to manufacturer and service nearly 55,500 heavy-duty military vehicles with a cumulative value estimated at $30 billion.

The award had been contested by defense giant Lockheed Martin, another manufacturer vying for the contract, but that challenge was ultimately dismissed by Pentagon officials in mid-December.

Production is expected to begin early this year, and will likely create thousands of new jobs across northeast Wisconsin in the next few years, both for Oshkosh Corp. as well as for vendors in its supply chain.

NNB2B | January 2016 | 31

Year in Review

4

Packers Titletown District unveiled

5

Fox Cities Expo Center forges ahead

In late August, the Green Bay Packers organization announced plans to invest $65 million in developing a 34-acre Titletown District immediately west of Lambeau Field, which promises to expand the year-round tourism appeal to the sacred grounds of the Frozen Tundra.

A topic that’s perennially made B2B’s Top 10 list for the past few years, efforts to develop a new Fox Cities Exhibition Center took some tangible steps forward in 2015 as the pieces of the financing puzzle began to come together to construct the nearly $28 million project.

The proposed development includes a 10-acre public plaza; Lodge Kohler, a four-diamond hotel built and managed

by Kohler Company; a 30,000- sq. ft. Bellin Health Sports Medicine Clinic; and a 20,000- sq. ft. Hinterland Restaurant and Brewery. While final designs were not yet complete at the end of the year, the elaborate public plaza could include a winter ice skating rink, a small amphitheater, a full-sized football field and public art, among other showpieces. The total investment between the Packers and its partners is expected to be in the range of $120 to $130 million.

After initially balking at the offer to purchase Outagamie County-owned land adjacent to the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in downtown Appleton, the city’s common council approved an already-budgeted measure to purchase the parking lot from the county for $2 million this past March.

While the announced development will stand on a footprint of about 18 acres, another remaining 16 acres will be available for future development of commercial, retail and residential entities. The Packers hoped to complete all necessary permitting by the end of the year and begin construction in January, with plans to complete the initial phase in time for the 2017 season.

6

Because construction bonds would largely be financed through additional revenue generated by increasing room taxes across the Fox Cities, Appleton became the first of ten communities to hike its room tax rate from 6 to 10 percent in late October, setting the stage for its neighboring cities, towns and villages to do the same during November. With final approval for an increased room tax from all ten municipalities by late November, the City of Appleton acquired the property for the facility from the county.

Construction on the project – which includes a 35,000-sq. ft. addition to the existing convention space at the Paper Valley Hotel – is expected to begin this summer.

Fox Locks fully open after three decades

Following completion of a 10-year, $14.5 million lock restoration project, the Fox River Navigational Authority officially opened the final renovated lock on the 16-lock system between Menasha and Kaukauna in late August.

32 | January 2016 | NNB2B

Another critical component of the proposed expo center materialized in May when Florida-based Inner Circle Investments agreed to purchase the previously-troubled Paper Valley Hotel, promising significant investments to modernize the property as well as intentions to enter into a management agreement for the proposed 62,000-sq. ft. convention center.

Marine traffic still won’t be able to navigate the full 37mile stretch until 2017, while waterway officials continue to repair three bridges along the route. Once reopened next year, boaters will be able to navigate from Lake Winnebago south to Brown County for the first time since the locks closed in 1987. It’s expected to attract substantial tourism revenue to the Fox Valley from boaters and history enthusiasts interested in exploring the one-time artery of the region’s paper industry.

The lock at Rapide Croche near Wrightstown will remain closed to prevent aquatic invasive species from migrating upstream from the Great Lakes, though the authority is working to place a boat lift at that lock.

www.newnorthb2b.com

7

Highway funding taken away, then partially restored

In late September, State Department of Transportation officials announced significant delays in five major highway construction projects across the state – including three in northeast Wisconsin - due to lack of funding in the current, recently passed two-year state budget for 2015-17. DOT officials had indicated work on the projects won’t stop altogether, but will slow down, potentially driving project costs higher.

Among the delayed projects were the Highway 10/441 expansion and improvement in northern Winnebago County, the State Road 15 expansion project near Greenville and Hortonville, and the State Road 23 expansion in eastern Fond du Lac County. The $482 million project to improve Highways 10/441 between Interstate 41 and Oneida Street in Menasha began in 2014 and was anticipated to be complete by 2019, but the announced delay would push completion back to 2021. Similarly, completion of the $148 million reconstruction of WIS 15 from Greenville to New London was delayed until at least 2021, and the $151 million expansion of WIS 23 to four lanes between Fond du Lac and Plymouth scheduled to begin this spring had been delayed as a result of a lawsuit brought by an environmental group.

8

Superstore Wars

Retail behemoths Meijer, Costco and Sam’s Club jockeyed for position across the Fox Cities, Greater Green Bay Area and Oshkosh throughout 2015, buying property, building a new store, and announcing other new stores down the road.

With one northeast Wisconsin store already located in Bellevue on Green Bay’s east side, town of Grand Chute officials approved development plans for Costco to construct a 150,000-sq. ft. store and fuel station on 16 acres of land off Wisconsin Avenue near McCarthy Road to the west of Fox River Mall. Construction began in April, with the new store opening in October.

Meanwhile, Michigan-based competitor Meijer – which just opened its first Wisconsin stores this past summer in the Milwaukee area – announced plans for a 193,000-sq. ft. supercenter near the southeast quadrant of the Interstate

www.newnorthb2b.com

An aerial view of the Interstate 41 interchange with WIS 441 and the bridge crossing Little Lake Butte des Morts in Menasha.

Following outcry from northeast Wisconsin business and local government leaders during October, state legislators scrambled to restore additional funding to keep these projects on track, passing an emergency measure in November to borrow an additional $350 million while delaying other scheduled projects on less heavily traveled highways across the state.

41/WIS 29 interchange west of Green Bay. The estimated $12 to $14 million project was approved by the Village of Howard Board of Supervisors in March. Construction is expected to begin later this year, with the new store opening in 2017 and employing an estimated 200 to 250 people. About three months later, Meijer officials confirmed negotiations to purchase property near the County Road GV and WIS 172 interchange in Bellevue, suggesting construction plans for a second Green Bay area store on the metro region’s east side.

In August, officials from Meijer said they plan to purchase property at State Road 47 and Evergreen Dr. in the town of Grand Chute for future development of a 190,000-sq. ft. store. Construction of the new store north of Appleton would begin in 2017, with the store opening in 2018 at the earliest.

In Oshkosh, Sam’s Club officials announced in June it would indefinitely shelve plans to construct a 136,000sq. ft. store near Interstate 41 after acquiring the property in 2014 and receiving development approval from the city’s common council earlier in 2015.

NNB2B | January 2016 | 33

Year in Review Year in Review

9

Region’s first medical college opens in De Pere

Medical College of Wisconsin opened its Green Bay area campus this past summer on the campus of St. Norbert College in De Pere, where a 150,000-sq. ft. educational and research facility was recently constructed for the school.

The new campus – along with another which opened in the Wausau area this past summer as well – is intended to address a shortage of physicians in Wisconsin in areas of the state beyond Milwaukee and Madison, where the state’s only two previous medical schools were located.

Medical College officials in Green Bay reported about 2,400 applications had been received for 26 spots in its inaugural class of physician trainees.

10

Brown County sales tax ends

In early March, the Green Bay/Brown County Professional Football Stadium District Board of Trustees requested the Wisconsin Department of Revenue to retire the Brown County half-percent sales tax, which was instituted in 2001 as a result of a public referendum to help finance the $295 million renovation of Lambeau Field completed in 2003.

Those bonds were paid off in 2011. In the four years since, the district had collected revenues in excess of $90 million which will be used to finance maintenance responsibilities at Lambeau Field through the end of the Green Bay Packers current lease in 2031.

With the benediction of the state Department of Revenue, the special Brown County sales tax ended on Sept. 30, returning the sales tax rate to 5 percent as it had been 15 years earlier. Following the last of the special sales tax collections this past fall, stadium district officials estimated a $17.4 million surplus, which will be redistributed to Brown County towns, villages and cities on a per-capita basis for property tax relief, debt reduction or economic development.

34 | January 2016 | NNB2B

www.newnorthb2b.com

2015 Honorable Mention Fox Crossing incorporation effort

Larsen Green takes shape

The effort to incorporate a substantial portion of the Town of Menasha into the proposed Village of Fox Crossing continued to gain steam during 2015 after town residents filed a petition with the Wisconsin Department of Administration in January. Town officials hoped to bring the matter up for public referendum in this coming Feb. 16 primary election, but a delayed decision from the state’s Incorporation Review Board in mid-December may push any vote from residents back as late as April 2016.

In late May, City of Green Bay officials finalized development plans with Donald Driver Lane Holdings LLC – a partnership composed of ownership between Smet Construction Services and Titletown Brewing Co. – to acquire and redevelop the remainder of the Larsen Green property on North Broadway. The nearly $30 million development proposal included plans for a hotel, retail space, office space and upper-level residential. The same development group renovated another portion of the former vegetable cannery into Titletown Brewing Company’s new brewery and tap room, a restaurant and some multi-tenant commercial office space during 2014.

NWTC referendum

In April, voters in the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College district approved a $66.5 million building referendum with 59 percent of nearly 65,000 votes cast. Improvements began this past summer to provide $53.5 million in facility and equipment enhancements at the Green Bay campus for its information technology, manufacturing, digital arts, business, public safety and construction programs. About $10 million is earmarked for the Marinette campus and an additional $3 million for the Sturgeon Bay campus, both to expand manufacturing and health field programs.

Interstate 41 finally official

The Federal Highway Administration approved Interstate designation for U.S. Highway 41 from Milwaukee to Green Bay, clearing the final hurdle in a process that began nearly 10 years ago. About 3,200 new signs identifying Interstate 41 were erected this past summer. Local government, economic development and tourism officials had lobbied for the Interstate designation during the past decade with hopes it would attract greater visibility to communities along the highway corridor.

www.newnorthb2b.com

Big changes for Appvion

In August, Appleton-based Appvion Inc. sold its Encapsys microencapsulation division for $208 million to a Baltimore-based private investment firm, which planned to keep the division’s offices, lab space and nearly 90 employees in Appleton. Formerly know as Appleton Papers, Appvion created its Encapsys division in 2006 to discover, develop and manufacture microencapsulation solutions for use in the building and construction, paper, bedding, and personal and household care industries. That same day, Appvion CEO Mark Richards announced his retirement at the end of 2015, prompting the company’s board of directors to appoint Kevin Gilligan, president of Appvion’s paper division, as its next chief executive.

Marian fills top leadership vacancy

In late October, Marian University in Fond du Lac named Andrew P. Manion as its 16th president, succeeding Robert A. Fale, who has been serving as interim president for nearly three years since the May 2013 departure of former President Steven DiSalvo. Manion – who earned his bachelor of arts degree in psychology from St. Norbert College in De Pere – has spent the past 17 years at Aurora University in Illinois, currently serving as its executive vice president.

NNB2B | January 2016 | 35

Retail

V V

oices isions &

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

A strong community supports strong local business, so the owner of Caramel Crisp Cafe works long hours to make downtown Oshkosh a place of choice. Just off Main Street, a charming café, bakery and gift shop beckons customers through its ornate, oversized, wooden front door.

Beyond the candy, cookies and ice cream are gifts, books and collectibles in a 2,000-sq. ft. expansion. Another expansion offers toys and more books, making Caramel Crisp the colorful anchor in a small cluster of shops at the northeast corner of what was once Park Plaza Mall.

What led you to open such a unique shop?

I was growing tired of the healthcare field, so I considered going back to school for a different degree, but what I really wanted to do was make cookie gift baskets. I started to look at other options, which brought me to a “specialty food” place in 2008. Then I wanted just “sweet treats,” but I was unable to make the numbers work in the first quarter, so we added the cafe.

When I was putting the business plan together – well before construction or loans – I realized we’d never survive without the cafe.

Chanda Anderson

I am thankful for the chain of events that brought me to the current business model, as the cafe is very successful and allows me to dabble in things that aren’t such big moneymakers. The gift shop and toy store are kind of pet projects. They were two things I thought the downtown needed, so I opened them. They are easier for me to manage when they’re attached to the cafe, and they help Caramel Crisp become more of a destination for out-of-towners.

Caramel Crisp Cafe

How do you reach distant customers?

Owner

Oshkosh caramelcrispcafe.com

Word of mouth is always a friend, but a ton of people mention our billboard on Highway 41. We find that tourists linger and the regulars usually just come in for what they need. Typically, you shop where you live and work.

People on the other side of the highway (in Oshkosh) seem to limit their access to downtown, so I assume they just don’t come downtown.

You sure do support the downtown scene.

I do a lot trying to build it into a stronger downtown, and you hope that eventually all the work in building a strong community will pay off. I host a chili cook-off annually in Opera House Square and I still chair the Heart Of Winter event.

36 | Decemberr 2015 | NNB2B

www.newnorthb2b.com

I sit on the (city) parking commission and the business improvement district board. I’m in Rotary. I try to help as much as I can with the police K-9s and the drug task force, the warming shelter and the humane society. So, I do not have much free time. Or, maybe it is more accurate to say that the free time I have I choose to spend differently.

With warm weather making a downtown stroll less frigid, are holiday sales boosted?

Actually, the speculation is that the warmer weather is keeping people from shopping. They’re not in the Christmas spirit, not in the mood, still playing outside instead of shopping. And yes, we are all seeing that.

What’s your strategy to compete with larger stores and the Internet?

I often choose things that won’t be carried in other places. For example, I do not have a chocolate chip cookie in the case. You can buy them everywhere. We also try to stay away from major mainstream items you see in a big box.

However, with toys you still need to offer “Barbies,” or whatever, just to satisfy random shoppers. In the gift shop we try very hard not to offer things you can buy wherever. For example: Willow Tree figurines. You can buy them on Amazon, so we are now discontinuing them.

I think online purchasing will kill all business eventually. I’d say that inside of 20 years all purchases will be made online. For now, I do think there is a lot to be said for coming in and seeing an item or playing with it first.

I am not fearful of competition. I look at it as, “the more the better.” Sure, if a cookie place opened up next door I wouldn’t be thrilled, but I never deter people from visiting other coffee shops or anything. The more traffic downtown, the better.

How do you connect with corporate clients who order bulk gifts?

They find me. I don’t look for them. Large corporate gift orders are typically limited to the holidays. Throughout the year we get a number of “good job” or “welcome” or “thank you” corporate gift basket orders, but not nearly as many as we get during the holidays.

What’s the next expansion?

I need to expand my kitchen, and the only place to go is into the space in the corner. When (former adjacent neighbor) Thimke Jewelers was there, I had right of first refusal as long as he didn’t sell to another jeweler. Well, he sold to another jeweler. The current jeweler, Dreams, has her eye on a much larger store and has already outgrown her space. If she does move, I hope to take that space. We outgrew the kitchen years ago and have to limit ourselves due to the its small size.

I also hope to expand the toy and book store, which currently doesn’t have a true storefront. I have a dream to have an indoor play area and a wider variety of books with toys. Once we are able to expand the “kid-friendly” dining area, make a play area and expand the toys, books and other stuff, I’ll market it as more of a destination. n www.newnorthb2b.com

NNB2B | December 2015 | 37

Professionally Speaking

Professionally Speaking is a paid promotional spot in B2B.

Supreme Court to Review Enhanced Patent Infringement Damages Standard – Take Heed Before Launching New Products and Processes

by Patrick M. Bergin of Davis & Kuelthau, s.c.

The Supreme Court announced that it accepted Halo Electronics, Inc. v. Pulse Electronics, Inc., No. 14-1513, and Stryker Corp. v. Zimmer, Inc., No. 14-1520, two cases that could lower the bar for awarding enhanced damages to patent owners upon a finding of infringement. Either way, the court’s decision will have a significant impact in determining whether to bring infringement claims and deciding whether to risk a claim of infringement.

Federal patent law provides that a court “may increase damages awarded in a patent case by up to three times the amount found or assessed.” Under the current Federal Circuit test, in order to prove willful infringement, a patent owner must prove by clear and convincing evidence that (1) there was an objectively high

414.225.7563

likelihood that the infringer’s actions constituted infringement, and (2) the accused infringer either knew or should have known of the infringement.

In 2014, the Supreme Court struck down a similar standard used by the Federal Circuit to determine if a case was “exceptional” under 35 U.S.C. § 285 which required proof that the litigation was both brought in subjective bad faith and objectively baseless. Instead, the Supreme Court ruled that an “exceptional” case under the statute is “simply one that stands out from others with respect to the substantive strength of a party’s litigating position…or the unreasonable manner in which the case was litigated.”

Octane Fitness LLC v. ICON Health & Fitness, Inc., 134 S.Ct. 1749 (2014). In Octane, the Court emphasized the need to exercise equitable discretion and avoid precise rules or formulas when awarding attorneys’ fees.

STEP RIGHT UP AND SHOWCAsE YOUR BUSINESS

In view of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in the Octane case relaxing the exceptional case standard, companies would be wise to consider obtaining an opinion of counsel before moving forward with new products and processes. The Court will likely issue a decision sometime between March and June 2016.

We will continue to monitor cases like these and report any developments that may impact your business. If you would like information regarding the intellectual property cases pending before the Supreme Court, please contact your Davis & Kuelthau attorney or the author.

Patrick Bergin is a shareholder with Davis & Kuelthau, s.c. in Milwaukee. Mr. Bergin provides intellectual property counsel and may be reached at 414.225.7563 or email pbergin@dkattorneys.com.

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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

Opolka Communications LLC, Jayme Lyn Opolka, 1460 Silverstone Tr., De Pere 54115.

Beno Delivery INC., Jason Beno, 1778 Geneva St., De Pere 54115.

Liquid Designs LLC, Troy Retzlaff, 4651 Sportsman Dr., De Pere 54115.

Evolution Machine Works LLC, Daniel Paquette, 4248 Monroe Road, De Pere 54115.

Wisconsin Marketing Resources and Publishing LLC, Dolph C. Popp, 1601 Swan Road, De Pere 54115.

Oust Auto LLC, John P. Stiles, 3067 County Road ZZ, De Pere 54115.

DSD Transport LLC, Crystal Lynn Wood, 3703 W. County Road BB, Denmark 54208.

CC & Company Boutique LLC, Coleen Hinz, 2989 Emmalane Dr., Green Bay 54311.

DJ CNC Repair LLC, David M. Jahnke, 2389 Josten Park Dr., Green Bay 54311.

Done Right Construction LLC, Brian Allen Schmulske, 509 Phoebe St. Lower, Green Bay 54303.

Quality First Home Building LLC, Michael Kolar, 3494 Mardon Lane, Green Bay 54313.

Bay Insulation Systems INC., Arnold W. Schmidt, 2929 Walker Dr., Green Bay 54308.

Artisan Floorworks LLC, Patrick John Casey, Jr., 2575 Pecan St., Green Bay 54311.

Zastrow Chiropractic Office LLC, Michael L. Zastrow, 1624 E. Mason St., Green Bay 54302.

Statt Payee Services LLC, Stacy Lynn Dallaire, 1190 Mount Mary Dr., Green Bay 54311.

Trackside Design LLC, Beau Michael Thomas, 780 McCastlen St., Green Bay 54301.

Wiinamaki Design LLC, Jess T. Wiinamaki, 3205 Howard View Lane, Green Bay 54307.

New Hope Counseling Services LLC, Lisa Marie Woznick, 2701 Larsen Road, Green Bay 54303.

Mavid Construction LLC, Edward N. Martin, 1642 Western Ave., Green Bay 54303.

Therapeutic Relaxation Massage By Misty LLC, Misty Marie Derenne, 1270 Main St., Green Bay 54302.

Freedom Bay Media LLC, Thomas M. Verboncouer, 101 S. Military Ave., Green Bay 54303.

Wonderstore LLC, Benjamin Meeuwsen, 2050 Riverside Dr., Green Bay 54301.

Appliance Parts Anywhere LLC, Scott W. Schartner, 1668R Morrow St., Green Bay 54302.

Quality Computer Fix LLC, William I. Harter, 2659 Trojan Dr., Green Bay 54304.

My Fat Bike Tours LLC, Andy Kaye, 5157 Edgewater Beach Road, Green Bay 54311.

Mari Rimple CPA LLC, Mari Rimple, 1039 W. Mason St., Green Bay 54303.

Petroleum Testing Services LLC, Michael Patrick McDonald, 4840 Isabella Cir., Hobart 54155.

Centered Massage LLC, Carolyn Mary Tordeur, 3011 Holland Road, New Franken 54229.

Sweet Changes Construction LLC, Mark M. Beerntsen, 1173 Coventry Ct., Suamico 54173.

Grey Dog Textile Company LLC, Design a la Mode Inc., 1756 Riverside Dr., Suamico 54173.

Fond du Lac County

The Corner Bar LLC, Michelle Ina Clark, 580 N. Lockin, Brandon 53919.

Zimmerman’s Motorworks LLC, Anthony C. Zimmerman, W2855 County Road H, Eden 53019.

Mielkeway Educational Services LLC, Ann Marie Mielke, 759 Glenwood Dr., Fond du Lac 54935.

The Voice and Acting Studio LLC, Theresa Menting, 76 Western Ave., Fond du Lac 54935.

J&L Willow Farm LLC, John Zeleske, W6262 Willow Lawn Road, Fond du Lac 54937.

Bob and Bonnie’s Donuts LLC, Daniel Fishelson, 54A Halbach Ct., Fond du Lac 54937.

Carlone’s Bar LLC, Michael Carlone, N8301 Abler Road, Fond du Lac 54937.

Koenigs Electronic Processing Services LLC, Kari Koenigs, W2697 Golf Course Dr., Mt. Calvary 53057.

Danning Transportation LLC, John Danning, N8967 Lake Shore Dr., Van Dyne 54979.

The Classic Chauffeur LLC, Jay Dee Graff, 18 Taylor St., Waupun 53963.

Outagamie County

Marquette Jewelry By NPR LLC, Natalie Parfenoff Rechner, 1819 E. Marquette St., Appleton 54911.

Afnan Transport LLC, Ali Khatib, 505 E. Grant St., Appleton 54911.

Lynne M. Krebs CRNA, S.C., Lynne M. Krebs, 200 E. Washington St., Appleton 54912.

• Prime Highway 41/441 corridor with commercial and industrial sites available

• Many commercial and industrial sites are located in Tax Increment Districts

• Favorable tax and utility rates with fully serviced sites available

• Quality schools, great Village park system and excellent municipal services available Contact James Fenlon, Village Administrator, at 920-423-3850 or visit www.littlechutewi.org.

40 | January 2016 | NNB2B

www.newnorthb2b.com

App Development INC., Brian Murray, W6110 Aerotech Dr., Appleton 54914.

Pagonis Restaurant INC., Cayetano Husbaldo Dominguez Silva, 1930 S. Telulah Ave., Appleton 54915.

Van Asten Lawn Rolling LLC, Pamela V. Schiedermeyer, W2882 Oakridge Dr., Appleton 54915.

Sweet Smiles Family Dentistry LLC, Andrew J. Rossmeissl, 800 N. Lynndale Dr., Appleton 54914.

Appleton Technical Academy INC., Greg Hartjes, 610 N. Badger Ave., Appleton 54914.

Valley Medical Billing LLC, Sara A. Sickels, 528 E. Fremont St., Appleton 54915.

Peerless Design Studio LLC, Cassidy Evers, 903 W. Lorain St., Appleton 54914.

Hunan 1 INC., Meng Kui Wang, 220 E. College Ave., Appleton 54911.

RN Partners on Call LLC, Shannon Beth Paulson, 311 N. Casaloma Dr., Appleton 54912.

Accurate Home Maintenance & Repair LLC, Richard A. Hall, Jr., 1838 W. Pine St., Appleton 54914.

Pencils & Pixels LLC, Nicole Marie Argall, 309 E. Evergreen Dr., Appleton 54913.

Fox Valley Family Eye Care S.C., Matthew Schuller, N2801 State Road 55, Freedom 54130.

Intelli-Ponics LLC, Jeffrey E. Corcoran, N1000 Craftsman Dr., Greenville 54942.

Affordable Rental & Storage LLC, Michael J. Gonnering, W7941 Grandview Road, Hortonville 54944.

Howard Piano Industries LLC, Steve Howard, W8918 Spring Road, Hortonville 54944.

Dragon Ember Studios LLC, Adam Thomas Ramsay, 456 Mystic Dr., Hortonville 54944.

Fox Valley Trucking LLC, Justin Noel, W2290 Block Road, Kaukauna 54130.

X-Treme Transport LLC, Travis Nelson, 2001 Hyland Ave., Kaukauna 54130.

Sweets Boutique LLC, Rebecca Margaret Henry, W2252 Gentry Dr., Apt. 1, Kaukauna 54130.

Byproduct Recycling LLC, George J. Fickau, W239 Deering Lane, Kaukauna 54130.

Serenity Home Health Agency LLC, Tracie Houa Hang, 816 Schelfhout Lane, Kimberly 54136.

Winnebago County

Baar Flooring LLC, Charles Andre Baar, 1008 Claude St., Menasha 54952.

State of Refined Home Design LLC, Jennifer Gerht, 914 Meadowview Dr., Menasha 54952.

Impact Martial Arts LLC, Christopher T. Baardsen, 2606 Grassy Lane, Neenah 54956.

Angell Mechanical LLC, Don Angell, 1386 Harvestmoon Dr., Neenah 54956.

Stoneybridge Stables LLC, Jennie Griese, 1485 County Road JJ, Neenah 54956.

Numisma Publishing LLC, Mark Ferguson, 1100 Merritt Ave., Oshkosh 54903.

Karni Pier Manufacturing LLC, Barb J. Perzentka, 901 S. Main St., Oshkosh 54902.

www.newnorthb2b.com

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

Aldi, 927 S. Green Bay Road, Neenah. $1,200,000 for a 17,825-sq. ft. grocery store building. General contractor is Creative Constructors of Menomonee Falls. November 2.

Humana Inc., 1100 Employers Blvd., De Pere. $6,000,000 for interior alterations to the existing insurance office campus. General contractor is Leopardo Companies of Chicago. November 5.

St. Vincent Hospital, 835 S. Van Buren St., Green Bay. $1,394,000 for interior alterations to the existing hospital facility. General contractor is IEI General Contractors of De Pere. November.

Creative Sign Company, 505 Lawrence Dr., De Pere. $500,000 for a 10,500-sq. ft. addition to the existing commercial building. General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay. November 9.

Trilliant Food & Nutrition, 1101 Moasis Dr., Little Chute. $16,000,000 for a 133,840-sq. ft. addition to the existing industrial facility. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna. November 10.

Machine Plus, 2130 American Blvd., De Pere. $450,000 for a 10,000-sq. ft. manufacturing facility.

General contractor is First Choice Builders of De Pere.

November 13.

Aurora Health Care, 2253 W. Mason St., Green Bay. $580,000 for interior alterations to the existing health care clinic. General contractor is Boldt Construction of Appleton. November.

Menards, 2300 Woodman Dr., Howard. $700,000 for interior alterations to the existing retail store.

Contractor not listed. November 17.

Rennes Health & Rehab Center, 200 Ninth St., De Pere. $1,892,000 for a 20,000-sq. ft. addition to the existing health care facility. General contractor is De Leers Construction of De Pere. November 17.

Tri City Glass & Door, 1811 E. Mason St., Green Bay. $2,100,000 for a two-story, 35,000-sq. ft. addition for a showroom, offices and production facility. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

November.

Dental Associates, 2340 Duck Creek Pkwy., Howard. $935,000 for a 3,300-sq. ft. addition to the existing commercial building as well as various interior renovations. November 19.

NNB2B | January 2016 | 41

Who’s News

Hardwick

Frechette

Risgaard

Daye

Klestinski

Phillip

Menards, 1313 Lawrence Dr., De Pere. $1,750,000 for interior alterations to the existing retail store. General contractor is IEI General Contractors of De Pere.

November 30.

New hires

New business

Austin Straubel International Airport in Ashwaubenon hired Marty Piette as assistant airport director. Piette most recently served as the airport manager at Muskegon County (Mich.) International Airport, and previously worked in airport operations at Gulfport-Biloxi (Miss.) International Airport and General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee.

The Production Farm was opened by Carolyn and Wyatt Kuether at 130 E. Walnut St., Ste. 508 in the historic Bellin Building in downtown Green Bay. The organization combines gardening, animal care, community outreach and filmmaking to provide teens with life skills. More information about The Production Farm is available online at www.theproductionfarm.org.

Name changes Oshkosh-based accounting firm Nigl Nigl & Mathe LLP changed its name to Nigl Accounting LLP. DFB Wealth Planning in Oshkosh changed its name to Aegis Financial. The firm also moved to a new location at 530 N. Koeller St. in Oshkosh.

Business honors Faith Technologies of Menasha earned the No. 7 spot on ENR Midwest magazine’s Top Specialty Contractor’ ranking list, posting 2014 revenues of $376 million. Faith also ranked No. 41 nationally on the ENR National publication’s Top 600 specialty contractor list, and ranked No. 16 nationally among electrical contractors.

Oshkosh Corporation was presented the 2015 New North Workplace Excellence Award during the New North Summit in December.

Omni Glass & Paint, Inc. in Oshkosh hired Adam DeBroux as a residential glass customer service/sales representative. DeBroux has more than 10 years of industry experience having worked in contractor sales, window sales and the millwork department at Menards.

Red Shoes PR, Inc. in Appleton hired Meagan Hardwick as a client solutions strategist and Lauree Frechette as client solutions coordinator. Hardwick previously served as director of marketing and communications at the University of WisconsinFox Valley in Menasha.

Green Bay-based Prevea Health added Dr. Tracy Allen as a physiatrist at HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center; Dr. Jonathan Dunker as an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon at Prevea Ashwaubenon Health Center; Dr. Cathryn Vadala as an orthopedic hand surgeon at St. Mary’s; Dr. Edward Morales as an infectious disease specialist at St. Mary’s; Dr. Kathleen McDougal as an internal medicine physician at Prevea East Mason Health Center; Dr. Richmond Gyamfi as an endocrinologist at Prevea East De Pere Health Center; Dr. Catherine A. Long as a pediatric oncologist at HSHS St. Vincent Hospital; and Dr. Daniel Monroy Chaves as a pulmonologist at Prevea Allouez Health Center.

Appleton-based Schenck SC hired Sandy Risgaard and Jeff Daye as investment consultants. Risgaard has nearly 20 years of industry experience, having most recently worked with a mutual fund company in Florida. Daye has more than 15 years of experience, previously serving as an associate regional director with BMO Financial Group.

H.J. Martin and Son in Green Bay hired Sarah Jarvis as a computer-aided design technician in its glass and glazing division.

Pickett

42 | January 2016 | NNB2B

Birling

Meles

Yatteau

Stevens

Langkau

www.newnorthb2b.com

Hackbarth

Kolb

Rupple

Secura Insurance in Appleton hired Kevin Klestinski as vice president of specialty lines underwriting. Klestinski has 24 years of experience in the insurance industry previously serving as vice president of property casualty underwriting with CapSpecialty Insurance in Madison, as well as 14 years with Acuity Insurance in Sheboygan.

Monroe Equipment, Heating & Cooling Products hired Joseph Scala as a commercial sales and marketing manager based out of its Oshkosh branch office. Scala has more than 25 years experience in sales and marketing management.

Appleton-based ThedaCare added Josh Blomberg, M.D., as an orthopedic surgeon at Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah.

Promotions

A-mazing Events in Appleton hired Hannah Pickett and Carrie Birling as event coordinators.

Menasha-based First National Bank – Fox Valley promoted Kathy Blumreich from senior vice president to head of treasury management and promoted Josh Gitter from credit analyst to commercial business relationship manager.

Blumreich has been with the bank 32 years, holding a variety of positions during her tenure. Gitter joined the bank in 2009, and works from the bank’s corporate location in Neenah.

Menasha-based Faith Technologies hired Kevin Meles as director of field support in Neenah and Mike Yatteau as director of project controls. Meles has 20 years experience in facility, manufacturing and safety management, while Yatteau has 16 years experience in educational, industrial and institutional projects.

Appleton-based ThedaCare promoted Julie Kressin to vice president of revenue management and promoted Randy Roeper to chief operating officer for ThedaCare Physicians. Kressin joined ThedaCare in 1994, most recently serving as director of business integration in Shawano. Roeper previously served as vice president for Berlin-based Community Health Network Medical Group, which merged with ThedaCare in 2014.

KerberRose S.C. hired Michael Stevens, CPA as a manager with the firm’s Appleton office. Stevens has more than 15 years of public accounting experience, specializing in taxation.

First National Bank – Fox Valley hired Keegan Langkau as a senior relationship banker in Oshkosh, Chad Hackbarth as a relationship banker in Oshkosh, Lea Ann Kolb as a teller in Neenah and Alexis Rupple as a teller at the bank’s Appleton East branch. Langkau has five years experience in the financial industry, most recently as a private banker and small business specialist at Chase Bank in Oshkosh. Hackbarth has four years experience in the financial industry, most recently as a financial advisor at Edward Jones. Kolb has 12 years experience in the financial industry, most recently as a member services representative at a local credit union.

Kaukauna-based Keller, Inc. promoted Weston Zuleger to project manager in the Green Bay area and Dale Hulce to project manager in the Fox Valley.

Individual honors Fox Cities’ Mid Day Women’s Alliance presented its Woman of Distinction Award to Barb Sexmith, an independent beauty consultant with Mary Kay Cosmetics.

Aurora BayCare Cardiology added Ciprian Nedelcu, M.D., as a cardiologist at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay.

www.newnorthb2b.com

Kressin

Blumreich

Green Bay-based New North Inc. hired Jessica Casperson as director of marketing and investor relations. Casperson previously worked as the executive events coordinator and marketing specialist at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh since 2014.

Imaginasium in Green Bay hired Andrea Phillip as an account manager. She previously worked as the director of marketing for Wisconsin Retirement Group in Oshkosh.

Gitter

Scala

Casperson

Roeper

Zuleger

Hulce

NNB2B | January 2016 | 43

Business Calendar

Suttner ACCOUNTING

Business calendar

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

January 5 Greater Green Bay Chamber Power Networking Breakfast, 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the chamber offices, 300 N. Broadway, Ste. 3A in Green Bay. No cost to attend for chamber members. For more information, call 920.437.8704 or email members@ titletown.org.

January 6 Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce Coffee Connection, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at Urban Fuel, N7645 N. Peebles Lane in Fond du Lac. For more information or to register, call 920.921.9500 or go online to www.fdlac.com.

January 12 Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce Sales Club, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at the chamber building, 120 Jackson St. in Oshkosh. No cost to attend for chamber members. For more information, call 920.303.2266 or go online to www.oshkoshchamber.com.

January 12 Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Before Hours, 8 to 9 a.m. at the chamber building, 101 E. Wisconsin Ave. in Kaukauna. No cost to attend for chamber members. For more information or to register, go online to www. heartofthevalleychamber.com or call 920.766.1616.

Stephanie Geurts, CPA Partner sjg@suttnercpa.com 920.235.6789

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

January 13 Greater Green Bay Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Badger State Brewing/Black & Tan catering, 990 Tony Canadeo Run in Green Bay. For more information, call 920.437.8704 or email members@titletown.org.

January 14 Morning Business 60, a no-cost business advice breakfast sponsored by Epiphany Law LLC, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at Cambria Suites, 3940 N. Gateway Dr. in Appleton.

Topic is employee handbooks. While there’s no cost to attend, registration is required by contacting Amanda at 920.996.0000 or afredrick@epiphanylaw.com.

January 14 “Developing Oshkosh – Progress Continues,” an annual panel discussion presented

by Oshkosh West Side Association, 7:30 to 9 a.m. at LaSure’s Banquet Hall, 3125 S. Washburn St., Oshkosh. Hear from private developers related to new and ongoing projects in Oshkosh. No cost to attend, but registration is required by contacting Connie at 920.424.4260 or emailing info@westsideassociation.com.

January 14 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. For more information or to register, go online to www.wimiwi.org or email Lisa at lkoeppen@communityblood. org.

January 21 Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m. at Badger Sports Park, 3600 E. Evergreen Dr. in Appleton. No cost to attend for chamber members. For more information or to register, go online to www. heartofthevalleychamber.com or call 920.766.1616.

January 21 Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce Business Connection, 5 to 7 p.m. at Butte des Morts Country Club, 3600 W. Prospect Ave. in Appleton. No charge for members. For more information or to register, contact Pam at receptionist@foxcitieschamber.com.

Quality ❘ Value ❘ Timeliness 44 | January 2016 | NNB2B

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January 19 A.M. Oshkosh, a morning networking event from the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, 7:45 to 9 a.m. at Evergreen, 1130 N. Westfield St. in Oshkosh. Cost to attend is $2. For more information or to register, call 920.303.2266 or go online to www. oshkoshchamber.com.

January 26 Entrepreneurs Anonymous, a networking and development event for entrepreneurs sponsored by Epiphany Law, 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Holidays Pub and Grill, 1395 W. American Dr. in Neenah. Topic is promoting your business on Facebook. Cost to attend is $10. Registration is required by contacting Amanda at 920.996.0000 or emailing info@entrepreneursanonymouswi.com.

January 27 Fox Valley Technical College 2nd Annual Technology Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1825 N. Bluemound Dr. in Appleton. Innovations on display include a digital cadaver table, prosthetic 3D printing, robotic applications, a laser scanner for crime scene investigations, touch-free computer interaction, a theatre for cooking, and more. No cost to attend and no registration required.

January 28 Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce Business Expo 2016, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Oshkosh Convention Center, 2 N. Main St. in Oshkosh. Cost to attend is $5 or a business card.

February 2 Greater Green Bay Chamber Power Networking Breakfast, 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the chamber offices, 300 N. Broadway, Ste. 3A in Green Bay. No cost to attend for chamber members. For more information, call 920.437.8704 or send an email members@titletown.org. n

Thank you to the advertisers who made the January 2016 issue of New North B2B possible.

Aegis Financial ⎮aegisfinancialplanners.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Alberts & Heling CPAs ⎮alberts-heling-cpas.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Appleton International Airport ⎮atwairport.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Bank First National ⎮bankfirstnational.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Bayland Buildings ⎮baylandbuildings.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Borsche Roofing Professionals ⎮wiroofer.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Candeo Creative ⎮modmadmen.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Consolidated Construction Company ⎮1call2build.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 CR Structures Group ⎮crstructures.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Davis & Kuelthau, s.c. ⎮dkattorneys.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Dynamic Designs ⎮dynamicdesignspulaski.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 ECO Office Systems ⎮ecomyoffice.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Energy Bank ⎮energybankinc.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 First National Bank ~ Fox Valley ⎮fnbfoxvalley.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau ⎮FoxCities.org/bringithome. 22 Fox Communities Credit Union ⎮foxcu.org. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Frontier Builders & Consultants ⎮frontierbuilds.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Guident Business Solutions ⎮guidentbusinesssolutions.com. . . . . . . . 9 J. F. Ahern Co. ⎮jfahern.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Kaldas Center for Fertility, Surgery & Pregnancy, S.C. ⎮ kaldascenter.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

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Keller Inc. ⎮kellerbuilds.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 National Exchange Bank & Trust ⎮nebat.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Network Health ⎮meetnetworkhealth.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 NEW Building & Construction Trades Council ⎮newbt.org. . . . . . . . . . 11 NWTC Corporate Training & Economic Development ⎮ corporatetraining.nwtc.edu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 OptiVision ⎮optivisioneyecare.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Oshkosh Chamber Business Expo ⎮oshkoshchamber.com. . . . . . . . . 38 R&R Steel Construction Company Inc. ⎮rrsteelconstruction.com. . . . 15 St. Norbert College MBA program ⎮snc.edu/go/mbasnc . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Suttner Accounting ⎮suttnercpa.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 UW Oshkosh College of Business ⎮wfbf.uwosh.edu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Verve, a Credit Union ⎮verveacu.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Village of Hobart ⎮hobart-wi.org. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Village of Little Chute ⎮littlechutewi.org. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 West Side Association ⎮westsideassociation.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Winnebago County Solid Waste Management ⎮ www.co.winnebago.wi.us/solid-waste/container-rental-program. . . 8 Wisconsin SBDC at UW Green Bay ⎮uwgb.edu/sbdc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

NNB2B | January 2016 | 45

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

december 20. . . . . . . $1.95 december 13. . . . . . . $1.92 december 6. . . . . . . . $1.91 november 29 . . . . . . $1.92 december 20, 2014. . $2.36

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

u.s. retail sales november

$448.1 billion 0.2% from October 1.4% from November 2014

Source: New North B2B observations

existing home sales

october

homes sold median price brown cty . ....................166 .................... $140,750 Fond du Lac cty ..............65 ....................$108,000 outagamie cty . ............156 ....................$145,500 winnebago cty .............130 .................... $127,000 WI Dept. Revenue Collections

october 2015

$1.03 Billion 10.2% from October 2014

46 | January 2016 | NNB2B

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

106.5

0.6% from October 1.2% from November 2014

air passenger TRAFFIC (Local enplanements)

nov 2015 nov 2014 Appleton Int’l ATW.................... 22,028 ...... 19,821 Austin Straubel GRB..........................N/A ............ N/A

local unemployment

october sept oct ‘14 Appleton ....... 3.2% ...... 3.3% ........4.1% Fond du Lac ... 3.3% ...... 3.4% ....... 4.3% Green Bay........3.6% ...... 3.7% ........4.6% Neenah ........... 3.2% ...... 3.3%........ 4.3% Oshkosh . ....... 3.5% ...... 3.7% ........4.7% Wisconsin ..... 3.6% ...... 3.7% ........4.5%

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

december....................$0.431 november...................$0.425 december 2014.......... $0.857 Source: Wisconsin Public Service

ism index Numbers above 50 mean expansion.

Numbers below 50 mean contraction. november. . . . . . . . 48.6 october . . . . . . . . . 50.1

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