November 2017

Business Intelligence for the New North

Industrial Uptick

Capital expansion continues among northeast Wisconsin manufacturers as predited by last year’s regional survey

2017 Compassionate Employer Awards

Human Resources

Making the Case

From the Publisher

November 2017 | $3.95

Customized Solutions

Time to Strategize.

Customized business banking solutions that create efficiencies in your business.

It’s up to you how the saved time is spent.

Member FDIC

33 offices throughout Southeast Wisconsin | www.nebat.com | 920.921.7700

Business Intelligence for the New North

16

November Features 16 COVER STORY

Industrial Uptick

Capital expansion continues among northeast Wisconsin manufacturers as predicted by last year’s regional survey

24 HUMAN RESOURCES

4th Annual Compassionate Employers Awards 24

Treating employees like gold can create a rich, harmonious workplace environment

28 VOICES & VISIONS

LiveTime

Brandon Rohde lives the life little boys fantasize about, working every day in the fast-paced world of racing

Departments 28

4

From the Publisher

6

Since We Last Met

10 Build Up Pages 31

Professionally Speaking

32

Who’s News

37 Business Calendar 37 Advertising Index 38 Key Statistics

On the cover Illustration by Candeo Creative www.newnorthb2b.com

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

NNB2B | November 2017 | 3

From the Publisher

Making the Case

Investor, champion of entrepreneurship makes an impact on Green Bay and NE Wisconsin

by Sean Fitzgerald, New North B2B publisher I’m fortunate that my job allows me close access to the people, companies and situations which make the magic happen in business across northeast Wisconsin. It’s a perk of the job I’ve appreciated, respected and even taken humility with over the past 20-plus years.

So it was no less than treasure to sit down one on one with AOL co-founder and former chairman Steve Case for about 10 minutes when his Rise of the Rest Road Tour rolled through Green Bay on Oct. 17 at Lambeau Field.

I spent a good four months of my early career covering America Online’s $164 billion acquisition of Time Warner back in 2000, as well as all the philosophical and policyrelated matters that accompanied what was the largest corporate marriage in U.S. history at the time.

During that time, my colleagues in media often portrayed Case as the aggressive corporate maverick who’d discovered the perfect formula for stomping out all of the small, hometown internet service providers across the country.

Chronicled in the national bestselling book “Stealing Time” by Alec Klein, Case symbolized for many at the time what was perceived as the brute, bullying force of Dotcom opulence and oppression.

“Still, today, most of the capital goes to just a few places around the country,” Case told me, indicating that in 2016, about threequarters of all venture capital invested in the U.S. went to just three states. Case expects that to change as this third wave of the Internet Age, as he calls it, enables more technology start ups to evolve in regions of the country outside the traditional hotbeds of the past two decades.

One of his most recent investments – the $100,000 he awarded Green Bay-based Lanehub last month – is evidence of this changing tide.

And the winner is …

Lanehub founder and CEO Mark Hackl said “his phone had been blowing up” in the week following his win at Steve Case’s Green Bay pitch competition. It’s all been positive, Hackl said, as avenues open for more investment and more customers.

Hackl founded Lanehub two years ago, and last year began providing a technology solution to match up shippers and carriers in the trucking industry so that they can collaborate to more efficiently take advantage of unused capacity. This past year the company contracted with 50 customers, including Anheuser-Busch and Green Bay-based Schreiber Foods.

Even if he didn’t win the pitch competition, Hackl still has plans to seek additional capital to help him grow the company further in the year ahead. He’s looking to add a professional salesperson, an IT developer and a client services representative.

But perhaps that wasn’t a just depiction – and that certainly wasn’t the character of the Steve Case who came to Green Bay last month. Since resigning as chairman of AOL Time Warner in 2003, Case served as a founding chair of Startup America Partnership as well as the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He was appointed as a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship and was a member of President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.

Case launched his current endeavor, Revolution, in 2005 as an investment firm partnering with visionary entrepreneurs to build significant, lasting businesses, particularly outside of Silicon Valley. His Rise of the Rest Road Trip spawned from Revolution in 2014 as a way to “hit the ground” and energize local start-up ecosystems specifically in smaller metro regions across the country.

From my brief encounter with Case last month, it’s apparent he lives and breathes entrepreneurship – so much so that he offers up $100,000 of his own money at every Road Trip tour stop to the winner of a business pitch competition. It’s all part of a larger mission to create an environment for and draw attention to venture capital investment opportunities outside of Silicon Valley and New York City.

4 | November 2017 | NNB2B

Photo courtesy of Revolution

Mark Hackl, third from left, of Lanehub in Green Bay is all smiles after winning $100,000 from Steve Case on Oct. 17. Case, right of Hackl, is joined by other judges from the pitch competition.

“Even prior to the Rise of the Rest, we were actively raising funding from investors,” said Hackl, who takes to the pitch stage once again Nov. 16 at the WI Early Stage Symposium in Madison.

Hackl also plans to use the $100,000 investment from Case to help develop Lanehub’s platform further. He said the front-end portion of his platform is already operational and connecting his customers with one another. But it’s the back-end side of his platform – the component that allows his customers to execute on collaborating shipments – that still needs some refinement. n

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

www.newnorthb2b.com

Sean Fitzgerald Publisher & President x sean@newnorthb2b.com Kate Erbach Production x graphics@newnorthb2b.com Rachel Yelk Sales and Marketing Intern x intern@newnorthb2b.com Contributing writers Rick Berg Lee Marie Reinsch Chief Financial Officer Vicky Fitzgerald, CPA

NEW NORTH B2B is published monthly by WINNEBAGO B2B LLC for $20 per year or $3.95 for a single issue.

POSTMASTER: send address changes to: WINNEBAGO B2B LLC, 923 S. Main St., Oshkosh, WI 54902.

Bulk-rate postage paid at LaCrosse, WI. Reproduction of any contents of NEW NORTH B2B without express written permission of its publishers is strictly forbidden.

The appearance of any advertisement or product information does not constitute endorsement of any product or service by WINNEBAGO B2B LLC. Copyright 2017.

Get a building that performs.

90% of a project’s success is determined in the first 10% of its timeline. Before building, and even before designing

Contact us: P.O. Box 559 Oshkosh, WI 54903-0559 920.237.0254 www.newnorthb2b.com

Green Bay

your new space, our in-house experts get to know you and think strategically to incorporate function, efficiency, and profitability. The result is a building that reflects your vision and performs better for you.

At Consolidated Construction, we’re Building Performance.

Fox Cities

Oshkosh MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL

Fond du Lac www.newnorthb2b.com

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

ARCHITECTURE I FUNDING I CONSTRUCTION I SERVICE

1.800.642.6774 NNB2B 1call2build.com | November 2017 | 5

Since We Last Met

Since We Last Met

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

2003 November 12 – Wisconsin enacted a law making its Technology Zone Tax Credit Program accessible to limited liability companies. The law will allow technology companies in the start-up phase to compete equally for over $35 million in tax credits.

2005 November 2 – Bemis Company officials announced the corporate headquarters will move from Minneapolis to Neenah to be closer to the 12 plants and almost 3,400 employees based in the area. The decision will impact only a few people in Minneapolis and should be complete by May 2006.

2008 November 6 – The Wisconsin Public Service Commission approved an overlay for new cellular and telephone customers in the 920 area code, who will receive a 274 number starting in late 2011. Existing customers will keep the 920 number. The change means callers will be required to dial 10 digits to make any call.

2011 November 1 – The Wisconsin Department of Justice reported more than 120,000 people downloaded concealed carry permit applications on the first day that the state’s new law took effect allowing citizens to carry hidden weapons.

2013 November 4 – APAC Customer Service Inc. in downtown Green Bay indicated it will cut 282 position from its call center operations by the end of the year due to the loss of business from a major wireless communications provider. APAC officials indicated the cuts include 224 customer service representatives, as well as various advisors, analysts and managers.

2016 November 4 – Green Bay-based Nicolet National Bank announced that it will acquire Neenah-based First National Bank-Fox valley in a partial cash/partial stock deal estimated at approximately $77 million. The acquisition will create a combined financial institution with nearly $2.7 billion in assets and expand Nicolet’s presence in the Fox Cities and Oshkosh.

6 | November 2017 | NNB2B

September 25 State Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma) announced her intention to challenge Gov. Scott Walker for the state’s top post in 2018, joining a race that already includes four Democrats. A former college professor and dairy farmer, Vinehout was first elected to the Senate in 2006. She unsuccessfully ran for governor in the 2012 Democratic primary during the recall election against Walker. The Democratic field for next year already includes Wisconsin Superintendent of Schools Tony Evers, Rep. Dana Wachs (D-Eau Claire), Milwaukee businessman Andy Gronik and political activist Mike McCabe.

September 26 Fond du Lac County Board of Supervisors approved $5 million in financing to support expansion projects at Mid-States Aluminum Corp. and C.D. Smith Construction, both in Fond du Lac. Mid-States was awarded a $4 million loan toward a proposed $20 million expansion project it’s planning in 2018.

C.D. Smith received a $1 million loan toward an estimated $10 to $12 million project to build a new corporate headquarters off Camelot Drive on the south side of Fond du Lac. September 29 Broadview University – the Utah-based for-profit adult higher education institution that acquired the former Globe University in early August – announced it will close its Fox Cities location at the end of the year. The school stopped enrolling new students at the Appleton campus in late September and will maintain limited hours through the end of December for the few classes that remain at the school.

Broadview officials also plan to close campus locations in Wausau and Eau Claire.

October 1 Appleton-based specialty papermaker Appvion Inc. announced plans to file for Chapter 11 federal bankruptcy protection in an effort to restructure its debts and develop a sustainable capital structure for the future. The company received court approval to receive $65 million in new debtorin-possession financing from its existing lenders which will allow it to continue ordinary operations during the restructuring process. Company officials said they expect to be able to continue paying employee wages and benefits, honoring customer programs, paying vendors and delivering products to customers without interruption.

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

www.newnorthb2b.com

October 3 Brown County Circuit Court Judge William Atkinson appointed Oshkosh bankruptcy attorney Paul Swanson as the receiver for the financially-troubled Hotel Northland renovation project in downtown Green Bay. The nearly $35 million project has been stalled for months as contractors involved in the historic building rehabilitation project have gone unpaid. The building’s newest owner, Virginia-based Octagon Partners, pushed for the receivership in order to pay contractors, vendors and other lien holders and get the project back on track. They hope to be able to resume construction and complete the hotel by the summer of 2018.

October 6 PolyOne in Ripon announced plans to close its extruded plastic sheet and packaging manufacturing in early 2018, and will begin laying off its 70 employees beginning in December.

The company previously known as Creative Forming was acquired this past summer by a New York-based private equity, which indicated it is closing PolyOne due to “a change in business circumstances.” The Fox Valley Workforce Development Board is providing transitional services for displaced workers from PolyOne, including job retraining.

October 6 Port of Green Bay officials reported shipping totals in September topped 320,000 tons, a 19 percent increase from

a year ago and the highest monthly total of cargo to move through the port since June 2015. For the entire 2017 shipping season so far, nearly 1.3 million tons of material has moved into or out of the port at the end of September, down 4 percent from the same period a year ago. A total of 113 ships have visited the port in 2017, matching the year-to-date total for 2016.

October 7 The U.S. Department of Labor reported 33,000 jobs were lost in September – largely attributed to the impact of Hurricanes Irma and Harvey – dropping the national unemployment rate slightly to 4.2 percent. A sharp employment decline in food services and drinking places and below-trend growth in some other industries contributed to the decline.

October 10 Los Angeles-based Industrial Assets Corp. closed on its acquisition of Appleton Coated in Combined Locks for $21.5 million after the specialty paper manufacturer went into receivership in August. The manufacturing finance and M&A firm was the sole bid in the auction to acquire the struggling papermaker, and it plans to find a buyer to continue the paper mill’s operations at a higher capacity. Since Appleton Coated went into receivership, much of the mill has been shut down and nearly 80 percent of its 620 employees were laid off. The

optimizing operations + custom solutions ISG’s multi-disciplinary team is eager, committed,

and

ready.

With

250+

professionals in 9 offices, including Green Bay, ISG partners with clients across the U.S. to provide optimal and sustainable food and industrial design solutions. Together, we can make it happen.

- Energy efficient modeling/lighting designs - Water/wastewater integration - Traffic pattern optimization - Operational improvements to proactively address shift in workforce availability

CIRCLE OF

EXCELLENCE 2017

ARCHITECTURE + ENGINEERING + ENVIRONMENTAL + PLANNING

www.newnorthb2b.com

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

www.is-grp.com

NNB2B | November 2017 | 7

Since We Last Met mill is still operating two paper machines with about 135 remaining employees. The mill itself occupies 55 acres along the Fox River in Combined Locks and includes more than 1.2 million square feet of manufacturing, office and warehouse space.

October 10 Ron Van Den Heuvel, previous owner of Green Box in De Pere, pled guilty on a federal charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud for various loans totaling more than $1 million he received from Horicon Bank in 2008 and 2009.

The loans were not uniformly used for business purposes and were not completely repaid. Van Den Heuvel agreed to repay Horicon Bank more than $300,000 in restitution, and awaits sentencing on Jan. 5. Green Box, a paper recycling company, has since entered bankruptcy. Separate from the bank fraud charge, Van Den Heuvel has been indicted by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission on 14 other counts which charge him with allegedly defrauding investors out of $9 million between 2011 and 2015. He also faces another separate charge for defrauding Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. out of a $1.2 million loan he received in 2011 and submitting fraudulent paperwork for a $95,000 job training grant Green Box received in 2014.

October 11 University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross unveiled a plan to merge administration of the state’s twoyear UW Colleges with four-year UW institutions as part of a broader restructuring plan. The proposal calls for integrating all 13 UW Colleges campuses into various UW four-year institutions by July 1, 2018 in an effort to address declining enrollments, budgetary constraints, and help avoid closing any UW Colleges campuses. In northeast Wisconsin, the plan calls for UW Fond du Lac and UW Fox Valley in Menasha to operate under the umbrella of UW Oshkosh, while UW Green Bay will provide oversight of UW Marinette, UW Manitowoc and UW Sheboygan. The restructuring proposal will come before the UW System Board of Regents for consideration in November.

October 12 UW Green Bay and Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton signed a credit transfer agreement allowing graduates of FVTC’s associate degree in business management program to apply 60 credits toward a bachelor’s degree in business administration. FVTC graduates pursuing a bachelor’s degree at UW Green Bay through the credit transfer program enroll with junior standing.

October 13 St. Norbert College in De Pere received a $30 million gift toward its endowment from Donald J. and Patricia A.

Supply-chain & manufacturing.

Health care. Business.

THE DONALD J. SCHNEIDER

Info session snc.edu/go/mbaevent

Nov. 14

School of Business & Economics

Enroll now. snc.edu/mba 8 | November 2017 | NNB2B

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

www.newnorthb2b.com

Schneider Family, marking the single largest financial gift ever received by the school. Don Schneider, the former president and CEO of Schneider National in Ashwaubenon, was a St. Norbert College alumnus, former trustee and adjunct instructor. He passed away in 2012. The Schneiders previously provided millions of dollars in financial support to St. Norbert to establish the Donald J. Schneider School of Business and Economics, a master of business administration program, and an athletic stadium.

October 16 The annual fiscal report released by the Wisconsin Department of Administration indicated the state ended fiscal year 2017 with a $579 million surplus. The closing balance as of June 30 marked the second largest annual operating surplus for the state since 2000.

October 16 UW Oshkosh launched the Sustainability Institute for Regional Transformations on campus with the goal of building healthy communities, inclusive economies, and ecologically sound environments. In addition to various other initiatives, the institute will direct the university’s sustainability curriculum, as well as serve as a hub for sustainability research and discussions on campus and beyond.

October 17 The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle produced by Oshkosh Corp. was named “Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin” for 2017 by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce. The second annual contest solicited nearly 150 nominations of various products manufactured in Wisconsin. Other product finalists made in northeast Wisconsin include the joystick piloting system from Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac and the Sno-Thro from Ariens Company in Brillion.

October 19 The Green Bay Packers and Microsoft Corp. unveiled plans for TitletownTech, a regional economic expansion proposal that will include a start-up business accelerator, a venture capital fund and a bootcamp for established companies to develop new digital technology products and services. The Packers and Microsoft are each planning to commit $5 million toward TitletownTech over the next five years, including constructing a state-of-the-art facility in the Titletown District development adjacent to Lambeau Field within the next 12 months. Both the accelerator and TitletownTech Labs will include 18-week sessions in which businesses work with experienced mentors and advisors on technology and business development projects. The venture capital fund is expected to provide capital to new companies that participate in the TitletownTech Accelerator, and is expected to eventually invite additional investors to participate. Microsoft’s involvement in TitletownTech is part of a new digital initiative to foster job creation and economic growth outside of major metropolitan cities.

October 20 The Wisconsin Department of Transportation reopened State Road 44 in Fond du Lac County between Ripon and Pickett after a $4.7 million highway reconditioning project closed the roadway and detoured traffic since late May. The project included removing and replacing pavement along the roadway, widening shoulders, and adding separate northbound and southbound passing lanes.

October 23 U.S. Paper Converters Inc. in Appleton announced it will close its paper and film converting facility by the end of the year, laying off 52 employees. The Bay Area Workforce Development will provide transitional services for displaced workers, including job retraining. n

Save the Date!

Charity Golf Classic Monday, July 16, 2018 High Cliff Golf Course • Sherwood, WI • $70 per golfer, $280 per foursome Many levels of sponsorship are available now. Don’t miss out!

For more details, call Dave at 920.810.4617

2nd Annual

Fight cancer with a 9-iron. www.newnorthb2b.com

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

NNB2B | November 2017 | 9

Build Up Fond du Lac 1

2

Build Up

MillenniuM ConstruCtion, inC.

Fond du Lac

Indicates a new listing

1 - 660 Van Dyne Road, Fond du Lac BCI Burke, a 27,000-sq. ft. addition to the existing industrial facility for office and production space. Project completion expected in December. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

2 - 145 N. Rolling Meadows Dr., Fond du Lac Radiology Associates of the Fox Valley, a new medical building.

Featured Project: Security Luebke Roofing Appleton, WI

425 W Wisconsin Ave. • Appleton 920.882.8700 millenniumconstructionwi.com 10 | November 2017 | NNB2B

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

www.newnorthb2b.com

Build Up Oshkosh

4 3

5

6

7

Build Up

Oshkosh

Indicates a new listing

3 - 1041 Emmers Lane, Oshkosh Choice Bank, a two-story, 30,000-sq. ft. financial institution building. Project completion expected in June.

7 - 495 W. Waukau Ave., Oshkosh Fox Valley Metrology, an addition to the existing industrial facility.

4 - 3321 County Road A, Oshkosh A.P. Nonweiler, an addition to the existing coating process facility.

Projects completed since our October issue: • Alliance Laundry Systems, 221 Shepard St., Ripon.

• Excel Engineering, 100 Camelot Dr., Fond du Lac. • Oshkosh Community YMCA, 324 Washington Ave., Oshkosh.

• Potbelly Sandwich Shop, 1124 S. Koeller St., Oshkosh.

5 - 100 Osceola St., Oshkosh University of Wisconsin Oshkosh RecPlex, a 181,000-sq. ft. intramural sports complex. Project completion expected in spring.

6 - 1212 S. Main St., Oshkosh Fox Valley Pro Basketball, an 80,000-sq. ft., 3,500-seat sports arena. Project completion expected in November. General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay.

Coming to B2B in December 2017 Marketing

Unique social media tactics to stay out in front of customers

www.newnorthb2b.com

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

NNB2B | November 2017 | 11

Build Up Fox Cities Build Up

Fox Cities

Indicates a new listing

1 - County CB & State Road 15, town of Greenville Cintas, a 54,000-sq. ft. industrial facility for laundry and maintenance. Project completion expected in July.

2 - N912 Craftsmen Dr., town of Greenville Fox Valley Spring Co., a 24,500-sq. ft. addition for expanded manufacturing and office space and more offices. Project completion expected in February. General contractor is Consolidated Construction Company of Appleton.

3 - 4531 W. Wisconsin Ave., town of Grand Chute Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, an 8,069-sq. ft. restaurant building.

4 - 4815 N. Lynndale Dr., town of Grand Chute Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve, a two-story, 18,200-sq. ft. nature center and offices. Project completion expected in December.

5 - 1850 W. Grand Chute Blvd., town of Grand Chute Town of Grand Chute, a 4,704-sq. ft. community center.

Project completion expected in late fall.

6 - 3801 N. Richmond St., town of Grand Chute Meijer, a 200,206-sq. ft. department and grocery superstore and a separate 3,366-sq. ft. convenience store. Project completion expected in November.

7 - 3912 N. Lightnight Dr., Appleton G&K Foods, a new commercial office building.

8 - 400 Randolph Dr., Little Chute Memories Antique Mall, a 10,800-sq. ft. addition to the existing retail building.

9 - 327 Randolph St., Little Chute Trigger Action Sports and CR Structures Group, a 36,946sq. ft. multi-tenant commercial building. Project completion expected in April. General contractor is CR Structures Group of Kimberly.

13 - 3921 E. Endeavor Dr., Appleton Security Luebke Roofing, a 20,000-sq. ft. commercial building and warehouse. Project completion expected in June. General contractor is Millennium Construction of Appleton.

14 - 2310 S. Kensington Dr., Appleton Aldi, an addition to the existing grocery market.

15 - 355 W. Lawrence St., Appleton Fox Cities Exhibition Center, a 65,000-sq. ft. convention and meeting facility. Project completion expected in November.

16 - 410 S. Walnut St., Appleton Outagamie County, an 87,000-sq. ft. addition to the existing county administrative office building.

17 - 720 W. Fifth St., Appleton Harbor House, an addition to increase bed capacity at the existing community services facility.

18 - 660 Watermark Ct., Fox Crossing Precision Installations, an 18,902-sq. ft. manufacturing assembly facility and offices. Project completion expected in January. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

19 - County Road CB, Fox Crossing Secura Insurance, a 350,000-sq. ft. corporate headquarters office building. Project completion expected in early 2019.

20 - 1775 E. Shady Lane, Fox Crossing Michels Power, a 10,368-sq. ft. addition to the existing commercial building.

21 - 1265 W. American Dr., Fox Crossing Wisconsin Institute of Urology, a 34,837-sq. ft. medical clinic.

22 - 1251 Jacobson Road, Fox Crossing Wisconsin Department of Corrections, a 13,040-sq. ft. commercial office building.

10 - 1402 Freedom Road, Little Chute Little Chute Area School District, a two-story addition to the existing middle and high schools for combined administrative offices. Project completion expected in mid-2018.

23 - 590 Enterprise Dr., Neenah Horseshoe Beverage Co., a 20,000-sq. ft. addition to the existing manufacturing facility for a bottling plant. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

11 - 311 Oak Grove Road, Kaukauna Poly Flex, a 36,000-sq. ft. addition to the existing industrial building for expanded warehousing space. Project completion expected in February. General contractor is CR Structures Group of Kimberly.

Projects completed since our October issue: • TML Auto, 3250 N. Mayflower Road, town of Grand Chute.

• Van’s Waste, N2061 Vandenbroek Road, Kaukauna.

• Kaukauna Fire Department, 201 Reaume Ave., Kaukauna.

• Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church, 829 Appleton Road, Menasha.

12 - 3989 E. Endeavor Dr., Appleton Custom Offsets, a 20,000-sq. ft. auto parts retail facility, shop and offices. Project completion expected in December. General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

12 | November 2017 | NNB2B

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

www.newnorthb2b.com

4 5

6

7 8&9

1

10 11

2 3 15 & 16 17

14

18

19

12 13

20 21 22

23

Education Religious Government Assisted Living Meeting the needs of your business future

baylandbuildings.com - 920.498.9300 www.newnorthb2b.com

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

NNB2B | November 2017 | 13

Build Up Greater Green Bay area 1

3 4 2

10

6

11

5

12 9

13 & 14

15 thru 17

8

7

18

Build Up

Greater Green Bay area

Indicates a new listing

1 - 1558 Brookfield Ave., Howard BCS International, a 92,400-sq. ft. warehouse and office building. General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay.

4 - 2231 N. Quincy St., Green Bay Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District, a wastewater treatment facility. Completion expected in early 2018.

2 - 2740 W. Mason St., Green Bay Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, a two-story Great Lakes Energy Education Center. Project completion expected in early 2018.

5 - 2280 E. Mason St., Green Bay PetSmart/Ross Dress for Less, a substantial overhaul of the former grocery store for three separate retail spaces. Project completion expected in November.

3 - 1250 Velp Ave., Green Bay La Java Express, a commercial retail building for a coffee shop.

Project completion expected in November.

6 - 2230 Main St., Green Bay Starbucks, a 6,018-sq. ft. multi-tenant retail building to include a coffee shop. Project completion expected in November. General contractor is Frontier Builders & Consultants of Kaukauna.

14 | November 2017 | NNB2B

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

www.newnorthb2b.com

7 - 2629 Eaton Road, Bellevue Dorsch Collision Center, an automotive collision repair facility.

8 - 2801 S. Webster Ave., Allouez Cerebral Palsy Inc., an addition to the existing human services center office. Project completion expected in December.

General contractor is Keller Inc. of Kaukauna.

IS YOUR ADVISOR REVIEWING YOUR TAX RETURN?

9 - 1016 N. Broadway, De Pere St. Norbert Abbey, an addition to the existing religious administrative facility.

If not, you could be missing something BIG!

Call Bill Today.

10 - 1992 Holmgren Way, Ashwaubenon Anduzzi’s Sports Club, an addition to the second story of the existing restaurant. Project completion expected in November.

Bill Bowman, CPA Senior Advisor, AEGIS Branch Manager, RJFS

11 - 2654 S. Oneida St., Ashwaubenon Midwest Expansion, a 9,000-sq. ft. multi-tenant retail building.

Project completion expected in November.

12 - 2800 Ashland Ave., Ashwaubenon Wisconsin Public Service, a 31,788-sq. ft. regional employee training center. Project completion expected in March.

A D V I C E

15 - 2110 American Blvd., De Pere 8 Line Supply, a 10,000-sq. ft. manufacturing and warehouse facility.

www.AEGISfinancialplanners.com

AEGIS Financial is not a registered broker/dealer (located at 530 N. Koeller Street, Oshkosh WI), and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. The tax advice and/or services of AEGIS Financial are independent of RJFS.

AEGIS Financial Quarter Page NNB2B Ad September Final.indd 1

We’ve got you covered.

17 - 1745 Matthew Dr. East, De Pere De Pere Cabinet, a 35,050-sq. ft. addition to the existing industrial facility for warehouse space. Project completion expected in November. General contractor is Bayland Buildings of Green Bay. 18 - 1328 O’Keefe Road, town of Ledgeview Kwik Trip, a new convenience store and fuel station.

www.newnorthb2b.com

8/18/2017 10:35:11 AM

Relax.

16 - 2125 American Blvd., De Pere Battlehouse/Ninja Warrior, a two-story, 17,152-sq. ft. indoor recreation facility.

Projects completed since our October issue: • Winona Foods, 1521 Brookfield Ave., Howard.

• Kwik Trip, 2400 University Ave., Green Bay. • Marshalls, 2280 E. Mason St., Green Bay. • Viking Electric, 1936 Donbea St., Bellevue.

• Green Bay Correctional Institution, 2833 Riverside Dr., Allouez.

• Green Bay Packers/Titletown District, 1901 S. Ridge Road, Ashwaubenon.

• Home2 Suites, 810 Moris Ave., Ashwaubenon.

• Fosber America, 1333 Parkview Road, Ashwaubenon.

• Green Bay Packaging, 2275 American Blvd., De Pere.

• Krause Financial Services, 1234 Enterprise Dr., De Pere.

L I F E

920.233.4650

13 - 600 High St., Wrightstown Wrightstown Community Wellness Center, a 8,564-sq. ft. addition to the existing high school for a civic facility. Project completion expected in December 14 - 1450 Poplar St., Wrightstown Print Pro, a 65,000-sq. ft. manufacturing and warehousing facility. Project completion expected in April. General contractor is CR Structures Group of Kimberly.

F O R

For all your commercial, industrial, and institutional roofing needs.

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

866-799-0530 | N2971 Hwy. 15, Hortonville

www.wiroofer.com

NNB2B | November 2017 | 15

Cover Story

Industrial Uptick Capital expansion continues among northeast Wisconsin manufacturers, as predicted by last year’s regional survey

The manufacturing sector in northeast Wisconsin has continued to grow and expand, exactly as predicted in the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance’s 2017 Manufacturing Vitality Index.

Story by Rick Berg

The survey of 149 manufacturers in northeast Wisconsin – conducted during the fourth quarter a year ago – found that 68 percent planned to modernize their plants in 2017 and 30 percent expected to expand. That was an uptick from already healthy projections in previous surveys and reflected manufacturers’ optimism about financial growth, with two-thirds expecting increased sales in 2017.

16 | November 2017 | NNB2B

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

www.newnorthb2b.com

De Pere-based Tweet/Garot Mechanical Inc. is typical of the growth pattern. After moving its headquarters from Green Bay to De Pere earlier this year, the firm announced it would build a 90,000-sq. ft. manufacturing facility on 42 acres in Wrightstown. Construction is expected to begin this month and be completed in late 2018, according to Christopher Howald, CEO at Tweet/Garot. Howald said the moves were driven by the firm’s continued growth.

“Our volume has increased as a company and we simply need more shop space,” Howald said. “The industry is moving towards more pre-assembly and modularization, which requires more multi-trade or flexible shop space, which is in contrast to our current stand-alone, trade-specific shops.

“We recognize the gravity of the upcoming construction market labor shortage and will attempt to mitigate that risk by bringing more standardized work into a controlled environment.”

On the ground, the Manufacturing Vitality Index projections have been borne out in a widespread series of capital expansions and new construction throughout the region in the past year. Here’s a sampling.

Fond du Lac County

Jim Cleveland, vice president of business and community competitiveness at Envision Greater Fond du Lac, said industrial growth has been impressive during the past year, with multiple projects already completed, currently underway or planned. According to Cleveland: v Mid-States Aluminum Corporation is planning a $20 million expansion that will include a building addition and new equipment. The expansion will result in 36 new jobs over a 4-year period. Mid-States Aluminum has a large $20 million expansion planned for next year v Accurate Controls will be moving into what was the vacated Ripon Cookie plant west, allowing for expansion going forward. v C.D. Smith Construction is planning to commence construction on a new state-of-the-art corporate office building in Fond du Lac. This new facility will showcase the company’s building techniques and highlight several sustainable features that will allow them to attract and retain talent.

allowed for more space to be freed up for manufacturing inside the existing facility. It’s now adding another 27,000 square feet to its playground equipment manufacturing facility. v Mercury Marine added 45,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 8,000 square feet of office space at the beginning of this year. In addition, Mercury invested in state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment to better streamline its processes and meet the growing demands in the marketplace. This was Mercury’s second major expansion within a 12-month period. v Quartz Right completed construction of a new plant in Fond du Lac’s Southwest Industrial Park. Raw slabs of quartz come in to the plant and are converted to finished counter tops for commercial and residential use. v ACH Foam Technologies expanded its Fox Ridge Industrial Park assembly and distribution building this past summer and expects to add up to 12 new positions over the next 24 months. v Alliance Laundry Systems added 225,000 square feet of new buildings on its campus in Ripon, including the construction of a new North America sales and marketing headquarters and the conversion of an existing warehouse into a manufacturing facility. The company expects to add 200 new jobs through the expansion. A new distribution center was constructed in the Ripon Industrial Park.

Cleveland said the growth is a result of a concerted and strategic effort throughout Fond du Lac County to continually improve the environment for manufacturers.

“Communities in Fond du Lac County always are looking for

Helping local businesses grow one relationship at a time.

Customized Solutions • Innovative Products • Fast, Local Decisions

v BCI Burke completed the warehouse expansion project that Mercury Marine’s new machining facility in Fond du Lac.

Mike Dempsey

Joan Woldt

Meghann Kasper

Bill Bradley

Lucas Schultz

4201 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Appleton | 101 City Center, Oshkosh

For better banking, think First www.BankFirstNational.com www.newnorthb2b.com

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

NNB2B | November 2017 | 17

Make banking an enjoyable part of your business operations.

“We want to have the best customer experience in the banking industry.�

Matt Bakalars

Vice President of Business Banking

C O N TA C T

Steve Schmudlach

Matt Bakalars

Steven Walber

Craig Much

President and CEO

Vice President of Business Banking

Senior Vice President

Business Banker

sschmudlach@fvsbank.com (920) 907-8686

mbakalars@fvsbank.com (920) 231-1163

swalber@fvsbank.com (920) 907-8685

cmuch@fvsbank.com (920) 907-8663

FVSBank.com

ways to expand infrastructure in ways that make sense for their individual areas,” Cleveland said. “Industrial parks are always being evaluated for available space and features such as proximity to major highways or rail. More and more, request for proposals are coming to our office looking for property that offers ease of access to transportation sources.”

“One of every four employees here are either in a manufacturing or manufacturing-related occupation. I would like to say that, proportionally speaking, we are among the world’s strongest economies when it comes to manufacturing concentration.”

Jason White, chief executive officer Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corp.

An artist rendering of the new Encapsys headquarters opening later this year in Appleton’s Southpoint Commerce Park.

v Monroe Equipment built an 11,500-sq. ft. sales office and warehouse in the Northwest Industrial Park. v Continental Girbau added 22,000 square feet to its existing warehouse where it distributes commercial laundry equipment. v Generac Power Systems plans to expanding its facilities in Oshkosh, as well is in other locations as part of a larger $73 million statewide initiative. v Powergrid Solutions, which was recently acquired by Texasbased AZZ Inc., is expected to expand its Oshkosh operations.

Oshkosh has always been known for its industrial base and there’s no reason to expect that to change, according to Jason White, chief executive officer for Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corp.

While much of Oshkosh’s industrial base has shifted away from the downtown area to the perimeters of the city – and much of the recent development attention has focused on transitioning the Sawdust District to retail and commercial space – White said Oshkosh is still an industrial community at heart.

“There’s still a lot of land available in the Southwest Industrial Park and the Northwest Industrial Park,” White said, who added that the expansion of the Wisconsin Southern rail system in the region – primarily to serve Oshkosh Corp. – is also spurring interest by other companies.

“One of every four employees here are either in a manufacturing or manufacturing-related occupation,” White said. “I would like to say that, proportionally speaking, we are among the world’s strongest economies when it comes to manufacturing concentration.”

Oshkosh

“The totality of assets we have in terms of available land, infrastructure investment and the availability of rail is going to continue to drive the expansion of our industrial capability,” White said.

Oshkosh industrial expansions of note include: v A.P. Nonweiler invested $2 million for various additions to its paint manufacturing facility. v StrataGraph, a division of Great Northern Corp., built a $2.3 million, 30,000-sq. ft. addition this summer.

Appleton

Appleton has also seen encouraging growth in its industrial sector, according to Karen Harkness, director of community and economic development for the city.

“Encapsys is building a new headquarters in our Southpoint Commerce Park,” Harkness said. “Additionally, in this same park, Security Lubke Roofing and Custom Offsets are currently under construction.”

“We made significant investment in 2017 in both infrastructure and roads,” Harkness added. “Growth has been robust. We have seen an increase in activity in the last three years.”

In addition to Encapsys and Security Lubke, Neenah Paper completed a $3.4 million, 45,000-sq. ft. addition to its mill down in the “flats” on the Fox River late last year. Earlier in 2017, C3 Corp. added 15,000 square feet to its current facility and Allied Valve added 7,400 square feet to its northside distribution facility. The Custom Offsets project mentioned by Harkness is for a $1.6 million, 20,000-sq. ft. shop and offices.

Generac’s manufacturing facility on the south side of Oshkosh.

www.newnorthb2b.com

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

NNB2B | November 2017 | 19

Cover Story Little Chute

Little Chute has been especially active developing its industrial parks during the past few years, according to Village Administrator James Fenlon.

“Recently, Heartland Business Systems executed a $3.2 million expansion, which totaled approximately 30,000 square feet in the Little Chute Industrial Park,” Fenlon said. “Cherryland’s Best recently executed an agreement with the village to build a new 15,000-square-foot facility in the village, which will allow them increased growth opportunities from their current location. The Nestle Pizza Facility is also in the process of a microlab addition, which has a permit value of $3.2 million.

There are other at least two other projects in various stages of planning, with other projects on the horizon.”

“At the end of the day, Little Chute is in the ‘Heart of the Fox Valley,’ which provides an easy commute from Oshkosh or Fond du Lac and up to the north side of the Green Bay metro region.”

James Fenlon, administrator Village of Little Chute

Separate, from Nestle’s pizza manufacturing facility, the company recently completed a $21 million project to construct a 313,000-sq. ft. refrigerated warehouse on the north side of Little Chute. That facility opened in July.

Lots range in size from just a few acres to large 75-acre contiguous tracts. Most have easy access to Interstate 41.

Other recent projects include a 14,000-sq. ft. small engine sales and service shop for Evergreen Power and a 10,000-sq. ft. machine shop for All-Star Cutting & Coring.

“The industrial growth has been steady to good over the past number of years,” Fenlon said. “Little Chute is fortunate to have a balanced valuation of property values, meaning that industrial makes up 10 percent of our total property values, while commercial is around 30 percent and residential around 60 percent. As we see continued growth, keeping a balanced approach is important to maintaining a resilient economy.

Fenlon said the village is well positioned for future growth.

“Currently the village has over 120 acres of industrial property available in several locations that would suit industrial development,” said Fenlon. “Most of these sites are ‘shovel ready’ and located to meet the needs of potential developers.”

Current and future growth are simply an extension of Little Chute’s strategic planning, according to Fenlon.

“Obviously, larger industrial developments drive higher employment numbers and increased economic impacts,

Allied Valve, Inc. – Appleton Office and Warehouse Addition

manufacturing • commercial • retail • hospitality 20 | November 2017 | NNB2B

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

www.newnorthb2b.com

v Tweet/Garot Mechanical plans to break ground on its new 90,000-sq. ft. manufacturing facility in November. v Print Pro Inc. is building a new 60,000-sq. ft. manufacturing facility. v Country Visions Coop will build a new 40,000-sq. ft. agronomy center.

Northstar Cooperative’s new state-of-the-art dairy testing laboratory in Kaukauna.

which we have been fortunate to benefit from of over the past number of years. At the end of the day, Little Chute is in the ‘Heart of the Fox Valley,’ which provides an easy commute from Oshkosh or Fond du Lac and up to the north side of the Green Bay metro region.”

Kaukauna

v CP Feeds is building a new 40,000-sq. ft. feed and grain center.

Wrightstown’s industrial growth is no accident, according to Coenen.

“The recent growth in our planned development districts has been great and better than planned for,” Coenen said.

“Industry is booming – growing by almost three times the current value, with a lot of potential. I believe it has to do with the large greenfield opportunities and access to rail.”

In Kaukauna, Orv’s Pizza, a division of Bernatello’s Foods, completed a $5.1 million, 46,000-sq. ft. expansion earlier this year. Currently underway, Poly Flex recently launched a $1.4 million, 36,000-sq. ft. expansion of its 2-year-old manufacturing facility.

In addition, Northstar Coop just completed a new state-ofthe-art testing laboratory for the dairy industry, according to Robert Jakel, director of planning and community development for Kaukauna. But Jakel is less bullish on industrial growth than some others in the region. He said the city isn’t currently planning any expansion of its industrial parks or infrastructure to accommodate industrial growth.

“Regional industrial growth of existing companies remains strong. Attracting companies from outside the region continues to be problematic,” Jakel said. “Industrial recruitment is highly competitive within the state and region, particularly for companies with a strong historical background and moderate to high wage and benefits. Accordingly, the return on investment of an incentive package to lure these companies may actually hurt the host industrial park.”

De Pere

Kimberly Flom, economic development director for De Pere, said the city has an active industrial base that continues to expand.

Wrightstown

Wrightstown Village Administrator Travis Coenen is bullish on industrial growth, who noted the community has worked hard over the past decade to ensure it’s prepared for the ongoing manufacturing expansion. This involved improvements in its industrial park infrastructure, including expanded sewer, water and storm sewer.

“The village currently has to two active (tax incremental finance) districts open within the industrial park bordering the I-41 corridor, in which the village has seen increased interest and construction that will be sustainable into the foreseeable future,” Coenen said.

He cited several current and expected industrial projects in the village: v Spirit Fab Inc. is currently adding 80,000 square feet to its existing facility, and plans to eventually move 90 positions from its Ashwaubenon site to Wrightstown. v Affinity Chemical is adding processing and storage space to double production. www.newnorthb2b.com

An employee of Spirit Fab Inc. in Wrightstown welds steel components for a customer of the growing manufacturer.

“Industrial is a strong growing sector here in De Pere and we take pride in working with developers, builders and business owners to help in the success of their projects,” Flom said.

“Our industrial center is growing. Most of our West Side Industrial Park businesses saw themselves growing and expanding in the next five to 10 years. We have been receiving strong interest in the vacant municipal-owned industrial land.”

Among the industrial projects cited by Flom: v Belmark’s three-story, 41,000-sq. ft. addition completed earlier this year. v Sierra Coatings wrapped up a 33,615-sq. ft. addition this summer. v Amerilux International added space earlier this year for manufacturing and warehousing. v Another addition at Fox River Fiber, the second in two years.

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

NNB2B | November 2017 | 21

Cover Story v Green Bay Packaging just wrapped up a 30,000-sq. ft. addition to its manufacturing facility in the De Pere West Industrial Park. v De Pere Cabinet is finishing up a $2.1 million, 35,050-sq. ft. addition to its existing industrial facility.

As available industrial space is filling up, City of De Pere officials are planning for the next 10 years, Flom said, noting the vacant industrial land cited above.

“The city has acquired property and completed a number of infrastructure projects, including road extensions and regional storm-water facilities in the past two years to accommodate industrial growth,” Flom said. “We are prepped to continue the investment in other areas as projects are proposed.

Many industrial zoned properties are also located within tax increment financing districts.”

Ashwaubenon

Aaron Schuette, community development director for Ashwaubenon, said most of the village’s growth has been in the residential sector. But industrial growth has not been entirely lacking. Optima Machinery Corp. built an $800,000

Label printer Belmark completed a 41,000-sq. ft. addition in De Pere earlier this year.

addition earlier this year, and Fosber America just recently completed a 12,000-sq. ft. addition.

Further north in the village, SuperValu built a $1.6 million addition to its distribution facility this past spring. The village is hoping to expand its industrial base.

“We are looking to expand well landscaped and designed business/industrial development in the far southwest part of the village,” Schuette said. “The village also has approximately 18 acres of land on the west side of South Packerland Drive between Glory Road and Partnership Drive for a high-value corporate office or similar use.”

Grand Chute

The industrial sector in Grand Chute remains stable, with several major manufacturers having a significant presence, including Pierce Manufacturing, Pacon, McCain Foods and Presto Products, according to Bob Buckingham, community development director for the town of Grand Chute.

“Werner Electric Supply Company is a prime example of a company that chose Grand Chute to build its state-of-the-art corporate headquarters and regional distribution center,” Buckingham said. “That project prompted the town to expand infrastructure to accommodate future growth in the nearby area. Our community has several prime sites in private business parks located along County BB and CB, and along State Highway 15. These locations offer fully serviced, shovelready sites for business expansion.” n Rick Berg is a freelance writer and editor based in Green Bay.

Industrial growth elsewhere in NE Wisconsin Other communities in the region have also seen continued industrial growth.

Fox Crossing

Howard

v WOW Logistics recently completed its $3.5 million, 24,000-sq. ft. corporate headquarters.

v Winona Foods just completed a $14 million, 157,000-sq. ft. refrigerated warehouse for its cheese products.

v Pierce Manufacturing built a 15,445-sq. ft., $1.1 million vehicle finishing facility.

v BCS International is just starting construction on a 94,000-sq. ft. warehouse and offices.

v R & L Carriers built a $1.4 million, 20,000-sq. ft. addition to its trucking transfer station along Interstate 41.

Greenville

Green Bay

v Cintas is constructing a 54,000-sq. ft. laundry and maintenance facility.

v American Prosthetic Components completed a 14,268-sq. ft. addition to its facility in the I-43 Business Park.

v Fox Valley Spring Co. is building a 24,500-sq. ft. addition to its existing plant.

v Just down the road, Seura completed a 15,000-sq. ft., addition to its facility.

Neenah

v Inside Out International built a nearly $1 million, 18,000-sq. ft. office and warehouse this past spring.

v Horseshoe Beverage Co. bought the former Plexus manufacturing plant in Neenah’s Southpark Industrial Center and is adding a $10.7 million, 20,000-sq. ft. expansion for a bottling facility.

Bellevue v Furniture manufacturer KI added a $3 million, 60,000-sq. ft. expansion this past summer.

22 | November 2017 | NNB2B

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

www.newnorthb2b.com

P R E S E N T S

CollaborateIT Connect, Empower, Grow

N O V E M B E R 14 th, 2 017 UW Oshkosh Alumni Welcome & Conference Center •

R E G I S T R A T I O N

P R I C E

-

$ 6 9

•

Regist er at Am plifyCollaborat eIT.com www.newnorthb2b.com

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

NNB2B | November 2017 | 23

Human Resources

4th Annual

Compassionate Employer Awards

Treating employees like gold can create a rich, harmonious workplace environment

Story by Lee Reinsch

The discovery that employees are human isn’t one that should take an anthropologist.

While they perform a particular function while at work, they leave for the day and head home.

They have children, they have parents, and they have other interests which occupy their free time. They get sick, they get injured, and occasionally they face unexpected adversities.

So a little understanding of the trials and tribulations employees endure can go a long way. Just ask the employers selected for this year’s 4th Annual Compassionate Employer Awards, presented by Kaukauna-based Community Benefit Tree and New North B2B magazine.

Awards. Here’s why.

“Providing or creating an atmosphere that’s enjoyable and where people know they’re appreciated and valued is just going to turn around and perpetuate that down the line with the customers,” said Doug Dobbe, owner of Strategies, Ltd. of Appleton.

“I didn’t feel like myself,” he said. “It started with fatigue. I was having to push myself to get through the day.”

Strategies, along with G&G Machine of Kaukauna, share the spotlight on compassion in the workplace among northeast Wisconsin companies in our 2017 Compassionate Employer 24 | November 2017 | NNB2B

Late in 2014, Dan Schwalenberg realized that something felt ‘off.’ The formerly capable 49-year-old single father found that he had to drag himself through the day. Extreme tiredness took over his life.

Depression, anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia and brain fog made their home inside Schwalenberg’s body.

“My cognitive functioning was slowing down. It was harder to process information, like a slow computer,” he said. “It may sound strange, but that was my reality.”

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

www.newnorthb2b.com

Over the course of 2015, his health plummeted. He had to step away from his job in purchasing and scheduling at G&G Machine in Kaukauna.

“My body shut down. I wasn’t capable of much of anything, besides eating and lying in bed or on the couch. I had very limited functionality physically and mentally,” he said.

At the height of his condition, he reduced his life to his dark house, with multiple layers of sheeting over the windows to block the sun. He’d become sensitive to light, touch and noise, and he couldn’t tolerate stimuli of any kind, not even books, radio or TV. He barely had enough zip to check in with his dad for five minutes a day on the phone.

“I knew I was getting sicker every day, and the doctors had no idea what it was,” Schwalenberg said.

Specialists eventually diagnosed him with Lyme disease, but finding the right treatment took many months after that.

Schwalenberg said G&G Machine has been extremely supportive throughout his illness and recovery, even continuing his health insurance for nine months.

“I would call G&G when I felt I could handle a 20-minute conversation to let them know where I was at,” Schwalenberg said. “Every time we talked, they were like ‘We miss you. You play a large role here. We’re waiting for you to come back.’

That in itself was tremendous support. It helped me to stay together and keep moving forward because I didn’t know if I’d survive this disease.”

G&G President Mark Stumpf has known Schwalenberg for years. “He’s a good employee and a good person,” Stumpf said.

But he added that he’d be flexible with any employee who needed it.

“When you find a good employee, you don’t want to lose him,” Stumpf said.

Schwalenberg’s work hiatus lasted nearly two years. Without an income, bills mounted. That’s when his father went to Kaukauna-based Community Benefit Tree. They organized a benefit fundraiser, and ultimately friends, family and coworkers helped raise almost $50,000.

Schwalenberg says he’s getting stronger every day. After 23½ months off from work, he went back to the office part-time in late September. G&G Machine allows him to work when he’s strong enough and to stay home when he’s not.

“My employer has been there every step of the way,” he said.

2017 Compassionate Employer Award

You need one to win.

Let’s build it together.

Company: G&G Machine hat they do: Machine shop producing parts W

for the gas and oil industry Where: Kaukauna

Successful Journeys Need a Guide™

Owner: Mark Stumpf Employees: About 50

www.newnorthb2b.com

920.427.5077 www.guidentbusiness.com 15 Years v 2002 to 2017

NNB2B | November 2017 | 25

Human Resources Providing comfort from pain

A tree of hope

G&G played a big role in Schwalenberg’s celebration of support, the name for the benefits organized by Community Benefit Tree.

“We call them celebration of support because they’re celebrating that person’s life and that family support,” said Community Benefit Tree founder and executive director Heidi Frederickson. “Community Benefit Tree helps family supporters organize those fundraisers and support the family financially and emotionally when they’re going through a medical crisis.”

She said the agency helps the family organize a team of supporters who do the fundraising.

“We teach them how,” Frederickson said. “There’s a wide variety of tools we empower the family’s supporters with to be able to have a successful event, raise more funds, and be a huge financial support for the family.”

Frederickson and her volunteers work with fund initiators on various aspects of staging a celebration of support benefit, such as the family’s website, providing avenues to donate funds online, social media and graphic design.

“We take care of all the bookkeeping, the raffle license and the tax-exempt status,” she said. Frederickson called Community Benefit Tree a nonprofit medical crisis support center.

“We help with the emotional, spiritual resources,” she said.

“We’re a resource connector, and we educate.”

26 | November 2017 | NNB2B

Strategies, Ltd. employee Heather Flanders lives with chronic back and neck pain. There are times the pain is so bad that she leaves work in tears, according to her coworker, Scott Jupp, who nominated their employer for the 2017 Compassionate Employer Award.

Leaving work has been alright with her employers, Doug and Renae Dobbe. They grant her all the leeway she needs with her schedule. Flanders said it makes her life much less stressful.

“We’ve always been very flexible, letting her work when she can work,” Doug Dobbe said.

They provided her with a standing desk so she wouldn’t have to sit all of the time, easing some of her back and neck pain.

They allow her to work from home and come and go as she’s able. They don’t frown when she leaves early due to her pain.

2017 Compassionate Employer Award Company: Strategies, Ltd. hat they do: Branded promotional W merchandise and apparel Where: Appleton Owner: Doug and Renae Dobbe Employees: 27

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

www.newnorthb2b.com

“We’ve been proactive, and it was something we would normally do for any of our employees,” Renae Dobbe said.

Many of Flanders’ work duties providing sales support can be done remotely, and she gets them done, her bosses said.

“It’s not uncommon to get emails from her late at night. She might be feeling good and she will shoot an email off to a supplier, inquiring about a project, and when we come in in the morning, things are moving along,” Doug Dobbe said.

“She’s very conscientious and just one of those employees you can give a little more flexibility to and know that things are going to work out.”

Jupp, who serves as the sales manager at Strategies, said accommodating their employees is in the Dobbes’ nature.

“That’s just the way they’re wired,” Jupp said. “The Dobbes are genuine people. The flexibility they’ve granted Heather is not very common for an employer.”

Jupp has been on the receiving end of his bosses’ generosity himself. He and his wife are in the process of adopting a boy from western Africa. It’s not inexpensive. So the Jupps decided to hold their own fundraiser – featuring a cookout, auction and raffle – to help pay for the various legal and agency fees.

Jupp thought the professional-looking tent and serving center setup that Strategies uses for its own promotional events would be a nice touch, so he asked if he might borrow it.

“I said we want to do some pulled pork sandwiches,” Jupp said. “(Doug) said, ‘I’ll do one better – I’ll smoke the meat and we’ll come cook while you do your event.’”

“If you take care of your people, they’ll in turn take care of your customers, and when you take care of your customer, really good things happen.”

Doug Dobbe, co-owner Strategies, Ltd. in Appleton

Connect online TODAY www.newnorthb2b.com

One of Doug Dobbe’s hobbies happens to be Southern barbecuing. He even has a portable meat smoker.

“They came to our event and served all our friends and family that day,” Jupp said, indicating the event helped to raise $10,000. “That was pretty humbling.”

Not just a team

Doug Dobbe said they refer to their employees as the Strategies family.

“Renae and I have really worked hard to try and make the atmosphere here one that people enjoy coming to, whether you’re an employee of ours, a customer of ours, or a supplier,” he said. “We want the facility to be nice, but we also want our people to be nice. There’s enough crabby people in the world.”

He said often the chemistry of players on a championship sports team is just as important as talent, and the team at Strategies has chemistry.

“Renae and I are big believers in the Golden Rule – you treat people the way you would like to be treated,” he said. “It doesn’t always come back, but for the most part, if you do the right things consistently, really good things will happen.”

His business case for compassion goes further.

“If you take care of your people, they’ll in turn take care of your customers, and when you take care of your customer, really good things happen,” Doug Dobbe said. “People come back because of your consistency. They find you’re fun to do business with.” n

Get instant updates on business news developments in northeast Wisconsin before the next edition of B2B magazine comes out.

@NewNo rthB2B 2B

B New North e magazin

@NewNorthB2

B

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

NNB2B | November 2017 | 27

Entrepreneurship

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.

by Lee Marie Reinsch

Brandon Rohde lives the life little boys fantasize about.

He gets paid for being immersed in racing: race cars, motorcycles, remote control cars and go-carts, even drones. His grown-up company has him following races, traveling to tracks around the world, and enhancing products that make timing, scoring and broadcasting races more effective so fans can follow their favorite racers up close and from a distance.

Rohde launched LiveTime with his friend, Cory Kroll, three years ago and has been going full speed ever since. Now the racing industry’s largest distributor of scoring hardware, LiveTime operates with seven fulltime employees, including an accountant, two journalists, a customer relationship manager, a broadcast assistant, and two part-time camera guys. But it’s the company’s proprietary technology solutions that make its scalable potential almost limitless.

Brandon Rohde LiveTime De Pere LiveTimeScoring.com

What is LiveTime?

We do timing and scoring for everything motorsports – from remote control cars and drones, like the helicopters you may see on TV, to dirt oval racing at the 141 Speedway (in Maribel), to Road America – and everything in between. We write all of the software programs that track scoring, programs that track lap times, and statistics (average lap, running position, qualifying order, etc.).

What does LiveTime do, exactly?

We’re the largest distributor in the world for all of the scoring hardware, so every car has a little transponder about the size of a cell phone. The race track has a wire that’s buried under the finish line, and every time the car crosses over it, we know which car it is, based on the transponder. That’s the first side of the business.

28 | November 2017 2017 || NNB2B NNB2B

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

www.newnorthb2b.com

The second side is LiveRaceMedia, which is the scoring results and is more for consumers to watch. On any given week, we’ll have 300 to 400 tracks that are running races where you can log in and see who’s racing. Tracks can broadcast live video and automate video switching, so you can have eight different cameras around the track and it will automatically switch to whatever camera is on the leader. Tracks can broadcast live timing, scoring and results, so fans and grandma back home can watch their family and friends race.

Suttner ACCOUNTING

How did you get into this?

I grew up in Sturgeon Bay racing motocross, which is dirt bikes off road. I broke a bunch of bones, so I raced remote control (RC) cars whenever I had a broken leg and couldn’t ride my motorcycle. That’s kind of how I got into the two forms of racing. Then over the years I raced RC cars professionally and worked in that industry for a while. They were really, really behind the times technology-wise.

I went to school for software engineering at Milwaukee School of Engineering (2001) and then business at St. Norbert College (2004). I started writing plug-ins for existing systems so we could get scoring online, then got into the video.

But we were operating at the mercy of the other systems out there. I reached out to my old babysitter’s son, Cory Kroll. He’s a very good software engineer. He came on board as my partner. That’s when we started our own software instead of writing plug-ins for other systems.

Stephanie Geurts, CPA Partner sjg@suttnercpa.com 920.235.6789

Who uses your software?

Our focus hasn’t been to go after Nascar, or Indycar or those series – they all have their in-house proprietary solutions. We’re going after the 5,000 local tracks around the country. Around Green Bay, there’s one at the Luxemburg Speedway – they have a dirt oval, so they race every Friday night. They’ll get 100 cars there racing.

There’s the 141 Speedway in Maribel and about 30 dirt oval tracks in Wisconsin and a couple road-course tracks.

We focus on the amateur level of racing, mom-and-pop tracks, and try to give them more technology than using chintzy DOS-based software that’s been unchanged for 30 years.

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

Who are your consumers?

One would be tracks and racers. The tracks buy the scoring hardware from us, and the racers buy or rent the transponders.

Quality ❘ Value ❘ Timeliness www.newnorthb2b.com

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

NNB2B | November 2017 | 29

Entrepreneurship Second, the general public, via LiveRace Media. We stream video, syndicate through Facebook, YouTube, Twitch – any of the media channels we can so tracks can use social media to attract more spectators and generate more publicity. Videos start getting shared, and people are like ‘Hey check this out,’ especially if it’s at the hobby level, something they’ve never seen before, like RC cars or drones, where people can get into racing for $300. We’re providing a platform for these tracks to really promote themselves to the mass public.

how far behind a car is from the leader, what their series points total is, all kinds of fun stuff. We can bring that to a local level so local tracks can have a very tech-friendly system to serve the modern generation.

And on the video broadcasting side?

We’ve got tools so if a track sets up a couple cameras, they can get an entire system for under $500. It’s very cost effective. These are big tracks, so $500 isn’t a huge investment for them.

They can have multiple cameras following all the turns, and our system will work with each camera to tell it where to go so you can follow the race leaders around the track without having anybody manning the system. Just set up and walk away, and you can look like you’ve got a full broadcast team out there.

A screenshot of the LiveTime online app.

Where has LiveTime taken you?

Tracks can do their own video broadcasting with a couple cameras. We also have a full video production team. So for major events, like RC Car World Championships or GoKart World Championships, etc., tracks hire us to come out and broadcast the event.

We’ll do all the streaming online, and we’ve even syndicated to ESPN3 for some events, so we have a media team for that. We’ve been to Asia three times, Australia, Europe, Argentina, Brazil – every continent but Antarctica, wherever the events take place.

What makes LiveTime’s system unique?

There are a lot of tracks out there, but previously there was only one system for timing and scoring, and it was all based on old technology from 1999. There was no competition and nothing driving them forward. It didn’t have online results, it was very limited on data, not user friendly, and was difficult to use.

We designed a system from the ground up with all the latest technology. Everything is automated. It syncs up to the cloud, so data is backed up. Results are online instantaneously, so you can be watching in the grandstands on your mobile app and see the lap time 10 feet after the car crosses the finish line. That kind of stuff just didn’t exist before.

We’ve got full on-screen graphics, like you’d see with Nascar. You can see lap times, what the running motor is,

30 | November 2017 2017 || NNB2B NNB2B

What challenges does LiveTime face?

We’re in a very price-sensitive market. We’re marketing to mom-and-pop shops and amateur racers, so our margins are pretty slim. We’re operating on volume versus high markup on our software end products. We’ve kind of taken over the market share in every industry we’ve jumped into so far, so the volume has been there.

Social media helps and hurts us at the same time. Three years ago, before Facebook Live and YouTube Live were big, we could charge a subscription or pay-per-view. But now these places make it easy to stream live video free, so we can’t charge a subscription anymore. We’ve had to shift over to more advertising-based revenue, which is more work because you need somebody dedicated to calling sponsors and selling advertising full time to offset the cost of giving video away.

The market is changing and we’re adapting as best we can. I think we’ve been doing a pretty good job so far, but it’s definitely fast changing.

How do you prepare for future threats?

Constant R&D. Everybody here is into racing and knows the industry as far as racers and what they want to see as a track promoter, so we try to meet those needs before somebody else does. We certainly have competition, but we’ve done well at handling that and are making sure we set the trends. In any industry, people copy whatever business models are working, but it’s really about being the first to refine it so we’re not trying to play catch up.

The minute you try to follow what others are doing, you’re behind the game. We’re trying to set the market versus following it. n

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

www.newnorthb2b.com

Professionally Speaking

Professionally Speaking is a paid promotional spot in B2B.

Good News for Residential Landlords – Wisconsin Revoking Outdated Rental Weatherization Program

by John W. Schuster of Caliber Law, S.C.

920.292.0000

Residential landlords, realtors, and title companies in Wisconsin are all happy parties, as the State of Wisconsin is revoking its outdated rental weatherization program effective January 1, 2018.

requirements of obtaining special stipulations before closing, and postclosing obligations such as compliance inspections and filing certificates with the State over a year after they closed on the property, which many purchasers were forgetting to do simply on an administrative level.

The program was a good idea back in the 1970’s when it was originally put into place, as it set forth specific rules requiring anyone purchasing a property – for the purpose of renting it out to residential tenants – to go through special weatherization inspections and follow complicated processes before being allowed to close on and purchase the property.

The only problem with the repeal of Wis. Stat. § 101.122 is that the Wisconsin legislature forgot to provide what happens to stipulations filed by property purchasers this year that have not been closed out and are still in effect, but it sounds like the legislature is likely to provide clarification in the near future that any such outstanding stipulations do not need to be complied with. We will wait and see what the legislature does with this item.

Worse yet, the rules required buyers and title companies to comply with

The revocation of this outdated program now helps simplify the system if you are contemplating buying a property for residential tenant purposes, and removes the confusing, conflicting and often non-followed rules under the outdated Rental Weatherization Program.

Atty. John W. Schuster, J.D., MBA is the owner of Caliber Law, S.C. in Oshkosh, who specializes in business law and real estate.

We love to fail.

It gives us an excuse to party and eat cake. We encourage our team to think big and take risks in order to innovate, and we celebrate the results – good or bad. We believe if we don’t fail every once in awhile, we’ll never grow, and we’ll never be able to help your company grow. Join us for our next fail party and tell us what’s not working with your marketing.

candeocreative.com www.newnorthb2b.com

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

NNB2B | November 2017 | 31

Who’s News

Incorporations

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

Brown County

GREEN THUMB LLC, Creed Graham Seibel, 605 W. Briar Lane, Allouez 54301.

ANNUITY BUYERS LLC, Thomas Krause, 555 Main Ave., De Pere 54115.

ALL ABOUT FIXING LLC, Daniel Janssen, 1621 Highview St., De Pere 54115.

NIC’S IT SOLUTIONS LLC, Nicolas Hetcher, 1772 Marissa Ct., De Pere 54115.

MANN HEATING AND AIR LLC, Kayla Mann, 1324 Swan Ridge Tr., De Pere 54115.

THE SHOPS AT RED ROCK CREEK LLC, Holly Palmer, 905 George St., De Pere 54115.

BALANCED BODY TRAINING AND CONDITIONING LLC, Craig John Biwer, 1581 Morning Mist Way, De Pere 54115.

A-PLUS PUMPS AND PARTS LLC, Aaron Steven Clark, 1737 Sunnyside Lane, De Pere 54115.

VERHASSELT FAMILY DAIRY LLC, Gregory J. Verhasselt, N5201 McCabe Road, De Pere 54115.

LIVERACEMEDIA LLC, Brandon Clark Rohde, 3545 Bower Creek Road, De Pere 54115.

K&K IBEX FARM LLC, Lucas A. Klarkowski, E1521 County Road KB, Denmark 54208.

IT ASSET MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS LLC, Mary E. Cuthill, 12207 Cedar Creek Dr., Denmark 54208.

THE NAKED PINEAPPLE BOUTIQUE LLC, Andrea Leigh Vandervest, 3620 Keweaton Lane, Denmark 54217.

KSP HANDYMAN LLC, Khomsanh Phomsaath, 1850 Eldorado Dr., #2, Green Bay 54302.

WISCONSIN YOGA GAL LLC, Anne L. Priyadarshane, 4481 Navajo Tr., Green Bay 54313.

HEALING SOUNDS WITH NICHOLE LLC, Nichole Seanne Korth, 933 Anderson Dr., Green Bay 54304.

ASPENSON LAW LLC, Jacob Andrew Aspenson, 1270 Main St., Green Bay 54302.

DJ & SONS AUTO SALES LLC, David Olson, 2710 Mayline Dr., Green Bay 54311.

BROSIG DESIGNS LLC, Danielle Lynn Brosig, 1494 Morrow St., Green Bay 54302.

GREEN BAY CURLING FOUNDATION INC., Bill Rhyme, 781 Mike McCarthy Way, Green Bay 54304.

T P TRUCKING LLC, Thorvald Melum, 1750 Riverdale Dr., Green Bay 54313.

EVOLUTION SORBENT PRODUCTS LLC, Matthew Wild, 3303 Spirit Way, Green Bay 54304.

WILSON AUTO COLLISION TOWING LLC, Kevin Wilson, 750 Hansen Road, Green Bay 54304.

Connect online TODAY 32 | November 2017 | NNB2B

JASON BRAUN TRUCKING LLC, Jason Alexander Braun, 1855 N. Beaver Trail Dr., Green Bay 54303.

RANDJ HOME REPAIR LLC, Jeff R. Vasseau, 3757 Heron Lane, Green Bay 54311.

NEW EARTH MARKETING LLC, Doug Payne, 712 Packerland Dr., Green Bay 54303.

NUTRITION GUIDED ANALYSIS LLC, Debora Guess, 2320 Constellation St., Green Bay 54303.

HUNTZ VENDING LLC, Joshua Robert Hundsrucker, 2928 Copper Mountain Ct., Green Bay 54313.

SUPREME SHUTTLES LLC, Booker Simmons, 600 S. Maple Ave., Green Bay 54303.

GARZA’S GEARHEAD AUTO REPAIR LLC, Juan Garza-Burnias, 1705 E. Mason St., Green Bay 54302.

TOTAL CUSTOM PAINTING LLC, Todd Patrick Williquette, 2481 Brenner Pl., Green Bay 54301.

THE GRANITE GURUS LLC, Jason R. Aguirre, 1050 Pleasant Lane, Green Bay 54313.

EMMA’S CRAFTS LLC, Linda S. Haen, 2289 Kaylee Cir., Green Bay 54311.

SHARPENING SERVICES LLC, Robert J. Welsing, Sr., 2140 W. Line Road, Green Bay 54313.

IMRAN TRUCKING LLC, Ahmed M. Noor, 1680 Shawano Ave., Apt. 4, Green Bay 54303.

DRAGONFLY TRUCKING LLC, Jennifer Frances Hibbert, 707 Doty St., Green Bay 54301.

HELGESON LOGISTICS LLC, Michael Allen Helgeson II, 3012 Manitowoc Road, Green Bay 54311.

HALIA KATHLEEN N ANN CHILDCARE LLC, Molly Mollett, 2090 Marlee Lane, Green Bay 54304.

MOHAS TRANSPORTATION LLC, Mohamed Hassan, 312 S. Fisk St., Green Bay 54303.

MAVID WOODSTONE CONSTRUCTION LLC, Zoar Fulwilder, 1609 Western Ave., Ste. A, Green Bay 54303.

LUXURY MASONRY LLC, Cory Williams, 2449 Warbler Dr., Green Bay 54303.

CAGE CARPENTRY LLC, Greg Barker, 3315 Wiggins Way, Green Bay 54311.

TATTOO NOUVEAU MA LLC, McKenzie Nicole Austin, 2143 Bellevue St., Green Bay 54311.

TITLETOWN WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC, Gary Brewton, 2244 Warm Springs Ct., Green Bay 54311.

NATIONWIDE ROCK TRENCHING LLC, John M. Meyer, Jr., 1125 N. Military Ave., Green Bay 54303.

DREAMIN BLU HOLSTEINS LLC, Nichole M. Kiekhaefer, 3613 Mill Road, Greenleaf 54126.

SARA’S ARTISAN GELATO LLC, Sara R. Santaga, 4302 Hilton Head, Hobart 54155.

VAN DE YACHT SEPTIC SYSTEMS INC., Andrew Van De Yacht, 3715 Lakeview Dr., Suamico 54173.

MOSAIC MARKETING SOLUTIONS LLC, Carrie Liebhauser, 1049 Crestview Dr., Wrightstown 54180.

ON THE FOX PHOTOGRAPHY LLC, Richard Louis Bushey, 830 Washington, Wrightstown 54180.

Get instant updates on business news developments in northeast Wisconsin before the next edition of B2B magazine comes out.

@NewNo rthB2B B2B New North e magazin

@NewNorthB2

B

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

www.newnorthb2b.com

Calumet County

GOLDYLX FITNESS LLC, Karissa Goldschmidt, N6001 Timberline, Sherwood 54169.

Sponsored by:

Fond du Lac County

GUTTER TEK LLC, Doduglas Stilwill, 432 E. Bowen St., Brandon 53919.

SARAH NINNEMANN ART & PHOTOGRAPHY LLC, Sarah Ninnemann, N2498 Sunset Dr., Campbellsport 53010.

ALWAYS HAULIN AUTO TRANSPORT LLC, Megan Sontag, 64 Stone Castle Dr., Fond du Lac 54935.

DONE-RIGHT CRAFTSMANSHIP CONTRACTING LLC, Isaiah David Lavanway, W7279 Forest Ave., Fond du Lac 54937.

ALTON MUSIC STUDIO LLC, Levi Z. Harris, 82 14th St., Fond du Lac 54935.

B.C. PLUMBING LLC, Bryan Christopherson, N7433 Meadowview Dr., Fond du Lac 54935.

BILL KAISER COATINGS LLC, William Jon Kaiser, 520 Pearl Lane, Fond du Lac 54937.

PADDYS PIZZA PUB LLC, Justin Keating Johnson, 681 Bruce St., Fond du Lac 54935.

DAVE’S TIMBERRR TREE SERVICE LLC, David Gerard Kiefer, W3551 Ledge Road, Malone 53049.

REVIVE HAIR ARTISTRY & NAIL BAR LLC, Sherry Lynn Briskie, 314 Watson St., Ripon 54971.

HAIR ARTISTRY BY KALLIN LLC, Kallin Rose Splittgaber, 532 County Road E, Ripon 54971.

STYLED BY KASEY LLC, Kasey Steinseifer, 1115 Newbury St., Ripon 54971.

STYLED BY LISA LLC, Lisa Henning, 903 Ransom St., Ripon 54971.

KIEL FLOORING LLC, Troy Roman Roehrig, 200 Clark St., St. Cloud 53079.

MITCHELL BAR AND GRILL LLC, Steve Gilles, N4560 Log Cabin Road, St. Cloud 53079.

ROCK RIVER CHEMICAL LLC, Caleb Andrew Riedeman, N4584 State Road 26, Waupun 53963.

Come celebrate with us

the lives of those going through a medical crisis.

Tuesday, November 14, 2017 • 5:00–9:00 p.m.

Grand Meridian | 2621 N. Oneida St. | Appleton, WI 54911

Play a life-size

game of

!

silent auction & raffles:

Disney trip, Booze cart, Purse, basket, packer

2017 Compassionate Employer Award Announced

Proudly Supported by Thrivent Financial Financial Associate Troy Beck

FOOD VENDORS: • • • • • • •

Grand Meridian Niko’s Gyros Mom & Pop’s Bakery The Melting Pot Zza Odyssey Pizzeria Cold Stone Creamery Two of a Kind

• • • • • •

$50 per ticket

Includes: food, game play, goodies and a goodie bag. $55 at the door • $350 for a table of 8

Call TODAY to register 920-422-1919.

Registration and donations also accepted at www.CommunityBenefitTree.org.

Cash, check, Visa/MC or PayPal accepted.

Mud Creek Cheesehut-Citgo Little Chicago McGuinness Irish Pub Kaukauna Coffee &Tea Over 15 Local Area Restaurants!

SPONSORS: • • • • • •

Fast Signs N & M Transfer Co Keller, Inc. Zander Press, Inc. US Venture Bassett Mechanical

• Terri and Steve Winter • Wolfinger Water & Backhoe Service LLC • Forefront Dermatology • Insta Print Plus • Stella Graphic Art & Design

Green Lake County

FARMVIEW EVENT BARN LLC, Jean A. Bahn, N7702 County Road F, Berlin 54923.

Outagamie County

HEALTH INSURANCE SPECIALISTS LLC, Thomas Panich, 512 S. Mason St., Appleton 54914.

KANINE KUPBOARD INC., Jill M. Brauer, 1830 S. Oneida St., Appleton 54915.

BEAR WOODWORKING LLC, Jeremy Albert Warner, 210 W. Glendale Ave., Appleton 54911.

INTHEKNOW TAROT LLC, Bethany J. Abrahamson, 1132 W. Winnebago St., Appleton 54914.

RISING PHOENIX BOUTIQUE LLC, Tiffany Nicole Boyd, 1500 Schaefer Cir., Appleton 54915.

MIDWEST WARRIORS FASTPITCH LTD., Timothy Edens, 2142 N. Connies Ct., Appleton 54914.

OLISTICA HAIR & BEAUTY LLC, Jacob Zarling, 2525 S. Gladys Ave., Appleton 54915.

MILWAUKEE DENTAL ARTS LLC, Jacob Ferris, 1500 N. Casaloma Dr., Appleton 54913.

DARBOY AUTO SALES INC., Rory James Burton, 4029 E. Calumet Dr., Appleton 54915.

SYNERGY PERSONAL TRAINING LLC, Lori Millan, 137 Hillock Ct., Appleton 54914.

SOPHIE’S PAWS WITHOUT BORDERS INC., Sophia K. Donovan, 2407 W. Prospect Ave., Appleton 54914.

PRECISION FLOORING AND MORE LLC, Tyriek Omied Yazdani, 719 W. Spencer St., Appleton 54914.

MJK RENOVATIONS LLC, Michael D. Koopikka, Jr., 29 Pheasant Ct., Appleton 54915.

JO TO GO OF APPLETON LLC, Elizabeth A. Heffner, 1224 W. 4th St., Appleton 54914. www.newnorthb2b.com

Exceeding Your Staffing Expectations

Career-Options.com

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

920.832.4500 NNB2B | November 2017 | 33

Who’s News TRADE NEGOTIATIONS TRAINING CENTER INC., Ngosong Fonkem, 181 S. Riverheath Way, Apt. 410, Appleton 54915.

THE ATHENA BEAUTY INSTITUTE LLC, Mathilda Golding, 1025 E. Lindbergh St., Appleton 54911.

LAWN DOCTORS LLC, Joel R. Fenske, N4014 County Road C, Freedom 54913.

TRACKING HOUNDS OF WISCONSIN LLC, Scott Springstroh, N2781 Weyers Road, Freedom 54130.

COMFORT FOOT CARE LLC, Julia Margaret La Maide, N919 Pebble Ridge Road, Greenville 54942.

PELLEGRINI CONSTRUCTION & TRUCKING LLC, Steven Pellegrini, N2221 Falling Wing Lane, Hortonville 54944.

BELLILE BUILDING & ROOFING OF WISCONSIN INC., Brian Bellile, W9386 County Road TT, Hortonville 54944.

THE BILL GIGSTEAD AGENCY LLC, William J. Gigstead, Jr., 1940 Crooks Ave., Kaukauna 54130.

COMFORT PROS HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING LLC, Mike Paul Derivan, N3925 Liberty Lane, Kaukauna 54130.

NEW HAVEN CUSTOM HOMES LLC, Troy Hartl, N177 Speedway Lane, Kaukauna 54130.

INTEGRITY CHEESE PACKAGING OF WISCONSIN INC., Kate E. Neumeier Clarke, 3051 Progress Way, Ste. 206, Kaukauna 54130.

MAC’S TOWING LLC, Keith Ristow, 425 W. 6th St., Kaukauna 54130.

NAILBOX CONSTRUCTION LLC, Jamie L.C. Jones, W2012 County Road JJ, Kaukauna 54130.

ORGANIX BUSINESS SOLUTIONS LLC, Don Herrmann, 1030 W. Elm Dr., Little Chute 54140.

Winnebago County

SIMON GLASS LLC, Simon Robbins, 8605 S. Loop Road, Larsen 54947.

DE-TAILS PET SALON LLC, Lisa Jacobson, 982 Oneida St., Menasha 54952.

A.V. MARITIME LOGISTICS LLC, Mike J. Merrill, 616 5th St., Menasha 54952.

STONE MASONS LLC, Michael John Murphy, W6495 Firelane 8, Menasha 54952.

ENHANCE PILATES LLC, Jessica Ann Fagan, 419 Bosworth Lane, Neenah 54956.

MOVING PARTS THERAPY LLC, Mary Kristine Sahr, 805 Hewitt St., Neenah 54956.

JISCHKE RESTORATION & RENEWAL LLC, Daniel Martin Jischke, 1178 Shady Spring Ct., Neenah 54956.

BENDING WILLOW MASSAGE LLC, Curtis L. Cantrell, 229 S. John St., Neenah 54956.

VILLALOBOS JANITORIAL LLC, Valeria Villalobos, 447 Walnut St., Omro 54963.

HILBRAND CARPENTRY & DESIGN LLC, Jason James Hilbrand, 8136 County Road D, Omro 54963.

UNIQUE GUTTER SERVICES LLC, Chase M. Solomon, 6019 County Road R, Oshkosh 54902.

SIEWERT PAINTING & SPECIALTY FINISHES LLC, Carver Clay Siewert, 5984 Lake Road, Oshkosh 54902.

OPULENCE DETAILING LLC, James R. Tagliapietra, 4638 Stonefield Dr., Oshkosh 54902.

WISC MARKETING GROUP LLC, Gregory T. Bukovatz, 240 Algoma Blvd., Oshkosh 54901.

SOPER HEAVY WRECKER SERVICE LLC, Scott J. Soper, 139 E. Packer Ave., Oshkosh 54901.

SACRED CRANE HEALING ARTS AND ACUPUNCTURE LLC, Corrine Elizabeth Rathbun, 1405 Buchanan Ave., Oshkosh 54902.

CHARLIE’S CARAMELS LLC, Charles/Mary Koeck, 6904 County Road M, Winneconne 54986.

BUILDING TRUST SINCE 1960

With Offices in the Fox Cities, Madison, Milwaukee & Wausau

CONTACT US AT WWW.KELLERBUILDS.COM | 1.800.236.2534 34 | November 2017 | NNB2B

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

www.newnorthb2b.com

Building permits

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

BATTLEHOUSE/NINJA WARRIOR, 2125 American Blvd., De Pere. $800,000 for a two-story, 17,152-sq. ft. indoor recreation facility. General contractor is 1st Choice Builders of De Pere. September 5.

MEMORIES ANTIQUE MALL, 400 Randolph Dr., Little Chute. $400,000 for a 10,800-sq. ft. addition to the existing retail building. General contractor is Fox Structures of Kaukauna. October 5.

New businesses

SPECTRUM/CHARTER CABLE, 165 Knight’s Way, Fond du Lac. $1,205,704 for interior alterations to the second floor of the existing commercial office building.

General contractor is C.D. Smith Construction Inc. of Fond du Lac. September 6.

KURT STEIN’S SCHOOL OF MUSIC opened at 1504 S. Commercial St. in Neenah providing music education to students of all ages. Its team of instructors offer music lessons, performance ensembles and composition, and eventually plans to offer recording tech and film tech classes. More information is available online at www.kssom.com.

ONEIDA ONE STOP, 2597 W. Mason St., Green Bay. $850,000 for an interior remodel of the existing convenience store and car wash facility. General contractor is Smet Construction of Green Bay. September.

Business honors

ANDUZZI’S SPORTS CLUB, 1992 Holmgren Way, Ashwaubenon. $740,000 for an addition to the second story of the existing restaurant building. General contractor is Schuh Construction Inc. of Seymour. September.

SECURITY LUEBKE ROOFING, 3921 E. Endeavor Dr., Appleton. $1,300,000 for a 20,000-sq. ft. commercial building. General contractor is Millennium Construction of Appleton. September 12.

8 LINE SUPPLY, 2210 American Blvd., De Pere. $750,000 for a 10,000-sq. ft. manufacturing and warehouse building. General contractor is Corrigan’s Custom Built Structures of De Pere. September 13.

HARBOR HOUSE, 720 W. Fifth St., Appleton. $4,100,000 for an addition to increase bed capacity at the existing community services facility. General contractor is Boldt Construction of Appleton. September 18.

TUFCO TECHNOLOGIES, 3161 S. Ridge Road, Ashwaubenon. $680,000 for interior alterations to the existing manufacturing facility. General contractor is Consolidated Construction Company of Appleton. September.

G&K FOODS, 3912 N. Lightning Dr., Appleton. $1,412,000 for a new commercial office building. General contractor is Hoffman of Appleton. September 27.

ALDI, 2310 S. Kensington Dr., Appleton. $1,500,000 for an addition to the existing grocery market. General contractor is Creative Constructors of Menomonee Falls.

September 28.

Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce presented its 2017 Business of the Year Award to ACCURATE WEB SOLUTION of Green Bay. Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin presented a Build Wisconsin Award to MAVID CONSTRUCTION SERVICES of Green Bay in the specialty contractorfinishes category for the work it did at Green Valley Elder Village in Oneida.

FAITH TECHNOLOGIES in Menasha ranked No. 11 on Electrical Construction & Maintenance (EC&M) magazine’s annual Top 50 Electrical Contractors list for 2017.

Last year Faith Technologies ranked No. 14 on the list with electrical revenues of more than $480 million.

New hires WERNER ELECTRIC SUPPLY in Appleton hired Jason Spang as a lighting project manager and Kai Sorenson as vice president of information technology and marketing.

Spang has 22 years of experience in electrical and specialty contracting. Sorenson has 30 years of IT experience, having previously worked as the director of IT at Lands’ End, Inc. in Dodgeville.

Green Bay-based PREVEA HEALTH added Dr. Michael Oldenburg as an ear, nose and throat physician, Dr. Ottar Kristinsson as a pediatric rheumatologist, and Lisa Martin as a doctor of audiology. Dr. Oldenburg sees patients at the Prevea Allouez Health Center and the Prevea St. Mary’s Health Center in Green Bay. Dr. Kristinsson sees patients at the Prevea East Mason Health Center in Green Bay, while Martin sees patients at Prevea St. Mary’s.

• 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.

www.newnorthb2b.com

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

NNB2B | November 2017 | 35

Who’s News

Spang

Sorenson

Oldenburg

Krisstinsson

Martin

Individual awards

KONDEX in Lomira hired John Wagner as its vice president of sales and business development. Wagner most recently served as director of value added services for Waupaca Foundry, and previously served as president and chief operating officer for Michigan-based Applied Process Companies.

The Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce presented the following Celebrating Business Awards: Athena Leadership Award to DONNA GEHL, president of Image Studios in Appleton; Champion of the Chamber Award to RICHARD PARKS, regional director for Modern Woodmen of America in Appleton; Entrepreneur of the Year Award to DORIS and ALICE NG, co-owners of GingeRootz Asian Grille in Appleton; Gus A. Zuehlke Distinguished Service Award to KATHI SEIFERT, president and owner of Katapult in Neenah; Joyce Bytof Exceptional Mentor Award to DONALD HERRMANN, president of Herrmann Advantage Consulting in Appleton; and Young Professional of the Year Award to NATHAN LITT, account director with Quill Creative in Oshkosh.

The chamber also inducted DEBRA MICHIELS, retired owner of Fox Banquets & Rivertyme Catering in Appleton and THOMAS PROSSER, partner with Dunsirn Partners, into its Business Hall of Fame.

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN GREEN BAY hired Charles Guthrie as its director of intercollegiate athletics. Guthrie has more than 15 years experience as an athletics administrator, having spent the last three years as the director of athletics at San Francisco State University.

CARNIVORE MEAT COMPANY in Green Bay hired Scott Jorgensen as its private label manager. Jorgensen has more than 15 years experience in industrial manufacturing sales and project management.

PELLA WINDOWS & DOORS OF WISCONSIN in Ashwaubenon hired Young Lee as its senior sales manager. Lee previously worked as general manager of Umansky Motor Cars in Milwaukee.

TEAMLOGIC IT in Green Bay hired Carl Jackson as its director of technology. Jackson has 12 years experience as an IT engineer.

Greater Green Bay Chamber presented its 2017 Athena Award to CHRIS WOLESKE, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Bellin Health in Green Bay, and presented its 2017 Daniel Whitney Award to DARIN SCHUMACHER, marketing manager of Dental Associates in Green Bay.

FAITH TECHNOLOGIES in Menasha hired Jack Thresher as its director of workforce management. Thresher previously was an assistant professor of military science at Western Illinois University, and had served in multiple roles in the U.S. Army.

Business calendar

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

Promotions ST. NORBERT COLLEGE in De Pere named Jamie O’Brien, Lucy Arendt and Marc Schaffer as endowed chairs in its Schneider School of Business & Economics. O’Brien is director of business is named to the Donald J. and Darlene M. Long Endowed Chair.

Arendt is the director of accreditation and has been named to hold the Clarence P. Bleser Endowed Chair. Shaffer serves as the director of the Center for Business & Economic Analysis at St. Norbert, and has been named to the Dale and Ruth Michels Endowed Chair.

Wagner

36 | November 2017 | NNB2B

Guthrie

NOVEMBER 1 Envision Fond du Lac Area Coffee Connection, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts, 51 Sheboygan St. in Fond du Lac. No cost to attend for members.

For more information, call 920.921.9500 or email info@fdlac.com.

NOVEMBER 7 Greater Green Bay Chamber Power Networking Breakfast, 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the chamber office, 300 N. Broadway, Ste. 3A in Green Bay. No cost to attend for chamber members and $35 for nonmembers. For more information, visit www.greatergbc.org or email fyi@greatergbc.org.

Lee

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

Jackson

Thresher

www.newnorthb2b.com

Business Calendar NOVEMBER 7 Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Conversation with the C-Suite, 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. at D.J Bordini Business Center at Fox Valley Technical College, 5 N. Systems Dr. in Appleton. For more information or to register, visit www.business.heartofthevalley.com.

NOVEMBER 8 A.M. Oshkosh, a morning networking event from the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, 7:45 to 9 a.m. at Flowers and Leaves, 2200 Jackson 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.

NOVEMBER 8 Women in Management – Fond du Lac chapter monthly meeting, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Holiday Inn, 625 W. Rolling Meadows Dr. in Fond du Lac. Cost to attend is $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers. For more information or to register, email vicki.woschnick@usbank.com or go online to www.wimiwi.org.

NOVEMBER 9 Global Market Expansion seminar presented by Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at D.J Bordini Center at Fox Valley Technical College, 5 N. Systems Dr. in Appleton. Cost to attend is $49. For more information or to register, visit join.inwisconsin.com/faroadshow.

NOVEMBER 9 “Revving up the Business Community,” a complimentary luncheon event from the Green Bay SCORE chapter, 12 noon to 1 p.m. at The Automobile Gallery, 400 S. Adams St. in Green Bay. No cost to attend, but registration is requested by calling 920.713.0455 or going online to www.GreenBay.SCORE.org.

NOVEMBER 9 Women in Management – Oshkosh chapter monthly meeting, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at La Sure’s Banquet Hall, 3125 S. Washburn St. in Oshkosh. Cost is $12 for members or $15 for nonmembers. For more information or to register, visit www.wimiwi.org or email sbach@wisconsin.bbb.org.

NOVEMBER 14 Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce Connection Breakfast, 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the chamber building, 120 Jackson St. in Oshkosh. No cost to attend for chamber members. For more information or to register, call 920.303.2266 or go online to www.oshkoshchamber.com.

NOVEMBER 14 2017 NWTC Business Summit, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, 2040 Airport Dr. in Green Bay. A full day conference with various speakers, breakout sessions and exhibitors. Cost to attend is $79. For more information or to register, visit www.newbizsummit.com.

NOVEMBER 14 Collaborate IT, a regional technology conference presented by Amplify Oshkosh, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at UW Oshkosh Alumni Welcome & Conference Center, 625 Pearl Ave., in Oshkosh. Cost to attend is $69. For more information or to register, call 920.303.2266 or go online to www.amplifycollaborateit.com.

NOVEMBER 14 Envision Fond du Lac Area Business Connection, 5 to 7 p.m. at Signarama/Flyway Signs, N5528 Miranda Way in Fond du Lac. Cost to attend is $5 for members. For more information, call 920.921.9500 or email info@fdlac.com.

NOVEMBER 16 Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Leadership Breakfast, 7:30 to 9 a.m. at Experimental Aircraft Association Inc., 3000 Poberezny Road in Oshkosh. Cost to attend is $25. For more information or to register, visit www.oshkoshchamber.com.

NOVEMBER 16 Heart of the Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Card Exchange, 8 to 9 a.m. at Regus, 4321 W. College Ave., Ste. 200 in Appleton. No cost to attend. For more information or to register, email jamie@heartofthevalleychamber.com.

NOVEMBER 29 Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce 110th Annual Meeting, 5 to 8 p.m. at Oshkosh Arena, 1212 S. Main St. in Oshkosh. Cost to attend is $25 for members. For more information or to register, visit www.oshkoshchamber.com.

NOVEMBER 30 Financial Executives International Northeastern Wisconsin chapter meeting, 1 to 7:30 p.m. at Bridgewood Conference Center, 1000 Cameron Way in Neenah. Guest speaker is Dick Resch, chairman and CEO of KI in Bellevue, discussing his personal business journey during the past 40 years. For more information or to register, go online to www.feinew.org/events. n

Thank you

to the advertisers who made the November 2017 issue of New North B2B possible.

AEGIS Financial ⎮AEGISfinancialplanners.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Amplify Collaborate IT ⎮amplifycollaborateit.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Appleton International Airport ⎮atwairport.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Bank First National ⎮bankfirstnational.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Bayland Buildings ⎮baylandbuildings.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Borsche Roofing Professionals ⎮wiroofer.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Caliber Law, s.c. ⎮caliberlaw.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Candeo Creative ⎮candeocreative.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Career Options Inc. ⎮Career-Options.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Consolidated Construction Company ⎮1call2build.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Excalibur Edge Charity Golf Classic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Fox Valley Savings Bank ⎮fvsbank.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Frontier Builders & Consultants ⎮frontierbuilds.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Guident Business Solutions ⎮guidentbusinesssolutions.com. . . . . . . 25 Investors Community Bank ⎮investorscommunitybank.com. . . . . . . . 23 www.newnorthb2b.com

ISG ⎮is-grp.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Kaldas Center for Fertility, Surgery & Pregnancy, S.C. ⎮ kaldascenter.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Keller Inc. ⎮kellerbuilds.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 LIFE Celebration Night ⎮communitybenefittree.org. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Millennium Construction Inc. ⎮millenniumconstructionwi.com. . . . . . 10 National Exchange Bank & Trust ⎮nebat.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Network Health ⎮networkhealth.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 NWTC Corporate Training & Economic Development ⎮ corporatetraining.nwtc.edu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 St. Norbert College MBA program ⎮snc.edu/mba. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Strang, Patteson, Renning, Lewis & Lacy ⎮strangpatteson.com. . . . . 38 Suttner Accounting ⎮suttnercpa.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Village of Little Chute ⎮littlechutewi.org. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

NNB2B | November 2017 | 37

Key Statistics

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

LOCAL GASOLINE PRICES

U.S. RETAIL SALES

Per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline.

OCTOBER 22. . . . . . . . $2.40 OCTOBER 15. . . . . . . . $2.41 OCTOBER 8. . . . . . . . . $2.41 OCTOBER 1. . . . . . . . . $2.43 OCTOBER 22, 2016. . . $2.09

SEPTEMBER

$483.9 BILLION 1.6% from August 4.4% from September 2016

Source: New North B2B observations

EXISTING HOME SALES

U.S. INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION

SEPTEMBER

HOMES SOLD MEDIAN PRICE BROWN County .................267.......................$165,000 FOND du LAC County .......132 ......................$129,750 OUTAGAMIE County .........204 ......................$185,000 WINNEBAGO County ........202.......................$140,000 WI DEPT. REVENUE COLLECTIONS

1ST QTR. FY 2018

$2.921 BILLION 2.5% from 1st Qtr. FY 2017

WE MEAN

BUSINESS

(2012 = 100)

SEPTEMBER

104.6

0.3% from August 1.6% from September 2016 AIR PASSENGER TRAFFIC (Local enplanements)

SEPT. 2017 SEPT. 2016 Appleton Int’l ATW.....................23,457......... 22,427 Austin Straubel GRB.....................25,966 ...... 29,238

LOCAL UNEMPLOYMENT

AUGUST JULY AUG. ‘16 APPLETON ........3.3% ...... 3.3% .........3.7% FOND du LAC ....3.4% ...... 3.3% ........ 3.9% GREEN BAY........3.2% ...... 3.3% ........ 3.9% NEENAH .............3.4% ...... 3.3%......... 4.0% OSHKOSH ..........3.2% ...... 3.4% .........3.7% WISCONSIN .......3.4% ...... 3.3% ........ 4.0%

NATURAL GAS PRICES Prices for small businesses using less than 20,000 therms. Listed price is per therm.

OCTOBER..................... $0.355 SEPTEMBER..................$0.328 OCTOBER 2016.............$0.381 Source: Wisconsin Public Service

ISM INDEX Numbers above 50 mean expansion.

Numbers below 50 mean contraction.

SEPTEMBER. . . . . . . 60.8 AUGUST. . . . . . . . . . 58.8

Focused on Management Employers often need a strong advocate. It’s why we’ve built a law firm that specializes in working on your behalf: Strang, Patteson, Renning, Lewis & Lacy. With management-side labor and employment expertise, we provide exceptional legal services to private and public sector employers. In addition, we provide business law representation, including real estate law, general business and creditor’s rights. We make it our business to look after yours.

Green Bay - Toll Free: (844) 833-0830 • Madison - Toll Free: (844) 626-0901 Oshkosh Service Center

38 | November 2017 | NNB2B

15 Years v 2002 to 2017

www.newnorthb2b.com

WISCONSIN EMPLOYERS—ENJOY A NEW, AFFORDABLE HEALTH PLAN WITH FIXED MONTHLY COSTS THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

Network Health is making it easier for Wisconsin employers to provide comprehensive health coverage at a cost-effective rate.

Our Assure level-funded plan is a hybrid, combining the best features of two types of plans. Employers with as few as five enrolled employees benefit from the fixed monthly costs of a fully insured plan, with the advantages of a self-funded plan.

Plus, if your company’s health care claims are low, you have the opportunity to get money back.

Ask your agent about Network Health’s Assure level-funded plan today.

Self-funded plans administered by Network Health Administrative Services, LLC.

SAL-295-01-3/17

networkhealth.com/assure 844-281-8411

TRAIN WITH THE EXPERTS AT NWTC With more than 58 topics to choose from and 35 seminars the experts at NWTC are ready to train for your gain.

Find schedules and sign up online now.

CORPORATETRAINING.NWTC.EDU

920-498-6373