11.2013 \\ PORTAGE COUNTY, WISCONSIN
upcoming EVENTS \\
SAVE THE DATE FOR 2014 ANNUAL DINNER & SILENT AUCTION
Small Business X-Change Wednesday, November 13, 2013 \\ 7:30 am - 8:30 am Portage County Business Council, Foundation Room 5501 Vern Holmes Drive | Stevens Point, WI 54482
2014 Annual Dinner & Silent Auction \\ Tuesday, January 28, 2014 5:30 – 8:30pm Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center
» REGISTER
Business After Hours Monday, November 18, 2013 \\ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum 1100 Main Street | Stevens Point, WI 54481
» REGISTER
Buzz Around Town Tuesday, November 19, 2013 \\ 11:15 am - 1:00 pm Stevens Point Country Club, Club House 1628 Country Club Drive | Stevens Point, WI 54481
» REGISTER SalesNet
Thursday, November 21, 2013 \\ 11:45 am - 1:00 pm Portage County Business Council, Foundation Room 5501 Vern Holmes Drive | Stevens Point, WI 54482
» REGISTER
Reality Shop Tuesday, December 3 2013 Stevens Point Area Senior High
» REGISTER
Power Breakfast Wednesday, December 4, 2013 \\ 7:15 am - 9:00 am Stevens Point Country Club, Club House 1628 Country Club Drive | Stevens Point, WI 54481
» REGISTER
Women in Business Luncheon Thursday, December 12, 2013 \\ 11:15 am - 1:00 pm Best Western Plover Hotel & Conference Center 5253 Harding Avenue | Plover, WI 54467
» REGISTER
Opportunities are available for our members wishing to play a greater role in our Annual Dinner. See Sponsorship opportunities on Page 6 >>
JOIN US FOR BUZZ AROUND TOWN! 11.19.13 \\ 11:15 AM - 1:00 PM » REGISTER
The Arts Alliance of Portage County, in partnership with the Portage County Business Council invites you and your guests to join us for a luncheon to learn more about our local Creative Economy. The event will be held at the Stevens Point Country Club, 1628 Country Club Drive, Stevens Point. Our featured speaker will be Coleman Peiffer, Senior Planner for North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. Attendees will learn more about the summary of local data from the Creative Economy Inventory Study and Mr. Pieffer will explain the process of sourcing Creative Industries data. Joining Coleman will be Peggy Sullivan of Centergy, Lori Dehlinger of the Portage County Business Council, and Elizabeth Aguillera of Arts Alliance of Portage County with comments on what this means for our economic region and county. Lunch is $25/person and includes a house salad with your choice of 2 dressings, Chicken Marsala, Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes, Fall Medley Vegetables and Coffee, Tea or Milk. For questions contact Karen at 715-344-1940 or kschanoc@portagecountybiz.com.
AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK \\ NOVEMBER 18-22, 2013 Please join Partners in Education in supporting our communities’ teachers this year during American Education Week. If you have a child currently in school, encourage them to write a thank you to a special teacher. Also consider nominating a teacher for the 2014 Golden Apple Awards. Nomination forms will be available starting in December on the Portage County Business Council website. Nominations are accepted from students, parents, co-workers, and community members. Eligible teachers must be currently teaching, have at least 5 years teaching experience, and teach in a PIE partner school.
SMALL BUSINESS X-CHANGE 11.13.13 \\ 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM » REGISTER > Continental Breakfast served > No cost to attend but the value of the information may be priceless!
SPONSOR ABOUT OUR SPEAKER
TOPIC: HOW CHANGE MANAGEMENT MAKES YOU GOOD AT CHANGE Continuous change is part of organizational life, but humans are wired to resist the unknown. Good change management lowers that resistance by building trust and giving people the courage to take that first tentative step in the right direction and then a bolder one. More importantly, it builds change adaptation skills so that the next change is easier.
ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS X-CHANGE
Casey Nick joined The Samuels Group Environments in January 2010 and is the Education and Government Specialist for Central and Western Wisconsin. She holds a Masters degree in Political Science & Public Administration. Casey is a Board of Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Central Wisconsin, a BIG sister in the Mentor Plus program with Big Brothers Big Sisters, and is a volunteer at St. Claire’s Hospital in Weston. In addition, she is a business owner of Fit360, LLC, a Certified Fitness Trainer and Holistic Health & Fitness Specialist and if that wasn’t enough, she is currently working on the manuscript of her first book.
A roundtable series of meetings that allow small business owners and their employees the opportunity to discuss pertinent topics, learn from local industry leaders and, most importantly, learn from each other. Briefs column is an avenue to spotlight noteworthy business and professional accomplishments, recognition and awards among our Business Council members. business BRIEFS \\ TheSubmitBusiness items of interest, in 100 words or less, to: admin@portagecountybiz.com by the 24 of the month prior to the next newsletter issue. th
The Samuels Group proudly accepted a 2013 Build Wisconsin Award from the Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin on October 10 at the Gateway Truax at Madison College. The winning project was for the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum and was categorized in “Design Build – New Construction.” The museum is an aesthetically pleasing addition that met extraordinary challenges. With a tight timeline of nine months for design and construction, there was absolutely no room for error or delays. In addition, the site access required extensive coordination and planning to ensure minimal site disruption and access for construction teams. The existing museum remained open to the public during the entire construction of the addition. \\ Bistro 212 hired Sal Fridel as manager and head chef. Sal Fridel is a classically trained chef that has worked in the restaurant industry for 24 years and has accumulated a multitude of experiences in different styles of cooking. He attended culinary school at New England Culinary Institute in Vermont and has also worked with many of the most exceptional restaurateurs in the nation. Sal also spent time living and working in a 15th century castle in Torrechiarra, Italy. When asked what he believes his most important job is in his new position, Sal says that it is “to do whatever I can to nurture our customers with the service I present, and ultimately, all I care about is making your day.” Bistro 212 will be providing private and corporate catering services for groups ranging in size from 4 to 250. \\
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The College for Financial Planning®, located in Denver, is pleased to announce that Gene Schulfer, and LouAnn Schulfer have each successfully completed the ACCREDITED WEALTH MANAGEMENT ADVISORSM or AWMA® Professional Designation Program. Individuals who complete the program, pass a final exam, and sign a code of ethics and disclosure form can earn the right to use the AWMA® mark. Gene and LouAnn are co-owners of Schulfer & Associates, LLC Financial Professionals, and hold multiple registrations and licenses. LouAnn also holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary designation, earned through the Center for Fiduciary Studies. Additionally, each of them volunteers their time generously throughout various organizations within their community. \\ The Mary Kay Foundation recently awarded a $20,000 grant to CAP Services’ Family Crisis Center (FCC) in Stevens Point. The funds will be used to maintain critical services and programs for individuals who are survivors of domestic abuse. The FCC provides a safe place to stay and supportive and legal advocacy service to domestic abuse victims and their children as well as short-term housing and intervention services to runaway youth. “The Mary Kay Foundation’s generosity and commitment to ending domestic violence mean a lot to this community,” said Jane Benzschawel, FCC coordinator. “This grant will help us better serve the needs of domestic violence victims in our community.”
THE ACTIVE VOICE \\ PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
These funds will be used to enhance the capacity of shelter staff to provide a wider array of supportive services to residents of the shelter. \\ Ellis Stone Construction Company is pleased to announce Jason Wilatoski has accepted an Estimator position. He has been working as an intern at Ellis to complete his bachelor’s degree requirements in Construction Management from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Wilatoski also has an associate’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Marshfield. His past construction experience includes custom cabinet work, roofing, and building remodels. Wilatoski finds going to the site and meeting the owner provides valuable information for estimating the project. \\ The Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce the winners of the biennial Betty Frost Jenkins Young Artist Concerto Competition held on Saturday, September 14, 2013 in Michelsen Hall of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College of Fine Arts and Communication. This year’s winner is Lucas Chan of Stevens Point, who performed the first movement from Edouard Lalo’s “Symphonie Espagnol.” First runner-up is Natalie Van Tiem, a cellist from Stevens Point and second runner up is Erin Olson of Lincoln High School in Wisconsin Rapids who performed a horn concerto. The purpose of the competition is to provide a highquality performance experience for the finest young performers from Central Wisconsin, and to assist them in pursuing advanced study.
VOLUNTEER FOR REALITY SHOP 2013! If you, as a student, had understood the actual costs of being an adult: mortgage, student loans, auto loan, car insurance, etc. would you have made different choices in your educational, social, or professional experiences? The Reality Shop program informs high school students of all of these costs using current and local prices. Students are given a personal future scenario and asked to balance a budget appropriate for the salary and family situation provided by the scenario. Partners in Education invites you to be a part of the ultimate experiential learning activity for high school students that connects the educational choices they are currently making to the future career and economic choices they will be making. Volunteers are needed to represent a business and “sell” products and services to students.
BUSINESS AFTER HOURS 11.18.13 \\ 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM » REGISTER » MAP
The Reality Shop will be taking place on December 3, 2013 at SPASH and will include approximately 300 high school students. Approximately two weeks prior to program, volunteers can participate in a one hour orientation to prepare them for the event. Please contact Bill Christiansen at fdn@portagecountybiz.com if you are interested in helping.
HOST\
Held at: Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum 1100 Main Street Downtown Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI 54481
Volunteers are especially needed in the following areas: • Banking and Investment services • Auto dealerships, new and used • Real estate and rental properties • Communication, including cell phone plans • Clothing and personal care items • Furniture and household items • Flexible volunteers to assist with busy areas
Enjoy complimentary hor d’oeuvres, refreshments, and door prize giveaways. No Cost to attend! Pre-registration is appreciated. Please RSVP by Friday, November 15, 2013.
2013 PLATINUM PIE INVESTORS
AMBASSADORS CLUB SHOW THEIR SUPPORT
Ambassadors attended the Groundbreaking Ceremony on October 22nd where Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital announced plans to construct a new Emergency Department and renovate other outpatient service areas.
Ambassadors took part in the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on October 28th for the new Marshfield Clinic Stevens Point Center located on Highway 66, Stevens Point – across from the Municipal Airport.
11.2013 \\ PORTAGE COUNTY, WISCONSIN
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a bit about OUR NEWEST MEMBERS \\ ADVANCED PAIN MANAGEMENT JIM BARTELS Stevens Point \\ 715-254-2350 \\ http://www.apmhealth.com \\ Join Date \\ 10/3/2013
member of the MONTH
Each month the Active Voice features a PCBC “Member of the Month” selected from a list of members that begins with the same letter of the alphabet. August features a business that begins with the letter “W”.
WOODTRUST BANK 1900 Plover Road \\ Plover, WI (715) 342-8996 \\ http://www.woodtrust.com \\ carol.lester@woodtrust.com \\ Join Date \\ 07/31/1996
HYER STANDARDS LLC DUANE VANDRE Plover \\ 715-341-1339 \\ info@hyerstandards.com \\ http://www.hyerstandards.com \\ Join Date \\ 10/21/2013
What they have to say \\ WoodTrust Bank has been serving Central Wisconsin for over 121 years, providing all types of banking, trust and investment services. They are a family-owned and community-oriented company with about $360 million in assets. A charitable foundation that was established about 20 years ago, to date, has contributed close to $3 million back to community local, nonprofit organizations in which they do business.
Businesses can use their website login to: -post job openings* -create, post, and register for events -manage account -view member directory -post hot deals Did you forget your username and/or password to login on our website? Call our office or email us at admin@portagecountybiz.com and we will get it for you! Remember, all of these services are free as part of your membership dues. The more services you use, the more value you get out of your membership!
WoodTrust opened its Plover office in 1996, offering a complete line of traditional commercial and retail banking services. Recently they began an expansion project to accommodate the increased customer growth in Portage County and the need for a formal trust and investment presence. Jim Firminhac, who recently joined the company’s WoodTrust Asset Management division as Vice President – Personal Trust Services, will be permanently located in Plover once the expansion is complete. The project is slated to be completed by December 1, 2013. The main focus of WoodTrust Bank is to provide a high level of relationship-based service to its clients, stay connected and support the communities they service and be a good place for their associates to work. The Portage County Business Council plays an important role in assisting with that connection to the community. The Council is a great source for providing networking opportunities, educational events and occasions to showcase area businesses. A business can be as involved with them as you choose. The Council works hard to support the existing jobs and industries currently located in Portage County as well as try to attract new ones to come in.
We want you to get the most out of your membership. Please call us at 715-344-1940 if you have any questions. member job postings are also posted to the PCBC facebook and twitter page, for free. *
DO YOU KNOW A LOCAL BUSINESS THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM MEMBERSHIP? CONTACT Mary Jo Monday 715-344-1940 \\ mmonday@portagecountybiz.com
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THE ACTIVE VOICE \\ PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
BE SURE TO ATTEND WOMEN IN BUSINESS LUNCHEON
POWER BREAKFAST 12.4.13 \\ 7:15 AM - 9:00 AM
12.12.13 \\ 11:15 AM - 1:00 PM PRESENTING SPONSOR Wisconsin Public Service Corporation Start your day with breakfast and the Portage County Business Council. This Power Breakfast is presented by Anderson O’Brien Law Firm and held at Stevens Point Country Club, 1628 Country Club Drive, Stevens Point, Wi 54481. Our featured presenter for the November POWER Breakfast will be Mr. Cliff King, Chief Executive Officer of Skyward. His presentation is entitled “History of Skyward, Past, Present and Future”. Wisconsin Public Service Corporation is excited to sponsor Women in Business on Thursday, December 12, 2013. Join us that afternoon from 11:15AM to 1:00PM at the Best Western Plover Hotel & Conference Center (with Rockman’s Catering), 5253 Harding Avenue, Plover.
Attendees will learn about the history of how Skyward got to where it is today as well as some of the expectations of what the future will hold for Skyward and the community.
Our guest speaker is Dianne Young, Professional Speaker & Mental Toughness Coach.
Cliff King joined Skyward on November 16, 1981 as a programmer analyst. During his tenure, he has served in several key management positions in a number of the departments throughout Skyward including administration, operations, programming, sales and marketing. In addition, he has served the organization as the Vice President of several departments within the company as well as President prior to accepting his current position as Chief Executive Officer in December 2008.
AGENDA 11:15AM Registration and Networking 11:30AM Welcome 11:45AM Lunch (Consisting of Rosemary-Lime Roasted Haddock Fillet with
Mediterranean Salsa, Paella-Style Rice, Caprese Salad and Almond Flan with Fresh Berry Sauce for Dessert)
12:15AM Guest Speaker, Dianne Young 1:00PM Door Prize Giveaways and Closing
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER You can also register by calling the Business Council office at 715/344-1940. Cost is $22/person for members and $30/person for prospective-members.
ABOUT OUR SPEAKER
During his 30 plus years of experience, Cliff has maintained and will continue to maintain a companywide focus on providing our customers with the level of products and support that they have come to expect from Skyward. Today, Skyward has 411 employees at 9 office locations dedicated to carry out this effort with more than 1,600 school districts worldwide. In addition to his responsibilities at Skyward, Cliff currently serves on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Portage County, the Board of Directors of the St. Michael’s Foundation, is a member of the UWSP School of Business & Economics Business Advisory Committee and a member, the Foundation Chair and Board member of the Stevens Point Rotary Club.
ABOUT POWER BREAKFAST
POWER Breakfast provides educational and professional development opportunities to Business Council members and the communities of Portage County. Information speakers will help you stay informed of business issues you need to understand.
UPCOMING WOMEN IN BUSINESS EVENTS
AGENDA
• Thursday, March 20, 2014 at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center – Presented by Girls in Pearls Boutique • Thursday, June 26, 2014 • Thursday, September 25, 2014 – Presented by Ministry Health Care • Thursday, December 11, 2014
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Save the dates and mark your calendars for these 2014 Women in Business Events:
WANT TO GET MORE INVOLVED?
7:15 am – Registration 7:30 am – Welcome and Breakfast at the Stevens Point Country Club 8:15 am – Featured Speaker – Mr. Cliff King 9:00 am – Closing
You can also call the Business Council office at (715) 344-1940. Cost is $20/ person for members and $25/person for prospective members. Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor of this December POWER Breakfast Event –
Opportunities are available to Business Council members wishing to play a greater role in our Women in Business events for 2014. Contact Karen Schanock at kschanoc@portagecountybiz.com for all the exciting details.
11.2013 \\ PORTAGE COUNTY, WISCONSIN
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ANNUAL DINNER SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES PRESENTING SPONSOR
1 available @ $2,500 Benefits for Presenting Sponsor: • Recognition as Exclusive Sponsor of event “(Name of Sponsor Company) Presents the Annual Dinner of the PCBC.” • Logo and Presenting Sponsor recognition in invitations mailed to over 1,500 member contacts. • Logo and Presenting Sponsor recognition in all event marketing including event program, newsletter, press releases, faxes and PCBC web site. • Logo and Presenting Sponsor recognition during event award video presentation. • Recognition as Presenting Sponsor on all emails to over 1500 member contacts. • Verbal recognition at event reception and dinner. • Eight (8) complimentary dinner tickets to event with premier reserved seating.
AWARD SPONSOR (Commitment Needed by December 10th)
3 available @ $800 (one each for Small Business, Decree of Excellence & Ambassador of the Year) Benefits for Award Sponsor: • Opportunity to introduce sponsored award on stage. • Logo and Award Sponsor recognition in event marketing including event program, newsletter, and PCBC web site. • Logo and Award Sponsor recognition during event award video presentation. • Recognition as Award Sponsor on all emails to over 1500 member contacts. • Verbal recognition at dinner. • Four (4) complimentary dinner tickets to event with reserved seating.
RECEPTION SPONSOR (Commitment Needed by December 10th)
4 available @ $600 Benefits for Reception Sponsor: • Recognition in event program, newsletter, and PCBC web site. • Logo and Reception Sponsor recognition during event award video presentation. • Recognition as Reception Sponsor on all emails to over 1500 member contacts. • Verbal recognition at dinner. • Two (2) complimentary dinner tickets to event. • Four (4) complimentary drink tickets.
SILENT AUCTION DONOR (Commitment Needed by December 27)
Silent Auction Opportunity: • Recognition in Silent Auction program and newsletter. • Logo and Silent Auction Donor recognition during Reception. • Recognized with a creative display during the Reception promoting both your business and the merchandise and/or service. Sponsorships are limited and handled on a first come, first served basis. Please contact Karen Schanock with your commitment at 715-344-1940 or kschanoc@portagecountybiz.com. Thank you for your support.
LEADERSHIP PORTAGE COUNTY OCTOBER SESSION Leadership Portage County met for their third session on October 17th at Trinity Lutheran Church with a focus on Non-Profit organizations in the community. Dale Christensen, from the UWSP Counseling Center began the day with an interactive exercise on the character trait of listening, a critical skill for effective leadership. Following this Jeff Ebel, a member of SCORE and Toastmasters International led participants through a presentation entitled, ‘How to Conduct Productive Meetings,’ and then facilitated a discussion on the topic of leading a Board using Roberts Rules of Orders. After a great lunch from Rockman’s Catering and some team building fun, Bill Christiansen directed an activity with the focus on building consensus. LPC 2010 alumnus Pastor Steven Olson shared an overview of the role of churches in the broader non-profit community. The day came to a close with a tour of the Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum where the participants could see the result of a dedicated group of individuals who came together with a common purpose to create a successful non-profit organization.
Dale Christensen starts the day with the topic of “Listening as a Leadership Skill”.
Special thanks to all of our presenters; you helped make the day a valuable learning experience. Thank you to Trinity Lutheran Church for providing a meeting room and to Sandy Williams, staff member at the museum for the informative late afternoon tour. Cecily Filtz tries out her skill as a News Anchor at the Children’s Museum.
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THE ACTIVE VOICE \\ PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
Participants work on building consensus in small groups.
12TH ANNUAL WINES OF THE WORLD EVENT HELD
Over 350 people gathered on Friday, October 25th for our 12th Annual Wines of the World event held at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center. The event featured 105 wines from around the world for sampling by The Bottle Stop, fine cuisine by the Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center and Rockman’s Catering, Wisconsin artisan cheeses by Ski’s Meat Market, soft live jazz music by the UWSP Jazz Quintet, a Silent Auction, and a Beer Bar by Stevens Point Brewery. An equally exciting part of the event was the announcement of the trip giveaway - to The Door Peninsula Winery in Sturgeon Bay, WI including dinner, winery tour and hotel accommodations sponsored by Marathon Travel &Travel Guard! The winner was Nancy Kaczmarek (and her husband Tim) from Ameriprise Financial Services Inc – Michael Smith & Associates. Also winning the stunning pendant designed by Thomas Dailing and donated by Lee Ayers Jewelers was Michelle Larson from Community First Bank. Congratulations!
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING SPONSORS AND CONTRIBUTORS FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF OUR WINES OF THE WORLD EVENT: PRESENTING WINE SPONSOR The Bottle Stop
CHARDONNAY TABLE SPONSORS Investors Community Bank Skyward
STAGE SPONSOR
Worzalla Publishing Company
BEER SPONSOR
Stevens Point Brewery
CENTERPIECE SPONSOR Bev’s Floral & Gifts
PLANNING TEAM
Janis Borski, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Nancy Dolce, Dolce Digital Imaging & Printing Juany Heck, Advanced Neck & Back Care Center Tammy Kucharzak, Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center Lisa Kunst, Ministry Medical Group Matt Lazarski, The Bottle Stop Nicole Meeks, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP Tina Mower, Travel Guard Scott Rockman, Rockman’s Catering Denny Rosenthal, The Worth Company Karen Schanock, Portage County Business Council Michelle Sedlak, Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center
PRINT SPONSOR
Dolce Digital Imaging & Printing
TRIP SPONSOR
Marathon Travel
JEWELRY SPONSOR
Lee Ayers Jewelers with Thomas Dailing Designs
CHEESE SPONSOR
Ski’s Meat Market
WINE STOPPER EXCLUSIVE SPONSOR Pointe Precision Inc
RATING EXCLUSIVE SPONSOR R-Store / Riiser Energy
DINNER NAPKIN EXCLUSIVE SPONSOR FOOD SPONSORS
Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center & Rockman’s Catering
The Boldt Company
COCKTAIL NAPKIN EXCLUSIVE SPONSOR Golden County Foods Inc.
SILENT AUCTION/DOOR PRIZE CONTRIBUTORS SOMMELIER MASTER MEDIA SPONSOR
NRG Media – HOT 96-7 & Big Cheese 107.9
WINE DISTRIBUTORS/SUPPLIERS
Allstate Liquor and Wine Company L’eft Bank Wine Company Purple Feet Wines Swiss Cellar Wines Wirtz Beverage
BORDEAUX TABLE SPONSORS CliftonLarsonAllen LLP Delta Dental of Wisconsin Donaldson Company Figi’s Inc Ministry Health Care Sentry Insurance
@1800 at Sentry Insurance Abacus Investments Inc - Steve Bandy Blenker Companies BMO Harris Bank Central City Credit Union Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra Country Inn & Suites Delta Dental of Wisconsin Duraclean Specialists Girls in Pearls Boutique Grazies Italian Grill Figi’s Inc. Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center M3 Insurance Notable Impressions Sentry Insurance Slumberland Furniture of Stevens Point Stevens Point Brewery The Boldt Company The Bottle Stop The Pineries Bank
SUPPORTERS
Advanced Neck & Back Care Center BMO Harris Bank Denny Rosenthal Dolce Digital Imaging & Printing Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center Marathon Travel UWSP Jazz Quintet
CLICK FOR MORE PHOTOS 11.2013 \\ PORTAGE COUNTY, WISCONSIN
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SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARDS NOMINATIONS SOUGHT The Portage County Business Council is seeking your nominations for the annual Small Business of the Year Award. A streamlined nomination form for the Small Business of the Year Award is available in this issue. Your nominations are due Friday, November 29th. Self nominations are encouraged.
CRITERIA:
The Small Business of the Year Award is presented during the Business Council’s Annual Dinner on January 28, 2014.
• Member businesses nominated receive a questionnaire form • Award selection is made from companies completing the form • All forms are confidentially reviewed • Criteria based on continued growth, customer service, economic health, community service, leadership and market change adaptability.
CLICK IMAGE BELOW FOR NOMINATION FORM
For more information on this award and past recipients, please contact Karen Schanock at 344-1940 or kschanoc@portagecountybiz.com.
Small Business of the Year Award 2013 Nomination Form
In an effort to support and honor successful small businesses across Portage County, we welcome your nomination for the 2013 Small Business of the Year Award. This will be presented at the Business Council’s Annual Dinner on January 28, 2014. The nomination process has been simplified to encourage increased participation. Please indicate your choice for this award on the form below and mail, fax or email the information to the Business Council. Anyone may nominate a business for this yearly honor. Self-nominations are welcome.
PROMOTE YOUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AT ANNUAL DINNER SILENT AUCTION Nominations due by Friday, November 29, 2013
You have a unique opportunity to promote your business at the 20th Annual Silent Auction fundraiser event. The Business Council is currently seeking unique products and services to be auctioned at the Annual Dinner and Silent Auction on Tuesday, January 28th. Proceeds from the event benefit member programs and new Business Council initiatives.
Portage County Business Name _____________________________________________________________
As a Silent Auction donor, the Business Council promotes both your business and the merchandise and/or service in all printed promotional material.
I am nominating this business for Small Business of the Year because
Your business and donated item will also be promoted during the Annual Dinner to over 350 business people. Each donation will be recognized with a display at the_______________________________________________________________________________________ Silent Auction, highlighting your business name.
_______________________________________________________________________________________ Contribution ideas could be a specialty product and/or a service your business offers. Ideas might include a monthly floral delivery, one year hair care or drycleaning, oil changes, consulting services, golf lessons, artwork, jewelry, clothing or cellular phone services. Need more ideas? How about a weekend get-away _______________________________________________________________________________________ package, home/office cleaning, a photography session or dining out certificates. Be_______________________________________________________________________________________ creative…Don’t miss this chance to promote your business to the business community. For_______________________________________________________________________________________ more information, or to register a Silent Auction contribution contact Karen Schanock at the Business Council Office: 715/344-1940 or kschanoc@portagecountybiz.com.
_______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________
WANT GREATER PROFITS AND THE ABILITY TO EXPAND YOUR MARKET? _______________________________________________________________________________________ Centergy Inc., the Economic Development Organizations of North Central Wisconsin, and the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point’s Central Wisconsin Eco_______________________________________________________________________________________ nomic Research Bureau (CWERB) want to see local business firms increase their profitability and market size by taking advantage of exporting opportunities. The U.S._______________________________________________________________________________________ accounts for only about 25% of the world’s economy and the potential gains from exporting are immense. Information is needed to create strategies that expand the global reach of North Central Wisconsin businesses.
Bybe____________________________ Company_______________________________________ An Nominated Export Survey will emailed from the CWERB on Tuesday, November 5, 2013 to approximately 2,500 to firms in the five county area, including Portage County. The survey will close at the end of business on Tuesday, November 19, 2013. Phone_______________________________Email Address_______________________________________
The survey will gain information about the exporting activity of local firms, explore the potential for additional exporting and uncover the barriers that prevent North Central Wisconsin business from expanding into new markets. After you Nominate a firms Business:
o All member businesses nominated receive a questionnaire to complete.
The goals of the Export Survey are to develop export assistance programs and better represent the needs of North Central Wisconsin business firms. Individual o Selection for the award is made from companies completing the questionnaire. responses are strictly confidential. A summary report will be made available to all participants. Your cooperation is essential in helping to grow our local economy. o All completed questionnaires are confidentially reviewed. If you receive the survey, please complete it. If you do not receive an email about the survey, and would like to participate, please contact the Central Wisconsin Economic Research Bureau at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point at cwerb@uwsp.edu. The CWERB will be happy to send you the link to the survey.
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Criteria Used in the Selection Process: o Continued growth and economic health THE VOICE \\ PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER o ACTIVE Dedication to customer service o Community service and leadership o Innovative efforts used to adapt to marketplace change
PORTAGE COUNTY WILL HOST 2014 FARM TECHNOLOGY DAYS
FROM KEN SCHROEDER, PORTAGE COUNTY AGRICULTURE AGENT AND MEMBER OF THE PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL AGRI-BUSINESS COMMITTEE According to Ken Schroeder, Farm Technology Days Executive Committee Secretary and Portage County Agriculture Agent, Portage County was chosen to host the 2014 Farm Technology Days due to its strongly diverse agricultural base. Wisconsin’s largest agricultural show, this three-day event yearly welcomes up to 80,000 attendees and more than 600 commercial and educational vendors, displaying the latest products, technologies and practices along with family living and youth exhibits. Farms and other agricultural businesses comprise about thirteen percent of Portage County’s workforce (5,600 jobs) and $1.11 billion in business sales, nearly eighteen percent of the county’s economic activity. The leading Wisconsin county in producing potatoes, processed snap beans and sweet corn as well as second in green pea production, Portage County has over 1000 farms and 280,000 acres dedicated to agricultural production. Grain production stands at $16.3 million and cranberry output worth $8.8 million. Dairy and livestock also have a huge impact with 12,900 cows producing 27 million gallons of milk annually, 3,700 head of beef cattle and 5,000 hogs. Blue Top Farms, 1,200-acre grain and vegetable operation and Feltz Family Farms, 550-cow dairy, will host the event. Neighboring potato and vegetable growers Myron Soik and Sons, Inc. and Greg Kizewski and Sons, Inc. provide land for field demonstrations. Farm Technology Days’ commemorative toy this year is modeled after a Lenco potato harvester, reflecting Portage County’s strong potato production heritage. Manufactured by Advanced Farm Equipment, LLC, the Lenco has local ties through one of its owners, Bill Zelinski, who also owns Big Iron Equipment Inc., Plover. A 1:42 scale collectible version of the 2000 Lenco Self Propelled Airhead Potato Harvester was created in a limited edition of 1,000 for the 2014 event. A true keepsake, these die-cast metal toys are sold exclusively through Portage County Farm Technology Days online store. The store also offers a commemorative 16-month calendar featuring stunning photos of over 50 rural Wisconsin barns! The event needs about 1,500 volunteers for committee service, tractor drivers, equipment operators, setup and takedown, parking, admissions, information booths, youth and family living exhibits attendants and more. Great opportunities also exist for sponsorship and exhibitor space. Visit the website to participate in this exciting event, http://www.portagecountyfarmtech.com.
ONLINE STORE CLICK HERE TO PARTICIPATE
11.2013 \\ PORTAGE COUNTY, WISCONSIN
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2013 pcbc / foundation board of DIRECTORS \\
meetings & other DATES \\
Executive Board
November 2013
David McHone - President , Central WI Management Services, LLC Susan Placzek - President Elect, SentryWorld Sports Center Sue Wilcox - Vice President, United Way of Portage County Jeff Peterson - Past President, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP Sue Wille - Treasurer, Ligman & Wille CPA LLC Ken Erler - Member at Large, Sentry Insurance Keith Pilger - Member at Large, Anderson O’Brien Lori Dehlinger, Executive Director, Portage County Business Council, Inc.
13 Executive Committee, 7;30am, CliftonLarsonAllen 14 Ambassador Club Meeting, 8:00 am, PCBC 21 SalesNet Meeting, 11:45am, PCBC 28 Office Closed - Holiday 29 Office Closed - Holiday
Board of Directors Tom Altmann - Altmann Construction Company Doug Ballweg - Delta Dental of Wisconsin Lisa Bourget - Travel Guard, Inc. Erik Carlson - Ellis Stone Construction Company Kris Dragan - BMO Harris Bank Patty Dreier - Portage County Executive David Eckmann - University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Scott Glinski - Skyward Andrew Halverson - Mayor, City of Stevens Point O. Phillip Idsvoog - Portage County Board Chair Lonnie Krogwold - Portage County Board Finance Chair Deb Marten - Marten Machining Richard O’Sullivan - Mid-State Technical College Jim Petersen - Marshfield Clinic Dan Schlutter - Village of Plover Lisa Sobczak - ABR Employment Services Dawn Thrun - Ambassador Representative, International Bank of Amherst JoAnn Vosz - Community First Bank Attila Weninger - Stevens Point Area Public Schools Ward Wolff - First Weber Group Realtors Gary Wysocki - Paragon Farms Dave Worth - The Worth Company Robert Worth - Director Emeritus, The Worth Company
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Board Advisors
Portage County gift certificates make great gifts. Gift certificates can be purchased at area banks, credit unions, the Convention and Visitors Bureau or at our office. They can be used at any business with a Portage County address and are available in denominations of $5, $10, $20, $25, $50 & $100.
Sara Brish - Stevens Point Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Dan Mahoney - Village of Plover Michael Ostrowski - City of Stevens Point Steve Smith - Mid-State Technical College
www.PortageCountyConnects.com The Portage County Business Council reminds you that Portage County Connects is your connection to insights, resources, and economic development news in Portage County.
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advertise with US \\ » CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO For questions, please contact Sarah at 715-344-1940 or admin@portagecountybiz.com.
BUY LOCAL Purchasing Portage County gift certificates continues to be a successful way to “Buy Local”.
The PCBC would like to thank everyone who participates for helping make the program successful. We would also like to thank BMO Harris Bank for their financial support of the gift certificate program.
the TEAM \\ they make things happen! PCBC / Foundation Staff
Email Addresses
The Active Voice
Lori Dehlinger - Executive Director Mary Jo Monday - Director of Member Relations Karen Schanock - Director of Programs & Events Bill Christiansen - Director of Foundation Kari Thompson - Business & Office Operations Director Sarah Bosshart - Administrative / Marketing Assistant
ldehling@portagecountybiz.com
Questions / Comments:
mmonday@portagecountybiz.com
Sarah Bosshart \\ admin@portagecountybiz.com
kschanoc@portagecountybiz.com fdn@portagecountybiz.com acctg@portagecountybiz.com admin@portagecountybiz.com
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PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL & FOUNDATION \\ 5501 VERN HOLMES DRIVE \\ STEVENS POINT, WI 54482 \\ P 715-344-1940 \\ F 715-344-4473
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THE ACTIVE VOICE \\ PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER