• Interstate 41 Corridor
Brown, Calumet, Outagamie, Winnebago, Fond du Lac Counties
New North communities receive state grants
New North communities will receive some assistance with economic recovery projects via funding from the state Neighborhood Investment Fund Grant.
The Neighborhood Investment Fund program, part of a nearly $650 million investment allocated by Gov. Tony Evers for community-building and recovery efforts statewide, was announced last August and is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration.
The City of Fond du Lac will receive $3.6 million, the City of Menasha will receive more than $2 million, the City of Neenah will receive more than $4.3 million, and Winnebago County will receive more than $10 million to support several proposals that address local housing needs, improvements to a local senior care facility, and a comprehensive community redevelopment initiative.
The City of Green Bay will receive a $5 million grant to support new housing opportunities and a multipurpose community development site. Ashwaubenon will receive a $4.7 million grant to support the development of the Berkshire Ashwaubenon, an affordable housing initiative that will provide 75 new, affordable units.
Brown County also will receive a $15 million grant to redevelop facilities at the old Pulliam Power Plant site to allow for the long-awaited relocation of the C. Reiss coal piles. Brown County has already committed to buy the Pulliam site with the help of a $500,000 grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.
Prevea announces plans for Grand Chute health facility
Prevea Health will open a new 12,000-square-foot health center in Grand Chute this summer. Construction began in fall 2021 on the facility, located at 3750 N. Investors Court off Highway 41 and North Richmond Street. The health center will offer urgent, primary and specialty care services.
The health center is Prevea Health’s second location in the Fox Valley, with the first facility on Enterprise Avenue in Appleton having opened in 2019.
Prevea Health, a multispecialty health care organization founded in Green Bay in 1996, provides care in more than 100 locations throughout Wisconsin. It is partnered with Hospital Sisters Health System hospitals, including HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Medical Center in Green Bay.
Intertape Polymer Group acquired in $2.6B deal
Intertape Polymer Group Inc., which includes operations in Menasha, has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. Under the terms of the agreement, Clearlake will acquire the outstanding shares of IPG for CDN$40.50 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately US$2.6 billion, including net debt.
IPG specializes in the development, manufacture and sale of a variety of paper and film-based pressure-sensitive and water-activated tapes, stretch and shrink films, protective packaging, woven and nonwoven products, and packaging machinery for industrial and retail use. Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, and Sarasota, Florida, IPG employs approximately 4,100 employees with operations in 34 locations, including 22 manufacturing facilities in North America, five in Asia and two in Europe.
• West Central
Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara, Marquette, Green Lake Counties
Neuville Family Fund grant supports Waupaca nonprofits
The Tim and Joy Neuville Family Fund within the Waupaca Area Community Foundation is offering the Forward Together Waupaca Area Grant for projects that will benefit the community through revitalization, upgraded services or capital improvements.
One or two grants will be awarded between $25,000 and $50,000.
Successful applications will feature programs or projects that will increase the nonprofit’s capacity, improve their delivery model and/or heighten their community impact with additional resources.
The proposed projects and programs will be evaluated using the criteria of potential for long-term, high community impact; innovative thinking; clear, detailed planning; organizational leadership and a history of impactful work in the community; and strong community partnerships.
• The Northwoods
Florence, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto Counties
Winsert acquired by Altus Capital Partners
Winsert was acquired by Altus Capital Partners, an investment firm focused on middle market manufacturing companies headquartered in the United States.
Company officials said the acquisition will allow Winsert to accelerate growth as well as create added value and capabilities that will benefit both current and new customers.
“Combining our history, assets, and people with the investment and energy of Altus Capital Partners gives all of us at Winsert a great feeling of optimism for the future,” said Winsert President and CEO Trisha Lemery. “We are excited to expand our capabilities and bring Winsert’s alloy solutions into new end markets.”
Altus Capital Partners invests in companies that offer a proprietary differentiator in the marketplace. Winsert is a global provider of alloy solutions, with a portfolio that consists of corrosion-resistant, wear-resistant, and high-temperature alloys designed for various applications within internal combustion engines, power generation, emissions controls, aerospace and industrial valves.
• The Lakeshore
Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Sheboygan Counties
Manitowoc Ice sold to Pentair in $1.38B deal
Pentair, a provider of water treatment and sustainable solutions, will acquire Manitowoc Ice, a provider of commercial ice makers, for a net transaction value of about $1.38 billion. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022.
Manitowoc Ice, a portfolio brand of Welbilt, Inc., is a designer, manufacturer and distributor of commercial ice machines globally. Manitowoc Ice has about 1 million units and more than 200 models of commercial ice machines worldwide, employing more than 800 team members in facilities in Manitowoc, Monterrey, Mexico, and Hangzhou, China. Manitowoc Ice generated $308 million in revenue in 2021.
“Manitowoc Ice’s industry-leading global positions in an incredibly attractive industry, coupled with its strong track record of profitable growth and culture of innovation and sustainability, are expected to further establish Pentair as a leader in a vast and growing industry,” said Pentair President and CEO John Stauch.
Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry acquires castings manufacturer
Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry, a producer of aluminum and copper-based alloy castings, acquired the assets of castings manufacturer DEE, Inc. in Crookston, Minnesota. The acquisition will expand WAF’s current operations while creating new opportunities with the increased capacity.
“DEE has a dedicated and skilled workforce that operates much of the same equipment as our Manitowoc plant, making it a natural extension of our business as we look to meet the growth in our customers’ demand for aluminum castings,” said WAF CEO Sachin Shivaram. “It also creates new opportunities as manufacturing continues to evolve, so we envision significant growth at DEE as well as Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry.”
WAF will seek to add 30 new positions at DEE as production grows, Shivaram said. Paul Cwikla, one of the three previous owners, will lead the DEE facility as vice president and general manager. With 72 employees, DEE, Inc. is among the largest employers in Crookston.
Lakeland University receives Kohler Trust for the Arts grant
Lakeland University received a $250,000 grant from the Kohler Trust for the Arts and Education to fund several ongoing, student-centered programs.
With the grant, $65,000 will be directed to fund recruitment of the next cohort of Kohler Teaching Scholars. This program provides scholarship support that, coupled with Lakeland’s Cooperative Education program, creates a competitive pathway to home-grow more Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) teachers for the Sheboygan Area School District.
Funds also will be used to award $5,000 annual scholarships to three incoming first-year students. Remaining funds from the inaugural cohort will continue to be used to provide scholarships for students interested in dual-credit education courses in high school, as well as continued discussion with SASD to consider four-year education degrees for its BIPOC paraprofessionals through Lakeland’s Kellett School.
In addition, the grant will fund the Lakeland Promise Program with $100,000, providing qualified Wisconsin students an opportunity to attend Lakeland tuition-and-fees-free for four years (up to three years for transfer students).
Another $50,000 will be allocated to support transportation expenses for Lakeland students to participate in off-campus co-op employment, and $35,000 will support expanded counseling services to assist Lakeland students impacted by the pandemic.
Sheboygan County initiative addresses employment barriers
A new Sheboygan County Economic Development Corp. initiative aims to help families and employers facing affordable housing, child care and labor shortage challenges.
Based on the findings of cross-sector task forces and various studies, SCEDC has raised funding to help address these workforce development barriers. The funding will serve as a continual financial arm to support short- and long-term workforce development barriers and initially will be used to drive new, entry-level home development.
The housing market is experiencing rapid price increases, exceeding the purchasing power of many working families. More than 2,500 full-time jobs are open in Sheboygan County. Pre-pandemic data from WisConomy anticipates 2,500 additional jobs will be created as part of the economic recovery.
To address this, SCEDC will lead in developing approximately 600 housing units over the next three to five years throughout Sheboygan County to bring affordable housing to the market.
Early employer donors to this SCEDC-run program include Johnsonville, Kohler Co., Masters Gallery Foods and Sargento Foods, which have collectively donated $8 million to date with a total goal of raising $16 million to make affordable homes available in the county.
SCEDC seeks financial contributions from other public and private Sheboygan County employers and organizations to help implement these workforce strategies that create a meaningful, positive, and sustainable impact.
Those interested in joining the effort to support and address various workforce development barriers in Sheboygan County can reach out to Brian Doudna, SCEDC executive director, at 920-946-9378 or Doudna@SheboyganCountyEDC.com.
