Business development
Generac is acquiring Toronto-based smart thermostat maker ecobee Inc. in a transaction valued up to $770 million.
Alliant Energy acquired ownership of the Onion River Solar Project from Chicago-based Ranger Power and D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments and will build a 150-megawatt solar electric-generating facility in the town of Holland.
Appvion introduced a patent-pending, phenol-free technology that adds to its future direct thermal portfolio.
Three Tadych’s Econofoods grocery stores in Northeast Wisconsin and three in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan were sold to Coborn’s, Inc. The Northeast Wisconsin stores included locations in Sturgeon Bay, Clintonville and Brillion.
Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding is partnering with PNE Marine Holdings, an affiliate of Polaris New Energy to build a second 5,500 cubic meter LNG bunker barge. This new barge will be a sister vessel to the LNG bunker barge Clean Canaveral, delivered to Polaris in November. Bay Shipbuilding also completed a remodel and expansion project at the south end of the shipyard.
KerberRose announced H.S. Group has joined its firm as an expansion of its human resources consulting service. H.S. Group’s Appleton and Green Bay staff moved into KerberRose’s current Appleton and Green Bay locations, and the Madison office will continue operating as is.
Shoreline Hometown Credit Union will open a branch as a part of the East Town redevelopment project at 2354 E. Mason St. in Green Bay. The branch will be the first outside Manitowoc County.
Ascension Wisconsin and Heart and Vascular Institute of Wisconsin are increasing access to cardiac services in the Fox Valley. HVI physicians began seeing cardiology patients at Ascension Medical Group Wisconsin clinics.
Ahern opened new offices in Stevens Point and Rochester, Minn.
Business comings and goings
The Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau moved to a new location at 213 S. Nicolet Road in Appleton. Keller Inc. completed renovations on the building.
A new Cobblestone Hotel & Suites will open in downtown De Pere in 2022 at the corner of Fifth Street and Main Avenue. The hotel also will include an onsite Wissota Chophouse.
Hobby Lobby and Ross Dress For Less will take over the vacant Shopko location at 518 S. Taylor Drive in Sheboygan.
NorthCoast Productions, a multimedia production company, and its sister company, Made Ya Look, an audio and live event production company, are under new ownership. Previous vice president of the two organizations, Michelle Tyo-Johnson, purchased the organizations.
WiSys VentureHome-Green Bay, a startup resource program that is a partnership between WiSys, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and the Greater Green Bay Chamber, opened at The Urban Hub in downtown Green Bay.
Prevea Health is adding a clinic located at 1703 N. Taylor Dr. in Sheboygan, the third Prevea Health location in the city.
BConnected, LLC moved to a new office at 114 S. Broadway in Green Bay.
New businesses opened in Manitowoc: Ignite Dispensary and SoundSpace.
Gain Control LLC, an electrical engineering firm specializing in industrial control systems, moved to a new location on Glenbrook Drive in Pulaski.
Slackers Restaurant & Bar opened in downtown Appleton in the location formerly occupied by Fress.
Six Turtles Boutique, a size-inclusive women’s boutique, opened in Sheboygan.
Skogen’s Festival Foods opened its New London location.
Construction news
Allie Family Companies and Consolidated Construction Co., Inc. broke ground on River North Apartments, a multistory apartment community in the River Point District in Manitowoc.
A 200-kilowatt field of solar panels is being built on the 38.5-acre campus of the Sheboygan Senior Community on Highway Y in the Town of Sheboygan. The project is a partnership between the Sheboygan Senior Community, Legacy Solar Co-Op, Arch Electric of Plymouth and the Clean Energy Program of Lakeshore Technical College.
Rol-Tec completed construction of a 15,700-square-foot addition to its Green Bay headquarters.
Posthuma Homes is planning a single-family subdivision called Falls Meadow in Sheboygan Falls.
Bank First is planning to build a new branch in northwest Green Bay along Shawano Avenue and South Taylor Street next to the Meijer store.
Bayland Buildings started construction on the Village View Shoppes & Residences planned for 7784 State Hwy 42 in Egg Harbor. Bayland also started a remodel for The Bridge Bar & Restaurant in Fremont. Construction continues on Scooter’s Coffee at locations in Ashwaubenon and Menasha.
Florence County has approved plans by S.C. Swiderski, LLC for a multifamily development in the Town of Florence. The company plans to build 44 market-rate apartments.
WoodgeniX in Random Lake is undergoing a 25,000-square foot expansion, which is expected to finish by the end of the second quarter 2022.
Fox Valley Metal-Tech is adding 74,800 square feet of building space, bringing the total footprint of its facility to more than 175,000 square feet. Consolidated Construction Co. is leading the project.
Harbor Ridge, LLC plans to build a 14-unit Lexington Homes apartment complex off Highway 42/57 on Sturgeon Bay’s west side.
Keller, Inc. is completing projects for the following organizations: Capital Credit Union, Greenville; Wisconsin Lighting Lab, Fond du Lac; BLC Community Bank, Little Chute; Professional Plating, Brillion; Wisconsin Champion Storage, Sheboygan; Liesen Pinzl Kessinger Dental, Woodruff; MACS, Madison; Ashley HomeStore, Madison; Union Grove Family Dental, Union Grove; Oldenburg Metal Tech, Saukville; and Spray-Tek, Beloit.
The Oshkosh City Council approved a TIF district for the low-income housing project Smith School Lofts at 1745 Oregon St.
Van Zeeland Nursery & Landscape broke ground on a new facility at the corner of Casaloma Drive and Highway 15 in Grand Chute. Consolidated Construction Co., Inc. is leading the project.
Education news
The Wisconsin State Building Commission approved $124 million in key building projects across the state, including a full renovation to Clow Hall on the UW-Oshkosh campus. Additionally, UW-Oshkosh will install overdose rescue boxes in residence halls in partnership with Wisconsin Voices for Recovery and the Winnebago County Health Department.
The Ahnapee Regional Youth Apprenticeship program saw a record number of participants from seven Northeast Wisconsin high schools at the start of the current 2021-22 academic year, with 284 student placements.
The Clintonville Public School District and Hoffman Planning, Design & Construction hosted a topping off ceremony on the school’s fitness and weight room addition to the high school’s recreation center.
The College of Menominee Nationwas awarded a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant of $10 million over five years to develop a research line involving a sustainable aquaculture project using hemp as a feed additive.
Moraine Park Technical College is adding a 69-credit Diagnostic Medical Sonography program in fall 2022. The program will be based in Beaver Dam.
Fox Valley Technical College, in partnership with Appleton International Airport, dedicated its Airport Rescue and Firefighting Training Center facility to provide training for airport first responders.
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Fox Valley Technical College and Lakeshore Technical College were selected as three of the 150 institutions nationwide eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. LTC also was selected as a top 10 Bellwether Award finalist, which recognizes institutions of higher education having outstanding and innovative programs and practices. LTC was the only college in Wisconsin named as a finalist.
The Oshkosh School District opened a new fab lab at Oshkosh North High School to give students hands-on experience with real-world machines. Students at both Oshkosh North and Oshkosh West can access the lab.
The Sheboygan School Board approved the $2 million purchase of an office complex at 3330 Stahl Road in the Town of Wilson for new district offices.
UW-Green Bay enrollment has grown 9 percent, making the university the fastest-growing UW school for the second consecutive year. Additionally, UW-Green Bay and Bay de Noc Community College in Escanaba, Mich., created a pathway for students who complete their water resource management associate degree at Bay de Noc to transfer to UW-Green Bay to complete a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering technology.
Awards/recognitions/milestones
Glassdoor ranked Acuity Best in Nation for work-life balance during COVID-19. Acuity also earned four industry leadership awards from ACORD.
Ahern was named one of the top specialty contractors by Engineering News-Record. Ahern ranked 81st of 600 overall as well as third in the Top 20 Firms in Fire Protection and Sprinklers, 13th in the Top 20 Firms in Sheet Metal, and 39th in the Top 50 Firms in Mechanical.
Bellin Health received the American Heart Association’s Gold Plus Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Achievement Award as well as an “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for fall 2021. Bellin Health also is offering patients a new, minimally invasive option for lung biopsy called the ion endoluminal system. Bellin Hospital was named one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery and Joint Replacement, according to Healthgrades.
Automotive News recognized Bergstrom Automotive as one of the Best Dealership Groups to Work for in the U.S.
The Boldt Co. won a Lean in Design award from the Lean Construction Institute for work done on the Advocate Aurora Health Pleasant Prairie Medical Center. Additionally, the Association of Union Contractors awarded Boldt the annual La Rocca Award in recognition of outstanding work performed under labor-management cooperation. Boldt also was recognized for work done at ND Paper and additions to the paper machine at the Biron Mill in Wisconsin Rapids. Boldt also received a Distinguished Performer Award by the Deloitte Wisconsin 75 in the category of innovation.
The Deloitte Wisconsin 75 list, which recognizes contributions made to Wisconsin’s economy by the state’s largest privately and closely held companies, included 24 New North firms: U.S. Venture, No. 5; Kohler Co.; No. 6; Schreiber Foods, No. 10; Menasha Corp., No. 18; Green Bay Packaging, No. 20; Acuity Insurance, No. 22; Masters Gallery, No. 23; Sargento Foods, No. 24; Miron Construction; No. 26; Bergstrom Automotive, No. 30; The Boldt Co., No. 33; SECURA Insurance, No. 34; Faith Technologies, No. 38; AriensCo, No. 40; Lakeside Foods, No. 41; Great Northern Corp., No. 42; Werner Electric, No. 53; J.F. Ahern Co., No. 54; Equix, No. 57; J. J. Keller & Associates, No. 61; Jewelers Mutual Group, No. 65; Tweet/Garot Mechanical, No. 71; Fox World Travel, No. 75.
ESOP Partners achieved gold-level Employee-Friendly Workplace certification, and the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce achieved silver-level certification. The program is offered through the Fox Cities Chamber.
Essity received a Sustainability Award from the American Forest & Paper Association.
Faith Technologies Inc. was recognized by Healthiest Employers as one of the 2021 Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America.
Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport won a 2021 Excellence in Airport Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience Award from the Airports Council International North America.
HealthPartners Robin Medicare Advantage plans were awarded an overall 5 out of 5-Star Rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for 2022.
KBX Logistics and Georgia-Pacific received U.S. EPA 2021 SmartWay Excellence Awards for outstanding environmental performance and leadership in their supply chain operations.
Marian University announced business award recipients: National Exchange Bank & Trust, Business of the Year; United for Diversity, Ebony Vision and Latino Unidos, Community Collaboration Award: Mercury Marine, Economic Development Award; Jeff Korneli, individual Entrepreneur of the Year; Peebles Play & Stay Kennel, service Entrepreneur of the Year. The Special Achievement Award was given to Young Professionals of Fond du Lac. David Noe was posthumously presented the George Becker Business Spirit Award.
Mercury Marine and Brunswick Corp. both won the Most Innovative Marine Co. award from the Soundings Trade Only, a media group serving the boating industry. Mercury Marine also was recognized by Envision Greater Fond du Lac’s Safety Council for outstanding safety performance, along with J.F. Ahern and W.W. Electric Motors at the Gold Level, and Marchant Schmidt at the Silver Level.
Secura Insurance began offering its specialty lines products in Pennsylvania, partnering with Keystone agencies throughout the state. Secura also was certified as a Great Place to Work.
SmartAsset included Oshkosh and Appleton in its list of top 25 small cities for retirement.
New North companies were among those to receive Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce Wisconsin Business Friend of the Environment Awards: The Boldt Co., Amcor Flexibles North America and AriensCo.
Professional Plating was named a Top Shop in North America by Product Finishing Magazine.
Dairy Foods magazine presented Schreiber Foods with the U.S. Dairy Exporter of the Year award.
