Business development
Schneider acquired Ohio-based truckload carrier Midwest Logistics Systems, a dedicated carrier with more than 1,000 professional drivers operating 900 tractors across 30 central U.S. locations.
Bellin Health, Children’s Wisconsin and ThedaCare announced a new pediatric joint venture in Central and Northeast Wisconsin, as well as the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Suburban Enterprises purchased the former Valley Tool, Inc. industrial facility at 3040 N. Pointer Road, Appleton. The 20,000-square-foot facility allows Suburban to expand its automation and fabrication capabilities. The company also announced the addition of Suburban Fabrication to its service offerings.
Carnivore Meat Co. added a 24,000-square-foot facility in Green Bay for finished goods warehousing and custom-built freeze-dryers.
Summit BHC, a national provider of behavioral health and addiction treatment services based in Franklin, Tennessee, acquired seven psychiatric hospitals in six states from Strategic Behavioral Health, including Willow Creek Behavioral Health in Green Bay.
McClone Insurance partnered with Madison-based Neckerman Insurance Services to expand services to businesses, individuals and families in Wisconsin.
The Lawton Standard Co. added the facilities and team members of QESC of Houston to its growing casting business. It will operate as a sister company to C.A. Lawton in De Pere.
Powerhouse Productions purchased AV-Dynamics of Manitowoc.
ACP CreativIT/Camera Corner Connecting Point merged with Minnesota-based Citon Computer Corp.
Mark Schaible, Sonex general manager, purchased the assets of Sonex Aircraft, LLC and Sonex Aerospace, LLC and will continue operations as owner and president of the newly formed Sonex, LLC. The Oshkosh-based unmanned aircraft manufacturer was founded in 1998 by John Monnett, who will stay on as a lifetime emeritus adviser to a new Sonex advisory board.
Construction news
Construction is underway at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah as part of the $100 million investment to modernize the hospital campus. The next phase of construction, which will include work on the new emergency department, is scheduled to begin in spring 2022. The full modernization is expected to be complete in fall 2023.
Green Bay Packaging Inc. will begin construction of a new 600,000-square-foot corrugator plant in Fort Worth, Texas.
Soar Converting Solutions LLC built a new 90,000-square-foot building in Howard.
Bayland Buildings, Inc. was chosen as the general contractor for Bellevue Senior Living – Assisted Living and Memory Care. Bayland also began work for All Energy Management in Two Rivers and Silver Star Brands in Oshkosh. It completed its work on Scooter’s Coffee in Ashwaubenon.
Keller, Inc. is completing projects for the following organizations: Shoreline Hometown Credit Union, Green Bay; Professional Plating Inc., Brillion; Butte Des Morts Country Club, Appleton; New Ag Services LLC, Medina; St. Peter Lutheran Church & School, Appleton; Pigeon Road Storage, Sherwood; Old Fashioned Foods, Mayville; McKinney Dental, Madison; SBT Ground Hangar, Kenosha; Goeman’s Self Storage, Hartford; Smile Brands, Brown Deer; and JME Ellsworth, Milwaukee.
Faith Technologies partnered with other companies to install a wind turbine to power the WPE ethanol plant in Oakley, Kansas.
J.H. Hassinger will build the new Uptown Social senior center in Sheboygan on the site of the former Save-A-Lot supermarket.
Jones Architectural Creations and Jones Sign Co. were a part of a remodel at Warner Grand Theatre at the Bradley Symphony Center.
Business comings and goings
Prevea Health will open a surgery center at 1860 Shawano Ave. in Green Bay in May.
Reynolds Packaging moved into a 40,000-square-foot building in Green Bay.
Shemesh Automation bought a 40,000-square-foot building in Green Bay.
The Super Bowl Family Entertainment Center in Appleton opened its new Omni virtual reality arena.
Gain Control LLC moved to 1070 E. Glenbrook Drive, Pulaski.
Fiberglass Solutions moved to a larger facility on Waube Lane in Green Bay.
Grow it Forward is opening a cafe on Marshall Street in Manitowoc to enhance its mission to fight food insecurity by providing healthy food options for the community.
Education news
Valley Transit is partnering with Lawrence University to offer free rides to students.
UW-Green Bay announced that its Rising Phoenix inaugural early college program at Manitowoc Lincoln has over 90% of students in the cohort on track to earn an Associate of Arts and Sciences degree. The Friends of Toft Point, Inc. is merging with the UW-Green Bay Foundation.
Amcor donated more than $68,000 to Northeast Wisconsin Technical College to help build pathways to higher education in the trades and engineering programs as well as educational programs for middle school students.
Awards/recognitions/milestones
North Woods Distillery in Coleman won the 2021 Gold Medal for Smooth Sailing Rum from the American Distiller’s Institute as a flavored spirit in international competition.
Ornua Ingredients North America was certified as a gold-level Employee Friendly Workplace in the Fox Cities by the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce.
Several Acuity communication projects earned national and international awards, including a Platinum MarCom Award and Platinum Hermes Award from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, a Gold Stevie Award in the Best Annual Report – print category, and a Gold ADDY Award from the American Advertising Federation. Acuity’s continuing education videos also earned Hermes, MarCom and AVA Digital awards.
The Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council announced the 2021 Green Masters program honorees. Those in the New North receiving the Green Master designation include: Green Bay Packaging, KI, Kohler Co., Masters Gallery Foods, Mercury Marine and Oshkosh Corp. Green Professional designation: 4imprint; Advocate Aurora Health Care; Arch Electric; Bemis Manufacturing Co.; BPM Inc.,
A Specialty Paper Mill; Elmstar Electric Corp.; Evergreen Credit Union; ITAD Logic; Menasha Packaging Co.; Prime Focus; Resource Solutions Corp.; Secura Insurance; Silver Star Brands; The C.A. Lawton Co.; and Winsert. Green Apprentice designation: Camera Corner Connecting Point, Fork Farms, Lamp Recyclers, Muth Mirror Systems and The Wasmer Co.
Keller Inc. was honored for its work on the City of Fort Atkinson Fire Department building project with a GOLD Projects of Distinction Excellence in Construction Award from Associated Builders & Contractors of Wisconsin.
The League of American Bicyclists honored the City of Menasha with a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community Award.
Eleven Wisconsin companies were recognized by Newsweek as being among America’s Most Responsible Companies. The list of 500 organizations includes New North companies:ManpowerGroup, No. 58; WEC Energy Group, No. 137; Alliant Energy, No. 281; Oshkosh Corp., No. 370; and REV Group, No. 388.
Appvion Operations, Inc. achieved Sustainable Forestry Initiative Certified Sourcing for its operations in Appleton.
Grants
Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport and Appleton International Airport received $2.8 million and $3 million, respectively, in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration Airport Infrastructure Grant program. The grant provides funds for airports to invest in infrastructure projects including runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability projects, as well as terminal, airport-transit connections and roadway projects.
Otto Bremer Trust awarded $15.9 million as part of its most recent grantmaking cycle. Recipients include CASA of the Fox Cities, Catalpa Health,Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Habitat for Humanity of Oshkosh, Life Tools Foundation, Apricity, Neighborhood Housing Services of Green Bay, Rainbow House Domestic Abuse Services, Sheboygan County Food Bank, St. Vincent de Paul Society of Appleton, and Wise Women Gathering Place.
Acuity employees determined a year-end distribution of $350,000 among charitable organizations including Conquer Cancer, ASCO Foundation, Fresh Meals on Wheels, Mental Health America, Safe Harbor, The Salvation Army and Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice. Additionally,
each of Acuity’s 1,500 employees was invited to choose any qualifying charity to receive a $100 donation from Acuity, for a total of $150,000.
The Green Bay Packers and Sargento Foods Inc. donated $2,000 per Packers touchdown during the NFL regular season and playoffs. The Packers ended the regular season with 54 touchdowns and a joint donation with Sargento of $108,000.
Bay Bank received a $300,000 financial assistance award from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund to increase lending and investment activity in low-income and economically distressed communities.
Faith Technologies Inc. completed its annual ‘Acts of Kindness’ holiday giving campaign, totaling $12,000 in donations to five charitable organizations. The organization is also supporting victims of recent tornadoes through a donation to the American Red Cross in Kentucky.
City of Sheboygan officials presented Jos. Schmitt Construction Co. with a $40,000 donation to the Above & Beyond Children’s Museum All-Abilities Purple Octopus Playground, opening this summer.
The Fond du Lac Area Women’s Fund board of directors approved $30,000 in grant funding to 15 local nonprofit agencies to carry out programming that provides enhanced opportunities for women and girls throughout Fond du Lac County.
Outagamie County awarded over $209,000 in grant funding to 72 small businesses throughout the county, funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act.
All the rest
The Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corp. created the Rural Revolving Loan Fund for Winnebago County to create access to capital for startups and small businesses in rural designated areas.
Cargo shipments for the Port of Green Bay reached nearly 220,000 tons in November, boosted by a strong month of petroleum product imports and a shipment of wood pulp. The total was nearly 1.8 million tons, or 9% above the year-to-date tonnage total from last year.
Rogers Behavioral Health joined the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber as a Gold Member.
Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists of Wisconsin launched a new website.
The City of Algoma has become part of a 15-day excursion through the Great Lakes offered by Viking Expeditions in the summer.
Prevea Health interventional cardiologists Jennifer Davis, Todd Fergus, Simil Gala and Anas Sarhan are now providing a procedure with the Impella Heart Pump, considered the world’s smallest heart pump, at HSHS St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay.
YWCA Greater Green Bay created YW Strive, a free workforce development program designed to empower women through educational classes and referrals to community resources.
