• The Northwoods

Florence, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto Counties

Report lists threats to forest products industry

Wisconsin Green Fire issued a report listing the threats and opportunities for Wisconsin’s $37 billion forest products industry.

Green Fire Executive Director Meleesa Johnson said, “If we want to continue enjoying the benefits provided by our forests, from sawlogs and pulp to clean air and clean water, Wisconsin needs to take new steps as leaders in forest conservation. We want everyone at the table to plan for the future of our forests.”

Among the threats listed in the report are:

• The loss of important tree species (such as ash trees)
• Overbrowsing by white tail deer
• Declining forest diversity
• Climate change
• Unstable markets for forest products
• Reduced market opportunities for private forest owners
• Fragmentation of forests

The paper calls for more research into how to manage forests and respond to threats such as pests and climate change; investment into education and training for forest owners and managers; supporting the forest products industry through economic development, marketing the benefits of the industry, and worker training; and regional approaches to forest planning and development of carbon offset markets for forests.

Reliance Fuel buys Wisconsin convenience store chain

Reliance Fuel of Pennsylvania purchased The Store convenience stores from Team Schierl Companies of Stevens Point.

Reliance said all current stores will remain open and it will retain employees during the transition which will include a rebranding. There are currently stores in Marinette, Peshtigo, Stiles, Shawano and Manawa as well as central Wisconsin.

The purchase follows a spring 2024 announcement by Team Schierl that it would have to close its operations due to the Chapter 7 bankruptcy of Mountain Express Oil Co., the owner of its buildings and land.

In the recent announcement, Team Schierl said it will continue to operate its seven Schierl Tire and Auto Service locations and 30 Subway restaurants. The company owns Subway restaurants in Appleton, Oshkosh, Neenah, Wittenberg, Hortonville, Winneconne and elsewhere.

“Thank you to all of our guests, associates and the communities that have been loyal patrons of The Store for almost 50 years,” Team Schierl wrote in a statement. “We have appreciated your support of our family‑owned business.”

Reliance will update The Store locations to carry Reliance Fuel’s Fuel On Wisconsin branding, a match to its Fuel On Pennsylvania brand.

• The Lakeshore

Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Sheboygan Counties

UWGB teams with manufacturing businesses

Current and prospective University of Wisconsin-Green Bay students have a new option to earn a competitive wage while receiving tuition reimbursement and networking, training and experience in manufacturing.

Through the Future Leaders in Manufacturing program, regional mid- and small-sized businesses have positions available for students to work and learn valuable leadership skills at minimal cost.

“We appreciate UW-Green Bay for recognizing the fulfilling career path that manufacturing can provide students during and after graduation,” said Steve Cahoon, vice president of manufacturing with Sargento. “Sheboygan County is home to many leading manufacturing employers, and this program can help provide paid career-based learning experiences for students and a strong future workforce for our community.”

Interested students work with UW-Green Bay’s Career Planning and Professional Connections to gain employment with partnering employers including Sargento, Johnsonville, Masters Gallery Foods, Pine River and others. Students earn a highly competitive wage with flexible work schedules that balance their academic and extracurricular schedules in growing manufacturing companies. Students may also earn up to $5,250 in tuition reimbursement paid by the employer for each qualified year they participate in the program.

Participating students will explore the many manufacturing pathways offered, including production and operations, supply chain and logistics, research and development, quality assurance and compliance. Employers collaborate to offer mutually beneficial opportunities for students to balance work and education.

In addition, students in the program interact with career readiness teams dedicated to each individual, providing practical leadership sessions that include workshops, presentations and tours with partner companies. Students will belong to a cohort, working and learning together and creating valuable relationships.

Upon successful completion of their skill development, students will receive an exclusive UW-Green Bay digital badge that can be featured on LinkedIn, a resume, an email signature or website.

• West Central

Green Lake, Marquette, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara Counties

Green Lake investing in campground

The city of Green Lake approved upgrades to Hattie Sherwood Park and campground, according to the Ripon Commonwealth Press.

Plans call for adding water service to several campsites, replacing an asphalt parking lot, creating a path around the mill pond with observation decks, adding a rough shelter and improving signage. It follows on $41,000 of work already completed to upgrade and stabilize electrical service for campsites.

City officials reported that increased revenue in 2024 allows for continued investment in the park and campground.

Hattie Sherwood Campground has 38 paved sites with electrical hookups, shower/restroom facilities, picnic tables, designated fire pit areas, playground equipment, and a boat launch area located on the north side of the campground with access to Mill Pond.

Projects in Shawano, Waupaca counties funded

Another 30 projects have been awarded funding through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program, including projects in Bowler and Waupaca.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to award $23.2 million for 30 projects. The 30 grants and 41 previously announced equipment grants total 71 projects in Wisconsin funded through RFSI.

Examples of funded infrastructure grant projects include:

• The Stockbridge-Munsee Community in Bowler will construct a facility to process and store food such as Lenape beans, Mohican corn and Indigenous squash grown on its Tribal farm as part of its strategic plan to protect and promote local food and community self-governance. This project is part of a set of proposals coordinated by the Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition, designed to form a statewide network of mid-supply-chain infrastructure-supporting economic opportunities for underserved producers across the state.
• Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative in Waupaca will build out its existing warehouse and trucking fleet, optimizing distribution routes to collaborate with and link together sub-hub, or smaller on-farm and Tribal aggregation initiatives, across the state. This improvement will benefit an estimated 250 local and regional producers. The improved aggregation infrastructure will be used to focus distribution efforts to distressed communities, schools and early childhood education programs, as well as smaller-scale grocery and food service buyers.
  

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• Interstate 41 Corridor

Brown, Calumet, Fond du Lac, Outagamie, Winnebago Counties

Appleton receives $250K for downtown development

A $250,000 Community Development Investment grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation will help create the Fox Den, a central food and community hub within the Fox Commons building in downtown Appleton.

The Fox Den will feature up to 10 food stalls and micro-retail spaces next to the building’s central atrium area. Each space will be pre-constructed to offer entrepreneurs affordable startup opportunities and low overhead costs.

The building’s central downtown location will attract foot traffic from surrounding buildings and businesses and provide increased exposure and opportunities for community growth, said Kara Homan, community and economic development director for the city of Appleton.

“These opportunities help owners take their businesses to the next level and then, at some point, maybe they occupy an entire building on College Avenue,” Homan said. “It creates opportunity for some of those smaller entrepreneurs to put down roots in the city of Appleton’s historic core.”

Mosaic Family Health will anchor its operations and services within the building, a move expected to serve more than 6,000 patients in the Appleton area. The building also includes apartment-style housing for Lawrence University students, who began moving in ahead of the fall semester. Once complete, the student housing will accommodate up to 174 Lawrence students. Lawrence also has opened its Business & Entrepreneurship Center inside Fox Commons.

$10 million renovation of The Grand Oshkosh planned in 2026

The Oshkosh Common Council has agreed to split the cost of a $10 million renovation of The Grand Oshkosh, a 141-year-old theater in the city’s downtown.

The city of Oshkosh, which owns the theater, will provide $5 million while the nonprofit The Grand Foundation will raise $5 million.

The theater will remain unchanged, but seating, HVAC, doors, windows and the sound system will be upgraded. An addition to the north and west of the annex portion of the building will increase the size of the lounge and lobby by 50%. All restrooms will be renovated, and a donors’ lounge and catering prep area will also be added. Backstage there will be new and remodeled dressing rooms, a green room, improved loading, and storage. There will be facade and parking improvements as well.

“This is a game-changer for operation of The Grand as a vibrant performing arts and event center and an engine of economic development for downtown and the Opera House Square District — emphasized by the project name, One Opera House Square,” said Joseph Ferlo, director of The Grand.

Ferlo said work would likely not begin until 2026.

The 550-seat theater hosts 100 shows per year. The city also extended The Grand’s lease to 2045.