Business development
EnergySolutions entered an agreement with Dominion Energy to acquire the Kewaunee Power Station in the township of Carlton. The 566-megawatt nuclear power plant shut down in 2013. In 2017, Dominion Energy completed the used nuclear fuel transfer to the onsite dry fuel storage facility. The remaining decommissioning work will be completed by EnergySolutions and will result in the complete dismantlement of the facility and removal of radioactive waste.
Oshkosh Defense received a $942.9 million contract from the U.S. Army to integrate a new weapon system on Stryker carrier vehicles.
Old National Bancorp and First Midwest Bancorp, Inc. have entered into a definitive merger agreement. The combined bank will have $45 billion in assets and carry Old National’s name.
Jewelers Mutual Group acquired the Gem + Jewel marketplace. Gem + Jewel provides jewelry retailers with turnkey website creation and hosting, while providing vendors with the opportunity to sell products online in partnership with their retailer partners.
Viking Masek Packaging Technologies entered a strategic partnership with IAS Inc., an integrator of robotics, machine vision and control systems. The partnership features closer collaboration between the two companies as well as Viking Masek purchasing an undisclosed stake in IAS.
Amcor began customer trials of the world’s first recyclable polyethylene-based thermoform blister packaging. The new packaging is designed to meet the stringent requirements of highly specialized and regulated pharmaceutical packaging and creates a more sustainable alternative for the most in-demand health care packaging type.
Greenville-based The Meat Block acquired Haen Meat Packing of Kaukauna. The CLA investment banking team served as financial adviser to Haen Meat on the transaction.
Hospital Sisters Health System and Prevea Health locations in Northeast Wisconsin joined the Security Health Plan network.
Konecranes No. 38 was shipped out of the Manitowoc port to be put into service with the U.S. Navy on the East Coast. The crane was assembled with parts from Broadwind Heavy Fabrications, a Manitowoc-based mechanical contracting company.
Prophit Co. of Green Bay announced its formal transition from a marketing and advertising firm to an organizational health company.
Sargento Foods launched a new line of cheeses called Sargento Creamery, which features added cream to improve the taste of the cheese.
Paper Converting Machine Co. debuted its new Paragon tissue rewinder.
Business comings and goings
Rogers Behavioral Health opened a clinic and supportive living facility in Sheboygan, including an outpatient clinic to treat OCD, anxiety, depression, other mood disorders and co-occurring substance use in adults and adolescents ages 12 to 17. The clinic will have the ability to serve up to 12 adolescents and 28 adults at a time.
The Urban Hub coworking space, powered by the Greater Green Bay Chamber, became the new home of the Tundra Angels investor group and added Greenleaf Bank as a banking partner. As the banking partner, Greenleaf Bank will maintain regular hours onsite each month to provide consultation to the more than 20 companies that use Urban Hub as their business’s home base.
Voyageurs Bakehouse announced plans to open a downtown Appleton location, the second for the Green Bay-based business.
Bay Bank and Standing Pines Convenience Store held a grand opening for the mixed-use development space in Keshena.
Pizza Garden announced plans to open a Two Rivers location.
Brown County opened a new regional crisis center in Green Bay. The crisis center will provide emergency mental health services to residents of Brown County and surrounding counties under one roof.
Bay Shore Outfitters of Door County opened a new store in Algoma. The store will give Algoma residents access to equipment for silent watersports and other outdoor recreational activities.
Elevate Yoga opened in downtown Sheboygan.
The John Michael Kohler Arts Center of Sheboygan unveiled a new art preserve opened to complement the main location downtown.
Total Health & Safety Solutions, LLC opened in Appleton.
Pella Windows and Doors of Wisconsin opened its new corporate headquarters and customer experience center at 500 Pilgrim Way, Green Bay.
Impact Sports Academy opened in De Pere.
Construction news
GB Real Estate Investments, LLC is leading the redevelopment of East Town Mall in Green Bay.
Drexel Building Supply is building a new facility in Wrightstown using solar-powered robots. The use of this improved technology will increase production by two-thirds and decrease the time it takes to construct buildings.
Broadway Automotive announced the construction of a new collision repair center in Green Bay. The 70,000-square-foot facility will be the largest collision center in the Midwest.
Bayland Buildings was selected as the design-build general contractor for the new 13,320-square-foot facility for The Workshop in the Town of Hobart. The facility will be home to Work Some More Training and Team 1848.
Alliance Construction and Design of Wrightstown broke ground on renovations for the Ruff House in Neenah. The dog day care and grooming facility will be expanded and updated with new features.
Hoffman Planning, Design & Construction broke ground on renovations for the Clintonville Public School District. The $37 million renovation at Clintonville High School is part of a referendum that was approved by voters in November.
Keller Inc. is completing projects for the following organizations: Kindsgrab Inc., Green Bay; Don E. Parker Excavation, Hortonville; Pfefferle Management, Wautoma; Team Schierl Companies, Menominee, Mich.; Liberty Storage, Jackson; and Advanced Animal Hospital, Greenfield.
Education
The UW-Green Bay Rising Phoenix Early College High School Program is partnering with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s GEAR UP federal grant program, which is focused on low-income and first-generation students obtaining a high school diploma and preparing them for success in postsecondary education. UW-Green Bay also added a 24-credit criminal justice minor. UW-Green Bay students are testing a new wearable concussion detection device. Developed by Oculogica, students are testing the device, which can quickly identify whether someone has suffered a concussion. UW-Green Bay was able to get involved thanks to a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense and an investment from TitletownTech.
CollegeReady, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships and academic resources for students to pursue their education, celebrated its first-ever graduating class of NEW Scholars. Available to students within the Green Bay Area Public School District, the NEW Scholars college readiness program helps underserved youth who aspire to be the first in their family to graduate from college.
Awards/recognitions/milestones
Wipfli was named the winner of the 2020 New North Workplace Excellence Award. Selected from nominated companies in the 18-county region, Wipfli representatives accepted the honor at the New North Summit.
The Food Co-op Initiative awarded Oshkosh Food Co-op the national Best of the Best Award at its annual Up and Coming Food Co-op Conference.
The Greater Green Bay Chamber presented awards as part of its Business Recognition Luncheon: Cornerstone Award: Wipfli LLP; Entrepreneurial Award: Black Sheep Pub & Grill; Growth Award: American Tent; Special Accomplishment Award: Neville Public Museum Foundation; Resiliency Award – Small Company: Greater Green Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau; Resiliency Award – Medium Company: Vye; and Resiliency Award – Large Company: St. Norbert College.
Verve, a Credit Union earned a Platinum Well Workplace Award from the Wellness Council of America.
Element received one 2021 Bronze Anvil Award of Commendation and two WisCOMsin Awards from The Public Relations Society of America.
The Central States Water Environment Association named the Heart of the Valley Metropolitan Sewerage District and its director, Brian Helminger, as the 2021 Operations Award winner for Wisconsin.
New North golf courses were among those named to Golfweek’s list of top 100 golf courses: Whistling Straits, straits course, No. 5, and Irish course, No. 57; Golf Courses of Lawsonia, links course, No. 23; and Blackwolf Run, river course, No. 43.
Schneider achieved a zero-theft status for cargo in 2020. The Cross-Dock Team in Grapevine, Texas, at Schneider achieved John Deere’s highest supplier rating, earning Partner Status through the customer’s Achieving Excellence Program.
Grants
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley announced its Great Futures Campaign raised over $10 million, surpassing its $9.875 million goal.
The Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corp. provided a Revolving Loan Fund award of $250,000 to the Oshkosh Food Co-op. It also provided Capital Catalyst grants: $10,000 to complete proof-of-concept development to Dr. Dyslexia, a game-based spelling and reading application for students in grades 4-8 with dyslexia, and $10,000 to coworking space The Venture Project to complete projects and start an educational series for entrepreneurs.
The PSC of Wisconsin announced eligible households can enroll in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. The federal benefit program is funded with $3.2 billion through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. Households can learn more and check eligibility at getemergencybroadband.org.
Manitowoc received a $600,000 brownfield grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The grant will help Manitowoc and its partner, Two Rivers, assess and clean up abandoned industrial and commercial properties that have been targeted for redevelopment.
The City of Sturgeon Bay received a $250,000 state grant to help Third Avenue Playhouse renovate its theater located in downtown Sturgeon Bay. The Community Development Investment Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. will support ReImagine TAP, a project to renovate and expand the Third Avenue Playhouse theater.
The Boys & Girls Club of Manitowoc County began the public phase of its $1.9 million campaign to establish Manitowoc’s first Boys & Girls Club. To date, the BGCMC has raised over $1.6 million from dozens of individuals, companies and foundations.
A $100,000 grant from the David L. and Rita E. Nelson Family Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region was pledged for the planning and construction of a new pedestrian trail connecting the Fox Cities to High Cliff State Park.
The Door County Maritime Museum announced a matching challenge grant to jump-start the final phase of fundraising for the $7.2 million construction capital campaign. Through Aug. 31, an anonymous project supporter will match the first $1,000 of all contributions made to the Maritime Lighthouse Tower, up to a total of $100,000.
