Business development
Founded by Tom Lutsey, the Waseda Farms brand and business now are owned and operated by Jeff Shefchik. The business includes a certified organic farm near Baileys Harbor, a butcher shop in De Pere and an organic beef ranch in Missouri.
New Leaf Foods installed a community orchard at New Leaf Prep Academy, Green Bay. The New Leaf Community Orchards project is in its second year. Last year, it teamed up with Leadership Green Bay Cohort Team 5 and the Green Bay Area Public School system.
Sartori Cheese, Plymouth, has unveiled two new flavors: Sriracha cheddar and Italian herb cheddar, which are available online and at retailers nationwide.
Van Horn Automotive Group broke ground for a new Kia dealership in Sheboygan, as part of an agreement made with Kia Corporation during the purchase of Brantmeier Ford Kia. The dealership and surrounding lot will occupy 3.5 acres, with enough room to park more than 200 vehicles. The main floor of the dealership will be 23,500 square feet with a 4,200-square-foot second floor.
Fox World Travel, Oshkosh, announced the launch of its new website. In addition, Fox World Travel announced it has received a Gold Stevie Award for Sales & Customer Service.
Midwest Carriers has opened a headquarters in Kaukauna. The company previously had three locations in the Fox Valley plus an affiliation with freight carrier Osborn Trucking.
Officials at the Appleton International Airport opened a new hangar for general aviation aircraft May 7. The 31,000-square-foot hangar was funded with a federal grant at a cost of $7.4 million.
Oshkosh Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire AUSACORP S.L., a privately held international company and manufacturer of wheeled dumpers, rough terrain forklifts and telehandlers for the construction, material handling, agriculture, landscape and specialty equipment industries. Additionally, Oshkosh Defense LLC, an Oshkosh Corp. company, has been awarded an additional delivery order valued at $40 million for the procurement of Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary Fires (ROGUE-Fires) to be used in the Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System.
Bellin Health and Gundersen Health System announced its new brand, Emplify Health. The two health systems finalized their merger of equals in December 2022.
The National Railroad Museum broke ground May 2 for its $17 million expansion. The museum, which attracts 100,000 people annually, has not expanded since 2001. Its collection grows by about 18% each year and attendance at educational programs grows by about 500 children per year, museum officials said.
The city of De Pere’s finance committee has approved a plan for AmeriLux to purchase approximately 23 acres in De Pere’s East Industrial Business Park. The plan is to develop the site into two buildings totaling approximately 500,000 square feet of warehousing, distribution and manufacturing space. The project is estimated at $40 million.
Kohler Co. and Platinum Equity have closed the transaction to establish Kohler Energy as a separate, independent business. Platinum Equity is now the majority owner of the energy business, and Kohler Co. remains an investment partner.
Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry has acquired ATEK Metal Technologies of New Hampton, Iowa. The acquisition will expand WAF’s current operations while deepening its reach into key markets including motorsports, transportation, agriculture and the medical industry.
Curative Connections, Green Bay, has opened Yesteryear Village which simulates an environment modeled after the targeted participants’ younger years. It includes a café, interactive auto garage, train depot, a pub, downtown shops and more. Curative Connections has collaborated on this project with Performa Architects and Miron Construction.
Oshkosh Festivals announced it will offer music this summer at the festival grounds it took over southwest of Oshkosh. XRoads 41 is scheduled for August. It is the first festival at the grounds in five years.
The S.S. Badger Lake Michigan Car Ferry returned to service May 17 after its 2023 season was cut short due to a major equipment failure. The ferry will operate daily through Oct. 6.
Alliant Energy has been given approval by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission to upgrade natural gas generating stations in Neenah and Sheboygan Falls. The projects will expand generating capacity, improve efficiency, lower operating costs and extend the life of the stations.
Construction
Bayland Buildings broke ground in April for a 3,000-square-foot Edward Jones office on Mayflower Road in Greenville.
The Boldt Co. celebrated the opening of the $1.1 million hospitality center at Stevens Point Brewery. The remodeled space in the historic 1936 building adjacent to the brewery’s outdoor beer garden includes a new tap room and gift shop.
Engineering, architectural and consulting firm McMahon is extending the sewer system along the I-41 corridor in the town of Lawrence. The company designed renovations for Classical, Appleton West and Appleton East high schools.
Ground was broken at St. Norbert College for the Donald and Patricia Schneider Family Hall in De Pere that will house the Donald J. Schneider School of Business and Economics when it opens in 2025.
Grants
Doctors in Recital announced its 2025 grant recipients will be Foster the Village, Ecumenical Partnership for Housing, Fort Howard Fife and Drum Corps, and the Griffon String Quartet.
The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services will distribute funds through its Youth Volunteer Firefighter Training Program. Fox Valley Technical College will receive $15,405 toward a high school fire program, and the Kewaunee County Junior Firefighter Program will receive $24,525. The program is a partnership between the Luxemburg-Casco, Algoma, Denmark and Kewaunee school districts, along with eight area fire departments.
Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit cooperative’s giving program, is supporting county fairs with grants. Northeastern Wisconsin fairs receiving funds are Alto Fair, Calumet County Agricultural Association, Green Lake County Fair and Winnebago County Fair Association.
Green Bay Packers Give Back has awarded a $250,000 Impact Grant to Special Olympics Wisconsin.
Awards
The Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh announces CR Meyer and Verve, A Credit Union as 2023 Distinguished Service awards recipients. CR Meyer was presented with the Award of Merit, which goes to a volunteer or contributor who has made an extraordinary contribution of time and/or resources. Verve, A Credit Union was presented with the Kids & Community Award, which goes to an individual or business that has demonstrated community leadership.
Woodward Community Media stations WHBY and WSCO were recognized with Wisconsin Broadcasters Association awards. WHBY AM and WSCO AM received recognition in the medium market radio news and talk category as follows: First place, best newscast, WHBY 5 a.m. newscast Dec. 14 anchored by Landen Moore; second place, best radio show, WHBY AM Focus Fox Valley with Hayley Tenpas; first place, best interview, WHBY AM Jonathan Krause’s interview of Golf Odyssey with DJ Piehowski; first place, best sports play by play, WSCO AM Tony G. & John Dinse for high school football, West De Pere at Kaukauna; second place, best website, WHBY AM; and second place, best original digital content, WSCO AM high school basketball video stream of Neenah at Oshkosh North.
The Wisconsin Safety Council announced the winners of the organization’s 30th annual Corporate Safety Awards. Among the winners were: Green Bay Dressed Beef; C.D. Smith Construction, Fond du Lac; and The Boldt Co., Appleton.
Acuity Insurance, Sheboygan, announced that Standard & Poor’s has reaffirmed the insurer’s A+ long-term financial strength and issuer credit ratings with a stable outlook. Acuity also has an A+ financial strength rating from AM Best.
Graystone Consulting, a business of Morgan Stanley, announced that its Green Bay office was named to The National Association of Plan Advisors’ 2024 list of Top DC Advisor Teams.
Press Ganey has recognized the Froedtert and MCW Cancer Network as a 2023 Human Experience Guardian of Excellence Award winner, recognition sustained for six consecutive years.
Faith Technologies Incorporated, (FTI), Menasha, was awarded first place in the specialty contractors division (over 2 million hours category) by the Associated General Contractors of America at the 2024 Construction Safety Excellence Awards. FTI also earned a National Safety Merit Award from Associated Builders and Contractors. Finally, FTI earned a second-place award in the subcontractor division (over 1 million hours worked) by The Builders — a chapter of the AGC.
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College has been honored with the 2024 Center of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education award by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration. In addition, the college has been named a semifinalist for the $1 million Aspen Prize recognizing success in student outcomes.
Red Shoes Inc. won the 2024 WisCOMsin Award of Excellence in the PR/media relations tools category for “Persistent Pitching Reaches Target Audience in Top-Tier National Publication” at the state awards ceremony held by the Madison and Northeast Wisconsin chapters of the Public Relations Society of America.
Three wines from Parallel 44 Vineyard and Winery in Kewaunee earned gold medals and two from Door 44 Winery in Sturgeon Bay won silver medals in the 2024 Americana Cup held in early April in Chicago.
Shawano’s Naberhood Plaza is the winner of the American Public Works Association’s 2024 Wisconsin Chapter Project of the Year Award for small cities and rural communities. The project also will be recognized nationally by the APWA.
Education
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has signed an articulation agreement with St. Norbert College that will allow students in selected degree programs to seamlessly study at both institutions. Program partnerships may start as soon as fall 2024.
Marian University and the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh have joined the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services Accelerate Wisconsin initiative. Students at participating nursing schools have the option to take the National Council Licensure examination early.
