• Interstate 41 Corridor
Brown, Calumet, Outagamie, Winnebago, Fond du Lac Counties
New North harbor projects receive boost from state
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced grants of $3.4 million for harbor maintenance and improvement projects to promote waterborne freight and economic development in the New North region.
The Port of Green Bay will receive $1 million in funding to help stabilize the existing shoreline with bulkhead fill and dock wall construction on new port property located at the mouth of the Fox River.
“This is good news for Green Bay and our entire region,” said Dean Haen, Port of Green Bay director. “These grant funds will allow the Port of Green Bay and our terminal operators to continue working to maintain and improve waterborne transportation that supports and grows our regional and state economy.”
Briess Industries Inc. of Manitowoc also will receive $1 million for a project to dredge the bed of the Manitowoc River along frontage used by Briess, broadening maritime transportation options for agricultural commodities.
Holcim US Green Bay Terminal will receive $1.2 million to dredge the bed of the Fox River and construct a new docking facility to receive cement used on construction across the region.
U.S. Venture Inc. in Green Bay was granted $200,000 to dredge the bed of the Fox River to allow the continued import of petroleum products to Northeast Wisconsin.
“Strong multimodal transportation infrastructure positions Wisconsin’s businesses to succeed in a global economy,” said WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson. “We are committed to improving our ability to move freight, and our harbors are a critical part of this strategy.”
Created in 1979, Wisconsin’s Harbor Assistance Program helps harbor communities maintain and improve waterborne commerce.
The Port of Green Bay is also undergoing a $25 million project to develop the former Pulliam Power Plant site into a new port terminal, a project that was recognized by President Joe Biden during his Feb. 8 visit to Wisconsin for its potential to create thousands of jobs.
The Port of Green Bay’s 2022 shipping season ended Jan. 25 with the departure of the Algocanada. Total cargo shipments into and out of the port topped out at just over 1.75 million tons for the season, a decrease of 10% from 2021.
Wittman Regional Airport will construct new hangars
Wittman Regional Airport will begin construction on 20 new T-hangar units this spring.
The two 10-unit T-hangars will help address a shortage of hangar space for the waiting list of 50-plus aircraft owners and pilots, airport representatives said. The T-hangars will be the first airport-owned hangars constructed at Wittman in more than 20 years.
The buildings will be constructed on the east ramp south of taxiways J and E and will be completed using a combination of county, state and federal grant funding.
Each hangar unit will be 42 feet wide at the door opening with a 12-foot clearance, 33 feet deep and sized to fit up to a light piston twin aircraft. The hangars will have automatic bifold doors, concrete floors, insulated and heated with individual gas heaters in each unit. One of the buildings will have a public use restroom for all tenants in the area.
There also will be six shovel-ready hangar pad sites for up to 60-foot-by-60-foot private-built hangars, with electric and gas nearby. Those lots will be available for land lease in summer 2023.
• The Northwoods
Florence, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto Counties
Rennes Group to open CBRF in Peshtigo
Rennes Group announced it will add a new community-based residential facility (CBRF) within its existing campus at Rennes Health & Rehab Center-Peshtigo East.
Residence by Rennes, Assisted Living & Memory Care will provide care for up to 29 individuals. Residence by Rennes-Peshtigo will be the second such location for the Rennes Group, with the first location established on its De Pere campus. Renovation plans are underway with an anticipated opening in late spring.
After analyzing its own patient data and tracking related inquiries, Rennes Group conducted a needs analysis and determined a specific demand for CBRF services in the Peshtigo area.
“Rennes Health & Rehab Center-Peshtigo East presents an ideal location for this addition. We’re so pleased to bring this expanded level of care to the community where we’ve worked and lived for the last 50 years,” said President Nicole Schingick.
Cami Olson, current director of rehab at Rennes Health & Rehab Center-Peshtigo East has accepted the role of community director at the new Residence by Rennes-Peshtigo East. Rennes Health & Rehab Center will still offer on-site rehabilitative and skilled care services at the east location.
Oconto Electric Co-op to receive $12.9M loan for improvements
The Oconto Electric Cooperative will receive a $12.9 million U.S. Department of Agriculture loan for infrastructure improvements for building and improving 157 miles of line and connecting 614 new customers.
The loan includes $325,000 in smart grid technologies.
In January, the USDA announced about $2.7 billion in funding to help 64 electric cooperatives and utilities expand and modernize the nation’s rural electric grid and increase grid security. This includes $6.5 million for another Wisconsin utility, Chippewa Valley Electric, connecting 573 consumers and building or improving 75 miles of line and adding smart grid technologies.
The program will help benefit nearly 2 million rural residents nationwide.
Oconto Electric serves 10,068 consumers over 1,500 miles of line in five counties in Northeast Wisconsin.
• West Central
Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara, Marquette, Green Lake Counties
Regional Boys & Girls clubs to merge
The Boys & Girls Club of Door County and the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Green Bay, which includes the Boys & Girls Club of Shawano, announced in January they would be merging as of March 1. The combined clubs will support more than 3,000 youth and families annually.
“While we believe strongly in the power of coming together, great care is being taken to ensure that both clubs remain connected to their respective communities,” said Erich Pfiefer, board chair for the Boys & Girls Club of Door County. “These are organizations with long-standing histories that serve unique communities, and it is vital that this remains at the forefront of our work.”
The clubs will both continue to operate and retain their own names and branding within their communities, though the new regional corporation will receive a new name, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported.
There will be no changes in staff and management because of the merger.
“Through this process, we have discovered that our organizational cultures and missions are far more common than they are different,” Pfiefer said. “We are committed to providing the same high-quality service that has been the hallmark of both organizations for decades.”
Greg Lundberg named Banker of the Year
The Wisconsin Bankers Association named Greg J. Lundberg, president and CEO of Fortifi Bank, headquartered in Berlin, as Banker of the Year.
Lundberg has more than 30 years of banking experience, and Fortifi Bank, formerly 1st National, has been in business for more than 140 years.
Lundberg has given more than 200 hours of community service in the last 12 months. He prides himself on being a “working board member” and is deeply committed to the success of The Boys & Girls Club of the Tri-County Area and Green Lake’s Town Square Community Center, for which he serves as a board member and is active on additional subcommittees, including finance, facilities management and business development.
Lundberg joined Fortifi Bank in 2010 after having gained experience at Citizens Bank, Johnson Bank and Associated Bank. He currently serves on the WBA Board of Directors and has been an active member of WBA through the Building Our Leaders of Tomorrow Section and the Advocacy Officer Program.
Since assuming the role of president and CEO of Fortifi Bank in 2019, Lundberg has been instrumental in raising $10 million of additional capital for the bank, which has propelled the balance sheet growth experienced at Fortifi Bank over the last 18–24 months. The bank’s total assets increased from $509 million at the end of 2020 to $607 million as of Nov. 30, 2022.
• The Lakeshore
Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Sheboygan Counties
Sheboygan to receive new Alliant Energy battery energy storage system
Alliant Energy announced Feb. 1 that it would develop a new battery energy storage system located next to the Edgewater Generating Station in Sheboygan.
Pending approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, Alliant Energy plans to begin construction on the Edgewater Battery Project in 2024 and expects it to be in service shortly after the Edgewater Generating Station is retired in 2025. The 99-megawatt battery system will be located on a seven-acre parcel and can store enough energy to power more than 100,000 Wisconsin homes for four hours.
In addition to the Edgewater Battery Project, Alliant Energy plans to develop a combined 175 MW of battery energy storage capacity at its Grant County and Wood County solar sites. This is part of the plan outlined in the company’s clean energy blueprint, a roadmap for accelerating the transition to cleaner, zero-fuel-cost renewable energy in Wisconsin. In a recent filing with the PSCW, Alliant Energy said the new battery energy storage project will help meet projected customer needs in a cost-effective way.
Alliant Energy said the flexibility created by battery energy storage solutions will diversify and complement the company’s generation portfolio while increasing customer access to safe, reliable energy.
“This battery system represents the next phase of the energy generation that will enable more sustainable growth and greater resiliency,” said David de Leon, president of Alliant Energy’s Wisconsin energy company. “The Edgewater Battery Project is a smart investment that strengthens our generation portfolio while leveraging the historic energy investments in the Sheboygan community.”
Hamann Construction completes addition for Color Craft Graphic Arts
Hamann Construction recently completed a 45,000-square-foot addition to Color Craft Graphic Arts, Inc., located in Manitowoc’s I-43 Technology & Enterprise Campus.
This is Hamann’s fourth pre-engineered metal building addition for Color Craft and increases the total plant size to 130,000 square feet. The previous expansion in 2018 was 41,400 square feet.
“Along with this much-needed 45,000-square-foot expansion, CCGA is adding team members, equipment, and systems to support their customers and continuously improve the work environment,” says CCGA President and CEO Gregg Weber.
The company’s website lists the addition of a 50-inch sheeter as a significant improvement for customer service.
