Business development
Madison’s Vanden Heuvel & Associates CPAs LLC and Fond du Lac-based CPA-led advisory firm Vesta, formerly known as Huberty, announced the two firms have merged. The firm will operate under the Vesta name.
Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation business, announced that the Prince George’s County (Maryland) Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department has expanded its Pierce fleet with the addition of four custom Enforcer pumpers and an Ascendant 107-foot Heavy-Duty Tiller Aerial Ladder.
Stellar Blue Technologies, a digital marketing agency in Northeast Wisconsin, has transformed into StellarBlue.ai, signifying the agency’s focus on artificial intelligence technologies.
Lakeland Care, Inc., an organization focused on building better lives through programs that care for and inspire our communities, has expanded to open a new office at 4545 W. College Ave., Appleton.
Fox World Travel has expanded its reach by launching an official virtual vacation travel branch.
KS Kolbenschmidt, which owns a small-bore piston plant in Marinette, will be sold to Comitans Capital AG.
Manitowoc Tool & Machining has acquired MVI Machine Company of Kaukauna. MVI will continue to operate under its current name.
Emerging companies have been selected to meet with major firms and explore potential business relationships around technology needs, supply chain needs and innovation as part of the 11th annual Wisconsin Tech Summit, which will take place in-person at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field March 18. Major companies participating are: Deloitte, Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin, gener8tor, CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen), Exact Sciences, Faith Technologies Incorporated (FTI), Findorff, Google, Johnson Controls, J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, OEM Fabricators, Oshkosh Corp., Promega, Rockwell Automation, Schreiber Foods and TitletownTech.
Business comings and goings
Rausch Insurance Agency opened a new location at 770 S. Main St., Suite 14, Fond du Lac.
Wonder, a play cafe, opened at 15 N. Main St., Suite 101, Fond du Lac.
Multicultural Coalition Inc. has moved into 333 First St., Appleton, Suites C and D, and People of Progression will move into Suites A and B in March. The property is owned and managed by Titan Property Management.
The owners of Courtney Woolen Mill in Appleton have announced they are retiring and selling the building. Kelley Woolen Mill was founded on the banks of the Fox River in 1880 and purchased by the Courtney family in 1904.
Awards/Certifications
Fox World Travel has completed its SOC 2 Type I and SOC 2 Type II audits, performed by KirkpatrickPrice.
The Community Leadership Award from The Stephenson National Bank & Trust was presented to KK Integrated Logistics for its remarkable transformation and integral role in hosting the commissioning of the USS Marinette. KKIL had the site ready despite a massive fire in 2022.
Kundinger, a Neenah and Michigan-based company delivering products and solutions in fluid power, automation and process control to a wide range of industries, has earned Diamond Team Award recognition from Parker Hannifin for being a top-performing distributor in its pneumatics division.
Redline Plastics, Manitowoc, has been named to the list of Plastics News’ “Best Places to Work” for the fourth year running.
The U.S. Small Business Administration named Summit Credit Union a 2023 leading small business lender in two different categories. Summit provided the most 7(a) loans by a credit union in Wisconsin and had the greatest lender participation with 504 loans in Wisconsin. The credit union loaned more than $23 million between these two SBA vehicles.
Crane Engineering, Kimberly, a distributor of fluid technology solutions in the Midwest, was honored with the Top Growth Distributor Award for 2023 by Fristam Pumps USA. This accolade celebrates the partnership between Crane Engineering and Fristam Pumps, focused on delivering exceptional solutions in the food and beverage industry.
Faith Technologies Incorporated (FTI), an energy expert and national leader in electrical planning, engineering, design and installation, received a gold-level 2024 Projects of Distinction Award from the Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin for its work at Exact Sciences in Madison.
HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan has been named a 2023 Human Experience Guardian of Excellence Award winner by Press Ganey, the global leader in health care experience solutions and services.
Cornerstone Business Services has been ranked a top five North American Lower Middle Market Investment Banking Firm by Axial.
Acuity announced that AM Best has affirmed the insurer’s Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior) with a stable outlook, marking the 22nd consecutive year Acuity has earned an A+ Financial Strength Rating.
Schneider National, Inc. received the National Safety Council’s Green Cross for Safety Advocate Award for the company’s work piloting technology to combat impaired driving. In 2019 Schneider won NSC’s Green Cross for Safety Innovation Award, and in 2018 the company received the Green Cross for Safety Excellence Award. It is the first company to earn all three awards.
HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital is the recipient of a 2023 Performance Leadership Award for excellence in providing quality health care. Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, the Performance Leadership Awards honor the top performing rural hospitals in quality, outcomes and/or patient perspective.
Miron Construction Co., Inc. was recently named to Employ Humanity’s Best Places to Work list for the sixth time.
Future Neenah recently recognized individuals and businesses that have contributed to the quality of life in the community in 2023 through partnering with the organization. Honorees were: Plexus Corp., Grainworks Old + New: Local Bourbon Market, Sunset Hill Stoneworks, city of Neenah and Santiago Sanchez.
Construction
Fox Cities Builders announced several projects. K&S Hardwoods, Clintonville, is a new 100-by-52-foot facility being built to house new vacuum kilns for expanded capacity. Bob’s Quality Heating & Cooling, Kimberly, is a new 30-by-66-foot wood framed storage building for secured storage of new equipment. Absolute Asphalt, Kaukauna, will be a new 30-by-40-foot wood framed building for more permanent cover over salt for winter work.
Education
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College has been awarded $270,000 for a battery storage system dedicated to storing renewable solar energy for its Great Lakes Energy Education Center.
Lakeshore Technical College is one of 14 community colleges nationwide to be included in the third cohort of the “Cyber Skills for All: Community Colleges Lead the Way” initiative funded by Microsoft Foundation. Lakeshore was awarded $20,000 as a result.
Moraine Park Technical College was recently recognized in Gallagher’s 2023 U.S. Benefits Strategy & Benchmarking Survey as an organization that excelled in implementing strategies for managing people and programs. Also, Moraine Park Technical College and the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh have reached a transfer agreement to support students affected by the recent UWO Fond du Lac campus closure. Under the agreement, UWO students pursuing associate degrees can continue their in-person classes and programs at Moraine Park with a guaranteed transfer of all their UW associate degree credits.
Kohler Foundation announced an annually renewable gift of $250,000 to Lakeshore Technical College to support local youth pursuing higher education.
All the Rest
Passenger traffic grew 9.4% in 2023 at Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport. The total number of passengers was 670,377.
The Fox Cities Chamber has officially kicked off its 150-year anniversary, with plans to celebrate all year long with its members and the business community.
UA 400 Pipe Trades and the Mechanical Contractors Association held its Heat Up Your Future Skills Competition at the UA 400 training center. Students from 13 local high schools competed to construct a pipe stove based on specific design requirements. Winners were Reedsville High School, Kimberly High School and Green Bay Preble High School. The schools received tools from Milwaukee Tool. Schools attending the event included Appleton A-Tech Academy, Appleton East, Bonduel, Denmark, Fond du Lac, Fox Valley Lutheran, Kiel, Kimberly, Little Chute, NEW Lutheran, Preble, Reedsville and Wittenberg-Birnamwood. UA 400 signatory contractors that participated in the event included Ahern, August Winter and Sons, CR Meyer, Hurckman Mechanical, Team Industries Inc. and Tweet Garot Mechanical.
