One of the best parts of my job is learning about industries and businesses I have little knowledge of or, sometimes, knowledge that’s partial or incorrect. It’s humbling to be sure, but I consider myself supremely lucky that my career affords me this kind of ongoing education.
It happened loudly this month in my pursuit of our cover subject Brian Krenke, CEO of Green Bay’s KI. Whenever I shared with someone that I was working on a story about the business, the standard response went something like, “Oh, the office furniture place?”
Before spending time with several of the company’s leaders and interviewing community partners, I’ll admit, I held the same belief that the contract furniture company specialized in cubicles and desks. I had a lot to learn.
In reality, office furniture only makes up about 10% of KI’s business — the education market is where it truly reigns. Its product line is expansive and offers so much more than desks and chairs. These are truly innovative tools that have been proven to increase student engagement, learning retention and participation — who knew furniture could do all that?
Beth Relich, KI’s vice president of human resources, has heard the same sentiment from several of the company’s recent hires. “They say, ‘KI is the best-kept secret in Green Bay and all of Wisconsin.’ Once people start to know and understand KI there’s a good appreciation for the company and what we do in the community, and Brian is a big part of that,” she says. “I’m hoping everybody gets to see more and more of that, so we aren’t the best-kept secret anymore. Let’s share that secret.”
Turn to page 22 to get the KI scoop.
But our cover story isn’t the only one that surprised me. In this month’s Insight Insider, Associate Editor Kate Bruns explores the multifaceted issue of broadband accessibility that goes far beyond the obvious project of rural infrastructure. From Wisconsin’s Northwoods to Brooklyn, New York, lack of broadband access impacts both urban and rural locations, and it also has a real impact on our regional economy. And it’s not just access that is lacking — adoption and affordability are also barriers. Turn to page 31 to learn how organizations and communities are working to bridge this digital divide.
From a local grilling invention (page 54) to changing trends in business tourism (page 35), there’s so much to unearth in this issue of Insight, just as there is within our New North region.
Happy discovering!
