• Interstate 41 Corridor
Brown, Calumet, Outagamie, Winnebago, Fond du Lac Counties
Timber Rattlers launch major stadium renovation project
Third Base Ventures, the owners of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, announced a major renovation project for Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.
Upgrade plans include new seating areas, improved player amenities, an expanded concourse that will encircle the entire stadium, and an eye-catching three-story slide.
The project will be undertaken by Appleton-based The Boldt Company, with the design provided by Pendulum Studio, an architectural firm out of Kansas City specializing in baseball/sports stadiums. Boldt built the stadium which opened in 1995. Both Boldt and Pendulum worked together on the most recent renovation after the 2012 season.
This set of stadium renovations has been developed to meet the new standards for Minor League Baseball facilities as set forward in the Player Development License granted to Third Base Ventures in 2020. The Timber Rattlers are the Midwest League affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Rob Zerjav, president, CEO and managing partner of Third Base Ventures/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, said the stadium renovation plans for the 2023 season will create one of the best home clubhouses in all Minor League Baseball while drastically increasing the quality of space for visiting teams.
“We can’t wait for our fans to experience the new stadium renovations, which will add new outdoor suites above the left field wall, widen the existing concourse, allow fans to walk around the entire field and — last, but not least — take a ride on the three-story slide in the left field corner,” Zerjav said.
The slide, a fixture of Milwaukee Brewers baseball for years, is an homage to the Timber Rattlers’ parent club. There will be one difference between the slides. The slide at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium will be available for all fans to use during games.
The home and visitor clubhouses will be switching sides for next season. The new home clubhouse will be twice the size of the existing home clubhouse and will feature a new circular locker room, two indoor batting cages, two player-focused areas for nutrition and relaxation, expanded offices for coaches, a dedicated female locker room, an expanded training area, and a large weightroom connected to an outdoor player agility field.
Construction for the renovation has already begun and is scheduled to be concluded in time for the start of the 2023 season.
Oshkosh Defense wins $263.2 million contract for Army trailers
Oshkosh Defense was awarded a $263.2 million contract to produce Enhanced Heavy Equipment Transporter System (EHETS) trailers for the U.S. Army.
Oshkosh will execute the contract with the support of its major subcontractor, Broshuis B.V. The competitively awarded contract is for an estimated 466 trailers and associated logistics products and support services.
Under the first delivery order, valued at $37.6 million, Oshkosh Defense will produce five test trailers for product verification testing, operational testing, logistics development and engineering development, along with 68 production trailers.
Oshkosh Defense designed the EHETS trailer to be pulled by the Oshkosh Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) A1 currently in service with the U.S. Army.
The combined trailer system is designed to self-load and unload and can haul a payload of up to 90 tons, allowing it to transport the heaviest Army tracked vehicles, including current and future versions of Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), while also obtaining European road permissions at required payloads.
Wello publishes 2021 Well-Being Survey of Brown County
The pandemic has impacted community health and well-being in Brown County, according to a new report by Wello, which first conducted a similar survey and report in 2019.
The 2021 Community Health and Well-Being Survey, released in October, said “although the majority of respondents reported good quality of life and high satisfaction of health overall, results are considerably lower than in 2019. In the context of the pandemic, this data suggests a disproportionate impact on health and well-being, mirroring national level data.”
The summary report was created from Wello’s survey conducted from July to August 2021. The survey was open to Brown County residents 18 years and older.
The survey was based on the World Health Organization’s Quality of Life Survey and collected data in four areas: physical health, psychological (mental) health, social relationships and environments. The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s Consortium of Applied Research and St. Norbert College’s Strategic Research Institute served as research partners.
The 2021 results include new questions on feelings of belonging, inclusion and power. These questions and results are near the end of the report under a “sense of community.” The report now includes an appendix with the full listing of all survey question results.
Wello, in partnership with the City of Green Bay, was one of nine national finalists in 2021 for the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize. Wello was also one of six communities highlighted across the U.S. by the National League of Cities as innovators in the way in which they holistically measured resident health and well-being.
“As we continue to work towards co-creating a proactive culture of health, it is important that we have opportunities to understand, directly from the community, how they would describe their health and well-being,” said Natalie Bomstad, executive director of Wello. “This survey is a chance for local residents to express how they feel and experience health and well-being.”
The results of the survey are available to community partners working to address the social determinants of health by providing valuable insight into the most pressing community needs, the report summary said.
Bomstad said the 2021 survey is demographically more representative of the diversity in the community. “This data is an opportunity to understand, at a local level, where there are the greatest opportunities to equitably improve health and well-being for all the people who call this place home,” Bomstad said.
The summary report and a measurement dashboard can be found at wello.org/measure.
• The Northwoods
Florence, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto Counties
Marinette’s Winsert acquires Alloy Cast Products
Winsert, a global advanced manufacturer of critical metal parts for Fortune 500 OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, has acquired Alloy Cast Products, Inc. (ACP), an investment casting and machining manufacturer of exotic cobalt alloys headquartered in Kenilworth, New Jersey.
ACP’s experience, manufacturing methods and alloy portfolio will enhance Winsert’s metal forming capabilities, the company said. The acquisition will allow for additional products and services to be offered to the two companies’ current and prospective customers.
“Winsert brings expanded services that Alloy Cast Products alone could not provide,” said Frank Panico, ACP president. “We have entered this acquisition with great confidence and pleasure knowing that the business is in the very capable hands of Winsert.”
Winsert’s alloy portfolio consists of corrosion-resistant, wear-resistant and high-temperature alloys that are designed for various applications within internal combustion engines, power generation, emissions controls, aerospace and industrial valves.
“We are excited to add ACP’s capabilities to the Winsert family,” said Mark Coduti, Winsert president. “The combining of our advanced machining and vast alloy portfolio with their investment casting capabilities really creates significant opportunities in all the markets we serve.”
• West Central
Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara, Marquette, Green Lake Counties
ThedaCare and Froedtert/MCW expand heart, lung services
ThedaCare and the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) health network are partnering to provide patients with expanded access to specialty care such as heart and lung transplants and advanced heart failure.
The partnership aims to enhance care for local communities in Northeast and Central Wisconsin, including patients in West Central communities such as Berlin, Green Lake, Waupaca, Wautoma and Wild Rose.
As part of the partnership, the Froedtert & MCW health network will provide progressive medical care to ThedaCare patients for specialty services, with ThedaCare providing care locally before and after.
“Our patients and community members living in Northeast and Central Wisconsin can expect better health outcomes through expanded, convenient access to coordinated, specialty care close to home,” said Dr. Imran A. Andrabi, ThedaCare president and CEO. “Our focus will be on providing seamless care, putting patients and families first, always.”
The Froedtert & MCW health network will also provide virtual critical care in coordination with ThedaCare providers as part of the partnership. There will be an opportunity to add more specialty services over time based on community need.
This partnership also will further ThedaCare’s development of a graduate medical education program, which will enhance patient access to medical and specialty services and help strengthen the future of health care in Northeast and Central Wisconsin.
Patients may begin experiencing coordinated care through the partnership by the end of 2022.
• The Lakeshore
Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Sheboygan Counties
High-speed internet expanding along the Lakeshore
Madison-based TDS Telecommunications LLC is continuing a major expansion of its all-fiber, high-speed internet network to more communities across Wisconsin.
TDS is building fiber networks in 18 communities spanning the state from Sheboygan to Menomonie in northwestern Wisconsin. In total, the networks will provide 85,000 homes and businesses with high-speed access. New North communities in TDS’ expansion plans are Sheboygan, Sheboygan Falls, Plymouth, Kohler and Fond du Lac. Construction is expected to begin in many communities later this year as work continues on other TDS projects across the state.
“As a longtime Wisconsin company, we are so excited to serve even more communities in our home state,” said TDS Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs Drew Petersen. “The pandemic has shown the importance of having fast, reliable internet. We’re proud our fiber networks will help boost a critical part of infrastructure and improve residents’ quality of life.”
The TDS networks will feature speeds up to 2 Gig, which is fast enough to download a typical two-hour, 4K movie in less than a minute. Up to 10 Gig dedicated fiber connections will be available for businesses.
The networks will also provide residents with TDS’ all-digital TV product, TDS TV®+, which offers local and national networks, integration with streaming services and a cloud DVR.
“Wisconsin is a top priority for TDS. In the Badger State alone, TDS is investing nearly a billion of its own dollars to build state-of-the-art fiber optic networks here,” Petersen said. “We’re thrilled to grow our presence in our home state and look forward to serving these great communities for years to come.”
