Business development
A consortium of 15 public and private partners has been formed to advance personalized medicine and biohealth technology. Consortium members include the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., the University of Wisconsin System Administration, UW-Madison, GE HealthCare, Rockwell Automation, Exact Sciences Corporation, BioForward Wisconsin, Employ Milwaukee, Accuray, Plexus, WRTP Big Step, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Madison Area Technical College, the Madison Regional Economic Partnership and Milwaukee7.
Bergstrom Automotive has reached an agreement to acquire Broadway Automotive for an undisclosed price. Bergstrom Automotive started in Neenah in 1982, expanded throughout the Fox Valley, and then into Madison and Green Bay. Broadway Automotive was founded in Green Bay by the Cuene family more than 100 years ago.
Marion Body Works, a manufacturer of commercial truck bodies, fire and emergency apparatus, custom cabs, custom engineered vehicles, and defense bodies, celebrated the shipment of its 15,000th cab, with that unit having been crafted for longtime customer Spartan Motors.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. opened its new world-class paint hangar in Appleton Sept. 14, which is also home to a Gulfstream Service Center and a large-cabin completions facility. The expansion is part of a multiyear plan announced in 2021 that provides for the entire aircraft completion process in Appleton. The expansion has created more than 200 jobs in the region.
Four new auxiliary cameras are part of the VideoProtects Video Event Management System and Encompass Video Event Management System from J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.
Neenah News, a weekly newspaper owned by Oshkosh Herald LLC, has expanded its circulation by directly mailing print issues to most households in the Neenah Joint School District.
Michels Corp. and SSM Health at Work celebrated the opening of a new on-site clinic in Brownsville to serve the health and wellness needs of Michels employees and their families.
Prevea began utilizing Springbok Analysis magnetic resonance imaging at health centers in Grand Chute and Manitowoc. The Springbok Analysis MRI creates personalized 3D muscular images of patients’ lower bodies.
On Broadway, Inc. and the Greater Green Bay Chamber hosted a grand reopening and ribbon cutting for Save A Lot, 905 Dousman St., at the newly remodeled store.
LaClare Creamery, Malone, has expanded its fresh goat cheese line with three new flavor varieties: chili lime, Mediterranean and a seasonally available pumpkin.
Investment Creations LLC submitted a winning bid of $500,000 for the Shattuck Middle School property in Neenah. The company, owned by Umer Sheikh, intends to develop between 34 and 48 apartments in the Shattuck School building and between 50 and 60 single family homes on the remaining property.
Cruisers Yachts announced a 56,000-square-foot expansion to its Pulaski facility with a completion date of January. Alliance Construction & Design, Wrightstown, is the general contractor. The expansion will introduce two new production lines with the capability to accommodate yachts of up to 75 feet in any style. The Pulaski plant will have four production lines, allowing the company to build up to five distinct models. Cruisers Yachts also expanded its global reach with three new international dealers: Martin Motor Sports located in British Columbia, Canada; Narval Marine in Panama; and Yucatan Seas in Yucatan, Mexico.
Economic activity generated by the Port of Green Bay during 2022 reached $217.3 million, an increase of $70 million since 2017, according to a report released Sept. 12. The report also points to 1,620 Wisconsin jobs supported by the Port of Green Bay, an increase of 331 jobs over the 2017 total.
Metal Man Work Gear, Appleton, has been acquired by Techniweld USA. Metal Man is a private labeler of welding machines, helmets, carts and cabinets. Techniweld USA, Atlanta, Georgia, is adding the entire Metal Man product line to its extensive welding-related product line. Kelly Business Advisors of Green Bay facilitated the deal.
Camping World Holdings, Inc., has acquired Van Boxtel RV in Green Bay. The acquisition increases the Camping World’s Wisconsin location count to seven. In addition to new and used RV sales, the company will operate more than 30 service bays, a collision center, seasonal RV rentals, and a traditional Camping World Parts and Accessories store.
Business comings and goings
On Nov. 16, Associated Bank will close its Allouez branch on South Webster Avenue and consolidate it with the De Pere branch on North Wisconsin Street.
Harry’s Pizza e Vino Restaurant and Wine Bar opened in Elkhart Lake, specializing in certified Roman-style pizza.
Mid-America Real Estate announced the following transactions: Club Car Wash purchased 2.09 acres at 4433 Vanguard Drive, Sheboygan, from 4433 Vanguard Outlots, LLC; Bank First purchased 1.76 acres at 3854 Old Highway Road, Sturgeon Bay, from Thomas Tanck.
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the completion of a new 25,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art memory and digitization facility: Forever Digitization Facility. The new building, built by Bayland Buildings, is opening in the new Hobart Business Park.
Yellow Corporation, which employs 86 people in Neenah and 261 statewide, announced it was permanently closing and laying off all employees.
Mayville Engineering Company officials announced plans to move their headquarters to Milwaukee in part because of the need to find skilled, technical workers.
Grants
The Brillion Area Family of Funds awarded nearly $6,000 in grants to seven local nonprofit organizations including Brillion Police Department, Brillion Public Library, Brillion School District, Friends of the Endries Performing Arts Center, GROW Foundation and Samaritan Counseling.
Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America awarded a total of $212,000 through the Agriculture Education and Classroom Equipment Grant program to 60 schools in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Each will receive up to $4,000. Northeast Wisconsin schools receiving funds include Campbellsport, Waupun and Howards Grove.
Northern Sky Theater announced it has received a matching grant of $13,530 from the Wisconsin Arts Board.
Secura Insurance donated $38,700 to Feeding America food banks in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
The Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh Alumni Association held its second annual golf outing fundraiser at Far Vu Golf Course and raised $15,000.
Shawano Area Fire Department has received a donation of $15,000 from Little Rapids Corporation/The Egan Family Foundation.
SSM Health Adult Day Services, Fond du Lac, is now utilizing its own handivan for client outings or unexpected transportation needs thanks to a $33,425 donation from the Agnesian HealthCare Foundation.
BayCare Clinic, a physician-owned specialty-care clinic in Northeast Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, will cover the costs of all fence and paint supplies for a 70-foot-long and 6-foot-high Green Bay Packers-themed fence mural. Additionally, BayCare Clinic will donate $2,000 to NEW Community Shelter, a nonprofit organization that provides shelter and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness from in Brown County.
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development announced that the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation has been awarded an additional $6.4 million to expand a federal grant program aimed at creating more resources and opportunities to support job seekers with disabilities pursuing a career in high-demand fields.
Construction
Bayland Buildings reported it is working on an 11,200-square-foot pre-engineered metal building for World Wide Sign Systems, Inc. in Bonduel that will be completed this fall. Bayland has completed construction on RGL Logistics’ 445,000-square-foot logistics warehouse in Appleton and a 3,600-square-foot addition to the Giraffe Barn Lodge at the NEW Zoo in Green Bay. Bayland has been selected as the general contractor for a 7,100-square-foot steel addition for Mountain Town Hall and has been selected as the design/build general contractor for a new 8,400-square-foot wood-framed strip mall facility in Bellevue.
Developers are proposing a 100-room Cambria Hotel & Suites as well as two free-standing commercial buildings to be constructed on 2.3 acres on Oneida Street in Ashwaubenon, north of Element Way. The project is being designed and constructed by Consolidated Construction Co. Inc. of Appleton. The project is owned and co-developed by Acts 1:8 Ministries of Green Bay. The co-developer is JCap Real Estate of Eau Claire.
Keller, Inc. has been chosen as the general contractor on a mini storage development and mini storage building addition project for Heritage Lake Storage, located at 1326 Mid Valley Drive in De Pere. It also has been selected as the general contractor on a 10,260-square-foot PEMB building addition for Ballard Marine Construction, located at 2395 American Drive in Neenah.
Ground was broken for a new 29,000-square-foot Shawano Municipal Utilities headquarters. The one-story facility will have sustainable features including geothermal and rooftop solar. The facility includes staff offices, warehouse, vehicular bays and a facility service center. Construction is expected to be completed in late summer of 2024 with Miron Construction Co., Inc. serving as the construction manager and Dimension IV serving as the architect.
Awards
Hawkins Ash CPAs is listed as a Top 200 Firm in the nation by Inside Public Accounting.
Lakeshore Technical College was named a 2023-2024 Military Spouse Friendly Top 10 School by Viqtory, a national organization that connects the military community to educational and entrepreneurial opportunities and civilian employment. Earlier this year, Lakeshore was awarded a Military Friendly School Gold designation.
Faith Technologies Incorporated, an engineering, construction, manufacturing and clean energy firm, earned a first place 2022-2023 Safety Excellence Award from the National Association of Women in Construction. This is the fourth consecutive year FTI has received this recognition.
Midwest Carriers, Kaukauna, was honored at the inaugural Rosie Awards presentation in Chicago with a national award for health plan excellence and stewardship.
Aurora Medical Center – Oshkosh is one of only 10 hospitals nationwide to be recognized with the 2023 Sustainability Championship Award granted by the American Society for Health Care Engineering, which is part of the American Hospital Association.
The Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin awarded Ahern with a 2023 BUILD Wisconsin award for Ahern’s specialty contracting work for Labcorp, a health care diagnostics company. The winning project transformed 25,000 square feet of office space into a state-of-the-art laboratory testing facility.
Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce announced nine companies as recipients of the Wisconsin Business Friend of the Environment Award. Outlook Group, Neenah, is a sustainability recipient in the medium category and Masters Gallery Foods, Plymouth, is an environmental stewardship recipient in the medium category.
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has been selected for Campus Pride’s “Best of the Best” list. UW-Green Bay achieved 5 out of 5 stars on the Campus Pride Index.
Lakeshore Technical College was named the best community college in Wisconsin and ninth best in the nation, according to the newest Niche rankings. Niche compares data from sources including the U.S. Department of Education and its own survey of current college students and recent alumni.
Education
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s Richard J. Resch School of Engineering has received national accreditation for the bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
Bellin Health is partnering with Ashwaubenon School District to provide sports medicine services to its student-athletes, faculty and staff. Dedicated athletic trainers will be on site to ensure the safety and well-being of student-athletes during practices and games.
All the rest
The Baird Creek Preservation Foundation hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Triangle Hill Bicycle Skills Park, marking the completion of a collaborative effort fueled by donations from organizations like Little Rapids Corporation and The Egan Family Foundation.
Appleton’s Octoberfest, an event of the Fox Cities Chamber, announced its first group of Octoberfest Champions to serve as VIPs and advocates before and at the event. Champions are: Appleton Lathing Corporation; MJI Building Services, LLC, Appleton; Touchmark on West Prospect, Appleton; and Vosstera, LLC, Menasha.
Renewal by Andersen of Greater Wisconsin and Quill Creative Studio have been named PULSE Champions of Young Professionals by the Fox Cities Chamber. This designation recognizes employers who pledge to provide support and a positive work environment for young professionals within their company.
The fundraising goal for a dog park in Green Bay’s Broadway District was reached recently when Vital Essentials agreed to become a naming rights sponsor. The dog park will be known as the Vital Essentials Dog Park and will be constructed at 325 N. Broadway in a vacant lot owned by the City of Green Bay Redevelopment Authority. The RDA is leasing the lot to On Broadway Inc. for the construction of this park.
The Howard Commons Activity Complex featuring skating, a splash pad, pavilion, amphitheater and beer garden has opened. The center at 2750 Howard Commons is open to residents and non-residents.
The Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance, working in conjunction with manufacturers, chambers of commerce and higher education in Fond du Lac and Marinette counties, has a new video series featuring what is made and careers in both counties. The new videos debuted as a kickoff to Manufacturing Month in the state of Wisconsin. The companies that are featured in the Fond du Lac County video are: Alliance Laundry Systems, BCI Burke, Integrity Saw & Tool, Mid-States Aluminum and Sadoff Iron & Metal. The products made are numerous, from washing machines to playground equipment. Marinette County videos feature: BPM Inc., Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Graetz Manufacturing, Samuel Pressure Vessel Group and Waupaca Foundry. The products that are made by these companies range from Navy ships to candy wrappers.
