Business development
Bank First Corporation of Manitowoc announced plans to merge with Fond du Lac-based Hometown Bancorp, Ltd., parent company of Hometown Bank.
Blankenheim spun off ErgoFactor, its ergonomic software and consulting division, as its own entity and employee-owned company — ErgoFactor Inc.
Holy Family Memorial and Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice entered into a preferred provider agreement for hospice services starting Sept. 1.
Horicon Bank and Cornerstone Community Bank announced plans to merge.
Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. and Neenah, Inc. merged and are operating as Mativ Holdings, Inc.
Prevea Health and Neuroscience Group announced a partnership to provide 24/7 neurosurgical and surgical spine care in the Green Bay community.
Business comings and goings
Ashley HomeStore will establish its 20th store in Wisconsin in the former Pick ’n Save location in Sheboygan.
AZCO announced plans to move its local corporate offices to a new 32,000-square-foot location in the heart of downtown Appleton.
CliftonLarsonAllen LLP opened a new office at the U.S. Venture Center in Titletown in Green Bay.
Doma opened its new office in the Broadway District of Green Bay.
Zach Norman became the new owner of Hi-Lo Bakery in Sheboygan.
Harbor Freight Tools is establishing a Fond du Lac location in the former Best Buy on Pioneer Road.
A Jiffy Lube store is proposed for the former Shopko parking lot in Sheboygan.
Skogen’s Festival Foods opened its newest location in Hartford.
Unity Grief and Education Center opened in De Pere.
Construction
Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport launched an $8.2 million exterior refresh project, including new paint on the outside of the terminal, new and updated security features for passengers, and resurfacing of the long-term and short-term parking lots. The airport also is adding or resuming new nonstop services this fall and winter to Las Vegas, Orlando, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Myers and Phoenix.
Bayland Buildings is working on or has completed projects for the Bowler School District in Bowler, Bellevue Senior Housing in Bellevue, RC Mowers USA in Suamico, Executive Storage in Sturgeon Bay, NV Technologies Fire & Security in Green Bay, The Alpine Resort (Phase I) in Egg Harbor, Crumbl Cookies in Sheboygan, RGL Logistics in Appleton and Starbucks in Sturgeon Bay.
Carnivore Meat Company began construction on its 235,000-square-foot pet food manufacturing facility in Green Bay.
Hamann Construction began a new warehousing facility for Manitowoc Tool & Manufacturing.
Keller, Inc. is working on projects or has completed projects for Door County Coffee & Tea Co. in Sturgeon Bay, Banner Banks in Hatley, Verona Family Dental in Verona, Marine Travelift in Sturgeon Bay and Endries International in Brillion.
MilliporeSigma broke ground at its Sheboygan site for the company’s first lateral flow membrane production facility in the United States.
Shea Electric & Communications, LLC is installing breezEV charging stations in the Oshkosh area for property owners, businesses and municipalities.
U-Haul acquired 4.66 acres of land in Kaukauna with plans to construct a four-story, 100,000-square-foot building.
Education
Lakeland University received a grant for $100,000 from Bader Philanthropies, Inc., of Milwaukee to fund a portion of its innovative Milwaukee Co-Op Year program, which allows students to try college for a year tuition-free.
Lakeshore Technical College will begin offering nursing assistant program instruction in a new learning lab in its Manitowoc campus. Additionally, Heidi Soodsma, executive assistant and senior advisor to the president, was awarded the 2022 Professional Board Staff Member Award from the Association of Community College Trustees.
A new academic partnership between the Chesterton Schools Network and Franciscan University of Steubenville is expanding dual credit opportunities for juniors and seniors at Kaukauna’s St. Ignatius Chesterton Academy.
THRIVE Calumet, a school-based mental health pilot program in five Calumet County school districts, saw 80% participation in mental health screening and 651 counseling sessions.
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is launching two new leadership programs through the Institute for Women’s Leadership in September as well as a new Nonprofit Leadership Certificate.
A multidisciplinary team at UW-Oshkosh was awarded a nearly $1 million, three-year National Science Foundation grant aimed at increasing and retaining women in academic STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) departments. UW-Oshkosh also received the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Postsecondary Sustainability Award.
Grants
The Town of Sheboygan will receive $9.5 million in state funds to finance public infrastructure for its North Town development. The 99-acre, mixed-use development will include retail space, a hotel, office space and a public town square, as well as more than 600 new apartment units, townhomes and single-family homes.
The David L. and Rita E. Nelson Family Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region awarded more than $6.24 million in grants to 32 nonprofits throughout Northeast Wisconsin. The fund has provided more than $21 million in grants since its creation four years ago.
Sheboygan County will receive more than $3 million in quarterly aid payments from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation as a part of the 2022 General Transportation, Connecting Highway and Expressway Policing Aids.
The City of Omro will receive a $1 million state Community Development Block Grant to fund utility and street repairs.
The Green Bay Packers Foundation is awarding $1.35 million in grants around the state, including $850,000 to Brown County alone, the largest donation the program has given out at one time.
The Green Bay Packers’ Packers Give Back program awarded a $250,000 impact grant to St. John’s Ministries to be used toward its capital projects. Additionally, the Packers hosted the first-ever soccer match at Lambeau Field featuring European soccer clubs FC Bayern Munich and Manchester City. The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame opened the new LeRoy Butler exhibit at the Lambeau Field Atrium.
The Community First Fox Cities Marathon Presented by Miron Construction donated $41,000 from last year’s events to 12 local nonprofits, running groups, nursing and police/fire education programs and police departments.
St. Norbert College will receive $33,292 in funding support from the U.S. Department of State’s Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Program.
US Cellular gave $30,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of the Fox Valley to provide educational opportunities and experiences to local youth.
The Stephenson National Bank & Trust awarded scholarships totaling $13,000 to recent local high school graduates.
Compassionate Connection Center received $2,000 from the Clintonville Area Foundation’s Community Heroes Award recipient Sue Aschliman. The award recognizes outstanding volunteers and allows the honoree to direct funds to local charities of choice.
Harbor House received a Lowe’s Hometown Grant for critical upgrades that enhance and expand Harbor House services.
Awards
Acuity was named to the 2022 Ward’s 50 list of top-performing property-casualty companies, putting the company in the top 2% of insurers nationwide.
Ahern was designated as the 160th largest environmental service provider in the country on Engineering News-Record magazine’s list of Top 200 Environmental Firms.
Bellin Hospital received its seventh-consecutive five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Community First Credit Union received the 2022 Crystal Performance Award by Raddon, a Fiserv Company, during its annual recognition of the top U.S. credit unions for financial performance.
The Nonprofit Leadership Initiative (NPLI), a program within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, recognized 22 graduates of three NPLI programs: the Leadership Institute, Board Academy and Financial Leadership.
HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center in Green Bay each received an “A” in patient safety from Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for spring 2022. HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital received the American Heart Association’s Silver Plus Get With The Guidelines-Stroke quality achievement award.
Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company was named one of Ward’s 50 top-performing property and casualty insurance companies for the 12th year in a row.
Secura Insurance earned a place among Ward’s 50 top-performing property and casualty insurers for its performance over a five-year period for the ninth consecutive year.
All the rest
Golden House launched the public phase of its On the Rise Campaign to raise $9.4 million, in part to build a new 34,000-square-foot facility to better serve domestic violence victims in Brown County.
Sheboygan Southpoint Development, LLC, will build a 100,000-square-foot stucco and metal spec industrial building in the SouthPointe Enterprise Campus by Nov. 2023.
The Green Bay Botanical Garden opened a new traveling exhibition called Habitat, developed by Smithsonian Gardens, which will be open through April 2023.
The Oshkosh Y Tennis Center changed its name to the Oshkosh Y Tennis & Pickleball Center.
Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company purchased Neenah Enterprises, Inc.
The Paine Art Center and Gardens in Oshkosh opened a new outdoor, nighttime exhibit called “The Nature of Light: An Exploration After Dark.”
The Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation completed a significant rebranding and new website for its Someplace Better initiative. The website is someplacebetter.org.
The 37th annual U.S. Venture Open raised $4.8 million to end poverty in Northeast Wisconsin in a charity event which brought in over 1,200 attendees including Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon.
Valley Packaging Industries changed its name to VPI, Inc.
Valley Transit announced hiring bonuses of up to $5,000 to address a driver shortage.
National wireless communication trade association CTIA Wireless Foundation awarded the 2021 Climate Changemaker Award to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
