Business Leader | Winter 2016

WINTER 2016

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The Chippewa Valley High-Tech Alliance
SponsorED BY

PRSRT STD
US Postage

PAID
Permit #203
Eau Claire, WI

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2 | ♦ January 25, 2016

WINTER 2016 Pg 4 COVER STORY

➤ Guest Columns �������������������� Pages 8, 13, 18 JAMF Software is one of 17 members in new tech organization.
➤ Business Directory ��������������������������� Page 9
➤ Book Review ���������������������������������� Page 12
➤ Campus News ��������������������������������� Page 16
➤ Briefcase ��������������������������������� Pages 20-25
➤ Crossword ������������������������������������� Page 26
➤ Calendar ����������������������������������� Page 27-30
➤ By The Numbers ������������������������������ Page 31

Graphic Design & Layout ~ Pg 10 Pg 14 COMMUNITY PROFILES
J_o_h_n_B_al_g_aa_rd_
Georgina Tegart and Don Garbers are featured.
Sales Director ~
_Ka_t_hy_.H_a_y_d_en_@_e_c_pc_.c_o_m_

Magazine Advertising &
Distribution Coordinator ~

[email protected]

Editor ~ Pg 15

[email protected] Luke Kempen brings diverse background to SBDC.

715-833-9215 or 800-236-7077 have implemented a host of programs to address the issue, and
a new organization backed predominantly by private-sector
The cover story in this edition of Business Leader details interests likely will help take those efforts to another level.
a new local organization — the Chippewa Valley High-
Tech Alliance — that aims to retain skilled workers in Quality of life is a key to attracting and retaining skilled
the area and draw others from outside the region. workers, and Eau Claire, Altoona, Chippewa Falls, Menomonie
The CVHTA is looking to promote western Wisconsin as a and the surrounding area have made investments in this area.
leader in technology. “A large number of companies – past, The region always has had an abundance of natural resources,
present and emerging – either employ technology as the core of but residents and visitors alike have a growing number of
their business, or rely on technology to deliver their products theater, music and dining options.
or services,” reads the organization’s website. Aside from 17
core members, the group has a list of partners that includes Here’s hoping advancements in the Chippewa Valley continue
such businesses as CURT Manufacturing, Manpower, Mason to improve the quality of life for residents and make the region
Cos. and Wipfli. an increasingly popular draw for skilled workers from outside
its borders.
Much has been made of a skills gap in Wisconsin. Some
businesses that are looking to hire are having trouble finding Contact: [email protected], 715-833-9215,
qualified candidates. Area universities, colleges and schools @marlaires on Twitter

Published four times per year by the Leader-Telegram advertising department. Copyright 2016 Eau Claire Press Co., 701 S. Farwell St., Eau Claire, WI 54701. All rights reserved. 800-236-7077. www.leadertelegram.com

COVER STORY

Staff file photo

Getting the word outJim Ward, pictured in 2014, is president of Applied Data Consultants.The company is one of 17 so far that have signed on to join the Chippewa Valley High-Tech Alliance.

Organization aims to brand Chippewa Valley as high-tech hubBy Eric Lindquist, Leader-Telegram staff

f they know about it, they will come.
That, essentially, is the philosophy behind

the newly formed Chippewa Valley High-Tech
Alliance, a group of area companies coming

Itogether to raise awareness of the region as a
they’re facing the same challenge as everybody
else: Where are we going to find the talent that we
need to grow?” Jahn said. “The challenge is how do
we become an importer of talent as opposed to an
exporter of talent in this region.”

technology leader. The issue is only expected to grow in importance

The alliance’s not-so-secret agenda is to attract over the next decade as more baby boomers reach

more talented people interested in high-tech careers retirement age and there aren’t enough skilled

to the Chippewa Valley. people to replace them.
Quality of life
“There is a labor shortage everywhere and we all
know it,” said Jim Ward, president of Chippewa

County town of Wheaton-based Applied Data With the location of technology industry jobs

Consultants, one of 17 companies so far that have increasingly limited only by where workers log on

signed on to be part of the alliance. “We want to to their computers or access high-speed Internet,

create a buzz and an awareness that there are some CVHTA leaders believe they have a recruiting

awesome high-tech jobs in the Chippewa Valley.” advantage over many other places because of

So far, so good, Ward said, as several partners the quality of life available in Chippewa Valley

and companies have contacted the alliance since its communities.

kickoff event in November. The key is to make potential employees aware of

Steve Jahn, executive director of the regional the opportunities available for both work and play

economic development group Momentum West, is in the region.

excited to see the private sector taking the lead on “If you’re married and have a couple kids, you’re

this important concern. never going to leave the Chippewa Valley because

“Technology is a big employment sector, and of our quality of life. It’s huge,” Ward said. “I travel

4 | ♦ January 25, 2016

around the country every week, and this is such a great large enough to have a lot going on but small enough that
place to come home to.” residents don’t have to spend two hours a day fighting
traffic to get to and from work. “I’m a Midwesterner and
Getting that word out to those unfamiliar with the area, I’m staying. Living in the Midwest is a great way to have a
however, remains a hurdle. life.”

Sam Zordich, CEO and founder of the Eau Claire- On a roll
based financial technology company RAI Stone Group,
has worked on both coasts and understands the image Not only does a smaller city offer a chance for greater
challenge facing Midwestern companies that hope to work-life balance than a major metro area, but it offers a
recruit employees from her old stomping grounds. significantly lower cost of living and gives residents more
opportunity to forge a connection with their community,
RAI Stone, which she launched in 2009, has nine Zordich said.
employees and provides data and does predictive
assessment for small financial industry companies The timing of Eau Claire’s downtown resurgence and the
throughout the United States and in the United Kingdom. increasingly national reputation of the local music scene
Yet she acknowledged that hiring people to work here who couldn’t be better.
have expertise in what she called the “bleeding edge” of
financial technology is tough. “That’s a great little intangible as we look to pull young
professionals into this area,” Ward said, adding with a
“When I tell friends on the East and West Coast I chuckle, “We’ve got a lot of cool stuff going on here and
moved to Eau Claire, they say, ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ ” Zordich you don’t have to put up with big-city traffic and the
said. “People there don’t think of this as a place that has Minnesota Vikings.”
anything to offer.”
Doug Rhoten, a senior software engineer with JAMF
But Zordich, also a professor for UW-Eau Claire’s Software, an international Apple device management
entrepreneurship program, strongly disagrees and is company co-founded by Eau Claire native Zach Halmstad,
optimistic the alliance can help get the word out about said he believes all of the development momentum,
what is available in the Chippewa Valley. combined with recent advances in the technology and
engineering offerings at UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout and
“In the Midwest, we don’t do a good job of tooting our
own horn,” said Zordich, who originally hailed from the See page 6
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|5

from Page 5

COVER STORY CVHTA

Staff file photo More information about the
Sam Zordich is CEO and founder of RAI Stone Group in Eau Claire. The business specializes in financial analysis software. Chippewa Valley High-Tech
Alliance is available
at cvhta.com or by emailing
[email protected].
Initial members of CVHTA are:
Applied Data Consultants,
Cray, Draft Design House,
Entropy Multimedia, Evrisko
Systems, Heartland Business
Systems, Hutchinson
Technology Inc., Idexx
Laboratories, Intel, JAMF
Software, JB Systems, RAI
Stone Group, Realityworks,
SGI, Satellite Six, Superion
Technology and WIN.

Chippewa Valley Technology College, has the lamented.
region at a tipping point that soon could bring However, job satisfaction may be even more
an influx of high-tech businesses and technology
professionals to the area. important than money for many tech-savvy
millennials and Generation X members.
Rhoten pointed to the 2013 decision by officials
from computer chip giant Intel to start an office in “We can pay well, but many of the kids these days
Eau Claire as an example. “They realized it would don’t really care,” Ward said. “They want to work on
be easier to hire a bunch of smart folks in Eau Claire cool, cutting-edge stuff. You’ve got to stay innovative
than it would be to go somewhere else and try to and cutting edge to keep your people happy or they’ll
get them to move there,” he said, noting that the go someplace else. They can make money anywhere.
joke among computer nerds based on the old “Intel They have to love what they’re doing and feel like
inside” advertising campaign is that “We now have they’re making a difference or they’re not motivated.”
Intel inside Eau Claire.”
Spinoff possibilities
Some companies without local operations also
are allowing employees to work remotely from the Economic development leaders recognize that
Chippewa Valley. attracting high-end talent, especially on the cutting
edge of the ever-changing technology industry, can
“There are a lot of talented people who really have lasting positive effects.
want to stay here,” said Rhoten, who has met
many of those folks through his work at JAMF The ultimate case in point is Cray Research. When
and his longtime involvement with a Chippewa computer genius Seymour Cray, who grew up in
Valley software developers group and Chippewa Chippewa Falls, decided in 1972 to leave a good job at
Valley code camps for adults and kids interested in Control Data Corp. in Minneapolis to form a company
creating software. in his hometown dedicated to building the world’s
fastest supercomputers, it made an unparalleled
Money factor impact on the regional economy.

An important hurdle involves getting talented Twenty years after the father of supercomputing
graduates of local higher educational institutions died from injuries sustained in a car accident, his
to recognize that salaries paid by area high-tech legacy lives on through multiple companies that
companies can be competitive with what they might have employed thousands of people in Eau Claire
receive in larger cities, especially when factoring in the and Chippewa Falls over the years. The most
cost of living, Ward said. obvious, Seattle-based Cray, still maintains most
of its manufacturing and development operations
“Some of them won’t even look here now,” Ward in Chippewa Falls and is the maker of three of the

6 | ♦ January 25, 2016

Staff photo by Marisa Wojcik
JAMF Software, which provides Apple device management products, is located at 215 Riverfront Terrace in Eau Claire.
The company now has eight locations around the globe. It added more than 1,900 new customers in 2015, boosting its clientele by 45 percent.

world’s seven fastest supercomputers. The company also is Increasing awareness of the diversity of high-tech
one of the founding members of CVHTA. companies operating in the region also is important so people
considering moving to the Chippewa Valley for a job know
Seymour Cray’s pioneering efforts also laid the groundwork there are other options — for themselves and their spouses —
for a regional economy that remains heavily oriented toward if things don’t work out, Schatz said.
high technology.
“We do have something special going on here, and the folks
The biggest source of national recognition of the Chippewa that formed the Chippewa Valley High-Tech Alliance see
Valley’s high-tech prowess probably still traces back to that,” Jahn said.
the original Cray days and all of the spinoff development
it generated, said Mike Schatz, economic development The challenge, he said, is to get that message to people
administrator for the city of Eau Claire. living outside the area, to college students who come to the
region to study and to talented high school students before
“You have quite a few people from those days that are they decide to leave.
still here,” Schatz said, noting that local officials continue to
nurture relationships with talented people from the area. Rhoten and others involved in the CVHTA are hopeful
the group will help make that possible by serving as a go-
“What other spinoffs potentially could happen?” Rhoten to source for people seeking information about regional
asked. “Maybe somebody else from this area will come up technology businesses and a sort of community megaphone
with the next big idea.” to promote the area’s high-tech offerings. Alliance leaders
said they plan to generate awareness through social media
Alliance members want to get the word out that the region and meetings with educators, lawmakers and business and
now is home to a whole new generation of companies building economic development groups.
and deploying technology in remarkable ways.
“It’s just a way to start the conversation and make people
“In the sectors we’re in, there is some amazing stuff going aware of what’s going on in the Chippewa Valley,” Rhoten said.
on here,” said Ward, whose company uses revolutionary Web
technologies and employs modern geographic information Contact: 715-833-9209, [email protected], @ealscoop on Twitter
systems in serving clients throughout the nation. “We don’t
have the quantity of high-tech businesses as the Twin Cities, Featured
but what we can tout is that a lot of the companies we do in this
have here are national leaders and some are expanding article
internationally.”
Jahn Rhoten Schatz
‘Something special’

Zordich added this message for potential high-tech job
seekers: “If you have an area you have a passion about
working in, it’s probably available here.”

January 25, 2016 ♦ |7

CEO SPEAK

lMeaanodrageerr Jeff West is the owner of
Bear Down, an executive and
Latter marked by maximizing executive team coaching
potential, promoting initiative company based in Eau
and allowing for mistakes Claire (beardowninc.com).
He was a founder and CEO
of Silicon Logic Engineering.
West also currently chairs
the local chapter of TEC (The
Executive Committee) and
Business Partners, a local
small-business group. He
may be reached at 715-559-
2195 or jeffatbeardown@
gmail.com.

“Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible.”

Colin Powell, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and U.S. Secretary of State

HBy Jeff West When I ask about leadership everyone has an opinion
as your business grown to the point of what great leadership is. But if it’s so easy to
where you should be spending less time define, why does it seem to be so uncommon?
on the day-to-day details and more on
developing your people? Management jobs are often about controlling things.
Making sure processes within a company are adhered
Did you receive a promotion recently that makes to, schedules are followed and goals hit requires
you responsible for others? Have you recently been someone with good executing skills.
hired for a new job that has people looking to you
for direction? Bottom line: Are you now in a position It’s easy to see why the status quo can become
of leadership? If the answer is yes, ask yourself this: so ingrained. If something has been working, why
Why should anyone want to be led by you? change it?

With great leadership the realm of possibility is A leadership position, though, necessitates our
nearly endless. Yet how many truly great leaders have looking at the bigger picture. The status quo is the
you known? first thing we need to confront, and our feelings about
control need to be challenged.
The issue is many leaders are hired or promoted for
the wrong reasons. Leadership often takes the bronze If you find yourself in a leadership position and
prize with the cool job title and increase in pay being believe control is the way to lead, ask yourself these
the gold and silver. It’s something frequently given questions: Does control help maximize the potential
because of seniority or family connections or because of the people working for you? Does it help them take
of personal marketing. Rather than seeing it as a more initiative? Does it allow them the safety to make
privilege and opportunity to serve others, many new mistakes and learn from them? Is it the best way to
“leaders” make the big mistake of trying to lead with develop their personal talents?
control. This doesn’t necessarily make them control
freaks; they’ve just never been taught what great In his great book, “Hacking Leadership,” Mike
leadership is all about. Myatt writes, “Controlling leaders create bottlenecks,
rather than increase throughput. They signal a lack
Companies spend a lot of time and resources of trust and confidence and often come across as
training people on the technical side of their jobs. insensitive if not arrogant. When you experience
However, when it comes to leadership it’s often weak teams, micromanagement, frequent turf wars,
passed off to HR or some outside company with their high stress, operational strain, and a culture of fear,
12 DVD series, if it’s done at all. you are experiencing what control has to offer – not
very attractive is it?”
What I see a lot of times is a manager, who’s done
a good job, put into a leadership position with no Less than 12 percent of the original Fortune 500
thought to the distinction in the job requirements. companies are still on the list today. Yes, I know

8 | ♦ January 25, 2016

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COMMUNITY PROFILE Wtroarlvdeler

Photo by Pamela Powers

Foundation director putting roots down in Dunn County

By Pamela Powers, Menomonie News Bureau The foundation, which started in 1995, has assets of
about $5 million, she noted.
GMENOMONIE
rowing up the daughter of a civil engineer, If Tegart has one dream for the community
Georgina Tegart lived in 21 different foundation, it would be to have more than $1 million
homes before she was 21 years old. in unrestricted general funding. There currently is
Born in the Stafford, England, area, the about $500,000, but the foundation gets many more
Community Foundation of Dunn County requests for funding than there is money available.
executive director’s family traveled
around the world, living mostly in Africa The community foundation provides for groups in
and the Middle East. need of assistance for expenses and events that serve
“I think one of the advantages is I’m always up for the community. In 2015, beneficiaries included: the
an adventure,” Tegart said. “I love traveling.” Boys & Girls Club, which received funding for health
and nutrition programs; Habitat for Humanity, which
On the negative side, she never really got to set received funding to ensure new homes were built in
down roots, often staying in each place less than two the community; Stepping Stones of Dunn County,
years. which received funds for updates to facilities and
equipment at a food pantry and homeless shelter; and
Tegart, 42, decided she wanted her daughter, the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts, which was able
Elizabeth, 4, to have a more traditional childhood to professionally tune and repair its Steere and Turner
within two hours of her extended family in Wausau. pipe organ.
Tegart lives in an 1887 farmhouse on 20 acres in rural
Downing. “It makes this a better place to work, live and play,”
Tegart said.
Fresh start
Tegart started at the Community Foundation of Bruce Siebold, chairman of the Community
Dunn County in December 2013. Foundation of Dunn County board of directors, said
Tegart is one of the most intelligent people he has
When the position was advertised, she had no idea ever met and is fearless in facing challenges.
where Menomonie was but started researching the
organization. “She is extraordinary in her vision, energy and
excitement of working for a nonprofit organization,”
“I was blown away by that concept of a community he said.
having its own charitable endowments,” she said.
“This is the key to unlocking the charitable capital of Tegart has a genuine interest in helping people and
a community.”

10 | ♦ January 25, 2016

making Dunn County a better place to live, he added. Physical Work LET SPARKLE WASH
Clint Moses, vice chairman of the Community SOLVE YOUR BUSINESS
When Georgina Tegart took CHALLENGES TO ACHIEVE
Foundation of Dunn County board, also said Tegart is great a job at a fly fishing and
to work with. horseback riding lodge in YOUR POTENTIAL
Argentina, she did not ride nor
“Georgina has a lot of energy and has a lot of know- speak Spanish. Dumpster Areas Before
how working with smaller nonprofits like we have in
Dunn County,” Moses said. “Once she gets a clear goal or When she arrived, she had Shop Interiors After
direction from the board, she is very good at zeroing in on to ride a horse eight hours & Exteriors
a target.” to get to a lodge. She rode a
quarterhorse named Mucho Garage Floors
Tegart earned sociology and psychology degrees from and also learned Spanish
UW-Madison and is currently working on her master’s by immersion. She would Fleet • Signs
degree in nonprofit management from DePaul University eventually stay year-round and
in Chicago. After graduating from UW-Madison she work with the cowboys and run Awnings
worked in the Department of Psychology at the University cattle in the lodge’s offseason.
of Illinois. When she turned 30 she decided it was time for Grafitti Removal Before
a change and became a wedding planner in Chicago. Tegart is currently working
on rehabilitating an 1887 Protect your
“I had an amazing niche marked for putting on beautiful farmhouse in rural Downing. business
weddings in downtown Chicago,” she said. She also The project takes up much of
planned destination weddings to places such as the her free time. investment! After
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Tegart enjoyed the position for about five years, but she planner business she started,
tired of all the planning, marketing and financial bookwork Tegart worked as a tree sparklewash.com/eauclaire
required of a small-business owner. specialist. She would climb
trees and cut them down. After FREE ESTIMATES
Eventually she took a job at a fly fishing and horseback eight months at the job she said FULLY INSURED
riding ranch in the Patagonia region of Argentina. She she grew quite strong and also
could not speak Spanish at the time nor could she ride a earned her commercial driving
horse. license, which she still has.

“It was an eight-hour horseback ride from the closest “I know I can push my body to
town,” she said. “There was no electricity. I had to cook extremes,” she said. “I don’t think
everything over an open fire. I was the maid, the cook, we realize we can be strong.”
riding guide and hostess.”
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She meant to stay only a few months to gain experience
so she could become a hotel event planner, but ended up
staying in Argentina for about five years. In the offseason
she would work with the cowboys and run cattle with
them.

“It was beautiful,” she said. She lived in the foothills
of the Andes Mountains, building two greenhouses and
growing organic vegetables and learning to preserve them.
She also had a solar panel for electricity.

“I lived off the land,” Tegart said. “If you didn’t grow it
or raise it, you didn’t have it, period.”

When she decided to have a family, Tegart moved back
to the U.S. to be closer to her parents in Wausau. She also
finds her position with the community foundation both
fulfilling and worthwhile.

“It’s the best job in the world,” she said of being the
executive director. “I am so grateful every day. My job is to
give money to worthy causes.”

She also gets to work with other nonprofit groups,
donors, government leaders and businesses.

“I really have a birds’ eye view of Dunn County,” she
said.

Contact: 715-556-9018, [email protected],
@MenomonieBureau on Twitter

796319_1-25-16

January 25, 2016 ♦ | 11

Book Review

Inspirational
tales

Kotb uses real-life stories Title: “Where We
to encourage, enlighten Belong: Journeys That

YBy Terri Schlichenmeyer Show Us the Way.”
Authors: Hoda Kotb
The Bookworm with Jane Lorenzini.

ou have to be somewhere today. Pages: 272.
There’s no hurry or schedule Publisher: Simon &
Schuster (c.2016).
to follow, but you must get there
on time. You don’t have a map wanted children and had taken steps to ensure that it
or itinerary and the destination didn’t happen; his wife, Kathi, had known about his
might be a surprise but once you tenets when they were dating, and she accepted them.
arrive, as happens in the new book She was, therefore, very surprised when Craig came
“Where We Belong” by Hoda Kotb home after a golf outing and announced that he had an
(with Jane Lorenzini), you’ll be in idea that ultimately changed their lives and their family,
exactly the right place. when two became five.

It’s natural: a turn of the calendar, and you’re feeling Kay Abrahams grew up in the lap of luxury with
everything she wanted — except parental attention,
some inner restlessness. It’s okay to admit it, says Kotb which she longed for. Her parents loved her, but they
were busy with careers and had little time for her.
— you sense that there’s more to life and you yearn to Eventually, she fell into the same situation but a move
halfway across the country helped her find the “family”
find it. The good news is that it’s never too late to start she needed.

working toward that perfect spot in your world; in fact, And for successful businessman Lindley DeGarmo,
the move away from a sales career meant moving
here, Kotb introduces readers to people who did. toward a job closer to his heart – and to his soul.

Michelle Hauser grew So where’s your turning point? It won’t be identical
to the ones you’ll find inside “Where We Belong,” but
up in Mason City, Iowa, you’ll get a lot of inspiration just the same; you’ll also
get a lot of same. Indeed, the stories here are all very
living sometimes with her similar and, with one exception, pre-existing wealth
shows up quite often in the tales. That may turn a few
mother and sometimes with readers off.

her father. By age 10, she And yet, who doesn’t struggle with New Year’s
resolutions? If you’ve made ‘em, you probably do,
skillfully ran a household; at and Kotb offers something here that’ll energize you:
true, encouraging stories. If those everyday people can
12, she landed a paying job identify, find and accomplish life-changing goals, surely
you can too.
because she sensed a need
And so, in the end, I mostly enjoyed “Where We
for self-sufficiency; at 14, Belong.” It’s a happy book, perhaps just what’s needed
to start a year with myriad possibilities. And if you’re
she worked in a restaurant, eager for that, then this book belongs in your hands.

where her love of cooking

The Bookworm is Terri was cemented. She ultimately
Schlichenmeyer. Terri has
been reading since she became a chef but, throughout
was 3 years old and never her life, she always harbored
goes anywhere without a a dream of being a doctor. It
book. She lives on a hill in would be even better if her
Wisconsin with two dogs two passions could unite.
and 12,000 books.
Craig Juntenen never

12 | ♦ January 25, 2016

Sptoasyiintigve Guest Column

Adam Mohr is a managing
partner of the Ameriprise
Platinum Financial Services
team of Mohr, Kolinski,
Noe & Associates. Mohr
specializes in building

and protecting multi-

generational wealth as well

as helping pre-retirees and

Remaining calm key despite chaos around us retirees create strategies for
recreating their paycheck at
which point they choose to

By Adam Mohr stop working. His office and
home are in Altoona.

IAmeriprise Platinum Financial Services Historical perspective, however, doesn’t help sell ad space. It doesn’t
t’s not all bad ... create the necessary feeding frenzy of doomsayers who are glued to the
I understand why it seems like the world is headed into a news with laser focus on everything currently wrong with the world,
downward spiral. Uncertainty and fear dominate the 24/7 news the markets and the economy. What’s worse is these pessimists breed
cycles, our water cooler discussions, our minds, and far too other pessimists in plague-like speed and proportions.
often, our decisions. I would argue that every generation thinks
theirs bears the greatest burden. With a sigh of longing, I often If you get nothing else from my commentary, understand this: There
hear “If only life were like it was in the good ‘ol days.” has been and always will be world troubles that spook us and cause us
If we are able to stretch our memories past this morning’s headlines, to re-evaluate our decisions and tempt us to make hasty ones. The stock
we would remember that just within the last 40 years, we have market will continue to go up and down, terrorist groups will dissipate
witnessed events that have tested humanity’s limits, and yet we have while new ones will be birthed and innovation will surely continue to
managed to move forward. If history has taught us anything, it’s that create goods and services we can’t even yet dream up. Because I am
mankind is resilient, adaptable and genetically inclined to innovate. only certain about the certainty of uncertainty, I choose to focus on
In order to put things into perspective, let’s consider the last four probabilities not possibilities. The sun may not rise tomorrow, but I’m
decades. pretty darn sure it will.
1975: Saigon falls; two assassination attempts on President Ford;
American and Soviet spacecraft join in space; U.S. inflation and
unemployment both over 9 percent; of the world’s population of
4.1 billion, half live in poverty; U.S. real GDP hits $5.49 trillion; S&P
500 closes at 90.19 with earnings and dividends at $7.71 and $3.73,
respectively.
1985: TWA flight 847 hijacked by Hezbollah; first dot-com created;
Windows 1.0 debuts; first successful heart transplant; global population
is 4.85 billion; U.S. real GDP reaches $7.71 trillion; S&P 500 closes at
211.28 with earnings and dividends at $15.68 and $8.20, respectively.
1995: Oklahoma City bombing; O.J. Simpson trial; Israeli Prime
Minister Yitzhak Rabin assassinated; U.S. sanctions imposed against
Iran; eBay opens online auction; global population at 5.7 billion; U.S.
real GDP hits $10.28 trillion; S&P 500 closes at 615.93 with earnings and
dividends at $37.70 and $14.17, respectively.
2005: Hurricane Katrina; Saddam Hussein on trial; rising oil prices;
terrorist attacks on London’s transportation system; Microsoft releases
Xbox 360; global population at 6.5 billion; U.S. real GDP at $14.37
trillion; S&P 500 closes at 1,248.29 with earnings and dividends at $76.45
and $22.38, respectively.
2015: Rise of ISIS; Iranian nuclear agreement; Syrian refugee crisis;
“Black Lives Matter” riots; Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage; one
million consumer drones sold in U.S.; global population at 7.29 billion
(of which less than 10 percent live in poverty); U.S. real GDP around
$16.4 trillion; S&P 500 closes at 2,043.94 with earnings and dividends
reported at $118 and $43, respectively. Member FDIC

Thus is the tale of a mere 40 years. Through turmoil and triumph, northwesternbank.com
we’ve experienced global population growth near 80 percent all the
while extreme poverty was slashed from 50 to 10 percent. Real U.S.
GDP more than tripled and the S&P 500 rose more than 20 times with Your Business Banking Resource
an earnings increase in excess of 15 times and a dividend boost near 12
times. Simply stated, we’ve experienced the greatest creation of wealth Eau Claire 715-839-8642

over the last four decades than in the history of the world despite wars, Chippewa Falls 715-723-4461 795838_1-25-16
terrorist attacks, natural disasters, threats to natural resources, and the
list goes on. Member FDIC

January 25, 2016 ♦ | 13

COMMUNITY PROFILE Ecloemctrpiacny

Steady growth marks family- Don Garbers shows an example of his work at Garbers Electric Motor Repair. Photo by Chris Vetter.
run motor repair shop
I’ve done it all my career,” Don said. “You learn a lot
WBy Chris Vetter, Chippewa Falls News Bureau from the experience of older guys, and now I’m one
of the older guys.”
CHIPPEWA FALLS
Chippewa Falls Mayor Greg Hoffman praised the
hen Don and Nancy Garbers first Garbers for leading one of the many businesses that
opened Garbers Electric Motor stay under the radar but add to the city.
Repair in 1997 on Canal Street in
Chippewa Falls, they found out “They are great people, and they’ve been very
immediately there was a huge successful,” Hoffman said. “I think they do an
demand for their business. excellent job.”
“The morning we started, we had motors show up
on our front steps,” Nancy Garbers said. The Garbers are originally from the La Crosse area,
That location was only 1,400 square feet in size, so but moved around the state as Don took jobs at large
they moved a couple years later to a 4,700-square- and small shops. He has 40 years of experience in the
foot building. When that also proved to be too business and was excited about taking the plunge
small, the Garbers acquired a 2.5-acre property at and opening his own shop in Chippewa Falls nearly
1975 Olson Drive on the east side of the city and two decades ago. The move has paid off.
constructed a new 7,200-square-foot facility.
“We do everything from small furnace motors to “The people just accepted us when we first came
big motors for pumps,” Nancy explained. “When to town,” Don said. “It’s a good feeling, that our
we’re done re-winding a motor, it’s better than new.” customers trust us.”
The Garbers don’t fix motors that run on gasoline,
such as a car. Instead, they focus on electric motors, He is constantly acquiring the latest equipment to
working on everything from fans to furnaces to air help him stay at the forefront of his industry.
conditioners and farm equipment.
“We’ve grown tremendously,” Nancy said. “In “You have to have the vision to keep growing,”
2014, we had a 30 percent increase. We get business Don said. “Our field is changing so much.”
from a 100-mile radius.”
Including the husband-and-wife team, the Garbers While some people might be annoyed by having
employ six people in their shop. Don, 63, and Nancy, their weekends interrupted by a call for service, Don
60, have three generations working there – their says that is the best part of his job – getting a call
son, Tim, is in sales, and their grandson, Conner, is from someone who needs his help right now, and
learning the business by helping in the shop. being able to fix it for them. For example, if a furnace
Don shows off the steps of re-winding a motor, goes out in the winter, and he’s the one people turn
placing all new wiring throughout the component. to for assistance.
It’s a skill he plans to teach Conner.
“It’s tedious – it’s hard to teach young kids, but “Saturdays, Sundays, we’ll do whatever it takes,”
♦ January 25, 2016 Don said.

Contact: 715-723-0303, [email protected]

14 |

Entrepreneur COMMUNITY PROFILE
advocate
Luke Kempen, director of the
Kempen brings private-sector background to SBDC UW-Eau Claire Small Business
Development Center, is pictured
in his office at 7 S. Dewey St. “The
most rewarding part of this job is
the passion of the people looking to
start a business,” he said.

TTBy Gabriel Lagarde, Leader-Telegram staff In his capacities as both the director of the SBDC and Hart Schaffner
he director of UW-Eau Claire’s Small Business the university’s Outreach Program, Kempen believes Marx
Development Center may not seem like a driven one of his most important functions is to guide fledgling Formal & Business
man. entrepreneurs into business environments where they Attire
Laid-back and soft-spoken, Luke Kempen would have no experience and many misconceptions. Made in the USA
be the first one to say that he’s “not wired to be up or Muldoon’s Men’s Wear
down,” but judging by his career, the man’s even-keeled “I never tell anybody ‘Hey, you shouldn’t start a 1506 S. Hastings Way
persona belies a strong independent streak that drew him business,’ but I will ask them questions,” said Kempen, Eau Claire, WI 54701
out of the corporate world to start his own business in who noted that a potential business owner must be www.muldoons.com
2002. prepared to meticulously gather information, plan 715-832-3502
thoroughly and work more than 80 hours a week for less
Kempen had been working as a certified public pay before they can expect their business to grow.
accountant for over a decade — both in private practice and
among large national firms — when he founded Nature’s Unsurprisingly, in the Entrepreneurial Training Program
Pride Organic Lawn System in the Eau Claire area. His he teaches every semester, Kempen estimates only half of
personality clashed with the bureaucracies of the corporate his students attempt to start their own business.
world, something he believes has its roots in his childhood
as one of 11 children on a small family farm near tiny The most important question an entrepreneur must
Catawba in Price County. Farm life taught him fundamental ask themselves is if their family is ready for the challenge,
lessons about teamwork and self-reliance and he values Kempen said. It was ultimately this question that led
those lessons above anything he learned during his years him to sell Nature’s Pride when it outgrew its Eau Claire
as an accounting student at UW-Eau Claire or during his market five years after he founded it. Expanding the
career. It also gave him that strong independent streak. business would have put unnecessary pressure on his
wife, Rhonda, and their two sons, Austin and Trevor.
Kempen now uses his experiences, both as an Kempen became a consultant and subsequently joined the
accountant and as a successful entrepreneur, as the development center.
director of the SBDC, which specializes in aiding small
businesses (typically 50 employees or fewer) with their He doesn’t point to any particular moment during his
financing and marketing needs. career with pride nor does he harbor regrets for how it
progressed. When he isn’t tirelessly working, he spends
The center services roughly 200 clients in eight counties his free time alone, whether it’s working with wood as a
and has enjoyed success under Kempen’s two-year tenure. carpenter or biking to reach his 75-mile weekly goal on
UW-Eau Claire’s SBDC has helped create 44 businesses Wisconsin’s roads.
and 92 jobs, met or surpassed every one of its metrics and
garnered national recognition for its work. But, while Kempen is content for the time being, there is
always his entrepreneurial spirit, something Kempen calls
“The most rewarding part of this job is the passion of “the itch.” He said all it will take is the right idea and the
the people looking to start a business,” Kempen said. “If right situation for him to start a new business and pull up
you don’t have the passion for what you’re doing, you’re stakes once again.
probably not going to make it.”
Contact: 715-833-9203, [email protected]

796045 1-25-16

WWW.SFBANK.COM • 4217 SOUTHTOWNE DRIVE • EAU CLAIRE • 715-833-7685

January 25, 2016 ♦ | 15

CAMPUS NEWS Training programs
abound at CVTC
Staff members from the Robert S. Swanson Library and Learning Center celebrate their victory in the campus Biggest Reducer Energy Conservation Competition.
Signs show how they contributed to the effort. Contributed photo. By CVTC
Chippewa Valley Technical College
Competition yields savings By UW-Stout
provides customized training for area
MENOMONIE — UW-Stout saved nearly consumption by 26 percent. The University businesses and organizations.
$4,000 in November, thanks to students, faculty Services Building was second with a 20.3
and staff who began paying close attention to percent drop, while the Memorial Student Depending on training needs, sessions
how much electricity they were using. Center was third at 12.3 percent. can take place on-site at the company or
organization or at one of CVTC's campuses.
The Biggest Reducer Energy Conservation Efforts by students, faculty and staff in all The technical college has locations in
Competition was held during the month, buildings saved UW-Stout $3,806 in electricity. Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, Menomonie,
pitting academic and administration buildings Saving that much electricity translates into Neillsville and River Falls.
against one another to see which one could reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 57,359
cut its electrical energy use the most compared pounds, or the equivalent of 2,928 gallons of Core categories in which CVTC
with the previous November. gasoline or 27,946 pounds of coal. provides training are: business technology,
leadership development, emergency
The winner was the Robert S. Swanson The results were achieved through various medical services, manufacturing, safety and
Library and Learning Center, which reduced measures, including shutting off lights in compliance, and transportation. The school
also has access to Workforce Advancement
Training grants for qualified applicants.

For more information about
training opportunities, visit cvtc.edu/
businessindustry, email businessindustry@
cvtc.edu or call 800-547-2882, ext. 4676.

unused rooms and other areas, sharing
printers, unplugging unused electrical devices
and taking stairs instead of elevators.

Employees could click on a website
throughout the month to monitor the
competition and to see how their building was
faring.

The competition was sponsored by the
Sustainability Office at UW-Stout. The previous
year, the office sponsored a similar contest
among student residence halls, resulting in
$2,587 in electrical cost savings.

UW-EC intern earns full-time post By UW-Eau Claire
A week before he graduated from UW-Eau his problem-solving, communication and and ensure they were satisfied.
Claire, Christian Dooley got an unexpected interpersonal skills that helped him stand out “When people called, you didn’t know what
but very welcome email — JAMF Software as an intern and gave him an edge when the
was offering him a full-time job in its Eau company was considering hiring him as a full- kind of issue they were going to be having so
Claire office. time employee, he says. you had to be ready for whatever they threw
at you,” Dooley says of his yearlong 20-hour
Dooley, who earned his degree in “When I started my internship, my per week paid internship with JAMF. “That’s
information systems with an emphasis in supervisor gave me a list of things I would do, where the critical thinking and problem-
systems development in May 2014, had and I knew how to do none of them,” Dooley solving skills came in. You had to think on
worked as an intern for the growing software says. “JAMF has molded me into the employee your feet and really be ready for anything.”
company during his last year of college. they want me to be, but UW-Eau Claire helped
me develop the kinds of skills that made me Dooley says he was surprised when he
“I loved my internship and was really someone they wanted to hire. learned that his first supervisor at JAMF was
happy that JAMF wanted to roll it into a a geology major and that many of his co-
full-time position,” says Dooley. “I couldn’t “I showed them as an intern that I can solve workers had majors from disciplines outside
ask for a better place to work. They treat their problems, ask and answer questions, and of the College of Business.
employees really well; I have great co-workers work as part of a team. UW-Eau Claire helped
and I like the job a lot.” me develop a lot of those skills. The speech But once he got to know the company’s
classes, technical writing classes and group culture, it made a lot of sense, he says.
So what was Dooley’s secret to landing first projects all really do matter.”
an internship and then a full-time job with the “At JAMF, and I think at a lot of other
thriving software company? As an intern, Dooley answered phones and places, they hire people who can learn to do
served as the first line of service for JAMF the job,” Dooley says. “It’s about being the
Making the most of all that UW-Eau Claire customers. He was charged with gathering right fit. It’s not so much about what you
had to offer. information and working independently or as already know. They can teach you the job but
part of a team to solve customers’ problems they want to know you have the skills to do it
While his UW-Eau Claire coursework gave well and the ability to learn quickly.”
him a strong foundation of knowledge, it was

16 | ♦ January 25, 2016

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January 25, 2016 ♦ | 17

Guest Column

TheinAtCheANew Year

Changes and challenges keep employers on their toes

By Attorney Benjamin R. Jones Cash-in-lieu of health insurance
will count against “affordability,”
SSWeld, Riley, Prenn & Ricci just not quite yet
ince 2010, it seems as if employers
of all sizes engage in the perpetual An employer subject to the Employer Mandate that
effort of preparing for and adjusting to offers insurance to a full-time employee not considered
the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This “affordable” could face a tax penalty of $3,000 for that
preparation is made all the more difficult as employee. As defined by the ACA, an offered insurance
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) publishes plan is “affordable” for a full-time employee if the
new regulations, delays the enforcement of employee is required to pay less than 9.5 percent of the
others and sometimes fails to provide any employee’s household income toward offered single
practical guidance for difficult issues. coverage insurance.

With the new year, it is useful to review a few ongoing On Dec. 16, the IRS announced that any payment offered
ACA developments and potentially expensive blind spots, to employees choosing to opt out of participation in a
particularly because 2016 is the first year ACA reporting is health insurance plan must be added to the premium cost
due and the “Employer Mandate” becomes fully applicable. of the plan for purposes of “affordability.” An employee
that must elect to forego a monthly cash opt-out payment
As a general reminder, employers with more than 50 is, according to the IRS, in the same position as if that
full-time equivalent employees are required to offer health foregone payment was an added premium cost.
insurance to all full-time employees or pay a penalty, and
these large employers must report certain information This rule will not apply before new regulations are
to the IRS using the dreaded forms 1094-C and 1095-C. effective and, until that time, opt-out payments do not
Employers of any size not reporting information on these need to be included as a cost for purposes of affordability.
forms may still be required to report health insurance Therefore, when completing forms 1094-C and 1095-C
enrollment information using forms 1094-B and 1095-B if for tax year 2015, employers will temporarily not have
offering self-funded health benefits. to include opt-out payments when completing line 15
of 1095-C. This relief period only applies to any opt-out
Deadline delayed for distributing arrangement that was in effect or approved before Dec.
reporting forms to employees 16 and until such time as relevant regulations become
effective.
On Dec. 28, the IRS extended the deadlines for filing ACA
reporting forms with the IRS and distributing forms to Avoid knee-jerk retaliation against
employees for tax year 2015. The deadline for forms 1095-B, employees
Health Coverage and 1095-C, Employer-Provided Health
Insurance Offer and Coverage is extended from Feb. 1 to With the Employer Mandate essentially in full effect,
March 31 of this year. penalty notices from the IRS are imminent. Because of the
complexity of Employer Mandate regulations, it is safe to
Employees will not need to wait to file their taxes or file assume that a number of employers will be penalized by
an amended return to incorporate these forms if employees
rely on other information when filing to determine if they
had minimum health insurance coverage or would qualify
for ACA subsidies.

18 | ♦ January 25, 2016

the IRS, even if the employer believed itself to be ACA hours worked by an entire department?
compliant. Unfortunately, these questions have not directly been

While employers can and should review and update answered by ACA regulations and will probably have to be
policies and procedures to address any penalty assessment, answered through future litigation. The trick for employers is
employers may want to avoid taking adverse action against to recognize this issue once it arises and to mitigate the risk of
employees that triggered the penalty assessment. The engaging in costly litigation by consulting with legal counsel.
purchase of health insurance through the ACA exchange
is what will typically trigger Employer Mandate penalties, Cadillac Tax delayed, but should
and the ACA protects employees that purchase insurance not yet be forgotten
through the ACA exchange market from retaliation by
employers. President Obama signed a new appropriations act into
law on Dec. 18, which included a two-year delay of the so-
For example, employer XYZ Inc. is subject to the called “Cadillac Tax.” The Cadillac Tax is a 40 percent excise
Employer Mandate. XYZ believes it has offered insurance tax imposed on the value of employer-sponsored health
to all of its full-time employees and should therefore be insurance that exceeds a certain threshold. This tax was set
free from any ACA penalty. The IRS sends notice to XYZ to apply on Jan. 1, 2018, but will now begin Jan. 1, 2020.
that it will be penalized $3,000 because employee John
Doe purchased subsidized insurance through the ACA The Cadillac Tax is designed to slow the growth of
exchange, qualified for subsidies and John Doe reported insurance premiums and health care costs by reducing tax
working more hours than XYZ had anticipated. XYZ advantages associated with generous employer-provided
promptly terminates John Doe as a result of the $3,000 health insurance plans. This tax is supported by a number
penalty. of economists, but consistently receives bipartisan criticism.
Whether or not the Cadillac Tax will survive political
This is an example of retaliation that likely violates the challenge through 2020 remains to be seen, but for now
ACA’s anti-retaliation provisions. XYZ fired an employee employers have two additional years to try to bend their
for purchasing subsidized insurance. Less clear, however, is own health insurance premium cost curve.
what if XYZ simply reduced the hours of this employee? Or
terminated John Doe for working unauthorized hours? Or This article should not be construed as legal advice and is intended for
transferred the employee to a different shift or department? general information purposes only. If you have any questions regarding
Or what if XYZ responded to the penalty by reducing the this article, you should consult your legal counsel.

795799 1-25-16

January 25, 2016 ♦ | 19

briefcase

Disposal service earns top prize founded Chippewa Valley Entrepreneurs, “a free, member-led,
confidential, peer-sharing group of like-minded entrepreneurs,”
according to the organization’s website.

Dye is a member of EO, or Entrepreneurs’ Organization, an
international group with a chapter in Minneapolis. He decided a
similar organization locally would be of value.

“The main goal of the group is to support entrepreneurs in
the area to build their businesses and manage the challenges of
entrepreneurship,” he said.

Visit chippewavalleyentrepreneurs.org or email sdye@
senasys.com for details.

Staff photo by Steve Kinderman Area business incubator planned
A local partnership of the city of River Falls, River Falls
Gorilla Dumpster Bag, run by Steve Faacks, left, and Chris Economic Development Corp., UW-River Falls and Chippewa
Hansen, earned the grand prize and an award valued at Valley Technical College was awarded a $1.4 million grant to
$5,000 in The Idea Challenge, an Eau Claire Area Economic construct a business incubator to serve the St. Croix Valley
Development Corp. program. region.

Gorilla Dumpster Bag was launched to compete with The U.S. Economic Development Administration Investments
traditional disposal services that, according to Faacks, rely on for Public Works and Economic Development Facilities grant
metal dumpsters that are heavy, lack flexibility, have limited will fund the creation and construction of the St. Croix Valley
placement options and take considerable time to order and set Business Incubator, which will have about 13,000 square
up. feet dedicated to general manufacturing and 18,000 square
feet occupied by offices and common areas. The facility will
Finalists in The Idea Challenge also were Aunt K’s Natural be located in River Falls at the corner of Casey Street and
Healing Powders, TenFour Team Trucking, Wave Stability Bar Sutherland Avenue as the flagship of the newly developed
and XanScan. Sterling Ponds Corporate Park.

Visit theideachallenge.com for more information about the For more information about the incubator, slated to open in
ongoing program. the fall of this year, visit rfcity.org/incubator.

Brew pubs expanding in Eau Claire Ex-judge joins staff at WIN
Lazy Monk Brewing held a soft opening Jan. 8 at its new Local attorney and former Eau Claire County judge Kristina
location at 97 W. Madison St. in Eau Claire. Bourget joined WIN in Eau Claire as its vice president of
Compliance and Contract Management.
The company's new tap room has room for about 180, with WIN is an Internet, ethernet, data center and
space for 45 to 50 more in a connected “events” room, compared network management services provider. It has
with a capacity of 70 to 75 at its previous location. There are built and acquired more than 5,000 miles of
plans for a patio that could seat 100 as well. Lazy Monk also will fiber-optic network in the Upper Midwest to
be open seven days per week, rather than five. serve wholesale and enterprise customers in
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Upper Michigan, Illinois,
In other brewery news: Iowa and global locations through international
■ The Brewing Projekt, at 2000 Oxford Ave., has outgrown its partnerships.
current location and is considering expanding across the street “As our company continues to grow and Bourget
to a vacant warehouse at 1807 Oxford St., which also borders the
Chippewa River. The Eau Claire Redevelopment Authority had technology increases in complexity, so do
planned to raze the building, but owners of the Brewing Projekt our regulatory, HR and contractual obligations,” said Scott
have about two months to determine if they can renovate the Hoffmann, WIN CEO, in a news release. “Kristina has skills and
structure to fit their needs and negotiate a price with the RDA. knowledge from previous corporate law experience that will
■ Northwoods Brew Pub & Grill relocated from its longtime help our business address these obligations.”
location on the south side of Eau Claire to a former dairy plant Visit wins.net for more information about the company.
in Osseo, which also will house a banquet facility. The new site
will double the space Northwoods had in Eau Claire, with a EC business owner earns state award
3,000-square-foot brewery area, 1,200-square-foot cooler, and Ashley Kosharek, owner of AMK Cleaning Services in
about 4,000-square-foot tap room, said Sean Annis, a partner in Eau Claire, earned the Courage Award from the Wisconsin
the project and general manager. Northwoods is slated to open Community Action Program Association.
by the end of February or early March.
Recipients of the award have overcome barriers in attaining
Entrepreneurial group launched economic self-sufficiency. Kosharek was nominated by Karman
Steve Dye, president of Altoona-based Senasys, recently Briggs of Western Dairyland Community Action Agency.

Kosharek worked at modest-paying jobs before starting AMK,
2131 Fenwick Ave. She took courses through Western Dairyland
to help build her business, which has grown to 27 employees.

See page 22

20 | ♦ January 25, 2016

- Guest Article -

National Issues That Will Affect CentralByShaughnessyP.Murphy–RuderWare,LLSC
Wisconsin Businesses In 2016Staying up-to-date and compliant with new laws, rules, and regulations is an ever increasing cost of doing business.

Despite the fact that at the end of 2015 Congress took important steps to provide businesses with long-term

5certainty by permanently extending the federal Research and Development Tax Credit and the Section 179 expensing
deduction, much was left undecided. As we look ahead to the rest of 2016, there are numerous proposed regulations
and potential laws that may directly affect your business’s bottom line. Here are five national issues that you should
keep your eye on:
1. Regulations in this conundrum. There is a national bipartisan recognition that we have
Regardless of the size of your company or industry, both state and federal entered a new modern economy, and Congressional leaders are eager to revamp
regulators have a large impact on your business. According to the White House’s our technical education and skills training programs. A prime example is the
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, there are over 3,000 new federal pending reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education
regulations in the pipeline for 2016. One major regulation for businesses to watch Act (CTE). A revamped CTE would update the way we invest in vocational and
this year is the Department of Labor’s overtime rule. The proposed“overtime rule” technical education to ensure we are preparing the next generation workforce
more than doubles the minimum salary threshold for an employee before they can for the positions local businesses need. Similarly, as an aside on the state
be deemed exempt from overtime pay; in other words, under the proposed rule, level, for the third year in a row, the Wisconsin Fast Forward program inside the
each employee that makes under $50,440 is eligible for overtime pay. Regardless Department of Workforce Development will be awarding up to $15 million in
of your industry, 2016 may prove to be a challenging year on the regulatory front. grants to support employer-led worker training – businesses of all sizes are eligible
to apply. Building a 21st century workforce to meet the demands of a modern
2. Health Care economy requires thoughtful and timely investment by job seekers, employers and
The national debate over health care reform will certainly rage on, but there are a governments.
litany of specific rules and regulations that all businesses and health care providers
should keep an eye on. For example, the $150 billion Health Insurance Tax (HIT) 5. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization
which was first enacted as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act You may ask yourself, how does the FAA reauthorization affect my business? The
(PPACA) is set to kick in at the end of 2016. The HIT is a tax on health insurance FAA’s current authorization is set to expire on March 31. The FAA is responsible
companies based on the“net premiums”they receive from fully insured plans. for ensuring that our nation’s air transportation and skyways are efficient and
These fully insured plans are the exact kind that roughly 88% of small businesses safe. A major component of the FAA reauthorization are the parameters by which
purchase for the benefit of their employees. According to the Congressional local and regional airports receive grant money to expand or improve services and
Budget Office, a HIT“would be largely passed through to consumers in the form in some instances keep airports operating. For example, in the last four years,
of higher premiums for private coverage.” Thus, if the HIT takes effect at the end the Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA) has received over $15 million directly from
of 2016, small businesses who do not self insure should be prepared to pay higher the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program to improve its terminal building. These
health care premiums. Businesses and individuals alike are seeking solutions to improvements help move people and products to central Wisconsin – and are
provide more choice and reduce their health care costs – unfortunately unless critical to the growth of our region. Additionally, an emerging concern that will
Congress acts, the opposite will likely result. surely be addressed in the FAA reauthorization is the commercial and recreational
use of drones. Whether you are a realtor, farmer, business owner, or just out to
3. Cyber Security/Data Security have some fun – the FAA reauthorization will further set out the registration
When big businesses like Target or Home Depot get hacked, it is front page news. requirements and the parameters of where, when, and how you can lawfully fly
According to the National Small Business Association, over 44% of small businesses your drone. Regardless of whether your business directly uses an airport, the FAA
have been hacked – whether they know it or not. In 2016, Congressional leaders reauthorization has far reaching implications to businesses, large and small.
may look to expand upon recent legislation which sets up voluntary disclosure
portals for businesses to share information with the government regarding a cyber Attorney Shaughnessy P. Murphy,
attack. Specifically, a number of recent proposals introduced in Congress would Ruder Ware, L.L.S.C.
require how businesses report data breaches and when businesses are required
to notify customers about a potential data security breach. Businesses need to be About the author: Shaughnessy P. Murphy is an
vigilant in protecting consumer information and 2016 looks like it could be the attorney in the business transactions group at Ruder
year Congress gets in the fight. Ware, LLSC. Prior to joining Ruder Ware, Shaughnessy
was a senior aide in the U.S. House of Representatives.
4. Workforce Development
While Wisconsin’s unemployment rate was consistently lower than the national 796570 1-25-16
average for all of 2015, employers in Wisconsin often struggle to find qualified
and skilled employees for many well paying positions. Wisconsin is not alone

January 25, 2016 ♦ | 21

briefcase

From page 20 TDK acquiring Hutchinson Technology Inc.

Gordy’s, Mega form partnership Tokyo-based TDK announced in November plans to acquire
Gordy’s Market and Mega Co-op announced an agreement Minnesota-based Hutchinson Technology Inc.
that will result in the closing of the Mega East store and a
narrowing of the business focus for both companies. Production could rise at a high-tech Eau Claire factory under
the agreement between a U.S. technology company and a major
Officials said Mega East is expected to close in late Japanese electronics manufacturer, according to a corporate
February — about the same time as the new agreement spokeswoman. The deal is expected to be finalized in the first
between Gordy’s and Mega Co-op takes effect that will leave quarter of this year, and HTI’s Connie Pautz said demand for the
Gordy’s as exclusively a grocery company and the co-op as locally made disk drive components would grow under the new
solely an operator of convenience stores and fuel centers. parent company.

The deal calls for all of the remaining Mega grocery “This acquisition represents a great opportunity for our Eau
stores — Mega West and locations in Barron and Whitehall Claire facility,” Pautz said. “TDK will have the capability to
— to become Gordy’s Markets and all 14 Gordy’s Express produce its own components.”
convenience stores to become Mega Holiday stations. As a
result of the transaction, Gordy’s will own and operate 24 There were 450 employees who worked at HTI’s building at
grocery stores, and Mega Co-op will own and operate 33 2435 Alpine Road when the news was announced, producing
convenience stores. two out of three pieces the company makes for suspension
assemblies used in computer disk drives. TDK also is in the
Designs unveiled for EC complex suspension assembly business, but it had been buying some of
Demolition of buildings along Menomonie Street in Eau HTI’s precision-made parts through a subsidiary, Pautz said.
Claire is expected to begin in 2016 to clear the way for a large
event complex for which construction is expected to begin Organization tracks industrial sites
within five years. Momentum West maintains a Gold Shovel Ready Site
database for developers on its website at momentumwest.org.
To begin preparing a 25-acre site donated to UW-Eau
Claire, former offices of Student Transit and some of County The resource helps developers find sites in a 10-county region
Materials’ buildings are expected to come down this year. that have:
The school bus company moved to a new building on Fehr
Road earlier in 2015, and County Materials scaled back its ■ Identified property owners and clearly stated sales prices.
operations on Menomonie Street. ■ Zoning in place or planned.
■ Maps showing public and private utilities and capacities.
Named after County Materials owners and UW-Eau Claire ■ Information showing transportation networks.
alumni, John and Carolyn Sonnentag, the new complex ■ Identified any known site restrictions that may hinder
planned for the site would replace UW-Eau Claire’s Zorn development (geological, environmental, easements, etc.).
Arena and the Eau Claire YMCA, plus create a venue for ■ Area statistics and demographic data.
large events in Eau Claire. The Sonnentags made a $10 Sites currently verified as Gold Shovel Ready are: Stower
million donation, including the land, that kick-started the Industrial Park in Amery, Crossing Meadows Business Park in
project. The arena would have seating for 4,500 to 5,000 Ellsworth, Hammond Business Center II, Menomonie Schaefer,
people, but standing room would expand its total capacity to New Richmond Business and Technical Park, Roberts Business
about 6,000. Park, Thompson Industrial Park in Woodville and Westland
Meadows Business Park in Spring Valley.
Futurist speaks at UW-Stout
MENOMONIE — Ideas are assets, a futurist Pizza Ranch gets new ownership
told an audience in November at UW-Stout. Restaurant chain Pizza Ranch signed an agreement with
entrepreneur Ernie Swanson to take over the company’s Eau
Speaking at the eighth annual Claire location at 2451 Truax Blvd.
Manufacturing Advantage Conference,
Robert Tucker said innovation will determine Under the new ownership, the buffet-style restaurant will be
which companies will survive. He urged open seven days a week starting in February. Visit pizzaranch.
management to provide recognition for com for more information.
employees who are innovative. Starting an
idea campaign is one way to more fully engage Tucker

workers, he said. “The other value you will find is people in
the rank and file you never thought had an idea in their life,
and suddenly they dazzle you with an idea,” he said.
Tucker is the founder and president of The Innovation

Resource, a global consulting company in Santa Barbara, Calif.
His clients include 200 of the Fortune 500 companies as well
as businesses around the world. His latest book is “Innovation
is Everybody’s Business,” and he has appeared on ABC, NBC
and the CNBC series “The Business of Innovation.”

22 | ♦ January 25, 2016

briefcase

Confluence fundraising continues S11011 Highway M in Augusta. Similar shutdowns have occurred
Philanthropic fundraising for the Confluence Project in throughout the region. In Chippewa County, only one of the six
downtown Eau Claire surpassed $12 million at the end of 2015. operational mines, the Chippewa Sands property in the town
of Cooks Valley, was still mining as of late October, said county
Backers are hoping to reach $13.5 million in private dollars. In conservationist Dan Masterpole.
addition, the performing arts center also will be funded by the state
($15 million), city of Eau Claire ($5 million) and Eau Claire County Chieftain Sand & Proppant Barron laid off 63 employees at two
($3.5 million). The remaining $3 million is expected to come from plants in western Wisconsin, according to filings with DWD. The
new market tax credits or possibly a low-interest loan from the city. layoffs are at a wet plant in Chetek and a dry plant in New Auburn.
The layoffs are expected to be permanent, according to the filings.
The arts center will include a 1,200-seat large theater, a 400-seat
flexible theater, offices and classrooms for UW-Eau Claire, rehearsal Construction continues on DT hotels
rooms, backstage areas and public spaces. Construction is expected Progress continues on a pair of hotels in downtown Eau Claire.
to start this summer and be completed in late 2018. The Lismore, 205 S. Barstow St., began hosting events such as a

Tool aimed at attracting businesses Children’s Museum of Eau Claire gala at the site that was once the
Ramada Convention Center. Local entrepreneur Zach Halmstad,
MENOMONIE — Developers hoping to build in Menomonie co-founder of JAMF Software, heads the facility’s
could soon have the ability to envision their project more fully, ownership group: Pablo Properties. The group
thanks to technology and a new agreement. bought the former Ramada in December 2013 and
The Dunn County Economic Development Corp., Greater embarked on a $20 million renovation. The hotel is
Menomonie Development Corp. and city of Menomonie plan to scheduled to open in the first quarter of this year.
enter into a joint venture for the purpose of developing a virtual Backers of The Oxbow Hotel, 516 Galloway St.,
spec building technology tool. The virtual technology would received a boost when the project earned a $500,000
provide businesses interested in locating in Menomonie or the grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development
surrounding area the ability to look at a virtual Corp. and $250,000 no-interest loan from the city as Halmstad

depiction of buildings on development sites, a move a 50 percent match requirement of the grant.
backers hope will boost construction. Halmstad and fellow local entrepreneurs Nick Meyer, Ben
State-approved plans will be developed by Cedar Richgruber and Justin Vernon anchor Longform LLC, the developer
of the renovation of the former Green Tree Inn.
Corp. of Menomonie, along with a tool that would The project is scheduled to be finished by late summer.
allow for virtual walk-throughs of buildings. The
project will cost about $40,000, Menomonie City
Administrator Lowell Prange said. See page 24

Mills Fleet Farm acquired Prange Entrepreneurial Training Program

BRAINERD, Minn. — Family-owned Mills Fleet Farm agreed to
sell to New York-based KKR, a large investment concern that has
holdings in various industries totaling about $100 billion. Wonder what it would
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. However, after the Mills put be like to start your
the privately held chain of 35 stores up for sale last fall, there was own business?
speculation it would fetch in the neighborhood of $1 billion. Mills Already own a business
Fleet Farm has a location in Menomonie. but want to take it to
Nate Taylor, a KKR executive, said while KKR has acquired the next level?

majority control of the stock, the Mills family will retain a small This program is
ownership stake in the 61-year-old company. Several Mills family for you!
members will maintain offices and contribute in an advisory
capacity. Taylor said the business will be operated independently of • Create your business plan
KKR’s other retailers, which include Toys ‘R’ Us and US Foods. • Learn business fundamentals
• 10 week course starts Feb. 9
Frac sand industry in a slump • Tuesday evenings,
A decline in oil prices lessened demand for energy produced by
the nation’s shale oil industry and for the Wisconsin sand — much 6:30 - 9:15 p.m.
of which is mined in the region within a 60-mile radius of Eau • $250 (after scholarship applied)
Claire — that has become a key ingredient in America’s recipe for
domestic oil. Classes are held at the UW-Eau Claire Continuing
Education office, 210 Water St., Eau Claire
Wisconsin is the nation’s leading producer of sand used in
hydraulic fracturing — the drilling technique commonly known Register Now!
as fracking that involves injecting a mixture of sand, water and Class Begins February 9
chemicals deep into underground wells to force oil and natural gas
to the surface. Contact the Small Business 796577_1-25-16
Development Center
The latest fallout came when Hi-Crush Services revealed in a
filing with the state Department of Workforce Development that it 715-836-5811 | [email protected] | wisconsinsbdc.org/eauclaire/attend/etp
was laying off 27 workers and suspending production at its site at

January 25, 2016 ♦ | 23

briefcase

From page 23 Weber works with business leaders and economic development
partners to encourage and support business startup, attraction
In other news and growth initiatives. Contact Weber at 608-210-6772.
■ Mike Corneiller is planning a mixed-use building with a
fast-food restaurant, retail store space and five apartments for ■ ALTOONA — Citizens State Bank hired Susan Nelson as
the lot he owns at 1709 Harding Ave. Cedar Corp. of Menomonie general manager and mortgage loan officer for its Eau Claire
designed the two-story building, which is scheduled to be built market location at 1028 N. Hillcrest Parkway. Citizens State Bank
this year on the half-acre lot. has offices in Clayton, Eau Claire, La Crosse and Onalaska.
■ Eau Claire-based RCU promoted Betty
Laskowski and Andrea Finn, respectively, to ■ Ross Dress for Less opened Oct. 10 at 4027 Commonwealth
organizational relations/recruiting manager and Ave. in Eau Claire’s Oak Pointe Plaza Shopping Center. The
digital marketing manager. Laskowski began company is an off-price apparel and home fashion chain
working for RCU in 1992 and has served as an with more than 1,200 stores. Visit rossstores.com for more
organizational talent adviser since 2000. Finn information.
began working for RCU in 2012 and has spent the
past three years as digital marketing specialist. ■ Eau Claire-based Citizens Community Bancorp, the parent
■ RCU also earned the Credit Union National Laskowski company of Citizens Community Federal, entered into a
purchase agreement to purchase certain assets from, and assume
Association, or CUNA, 2015 Community Credit Union of the all deposit liabilities of, Central Bank’s branch operations in
Year Award. The organization earned the award among credit Barron and Rice Lake. Central Bank is based in Golden Valley,
unions with more than $250 million in assets. Applicants were Minn.
judged on three criteria: member impact, community impact and
financial impact. ■ Minneapolis-based Baldwin Supply Co., an independent
■ MENOMONIE — Family-run Anshus Jewelers, 300 Main supplier of power transmission, electrical control, conveyor belt
St., celebrated its 100th anniversary in late 2015. Nels Anshus and other industrial products, announced its expansion into
founded the business. It’s currently owned by his son, John, and western Wisconsin with the opening of a 10,000-square foot
granddaugher, Lisa Anshus Frank. branch office and warehouse in Eau Claire. The facility, located
■ Adrian Klenz recently launched Klenz at 1001 Harris St., is the company’s ninth location in the Upper
Financial Counseling. Klenz is executive director Midwest.
of the REACH Foundation and serves as a
faculty member for NeighborWorks America, ■ BALDWIN — Woodville Warehousing and Distributing is
an organization that promotes affordable building a 122,500-square-foot cold and frozen storage facility
housing and community development. in the Baldwin 1-94 Industrial Business Park. The cost of the
Visit klenzfinancialcounseling.com for more project, which is located on a 12-acre site, is about $7 million.
information. Ron and Lorri Riek own the business.
■ A 200-by-90-foot dome, dubbed the Klenz
■ MADISON — The One Stop Business Portal, a new online
Complexx, was built west of Wagner’s Lanes, 2159 Brackett Ave. service in Wisconsin, is now live at OpenForBusinessWI.
The Complexx houses three volleyball courts, a tiki bar and a com. The service guides users through three steps to start a
performance stage. new business. It combines forms from the state Department of
■ WOODVILLE — OEM Fabricators received the 2015 Financial Institutions, Department of Revenue and Department
Wisconsin Business Achievement Award, which was presented of Workforce Development.
by the Flowers Family Foundation. The award recognizes
outstanding economic and philanthropic contributions of ■ Eau Claire-based home improvement retailer Menards
individuals or entities engaged in free enterprise. It includes announced plans to build a new tennis center for the Eau Claire
a $60,000 donation from the Flowers Family Foundation to YMCA. The eight-court building will be built this year along
a Wisconsin-based nonprofit organization of the winner’s Menomonie Street on land the YMCA already owns. The deal
choosing. OEM selected Success By 6 of the St. Croix Valley, an includes giving Menards the YMCA’s existing five-court tennis
organization that supports early childhood development. and gymnastics center on Moore Street, next to North Hastings
■ UW-Eau Claire graduate Sarah Shuda launched a new Way.
local business called Open Merit. The company provides
email marketing services to save time for businesses. Shuda ■ BLACK RIVER FALLS — A former accountant at Jackson
also operates Sarah Lynn Design, a Web design Electric Cooperative was charged with stealing nearly $200,000
studio, which recently celebrated its fifth from the business between 2010 and 2014. Jeffrie C. Cook, 47, of
anniversary. Visit openmerit.com for more Black River Falls was charged with five felony counts of theft in
information. a business setting, which have a combined maximum penalty of
■ MADISON — The Wisconsin Economic 25 years in prison. His preliminary hearing is slated for Feb. 25.
Development Corp. named Tim Weber as
regional account manager for Wisconsin’s 17 ■ Atlanta-based Consolidated Container Co. acquired the
northwestern counties. He assumed the role after assets of Precision Plastics in Chippewa Falls. The site supplies
serving in WEDC’s credit and risk department high-density polyethylene containers for the bottled water
since 2013. As a regional account manager, Weber market, according to a news release, and has fewer than 20
employees. The Chippewa Falls site became CCC’s 55th rigid
package manufacturing plant.

• Chippewa Valley Airport Service has added a
24-passenger executive mini-coach to its fleet of passenger
vans and Lincoln Town Car. The mini-coach is available for
events such as tours, sporting events and weddings. Visit
chippewavalleyairportservice.com for details.

24 | ♦ January 25, 2016

briefcase

• Eau Claire North graduate Becca Cooke, 27, recently opened Eau Claire advanced. The three-story buildings will have
Red’s Mercantile at 224 N. Dewey St. Visit facebook.com/ underground parking.
redsmercantile/ for more information about the
home goods and accessories store. ■ Demolition of seven buildings began to make way for a
■ WASHINGTON — Neel Kashkari, a mixed-use redevelopment project that would comprise much
prominent business executive and one-time of the north side of the 200 block of Water Street in Eau Claire.
candidate for governor of California, was The demolition will make room for a large building that would
chosen to be the head of the Federal Reserve’s take up most of that block, said Joe Miller, a real estate agent
regional bank in Minneapolis. Kashkari succeeds and property manager for Investment Realty, which is owned
Narayana Kocherlakota, who stepped down from by John Mogensen. The building would consist of commercial
the job of Minneapolis Fed president on Dec. 31. Kashkari businesses on the ground floor and apartments in two or three
He had held the position since 2009. stories above, he said.
■ BLOOMER — A roofing contractor faced a maximum
penalty of $112,200 in fines for reportedly failing to install ■ Ten months after the former Fanny Hill restaurant and
proper fall protection, according to the U.S. Department of dinner theater closed, the scenic property overlooking the
Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration. It was Chippewa River valley was donated to Hope Gospel Mission.
the fourth time in three years that Affordable Exteriors had been Northwestern Bank of Chippewa Falls completed the donation
cited, twice each by federal and state inspectors, according to an of the 17-acre property, which was valued at $932,800.
OSHA news release.
■ BLACK RIVER FALLS — D&S Manufacturing, 301 E. Main ■ MADISON — The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.
St., announced it had laid off 26 employees on Nov. 18 in filings is leading a delegation to Germany in April during Hannover
with the state Department of Workforce Development. “Due Messe, an industrial technology event. For details visit
to the unpredictability of what further actions our company inwisconsin.com/hannovermesse or contact Stanley Pfrang,
may need to make in order to adjust our business costs,” said WEDC senior market development director, at 608-210-6777 or
Michael Dougherty, D&S president, in a filing, “there may be [email protected].
additional layoffs that may occur.” D&S provides component
parts to original equipment manufacturers. commercial plumbing,
■ Jeffery Morgan was elected vice president of engineering heating & cooling
for Eau Claire-based National Presto Industries. Morgan joined
Presto in 2010 as chief engineer and was promoted to director of àHEATING & AIR-CONDITIONING
engineering in March. He is the named inventor on more than
40 patents. INSTALLATION, INSPECTION & REPAIR
■ CHIPPEWA FALLS — Bottling company Premium Waters
acquired a small parcel in an industrial park on the east side of àPLUMBING INSTALLATION & SERVICE
Chippewa Falls to expand. The Chippewa Falls City Council
voted unanimously to sell the four-acre site. The industrial park Heat and cool your
is located on the east side of Seymour Cray Boulevard. institution affordably
■ BROWN DEER — Bank Mutual Corp., the parent company
of Bank Mutual, announced it was closing a branch in Eau 795798 1-25-16
Claire at 3250 N. Clairemont Ave. and three other locations. The
consolidation of the four retail branch offices in March — the ask us for a quote
others are in Cedarburg, New Holstein and Hortonville — is
expected to save the company $1 million annually. 1710 Truax Blvd | Eau ClairE | 715-839-0707
■ A bar and grill-style restaurant is planned for an Eau Claire
landmark building that used to house a lumber company office.
Plans submitted by owner Jim Rolbiecki show the brick building
at 1004 Menomonie St. will be renovated into a new restaurant
with a small parking lot added next to it.
■ Chuck Kaiser, co-owner of Americas Best
Value Inn - Campus View, 809 W. Clairemont
Ave., received the Spirit Award at Vantage
Hospitality Group’s annual International
Educational Conference & Trade Show in Las
Vegas. Kaiser “was recognized for being a ‘good
soul’ who strives to create a heartwarming
atmosphere for all with whom he comes into Kaiser

contact and who gives selflessly to make life
better for others,” according to a news release.
■ Commonweal Development’s plans to build two 47-unit
apartment buildings on land along Bullis Farm Road in

January 25, 2016 ♦ | 25

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1. Expanding and relocating EC winemaker. 2. N o. 1 among state Department of Workforce Development’s
3. World’s most innovative company, according to Forbes. “Hot Jobs” list for 2012-22.
4. Employee who makes company a place where people want
5. Leo Buhlman founded this area dairy product producer.
to work. 10. P erson authorized by law to certify documents and signatures.
6. Annual chamber trip to Madison. 11. New Zacho Sports Center offering.
7. Chi-Hi course that provides tech device help for the public. 14. Fall Creek Internet provider.
8. Great Northern Corp. predecessor. 1 7. Late-night Menomonie restaurant.
9. 1992 film about Chicago real estate office. 1 8. State program to identify and promote shovel-ready industrial sites.
12. “The way to get started is to quit talking and _ _.” Walt Disney. 19. New Chippewa Valley Home Builders Assoc. staffer.
13. Wisconsin state rock. 21. Recently acquired state-based bank.
1 5. New local grocery/convenience store partners. 2 3. KKR investment firm’s recent acquisition.
16. World’s most visited city, according to Forbes. 2 4. New Wisconsin lottery director.
2 0. Menomonie seller of homes. 2 5. A ct that oversees financial reporting of public corporations.
2 2. Fee on high-cost health plans offered by employers. 26. Eau Claire EDC Idea Challenge finalist’s product.
2 7. Jeffrey Fox book on sales and marketing.
26 | ♦ January 25, 2016 28. Chamber destination in 2016.
29. Chippewa Valley Innovation Center tenant.
30. Sector that added a seasonally adjusted 30,000 jobs in U.S. last year.

January CALENDAR

Ongoing Center’s Introductory Session.” Live webinars are noon to 1 p.m.
the first Wednesday of each month. The program also meets
n MENOMONIE — A six-session Lean Certification Series will from 5 to 6 p.m. the third Wednesday of each month at Western
be from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays, March 1-May 3, at Chippewa Dairyland, 418 Wisconsin St. For more information or to register, visit
Valley Technical College, 403 Technology Drive E. The UW-Stout successfulbusiness.org or call 715-836-7511, ext. 1171.
Manufacturing Outreach Center and CVTC are partnering to offer
the program. The event provides “targeted training with real-world n The Wisconsin Small Business Development Center is offering
applications,” according to its website. For more information visit the “Entrepreneurial Training Program.” The Wisconsin Economic
www.uwstout.edu/profed/lean/leancertification/index.cfm or contact Development Corp. offers qualified applicants grants that cover $750 of
Anna McCabe at 715-232-5484. the $1,000 course fee. Visit wisconsinsbdc.org/etp for more information
or to register. Information also is available by contacting the UW-Eau
n Programs in the Supervisory Management Certificate program at Claire Small Business Development Center at 715-836-5811 or etp@
UW-Eau Claire meet from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The schedule uwec.edu.
includes:
n LA CROSSE — The three-session program ExporTech will be
- “Supervisor Training: Learning to Lead,” Feb. 25-26 at Citizens from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, April 5, May 10 and June 14 at the
State Bank, 375 Stageline Road, Hudson; March 10-11 at Holiday Inn La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce, 601 Seventh St. N. ExporTech
South, 4751 Owen Ayres Court. is a national export assistance program that offers a structured, yet
customizable, process that guides companies through every aspect of
- “Dealing with Conflict,” March 17-18 at Holiday Inn South. export growth. The program is limited to six to eight companies. For
- “Supervisor Training: Orientation, Time Management and more information contact Joni Geroux at [email protected] or 715-
Delegation,” March 31-April 1 at Citizens State Bank in Hudson; April 232-5270, Marc Schneider at [email protected] or 563-221-1596 or Jeff
7-8 at Holiday Inn South. Carr at [email protected] or 715-222-3097.
- “Maximizing Performance,” April 21-22 at Citizens Bank in
Hudson. n MENOMONIE —‑ UW-Stout is presenting a series of half-
- “Critical Conversations,” May 5-6 at Holiday Inn South. day leadership seminars in April. Each is 8 a.m. to noon. “Leading
- “Process Mapping and Work Flow Improvement,” May 19-20 at in a Whitewater World of Change” is Tuesday, April 12, “Leading
Citizens State Bank in Hudson. and Facilitating Teams” is Tuesday, April 19, and “Effective
UW-Eau Claire also is offering several courses within its Nonprofit Communication” is Tuesday, April 26. The cost for each seminar is
Management Certificate program. Each session meets from 9 a.m. to 4 $85 or $200 for all three. Visit www.uwstout.edu/profed/Half-Day-
p.m. The schedule includes: Seminars.cfm for details.
- “Nonprofit Strategic Planning,” April 7 at Hudson Hospital &
Conference Center, 405 Stageline Road; May 13 at Sleep Inn and Suites Jan. 26: The Lunch & Learn program “Motivating your Workforce
Conference Center, 5872 33rd Ave. Through Transformational Leadership” will be from noon to 1 p.m.
- “Nonprofit Financial Management and Reporting,” April 8 at at the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, 101 N. Farwell St. The
Hudson Hospital & Conference Center. presenter is Heather Rothbauer-Wanish, a UW-Eau Claire graduate
- “Nonprofit Volunteer and Board Member Management,” April 28 who owns Feather Communications. The cost, which includes lunch,
at Sleep Inn and Suites Conference Center; May 5 at Hudson Hospital is $20 for chamber members and $40 for nonmembers. For more
& Conference Center. information or to register, visit eauclairechamber.org or call 715-834-
- “Nonprofit Fund Development,” April 29 at Sleep Inn and Suites 1204.
Conference Center; May 6 at Hudson Hospital & Conference Center.
- “Nonprofit Leadership Effectiveness,” May 12 at Sleep Inn and Jan. 27: The Chippewa Valley Rally, an annual event conducted by
Suites Conference Center. the Chippewa Valley Chamber Alliance, will provide an opportunity
For more information visit uwec.edu/ce, call 866-893-2423 or email for business and community leaders to present economic issues
[email protected]. important to Chippewa Falls, Menomonie and Eau Claire in
n The Western Dairyland Women’s Business Center is offering Madison. The group will meet and network with legislators and their
the free program “Are You an Entrepreneur? Women’s Business representatives. The cost, which includes a luncheon, reception and

Senasys, Inc. Acquires Cliff Industrial See page 28

Providing High Quality Machining Since 1966!
New Services Available

• EDM Wire Machining

• Small Part Stamping

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Machined Parts 796491_1-25-16

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January 25, 2016 ♦ | 27

CALENDAR January - February

from Page 27 event also will include the announcement of the Small Business of the
Year and other award recipients. The cost is $65 or $475 for a table of
optional bus transportation, is $89. For more information contact the eight. Visit menomoniechamber.org for details.

Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce’s Scott Rogers at 715-858-0616 Feb. 4: The program “Adobe Photoshop Level 1” will be from
8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 620 W.
or [email protected]. Clairemont Ave. The cost is $104. For more information or to register,
visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or
n Also on Jan. 27, the program “Attracting and email [email protected].

Retaining Employees: Hiring and Recruiting Team Feb. 4-5: MADISON — The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture,
Trade and Consumer Protection and Dane County Extension are
Members” will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the offering the workshop series “Thinking of Transitioning to Organic?”
at the DATCP Building, 702 Agricultural Drive. The dairy farmers
Chippewa County Economic Development Corp., 770 portion of the program is 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, and
the food processors portion is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5. The cost,
Technology Way, Chippewa Falls. The event is the which includes lunch, is $20 for one day or $30 for both. Visit counties.
uwex.edu/dane/?p=6125 for details.
second in a three-part series by David Kochendorfer,
Feb. 5: The program “Sales Skills Training to
who founded Achieve Results. Sessions may be taken Transform Your Business” will be from 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. in Room 310 of Schneider Hall at UW-Eau
individually. The cost, which includes lunch, is $15. Kochendorfer Claire. The presenters are Jerry Kollross, who has
For more information or to register, visit chippewa- 25 years of professional sales experience, has been
a small-business owner for 15 years and has taught
wi.com, call 715-723-7150 or email [email protected]. at UW-Claire and UW-Stout, and Robert Erffmeyer,
Jan. 29: MADISON — The date is the nominating deadline for the a marketing professor at UW-Eau Claire. The cost,
which includes breakfast and lunch, is $250. For more Erffmeyer
Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.’s 2016 Governor’s Export information or to register, visit tinyurl.com/nasshvs.

Achievement Award. The awards are open to companies of all sizes n The date also is the deadline for nominations in Wisconsin Rural
Partners’ 2016 Top Rural Development Initiatives. Any project, activity
as well as to organizations that have contributed to the state’s ability or entire community in rural Wisconsin is eligible. They may be state,
federal, tribal, nonprofit or for-profit business initiatives, regional or
to compete globally. The preliminary nomination process requires a statewide, as long as they meet program criteria. For more information
visit wirural.org/programs/toprdi/nominate/ or contact Rick
short narrative (250 words or fewer) of the company’s recent exporting Rolfsmeyer, WRP executive director, at 608-967-2322 or ricky@wirural.
org.
accomplishments. The online nomination form can be found at
Feb. 10: CHIPPEWA FALLS — The program “Attracting and
inwisconsin.com/exportawards. A panel of international trade experts Retaining Employees: Retaining Your Winning Team” will be from
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chippewa County Economic Development
will review all submissions and identify semifinalists who will move Corp., 770 Technology Way. The event is the third in a three-part series
by David Kochendorfer, who founded Achieve Results. Sessions may
on to the next stage of the competition, where they will be asked to be taken individually. The cost, which includes lunch, is $15. For more
information or to register, visitchippewa-wi.com, call 715-723-7150 or
submit a more detailed application. email [email protected].

Chippewa Valley Bean earned a 2015 Governor’s Export Feb. 11: CHIPPEWA FALLS — An eight-hour course, “MSHA Part
46 Annual Refresher Training,” will be from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at
Achievement Award. The Menomonie business is the nation’s largest Horizons Lounge and Banquet Center, 10769 Highway Q. The program
satisfies Mine Safety and Health Administration training requirements.
processor of dark kidney beans. “Receiving a Governor’s Export Employers must have a training plan to enroll workers in the course.
The cost is $125. For more information contact Mark Johnson of
Achievement Award has helped shine a light on Chippewa Valley Custom Industrial Services at 715-944-9120 or [email protected].

Bean’s success in reaching customers around the world,” said Cynthia Feb. 15: MADISON — The date is the deadline for nominations for
Wisconsin Organic Advisory Council candidates. The council has four
Brown, CEO of the business, in a news release. openings for individuals interested in helping to shape the future of
organic farming and food in Wisconsin. Applicants should explain
Visit the aforementioned website or email [email protected] why they would be valuable to the council and include two letters
of support. The four openings include one seat for a representative
for more information. of each of the following: farm, business, consumer and at-large.
Jan. 31: MADISON — The date is the deadline for entries in the Members serve three-year terms, and the council meets quarterly. For
more information visit tinyurl.com/h2mnp2a, email theresa.feiner@
13th annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest. For initial

entries, contestants will submit a 250-word idea abstract online at

govsbizplancontest.com. The website is where contestants will find

business plan templates and other resources.
Feb. 1-3: The program “Lineworker ‘U’” will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

each day at Chippewa Valley Technical College’s Energy Education

Center, 4000 Campus Road. The cost for the refresher course for

experienced linemen is $325. For more information or to register, visit

the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or email

[email protected].
Feb. 2: A program regarding overtime and independent contractors

will be held at The Florian Gardens, 2340 Lorch Ave. A first session,

“Wage and Hour Law in Light of the New Proposed Overtime

Regulations,” is 9 to 11:30 a.m. A second session, “Employee Versus

Independent Contractor: Understanding the Difference,” is 12:30 to 3

p.m. The cost is $49 for each program. Those who register for both may

attend a networking lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at no cost. For

more information or to register, visit uwec.edu/CE/, call 866-893-2423

or email [email protected].
Feb. 3: MENOMONIE — The Menomonie Area Chamber of

Commerce is holding its 77th annual banquet from 5 to 9 p.m. in the

Great Hall at UW-Stout. Chamber volunteers will be recognized and

the organization’s activities over the past year will be summarized. The

28 | ♦ January 25, 2016

February - March CALENDAR

Wisconsin.gov or call 608-224-5140. successfulbusiness.org.
Feb. 16: STEVENS POINT — The 2016 Broadband and Economic March 1: CHIPPEWA FALLS — The program “Microsoft Excel
Development Summit will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Holiday Inn
Convention Center, 1001 Amber Ave. For more information contact Sue Basic” will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical
Edington or Chris Nachreiner at [email protected] or 608-256-8866, College, 770 Scheidler Road. The cost is $104. For more information or
to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-
ext. 2456, or 608-256-8866, ext. 2454. 511-9095 or email [email protected].
Feb. 17: CHIPPEWA FALLS — The program “Adobe Photoshop
March 2-4: MENOMONIE — The three-day program, “MSHA (Mine
Level 2” will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Safety Health Administration) Part 46 Initial 24 Hour Training,” is
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 403
Technical College, 770 Scheidler Road. The cost is $104. For more Technology Drive E. The cost is $295. For more information or to
register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-
information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc. 9095 or email [email protected].

edu, call 800-511-9095 or email [email protected]. March 3: The CVTC 2016 Manufacturing Show will be from 3 to 7
Feb. 18: CHIPPEWA FALLS — An eight-hour course, “MSHA Part p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical College’s Manufacturing Education
Center, 2320 Alpine Road. The event will include interactive exhibits,
46 Annual Refresher Training,” will be from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at information about manufacturing programs, door prizes and raffles.
Visit cvtc.edu/manufacturingshow for more information.
Horizons Lounge and Banquet Center, 10769 Highway Q. The program
March 9: The program “MSHA 8 Hour Refresher Training”
satisfies Mine Safety and Health Administration training requirements. will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Room 108 at Chippewa Valley
Technical College’s Business Education Center, 620 W. Clairemont
Employers must have a training plan to enroll workers in the course. Ave. The cost is $140. For more information or to register, visit the
“Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or email
The cost is $125. For more information contact Mark Johnson of [email protected].

Custom Industrial Services at 715-944-9120 or [email protected]. March 10: MENOMONIE — The fifth annual Red Cedar Watershed
Conference will be in the Memorial Student Center at UW-Stout.
n Also on Feb. 18, the program “MSHA 8 Hour Refresher Training” Scheduled speakers include Gabe Brown, farmer and specialist in

will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 770 See page 30

Scheidler Road, Chippewa Falls. The cost is $140. For more information H38tOh AnMnuaEl &GARDENSHOW
February 19 - 21st, 2016
or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call Eau Claire Indoor Sports Center
$6 in Advance / $8 at the Door
800-511-9095 or email [email protected]. $12 Weekend Pass at the Door
Feb. 19-21: The Chippewa Valley Home Builders Association is Children 12 & under are free

holding its 38th annual Home & Garden Show at the Eau Claire Indoor Outdoor Patio Grand Giveway worth $10,000

Sports Center, 3456 Craig Road. The event features more than 200 Visit www.cvhomebuilders.com for more info
or call 715-835-2526.
exhibitors and daily seminars. Call 715-835-2526 for more information.
Feb. 21-26: MADISON — The Wisconsin Economic Development 796335_1-25-16

Corp. is conducting a trade venture to Mexico, visiting Mexico City Est. 1978

and Guadalajara, the nation’s two largest cities. A trade venture to

Canada is March 13-18, visiting Toronto, Ontario, and Winnipeg,

Manitoba. Visit inwisconsin.com/export/goglobal for more

information.
Feb. 24: Business Day in Madison, presented by Wisconsin

Manufacturers and Commerce, will be from 9 a.m.

to 3 p.m. at Monona Terrace, One John Nolen Drive.

The program includes insights on economic trends,

political updates and an address by Gov. Scott Walker.

The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce will

coordinate car pooling, and discounted lodging is

available for those traveling the night before. There

is a reception for attendees the evening of Feb. 23. An

early bird registration fee of $140 is available through Walker
Jan. 30. Contact Scott Rogers at 715-858-0616 or

[email protected] for more information.
Feb. 25: The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2016 Sales

Conference will be from 8 a.m.tonoon at The Florian Gardens, 2340

Lorch Ave. For more information visit eauclairechamber.org or call

715-834-1204.
Feb. 26: The program “Business Plan Basics Webinar” will be

from noon to 1 p.m. at Western Dairyland Community Action

Agency, 418 Wisconsin St. The cost is $15. For more information or to

register, visit successfulbusiness.org, call 715-836-7511 or email info@

successfulbusiness.org.
Feb. 27: CHIPPEWA FALLS — The Western Dairyland program,

“Mechanics of Starting a Small Business,” will be from 2 to 4 p.m. at

Green Oasis, 1403 122nd St. The cost is $29. For more information or to

register, visit successfulbusiness.org, call 715-836-7511 or email info@

January 25, 2016 ♦ | 29

CALENDAR March - April

from Page 29 will be from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays in Room 1204

soil health movement; Tim Davis, research scientist for the National of Centennial Hall at UW-Eau Claire. Presenters are
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and Maude Barlow, author
and former senior adviser to the United Nations. Visit www.uwstout. Jennifer Nohelty of Gift Planning Services; Adam
edu/profed/redcedar/ for details.
Mohr and Kurt Kern of Ameriprise Financial; and
March 16-17: The Chippewa Valley Technical College program
“OSHA (Occupational Safety Health Administration) 10 Hour General Regina Butler, Linda Danielson and Mary Ellen Schill
Industry Certification” will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. the first day and
8 to 11 a.m. the second day at a site to be determined. The cost is $175. of Ruder Ware. The cost is $99. For more information
For more information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education”
link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or email [email protected]. visit uwec.edu/ce, call 866-893-2423 or email ce@uwec.

March 22: The program “Business Plan Basics” will be from 6 to 9 edu. Schill
p.m. at Western Dairyland, 418 Wisconsin St. The cost is $29. For more April 13: MENOMONIE — The program “Adobe
information or to register, visit successfulbusiness.org, call 715-836-
7511 or email [email protected]. InDesign Level 3” will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Chippewa

March 25: The webinar “Website Basics” will be from noon Valley Technical College, 403 Technology Drive E. The cost is $104. For
to 1 p.m. at Western Dairyland Community Action Agency, 418
Wisconsin St. The cost is $15. For more information or to register, more information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link
visit successfulbusiness.org, call 715-836-7511 or email info@
successfulbusiness.org. at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or email [email protected].
April 15: The date is the deadline to apply for tourism and cultural
March 29: The Lunch & Learn program “How to Supercharge Your
Presentations” will be from noon to 1 p.m. at the Eau Claire Area arts grants through Visit Eau Claire. The organization reviews
Chamber of Commerce, 101 N. Farwell St. The presenters are Heidi
Schreiner of Artisans of the Earth and a Toastmasters club director, applications and awards grants twice a year (the second deadline is
Jeff McRaven of National Presto Industries and Melissa Eslinger of
Marshfield Clinic Health System. The cost, which includes lunch, is $20 Nov. 15). Funds are provided by the city of Eau Claire and Wisconsin
for chamber members and $40 for nonmembers. For more information
or to register, visit eauclairechamber.org or call 715-834-1204. Arts Board. Visit visiteauclaire.com/partners/grant-information/ for

March 29-April 1: MENOMONIE — The four-day workshop, details.
“Leadership Academy Phase I,” will be in the Memorial Student Center April 19: The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce’s 102nd annual
at UW-Stout. Coaches include Charlie Krueger, founder and director
of the program, president of Krueger Training and Development and meeting will be from 5 to 11 p.m. in the Davies Center at UW-Eau
former chair of communications, education and training at UW-Stout,
and Kari Dahl, an independent organizational development consultant. Claire. Invitations will be mailed in mid-March. Visit eauclairechamber.
For more information visit www.uwstout.edu/ldi/, email profed@
uwstout.edu or call 715-232-2793. org for more information.

March 31: The program “Adobe Photoshop Level 2” will be from n Also on April 19, the program “Microsoft Outlook: Effective
8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 620 W.
Clairemont Ave. The cost is $104. For more information or to register, Email Management” will be from 9 a.m. to noon at Chippewa
visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or
email [email protected]. Valley Technical College, 403 Technology Drive E., Menomonie.

April 6: The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce’s Real Life The cost is $49. For more information or to register, visit the
Academy will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Plaza Hotel & Suites,
1202 W. Clairemont Ave. The interactive program teaches money “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or email
management skills to students from Altoona, Augusta, Fall Creek,
Memorial, North and Regis high schools. [email protected].

n Also on April 6, the program “Microsoft Excel Intermediate” will n Also on April 19, the program “Microsoft Outlook: Time
be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical College,
770 Scheidler Road, Chippewa Falls. The cost is $104. For more Management with Calendars and Tasks” will be from 1 to 4 p.m.
information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.
edu, call 800-511-9095 or email [email protected]. at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 403 Technology Drive E.,

April 7-8: The Chippewa Valley Technical College program “OSHA Menomonie. The cost is $49. For more information or to register, visit
(Occupational Safety Health Administration) 10 Construction Industry
Certification” will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. the first day and 8 to 11 a.m. the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or email
the second day at a site to be determined. The cost is $175. For more
information or to register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc. [email protected].
edu, call 800-511-9095 or email [email protected]. April 23-24: CHIPPEWA FALLS — Vendor space and sponsorship

April 12-26: The program “Planning for a Confident Retirement” opportunities are available for the Living Green Festival at the

Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds. The event will include more

than 100 exhibitor booths featuring businesses and organizations

promoting green products and services, a farmers market, children’s

activities, live entertainment, speakers and outdoor displays. For

more information visit livinggreenfest.com or email Lisa Gill, festival

director, at [email protected].
April 26: MENOMONIE — The program “Microsoft OneNote”

will be from 8 a.m. to noon at Chippewa Valley Technical College,

403 Technology Drive E. The cost is $59. For more information or to

register, visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-

9095 or email [email protected].
April 28: The program “Microsoft Access: Nuts & Bolts” will be from

8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 620 W.

Clairemont Ave. The cost is $104. For more information or to register,

visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or

email [email protected].
May 4: The program “​Microsoft Excel Advanced” will be from

8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Chippewa Valley Technical College, 620 W.

Clairemont Ave. The cost is $104. For more information or to register,

visit the “Continuing Education” link at cvtc.edu, call 800-511-9095 or

email [email protected].

30 | ♦ January 25, 2016

7 10oouft 7.4% 12,000
Number of jobs created in 36 state
Number of customers who stop doing Growth in commercial and industrial communities since 1988 through the Wisconsin
business with a company because of construction predicted for 2016 by Economic Development Corp.’s Main Street
how they were treated during their first Associated Builders and Contractors. Program. The 2016 Main Street Now national
contact, according to A Passion for conference is May 23-25 in Milwaukee. Visit
Service’s Bill Drury, who presented a pair preservationnation.org/main-street/ for details.
of seminars in Eau Claire on Jan. 12.

11.92million
Vinyl record sales in 2015, according to Nielsen. That By the
was 30 percent more than in the previous year. Sales NUMBERS
of vinyl records have risen for 10 straight years.

Nearly 43%
Growth in stock price for Eau Claire-based National Presto 1
Industries in 2015. It was the strongest performance in
the Morningstar Wisconsin Ticker, which tracks the 2 RU CT I O NA ND E X T R AC T I I
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