made in central wisconsin

CYAN_WDH MICWfr MAGENTA_WDH MICWfr YELLOW_WDH MICWfr BLACK WDH MICWfr

Creating agricultural, paper and wood products

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN MEDIA

They started as ideas in basements, garages, kitch-ens, bars and boardrooms. Ideas turned into innova-tion and entrepreneurial action.Then the gears kicked in, powered by men and

women with a sturdy Midwest work ethic. Soon they were cranking out products and services that would spread across the globe.The toughest windows on the planet. Paper used

on all continents and in every state. Software that

has revolutionized education and business. Food that feeds the masses. And much, much more.Over time, central Wisconsin has become — as it

remains today — a wellspring of industrious activity and a supplier to the world.In this special supplement, Gannett Central

Wisconsin celebrates the remarkable yet everyday accomplishments of local businesses and institutions whose reach extends well beyond our region.

Local industries, people behind the products

People, machines and ingenuity working together

ManufacturingAdvanced

Section D

TechnologiesSustainable

Section G

Using brain power to improve lives and businesses

Services

Section E

Building on the green movement

Farm & Forest

Section F

CYANMAGENTA YELLOWBLACKWDH, September 23, PAGE

MANUFACTURINGMANUFACTURINGTHURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN MEDIA 1D

Advertiser indexStevens Point businesses.........................2Blackberry Creek Soap .............................3Counter-Form ...........................................3Weinbrenner Shoe Factory .......................3Stratford Building Supply ..........................4

Marathon Label Co. Inc. ...........................4Swita Cabinetry ........................................4Bletsoe Cheese Inc. .................................4Domtar .....................................................5UMR ........................................................6Mid-State Technical College .....................7Linetec .....................................................7

Marshfield Clinic ..................................8, 9Verlo Mattress Factory ...........................10Lemke Industries ....................................10Krukowski Stone Co. Inc. .......................10Mullins Cheese.......................................10Green Bay Packaging Inc. ......................11PC Doctor LLC .......................................11

Olde Iron Shoppe ...................................12Felker Bros. Corp. ..................................12Peoples State Bank ................................14Ministry Health Care ...............................15Stone Innovations ..................................15Wolfcraft Furniture ..................................16

John PospyhallaAge: 42

Job: Laithe operator at Innovative Machine Specialists, Marshfield. Pospyhalla has worked as a machinist at IMS for 11 years, using a computer and numerical controlled laithe to mold raw plastic and stainless steel into round replacement parts for machinery used in food processing, water treat-ment and electrical plants. The job requires two years of post-high school education and at least five years of experience.

Products: “It’s a job shop — it makes anything a customer wants. Some parts could take a whole day, some parts you could do 30 to 100 a day,” said Pospyhalla, who is proud of mold-ing parts to the best of his ability and providing the best customer service possible.

“It’s more of a perfection. I prefer to make it better than what the customer expects. I’m more proud of a good-looking finished part.”

— Molly Newman, Gannett Central Wisconsin

Innovative Machine Specialists

BY CARA SPOTOGANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

WHITING — When Whiting-based Worth Co. was founded in 1941, fly-fishing was the only type of fishing most people did.

The company’s employees, most of them based at home, spent hours constructing intri-cate flies the company then would sell to fish-ermen.

When World War II ended, soldiers coming back home from overseas brought with them a new way of fishing, with spin-casting equip-ment and bright, metal lures made not to look like bugs but other fish.

With such innovations before them, the com-pany began focusing its attention on lures, which it produced a variety of over the next 40 years.

In doing that work, the company also pro-duced all the parts it needed to make the lures, acquiring the machinery necessary to make parts such as spinner blades and wire forms.

During that time, the company’s skill at creating specialized lure parts only improved, and in the late 1980s, owner David Worth — founder Joseph Worth’s grandson — decided to transform the busi-ness from a lure manufacturer to a lure parts manufacturer.

“We decided that it would be better for us, instead of competing with all these companies, to be a supplier to them,” said Worth, 58. “All of our competitors then became our customers.”

Today, the company supplies fishing lure parts to 3,600 companies worldwide.

The company employs two full-time design engineers, and its sprawling factory on Sherman Avenue in Whiting is filled with a variety of machines designed to make the nearly 9,000 components in its catalogue.

John Lake, a quality assurance employee who has been with Worth for 16 years, calls the

company “a big family.” “You’re not pressured. It’s laid back,” Lake

said. “It’s like, ‘Get your work done. Do what you are supposed to do.’ Dave is awesome. He walks around, and he knows your name.”

If you’ve ever gone fishing, chances are some-thing Worth made was at the end of your line.

But even if you aren’t an angler, you’ve prob-ably handled something produced at the Worth factory. That’s because Worth makes nearly all the split rings used in new car transmitter key chains.

“Those transmitters are built by robots, and they have to put the rings on automatically,” Worth said. “In order to do that, the rings have to be perfect. We, apparently, are the only com-pany in the world that can make perfect split rings.”

The company makes about 2 million split rings a week, including tiny silver split rings used by Tiffany’s.

Family-owned company finds worth in lure parts

ABOUT WORTH CO.Address: 214 Sherman Ave., Whiting

Founded: 1940

Owner: David Worth

Number of employees: 65

Products: Components for fishing lures, key rings, window fasteners and latches.

How and where the products are used: Components are used by lure manufacturers to make finished lures; key rings are used by auto manufacturers, lure com-panies and jewelers.

Contact information: Call 715-344-6081 or e-mail [email protected].

Left: David Worth is president of the Worth Co. in Whiting. Above left: One of the Worth Co.’s prod-ucts is split rings, which are used on vehicle key rings. Above: The Worth Co. is on Sherman Avenue in Whiting.PHOTOS BY DOUG WOJCIKGANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

BY DAN RICHTERFOR GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

WAUSAU — Central Wisconsin has its fair share of outdoorsmen, but who knew that one of the biggest manufacturers of fishing boats was right here in the heart of the state?

Yar-Craft Boats is a high-end fiberglass boat company originally started in 1964 by Jack Dallman in Menominee, Mich.

Dallman, the then-vice president of Thompson Boat Co., wanted to build a family-style recreational boat, which became Yar-Craft. The business took off until the mid-1980s, when such recre-ational boats fell from popularity.

It was then that Dallman met a group of fishermen who gave him the idea of build-ing top-of-the-line fishing boats, and the company got a second lease on life.

In 2004, Yar-Craft was purchased by Norlen Inc., which moved production to Wausau, where it remains today.

“When I bought Yar-Craft, I thought ‘Oh, I’m just buying a little boat company.’ But then I met these people who own the boats, and they’re just out there fishing and are so excited to be doing what they’re doing,” said Corey Suthers, president and chief executive officer of Norlen Inc.

In addition to high-end fishing boats, Yar-Craft has reintroduced family-style boats to its line.

The majority of the company’s sales come from areas in which fishing guide services are most prevalent, Suthers said, with top sales coming from Texas, the Great Lakes region and the Dakotas.

Even outdoors television personalities Joe Bucher and Mike Keyes are owners of Yar-Craft boats, which Suthers calls “an honor.”

“Seeing people with clothing bearing the Yar-Craft name or seeing one of the boats on TV, it’s a good feeling because those people are obviously happy to own that product,” said Suthers. “That builds up the old pride pretty good.”

Each boat is semi-custom made, Suthers

said, and owners from all over North America call the company with expecta-tions and specifications for their boats.

“Our craftsmanship is top-notch and, by ordering directly from us, people can

get almost any customization possible,” Suthers said. “Yar-Craft is one of the best, if not the best, riding boat in history, and being based here really shows us what the product means to people.”

Boat maker sails along

ABOUT YAR-CRAFT BOATS

employee profile

Address: 7801 International Drive, Wausau

Founded: 1964

Owner: Corey Suthers, president and chief executive officer of Norlen Inc.

Number of employees: About 150

Products: High-end fiberglass fishing and

family-style recreational boats.

How and where products are used: Yar-Craft boats are used by people all over North America, particularly amateur and profes-sional fishermen.

Contact information: Call 1-866-927-2738 or visit www.yarcraft.com.

PHOTOS BY XAI KHA/GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

Brandon Prahl, 25, of Wausau sands the deck of a boat under construction at Yar-Craft Boats in Wausau. Below: Chief assembler Patrick Ruesch of Wausau inspects a Yar-Craft boat.

Advanced

Employer: Wausau Homes, Rothschild

Age: 59

Job: Plant manager

Products: “We’re working managers here. Even though I’ve got ‘manager’ in my title, I still wear flannel shirts, and I do what needs to get done,” Osowski said as he prepared to unload a truck.

Osowski started with Wausau Homes on the production floor and has worked just about every job in the plant. Much of his time was spent out in the field, setting up houses that

were built in the Rothschild factory.

“I’ve been all over the world and all over the United States. I loved delivering our product and seeing the astonishment on people’s faces. We were the leaders in our industry, and other places followed us.”

Now, Osowski enjoys mentoring the next gen-eration of Wausau Homes employees.

“I love working with people. I feel like a teach-er, and I’m so proud when one of my students excels in what they’re doing.”

— Amy Ryan, Gannett Central Wisconsin

MADE IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN 2D Thursday, September 23, 2010

CYANMAGENTA YELLOWBLACKWDH, September 23, PAGE 2D

StaffGeneral managers

Michael BeckMark Baldwin

Operations managerSherri Wallis

Ad managersScott HehirTara MarcouxMary Jo Johnson

Contributing editorsMark TreinenPeter J. WassonAmy KimmesJonathon GneiserLinda TaylorNathan VineAllen Hicks

DesignersElissa HoltmeierSirena Mankins

Making contactMarshfield:

715-384-3131

Stevens Point: 715-344-6100

Wausau:715-842-2101

Wisconsin Rapids:715-423-7200

Made in Central Wisconsin is a prod-uct of Gannett Central Wisconsin Media. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior consent of Gannett Central Wisconsin Media.

Wausau Homesemployee profile

Chet Osowski

BY JAKE MILLERGANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

WAUSAU — Building a home and have that perfect window design in your head? Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co. can make that dream a reality.

The Wausau-based win-dow and door manufactur-er, which grew out of the minds of brothers Herb and Ervin Kolbe in 1946, has developed into a national competitor that now caters to high-end buyers.

“What we’ve evolved into over the last five to eight years is moving Kolbe to being a very major player in the high-end window market,” said Michael Salsieder, president of Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co.

An integral part of Kolbe’s business is the array of options available to customers. Need a dou-ble-hung window with tri-ple pane glass and custom woodwork? No problem. Or, maybe you’re interest-ed in a 50-foot lift-and-slide glass window that serves as a wall on your home that can be opened in just minutes.

The company prides itself on making windows and doors specific to each order. Mass production isn’t part of the process, and each project can take two to

four weeks to produce, said Jeffrey De Lonay, executive vice president at Kolbe.

While custom wood win-dows and doors are what makes Kolbe attractive to customers, technology also has played a critical role in the growth of its market share.

Kolbe can build windows that withstand hurricane-force winds — popular, not surprisingly, in the Caribbean — and others that help reduce energy consumption. And testing is rigorous. A high-impact window is hit with a 2-by-4 piece of wood at 45 mph,

and it’s then plastered with 9,000 blasts of wind.

Salsieder said windows that retain heat during the winter and keep it out during the summer are only going to continue to become more popular, espe-cially with government tax incentives. Kolbe uses mul-tiple technologies, includ-ing triple-panes and spe-cialized coatings, to achieve energy savings.

“We’ve anticipated the energy requirements that are coming, and we’re at the leading edge of that,” Salsieder said.

At its 1-million-square-

foot plant in Wausau, design options are limit-less. From elaborate case-ment windows to historical windows used to refurbish old buildings on the East Coast, anything thought

up by an architect can be created.

“Architects are impressed when they take a tour of this facility,” Salsieder said. “They say ‘My God, this is impressive.’”

Kolbe & Kolbe taps high-end marketABOUT KOLBE & KOLBE MILLWORK CO.Address: 1323 S. 11th Ave., WausauFounded: 1946Number of employees: 1,300Products: Premium wood windows and doors, with a focus on high-end, made-to-order products. Also produces vinyl windows and doors

at its Manawa plant.How and where products are used: With sales primarily in the U.S. and Canada, Kolbe & Kolbe garnered much of its business from the Midwest until recently. In 2009, the company sold more windows and doors in the Southeast than in the Midwest. Kolbe also sells its windows in the Caribbean and has made some sales in Ireland and China.Contact information: 715-842-5666, www.kolbe-kolbe.com

COREY SCHJOTH/GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

Dave Wilke, a master assembler, works on a window frame at Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co. Left: Kolbe & Kolbe’s head-quarters in Wausau.

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Thursday, September 23, 2010 3D MADE IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN

BY MOLLY NEWMANGANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

MARSHFIELD — Whether it’s a Y, T or elbow pipe connector, Felker Bros. Corp. has it covered.

Felker, which has a manufacturing facility at 1707 E. Fourth St. and its cor-porate headquarters at 22 N. Chestnut Ave., supplies stainless steel piping from one-half inch to 96 inches in diameter, and about any type of part needed to connect and turn them.

Founded in 1903, the company also has a manufacturing facility in Glasgow, Ky. It employs 255 people, 197 of them in Marshfield.

Felker’s pipes and parts are sold inter-nationally and are used in the waste-water treatment, chemical, pharmaceu-tical, biodiesel production and oil and gas industries, among others, said sales manager Randy Krogman.

“We used to build large-diameter tanks,” Krogman said. “We’ve focused more (now) on process manufacturing piping.”

Between 5 percent and 7 percent of Felker’s products are sold in Wisconsin, with 8 percent to 10 percent distrib-uted internationally and the rest sold throughout the United States, Krogman said. Local customers include NewPage Corp.’s Wisconsin Rapids paper mill.

Jim Kluball, Marshfield plant man-ager, said Felker tailors its products to the customer’s needs through a vari-ety of processes, including purchasing alternate pipe sizes, adding flanges and ports, and creating connector parts with unique angles and biases.

“We can fabricate any kind of fitting 96 inches and down,” Kluball said.

There are both pipe fabrication and pipe fitting portions of the manufactur-ing facility, with three fabricating and two fitting shifts, five days per week.

Felker also offers stainless steel pipe pickling, which involves treating the stainless steel with an acidic solution so it resists corrosion in the field.

The facility completed an addition in 2008 to install new pickling wastewater treatment equipment, which eliminates the acid’s hazardous properties through air and water treatment.

“Wastewater treatment and the pick-ling used to be a hazardous waste,” Kluball said. “Now, none of it is.”

Pipes, parts put Felker on international stage

ABOUT FELKERBROS. CORP.Address: 22 N. Chestnut Ave. (admin-istration and engineering) and 1707 E. Fourth St. (manufacturing), Marshfield

Founded: 1903

Owner: Tom Umhoefer

Number of employees: 197 in Marshfield, 58 in Glasgow, Ky.

Products: Stainless steel piping prod-ucts and fabricated piping systems.

How and where products are used: Internationally in the waste and water treatment, biodiesel production, wine making, oil and gas, pulp and paper, desalination and corn sweetener lines industries.

Contact information: Call 715-384-3121, fax 715-387-6837 or visit www.felkerbrothers.com.

DAN YOUNG/GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

Bob Hennes welds a stainless steel pipe at Felker Bros. in Marshfield. Below: Rick Buttke works on flanges at Felker Bros.

BY NICK PAULSONGANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

S T E V E N S P O I N T — The types of vehicles outfitted with equipment from Gamber-Johnson are almost countless.

Ambulances, garbage trucks, police cars, claims adjusters’ cars, utility trucks and even military vehicles worldwide have computers secured in them using Gamber-Johnson’s mounting equipment.

Based in Stevens Point, Gamber-Johnson outfits about 20,000 vehicles every year with its line of com-puter-mounting systems and components, and that number is growing.

“Mainly it’s the U.S. and Canada,” said Brian Wagner, the company’s president, of its sales area. “But we are expanding internationally.”

That foreign reach will include retailers — what Wagner calls “resellers” — in Australia and Israel. Wagner said the company is talking with businesses in Eastern Europe and India about expansion. Gamber-Johnson also sells to some of America’s mili-tary allies.

Founded in 1954, the company has become a stable force in the Stevens Point community as its national presence has grown. Some of that growth can be attributed to new products, such as a slide mount that allows customers to disconnect radios from one vehicle and quickly reconnect them in another.

But Wagner also points to other areas. Gamber-Johnson employs 73 people from central Wisconsin, and the ease of finding those qualified workers is a big reason for the company’s success, Wagner said.

“There’s a solid engi-neering base here, with a good deal of creativity and know-how,” Wagner said. “It’s a great crew that has stuck with us through the last couple of years.”

Gamber-Johnson also has been able to partner with local suppliers, which has helped keep costs down and provide a more flexible business model

during the recent econom-ic struggles.

Because of those connec-tions, Wagner said the com-pany’s physical expansion

will be in central Wisconsin.“We fully expect to be

manufacturing for the foreseeable future in Wisconsin,” he said.

Gamber-Johnson remains stable force in local community

ABOUT GAMBER-JOHNSONAddress: 3001 Borham Ave., Stevens Point

Founded: 1954

President: Brian Wagner


Products: Computer mounting systems and components for vehicles.

How and where products are used: Products are used worldwide to mount computer and electronic equipment in vehicles, including police cars, ambulances and military vehicles.

Contact information: Call 715-344-3482 or visit www.gamberjohnson.com.

PHOTOS BY DOUG WOJCIK/GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

Scott Sankey fastens magnets to a roof mount for use in a military vehicle at Gamber-Johnson. Below: Sgt. Martin Skibba of the Stevens Point Police Department pulls out a sliding truck tray. Bottom: Gamber-Johnson makes a variety of computer mounting systems, including this floor-mount for use in a semi-tractors.

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Our business began in 1995 out of a love of handcrafted soaps. After many years of research and many requests, we have now added lotions, balms and salt scrubs to our line of soaps. We use the very best oils we can fi nd to benefi t your skin. All of our products are free from harsh chemicals and dyes.

For full description of our products or to place an order go to: handmade-natural-soap.net

Handcrafted Soaps

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Colors & FinishesCounter-Form crafts a complete line of custom, cut-to-size countertops with all the colors and patterns available from Wilsonart®, Formica™, Pionite® and Nevamar®. We stock over 310 of their best sellers and off er many diff erent edge profi les. Counter-Form can fabricate an almost infi nite array of creative possibilities.

Premium QualityIt’s what’s underneath that separates Counter-Form from the rest. Our countertops feature unique vapor barrier strips applied to the front and side edges to protect against moisture and chipping. We construct our countertops from the hightest quality 45 lb. western pine industrial board, all of our countertops feature a 1/2” solid

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About UsIn 1976 Counter-Form began operations, focusing on a single goal: To make the highest quality postform counterop in the industry at an aff ordable price, while providing its customers with the best in service. Counter-Form off ers unsurpassed experience, from our offi ce staff , to our fabricators. We off er quick lead times and the best in customer service. Discover why Counter-Form is an industry leader.

5001171130

Jeff KiblerAge: 41

Job: Marketing man-ager for Peachtree Cos., owned by Weather Shield Manufacturing, 880 S. View Drive, Mosinee

Products: Windows and doors.

“The company has an entrepreneurial spirit that helps them to develop products rapidly with the market’s needs,” he said.

After almost 11 years as the window and door manufacturer’s market-ing manager, Kibler said he wouldn’t want to work in product develop-ment anywhere else. The Peachtree windows and doors produced in Mosinee are sold to win-dow dealers nationwide for private sale.

Kibler travels between the company’s Mosinee manufacturing plant and Medford corporate head-quarters.

“If you need something done here, you go to (owners) Kevin and Mark (Schield), and they get it done,” he said.

— Kathleen Foody, Gannett Central

Wisconsin

4D Thursday, September 23, 2010


MADE IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN

BY NATHANIEL SHUDAGANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

WISCONSIN RAPIDS — In 1994, David Serafin, Patrick Smolarek and Daryl Kingery lost their jobs when aerospace manufacturer Woodward Governor Co. closed its Stevens Point plant.

With an idea, seven willing employ-ees and help from their former employ-er, the trio rented 12,000 square feet of space from a Wisconsin Rapids busi-ness incubator.

SKS Machine was born the following year.

Sixteen years, two expansions and more than 20 employees later, SKS continues to grow, and despite an eco-nomic setback last year, the company is ready to move ahead, said Serafin, SKS Machine president.

“In 2009, we had layoffs for the sec-ond time (in company history), but we were able to start rehiring again this spring,” he said.

About 70 percent of the company’s products are used in the aerospace industry — from parts that go into fuel delivery systems on aircraft engines to components for airplane seats, trays and overhead compartments. The com-pany even makes parts for Apache military helicopters. Other products go to customers in the food service and paper industries.

Although he declined to discuss any specific customers by name, cit-ing confidentiality issues, Serafin said SKS ships its products to companies in Wisconsin Rapids, central and north-ern Wisconsin, Illinois, Utah, California, Minnesota and Great Britain.

Sometimes, even SKS remains unaware of the purpose for the parts it makes because of certain proprietary information or even national security issues, Serafin said.

“I think it would be interesting to sit back and see how our end product fits into the big picture; we just don’t get the opportunity to do that,” he said. “We’re just so focused on the work we do, we don’t get to sit back and ponder what the big picture looks like.”

The company strives for “slow, con-trolled growth,” primarily because of the intricate detail required when working with precision components, Serafin said.

“We’re not looking at doubling our capacity each year,” he said. “We like to grow, but at a slow and controlled pace. ... To bring on a bunch of customers at once would be very taxing on us.”

Aerospace company seeks slow growth

ABOUT SKS MACHINE Address: 2610 Industrial St., Wisconsin Rapids

Founded: 1995

Owners and operators: David Serafin, president; Patrick Smolarek, vice president; and Daryl Kingery


Products: Precision-machine components, primarily for the aerospace industry.

How the products are used: Machine parts built at SKS are used in a variety of industries, but primarily as parts for air-planes.

Contact information: Call SKS Machine at 715-421-1900, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.sksmachine.com.

BY KATHLEEN FOODYGANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

ROTHSCHILD — How many company presidents take a deep breath before explaining their products?

Paul LaVanway, presi-dent and chief operat-ing officer at Borregaard LignoTech in Rothschild, takes at least one. He’s used to the terms “lignin and lignosulfonate-based products” causing gener-al confusion, and is used to having to walk people through exactly what it is that his company does.

But the chemical products produced at LignoTech ulti-mately are used in everyday objects or products such as batteries, concrete, animal feeds and ceramics. So, even if you don’t know what lig-nin is, you’ve used it.

Lignin is extracted from wood during the paper-making process at Domtar Paper mill, next door to LignoTech. The compound is

worked into various binding and dispersing agents used to make other products.

The unique working rela-tionship between the two companies benefits both final products, LaVanway said. Lignin has a natural brown tone and can dye paper if it’s not removed during the paper-making process, making a less-desir-able product for Domtar.

“We need them, of course, for our feedstock,” he said. “We have this joined-at-the-hip relationship. When they run well, we run well.”

The main clients of LignoTech are other chemi-cal companies. The biggest market for the dispersing agent made with lignin is the concrete used in large construction projects.

By adding the dispersing agent, concrete mixtures require less water and are stronger and able to support larger structures, LaVanway said.

The Rothschild site

began operation in 1910 as the chemical division of Marathon Corp. LignoTech has been operator of the facility since 1927, when it was used primarily to

research the potential uses of lignin. Manufacturing began in 1934.

The company employs about 60 people at its Rothschild location.

LignoTech, paper mill form unique relationshipABOUT BORREGAARD LIGNOTECHAddress: 100 Grand Ave., Rothschild

Founded: Research began in 1927, production began in 1934.

Owner: Borregaard LignoTech

Number of employees: 60 in Rothschild, 75 in the U.S., 600 companywide.

Products: Lignosulfate and lignin-based products.

How and where products are used: As binders in the con-crete, oil well, pesticide and agricultural industries around the world, particularly in the southern part of the U.S.

Contact information: Call 715-359-6544 or visit www.lignotech.com.

COREY SCHJOTH/GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

Tim McNally, a research associate at Borregaard LignoTech in Rothschild, works in the lab at the business.

Peachtree Cos.

employee profile

JODEE BOYD/FOR GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

Russ Behr measures a part for accuracy at Wisconsin Rapids-based SKS Machine. Right: The company’s head-quarters. Top: David Serafin, left, co-owner of SKS Machine, speaks with employee Jim Kruger.

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Cheddar, Pepper and Colby. Our factory can make up to 7,000 pounds of cheese daily; on aver-age we make about 4,000 pounds of cheese daily.

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RothschildRothschild

Generations of

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1 9 1 0 - 2 0 1 0

Paper

ofMak

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November 18, 1910First sheet comes off machine at Marathon Mills

David Clark Everest 1st general manager and dominant force behind the Rothschild Mill

Rothschild, WisconsinFine Paper Mill

Domtar’s pulp and paper mill in Rothschild, Wisconsin is one

of 14 major pulp and paper manufacturing facilities owned

and operated by Domtar in the United States and Canada.

The mill’s 400 employees produce 200 tons per day of totally cholorine

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Jonas PelotEmployer: Crystal Finishing Systems Inc., Schofield

Age: 31

Job: Production lead on the extrusion press, meaning he is responsible for the quality of aluminum the extrusion department produces and for managing and training seven employees working on three presses. Pelot has been with the company five years.

Products: Pelot’s depart-ment receives aluminum logs, heats them to about 900 degrees, cuts them into shapes, then cuts them into smaller logs before they are cut into smaller pieces and used for a variety of purposes, such as window frames.

“The company, especially the owners Mark and Lori (Mathey), treats everyone great, and they are extreme-ly helpful,” Pelot said. “The atmosphere here is great. It’s a great place to work.”

Crystal Finishing serves cli-ents throughout the world, and Pelot said he thinks the quality of its products and the success that comes from that are fantastic.

“It’s a big deal,” he said. “The facility can pretty much set up anybody for any number of things. We’re a one-stop extrusion loca-tion.”

— Lavilla Capener, Gannett Central Wisconsin




Crystal Finishing

employee profile

BY LAVILLA CAPENERGANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

SCHOFIELD — Anyone who has cheered on the Pack at Lambeau Field, jumped around at Camp Randall Stadium or gotten rowdy at a Kansas City Wizards soccer game has Merrill Iron & Steel to thank for the sturdiness of the stadiums.

The company manufac-tures large structural steel and heavy steel plates used in places such as sports sta-diums, commercial buildings and medical centers. It has worked with utility compa-nies on projects required by the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce power plant emissions.

Roger W. Hinner founded Merrill Iron & Steel in Schofield in 1962, and it remains a fam-ily business — his son Roger E. Hinner, 57, of Merrill now is president.

The company grew about 20 percent a year from 2001 to 2008, but took a hit during the recession, said chief financial officer Mike Klussendorf. The company expects to begin grow-ing again in 2012, he said.

Klussendorf said Merrill Iron & Steel’s sophisticated technol-ogy and 350 skilled employees distinguish it from its competi-tors.

“The ability to hire and retain outstanding people in any com-pany — that is the difference. We all buy the same steel, but the people make the differ-ence,” he said. “The family has created an environment where people want to stay.”

That sentiment was echoed by Andrew Micke, 23, of Weston, who recently was promoted to the job of detail-er after more than two years with the company. Micke takes design drawings submitted by customers and turns them into blueprints used by employees on the factory floor.

“The company is great to work for,” Micke said. “It’s a big enough company to see some cool projects, but small enough that it has a personal atmo-sphere.”

Employees heart of steel company

ABOUT MERRILL IRON & STEELAddress: 900 Alderson St., SchofieldFounded: 1962Owner: Roger E. Hinner Number of employees: 300 in Schofield; 50 in Missouri Products and services: Heavy industrial steel and plate work. Merrill Iron & Steel’s services range from duct work in power plants to the steel structures in sports arenas and stadiums.How and where products are used: Noteworthy projects include the Camp Randall Stadium renovation in Madison, Wisconsin Exposition Center at the Wisconsin State Fair in West Allis and Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies.Contact information: Call 715-355-8924 or visit www.merrilliron.com.


An employee welds a steel container at Merrill Iron & Steel in Schofield. Left: Andrew Micke, an associate detailer, works on a design for a power plant. Below: Steel beams are primed before being shipped to a customer.

© 2010 United HealthCare Services, Inc. No part of this document may be reproduced without permission.

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CYANMAGENT

A YELLOWB

LACK

WDH,Septem

ber 18, PAGE

Prep football

CINCINNATI A

T GREEN BAY

NOON,SUNDA

Y TV: CBS RADIO

: 550 AM1B FRIDAY

, SEPTEMBER 1

8, 2009

BY TOMPELISSE

RO

GW

N

@

.

This is how Tramon

Williams reme

mbershow

hard heworked

to get here.

It’s January. H

e’s coming

off a breakthro

ugh season

in whichhe bec

ame the

GreenBay Pa

ckers’full-

time No. 3 cor

nerbackand

had fiveintercep

tions.

He hasa fiancé

e to see, a

wedding to pla

n and anew

houseoutsid

e Houston

waitingfor him

.

So, where does

Williams

go?Back to his

old apart-

ment,to campu

s at

Louisiana Tech

, to compete

with playersat his

alma

materwho ha

rbor long-

shot dreams o

f beingthe

next TramonW

illiams.

“I always stay

around

hungryguys. T

hat keeps

you fresh,”William

s said

after practice

Thursday.

“WhenI went t

o Houston, I

workedout a c

ouple times

at Plex— whole

bunch

of NFLguys, g

uys who

alreadygot it.

It’s a good

workout, but i

t’s notthat

competitive en

vironment

like college.”

So, Williams w

orks out

with his old

collegeteam-

mate,Byron

Santiago, who

had a brief

s t ayw i th

the Packers

i n 2 0 0 6,

monthsbefore

W i l l i am s

came aboard a

s a practice-

squad guy. All

of the other

faces on camp

us arenew

— younger and

younger,

not unlike ho

w Williams

remembers h

imselfas a

walk-onseven y

ears ago.

He runs with t

hem. Lifts

with them.Jumps

into

seven-on-seven

drills when

they lethim.

It’s theoffseaso

n routine

that got Willia

ms here, so

why change now

?

Ask anyonewho has

watched William

s on a

daily basis th

is offseason,

and they’ll tell

you —at 26

years old, he’s

only getting

better.“He wo

uld bea starti

ng

corneron 28,

29 of the 32

teams—maybe

more,” cor-

nerbacks coach

Joe Whitt

Jr. said. “He’s

a guy that

can be an elite corner in

this league.”

Role player

In effect,William

s is

a starter for t

he Packers,

who like most

teamsplay

three cornerba

cks intheir

nickeldefense

on a large

chunkof snap

s as oppo-

nents increasi

ngly spread

out their offens

es.

The Packers ackn

owl-

edgedthat

muchby

announcing th

e names of

Williams and n

ickel line-

backerBrando

n Chillar

along with their 1

1 base

defense starter

s before

Sunday’s open

er against

Chicago, then

played

nickelon 66.2 pe

rcent of

snapsagainst

the Bears’

tight-end-hea

vy offense

in a 21-15win. W

illiams

responded wi

th his sixth

interception in

his past 14

games—the only

NFL cor-

nerbackwith m

ore in that

span isteamma

te Charles

Woodson (seven

) — and by

gettinghis han

ds on two

other balls.

Basedon produc

tion

alone, it’s easy

to make a

case for the P

ackershav-

ing thebest thr

ee-deepcor-

nerbackgroup i

n the NFL,

especially wit

h Woodson

and fellowvetera

n Al

Remembering h

is rootshelps W

illiams

After breakout season, Packers’

CB keeps same workout habits

Tramon

Williams

INSIDE

u Hillenmeyer takes

over for Urlacher

u Eagles mum on

McNabb’s status for

Sunday

u Expect Bengals to

work on Barbre

u Packers, Bengals

rosters

u NFL standings

Pages 4B, 5B

See WILLIAMS/4B

HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL

Cruising alongWarrio

rs

sweep on

Newton’s

big night

W D H

Thursday night w

as

one that Waus

au West

coach Cathy Ne

wton will

never forget.

Newtonwas ho

nored

for her25 year

s of lead-

ing theWarrior

s volley-

ball team. The

2009 ver-

sion didn’tdisapp

oint

either, making e

asy work

of Wisconsin V

alley con-

ferencefoe

Wisconsin

Rapids25-

22, 25-13,

25-8.“Itwasa

n

awesome

e x p er i -

ence tosee,”

N e w t o n

saidof being

honored. “It wa

s neatto

h kids backd

AlexLimmer

Today’s games

u D.C. Everest vs.

Wausau East, at Thom Field

uWausau West at

Wisconsin Rapids

u SPASH at Marshfield

uMosinee at Shawano

u Iola-Scandinavia at

Wittenberg-Birnamwood

u Shiocton at Pacelli

uManawa at Amherst

u Reedsville at Tri-

Countyu Rosholt at Port

Edwardsu Almond-Bancroft at

Marion/Tigerton

u Cadott at Neillsville

u Stanley-Boyd at Colby

u Eau Claire Regis at

Spencer/Columbus

u Athens at Thorp

u Assumption at Owen-

Witheeu Gilman at Loyal/

Grantont at Abbotsford

RA

nowh beslinell

WiCYAN

MAGENTA

YELLOWB

LACK

WDH, Se

ptember 2

1, PAGE

NFL Week 2

1BMOND

AY, SEPTE

MBER 21, 200

9

StarsPassing

Matt Schaub, Texans,

threw for 357 yards

and four touchdowns in

Houston’s 34-31 win over

Tennessee.

Philip Rivers,

Chargers, threw for a

career-high 436 yards

and two touchdowns in

San Diego’s 31-26 loss to

Baltimore.Drew Brees, Saints,

completed 25 of 34

passes for 311 yards and

three touchdowns in New

Orleans’ 48-22 win over

Philadelphia.

Jay Cutler, Bears,

passed for 236 yards


Chicago’s 17-14 win over

Pittsburgh.Receiving

Andre Johnson,

Texans, had 10 catches for

149 yards and two touch-

downs in Houston’s 34-31

win over Tennessee.

Steve Smith,

Panthers, had eight catches

for 131 yards in Carolina’s

28-20 loss to Atlanta.

Darren Sproles,

Chargers, had seven

catches for 124 yards, and

teammate Vincent Jackson

had six catches for 141

yards in San Diego’s 31-26

loss to Baltimore.

Rushing

Frank Gore, 49ers, had


downs in San Francisco’s

23-10 win over Seattle.

Chris Johnson, Titans,

scored three touchdowns

and ran for 197 yards, and

added 87 yards receiving.

Cedric Benson,

Bengals, rushed for 141

Cincinnati’s 31-24

Cincinnati 34

21 Green Bay

Decidedly offensive

performance

Packers O-line struggles mightily in loss to Bengals

BY PETE DO

UGHERTY

GW

N

@

.

GREENBA

Y—TheGr

een Bay

Packers los

t more tha

n a game

Sunday.

Their31-24

defeat aga

inst the

Cincinnati

Bengals al

one had to

be someth

ing of a sh

ock totheir

system, e

specially

coming a

t

Lambeau F

ield, after a

sharppre-

season and

season-ope

ningwin

over the Ch

icagoBears

last week.

But Sunda

y’s upset d

id more

thanput th

em at1-1. I

t alsosaw

theiroffens

ive line mel

t down in

the face of

a shakeup

thatprob-

ablywill l

ast for at l

easta cou

-

ple ofweek

s andperha

ps longer,

depending

on the sev

erityof lef

t

tackle Ch

ad Clifton

’s sprained

rightankle

. Though X

-rayswere

negative, a

ccording to

coachMike

McCarthy,

Clifton wa

s injured

badlyenoug

h to be cart

ed offthe

field.Clifto

n isone o

f theplaye

rs

the Packer

s canleast

affordto

losebecau

se ofthe i

mportance

of protectin

g quarterb

ack Aaron

Rodgers’ b

lind side a

nd the lack

of pure left

tackleto bac

k himup.

Thatwas a

pparent Su

nday,when

the alread

y struggli

ng line fe

ll

apartafter

Clifton got

hurtearly

in the thir

d quarter.

The injury

forcedleft g

uardDaryn

Colledge

out toleft ta

ckle,Jason

f omcente

r to left

comeind

franchise h

istory.

Thathelpe

d make for

a miser-

able second

half for Ro

dgers, who

was sacked

six times a

nd hit 10.

Thatput th

e brakes o

n a Packer

s

offense th

at gained

only146

yardsin the

finalthree

quarters

untila des

peration ra

lly from 10

i ts behind

in thefinal

2 min-

t theBeng

als’ preven

t

ball

EVAN SIEGLE/GANNETT WISCONSIN NEWSPAPERS

Green Bay Packers offensive linemen Jason Spitz, left, and Chad Clifton can only watch as Cincinnati Bengals

defensive end Antwan Odom sacks Aaron Rodgers during Sunday’s game at Lambeau Field.

Bengals 34, Packers 21

INSIDE

NFL roundup, Page 2B

P ckers of preseason absent

ls Page 4Bwith

WDH, September27, a1

Kole Heckendorfholds several

state records forreceiving from

his standoutdays at Mosinee.

He was NorthDakota State’s

leading receiverall four years ofhis career there.

Mosinee native not ready

to give up on NFL dreamBY DJ SLATERW D H

@ .

b t

COREY SCHJOTH/WAUSAU DAILY HERALD

A Madison-area developer owns 13 of the 17 acres

between the Eye Clinic of Wisconsin and Bridge Street

on the east side of the Wisconsin River. The land’s future

hinges largely on CF Development’s plans.

City eager to see blighted

east-side land developed,

but leaders stress patience

Riversidea work inprogress

BY NICK HALTERW D H

@ .

The city’s vision for the

riverfront north of down-l d

RESIDENTIAL KEYCOMPONENT

Community Development

Director optimistic, says

housing along river cru-

Summer with the Packers

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2009

Serving north central Wisconsin

$1.50

Health boostStay fit with Samantha Harris

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Breaking news

sent right to your

cellphone.

Text WDHNEWS to 44636

Merrill goes aerial at MosineeBluejays quarterback fires four TDs in 40-6 win | 1B

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ABOUT MARTEN MACHINING INC.Address: 6800 Hillcrest Drive, Stevens PointFounded: 1984Owner: Alan Marten, presi-dent and chief executive officerNumber of employees: 15Products: As a precision machine shop, Marten Machining manufactures metal parts to be used in medical devices and other machinery.How and where products are used: Parts produced are used across the coun-try in various machines, including medical devices that are sold throughout the world.Contact information: Call 715-592-5092, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.martenmach.com.


STEVENS POINT —Most local manufacturers and machine shops can’t say what they’re doing helps save lives, but Marten Machining can.

The business, created in 1984 by Alan and Debra Marten, is a precision machine shop that focuses primarily on what is called axis milling, in which a machine is used to cut a piece of metal on multiple sides at once.

“Most of the stuff we produce never reaches the public, but rather is sent to other manufacturers to be used as parts for their prod-ucts,” said company vice president David Marten. “We produce at most 50 parts per contract, and that’s for a large order, so it’s not a real high-volume business.”

The company produces parts for packaging and bottling businesses, Marten said, but the bulk of its orders come from the medi-cal industry.

O n e o f M a r t e n Machining’s best-known

customers is Boston Scientific, a Massachusetts-based company that manu-factures cardiac rhythm devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators that are distributed worldwide.

“There’s a lot of cutting-edge stuff going on in the medical world,” Marten said. “Most of what we make doesn’t benefit the end user directly, but we do take pride that the parts we make could potentially help save people’s lives.”

Marten said he is pleased with how the business has grown, from a single-man operation in the town of Stockton to a business that has a strong footing in the manufacturing world.

“It’s challenging,” Marten said. “What I like is that we’re a small company in a small town, but we’re so connected to the global econ-omy. There is a lot of manu-facturing done in Wisconsin, and I think we, as a state, can continue to be a com-petitive factor in the world by producing parts that are used throughout the coun-try, which will then bring even more opportunities to the area.”

Marten a small company with global connections

PHOTOS BY LAURA SCHMITT/GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

Chris Dachuk, a machinist at Marten Machining Inc., controls a robotic arm used to create precision cuts. Below: Johan Herman de-burrs aluminum at Marten Machining.

CYAN_PAGE MAGENTA_PAGE YELLOW_PAGE BLACK_8D• Central • 09/23/10 • AD NUMBER CYAN_PAGE MAGENTA_PAGE YELLOW_PAGE BLACK_9D• Central • 09/23/10 • AD NUMBER

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Paul McDougalEmployer: Greenheck Fan Corp., 400 Ross Ave., SchofieldAge: 52Job: Journeyman tool and die maker. McDougal has worked at Greenheck for 32 years, starting in packaging and assembly then moving to machinery work. Products: McDougal works on the machinery used to produce industrial and commercial ventilation systems sold across the area. He said the com-pany and the products it produces in central Wisconsin make him proud to be a part of Greenheck, even with its recent economic struggles. Greenheck uses locally produced fasteners, steel and other supplies to make its final products.“The number of jobs this company supplies and the community involve-ment are important.”

— Kathleen Foody, Gannett Central Wisconsin




RAPIDS EAST COMMERCE CENTER, WISCONSIN RAPIDS■ ECC ADVANCED FIBERGLASS TECHNOLOGIESAddress: 4400 Commerce DriveOwner/local operator: Jamie Mancl, co-ownerPlant manager: Brian ManclService: Includes design, manufacture, installation and repair of tanks of all shapes and sizes. Company also produces piping, abrasion-resistant piping systems, storage and process vessels, chimney liners, duct systems and valves.Number of employees: About 100 (locally)Contact: 715-421-2060; fax 715-421-2048; e-mail [email protected]; www.advancedfiberglass.com.■ EMR LAWN AND LANDSCAPINGAddress: 1821 48th St. N.Owner/local operator: Edward RadlingerService: Include grass mow-ing, fertilizer application and leaf and twig removal and

landscaping with stone, mulch, landscape ties and specialty blocks. Business also offers digging for drain-age ditches, small ponds and water gardens. Contact: 715-423-8920; http://emrlawnandlandscaping.com.Additional information unavail-able■ THE ANDERSONS INC. — PLANT NUTRIENT GROUPAddress: 4000 Commerce Drive

Chief executive officer: Mike AndersonService: Wholesale manu-facturing and distribution of liquid plant nutrients. Contact: 715-424-0044; e-mail Steve Sheline at [email protected]; www.andersonsnutrients.com/wps/portal/png.Additional information unavailable■ WISCONSIN RAPIDS GRAIN LLCAddress: 3990 Commerce DriveService: Storage for up to 1.85 million bushels of corn, soybeans and wheat; 10,000 bushels-per-hour unloading system; grain drying; 50-car railroad load-out facility that allows corn, soybeans and wheat to be transported across the country.Contact: 715-393-4481 or 715-675-2200; fax 715-675-1135; http://wirapidsgrain.com.Additional information unavailable

STEVE SITKO/GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

Rapids EastCommerce Center

Map area

Greenheck Fan Corp.employee profile

Now in its 3rd generation of cheesemakers, Mullins Cheese has been mak-ing fresh cheese since 1970. Not only has the Mullins Cheese family grown over the years, but the cheese plant itself has expanded several times. The cheese plant has all the latest technology and equipment. The cheesemaking process has come a long way over the last 40 years.

Store Hours: Open Daily Mon. - Sat.: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm | Sunday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

• Colby

• Cheddar

• Monterrey Jack

• Parmesan

• Romano

• Asiago

• Provolone

• Muenster

• Mozzarella

• Pepper Jack

and several

Monterrey

Jack fl avors.

598 Seagull Dr., Mosinee715-693-3205

We also have a selection of meats, gourmet food items, gifts, Wisconsin souvenirs and more.Many snacks available (including deep fried cheese curds) and soft serve ice cream (seasonal).

We have over 75 varieties of cheese. Among these are some of our specialty fl avors:

“The Best Wisconsin Cheese Curds Around”

Celebrating 40 years

Interesting facts about Mullins Cheese:• In 2001 Mullins built onto their whey processing facility to produce whey protein powders as well as other by-products. Mullins whey protein powders are sold worldwide for use in nutritional supplements, sports drinks, and food products. • Mullins whey protein isolate is also available in our retail store. • We use approx. 5 million pounds of milk daily supporting over 900 farms around Wisconsin. • Over 500,000 thousand pounds of cheese is manufactured 6 days a week.• A majority of out cheese is sold to cut and wrap operations and food services.

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5001172387

MADE EASY. MADE BETTER. MADE JUST FOR YOU.TM

3303 Rib Mountain Drive Unit A | Wausau, WI 54402 | (715) 849 - 1393

verlo.com©2010 VyMaC Corporation

MATTRESS

SAVINGS

MADEEASY.

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www.lemkeindustrial.com

1204 County Highway NN

Marathon, WI 54448-9792

Telephone: (715) 842-3221

Fax: (715) 848-7192

Lemke Industrial Machine has been providing precision machining services to North American businesses for more than 30 years. Our essential focus is on larger, often challenging components or projects. Partial list of capabilities includes…

· On-staff engineering assistance and support· CNC machined parts up to 20 feet or longer· Lathe-turned parts up to 30 feet long· Five-axis CNC machining up to 18,000 pounds· Vertical turning up to 90 inches in diameter· Blanchard grinding up to 84-inch swing

Experts in Custom

Machining.

5001172277

Rhonda SovaEmployer: Marshfield DoorSystems Inc., 1401 E. Fourth St., MarshfieldAge: 39Job: UV line technician. She’s worked in the stain-ing department at the Marshfield commercial door manufacturer for 11 years, loading doors onto the rollers to be sanded and matching door labels to the stain color to assist the stain technician.Products: Sova helps stain a variety of custom and designer doors. The

most common stain colors are for designer doors, while it takes a little longer to match the shade for custom doors. It takes about 15 minutes to stain a load of 14 doors. “If we don’t have a lot of color changes and we don’t have a lot of prob-lems, we can get 350 to 400 doors done (per shift). I like my job, and I really like the people I work with. I think we all do a good job putting out a good product, and we care about what we do.”

— Molly Newman, Gannett Central Wisconsin

CYANMAGENTA YELLOWBLACKWDH, September 23, 11D


MERRILL INDUSTRIAL PARK■ INTERFLEX GROUPAddress: 1401 W. Taylor St.Site manager: Dave WelchService: Convert raw plastic film into plastic food packag-ing, mostly for meats.Employees: 80Contact: 715-536-5400, www.interflexgroup.com■ ISLAND CITY LLCAddress: 1800 W. Taylor St.President: Geof SchmitzService: Manufacture equip-ment for defense vehicles, firefighting equipment for military use. Employees: FiveContact: 715-536-8600; e-mail [email protected]; www.islandcity.us (website in development)■ LINCOLN WOOD PRODUCTS INC.Address: 1400 W. Taylor St.Owner: Jane BiermanService: Manufacture resi-dential and light commercial windows and doors.Employees: 200Contact: 715-536-2461, www.lincolnwindows.com■ MERRILL MILLWORKAddress: 1300 W. Taylor St.Owner/local operator: William BaumanService: Manufacture wooden patio doors.

Employees: 21Contact: 715-536-8112; e-mail [email protected]; www.park-vue.com■ NORTHERN WIRE LLCAddress: 1100 W. Taylor St.President: Matt BeilkeService: Manufacture wire form products including trac-tor and lawnmower parts.Employees: 130Contact: 715-536-9551, www.northernwire.com■ RUSS DAVIS WHOLESALE INC.Address: 1200 Commerce St.Manager: Mark MaloneyService: Produce wholesaler.Contact: 715-539-2800,

www.russdaviswholesale.com■ RIVERS EDGE STAINED GLASSAddress: 1505 Champagne St.Owner: Lauree O’DayService: Art gallery represent-ing 65 Northwoods artists including painters, ceramics artists and jewelry artists.Employees: OneContact: 715-536-2270; e-mail [email protected]; www.riversedgeart.biz■ TAYLOR INSULATION CO.Address: 1601 Champagne St.Owner, president: Mark SkicService: Commercial indus-trial insulation for piping, insu-lation for boilers, pipes and hot water heaters.Employees: 15Contact: 715-536-2102■ WEINBRENNER SHOE CO.Address: 108 S. Polk St., MerrillPresident, chief executive officer: Lance NienowService: Manufacture boots, especially work boots. Military contracts to make boots for the U.S. Army and Air Force.Employees: 200Contact: 715-536-5521; e-mail [email protected]; www.weinbrennerusa.com

Prairie River


Merrill Industrial Park

Map area

Marshfield DoorSystems Inc.employee profile

Manufacturing a superior box takes coordination

from every level of our company. Because our

founder, George Kress, was on the cutting edge of

corrugated shipping containers, a feeling of responsibility

and a spirit of innovation are woven into the very fiber of

Green Bay Packaging. It is our primary focus.

Innovations that shape industry—the Green Bay Packaging Difference.

G R E E N B A Y P A C K A G I N G I N C . Sma r t P a r t n e r s . . . Sm a r t e r S o l u t i o n s

6845 Packer Drive, Box 1587 | Wausau, WI 54402-1587 | (715) 845-4201 | www.gbp.com

Committed to building a better box.

Commited to Central Wisconsin.

5001163925

5001172158

Wireless Internet Plans

Starting at $59.99

monthly access*

■ POINTE PRECISION INC.Address: 2675 Precision DriveChief executive officer: Joe KinsellaService: A machine shop specializing in precision milling, turning, grinding, heat treating, CMM Inspection, and more.Employees: 120Contact: 715-342-5100, www.pointeprecision.com■ INTEVATION FOOD GROUP, LLCAddress: 3975 Tall Pine DriveOwner/manager: Jay ArendService: Food processing plant, frozen appetizersEmployees: 35Contact: 715-345-1926■ FIRST SUPPLYAddress: 2575 Precision DriveGeneral manager: Rob HitiService: A wholesale facility providing building contractors with a line of products and services including plumbing, HVAC-R, builder, industrial supplies, fluid handling and waterworks. Employees: 14Contact: 715-254-0371, www.1supply.com■ WARNER & WARNERAddress: 4020 Corporate Ave.Owner/general manager: Dale WarnerService: Distributor of packag-

ing material for companies.Employees: 16Contact: 715-341-8563■ BIG TOYS USAAddress: 3700 Corporate Ave.Owner/manager: Chad AustrengService: An importer and exclusive U.S. distributor for high-quality ride-on toys includ-ing pedal and battery-powered cars, trucks and motorcycles for kids. Big Toys USA also has electric- and gas-powered scooters and skateboards.Employees: ThreeContact: 715-955-4237; e-mail [email protected]; www.bigtoysusa.com


Pines CorporateCenter

Map area




SCHOFIELD INDUSTRIAL PARK■ FEDERAL MOGULAddress: 1301 Landon St.Contact: 715-359-3111Additional information unavailable■ LUNDA CONSTRUCTIONAddress: 401 Alderson St.Contact: 715-355-4848Additional information unavailable■ AMERICAN WOOD FIBERSAddress: 100 Alderson St.General manager, vice pres.: Steve AubreyService: Wood flour, wood pellets and package animal beddingEmployees: 60Contact: 715-355-1900, www.awf.com■ POWDER TECHNOLOGYAddress: 551 Alderson St., Schofield WI 54476Contact: 715-359-4999Additional information unavailable■ GREENHECK FAN CORP.Address: 400 Ross Ave.Board chairman: Dwight DavisService: Commercial and industrial fans, ventilators, laboratory exhaust systems, dampers, louvers and coils.Employees: About 1,400Contact: 715-359-6171, www.greenheck.com; e-mail: [email protected]■ CRYSTAL FINISHING SYSTEMSAddress: 2608 Ross Ave.Owner/local operator: Mark MatthiaeService: Aluminum extru-sions, fabricating and finish-ing. Also offers high-perfor-mance liquid paint finishing, powder paint, E-coat and anodizing.Employees: 400Contact: 715-355-5351, www.crystalfinishing.com; e-mail: [email protected]■ QUALITY SURFACE PROCESSINGAddress: 1070 Pine St.Owner/local operator: Paul HendonService: Powder painting for large, heavy items or small-volume runs including car and motorcycle frames. Removal of ceramic from steel and aluminum that is leftover from the casting process. Employees: Four full-time and two part-timeContact: 715-359-3141, www.qualitysurfaceprocessing.com■ CUSTOM STEELAddress: 318 Ross Ave.Owner/local operator: Allen SchillerService: Structural steel for buildings, overhead bridge cranes for factories, custom fabrication. Employees: 20Contact: 715-355-1300, www.customsteelinc.com; e-mail: [email protected]■ T.J. REBUILDERSAddress: 305 Ross Ave.Owner/local operator: Tim HeilService: Rebuilds starters, alternators and generators for cars, trucks and industrial and agricultural equipment.Employees: TwoContact: 715-355-7288■ R.A. MILLER SUPPLY LLCAddress: 303 Ross Ave.Owner/local operator: Russ AderholdService: Industrial machine, parts and tool supply company

Employees: ThreeContact: 715-355-7999, www.millerindsupply.com; e-mail: [email protected]■ MERRILL IRON & STEELAddress: 900 Alderson St.Owners/local operators: Rick Hinner, Roger Hinner, Karen and Gary Rajek and Pete SullivanService: Fabricated structural and plate steelEmployees: 300Contact: 715-355-8924, www.merrilliron.com■ MCCLEAN ANDERSONAddress: 300 Ross Ave.Owners/local operators: Michael and Herbert LiedtkeService: Filament winding machines. Employees: 32Contact: 715-355-3006, www.mccleananderson.com; e-mail: [email protected]■ NORTHLAND COLD STORAGEAddress: 903 Grossman DriveContact: 715-355-6045Additional information unavailable■ ENDRIES INC.Address: 726 Ross Ave.Contact: 715-355-4780Additional information unavailable■ THOMAS INDUSTRIAL SUPPLYAddress: 748 Alderson St.Owners/local operators: Thomas Andritsch and Robert ZanotelliService: Distributor of fasten-ing and packaging products.Employees: SevenContact: 715-359-4124, www.thomasindustrialsupply.com; e-mail: [email protected]■ GPI CORP.Address: 101 Northern RoadOwner/local operator: George ZinserService: Manufacture cus-tom fiberglass components including fiberglass tanks, vessels, corrosion-resistance equipment and composite components. Made the War Memorial Arch in Dixon, Ill. Employees: 25Contact: 715-359-6123, www.gpicomposites.com; e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]■ JARP INDUSTRIESAddress: 1051 Pine St.Contact: 715-359-6300Additional information unavailable■ LAKE STATES LUMBERAddress: 899 Grossman DriveOwners/local operators: Keith Laugen and Steve WilsonService: Wholesale building materials

Employees: 17Contact: 715-359-9111, www.lake-states-lumber.com■ JAY’S AUTO REPAIRAddress: 1323 Schofield Ave.Owner/local operator: Jay AlService: Automotive and light truck repair shopEmployees: FourContact: 715-359-5554; www.jaysauto.net; e-mail: [email protected]■ SAIA MOTOR FREIGHT LINE INC.Address: 901 Grossman Drive CPresident: Rick O’DellService: Freight companyEmployees: 8,200 nationallyContact: 715-359-8030, www.saia.com■ NORLENAddress: 900 Grossman DriveOwner/local operator: Thomas SuthersService: Metal fabrication, stamping, laser-cutting, weldingEmployees: 110Contact: 715-359-0506, www.norlen.com■ BOART LONGYEARAddress: 901 Grossman DriveOperations manager: Larry ErdmanService: Environmental drillingEmployees: 20Contact: 715-571-4832, www.boartlongyear.com; e-mail: [email protected]■ GORDON ALUMINUM INDUSTRIES INC.Address: 1000 Mason St.Owners/local operators: Alfred J. Gordon II and Alex GordonService: Aluminum extrusions Contact: 715-359-6101, www.gordonaluminum.com■ LONG HAUL FLEET SERVICEAddress: 600 Western RoadContact: 715-241-7612Additional information unavail-able■ WYNN O. JONES & ASSOCIATESAddress: 754 Alderson St.Owner/local operator: Casey JonesService: Design and furnish science labsEmployees: 25Contact: 715-359-5196, www.wynnjones.com; e-mail: [email protected]


Schofield Industrial Park

Map area

PINES CORPORATE CENTRE BUSINESS PARK, PLOVER

Centre

Serving major industries throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and other countries from our manufacturing facilities in Marshfi eld, Wisconsin and Glasgow, Kentucky. Felker Brothers today delivers a complete combination of the highest quality stainless steel products and customer services through two operating divisions:

• Felker Piping Products – welded stainless steel pipe, tube, fi ttings and miscellaneous piping accessories.

• Felker Fabrication – customized prefabricated piping systems, ducting, approach piping and modular piping.

Delivering complete Delivering complete customer satisfaction customer satisfaction since 1903since 1903

The origin of Felker Brothers Corporation began in 1903 when brothers Louis and Albert Felker established a sheet metal shop in the small, but rapidly growing, central Wisconsin community of Marshfi eld.

The personal commitment of Louis and Albert, as well as their employees, to provide quality and reliable products quickly led to sincere and dedicated commitment to customer satisfaction.

Felker Brothers is well known and respected for manufacturing the highest quality, corrosion resistant, stainless steel pipe, fi ttings and fabricated piping systems in the industry.

22 North Chestnut Avenue Marshfi eld, WI 54449

715-384-3121

5001171197

Today...Today...

Since 1981

• Stair and balcony railings• Spiral Stairs

• Gates and Fences• Indoor and Outdoor

• Miscellaneous – if you need it, we can design it.

951 Rocky Ridge Road, Mosinee, WI 54455715-693-2021

Oldeironshoppe.com

5001172393

For over 25 years, the Olde Iron Shoppe has specialized in design, fabrication and installation of fi ne quality custom ornamental iron. Our offi ce and workshop is located in Mosinee, Wisconsin and we provide services throughout the Midwest. We typically deliver the fi nished product to the fi nal destination, with Iron Shoppe personnel providing professional installation to ensure customer satisfaction.

The hallmark of an Olde Iron Shoppe project is the quality of our work. We take pride in designing, fabricating and installing the fi nest ironwork available anywhere. We would welcome the opportunity to offer a proposal for your custom ironwork needs. Whether you require a majestic driveway gate, a spiral staircase, railings, indoor/outdoor furnishings or other fi ne custom product, we know you will be glad you chose the Olde Iron Shoppe.

OldeIron Shoppe

custom ornamental iron



WAUSAU WEST BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL PARK, WAUSAU■ ALLIED INSULATION SUPPLY CO.Address: 8551 Industrial DriveBranch managers: Shirli Flack and Doug WaltersServices: Manufactures insulated material ranging from fiberglass to commer-cial and industrial insulation. Also provides specialty insulation for pipes, tanks and paper mills, as well as sound-muffling insulation.Employees: FiveContact: 715-845-9697, www.alliedinsulation.com■ AMERICAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYAddress: 6445 Packer DriveServices: Research, devel-opment, fabrication, deploy-ment and commercialization of products, including bio-fuel research and polymer research in WausauContact: 715-845-0200, www.amsnt.comAdditional information unavailable■ APN LABSAddress: 555 N. 72nd Ave.Owner/local operator: Dennis DraegerServices: Manufactures dietary supplementsEmployees: 10 Contact: 715-849-3333; e-mail: [email protected]; www.apnlabs.com■ AWARD HARDWOOD FLOORS Address: 401 N. 72nd Ave.Chief executive officer: John HilgemannServices: Manufacturers hardwood floorsEmployees: 40 to 50Contact: 715-849-8080, www.awardfloors.com■ BAY TOWEL Address: 8501 Industrial DriveDistrict sales manager: Mike PearsonServices: Provides uniforms, uniform rental, entrance mats, towel rental, linen ser-vice, health care linen.Employees: 12Contact: 715-842-7978; e-mail: [email protected]; www.baytowel.com■ BENNETT HARDWOODSAddress: 725 S. 84th Ave.Services: High-quality hard-wood lumber producerContact: 715-845-9663, www.bennetthardwoods.com■ BLUELINX Address: 809 S. 62nd Ave.Services: Building product distributorContact: 715-842-0652, www.bluelinxco.comAdditional information unavailable■ BOART LONGYEAR Address: 8315 Enterprise DriveServices: Manufacturer and supplier of tools, equipment and contracting servicesContact: 715-842-3276 or 1-800-453-8740; www.boartlongyear.comAdditional information unavailable■ BRP INC.Address: 7575 Bombardier CourtContact: 715-842-8886, www.brp.comAdditional information unavailable■ CENTRIC INC.Address: 8450 Highland DriveOwners: Rick Lorbecki and Amy LorbeckiServices: Provides industrial woodworking tooling and design work.Employees: TwoContact: 715-848-4242; www.centrictool.com■ CHANNELED RESOURCESAddress: 820 66th Ave.Manager: Jim LoosServices: Paper and rigid plastic recyclingEmployees: 11Contact: 715-842-0389; e-mail: [email protected]; www.channeledresources.com■ CLOVER INDUSTRIESAddress: 7555 Stewart Ave.Director: John BehrendtServices: Custom-built hydraulic cylindersEmployees: 40 to 50Contact: 715-843-5980, www.cloverindustriesinc.com■ CONGER INDUSTRIES INC., DBA CONGER TOYOTALIFTAddress: 5901 Packer DriveGeneral manager: Anika Conger-CapelleServices: Distributor of Toyota forklifts that also pro-vides service on all makes and models of powered

industrial equipment from forklifts to sweepers. Conger also stocks a full line of warehouse products, and provides rental equipment.Employees: 16Contact: 715-845-0123; e-mail: [email protected] and [email protected]; www.conger.com■ CALL THE LEADERAddress: 7713 Bombardier CourtPresident: Bob StasneyServices: Wholesale dis-tributor of janitorial and res-taurant equipment suppliesEmployees: 34Contact: 715-845-8281; e-mail: [email protected]; calltheleader.com■ DESIGN AIRAddress: 7120 Highland DriveBranch manager: Ken Meshak, branch managerServices: HVAC wholesale Employees: SixContact: 715-842-8544, www.designair.com■ SPIN BUSINESS GROUPAddress: 7575 Bombardier CourtChief operating officer: Scott StefanServices: Two divisions: One specializes in digital busi-ness software, scanning and image services, document storage facility; the other is a franchise furniture dealer that specializes in office furniture systems and design systems.Employees: 17Contact: 715-842-4400; e-mail: [email protected]; www.spinbg.com■ DIVERSIFIED INC.Address: 8325 Highland DriveOwners: Terry and Jill StrasserServices: Office furniture installation, household and commercial moving and storage, document storage, and Lifesizing — a service that assist seniors with sim-plifying their livesEmployees: 14Contact: 715-849-9933; e-mail: [email protected]; www.diversifiedinc.net■ OVERHEAD DOOR CO.Owners/local operators: Terry and Jill Strasser Products: Install residential and commercial doors and serviceEmployees: SevenContact: 715-359-8889; e-mail: [email protected]; www.diversifiedinc.net■ E O JOHNSON INC.Address: 8400 Stewart Ave.Chief executive officer: Mary Jo JohnsonServices: Distributor of office copy machines, print-ers and document solutionsEmployees: 85Contact: 715-842-9999 or 800-472-0020, www.eojohnson.com■ ELITE CENTRAL ALL-STARSAddress: 7201 Stewart Ave.Services: Cheer, dance, gymnastics and tumblingContact: 715-845-7500, www.elitecentralallstars.comAdditional information unavailable■ EVERCLEAR INC. Address: 5803 Packer DriveBranch manager: Jim AllenServices: Manufactures insulated glass units that are distributed throughout the state.Employees: 11Contact: 715-847-1180■ FOOTLOCKER.COM/EASTBAY Services: Provides direct-to-customer sales through catalogs and websites of footwear, apparel, equipment and other sports items for Foot Locker Inc.Contact: www.eastbay.comAdditional information unavailable■ GRAEBEL MOVING AND STORAGEAddress: 7333 Stewart Ave.President: Craig BrobackServices: Worldwide moving and storage servicesContact: 715-848-3399, www.graebel.com■ GREEN BAY PACKAGINGAddress: 6845 Packer DriveServices: Manufactures paperboard packaging.Contact: 715-845-4201, www.gbp.comAdditional information unavailable■ HANDCRAFTED FURNITURE CO. Address: 150 S. 84th Ave.Services: Manufactures handmade wood furniture.

Contact: Retail store: 715-848-1383, www.handcraftedfurniture.netAdditional information unavailable■ HOME ACRES BUILDING SUPPLY Address: 835 S. 66th Ave.Services: Supplies building materials.Contact: 715-845-8383, www.homeacres.comAdditional information unavailable■ HYDRITE CHEMICAL CO.Address: 7400 Highland DriveOperations manager: Kevin AxonServices: Chemical manu-facturing and distributionEmployees: 10Contact: 715-848-1890, www.hydrite.com■ INDEPENDENT PRINTING Address: 715 S. 72nd Ave.Manager: Bob LaPeanServices: Fulfillment warehouse that handles promotional material for its customersEmployees: SixContact: 715-845-0207 ■ INDUSTRIAL TOWEL AND UNIFORMAddress: 7015 W. Stewart Ave.Services: Provides a full range of industrial launder-able products.Contact: www.industrialtowel.comAdditional information unavailable■ KAMAN INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIESAddress: 4483 Stewart Ave.Services: Industrial part distributorContact: 715-842-0655, www.kamandirect.comAdditional information unavailable■ KNOECK FIREPLACE AND LIGHTINGAddress: 7020 Packer DriveServices: Provides residen-tial and commercial lighting, fireplaces and stoves.Contact: 715-842-7388, www.knoeck.comAdditional information unavailable■ LAND O’ LAKES VENDINGAddress: 8550 Highland DrivePresident: Steven HavlovickServices: Full service vend-ing company that offers office coffee services and water services.Employees: 12Contact: 715-848-4857■ LB MEDWASTE Address: 8550 Development CourtPresident, owner: Jeff EvenhouseServices: Medical and infec-tious waste removal and document destructionEmployees: 15Contact: 715-842-2048, www.lbmedwaste.com■ LINETEC Address: 725 S. 75th Ave.Services: Specializes in aluminum product coating, including curtain wall and window wall systems.Contact: 715-843-4100, www.linetec.comAdditional information unavailable■ MAJOR INDUSTRIESAddress: 7120 Stewart Ave.Owner: Wayne ToenjesServices: Manufactures custom skylights and trans-lucent curtain wall.Employees: 75Contact: 715-842-4616; e-mail: [email protected]; www.majorskylights.com■ MID-STATE INTERNATIONAL Address: 6335 Packer DriveOwners: Tom Vandehey and Jon VandeheyServices: Full-service International Truck dealer with parts, sales, service, truck leasing and rentalsContact: 715-845-2244; e-mail: [email protected]; www.midstatetruck.com■ MIDCO INSULATION Address: 8500 Highland DriveContact: 715-842-4542Additional information unavailable■ MIDLAND PAPER, PACKAGING AND SUPPLY CO.Address: 8305 B Stewart Ave.Branch manager: Wally HaglundServices: Wholesale distrib-utor of printing paper, indus-trial packaging and janitorial suppliesEmployees: 17

Contact: 800-688-1872, www.midlandpaper.com■ MID-WISCONSIN BEVERAGE Address: 720 S. 72nd Ave.Contact: 715-843-8110Additional information unavailable■ MILWAUKEE STOVE AND FURNACE Address: 6600 Packer DriveBranch manager: Todd HolbauchServices: Sells heating and cooling supplies to licensed contractors.Employees: EightContact: 715-842-1687; e-mail: [email protected]; www.mstove.com■ MOTION INDUSTRIES Address: 7130 Packer DriveBranch manager: Bob HeckendorfServices: Distributor of mechanical, electrical and fluid power productsEmployees: 14Contact: 715-848-2994, www.motionindustries.com■ NETWORK SOLUTIONS Address: 5801 Packer DriveOwner: Todd BramschreiberServices: IT consulting, sup-port and resaleEmployees: EightContact: 715-849-4900, www.nsinetwork.com■ NORTHERN LITES Address: 300 S. 86th Ave.Owner: Russ PostServices: Manufactures and sells Northern Lites snow-shoes.Employees: OneContact: 715-848-0490, www.northernlites.com■ NORTHERN VALLEY WORKSHOPAddress: 5404 Sherman St.Executive director: Terri KischelServices: Nonprofit voca-tional rehabilitation and packaging and assembly subcontractor, donation site for GoodwillEmployees: 120Contact: 715-845-7316, www.norvalinc.com■ AMERICAN WELDING AND GAS Address: 5600 Packer DriveBranch manager: Bill ZastrowServices: Sells welding sup-plies and gases, dry ice and fire extinguisher service and some medical gases.Employees: 31 Contact: 715-845-4381, www.amwelding.com■ PIPER PRODUCTS Address: 300 S. 84th Ave.Owners: Tony and Jenny SweeneyServices: Manufactures food service equipment, cafeteria lines, bread baking ovens.Employees: 55Contact: 715-842-2724, www.piperonline.net ■ POLYWOOD FABRICATIONAddress: 840 S. 62nd Ave.Contact: 715-843-0970Additional information unavailable■ PTI PACKAGING Address: 8101 International DrivePresident: Thomas WagnerServices: Distributor of packaging materials, janito-rial and safety suppliesEmployees: 65Contact: 715-845-7211 or 800-472-0067, www.ptipackaging.com■ RIB MOUNTAIN GLASS Address: 145 S. 84th Ave.Services: Glass shopContact: 715-848-0045, www.ribmountainglass.comAdditional information unavailable■ RIVERSTONE Address: 903 S. 60th Ave.Contact: 715-849-8899Additional information unavailable■ ROTO GRAPHICS INC. Address: 255 S. 80th Ave.Owners/local operators: Bill and JoAnn HintzServices: Full-service print-ing from business cards to catalogsEmployees: 25Contact: 715-845-4443, www.rotographics.com■ SONOCO CONSUMER PACKAGING GROUP Address: 840 S. 66th Ave.Contact: 715-842-5641Additional information unavailable■ SOUND SOLUTIONS Address: 8400 Highland DriveOwners/local operators: Keith Akavickas, vice presi-dent, Tom Powers, presidentServices: Computer net-working service

Employees: 10Contact: 715-842-7665; e-mail: [email protected]■ STATE OF WISCONSIN CRIME LAB Address: 7100 Stewart Ave.Director: Mike HaasServices: Directly supports drug analysis, fingerprint/footwear analysis, forensic imaging and field response.Contact: 715-845-8626Additional information unavailable■ STEEL STRUCTURES Address: 8105 Enterprise DrivePresident: Troy KrasseltServices: Structural and miscellaneous steel fabrica-tionEmployees: SevenContact: 715-849-8170 ■ STORK TWIN CITY TESTING Address: 115 S. 84th Ave.Manager: John BordagarayServices: Testing on fenes-tration products, which are usually windows and doorsEmployees: ThreeContact: 715-848-3935, www.storksmt.com■ TETRA TECHAddress: 555 S. 72nd Ave.Office manager: Greg AldrianServices: Environmental consulting firm that primarily works on projects involv-ing petroleum contaminated ground water, asbestos, mold, paint inspections and geotechnical investigating and engineeringEmployees: EightContact: 715-845-4100, www.tetratech.com■ TOTAL TOOL SUPPLY INC.Address: 7110 Packer DriveBranch manager: Vince HowardServices: Tool distribution, rental and repair; rigging distributor and full crane and hoist servicesEmployees: SixContact: 715-848-2703, www.totaltool.com■ TRADESMEN INTERNATIONAL Address: 6701 Stewart Ave.Field representative: Troy KnetterServices: Construction labor supportEmployees: 60Contact: 715-845-8300; e-mail: [email protected]; www.tradesmeninternational.com■ UNITED MAILING SERVICES INC. Address: 8205 Enterprise DriveGeneral manager: Rob ScharmerServices: Presort mail ven-dor that offers direct mail and inkjet servicesEmployees: 30Contact: 715-843-5243, e-mail: [email protected]; www.unitedmailing.com■ UNITED PARCEL SERVICE Address: 7000 Stewart Ave.Services: Global shipping serviceContact: 715-842-9107, www.ups.comAdditional information unavailable■ VAN ERT ELECTRICAddress: 7019 Stewart Ave.Owner: Bob Van ErtServices: Electrical contract-ing, telecommunications and business phone systemsEmployees: 125Contact: 715-845-4308, www.vanert.com■ WAUSAU BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER Address: 100 N. 72nd Ave.Local operator: Romey WagnerServices: Assists entrepre-neurs in developing their new or expanding businesses.Contact: 715-848-2016, www.wausauincubator.comAdditional information unavailable■ WAUSAU COATED PRODUCTSAddress: 825 S. 77th Ave.Services: Manufactures pressure-sensitive product, label materials and custom coating.Contact: 715-848-2741, www.wausaucoated.comAdditional information unavailable■ WAUSAU CONTAINER CORP. Address: 8000 Highland DriveOwner: Chuck PlierServices: Paperboard pack-aging manufacturerEmployees: 50

Contact: 715-845-5878, www.wausaucontainer.com■ WAUSAU ELECTRIC Address: 400 S. 86th Ave.Owner: Chuck Cannistra, presidentServices: Wholesale pro-vider of electric motors, controls, drives and gear reducersEmployees: FourContact: 715-842-2260 or 800-364-0753; e-mail: [email protected], www.wausauelectric.com■ WAUSAU MACHINE & TECHNOLOGYAddress: 8325 Enterprise DriveServices: Machine shop and turnkey manufacturing, fabrication including acces-sories for motorized vehicles such as ATVs, motorcycles, snowmobiles and farm machineryContact: 715-282-6330, www.wausaumachine.us ■ WAUSAU WINDOW AND WALL SYSTEMSAddress: 7800 International DriveServices: Engineers window and curtainwall systems for commercial and institutional construction applications.Contact: 715-845-2161, www.wausauwindow.comAdditional information unavailable■ WERNER ELECTRIC SUPPLY CO.Address: 7900 Highland DriveRegional sales manager: Mark KlinkServices: Wholesale pro-vider of industrial automation equipment, electrical sup-plies, datacom security and pneumatics products and servicesEmployees: 28Contact: 715-845-8808, www.wernerelectric.com■ WEST SIDE AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE Address: 6815 Stewart Ave.Owner: Tim NechutaServices: Full range of automotive repairs including tune-ups, tire replacement, brakes and diagnosticsEmployees: TwoContact: 715-842-0300, or after hours 715-574-5140■ WESTSIDE WAREHOUSING Address: 840 S. 62nd Ave.General manager: Dave McGregorServices: Public warehouse, dry warehouse that deals with local industry, inventory control, shipping and receiv-ing, pick-up and deliveryEmployees: FiveContact: 715-845-8263; fax: 715-845-8264■ WISCONSIN LIFT TRUCK CORP. Address: 833 S. 77th Ave.Service center manager: Korey KaldunskiServices: Parts, sales, ser-vice and rentals of material handling and aerial construc-tion-type equipmentEmployees: 16Contact: 715-842-0461; e-mail: [email protected]; www.wis-consinlift.com■ WJ HIGGINS Address: 6245 Packer DriveOwners: Travis Higgins, president, and Jodie Higgins, secretary/treasurerServices: Exterior facade consulting and drafting ser-vice for commercial build-ings and forensic services for failed buildingsEmployees: 13 Contact: 715-848-8677; e-mail: [email protected]; www.wjhiggins.com■ TOMCOR INDUSTRIESAddress: 7801 International DriveVice president of opera-tions: Jeff BrillhartServices: Powdercoat finish-ing, manufacturing of fiber-glass components, shipping and logisticsEmployees: 15Contact: 715-849-4135, www.tomcorindustries.com


Wausau West Industrial Park

Map area

14D




Rick Semling, right, is the owner and Dale Palecek is regional manager for Merrill-based Semco. Below: Semco’s Merrill headquarters.

BY JOY MARQUARDTFOR GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

MERRILL — Quality wood windows and doors have been a trademark of the Semling-Menke Co. in Merrill for more than seven decades.

Known as Semco Windows & Doors, the company was founded in 1941 by Emil Semling, former general manager of the Anson-Gilkey Co. A family operation, the company was passed down to son Jack Semling in 1971 and later acquired by grandsons Rick, Pat and Mike Semling, who remain the owners today.

Semco has grown to include two assem-bly plants in Merrill, totaling more than 350,000 square feet of production space, where the company produces wood win-dows and doors for both residential and light commercial use. A wood-cutting operation in Salt Lake City, Utah, was purchased in 1967, and the Performance Industrial Coating plant in Farmington, Minn., was added in 1986 to handle the painting process.

“We do standard and custom windows and doors for remodeling or new construc-tion projects in residential and light com-mercial buildings,” said Dale Palecek, who has more than 40 years of experience in the window industry and has been with Semco for 28 years. “We cover a full range of applications.”

Semco windows and doors are distrib-uted in 28 states and are used in the con-struction of log homes and modular and manufactured homes as well as custom-built structures.

“The majority are in the Midwest, but we do go as far as the East and West coasts,” Palecek said. “We sell through a dealer network.”

Product quality and ease of installation are what sets Semco windows and doors apart from the competition, according to Palecek. The company uses virgin tim-ber such as ponderosa pine and Douglas

fir, which still can be found in Western states. Semco employees are involved in all aspects of the manufacturing process, from selecting the wood to completing their own millwork.

“Wood still has the best performance,” Palecek said. “I’m a strong believer in wood. It has the warmth and the energy efficiency.”

With the downturn in the economy in recent years and the slump in the housing market, Palecek is optimistic that future growth in the industry is right around the corner.

“The housing market has been in a little decline, but we are optimistic the recession is coming to an end,” he said. “We are hoping the industry continues to grow, and we will be ready for it when it does.”

Third generation makes windows in Merrill

ABOUT SEMLING-MENKE CO., OR SEMCOAddress: PO Box 378, Merrill

Owners: Rick, Pat and Mike Semling

Founded: 1941


Products: Wood windows and patio doors

How and where products are used: In new homes and remodeling projects across the country.

Contact information: Call 715-536-9411, or toll-free 1-800-333-2206; or visit www.semcowindows.com.

ALPINE VILLAGE BUSINESS CENTER, ROME■ ADVANTAGE PLUMBING & HEATING INC.Address: 291 Matterhorn TrailOwners: Eric and Pam SchmidtService: Plumbing, heating and air conditioning, well and septic, indoor air quality; installation in new construc-tion or remodeling and repairs. Staff members hold licenses as master plumber, pump installer, HVAC and building contractor and well driller.Contact: 715-423-1200 or 608-403-1710; fax 715-325-2290; www.advantageplumbingandheating.com■ ALPINE FOODSAddress: 321 Highway 13 S.Owner: Jonathan SmithService: Bulk cranberries and unique reduced-acid frozen cranberries for commercial bakers, juices and purees Employees: 15 Contact: 715-325-7140;

fax 715-325-7160; e-mail: [email protected]; www.alpinefoods.net and http://berrybits.com■ FIREPLACES EFFICIENTAddress: 277 Geneva TrailOwners: Marv and Kathy KlawikowskiService: Fireplaces, pellet

stoves, stonework, Amish furniture, hardwood flooring, trim, kitchen cabinets, cus-tom-made wood productsContact: Call 715-325-3333; fax 715-325-3337, e-mail: [email protected]; www.fireplacesefficient.com■ PRECISION INNOVATIONS INC.Address: 1169 Timberline Parkway Owner: Cherylanne MarxPlant manager: Steve TwifordService: High-quality, custom-machined parts in all types of plastics, aluminum, copper, brass, and other non-ferrous metals; point-of-purchase display products and silk-screening.Employees: 30 Contact: 715-325-6040; fax 715-325-6694; e-mail: estimating@p–inv.com; www.p–inv.com


Alpine VillageIndustrial Park

Map area

NORWOOD INDUSTRIAL PARK, MARSHFIELD


Norwood Industrial Park

Map area

■ PCO URETHANE Address: 2113 S. Nikolai Ave.Owner/manager: Michael JohnsonService: Custom urethane moldingEmployees: 40 full time, three part timeContact: 715-387-6303; fax 715-389-1926;

www.pcourethane.com■ BASIC STAINLESS INC.Address: 2001 S. Nikolai Ave.Owner/manager: Jim YoungService: Stainless steel dis-tributor; raw materialsEmployees: 15 full time, four part timeContact: 715-384-9898; fax

715-384-7852■ WE ENERGIESAddress: 3015 E. 22nd St.*Not open to the publicCorporate contact: 800-242-9137

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5001172165

Mark PetersEmployer: Opportunity Development Centers, 1191 Huntington Ave., Wisconsin Rapids; 2406 E. 21st St., Marshfield.

Age: 44

Job: Peters is a 23-year employee at Opportunity Development Centers in Wisconsin Rapids. For the last nine years, he has inspected the small, vinyl adhesive-backed packets that the U.S. Postal Service uses for its plastic and corrugated postal totes for transport-ing mail. The organization also has produced more than 250 million labels for the postal service — and 82 percent of the direct manufacturing labor is performed by people with disabilities such as Peters, who has Down syndrome.

Products: In addition to the work for the postal service, ODC has contracts with busi-nesses in Milwaukee and Minnesota and produces checkbook covers and document holders sold to financial institutions. The organization provides numerous other employ-ment opportunities based on company hiring needs.

— Deb Cleworth, Gannett Central

Wisconsin



ABOUT MARATHON LABEL

PHOTOS BY COREY SCHJOTH/GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

Chuck Keefe is president of Marathon Label in Wausau. Left: Some of the labels made by Marathon Label.

BY ROBERT MENTZERGANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

WAUSAU — You know that label on the bottom of your Serta mattress that says, “This tag may not be removed under penalty of law”?

Chuck Keefe made that label.

Keefe is president of Marathon Label, a Wausau company that makes tags and stickers of all sorts. The mattress tags are just one example. The bulk of Marathon Label’s work involves creating things such as inventory labels and shipping labels used in the warehouses of large companies including Nike and Mattel. More recently, the company has begun printing colorful product labels, as well.

“In the last eight or nine years, we have gotten into ‘prime labels,’ the labels you see on a jar of mustard or on a jar of olives,” Keefe said. Most of these labels are sold to small specialty products. But as with those Serta mattress tags, its products have wide reach.

“Most of our products are sold in the

Midwest, but there are some that are sold all across the country,” Keefe said. “We’re selling to distributors in Los Angeles or Texas or Florida.”

The company was founded in 1986 by Keefe’s father-in-law, Ed Williams, who had worked in the paper industry and wanted to start his own company. Keefe became president in 1996, after Williams’ death.

Keefe estimates the company gets between 80 and 100 orders a month. Jobs typically run between 75,000 and 100,000 labels — though some large orders can run into the millions. The company has five print-ing presses in all.

“It’s a very competi-tive industry,” Keefe said.

“We’ve seen steady growth as we’ve added new capabilities and gotten into those prime labels.”

The future for Marathon Label, Keefe said, is in the direction of more consumer labels — from custom product labels to coupon labels and other consumer paper.

“(This job) is different every day,” Keefe said. “It keeps it interesting.”

Tag! Marathon Label is it

Opportunity Development Centers

employee profile

Address: 2401 Third St., Wausau

Founded: 1986

Owner: Chuck Keefe


Products: Custom labels.

How and where products are used:

Used by large companies as warehousing and shipping labels. The company also produces consumer labels used on the outside of products, including foods and toiletry items.

Contact information: Call 715-845-2112, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.marathonlabel.com.

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FURNITURE FOR LIFEWolfcraft offers an exten-sive line of oak and maple bedroom sets, entertainment centers, gun cabinets, desks and much more. We are a family owned and operated workshop, crafting furniture since 1980. Our furniture can be personalized to suit your taste and your home. A wide variety of fi nishes and hard-ware options are available for every item. We use qual-ity materials to ensure your furniture will be enjoyed for generations to come.

Ronald D. LippiAge: 61

Job: Associate campus dean and professor of anthropology at the University of Wisconsin Marathon County

Services: Lippi has done archeologi-cal field work in Ecuador for 35 years, much of it through the Palmitopamba Archaeology Project.

During summers, Lippi directs a crew of four to six archaeologists, a number of American and Ecuadorian university students, and local workers in the dig-ging at the Palmitopamba site, an Inca fortress in the rain forest.

“We found evidence of a culture previ-ously unknown, the Yumbos, who converted a high, steep hill into a monumental center with terraces and a flat-topped mound,” said Lippi. “This was almost certainly the center of an important chiefdom from about A.D. 1200 to 1534.”

Lippi was the first archaeologist in South America to identify ancient footpaths through the rainforest and the first to secure evidence of the expansion of the Inca Empire into that area. Currently his crew is beginning to shift its focus to conservation of the site for tourism. “This will be a boon to the local economy in this small, very poor village,” he said.

— Judi Whittkopf,For Gannett Central Wisconsin

BY JAKE MILLERGANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

WAUSAU — Wipfli chief executive officer Rick Dreher likes to describe his accounting firm as a one-stop shop for financial services.

Eighty years after Wipfli was found-ed in Wausau, the firm has grown into a multi-state competitor and has plans to expand beyond the Midwest in coming years.

And while accounting and tax ser-vices still make up about 70 percent of Wipfli’s business, financial consult-ing and information technology are playing increasingly important roles for its clients, making Wipfli able to meet nearly any need a business could have.

“In the last 20 years, we’ve beefed up consulting and are into more of the information technology side of things, the technology, the Microsoft (comput-er programs), those kinds of things,” Dreher said. “We’re pretty close today to what I like to call a one-stop finan-cial shop.”

While Wipfli can handle accounting and financial needs for customers in any industry, it has shifted toward specific niches and trained its employ-ees to specialize. The result, Dreher said, is better service for those cus-tomers.

In the Midwest, it only made sense to target manufacturing, health care, banks, real estate, construction, gov-ernments and nonprofits, because of their prominence and strength throughout the region.

A business owner has numerous options when seeking an accountant or financial adviser. Ed Koth, a part-ner at Wipfli who has been with the firm for 35 years, said Wipfli distin-guishes itself with unmatched exper-tise and a continuing effort to provide

excellent customer service.“We set ourselves apart from others

by trying to live up to being the very best and highest quality consultant we can be to our clients,” Koth said.

Wipfli moved its headquarters to Milwaukee several years ago as part of its plan to continue to grow to the south, but Wipfli is proud to retain its Wausau roots, where it began its development into the 27th largest firm in the U.S.

Wipfli is attempting to grow in a competitive market through acqui-sitions, mergers and continuing to diversify its service line. Its biggest move — in terms of geographical reach — was to open SpiderLogic soft-ware in India.

SpiderLogic is an arm of Wipfli that provides software support and other technology consulting for its clients.

Wipfli ‘a one-stop financial shop’


Financial specialists Rich Totzke, left, Gina Buntin and Jeff Stubbe prepare a financial portfo-lio at the Wipfli headquarters on Scott Street in downtown Wausau. Below: Totzke prepares a financial statement for a client.

SERVICESSERVICESTHURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN MEDIA 1E

Advertiser indexRoto-Graphic Co. .....................................2Country Fresh Meats ................................2Central Door Solutions .............................2Integrated Technology Consulting .............2American Sentry Home Inspection ...........2Urbans Greenhouse .................................2Gepetto’s Workshop.................................2Wisconsin Master Chorale .......................2Bring’s Cycling & Fitness .........................2

REI ...........................................................2Diamond Factory ......................................2Security Realty Inc. of Wausau .................2Arts Council of South Wood County .........3Midland Paper ..........................................3Ruder Ware ..............................................3Marathon Savings Bank ...........................4Brainard Funeral Home .............................4Travel Guard .............................................4Placeway Pools Spas Patios ....................5Church Mutual Insurance Co. ..................5

Mid-State Technical College .....................6Grebe’s ....................................................7IROW .......................................................7Ligman & Wille CPA .................................7River Valley Bank .....................................7Financial institutions .............................8, 9Door Works ............................................10Coldwell Banker Action Realty ................10Haertel Monuments Inc. .........................10Marshfield Monument. ...........................11KP Appliance .........................................11

Culligan Sterling Water Inc. ....................12Peoples State Bank ................................12MSC Inc. ................................................12Shred Safe LLC ......................................12Stevens Point businesses.......................13Herrschner’s Inc. ...................................14UW-Marshfield/Wood County .................14Portesi Italian Foods ...............................14Ministry Health Care ...............................15Aspirus Network ....................................16UMR ......................................................16


BY DEB CLEWORTHGANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

GRAND RAPIDS — Patt Kolesar once told her husband, Ray, she never would own a pug.

“I told him he was not going to have one of those ugly suckers in my house,” said Kolesar, 59, Grand Rapids.

That was several pugs ago. Kolesar now owns, edits and pub-

lishes Pug Talk, a glossy, 80- to 90-page bimonthly magazine. The publication started as a Texas-based newsletter and was continued by Anne Marie Wilson after the original owners died. At the time Kolesar took over the pub-lication, it had about 800 subscribers.

“When we got the magazine, the entire subscription base was on 3-by-5 cards,” Kolesar said. Now, the maga-zine is sent to between 1,200 and 1,400 subscribers throughout the world.

“We’ve just started doing social net-working, and we’ve expanded a little more globally,” Kolesar said.

Kolesar also increased the maga-zine content — adding columns for young pug owners from dog trainers throughout the country and worldwide correspondents.

The magazine dedicated to pugs has twice won the American Dog Writers best breed magazine award given out annually in conjunction with the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York.

“To have won that twice ... that’s quite an honor,” Kolesar said.

Kolesar also provides desktop pub-lishing services for Miniature Pinscher Club of America and Brussels Sprouts, for the national Brussels Griffon Club. Both are quarterly publications.

It’s a dog’s life, but one Kolesar loves.

“We’ve literally gone to the dogs,” said Kolesar. “They were just the dogs that kind of ruled our life.”

Pugs rule in bimonthly magazine

ABOUT PUG TALKAddress: 5031 Plover Road, Grand Rapids

Founded: 1998, but in existence for 30 years before Patt Kolesar took over.

Owner: Patt Kolesar, editor and publisher, Grand Rapids

Number of employees: Two full-time, plus con-tributors from throughout the world.

Products and services: Publishes Pug Talk Magazine and owns VIP Kennels Canine Country Club in Wisconsin Rapids.

How and where products are used: Pug Talk is distributed to about 1,200 subscribers around the world bimonthly.

Contact information: Call 715-424-7847, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.pugtalk.com.

TOM LOUCKS/GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

Robert Voss, shown with his 4-year-old male Belgian Malinois, is the art director for Pug Talk magazine, and Patt Kolesar, shown with her pug, T, is the magazine’s owner, editor and publisher.

UW Marathon County

employee profile

ABOUT WIPFLIAddress: 11 Scott St., Wausau

Founded: 1930

Owner/operator: Rick Dreher, chief executive officer


Services: Provides accounting and tax services, financial consulting and information technology services.

How and where services are used: By businesses of all sizes

primarily throughout the Midwest, but also in India, where it has an office specializing in information technology.

Local suppliers and business customers: Wipfli provides services to an array of businesses, but is focused on those in manufactur-ing, health care, construction, real estate, government and nonprofit work.

Contact information: Call 414-431-9300 or 715-845-3111, or visit www.wipfli.com.

Jim NiemiecEmployer: NewPage Corp. Research & Development, 300 N. Biron Drive, Biron

Age: 56

Title: Senior manager of product development for fine paper and digital printing

Job: Niemiec joined NewPage predecessor Consolidated Papers in 1991 as manager of product development and now oversees cost-reduc-tion efforts, paper grade improvement projects and new product development at NewPage’s research and development head-quarters in Biron.

Services: “I really have to say that my group, through the years, has developed what we believe are the leading coated-paper grades for digital printing in the world.

“The hottest area in development right now is in digital — particularly in inkjet. ... What’s going on is a worldwide trend in printing. We’re industry leaders, so we want to participate in those oppor-tunities.”

— Nathaniel Shuda, Gannett Central Wisconsin

MADE IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN 2E THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010


NewPage Corp.

employee profile

BY KATHLEEN FOODYGANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

WAUSAU — How did a law firm founded and located in Wausau come to represent compa-nies stretching across the United States?

Almost all credit goes to the personal computer, Ruder Ware law firm president Mark Bradley says.

“The whole world, including our firm, changed when everybody got a personal computer on their desk in the early ’90s,” he said.

Founded in Wausau 90 years ago, the law firm now operates a second office in Eau Claire and relies heavily upon technology to communicate with clients who are trying to purchase businesses in Wisconsin or local clients expand-ing to other states.

Ruder Ware’s list of clients is vast; the firm represents compa-nies from as far away as Utah, California, Texas, Kentucky and North Carolina.

The firm makes a strong effort to send associates out to meet clients in person, said Bradley, who this year was elected Ruder Ware’s fourth president.

“If we have five family mem-bers operating a business in Rhinelander, it makes more sense to have one of us come to them than for all five to leave their business,” he said.

About 50 percent of the Wausau office’s clients and 40 percent of the Eau Claire office’s clients have ZIP codes outside the immediate area, Bradley said.

Ruder Ware constantly is recruiting and working to retain talented attorneys, particularly those with specialties, Bradley said.

As the economy bottomed out, attorneys skilled at banking, bankruptcy and health care law were in high demand, he said.

Past leadership at the firm had encouraged attorneys to focus on those areas, and it helped the firm survive the downturn intact, without the furloughs or layoffs that hit many big-city law firms.

“Someone who’s very

talented is driven by the quality of work they’re going to be asked to do,” Bradley said. “They want to know they’ll be challenged, and the client base we’ve established gives that opportunity in a fam-ily-friendly community.”

Technology helps Ruder Ware expand

ABOUT RUDER WARE Address: 500 First St., Suite 8000, PO Box 8050, Wausau

Founded: 1920

Owners: Shareholder-owned


Services: Provides legal services for businesses and individuals

How and where services are used: The firm represents individuals and businesses of all sizes across the country.

Contact information: Call 715-845-4336 Wausau office, 715-834-3425 Eau Claire office.

PHOTOS BY AMY RYAN/GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

Ruder Ware attorneys Lon Roberts, from left, Matt Rowe, G. Lane Ware and Stew Etten review cases in the firm’s conference room at the Ruder Ware offices in the Dudley Tower, shown at bottom, at 500 First St. in Wausau. Below: Mark Bradley is president of Ruder Ware. Below left: Attorneys Patrick Bodden, left, and Melissa Kampmann, associates at Ruder Ware, do research in the firm’s library niche.

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Address: 1052 Main St., Stevens Point

Age: 61

Job: Brown has been an architect since 1977, and has been working in the Stevens Point area since 1979. He’s one of the founding members of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, the Wisconsin Green Building Alliance and the Energy and Environmental Building Association.

Brown, who graduated from Catholic University in Washington, D.C., said the idea of green building was in its infancy when he started. Brown quickly became an expert in the field and has had steady work ever since. He said he turns down more work than he takes, and won’t take a job unless environ-mental concerns are the focus of the project.

Service: Since 1979 Brown has designed a number of commercial, historical and residential buildings. One of his proudest accomplishments is the Mead Wildlife Area Education and Visitor Center, which received

the 2006 Wisconsin Governor’s Award, the 2006 Wisconsin Sustainability and Energy Efficiency Award, the 2006 National Association of Conservation Engineers Award of Honor and the 2005 Wisconsin Governor’s Service Award. The site uses wind, solar photovoltaic, solar hot water, ground-source geothermal and wood bio-mass.

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Thomas Brown, Architect


MADE IN CENTRAL WISCONSINTHURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 3E

ABOUT TRAVEL GUARDAddress: 3300 Business Park Drive, Stevens Point

Founded: 1985

Owners and operators: Dean Sivley, president and chief executive officer; owned by Chartis Inc.


Services: Provides travel insurance to more than 10 million people in 160 countries.

How and where the service is used: Travel insurance is used to protect your investment in case a trip is canceled, delayed or is affected by an emergency evacuation. Travel insurance also helps travelers retrieve lost or stolen lug-gage, rebook and cancel flights, and recover lost or stolen passports.

Business customers: Ellis Stone built Travel Guard’s current headquarters, while busi-nesses such as Rockman’s Catering provide food service to the business.

Contact information: Call 715-345-0505 or toll free at 800-826-4919, e-mail [email protected], visit www.travelguard.com.


STEVENS POINT — If there’s one company that fully under-stands its global reach, it’s Travel Guard.

The travel insurance provid-er, based in the Portage County Business Park, was started in 1985 in the basement of founder John Noel.

Since then, Travel Guard has grown exponentially to become the largest provider of travel insurance in North America, now insuring an average of 10 million travelers in more than 160 countries per year.

“We’re helping people virtually every minute of every day,” said Dean Sivley, president and chief executive officer of Travel Guard. “We hire people who have the capacity to care, and there are a lot of those people in central Wisconsin.”

The company offers a wide vari-ety of services, Sivley said, from covering costs in the event a trip is canceled or delayed to recovering lost or stolen items such as luggage and passports.

Travel Guard also offers an array of concierge services, from restau-rant referrals to the ability to buy entertainment tickets.

“We receive a lot of letters from the customers we’ve helped telling us what a major impact we’ve had on their vacation and on their lives. It’s a very cool thing,” Sivley said.

Such services and packages are sold directly through the com-pany itself, he said, and through offline and online agencies like Travelocity.com.

Despite the fact that only 35 per-cent of vacationers take out travel insurance, Sivley said, that number is on the rise because of an increase in high-profile natural disasters, such as the 2010 earthquake that devastated much of Haiti.

With more people considering travel insurance, more business is brought to Travel Guard and thus more attention to the central Wisconsin area.

“It’s an honor to do what we do and be located where we are,” Sivley said. “Stevens Point has evolved over the years and so have we. I think we’ve demonstrated that a company can come here, create jobs, and become very successful in both global scale and magnitude.”

Travel Guard rides hometown pride to global success

employee profile

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Above: Employees work in Travel Guard’s Command and Control Center in Stevens Point. Below: Azalia Garcia, left, human resources specialist, and Lee Lee, IT services analyst, talk in Travel Guard’s Command and Control Center in Stevens Point.

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PerformanceSchedule 2010-2011 season

This series was supported in part by a grant from the WisconsinArts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin

and the National Endowment for the Arts.

September 30, 2010 @ 7:30pmChamber Orchestra Kremlinwww.chamberorchestrakremlin.rutickets: adult $37 student $15

November 4, 2010 @ 7:30pmSay Good Night Graciestarring Alan Safier as George Burnswww.saygoodnightgracie.nettickets: adult $38 student $15

November 23, 2010 @ 7:30pmDrumline Live!www.drumlinelive.comtickets: adult $47 student $15

January 29, 2011 @ 2:00pm& 7:30pmA Second Helpingthe Church Basement Ladies sequelwww.churchbasementladiesonstage.comtickets: adult $38 student $15

March 3, 2011 @ 7:30pmPianoMen II -starring JimWitterFeaturing the songs of Billy Joel and Elton Johnwww.thepianomen.nettickets: adult $37 student $15

April 9, 2011 @ 7:30pmJohnny Riverswww.johnnyrivers.comtickets: adult $49 student $15

Tickets available at the Arts Council Office1040 8th Street South, Suite 101,Wisconsin Rapids or by phone 715.424.ARTS (2787)

Office hours:Monday thru Friday 9 am to 3 pm and Saturday 9 am to 12 pmTickets may also be purchased 30 minutes prior to the performance at thePerforming Arts Center Box Office, 1801 16th Street South,Wisconsin Rapids.

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Donna EckesAge: 48

Job: As a customer service load planner for Roehl Transport, she is responsible for making sure every product and item is efficiently shipped from one part of the country to another.

“My primary job is to load all the refriger-ated trucks that go west of the Mississippi (River) to the West Coast. I do have dry trucks that are positioned all over the U.S.”

From Roehl’s headquarters at 1916 E. 29th St., Marshfield, Eckes supervises thou-sands of trucks in her geographical region that go in and out of the Roehl transporting system each week. Using global position-ing systems she can track each truck, their trailer temperatures, know when they’re traveling, their locations and alert custom-ers to when certain trucks will be available or in their area.

Services: Roehl Trucking works with companies to ship products ranging from ice cream to farm equipment or military vehicles across the country. With locations in Green Bay, Kaukauna, Iron Mountain, Mich., Chicago, Atlanta and Phoenix, Roehl employs about 740 people in the state and 2,300 nationwide.

Eckes, who has worked for the company since 1987, said what she enjoys most about working at Roehl is the people.

“I enjoy having the one-on-one with cus-tomers,” she said. “I enjoy working with the people here. It’s stressful, but we have fun doing our work. (The owners) appreci-ate and invite our creativity and ideas. I’ve been able to see my ideas turn into some-thing and help Roehl grow.”

— Ashley A. Smith, Gannett Central Wisconsin

Roehl Transportemployee profile



ABOUT DAN SCHNEIDER CONSTRUCTION INC.Address: E550 Roosevelt Road, Iola

Founded: 1979

Owners: Dan and Lisa Schneider

Number of employees: Four full-time, including owners

Product: Log stairways

How and where the product is used: The custom stairways are installed in new and finished homes and businesses.

Contact information: Call 866-724-6343 or 715-445-3440, e-mail [email protected], visit logstairways.com.

BY CARA SPOTOGANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

IOLA — A small business owner who has a niche and knows how to capitalize on it can practically count on success.

You could say Dan Schneider found his niche while taking the stairs.

Schneider started out in 1979 build-ing log homes. After 10 years, however, he began to grow frustrated with the time it took to build a key feature of the houses: the stairway.

“It would take up the whole living room,” he said. “The plumbers couldn’t get up and down the stairs. The electri-cians couldn’t work. You would shut the job site down for two weeks.”

Schneider figured out a better way to build the stairways.

For the next five years, Schneider and his crew began building each home’s stairway in his shop, then re-assem-bling it in the house.

The process worked so well, Schneider, 52, decided to offer the ser-vice to other log builders. They got so many customers that, within five years, they decided to concentrate on stair-ways.

Today, the Iola-based company — owned by Schneider and his wife, Lisa — has sold finished log and tim-ber stairways to people and companies in almost every state in the country, including California, New York and Alaska. It also has several clients in Canada.

“We either alphabetize or num-ber it so it can be put back together,” Schneider said. “For the more intricate ones, (we) either shoot a video, or they hire us to re-install it. Most of our work, though, is installed by a crew on the other end.”

The company recently completed a massive stairway and landing at the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee. The 12-foot high, 12-foot wide structure was pat-terned after the stairway at the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone Park.

Part of the reason the company has been able to gain so many loyal cus-tomers in faraway states is because of its access to inexpensive, quality timber, Schneider said. In the last 10 years, the company has expanded its shop three times, installing a sawmill and kiln.

Shop foreman Mark Kruzicki installed garage doors for a living before coming to work for Schneider seven years ago. He said what he likes most about the job is that no two stairways the com-pany constructs are alike.

They also look pretty cool, he said.

Stairways span the country

Dan Schneider, owner of Logstairways, a division of Dan Schneider Construction Inc., fits a section of railing into a custom stairway. Left: Schneider and his wife, Lisa, with their dogs Baxter, left, and Scottie. Top: The production area for Logstairways, a division of Dan Schneider Construction Inc., includes twigs and logs. The stairways are assem-bled at the facility, taken apart, numbered and shipped to the construction site for reassembly.

PHOTOS BY DOUG WOJCIK/GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

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Ann Herda-RappAge: 42

Job: Associate professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin Marathon County

Services: Herda-Rapp works with James McCluskey, assistant professor of geog-raphy at UWMC, on a research project titled “Making Ends Meet in North Central Wisconsin: A Study of Families, Work and Getting By in a Changing Economy.”

This summer, Herda-Rapp and McCluskey sent surveys to 1,939 Marathon County households, with 25 percent complet-ing them. The survey explored a range of variables and issues, from household size, income, education, age, race, marital status, and employment, to community attachment, financial hardship, budget-saving strategies, language, child and elder care, health care and problems of alcohol, drugs and gam-bling. A final report will be available this fall to aid county agencies in decision-making.

Herda-Rapp also has worked to ease poverty in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Each summer from 2006 to 2009 she led a group of students in building houses for Katrina victims.

“For us, each trip was a real learning experi-ence, as we experienced south Louisiana cul-ture, got to know each other and ourselves, and saw the concrete benefits of our hard work,” said Herda-Rapp. “I left proud of my students. As one volunteer said on our last trip, ‘You all really are raising them right up there.’ I couldn’t agree more.”

— Judi Wittkopf, for Gannett Central Wisconsin

BY KAREN MADDENGANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

RUDOLPH — Jason Nieman is trying to change the way the world looks at trikes — three-wheeled motor vehicles tradition-ally shunned by motorcycle enthusiasts.

“Historically, trikes are ugly,” Nieman said. “My goal was to make something cool.”

Trikes have been around a long time, but most were created by someone who used a conversion kit on a motorcycle, said Nieman, a Rudolph resident and co-owner of SSTrike, which has shops in Rudolph and Marshfield.

He decided to start from scratch with his models. Once he got the first trikes built, he took them to dealers and collec-tors. They gave him suggestions, such as adding an automatic transmission, and Nieman continued to improve his vehicles.

In 2006, Nieman began building trikes in a facility on Highway C in the northern Adams County town of Rome. This year, after he decided he was ready for expan-sion, Nieman moved much of his produc-tion into a 10,000-square-foot space in Marshfield. The vehicle bodies continue to be made in Rudolph, where all the paint-ing also is done.

The next year should determine wheth-er Nieman’s work pays off. He met with dealers throughout the country during the month of August. Nieman also has been working to get his trike licensed in Australia and will have two of the vehicles sold, once authorities approve the paper-work.

While motorcycles with a standard transmission can be difficult for some people, the SSTrikes are a vehicle almost anyone can ride, Nieman said.

He has had motorcycle collectors tell

him they’d never trade a motorcycle for a trike — until they see his products. Then, they offer to do just that.

Although Nieman builds the SSTrikes in Wood County, central Wisconsin resi-dents shouldn’t look for them at local deal-ers yet, because there are no dealers han-dling the SSTrikes in the state.

People who want to get a SSTrike can contact Nieman. The company can’t do direct sales to customers, but can connect them with dealers in other parts of the country. A bonus is that local customers can pick up the trike in central Wisconsin and save delivery charges.

Shop works to make ‘cool’ trikes



UW Marathon County

employee profile

ABOUT SSTRIKE LLCAddress: 1710 E. 27th St., Marshfield; and Highway C, Rudolph

Founded: 2006

Owner: Jason Nieman

Employees: Six

Product: Trikes, a specialized, three-wheel motor vehicle.

How and where products are used: The company is develop-ing dealers across the country,

including Maryland, California and Minnesota. Nieman also has met with

distributors in Australia.

Contact information: Call 715-435-3132, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.sstrikes.com.

SSTrike owners Eric Staab, left, and Jason Nieman stand together in the production area of their Marshfield facility. Below: Machinist Pete Sweeney works at a lathe at SSTrike.

The SSTrike.CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

PHOTOS BY DAN YOUNG/GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

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Dr. Jennifer MeeceJob: As director of the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation’s Core Laboratory, Meece oversees every research project that utilizes the lab’s resources.

Service: “We provide laboratory support for clinician investigators in the Clinic who maybe want to do a research project, but don’t have a lab or their own staff. They might have some money from some other resource and they may need to get support from laboratory people to do the research they’re interested in.”

Meece, who has spent the last nine years as director of the Marshfield lab, works with a team of 15 researchers who devote their time to conducting medical studies that involve national and international sci-ence communities.

“I like the diversity,” said Meece, whose own specialty lies in infectious disease. “I can go from a meeting about human genetics to a meeting about flu to a meet-ing about facilities and safety all within the first three hours of my day. It’s a good thing, but also a challenge.”

It also allows Meece to continue learning, which she says is the second benefit to having her job.

“You never stop learning,” said Meece. “Because very quickly you have to under-stand what they’ve spent a lifetime working on. There’s so many things to learn here, it’s unimaginable.”

— Ashley A. Smith, Gannett Central Wisconsin


NEKOOSA — Jeanette “The Black Widow” Lee and Melissa “The Viper” Little are two of the many professional billiards players from around the world who have something in common.

The tools they use to win their cham-pionships come from the same central Wisconsin business.

Jacoby Custom Cues of Nekoosa cre-ates custom pool cues, ranging from basic to high-end shafts, for enthusiasts throughout the world.

“It started with just putting tips on for the guys I played pool with,” said Dave Jacoby, who began the business in the basement of his home in 1982.

“He came home and said, ‘I’m going to buy a lathe,’” said Jacoby’s wife, Peggy. “My reaction was, ‘Oh, brother.’”

Now, the family-owned business designs, creates and distributes an aver-age of 1,200 cues a year to players and even other cue producers around the globe, said Jacoby, also president of the American Cuemakers Association and two-time winner of the association’s Cuemaker of the Year award.

France, Austria, Iceland, Mexico, Aruba, Japan and Holland are among the products’ destinations, he said.

On a customer visit to Japan several years ago, Jacoby met a pool player who was so excited about meeting the man whose company made his cue that he could not wait to get his picture taken with Jacoby.

“It was really neat to go halfway across the world and see somebody playing with something that you made,” he said.

Although Jacoby turned over some of the company’s daily operations to his son

Brandon Jacoby in October, the 62-year-old former paper mill worker still repre-sents the company at pool tournaments almost every weekend and at least one trade show a month, most notably an annual show in Las Vegas, he said.

A growing interest in what Dave

Jacoby called a closely knit industry inspires partnerships with so-called competitors, he said, and has led to evenmore orders.

“Even last year, when the economywas slow, we had one of the best yearsever.”

Cue maker goes ’round the world

Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation

employee profile


PHOTOS BY TOM LOUCKS/GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

From left: A cue is automatically worked on a lathe at Jacoby Custom Cues Inc. in Nekoosa. After the maple wood is worked on the lathe, the raw cues are stacked before being finished. The finished cues are inspected several times before being shipped.

Shane Walker, an employee at Jacoby Custom Cues in Nekoosa, shows a pool cue that will be shipped to the Philippines.

ABOUT JACOBY CUSTOM CUESAddress: 309 Market St., Nekoosa

Founded: 1982

Owners and operators: Dave Jacoby and son, Brandon Jacoby

Number of employees: About 10 full-time

Products and services: Jacoby designs, constructs and assembles custom-made

pool cues and conducts repairs.

How and where products and services are used: Billiards enthusiasts, cue deal-ers and other manufacturing companies throughout the world use Jacoby cues.

Contact information: Call 715-886-2900, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.jacobycustomcues.com.

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daily basis th

is offseason,

and they’ll tell

you —at 26

years old, he’s

only getting

better.“He wo

uld bea starti

ng

corneron 28,

29 of the 32

teams—maybe

more,” cor-

nerbacks coach

Joe Whitt

Jr. said. “He’s

a guy that

can be an elite corner in

this league.”

Role player

In effect,William

s is

a starter for t

he Packers,

who like most

teamsplay

three cornerba

cks intheir

nickeldefense

on a large

chunkof snap

s as oppo-

nents increasi

ngly spread

out their offens

es.

The Packers ackn

owl-

edgedthat

muchby

announcing th

e names of

Williams and n

ickel line-

backerBrando

n Chillar

along with their 1

1 base

defense starter

s before

Sunday’s open

er against

Chicago, then

played

nickelon 66.2 pe

rcent of

snapsagainst

the Bears’

tight-end-hea

vy offense

in a 21-15win. W

illiams

responded wi

th his sixth

interception in

his past 14

games—the only

NFL cor-

nerbackwith m

ore in that

span isteamma

te Charles

Woodson (seven

) — and by

gettinghis han

ds on two

other balls.

Basedon produc

tion

alone, it’s easy

to make a

case for the P

ackershav-

ing thebest thr

ee-deepcor-

nerbackgroup i

n the NFL,

especially wit

h Woodson

and fellowvetera

n Al

Remembering h

is rootshelps W

illiams

After breakout season, Packers’

CB keeps same workout habits

Tramon

Williams

INSIDE

u Hillenmeyer takes

over for Urlacher

u Eagles mum on

McNabb’s status for

Sunday

u Expect Bengals to

work on Barbre

u Packers, Bengals

rosters

u NFL standings

Pages 4B, 5B

See WILLIAMS/4B

HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL

Cruising alongWarrio

rs

sweep on

Newton’s

big night

W D H

Thursday night w

as

one that Waus

au West

coach Cathy Ne

wton will

never forget.

Newtonwas ho

nored

for her25 year

s of lead-

ing theWarrior

s volley-

ball team. The

2009 ver-

sion didn’tdisapp

oint

either, making e

asy work

of Wisconsin V

alley con-

ferencefoe

Wisconsin

Rapids25-

22, 25-13,

25-8.“Itwasa

n

awesome

e x p er i -

ence tosee,”

N e w t o n

saidof being

honored. “It wa

s neatto

h kids backd

AlexLimmer

Today’s games

u D.C. Everest vs.

Wausau East, at Thom Field

uWausau West at

Wisconsin Rapids

u SPASH at Marshfield

uMosinee at Shawano

u Iola-Scandinavia at

Wittenberg-Birnamwood

u Shiocton at Pacelli

uManawa at Amherst

u Reedsville at Tri-

Countyu Rosholt at Port

Edwardsu Almond-Bancroft at

Marion/Tigerton

u Cadott at Neillsville

u Stanley-Boyd at Colby

u Eau Claire Regis at

Spencer/Columbus

u Athens at Thorp

u Assumption at Owen-

Witheeu Gilman at Loyal/

Grantont at Abbotsford

RA

nowh beslinell

WiCYAN

MAGENTA

YELLOWB

LACK

WDH, Se

ptember 2

1, PAGE

NFL Week 2

1BMOND

AY, SEPTE

MBER 21, 200

9

StarsPassing

Matt Schaub, Texans,

threw for 357 yards

and four touchdowns in

Houston’s 34-31 win over

Tennessee.

Philip Rivers,

Chargers, threw for a

career-high 436 yards


San Diego’s 31-26 loss to

Baltimore.Drew Brees, Saints,

completed 25 of 34

passes for 311 yards and

three touchdowns in New

Orleans’ 48-22 win over

Philadelphia.

Jay Cutler, Bears,

passed for 236 yards


Chicago’s 17-14 win over

Pittsburgh.Receiving

Andre Johnson,

Texans, had 10 catches for


downs in Houston’s 34-31

win over Tennessee.

Steve Smith,

Panthers, had eight catches

for 131 yards in Carolina’s

28-20 loss to Atlanta.

Darren Sproles,

Chargers, had seven

catches for 124 yards, and

teammate Vincent Jackson

had six catches for 141

yards in San Diego’s 31-26

loss to Baltimore.

Rushing

Frank Gore, 49ers, had


downs in San Francisco’s

23-10 win over Seattle.

Chris Johnson, Titans,

scored three touchdowns

and ran for 197 yards, and

added 87 yards receiving.

Cedric Benson,

Bengals, rushed for 141

Cincinnati’s 31-24

Cincinnati 34

21 Green Bay

Decidedly offensive

performance

Packers O-line struggles mightily in loss to Bengals

BY PETE DO

UGHERTY

GW

N

@

.

GREENBA

Y—TheGr

een Bay

Packers los

t more tha

n a game

Sunday.

Their31-24

defeat aga

inst the

Cincinnati

Bengals al

one had to

be someth

ing of a sh

ock totheir

system, e

specially

coming a

t

Lambeau F

ield, after a

sharppre-

season and

season-ope

ningwin

over the Ch

icagoBears

last week.

But Sunda

y’s upset d

id more

thanput th

em at1-1. I

t alsosaw

theiroffens

ive line mel

t down in

the face of

a shakeup

thatprob-

ablywill l

ast for at l

easta cou

-

ple ofweek

s andperha

ps longer,

depending

on the sev

erityof lef

t

tackle Ch

ad Clifton

’s sprained

rightankle

. Though X

-rayswere

negative, a

ccording to

coachMike

McCarthy,

Clifton wa

s injured

badlyenoug

h to be cart

ed offthe

field.Clifto

n isone o

f theplaye

rs

the Packer

s canleast

affordto

losebecau

se ofthe i

mportance

of protectin

g quarterb

ack Aaron

Rodgers’ b

lind side a

nd the lack

of pure left

tackleto bac

k himup.

Thatwas a

pparent Su

nday,when

the alread

y struggli

ng line fe

ll

apartafter

Clifton got

hurtearly

in the thir

d quarter.

The injury

forcedleft g

uardDaryn

Colledge

out toleft ta

ckle,Jason

f omcente

r to left

comeind

franchise h

istory.

Thathelpe

d make for

a miser-

able second

half for Ro

dgers, who

was sacked

six times a

nd hit 10.

Thatput th

e brakes o

n a Packer

s

offense th

at gained

only146

yardsin the

finalthree

quarters

untila des

peration ra

lly from 10

i ts behind

in thefinal

2 min-

t theBeng

als’ preven

t

ball

EVAN SIEGLE/GANNETT WISCONSIN NEWSPAPERS

Green Bay Packers offensive linemen Jason Spitz, left, and Chad Clifton can only watch as Cincinnati Bengals

defensive end Antwan Odom sacks Aaron Rodgers during Sunday’s game at Lambeau Field.

Bengals 34, Packers 21

INSIDE

NFL roundup, Page 2B

P ckers of preseason absent

ls Page 4Bwith

WDH, September27, a1

Kole Heckendorfholds several

state records forreceiving from

his standoutdays at Mosinee.

He was NorthDakota State’s

leading receiverall four years ofhis career there.

Mosinee native not ready

to give up on NFL dreamBY DJ SLATERW D H

@ .

b t

COREY SCHJOTH/WAUSAU DAILY HERALD

A Madison-area developer owns 13 of the 17 acres

between the Eye Clinic of Wisconsin and Bridge Street

on the east side of the Wisconsin River. The land’s future

hinges largely on CF Development’s plans.

City eager to see blighted

east-side land developed,

but leaders stress patience

Riversidea work inprogress

BY NICK HALTERW D H

@ .

The city’s vision for the

riverfront north of down-l d

RESIDENTIAL KEYCOMPONENT

Community Development

Director optimistic, says

housing along river cru-

Summer with the Packers

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2009

Serving north central Wisconsin

$1.50

Health boostStay fit with Samantha Harris

of “Dancing with the Stars”

Breaking news

sent right to your

cellphone.

Text WDHNEWS to 44636

Merrill goes aerial at MosineeBluejays quarterback fires four TDs in 40-6 win | 1B

Local Obama activists

quiet in year sinceelection | 1C

Humane Society teams up with theater

group for winter fundraiser| 3C

Reply OnlineGo to WausauDailyHerald.com/Touchdown

Reply by PhoneCall toll-free 1-877-424-5644 Ask for Promo Code P-P6

A* Offer valid in the Daily Herald’s home delivery area to new subscribers. Not valid with any other offer. After the promotional period ends, your

subscription will continue on the payment method you select at the regular published rate. Friday-Sunday delivery includes 5 holiday issues: 3/10, 5/31, 7/1, 9/2 and 12/23 or as listed in the Reader’s Guide. The Thanksgiving Day edition is delivered with every subscription frequency and will be charged the current Sunday newsstand rate, which is reflected in the November payment. If at any time you decide to cancel your subscription, you may contact us at 1-877-424-5644 and the full amount of any balance over $2.00 will be returned.

Karen OlsonEmployer: Cardiovascular Research and Education Foundation, or CaRE, 500 Wind Ridge Drive, Suite 101, WausauAge: 48Job: Director of research operations.Service: “Mostly clinical trials using new devices, new drugs to treat what-ever, or taking known drugs and using them in a different modality,” Olson said. The founda-tion focuses on heart research, and has par-ticipated in more than 50 clinical trials since Olson began with CaRE 14 years ago.“One trial that made an overnight impact when the results were released was (a) study that showed treating people with cholesterol medicine right after a heart attack and driving their choles-

terol levels down imme-diately improved their outcome greatly.”

For Olson, being a part of medical advances has kept her coming back to the job. “When I got out of nursing school in 1984 and the way cardiovas-cular disease is treated in 2010 is very, very differ-ent, and it has a lot to do with having participated in research for the past 20 years of my career,” she said. “And I just find that pretty rewarding.”

— Jake Miller, Gannett Central Wisconsin



CaRE Foundationemployee profile

ABOUT BASIX SPLINTS

PHOTOS BY TOM LOUCKS/GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

Alan and Julie Edmundson of Grand Rapids display Basix Splints, which serve as temporary wrist splints. Below: The Edmundsons demonstrate how the wrist splints work.

BY ADAM WISEGANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

GRAND RAPIDS — Thinking there had to be a better, cheaper alternative to temporary arm splints on the mar-ket, the Edmundsons went to work.

Alan and Julie Edmundson — employed as ski patrollers at Granite Peak in Wausau for more than six years — used to pay $12 to $18 for each temporary arm splint used to stabilize wrist injuries on the ski hill.

Last year, the Grand Rapids couple created a prototype under the com-pany name Basix Splints, and after just one winter, the Edmundsons are selling the products to 10 ski hills in five states: Utah, Colorado, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin.

“Basically it’s for comfort and not to cause more distress to the area until they get medical attention,” Julie said.

“At first, we gave them out at our hill to try, and since then, word has gotten out,” she said. “It looks like this year we’ll be selling in Ohio as well.”

The Basix Splint is cheaper than alternatives because the product is created from cardboard. There are different pricing levels, depending on how many splints are purchased, but each splint typically costs from 75 cents to 90 cents. The Edmundsons hired a company in California to produce the splints last year, but the couple likely will switch to an in-state producer this year.

There’s good reason for a temporary, low-cost solution. When a ski patroller provides a splint to an injured skier, the responder typically knows the splint won’t be returned, Julie said. Those injured might take the splints with them as they drive home before seeking further medical attention, or if the splints become covered in blood, they can’t be re-used.

Julie estimates the company sold about 1,000 splints last season, after getting started in December.

“We were pleasantly surprised with the results last year,” Julie said. “From what we understand, people are planning to order more.”

The pair don’t plan to quit their day jobs — Julie is a thera-pist at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield, and Alan works for Neenah Papers in Whiting — but they think the sky is the limit for their company.

Splint company gets to basics of ski hill emergency care

Address: Home-based phone and Internet business

Founded: 2009

Owners: Alan and Julie Edmundson of Grand Rapids

Number of employees: Two

Products: Temporary wrist splints for emergency care; the product is sold to ski patrol personnel at ski hills.

Contact: Call 715-459-2501, e-mail [email protected], or visit http://basixsplints.com.

Paul Rudersdorf

327 N 17th Ave, Wausau

[email protected]

Member FDIC

Contact one of our Business Bankers today at any location:

Dan Sherfinski


[email protected]

Brent Madson

1130 E Grand Ave, Rothschild

[email protected]

Sarah Napgezek

101 Scott Street, Wausau

[email protected]

Pete Mouw


[email protected]

5001170996

Where Banking is INCREDIBLEwww.r iver val leybank .com

Ranked in the Top 5% in the U.S.A.

for SBA Lending

LeadingMarathon County in

SBA LendingRiver Valley Bank ranked 1st in SBA lending in Marathon County in both number of loans and volume,6thin the State of Wisconsin, and in the top 5% in the nation by the U.S. Small Business Administration for the number of small business loans the bank funded in the

government’s fi scal year 2009.

Ligman & WilleCertifi ed Public Accountants LLC

5001172175

1335 8th St. SouthWisconsin Rapids, WI715-421-0550

2804 Post RoadStevens Point, WI715-341-3232.

www.ligmanwille.com

~ 2 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS ~

Let us help you with your business and fi nancial needsTax Planning Tax PreparationRetirement Planning Payroll ServicesSales Tax Services Certifi ed Quickbooks Pro Advisor Bookkeeping/Write-Up Reviews & Compilations IRS Representation Buying & Selling a Business Business Entity Selection Management Advisory Services Business Succession Planning Financial Forecasts & Projections Litigation Support Expert Witness ServicesNotary Public

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Store Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-7 pm, Sat 8 am-5 pm,

Closed Sundays

The StoreThat Service

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5001172420

1040 Indianhead Dr., Mosinee, WI 54455Phone: 715-693-7123 • Fax: 715-693-7103

www.irow.bz

WHAT IS THE I-VALUEOF YOUR WASTE HAULER?For more than 20 years, IROW has been helping businesses (andresidents) all over north central Wisconsin dispose of waste materialand recyclables. Long time customers appreciate the special valueIROW provides. We call it our I-Values. INVOLVEMENT in ourcommunities. INFORMATION about how to properly manage yourwaste stream. And INTEGRITY in the way we do business. Call ustoday to discuss the most cost-effective way to dispose of your wasteand recyclables. And start experiencing the I-Values IROW offers.

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BY ADAM WISEGANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

WISCONSIN RAPIDS — A reading education program developed more than 25 years ago at a kitchen table in south Wood County is now used in more than half the schools in the United States.

Created by Judi Paul in the summer of 1984, A c c e l e r a t e d R e a d e r became the flagship soft-ware of a company known today as Renaissance Learning. The so f t -ware tracks and tests a student’s ability to read books.

There are more than 90,000 schools in the country, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, and about 53,000 of them subscribe to Accelerated R e a d e r, s a i d S t e v e Schmidt, president and chief operating officer of Renaissance Learning.

“It provides account-ability about how much (the students) are reading, how well they are reading and how well they com-prehend what they are reading,” Schmidt said. “A teacher doesn’t really know how much or how

well their kids are reading without that; it’s extreme-ly helpful for them.”

The company charges $4.25 for each student each school year for Accelerated Reader, which has quizzes for about 140,000 books.

“So when a school sub-scribes to our product, it’s very likely we’ll have a quiz for every book in their library,” Schmidt said.

S a i n t M a r y ’ s , a Wisconsin Rapids paro-chial school, became the first to use Accelerated Reader in 1985 with 300 quizzes created by Paul, according to a corporate document. In 1992, the company employed seven people. Today, Renaissance Learning employs more than 500 people locally.

Schmidt said word of mouth is a crucial sell-ing point to teachers and administrators looking into the product.

“You have teachers who are very, very loyal and enthusiastic about it,” Schmidt said. “It works, educators see results from it, they see the motivation and grades the kids can make, and they see kids who are learning to love to read.”

Word of mouth propels Renaissance growth

ABOUT RENAISSANCE LEARNINGAddress: 2911 Peach St., Wisconsin Rapids

Founded: 1986 by Judith and Terrance Paul, though Judith created the com-pany’s landmark product, Accelerated Reader, in 1984.

Operator: President and Chief Operating Office Steve Schmidt

Number of employees: More than 500 at its local headquarters

Services: Provides computer-based

assessment technology for more than 50,000 primary and secondary schools in North America.

Contact information: Call 715-424-3636, or visit www.renlearn.com.

PHOTO COURTESY RENAISSANCE LEARNING

Renaissance Learning’s flagship software, Accelerated Reader, is used in about 53,000 U.S. schools.


ABOUT SOLARUSAddress: 440 E. Grand Ave., Wisconsin Rapids

Founded: 1896 (for-merly Wood County Telephone Co.)

Operators: Douglas Wenzlaff, chief execu-tive officer and gen-eral manager; Michael Meinel, director of sales and marketing: Jerold Johnson, controller; and Jamey Lysne, director of operations


Services: Telephone, cable television and Internet service and technical support

How and where services are used: Thousands of custom-ers throughout central and northern Wisconsin use Solarus as their telephone, TV and Internet service pro-vider.

Contact information: Call Solarus at 715-421-8111, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.solarus.net.


WISCONSIN RAPIDS — More than a centu-ry ago, a group of local businessmen set out to combat what they called the extreme pric-es and poor service of a Milwaukee-based tele-phone company.

Thus began Wood County Telephone Co.

Now, at least two locations and one name change later, Solarus is the largest independent telephone service pro-vider in the state and in the top 50 national-ly, said Doug Wenzlaff, chief executive officer and general manager.

“We’ve been around for 114 years because we believe we provide good products and ser-vices,” Wenzlaff said.

W o o d C o u n t y Telephone Co. incorpo-rated on May 1, 1896, establishing phone ser-vice the following July at $2 for businesses and $1.50 for residenc-es — half the price of its competitor, accord-ing to a written history the telephone service provider published in its centennial-edition

phone book.In 1995, the company

expanded its reach in the telecommunication industry by offering Internet services to its customers in south Wood County, and by the early 2000s, it branched out into providing television cable service. The com-pany then acquired ser-vices throughout central and northern Wisconsin, Wenzlaff said, with cus-tomers as far away as Waupaca to the east and Eagle River to the north.

By 2007, the company, then known as WCTC, began operating all its new entities under the unified name Solarus.

As an independent company, Solarus has the flexibility to remain committed to the com-munities it serves, com-pany officials said, with the concept serving as one of its four value statements — to “ensure the community’s long-term prosperity.”

Solarus’ efforts to focus on rural areas led to the company expanding its high-speed Internet ser-vice to 98 percent of its service area, said Mike Meinel, director of sales

and marketing. At the same time, the

Wisconsin Rapids sta-ple remains involved in legislative and regula-tory matters on both the state and national lev-els, Wenzlaff said.

“We’ve long been viewed as an industry leader,” he said. “We’re at a sweet spot where we’re big enough to be on the forefront but small enough to act quickly (when advance-ments occur).”

Solarus’ business evolved through the years

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

TOM LOUCKS/GANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

Kurt Bredda, front, and Brian Krubsack, Solarus technicians, explain how cable television, Internet and phone services work at the central office in Wisconsin Rapids. Below: Solarus cable-splicing technicians work on an aerial cable splice.

Rudolph(715) 435-3111

Town & Country Branch

(715) 421-3111

5001172084

Rosholt • (715) 677-4523Stevens Point • (715) 344-5522

Elderon • (715) 454-6264

5001

1722

05

5001

1721

22

Auburndale (715) 652-2105 • Hewitt (715) 384-2011Marshfield North (715) 384-0071Marshfield South (715) 384-5117

Milladore (715) 457-6417 • Rozellville (715) 384-3142Stevens Point (715) 342-9071

Wisconsin Rapids (715) 422-5900Withee (715) 229-2796

Photo by John Hartman - Contemporary PhotographyPhoto by John Hartman - Contemporary Photography

“A Bank For All People”Your independent community bank since 1912

BANCROFT STATE BANK

FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION

Each depositor insured to $100,000

Kellner3821 80th St. So.(715) 421-1660

Saratoga9031 Hwy 13 So.(715) 325-3000

Hancock235 West Northlake St.

(715) 249-3300

Bancroft5496 Co. Rd.W

(715) 335-4545

Plainfield123 West North St.(715) 335-8200

To meet your needs the bank offers a variety of loans including home equity loans, checking, savings, Christmas club, time certificates of deposits, IRA’s, overdraft protection, direct deposit, and many more services. The following are advantages of banking with Bancroft State Bank.

• An independent community bank can give immediate answers to questions, rather than having to refer to some distant location.• The money you save is not only helping you, it’s helping your community. The money goes to work in the form of loans to help people in your community purchase a home, car, start a new business, etc.• We make sure your money goes to help our com-munities. April is Community Banking Month. We are donating over $3,500 to our local charities just for that month! Come in to vote on which of your charities receive this gift.• A very important advantage is that the employees at Bancroft State Bank know their customers and work together to meet their needs.

5001172212

Almond (715)366-4311

Plover (715)341-7181

Plainfield (715)335-4200

Stevens Point/County Market(715)342-4207

Stevens Point (715)341-8808

5001172172

5001172161

Stevens Point • (715) 341-5600

2011 S. Central AvenueMarshfi eld, WI 54449(715) 384-2867

1105 Western AvenueMosinee, WI 54455(715) 693-3400

2940 Church StreetStevens Point, WI 54481(715) 341-4543

107 S. Third AvenueWausau, WI 54401(715) 845-5010

440 8th Street SouthWisconsin Rapids, WI 54494(715) 424-4400

5001172179

Serving Adams, Clark, Marathon, Portage, Shawano,Waupaca, Waushara and Wood Counties

Federally insured by NCUA

www.centralcitycu.com

222 E. Upham StreetMarshfield. WI715-387-3702

3101 Hoover RoadStevens Point, WI

715-341-2522

2331 Post RoadStevens Point, WI

715-341-1400

Saint Michael’s Hospital900 Illinois AvenueStevens Point, WI

715-346-5136

SPASH1201 Northpoint Drive

Stevens Point, WI715-254-0251

Marshfield High School1401 Becker RoadMarshfield, WI715-387-3702

Together We’re Better!

5001

1721

08 5001

1722

19

www.rivervalleybank.com Member FDIC

Building communitythrough banking.

16 locations in North Central Wisconsin

and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Amherst • (715) 824-3325

International Bank of AmherstEstablished

1893Over A Century Of Service

5001

1721

84

240 Market Ave. 1153 Rome Center DrivePort Edwards Town of Rome(715) 887-3285 (715) 325-5676

We’re Sound, We’re Safe,

And We’ve Been Locally Owned Since 1913!

NEKOOSA PORTEDWARDS STATE BANK

405 MARKET ST. - NEKOOSA - (715) 886-3104

MemberFDICwww.NPESB.com

5001

1723

45

You Got It Made withNekoosa Port Edwards

State BankHometown Banking with your Neighbors & Friends

As a neighborhood bank, we are owned and operated by people you know….people you see in church, at the grocery store, volunteers at community projects and civic organizations.

Our decisions and policies are based on what we see and know about the local community. The decisions are made by people who live here, many you see at places like the theater or grocery store. We base our decisions on our knowledge of the market place, not computer printouts or fi nancial trends in big cities.

100% of the money deposited with these banks is reinvested back into the community in the forms of home mortgages, commercial loans, agricultural loans and municipal loans. These loans in turn generate jobs that lead to purchases that lead to economic expansion, better equipment, better effi ciency, more jobs and ultimately, to a better standard of living for everyone living in Central Wisconsin.

FDICEach depositor insured to at least $100,000

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation•www.fdic.gov

Backed bythe full faithand creditof the United Statesgovernment

5001160581

■ AMERICAN GOVERNOR CO.Address: 588 Allen St.Owner/manager: Rick Sheldon, operations man-agerEmployees: 10Service: Governor control systems for hydroelectirc turbinsContact: 715-824-3800, www.americangovernor.com■ CENTRAL WATERS BREWING CO.Address: 351 Allen St.Owner/manager: Paul Graham and Anello MollicaEmployees: 10Service: Locally produced

beer Contact: 715-824-2739, www.centralwaters.com■ RC AUTOMATIONAddress: 381 Allen St.Owner/manager: Gene ScherrEmployees: eightService: Electrical design from machinesContact: 715-824-2739■ SHARPE ENGINEERINGAddress: 381 Allen St.Owner/manager: Gene ScherrEmployees: 20Service: Electronic control panels for factoriesContact: 715-824-7224



CENTRAL WISCONSIN BUSINESS PARK, MOSINEE■ ABL LIGHTS GROUP Address: 660 Golf Club Blvd. Employees: 30 Service: Manufacturer of work and drive lights for on- and off-road vehicles with a full line of auxiliary and rally lights for off-road racing and personal vehicles. Contact: 715-693-1530 or 1-888-693-1531; www.abllights.com. ■ AMERICAN ASPHALT OF WISCONSIN Address: 832 E. Highway 153 Employees: 140 Service: American Asphalt provides paving and excava-tion services for driveways and parking lots. Services include installation, mainte-nance, repair and painting. Contact: Phoe 715-693-5200; fax 715-693-5220. ■ BENEFIT PARTNERS Address: 975 Indianhead Drive Employees: Four Service: Specializes in acci-dent and medical insurance plans. Services include acci-dent coverage, employee benefits and health insur-ance. Contact: 715-693-4343; www.benefitpartners.net. ■ CEQUENT Address: 1050 Indianhead Drive Employees: 350 Service: Cequent is a designer and manufacturer of a broad range of acces-sories for light trucks, sport utility vehicles, recreational vehicles, passenger cars and trailers of all types. Products include towing hitches and trailer acces-sories. Contact: 715-693-1700; www.cequentgroup.com.■ FEDEXAddress: 910 N. Park View Circle Employees: 45 Service: Packing and ship-ping specialists; also offers moving equipment rental and freight forwarding. Contact: Call 1-800-463-3339; www.federalexpress.com. ■ GREENHECK FAN CORP. Address: 990 S. Park View Circle Employees: 30 Service: From its plant in the Central Wisconsin Business

Park, Greenheck Fan Corp. manufactures dampers for institutional, commercial and industrial applications. Contact: 715-359-6171; www.greenheck.com.■ IROW — INDUSTRIAL RECYCLERS OF WISCONSIN Address: 1040 Indianhead Drive Employees: 35 Service: Provides com-mercial and residential shredding, recycling and waste services in central Wisconsin. Contact: 715-693-7123; www.irow.bz. ■ MAPLE RIDGE FARMS INC. Address: 905 S. Park View Circle Employees: 20 full- and part-time; 250 to 275 sea-sonal Service: Maple Ridge Farms offers a variety of American-made food and gift baskets for businesses.Contact: 715-693-4346; www.mapleridge.com. ■ RIVER VALLEY BANK Address: 850 E. Highway 153 Employees: Five Service: River Valley is a family-owned and oper-ated banking institution. The Central Wisconsin Business Park office is one of the bank’s 18 locations in central Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Contact: 715-693-1100; PO Box 185; www.rivervalley-bank.com. ■ SCHIELD FAMILY BRANDS Address: 888 S. View Drive Employees: 600 to 700Service: Formerly known

as SNE Enterprises, Schield Family Brands is the umbrella group for Crestline, Visions, Peachtree and Weather Shield Manufacturing, a producer of windows and patio doors. Contact: 715-693-7000; www.visionswindows. com; www.peachtreedoor.com; weathershield.com; www.crestlinewindows.com. ■ AROW GLOBAL CORP.Address: 924 N. Park View Circle Employees: 75 Service: Formerly known as Storm-Tite, Arow Global manufactures RV and bus windows, vinyl windows and storm doors. Contact: 715-693-6020; www.storm-tite.com. ■ UNITED ASSOCIATION OF PLUMBERS AND PIPE FITTERS Local 434 Address: 912 N. View Drive Employees: Four Service: Union offices and training center for the United Association of Journeyman and Pipe Fitters. The facility serves as a job center and educational site for central and western Wisconsin.Contact: 715-692-4341; www.ualocal434. ■ WAD’S WOODWORKS INC. Address: 1000 E. Highway 153 Employees: Three Service: Wad’s Woodworks is a custom design center specializing in wooden kitchen cabinets and coun-tertops. Contact: 715-693-0818. ■ WAUSAU FINANCIAL SYSTEMS INC. Address: 875 Indianhead Drive Employees: 383 Service: Wausau Financial Systems provides pay-ment-processing solutions for business and industry, enabling customers to trans-form payments, deposits and documents into strate-gic assets that drive profit-ability.Contact: 715-359-0427; www.wausaufs.com. ■ VIKING-SENTRY Address: 1075 Indianhead Drive Employees: Five Service: Insurance Contact: 715-693-3501


Central Wisconsin Business Park

Map area


Amherst Business Park

Map area

AMHERST BUSINESS PARK

BY LAVILLA CAPENERGANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

MARATHON — KRC Software boasts a portfo-lio of work for national and international clients, yet the company has just one full-time employee — its founder and owner, Mary Forer.

Forer’s company devel-ops website applications for companies and also sells two software programs that allow companies to organize, manage and search large amounts of information: Library Data Manager, which costs $850 per license, and Continuing Ed Tracker, which costs $299 per license.

Forer designed the soft-ware while working as a librarian at the Ruder Ware law firm in Wausau, where she needed help managing Ruder Ware’s library.

After researching soft-ware solutions in the Internet and her own trial-and-error process over a four-year period, she came up with a general version of the software. In 2000, she founded KRC Software.

She has continued to improve the software and has released several revi-sions. The latest for Library Data Manager was in 2005, and the latest for Continuing Ed Tracker

was in 2009.KRC Software has sold

the Library Data Manager software to the interna-tional law firms Tay and Partners in Malaysia and Beard Winter LLP in Canada.

Forer said her company was affected by the reces-sion, but business has been picking up in the past few months.

The Internet-based applications are increas-ingly popular with KRC Software’s clients, particu-larly for companies that don’t yet have the capabil-ity to track website mem-bers or offer online pay-ments.

“I think what’s unique are our products. Our cus-tomers contact us all the time after they purchase our software and say they are happy with the prod-ucts,” she said. “They are a solution for office prob-lems.”

Wausau-based law firm Ruder Ware is one of KRC Software’s clients. Ruder Ware law librarian Rhonda Karau, 58, of Merrill said she has recommended the library program to other librarians.

“The software is wonder-ful,” Karau said. “I can’t say enough about how easy it is to use and how perfect it is for a legal library setting.”

Organization pays offABOUT KRC SOFTWAREAddress: PO Box 575, Marathon, WI 54448Founded: 2000Owner: Mary ForerNumber of employees: One full-time employee. Forer contracts out for tasks such as graphic design or Web design. Products: The com-pany sells Library Data Manager and Continuing Ed Tracker software. How and where products are used: Small to medium law firms use the library software to keep track of inventory. All types of companies use the continuing education software to track employees’ progress toward a degree or certification. Companies that use the continuing educa-tion software range from medical and legal companies to guidance counselors and social workers. Contact information: Call 715-849-5571, visit www.krcsoftware.com.

5001160330

Proudly Serving WI since 1901

From 1992 to present5361 HWY 10 EAST STEVENS POINT

haertelmonuments.com or [email protected]

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WOODLANDS BUSINESS CENTER,

WISCONSIN RAPIDS

■ NEUMARK STENSBERG DESIGN & PRINT INC.Address: 2730 Oak St.Owners: Don Derezinski, Dan Derezinski and Rick StensbergService: Digitally designed and printed (one-color to full-color) business cards, post-cards, brochures, res-taurant menus, advertis-ing place mat and other items. Employees: 22, includ-ing sales representatives throughout WisconsinContact: Call Erin for ordering at 715-423-2514; fax 715-423-2503; e-mail [email protected]; www.neumarkdp.com.■ RENAISSANCE LEARNINGAddress: 2911 Peach St.Founders: Judi and Terry Paul, now a pub-licly-traded companyService: Computer-based assessment tech-nology for screening, progress monitoring and assessments to enhance core curriculum, support instruction and personal-ize practice in reading, writing and math. Contact: 1-800-338-4204; local phone 715-424-3636; fax 715-424-4242; e-mail [email protected]; www.renlearn.com.


WoodlandsBusiness Park

Map area

Center

BY ASHLEY A. SMITHGANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

MARSHFIELD — As one of the first dental laboratories in the country to create crowns and bridges digitally, Marshfield-based Dental Crafters serves clients worldwide.

From the upstart dental lab launched in 1989 by their father, Jac Slominski, Brad and Bob Slominski have grown Dental Crafters, 1000 Corporate Drive, into an international force in the industry.

“We manufacture virtually any kind of crown or bridge that can be put into a patient’s mouth,” Brad said. “We also work over the top of implants and help doctors with placement. We can also manufac-ture dentures and partials.”

Brad Slominski said the compa-ny also has its own custom intra-oral snoring appliance to ease snoring and sleep apnea.

After finishing college, the Slominski brothers bought the company from their father, who taught them about the business while they were still in high school.

“My dad is very crafty as far as his workmanship,” said Brad Slominski. “I look at dental technician as an artistic engineer. We’re very artis-tic in making beautiful things for a patient’s mouth that have to be engineered so they function.”

Dental Crafters not only uses the more traditional way of build-ing partials and crowns by using impressions sent from dentist offic-es, but they’ve also digitally rebuilt teeth — becoming 3M’s first U.S.-authorized lab to do so.

“Digital impressioning is real-ly in its infancy stages,” Brad Slominski said. “But in the next five to 10 years, it’s going to take over the dental world. The doctors just scan the patient’s mouth with a scanner and send a digital file to us. We’re still able to manufacture that crown to their specifications, and it’s a lot easier on patients and less invasive. We’ve been one of the

leaders in the industry with that.”The laboratory, which serves

about 400 dentists across the coun-try, can manufacture anywhere from 20 to 100 different products each day, said Amy Zondlo, mar-keting manager for the company. Each product takes about four days to create.

“All of our work is custom made and custom fit for the individual patient,” said Amy Nystrom, the company’s chief financial officer. “So I think everybody has a real personal touch, in the sense that we’re making a really individual product.”

Dental Crafters has its teeth in worldwide market

ABOUT DENTAL CRAFTERS Address: 1000 Corporate Drive, PO Box 770, Marshfield

Founded: 1989

Owners: Robert and Brad Slominski

Number of employees: More than 50

Products: Dental crowns, bridg-es, partial and complete den-tures, snoring and sleep apnea devices, mouthguards.

How and where products are used: Dentists from across the country contract with the dental laboratory to reconstruct the teeth of their patients.

Contact information: Call 1-800-472-8302, or visit www.dentalcrafters.net.


Wendy Grosskreutz crafts a false tooth at Dental Crafters in Marshfield. Below: Dental Crafters owners Brad Slominski, left, and his brother, Bob Slominski, stand in their Marshfield business.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

5001168965

Hours:Mon.-Wed. 8-5

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Marshfi eld Monument is a locally family owned full service monument company. From monuments and mausoleums to bronze plaques, cemetery lettering and straightening, our companionate staff has the

experience and expertise to assist you with all of your memorial needs.

We pride ourselves on being able to offer in-house computer designing, engraving, and hand etchings, right at our downtown location, 435 S Central Ave.

Our philosophy of creating one memorial at a time is why Marshfi eld Monument is you clear choice for all your memorial needs.

5001171270

115 Years of TraditionServing Central Wisconsin Families

12E THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010


MARSHFIELD AIR BUSINESS PARK■ BURT TROPHY & AWARDS INC.Address: 213 Air Park RoadOwner/manager: John Giese Employees: Three full time, three part timeService: Awards; trophies, ribbons, plaques, engraving and personalized gifts and silverContact: 715-384-5839; fax 715-387-6779; www.burta-wards.com■ TEAM DISTRIBUTING INC.Address: 3500 Air Park RoadOwner/manager: Barb YahnkeEmployees: SixService: Janitorial supplies, vacuum sales and repairsContact: 715-384-2767; fax 715-387-2999; www.team-distributing.com■ SLUMBERLAND FURNITUREAddress: 3512 S. Central Ave.Owner/manager: Greg HeschEmployees: 11 full time, three part timeService: Furniture and mat-tress retailerContact: 715-387-1610; fax 715-387-0871; www.slum-berland.com■ SCHWAN’S HOME FOOD SERVICEAddress: 3715 Downwind DriveOwner/manager: Mitch SummersEmployees: 13 full time, one part timeService: Distributor of ice cream and fine foodsContact: 715-384-4599; fax 715-389-2727; www.schwans.com■ STAAB MACHINE INC.Address: 3701 Downwind DriveOwner/manager: Mark Staab Employees: TwoService: Manufacturing, design and repair parts, using stainless steel, mild steel, aluminum, cast iron, bronze, plastic and air craft materials.Contact: 715-384-2669; fax 715-384-5661; www.staab-machine.com■ NAPA AUTO PARTSAddress: 3716 Downwind DriveOwner/manager: Karrie MollEmployees: Six full time, one part timeService: Automotive and heavy truck part salesContact: 715-387-1738, fax

715-384-4645, www.napaon-line.com■ WILDWOOD ANIMAL HOSPITAL AND CLINIC LLCAddress: 210 Airpark RoadOwner/manager: Roger Krogstad, DVMEmployees: Eight full time, three part timeService: Small animal and avian medical and surgical servicesContact: 715-387-1225; fax 715-387-2248; www.wild-woodanimalhospital.net■ ESE INC.Address: 3600 Downwind

DriveOwner/manager: Mark Weber Employees: 35Service: Controls engineering and analytical instrumenta-tion for the food and dairy industriesContact: 715-387-4778; fax 715-387-0125; www.ese1.com■ BAUERNFEIND BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIESAddress: 3516 S. Downwind DriveEmployees: 29 full time, one part timeOwner/manager: Kim BauernfeindService: Retail copiers, print-ing services, related supplies and servicesContact: 715-384-5232; fax 715-387-8525; www.b-bt.com■ PREVENTION GENETICSAddress: 3700 South Downwind DriveOwner/manager: Jim WeberEmployees: 44 full time, six part time Service: DNA Banking ser-vices Contact: 715-387-0484; fax 715-384-3661, www.preven-tiongenetics.com


Air Business Park

Map area

5001

1618

87

Shred Safe LLC is a mobile shred-ding company in the Central Wisconsin area. We provide on-site shredding whether your need is a one-time purge or an on-going service, and we are bonded and insured. We are devoted in doing the very best for our customers.

Serving all of Central WI.

“Keeping YOUR Business, YOUR Business, is OUR Business!”

• Value • Exceptional service • Personal service

• Flexible schedules • Reliable service

Call Shred Safe LLC today at 715-676-3939

5001169798

Sales - Service9754 State Hwy. 54 East • Wisc. Rapids, WI 54494. 6 miles East of Wisc. Rapids on Hwy. 54 towards Plover

Phone/Fax: 715-424-7766 / 715-321-2437 Dustin’s CellWebsite: www.docksandliftsbymsc.com50

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COMPANIESGROW SINCE

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As a community bank, we believe in being a strongcommunity partner. We’re committed to helping the

business community of Central Wisconsin grow.Whether you are just starting out or looking for a

better business partner, Peoples is here to help you.Decisions are made locally with the fast turnaroundyour business needs to succeed. Call today to learnmore about why so many businesses across Central

Wisconsin choose Peoples State Bank.

AC and Sons Party Tent Rentals - Wausau

Zientara Truck & Trailer, Inc. - Wausau

5001172025

Ben PetermanAge: 32

Job: Peterman has been systems develop-ment manager for human resources for two years; he’s been at Skyward for eight years. He majored in computer information systems and minored in business at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Peterman is the manager for Skyward’s human resources system, which is a school district employee management pro-gram that tracks data such as payroll. He coordinates projects that need to be done to enhance the system, such as adding a program that compares various files.

Service: Since 1980, Skyward has served the K-12 administrative software needs of school districts. It makes a School Management System that manages stu-dent and financial data. It is used in more than 1,400 school districts around the world, and the company has more than 340 employees in 10 offices around the

United States. The world headquarters is in Stevens Point. Skyward has custom-ers in 17 states and five foreign countries — India, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Lebanon.

“I’m proud that we’re putting out a good product,” Peterman said. “It’s crazy to think we’re sitting here making stuff that’s being used in Washington, Texas, Florida, etc.”

— Nicole Strittmater, Gannett Central Wisconsin

Mark BrownAge: 62

Job: Professor of philosophy at the University of Wisconsin Marathon County

Service: Mark Brown conducts research in the philosophy of mind, philosophy of religion and biomedical ethics, with recent publications in scholarly journals such as Philosophical Psychology, the Journal of Medical Ethics, the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, and the Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal.

Brown’s ethical analyses of recent advanc-es in stem cell research have been used by policy makers at a national and international level. “Biomedical applications of adult stem cell technology,” said Brown, “depend upon parallel embryonic stem cell research. Vigorous philosophical analysis of scien-tific research provides a basis for ethical

practices in reproductive and regenerative medicine.”

He will serve as chairman and key-note speaker at the Ethical and Political Acceptance of Stem Cell Research Session in December at the 2010 World Congress of Regenerative Medicine in Shanghai, China.

— Judi Wittkopf,Gannett Central Wisconsin

Skywardemployee profile

UW Marathon County

employee profile



5001

1700

29

Clabough & Associates, Inc.Insurance & Financial Services

Small town friendly. Big name companies!

Serving you locally and statewide!

We still make house calls –Tell that to the Lizard!!

208 W. Reed Street, Wittenberg1-800-924-8120

5001166092

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1602 Highway 10West

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Bar and Dance HallHall available for parties(up to 200)Weddings, Meetings,and ReunionsCatering Service Available

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5001171242

THE UPS STORE5633 HWY 10 E

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1687

64

Regular Hours of Operation:Monday-Friday 8 AM to 6:30 PM, Saturday 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM

5001

1718

96

2700 Church St., Stevens Point • 715-341-6222We Offer:

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Buy Your Meat, Cheese & SausagesLike Grandma Did!• Full Service Meat Counter • Over 100 Cheeses • Fresh Sausages • Fresh Kishka • Homemade Deli Items

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5001170623

Golf Digest Magazine named this course theNumber One Muny in the State of Wisconsin.Number One Muny in the State of Wisconsin.

Check out our Golf Specials atglacierwoodiola.com or call for specials

and tee times at 715-445-3831.

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5001

1718

59

Stevens Point, WI 54481

715-344-8282

Leer Caps and Lids

Don’t get caughtin the cold...time to

winterizeboats &motors toprepare forspring.

5001171619

Servicing the Stevens Pointand Surrounding

Areas......

BY LIZ WELTERGANNETT CENTRAL WISCONSIN

MARSHFIELD — In the quest to efficiently and consistently create quality food products, many indus-try processors are turning to Engineering Solutions Experts in Marshfield, which designs and installs innovative production sys-tems.

“We improve the profit-ability of food manufactur-ing companies,” said Tom Walther, ESE president.

ESE equipment is installed throughout the cheese-making facility at Nasonville Dairy Inc. in Marshfield.

“Every control panel we have is built by ESE,” said Ken Heiman, Nasonville co-owner.

Founded in 1981 by Marshfield native Mark Weber, ESE was a small, part-time venture known as Electrical Systems, Walther said. Now, the business makes its home in an 88,000-square-foot industrial facility in the Marshfield Air Business Park with 38 full-time employees.

“Our teams engineer sys-tems that measure a num-ber of components during the process of manufactur-ing a food product,” Walther said. “The goal is efficiency. With our systems, a man-ufacturer can eliminate

waste because we have the most advanced automation solutions for the food and beverage industry.”

Using the manufacturing of butter as an example, Walther explained that milkfat must be a certain percentage for different grades of butter.

“If you have a higher grade of milkfat in the but-ter, that is a waste. We can tweak the process for accu-racy, which in many cases can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to a food manufacturer,” Walther said.

ESE engineers travel throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico and abroad to analyze dif-ferent manufacturing processes. The engineers return to Marshfield to design a computerized system that will measure the food as it completes the production process to ensure it meets nutritional and health standards.

“Then, they go back to install and test the system on site,” Walther said.

ESE is certified by the Control System Integrators Association, a nonprofit orga-

nization that monitors use of industrial integration sys-tems. Achieving this status is significant because ESE is one of two companies certi-fied in Wisconsin and one of 96 worldwide, Walther said.

The company has won numerous integration systems awards for its work, the latest of which came in December when Control Engineering

named the business as a 2010 Integrator of the Year Finalist. Criteria for the award includes business skills, technical competence and customer satisfaction.

ESE travels world improving food processing MADE IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN 14E THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010


MILL CREEK BUSINESS PARK, MARSHFIELD■ IMPLANT SOLUTIONS/DENTAL CRAFTERSAddress: 1000 Corporate DriveOwner/Manager: Bob Slominski Employees: 70Service: Dental prosthetics Contact: 715-387-2642; fax 715-387-4100; www.dentalcrafters.net■ INFO GROUPAddress: 4001 S. Business Park Ave.Owner/Manager: Jean Moseley Employees: 100Service: Data service provider to the direct mail catalog mar-keting and non-profit industry

Contact: 715-387-3400; fax 715-486-4185; www.infogroup.com■ ALLIANCE COLLECTION AGENCIES INC.Address: 3916 S. Business Park Ave.Owner/Manager: Dan O’ConnellEmployees: 118 full time, 2 part timeService: Consumer debt col-lection agencyContact: 715-384-2717; fax 715-384-9230; www.alliance-collections.com■ MARSHFIELD CLINIC DATA CENTERNo information available


Mill Creek Business Park

Map area

ABOUT ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS EXPERTSAddress: 3600 Downwind Drive, MarshfieldFounded: 1981Owners: Majority owner is founder Mark Weber. It is an employee-owned business.Number of employee: 38Services: Design and installation of systems that monitor and control the pro-duction process for the food and beverage industry.How and where products are used: Custom-designed automation products assures the quality of the food pro-cessed while increasing efficiency and eliminating waste. Its customers include food processors throughout the United States and in Canada, Mexico and Europe.Contact information: Call 715-387-4778 or visit www.ese1.com.


Don Pyke installs electrical components on a food system panel at Equipment Solutions Experts. Above right: ESE’s Q5L, which is used to test fat, moisture and protein levels for the food industry.

Frozen Pizza And Cheese Fries.

Working to do our part In Central Wisconsin.

Portesi’s has been around for over 50 years.

Our focus has always been on the people we serve. From our employees, to the children eating Cheese Fries in their school lunchrooms, our focus has been on you. We realize that there is an area in Central Wisconsin in which we have an impact with our products and within our community. We fi rmly believe that if our focus is on those we serve, we will build a healthier, happier and stronger community for all of us. Five years ago we built a new manufacturing facility in the Portage County Business Park in order to improve product quality and effi ciencies as well as increase the opportunities for our employees. We contracted with local businesses; from the plumber to the electrician, to the general contractor and refrigeration. These are a few of many ways we work to help sustain a strong Central Wisconsin. In order to help create an outstanding quality of life for the people we serve, we must continue to produce outstanding pizzas and Cheese Fries that are a value for you and your family. We are here to stay for you.

Portesi Italian Foods, Inc.3201 Business Park Drive | Stevens Point, WI 54482 | (715) 344-7974

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QUALITY CRAFTS SINCE 1899

2800 Hoover Road, Stevens Point

Catalog Return Goods SaleSeptember 25 • 26 • 27

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Warehouse Open to the PublicGeneral CraftsCross StitchWhite GoodsScrapbookingChristmasKit ComponentsSome Items May be distressed or parts missing

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today. tomorrow. together.®

WE’RE WORKING HARD FOR

HARD WORKING

PEOPLEWHEN IT COMES TO THE HEALTH OF YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES, YOUR

HEALTH CARE PROVIDER SHOULD BE JUST AS DEDICATED AS YOU ARE. The best health care requires hard work.

That’s why we’ve invested in the communities we serve, opening new clinics like the one in

Crandon, introducing primary service care in places like Merrill, and making major renovations and

improvements like the ones in Marshfield. Because when it comes to improving the

lives of our neighbors, our job is never done.

Get to know us better at ministryhealth.org

Michael ZachEmployer: University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

Age: 44

Job: Zach is a professor of chemistry at UWSP. He has worked at the university since 2005.

Services: UWSP exports dozens of varieties of brainpower and research, but Zach’s contribution has been in the field of nano-technology, which is work-ing with matter at 1 to 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.

Zach is working to develop a method to make large

amounts of patterned nanowires at a fraction of previously required time and costs and “turn that into the type of technology that can be spun of into a high-tech company based in Wisconsin,” Zach said.

— Nick Paulson, Gannett Central Wisconsin

Jill StumpnerAge: 30

Employer: Aspirus Heart and Vascular Institute, 333 Pine Ridge Blvd., Wausau

Job: A registered nurse at the Aspirus Heart and Vascular Institute, Stumpner has worked in the ambula-tory cardiac unit for the past six years, helping with an array of outpatient heart procedures.

Service: “We’re kind of the go-to people if people need something done outpatient, and they don’t know where to go,” Stumpner said. She prides herself in being a caretaker, educator and a patient advocate, roles often taken on by nurses. Stumpner is working in a heart center with one of the highest quality ratings in

Wisconsin, a fact that only adds to the pride she has in her work.

“Everyone I work with, I can sense they’re very proud of the fact that we’re such a highly ranked program,” she said. “It’s just one thing we keep in mind when working with patients.”

— Jake Miller, Gannett Central Wisconsin

UW-Stevens Pointemployee profile

Aspirus Heart and Vascular Institute

employee profile

16E THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010


© 2010 United HealthCare Services, Inc. No part of this document may be reproduced without permission.

Yourself-fundedplan givesyou control.We’ll helpyou keep it.

Self-funded health plans help you better manage and

control your spending while still keeping the ability to tailor

a plan to your workforce. UMR is the country’s largest TPA.

We help more than 1,000 businesses and close to 3 million

plan members get the right care at the right price at the

right time. As part of UnitedHealthcare, we can offer you

the scale, reach and cost savings of a national company.

But you still get the next-door attention and customized

solutions of a local TPA. Find out what we can do for you at

umr.com, call 1.866.881.0800 x6263 or contact your broker.

Steve Weiland, M.D.Surgical Associates

Aspirus Network is a collaboration of the region’sbest primary and specialty physicians, hospitals and

allied healthcare professionals. It includes over400 physicians, 4 hospitals and 48 different specialties.

To learn more aboutAspirus Network

call us at 800.847.4707or visit www.aspirus-network.org

The best healthcare professionalsaligned under one network

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The Aspirus Networkoffers you an unrivaledlevel of healthcare here innorthcentral Wisconsin.Driven and inspired byexcellence, the AspirusNetwork is distinctive for itsquality, comprehensivenessand cost-competitive value.

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