The Polk County Economic Development Corporation

Cordially invites you to its

Business Awards Luncheon

Thursday, May 10, 2012
Amery Golf Club
601 Deronda St., Amery, WI (715-268-7213)

11:30 Social and Lunch at 12:00
Adjourn by 1:30

Speakers are:
Logan J. Kelly, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin – River Falls
Steve Healy, Polk County Economic Development Corporation

Annual Business Awards for:
Small Business, Large Business, Business Service Award and Energy Efficiency

$15 per person

For reservations call 715-405-7655, email reply to:  info@polkcountyedc.com
or return the form below with  payment to:

Polk County Economic Development Corporation
PO Box 181, Balsam Lake, WI 54810

R.S.V.P. by May 4th

NEI Electric was presented with the AGC of Wisconsin Safety Excellence Award for the 2011 year.   The Associated General Contractors banquet was held on February 24^th, 2012 at the Florian Gardens in Eau Claire, WI.  This award is presented to companies with excellence in construction safety.

NEI Electric has three locations, St Paul, MN, St. Croix Falls and Eau Claire, WI which service Western Wisconsin and Eastern Minnesota.

For more information visit our website at www.neielectric.com .

Ice Age Trail Indianhead Chapter Annual meeting will be on Saturday, January 21,  9:30 am at the Ice Age Center in Interstate Park .

Guest Speaker; Prof. David M. Mickelson, author of GEOLOGY OF THE ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL.

Contact:

Dean Dversdal
IAT Indianhead Chapter
marieannewestigard@yahoo.com
715-472-2248

Eau Claire, Wis., – On December 1 at a statewide ceremony in Madison, NEI Electric received the 2011 “Build Wisconsin” Award in the Specialty Contractor – Electrical category for the work the company did during an extensive electrical service upgrade of Sacred Heart Hospital in 2010.

The electrical service upgrade consisted of the complete replacement of major components of the hospital’s electrical system, while keeping the hospital fully functioning.

“We successfully completed more than 80 planned major electrical shut downs over the course of this project without impacting patients or staff,” said Joe Bembnister, Senior Vice President, NEI Electric.

Throughout the project, NEI recycled all reusable material including metal, cardboard, paper, old feeder wire, old transformers and switchgear.

“We continued to keep Sacred Heart operating, patients safe and staff members working with very little impact to the hospital or its patients during the months-long, complex project” said Bembnister. “In fact, many people at the hospital were unaware that this project even took place. A project of this caliber leaves no room for mistakes and we were able to complete the upgrade without any major incidence – and on time and under budget.”

Also involved in the project were: Market & Johnson; Certified Plumbing & Heating; Ahern Fire Protection; Werner Electric Supply; Viking Electric Supply; Square D; and Johnson Control.

Contact Name:  Amanda Alton
Phone Number: 715-483-5953

SEPT. 19, 2011
NEW RICHMOND, WI

Adam Jarchow, an attorney with the Bakke Norman Law Firm with offices in New Richmond, Baldwin and Menomonie, was elected to the Board of Directors of the Polk County Economic Development Corporation in September.

Jarchow said he is pleased to serve on the board and assist with its mission of serving to build and maintain a strong economic base in Polk County.

“As someone who represents small businesses and municipalities in Polk County and greater northwestern Wisconsin, I have seen firsthand the positive impact that a well-functioning economic development organization can have on job creation,” said Jarchow.  “I am looking forward to the opportunity to help the EDC carry out its mission of growing Polk County businesses and jobs.”

A Clear Lake native, Jarchow practiced in a large Florida firm and with an international firm at its Minneapolis office before joining Bakke Norman. He and his wife, Barbara, live near Amery.

Jarchow has a background in finance, and said he especially enjoys helping business owners who have cultivated their own companies and are ready to sell or retire. He also works on mergers and acquisitions, succession planning, real estate transactions, private placement offerings, asset-based and real estate-based bank loans, workouts, entity formation and general contract negotiation and drafting. He also represents clients in the areas of bankruptcy, collections and creditor’s rights.

Jarchow’s business experience is an asset for his work with the Polk County EDC, says Thomas Schumacher, principal with Bakke Norman. “As the town attorney for St. Croix Falls and the village attorney for Luck, Adam has a range of knowledge and experience that benefits the economic well-being of Polk County and its business community,” said Schumacher.

Jarchow is the author of numerous municipal and business law alerts for the firm as well as a presenter at the firm’s legal topic seminars. After graduating with a degree in finance from the University of South Florida, Adam received his law degree from the University of Florida, where he was managing editor of its Law Review.

“The board of directors and I are very pleased and excited that Adam will be serving on the board for the Polk County Economic Development Corporation,” said Steve Healy, executive director of the PCEDC. “Adam will add the legal expertise to the board that we have not had in the past. With his legal expertise, his business experience and his sincere interest in building the economy of Polk County, he will add important depth to our board. As another Clear Lake native, I welcome Adam to the board and look forward to working with him.”

For more information on the Polk County EDC visit: www.polkcountyedc.com. Bakke Norman, S.C. provides a full range of legal services, including commercial business and real estate transactions, business, personal injury and intellectual property litigation, employment law, criminal and OWI defense, bankruptcy, elder law, and tax law. Clients include local to global businesses, corporations and organizations as well as individuals and families with needs ranging from personal matters to complex litigation.

For more information contact Bakke Norman at 800.328.5630, visit www.bakkenorman.com or email ajarchow@bakkenorman.com.

Doug Rinehart is truly an entrepreneur at heart.  He has several thriving business that he both owns and operates and he is dedicated to their success and growth here in Polk County, WI.  Doug is married to Katie, they have 2 sons, and live in Amery.

Businesses Doug Owns and Operates

• Amery Express convenient store with fuel and One-Hour Photo located on the main street in Amery, Wisconsin.
• Amery Ultra Car Wash located next to Amery Express with two bays and vacuums.
• Amery Hometown Liquor located inside Amery Express.
• Save-A-Lot a 10,000 sq. ft. discount grocery adjacent to Amery Express.
• Dick’s Fresh Market a 20,000 sq. ft. conventional grocery store located at the south end of Amery, Wisconsin.
• River Place Mall adjacent to Dick’s Fresh Market in Amery, Wisconsin.
• Strip mall with Mosaic Telecom office, Dollar Store, Kristi’s Coffee Shop, Top Hat Video, and Fantastic Sam’s Salon.
• Dick’s Fresh Market a 16,000 sq. ft. conventional grocery store located in Osceola, Wisconsin.
• Dick’s Fresh Market a 25,000 sq. ft. conventional grocery store located in River Falls, Wisconsin.*
• Hometown Liquor convenience store with fuel and liquor located in River Falls, Wisconsin. *

* Partnership with Dick Rinehart – Doug’s Father.

Doug’s business knowledge and contributions to the business community in Polk County make him a valuable asset to the Polk County Economic Development Corporations Board.

William “Bill” Schmidt is the general manager of Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative serving 20,000 member-owners in northwestern Wisconsin.

He has years of management experience with rural electric cooperatives in the Midwest, South and Hawaii. Since his start with Polk-Burnett in January 2009, Bill’s leadership and contributions have helped move the cooperative forward. His new initiatives focus on member satisfaction, economic development and becoming an energy leader for local families and businesses in our community.

Bill demonstrates a dedication to economic development in communities served by Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative. Together, Bill and the co-op board believe that commercial and industrial growth is vital to our region.

Under Bill’s leadership, the cooperative is active in economic development and serves on economic development boards in Polk and Burnett counties. Polk-Burnett is proud of its relationship with commercial and industrial customers, and offers energy management tools and resources to help them succeed.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Bill has a strong background in utility finance, engineering and operations, member service, legal, legislative, operational and strategic business planning. Prior to joining Polk-Burnett, he was employed as the chief executive officer/general manager for Beauregard Electric Cooperative in DeRidder, Louisiana, a cooperative serving 38,000 members and a staff of 130 employees.

Beauregard has a strong commitment to safety and was recognized as the safest cooperative in nation, experiencing eight years—2 million hours—without a lost time accident. Bill also served as chief financial officer for Kauai Island Utility Cooperative in Hawaii during its start-up as a cooperative utility, and was chief financial officer for Volunteer Electric Cooperative in Tennessee, where he was a key member of the management team for the first RUS borrower in the nation.

BACKGROUND
A native of Wisconsin, Bill has a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He and his wife, Lisa, are the busy parents of a four-year-old daughter. They live in Luck, Wisconsin.

Bill leads Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative with integrity, accountability, innovation and a commitment to community.

June 2, 2011

Training Offered to Help Wisconsin Businesses with Government Contracting  :: Download Flyer

Is your business aware of all the opportunities that Wisconsin government procurement has to offer?

Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College is hosting a seminar to help area businesses learn how to compete effectively for contracts, and to sell their products/services to the State and federal governments, at a training seminar to be held on July 12th. The training session will be conducted by the Business Procurement Assistance Center (BPAC) of Madison College.

“Getting Started in Federal Contracting” will be held in the morning from 9:00-11:30 am on July 12th. This entry-level seminar provides a solid orientation to the federal contracting environment for those new to the market.
Attendees will learn how to register with the federal government, identify which agencies buy your products and/or services and how to locate agency websites for marketing opportunities.

“Selling to the State of Wisconsin” will be held in the afternoon from 1:00 – 3:30 pm on July 12th. This comprehensive seminar provides a foundation for contracting with the State of Wisconsin government. By attending this seminar you will learn how the State procures the products and services it needs, which agencies buy what items/services and will learn how to use VendorNet, the State of Wisconsin’s electronic purchasing information system.

The training session will be offered at the New Richmond Campus of Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College, 1019 Knowles Avenue, New Richmond.

The fee for this seminar is $35.00 per person.
Registration is required.
Visit the web at madisoncollege.org/bpac-wi for online registration and additional information.
Interested parties may also contact the Business Procurement Assistance Center at (608) 243-4490 or by e-mail at
bpacevents@madisoncollege.org.

About the Business Procurement Assistance Center

BPAC, established by Madison Area Technical College in 1988, provides technical and marketing assistance to Wisconsin businesses. In fiscal year 2009/2010, BPAC assisted nearly 1,100 Wisconsin businesses win a total of $501 million in contract awards. For every $1 of the BPAC operating budget, $474 is returned to Wisconsin businesses through contract awards.

Balsam Lake –Sew Creative and Basically Balsam were recognized by the Polk County Economic Development Corporation for their contribution to economic and community development in Polk County.  The Award was presented by Steve Healy; Executive Director of Polk county Economic Development Corporation and Trudy Popenhagen, Board President, during PCEDC’s Business Awards Night at the Amery Golf Club Tuesday May 10th, Caroline and Steve Rediske owners of Sew Creative and Basically Balsam accepted the award.

Caroline Rediske had long desired to be a business owner.  In July of 1995 – she created a home-based custom embroidery business with the dream of someday having a “real store”.   Caroline’s dream was fulfilled in April of 2009 with the opening of Basically Balsam on Main Street Balsam Lake.  Steve Rediske retired from Xcel Energy and was about to change careers.  They bought the original bank building in Balsam Lake and started the daunting task of renovating it into a shopping attraction.   Their local contractor (Nelson Construction) felt the Rediske’s were the true visionaries taking the lead on designing a store that fit into the area.   The end result was more than the Rediskes ever imagined.

Steve and Caroline Rediske have been helping their clients deliver their messages and promote their brands through the vehicle of logoed products and apparel.  They provide a full range of promotional solutions through there capabilities of in house embroidery production and digitizing, screen-printing options, and DTG (Direct to the Garment) printing.  With an endless sea of suppliers and products, their job is to guide the customer to the most effective and impact solution, and then, make it happen.   Sew Creative is still home based…”truth have it I need the home-based environment for my creativity.  Basically Balsam- with my husband Steve at the helm… is busting into the spring and summer with the best merchandise a local tourist store can provide” said Caroline.

For more information about economic development in Polk County Contact Polk County Economic Development Corporation, 715-405-7655, info@polkcountyedc.com–From Polk County EDC.

Amery –Bremer Bank was recognized by the Polk County Economic Development Corporation for its contributions to economic and community development in Polk County.  The Award was presented by Steve Healy; Executive Director of Polk county Economic Development Corporation and Trudy Popenhagen, Board President, during PCEDC’s Business Awards Night at the Amery Golf Club Tuesday May 10th, Dan Draxler, President/CEO accepted the award on behalf of Bremer Bank.

Bremer Financial Corporation is a privately-held regional financial services company jointly owned by the Otto Bremer Foundation and Bremer employees.  Founded in 1943 by Otto Bremer, the company provides a comprehensive range of banking, investment, trust and insurance products and services throughout Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.

The Otto Bremer Foundation uses its share of the bank dividends to distribute charitable grants to Bremer Bank Communities.  In the past three years grants have averaged over $25 million annually.

Assets of Bremer Financial Corporation now total $8 billion and total branch locations exceed 100 in the three states.

The Wisconsin Charter has 15 offices in Northwest Wisconsin with total assets of $650 million.  Polk County locations include Frederic and Amery.  Bremer’s vision is to build healthy communities through partnerships, to enact this vision, Bremer employees strive to deliver exceptional value by providing individualized solutions to their client’s total financial services needs.

For more information about economic development in Polk County Contact Polk County Economic Development Corporation, 715-405-7655, info@polkcountyedc.com–From Polk County EDC.