Trudy Popenhagen is one of the original members of the Polk County Economic Development Corporation (PCEDC) since its incorporation in 2004. She is the current president on the PCEDC board of directors.

For the past 29 years, Popenhagen has been an employee of Xcel Energy. She serves as the community service manager working with area communities to provide them with information and advice about projects relating to electric and natural gas.She is also a member of Hudson Daybreak Rotary, The Phipps Center for the Arts and the UW-River Falls Foundation.

Popenhagen is married, has two grown children and enjoys spending time with her four grandchildren. She enjoys boating, golfing, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and reading.

The PCEDC board just went through a strategic planning session to look at where the PCEDC is currently and where they would like it to be in the future. Popenhagen says it  also provided an opportunity to take a look at primary goals and how to achieve them.

Popenhagen hopes that businesses in Polk County will take advantage of the resources that the PCEDC has to offer and encourages any business to contact a member of the board if they have questions.

Schaffer Manufacturing, located in Milltown, Wis., specializes in metal fabrication. The company was established in 1993 in Luck, Wis. with a passion for customer service and state of the art manufacturing. Today, Schaffer Manufacturing has grown to be one of the most reputable metal fabricators in the country.

“At Schaffer Manufacturing we go above and beyond the expectations of the customer,” says Steve Schaffer, sales associate for Schaffer Manufacturing. “We are always striving to add as much value as possible to the customer, not just make parts. Whether it’s engineering support, recommending design changes, making prototypes, reverse engineering or working with our customers’ engineers to figure out the best way to manufacture something, we are always doing our best to go out of our way to make sure that they are getting the best possible product for the best price.”

Because of their diversified capabilities, Schaffer Manufacturing works with reputable global companies in several key industries including mining, construction, agriculture, information technology, quality testing equipment, snow removal equipment, ballistic targets, recycling equipment and dredging barges.

At Schaffer Manufacturing, their top priority is customer service and quality. The three main components of manufacturing, Schaffer says, are price, lead-time, and quality. When all three are equally exercised, it creates the ultimate customer experience.

“Any manufacturer can provide cost-effective services, but quality will always remain our top priority,” says Schaffer.  “That is the Schaffer way.”

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

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.

On Tuesday evening, May 18, 2010, the Polk County Economic Development Corporation hosted their Annual Banquet At the Dalles House Restaurant and Lounge in St. Croix Falls. NEI Electric, WESTconsin Credit Union, and the Village of Balsam Lake were recognized for their continued support and participation in the Polk County EDC.