by GCDC | Mar 16, 2020 | News
Green County Development Corporation
Board of Directors
Effective Jan. 1, 2020
Nikki Matley – GCDC President
Thrivent Financial
902 17th Avenue
Monroe, WI 53566
Phone: 608.325.8100
Email: [email protected]
At Large Rep.
Matt Urban – GCDC Past President
Blackhawk Technical College – Monroe Campus
204 4th Avenue
Monroe, WI 53566
Phone: 608.329.8202
Email: [email protected]
At Large Rep.
Joe Hunter – GCDC Vice President
VP of Operations and Human Resources, Colony Brands, Inc.
1112 7th Avenue
Monroe, WI 53566
Phone: 608.328.8404
Email: [email protected]
Corporate Investor
Richard Thoman – GCDC Treasurer
County Board Supervisor/Owner, AmericInn
419 4th Avenue
Monroe, WI 53566
Phone: 608.293.6870
Email: [email protected]
Green County Rep.
Mike Sanders – GCDC Secretary
CEO, Monroe Clinic (retired)
515 22nd Ave
Monroe, WI 53566
Phone: 608.324.1263
Email: [email protected]
Corporate Investor
John Bernstein
City of Brodhead
707 9th Street
Brodhead, WI 53520
Phone: 608-897-8131
Email: [email protected]
Brodhead Rep.
Michael Boyce
Alderperson, City of Monroe
1110 18th Avenue
Monroe, WI 53566
Phone: 414.303.3322
Email: [email protected]
Monroe Rep.
Luke Buholzer
VP of Sales, Klondike Cheese Company
W7839 WI-81
Monroe, WI 53566
Phone: 608.325.3021
Email: [email protected]
Corporate Investor
Drake Daily
Administrator, Village of New Glarus
319 2nd Street
New Glarus, WI 53574
Phone: 608.527.5971
Email: [email protected]
New Glarus Rep.
Jesse Duff
Project Engineer, Fehr Graham-Engineering & Environmental
1107 16th Avenue
Monroe, WI 53566
Phone: 608.329.6400
Email: [email protected]
Corporate Investor
Craig Fuchs
Controller, Orchid Monroe
350 21st Street
Monroe, WI 53566
Phone: 608.329.3416
Email: [email protected]
Corporate Investor
April Fuhr
Monticello, WI 53570
Phone: 608.558.0367
Email: [email protected]
Monticello Rep.
Erik Huschitt
CEO & GM, Badger State Ethanol
820 W. 17th Street
Monroe, WI 53566
Phone: 608.325.9015
Email: [email protected]
Corporate Investor
Linda Kuhlman
Administrator, Village of Brooklyn
210 Commercial Street
Brooklyn, WI 53521
Phone: 608.455.4201, ext. 2
Email: [email protected]
Brooklyn Rep.
Beth Luchsinger
County Board Supervisor
318 9th Ave
New Glarus, WI 53574
Phone: 608.527.2089
Email: [email protected]
Green County Rep.
John McNeil
Operational Sales Director, Big Radio
W4765 Radio Lane
Monroe, WI 53566
Phone: 608.325.2161 or 608.325.2191
Email: [email protected]
Corporate Investor
David Mosher
Mosher & associates
1118 17th Avenue, PO Box 707
Monroe, WI 53566
Phone: 608.325-2111
Email: [email protected]
At Large Rep.
Tom Ninneman
President & CEO, Monroe Truck Equipment
1051 W 7th Street
Monroe, WI 53566
Phone: 608.329.8183
Email: [email protected]
Corporate Investor
Mike Olson
President & CEO, Bank of Brodhead
806 E. Exchange Street
Brodhead, WI 53520
Phone: 608.897.2121
Email: [email protected]
Corporate Investor
Dr. Tracy Pierner
President, Blackhawk Technical College
6004 S. County Road G
Janesville, WI 53566
Phone: 608.757.7772
Email: [email protected]
At Large Rep.
Joan Rufenacht
County Board Supervisor
923 4th Street
Monroe, WI 53566
Phone: 608.325.9455
Email: [email protected]
Green County Rep.
Ron Schaaf
President & CEO, Bank of New Glarus and Sugar River Bank Branches
501 1st Street PO Box 129
New Glarus, WI 53574
Phone: 608.424.2096
Email: [email protected]
Corporate Investor
Doug Sutter
Co-owner, Keller, Inc.
711 Lois Drive
Sun Prairie, WI 53590
Phone: 608.455.2563
Email: [email protected]
At Large Rep.
Brian Wilson
Administrator, Village of Belleville
24 W. Main Street
Belleville, WI 53508
Phone: (608) 424-3341
Email: [email protected]
Belleville Rep.
by GCDC | Mar 6, 2020 | News
MONROE – Green County Development Corporation (GCDC) announced its annual business and leadership award-winners during its Annual Meeting and Recognition Dinner on Tuesday, Feb. 25 in Monroe.
Winners were Outstanding Business, The Morning Mug in Monticello, owned by Tracy Bartels; Entrepreneurial Spirit, Chris and Ryan Wild, owners of Badger State Cold Storage in Monroe; and Mike Sanders, who recently retired after being CEO and president of Monroe Clinic for 18 years.
Outstanding Business
Tracy Bartels, owner of The Morning Mug, is shown with GCDC Executive Director Cara Carper.
The Outstanding Business of the Year honors a business that has demonstrated exemplary commitment to Green County’s economic growth. This business will have made a significant improvement to strengthen its market position or will have overcome an obstacle affecting the company’s ability to grow. The winner was The Morning Mug, owned by Tracy Bartels.
In the few years that The Morning Mug has been in business, it’s quickly established itself as a thriving community gathering spot in Monticello, GCDC Executive Director Cara Carper said.
“Morning Mug is a fresh, clean, and inviting business with great food, located in the center of downtown Monticello. You walk in the front door and all the stresses of your outdoor life are left behind you. It is a wonderfully friendly environment,” Monticello resident Susan Sinnett said in nominating the business. Sinnett believes so much in what The Morning Mug has brought to Monticello that she nominated the business in both the Outstanding Business and Entrepreneurial Spirit categories.
“It certainly is here for the community and beyond as we have seen with the Green County Piano Teachers holding their annual event in Monticello after no longer having Walmart or Shopko available to them in Monroe. The Morning Mug gets an Excellent Rating in my book.”
Monticello village trustee John Teasdale also nominated The Morning Mug for Outstanding Business. His concise nomination echoed Sinnett’s comments: “Excellent food and coffee, great atmosphere, very friendly.”
Entrepreneurial Spirit
Badger State Cold Storage owners Ryan Wild and Chris Schindler are shown with GCDC Executive Director Cara Carper.
The Entrepreneurial Spirit Award honors an entrepreneur with a hunger for opportunity, a growth mindset, a willingness to learn, a willingness to find solutions to challenges and problems, and a strong work ethic. Earning the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award were Chris Schindler and Ryan Wild of Badger State Cold Storage.
Like all successful entrepreneurs, winners of the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, Chris Schindler and Ryan Wild, saw a need and helped fulfil it, Carper said. In this case, the two recognized the need for a cold/freezer storage facility in the community – and the result was Badger State Cold Storage.
“Green County and its surrounding counties have a significant impact on the agricultural industry in our state. This storage facility has attracted cheese, butter, meat processors, and other manufacturers with its location in Monroe,” Woodford State Bank said in nominating Badger State Cold Storage. Badger State Cold Storage is 68,000 square feet and can hold 10,248 pallets, which translates to about 520 semi-loads of product. It includes state-of-the-art inventory tracking. From start to finish, the project took approximately 18 months to complete.
“There is a common vested interest in this business between local investors, local financing, and local suppliers.” “This project has fulfilled an essential need in our community. The owners have shown substantial determination and drive to take this business to the next level,” Woodford State Bank said.
Leadership Award
The Richard B. Schmied Leadership Award, which honors an individual who exemplifies the character of a true leader: Mike Sanders was named the winner.
Mike Sanders
“Those of us who have had the pleasure to work with Mike Sanders know he is a true leader,” Carper said. “Ron Spielman was able to distill what makes Mike a truly great leader down into four strengths and I’d like to share a few of his thoughts.”
The first of these four strengths that Mike Sanders exhibits is Leadership by Example: “Mike greets virtually everyone by first name, in a manner that speaks of collaboration, not direction. Mike freely shares recognition. He makes time to be visible when and where our leader needs to be seen,” Spielman said.
The second strength is Empowerment: He encourages “members of the team to be responsible, to take ownership, to be proud of their accomplishments. Mike creates expectations, but doesn’t micromanage the process and he allows to quietly learn from some of our mistakes,” Spielman said. He lifts people up, and practices kindness towards others.
Then there’s culture: “Mike’s guidance helped build a strong culture of caring … for our patients, for the communities we serve, and for each other has evolved and is evidenced by strong patient satisfaction as well as employee satisfaction and retention,” Spielman said.
Finally, Sanders is a true Community Servant: “Mike is not just a joiner,” Spielman said. “Organizations like United Way, Monroe Main Street, GCDC, Kiwanis, Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin and Fowler Dental have benefitted from Mike’s personal mentoring and leadership. Our community and region has benefited because Mike became involved and demonstrated to other how they too can be community servants.”
Rick Dickinson
Keynote speaker for the Annual Meeting was Rick Dickinson, President and CEO of Greater Dubuque Development Corporation.
by GCDC | Jan 30, 2020 | Events
Tickets On Sale Now; Award Nominations Accepted Until Feb. 5
MONROE – What does economic development really look like? Why is it so important to our communities? How can it transform these places we call home?
The Green County Development Corporation (GCDC) will consider these questions at its Annual Dinner and Recognition Meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Keynote speaker Rick Dickinson, president and CEO of Greater Dubuque Development Corporation, will share insights gained from Dubuque to help understand the issues better. Although Dubuque faced a host of challenges in previous decades, by transforming its leadership and approach to development, the city has turned itself around. Today, residents enjoy the benefits of a robust business climate and a beautifully redeveloped river district. Dickinson’s presentation promises to be relevant and enlightening for Green County elected officials, and community and business leaders.
GCDC’s Annual Meeting and Recognition Dinner is open to the public. Tickets are now available and cost $40 each; tables of eight are available. The dinner, held at Turner Hall in Monroe, begins with a social hour at 4:30 p.m. Dinner is at 6 p.m., followed by presentation of awards and the keynote speaker.
Tickets can be ordered online through a link on the GCDC website at greencountyedc.com. (A service fee applies for online orders.) To be invoiced for tickets, contact [email protected] or call the GCDC office at 608.328.9452.
GCDC is also accepting nominations for its annual awards to be presented during the event. These awards are:
- The Outstanding Business of the Year, which honors a business that has demonstrated exemplary commitment to Green County’s economic growth. This business will have made a significant improvement to strengthen its market position or will have overcome an obstacle affecting the company’s ability to grow.
- The Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, which honors an entrepreneur with a hunger for opportunity, a growth mindset, a willingness to learn, a willingness to find solutions to challenges and problems, and a strong work ethic.
- The Richard B. Schmied Leadership Award, which honors an individual who exemplifies the character of a true leader.
Any individual, group or business may nominate a business or leader, and businesses and individuals may nominate themselves. Businesses and individuals from throughout Green County are eligible.
To nominate a business or individual, visit greencountyedc.com and look for the link for a fillable form under the News & Events tab. A list of past winners is also available there. More information and assistance is available by emailing [email protected] or calling 608.328.9452. Nominations are due Wednesday, Feb. 5.
by GCDC | Dec 11, 2019 | News
MONROE – The Green County Development Corporation is now accepting nominations for special awards to be presented during its Annual Meeting and Recognition Dinner, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 25 at Turner Hall in Monroe. These awards are:
- The Outstanding Business of the Year, which honors a business that has demonstrated exemplary commitment to Green County’s economic growth. This business will have made a significant improvement to strengthen its market position or have overcome an obstacle affecting the company’s ability to grow.
- The Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, which honors an entrepreneur with a hunger for opportunity, a growth mindset, a willingness to learn, a willingness to find solutions to challenges and problems, and a strong work ethic.
- The Richard B. Schmied Leadership Award, which honors an individual who exemplifies the character of a true leader.
Any individual, group or business may nominate a business or leader, and businesses and individuals may nominate themselves. Businesses and individuals from throughout Green County are eligible. To nominate a business or individual, visit greencountyedc.com and look for the link for a fillable form online under the News & Events tab. More information and assistance is available by emailing [email protected] or calling 608.328.9452. Nominations are due Wednesday, Feb. 5.
TO NOMINATE A BUSINESS OR INDIVIDUAL:
Click here to access the nomination form
The form is fillable; you can fill it out on your computer screen, save it and return it to [email protected], or you can print it out, write your answers and return to GCDC, 1016 167th Ave., Monroe, WI 53566.
PAST BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP AWARD-WINNERS:
Click here to see past award winners
by GCDC | Oct 29, 2019 | Programs
Do you have a startup or new business (in business 5 years or less) that could use gap financing to grow? Green County Development Corporation can help you achieve your financing goals!
GCDC’s Growth Opportunity Fund loans of up to $100,000 per business are available for high growth startups and emerging growth companies such as advanced manufacturing, agriculture or food processing, information systems or software, medical devices, biosciences and energy.
There is no job creation requirement to be eligible. Financed activities must be located within Green County or within a municipality partially located in Green County. As businesses pay back their loans and interest, that funding will be used to make loans to more businesses (a revolving loan fund).
Interest Rates and Eligible Activities
The rate may be fixed or graduated on a fixed schedule, but the interest rate will never be more than 2 percent above the Wall Street Journal prime rate at the time the loan is issued.
Eligible activities for loan monies include: acquisition of land, buildings, and fixed assets; site preparation and the construction or reconstruction of buildings or the installation of fixed equipment; clearance, demolition, or removal of structures or the rehabilitation of buildings and other improvements; payment of assessments for sewer, water, street, and other public utilities if the provision of the facilities will directly create or retain jobs; and working capital (inventory and direct labor costs only).
Apply Now!
First, contact our local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) business counselors at [email protected] to figure out how much money you need and discuss funding sources. Then we can help you work with your local lender to determine how much funding you can obtain in the private market and the amount still needed to start or grow your business (the gap). Your local SBDC business counselor will help you complete your application for the gap funding you need. Applications are then submitted to the Growth Opportunity Fund Committee for review.
Applications may be submitted at any time and will be processed in the order received. For more information, contact GCDC at (608)328-9452 or [email protected].
