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 | Apr 30, 2019 | News
Ashley and Dan Wegmueller were the recipients of the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award for their business, the Dairy at the Wegmueller Farm. He is shown with GCDC Executive Director Cara Carper.
Tim Hayes and Todd Prien, co-owners of Monroe Powersports, was named Green County Development Corporation’s Outstanding Business of the Year. They are pictured with GCDC Executive Director Cara Carper.
The Richard B. Schmied Leadership Award went to Brodhead Mayor Doug Pinnow. He is shown with GCDC Executive Director Cara Carper.
GCDC Executive Director Cara Carper earned an award for her contributions to the success of the Small Business Development Center. Presenting the Award is Neil Lerner, SBDC associate state director.
MONROE – The Green County Development Corporation honored an outstanding local business, a visionary young couple and an exemplary leader at its Annual Meeting and Recognition Dinner on Wednesday, April 24.
The winner of the Outstanding Business of the Year was Monroe Powersports. The award honors existing businesses that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the county’s economic growth through innovation, job creation, new investment, and/or extraordinary long-time interest in supporting others in business.
Quality products and service that keeps customers coming back – and strategic growth to meet customers’ needs – have been the keys to Monroe Powersports’ success. More than 20 years ago, Tim Hayes and Todd Prien purchased Monroe Powersports on County N. They built their current building at 2820 County DR and have gone through numerous expansions of staff and additions for storage and a service building. They are now completing their latest building. In the every-changing business of ATVs/UTVs and snowmobiles, Monroe Powersports continues to adapt and grow. As Joe Klein of the Bank of New Glarus and Sugar River Branches said in nominating Monroe Powersports, the business has “an excellent reputation for their service department, and people come from around the area and well in to Illinois. They are exactly what the area needs and have been growing since the day they bought the business.”
Dan and Ashley Wegmueller were named recipients of the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award for The Dairy at the Wegmueller Farm, a “farmstay” destination on their 50-head Brown Swiss dairy farm just outside Monroe. 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.
Like so many other farmers, the Wegmuellers were confronted with the growing crisis in the dairy industry. The Wegmuellers found a unique solution: After the unexpected death of Dan’s parents, they turned the family home into a farmstay destination, giving guests an opportunity to interact and take in the day-to-day activities of a working dairy farm. Opening last September, the Wegmuellers have already hosted guests from as far away as Rwanda and Great Britain. The Wegmuellers also help promote others in the community by providing their guests with a Welcome Basket of local products. In nominating the couple, Lisa Kivirist of the Inn Serendipity and Soil Sisters said the Wegmuellers “authentically demonstrate the positive, forward-thinking visionary mindset that brings not only success to their business but stimulates economic opportunity for all of Green County.”
Doug Pinnow, mayor of Brodhead, is the winner of this year’s Richard B. Schmied Leadership Award. The award commemorates Richard B. Schmied, remembered for the characteristics of leadership he exhibited. The winner of the award exemplifies the character of a true leader.
Pinnow, a life-long resident of Brodhead, has always supported and has spent countless hours devoted to helping his community. After graduating from Brodhead High School, he earned a degree in Pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin. He then owned and operated Pinnow Pharmacy, a mainstay of Brodhead’s downtown business district, for many years before retiring. He has served on the Brodhead school board for 12 years; was on the city council for seven years; and has served as mayor since 2004. In addition, he’s been a member of Brodhead’s Chamber of Commerce, BID Board, Lions and Optimist Clubs and served his church – all of which he has served in a leadership role, wrote John Bernstein of the GCDC Board of Directors in nominating Pinnow. He’s a familiar face at community events – participating and working at events and functions. Brodhead is a better community because of Pinnow.
Cara Carper, GCDC executive director, was also honored during the event. Neil Lerner, associate director of the state Small Business Development Center, presented Carper with a Friend of the Wisconsin SBDC award for her contributions to the success of SBDC services in Green County and the Prosperity Southwest region.
As part of GCDC’s annual dinner event, UW students and staff presented brief summaries of their UniverCity Year projects. The UniverCity Year program is a partnership in which UW faculty and students use research and state-of-the-art technology to help local communities solve pressing problems. In Green County, UniverCity projects covered a wide gamut, ranging from public health to sustainable energy to use of public spaces. More information about the UniverCity Year program in Green County is available online at https://univercity.wisc.edu/greencounty/.
GCDC, a multi-jurisdictional economic development corporation, was formed to bring professional economic development expertise to its member communities to create a competitive advantage to spur job creation and new investments. The organization is building the economic future of Green County communities and businesses through public-private partnerships. For more information, visit GCDC at online at www.greencountyedc.com.
by GCDC | Oct 30, 2018 | News
MONROE – Do you own a food, beverage or value-added farm business that’s poised for growth but needs some help getting to the next level? Is your business struggling to turn a profit – you know things need to change, but you’re just not sure how to do it?
Green County Development Corporation is hosting an intensive, four-day Boot Camp for owners of food, beverage or value-added farm businesses this winter. Tera Johnson, founder and director of the Food and Finance Institute at the University of Wisconsin, will lead participants through morning training sessions, then along with other consultants, work one-on-one with participants to help fix problems and move forward to implement solutions.
The boot camp is specifically designed to focus on the strategic and detailed financial side of business. It helps participants focus on areas that frequently get set aside, and walks them through each step with individual coaching. By participating in the boot camp, food business owners can expect:
- A clear, realistic business model path that they can articulate to anyone
- Financial systems and reports that stand up to bank and investor scrutiny
- A credible business plan with realistic assumptions for future growth
- A digital financial package that can be shared with stakeholders to support fundraising
The program includes four full-day sessions. All sessions will be held at the Enterprise Center at the north end of Blackhawk Technical College Monroe Campus.
Sessions are:
- Tuesday, Jan. 15 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Wednesday, Jan. 16 – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Tuesday, Feb. 19 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Wednesday, Feb. 20 – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Johnson draws on personal experience in helping small business owners. She founded TerasWhey a decade ago when she had an idea to reclaim some of the organic whey she saw being mixed in with nonorganic whey for animal feed and process it into powdered protein supplements for human consumption. In 2008, she built a “green” plant in Reedsburg to process the organic whey. In 2010, TerasWhey was named the Innovator of the Year by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. By 2013, TerasWhey was such a success, Johnson sold it for $26 million.
Johnson is also host of the Edible-Alpha podcast which discusses a variety of topics relevant to food and beverage entrepreneurs.
Apply Today
The cost for the four Boot Camp sessions, including lunch, snacks and all materials, as well as one-on-one feedback from Johnson, is $750. A second person from a business may attend the class for no additional charge.
Class size is limited, and interested entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply to the program as soon as possible. Call Green County Development Corporation for more information at 608.328.9452 or email gcdc@tds.net.
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Click here to read more about the Boot Camp program or
see Johnson in a video clip discuss Boot Camp.
by GCDC | Jan 26, 2018 | News
The Mid-America Economic Development Council presented its annual Economic Development awards at the 2017 Mid-America Competitiveness Conference & Site Selector Forum, held December 3-5 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Chicago.
Green County Development Corporation was selected as a finalist for the 2017 Small Division Annual Report Award and the winner of the category was Madison Region Economic Development Guide & Annual Report, Madison WI.
The Annual Report category represents a regularly published document that addresses economic development issues and/or informs readers of an organization’s activities.
The Mid-America Economic Development Council is a multi-state association dedicated to being the leading resource for education, making connections, and sharing best practices for economic development professionals.
