Out of the Shadow (NBC 15 Coverage of Sun Prairie Growth)

NBC 15's Chris Pabst did a nice piece on growth in Sun Prairie--both on their website and in a TV news spot. NBC 15 was on hand to cover the ground breaking for the new St. Mary's ER facility being built at the intersection of US 151 and Reiner Road.

Click here to view the story and the video coverage on NBC 15's website.

General Casualty and QBE's Growth Plans Featured Wisconsin State Journal (Sunday August 24th)

QBE, which bought General Casualty and related companies for $1.16 billion early last year, has big plans for the Sun Prairie campus, which is slated to become one of two QBE data centers worldwide. The parent company is consolidating operations around the country and moving jobs to Sun Prairie in support areas that include information technology, finance, human resources and actuarial services.

Click here to view the "General Casualty: Flounder to Flourish" article at madison.com.

Click here to view the "General Casualty Wrote First Auto Policy in 1925" article at madison.com.

Click here to view the General Casualty website.

Click here to view the QBE website.

(Note: Thanks to Marv Balousek and the Wisconsin State Journal for a great article in Sunday's Business Section with photos.)

MATC and the UW SBDC Announce Training Calendars for Fall 2008

UW Madison Small Business Development Center (UW SBDC)

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Small Business Development Center (UW SBDC) has released their Fall 2008 program calendar. Courses are available on topics including but not limited to:

• Starting a Business Programs
• Human Resource Legal Series
• Web Strategy and Marketing Series
• Supervisory/Leadership Series
• High Performance Leadership Series
• Quickbooks Accounting Series
• People and Communication Skill Series
• Financial Management Series
• Sales Strategies
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
• Project Management

and more...

For a specific list of courses, detailed program descriptions, instructor bios, and other details click on www.uwsbdc.org.

Madison Area Technical College (MATC)

Madison Area Technical College has released its 2008-2009 offerings of employer-sponsored workshops and seminars. Courses can be customized and delivered on site at your business. Course offerings are available in several categories including but not limited to:

• Communication and Workplace Effectiveness
• Computer Training
• Computer Training and Applications
• Leadership and Supervision
• Increasing Your Sales Through Government Contracting
• Technical and Manufacturing

Print versions of the current listing of course offerings are available. You may also go to www.trainingmatrix.com/matcmadison for additional information.

Expansion of Royle Printing in Sun Prairie Will Include New Web Press (Wisconsin State Journal)

Royle Printing is expanding its building and adding a printing press in a $10 million project. The 57-year-old, family-owned, Sun Prairie printing business is adding 40,000 square feet of production space and will install a $7 million Goss Sunday 2000 web press this fall. Today, Royle has 190 employees and nearly $40 million in annual revenue. In the past few years, the company has added 30,000 square feet to its building and invested $17 million in updated presses, even before the latest web press.

Click here for the full article in the Wisconsis State Journal.

SSM Healthcare to Break Ground on Sun Prairie ER August 28th (Wisconsin State Journal, Sun Prairie Star)

SSM Healthcare will host a groundbreaking celebration on Thursday August 28th at Highway 151 and Reiner Road in Sun Prairie. The $6 million, 13,500-square-foot emergency center facility will be about half the size of St. Mary's emergency room in Madison and is scheduled to open in March of 2009. SSM last year bought 17 acres from the City of Sun Prairie for $4.2 million and said it eventually plans a "health-care campus" at the site that could include an inpatient hospital within a decade.

Click here for the article in the Wisconsin State Journal.

UPDATE: For coverage of the groundbreaking, click here to read the full article from the Sun Prairie Star.

Four Lakes Label to Break Ground in the Sun Prairie Business Park on August 21 (Sun Prairie Star)

Western States Envelope & Label will break ground on a new 36,400 square foot facility at 861 Progress Way in the Sun Prairie Business Park on Thursday, Aug. 21. The company's Four Lakes Label & Printing, currently located at 5702 Femrite Drive in Madison, will move its Madison plant and employees to Sun Prairie when the plant is complete in late February or early March, according to Eric Schmidt, the current Madison plant manager who will also manage the new Sun Prairie plant.

When examining Sun Prairie, Schmidt said the company looked at several Madison area communities, but eventually settled on the Sun Prairie Business Park for several reasons. Among them was the community's low electric rates offered by Sun Prairie Water & Light as part of Wisconsin Public Power Inc. A survey of employees determined that many of them lived in the Madison area, which meant the company should continue to look within the area for a new facility. The firm eventually settled on Sun Prairie and the Sun Prairie Business Park site on Progress Way, Schmidt said, because the 6.2 acre site will allow the plant to expand four times on the property as the company's business expands.

Click here for the full article in the Sun Prairie Star Online.

WPPI to Break Ground on Expansion Project August 20 in Business Park (Sun Prairie Star) UPDATED AUGUST 21ST

Sun Prairie-based Wisconsin Public Power Inc. (WPPI) will celebrate the start of construction for its $6.9 million addition and remodel project by hosting a groundbreaking ceremony and picnic luncheon with several speakers, including WPPI Chief Executive Officer Roy Thilly.The event will take place beginning at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 20 at WPPI's headquarters in the Sun Prairie Business Park, located at 1425 Corporate Center Drive. The Sun Prairie office and operations center will be built to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) New Construction (NC) "Gold" standards for energy efficiency and sustainability. WPPI's new building will be the first LEED-certified building of its kind in Sun Prairie, illustrating WPPI's commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

Click here to go to the WPPI Home Page.

Click here for the full article in the Sun Prairie Star Online.

UPDATE: Click here for coverage of the ground breaking event by the Star.

Sun Prairie's Madison Kipp Corporation Receives $50,000 Energy Efficiency Grant from WPPI (Corrected Press Release)

WPPI has awarded a $50,000 grant for energy efficiency projects to Madison Kipp Corporation (MKC) in the Sun Prairie Business Park. As a customer of Sun Prairie Water & Light, MKC will receive funds to replace two existing air compressors with a new high efficiency variable speed drive air compressor to regulate air pressure with reduced cost.

WPPI’s RFP for Energy Efficiency is aimed at making electric energy saving projects a worthwhile business investment for large power customers. Large commercial and industrial customers of WPPI’s member communities are invited to submit competitive proposals for cost-effective, energy saving upgrades to equipment and systems within their current facilities.

“These grants help control energy costs by reducing inefficient uses of energy,” said Jake Oelke, Assistant Vice President of Energy Services. “As interest continues to grow, more people are discovering cost-effective solutions to keep electric bills down for the long term.”

The RFP for Energy Efficiency program is designed especially for large power customers to assist in funding energy savings projects with initial investments that prevent the upgrades from being cost effective. Projects that include electric savings of 25 kilowatts or more can be submitted for rating. Energy efficiency project funding also continues to be available through WPPI’s Efficiency Improvement Incentive program, which is open to any WPPI member retail customer with a valid commercial, industrial, municipal or agricultural electric account.

WPPI anticipates awarding up to $500,000 in additional RFP for Energy Efficiency grants this year, with $250,000 in funding available for each bidding cycle. The most recent round of bidding was completed in July, and incentive grants will be awarded in August. A subsequent round of bidding will close on Nov. 7, with awards granted in December.

Click here for the original press release from WPPI.
Click here for more information on the RFP for Energy Program.
Click here to go to the Wisconsin Public Power Inc. website.
Click here to go to the Sun Prairie Water & Light website.

It's Time for the Annual Sweet Corn Festival in Sun Prairie! (Sun Prairie Chamber Press Release)

Sun Prairie, Wisconsin will host the annual Sweet Corn Festival Thursday, August 14 through Sunday, August 17, 2008 at Angell Park, near the intersection of Highway 19 and Highway N. Over 100,000 people from around the Midwest attend the event that serves over 70 tons of sweet corn during the weekend.

A parade down Main Street begins the festivities at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. The event features a family entertainment stage, which includes attractions such as Jeremy Scott-Jazz artist, Bob Kann-juggling and magic, the Monona Academy of Dance, Lou Lepore-magic and comedy, Reach for the Stars Dance Company, and much more. Children will enjoy maneuvering the Circus Train, doing the Fire Engine Slide and the Giraffe Bounce as well as playing Mini-golf. The upper grounds features the rock-climbing wall, craft fair, petting zoo, fresh corn sales, quad power jump, beer shelter and more. Live performances by The Invaders on Friday night and Bob Rocks on Saturday night will provide adult entertainment. Carnival rides, games, helicopter rides, food and vendor booths will highlight the event as well. A special carnival attraction for children are wristband nights Thursday and Friday with unlimited rides from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for $18. Wrap up Corn Fest with Midget Auto racing on Sunday evening beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Sweet Corn is available Saturday and Sunday only, August 16 and 17, from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for $6.00 per tote box or $1.50 per single ear. Admission is $1.00 and parking is $5.00 and includes admission. Corn Festival buttons may be purchased on site for $1.50 and are valid for admission the entire weekend. Visit the Sun Prairie Chamber of Commerce website for complete details at http://www.sunprairiechamber.com/. The Sweet Corn Festival is presented by General Casualty, The Star - Sun Prairie's Newspaper, and Triple M, WOLX, and Charlie FM.

Click here for more information from Sun Prairie Today.
Click here for coverage of the event at Madison.com.