Chamber Fall Business Seminar - Internet Marketing & Search Engine Optimization

Plan to attend the Sun Prairie Chamber of Commerce's Oct. 9 presentation, Internet Marketing and Web Site Search Engine Optimization. The session will be facilitated by Kent Orfan of e-Media Resources. Learn about:

• Current trends in internet marketing
• What is SEO and how do search engines work
• Building a search engine friendly website
• Creating keyword phrases
• Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising programs
• Should you hire an SEO firm or should you do it yourself
• Creating an SEO strategy for your website.

Presenter: Kent Orfan, e-Media Resources
Date: Oct 9, 2008 (Registration deadline is Oct. 7, 2008)
Time: 7:30 am - 9:00 am
Address: Sun Prairie Water & Light, 125 W Main St., Sun Prairie, WI 53590 (Map It)
Cost: $3.00 Chamber Members $10 non-Members
Contact: Chamber Staff
Phone: 608.837.4547
Email: spchamber@verizon.net

Jennings and Woldt a Top 500 Remodeling Firm (Sun Prairie Today)

Sun Prairie's Jennings & Woldt Remodeling, Inc. has been named to the 2008 Top 500 list of remodeling firms by Qualified Remodeler Magazine. The annual listing is published to recognize remodeling firms for six criteria: annual sales volume for the previous year; total number of years in business; association membership; certified employees on staff; industry awards and community service. Founded in 1997, Jennings & Woldt is the only full-service remodeling company in Dane County. It is ranked No. 6 in Wisconsin on the Qualified Remodeler list.

Congratulations to Jennings & Woldt for earning this honor.

Click here for the article in Sun Prairie Today.

East Side to Get City's Second Copps Grocery Store (Sun Prairie Star)

Finalizing months of negotiations, members of the Sun Prairie City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 16 approved two documents that will clear the way for construction of a new 61,000 square foot Copps Food Center store on the current county garage property at the corner of Highway N and West Main Street.

Click here to read the full article in the Sun Prairie Star.

UPDATE: Proposed store goes to plan commission on Oct. 14th. (Sun Prairie Star)

UPDATE: Council Gives Final Approval to East Side Copps (Sun Prairie Star)

Dane County CDBG Commission Seeks Input on Housing, Public Facilities and Economic Development (Sun Prairie Today, Sun Prairie Star)

Dane County officials want to hear Sun Prairie residents' thoughts regarding housing, public facilities and economic development needs. A public hearing on these matters is scheduled for Sept. 25 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 300 E. Main St. This input will be used by the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Commission in forming its Consolidated Plan for the next five years. Any grant money the county receives for this program must be spent outside of the City of Madison.

Click here to read the full article at the Sun Prairie Today website.

Click here for additional information on CDBG and HOME programs.

Click here to review the 2004-2008 Consolidated Plan for Dane County.

Click here to read the full article in the Sun Prairie Star.

New Media Resource Helps Monitor Impacts of the Dairy Industry on Wisconsin

How does the Wisconsin Dairy Business impact your audience?

With an annual economic contribution of $20.6 billion, dairy touches every Wisconsin resident. Visit DairyImpact.com to find out how.

This news media resource website connects you to:

• Story ideas and leads - searchable by topic or location
• The latest facts and statistics on all things dairy
• Downloadable high-resolution graphics, charts and photos
• RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed subscription
• COMING SOON – interactive video and audio
• Multi-Media Center

Need something that you aren't finding on the site? Call WMMB's Producer Communications unit at 800.373.9662, or send your question or request through "Contact Us" on the site info@dairyimpact.com.

STAG Capital Partners Acquires 427,000 SF in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin (Boston Real Estate News)

BOSTON, MA—STAG Capital Partners, a real estate firm that pro-actively acquires and manages single-tenant industrial and office properties throughout the United States, announced the purchase of 427,000 square feet of industrial space in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Built in 1989 and renovated in 1993, the 427,000-square-foot property is located at 1615 Commerce Drive on a 24.7-acre site in the Sun Prairie Business Park within the Dane East Industrial sub-market of Madison, Wisconsin. The building, with 360 parking spaces and 21 dock doors, is fully leased to Famous Footwear, the largest segment of Brown Shoe Company, a distributor and retailer of branded, licensed, and private-label casual, athletic, and dress footwear products to women, children, and men in the United States, Canada, China, and internationally.

Click here to read the full news release in Boston Real Estate News.

Job Center of Wisconsin Website Open for Business (Capital Times - madison.com)

Job seekers and job providers have a better way to get connected today thanks to JobCenterOfWisconsin.com.

The new Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Web site launched Monday, replacing the old JobNet system.

The site allows job seekers to keep their resumes confidential or available for search by employers, allows employers to search for skilled employees using key search terms and lists a toll-free phone number connected to Job Center staff.

"The new Job Center of Wisconsin is for everyone, whether you have years of job experience or are just starting out," said DWD Secretary Roberta Gassman. "Our goal is to help all workers find the best available job and to help employers easily locate the employees they need to grow their businesses."

Originally posted in the Capital Times at madison.com.

Richard Renk to be Honored at UW CALS Banquet Oct. 23rd

The 2008 University of Wisconsin College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Honorary Recognition and Distinguished Service Awards will be presented Oct. 23 at a Recognition Banquet held in the Memorial Union Great Hall, with a reception to meet past and current honorees at 6:30 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m.

Award winners for 2008 include Richard Renk of Sun Prairie. Richard is a graduate of the Meat and Animal Science Department at U.W.-Madison and has worked for the Renk Seed Company since 1961, holding most of the executive posts and currently serves as Chairman of the Board.

Questions regarding this event can be directed the CALS Conference Office at conference@cals.wisc.edu.

Congratulations to Richard Renk for earning this honor.

Click here to view the full news article on the CALS News Blog.

Sun Prairie Efforts Included in Business Watch Magazine's Economic Development Issue

I was fortunate enough to have the chance to talk a little bit about the City of Sun Prairie's partnerships with the private sector in this month's edition of Business Watch Magazine. Click here to read this month's issue (check out pages 8 and 9).

Here are the introductory comments from the editor:

The features in this month’s issue of BusinessWatch are all about economic development. It seems like such an ubiquitous term, yet it is fundamental to the success of communities and individual businesses; we can’t have one without the other.

On the cover we feature Stephan Spencer of Netconcepts. Spencer and Netconcepts are industry leaders on SEO (search engine optimization, in the rare event you haven’t heard the term), and Spencer shares some great insight not only into SEO, but the World Wide Web, also. And Google. Because what’s the Web without Google? (I guess I’m showing my search engine favoritism there. Let’s not get started on browsers though. Or operating systems.)

We have plenty of other wonderful stories and information in this issue, too, including strides local organizations are taking to beef up the number of women in IT and a piece on the importance of job-site recycling. Read on, read often and share your issue with a colleague or co-worker.

Amanda Wegner
Editor, Business Watch Magazine

Click here to view the September 2008 Issue.

"Fest-ive" Saturday in Sun Prairie (Sun Prairie Star)

If you're bored in Sun Prairie this Saturday...its going to be your own fault.

Sun Prairie Blues Fest -Angell Park

Gates Open 11:00 AM

Cliff Fredricksen Noon to 1:00 PM

Laura England & the Mud Angels 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM

Bobby Bryan & the Uptown Allstars 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Bobby Evans & the Alimony Blues Band 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM

Rev Raven & the Chain Smoking Altar Boys 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM

Paul Cebar 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM

Click here for a great review of the event and bands from the Wisconsin State Journal.

Downtown Artfest - 100 and 200 Block of Downtown Main Street

Sponsored by the Sun Prairie Business Improvement District. Artists from Wisconsin and the mid-west will display and sell their creations. We're closing the 100 and 200 blocks of East Main Street for this event! Fun, food and family entertainment!
10 AM to 4 PM

Sacred Hearts Fall Festival and Holy Cow Run -Sacred Hearts Catholic Church, 221 Columbus Street, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin (Saturday and Sunday)

Saturday’s Schedule:

• 7-7:45 10th Annual Holy Cow 5k run/2 mile walk.
• Festival grounds open at 11 a.m. and the fun begins!
• The Banana Lady is here with some balloon twisting, face painting fun from noon-2 p.m.
• Kids Games Food Court Beer Tent
• Bingo from 6-10 p.m.
• The Sparetime Bluegrass Band from 6-8 p.m. winners of two Madison Area Music Awards for best country/bluegrass artist in 2007 and best country/bluegrass album in 2008.
• The Kristi B Band, back by popular demand, from 8 – midnight.
• Don’t miss our Paddle Wheel Game from 8 p.m. until the prizes are gone! Spa Treatment, Golf Packages, Restaurant gift certificates and gas cards are just a few of the prizes we’ll have on hand.

Sunday's Events

• Polka Mass with the Polka Mass-ters at 11 a.m. They’ll hang around and entertain on the grounds from 1:30 to 3:30.
• Honey the Clown will be here at noon to entertain the kids and the Sound Consensus Barbershop will entertain in the church from 12:30 to 2:30.
• Turkey and Ham dinner, catered by Edith’s of Beaver Dam, will be served in the air conditioned Gathering Room from 11:00 to 4:00 p.m. NEW THIS YEAR! Our carry-outs will be served from the school cafeteria, buy your tickets and pick up your food all in the same place. Walk in or drive up!
• More Bingo from noon- 5 p.m.
• Raffle Drawings begin at 3 p.m. with the St. Anns’/CCW Drawing followed by the Childrens Chance drawing at 4 p.m. and winds up with the FESTIVAL RAFFLE DRAWING AT 5 p.m. (need not be present to win)

Click here for the article in the Sun Prairie Star.