Spring tech kickoff draws hundreds (Madison.com)

[The following are excerpts from the online article that appeared in Madison.com on March 28, 2014.]

Around 250 techies, entrepreneurs and their supporters partook of pizza and beverages, and shared news of their latest ventures Wednesday night at Madison’s Spring Tech Kickoff and Capital Entrepreneurs Open Social.  It was the largest event yet for Capital Entrepreneurs, founded in 2009 as a resource for budding business starters

While the new generation of tech entrepreneurs is commonly seen as recent college grads in their 20s, and while many of these startups in Madison have come from alums of electronic medical records giant Epic Systems Corp. in Verona, not all fit that mold.

One example is 32auctions, a website for conducting online silent auctions. 32auctions was created in April 2009 by Steve Klodd, 39, of Madison, and Curt Pederson, 44, of Sun Prairie, then info tech employees of American Family Insurance who became friends working on a project together.  In five years, the website has hosted more than 13,000 silent auctions worldwide, Klodd said, for a wide variety of causes, from fundraisers to help people with health emergencies to Fortune 500 companies trying to raise money for United Way.

Klodd and Pederson are still the only employees, available to answer clients’ questions, no matter where or when. “For us, it brings great satisfaction to know that the thing we’re doing every day is helping people,” Klodd said.

Read the full article at Madison.com at: http://host.madison.com/business/technology/biotech/tech-and-biotech-spring-tech-kickoff-draws-hundreds/article_2e91fb7b-e596-5992-a7c6-a48158de00b7.html

Blogger's Note: A great example of entrepreneurship from Sun Prairie.  Congratulations Curt and Steve on a great article and a great business idea!

ITS Compliance Receives $5.75 Million in Growth Equity Investment (ITS Compliance Press Release)

SUN PRAIRIE, WI - March 17, 2014 – ITS Compliance Inc., an outsourced provider of compliance, safety, and asset management services for truck fleets, today announced it received an aggregate investment of $5.75 million from Argentum and First Analysis, leading private equity growth investors. The investment will support ITS’s continued growth by enabling the company to broaden its services offerings, enhance its software platform, and expand its infrastructure.

 

ITS’s technology-enabled solutions, including fuel tax reporting, safety services, and asset management, help private fleets, for-hire carriers, and third-party logistics companies comply with federal, state, and local regulations, reduce costs, and mitigate risks. Since 1983, ITS has delivered compliance services to hundreds of fleets across numerous industries.

 

“We are very pleased to partner with Argentum and First Analysis and welcome their involvement with ITS, given their expertise, contacts, and investing experience in the logistics and transportation services space and with technology-enabled service companies,” said Jim Matras, ITS’s founder and CEO. “This transaction will enable us to strengthen our capabilities and invest in infrastructure, which will allow us to better serve our existing customers and pursue exciting new growth opportunities.”

 

Dixie Burbank, ITS’s Chief Operating Officer, added, “This capital will enable us to deliver new features  and modules to our clients and enable us to continue to increase the ROI our clients realize from using our services.”

 

Blogger's Note: Glad to have this growing company located in Downtown Sun Prairie!

Sun Prairie's New Wal-Mart Opens on Redeveloped Site of Original Store (City of Sun Prairie)

Sun Prairie's new Wal-Mart opened this morning with a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Sun Prairie Chamber of Commerce.   Photos of the event are available at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stechschulte/sets/72157639801228173/ 

Blogger's Note: The redevelopment of the site of the original store was significant step in maintaining our Main Street corridor.  Thanks to Wal-Mart for their investment here, and to everyone who helped make this project happen.

Top Ten Economic Development Stories for the City of Sun Prairie in 2013 (Sun Prairie Star)

The City's agreement with 2G Engineering to redevelop a vacant building on Capitol Drive was the year's top story for 2013.  Read the full article at:  http://www.hngnews.com/sun_prairie_star/news/business/article_ea01bab8-7550-11e3-83e7-0019bb30f31a.html

Blogger's Note:  Thanks to everyone who invested in our community and our economy in 2013, and we look forward to keeping the momentum going in 2014!

Bank of Sun Prairie Hosts SCORE Team for Small Business Assistance Nov. 22nd (Press Release)

Bank of Sun Prairie, in partnership with the City of Sun Prairie, will host a free forum for current and future small business owners on November 22.

The seminar is designed to help small business owners understand how to get a business off the ground or grow their current small business.

A panel of volunteers from SCORE will answer questions on various topics including accounting, taxes, business plans, sales management, human resources and much more.
SCORE is a Madison nonprofit made up of more than 40 business professionals who volunteer to counsel others on how to kick start their business or how to expand their current small business.

The Madison area is among the best cities in America to launch a new business. In 2009, CNNMoney ranked Madison as #20 in the nation in its list of the best mid-size metro areas for small business startups.

When: Friday, November 22, 2013
Where: Sun Prairie Public Library
            1350 Linnerud Drive
            Sun Prairie, WI 53590
Time:   9 to 11 a.m.

Participants can RSVP to Paul Sukenik, Bank of Sun Prairie, at 608-837-4511 or paul.sukenik@bankofsunprairie.com to ensure sufficient space and refreshments are available.

Colony Brands Leases 427,000 SF of Warehouse Space in Sun Prairie (CoStar.com)

Colony Brands, one of the world’s largest catalog companies previously known as The Swiss Colony, signed a 10-year lease for all 427,000 square feet of warehouse/distribution space at 1615 Commerce Dr. in Sun Prairie, WI.  The lease commences in June 2014.

Blogger's Note: Congratulations to Colony Brands and STAG Industrial on this deal.  Sun Prairie has a long history with this industry and type of employer and welcomes this investment.  Getting one of the largest available spaces in the State of Wisconsin leased here is a great testimony to our local economy. Its also a reminder to the commercial and industrial real estate community that companies who rely on logistics need to consider Sun Prairie as a place for their business.

Cabela's Announces Sun Prairie Location (City of Sun Prairie Press Release)

Cabela’s has publicly announced their intention to build an 86,000 s.f. retail facility in the Prairie Lakes Development, located at the northeast corner of U.S. 151 and Grand Ave.  The store will open in Spring of 2015, and will employ approximately 200 employees.   Official plans have not been submitted, but the City anticipates this occurring in the next couple of months to ensure approvals in time to allow the store to break ground in the Spring of 2014.

Mayor John Murray released the following statement.  “We’re very excited that Cabela’s has announced a new store in Sun Prairie.   This national retailer makes Sun Prairie and Prairie Lakes even more of a destination for shoppers, but especially for sportsman and outdoor enthusiasts. We look forward to welcoming hunters, fisherman, and boaters from South Central Wisconsin as well as those who come to enjoy all that the outdoors in Wisconsin has to offer.”

Council President Mary Polenske also released a statement, saying “Our congratulations to both Cabela’s and Prairie Lakes on this announcement.  The City Council looks forward to this investment in our community, to continuing our partnership with the developer, and to working with Cabela’s to get their plans approved as fast as possible. ”

Neil Stechschulte, Director of Economic Development for the City of Sun Prairie stated “The fact that Cabela’s recognizes the quality of this site and wants to build a store in Sun Prairie sends a clear message to the national retail community that this one of the most desirable locations in the State of Wisconsin.  They will be a great user in a great development.  I want to acknowledge all the hard work that Prairie Lakes Development continues to put forward in attracting quality shopping opportunities to Sun Prairie, as well as the continued support of the Mayor and City Council for new projects in this area.”

From the Cabela’s Press Release:

Construction is scheduled to begin next year and Cabela’s anticipates a spring 2015 opening for the 86,000-square-foot store. It will be Cabela’s fourth store in Wisconsin, joining Prairie du Chien, Richfield and Green Bay. Also, the company operates a distribution center in Prairie du Chien.

The store will be located in the Prairie Lakes Shopping Center at Highway 151 and Grand Avenue. Prairie Development Ltd. is managing the development, which also includes Target, Costco and Woodman’s Market.

Cabela’s expects the store to employ approximately 200 full-time, part-time and seasonal employees. Most will come from Sun Prairie and the surrounding area.

The building will be built in Cabela’s next-generation layout, designed to surround customers in an outdoor-like experience with museum-quality wildlife displays. In addition to thousands of quality outdoor products, the store will include a large mountain replica, a Gun Library, Bargain Cave, Indoor Archery Range, Deli and Fudge Shop.

“Wisconsin has proven to be a Cabela’s kind of place,” Millner said. “We have a history of success in our Prairie du Chien, Richfield and Green Bay locations and we couldn’t be more excited to bring a store to Sun Prairie.”

Currently, Cabela’s operates 48 stores across North America with plans to open an additional 19 over the next two years.

The full Cabela's press release is available at: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20131024005436/en/Cabela%E2%80%99s%C2%AE-Announces-Plans-Stores

Questions can be directed to:

Neil Stechschulte

Director of Economic Development
City of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin USA
Email: nstechschulte@cityofsunprairie.com
Phone: (608) 825-1107
Web: http://www.cityofsunprairie.com/economic-development