Local State Farm Agent Aims for Huge Donation to Sun Prairie High School Through "Celebrate My Drive" (Sun Prairie Star)

Sun Prairie Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD), State Farm Agent Steve Pierick, and Drivers Education Teacher John Olson are hoping Sun Prairie will "Celebrate my Drive" during Teen Driver Safety Week Oct. 18-26th.  Sun Prairie High School is participating in the program to promote safety among teen drivers, along with a chance to win a $100,000 grant for safe driving programs and a hometown concert with Kelly Clarkson.

They are asking students, teachers, businesses, residents and anyone who drives in Sun Prairie to go online to www.celebratemydrive.com and make a safe driving commitment once a day every day from Oct. 18th to the 26th.  You can also invite your family and friends to get involved or share the Celebrate my Drive page on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/CelebrateMyDrive).  When making each committment just indicate that you want ot support Sun Prairie High School.  Each daily pledge helps Sun Prairie make its case for the grant and the concert.

Any one or any business wanting to get more involved, please contact Steve Pierick at (608) 837-3783.

Blogger's Note: A great way for a business to leverage its corporate resources to help out out Sun Prairie.  Sign up, talk with your family and friends about safe driving and make that pledge every day!

Sun Prairie Receives $350,000 Brownfield Grant for Senior Living Project (Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation)

PRESS RELEASE - Governor Scott Walker today announced the City of Sun Prairie will receive a $350,000 Brownfield Grant award from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to assist with preparing a five-acre site for the construction of the New Perspective Senior Living complex. The senior living complex is projected to create up to 11 full-time equivalent positions within the first year of operation and will feature 144 units.

The award will reimburse the city for remediation of soil and groundwater contamination from two previously removed underground storage tanks

“The completion of this important redevelopment will advance the revitalization of an area highlighted in the City’s Downtown Master Plan and should attract significant investment in the community,” said Governor Scott Walker.

“The City of Sun Prairie is grateful to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation for their support of the redevelopment of one of our key remaining downtown sites in Sun Prairie.  We are also thankful for the both the investment and the jobs that New Perspective Senior Living will bring to our community, and look forward to this development being a positive impact on our downtown,” said Sun Prairie Mayor John Murray.

Media Contacts:

Tom Thieding, WEDC Communications Manager
608-267-9661 Tom.Thieding@wedc.org

Shauna Breneman, WEDC Communications Specialist
608-267-5187 Shauna.Breneman@wedc.org

Neil Stechschulte, Economic Development Director
City of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
6-8-825-0894 nstechschulte@cityofsunprairie.com

Source: http://wedc.org/sun-prairie-brownfield

Blogger's Note: If you haven't been by the site on South Bristol St., they started their site preparation this past week.  Thanks to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation for their support of this project.  We're excited to have New Perspective Senior Living building on this site near our downtown.  There will actually be 70 health care jobs created with this facility, bringing with it good benefits and a substantial payroll.  It will provide a full continuum of care from independent living to 24/7 memory care.  The project should be open in late 2012.

Royle Project Gets Funding (Sun Prairie Star)

Royle Project Gets Funding 

Link to Full Article: http://www.sunprairiestar.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=52&ArticleID=9087

Blogger's Note: Congratulations to Royle on this grant award, and thanks to Sun Prairie Utilities for helping Royle invest in improvements that help them save money and energy.  It also helps Royle stay competitive and hopefully contributes to future growth here in Sun Prairie. 

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.

Sun Prairie Veterinary Clinic Wins New Medical Equipment (The Earth Times)

Summit VetPharm concluded "The Great Vectra 3D(TM)" Giveaway by outfitting a veterinary clinic in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin with new, state-of-the-art medical equipment. Dr. Sean Raleigh of Sun Prairie Veterinary Clinic in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin was chosen in the March drawing as the contest's third winner in this multi-level contest and will receive $25,000 in medical equipment for his veterinary clinic.

"The Great Vectra 3D" $125,000 Giveaway was held from January 3 to March 31, 2008 as part of Summit VetPharm's introductory sales incentive program for Vectra 3D, a new broad-spectrum topical that effectively protects dogs against three vectors -- fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes.

Dr. Raleigh graduated from the National University of Ireland with a degree in Veterinary Medicine and also from the Royal College of Surgeons in London. Dr. Raleigh purchased the Sun Prairie Veterinary Clinic fourteen years ago and offers general medical and surgical services, specializing in ear problems and dental disease. Sun Prairie also offers daycare and has a grooming facility, K9 Corner, which leases a portion of the building. In addition, his clinic provides treatment for the pets at the Madison Humane Society's satellite adoption center. Dr. Raleigh currently has a son serving with the Marines in Iraq.

Dr. Raleigh already has a few purchases in mind with his $25,000 prize. "We intend to digitalize our X-Ray equipment and update our Videoscope system so we can incorporate endoscopic techniques for exploratory, surgical and biopsy procedures," explained Dr. Raleigh.

Click here for the full article at EarthTimes.org.

Dane County Regional Airport Receives $9.2 Million Grant for Improvements (Capital Times)

The airport has been awarded $9.2 million in Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Funds to acquire equipment, make airfield improvements and enhance environmental remediation of aircraft de-icing fluids.

The editorial in the Capital Times states "This is arguably the most important economic development work that can be done for a county that will rise or fall in the new global economy based on its ability to get to the rest of the globe."

The Dane County Regional Airport is less than four miles from the City of Sun Prairie. A trip to the airport from Sun Prairie is shorter and faster than most of Madison.

Click here for to read the full editorial in the Capital Times.

Pro-Active Engineering Awarded Training Grant

Congratulations to Pro-Active Engineering Inc. of Sun Prairie, who was awarded a $5,000 grant from the state Department of Commerce Business Employees Skills Training (BEST) program.

"The BEST program focuses on providing employees with training that will upgrade the skills of Wisconsin's workforce," Governor Doyle said. "These grants will help provide the training that will allow Wisconsin businesses to continue to move forward and to grow."

Governor Doyle made the announcements on April 22nd through a news release on the Wisconsin Department of Commerce website. The announcement was included in the April 23rd edition of Market Memos on the Capital Times Website.