Wisconsin Distributors Featured in May Edition of In Business Magazine

Matt Bottorff, Specialty Brand Representative for Wisconsin Distributors is the subject of this month's Day in the Life feature in In Business Magazine. Appropriately enough, the article is titled "The Beer Salesman."

Wisconsin Distributors is headquartered in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin and has become the largest Anheuser-Busch Wholesaler in the State of Wisconsin, serving over 4.5 million case equivalents of beer to more than 3,000 accounts. Their 22 acre site has a 151,000 square foot building which can store up to 42 tractor trailers inside and also has a beer cooler that can store 285,000 cases and 7,000 barrels of beer at any given time. Their operations include more than 135 full time employees. They have a 24 hours-per-day warehouse team of 11 individuals that keep all their beer rotated in their cooler and their trucks loaded everyday.

Pick up a copy of the May 2008 In Business Magazine for the full article, or click here to go to the In Business website for additional information.

Chamber to Host Economic Forecast Luncheon on May 21st

Economist Dennis Winters of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development will discuss key issues about our economy including:

• What is the near-term outlook for Wisconsin's Economy
• How is Dane County's economy being affected by the demographic changes upon us
• One initiative for long-term economic growth

Lunch includes sandwich wraps, pasta salad, chips, beverage, & dessert
Date: May 21, 2008 - May 21, 2008
Time: 12:00 pm - 01:00 pm
Address: Wisconsin Distributors 900 Progress Way
Cost: $8.50 per person

For additional information, contact the Chamber of Commerce office at 608.837.4547 or spchamber@verizon.net

City to Create Strategic Business Development Plan

Last Tuesday evening, the City Council approved the creation of an ad hoc economic development committee to prepare a Strategic Business Development Plan. We are seeking interested and qualified persons to meet monthly from June to October to help guide this effort. Committee members are to be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council.

The official duties of the committee will be:

"The ad hoc economic development committee shall be charged with ensuring that the strategic business development plan 1) provides an overview of current and projected economic conditions, 2) identifies and prioritizes City initiatives relating to economic development for the next five years, and 3) establishes a means of measuring progress of those initiatives."

Anyone interested in being a member of this ad hoc committee can contact Mayor Joe Chase, Alderman John Murray or City Economic Development Coordinator Neil Stechschulte. Interest persons are asked to submit their notice of interest by Friday May 16th. Recommendations for potential members are also encouraged. Interested persons may be asked to submit a short description of their qualifications or background, as well as to explain their interest in serving on the committee.

Please contact Neil Stechschulte at (608) 825-0894 with any questions, or if you require additional information.

Hanley's to Close After 80 Years of Doing Business in Sun Prairie

This post is to confirm that Hanley's, a hardware and power sports store on Sun Prairie's East Side on Main Street, has announced that it is closing after 80 years of business. Tom Hanley, the owner, informed employees late last week that between diminishing profit margins and the potential loss of customer from the pending reconstruction of Main Street, he had made the decsion to close the store. Hanley's employed approximately 40 full time employees and several part time staff.

The announcement comes at the same time as national hardware chain Home Depot announced that they were closing three of their Wisconsin stores (Beaver Dam, Fond du Lac, and NW Milwaukee) while both Madison area stores seem to performing well. The slowed housing market and increased competition have made the hardware/home improvement industry scale back throughout the country.

While it was known that the Hanley building and property had been listed for sale for some time, discussions with Mr. Hanley over the past year were focused on finding a potential new location with additional visibility for his motorcycle dealership, along with select components of his operations. He also stated that the costs of building a new building factored into his decision to close. The existing site is approximately 6.6 acres.

To simply say that Hanley's has been a long standing business in our City would be a gross understatement. They have been an anchor retailer serving the City's East side, the Main Street Corridor, and the City as a whole. Their presence will be sorely missed. We wish Mr. Hanley all the best in his future endeavors, and hope he will remain an active and important part of our community. The City looks forward to working with Mr. Hanley in whatever plans he may have for his Main Street property, and to assist in any way that we can.

Click on any of the following links to view full articles from these sources:

Sun Prairie Star Online (Updated)

Capital Times (Madison)

Sun Prairie Today

Channel3000.com

Wisconsin State Journal

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.

Veridian Homes Wins National Energy Awards (Sun Prairie Star Online)

Veridian Homes has been recognized by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center as a leader in energy-efficient construction. As the winner of a 2008 Gold and Silver EnergyValue Housing Award (EVHA) in multiple categories for the cold climate region, Veridian has demonstrated a laudable commitment to building high-performing energy-efficient homes.

Veridian has two primary projects in Sun Prairie, including Smith's Crossing and Cannery Square.

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

Sun Prairie Water & Light Earns Award for Reliabilty (Sun Prairie Star Online)

Congratulations to Sun Prairie Water & Light (SPWL), who was recently honored by the American Public Power Association (APPA) for providing its customers with the highest degree of reliable and safe electric service. Of the more than 2,000 public power utilities in the nation, SPWL is one of 84 to earn the Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3) recognition. RP3 recognizes public power utilities that demonstrate proficiency in four key disciples: reliability, safety, training and system improvement.

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