Crown Operations of Sun Prairie sold to California firm (Madison.com)

Crown Operations International, a Sun Prairie company involved in making energy-efficient window glass, has been purchased by Southwall Technologies of Palo Alto, Calif., for $3.3 million.

Crown, at 347 Business Park Drive in the Sun Prairie Business Park, was founded in 1988 and has 14 employees. Privately owned by founder Marshall Krone, the sale was effective Monday.

“It’s business as usual; the plant didn’t skip a beat,” said Crown president Curtis Liposcak.

Crown applies energy-saving films to a plastic layer that can then be sandwiched between two sheets of glass, creating windows that reflect heat and block ultraviolet rays.

Liposcak said the plant will stay open, and all the workers will keep their jobs. “A lot of the glass lamination that occurs in North America is east of the Mississippi River,” he said. “There’s a good likelihood that we could even expand our head count in the coming quarters.”

Southwall, founded in 1979, makes films and energy-saving glass for homes, commercial buildings and vehicles and has about 160 employees worldwide. Its shares are publicly traded on the over-the-counter bulletin board.

Sources:
Milwaukee Business Journal
Wisconsin State Journal

Frontier Communications Bringing Service To Sun Prairie Area (Channel3000.com)

Photo: Frontier Communications CEO Maggie Wilderotter and Mayor Joe Chase at the Sun Prairie office of Frontier Communications.

Frontier Communications has set up an office in Sun Prairie to begin offering broadband to rural communities looking for a faster Internet connection.

For some living in rural communities, dial-up Internet service is the only option.

The Sun Prairie library's 40 computers allow people free Internet access. Librarian Debbie Bird said that two years ago, users logged less than 50,000 sessions. But Bird said the library has seen an increase in demand.

"We had almost 79,000 sessions, that's either on the computers or on Wi-Fi. This is a free opportunity to use a computer; all you need is a library card," Bird said. "A lot of people still don't have Internet in their homes."

The library services several rural communities, but it isn't the only one taking notice of an increased demand for Internet access, WISC-TV reported.

"Many customers that don't have access to broadband absolutely want it. We hear from them all the time," said Maggie Wilderotter, CEO of Frontier Communications.

In July, Frontier Communications took over service in several areas previously owned by Verizon. Wilderotter said the company is excited to offer broadband Internet access to communities around the state, including Sun Prairie.

"One of our priorities here in Wisconsin is to expand broadband very rapidly, and our goal is to get to 85 percent of all consumer households in the next two to three years," Wilderotter said.

Frontier Communications said it will begin offering service to rural communities in central Wisconsin beginning in October. It said it is planning to expand to the rest of the state over the next few years.

Source: http://www.channel3000.com/technology/24848199/detail.html

Madison College Offers Training on Working with the Federal General Services Administration (Madison College)

The Business Procurement Assistance Center of Madison Area Technical College is hosting two seminars entitled, "Introduction to GSA Schedules Program" and "GSA Solicitations - Responding to Requirements" at the Madison College's Fort Atkinson Campus on August 17th. Each year more and more federal buyers use General Services Administration (GSA) Schedules to do their buying. Businesses can learn more about GSA by attending one or both of these seminars. These two seminars are recommended for commercial goods/services businesses.

Attached you will find a news release for the event along with a flyer that provides more details and registration information for the events. Hopefully you will share with businesses that may be interested.

If you have any questions about the seminar, BPAC, or government contracting, please contact our office at 608-243-4490 or email bpac@matcmadison.edu.

Isthmus Counts Taste of Sun Prairie as Being on "Madison' Eats Agenda" This Weekend (thedailypage.com)

The Taste of Sun Prairie brings together more than a dozen restaurants and other businesses together for a feast that doubles as a fundraiser for the Dream Park. Built in 2007 and also known as Fireman's Park in the Prairie and located within the confines of Angell Park, the intent of this recreational area is “to offer children of all physical abilities a safe, accessible and friendly place to play.”

Restaurants and other businesses and groups signed up to participate in the Taste include: Atlantis Taverna, Beans n’ Cream Coffeehouse, Big Apple Bagels, Cannery Grill, Cardinal’s Nest, Cousins Subs, Culver's, Golden Days Bakery, Herreman’s Supper Club, JB’s Italian Grille, Kwik Trip, Market Street Diner, My Menu, Panda Garden, Pizza Hut, Sassy Cow Creamery, VFW Post 9362 Men’s Auxiliary, and What’s Brew’n’.

Vendors will be donating a portion of their proceeds to the park. The benefit will also feature live music, kids' activities, special outdoor sales, and a beer garden hosted by the Sun Prairie Lions Club. Cannery Square Plaza, Sun Prairie, noon-7 p.m., dishes $5 and less. Call 608-837-5213 for more info.

Source: http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=29895

WPPI Energy's sustainable building earns LEED 'Gold' certification (Sun Prairie Star)

WPPI Energy's office and operations facility achieved Gold certification through the U.S. Green public power system's image as a leader in the industry

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

THRIVE Releases "Capital Connections Inventory" (THRIVE/Wisconsin State Journal)

One of the barriers that companies and communities face when seeking economic development funding is the lack of concise, accessible information - there just isn't time to identify and understand each of the hundreds of programs that are available.

To address this barrier, Thrive has created a comprehensive inventory of financial tools that are available for businesses and economic development projects in the 8-county Madison Region. The inventory includes over 350 financial programs available at the federal, state and local levels to businesses, communities, and nonprofits. This inventory, coupled with Thrive's expertise, will allow businesses and communities to quickly identify appropriate financial resources.

The Capital Connections Inventory is free, and Thrive staff is here to help businesses and communities identify programs that fit their needs.

The inventory includes a brief description and basic eligibility criteria for each program. It also includes typical program terms such as loan or grant amounts, loan amortization periods, interest rates, and contact information. When a business owner walks through the door at Thrive, he/she will know what is available and if their project is eligible. If the business chooses to seek funding, it will receive skilled and informed support from the staff at Thrive.

Existing regional businesses, businesses interested in locating in the region, and local communities are encouraged to contact Thrive for assistance in accessing the region's diverse financial resources.

For more information about how you can use the Capital Connections Inventory, contact:

Brad Elmer, Project Director, 608-443-1967

Thrive is the economic development organization for Dane, Rock, Green, Iowa, Sauk, Columbia, Dodge and Jefferson counties.

Click here to read the full article in the Wisconsin State Journal.

Click here for more information the the Capital Connections Inventory from THRIVE.

Click here to view or download the full Capital Connections Inventory.

WPPI Energy Announces New Construction Design Assistance Program (WPPI Energy)

The New Construction Design Assistance Program provides financial incentives and technical assistance to encourage building owners, developers, architects and engineers to design and construct high-performance buildings. This program is available at no charge for any non-residential new construction or major renovation projects within the City of Sun Prairie.

Benefits include:

• Financial incentives of up to $100,000 per project
• Free technical engineering and architectural design assistance
• Opportunity to save energy and lower operating expenses
• Improved systems performance and greater comfort
• Increased property value and reduced environmental impact.

Questions regarding the program should be addressed to Ben Dickson, Program Coordinator at (608) 834-4500 or bdickson@wppienergy.org, or Tamara Sondgeroth at (608) 444-1154 or tsondgeroth@wppienergy.org.