City hosts Realtors Summit at WPPI (Sun Prairie Star)

City of Sun Prairie Economic Development Director Neil Stechschulte (right) welcomed attendees to the 2013 Realtors Summit held July 31 at WPPI Energy, 1425 Business Park Drive in the Sun Prairie Business Park. Sun Prairie City Council President Mary Polenske (left) also gave welcoming remarks at the summit, the aim of which was to promote Sun Prairie as a place to live, open a new business or relocate an existing one. (Photo by Jake Kurtz)

A collection of realtors, brokers, financiers and other interested parties met locally last week for a realtors summit hosted by the City of Sun Prairie.  Held at WPPI Energy the afternoon of July 31, the event featured a keynote presentation by Kevin King, executive vice president of the Realtors' Association of South Central Wisconsin (RASCW).  Representatives with the city, Sun Prairie schools, local organizations and business, and public safety were among those who spoke at the event geared toward helping realtors market the community.

Read the full article at:http://www.hngnews.com/sun_prairie_star/news/business/article_260642fc-0041-11e3-bdf5-0019bb30f31a.html

Blogger's Note: Thanks to all the attendees, and all the presenters.  We think we're going to try to do this quarterly with a shorter agenda.  And not on the last day of the month.  I promise.  If anyone would like more information about the topics covered, please contact Neil Stechschulte at the City of Sun Prairie.

City of Sun Prairie Hosts Wind Power Happy Hour Reunion (City of Sun Prairie)

It was a small group for our first meeting in over a year, but there was some great discussion as usual.  Highlight of the evening was a chance to meet Tyler Huebner, the new Executive Director from RENEW Wisconsin.  What was clear right from the start was that Tyler shares the idea that there is considerable opportunity for local economic development and renewable energy.  We have engineering and advanced manufacturing companies right here in Sun Prairie that do considerable work with clients in a variety of energy and power producing markets. 

As if to further demonstrate the importance of the private sector in renewables, Tyler invited me to attend a small group meeting at the Wisconsin Energy Institute with former UW Madison graduate Tom Werner, who is now the CEO of SunPower out in California.  Tom confirmed the competitiveness of U.S. R&D capabilities and discussed some of the newer technologies and policies that are changing how feasible solar energy can be. 

Some additional resources you might be interested in:

Sun Power Corporation Website: http://us.sunpowercorp.com/

Bio on Tom Werner from Forbes.com: http://www.forbes.com/profile/thomas-werner-1/

Wisconsin Energy Institute: http://energy.wisc.edu/

UW grad and SunPower CEO Tom Werner touts solar industry growth (Capital Times):
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/writers/mike_ivey/uw-grad-and-sunpower-ceo-tom-werner-touts-solar-industry/article_25121eec-1668-11e3-81d0-001a4bcf887a.html

Blogger's Note: Thanks to Tyler and RENEW for meeting with us, and for the invitation to hear Tom speak on campus.  Looking forward to working together to engage more companies like SunPower.

Inform Product Development Makes the Inc 5000 List (Inc.com)

NEW YORK, August 22, 2013 -- Inc. magazine ranked Inform Product Development #4935 on its seventh annual Inc. 500|5000, an exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy—America’s independent entrepreneurs. Inform was also recognized at a Top 100 Engineering Company and a Top 100 Wisconsin Company.

The 2013 Inc. 500|5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2009 to 2012. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2009. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2012. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2009 is $100,000; the minimum for 2012 is $2 million.

You can view more information about Inform Product Development at their Inc. 5000 profile at: http://www.inc.com/profile/inform-product-development. 

You can also check out their web page at: http://www.in-form.com/.

Blogger's Note: Congratulations to Edward Raleigh and all of Inform Product Development's employees on this well-deserved recognition.

Wind Power Happy Hour/RENEW Wisconsin Networking Event Set for 9/5

We know the Wind Power Happy Hour hasn't met for a while, so we're having a family reunion of sorts! Come join us on Thursday September 5th for some networking to get caught up, and meet Mr. Tyler Huebner, Executive Director of RENEW Wisconsin.

Tyler Huebner has been the Executive Director of RENEW Wisconsin since June 1, 2013. Huebner has worked for the Wisconsin Division of Energy Services and the U.S. Department of Energy managing weatherization assistance programs. He has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Iowa and a master's degree from Stanford University in civil and environmental engineering.  

Where: Sun Prairie City Hall, 300 E. Main St.
When: Thursday September 5th, 4:30-6 pm
With networking afterwards at Eddie's Alehouse (next to City Hall)
Presentation: Tyler Huebner, Executive Director for RENEW Wisconsin at 5:15 pm

PLEASE RSVP by Tuesday September 3rd through the linked form below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1paEM1Y8m5esnyWWSPuQy7-knve0f8PG_FYvj3Eoifw0/viewform

Questions? Please contact Neil Stechschulte at nstechschulte@cityofsunprairie.com

City to Host Sun Prairie Realtors Summit July 31st (City of Sun Prairie)

The City of Sun Prairie is hosting a summit for Sun Prairie Area Realtors on Wednesday July 31st from 1-4:30 p.m.  The summit will be held at WPPI Energy at 1425 Corporate Center Drive in the Sun Prairie Business Park.

The keynote speaker will be Mr. Kevin King from the Realtors Association of South Central Wisconsin.  Other topics will focus on helping local Realtors best market Sun Prairie's assets including our school district, our library, and our public and private recreational and athletic facilities.  City staff will be available to answer questions regarding public safety, our public utilities, and current infrastructure projects, as well as providing a general development update for the City. Attendees will also learn more about the Locate in Wisconsin properties database from Mr. Luke Fuszard of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corportation (WEDC).

Refreshments and networking will be at Buck & Honey's immediately following the summit, and sponsored by Hometown News Group and the Star. 

Space is filling up fast.  If you are a Realtor, Broker or are otherwise involved in Real Estate in the Sun Prairie area, you can still RSVP at the following link.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1dLttOacDyO6SXeRtM6CTKSHs6GB3coBnwaoFibIzrok/edit?usp=drive_web#

Sun Prairie Sentry Store to Close (Sun Prairie Star)

Sun Prairie's Sentry Food store, a community fixture for more than 67 years, will close its doors at 1052 W. Main St. at the end of September or early October, with lay-offs of their 96 employees anticipated to begin as soon as Sept. 10.

Read the full article in the Sun Prairie Star at: http://www.hngnews.com/sun_prairie_star/news/local/article_331aa598-eb36-11e2-844a-001a4bcf6878.html

Over the years, the Sun Prairie Sentry Foods store received several "Best of Sun Prairie" awards for categories ranging from Best Customer Service to Best Produce Selection and Best Bakery. This photo from the Best of Sun Prairie in 2007 shows Penny and Terry Pederson in the produce section of the store located at 1052 W. Main. (File Photo: Sun Prairie Star)

Nate Pederson of Sentry Foods in Sun Prairie received the 2008 Community Business Leader Award for 2008 from Sun Prairie Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ann Smith (right) during the chamber's annual Business Appreciation Luncheon.   (File Photo: Sun Prairie Star)

Blogger's Note: Thank you to Terry, Penny and Nate, and the entire Conrad family for all their years of doing business in Sun Prairie.  They will be greatly missed.

Farm-to-Table Pizza at Salvatore's (Madison Magazine)

Photo by Nicole Peaslee

They don’t call it a pizza at Salvatore’s Tomato Pies. "The tomato pie is a uniquely special pizza,” says Patrick DePula, who opened the Sun Prairie restaurant in 2011. The tomato pie, the signature at Sal’s, is built in reverse, with whole-milk mozzarella, a little provolone and topped with fresh tomato sauce and basil. The sauce on top does at times throw customers off, but DePula is loyal to the recipe—it’s nearly a hundred years old and draws inspiration from the first pizza places to pop up in the United States. The tomato pie represents what a pizza was before it was “commoditized by the chains,” DePula says. No added sugar in the sauce, no preservatives in the cheese and everything is scratch-made. The same goes for the more complex pies, like the Farmer John’s Smoked Gouda and the El Valiente varieties.

Read the full story in Madison Magazine: http://www.madisonmagazine.com/Madison-Magazine/August-2013/Farm-to-Table-Pizza-at-Salvatores/

Blogger's Note: A great local business that does local food as it should be done.  (There is a legend that tells of a pizza called the Stechschulte at Sal's too.)