February 2017


Executive Director Update

Executive Director, Van Nutt, discusses advocacy and upcoming road projects.  He also gives an update on the progress of Inspire Madison Region and a big THANK YOU from all of us for a fantastic 65th Annual Celebration!



Sit back at view this month's update. 

 

Have a great month, 
Van 
Upcoming Chamber Events
View Annual Celebration Photos


February 1, 5:30pm
Chamber Trivia Night (Register)
World of Beer

February 2, 7:30am

Get Moving Middleton (Register)
State of the City Address
Hilton Garden Inn

February 7, 8am (7:45 Registration)
Ask the Expert: Brand Storytelling (Register)
Edgewood College - Middleton Campus

February 8, 4-6:30pm
Holiday Business Social Hour (Register)
Twist Bar & Grill at the Radisson Hotel

February 11, 7pm
Chamber Night at the Madison Capitols (Tickets)
Coliseum at Alliant Energy Center

February 13, 11:30am
Ambassador Committee
Gilda's Club

February 15, 12pm
Economic Development Briefing: Environmental Clean-Up (Register)
Wisconsin Bank & Trust

February 22, 8am
Ask the Expert: Emerging Social Media Techniques (Register)
Edgewood College - Middleton Campus

February 28, 11:45am
Lunch & Learn: Navigate Results for Success (Register)
Middleton Community Bank

March 2, 7:30am
Get Moving Middleton (Register)
Hilton Garden Inn


View the Full Calendar


New Members

Allstate - Esser Insurance Services LLC

(608) 291-6250  
25 Glacier Edge Square, Cross Plains


Chrysalis Design Works

(608) 831-4588
2413 Parmenter Street, Suite 201

Conney Safety Products

(608) 288-5802
3202 Latham Drive
www.Conney.com


Honkamp Krueger

(888) 556-0123  
251 Progress Way Ste. 200, Waunakee


Ideal Image

(608) 588-8479
1651 Deming Way Ste K-118
www.idealimage.com

Ignite Payments

(608) 712-3680  
7659 Heather Knoll Ln, Verona
www.ignitepayments.com


Jersey Mike's Subs

(608) 841-2121
1601 Deming Way
www.jerseymikes.com


Meadow Ridge Middleton

(608) 841-1886
7625 Lisa Lane
www.meadowridgemiddleton.com

Prepare Parents LLC

(608) 576-6134



SCOTT HARRINGTON Landscape

and Tree Service
(608) 354-8228
www.scottharringtonservices.com


Sky Zone Madison

2134 W. Beltline Hwy
www.skyzone.com/madison



Members on the Move
Announcements|Awards|Hires & Promotions
ANNOUNCEMENTS
REACH-A-Child Delivers 9,500 Books, REACH-A-Child is pleased to announce that we delivered a record 9,500 children's books to First Responders across the state.

Studio 262 Opens in New Location, Studio 262 put the finishing touches on their new salon and opened their doors on January 20 at 8391 Greenway Boulevard.

Two Men and A Truck Seeking Donations Sites, Each year Two Men and A Truck hosts its annual Movers for Moms donation drive as a way of honoring all moms.

Wisconsin Family Business of the Year Award Nominations Open, The Wisconsin Family Business of the Year Award is underway and accepting nominations from businesses throughout the state.

ALTUS Announces January Sales, ALTUS Commercial Real Estate is pleased to announce their January 2017 transactions. 

Park Bank and Hausmann-Johnson Announce Wealth Management Partnership, Park Bank & Hausmann-Johnson are pleased to announce the partnership between the two companies to create Park Capital Management, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor.

December 2016 Real Estate Stats, Coldwell Banker Success is pleased to share the December 2016 Real Estate Statistics for the Middleton area.

von Briesen & Roper Hosts Book Drive, von Briesen & Roper is collecting new or gently used books in the month of February.

Nissan Offers 50% LEAF Discount to MGE Customers, MGE is happy to announce that Nissan is offering a $10,000 discount to MGE customers on 2016 and 2017 LEAF vehicles through March 31.

Conney Donates Gas Detection Units to UW Hockey, Conney Safety Products recently made a donation of portable gas detection units to the UW Men's and Women's Hockey teams after hearing about their exposure to elevated levels of carbon monoxide.

Clark and Henke Join Alliance Board, Diana Clark of Promega Corporation and Lisa Henke of County of Walworth, have been elected to The Alliance Board of Directors.

Smith & Gesteland Launches New Website, Smith & Gesteland has launched a new website, filled with great information.
Goodwill Offers Free Tax Prep Help, Goodwill of South Central Wisconsin is offering free income tax preparation assistance to area low-income individuals and families.


HIRES & PROMOTIONS
Monson Joins Settlers Bank, Settlers bank is excited to announce the addition of Rob Monson to the Settlers Bank team.

PULSE Welcomes Kayser,  Shane Kayser, SFG, Precision Nutrition, NASM and personal trainer, has recently joined PULSE Kettlebells and Yoga.

Wegner CPAs Announces Two New Partners, Wegner CPAs is pleased to announce the appointment of Mike Hablewitz, CPA and Yigit Uctum, CPA, CFE, MBA as the newest partners of the firm.


AWARDS  
Moving Forward Receives Accreditation and Certification, Moving Forward is pleased to announced that in 2016 they received A+ Accreditation and also SMM-C Certification.


JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Member Events
2/1-2/3

50% Off Pedicures, Studio 262 Salon
2/4

JDRF Arctic Splash, Wisconsin Winter Fest
More Info
2/4

29th Annual Blizzard Blast, Easter Seals Wisconsin
2/6

Volunteer Orientation, Agrace
More Info
2/6

Frozen Yogurt Day - Buy 1 Get 1 FREE, Menchie's Frozen Yogurt
More Info
2/7

Happy Hour, Infratactix
2/9-2/12

Library Book Sale, David F. Grams & Associates
2/9

Apps & Taps at Holiday Inn, REACH-A-Child
2/10-2/14

Valentine's Weekend Specials, Granite City Food & Brewery
2/11

The Drifters, Friends of the PAC
2/14

Labor & Employment Law Seminar, Godfrey & Kahn
2/22

2017 Investment & Tax Update, SVA
2/22

Land Management Conference, Holy Wisdom Monastery
More Info





How Did You Get From There to Here?
Profiles on the vo cational journey
 

Interview by Kristi Warriner 
Kristi Warriner is the Business Manager at Cresa, a commercial real estate company that is unique in only representing tenants and buyers, never landlords.  Kristi was born and raised in Middleton, and lives here with her husband Adam, two very active teen daughters, two ugly dogs, four chickens, and a hamster named after the drummer Butch Vig.

 
 
Meet:  Fred Foster
CEO, Electronic Theatre Controls
   
Where did you grow up? What did you want to be when you grew up?
I'm a townie from the Spring Harbor neighborhood, I went to Memorial High School, both of my parents worked at the University (of Wisconsin-Madison). I had homeroom class in the auditorium and I remember looking up at the lights and thinking I'd like to work with them. But we didn't have a drama teacher at the time.
 

Where did you go to college and what were your career goals?
I went to the UW because there was a lighting designer there named Gilbert Helmsley who was like a bright flame that draws the moths. I got to know people working with him who intuitively knew things that I didn't. I had had a fantasy to put lighting in the Met, and as a freshman I got to go with Gilbert and watch him light two shows there.
 

It's been reported that Gilbert Helmsley was a mentor to you. How important was his role as mentor to you?
I wouldn't say Gilbert was a mentor, exactly. He was the kind of teacher who gave you hard challenges and threw you into the deep end. I had to prove myself to Gilbert.
 
Because my parents were at the University, I knew Marshall Erdman from the time I was a kid. He was like a mentor to me in that he taught me that the best thing about a company is its people. He said that if you stop growing people will move out and do their own thing.
 

You left college to work on a lighting board with your brother, a physics major. How did that come about?
We were looking for a project to do together. We saw the lighting board for the Mitchell Theater(in Vilas Hall) that cost $150,000.00. Our reaction was "Gak, this is disgusting." We worked in our parents' basement on Mound Street and made a board for less than $5000.00. When we got started we hustled manufacturers from a hotel room until we moved into a garage behind Gilson Medical.
 

Bob Gilson is now one of the owners of Electronic Theatre Controls. Can you tell me how Gilson has helped shaped ETC?
We wouldn't be in business without the help Bob Gilson and his dad Warren gave us. At one point, I went to Bob and said I wanted to sell the business. I knew he usually had a $100 bill on him so when he asked me to name a price I said 'a hundred bucks'. He said 'that's not enough'. He believed in us from very early on.
 
 
Electronic Theatre Controls is well known for its charitable giving. What programs are you most proud of?
Susan (Foster - Fred's wife) put together our philanthropy program. One third of our giving is distributed by an employee committee. Others go out in small grants to community theaters. One of my favorite things is to hear from a small community group a couple of years after we've given them some of our equipment and they tell us how important it's been to their success.
 
We also have a large number of high school students who come for internships in the summer. I'd say it's our return on mentoring. We started it because we were wondering 'where are all the kids like us?' and then we realized it was our fault for not bringing them in.
 

What was your biggest surprise in starting ETC?
That we weren't going to get rich overnight. I also thought it was all about the technology, when it's all about the people. People choose to join you to follow their passions.
 
January Renewals
1848 Construction

Adams Outdoor Advertising

Amber Indian Cuisine

Ameriprise Financial Services

Anytime Fitness

August Publications

AVID Risk Solutions

Bachmann Construction Co.

Bank Mutual

BKD CPA's & Advisors

Borakove Osman, LLC

Capital Brewery Company

Coldwell Banker Success

Confectionique LLC

Cresa Madison

Dean Health Plan

Edward Jones - Riley

Eno Vino Wine Bar & Bistro

First Weber Group- See Team

Fish & Associates, Inc.

Frank Liquor Co - Frank Beer Distributors

Gio's Garden

Gordon Flesch Company
Granite City Food & Brewery

H. Krueger & Associates

Hausmann-Johnson Insurance

Heritage Middleton

Holy Wisdom Monastery

Horizon Health & Fitness

In Business Magazine

JDRF

Key Commercial Real Estate

KMI - Kalish Masonry, LLC

Kothe Real Estate Partners

LegalShield - Susan D. Oja

Madison Capitols

Memorial Pet Services, Inc.

Middleton Farmers Co-op

Middleton Fire District

Morey Airplane Company, Inc.

Network Engineering Technologies (NET)

OccuPaws Guide Dog Assoc.

Orange Shoe Personal Fitness

Orangetheory Fitness Madison

Park Bank

Pleasant View Golf Course
QPS Employment Group

Restaino & Associates -
The Markley Team

Reynolds Transfer & Storage

RxFinancial

Sprecher's Restaurant & Pub

Sprinkman Real Estate

St. Vincent de Paul Madison

Stoppleworth Plumbing, Ltd.

StoryFirst Media LLC

Stroud Real Estate at First Weber

SwimWest Swim School

The Business Source LLC

The Community of Bishops Bay

The Storage Guy

Tony Trapp Remodeling & Repairs

United Way of Dane County

UW Provision Company

Valencia Place Apartments - Prime Urban Properties

Vin Santo

Waterstone Mortgage Corporation

Work Plus Inc.

Wussow Chiropractic

5 Years
Bank Mutual
Borakove Osman, LLC
Frank Liquor Co - Frank Beer Distributors
Friends of Henry Vilas Zoo
Gio's Garden
Simply Savvy
St. Vincent de Paul Madison

10 Years
Cousins Submarines
Memorial Pet Services
Rowe Design & Construction

20 Years
M&M Office Interiors

30 Years
Ace Hardware


40 Years
Gilson Inc.
Middleton Farmers Co-Op

65 Years
Gunderson West Funeral Home


Thank You for your continued support!