The Post-Crescent (Appleton, WI) articles from March 2001

The Post-Crescent (Appleton, WI) archives from March 2001

Credit Union Plans to Open Three New Branches in Appleton, Wis., Area.
March 30, 2001... Byline: Avi Stern Mar. 29--Community First Credit Union is in the midst of a growth spurt that will eventually bolster its Fox Valley presence by more than 30 percent. With nine branches already -- including a recently launched...

New London, Wis., Farms Strike Deal with Union.
March 30, 2001... Byline: Megan Mulholland Mar. 29--NEW LONDON, Wis.--The Independent Union of Hillshire Farms and Kahn's approved its four-year contract Tuesday, said Nate Leider, general manager. While declining to discuss details of the pact, he...

Seminar on Health Care Coverage Held in Oshkosh, Wis.
March 29, 2001... Byline: Megan Mulholland Mar. 27--OSHKOSH, Wis.--For the last three years, Jim Janes has faced steep increases on the premiums for his employees' health care insurance. Janes, who owns Oshkosh Marine Supply with his wife, Cindy, was...

International Paper Proposes Recovery Plan for Industrial Papers Business.
March 29, 2001... Byline: Joanne Zuhl Mar. 27--High energy costs, a sagging economy and overseas competition have prompted the Industrial Papers Business of International Paper to implement a "recovery" plan for 2001. The plan includes consolidating...

Menasha, Wis., Convenience Store to Add Sporting Goods, Fishing Supplies.
March 29, 2001... Byline: Megan Mulholland Mar. 28--MENASHA, Wis.--Best Beverage is adding nearly 800 square feet to expand into bait, tackle and sporting goods. Gene Kuchenbecker, owner of the liquor and convenience mart at 1031 Appleton Road, said...

Wisconsin to Expand Options for College Tuition Savings.
March 29, 2001... Byline: Avi Stern Mar. 28--For Wisconsin parents or grandparents trying to save money for a youngster's college expenses, the state is taking a leap forward. Restructuring the 4-year-old EdVest program, administrators say the newly...

Waupaca, Wis., Bookstore Receives Business Award from Local Newspaper.
March 28, 2001... Byline: Avi Stern Mar. 26--The artwork adorning the front of Ellen Davis' bookstore in Waupaca captures the essence of what lies within its walls. The image shows two children perched on the back of a soaring dragon, taking part in a...

Oshkosh, Wis., Small Businessman Participates in Health Care Town Meeting.
March 28, 2001... Byline: Megan Mulholland Mar. 27--OSHKOSH, Wis.--For the last three years, Jim Janes has faced steep increases on the premiums for his employees' health care insurance. Janes, who owns Oshkosh Marine Supply with his wife, Cindy, was...

Health System Based in Appleton, Wis., Area Wins Business Award.
March 28, 2001... Byline: Avi Stern Mar. 26--In his first full year as a chief executive officer, Dr. John Toussaint faces a series of challenges even veteran business leaders would consider intimidating. In April, Toussaint assumed leadership of...

Manager of Appleton, Wis., Hotel Keeps a Busy Schedule.
March 28, 2001... Byline: Judy Waggoner Mar. 26--Keeping details straight for more than 50 different events in a month would boggle the minds of most hosts, but Barb Sexmith takes it all in stride. "I like the day-to-day changes and challenges of my...

Wisconsin-Based Paper Firm Implements `Recovery' Plan for 2001.
March 28, 2001... Byline: Joanne Zuhl Mar. 27--High energy costs, a sagging economy and overseas competition have prompted the Industrial Papers Business of International Paper to implement a "recovery" plan for 2001. The plan includes consolidating...

Wisconsin Voters to Determine Fate of Restaurant Anti-Smoking Initiative.
March 28, 2001... Byline: Maureen Wallenfang Mar. 26--For the first time in the state's history, voters will be given a chance to say if they want to snuff out smoking in local eateries or continue to allow patrons to smoke 'em if they got 'em. If a...

New Credit Union Branch Installed in Appleton, Wis., High School.
March 28, 2001... Byline: Maureen Wallenfang Mar. 26--When Appleton West High School students talk about CDs during lunch hour, they may not be referring to the latest music. A new branch of Community First Credit Union situated prominently in the...

Wisconsin Restaurants Embark on Quest for Truth in Smoking Ban Question.
March 28, 2001... Byline: Maureen Wallenfang Mar. 26--The truth remains a relative thing -- in the end, it all depends on whom you ask. Surveys assessing the economic impact of smoking bans in cities and states across the country offer two different...

Appleton, Wis., Students Help Perform Experiments for Space Shuttle Mission.
March 28, 2001... Byline: Stefanie Scott Mar. 26--When the space shuttle Endeavour soars into the final frontier next month, students at two area high schools will pay close attention. Science classes at Appleton East and West have spent the last month...

Ameritech to Invest $17.3 Million in Appleton, Wis., Area.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Stefanie Scott Mar. 16--Ameritech will invest more than $17.3 million in the Fox Cities this year, company officials reported Thursday. "Appleton is one of our largest growth areas," said David Steffen, director of external...

Wisconsin Car Dealership Chain Buys Two Milwaukee Operations.
March 26, 2001... Mar. 15--WEST BEND, Wis.--Russ Darrow Automotive Group, a state car dealer with a Fox Cities store, has purchased the Goben car dealerships in Milwaukee, adding to its 14 in Wisconsin. The dealerships acquired were Goben Cars-Suzuki,...

New London, Wis., Bakery Firm Union Rejects Contract Offer.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Megan Mulholland Mar. 16--NEW LONDON, Wis.--The union at Hillshire Farm and Kahn's rejected its first contract offer this week. "The union negotiating committee is fully in favor of ratification, but it did get voted down,"...

Shawano, Wis.-Based Bovine Breeder Thrives in Changing Industry.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Megan Mulholland Mar. 19--Genex Cooperative's catalogue of Holstein sires reads like a singles ad. The prize bull, Eddie, is quite the achiever. He has 66 daughters in 57 herds. All are strong, tall and have good udders. They...

Four Appleton, Wis.-Area Construction Trades Merge Councils into One.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Megan Mulholland Mar. 15--The four area building and construction trades councils have merged into one organization in a move a union leader said will give them more clout. The new organization is called the Northeast...

Shawano, Wis.-Based Company Relies on Traditional Genetics for Superior Cows.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Megan Mulholland Mar. 19--On a Stony Hill farm, about four miles west of Shawano, a veterinarian squints into a microscope, searching for cow embryos. They were removed from some of the hundreds of cows Genex Cooperative...

Kaukauna, Wis., to Celebrate with Local Businesses about Economic Growth.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Stefanie Scott Mar. 13--The city of Kaukauna will celebrate its economic growth Thursday by bringing together the more than 60 businesses located in its three industrial parks. Occupants of Kaukauna Industrial Park No. 1,...

Former NBA Player Joins Appleton, Wis., Financial Planning Firm.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Megan Mulholland Mar. 18--Life as Phil Cartwright knew it changed dramatically in June, when he tore a ligament in his knee playing basketball. After playing professionally for eight years and on the verge of re-entering the...

Wisconsin Slogan Signifies High-Quality, State-Made Food Products.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Stefanie Scott Mar. 18--The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, distinguishes Delicious Popcorn's products as "Something Special from Wisconsin." The slogan, reserved for about 200 businesses...

Green Bay, Wis.-Based Grocery Firm Reports Quarterly, Annual Losses.
March 26, 2001... Mar. 16--GREEN BAY, Wis.--Shopko Stores Inc. suffered losses in the fourth fiscal quarter and fiscal 2000, mainly because of a $125 million restructuring charge, the company reported Thursday. Including that charge, the quarter ended Feb....

Fund Manager for Appleton, Wis.-Based Company Talks about Strategy.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Avi Stern Mar. 14--Fred Plautz couldn't have paid for better publicity. The portfolio manager of the AAL Capital Growth Fund woke up in January to discover the nation's largest-selling daily newspaper, USA Today, had cited...

Financial Experts Discuss Dramatic Downturn in Stock Market.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Avi Stern Mar. 14--When it's all said and done, Scott Grittinger suggests investors really only want to do two things: sleep at night and make some money -- not necessarily in that order. Unfortunately, people who have taken...

Neshkoro, Wis., Llama Farm to Concentrate on Shearing, Showing Services.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Avi Stern Mar. 13--NESHKORO, Wis.--Randy Krueger and Troy Luethe continue to, quite literally, shear their inventory. The partners behind Pine Bluff Llamas & Exotics are "downsizing" their herd as they refocus their business....

Appleton, Wis.-Based Company's Electronic Systems Get Messages Across.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Stefanie Scott Mar. 19--As riders of the New York ferry system wait for their boats, they watch news, weather and stock information. What no one realizes is the content goes through computers in an Appleton office before reaching...

U.S. Paper Companies Invest in Fiber-Based Packaging Firm on Pacific Rim.
March 26, 2001... Mar. 13--HONG KONG--International Paper and Carter Holt Harvey have joined to invest a 50 percent share in Pacific Millennium Paper Group, a privately-held company doing business in greater China, South East Asia, and San Diego, Calif. ...

Smoking Ban Could Spell Doom for Neenah, Wis., Business.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Maureen Wallenfang Mar. 26--Lynn Murray owns Bring Her Inn, a small restaurant on Green Bay Road in Neenah. She bought the building and opened it as a bar 19 years ago. Four years later, she added a menu, and today food sales...

Waupaca, Wis.-Based Company Continues to Build Stake in Snack Food Market.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Stefanie Scott Mar. 18--WAUPACA, Wis.--The headquarters of Delicious Popcorn & Distributors Co. Inc. smells -- well, delicious. Visitors entering the offices are welcomed by the smell of freshly cooked potato chips, which...

Appleton, Wis.-Area Collectors Cherish Obsolete Computer Systems.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Stefanie Scott Mar. 19--Andy Hilbert's home teems with computers and gaming systems long dismissed as obsolete. Where some visitors may perceive only rummage sale fodder, the Oshkosh resident prefers to see "vintage"...

Monroe, La.-Based Telecom Firm Names New General Manager for Eastern Wisconsin.
March 26, 2001... Byline: Stefanie Scott Mar. 16--CenturyTel, the second-largest landline telecommunications service in Wisconsin, recently named a general manager for the eastern Wisconsin area. Todd Schafer, 35, will head up the landline and...

Owner of Appleton, Wis., Piano Business Puts House Up for Sale.
March 25, 2001... Byline: Stefanie Scott Mar. 24--Tom Goudy, owner of Goudy Piano Co., recently put the downtown Appleton building comprising his home and business up for sale. While he has not decided whether to relocate the piano business, Goudy...

Increased Plant Closings Worries Union Leaders in Appleton, Wis., Area.
March 25, 2001... Byline: Megan Mulholland Mar. 23--The increasing number of plant closings, sales and mergers has caused concern for many area union members, according to a Wisconsin labor leader. "We have to be more open on how we deal with those...

Neenah, Wis.-Based Retailer Reports Quarterly Loss of $630,000.
March 25, 2001... Mar. 23--NEENAH, Wis.--Outlook Group Corp. today reported a net loss of $630,000 or a drop of $0.16 per diluted share for its third quarter of fiscal 2001, compared to earnings of $303,000 or $0.07 per diluted share for the comparable prior...

Longtime Owner of Appleton, Wis., Auto Dealership Dies.
March 23, 2001... Byline: Avi Stern Mar. 22--Robert J. Kolosso, owner of the longest-lasting single-owner auto dealership in the Fox Cities and a vocal advocate for his industry, died Monday. Kolosso, 72, a lifelong Appleton resident, still served as...

Greenville, Wis., Spring Company Wins State Manufacturer Award.
March 23, 2001... Byline: Stefanie Scott Mar. 22--Spring Co. of Greenville has received a Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year award citing its progressive use of technology and customer service. The privately held custom spring manufacturer garnered...

Residents of Wisconsin's Fox Valley Able to Donate Vehicles to Good Cause.
March 22, 2001... Byline: Maureen Wallenfang Mar. 21--Kathy Nodolf, a teacher at Appleton North High School, shoveled snow around the 1990 Ford Aerostar van parked in her driveway all winter. Now that her youngest daughter was off to college, the once...

Appleton, Wis.-Based Electrical Contracting Firm Buys Assets of Rival Company.
March 22, 2001... Byline: Stefanie Scott Mar. 21--G&L Electric Inc., an Appleton-based electrical contracting firm, recently purchased the assets of High Tech Electric Inc., a small Fremont contractor. "We bought it to improve our work force and get...

Appleton, Wis., Newspaper Publisher Wins Award from Gannett Co.
March 22, 2001... Byline: Avi Stern Mar. 21--For the fourth time in his career, Tom Bookstaver stands among Gannett Co. Inc.'s finest. The president and publisher of The Post-Crescent and vice president for Gannett's Midwest Group was among 11...

Plans for Vandenbroek, Wis., Drive-In Theater Are on Hold.
March 21, 2001... Byline: Megan Mulholland Mar. 20--VANDENBROEK, Wis.--Plans for a proposed drive-in movie theater have stopped rolling, but the Antigo developer hoping to revive the pastime in the Fox Cities hasn't given up yet. "It's on hold, but...

Wisconsin Cybercafes Reinvent Themselves to Renew Consumer Appeal.
March 14, 2001... Byline: Stefanie Scott Mar. 11--Five years ago, cybercafes ranked as some of the coolest places to hang out, check e-mail and get a snack. But as quickly as the fad emerged, it fizzled -- at least in this area. Cybercafes in Oshkosh,...

Industry Renews Eggs' Popularity Despite Persistent Health Risks.
March 14, 2001... Byline: Joanne Zuhl Mar. 11--Cholesterol has been the nemesis of the egg industry since the 1970s when the dark side of egg consumption first surfaced in the news. "Every time something came out in the news, business would falter a...

Reedsville, Wis.-Based Humpty Dumpty Eggs Serves Regional Niche.
March 14, 2001... Byline: Joanne Zuhl Mar. 11--REEDSVILLE, Wis.--His words alone can make a breakfast-lover salivate. "Anyone who says that an egg is an egg is an egg, I'll disagree with. Because we like to determine our interior quality of the...

Wisconsin-Based Talkingsites.com Gives New Voice to Web Sites.
March 14, 2001... Byline: Stefanie Scott Mar. 11--Just as silent movies eventually evolved into talkies, Nick Hetcher believes sound will someday transform the Web. Hetcher, president of Talkingsites.com a Web site audio production company in...

Appleton, Wis., Woman Revels in Building Area Appreciation of Art.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Stefanie Scott Mar. 11--Barb Porto sees her role as building local residents' appreciation of art. She works as a senior executive art consultant with Creative Galleries, a Portage, Mich.-based art retailer. Porto, an...

Oshkosh, Wis., Risk-Taking Entrepreneur Hits Low Point with Bankruptcy.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Arlen Boardman Mar. 12--OSHKOSH, Wis.--Michael Schraa has spent his life reaching for the stars, but now he's bracing for a crash landing. This man who has craved -- and savored -- business success now pins his redemption on a...

Congress Debates Bill to Alter Bankruptcy Process.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Arlen Boardman Mar. 11--Bankruptcy legislation debated by Congress last week will cause a surge in such filings for six months before a significant decline takes place, the executive director of the American Bankruptcy Institute...

Oshkosh, Wis., Man Helps Organize Annual Concert Event.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Jeff Potts Mar. 6--OSHKOSH, Wis.--Mike Dempsey knows a little something about stroking superstar egos. Consider the time Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers insisted on limousine transportation to transport him across the street...

Economic Downturn Spurs Entrepreneurial Spirit in Appleton, Wis., Area.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Arlen Boardman Mar. 5--In broad terms, a slowing economy shakes consumer confidence, deters venture capital and fosters employment insecurity. While the first two factors can smother the success of business start-ups, the...

Wisconsin-Based Health Care Organization Recognized for Quality.
March 12, 2001... Mar. 6--A national health care publication has ranked ThedaCare No. 17 as the best integrated health care network in the nation and as the best health care system in Wisconsin. In a survey published in last month's Modern Healthcare Magazine,...

Insurance Executive Appreciates Wisconsin's Small-Town Attributes.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Megan Mulholland Mar. 4--Tim Roberts appreciates small-town Wisconsin's friendliness and trust. When he and wife Christine recently asked to test-drive a car, the salesman gave them the keys and asked when they'd be back. ...

Wisconsin Paper Industry Endorses New Electric Power Plan.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Joanne Zuhl Mar. 9--NEENAH, Wis.--The Wisconsin Paper Council (WPC) is putting its qualified support behind the Wisconsin Energy Corp.'s new electric power plan to add 2,800 megawatts of new generating capacity The plan, titled...

Wisconsin Realtors Find Home Buyers, Sellers Demand High-Tech Market Presence.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Stefanie Scott Mar. 4--Dawn Sullivan, a broker with Realty Executives in Green Bay, insists every real estate listing should appear on the Web. "We're seeing a lot of buyers that are Internet driven," she said. She tells...

Cellular Company Dips into Bygone Era for De Pere, Wis., Showroom's Interior.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Stefanie Scott Mar. 4--DE PERE, Wis. -- Two eras have converged in a single store. As one would expect, sales associates at Cellcom's headquarters offer a full line of pagers, cell phones and other wireless accessories. ...

Appleton, Wis., Woman Faces Pitfalls, Rewards of Starting Her Own Business.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Avi Stern Mar. 5--Deb Reilly says she has no time for regrets. After working 20 years for Fleming Cos. in La Crosse, the Appleton native lost her middle-management position in September when the food distributor restructured....

Wisconsin University Officials Discuss Benefits of College Education.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Stefanie Scott Mar. 9--OSHKOSH, Wis.--The continued shortage of technically skilled labor has spurred some students to forgo the traditional university route in an effort to find faster tracks, say officials at the University of...

Wisconsin's Wolf River Region Seeks Tourism Boost.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Stefanie Scott Mar. 11--While attending a Fremont sports show last year, Jill Schneiter noticed most of the tourists fell into the over-60 age group. Schneiter and her husband, Bill, had bought the Gala Resort & Campgrounds...

Appleton, Wis., Agency Blends Tourism with Genealogy.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Judy Waggoner Mar. 4--As owner of the Appleton Travel Network franchise, Denis Verhagen, 59, loves his work. But he's passionate about his hobby of genealogy. Fortunately, he's been able to combine the two into one full life that...

National Medical Leader Criticizes U.S. Health Care System.
March 11, 2001... Byline: Megan Mulholland Mar. 9--The United States is an economic powerhouse, yet its health care system isn't performing as well as it should, a national medical leader said. The system has a lack of universal coverage, a sense of...

Neenah, Wis., Tech Manufacturing Firm Faces Dilemma about Future Operations.
March 11, 2001... Byline: Arlen Boardman Mar. 9--NEENAH, Wis.--Uncertainty among its high-tech customers has executives at Plexus Corp. wrestling with its own short-term goals, shareholders were told Wednesday. Nonetheless, executives with the...

Wrightstown, Wis., Coatings Company Earns Statewide Growth Award.
March 9, 2001... Byline: Joanne Zuhl Mar. 9--WRIGHTSTOWN, Wis.--If this is an economic slowdown, then bring it on, say executives at Coating Excellence International. Launched in 1997, the coating operation has grown from the ground up to become a...

Menasha, Wis.-Based Construction Company Forays into Design.
March 9, 2001... Byline: Avi Stern Mar. 7--MENASHA, Wis.--With plans on the drawing board for a new $5.5 million corporate headquarters, executives at Miron Construction Co. Inc. also have created a new division to fill it. The 83-year-old company is...

Multiple Options Exist for People Fired from Jobs.
March 9, 2001... Byline: Avi Stern Mar. 7--After working 30 years in the finance industry, Donna Habert now ponders a new career outside it. When Citizens Banking Corp. in Flint, Mich., acquired F&M Bancorporation in 1999, Habert saw the writing on...

Jobless Appleton, Wis., Residents Look to Non-Traditional Career Paths.
March 9, 2001... Byline: Avi Stern Mar. 9--Professionally, all Darcy Willis ever knew was packaging. The 55-year-old Appleton resident built his career in the field, working for giants like General Motors, Abbott Laboratories and, most recently,...

CEO of Neenah, Wis.-Based Office Products Company to Retire.
March 9, 2001... Mar. 7--NEENAH, Wis.--Bemiss-Jason Corp., a supplier to the school, arts and crafts and office products industries announced that President and Chief Executive Officer Gordon T. Case will retire after 23 years with the company. Case, 60,...

Green Bay, Wis., Printing Press Company Buys Emporia, Kan., Firm.
March 9, 2001... Mar. 7--GREEN BAY, Wis.--Paper Converting Machine Co., Green Bay, has purchased the assets of Webtron/Zigzag from Didde Corp. of Emporia, Kan. Webtron is a manufacturer of narrow web flexographic printing presses. Paper Converting...

Seymour, Wis., Nursing Home's Workers Recruit New Hires with Job Fair.
March 5, 2001... Byline: Arlen Boardman Mar. 1--SEYMOUR, Wis.--A care-giver shortage plaguing the Fox Valley's major hospital systems is complicating life in smaller nursing homes as well. The hunt for talent has gotten so focused the employees of...

President of Menasha, Wis.-Based Health Plan Resigns.
March 5, 2001... Byline: Megan Mulholland Mar. 2--Mike Wolff has stepped down as president of Network Health Plan. Wolff had been with the Menasha-based health maintenance organization for 10 years. He declined comment on why he is leaving or what...

Miller Electric of Wisconsin Hopes Job Cutbacks Will Actually Save Jobs.
March 5, 2001... Byline: Arlen Boardman Mar. 1--Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. is using rolling voluntary layoffs, office-to-production job transfers and other creative moves to cut its work force in the face of sagging sales, spokeswoman Nicole...

Rochester, N.Y.-Based Telecom Company Moves into Wisconsin's Fox Valley.
March 5, 2001... Byline: Stefanie Scott Mar. 2--In the face of "telecom shakeout," Choice One Communications still intends to make a push in the Fox Valley market, according to corporate officials. A year ago, the Rochester, N.Y.-based company, an...