Success Stories

4x Innovations Drives Business Growth into Community

Adam Wiegmann started 4x Innovations in his parent's driveway tinkering with his own vehicle, but he soon outgrew that setting and moved into 900 sq. ft. at the Platteville Business Incubator. Over the course of several years, Adam's company grew, taking on new employees and new manufacturing space, with his operation topping out recently at close to 5,000 sq. ft. of incubator space.

Beyond just a building, the Incubator helps businesses with business coaching, low interest loans, mentorship, support services such as conference rooms, an entrepreneurial community and high speed internet. Adam and his team now ship their Toyota truck armor worldwide, and they recently bought a 19,000 sq. foot building where they continue to expand their product and service offerings.

4x is just one of more than 45 companies that have spent time at the Incubator. For more information about 4x Innovations, visit https://www.4xinnovations.com/. To get your business growing at the Platteville Incubator, contact kate@pbii.org or visit https://pbii.org

Bender’s Foods Expands In Fennimore

The Bender's Foods tradition of providing great service, quality products, and small community convenience continues through the generations. Randy Bender, President and CEO of Bender's Foods, grew up in the grocery business with his father, Jake, who was a manager with Randall's Foods for over 30 years, starting in South Dakota and retiring after overseeing an expansion into Iowa with several stores in Dubuque. In 1986, Randy and his wife, Marta Bender, opened the first Bender's Foods grocery store in Denver, IA. With a desire to move closer to family, in 1991, the couple opened a new store in Bellevue, IA, the small Mississippi town where they raised four children—Jacob, Rachel, Megan and Danielle—all who had responsibilities at the store.

In 2002, Bender's Foods expanded the business into the Wisconsin area and opened a store in Fennimore, WI. Continuing business in Iowa, in 2004 a store in Guttenberg, IA was opened. Now with three stores in Iowa and Wisconsin, the next several years were dedicated to remodels and upgrades of the existing stores. Randy and Marta's son, Jacob, followed in his father's footsteps and accepted a Vice President position in the family business and responsibility of the Wisconsin stores. In 2017, an opportunity in Muscoda, WI welcomed the fourth Bender's Foods store; and at the same time, Bender's made a commitment to the Fennimore community to enhance their shopping experience. In 2018, the brand new state of the art Fennimore store opened, which is more than double the size of the original store. The new store in Fennimore, WI is the largest of the four Bender's Foods stores and offers hundreds of additional products and services not found in the other Bender's store locations including Bender's Signature fresh gourmet popcorn and Smoked Meat (both made fresh daily), and Community First banking.

For the past 32 years, community and convenience continues to be the focus of the Bender's Foods stores. Bender's Foods stores offer hot/cold deli services with full salad and dessert bar, several grab and go options, bakery items, cold beer vault—including craft and local beer, a full line of liquor and wine, fresh quality meat and produce, and Best Choice brand products.

Bender's Foods supports local non-profit organizations, gets involved in community events, and donates over $25,000 annually to non-profit organizations and fundraising events to better the community. To learn more about Bender’s Foods visit https://www.bendersfoods.com/.

Fennimore Smiles of LDA Second Location for Lancaster Dental Associates

In May 2018, Lancaster Dental Associates expanded their dental clinics when they opened their second clinic, Fennimore Smiles of LDA, with the expansion to a new building in the Fennimore Business Park. Located at 1515 LaFollette Street, the main level of the new clinic is a 2600 sq. ft facility, while the lower level of the new clinic includes 2400 sq. ft. of lettable space.

Lancaster Dental Associates began its practice in Lancaster in 1959. “While the practice has undergone many changes over the years, this is the first extension of the dental practice to a neighboring community. Opening a new office in Fennimore brings greater space to serve all our patients and allows us to become a part of the great community of Fennimore,” stated Dr. Hoffman.

Dr. Peter Hoffman, Dr. Ashton Wickwire and Dr. Christi Larson continue to serve the citizens of northern Grant Country by offering the convenience of a second location in Fennimore. “We have many patients that live in Fennimore and the surrounding area and the number of patients we serve continues to grow,” Dr. Hoffman reports.

Fennimore Smiles of LDA has a total rotating staff of 20, with six to seven staff in each office daily.

Dental services include:

• Traditional and Clear Braces
• Dental Implants Start to Finish
• 3D Diagnostic Imaging
• Dentures and Partials
• Same Day Crowns
• Root Canal Therapy

For more information, visit http://www.fennimoresmiles.com/

Pec Time Tubing Makes a Splash In Lafayette County

When Jeremiah Kleiber bought his first house in 2003, he had no idea, almost 15 years later, it would lead to owning and operating four businesses with his wife, Ashley, in Lafayette County. Also owners of Renui Salon and Spa and Arbor Crest Acres, the Kleiber’s latest business venture, Pec Time Tubing, began in the Village of Argyle in the summer of 2017. The business was a long time in the making, but the Kleibers have nothing but positive things to say about all the groups and individuals who helped them create such a unique business in Lafayette County. From the Village Board of Argyle to the DNR and Recreation Committees, it took a lot of people to create a sustainable business model and to decide where the best place to tube on the Pecatonica River would be, but their efforts have more than paid off.

On weeks with good weather in the summer of 2017, Pec Time Tubing was overrun with customers looking to enjoy a lazy day on the river. Customers from Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago flocked to Argyle after hearing about Pec Time Tubing on Social Media and Groupon, looking for a new adventure and to try something out of their normal wheelhouse.

Ashley and Jeremiah are grateful for the support they have had by the local communities; when people support local, it really helps small businesses succeed. The Kleibers hope to continue shaping their businesses for years to come and when business opportunity number five comes around, they are open to further expanding their portfolio right here in Lafayette County.

For more information about Pec Time Tubing visit https://www.lafayettecountywi.org/business-directory-listing/pec-time-tubing-inc. To learn how to “make a wave” in Lafayette County contact Abby Haas at 608-776-4860 or visit https://www.lafayettecountywi.org.

Driftless Brewing Co. Upgrades in Soldiers Grove

In a few short years, demand for Driftless Brewing Company’s beers exceeded the small production capacity of its original 1 BBL production system, as they began fielding requests for their products from as far away as Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Chicago.

Driftless Brewing Company, LLC, is located in the village of Soldiers Grove in the scenic Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin. The brewer recently expanded to a 15 BBL system from its original 1 BBL production system started in 2013.

“Our expansion to a 15 BBL brewery allows us to serve customers throughout southwestern and Southern Wisconsin and provide a destination brewery and taproom for those seeking quality, local craft beer in the Driftless Region,” said Cynthia Olmstead, Business Operations Director of Driftless Brewing Co.

Driftless Brewery’s expansion could not have been achieved alone. The Village of Soldiers Grove supported the business with a low-cost business loan from their Community Development Corporation for the initial system and additional loans to help through the expansion process. Additionally, the Village of Soldier Grove was the brewery’s partner in the state WEDC grant that helped match the obtained loan funding. Valuable assistance was also given from Driftless Development INC, Crawford County’s economic development organization who facilitated gap funding solutions in the form of the state grant and a low-interest loan.

This expansion’s funding—totaling over $1.1 million, was supported by:

• Equipment and building renovation bank loans from Citizens First Bank of Viroqua
• SBA 504 equipment and building renovation loans via Wisconsin Business Development
• A WEDC Community Development Investment grant
• A Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission (MRRPC) CMV Growth
• Development Fund business loan for working capital
• Funding from private investors of DBC

Support for Driftless Brewery is also driven by its small community as a successful driver of economic development. Many of the brewery’s ingredients are sourced from local and regional businesses, co-ops and farmers which make Driftless Brewery’s beers reflect the rich abundance of the Driftless Area in name and taste. Many of their ingredients are sourced within a few miles of the brewery, including fruits and berries picked by their own staff. Driftless Brewery Co.’s kegs and six packs are now being distributed in 11 counties in Southern Wisconsin including the Madison-metro area.

DRIFTLESS BREWING COMPANY, LLC, IS DEDICATED TO HAND-CRAFTING DISTINCTIVE, FULL-FLAVORED ALES AND LAGERS FOR OUR BEER-LOVING FRIENDS USING THE FINEST LOCALLY AND REGIONALLY SOURCED INGREDIENTS.

To learn more about Driftless Brewing Company, visit https://www.driftlessbrewing.com/, or explore economic development opportunities in Crawford County at http://www.driftlessdevelopment.com/.

AVISTA Contributes Global Impact from Platteville

AVISTA Incorporated can be a mysterious building located in Platteville, Wisconsin, but If you have ever flown a Boeing 787 jetliner you could be familiar with AVISTA’s work.

AVISTA initially began in the summer of 1987 with two employees under the name “Insight Industries.” Due to its proximity to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, which offers wellknown engineering programs in software, electrical, mechanical and civil engineering, the organization found a home in Platteville and since then AVISTA has certainly grown.

“We have great access to early career talent and support from UW-Platteville,” reported an employee contributor. “Roughly fifty percent of our engineering teams are graduates from UWPlatteville. Platteville (is) a great community for young engineers and our long-term workforce and their families. This community provides an easy-going lifestyle; paired with a high-tech company which is attractive for our staff.”

Today, AVISTA is a leader in aviation and defense software engineering and employs nearly 140 engineers. The organization specializes in designing, developing, and testing software designated for many different applications including aerospace, defense, medical, and agricultural applications.

Quest Industrial of Monroe Partners with ProMach

With almost two decades of strategy innovative and industry-leading designs, Quest Industrial became a formidable presence in the Monroe, Wisconsin industrial park and continues to increase the demand for engineering professionals in Southwest Wisconsin.

Quest Industrial, founded by Don Wickstrom in 2001, is a full-service robotic integrator that specializes in automation solutions across food, beverage, plastics, metal, and other industries needing to automate, better utilize floor space, and improve the flexibility of their production lines.

During the company’s first few years, Wickstrom incorporated FANUC robotics into his innovative industrial solutions. With a creative and expert use of vision systems, Quest earned FANUC Vision Specialist certification, and is only one of 17 such certificate holders in the United States.

In 2019 Quest’s creative expertise certainly paid off, as Quest Industrial became part of ProMach—a designer, manufacturer, integrator, and supporter of the most sophisticated and advanced packaging solutions in the global marketplace, headquartered near Cincinnati, Ohio.

Upholding a commitment to performance and innovation with ProMach, Quest now holds a diverse customer base that includes everyone from Fortune 500 companies to smaller, privately held businesses who depend on reliable, flexible, and technologically advanced equipment and integrated solutions worldwide.

To learn more about Quest International and their services check out their website.

SWCAP, Cinnaire & Partners Celebrate Grand Opening for The Meadows in Darlington, WI

Cinnaire Solutions & SWCAP Partner to Develop New Affordable Housing Community for Farmworkers

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Cinnaire recently joined our partners at Southwestern Wisconsin Community Action Program (SWCAP) and Wisconsin Management Company to celebrate the grand opening for The Meadows, a 32-unit new construction affordable housing community in Darlington, WI, designed exclusively to support agriculture and farmworkers and their families. Cinnaire provided a $4.1 million Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) investment and a $260,300 predevelopment loan to support the project. Cinnaire Solutions, the in-house development affiliate of Cinnaire, partnered with SWCAP to co-develop The Meadows. 

“Farmworkers are a significant part of Wisconsin’s economy and fill an important role in rural communities in the Badger State. Lafayette County is home to a booming agricultural industry that provides more than half of the jobs in the community,” said Nicole Solheim, Cinnaire Solutions Vice President, Development. “Affordable housing is a cornerstone of healthy, thriving communities, creating positive impact for families, and supporting the local economy. We’re proud to join the many public and private partners that came together to bring high-quality, affordable housing to support Wisconsin farmworkers and their families.”

The Meadows features 32 two- and three-bedroom units in two townhouse style buildings. Key funding partners include USDA Rural Development, the Wisconsin Housing and Economic. Development Authority (WHEDA), Cinnaire, The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (FHLBank Chicago), UMOS, and the Wisconsin Department of Administration. 

Following the ribbon cutting, Cinnaire Solutions and SWCAP hosted a tour for event speakers including Kathy Blumenfeld, WI Department of Administration Secretary, Julie Lassa, USDA RD WI Director, and Jeff Towne, WHEDA Community and Economic Development Officer. 

“Affordable housing is vitally important to the quality of life for everyone in our state including agricultural workers and their families,” said USDA RD Director Lassa. “As Lafayette County is one of Wisconsin’s leading agricultural counties there is a great need for this type of workforce housing. The partnership with Southwestern Wisconsin Community Action Program and Cinnaire Solutions will help address the need for affordable, quality housing to support agricultural workers and their families in the community. USDA Rural Development, under the Biden-Harris Administration, is proud to be part of this project.”

“The Meadows not only provides decent, affordable housing for farmworkers and their families, but also supports local farm owners in their efforts to recruit and retain employees to keep our local agricultural economy thriving,” said Wally Orzechowski, SWCAP Executive Director. “This celebration is the result of a lot of effort from our public and private partners, and we’re grateful for their commitment to making our vision for The Meadows a reality.”

SWCAP works to mitigate the cause and conditions of poverty in Southwestern Wisconsin, building resilience and self-sufficiency by providing supportive services and programs. The Meadows on-site community building offers services through SWCAP’s Multicultural Outreach program, including English language skills and assistance with healthcare, legal issues, and access to employment. 

About Cinnaire

Cinnaire is a non-profit financial partner that supports affordable housing developments along with community and economic revitalization initiatives through creative investments, loans and real estate development services. Since 1993, Cinnaire has invested $4.9 billion to support the development of 863 housing communities in 10 states, providing 53,146 affordable apartment homes for more than 114,000 individuals and families and has provided community development loans to support the creation/retention of more than 4.7 million square feet of commercial, mixed-use, and community space. Cinnaire is a cooperate owner in CPC Mortgage Company, a national mortgage lending company specializing in Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and Federal Housing Administration (FHA) finance products. In its mission to change lives and transform neighborhoods into thriving communities, Cinnaire has helped to create or retain over 80,000 jobs and spur $9.3 billion in economic impact.  https://cinnaire.com