Leader of the Market As founder of a leading engineering company, Owen Ayres left his mark on the Chippewa Valley in his own way, including a little-known way. Architect Raivo Balciunas loves all aspects of his art Tall, with rugged looks, Raivo Balciunas would look at home atop a quarterhorse and under a 10-gallon hat. He also possesses a handshake firm enough to steady the wheel of a fishing trawler in a storm. Baker brings history to life Brian Larson held plans that detailed the proposed remodeling of a 1935 Art Deco home near the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus. Bauman Construction grew into industrial building leader Gerald and Ardell Bauman certainly weren't surprised when Steve Olson, who owns Huffcutt Concrete with his brother Bill, came to them when it was time for a new industrial building. Bauman Construction had done several projects for Huffcutt. Cutting costs, not comfort To many Americans, corporate cuts mean pink slips, panic and unemployment checks. And cuts in home budgets mean mac and cheese and 62 degrees instead of steak in a comfy home. Contractors share concerns on key industry issues Our construction industry team at Wipfli provides services to all types and sizes of contractors. Over the past couple of months, we have had discussions on issues and concerns affecting contractors. From these discussions, we've noted some common themes that every contractor should be aware of: America’s Business Every job I've ever held taught me something. And I've held a number — from flipping hamburgers, to playing in a bar band, to loading cans of corn on pallets, to patrolling the halls of a huge insurance company as a security guard. The remodeling of a run-down armory is a success story In a moment of frustration, Cheryl Story foretold her future. Building relationships Not many people were around March 22 to see Greg Haselwander, president of the Chippewa Valley Home Builders Association, argue against a $3,990 impact fee per residential unit in the town of Menomonie. The fee would have been passed on to consumers and the CVHBA fights to keep housing affordable. Huffcutt Concrete does heavy-duty work With individual units commonly weighing 25 tons, pre-cast concrete can hardly be considered light industry. Nurturing entrepreneurial dreams Tim Atkins was looking to put a little dynamite into his fledgling business, TNT Computer Services. Choosing the best entity for your business Owners of a new business must determine which organizational form they will use to conduct operations. Similarly, owners of an ongoing business may choose to change its organizational form for a variety of reasons. In either case, the choice can have important consequences. Private business and higher education form a partnership What's going on here? Business people Kyle Berg has been named to take over the local Edward Jones office at 16949 Cty. Hwy. X, Chippewa Falls. Construction: The foundation of our economy My grandfather started a construction company in 1933 during the Great Depression. With the unemployment rate around 25 percent, it wasn't the best time to start a business, but he succeeded against the odds. His buildings still survive — a living testimony to his perseverance. Susan Jakober is a master of space sense A lawyer's office should feel different from the front lobby of a school. The waiting room at a dentist's office should look different from a business showroom. A dog kennel should certainly feel different from a hospital for humans. Rural JOBZ Act on the legislative fast track (Editor’s note: The Rural JOBZ Act is aimed at creating a series of tax incentives for businesses looking to relocate or expand. State Rep. Scott Suder is author of The Rural JOBZ Act, which creates 10 job opportunity-building zones in Wisconsin. It is modeled after a Minnesota program that has put Wisconsin at a competitive disadvantage. Following is what Suder has to say about the bill.) Wellness by the numbers Many employers in the Chippewa Valley area have been adding benefits recently. Adding benefits when health care costs continue to escalate sounds unusual. However, they are using these new benefits to help control future costs. |
