Summer 2006 Edition

Finding a niche on the links

There are so many golf courses in or close to the greater Chippewa Valley that a golfing fanatic could visit a different course every day for a month without stretching the gasoline budget.

Foreward: The Business of Fun

Welcome to the summer edition of the Chippewa Valley Business Report.

For Timm Boettcher, heading a multi-million dollar company is more than imagination.

Asked about her first impressions of the man recently named to head the company she founded, Mary Jurmain had to confess.

Melanie Johannsen has started businesses in Germany, Venezuela and Eau Claire

Melanie Johannsen, 34, the founder and owner of Digital Edge Studios and Café 420, had the chance to choose a home anywhere in the world.

Darrin Senn combines pride in his community with love of his business

Darrin Senn hasn't made too many bad business decisions in his life.

Businesses, consumers depend on John Salden keeping constant track of

energy markets

Since coming to Chippewa Falls, Tim Fries has shown leadership, in business and community

Moving to Chippewa Falls was a compromise of sorts for Tim and Marie-Christine Fries. They wanted a place where it would take about the same amount of travel time when they visited either set of parents.

Mark Lewis is building a construction business, with help from mentors

Like most young men, Mark Lewis has felt the desire to pull himself away from his father and prove himself on his own. And like so many others, he has been glad to have his father's wisdom available at critical times.

Amy Young went from working out at a health club to owning it

In April 2002, when she was 36 years old, Amy Young decided she was going to improve her physical fitness. About a year later, she was the owner of a health and physical fitness center, Bodyworks in Menomonie.

With a 100,000-square-foot new plant, Silver Springs is positioned for growth.

e believed that if we built it, they would come.”

With a new plant, Silver Springs is positioned for growth

“We believed that if we built it, they would come.”

Rallying for the Valley

The 12th annual Chippewa Valley Rally is set for Jan. 25-26.

Today's young business owners should consider personal financial goals

The life of a young business owner is a long and winding road. Required activities to keep the business running - bill paying, customer development and employee management - are critical, time-consuming tasks.

Should changes at ‘The Fed' affect how you invest?

It's been a long time since someone other than Alan Greenspan has served as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. In fact, Mr. Greenspan has been at his current job sine 1987. But, in a few weeks, we'll see a changing of the guard, as Ben Bernanke takes the helm at the Fed.

The price of employee retention vs. the cost of turnover

Last year, I wrote an article for the Chippewa Valley Business Report entitled “Recruiting and Retaining Today's Young Workforce.” I started that article by stating that one of the biggest challenges that employers face today is turnover. It can be troublesome and expensive for an employer.

Why a Young Professionals organization?

Businesses in the Chippewa Valley have a great deal of resources within easy reach to maximize their success. We are blessed with a great educational system that turns out many bright and talented individuals that are the future of tomorrow.

Business happenings

Jody Becker has joined the staff of Northwestern Bank's Eau Claire office as a commercial lender. Originally from Eau Claire, she is a graduate of UW - Eau Claire and UW - Madison's, Graduate School of Banking.