Portage County Connects

The economic strengths of a diverse agricultural community — Portage County.

Okray Family Farms, Inc. has been around since 1905 when Joseph Okray started a trading company on the Public Square in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Like many families in the early twentieth century, Joseph did a small amount of farming to… Read More »

Bringing Advanced Metals Manufacturing Back to the U.S. — and Portage County

According to Dave Worth, President/CEO of the Worth Company, imported goods have long presented a challenge to American manufacturers in all industries. What varies, notes Worth, is the country producing the majority of imported goods to the U.S. “In the… Read More »

A Message from Chuck…

The following is an excerpt from Chuck Nason’s presentation on “The Pressures from Without” at the November 17 Power Breakfast (shared with his permission). Mr. Nason is Chairman of the Board for Worzalla Publishing Company.

This is not a… Read More »

Marten Machining — Wisconsin Technical Public Education System Is Our Lifeline

Networking in 1984. Take yourself back to 1984. The Internet was in its infancy. Cell phones were bulky and for “the few.” From a 2011 perspective, it’s difficult to imagine how you could start a small business in Stevens Point,… Read More »

Portage County Executive Elected VP of WCEA

At a state meeting on September 27, Portage County Executive Patty Dreier was elected by her peers to become Vice President of the Wisconsin County Executives & Administrators Association (WCEA) for a two-year term. The WCEA is the statewide organization… Read More »

Stevens Point Community Member Honored for 2011 Arts in the Community Award

Arts Wisconsin, Wisconsin’s statewide arts service, advocacy, and development organization, announced the recipients of the third annual Arts in the Community Awards. Bill Schierl, President of the Arts Alliance of Portage County, Stevens Point, was one of two recipients of… Read More »

Worzalla names new vice president, expands board

Worzalla Publishing Co. has added a new vice president and expanded its board of directors.

Kris Koch joined the company as vice president of operations in July. He will oversee the manufacturing and operations for the employee-owned printing and binding… Read More »

“Survivors Guilt” and the Unexpected Costs of Downsizing

The Wall Street Journal reported the U.S. private-sector job total rose by only 50,000 in November and the unemployment rate rose to its highest level since April (9.8%). Layoff announcements in Portage County and the recent news that the NewPage Whiting… Read More »

Check out Wisconsin’s Economic Development Programs for your Business!

Businesses considering job creation, investment in property or equipment, employee training or other development may be eligible for financial assistance programs offered through the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. According to Deputy Secretary Zach Brandon, Wisconsin has assembled some of the… Read More »

Ten Years and Counting. Thanks Portage County.

As a President and Founder of DigiCopy, I recently had the good fortune of celebrating our tenth anniversary.  We have seen our company grow from its initial store here in Stevens Point to thirteen locations across the state.   Success has… Read More »

State Building Commission approves $75 million for UW-Stevens Point science facility

The State Building Commission approved a $75 million request Thursday to construct a new science center at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The governor’s capital budget for 2013-2015 recommended the $75 million to construct a new chemistry and biology education… Read More »

Delta Dental Invests in Biotechnologies That May Change Oral Health

Someday we may be able to prevent cavities by simply rinsing our mouth with a solution that kills the bacteria that cause cavities — and if that happens, we’ll have Delta Dental and Dr. Wenyuan Shi, Chairman of Oral Biology… Read More »

Where the Roads Meet — Commercial Crossroads Opportunities

Location. Location. Location. It’s often touted as critical to the success of a business. And Dan Mahoney, Village of Plover Administrator, would agree. According to Mahoney, the location of the Portage County Business Park and Crossroads Commons retail area is… Read More »

Investing in Technologies that Improve Health & Wellness

When most people think of Delta Dental, they think “dental plans.” And, indeed, Delta Dental provides employers around the nation with dental plans and assistance in administering their programs and reporting systems — in essence, helping employers improve efficiencies that… Read More »

The Suites@201 Reserve earns LEED gold certification

One of the greenest buildings in Central Wisconsin has earned high marks for sustainable construction from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The Suites@201 residence hall at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point was awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental… Read More »

MSTC’s New Stevens Point Campus to Generate Revenue for Local Businesses and Career Opportunities for Residents

Higher education is on the move — literally. In the midst of its Centennial Celebration, Mid-State Technical College (MSTC) held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Stevens Point Campus — to be located in the former Centerpoint Mall. When completed,… Read More »

UW-Stevens Point in top ten of Midwestern public universities

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is again ranked as one of the best public universities in the Midwest according to the U.S. News and World Report.

The magazine’s 2013 rankings place UW-Stevens Point tenth in the top tier of Midwestern… Read More »

2011 Portage County Arts & Culture Non-Profit Organizations Economic Impact

The below information was voluntarily provided to the Arts Alliance of Portage County by participating Portage County non-profit organizations. This information is compiled annually to quantify the economic value of arts & culture programming in Portage County.

Annual Organizational Budgets:… Read More »

Marshfield Clinic to Start Work on New Stevens Point Facility

Construction of the new Marshfield Clinic facility in Stevens Point will start in September.

A groundbreaking ceremony kicking off construction will be at 10 a.m. on Sept. 10 at the 4100 Highway 66 location (near the airport). The event is… Read More »

Biofuels patent issued to UW-Stevens Point researchers

A patent that opens the door for the creation of biofuels from abundantly available plant fiber has been issued to researchers at the Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology (WIST) at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

WIST’s first patent is for… Read More »