CONTACT: Katherine Fredrickson, (920) 424-3270
OSHKOSH – Panel discussions on innovation and business growth will be part of a Celebration of Innovation and Small Business Success Oct. 16-18 at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
The UW-Oshkosh College of Business, the first in Wisconsin to offer an entrepreneurship emphasis, will conclude its fifth annual symposium by co-sponsoring Corporate Report Wisconsin ’s second annual Small Business Success awards (see award recipients below).
The two panel discussions, which are free and open to the public, will be in Reeve Memorial Union, Room 307, 748 Algoma Blvd. The awards presentation and dinner will be in the Reeve Memorial Union ballroom. Tickets are $35 for the dinner.
Here are the events:
· At 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 16, representatives from three of the region’s largest organizations will discuss “How Businesses Innovate.” Featured panelists are Ralph Evans, vice president of human resources from Menasha Corp.; Ted Goodwin, vice president of technology for the Appleton company who earned a master’s of business administration at UW-Oshkosh in 1988; and Ted Temby, business unit manager of three-phase systems at Miller Electric, Appleton. The moderator will be E. Alan Hartman, UW-Oshkosh College of Business dean.
· At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, a panel of area business owners will discuss “Growing Closely Held Businesses: Opportunities and Challenges.” The panelists are David Gneiser, owner of Fond du Lac Bumper Exchange Inc. and a member of the Wisconsin Family Business Forum; Dave Brantingham, president, Shallbetter Inc., Oshkosh; Taylor Olsen, co-owner of Golfer’s Outlet and Skier’s Outlet, both of Oshkosh, who earned a business degree at UW-Oshkosh in 2002; and Phil Florek, chief executive officer of Biax-Fiberfilm Corp., Greenville, and UW-Oshkosh College of Business Executive-in-Residence. The discussion will be moderated by UW-Oshkosh professor of management and entrepreneurship Burk Tower.
· At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18, Corporate Report Wisconsin, Associated Bank and the college will host the second annual Small Business Success awards. Companies that will be honored include Accu Tech Plastics Inc., Eau Claire, which provides component packaging materials to the electronics market; ARI Network Services Inc., an e-catalog company based in Milwaukee; CulinArte’, a Green Bay-based company that provides animal-based stock reductions to chefs; ImproMed Inc., Oshkosh, which develops and provides business and medical-management software to the veterinary industry; Main Street Ingredients, La Crosse, which provides food ingredients to the dairy, nutritional and food-processing industries; Marshfield Furniture, Marshfield; Skyward Inc., an educational software developer based in Stevens Point; and Sonex Aircraft, Oshkosh, an experimental kit aircraft company.
