Chippewa Valley Innovation Center: Selective Countertops graduates from Chippewa Valley Innovation Center and buys facility in Eau Claire

Media Contact:
Brian Doudna, Executive Director
Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corporation
Brian.doudna@eauclaire-wi.com
Office: 715.834.0070 Cell: 715-577-3582 November 20, 2011

Who: The Chippewa Valley Innovation Center
Selective Countertops, LLC

What: Press is invited to attend the graduation ceremony for Selective Countertops. The company has purchased a building on Melby St. and will relocate from the Chippewa Valley Innovation Center at the end of 2012.

When: Wednesday, November 21 at 9:30 a.m. central time.

Where: The Chippewa Valley Innovation Center
3132 Louis Avenue, Eau Claire WI 54703

Why: The Innovation Center works with start-up companies to provide low cost space and business mentors to help grow companies.

Visuals: Video footage: Graduation ceremony and interviews with owners, production space where countertops are manufactured and new facility (2716 Melby Road, Eau Claire).

Photo opportunities: Presentation of graduation gift and business operations.

Interview Opportunities:
CVIC Board Members
Selective Countertops Owners: Nate Olson and Tim Heinbuch

Background on COMPANY:

Selective Countertops fabricates and installs custom home and commercial countertops. Materials range from laminate, solid service, marble, to quartz. They sell their products wholesale to over 200 businesses within a 170 mile radius of Eau Claire. Selective Countertops currently has 11 full-time employees. The business is currently located at 3132 Louis Avenue, and will soon occupy their new location at 2716 Melby Road in Eau Claire.

In the fall of 2007, Nate Olson and Tim Heinbuch were working for the cabinet and countertop division of Wausau Supply and were happy with their jobs. That was until they were told that their division was to be shut down by the end of the year.

Fast forward five years and you’ll find Olson and Heinbuch are owners of Selective Countertops, a company that fabricates and installs custom home and commercial countertops. What happened five years ago was truly a blessing in disguise, as both Olson and Heinbuch are much happier with the direction their lives are going in.

Once the shock wore off about their employer closing, they started to seriously consider what it would be like to own their own business. They didn’t think it was crazy until they started looking at the cost of leasing building space. “We almost decided not to start the business because leasing was just so expensive.” But luckily, they found the Chippewa Valley Innovation Center and knew that owning a business could be their future. “We signed the lease within just a couple of days of seeing the space. We knew this could work for us.”

ABOUT THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY INNOVATION CENTER:

The Chippewa Valley Innovation Center is a charitable organization that operates a 17,000 square foot facility with a mission to encourage new and emerging entrepreneurial businesses by providing access to low cost space, technical and financial assistance. For more information, visit http://www.chippewavalleyinnovationcenter.org.