For this episode, we will be joined by Craig Cook, owner of Fall Line Outfitters. After many years serving in the military, Craig took on the entrepreneurial task of starting his own business. With big ambitions, Craig has modeled Fall Line after iconic outdoor brands, and he is looking to build upon the history of Stevens Point to create his very own. www.mstc.edu/programs www.portagecountybiz.com www.createyourcommunity.org/startup-sprint www.falllineoutfitters.com www.mstc.edu/podcast...
May 04, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 5
For this episode, we will be learning more about United Way of Portage County with the new CEO, Fred Hebblewhite. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience on the Stevens Point Campus. If you want to be there for the next episode, you can join us on April 11th at 5:30PM in the Community Engagement room. It was great to have an audience for this one, so I hope to see you in the crowd for our next one. Fred is actually a Mid-State alum, graduating from an Auto Body program many years a...
Mar 24, 2023•55 min•Season 3Ep. 4
For this episode, we will be profiling the local and beloved coffee shop, Mission Coffee House, and our guests will be Russ Ehlinger and Craig Shuler. Russ will share the origin story of the Mission Coffee House, and Craig will talk about the newest Mission Coffee House to open up, right here on the Stevens Point Campus. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience on the Stevens Point Campus. If you want to be there for the next episode, you can join us on March 7th at 5:30PM in the Co...
Feb 14, 2023•54 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Hello Listener, I know it’s been a while since we’ve posted an episode. I’ve missed you too! Thanks for your patience while we make a few changes with the show. We’ve taken a moment to reevaluate how we connect with all of you to bring these vibrant and inspiring stories about Central Wisconsin. And, we decided to try something a little different for our next episode. We want to invite you all to come participate. That’s right: We will be recording the next show LIVE in front of an audience, on ...
Jan 31, 2023•2 min
On this episode of Profile, Michael and I visit a pair of lawyers from the Anderson O’Brien Law Firm, retired trial attorney Maury Rice and current attorney Amy Eddy. Anderson O’Brien is one of the oldest institutions in our community. Founded in 1886 by attorneys Byron B. and Gilbert L. Park right here in downtown Stevens Point, the firm has a long tradition of providing legal services. While the firm is still downtown, it has grown considerably and offers a diverse array of services. However, ...
Nov 21, 2022•35 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Welcome back to Profile: Central Wisconsin SEASON 3! On this episode of Profile, Michael and I visit with Sherri Galle-Teske, Executive director of the Humane Society of Portage County. When I first asked Sherri to be on the show, she only wanted to talk about the animals, so that is just what we did. However, when telling the stories of the animals of the Humane Society we were really telling the stories of how they touched our lives in significant and impactful ways. You’ll hear not just of Sh...
Nov 02, 2022•59 min•Season 3Ep. 1
On this episode of Profile, Michael and I visit with Lori Schlueter, Plant Manager of Donaldson Company’s Stevens Point location. Lori has a lifetime of experience in manufacturing. She started off doing assembly work while still a teenager, working alongside her parents and siblings in a plant in southern Minnesota. She kept working in the factory through college on nights, weekends and summers and after graduating, she took a position in the office rather than the assembly floor. Through years...
May 03, 2022•54 min•Season 2Ep. 11
On this episode of Profile, Michael and I visit with Jenny Riggenbach, CEO of the Community Foundation of Central Wisconsin. Jenny spent most of her youth right here in central Wisconsin, but left for college to earn a degree in Community Education and Engagement. While such studies may seem commonplace now, this was a novel field of study. But what she learned about this new approach to civic engagement and enriching communities through action, shaped her and has allowed her to share this influ...
Mar 29, 2022•54 min•Season 2Ep. 10
On this episode of Profile, Michael and I visit with Kelly Guay, owner of the Sunset Point Winery and her mother, Kathy Johnson, who is also the Tasting Room Manager and Vice President of the Stevens Point Alliance. Now, we all have hobbies, but what happens when your hobby becomes a passion, and that passion starts to consume more than just your free time? This is exactly what happened to Kelly Guay and her husband, Don. They started making wine at home for fun, which led to more wine and more ...
Mar 15, 2022•50 min•Season 2Ep. 9
On this episode of Profile, Michael and I visit with Dr. Shelly Mondeik, president of Mid-State Technical College. Right out of high school, Shelly went to technical college, got her degree and took a job as a medical secretary. But through hard work and an eagerness to take every opportunity, she advanced in the organization learning new skills and taking on leadership roles. Fueled by a passion to teach others, she took a position as a technical college instructor. It wasn’t long before she wa...
Feb 15, 2022•55 min•Season 2Ep. 8
On this episode of Profile, Michael and I visit with Ashley Schroeder, owner and wellness guide for the Garden, a wellness club that just opened in Plover. Ashley accrued years of experience working in sales, marketing, hospitality, fitness and event planning. She has wrapped all of this together to now venture out to start a new business here in central Wisconsin. We’ll learn from Ashley how the Garden is more than just a place to work out. It’s a place for community to grow and be well togethe...
Feb 01, 2022•52 min•Season 2Ep. 7
On this episode of Profile, Michael and I visit with Sarah Jo More, owner of The Main Grain Bakery. Sarah Jo first started baking with a couple of friends out of second story apartment, delivering a weekly supply of sourdough bread to an email list of friends and family. Eventually, they took the leap and opened a commercial bakery to success that surprised even Sarah Jo. The Main Grain has now become a Stevens Point staple and synonymous with delicious and innovative baked goods. Sarah Jo also ...
Jan 18, 2022•43 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Welcome to Profile: Central Wisconsin, a podcast about the origins of the organizations that make our community thrive. In early November, co-host Todd Kuckkahn resigned from the Portage County Business Council to embark on a new adventure. On this episode of Profile, we have something special: two co-hosts and two guests. First, Todd and I will interview the new Executive Director of the Portage County Business Council, Michael Witte. We learn, of Michael broad range of experiences that have ma...
Dec 07, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 5
On this episode of Profile, Todd and I visit with Bill Fonti, CEO of Furniture and ApplianceMart. Hold on, because Bill is a whirlwind. He has a relentless commitment to work and life. He started learning at an early age, first by watching his father operate an appliance store in Madison and later by picking up whatever work he could find as a teenager. This work ethic has carried him through life and helped to propel Furniture and ApplianceMart to its current successful peak as one of the top r...
Oct 26, 2021•47 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Todd and I had the great pleasure to interview Joe Kinsella, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Pointe Precision, a local machine shop with a global reach. They make precision components to the tightest tolerances imaginable for the aerospace and medical industries. Mission critical and life critical. While they are now well established, the origin story of Pointe Precision is really one of hope and rebirth. Joe was a manager a local manufacturing facility at a time when that organization deci...
Oct 12, 2021•44 min•Season 2Ep. 3
On this episode of Profile, Todd and I visit with Scott Groholski, president and owner of Point of Beginning, a civil engineering, land surveying and landscape architectural firm. They’re the team you call when you want to find out where and how to locate your project. You’ve seen them out in open fields and roadways with their bright yellow vests and equipment mounted on tripods. They have worked on everything from Heartland Farms Field in Amherst to Lambeau Field in Green Bay. We’ll learn how ...
Sep 28, 2021•51 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Welcome to Season 2 of Profile: Central Wisconsin! We kick off this season with an interview with Les Dobbe, Director of Business Development at Lineage Logistics, a cold storage and distribution center. Les is an entrepreneur and dealmaker, but really, he’s a solutions guy. He figures out what you want, how much you need, where to get it from, when you need it, how to get it to you and where to put it. This is the model of traditional logistics. You have someone who knows someone who knows some...
Sep 14, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Todd and I have the opportunity to visit with Jason Blenker, President of Off-Site Construction Solutions for Drexel Building Supply and former co-owner and president of Blenker Building Systems. Just after college, Jason was recruited to work for one of the country’s largest home builders. After several years, he decided to return to rural Wisconsin to join the family business. Along with his parents and two brothers, they grew a traditional construction contractor into a family of 5 separate c...
May 25, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 10
On this episode of Profile, Todd and I visit with Gautam Malik, Chief Operating Officer of local innovative manufacturer Gamber-Johnson. Gautam is not your typical COO. Not because he was born in India and immigrated to the United States to live the American dream and not because he manages an organization that managed to shift from making wooden furniture to rugged mounting systems for high tech equipment, but because he has a unique and fresh take on how operations should be managed. You’ll he...
May 11, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 9
On this episode of Profile, Todd and I are have the pleasure to be joined by two members of the Wysocki family; enterprising founder, Louis, and his business savvy son and the current CEO, Russell. As always, this episode starts with some history, but given the privileged opportunity to interview Louie, we take a deeper dive into some history of our community. He shares how the Wysocki family went from plowing a 50 acre field with a car to now tending over to 25,000 acres with high-tech precisio...
Apr 27, 2021•52 min•Season 1Ep. 8
On this episode of Profile, Todd and I are joined by Jay Anderson, President of the stalwart local manufacturer, Steel King Industries. Landlocked in the old industrial park of Stevens Point, Steel King is one of the community’s best-kept secrets. For over 50 years, they have manufactured racks and related products for the material handling and storage industries. Steel King has since expanded to three different facilities and they provide storage solutions throughout the county. www.mstc.edu/po...
Apr 13, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Our previous guests have all been well-established companies with years of experience, but on this episode of Profile, Todd and I have the opportunity to meet with a couple of entrepreneurs who are just past the start-up phase and are on the cusp of breaking boldly into the beverage market with a unique fruit and vinegar drink, called shrub. Two strong women, Layne Cozzolino, who previously ran a non-profit focused on growing local food economies and her close friend, Mindy McCord, who spent yea...
Mar 16, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Todd and I visit with Josh Stolzenburg, CEO and co-owner of Northwind Solar. Installers of solar electric, battery storage, and electric vehicle charging systems, Northwind was recently named the 2020 Wisconsin Renewable Energy Business of the Year. Back In 2017, Northwind transitioned from an LLC to a worker-owned cooperative, so Todd and I also have a lot of questions about this business model and leadership structure. Josh not only tells the story of Northwind, but he gives a great primer on ...
Mar 02, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 5
On this episode of Profile, Todd and I have the pleasure of exploring the iconic Stevens Point Brewery. The origin story of the Brewery is as old as our community itself, but joining us on this episode is current co-owner, Joe Martino. After moving to the Midwest, Joe worked for some of the largest food and beverage producers in the country and was active in the product development of many household brands. When an opportunity arose to purchase the Stevens Point Brewery, he just couldn’t pass it...
Feb 16, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 4
In this episode, Ben and Todd get the opportunity to connect with Jared Linzmeier, CEO and co-owner of Ruby Coffee Roasters. Jared shares how he left Wisconsin and stumbled upon the industry of craft coffees. He eventually returned to his childhood community to start his own business. Ruby Coffee Roasters is now a nationally acclaimed business and was named the Best Roaster in Wisconsin by Food and Wine Magazine in 2018 and 2019. Last year, Ruby also opened a café in Downtown Stevens Point. www....
Feb 02, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Todd and Ben have the opportunity to meet with Doug Munsey, president of Ki Mobility. Doug is a modern-day inventor and entrepreneur. After years of experience selling products in the rehab industry, he ventured out with a partner to start a business building wheelchairs for the long-term disabled. In just 15 years, they have taken Ki Mobility from a workshop in a barn to a leading global brand. www.mstc.edu/podcast
Jan 19, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 2
On this episode of Profile, Todd and Ben visit with Rusty Mitch, president of Portesi Italian Foods. The story of Portesi is one of a family business that has been producing the same high-quality frozen pizzas for the past 75 years. Originally made locally and delivered locally, Portesi has now grown to a widely distributed brand known for their classic Italian-style frozen pizzas and their iconic cheese fries. Rusty will also share with us how Portesi has continued to adapt and innovate and how...
Jan 07, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Introducing...Profile: Central Wisconsin. Get ready for the launch of a new podcast about the roots of Central Wisconsin businesses. Hosts Business Council Executive Director Todd Kuckkahn and Mid-State Technical College Stevens Point Campus Dean Ben Nusz profile the entrepreneurs who make central Wisconsin such a great place to live and do business. Take a deep dive into the origin stories of our local innovators, and find out what the future holds for this vibrant community we're proud to call...
Dec 21, 2020•7 min0
