WisconsinBiz

Centergy 500 First St., Suite 15 Wausau, WI 54403 Phone: 715-843-9563 centergy.net Executive Director: Peggy Sullivan Counties: Adams, Lincoln, Marathon, Portage, Wood Population: 328,399 major industries: Manufacturing,...

Grow North P.O. Box 518, Rhinelander, WI 54501 Phone: 715-365-4468 grownorth.org Executive Director: Angi Schreiber Counties: Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Oneida, Vilas Population: 119,000 major industries: Tourism, health...

Cheese production doesn’t end when it leaves a manufacturing plant; it needs to go somewhere to age. Chance are, the cheese in your refrigerator right now spent time in a WOW Logistics refrigerated warehouse.

When Jack Keller began J.J. Keller & Associates in 1953, the transportation industry looked very different than it does today. Keller’s first product was a paper log book to help truck drivers track their mileage.

Looking at a map of the United States, Wisconsin doesn’t jump out as a transportation and logistics hot spot, but appearances can be deceiving. Even though it’s bordered by two Great Lakes, the Badger State is well-known throughout the country for its strong ground transportation companies and their ability to get products quickly to customers.

Heartland Farms is no small potatoes when it comes to tubers; the company produces more than 450 million pounds of spuds a year. Heartland, a fifth-generation facility, ships out of Almond, Amherst Junction, Hancock and Plainfield.

For one Wisconsin firm, the soda manufacturing business is snap, crackle and … Wisco Pop! The Viroqua-based company, founded by Ashley Austin and his wife, Hallie, launched their firm in July, 2012. They now produce their beverages out of the Food Enterprise Center, a 100,000-square-foot business incubator in Viroqua.

Angelic Bakehouse’s James and Jenny Marino know their dough. A former hedge fund manager, he acts as chief operating officer and she is president and CEO of the Cudahy company, a Women Owned Business certified through The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. The couple has operated Angelic for five years, after purchasing Cybros, a 45-year-old Waukesha bakery. They updated, revamped and rebranded the product line.

Most Wisconsin farmers smiled broadly at the end of 2014. Among the reasons: mostly good weather in mid-to-late summer resulting in high yields. However, the outlook for 2015 is a mixed bag.