Department of Commerce (Commerce) Secretary Richard J. Leinenkugel and Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network (WEN) State Director Gayle Kugler today announced the winners of the inaugural year of Wisconsin Companies to Watch (CTW). Companies to Watch (CTW) is a distinctive awards program developed by the Edward Lowe Foundation to honor second-stage companies that demonstrate high performance in the marketplace, exhibit innovative products, services or processes, or otherwise make their company "worth watching."
Thrive, the economic development enterprise for the eight-county Madison Region, was a co-sponsor of this year's competition.
"CTW recognizes companies at the crucial stage of growth where financial potential, concept and management have been established, and attracting talented workers, solid vendor relationships and access to peer learning are key components of future growth," added Gayle Kugler. The Edward Lowe Foundation's studies have shown second-stage companies are the ones who generate jobs and economic growth in their communities.
"I'm pleased that we could join the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network in recognizing these dynamic, innovative companies," said Commerce Secretary Richard J. Leinenkugel. "I'm confident that we will be watching and benefiting from their achievements in the years to come."
Class of 2010 Wisconsin CTW award winners:
Alice.com, Inc. , Middleton
Beehive Botanicals, Inc., Hayward
BioSentinel Pharmaceuticals LLC , Madison
Bradshaw Medical, Inc. , Kenosha
Broadjam , Madison
CORE Consulting, A Limited Liability Company , Thiensville
EraGen Biosciences, Inc. , Madison
Fiberstar, Inc. , River Falls
FluGen, Inc, Madison
Green 3 , Oshkosh
Idle Free Systems, Inc, Madison
Interfacial Solutions , River Falls
Lauterbach Group , Sussex
LMI Packaging Solutions, Inc. , Pleasant Prairie
MailFoundry , Green Bay
NeoClone, LLC , Madison
NeuWave Medical Inc. , Madison
New Glarus Brewing Company , New Glarus
PercipEnz Technologies, Inc. , Madison
PhysioGenix, Inc. , Milwaukee
PreventionGenetics LLC , Marshfield
Quintessence Biosciences, Inc. , Madison
River Town Ironworks, Inc. , Prairie du Chien
RoomPro Technologies , Wisconsin Rapids
Semba Biosciences, Inc. , Madison
Standard Imaging, Inc. , Middleton
The Payroll Company, Inc. , Middleton
Visonex, LLC , Green Bay
Wisconsin Specialty Protein, dba teraswhey , Reedsburg
Zeon Solutions, Inc. , Milwaukee
Winners will have an opportunity to attend a complimentary three-day Leadership Retreat, hosted by the Edward Lowe Foundation at their Michigan headquarters this summer. The facilitated peer-learning retreat is created specifically for leaders of second-stage growth-oriented companies and gives them the opportunity to tap into the collective wisdom of the group. Winners from other state's CTW programs will be invited as well.
The Edward Lowe Foundation recognizes that many second-stage companies fly under the radar of typical awards programs. CTW is specifically designed to seek out businesses from a wide range of industries representing all areas of the state, not just those in major metropolitan areas. In addition to an evaluation on past growth and projected success, applicant companies are judged according to their special strengths. These strengths revolve around innovative products and business practices, special use of technology, work within the community and more.
WEN and Commerce have been host to another Edward Lowe Foundation program since 2005. PeerSpectives, a peer learning roundtable group for entrepreneurs currently has eight tables around Wisconsin, facilitated by the Small Business Development Center network. In addition to the retreat in Michigan, CTW award winners will be invited to join a year-long Wisconsin peer learning group.
About Thrive: Thrive was established in 2007 as the economic development enterprise for the eight-county Madison Wisconsin Region.
About WEN: The Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network (WEN) was established in June 2005 as a joint venture between the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and the University of Wisconsin-Extension's Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Division (DEED). WEN and its partners strive to provide seamless access to the statewide network of entrepreneurial resources and expertise to create new ventures. WEN partners help grow existing businesses and move forward high-potential entrepreneurs to enable Wisconsin to be competitive in a global economic environment. More information.
About the Edward Lowe Foundation: Established in 1985, the Edward Lowe Foundation is a Michigan-based nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurship through recognition, education and research with a focus on second-stage companies--those that have moved beyond the startup phase and seek significant, steady growth. The foundation also encourages economic gardening, an entrepreneur-centered strategy providing balance to the traditional approach of business recruitment. More information .
Thrive, the economic development enterprise for the eight-county Madison Region, was a co-sponsor of this year's competition.
"CTW recognizes companies at the crucial stage of growth where financial potential, concept and management have been established, and attracting talented workers, solid vendor relationships and access to peer learning are key components of future growth," added Gayle Kugler. The Edward Lowe Foundation's studies have shown second-stage companies are the ones who generate jobs and economic growth in their communities.
"I'm pleased that we could join the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network in recognizing these dynamic, innovative companies," said Commerce Secretary Richard J. Leinenkugel. "I'm confident that we will be watching and benefiting from their achievements in the years to come."
Class of 2010 Wisconsin CTW award winners:
Winners will have an opportunity to attend a complimentary three-day Leadership Retreat, hosted by the Edward Lowe Foundation at their Michigan headquarters this summer. The facilitated peer-learning retreat is created specifically for leaders of second-stage growth-oriented companies and gives them the opportunity to tap into the collective wisdom of the group. Winners from other state's CTW programs will be invited as well.
The Edward Lowe Foundation recognizes that many second-stage companies fly under the radar of typical awards programs. CTW is specifically designed to seek out businesses from a wide range of industries representing all areas of the state, not just those in major metropolitan areas. In addition to an evaluation on past growth and projected success, applicant companies are judged according to their special strengths. These strengths revolve around innovative products and business practices, special use of technology, work within the community and more.
WEN and Commerce have been host to another Edward Lowe Foundation program since 2005. PeerSpectives, a peer learning roundtable group for entrepreneurs currently has eight tables around Wisconsin, facilitated by the Small Business Development Center network. In addition to the retreat in Michigan, CTW award winners will be invited to join a year-long Wisconsin peer learning group.
About Thrive: Thrive was established in 2007 as the economic development enterprise for the eight-county Madison Wisconsin Region.
About WEN: The Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network (WEN) was established in June 2005 as a joint venture between the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and the University of Wisconsin-Extension's Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Division (DEED). WEN and its partners strive to provide seamless access to the statewide network of entrepreneurial resources and expertise to create new ventures. WEN partners help grow existing businesses and move forward high-potential entrepreneurs to enable Wisconsin to be competitive in a global economic environment. More information.
About the Edward Lowe Foundation: Established in 1985, the Edward Lowe Foundation is a Michigan-based nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurship through recognition, education and research with a focus on second-stage companies--those that have moved beyond the startup phase and seek significant, steady growth. The foundation also encourages economic gardening, an entrepreneur-centered strategy providing balance to the traditional approach of business recruitment. More information .