Success Stories

ACS, Inc., headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, is an international integrated services firm dedicated to delivering design and construction solutions for complex research in engine and vehicle testing, green building, science and technology and the consumer products markets.

Anteco Pharma, located in Lodi, Wisconsin, is a contract manufacturer specializing in cost effective lyophilization (freeze drying) formulation and packaging. Its manufacturing plant near Madison, Wisconsin is fully compliant to drug and medical device GMPs and is capable of meeting the highest quality, regulatory and customer standards.

Located in Monroe in Green County, Architect Terry Martin's company Artisan>Design:Build provides architecture, general contracting and property development to a client base extending from Chicago to Iowa City.

The Madison Region is known for its collaborative continuum of healthcare, and Susan Rather and Jeff Tews, owners of BrightStar Healthcare, embody this in their business. Serving the greater Dane and Rock Counties in the Madison Region, BrightStar provides private duty in-home care, from companion care to skilled nursing services.

Craig Culver grew up to run a business recently named Best Burger Chain in America in a nationwide survey by Restaurants & Institutions Magazine -- and he wouldn't do it anywhere but the Madison Region.

In the late 90s, Earth Information Technologies Corporation (Earth IT) got its start designing sensor systems, algorithms and analytical techniques to collect detailed, high accuracy data for integrated farm management and precision agriculture.

Earth IT spun off the venture as a separate company ("Soil and Topography Information LLC" or STI) in 2002, and refocused Earth IT on leveraging its underlying web skills and capabilities in new markets. The strategy of diversification and adding technical depth in data-driven web application technology has made Earth IT an important regional player in developing Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) for clients in health care, education, engineering, professional services, environmental and

Since 1892, J. P. CULLEN & SONS, INC. has been in the business of constructing world-class excellence at the local level
to a wide range of clients within Education, Government; Institutional; Healthcare; Industry; Science; Business; and Historical Restoration.

Renowned throughout the building industry for our commitment to quality and level of craftsmanship, J. P. Cullen & Sons is the only construction firm in Wisconsin to have earned the prestigious ISO 9001:2000 Quality Registration and the only contractor in the Midwest to have earned this distinction in parallel with the Advanced Steel Erector Certification from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). The organization is also a member of the Wisconsin Green Building Alliance and has LEED® Accredited Professionals on staff for providing 'green' and sustainability building options.

Headquartered in Janesville, Wisconsin and with a branch office in Greater Milwaukee, Cullen delivers over $240 million worth of work annually to our clients throughout Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa.

Plain, WI after World War II was no different than a million other towns. Young men returning from the war were eager to get their lives back on track, start families, and get their share of the prosperity being promised in Washington by Harry Truman.

Three of those men were Linus, Alfred, and Norm Kraemer. After growing restless working in their Uncle's construction business, Norm and Alfred decided to join forces with Linus to start their own construction business, and in 1948, Kraemer Brothers was founded.

Today the company's breadth of experience and expertise is larger than its founders could have ever imagined. With over 70% of business coming from repeat customers, the firm serves long-time clients in a variety of industries, including hospitality, healthcare, biotechnology, office, food and dairy manufacturing, retail and gaming.

Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) is a regulated gas and electric utility headquartered in Madison, Wis., the state capital and home to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. MGE generates and distributes electricity to 136,000 customers in Dane County, Wis., and purchases and distributes natural gas to 140,000 customers in seven south-central and western Wisconsin counties. MGE is the primary asset of MGE Energy, an investor-owned public utility holding company. MGE's roots in the community date back to 1855.

MGE is serious about their responsibilities as a community energy company. They provide reliable, affordable energy from a variety of sources including wind, solar and clean natural gas; educate customers to be more energy efficient; reduce emission rates to protect the environment; support a vibrant economy in the Thrive Madison Region and engage in open and honest partnerships to best serve the Madison area.

In 1989, Mercy was a stand-alone hospital that served 89,000 patients per year and employed 589 individuals. Today, Mercy Health System is a vertically integrated health system with 64 facilities in two states and 24 communities throughout southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, having won over 45 national recognitions, including one Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award out of only six in the nation.

Read about the Malcolm Baldridge Award process.

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP is one of the Midwest's oldest and largest law firms. It was founded in 1848 by the noted trial lawyer Edward G. Ryan, who later served as Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Today, Michael Best comprises more than 230 attorneys in Madison, Milwaukee, Waukesha and Manitowoc, Wisconsin; and Chicago, Illinois.

The Madison office has experienced it greatest growth during the last ten years. The office was named the number one law firm in Madison by In Business magazine in its "2008 Executive Choice Survey".

The Madison office regularly handles sophisticated corporate transactions including venture capital and leveraged buyouts; to securities offerings; publicly offered and traded municipal government bonds, major state regulatory matters involving insurance, public utilities and governmental contracting, and significant litigation in state and federal courts covering antitrust, patent infringement, constitutional challenges, employment and other matters. We represent for-profit businesses, not-for-profit trade associations and social service agencies, as well as governmental organizations in a wide variety of arrangements.

Orbital Technologies Corporation ("ORBITEC"), now celebrating its 20th year, is Wisconsin's aerospace research and product development leader.

ORBITEC is growing as a provider of complete, targeted solutions for relevant government and commercial markets. Strong capabilities in research, development, engineering, and management make up the foundation for this endeavor. A tightly knit team possessing wide-ranging science, engineering, and management expertise has grown to approximately 75 members. Eighteen successive years of profitability, coupled with conservative financial policies without the use of debt places ORBITEC in a strong position for the next phase in its evolution.

Starting a successful bank requires three key elements; a strong staff, a strong business model, and a strong market. The founders of Settlers Bank understood this when they chose to locate the bank in the Madison Region. The founders hired seasoned professionals who were well established in the market and gave them the tools and technology to provide fast, customized solutions for business. The founders also knew that the growth and vitality of the Madison Region made it the perfect market for success.

The directors of Settlers Bank are entrepreneurs who each founded their own company that are located or do business in the Madison Region. Having successfully navigated early stage development, these now seasoned businesses contribute to the region's vibrant economy and outstanding quality of life.

The FlameDisk is a completely new heat source for barbecue grilling that burns a unique solidified ethanol fuel. This pie-shaped device has a peel-away label that is removed prior to lighting. Just peel, light and grill... it's just that easy! Within seconds you can begin grilling and it provides about 45 minutes of grilling time, enough for up to three rounds of food. When the FlameDisk burns out, the empty aluminum shell can be easily recycled or disposed of just like a pop can. Unlike charcoal, there are no coals that continue to burn for hours and hours. The product is much more portable, clean burning (green), convenient and safe than anything on the market today. Best of all, food grilled over FlameDisk taste great too! Perfect for tailgating, picnics, boating or any grilling occasion where you'd otherwise use charcoal.


Read a recent article about FlameDisk and hear and interview with Sly in the Morning here.

"The original venture capitalists who wanted to fund the business actually said, 'Take the business to California, you can't possibly build something like this in Wisconsin.' But they didn't know that Wisconsin has a really strong medical device history...it's got a strong base of skilled workers in the medical device field, the hardworking Midwestern work ethic. There's really a lot to offer in terms of high end manufacturing here. I think the opposite could be said: why wouldn't you want to move a company like this to Wisconsin?"

-Dr. Mackie, CoFounder, TomoTherapy Inc.
Read more about Tomo to your left.

"We make bicycles for the world, and choose to make the Madison Region our global home base. I think the biggest support we get from the region is the quality of life...Having a lot of really good and successful companies in the area is definitely one of the keys to our success."

-John Burke, President, Trek Bicycles

"I came from Brazil to make a difference and I came to the Madison Region because this is where biotechnology thrives. I could work anywhere in the world, but this is where I want to face and solve the challenges of the future. This region strongly supports the biotech industry. We are a global leader."

-Dr. Gabriela Cezar, Assistant Professor, Stem Cell Safety Sciences Lab in the Department of Animal Sciences of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UW-Madison and CSO, Stemina.

Cezar was also part of the team that cloned "Dolly" the sheep.

"The Madison Region is a great environment to attract the type of talent we need to maintain our business...It's easy to bring your family to this kind of environment and really know you're bringing to them area with top notch education all the way through."

-Deven McGlenn, CEO, Neoclone

"The Madison area is a great place to work and live...Members of the Quintessence staff have established their family and support structures here and enjoy living in a place with a thriving economy and interesting people."

-Ralph Kauten, Chairman and CEO, Quintessence Biosciences
Read more about Quintessence to your left.