Business Briefs: May 15 – 29, 2009

• BDH Studio/Blue Dolphin, LTD. of Ephraim, WI has been selected as a nominee in NICHE magazine’s 2009 Top Retailer Awards. Sponsored by NICHE magazine, the exclusive trade publication for progressive retailers of fine craft, the awards program recognizes the nation’s best craft retailers, arts nonprofits, museums and guilds for growing and strengthening the American craft community. The Top Retailer Award program annually recognizes 24 retailers and gallery owners as Top Retailers and one Retailer of the Year, and gives awards in 10 other categories.

Award winners will be announced at a ceremony on Sunday, August 2, 2009, during the Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Winners in each category will be published in the Autumn 2009 issue of NICHE magazine and posted online at AmericanCraft.com.

For more information on BDH Studio/Blue Dolphin, LTD. Visit http://www.bluedolphinhouse.com or call 800.765.0141.

• DC Brew of Sturgeon Bay is joining a select list of cafés offering coffees from beans roasted by Ann Arbor, Michigan based Zingerman’s Coffee Company, a wholesale coffee roaster that supplies cafés, specialty grocery stores, restaurants and offices around the country.

DC Brew Manager, Jana Daoust, prepares an espresso at their West Side Sturgeon Bay cafe.

On the addition of DC Brew, Steve Mangigian, Zingerman’s managing partner, commented, “DC Brew desires to differentiate themselves by focusing on and offering high quality, fully flavored products. In this respect, we have very similar visions on how success is created and sustained.”

DC Brew partners Steve and Jason Estes and café manager, Jana Daoust, agree.

“We fell in love with Zingermans Coffee Company at the recent Coffee Fest in Chicago,” said Steve Estes. “We tasted every coffee at the show and preferred their coffee the most.”

DC Brew is located at 116 South Madison Avenue across from Sonny’s Pizzeria on Sturgeon Bay’s West Side. For more information on DC Brew call 920.818.0115 or visit Zingerman’s Coffee Company online at http://www.zingermanscoffee.com.

• Doug Koehler, furnishings expert with Smith Brothers of Berne, will be at Door County Interiors & Design from 9 am – 3 pm on Saturday, May 30. Customers will see new pieces in the Smith Brothers line, crafted in Indiana, and learn from Koehler how the furniture is made.

Smith Brothers makes sofas, chairs, loveseats and ottomans. Hundreds of fabric and leather options are available. The furniture styles include contemporary, transitional and traditional looks.

Leading up to the daylong event, Door County Interiors & Design is also unveiling a new look for its furnishings showroom and offering 40 percent off Smith Brothers merchandise throughout May. The discount is good on floor items as well as custom orders.

Door County Interiors & Design is a home furnishings store and interior design resource, located two miles south of Egg Harbor at 7266 Hwy. 42. More information is available online at http://www.doorcountyinteriors.com or by calling 920.868.9008.

• Harmann Studios is pleased to announce that a new location for their Sturgeon Bay Creative Photo Lounge has been selected and will be announced soon.

“We are very pleased with the new location and know that our customers will appreciate the new building and the near-by children’s activities,” said John Harmann, owner of Harmann Studios. “We are hoping this will give customers a little extra time to create pictures, greeting cards and other unique images with their photos.”

The Creative Photo Lounge will remain open at its current location, 215 North 3rd Avenue in Sturgeon Bay from 11 am – 3 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays until the new location is opened in July.

Harmann Studio’s Sturgeon Bay indoor portrait studio merged with the Luxemburg location; however, Harmann Studios will still offer outdoor photography portraits in Door County.

For more information or to schedule a portrait session call 920.743.8288.

• The Door County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) announced recently that Door Peninsula Winery is the winner of the Door County Industry of the Year Award, and Roger Utnehmer is the winner of the sixth annual Door County Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

The Industry of the Year Award recognizes a local construction, service or manufacturing business that has made a substantial impact on the community and enjoyed significant accomplishments during the past year.

“We are very happy to recognize Door Peninsula Winery…They were the first in what is now a very important industry sector of our local business community and their growth speaks well for their continually expanding role in our local economy,” said DCEDC Executive Director Bill Chaudoir.

The Entrepreneur of the Year Award celebrates those individuals who have taken the initiative to start and grow a successful small business in Door County, and according to Chaudoir, “[Roger Utnehmer’s] innovations have led his company to be a nationally recognized leader in his industry. He is a dedicated contributor to and supporter of the local community. We wish him continued success.”

• Orchard Country Winery & Market is releasing a new promotion, “Be Smart – Enjoy Tart,” just as the cherry blossoms bloom and in recognition of May as National Arthritis Foundation Month.

Carrie Lautenbach Viste, co-owner/manager of Orchard Country, said, “The reason for this new promotion is to allow everyone the opportunity to take advantage of this healthy and versatile fruit and encourage them to include it as part of their daily diet.”

Considered to be one of the hottest super fruits, “Cherries have a unique antioxidant profile that works similar to some types of pain medication,” said Russel Reiter, Ph.D., nutrition researcher at the University of Texas Health Science Center.

The added bonus of cherries is the natural health solution they offer. Unlike medications that may cause side-affects, cherries are a happy treat to be enjoyed by everyone. According to Leslie Bonci, a registered dietitian, “Cherries are great because they have these powerful anti-inflammatory properties and are easy and convenient to eat.”

Throughout the market, Orchard Country products using tart Montmorency cherries will feature the sticker “Be Smart – Enjoy Tart,” inviting consumers to learn more about this super fruit. An informative product guide including the health benefits and great recipes utilizing this fruit will also be available.

For more information about the affects of tart cherries on arthritis visit http://www.arthritis.com or http://www.choosecherries.com.

• On April 24, at The Clearing’s Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors, Carolyn Kimbell was elected President of the Board. Carolyn has been active at The Clearing for many years as a student, volunteer and member of the board. She has volunteered extensively as an instructor in the Winter Program, in the bookstore, at special events and as a docent. Carolyn takes over from Tim Stone, who served as Board President since 1988, when The Clearing became independent from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation.

• As part of the United Way of Door County’s Annual Meeting and Community Celebration on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 new board members were elected and others were honored.

United Way is fortunate to have Nancy Hanson taking over the role of Board President. She will be supported by the rest of the Executive Committee comprised of:  Kaye Carter, Vice President; Leslie Gast, Treasurer; Jason Perkins, Secretary; and Sue Todey, Past President.

United Way is also pleased to announce the addition of Mike Serpe to their Board of Directors. Other board members continuing their terms include:  Amy Demeter, Paul Filar, Leslie Gast, Cozy Helm, Peter Kerwin, Orie Milton, Mary Paitrick and Youth board members Jordan Burke (Sturgeon Bay High School) and Sara Hasenjager (Sevastopol High School).

Sue Todey was honored with the Out-Going President’s award, and three board members were honored after completing their terms. Joanne Dull, a retired school teacher and Dave Tauber, a retired CPA each served two terms on the Board of Directors, and Will Oakley of the Door County Sheriff’s Department served one term.

For more information call 920.746.9645 or visit http://www.unitedwaydc.com.

• Billy Appel and Emmet Jacobs of Gibraltar High School and Greg Grohman from Sturgeon Bay High School were recently announced as the winners of seed capital grants for the best business plans coming out of entrepreneurship courses supported by the Door County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) this year.

DCEDC enthusiastically supported the Entrepreneurship courses taught by Michelle Gibson (Sturgeon Bay) and Mary Witteborg (Gibraltar), and congratulates our local high schools for stepping up to introduce local youth to the tremendous opportunities and challenges that come with starting a new business venture.

Appel and Jacobs are the founders of BEDZ Lawn Care, focused on serving the northern Door County area ([email protected]). Grohman is starting Doggy Dung Gone, a pet waste removal service in the Sturgeon Bay area ([email protected]).

For more information, contact Sam Perlman at 920.743.3113 x204 or [email protected].

• Twelve high school students representing Algoma and Luxemburg Casco School Districts will have the opportunity to construct a student-built home during the 2009/2010 academic year in Kewaunee County. The two school districts have joined forces with the Door Kewaunee Business & Education Partnership (DKBEP), Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) and Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation (KCEDC) in an effort to grow the local skilled workforce while providing real-world learning experiences for our area youth.

For the past two years, the program has been implemented in Sturgeon Bay with homes constructed by high school students. Because of its success, the program will pack up its tool trailer and head south for the 2009/2010 academic year.

Breaking ground in September 2009, the DKBEP High School Home Construction Program will give Kewaunee County students a hand in the construction of a new home from the ground up under the watchful eye of NWTC contracted instructor, Miles Zastrow.

In May 2010, when completed, the home will be for sale on the open real estate market. All revenue generated from the home sale will cover program costs and any remaining will be used as seed money towards future DKBEP High School Home Construction projects.

For more information, contact Tara LeClair, DKBEP Manager, 920.743.3113 ext. 205 or [email protected].