Door County Trolley Adds to Fleet

• Door County Trolley, Inc. owner AJ Frank recently received the keys to a new trolley from Joey Dunrow of Double K Inc.

Door County Trolley added its ninth trolley to its 2011 fleet from Double K Inc. out of Crandon, Wisconsin, this summer. It’s the fourth new trolley purchased from this Wisconsin company in the past four years. Owner AJ Frank started Door County Trolley Inc. in 2000.

For more information visit http://www.doorcountytrolley.com.

• Thomas/Pfeifer Insurance Agency, Inc. is celebrating 35 years of service in Door County by hosting an Open House on August 17 from 9 am – 5 pm. Community members and friends are invited to stop in to the office in Sister Bay for snacks and to greet the agency staff.

Founded by Dave Thomas as Birchwood Insurance in 1976, the business name was changed to Dave Thomas Insurance Agency and remained that way until shortly after partner Jeff Pfeifer joined the agency in 1986. The agency was renamed Thomas/Pfeifer Insurance Agency, Inc., in September of 1988. Dave Thomas retired from the business in 2007 and Jeff Pfeifer continues to own the independent agency, located in its original building on Highway 42 in The Professional Center in Sister Bay.

The Thomas/Pfeifer Agency plays an active role in the Northern Door community by sponsoring and participating in local special events, civic groups, sports and fine arts organizations, continuing a tradition started some 35 years ago. The agency also offers homeowners, automobile, commercial, aviation, health and life insurance and represents regional and national insurance companies such as Auto-Owners, Pekin, Progressive, SECURA and West Bend.

For more information visit http://www.doorcountyinsurance.com or call 920.854.2387.

• Van’s Lumber and Custom Builders Inc. is congratulating employees on their employment milestones in 2011. Craig J. VanPay and Steve Schaefer are celebrating 10 years; Daniel Anschutz is celebrating 15 years; Robert J. Martin, Julie A. Joniaux, and Joel Doell are celebrating 20 years; James Heim is celebrating 25 years; Jack Peot is celebrating 30 years; Rick LaFevre is celebrating 35 years; Clarence Falish is celebrating 40 years; and Ray VandenHouten, Jr. is celebrating 55 years.

Van’s Lumber & Custom Builders – with locations in Dyckesville and Egg Harbor – has been building homes for more than 60 years. A family-owned builder, Van’s has a combination of experienced project managers, craftsmanship and quality materials. For more information visit http://www.vanslumber.com.

• The Third Avenue Playhouse Board of Directors has announced that Judy Drew is stepping down from her position as Executive Director. Drew has been at TAP’s helm since 2004 and is leaving to accept a position with The Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor.

“After seven years, it seems time to hand the reins to a new director,” said Drew. “TAP celebrated its 10th anniversary last year and is poised to embark on the next stage of growth and development.”

During Drew’s tenure, the theater has staged increasingly ambitious seasons which have attracted performers locally and regionally and have resulted in a steadily increasing audience base.

“We continue to attract dedicated and talented volunteers,” Drew noted. “Our position in the community is secure thanks to the support of our patrons, sponsors and donors. Our operational policies and procedures are functioning effectively. In short, the goals we set for our theater’s first decade have been achieved and we are positioned for continued success. I’m so proud to have been a part of what we have accomplished here.”

Drew will continue until late September and will work with the Board to ensure a smooth transition. A search for her replacement will begin immediately. Interested individuals should send resumes to Dennis Statz, Third Avenue Playhouse, PO Box 843, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235.

The theater’s upcoming fall season schedule is already in place and will be announced mid-August.

• Cellcom announced plans to build a fiber optic network from Green Bay to Sturgeon Bay. The project will deliver high-speed Internet access, increase capacity for data services, expand the wireless network and prepare the network for wireless 4G technology in the future.

The Door County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) is confident that the enhanced Internet speed and reliability will attract new businesses and further energize the area’s business climate. “This deployment in Door County will give us the opportunity to market our area as a fiber-driven business community,” said Executive Director William Chaudoir.

DCEDC and Cellcom joined forces with city and county representatives to plot a fiber route that will run through the Sturgeon Bay Industrial Park and pass the hospital, shipyards and other high-demand users that could benefit from this ultra-high broadband service.

Michels Communications has been awarded the contract to build the cable route for the second phase of the project, which will bring fiber from Brussels to Sturgeon Bay. Cellcom has also contracted with Holtger Bros., Inc. Cellcom also has a partnership with the Sturgeon Bay Utilities to utilize their underwater duct, and with Door County to attach cable to Sturgeon Bay Utilities’ poles.

The company anticipates the construction will be wrapped up by late October, and Cellcom will then add optics to the route. The final stage of the project will be to extend the network to Gills Rock.

For more information visit http://www.cellcom.com.

• The Door Kewaunee Business & Education Partnership (DKBEP) recently launched its first stand-alone website at http://www.dkbep.com, along with an entirely new brand identity for the organization. The new website features expanded content and streaming media including video clips related to local manufacturing careers, photo galleries of numerous DKBEP programs including the high school home construction program and downloadable documents with information on individual programs. The design incorporates bold, lively colors and graphics in a user-friendly interface that reflects the new branding of the organization.

“Our new brand reflects who we are, the businesses we serve, and the outreach we provide to our local school districts and the youth of our community,” said DKBEP Manager Tara LeClair.

The new DKBEP logo is a depiction of a bridge linking business and education. To best represent this, the image is of three individuals of different sizes with outstretched arms connected to form an arc which represent the partnering of education, business and community.

• Dale Reiser, Chad Charon and Erik Pieters of Peninsula Building Systems, Inc. in Sturgeon Bay, participated in several workshops during Wick Buildings Regional Meetings.

The traveling educational program focused on understanding customer needs, improved sales and marketing tools, and new product and business innovations was held at the Holiday Inn Express/Conference Center in Janesville, Wisconsin on June 21 and attended by participants from all over the Midwest.

Tom Wick, president and general manager for Wick Buildings, LLC, said, “By innovating in ways that improve existing products and enhance services to better meet customer requirements, companies can really improve their market position in any economic situation.”

For more information visit http://www.peninsulabuildingsystems.com or call 920.868.2229.

• Upper Midwest is hosting a Fair Trade Fair at the Settlement Shops on August 20 from 11 am – 4 pm. The public is welcome to come and support local businesses and organizations that sell fairly traded products, and learn about the differences between Fair Trade and Free Trade. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase beautiful fairly traded crafts, gifts, foods and beverages from around the world, support artisans by ensuring a living wage and just working conditions, and support Witness for Peace’s continued work for peace and justice in the Americas.

The Settlement Shops are located at 9106 Highway 42, just south of Fish Creek.