Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/112770
UPFRONT regional roundup �� Highway 41 Corridor Brown, Calumet, Outagamie, Winnebago, Fond du Lac Counties Development in the New North By Mar yB eth Matzek For links to economic development groups in the New North, visit www.thenewnorth.com/communitiesmap. Bell ringers The Port of Green Bay saw its 2012 numbers down 11 percent from 2011. During the 2012 shipping season, 1,917,651 metric tons passed through the port. While those numbers are lower than 2011���s final figures, Dean Haen, director of the Port and Solid Waste, says the year ended on a positive note. ���Meeting or exceeding 2 million tons is considered a healthy season,��� he says. ���Although the Port fell just short of reaching the mark, we ended the season with positive numbers, despite the slowdown over the past few months.��� Haen says there were several factors that contributed to falling short of the 2 million-ton goal, including a mild winter which led to a 40 percent decrease in salt shipments and the low natural gas prices, which led to fewer coal shipments. The port also saw a 10 percent decrease in the number of vessels that came through the port. There were 170 vessels in port in 2012, compared with 188 in 2011. Downtown Green Bay launches new website Downtown Green Bay has launched a new website with updated and comprehensive information about the Downtown, Olde Main and Broadway districts. The website, designed by Arketype, Inc. and managed by Downtown Green Bay, Inc. and Olde Main Street, Inc., can be found at w w w. i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m c ourte s y of F i r s t B u s i ne s s B an k Port of Green Bay numbers down for 2012 Leaders from First Business Financial Services Inc. had the opportunity to ring the NASDAQ closing bell earlier this year. First Business also made an appearance in NASDAQ Marketsite���s state-of-the-art digital broadcast studio that transmits about 100 live market updates to numerous networks. The company was featured in recognition of the underwritten public offering of 1.265 million shares, which closed on Dec. 21. First Business has been a NASDAQ listed company since 2005. www.downtowngreenbay.com. The site is divided into six main areas: What To Do, Getting Around, Working, Living, What���s New and Districts/Contact/FAQs. Downtown Green Bay, Inc. and Olde Main Street, Inc., are nonprofit organizations working to revitalize downtown Green Bay. Lender purchases Valley hotels Two Fox Valley hotels in receivership have a new owner. LNR Partners, a Miami-based real estate investment firm, bought the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton for $17.8 million and the Holiday Inn-Riverwalk in Neenah for $2.8 million. The hotels, which had been owned by Watermark Hotel Investors, were forced into a court-ordered receivership after defaulting on a $27 million balloon payment last summer. RR Donnelley closing Greenville location RR Donnelley is closing its Greenville printing facility next month. In a notice filed with the state, the Chicago-based printing firm says changing market conditions are behind the move. The plant employs 47. In the Fox Cities, RR Donnelley, which purchased Banta Corp. of Menasha in 2007, employs more than 1,000 people. [continued ] �� M a r c h 2 013 ��� Insight | 13