Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/125252
w w w. i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m regional roundup U P F RONT the area's shipbuilding industry to help fuel further demand. "The tech is really ramping up the skills program and the alliance is bringing more visibility of the industry," Buske says. "We are starting to see some good things come from it." One of the ways the alliance will raise its profile is by sponsoring the Tall Ship Festival, which will bring an estimated 60,000 people to Green Bay to see replicas of world-famous sailing ships. Franz says the alliance is already hard at work expanding the shipbuilding supply chain. The increased visibility has helped to draw attention to both builders and suppliers who were unaware of each other. In February, the alliance met with supplier groups, including the supply consortium Delta Green in Michigan, and has already connected builders looking for particular materials. Some of the other efforts launched by the alliance: » Applying the supply chain initiative to find potential buyers for the scrap materials generated by the industry. As a group, the alliance can command better pricing. » Sharing best practices in areas such as workplace safety to help members lower their workers compensation costs. Rates are set by regional performance. » Increasing opportunities for exports by the region's shipbuilders, such as positioning the region as a supplier for an upcoming $35 billion fleet upgrade by the Canadian Coast Guard. The success of the region's shipbuilding industry is a welcome respite from the difficult times preceding it. The alliance, a product of the recent success by the region's shipbuilders, will play a key role in charting a course that positions the industry for even more growth. "We sort of had a perfect storm," Franz says. "At the same time we landed the LCS contracts, the pleasure craft industry revived. Now we want to make sure that continues." » Highway 41 Corridor Brown, Calumet, Outagamie, Winnebago, Fond du Lac Counties Ministry/Affinity join Ascension Health Ministry Health Care, which is a part of the Marian Health System, joined Ascension Health, the largest Catholic and largest nonprofit health system in the nation. St. Louis-based Ascension Health Alliance, parent organization of Ascension Health, reached an agreement with Marian to acquire the system. Ministry has a presence throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota with 15 hospitals, 46 clinics and nearly 12,000 employees, including in Appleton, Chilton, Oshkosh and Sturgeon Bay. Recently, Ministry Health Care assumed sole sponsorship of northeast Wisconsin's Affinity Health System. Ministry is an integrated health care delivery system serving more than 1.1 million people across Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota. Kaukauna redevelopment project grows The Grand KaKalin development project along the Fox River in downtown Kaukauna is getting bigger. The Cobblestone Hotels franchise has expressed interest in building a hotel on the former Gustman lot, north of the Veteran's bridge near the proposed Bridgeway Cove senior housing development, according to City Planner Bob Jakel. Second, a new floor plan was presented for the proposed public library renovation inside the historic 1800s Eagle Mill. The original floor plan concept included two additional Development in the New North By Mar yB eth Mat zek For links to economic development groups in the New North, visit www.thenewnorth.com/communitiesmap Outagamie airport looking for new manager Abe Weber is stepping in this month as the interim director for the Outagamie County Regional Airport following the departure of longtime manager Marty Lenss (pictured). Lenss, who has led the airport since 2008 and spearheaded several expansion projects, including the $32.5 million public safety training facility in partnership with Fox Valley Technical College, left his post on May 1 to take a job at the Rochester International Airport in Minnesota. Lenss is from Minnesota and expressed a desire to return to his home state. Weber is the airport's operations and maintenance manager. He has seven years of airport experience and has degrees in aviation management and management. The county is conducting a nationwide search to replace Lenss. office tenants located on the same floor as the library. The updated plan shows the public library and common space will fill the entire main floor. The upper and lower levels of the building will continue to be marketed for commercial, retail or office use. Developer Stadtmueller & Associates is in the process of updating the lease to ensure long-term sustainability of the development. "The growing interest in Grand KaKalin from the business community is evidence that this neighborhood will continue to attract investment, generate tax [continued ] » M a y 2 013 • Insight | 13