Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/1482134
Insight magazine will feature a special sponsored content section focused on innovation and highlighting the signifi cance of innovation throughout our region – Champions of Innovation. This special edition appearing with the May 2023 issue of Insight magazine allows businesses and organizations to share their innovation journeys in their own words and provides businesses that work with innovative companies an opportunity to share their clients' stories. Each article will feature the story, one to four photos, company logo and website information. The Champions of Innovation articles will also be uploaded on insightonbusiness.com. Choose from several options: TELL YOUR INNOVATION STORY 2023 A S P E C I A L S E C T I O N B Y Noah Rasmussen nrasmussen@insightonbusiness.com Stephanie Crowe scrowe@insightonbusiness.com or call our o€ ce at (920) 882-0491. C H A M P I O N S O F I N N OVAT I O N C H A M P I O N S O F I N N OVAT I O N 2-page Spread Full-page Option Half-page Option Space deadline Feb. 15, 2023 Mar. 15, 2023 Materials deadline C H A M P I O N S O F I N N O VAT I O N | Brian Rasmussen C H A M P I O N S O F I N N O VAT I O N A S P E C I A L S E C T I O N B Y — S P O N S O R E D C O N T E N T — C H A M P I O N S P O N S O R S 2022: CELEBRATING INNOVATION Whether you're a startup or a legacy company, innovation is at the heart of what makes businesses succeed. Champions of Innovation allows businesses to share their own stories of how they developed new products and processes that allowed their companies to grow. This special sponsored content section will inspire you as your business travels its own innovation journey. 2022_Champions-of-Innovation_FINAL.indd 1 4/22/22 2:50 PM Full-page example Half-page examples Full-page example Half-page examples 28 | C H A M P I O N S O F I N N O VAT I O N Construction can be difficult, but it doesn't have to be. In fact, CR Structures of Appleton has a surefire three-step mission to ensure every project goes smoothly — listen better, plan better, build better. "It's a unique process that we take our clients through," says co-owner Kip Golden, who runs the business with Chad Reichelt. "We've molded the business ideas we liked from our years in the industry into what we want our business to be. "We feel the construction part is really only 20%, as 80% is the upfront listening and planning before a shovel ever hits the ground," Golden adds. "We meet with the client multiple times upfront to get all the information we need to ensure that the end product is what they want it to be." In business since 2003, the eight- person company offers general contracting, construction management and building design services, focusing on commercial, light industrial, manufacturing, hospitality and mixed- use buildings across the state. Many of its diverse projects can be found in Northeast Wisconsin, including multiple Arby's locations, several dental offices and the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders clubhouse. From interior build-outs to new construction of multimillion-dollar facilities, CR Structures' team of building professionals manages all phases of the construction project from start to finish and project close-out. This total project integration allows Golden and his team to accurately control projects, guaranteeing quality work. CR Structures uses a ProjecTrax tool to quickly connect project teams 24/7 via mobile connections. This state- of-the-art construction management software allows the team to instantly share information with architects, engineers, project managers, suppliers, subcontractors and building owners via user-friendly apps. And even though Northeast Wisconsin has its share of competitors, CR Structures believes its size and focus on listening thoroughly sets the company apart. "It doesn't matter what size competitor we may be up against, clients get to meet directly with the owners," says Tami Bloedorn, CR Structures' vice president of finance. "Chad and Kip are integral in every project." CR Structures' best tools are listening and planning Company: CR Structures Innovation: Total project integration crstructures.com What do these phrases have in common? Not one of them describes the current state of the manufacturing sector in 2022! Is there actually a way to grow within this manufacturing industry upheaval? We think so! In fact, 25 years ago we launched a company whose very name includes some key words we believe can guide your response to the market conditions we find ourselves in now: Technology for Automation — Tech4! â Automation helps fill gaps in your labor force created by the lack of skilled, reliable employees and allows you to move your qualified workers to tasks they need to do instead of the tasks they have always done. â Employing automation can reduce employee injuries and the spread of illness within your facility, stabilizing your labor force. â Automation can help you lean less on suppliers and control more of your supply chain in-house. Tech4 has decades of experience assisting manufacturers in creating innovative solutions based on advanced motion control, drive systems, robotics, assembly, and material handling. (See our anniversary article at www. insightonbusiness.com/eedition/ page-25/page_b471eeba-840a- 56eb-815e-df3b4ec4e469.html) With 25 years of industrial automation applications under our belt, there is a good chance we have experience with a technology that can help your business compete. From helping OEMs develop state-of-the-art systems using high speed/high-accuracy motion, to helping end users apply robots, vision, sensors, or drive technologies to increase production speeds, we can leverage our broad range of experience to help you create innovative solutions for your business! In our rapidly changing environment, we think you will agree: Automation is THE key to competitive manufacturing in a unique 2022 world! Is it time for innovation in YOUR business? Material handling and robotic pack-out help repurpose foundry staff. "Stable supply chain." "Few manufacturing opportunities in today's stable global environment." "Plenty of qualified workers." "Business as usual." Company: Tech4, LLC Innovation: Technology for automation tech4.com C H A M P I O N S O F I N N OVAT I O N 2022_Champions-of-Innovation_FINAL.indd 28 4/22/22 2:51 PM C H A M P I O N S O F I N N O VAT I O N | 29 A2Z serves as solutions partner Innovation is at the core of what we do at A2Z. We're always looking for dynamic solutions to meet our clients' marketing objectives. A2Z was established by Jeff Amstutz in 2007 and has grown to be an award-winning design and branding agency that serves local, national and global organizations. 2020 brought the opportunity to innovate the core of A2Z. After 13 years as an agency solely focused on branding and design, Jeff sought to expand the agency's footprint. In December 2020, A2Z added marketing strategy and digital services, allowing us to serve our client partners even better. Comprehensive marketing strategies We help businesses create marketing strategies that cut through the noise, connect beautifully with their ideal customer using messages that resonate, and create measurable tactics that get results. Our philosophy is if you can't measure it, you shouldn't do it, so we make sure every tactic is measurable to show ROI. Our clients appreciate having a robust marketing strategy that guides their target audience along the journey from awareness to utilization to advocacy. We've also created a unique process called A2Z Storyology™ to help our clients better tell their stories. We make it easy for their ideal customers to understand why they can trust our clients to provide the products or services that will best solve their problem. Our approach to digital We believe that the best digital marketing campaigns must include strategic thinking, creativity and stellar design. Digital design should be just as thoughtful and purposeful as print design. We pride ourselves on our ability to create impeccably designed, imaginative and tailored print and digital marketing campaigns that exceed expectations and generate results. We're proud of our ability to develop unique digital advertising solutions that help our clients laser-focus on their target audience. We call it A2Z Dynamic Digital™. We've done everything from geofencing a specific location that our client's audience tends to visit to delivering a digital advertising campaign to promoting staying healthy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We've used marketing automation and lead generation to help our clients accomplish a variety of objectives, from running a global innovation conference and identifying future sales opportunities to promoting another client's event venue for weddings, special events and corporate events. Looking ahead A2Z's culture of strategy, creativity, curiosity and commitment to bringing exceptional work to our client partners has been key to our success. A2Z has big plans for smart growth and will continue to evolve in line with changes in technology, design and media and do what we do best — create beautiful print and digital campaigns that generate real results to help client partners leap ahead of their competitors. C H A M P I O N S O F I N N OVAT I O N a2zdesign.com Innovations: A2Z Storyology ™ and A2Z Dynamic Digital ™ Company: A2Z The Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce honored A2Z with the Company Innovation Award (small co.) in 2021. Company: Tech4, LLC Innovation: Technology for automation tech4.com 2022_Champions-of-Innovation_FINAL.indd 29 4/22/22 2:51 PM 2-page spread example 2-page spread example 26 | C H A M P I O N S O F I N N O VAT I O N T he story begins in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1884, at a time when the city was becoming a key industrial center, attracting skilled craftsmen dreaming of a brighter future. It was here that Seaway Printing opened its doors as a book manufacturer, building a reputation for expert craftsmanship, service and reliability. Over time, technology and equipment have continued to evolve, leaving many printers struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of innovation. With an unwavering commitment to customers and its craft, Seaway Printing continues to be a leader in print, building upon a legacy 138 years in the making. "We know our role is more than simply producing a finished product but also delivering it in a way that helps publishers strengthen reputations they've worked so hard to earn," says Seaway President Kevin Heslin. Innovation comes in many forms. For Seaway, innovation is a way of thinking. It's how the work gets done. Principals Kevin and Lynn Heslin have built a company culture around problem-solving and efficiency. It's their approach to the work that has enabled Seaway to stay on top of an industry that has seen more than its share of printers come and go over the years. It can be tempting to try to be all things to all people. Publishers have come to trust Seaway for its unique positioning in the market as a printer designed around serving their specific needs. Having a clear focus on this valuable segment of the print market enables the company to respond quickly to challenges and develop innovative solutions to support customer needs. The importance of quality, speed and consistency is critical to publishers, whose growth depends on meeting deadlines and matching expectations of their readers. Creating the infrastructure, partners and process to exceed these expectations isn't something mastered overnight. From accounting and marketing to production and sales, identifying and implementing small, incremental improvements is what helps Seaway build and maintain momentum. It's this type of thinking that has made the company an industry leader with an ever-growing demand for its services. Seaway's production focus is more on process flow, not just on job flow. It has carved out a competitive advantage by looking for similarities within processes and then building on those instead of constantly addressing differences. By focusing on being a leading low-cost print manufacturer, Seaway has been able to remain competitive, but it's the company's focus on bringing that to the right market that has helped it grow market share and cement a bright future. Having the right technology and equipment partners is an essential piece of the puzzle as Seaway continues to elevate the levels of quality and service for existing customers while positioning the company to capitalize on its ambitious plans for the future. Over the past five years, all of the company's capital expenditure purchases have been justified by existing business to create efficiencies that enable the company to further lower the cost of production. "They have become an innovative manufacturer," says consultant Mike Philie of the Philie Group. "Through their investment in the latest technology, they have decreased bottlenecks and increased the velocity of the work going through their plant." Seaway Printing is a world-class book & publication printer and a perfect example of what happens when preparation meets opportunity In 2021, Seaway added an HP PageWide Web Press T250 HD with HP Brilliant Ink, which has led to a significant boost in productivity. 2022_Champions-of-Innovation_FINAL.indd 26 4/22/22 2:51 PM C H A M P I O N S O F I N N O VAT I O N | 27 At the beginning of 2021 Seaway added an HP PageWide Web Press T250 HD with HP Brilliant Ink, which has led to a significant boost in productivity. In a period of just a few weeks Seaway was able to move almost all of its work off of cut-sheet digital to the HP T250, giving it better productivity and shorter time to market. The T250 made an immediate impact. A job that used to run on a cut- sheet in 14 or 15 hours will run on the T250 in roughly an hour, giving Seaway significantly better throughput. The installation of the inkjet enabled it to go from 8 million pages to over 20 million in just a few months. This leap in productivity was a shock to a lot of people in the industry. And with the brilliant inks, there's no quality trade-off. Seaway has the flexibility to run a job on the T250 or on the offset presses and effectively deliver the same quality customers rely on. The latest addition to an expanding list of equipment investments is the P-Stacker by Heidelberg. Seaway is the first printer in North America to install this state-of-the-art robot technology, which increases the company's output by up to 50%. Remarkably, the P-Stacker retains the folding quality and process because there is no need to increase the machine speed. The P-Stacker can move a weight of 7 tons every shift, which is about the equivalent to a large, fully grown elephant! Heidelberg has been synonymous with quality and future viability of the printing industry for more than 170 years. Like Seaway, it is a company with a long tradition, focused on defining the future trends in print thanks to cutting-edge technologies and innovative business ideas. Felix Mueller, president of Heidelberg USA, shared how partners like Seaway help inspire Heidelberg to find new ways to make the manufacturing process easier. "Kevin and the team at Seaway are the kinds of partners who help us grow. He's always challenging us and pushing us to the limits, which is exactly the right thing to do. That helps improve what we bring to the market for all of our customers," Mueller says. The technology is becoming so advanced that the machines are now doing most of the printing. This is creating a shift in needs and skill requirements from traditional press operators to talented machine managers. With forward-thinking and the support of strategic partners like HP and Heidelberg, Seaway has seen a 20% compound annual growth rate over the past seven years. The company continues to look toward future investments to keep up with growing demand. It's been said that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. "As an entrepreneur, we rarely know when something great is going to happen or when market forces are going to open up new opportunities for growth. If that opportunity doesn't show up, we're still a better company than the day before and able to weather challenges. But when opportunity does present itself, we have to be ready to act. And we are," Heslin says. With all of the awards, accolades and success Seaway has enjoyed, the company believes it is just beginning to see all of the hard work, investments and preparation pay off. Seaway has always seen itself not as a printer, but a valued partner who has built a reputation on simply doing what it says it's going to do. It focuses on helping people solve problems. It's as simple as that. This enables it to continue supporting the community, creating job opportunities and building upon the legacy it is carrying forward. And the team is clearly having a lot of fun doing it. The story began in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1884, when Seaway Printing opened its doors as a book manufacturer, building a reputation for expert craftsmanship, service and reliability. It's now in the hands of principal owners Kevin and Lynn Heslin, who share a keen understanding of the responsibility that comes with that kind of legacy. "Seaway is 138 years old. When you have a company with that kind of legacy, you really don't own it — you're simply taking care of it for a period of time. It's our responsibility to build upon that legacy and leave Seaway better than we found it." Innovation is a way of thinking. And it's thriving at a remarkable print manufacturer in Green Bay, Wisconsin, called Seaway Printing. Company: Seaway Printing Company Innovation: World-class printer's leap in productivity with no quality trade-off seawayprinting.com Seaway Printing is a world-class book & publication printer and a perfect example of what happens when preparation meets opportunity Seaway is the first printer in North America to install the P-Stacker by Heidelberg's state-of- the-art robot technology. 2022_Champions-of-Innovation_FINAL.indd 27 4/22/22 2:51 PM