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38 | I nsIgh t • A p r i l 2 0 14 w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m Economic dEvElopmEnt – www.mercurymarine.com/75years – as part of the celebration. Another large county employer, Alliance Laundry systems in Ripon, is also in expansion mode. Last november, just a few months aer finishing an expansion project, the maker of commercial laundry equipment announced plans for a $46 million expansion, the largest in the company's history. e project will add 106,000 square feet of manufacturing and assembly space and will be completed during the second half of 2015. Alliance, which already employs 1,600 people in Ripon, plans to add another 150 manufacturing and support staff, says Mike schoeb, Alliance Laundry's president and CEO. "Alliance makes the most reliable and durable laundry equipment available, and demand for our products keeps growing, both in the U.s. and overseas," he said in a statement when the latest expansion was announced in november. "Our core philosophy is to delight our customers with each and every interaction, provide the best products in the industry and excel in our service levels. e dedication of our people is what puts this philosophy into action. e proof the formula works shows in our steadily growing revenues." Jenkins says Alliance's well-built products make them sought-aer. "eir products are very innovative. e first expansion was supposed to handle growth through 2018, but they've already filled that out and that's why the demand is there for this second project. ey just keep growing," he says. Alliance and Mercury Marine were recognized at the Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Awards in Milwaukee in February. Mercury Marine won the grand Award in the Mega Category and Alliance won a special Award for Investing Locally, growing globally. New hospital to open in December In addition to the growth at Alliance, the City of Ripon has another major construction project in the works: a new hospital. e new Ripon Medical t he Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2014. Since it began, the organization has provided assistance to 4,362 businesses and entrepreneurs. The FCEDC is the only accredited economic development organization in Wisconsin. The organization has launched its New Prosperity Initiative, a five-year strategy to build a stronger and more enduring economy for Fond du Lac County and its communities and residents. For more on the FCEDC, visit www.fcedc.com. celebrating 25 years count Make Every Bite H e a r t H e a l t H t i p agnesian.com D a l e M i c h e l s c e n t e r f o r h e a r t c a r e Fine tune your diet and make each meal count. Empty calories, high fat foods and too much sugar should be avoided. Heart-healthy diets filled with fruits, whole grain, vegetables, fiber and fewer calories are encouraged. For more information, visit agnesian.com.