Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/68118
Development in the New North By MaryBeth Matzek For links to economic development groups in the New North, visit www.thenewnorth.com/communitiesmap. REGIONAL ROUNDUP » HIGHWAY 41 CORRIDOR Brown, Calumet, Outagamie, Winnebago, Fond du Lac Counties Appleton Papers will be Appvion Appleton Papers Inc. and Hicks Acquisition Company II, Inc. announced they will engage in a business combination valued at $675 million. Appleton is a leading manufacturer of specialty high value- added coated paper products and a provider of proprietary encapsulation applications. Hicks Acquisition Company II is a special purpose acquisition company founded and headed by Thomas O. Hicks with approximately $149.3 million of cash in trust. Appleton will change its corporate name to Appvion. The new name combines the words "applied" and "innovation," reflecting the company's transformation from a paper company to a business focused on coating formulations and applications, as well as specialty chemicals. Appleton was founded in 1907 » THE LAKESHORE Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Sheboygan Counties Acuity: Over 250,000 policies written Acuity has passed the 250,000 milestone in policies written, an all- time record for the Sheboygan insurer. (See "Ahead of the Curve, and had sales of nearly $860 million in 2011. The company employs approximately 1,800 people and has been 100 percent employee-owned since Nov. 9, 2001. the 100,000 mark and over 80 years to reach 200,000," says Ben Salzmann, Acuity President and CEO. "Less than six years later, we've now reached the quarter-million mark thanks to our employees and "It took Acuity 65 years to reach " p. 18) [continued] » Why exciting? Because you used money that might have otherwise gone toward your energy bills — before you started saving energy. At Wisconsin Public Service, we're out to help customers use less energy, so you have more money to invest in your business. That means more office supplies. More equipment. More marketing. More employees. More of whatever you need to grow. That's the most exciting part of all. Learn how to lower your energy overhead at the Saving Energy section at wisconsinpublicservice.com. And, be sure to follow us on Twitter @WPSforBiz. www. insightonbusiness.com June 2012 • INSIGHT | 11 U PFR O N T