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From the Editor l August
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Take time to be inspired
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By Margaret LeBrun
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They say the best ideas hit you when you’re in the shower. I’d like to argue that a whole flood of great ideas can occur when you’re on vacation. The best part is that when you return – mind purged, refreshed and full of energy – your priorities line up and your vision is much clearer.
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From the Editor l July
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If three's a crowd, seven is a cluster
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By Margaret LeBrun
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What makes an industry “cluster?” Simply put, it’s a geographic concentration of interconnected businesses, suppliers and associated institutions in a specific field. The idea is that related companies will have a competitive advantage nationally and globally if they collaborate to increase productivity Read More...
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From the Editor l June
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Objects in the mirror ...
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By Margaret LeBrun
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Objects in the mirror are not always what they appear
Two PEOPLE, two PERSPECTIVES.Yet one cohesive outlook, one vision.
That’s what we were striving to convey with our cover on Pat and Rob Riordan, brothers at the helm of Nsight, a 100-year-old communications company based in Green Bay.
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From the Editor l May
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Building our knowledge
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By Margaret LeBrun
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Plexus has been on our list of great stories for some time. It’s common knowledge in our region that the Neenah-based company is taking on high-profile, high-tech projects, exemplary of the sort we need to take our New North workforce into the future. The company’s move into its new headquarters in June Read More...
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This issue marks the start of
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By Margaret LeBrun
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our third year with Insight magazine. The realization that we have now published 25 issues of our monthly magazine (plus 10 issues of our sister publication, Insight on Manufacturing) helps validate why it seems we’re always moving at warp speed here at Insight Publications. Sometimes it’s easy for us to forget that for many readers, we’re still the fresh face on the block.
Like getting to know a new friend, you want to know more once you’re better acquainted. So here’s a little Q&A on Insight, plus an update on what we’ve been up to these past two years.
What makes Insight unique? First, Insight is the only business publication that covers the entire 18-county region of New North, including Green Bay and the Fox Cities, from Sheboygan to Door County and west to Waupaca. Our mailing list of more than 16,000 qualified subscribers reaches more business and professional readers than any other business magazine in the region.
Second, we are independently owned and operated by a team of professionals with long-time experience in the region. This keeps us nimble so we can quickly respond to requests of our readers and business partners. We’re plugged into the community of Northeast Wisconsin and enjoy living up to our tagline: Connecting business and people in the New North.
Third, we are more than a printed magazine. You can also read every issue of Insight in its entirety on our website with our exclusive NxtBook digital version. Find it at www.insightonbusiness.com and click through to see videos, link to websites, e-mails and all our advertisers’ websites.
A key difference with Insight: We maintain a strict separation between news and advertising. Why is this important? We believe that our readers are smart, savvy and know the difference between paid content and original journalism. Some publishers actually invite their readers to buy “cover stories” – and you can even write your own story! Others offer “pay-for-play” arrangements, in which you can submit an article … if you pay for the ad next to it. Is this information you can trust?
At Insight, we recognize the demand for advertising to occasionally include more information. Case in point: This month’s special insert on the G2B conference. Notice, however, that each page is labeled, “special advertising section.” The editorial staff and freelance journalists who contribute to Insight are not involved in the reporting or writing of any paid content that appears in the magazine. It’s about integrity.
How do you choose cover subjects? We know that the real estate on the front of our 12 issues is dear. That’s why we convene a committee of experienced journalists to help vet subjects for our cover stories. Together we consider the newsworthiness of each subject, relevance and interest to our business readers and the diverse mix of the companies and people we feature.
We also tap the expertise of our Editorial Advisory Board, whose members are listed on page 5. These are well-connected professionals who offer their advice in exchange for an occasional cup of coffee with our team.
Where can you find Insight? Between our pages, of course! In all seriousness, the magazine is mailed to business owners, top executives and professionals throughout Northeast Wisconsin. To subscribe, visit our website, Read More...
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On truth, fairness and winning
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By Margaret LeBrun
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The national spotlight has shined brightly here in recent months as Oshkosh Corp. has won a series of major contracts to build specialty trucks for the Army. It’s a reminder that the innovation and hard work here should outshine any outdated clichés of the old economy.
When I joined a group of reporters from the national and regional press to tour an Oshkosh plant last November with U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, he told employees that their work was certain to keep the troops even safer than they had been with the mine-resistant, ambush protected (MRAP) trucks he has long championed.
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Techno-connecting for dynamic interaction
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By Margaret LeBrun
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When you think about how quickly technology has changed our lives, it’s astounding. Remember your first green screen computer? The first time you heard “You’ve got mail!” How about the first time you saw a video play on a computer screen?
We tend to take a lot of new technology for granted these days. “Cool,” we say to ourselves, minus the exclamation point, when something nifty and new pops up (never mind the millions spent in dollars or hours that some clever company blew to develop it). In a flash we’re on to the next task.
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Planning a year of no regrets for 2010
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By Margaret LeBrun
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The old business adage, “If you’re not growing, you’re dying,” does not mean that every company that saw lower profits in the 2009 recession is now writing a succession plan or turning out the lights. Many businesses saw the slowdown as a gift of time – a time for internal growth.
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Good to know we've got a strategy
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By Margaret LeBrun
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Northeast Wisconsin business people are generally risk averse. They tend to be modest, not boastful. These were among many points addressed by the study that became the foundation for New North, Inc. as they relate to the culture of our entrepreneurial climate.
Our cover story on Todd Thiel and the international investment company he runs from rural Calumet County, McKinley Reserve, proves that not every small-town entrepreneur fits such stereotypes. Thiel has taken risks that would blow away the pages of any report chiding businesspeople in these parts for their lack of chutzpah. He has not always been successful, but few rewards come without risks.
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Gearing up to renew, reenergize
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By Margaret LeBrun
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A funny thing happened on the way to coping with the economic realities of 2009. As companies cut back, laid off workers, froze – or “clawed-back” – salaries and benefits, a lot of them now admit they went too far.
OK, so maybe funny is the wrong word. Ironic, unfortunate, even tough might be more like it. And now, the new fear: As we pull out of this recession, the best employees will leave and snatch better opportunities, sure to come along as companies begin filling key positions again. If you’re an employer and this has not occurred to you, think about it. You know your competitors have.
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Signs, signs, everywhere the signs
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By Margaret LeBrun
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If you had the chance to trade in old products and services for new and better ones, I’ll bet you could think of a lot of things – beyond cars – that are not only shiny and new, but offer more bang for your buck. Gone are the days when simply posting a sign, “Established in (your incorporation date) here” was enough to win the confidence of customers.
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Tweet, flip, watch, link
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Explore our dynamic new Insight website
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By Margaret LeBrun
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By now you probably know that Insight offers much more than a printed, monthly magazine. Many of you click on our e-marketer newsletter when we announce each new issue, and head straight to our digital version at www.insightonbusiness.com.
I’m here to say that whatever you liked before, you’ll be getting that and much more. It’s a great resource and it’s fun to explore all the possibilities with the technology at hand. You can still click to see videos with our cover stories and “Downtime” features. Every ad still links directly to the advertiser’s home page. But the site is more dynamic than ever.
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Enter the digital divide
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By Margaret LeBrun
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When I asked Peter Helander what he does in his leisure, he said he reads. In particular, he reads trade industry journals on information technology. And he loves it.
Coincidentally, at the time I had my new smartphone for about a week. It was still my new baby. I couldn’t wait to play with it from the moment I woke up until … well, even in the middle of the night.
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Personal touch matters when you mean business
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By Margaret LeBrun
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Not long after his return from Cairo and then Paris, sandwiched between meetings on matters in Pakistan and Iran, the most powerful individual in the world today carved time in his schedule to come to Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Why? Because he knows the power of the personal connection.
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Connecting with the past as we eye the future
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By Margaret LeBrun
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Growing up in Door County, my interest in art was piqued by a colorful old guy who kept a cottage with his wife on the bay just down the road. Many years later I came to realize that Clarence, whose studio was a wonderful mess of oils and acrylics and the smell of what he called “turps” (turpentine) Read More...
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Introducing: InForum, Benchmarks and ... Thunder
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Every month, as our name says, we offer you insight.
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By Margaret LeBrun
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Every month, as our name says, we offer you insight. As our tagline says, Insight is also about “connecting business and people in the New North.”
This month, we present our first InForum. A collaboration between Insight Publications and Innovationedge, we developed InForum as a way to more closely tie our name and our tagline – to connect you with people who offer great insight on innovative ideas.
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Three cheers for the risk takers
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“Do you think it’s a bad time to start a new business?”
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By Margaret LeBrun
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Just over a year ago, Insight Co-Publisher Brian Rasmussen and I did a radio interview about our new startup company, Insight Publications. “Do you think it’s a bad time to start a new business?” the interviewer asked, already aware that the economy was losing its luster. I didn’t skip a beat. “Not at all!” I replied.
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Purest advice comes from peers
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What's your competitive advantage?
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By Margaret LeBrun
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The koosh ball flew around the table a few times during my first encounter with TEC. Phil Hauck was judicious about appropriate moments to fling the toy, principally at “ba-dum-bum” moments. One thing was clear: These people hold nothing back.
Even if you’re not a member of The Executive Committee, you’ve probably heard business associates or acquaintances say such things as “We heard a great speaker in TEC last month,” or, “So-and-So is in my TEC group.” I was vaguely familiar with it, but I had to find out more.
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Anticipation in the face of change
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By Margaret LeBrun
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The green, smoky mist rose from between the heavy red curtains behind Susan Stockton as we prepared to capture her portrait for this month’s cover. It was weeks before the Wicked cast and crew would arrive at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, but the mood was bewitching.
Alas, we chose a different image. When Susan agreed to dip her finger in bright green paint and streak it down her face – hinting that the hit Broadway musical and its signature green hue was as good as in her blood – the moment was magical. She cocked an eyebrow playfully, and – voila! That was it. You will want to read about Stockton’s role in helping the P.A.C. become the sensation that it is, a cultural epicenter that helps make a difference when companies are looking to attract top talent to our area.
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