Oneida County Economic Development Corporation

The 2011 Community Service Award was presented to Brent Sundby. Brent, the General Manager of Walmart in Rhinelander,was recognized for his generous commitment through volunteer work and association with the following community activities:

In addition, Brent has steered Walmart’s charitable donations in the direction of local, deserving organizations in excess of $500,000.00 in the past 10 years that he has been at the Rhinelander store.

MINISTRY HEALTH CARE/SAINT MARY’S HOSPITAL/HOWARD YOUNG MEDICAL CENTER
HONOREE
Award for Philanthropy

Catholic Health Care has its origins in a faith-based response to the health care needs of the poor and other vulnerable people. Each year, Ministry Health Care organizations contribute thousands of hours and millions of dollars of health care services to our local communities. This commitment and dedication makes Ministry Health Care organizations agents of change in the effort to achieve the common good for the communities they serve and society. Community benefit programs go beyond the normal health care services and are intended to help meet needs of local communities with a focus on services to the poor and under served.

In fiscal year 2010, Ministry Sacred Heart-Saint Mary’s Hospitals community benefit expenses and contributions totaled $16,529,843. Ministry Howard Young Health Care, which includes Howard Young Medical Center and Ministry Eagle River Memorial Hospital, community benefit expenses and contributions totaled $ 11,233,974. Ministry Medical Group in the northern region community benefit expenses and contributions totaled $10,076,378.

Not only does Ministry’s care and commitment to a healthy community happen inside the hospital and clinic walls, Ministry Health Care employees keep patients first in everything they do by living the mission to “further the healing ministry of Jesus by continually improving the health and well being of all people, especially the poor, in the communities they serve.” Ministry’s staff is committed to helping the community in many ways, lending a hand for those most in need.

Superior Diesel was founded in 1977, as part of Ison Equipment in Monico, Wisconsin. The initial business consisted of repowering John Deere and other specialty equipment with John Deere diesel engines.
The value add concept was born when Superior Diesel began supplying power units to sawmills and irrigation pump packages to cranberry farms in Northern Wisconsin. The Value add concept was taken to the OEM market with in a log loader application for Hood Equipment in Iron River, Wisconsin.
In 1989, Superior Diesel expanded operations with a more to North Stevens Street in Rhinelander,

Wisconsin. In March of 2001, the company acquired distributorship for Funk pump drives to compliment the John Deere engine packages.

Superior Diesel expanded operations again in 2001 with a move to the current 49,000 square foot engine facility located on Fox Ranch Road in Rhinelander. The company also acquired Heartland Engine Company in 2001, increasing the area of responsibility to include Ohio, Eastern Indiana and Kentucky, Western New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
In 2002, Superior Diesel added additional Funk Power Train products, including axles, transmissions, and planetary gear drives to the product line.

In May of 2006, Superior Diesel expanded its Ohio operations by relocating to a newer, larger, state of the art engine and drive train logistics facility in Seville, Ohio. At over 40,000 total square feet, the Seville facility contains expanded office space to serve as a base of operations for the growing number of our engineering, sales, parts, and product support personnel. The Seville area provides a more accessible, centralized location for improved product flow to and from our key suppliers and customers.

The Seville facility, along with the headquarters in Rhinelander, represents Superior Diesel’s continued commitment to support our customers and growing markets with world class products and services from world class facilities.

In 2009, the company added the Yanmar engine line to the Wisconsin and Illinois territory.

Michelle Smith-Grage is the owner and operator of Lattitudes located in downtown Rhinelander. Lattitudes is a retail boutique offering a distinctive blend of global-style women's apparel, gifts and home decor. Its eclectic mix of merchandise, combined with creative display and great customer service, give the shop its unique position in the market.

Michelle continues to seek out new and fresh ideas and merchandise for the store, making it appeal to residents and tourists alike. She has been particularly fortunate in having a wonderful and creative staff that treat the business as their own and add their individual touches to the store's personality.
Prior to opening Lattitudes, Michelle was a manager/buyer for several clothing and gift businesses where she gained valuable experience in all aspects of retail, including display/merchandising, bookkeeping, employee hiring/training/management, customer service, purchasing and inventory management.

Michelle was the seasonal manager of the Turn of the Century shop at Holiday Acres Resort for many years and a partnership with the owner of that business was eventually formed. Together, they opened Lattitudes as a sister store in 2001, in its current location. In 2007 Michelle became the sole proprietor of the business.

Michelle has been involved with downtown Rhinelander's revitalization efforts and particularly with Downtown Rhinelander, Inc. (DRI) since its inception. She was honored to receive the Wisconsin Main Street Program's Volunteer of the Year award in 2007 for her work with DRI. She currently serves on the DRI Board of Directors and the Economic Restructuring Committee, and is involved in numerous projects and events held throughout the year. Michelle believes that a strong and vibrant downtown is not only good for her own business, but also for her community.

Bolger Funeral Home was started in 1896 by brothers P.B. Bolger, A.J. Bolger and T.M. Bolger. The Bolger Brother's owned many businesses in those early days. T.M Bolger, being the youngest brother, was stuck with the funeral home. He held the 6th funeral directors license issued in the state of Wisconsin.

His son, Patrick E. Bolger, followed in his footsteps and became the second generation of funeral directors. He built the first brick funeral home in Minocqua. However, to make ends meet, he also had to work at the Minocqua Post Office and run the ambulance service. P.E. Bolger died in 1997.

Patrick A. Bolger, son of Patrick E. Bolger, became a third generation funeral director in 1957. P.A. Bolger saw the need to expand the facility and under his guidance added two additions to the facilities. Patrick A. Bolger died in 1986.

In 1986, Michael J. Bolger joined Bolger Funeral Home and became the fourth generation of Bolger funeral directors.

In 1926, the Blaesings started to build Shorewood Vista Resort, which was to be an American plan resort. The first year, they opened a lodge with four rooms and a single two-bedroom cottage.

Each cottage was built from 2x4's with exterior pine boards and amenities included a chamber pot, pitcher, washbowl, linens and towels. George did the building and outside work and Hazel ran the kitchen and dining room. In their first year of business, the Shorewood Vista took in about $635!

In 1947, Doris married James Zambon of Iron Mountain, Michigan. The next year, the Blaesing family sold Shorewood Vista to Hazel’s brother. They purchased property on Lake Thompson in order to begin a Christmas tree farm and to build a new resort, Holiday Acres, for Doris and Jim.

The Blaesings and Zambons built three cottages the first year, in addition to one that was already on the property. The cottages were built with fieldstone fireplaces and included kitchens with dishwashers, a luxury which was unheard of at a Northwoods resort at that time. A field house went up a year later and served as the resort office and snack bar.

The Zambon's two children, Christine and Kim, followed in their mother's footsteps and began helping out at an early age. In 1965, the property added an open-to the-public restaurant known as The Three Coins Dining Room. The property also began to offer The Holiday Plan, a modified American plan, to guests.

In 1972, Kim Zambon married Kari Johnson of Clarence, New York. Kari was quickly immersed in resort work! Kim and Kari now manage Holiday Acres and continue the resort traditions. The fourth generation of the family - Jamie, Katie and Peter Zambon - has now joined the resort family at Holiday Acres. All of the Zambon family proudly celebrated Holiday Acres' 60th anniversary in 2009.

The 2011 Oneida County Economic Development Annual Luncheon marked the 11th year of celebration with the Holiday Acres Resort .

Guidelines for OCEDC Award Nominations
Longevity: 60 or more years in business inside the county. The company has a distinct story to tell about itself and its county operation.
Philanthropy: Continually improving the community through generous financial and humanitarian efforts.
Outstanding Growth: 5 or more years in business. Growth in physical space, # of employees and sales.
Model Start-up: 3-5 years in business, financially sound, met goals in business plan.
Family Business: Family owned/run business, two generations or more.