For additional information, please contact William Rubin at (715) 381-4383.
(Winners are from Hudson, River Falls, and Woodville)
Trudy Popenhagen, president of St. Croix Economic Development Corporation, announced the EDC’s selection of the following companies as recipients of the 2007 business of the year awards in St. Croix County, Wisconsin:
Resolution Engineering, LLC (Hudson)
2007 Emerging Business of the Year
(based in St. Croix County and in business for five or fewer years)
Riverland Laser, Inc. (River Falls)
2007 Small Business of the Year
(29 or fewer employees)
Trient Technologies (Woodville)
2007 Business of the Year
(30 or more employees)
“The 2007 winners employ cutting-edge technology in their processes,” said Trudy Popenhagen. “The diverse nature of the businesses – design and development services, laser marking, and graphic components – reflects the depth and breath of businesses in St. Croix County.”
The companies will be honored at an awards banquet on Thursday, February 21, 2008 at Kilkarney Hills Golf Club, 163 Radio Road, River Falls, Wisconsin (west of State Highway 35, along Radio Road in rural River Falls).
Resolution Engineering, LLC provides specialized design and development services for radio frequency/wireless systems and products using proven technologies such as Radio Frequency I.D. (RFID), ZigBee, Global Position Systems (GPS), BlueTooth and Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). The company was founded in early 2005 by John Bergman and Paul Saldin and is headquartered in downtown Hudson (226 Locust Street, Suite 4). The company primarily employs electrical engineers and technicians. Employment has increased from two (2) in 2005 to twelve (12) in 2007.
Significant projects for the company include a house arrest system used primarily for sex offender management; a GPS-enabled dog collar, a high-end table top audio system, an in-home medical alert system for the elderly, and a robotic containment system with patent pending.
Resolution Engineering provides employment opportunities to local high school students interested in engineering careers.
Their website is www.resolutioneng.com.
Riverland Laser was founded by Dale Jorgenson in early 1998. The business is named after Jorgenson’s appreciation of the many rivers in the area and the importance the Kinni River played in his life growing up in rural St. Croix County.
The company specializes in laser marking, which is a thermal process that uses a high intensity beam of light to create a contrasting image on the surface of a material. Laser marking is the fastest and most accurate technique for marking a wide array of materials, ranging from steel to aluminum and plastics to ceramics.
Riverland’s applications with laser marking include industrial, aerospace, and medical. Riverland’s laser markings includes bar codes, serial numbers, accu-codes ID matrix, logos and artwork. The company employs 11 people and occupies a 5,000 square foot facility.
Riverland does a great deal of work with local civic organizations and UW-River Falls, and Jorgenson is active in the River Falls Area Chamber, Rotary, and St. Croix EDC.
The company’s website is www.riverlandlaser.com.
Trient Technologies is a wholesale manufacturer of graphic components serving the visual communications industry nationwide. The company offers roll stripping, digital imaging, flexible sign faces, die cutting, computer image vinyl graphics, and awning covers. They also provide contract packaging, warehouse and distribution, custom laminating, and precision slitting.
Customer applications include architectural displays, building graphics, fleet and mobile markings, stadium advertising, wall graphics, and perforated window graphics.
Trient is ISO 9001:2000 certified. Following a recent 21,500 square foot office and manufacturing addition, the company now occupies 88,000 square feet. Employment has increased from 57 to 105 employees, and sales have doubled from 2005 to 2007. Trient is the single global shipping location for 3M Automotive’s Urethane and Mirror Button adhesive product lines. The company also manufactures and ships products to Mexico and Chine for AG / Continental – Motorola.
Trient Technologies provides donations to many programs – Zor Shriners, Baldwin-Woodville Post Prom Party, MS 150 bike tour, food shelf, and Woodville fire department.
Trient Technologies was named the EDC’s 1999 Small Business of the Year. Through continued employment gains, it moved up to a ‘large company’ category.
The company’s website is www.trienttech.com.
This is the 14th annual business recognition program for St. Croix EDC. This year’s banquet is sponsored by Citizens State Bank, WESTconsin Credit Union, Wisconsin Business Development Finance Corporation, and WIPFLi, LLP. The banquet is open to the public, but reservations are required by February 6, 2008.
Scott Novotny, a stand-up comedian from New Richmond, Wisconsin, will provide the entertainment during the evening.
The EDC was created in 1993 as a private, not-for-profit organization that operates as an independent economic development arm of St. Croix County, Wisconsin. Reflective activities include business retention, business expansion, business recruitment, and assisting with new business start-ups.
