Contact: Wendy Gehlhoff    or      Bruce Orttenburger

Phone: 715-528-3294                  906-774-2002

Entrepreneurs & Inventors Club Meetin:  March 18, 2010

Aurora, WI-- “Starting and Growing your Business in the Northwoods” is the topic for the next Upper Menominee River Entrepreneurs & Inventors Club meeting on Thursday, March 18^th, from 6:00pm – 7:30pm.  The meeting will take place at the Hillcrest School located at the intersection of County N and B just west of Aurora, WI in Florence, County.

Do you have an idea or product you might like to turn into a new business?  Do you have a favorite recipe you would like to produce and sell commercially?  Then come learn more about several new NWTC programs designed to help entrepreneurs investigate their ideas and turn them into successful small businesses.  Tim Noble and Andy Clark will discuss the skills necessary to be a successful entrepreneur, opportunities to launch a food-based business using NWTC’s soon to open shared use commercial Kitchen at the Hillcrest School, the NEW Micro-business Fast Track Certificate and upcoming local entrepreneur training options.  For those interested you can tour the commercial kitchen that is undergoing equipment upgrades and will be ready for your use later this spring.

Tim Noble is the Manager of NWTC’s Center for Entrepreneurship. Tim supports all students in entrepreneur courses by being the go-to person for questions, concerns and issues. He is committed to growing rural towns by providing support for entrepreneur’s who are starting and growing small businesses. Andy Clark is the Micro-business Instructor at NWTC’s Center for Entrepreneurship. Andy is a facilitator, mentor, and advisor to new and existing entrepreneurs.  He brings the curriculum to life in practical ways that make it easy for the students to understand and apply. Andy, an entrepreneur himself, brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and “connections” to his job of helping residents of the rural Northwoods pursue their dreams and aspirations to open a business.

Come network with other entrepreneurs and business resource people to get the information and moral support you need to take the next step:  improve your current business, start a new business, or develop an invention.  These meetings are free and open to the public whether you live in Wisconsin or Michigan.  Informal networking time is provided. Sponsoring agencies include Florence County Economic Development, Dickinson Area Partnership, and Marinette County Association for Business and Industry.

For more information or to request special accommodations, please call Wendy Gehlhoff (Florence County Economic Development 715-528-3294) or Bruce Orttenburger (Dickinson Area Partnership 906-774-2002).