Kraus-Anderson completes Cabela’s new store in Chesterfield Township, Mich.

MADISON, Wis. (June 2017) – The Madison office of Kraus-Anderson Construction Company (KA), one of the nation’s premier commercial general contractors and construction managers, has completed the construction of Cabela’s new store in Chesterfield, Mich. — the 27th Cabela’s store built by Kraus-Anderson.

The 88,327-square-foot store is located at 45959 Towne Center Blvd. in MaComb County’s Chesterfield Township 30 miles northeast of Detroit near Lake St. Clair.  The new store is scheduled to open this fall.

The building’s exterior will reflect Cabela’s popular store model with wood construction, stonework, and metal roofing.  A large glass storefront will allow customers to view much of the store’s interior as they approach the building.

The store’s interior will be built in Cabela’s new layout designed to surround customers in an outdoor-like experience, featuring a large mountain replica and wildlife display, archery and firearm tech room, indoor archery range and Bargain Cave.

Chesterfield Township is the fourth Cabela’s location in Michigan joining the Dundee, Saginaw and Grandville stores.

About Cabela’s Incorporated
Cabela’s Incorporated, headquartered in Sidney, Nebraska, is a leading specialty retailer, and the world’s largest direct marketer, of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor merchandise.  Since the Company’s founding in 1961, Cabela’s® has grown to become one of the most well-known outdoor recreation brands in the world, and has long been recognized as the World’s Foremost Outfitter®. 

About Kraus-Anderson 
Kraus-Anderson® Construction Company (www.krausanderson.com) is one of the nation’s premier commercial general contractors and construction managers.  Kraus-Anderson, an EOE AA M/F/Vet/Disability employer, is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. and has regional offices in Madison, Wis., Bismarck, N.D., and Duluth, Bemidji and Rochester Minn.

NGL acquisition of Commercial Travelers approved by policyholders with demutualization

During a special meeting of Commercial Travelers Insurance Company (CT) (formerly Commercial Travelers Mutual Insurance Company) held on April 25 in Utica, N.Y., policyholders approved the demutualization of Commercial Travelers and subsequent acquisition by National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL).

“The demutualization is an important step for NGL and CT. NGL entered into an affiliation with CT in April 2012. The 5-year transition to full ownership has involved the dedication and efforts of many people. I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to everyone at CT and NGL who have contributed to the acquisition and demutualization process. We look forward to continued growth and success of CT now as our New York based subsidiary,” said Mark Solverud, NGL President and CEO.

“CT is proud of our 134-year history in the Utica community. Joining NGL, another century old insurance company, offers stability to our policyholders and new opportunities for growth in the future,” said Philip Grece, Vice President and Director of Student Health at NGL.

Following the demutualization of CT, A.M. Best upgraded its Financial Strength Rating to A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “a-.” According to a news release from A.M. Best, the rating upgrades also reflect CT’s high level of integration with NGL, including an ongoing intercompany reinsurance agreement, common management and a variety of shared resources.

A.M. Best is the world’s oldest and most authoritative insurance rating information source. The financial strength rating is based on a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative evaluation of a company’s balance sheet strength, operating performance and business profile.

“This allows the NGL group of companies to market its products through CT in New York with the same “A-” rating held by NGL and its subsidiary, Settlers Life Insurance Company. Both NGL and Settlers are licensed in all states except New York,” said Brian Hogan, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at NGL.

About Commercial Travelers Insurance Company

Since 1883, Commercial Travelers has provided coverage for student accident, health and special risk markets to students in K-12 through college, school sports, and special risk coverage. Located in Utica, N.Y., NGL entered into an affiliation with Commercial Travelers in 2012. For more information, visit www.commercialtravelers.com.

About Settlers Life Insurance Company

A member of NGL group of companies since 1999, Settlers Life Insurance Company is located in Bristol, Va. Settlers Life specializes in simplified issue, final expense, and whole life insurance coverage for ages 15 days to 85 years. Additional information about Settlers Life can be found at www.settlerslife.com.

About National Guardian Life Insurance Company

Since 1910, National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL), a mutual insurance company, has been located in Madison, Wis. Licensed to do business in 49 states and the District of Columbia, NGL markets preneed and individual life and annuities, as well as group markets products including specialty and student insurance. Additional information about NGL can be found at www.nglic.com; Facebook: Facebook.com/NGLIC and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-guardian-life-insurance-company

National Guardian Life Insurance Company is not affiliated with The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America a/k/a The Guardian or Guardian Life.

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Gebhardt Building groundbreaking this Thursday

For immediate release

For information contact: Darlene Buhler (608)225-0710

Gebhardt Development would like to officially announce the groundbreaking for The Gebhardt Building and Frank Productions The Sylvee on Thursday, May 25th, 2017 at 11AM at 811 East Washington Ave.

The 8-story Gebhardt Building will have 100,000 square feet of retail and office space and Frank Production’s The Sylvee is a 50,000 square foot performance venue with offices. The building will offer premier office space in Downtown Madison; within walking distance of everything, great views of both lakes and the Capitol, and even the potential for Madison’s first rooftop helipad.

This project along with American Family’s Spark building will be the catalyst for the South Side of East Washington Avenue for years to come. This is a transformative project adding much-needed density and job growth to Capitol East District.

This is the final piece remaining from the former Don Miller auto dealership and 3rd project by Gebhardt Development on the East Washington Corridor. This is the first project from any developer on the South Side of East Washington Avenue in years.

It fulfils a long-term vision that brings alive a once-dead district by activating the area throughout the day and night. It creates a more vibrant and diverse atmosphere that bridges the Tenney Lapham and Marquette Neighborhoods with the Capitol square and East Washington Corridor. The corridor’s continued evolution is intended to cater to an under-served demographic of millennials to empty-nesters by creating the right mix of retail, offices, apartments and condos, bars/restaurants and entertainment venues. This development, along with our Constellation and Galaxie projects, and right next to the newly activated Breese Stevens Field creates a true urban infill in the most sustainable way.

It will be exciting to watch how this new project will impact not only the Capitol East District but all of Madison for many years to come.

Kraus-Anderson Completes New Hyundai Dealership in Mt. Pleasant

MOUNT PLEASANT, Wis. (May 2017) – The Madison office of Kraus-Anderson Construction Company (KA), one of the nation’s premier commercial general contractors and construction managers, has completed a new $4.3 million Racine Hyundai dealership, located south of Highway 20 and east of I-94 in Mount Pleasant, Wis. 
 
Owned by the Home Run Auto Group and designed by RB Custom Design, the 22,500-square-foot dealership will feature a five-car showroom, service center with 12 bays, alignment bay, car wash, detailing bay, customer service areas and offices.  The showroom’s exterior wall boasts a 16-foot glass wall design and bronze metal sky panels.
 

About Kraus-Anderson 
Established in 1897, Kraus-Anderson® Construction Company (www.krausanderson.com) is one of the nation’s premier commercial general contractors and construction managers. Kraus-Anderson, an Affirmative Action, Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. and has regional offices in Madison, Wis., Bismarck, N.D., and Duluth, Bemidji and Rochester Minn.

Second Harvest Expands to Provide More Healthy and Nutritious Food

Officials from Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin and American Family Insurance announced on February 9th the successful completion of the first phase of Second Harvest’s Food. Health. Hope. Campaign. This phase of the campaign included raising $2 million to pay for an expansion of its facility on Madison’s eastside, and completing the primary construction of the new expansion. As a result, Second Harvest is now able to:

• Store and distribute significantly more healthy and nutritious fresh and frozen food
• Process more food faster to decrease turnaround time
• Handle incoming and outgoing food more safely and efficiently through traffic flow reconfiguration and more shipping/receiving bays

“For many years Second Harvest has placed an emphasis on providing nutritious food to our neighbors in southwestern Wisconsin who are struggling to put food on their tables,” said Dan Stein, president & CEO of Second Harvest. “We knew we needed to make significant changes to our building to give us the ability to provide more fresh and frozen product. Thanks to many generous donors like American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation, Inc., we can now take advantage of opportunities we would have had to turn down previously because of space limitations.”

The first phase of the Food. Health. Hope. Campaign was privately funded by numerous organizations, foundations, and individuals, including a lead gift of $500,000 by American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation.

“We’re delighted to partner with Second Harvest Foodbank as it continues its work to end hunger in our Wisconsin communities, and to do so by providing more healthy, nutritious food to families in need,” said Bill Westrate, American Family Insurance chief operating officer and Second Harvest Food Bank of Southern Wisconsin board member. “We support the efforts of organizations like Second Harvest that provide vital services and support in the communities where we live, work and do business.”

The construction included adding freezer and cooler space, adding new shipping and receiving bays, increasing volunteer space used to process food, and relocating some office staff to a new facility. With the new addition and other reconfigurations, Second Harvest was able to increase their total capacity by 35% to approximately 1.7 million pounds of food.

In addition to celebrating the end of phase one of the project, Second Harvest is now hoping to raise $200,000 from the public to help keep the new space filled year-round. For every $1 raised they can provide three meals. To donate, visit SecondHarvestMadison.org/FHH.

About Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin began working with local hunger-relief agencies in 1986. It helps end hunger in 16 southwestern Wisconsin counties through food distribution to its partner agencies, promotion of outside food assistance programs like FoodShare, and raising awareness of hunger. As southwestern Wisconsin’s largest hunger-relief charity it meets nearly one million requests for help each year. From July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016 Second Harvest, together with its partner agencies and programs, provided 13.7 million meals. It is one of 200 members of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. For more information, visit SecondHarvestMadison.org.

About American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation, Inc.

This foundation builds on our already strong commitment and support for the communities we serve. With this foundation, our community giving has evolved into community investing – strategically aligning corporate goals with community investments and creating alliances with non-profits for mutual benefit. Community investing now aligns with the company’s mission/brand, where impact can be made, and meaningful results achieved. The American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation is intended as an effective and efficient funding mechanism for the company’s community investment and philanthropic strategy. It strengthens our ability to measure the results and impact of our investments for the greatest benefit.