For the Second Year in a Row, Ideas That Evoke® Earns Spot on Exclusive Inc. 5000 List of Fastest-Growing Private Companies in the United States

FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, IDEAS THAT EVOKE® EARNS SPOT ON EXCLUSIVE INC. 5000 LIST OF FASTEST-GROWING PRIVATE COMPANIES IN THE UNITED STATES

Madison, Wisconsin-based Idea Agency Honored for Three-Year Growth of 714%, #8 in State of Wisconsin

MADISON, WI (AUGUST 2017) – Ideas That Evoke®, a social media, influencer and PR agency serving clients in the beauty, lifestyle and luxury industries, has landed a spot on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list for the second year in a row. The Inc. 5000 represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment— its independent small and midsized businesses. During the last three years, the Madison-based agency has touted growth of more than 714% percent and currently sits at No. 633 in the overall national ranking.

Evoke Brand Strategies – which was launched by its Founder and President, Kelly Ehlers, in 2009 – also ranks as the No. 8 Top Company in the State of Wisconsin. The agency was recently honored with the Dane County Small Business Award, celebrating small businesses and the contributions they make to our communities and economy. To date, Evoke’s rapid growth has been 100 percent referral-based, a testament to the agency’s drive and dedication to helping its clients make tangible improvements to their business success.

“The Inc. 5000 is a hallmark of entrepreneurial achievement, and we are honored to be included among the nation’s most successful private companies,” Ehlers said. “At Evoke, we work with a multitude of industry-leading brands to pioneer their social PR, influencer and digital strategies in today’s hyper-connected media landscape. We are committed to finding new ways to share brand stories and strategically connect brands with their audiences. I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done for our clients, and look forward to Evoke continuing to grow and innovate alongside today’s leading businesses.”

This year’s Inc. 5000 roster is the most competitive crop of companies in the list’s 36-year history. The average company on the list achieved a mind-boggling three-year average growth of 481%. The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue is $206 billion, and the companies on the list collectively generated 619,500 jobs over the past three years.

“The Inc. 5000 is the most persuasive evidence I know that the American Dream is still alive,” says Inc. President and Editor-In-Chief Eric Schurenberg. “The founders and CEOs of the Inc. 5000 tell us they think determination, risk taking, and vision were the keys to their success, and I believe them.”

The annual Inc. 5000 event honoring all the companies on the list will be held from October 10 through 12, 2017 at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, CA. Speakers include some of the greatest entrepreneurs of this and past generations, such as former Ford president Alan Mullaly, FUBU CEO and founder and “Shark Tank” star Daymond John, Dollar Shave Club founder Michael Dubin, researcher and #1 New York Times bestseller Brené Brown, and Gravity Payments’ founder and CEO Dan Price.

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About Ideas That Evoke®

Ideas That Evoke® – a social media, digital and PR agency located in Madison, WI – was recently named the #325^th Fastest Growing Private Company in America and 4^th Fastest Growing Company in WI by Inc. Magazine’s annual Inc. 5000 List. The agency, founded by Kelly Ehlers in 2009, is rooted in solving business challenges through the innovative use of social media, influencer marketing and disruptive creative. To learn more about Ideas That Evoke, visit www.IdeasThatEvoke.com, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

About Inc. Media

Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today’s innovative company builders. Winner of the National Magazine Award for General Excellence in both 2014 and 2012. Total monthly audience reach for the brand has grown significantly from 2,000,000 in 2010 to over 18,000,000 today.  For more information, visit www.inc.com.

OPN Architects welcomes Sophie Anstreicher

MADISON – OPN welcomes Sophie Anstreicher, LEED Green Associate, as an architectural intern to the firm’s Madison studio. Sophie holds a bachelor of science in architecture with a minor in urban planning from Washington University in St. Louis and a masters of architecture from the University of Michigan.

Her prior experience includes internships with BNIM Architects and Jeffery A. Scott Architects, where she focused on higher education and transportation planning, and electrical engineering, respectively.

Particularly interested in design-build projects, Sophie designed and built a bent steel fence that incorporates seating and spans a 120-foot site using digital fabrication and robotics for her senior thesis. A violist for nine years, Sophie will join the Madison Community Orchestra for the 2017-18 season. She recently moved to Madison with her husband and cat.

ABOUT OPN ARCHITECTS

OPN Architects is a regional, knowledge-based design firm with more than 100 designers working on projects across the Midwest. OPN maintains studios in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Iowa City, Iowa, and Madison, Wisconsin. The firm’s award-winning work spans a wide variety of client types including corporate, civic, higher education, health care, and libraries. To learn more about OPN, visit ­­www.opnarchitects.com.

CONTACT: Carly Weber, OPN Architects, cweber@opnarchitects.com, (319) 363-6018

WPS Health Solutions wins BBB International Torch Award for Ethics

MADISON, Wis.—Aug. 21, 2017—WPS Health Solutions is one of the winners of the 2017 BBB International Torch Award for Ethics from the BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust.

Presented annually since 1996, the International Torch Awards are given to businesses that demonstrate superior commitment to exceptional ethics practices that benefit their customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders, and surrounding communities.

“Being recognized for this award is an honor and a reflection of our company’s commitment to acting with integrity,” said WPS President and CEO Mike Hamerlik. “We are proud of our employees for consistently upholding our values and standards.”

WPS won in the category of companies with more than 500 employees. The award ceremony is Sept. 19 in Atlanta.

“WPS Health Solutions exemplifies what adhering to a fair and principled marketplace means,” said Jim Temmer, CEO and President of BBB Serving Wisconsin. “The Better Business Bureau congratulates this long-standing Wisconsin company, which showcases that ethical standards are key to business success and the trademark of a deep-rooted, successful company.”

The BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust is the educational foundation of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. The Council of Better Business Bureaus is the umbrella organization for over 100 local, independent BBBs in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. WPS became eligible for an international award after winning the local Torch Award competition from the BBB Serving Wisconsin in May 2016.

This is the fourth time a Wisconsin company has won an international award since its inception in 1996. Rockwell Automation won the award in 2012, Briggs & Stratton Corporation won in 2015, and Harley-Davidson won in 2016.

Finalists were selected by an independent panel of business ethics experts. Companies are evaluated against criteria including commitment to and demonstration of ethical practices in the marketplace; high standard of behavior toward customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders, and communities; truthfulness and accuracy of advertising and sales practices; ethical reputation among industry peers and communities in which they do business; and training and communications programs to assist employees in carrying out established ethics policies.

About WPS Health Solutions

WPS Health Solutions is a nationally regarded government contractor and a leading Wisconsin not-for-profit health insurer. The WPS Health Insurance division offers affordable health plans and benefits administration. The WPS Government Health Administrators division administers Part A and B Medicare benefits for millions of seniors in multiple states, and the WPS Military and Veterans Health division serves millions more members who are active in the U.S. military, veterans and their families. In 2017, the international Ethisphere® Institute named WPS one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® for the eighth straight year. For more information, please visit wpshealthsolutions.com.

New Aircraft On Display at Wis. Aviation

WISCONSIN AVIATION – Dane County Airport – Madison

Aircraft for business and/or pleasure on display.  New aircraft, fresh from the factory.
Cessna, Beechcraft, Cirrus, Pilatus and more.  

Come see brand new aircraft on display from 1:30PM till 4:30PM.  Tax/Financial Experts and Insurance Experts will be availalbe for consultation.  

Browsing is encouraged.  If you simply like aircraft, stop by and see the latest and the greatest!
More info at http://greatplanesairexpo.com/
trevorj@wisav.com
 

Betty Harris Custer receives Circle of Excellence award

Betty Harris Custer, Founding Managing Partner of Custer Plumb Financial Services, will receive the Women in Insurance & Financial Services’ (WIFS) annual “Circle of Excellence” honor for 2017 in October. The “Circle of Excellence” distinction is conferred upon a select number of women in the industry based upon their extraordinary achievements and given out at the WIFS national conference.