While Newcomer Supply may be new to the Waunakee business park, the company itself predates that industrial area by many years.
Michael and Sam Welch, who own the company, spoke to the Waunakee Rotary Club at the club’s Jan. 16 meeting about its history, along with its future in its new home.
Their mother Marcia Welch started the business out of the family home in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1986, and in 1994, relocated it to a 1,300-square-foot facility in Middleton.
A medical supply company, Newcomer Supply makes and sells products for diagnostics, such as histology slides, histological stain kits and chemicals.
As the company grew, it moved into a 7,000-square-foot facility in Middleton. At the end of 2018, Michael and Sam, who took over the business, purchased the lot at the corner of Uniek Drive and Prairie View Court.
It took a while to design the building, simply because of the complexity of manufacturing histology products, and then the COVID-19 pandemic slowed their progress further.
The design and engineering began in earnest in 2022 and resulted in a building with plenty of sunlight and views to the outside – a huge contrast to most laboratories that are often situated in basements, they said.
They said because the work requires people to show up in person, they wanted to create an attractive building for their employees, the “best version of a facility.” With a histology supply company, only one single lab is needed, allowing for open floor space. They designed the building to have sightlines throughout.
They chose Waunakee based on their employees’ commutes. Other available spaces were off of the beltline, where traffic is an issue. That, combined with the size of the lots and the generosity of the business park, convinced Sam and Michael of the Waunakee location.
They also decided against renting a space because of the considerable effort that would go into retrofitting it to meet the specific needs of Newcomer Supply’s laboratory and warehouse.
Currently, Newcomer Supply has about 40 employees and they plan to add between 15 to 20 more in the coming years.
Once they get settled in, Michael and Sam plan to invite the community to a ribbon cutting and a tour of the building.
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Other News:
-Paul Knutson is no longer a new member! He has completed all of the requirements to graduate to a blue badge.
-President Phil Willems’ hero of the week was John Cullen.
-The club congratulated Phil on his World Dairy Expo Award.
Guests: ??
Birthdays: Jan. 26, Joseph Baer; Jan. 26, Mark McFarland; Jan. 27, Pat Durden; Jan. 28, Jim Elvekrog.
Anniversaries: None.
What’s for Lunch: Jan. 23: Chicken Breast topped with pineapple & swiss cheese with a side of green salad/dressing; Jan. 30: Chicken salad croissant sandwich with side of tomato salad or greens. Or, soup and salad bar.
Greeters: Jan. 23, Shauna Hughey and Tim Decorah; Jan. 30, Jean Elvekrog and ??
To sign up to greet or to find out if you are greeting, visit:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805054CAAAA2CA7F85-44320149-2023#/