InitiativeOne aims to make a mark on Green Bay
Jeff Bollier
Fred and Tracy Johnson have become used to having random people walk into the Adams Street headquarters of their company, InitiativeOne.
Of course when you move your headquarters from Scottsdale, Ariz., to downtown Green Bay and invest $2.5 million in a blighted, former bar, a trickle of visitors might stop by to find out why. Incorporate a 130-year-old Appleton building facade, a full kitchen, modern technology, vintage furniture and fixtures made from centuries-old timber and curious visitors drop in everyday.
The Johnsons — Fred founded InitiativeOne in 1999 and is the CEO, Tracy is the chief operating officer — said they welcome the visitors. To them, talking about what they do and showcasing their headquarters is part and parcel of their core mission: strategic counseling and leadership development.
The Johnsons started the gradual relocation of their 15-year-old company in 2006 when they moved to Green Bay, while the business remained headquartered in Arizona. It continued last year with the purchase of a 10,500-square-foot building at 110 S. Adams St. that was formerly a car dealership and hosted several restaurants and bars. They completed the wholesale renovation of the building and brought their staff of six employees up this spring.
"We made a deliberate decision to move into a smaller pond to have a larger impact," Fred Johnson said. "We put roots down here and made the conscious decision to call this home. And downtown Green Bay has been unbelievable to us. We've felt welcome and wanted."
InitiativeOne's core business is helping companies, nonprofits and sports teams transform their culture through coaching, strategic planning and training. The company has helped health care, construction, real estate and manufacturing companies in at least 10 states and two countries.
"We make businesses and their leaders significantly better by helping them change their thinking about how to lead in our culture," Fred Johnson said. "People have this impression we're business therapists here to make people hold hands, but we bring tangible products that deliver change to organizations."
"We are about transformation," Tracy Johnson added. "We help companies keep a fresh edge and thrive in an environment of rapid change."
InitiativeOne has also worked with several NFL teams, including the Green Bay Packers' coaches and the Seattle Seahawks. Fred Johnson said the sports side of the business will expand when former Packer Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila joins the organization in July.
The Johnsons' contributions to the Green Bay community began almost immediately after InitiativeOne began renovating the building last year.
Downtown Green Bay Inc. Executive Director Jeff Mirkes said the company may be a bit of an unknown right now, but he expects that to change as it becomes more involved in the community.
"There seems to be a great deal of synergy building around them already," Mirkes said. "I'm confident their presence in the business community will be a catalyst for other entrepreneurs to consider unique projects like theirs not just to impress clients, but also to attract workers of the future."
InitiativeOne hosts free, monthly breakfasts for business leaders, called C-Suite, to highlight leadership trends and pitfalls. The company has established contacts with key business owners in the region and also provides classroom and seminar space for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay through a partnership announced in late April.
But the Johnsons said they won't feel like they've made an impact in the Green Bay area until greater economic diversity and innovation take root, more businesses see the value of being downtown and organizations parlay their success into support for the community.
"We're seeing a lot of the like-minded people find their way to us now, but there really are a lot of people here who want to drive and elevate the community," Tracy said. "It's not just about this corner of Green Bay. It's about how we raise the stature of this community in the state and the region."
Some downtowners disagree with the Johnsons about whether InitiativeOne has had an impact yet.
Brooks Renard and Beau Gille, co-owners of Adams Street Pub, said the company is an important addition to downtown for several reasons. Renard said it contributes to the dramatic changes in the downtown area over the last eight years. Gille said the company has turned an abysmal corner into an amazing one.
"They took a building that's been sitting there empty for years and put a whole lot of money into it," Gille said. "It will be a good addition to the tax base, but they'll also help downtown flourish in other ways. Fred's bringing a lot of different people downtown, people who eat out, might have a few drinks."
Mirkes, the Downtown Green Bay director, said he expects the Johnsons will look for more opportunities to invest in and enhance downtown.
"They have already contributed significantly with their investments and they seem to have an interest in the neighborhood," Mirkes said. "We're hopeful they'll consider more opportunities and partner with other organizations in the community. They certainly don't seem ready to rest on any laurels."
– jbollier@pressgazettemedia.com or follow him on Twitter @GBstreetwise
InitiativeOne
Address: 110 S. Adams St.
Founder/CEO: Fred Johnson
What they do: Leadership development and strategic counseling for businesses and nonprofits.
Local clients: Bellin Health System, Oneida Nation Community Health Center, Brown County United Way, Green Bay Packers coaches
On the web: www.initiative-one.com