Opportunities buys Badger Group building for Advanced Fulfillment & Training Center

On Monday, Aug. 23, Opportunities Inc. will open a state-of-the-art Fulfillment & Training Center in the former Badger Group building on Fort Atkinson’s north side.

Located at 100 East Blackhawk Drive, the clean, climate-controlled center will offer training and career advancements for people interested in order processing, picking and packing, light industrial, shipping, receiving, and warehousing. 

“With a unique community focus, it is the goal of the Opportunities Inc. Fulfillment & Training Center to advance a diverse workforce and expand mail-order alternatives for an increasing customer base that engages in online ordering through large retailers and ecommerce sites,” Barbara LeDuc, president/CEO of Opportunities Inc., said Monday.

“Opportunities Inc. has spent nearly a decade preparing to be the local fulfillment solution for the global market and during the pandemic has advanced capabilities in this growing industry,” she added. 

LeDuc reported that Opportunities has invested about $3 million in the building and infrastructure “to offer another career pathway for advancing our diverse community workforce.” 

The addition of the Fulfillment & Training Center is anticipated to expand Opportunities’ workforce by 25 to 30. That will boost total employment at Opportunities’ East Cramer Street plants and the new training center to roughly 300 workers, including both staff and those on an advancement path.

“Since this is our newest training environment with a host of new skills, we will be building the team from both our other plants and external recruitment efforts that are already underway,” LeDuc said.

She announced that Opportunities is seeking to hire individuals with diverse abilities, especially those with life-challenging circumstances, looking to commit to a 40-hour work week with the goal of advancing skills in a mission-driven organization.

“Opportunities Inc. is committed to comprehensive training and advancement tracks to find hidden skills, develop confidence, personal responsibility and build a dynamic team,” LeDuc said, adding that full-time, competitive wages with a $100 weekly attendance incentive are being offered. 

Packaging, Assembly, Pick, Pack, and various other specialized fulfillment industry positions are available. 

“We are pleased to offer the community an advanced training and career development center in a growing industry, especially following the COVID pandemic and its impact on business and ecommerce,” LeDuc said. “It is the goal of Opportunities Inc., in its 55^th year of incorporation, to continue to be a leader and partner in building the community through training and employment.”

For more information on the Opportunities Inc. Fulfillment and Training Center, persons may contact Robin Kennedy, vice president of mission advancement, at 1-800-314-4567, ext. 3015, or by email at info@oppinc.com.

Meanwhile, the Badger Group was acquired earlier this year by the Oregon, Wis.-based printer Thysse.

Long located in the Gordon F. Day Industrial Park, the Badger Group is reputed for its direct-mail, print services, and digital marketing expertise. 

Thysse officials stated at the time of the acquisition that combining forces and relocating to Oregon would offer Badger Group clients increased capacity for current services, a larger team to focus on every project, and additional offerings in vehicle graphics, signage and large format, creative services, promotional items, inventory management and distribution. 

The Badger Group was incorporated as Badger Press in the early 1950s. Operating for 25 years as a small print shop, the business was sold in 1975 to Frank Brown, only the tenth employee to work for Badger Press.

In 1990, Brown purchased land at the corner of Blackhawk Drive and State Highway 89/North Main Street and built the current plant. Almost 30 years of evolution and expansion led to a 58,000-square-foot facility. 

In April 2018, Badger Group expanded its business once more with the acquisition of a local commercial printer. After a 39-year career in the print industry, Brown passed the reins over to his daughter, Sally O’Brien, who purchased the company from him in December of 2013. 

O’Brien, along with many of her sales, project management and production staff members, moved to Thysse. All Badger Group employees reportedly were offered jobs with Thysse.

Thysse is a design, printing, specialty graphics and manufacturing company at its core, but also offers imagination and the tools to customize projects.