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June 23, 2025
MENOMONIE – For the past five decades, Cedar Corporation has provided infrastructural, architectural and environmental services to companies throughout the State of Wisconsin.
Since getting its start in Menomonie in 1975, Cedar has grown to four offices – Cedarburg, Green Bay, Menomonie and Madison – serving various clients across the Badger State.
“Our headquarters are still in Menomonie,” Kelly O’Connell, Cedar’s corporate brand and marketing team lead, said. “With our four offices, we’re kind of in every corner of Wisconsin.”
O’Connell said the company was originally incorporated as Menomonie Engineering, Inc. and offered engineering, land surveying and architectural services in Menomonie.
“John Klovning was the first president,” she said. “A year later, the company changed its name to Cedar Corporation. We now have a little more than 100 employees across our four locations.”
O’Connell said Cedar offers various services – including professional services and community infrastructure, site development, architecture and environmental services.
“Additionally, we also offer grant services and funding and have a community planning team,” she said.
With its 100-plus employees, O’Connell said Cedar is “constantly expanding.”
“We recently added another 15-20 offices (inside) our Green Bay location,” she said. “And, our Menomonie headquarters is in the process of getting a brand new building – that should be ready to go in August. It’s a huge, three-level glass building overlooking the water – it’s beautiful. We are open to more expansion if the opportunity presents itself.”
O’Connell said the new Menomonie building is being constructed on the present site at 604 Wilson Ave.
“Because we got our start in Menomonie in 1975, and it was more than 35 years before we added another location, Cedar is very well known in (West Central Wisconsin),” she said. “In the bigger cities like Green Bay, Madison and Cedarburg – which is by Milwaukee – we have a lot more competition there. For marketing purposes, we’re trying to get that same exposure we have in Menomonie in (those locations).”
According to the company’s website (cedarcorp.com), the Green Bay and Madison offices were added in 2011, with Cedarburg following in 2016.
“Whether working with municipal governments, industries, public utilities or other public and private entities, Cedar assembles a team of highly trained experts to accomplish the demands of any project,” O’Connell said. “By integrating our wide range of professional skills into a project, Cedar can support our clients throughout the whole process.”
One-stop shop
O’Connell said when working with municipalities on a project, it makes sense for communities to work with a firm that can do more than just a few services.
She said that’s where Cedar comes in.
“Some municipalities are open to different proposals from different people,” she said. “A lot of them don’t have their own engineer, or they don’t have their own engineering group. They want that relationship with us, and they want to keep coming back to us. Developing those relationships is very important to Cedar Corporation.”
For example, if a municipality is constructing a new subdivision, O’Connell said Cedar can provide all the services needed – “from start to finish” – for the project.
“Anything from the roads to the sanitary sewer systems, stormwater ponds and park planning and trails,” she said. “We just recently did a park upgrade (for a community) in the (Fox Valley), and it’s just beautiful.”
O’Connell said it’s “not just one thing about Cedar” that makes them stand out.
“We provide integrated services,” she said. “While we’re doing your architecture and structural needs, we can also provide these other services as well. We even have chemists on the team for water/soil sampling.”
Five decades of service
Being around for 50 years, Dean Zanon – who became president of Cedar in 2019 – said, is a big milestone for the company.
Zanon said there are several reasons why Cedar has survived and thrived for five decades.
“Reaching the 50-year mark is a testament to the continuing quality of our work, the trust we’ve built with clients and the meaningful contributions we’ve made to communities,” he said. “This milestone honors the dedication of our employees’ past and present, whose passion, expertise and teamwork have shaped our success.”
Beyond projects, Zanon said Cedar has invested in the communities it serves, reinforcing its belief that strong communities build strong companies.
“This anniversary is more than a reflection of the past – it’s a foundation for an even brighter future,” he said. “We attribute this success to our focus on building long-term relationships and delivering value, as well as our talented professionals who bring their creativity and skill to every project. Our leadership is forward thinking and has led us through industry shifts and changes in the economy – as well as our commitment to community involvement that has deepened local roots with the communities we serve.”
A giving-back nature
Zanon said community involvement is “very important” for Cedar – noting that the company places a strong emphasis on giving back to the community, which is rooted in its culture.
“We encourage employees to be active participants in their communities and take pride in ongoing involvement in the places where they live and work,” he said. “This not only supports the community but also strengthens the company’s connection to it. This mindset has always been of long-standing value for our company.”
Zanon said examples of community giveback include supporting:
- Menomonie Winter Daze Parade
- Adopt a Highway
- National Night Out
- United Way-Adopt a Family
- Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance Cleanup
- Adopt a Boat Launch
- Little League Baseball
- Community cookouts
- Local 4-H chapters
Zanon said Cedar’s success depends on its clients’ vision, dedication and collaboration.
“We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our clients,” he said. “Our work would not be possible without you, and we look forward to continuing this journey together.”
For more information on Cedar Corporation, visit its website or find it on Facebook.
Over the course of its 50th year in business, O’Connell said the company is looking back at its history in a variety of social media posts.
The company, she said, also launched an anniversary logo.
“We will have one big celebration in September in Menomonie, which will also be the grand opening of our new building,” she said. “The other offices will have their own client parties on different days.”
