The Northwest Wisconsin Regional Economic Development Fund, Inc. (NWREDF) awarded funding to help Ogema Hills Gas & Go with renovation and expansion projects.
Ogema Hills Gas & Go is a gas station and convenience store located at the intersection of Hwy 86 and County Rd. G in Ogema, WI, roughly one mile west of Hwy 13 in the community of Ogema. The station is 1,783 sq. ft. and has one canopy with one double sided pump located on a 0.62 acre lot. Ogema Hills is the only gas station available on Hwy 13 between Rib Lake and Prentice, a distance of 20 miles.
In May of 2014, Jim and Renee Leinfelder and Ron Wiitala re-opened the business. All of the owners live in Ogema and are very involved in the management of the business. They have been able to reinvigorate the location by adding site improvements and a more efficient operation. In 2018, the ownership group sought an additional renovation project to improve the operation.
In 2018, Ogema Hills Gas & Go began its operational improvements (new tanks, new concrete for canopy and tank pad, POS system upgrade, gas pumps, and new parking lot pavement/blacktop work) with a partnered conventional bank loan and gap financing assistance with NWREDF.
“The improved equipment and facilities will create efficiencies in management, plus the new POS system will become chip card enabled, enhancing consumer confidence that their financial wellbeing is being handled with the most up to date equipment,” Renee Leinfelder said.
NWREDF revolving loan funding provided the critical gap financing to complete Ogema Hills Gas & Go facility upgrades. This project helped retain three full time jobs in Ogema, Wisconsin. To see if your business would qualify for a startup, transition or expansion loan product at NWRPC, contact loan fund manager Ken Pearson at (715) 635-2197.