BizTimes Milwaukee | March 21, 2016

BizTimes MILWAUKEE

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MILWAUKEE COUNTY’S MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM GETS A

DRAMATIC OVERHAUL

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

WELLNESS SUMMIT ADDRESSES THE HIGH COST OF HIGH STRESS Birhani Kifle, behavioral health emergency service clinician; Hector Colon, director of the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division; Tom Lutzow, Mental Health Board member; and Lauren Hubbard, nurse manager of crisis services, at the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex.

LAKE COUNTRY PET FOOD MANUFACTURER DOUBLING IN SIZE STAKEHOLDERS SEEK SOUTH 27TH STREET REVITALIZATION

Wisconsin’s Largest

WEDNESDAY MAY 18, 2016 POTAWATOMI HOTEL & CASINO

Join our 2016 exhibitors!

88Nine Radio Milwaukee Abacus Architects ActionCOACH - Business Coaching Allo! Chocolate Anderson Ashton ARCOA Group Badger Tag & Label BELFOR BizTimes Media Butters Fetting Central Office Systems Charles Schwab CJ & Associates, Inc. Commerce State Bank Concordia University Wisconsin Creative Business Interiors CTaccess, Inc. Dental Associates Epic Color EverDry Waterproofing EVOLUTION Milwaukee Greater Brookfield Chamber of Commerce

Herzing University Innovative Signs, Inc. Lakeview Networks Lamers Bus Lines, Inc. LauberCFOs, Inc. Leeward Business Advisors Life Navigators Malone's Sausages Marquette University High School Maximized Living Milwaukee MC Services Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) Milwaukee Athletic Club Milwaukee Bucks Milwaukee Screen and Stitch Network Health North Star Catering Office Furniture Resources River Run Computers SC Aviation SCORE SE Wisconsin Sign-A-Rama Downtown Milwaukee

Snapdragon Flowers of Elm Grove Summit Credit Union SWICKtech TEC - The Executive Committee The Colerget Conference Center The Rauser Agency Time Warner Business Class Tobin Solutions Tower Energy International United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County UW-Whitewater College of Business & Economics Waukesha County Business Alliance WBON/WWE Women Business Owners and Entrepreneurs WCTC - Center for Business Performance Solutions Wisconsin Aviation Wisconsin Document Imaging Wisconsin Institute of CPAs WISN WorkWise, LLC

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PRESENTED BY:

inside

March 21 - April 3, 2016 S P E C I A L R E P O R T:

HE A LTH CA R E & WE LLNE S S

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In addition to the cover story, coverage includes insights from experts on the high cost of high stress in the workplace.

HIGHLIGHT S NOW

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Speaking in Milwaukee, Obama urges Medicaid expansion.

Coffee Break

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A conversation with Mike Goodrich, general manager of Potawatomi Hotel & Casino.

Political Beat

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Bradley could get help from Trump.

Book Review

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“Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die.”

Real Estate Spotlight

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Stakeholders seek South 27th Street revitalization.

S U P P L E M E N T:

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THE E X E CU TI V E

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In this supplement to BizTimes Milwaukee, read about some of the most expensive homes on the market and top remodeling projects in southeastern Wisconsin, from patios to man caves.

COV E R S T ORY Milwaukee County’s mental health system gets a

Dramatic overhaul ON THE COVER:

S TR ATE GIE S Family Business David Borst 38 Generation Y Aleta Norris 39 Leadership Karen Vernal 40 BIZ CONNECTIONS Calendar 41 Personnel File 42 Commentary 44 Around Town 45 The Last Word 46

Birhani Kifle, behavioral health emergency service clinician; Hector Colon, director of the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division; Tom Lutzow, Mental Health Board member; and Lauren Hubbard, nurse manager of crisis services, at the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex.

— photo by Troy Freund Photography V I S I T B I Z T I M E S . C O M F O R A D D I T I O N A L S T O R I E S , D A I LY U P D AT E S & E - N E W S L E T T E R S Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . 414-336-7120 Advertising . . . . . . . . . 414-336-7112 Subscriptions . . . . . . . 414-277-8181 Reprints . . . . . . . . . . . . 414-277-8181

Founded in 1995, BizTimes Milwaukee provides news and operational insights for CEOs, presidents, owners and other top level executives at companies in southeastern Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington, Racine, Kenosha, Walworth and Sheboygan counties).

Subscription Customer Service: BizTimes Milwaukee, 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120, USA, Phone (414) 277-8181, Fax (414) 277-8191, circulation@biztimes.com, www.biztimes.com

BizTimes Milwaukee (ISSN 1095-936X & USPS # 017813) Volume 21, Number 26, March 21 - April 3, 2016. BizTimes Milwaukee is published bi-weekly, except two consecutive weeks in December (the third and fourth weeks of December) by BizTimes Media LLC at 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120, USA. Basic annual subscription rate is $42.00. Single copy price is $3.25. Back issues are $5.00 each. Periodicals postage paid at Milwaukee, WI and additional mailing offices.

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B R I N G I T H O M E TO W I S C O N S I N ’ S B A N K F O R B U S I N E S S .

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leading edge NOW

Speaking in Milwaukee, Obama urges Medicaid expansion President Barack Obama urged more Americans to sign up for health coverage through the Affordable Care Act and called on Gov. Scott Walker to expand Medicaid in Wisconsin while visiting Milwaukee recently to congratulate the city for its high Obamacare enrollment numbers.

The president spoke in the gymnasium at Bruce-Guadalupe Middle School at the United Community Center on Milwaukee’s south side.

Milwaukee won the president’s “Healthy Communities Challenge,” which tracked Marketplace enrollment in 20 participating cities across the country to see which could make the largest gains during the open enrollment period.

Milwaukee signed up 89,000 new Marketplace plans, including 38,000 new enrollees, edging out Obama’s hometown of Chicago for the No. 1 spot.

“This city should be proud,” Obama said. “You did the best job of looking out for each other and taking care of each other. And I’m here to say congratulations.”

Responding to Republican criticism of the law, Obama said the Affordable Care Act has insured 20 million more

Americans, led to 87,000 fewer deaths and achieved $20 billion in cost savings since it was signed six years ago.

“Even if you aren’t covered by Obamacare, your premiums, or your employer’s premiums, or your share of premiums have increased at a slower rate over these last three years than they have in the previous 50,” Obama said.

The president criticized Walker for not accepting federal money to expand state Medicaid coverage and accused the governor of “denying Wisconsinites their ticket to health insurance.”

“By the way Milwaukee, while you worked your tails off to cover enough folks to fill Lambeau Field, your governor still refuses to expand Medicaid in this state,” Obama said. “We could cover another 21,000 Wisconsinites with the stroke of his pen.”

Laurel Patrick, Walker’s press secretary, issued a statement after Obama’s speech saying Walker has refused to accept federal dollars in order to protect taxpayers.

“If anyone thinks the federal government, which is currently $18 trillion in debt, will not renege on its fu-

ture funding promises, they are not living in reality,” Patrick wrote.

“The federal government cannot meet its current Medicaid obligations and in order to deal with this deficit, the Congressional Budget Office has offered Medicaid caps and members of both Obama spoke at the UCC in Milwaukee. parties have proposed decreasing federal funding for Medicaid programs as po- access to higher quality care.” tential options.”

Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) flew back Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) released a to Milwaukee from Washington, D.C., on statement calling for the Affordable Care Air Force One with Obama.

Act to be repealed.

“I am so proud of the people of Mil“For many, premiums, deductibles waukee for stepping up and taking reand out-of-pocket maximums have sky- sponsibility for their health and the collective rocketed instead of being reduced by wellbeing of our community,” Moore said. $2,500 per family per year, as President “I’d like to thank President Obama for his Obama and other proponents of Obam- leadership in providing all Americans acare also promised,” Johnson said in with access to quality health care coverage the statement. “We need to repeal and and for recognizing Milwaukee’s commitreplace Obamacare with reforms that ment to ensuring healthy outcomes for preserve patient freedom and choice, everyone in our community.” constrains cost increases, and improves ——Ben Stanley

SOCI AL M E D I A S T R AT E GI ES

Does your LinkedIn profile leave money on the table?

Leaving money on the table is fine when tipping in a restaurant. In business terms, “leaving money on the table” equates to missed opportunities and lost revenue.

In this age of instant information and online vetting, are you “leaving money on the table” with your LinkedIn profile?

Yes you are, if it’s missing information in key sections. An incomplete profile lessens the chances of your being found in online searches, and of potential customers hiring you after checking your credentials.

Follow these guidelines for a strong, business-building LinkedIn profile: Headline: Use keywords that describe your product or service. Include your position title and business name. Take advantage of the 120 characters available!

Photo: Invest in a studio portrait. LinkedIn is professional social media.

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Summary: This section is about YOU – not your employer or your business. What are your passions?

What drives you? Detail your skills, experience and business philosophy.

Make people want to meet you.

Include your contact information at the end to make it easy.

Experience: Don’t just list employers and job titles. For each position, include a description of your responsibilities and successes.

Education: List all post-secondary schools attended, degrees earned, and campus organizations or activities you participated in.

Add Media: You’ll find this at the end of individual listings in Summary, Experience and Education. Attach videos, photos, white papers, web links and presentations to reinforce your expertise.

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Skills & Endorsements: You can list 50 “skills.” Max them out!

Certifications, Organizations, Honors & Awards, Publications, etc.: LinkedIn has lots of specialty categories to break out information for a more robust, readable profile. Use them!

Make sure the only money you leave on the table is at a restaurant … not on LinkedIn.

——Rick Moon is owner of Lunar Communications in Brookfield.

leading edge COFF E E B R E A K

POLITIC AL BEAT

Bradley could get help from Trump

BY MATT POMMER, special to BizTimes

What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year?

“As we celebrate our 25th anniversary in 2016, it’s no secret that we are a much different business than we were a quarter-century ago.

With that in mind, we took a deep dive into the way we conduct our business with the help of some outside expertise. From an executive’s standpoint, it’s helpful to get a different perspective and put some of those suggestions into practice.”

What’s new at your company?

“We’ve made it a priority over the last several years to update our slot floor, both with product and layout. Guests will find the latest in slot technology at Potawatomi, and the floor itself is much more inviting than it was just a few years ago. Additionally, we recently expanded our Asian restaurant, RuYi, to include a beautiful new sushi bar.”

Do you plan to hire any additional staff or make any significant capital investments in your company in the next year?

“Having just finished with the hiring of more than 200 people for the opening of our hotel, we aren’t planning any major hiring initiatives. But we’re always looking for guest-focused individuals to join our team. With more than 6 million guests annually, much of our capital investment goes to maintaining our property. Most of our focus will probably remain on sustaining the appeal of our property through upgrades to enhance our guests’ experience.”

What’s the hottest trend in your industry?

“The popularity of our business will wane if we

don’t push the limits of technology. We’re well past the days of the ‘one-armed bandit’ slot machines on our gaming floor. Technology has allowed for much more interactivity, which is key in attracting new audiences. Slot machines are looking more and more like games you play on your smartphone.”

What will be your company’s main challenges in the next year?

“Training and development. Making sure our 2,700-plus employees are delivering the very best in service is consistently our top priority.

Outdoing ourselves in that realm is always a challenge, but one we must meet in order to compete for our guests’ entertainment dollar.”

From a business standpoint, who do you look up to?

“The first person that comes to mind is Forest County Potawatomi chairman Gus Frank. The success he’s helped foster, both here in Milwaukee and in Forest County, is remarkable.”

Do you have a business mantra?

“We have to be agents of change. As soon as we’re comfortable, we have to look at growing ourselves and pushing the limits.”

What was the best advice you ever received?

“Leave your work at work. While sometimes that’s impossible, it’s necessary to maintain a good work/life balance.

I try to instill that in our management team at Potawatomi.”

Mike Goodrich General manager Potawatomi Hotel & Casino 1721 W. Canal St., Milwaukee www.paysbig.com Industry: Casino entertainment Employees: 2,772 Family: Wife, Kymme, and eight children w w w.biztimes.com

What do you like to do in your free time?

“I like to travel and explore new places. I also love to spend time on the golf course.” n

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Donald Trump’s entry into Republican politics could provide a boost to Rebecca Bradley’s try on April 5 for a full 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Trump’s bid for the GOP presidential nomination has stirred broad citizen and media interest in the Republican presidential primaries across America. Voter turnout for primaries and caucuses in other states through early March show Republicans attractTrump ing a third more citizens than similar Democratic election events.

Bradley, in essence, is the Republican candidate for the state Supreme Court post which will be decided in Wisconsin’s April voting – which occurs in the same election as the presidential primary balloting.

Bradley is a favorite of Republican Gov. Scott Walker, who appointed her to the court last year after the death of Justice Patrick Crooks. Earlier, Walker had appointed her to a circuit court judgeship and then to the State Court of Appeals.

Her election opponent is Appeals Court Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg, who narrowly lost a state Supreme Court race to Supreme Court Justice David Prosser in 2011.

Prosser is a former Republican speaker of the Assembly.

At first blush, this year’s court race seemed to be close.

In the February primary, Bradley got 44.7 percent of the vote, while Kloppenburg received 43.2 percent.

But Republicans are credited with a better record of voting in non-presidential elections. Plus, Trump and his primary opponents have made the GOP primary more exciting.

The potential for Democratic crossover votes in the April presidential primary race may not give a clear picture of partisan politics in Wisconsin and what that means for the November U.S. Senate campaign.

The better indicator comes from the ostensibly nonpartisan court race. A solid Bradley win would boost the morale of Republican leaders.

Matt Pommer is the “dean” of Capitol correspondents in Madison. His column is published with permission from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, but does not reflect the view or opinions of the WNA or its member newspapers.

BY TH E NU MBERS

700

Direct Supply Inc. is moving forward with plans to build a new office building at its corporate headquarters campus in Milwaukee and plans to add up to 700 jobs in the next four or five years.

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leading edge ON TH E C ALEN D AR

MA DE I N M I LWA U K E E

Technology, demand drive Velicon’s evolution

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It may not be the ideal location for a business, tucked in an alley just off Capitol Drive and North 31st Street in Milwaukee, but there are some very good reasons for Velicon Ltd. to be located where it is. Specifically, it is the transformer located near the building and the 11,000 volts it can supply.

“That opens a lot of avenues for what we are doing,” said Cecil Edirisinghe, who owns Velicon with his wife, Irina.

Velicon manufactures high-performance electric motors for testing power and torque in the aerospace,

Hold ’em or Fold ’em

ARTHUR THOMAS (414) 336-7123 | Twitter: @arthur8823 arthur.thomas@biztimes.com

racing and automotive, and agricultural industries.

The motors can take up to 16 weeks to build and ship. They can cost up to $100,000 and require extensive testing before being delivered to customers.

That’s where the transformer and its 11,000 volts enter the picture. Edirisinghe is able to draw enough power for testing to have confidence in his product when he sends it to customers. He’s hopeful that eventually he can use the generator capabilities of the motors to return power to the city’s energy grid.

If that day arrives, it would be another step in the evolution of a business that started with Edirisinghe working as a consultant in the early 1990s. Velicon was founded in 1995 as a company that licensed design products for machine tools, spindles and components. The company moved into manufacturing small spindle motors in 2003 after receiving requests from all over the country. In 2005, those small motors began to instead become the large test motors Velicon makes today.

“We consider ourselves as our competitor because for every product, we make another product to compete with it. That actually improved our product performance over the years,” Edirisinghe said, adding that improving technology and customer demand are the driving factors behind the company’s evolution.

The business hasn’t always been on an upward trajectory. A flood a few years ago meant not being able to ship a $400,000 order to Hyundai. The company had 15 employees at the time and is now down to eight full-time and two part-time. Edirisinghe said the business was somehow able to recover, but the effects of the flood are still being felt.

“There’s some components still lying on the shelf,” he said.

Edirisinghe said Velicon doesn’t face a lot of competition from within the United States. What competition does exist comes from other smaller 6

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Velicon Ltd. 4044 N. 31st St., Suite A, Milwaukee Industry: High-performance electric motors Employees: 8 www.velicon.com ABOVE: Cecil Edirisinghe stands in front of two of the motors his company built.

companies like Velicon.

“We are (more) worried about foreign competition than U.S. competition,” he said, adding that large foreign companies in particular are a threat and protecting intellectual property is becoming more important.

One change Velicon has made is to use as many local suppliers as possible. It isn’t because Edirisinghe is worried about the threat of foreign competition, but because of the flexibility it can afford his small business. Nearly all of the components in his motors come from within southeastern Wisconsin. He contracts with the machine shop next door to limit the capital investment he needs to make.

“Personally knowing the suppliers and customers is helping us quite a bit,” he said, adding that payment terms or issues with supplies can be better worked out when the parties are in close proximity to each other.

But the desire to keep things local hasn’t stopped Edirisinghe from looking to export. Velicon was part of a Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. trade trip to Germany in 2015. The trip included attendance at the Hannover Messe trade show and led to potential customers in Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Belgium.

Get the latest manufacturing news delivered to your inbox every Monday. Sign up for BizTimes’ Manufacturing Weekly at biztimes.com/subscribe.

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The 2016 M&A Forum presented by BizTimes Media will be held on Thursday, April 21, from 7:30 to 11 a.m. at the Milwaukee Marriott Downtown, 625 N. Milwaukee St. in Milwaukee. The theme of this year’s event is “Hold ’em or Fold ’em,” and several experts will examine when to grow your company and when to sell it. Frank Unick, CFO of Uline, will keynote the event. Panelists will address the psychology of growing your business or deciding to sell, as well as targeting the ideal buyer for your company. Cost is $45 and includes breakfast, the keynote, two panel discussions and a breakout session. For more information or to register, visit www.biztimes.com/maforum.

BOOK REVIEW

‘Made to Stick:

Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die’ Urban legends, conspiracy theories and bogus public health scares circulate effortlessly. Meanwhile, people with important ideas such as businesspeople, teachers and politicians struggle to make their ideas stick. Why do some ideas thrive while others die, and how can we improve the chances of a worthy idea?

Educators, idea collectors and brothers Chip and Dan Heath reveal the anatomy of ideas that stick and explain ways to make ideas stickier, such as applying the human scale principle, using the Velcro Theory of Memory and creating curiosity gaps.

Using success stories and failures “Made to Stick,” aims to change the way people communicate ideas by using six key traits.

From a Nobel Prize-winning scientist who drank a glass of bacteria to prove a point about stomach ulcers to an elementary school teacher whose simulation actually prevented racial prejudice, “Made to Stick” shows the vital principles of winning ideas and tells us how we can apply these rules to making our own messages stick.

“Made to Stick” is available at www.800ceoread. com for $13.99.

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——Corrinne Hess

leading edge NON P RO F IT N E W S

THE GOOD LIFE

Metro Milwaukee YMCA CEO to resign in June

Cultivating a passion

Julie Tolan, chief executive officer of the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee, will resign on June 30.

Tolan joined the YMCA in 2013 and oversaw a dramatic restructuring plan to eliminate $30 million in debt the organization had accrued over two decades. The YMCA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2014, sold 70 percent of its owned real estate assets and re-configured its revenue streams.

Earlier this year, Tolan volunteered to take a cut of roughly $125,000 in salary and benefits after the YMCA came up $1.5 million short of its $3.8 million fundraising goal.

“If there ever was a definition of the ‘right leader at the right time,’ Julie was it,” said Richard Canter, chairman of the board of directors of the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee. “Even when our challenges seemed insurmountable, Julie persevered thanks to her clarity of vision, strong sense of faith and courage to make the difficult, but necessary, decisions. On behalf of our board of directors, we thank Julie and wish her nothing but the very best in her future endeavors.”

The YMCA’s board of directors is forming a special committee to find a replacement for Tolan, who will continue to lead the organization over the next four months.

“Among our biggest accomplishments over the past few years was how our community came together to proclaim the Y matters and is worth saving,” Tolan said in a prepared statement. “I am forever grateful to them, our team and our board for the way in which we all pulled together to address our challenges and put the Y on the path to a more sustainable future. While the time is nearing for me to recharge and consider my next chapter, I will forever support the mission of the Y and advocate for others in our community to do the same.”

For the past two years, Tim Gaedtke, 36, a sales representative for General Beverage Sales Co. in New Berlin, has been enjoying the fruits of his labor — or rather, the vegetables of his labor — at the Firefly Ridge community garden in Wauwatosa.

Gaedtke started renting a 30-by-30-foot plot at Firefly Ridge after a couple years of gardening in Tim Gaedtke, 36, started gardening on a plot at the Firefly his backyard. He grows tomatoes, Ridge Community Garden in Wauwatosa two years ago. cucumbers, peppers, carrots, kale, spinach, beets, onions, green beans, in is definitely worth it. zucchini, pumpkins, eggplant, butternut squash “We don’t buy a single vegetable from June and lettuce. Though sometimes chipmunks until the end of October,” Gaedtke said. “We also nibble at his veggies, “it doesn’t bother me becan and freeze a ton of veggies and homemade cause I can barely keep up with my harvest,” spaghetti sauce to keep us pretty stocked up Gaedtke said. throughout the winter. Now that I am getting Firefly Ridge is a 10-acre property where large harvests, I also have the opportunity to locals with a green thumb can rent different donate veggies to local food pantries.” sized garden plots from year to year.

Gaedtke said it’s important to find a Three times a week during the growing rewarding hobby outside of work. season, Gaedtke stops by his garden after work “It is important to find something that you for 15 or 20 minutes to pick some veggies, do are passionate about and take it and run with some weeding and water his plants if they look it,” he said.

“See how far you can go.” thirsty. He spends about one to two hours at the garden on weekends. He said the time he puts ——Ben Stanley

——Ben Stanley

Inspirational Leadership 2016 “The Connection Between Happiness and Success” Presented by Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage

Friday, April 29 7:30 am - 12:00 noon

Hyatt Regency Milwaukee | 333 W. Kilbourn Ave., Milwaukee, WI

St. Camillus

printing & graphics

Keynote Speaker Shawn Achor w w w.biztimes.com

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leading edge O N T HE M ON E Y

BR EA K ING GR OUN D

Should plan sponsors worry about the Roth promise?

Whenever I talk with 401(k) plan sponsors or participants about making Roth 401(k) contributions, at least half of them tell me they would never do it because they don’t trust the federal government to keep its promise to allow tax-free distribution of Roth balances. I think they are wrong — not about trusting Uncle Sam, but about whether Roth balances will be taxed.

BRADY STREET Everyone should make Roth contributions Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin will lease 15,000 square feet of space in a In an uncertain world, the prospect of receiving all or a portion of your 401(k) new, 23,600-square-foot medical office building Irgens plans to build at the former site of balance tax-free at retirement is too good for any of us to pass up. The mechanics the Venice Club restaurant at 1905 N. Calhoun Road in Brookfield. The Froedtert and MCW behind the Roth promise are making after-tax Roth 401(k) contributions, allowspace will be used for a primary care and women’s health clinic. Irgens is planning to ing the balances to stay in the plan for at least five years and withdrawing balances break ground in April. at retirement (not sooner). If these criteria are met, the entire balance in a Roth 401(k) account (including earnings) will be distributed tax-free.

——Corrinne Hess Many advisors feel that determining whether a participant should make Roth times when the equity markets are low, this strategy becomes even more appealing, 401(k) contributions requires an analysis of their current and future expected tax rates. Since the future is unknowable, participants should hedge their bets by con- since it lowers the amount of taxes an executive would pay while not forcing an executributing something into their Roth 401(k) accounts now. Once the five year period is tive to actually sell anything.

What you should do met (with as little as a $1 of Roth 401(k) contributions) any future contributions are Make sure that you add Roth 401(k) capability to your plan if you don’t already immediately eligible for tax-free treatment. have it. It should cost less than $1,000 to amend your plan and communicate the Roth Especially your executives Because of their more complex tax situations, your executives may be very inter- 401(k) feature. Talk about Roth 401(k) contributions and in-plan conversions in your ested in making Roth 401(k) contributions as well as taking advantage of Roth in-plan employee education sessions. Your employees need to hear more about these benefits. conversions. Working with their tax advisors, executives should consider each year con——Robert Lawton is the founder and president of Lawton Retirement Plan verting a portion of their existing pre-tax balances into after-tax Roth balances. During Consultants LLC in Milwaukee.

Co-chairs Madeleine and David Lubar Invite You to the

Furniture Matters.

2016 DREAM BIG DINNER

We furnish modern workspaces that foster creativity and collaboration.

+ April 14, 5:30 p.m. + UWM Ballroom + RSVP @ COLLEGEPOSSIBLE.ORG/DREAMBIG

“Join us to celebrate the bright minds and determined spirits of these special Milwaukee college-bound students.

Your support is crucial to helping end the cycles of poverty in their families, and in turn, in our community.”

— Madeleine and David Lubar

2016 DREAM BIG DINNER HONOREES INCLUDE: + Dr. Darienne Driver – Milwaukee Public Schools Pat Wilmeth Most Likely To Succeed Award + Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation Foundation Friend Award + Gary Grunau and Schlitz Park Corporate Partner of the Year MILWA U K EE MA D IS ON

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College Possible is making college admission and success possible for low-income students through an intensive curriculum of coaching and support.

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ONLIN E POLL

Re: Democrats criticizing Johnson Controls “Johnson Controls did not request and did not receive aid from the government during the financial crisis. Nor did the company declare bankruptcy.”

- Alex Molinaroli, Johnson Controls

Re: Respect and acceptance “Yes ‘black lives matter,’ but what is important is to look at people as individuals, accept them for who they are and respect them.”

What should be done about the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court?

President Obama should appoint a new justice ASAP:

55.2%

Re: Milwaukee’s community assets

Obama shouldn’t appoint a new justice.

It should be up to the next president:

27%

“Let’s start a broader community conversation about the future of our parks system and how it is managed before it’s too late.”

Senate Republicans should hold hearings, but then vote against Obama’s appointment:

9.7%

Senate Republicans should refuse to even consider any appointment to the court by Obama:

8.1%

-Bob Chernow, Milwaukee businessman

Local First Milwaukee recently hosted its first Grow Local Business Expo at Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery in downtown Milwaukee.

-Cheryl Nenn, Milwaukee Riverkeeper

MMAC’s WORLD TRADE ASSOCIATION presents the

WISCONSIN INTERNATIONAL TRADE CONFERENCE Platinum Sponsors

Keynote speakers: Todd Teske - Chairman/President/CEO, Briggs & Stratton and Jonas Prising CEO, ManpowerGroup

LOCAL LEADERS. GLOBAL IMPACT.

TUESDAY, MAY 10, 2016

7:30 am - 6:00 PM Wisconsin Center, Milwaukee

Gold Sponsor Media Partner

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biz news Lake Country pet food manufacturer is doubling in size

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Hartland-based herbal pet food manufacturer is doubling the size of its company with the recent purchase of a 43,000-square-foot industrial building in Oconomowoc.

Herbsmith Inc., which specializes in Chinese herbs for dogs, cats and horses, will also retain its 55,000-square-foot space at 455 E. Industrial Dr. in Hartland.

Since the company was incorporated in 2000 by veterinarian Drive. Chris Bessent, revenue has grown by more than 200 percent each year.

Bessent said she plans on doubling the company’s staff size from 20 to 40 within the next 12 to 18 months.

“The boom has just been crazy good,” Bessent said. “Not only did we need a new

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facility, but we needed more capacity so we could add the jobs.”

Mike Judson, of Judson and Associates in Pewaukee, said Bessent spent several months looking for a property between Oconomowoc and Pewaukee, but had a difficult time finding the right space because the area’s industrial real estate market is so tight.

Herbsmith purchased the building at 1823 Executive Drive in Oconomowoc for $2.6 million from Paragon Development Systems Inc. The newly acquired space will be used for production, Bessent said.

In addition to the globally-branded Herbsmith line, the company is also a wholesale manufacturer of freeze dried

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BY CORRINNE HESS, staff writer

pet food products and snacks under the name Wisconsin Freeze Dried LLC, which incorporated about three years ago.

Bessent has been a practicing veterinarian in the Oconomowoc area Herbsmith recently purchased a 43,000-square-foot building at for 28 years. She said she 1823 Executive Drive in Oconomowoc for expansion. wanted to create a product that improved overall animal wellness, Herbsmith is not the only rapwhile educating the public about the ben- idly growing pet food manufacturer efits of herbal blends for animals. in southeastern Wisconsin. Last year, “Fortunately, we’re in an economy natural pet food manufacturer Stella & where we can really care for our pets, buy Chewy’s moved its operations from a good products and feed them well,” Bes- 50,000-square-foot facility in Milwaukee sent said. “And the public is more educat- to a new 164,000-square-foot building in ed about caring for their animals.”

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innovations Knihter seeks to help entrepreneurs develop their ideas Food finding app Hankr among initial projects

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ike many good innovations, the new food-finding app Hankr started out as an idea for solving a problem. John Kuehl felt there was something missing from the various review or map services that help consumers find food.

“It always left me, or me and my wife, struggling to make the call,” said Kuehl, who works in digital marketing in Madison. “What I really want to ARTHUR THOMAS (414) 336-7123 arthur.thomas@biztimes.com Twitter: @arthur8823

do is look at pictures of food.”

Allowing the user to look at pictures of food is exactly what Hankr does. The app sorts pictures of real menu items at local restaurants into categories like small plates, Italian or pub food. The user can scroll through the pictures, find a dish in which he or she is interested, and then click on it to find out where it is served.

The problem was, Kuehl didn’t have the time or technical skillset needed to build the app into what it could be.

“Like any newbie entrepreneur, at first you try to bootstrap it,” Kuehl said. Then he began to consider the skills people in his professional network might have and who might be able to help make Hankr a reality.

The team that did have the time was at Knihter, a company with offices in Cedarburg and Milwaukee that started in early 2015 with the goal of helping people build sustainable companies through digital ideas. Knihter is kind of like a venture firm, but instead of providing financial support, it takes a stake in the new com-

pany in exchange for bringing technical and strategic expertise to an idea.

“We see that as a really good opportunity for people who have interesting ideas but may not be in the position to make that full and mythical entrepreneurial leap,” said Al Krueger, one of four partners at Knihter.

The rest of the group includes Dan Early, Mark Roller and Dustin Halyburton. Krueger said all four partners have a strong background in the digital space and many times would build something to test ideas, but not take it any further.

“The idea was to be able to take those ideas that we have and build real, sustainable growth companies,” he said.

Kuehl knew Early and Roller, owners of Milwaukee-based web design and marketing firm Ascedia, professionally and said it was important that he trusted the team at Knihter and that they had passion for his idea.

“They felt ownership, I believe, right from the start,” Kuehl said, adding the feel was different from if he had supplied the money and Knihter was performing a job or if the group supplied the funding and controlled the direction of the idea.

Krueger noted the group has built other apps and products before, but Hankr is the first with which it is putting an all-encompassing effort into building a standalone company.

“We each have our individual skillset that we bring to it,” Krueger said.

Early, the chief executive officer at Ascedia, brings an understanding of a business’ financials. Roller, the creative lead at Ascedia, heads the development of Knihter businesses from a creative per-

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Knihter Cedarburg Innovation: Hankr www.knihter.com

spective. Krueger comes at the strategy equation with an eye toward the business model. Halyburton is the lead developer at Knihter.

“With Hankr, (Halyburton is) the one who was writing all the code and was making everything,” Krueger said.

The concept behind Hankr is straightforward, but the challenge is making a sustainable business model of it. Unlike Yelp, which puts much of the control in the hands of users, Hankr gives control to restaurants by partnering with them. The company shoots professional photos of the restaurant’s dishes and then shares the rights with the restaurant.

Krueger said part of the idea beyond the app is to manage the consumer’s expectations of what the food will be like at a restaurant. While words in a review or on a menu can set expectations too high or too low, a picture gives an actual representation of the dish. For that reason, Krueger said the restaurants partnering with Hankr are told to prepare dishes just as they would for any customer.

Krueger said Hankr has been able to secure contracts with a number of restaurants and is bringing more onboard all the time. The idea is to eventually expand to other markets, including Madison.

Kuehl said he wouldn’t have been able to launch Hankr without a partner like Knihter. n

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ABOVE: The main screen in Hankr shows the user photos of food from local restaurants divided into categories.

BELOW: When a user clicks on a photo in Hankr, he or she is taken to an information page built around a specific dish.

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CORRINNE HESS

real estate

The City of Milwaukee purchased the Wildenberg Hotel, 3774 S. 27th St., in August 2013. The historic site will be part of a charrette later this year.

The former Kmart building, 4595 S. 27th St., will become an At Home store this summer.

Stakeholders seek South 27th Street revitalization

Greenfield and Milwaukee work together to attract retail

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hen Todd Reardon, founding chairman of the South 27th Street Business Improvement District, heard Water Street Brewery had chosen to open its fourth location in Oak Creek, he reached out to the restaurant’s owner to ask, “Why there?”

Reardon, who also owns the Braeger Ford and Braeger Chevrolet dealerships, both located on South 27th Street, said the response he received was CORRINNE HESS P: (414) 336-7116 E: corri.hess@biztimes.com Twitter: @CorriHess

simple: “The mayor of Oak Creek called (Water Street Brewery).”

Oak Creek Mayor Steve Scaffidi has clearly been making a lot of calls. There are only two acres left to develop at Oak Creek’s Drexel Town Square, a mixed-use

development that when complete will include residential, health care and retail. In addition to Water Street Brewery, which opened in July 2015, and a Chick-fil-A restaurant that opened this month, the site will include a BelAir Cantina restaurant if Scaffidi gets his wish, a steakhouse will open there in the future.

Increased commercial development in Oak Creek, Franklin, West Allis and Bay View has the 27th Street BID, which changed its name to The Historic 41 BID about five years ago, mulling the future of South 27th Street, particularly the fourmile stretch between Oklahoma and College avenues.

The stretch of road is unique because it is a boundry between Milwaukee and Greenfield, and the BID itself is unique, too. Because both cities are invested in the health of South 27th Street, Milwaukee Alderman Terry Witkowski thought a joint BID would be appropriate.

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State law prohibits joint municipal BIDs, so Milwaukee and Greenfield each formed a district and contracted with a third party to create The Historic 41 BID. The group covers about 400 businesses within the four-mile stretch.

Now that road construction on 27th Street is complete, Reardon said attention has turned to restoring the retail health of the street.

“The mayor of Milwaukee doesn’t have time to go out and solicit business on 27th Street,” Reardon said. “Oak Creek has a plan, Franklin has a plan, Greenfield has a plan for 27th Street, but it’s secondary to what they are doing in the western part of their city, so we needed a focus.”

The group sat down with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Department of City Development commissioner Rocky Marcoux last fall to lay out a plan.

One of the goals is to hire a full-time person this year to go to local and national

Deadline: March 31, 2016

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retail conferences and conventions, work with the commercial real estate community and focus on existing businesses.

Reardon would also like this person to make calls to prospective businesses – like the call Water Street Brewery received from Scaffidi.

“This is a retail corridor – not Nordstrom-type retail, but B retail,” Reardon said. “I travel quite a bit and I see all of these new franchises that I’ve never heard of. I want to make sure that when they get off the plane in Milwaukee, one of the places they are touring is 27th Street.”

Before anyone is hired, the BID is going to offer existing business owners a chance to participate in a façade program.

This summer, the city of Milwaukee and the BID will hold a charrette with developers, residents and business owners for five to 10 sites to get public input on best uses. Only two of the sites have been publicly announced.

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The first is the former Chancery restaurant at 4624 S. 27th St., which closed in September after 33 years in business. An online auction was held in December for the 8,000-square-foot building, with the opening bid set at $895,000, but it did not sell.

Marcoux said ideally another sit-down restaurant will go into the building, but he wants to let the neighborhood decide what type of business the city should go after for the property, which is located just off of I-894.

The other site is the 160-year-old Wildenberg Hotel, 3774 S. 27th Street.

The city of Milwaukee acquired the historic property in August 2013, and has had a “for sale” sign on it since.

Marcoux said two developers are interested in the site, but the city has decided to let the neighbors decide what’s best for the building and the land.

“We want to talk about the future, see what the most developable sites are and do what is best for the street,” Marcoux said. “We hope to conclude by (the end of) 2016 and bring a plan to the Milwau-

kee Common Council.”

Russ Sagmoen, a retail broker with Colliers International|Wisconsin, said attracting retail tenants to that area of South 27th Street is difficult because it is hard to access.

“There are not a lot of rooftops and that is a concern for me,” Sagmoen said.

“When they redid the (Mitchell) interchange, it completely changed the traffic pattern. If you miss the off ramp you miss the whole area.”

Sagmoen said service-based retail, such as medical office, would serve the street well, given its proximity to Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center.

A recent bright spot is Plano, Texasbased At Home’s plan to renovate and occupy the 120,000-square-foot former Kmart store at 4595 S. 27th Street. The Greenfield Common Council approved At Home’s application in February.

This will be At Home’s second store in the area. The retailer opened its first location in October in a former Kmart store at 3201 N. Mayfair Road in Wauwatosa.

Milwaukee-based Fiduciary Real Estate

The Chancery, 4624 S. 27th St., closed in September after 33 years in business. The Historic 41 BID is considering what is best for the site.

Development is also in talks with Reardon to purchase an 11-acre parcel of vacant land just west of the Braeger Ford auto dealership at 4201 S. 27th St. Fiduciary wants to build 220 to 250 market-rate apartments, said Chuck Erickson, Greenfield community development manager.

If the development moves forward, it will add households South 27th needs to sustain the retailers the Historic 41 BID is trying to attract.

“If a project like this moves forward, it gets more wheels on the street and that is always a good thing,” Erickson said. “Folks living there can take advantage of nearby services, restaurants, buying a car, going bowling. 27th Street has the full gamut of what folks are looking for.” n Get the latest real estate news delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign up for BizTimes’ Real Estate Weekly at biztimes.com/subscribe.

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WELLNESS SUMMIT HEALTH CARE SAVINGS

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special report

health care&wellness

Birhani Kifle, behavioral health emergency service clinician; Hector Colon, director of the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division; Tom Lutzow, Mental Health Board member; and Lauren Hubbard, nurse manager of crisis services, at the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex.

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cover story

MILWAUKEE COUNTY’S MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM GETS A

DRAMATIC OVERHAUL

BY BEN STANLEY, staff writer

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n a late winter day, a cold gust of wind ruffles the wrinkled pages of a paperback book lying beneath a tree outside one of the recently emptied long-term care units at the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex.

The Anne Rice horror novel, “Queen of the Damned,” reflects the dreadful image of the Milwaukee County mental health system its new leaders are aiming to overhaul.

Inside the building are bare walls and vacant rooms.

Its brown brick exterior overlooks the intersection of Watertown Plank Road and 92nd Street in Wauwatosa on the northeast corner of a sprawling, 900,000 square-foot campus built in the 1960s to accommodate thousands of patients in need of acute, long-term and emergency psychiatric care.

If all goes according to plan, that entire complex could be vacant in four years. Its more than 10,000 patients admitted annually for emergency psychiatric care could be receiving services in a community-based setting at a brand new 60-bed facility paid for and operated by a private provider and located in the City of Milwaukee, where most of the county’s mental health patients actually live.

The location of that facility, which will treat most patients on an outpatient basis, is yet to be determined.

Better yet, the number of patients in need of emergency care could diminish as a robust ecosystem of wraparound services, case managers and preventative care programs emerges.

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back for decades. Chief among them were the county’s high percentage of patients admitted for care after being detained by police and its heavy reliance on crisis intervention and institutionalized care, which experts see as outdated, expensive and ineffective.

Readmission was high and climbing. Now, it’s still high, but for the first time – possibly ever – it’s falling.

The complex’s 30-day readmission rate following acute inpatient care fell more than 20 percent between 2010 and 2015, according to data obtained from the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division.

Over the past three years, BHD has gradually phased out long-term care at the complex in preparation for a dramatic shift in the way mental health care is provided in Milwaukee. Simultaneously, it has increased funding to community-based programs, added supportive housing and hired certified peer specialists.

Led by a board of 13 mental health experts appointed in 2014 and fresh administrative faces, the system is being dismantled and rebuilt in the image of a long-established formula followed by most counties around the country – outsourced patient care, aggressive case management and increased community access.

“The commitment to the old system is broken,” said Tom Lutzow, a member of the county’s Mental Health Board and president and chief executive officer of Milwaukee-based Independent Care Health Plan, or iCare.

“Nobody’s defending the old ways of doing things anymore. Everybody has agreed that’s history. So what does the new one look like?”

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health care & wellness A complex complex The mental health complex itself is a metaphor for its past – complicated, deceptive and difficult to navigate. It’s easy to get turned around in its building at 9455 W. Watertown Plank Road, which is much larger than it appears.

Near its center is a mock-cobblestone indoor courtyard flooded with natural light. In a conference room, Dr. John Schneider, chief medical officer of the county’s Behavioral Health Division, sits at a table with Lutzow and BHD interim administrator Alicia Modjeska.

They’re discussing the future of the mental health system.

Modjeska, a nurse by training, is bright, energetic and detail-oriented. She joined BHD in January 2015. She spent 22 years at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, where she held multiple executive positions, including a two-year stint as president of the former St. Michael Hospital. She has also worked for the West Side Healthcare Association, Community Care, Bryant & Stratton College and Alverno College.

She describes, in detail, plans to implement accountability measures and a software program that gives doctors better access to patients’ mental health and medication histories. She’s asking questions – are patients getting better? Are they satisfied with services? Are they getting to appointments on time?

“We need more access,” she says. “We need access in the evening hours, we need access on the weekends. We have a lot of things going on right now. We’re working with two board task forces to see if we can find a partner to run the acute care.

We need to find time in all of this work to start working on prevention. And we need to reach out to families, because otherwise, 20 years from now, we’re still going to be having the same conversations.”

Schneider, a laid-back, silver-haired psychiatrist with years of experience in private and public mental health systems, took over as chief medical officer in 2014. He describes the importance of early intervention.

“If we only fund and create services for the ‘oh-my-god-I’m-going-to-killmyself moment,’ there is so much leadup that is missed,” Schneider says. “So how do we change a system that is built around that threshold and get those folks in earlier? The way to do it is to push it into the community; to have a location 18

in the community that becomes part of the neighborhood that people go into. If nothing else, people know: that’s the place to go and they will hook you up.”

Lutzow, wears glasses and a suit. He is the architect of a joint program between Humana and the Milwaukee Center for Independence referred to as iCare. The program serves impoverished people with disabilities, mental health challenges and substantial medical problems. He’s now a leader on the Mental Health Board, and describes what he sees as the board’s role.

“I think it’s creating an expectation,” he says. “Creating expectations to be filled in by staff with real ideas that can work.

It’s making sure all voices are heard and those ideas are vetted correctly. Fiduciary responsibilities are part of this, too. It’s a combination of encouraging free thinking and open thinking, and creating a plan that results in a center for excellence.”

As part of the dramatic overhaul of its mental health system, the county has allocated $1.2 million to renovate an existing building on the north side of Milwaukee by the end of this year that will serve as a “community hub” filled with counselors, psychiatrists, nonprofits and health care providers. The facility will have a mix of county employees, private providers and nonprofits. BHD representatives are still scouting locations. Plans are also in the works to open a second $1.2 million hub on the south side by the end of 2017.

The idea is to catch people suffering from mental illness earlier; before their diseases corner them in moments of extreme distress that require intervention from police officers or crisis counselors.

Perhaps the most dramatic planned change — completely closing down the mental health complex — may not happen for four or more years. But the groundwork is being laid.

Last summer, the county began reaching out to behavioral health care providers to see if any were interested in building and operating a 60-bed mental health center on behalf of the county in exchange for reimbursement for uninsured patients.

So far, three have submitted proposals: Bala Cynwyd, Pa.-based Liberty Healthcare Corp.; Nashville, Tenn.-based Correct Care Solutions; and King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services Inc. As of March 9, none of the health care systems currently operating in the Milwaukee area had submitted proposals.

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Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division nurses Lauren Gardner, Jessica Saldivar and Monica Fenelon.

in June, according to County Executive Chris Abele and Héctor Colón, director of Health and Human Services.

Though the largest and most ambitious pieces of the county’s redesign have yet to be implemented, the small steps it has already taken to consolidate services, increase access and boost wraparound services have already resulted in substantial gains.

The percentage of patients admitted for emergency psychiatric care after being arrested by police decreased by 9 percent from 2010 to 2015, according to data obtained from BHD. In that same time period, the percentage of patients who voluntarily sought emergency treatment increased by more than 13 percent.

The road to change Abele took office in April 2011. Within the next two years, six patients would die at the mental health complex and a letter would land on Abele’s desk from a psychiatrist hired by Disability Rights Wisconsin to investigate the deaths.

Disability Rights Wisconsin is the state’s federally mandated protection and advocacy agency for people with disabilities.

The psychiatrist concluded inadequate psychiatric and medical care contributed to the patients’ deaths and said the complex should be closed. Decades of studies and plans drew similar conclusions, but nothing had been done. A major reason — rather than the mental health system being run through a board of experts in the field, as is the case with most counties,

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Milwaukee County’s system was run by the county board itself.

Attempts to close the complex in favor of implementing a dramatic restructuring program were met with political resistance.

Schneider said he feels it’s virtually impossible for a county board to effectively govern a mental health system.

“In some ways, I think it was a potentially no-win situation for a county board,” Schneider said. “Health care in and of itself is such a technical, complex set of issues. I can’t imagine, even with a health and human services sub-committee, how (the board) could actually give it due while worried about all of the other day-to-day county business. You’ve got the airport, you’ve got the zoo, and then you’re supposed to be running an evolving health care entity that is supposed to fit into a broader continuum of care, and modernize it. In some ways, that is unwinnable.”

In 2014, a bill stripping the county board of oversight and establishing a board of medical and psychiatric experts in its place was signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker. Abele was an outspoken supporter of the bill.

“This was an opportunity finally to make a change we should’ve made a long time ago,” Abele said. “The amount of change and the dramatic changes that happened after that in terms of outcomes is pretty significant.”

In recent years, supportive housing units located in nearby communities have replaced the complex’s troubled longterm care units. More than 130 certified

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peer specialists have been hired to guide patients through the system and the number of people receiving BHD community services has risen by 9 percent, while the number of people seeking emergency psychiatric services has fallen by 24 percent.

“We’re serving more people,” Abele said. “We’re doing a better job. ER visits were going up — they’re going down now. Emergency detentions were going up — they’re going down now. That wasn’t happening before. We have more peer counselors, we finally got out of long-term care. There are just so many stark, inarguable changes. Things were going in the other direction before and are now going in this direction. I have a really hard time imagining anyone getting really worked up over that.”

Colón was hired by Abele to head BHD in 2011.

“This was really, really hard and we had a lot of opposition,” Colón said.

“There’s a more effective way of doing this. You’ve got to try and bring in good leaders to execute that change.”

Who it’s helping Daniel Kane’s curly gray hair peaks out from beneath his baseball cap. Against one wall of his apartment on the south side of Milwaukee is an electric guitar and some recording equipment. He likes to mess around with music in his spare time.

He experiments with sounds and tries to piece together songs.

He likes to build things, he said, which makes sense considering his chosen field.

For years he worked in real estate investment sales and eventually started a development company that put up large condominium and apartment complexes.

But he also battled bipolar disorder, which went undiagnosed for years.

Confused and scared by his symptoms, Kane self-medicated with booze to quiet his racing mind, which led to an alcohol dependency.

“The ups and downs of bipolar; I wouldn’t get really depressed, that wasn’t my speed, I’d get manic,” he said. “And I liked that manic. But when it goes on, and you’re losing sleep, you just can’t

function. So then I’d drink to fall asleep.

I wasn’t drinking to have fun — that was my medication.”

As his disease spiraled out of control, so did Kane’s career and finances.

Between 2004 and 2014, he estimates he was in and out of acute care at the mental health complex a dozen times.

“I was a chronic relapser,” he recalled.

“I wasn’t taking my medication and I wasn’t going to the groups. Without the groups and medication, I was not confident enough to get a job … I was in the hospital so many times for detox.”

“The insanity of alcohol addiction,” Kane said, then trailed off. “The things you do because you’re not thinking correctly.”

He became isolated from family and friends as people became wary of his behavior. They were unsure which version of him would show up, he said.

Eventually, he found himself without a home, drifting from shelter to shelter and struggling to stay sober.

But for more than seven months, Kane has been sober, and for the past two, he

cover story

has had a part-time job at a nearby AutoZone. His coffee table is covered in development projects. He said he’s trying to ease his way back into the field without overwhelming himself.

He has new business cards that read: “Daniel Kane & Associates, Investment Real Estate & Development.”

For the first time, he said, he feels confident his sobriety and his treatment plan will stick.

“I was able to find a path with the wraparound services,” he said. “La Causa was huge. The UCC (United Community Center) was huge. That’s the best place in the city if you don’t have insurance.”

Kane was referred to Milwaukee-based La Causa Inc. through the county’s Comprehensive Community Services team, which connects patients to nonprofit community-based providers that assign case managers and check in with patients a few times a week to make sure they’re going to meetings and taking their medications.

Without access to those services, he said he’s unsure whether he’d have been

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Corporate Wellness: Beyond HRAs to ROI

By Jerry Curtin

Employers are concerned about rising healthcare costs and looming federal mandates that penalize companies for unhealthy workers.

But corporate executives struggle to connect corporate wellness programs to business performance.

Many who lead corporate wellness programs are frequently frustrated by inconsistent employee engagement, senior-executive lip service about wellness importance, unfunded wellness man-dates and no staff capacity to deliver wellness initiatives.

Sound familiar? These are but a few common corporate wellness experiences. How do we move corporate wellness from a nice-to-have program to a strategic initiative?

Many corporations turn to basic HRAs as a cure. HRAs are repeatable and easy to check off as complete. Neither action, however, delivers measureable ROI. At best, HRAs deliver a snapshot in time and the words ‘See you next year!’

Successful corporate wellness initiatives seek solutions to specific objectives.

The difference is clear and measureable.

Actual Corporate Wellness Program

• Reduced corporate healthcare costs by 55% • Reduced short-term disability claims by 24% • Reduced spousal claims by 18%

Typical Corporate Wellness Program • Conducted hundreds of annual HRAs • Understood employee health issues • Failed to create sustainable, measureable change

What You Need to Know To produce an ROI-driven corporate wellness program, you must: • Start simple.

• Know that even 30 percent employee participation can achieve measurable change.

• Set long-term goals for the program, rather than focus on quick engagement.

• Ensure wellness is made real for key executives in operations, safety, HR and finance.

• Learn how people get well together: common challenges, goals and interests.

• Meet each person where they reside. Most need a coach to walk with them, not a cheerleader.

• Realize ROI measurement requires repeatable processes beyond checking off a box.

• Determine what’s possible at your company to begin a regular cadence of wellness.

Data and Process Drive Wellness Success A program indicates a methodology, a set of systems, repeated processes and checkpoints, a feedback mechanism, and the tools to achieve ROI. Corporate wellness success requires getting beyond common destructive practices of educating, practicing, failing, repeating.

Here are some questions to ask when determining if a wellness partner can deliver a program that’s measureable, flexible, repeatable and scalable.

• Are fees assessed only for employees who participate in the wellness program?

• How simple is it for employees to engage in the corporate wellness program?

• How individualized will wellness solutions be to each employee?

• How do you meet employees at work where they spend most of their day?

• How do you demonstrate metrics that matter to key executives?

Jerry Curtin leads executives in creating the right culture for chiropractic-led, on-site corporate wellness success. Learn more at cultivateonsite.com. On March 18, he joins a panel at BizTimes’ Wellness Summit for “Opportunity costs of an unhealthy workforce.”

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To learn more, visit biztimes.com/sponsored-content. w w w.biztimes.com

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Employees at the Behavioral Health Division participate in regular training and education programs.

able start piecing his life back together.

Working in transition x47961o (03/16) ©AHC

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While the county transitions, there is some uncertainty about how the day-today roles of nurses, staff workers, emergency clinicians and even police officers will change.

Lauren Hubbard, 27, nurse manager of crisis services, Jeff Munz, 53, nurse manager of child adolescent inpatient services, and Christine Herbert-Fischer, 27, a behavioral health emergency service clinician, exude optimism about the changes and what they feel is an atmosphere of creativity and collaboration within BHD. “I think these are great programs that we are starting right now with how we approach our patients,” Munz said. “I’m all for it. I think it’s definitely the right thing to move in that direction.”

He said he’s been researching different techniques and strategies employed at mental health facilities in places like Minneapolis and Orlando, Fla. “I see what they’re doing differently with their patients that might help, and then try to bring that back to my own unit and say, ‘What can we do to bring that forward?’” Munz said.

Neither he, nor Hubbard, nor HerbertFischer know precisely how their jobs will change if the county moves operations into community hubs on the city’s north and south sides, or gets a private provider to build a new long-term care facility. But all three agreed they’re in it for the long haul.

“Regardless of where my office is or where I punch in, I think we’re commit-

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ted to the population we serve no matter what the business model looks like,” Hubbard said.

Milwaukee Police Department assistant chief Carianne Yerkes, a member of the department’s Crisis Intervention Team, is nervous about the transition. As the complex closed long-term care units in preparation for transition, she said officers began encountering mentally ill people more frequently.

“I think the overall concept is great; trying to get more people treated in the community,” she said. “I am, however, concerned that our community is not ready for that. I’m not sure we’re going to have all the resources necessary. In order for that to work, the community has to have resources and has to be engaged in the process. I’m somewhat nervous about whether we’re ready for that.”

Hubbard also said the county’s redesign plan needs to be complemented by increased community engagement to really hum, and she expects the transition into a new system may be difficult. But ultimately, she feels the time is right for change, and that the attitude trickling down through the top ranks of BHD is encouraging.

“It gives young professionals like us, or newer professionals like us, a chance to put our ideas in and to incorporate the patients also, because they’re people,” she said. “They have hopes, wishes and dreams. They have things they’d like to see and do. I think this is the right time in BHD’s history to move forward and to try things a different way; to think outside the box.” n

health care & wellness

Wellness Summit addresses the high cost of high stress

Schramka

Schramka discusses building a psychologically healthy workplace

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ight in 10 employed U.S. adults say they feel stressed out at work, driven by everything from their commute to their workload, according to a 2014 survey by Nielsen.

At the 2016 BizTimes Wellness Summit, held March 18 at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, experts addressed the high cost of high stress and how employers can overcome anxiety to create a healthy workplace culture.

Employers must meet three basic psychological needs to keep employees motivated in a healthy way, said Greg Schramka, Psy.D., director of behavioral health therapy services at Aurora Behavioral Health Services in Milwaukee, who gave the keynote address.

The needs, which are part of an established global psychology finding called the self-determination theory, are: autonomy, or allowing the employee to have her own sense of will; competence, or building an employee’s effectiveness in facing day-today challenges; and relatedness, or creating a sense of connection with co-workers and feeling part of a greater purpose.

Some workplaces rely on external rewards or punishments, which work against the psychological health of many employees, Schramka said. Self-determination theory focuses on internal motivation.

“If we’re looking at really trying to help employees perform optimally in ways that are subjectively more enjoyable and more congruent with how they want their work lives to be…employers would do well to set up circumstances to help employees meet these needs,” he said.

Giving employees differentiated feedback and looking at problem-solving events together with them can help to meet these needs, Schramka said.

“We definitely have to meet certain objectives, but managers can look for ways to help employees find a certain amount of autonomy in that,” he said.

Managers and leaders should also be attuned to employees’ potential stressors

BY MOLLY DILL, staff writer

and be on the lookout for signs of anxiety, such as irritability and fatigue.

And when an employer can refer an employee to a health care provider or employee assistance program early, it can prevent the situation from spiraling into a serious health event, he said.

Schramka’s remarks were followed by a panel discussion and a presentation about employee wellness and its importance to a company’s operations and productivity.

In “Back to Basics,” Paul Nobile, regional vice president, sales and account management at Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield in Wisconsin, guided panelists through a discussion of the keys to a healthy lifestyle.

Exercise is important, but it doesn’t need to take up a large chunk of each day, said Jennifer Smith-Hulbert, general manager and WorkingWell program director at Wisconsin Athletic Club in Menomonee Falls. Little victories can be a big start to getting into a regular wellness routine.

“I think sometimes people feel that they have to have a good hour to work out or they’re not going to be successful, or they have to walk 10,000 steps a day or they’re not going to be successful,” she said.

Employers could create breaks during the day during which employees go outside for 10 minutes and walk around the block.

Or they could lead desk stretches or offer on-site yoga classes, Smith-Hulbert said.

In that same spirit, setting realistic goals on nutrition and weight control can also lead to healthier choices on diet, said Mary Kelly, wellness manager at Sensia Wellness in Milwaukee.

Planning and preparation can go a long way in helping employees make healthy eating choices during the day, especially when they’re stressed, she said.

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wards,” Kelly said. “If I’m feeling super stressed or stress is something I’m dealing with a high amount of on a daily basis, what are things you can do to manage that other than eating?”

Sleep is also a vital aspect of wellness, and getting enough rest can help employees better deal with stress. Lisa Cottrell, Ph.D., CBSM, clinical health psychologist, board certified behavioral sleep medicine at Aurora Health Care, discussed the impact of sleep on health.

The presentation portion of the program, “Opportunity costs of an unhealthy workforce,” evaluated wellness as a talent attraction and retention tool, as well as a way for businesses to cut costs and increase productivity.

Paul Shekoski, chief executive officer of the Primex Family of Companies in Lake Geneva; Carrie Phelps, Ph.D., director of membership and resource development at the National Wellness Institute in Stevens Point; and Jerry Curtin, president of Cultivate by Standard Process in Palmyra, discussed the topic.

Not just physical health, but also emotional and social aspects of wellness, are important to the overall picture of health, Phelps said.

“If people aren’t healthy and well personally, they’re going to bring that into the workplace,” she said. “The data’s really clear that people spend most of their time at work. That culture needs to support people’s wellbeing.” n

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health care & wellness briefs Direct Supply plans to expand HQ, add 700 jobs

and a facility on the east side of the road was converted to parking in 2010.

With plans to add up to 700 jobs in the next four or five years, Direct Supply Inc. is moving forward with plans to build a multi-story office building at its corporate campus located along North Industrial Road, which is east of North 76th Street, between West Good Hope Road and West Mill Road on Milwaukee’s far northwest side.

Froedtert to anchor medical office building planned in Froedtert & MCW makes top Brookfield hospitals list Milwaukee-based commercial real estate firm

The exact size of the building has not been determined, but Bob Klein, Direct Supply senior vice president, said it will be able to hold up to 800 employees and will be built in the next 12 to 18 months. The Milwaukee-based supplier to longterm care facilities has grown its employment from 682 in 2006 to more than 1,050 now.

In 2006, the city approved spending up to $13.35 million to help facilitate the addition of 500,000 square feet of office space and up to 1,000 new jobs over 10 to 15 years. The company occupies nine buildings on Industrial Road and the plan called for the construction of connector buildings and relocation of surface parking.

The first connector building was built in 2008

Irgens will break ground on the development in April and plans to complete the project by December.

The health center will be across the street from Brookfield City Hall and the public library.

Irgens is developing a one-story, 23,600-squarefoot medical office building at the former site of the Venice Club restaurant at 1905 N. Calhoun Road in Brookfield.

A study that analyzed quality-of-care data for Medicare patients listed Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin among the nation’s top 100 hospitals for the fourth consecutive year.

The building, referred to as the Calhoun Health Center, will be anchored by Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, which will lease 15,000 square feet for a health clinic for primary care, obstetrics, gynecology, maternal fetal medicine and imaging services at the new building.

Six other hospitals in Wisconsin were also listed.

Froedtert & MCW was the only Milwaukee-area hospital honored.

There is an additional 8,600 square feet of space still available in the building for lease.

Lifetime OB/GYN, a practice brought into Froedtert & MCW health network in October, will relocate to the building from offices in Brookfield and Milwaukee.

The study, conducted by Truven Health Analytics, compared 11 metrics among nearly 3,000 U.S. hospitals, including Medicare cost reports, performance data and patient surveys. Truven has been conducting annual studies to determine top performing U.S. hospitals since 1993.

Froedtert & MCW is categorized by Truven as a major teaching hospital. There were 14 other major teaching hospitals that made the list.

PDS moving Oconomowoc operations to new facility Brookfield-based Paragon Development Systems is moving its configuration center in Oconomowoc to a new 45,000-square-foot facility on the west side of Oconomowoc to expand capacity to meet increased demand.

The new facility is at N57 W29605 Highway 16. The company’s configuration center had been located at 1823 Executive Drive in Oconomowoc for 19 years.

The company has already begun the transition to the facility and expects to have it operational by April. The previous facility on Executive Drive was recently sold to Ad-Tech Industries Inc. of Watertown for $2.6 million.

PDS provides IT solutions, services and technologies to medium to large companies in health care, corporate and government/education industries. The company recently announced it was partnering with a Massachusetts Institute of Technology program aimed at accelerating health care technology innovation.

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N115 W18500 Edison Drive Germantown, WI 53022

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THE EXECUTIVE LUXURY LIVING

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SPECIAL REPORT

A SELECTION OF SOME OF THE FINEST HOUSES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN AREA. ALSO, SOME OF THE BEST KITCHENS, MOST GORGEOUS CLOSETS AND SPA-LIKE BATHROOMS. SEE AMAZING WINE CELLARS, REC ROOMS AND OUTDOOR PATIOS.

24 HOMES

28 KITCHENS

30 CLOSETS

32 B AT H R O O M S

34 WINE CELLARS

35 REC ROOMS

36 PAT I O S

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LUXURY HOMES ON THE MARKET

601 E. Ogden Ave., Milwaukee - $2.8 million Two-story penthouse in downtown Milwaukee with three bedrooms and threeand-a-half baths, features an indoor waterfall and more than 5,000 square feet of outdoor terrace space. Inside, the 6,500-square-foot home features a fully-equipped bar, theater room, suspended catwalk and a spa, with whirlpool tub, sauna and dual shower with tanning light. Parking isn’t a problem either – there are five spaces. It is listed for sale by Corley Real Estate.

6702 N. Lake Drive, Fox Point - $2.695 million New construction in Fox Point with sweeping views of Lake Michigan. Soaring 20-foot coffered ceilings, imported stone and tile in this 7,400-square-foot home, with Brazilian walnut floors and custom iron work. The exposed lower level features a custom bar and theater. The six-bedroom, seven-and-a-half bath home is listed for sale by Suzanne Powers Realty.

4640 N. Lake Drive, Whitefish Bay - $1.795 million Three-acre property on Lake Michigan features a newly remodeled kitchen with an adjacent butler’s pantry in this six-bedroom, five-bathroom home. The master bedroom has lake views and a fireplace. Dual staircase and views of the lake throughout this 5,753-squarefoot home. The property is listed for sale by Suzanne Powers Realty.

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LUXURY HOMES ON THE MARKET

N1860 N. Black Point Drive, Linn - $11.7 million Views of Lake Como throughout the five-bedroom, seven-bathroom house. Custom stone fireplace and vaulted ceilings. Master suite includes a huge 28-foot by 28-foot walk-in closet. Heated three-car garage, plus a deck overlooking the two-acre lot. The home is listed for sale by Lake Geneva Area Realty Inc.

14225 Juneau Blvd., Elm Grove - $2.945 million This home includes 6,000 square feet of renovated space, originally built in 1920, and 4,000 square feet of new construction. It has a patio with an outdoor stone fireplace and a four-seasons room with heated floors overlooking three acres. The six-bedroom, four full, two half bath home is listed for sale by Shorewest-Brookfield-Waukesha.

Legend at Brandybrook, Wales - $2.49 million More than 11,000-square-foot estate overlooks 18th green of golf course. Two separate threecar attached garages, six full and two half baths. Kitchen is open to both the hearth and great rooms. Terrace level has a living/game room, authentic movie theater, fitness room, sauna, bar/ kitchen that leads to the in-ground pool and a sport court. The seven-bedroom property includes a summer cottage on Wilson’s Island, Pewaukee Lake. The home is listed for sale by Bill Minett of the Real Estate Company, Lake & Country Inc.

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LUXURY HOMES ON THE MARKET

35032 Greeley Drive, Waterford - $2.1 million Wisconsin log cabin home with panoramic views. The six-bedroom, five-bathroom home has vaulted ceilings and upper level rooms overlooking the main floor. The 4,365-square-foot home includes a heated attached garage and a pole barn. The yard is professionally landscaped, with pond and waterfall. The home is listed for sale by Bear Realty of Burlington.

5674 State Road 167, Erin - $3.25 million Nestled in the Kettle Moraine with views of Holy Hill, this 8,320-square-foot hybrid home features an in-ground swimming pool, gym and regulation-size basketball court, game room with wet bar, wine cellar, theater room and elevator on 12.5 acres. The four-bedroom, four-bathroom home is listed for sale by Shorewest-New Berlin, The Roth Team.

34360 Valley Road, Delafield - $3.3 million Tuscan-inspired 8,759-square-foot home on a gated, private, wooded twoacre lot on Upper Nashotah Lake. This seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom home features a movie theater and a private boat house. The home is listed for sale by Coldwell Banker Elite.

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LUXURY HOMES ON THE MARKET

N1973 Duck Creek Pass, Linn $3.1 million Open concept floor plan in this four-bedroom, threebathroom home with Geneva Lake views. A chef’s kitchen and a great room, with fireplace and hardwood floors throughout. Lake views from deck, plus outdoor fire pit and private pier. The home is listed for sale by Lake Geneva Area Realty Inc.

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LUXURY KITCHENS

Brookfield open concept This Brookfield home was built in the 1980s, but underwent a renovation that opened up its kitchen and family room, bringing them into the 21st Century.

Part of a wall was removed, accent tile was added and though the kitchen still has many of its original bones, it has a brand-new feel. The remodeling project was completed by AB&K Bath & Kitchen.

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Mequon clean and crisp The owners of this Mequon home wanted their kitchen to look crisp and clean with a modern edge.

Instead of picking up a mop, they renovated it and added a full-height quartz backsplash behind the stove and sleek black countertops accented with white paint on the walls, cabinets and center island to give it a clean, futuristic feel. The remodeling project was completed by AB&K Bath & Kitchen.

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LUXURY KITCHENS

Franklin cozy and rustic This Franklin home underwent a dramatic renovation that made its kitchen and bar area a centerpiece connecting multiple rooms— including the den and a wine display embedded in a wall in the adjoining dining room. With its solid, rocky walls and dark wood floors, the room has a cozy feel despite its open concept. The remodeling project was completed by AB&K Bath & Kitchen.

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LUXURY CLOSETS

East Side his and hers This 180-square-foot master closet replaced a small bedroom as part of a 2012 remodel completed by Wauwatosa-based Sazama Design, Build, Remodel and Closet Concepts at the home of John and Karen Tweedie. The $25,000 project, in a home on Milwaukee’s East Side, was approached as a “historic revival,” highlighting the original architectural details and emphasizing a classic look.

“Our goal was really to try to modernize it as much as possible but keep as much of the integrity of the original design intact,” said Karen, who was most excited to include a wall of storage for her shoe collection.

“That was my highlight; that was something I really wanted.”

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Karen, a freelance interior and clothing designer, wanted a clean aesthetic that emphasized the simple lines of freelance chef John’s jackets and shirts. Some of her clothing with brighter patterns and colors is in an alcove area.

“It makes me happy when I walk in the closet and I see all my husband’s jackets lined up and all my husband’s shirts lined up,” she said.

The closet was designed to allow both comfort and organization, with plenty of storage and “his and hers” dressing areas. Graphic print Hermes wallpaper the Tweedies found on a trip to Paris was incorporated to add pattern and creativity to the space.

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LUXURY CLOSETS

Lake Country bright and white This 220-square-foot walk-in closet was designed with a clean white motif to match the rest of the home’s aesthetic. The $21,000 remodel of the Hartland home, completed by Sazama Design, Build, Remodel, encompassed the kitchen and bath areas. The project included painted custom built cabinetry and well-conceived lighting to make the spaces feel bright and airy. Italian Calacatta marble was used in the transition from the bathroom to the carpeted dressing area. With spots for hanging and folded clothing, shoes, purses and accessories, this closet has a spot for everything in a woman’s wardrobe.

Lake Drive shoe heaven This 1920s home on Lake Drive in Milwaukee was renovated to give a feel of understated elegance. Crystal chandeliers and traditional wall sconces cast a warm light throughout the space. The master bathroom suite was remodeled to include separate vanities, an integral dressing table and a bank of drawers, as well as a built-in maple dressing bench.

Existing oak floors were finished in a charcoal hue that plays off the natural shading found in the marble wainscoting. The homeowner supplied the shelving and unique bench that give period character to this shoe heaven of a walk-in. The 110-square-foot closet was transformed by Sazama Design, Build, Remodel in a $15,000 project, in which the millwork and applied molding were constructed to match the existing spaces in the home.

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LUXURY BATHROOMS

Low maintenance luxury Convenience meets elegance in this beautiful New Berlin master bathroom remodel. Callen Construction Inc. of Muskego and lead designer Paulette Sodemann took a dated acrylic-tiled bathroom and opened it up to warm and stylish luxury.

“We tried to create a timeless, classic feel by using more neutrals and materials we knew would still feel fresh 10 years from now,” Sodemann said.

While the owners wanted luxury, they also wanted low maintenance. Extra steps were taken to ensure the tiles would not need resealing and the shower door was equipped with clear shower guard glass that allows the water to bead off of it.

The room’s cathedral ceilings made for an already open environment, but Callen’s team reduced the size of the corner tub, removed the dark and dated wallpaper and replaced the tiles with a thermostat controlled, heated manmade stone.

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The dark wood cabinetry exudes elegance in contrast to the neutral tone of the walls and tile, while the chandelier and extremely modern fixtures brighten up the space as well.

Callen outfitted this master bath with granite countertops, semi-custom Starmark cabinetry, Kohler Purist faucets and shower fixtures, and a six-foot bubble massage bathtub – perfect for relaxation at the end of a busy day.

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LUXURY BATHROOMS

From drab to dream Even small spaces can look and feel like a dream, and Muskego-based Callen Construction proved that with an upscale remodel of this Oconomowoc home’s 100-square-foot space.

Lead designer Marie Owens took an outdated 1970s master bath and rearranged it to showcase a walk-in, digitally controlled glass shower.

Designed using a glass enclosure and smaller cuts of the same tile used throughout the bathroom, the shower is truly the focal point of this room.

It features a subway tile design that flows right into the rest of the bathroom, and also contains an intricate tile border meant to break up the neutral colored space.

The shower can be turned on using a high-tech digital preset temperature valve outside the main shower, crucial for Wisconsin’s cold winter mornings, Owens said.

“Walk-in showers can be difficult because there’s so much loss of heat without a real door, but we solved that problem in this location by including a heavy-duty exhaust fan near the opening,” she said.

The end result is one of pure elegance, complimented by the custom-built deluxe vanity that includes double sinks, countertop shelves and tall, elaborate cabinets.

The project took approximately six weeks to complete.

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LUXURY WINE CELLARS

Whitefish Bay brick cellar Over the last 10 years, Lynn and Ted Turner have enlisted the help of Milwaukee remodeling company Design Group Three to make several improvements to their Whitefish Bay home.

They’ve remodeled the kitchen, put an addition onto their family room, and redone all of the upstairs bedrooms, including the master suite.

The Turners, who have lived in the 4,000-square-foot home for more than 30 years, decided to tackle the basement next. After hip replacement surgery, Lynn Turner wanted to put a therapy pool in the basement. While the builders were down there, she figured they might as well add a 260-bottle wine cellar as well.

Construction took about nine months and the results are beautiful, Lynn said.

The wine cellar is tucked under a staircase landing. The cellar door is custom made with iron hardware and heavy planks to give it a rugged, contemporary finish, said Bob Prindiville, an architect with Design Group Three who has worked on several of the Turners’ projects.

“It’s a fairly old home and the walls are built out of bricks instead of blocks so we cleaned and sealed the bricks and left exposed bricks everywhere we could,” Prindiville said.

The 4-foot-deep resistance pool took some additional work. It is partially sunken into the floor, so about two feet of concrete had to be torn out of the basement, Prindiville said.

“It’s one of the most extensive remodels we’ve ever done for a basement,” Prindiville said. “It’s a very unique space, with the brick walls and the exposed ceilings. It turned out very well.”

River Hills sommelier cellar A River Hills estate with a lower-level home theater built in the mid-1990s was the prime location for a massive wine cellar, especially since the home’s owner is a sommelier.

Jim Hackbarth, owner of Menomonee Falls-based Sonoma Wine Galleries, said the homeowner was looking for a large wine cellar that could accommodate his trips to Europe, where he often purchases several cases of wine that need to age sometimes up to 20 years.

The result is an 850-bottle cellar that includes a clear glass wall you would expect to see in a shopping mall.

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The $30,000 cellar also includes a cooling and humidification system and custom-made mahogany wine racks throughout.

The River Hills home is a family property. The homeowner is in his late 20s and lives with his mother, who is planning to move into a condominium. He will keep the property and wanted to update it according to his hobbies, Hackbarth said.

Sonoma Wine Galleries has been in business since 2004, and specializes in storage and presentation of wine. Hackbarth said clients include NBA players and many top executives.

The River Hills project took about two months to complete.

“It’s a phenomenal cellar,” Hackbarth said.

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LUXURY REC ROOMS

Baseball basement Stepping into this renovated basement of a Wauwatosa home is like stepping into a vintage locker room—a baseball lover’s dream. Milwaukee-based Flux Design’s Jeremy Shamrowicz created the ultimate sports fan’s man cave, complete with a bar and built-in entertainment center.

He converted an ordinary sliding door closet into antique locker room shelving with individual cubby space and a chalkboard nameplate on the front. The bar is constructed with custom concrete and red brick that begs guests to pull up a custom-designed baseball base stool and have a cold brew. The second half of the bar is a vintage, circular high-top table resembling a baseball.

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Across the room, “Home” and “Away” scoreboards border both sides of the dark wood-trimmed entertainment center, perfect for watching a Sunday afternoon baseball game on the flat screen TV. Even the staircase is decorated with aged baseball bat spindles that are stained to match the room’s wooden accessories. The cave’s glass-top coffee table is a Flux Design original piece, standing on giant iron baseball legs.

This basement-to-man cave transformation serves all the needs of a baseball fan watching the game from home.

Art studio garage Milwaukee-based Flux Design worked with a homeowner to convert the garage of her Bay View home into a multi-purpose art studio and party room. The design firm’s owner, Jeremy Shamrowicz, said the homeowner liked to host parties in her art studio but needed more social space among her canvases and paint.

“I looked at her and said, ‘Let me see your garage,’” Shamrowicz said. “There were just some old easels and paint supplies in there.”

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So he took the run-down room and transformed it into an artist’s paradise. Now, the homeowner has a well-lit, decorative space to create and display art, store her supplies and host gatherings.

This studio has adjustable easels and gallery space lining the walls that create extra floor space. A durable steel desk on wheels flips up and down to double as a portable bar when art projects become studio parties.

A retractable glass garage door allows for natural light even during dark winter months. A mobile lounge area with a couch and two small wooden tables on both sides serves its purpose inside or outside. No need to worry about wine-stained canvases, as all art supplies now have a designated space in the studio’s industrialinspired custom storage.

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LUXURY PATIOS

Bringing ‘Up North’ into the backyard The owners of this residence in New Berlin’s Weatherstone Estates wanted to bring “Up North” into their backyard as they transitioned into retirement. The yard sloped toward the house, making it ideal for viewing waterfalls, but the existing waterfall was poorly built and the stream had major problems.

Wales-based Aquatica was approached to help renovate the area. The owners were open to new ideas for their backyard wood line, but were concerned about maintenance, safety and aesthetics while wanting to achieve maximum viewing enjoyment from all possible angles.

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After a few different designs were considered, the project was approved in the summer of 2013 and took about three weeks to complete. The goal was to create a unique design that included a world class pond that could overwinter prized Japanese Koi and multiple waterfalls starting in different areas to create more sound, movement and character, while giving the impression that two features were actually one.

The finished product makes the backyard space more usable while also creating a home for songbirds, frogs and dragonflies. Aquatica addressed the homeowners’ maintenance concerns with a pondless waterfall that avoids collecting leaves and an oversized skimmer filtration system for the pond.

Aquatica recommends homeowners interested in installing water features in their yards budget between $7,000 and $30,000. The company was founded in 2000 by Dean Pipito and has been recognized both locally and nationally.

Entertaining in urban paradise David J. Frank Landscaping completed this project on Lincoln Avenue in West Allis. The homeowner is a local business owner who likes to entertain friends and neighbors. The work took place over multiple years and eventually included a bar, kitchen, lounge area and backdrop, in addition to the pool that was already in place.

“The number one thing was various types of entertainment space and they do like to cook,” said Zach Lieven, an associate landscape architect at Germantown-based David J. Frank.

The yard sits at a lower grade than the home. Despite being in a city location, Lieven said the space is very private and the use of tropical plantings adds to the feel.

“You feel like you’re going into a small paradise in the city,” he said.

The outdoor kitchen was created with a grill, side burner, warming station, cooler, beer cooler and ice maker. The appliances and countertops are high-end.

“That’s 100 percent made for entertaining guests, almost like an outdoor restaurant,” Lieven said.

Mindful of the homeowner’s desire to limit the need for maintenance, the pergola’s exterior is made from a synthetic decking material wrapped around a Brazilian hardwood. The bar area includes an awning that can be left up year-round without fading and can sustain winds of up to 75 mph. The homeowner did much of the work on the bar. A waterfall behind the bar increases the ambiance and fire pit bowls allow for the space to be used into the fall. Both the bar and kitchen include lighting to allow for nighttime use of the entire space. The total cost for the project, which was done over multiple years, was at least $100,000. Lieven said it was nice to see the project come together over time.

“We had planned it out ahead of time, which a lot of people don’t do,” he said.

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GIVING GUIDE Didn’t make it in this year?

Reserve your space for the 2017 Giving Guide!

Check out the new digital edition:

biztimes.com/giving

E A S T E R

S E A L S

S O U T H E A S T

W I S C O N S I N

MISSION Easter Seals Southeast Wisconsin provides exceptional services to ensure that all people with disabilities or special needs and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities.

Connecting Individuals with Disabilities to a World of Possibilities

2222 S. 114th Street West Allis, WI 53227 (414) 449-4444 eastersealswise.com GOALS facebook.com/eastersealswise @ESSoutheastWI

To change the way the world defines, views and treats disabilities so that every person can achieve their full potential. To provide exceptional services to ensure that all people with disabilities or special needs and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work, play and engage in their communities.

220 REVENUE: $10,412,379 YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1934 TOTAL EMPLOYEES:

Live: Hands-on, comprehensive, vital services and support to help people reach their full potential—regardless of challenges, needs or disabilities.

SERVICE AREA Easter Seals Southeast Wisconsin serves six counties: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington, Ozaukee, Kenosha and Racine.

Learn: Programs designed to help children and adults learn—and often re-learn—basic functions, master skills needed to develop and thrive, and be sharp and active as they age.

FUNDING SOURCES

Work: A range of training, placement and related services that help people prepare for the workforce—because meaningful work is often the key to overcoming challenges and having a good life.

FUNDRAISING/EVENTS We hold two annual fundraising events that offer opportunities for individuals and corporations to get connected: • Walk With Me – Wednesday, June 29th at the Milwaukee County Zoo. A family event to walk together to raise funds and awareness for individuals with disabilities. Be a corporate sponsor or form a walk team. Registration begins in January at www.walkwithme.org/milwaukee • Autism Awareness Month – April. Through this cause marketing campaign, you can align your business with Easter Seals to help spread the word and raise needed funds to provide scholarships to families that are on the therapy waiting list for early intervention support services.

Play: Fun, healthy programs for children and adults and caregivers to relax, connect with friends and engage in constructive activities—all so necessary to living the best life possible.

 Program Fees .................................... 62%  Government Contracts ........................ 18%  Commercial Sales ................................ 9%  Donations ........................................... 7%  Other Income ...................................... 4%

Act: Our vibrant community of friends and supporters stands with those who face challenges by volunteering, advocating, donating and participating in events that inspire us all and sustain our cause.

Dale Van Dam (Chair) ★ Peggy Niemer (Vice Chair) ★ Kenwood & Wells, LLC

Jim McMullen (Secretary) ★ PNC Bank

Nancy Creuziger (Treasurer) ★ Robert Glowacki CEO

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Michelle Schaefer COO

Easter Seals knows the personal impact your gifts make is of great importance to you. There are many ways to make a difference: Volunteer or leadership at the Board level; corporate volunteer days; tailored event sponsorships; individual gifts; in-kind gifts; or through your United Way Giving Campaign. A bequest gift allows you to combine your personal financial objectives with your charitable giving goals to establish a lasting legacy.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS M3 Insurance Solutions

Robert Ranus Retired, Roundy’s

David Glazer

David Glazer Real Estate, LLC

Bill Hughes

Sue Pierman

Pierman Communications

Daniel O’Callaghan

Harley-Davidson Motor Co.

Massage Envy

Sara Walker

Tari Emerson

2016 GIVING GUIDE | www.biztimes.com/giving

Tom Kelly

Kelmann Restoration

Jean Schramka

Patina Solutions

Roger Schaus

Associated Bank

Jeff Squire

ProHealth Care

Tom Gagliano Morgan Stanley

ManpowerGroup

Retired, Generac

Take advantage of the opportunity for your organization to be seen by the Region’s Business and Philanthropic Leaders all year long.

★ DENOTES EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Frank Windt

Schenck Business Solutions

Your involvement in this annual publication includes an in-depth profile, plus several advertising elements in BizTimes Milwaukee magazine, BizTimes Nonprofit Weekly enewsletter and BizTimes.com.

GIVING OPPORTUNITIES

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Our dedicated volunteers play an essential role in positively impacting the lives of those that we serve. We have a variety of opportunities throughout the week and weekend to fit your availability and interests. Learn how you can make a difference through volunteering at www.eastersealswise.com.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Publication Date: November 14, 2016

www.eastersealswise.com

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strategies The toughest decision

Business owners should discuss end of life wishes with family

S

ome years ago, my father was struck by a devastating illness that infected his spine. Faced with a 40 percent chance Dad would not survive surgery, I was faced with an even tougher decision— my father’s “Do Not Resuscitate” order.

He had worked this out with his family doctor and my mother years before anything was wrong. And now here I was, on the precipice of allowing that order to go through in the event of a code in the operating room, or countermanding that order and living with the consequences.

Dad was in his early 60s, was full of life and energy, and I simply could not allow his order to stand if for some reason a momentary problem arose during the

surgery. I countermanded his order.

The epilogue is that it turned out okay.

No code occurred and the DNR order never came into play. My decision was never tested, but I often wonder: If it were, would this decision have been the correct one?

I have raised that issue with my parents now, in better times, looking for a sense of direction and perhaps affirmation that my decision was the correct one for the moment. People do not like to confront their own mortality, and I am not sure I ever received the indication I was looking for, but my dad’s continued presence is enough validation that the right decision was made.

Take this circumstance now and complicate it with a family business. The fa-

ther and son work together and an unexpected illness forces a tough decision. If a DNR order is in place and the son allows it to stand, he opens himself up to criticism that he allowed something to happen to Dad due to greed. If the DNR order is countermanded and dad does not come out well and remains in a vegetative state, this is exactly what the father did not want and could adversely affect the business and the family holdings going forward.

At the Family Business Legacy Institute, we recommend communication— the earlier and the more detailed, the better. Can every circumstance be thought about? Yes, with time and the proper

DAVID B O R S T FAMILY BUSINESS

guidance. That is why we work with a team approach of financial services providers, lawyers, accountants and others for a holistic to making these decisions.

Even the faith dimension must be accounted for in making the right decision for the patient—the business owner.

Too many families have been torn .......... FAMILY BUSINESS continued on page 39

2016 GIVING GUIDE

It’s Not Just a Job.

FEATURED NONPROFIT

IT’S A LEGACY. NextGen gives young leaders the tools, knowledge and connections needed to succeed as the next senior executive of your family business.

From exploring new leadership approaches to navigating transgenerational business strategies, this program is designed to make transitions

Make-A-Wish® Wisconsin

smoother and legacies stronger.

When they hand over the keys, will you be ready?

PHONE:

(262) 781-4445 | 800-236-WISH WEB:

wisconsin.wish.org Make-A-Wish Wisconsin grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.

To learn more, visit biztimes.com/giving Contact the TEC office to learn more.

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strategies

Time to take action

More firms seek strategy to attract, retain young professionals

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recently spoke to a TEC group of next gen leaders. The topic of our conversation was the attraction and retention of the emerging workforce.

As part of our wrap-up, one of the leaders in the room said, “What was most interesting to me is zeroing in on the theme of leadership. When it comes right down to it, these emerging professionals are looking for good leadership.”

Yes. Among other things.

It has been an interesting couple of months in that we are seeing an uptick in the number of our clients reaching out for support for their young professionals.

In fact, they are reflecting on some of our leadership development work and asking us to repackage it to be relevant for the emerging young professionals, whom we might look at as informal leaders or as “leaders in grooming.”

This is promising! Over the past several years, you’ve likely come across research that tells us organizations know they need to be reinventing, yet only 25 percent of

organizations in the U.S. are taking action related to the need to reinvent.

The requests from our clients, shown below, feel like action. And keep in mind, some of these are tactical, event-based requests. Others are part of a broader strategic initiative. »» Will you present your six-step process for having a difficult conversation for our young professional group? »» Will you facilitate your “Lead Upward” presentation for our emerging professionals? »» Can you speak to a group of both our leaders and our emerging leaders about tackling uncomfortable issues in a respectful, candid way? We would like all of these individuals to be equipped with this skill. »» Are you able to repackage your leadership workshops so they are relevant to our employees? We need them to be equipped with these skills, as well. »» Can you help us create a young professionals program?

FAMILY BUSINESS........................ from page 38

their beloved parent.

I suspect some of you reading this article are second-guessing my decision.

That is your right, but I exercised mine.

It was right for me and for the family at the time. Circumstances change, even if the love for a family member doesn’t, and God willing, I won’t need to make that decision again.

The emotions surrounding the illness of a loved one are difficult enough, but when compounded by the fact that this person is also your business partner and patriarch, that raises the stakes significantly. Leaving a financial legacy is one reason people start family businesses in the first place.

Don’t leave your family with an emotional legacy that no family or all the finances in the world would be able to overcome. n

asunder because people do not have the tough discussions early enough. Will that make is easy? No! Talking about death and dying is never easy. But you have made tough decisions all along, so why now eschew making the tough call?

As an only child, I am blessed to not have the sibling Monday morning quarterbacking that potentially goes on with such situations. But being the only child also puts all the pressure on you. There is no discussion with the family, because you are the family. As a business owner, you owe it to your family to have these discussions, and I challenge you to lead them.

Your next-in-line is likely not comfortable in bringing up this topic. If multiple children are involved with the business, you owe it to all of them to have an open and frank discussion with the entire group.

Don’t leave your heir apparent with the difficult task of explaining to distraught siblings why no effort was made to save

David Borst, Ed.D., is executive director and chief operating officer of the Family Business Legacy Institute, a regional resource hub for family business. He can be reached at david@fbli-usa.com. w w w.biztimes.com

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With this uptick, it inspired me to jump online to take an ancillary look at the blogs and articles that have been posted most recently. I was intrigued by the number of authors touting their secrets, tips and ways. I thought, for your benefit, I’d do some sharing.

Five ways to develop and retain young professionals,

by Zak Wolpert on Construction Executive

1. Encourage involvement in after-

2.

3.

4.

5.

hours organizations, events and industry boards.

Generate dialogue outside of the typical office setting.

Embrace technology to strengthen faster collaboration responses and completion efforts.

Offer feedback about how younger employees fit into the company’s current and long-range plan.

Be a coach and mentor and help to instill best practices for time management, productivity and relationship building.

Six ways to attract and retain a dynamic millennial team, by Peter Voogd on Entrepreneur 1. Create a dynamic millennial

2.

3.

4.

5.

culture, one that is in tune with millennial wants, needs and behavioral patterns.

Encourage internal innovation and provide a streamlined and easy-tofollow path to get ideas approved.

Freedom and flexibility focus, creating systems that allow them to work remotely and travel often, if deserving.

Integrity and congruence from the leaders, ensuring that what you promote in your marketing material matches the actual opportunity.

Millennials have acute “BS meters.”

Inauthenticity does not sit well with them.

Community and networking opportunities to support growth, contribution and feelings of empowerment.

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A LETA N O R R IS GENERATION Y 6. Make your business about some-

thing, as millennials are just as driven by the “why” as they are by the “what.”

The top 7 ways to attract and retain millennial employees, by Dylan Kaufman on The Ladders

1. Have fun at the workplace.

2. Create a professional community.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

According to one poll, 75 percent of millennials seek mentors and advice to succeed professionally.

Ease their social transition, particularly when millennials come into a new city. It is important for them to create a satisfying home and social support system.

Deliver experiences over assets, since millennials tend to value experiences and access more than things.

Give them opportunities to learn.

Eighty percent of this generation is eager to improve its professional arsenal of skills.

Communicate with transparency to foster connectivity and create shared motivation and goals.

Give them responsibility that requires creativity. Eighty percent of millennials desire a role where their creativity is valued, and they’d rather be unemployed than hold a job they do not like.

This is not challenging research, obviously. These writers typically tap into research or do their own polling. Who, in your organization, is your researcher?

How are you gathering these ideas and determining your action? n Aleta Norris is a co-founding partner of Brookfield-based Living As A Leader, a leadership training, coaching and consulting firm. You may send questions to her at anorris@livingasaleader.com. To read all of her columns, visit the knowledge portal at www.livingasaleader.com.

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strategies

Bringing the new boss on board Communication will help new leader succeed

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hen a new leader is hired, his/her team is usually waiting with feelings of excitement, apprehension and hope.

Typically, the organization plans a number of orientation activities for the leader to “get to know” the organization.

There may be a series of interviews, observation of meetings and conversations with the previous leader. There is a lot to absorb for a new leader: cultural values and norms, organizational communication and invisible agreements.

One of the opportunities our team has had to support the integration for a new leader is facilitating a New Leader Assimilation Process. This process is often facilitated in large corporations by a member of human resources or organizational development, unless the new leader is in a senior level position. It is helpful in that circumstance to enlist the support of an outside resource.

In mid-size or nonprofit organizations, we have found that this is not necessarily a process they are familiar with, and yet, it is an invaluable way for direct reports and the new leader/manager to begin to understand one another and to create a foundation for effective working relationships to support their best work.

New Leader Assimilation Process: How it works Recently, a new chief executive officer was hired in a large nonprofit organiza-

tion. He followed a leader who has had a long tenure with the organization. In conjunction with orientation activities, we had the privilege of facilitating a New Leader Assimilation Process.

One of the significant aspects of the process is to create a “safe” space for team members and the new leader to ask questions and to identify team issues/concerns the new leader needs to know. We utilized a five-step process that resulted in clarifying leader expectations and team history and concerns. »» Welcome and description of the process.

Tom, the new CEO, welcomed his team and communicated his desire to learn more about each of them and their team dynamics. He also let them know that he wanted to respond to their questions and concerns with candor. The CEO was then invited to leave the circle. »» Facilitated conversation The leadership team engaged in a facilitated conversation responding to a number of questions that included: »» What do we already know about Tom? »» What don’t we know, but would like to know about Tom? »» What are the concerns we have about Tom? »» What do we want/need most from him? »» What does the organization want/

need from him? »» What do we want Tom to know about us?

As the executive team members explored these questions, we captured their responses on flipchart for a later discussion. »» Review with CEO During the break, the responses to the questions were reviewed with Tom, giving him a bit of time to reflect and prepare to respond when he returned to the conversation with his direct reports. »» Return to the conversation With the CEO back in the circle, we reviewed the questions, asked Tom to respond, and facilitated a conversation rather than a Q&A. Team members were encouraged to expand on their comments, and Tom was encouraged to say more about issues that were particularly concerning for the team.

The result was a collective sense of understanding and a deeper appreciation of the CEO. Likewise, the CEO gained a greater appreciation of his team members.

Team members left knowing what their leader expected in terms of communication with him and his desire for shared ownership for organizational issues. In turn, Tom learned about the working history of his leaders and opportunities to maximize

KA R EN VER NA L LEADERSHIP their strengths going forward.

A secondary benefit to the process was having team members gain a greater understanding of one another. »» Follow up The final step in the process was for the CEO to agree to follow up on the recommendations and to continue the conversation on a regular basis about expectations, hopes, etc.

This process opened the door for ongoing communication. It deepened the awareness each team member had of the other, as well as the CEO. What is your experience in orienting new leaders, whether new to the organization or not?

What opportunities do you have to enhance the welcome and comfort for new leaders and their teams?

“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.” - T.S. Elliot n Karen Vernal is the president of Vernal Management Consultants LLC, a Milwaukee-based leadership and organizational firm dedicated to “igniting the spirit and skills of leaders.” For more information, visit www.vernalmgmt.com.

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NONPROFIT DIRECTORY

The Greater Milwaukee Fishing Expo will be held April 1-3 at Wisconsin State Fair Park, Products Pavilion, 640 S. 84th St. in West Allis. The multi-species expo, presented by Leinenkugel’s, will feature more than 100 local vendors, as well as local fishing guides, retailers, budget friendly fishing trips and free hourly seminars. Cost is $5 in advance and $8 at the door. For more information or to register, visit www. mkefishingexpo.com.

SPOTLIGHT

The Waukesha County Business Alliance will host a SmallBiz Alliance program on Tuesday, April 19, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Holiday Inn, N14 W24140 Tower Place in Pewaukee. The event, presented

by ActionCOACH of Elm Grove, will focus on “The 6 Keys to a Winning Team,” and will function as an interactive workshop to give insights on getting better results from your team. Cost is $15 for members.

Non-members can call to register. For more information, visit www.waukesha.org/events.

The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce’s World Trade Association will host its Wisconsin International Trade Conference on Tuesday, May 10, from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Wisconsin Center, 400 W. Wisconsin Ave. in Milwaukee. The annual event brings together more than 500 people involved in global trade to learn from experts, gain perspectives, share best practices and improve business strategies. Keynote speakers include ManpowerGroup chairman and CEO Jonas Prising and Briggs & Stratton president and CEO Todd Teske. Cost is $175 for members, $200 for non-members, $80 for students and $65 for breakfast or lunch only. For more information or to register, visit www.wisconsintradeconference.org.

Living as a Leader will host Groom Your Emerging Leaders More Quickly on Friday, May 20, beginning at 7 a.m. at the Milwaukee Athletic Club, 758 N. Broadway in Milwaukee. The leadership breakfast will address best practices to increase a company’s ability to attract and retain key talent by putting systems in place for intentional development of emerging talent. Cost is See the complete calendar of $65. For more information or to register, visit www.biztimes. upcoming events & meetings. com/events/#all-events.

www.biztimes.com

BIZ NO T ES Baycom Baycom has been named a Motorola Solutions Empower Circle Award winner for the ninth consecutive year. This award recognizes the top 100 channel partners and distributors in the world for outstanding performance in 2015. The Motorola Empower Circle Award recognizes Baycom for its ability to deliver high-performance business practices, sales and service excellence and dedication to customer support to its two-way radio customers. Since 1956, Baycom has grown from a small organization in Green Bay to its current operation of more than 60 employees, 30 service technicians and three certified service centers located in Green Bay, Neenah and West Allis.

Belman Homes Belman Homes won a Badger Craftsman Award for Best New Home in the $450,000 to $750,000 category in a statewide competition. Belman’s Rockwood model was chosen for its use of cutting edge products, quality of construction and interior design elements. Blending the latest technology, such as Bluetooth speakers, digital showers and solar powered skylights with stick built construction and hand-finished woodwork and cabinets put Belman’s entry over the top. Some of the other unique features of the home were a Milwaukee Brew Bar, a deck with a screened in porch underneath and a spiral staircase, a rounded tile shower, a three-story foyer with computer loft at

the second floor, and a built-in guest bench and storage area.

R.A. Smith National Nathan Vaughn of R.A. Smith National, of Brookfield, has been awarded the Young Surveyor of the Year award by the Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors. Vaughn has more than 12 years of experience and is currently a survey transportation manager within R.A. Smith National’s survey division. He is also a survey data coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

WISN 12 News WISN 12 News broadcasts at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. drew the top local news audiences from Feb. 4 to March 2, according to the latest Nielsen data.

From 5 - 5:30 p.m., Milwaukee-based WISN had a 6.8 household rating, with 59,841 household impressions, followed by WTMJ with a 4.8 rating, WITI with a 3.8 rating and WDJT with a 2.6 rating.

From 6 - 6:30 p.m., WISN had a 5.6 rating, followed by WITI with 4.8 and WTMJ with 4.3. This is the seventh consecutive ratings period in which WISN has led all other local weekday newscasts in the early evening. In second place overall was WITI from 10 to 10:30 p.m., with a 6.8 rating and 59,611 household impressions. And in third place overall was WITI from 9 to 10 p.m., with a 6.3 rating. WISN TV Channel 12 is a media partner of BizTimes Milwaukee.

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Layton Boulevard West Neighbors Inc. 1545 S. Layton Blvd., Milwaukee (414) 383-0938 | www.lbwn.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/LaytonBoulevardWestNeighbors Twitter: @laytonblvd Year founded: 1995 Mission statement: To build strong and healthy neighborhoods in the City of Milwaukee by stabilizing and revitalizing the Silver City, Burnham Park and Layton Park communities.

Primary focus of your nonprofit organization: Empowering neighbors, business owners and other stakeholders to invest their time, energy or money in our community’s continued growth.

Other focuses of your nonprofit organization: Home purchases and renovations, block clubs, community improvement projects, small business development and job creation.

Number of employees at this location: 10 Executive leadership: Will Sebern, executive director Board of directors: »» Jennifer Manna, chair, corporate counsel, Wangard Partners Inc. »» Marjorie Rucker, vice chair, executive director, The Business Council Inc. »» Scott Marr, treasurer, senior accountant, Kerber, Eck and Braeckel »» Sister Charlita Foxhoven, secretary, treasurer (Ret.), School Sisters of St. Francis; neighbor »» Peter Engel, executive vice president, Johnson Financial Group »» Rudy Gutierrez, branch manager/ market president, U.S. Bank »» Gary Hall, senior director/plant operations, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel »» Greg Mertens, owner, Wild Flour Bakery & Cafe; neighbor »» Perfecto Rivera, retired »» Melinda Rodriguez, special projects director, Public Allies Inc.; neighbor

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»» Sara Scharlau, vice chair, art & graphic designer, Core Creative; neighbor »» Kimber Simos, human resources director, Hatco Corp.

Is your organization actively seeking board members for the upcoming term? Yes. Ways the business community can help your nonprofit: »» Tour of Homes – (Saturday, June 4 and Saturday, Oct. 8) Free tour of homes for sale in Layton Boulevard West. Lenders and businesses can support through event sponsorship, promotion and by referring potential homebuyers. Associated Bank is sponsoring the Summer 2016 Tour of Homes on Saturday, June 4. Johnson Bank is sponsoring the Fall 2016 Tour of Homes on Saturday, Oct. 8. For more information on these events, visit www.lbwn.org/buyhome.

Key fundraising events: LBWN Executive Breakfast March 2017, 7 - 9 a.m.

More than 250 of Milwaukee’s top business, civic and philanthropic leaders gather to support LBWN’s work, featuring a community conversation moderated by Mitch Teich of WUWM FM 89.7, with neighbors, business owners and stakeholders reflecting LBWN’s neighborhood revitalization work. More info at www.lbwn.org/executivebreakfast.

Mining for Silver Dinner & Auction – May 5 A benefit to support economic development in Layton Boulevard West where we give updates on our efforts to grow businesses and create jobs, along with fun-filled games. Contact Celia Benton, at celia@ lbwn.org or (414) 383-9038 x 2511.

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biz connections PER SO NNE L F I L E

■ Accounting

Submit new hire and promotion announcements to www.biztimes.com/submit/the-bubbler

■ Education

RSM US LLP, the nation’s leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services focused on the middle market, hired Inge Plautz as a director in the firm’s Milwaukee office within its Great Lakes practice.

■ Banking & Finance GSF Mortgage named Todd Rickun branch manager and Terry Head mortgage loan originator in its Brookfield office. Combined, the two have a total of 44 years of mortgage industry experience.

Banks Witkowiak The Waukesha State Bank board of directors promoted Michelle Banks to assistant vice president – bank manager and Patricia Witkowiak to vice president – assistant manager of operations. Banks has 19 years of industry experience and Witkowiak joined Waukesha State Bank in July 2013 as assistant manager of operations.

Prairie Financial Group, a division of Waukesha State Bank, hired Lisa Persohn as accounting and business operations manager.

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design and will work with Saz’s marketing team to produce creative elements showcasing the brand to internal and external clients.

Cheryl Mitchell joined the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Continuing Education as a business consultant for the Small Business Development Center. In her prior position, Mitchell worked as a counselor and mentor for Silicon Valley SCORE and Silicon Valley SBDC.

■ Nonprofit Tammy Howard has been named chief financial officer and vice president of finance for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee.

■ Health Care UnitedHealthcare hired Michael Turner as a senior account executive, specialty benefits in its Wauwatosa office.

His primary responsibility in this role will be to work with the broker and health plan sales teams to promote specialty product sales and persistency in the marketplace.

The Lutheran Home and Harwood Place, Wauwatosa, named Gail Boerema vice president of finance and chief financial officer. She is responsible for leading and directing the fiscal strategy of the organizations.

Newcastle Place, a full-service senior living community in Mequon, has hired Bonnie Jeglum as director of assisted living and memory support at the Highlands Health Center.

■ Hospitality Saz’s Hospitality Group, Milwaukee, has added Angelo Menghe, graphic designer, to its team.

Menghe previously worked for Horny Goat Brewing Co. He holds a bachelor’s degree from

■ Real Estate

Ornelas

Olson

Waukesha-based Belman Homes has hired Roy Ornelas as a new homes consultant and Abby Olson as marketing coordinator.

Matt Medvecz recently acquired his commercial real estate license, and joined the retail team of Milwaukee-based The Boerke Co., a Cushman & Wakefield Alliance member.

■ Professional Services

■ Technology

Mayzik

Rossbach

Maier Brookfield-based Lemberg Electric Co. Inc. has made several new hires, including: Mark Mayzik as graphic designer; Gerry Maier as service manager; and Don Rossbach as senior service manager.

BELFOR Property Restoration’s Milwaukee office has named Dennis Pells director of emergency services. Pells has extensive industry and technical knowledge of commercial, industrial and institutional construction and restoration.

Graham Camargo U.S. Cellular named Curtis Graham director of engineering for the company’s central region, which includes Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Graham is a 20-year veteran of U.S. Cellular’s engineering team. Additionally, U.S. Cellular has named Mauricio Camargo as the director of its customer care center in Waukesha, one of four call centers assisting U.S. Cellular customers across the nation. In this role, he will lead approximately 400 U.S. Cellular associates in providing customer service and implementing programs to achieve the company’s business objectives.

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biz connections

n GLANCE AT YESTERYEAR VOLUME 21, NUMBER 26 MARCH 21 - APRIL 3, 2016 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120 PHONE: 414-277-8181 FAX: 414-277-8191 WEBSITE: www.biztimes.com CIRCULATION E-MAIL: circulation@biztimes.com ADVERTISING E-MAIL: ads@biztimes.com EDITORIAL E-MAIL: andrew.weiland@biztimes.com REPRINTS: reprints@biztimes.com PUBLISHER / OWNER

Dan Meyer dan.meyer@biztimes.com DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Mary Ernst mary.ernst@biztimes.com DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

Jon Anne Willow jonanne.willow@biztimes.com ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Sarah Sinsky sarah.sinsky@biztimes.com

EDITORIAL EDITOR

Andrew Weiland andrew.weiland@biztimes.com MANAGING EDITOR

Molly Dill molly.dill@biztimes.com REPORTER

Corrinne Hess corri.hess@biztimes.com REPORTER

Arthur Thomas arthur.thomas@biztimes.com REPORTER

Ben Stanley ben.stanley@biztimes.com

Government service

SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR OF SALES

Linda Crawford linda.crawford@biztimes.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE

Maribeth Lynch mb.lynch@biztimes.com SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Amber Stancer amber.stancer@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Kevin Gaschk kevin.gaschk@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Maggie Pinnt maggie.pinnt@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Christie Ubl christie.ubl@biztimes.com

PRODUCTION & DESIGN GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Alex Schneider alex.schneider@biztimes.com ART DIRECTOR

Shelly Tabor shelly.tabor@biztimes.com

INTERN REPORTER

This photo of Milwaukee Department of Public Works employees was taken in September 1937, during the Milwaukee Government Service League Health Week, according to the Milwaukee Public Museum archive file. The league was founded in 1935 to support good government through the highest standards of public service. DPW is now responsible for the design, maintenance and operation of streets, sidewalks, alleys, bridges, sewers, water mains, underground conduit, telecommunications services, traffic signals, and street lighting for the City of Milwaukee.

—This photo is from the Milwaukee Public Museum’s Photo Archives collection. Additional images can be viewed online at www.mpm.edu

Maredithe Meyer maredithe.meyer@biztimes.com

Independent & Locally Owned — Founded 1995 —

COMME NTA R Y

Include historic preservation in downtown revitalization It is so great to see the real estate development boom and revitalization taking place in downtown Milwaukee. We are in the middle of one of the most exciting periods ever for downtown Milwaukee.

But the new buildings are not the only thing that makes downtown Milwaukee great. The city has ANDREW WEILAND Editor BizTimes Milwaukee

many historic buildings that visitors and residents enjoy.

What would downtown Milwaukee be without its historic City Hall, the incredible Mitchell Building and others? It would be a lot less interesting. The historic buildings in the Third Ward are what make that neighborhood so special.

That’s why it is so important to make sure that the city’s historic buildings are 44

preserved, if at all possible, while at the same time embracing the boom in new development.

But I’m starting to worry that historic preservation is getting less attention downtown. There have been a few alarming examples of this recently.

Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. recently began demolition work to make way for a $100 million, 34-story luxury apartment tower with several levels of parking, plus some retail space. It will be a great project. However, the demolition work included destruction of The Vermont, a four-story apartment building constructed in 1889.

The Vermont was a cool old building, the kind that adds historic character to the city. It was a shame to lose it. But what is disturbing is that seemingly nobody raised any concerns about it, at least not publicly.

Wangard Partners plans to tear down most of the former Laacke & Joys complex, including a four-story building built B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e

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in 1874, to build a new office building.

Why not transform the existing building into office space, like in the Third Ward?

Madison-based Palisade Property Management LLC plans to build a 26-story, $55 million, 202-unit apartment tower on the site of the 118-year-old Goll Mansion at 1550 N. Prospect Ave. on the East Side. Under the proposal, the mansion would have to be moved forward on the site so the tower could be built. Can that be done without damaging the mansion, which was built in 1898?

It seems surprising there are not more concerns being raised about these plans.

The Milwaukee Preservation Alliance is perhaps the most active group in the community that advocates for historic preservation, but it has made little to no waves lately.

Milwaukee Preservation Alliance president Dawn McCarthy said the nonprofit, all-volunteer organization has limited resources and tries to pick battles it has a

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The 127-year-old Vermont building was demolished recently.

realistic chance of winning.

“We don’t have the resources to be as proactive as we would like to be,” she said.

Historic buildings have great value and we need to fight for them. They are one-of-a-kind and therefore provide unique character that helps attract visitors and makes the city more interesting and appealing.

Let’s embrace all of this new development, but balance that by working to also preserve the city’s history whenever possible. n

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biz connections

CBRE industrial and investment market update The CBRE Industrial Group hosted an industrial and investment market update recently at the Milwaukee Athletic Club.

The event brought together the area’s most prominent institutional and private investors to have an interactive discussion on the current state of capital markets related to the industrial real estate industry.

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Wendy Oldani and Paul Schmitter of CenterPoint Properties.

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Peter Ginn of Wangard Properties and Daniel Fogarty of Becknell Industrial.

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Karl Wiedenman of CBRE and Bradford Sweeney of Stag Industrial.

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Johan Henriksen of NorthPoint Development and Matt Hubert of Becknell Industrial.

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Michael Sessa of Associated Bank.

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Michael Kleber of Zilber Property Group, Vito Taphorn of The Private Bank and Martin Hanley of Land & Lakes Development Co.

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Carol Muratore of Godfrey & Kahn and Margaret Lang of CBRE.

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A CBRE industrial market update presentation at the Milwaukee Athletic Club.

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Networking at the Milwaukee Athletic Club before the presentation.

Photos by Corrinne Hess

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ERICH SCHROEDER PHOTOGRAPHY

the last word

The golden rules of business relationships are universal After decades of working for the Jurken family’s global tannery company, Joe Jurken discovered business leaders needed help fostering profitable relationships with Asian companies. Now a senior partner at The ABC Group of Milwaukee, Jurken says it’s all about clear communication and a commitment to results.

“Many companies that don’t have a lot of experience conducting business in China and other areas of Southeast Asia think they need to treat foreign business decision-makers differently than those in the United States.

But that’s not the case.

“For any import or export program to be successful, it needs to start with direct, yet respectful communication, because a profitable and healthy business relationship with any company anywhere is rooted in fairness. And 46

the vast majority of Chinese and Asian business leaders fully understand that. They’ll do what’s needed to ensure a program’s success, but the company based in the U.S will often only get out of it what it puts into it. Business decision-makers here need to set the right tone and drive dialogue that produces clear expectations.

“Companies in the U.S. also need to make the distinction between hard work and productive work.

When leaders of U.S. companies send people to Asia for business, they should establish clear goals long before anyone steps on a plane and also send an agenda in advance so people there can prepare. They also need to put the right people on the plane. If it’s an engineering issue, for example, don’t send someone from purchasing.

And don’t overlook the critical need to hold people on both sides of the ocean accountable for visits that need

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Joe Jurken Senior partner The ABC Group 400 E. Wisconsin Ave, Ste. 200 Industry: Asian business consultants Employees: 10 www.theabcgroupllc.com

to produce results.

“I thought about this one summer day while sitting outside a restaurant in China. As I watched children eat ice cream and play, it struck me that kids are the same everywhere. So are businesspeople. Those responsible for Asian imports and exports shouldn’t lose sight of that.” n

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