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BRADLEY SYMPHONY CENTER CONSTRUCTION PROJECT WAS HUGE CHALLENGE 26 A LOOK AT MASS TIMBER PROJECTS IN MILWAUKEE 30 COMMENTARY: TAKE YOUR SHOT 46
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NOTABLES 2021 Keep up with BizTimes’ 2021 roundup of the leaders making a difference throughout southeast Wisconsin. At companies across southeast Wisconsin, notable executives are running businesses, navigating company restructurings, serving on boards, running HR and marketing departments, and investing in growth throughout the region. These notable individuals also mentor, teach and volunteer in their communities. The leaders profiled in these categories are nominated by their peers at work and in the community.
NOTABLE WOMEN
ON CORPORATE BOARDS This list recognizes the accomplished women serving on corporate boards or as nonemployee senior advisors to public or private companies with a connection to southeastern Wisconsin. Nomination deadline: May 7, 2021 | Issue date: June 21, 2021
Nominations open in 2021: Notable Women in Education The women profiled here are dedicated to creating and expanding learning opportunities for Wisconsinites of all ages, at all levels and in a host of fields. Their leadership, devotion and example are helping to shape a better future for our region and its people. Nomination deadline: June 4, 2021 | Issue date: July 19, 2021 Notable Marketing Executives Profiling accomplished women steering the marketing functions of their companies and nonprofits, while serving as leaders and role models in their workplaces and community. Nomination deadline: July 2, 2021 | Issue date: August 16, 2021 Notable Women in Insurance The executives on this list are shaping their own organizations as well as the path forward for other women in the industry. Nomination deadline: September 10, 2021 | Issue date: October 25, 2021 Notable Commercial Real Estate Leaders The brokers, directors, investors, developers and finance professionals on this list are among those shaping highprofile commercial real estate in Chicago. Many have brokered deals for and developed the city’s most recognizable properties. Others are helping to steer industry groups that are fostering the next generation of leadership in commercial real estate. Nomination deadline: September 24, 2021 | Issue date: November 8, 2021 Notable Food & Beverage Executives The executives on this list are shaping their own organizations as well as the path forward for others in the food and beverage manufacturing industry, while mentoring the next wave of professionals and finding ways to give back to their communities. Nomination deadline: October 29, 2021 | Issue date: December 13, 2021
To view this year’s winners and nominate, visit biztimes.com/notable
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MILWAUKEE’S NEW
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4 Leading Edge 4 NOW BY THE NUMBERS 5 ‘QUOTE UNQUOTE’ 6 JUMP START 7 BIZ POLL WHO’S ON THE BOARD?
CENTER
8 PUBLIC RECORD
9 Biz News 9 THE INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW STEINHAFEL 10 CLUBHOUSE OFFERS OPPORTUNITY FOR INSTANT GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
COVER STORY
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12 Real Estate JAKE HILL PHOTOGRAPHY
BizTimes Milwaukee (ISSN 1095-936X & USPS # 017813) Volume 27, Number 2, April 26, 2021 – May 9, 2021. BizTimes Milwaukee is published bi-weekly, except monthly in January, February, July, August and December by BizTimes Media LLC at 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120, USA. Basic annual subscription rate is $96. Single copy price is $5. Back issues are $8 each. Periodicals postage paid at Milwaukee, WI and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address corrections to BizTimes Milwaukee, 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120. Entire contents copyright 2021 by BizTimes Media LLC. All rights reserved.
Contents
Special Reports
45 Biz Connections 45 NONPROFIT 46 GLANCE AT YESTERYEAR COMMENTARY 47 THE LAST WORD… FROM MARK KOHLENBERG
26 Building and Construction Coverage includes a look at the extremely challenging project to convert the former Warner Grand Theatre in Milwaukee into the Bradley Symphony Center, and a report on the use of mass timber for some Milwaukee construction projects.
32 The Executive This special report highlights luxury living, including homes and Wisconsin vacation destinations.
M ILWAU KEE U RBA N L EAGUE
SETON CATHOLIC SCHOOLS PHONE: (414) 831-8400 WEB: setoncatholicschools.org
PHONE: (414) 374-5850 WEB: tmul.org The Milwaukee Urban League leads through education, employment, and advocacy to achieve economic vibrancy and equal access to all industries and disciplines that position African Americans to create wealth and live a better quality of life.
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Leading Edge
BIZTIMES DAILY – The day’s most significant news → biztimes.com/subscribe
NOW
Kohl’s reaches agreement with activist investor group By Maredithe Meyer, staff writer Kohl’s Corp. announced recently that it has secured a deal with the group of activist investors who have been campaigning since February to replace five of Kohl’s 12 current board members. The Menomonee Falls-based retailer has agreed to add two directors nominated by the investor group: Margaret Jenkins, former chief marketing officer at Denny’s Inc., and Thomas Kingsbury,
former chief executive officer at Burlington Stores. In addition, Christine Day, who is former CEO at Lululemon Athletica, will join the board. Day was selected by Kohl’s and was accepted by the investors, according to a news release. The new directors will assume their seats on the board at the end of the company’s 2021 annual meeting, set to take place virtually on May 12.
BY THE NUMBERS Marquette University recently went public with a fundraising campaign aiming to raise
JON ELLIOTT OF MKE DRONES LLC
$
4 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 26, 2021
750
MILLION to support its “Beyond Boundaries” strategic plan.
With these new additions, Kohl’s board will also lose two tenured members. Steve Burd will retire at the end of August, and chairman Frank Sica will retire next year, in connection with the 2022 annual meeting. “We are pleased to further strengthen our board with the addition of Christine, Margaret and Tom as part of our continued refreshment process,” said Sica. “Today’s agreement reflects our board’s ongoing dialogue with our shareholders and our commitment to maximizing long-term value for all stakeholders. We welcome the new directors and look forward to their perspectives as we continue to execute Kohl’s growth strategy.” The settlement comes after a months-long proxy fight between Kohl’s and the activist investors, who together own 9.3% of the retailer’s outstanding stock. The group, which includes Macellum Advisors GP LLC, Ancora Holdings Inc., Legion Partners Asset Management LLC and 4010 Capital LLC, fired criticism after criticism at the retailer, blaming current board leadership for underperforming stock, stagnant sales and lost market share — operating issues that arose well before the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought sales down 20% last year, and 10% for the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Kohl’s continued to defend its board members
and their ability to lead the company through retail industry disruption, doubling down on its new long-term growth strategy. Plans include growing sales and operating margin by capitalizing on retail trends and improving its women’s business. There’s also a new consumer-facing vision to be the leader in the active and casual lifestyle categories. Kohl’s claims it’s making progress, but the investor group’s campaign sought to poke holes in the retailer’s messaging and convince shareholders that substantial growth wouldn’t be possible without major changes to the board. A statement by the investor group said, “These new directors are all proven leaders in retail who will add valuable expertise to the board. We are pleased to have been able to reach this constructive resolution with the company, and we are confident these changes will help further our shared goal of creating long-term value for shareholders. We are excited for the future at Kohl’s.” As part of the agreement, the board’s existing ad hoc finance committee will become an official “Finance Committee of the Board,” which will help oversee capital allocation decisions. Thomas Kingsbury will join the committee. Additionally, the board expanded its existing share repurchase authorization to $2 billion. n
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P R E S I D E N T A N D C H I E F E X E C U T I V E O F F I C E R , G R E E N B AY PA C K E R S Mark Murphy, president and chief executive officer of the Green Bay Packers, reflected on the Packers’ consistent success, both on and off the field, during a recent virtual event hosted by the Rotary Club of Milwaukee. During 13 years with the Packers, Murphy has experienced a Super Bowl victory, led the development of the Titletown District as well as multiple Lambeau Field expansion projects, and guided the franchise through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. n
“It’s always disappointing when you don’t win the Super Bowl. We say, ‘Only one team finishes the season feeling good about the way the season ended.’ But I think from both a football and business standpoint, we’ve had consistent success.”
“I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Aaron Rodgers. He’s a great player for us and we want him to remain our quarterback and we’re hopeful that that will be the case.”
“This year was such a strange year with the pandemic, but I’m really proud of the way we handled it as an organization. We were the only professional league that played a full schedule during the pandemic. You wanted to have fans, you wanted to have that home-field advantage, but you also wanted to make sure you were really careful and didn’t put any players or fans at risk.”
“We’ve continued to invest in Lambeau Field. We’re now the second largest stadium in the NFL, behind MetLife Stadium in New York. We really want to make sure the team stays in Green Bay and stays competitive. And we continue to invest not only in the stadium itself, but the football facilities and the area around it. Looking ahead, we’re making a big push to host the NFL Draft in 2024.”
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“The last year or two there’s been a lot of publicity around the NFL, around social justice issues, and diversity, equity and inclusion, and I give our players credit. The easy thing would be to not get involved in these issues, but they see the systemic racism that impacts them. … We know that a number of our fans feel strongly that players should not be speaking out, but we’re fully supportive of our players’ rights to speak out.”
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Leading Edge
@BIZTIMESMEDIA – Real-time news
WUMBLEKIN LOCATION: Milwaukee
Wumblekin subscription boxes are filled with clinically validated information and products for pregnant mothers and their babies.
FOUNDERS: Erin Stumbras and Andrea DuMez FOUNDED: 2018 PRODUCT: Subscription boxes filled with products for pregnant mothers and their babies. WEBSITE: wumblekin.com EMPLOYEES: 20 GOAL: To share Wumblekin with more expectant mothers. EXPERIENCE: The team includes obstetrician-gynecologists, lactation specialists, chiropractors and pediatricians. Wumblekin co-founders Erin Stumbras and Andrea DuMez.
Milwaukee-based Wumblekin curates products for expectant mothers By Brandon Anderegg, staff writer
6 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 26, 2021
EXPECTANT MOTHERS often feel the pressure to purchase must-have products as they navigate their pregnancy and life with a newborn. Milwaukee-based startup and Advocate Aurora Health subsidiary Wumblekin aims to simplify and demystify best practices to help mothers throughout their pregnancies. The subscription-based company sends packages of trimester-specific, evidence-based information and pregnancy products to mothers across the country. The startup was incubated at Advocate Aurora Enterprises, the recently rebranded investment arm of the Illinois and Wisconsin-based health care provider, and co-founded by frontline workers with the health system after they pitched the concept through an internal idea challenge program in 2018. Several Wumblekin team members are mothers – including co-founder Andrea DuMez, a labor and delivery nurse at Advocate Aurora Health – which gives the business insight into the firehose of pregnancy-related information that mothers encounter each day. “How can we fill a gap in care and cut through all the noise and contradictory information that’s out there for pregnancy, especial-
ly for first-time moms?” Wumblekin co-founder Erin Stumbras said of the startup’s mission. The team convened a panel of pediatricians, obstetrician-gynecologists, chiropractors and lactation specialists who have curated clinically validated information for mothers based on the gestational age of their baby. Examples of first trimester education include tips for dealing with nausea, safe exercises for pregnant mothers as well as how to deal with changes in mental health or confidence during pregnancy, added Stumbras, who also works as a venture innovation specialist at Advocate Aurora. The five-box trimester subscription is $49.99 per box. Wumblekin also offers an “ultimate labor and delivery box” for $69.99. Wumblekin has been shipping boxes to mothers for the past 9 months. The startup is now in a research and development phase with plans to scale the company during 2021. “We’re gathering a lot of consumer insights to really make sure that our solution is really tight with our customer needs,” Stumbras said. The startup generates revenue through its subscription and single-box sales, both of which have grown month-over-month, Stumbras said. n
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Gass • Michael Bender, president and chief executive officer of Eyemart Express LLC. • Peter Boneparth, former president and CEO of Jones Apparel Group. • Steven Burd, former chairman, president and CEO of Safeway Inc. • Yael Cosset, senior vice president and chief information officer of The Kroger Co. • H. Charles Floyd, global president of operations of Hyatt Hotels Corp. • Michelle Gass, Kohl’s CEO.
• Robbin Mitchell, former chief operating officer of Club Monaco. • Jonas Prising, chairman and CEO of ManpowerGroup. • John Schlifske, chairman and CEO of Northwestern Mutual. • Adrianne Shapira, former chief financial officer of David Yurman Enterprises, LLC. • Frank Sica, partner, Tailwind Capital • Stephanie Streeter, former CEO of Libbey, Inc.
Keeping Our Communities Strong As Wisconsin’s largest family-owned financial services company, we’re proud of the legacy we’ve built, serving families and businesses in Wisconsin for the past 50 years. At Johnson Financial Group, we’re committed to investing in the health, well-being and success of our associates, our customers and our local communities - today, tomorrow and for generations to come.
Learn more at JohnsonFinancialGroup.com
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SPONSORED CONTENT
Leading Edge
THE
PUBLIC
RECORD CONTENT MARKETING?
Beer, wine and liquor sales rise during pandemic
Spoiler alert: It’s not about you
By Arthur Thomas, staff writer
W H AT IS
T
erms such as content marketing, brand journalism, native advertising and advertorial can be confusing. Aren’t they all the same? Definitely not. Knowing the difference can be the difference between a lackluster and successful marketing campaign. Let’s take a moment to define our terms. According to the Content Marketing Institute, a content marketing approach focuses on creating and distributing valuable and relevant content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience. Successful content marketing, through well-chosen articles, allows the reader to relate to the problem discussed and to see you as a thought leader and expert — someone who can offer a solution to them. The most important thing is content marketing is about your audience, it isn’t about you.
Brand journalism is about you — editorially-driven brand building. It is a unique blend of journalist and marketer, using a brand’s own resources to cultivate interesting stories that people actually want to read. Well done, it should increase a brand’s trust and influence. Companies can thrive when readers choose to organically engage and share their brand’s original content. But it takes time to build a reputation and an audience. One type of brand journalism is native advertising. Native advertising refers to the use of paid advertising that matches the look and feel of the hosting media platform. Your “advertorial” (native advertising, or an ad in the form of an article) flows almost seamlessly within the platform. Native advertising has become common in magazines, newspapers and news websites. The key to native advertising is that it is non-disruptive to the media host. It offers advertising content without interrupting the flow of the site’s regular content.
MAGGIE PINNT (414) 336-7127 maggie.pinnt@biztimes.com linkedin.com/in/maggiepinnt BT 360
Content marketing is proven to be one of the most effective forms of advertising. Read more about its potential impact here: https:// contentmarketinginstitute.com/ research/ If you’d like to see how content marketing can fit into your marketing campaign, please reach out —we’d be happy to talk!
THE STORYTELLING ARM OF BIZTIMES MEDIA
8 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 26, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about many changes to daily life. While summer festivals, tailgates and concerts gave way to Zoom happy hours and limited gatherings in the back yard, there was a higher demand for beer, wine, liquor and ciders in Wisconsin. Data from the state Department of Revenue show how the volume of taxable gallons of alcoholic beverages increased over the past 12 months as did the taxes paid by producers, wholesalers and out-of-state shippers. The data cover year-over-year changes from March 2020 through February 2021, although they do not exactly match the first year of the pandemic because of reporting delays. n
Beer Taxable gallons:147.2 million Volume: +4.7% Taxes collected: +$899,000
Wine Taxable gallons: 15.7 million Volume: +8.2% Taxes collected: +$324,000
Liquor Taxable gallons: 16.8 million Volume: +8.3% Taxes collected: +$5 million
Cider Taxable gallons: 902,000 Volume: +12.2% Taxes collected: +$6,390
BizNews
the
Interview
ANDREW STEINHAFEL didn’t plan on working in the family business. After working
odd jobs in the company growing up, he earned a degree in business and computer science. He started his career working for tech startups and a financial software company in Boston. Gary Steinhafel, his uncle and the previous company president, mentioned the possibility to him the night before his wedding, as if one major life event were not enough. About a year later, Andrew’s dad brought it up again. This time, Andrew and his wife were looking to make a change and returned to Wisconsin. That was eight years ago. In early April, Andrew was named president of Steinhafels, making him the fourth generation in his family to lead the Pewaukee-based furniture retailer. Associate editor Arthur Thomas recently talked with Steinhafel about the new role. Not only has Steinhafels had to navigate the ups and downs of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company is also working to launch a new website this summer and open two new stores, one in Downers Grove, Illinois and the other in Green Bay. How did you know it was the right time to take on this new role? “The last year with the pandemic … I think the partners relied a little more heavily on myself and our executive team than they have in the past, so it was really that combination of myself as kind of being the liaison between the family partners and our professional executive team that really in the last year cemented itself, and then now with Gary wanting to step back a little bit and spend some more time in North Carolina, I think the timing just worked out really well.”
How has the pandemic shaped the industry, and what’s the outlook going forward?
Andrew Steinhafel President Steinhafels Inc. W231 N1013 Highway F, Pewaukee Employees: 550 Steinhafels.com
“Of course, shutting our doors when we’re 98% brick and mortar, in-person, in-store sales definitely hurt us. But coming out of it with the renewed focus on the home, people not spending their discretionary dollars on restaurants or travel, that certainly has helped our industry quite a bit. We’ve had an incredible run of about nine months of setting sales records and delivery records, volume records, so we’ve certainly appreciated that continued growth and support from our customers. “Looking forward, I think there’s a chance this could be a bigger cultural shift too. I’ve talked to a lot of people who said, ‘yeah, we don’t want to be locked down in our house for a year ever again, but we did enjoy certain aspects of it. We did enjoy spending more time with family, a smaller group of friends or spending more time at home and making their home a nicer place and better to spend time in.’ I think personally that that could be a continued focus going forward for most customers, which of course would benefit our industry. “The biggest challenge we’re facing as an industry right now is just supply chain. We’re not unique in that, a lot of businesses and industries are seeing those challenges, from container shortages to ship shortages to raw material shortages. We’re doing the best we can to make sure we’re getting product in stock as quickly as possible. I think we’re doing better than most in our industry, but it’s still a challenge.”
How does e-commerce end up playing into the furniture industry? “Not to overuse buzzwords or cliches, but omnichannel is really the way we’re looking at it. In store, online, how to blend those two as much as possible, and really it’s about getting out of the way of the customer’s experience and the customer’s purchase journey. It’s about letting the customer decide where and when they purchase, how they purchase and trying to make it as easy and seamless for them.” n biztimes.com / 9
BizNews FEATURE
Clubhouse offers opportunity for instant global perspective Arthur Thomas, staff writer ON A RECENT WEEKEND, Todd McLees was part of a “room” discussing the future of transportation on Clubhouse, a social audio platform that is rapidly growing in popularity. He searched the platform for people with expertise in autonomous vehicles and tweeted a link to the room to six of them. Before long, three of them joined the room and came on stage to join the discussion. These weren’t just any experts, they were top-of-their-field experts, including heads of transportation for countries, and people working at high levels of emerging transportation companies. “It’s so much better than sitting here with one expert and six people who want to convince the world they know what they’re talking about. You get a person who spent years on Hyperloop, you kind of get out of your depth very quickly and just go into learning mode,” said McLees, principal at Full Circle Innovation. Clubhouse launched in the spring of 2020 and requires an invitation from an existing user to join. For now, it is only available on Apple’s iOS but has reportedly topped more than 10 million downloads globally. In early April, Bloomberg reported Clubhouse was raising funding from investors at a $4 billion valuation. At the heart of the app are “rooms” where users communicate via audio. Users only see a picture of other users but can get more info by clicking in to a user’s profile. Speakers are on a virtual stage with their photos in a separate area from listeners. Moderators can then bring listeners who “raise their hand” up on stage to join the conversation. That ability to seamlessly bring someone from the audience into the conversation in real-time is part of what differentiates the platform from others. True, users on 10 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 26, 2021
Twitter or Facebook can engage in back-and-forth conversations, but on Clubhouse the users are actually talking to each other and the conversation is moderated. “It reminds me of the early days of Twitter, when social media was fun, or the early days of Instagram, when everything was exciting and fresh,” said Ryan Thompson, co-founder and president of Mention Marketing. “It’s like a paradigm shift, like, ‘wait, I don’t need to doom scroll on my phone or I don’t need to watch video all day? I can actually be driving a car and be part of the conversation?’” Thompson joined with friend and former co-worker Chris Luecke to launch an MKE Tech room. They’ve since added Kathy Heinrich, chief executive officer of Milwaukee Tech Hub, as a member and are working to hold a series of discussions over several weeks involving founders and C-suite executives from around the community. McLees said he was hesitant to join the platform when innovation author Greg Satell, a friend and occasional collaborator, invited him to join. He said in the past he hasn’t been able to sustain any dedication to social media platforms, but on Clubhouse he was quickly hooked on the opportunity to learn and then found himself connecting with people from around the world. “I’ve met incredible people,” McLees said. “I mean, I hang out with incredible people all day and all night now.” Thompson and McLees both said they like the way the app can be on in the background as they go about their day, replacing a role previously held by talk radio or podcasts. McLees acknowledged he has to turn it off completely at times to focus in on his work and avoid being distracted by interesting points raised by speakers.
Image of a Clubhouse “room.”
The platform draws a wide range of discussions including advice for startup founders, religious discussions, motivational rooms, debates about the future of work, interviews and more. On a recent evening, users could quickly go from an interview of Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph to hearing Vice News chief political correspondent Liz Landers discuss gun legislation to listening as the
founders of newsletter platform Substack discussed the rise of solopreneurs. McLees said there are lots of different uses for the app and it is possible to go down some “dark alleys,” as is possible with any platform. As Clubhouse grows, privacy and security will likely become even bigger issues, especially when the app expands to Android users, where it might
be easier to fake a phone number, he said. For now, the app uses phone numbers and other platforms to tie users to their real identity. Thompson and McLees both said users are generally expected to add value to the conversation when they join other speakers on stage. “Offer value or if the situation calls for, ask an honest question,” Thompson said. “There’s hucksters, there’s self-promoters, there’s all of that. It’s great to hear on Clubhouse, almost all those people get shut down and sometimes the whole room will lay into somebody.” “The part of the community I’m in shuns sales pitches,” McLees said. Thompson said he finds democracy, decency and opportunity on the platform. “When you put all those things
together, that seems like a pretty sure bet that, if not the specific platform, that the medium is going to shine,” he said. Other social media platforms have moved quickly to add similar social audio features to their platforms. Facebook is reportedly working on a competitor, Twitter has launched Spaces already, and Spotify recently acquired Locker Room, a sports-focused social audio platform. There are also audio platforms that pre-date Clubhouse like Discord. McLees said that from a business perspective, Clubhouse offers the opportunity for “hyper-learning and hyper-connectivity, especially outside of the region.” “I think we have a tendency, in the region, to focus on building the region, and that’s cool … but I believe in infusing our thought processes with global perspec-
tives and that’s what this offers,” he said. McLees recalled a recent discussion on education accessibility with people from the U.S. and Canada. About 40 minutes into the conversation a woman born in Kenya but now living in Minnesota chimed in to point out how western the focus of the conversation had been and how dramatically different accessibility issues are in Africa. “It just helps you zoom out a little bit and gain perspective,” McLees said. “That doesn’t mean every conversation needs to be about accessibility and the underserved, but it also gives me perspective that there are underserved communities in Milwaukee, there are also extraordinarily underserved communities around the world and it helps frame the challenges with a better perspective.” If you’re looking to build a business within Wisconsin, the
platform’s opportunities may be limited to learning for now, he said. “If you’re looking to build regionally, nationally or globally, I can’t think of a better place to have authentic conversations with tremendous transparency and learning and access to experts and people who want to help,” McLees said. While the platform allows users to consume the conversations passively, engaging in the discussions is a key part of getting the full potential out of it. “You have to contribute,” McLees said. “You have to be willing to raise your hand and go up on stage, either as a guest and ask great questions and contribute great content or work your way into a moderating role. Take risks because there’s very little to lose. It helps you sharpen your skills in terms of critical listening, deep listening and brevity.” n
Cut through the noise.
Helping CEOs survive and thrive in challenging times
Vistage is the one source you can trust for the latest, most helpful resources for leading in challenging times.
Learn more at: vistage.com
Right now, it must feel like your leadership is being tested in ways you couldn’t have imagined. We understand. For 60+ years we’ve been coaching CEOs and business owners through the best and worst of times. And through it all, our proven-approach to decision-making has helped leaders excel. It’s the same time-honored approach that our members used during the Great Recession to grow their companies while other small and midsize businesses struggled to stay afloat. Consider what it would mean to you to have this kind of support right now.
*Vistage CEO member companies who joined in 2006-2008 and were active members in Feb, 2010. CAGR for Vistage member companies calculated for period covering year prior to joining Vistage through 2009. CAGR for D&B U.S. companies based on 2005-2009 revenues, weighted to match Vistage company distribution per year during same period. All companies had >=$1M annual revenue, >=5 employees. Vistage: 1,265 companies. D&B: approximately 1M U.S. companies.
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Real Estate
REAL ESTATE WEEKLY – The week’s most significant real estate news → biztimes.com/subscribe
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WHO OWNS THE BLOCK? DOWNTOWN GREENDALE
6600 Schoolway Owner: JJC Rental Properties LLC Tenant: J&J Contractors I LLC
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2 5699 Parking St. Owner: Village of Greendale Tenant: Historic Hose Tower event space
6
5601 Broad St. 6500 Northway Owner: Grandhaven LLC, registered to Owner: Village of Greendale Hexagon Inc. Tenant: Greendale Village Hall Tenants: KitscheCoo, Edward Jones Investments, The Village CBD Shoppe, Batley’s Barber Shop & Salon, The Barefoot Haven Yoga + Wellness, National Bakery & Deli, Broad Street Coffee Co., Origins of Wellness, Kellie Roman Photography, Ricardo’s, Manchester Investments, Joey Gerard’s 12 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 26, 2021
3 5651 Broad St. Owner: The Drilling Restaurant Group LLC, registered to Mike Drilling Tenant: Panther Pub & Eatery
7 5602 Broad St. Owner: Grandhaven LLC, registered to Hexagon Inc. Tenants: Village Paper & Ink, Auntie Jennie’s Bakery, Gift of Wings, Apples of Eden, Price’s Collectibles Inc., Milk Can Diner, The Nest, Village Hair Design, Barbeque Supply Co., The Cook’s Nook, Historic Greendale Welcome Center, Field Workshop, Vintage 38
4 5647 Broad St. Owner: Village of Greendale Tenants: Greendale Community Learning Center — Greendale Public Library, Park & Recreation Department and Health Department
8 5701 Broad St. Owner: LB Broad Street LLC, registered to Robert Popp Tenants: Sugar & Flour, Designs by Diane, Popp Dental Laboratory Inc., IDMC
ALEX ZANK
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UGLY BUILDING: FORMER PORT ZEDLER MOTEL This Mequon motel has overstayed its welcome. The former Port Zedler Motel, built in 1969, is located at 10036 N. Port Washington Road. Mequon Mayor John Wirth said the motel “will be missed as a quaint part of our history.” That was in late 2019, when the city issued a raze or repair order. But the motel’s owners took the city to court over the order. A circuit court judge sided with the city in September, said Brian Sajdak, Mequon city attorney. The city is expected by late April to issue an RFP for the motel’s demolition. The Common Council may approve the selection of a contractor in May, he said. “It sat a little bit longer than I think we wanted it to, (but) we are now back in the process of moving forward with getting the building razed,” Sajdak said.
PHILLIS WHEATLEY SCHOOL REDEVELOPMENT Milwaukee-based Royal Capital Group is embarking on the redevelopment of the former Phillis Wheatley Elementary School in Milwaukee. Royal Capital announced in mid-April it had purchased the former school at 2442 N. 20th St. The redevelopment plan includes the adaptive reuse of the school building and construction of a new, four-unit building on the same site. The project will provide a total of 82 dwelling units, amenities and educational, wellness and entrepreneurial programming and support for residents and neighbors. Construction is scheduled to begin this month and is slated for completion in spring 2022. DEVELOPER: Royal Capital Group SIZE: 140,880 square feet COST: $22 million
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STORY COVER
MILWAUKEE’S NEW
BRADLEY
y n o h p m Sy CENTER BY LAUREN ANDERSON, staff writer
14 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 26, 2021
JAKE HILL PHOTOGRAPHY
T
he Warner Grand Theatre in downtown Milwaukee opened on a spring evening 90 years ago in an opulent display that seemed to defy the economic devastation of the Great Depression. The architectural spectacle – replete with a marquee sign illuminated by 12,000 bulbs, a 2,500-seat theater and walls covered in Louis XIV-inspired murals – was celebrated with plenty of fanfare, including mayoral and gubernatorial addresses before the showing of the 1931 musical comedy “Sit Tight.” As it happens, the theater this spring is making its second debut during another national crisis that has rendered its opening more understated than the first. For the past 33 months, the building at 212 W. Wisconsin Ave. has undergone a transformation to become the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s new home. One of the more ambitious revitalizations of a cultural asset in the city, the $89 million project has restored a historic landmark that longtime Milwaukee residents have likely not stepped foot in since the building closed in 1995 and newer residents might be surprised to know exists.
Inside the 1,650-seat Allen-Bradley Hall.
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STORY COVER
The conversion of the Warner Grand into a symphony concert hall involved restoring the 1930s movie theater, lobby and concourses and constructing a new, two-story addition east of the theater. Beyond returning the facility to its original splendor, the project involved complex challenges like moving back the theater’s 650-ton rear wall by 35 feet into Second Street to make room for a larger stage. (Read the special report on page 26 for more details on the construction project.) The new symphony center was originally intended to welcome audience members in a grand opening scheduled for fall 2020, but, as with most celebrations over the past 15 months, COVID-19 disrupted those plans. MSO was forced to make its 2020-‘21 season virtual due to city gathering limits, and in another setback, significant flooding caused by a storm last spring delayed construction progress. Earlier this month, the venue hosted its first ticketed live performance for a limited-capacity show available to a select group of ticketholders – a model that MSO will continue through the remainder of the season. While performing for small groups of — Mark Niehaus, executive director socially-distant subscribof the MSO, on the ers doesn’t lend itself to the formerWarnerGrand collective “wow” factor of a packed-out theater, MSO Theatre executive director Mark Niehaus sees it as an opportunity to have small celebrations every week for a few months, like a “birthday party every Saturday.” “It’s kind of like being in slow motion,” he said. “Had we not had the pandemic, we likely would have popped all the corks this past September and done everything all at once. In this case, we have our first rehearsal, then our first concert that’s broadcast, then we have recorded concerts and live broadcast – every milestone is separate instead of at the same time. It’s almost like a slow rollout of everything we do. It’s very different than what would have been.” Those incremental openings will ultimately lead up to what MSO leaders hope will be a more traditional grand opening in the fall.
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Immediately we knew it was a special place.”
Top: The art-deco lobby of the Warner Grand Theatre was restored to its original look, and its features were preserved, including etched mirrors that line the walls and a pair of chandeliers that hang from the silver molded ceiling. Middle: Visitors pass through the original lobby to enter the concert hall. Bottom: Murals along the lobby staircase walls were also restored.
16 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 26, 2021
THE RIGHT TIMING The crescendo to the new Bradley Symphony Center’s opening has been building for more than two decades. MSO, which had long performed at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, has wanted its own dedicated space for years, saying it is key to ensuring the organization’s long-term viability. Owning its own building means having control over performance schedules, seeking out other revenue generators, and – a more recent concern – having
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STORY COVER
complete oversight related to health and safety measures throughout the building. MSO had its eye on the Warner Grand as far back as 2000. That year, the MSO conducted an acoustical test in the then-shuttered movie theater. It passed the test. “Immediately we knew it was a special place,” Niehaus said. The timing wasn’t right to move forward, though. Expanding the building toward North Second Street was a nonstarter – it was a high-traffic artery to the freeway before the Marquette Interchange was rebuilt. There were also concerns about the future of the Marcus Center if the orchestra were to leave. Since then, the Marcus Center has added Broadway shows to its lineup, which have offered a new source of revenue for that venue but created logistical challenges for MSO in the winter months. “I would joke that if there were 465 days in a year and two Decembers, the Marcus Center would be great, but that’s not the reality,” Niehaus said. There were also concerns about whether the philanthropic community could sustain another big campaign on the heels of the heavy lift to fund the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Quadracci Pavilion and Calatrava addition. The appetite for another large cultural project wasn’t there — SusanMartin,MSO at the time, Niehaus said. board chair Not to mention the massive architectural and construction challenges that it would take to preserve the theater’s original elements while adding 21st Century amenities that audiences want. When Susan Martin joined the MSO board in 2015 and she had her first tour of the then-shuttered theater, she admits she was slow to catch the same vision that Niehaus and former board chairs Doug Hagerman and Andy Nunemaker had for the space. “The first time I walked into it as an abandoned old building, I remember thinking, ‘this really seems like a crazy stretch,’” Martin, now MSO’s board chair, said. The project picked up steam in December 2016, when MSO announced an anonymous donor was leading the then $120 million initiative for the organization to buy and renovate the theater, build MSO’s endowment, pay off pension liability and bolster its operating fund. That total has since swelled to $139 million to also cover renovation costs for the building’s 12-story office tower.
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The first time I walked into it as an abandoned old building, I remember thinking, ‘this really seems like a crazy stretch.’”
Top: A view of the stage in the concert hall. In addition to space for the orchestra, the stage includes a choral loft. Middle: The original murals in the theater, once covered in dirt and debris, were cleaned and restored. Bottom: The hall includes plenty of ornate features original to the theater, such as this light fixture.
18 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 26, 2021
LIKE THE MSO, WE ARE PERFORMANCE DRIVEN. Working with Kahler Slater and MacRostie Historic Advisors, our team spent hours in the city archives searching for old black and white photos of the original theatre. We focused on delivering as accurately as possible details like color, bulb style and spacing as well as the pattern of the stained glass element. Poblocki combined the historic preservation of the theatre blade sign and marquee with new LED technology and modern digital displays to blend the best of the past with the MSO’s vision for the future. Thank you MSO for partnering with us on your new home and an iconic project for the city of Milwaukee.
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We searched for a sign specialist to carry out the specialized historical restoration detailing. We were especially impressed with Poblocki.
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- Jennifer Samuelson, MSO Senior Director of Patron Experience & Front of House Operations
F R O M A L L O F U S AT P O B L O C K I S I G N C O M PA N Y, C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S M S O , A N D W E L C O M E H O M E !
Po b lo ck i.co m
FROM PAST TO FUTURE
STORY COVER
Top: The new, glassy addition, located adjacent to the original lobby, features a curving staircase with a skylight overhead. Middle: The new lobby serves as a waiting and reception area for visitors. Bottom: A second-floor reception area overlooking Wisconsin Avenue.
20 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 26, 2021
Visitors to the Bradley Symphony Center are greeted by a replica of the original Warner Grand marquee and blade sign, a nod to the bygone heyday of ornate movie theaters. The grand lobby makes a striking impression: three stories high with towering mirrors lining the walls and a pair of chandeliers hanging from the lofty, silver molded ceiling. Adjacent to the lobby is the new, glassy, two-story addition, which will provide visitors with an expanded waiting and reception area. The new structure, built on the site of a former sushi restaurant, features a curving staircase – reminiscent of a harp – with a skylight overhead that allows a glimpse of Richard Haas’s 1981 mural on the original building’s tower. The integration of the original and new lobbies is what prompted Martin’s “aha moment” when she first toured the completed symphony center. “Walking into that historic lobby and all of the incredible ornate decoration that we’ve been able to restore, all the real period piece murals and things like that,” Martin said. “But in some ways the piece that took my breath away the most was when you walk from the old, historic lobby area into the new building with the soaring ceilings and the glass and the brightness. You’re really walking from past to future, and that seems really symbolic to me. That’s what MSO is doing right now; we’re going from a really successful storied past to a pretty exciting future.” Visitors may initially be awed by the facility – which includes interesting details at seemingly every turn – but MSO leaders want visitors to feel quickly at home in the space. For years, MSO has worked to combat what Niehaus calls “attendance anxiety,” the initial hesitancy some people have at the idea of stepping into an unfamiliar symphony performance. “That’s why we designed our building to be lit and open to the public, so you can’t walk down Wisconsin Avenue without going ‘Oh, I want to go in there. That looks like a place that I can go,’” he said. When audiences will be eager to return to in-person shows is the big question facing all performing arts groups, but Niehaus believes the pentup demand for shared experiences could manifest in people flocking to shows this fall. “The whole world is like a spring, even MSO is like a spring, we’re all completely compressed,” he said. “We’re smaller, but we’re all waiting to explode and bounce back. I do believe that this sort of Roaring ‘20s idea is going to be real.”
BOON FOR DOWNTOWN’S WEST SIDE While the inside of the symphony center will capture the attention of patrons, community leaders are perhaps equally excited about how the new venue contributes to the broader revival happening outside its walls in Milwaukee’s Westown neighborhood. Since the $524 million Fiserv Forum opened three years ago, several new developments in the
downtown area west of the Milwaukee River have followed. Facing the Bradley Symphony Center across Wisconsin Avenue is The Avenue, a mixeduse development of retail, apartments and a food hall that is expected to pump new life – and foot traffic – into what was once the Shops at Grand Avenue when it opens this spring. Other recent developments have sought to bring more employees to the area. The high-profile 14-story cobalt blue former Henry S. Reuss Federal Plaza building on Wisconsin Avenue was remodeled and rebranded under new ownership as the 310W office building in 2019, with hopes of drawing more tenants. Around the block, the former Boston Store and Bon-Ton headquarters was redeveloped into the HUB640 office building, opening late last year with North Shore Healthcare as its first tenant. On the southwest end of the neighborhood, Milwaukee Tool has plans to bring as many 2,000 employees to the office building at 501 W. Michigan, which the Brookfield-based power tool manufacturer would acquire and redevelop with a proposed $30 million investment. While the retail and food hall components of The Avenue haven’t yet opened to the public, engineering firm GRAEF-USA Inc. has occupied its third-floor office space in the development since late 2019, when it moved its 170 employees from the city’s far west side to downtown. For GRAEF, the Bradley Symphony Center
played a major role in drawing the firm to Wisconsin Avenue, with president and chief executive officer John Kissinger calling MSO the “real pioneers” for the larger trend of migration to Westown. “People often talk about catalytic projects, but the new symphony center is truly a catalytic project. It alone influenced others to invest in the neighborhood,” Kissinger said. “Seeing the MSO
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alesce into a new, vibrant downtown scene. “I expect by late this year or 2022 the area between Juneau and Clybourn and the Milwaukee River and Sixth Street will be buzzing with activity as The Avenue workers return, the 3rd Street Market Hall opens, additional office tenants move in, and the MSO starts to invite audiences back to performances and special events,” Kissinger said.
That’s why we designed our building to be lit and open to the public, so you can’t walk down Wisconsin Avenue without going ‘Oh, I want to go in there. That looks like a place that I can go.”
make such a large investment in Westown definitely influenced our thinking that Westown is an ascending area.” At the moment, that ascension is yet to be fully realized, with COVID having halted some of the momentum of the revitalization. But community leaders, included Kissinger, see the individual pieces coming together and are convinced they will co-
— Mark Niehaus
“With the Fiserv Forum and the Deer District just a few blocks away, and the Wisconsin Center about to embark on a substantial expansion, the area is drawing tremendous investment.” Martin, a retired executive of WEC Energy Group Inc., said the question of how to attract young talent to the city was always top of mind for leaders during her time with the company. She said
THE MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA HAS PLANS. FIRST MIDWEST BANK HAS IDEAS. We’re proud to support the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s plans for growth, At Park Bank, we helped secure funding for their new home and are excited about the future of the MSO. Our commitment to local leadership and decision making will continue as we become part of First Midwest Bank, creating greater resources, products and services. If you have plans to grow your business, we have ideas to help. Give us a call. Dave Werner Market President 414.270.3231
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STORY COVER
The Bradley Symphony Center features a replica of the original Warner Grand marquee and blade sign.
MSO Bradley Symphony Center
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MSO’s new home will play a part in creating the type of environment that draws that demographic. “One of the things we consistently heard was ‘we want a neighborhood around us that is vibrant, that has restaurants and museums and music,’” she said of prospective employees. “When you look at what downtown Milwaukee has now … the presence now of more restaurants that I do think will come back post-pandemic, the Bucks, and the energy around our venue, the art museum, the new ballet center (in the Third Ward) – all of those things are making arts and entertainment very accessible to people.”
ELEGANT TIMING As of early April, MSO is within “striking distance” of the overall campaign goal, Niehaus said, noting that COVID disruptions altered the fundraising timeline. Donations slowed over the past year, but the organization also ended up with more time to keep pushing for the last few gifts. MSO continues to run a seat-naming campaign, which allows donors to engrave a seat plaque at the new concert hall for a cost of $2,500 to $10,000. In total, 1,035 donors have contributed to the project. Inside the new Bradley Symphony Center are nods to project donors in every corner of the facility – from the Founders Room to the choral terrace to the restored 1930s murals lining the staircase walls.
The symphony center itself pays homage to the family of late Allen-Bradley co-founder Harry Bradley and Peg Bradley, which gave a combined $52 million to the project – including gifts from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, David and Julia Uihlein, and Lynde Uihlein. David and Lynde are the grandchildren of Harry and Peg Bradley, and the children of philanthropist Jane Bradley
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“Their project is compelling in the same way ours is,” he said. “They are in a building that didn’t really meet their needs. It was owned by the county. Now they’re going to be able to move to something that is going to meet their needs exactly, and they’re going to be able to reinvigorate a neighborhood.” Martin, whose served on the MPM board when it was in the early planning stages for the new mu-
People often talk about catalytic projects, but the new symphony center is truly a catalytic project.”
Pettit, whose foundation also made a significant gift to the project. The 1,650-seat concert hall is named Allen-Bradley Hall. Niehaus said it’s “elegant timing” that MSO is nearing the end of its campaign as the Milwaukee Public Museum endeavors on its own to support the development of its new downtown home. There are parallels between MPM’s planned $240 million project and MSO’s recently completed one, he said.
— John Kissinger, president and CEO of GRAEF
seum, said the new symphony center stands as a testament that the philanthropic community will rally behind a big project. “I think if our project demonstrates anything it is that this community has the interest and resources to make its cultural organizations thrive,” Marin said. “…The support from corporations and the community has been remarkable. I am absolutely certain that the museum will attract the same financial support and energy.”
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STORY COVER
A look at the details within the Bradley Symphony Center. Top: The basement of the symphony hall pays homage to the Warner Grand, including photos of the former movie theater’s opening night.
24 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 26, 2021
Top left: The main doors to the symphony center. Bottom left: A skylight offers a glimpse at Richard Haas’s mural on the original building’s tower. Top right: The curving staircase was designed to be reminiscent of a harp. Middle right: The artist wall showcases MSO’s musicians. Bottom right: The private Founders Room for symphony patrons. n
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Special Report
CD SMITH CONSTRUCTION
BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
Construction workers at the Bradley Symphony Center project site.
Inside the herculean task to build the MSO’s new home BY ALEX ZANK, staff writer ON OCT. 1, 2000, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra held a concert inside the Warner Grand Theatre. The intended audience of this secretive performance was a consulting firm, which was testing the theater’s acoustics. The consultants concluded the following year that “the Grand Theatre has a very good potential for becoming a great Symphony Hall.” This month, the Bradley Symphony Center opened its doors for the first time to the public for in-person ticketed performances. MSO finally had its new home. During that roughly 21-year period between acoustic test and project completion there were a lot of meetings, headaches, problem-solving and even doubts as to whether MSO could pull off the monumental task of transforming the historic former movie palace, built in 1931, into a modern symphony hall. “Earlier in the process, there were two or three meetings where I said to myself, ‘This deal is just not going to happen. There are just too many things that have to come together,’” said Bob Monnat, a project team member. But the project was accomplished with the 26 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 26, 2021
right team of experts, a bit of creative thinking and undying dedication from leadership. “A consistent theme throughout this was we truly did have a great team,” said Cory Henschel, a project executive with Fond du Lac-based C.D. Smith, which served as general contractor. “That’s not to sound cliché. People were truly passionate about doing this project and doing it right.” With its successful completion, the symphony hall also makes a statement about what the city of Milwaukee can accomplish. “This project proves a lot about the quality of the city and its capabilities when people come together and there’s a larger vision that people are behind,” said Chris Ludwig, associate principal of Milwaukee-based Kahler Slater, the project architect.
Piecing together the puzzle A lot of things had to happen to make this $89 million project work. An early task was putting together the development site. Monnat, a senior partner at Milwaukee-based developer Mandel Group Inc., helped make the project a reality through his involvement with Wisconsin Avenue Milwaukee Development Corp.
He and Godfrey & Kahn attorney Stephen Chernof worked on site assemblage, financing and ownership structure, among other things. They said the site assemblage took about three years. The theater property was fragmented. The ground underneath the structure had separate owners; one piece was controlled by a single person and another small piece was owned by four members of one family. Marcus Corp. leased both of those pieces. The company itself also owned a small piece of land along Second Street. “There were two leases and a piece owned by Marcus, all leased pursuant to two separate leases to another Marcus entity,” Chernof said, as Monnat laughed in the background. “The lease was to expire in September 2021, so we had to make a deal to buy out the lease and to acquire all the pieces. It was a lot of fun.” Monnat said they also needed to acquire the building northwest of Second and Wisconsin and to rework the existing lease the old owner had with a sushi restaurant there. MSO needed space for back-of-house operations. That was achieved through a building addition to the north, which meant the team had to take over part of a public alley and a portion of a parking lot. Chernof said the parking lot owner is a real estate investment trust that specializes in acquiring and operating surface lots with the expectation
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they will eventually be sold for redevelopment. The lot owner worked with MSO. It terminated the lease with the existing lot tenant and executed a master lease with the symphony. The Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee facilitated the deal by conveying an adjacent parcel it owned to the parking lot owner. “We were able to get what the parking lot owner really wanted, which was to make its parcel a rectangle, make it a better development site,” Chernof said. “We facilitated that with RACM. It really worked out for everybody.” The northern addition contains a loading dock, bathrooms, a green room and mechanical systems, among other things. The parking lot was also used as a staging area during construction. “The north wing, which is kind of the unglamorous side of the project, became incredibly important,” Monnat said.
Moving the wall Perhaps the most high-profile aspect of the redevelopment project was moving the theater’s rear wall by 35 feet, taking over part of Second Street. The wall needed to be removed to make room for a larger stage, needed for a symphony orchestra. But the National Park Service said the project would not be eligible for historic tax credits if crews tore down the wall and put up a new one. They needed to keep the wall to get the tax credits, so they decided to move it instead of demolish. Moving the wall cost about $1.8 million more than tearing it down and building a new one, Monnat said. But the added expense made the project eligible for about $19 million worth of tax credits. The move was a success because of meticulous planning by all those involved, Henschel said. “I say this all the time: The wall move was probably the easiest part of the historic renovation side of it, because it was so well-planned, it was so dialed in,” he said. “When we got to the point of moving it, everybody knew their job, everybody worked together, and we had the right people involved to do it seamlessly.” Case in point: C.D. Smith brought on Williamsville, New York-based International Chimney Corp. to go through every single detail of the wall move. That included a survey of the façade, which determined the terra cotta at the top of the wall was in bad enough shape that it posed a safety hazard. “We ended up removing it piece by piece, categorizing it and restoring it,” Henschel said. “Fast forward six or eight months, we were able to put it all back together. Almost like a giant puzzle.” There was also the matter of relocating the utility infrastructure underneath the street. “It seems like Second Street was a favorite street of every single utility, public and private,” Monnat said. “We had steam tunnels, water lines, sewer lines, fiber optic lines, power, gas, Western Union 28 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 26, 2021
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BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
An exterior wall of the Warner Grand Theatre was moved 35 feet into Second Street to add enough space for the symphony.
telegraph cabling. We had everything in that street imaginable.”
Blending old and new There are a lot of details to consider when converting a historic building into a new use. There are even more when the new use is a symphony hall that demands both modern infrastructure and a preservation of the acoustical qualities of the original building. Ludwig said the building’s good acoustics come from its design and materials. The team had to be aware of how it all worked together when redeveloping and adding onto the theater. The building systems had to be thoughtfully placed. For instance, the air ducts were installed on large springs to prevent them from transferring acoustics into the halls. Large expansion joints between the additions on the north and south building also prevent transfer of sounds, “so that the two structures can sort of make their own movement and their own sound isolated from one another,” Ludwig said. MSO also had to carefully map out which design features needed to stay, not only for the overall aesthetic but also for historic tax credit purposes. For that, the symphony called upon New Berlin-based Conrad Schmitt Studios Inc., which specializes in historic restoration and preservation. “They knew that they were getting into a large project in a very historic building,” said Eileen Grogan, director of historic preservation for Conrad Schmitt. “The building was special partly because of those finishes, because of that historic material and the way that historic beauty makes you feel. It’s part of the appeal of that building.” The company looked for character-defining features of the building. It also helped determine which new features were appropriate and where they could be installed.
A major challenge of this work involved restoration of exotic wood veneer that covered the walls of two areas in the building. The veneer in the basement suffered two floods. “The wood veneer was buckled, it was peeling, the varnish on it was coming off, and it was in really bad shape,” Grogan said. After some testing, Conrad Schmitt learned a lot of it cleaned up well. It was a matter of removing damaged layers of varnish, reapplying the veneer piece by piece to the walls with small irons with adhesive, and putting a final finish over the top. Some areas were beyond saving. Conrad Schmitt sourced the original wood for replacement, and when that material wasn’t sufficiently available, an artist did a faux finish to match the style of the wood. The exotic wood veneer is one of many architectural details to admire. Ludwig listed some of his favorites, including the proscenium arch at the main theater that has plaster cast faces at its top where the arch starts to return and become horizontal. And the new portion of the building has its own treasures to find. The glass pays homage to the 60-year history of the MSO with the names of symphonic composers that are printed in small type into the glass with a ceramic ink. “There’s so much detail that when you walk through it one time, you’ll only be able to take in so much,” Ludwig said. It has been more than 20 years after that secretive concert was held and nearly three years after the project broke ground. The public is getting its first chance to take it all in, and project team members say they are glad to have been a part of it. “I’m extremely proud to have been part of the project,” Grogan said. “It’s a gorgeous, world-class building right here in Milwaukee. I’m excited the symphony is moving in, and they’re really going to make it a vital part of the city again.” n
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A rendering of a lounge in Ascent, a 25-story apartment building under construction in downtown Milwaukee.
Mass timber rising in Milwaukee BY ALEX ZANK, staff writer MASS TIMBER buildings are on the rise in Milwaukee, and industry experts anticipate the building method will only grow in popularity. Milwaukee’s most high-profile mass timber project is Ascent. The 25-story downtown apartment building is going up at 700 E. Kilbourn Ave. and has captured international attention. Milwaukee developer New Land Enterprises said that at 284 feet tall, the 259-unit building will be the tallest hybrid timber structure in the world. Nineteen floors of apartments will be built atop a six-story concrete podium. The first mass timber project in the city, however, was the 60-unit, $14.6 million Timber Lofts at 300 W. Florida St. in Walker’s Point. Milwaukee-based Pieper Properties Inc. opened it in 2020. And there’s more to come. Madison-based developer The Neutral Project is crafting plans for a 224-unit mass timber structure at 1005 N. Edison St. downtown. Mass timber isn’t the same as traditional lumber construction, said Adam Arndt, president of Milwaukee-based Catalyst Construction. The firm built the Timber Lofts and is working on Ascent with Fond du Lac-based C.D. Smith Construction. “Mass timber is large timber combined together to make massive members, i.e., columns, beams and floor structures,” he said. On Ascent, all the structural components above the parking deck are wood. He said this differs from a traditional apartment building in which the walls and floors are wood but covered in drywall 30 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 26, 2021
or other material. Ann Pieper Eisenbrown, owner of Pieper Properties, said she likes mass timber because it is more sustainable than traditional building materials, such as concrete or steel. It also cuts down on construction timelines. There’s also aesthetic benefits to it. “With a mass timber ceiling you bring in a little bit of nature, a little bit of outdoors, especially in an urban area, which is where most of our properties are,” she said. Using mass timber cut down the construction time of the Timber Lofts by 20%, said Pieper Eisenbrown. It will also save the Ascent project about two or three months of construction compared to concrete, said Jason Korb, principal architect of Milwaukee-based Korb + Associates Architects. “The goal is to swing a floor of this building a week,” Korb said. “They’re going to work on Saturdays, so it’s every six days, a floor will go up. So, in theory the timber goes up top-to-bottom in 19 weeks.” As with anything new, designers and builders go through a learning process with mass timber. Ascent is Korb + Associates’ first mass timber project. Design work took two years, which was partly because of the project changing. But it also involved a lot of learning. “I sort of liken those first two years to going to a graduate school course on mass timber,” he said. “We were learning, especially in the early days, at a pretty rapid clip, because what we learned as it
evolved was that many of our assumptions were wrong.” Arndt said Catalyst Construction benefited from its experience on the Timber Lofts when approaching Ascent because it knew what to expect with the planning and coordination of a mass timber project. Ascent was first “built” digitally, meaning details down to every penetration in the floors and structural members were planned out. That prevents time from being wasted in the field resolving conflicts, because those conflicts were caught beforehand. C.D. Smith spent about a year planning out the build before construction began. Rich Severson, vice president of C.D. Smith, said crews make penetrations and set mechanical pieces into the floors of a post-tensioned concrete tower as they work their way up. This was the case for the 35-story 7Seventy7 apartment tower in downtown Milwaukee, which C.D. Smith also worked on. With a mass timber tower such as Ascent, all that work is planned ahead of time. The pieces are fabricated according to those specifications and then are shipped out ready for installation. There is no cutting or drilling holes in the mass timber on site. It saves time on the field but means more planning on the front end. “The pre-coordination … that we had to do to get it ready to be fabricated so we can assemble it in the field is extremely different than what you’d see anywhere around the country,” Severson said. The stakes are high. If any measurement is off it could have a ripple effect. “When you put those penetrations and plan for that, it darn well better be spot on, because if you
An Ascent apartment unit rendering.
move something even four or six inches, wherein normal construction you drill a hole (and) you’re fine, that is not the case with what we’re dealing with here,” Arndt said. And since mass timber isn’t used widely in the U.S., these Milwaukee projects have to ship the ma-
terials from Europe. The wood that will make up Ascent is a European White Spruce, Korb said. It’s almost pure white and is coming from sustainably managed forests in Austria. “The Europeans are ahead of the Canadians
(and they) are ahead of us (the U.S.), but the Austrians in particular have this down to a science,” he said. “Even inclusive of shipping, they were more price competitive than any of the American or Canadian manufacturers.” Pieper Eisenbrown said she would have preferred to buy mass timber in North America to reduce transportation costs. But she assumes the material will be more widely available as it gains popularity. It appears that’s where mass timber is headed. Korb said his firm is in talks with a few other mass timber projects in Wisconsin, as well as a project in Arkansas. The Neutral Project is also working on a mass timber project in Madison. Arndt said he expects mass timber within the next five years to go from 5% of Catalyst’s work to around 10-15%. Pieper Eisenbrown said she’d consider using mass timber again on her next project, especially considering how well the Timber Lofts is performing. “We loved it,” she said. “We love the product, we love the aesthetics. And it’s gone over well in the marketplace. We’re 95% (occupied) right now. We’re happy about that, it’s turned out very nicely.” n
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THE EXECUTIVE LUXURY LIVING
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SPECIAL REPORT
A LOOK AT SOUTHEASTERN W I S CO N S I N ’ S FI N E S T HO ME S FO R S A L E , A M A Z I N G REMODELING PRO JEC TS A N D FUN W I S C O NS I N VAC ATI O N I DE A S .
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HOMES
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REMODELS
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V A C AT I O N S
DAVID CURRY OF GENEVA LAKEFRONT REALTY LLC
LUXURY HOMES ON THE MARKET IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN
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W3415 Snake Road, Town of Linn $20.75 million The Villa Hortensia estate is one of five legacy homes on Geneva Lake designed by architect Howard Van Doren Shaw. The 12,000-plussquare-foot home sits on 20 acres, which includes 502 feet of level lake frontage. It was built in Mediterranean style and has maintained many of its original features. This includes its grand lakefront terraces, original oak floors and much of the original woodwork and detailing. It is listed for sale by David Curry of Geneva Lakefront Realty.
LUXURY HOMES ON THE MARKET IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN
5270 N. Lake Drive, Whitefish Bay
The Herman and Claudia Uihlein residence is an example of Italian Renaissance architecture and old-world craftsmanship reimagined for today’s living. The residence has been extensively restored, and spaces both intimate and expansive make it ideal for gatherings and events of any size. It has a new kitchen, new boiler and air conditioning systems, renovated baths and a myriad of fine finishes. It is listed for sale by the Pater Mahler Team of Mahler Sotheby’s International Realty.
VRX MEDIA GROUP, RANGELINE PHOTOGRAPHY
$6.95 million
N2323 Sylvan Lane, Town of Linn
This historic Lake Geneva-area home was meticulously renovated in 2000. It has four finished levels with five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. It projects an aura of polished history and offers a warm and cozy family lifestyle. The kitchen opens to the dining room and outdoor deck, overlooking the lake from the north shore. The living room has a natural fireplace and the screened-in porch overlooks the pier. It is listed for sale by Kris Kukla of Keefe Real Estate Inc.
MATT PETERSEN OF ENSURE PRODUCTIONS
$5.75 million
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LUXURY HOMES ON THE MARKET IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN
W6683 E. Shoreland Road, Town of Rhine $4 million
ELKHART LAKE REALTY
Shoreland Farm is a secluded 12-acre estate nestled atop a lush hill surrounded by manicured lawns, fenced pastures and tall pines. The meticulously maintained estate includes a 14,000-square-foot main house, six stall stables, race car shop, outdoor gazebo and lakefront lot with a dock on Elkhart Lake. It hosted Paul Newman and Tom Cruise when they raced at the nearby Road America. It is listed for sale by Timothy Jagemann of Elkhart Lake Realty.
790 Erin Road, Town of Erin $3.5 million
JAMES MEYER PHOTOGRAPHY
This custom-designed home sits on a serene 92 acres. It features a gourmet kitchen that opens up to a spacious great room with a vaulted ceiling, natural fireplace, hardwood floors and an abundance of windows. At roughly 6,800 square feet, it has three bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. The lower level has an office, rec room and full bar. Its two-tiered deck has views of the pond with a waterfall. It is listed for sale by Kelsey Dassow of Boss Realty LLC.
34 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 26, 2021
LUXURY HOMES ON THE MARKET IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN
825 N. Prospect Ave., Unit 2402, Milwaukee
This three-bedroom condo at University Club Tower has spectacular spaces and panoramic views. The custom floorplan features an open-concept chef’s kitchen, private master suite with designer closet and spa bath, two additional bedrooms with ensuite baths, den/ office area and convenient home automation. It also has an oversized terrace, ample storage and two indoor parking spaces. It is listed for sale by the Pater Mahler Team of Mahler Sotheby’s International Realty.
LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP
$2.7 million
N82 W28295 Vista Drive, Town of Merton
This sprawling 5,700-square-foot ranch with an exposed lower level on Lake Keesus is made for multi-level entertaining. The kitchen, great room, dining area and reading nook form the main living area. The master retreat has a sitting area, fireplace and spa shower. The lower level is a mecca for entertainment, including a large bar, fireplace, gaming area and indoor pool, exercise room, screened-in porch with retractable screens and three more bedrooms. The lake play yard has 150 feet of lake frontage complete with a fully equipped boathouse. It is listed for sale by Team Trimble of Keller Williams Realty-Lake Country.
JAMES MEYER PHOTOGRAPHY
$2.59 million
1141 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Unit 2901, Milwaukee
This 3,900-square-foot luxury condo in The Moderne apartment tower has three bedrooms plus den, 3.5 bathrooms and two underground parking spaces. It offers views of Lake Michigan, the Milwaukee River, downtown and the Deer District. It’s just steps away from Fiserv Forum. Features include a chef’s kitchen with high-end appliances, cupboards and countertops. It is listed for sale by the Gail & Brett Team of Keller Williams Realty-Milwaukee North Shore.
KELLER WILLIAMS REALTYMILWAUKEE NORTH SHORE
$1.5 million
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LUXURY REMODELS IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN
Basement Delafield-based Kowalske Kitchen & Bath was tasked with transforming the basement of a Wauwatosa home. Built in 1933, the home had a dark and dingy basement that lacked functionality, according to Kowalske. The homeowners had a wish list that included a dedicated home office, full bathroom, cozy living room and dedicated storage area. The renovation, which cost $87,734, resulted in a warm, bright space used by the entire family. It has a new office with plenty of desk space, storage cabinets, under-shelf lighting and storage for their home library. The room that was formerly used by the owners as an office was turned into a living room, a cozy place for their kids to hang out and host friends and family. The new laundry room includes fun laminate flooring, storage cabinets and counter space. The new bathroom gives the family another shower. Other highlights include a navy vanity, quartz counters, brass finishes, a Dreamline shower door and Kohler Choreograph wall panels. Kowalske spruced up the staircase with patterned vinyl flooring and matching trim color. The separate storage space has custom shelving for organizing the homeowners’ camping gear, sports equipment and holiday decorations.
KOWALSKE KITCHEN & BATH
Kowalske is a NARI Milwaukee remodeler of the year award winner.
36 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 26, 2021
LUXURY REMODELS IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN
Master Bathroom The owner of this East Side Milwaukee home wanted to update a bathroom that dated back to the 1980s. Milwaukee-based design-build firm Angela Westmore LLC was tasked with remodeling the bathroom to reflect a classic traditional home. Other desires included maintaining the double sinks at the vanity, including a separate makeup vanity, installing a larger shower with bench and steam, creating a separate water closet and providing more overall storage.
Angela Westmore tackled the job with the following solutions: creating a half-lite partition to offer privacy at the toilet while allowing natural light to pass, designing a curbless shower with full glass surround to allow the space to feel as large as possible, continuing wall and floor tiles outside the shower area to blur the delineation of spaces, and using mirrors extensively to enlarge the room. Beyond the scope of the bathroom, Westmore also added cabinetry in the adjacent bedroom. The project won Westmore a NARI regional contractor of the year award in the residential bath over $100,000 category.
ANGELA WESTMORE LLC
There were challenges. The bathroom wasn’t large enough to accommodate all requests, and it wasn’t possible to relocate the toilet or expand the perimeter walls.
Kitchen This English Tudor home in Elm Grove was full of charm in every room but the kitchen. It needed an update in form and function, according to Wauwatosa-based Refined Renovations. The challenge was to design the room to mirror the rest of the home’s Tudor architecture as well as improve the flow. Refined Renovations relocated load-bearing walls, reconfigured mechanicals and designed a new kitchen layout.
The new layout and details make the space feel reminiscent of long ago. And the generous use of natural materials gives the space a warm and inviting palette. The remodel won Refined Renovations a 2021 regional contractor of the year award from NARI. The project cost was just over $200,000.
REFINED RENOVATIONS
Everything was specifically chosen to fit the space, including the walnut butcher-block island top, painted custom cabinetry, farm-style porcelain sinks, quartz countertops and oak hardwood floors. The knob-and-tube switches are perfect replicas. What’s more, the wood framework ceiling was exposed and embellished with fine details.
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LUXURY VACATIONS IN WISCONSIN
The Northwoods To stay: When former Chicago mayor Edward Kelly revealed plans in 1926 to build his Northwoods hideaway, the Vilas County News called it “A Show Place of the North.” Six years later, Kelly built the Indian Point Estate, a vacation property with a more than 7,500-square-foot house, 2,000 feet of lake frontage and a two-story boathouse near Eagle River. The Indian Point Estate sits on 9 acres of private land on the shore of Catfish Lake, one of ten lakes connecting the Eagle River Chain of Lakes. Among all three buildings on the property, Indian Point Estate sleeps 42 guests and can be rented for family reunions, corporate retreats or special events. Reservations at the Indian Point Estate and Manor cost between $5,000 and $20,000, depending on the season and the length of stay. The cottage can be reserved independently in the off season for about $975 for two nights.
Fine Dining. Since 1861. Fine Dining • Catering • Personal Chef Services • Award Winning Wine, Bourbon, & Scotch • Private Events • VIP Rooms • Specialty Events
38 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 26, 2021
S42 W31320 Highway 83, Genesee Depot, WI 53127 (262) 968-4281 • theunionhouse.com
LUXURY VACATIONS IN WISCONSIN
To do:
To eat:
Northwoods Zipline is a great way for families and adventurers to immerse themselves in Wisconsin’s most popular outdoor activities. The adventure company offers four 2.5-hour tours guided by professionals, including the Argo ATV Tour, river kayak tour, aerial trekking tour and zipline tour.
After a day of adventures, Northwoods travelers can make their way to Eagle Waters Resort Restaurant. The restaurant’s menu features a wide variety of foods, ranging from pasta, steak and seafood to burgers, pizza and Wisconsin fried cheese curds.
The zipline canopy tour consists of 13 ziplines, including multiple adventure bridges and a 1,000-foot zip over a lake. The Argo ATVs are eight-wheeled amphibious machines, which riders can drive across land and through water on a 900-acre trophy deer farm. Tours at Northwoods Zipline range from $30 to $200 depending on the size of the group and the tour. The adventure company also offers a variety of packages, allowing guests to pair multiple tours in one day.
BOOK A PRIVATE JET!
Monster cookie sundae, chocolate lava cake and cheesecake are just a few of the desserts featured on Eagle Water Resort Restaurant’s menu. Seating may be limited at Eagle Waters Resort Restaurant because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so patrons should make reservations in advance.
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LUXURY VACATIONS IN WISCONSIN
Door County To stay: Hillside Waterfront Hotel The historic Hillside Waterfront Hotel offers the charm of a boutique bed and breakfast with the amenities of a luxury hotel. Located in the heart of Ephraim, the inn boasts luxury suites with private balconies overlooking Eagle Harbor. For a homier feel, Hillside also offers two newly remodeled private cottages located in the property’s front garden – perfect for a family or group of friends. With its central location, Hillside visitors can walk to the iconic Wilson’s Restaurant & Ice Cream Parlor, hop on the walking path along the waterfront, or take a short drive to explore nearby Peninsula State Park. Want a vacation but still need to get some work done? Hillside offers a special “workcation” package, allowing traveling business executives to catch up on emails and take Zoom calls from the comfort of a spacious suite.
To eat: Whistling Swan Restaurant Whistling Swan Restaurant in Fish Creek, located within the Door Peninsula’s oldest operating inn, offers an inviting and intimate dining experience. Designed by executive chef Adam Schierl and sous chef Dave Nusbaum, Whistling Swan’s contemporary American cuisine features locally sourced produce, wild game, local freshwater fish, and saltwater fish. The wine list is a selectively chosen array handpicked for its compatibility with the menu. The bar keeps twelve beers on tap from Hinterland Brewery and regional craft breweries. Whistling Swan is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday and for brunch on Sundays.
To do: Door Shakespeare After a day of cherry picking, shopping or soaking in the sun on the beach, you can take in the local arts scene with some Shakespeare – al fresco. During the summer months, Door Shakespeare brings in professional actors, designers and musicians from across the country to perform classic and timeless plays from the Garden at Björklunden’s 405-acre estate on Lake Michigan in Baileys Harbor. The magic of live theater is only enhanced by the outdoor setting – shows begin as dusk falls, and the stars are out by the time the curtain closes. 40 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 26, 2021
LUXURY VACATIONS IN WISCONSIN
Wisconsin’s top golf destinations Wisconsin is home to dozens of great golf courses, meaning you don’t have to travel far to play a highly-ranked destination. In fact, Wisconsin tied with Michigan for the second most courses on Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses at 10. California had the most at 11. Here are just a few of the great options in the state:
Close to home The Club at Lac La Belle Drawing on its rich history, the course was recently renovated to address drainage issues, create memorable holes and build a course relevant to all types of golfers. Green fees start at $125 plus cart fees and caddie gratuity. Erin Hills Less than 40 miles from downtown Milwaukee, Erin Hills brought major championship golf to the metro Milwaukee area with the 2017 U.S. Open. The course is set to host additional USGA championships in coming years, including the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open. Green fees start at $250 in May and reach $320 in summer and early fall.
Erin Hills
Sheboygan County The home to major championships and the 2021 Ryder Cup, Destination Kohler’s Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run courses are among the most prominent in the state. While rates for individual rounds vary by the time of year, a three-night, four-round package starts at $1,069 per person and can reach as high as $2,627 per person depending on timing and accommodations.
Central Wisconsin
Sand Valley Developed by the same people as Bandon Dunes in Oregon, Sand Valley is quickly becoming one of Wisconsin’s top golf destinations. Sand Valley, designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, opened in 2017. Mammoth Dunes, designed by David McLay-Kidd, opened in 2018, and additional courses are in the works. Rounds start at $170 and reach $225 in peak season. Great value options Courses highlighted for their affordability and interesting architectural features by TheFriedEgg.com: » The Golf Courses of Lawsonia, Green Lake (designed by Langford & Moreau) » Bull’s Eye Country Club, Wisconsin Rapids (Larry Packard) » Brown Deer Golf Course (George Hanson) » Big Fish Golf Club, Hayward (Pete Dye) » Apostle Highlands Golf Course, Bayfield (Bill Korpela)
Whistling Straits JEFF BERTCH
SentryWorld A public, parkland course originally developed in 1982, SentryWorld underwent a major renovation in 2013. In 2023, it will host the U.S. Senior Open. Wisconsin resident rates reach $145 in peak season.
Mammoth Dunes-Sand Valley biztimes.com / 41
LUXURY VACATIONS IN WISCONSIN
Lake Geneva To stay: Grand Geneva Resort & Spa
GRAND GENEVA RESORT & SPA
Activities abound at the AAA Four-Diamond Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, located on 1,300 acres just northeast of the city of Lake Geneva. During a stay, guests can unwind with a massage at the spa or a round of golf on the resort’s two championship 18-hole courses, The Brute and The Highlands. Explore the woodlands on foot, with 3.5 miles of hiking trails, or on horseback. If you’d rather venture outside the property, rent a scooter for the day for a guided tour around Geneva Lake. Grand Geneva’s main lodge has 355 deluxe rooms and suites, but those looking for more space will enjoy one of its 29 vacation rental villas, each complete with a full kitchen, fireplace, flat screen TV, private outdoor patio and grocery delivery service.
PALOMA RESORT PROPERTIES
To eat: Hunt Club Steakhouse Hunt Club Steakhouse is known for its choice cuts and award-winning wine list, but don’t forget the dinner views. Located inside the 100-year-old Crane Manor at Geneva National Resort & Club, the fine dining restaurant overlooks a Gary Player-designed golf course and the western shore of Lake Como. As for the cuisine, chef and culinary director Ryne Harwick says it best: “We capture the season’s best ingredients, bring them to your table and let the food speak for itself.” Among the favorites on the menu: 8 oz. filet, 16 oz. ribeye, Wagyu strip steak, and seared Ahi tuna.
To do: Lake Geneva Cruise Line
LAKE GENEVA CRUISE LINE
Take in the beauty of Geneva Lake by hopping aboard a boat cruise. Lake Geneva Cruise Line and its fleet of eight boats – some with histories dating back to the turn of the century – run private charters as well as narrated public tours from May through October.
42 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 26, 2021
Private charters include the Lorelei, a 41-foot 1954 cabin cruiser, complete with a wet bar and restroom. As the cruise line recommends, rent her for the evening – a romantic cruise for two – or a fun-filled day on the lake with friends. Or go back in time aboard the Lake Yacht Polaris, built in 1898 for one of Lake Geneva’s original millionaires, Otto Young. Decked out in original mahogany and brass, groups of up to 40 passengers will cruise in style, rain or shine.
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BizConnections BIZ PEOPLE
Advertising Section: New Hires, Promotions, Accolades and Board Appointments
EDUCATION
MANUFACTURING MATC Appoints Eva Martinez Powless Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Executive
Eva Martinez Powless has been named Milwaukee Area Technical College’s first diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) executive. Martinez Powless is a seasoned DEI practitioner with more than 18 years of combined experience in higher education and nonprofit administration, including related roles at Marquette University. This position was created as part of a reorganization to improve the student experience and help ensure student success.
NONPROFIT
Perlick Welcomes New Plant Manager
Perlick is pleased to welcome Sean Bolling to our team as Plant Manager. He brings over 17 years of military and manufacturing leadership experience from his roles in the U.S. Army, Rexnord, and most recently, Bentley World Packaging. In his new role, Sean will lead the production team on our efforts to exceed our customer’s expectations through improved productivity and driving continuous improvement.
BANKING Milwaukee Catholic Home Names New VP of Human Resources
Lisa Johnston has joined Milwaukee Catholic Home and is assuming the Vice President of Human Resources position. Lisa brings to MCH over 20 years of experience working in various leadership positions in human resources. She also has experience working in long-term care. Lisa is from Wisconsin but lived in Southern California until her return to the Milwaukee area in 2016.
Based in Milwaukee, WI, for over 100 years, and headquartered on Good Hope Road, Perlick designs, engineers and manufactures luxury refrigeration equipment and systems for the bar and beverage and home industries.
North Shore Bank Welcomes Craig Bauer as New VP of Commercial Banking.
North Shore Bank today announced Craig Bauer as the vice president of commercial banking. Bauer, with more than 25 years of experience, will be responsible for serving business banking customers with their commercial lending needs.
CONSTRUCTION
Abacus Architects, Inc. Promotes Justin Marquis to Principal
Abacus Architects, Inc. is pleased to announce the promotion of Justin Marquis to Principal. Marquis joined the firm in 2014 as an Architectural Technician and was promoted to Project Manager in 2019. Justin services all four of the Abacus offices.
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NONPROFIT MILWAUKEE HABITAT KICKS OFF INITIATIVE TO BUILD 80 NEW AFFORDABLE HOMES Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity recently kicked off a multi-year project that will build 80 new affordable homes in the city’s Harambee neighborhood. The new home construction project amounts to a roughly $12 million investment, or about $150,000 per house. Habitat also plans to complete critical repairs on 160 homes on Milwaukee’s north west side, with each project costing about $10,000 to $15,000. The start of the four-year initiative, which Habitat announced in December 2019, was delayed by a year due to COVID-related setbacks. At that time Bader Philanthropies, which has its
headquarters on King Drive in Harambee, pledged $1 million to support the project. Habitat is also nearing completion on an initiative to build, rehab and repair more than 100 homes in the city’s Midtown neighborhood. The organization, which launched the $10.3 million Midtown effort in 2018, plans to frame the final home there in September. Since its founding in 1984, Habitat has helped 1,300 families in Milwaukee’s Amani, Harambee, Metcalfe Park, Midtown, Park West, Walnut Hill and Washington Park neighborhoods.
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SPOTLIGHT
WISCONSIN HERO OUTDOORS W329 S690 Kettle Moraine Drive, Delafield (262) 337-9090 | wiherooutdoors.org Facebook: facebook.com/wiherooutdoors Instagram: @Wisconsin_Hero_Outdoors
— Lauren Anderson, staff writer
LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/company/wisconsin-hero-outdoors
c alendar The United Community Center will host its 51st anniversary virtual celebration on Thursday, April 29, at 6 p.m. The “Making 2021 One of a Kind” event will be held via AnywhereSeat, with tickets available on a “name your own price” basis. More information is available at unitedcommunitycenter.anywhereseat.com/channel.php. Redeem & Restore Center will host a fundraiser, “Ignite Hope: Pathway to Our Home,” on Saturday, May 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Majestic Cinema of Brookfield, 770 Springdale Road. The event will include a luncheon, silent auction, speakers and a comedian. More information is available at redeemandrestore.org.
D O N AT I O N R O U N D U P Harley-Davidson recently gave a $40,000 grant to Hunger Task Force to support its Mobile Market on Milwaukee’s Near West Side. | An anonymous donor recently issued a $50,000 matching gift challenge to the United Community Center in support of its new Early Learning Academy. | Carthage College received a $150,000 grant from the William & Sheila Konar Foundation to grow its Urban Teacher Prep Program. | North Shore Bank’s February community give-back program “Bank on Kindness” and its annual Race for the Hungry raised a total of $23,417 to support local nonprofit hunger relief organizations. | Alverno College received a $1 million endowment from the estate of the late Janet Martin, a longtime board member and supporter of the college. | UW-Milwaukee received a $1 million gift from alumna Denise Elfe to support the investment management program in the school’s Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business.
Year founded: 2016 Mission statement: The mission
of Wisconsin Hero Outdoors is to help connect veterans, first responders, and their families to outdoor activities in Wisconsin. Using camaraderie of outdoor activities to address both the physical and mental health challenges brought on by the stresses of service and ultimately aid in the prevention of suicide. Primary focus of your nonprofit organization: Some of our past
activities have included: • • • • • •
Kayaking Fishing and ice fishing Day hikes Golfing Hunting And more
Number of employees at this location: Two Executive leadership: • Eric Falkner, executive director/ founder • Tammy Sawyer, development director
Board of directors: • Jason Bartol, president • Nick Harnish, vice president • Robert Johnson, treasurer • Eric Falkner, executive director Is your organization actively seeking board members for the upcoming term? Not at this time. Ways the business community can help your nonprofit: There
are various ways you can support Wisconsin Hero Outdoors. We appreciate all contributions and generous supporters like you, including: • • • • •
In-kind donations Corporate sponsorship Individual contributions Workplace/employee giving Event participation
Monetary donations can be made by mail or online at wiherooutdoors.org. We are also a charity enrolled in Amazon Smile. Key fundraising events: • June 5: SteelHorse Charity Bike Rally • Aug. 7: Big Bass Battle
biztimes.com / 45
BizConnections VOLUME 27, NUMBER 2 | APR 26, 2021
GLANCE AT YESTERYEAR
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PUBLISHER / OWNER Dan Meyer dan.meyer@biztimes.com
SALES & MARKETING
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Mary Ernst mary.ernst@biztimes.com COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT / OWNER Kate Meyer kate.meyer@biztimes.com
EDITORIAL EDITOR Andrew Weiland andrew.weiland@biztimes.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lauren Anderson lauren.anderson@biztimes.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Arthur Thomas arthur.thomas@biztimes.com REPORTER Brandon Anderegg brandon.anderegg@biztimes.com REPORTER Maredithe Meyer maredithe.meyer@biztimes.com
At the Summerfest Folk Stage This July 6, 1984 photo shows festival goers at Summerfest watching a band at the Kentucky Fried Chicken Folk Stage. The 2021 edition of Summerfest has been moved to September after being canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. — Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Public Library/Historic Photo Collection
COMMENTARY
Take your shot THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT by the CDC and the FDA recommending a pause for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine was widely criticized. The CDC and FDA said they recommended the pause to examine 6 cases of women getting blood clots after getting the J&J vaccine. More than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the U.S., so having 6 people get blood clots is an incredibly low number. That’s 0.00000088% of the people who have gotten this vaccine. By comparison, the CDC says you have a 1 in 500,000 chance of getting hit by lighting in a given year (or 0.000002%), which is much higher than the percentage of people who have gotten the J&J vaccine and then blood clots. For now, this appears to be an extremely rare side effect. Nevertheless, the CDC and FDA want to review these cases and recommended a pause in the use of the J&J vaccine “out of an abun46 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 26, 2021
dance of caution.” Some criticized the move, saying a handful of people, out of millions, suffering from blood clots possibly caused by the vaccine should not be enough to stop using it. Many fear the pause will result in more people being resistant to getting a COVID vaccine. That’s a huge concern, because the vaccines are the key to establishing herd immunity and finally ending this pandemic. At press time 40% of Wisconsin residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. That’s good, but we need a lot more. Estimates for herd immunity are all over the place, but are generally well above 50%. After a slow start, vaccination distribution improved significantly in Wisconsin, and the state has been one of the most efficient at getting shots in arms. Despite that progress, vaccine hesitancy by some is a potential roadblock to the end of the pandemic. We need as many people as possible to get the vaccine to prevent the virus from continuing to circulate and mutate, putting our health at risk and harming the economy. But instead of alarming people, the pause of the J&J vaccine should give us more confi-
DIRECTOR OF SALES Linda Crawford linda.crawford@biztimes.com CONTENT SOLUTIONS MANAGER Maggie Pinnt maggie.pinnt@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Paddy Kieckhefer paddy.kieckhefer@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Christie Ubl christie.ubl@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Dylan Dobson dylan.dobson@biztimes.com SALES ADMIN Gracie Schneble gracie.schneble@biztimes.com
ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR Sue Herzog sue.herzog@biztimes.com
PRODUCTION & DESIGN
REPORTER Alex Zank alex.zank@biztimes.com
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Alex Schneider alex.schneider@biztimes.com ART DIRECTOR Shelly Tabor shelly.tabor@biztimes.com
Independent & Locally Owned — Founded 1995 —
dence in the safety of the COVID vaccines. It shows the CDC and FDA are being overly cautious about these shots. Better safe than sorry. The AstraZeneca COVID vaccine has had far more instances of blood clots than the J&J, but those have still been incredibly rare. That vaccine hasn’t been approved for use in the U.S., again showing how cautious the CDC and FDA are being. That’s a good thing. Let’s trust the experts and ignore the alarmists and conspiracy theorists. Yes, there is risk in getting a COVID vaccine, but the risk of not getting the vaccine is much greater for you, your loved ones and your community. For the record, at press time I was awaiting my second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Do your part, take your shot. n
ANDREW WEILAND EDITOR
P / 414-336-7120 E / andrew.weiland@biztimes.com T / @AndrewWeiland
JAKE HILL PHOTOGRAPHY
the LASTWORD
MARK KOHLENBERG |
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
How do you build a brand? Mark Kohlenberg is chief executive officer of Milwaukee Boot Co., Moral Code Footwear and Accessories and Well Dressed Men Footwear and Accessories and was previously an executive with Weyco Group and Umi Shoes. He shares advice on building a brand and growing a business. “As an entrepreneur, the goal of building a brand should be to create a product or service that is unique, difficult to copy and either responds to a need or captures white space in the market. “Some brands sell on price. This is almost impossible to maintain. Rather than selling on price, focus on quality, uniqueness or style. In my experience I try to create passion, excitement, wonder and an emotional attachment that hopefully I can convey to the buyer via the product. If this can be achieved, you have taken the first steps to creating a brand. Brands ar-
en’t built by simply copying something else in the market, but instead taking what is already there and tweaking it, improving it, changing it for the better. “Entrepreneurship can be exhausting and unforgiving at times. Obstacles and challenges are part of the daily grind. Some days it can feel as if you aren’t even moving forward. However, persistence and tenacity are key attributes for an entrepreneur. You have to believe in yourself and your product or you can’t expect anyone else to believe in you. Your passion, patience and perseverance are what will help position
Milwaukee Boot Co., Moral Code, WDM Milwaukee Industry: Footwear and accessories Employees: 12 wdmfootwear.com moralcode.com milwaukeebootcompany.com
you for success after others have already given up. It’s not an easy path, but overcoming the challenges and ultimately bringing a product or brand to market can be one of the most exciting things in life.” n biztimes.com / 47
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