$0 out-of-pocket for primary care telehealth visits. Easing a burden. During this challenging time of COVID-19, the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network is offering scheduled primary care telehealth visits with $0 out-of-pocket cost. By getting care from home, you’re reducing risk, reducing exposure and reducing stress. As always, we are here for you — determined to keep everyone healthy today, tomorrow and always. Together, we can make anything possible. froedtert.com/telehealth What Is Possible
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JOIN THIS YEARS EXHIBITORS: 360 Direct, Inc. 88Nine Radio Milwaukee Balestrieri Environmental & Development Inc. BizTimes Media BT 360 Butters-Fetting Co., Inc. Carefree Boat Club of Wisconsin Central Office Systems Centurylink Citizens Bank Dash Development Group Epic Color Group EWH University for Small Business Exacta Corporation First Federal Bank of Wisconsin FitTech Hosting Fred Astaire Dance Studios of Wisconsin Greater Brookfield Chamber of Commerce Green Bay Packers Greenfire Management Services, LLC HarmonyWorks Highlights Media LLC iHeart Media/1130 WISN
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BizTimes Milwaukee (ISSN 1095-936X & USPS # 017813) Volume 26, Number 2, April 27, 2020 – May 24, 2020. BizTimes Milwaukee is published bi-weekly, except monthly in January, April, May, 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 $42. Single copy price is $3.25. Back issues are $5 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 2020 by BizTimes Media LLC. All rights reserved.
Contents
» APR 27 - MAY 24, 2020
biztimes.com
LOCALLY OWNED FOR 25 YEARS
Let’s take care of business! … And get down to business! THANK YOU FOR YOUR BUSINESS AND CONTINUED SUPPORT!
On behalf of the BizTimes Media team, we trust that you, your families, your employees and your business are well in this most unprecedented time. It’s been a very difficult time and we are all looking forward to getting our region back to business and focused on the future. Like many of you, as a family and locally-owned business, serving our community for 25 years has been a value we hold dear. During this period, we have also felt the impacts of the pandemic. We’ve adjusted and will continue to look for ways to innovate to better serve the community. This issue, with a focus on diversity & inclusion, and our May 25th issue will be digital only because delivering it to your office doesn’t make sense when you and the pass-along readers are working from home. We are also concerned about your health and safety. It will have even greater overall readership and will be sent out to over 20,000 business leaders in the community and available to the hundreds of thousands of our online readers at BizTimes.com. Please contact me if you have a story idea to share in a future issue that details effective leadership or how your company has pivoted and is
20
looking to the future. I’m very proud of our editorial team and their coverage of the COVID-19 issue and the impact it’s had on our business community. The quality and quantity of stories they have produced over the last several weeks is quite impressive. In March and April, we saw a record number of weekly pageviews and unique visitors on BizTimes. com. We’ve seen our readership grow significantly during this crisis. We have also introduced webcasts on timely topics that help you navigate through the complexities of the current environment. BizTimes is dedicated to helping you now and as you plan to grow your business post-COVID-19. We encourage you to contact us with any story ideas or questions and look forward to learning how we can support your organization in this new business climate. Thanks again for your continued support! — Dan Meyer, publisher, BizTimes Media
6 Leading Edge 6 NOW + BY THE NUMBERS 7 IN FOCUS 8 JUMP START 9 BIZ TRACKER 10 BIZ POLL + GETTING THERE 11 BIZ COMPASS 12 THE FRANCHISEE
13 Biz News 13 DNC HOPING TO PULL OFF RESCHEDULED CONVENTION 15 SHOP TALK 16 OPEN FOR BUSINESS
18 Real Estate 38 Notable LGBTQ Executives 43 The Executive Includes a look at some of the most expensive homes on the market in southeastern Wisconsin and profiles of high-end home remodeling projects in the area.
55 Strategies
COVER STORY:
Coping with COVID-19 Businesses try to pivot during pandemic
55 LEADERSHIP Jerry Jendusa 56 C RISIS MANAGEMENT Cary Silverstein + Kimberly Kane 57 TIP SHEET
60 Biz Connections
Special Report
29 Diversity and Inclusion An update on the MMAC’s Region of Choice initiative, a report on organizations promoting a neurodiverse workforce, the need to engage white men in diversity & inclusion efforts and Notable LGBTQ Executives.
60 NONPROFIT 61 AROUND TOWN 62 GLANCE AT YESTERYEAR COMMENTARY 63 LAST WORD
WE’RE PROUD TO BE
WISCONSIN’S BANK FOR BUSINESS ™
414-273-3507 | townbank.us JAY MACK President & CEO
JOHN JOHANNES Executive Vice President, Commercial Real Estate
DENNIS KRAKAU Executive Vice President, Commercial Banking
biztimes.com / 5
Leading Edge
BIZTIMES DAILY – The day’s most significant news → biztimes.com/subscribe
NOW
Evers outlines plan for reopening state By Lauren Anderson, staff writer Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers recently unveiled “Badger Bounce Back,” a plan outlining criteria for the state to begin a phased reopening from his “Safer at Home” order to fight the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. The plan requires a 14-day decline in new COVID-19 cases before the state could resume normal operations. The plan sets goals of increasing COVID-19 testing to 85,000 tests per week, adding 1,000 con-
tact tracers across the state and getting more personal protective equipment for health care and public safety workers. “I am excited and hopeful about this plan,” Evers said. “While being safe at home continues to be important, this plan is an all-out attack on the virus and it begins the process of preparing our businesses and our workforce for the important planning that will result in the safe and logical reopening of our economy.”
BY THE NUMBERS
Wisconsin businesses received more than
8.3 BILLION
$
in loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, a part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
6 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
The Badger Bounce Back plan came four days after Evers extended his Safer at Home order, which prohibits nonessential business and travel, to May 26. It also followed the Trump administration’s Guidelines for Opening Up America Again, which were issued April 16. Wisconsin does not currently meet the criteria outlined in those guidelines to start reopening the state, but the new plan is aimed at getting the state there. The goals outlined in the Badger Bounce Back plan include: • Allowing everyone who needs a test to get a test. The plan aims to complete an average of 12,000 tests per day. The state’s current daily testing capacity is about 7,500, and public health officials are encouraging health care providers to order tests more widely for their patients as capacity to process them grows. • Expanding contact tracing, with the goal of every Wisconsinite who tests positive being interviewed within 24 hours of receiving their test results and their contacts being interviewed within 48 hours of test results. • Growing the state’s supply of PPE for health care and public safety workers. • A downward trajectory of influenza-like illnesses and COVID-19 symptoms reported within a 14-day period, and a downward trajectory of posi-
tive tests as a percent of total tests within a 14-day period. The plan outlines three phases for reopening the economy. The order does not include specific dates for when they would roll out, but says the state must make progress toward the goals before it can move on to the next phase. It does make allowances for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to reduce restrictions on certain businesses or sectors before Safer at Home lifts. Phase one allows: gatherings of up to 10 people; restaurants to reopen with social distancing requirements; removal of certain restrictions, including retail restrictions, for essential businesses and operations; additional operations for nonessential businesses; K-12 schools to resume in-person learning and child care settings to resume full operation. Phase two allows: gatherings of up to 50 people; restaurants to resume full operation; bars to reopen with social distancing requirements; nonessential businesses to resume with social distancing requirements; and post-secondary education institutions to resume operations. Phase three would resume all business activity and gatherings, with minimal protective and preventative measures for the general public and more protective measures for vulnerable populations. n
inf cus
CONTRIBUTED
Cleaning to combat coronavirus MANY BUSINESSES have taken a huge hit as the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic disrupts the global and local economy. But not all industries are suffering. For contract cleaning and restoration service Paul Davis, business is booming. The company’s local franchise, which employs about 100 people across the state’s southeast and Fox Valley regions, has seen demand skyrocket for disinfection jobs due to COVID-19. “It’s probably a 1,000%, or maybe 3,000%, increase of those jobs,” said Tyler Yaudus, director of business development at Paul Davis Restoration & Remodeling of Southeast and Fox Valley WI. Prior to the pandemic, fire, flood and water damage were the main drivers of business, and disinfectant jobs, like crime scene cleanup or biohazard removal, only came up a few times a month. Now, Paul Davis is being contracted for both post-contamination and preemptive cleaning, and essential businesses are including the service in their emergency preparedness plans if and when someone inside the facility tests positive for the coronavirus. “Being over-precautious is not a bad thing right now for employees to see that you’re taking care of the facility and that they’re going to have a clean environment shift after shift,” said Chad Holland, general manager of the mitigation and contents division for Paul Davis. And in the case of possible exposure at a commercial facility, Paul Davis offers services to allow workers to safely return to work the next day. One such client was a medical device manufacturing plant that otherwise would have had to shut down and lay off its 40 employees, Holland said. “Probably the most gratifying thing about what we’re doing here is keeping people getting paid,” he said. n — Maredithe Meyer biztimes.com / 7
Leading Edge
LOCATION: Milwaukee FOUNDERS: Daniel Cruz, chief executive officer; Cat Simpson, chief design officer; Brian Manedlin, chief operating officer
ANDREW FELLER PHOTOGRAPHY
WASHBNB
@BIZTIMESMEDIA – Real-time news
FOUNDED: 2020 PRODUCT: Bed and bath linen rental services WEBSITE: washbnb.com EMPLOYEES: 5 GOAL: To provide short-term rental hosts quality bed and bath linen products and efficient linen rental services.
Cat Simpson, Brian Manedlin and Daniel Cruz.
Milwaukee-based washbnb changes model amid coronavirus pandemic By Brandon Anderegg, staff writer
8 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
MILWAUKEE-BASED washbnb is one of several local businesses upended by the coronavirus pandemic. But, rather than give up, the startup is trying to meet its challenges with ingenuity. Washbnb provides linen and laundry services for short-term rental owners, property managers and Airbnb hosts. Faced with the uncertainty of the travel and hospitality industry, the startup changed course, launching a wash-and-fold laundry service for the elderly and immunocompromised. “I think that our pivot is a really good example of our ability to be nimble and to find business where there still is,” said Daniel Cruz, co-founder and chief executive officer. Cruz admits this new service is not the most scalable, but the startup believes its original business model is still viable. Washbnb’s linen rentals give hosts access to quality products from hotel suppliers and textile manufacturers while also saving them time from laundry duty. “It’s all about efficiency and allowing hosts to have the time to focus on their business and not be in the laundry room all day,” Cruz said. Many businesses anticipated economic
tailwinds from the Democratic National Convention and washbnb is no exception. But even with the looming uncertainty of the pandemic, Cruz still sees a lot of upside to washbnb’s business model long-term. Short-term rentals have revolutionized the travel and hospitality industry over the past decade, giving way to a whole new “use case” or vacation style, Cruz said. “You’re seeing people take trips that perhaps they wouldn’t have before,” Cruz said. “Because maybe they didn’t have a place to put their family for four or five nights that had access to a kitchen.” As companies like Airbnb have created a whole new category of business in the travel and hospitality industry, new businesses have cropped up to support them. “The industry that supports those Airbnb hosts was really just starting to get its feet underneath it,” Cruz said. “All the tools that you would need to scale a business are starting to gain some footing in the marketplace and we just hope to be one of those service providers for this industry.” n
The latest area economic data.
Economists at UW-Madison estimated Wisconsin’s unemployment rate was at
16.7% as of April 16.
WANT TO SHOW OFF YOUR HOME OFFICE?
For the four-week period from March 23 to April 17, Wisconsin workers filed
336,624 initial unemployment claims.
4,499 230
Submit photos of your home workspace and tell us: what you love about it, what works, and how you stay focused when working from home.
Wisconsin had
SUBMIT MY HOME OFFICE confirmed cases of COVID-19, including
deaths from the coronavirus, as of April 20.
Presents:
Save the Date!
Coronavirus-related cancellations of events booked by VISIT Milwaukee have resulted in an estimated
$47 million
in lost economic impact for the region, according to the organization.
53%
Wednesday, July 22, 2020 Italian Community Center Join other family & closely held companies as we navigate the complex issues of maintaining a successful, sustainable family or closely held business. It’s your opportunity to learn and network with others who are on the same journey as they strive to build wealth and create a lasting legacy.
Passenger traffic at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport fell
in March, year-over-year, to 312,425 total passengers.
Look for virtual attendance options soon
biztimes.com/family
Sponsors:
Partner:
biztimes.com / 9
Leading Edge BIZ POLL
A recent survey of BizTimes.com readers.
In response to COVID, has your company:
8.5% Furloughed employees: 10.9% Cut wages/salaries for employees: 12.4% More than one of the above: 23.3% None of the above: 45% Laid off employees:
GETTING
THERE
What drew you to this position? “I’ve always been inspired to use the opportunities I’ve had to help others and to have an impact. The work at MCW is groundbreaking, and the opportunity to have an extraordinary impact on the lives of thousands across the state through the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment was a dream job that I had to pursue.”
What about your previous experience prepared you for it? “My work has been connected around service and advocacy. I’ve been in service to my country in the U.S. Naval Reserve, have advocated for and built programs to promote LGBTQ health. My research has centered around how information technology can improve patient safety, outcomes, and health equity. Moving into a role where I can be a bridge between academic medicine and community impact is a thrill.”
Share your opinion! Visit biztimes.com/bizpoll to cast your vote in the next Biz Poll.
“My husband and I live near Lake Park, and we love to get outside as much as possible with our 11-month-old son, Ethan, and our bulldog, Maddie.” n
JESSE M. EHRENFELD, MD, MPH Director of the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment, senior associate dean at the Medical College of Wisconsin
We have been able to triple our throughput... with no additional facility or labor investment. Tony Schellinger, Continuous Improvement Manager, Triton Trailers
Visit: WMEP.org 10 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
“The Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment is a statewide philanthropy that was established by MCW to steward a generous gift from Blue Cross Blue Shield United of Wisconsin on behalf of the public. Our mission is to improve the health of residents across the state. I feel incredibly fortunate to be serving as director of AHW, where I am guiding the strategy and operations toward that mission. I am excited and energized about the opportunity to work with the hundreds of partners we have across Wisconsin to substantially improve the health of our communities.”
Favorite Milwaukee things to do?
“
“
WE HELP MANUFACTURING COMPANIES BECOME MORE PROFITABLE & VALUABLE
Tell us a little bit about your role.
AGE: 41 HOMETOWN: Wilmington, Delaware EDUCATION: Bachelor of Science from Haverford College, MD from University of Chicago, Master of Public Health from Harvard University PREVIOUS POSITION: Associate professor of anesthesiology, biomedical informatics, surgery, and health policy at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
BIZ COMPASS
What advice would you GIVE TO BUSINESSES CONSIDERING
OR STRUG GLING
WITH THEIR OWN DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES?
1
CROSBY 1 GRADY
Vice president of public affairs and chief diversity officer, Johnson Controls
3
“Leadership engagement is key, but a top-down approach isn’t enough. Top-down approaches drive compliance, not commitment. Fostering a sound D&I culture has to be a basic competency. From senior leaders to frontline employees, everyone must see and understand their role in company culture so that change can be made real for all involved – top down, bottom up, and middle out – in different ways.”
2 GENYNE EDWARDS
Partner, P3 Development Group
2
“Evaluate your D&I efforts to ensure they are aligned with your business growth strategies. D&I is a long-term investment for innovative, high-performing organizations, so track progress and ‘stay the course’ even when it’s challenging. Start with engagement activities that authentically build culture, connections and belonging across all levels of your organization.”
3 TYLER WHIPPLE
Vice president of inclusive excellence, American Family Insurance
“Determine what you stand for, commit to making progress and, most importantly, take action. Don’t worry about getting it perfect because you won’t – and don’t let that stop you from moving forward. You will make mistakes along the way and that’s OK. Remember, it’s a journey.”
RAE 4 JASON
President and CEO, Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce
4
“Don’t let the perfect get in the way of the good. Companies who wait until things are perfectly developed and ready to go before starting will never get going. And in that time, they’ll miss out on great talent who want a welcoming and inclusive workplace.” n biztimes.com / 11
Leading Edge
the
FRAN C H I S E E Thanh Nguyen, D1 Training Milwaukee-area franchisee.
THANH NGUYEN D1 TRAINING D1 Training occupies a former Men’s Warehouse space at the Mequon Pavilions shopping center.
“Our No. 1 focus is young athletes,” Nguyen said. “We’ve had a lot of clubs express interest already.”
THE FRANCHISE: Nashville-based D1 Training offers high-level fitness and performance training programs at its 27 facilities (with an additional 99 in the works) across 26 states. The concept was founded in 2001 by former NFL player Will Bartholomew and has attracted other professional athletes as franchisees, such as Von Miller, Tim Tebow and Michael Oher. Thanh Nguyen recently opened D1’s first Milwaukee-area franchise and has plans to open three additional locations over the next few years.
“We thought that we could do a lot with D1, especially in the Milwaukee area,” Nguyen said. “There are concepts throughout the area run by individuals or small gyms, but nobody can bring in the national level, the discipline and training of D1.”
MARCH 2018: Nguyen reaches out to D1 Training about franchise opportunities after researching the market. He and his wife, Chris Fredrick, were both college athletes and are longtime coaches, so D1’s athlete-focused programming resonated with them. AUGUST 2018: Nguyen signs a multi-unit deal that covers the entire Milwaukee metro market, seizing an opportunity to attract athletes from a number of highly competitive school and club sports teams in the area. MARCH 2, 2020: D1 Training opens at 11020 N. Port Washington Road in Mequon. The 10,000-square-foot facility includes an AstroTurf field and equipment, such as tires, battle ropes, medicine balls and weights.
9,000 square feet of the facility is covered in AstroTurf.
MID-MARCH 2020: D1 temporarily shuts its doors due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Thanks to an online training app and Zoom, members can work out and connect with trainers virtually, and the business can continue to pay its two full-time coaches while cutting back their hours. Nguyen said it’s a tough time to open a gym, but he’s optimistic about the future. THE FRANCHISE FEE $60,000
12 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
D1’s personal and team training is geared toward everyone from rookies (age 7 to 11) to pro adult athletes.
“We feel confident that this is going to bounce back, especially with the (young athletes),” Nguyen said. “That’s not going away; the competition’s not going away.”
BizNews FEATURE
Filmanowicz
Postponed DNC raises uncertainty Local leaders say convention will still offer much-needed economic boost By Maredithe Meyer, staff writer MANY BREATHED a sigh of relief when the Democratic National Convention Committee announced earlier this month that its 2020 convention will be postponed, not canceled, and that it’s still on track to take place in Milwaukee this summer. Prior to that decision, questions had circulated for weeks as major events around the world were canceled or postponed due to the global coronavirus pandemic. DNC organizers initially reassured the country that the convention would take place as planned, until the party’s presidential primary front-runner, former vice president Joe Biden, publicly acknowledged a traditionally formatted convention could be in jeopardy. Now, with the DNC pushed back about a month to the week of Aug. 17, organizers say they have extra time to figure out what the 2020 convention would look like and how to make it safe for both visitors and locals. Party officials have vocally doubled down on their commitment to public safety and to Milwaukee as the host city. DNC Chair Tom Perez called the city an “incredible partner,” and reminded Democrats why he made the selection in the first place.
“We couldn’t be more committed to highlighting Wisconsin as a key battleground state, as it is at the center of so many of Trump’s broken promises,” he said. But uncertainty continues to loom as the road to recovery from COVID-19 seems increasingly longer and more difficult. Under Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ “Badger Bounce Back” plan outlining criteria for the state to begin a phased reopening, gatherings of more than 50 people aren’t permitted until the third and final phase, when all business activity can resume with minimal protective and preventative measures for the general public. The order requires a 14-day decline in new COVID-19 cases before the state could resume normal operations. Moving from phase to phase of the reopening process depends on meeting a list of public health criteria, so it’s unclear whether the city will be able to host large events by the time August rolls around. “I don’t know whether we’re going to have people who will want to travel in droves in August, no matter how good our weather is,” said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett during a recent Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce briefing on the impact
of COVID-19 on the city’s health and economy. It’s a disappointing reality for a region that, for more than a year, has been banking on an estimated $200 million economic boost and 50,000 visitors coming to town this summer. Still, Barrett remains optimistic about what hosting a major political convention will mean for the area as it moves toward recovery. “My hope remains that we will have a very vibrant convention, that will be a shot in the arm for the restaurants and hotels here, and it will also be a signal to the nation on how a community emerges from this,” he said. The pandemic, however, has also prompted cuts at the DNC’s local host committee. On April 16, just two weeks after the DNC’s postponement announcement, the Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee disclosed that it had cut its staff by more than half, from 31 to 14. Six employees were laid off, while 11 employees were offered positions with the convention’s national organizing committee or as party organizers. One of the host committee’s main responsibilities has been raising $70 million to fund the convention and its official events. Barrett said the layoffs likely reflect a lag in those fundraising efforts
due to the economic crisis caused by social distancing efforts to fight COVID-19. “Charitable giving is down,” he said. “Certainly, we’re seeing less money being spent in retail, places like that, and political giving is down, at least on the Democratic side.” Whether the layoffs are an indicator that the convention itself is in jeopardy, Barrett said it’s too early to tell. The host committee said in a statement that the “recalibration” will allow it to “remain steadfast in its commitment to continuing preparations for a safe and successful convention in Milwaukee this August.” In a recent interview with BizTimes Milwaukee, the committee’s chief executive officer Raquel Filmanowicz didn’t indicate that fundraising was a problem. She said the committee hit the ground running after the new date was announced. “We feel confident that the funds raised will be able to put on a convention that Milwaukee and, really, the American people deserve. So, we’re in good shape,” she said. Filmanowicz, who is on a leave of absence from her executive role at BMO Harris Bank to lead the host committee, has faced her fair share of challenges since assuming the position in early March. She and chief operating officer Paula Penebaker, former CEO of YWCA Southeast Wisconsin, took the reins of the host committee after its former president Liz Gilbert and former chief of staff Adam Alonso were ousted amid concerns over workplace culture and mismanagement. Now in the midst of a public health crisis that threatens to upend an in-person convention, Filmanowicz is working to keep her remote team focused on the task at hand. “For us, we’ve never pumped the brakes on what we’ve been working on, but now it’s like, we have a date, we have a target, so it’s full steam ahead and getting to that finish line,” she said. “We’re biztimes.com / 13
BizNews
going to keep doing what we’ve been doing pretty much, but all with the goal that we’re going to have the best convention and Milwaukee will be showcased as the gem that we all know it is.” The DNC’s date shift gives area hotels, restaurants and event venues only about four months to rebook reservations that, for some, have been set for more than a year. “This has definitely kicked us into high gear to try to make sure that we can secure the hotel rooms needed,” said Peggy Williams-Smith, president and chief executive officer of VISIT Milwaukee. During the initial bid process last year, VISIT Milwaukee played a central role in securing the required 16,000 hotel rooms within 40 minutes of the city’s convention center district and Fiserv Forum. Williams-Smith said area hotels are “feeling a sense of frustration” as they work to accommodate
move reservations. “We anticipated the possibility of postponement as a result of COVID-19,” said Greg Marcus, president and CEO of Milwaukee-based Marcus Corp. “We have been in communication with the Democratic National Convention to ensure we can best welcome the convention to Milwaukee this August while accommodating our valued guests when our hotels reopen.” The company’s three downtown Milwaukee hotels – Hilton Milwaukee City Center, The Pfister and Saint Kate Arts Hotel – are all closed indefinitely in response to the coronavirus outbreak, but in the meantime, it’s doing all it can to prepare for the August convention, Marcus said. The Hilton Milwaukee City Center will still serve as the Democratic National Convention headquarters hotel during the convention. Rodney Ferguson, CEO and
general manager of Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, also voiced his support for the DNCC’s decision to push the convention back to August. Potawatomi had blocked all 400 of its rooms for the DNC weeks before Milwaukee was originally selected as host city last year. “We will continue to work with DNC planners and commit the space we have available during the rescheduled convention dates,” Ferguson said. “This remains a rare and unique opportunity for the city and region, and Potawatomi Hotel & Casino plans on contributing to its success.” Greg Hanis, president of New Berlin-based Hospitality Marketers International Inc., said accommodating for the new DNC dates will be a “logistical nightmare” for hotels, restaurants and other venues involved with the convention. August is among the busiest months of the year for area
hotels. According to data from Hendersonville, Tennessee-based STR Inc., the occupancy rate for Milwaukee-area hotels was nearly 80% in August 2019. That probably won’t be the case this year, but August in Milwaukee could still hold potential. As of press time, the following events are all scheduled to take place as planned: the Microscopy & Microanalysis 2020 Meeting from Aug. 2 to 6; USA Triathlon’s Age Group National Championships from Aug. 7 to 9; Northwestern Mutual’s Annual Meeting from Aug. 9 to 12; and Wisconsin State Fair from Aug. 6 to 16. However, Irish Fest, scheduled for Aug. 1316, was recently canceled for 2020. “(The DNC) is still a huge win for the city and it’s even more of a win if we can sell out all of our hotels so quickly after we come out of quarantine and ‘Safer at Home’ policies,” Williams-Smith said. n
Presents:
**NEW EVENT DATE: June 30, 2020 | 7:00-11:00 am
A Futurist Toolkit: Seven Practical Ideas on How We Get to 2035 Join us in June as Futurist David Zach shares his insights on the future of Washington County for the next fifteen years and beyond. Instead of just fascinating and/or frightening forecasts, you’ll get a “toolkit,” a set of questions to ask on how to put all those fads and trends in a practical perspective. Zach
Decker
Following the keynote presentation, local executives will discuss how technology, trends and innovation are changing the marketplace and what you can do to remain competitive and relevant for the next two decades. David J. Decker, President, Decker Properties, Inc. W. Kent Lorenz, Retired Chairman, CEO, Lakeside Consulting, LLC Debbie Seeger, Advisor, Patina Solutions
Lorenz
Seeger
Following the presentations, the program continues with unique roundtable discussions led by an expert discussion leaders. Attend any three.
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REGISTER TODAY! biztimes.com/2035 Location Sponsor: COMPANIES
W E A L T H
M A N A G E M E N T
14 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
DESIGN l BUILD l DEVELOP l REAL ESTATE
Partners:
SHOP TALK Communication is key to employee safety during coronavirus WHEN EMPLOYEES at Winco Stamping in Menomonee Falls go to work, they contribute to efforts to combat the coronavirus. The company is currently producing 150,000 aluminum pieces per week for facemasks and makes parts for hospital beds and ventilators. Doing essential work, of course, comes with the challenge of keeping employees safe. As Wisconsin moves toward reopening its economy, the safety measures many companies put in place will also become important for other businesses restarting their operations. Practices recommended by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce include regular temperature checks for employees, health screening before employees return to work, continuing remote work until at least June 1, reviewing workflow to remove instances of employees being within 6 feet of each other, wearing face coverings, staggered shifts, marking and regularly cleaning frequently touched areas and continuing to minimize travel. While there are specific policies and procedures for companies to implement, leaders at several area manufacturers say communication is among the most important tools in keeping employees healthy. “It’s harder than ever…because you can’t all be in the same place,” said Scott Wendelburg, president and chief executive officer of Winco. Mike Dover, president of Milwaukee-based R&B Wagner Inc., said his initial instinct was to
hold off on communicating until he knew all the details. “We may have withheld a little bit on sending out an email to the entire company,” Dover said. “We started to realize not doing that was actually worse.” Communicating early and often was an important part of Waukesha-based EmbedTek’s response to the pandemic, said CEO Dan Aicher, even if that meant sharing news about orders being canceled or delayed. “Some of the updates were rather dire, but what I’ve always believed is that, in a vacuum, especially when things are not good, the truth is generally less than where people’s imaginations will take them,” Aicher said. Communication alone doesn’t limit the spread of the coronavirus and all three companies had to make changes to keep employees healthy. The most obvious action was to have employees work from home if possible, and each firm also made changes to its break areas, including removing chairs. EmbedTek repurposed conference rooms to give employees additional space. All three companies put an increased emphasis on constant cleaning of facilities, including wiping down frequently touched areas and cleaning rest areas immediately after breaks. “We’re really making sure they saw a visual representation of their concerns (being addressed),” Dover said. At Winco, employees were
EmbedTek employees assemble face shields. The company donated 10,000 face shields to area hospitals in mid-April.
asked to wear face masks and gloves and Wendelburg said it was important that the request apply to leadership. “If you’re going to ask them to wear face masks and gloves, then you better be doing it too,” he said. Aicher said EmbedTek asked employees to wear masks early on and then in mid-April encouraged employees to check their own temperature before work. In part, the idea is to ask employees to start adopting practices that may become a requirement before long. “When we employ those things, it’s not a shock,” he said. EmbedTek uses a cellular manufacturing approach to production and normally would shift employees throughout its facility. During the coronavirus outbreak, the company has instead divided employees into four teams and the groups stay together working on the same product. Start times are staggered and each team has its own area to take breaks. Aicher also acknowledged the likelihood that an employee will contract COVID-19. “We can employ the best practices we can, (but) they have lives outside of here and that will happen,” he said. “When that does happen, the folks that work in the immediate proximity of them, even with good social distancing and separation, that group will be sent home and be isolated for 14 days, so in separating the groups it limits that to that team.” EmbedTek makes products
TIPS FOR CORONAVIRUS COMMUNICATION: 1. Default to sharing more information, not less 2. Encourage employees to adopt practices that might become requirements 3. Pay attention to mental health along with physical safety
for medical and military markets and Aicher said one of the guiding principles in developing the company’s plan was to not be the link that breaks in the supply chain. The other was to ensure employees were both physically and psychologically safe. “It was important for (employees) to understand OK, we have a plan … this is what we’re doing, this is why we’re doing them,” he said. n
ARTHUR THOMAS Associate Editor
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PHOTOS BY ANDREW FELLER PHOTOGRAPHY
BizNews OPEN FOR BUSINESS INSPIRED BY REN LENHOF of Studio 29 Photography and other photographers taking portraits of families on their front porch, Milwaukee-based photographer Andrew Feller wanted to find his own way to highlight those dealing with the coronavirus. Feller primarily photographs businesses, so that’s where he put his focus. “My mission is always to be of service and helpful in any way I can,” Feller said. In particular, he’s been spotlighting businesses adapting to the circumstances, including The Retreat in Milwaukee holding community events online, salons delivering products and offering phone consultations, and Milwaukee restaurant The Tandem providing free community meals. See more of Feller’s photos on Instagram @andrewfeller or at andrewfeller.com/curbside-series. n
Kima Hamilton and Dasha Kelly Hamilton, The Retreat, Bronzeville, Milwaukee
Clay and Brittany Rose, All Paws In Dog Training, Butler 16 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
Kimarie Boucher and Monique Minor, Ohana Salon, Brookfield
Geoff Hoen, Beard MKE, East Side, Milwaukee
Josef Stempinski, Atelier Barbershop and Salon, Downtown, Milwaukee
Caitlin Cullen, The Tandem, Lindsay Heights, Milwaukee
Steph Davies, The Waxwing, East Side, Milwaukee biztimes.com / 17
Real Estate
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Ryan Pattee recently redeveloped a former nightclub at 3060 S 13th St. into a tea shop and manufacturing space for Urbal Tea.
How some developers collaborate with communities on their projects
MILWAUKEE DEVELOPERS who shape their projects based on the needs and desires of the surrounding community say that, in doing so, both the neighborhood and the project itself reap significant rewards. Their strategies involve seeking community input from various stakeholders at the project’s beginning stages and working that feedback into the resulting development.
For Haywood Group LLC, “the community input is the starting point,” said Kalan Haywood, president of the Milwaukee-based firm. Haywood is redeveloping the former Sears building at the northwest corner of Fond du Lac and North avenues in Milwaukee into the 80-room Ikon Hotel and 24,600-square-foot conference center. The project will also include a first-floor incubator and office space. Construction and abatement continues on the project, though it has been slowed during the coronavirus outbreak. As is the case with the majority of Haywood Group’s projects, the Ikon started with an incoming phone call. The area business community and the city wanted something to be done with that vacant building, which sits at a prominent intersection on the city’s north side. “We usually are called into projects,” Haywood said. “Sometimes that’s by the local elected officials, sometimes it’s by the BID (business improvement district) or a neighborhood stakeholder, and they say for example, ‘We have a problem.’ We approach developments from that standpoint. We try to address a
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Saukville-based Rebel Converting LLC recently purchased a manufacturing facility on Milwaukee’s far northwest side that will serve as the disinfectant wipe maker’s new headquarters. The building is located in Towne Corporate Park of Granville. At 95,500 square feet, it’s twice the size of the company’s current facility. Rebel Converting said it planned to move into the Milwaukee facility once it finishes renovation work. Terry McMahon and Cody Ziegler of Cushman & Wakefield | Boerke represented Rebel Converting in purchasing the building. Brett Garceau of Colliers International represented the seller, Rosemont, Illinois-based Brennan Investment Group. The relocation plans come as Rebel Converting is teaming up with Port Washington-based Allen Edmonds and Greenville-based 5K Fibres to jointly produce face masks in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The building purchase is unrelated to the outbreak.
problem.” At the center of the Ikon project is the conference center, Haywood said. North Avenue Marketplace BID No. 32 commissioned a third-party study looking into how dollars were leaking out of the neighborhood. One major area was hosting events. Neighborhood residents and organizations were holding their events elsewhere. The neighborhood lacks a suitable venue to hold events. “(The project) was kind of in reverse, because we were looking to solve the issue of, how do we keep those dollars?” Haywood said. Anthony Kazee, owner of Milwaukee-based KG Development, said he took his vision for a new mixed-use building in the city’s Five Points neighborhood directly to local residents and businesses. KG Development is working with Martin Luther King Economic Development Corp. to develop a 75,350-square-foot building at 3317-3349 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, which will include 57 housing units and 12,000 square feet of commercial space. Outdoor amenities could include a basketball court and playground. Kazee said he visited about 60 households and 10 businesses over a week. This was both to introduce the development to neighbors and get input on what they wanted to see come out of it. It also helped build trust with residents for the project, he said. “I think it allows them to see your vision, and also allows you to get some feedback on your design,” Kazee said. The project reflects the community’s feedback in a number of ways, particularly with its proposed commercial uses. Kazee said the commercial portion will consist in part of a maker space, which can be used in accordance with whatever the community’s needs are. Also included will be “micro-retail” spaces, which can be divided up to as small as 250-300 square feet. These micro spaces could be used for local entrepreneurs who are
still building up their business but want a physical presence. “We’re trying to be a service developer, or a people developer,” he said. KG is seeking tax credits for the project and construction could begin next year. Ryan Pattee, president of Milwaukee-based Pattee Group LLC, makes it a point to pursue projects outside of downtown. Current and recent projects of his include redeveloping the building at 3060 S. 13th St. into a tea shop and manufacturing space for Urbal Tea and another at 3528-30 W. National Ave. for Salvadorian restaurant Pupuseria la Chalateca. Each project follows a similar path. Pattee chooses a neighborhood he wants to work in, finds a building, seeks feedback from local stakeholders and completes market research. “If we have a building in mind, during our due diligence process, we’re speaking with the BIDs, we’re speaking with the NIDs (neighborhood improvement districts), we’re speaking with the aldermen and we’re doing our own research of businesses in that area,” he said. Pattee recently sold the building at 733 W. Historic Mitchell St. to the advocacy group Voces de la Frontera. After purchasing it last year and performing work on the roof, electrical and mechanical systems, he held onto the building for six months while Voces raised the money to buy it. Pattee still owns and is rehabilitating a neighboring building. n
WHO REALLY OWNS IT? FORMER MASONIC TEMPLE IN WEST ALLIS The 91-year-old Masonic Temple building located at 7515 W. National Ave. in West Allis had been used for the same purpose until late last year. That’s when its former owners, the West Allis Lodge No. 291 F. & A.M., sold the building to The LifeWay Church Inc. LifeWay bought the 21,000-square-foot building for $700,000 in December and is making improvements to the site and building exterior for use as a place of worship, according to city documents. The two-story building contains an assembly hall on its first floor and a commercial kitchen and gathering space in the lower level. Representatives of LifeWay did not respond to requests for comment. ADDRESS: 7515 W. National Ave., West Allis OWNER: The LifeWay Church Inc. ASSESSED: $0 (exempt)
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STORY COVER
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here is a lot of uncertainty for businesses across industries right now. Unfortunately for Justin Carlisle, uncertainty means considering a new possibility. “For once in my life, in the 27 years I’ve been doing this and the seven years of owning restaurants … there’s an end in sight and there’s nothing I can do,” said Carlisle, a James Beard Award nominated chef and owner of Ardent, Red Light Ramen and Laughing Taco in Milwaukee. Restaurants are one of the most visible victims of the stay-at-home orders issued across the country to limit the spread of the coronavirus, but they’re not alone. Since the beginning of March, nearly 120 companies have filed notices with the state of Wisconsin for mass layoffs or closures. Those notices cover more than 17,300 workers, more than all of the notices filed with the state from 2018 and 2019 combined. The notices are just a small slice of the whole picture. In Wisconsin alone, more than 336,000 initial unemployment claims were filed in the first four weeks of the crisis, more than any 12-week stretch during the Great Recession. Economists at the Center for Research On the Wisconsin Economy at UW-Madison estimated the state’s unemployment rate was at 16.7% in mid-April. Carlisle laid off almost all 50 of his employees and he and his wife now man carryout service at Red Light and a pop-up site for Burgers by Ardent at Laughing Taco’s site in Walker’s Point. He’s just trying to keep cash flowing to pay unemployment tax for his employees. Layoffs are one of the first signs of the economic downturn created by the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Just as the virus attacks the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe, the social distancing response to the crisis is starving many businesses of cash flow, which, like oxygen, is not just needed to fuel growth but to fuel survival. As costs mount, revenues dry up and rent and other bills come due, many entrepreneurs could be left with no choice but to close for good. Many businesses were quick to cut expenses to preserve cash. Joel Quadracci, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Sussex-based Quad/Graphics, said when he made the decision to limit domestic travel for employees it was to keep people healthy and quickly limit expenses. Longer term, he’s wondering which of his major customers will make it through, especially in the retail sector, where brick-and-mortar stores were already challenged. Randy Baker, chief executive officer of Enerpac Tool Group in Menomonee Falls, said he instituted furloughs and suspended the company’s 401(k) match because it offered immediate
cost savings. Brown Deer-based Badger Meter Inc. switched to a four-day work week across the company to control costs. From independent restaurants to multinational manufacturers, the coronavirus is forcing companies to adapt. Any employees who can work from home are doing so, business models are being upended and owners and executives are scrambling to navigate uncharted waters. It is also forcing some to act on plans they were previously developing. The impacts have not been uniform. A Chicago Federal Reserve working paper found a 40% yearover-year decline in consumer spending at small businesses while spending at large businesses was generally flat with a 9% brick-and-mortar decline offset by a 56% increase in online transactions.
SHOES AND DIAMONDS April and July are typically the two biggest months of the summer season for Kenosha-based Chiappetta Shoes, which sells footwear, pedorthics and custom orthotics, and offers shoe repair services at its 6,500-square-foot storefront. The business is considered essential with its pedorthics services and line of work boots, and it has used that to its advantage while Gov. Tony Evers’ “Safer at Home” order keeps customers away and other businesses shut down entirely. In late March, Chiappetta ran a promotion for half-off custom orthotics for its current custom orthotic patients and ended up selling more pairs than ever before, said chief executive officer and fourth-generation operator Tony Chiappetta. During the shutdown, the business has managed to rake in a couple thousand dollars a day, largely thanks to e-commerce sales through Amazon and the store’s website. Still, the 99-year-old business saw revenue in recent weeks drop 80% compared to last year and
Justin Carlisle, owner of Ardent, Red Light Ramen and Laughing Taco.
92% compared to forecasts. “For a small little business like us, it’s pretty hard to swallow that,” Chiappetta said. Since mid-April the store has been open by appointment only for no more than two parties at a time. Most of Chiappetta Shoes’ 16 employees were initially laid off, but the plan is to have all full-time employees rehired by May 4, Chiappetta said. In the meantime, the business is having its full-time sales staff get started on their pedorthics certifications. The process includes an online class and 1,000 hours of apprenticeship work, which will start when employees are back at work. “We’re making the most out of the time as possible,” Chiappetta said. As a brick-and-mortar retailer of wedding rings and high-end jewelry, Germantown-based Kesslers Diamonds relies heavily on customers coming into its stores. Being forced to close its doors as a nonessential business has posed a real challenge over the past few weeks, and resulted in revenue losses in the millions, said Joe Gehrke, president of Kesslers Diamond Center Inc. “Most consumers want to touch it and feel it and it’s hard for us to do that even through the website or over the phone or sending pictures back and forth,” Gehrke said. The business had been planning to roll out an e-commerce site later this year, but the shutdown kicked those plans into high gear. Earlier this month, Kesslers did its first-ever virtual appointment with a client over FaceTime. And with the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic’s longevity and its effect on biztimes.com / 21
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The Chiappetta family with employees of Kenosha-based Chiappetta Shoes.
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consumer behavior after it has passed, Kesslers is weighing its options for best serving its shoppers in the future. “We have to meet clients where they want to be met,” Gehrke said. “And if that means coming into the retail store to purchase new jewelry, we’ll take care of them. If it means having a chat conversation and texting pictures back and forth, we can do that. If it means doing a virtual presentation or them just fulfilling (the order) themselves on our website, I think we have to be flexible.”
GLIMPSES OF LIGHT It isn’t all bad news, though. Companies have acted quickly to contribute to the fight against the coronavirus in their own way, sew22 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
ing and collecting masks, making ventilator parts they had never produced before, and collaborating across organizations to develop new solutions. For some companies, the outbreak has played directly into their strength. New Berlin-based IT services firm SWICKtech had a few busy weeks helping customers transition to remote work. In some cases, that meant companies transitioning from having just a few remote workers to dozens, but other clients had no real strategy and employees essentially had to take their desktop computers home with them. Gary Swick, president of SWICKTech, said things have returned to a more normal pace and he knows there will likely be a slowdown in business in the coming months. Still, he felt it was important to pay out a bonus that allowed his employees to establish a better home office environment for themselves. “We value our employees,” he said. “They’re our most important resource.” Business has been off the charts for Delavan-based Geneva Supply Inc., an Amazon and e-commerce strategy and fulfillment provider. Co-founder and CEO Jeff Peterson said the company is essentially living through the kind of demand spike it usually sees around the holidays. “I’ve never been busier than I have in the last three weeks,” he said. One measure of how much e-commerce demand has increased comes from Prestige Paints, Geneva Supply’s interior paint brand sold online. A normal day of sales would be 50 to 75 gallons, but during the crisis sales have jumped to 600 to 1,000 gallons per day, Peterson said.
“What this really has proven is people will buy paint online,” he said. Milwaukee startup Vytal Health, a non-traditional virtual medical group, said it has seen a notable uptick in demand for its services since the outbreak began. Even so, a global pandemic isn’t exactly Vytal Health’s area of focus. It specializes in connecting patients with clinicians who practice functional medicine. This approach differs from traditional medicine in that it aims to address the root causes of ailments. The company can help patients dealing with issues related to the virus, such as self-care and coping with anxiety, said co-founder Alex Yampolsky. Vytal Health recently launched its personalized immune support program, which aims to support patients’ immune systems so they can more successfully fight off viruses and infections. “We were thinking initially, ‘What can we do?’ Because we’re not an urgent care business, we’re not a primary care business,” Yampolsky said. “So, what can we do in our area of expertise, with nutrition, lifestyle (and a) root-cause approach. Our first gut reaction was, let’s help people support their immune system.” They are accepting customers regardless of their ability to pay for services right now through “pay what you can” video appointments. “Everybody’s got a different experience happening, and there are different reasons, both emotionally and physically, in the way they are coping or not coping,” she said. “I think that that’s where we’re so good at this. We can understand each person in the context of their life.”
Perlick makes equipment used in bars, restaurants and large sports arenas, including Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
REACTING TO THE SITUATION There are other growth stories to be found. Angelic Bakehouse in Cudahy saw sales jump 70% in March and it could have been more had the company kept up with demand. Online education startup Fiveable saw a 500% increase in users. Waukesha-based Generac has seen a sharp increase in demand for standby generators. Typically, an in-home visit is a key part of the sales process for Generac’s dealers and the company had held off on launching a virtual consultation tool. “We were just worried about rolling out and there was no real pressure point to do that,” said Aaron Jagdfeld, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Generac. The coronavirus outbreak provided the push Generac needed and dealers have reported higher close rates and time saved commuting to customers. “It’s working much, much better than I would have ever thought,” Jagdfeld said. Similarly, Milwaukee-based bar and restaurant equipment maker Perlick Corp. had been considering a next-day delivery offering. “We’d been thinking about ways to do this for quite some time and we realized now is the perfect time to actually launch it,” said Heather Shannon, senior brand marketing manager at Perlick, noting that bars and restaurants that are operating with curbside service need to maximize uptime to capture what revenue they can. Those that are shut down, she said, may have done so quickly and may run into equipment problems when they open again.
In one of the most drastic local restaurant pivots, Milwaukee-based Stand Eat Drink Hospitality Group converted one of its Walker’s Point concepts, Don’s Diner, into Don’s Liquor & Grocery, a small retail store selling food, bottled alcohol and in-demand items such as toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Repurposing the business allows it to sell inventory that otherwise would have gone to waste during the closure. Staying in business also keeps 15 of its employees working during a time when service industry workers are losing their jobs. “It’s a time to adapt and innovate, and we tried,” said Sean Willie of Stand Eat Drink.
FACING UNCERTAINTY Carlisle isn’t alone in facing uncertainty in the restaurant industry. He, like most independent restaurant and bar operators, thought the federal government’s $2.2 trillion CARES Act would be a lifeline for covering expenses during a shutdown, but as it turns out, conditions of the bill’s Paycheck Protection Program are difficult for restaurants to meet with such limited operations. Now, what was touted to be a forgivable loan program could bury the industry in debt. Meanwhile, most insurance companies are denying claims for business interruption coverage, so any financial loss due to the COVID-19 shutdown is likely gone for good. New Land Enterprises, Carlisle’s landlord at Ardent and Red Light, also owns and operates the Crossroads Collective food hall at East North and North Farwell avenues, where restaurant tenants have been forced to close or significantly
limit operations. Revenues dropped by almost 50% in March. “When I look at April, it’s nerve-wracking,” said Tim Gokhman, director of New Land. “I would think that if Crossroads were not supported by New Land, if it were a standalone business, I don’t think it would survive.” Vendors at Crossroads Collective are adapting, though, including Juana Taco, which is providing take-home kits for customers to build their own tacos. While April has been troubling for Crossroads Collective, May is when economic challenges could come to New Land’s other interests in multi-family housing. “It’s hard to gauge what May will look like based on April because people may have dipped into savings, or if they lost their jobs, they may still have had it into late March,” Gokhman said of tenants paying rent. “So, I think there will be more stress on the multi-family market in May than in April. I don’t think anybody would disagree with that. The big question would be, how much?” While dealing with existing properties is a challenge, New Land is preparing to break ground this summer on another — and ambitious — residential project. Called Ascent, the apartment tower to be built at 700 E. Kilbourn Ave. in Milwaukee will stand 25 stories high and total 264 dwelling units. Gokhman said deconstruction and engineering work for the project has been completed, and New Land is working to finish up project financing. He is aiming for a biztimes.com / 23
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July groundbreaking. “The current situation doesn’t help, but we’ve made significant progress and I think there’s so much inertia, so much progress, we’ll have no issue getting to the finish line,” Gokhman said. Ascent is just one of a number of major real estate development projects in the Milwaukee area that have had to deal with the impact of COVID-19. In Waukesha, a luxury apartment development planned in downtown, was put on hold after an investor backed out in early March. Kalan Haywood Sr., president of Milwaukee-based Haywood Group LLC, said in early April that demolition and abatement work was ongoing at the Ikon project. The development, located at the northwest corner of Fond du Lac and North avenues in Milwaukee, consists of an 80-room hotel and a 23,600-square-foot conference center. It involves conversion of a former Sears store into the hotel and construction of the new conference center building next door. Haywood said work was paused on the project momentarily as crews adjusted to new schedules and procedures due to the outbreak. He said crews were broken down to smaller groups separated by floor. Fewer people are on the job site at any given time. The adjustments mean that the overall project timeline is being stretched out. But the precautions being taken are necessary to avoid spreading the virus, said Haywood. He added that in times like this, when many have lost their jobs due to the outbreak, it’s important that development activity continues. “Development is not only brick and mortar,” Haywood said. “It is about job training, it’s about employment, it’s about safe housing, it’s about addressing the needs of the elderly.” These projects are allowed to continue because state and local shutdown orders, including “Safer at Home,” deemed most construction activity to be essential. This means that projects can continue in a safe manner while the mandates remain in effect. But it’s not just the construction and development side of real estate that’s been impacted. Commercial real estate brokers are finding themselves placing more emphasis on their role as advisers as they navigate these new challenges. That is especially true as brokers assist landlords and tenants working through leasing issues, as many retailers no longer can afford rent, said Bruce Westling, a retail real estate broker and managing director in Newmark Knight Frank’s Milwaukee office. “Our adviser role is now morphing into assisting tenants and landlords in the discussions that are happening,” he said during a late March webinar hosted by Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin. “So, it’s not necessarily a fee involved, but it’s something you have to do to be a part of the transition.” n
PHOTO COURTESY OF ADVOCATE AURORA HEALTH
Employees of Aurora Medical Center in Grafton gather to send off Wynonia Page, an 81-year-old COVID-19 patient who was recently discharged from the hospital.
So far, COVID-19 hasn’t overwhelmed southeastern Wisconsin’s hospitals SOCIAL DISTANCING HAS FLATTENED THE CURVE, OFFICIALS SAY BY LAUREN ANDERSON, staff writer
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preparation for a potential surge of COVID-19 patients, hospitals in southeastern Wisconsin have halted non-emergency surgeries, repurposed hospital beds, reopened shuttered wings and coordinated across health systems to create more capacity for the region’s sickest patients. With no proven medication or vaccine available for the coronavirus, the extent to which hospitals use that capacity has been predicated on the effectiveness of social distancing measures. Early this month, Medical College of Wisconsin president and chief executive officer Dr. John Raymond ominously drew comparisons between a runaway train and COVID-19’s projected impact on the state’s health care system. “The train is going too fast to stop before it crashes into the station,” Raymond said. “We’re pulling the brakes to slow it down but it’s going to crash into the station no matter what we do. We see that now all we can do is work harder to minimize the damage.” But the bleakest projections have not yet been
realized. Despite the mounting number of new confirmed cases each day, public health officials say social distancing, so far, has flattened what might have otherwise been a sharp peak. Hospitals across the region have not exceeded their ICU bed or ventilator capacity to date. As of press time, health systems in southeastern Wisconsin had a total of 194 available ICU beds, and 1,134 available non-ICU beds, according to Wisconsin Hospital Association data. The region has 511 ventilators available across health systems, with 207 currently in use. “People are feeling better … about new cases and the ability to have beds and ventilators than we were feeling two or three weeks ago,” said Dr. Mark Kaufman, chief medical officer at the Wisconsin Hospital Association. “That’s really the good news. (But) we’re certainly not out of the woods.” As the state prepares for a phased reopening of business and normal social activity, public health leaders urge for continued vigilance. A model from the Medical College of Wisconsin projects that, if all social distancing measures
ended as soon as Gov. Tony Evers’ “Safer at Home” order lifts on May 26, Milwaukee County would see a spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations and exceed capacity by late June. If some physical distancing practices remain – including continued bans on mass gatherings and limitations for non-essential businesses and restaurants – the model shows a long, flattened peak of hospitalizations occurring from early August to late October, with cases never exceeding hospital capacity. ICU hospitalization would also remain under capacity, according to the model.
HEALTH SYSTEMS TAKE FINANCIAL HIT The region’s major health systems have worked quickly to create more capacity and set up systems of communication with one another, Kaufman said. “(The Milwaukee area) has done a really terrific job of developing sort of a command center of the five systems where they look at data daily,” he said. “They have homegrown some metrics. … biztimes.com / 25
STORY COVER They have doctors on call to monitor the surge in their region and they have a way to quickly communicate among systems and be sort of air traffic control.” But preparing for a surge has come at a significant cost to those systems. Wisconsin hospitals are projected to be losing about $170 million weekly in revenue because of the suspension of nonemergency procedures, according to WHA. Those suspensions have been in place for over a month. The measure was recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reserve beds for critically ill COVID-19 patients, preserve the supply of personal protective equipment for health care workers and mitigate further spread of the virus. “It’s the clinically appropriate thing to do,” Kaufman said. “(But) it’s a huge financial hit to the bottom line. Some systems can handle that better, but the smaller hospitals and independents tend to be living more on the edge financially. And that may be a really challenging set of circumstances for them, depending on how long there is a need to prepare for surge.” For outpatient health care providers, the suspension has halted their normal operations altogether. Greenfield-based Advanced Pain
Management, which performs procedures that are considered elective under the CDC directive, has temporarily closed its clinics. It recently warned the state Department of Workforce Development that it will have to permanently lay off 50 employees and close clinics if it doesn’t secure financing by the end of the month. The $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act stimulus package is expected to offer some relief, with $100 billion (new legislation would add another $75 billion) set aside to reimburse health care providers for lost revenue due to COVID-19. In the short-term, health systems have paused construction on several capital projects to cut costs.
TREATMENT As providers wait for a COVID-19 vaccine – with some projections saying that will take another 12 months – area health systems are performing an experimental COVID-19 treatment method to provide immediate relief to sick patients. As of April 20, Froedtert Hospital had treated four COVID-19 patients with an investigational convalescent plasma treatment, supplied by Wauwatosa-based Versiti Inc. plasma donations. MCW is researching the effectiveness of the novel treatment, which involves taking the an-
A COVID-19 testing tent set up in the parking lot of Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital - Elmbrook Campus. 26 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
tibodies from the bloodstream of a person who has recovered from the virus and giving them to ill patients. The method has been used to treat viruses since the late 1800s, in situations when new diseases or infections develop quickly, and no other options are available. “Froedtert & MCW have achieved positive results in the past using convalescent plasma to battle other viruses, including Ebola and H1N1,” said Parameswaran Hari, chief in the division of hematology and oncology at MCW and a medical oncologist at the Froedtert & MCW Clinical Cancer Center. “This work is critical to helping push both individuals and the region as a whole into the recovery phase of the battle against COVID-19.” The availability of plasma from patients who were both confirmed to have COVID-19 and to have recovered from it has been a limiting factor in administering the treatment, however. Dr. Ajay Sahajpal, director of Advocate Aurora’s transplant program, said he anticipates plasma donations will be more plentiful in the coming weeks, as testing capacity in the state ramps up and more people recover from the virus. “I expect in the next four to six weeks, there will be more and more plasma,” Sahajpal said. “And by summer there will probably be a large supply.” Dr. Dave Lal, a pediatric surgeon at Children’s Wisconsin, sees it as his duty to donate plasma. Lal tested positive in March for COVID-19, prompting the health system to request tests for the more than 100 patients, family members and Children’s employees he had come into contact with. All returned negative for the virus. After quarantining for two weeks while he recovered from what remained mild symptoms, Lal was the first recovered patient to donate plasma through Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin. He said it’s a small contribution to the fight against the virus, which has required an extraordinary effort from health care providers. “It’s a time like no other I’ve experienced,” he said, noting many health care workers fear inadvertently spreading the virus to patients and their families. “Doctors who work these long shifts, or PAs (physician assistants) or NPs (nurse practitioners), are scared to come home. They’re exhausted emotionally, and physically drained. Some are going to hotels, staying in their garages, showering in the hospital, eating a quick meal before having to come back.” The crisis has also put the region’s health infrastructure to the test, prompting high levels of collaboration among health systems that ordinarily compete. “There aren’t many good things about these types of crises, but perhaps one of the very, very, very, very few positives is that systems … understand the need to come together and make this work and coordinate,” Kaufman said. “This likely won’t be the last pandemic our country will see, so if we can maintain those relationships and infrastructure, that will be very positive.” n
Businesses scramble for financial assistance in attempt to stay afloat during pandemic BY BRANDON ANDEREGG, staff writer
IT
took just two weeks for the federal government’s $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program funds (part of the CARES Act) to run dry, leaving many businesses without access to an invaluable resource intended to abate the economic impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Companies left in the lurch were either too little too late in applying for the funds or fell behind businesses with a staff size large enough to expedite the loan application process. Lawmakers are expected to replenish the PPP program (at press time a deal had been reached by Congress and the White House for a new stimulus package, including another $320 billion for PPP, and the bill had been approved by the House and Senate), but experts say the funds may not be enough and could run out
even faster than the first round of the PPP did. “The number they’re talking about…I’m concerned, is not going to be enough for the demand that still exists across the country,” said Rose Oswald Poels, Wisconsin Bankers Association president and chief executive officer. Although many businesses will have a second crack at the PPP program, some companies remain ineligible, while others will continue to seek financial relief that fits their specific needs. The Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan is another option that business owners are heavily considering, especially for owners who can’t meet the hiring requirements of the PPP. The Economic Injury Disaster Loan program offers businesses with 500 or fewer employees a loan
of up to $2 million and includes a grant of up to $10,000. EIDL can be used to fund expenses like payroll, fixed debts and accounts payable. The loan carries an interest rate of 3.75% for businesses and 2.75% for nonprofits and a term of up to 30 years. As of April 20, the SBA was no longer accepting applications for the program due to a lack of funds, but the program would receive an additional $60 billion in the new stimulus package, according to reports. SBA also offers several debt-relief options for individuals who currently have 7(a), 504 loans or microloans. Depending on the loan and when it was obtained, borrowers could have their principal and interest paid for a period of six months.
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The Main Street Lending Program may be an alternative to businesses who were either ineligible or did not have access to the PPP. The program was first announced March 27 as part of the CARES Act and is aimed at providing relatively low-interest loans to companies with as many as 10,000 employees. The program, which is expected to support up to $600 billion in new loans, was not yet available to businesses as of April 20. However, the Federal Reserve released details on the program recently and it could be rolled out in the near future. Unlike loans through the PPP, Main Street loans need to be repaid in full. The loans come with fouryear terms and variable interest rates ranging between 2.5% and 4%. Borrowers can defer payments on interest and the principal for one year. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has also deployed a grantmaking initiative called the Save Small Business Fund. The program provides shortterm financial relief in the form of $5,000 grants for small businesses. To qualify for the grant, a business must have been financially impacted by COVID-19, employ between three and 20 people and be located in an economically vulnerable community. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation launched a $5 million grant program to assist the “smallest of the small” businesses around the state. The program, known as Small Business 20/20, provides grants of up to $20,000 to targeted businesses with no more than 20 employees. The funds can be used to cover rent, meet payroll expenses, including paid leave as well as sick, family and other leave related to COVID-19. Businesses may also look to their local municipalities for financial support intended to protect small businesses in the community. Communities like Racine and Wauwatosa have developed their own disaster relief funds to keep businesses in operation. Over the course of 14 days, the SBA disbursed 14 years’ worth of loans, said Tammie Clendenning, SBA lead economic development specialist. As of April 15, a total of 1,661,367 loans were approved for a total of $342.2 billion through 3,975 lenders
across the country. Wisconsin approved 43,395 loans for a total of $8.3 billion, according to an SBA report. The overall average loan size for businesses in the United States and territories was approximately $206,000. Loans of $150,000 and under composed approximately 74% of all loans disbursed while nearly 22% of loans disbursed were between $150,000 and $1 million. Loans between $1 million and $5 million accounted for just over 4% of all loans disbursed, according to the SBA report. For those who were approved for PPP, creating an intermediate cash flow forecast before accepting the PPP proceeds gives business owners increased visibility, an element that advisory firms like Illinois-based Sikich are developing with clients right now. Loan forgiveness is one of the most attractive elements of the PPP program. However, depending on the business, achieving maximum forgiveness may not be the best strategy, said Ray Lampner, Sikich partner. Take a restaurant, for example. It may not make sense to keep all employees on payroll to achieve loan forgiveness when the restaurant is either closed or not operating at full capacity. State lawmakers and organizations are working on a plan to reopen the economy, but it’s not clear what that process will look like or how long it will take. As the economy wakes up from its slumber, businesses will need cash flow to restock inventory, catch up on rent and fund other expenses needed to reopen. The concern, Lampner said, is that businesses will have spent their PPP loan to maintain payroll only to run into another financial hurdle when the economy is up and running. “I’m working with a group of manufacturers and they are more interested in having the cash than staying open because they have no idea how long this is going to go on,” Lampner said. “Once you spend the money, you don’t have any access to it.” Business owners might also consider the financial situation of employees. Depending on salary, some employees may be better off with unemployment funds than being paid with PPP funds, Lampner added. n
Special Report DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
WELCOME, TO BIZTIMES MEDIA’S BUSINESS CARES series where we bring to you a focus on Diversity & Inclusion. Diverse workplaces and work teams are more innovative, creative, and better for the bottom line. We are proud to feature 36 companies taking a leadership role to join BizTimes as organizations committed to increasing D&I in their cultures. We thank them for their support, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their investment reflects the level of engagement and intention these organizations are placing in the importance of diversity and inclusion. Their support also provides us the resources to continue our editorial coverage and do our part to help support the MMAC’s Region of Choice initiative to increase diversity in the workforce and management of area companies. We hope this special report will help your business unpack the tools to get started with your own diversity and inclusion strategies. Small to mid-sized companies need to work smarter to diversify their talent to benefit from the rewards of more innovative and creative teams. BizTimes contributor Beth Ridley will help with a toolbox
of sorts to advance this initiative. Listen to her BizTimes MKE podcasts in May.
IN OUR DIVERSITY & INCLUSION SPECIAL REPORT, YOU’LL FIND: PAGE 30: A report on organizations working to promote a neurodiverse workforce. PAGE 32: An update on the MMAC’s initiative to increase workforce and leadership diversity in metro Milwaukee. PAGE 33: Insight into how diversity, equity and inclusion leaders will help us return to work after the COVID-19 pandemic. PAGE 34: Steps to improve diversity and inclusion in your organization. PAGE 36: A look at the need to engage — or reengage — white men in diversity and inclusion efforts. PAGE 38: Notable LGBTQ Executives
PAGE 63: The Last Word…Outpost Natural Foods general manager Pam Mehnert talks about building a diverse leadership and workforce team. The time is now to take a leadership role in supporting diversity, inclusion, and equity in the workplace. Attracting and retaining talent of all kinds depends on it! Our Business Cares series will continue later this year with Breast Cancer Awareness (Oct. 5) and a focus on Veterans (Nov. 2). We are grateful for your support of BizTimes Media.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT IN THE PUBLICATION: PAGE 11: Biz Compass: Leaders provide advice to businesses considering or struggling with their own diversity and inclusion initiatives.
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Special Report DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
Organizations work to promote a neurodiverse workforce BY BRANDON ANDEREGG, staff writer SOME COMPANIES ARE ADAPTING hiring practices to access a segment of the workforce that is largely untapped but could provide a competitive advantage for even the largest of organizations. Microsoft and JPMorgan Chase are among a growing number of companies that have begun seeking out talent that is “neurodiverse,” an umbrella term used to describe individuals with autism, dyslexia, ADHD and other neurological differences. Neurodiversity advocates say it’s about more than just promoting inclusivity, but rather the idea that neurological differences are normal and that diversity can positively impact the workforce. “Nationally what you’re seeing is this movement towards hiring neurodiverse workers, particularly in the tech field,” said Mark Fairbanks, executive director of Milwaukee-based Islands of Brilliance. “(The field has) kind of redone how to schedule visits and interviews to take advantage of the talent of these candidates.” In some cases, JP Morgan Chase found that its employees on the autism spectrum are as much as 140% more productive than their neurotypical peers, according to its website. A University of Montreal and Harvard University joint study also found that individuals with autism were able to problem solve 40% faster than their peers. Still, it’s estimated that 71% of adults with autism are unemployed, according to a study conducted by Drexel University’s A.J. Drexel Autism Institute. Some experts estimate an even higher rate of unemployment while other studies consider factors like underemployment, or individuals who cannot work because they have higher support needs. Experts say standard hiring processes and the way in which interviews are conducted have contributed to those unemployment numbers for adults with autism. Social difficulties are one of the hallmarks of autism, making it difficult for prospective employees to navigate the traditional hiring process, said Josh Teigen, president of Mind Shift, an organization that employs individuals on the autism spectrum. “That resume and interview process is the biggest barrier,” Teigen said. “The ability to do the work at a really high level is not the barrier; it’s the perception that this person has a disability, so how could they possibly do this really high-level or even entry-level work?” Minneapolis-based Mind Shift provides a pipe30 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
Above: Islands of Brilliance students work on 3D modeling as volunteers walk around to answer questions. Left: Islands of Brilliance student Garrett Scott works on a project using Autodesk 3DS Max modeling software. Below: While some students work on computers, others work on drawing character models, which will be converted into 3D characters in games.
line of employment for individuals on the autism spectrum by matching them with companies based on their skillset. These individuals are Mind Shift employees, but their work is outsourced by Fortune 500 companies like GE Healthcare and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. In the case of GE Healthcare, Mind Shift specialists based in Milwaukee provide the health tech company with data analytics. These employees are paid the same as their neurotypical counterparts both in benefits and salary, Teigen said. “We have data that our specialists are actually faster, more accurate and better in most roles than neurotypical people,” Teigen said. “So, it’s not necessarily a charitable thing to do; it’s a good business decision because their ability to do these
tasks is far superior.” One Mind Shift employee was previously working as a package handler at UPS when Mind Shift’s assessment process revealed he had many more capabilities. The employee was then placed in a data analytics role for Anthem. On the third day of his job, he inspired a major change in the company, Teigen said. This employee had previously created an algorithm to track his skill level in a video game against other players. Realizing the algorithm provided value to his work, he brought the idea to Anthem’s senior vice president and explained how it could automate a majority of work in his department. “He didn’t even design it for that purpose. He built it just for fun and then realized there was an application at his new job,” Teigen said. “Now it’s kind of the foundational core to their data analytics practice at Anthem.” Locally, Islands of Brilliance is moving the neurodiversity conversation forward through its project-based learning and workshops for children on the autism spectrum. The organization offers tech and design programs, through which students not only learn technical skills, but also grow confidence critical in social and peer-to-peer interactions.
Islands of Brilliance highlights the strengths of individuals on the autism spectrum, which include rapid technology learning, a penchant for routine and divergent thinking. These positive characteristics could aid employers as they pursue digital transformation, innovation and industry disruption, Fairbanks said. Volunteers at Islands of Brilliance, most of whom are professionals, work one-on-one with students, a dynamic Fairbanks says builds familiarity with neurodiversity and what employable skills exist among the population. Although many local companies are talking about neurodiversity, not many have actually hired individuals on the autism spectrum, Fairbanks said. This is because many companies, large and small, see the process as a greater initiative than it really is, he said. Behind the increased productivity and other benefits of neurodiversity lies a support structure or a company culture that’s accepting of neurodiversity. Mind Shift, for example, has an employment services team whose function is akin to a mentor or job coach found in traditional work settings. “Kind of like if you had a professional athlete that operates at peak performance,” Teigen said.
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“On the back end, they have a head coach, an agent and a strength and conditioning coach.” But it’s also important to know the nuances that are unique to working with someone on the spectrum, Fairbanks said. Building a work day around certain strengths is a strategy that companies can use to successfully integrate workers on the spectrum, he said. “Regardless of who you’re hiring, there are accommodations for talent,” Fairbanks said. “And I would say, I haven’t seen anything out of our population that I haven’t seen at a professional level – it just looks a bit different.” While the prevailing national story around neurodiversity is a tech story, not all neurodiverse talent is suited for the tech sector. Moving the needle on the unemployment rate for individuals with autism cannot be done by just filling tech jobs; employers have to think more broadly, Fairbanks said. “It’s going to take a lot of different organizations and employers pulling in the same direction in order to change the dynamic around that number,” Fairbanks said. “That’s not just going to be tech jobs that will change that number. That’s just not realistic.” n
Diverse Perspectives Lead to Innovative Thinking At Reinhart, we understand the value of inclusion, and we are fully invested in an environment that a racts and sustains diversity among our a orneys and staff. We also know that a diverse workforce provides the best counsel for our clients by marshalling different perspectives to forge creative solutions to complex problems.
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Special Report DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
Region of Choice initiative forges ahead toward workforce diversity targets BY LAUREN ANDERSON, staff writer
32 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
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kee-based ManpowerGroup and a member of MMAC’s diversity and inclusion committee. “People are K aware of the challenges and opportuIS M CHRIS nities that come with ensuring we have a diverse workforce. But there is a real hunger and desire for the how … and to share best practices.” MMAC was preparing to hold another meeting on April 21 for participating CEOs to address some of those questions when the COVID-19 crisis forced organizers W to postpone it. O R CHRIS While companies now face a different reality than when the initiative launched, those championing Region of Choice say the pandemic has only reinforced its relevance. The high COVID-19 infection and death rate among African Americans in Milwaukee County — and the virus’s prevalence in hot spots within Milwaukee’s predominantly Hispanic south side neighborhoods – underscore health and economic disparities in the community. “The disproportionate impact on the African American and Hispanic community lays bare the disparities we recognized at the outset of this,” said MMAC executive vice president Julie Granger. For Versiti, creating an inclusive workplace culture ties into the company’s efforts to address disparities related to blood and tissue donations. “This is our space to figure out how to connect with diverse donors so they can be part of saving lives and in their own community,” Miskel said. “If we can’t make that mission resonate, no one will. … That’s a responsibility we have to take seriously.” Over the past year, Versiti has developed internal infrastructure in an effort to recruit and retain LA
MILWAUKEE-BASED VERSITI INC. recently had to reconsider whether it would fill some of its open positions due to the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. But the organization – a holding company for a network of blood centers across the upper Midwest – remained committed to hiring for an open position within its diversity and inclusion department.. “We said, ‘No, we have to hire for this. This is who we are and this is who we serve,”’ said Chris Miskel, president and chief executive officer of Versiti. Versiti is among nearly 100 companies in southeastern Wisconsin to publicly seal their commitment to D&I efforts in recent months by signing the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce Region of Choice pledge. Launched at MMAC’s All Member meeting in September, the Region of Choice initiative set two targets to increase the diversity of southeastern Wisconsin’s workforce by 2025, including increasing the number of African-American and Hispanic/Latino employees by 15%, and the number of African-American and Hispanic/Latino managers by 25%. At the time, 64 companies had committed to the effort. As of mid-April, 97 companies are now on board. Some of the urgency behind the D&I push came from an MMAC-commissioned study indicating metro Milwaukee ranks last among 20 of its peer cities when it comes to African American prosperity, Hispanic prosperity, and the prosperity gap between African American and white residents and Hispanic and white residents. The chamber’s members – a group that includes about 1,800 employers in the region – named racial disparities as the most difficult challenge facing the region in a recent survey. In the initial months, MMAC leaders have focused on garnering support for Region of Choice from area employers and gathering baseline data of the number of African American and Hispanic employees in participating companies. In February, about 80 representatives from Region of Choice companies convened for the first meeting. “There is an appetite for this,” said Christopher Rowland, chief diversity officer of Milwau-
The Region of Choice initiative launched at MMAC’s All Member meeting in September 2019.
a diverse workforce. It created a D&I office, added a multicultural leadership council, and now has D&I councils in each of its network’s five states. “It starts with building a culture so that when we recruit folks, they feel supported and that (the organization) is something they want to continue to be a part of,” Miskel said. “The talent acquisition team is focused on where do we increase our odds of getting diverse talent and then coaching, mentorship and ultimately progression within the organization.” For some companies, however, the COVID-19 crisis could derail, or at least delay, efforts to increase their workforce diversity. While the pre-pandemic labor market created a strong business imperative to draw more people into the workforce, companies are now having to make cuts. “It is really hard to make predictions in the current environment,” Granger said. “In the immediate short-term we will see huge unemployment, which, for a while, is at least going to seem like it’s in direct opposition to where we were going.” But, once businesses reopen and begin to stabilize, Granger said, it’s an opportunity to rebuild with a greater focus on inclusion. Rowland said the sense of solidarity and collaboration that has emerged out of the public health crisis could also help companies work together on the Region of Choice targets. “People are more open to sharing what they’re doing,” Rowland said. “I think we’ve started to see that, and I’m hoping that will be accelerated. There is one, a need, and two, a willingness to build on that collaboration and unity.” n
Diversity, equity and inclusion leaders will help us return to work BY DEANNA SINGH, for BizTimes WHEN THE COVID-19 social distancing policies lift, businesses will face a new challenge. They will have to figure out how to bring their teams back into a “new normal.” Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practitioners will be an incredible asset in building that path forward. Why? Because for years, they have fostered the skills around connectivity, empathy and adaptability that will be fundamental for any organization hoping to make it through this transition. Through the pandemic, people have shared a moment that creates some commonality. However, this crisis has also accentuated many differences. During these weeks, some people have lived in complete isolation, while others have had to care for family members or homeschooled children. To move forward, we must acknowledge these differences because these diverse experiences will color how individuals think their organizations should move forward. After such isolated and different experiences, a reunited team must share the realities of their situations without alienating each other. Groups must acknowledge the various ways people experienced this historical moment and find common ground for the future. In other words, we need conversations that will spur growth, the kinds of discussions DEI leaders are uniquely positioned to facilitate. Experts in facilitating challenging and productive dialogue and authorities in how to celebrate differences while appreciating commonality, they know how to create the environments and develop the exchanges that will help organizations thrive after these profound changes. For teams to return to their offices, institutions must also rebuild trust. During this time, people have learned to be suspicious and fill their days with questions. Who knows what? Who has what? What is the truth? This prolonged state of misgiving will stay with employees long after they return to their jobs. Whatever confusion they have will be exacerbated by the fact that many feel the institutions they relied upon let them down, in many cases, especially their jobs. How will people who were furloughed or labeled “non-essential” feel about returning to work? How will they redefine professional conventions like shaking hands, sharing elevators or calling meetings?
People will have differing levels of concern and comfort, and successful organizational cultures must renegotiate these practices with unprecedented empathy levels. DEI leaders are experts in this area, helping to create the compassion required to develop the bedrock of trust that institutions must rebuild. Helping teams step back and look at the pandemic through different lenses, DEI leaders will help people feel heard, understood, and appreciated. Because they have always worked to give underprivileged people a voice, they will be specially equipped to build consensus among those who’ve gone through this crisis. Every company has already had to change the way they do business. In the coming months, there will be questions about which changes we pull forward and which we leave by the wayside. Will the future require companies to have more flexible working hours? Will we have to rethink telecommuting? People who are caregivers have requested more flexible scheduling, and now that we are all forced to work beyond a 9-to-5, they might want this change to continue. Over the past few weeks, business leaders have had to consider creative alternatives. How they handle these new options moving forward will be essential to whether employees feel loyal to their employers. DEI experts can make sure that organizations answer these difficult questions in ways that meet the best interests of multiple stakeholders. As new provisions appear, these specialists will be the ones who build structures
IN AS DEANN
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that foster equity, accessibility and fairness. They can help organizations forecast how new policies can benefit most people. As groups make these operational decisions, we have the opportunity to adopt fresh and more inclusive approaches. When it is time to get back to business, the companies that have invested in DEI leaders will be glad they did. Because DEI leaders have always specialized in celebrating differences while finding common ground. Our DEI leaders are the ones we need to chart the new course. n Deanna Singh is the chief change agent and founder of Flying Elephant, an umbrella organization for multiple social enterprises that seek to shift power to marginalized communities. She does coaching and consulting work in diversity, equity, and inclusion, leadership and entrepreneurship. biztimes.com / 33
Special Report DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
Start with yourself Steps to improve diversity and inclusion in your organization BY BETH RIDLEY, for BizTimes WANT A DIVERSE and inclusive culture in your organization but not sure how to start? That’s OK! Starting with yourself to build and lead with a D&I mindset is the most important thing to do.
Why D&I at work is important Research proves diverse and inclusive teams make better business decisions and outperform their competition. And don’t forget recruiting and retention – 67% of people consider diversity an important factor when deciding where to work. We often think of diversity as visible differences, such as race, gender, age and more. But we must also consider less visible diversity, such as life experiences and leadership styles. An inclusive culture is one in which all differences are welcomed, respected and valued.
Achieving D&I success Creating diverse and inclusive cultures requires strategy, metrics and expectations integrated into every part of the business. But the single most important success factor is leadership commitment, because culture starts at the top. A D&I mindset doesn’t mean being an expert in every facet of diversity. That’s impossible. A D&I mindset is about having curiosity and courage to learn about people who are different from you.
Start with your personal mindset D&I training plays its role, but a classroom experience can only take you so far with real growth in the D&I space. As a leader, your authentic self is evident to those you lead, so if you haven’t done your work to expand your ability to welcome, value and respect differences, you won’t succeed in fostering a diverse and inclusive culture. It all starts with the self and much of the work happens in our personal lives. While it’s natural to gravitate toward people similar to you, it’s important to replace biases with real experiences to inform your thinking. Having diverse friends makes you better informed, more thoughtful and more empathetic – all competencies for a great leader and an inclusive culture.
Three easy D&I steps Developing a D&I mindset is a journey with no finish line. It’s a process of progressively becoming more aware. To get started, embrace the 3Cs: » COURAGE: Have the courage to be honest about your biases. Notice who you don’t 34 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
hang out with or have over for dinner. Diversity missing in your personal circle indicates where you may have biases worth exploring. Look beyond obvious differences and consider socioeconomic status, professional and education level, political views and more. Put yourself in situations to meet people unlike yourself by volunteering, attending community events and socializing where diversity is more prevalent. » COFFEE: Invite people who represent a dimension of diversity missing in your personal life to coffee with the simple objective of getting to know them. » CONVERSATION: Don’t worry about putting your foot in your mouth. As long as conversation comes from a place of curiosity, you’ll be fine. Use three simple phrases guaranteed to spark meaningful conversations: • “I’m curious to know…” This is a way of asking something on your mind without casting judgement. • “Tell me more” gives someone the opportunity to expand on the question in whatever way is meaningful to them. • “Thanks for sharing.” Thank the person for being vulnerable and reciprocate by sharing something about yourself. Don’t expect anyone to speak on behalf of any particular group. No two people are alike. By meeting many different people, you’ll appreciate the nuances inherent in difference. The more people you know, the broader, deeper and richer your understanding of complex issues will be.
When in doubt, consider South Africa Before you dismiss achieving a diverse and inclusive culture via one relationship at a time as Pollyannaish, consider South Africa.
ID BETH R
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I lived in South Africa two years after the end of apartheid. I experienced a country transition from a divided apartheid state to a unified democracy. The transition was possible due to the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was founded in the belief that storytelling would help South Africa come to a shared understanding of their past and a new identity for the future. The commission held hearings across the country in churches and community centers where victims and perpetrators of crimes under apartheid shared stories in the spirit of healing. The stories were aired on TV every Sunday, which helped spark a spirit of relationship-building across the country. I saw how an intentional effort to understand the human beyond differences healed an entire country. If it can be done in South Africa, you can do it in your organizations. Start with yourself and consider it a new lifelong journey of understanding others. n Beth Ridley is founder and CEO of The Brimful Life, former vice president of planning integration for Northwestern Mutual and a host for the BizTimes MKE Podcast.
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
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Than Naing, Maria Ornelas, Torrence Dukes and Reann Bleecker. BELOW: Engauge’s Workforce Engagement Team working with Associates at OneTouchPoint.
Engauge Workforce Solutions Engauge Workforce Solutions designs efficient human capital solutions for our Clients while meeting the career objectives of our Associates. With expertise in training, recruiting, and workforce development/engagement primarily in the manufacturing and distribution industries, Engauge has been successfully balancing the needs of our clients while being sensitive to the aspirations of our associates since 1997. Why is Diversity & Inclusion important to Engauge? Diversity and Inclusion is not just important, it is a part of the core fabric of our organization. We believe that having team members from a multitude of different cultures, who speak a variety of different languages and who have experiences in a wide array of industries is fundamental to support the workforce of the future. What Diversity & Inclusion initiatives do you currently have? We have team members who speak a wide range of different languages (Spanish, Burmese, Karen, Hmong, Rohingya, ASL and Malay) who work with Clients and Associates to ensure that any potential language barriers are reduced or eliminated. Our bilingual Workforce Engagement team spends time at Clients working side by side with Associates to help get them productive day one. We also work with our Clients to translate their internal documents (onboarding materials, work instructions, etc.) to ensure that diversity Associates are fully integrated into the Client culture. How has a focus on diversity helped with your recruitment & retention initiatives? We have focused on bringing in team members that are representative of the changing demographics in the area. We do not just recruit out of these diverse populations, we form connections with their communities so we can establish a high level of trust. Our focus is to reduce the barriers that have kept so many of these diverse populations out of the workforce.
What’s next in Diversity & Inclusion at Engauge? We are extremely excited to announce the opening of our new Menomonee Falls location which not only has a fully functional industrial training facility attached to it, but is also led by our diversity recruiting team. We will be offering customized English as a Second Language classes that are geared towards the relevant manufacturing terms that are most important to our Clients. This is part of our ongoing commitment to deepen the skills and help with the overall career development of our diversity Associates.
262-544-4787 n engaugeworkforce.com
Special Report DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
The need to engage — or reengage — white men in diversity and inclusion efforts BY DENISE THOMAS, for BizTimes “My white male counterpart is extremely reserved when I attempt to collaborate with him at work – we need to work as a team in order to deliver on this project.” “As a white male, I often feel like I’m going to say or do something that will offend a woman, person of color or member of the LGBTQ community at work. I would rather just not say anything.” OVER THE PAST three decades, employers have activated or increased efforts regarding the inclusion of diversity in the workplace, especially positions that are business critical and highly visible. These efforts have developed into a commonly used term in the workplace referred to as Diversity and Inclusion. As the ongoing practice of embracing diversity in the workplace increases, the understanding of its evolution, relevance and mutual benefits remains an opportunity. One group in particular that has traditionally been sought after as “Employee Resource Group (ERG)/Business Resource Group (BRG) Executive Sponsors” in the workplace, however, has not experienced first-hand or been exposed to diversity as a key business driver. This group of individuals is white men. The imperative to collectively and holistically engage white men in the workplace regarding diversity and inclusion cannot be a subsidiary component toward business growth objectives. Otherwise, the overall objective of ensuring that every employee feels connected and valued by their employer will fail. In addition, the lack of experiencing the benefits of inclusion will negatively impact high performance among all employees. Subsequently, employee turnover will result in employers losing significant amounts of talent acquisition investments. In the beginning, companies that implemented a D&I focus established affinity groups as a platform for employees who share an interest or common goal. In recent years, affinity groups have evolved into Employee Resource Groups or Business Resource Groups as a strategy to drive employment engagement and operate as a part of the key business practices. Employers that adopted inclusion efforts as part of their business growth strategy have expe36 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
rienced an increase in engagement among diverse groups. However, the reality is these inclusion efforts have also impacted the engagement between white men and other groups in the workplace. During the evolution of D&I, white men in general have struggled with authentically connecting based on the lack of meaningful relationships with diverse groups, fear of demonstrating bias, demonstrating unconscious/conscious bias or not receiving comprehensive diversity education. In addition, movements such as #MeToo, Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ equal rights initiatives have created an unintended disengagement, in which white men are apprehensive about their narrative and/or actions that could be received as offensive or further drive feelings of exclusion. An important question to consider with diversity and inclusion efforts now is: how do we engage or reengage white men in the workplace? Traditional roles that white men serve in the D&I space are “ally” or “executive sponsor.” The opportunity at hand is ensuring white men understand the true value proposition of their role by asking D&I leaders: “As a sponsor or ally, will I be held accountable with D&I leaders collectively to address the opportunity of inclusion?” Or, “Does my role as a sponsor or ally align with the efforts of demonstrating the value of inclusivity with other white men in the workplace?” The following are questions to consider using as part of your narrative when addressing D&I engagement between white men and others in the workplace: 1. What are the existing communication challenges between diverse groups and white men in the workplace? 2. How do we use effective communication as a mechanism toward bridging gaps between white men and others in the workplace? 3. How do we understand the diverse makeup among our colleagues in order to demonstrate inclusion in the workplace? 4. How do we collectively create a culture
DENISE
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in which open dialogue regarding our differences is encouraged and embraced? The principles and values associated with including diverse groups in the workplace are applicable to every employee. In order to demonstrate inclusion and drive employee engagement, everyone in the workplace must: » Embrace differences and be open to learning from each other. » Foster meaningful relationships with people that are different. » Understand how and why people show up to work based on their individual experiences. » Be held accountable. The success measures will include higher employee engagement, less turnover, high performance and business growth. Diversity is simply difference. The opportunity continues to be inclusion. Engaging or reengaging white men through the establishment of guiding principles and accountability will result in every employee feeling connected and valued by their employer. n Denise Thomas is the president and owner of The Effective Communication Coach LLC. Previously she worked for MillerCoors, GE Healthcare, PepsiCo, ConAgra Foods, Rockwell Automation and Toyota.
NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN! NOTABLE WOMEN
IN CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN
BizTimes Milwaukee is launching the BizTimes Media 2020 Notable Women in Construction & Design feature within the May 25th issue of BizTimes Milwaukee. This special editorial feature will profile women in construction, industrial/ commercial design, architecture and engineering in southeast Wisconsin. Your company, and its executives, are invited to submit a nomination form that will help us determine this year’s honorees. The special section will run in print and online, recognizing the chosen individuals for their accomplishments.
Nominations Now Open! Deadline is May 6th
NOTABLE
NOTABLE WOMEN
The brokers on this list will be among southeast Wisconsin’s highest-selling producers: to make the list, each must have closed a minimum of $10 million in home sales in 2019.
Recognizing women who have a track record of setting legal precedents, winning big cases for their clients and mentoring the next wave of women in law – all while finding ways to give back to their communities.
RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE AGENTS
Nomination Deadline: Friday, May 29, 2020 Issue Date: June 29, 2020
IN LAW
Nomination Deadline: Friday, July 17, 2020 Issue Date: August 17, 2020
NOTABLE WOMEN
NOTABLE WOMEN
The women on this list are steering the financial functions of their companies and nonprofits and leading in the fields of investment banking, investment management and private equity.
The executives on this list are shaping their own organizations as well as the path forward for other women in the industry.
IN FINANCE
Nomination Deadline: August 7, 2020 Issue Date: September 7, 2020
IN MANUFACTURING
Nomination Deadline: September 4, 2020 Issue Date: October 5, 2020
To learn more and nominate, visit biztimes.com/notable
RYAN ALBRECHTSON
NOTABLE
LGBTQ EXECUTIVES
THEATRE AND VENUE RELATIONS MANAGER MARCUS PROMOTIONS INC. Ryan Albrechtson is the theatre and venue relations manager for Waukesha-based Marcus Promotions Inc., chairman of the Footlights People’s Choice Awards and producing artistic director for Outskirts Theatre Co.
BizTimes Milwaukee is proud to present the inaugural list of Notable LGBTQ Executives, spotlighting accomplished professionals throughout the region. The leaders profiled in the following pages were nominated by their peers at work and in the community and showcase the diversity of talent in our market. The leadership shown by the executives profiled here is setting an example to shape a better future for our region.
METHODOLOGY: The honorees did not pay to be included. Their profiles were drawn from nomination materials. This list features only individuals for whom nominations were submitted and accepted after a review by our editorial team. To qualify for the list, nominees must be based in southeast Wisconsin. They must be currently serving in a senior level role at their firm, must hold a leadership position in their industry outside of their own organization, have made a significant contribution to advancing workplace equality at their own workplace or beyond, and act as a role model or mentor.
For Marcus Promotions he oversees communications with more than 150 theater clients in Milwaukee, Chicago, and Madison. At Outskirts Theatre Co., which he has led for more than 6 years, he manages a team of five employees to develop and produce a theatrical season of three to five shows per year. “Ryan’s commitment to theater and the arts in the Waukesha and Milwaukee communities is inspiring,” said Dyllan Brown, media coordinator for Outskirts Theatre. “Outskirts Theatre has grown over the past six years to become a well-known name by theater goers, reviewers, and artists. Many of the productions Ryan decides to produce with the company have LGBT themes, and this work has brought a lot of discussions and thought-provoking art into our community. “Ryan is an incredible leader, he leads his team with such passion and commitment. As a gay man, Ryan works to create a voice for all of the LGBT community through his work with Outskirts Theatre and with the many other organizations he works with.”
AMANDA BRAUN
CHRIS CHAMBLISS
DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
ARCHITECT
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINMILWAUKEE
DEEP RIVER PARTNERS, LTD
Amanda Braun is the first woman to be the athletic director at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She was named to the post in 2013. As UWM’s AD, Braun played a major role in moving the men’s basketball games back to downtown Milwaukee and in the university securing naming rights for UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. She helped coordinate a partnership with ROC Ventures, which includes having the UWM baseball team play at the new stadium at Ballpark Commons in Franklin. She has been heavily involved in establishing a partnership with the Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin, and in securing the largest donation ever to UWM athletics from OHOW. Donations to UWM athletics have reached new highs under Braun’s leadership. “She lives her life as a role model by keeping her cool and making tough decisions, all the time knowing there are a lot of people observing and ready to critique her performance,” said Jim Mueller, president of mueller QAAS and a UWM supporter. “Dealing with pressure is crucial to success in both athletics and leadership, but Amanda has the added challenge of operating in a very political environment while surrounded by many people who may prefer the status quo over new opportunities.” “With her positive, can-do attitude, Amanda has shown that she is multi-talented by recruiting other great leaders to the UWM team, managing them and others, and keeping politics away from staff,” Mueller said. “She has also shown that she is a marketing leader through her successes in public relations and donor recruitment.”
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Chris Chambliss has 17 years of architecture experience including 7 years with Milwaukee-based Deep River Partners Ltd., which specializes in residential design. “Often, the most accomplished professionals quietly stack up many accolades because it’s the contribution they seek rather than recognition. Chris Chambliss is exemplary of this,” said Richard Sherer, chief executive officer and founder of Deep River Partners. Chambliss is a member of the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce. “Her dedication to the chamber and its mission is what inspired Deep River Partners to become a member in 2015,” Sherer said. In addition to her contributions with the chamber, for two consecutive years, Chambliss has served as an event “challenger” for Challenge Party, a fundraiser that supports the LGBT community. In her tenure, she has coordinated Deep River-designed host homes for the event. “Chris takes pride in finding a positive influence that motivates success,” Sherer said. “For three years, she has been the program organizer of the chamber’s ‘Master Mind’ peer mentoring group. She determines the topic and guides the discussion on career, workplace, and LGBT issues. The program’s success led to its expansion in Milwaukee and Madison. Chris also works with the chamber’s mentoring program, which began in 2019 primarily for college students. Chris’ expertise made her a great fit for a student considering a STEM career path, which was mutually beneficial as they remain in communication.”
JESSE EHRENFELD
SHAWN GULYAS
SENIOR ASSOCIATE DEAN AND DIRECTOR OF THE ADVANCING A HEALTHIER WISCONSIN ENDOWMENT, PROFESSOR OF ANESTHESIOLOGY
THE THOUGHT CATALYST AND CHIEF TALENT OFFICER
ADVANCING A HEALTHIER WISCONSIN ENDOWMENT – MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, has built a career around service and advocacy, which has led him to his current role as the director of the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment (AHW) and senior associate dean in the School of Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. As director of AHW, Ehrenfeld is guiding the strategy and operations of the statewide health philanthropy that serves as a resource in the work to improve health outcomes and health equity statewide. To date, AHW has invested more than $250 million in more than 400 health research, education, and community initiatives that have reached all corners of the state. Ehrenfeld is currently chair of the American Medical Association’s Board of Trustees and continues his research to advance understanding of how information technology can improve patient safety, outcomes, and health equity. He also continues to practice, caring for patients as a physician anesthesiologist. Ehrenfeld has also been recognized for advancing health equity, including launching dedicated programs to promote LGBTQ health. A U.S. Navy combat veteran, he testified before Congress in 2019 to advocate on behalf of transgender service members. In November, he led the American Medical Association in calling for a ban on conversion therapy for all ages nationwide. “In many ways, Dr. Ehrenfeld has dedicated his career to standing up for those who cannot,” said Cheryl Maurana, senior vice president for strategic academic partnerships at the Medical College of Wisconsin. “He is passionate, innovative, and tireless. Milwaukee – and Wisconsin as a whole – should be proud to have welcomed such a leader.”
HUMANWORKS AND BVK Shawn Gulyas is the thought catalyst at humanworks and chief talent officer for Glendale-based advertising agency BVK. Previously he was vice president of human resources for Bayside-based La Macchia Enterprises Inc. (d.b.a. The Mark Travel Corp.). “Shawn doesn’t make a difference in organizations. He makes a difference in people, and equips and empowers them to make a difference in their organizations. That’s the sign of a true leader,” said Sarah Marshall, the experience architect and senior manager of communications and engagement for humanworks and BVK. “Prior to his current role, Shawn invigorated (The Mark Travel Corp.) throughout his 20-plus year run in a human resources role, where he refreshed the company core values and kept them alive,” Marshall said. “Since then, he’s taken on the mission to work with BVK in a similar way as well as refresh the people elements at other organizations through a consultancy, humanworks, beginning with organizations like nonprofit Penfield Children’s Center and startup Frontdesk.” “Shawn looks at organizations through a people lens. He pushes you to be a better you, makes you think and supports you along that journey…He himself is always trying something new, constantly learning about himself and strengthening relationships to establish strong foundations of trust. You want to impress Shawn. You want to work with Shawn. You want to be Shawn’s friend…Ask other local executives that he’s mentored or inspired. Or the people working on his team. Shawn is more than a notable LGBTQ executive… he’s an exceptional human that you simply can’t go without meeting.”
GARY HOLLANDER
JEFF MORIN
OWNER AND PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT
PRESIDENT
GARY HOLLANDER ENTERPRISES
MILWAUKEE INSTITUTE OF ART & DESIGN
Gary Hollander, PhD, is the owner and principal consultant for Gary Hollander Enterprises, a Fox Point-based organizational consulting and professional coaching firm. He taught psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for more than 30 years and his career has included stops at Milwaukee Public Schools, Aurora Health Care and Planned Parenthood. Hollander is also the founder and former president of Diverse and Resilient, a statewide organization working to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people in Wisconsin thrive and live healthy, satisfying lives in safe, supportive communities. “Gary’s commitment to the work of racial and social justice has been lifelong. From the earliest days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, he was dedicated to changing outcomes for people facing HIV/AIDS and a champion of respectful, humane treatment,” said Ginny Finn, president and chief executive officer of YWCA of Southeast Wisconsin. “Plus, when he saw that there was more work to do to bring LGBT people, especially LGBT people of color, into the center of our community, he did not hesitate to lead that work. Standing up for others in a world of systemic injustice is in Gary’s DNA.” Hollander is a member of YWCA SEW’s Board of Directors. He was named Philanthropist of the Year by the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin in 2002. He received a Distinguished Service Award from the Wisconsin Public Health Association in 2005.
Jeff Morin has been president of the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) since 2015. He has more than 30 years of experience in higher education. Under Morin’s leadership, MIAD’s enrollment has grown 40% over the past five years, and new student retention has increased from 69.5% to 80.5% in two years. In 2019, Morin hired the college’s first director of inclusivity to cultivate and implement inclusive learning environments and curriculum. Morin launched the college’s Future Designers high school program to address the nationwide and Milwaukee challenge of the underrepresentation of people of color in design industries. His board involvement with Greater Together led to MIAD’s partnership with Greater Equity 2030, challenging Milwaukee’s creative industry to hire 1,600 more people of color by 2030. Morin championed the creation of MIAD’s innovative technology hub for students and the MIAD Innovation Center for students to work with businesses and nonprofits. In addition, Morin is a leading artist activist in Wisconsin and beyond for LGBTQ and social rights. His work has recently been exhibited in galleries and museums in Eau Claire, Kenosha, Milwaukee and Fish Creek, Wisconsin, as well as in Florida, North Carolina and Washington.
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NOTABLE
LGBTQ EXECUTIVES AMY ORTA
JASON RAE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
FOUNDER, PRESIDENT AND CEO
THE MILWAUKEE LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER
WISCONSIN LGBT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Amy Orta, executive director of the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, is the first Latinx and person of color to be appointed to the position in the Center’s 22-year history. Under Orta’s direction, the Center has increased outreach, programming and services to communities of color, transgender and gender non-conforming individuals and individuals with disabilities. Previously she was a fixture at Centro Hispano, rising from social worker to director of operations and special projects. “Besides being known for her work at Centro Hispano, Orta is also known by some for her fierce advocacy for her son, who is transgender, when he faces hurdles related to his gender identity in high school,” said Natalie Zanoni, associate executive director for the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center. With a background in early childhood education, Orta left the area in 2014 to head a troubled Head Start/Early Head Start program for Pinellas County, Florida. There, she led a turnaround that took the program from federal findings of malfeasance by previous leaders to a “Program of Excellence” designation from the National Head Start Association in 2016.
Jason Rae, a partner with Milwaukee-based Nation Consulting, is also the president and chief executive officer of the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce and the Secretary of the Democratic National Committee. Rae, 33, founded the Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce in 2012. It now has more than 700 member businesses. Rae leads a team of three employees at the chamber and is responsible for overall strategic vision and direction. Rae is also vice president of affiliate relations for the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. “He is recognized across the country as a leader in business and in particular diverse business spaces,” said Miles Fernandez, director of the Office of the Secretary for the Democratic National Committee. “I work with Jason on a daily basis and cannot speak more highly of his passion and dedication,” said Fernandez. “He is a noted and well-respected LGBTQ leader here, one of the highest-ranking LGBTQ officials within the DNC. He represents Milwaukee and Wisconsin well on the national stage in this all-volunteer role.” Rae also is active on a number of community boards, including the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District Board, VISIT Milwaukee and is a United Way Campaign Cabinet member.
ADAM SCHLICHT
WESLEY SHAVER
PORT DIRECTOR
PRESIDENT
PORT MILWAUKEE
MILWAUKEE PRIDE, INC.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett named Oak Creek native Adam Schlicht to be the director of Port Milwaukee in 2018. Schlicht oversees and directs the port’s multimodal, commercial, and cruise ship operations, which generates over $100 million in local economic activity annually. He has a staff of 20 employees. A longtime employee of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. at the U.S. Department of Transportation in both Washington, D.C. and Cleveland, Ohio, Schlicht has significant experience in marine transportation, international marketing, and Great Lakes shipping. He was involved in the effort to establish, and then led, the Seaway’s international trade office in Cleveland. Activity at the port has increased under Schlicht’s leadership. Total cargo handled at the port was up 11% in 2019, and Schlicht spearheaded the successful effort to secure more than $31 million in public and private investment to fund a new agricultural export facility at the port. The number of cruise ships stopping in Milwaukee rose from four in 2018 to 10 in 2019, and Viking Cruises recently announced its selection of Port Milwaukee as its turnaround home port for their new Great Lakes cruises, set to begin in 2022.
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Wesley Shaver is an independent branding consultant, servicing Milwaukee businesses, and is also the president of Milwaukee Pride Inc. He is also the former director of development for PrideFest Milwaukee and former director of marketing and sales for Wild Planet Hospitality Group. He has been an active member of Milwaukee’s LGBTQ community since he took on his board seat with PrideFest in 2014 at the age of 29. At the time he was the youngest on the board. By 2017, he became president of the board after several years of personnel and organizational transitions. By 2017, Milwaukee Pride Inc., the 501(c)(3) parent organization for the festival was formed, however there was no leadership in place to align the festival with a year-round, active organization. “Since 2017, Wes’ simultaneous work with the festival and Milwaukee Pride has shown strides in reinvestments back into the local community ($50,000 in 2019), creating partnerships with other groups such as UWM, and re-established relationships with past community partners that had been fractured,” said Richard Brammer, account executive for Insurance Management Consultants. “Wes’ work has shown a true commitment to champion the efforts of local representation, create outlets for people to participate and experience the PRIDE movement and most importantly show that strengthening the community starts with communicating and working together.”
JACK H. SMITH
BOHDAN ZACHARY
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT SALES EXECUTIVE
VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER
SHOREWEST REALTORS
MILWAUKEE PBS
Jack H. Smith is a residential real estate broker for Shorewest Realtors and has 34 years of experience in the industry, including 23 years with Shorewest.
Bohdan Zachary has been vice president of Milwaukee PBS since January, and general manager since 2015. He manages an organization with a $19 million annual budget and 65 full-time employees.
During his real estate career, Smith has achieved more than $400 million in personal sales. He was named an associate vice president of Shorewest Realtors as a result of his consistent high levels of achievement, according to Shorewest executive vice president John Horning.
Previously he was senior vice president of broadcasting, programming and syndication for KCETLink in Burbank, California and before that he was a producer and director for E! Entertainment Television.
“Jack’s success can be attributed to his dynamic and compassionate personality,” Horning said. “Whether it is his compassion towards the LGBTQ community, his determination for his real estate clients, or his kindness to friends and strangers, Jack gives it his all.” Smith has been passionate about the growing film culture in Milwaukee, the LGBTQ film community in particular. Not only has he sponsored the Milwaukee LGBT Film Festival, he has also held the opening night sponsor party for 10 years. Additionally, the LGBTQ Community Center honored him for his generosity with the naming of the Jack H. Smith Library. He has received the Milwaukee LGBTQ Community Center Circle of Pride Award as well as the Milwaukee LGBTQ Community Center Equality Award. “It is crucial to have advocates with Jack’s compassion and support in the community,” Horning said.
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Buildings & Construction May 25, 2020 Space Reservation: May 13, 2020
Office Space
He was recently appointed to the FCC’s Consumer Advisory Committee (the first public television representative in its 20-year history). “Bohdan is driven by a passion for creating community impact with depth, perspective, and context. He sees MPBS as ‘Milwaukee’s Storyteller,’ an integral part of the community, not simply a media outlet. He is expanding MPBS’ reach into our vibrant community, showcasing the diversity that is Milwaukee’s strength,” said Dr. Vicki Martin, president of Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC). Milwaukee PBS is a service of MATC. “Bohdan is an exemplary leader, embracing the changing media landscape. His creative mind, coupled with an astute ability to guide people toward a new vision of what a PBS station needs to be, is a tremendous benefit to public media and our own community.”
Now more than ever, viewers are turning to Milwaukee PBS for trusted, unbiased information about our community and the world. MATC and Milwaukee PBS congratulate Bohdan Zachary and all of this year’s honorees! | matc.edu
May 25, 2020 Space Reservation: May 13, 2020 Contact Linda Crawford today! Phone: 414.336.7112 Email: advertise@biztimes.com
MATC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, the national standard in accrediting colleges and schools for distinction in academics and student services. MATC is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution and complies with all requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
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Contact Linda Crawford at linda.crawford@biztimes.com CELEBRATING 25 YEARS
THE EXECUTIVE LUXURY LIVING
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SPECIAL REPORT
A selection of southeastern Wisconsin’s finest homes for sale and luxurious remodeling projects.
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B A C K YA R D S
LUXURY HOMES ON THE MARKET IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN
N1860 N. Black Point Road, Town of Linn
CHRIS KAYSER PHOTOGRAPHY
Black Point Manor is a one-of-a-kind architectural work, the history of which is detailed at blackpointmanor.com. The 10,800-square-foot home sits on 5 acres, and boasts a private 0.75-acre lagoon, perennial gardens and 464 feet of frontage on Geneva Lake. It has five bedrooms (including the master bedroom with a private bar and sitting room), 10 bathrooms, a curved staircase, nine fireplaces and an expansive walk-out lower level leading to the lakeside pool and cabana. It is listed for sale by Wendy Murphy of d’aprile properties.
D’APRILE PROPERTIES
$7.78 million
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LUXURY HOMES ON THE MARKET IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN
1500 Sunset Drive, Elm Grove $4.1 million
FIREFLY REAL ESTATE
This English Manor-inspired estate is a combination of elegance, high style and thoughtful detail. The 13,600-square-foot home was built in 2009 with Castle Rock limestone. It has five bedrooms, five full bathrooms, four half bathrooms and a seven-car attached garage. It features custom millwork and cabinetry throughout, plastered interior walls, eight gas fireplaces, hand-scraped walnut floors and heated marble floors. The master bedroom offers bonus living space with a fireplace, kingsized bedroom, dressing room and master bathroom with a walk-in shower and custom marble tile and vanities. It is listed for sale by Katie Sprague of Firefly Real Estate.
693 Dublin Drive, Town of Erin $3.9 million
KINGS WAY HOMES
This home is an outdoor and nature enthusiast’s dream come true. It sits on 160 acres, featuring woodland, marsh, prairie and several ponds teaming with fish. A 300-acre conservancy that abuts the property provides full access to hiking trails. The 6,400-square-foot home, built in 1970, has six bedrooms, six full bathrooms and two half bathrooms. There are four outbuildings on the property, including a gazebo, pool house, detached two-car garage and large barn once used for a hobby deer and elk farm. It is listed for sale by Craig Caliendo of Kings Way Realty.
44 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
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This 10,350-square-foot, lifestyle-oriented home is set on 5 acres. It includes four bedrooms, five full bathrooms and two half bathrooms. The wood-paneled study makes an ideal retreat, while both the great room and sunroom are bathed in natural light and boast incredible views of the manicured grounds. Outside feels like a resort, complete with a pool, waterfall and fire pit. The five-car garage is a car lover’s dream. It is listed for sale by Falk Ruvin Gallagher of Keller Williams Northshore.
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LUXURY HOMES ON THE MARKET IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN
825 N. Prospect Ave., #601, Milwaukee $2.4 million
VRX MEDIA
This custom-designed two-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom University Club Tower condominium offers breathtaking views of Lake Michigan. It features a modern open-concept kitchen with a large butler’s pantry, expansive living and dining areas, family room, office space and fireplace and the largest outdoor terrace currently available in Milwaukee. Condo tower amenities include 24-hour security, concierge service, a complete fitness center with lap pool and a screening room. Also included are two parking spaces and a private storage room. It is listed by the Peter Mahler Team of Sotheby’s International Realty.
7200 N. Beach Drive, Fox Point $2.25 million
FALK RUVIN GALLAGHER
This fully updated red-brick colonial on Beach Drive sits on a property with 165 feet of Lake Michigan shoreline. The 4,300-square-foot home includes five bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and a four-car garage. The warm, white-painted kitchen features honed granite countertops and top-quality appliances. The adjacent family room has cathedral ceilings and a wall of lake-facing windows. A generous porch resides just off the family room. Out back, a stone patio is the ideal backdrop for summer barbecues. It is listed for sale by Falk Ruvin Gallagher of Keller Williams Northshore.
46 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
11390 N. Creekside Court, Mequon $1.7 million
OF POWERS REALTY GROUP
This property was designed for year-round entertainment on a private wooded one-acre lot. The 5,500-square-foot, four-bedroom home offers breathtaking views, high ceilings and amazing finishes throughout. It has a chef’s kitchen with prep island, and French doors open to the outdoor adult play space with a built-in hot tub, fire pit, pond, built-in grill, TV, terraced patios and decks. It also has extensive audio and video systems throughout, including a large lower-level theater space and second kitchen. It is listed for sale by Powers Realty Group.
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LUXURY HOMES ON THE MARKET IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN
3944 N. Lake Drive, Shorewood $1.4 million
OF POWERS REALTY GROUP
This 5,350-square-foot stunning Cream City Brick colonial has grand views of Lake Michigan from nearly every room. It features a grand marble foyer, tall ceilings, gorgeous moldings and refinished hardwood floors. A remodeled kitchen includes birch inset custom cabinetry, butcher block island and subway tile backsplash. A grand staircase leads to the family room with soaring ceilings, wet bar and second fireplace. It has seven bedrooms, five bathrooms and two half bathrooms. It is listed for sale by Powers Realty Group.
1313 N. Franklin Place, #1701, Milwaukee $1.25 million
CORLEY REAL ESTATE
This southwest-corner unit at the BreakWater Condominiums has an open floor plan with wood floors, spacious dining area, floor-toceiling windows and amazing panoramic views. Residents can entertain guests on the oversized private balcony. The gourmet kitchen boasts a two-tier breakfast bar, custom cabinets, granite countertops, top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances and a tiled backsplash. In the master bedroom is a walk-in closet and master bath with a whirlpool tub, dual vanities, a backsplash and tiled shower stall. It is listed for sale by Corley Real Estate.
48 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
W6414 Sumac Road, Plymouth
VIBRANT FOCUS PHOTOGRAPHY
This custom home is designed with every feature imaginable, and then some. This 7,100-square-foot, five-bedroom home was built in 2009. The open-concept home features vaulted ceilings, double kitchen islands, trayed lighted ceiling treatments and custom profiled woodwork, cabinetry and built-ins. The full walk-out lower level has a tiered home theater. Walls of transom windows welcome daylight into every room, and accent lighting warms each room at night. The foothills of the Kettle Moraine offer views of nature in every direction. It is listed for sale by Tricia Brost of RE/MAX Gallery.
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LUXURIOUS HOME REMODELS
Kitchen From outdated and cluttered to mid-century modern chic, this kitchen remodel from a couple of years ago is still one of Milwaukee-based LaBonte Construction’s most popular projects among its customers. The Bayside home belongs to a young couple that had grown tired of the poor traffic flow and cramped space of their original kitchen. LaBonte Construction spent about three months on the transformation, which created a more functional, versatile kitchen space opening to the large family room. The entire project cost $108,000, including $75,000 for the kitchen improvements. With natural light from ceiling skylights and patio doors overlooking the wooded backyard, the open-concept design “invites the outside in,” said Dave LaBonte, senior project manager at LaBonte Construction. He said the main goal of the project was to ensure the kitchen functioned better for the owners. “It reflects the young couple’s lifestyle and how they wanted to live,” he said. Opening the space required some structural work, including removing the room’s obtrusive post and most of the drop beam. LaBonte said the company brought in an interior designer to help pull off the couple’s vision. The remodeled kitchen features locally custom-made maple wood cabinets, quartz countertops and backsplash, popular satin brass finish accents and tile floors. The skylights were replaced during a separate exterior roofing project.
LA BONTE CONSTRUCTION
LaBonte said open-concept kitchens and mid-century modern design are both popular trends these days, so the combination of the two is dynamite.
50 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
“I think we did it in a way where it will last and stand the test of time, even if they decide to sell the home,” he said. “It will probably be a feature point.”
LUXURIOUS HOME REMODELS
Bathroom A Pewaukee couple faced a challenge when it came to their master bathroom: it was plenty spacious, but oddly divided walls created a disjointed feel throughout the 70-square-foot space. From an overwhelming amount of tile to the poor-functioning layout, the homeowners considered it a wet room gone wrong. The bathroom underwent a $100,000 renovation that transformed the flow of the space. One of the signature elements of the bathroom is a custom double vanity with custom cabinetry, along with a sit-down makeup area featuring a backlit mirror. “They wanted a bathroom layout that gave them not only a his and hers sink and prep station but a designated vanity as well,” said Shannon Trudeau, marketing coordinator for Greendale-based J&J Contractors. “The idea of updated old school glam really appealed to the wife of this couple.“ The bathroom includes a large walk-in standing shower, featuring a glass door, floor-toceiling neutral tiles and pebble tile accents.
The bathroom’s former green and white-tiled walls were replaced with a variety of natural colors and textures throughout the space. The room also features heated floors.
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A window was removed and replaced with a transom to allow some natural light in, while maintaining privacy.
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LUXURIOUS HOME REMODELS
Dressing room A couple loved their Town of Belgium home along Lake Michigan in northern Ozaukee County. But it had one problem: the master bedroom closet was way too small. It only had enough space for his clothes. She needed a space for their things. They decided to convert a 170-square-foot, underutilized office room at the front of the house into a spectacular dressing room. They hired Greenfield-based AB&K Bath & Kitchen Inc. to do the $110,000 project. The transformation of the space included the addition of an opulent crystal chandelier that hangs in the middle of the room, over an island that provides storage drawers and a countertop. The walls of the room are lined with custom-made wardrobe cabinets, designed based on the size of the gowns, dresses and garments that need to be stored there. The cabinets are covered with custom-made mirrors, designed with a vintage feel. The room also has a shoe carousel with storage for dozens of pairs of shoes and a makeup/dressing vanity. A custom-made boot bench under a set of four windows also provides storage. “She took inventory of everything she needed to store and we planned out how we were going to create space to store everything (in the dressing room),” said Tracy Grosspietsch, director of sales and design for AB&K. “She wanted more of a dressing room concept than a closet.” Electrical outlets were added to the vanity and the island for devices, such as hair dryers, curling irons or straightening irons. The wardrobe cabinets have integrated lighting with LED lights that automatically come on when the doors are opened. There is also lighting integrated into the countertop surface of the island.
52 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
LUXURIOUS HOME REMODELS
Rec Room An empty nester Glendale couple transformed their unfinished basement into a 450-square-foot upscale bourbon- and cigar-themed man cave. The $32,000 project, designed and remodeled by Property ReVision, features a motorcycle, brick feature wall, illuminated shelving to display bourbon, an exhaust fan to manage cigar smoke, a fireplace and lounge area. “Our client really enjoys cigars and bourbon and he had big ideas to renovate the unfinished basement,” said Property ReVision owner and project manager Jason Schafer. “Originally, he planned to finish the room himself, but as his ideas became more grand, he knew he’d need professional help.” A classic Honda 550 motorcycle customized as a café racer is prominently displayed, an idea inspired by the homeowner’s passion for motorcycles. Sitting just behind the motorcycle is a brick feature wall, which was made to match the same brick used to build the fireplace. The fireplace is topped off with a live edge wood mantel, which matches a large slab of wood with light fixtures used to illuminate the motorcycle. The floor was given a coating of urethane mixed with copper dust to give a nebulous pattern that paired well with the cigar and bourbon theme. The homeowner’s vast collection of bourbon sits on elevated and recessed shelving with a brick backdrop similar to that of the motorcycle backdrop.
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LUXURIOUS HOME REMODELS
Backyard There are outdoor spaces, and then there are outdoor spaces like the ones Ken DePratt and his team at KD Poolscapes built for a client living on a golf course in Wales. Spread across four elevations, the project features a pool, fire features, a fire pit, custom bar, two refrigerators, pergolas, a putting green, wire railings and accent brick, all within a brick wall to help manage drainage on the site. The roughly $300,000 project started in July 2018 and was done by May 2019, including a few months lost to winter. “We know exactly what it costs, right down to the penny,” said DePratt, president of KD Poolscapes. “We know all the square footages, we know all the elevations, we know how we’re going to do everything, so there’s no hidden costs.” The site came with challenges, including strict setbacks from the golf course and other properties, a septic system and limited access for equipment. DePratt takes pride in his company’s ability to take on jobs like this. “We go out and build what we design, no subcontracting,” he said. “It has limited us in size, but it’s allowed us to really work just building beautiful backyards.” KD Poolscapes will do three to 10 projects each year with a team of 10 people. A journeyman ironworker, DePratt said he puts an emphasis on foundation and drainage work. “You can’t handle $100,000 or $200,000 like you’re putting in an above ground pool or a 12-by-12 patio; it’s more complicated,” he said. The project in Wales required 200 frost footings to ensure its stability over time. “It’s like a parking structure,” DePratt said.
KD POOLSCAPES
He said customers are increasingly interested in investing in their backyards.
54 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
“People don’t have time,” DePratt said, noting customers prefer to stay home instead of driving several hours to go Up North. “This is right out your back door.”
Strategies LEADERSHIP
Business perseverance during challenging times Pivot and focus on what you can do, not what you can’t TIMES LIKE THESE bring some of the most unique changes we will see in businesses. The dot-com age, 9/11, and the Great Recession of 2008 were major moments of regrouping, changing and coming out more positive in the end. Now more than ever, leadership is essential for unifying businesses, especially as we face the COVID-19 pandemic. I handled 2001 differently than I should have for my company. However, I learned from my mistakes and ended up leading us through the 2008 crisis more effectively. We ended up coming out stronger than ever as a business. It all came down to communication, involving my staff, using the right tools, and, above all, taking action. The following is advice on how you can get through these times: 1. Remember that every problem is an unforeseen opportunity. Dare to be different and challenge the status quo. Don’t think about what your business can’t do; think about everything you can do. Conduct events online, offer delivery services or find a way to provide new services virtually. Ask your customers what they need and bring it to them.
2. Be quick to pivot and change. It’s amazing to see teams get involved and have a heightened sense of urgency in times of crisis. Engage them and let them be part of positive change. 3. Ask for help, listen to others, share best practices and act accordingly. Businesses are now coming together to help out. Use virtual roundtables, webinars or conference calls to share and receive advice. During the Great Recession, I moved my desk, sat by my staff and listened to what they were saying. After all, my staff was the closest to our customers and key suppliers. 4. Create a plan that focuses on the five parts of business: financials, customers, innovation, productivity and your people. Capture the major initiatives and targets that will transform your business into a solutions provider for your customers. A plan focuses and aligns your business to the items you want to change or enhance. Capture ways to improve any people or customer issues while focusing on innovation. Also, find ways to cut waste without necessarily cutting people. Gain insight into how you may be able to temporarily cut salary costs while communicating with those who may be impacted.
enforce accountability and make sure everyone is doing what they said they were going to do. Align these action items to your finances so you know what the implications are before assigning them. This added accountability increases business velocity and helps your business prosper. In addition, don’t forget about including your lending partners in your decision making. Cash preservation is so paramount during times like this. You are all in this together. 7. It’s encouraged to over communicate both formally and informally. As you know, anxiety and uncertainty are at a high right now. Be consistent and openly communicate to your employees, customers, suppliers, and financial partners. Let them know what is going on and how they can help. Align every action and decision to your business plan so you know that everyone is focused on achieving the same plan. Every problem is an unforeseen opportunity. Use this time to help your employees, customers and fellow businesses when it’s needed the most. U.S. Army General George S. Patton said, “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” I wish you all the best as you navigate through these uncharted waters. n
5. Act upon your 30/60/90-day forecast. Make sure your planning is focused on daily, weekly and monthly activities. Don’t think of this as cost cutting, but a way to innovate and provide optimum value to customers. Remain transparent, share these activities, and make sure they are aligned to the business plan. Staff will appreciate that and will want to help where they can. 6. Establish must do/can’t miss action items and hold each other accountable. Businesses need to change quickly. Keep moving the business forward by going through the process of creating or enhancing products, cutting waste, or redirecting roles. It’s important to
JERRY JENDUSA Jerry Jendusa is the co-founder of STUCK Coaching and was the founder of EMTEQ. He is a business advisor, investor and the author of “Get Unstuck.” He can be contacted at jerryj@getunstuck.com. biztimes.com / 55
Strategies CRISIS MANAGEMENT
A road map for crisis management Preparation results in better response PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY once said, “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” In the face of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, businesses and organizations across our city and our region have struggled to determine how to communicate about this evolving crisis. There are two subsets to a crisis management strategy: how you react to the crisis and how you manage your business during turbulent times. REACTING TO A CRISIS No matter if the crisis is internal or external to your organization, time is of the essence. You should have a designated crisis management team ready to expressly handle these types of situations whether they are internal or external to the organization. If not, someone should be appointed as the spokesperson or point person for the media or government agencies. Someone must articulate the organization’s position on the event, situation or crisis. As painful as it can be, the truth is your best friend. This is not the time for “spin” as the truth will come out and you want to be a source to be trusted. In recent years, a major airplane manufacturer and a national fast food provider were not completely truthful with the media and regulatory agencies. Boeing’s response to the 737 Max fatal crashes is an example of “duck and cover” tactics. Management, including their CEO David 56 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
Calhoun, tried to cover up the fact that their own people were concerned about the safety of the plane’s new navigational system. They responded with newly revised software designed to fix the software problem. Because of the level of distrust among pilots and passengers, and their initial responses, which were found to be flawed, the airlines grounded their existing 737 Max fleets and canceled their initial orders. As a result, there is a new chairman at Boeing and an ongoing investigation by the FAA. Chipotle experienced their third and fourth foodborne illness crises in Ohio and Massachusetts, when CEO Steve Ellis was the company’s voice. The crisis experts were not impressed, and criticized him because he was not “super specific” about what was being done to remedy the Boston norovirus problem that sickened more than 140 college students. The experts also said that Chipotle missed an opportunity for a more integrated response that could have included social media, where there were negative comments being shared. They did not make a concerted effort to manage the information on either the internet or social media channels. Their lack of response let the negative comments “run wild.” As a result, their inaction reinforced the perception that something was wrong with their “food safety culture.” MANAGING THE CRISIS Based on those two case studies, both companies could have done a better job of managing their individual crises. Kane Communications Group suggests strategies for successful internal and external communications in these types of situations: » Know who your key target audiences are. These include your employees, your customers, your contractors. They may also include elected officials or other specific groups. » Document all the communications channels you use to communicate with these audiences and how you use these channels. With employees, for example, your company may have an intranet site, email, weekly employee-supervisor meetings, a monthly town
hall. It’s also good to have their cell phone numbers. Document all these channels so you can activate them in real time when needed. » Develop a list of possible crisis scenarios with your leadership team. What could happen? Based on these scenarios, prepare “holding” documents that don’t need much updating when a crisis hits. These holding documents may include key messages, statements, a press release, email templates for each target audience that can be used in response to the scenario. » Connect your crisis communications strategy and messaging to your mission, vision and core values. These brand attributes are critical during a crisis and extremely important to help protect your brand. » Get input from a crisis communications expert. Today, a company’s reputation and its value can rise and fall with a single tweet. Communication is a core business strategy. Take it seriously – especially before a crisis. A FEW OTHER IMPORTANT STRATEGIES: » Carefully fact check approved messages. » Identify a crisis team and/or key spokesperson(s). » Develop both short-term and long-term plans for communication. » Set policies for media relations and social media. » Always be authentic and transparent. » Turn to your legal team and communications counsel equally. Your legal team establishes guidelines, your communications counsel helps you manage the court of public opinion. n
Cary Silverstein, MBA, is a speaker, author and consultant, a former executive for Gimbel’s Midwest and JH Collectibles, and a former professor for DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School. Kimberly Kane is the president and CEO of Kane Communications Group.
Tip Sheet Managing remote teams
T
he COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has drastically changed life as we know it, including how — and where — we work. Remote work is not a new phenomenon. Almost 25% of the U.S. workforce already works from home, according to the Harvard Business Review, which recently pub-
lished “A guide to managing your (newly) remote workers” for companies navigating this uncharted territory. Connect every day Daily check-ins should take place on a predictable and regular basis, according to HBR. Whether it’s a one-on-one or team call, employees should know that they can “consult with you, and that their concerns and questions will be heard.” Provide multiple channels of communication Communicating solely via email is not enough to sufficiently keep in touch with your team. Platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet can be used for both video and audio conferencing. As the mode closest to in-person face-to-face conversation, video calling has its advantages, especially for smaller teams and complex or sensitive conversations.
Lay ground rules HBR argues remote work is more efficient and satisfying when managers maintain guidelines for the team’s “frequency, means, and ideal timing of communication.” Define the purpose of each mode of communication, and let the team know how they can best reach you during the day. Also, monitor communication between team members to ensure information is being shared. Social interaction and emotional wellbeing Budget some time at the beginning of team calls for informal non-work conversations, perhaps asking about employees’ weekends. During this time of abrupt change and distress, don’t forget to acknowledge stress and listen to employees’ struggles. Frequently ask how they are doing and how they are adjusting to working from home and affirm confidence that your team can handle this challenge. n
Cut through the noise.
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*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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Marketplace • • • • • • •
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BIZ PEOPLE
Advertising Section: New Hires, Promotions, Accolades and Board Appointments
BANKING David Sook joins the Equipment Finance Team at First Business with over 25 years of experience in equipment finance, covering a wide variety of industries including healthcare, technology, and municipal markets. With his extensive background, he is expertly positioned to help your business.
HUMAN RESOURCES Lemberg hired William Starck to lead its human resources efforts. Starck holds a degree from UW-Whitewater and brings over 18 years of large company human resources experience to his new role.
NONPROFIT Lisa Weisman is now the Regional Chief Development Officer at the American Red Cross of Wisconsin. With an extensive nonprofit leadership career, Weisman says she looks forward to making connections that “bring joy” to Red Cross supporters.
CONSTRUCTION CG Schmidt, a Milwaukee-based CM firm, has promoted Joe Hoffmeier to Managing Director of the Special Projects Group. As Managing Director, Joe will oversee and expand the Special Projects Group’s services to more clients throughout the state.
INSURANCE
CONTRACTING CCI, a leading GC firm, announced that Marily Gardner has joined the company as Corporate Director of Strategic Partnerships. She will strengthen community relations and work closely with executives in the Milwaukee area to define growth strategies.
MANUFACTURING
Melissa Stauber joins Robertson Ryan & Associates as their HR Manager. She has over 20 years HR experience and will be responsible for recruitment, benefits, employee relations, HR law, compliance and reporting at their Top 100 US Insurance Agency.
Michael Bollero has joined Max Weiss Company, the region’s leader in custom metal bending and structural steel fabrication, as Senior Relationship Manager. He is an industry veteran of two decades with broad knowledge of steel bending and rolling.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
STAFFING
Amy Kust Named TRC Global Mobility EVP & CFO. Amy Kust was named Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of TRC Global Mobility by the company’s outside board. Amy has been with TRC since 2009. TRC is the only 100% employee-owned relocation management company in the industry.
Roberta Murphy, Vice President of WFA Staffing Group, is now an owner of the company. Her addition to the ownership group is her award for great service and signifies the commitment of the company to serving our clients for the future generations.
FINANCIAL SERVICES Prairie Trust ® is proud to announce the hire of Thomas Kieffer as senior trust administrator. Thom will be responsible for serving as a relationship manager and fiduciary advisor for a wide range of trust and estate settlement clients.
MEDIA & MARKETING Lemberg’s Sign Designer Eric Bailey took top honors in the Wisconsin Sign Association’s 2019 Sign Design Contest. Bailey won first and second place, respectively, for brand signs at Saint Kates Arts Hotel and Ironworkers Local 8.
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BizConnections NONPROFIT MILWAUKEE NONPROFITS TURN TO VIRTUAL GALAS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC Amid social distancing restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, several Milwaukee-area nonprofits are hosting virtual galas this spring in lieu of their traditional in-person fundraising events. Make-A-Wish Wisconsin recently hosted its annual signature Wish Night gala virtually, livestreaming the video program on Facebook and YouTube. The organization originally planned for about 650 guests to gather at The Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee. The livestreamed event brought in about $575,000, about $175,000 short of its budgeted goal. “But, being a virtual event and pivoting in 2.5 weeks (to the new format), we were still very happy,” said Forrest Doolen, director of marketing and com-
munications for Make-A-Wish Wisconsin. The Red Cross of Wisconsin’s Southeast Wisconsin Chapter had planned on holding its 15th annual Brave Hearts gala on May 14 at the Kohl’s Innovation Center in Menomonee Falls. It is instead converting the gala into a week-long virtual event, which will “open” online on May 14 at 7 p.m. and close on May 21. Last year’s Brave Hearts gala brought in $266,215 in net total revenue. Red Cross leaders haven’t set a target for this year’s event, said Jen Allen, event specialist for American Red Cross of Wisconsin. “I think we have to be realistic and know that we can’t operate as if it’s business as usual,” she said. — Lauren Anderson
c alendar ProHealth Care will hold virtual Walks for Cancer from May 2-16. In lieu of a single walk, the ProHealth Care Foundation is asking participants to pick an approximately 2-mile course, select a day and time to walk and bring along a few people. Proceeds from the event will stay in Waukesha County to help fight cancer through research, education and support services. More information is available at ProHealthCare.org/WalksforCancer. The American Red Cross of Wisconsin will host its annual Brave Hearts fundraiser as a virtual event from May 14-21. The event is accessible at one.bidpal.net/2020braveheartsgala. The event opens at 7 p.m. on May 14 and concludes at 7 p.m. on May 21. There is no cost associated with the event but registering is encouraged. More information is available at redcross.org/local/wisconsin.
D O N AT I O N R O U N D U P Healthy Eats for Hospital Heroes, a collaboration between Milwaukee attorney Jay Urban and Kathy Papineau, owner of MKE Localicious Catering, has donated meals once a week to all COVID-19 professionals and support staff at Froedtert Hospital. | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee faculty, researchers and staff recently donated 31,300 gloves, nearly 900 masks, 125 pieces of eye protection, 20 gowns and nine hazmat suits to the Milwaukee County Unified Emergency Operations Center. | Landmark Credit Union recently raised $48,638 for Children’s Wisconsin through the sale of paper links and hearts at its branch locations. Landmark also donated $25,000 to the United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County’s COVID-19 Urgent Needs Fund. | HSA Bank donated $25,000 to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, Sheboygan County Food Bank and United Way of Sheboygan County.
60 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
nonprofit
SPOTLIGHT
AMERICAN RED CROSS OF WISCONSIN
2600 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee (800) 236-8680 | redcross.org/Wisconsin Facebook: facebook.com/wisconsinredcross | Twitter: @RedCrossWIS Year founded: 1881 nationally; 1916 in southeast Wisconsin Mission statement: The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Primary focus of your nonprofit organization: Disaster relief and preparedness; collection and supply of blood donations and other blood products; support of military, veterans and their families; life-saving skills training, such as CPR and lifeguarding; and connections to people in need of international services, such as training and communication during strife. Number of employees at this location: 17 in Milwaukee and about 50 statewide; 2,300 volunteers across Wisconsin and the U.P. of Michigan Key donors: Johnson Controls, Kohl’s, Northwestern Mutual, Rayovac, S.C. Johnson, American Family Insurance, Church Mutual, Culver’s, J.J. Keller Foundation, Menasha Corporation, Rockwell Automation Executive leadership: Mark Thomas, regional CEO & Southeast Wisconsin Chapter executive; Lisa Weisman, regional chief development officer; Tom Mooney, COO Board of directors: Southeast Wisconsin Chapter: Rebecca Fitzgerald (Chair), John Griffith (Treasurer), Beth Anderson (Secretary), Pat Ackerman, Iain Boyd, David Ertmer, Lisa George, Carol Grunberg, Scott Haag, Kenneth Harris, William Jessup, Phyllis King, Caroline Saucier Kravit, Christopher
Kuranz, Justin Letts, Molly Lueder, Alexis MacDowall, David Pegorsch, Lanelle Ramey, Colleen Reilly, Sue Shimoyama, Gregory Storm, Michael Stull, Mary Voelker, Peggy WilliamsSmith, Steve Zamansky Is your organization actively seeking board members for the upcoming term? Yes What roles are you looking to fill? We’re interested in people who want to be involved in our mission on the board as well as on one of our important committees. Reach out to Mark. Thomas3@redcross.org. Ways the business community can help your nonprofit: “Wisconsin companies are absolutely amazing in their support of our communities. Right now, we’d invite them to continue in whatever ways they are able – encourage employees to donate blood, plan to host a blood drive in the coming months, seek ways employees can match their inspiration with our volunteer opportunities, and consider a donation to continue our ongoing work.” – Lisa Weisman, regional chief development officer of the American Red Cross of Wisconsin Key fundraising events: » Brave Hearts (Milwaukee & virtual – May 2020) » Golf Outing & Community Heroes Recognition (Madison & Green Bay – September 2020) » Heroes Breakfast (Eau Claire – spring 2021) » Heroes Musicales (Wild Rose – spring 2021)
AROUND TOWN Scenes during COVID-19 Pandemic
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DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE buildings lit up in red, white and blue as a sign of national support and solidarity during the COVID-19 public health crisis. Photo by Maredithe Meyer
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A carryout order waiting to be picked up outside CELESTA on Milwaukee’s East Side. Photo by Maredithe Meyer
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LAKEFRONT BREWERY’S iconic “Three Stooges” sculptures decked out in face masks. Photo by Maredithe Meyer
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Cudahy-based SKYLINE CATERING began making boxed lunches for clients in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, which resulted in the loss of the company’s corporate catering business. Photo by Ernie Wunsch, owner of Skyline Catering
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VOTERS try to maintain several feet of distance while waiting to cast their ballot at Riverside High School in Milwaukee. Photo by Brandon Anderegg
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NURSES at Aurora St Luke’s South Shore in Cudahy line up to celebrate Christopher Macintosh, a 40-year-old COVID-19 patient who was recently discharged from the hospital. Photo courtesy of Advocate Aurora Health
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ALLISON HORNER, a CNA at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton, with Wynonia Payne, an 81-year-old COVID-19 patient who was recently discharged from the hospital center. Photo courtesy of Advocate Aurora Health
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BizConnections VOLUME 26, NUMBER 2 | APR 27, 2020
GLANCE AT YESTERYEAR
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A much different Commerce Street This June 1959 Herman Wudtke photo shows North Commerce Street in Milwaukee looking to the north from the Holton Street viaduct. Today, the properties and buildings with Commerce Street or Riverboat Road addresses within this picture have a combined total value of more than $67.2 million, according to city of Milwaukee records. Most of them are condominiums and apartments, built since 2000. — Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Public Library
COMMENTARY
COVID-19 Catch-22 CATCH-22, a term that originated from the 1961 novel by Joseph Heller, refers to a dilemma from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting or dependent conditions. That’s one way to look at the public health and economic fight against COVID-19.
The devastating impact of this pandemic is clear. As I write this there are 2.6 million confirmed cases globally, resulting in more than 184,000 deaths. In the United States there are more than 855,000 confirmed cases and more than 50,000 deaths. In Wisconsin, 4,845 cases and 246 deaths. Although some drugs have shown promise, there is no clinically proven cure. Vaccines are still under development and likely at least a year away from being available. The only way we can fight COVID-19, which is extremely contagious, is through social distancing. Without shelter-in-place measures, including Gov. Tony Evers’ “Safer at Home” order, the COVID-19 spread would be much worse. 62 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 27, 2020
Efforts to “flatten the curve” have been successful, giving nurses and doctors, who are risking their lives to treat COVID-19 patients, a fighting chance against the virus. However, mandated social distancing has had a devastating effect on the economy, shutting most of it down and plunging us into a recession, and maybe a depression. Job losses are mounting and many businesses have closed, unsure if they will recover. Economists at UW-Madison estimated the state’s unemployment rate was at 16.7% as of April 16. The high during the Great Recession was 9.3%. Every day the economic damage from shelter-in-place orders like Safer at Home grows. Understandably, many are growing restless. People who have lost their jobs, or had their pay cut are worried about paying their bills and supporting their families. Business owners fret about the employees who depend on them and wonder if they will lose everything they’ve worked for. Evers’ decision to extend Safer at Home to May 26 caused much angst. Some are demanding the state’s economy be reopened, now. We all want the economy reopened as soon as possible, but doing so too soon would be
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DIRECTOR OF SALES Linda Crawford linda.crawford@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Paddy Kieckhefer paddy.kieckhefer@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Molly Lawrence molly.lawrence@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Maggie Pinnt maggie.pinnt@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Christie Ubl christie.ubl@biztimes.com INSIDE SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Dylan Dobson dylan.dobson@biztimes.com SALES ADMINISTRATOR Meggan Hau meggan.hau@biztimes.com
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— Founded 1995 —
a big mistake. That could lead to a spike in COVID-19 cases, which would then result in another shutdown and we will be right back where we started. It makes no sense to resume business as normal if employees and customers are concerned for their safety. At the same time, social distancing is not a sustainable strategy. We can’t keep doing this for another 12 to 18 months until a vaccine is available. When the time is right, we’re going to have to figure out a new normal to do business in a modified fashion until then. Evers recently laid out a phased reopening plan, based on guidelines recommended by President Donald Trump. Hopefully we progress through the steps of the plan in a reasonable amount of time and get our economy back on track as soon, and as safely, as possible. n
ANDREW WEILAND EDITOR
P / 414-336-7120 E / andrew.weiland@biztimes.com T / @AndrewWeiland
ANDREW FELLER PHOTOGRAPHY
the LASTWORD
PAM MEHNERT |
GENERAL MANAGER
Welcoming to all…not just words on paper
Outpost Natural Foods
Since 1987, Pam Mehnert has been general manager of Milwaukee-based Outpost Natural Foods, one of the
Milwaukee, Bay View, Mequon,
larger multi-store retail food cooperatives in the U.S. Outpost has four store locations across southeastern
Wauwatosa Industry: Retail, grocery Employees: More than 400 outpost.coop
Wisconsin. The business says it’s welcoming to all, but Mehnert says talk is cheap when it comes to diversity. “Outpost Natural Foods exists to serve the community rather than maximize profits. Since 1970 we’ve run our co-op through the lens of our deeply-rooted values, which today is focused on the health and sustainability of communities that reflect the diversity of our ownership. “As we mark our 50th anniversary this month, there are many milestones of which we’re proud but few are as important as exemplifying one of our seven ‘cooperative principles’ of being ‘open to everyone’ — or as we like to say, ‘everyone is welcome here.’ That principle is reflected not only
in our customer base, but also in our leadership and workforce. “We employ a high ratio of women, with more than 52% making up the mid-level and top leadership in the co-op; and about one-fourth of those top positions are filled by people of color. We also prioritize full-time employment, with 66% of our workforce working full time hours with benefits. As a community-owned business, member/owners elect our board of directors so it makes sense that a multicultural board with 44% people of color would lead our way.
“‘Everyone is welcome here’ can’t only be words on paper – it’s about how we walk our talk and exemplify what creates that hospitality when you walk into one of our stores. Our approach has been a strong market differentiator for us, bringing in new shoppers across our community who make a connection with us because they feel like they belong here.” n biztimes.com / 63
TO ALL OUR FRONTLINE WORKERS, FIRST RESPONDERS, STATE EMERGENCY SERVICES AND HOSPITAL STAFF FOR WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. #InThisTogetherMKE FROM ALL OF US AT