BizTimes Milwaukee | May 10, 2021

G N I BIK M O O B

BIOTECH STARTUP DEVELOPS UV LIGHT SYSTEM TO SANITIZE MOBILE DEVICES 10 AUTOMATION DRIVES GROWTH AT AMERICAN FRICTION WELDING 14 KWIK TRIP’S EXPANSION PLANS 46

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2:30 - 6:30PM | Brookfield Conference Center

Building Value and (Re)Creating Culture Join BizTimes Media and a distinguished group of family business owners and leaders for idea sharing and hands-on learning to help you as you look past the pandemic to what’s next. Learn and network in person with others who are on same journey as they navigate their way through recreating their culture post pandemic, grow through innovation, transition to a new generation and more.

The program begins with a keynote conversation, followed by a panel discussion, three concurrent breakout sessions and a cocktail reception.

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Keynote Speaker: Carl Rick, Training Manager/Third Generation Spokesperson, Kwik Trip (1) Panelists: Ryan Riegle, President & CEO, Regal Ware (2) Lacey Sadoff, President, Badger Liquor (3) Andrew Stenihafel, President, Steinhafels (4)

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» MAY 10 - 23, 2021

4 Leading Edge 4 NOW

BY THE NUMBERS 5 BIZ LUNCH 6 GETTING THERE 7 FROM CONCEPT TO COMPLETION 8 MY FAVORITE TECH 9 THE GOOD LIFE 10 JUMP START 11 ON MY NIGHTSTAND BIZ POLL

12 Biz News

COVER STORY

20

Biking boom Industry experiences sales surge during pandemic

Special Reports

12 PHOTO ESSAY: MILWAUKEE RIVERKEEPER’S ANNUAL SPRING CLEANUP 14 MADE IN MILWAUKEE: AMERICAN FRICTION WELDING 18 REAL ESTATE

38 Strategies 38 M&A Dan Steininger 39 LEADERSHIP Aleta Norris 40 SALES Robert Grede 41 A BRIEF CASE

44 Biz Connections

25 Health Care

Report examines how the opening of Granite Hills Hospital in West Allis later this year and plans for a new mental health emergency center in Milwaukee will affect Milwaukee County’s Behavioral Health Division.

27 Small Business Week Coverage includes a look at how small businesses can leverage increased consumer interest and a report about individuals who decided to follow their passion with a career change to start their own business.

Partner with Wisconsin’s Bank for Business®

COVER AND TOC PHOTOS: JAKE HILL PHOTOGRAPHY

BizTimes Milwaukee (ISSN 1095-936X & USPS # 017813) Volume 27, Number 3, MAY 10, 2021 – May 23, 2021. BizTimes Milwaukee is published bi-weekly, except monthly in January, February, July, August and December by BizTimes Media LLC at 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120, USA. Basic annual subscription rate is $96. Single copy price is $5. Back issues are $8 each. Periodicals postage paid at Milwaukee, WI and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address corrections to BizTimes Milwaukee, 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120. Entire contents copyright 2021 by BizTimes Media LLC. All rights reserved.

Contents

44 GLANCE AT YESTERYEAR COMMENTARY 45 PAY IT FORWARD 46 5 MINUTES WITH…MARK MEISNER OF KWIK TRIP

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414-273-3507

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Leading Edge

BIZTIMES DAILY – The day’s most significant news → biztimes.com/subscribe

NOW

Several airlines launching new service at Mitchell

By Andrew Weiland, staff writer The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the travel sector of the economy, including the airline industry. Passenger traffic at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport fell 61.9% in 2020 to 2.6 million passengers, down from nearly 6.9 million passengers in 2019.

Many avoided traveling in 2020, opting to not take vacations or visit family and friends.

Anticipating a huge pent-up

demand for leisure travel, airlines are now planning to add numerous flights, including more service at Mitchell International.

Since the start of this year, three airlines have announced that they will enter the Milwaukee market. Meanwhile, other airlines already operating at Mitchell have announced plans for new routes or additional flights.

The three new airlines coming to Milwaukee are New York-based

BY THE NUMBERS

Wisconsin’s population in 2020 was

5,893,718 up 3.6% from 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

4 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 10, 2021

JetBlue Airways, Florida-based Spirit Airlines, Inc. and Minneapolis-based Sun Country Airlines.

The addition of those three airlines will increase the number of carriers serving Mitchell to 10.

JetBlue will begin Milwaukee service in 2022, offering nonstop flights to Boston and New York (JFK).

“JetBlue is the largest domestic airline not already serving MKE, and this will be a fantastic option for passengers traveling to and from Milwaukee in 2022,” airport director Brian Dranzik said.

Spirit will launch its Milwaukee service on June 24, with daily flights to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Orlando. Spirit will be the only airline offering direct flights from Milwaukee to L.A. “We’ve had our eye on Milwaukee for a long time, and we’re excited to bring our unique value proposition to the Brew City,” said John Kirby, vice president of network planning for Spirit Airlines.

Sun Country will begin its Milwaukee service on Aug. 26 with flights to Minneapolis and Las Vegas, but only on Thursdays and Sundays. It will launch service on Saturdays from Milwaukee to Cancun on Dec. 18. Service to Fort Myers, Florida on Wednesdays and Saturdays will launch on Dec. 15.

Service to Phoenix on Mondays and Fridays will launch on Dec. 17.

“We know folks are excited to resume traveling,” Sun Country

chief revenue officer Grant Whitney said.

Southwest Airlines already has a major presence at Mitchell International and added flights to Destin and Sarasota, Florida. The Sarasota flights began April 17 and will be offered through Aug. 14.

The Destin flights will be offered on Saturdays from June 12 to Aug. 14.

Also, in April Southwest increased its Milwaukee service to Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa and Phoenix.

“Florida continues to be the number one destination state for Milwaukee-based travelers and Southwest is responding to this demand,” Dranzik said.

This summer, United Airlines is also adding more destinations from Milwaukee, including Charleston, South Carolina; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.; Pensacola, Florida; Portland, Maine; and Savannah, Georgia. The flights will generally be offered twice a week, from May 28 through Labor Day weekend.

In addition, American Airlines said it will resume the Milwaukee to Miami service it offered this winter, starting on June 5, with flights offered on Saturdays through Aug. 14 and between Nov. 13 and March 22, 2022.

“Thanks to more Wisconsin travelers choosing MKE and booking the flight over the winter, American is responding to demand from Milwaukee by bringing this service back to MKE,” Dranzik said. n

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BIZ LUNCH

Lunch

Biz

HOP HARVEST & VINE PUBLIC HOUSE WEBSITE: hopharvestvine.com

CONTRIBUTED

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A D D R E S S: 2205 Silvernail Road, Pewaukee

CUISINE: Globally inspired C H E F: Erik Mahr M O O D: Casual PRICING: Lunch: $8-17; Dinner shareable plates: $9-22 With its close proximity to some of Waukesha’s corporate campuses, Good Harvest Market in Pewaukee has always attracted a decent lunch crowd.

That changed last year when the COVID-19 pandemic kept office dwellers at home, but it didn’t stop the business from revamping its in-store dining experience.

In January, the Harvest Cafe was replaced with a new farm-to-table concept, Hop Harvest & Vine Public House, bringing menu updates, interior renovations, and the addition of a two-deck stone-lined pizza oven.

These days, many area professionals are still working from home, but the restaurant has seen mid-day traffic begin to pick up again, said co-owner Joe Nolan. With multiple indoor and outdoor seating areas, it’s private and spacious enough to meet with a client or to set up shop for the day.

“There are plenty of people here treating us as their office for a few hours, rather than being at home all the time,” said Nolan. “People come here for business lunches, but sometimes they come here just to get away.” 

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Chef Erik Mahr’s new artisan pizzas have become top sellers for both lunch and dinner.

The “Vine” is topped with roasted grapes, fresh rosemary, ricotta, pecorino Romano and mozzarella.

Another popular lunch item is the falafel bowl, with quinoa, hummus, cucumber, tomato, onion, arugula, olives and tzatziki.

Dining areas on the upper and lower levels each seat about 50 people and are available to rent for private parties and events. biztimes.com / 5

NOTABLES 2021

Leading Edge

GETTING

THERE

Keep up with BizTimes’ 2021 roundup of the leaders making a difference throughout southeast Wisconsin.

At companies across southeast Wisconsin, notable executives are running businesses, navigating company restructurings, serving on boards, running marketing departments, and investing in growth throughout the region.

The notable individuals profiled in these categories are nominated by their peers at work and in the community.

What drew you to VISIT Milwaukee?

“I’ve always been a big fan of Milwaukee. I grew up (in the area), decided to live here after going to college out of state, and just being a part of the community in general. And when I saw the opening for the position, I thought it would be a really good opportunity to build those connections that I’ve made through social media and create new relationships with those in the community and really help VISIT Milwaukee achieve our goals as an organization.”

NOTABLE WOMEN

What would you say is Milwaukee’s biggest selling point to visitors?

Profiling leaders who are developing our next generation of leaders. In this inaugural list, we honor outstanding women in the metro Milwaukee area who lead local educational institutions, including universities, colleges, technical schools, and primary (K-12) schools. They motivate excellence, educate and inspire the next generation, and manage their diverse teams through new challenges every year.

“We’re a super affordable and accessible city. You can travel to Milwaukee and really make your dollar go farther here. … Plus, our attractions are so unique and things that set us apart, like the Art Museum on the lakefront, all of our trails, having a RiverWalk and a lakefront both publicly accessible. I think that we have a lot of unique qualities that we take for granted sometimes as locals that visitors see as really amazing qualities that make Milwaukee great.”

IN EDUCATION

Nomination Deadline: Friday, June 4, 2021 | Issue Date: July 19, 2021 Notable Marketing Executives Profiling accomplished women steering the marketing functions of their companies and nonprofits, while serving as leaders and role models in their workplaces and community.

Nomination deadline: July 2, 2021 Issue date: August 16, 2021 Notable Women in Insurance The executives on this list are shaping their own organizations as well as the path forward for other women in the industry.

Nomination deadline: September 10, 2021 Issue date: October 25, 2021 Notable Commercial Real Estate Leaders The brokers, directors, investors, developers and finance professionals on this list are among those shaping high-profile commercial real estate in Chicago. Many have brokered deals for and developed the city’s most recognizable properties. Others are helping to steer industry groups that are fostering the next generation of leadership in commercial real estate.

Nomination deadline: September 24, 2021 Issue date: November 8, 2021 Notable Food & Beverage Executives The executives on this list are shaping their own organizations as well as the path forward for others in the food and beverage manufacturing industry, while mentoring the next wave of professionals and finding ways to give back to their communities.

Nomination deadline: October 29, 2021 Issue date: December 13, 2021

To view this year’s winners and nominate, visit biztimes.com/notable

6 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 10, 2021

What are the challenges in taking a new role amid the COVID-19 pandemic?

“I haven’t met all my coworkers in person yet. I’ve met some of them via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, and I’ve met some in person. It’s interesting because in my previous job I was working entirely remote (during the pandemic), now I’m actually in the office for half of the week. So, it’s been great to have some social interaction again with people.”

What’s your biggest career motivation?

“I like to make a difference in people’s lives. Just being there for my customers or my coworkers and being able to make a difference in our community is something I don’t take for granted.” n

BRYAN KUBEL Partnership sales manager, VISIT Milwaukee AGE: 27 HOMETOWN: Muskego EDUCATION: Bachelor of science in marketing, Ball State University PREVIOUS POSITION: Merchandising analyst at Kohl’s

from

Flour Girl & Flame

CONCEPT

to

COMPLETION June 2020: Spandet began searching for used mobile wood-fired pizza trailers, and with help from her dad, found one for sale in the area. Meanwhile, she bought several books on wood-fired pizza and stayed up late reading about the process. She also researched the health and environmental benefits of using organic heirloom heritage flour rather than commercial grade.

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When the COVID-19 pandemic upended business for West Allis-based Tall Guy and a Grill Catering, executive chef Dana Spandet cooked up a new idea: a traveling wood-fired pizza concept, now known as Flour Girl & Flame. Stuck at home during the early days of quarantine, Spandet experimented with grilling homemade pizza, using edible flowers from the garden as toppings. Fun family dinners soon turned into a business plan centered on sourcing ingredients from Milwaukee’s urban farms as well as Black-, woman-, and LGBT-owned vendors. As she continued to develop the concept, Spandet saw opportunities beyond pizza. Today, its special events menu includes everything from wood-roasted oysters to fire-roasted veggies.

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July 2020 : The 8,000-pound, 15-foot-long Maine Wood Heat Co. trailer was delivered by flatbed truck. It sat in Spandet’s driveway for the first month while she perfected her technique, making pizza for her family every day. The oven holds warmth for several days after reaching its 1,000-degree peak.

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Spring 2021: Flour Girl & Flame currently sells 500 to 600 pizzas each weekend. It already has more than 20 private events booked this season, in between pop-ups at area food truck parks and street festivals. The business recently began producing and retailing hot honey products, using honeybees stationed on the roof of its new West Allis space. The storefront will have its grand opening in June to coincide with Pride Month.

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December 2020: The trailer set up shop at Zocalo Food Truck Park in Milwaukee for the winter. Operating partially outdoors, Spandet learned how to regulate the temperature of her dough with heated blankets. The business was outgrowing the space it shared with Tall Guy and a Grill, so Spandet signed a lease at 8121-23 W. National Ave., West Allis, to open a prep kitchen and retail storefront.

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August 2020: Flour Girl & Flame held its first public event, selling nearly 100 pizzas. There were some hiccups, but it was a promising start. “I assumed this was going to be a seasonal gig, that we’d probably work May to October and then be done.

And we just never stopped.”

biztimes.com / 7

Leading Edge Advertise in these upcoming special issues to get your message in front of area business executives.

innovate Wisconsin issue

June 7, 2021 Space Reservation: May 19, 2021

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June 21, 2021 Space Reservation: June 2, 2021 Contact Linda Crawford today!

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WISCONSIN HERO OUTDOORS PHONE: (262) 227-9709 WEB: wiherooutdoors.org The mission of Wisconsin Hero Outdoors is to help connect Veterans, First Responders, and their families to outdoor activities in Wisconsin.

Using camaraderie of outdoor activities to address both the physical and mental health challenges brought on by the stresses of service and ultimately aide in the prevention of suicide.

2021 GIVING GUIDE

To learn more, visit biztimes.com/giving

FEATURED NONPROFIT

PRODUCED BY

MY FAVORITE TECH BEN BARTLING Founder, Recurium After co-founding, growing and selling his first company, ZoomShift, in 2020, Milwaukee-based entrepreneur Ben Bartling is now focused on a new venture, Recurium, which helps grow other SaaS businesses. As a developer, Bartling is always on the lookout for new software tools. Here are a few that help keep him organized and productive:

NOTION “Notion is a multi-purpose organization and documentation tool.

It’s about as simple to use as a text document, but it has the power of a database. It’s actually kind of tricky to explain why it’s so great, but if you try it out, you’ll probably understand why it’s become so popular. For me, it has replaced everything from note-taking apps and spreadsheets to CRM and project management apps.”

SLACK “Slack is a team chat tool that shouldn’t need much introduction anymore. Its widespread adoption is part of what makes it so great. I’d be remiss to not include Slack on this list as I use it every day. It has changed the way that I communicate with coworkers, and it has a fantastically executed product experience.”

FEEDLY

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To disciple children for Christ now and for all eternity, and to train them in excellence for their roles in their family, church, community, workplace and country.

2021 GIVING GUIDE

To learn more, visit biztimes.com/giving

FEATURED NONPROFIT

8 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 10, 2021

PRODUCED BY

“Feedly is a content aggregator that makes digesting the firehose of information these days a bit more palatable. I use Feedly to track all of my personal and business content sources. These could be websites, blogs, Twitter feeds, email newsletters, or really anywhere that content is published. Feedly then aggregates all of these into a clutter-free feed that I can filter and consume efficiently.”

1PASSWORD “1Password is a password manager for your entire life. It does much more than just store your passwords so you don’t have to remember them. It makes your digital footprint a lot more secure by allowing you to have unique and strong passwords for every one of your accounts. In terms of personal security, this is one of the most important things you can do, yet most people don’t.” n

THE GOOD LIFE Richard Ruvin

Finding calm, from the inside out

By Maredithe Meyer, staff writer

T

the

Good LIFE

hroughout his 25-year real estate career, Richard Ruvin has always taken pride in being the calmest guy in the room – even in highstress situations.

But somewhere along the way, Ruvin, who is lead partner at the Falk Ruvin Gallagher Team of Keller Williams Realty, found himself on an emotional roller coaster with clients who were buying and selling homes.

“Not every move is a happy move or a move by choice,” he said. “I’d have one meeting with somebody who’s laughing and celebrating their transitions, and the next person would be crying, and the next person would be screaming, and the next person would be so thrilled, and I was really struggling with those ups and downs, even though you couldn’t tell on the outside.”

That all changed when Ruvin tried transcendental meditation. The technique, popular among celebrities and high-profile business execs, uses mantras to calm the mind and relieve stress. Unlike other forms of meditation, TM isn’t guided by an app or music and it doesn’t focus on deep breaths.

Ruvin started by doing sessions with local certified TM teacher Bob Rabinoff, and after a couple months of meditating 20 minutes twice a day, Ruvin noticed a difference. He had the same level of empathy for his clients, without the emotional roller coaster.

“I had a sense of equanimity, an evenness about me that I really liked, and for the first time in my working life, my inside matched my calm, easy-going demeanor on the outside,” he said.

Three years later, Ruvin still bookends a typical day with 20 minutes of TM, making time to sit quietly and “just be” first thing in the morning and before going to bed. Ruvin believes he’s happier and healthier – and less judgmental of himself and others – because he’s learned how to let go of stress and negative emotions.

The habit has also inspired him to trade goals for intentions, focusing less on what he wants to accomplish at work and more on what he wants to be. Ruvin encourages his team to adopt a similar mindset and redefine what they do “not by the wins and losses, but by the effort and the care, kindness and generosity.” n

Welcome Pat & Al Trusted Leaders Worth Knowing Together, they bring over five decades of financial experience and a commitment to serving the evolving needs of our clients. Along with their banking and wealth leadership, they are dedicated volunteers in the communities where they live and work.

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biztimes.com / 9

Leading Edge

LOCATION: Milwaukee

LILA ARYAN PHOTOGRAPHY

ALUVIS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

@BIZTIMESMEDIA – Real-time news

CO-FOUNDERS: Dr. Matthew Wichman and Dr. Mark Wichman FOUNDED: 2018 PRODUCT: A sanitization system that cleans mobile devices using UV light technology.

WEBSITE: aluvis.com EMPLOYEES: 3 GOAL: To make sanitization of mobile devices a day-to-day practice.

EXPERIENCE: Aurora Health Care orthopedic surgeons.

Milwaukee biotech startup develops UV light system to sanitize mobile devices

By Brandon Anderegg, staff writer

10 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 10, 2021

Dr. Mark Wichman and Dr. Matthew Wichman.

MILWAUKEE-BASED Aluvis International, Inc. aims to make cleaning mobile devices a daily practice for consumers and a rapid process for hospitals, airports, hotels and other high-traffic areas.

The biotech startup developed a system that uses ultraviolet (UV) light to sanitize mobile devices and tablets in as little as 20 seconds.

A user feeds the mobile device into the system and a conveyor belt carries the device across a UV lamp, eliminating bacteria, viruses and fungi from the device.

Aluvis International was co-founded by Aurora Health Care orthopedic surgeons Mark and Matthew Wichman, who are also brothers.

Matthew Wichman says mobile devices are reservoirs for pathogenic bacteria, viruses and are the most contaminated item on a person’s body. In fact, there is a 76% concordance between the bacteria and viruses that exist in our nose and our phones, he added.

“Whether it’s COVID-19 or general cleanliness, people are becoming more aware of mobile device contamination,” Matthew Wichman said. “This world is never going to go back to a germ-naïve world.”

Like many small companies, Aluvis International is unable to obtain a sample of COVID-19 for testing purposes. However, the startup’s

sanitization system is 99.9% effective against Clostridium difficile, a form of bacteria that can be eliminated by a dose of UV light three times greater than the dose required to render COVID-19 inactive.

“The ultra-violet light actually kills bacteria, but it can only inactivate a virus and make it non-infectious,” Mark Wichman said.

Aluvis International held its first product launch this past summer on the heels of a $650,000 funding round. The startup has sold and leased 20 devices, which are about 25 pounds and can be purchased for $4,999.

The UV light system was initially developed for operating rooms, but now the startup is looking at other verticals including retail, hospitality and education.

There are similar devices on the market, but the speed at which the startup’s patented conveyor belt system can clean devices is what sets the product apart from competitors, Mark Wichman said.

The Wichman brothers in partnership with medical technology firm RMC Medical purchased the patents for its system 4 years ago from Angelini Pharma Inc., a Maryland-based health care company. Aluvis International is now considering another capital raise to fund the production of additional units. n

on my nightstand...

GREG NICKERSON Chairman, Bader Rutter

IXONIA BANK MKE THE BUSINESS BANK RUN BY BUSINESS PEOPLE. That makes us different than any other bank, big or

“Know Your Price”

By Andre Perry GREG NICKERSON recently joined a book club that focuses on topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion. The group, convened by the Greater Milwaukee Committee, has so far read two books that the Bader Rutter chairman found “very thought provoking.”

The first selection was “Know Your Price” by educator and award-winning journalist Andre Perry. The 2020 research-based work highlights the economic and social consequences of a long-standing history of structural inequality in the U.S. and provides

BIZ POLL

small, in Milwaukee. Our accomplished leadership team made their marks in business, not just finance.

“a new means of determining the value of Black communities.”

Perry builds his case using analysis of six Black-majority cities as well as testimony of his own personal experience growing up in Black-majority Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania.

Nickerson said he appreciated Perry’s quantitative viewpoint on a topic that is subjective in nature.

“I have been on a personal journey to be educated on topics related to racial inequities and this was another stop on that road,” Nickerson said. n

A recent survey of BizTimes.com readers.

Have you gotten a COVID-19 vaccine?

Yes, all done:

52.5%

We know what it’s like to build successful companies and what it takes to support the financial goals of a growing enterprise. It takes long-term thinking.

The personal attention of local decision makers.

And our renowned network of financial professionals who can open doors for you in this community.

We invite you to see what’s different. Talk to our business experts at Ixonia Bank in our downtown Milwaukee office.

To talk business, call Patrick Lubar at 414.763.2428

MKE

The Business Bank Run By Business People 611 E Wisconsin Ave Suite 101, Milwaukee, WI 53202 414.763.2428 • ixoniabank.com

No, I will not get it:

25.8% Yes, but waiting to get my second shot:

12.9% Not yet, but maybe later:

9.2% Share your opinion! Visit biztimes.com/bizpoll to cast your vote in the next Biz Poll. biztimes.com / 11

BizNews PHOTO ESSAY

Cleaning our rivers IN APRIL, 3,000 volunteers took to the Milwaukee River Basin for what’s become one of the largest volunteer events in southeastern Wisconsin: Milwaukee Riverkeeper’s annual spring cleanup.

More than 70,000 pounds of trash were removed at 89 sites along the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic rivers. Participation was capped at 3,000 this year due to COVID-19, but the endeavor would typically draw about 4,000 volunteers who clear an average of 10,000 pounds of trash from the waterway.

On Earth Day, the organization teamed up with the Harbor District Business Improvement District and 25 volunteers from Komatsu Mining Corp. to plant about 140 trees and shrubs on a city-owned former railroad property along the Kinnickinnic River. Trees help prevent soil runoff and filter pollution before it can enter the waterways.

These events represent a fraction of what Milwaukee Riverkeeper does year-round to restore and advocate for the basin’s 875 total river miles and connect communities to the waterway. From monitoring water quality to pushing for green infrastructure, the main goal is to protect one of the region’s greatest assets.

“If we want to attract business and people to the city – and to the waterways – we need to make sure those waters are clean,” said Cheryl Nenn, riverkeeper with the organization. “No one wants to be next to a waterway that’s full of trash or algae or that smells, and frankly, that was the case here for many decades.” n — Maredithe Meyer, staff writer

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1-6. Volunteers collect trash along the Kinnickinnic (KK) River Trail near South Sixth Street and West Rosedale Avenue during Milwaukee Riverkeeper’s annual spring cleanup.

7. The area along the KK River Trail is a hot spot for trash build-up after a long winter.

8-9. Trash removed at the KK River Trail site included everything from plastic water bottles to furniture.

10. Volunteers pose with the mountain of trash removed from the Kinnickinnic River after a morning of cleanup.

11. A volunteer adds to the trash pile along the Menomonee River and Hank Aaron State Trail.

12. The Menomonee River Valley was one of 89 sites where volunteers gathered to remove trash.

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13-18. In honor of Earth Day, volunteers from Komatsu and staff from Milwaukee Riverkeeper and Harbor District BID planted 88 trees and shrubs from Johnson’s Nursery and 50 bare-root tree seedlings along the Kinnickinnic River near South First Street and East Lincoln Avenue.

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BizNews

Automation drives growth at American Friction Welding SOME CONSIDER friction welding to be the “black magic” of the welding world – at least that’s how those unfamiliar with the process view it, said Casey Fischer, general manager of American Friction Welding.

“You’re just going to spin a part together, place it to another part and expect a full surface bond?” Fischer said. “It’s a funny concept if you think about it.”

American Friction Welding is a bi-metal friction welder of nearnet-shape parts for original equipment manufacturers in a variety of industries including agriculture, automotive, construction, food, medical and more.

The Waukesha-based manufacturer recently moved into a new 63,000-square-foot facility and has experienced growth during the COVID-19 pandemic with plans to hire up to 13 more employees, said John Fischer, Casey Fischer’s father and AFW president.

While Casey Fischer’s layman’s explanation offers the gist of it, friction welding is a fairly complex process that comes with a learning curve, especially for people who haven’t experienced the benefits of a friction-welded component.

In the friction welding industry, growth doesn’t just come from being an expert in the trade; you have to be an expert educator too.

John Fischer said there are many customers out there whose products would be better constructed with friction welding, if only they knew how it works.

“That’s the main barrier from us getting customers,” Casey 14 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 10, 2021

Fischer said. “A lot of people don’t know what friction welding is and that’s why we’re growing our online page to become an educational resource.”

Friction welding involves adjoining two metal objects through rotational motion and the forging pressure that is applied to each object. Friction works to generate a narrow zone of high temperature, transforming the point of contact, known as the “weld interface,” into a plasticized state.

The weld interface is subjected to tremendous amounts of pressure, which help forge a metallic bond between the atoms of each object.

The key is that an object’s overall molecular integrity remains intact because that heat-affected zone is so narrow. Friction welding also creates a complete cross-sectional bond without using fluxes and filler metals associated with conventional welding.

The process also allows for dissimilar metals to be welded together with greater ease, John Fischer said, adding that the weldment will be as strong as the parent material.

AFW has also found growth in its ability to make both very small and large components; the company is one of the largest subcontract friction welders in the United States, John Fischer said.

AFW has 14 friction welding machines, two of which are automated. In fact, the company says the basis for its growth has been automation, which is why AFW plans to roll out a third automated cell in the coming months.

American Friction Welding general manager Casey Fischer loads a component into an automated cell.

AMERICAN FRICTION WELDING 505 Northview Road, Waukesha INDUSTRY: Friction welding EMPLOYEES: 28

Teamafw.com

The manufacturer also recently purchased an adjacent property, allowing AFW the capacity to double its footprint in the future.

With skyrocketing prices for certain metals during the pandemic, some manufacturers have sent product overseas to be machined down into smaller-sized components. However, AFW has seen customers return to the U.S. for friction-welded near-net-shape manufacturing, which is a process involving smaller parts being welded together to form a larger part.

That’s a big deal for a company’s cost structure because less material is being used to create the component, Casey Fischer said.

Although AFW has competitors in the United States with similar welding capabilities, the competition would prefer to develop a weld and sell the machine to customers, Casey Fischer said.

“We are here to develop the weld together and to come up with a way to streamline production efficiency,” Casey Fischer said. “We want to make sure we’re bringing down cost and becoming a long-term solution for customers.” n

BRANDON ANDEREGG Reporter

P / 414-336-7144 E / brandon.anderegg@biztimes.com T / @bandereggmke

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Real Estate

REAL ESTATE WEEKLY – The week’s most significant real estate news → biztimes.com/subscribe

The Komatsu site in West Milwaukee, with American Family Field in the background.

Komatsu site in West Milwaukee could present opportunity for baseball-centered development district

By Alex Zank, staff writer MIXED-USE development districts anchored by major professional sports teams are becoming more common across the country. Two

of Wisconsin’s top pro teams, the Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Bucks, have joined the trend in recent years with their own devel-

opment projects, the Titletown District adjacent to Lambeau Field in Green Bay and the Deer District around Fiserv Forum in downtown

Milwaukee.

But what about the Milwaukee Brewers? It so happens that a massive site in West Milwaukee not far from American Family Field will be vacated next year and in play for redevelopment. It also happens that the community is open to creating a sports-centered destination district there.

Komatsu Mining Corp. plans to move out of its West Milwaukee campus, located at 4400 W. National Ave., sometime next year after it completes its new headquarters in Milwaukee’s Harbor District.

West Milwaukee officials have already laid out a longterm redevelopment vision for the Komatsu site and this spring voted to rezone the property and surrounding parcels to allow for a mix of uses.

It’s clear the Brewers are invited to the table.

“This redevelopment could be pursued in partnership with the Milwaukee Brewers and incorporate experiences for baseball fans and park visitors all year round,” the village states in its comprehensive plan.

What isn’t clear is whether the team will play ball. The Brewers declined to comment.

FEATURED DEAL: T H E C O R N E R S O F B R O O K F I E L D ’ S W E S T E N D PA R C E L S To expand its footprint, the owner of The Corners of Brookfield acquired three parcels totaling 4.25 acres to its west from three different owners.

In late March, The Corners announced its expansion plans for the West End will include a 140-room hotel, along with other unannounced uses.

Even before the announcement was made, an affiliate of United Kingdom-based IM Properties, one of The Corners’ developers, began buying up the properties southeast of Bluemound and Barker roads. They included a former La Quinta Inn, a former KFC and a former Jose’s Blue Sombrero restaurant.

The hotel is to be built west of Lord Street, and is expected to open by summer 2024. The Corners developers said they have a “clear vision” for the rest of the site, though they have not shared details of other coming projects.

ADDRESSES: 20351, 20371 and 20391 W. Bluemound Road BUYER: Newfield Holdings LLC SELLERS: MJK Kelly LLC, P & J Holdings LLC, Unique Hotels LLC PRICE: $9.07 million (total) 18 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 10, 2021

Sports districts on the rise Even if the Brewers don’t want to publicly ponder the idea, recent trends suggest the timing makes sense if they so choose to plunge into real estate development. (“Brewers Block” has a nice ring to it.)

Major professional sports teams nationwide are creating mixed-use districts to complement games and other events happening in their stadiums.

Green Bay’s Titletown has a variety of entertainment attractions, a hotel and apartments, among other things. The Deer District already has an entertainment block, a training facility and clinic and an apartment building. More is on the way, including a hotel, office building and additional housing.

Bucks president Peter Feigin said these development districts are a natural extension of what sports organizations do: create activity around something and bring people together.

“We are an event and hospitality company,” he said at a recent Marquette University event on sports and real estate. “So, (we have) the ability to build these neighborhoods in districts where people work, live and play.”

Mike Plant, president and chief executive officer of the Atlanta Braves’ Braves Development Co., said these districts differ from typical mixed-use projects because the teams that create them have a direct interest in their operations.

The group controls the 60-acre district called The Battery, with Truist Park (the Braves stadium that opened in 2017) at its center.

“We’re not traditional developers of building something and then flipping it, moving on and building something else,” Plant said. “We have a vested financial operational interest.”

A home-run opportunity?

West Milwaukee leaders adopted a new comprehensive plan in 2019. The plan outlines their vision for the so-called Gateway District. Then in March, the village board voted to rezone the Komatsu site and neighboring parcels to

reflect that long-term version.

The new zoning district allows for a mix of uses, including housing, entertainment, hospitality, retail and restaurants, and recreational. It also calls for a new network of public and private roads connected to the existing village street grids.

West Milwaukee also intends for the zoning change to prevent another large industrial company from taking over the area, according to village documents.

Village president John Stalewski said it is too early in the process to speak in detail. Komatsu still owns the site and any discussion between it and the village have been “only informal,” Stalewski said in an email. He added the site should benefit from its proximity to the ballpark.

Patrick Singleton, National Avenue redevelopment director for Komatsu, said the company is considering its options for the site and supported the village rezoning efforts.

Local developers find the site intriguing.

Stu Wangard, chairman and CEO of Wauwatosa-based Wangard Partners Inc., said West Milwaukee’s actions are similar to what’s happening in other communities.

“There’s interesting national trends that basically follow a site like this,” he said. “We’ve seen the city of West Allis, city of Greenfield and some of the cities in Racine and Kenosha counties request major retail and hospitality as part of their projects.”

Milwaukee-based Cobalt Partners LLC specializes in the sort of development the village wants at the Komatsu site, company CEO Scott Yauck said. He said the project would need significant assistance from the village due to its current state.

“It will be expensive, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be done at all,” he said. “Because I think it’s an area that could support good density and significant redevelopment value. I imagine you could put $200 million-plus in development at that location.” n

BORGER BUILDING REDEVELOPMENT The historic Borger Building in Walker’s Point could soon feature new loft-style apartments and commercial space under redevelopment plans by its owner.

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The $3.7 million redevelopment effort entails “a full remodel from top to bottom,” Chandler said. The existing garage on the back of the building will be removed, and an elevator and stair tower will be built in its place. Construction work is to start this spring.

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biztimes.com / 19

STORY COVER

M O O B G N I K

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JAKE HILL PHOTOGRAPHY

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20 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 10, 2021

i m e d n a p g rin u d e g r u s s e l a s s e c n ie r taff write EGG, s R E D N A NDON

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biztimes.com / 21

STORY COVER FINDING AN UNUSUAL-SIZED BICYCLE TIRE might have been tricky before the COVID-19 pandemic, but there’s a good chance you would have found a match at Truly Spoken Cycles in Milwaukee.

But with a surging interest in cycling during the pandemic, everything from complete bikes down to the very innertubes that make them go round have been in short supply.

Area retail bike stores are experiencing product shortages and have been since last year; bike pumps were unavailable last summer and now, rebuild kits for bike pumps are gone too, said Truly Spoken Cycles owner Aytan Luck.

“There’s shortages in a lot of areas,” Luck said.

“We were pretty much sold out of most saddles last year. Right now, there’s certain gears that we can’t get in addition to complete bikes.”

Truly Spoken Cycles, based in the city’s Riverwest neighborhood, is known for the ability of its mechanics to solve even the most peculiar of bike problems, along with a high level of customer service of its employees. Supply chain disruptions, on the other hand, are a big enough problem even the most talented mechanics can’t solve.

Luck ran low on a common-sized innertube at the onset of the pandemic, but with the help of another local bike shop, he made a connection with a new innertube wholesaler with available supply.

That’s just one way the bike shop navigated product shortages, but it also shifted operations to accommodate customers too.

The bike shop limited the flow of traffic by keeping its front door locked, all in an effort to keep both its customers and employees safe during the pandemic. Curbside pickup for serviced bikes became the norm, and during the winter, Truly Spoken Cycles launched an e-commerce platform so that customers could place orders online.

Luck has seen growth in his business and if the world were free of supply chain issues, he estimates Truly Spoken Cycles could have increased sales by an another 15%.

“Even with limiting the number of people inside the store, we still had our busiest year in our history last year,” said Luck, who opened the bike shop in 2008.

Luck used to get along by ordering “bread and butter” bike components in volume, but the days of ordering just one or two of the more unusual products are gone for now. If it’s available, Luck buys it in bulk.

“We’re always assuming it’s going to sell out,” Luck said. “‘Get it while you can,’ as Janis Joplin said.”

Amid the disruption of the pandemic, the world rediscovered the simple joy of riding a bike as people returned to paved paths and mountain bike trails in droves. People are buying new bikes, fixing up old ones and riding more than ever before, driving demand for safe places to walk and bike too.

Trail use across the country increased by 200% between March and July 2020 when compared to 22 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 10, 2021

the same period in 2019, according to a survey conducted by the nonprofit Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

U.S. bike sales soared to more than $4 billion (not including e-bikes) between January and October 2020, representing a 62% increase over the same period in 2019, according to NPD Group, a market research firm that tracks retail trends. The same research group found that U.S. e-bike sales grew a staggering 190% year-over-year in June 2020.

In a normal year, analysts say U.S. bike sales are typically between $550 million and $575 million during early spring. In April 2020, U.S. bike sales, including indoor bikes, parts and other accessories, grew a combined 75% compared to the previous year, reaching $1 billion in a single month for the first time since NPD began tracking the cycling market.

The social impact of the pandemic coupled with increased pedestrian and cycling traffic is already shaping how people move through communities across the country. More than 200 U.S. cities changed the layout of their streets in 2020 by eliminating through traffic, slowing cars and opening roadways while city parks, fitness centers and schools were closed, according to national biking advocacy group PeopleforBikes.

Last year, the City of Milwaukee in partnership with Milwaukee County Parks implemented the

“Milwaukee Active Streets” initiative, which created more safe spaces for pedestrians and cyclists to travel by using signage and barricades to reduce vehicle traffic.

The program was temporary in 2020, but city officials are now looking to bring the Active Streets back in 2021 in a way that would lead to more permanent infrastructure for pedestrians and riders in the future.

All of these improvements have helped generate equity on the streets between pedestrians, cyclists and cars, said James Davies, executive director of Bublr Bikes, a Milwaukee-area nonprofit rideshare program.

“You’ve got all these people that went out and bought bikes, so I think there’s a huge opportunity to keep that going,” Davies said. “But I do think we need to work together to make sure there is adequate infrastructure for all these new cyclists.”

‘A perfect storm’ for local vendors Based on data it analyzes, PeopleforBikes estimates that 9% of American adults rode a bike for the first time after a year or more in 2020, and that 36% of riders with children either took their kids out for their first-ever bike ride or took up riding more often.

There are various reasons for the “bike boom”

BRANDON ANDEREGG BRANDON ANDEREGG

Left: Aytan Luck opened Truly Spoken Cycles in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood in 2008.

phenomenon, including stay-at-home orders, a drop in mass-transit riders and a population in search of physical activity that adhered to social distancing guidelines.

Milwaukee-based Wheel & Sprocket saw firsthand the community’s growing appetite for riding and the outdoors. Parents with ample time to spend with their children purchased that first bike and taught their kids how to ride, said Amelia Kegel, Wheel & Sprocket owner and marketing director.

“All of a sudden people were cooped up in their house, had lots of time and we saw whole families coming back to biking in a way that we’ve never seen before,” Kegel said.

Wheel & Sprocket’s growth strategy has mirrored the cycling industry’s upward trajectory over the past five years, with the independent retail chain opening a new store every year since 2017.

During the pandemic, the bike retailer opened a new location in Bay View, which now serves as Wheel & Sprocket’s headquarters. The bike shop shares the building with Joy Ride café in addition to offices of the Chris Kegel Foundation, the Wisconsin Bike Fed and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

Wheel & Sprocket started in 1973 as a family business with a small shop in Hales Corners and has since grown to 10 brick-and-mortar shops spanning from Appleton to Madison and down to northern

Above: Truly Spoken Cycles mechanic Steven Bostwick wipes down a customer’s bike.

Illinois. All Wheel & Sprocket bike shops are within a 2-hour driving distance from Milwaukee, a radius representing approximately 11 million people.

The 2020 bike boom has only “scratched the surface” of the levels that increased ridership could reach, Kegel said, adding that growth both in ridership and the business already has Wheel & Sprocket planning its next location in 2022.

“We’ve found that we have by no means saturated the market we have,” Kegel said. “We’ve really gained market share in the markets we exist, which is 30% in some areas. But we’ve worked hard for that.”

Even as bike retailers have grown, supply chain disruptions continue to inhibit sales. Kegel describes it as being caught in “a perfect storm” of a rise in demand for products, shortages in supply and increased tariffs on aluminum and steel.

The tariffs caused vendors such as Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Trek Bicycle Corp. and Specialized Bicycle Components, Inc. to become conservative with initial buys, leading to low predictability heading into the riding season, Kegel said. The widespread shutdown of factories across the globe and port congestion made matters worse.

“Then this huge wave of demand came, and now (vendors) are tripling and quadrupling their orders,” Kegel said. “They have this backlog and all

of a sudden, they can churn out only as much as they can churn out.”

Looking at the footprint of the cycling industry’s supply chain, it makes sense why order times increased from weeks to months and why some local bike shops looked bare during the pandemic.

A bike is the sum of many parts, and a majority of those parts come from manufacturers in southeast Asia, said Eric Bjorling, marketing and public relations director for Waterloo, Wisconsin-based Trek.

“If you think about it, one bike can have 50 different suppliers,” Bjorling said. “You’re talking about brakes, handlebars, cables, tires and wheels.”

Trek spent the better part of 2020 climbing out from underneath a backlog of orders generated by pandemic-related supply chain disruption.

But even with delays, manufacturers are shipping bikes at record rates, Bjorling said, adding that Trek ships more bikes today than it ever has in the company’s more than 40-year history.

“You still have a lot of momentum in the industry, but you just have capacity that hasn’t been able to increase at the same rate as demand,” Bjorling said.

Retailers with a more aggressive approach at the onset of the pandemic have more robust inventories while other stores are still experiencing shortages in supply. Current lead times vary based on bike model, with high-volume products like entry-level hybrids and mountain bikes experiencing delays of weeks to more than a month, Bjorling said.

Bicycles with more approachable price points or those most suited for family use and neighborhood riding showed the strongest year-over-year sales gains in 2020 compared to 2019, according to NPD Group.

Lifestyle and leisure adult bikes that are typically under $200 grew by 203%, while front suspension biztimes.com / 23

STORY COVER

BRANDON ANDEREGG

mountain bikes and children’s bikes experienced sales growth of 150% and 107% respectively in April 2020. Accessories sales also grew, including helmets (+49%), water bottle cages (+60%) and bike baskets (+85%), according to NPD Group.

Customers are still going to see a lot of unavailable product as they scan the websites of bike manufacturers, but Bjorling says local bike shops may still have the product in stock. If the product is unavailable, a retailer will place an order which gets placed in the queue of vendors like Trek.

“If you’re looking for something specific, I would really encourage people to go in and get that order in as soon as they can,” Bjorling said.

Cyclists boost local economies

24 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 10, 2021

Above: Similar to Humboldt Avenue, most city streets in Milwaukee have unprotected bike infrastructure.

Right: The Oak Leaf Trail is one of the most popular recreational trails in Milwaukee County.

pedestrians and cyclists as streets close to vehicle traffic for competitive racing.

The event hosts about 1,000 riders from across the world and draws about 145,000 spectators who are spending approximately $2.4 million in Wisconsin each year, according to a Wisconsin Department of Transportation study. After taking a hiatus due to COVID last year, the racing series is expected to return to the region in June.

Studies conducted in both cities and neighborhoods around the country also suggest that pedestrians and cyclists spend more money than other modes of transportation, Davies said.

He pointed to a study conducted by researchers at Portland State University, who found that over the course of a month, drivers spend approximately $61 at Portland bars, restaurants and convenience stores compared to $75 and $66 respectively for bikers and pedestrians.

But when it comes to the economic value of having more bikeable – and therefore walkable – communities, advocates say it extends beyond consumer spending at local retail shops. The benefits include density and livability, which contribute to a company’s ability to attract talent, said Tim Gokhman, managing director of Milwaukee-based developer New Land Enterprises. That was top of

BRANDON ANDEREGG

An uptick in mountain biking sales didn’t surprise Bjorling, who said social isolation has people looking at the genre of cycling in an entirely new way.

“It’s out in nature and you can find incredible places and do it in a safe way,” Bjorling said. “It just kind of gives that respite that people need right now.”

That connection with nature and the social component of riding have been particularly important for student athletes involved in local mountain biking teams, some of which have attracted new riders during the pandemic.

Even with the pandemic forcing competitive races to be canceled, student athletes still made their way to practice for other reasons, said Nicholas Beermann, head coach of the Milwaukee Recreation Composite mountain bike team.

“So much of it was riding together, socializing and building relationships,” Beermann said. “Having that outlet is important because it’s what teenagers need to be doing at that stage of their life.”

Even before the pandemic, local mountain biking teams were growing by leaps and bounds, Beermann said, adding that he expects the pattern to continue.

Now that more riders are on streets and trails than ever before, cycling companies, advocacy organizations and bike retailers are focused on ensuring the bike boom doesn’t fizzle out. Part of that equation involves increasing bike infrastructure in cities and understanding the industry’s impact on local economies.

Annual consumer spending of bicyclists in Wisconsin is estimated to be $1.42 billion, which supports approximately 13,500 jobs, according to a 2017 Outdoor Industry Association study. For a visual understanding of how cycling contributes to the state’s local economies, look no further than the Tour of America’s Dairyland, the largest pro-am cycling series in the U.S. ToAD is a competitive 11-day racing series hosted by 11 communities across southeastern Wisconsin, including Kenosha, East Troy, Waukesha, Shorewood and Milwaukee. During each event, community business districts are packed with

mind when New Land integrated a bike-friendly pedestrian plaza into the Kinetik apartments development, which opened in Bay View last year. It’s the sort of infrastructure that helps draw residents to the region, Gokhman said.

“There’s a reason why Northwestern Mutual has invested so heavily into the surrounding infrastructure on its campus,” he said. “They are in a daily battle for talent and if talent comes to Milwaukee, they are no longer saying ‘what does my job look like and how much do I make?’ They’re also looking around and saying, ‘where do I live and what does it feel like?’”

Proponents of the industry say communities across the country are uniquely positioned to turn the 2020 bike boom into something more, but a greater emphasis must be placed on building permanent bike infrastructure to support increased ridership.

Without permanent bike infrastructure, bikers won’t feel safe, and without safety, they won’t ride, Gokhman said.

“Look at Montreal, Minneapolis and Madison,” Gokhman said. “There are a bunch of northern climates that have made the investment into the infrastructure and people are using it. It’s not a chicken or an egg, this one is very straight forward.” n

Special Report HEALTH CARE

County nearing milestones in its decade-long mental health services overhaul

BY LAUREN ANDERSON, staff writer IN 2010, A REPORT commissioned by Milwaukee County’s Behavioral Health Division charted a path forward for the department, which was deemed overly reliant on crisis intervention and institutionalized care.

Among the 10 recommendations issued by the Human Services Research Institute, the Wauwatosa-based mental health provider was to downsize its inpatient capacity, work more closely with private providers and increase access through community-based services.

This fall, a new, privately-operated mental health hospital will open in West Allis, where BHD will outsource acute inpatient services that are currently housed in a portion of its sprawling 900,000-square-foot campus at the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center.

Meanwhile, a planned new mental health emergency center on Milwaukee’s near north side is advancing through city approvals, which would allow BHD and four health care partners – Advocate Aurora Health, Froedtert Health, Ascension Wisconsin and Children’s Wisconsin – to move forward with their public-private joint venture that will serve patients in crisis.

And increasingly, BHD staff are becoming embedded in community health centers throughout the county to provide care to patients before more intensive and costly interventions are needed.

When the in-progress Granite Hills Hospital – at 1706 S. 68th St. in West Allis – and future emergency center – planned for a site at 12th and Walnut streets in Milwaukee – eventually open, BHD’s campus will be vacant, marking a milestone in a department redesign more than a decade in the making.

Michael Lappen, administrator of the BHD, cites many statistics to illustrate his department’s transformation since that initial report was released, but one of the more notable is the 50% decrease in psychiatric care services visits over the past decade. From 2010 to last year, those visits dropped from 13,443 to 6,471 – a figure that reflects in part a COVID-related decline, but still is consistent with the decade-long trajectory.

“The downward trend is pretty amazing,” Lappen said.

While BHD aims to see those numbers decline even further as it builds out a mental health infrastructure that has more robust services “upstream”

A rendering of the Granite Hills Hospital at 1706 S. 68th St. in West Allis, which is expected to open to patients in September.

– before challenges escalate to a crisis point – there will always be a need for emergency services within that ecosystem.

“We always use the analogy that you can do all the healthy eating in the world and all the exercise in the world, but people still have heart attacks and strokes. So, you still need to have that facility that is in place for those emergencies,” Lappen said.

The emergency center will be developed and operated as a joint venture, with the county taking on half of the estimated $12 million in construction and upstart costs; the four health systems will be responsible for the remainder. Advocate Aurora has agreed to manage the facility, though many of the details related to the complex project – which Lappen described as “starting a hospital from scratch” – are still being hammered out.

If all approvals go through on schedule, construction would begin this month, with completion expected for spring 2022.

One key advantage of the planned new center is its location. Currently, 93% of patient visits to the BHD’s Psychiatric Crisis Services Center originate from the city of Milwaukee, with the 53218, 53209, 53206, and 53208 zip codes accounting for 33% of total visits, according to a HSRI report.

The new center’s proximity to patients is expected to result in a spike in demand for those seeking emergency care – at least initially.

“Because it’s so much easier to access in its (new) neighborhood, and so many of the people we serve are literally 5 minutes away from the new center … we’re anticipating somewhere between 8,000 and 10,000 visits,” Lappen said. “And our hope is to get the numbers down eventually and serve fewer people because we have so many things in place that we want people to access sooner and more upstream.”

The array of mental health services available in the county now reflects the recommendations put forth in the HSRI report from 10 years ago.

BHD has established a presence in clinics operated by Sixteenth Street, Outreach and Progressive Community Health Centers, and is working

to solidify a partnership with Milwaukee Health Services’ clinic located near 82nd Street and Silver Spring Drive.

Being in those outpatient settings is beneficial on a few levels. For many residents, they are familiar settings, where providers have well-established, trusted relationships already in place. And having BHD services there helps breaks down the perceived barrier between mental health care or substance abuse treatment and the battery of other health services patients seek regularly.

“It’s another attempt to reduce the stigma of getting help,” Lappen said. “You might come in for your flu shot, but then say to someone ‘Hey, I’m kind of having a hard time with anxiety’ and you can get help right under that same roof, without having to go to some place special.”

In recent years, the county has also opened three crisis resource centers, which provide an alternative to involuntary emergency room admissions and criminal justice facilities for people experiencing psychiatric crises.

BHD has also developed a non-police mobile service that dispatches clinicians who provide assessment and stabilization for adults and children in crises. The department responded to about 4,000 of those calls last year. Another program, called Crisis Assessment Response Teams, pairs a trained clinician and law enforcement officer who has received crisis intervention training when responding to high-stress situations. Those teams, which currently operate in Milwaukee and West Allis, responded to more than 2,000 calls last year.

“Every one of those mobile (responses) very well would have been an emergency department visit at some point in the past,” Lappen said.

Those are the kinds of interventions – along with a significant increase in supportive housing units in the community – that have also helped drive down inpatient admissions in recent years from 2,254 in 2010 to 648 in 2020.

With construction nearing completion on Granite Hills, inpatients are expected to begin rebiztimes.com / 25

Special Report

Once the new Granite Hills Hospital in West Allis and the new mental health emergency center on Milwaukee’s north side open, the Behavioral Health Division will close its sprawling Wauwatosa campus.

ceiving care at the new 120-bed hospital, operated

by Pennsylvania-based Universal Health Services, within the calendar year. The hospital has a target opening date of Sept. 8.

“We hope to have a significant amount of the transition completed by the end of this year,” Lappen said, adding BHD will continue serving inpatients at its mental health complex as long as it’s needed.

UHS is expected to retain BHD staff in the transition to the new facility.

“They’re banking on being able to recruit and retain our staff,” Lappen said, adding that an ideal scenario would be to strike an agreement with Granite Hills that allows existing staff members to

end their shift at the BHD campus and start their shift the next day at the new hospital.

While BHD has been making progress toward a more integrated and effective system, community perceptions don’t shift quickly.

A 2018 report from HRSI based on interviews with community members and BHD employees found many perceive the system to still be fragmented, with the inaccessibility of the current campus cited as another persistent challenge.

“The system was said to be an overwhelming maze to navigate even for professionals embedded within it; consumers and advocates noted that it is even more challenging for individuals and fami-

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lies,” the report said.

Lappen acknowledged that coordinating – and making sure the system’s many providers are on the same page – will be key as BHD gets out of the inpatient care business and increasingly delivers care through partnerships in the community.

Current estimates expect BHD to move off its Wauwatosa campus in the first half of 2022.

In 2020, a consortium that included Froedtert, the Medical College of Wisconsin and Children’s purchased the 41 acres encompassing BHD’s campus. The groups have not disclosed plans for the site, but will demolish the currently vacant buildings, said Bob Simi, executive director of the MRMC. The Milwaukee County Transit System has plans to install a stop on the site as part of its bus rapid-transit line, and MCW has floated the idea of developing a forensic science center on the property.

Simi said future uses of the site will “support health care, health education and associated purposes.”

Whatever takes its place, it will be the first time there hasn’t been an operating psychiatric hospital at the site since 1880, Lappen said.

“From a historical perspective, it’s a big shift,” he said. n

SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

Maranta Plant Shop co-founder Michelle Alfaro.

The promise and power of local How small businesses can leverage increased consumer interest

BY MAREDITHE MEYER, staff writer FOR AS MUCH HARDSHIP as small businesses have endured during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was at least one positive outcome: the drive to support local.

According to a June 2020 survey by e-commerce platform Shopify, 46% of participating consumers in the U.S. and Canada had shopped at local, independently-owned businesses since the pandemic hit. Of that group, 34% reported making local purchases more often than they had prior to the pandemic, and 57% said they specifically seek out local, independently-owned businesses to support. The trend has been forecasted by Deloitte and Forbes to continue throughout this year and beyond the pandemic as consumers become more conscious of where their dollars are going.

“The silver lining of part of this (pandemic) was this consciousness and awareness-building of the importance of these small, beautiful, locally-owned businesses in our neighborhoods, in our city, in our state,” said Wendy Baumann, president and chief visionary officer at Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp. “That’s going to be part of the saving grace as we slowly reopen and rebound, that people are really going to think about it.”

The Milwaukee-based economic development corporation, with a primary focus on women, people of color, veterans, and low-income individuals, has never been busier, said Baumann. In 2020 alone, WWBIC served more than 5,500 unduplicated clients and closed $6,380,117 in small business loans.

In the early days of COVID lockdown, WWBIC fielded phone calls from individuals and founda-

tions asking how else they could lend a hand, beyond purchasing gift cards and ordering takeout.

While pass-through grants and forgivable loans provided emergency relief, Baumann said, the long-term survival of small, local business ultimately rests in the hands of the consumer.

As consumer behavior and expectations continue to shift – and the threat of industry giants like Amazon loom – how can businesses leverage their local identity to stay competitive and bring customers through the door?

Viewing industry peers as “collaborators, not competitors,” is one place to start, said Dan Nowak, board president of Local First Milwaukee, which is a business alliance that has grown since 2006 to more than 200 independently owned local businesses and nonprofits. Nowak also owns West Allis-based Tall Guy and a Grill Catering.

Whether it is to advocate for an industry at large – like the Milwaukee Independent Restaurant Coalition has during the pandemic – or to cross-promote the sale of a product, teaming up with similar businesses amplifies your reach, said Nowak.

The owners of Milwaukee-based Purple Door Ice Cream have built an iconic Wisconsin brand on a foundation of partnerships with other local food producers. Owners Lauren and Steve Schultz started the business 10 years ago with the belief that “the more dollars we can put back in our local community, the better for our community,” said Lauren Schultz.

Of 20 core flavors, more than half feature key ingredients from local vendors, such as Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co.’s cold brew (Mountaintop Cold

Brew Blackberry Chip), Bittercube’s bitters (Brandy Old Fashioned), and Sugar & Flour Bakery’s chocolate chip cookies (Milk and Cookies). Purple Door’s full 200-flavor rotation bears the names of an additional 20 to 30 local vendors and restaurants.

From a logistics standpoint, sourcing directly from that many vendors requires extra time and effort, but it fits the mission and resonates deeply with a customer base that is loyal not only to the Purple Door brand, but to the place they call home, said Schultz. “(Customers) seek out the fact that Purple Door is using Great Lakes Distillery for its alcohol or that we’re working with Lakefront Brewery,” she said. “They recognize that, and then guess what?

They’re going to Lakefront Brewery and it’s serving our ice cream too.”

Purple Door operates three area retail locations, in Walker’s Point, at the Mequon Public Market and Sherman Phoenix, and sells pints of ice cream at more than 50 grocery stores across the region. Grocery store sales saw a boost amid the pandemic, but the business still had to come up with new ways to generate revenue and serve customers. The Schultzes used their background in education to design a pack of activities that families could do with the dry ice that came in their Purple Door shipments.

“That totally shifted our online sales,” said Lauren Schultz. “It was, again, a lot of loyalty – someone would get the ice cream shipped to them and then they, in turn, would ship it to their friends.”

For small businesses in the startup stage or looking to cut costs, social media can be another effective tool – the “biggest bang for your buck when you’re trying to get the word out in a sea of big paid ads from Amazon, Target or Walmart,” said Nowak.

Up until the recent opening of its King Drive storefront, Maranta Plant Shop didn’t spend a single dollar on advertising – via social media or elsewhere.

Still, the business has amassed tens of thousands of followers on Instagram over the past six months and continues to drive traffic organically through storytelling, educating and weekly plant giveaways.

Co-founders Michelle Alfaro and Mag Rodriguez launched the business last fall as an online pop-up, initially selling a couple hundred house plants. Maranta has since expanded to a brick-andmortar store on King Drive in Bronzeville, now selling more than 5,000 plants a week.

Maranta sources a curated selection of house plants – from low-maintenance types to rare collectibles – directly from nurseries in and around Florida and sells them at higher quality and lower prices compared to big-box garden centers. The shop draws thrifty plant enthusiasts who drive from Green Bay, Madison and Chicago, as well as local first-time plant owners.

“But then we also have people who are just curious about the store, or they read something about how we started this business and they’re like, ‘We biztimes.com / 27

Special Report

Purple Door Ice Cream owners Steve and Lauren Schultz.

really want to support you because I can connect to this,’” said Rodriguez, who also works as managing director at gener8tor Music.

That level of interest has been one of the most surprising outcomes of opening the business, he said.

The owners were well aware of their competition and knew they needed to differentiate themselves by providing something that betters the communi-

ty. As Milwaukee’s first Black- and brown-owned plant shop, Maranta Plant Shop is well on its way.

“We want to be vessels in our community and bridges for more people that look like us to take the leap into following their passion and doing the things that they like to do,” he said. “For Michelle and I, we love plants, but we can’t buy plants from someone that looks like us. We saw that as a problem, especial-

presents the 14th annual:

ly as we started looking at the history of plants.”

He said the majority of house plants sold at retail stores originate from their native countries – Rodriguez is from Mexico and Alfaro is from Honduras and Jamaica – and as far away as Asia and Africa.

Many consumers may not be aware of that, but Maranta has the opportunity to spread the word.

An undercurrent of the shop local trend of the past year was a strong push to support businesses owned by women and people of color. Black-owned businesses were hit especially hard by the pandemic’s health and economic crisis. The resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement last summer shed light on the disparities affecting Black communities and business owners.

According to a report recently published by Yelp, the search rate for women-, Black-, Asianand Latinx-owned businesses, as a share of all U.S. searches, jumped 2,930% from February 2020 to February 2021.

Of the millions of local businesses listed on Yelp, those marked as “women-owned” tripled in the past year to nearly 240,000. Last June, the platform added a Black-owned identity attribute, which had been adopted by nearly 25,000 businesses as of February. n

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SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

Lessons learned from turning passion into entrepreneurship

BY ARTHUR THOMAS, staff writer

IF YOU ASKED Julie Barnes, Amy Zellmer or Greg Fischer at the beginning of 2020 where they would be by the middle of 2021, odds are that running their own business wouldn’t have been their first answer.

Of course, there’s a lot about the past year that many people wouldn’t have predicted.

Barnes found her job at Kohl’s eliminated in a restructuring just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world. She is now signed on as a franchisee with Dogtopia, a national chain of dog daycares, and hopes to open her first location on the East Side of Milwaukee by September.

Zellmer’s job in the events industry no longer existed after COVID-19 hit. In January, she launched AIM90, an experiential design company that turns client content into an immersive experience.

Fischer found himself unsatisfied with his corporate job during the pandemic. After a lot of research and open and honest conversations with family, in August he launched Burn Pit BBQ, an online resource for those new to grilling and barbeque that also sells rubs and sauces.

Regardless of the reason or the type of venture, Barnes, Zellmer and Fischer are not alone in strik-

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ing out on the entrepreneurial journey during the pandemic.

Nationally, new business applications were up 24% in 2020 to around 4.35 million. The trend has continued in 2021 with applications up 62% from the previous year and running nearly two months ahead at 1.37 million.

Wisconsin hasn’t missed out on the trend, with applications up 20% in 2020 at 52,620. In the first 15 weeks of 2021, applications are up nearly 67% over the same period in 2020. Wisconsin’s increase ranked 20th in the country in 2020 and 21st so far this year.

There’s reason to believe the trend could continue — if not increase — in coming months.

“I think we’re going to see the strongest small business formation in the second half (of the year) that we’ve ever seen,” Frank Bisignano, president and chief executive officer of Brookfield-based Fiserv Inc., said on a recent earnings call. Fiserv’s products include payment processing and point of sale systems used by many businesses.

Passion was a driving force for Barnes, Zellmer and Fischer to launch their businesses.

Barnes said she started the process of looking for other jobs.

“I very quickly figured out that my passion and my interest and going back into the corporate world, it wasn’t where my heart was,” she said.

Even though she loves dogs, she didn’t know she would want to open a dog daycare. In the middle of her life with two teenage sons that will soon be starting their own lives, she was ready for a new direction.

“I really wanted to create a next chapter for myself that was more service oriented,” Barnes said.

She worked with franchise broker Meg Schmitz, whom Barnes praised for taking the time to get to know her and her personality, and she landed on Dogtopia. Barnes said she was drawn to the growing industry, offering a service that helps people live more fulfilling lives, and a company approach and culture that fit what she was looking for.

Special Report

Barnes said going with a franchise provided her the benefits of owning her own business while also providing structure and support.

“It can feel like an island sometimes,” she said.

“You’re used to being in an office all day or even during COVID, you’re having Zoom meetings.

Well, when you start a business ... it’s really me on my own doing this at this point.”

Barnes said she has made a lot of connections to other Dogtopia franchise owners, some of whom have a similar story. Hearing how others transitioned out of the corporate world into entrepreneurship gave her confidence.

“Having been so ingrained in the corporate mentality for so long, I didn’t realize or recognize all of the resources that are out there to actually start a business,” Barnes said.

“My eyes became opened very quickly to, wait a second, this is something that can become a reality. It always felt like it was something that was out of touch because it’s not something I spent a lot of time thinking about. But when I had that time to do my research and understand what my options

30 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 10, 2021

were and recognize that, yes, I actually can do this ... it became much more of a reality,” she added.

After COVID hit the events industry, Zellmer knew she would need to start down a new career path or pave her own.

“I chose to pave my own,” she said.

Zellmer created an idea board and held focus groups to research the direction she should take.

She landed on AIM90, which she says combines her passion for program design and prioritizing human experience over tactical delivery of information.

Fischer had a passion for grilling and barbeque and even had other side gigs related to it, one of which, GrillingTshirts.com, is still running. When he found himself unfulfilled by endless meetings and projects during the pandemic, he thought it might be time to take advantage of people spending more time at home.

“I just was being pulled to do something else,” he said.

So, Fischer and his business partner worked to develop a business plan for Burn Pit BBQ that included an initial roadmap for the company, mar-

ket vision and a longer-term vision. His conversations with family members and a financial advisor helped turn those ideas into reality.

“One thing that gave me the confidence to actually make the leap was that strategic planning on the family side of things,” Fischer said. “I think for me, I would still be in my corporate position if I didn’t have a strong financial plan, if I didn’t seek out those resources for health care and then put together the family plan on top of the business plan.”

The initial plans focused on e-commerce and some small retail, but Fischer said Burn Pit BBQ has also found some traction at craft and artisan fairs, which demonstrated consumer interest in supporting local businesses.

“From a retail perspective, at least from a small business, there is an undercurrent in the economy that’s really propping up and supporting small businesses and there’s a want to support them, just from a consumer perspective,” he said.

Finding traction in unexpected places highlighted the importance to Fischer of adapting the business plan in some cases.

“You have to be flexible, you have to try different things out, because you never know what’s going to be successful if you don’t try it,” he said.

Zellmer said seeking feedback is also important, in addition to being flexible.

“You have to be open to feedback, whether it be negative or positive,” she said, adding she preferred the former. “I love the positive, but the negative was going to make me better.”

She suggested entrepreneurs also need to be willing to lean on experts where needed.

“If you’re not really good at accounting and you need somebody to set up your books for you, then let them,” she said.

Zellmer also emphasized the need for patience in getting a steady flow of business established.

“Too many people go into opening their own business thinking that ‘build it and they will come,’” Zellmer said. “You have to build that pipeline and be patient.” n

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How will your family be taken care of if the unfortunate happens? Who is going to take your place in the business?

If your business agreement is not clear, how will your

family be provided for while this is being decided?

What about your other owners? The outcome could be completely out of their hands.

In coordination with your will and/or estate plan, a buy-sell agreement can be structured to provide income for your family, stability for the business and direction on how you and your other owners want the business to operate.

Are you prepared if an owner becomes disabled? We have found this is where a number of businesses find themselves in a financial predicament. You recently reviewed your agreement and added a clause that addresses if an owner becomes disabled and cannot perform their duties. That’s great, but let’s play this out in an example.

You get a call one day and find out another owner was in an accident. Terrible news to hear. You look at your updated agreement and find that the business will provide two-thirds pay to the disabled partner for a period of one year. The business also has to hire at least one person to fill this owner’s multiple hats. This means additional payroll and benefits, on top of paying the disabled owner two-thirds pay. Can your business afford a full year under these financial conditions?

Is there a solution? Of course—in fact, there are a number of ways to structure a business agreement to provide for a disabled owner while not causing a financial burden on the business.

At A&O, we tackle these and other difficult topics with you. We understand that each business is unique and each business owner has different individual situations— which is why our team strives to provide more value to the success of your business. A&O offers no-cost initial meetings so you can see if we are the right fit for you. n

ADVICE

Sponsored Content

Paving the way for a successful construction project JCP Construction’s concrete crew works together to prep for a large concrete pour at Fiserv Forum.

JAMES PHELPS President JCP Construction

DECIDING TO EMBARK on a construction project is a big decision. Whether a remodel, historic renovation or new build, a lot of factors have been evaluated and it probably has taken a considerable amount of time to reach the decision to proceed. While you are finally ready and can’t wait for the project to be complete, the success of your project depends upon working collaboratively with your team and establishing realistic expectations to guide the process.

In order to start a project off on the right foot, there are a few questions owners can ask when selecting their construction partner. These questions will help determine if this partnership is the best fit.

1. What is a typical construction timeline?

2. What is the construction company’s capacity to complete the project by the desired deadline?

3. What requirements need to be fulfilled to keep the project on track?

4. Can the company share references from recent relevant work?

5. Who will be the direct point of contact throughout the project for quality control?

Once the owner and contractor partnership has been solidified, it is important to set expectations for the construction process. The following are important considerations:

J C P- CON STRU CTION.COM 414.372.7300

Complete Communication Seamless and consistent communication is the key to construction project success. Both the owner and contractor should identify a single point of contact to manage all communication. The owner’s rep should have the authority to make final decisions to keep the project

moving forward. The main contractor contact can address field issues, manage decision making and connect with the architect as needed for design updates.

While it is important to set expectations on goals, timeframe, budget and processes from the beginning, problems can arise when the right team is not in place and the client is unable to make decisions. “When construction is in progress and clients see things in real time on site, it can lead to changes outside the original scope of work,” says Tracy Carson, assistant project manager at JCP. “It is important to realize that every change impacts the budget and schedule and can be a slippery slope impeding success.”

State of the Industry The level of communication between the client and contractor is a controllable factor in the success of a project; however, there are other issues to consider that may fluctuate throughout the construction process.

Materials The availability and cost of materials is a current industry issue impacting project timelines and budgets.

There is currently an over 100% increase on lumber costs and steel is up almost 4%. Delivery delays on materials and products can also push out schedules. With both steel and wood, lead times can be as much as three months for larger support beams. Schedules need to be maintained to lock in prices with steel or lumber yards to avoid further increases.

Labor A lack of qualified labor was an issue prior to Covid and has only been compounded throughout the pandemic. A shortage of good quality subcontractors may mean you have to wait awhile to get the job done right. This is why it is important to ask contractors about their capacity to complete a project before solidifying the partnership.

Understanding the current state of the construction industry, selecting the right construction partner and maintaining realistic expectations will pave the way for success when you embark on your next project.

Visit www.jcp-construction.com to learn more about the JCP team and recent project work.n

biztimes.com / 33

ADVICE

Sponsored Content

Your business funding decisions

BRETT ENGELKING Senior Vice President – Business Banking Manager Citizens Bank

WWW.CI T I Z EN B ANK.BA N K 262.363.6500

34 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 10, 2021

WHEN YOUR BUSINESS has a funding need, the question of whether to utilize business assets or to borrow funds will undoubtedly arise. As a business owner, you will need to make these decisions to successfully operate or grow your business.

An experienced business banker can help you decide whether using existing capital or borrowing funds – either with a commercial bank loan or via financing available through the SBA – is best, given your financial situation.

If you think a business loan may be in your future, familiarizing yourself with good borrowing practices is a great place to start. Here are tips for a successful outcome if and when the time comes to submit an application.

• Legitimate business purpose – One of the first questions lenders will ask is, “What are you looking to purchase or finance?” The practicality of the purchase will be assessed in terms of strength, opportunity, and risk. Because every loan carries a risk, be prepared to explain the goals and objectives for your loan, as this will help the lender determine if a commercial loan is the right fit.

• Be realistic – Consider how much money is actually needed to grow the business, and how much money the business can realistically afford to pay back each month. Creating a well thought

out budget supported by financial projections will help ensure you request an accurate amount for your lending needs.

• Consider character – Lenders aren’t looking for the “perfect” borrower – because there aren’t many of them. Business bankers want to make sure they’re lending to business owners who will make good on the business debts. Your personal credit score is how lenders judge your reliability and, while it’s always best to have an excellent credit score, today’s lending environment is more open to subpar credit ratings—instead focusing on the strength of your business and your character rather than on your credit score.

• Lay the foundation – Beginning the lending process is as easy as reaching out to your local community bank. It’s important to build a relationship with your lender before you need a loan, as initial conversations help the lender understand your commitment and your business. It’s also critical to gather appropriate documentation for your request including financial statements, projections, and a copy of your personal credit report.

It starts with the relationship Your relationship with your business banker can last years, so it’s important to be comfortable with them, their business values, and the other financial services they offer. One thing that distinguishes local community banks from other financial institutions is the customerfocused approach to commercial lending.

Regardless of the size of your business, by choosing your community bank for your commercial lending needs, you will benefit from local decision making, personalized service, and expertise.

With an independent spirit and financial strength, Citizens Bank has been doing what’s best for local business for 128 years. We have the capital and liquidity to meet the credit needs of our clients, both big and small – now and in the future. n

ADVICE

Sponsored Content

MATC Offers Solutions to Develop and Retain Your Workforce MATC provides customized training to fit an employer’s needs.

do they have an increase in demand or are they adding a new technology? From there, our certified trainers and instructors can mold training to help the business reach its goal.”

JOSHUA MORRIS Special Contributor MATC

LISA REID Director of Workforce Solutions MATC

M ATC .EDU 414.297.6083

EVEN PRIOR to the onset of COVID-19, the Milwaukee region was at a crossroads. Companies could not fill job openings while many residents felt jobs with higher wages were out of reach. As our region recovers, employers continue to plan how to address skills gaps.

Milwaukee Area Technical College serves its district, including businesses looking to invest in their own workforce as a way to close persistent skills gaps.

“Our college is here to support the community’s talent development needs,” said Lisa Reid, MATC director of Workforce Solutions. “We do that through onsite customized training and take a consulting business solutions approach with each industry.”

One way that MATC helps small businesses is by partnering with business improvement districts (BIDs) like the Menomonee Valley Partners Inc., and the Franklin Business Park Consortium, among others.

Through these partnerships, the college can provide workforce training and professional development in a shared training model.

“We meet with employers to perform a needs assessment and understand the key outcomes that they are looking to gain from our training,” Reid said. “I have seen businesses successfully get the skills that they need on-demand and quickly. From there, they are able to put employees on a career path and promote from within, which helps them retain their workforce.”

The training offered by MATC is flexible to stay current with business and market trends, and are customized to fit the needs and goals of employers.

“In our meetings with employers, we are focused on better understanding the business needs for their particular organization and the challenges they are facing,” Reid said. “Are they launching a new product,

Industry-Specific Training The training administered by the college covers all skills needed for a company to excel – leadership development, quality control and foundational soft skills.

The training is broken up into four, two-hour sessions across a period of four weeks. Each training is led by an MATC faculty member who is a certified subject matter expert.

MATC currently offers the following training workshops: • Management Essentials • Leadership Principles for Frontline Managers • Change Management • Emotional Intelligence • Effective Communication • Diversity and Inclusion • Conflict Resolution • Succession Planning • Advanced Lean Six Sigma For more details on the training offerings, contact Lisa Reid at Reidlk@matc.edu.

Grant Dollars Available for Businesses MATC takes pride in offering affordable, competitively priced solutions for career advancement. To offset the cost of training, MATC promotes Workforce Advancement Training (WAT) grants.

The Wisconsin Technical College System administers the WAT grant program, focused on upgrading incumbent employees’ skills and productivity.

“This is an incredible benefit for small businesses, with the grant covering up to 65% of the training costs,” Reid said. “Training under these grants must focus on occupation skills but can include a combination of occupational, academic and employability topics or career path courses.”

For more information and to request a complimentary consultation, go to matc.edu and search ‘Workforce Solutions.’ n

biztimes.com / 35

ADVICE

Sponsored Content

The ingenuity and grit of small business leaders are key to recovery in Wisconsin 3 Sheeps Brewing Company in Sheboygan.

MISSY HUGHES Secretary & CEO Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation

WED C. O R G 608.210.6700

36 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 10, 2021

SMALL BUSINESSES are at a critical juncture.

That’s why the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) is working with its more than 600 partners from other government and academic institutions, industry clusters and regional economic development organizations to accelerate support for this cornerstone of our prosperity.

Wisconsin’s small businesses, numbering nearly half a million enterprises, are vital to the health of our state.

Yet they were crushed by the pandemic, with industries like retail, leisure and restaurants in the direct line of fire. Many lacked the financing to get them through lean times and had fewer financial reserves to start with. Overall, the number of small businesses plunged a staggering 29 percent, killing the livelihood for tens of thousands of Wisconsinites.

Governor Evers has announced that more than $600 million of the state’s federal economic recovery dollars will go toward supporting small businesses across the state including $50 million in Wisconsin Tomorrow – Main Street Bounceback grants to encourage businesses to move into vacant storefronts in downtowns and other commercial corridors around the state, and more than $400 million in Wisconsin Tomorrow Small Business Grants that will provide direct aid to up to 84,000

businesses. This support, paired with the nearly $245 million distributed to 60,000 small businesses through We’re All In grants in 2020, is just one of the tools WEDC provides for Wisconsin’s small businesses.

Federal relief serves as a critical down payment on our economic recovery, but we need to maintain the momentum of those programs with new resources and new initiatives. Each of the new proposals for federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars offers us the opportunity to leverage our assets in Wisconsin and invest in the future. Additionally, Governor Evers’ proposed 2021-23 budget provides a $100 million venture capital fund that will allow us to invest in the pipeline of new ideas as well as $200 million in state funds to support small businesses getting back on their feet.

These dollars provide incredible support, but we don’t want to stop there. WEDC is committed to offering programming and resources to small businesses that helps them rebound from the pandemic with new skills and offerings.

The people running small businesses in Wisconsin have navigated a treacherous year and worked tirelessly to stay open – changing their business models, innovating to meet customers’ needs and showing the grit and determination that makes Wisconsin great. We want to help small business owners share their insights and connect with one another’s learnings so we’re sharing a showcase of Wisconsin business owners and the ways they innovated through the pandemic. The lessons we’ve all learned become coaching for the way forward. Find these stories at WeAreAllInWI.com/smallbusiness It’s exciting to think that after a difficult 2020, we may soon finally be on top of the coronavirus. With the right policies and resources, we can ensure that our small businesses, and our economy, will come out on top as well. n

ADVICE

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Leveraging the right wireless communications platform Share information and improve your team’s efficiency.

systems (alarm, access control, HVAC, process control, etc.)?

8. Would our organization benefit from decreasing recurring costs?

9. Would our teams benefit from using rugged and repairable communications equipment?

10. Would our teams benefit from being kept on task – limiting distractions?

JOE DRAGOTTA General Manager Viking Communications

VI K I NG COM M . U S 4 1 4 . 771. 8960

WHETHER WITH ONE PERSON or a team of fifty, communication is essential to our job function.

What we may not consider is: are we using the most efficient communications platform for our job?

While there is a place for detailed conversations in our day-to-day duties, there is also an overlooked need for instant and reliable group communications: responding to emergencies, locating missing items, coordinating events, keeping workers safe, even mundane but brief communications – the list goes on.

Take the time to read through these questions and see how your organization would benefit from incorporating a different communications platform.

1. Do we work as a team – regularly sharing information and duties while responding to a dynamic work environment (facilities, janitorial, maintenance, security, logistics, etc.)?

2. Are our teams regularly communicating with, or within, the same group(s) of people?

3. Would team members benefit from knowing what is going on within the department or organization, in real time?

4. Are our teams frequently engaging in brief communications?

5. Do our teams need instant communications (no dialing, ringing, voicemail, etc.)?

6. Would our teams benefit from a highly available, independent communications system?

7. Would it benefit our teams to receive real time information on, or even control, our in-house

Each one of the above ten questions addresses a point, at which, professional two-way radio excels.

Additionally, each point represents a real world, professional two-way communications solution we have implemented for our customers.

As a company, we have connected hospital campuses together, via their computer network, to centralized dispatch for security and maintenance. We have linked district schools in the same way.

We can provide real-time status information for fire suppression, alarm systems and even panic buttons for reception and common areas. Additionally, we can provide access to control remote gates, PC generated alerts and messages, provide customer assistance kiosks among other communication services. Professional twoway radio communications technology has experienced unprecedented growth and development in the last ten years.

Professional two-way communications differ from other two-way systems in several ways. An FCC license is required (helping to ensure interference-free communications). Professional equipment is rugged built to more demanding specifications, using higher specification components and designed to be repaired.

Professional two-way equipment also uses higher power levels to allow for increased communications range and coverage and is also programmable to grow with changing needs.

Viking Communications has been serving Southeastern Wisconsin since 1964. We have full-time sales and technical staff to design, install and maintain your wireless communications system. We also service, in-house, many of the items we sell. n

biztimes.com / 37

Strategies M&A

Due diligence before the deal Do your homework before buying a business EVERY DAY ACROSS AMERICA, businesses are bought and sold. Some sellers are looking at retirement for a cash-out for their hard work. Some are running a distressed business and need out.

People who buy those businesses range from successful entrepreneurs who want to add to their arsenal of success, private equity firms looking to generate above-average returns for investors, venture capitalists, or existing businesses looking to make strategic acquisitions.

In a recent article in the Harvard Business Review, authors Paul Gompers and Stephen Kaplan concluded, after multiple interviews, that most VCs look closely at the potential internal rate of return in making the decision of which companies to acquire. Ultimately, they are looking for a potential successful IPO exit.

Private equity investors typically target an average of a 22% internal rate of return to produce returns to their investors’ satisfaction.

Ann Hanna, managing director of Milwaukee-based private equity firm the Taureau Group, indicates PE investors look for healthy organizations with solid leadership, a positive growth outlook, and profitability, in addition to a strong reputation in their market. Their firm has a track record of success with its approach.

Robyn Levin acquired a Florida ice arena and turned it into a real gold mine. A Florida ice arena is not an oxymoron. Her innovative approach provides a lesson for everyone.

Robyn comes from a family of ice skaters, and she herself skated and competed in her youth. She 38 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 10, 2021

stumbled on a potential ice arena for sale while on a family vacation in Florida. Robyn had fond memories of her ice skating experience. So, she started doing her homework.

First, she studied the industry and consumer trends. She found that many Northerners were moving to the state of Florida and bringing with them fond memories of their days as figure skaters, hockey players or recreational users of their local ice rinks. They wanted to re-create that experience for their children.

Next, she did a feasibility study by interviewing owners of successful ice rinks and other customer research sources to understand the market opportunity and risks fully.

Then she looked for a business that was not taking advantage of the market opportunities. She identified a business that was doing just the opposite. As a result, she was able to acquire a struggling ice arena without having to break the bank.

She developed a strategic game plan before she acquired it. She took advantage of technology and PR to spread the word about the new look to this business. She had marketing savvy and created a brand that appealed to those Northerners wanting the ice skating experience for their children or grandchildren.

She looked for strategic partnerships that allowed her to draw new revenues and enhance her facility’s brand. She forged a partnership with an NHL team in Florida to sublet part of the arena for their practice facility, allowing her to advertise and promote that enhanced image. She also opened a retail shop and sports bar in the complex.

After a successful run, she was able to sell the business for a serious profit.

There are also lessons we can take away from Robyn’s next business venture. She again did her homework and moved to San Francisco, the epicenter of new technology at the start of the internet explosion.

It didn’t take long to conclude that video marketing would be the wave of the future, and she now specializes in helping clients utilize the advantage of that technology as part of a PR strategy.

Many of her clients tripled their assets and have been featured in the New York Times, Money

magazine, and the Wall Street Journal.

She developed and trademarked a “CocktailNapkinPlan” position for any client wanting to grow their company through PR and video marketing.

Her point is simple: By 2022, Cisco’s research indicates that 82% of all internet traffic will be through video marketing. Video gets 1,200% more shares than photos or text combined!

She is now a marketing and PR consultant. You can check out her website for more information: robynlevinmedia.com.

We live in a world where everything is being disrupted, and it is no different in the world of acquisitions or how to market a new business or existing business.

Your company may not be wired to do that kind of homework, but Robyn proved it’s possible, so there’s no reason you can’t learn from her approach. n

DAN STEININGER Dan Steininger is an author, national and international speaker, and business advisor. He is president of Steininger & Associates LLC, which helps companies drive innovation. He can be reached at DSteinin@ execpc.com.

LEADERSHIP

guide your one-on-one conversations, so they can be ready to respond and engage.

Four simple questions for better one-on-ones Make your time with each employee more valuable for both of you HERE’S A SECRET: One-on-ones are among the best leadership strategies I know.

But let me explain. By “one-on-ones,” I don’t mean the many one-to-one interactions you have with your employees every day. They’re not the drive-by conversations when a problem comes up or a new need arises.

One-on-ones are formally scheduled conversations with employees that occur with a consistent cadence – weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. Some organizations call them “check-in sessions” or “touch bases” or “sit-downs.”

Whatever you call them, one-on-ones work.

They create a dedicated, private, consistent space for leader and employee to discuss issues, praise progress, encourage development opportunities, reset priorities – anything necessary to help employees stay on track toward success.

And over time, they help you build your relationships with your people.

While one-one-ones are a terrific leadership strategy, they do need a little structure to be effective. Just four simple questions create all the structure you need for effective one-on-ones, and each question brings unique and valuable benefits.

Try these four questions. And before you do, let your employees know that these questions will

1. WHAT’S GONE RIGHT SINCE OUR LAST ONE-ON-ONE? Start your one-on-ones with the positive. Avoid the human inclination to focus only on the gaps and what’s not working. Much of what your employees do is good stuff, successful stuff. Acknowledge it, value it.

Let your employees tell you about – and celebrate – their wins. Their accomplishments give you helpful information about their performance and their strengths. Starting with the positive also creates good energy and good feelings, so it sets a constructive tone for your communication and relationship.

2. WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED SINCE OUR LAST ONE-ON-ONE? Not everything goes as planned. Commitments fall short. Obstacles come up. This is a chance for you to hear about projects, situations or commitments that aren’t going as well. These are opportunities for you to remove roadblocks, provide needed resources, support in new ways or reinforce accountability. It’s a chance to coach.

When you encourage your employees to tell you about their challenges, it also sends the signal that, ultimately, employees own their performance – the good and the bad. A big part of your role as a leader is to help them navigate the rough waters that can derail their success.

powers and drives ownership. As much as you can, let your people decide their priorities and areas of focus. As Jack Stack wrote, “People will support what they help to create.”

This is also your time to share new information you have, or to discuss and assign other action items or projects between now and next time.

4. HOW CAN I BETTER SUPPORT YOU? This is the golden question of leadership. Often, our employees don’t give us the feedback we need to lead them well. Here’s a chance to learn how you can be a more effective leader for your people – each of whom needs and wants different things from you to perform at their highest levels.

But be warned: At first, your employees might not have much to tell you. But keep asking. Over time, if you’re genuinely curious and open when asking this question, they’ll develop the trust and faith in you to ask for what they need.

And you’ll get the answers you need to lead well. n

3. WHAT DO YOU NEED TO GET DONE BETWEEN NOW AND OUR NEXT ONE-ON-ONE? Now we set the agenda for future action.

Your employees’ action items and to-dos from this question become their commitments for moving forward. They also become the foundation for the next one-on-one conversation, where once again, you’ll discuss their new successes and new challenges.

Notice, too, that the nature of this question gives your employees choice. This question em-

ALETA NORRIS Aleta Norris is partner and co-founder of Brookfield-based Living As A Leader, a leadership training, coaching and consulting firm. She can be reached at ANorris@ LivingAsALeader.com. biztimes.com / 39

Strategies SALES

ecutives, I’ve come to recognize several key steps each takes when selling.

SELL TO DECISION MAKERS

Selling thin air Best practices for service sales

“ If all you sell is a piece of paper and a promise, your customer must believe you can deliver the solution to his problem.”

Sell “things” to the technicians, the implementers in a company, folks with titles like manager, foreman, coordinator or supervisor. But sell concepts to those capable of making decisions. They have titles like CEO, COO, CFO, marketing director and vice president. These are the folks who establish departmental budgets, not the ones who must remain within one.

If you hear somebody say “It’s not in the budget,” you’re talking to the wrong somebody. You need to talk to the decision maker who set the budget.

LET THEM DEFINE THE PROBLEM When selling concepts, we’re really just selling solutions to problems. But first we need to figure out what the problem is.

The best way to do this is to let your customer tell you. Start by asking questions. Keep asking questions until they have defined the problem.

Every company has them. It’s simply a matter of asking the right questions and listening carefully until you hear a problem you think your firm may be able to remedy.

SELL SOLUTIONS THE SELLING OF PRODUCTS or services you can’t actually touch or feel in your hands presents some challenging problems. It’s often called “selling thin air” because of its elusive and illusive nature.

Conceptual products include insurance, computer software, consulting services and the like, and if you are in the business of selling concepts, you understand the difficulty.

The idea of selling intangibles rather than hard goods is intimidating, puzzling, even humbling to many of the best salesmen and women. “How can I sell something I can’t demonstrate? How do I point out my product’s many features if I can’t show them at work?”

Yet those who are good at it say they wouldn’t sell anything else. What are their secrets?

Working many years with successful sales ex40 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 10, 2021

the greater value in the company’s products. They pay more. Company sales and profits go up. Advertisers and business consultants most often sell this benefit.

Improving productivity does both. Better productivity can mean reduced costs, or it can mean improved quality, thus enhancing the company’s market position. Either way, the company makes more money.

BUILD RELATIONSHIPS Selling solutions takes trust. If all you sell is a piece of paper and a promise, your customer must believe you can deliver the solution to his problem.

If she can’t touch it, see it, smell it, or feel it, the only way she can have confidence in the results is if she has confidence in you.

One successful financial planner I know seldom discusses money in his first meeting with a client. He creates a sense of friendship and camaraderie that builds to trust. By the second or third meeting, his client has been sold on him. After that, it’s easy to sell financial planning solutions.

Selling intangibles may seem daunting at first glance. But follow these key tactics of successful concept sellers, and you’ll have shorter gaps between sales closings, and a healthier financial future. n

When selling concepts to decision makers, don’t sell the “thing” itself. Whether it’s computer software or building insurance or financial accounting, it’s little more than paper and promises.

Sell the true benefit your product provides, the solution to the decision maker’s problem. Solutions generally fall into one of three categories: 1. They reduce costs.

2. They enhance a company’s market position.

3. They improve productivity.

Help a company run leaner by reducing costs, and you’re a hero. If your software can reduce transaction expense, that’s the benefit, the sizzle on the steak, that your sales presentation must include.

Enhancing a company’s market position allows it to raise prices. Their customers recognize

ROBERT GREDE Robert Grede is an author, speaker and strategy consultant. For more information visit: www.RobertGrede.com

A BRIEF CASE

How should I address hot-button topics in the workplace?

Roy Dietsch

Kimberly Kane

Susan Fronk

Chief executive officer PartsBadger

President and chief executive officer Kane Communications Group

President and chief executive officer MRA

“We find that separating today’s divisive climate with our company culture is more important than ever. When addressing hot-button issues, the most successful strategy we’ve found is to keep conversations focused on facts surrounding current issues and highlight how issues directly impact our business and the team. Focusing on specific facts which impact the business and an action item relating to those effects will keep the conversation productive. Keeping the focus on the team reinforces unity while also steering clear of generalizations that can be divisive.

“We believe a strong culture of inclusion and unity is also imperative and we find the tone needs to be set from the top. Management training is a great opportunity to express the importance of the team culture to managers with ‘relatedness’ as one of the pillars of motivation. It’s critical that every employee feels safe, secure and part of the team. We found internal marketing to be a great tool in reinforcing this, which is even more important when employees are working from home. We use themes like, ‘We Built This’ (2019) and ‘All Systems Go’ (2021) to help frame our team goals for the year.

“Another tip: A great resource we use is the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), which offers a wealth of information regarding issues our business faces.”

“The past year certainly provided us with a number of hot-button issues. How businesses respond to those issues can have a big impact on a company’s reputation. Increasingly, people want to see CEOs take a stand on social issues. Determining how to address those issues with employees is also a factor in your company’s reputation.

Employees want to know where their leaders stand. You have to decide what’s best for your personal brand and your company’s brand.

“One of the most important things you can do as a leader is to listen. If something significant is going on in the world, don’t be afraid to have conversations with your team. In fact, I encourage it.

Find out how they are doing, processing or coping with the issue. If it’s a topic that has divided your team, encourage respectful discussion, with a focus on listening to both sides. Remind your team that people are allowed to have different opinions. Empathy goes a long way with both internal and external audiences. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes so you can see and understand their perspective.”

“We’ve all learned a lot in the past year as a result of COVID, and one key has been the need for empathy and connection, demonstrated in new ways. Business needs must be met, yes, but showing kindness and understanding especially during difficult times is essential. Critical business decisions require us to sometimes take a step back and think: » Am I being authentic? Sincerity and transparency can’t be faked. » Am I being proactive – operating in the moment, but looking forward as well? Balancing the ‘now’ and ‘tomorrow’ is important. » Perfection slows you down; people want genuine, timely information. Communicating much more often in a less-than-perfect way is far better than waiting for the perfect time – that almost never happens. » Video or podcasts are a great way to help keep employees informed. Staff appreciate seeing and hearing you, not just getting ‘one more email.’ » Tell it to them straight so they can trust and count on what you say. » Listening sessions make you available for those individuals who need or want more, need reassurance. No prep necessary – just show up and connect, share generously. » Always express gratitude – every day in every way you can.” n biztimes.com / 41

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Submit your company news at biztimes.com/bizconnect 42 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 10, 2021

BIZ PEOPLE

Advertising Section: New Hires, Promotions, Accolades and Board Appointments

CONSTRUCTION Josh Pearson Promoted to Vice President of Preconstruction and Estimating. Josh has been with JP Cullen for over 15 years playing an important role in estimating and project management. During his time at JP Cullen he has demonstrated excellent leadership skills. We are very excited for the impact Josh will deliver.

CONSTRUCTION

Aaron Strader to Head Estimating for JP Cullen Healthcare Division

Aaron has made a huge impact in building and leading JP Cullen’s estimating department for our Milwaukee Division over the last four years.

During this time, he has developed into one of our experts in healthcare construction.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Al Araque Joins Johnson Financial Group

Johnson Financial Group announces Al Araque as SVP, Director of Consumer and Private Banking.

With over 22 years of strategic leadership experience in banking, he has a proven track record of helping clients realize their financial goals.

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

PARADIGM Real Estate Corp.

Welcomes Jim Johnson to its Team

Johnson joins PARADIGM in providing brokerage and consulting services to owners and tenants of industrial and commercial properties in Wisconsin.

Prior to his role with PARADIGM, Johnson spent 10 years in property management and over two decades in the construction wholesale industry. His extensive background in construction, wholesale and property management allows Johnson to identify the specific needs of clients in commercial, industrial and warehouse/distribution transactions.

He is a native of Mequon, WI and a graduate of Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Admin.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Pat Hickey Joins Johnson Financial Group

Johnson Financial Group announces Pat Hickey as SVP, Director of Wealth Services. With over 30 years of broad financial experience, he is focused on the servicing of longterm client relationships through the integration of complex lines of business.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Grace Matthews promotes Andrew Cardona to Director

Grace Matthews, Inc. announces the promotion of Andrew Cardona to Director. Andrew joined Grace Matthews in 2013 and leads sellside and buy-side transactions in the chemical sector, including complex carve-out transactions and leveraged deals. Andrew, a UW-Madison graduate, worked on distressed and international debt at Prudential prior to joining Grace Matthews. Andrew will continue to lead Grace Matthews’ analyst recruiting and training programs.

HEALTHCARE

Flight for Life Announces New Executive Director

Leif Erickson will be the next executive director of Flight For Life.

Erickson brings a strong business acumen and understanding of EMS to his new role, having served as FFL’s Director of Operations, Education Coordinator and as a Flight Paramedic.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Grace Matthews promotes Eric Sabelhaus to Director

Grace Matthews, Inc. announces the promotion of Eric Sabelhaus to Director. Eric joined Grace Matthews in 2016 and leads buy-side, sell-side and equity transactions in the chemicals and materials sector. Prior to joining Grace Matthews, Eric held professional roles at General Electric and Baird. Eric’s positive and outgoing personality combined with his mechanical engineering and finance education is an enviable combination.

MUSIC PUBLISHING

Hal Leonard Names Ben Culli Vice President, Editorial & Production

Hal Leonard has named Ben Culli Vice President, Editorial & Production. In this new role, Culli will oversee workflow and procedures between the company’s editorial, engraving, production, and other departments and domestic and European offices.

New Hire?

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BizConnections VOLUME 27, NUMBER 3 | MAY 10, 2021

GLANCE AT YESTERYEAR

126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120

Cutler-Hammer plant during I-94 construction This undated photo shows the Cutler-Hammer facilities near 12th Street and St. Paul Avenue in Milwaukee during the construction of I-94. The company had moved to the location in 1899 and steadily expanded there through the early 1960s when Milwaukee County used a portion of the land for a new freeway interchange, according to UWM’s Encyclopedia of Milwaukee. The latest expansion of the interstate to the west is currently undergoing an extended planning process.

— Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Public Library/Historic Photo Collection

PHONE: 414-277-8181 FAX: 414-277-8191 WEBSITE: www.biztimes.com CIRCULATION: 414-336-7100 | circulation@biztimes.com ADVERTISING: 414-336-7112 | advertising@biztimes.com EDITORIAL: 414-336-7120 | andrew.weiland@biztimes.com REPRINTS: 414-336-7100 | reprints@biztimes.com

PUBLISHER / OWNER Dan Meyer dan.meyer@biztimes.com

SALES & MARKETING

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Mary Ernst mary.ernst@biztimes.com COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT / OWNER Kate Meyer kate.meyer@biztimes.com

EDITORIAL EDITOR Andrew Weiland andrew.weiland@biztimes.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lauren Anderson lauren.anderson@biztimes.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Arthur Thomas arthur.thomas@biztimes.com REPORTER Brandon Anderegg brandon.anderegg@biztimes.com REPORTER Maredithe Meyer maredithe.meyer@biztimes.com

DIRECTOR OF SALES Linda Crawford linda.crawford@biztimes.com CONTENT SOLUTIONS MANAGER Maggie Pinnt maggie.pinnt@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Paddy Kieckhefer paddy.kieckhefer@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Christie Ubl christie.ubl@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Dylan Dobson dylan.dobson@biztimes.com SALES ADMIN Gracie Schneble gracie.schneble@biztimes.com

ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR Sue Herzog sue.herzog@biztimes.com

PRODUCTION & DESIGN

REPORTER Alex Zank alex.zank@biztimes.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Alex Schneider alex.schneider@biztimes.com ART DIRECTOR Shelly Tabor shelly.tabor@biztimes.com

Independent & Locally Owned — Founded 1995 —

COMMENTARY

Use it or lose it AS AN INCREASING NUMBER of Americans get COVID-19 vaccinations, it appears the airline industry is expecting a significant surge in leisure travel. It makes sense. A lot of people canceled vacations and put off traveling to see family and friends last year. No doubt there is a huge pent-up demand for traveling. We’re all sick of staying home!

Since the start of this year there has been a bevy of new flight announcements for Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, almost all for leisure destinations. That’s a strong indication of what the airlines are thinking about and the surge in leisure travel they are anticipating.

Three airlines – JetBlue, Spirit and Sun Country – have announced plans to enter the Milwaukee market. Other airlines that already serve Milwaukee – including Southwest, United and American – announced plans for new Milwaukee routes or an expansion of flights for existing routes.

United is adding flights from Milwaukee to 44 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 10, 2021

Portland, Maine; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; and Savannah, Georgia – leisure destinations that previously you couldn’t fly to directly from Milwaukee.

It will be very interesting to see how popular these new flights to and from Milwaukee are, and if they last. It’s pretty simple, if enough people fill these planes the flights will continue.

But if not, the service will be cut.

One challenge that has long faced the metro Milwaukee economy is the lack of direct flights from Milwaukee to key business destinations. This became a much bigger problem with the demise of Midwest Airlines (originally known as Midwest Express). Midwest had a hub in Milwaukee until it was acquired by Indianapolis-based Republic Airways in 2009 and merged into Frontier Airlines. The Midwest Airlines brand was eliminated in 2011.

A group of investors have been trying to revitalize the Midwest Express brand but have been unable to get the venture to take off so far. They were already struggling to get the new Midwest Express off the ground last year, ending a partnership with Portland, Maine-based Elite Airways, and suing Elite, and then the pandemic hit the country and devastated the overall economy and especially the travel industry.

Efforts to relaunch Midwest Express continue, but there’s been little sign of progress during the past year.

For now, other airlines are bringing new service to Milwaukee, but mostly for leisure destinations. If we want to keep that service, and encourage airlines to add routes to other destinations, consumers need to support them and get on the planes.

That means southeastern Wisconsin travelers need to fly out of Mitchell International as much as possible, rather than opting for flights out of O’Hare or Midway in Chicago.

“These new flight additions … show how important it is for Wisconsin travelers to choose MKE,” said Mitchell International airport director Brian Dranzik. “Airlines respond to demand from travelers, so the more we all book tickets from our hometown airport, the more service like this we will get.” n

ANDREW WEILAND EDITOR

P / 414-336-7120 E / andrew.weiland@biztimes.com T / @AndrewWeiland

LILA ARYAN PHOTOGRAPHY

PAY IT FORWARD

Diana Schmidt, property and casualty consultant and principal at Hausmann-Johnson Insurance, works with Amanda Busche, business development and real estate associate at VJS Construction Services, to unpack food.

Diana Schmidt works to address hunger with Blessings in a Backpack Diana Schmidt Property and casualty consultant, principal Hausmann-Johnson Insurance Nonprofit served: Blessings in a Backpack Waukesha County Service: Vice president of the board

DIANA SCHMIDT WAS participating in the Waukesha County Business Alliance’s leadership development program three years ago when she was tasked with identifying a community problem she wanted to solve and practical steps she could take to address it.

She jotted down “hunger” and endeavored to work toward the ambitious goal of eliminating it.

Through the same program, Schmidt, a property and casualty consultant and principal at Hausmann-Johnson Insurance’s Pewaukee office, made connections to Blessings in a Backpack of Waukesha County, the local chapter of a national nonprofit

program that provides food on the weekend for school children who might otherwise go hungry.

The program is intentionally inconspicuous in its delivery of food, with volunteers filling backpacks and placing them in children’s lockers to take home on Friday.

Schmidt was drawn to the mission after talking with the chapter’s founders, who recounted how they grew the program from distributing food to 25 students in one Waukesha school in 2012 to now feeding 1,700 students in Waukesha, Oconomowoc, Sussex and Hartland.

It was eye-opening for Schmidt to hear about the prevalence

of food insecurity in Waukesha County, she said.

“Listening to their story was really impressive to me,” Schmidt said. “These women were just a group of friends that decided to do something to help hunger, and they just started doing it. They started small and built and built until it got to the place where it is today.”

Schmidt began volunteering with the organization, doing odd jobs, like packing boxes and delivering food, on Friday afternoons. When chapter founder Regina Estrada decided to retire in late 2019, she recruited Schmidt to serve on the board.

Schmidt’s first meeting was March 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools and introduced new challenges to the program’s delivery model.

“Some of the kids weren’t even at school anymore, some food distributors had supply chain issues. We just had issue after issue to try to work through,” Schmidt said. “At times it’s been stressful, but we still were able to continue to feed kids. We had a stronger

need, there were more kids that needed the support, and we fed kids through the summer, which we never have done before.”

Schmidt has also found ways to draw her family into her volunteer work by having her children help with packing bags and hosting bake sales.

“I have two boys, 10-year-old twins,” she said. “We haven’t experienced food insecurity, so we’re lucky in that sense, but I’m trying to educate them that there are kids who are food insecure and having them come and volunteer has been a rewarding experience for our whole family.” n

LAUREN ANDERSON Associate Editor

P / 414-336-7121 E / lauren.anderson@biztimes.com T / @Biz_Lauren

biztimes.com / 45

LAUREN ANDERSON

BizConnections

5 MINUTES WITH…

MARK MEISNER

KWIK TRIP RECENTLY SIGNED ON as the presenting sponsor of the NASCAR Cup Series race this summer at Road America near Elkhart Lake, in a deal the La Crosse-based convenience store chain and the race track say will help boost Kwik Trip’s brand awareness throughout the Midwest.

Meanwhile, the chain continues to enjoy a loyal following in its existing markets in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa as it executes on plans to open more than 40 new stores over the next year.

Mark Meisner, director of marketing and advertising for Kwik Trip, recently spoke with BizTimes associate editor Lauren Anderson about the strategy behind the Road America deal and the chain’s expansion.

WHAT DOES KWIK TRIP LOOK FOR WHEN DECIDING WHERE TO PUT ITS NEXT STORE? “What’s a little bit different about our company is we’re not a traditional convenience store. We obviously are in the quick-service restaurant business; we certainly have guests who rely on us for food. We’ve now gotten into the take-home meal business.

From COVID, we’ve seen transactions or guest counts down in morning drive (time) because of more people officing from home, though that’s coming back a little bit. But, we’ve seen an increase in traffic in stores during the late afternoon and evening hours. So, for us in the grocery space, the quick service restaurant space and fuel and convenience space, we find we have a lot of opportunities where there are needs for our type of offering.”

WHY THIS SPONSORSHIP? “It’s been a lot of years since a big circuit like this has come back to Wisconsin, so it was an equivalent of a NASCAR Cup race at Elkhart Lake back in the 1950s. … To me it was a natural fit for our brand and our customer base and it fits our profile of our customer base and the guests in our store really well. So, when the track reached out and asked if we had some interest, it was something we knew we just needed to look at.

“I like connecting our brand to emotionally supercharged events and sports. … Media is so fragmented today, one of the only things that people watch live or listen to is sports. So, it gives us a way to kind of cut through the clutter and make the connections with our guests and the excitement of pro sports and even college sports, to some degree.”

IS KWIK TRIP EYEING ANY OTHER STATES? “We are looking outside of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. In time, you’ll see opportunities pop up probably in the (Upper Peninsula of Michigan) and in the Dakotas. Those are opportunities for us. We now have a store down in Illinois with the Stop-N-Go acquisition (last year).

“We have a transportation division, and all the stores get a shipment of products every day fresh from our distribution center facilities here in La Crosse. We have to take that into consideration. So, (new potential stores) have to be roughly 6 to 8 hours from La Crosse to fit within the box of what we can service based on how we provide product to our stores, but that does give us opportunity to continue to expand our service area.” n

Director of marketing and advertising, Kwik Trip

46 / BizTimes Milwaukee MAY 10, 2021

SPONSORED CONTENT

The key idea here is value. Value is what differentiates content marketing from almost any other form of advertising or marketing.

Your content marketing needs to offer a specific value to the audience you’re trying to attract.

Content marketing puts the readers’ needs first. What does the consumer need to know, as opposed to what your company wants them to know about you? This quote below (a favorite of mine) says it all.

“People don’t buy a quarter-inch drill, they buy a quarter-inch hole in the wall” —Theodore Levitt

Content marketing is about your customers and their issues (the need for a hole). Talking about your brand (the drill) comes later in the process.

CONTENT MARKETING 101 The good, the bad, and the ugly

Y MAGGIE PINNT (414) 336-7127 maggie.pinnt@biztimes.com linkedin.com/in/maggiepinnt

So, what does content marketing look like? It comes in a lot of different forms including: ¢ Infographics ¢ White papers or ebooks ¢ Webinars (webcasts) ¢ Video ¢ Podcast ¢ Websites with a blog or resource page ¢ Custom publications ¢ Sponsored content Traditionally, marketers have turned to brand advertising for the early stages of the sales cycle to let prospects know who you are, what you do, and what makes you different.

Many people say they’re doing content marketing, but are they really? Are they creating effective content or are they just using the newest buzzword?

The beginning of the sales cycle is also when content marketing can bring results — by tapping into the early stages of the education process. The stories content marketers tell can inform consumers by delivering valuable, relevant information —before the audience may have considered it or even before they’re aware they have a problem that needs a solution. The combination of content marketing and brand advertising delivers powerful results.

Some companies create content because someone told them it was a good idea. A competitor has a blog, so they decide they need one too. However, without strategy, all you’re doing is churning out self-serving copy.

There’s no short-cut to success. You may not see immediate results, but give it some time. We did. BizTimes Media did not build a database of 16,000+ e-newsletter subscribers or 12,000+ print subscribers overnight. It took 25 years of delivering valuable content.

Good content marketing is about your audience, not about you.

So, how do you get started?

Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer actions.

The truth is, content marketing can be a full-time job. But if it’s done right, it can make your business more profitable. When you’re beginning a campaign, it may not be a good idea to go into it alone.

Consider finding a partner in an experienced firm or professional.

If a company hasn’t identified the audience they’re trying to reach, they’re probably not offering that audience a compelling reason to read the content. When content is done right, with one focus and one purpose, it can create a more educated buyer, position you as a go-to expert, and shorten your sales cycle.

Take advantage of our experience with this free guide. biztimes. com/lp/guide-to-inbound-and-content-marketing/. Or, if you’re ready to have a brief conversation about your content marketing plans, feel free to reach out to us today.

ou’ve probably been hearing the term “content marketing” a lot lately. Your competitors are either doing it — or planning to — but you have no idea what it is.

BT 360

THE STORYTELLING ARM OF BIZTIMES MEDIA biztimes.com / 47

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