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The commercial real estate industry continues to adapt We’ve moved past lockdowns that devastated the economy, but as many office staff continue to work from home, the future of the office market remains murky. Join us at the 2021 BizTimes Commercial Real Estate and Development Conference as we take a look at What’s Next for the industry with a pair of panels, one focused on the severely stressed office market, while the other covers industry trends and examines the next development hot spots in southeastern Wisconsin.
Panelists: • Jenna Maguire, Office Property Specialist, Founders 3 (1) • Mark Irgens, CEO, Irgens (2) • Mike Wanezek, Partner, Colliers (3) • Josh Krsnak, President & CEO, Hempel Companies (4) • Josh Jeffers, President & CEO, J. Jeffers & Co. (5) • S.R. Mills, President, Bear Real Estate Group (6) • Frank Cumberbatch, Vice President - Engagement, Bader Philanthropies, Inc. (7) Moderator: • Andy Hunt, Director, Marquette University Center for Real Estate (8)
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6 Leading Edge 6 NOW BY THE NUMBERS 7 ‘QUOTE UNQUOTE’ WITH STEVE RICHMAN OF MILWAUKEE TOOL 8 BIZ LUNCH 9 BIZ POLL
10 Biz News 10 F ORMER FINANCIAL EXECUTIVE’S SECOND CAREER INVOLVES INVESTING IN FINANCIAL LITERACY
12 Real Estate 35 Notable Commercial Real Estate Leaders 41 Strategies
COVER STORY
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41 LEADERSHIP Joe Galvin
The evolution of Walker’s Point Neighborhood strives to keep identity through transformation
JAKE HILL PHOTOGRAPHY
BizTimes Milwaukee (ISSN 1095-936X & USPS # 017813) Volume 27, Number 13, November 8, 2021 – November 21, 2021. BizTimes Milwaukee is published bi-weekly, except monthly in January, February, July, August and December by BizTimes Media LLC at 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120, USA. Basic annual subscription rate is $96. Single copy price is $5. Back issues are $8 each. Periodicals postage paid at Milwaukee, WI and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address corrections to BizTimes Milwaukee, 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120. Entire contents copyright 2021 by BizTimes Media LLC. All rights reserved.
Contents
Special Reports
44 Biz Connections 44 G LANCE AT YESTERYEAR COMMENTARY 45 NONPROFIT 46 5 MINUTES WITH … KATHLEEN O’LEARY, RETIRED CEO OF STATE FAIR PARK
15 Real estate and development In addition to the cover story, coverage includes a look at how bank branches have been redeveloped as banks have reduced their footprint and a preview of the 2021 BizTimes Milwaukee Commercial Real Estate and Development Conference.
30 Veterans in the workplace Coverage includes a look at how a National Guard battalion logistics officer’s employer accommodates his service obligations.
GET ASSURANCE. G E T CO M M I T M E N T.
On the cover: Element building under construction on South Fifth Street.
Be your banker’s top priority. TO W N B A N K . U S / D E S E RV E
G E T AT T E N T I O N . biztimes.com / 5
Leading Edge
BIZTIMES DAILY – The day’s most significant news → biztimes.com/subscribe
NOW
JON ELLIOTT OF MKE DRONES LLC
Aerial photo of the site of Bear Development’s Filer & Stowell redevelopment in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood.
Major Milwaukee-area affordable housing projects awarded Federal Home Loan Bank funding By Alex Zank, staff writer The redevelopment of old warehouse buildings in Bay View into 300 housing units. Construction of a new 79-unit East Side building along the Milwaukee River. A new 55-unit project along King Drive in the Harambee neighborhood. These are a few of the Milwaukee affordable-housing projects receiving funding by the Federal
Home Loan Bank of Chicago. FHLBank Chicago recently said it awarded subsidies to 33 housing projects in Wisconsin through its Affordable Housing Program general fund. Among the recipients is Kenosha-based Bear Development’s Filer & Stowell redevelopment. The project involves the conver-
BY THE NUMBERS Northwestern Mutual said its policyowners will receive an estimated
6.5 BILLION $
in dividends next year, a new high. 6 / BizTimes Milwaukee NOVEMBER 8, 2021
sion of 10 warehouses totaling 211,100 square feet southeast of South First and East Becher streets in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood into mostly affordable housing. Two phases of the project are receiving AHP funding. The 78unit Filer & Stowell Foundry Lofts and the 61-unit Filer & Stowell Machine Shop Lofts each are getting $900,000. First American Bank is providing the AHP grants. Bear Development chief executive officer S.R. Mills previously told BizTimes Milwaukee that his firm was aiming to commence the project early next year. City records show crews have begun applying for permits to make alterations to the buildings. Meanwhile, the 79-unit Eighteen87 on Water project is getting $900,000 through BMO Harris Bank. Milwaukee-based Rule Enterprises LLC is developing the $21.2 million project, located at 1887 N. Water St. in Milwaukee, on the city’s East Side. Three-quarters of those units will be affordable. The Five Points Lofts project at 3317-49 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Milwaukee is getting $690,000. BMO is also providing that funding. Milwaukee-based KG Development and the Martin Luther King Economic Development Corp. are developing the project, which also includes retail units and makerspace. Other southeastern Wisconsin projects or programs receiving AHP subsidies include:
» Bethesda Cornerstone Village — Highland, Milwaukee » Bronzeville scattered sites, Milwaukee » United Community Center’s first-time home buyer services, Milwaukee » Lincoln Villas North Inc. rental-housing rehabilitation work, Racine » River Parkway Apartments and Townhomes phase two, Wauwatosa » Housing Resources Inc.’s Pathway Home 2022 program, in Kenosha, Milwaukee, Racine and Waukesha counties. “Through the acquisition, rehabilitation and new construction of these housing units, these awards will help support eight FHLBank Chicago member institutions in Milwaukee as they partner with local organizations to develop and expand the supply of high-quality and affordable housing in the communities they serve,” an FHLBank Chicago spokesperson said in an email. The 11 regional FHLBanks are cooperatively owned by member financial institutions. They supply lendable funds to help lenders invest in local needs, such as housing and jobs. Each FHLBank has its own AHP, to which it must contribute 10% of its earnings. AHP money is used to finance the creation of owner-occupied housing or rental housing for low- or moderate-income households. n
“ QUOTE
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unQUOTE
STEVE RICHMAN
G R O U P P R E S I D E N T, M I L W A U K E E T O O L Steve Richman, group president at Brookfield-based Milwaukee Tool, spoke recently at BizTimes Media’s annual Next Generation Manufacturing Summit. In a keynote conversation with associate editor Arthur Thomas, Richman discussed the company’s explosive growth, managing supply chain challenges and recruiting people to southeastern Wisconsin. n
“We have a lot of people who are really passionate and put their blood, sweat and tears into the business every single day, and sometimes they need to be told to turn it off.”
“We’re a pro brand. The day the user believes that our brand is not a pro brand and the day that we deliver junk to that pro is the day that we lose equity. The day that we lose equity is the day that (the company’s) 20% growth for 14 straight years goes away.”
“We made some big mistakes early and some of those big mistakes were (based on) trying to do what a lot of people do in their facilities, and that is drive new product development at the same time as manufacturing. We have separated those two.”
“Diversity is a roadblock. We have a challenge. We have 150 ex-pats that work for us in Brookfield today at the headquarters. Making Wisconsin a place where everybody feels comfortable and a part of the community is absolutely essential to be able to recruit the best and the brightest.”
“Most people talk about strategy and how strategy changes a company. Our belief is that everyone can create a strategy, but if you don’t have the people and the culture to be able to drive that strategy, then you’re not going to win and you’re not going to be able to change the game.” “From a region standpoint ... what the Bucks have done, the growth of downtown Milwaukee has clearly changed the perspective of bringing people into Milwaukee. Before the Bucks did that, I’ll say 14 years ago, when we brought people on a tour of Milwaukee, it was difficult; it felt almost impossible to get young people to want to come. It’s turned since then.”
biztimes.com / 7
Leading Edge
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BIZ LUNCH
Lunch
PEOPLE’S PARK
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A D D R E S S: 337 W. Main St., Waukesha WEBSITE: peoplesparkwaukesha.com CUISINE: American contemporary O W N E R S: Susie, Jim and Dan Taylor M O O D: Friendly and inviting PRICING: Lunch and dinner (starters to entrees), $9-27 With its central location in the heart of downtown Waukesha, People’s Park is a well-known destination for out-of-town visitors as much as it is for locals – and business diners are no exception. Beyond the restaurant’s versatile menu, eclectic art collection and laidback atmosphere, a big draw is its festive holiday decor. For Halloween, the three-story space is transformed into a haunted mansion with spider webs, skeletons and spooky lighting. For Christmas, it’s wall-to-wall tinsel, string lights and Santa Claus figurines. “Especially for business meetings, if they have someone from out of town and they want to take them somewhere that’s unique seasonally, I don’t think you can find a better place than what we do here,” said general manager Garrett Fox. Lunchtime traffic at People’s Park has been on the rise since early summer as local business professionals return to the office and resume in-person meetings. With two levels of seating, there’s space for both one-on-one meetings and large groups. 8 / BizTimes Milwaukee NOVEMBER 8, 2021
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A favorite among the lunchtime crowd, Frankie’s Garden salad is named after owner Susie Taylor, who often goes by “Frankie.” It’s served with a choice of protein, housemade rice vinegar soy dressing and toasted baguette. The popular “Best Ever French Toast” is available for weekend brunch. Pair it with one of the four bloody marys on the drink menu. Visit People’s Park around Halloween and you’ll find yourself dining in a haunted mansion.
CONTRIBUTED
Biz
BIZ POLL
A recent survey of BizTimes.com readers.
Has recent inflation for consumer goods changed your personal purchasing habits?
Advertise in these upcoming special reports to get your message in front of area business executives.
Yes, I’m buying less due to higher prices:
48%
Banking & Finance
No, my purchasing habits haven’t changed:
28%
December 13, 2021 Space Reservation: November 24, 2021
Despite inflation, I am actually purchasing more goods lately:
24%
Manufacturing: Food & Beverage December 13, 2021
Space Reservation: November 24, 2021 Contact Linda Crawford today! Phone: 414.336.7112 Email: advertise@biztimes.com
Share your opinion! Visit biztimes.com/bizpoll to cast your vote in the next Biz Poll.
Meet Nancy and Rick Serving Southeastern Wisconsin Businesses
Proactive and strategic is how Nancy’s clients describe her.
Estate, Trust and Succession Planning are Rick’s expertise areas.
“Working with a variety of business owners gives me a unique perspective on the challenges they face and opportunities they can take advantage of. It is so rewarding to collaborate and implement plans that generate growth and profitability.” - Nancy
“Estate planning is an important facet of developing a succession plan for business owners. I work with business owners and their families to customize a goal-oriented and tax-optimized plan to protect their business and personal assets, and ensure their wishes are reflected in their estate and trust plans.” - Rick
In the community: Nancy is the Treasurer of SHARP Literacy.
Nancy Mehlberg
CVB, EA Principal mehlbergn@sva.com
Rick Kollauf
CPA, CFP®, AEP®, JD Principal kollaufr@sva.com
In the community: Rick serves as the treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts.
Measurable Results. | SVAaccountants.com ®
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BizNews NEWS FEATURE Pat Rorabeck works with high school students in the classroom on financial literacy tools. “You learn so much by listening to what they say and watching what they do, and that helps us make better programming,” he said.
Former financial executive’s second career involves investing in financial literacy By Lauren Anderson, staff writer PATRICK RORABECK spent nearly 30 years in the banking world. The majority of those years were spent with M&I Bank, and the final few were with BMO Harris Bank, where he finished his corporate career as senior vice president. A financial planner by trade, Rorabeck had mapped out the possibility of a career change around the age of 50. When his position with BMO was eliminated when he was 51, it opened the opportunity for that second professional chapter to begin. “I had opportunities to join other organizations in wealth management leadership roles,” he said. “That probably would have been the easy thing to do. But I didn’t want to just do that.” Rorabeck read the book “Halftime” by Bob Buford, which encourages people to consider how they can orient the second half of their life around making a difference. He networked with community members. Those conversations led him to the nonprofit sphere and, ultimately, Brenda Campbell. Campbell is president and chief executive officer of Milwaukee-based SecureFutures, an organization that partners with area schools to provide financial education, tools and mentorship to teens. One of its flagship programs, Money Sense, introduces high school juniors and seniors to essential financial literacy concepts, taught by business community volun10 / BizTimes Milwaukee NOVEMBER 8, 2021
teers or teachers. Its services are provided free of cost to participating students and schools. After a conversation with Campbell, Rorabeck was sold on the mission and made her an offer: He would work pro bono for the organization for 15 months, the length of his severance pay from the bank. “The deal was I will bring anything I can to the table to help you in the organization, and in return, what I’m looking to do is learn about these things I haven’t been exposed to, quite frankly,” Rorabeck said. Campbell was shocked by the proposal. She thought Rorabeck might be interested in volunteering a few hours a week in a classroom, but the opportunity to get a full-time employee with for-profit executive leadership experience in the financial sector? “I was blown away,” she said. “… I was just blown away that we had access to that kind of experience and talent.” Rorabeck joined the organization, working 30 hours a week, taking on projects, including the organization’s strategic plan, and spending time in the classroom to figure out what resources students needed to navigate post-high school life. Halfway through his 15-month tenure, Rorabeck approached Campbell with another proposal: He wanted to join the organization as a permanent employee to continue his work.
“I said, ‘No pressure, but I really love it here and what we do and the mission and the team, and if you think there’s a position around the types of things you have me working on, I’d be really interested,’” Rorabeck said. “(Campbell) said, ‘Absolutely, I’m very interested in that, but I can’t pay you like you were paid previously.’ I said, ‘I understand that.’” After a brief discussion, Rorabeck and Campbell agreed on the terms of his employment as the new business director of SecureFutures. The timing was fortuitous for the organization, Campbell said. Around that time, leaders had identified inequities related to financial education in the community. Campbell sensed the need for a new program that would specifically target students in under-resourced areas of Milwaukee who come from low-income families. On the project, Rorabek partnered with a previous program director with SecureFutures, who is a Milwaukee Public Schools alumna and brought perspective on what students needed. Rorabeck brought his financial planning and advising background to the table. Together, they launched a new program, called Money Coach, which provides small-group and one-on-one mentoring for teens to help them develop strong money management habits and long-term financial capability. “It was a match made in heaven,” Campbell said. As that program grew, Rorabeck identified another need in the community. “We want (students) to have the financial skills and knowhow to manage their financial situation independently,” he said. “Regardless of what you choose to do, (after high school) you have to navigate your financial situation. The second thing is: What is life going to look like based on the path you’re going to take after high school? I saw a gap in tools available to teachers and students.” Rorabeck began testing out some programming in the classroom and envisioning a piece of software that could help students better plan for the future. He spearheaded the development of an app that would allow teens to get a picture of their financial future, depending on decisions they make, like which college they go to, which career they choose and how they budget and save money. “We built it because we couldn’t find that tool anywhere – I’m not talking just in Wisconsin – anywhere in the country,” he said. “We
searched.” The app, called Money Path, launched in 2018 with the backing of Heartland Advisors’ chairman Bill Nasgovitz and his wife, Marianne. The “secret sauce” of the tool is how it consolidates large sets of data from independent websites and platforms into one place – including up-to-date starting salaries across industries, tuition costs from individual colleges, and financial aid – and allows all that information to “talk to one another,” Rorabeck said. “It’s so eye-opening for the students,” he said. “… For college path kids, it shows them what their student loan debt will look like upon graduation, and oftentimes, it’s the first time they’re seeing that. We show them what the cost is in total and then we show them what their payments will be each month.” The app allows students to build a starter budget, which embeds their loan payment and entry-level salary into it. “We show them, based on their savings plan, how their monthly savings will allow them to achieve important financial goals in the future, like saving for a down payment for a car, saving for an emergency fund, saving for a down payment on a home,” he said. “It shows them how long it will take them to do those things based on the amount that they’re saving, and then shows them where their retirement contribution will grow to after 40 years.” Now the organization is focused on getting the app into more students’ hands. This year, the app was made available free of cost to all Wisconsin high school students, thanks to additional support from Heartland Advisors and a partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. To date, over 9,000 students have used the app, Rorabeck said. Next, the organization plans to roll out the app nationally. “Our first goal is to continue to expand in the state of Wisconsin,” Rorabeck said. “… We’ve validated it here in Wisconsin, and so we believe other states and teachers and kids are no different and they have similar needs. We don’t believe this tool exists anywhere else.” The upshot, Rorabeck said, is students who are better informed about their financial future are empowered to make better decisions. For Rorabeck, financial planning and a successful banking career empowered him to make the decision to give back for his final professionals years. Campbell hopes his story serves as a call to action for corporate leaders who feel the nudge toward mission-minded work. “Are there places where you can share your time and talent that might make a difference in the life of someone in our community?” she said. n
A great space starts with a great plan. Our team of talented designers not only know how to make a beautiful space, they also understand functional space planning and ergonomics. We combine our expertise with your vision to create a workspace that is both stylish and practical.
Visit our Milwaukee Showroom: 140 S. 1st Street Milwaukee, WI 53204 (262) 255-5500 • www.ebiweb.com biztimes.com / 11
Real Estate
REAL ESTATE WEEKLY – The week’s most significant real estate news → biztimes.com/subscribe
The former DNR office building at King and North is up for sale.
Pondering the development potential of the former DNR building site at King and North
THE STATE of Wisconsin announced in October it was offering up the former Department of Natural Resources office building in Milwaukee’s Harambee neighborhood for sale. The high-profile site, located at the northeast corner of King Drive and North Avenue, has tremendous opportunity to continue the development momentum the neighborhood has enjoyed in recent years, say local real estate leaders. The DNR vacated the two-story building at 2312 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in August, according to Department of Administration spokeswoman Tatyana Warrick. The DNR moved those operations to 1027 W. St Paul Ave. in Milwaukee. State agencies had until the end of August to determine if they had any use of the property, Warrick said in an email. This is the first time the property has been offered to the public for sale. “I think the site coming to market has been a long time coming,” said Kevin Newell, president and chief executive officer of Royal Capital Group. Newell is working on a major project of his own a block south
WHO REALLY OWNS IT: A . WERNER SILVERSMITHS BUILDING ON WATER STREET The 1895 building at 1241 N. Water St. in downtown Milwaukee is a reminder of the city’s history. It is the home of A. Werner Silversmiths, which got its start in 1888 and served the jewelers and department stores that were once prevalent in the downtown area. Owners Mike and Dennis Wied plan to wind down the business and sell the building. It has 3,520 square feet of retail space, according to listing broker The Barry Co. Mike Wied said the area around A. Werner Silversmiths used to be in the shadow of a highway overpass (the Park East freeway), and over the years the business watched the Water Street area become the entertainment hub it is today. ADDRESS: 1241-1243 N. Water St., Milwaukee OWNERS: Dennis and Lauren Wied, Michael and Heather Wied ASSESSED: $172,300 12 / BizTimes Milwaukee NOVEMBER 8, 2021
of the DNR building. The $100 million ThriveOn King project is redeveloping the former Gimbels-Schuster’s building at 2153 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive into offices, early-childhood educational programming, health and wellness space and affordable apartments. The building will be the home of the ThriveOn Collaboration of Royal Capital, Greater Milwaukee Foundation and the Medical College of Wisconsin. The DNR building is also located across the street from Pete’s Fruit Market, which opened in 2017, and about a block east of America’s Black Holocaust Museum, which is reopening early next year after being closed for more than a decade. James Phelps, president of Milwaukee-based JCP Construction and King Drive BID No. 8 board president, said the redevelopment of the former DNR site could help push development momentum and business growth farther northward on King Drive. “I think I can speak on behalf of the board and say we’re looking for it to be a statement site, with it being on a key intersection there between King and North Avenue,” Phelps said. He said a redevelopment there would hopefully create density and address some of the needs for goods and services in the neighborhood. “It would be a great statement mixed-use development. (That) would be ideal,” Phelps said. Most of the development activity that King Drive has seen in recent years has been south of North Avenue. To the north, Bader Philanthropies Inc. has redeveloped a pair of buildings closer to Capitol Drive, on the 3300 block of King Drive. Those projects include the organization’s new headquarters and the neighboring Harpole Building. The BID is doing its part to bring more momentum north of North Avenue. It is working on a “catalytic project,” a real estate redevelopment effort somewhere along King Drive between North Avenue and Burleigh Street.
Phelps said the BID hopes to have the site under control early next year. He declined to disclose additional details. The city has laid broad development plans for the neighborhood. In 2018, the Department of City Development worked with the BID and other stakeholders to develop a plan for equitable, transit-oriented growth. It is meant to serve as a guiding document on how the planned King Drive streetcar extension will spur new businesses, housing opportunities and public spaces along the route. The streetcar is proposed to eventually head north along King Drive to North Avenue. In September, Common Council members approved the Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District interim study overlay zone, which will help stakeholders identify long-term development strategies for sites like the DNR building, according to DCD. “The city of Milwaukee and the (DCD) will continue working with the State of Wisconsin in following the state’s process of real estate disposition as indicated in their RFP,” DCD said in a written statement in response to a BizTimes inquiry. “... We look forward to working with the state, the local alderwoman, and the neighborhood to identify the best proposal for the property.” Newell said the highest and best use for the former DNR buiding site would likely include multiple uses, including residential, commercial or something related to arts and culture. n
ALEX ZANK Reporter
P / 414-336-7116 E / alex.zank@biztimes.com T / @AlexZank
MILWAUKEE TOOL’S DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE OFFICE Construction work is well underway at Milwaukee Tool’s new downtown Milwaukee office, at 501 W. Michigan St. The former Assurant building is getting a significant facelift. The latest rendering shows a wall of glass and a red Milwaukee Tool-branded wall design on the building’s eastern façade. The company said it aims to occupy the building in February. It could eventually have up to 2,000 employees working there. The company is receiving $20 million in city incentives for the project. It acquired the building from Milwaukee-based F Street Group for $7.9 million in May. OWNER: Schwer, Pflicht & Werkzeug Properties LLC, a Milwaukee Tool affiliate SIZE: 370,000 square feet STORIES: Five
Dennis Punches Class of 1958 First. Foremost. Forward.
While attending Carroll, Dennis Punches overheard a fellow student reject a job offer. This prompted him to quickly step forward and accept the position with a local collection agency. A few years later, he bought the company, Payco American Corporation, that was known at the time as a global leader and the country’s largest receivables management company. Eventually, it was traded on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. After selling it in 1996, Punches remained a pioneer in the debt receivable industry by creating the International Collectors Group. In 2008 he gifted Carroll a world-class track and field facility.
• Learn more at carrollu.edu/175
Carroll University: Pioneering For 175 Years! biztimes.com / 13
Thursday, November 18, 2021 7:00AM Registration & Networking | 7:30-9:45AM Breakfast & Program | Italian Community Center
Our new normal continues to change how people and businesses use their spaces. Union contractors and trades are here to provide the expertise and support needed to create new or renovated commercial spaces. Choosing union builders means your project will be completed on time and on budget with an attention to detail that only the best craftspeople can accomplish. Whether you’re looking to update office layouts, install safer ventilation systems, optimize outdoor spaces, or any other number of needs, Milwaukee’s union contractors and trades are here for you.
Nathan Jurowski
Executive Director njurowski@buildingadvantage.org 262.215.9656 buildingadvantage.org
CLA is honored to co-sponsor this year’s BizTimes Commercial Real Estate Conference. The past 18 months have undoubtedly brought long-lasting changes to the real estate industry. At CLA, we’ve worked closely with our more than 5,200 real estate clients, from 120+ locations, to navigate the recent instability and plan for the future by offering tailored solutions for their unique financial, tax, operational, and strategic needs. CLA is committed to creating opportunities for our clients, our people, and our communities. We believe that by getting to know you well, we’ll be in a better position to help you. We’re one family, working together, to provide those opportunities by delivering an exceptional level of knowledge, insight, and industry experience. Enjoy an energizing and inspiring day. We hope you uncover an opportunity or two along the way.
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a recent sunny afternoon, Daync Studio co-owners Amber Rivard and Josh Burgos could be found inside their new studio space at the northeast corner of South Fifth Street and West National Avenue. Daync Studio has been in the 3,300-square-foot facility since May. Burgos and Rivard raved about their new space, listing the ways in which its Walker’s Point location would transform their business. “For me, it’s being close to the south side and close to the Latino community, being accessible on multiple bus lines now, you can walk 20 feet and you’re at our front door,” Burgos said. “For so many years, Amber and I have wanted to access more communities that normally wouldn’t have access to what we have to offer. We’re right here in a really good neighborhood that allows us to
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Daync Studio
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connect with them.” One block north, at the northeast corner of West Pierce and South Sixth streets, Jesús González sat at a table inside the tavern of Zócalo Food Park. González was first asked to talk about his business, which was notable in its own right. He and business partner Sean Phelan, after all, were responsible for creating Milwaukee’s first food truck park. His response: “Are we going to have the opportunity to talk about the past, the present and the future of Walker’s Point?” He intended on getting to the point – quickly. One of the things González likes most about the near south side neighborhood is its diversity. “If you walk down from First to Sixth Street, you can see a Latino flag, LGBTQ-owned businesses,” he said. “It’s so diverse. It’s awesome.” The three young entrepreneurs, their experiences and the spaces they occupy make Walker’s
Point what it is today. The neighborhood south of downtown Milwaukee and the city’s Historic Third Ward is characterized by the architecture of its buildings, its diverse businesses and residents, and its rich history. It is home to many new restaurants and bars. It also offers plentiful opportunity for developers. It is no secret that Walker’s Point is in a period of transition. Neighborhood stakeholders want to make sure Walker’s Point retains its soul throughout its ongoing transformation, while also championing ideas to make it even better. The challenge is in balancing the preservation of neighborhood character and embracing its potential growth. “We’re very hopeful for the future, and we think that Walker’s Point (in the future) is still a great neighborhood to live, work and play,” said biztimes.com / 15
were being erased,” Takach said. The second “great gayborhood,” as Takach called it, formed at First and Pittsburgh. After a fire on Easter Sunday 1974 devastated that block, the bars migrated to Second and National. Takach said Walker’s Point was an ideal place because its population was so small at the time, no one else was around. He said some of the storefronts the gay bars occupied had been vacant for decades. “For gay people in the late ‘60s, early ‘70s, (Walker’s Point) was kind of a paradise because it was a private playground,” he said. “The only people who were there were people like themselves. They didn’t have to deal with people harassing them, they didn’t have to deal with possibly being thrown out of a bar if suspected of being gay.”
STORY COVER
Daync Studio co-owners Amber Rivard and Josh Burgos.
Simmi Urbanek, board president of the Walker’s Point Association, a grassroots advocacy group. “What we’re hopeful for is more thoughtful development without displacement and minimizing gentrification.”
Neighborhood history To answer the question of the future of Walker’s Point requires an understanding of its past. “I feel like not one group or one person can say that Walker’s Point belongs to them,” González said. “Since Walker’s Point was created, it was known as the Ellis Island of Milwaukee.” The neighborhood was created by George Walker, one of the three original 19th century founders of Milwaukee, according to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Encyclopedia of Milwaukee. In the mid-1800s, German, Irish and Yankee (Protestant English-speaking people from Mid-Atlantic states) migrants moved to the neighborhood to work in factories along the Menomonee River. In the 1920s, Mexican workers moved to the area to work in the tanneries. “This was the gateway for all immigrants coming through Milwaukee,” González said. “All the in16 / BizTimes Milwaukee NOVEMBER 8, 2021
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A place for small businesses to thrive
dustries were working in this neighborhood. It had access to the rivers, it brought a lot of the tanneries, the steel mills. And so, you saw Eastern Europeans coming through, people from New York coming through. Obviously right now, the largest demographic we have is the Latino community.” González said the building southwest of Fifth and Pierce that’s now a hair salon was the site of the first Spanish-speaking Mass in Milwaukee. The neighborhood also holds an important place in history for the LGBTQ community, and to this day has a concentration of gay bars. Michail Takach, who authored the book “LGBT Milwaukee” and co-founded the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project with Don Schwamb, said the first gay bar in Walker’s Point opened in 1959. The Nite Beat was a lesbian bar located at Ninth and National. A second gay bar, Your Place, opened at First and National in 1965. Over time, Walker’s Point became the destination for displaced gay bars from other parts of the city. The original gay commercial district, on the 400 block of North Plankinton Avenue, was leveled to make way for what’s now I-794. “The reason Walker’s Point became such an epicenter for the gay community is because all of the other places that they used to live and exist
Many small businesses and organizations have called Walker’s Point home for decades. Among them is immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera Inc. The group got its start in Texas in 1994 but relocated in 2000 to Milwaukee, following the move of its co-founder and executive director Christine Neumann-Ortiz. Voces is now located in a storefront northwest of Fifth and Washington streets. It heard of the space from a resident who’d been working in the office space at the time. “We liked it, of course, because it was in the heart of the Latino community, and its storefront, easy-access space,” she said. Juli Kaufmann, president of Fix Development LLC, completed her first development project in Walker’s Point. In 2011, she finished the Clock Shadow Building, a four-story, sustainably designed building northeast of West Bruce and South Second streets. “At the time, many people who were active (in Walker’s Point) were small-time developers,” she said. Kaufmann said developers like Fix Development that do small-scale, incremental projects tend to lease to local businesses. Those developers don’t always do projects purely for the bottom line; they also think about what’s good for the community, she said. Walker’s Point continues to offer spaces for small businesses to move into and reinvent themselves, such as Daync Studio. It is one of three dance programs now occupying space in the former Milwaukee Ballet building. Rivard and Burgos learned in February they had 60 days to move out of their East Side studio. They quickly had to find a new space. The two immediately thought of Walker’s Point, in part because that was where they taught dance classes at night clubs before they had their own location. “I remember when we found out we needed to move … that same night, we just drove throughout
JAKE HILL PHOTOGRAPHY
Jesús González at Zócalo Food Park.
Walker’s Point, and we were like, ‘Let’s see what we can find,’” Rivard said. Now that they’re in the neighborhood, their classes have changed primarily from hip-hop to Latin dances. They credit it to a shift in clients’ tastes. Salsa is their most popular program.
Change is coming Of late, Walker’s Point has the full attention of real estate developers. Projects underway in the neighborhood include major office and technology hubs. The 105,000-square-foot former Eagle Knitting Mills warehouse at 507 S. Second St. is being turned into the Eagleknit Innovation Hub, which brings new leasable office space to the market. Construction is ongoing on the 240,700-square-foot Rite-Hite Holding Corp. headquarters campus in the Reed Street Yards business park. New market-rate apartment developments abound. Recent projects include the 86-unit The Yards at 205 W. Oregon St., the 60-unit Timber Lofts at 300 W. Florida St., and the 48-unit Quartet at 211 W. Mineral St. Even more are planned or under construction. They include the 69-unit final phase of River Place
Lofts, at 625 W. Freshwater Way, the 66-unit Element apartment building northeast of Mineral and Fifth streets, and the 141-unit Taxco Apartments on the west side of Fifth Street, between Bruce and Pierce streets. There’s a lot to like about Walker’s Point for multi-family developers like Tim Gokhman. He is the managing director of Milwaukee-based New Land Enterprises, which is behind the Element, Quartet and the 120-unit Trio apartments at 124 W. Washington St. Gokhman said developers are able to create change much more quickly in Walker’s Point because of the large vacant buildings and entire blocks available for redevelopment. He also pointed out walkable, pedestrian-friendly corridors such as Fifth Street. There is also easy freeway access and an existing grocery store serving the neighborhood. “That’s why I continue to think that Walker’s Point is going to continue to be a hotbed for development,” he said. Milwaukee-based Mandel Group Inc. is developing the Taxco project. Crews broke ground on that project in July, starting with the demolition of existing buildings on the site. Among them was the former La Fuente restaurant building.
The first units of Taxco are slated to open in December 2022, said Emily Cialdini, senior development associate at Mandel. Cialdini gave various reasons as to why Mandel found the site – and Walker’s Point – an attractive spot to build. It has a dense population. The population is young and growing faster than the city as a whole. The area also has major area employers, such as Rockwell Automation. What’s more, there have been relatively few apartments developed in Walker’s Point the past several years compared to downtown. Cialdini said 98% of the new units in Walker’s Point are occupied. “I think it shows the desirability of the neighborhood, and that people are really looking to live there,” she said.
The balance It’s new projects like these that have stakeholders thinking about the neighborhood’s future and how involved they should be in shaping it. One of the focuses of the Walker’s Point Association is promoting thoughtful development in the neighborhood, Urbanek said. It has a set of guidelines on its website for developers to review. The association has a committee set up to review biztimes.com / 17
STORY COVER
Rite-Hite headquarters under construction in Reed Street Yards.
proposals and provide feedback. The association may then write a letter supporting or opposing a project. That letter represents the collective voice of the neighborhood. But unlike similar bodies, like the Third Ward’s Architectural Review Board, this committee review process is only advisory. It is also brand new. The guidelines and review process were created in part as a response to the Element and Taxco projects, Urbanek said. “We are about thoughtful development,” Urbanek said. “It’s not about the ‘who’ is coming; it’s about the ‘what.’” The association stresses certain things, from design to substance. It wants to encourage more
affordable housing units so working-class residents may more directly benefit from these projects. It also pays attention to building height and materials, street activation and longevity. A new building that’s made to last only a couple decades does not fit well next to a 100-year-old building, she said. That’s not to say that Walker’s Point Association does not welcome market-rate projects, Urbanek said. The group is meant to advocate for residents and what its members feel is a good fit. She used Mandel’s Taxco project as an example. Urbanek emphasized that projects like those are welcome in the neighborhood. She also praised Mandel for bringing the project to the Walker’s Point Association. The firm could have built Taxco
by right without any feedback. Even so, it does not follow association guidelines perfectly. Storefronts on the west side of Fifth Street and Zócalo directly west serve as major points of street-level activation, she said. The Mandel project puts up a six-story building between those two places. It will also offer purely market-rate housing, while the association stresses more mixed housing options. Ian Martin, president of Mandel, said Taxco attempts to achieve the neighborhood design goals to the extent they are feasible. One way to activate the street is to create streetfront retail. Martin said Mandel does this frequently with its projects. However, even with the rapid
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STORY COVER
The Eagleknit Innovation Hub building.
expansion of Walker’s Point storefronts, there remains significant vacancy. New-construction retail space would only compete with existing buildings, and it would be more expensive, too. Mandel chose not to create retail space with Taxco for those reasons, he said. “The last thing I want to do is show up and add 10,000 square feet of competitive restaurant space, when what got me there were these great restaurants and venues that are already there,” Martin said. But Mandel has a plan to bring more life to its street level. It’s planning some rental units on the
first floor and installing lots of windows and lighting in the building’s leasing office. Mandel is also working with local groups to install artwork on the alley side of the building and a six-story mural at its center, said Cialdini. Martin said Mandel even considered setting aside 20% of Taxco’s units for those making between 60% and 80% of the area median income, but it would have needed financial support from the city in order to make Taxco a viable mixed-income project. The city’s current policy is that it will only
provide tax incremental financing assistance on residential housing under certain conditions, such as a fully low-income housing tax credit project, Martin said. “I was trying to suggest there’s some logic for maybe not a full-on low-income deal, but maybe some sort of mixed-income project,” Martin said. “It’s not an economic decision. As an organization, we appreciate the need for affordable housing, so we wanted to pursue it.” Mandel could not get TIF assistance from the city because of existing policy, he said.
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JAKE HILL PHOTOGRAPHY
STORY COVER
A view looking north on South Fifth Street.
Finding the right oversight body So far, Walker’s Point business and property owners have resisted codifying the development guideline process into an official city entity. A neighborhood improvement district existed briefly about four years ago, Urbanek said, but it was quickly dissolved after enough people signed a petition. Kaufmann said she was involved in trying to establish a business improvement district when she was active in Walker’s Point. That effort met resistance from some property owners, she said. But that’s not the end of efforts to organize. Urbanek, cautious with her words, said the association is in the “research phase” of possibly creating an architectural review panel “grassroots style.” “We’re just very early, trying to figure out what it involves, and if it’s necessary, because … it’s a balancing act,” she said. “Right now, developers like Walker’s Point because there are no restrictions. Other than zoning, you can do what you want to do in Walker’s Point, where you can’t in other neighborhoods like the Third Ward.” If some kind of review board is created, officials
will need to better communicate what its responsibilities would be, said Urbanek. She said when the neighborhood improvement district was established, many feared they were going to suffer from needless red tape. For instance, they thought an ARB would tell them they couldn’t put a flower pot in front of their doorstep. That’s also why the Walker’s Point Association wants any new review body to be created at the grassroots level and without city involvement, Urbanek said. The influx of development has the attention of some longstanding residents. “Our response to it was we need to look for a new building or we could get displaced at any moment,” Neumann-Ortiz said. Voces is cramped in its current space anyway. It plans to move soon to a building it purchased on Historic Mitchell Street. Kaufmann said she worries the rising popularity of Walker’s Point could mean less opportunity for small businesses. Large, out-of-state developers doing big projects often focus more on tenants who pay top dollar for space. She said she’s open to doing more projects in Walker’s Point, but she isn’t sure if she’d be able to.
“Walker’s Point is pricing out a lot of people, myself included,” she said. Another frequently mentioned topic in Walker’s Point is gentrification, Urbanek said. She said the new developments have not displaced anyone. Displacement differs from gentrification and happens if residences are torn down to make way for something else. So far there have been limited instances of rising assessed values in Walker’s Point, said Urbanek. An area can become gentrified when residents are forced out because they can no longer afford the taxes on their home due to increased property values. Gokhman said apartment projects like his don’t displace people because they are built on vacant lots. Street improvements and retail growth make a place more desirable to live, he noted. They are what lead to more demand and more expensive land. A new apartment building is just a result of that heightened desirability. “You can’t have it both ways,” he said. “You can’t have better streets, better retail (and) stores, better entertainment, and not have the neighborhood become more desirable. When the neighborhood becomes more desirable, it by definition becomes
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more expensive, because there’s more demand.” Takach lived in Walker’s Point for about a decade, starting in 2004. He said when he first moved there, it was like living on the set of a film noir: the buildings were dark, and the streets were empty. “The discovery of Walker’s Point gold has caused so much land speculation and development that it’s quickly becoming what it should have been all along,” Takach said, “which is an extension of downtown, an extension of the Third Ward, and yet, something of its own unique identity and character that hasn’t been lost despite so much architecture being lost over the years.” Ensuring Walker’s Point retains that identity will take work, especially if the development stretches farther to the west, where there are more existing homes. González said developers should follow two themes as they plan their Walker’s Point projects. They should treat locals with dignity and respect, and they should keep in mind the people with the greatest needs, such as the poor and elderly. “I feel that, in order for these new and existing developers to accomplish these two themes, they really need to adopt dialogue as a process,” he said. “They also have to be willing to listen, and I feel like through that process they’re really going to be able to understand one another and find a common ground. And so, if … developers include that on their checklist, I think 10 years from now, we’re going to be in a really good place.” n
Rendering of the Taxco Apartments.
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The second lives of former bank branches BY MAREDITHE MEYER, staff writer WITH THE RISE of online banking over the past decade, financial institutions have downsized their brick-and-mortar footprints, closing branches, leaving a trail of available real estate in their wake. Wisconsin today has about 22%, or 519, fewer bank branches than it had in 2011, according to FDIC data. Over the same period across southeastern Wisconsin’s seven counties, total bank branches declined almost 24%, with 178 closures. Of the 96 bank branches that have disappeared from Milwaukee County in the past decade, 54 were in the city of Milwaukee. Local data tracks higher than the national trend. A 2021 bank branching report by JLL shows bank branches across the U.S. have dropped 13% from 98,000 in 2010 to 85,050 in 2020; however, the rate of closures slowed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, what’s become of the buildings that banks once occupied? Many aren’t vacant for long, local
real estate industry experts say. “Generally speaking, we see financial institutions and banks that typically have prime real estate, so it’s attractive (to a new buyer) a lot of times just based on the real estate and the value that is created based on the site,” said Tom Treder, principal – retail brokerage at Milwaukee-based Founders 3. In some instances, former bank branch spaces are filled with similar office-type users, such as financial services, where minimal buildout is needed. Other adjacent uses could be clinics or retail-type businesses, such as the Verizon store that now occupies the former Bank Mutual space at Bayshore in Glendale. Treder has worked with several clients who have purchased and converted vacant branch buildings to new uses, including a dental clinic. That project didn’t come without its costs. “There are certainly some challenges to converting a bank just because there’s a lot of interior buildout. … First of all, there’s a safe. Those are costly and expensive to remove,” he said, adding that the price of prime real estate is steep on its own. Completely demolishing and redeveloping the property is another common solution. That’s what
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happened to the former Hales Corners Westbury Bank branch, at 5480 S. 108th St., when it was replaced with a new-build Dunkin’ Donuts. A JP Morgan Chase location once occupied a portion of the North King Drive property in Milwaukee where Pete’s Fruit Market is currently located. But for businesses that can reuse the building, there are significant advantages, said John Kardelis, senior vice president at Colliers International. “Bank branches are well maintained. In smaller towns, villages, and cities, they are usually some of the nicest, most well-built buildings,” he said. In the Village of Rochester in Racine County, a new coffee shop opened last month in a former Community State Bank office building. The Union Grove-based company in 2019 had been preparing to close its Rochester location when Jane and Bob Willard pitched the idea of what’s now DW Coffee. “Our goal was not just to get the highest price for the building, but our goal was to pass on the building to somebody who could bring an asset to the community,” said Scott Huedepohl, president and CEO at Community State Bank. The longtime Rochester residents purchased the building and renovated it over the past several months. Leslie Kinsey was recruited to own
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and operate the café, which sources its coffee from Lake Geneva Coffee Roastery. An even larger bank branch redevelopment project is underway in Milwaukee, at the former Associated Bank branch on North 59th Street and West North Avenue. To the tune of an estimated $1.5 million, the building is being transformed into a 12-vendor food and retail hall, known as the North Avenue Market, slated to open next year. Owner Chris Harris-Wimsatt said the concept was born out of a bucket list dream of running a coffee shop – and, since moving to Milwaukee’s Washington Heights neighborhood, one that would foster community for the surrounding area. None of the sites Harris-Wimsatt toured had suited his community-focused vision, but then he found out Associated Bank was closing its North Avenue branch. His husband suggested the possibility, pointing out that it would be the only coffee shop in the area with a drive thru. “We looked at it, and when I walked through the door, I was like, wow, this is more than a coffee shop because it’s over 10,000 square feet,” Harris-Wimsatt said. “That made me reflect on Milwaukee Public Market, Crossroads Collective, Sherman Phoenix and other food halls.”
DW Coffee recently opened in a former Community State Bank branch on West Main Street in the Village of Rochester.
The building had housed banks since it was constructed in the early 1950s. The project is designed to preserve some of that history as well as take advantage of the former bank’s interior features, he said. A safe in the basement will be used as part of a speakeasy bar run by local bitters maker Bittercube, and the former bank’s main safe on the
ground floor is being converted to a kitchen. A coveted feature among restaurant users today, the drive thru will be communal, allowing customers to pick up online orders from multiple vendors without stepping inside. “We’re trying to take some of the components of what is provided to us and see how they fit for modern-day use,” said Harris-Wimsatt. n
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Special Report REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT
Real estate leaders see reasons for optimism amid pandemic-stricken office market BY ALEX ZANK, staff writer MILWAUKEE’S OFFICE MARKET appeared to be on a roll prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Optimism seemed to be running high, carried by new Class A buildings under construction and continued movement of some companies back to the central business district. The pandemic brought things to a screeching halt last spring. And while activity is slowly picking up again, the market certainly hasn’t returned to what it was before COVID-19. But industry experts see reason for optimism in the face of challenges. “I’m cautiously optimistic about the state of the office market at present,” said Jenna Maguire, office property specialist for Founders 3. “Sublease space coming online, construction costs on the rise and corporate announcements regarding future work-from-home or hybrid work policies will continue to impact the office market for the foreseeable future. However, all of these moving
parts will still result in tenants completing lease transactions — either via downsizing, renewing in place or seeking flexible sublease opportunities.” The state of the Milwaukee office market is one of two major topics to be discussed at this year’s annual BizTimes Media Commercial Real Estate and Development Conference on Nov. 18 at the Italian Community Center in Milwaukee. The other discussion will involve development hotspots and trends in the southeastern Wisconsin region. Andy Hunt from Marquette University will moderate. In addition to Maguire, panelists will include Mark Irgens, chief executive officer of Irgens; Josh Jeffers, president and CEO of J. Jeffers & Co.; S.R. Mills, CEO of Bear Real Estate Group; Frank Cumberbatch, vice president – engagement, Bader Philanthropies Inc.; Josh Krsnak, president and CEO of Hempel Companies; and Mike Wanezek, partner at Colliers International | Wisconsin. The initial reaction from many office users at
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the onset of the pandemic was to stay put and hold off on any major decisions until they had more clarity on where things were headed. More than 18 months in, some users have decided they do not need as much space as they once had. One instance of that is ManpowerGroup’s decision to move out of an entire floor of its downtown Milwaukee headquarters building, at 201229 W. Cherry St. The Milwaukee office market has seen more vacancies than leases in recent months, though there has been overall positive absorption for the year. The latest office market overview from the Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin and Catylist reported the market posted negative net absorption of 12,000 square feet during the third quarter. To date, the market has posted 98,000 square feet of positive absorption this year. Multi-tenant properties had 50,000 square feet of negative net absorption in the third quarter, with year-to-date positive absorption of 219,000 square feet. Subleases were a culprit in the negative net absorption for the quarter, according to CARW and Catylist. GMR Marketing downsized its footprint by 37,000 square feet, and Tribes Services vacated
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Special Report REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT 19,000 square feet. There have been bright spots throughout 2021. Perhaps the biggest story of the year is Milwaukee Tool’s purchase of the vacant 370,000-square-foot former Assurant building at 501 W. Michigan St. And more new office product is on the way. According to Catylist, there is 576,000 square feet under construction in eight properties in the region. The Golf Parkway Corporate Center in Brookfield is the largest, with 188,000 square feet slated for completion next summer. Milwaukee-based Irgens Partners LLC is developing that pair of buildings. Those buildings are already nearly filled by two companies. Seattle-based Milliman Inc. will be the anchor tenant of the six-story, 186,000-square-foot building, and Brookfield-based Hydrite Chemical Co. will occupy the entire 45,000-square-foot second building. Irgens has seen activity at another one of its properties, the 833 East Michigan building downtown. Merrill-based Church Mutual Insurance Co. announced this summer it is leasing 10,000 square feet of the building. Milwaukee-based Catalyst Construction is adding square footage to its offices there as well. Irgens still has plenty of space to fill in the new
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BMO Tower, which opened shortly after the onset of the pandemic in spring 2020. The 25-story glass tower is located at 790 N. Water St. “I’m still seeing a flight to quality, whether that’s in the suburbs or downtown,” said Wanezek from Colliers. Wanezek said much of the activity in recent months has come from regional and local tenants. Many large national and global companies have
not finalized return-to-work plans. Wanezek is looking to next year for some of those tenants to make decisions on their office space. The Commercial Real Estate and Development Conference is sponsored by Building Advantage, CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen), Husch Blackwell and Johnson Financial Group. Exhibit sponsors are Acoustech Supply Inc., Butters Fetting Co., Corporate Contractors Inc. and Findorff. n
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Right now, it must feel like your leadership is being tested in ways you couldn’t have imagined. We understand. For 60+ years we’ve been coaching CEOs and business owners through the best and worst of times. And through it all, our proven-approach to decision-making has helped leaders excel. It’s the same time-honored approach that our members used during the Great Recession to grow their companies while other small and midsize businesses struggled to stay afloat. Consider what it would mean to you to have this kind of support right now.
*Vistage CEO member companies who joined in 2006-2008 and were active members in Feb, 2010. CAGR for Vistage member companies calculated for period covering year prior to joining Vistage through 2009. CAGR for D&B U.S. companies based on 2005-2009 revenues, weighted to match Vistage company distribution per year during same period. All companies had >=$1M annual revenue, >=5 employees. Vistage: 1,265 companies. D&B: approximately 1M U.S. companies.
BUILDING PROJECT Q&A
SPONSORED CONTENT
MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
By: Mike Stern, Senior Project Manager, J.H. Findorff CAN YOU BRIEFLY DESCRIBE THE COMPONENTS OF THE PROJECT AND WHAT IT INCLUDES? The new home for Marquette University’s College of Business Administration is a 110,000 square foot, four-story building that will position Marquette as a national leader. Marquette’s new facility will be a space for all on campus. It will include a mix of collaborative classrooms, a seamless one-stop student support center, a café and adjoining outdoor space designed to be a major campus hangout, and a large event space for activities such as conferences, workshops, and flexible classrooms. In addition, the new facility will include innovation leadership programs like Marquette’s Excellence in Leadership (E-Lead) and Bridge to Business for Engineers. Construction began in March 2021 and will be completed in winter 2022, ready to kick off Marquette’s spring 2023 semester. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT, WHAT DO YOU DESCRIBE FIRST? Situated on the former McCormick Hall site at 16th Street and Wisconsin Avenue, the new building continues the campus transformation for Marquette and will anchor the west gateway to the heart of campus. Marquette’s vision for their most prominent
campus centerpiece was 100-percent donor-funded in two years. “I think it is going to raise the national profile of what’s already a terrific university in this city and this region,” said Tim Hanley, acting Keyes Dean of Business Administration. WHAT MAKES THIS PROJECT UNIQUE OR INNOVATIVE IN THE MILWAUKEE AREA? The new College of Business Administration building is designed to be adaptable. As realized from the pandemic, learning spaces must allow for harmonious interaction between virtual learners and in-person students. The building will be dedicated to student-centered activities, informal collaboration, and gatherings. According to Hanley, “This building is a profound way to give back to generations of future Marquette Business students. It is a reflection of all our faculty and staff, their commitment to living as men and women for others, and the spirit they have instilled across our college community.” HOW DOES THIS PROJECT IMPROVE OR BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY? Benefiting more than just Marquette’s business students, the new College of Business Administration
facility will allow for the college’s current home, Straz Hall, to be vacated. This shift has created an opportunity for the university’s College of Nursing program to meet the needs of their growing enrollment. Once the College of Business Administration building is completed, the project team will begin to transform Straz Hall. WHO MADE UP THE PROJECT TEAM – FROM DESIGN TO COMPLETION? The project team includes Marquette University, Findorff, BNIM, Workshop Architects, GRAEF and many local subcontractor partners. The team was developed through a mix of specialized early trade partners and bidding to local subcontractors.
1600 N. 6th Street • Milwaukee, WI 53212 findorff.com • (414) 272-8788
Special Report VETERANS IN THE WORKPLACE
Lessons learned in navigating National Guard service and the civilian world BY ARTHUR THOMAS, staff writer IT WOULD BE HARD to meet all of your job responsibilities if you missed 70 days of work in a year, regardless of the circumstances. But missing work to help with voting amidst a global pandemic or the response to civil unrest or riots – that’s another story. That was Brandon Lehman’s 2020 as a platoon leader in the Wisconsin Army National Guard and as a branch director for Annex Wealth Management. He managed to balance both jobs well enough. He’s now a battalion logistics officer in the National Guard and director of branch development at Annex. The 70 days Lehman spent serving in the Guard were on top of the once-per-month drill and annual trainings he’s required to do. “To be honest, the military has prepared me to do things like this my whole career, so when most people would crack under the stress, you just suck it up and drive on, really,” he said. Balancing civilian work and National Guard service doesn’t happen alone. Lehman pointed first to his wife, describing her as understanding and the only reason he could do both jobs. He also pointed to his employer, praising the team he works with and the rest of the company, including president and chief executive officer Dave Spano, for their support. “They care about me, they care about my family – Dave, the entire team, and I couldn’t ask for anything more,” Lehman said. “They never question it, they never complain, they never say ‘aw man, you’re gone again.’ They just go, ‘Whatever you need, we’ll help you.’” Lehman’s experience offers lessons for both employees and employers on how to balance Guard 30 / BizTimes Milwaukee NOVEMBER 8, 2021
looking for a firm that would be supportive and said he was upfront about what he’d expect from the company and what his obligations would be. “You don’t have to, but I tend to take those situations and be as honest and upfront about time commitments and things that are required right away,” Lehman said. While not every Guard member’s service requires the same level of commitment as Lehman – he can put 20 to 30 hours in monthly outside of normal training – he said it is important to communicate that service might go beyond one weekend a month and two weeks of training per year. “My advice is, when you’re looking for an employer, to be upfront and honest about the time commitment and what it takes,” Lehman said. “And to show your dedication not just to the Guard, but that you’ll be dedicated to the firm, but ask for support in return.” “If that employer can’t look you in the eyes and tell you, ‘Yeah, I’ve got your back,’ then I wouldn’t work there,” he added.
LOYALTY WILL BE RECIPROCATED Lehman said the support he gets from Annex makes it possible for him to do both jobs. He said his teammates are not only helping at work, but asking what they can do for his family. And he said the support from Spano and the rest of the company remained even as his number of days of service continued to climb in 2020. “Go above and beyond to take care of these guys,” Lehman said of how employers should treat employees who also serve in the National Guard. “Soldiers are loyal. Once they know that you’re loyal to them, they will do anything for you and if you show them loyalty, they will show you loyalty above and beyond anything you can ever imagine.”
Brandon Lehman
service and work in the civilian world. Here’s some of what Lehman had to offer:
BE UPFRONT, OPEN AND HONEST Legally, employers cannot discriminate against a reservist or National Guard member because of past, present or future military obligations. Still, Lehman said it is a topic to approach carefully in the job interview process, noting some employers may take it into account. “You can tell by the way the conversation changes that other companies will hold it against you,” Lehman said. “I wouldn’t say it’s been a huge roadblock in my career, but I know it’s stopped me from advancing in other areas.” Having had work experiences where he didn’t feel his service was supported, Lehman said he was
DRAW ON MILITARY LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP In the National Guard, Lehman has an advantage in getting things done. He has rank. If he tells someone to go clean the bathrooms, the job is going to get done. The same order may not go over quite as well in the office environment. “I have two very distinct lives that I live,” Lehman said. Still, he said there are many skills that cross over from the military into the civilian world, especially in leadership. “In the military there is no such thing as beating around the bush. You are direct, you don’t hide things, but you’re professional about it,” Lehman said. “I carry that same demeanor in leadership on the civilian side.” He acknowledged people can be taken aback by the direct approach, but said it still works if it is framed properly and those receiving feedback know you are invested in their success. n
u o Y k n a Th
VETERANS HONORING ALL WHO SERVED
—— BUSINESS CARES ——
Heroes for Healthcare helps Michael Edwards with resources for obtaining a BSN, then employment at Milwaukee VA.
Heroes for Healthcare heroesforhealthcare.org Year founded: 2017 Executive leadership: » Laura Hanoski, Founder and CEO » Mark Thompson, President, Edward Jones » James Hammond, Vice-President, Froedtert Health » Erin Breber, CPA, Treasurer, SVA Certified Public Accountants, S.C. » Janelle Thompson, Secretary, Premier Medical Staffing Services, LLC » Mark Hanoski, Past President, Premier Medical Staffing Services, LLC Annual budget: $35,000 Who you serve: Heroes for Healthcare is dedicated to supporting U.S. military service
members and veterans in Wisconsin and throughout the U.S. to continue or start their career in healthcare as a civilian. What you do: Medically trained service members desiring a civilian job in healthcare are confronted with military and civilian roadblocks for acceptance into medical settings without proper state-based credentials and other civilian requirements despite a shortage of trained healthcare workers. Heroes for Healthcare provides services and assistance for transitioning service members and veterans to help them understand the requirements for civilian healthcare jobs and to find suitable employment. We also provide support and limited financial assistance to help student veterans achieve their healthcare career goal and to cover expenses such as books, licensing fees, laptops, and other necessary support not covered by the GI bill.
What you need: To help us continue our free services to veterans, we need corporate and business sponsors to support our job placement, employment prep, and education pillars along with our support staff and resources. We would welcome annual sponsors or sponsors focused on a service or resource for our veterans such as technology, software, scrubs, equipment, temporary housing, education resources, transportation, and more. Additionally, we want to grow our Board of Directors by adding passionate, local people with experience in fundraising, event and volunteer management, and more. What makes you different: Heroes for Healthcare is working with healthcare systems, healthcare association, Veteran service organizations, higher education, and other allies to develop a legislative bill to create an innovative program called
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the Wisconsin Military Medic & Corpsmen (Wis-MAC) Program. This is modeled after the award-winning Virginia MMAC Program, and it is a pathway for returning veteran clinical care providers and practitioners to work, under supervision, in their field while they obtain appropriate education and civilian licensure in the State of Wisconsin. LRB 2266/1 should be introduced during the current legislative session. Be sure to follow the bill’s progress on the Heroes for Healthcare website. How to get involved: We need supporters like you to help our mission so our service members can get a job and better their lives. Visit heroesforhealthcare.org or email laura@ heroesforhealthcare.org for opportunities to join our Board of Directors, volunteer, become a sponsor, and more information. biztimes.com / 31
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VetsNet Staff
Wisconsin Veterans Network wisvetsnet.org Year founded: 2017 Executive leadership: » Quentin Hatfield, Executive Director » George Banda, Board President Annual budget: $457,000 Who you serve: Any veteran, active duty, guard or reserve service member in Wisconsin, irrespective of time in service, who has unmet needs from homelessness, joblessness, assistance with home or car repairs, energy assistance, access to education or health benefits and any other unmet need. Transitioning active duty military personnel who are returning to Wisconsin upon exit from the military and need assistance identifying housing, work opportunity and any other resource to facilitate their return to civilian life. What you do: For Wisconsin veterans we collaborate with agencies statewide to provide resources for urgent or crisis needs; link veterans to education, counseling and other needs and benefits. For transitioning service members, we begin working with them 6-12 months 32 / BizTimes Milwaukee NOVEMBER 8, 2021
prior to their exit from the military, connecting them with volunteer sponsors who help them build a plan and identify resources needed when they arrive home, to ensure a smooth transition to civilian life. What you need: We need to develop new partnerships with veteran service organizations, nonprofits and city, county and state agencies statewide to ensure the broadest possible array of resources available to meet veteran and transitioning service member needs. In addition, as a 501c3 nonprofit organization, we need financial partners, donors and foundations who are focused on meeting the needs of those who have served or are serving. Finally, we need volunteers who are willing to commit time to helping active duty service members build a homecoming plan and ensure the resources they and their families need are in place prior to their return to Wisconsin. What makes you different: Almost all of the services provided to veterans and/or active duty military personnel are provided through collaboration with agencies statewide who can meet the physical, social and health needs of veterans and service members. In addition,
we do not partner with any organization that charges our veteran clients for their services. Also, we provide space in our facilities for partners to meet with our clients and do not charge for use of our space. We have ongoing outreach activities to reach the underserved segments of the veteran population, to include seniors, post 9/11, Latino and other minority veteran populations. Our podcast is provided as an avenue for veterans, in their own words, to relate their experiences transitioning from military to civilian life. How to get involved: There are any number of ways to become involved in our work: 1. Host fundraising events or meetings where the VetsNet story can be told and donors have the opportunity to support our work. 2. Help us identify corporations and foundations that have a focus on veteran needs to which we can appeal for support. 3. Become a volunteer sponsor for a transitioning service member to build a homecoming plan. To volunteer, simply go to the website: etssponsorship.com, and sign up as a sponsor. 4. Always look for veterans and their families with unmet needs and either refer them to us or put us in touch with them.
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Center for Veterans Issues, Ltd cvivet.org Year founded: 1989 Executive leadership: » Eduardo M Garza, Jr - President/CEO Annual budget: $8.5 million
Vets Place Central offers transitional housing for homeless veterans with wraparound services.
Who you serve: The Center for Veterans Issues, Ltd. (CVI) provides housing and supportive services to help improve the quality of life for ALL veterans, their families, and the communities in which they live and serve. At the core of all, Center for Veterans Issues service delivery is the veteran in need. Providing holistic services, either directly or through collaboration, certainly will
Veterans Manor is a permanent housing facility with wraparound services for low income Veterans. Troop Cafe provides education and training for our community Veterans.
improve the quality of life for veterans in need. However, the impact on the veteran’s served does not end there. The Center for Veterans Issues believes that improved quality of life for the veteran leads to improved quality of life for their families too. This, in turn, leads to stronger communities across Wisconsin and the United States. What you do: The Center for Veterans Issues, Ltd (CVI) strives to be the premier veteran resource organization that helps end homelessness across Wisconsin and the United States. CVI provides management and technical assistance to agencies serving veterans, as well as direct service provisions for homeless and low income veterans through housing and wraparound supportive services. CVI is best known for serving veterans recovering from addiction, disabilities and other barriers to employment. CVI facilitates 9 service programs out of 7 offices across 55 counties in Wisconsin, along with 9 transitional and permanent housing facilities. Services include, but are not limited to, case management, legal services, housing assistance, employment and training, alcohol and drug abuse counseling, financial literacy, basic needs support, child support remediation, computer skills training, and motivational counseling.
What you need: With the cold weather approaching we are in need of coats, socks, gloves, scarves, shoes, boots, blankets, household items, personal hygiene items, and furniture. What makes you different: CVI is the largest community-based veterans resource organization in the state of Wisconsin. In 2021, CVI launched a new phone and internet app to help connect veterans, their families and our neighbors in need of resources across Wisconsin. As of March 2021, CVI is now the property managers of the Soldiers Home on the VA grounds. CVI will begin a new initiative to develop a CVI Mental Wellness Center to address the health care disparities within the veteran community and provide more options for mental wellness care, especially for veterans and families who may not be eligible for services at the VA. How to get involved: Visit cvivet.org or email us at info.cvivet.org.
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Volunteers place flags for the annual Field of Flags.
War Memorial Center WarMemorialCenter.org Year founded: 1944 Executive leadership: » Daniel Buttery, President / CEO » Michael W. Grebe, Chairman » Charles A. Gordon, Vice-Chairman » Mary B. Read, Secretary » Michael C. Gibson, Treasurer Annual budget: $2,800,000 Who you serve: In addition to standing as a testament to those whose made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, the War Memorial Center is a hub for veteran activities. We work to ensure each veteran knows their service is appreciated as we inspire patriotism in our youth and honor
Military Experience Day for school groups, with Medal of Honor Recipient Gary Wetzel. 34 / BizTimes Milwaukee NOVEMBER 8, 2021
the 3,481 men and women from Milwaukee County who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. We provide over $120,000 in services each year to veterans and veteran service organizations.
working to keep our facility equipment fully operational. Below are items our facility team has requested due to age and significant wear and tear on all of our necessary tools and equipment.
What you do: The War Memorial Center in Milwaukee is a stunning lakefront facility that pays tribute to the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice defending freedom, while remembering and sharing the personal experiences and sacrifices of all veterans and their families. Enthusiastically supported by an engaged community, the facility has a collection of permanent, rotating and visiting exhibits of patriotic, military and war-related historic and contemporary themes that connect citizens with veterans and their experiences. It is a place to educate our youth and adults about the importance of national service and provide an oasis for veterans in need of assistance. The unique setting provides an unmatched venue to celebrate one’s special event and create lifelong memories.
1. UTV 700: Dump box with full enclosure for winter operations. 4x4 or 6x6 (ideal) with safety lights, mount for our Boss Plow 2. MIG Welder: Gas welding outfit, light to medium 3. Clamp on digital multimeter 4. Chain hoist: ½ ton 5. Small generator: 1,000 Watt 6. Small weed sprayer 7. Small pressure washer 8. Flatbed hand trucks (qty 2) 4’ x 8’ and (qty 2) 2’ x 4’ 9. Work Platform for Forklift: 48 inches 10. Rubbermaid Commercial Tilt Dump Truck 1,000 lbs, 44259 Cubic Yard Heavy Load Product FG101300BLA Milwaukee Tool: • 2706 Drill Driver • 2705 Hammer Drill • 2821 Sawzall • 2830 Circular Saw
What you need: We need your help in assisting us as we look to keep our costs down, all while
What makes you different: The War Memorial Center is the primary community facility partner for the Veteran Suicide Prevention Initiative launched in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs mental health team,
Medical College of Wisconsin’s A Healthier Wisconsin Endowment and other private / public organizations as part of a statewide effort designed to engage Wisconsin citizens to assist with suicide prevention. As the primary community partner, the War Memorial Center serves as the nonprofit organization capable of hosting training, engaging our larger veteran community through our state, regional and national network channels, all while helping to establish effective communications designed to reduce the risk of suicide. Through the Veteran Suicide Prevention Initiative, the Center is serving veterans through a massive partnership with organizations focused on serving our greater veteran family. How to get involved: The War Memorial Center operates as a private non-profit, 501 (c)(3) organization, and has done so since 1944. We are grateful for the generous support provided by the community for our education and veteran programs and services. Events and activities are listed on our events page at WarMemorialCenter.org which include volunteer opportunities like our Field of Flags (Memorial Day Weekend), our Annual 5K, and even the growing Oktoberfest set for late August 2022. Our organization depends on volunteer and funding support from our active community.
ERIC SCHMIDT SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
CG SCHMIDT
BizTimes
Milwaukee
presents
inaugural
showcase
of
Eric Schmidt, senior vice president at Milwaukee-based construction firm CG Schmidt, has been in the family business for more than 30 years.
its
Notable
In 2010, he established operations for CG Schmidt’s western regional office in Madison. Currently, he leads business development and daily operations for the firm.
Commercial Real Estate Leaders, spotlighting significant leaders throughout the commercial real
In the past 18 months, Schmidt had nearly $100 million in new client sales and has led redevelopment projects including Journal Square Lofts and the Milwaukee Athletic Club, both J. Jeffers & Co. redevelopment projects.
estate industry in southeastern Wisconsin.
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Additionally, he is leading a multi-phased master plan of a prominent downtown Milwaukee senior living facility as well as the master plan for a confidential senior living community located near Madison.
METHODOLOGY: The honorees do not pay to be included. Their profiles were drawn from nomination materials. This list features only individuals for whom nominations were submitted and accepted after a review by our editorial team. To qualify for the list, nominees must be based in southeastern Wisconsin and must serve in a leadership role in their organization.
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“Our success stems from an unwavering commitment to our mission: to create exceptional facilities that improve the lives of others,” said Rick Schmidt, president and chief executive officer. “Eric practices CG Schmidt’s mission and values every day. His dedication to our company, employees and clients are what truly make him a successful leader.”
Presents:
2022
SAVE THE DATE! Thursday, January 27, 2022 Italian Community Center 7:00-7:30am - Registration & Networking 7:30-10:30am - Program & Breakout Sessions
CONGRATULATIONS ERIC SCHMIDT BIZTIMES NOTABLE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE LEADER WINNER
Featured Speaker: Michael Knetter Ph.D. University of Wisconsin Foundation MILWAUKEE // MADISON // CGSCHMIDT.COM
biztimes.com / 35
JIM ROEMER
PAT KRESSIN
DAVID KNIGHT
MANAGING DIRECTOR AND WISCONSIN GROUP MANAGER
VICE PRESIDENT
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE REAL ESTATE
CIBC BANK USA Jim Roemer’s impact on the communities of southeastern Wisconsin extends beyond providing financing for many commercial real estate developments, colleagues say. As a member of the Milwaukee Economic Development Corp.’s executive and loan committees since 2018, Roemer has helped accomplish the organization’s mission of retaining and creating jobs in the Milwaukee 7 region with a special emphasis on minority- and woman-owned businesses, according to Karen Case, president of CIBC U.S. Commercial Real Estate. “As vice president of the Wisconsin Real Estate Alumni Association, Jim was instrumental in creating a public-private partnership to recruit Dr. Mark Eppli to join the UW School of Business faculty and Graaskamp Center for Real Estate in August 2018,” Case said. In 2020, as WREAA president, Roemer led a team of people to create and raise $3 million in private capital for a real estate private equity fund that has become a focal point of the UW real estate program by involving master’s students in fund investing and management activities.
GRAEF GRAEF vice president Pat Kressin has proven himself to be a leader, go-getter, advocate and mentor to younger staff over his 26-year tenure with the Milwaukee-based engineering and consulting firm, according to colleague Justyce Dixon. Kressin leads business development efforts nationwide and many of the firm’s landmark projects. He’s had a hand in several high-profile Milwaukee developments, including the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Cudahy Gardens, Bayshore Town Center, Potawatomi Hotel, Komatsu’s South Harbor campus, Drexel Town Square, Milwaukee Lakefront Gateway Plaza and the Northwestern Mutual Tower. “You will also find him coaching younger staff and serving as a sounding board to leadership,” said Dixon, corporate marketing and communications leader at GRAEF. Kressin is a member of many organizations and serves on several community boards, including American Society of Landscape Architects, U.S. Green Building Council, Wisconsin Green Building Alliance, International Council of Shopping Centers, Commercial Association of Realtors, Western Golf Association, NAIOP, Urban Land Institute, Westown Association Board, Elmbrook Humane Society, Evans Scholar Alumni Association and Milwaukee County Zoo, and he serves as a Village of Elm Grove trustee.
ASSOCIATED BANK David Knight, senior vice president and director of corporate real estate for Associated Bank, is involved in all levels of corporate real estate transactions at the Green Bay-based bank holding company – even if a task is outside the scope of his job – to ensure it’s done successfully, colleagues say. He takes a creative approach to the bank’s real estate portfolio to generate development opportunities that mutually benefit the bank and its communities, according to Jennifer Kaminski, public relations manager at Associated Bank. Notably, Knight spearheaded the idea for Associated to buy and renovate the River Center, formerly the Milwaukee Center office tower in downtown Milwaukee, as a place for the company to plant a flag downtown, which is expected to be a catalytic project for the area and the RiverWalk. “David’s work on conversions of underutilized bank properties to redevelop new banking facilities for the community, plus additional community assets such as retail, apartment or co-location, has added value to many sites,” Kaminski said.
BizTimes 2021 Notable Commercial Real Estate Leader
CIBC proudly congratulates Jim Roemer on being selected as an inaugural BizTimes 2021 Notable Commercial Real Estate Leader.
Your leadership and enthusiastic support of the Commercial Real Estate community is noteworthy. We’re proud of your successes in moving Milwaukee forward! Congratulations on this great accomplishment!
The CIBC logo is a registered trademark of CIBC, used under license. ©2021 CIBC Bank USA. Products and services offered by CIBC Bank USA.
www.graef-usa.com 36 / BizTimes Milwaukee NOVEMBER 8, 2021
CONGRATULATIONS, DAVID KNIGHT. We’re proud that our colleague David Knight, SVP and Director of Facilities Real Estate, has been honored as a BizTimes 2021 Notable Commercial Real Estate Leader. His dedication and creativity has led to successful development projects and partnerships that benefit the bank and, most importantly, the communities where we live and work.
David Knight SVP and Director of Facilities Real Estate
Member FDIC. (10/21) P05087
P05087 Notable Commercial RE Leaders ad.indd 1
10/20/2021 03:11:12 PM
TOM IRGENS
BRIAN PARRISH
JIM BARRY
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
IRGENS
PARADIGM REAL ESTATE CORP.
THE BARRY CO.
Tom Irgens pursues important deals that will have a long-term impact on the local real estate landscape, with an approach that can be described as careful, cautious, optimistic and relentless, according colleague Steve Palec. The son of the firm’s founder, Mark Irgens, Tom Irgens is primarily responsible for two notable development projects, in particular: The Corridor, a 66-acre master-planned, mixed-use development in Brookfield; and the UWM Innovation Campus in Wauwatosa. He leads in a manner that is both “methodical and supportive of his team,” said Palec, chief marketing officer for Irgens. “He’s a smart, talented leader who will continue to grow and make his mark on commercial real estate in Wisconsin and beyond,” Palec said. Irgens is also active in the community, participating in the United Way and many real estate industry organizations. “He’s a busy new dad but also finds time to serve as a board member for Downtown BID #21 and as a trustee for the Milwaukee Rep,” Palec said.
Brian Parrish has managed to create positive change despite the challenges of the past 18 months, colleagues say. For one, he helped expand an educational program in Milwaukee while also transforming a historic building. Earlier this year, Tenor High School, part of Seeds of Health Inc., purchased a building in the former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel complex. For the past five years, Parrish led a site search for Seeds of Health to find a building physically and economically suitable for a school conversion. “Representing the buyer for this capstone project is the honor of my career, and I look forward to watching thousands of talented students graduate from this dynamic program in the heart of downtown Milwaukee,” Parrish said. In addition, he was recently elected for a three-year term as alderman of District 6 for the City of Mequon. Prior to the election, he served as an appointed alderman for two years and a plan commission member for eight years prior.
NOW AVAILABLE FOR LEASE Golf Parkway Corporate Center in Brookfield | Innovation One in Wauwatosa
Cgris T!
ank you for your leadership and vi.
Tom Irgens | 2021 Notable Commercial Real Estate Leader
38 / BizTimes Milwaukee NOVEMBER 8, 2021
The past year and a half have presented unique challenges to the real estate industry, but colleagues say Jim Barry helped steer his company to continue to thrive as the firm moves into its second century. One notable transaction Barry, president and CEO of The Barry Co., helped put together over the past 18 months was the land assemblage for the future Milwaukee Public Museum. Working pro bono, Barry helped arrange the sale of three contiguous downtown properties and aligned all owners’ interests and terms of sale. Another substantial deal was a land sale in Franklin by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to the Franklin School District. The COVID-19 pandemic hit during the listing period, but the Barry team sold the land to fit expanding needs within the Franklin School District and acquire necessary capital for the archdiocese. Barry is also involved in numerous philanthropic organizations in Milwaukee, including as president of the Milwaukee Club, a director of the Bradley Foundation and trustee of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee.
JAKE GARRO
JIM COPE
REBECCA MITICH
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
PARTNER
THE BOLDT CO. Jake Garro, executive vice president and chief operating officer for The Boldt Co., has served as the principal in charge of more than $250 million of health care development projects and acquisitions since the beginning of 2020. Garro’s focus is on leading the teams that source and deliver the company’s development projects. “Jake’s personal leadership style is to put our people first, focus and then grow. Jake believes that building our team is the most sustainable path to an advantage,” said Leslie Wardwell, marketing manager for Boldt. “Being strategy-focused and knowing what jobs we are doing for the community we serve is paramount to Jake’s every day.” “To say Jake is obsessed with building our people, teams and adhering to our strategy would be an understatement,” Wardwell added. Garro serves on the board of directors for the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame and is active with Ronald McDonald House Charities Eastern Wisconsin. Most recently he and his wife, Kailyn, served as chairs of the RMHC’s annual gala.
HUSCH BLACKWELL
WALKER & DUNLOP As executive vice president of Walker & Dunlop’s Capital Markets group, Jim Cope runs the dayto-day operations of its Capital Markets team in Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago. He has completed more than 600 transactions throughout his career with more than 100 capital sources, including more than 50 life insurance companies, and plays a role in the expansion of the Capital Markets group’s structured finance division. Cope is also responsible for increasing the group’s focus on financing affordable housing options and originating new opportunities for his team. He is a member of the MBA, the Wisconsin Real Estate Alumni Association, Young Presidents Organization and NAIOP. He also places a high value on giving back to his community as an active volunteer for Hebron House in Waukesha. Colleagues noted that he leads by example and is generous with his resources, making the time to help others, no matter how busy his schedule is.
Rebecca Mitich, a partner in the Milwaukee office for law firm Husch Blackwell, has been a recognized leader in commercial real estate for years. Her work over the past 18 months elevated her as the go-to expert for countless businesses and organizations across the state and nation, according to Husch Blackwell chief executive officer Paul Eberle. For example, Mitich represented Cobalt Partners in a multifaceted hotel financial transaction as part of a redevelopment project in West Allis. The project was funded through a complex mix of New Markets Tax Credits, Opportunity Zone financing and municipal involvement. “Prior to the (COVID-19) pandemic, the project was ready to close using conventional funding, but stalled during the pandemic as conventional lenders weren’t funding hotels. Rebecca helped resurrect the deal with NMTC,” Eberle said. She also represents FirstPathway Community Development in placing $55 million of NMTC allocation for projects in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. “Her work has been essential in structuring the agreements, negotiating construction loan documents with the borrower, negotiating equity investment agreements, and ensuring that the structure of each transaction complies with state and federal NMTC laws,” Eberle said.
Relentless client focus. At Husch Blackwell, we celebrate broad perspectives and believe the talent and knowledge of our people move our clients and communities forward. We proudly congratulate Rebecca Mitich on being named a BizTimes Media 2021 Notable Commercial Real Estate Leader.
Rebecca Mitich Partner
huschblackwell.com
511 North Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202 414.273.2100
The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.
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BAILEY COPELAND
DAN NELSON, JR.
DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE SERVICES
PRINCIPAL
CONGRATULATIONS!
EAST WISCONSIN AVENUE OWNERS ASSOCIATION LLC
VJS DEVELOPMENT GROUP Bailey Copeland exemplifies VJS Development Group’s motto – “Building with purpose. Changing Lives.” – both in and outside of work, colleagues say. As director of real estate services, Copeland has led many high-profile projects and has been instrumental in the company’s growth, according to Allie Jorgensen, VJS’s marketing coordinator. “At work, Bailey is incredibly skilled at development management, land assemblage, contract negotiation, leasing, portfolio management, budget preparation and construction project management,” Jorgensen said. “She is proficient in managing the entire real estate development process, from site identification and due diligence to construction through completion. She is involved in every step of the process and always has the client’s goals in mind.” Of particular note, Copeland was instrumental in securing land and properties for St. Augustine Preparatory Academy and the United Community Center Early Learning Academy, Jorgensen said. Copeland is also engaged in commercial real estate association NAIOP and the Real Estate Alliance for Charity.
Dan Nelson, Jr. is more than an advertising executive. He is also principal of East Wisconsin Avenue Owners Association LLC, the owner of the redeveloped 600 EAST building at 600 E. Wisconsin Ave. in downtown Milwaukee. He is also the proprietor of 600 EAST Cafe & Business Center, two first-floor retail occupants of the building, in addition to being president and chief executive officer of Nelson Schmidt Inc., a marketing communications agency that is headquartered in the same building. Over the past 15 years, 600 EAST has been transformed from a deteriorating Class C commercial building into a blend of retail and commercial spaces. In 2014, the building was rezoned to bring retail back to the east end of Wisconsin Avenue, with the introduction of 600 EAST Cafe & Business Center, and complete renovations to the historic Milwaukee Gas Light Co. building’s exterior facades. Now, a full renovation of the third floor to improve Nelson Schmidt’s top floor is nearing completion. Future enhancements will likely include a green roof to seasonally supply the cafe with fresh produce, and solar and wind repowering.
FOX RUN | WAUKESHA, WI
NOTABLE
MINORITY EXECUTI
VES
ERIC SCHMIDT
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT CG SCHMIDT
been in CG Schmidt, has construction firm Milwaukee-based vice president at Eric Schmidt, senior years. for more than 30 Madison. Currently, the family business regional office in Schmidt’s western operations for CG the firm. In 2010, he established daily operations for development and sales and has led he leads business million in new client Club, both J. had nearly $100 months, Schmidt the Milwaukee Athletic In the past 18 Square Lofts and including Journal redevelopment projects projects. Milwaukee senior Jeffers & Co. redevelopment prominent downtown master plan of a located near multi-phased community a living leading senior Additionally, he is plan for a confidential well as the master living facility as exceptional facilities Madison. mission: to create “Eric commitment to our executive officer. from an unwavering president and chief “Our success stems employees said Rick Schmidt, to our company, lives of others,” that improve the every day. His dedication mission and values practices CG Schmidt’s successful leader.” truly make him a and clients are what
MMERCIA N O TA B L E C O
| E LEADERS L R E A L E S TAT
I LWA U K E E BIZTIMES M
1 : NOV 8, 202
ORDER YOUR REPRINTS!
CONGRATULATIONS
BAILEY COPELAND NOTABLE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE LEADER
WWW.VJSDEVELOPMENT.COM 40 / BizTimes Milwaukee NOVEMBER 8, 2021
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Strategies LEADERSHIP
Five decision factors for CEOs to thrive on disruption THIS IS A TIME of accelerated disruption. Over 80 years, the Industrial Revolution transformed economies through innovations in machinery. Over 18 years, the internet has changed how people interact, access information and shop. And accelerating that change, it took just 18 months for COVID-19 to disrupt how we live and work. A new reality is emerging from the impact of the pandemic. These disruptions are challenging CEOs of small and mid-size businesses to stay nimble and continually innovate. Leaders will continue to be challenged to make complex decisions very quickly, such as determining their new workforce model, how to best compete for talent, and addressing the rising cost of everything. To help businesses prepare, the latest research from Vistage recommends that leaders consider the impact of these five factors: 1. How big to bet: Manage growth expectations In Q2 2021, the Vistage CEO Confidence Index hit 108.8, the ninth highest level seen since the Index’s inception in 2003. By Q3 2021, however, the Index backed off to 97.1 as the rate of growth was decelerating. The outlook for the year ahead is still strong among CEOs in Wisconsin, with 76% reporting expectations for increased revenues. That’s accord-
ing to the Q3 2021 Vistage CEO Confidence Index survey that captured sentiment from over 1,620 CEOs nationally. However, headwinds such as inflation, supply, talent scarcity and the COVID-19 delta variant are threatening to dampen growth. The burning question for CEOs is how big to bet. 2. How to hybrid: The workforce model of the future The great work-from-home experiment has revealed an important finding: Most people are productive at home, and many prefer remote working. CEOs are now facing big policy decisions about the workplace model to offer long-term, whether that’s fully remote, in-person or a hybrid of the two. Just 25% of CEOs in Wisconsin plan to offer work-from-home options – either hybrid or fully remote – for some employees in their organization. Making these policy decisions is complicated by the fact that certain aspects of work are better done in person while others are better done remotely. CEOs also need to carefully consider their employees’ preferences on remote versus in-person work. 3. How to connect to the connected customer: Sales and marketing alignment Buyer behavior has changed. In the past 18 months, buyers have become more autonomous, digitally engaged and comfortable shopping without a salesperson. This puts pressure on organizations to radically change how they approach sales and marketing. Businesses are increasing their investments to manage this pressure. Over a third (35%) of Wisconsin small and mid-size businesses surveyed have increased their marketing investments over pre-pandemic levels. Eighty-four percent of marketing investments are on digital marketing in particular. 4. How to manage the rising cost of everything: Managing supply and demand Headlines everywhere talk about inflation. CEOs in Wisconsin reported increased costs from suppliers (78%), labor costs (82%) and raw materials (77%). Adding to this challenge, supply chain
problems are getting worse. Businesses are facing shortages in raw materials, computer chips and shipping containers. To absorb costs, businesses must increase their prices. This remains a fine balance between profitability, market forces and customer acceptance in place of lower-cost alternatives. 5. How to accelerate digital transformation: Effectively leveraging technology Throughout the pandemic, companies that have fared the best are the ones farthest along on their digital transformation path. This correlation between technological advancement and business success is likely to grow stronger as our dependence on technology increases. Currently, 70% of CEOs in Wisconsin are investing in technology to reduce the labor burden on their product or service, compared to 65% nationally. Meanwhile, the threat of cyberattacks is growing. With so many employees working remotely on unsecured home networks, companies are more susceptible to hackers. Even if you’re among the 53% of Wisconsin CEOs with an up-to-date cybersecurity plan in place, your business is still at risk for an attack. n
JOE GALVIN Joe Galvin is chief research officer for Vistage Worldwide and can be reached at research@vistage.com. For more reports and insights, or to connect with a Vistage chair, visit vistage.com/research-center. biztimes.com / 41
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BIZ PEOPLE
Advertising Section: New Hires, Promotions, and Board Appointments
ARCHITECTURE
FINANCIAL SERVICES
Kahler Slater welcomes Wekeana Lassiter
Kahler Slater, an award-winning architecture, strategic advisory, interior design, and environmental branding firm, is pleased to announce the addition of Wekeana Lassiter. She brings over 10 years of experience to the firm’s Healthcare Team.
INSURANCE
Andrea Bulen, CFP®, Named Partner of Shakespeare Wealth Management, LLC. Shakespeare Wealth Management, a fiduciary, fee-only financial planning firm in Pewaukee, WI, announces the promotion of Andrea Bulen, CFP®, to Partner. She is an accomplished advisor with exceptional abilities in planning for high net-worth clients.
INTERIOR DESIGN
John Whittemore Joins Network Health as VP of Medicare and Individual Sales. Wisconsin-based health insurer Network Health announced today the addition of John Whittemore as vice president of Medicare and individual sales. Whittemore |brings more than 25 years of health insurance experience to Network Health.
Creative welcomes Adam Molbeck as Account Executive
Creative Business Interiors brings on Adam Molbeck as Account Executive. Adam has held various positions within the commercial interiors industry, lending a unique perspective to his work in managing projects and client relations at Creative.
BANKING
MANUFACTURING Grunau names Sal Angelo as VP of Mechanical.
Sal Angelo is promoted to Vice President of Mechanical with Grunau Company. In this role, Sal will oversee all Mechanical operations and the Grunau Metals business. In addition, he will join the ranks of Grunau’s Executive Leadership Team. Sal has been with the Company for 21 years. He has built a great reputation among the many service and facility directors across the Milwaukee skyline. Grunau is excited for Sal’s expanded leadership and influence in the organization.
Kapco Promotes Malek to Chief Operating Officer, Continuing Focus on Strategic Growth
Kapco Metal Stamping has appointed Hani Malek as the company’s first Chief Operating Officer after a successful nineyear tenure as Vice President of Corporate Development. During his time with Kapco, Malek has been instrumental in driving Kapco’s growth through strategic planning, new business development, and culturebuilding. In his new role, he will continue to lead the organization forward as they invest in innovative manufacturing technology, including an Industry 4.0 roadmap that will position Kapco as a manufacturing leader in the Midwest.
DECEMBER 10, 2021
Presents:
Italian Community Center 7:00am - Registration | 7:30-10:00am - Breakfast & Program
7:45-8:45am - Panel Discussion, 8:45-9:15am - Awards Presentation, 9:20-10:00am - Breakout Sessions Join us to celebrate local innovators and entrepreneurs in southeastern Wisconsin by attending the Innovation + Entrepreneurship Forum. Prior to the awards presentations, panelists and breakout sessions will discuss best practices for developing and sustaining a culture of innovation, ways to apply the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs to their own businesses and teams, and more.
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PANELISTS: - Kyle Weatherly, CEO/Co-Founder, Frontdesk, Inc. (1) - Roy Dietsch, CEO, PartsBadger (2)
Supporting Sponsor:
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BizConnections VOLUME 27, NUMBER 13 | NOV 8, 2021
GLANCE AT YESTERYEAR
126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120 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 Maredithe Meyer maredithe.meyer@biztimes.com REPORTER Alex Zank alex.zank@biztimes.com
South side intersection
— Photo courtesy Historic Photo Collection/Milwaukee Public Library
It’s all about talent MILWAUKEE TOOL might be southeastern Wisconsin’s most important company right now. It’s experiencing massive growth, and that’s leading to more good-paying jobs for the region. The Brookfield-based company had 64.1% global growth in the first half of the year, according to its Hong Kong-based parent company, Techtronic Industries Co. Based on previous reports, Milwaukee Tool could exceed $6 billion in revenue by the end of this year. The company has expanded its Brookfield headquarters and is now adding a downtown Milwaukee office where it is expected to have 450 jobs next year and could eventually have up to 2,000 working there. The company is also working on plans for a Menomonee Falls campus and is building a plant in West Bend. Milwaukee Tool’s growth is a tremendous boost for the local economy. But its impact would have been bigger if the region was able to meet the company’s talent needs. Innovation has driven Milwaukee Tool’s 44 / BizTimes Milwaukee NOVEMBER 8, 2021
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
This undated post-1960 photo shows the intersection of West Greenfield and South Muskego avenues with South 16th Street, now known as Cesar Chavez Drive, on Milwaukee’s south side. The Wisconsin Marine Bank on the right side of the photo is now a Chase Bank and the used car lot is now a gas station. St. Martini Lutheran Church in the upper left portion of the photo remains at that location.
COMMENTARY
DIRECTOR OF SALES Linda Crawford linda.crawford@biztimes.com
growth as the company has aggressively developed new and improved products. To foster that innovation, the company needs engineers. Lots of engineers. Milwaukee Tool has been hiring as many engineers as it can but has not been able to find as many in the area as it needs. Milwaukee Tool group president Steve Richman recently revealed that the company has established an office in Chicago to help bolster its engineering team. By next year it plans to have a 70,000-square-foot space in Chicago and eventually 150 employees there. Milwaukee Tool has hired several engineers out of area universities, including Marquette, MSOE and UW-Madison. But it needs more and has had to recruit graduates from out-ofstate schools, including the University of Illinois and Purdue. In some cases, it’s easier to recruit those individuals to Chicago than Milwaukee, thus the reason the company is establishing a Chicago office. Milwaukee isn’t the only local company with explosive growth that is looking elsewhere to meet its talent needs. Generac this year established an office in Massachusetts where it plans to hire up to 50 employees for technology-related positions, talent it has been unable to find here. Generac CEO Aaron Jagdfeld said
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Alex Schneider alex.schneider@biztimes.com ART DIRECTOR Shelly Tabor shelly.tabor@biztimes.com
Independent & Locally Owned — Founded 1995 —
the presence of MIT and other universities in the Boston area made it attractive. Brookfield-based Fiserv recently announced plans for a new campus in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, with 2,000 technology-related jobs. The consistent theme here is large, growing companies based in southeastern Wisconsin looking outside of the state to meet their talent needs. If those companies could fill those positions here, they would, but apparently they can’t. For all of the talk about the need to lower taxes in Wisconsin and about incentives offered to attract companies or convince them to stay and grow here, it’s clear the bigger issue is our lack of talent. Wisconsin needs to do a better job of growing and developing talent. Regions that have the most talent are the ones that attract growing businesses. It’s really that simple. n
ANDREW WEILAND EDITOR
P / 414-336-7120 E / andrew.weiland@biztimes.com T / @AndrewWeiland
NONPROFIT MATC EXPANDS FREE-TUITION PROMISE PROGRAM TO MORE STUDENTS Milwaukee Area Technical College is widening its free-tuition Promise program to students who have received GED credentials and other equivalency diplomas. Up to now, the Promise program has been available at MATC to new high school graduates who meet certain requirements and to adults who have started but haven’t finished college. MATC recently expanded eligibility to new graduates of the college’s Adult High School and students who have earned GED (general education development) credentials and HSED (high school equivalency diploma) credentials. Those students will be eligible to enroll for spring, summer or fall 2022 semesters.
Promise programs are last-dollar scholarships, meaning they cover the gap after other federal and state aids and scholarships are applied. The result is free tuition for the student, but it does not cover the cost of books, program fees and equipment. The program is funded through a public-private partnership. MATC has secured $3.4 million in support of the program, with about 300 private donors having given to date. Philanthropist and former Milwaukee County executive Chris Abele has invested a total of $1.25 million in the Promise programs over the years.
nonprofit
SPOTLIGHT
— Lauren Anderson, staff writer
c alendar
TERE SE’S FLOWER S OF HOPE 5325 S. Eighth St., Milwaukee 414-491-7770 | Teresesflowersofhope.com Facebook: Terese’s Flowers of Hope Twitter: @teresesflowersofhope
Inspiration Ministries will host its Alive to Thrive benefit and silent
auction on Friday, Nov. 12 at 5:30 p.m. at Lake Lawn Resort’s Geneva Ballroom, 2400 E. Geneva St. in Delavan. For more information, contact the vice president of advancement at mfell@ inspirationministries.org. Kapco will host its Kids2Kids Christmas Wonderland drive-thru holiday experience from Nov. 26 through Dec. 30. The experience begins at 1150 Cheyenne Ave. in Grafton. Proceeds from Kids2Kids will be used to provide new toys to children. More information is available at kids2kidstoydrive.com. YWCA Southeast Wisconsin will host its 17th annual An Evening
to Promote Racial Justice on Thursday, Dec. 9, from 5:30-8 p.m. at Discovery World, 500 N. Harbor Drive, Milwaukee. This year’s speaker is Harvard University associate professor Sarah Elizabeth Lewis. More information is available at ywcasew.org.
D O N AT I O N R O U N D U P Spectrum donated $5,000 to La Casa de Esperanza in Waukesha to help connect families and students to critical resources. | The Dominican Center in Milwaukee received a $32,500 grant from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation for Amani neighborhood housing support. | Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity announced it raised over a half-million dollars at its annual gala in October. | Legal Services Corp. has awarded Legal Action of Wisconsin with a $399,694 Pro Bono Innovation Fund grant, which is designed to encourage and expand pro bono efforts and partnerships to serve more low-income individuals with civil legal issues. | Data You Can Use awarded four nonprofits with $10,000 in pro-bono services to help them gather and interpret data. The organizations are Southside Organizing Center, Riverworks Development Corp., JobsWork MKE and United Community Center. | Herzing University was awarded a $768,000 federal grant to help students with child care costs.
Year founded: 2019 Mission statement: Spreading
Key donors: Many individual and
corporate donors.
hope, one bouquet at a time.
Executive leadership: Zack Ulickey,
Primary focus of your nonprofit organization: The primary focus
Chet Ulickey and Cherlyn Rawson
of our organization is to spread hope, positivity and empathy through community involvement. Our volunteers pick up and deliver bouquets of flowers to randomly chosen cancer patients at local hospitals. Our act is small, but the message is large and far-reaching.
Chet Ulickey, Cherlyn Rawson, Jacob Ulickey, Garrett Ulickey and Sarah Campbell
Other focuses of your nonprofit organization: Involving the
community in random acts of kindness that benefit those dealing with cancer and those supporting them. We also ran an international campaign to “spread hope.” Number of employees at this location: Nine active unpaid
volunteers.
Board of directors: Zack Ulickey,
Is your organization actively seeking board members for the upcoming term? Not actively at
this time. What roles are you looking to fill? Community engagement
volunteers. Ways the business community can help your nonprofit: Community
involvement, partnerships, network for growth and expansion. Key fundraising events: Silent
auction/bags tournament fundraiser at Kelly’s Bleachers in Milwaukee on Jan. 22, 2022. biztimes.com / 45
LILA ARYAN PHOTOGRAPHY
BizConnections
5 MINUTES WITH…
KATHLEEN O’LEARY Retired chief executive officer and executive director, Wisconsin State Fair Park
KATHLEEN O’LEARY retired at the end of October as chief executive officer and executive director of Wisconsin State Fair Park. She worked at the 200-acre venue for 24 years in various management roles. She was initially appointed interim CEO prior to the 2016 Wisconsin State Fair and in October 2016 became the first woman in the history of State Fair Park to serve as CEO and executive director. BizTimes reporter Alex Zank recently spoke with O’Leary about her time at State Fair Park, the COVID-19 pandemic and the future of the events business.
WHY DECIDE TO RETIRE NOW? “It’s been a very colorful 24 years and certainly even more so the last five years as CEO of the Wisconsin State Fair Park. I just believe that a testament to leadership is that when you do choose to leave, however that departure looks, you have left it in a better place than you found it. And there is no question that is the case at Wisconsin State Fair Park.”
46 / BizTimes Milwaukee NOVEMBER 8, 2021
WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE BEEN IN THE PAST 18 MONTHS? “Opening the gates with the labor shortage that we are all enduring and contending with. So, in order to open our gates, we really need upwards of 1,500-1,600 employees. That in and of itself — because it’s hard to get any employees, never mind that amount of employees for such a short window of time — we were successful in it, we were innovative in how we did it, and we also were innovative in what we had to do not only to get them to work but also retain them. “There were a number of different innovative approaches to that and to contend with our labor shortage, one of them being adjusting our operating hours. The other (was) going cashless at the admission and parking gates. … That ability to have less people having to be involved was a really big decision that was made in a relatively short window of time.” WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR STATE FAIR PARK AND THE EVENTS BUSINESS? “The future is bright on a number of levels. The event as a whole, the event from an agricultural showcase aspect of it, the event as the tradition and the memories that are made that transcend generations on an annual basis — that is bright, but not without several monumental challenges that will still continue into 2022 and perhaps the next few years following that. Our lives as we know it in the events business have changed. As event leaders, we need to be the ones that are innovative and looking at our models differently so we can continue to succeed.” n
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