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4 Leading Edge 4 NOW BY THE NUMBERS 5 BIZ TRAVELER 6 BIZ TRACKER GETTING THERE 8 THE PUBLIC RECORD WHO’S ON THE BOARD? BIZ POLL 9 BEHIND THE SCENES 10 PROJECT PITCH IT 11 IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

12 Key Industries 16 Biz News 16 FASHION DESIGNERS FORMING CONNECTIONS IN NEW INDUSTRY COLLECTIVES. 18 MY TAKE

20 Real Estate 33 Food and Beverage COVER STORY

2018 BizTimes Best in Business

Special Report 30 Banking & Finance

Tips from the experts on which business financial planning blunders to avoid, and a report on Milwaukee’s venture capital activity compared to peers.

ZAK GRUBER/SATURN LOUNGE PHOTOGRAPHY

BizTimes Milwaukee (ISSN 1095-936X & USPS # 017813) Volume 24, Number 18, December 17, 2018 – January 20, 2019. BizTimes Milwaukee is published bi-weekly, except monthly in January, July and December by BizTimes Media LLC at 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120, USA. Basic annual subscription rate is $42. Single copy price is $3.25. Back issues are $5 each. Periodicals postage paid at Milwaukee, WI and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address corrections to BizTimes Milwaukee, 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120. Entire contents copyright 2018 by BizTimes Media LLC. All rights reserved.

Contents

37 Health Care Heroes 48 Strategies 48 CARY SILVERSTEIN 49 PHIL MYDLACH 50 A BRIEF CASE

53 Biz Connections 53 NONPROFIT 54 PERSONNEL FILE 55 SBA LOANS 56 GLANCE AT YESTERYEAR COMMENTARY 57 AROUND TOWN 58 MY TOUGHEST CHALLENGE

NOW IN DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE 731 N. JACKSON ST.

414-273-3507 | townbank.us

biztimes.com / 3

Leading Edge

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

NOW

Quad to buy Minneapolisbased creative agency By Arthur Thomas, staff writer Sussex-based Quad/Graphics Inc. plans to acquire Minneapolis-based creative agency Periscope Inc. for $132.5 million, the companies announced. The boards of both companies have already signed off on the transaction and the deal is expected to close in early 2019. Founded in 1994, Periscope employs more than 500 people

across offices in Minneapolis, Chicago, Hong Kong and Delhi. Bill Simpson, Periscope chairman and owner, built the company off the strength of his family’s typesetting and production company, which was started in 1960. Periscope is among the nation’s top five independent creative agencies based on annual revenue, according to a press

BY THE NUMBERS Leonardo DRS plans to add

220 JOBS

at the new facility it plans to build in Menomonee Falls for its Naval Power Systems business. 4 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

release from Quad. Brands the company works with include Arctic Cat, Autotrader, BASF, Bridgestone, Cox Communications, Intuit, Kelley Blue Book, Krispy Kreme, Petco, Red Robin, Target, Toro, Trolli, UnitedHealth Group and Walgreens Acquiring Periscope is another step in Quad’s efforts to augment its traditional strength in printing with additional marketing services. The company also earlier this year acquired Texas-based marketing and advertising firm Ivie & Associates Inc. and took a majority stake in Chicago-based digital marketing agency Rise Interactive. And Quad’s European subsidiary acquired the Polish strategic and creative agency Peppermint Warszawa in August. Joel Quadracci, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Quad/Graphics, said the company has taken a disciplined approach to the transformation, which it refers to as Quad 3.0. “We are redefining the future of integrated marketing at a time of substantial disruption when clients are looking for less complexity, greater transparency and accountability from their business partners,” Quadracci said. “With Periscope, we will create a truly integrated, end-to-end marketing platform that we believe will create more value than the traditional siloed agency

approach that exists today.” He said Periscope will help Quad in the areas of media buying, analytics, creative and account management. “Our companies share a common vision for the future of integrated marketing and operate with very similar values,” Simpson said. “Quad’s 3.0 strategy mirrors Periscope’s vision for an end-toend solution, but on a much larger scale.” Elizabeth Ross, president and CEO of Periscope, and her team will join Quad when the deal closes. Eric Ashworth, executive vice president of product solutions and market strategy for Quad, called Ross “a creative and business powerhouse.” “Quad allows us to accelerate the creation of the agency of the future by removing silos to help our clients seamlessly move from idea to execution,” Ross said. “Brand owners have been very receptive to this approach because it provides fully integrated marketing solutions at the scale and speed they require.” The deal is the second major transaction Quad announced this fall. In late October, the company struck a deal to acquire LSC Communications for $1.4 billion. Formerly part of printing industry giant R.R. Donnelley, LSC adds to Quad’s printing capabilities and the deal continues ongoing industry consolidation. n

B I Z T R AV E L E R : C O PE N H AG E N DAW N NEL SON Founder and clinical psychologist, Centre for Human Flourishing LLC

Dawn Nelson, a clinical psychologist and founder of the Centre for Human Flourishing in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, has traveled with her husband to Copenhagen, Denmark, the home of Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, whose work she has studied. n

T R A N S P O R TAT I O N : “We flew Delta (Air Lines) from Atlanta to Hamburg, Germany, where we stayed a couple of days. When we left Hamburg, we took the autobahn up to the Baltic Sea, where we got on a ferry there that leaves every half-hour. In Copenhagen, we stayed in the city center, so we walked everywhere. In most places I’ve been to, I just walk everywhere. You can learn about the local culture that way.”

E XC U R S I O N S: “We stumbled upon an amusement park called Tivoli Gardens. It’s one of the first amusement parks in the world. There is a Ferris wheel where you sit in balloons and an old classic swing carousel. “Strøget Street is said to be one of Europe’s longest pedestrian shopping streets. It was really neat. “We went to see the queen’s residence, Amalienborg Palace, and toured it. It’s very beautiful. Nearby, we also toured Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish Parliament. They have some royal stables there, and we saw the beautiful white horses.”

ACCO M M O DAT I O N S A N D F O O D : “We stayed in a hotel right in the city center, called Phoenix. It’s a beautiful hotel, it has a unique ambiance and there is parking available. It was very modern. The rooms were small, but the location was great. “The Nyhavn is the iconic harborfront where there are a bunch of quaint townhouses and old schooners. You can take a boat tour. It’s a great place to find food. People are just relaxing, walking and eating and drinking. That’s where we ate most of the time.”

T R AV E L T I P : “You have to watch out to stay out of the bike lanes. It’s just amazing how many bikes there are, but it’s a little bit hazardous if you’re walking around the city and you’re not used to all the bicycles.” biztimes.com / 5

Leading Edge

BIZTIMES MEDIA – Like us

GETTING

The latest area economic data.

56.63

THERE

The Milwaukee-area manufacturing index for November was

Any reading greater than 50 indicates growth in the sector.

Draw of new position? “CK is a nice-sized agency; it’s kind of a mid-sized agency, which I’ve always liked that size. … It is an agency that’s focused primarily on quality work over growth. I feel like they have their priorities straight. It’s not all about the bottom line; it’s about doing good work.”

Industry trends of interest?

844,396

Amtrak’s Hiawatha service between Milwaukee and Chicago served

passengers in the 2018 fiscal year, up 1.8 percent from fiscal 2017 and a new high for the route.

32,000

Wisconsin’s economy added

private-sector jobs from October 2017 to October 2018, ranking 42nd nationally.

2.8%

“Instead of creating a commercial or instead of creating a print ad like we used to do, it’s more about brands creating entertainment or brands creating content for an intended audience with a more keen awareness of how intelligent their audiences are nowadays. Not many people like to be marketed to directly ... it’s not selling anymore, it’s relating to people on a personal level and reaching people where they’re at as opposed to trying to get them to move into your headspace.”

In your free time? “Like a lot of people my age, I have kids so I spend probably 95 percent of my time with them. The main hobby I’ve taken up as of late has actually been cycling. Now that I’m moving up to Milwaukee, up to Wisconsin, I’m hoping to get some more fishing in. I’m a bit of an outdoorsman, which is a little harder to do from where I’ve lived for the past 15 years in Chicago.”

Impressions of Milwaukee? “It feels like a very livable city that’s big enough that there’s a lot of interesting things going on but small enough that it just feels very livable. My first impressions are that the pace of life up here and work-life balance is a lot more realistic and down to earth than it is in Chicago. People are nice; it’s pretty good vibes overall.”

Wisconsin’s real GDP increased

in the second quarter of this year, ranking 48th nationally.

CHAD VERLY Creative director CRAMER-KRASSELT AGE: 38 HOMETOWN: Longmont, Colorado

Homes in majority African-American neighborhoods in the Milwaukee area are devalued by

34%

compared to homes in majority non-black neighborhoods, according to a Brookings Institution report.

6 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s in journalism, University of Oregon; master’s in communications, art direction, Virginia Commonwealth University PREVIOUS POSITION: Vice president, creative director, Energy BBDO

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Leading Edge

@BIZTIMESMEDIA – Real-time news

THE

PUBLIC

Who’s on the Board?

RECORD Milwaukee Yacht Club gets a new lease By Arthur Thomas, staff writer

$2,686,061 over 25 years Milwaukee County would receive nearly $2.7 million in revenue from the Milwaukee Yacht Club over 25 years under the terms of a new contract. When the City of Milwaukee turned over McKinley Park to Milwaukee County in the 1930s, the lakefront park came with a deed restriction that required the Milwaukee Yacht Club to “be permitted the occupancy of its present site.” The requirement eventually led to a lease agreement in 1966, which was extended in 1994. The 1994 deal ran for 25 years and included one 25-year extension. The two sides were only supposed to renegotiate rent if the agreement was extended in 2017, but the parties instead decided to open up the entire deal in an effort to modernize it.

2 to 3% The new contract also includes a provision to increase rent annually based on inflation. The rent automatically increases at least 2 percent, but if the Consumer Price Index is higher than 2 percent, the rent would increase by that amount, with a cap at 3 percent. If inflation were to reach 10 percent during the contract, the county and the yacht club would be able to reopen negotiations. Hitting the 3 percent cap every year would push the county’s revenue to more than $3 million.

100 parking passes About one-third of the rent paid to the county comes from 100 parking passes the Milwaukee Yacht Club is paying for at McKinley Marina. The club started buying those passes as part of the 1994 lease agreement. The club can also offset its rent payments with capital improvements to the building with the county’s approval – a departure from the previous deal, when the planned maintenance was estimated upfront. The deal excludes improvements to windows or docks from counting toward capital expenditures that could offset the rent. n 8 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

KOHL’S CORP.

Gass

• Frank Sica, chairman, partner, Tailwind Capital • Michelle Gass, chief executive officer, Kohl’s Corp. • Peter Boneparth, former president and CEO, Jones Apparel Group • Steven Burd, former chairman, CEO and president, Safeway Inc. • Charles Floyd, global president of operations, Hyatt Hotels Corp. • Jonas Prising, chairman and CEO, ManpowerGroup

BIZ POLL

• John Schlifske, chairman and CEO, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. • Adrianne Shapira, managing director, Eurazeo Brands • Stephanie Streeter, former CEO, Libbey Inc. • Nina Vaca, founder, chairman and CEO, Pinnacle Technical Resources Inc. • Stephen Watson, former chairman, CEO and president, Dayton-Hudson Corp.’s department store division

A recent survey of BizTimes.com readers.

What impact will Gov.-elect Tony Evers have on Wisconsin’s business climate?

19%

It will improve

70%

It will get worse

11% It won’t change

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

BEHIND THE SCENES

LILA ARYAN PHOTOGRAPHY

BEHIND THE SCENES Milwaukee Repertory Theater By Molly Dill, staff writer

he Milwaukee Repertory Theater recently kicked off its 65th season, which includes almost 700 performances of 15 productions at four theaters in downtown Milwaukee. In mid-November, there was a flurry of activity at The Rep as the cast of “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley” held a tech rehearsal in the Quadracci Powerhouse theater to prepare for the show’s opening, while backstage crews were creating sets for “Junk” and loading in equipment for “A Christmas Carol” at The Pabst Theater. A nonprofit professional theater established by Mary Widrig John in 1954, The Rep moved to its current home at 108 E. Wells St. in 1987, where it puts on contemporary and classic performances from musical theater to a short-play festival. n

Properties director Jim Guy, assistant stage manager Rebekah Heusel, stage hand Bill Burgardt (standing) and actress Rebecca Hurd adjust a piano pedal at a tech rehearsal of “Miss Bennet.”

“Miss Bennet” director Kimberly Senior gives notes to the actors after a dance scene rehearsal. “It’s pretty tight. I think you guys did such a beautiful job. There was one moment when you were off – a partner turn.”

Tech crews work to align the lighting and sound with the actors’ movements during the rehearsal.

Lighting equipment is staged as crews prepare to load it in at The Pabst Theater for “A Christmas Carol.”

Mindy Knoll, prop graphics artisan, attaches foam popcorn and strands of garland to a prop that will be added to the Christmas tree in “Miss Bennet” between scenes.

biztimes.com / 9

Leading Edge

BIZTIMES MEDIA – Connect

PROJECT PITCH IT TIXORA LLC LEADERSHIP: Aaron Redlich, co-founder and CEO A D D R E S S: Milwaukee WEBSITE: tixora.com W H AT I T D O E S: Transit ticketing technologies F O U N D E D: 2015

Tixora uses $10,000 prize to test digital bus tickets By Molly Dill, staff writer

hen the Milwaukee County Transit System was seeking a more efficient ticketing system for its 300,000 annual Summerfest riders, it turned to Milwaukee startup Tixora LLC to develop a digital solution. And when it was seeking a mobile app, Tixora developed that, too. Now, Tixora is working to expand its mobile ticketing technologies to other public transit providers. Tixora is planning to launch a universal app that allows the user to plan a trip, see routes and buy a bus ticket on his or her mobile device. Aaron Redlich, co-founder and chief executive officer of Tixora, demonstrated the app to a panel of Milwaukee-area business moguls on entrepreneurship pitch show “Project Pitch It” on WISN-TV Channel 12. The moguls awarded Tixora $10,000 to pilot mobile ticket scanner prototypes on buses. Since the show aired in the spring, Tixora has tested several scanner systems and is now in the advanced stages with several bus organizations on deploying the hardware to their fleet systems in early 2019, Redlich said. “There are numerous systems around Wisconsin that have shown interest,” he said. The systems Tixora tested are both tablet interfaces that would scan a QR code on the rider’s phone, and a Bluetooth beacon. While the Bluetooth beacon is less expensive and easier to install on buses, it doesn’t have all the functionality of a tablet interface, Redlich said. Tixora’s mobile app is free to users, and the transit system pays a monthly subscription fee. The startup developed the app via a pilot program with the Milwaukee County Transit System through which it managed the MCTS Summerfest shuttle Pre>Fare ticketing system over the past three years.

The Ride MCTS app Tixora developed for Milwaukee County Transit System.

The majority of bus riders have smartphones, Redlich said, so this is a way to leverage that technology to make riding the bus more efficient. “Reducing your reliance on cash fares is a very forward-thinking way to manage a transit system,” he said. Tixora’s Ride MCTS app is the top-ranked mobile ticketing app in North America, and just hit 50,000 downloads, Redlich said. “We are the first company to really beautifully merge the world of real-time trip planning… and buying your ticket in the same app,” he said. “It’s worked as expected,” said Brendan Conway, chief marketing and communications officer at MCTS. “The usage is pretty incredible.” MCTS currently uses visual verification to accept mobile tickets, but the installation of mobile scanners would make the process even more efficient, Conway said. “It opens up a whole world of possibilities. We could get more data on where riders are getting on and off,” he said. n

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IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD What’s the history of the business? Arenzon: “We’ve been in business since 1979. My father immigrated to United States from Buenos Aires, Argentina. My grandfather had a sweater company in Argentina so that’s how we progressed into this. My father worked for another knitting company in the Third Ward and then in 1979, he opened this up. We’ve been at this location since 1998.”

WISCONSIN KNITWEAR INC. 1111 W. Lincoln Ave., Milwaukee NEIGHBORHOOD: Lincoln Village FOUNDED: 1979 OWNER: Steven Arenzon EMPLOYEES: Nine PRODUCT: Custom knit hats

What do you make here? “We’re a manufacturer of knit hats and knit headwear. We’re one of the last

remaining headwear companies in the United States who produce in-house. We manufacture for all over the world. We knit names directly into our hats. We do a lot of merchandising, from schools to rock ’n’ roll bands to trucking companies to – you name it, we’ve done it.” How many hats do make per day, on average? “We could do thousands of hats a day. We could produce hundreds of thousands of hats a year. It just depends on the types of hats. Everyone needs their stuff quickly.”

Have you produced hats for any cool rock bands? “We’ve done Wilco and the Indigo Girls and Dave Matthews. The concert promoters are very nice people. One concert merchandiser told me, ‘I consider your hats to be what T-shirts were in the 1970s. They’re really popular. This time of year, they outsell T-shirts.’” Which hats do you enjoy making most? “My kids go to Nicolet High School and we’ll do the knit hats for their homecoming.” n

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ONWARD & UPWARD IN 2019 GREATER MILWAUKEE SHINES IN FIRST BUSINESS BANK SURVEY Marking a notable milestone, the annual First Business Bank Economic Survey is 10 years old in Greater Milwaukee. Not unlike a child at age 10, our survey results are developing their own unique personality, reflecting our area’s vibrant business profile. With 10 years of data under our belts, it’s looking like 2018 is shaping up to be one of the most positive from business executives’ perspective. You’ll be happy to know that sentiment carries over into predictions for 2019, as well. Read on for the details. AN ORIGIN STORY First, a little historic perspective on this unique survey. Our CEO Corey Chambas, then bank president, noticed that national economic surveys were not very useful for local businesses. To capture relevant data, he created a survey by local business, for local business, to measure the sentiment of the local business scene. Sixteen years ago, First Business Bank started by surveying Dane County companies, and 10 years ago broadened the survey to Appleton and Greater Milwaukee. We openly share the results with all businesses as a tool for their projections and growth planning. 2018 RESULTS What impresses me most about this year’s results is how solidly your hard work paid off. Last year, your expectations for this year were very high, and yet 40 percent of respondents said that 2018 exceeded those record-high expectations. Another 37 percent said 2018 met their expectations. Additionally, this year the percentage of companies reporting higher numbers of employees and higher wages both Mikereached Flynn new historic President - Milwaukee Mike Flynn, President - Milwaukee Region, Region First Business Bank

high levels. The percentage of respondents reporting an increase in 2018 actual sales revenue jumped from 64% to a historic high 81%, attributing it primarily to increased sales and marketing efforts, improved internal efficiencies, and investment in new talent. 2019 PREDICTIONS Next year’s projections continue to be very optimistic; the percentage of companies expecting an increase in projected sales is slightly lower than last year’s historic high, but projections for increases in profits and hiring are both at new historic high levels. Eighty-six percent project an improvement in overall business performance for 2019 (a 9-point increase over the previous year), and just 2 percent expect a decline. INDUSTRY SNAPSHOTS Our survey digs down into the local industries that make the Greater Milwaukee area truly great, providing more in-depth data for manufacturing and professional services. Following along with the fervor buoyed by Foxconn, of manufacturing executives who completed the survey, a historic high 83 percent saw an increase in actual sales in 2018 — up 18 percentage points from the previous year. Perhaps ramping up to pitch in to the Foxconn mix, area manufacturers also reported increasing employees at a historic high for our survey — 68 percent say they increased their number of employees last year. Numbers are comforting, but they’re only part of the story. Behind each and every completed survey is an impressive group of driven and talented professionals working to achieve their aspirations and goals. At First Business Bank, we salute your efforts and endeavor to help your team individually thrive with banking and financial solutions designed to power your performance for years to come. Reach out to our experts to learn about how we can operate as your hidden competitive advantage in 2019. Member FDIC, First Business Bank 18500 W. Corporate Drive, Brookfield WI 53045 For more information, visit firstbusiness.com or call (262) 792-7107.

12 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

KEY INDUSTRIES EVENT FOXCONN EXPECTED TO BRING OPPORTUNITIES, DISRUPTION ACROSS INDUSTRIES By Lauren Anderson, staff writer

Foxconn Technology Group is changing the game in southeastern Wisconsin, and it’s creating plenty of opportunities for business leaders who are ready and threatens to leave behind those who are not. That was the consensus among a panel of industry-leading experts at “Key Industries for Wisconsin in 2019 and Beyond,” hosted by the Waukesha County Business Alliance on Dec. 13. Panelists included Tim Keane, director of Brookfield-based Golden Angels Investors LLC; Mark Mone, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; J. Michael Mooney, chairman and principal of Brookfield-based MLG Capital LLC; and Lisa Reardon, chief executive officer of Brookfield-based OwnersEdge Inc. Mike Flynn, Milwaukee market president of First Business Bank, moderated the discussion. “I can’t picture a company, whether they have any hope of directly serving Foxconn or not, not being transformatively affected by what’s happening here,” Mooney said. “Whether it’s about their supply chain or their labor supply or their wage rates, or any number of other things, it’s going to ramp up the game for everybody.” Todd McLees, founder and managing partner of Hartland-based Pendio Group Inc. and strategic consultant to Foxconn, was the keynote speaker. He said the state is undergoing transformational change that will affect generations to come, catalyzed by the ecosystem created by Foxconn. According to a recent Accenture report, 76 percent of business leaders surveyed said their current business models will be unrecognizable in the next five years, with ecosystems being the primary change agent. Just as in a biological ecosystem, businesses must be flexible and agile to continually evolve within the changing ecosystem of suppliers, distributors, customers

Mark Mone

J. Mike Mooney

and competitors in the region. “This is such a disruptive time in terms of the rate of innovation and the impact it’s having on every sector of talent,” McLees said. “It will only continue to accelerate for the rest of our lives. To me, it’s the perfect time for a company like Foxconn to come in to the region and disrupt the incumbent mindset.” Businesses should be asking themselves how they will keep up, McLees said. “Foxconn and other (original equipment manufacturers) are building ecosystems,” McLees said. “An ecosystem isn’t just a supply chain and transactional back-and-forth. It’s defined as a group of cross-industry companies working together to define, build and execute market-creating solutions. Foxconn is not building a television factory; they’re building a science and technology park that will develop solutions.” Leaders anticipate that business park, dubbed Wisconn Valley, not only transforming the region, but raising the state’s

Lisa Reardon

Tim Keane

profile nationally. “It is probably the coolest thing we will ever experience, if we get it right in terms of the opportunity to create solutions,” McLees said. Keane expects Foxconn’s presence to catalyze entrepreneurial activity, drawing comparisons to the transformative effect GE Healthcare has had on the region. Following World War II, the company grew its presence in Milwaukee to produce X-ray tubes at a site that had been used for building turbochargers during the war. “It grew into what is GE Healthcare,” Keane said. “…it’s hard to map all the entrepreneurial activity because of GE Healthcare; all the people that worked there, had a good idea and said, ‘I’ll go do it myself.’ I have to assume that is what will happen here (with Foxconn).” Keane said innovation within Foxconn is going to spur new ventures outside of it and the company’s competitive demands will lead to new ventures, as well. Foxconn, Advocate Aurora Health Inc., Johnson

biztimes.com / 13

KEY INDUSTRIES EVENT Controls International plc and Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. have formed a $100 million corporate venture capital fund to invest in startup companies worldwide. That’s good news for startups in the region, he said. Still, the scale and size of Foxconn has prompted questions about the region’s ability to produce enough talent for the corporation. “It’s never easy to really be prepared for a tsunami,” Keane said, adding that finding enough trained workers will likely be a challenge. Foxconn, which says it will eventually have 13,000 employees in the state, has been ramping up its hiring efforts, announcing a nationwide effort to recruit military veterans and holding career days at universities throughout the state. Collaboration among higher education and workforce development leaders is key, according to Mone. Foxconn’s arrival, along with already existing worker shortages across industries, has prompted a new sense of urgency among southeastern Wisconsin’s higher education leaders to work in concert with one another. Recently, leaders from 18 regional higher education institutions and other community nonprofit organizations formed a steering committee, called the Higher Education Regional Alliance, to work together to address workforce development needs. The alliance has coalesced around three goals: raising the region’s college completion rate, increasing program innovation, and better connecting employers with the talent coming out of the colleges. The effort has prompted unprecedented levels of collaboration among higher education institutions, Mone said. “The galvanizing effect of collaboration and bringing the walls down has exceeded competition,” he said. “It’s very heartening. I’ve been in this region in higher ed for 30 years and I’ve never seen anything like it. A lot of great things are happening. It’s different on every campus, but we’re seeing real momentum.”

14 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

Speakers from 2017 Key Industries event. Mone said there is a greater need to connect with the K-12 education system through academic and career planning, develop more efficient methods for training existing workers on new skills, and connect those who have historically been cut off from the workforce to jobs. “There is a need for agility and moving quickly,” Mone said. “We have to upscale skills for existing employees. We have to have faster online applications and work directly with employers and make K-12 linkages.” From a real estate standpoint, Mooney said he has been heartened to see the responsiveness of municipalities and economic development leaders when Foxconn arrived on the scene. MLG Capital has been active in developing land along the Highway 20 corridor in Racine County since the early 1990s, including a Mount Pleasant business park and The Renaissance in Sturtevant. “Some of us have been preaching economic development for decades, but this has really captured people’s fascination,”

he said. Another byproduct of the Foxconn ecosystem will be increased merger and acquisition activity in the region over the next decade in the manufacturing industry, as well as other industries, panelists said. “Those who serve the manufacturing sector, including my sector, which provides the real estate and facilities and the housing and the apartments and so on for those very companies – consolidation isn’t going to just stop at the manufacturing space,” Mooney said. “There will be fallout. There will be people who can’t handle this. One of the byproducts of this will be a lot of M&A work.” Reardon said it would be easy for businesses that aren’t directly doing business with Foxconn to feel as if they are on the outside looking in. But, she said, they can’t afford to take a “wait and see” approach. “Businesses in Wisconsin, regardless of if you are going to be a supplier to Foxconn or not, there is going to be a new expectation,” she said. “If you’re not very agile, you’re going to be left behind.”

FIRST BUSINESS ECONOMIC SURVEY 2018 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Strong performance on sales and profitability in 2018 Hiring and wages saw record increases for the second year in a row Capital expenditures were the same or higher for 90% of respondents (a further historic high 51% expect an increase in 2019)

Projections for increases in 2019 profits and hiring are at historic high levels Hiring and wage increase projections for 2019 are record high The outlook for 2019 is positive, with 98% of companies expecting improved or unchanged performance

Full Survey Available

Get your complimentary copy of the full report, including industry-specific data, at firstbusiness.com/survey.

Member FDIC

biztimes.com / 15

BizNews FEATURE STORY FAR LEFT: Laura Bavlnka in one of the handdyed shirts she makes at Bavlnka Brand. LEFT: Foley & Lardner attorneys Cynthia Rigsby and Jan Pirozzolo-Mellowes started the Milwaukee Fashion Initiative last year.

Fashion designers forming connections in new industry collectives

LAUREN CONANT

By Molly Dill, staff writer

16 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

IT’S A PATIENT PROCESS, shibori. That is, it takes twisting and wrapping and scrunching a large piece of silk onto a wine bottle. Then dyeing and shading and drying. Finally, unraveling it to see the result – each time unique and unpredictable. The Japanese process is a medium of choice for Milwaukee apparel designer Laura Bavlnka, founder of Bavlnka Brand. She also embroiders and paints fabrics, all of which become shirts and scarves, accessories and home goods. Bavlnka, a Mount Mary fashion program graduate who established the company in 2017 after a stint at Kohl’s Corp., plans to open a studio and showroom in Milwaukee’s west side Uptown neighborhood in January. She’s among a small community of fashion designers in the Milwaukee area that have recently started to become more organized and connected. Bavlnka launched

her company at the fourth edition of Milwaukee Fashion Week, a fall fashion show program aimed at giving local designers a platform to reach a wider audience. “I think (Fashion Week) definitely stirred a lot of interest,” Bavlnka said. “Before then, there were a lot of people that were kind of doing it but not really having the courage to put it out there.” She’s also a member of the Milwaukee Fashion Initiative, a group aimed at connecting and providing resources to designers and fashion companies in southeastern Wisconsin. “I’m still really new in this business and still trying to find my footing,” said Bavlnka, who has found MFI to be helpful. “We meet once a month and in past meetings, they’ve brought in people that already have established businesses or they brought in WWBIC one day, different people that can

A design by Jordan Marie Collection of the Milwaukee area is modeled on the runway at Milwaukee Fashion Week 2018.

fashion subscription retailer Wantable Inc., early-stage jeans manufacturer Milwaukee Denim Co., and well-known boutiques like Gigi of Mequon and Lela Boutique. The hope is the group can raise awareness of the local fashion industry and encourage other businesses to support it, Rigsby said. “We think a thriving fashion industry in Milwaukee can be part of having a cool city that brings talent and helps the city in ways that go far beyond the fashion industry,” she said. Deborah Reimer, an event planner who started Milwaukee Fashion Week in 2015, has similar goals. “We want to make it so that we can bring designers, we can get stylists and get our boutiques and retailers all together,” she said. “It’s community over competition. We’re all part of something and we should be able to show what they’ve got.” The three-day Milwaukee Fashion Week includes a fashion show on each day, each attended by between 250 and 350 people, she said. Reimer estimates there are more than 60 fashion designers in the Milwaukee area. In 2019, Milwaukee Fashion Week plans to convert from an LLC into a nonprofit, she said. And she hopes to host the event biannually. The fall show will be held from Oct. 3-5, 2019. n

DAVE HATHAWAY

help us start our business, sustain our business, learn how to grow.” Created by Foley & Lardner LLP partners Cynthia Rigsby and Jan Pirozzolo-Mellowes last year, the hope is the MFI can help the Milwaukee fashion industry grow and create jobs – and potentially generate business for the firm down the road. Pirozzolo-Mellowes got the idea after attending Project ReUNITED last year, a United Way benefit reuniting the cast of season 15 of “Project Runway” in Milwaukee with the help of Milwaukee fashion designer Linda Marcus, who appeared on the season. They did some research, checked with the Mount Mary University fashion program and downtown fashion makerspace Milwaukee Fashion Incubator, and invited a group of designers to join the MFI for its first meeting in February. “As IP attorneys and as a law firm, we’ve been able to do an IP 101, use of copyrights and trademarks, and we’ve done business 101 for some people who are starting up,” Pirozzolo-Mellowes said. “We have been trying to provide some education and resources and making connections, and we also have been working towards networking with each other.” By September, MFI was hosting a showcase with 16 pop-up shops. While it doesn’t have a formal membership model, the MFI email list of about 150 companies includes established Milwaukee

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The ‘lame duck’ special session

During a special legislative session held after the November election and before new Gov. Tony Evers is sworn into office, the Republican-led Legislature approved changes to reduce the powers of the governor and attorney general. Democrats blasted the moves, saying they ignore the will of the voters. At press time the bills were under review by outgoing Gov. Scott Walker. n

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“There is no mandate for (Evers’) agenda. He won the election and I congratulate him on that. But I certainly am not going to forget that the rest of Wisconsin, outside of the people who live in Dane County and Milwaukee, want to make sure that we have that balance.”

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“Republicans heard that message when they lost every statewide election. Instead of listening to the people, they’ve decided their control is what matters most.”

“We should look at the balance of powers, make sure the things that were done under Gov. Walker remain. That’s what my voters elected me to do.”

WHAT’S AT STAKE “We want a government for the people above all else. This is a shameless power grab. This is not what democracy looks like.”

“My job is to make sure that the policies that have made Wisconsin successful stay on the books, and that we don’t roll back all of the reforms that have us as one of the most successful economies in the country.”

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A rendering of 3rd Street Market Hall, which is planned for The Avenue.

Big gains for Westown

WESTOWN, the west side of downtown Milwaukee, has long been overshadowed by the east side of downtown, known as East Town. East Town includes the heart of the city’s central business district, with its most prestigious office buildings, City Hall, the lakefront, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the iconic The Pfister Hotel and the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. corporate headquarters. In stark contrast, Westown has struggled for many years with empty office space in lower class buildings, the dying Shops of

Grand Avenue mall, prominent vacant lots and the desolate MacArthur Square park. But now, big changes are bringing new life to Westown and the hope of a dramatic revival for the neighborhood on the other side of the Milwaukee River. The most obvious addition to Westown is Fiserv Forum, the new $524 million arena that opened this year. The Milwaukee Bucks and Marquette men’s basketball teams are off to a good start this season and drawing large crowds at the new arena. The Bucks have also

booked several big name concerts, including Justin Timberlake, Metallica, The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac, which have played to sellout crowds at the arena. The Bucks are also creating a new entertainment district around the arena, with an Entertainment Block that will include Good City Brewing, Punch Bowl Social and Drink Wisconsinbly. The Entertainment Block will be a new downtown destination. Fiserv Forum is already bringing more people downtown on a regular basis and the Bucks have plans for additional development around the arena that could create even more activity. Meanwhile, construction is ongoing for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s project to transform the long vacant Warner Grand Theatre at 212 W. Wisconsin Ave. into its new performance hall. The $139 million project cost includes funds to be set aside for the MSO’s endowment. To be completed in 2020, the new home for MSO (which currently performs at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts in East Town) will provide another draw to attract visitors to Westown. However, the most significant change for the neighborhood could be the redevelopment of

UGLY BUILDING: F O R M E R E S P E R A N Z A U N I DA AU T O LO T A N D B U I L D I N G The City of Milwaukee took ownership of the former Esperanza Unida auto lot and building at 1313 and 1329 W. National Ave. in August 2017 after the organization had not paid about $75,000 in property taxes. More than a year later, the Common Council has signed off on an exclusive right to negotiate with Rule Enterprises LLC, one of two entities to respond to a second RFP. Developer Brandon Rule is proposing to demolish the existing structures and construct an affordable housing development on the site. The project has a $17 million preliminary budget and one of the primary funding sources is Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority low-income housing tax credits. Applications for the program are due by mid-December, with an announcement expected in 2019. 20 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

The Shops of Grand Avenue. As downtown has experienced a revival with the development of condos, then apartments and numerous companies moving their offices downtown, Grand Avenue has remained in a downward spiral for many years. The closing of the Boston Store earlier this year was just the latest blow to the downtown mall. Located on downtown’s Main Street (Wisconsin Avenue) and across the street from the convention center, Grand Avenue has long been a high-profile embarrassment for Milwaukee and for Westown. But if the latest redevelopment plans for the mall come together as promised, the Grand Avenue could be transformed from one of downtown’s biggest liabilities into a huge asset and a major draw. The Grand Avenue’s owners, a joint venture between Tony Janowiec of Interstate Development Partners and Josh Krsnak of Hempel Cos., will transform the mall into The Avenue, scrapping the retail mall concept in favor of a mix of uses, including retail, a food hall, office space and apartments. At the heart of The Avenue will be its 3rd Street Market Hall, a 35,000-square-foot food hall, spearheaded by Milwaukee restaurateur Omar Shaikh. The food hall will feature more than 20 local vendors, including: Stone Creek Coffee, Milk Can (a new concept from chef Kurt Fogle and the team behind Muskego’s Bass Bay Brewhouse), Funky Fresh Spring Rolls, Donut Monster, Char’d and Waterford Wine & Spirits. “This is much more than just another food hall,” Shaikh said. “The response from the restaurant community has been incredible. We already have letters of intent for 75 percent of the locations within the space and they’re all chomping at the bit to be a part of what will become Milwaukee’s most eclectic and electric scene.” The Avenue has also snagged a major tenant for its office space. Engineering firm GRAEF-USA Inc. will move its corporate headquarters office from the west side of Milwaukee into a 35,000-square-foot space

on the third floor of The Avenue. The move will bring 170 employees downtown. “Being a part of The Avenue, and near other exciting developments including the Warner Grand Theatre renovation and Fiserv Forum and its adjacent entertainment district, sealed our relocation decision,” said John Kissinger, president and chief executive officer of GRAEF. The Avenue is also adding 52 apartments, in the mall’s historic Plankinton Arcade, which will be called Plankinton Clover. The apartments range from studios to two-bedroom units and feature floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking West Wisconsin Avenue, North Plankinton Avenue and North Second Street. Most of the units have entrances and common corridors that connect to the second-floor atrium, which gives the atrium the feel of a public street in the middle of a neighborhood. “Look at old photos of the Plankinton Arcade and you’ll be struck by the feel of a quaint urban neighborhood,” Janowiec said. “The Clover recaptures that sense while providing residents with ideal work/live opportunities, as well as highly connected interim living options for corporate employers.” With its key location at the heart of Westown, The Avenue could have a major impact on the revitalization of the neighborhood. n

FEATURED DEAL: AVENIR APARTMENTS BUILDING SOLD THE AVENIR APARTMENTS building in downtown Milwaukee has been sold for about $22.3 million according to state records. An affiliate of Kirkland, Washington-based Weidner Apartment Homes bought the five-story building at 1437 N. Jefferson St. from affiliates of Wauwatosa-based Wangard Partners. Completed in 2015, the building has 104 apartments and 7,045 square feet of retail space. It has an assessed value of about $18.4 million, according to city records. ADDRESS: 1437 N. Jefferson St., Milwaukee BUYER: Weidner Apartment Homes SELLER: Wangard Partners CLOSING DATE: Nov. 29, 2018 SALE PRICE: $22.3 million

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N HARI

and Brett’s encouraging through treatment for more effective and results pave the way who options for patients efficient treatment with other therapies, have not had success the world of its kind. Hari collaborated and radiation. Dr. Parameswaran such as chemotherapy Froedtert & MCW of Wisconsin, FroedThanks to Hari, the with the Medical College of very few Hospital of WisconCancer Center is one tert Hospital, Children’s of Wisconsin Clinical this high-level personalsin and the Versiti BloodCenterthe innovative centers that offers A second patient complete ized medicine expertise. faculty and staff to and process trial. the treatment immunotherapy treatment that are part of has already begun T-cell therapy cells clinical trial for CAR T-cells, white blood cells a pediatric develop from stem is also underway. the immune system, in hematology with In October 2017, Hari Hari is a researcher in the bone marrow. Brett’s T-cells, then publications, in addition numerous scientific and his team harvested lectures on varithem in a lab to target to national and international topics. He is the genetically modified oncology The entire process took ous hematology and and fight his cancer. disorders cell the plasma scientific director of about three weeks. responded posof the Center for InternaBrett’s immune system treat- working committee Transplant Research. after receiving the tional Blood and Marrow itively and 28 days in remission. This breakment, his cancer was

Celebrating

a growing issue in Mental Illness is Wisconsin. Unfortucommunities across to support individuals nately, resources are often limited in II C. FREDERICK GEILFUSS with mental illnesses community settings. was the first Club is a not-forIn 1993, Foley & Lardner The Grand Avenue to offer paid employoffering educational Milwaukee employer profit organization via its Transitional support and young ment to GAC members support, employment Geilfuss believes adults living in Milfor Employment Program. adult programming are managing mental employment approach strongly in GAC’s waukee County who that have that adults who opportunities indicates Research supported illness. bet- and mental mental illness have people managing have experienced a helped 150 labor force. they participate in illness enter the paid ter outcomes when a 20-year term on like GAC. Geilfuss just finished clubhouse program partner C. FrederFoley & Lardner LLP the board. GAC for more rewarding to watch “It has been very ick Geilfuss II has supported effective services to GAC grow and provide than 20 years. vulneraan engaged board our community’s most of He has served as many so pro bono legal “Through its structured ble people,” he said. member and has provided GAC helps generously, encourand supportive community, assistance, donated continuousand has mental illness become those suffering from aged others to donate, unique role in the educational opportuniemployed, take up ly advocated for GAC’s friendships.” Milwaukee’s behavioral ties and develop meaningful growing network of . health organizations

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STORY COVER

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 IN BUSINESS 

2 018 C E L E B R AT I N G BUSINESS GROWTH As we near the end of 2018, BizTimes Milwaukee continues its annual tradition of highlighting the businesses and leaders that made news this year in southeastern Wisconsin. They are profiled here in our sixth annual BizTimes Best in Business report. This section honors our staff’s selections for southeastern Wisconsin’s corporation, chief executive officer, small business, family-owned business and community leader(s) of the year. Past winners include: Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., Foxconn Technology Group, Direct Supply Inc., Coakley Brothers Co., Access HealthNet LLC, Rinka Chung Architecture Inc., WEC Energy Group Inc., Gehl Foods LLC, Steinhafels Inc., Generac Power Systems Inc., Uline Inc., Bartolotta Restaurant Group LLC, Milwaukee Blacksmith Inc., Aurora Health Care Inc. CEO Dr. Nick Turkal, Sherman Phoenix co-creator and entrepreneur JoAnne Johnson-Sabir, Rev Group Inc. CEO Tim Sullivan, Milwaukee Bucks president Peter Feigin, Allen Edmonds Corp. CEO Paul Grangaard, Badger Meter Inc. CEO Rich Meeusen, the Baumgartner family, the Ramirez family and Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce president Tim Sheehy. This year’s winners are: Klement Sausage Co., which lost its iconic sponsorship of the Milwaukee Brewers’ Famous Racing Sausages, but pivoted to numerous other community sponsorships and is expanding and improving its plant on South Chase Avenue in Milwaukee; Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin CEO Peggy Troy, who is leading the highly-respected facility through a $265 million expansion and renovation project; Michels Corp., which announced plans for a new 400-employee regional office in Milwaukee anchoring a $100 million mixed-use development; Good City Brewing LLC, which is adding a brewery and taproom near the Fiserv Forum and acquired a building in the Century City business park to establish a major operation on the city’s northwest side; and Michael and Amy Lovell, who are on a mission to make Milwaukee a trauma-informed community. Read all about what these organizations and leaders accomplished in 2018 in this special report. 22 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

CORPORATION OF THE YEAR:

KLEMENT SAUSAGE CO. INC.

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 IN BUSINESS 

ARTHUR THOMAS

Corporation of the Year

BY ARTHUR THOMAS, staff writer Tom Danneker had barely spent two weeks on the job as chief executive officer of Klement Sausage Co. Inc. when he went to see the Milwaukee Brewers about how the company’s sponsorship of the Famous Racing Sausages could grow. “Coming in the door, my thought process was, ‘How do we, I guess I would describe it as “double down” on the Brewers relationship, invest more in that relationship to better position the brand for growth?’” Danneker said. The Brewers, it turned out, had other ideas. The team had reached a deal for Johnsonville LLC to become the sausage sponsor. Danneker thought maybe the deal was a negotiating tactic, but it wasn’t. After 25 years sponsoring the sausage race at the Brewers games, Klement was out. “It was a very short meeting,” Danneker said. It would be easy to assume that a company with an out-of-state private equity owner might retreat from the spotlight and the money that had gone to the Brewers sponsorship would be turned into profits. Instead, Klement pledged that it would deepen its ties in the community. In the following months, the company announced sponsorship deals with Summerfest, the Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee County Parks and the Wisconsin State Fair. The company even declared itself “the unofficial hometown brat of Milwaukee tailgaters” and gave away free sausages on Opening Day of the baseball season. “There wasn’t even one second of thought of letting that money just go to the bottom line,” Danneker said. He pointed out the company had previous relationships with the organizations it invested in, but the size of the Brewers commitment limited how far those partnerships could go. For pivoting from the loss of the Brewers deal and demonstrating commitment to the Milwaukee community, Klement Sausage Co. is the BizTimes Best in Business 2018 Corporation of the Year. The company’s commitment included more than investments in sponsorships which, in addition to helping local organizations, also serve to grow the Klement brand. In October, the company announced a $7.5 million investment in expanding and modernizing its South Chase Avenue plant. The expansion was part of a three-year evaluation of Klement’s facilities. The company considered

The ceremonial groundbreaking for Klement’s expansion of its South Chase Avenue plant.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Klement CEO Tom Danneker, Gov. Scott Walker and Milwaukee Alderman Tony Zielinski eat brats to mark the groundbreaking for Klement’s expansion.

a number of options, including the possibility of building a new facility or a much larger expansion of the Chase plant. Ultimately, the project will add 5,000 square feet and renovate 50,000 square feet. “In the end, we came to the conclusion that we have a great plant down on Chase Avenue that with the right investment can become a worldclass plant,” Danneker said. Klement’s local investment has not been confined to this year, either. In 2015, the company inked a deal to move its corporate offices to the Pabst Professional Center in downtown Milwaukee. The decision followed the 2014 acquisition of Klement by Texas-based Tall Tree Foods, a portfolio company of Altamont Capital Partners, a private equity firm with more than $2.5 billion of capital under management. The transfer of a family-owned company to a private equity firm might have been cause for concern about Klement’s local presence, but Danneker said the strength of the company’s local brand has drawn more investment. “The ownership group believes in the brand. Frankly, that’s one of the biggest reasons why they

bought it, because the Klement’s brand has such a long history here in Wisconsin,” he said. “They truly believe, and we’ve seen it here in the last year, that with some support and really reinvigorating the brand here locally, that consumers would respond and really help us to grow.” Investing locally also capitalizes on consumers’ increasing preference for locally-sourced food. “What we decided to do was just expand our existing craft model, rather than saying we’re going to become like a (meat processor Smithfield Foods Inc.),” Danneker said. “There’s plenty of mass-produced sausage. We want to recommit and just expand our craft sausage capabilities.” He acknowledged the company’s position is a departure from its previously larger ambitions. “I think there were times along the way that Klement’s had this vision that they were going to be this mass production, national company; the next Johnsonville, so to speak,” Danneker said. “But I don’t want to be the next Johnsonville. I want to be Klement’s, and Klement’s is the best locally produced craft sausage in the country, and we’re just going to get better at doing that.” biztimes.com / 23

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 IN BUSINESS 

CEO OF THE YEAR:

PEGGY TROY ZAK GRUBER/SATURN LOUNGE PHOTOGRAPHY

CEO of t he Year

BY LAUREN ANDERSON, staff writer The last time Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin completed a major addition to its Wauwatosa campus, Peggy Troy had just taken the helm of the organization. It was 2009, the year Troy became chief executive officer of CHW, and the hospital opened a new 12-story tower at the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center. This year, the hospital announced an even larger project: a $265 million planned expansion and renovation to its campus. It marks a major investment in the health system’s flagship hospital during a time when health care systems, including Children’s, are increasingly investing in community-based outpatient facilities. For her leadership of a nationally-ranked, nearly $1 billion pediatric health system as it expands both on its main hospital campus and throughout the community, Peggy Troy is the BizTimes Best in Business 2018 CEO of the Year. Troy said the project will allow CHW to upgrade its technology and improve the patient experience with the addition of amenities such as private prep and recovery spaces. The most visible project will be a planned six-story addition that will connect the hospital to the Children’s Clinics building on West Connell Court. It will house specialty clinics and allow the hospital to consolidate all surgical services onto one floor. Children’s operating rooms are currently on two different floors within the hospital. “We started thinking about this about two years ago,” Troy said. “We have world-class surgeons doing some of the most complicated surgeries in the country, and we needed to figure out what it would take to have a contemporary OR.” The hospital also plans to renovate and enlarge its emergency department and trauma center by about 11,000 square feet to accommodate the hospital’s growth in emergency department visits, which have increased by 14 percent over the past decade. CHW sees more than 60,000 patients in its emergency room and trauma center every year. The project will add 10 more treatment rooms, bringing the hospital’s total to 44. The entire project is scheduled for completion in 2024. CHW has also opened or announced plans for several new outpatient facilities in recent years, including a new 30,000-square-foot clinic in Keno24 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

Peggy Troy

sha, a 40,000 square-foot primary and specialty care clinic in Mequon and an outpatient clinic at Midtown Center on Milwaukee’s north side. “One of our main strategic goals is to take care closer to home,” Troy said. “We know coming on to the campus for families from different areas around southeast Wisconsin is difficult and it’s a disadvantage for families having to take off work and school. We realized we had an opportunity to live up to our stated goal of care closer to home … it aligns closely with our strategy and it has created a high satisfaction among parents.” Troy, a former nurse whose first position after graduating was with Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, said her clinical experiences influence the way she leads. “I’ve been in a clinical environment; I know that world very well,” Troy said. “I have a keen sense of how you arrange a team of individuals to allow them to give their very best to the kids. But I also understand it from the lens of a parent. I’m a mom; I’m now a grandma. So my north star is, ‘What would I want for my own children and now grandchild?’” Troy said her team is focused on not only providing high-quality medical care, but also providing

wraparound services that allow for holistic care. Children’s Hospital launched Children’s Community Health Plan in 2005 as an HMO for patients who qualify for BadgerCare Plus, the state’s Medicaid program for low-income residents. In 2017, the hospital began offering its plan on the Affordable Care Act exchange in Wisconsin. It’s one of only a few pediatric hospitals nationally to have its own plan. The health system reported a 53 percent increase in operating income in the first half of 2018, driven largely by enrollment growth in the health plan, along with higher neonatal intensive care unit and outpatient volumes, and a lower government payer mix compared to a year prior. Managing its own health plan allows Children’s to offer more continuity in its care for patients, Troy said. “Data will show that kids with insurance, including Medicaid, will get well baby checks and immunizations and will use the emergency department less,” she said. “The power of this is being able to truly manage care with the families and getting them at the right time by the right providers and have better outcomes.”

Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Board of Directors

Congratulates Peggy Troy President and CEO, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin BizTimes CEO of the Year 2018 We offer our gratitude and best wishes to a leader who always puts children and families first. As we work together to fulfill our vision of Wisconsin’s kids being the healthiest in the nation, we are inspired by your leadership, compassion and unwavering commitment to others. Mark Witt, Chair Todd Adams Mike Altschaefl Tom Arenberg Matt D’Attilio Ken Bockhorst Joe Gehrke David Gregg, MD Patrick Hammes Chris Kaltenbach

Joseph Kerschner, MD Paul Knoebel Rob Lane, MD Mike Lovell Kevin Mansell Linda Mellowes Ben Melson Keith Oldham, MD Jim Popp Tom Precia

Joel Quadracci Rolando Rodriguez Jay Rothman Tom Sato, MD John Schlifske Peter Sommerhauser Paul Sweeney Phoebe Williams

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TO OUR SPONSORS & PARTNERS! On Friday, Nov. 16, about 350 area business leaders gathered, at the 16th annual BizTimes Commercial Real Estate and Development Conference, to learn more about the changing economic landscape driving building owners to seek new uses for their properties. UW-Madison’s Dr. Mark Eppli led a panel discussion on national trends impacting southeastern Wisconsin. The panelists included Daniel Ertl of the City of Brookfield, Doug Fisher of Marquette University, Scott Goldman of Baum Revision, LLC, Eric Griffith of CBL Properties and Michael Mooney of MLG Capital. BizTimes would like to thank everyone who attended.

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MICHELS CORP.

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BY ANDREW WEILAND, staff writer In 1959, almost 60 years ago, Dale Michels went into business as a gas pipeline contractor, building and installing natural gas distribution systems for Wisconsin utilities. Michels had two business partners, but he was the majority owner of the company, then known as Michels Pipeline Construction. In the beginning, the company had four employees. Michels was the foreman and his wife, Ruth, drove the dump truck. Today, the company remains headquartered in Michels’ hometown of Brownsville, a small village about 40 miles northwest of Milwaukee. But it has grown considerably since its humble beginnings. Now known as Michels Corp., it has 8,000 employees and is expected to bring in nearly $3 billion in revenue this year. Over the years, the heavy civil infrastructure construction company has branched out and now does about 65 percent of its business on energy infrastructure projects (pipelines, transmission lines, electric substations, renewable energy projects), about 20 percent on transportation infrastructure (roads, bridges and tunnels) and additional business in communications infrastructure (including fiber optic lines). Dale Michels died 20 years ago and the company’s day-to-day business is now run by his sons Pat, Kevin and Tim. Their mother, Ruth, is chief executive officer. With the second generation of family ownership running the company, members of the third generation are joining the business. Philip, Pat’s oldest son, is a senior project manager and has been with the company for 10 years. Kevin’s oldest son, Matt, recently graduated from college and is working on a gas pipeline project in Minnesota. Kevin’s daughter, Elizabeth, is a marketing intern for the company. “We all start at the bottom with a shovel in our hands and work our way up the ranks,” said Tim Michels, co-owner, vice president and treasurer. Despite the impressive growth Michels Corp. has achieved, “we still operate the business as a small, family business in a rural farm town,” Tim said. “That’s our culture: hard work, honesty, integrity.” Michels Corp. made big news in Milwaukee this year when it announced plans for a $100 million mixed-use development at the former Horny Goat Hideaway property in the city’s Bay View neighborhood. The five-building campus will be located along the Kinnickinnic River, northwest of South First Street and West Becher Street. The 26 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

ABOVE: A rendering of the R1ver project planned by Michels Corp. along the Kinnickinnic River in Milwaukee. BELOW: Pat Michels, president; Marysue Michels, executive manager, corporate development; Phillip Michels, senior project manager; Ruth Michels, chief executive officer; Tim Michels, vice president and treasurer; Elizabeth Michels, marketing intern; and Kevin Michels, vice president - equipment.

development plans include three office buildings, one anchored by a regional office for Michels Corp. The company wants to consolidate its Milwaukee-area operations and create an office in a dynamic urban setting that will help attract young talent, including attorneys and engineers, Tim said. While its headquarters will remain in Brownsville, the Milwaukee office for Michels Corp. will be significant. It will have 400 employees initially, occupying just under half of an eight-story, 220,000-square-foot office building. That building will be part of the first phase of the project, which also includes pads for the other buildings and an underground parking structure. Foundation work will start soon and the first phase is expected to be complete in the summer of 2020. The second and third phases will add more

office buildings, a residential building (with first floor restaurant and retail space), and could include a hotel. Depending on demand, the second and third phases could be built shortly after the first, Michels said. The Michels project, called R1ver, will provide a major boost to the Harbor District development area, located south of Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward. For making such a major investment in Milwaukee, Michels Corp. is the BizTimes Best in Business 2018 Family Business of the Year. “We saw a great opportunity to be pioneers in the area,” Michels said. “We see tremendous opportunity. By nature, in our business we are risk-takers. We wanted to be pioneers and jump-start the Harbor District area. There is a lot of buzz in that area now.

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MIKE AND AMY LOVELL

nit y Leaders of t he Year

CONTRIBUTED

Commu

COMMUNITY LEADERS OF THE YEAR:

BY MAREDITHE MEYER, staff writer Michael and Amy Lovell are on a mission to help Milwaukee become the most trauma-informed city in the country. Both are trailblazers in their own right – Mike as president of Marquette University and Amy as president of Shorewood nonprofit REDgen – but earlier this year, they embarked on a joint effort, called Scaling Wellness in Milwaukee, to address the adverse effects of trauma on the Milwaukee community. SWIM is a coalition of local nonprofit leaders, public officials, academics, social workers, health care professionals and others who are working together to tackle the issue of generational trauma in an attempt to heal one of the nation’s most segregated and impoverished cities. Trauma, a high-stress psychological response to an adverse experience, affects urban, suburban and rural communities, and is believed to be a root cause of disparity in many cities, including Milwaukee, Mike Lovell said. The Lovells’ decision to launch SWIM complements their ongoing involvement with related causes centered on building a healthier, more productive Milwaukee. In recognition of these efforts and their role in steering SWIM, Mike and Amy Lovell are the BizTimes Best in Business 2018 Community Leaders of the Year. Since its January launch, SWIM has grown to more than 350 people representing 120 local organizations. It convenes every six weeks to discuss “tactical and concrete” strategies to deal with the issue, Mike said. In September, SWIM partnered with Milwaukee-based nonprofit organization SaintA to host a daylong conference called “Healing Trauma, Healthy Communities” that filled Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee with 1,500 attendees and some of the nation’s leading trauma experts. Mike said the gathering was a “good sign” of the public’s interest in the issue and in making “Milwaukee better.” Through her work with REDgen, which provides mental health resources and advocacy for youth, Amy Lovell was already well-versed in the issue of trauma by the time SWIM was officially formed. She was inspired to take action a year earlier after seeing a documentary called “Resilience,” which presented trauma as a public health issue. “Watching that documentary, we realized trauma is the underpinning of many issues,” she 28 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

Amy and Mike Lovell

said. “We felt very strongly this information needed to get out there more, that people needed to realize the correlation between adverse childhood experiences and mental and physical health.” REDgen started to focus more on the issue and tried collaborating with other organizations, but it didn’t gain much traction, Amy said. But months later, both Amy and Mike attended Marquette’s forum on trauma, and Amy encouraged her husband to get involved. SWIM has become a university-wide effort for Marquette, sparking involvement from researchers representing multiple colleges and disciplines, such as neuroscience, nursing and education. Mike said the initiative fits naturally into the university’s Jesuit mission to serve the surrounding community. “Even though it can be very overwhelming at times because it’s such a big problem, that’s the power of having an institution the size of Marquette working on this,” he said. Addressing trauma issues on a citywide level will ultimately have an impact on Milwaukee’s workforce, Mike said, as untreated trauma can often lead to absenteeism, difficulty establishing professional relationships and other job-related challenges. But the Milwaukee community must address the historic presence of “racism and pessimism” to

ensure all community members benefit from the region’s economic development and “move the needle” on the issue, Amy said. “As a business community, if businesses invest in the areas of the city that are so segregated and have disparities, and also look at policies that they could change, and help develop the workforce, I think that all will help, but it’s not going to happen overnight,” she said. For Mike, as a higher education leader, workforce development is an issue constantly at the forefront of his work – and SWIM is just one piece of the puzzle. He is also part of Higher Education Regional Alliance, a steering committee of higher education and workforce leaders working to raise college completion rates, promote program innovation and connect employers with the talent coming out of the region’s colleges in anticipation of Foxconn Technology Group’s massive manufacturing operation in Mount Pleasant. Lovell also played a major role earlier this year in launching the Data Science Institute, a collaboration among Marquette, Northwestern Mutual and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee that works to address the region’s workforce and technology needs.

SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR:

CONTRIBUTED

GOOD CITY BREWING

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 IN BUSINESS 

Small Bus

iness of the Year

BY MOLLY DILL, staff writer Good City Brewing LLC was launched in 2016 as a small brewery and taproom on Milwaukee’s East Side. Its popularity meant an expansion was in order by 2017, when it added a rooftop patio and an event space. But visionary co-founders Dan Katt, David Dupee and Andrew Jones didn’t see Good City as just another craft brewery. The company made big moves in 2018 by seizing opportunities when they presented themselves, Katt said. In the midst of an overall volume decline for the beer industry and slowing growth among craft breweries, Good City has managed to carve out a larger piece of the pie. For its major growth-oriented, civic-minded initiatives this year, Good City Brewing is the BizTimes Best in Business 2018 Small Business of the Year. In May, Good City announced it would open a second production facility and taproom at the Entertainment Block adjoining the Fiserv Forum. The leased 11,000-square-foot space will have 24 taps, a wood-fired oven kitchen concept, outdoor patio seating and an event space, with total capacity of 550. Katt said the Milwaukee Bucks’ development felt like a “generational opportunity” both for the burgeoning business and for the city. “The Bucks thing goes back a long time because they had made this announcement it’s got to be two, three years ago about having a brewery at the entertainment block,” he said. “I think we were probably only a few months old when that announcement was made. That wasn’t part of our original plan, but our mentality has been, ‘Why not us?’” Good City threw its hat into the ring, worked its contacts and kept the dialogue open throughout the arena-planning process. Now the businesses second brewery is nearly complete, with plans for a January opening. But that wasn’t enough for 2018. Good City in July announced it would buy a 53,000-square-foot industrial building in the Century City business park on Milwaukee’s northwest side, move its office and warehouse operations there from the East Side, and plan to begin brewery operations at the new site by 2020. “Initially, (co-developer General Capital Group LLP) reached out to us last winter and at the time going into 2018, we knew we were going to need warehouse space,” Katt said.

Good City expanded its original brewery on Milwaukee’s East Side just one year after opening it.

A rendering of Good City’s new downtown brewery, which it plans to open in January.

But they didn’t realize that effort would go beyond beer and tie in to a larger mission. “The opportunity to invest in that neighborhood was also something super high on our priority list,” Katt said. Good City doesn’t need anywhere near 53,000 square feet, so it plans to fill the remainder of the building with entrepreneurs and small business tenants it is currently recruiting. The company plans to call it the “Good City Innovation Center.” An affiliate of Good City will assume almost $3.3 million in debt and pay $35,000 to acquire its ownership interest in the Century City One building. The building, at the former A.O. Smith/Tower Automotive site, was co-developed by General Capital Group and the City of Milwaukee, and has been vacant since its 2016 completion. Good City’s choice to move some operations to Century City has been lauded by city leaders as a bold commitment to Milwaukee and efforts to revitalize the central city. The brewing company, which has about 24

full-time and 24 part-time employees, was also able to add health benefits this year, which has aided in the retention and attraction of talented employees, Katt said. Looking ahead to 2019, Good City plans to complete its new projects, fill the Good City Innovation Center with tenants, and expand its distribution. “We’ve got some pretty aggressive plans with our wholesale business that will include new products,” Katt said. “The beer is the foundation of everything we do. It has to be and the quality has to be there and it has to be drinkable and people have to drink it, but from there you can get more creative with everything else that’s possible.” And while the business has its hands full right now, Katt never says ‘never’ to additional opportunities. “We are certainly growth-oriented and we certainly are open-minded and have open ears to things but we’re pretty focused right now on getting downtown open and our endeavor at Century City,” he said. biztimes.com / 29

Special Report BANKING & FINANCE

Milwaukee ranks poorly for venture capital activity Compared to Midwestern peers, city ‘dramatically underperforms’ By Molly Dill, staff writer A RECENT ANALYSIS of 42 Midwestern cities indicates Milwaukee “dramatically underperforms” when it comes to its expected venture capital activity. Madison, on the other hand, over-performed its expected activity level. An early analysis from Omaha, Nebraska-based management consulting firm Chapman and Co. LLC’s upcoming Silicon Prairie Annual Report demonstrates that while Milwaukee had about $48 million in venture capital activity in 2017 (according to Pitchbook data), it should have had about $142.6 million in venture capital deals. Falling about $94.6 million short on its expected performance gave Milwaukee the

distinction of ranking among six Midwestern cities that “dramatically underperformed” their expected values, along with Oklahoma City ($112.1 million short), Kansas City ($97.3 million short), Tulsa ($31.2 million short), Wichita ($21.8 million short) and Omaha ($17.5 million short).

provides a benchmark for how a city should perform based on the performance of peers at the same metro area size or smaller. Milwaukee was compared to Kansas City, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Oklahoma City. “I think the challenge that we have in the Midwest is we will often point to a city like Kansas City and say, ‘Hey, they’re doing a good job…rather than thinking about it as, ‘Where should they be?’” he said. The cities that performed well, such as Lincoln, Nebraska and Chicago, have found the right combination of building blocks to grow their startup community infrastructure and, in

“ I think the challenge that we have in the Midwest is we will often point to a city like Kansas City and say, ‘Hey, they’re doing a good job…rather than thinking about it as, ‘Where should they be?’”

— Tom Chapman, Startup Champions Network

Tom Chapman, chair of the startup data committee for Startup Champions Network and founder of Chapman and Co., who put together the analysis, said the comparison

turn, up their venture capital activity, he said. That includes mobilizing the corporate community, and putting in place systems to invest small amounts in startups, then helping them grow to

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the point of needing larger funding rounds. “(Milwaukee’s underperformance is) a signal of an undernurtured, underdeveloped ecosystem,” Chapman said. “If Baird, which runs their venture capital out of Chicago, suddenly moved their office to Milwaukee, they wouldn’t have the deal flow to write $2 million, $5 million, $10 million checks.” To be fair, Milwaukee has fairly high venture capital expectations among Midwestern cities, Chapman said. “It looks like underperformance, but underperformance also means higher expectations,” he said. Madison, on the other hand, over-performed its expected activity level by approximately $55 million, according to the report. Chapman’s analysis indicates college towns tend to be magnets for venture capital dollars, with Champaign, Illinois; Lincoln, Nebraska;

Columbia, Missouri; and Iowa City, Iowa also over-performing. “Interestingly, these communities have significant dollars tied to venture investing, but in many instances, the startup companies are not, in fact, university spin-outs. Thus, the correlation may have more to do with other factors

regarding these towns such as transience of population, alumni networks in richer venture capital environments, access to significant, well-trained human capital, etc.,” his analysis indicates. Chapman plans to release the full Silicon Prairie Annual Report before the end of the year. n

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Special Report BANKING & FINANCE

Business financial planning blunders to avoid Experts weigh in By Molly Dill, staff writer AS BUSINESS OWNERS look forward to 2019, financial planning is top of mind. But are you doing it wrong? In a recent blog post, Lauber Business Partners laid out a few of the most common financial planning blunders businesses should avoid. In the spirit of that list, BizTimes checked in with a few experts on which errors they see often. »» Failing to have a cash flow plan. “Obviously, cash is what makes the business go and if you’re short cash, it definitely puts a serious crimp in your operations in terms of getting materials for your manufacturing process or pay labor or whatever the case may be,” said Mark Wiesman, president and owner of Lauber Business Partners. “A lot of small businesses don’t necessarily think consciously about their cash flow and as the business grows, they end up getting strung up.” Creating a plan allows an owner to adjust as needed. »» Not separating personal and business expenses. “Sometimes they kind of blur the line a little bit as to what’s a personal expense and what’s a business expense,” said Tim Steffen, director of advanced planning in the Private Wealth Management practice at Milwaukee-based Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. “The accounting for that can create some tax issues for them.” If you take a trip for work and then stay on for a few days as a vacation, be sure to diligently track which days are primarily business versus pleasure, and use your personal card for the latter expenses. »» Failing to align tax strategy with growth strategy. “They don’t want to pay any taxes so they go to their accountant and say, ‘Give me all the strategies you can to eliminate or avoid any taxes,’” said Mike Flynn, president of the Milwaukee region at First Business

32 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

Mark Wiesman

Mike Flynn

Bank. But those strategies can take cash out of the business, and even if it’s profitable, it may no longer qualify for a loan as a result. “They should be talking to their banker and their accountant at the same time and working collaboratively.” »» Not establishing and planning metrics. “Really understanding what the key metrics are for your business in order to control it and get visibility into the business is important,” Wiesman said. Productivity, inventory turns, days sales outstanding and other metrics can be tracked so you can take action when an important indicator changes. »» Ignoring security measures. Every few weeks, we hear about another company that’s been hacked. Don’t become one of them. “It’s not just the operations of the business, but it’s all of your customers and their information,” Steffen said. “Do your customers want to continue working with you if they know that you aren’t securing their data?” »» Not communicating – and following – succession plans. “We’re in a time now where the baby boomers are starting to retire and sell their businesses, but they haven’t really prepared the next generation, their sons and daughters, to take over the business well. The overarching issue is the parent doesn’t really give up control,” Flynn said. That can

Tim Steffen

lead to conflict, which can hurt a business. »» Only planning for the present. A lot of small business owners get caught up in the day-to-day. But sitting back and taking the time to look forward with strategic planning can save headaches down the line, Wiesman said. “It’s a real challenge for a small business because the owner is typically wearing a bunch of different hats. It’s difficult to take the time, but if you don’t take the time, you likely will run into some sort of issue as you go forward.” »» Getting behind on tax laws. Say goodbye to expensing those Bucks tickets. “You can’t deduct entertainment expenses anymore and meals are much more difficult to deduct,” Steffen said. And businesses will want to reevaluate their structure in light of the new tax laws. “If you’re a company that wants to keep more of the assets inside the company and not have to worry about paying it out to shareholders or the owners, then maybe a C corp is going to make more sense.” »» Becoming overly optimistic about growth. “So they go out and buy a big piece of equipment and they don’t get enough use out of it and they’re paying heavy payment on it,” Flynn said. Another common error: Buying a large chunk of real estate and then not filling it or subleasing it. n

FOOD & BEVERAGE

FaB Wisconsin bolsters food companies with third annual accelerator, new food safety program Plans for Future Food Center still in the works By Maredithe Meyer, staff writer WHEN FAB WISCONSIN WRAPS UP its FaBcap Accelerator program in June, it will have graduated 30 Wisconsin-based food and beverage companies from the program since launching it in 2015. This year’s cohort of 10 up-and-coming small businesses was selected from almost 50 applicants, which is the largest-ever applicant pool the accelerator has attracted. The nine-month accelerator, which kicks off annually in September, is intended to assist companies to build “capacity and capitalization” by providing one-on-one financial coaching, access to investors, and group meetings and seminars – not to mention a $10,000 check and financial package upon graduation.

Throughout the program, the group convenes to learn from industry experts about topics including food safety, sales, operations and finance. The most recent meeting focused on marketing. The program culminates with an opportunity for each company to make a pitch to a group of Wisconsin angel investors. Current participants include: The Honest Bison Inc., Little Food Co., Domeloz, Hempire Farms, Potter’s Crackers, Saffi Foods, Drink Zyn, Bittercube LLC, Bioionix Inc. and The Naked Baker LLC. The class mainly consists of consumer goods manufacturers, but each year it also includes one technology-based company; this year it’s McFarland-based Bioionix, which has engineered an electrochemical system that disinfects liquids used for processing and manufacturing food.

“The path to success is a bit convoluted for a food and beverage business, so wrapping them with real industry experience is what we have found the cappers going through the program appreciate most of all,” said Shelley Jurewicz, executive director at FaB Wisconsin, which was formed five years ago. For each class of “cappers,” and especially for food and beverage technology companies, the program provides resources that go above and beyond those of a traditional accelerator program, she said. This is because there are certain nuances to the food and beverage industry that present challenges for companies attempting to grow, requiring steep investments of capital to reach the next level, Jurewicz said. These nuances range from the industry’s product distribution channels to its pricing structure. But with new regulations brought on in recent years by the federal Food Safety Modernization Act, the issue of food safety has presented significant roadblocks. As part of the act, which was first passed in 2011, all food production workers or anyone who

2018

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Special Report FOOD & BEVERAGE enters a food production facility were recently required to have documented annual training in food safety. Previously, such training was required but because documenting it wasn’t lawfully necessary, the industry’s manufacturing sector lacked access to affordable basic training, she said. That’s why FaB recently rolled out a new initiative, called FaBsafe Certificate, which is a fourhour food safety training course for food and beverage manufacturers. It launched over the summer as a pilot program, but starting in 2019 will be offered monthly at a handful of universities throughout the state. Companies can also bring FaB in to train their employees on-site. “It not only fulfills this annual requirement of training, but it also serves as a doorway into the industry for young talent,” Jurewicz said. “This is a certificate that you could get as a senior in high school and then start your career with a food and beverage business.” Amidst new and ongoing initiatives like FaBcap Accelerator and FaBsafe Certificate, FaB Wisconsin continues to work toward the launch of an industry center of excellence, called The Future Food Center. It would be home to FaB Wisconsin, a research and development pilot center, and

An aerial rendering of The Future Food Center on Milwaukee’s near west side.

other offices for companies in the industry. The long-planned project has been proposed for the City Campus on Milwaukee’s near west side. Developer Rick Wiegand in 2016 purchased the three-building complex, located south of West Wells Street, between North 27th and North 28th streets, and is now working with FaB to open the center in the nine-story former Family Hospital building at the corner of North 28th and West Wells streets. Seventeen companies gathered at the site in July to discuss the center’s potential for their operations, and at FaB’s annual meeting in November, David Lenz, chief operating officer of West Bend-based cookware manufacturer Regal Ware Inc., publicly announced the compa-

ny’s interest in and support of the development. However, the center has yet to secure a committed tenant. “The challenge with the property is it’s a 100,000-square-foot building, so for us to come up with 80 percent of tenant commitments is pretty difficult for us to do on our own,” Jurewicz said. FaB isn’t planning to give up on the current site, but Jurewicz said it would consider other locations if enough companies committed to filling a smaller space – possibly to be located across from the similar-in-concept Global Water Center in Reed Street Yards. “It’s still advancing, it’s just not there yet,” she said. n

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Special Report FOOD & BEVERAGE

Study: Milwaukee holds ample opportunity for new restaurateurs By Maredithe Meyer, staff writer The continual boom of development throughout the metro Milwaukee area has brought an abundance of new eateries to the city in recent years. Some of these restaurants come and go, closing for various reasons, but others remain open and some grow to operate additional locations. Based on the number of concepts that have recently popped up throughout the Milwaukee area, even in just the past year alone, it seems the local market could provide fertile ground for restaurateurs taking their first steps into the industry. That’s what a recent study by Charlotte, North Carolina-based loan broker LendingTree Inc. suggests. It ranks Milwaukee as the No. 1 “most promising” location in the country to open a restaurant. The study analyzes the 50 largest metro areas to determine which cities hold greater opportunities of success for prospective restaurateurs. “Restaurants are probably one of the most difficult businesses to run,” said Kali McFadden, senior research analyst at LendingTree. “We wanted to see where people who might be interested in jumping into this most difficult of enterprises might have a better shot.” Findings were based on key industry factors, including annual revenue, cost of labor and the number or restaurants in relation to a city’s dining population. Milwaukee came out on top thanks to its low cost of labor. According to the study, average annual payroll per restaurant employee in Milwaukee is $14,510, compared to the other top-ranked cities in the LendingTree study, including Cincin-

nati with $14,813 and Minneapolis at $17,094. Combine that with the number of restaurant establishments Milwaukee has per 100,000 households with incomes of $50,000 or more, which are the households that spend the most money on dining out: 709. Cincinnati, which is ranked second, has 757. And by extreme comparison, New York City, which is ranked 50th, has 993 restaurants per 100,000 households with incomes of $50,000 or more. Cities deemed as most promising for restaurateurs are, like Milwaukee, smaller in size, likely have lower costs of living, and feature culinary scenes that are considered upand-coming. Therefore, the restaurant population is less dense than those in cities such as San Francisco or New York. Fewer restaurants means greater business opportunity for new owners and operators, but it could also mean diners are underserved, McFadden said. The notion that there are too many – or even enough – Milwaukee-area diners to go around is not a popular viewpoint among local restaurateurs, many of whom have long raised concerns about a restaurant bubble or an oversaturated market. “A market can only support so much,” said Joe Bartolotta, co-owner of The Bartolotta Restaurants. “We really need density to make restaurants profitable. If your restaurants are empty at 8:30 or 9 o’clock every night, and you have the infrastructure to support another turn, but that turn never comes, that’s part of the problem in Milwaukee.” As veteran restaurateurs, brothers Joe and Paul Bartolotta have played a major role

LENDING TREE

The 10 most promising places to open a restaurant

36 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

Ristorante Bartolotta

throughout the past two decades in shaping the local restaurant scene, opening Ristorante Bartolotta in 1993 as their first establishment. The restaurant group has since grown to operate 11 dining concepts, both fine and casual, throughout the metropolitan Milwaukee area. Bartolotta said the data from the LendingTree study might be misleading as it failed to account for local industry challenges, such as talent shortage and population density. Bartolotta warns prospective restaurateurs to “go in with (their) eyes open,” and stressed the importance of loving the work and taking a business-oriented approach to restaurant ownership. “I think it’s awesome that people dive into the industry and try to make a go of it, but I’m concerned that this (study) paints a picture that it’s easy to do in Milwaukee and that simply is not the truth,” he said. Amidst these industry-wide and local challenges, Caitlin Cullen has learned to put her trust into at least one thing during the past two years as chef and owner of The Tandem in Milwaukee’s Lindsay Heights neighborhood: the diners. “Milwaukee is hungry,” she said. “It’s hungry for different options. Milwaukee wants to try new neighborhoods, new ideas, new flavors.” The Tandem operates as a teaching restaurant, employing and training high school graduates from the surrounding neighborhood. Opening in 2016 with a then-inexperienced staff, the restaurant got off to a rocky start during its first few months. But despite long wait times and the occasional undercooked meal, Cullen said, the local community continued to dine at the restaurant and support its mission. Based on this experience, Cullen, who moved to Milwaukee five years ago after growing up in Michigan and previously living in the Dominican Republic, agrees with the study’s sentiments. “Opening a restaurant is not a good way to get rich or to see your family a lot, but if it’s something you’re passionate about, and if you know what you want, there is a space for your idea,” she said. “Milwaukee is willing to give you a shot.” n

2018 HEALTH CARE HEROES AWARDS The annual BizTimes Media Health Care Heroes Awards recognize the heroes among us â&#x20AC;&#x201C; people and organizations making an impact on the health and wellness of southeastern Wisconsin in the health care sector. In this special section, we honor their achievements and tell their stories. Profiles by Elizabeth Clarke and Lauren Anderson Table of contents: Experts discuss opioid epidemicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impact Lifetime Achievement Award: Richard Aster Advancements in Health Care: Parameswaran Hari Behavioral Health: C. Frederick Geilfuss II Behavioral Health: Robert Gouthro Behavioral Health: Monson Dupuis Community Service: Ascension Wisconsin Community Service: David Nelson Community Service: MCW Cancer Center Executive Leadership: Coreen Dicus-Johnson Presented By:

Sponsor:

38 40 41 41 42 42 42 42 43 43

Executive Leadership: Patricia Metropulos Health Care Staff: Sheila Dodds Nurse: Mariya Gozenpud Nurse: Julie Katrichis Nurse: Brianne Ortega Physician: Frank Downey Physician: Adnan Nazir Physician: Ronald Schulgit Volunteer: Dawn Panfil

44 44 44 44 45 45 46 46 47

Supporting:

Experts discuss opioid epidemic’s impact For the past five years, drug overdoses have been the leading cause of non-natural deaths in Milwaukee County, accounting for more than 1,700 lost lives. A public health issue that cuts across economic, racial and geographic lines, the opioid crisis continues to affect the region’s workforce, families and community. The region’s opioid epidemic was at the center of a panel discussion at BizTimes’ Health Care Heroes Awards program. Panelists included Beth Dejongh, associate professor of pharmacy-practice at Concordia University Wisconsin; Ken Hartenstein, licensed professional counselor of medication-assisted treatment at Rogers Memorial Hospital in Brown Deer; and Kenneth Harris Jr., department chair for Justice and Public Policy at Concordia University and retired Milwaukee Police Department lieutenant shift commander. In addition, featured speaker Adam Kindred, director of prevention programming for Elevate Inc., discussed his work and his personal experiences as a person in long-term recovery. The opioid epidemic is unique compared to other previous health crises

Kindred

38 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

Dejongh

By Lauren Anderson, staff writer

because of its origins, Hartenstein said. “It often starts with getting a prescription,” he said. “There is a legitimacy there. These pills are produced by a pharmacy company. In my work, I hear the same story over and over and over again: ‘I started out with prescription pain pills that were prescribed to me, and I needed more and more and more so I had to turn to the streets.’” Nearly 80 percent of Americans using heroin reported misusing prescription opioids first, according to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Kindred said while opioid death statistics garner a lot of attention, it’s important to remember the individual lives affected by addiction. “A lot of the measures we look at, whether they’re economic or lives lost, it’s really just the tip of the iceberg for what’s going on in our communities and the way that it’s impacting families and communities and business and our workforce,” he said. Kindred said recovery support efforts should be attentive to the needs of fami-

Hartenstein

Harris

lies affected by addiction. “A lot of times there are children that are experiencing trauma as a result of losing a mom or dad or growing up in a household where there is active addiction that’s happening,” Kindred said. “We’re going to see intergenerational effects of the opioid crisis. Even after the opioid deaths stop and we’re able to remedy that, there is still going to be this whole generation of kids that grew up with these really traumatic things happening and we’ll see the ripple effect for years.” The growing availability of naloxone – a medication, often referred to by the brand name Narcan, that blocks the effects of opioid overdoses – has proven to prevent overdose deaths. Increasingly, police officers, libraries and even school nurse offices are equipping themselves with the antidote. Dejongh sees that as a good thing. “Any time it’s given, it gives an individual an opportunity to seek treatment,” she said. “Anyone experiencing substance use disorder is entitled to a chance to change their ways.” But, Dejongh said, there isn’t sufficient data to show whether the administration of naloxone encourages future risk taking. Anecdotally, she said, it isn’t uncommon for officers to respond multiple times to the same scene to administer the antidote. While individuals experiencing addiction deserve an opportunity to seek treatment, officers also need to be able to address illicit drug use as a crime, Harris said. “It is illegal,” he said. “History has shown that without consequences, people rarely change their behavior.” While he expects the opioid crisis to “get worse before it gets better,” Kindred said the growing awareness of the issue has had a galvanizing effect on the community. “We’re finally starting to address these things and hopefully find a sustainable solution,” he said. Hartenstein said his patients’ successful outcomes give him hope. “When we treat (people in recovery) with dignity and with respect and try to treat them as a human being who’s struggling with something, just like any other condition, they respond,” he said. “Once there is trust, we realize there is a whole life’s worth of experiences behind the addiction. As we treat these patients and people as more than just statistics or criminals, we can get to the heart of the problem.”

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n 2018 HEALTH CARE HEROES AWARD WINNERS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Dr. Richard Aster Senior investigator BloodCenter of Wisconsin

RICHARD ASTER

CATEGORY Versiti extends

its sincere Name

Title congratulations to Company Senior Investigator

Dr. Richard Aster

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Dr. Aster is a true health care pioneer and a giant in the field of transfusion medicine and hematology. He has made an enormous impact in our community and around the world. We salute him for his remarkable achievements, as well as all of the awardees, for making a positive difference on the front lines of healthcare.

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Dr. Richard Aster 2018 Healthcare Hero

Dr. Richard Aster’s curriculum vitae is 46 pages long. It chronicles a six-decade-long career that has included fellowships, international lectureships and visiting professorships, military and federal service, and a lengthy bibliography of the more than 300 scientific papers he has authored. Aster, who formerly led what is today known as Versiti BloodCenter of Wisconsin and is now senior investigator of its Versiti Blood Research Institute, has dedicated his career to the study of platelets and the body’s immune reaction to them. His advancements in transfusion medicine have included matching of platelets for transfusion, molecular properties of platelet antigens, and pathogenesis of drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia, a condition characterized by abnormally low levels of platelets. Reflecting on his career, Aster describes it as being punctuated by a steady progression of developments, rather than revelatory breakthroughs. “All you try to do is make a little progress every day,” he said. “Sometimes it all adds up to something meaningful. That’s how most research is done. You don’t have breakthroughs; you just keep plugging away and learn more about the areas you’re interested in and see if it adds up to something in the long run.” For his accomplishments, Aster received a Lifetime Achievement Award as part of BizTimes Media’s annual Health Care Heroes Awards program. “Dr. Aster is a giant in the field of transfusion medicine and hematology,” said Gilbert White, executive vice president of research at Versiti and director of the Blood Research Institute in Wauwatosa. “From fundamental discoveries in his research lab to being an early advocate for tissue typing in transplantation to the organization of America’s Blood Centers, he has had an enormous impact in his field.” Prior to coming to Milwaukee, Aster had a fellowship at the National Institutes of Health and served as a faculty member and researcher at the Thorndike Memorial Laboratory at Harvard Medical School. It was his stint at the NIH that cultivated an interest in blood banking. “I was always intrigued by the possibilities: that a blood center can, in some ways, be an ideal location or environment for certain types of he-

matology,” Aster said. Aster joined the BloodCenter, then known as the Blood Center of Southeastern Wisconsin Inc., as its executive director from 1970 to 1975 and served as president from 1975 to 1996. He’s been a professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin throughout his tenure. Aster’s research in the 1980s pioneered the first marrow transplant to a leukemia patient from an unrelated donor, which led to the establishment of a national program to recruit marrow donors. Called the National Marrow Donor Program, it currently has 16 million donors in its registry. Aster was also a co-founder of the BloodCenter Research Foundation, which provides an endowment to support research that can’t be funded solely by grants, and the Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation. In 1985, Aster was involved in founding GTI Diagnostics, a for-profit subsidiary of the Blood Research Institute that focused on the transplantation, blood bank and specialty coagulation markets. It was sold in 2008. Aster has one of the longest-running, fully-funded National Institutes of Health research grants, which was issued in 1970 and continues today. “It’s been going for 49-plus years now,” he said. “It’s made it possible for us to do some interesting things at the BloodCenter over the last 50 years or so.” Since 1996, Aster has served as senior investigator with the Blood Research Institute. During his long tenure with the organization, Aster has seen it grow from a 95-employee blood center serving southeastern Wisconsin to a 900-employee operation that provides blood services, as well as organ, tissue and marrow donation, diagnostic testing, medical services and research. Aster said advancements don’t result from a single individual working in isolation, but rather from a team of committed researchers. “That’s why we’re fortunate to have the Blood Research Institute, where we can exchange ideas and techniques and talents and provide support services and specialty laboratories that can do testing for all the investigators,” he said. “Without that kind of milieu, no one could do meaningful work these days. We’re fortunate to have that resource.”

“Dr. Aster is a giant in the field of transfusion medicine and hematology.” —Gilbert White, Versiti BloodCenter of Wisconsin 40 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

2018 HEALTH CARE HEROES AWARD WINNERS n ADVANCEMENTS IN HEALTH CARE

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Dr. Parameswaran Hari

C. Frederick Geilfuss II

Armand J. Quick/William F. Stapp Professor of Hematology; chief in the Division of Hematology and Oncology Medical College of Wisconsin

Former board member The Grand Avenue Club

Bret Carroll, a 52-year-old Wisconsin man diagnosed with lymphoma, a terminal illness, last year participated in a clinical trial for CAR T-cell therapy, the first clinical trial in the world of its kind. Dr. Parameswaran Hari collaborated with the Medical College of Wisconsin, Froedtert Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and the Versiti BloodCenter of Wisconsin faculty and staff to complete the innovative immunotherapy treatment trial. T-cells, white blood cells that are part of the immune system, develop from stem cells in the bone marrow. In October 2017, Hari and his team harvested Brett’s T-cells, then genetically modified them in a lab to target and fight his cancer. The entire process took about three weeks. Brett’s immune system responded positively and 28 days after receiving the treatment, his cancer was in remission. This break-

DR. PARAMESWARAN HARI

through treatment and Brett’s encouraging results pave the way for more effective and efficient treatment options for patients who have not had success with other therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiation. Thanks to Hari, the Froedtert & MCW Clinical Cancer Center is one of very few centers that offers this high-level personalized medicine expertise. A second patient has already begun the treatment process and a pediatric clinical trial for CAR T-cell therapy is also underway. Hari is a researcher in hematology with numerous scientific publications, in addition to national and international lectures on various hematology and oncology topics. He is the scientific director of the plasma cell disorders working committee of the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research.

Mental illness is a growing issue in communities across Wisconsin. Unfortunately, resources to support individuals with mental illnesses are often limited in community settings. The Grand Avenue Club is a not-forprofit organization offering educational support, employment support and young adult programming for adults living in Milwaukee County who are managing mental illness. Research indicates that adults who have experienced mental illness have better outcomes when they participate in a clubhouse program like GAC. Foley & Lardner LLP partner C. Frederick Geilfuss II has supported GAC for more than 20 years. He has served as an engaged board member and has provided pro bono legal assistance, donated generously, encouraged others to donate, and has continuously advocated for GAC’s unique role in the growing network of Milwaukee’s behavioral health organizations.

C. FREDERICK GEILFUSS II

In 1993, Foley & Lardner was the first Milwaukee employer to offer paid employment to GAC members via its Transitional Employment Program. Geilfuss believes strongly in GAC’s employment approach and supported opportunities that have helped 150 people managing mental illness enter the paid labor force. Geilfuss just finished a 20-year term on the board. “It has been very rewarding to watch GAC grow and provide effective services to so many of our community’s most vulnerable people,” he said. “Through its structured and supportive community, GAC helps those suffering from mental illness become employed, take up educational opportunities and develop meaningful friendships.”

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n 2018 HEALTH CARE HEROES AWARD WINNERS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Dr. Robert Gouthro

Robin Monson-Dupuis, LCSW

Director of residency training, Northeastern Wisconsin Psychiatry Residency Program; assistant professor and regional clerkship director of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Medical College of Wisconsin The Wisconsin Policy Forum reports that 55 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties are experiencing a “significant shortage” of psychiatrists, with 20 counties having none.. Dr. Robert Gouthro leads the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Northeastern Wisconsin Psychiatry Residency Program, instilling the knowledge and skills needed to care for people with mental health needs. Historically, 60 to 70 percent of residents continue to practice within the community where they trained. If that percentage trend holds true each year, the NEW program will make a significant difference in addressing the shortage of psychiatrists in northern Wisconsin over the next decade. The first two resident cohorts were filled in 2017 and 2018, bringing a total of eight physicians to the region to date. This number

Psychotherapist Aurora Behavioral Health Services

DR. ROBERT GOUTHRO

will grow to 16 when the program is fully enrolled in 2020. Through Gouthro’s guidance, MCWGreen Bay psychiatry residents and medical students are developing an additional mental health service for underserved populations – the Northeastern Wisconsin Psychiatry Care Center, set to open in 2019. Gouthro is actively involved in the Connections for Mental Wellness Steering Committee, the Jackie Nitschke Center and The Women’s Recovery Journey program. Additionally, he sees students at St. Norbert College, helps with a federal prison release program and donates time to support local free mental health clinics.

Prescription drug misuse is a growing issue in almost every county across Wisconsin and substance abuse is considered by many to be one of the top health issues challenging these communities. Robin Monson-Dupuis has helped countless people get through life’s most challenging moments. As a psychotherapist and substance abuse counselor at Aurora Behavioral Health Services, she has spent more than 25 years helping patients manage behavioral health challenges. Yet she never thought her own family would be impacted by addiction. In the summer of 2008, following her son Ethan’s junior year in high school, he was prescribed an acne medication. Some of the rare medication side effects included mental health challenges such as depression, psychosis and suicidal thoughts. Ethan’s family believes this triggered his addiction battle. As Ethan entered his senior year, his

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Be of Good Heart program

David Nelson, Ph.D.

42 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

habits changed and he began abusing prescription drugs and even cough medicine to get high. He went through numerous treatment programs, but his addiction to opioids continued to be challenging. In December 2016, after an eight-year battle, Ethan died of an overdose. Monson-Dupuis and her family created the Ethan Monson-Dupuis Opiate Recovery Fund to help addicts access treatment. They helped organize a fundraising run called Ethan’s Run Against Addiction. They also formed the Greenfield chapter of the Grief Recovery After a Substance Passing support group. The family has raised more than $85,000 in Ethan’s memory in 2017 and 2018.

Associate professor of family and community medicine Medical College of Wisconsin

Ascension Wisconsin Among African-Americans, an estimated 40 percent of diabetes cases and 25 percent of hypertension cases are undiagnosed. Undiagnosed or unmanaged diabetes and high blood pressure could lead to heart disease, the No. 1 killer of men and women in the United States. Where one lives may increase risk, as well. Many central city Milwaukee residents who lack access to health information and health care because of barriers related to poverty are especially vulnerable. To address this, Ascension Wisconsin has implemented its Be of Good Heart program, which brings care to people who need it, where they can access it. People can access care more easily when it’s offered in places that are familiar and convenient for them. The Be of Good Heart program utilizes 20 Urban Church Wellness community partners within identified at-risk zip codes to reach community members. Of those screened, 1,500 were referred to their pri-

ROBIN AND JEFF MONSON-DUPUIS HOLDING A PICTURE OF THEIR SON ETHAN.

JULIA MEANS LEADS BE OF GOOD HEART.

mary care providers for follow-up care and 40 people were referred to urgent care. Nurses provide free diabetes and hypertension screenings to community members. The Be of Good Heart nurses screened 2,425 people at its church sites, the resource center and Ascension St. Joseph between October 2017 and June 2018. An additional 1,627 individuals received hypertension screenings at Ascension Seton Dental Clinic during this same time period. Following the screenings, the nurses educate screened individuals about the diseases, coach them on self-management and connect them with primary care providers when needed. The goal is to enable individuals to take a proactive approach to their own health care.

Social determinants of health – the social and economic conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age – play a large role in community health. David Nelson, Ph.D., a community-based researcher, believes that, “without treating both the individual and the circumstances people find themselves living in, we miss opportunities to support health.” Nelson has been working within impoverished Milwaukee neighborhoods to better understand what’s impacting the health of these communities. His research led him to volunteering at a food pantry, which eventually led him to co-founding StreetLife Communities with Pastor Max Ramsey, who serves at Immanuel Baptist Church in Brookfield. StreetLife Communities provides food, clothing and other support to those in need, including many who are experiencing homelessness. As a faculty member of the Medical College of Wisconsin’s public health graduate school program, Nelson frequently invites

DAVID NELSON

students to join him in this work. After spending time in the community, students have a better understanding of how their patients may live their lives. Nelson believes that regardless of the specialty students pursue, knowing a patient’s “story” will make them better physicians. For the past four years StreetLife Communities has hit the streets of Milwaukee on Wednesdays and Saturdays, typically interacting with 200 to 400 people each week. “One key to conducting community-engaged mission work is meeting people where they are,” says Nelson. “That means asking them what they need rather than assuming. Sometimes it’s a sandwich, sometimes it’s emotional support and sometimes, it’s steel-toed boots for a woman so she can go to work.”

2018 HEALTH CARE HEROES AWARD WINNERS n COMMUNITY SERVICE

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Community Advisory Board

Coreen Dicus-Johnson President and CEO Network Health

Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center Milwaukee’s African-American residents develop cancer at much higher rates than their Caucasian counterparts, and are much more likely to die from cancers. That’s why the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center Community Advisory Board’s work is so important. The CAB is a board of community members committed to eliminating cancer health disparities in Milwaukee through prevention and screening, community education and outreach, disparities research studies and minority clinical trials participation. An educational event planned by the CAB reached more than 600 students at Milwaukee High School of the Arts. Those students can now deliver messages of prevention, screening and early diagnosis to difficult-to-reach Milwaukee communities. In collaboration with MCW faculty, the CAB developed a robust Community Education and Outreach program. In the past three years, the program has reached more than

RAYNA ANDREWS, COMMUNITY CO-CHAIR OF THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD.

8,000 individuals through 150 events. This includes participation in a national Cancer Moonshot Summit and ongoing projects resulting from the summit. The CAB also initiated the highly successful Community Conversations series. This series has already engaged more than 600 people from underserved populations in conversations with researchers and clinicians about difficult topics such as the African-American community’s mistrust of the medical community and lack of participation in clinical research, using movies and books about Henrietta Lacks and the Tuskegee experiments to facilitate the conversation.

Having experience at both a health insurance company and a health care system, Coreen Dicus-Johnson is no stranger to the challenges these organizations face when trying to control costs without sacrificing care quality. Her unique experiences led her to Network Health, a health insurance company owned by two health systems — Ascension Wisconsin and Froedtert Health. Dicus-Johnson entered her role as chief executive officer in 2016 and was immediately challenged to lead a financial turnaround. She helped the company beat its financial plan by $1.3 million in her first year. Today, Network Health has 136,000 members and reported $798 million in revenue in 2017. Dicus-Johnson credits much of Network Health’s recent successes to the clinical integration team managing member populations. Bringing providers and clinicians together to design and implement plans ensures members get the care they need.

COREEN DICUS-JOHNSON

“I take great pride in knowing I have a dedicated team who wants to provide the best quality of care to the communities that we serve,” she says. Dicus-Johnson is an active member of several boards, including the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans, Waukesha County Community Foundation, YMCA of the Fox Cities, JP Cullen Advisory Council, Town Bank and Ha Ha’s HERO Executive Board Foundation. She also serves on committees for CEOs Against Cancer, LUNG Force Oxygen Ball and the Sojourner Family Peace Center.

Congratulations to Coreen Dicus-Johnson for being recognized as a health care hero.

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At Network Health, we offer the efficiency of a large-scale carrier, coupled with hometown service – making us a great fit for Wisconsin employers big and small. President and Chief Executive Officer Coreen Dicus-Johnson.

n 2018 HEALTH CARE HEROES AWARD WINNERS EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

HEALTH CARE STAFF

Patty Metropulos, MPA

Sheila Dodds

President and CEO Kathy’s House

Medical social worker Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Dick Vogel opened Kathy’s House in 2001, one year after his daughter, Kathy Vogel Kuettner, passed away after battling a rare and aggressive form of lymphoma. This 18-room nonprofit hospitality house provides housing and assistance for patients and caregivers visiting Milwaukee-area hospitals. Kathy’s House guests are often from populations that experience significant health disparities, and 39 percent of their guests have said that they would not have been able to access treatment without the facility’s support. Patty Metropulos joined Kathy’s House as president and chief executive officer following Vogel’s retirement in 2012. At the time of her onboarding, annual revenues of this donor-supported organization averaged around $350,000, and occupancy averaged 50 percent. Metropulos facilitated a strategic planning process, grew the team of volunteers and staff, recruited new board members, and instituted a formal survey for guests

For 26 years, Sheila Dodds has supported families as a medical social worker in oncology at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. In addition to supporting families through her role at the hospital, Dodds has worked to make wishes come true for many of the families she meets. Dodds consistently refers children to Make-A-Wish Wisconsin, resulting in nearly 1,000 Wisconsin children receiving their wish over the past 20 years. “As a social worker, I find it very rewarding to empower children and their families,” Dodds says. “Following a referral to MakeA-Wish, I often see the wish child and family become energized in the planning and anticipation of the wish.” Back in 1996, Dodds referred a 10-yearold boy and his wish to create a “man cave” in his basement as an escape to go to when he was not at the hospital receiving chemotherapy treatment. After receiving his wish, the boy saw an opportunity to pay it forward. His family, friends, school and

PATTY METROPULOS

and physicians. Her strategic planning efforts led to a new mission, vision and brand for the nonprofit, which resulted in increased awareness and support for the organization. In 2017, annual revenues totaled $700,000 and occupancy averaged more than 90 percent. Last year, 1,500 guests stayed at Kathy’s House, but the need was larger than the house was able to accommodate. In response, Metropulos and the board have embarked on a new goal – to build a new 36-room, state-ofthe-art facility. Metropulos served on the executive steering committee for Rid Racism Milwaukee from 2015 to 2017 and received the 2017 Alumni Excellence Award from Elmbrook School District.

NURSE

Mariya Gozenpud, RN

Julie Katrichis, BSN, RN

Registered nurse care coordinator IndependenceFirst Inc.

Communicable and Infectious Disease Program manager Milwaukee Health Department

Mariya Gozenpud, RN, is what some would call a “triple threat.” She is a nurse, an engineer and a businesswoman – a combination that has already come in handy in her career. Gozenpud is a registered nurse care coordinator at IndependenceFirst Inc., an organization that provides services to promote independent living for people with disabilities. Gozenpud advocates for her clients to ensure they receive the support they need to continue living within their homes and their communities. “The most important tool I have in caring for clients is the relationships we build,” Gozenpud says. “I am the connection for the client to all the various pieces needed to keep them safe and comfortable living where they choose.” She’s known for going above and beyond for clients. She has even created a pulley system for a client who lives alone that allows the client to pull herself upright in bed, transfer to a commode next to her 44 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

MARIYA GOZENPUD

bed for toileting, and then transfer herself back into bed on nights she doesn’t have a caregiver present to assist her. Gozenpud is also a mentor with a wealth of knowledge and can navigate the complex system of care authorizations. She educates colleagues on how to best serve a population of individuals that require long-term care and guides them through her methods of fighting for insurance authorizations. This tried and true wisdom has proven invaluable to the dozens of nurses, hundreds of consumers and countless lives she has touched.

In 2017, Julie Katrichis became the youngest person ever hired as the Milwaukee Communicable and Infectious Disease Program manager. This role includes heading the Keenan Sexual Health Clinic, the Milwaukee Health Department’s only free sexually transmitted infection testing site. Just a few months after entering her new role, Katrichis was informed of a cluster identified as concerning due to a rise in infection incidence. Many individuals in this group had tested positive for HIV, syphilis, or both. If left untreated, both syphilis and HIV can have deadly consequences. Per the request of the Milwaukee health commissioner and the superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools, Katrichis developed a plan to reach every public high school student in Milwaukee with prevention messages prior to their release for winter break. She partnered with health educators from community partners to facilitate assembly-style education sessions and reached thousands of young people over just a few

SHEILA DODDS

community raised money for Make-A-Wish and the boy even participated on the MakeA-Wish walk/run steering committee. His family continues to volunteer and support the Make-A-Wish mission. Dodds also served as a medical advisor to the Make-A-Wish Wisconsin board of directors and most recently, in 2014, she joined the board as wish granting chair. She wears many hats on the board, guiding the Make-A-Wish Wisconsin Mission Delivery department, participating on the Wish Granting committee and working with the chapter to navigate medical eligibility questions.

JULIE KATRICHIS, (CENTER) WITH COLLEAGUES JILL STAFFORD (LEFT) AND RACHEL HELGESON (RIGHT).

days, alerting them to the current STI epidemic and teaching them about prevention methods to protect their health. Katrichis finds serving the community rewarding. “I am most proud to work with talented, passionate and dedicated public health professionals at the health department and at our community partner agencies,” she said. “I have learned so much from them as we work together to advocate and protect community health.” Another project Katrichis is currently helping with involves collaborating with AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin to make Keenan a site where individuals can access PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, for HIV.

2018 HEALTH CARE HEROES AWARD WINNERS n NURSE

PHYSICIAN

Brianne Ortega, RN, BSN, CLC

Dr. Frank Downey Surgical director of Heart Transplantation program Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center

Public health nurse in Family and Community section Waukesha County Public Health Division BRIANNE ORTEGA

Brianne Ortega has displayed a clear passion for serving the most vulnerable members of Waukesha County and the surrounding community: newborns and their families. Ortega is a public health nurse with the Waukesha County Public Health Division. The HOPE Network is a grassroots selfhelp support system, serving single mothers and single pregnant women living in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington, Ozaukee and Racine counties. Clients of the HOPE Network typically have limited resources to care for their growing families. When the former HOPE Network provider retired, Ortega stepped into the interim provider role for several months to ensure there wasn’t a lapse in support for the HOPE Network’s clients. While serving as the HOPE Network’s

interim provider, she supported the organization’s infant mortality reduction initiative by providing current and comprehensive safe sleep education to clients who received cribs and other safe sleep resources. “Basic baby necessities are not easy for everyone to obtain and it is quite humbling to provide for those in need,” Ortega said. “Without HOPE Network, babies would not have a safe place to sleep. Mothers gain confidence knowing they have met their babies’ basic needs.” When two new staff members joined the HOPE Network, Ortega played a critical role in training them on how to work with clients and provide sensitive and supportive safe sleep education. Ortega continues to serve as a resource for staff and community members on the most current infant safe sleep practices.

Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center was the first hospital in the Midwest to complete a heart transplant. The first transplant in the world took place in South Africa in 1967, just 10 months before the procedure took place at Aurora St. Luke’s. The patient in South Africa lived just weeks following the transplantation. The heart transplant patient at Aurora St. Luke’s lived more than nine years following her heart transplant. With Dr. Frank Downey’s contributions for the past 25 years, the Advanced Heart Failure Therapies program at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center has supported more than 860 end-stage heart failure patients with mechanical pumps and performed more than 925 heart transplants. Nine years ago, Downey was charged with starting the cardiothoracic surgery program at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton. That program has continued to grow, recently completing its 1,000th cardiac surgery.

DR. FRANK DOWNEY

“End-stage heart failure carries a 50 percent one-year mortality rate,” Downey said. “The Advanced Heart Failure Therapies program provides options for patients with end-stage heart failure.” Downey is also an investigator for numerous clinical research studies at Aurora Health Care. At the Milwaukee School of Engineering, he holds an adjunct professor position in the Engineering and Computer Science department’s perfusion program. Downey has been chairman of the medical advisory committee at the Wisconsin Donor Network (now Versiti), and is also a member of the organization’s advisory board.

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n 2018 HEALTH CARE HEROES AWARD WINNERS PHYSICIAN

PHYSICIAN

Dr. Adnan Nazir

Dr. Ronald Schulgit

General Practitioner Taha Medical Center

Board certified in family medicine, sports medicine and geriatrics Ascension Medical Group

Dr. Adnan Nazir specializes in general practice and internal medicine at Taha Medical Center in Milwaukee. As an independent hospitalist practicing at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center, Nazir has become an important part of the team caring for the long-term ventilator patients and other acutely ill patients at the hospital. Nazir is committed to finding ways to improve patient outcomes. When Nazir discovered that his readmission rates for patients managing COPD were higher than the goal set by Aurora St. Luke’s, he took it upon himself to work with the hospital nursing staff to develop and implement a standard pathway that he follows to help patients transition back to the community successfully after being discharged from the hospital. His work has led to a decreased length of stay and lower readmission rate for this target patient population. Not only is Nazir known for his dedication to improving care quality, but he is also frequently recognized by his patients and

DR. ADNAN NAZIR

hospital staff for providing an outstanding level of bedside manner. Nazir ensures that every patient and his or her support people understand the individual’s care plans and have all their questions answered before they are discharged and leave the hospital. On more than one occasion, patients have said they felt Nazir treated them as if they were his only patient by giving them his undivided attention during their time of crisis. He never makes patients feel as though he needs to rush out of the room to care for the next person.

Dr. Ronald Schulgit is a family, sports, and geriatric medicine practitioner committed to his patients and his community. His patients describe him as an impressive combination of intensely thorough and professional, along with humble, friendly and personable. He cares for his patients’ overall wellbeing and takes the time to learn all he needs to know to properly care for each patient as an individual. Sixteen years ago, Schulgit co-founded a community tennis event to benefit the All Saints Healthcare Foundation in Racine. When his partner, Chris Leberfeng, wanted to do a tennis fundraiser benefitting the All Saints Foundation, he was connected to Schulgit, as they are both tennis players. “I liked the idea because everybody does golf events and that leaves us tennis aficionados out in the cold,” says Schulgit. “Also, golf outings can be intimidating.” The All Saints Healthcare Foundation Charity Tennis Tournament raises funds for

DR. RONALD SCHULGIT

specific causes supported by the All Saints Foundation, both at and around the hospital and community. Some of the causes the event has supported over the years include childhood obesity programs, neonatal care and cardiac care, among many others. Thanks to Schulgit’s enthusiasm in leading the charge each year and inviting people to participate, the event has raised more than $150,000. Schulgit is a past recipient of the Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians’ Family Physician Community Service Award, the All Saints Healthcare Foundation Leadership Award and the Heart of All Saints annual award.

THE GUTS TO TRY. THE HEART TO CARE. THE RESOLVE TO BE THE DIFFERENCE.

Congratulations to President Michael Lovell and Amy Lovell on being named Community Leaders of the Year. You exemplify what it means to Be The Difference.

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2018 HEALTH CARE HEROES AWARD WINNERS n VOLUNTEER Dawn Panfil Owner Hair & Body Solutions Salon and Spa Dawn Panfil, a 10-year breast cancer survivor, understands all too well the many ways a breast cancer diagnosis can impact one’s life. Panfil, the owner of Hair & Body Solutions Salon and Spa in New Berlin, underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments to battle cancer. In the midst of her treatment, she lost her hair – a piece of her identity. “Losing your hair can feel as devastating as a cancer diagnosis for some,” Panfil said. As Panfil recovered, she felt compelled to serve others experiencing similar challenges. With help from Dr. Julie Keppel and the Comprehensive Breast Care team at Aurora West Allis Women’s Pavilion, Panfil launched Pink Possible, a fundraising campaign in which her salon sold pink hair extensions to raise breast cancer awareness. The initial campaign took place in 2008 and as of 2017, 36 salons from Green Bay to Burlington participated annually and the campaign had collectively raised more than

DAWN PANFIL

$520,000 to support local Aurora-led breast cancer programs. Panfil had experienced firsthand the toll cancer can take on one’s body, so one of the programs Pink Possible proceeds supports is Living Well Beyond Cancer – a program she helped create. The 16-week women’s cancer survivorship program offers education, exercise, dietary support and camaraderie to help improve overall health and reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. So far, 188 cancer survivors have taken part in the program. When asked what inspires her to keep supporting Pink Possible, Panfil’s response was, “I’ve always believed in supporting the community that supports us.”

THANK YOU! BizTimes Media applauds the 2018 Health Care Heroes! Thank you for making a difference in the community and on the front lines of health care. Please consider nominating a Health Care Hero in 2019 at biztimes.com/hero.

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Strategies LEADERSHIP

Encouraging ideation How to keep the ideas coming RECENTLY, I was asked a great question: If you want to be the kind of leader who encourages the flow of ideas and feedback, how do you keep your team members from getting discouraged when their idea didn’t make the cut? After all, it’s simply not possible to implement everyone’s idea or follow the timeline they would want. It would be complete chaos if you tried; not to mention that in a big box of ideas, you’re going to get some great ones, some halfbaked ones and a few rotten apples. The key is neither to ignore the emotions nor let them run the show. Rather, create an environment of continuous innovation and improvement that puts ego on the sidelines.

ENCOURAGING THE IDEAS Let’s start with something I truly believe: The people closest to a problem are often the people who have the best ideas about how to fix it. Your people on the front lines see most clearly where things break down, and many times they will have ingenious solutions. Here’s how you encourage them: 1. Ask. Solicit ideas for innovation and process improvement. “What could we be doing to make your job/this process/this project more efficient?” Ask your team to identify the greatest inefficiencies, roadblocks and opportunities that, when addressed properly, will provide significant upside for your team and the company. 2. Make it a habit. Ideation has to become part of your regular routine as a leader, not something that’s done once or twice a year. When you 48 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

do it all the time, eventually everyone will have an idea implemented, which cuts down on feeling sidelined. Plus, everyone will start to develop a keen sense about which ideas have real value and which ones produce less value. An easy way to evaluate an idea is to monetize the outcome. Generally speaking, the best, most impactful ideas will produce the greatest financial result (improved efficiency and/or growth). When people evaluate ideas through this lens, emotions tend to melt away and the collective business sense tends to grow. 3. Build visibility into the decision-making process and then communicate. Think of a brainstorming session where the whole group contributes ideas that get written on a whiteboard. Visually, you can highlight which ideas the group has consensus on by marking them with stickers reflecting the ideas generating the most support. Having that visual representation of team consensus helps keep bigger egos in check and creates greater clarity within the team around what constitutes a good idea. Once the brainstorming ends and the planning begins, be intentional about your communications. Intellectually speaking, your team has a need to know the plan and the reasons behind the direction and the decisions. This is critical if you wish to create and maintain a highly engaged and high-performing team. Remind your team that everyone’s insight and ideas are valued. Educate your team regarding the potential positive and negative consequences behind various decisions and priorities. And remember that sometimes you have to slow down to speed up. Slow down to communicate and educate your team and in return, your informed and engaged team will create significant momentum, which translates into meaningful competitive advantage and growth. 4. Tailor your approach. Every company has quiet people and big personalities. No matter how well you encourage balanced participation, it’s possible that you’ll have brilliant people who never feel entirely comfortable speaking up in a group. In those cases, I might pull the quieter person into my office periodically, letting them

know that I and others value their intellect and would like their thoughts on a particular challenge. This gives me the opportunity to remind them of their value, grow their confidence and encourage them to contribute in the larger group discussions. The message that everyone’s input is valued must become part of the cultural DNA of your organization. That doesn’t mean everyone’s idea will always be selected, but that each person’s intellect and contribution adds to the greatness of the organization. When you’re contributing, it feels good when the team likes your idea. Conversely, it can feel bad when they don’t. The above process can help. By soliciting feedback, making ideation a habit, building transparency into your decision-making process, and tailoring your approach, you can create an environment where people know that their input is always valued. n

PHIL MYDLACH Phil Mydlach is a leadership coach and the owner of Mydlach Management LLC (mydlachmanagement.com). Previously, he founded and later sold two technology service companies. He can be reached at (262) 662-4646.

MANAGEMENT

Customer service defines brands How is your business perceived in the marketplace? DO YOU REMEMBER when you got dressed up for an airline flight? Now that has transitioned to a ride in cramped and uncomfortable seats. Gone are the tasty meals and chocolate chip cookies we once had with Midwest Express. You now choose among overpriced, prepackaged salads, sandwiches and snacks. Some flights only offer chips or peanuts. Airline profits are at all-time highs due to luggage and fees for business class seats. They continue to reduce legroom to squeeze more passengers in per flight. You might as well be riding the New York subway system during rush hour, fighting for a place to stand as you travel from work or home. Now, the friendly skies have turned more uncomfortable over the issue of customer service. In the past year or so, both United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have been in the news for delivering poor customer service. Last year, United’s chairman had no choice but to apologize multiple times in the media when a passenger was forcibly removed from a flight out of Chicago. That passenger took legal action against the airline and United quickly settled the claim out of court. Delta suspended an employee who behaved poorly toward one or more passengers over whether a baby stroller could be brought onboard the plane. Thanks to passengers’ cell phone videos and YouTube, the entire world found out about these and other in-

stances of poor customer service. Because of these publicized negative interactions between crew members and passengers, the FAA has begun to review the policies airlines have regarding overbooking and carriage, and the rules regarding your rights as a passenger. In the near future, it’s possible there could be rules regarding minimal seat dimensions. Because of the public’s negative responses to these occurrences, Southwest Airlines has changed its policy regarding the overbooking of flights, while other airlines have increased the incentives they will offer when bumping passengers. The question that came to my mind when reading editorials in the national newspapers about the United and Delta incidents, and viewing the YouTube videos, was: “How do airlines define good customer service?” Besides the initial question, you need to ask a number of other questions if your goal is to provide your customers with excellent service. 1. Do your employees know what excellent customer service is and how to deliver it? 2. Are your employees properly empowered to deliver the quality of service you, as a company, desire? 3. Is the delivery of excellent customer service part of your corporate culture and a priority? 4. How do you know your employees are delivering the level of service you desire? 5. Do you properly recognize your employees for delivering excellent customer service? 6. How do your service levels compare to your competition’s? Major television networks have interviewed passengers who have flown both United and Delta, and many stated that they would not fly those airlines again because of the perceived lack of customer service. The only difference between carriers is their scheduled arrivals and departures, and sometimes their price. Based on recent research, travelers are now making their airline selections based on how they will be treated when they board and fly the planes.

Southwest has already taken a positive step by eliminating potential overbookings. The other major airlines need to refocus their efforts on strengthening their customer service, not reducing legroom. As consumers, we choose restaurants based on their cuisine and level of service; soon, we will do the same for airlines. When I was at Gimbels Midwest and at JH Collectibles, we responded to every customer concern, whether in writing or by phone. At Gimbel’s, I had a 24-hour window in which to answer a customer complaint, which was enforced by the company’s president. At that time, we had a program designed to deliver excellent customer service named “CARE” (Customers Are Really Everything). Each employee and executive was expected to deliver excellent customer service. Employees were regularly recognized for meeting this standard and it became a part of the culture. It is a known fact that when products or prices are similar, a customer will make his or her decision based on past experience and the service received. The open question is: how is your firm perceived in the marketplace when it comes to customer service? n

CARY SILVERSTEIN Cary Silverstein, MBA, is a former executive for Gimbels and JH Collectibles. He’s an author, speaker, trainer and retired business consultant. Silverstein is co-author of “Overcoming Your NegotiaPhobia,” and can be reached at booksthatworkaz@aol.com. biztimes.com / 49

Strategies A BRIEF CASE

How do I get our employees to understand and embrace, and then execute our mission and vision? Ginny Finn Chief development officer YWCA Southeast Wisconsin “First, our mission and vision are clear and bold: We work to eliminate racism and empower women. Second, our programs directly connect to that mission and we recruit staff to the organization who already embrace the mission. No matter our role, all staff participate in ongoing mission-related training centered on issues including racial justice, how trauma affects program participants and personal performance, and women’s role in leadership. “All-staff meetings include discussions around issues in the community and how they relate to our work. This approach includes encouraging ideas from everyone on how to distinctly serve those who turn to YWCA Southeast Wisconsin, leading to initiatives like personal hygiene product drives, collaboration with sister organizations and internal process improvements. “A combination of genuine teamwork and personal accountability means we are each always seeking to do better and celebrating successes.”

50 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

Tracy Johnson President and chief executive officer CARW “Our internal culture is a reflection of the commercial real estate industry where each day, like our members, we bring value and deliver solutions. To fulfill our mission, we not only have to react to issues effectively, but anticipate opportunities that enhance our members’ success. Transparency and trust amongst staff, board and members allow us to recognize and prioritize anything and everything that comes our way – from tax reform to opportunity zones; from changes in technology to ordinances. As the membership has grown, we have designed our communication and committee structure to align resources and a wide stakeholder group. “To be that resource for the commercial real estate community, our mission must be crystal clear and the communication around how we deliver it must be easy to articulate and execute. Connecting to mission requires our entire team and board leadership to pull in the same direction. Efforts are amplified when the team understands the ‘why’ behind our strategic decision-making process, as well as the day-to-day. “It’s not only a management philosophy for me, but also a cultural imperative. With a small team, every member of the staff is serving on the front line. Developing a culture of confidence around understanding what the answers are, and humility to ask for guidance when the answers aren’t known, is a key priority and a mark of excellence for our organization.”

Gary Witt Chief executive officer The Pabst Theater Group “My partner Matt Beringer and I reinforce the Pabst Theater Group’s mission and vision by tying each to department and individual goals. These goals are made public and they are reviewed quarterly. By doing this, they then are directly tied to employee compensation as employee reviews change from the old, backward-looking, universally-loathed annual review to forward-thinking, continuous performance management (thank you, John Doerr and ‘Measure What Matters’). Goals, mission and vision then remain a constant focus. “We raise awareness for the Pabst Theater Group’s vision and mission by always making sure that it is visible in how we communicate privately and publicly. This explains our mission and vision not just to our team, but also to our community and customers. “We experience highly visible success stories daily that help us to realize our vision and mission. We are extremely fortunate to be in a business whose work is done in a very public way. This type of public storytelling plays an important role in helping to give our team a higher purpose for their work. This gives our group the power to establish The Pabst Theater Group as a brand, helping us to retain and attract top talent and make sure that everyone is not only aspiring to the same overarching mission and vision and goals, but also feeling the success of achieving them.”

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NONPROFIT GREATER MILWAUKEE FOUNDATION AND MCW PARTNER ON CENTRAL CIT Y INITIATIVE The Greater Milwaukee Foundation and the Medical College of Wisconsin are joining forces in an effort to establish a presence in Milwaukee’s central city to address social determinants of health where disparities are most acute. Under the new partnership, the GMF could relocate its headquarters from Schlitz Park to a yet-to-be-determined central city site, where the foundation would be co-located with several of the medical school’s departments. MCW has been working over the last year on its Flourishing Lives initiative, which would aggregate the college’s com-

munity-facing programs in one location to tackle health disparities through civic and community engagement, research and policy change. The organizations said the common location will “serve as a catalyst and a community hub benefitting the immediate area and beyond.” Possible locations for the center have been narrowed down to Milwaukee’s Halyard Park, Haymarket or Hillside neighborhoods, the organizations said. The development could involve the renovation of an existing facility or new construction. — Lauren Anderson

c alendar Milwaukee Public Museum will host Food & Froth from 7 to 10 p.m. on Feb. 16, 2019 at the museum, 800 W. Wells St. Food & Froth supports the Milwaukee Public Museum’s exhibits, programming and educational opportunities, and community outreach efforts. General admission includes a commemorative take-home glass, beer and food samples on exhibit floors, and live entertainment on main exhibit floors. VIP-exclusive early event access is available from 6 to 7 p.m., along with VIP Room access throughout the event. More information is available at mpm.edu/beer.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will host its annual Milwaukee Wine Opener at 6 p.m. on Feb. 1, 2019 at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, 509 W. Wisconsin Ave. The wine-tasting will feature approximately 75 domestic and international wines selected by the sommeliers at Johnson Brothers of Wisconsin, as well as festive small-bite tasting stations prepared by Milwaukee restaurants. It will also include a wine pull, short program, silent auction and live music. More information is available at wineopenermke. eventscff.org.

D O N AT I O N R O U N D U P Kohl’s awarded $10,000 grants to Adaptive Community Approach Program in Waukesha, Food Pantry of Waukesha, Humane Animal Welfare Society, The Women’s Center in Waukesha and Waukesha County Community Dental Clinic. | Charter Communications awarded a $32,500 grant to Digital Bridge, a Milwaukee nonprofit that helps connect underserved individuals with technology and broadband access. | SC Johnson recently donated more than 8,000 books to fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms in the Racine area. | Prevent Blindness Wisconsin recently raised more than $155,000, a record for the organization, during its annual fundraiser. | Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer will donate $15 to Feeding Wisconsin for every assist the Bucks tally during the 2018-’19 season, with a minimum commitment of $25,000.

nonprofit

SPOTLIGHT

PIA NOA R T S OF W ISCONSIN 2642 N. Summit Ave., Milwaukee (414) 962-3055 | pianoarts.org Facebook: facebook.com/PianoArts Blog: pianoarts2016.blogspot.com

Year founded: 1995 Mission statement: PianoArts develops innovative ways to foster appreciation and performance of classical music by identifying and training new generations of pianists with exceptional musical and verbal communication skills, preparing them for performance and presenting them to diverse audiences. Primary focus: Exceptional young artists are identified through a biennial North American Competition co-presented with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Fellowships, artist residencies, performances, mentorships with professional musicians, teaching opportunities and prizes that provide funds for education are awarded by international juries to the most outstanding competitors. Other focuses: PianoArts fellows, collaborating with local professional musicians and teaching artists, present community concerts in neighborhood churches, schools and other community centers. More than 1,500 local students participate yearly in a PianoArts curriculumbased general music education program that culminates with an unforgettable concert presented by the fellow. Employees at this location: One. Executive leadership: Sue Medford, founder and artistic/education director Board of directors: Martha Brown, Jamie Mae Yu, Steven Ayers, Andrews Sill, Jeri-Mae Astolfi, Steven

Basson, Dr. Patricia Ellis, Jennifer Gettel, Stefanie Jacob, JoAnne Nissen, Rebecca Ottman, Jeffry Peterson, Eric Tillich and Maria Zellmer. Key donors: Public grants from the Milwaukee Arts Board, The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, Dorothy Inbusch Foundation, Edmund Assaly Memorial Fund from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Pieper Electric Inc./ Ideal Mechanical, Sigma Alpha Iota Fraternity, and Milwaukee Music Teachers Association; along with individual contributors who support the PianoArts competitions and community programs. What roles are you looking to fill? PianoArts is seeking in board members of a mix of ages and ethnicities who represent the PianoArts fellows and the neighborhoods that we serve. We seek board members with expertise in marketing, fundraising, community relations, planning and organizing. Ways the business community can help: During the competitions and festivals, businesses provide our international guests with hotel rooms and meals. Businesses take out ads in our program books and provide volunteers for the events. Key fundraising events: PianoArts will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its debut competition with weeklong concerts and a Wisconsin Youth Piano Competition co-presented with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in June 2019. biztimes.com / 53

BizConnections PERSONNEL FILE ARCHITECTURE

MSI General, Oconomowoc MSI General Corp. has promoted Tim Luetzow from project estimator in its estimating department to select projects project director as part of the sales department. Luetzow has been a member of the MSI General team for two years and is a State of Wisconsin licensed dwelling contractor.

BANKING

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Legacy Private Trust, Oconomowoc

Hickey

Wintrust Commercial Banking, Town Bank, Milwaukee

Wendt

products. In addition, Wesley Ricchio has been appointed senior vice president of business. His responsibilities in this role will focus primarily on managing lenders in the Racine, Burlington, Lake Geneva and Delavan markets.

Hansen

Legacy Private Trust has hired Sue Hickey as a vice president and relationship manager and Greg Hansen as a vice president and senior portfolio manager. They will assist clients with estate, tax and business succession planning, and work closely with all the clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; professional advisors. during the first quarter of 2019.

Schirpke

Town Bank appointed Casey Wendt as vice president of commercial banking. Wendt will manage Ricchio relationships with operating companies with revenues in excess of $10 million. Marylou Schirpke has also been hired as senior vice president and relationship manager. She will provide middle market businesses with revenues in excess of $10 million with credit, treasury management and deposit

HEALTH CARE & WELLNESS

AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin, Milwaukee The AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin has named Freda Russell vice president of cultural and organizational development. Russell will be responsible for supporting and sustaining a healthy, high-performing culture.

HOSPITALITY & TOURISM

The Wisconsin Center District, Milwaukee The Wisconsin Center District has named Megan Seppmann as vice president of sales. Seppmann is responsible for maximizing revenue and space utilization opportunities across the WCD properties and acts as the primary liaison between the WCD and its colleagues.

HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

Martin Luther King Drive Economic Development Corp., Milwaukee Martin Luther King Drive Economic Development Corp. has hired Nicole Robbins as the new director of housing and real estate development. Robbins will manage the MLK Homes initiative, which aims to acquire and rehabilitate single-family and duplex properties for resale to owner-occupants. She is a licensed attorney with a background in law and real estate.

INSURANCE

Robertson Ryan & Associates, Milwaukee Robertson Ryan & Associates has hired Jon Krawczyk as an agent owner and vice president in the employee benefits division. Previously, he worked for Anthem

Blue Cross as a sales and retention executive. As an agent, he advises clients on effectively managing their employee benefits programs to keep costs down.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

New Resources Consulting, Milwaukee New Resources Consulting has hired Pat Hevrdejs as its vice president of sales. Hevrdejs will be responsible for developing client partnerships, executing the annual sales plan to meet defined strategies and objectives, building and managing the sales team to ensure organizational and financial growth, and recommending sales strategies based on market research and competitor analysis.

STAFFING

ManpowerGroup, Milwaukee ManpowerGroup recently hired Jasmine Johnson as its supplier diversity director. Johnson will be responsible for leading ManpowerGroupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supplier diversity initiative in North America.

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SBA LOANS: LOANS OCTOBER The U.S. Small Business Administration approved the following loan guarantees in October: MILWAUKEE COUNTY

48IDA LLC, 3760 W. Wheelhouse Road, Milwaukee, $1.6 million, WBD Inc.; DMH Enterprises LLC, 6650 W. State St., Milwaukee, $500,000, Community State Bank;

Northwest Funeral Services LLC, 6630 W. Hampton Ave., Milwaukee, $3 million, Byline Bank; Oh My Dog LLC, 8838 N. Port Washington Road, Bayside, $63,800, Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp.; Paulie’s Pub & Eatery LLC, 8031 Greenfield Ave., West Allis, $735,200, Byline Bank;

Glenbrook II LLC, 10540 W. Glenbrook Court, Milwaukee, $824,000, WBD Inc.; Lakeview Chiropractic & Wellness Clinic, 2757 S. Howell Ave., Milwaukee, $235,800, Educators Credit Union; Lightburn Designs LLC, 325 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, $150,000, PyraMax Bank; Modern Sloanes Furniture LLC, 1425 N. 12th

St., Milwaukee, $250,000, First Home Bank;

Refined Estates LLC, 4473 N. 76th St., Milwaukee, $156,400, Milwaukee Economic Development Corp.; TNS Transmissions LLC, 6115 S. 108th St., Hales Corners, $25,000, Summit Credit Union; OZAUKEE COUNTY

810 Maritime LLC, 810 Maritime Drive, Port Washington, $255,000, WBD Inc.; Law Offices of Jason D.

Baltz, 12924 Cobblestone Court, Mequon, $150,000, Celtic Bank Corp.;

Elegant Acres LLC, W5300 Territorial Road, Elkhorn, $201,000, WBD Inc.;

M Design Build Inc., 11512 N. Port Washington Road, Mequon, $100,000, Associated Bank;

Geneva 1501 LLC, 1501 E. Wisconsin St., Delavan, $1.6 million, WBD Inc.;

RACINE COUNTY

Dassow & Sons Plumbing Inc., 31340 Academy Road, Burlington, $53,000, Community State Bank; SHEBOYGAN COUNTY

GTS Solutions LLC, 976 Willow Road, Plymouth, $2 million, WBD Inc.; Z & N Machine Co. Inc., 3411 S. 32nd St., Sheboygan, $516,000, WBD Inc.; WALWORTH COUNTY

A F Glass Insurance Agency Inc., P.O. Box 1149, Lake Geneva, $50,000, Community State Bank;

Jaco Leasing Co. Inc., 1946B Energy Drive, East Troy, $150,000, Independence Bank; WASHINGTON COUNTY

Emery Management LLC, 891-895 E. Commerce Blvd., Slinger, $433,000, WBD Inc.; Liftmoehr LLC, 509 S. Sixth Ave., West Bend, $85,000, Summit Credit Union; Michael Schlueter, N105 W14290 Evergreen Circle, Germantown, $249,000, Associated Bank; North Oak Realty Group Jackson Senior Living, W194 N16744 Eagle Drive, Jackson, $531,000, WBD Inc.;

Schneiss Heating & Air Conditioning, 340 S. River Road, West Bend, $20,000, Landmark Credit Union; Schneiss Heating & Air Conditioning, 340 S. River Road, West Bend, $19,000, Landmark Credit Union; WAUKESHA COUNTY

Employee Health Centre LLC, Merton Avenue, Hartland, $30,000, First Bank Financial Centre; Food Faith LLC, 13275 Watertown Plank Road, Elm Grove, $739,000, Byline Bank; Gigi Nails LLC, 3930 N. Brookfield Road, Suite C, $100,000, Celtic Bank Corp.; Independent Electric LLC., W256 S5025 Oakdale Drive, Waukesha, $25,000, U.S. Bank; Kettle Moraine Property Management, W325 S1767 Mickle Road, Delafield,

$569,000, WBD Inc.; Mag-Jentz Inc., 12600 W. Burleigh Road, Brookfield, $350,000, First Bank Financial Centre; Mainstream Bar and Grill LLC, 396 W. Main St., Waukesha, $260,000, Waukesha State Bank; OFP Ingredients LLC, 140 S. Concord St., Oconomowoc, $350,000, Capitol Bank; Scott R Krause & Associates S.C., 20875 Crossroads Circle, #200, Waukesha, $210,000, Byline Bank; Two Brothers Holdings LLC, Lot 1 of CSM No. 11669, Waukesha, $722,000, WBD Inc.; Uno Dos Tres LLC, 2104 W. Silvernail Road, Pewaukee, $297,000, Citizens Bank; White Holding Inc., 17125 Bluemound Road, Brookfield, $380,000, Farmers & Merchants State Bank.

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Midwest at keeping the lights on. We’ve been named the most reliable utility in the Midwest for the eighth year in a row. We’re proud to keep the lights on and the energy flowing for you. biztimes.com / 55

BizConnections VOLUME 24, NUMBER 18 | DEC 17, 2018

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

EDITORIAL EDITOR Andrew Weiland andrew.weiland@biztimes.com MANAGING EDITOR Molly Dill molly.dill@biztimes.com REPORTER Lauren Anderson lauren.anderson@biztimes.com REPORTER Maredithe Meyer maredithe.meyer@biztimes.com REPORTER Arthur Thomas arthur.thomas@biztimes.com INTERN REPORTER Madison Goldbeck madison.goldbeck@biztimes.com

Green Tree Road This photo, taken in March 1927, shows a forested area near West Green Tree Road along the Milwaukee River in Glendale. The photo could be in Kletzsch Park, which stretches from West Green Tree Road south to Milwaukee River Parkway. It is bordered by the Milwaukee River on the east and Green Bay Road on the west. — This photo is from the Milwaukee Public Museum’s Photo Archives collection.

COMMENTARY

Good news, bad news of DRS move LEONARDO DRS, a Virginia-based defense contractor, recently announced big plans to expand. The company plans to build a new 350,000-square-foot high-tech industrial building in Menomonee Falls and will also utilize an existing 120,000-square-foot office building. The facility will be the new headquarters for Leonardo DRS’ Naval Power Systems business. It’s a $56 million project. The company, which currently has 449 employees in Milwaukee, plans to add 220 new jobs at the facility. That’s the good news. The company considered moving the operations to another state, but decided to stay here, which is also good news. Now the bad news. Leonardo DRS is one of the few large companies still operating in the central city of Milwaukee. When it moves to Menomonee Falls, it will leave its 65-yearold facility at 4265 N. 30th St. and move its 449 employees out of a neighborhood that badly needs more jobs, not fewer. 56 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is providing $18.5 million in state income tax credits for the project. WEDC said the tax credits provide an incentive for the company to stay and expand in Wisconsin. In addition, Menomonee Falls will provide $6.4 million. Some in Milwaukee are wondering why tax incentives are being provided to a company to move seven miles from the central city to a suburb. But the state and local municipalities are unfortunately forced to compete with other states and other communities that also offer aggressive incentives to attract businesses. Milwaukee officials have struggled to attract businesses to the central city. They created the Century City Business Park at the large former A.O. Smith Corp. site along West Capitol Drive to provide a destination for businesses to come to the northwest side, but have had limited success in attracting any. Amazon could have built a facility there, but chose Oak Creek instead for a large fulfillment center that will employ 1,500. Now, DRS plans to move out of the central city and speculation is that Astronautics Corp. of America will soon do the same, perhaps finally moving forward with its long-considered plans to leave its headquarters on North Teutonia Avenue.

DIRECTOR OF SALES Linda Crawford linda.crawford@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Molly Lawrence molly.lawrence@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE David Pinkus david.pinkus@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Maggie Pinnt maggie.pinnt@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Christie Ubl christie.ubl@biztimes.com INSIDE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Amanda Bruening amanda.bruening@biztimes.com SALES INTERN Tess Romans tess.romans@biztimes.com

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

PRODUCTION & DESIGN GRAPHIC DESIGNER Alex Schneider alex.schneider@biztimes.com

Independent & Locally Owned

ART DIRECTOR Shelly Tabor shelly.tabor@biztimes.com

— Founded 1995 —

Milwaukee’s central city has long had major problems with crime, poverty and unemployment. Those neighborhoods desperately need more business activity. But areas with crime and poverty are exactly what most businesses want to avoid when making site selections. What to do? To create more job opportunities in Milwaukee’s low-income neighborhoods, city and community leaders should focus their efforts on attracting and assisting locally-based startup businesses, such as Good City Brewing (which plans to add operations at Century City) and the businesses at the Sherman Phoenix. Large corporations based in other states that have no loyalty to Milwaukee are going to make calculated, strategic decisions on where to locate their operations, and low-income neighborhoods here will not top their list. But new, local businesses might take a chance on the area. n

ANDREW WEILAND EDITOR

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

AROUND TOWN

Celebrating G.I.R.L.S event

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee recently hosted its annual Celebrating G.I.R.L.S (Growing Inspirational and Responsible Leaders) event at the Italian Community Center in downtown Milwaukee. 1.

KATINA SHAW of the Milwaukee Brewers; DAIJAHNAY CANADY, 2018 Wisconsin Youth of the Year; and CECELIA GORE of the Brewers Community Foundation.

JENNIFER DIRKS of TEMPO Milwaukee and INGE PLAUTZ of Old National Bank.

LASHONDA HILL of Rockwell Automation Inc. and MILIKA MILLER of Public Allies.

MARYBETH BUDISCH of Greater Milwaukee Foundation and LYDIA MLADENOVIC of M Group Events.

GRISELDA ALDRETE of Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee and ANA SIMPSON of Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp.

RUTH BRASH of NovaTech Solutions Inc., JEANNE MIRSBERGER and TOM MIRSBERGER of Tamarack Petroleum Co. Inc.

Photos by Maredithe Meyer

Commercial Real Estate and Development Conference

BizTimes Media recently held its annual Commercial Real Estate and Development Conference at the Italian Community Center in downtown Milwaukee. 7.

CYNTHIA BALESTRIERI of Balestrieri Environmental & Development Inc.

MASON BROCK of Baker Tilly.

ERIC GRIFFITH of CBL Properties.

10. J. MICHAEL MOONEY of MLG Capital LLC. 11. SHAWN CAVIN of First American Title

12. MIKE RIOPEL of Husch Blackwell LLP, CHRIS KORJENEK of Lanser Public Affairs and GEORGE JUSTICE of Wintrust. 13. ANTHONY PENNINGTON-CROSS of Marquette University and PAUL AND SUE JAHNKE of Jahnke Property Group. 14. ANDREW NARR of Tri City National Bank and JEFF HALL of CJ & Associates. 15. VAISHALI WAGH of Continuum Architects + Planners.

16. MARY CLAIRE LANSER of Lanser Public Affairs and Brookfield Mayor STEVE PONTO. Photos by John O’Hara biztimes.com / 57

BizConnections

my TOUGHEST

Challenge

JIM SAVAGE Position: Founder and president Company: Concurrency Inc. What it does: IT solution provider Career: After earning his bachelor’s in economics and history at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Savage established a Microsoft-focused systems integrator in 1989. He has grown Concurrency to more than 100 consultants and 150 employees among three offices in Milwaukee, Chicago and Minneapolis. It has $30 million in annual revenue.

THE CHALLENGE In 2007, Brookfield IT firm Concurrency Inc. was shifting away from hardware toward becoming a software and professional services company exclusively. That’s when the company lost its first big, bread-and-butter client, which accounted for 43 percent of its professional services revenue. “We were too close to it. They would sneeze and we were there with a Kleenex,” Savage said. “I was working on their business and not ours.” In January 2008, Savage dug into a line of credit the company had never used before, and business declined to the point of being worried about making payroll by June. THE RESOLUTION “It was marketing, frankly. We got really good at marketing after that,” Savage said. One door closed and another opened. What Concurrency needed to do to improve its business and increase profit was also what its customers were seeking, he said. Concurrency bolstered its Microsoft business, started doing email marketing and began hosting events to make up for the loss of the client. “It was not until we lost them as a client that I started working on our business and we had all this growth and success,” he said. “From that point in 2007, we’ve been on this beautiful, linear trajectory of growth.”

LILA ARYAN PHOTOGRAPHY

THE TAKEAWAY

58 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 17, 2018

Concurrency brought on a larger number of clients and now makes sure none of them provides more than 10 or 20 percent of the company’s gross income. “Clients of similar sizes and organizational maturity work best together,” Savage said. “Every small business you see starts with some goofy combination of large and small accounts. Along the way, you learn all the other things, components of organizational security.” Now, when Concurrency brings on a new big client, it only fuels its steady growth. It added Johnson Controls International plc as a client three years ago, and has been expanding to keep pace ever since. The goal is now 300 employees and $60 million in revenue by 2021. “It took the internal machinations and organizational management, putting in more executive managers and getting them to function effectively as a team to perform that growth,” Savage said. n

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