BizTimes Milwaukee | December 18, 2017

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BizTimes Milwaukee (ISSN 1095-936X & USPS # 017813) Volume 23, Number 20, December 18 - January 21, 2018. BizTimes Milwaukee is published bi-weekly, except two consecutive weeks in December (the second and third weeks of 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 2017 by BizTimes Media LLC. All rights reserved.

Contents

4 Leading Edge 4 NOW

BY THE NUMBERS 5 ON THE JOB WITH… 6 IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD 7 JUMP START 8 THE GOOD LIFE BIZ POLL 9 BIZ COMPASS 10 THE FRANCHISEE 11 FRESH DIGS

12 News 12 THE INTERVIEW 13 MADE IN MILWAUKEE

14 Real Estate 24 Key Industries summary 33 Health Care Heroes

COVER STORY

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39 Strategies

2017 BizTimes Best in Business

Special Report 27 Food and Beverage

Hear from restaurant owners about their approaches to the labor shortage and read about the manufacturers benefitting from the craft beer boom.

RESERVE YOUR BOOTH!

39 LEADERSHIP Karen Vernal 40 COACHING Susan Marshall 41 A BRIEF CASE

43 Biz Connections 43 NONPROFIT 44 PERSONNEL FILE 45 AROUND TOWN 46 GLANCE AT YESTERYEAR COMMENTARY 47 MY TOUGHEST CHALLENGE

CONTACT LINDA CRAWFORD TODAY! (414) 336-7112 biztimes.com/bizexpo2018

MAY 31, 2018 biztimes.com / 3

Leading Edge

BIZTIMES MEDIA – Like us

NOW

Aurora Health Care to merge with Advocate Health Care

By Lauren Anderson, staff writer Milwaukee-based Aurora Health Care Inc. and Advocate Health Care Inc. of Downers Grove, Illinois announced plans to merge in a union that would create the 10th largest nonprofit health care system in the United States.

Both Aurora and Advocate are the largest health systems in their respective states. Under the merg-

er, each system would maintain its current headquarters and continue to use its current name, according to a news release.

The combined system, which would operate as Advocate Aurora Health, would have annual revenues of about $11 billion and serve nearly 3 million patients annually.

It would operate 27 hospitals and

BY THE NUMBERS Actuant sold its Viking SeaTech division to Acteon Group for about

12 MILLION

$

Actuant acquired Viking for $235 million in 2013.

4 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 18, 2017

more than 500 sites of care, and employ more than 73,000 people.

The plan calls for a single board of directors with an equal number of members from Advocate and Aurora. Dr. Nick Turkal, who has led Aurora since 2006, and Jim Skogsbergh, president and chief executive officer of Advocate, would serve as co-CEOs. The two systems currently share ownership of ACL Laboratories, which provides lab, medical, industrial and diagnostic testing services.

“For the communities in Illinois and Wisconsin that we serve and for our two organizations, this is an unprecedented opportunity to shape our future and better serve patients,” Turkal said. “We are fortunate that our organizations are coming together from unique and complementary positions of strength, particularly at a time of evolving industry dynamics. Working together, we will deliver on the promise of value for the people who receive, provide and pay for health care.”

The boards of directors from each system approved the plan and announced the decision to employees recently.

The agreement is subject to state and federal regulatory review and approval, including the Federal Trade Commission and agencies within Illinois and Wisconsin. The

deal is expected to close by midyear 2018.

“This merger is about transforming care delivery and reimagining the possibilities of health as bigger meets better and size meets value to benefit consumers,” Skogsbergh said. “By joining forces, we will be able to expand our network to scale innovation and create a destination in the Midwest for patients and the talented clinicians who care for them.”

Under the plan, Joanne Disch, current Aurora board chair, will chair the Advocate Aurora Health board of directors during the first year of operation and Michele Richardson, who currently chairs the Advocate board, will assume leadership for the second year.

It’s the latest in a larger trend of health system mergers across the country and locally.

In 2016, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare officially joined longtime competitor Columbia St. Mary’s, combining its operations and corporate services under the Ascension Health umbrella.

Wauwatosa-based Froedtert Health recently expanded its affiliation with Kenosha’s United Hospital System in a new agreement effective this fall, in which United Hospital System adopted the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin brand and changed its name to Froedtert South. n

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Milwaukee Ballet costume shop

KAT SCHLEICHER PHOTOGRAPHY

ON THE JOB WITH…

By Molly Dill, staff writer In early December, the Milwaukee Ballet’s costume shop was bustling as it geared up for its performances of holiday classic “The Nutcracker.” The shop at the Ballet’s Walker’s Point headquarters is held down by just three full-time staff: Mary Piering, Harlan Ferstl and Lyn Kream.

The trio makes all the costumes for original performances like “Mirror Mirror,” which has 65 costumes, and maintains and repairs those for long-running annual performances like “The Nutcracker,” which has 153.

“I like them very tight and that keeps them close to their body so they’re not spinning around,” Piering said. “We have to make sure all sleeves have gussets because they spend a lot of time with their arms up in the air.”

It takes one to three weeks to make a costume, depending on how complicated it is, Piering said.

A Sugar Plum, for example, takes three weeks.

“Tutus take a while. All this netting has to get gathered up and then it gets tacked down by hand,” she said. n

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Costumes for the Snowflakes in “The Nutcracker” hang from the ceiling in the costume shop.

Ferstl describes the process of fitting the dancers and creating muslin prototypes of costumes.

The costume shop employees are tasked with translating a sketch into a costume, while assuring it allows enough movement for the dancers.

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4 Ferstl creates a paper pattern, which he will use to cut out the fabric for the costume.

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Kream works on a costume for “Mirror Mirror.” The employees make many of the details by hand, including petals, beads, trim and flowers.

A costume to be worn in the ballet “Mirror Mirror.”

biztimes.com / 5

Leading Edge

@BIZTIMESMEDIA – Real-time news

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD Where are Treat products sold?

“We try to be wherever great cheese is. Specialty grocers like Sendik’s. In general, a lot of people think spiced nuts for the holidays, but (cheese pairing) is a good way to round it out year-round.”

TREAT BAKE SHOP 207 E. Buffalo St., Suite 212 NEIGHBORHOOD: Historic Third Ward FOUNDED: 2011 OWNER: Sarah Marx Feldner EMPLOYEES: 3 SERVICE: Makes and distributes spiced nuts

I understand you’re now in Crate & Barrel stores. How did that come about?

“I had sent them samples…earlier this year and we just had been talking back and forth and then all of a sudden they were like, ‘We’re emailing you an order.’ It’s going to all of them. All 92 (stores).”

Why did you start Treat?

“I always wanted to own my own business.

This was a friend’s recipe and she taught me how to make them and the classic (tale), you give them as a gift and people were like, ‘Oh, you’ve got to sell these.’ For the first three years, I did it all by myself. We moved here in October 2015 and I hired my first employee.”

What is the biggest challenge your business faces?

“Labor. I don’t know if there’s tons of new restaurants so the labor pool is getting smaller? I’m not sure.”

How many types of nuts do you offer?

“We have five flavors now. We sell them in jars, bags and gift tins.

We have something like 30 SKUs with all the variations. Jars are the best seller, but bags were a lower price point and great for gift baskets. For the holidays, we do a lot of gift baskets.”

How many do you sell per year?

“Tens of thousands.

We’re good holiday gifts. You can order online and we ship anywhere in the country.” n

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VENTURE WITH IMPACT LLC LOCATION: Milwaukee, Peru, Colombia, Thailand and Portugal FOUNDER: Ann Davis FOUNDED: 2016 SERVICE: Work cultural exchange WEBSITE: venturewithimpact.org EMPLOYEES: Two

EXPERIENCE: Davis began her career as an elementary school teacher in the Teach for America program at the School District of Kettle Moraine and at PAVE Schools before founding Venture with Impact.

Venture with Impact matches volunteers with experiences abroad

By Molly Dill, staff writer

LILA ARYAN PHOTOGRAPHY

GOAL: Raise a $50,000 seed round to add more programs

WHAT IF you could do your job from thousands of miles away, while volunteering your skills to aid a nonprofit?

That’s the experience offered by Milwaukee-based startup Venture with Impact LLC. Founded by Ann Davis last year, the organization pairs professionals with nonprofits at its program sites in Trujillo, Peru; Medellin, Colombia; Chiang Mai, Thailand; and Lisbon, Portugal.

The participants work remotely for one month or longer while helping out and learning about a new culture.

The program is targeted to millennials, many of whom love traveling and prefer flexible work arrangements, but applicants have ranged in age from 21 to 70-plus. Those interested submit a resume or LinkedIn profile, and Venture then completes a phone interview to discuss professional skills, background, interests and work schedule, Davis said. Five to 12 professionals are chosen for each cohort from among an international applicant pool.

Those selected to participate in one of the programs pay $1,250 for one month, $2,300 for two months, and a reduced price for each extra month. Venture provides the volunteer match, a private room in a fully furnished apartment with wi-fi, assistance arranging travel to the country

Ann Davis

and 24/7 assistance in the country, including translation, health care and public transit.

The volunteerism is the core of Venture with Impact, Davis said.

“We get a good understanding of each individual’s skills and we understand the needs of our nonprofit programs from month-to-month,” she said. “From there, we match people accordingly. We make sure that the volunteering is coordinated or scheduled around each individual’s work schedule.”

For example, in Medellin, a lawyer who has a background in civil rights taught human rights workshops to staff at a few different nonprofits and a physical therapist held aquatic therapy sessions.

Venture’s revenue comes entirely from the program fee. It added the Portugal and Thailand programs this year. The sessions are staggered, so Davis lives in each location during the program.

“The biggest issue for a startup, a new startup, is finding customers, and that has not been easy for us,” Davis said. “Up until this point, it’s been a lot of word-of-mouth and using our personal networks.”

Her next goal is to raise a $50,000 seed round of funding to expand with additional programs in 2018 and 2019. n biztimes.com / 7

Leading Edge

BIZTIMES MEDIA – Connect

Dwyer Wanninger finds comfort in beading

By Molly Dill, staff writer

W

hen she was in her mid-40s, Patty Dwyer Wanninger inherited her mother’s piano. She plunked the keys faithfully, but couldn’t seem to improve.

the

Good LIFE THANK YOU to our members and our platinum sponsors, who make our exceptional programming possible.

“I tried unsuccessfully for three or four years to try to play the piano,” she said. “I was terrible. I finally gave up.”

So Wanninger, a Milwaukee-based implementation consultant for EBSCO Information Services, decided to take up a hobby for which she had more talent: beading.

When she’s not helping libraries nationwide install new management system software, she’s stringing together jewelry for herself and friends.

Pretty soon, she was making glasses chains and necklaces. Then she was learning to sew with beads, and she started learning other techniques at the Loose Bead Society of Greater Milwaukee.

BIZ POLL

Twenty years later, Wanninger made one of her favorite projects: French wire beaded flowers that adorned a belt and hairpins worn by her daughter on her wedding day this past summer.

“We were looking at that stuff on Etsy and I thought, ‘Well I can do those,’” she said. “I love making the flowers. It’s very zen.”

A sewn bead project like a cuff might take three nights while Wanninger is watching TV. “A multi-strand necklace or a pattern or you want to be balanced, none of which I’m very good at, then of course that takes longer,” she said. “I really hate to follow a pattern.”

Wanninger finds the beads consoling.

“They wait for you, they’re solid, they’re glass. Even if they get wet in a flood in the basement, you just wash them off,” she said. “They’re a reliable companion.” n

A recent survey of BizTimes.com readers.

Do you support the Republicans’ federal tax cut plans?

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No: Peer Roundtables for growth-focused CEOs For more information, visit www.mmac.org/cgb.html or contact STEPHANIE HALL @ 414.287.4124 or shall@mmac.org

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55% Share your opinion! Visit biztimes.com/bizpoll to cast your vote in the next Biz Poll.

BIZ COMPASS

How do you encourage YOUR EMPLOYEES TO HAVE

FU N AT WO RK? FRONK

1 SUSAN

President and chief executive officer, MRA-The Management Association

“Adding light and not heat to a discussion, generously using a positive sense of humor, and exhibiting an unpretentious and team-oriented approach to delivering exceptional customer service all help to create an environment in which employees feel free to foster lighthearted spirit and fun.”

2 ANDRES GONZALEZ

Vice president, chief diversity officer, Froedtert Health

1 3

“Understanding that health care can be a demanding profession, we incorporate opportunities for education, engagement and fun across our health network. Wellness Works, a team dedicated to staff health, builds playful activities and prize drawings into annual health assessments, on-site fitness classes and exercise challenges.”

3 LESLIE DIXON

Chief human resources officer, Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc.

“We actively encourage leaders to celebrate successes and create opportunities for camaraderie throughout the year.

Many departments have committees that organize fun activities at work and after hours. Examples of recent fun events at Baird include office “tailgate” parties to celebrate the football season, after-market hours office pingpong tournaments and department outings to Escape Milwaukee.”

2

BEAMAN 4 ZACH

Founder and creative director, Concept Envy Advertising

“Our agency office is host to entertainment workspaces, foosball tables and other creative advantages. We also have a dog-friendly office to allow our team members to be distracted by their favorite furry friends throughout the workday. I’ve had the opportunity to see firsthand the results of increased workflow and productivity by utilizing non-conventional and entertainment-driven work experiences.”

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5 NATHAN LAURENT

Co-owner and regional manager, Keller Inc.

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“I don’t micro-manage my employees, which seems to help them be more relaxed and enjoy what they do. Once a quarter, we try to spend a Friday volunteering as an office at places like Habitat for Humanity or area food pantries.” n biztimes.com / 9

Leading Edge

the

FRAN C H I S E E Lauren Schroeder

LAUREN SCHROEDER CYCLEBAR

“The furthest north we wanted to go was Mequon, which is where we ended up. But because we were the first CycleBar to open in Wisconsin, we were hoping to be closer to downtown. Due to our requirements, we couldn’t find an ideal downtown space, which was frustrating.”

THE FRANCHISE: Cincinnati-based CycleBar offers stationary cycling classes. Founded in 2004, the company operates about 120 franchise locations – with another 30 slated to open soon – in 33 states and Canada and has a client base of more than half a million.

JULY 2015 Schroeder moves back to her hometown, Milwaukee. She first learns about CycleBar while researching other cycling studios in the area, and contacts CycleBar about opening a franchise.

OCTOBER 2015 Schroeder buys into the CycleBar franchise a month after she visits its headquarters for a trial weekend. Her ensuing search for a facility is difficult and longer than expected.

MARCH 2017 CycleBar Mequon officially opens at 11104 N. Port Washington Road after a four-month build-out process. The 3,300-square-foot space features a cycling “theater” that fits up to 50 Schwinn stationary bikes, showers and a community area.

Seven instructors lead classes in the mornings and evenings.

The CycleBar Mequon team.

DECEMBER 2018 CycleBar Mequon sees an average class size of 15 to 25, and sometimes up to 40. Schroeder hopes to increase class sizes by redesigning the schedule and using Facebook and Instagram ads to attract new riders.

THE FRANCHISEE FEE CycleBar’s buy-in fee is $50,000, with a monthly royalty fee of 7 percent. An owner can open one or three locations at a time.

10 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 18, 2017

A CycleBar theater.

“The way we run each class is similar but all of our instructors have their own style and music preference.

We incorporate sprints, hills, highintensity interval training, and a set of arm exercises – 30 minutes into the class with a four- or six-pound bar.”

“I feel good leaving (the studio) every night, knowing I am contributing to people’s health and happiness, and the community that we’re building is really fun.”

DAN PROFIO PHOTOGRAPHY

FRESH DIGS

ROCKWELL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER OW N E R / DE V E LOPE R : Rockwell Automation Inc. A RC H I T E C T S : Eppstein Uhen Architects and Downstream C O N T R AC T O R : Jens Construction C O S T S : N/A C O M P L E T E D : 2017

STEPPING INTO THE LOBBY of Rockwell Automation Inc.’s corporate headquarters in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood is like traveling back in time.

Fireplaces are crackling. The marble floor shines. Large leather chairs are situated next to wooden tables filled with complementary refreshments and magazines.

But if the room is symbolic of Rockwell’s iconic place in Milwaukee’s fabric, the eighth floor of the building is a nod to the future.

This summer, Rockwell opened a 22,000-square-foot Customer Experience Center.

The space, which includes a café, four completely wired conference rooms, augmented reality stations

and 40 floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Milwaukee’s south and west sides, took 10 months to plan and 200 days to build.

“This is a place for customers to learn about Rockwell, but also for our employees to learn about our customers,” said Melissa Kadlec, customer and executive events meeting manager at Rockwell.

Since it opened, Rockwell has booked 31 customer meetings and more than 200 internaevents.

“We wanted to create an environment that is a different experience than PowerPoints in a conference room,” Kadlec said. “We are a technology company. The lobby is our beginning. This is our future.” n – Corrinne Hess biztimes.com / 11

BizNews

the

Interview

IN OCTOBER, David Uihlein and Del Wilson handed over the reins of the architec-

tural firm they launched more than 30 years ago to longtime partners Scott Ramlow and Nat Stein. The Milwaukee-based firm specializes in civic and educational work. Some of its most noteworthy projects include the Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Kern Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Memorial Union, and work for Milwaukee College Preparatory School and University School of Milwaukee. Uihlein/Wilson has also maintained an active adaptive reuse practice and is currently working on the restoration project of the Old Main building at the Milwaukee VA Soldiers Home for new veterans housing. BizTimes reporter Corrinne Hess recently spoke to Ramlow (who joined the firm in 1992) about the firm’s most recent project, the $34 million computational science facility planned at MSOE, and Uihlein/Wilson’s future.

What is your understanding of the mission and purpose of MSOE’s computational science hall?

“The computing power of the supercomputer will probably be bigger than anything in the Midwest region, which puts MSOE at the forefront of AI and applied research applications of technology as it develops.

Dwight Diercks (MSOE regent and senior vice president at California technology firm NVIDIA, who donated $34 million to build the facility) put MSOE on the map with his donation.”

What type of experience will the students and faculty have in the building that will be different from other school buildings?

“MSOE is working on new degree programs that will be heavy into data research and will also include corporate partnerships, whether it is with NVIDIA or other companies. MSOE prepares engineers for their careers, rather than teaching theory. Their graduates are in high demand and are instantly contributors to their employers. It will be interesting to see how they pair that applied approach to computing. If they partner with NVIDIA, the sky is the limit to how much of a leader in their fields they can be.”

What is the timeline for the project?

“Dwight put MSOE ahead of everyone with his donation. A construction project normally starts with a conceptual design and then waits on budget. Dwight donated the entire amount, which accelerated this in a fantastic way for the school. We’ve made a commitment to open the facility for the fall of 2019. It’s a very aggressive schedule, but when you receive a gift like this, there is a responsibility to the school, to the donor and to the board to take action.”

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Scott Ramlow Co-owner and president Uihlein/Wilson-Ramlow/Stein Architects Inc. Employees: 17 uihlein-wilson.com 12 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 18, 2017

You’ve been with your firm for 25 years. Where do you see it going under the new leadership?

“I would like us to reinvigorate our K-12 practice. Also, historic restoration and adaptive reuse have been one of the hallmarks of our firm since David started it in 1982. We were one of the architects for the Milwaukee County Historical Society, the Basilica of St. Josaphat and the Gimbels building. But I think with David retiring, there is a risk that could fall away with the transition. I want to make sure we don’t do that. We’re currently involved in the VA project and want to keep the historic preservation projects something that we never stop doing.”

Looking ahead to 2018 and beyond, do you and Nat plan on expanding the firm?

“Nat and I are so grateful to Dave and Del for building the firm and transitioning when it is really strong and successful. They have done a great job and service to us being willing to sell at this point. Over the last six months, we have been fortunate. We are hiring right now, which is pretty crazy right after a transition, but we are hitting the ground running.” n

Indulgence Chocolatiers crafts a special experience SOMETIMES, timing is everything.

When owner Julie Waterman started Indulgence Chocolatiers, her message of being a local, artisan confection-maker was more likely to be met with confusion than acceptance. But a decade later, consumer attitudes have shifted.

“I think I started at just the right time, because people were just starting to think 10 years ago about artisan food and the local food movement and just starting to open their minds to it,” Waterman said.

Those changing attitudes, combined with attention to detail, have helped Indulgence grow to have three retail locations and products being shipped to nearly 400 wholesale customers across the Midwest, including grocery stores, gift shops and wine stores. Indulgence makes truffles, chocolate bars, toffee, chocolate-covered fruit and cocoa mix.

“The facade of chocolate is that it’s beautiful and it’s delicious, but we hope that people recognize all the additional thought and detail we put into it, from ingredient selection to the presentation and every detail of the experience,” she said.

The experience at the company’s kitchen and pairing bar in Walker’s Point starts from the minute the doors open, with the smells from a less than 2,500-square-foot kitchen that produces 1,000 to 2,000 pounds of confections a week greeting visitors.

The equipment in the kitchen isn’t overly complicated. A couple warming plates to melt chocolate, specialized bowls to hold it at specific temperatures, molds to create individual pieces and a packaging station. While the kitchen isn’t over-

flowing with extra space, Waterman says she’s confident there’s room for more production, especially if there were additional storage available.

Waterman tries to rely on local products like cream and butter whenever possible and when it comes to chocolates, she emphasizes those that are grown in sustainable and socially responsible ways. The process differs depending on the final product, but the goal is to make it look and taste good.

The journey to being the founder of a local chocolatier was a little bit backwards, Waterman said. She joined the Army at 17 and was a military intelligence analyst. She planned to return to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for music education, but had a summer off following her deployment. She spent the time backpacking around Europe and fell in love with artisan food – and chocolates, in particular. After trying different recipes for some time, she decided to launch Indulgence during her senior year at UWM. “The first couple years were definitely a challenge and there’s a huge learning curve when you start a business,” Waterman said. “I don’t wish to ever revisit that time, but it was definitely an incredible experience that I gained so much from.”

It was about five or six years ago that the company hit its stride. Waterman said the wholesale business had gotten stronger and the company was able to open its first retail location.

“Really I think people connected between our company and the fact that we’re a local Milwaukee chocolatier and things just steadily kept growing and taking off from there,”

Chocolate bars are prepared for packaging.

INDULGENCE CHOCOLATIERS LLC 211 S. Second Street, Milwaukee 6538 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa 4525 N. Oakland Ave., Shorewood INDUSTRY: Artisan confections EMPLOYEES: 30 to 35 indulgencechocolatiers.com Waterman said.

Retail locations in Walker’s Point, Shorewood and Wauwatosa give Indulgence the chance to educate consumers, whether it’s where a chocolate came from or how best to pair it with wine, beer, cheese or whiskey.

Wholesale, on the other hand, is the bread and butter of the business.

“It gives us a lot more diversity in locations and types of people we can reach with our chocolate and just greater opportunity to spread out without spreading ourselves too thin,” Waterman said.

Continuing to grow while maintaining high quality and an artisan touch is among the challenges for Indulgence.

“It’s one of our biggest struggles because that takes space and it takes manpower and it’s a constant balancing act to keep everything in motion,” Waterman said. “We’ve got a really fantastic team here and I think being surrounded by good people is absolutely what makes everything click.”

Waterman is aware the food industry has a reputation for employees being overworked and underpaid, while also being difficult to turn into a career.

“It’s our goal to break that food industry stereotype,” she said. “I want this to be a place and an environment where people can make a career, make a good living and still do what they’re passionate about.”

Each year, Waterman holds a meeting in January with full-time employees to discuss where the company is headed. She said she has a few ideas for future growth that are partially driven by giving employees an opportunity to grow with the company.

“We’ll grow as much as the Milwaukee community will let us,” she said. n

ARTHUR THOMAS Reporter

P / 414-336-7123 E / arthur.thomas@biztimes.com T / @arthur8823

biztimes.com / 13

Real Estate

@BIZTIMESMEDIA – Real-time news

The land Hintz Holdings has listed for $32 million.

Nearby land owners attempting to cash in on Foxconn

The owners of 430 acres of land in Caledonia, which includes South Hills Country Club, is counting on the Foxconn effect to dramatically increase the value of their property.

Hintz Holdings LLC has listed its land, located just south of Golf Road, between I-94 and Highway V, for $32 million.

That’s $74,419 per acre, about $11,000 more than the $63,433 per

acre Foxconn Technology Group’s developer agreement estimates it will cost to acquire the land necessary to build its mega manufacturing facility in Mount Pleasant.

Dan Hintz purchased the Caledonia site in 2008, anticipating the I-94 corridor from Milwaukee County to the state line would eventually attract development.

He was right. Over the past five years, momentum along the I-94 north-south corridor has taken off, with companies including Uline Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. moving into Wisconsin and creating hundreds of jobs.

In October, Foxconn announced it would build its $10 billion manufacturing plant just east of I-94, between Braun Road and Highway KR in Mount Pleasant, about three miles south of Hintz’s land.

The Hintz family has considered selling in the past.

In 2013, the property, which includes one mile of frontage along I-94, was listed for $30,000 an acre.

“Our decision to actively market once again and our new valuation is not based entirely upon the Foxconn development. However, we do feel that it certainly adds to the assessment of an already unique piece of property with valuable extensive interstate exposure,” said Alex Hintz, managing member of

FEATURED DEAL: F O R M E R N O R T H R I D G E MALL BOSTON STORE BUILDING

ADDRESS: 8110 W. Brown Deer Road BUYER: City of Milwaukee SELLER: William Penzey CLOSING DATE: End of year SALE PRICE: $0

14 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 18, 2017

The owner of Penzeys Spices is planning to transfer ownership by year-end of the former Northridge Mall Boston Store building on Milwaukee’s far northwest side to the city for future redevelopment.

The gift will allow the city to move forward with long-awaited plans to redevelop the site and its surrounding land. The property includes the former 153,000-squarefoot department store, parking lot and ring road surrounding the store.

It could be redeveloped into two to three industrial buildings, a sit-down family restaurant and a community commons area, depending on what the market calls for, said Rocky Marcoux, commissioner for the Department of City Development.

Northridge Mall was closed in 2003. Penzey attempted to buy the mall property out of foreclosure in 2013 from China-based U.S. Black Spruce Enterprise Group Inc. He intended to move the corporate offices of Penzeys Spices from the Town of Brookfield and revitalize the long-vacant mall into a center for food retail, warehousing and distribution. But, unable to acquire the entire mall, his plans for the site never moved forward.

Hintz Holdings and Dan’s son.

The Hintzs have been operating South Hills Country Club for almost as long as they’ve owned the property. The original tenant went out of business and Dan Hintz purchased the equipment and assumed ownership.

“We will be open in spring 2018 and expect to continue until we have a signed offer on the land,” Alex said.

The Hintzs are marketing the property themselves, with Alex taking the lead. He said there have been interested parties.

Certain sites near the Foxconn development have been targeted by developers. Northbrook, Illinois-based Stack Real Estate LLC, led by Jeffrey Rothbart, has three sites in Mount Pleasant and Sturtevant totaling 220 acres under contract to purchase.

Rothbart did not disclose how much he is planning to pay per acre when he closes on the land within the next 18 months.

Rothbart’s sites, however, have water and sewer connections. The parcel the Hintz family is marketing does not. But Alex said the infrastructure is on Highway K, and a developer could easily hook up to the utilities.

“We didn’t pursue it because we are not developing the land,” he said.

Jim Barry III, president of Milwaukee-based commercial real estate firm The Barry Co., said the Foxconn effect has ramped up interest from both buyers and landowners along the I-94 northsouth corridor.

“I met with someone last week interested in investing along the corridor, which is definitely a hot commodity right now and being looked at seriously for future opportunities,” Barry said. “Land value is supposed to move from the lower end, which is agricultural, to the higher commercial use, and that is the direction it is headed.”

Jeff Hoffman, a partner with Cushman & Wakefield | The Boerke Co., said people in Wisconsin are not used to hearing about $10 billion developments with 13,000 employees, and what that could

mean for a region. Some landowners might have unrealistic expectations of the impact of the Foxconn project, he said.

“I think for local property owners, they are seeing this as the next gold rush and it is very exciting,” Hoffman said. “But based on how these mega campuses develop, it is not reality.”

Hoffman, who specializes in industrial real estate and has focused on the I-94 north-south corridor, said the challenge for landowners there who want to sell is that there is a lot of land available, and most of the actual development will be taking place on Foxconn’s site.

The first phase of Foxconn Technology Group’s LCD campus in Mount Pleasant could include five buildings with a footprint of at least 500,000 square feet, including two that would exceed 1.5 million square feet, according to the latest plans submitted to the village.

Phase two could include another five facilities exceeding 400,000 square feet.

Hoffman said the Foxconn project will be transformational – but mostly for Foxconn. Residential and retail development will follow, but the industrial development will primarily be on the Foxconn site itself, he said.

“It’s not like this is being built in the middle of downtown Milwaukee or Chicago,” Hoffman said.

“You can go from Oak Creek to Kenosha and there has been a lot of development, but there are still a lot of open farm fields that can be developed. Land is not an issue.” n

HENDRICKS DELAFIELD APARTMENTS Hendricks Commercial Properties LLC is proposing a five-story mixed-use building in downtown Delafield at a site currently occupied by a BP gas station.

The 107,147-square-foot project would include 23,961 square feet of retail on the first floor and 42 two- and three-bedroom apartments on floors two through five, according to plans submitted to the city.

There would be 84 parking spaces on the lower level of the building and 19 exterior spaces.

Renderings by Oconomowoc-based Johnson Design Inc. show a modern-looking building that is a departure from the Williamsburg architectural style that has dominated downtown Delafield.

The city plan commission has reviewed conceptual site plans, but has not voted on the proposal.

OWNER: Gary Nuernberger DEVELOPER: Hendricks Commercial Properties LLC LOCATION: 705 Genesee St., Delafield

CORRINNE HESS Reporter

P / 414-336-7116 E / corri.hess@biztimes.com T / @CorriHess

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STORY COVER

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2 017 C E L E B R AT I N G BUSINESS GROWTH As 2017 winds down, we take an opportunity to reflect on the businesses and leaders that made news this year and honor them with the fifth annual BizTimes Best in Business recognition.

This section honors staff selections for southeastern Wisconsin’s corporation, small business, family-owned business, chief executive officer and community leader of the year.

Past winners include: Direct Supply Inc., Rinka Chung Architecture Inc., Rev Group Inc. CEO Tim Sullivan, Milwaukee Bucks president Peter Feigin, WEC Energy Group Inc., Gehl Foods LLC, Steinhafels Inc., Allen Edmonds Corp. CEO Paul Grangaard, Badger Meter Inc. CEO Rich Meeusen, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce president Tim Sheehy, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., Generac Power Systems Inc., Uline Inc. and Bartolotta Restaurant Group LLC. This year’s winners are: Foxconn Technology Group, which plans to build a massive LCD plant in Mount Pleasant that could eventually employ 13,000; Aurora Health Care Inc. president and CEO Dr. Nick Turkal, who is leading the organization as it plans several new facilities and a merger with Illinois-based Advocate Health Care Inc.; Access HealthNet LLC, a rapidly growing startup company in Milwaukee; Coakley Brothers Co., which is renovating its headquarters in Milwaukee and added a major piece of art on top of the building; and JoAnne Johnson-Sabir, who is leading the Sherman Phoenix project, which will provide a hub for entrepreneurs in the Sherman Park neighborhood.

Read all about what these companies and leaders accomplished in 2017 in this special report.

16 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 18, 2017

CORPORATION OF THE YEAR:

FOXCONN TECHNOLOGY GROUP

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BY ARTHUR THOMAS, staff writer When President Donald Trump mentioned during a June stop at Waukesha County Technical College that he and Gov. Scott Walker had been negotiating with “a major, major incredible manufacturer” it was the first public hint of something that could remake Wisconsin’s economy for generations to come.

Foxconn Technology Group’s announcement in late July of its plan to invest $10 billion to create 13,000 jobs at an LCD manufacturing plant in Mount Pleasant are unlike anything the state has seen before.

A White House announcement that the company chose Wisconsin was followed by a Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce welcome party at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

There were bold proclamations of the project putting Wisconsin on the map globally and the creation of an advanced manufacturing and electronics technology ecosystem that Walker called “Wisconn Valley.”

But the early fanfare quickly gave way to political division. Opponents of the project pointed to Foxconn’s promises for investment that didn’t pan out in Brazil, Pennsylvania and Indonesia as reasons to doubt the Wisconsin project would become reality. Critics also questioned the company’s track record on treatment of workers and the environment. What initially seemed like a chance for broad bipartisanship ended with support from just a few Racine- and Kenosha-area Democrats.

Before long, polls were suggesting the state was paying too much or that Walker struck the deal with his re-election in mind. Lawmakers and the public pressed the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. to provide more details before the contract awarding $3 billion in state incentives was made final.

The agency did bend a little, but ultimately voted on the deal in closed session. Days later, Walker and Foxconn chairman Terry Gou signed the contract at the headquarters of S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. in Racine.

In addition to the state incentives, Mount Pleasant officials created a tax increment financing district for the Foxconn project to fund a $764 million investment that will include land acquisition, infrastructure upgrades, financing expenses and contingencies.

Landing Foxconn has prompted local leaders to

Foxconn chairman Terry Gou and Gov. Scott Walker hold up the signed contract awarding the company up to $3 billion in state incentives.

be more ambitious when it comes to what is possible for southeastern Wisconsin. Those leaders are talking more urgently about the need to collaborate across boundaries and political divisions. The project has also engaged residents around the region in discussions about the future direction of the economy. For these reasons, Foxconn is the BizTimes Best in Business Corporation of the Year for 2017.

In a statement, Foxconn said it chose Wisconsin for many reasons, including the state’s “talented and hardworking workforce,” a strong partnership with Walker and WEDC, and a warm welcome from the public and local officials.

“We look forward to being a part of the Wisconsin community and contributing to its transformation through the significant direct and indirect value that our operations will generate, and we will do so while ensuring that the very things that attracted us to Wisconsin, including its long track record in advanced manufacturing, favorable quality of life and pristine environment, are protected and nurtured,” the statement said.

Plenty has been written and said about the incentives being offered to the company. For some, the price tag was just too high.

“I think $3 billion in one industry that’s prone to technological changes is too much” said state Rep. Dana Wachs, an Eau Claire Democrat, WEDC board member and candidate for governor. He suggested the money could be better used to fund startups. “This deal is too risky in general.”

Whether the Foxconn deal pays off or not is an issue that will play out over the next several de-

cades. Walker believes it will create middle-class jobs that support families. During the contract signing, he suggested in the future people would describe the “visionaries back in 2017 who said we’re going to partner with a world-class company who wants to bring good-paying, family-supporting, sustaining jobs to America and we were proud to say they chose Wisconsin and forever more we’ll be blessed because of it.”

That people will be talking about Foxconn for years to come seems to be the one sure thing. Critics of the deal aren’t wrong; the company’s industry changes rapidly. That’s one reason it has set aggressive timelines from the start. Supporters also argue Foxconn has shown an ability to adapt after more than four decades in business.

The bet Foxconn is making is on the 8K+5G ecosystem, which takes advantage of the next generation of screen resolution and cellular connections.

The company’s leaders believe it can lead to significant changes not just in how people watch television, but also in industries like automotive, defense, medicine, education and advanced manufacturing.

“We believe that the Wisconsin campus will be a flag-bearer for intelligent manufacturing in the Industry 4.0 era, and help position Wisconsin as a global leader in high-technology advanced manufacturing,” the company statement said. “The Wisconsin campus will also provide a platform for the development of next-generation hardware and solutions as part of our 8K+5G ecosystem, and serve a catalytic role in cultivating a new class of vertical solution providers.” biztimes.com / 17

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CEO OF THE YEAR:

NICK TURKAL KAT SCHLEICHER PHOTOGRAPHY

CEO of t he Year

BY LAUREN ANDERSON, staff writer It’s been a big year for Aurora Health Care Inc. Within the first four months of 2017, the Milwaukee-based health system had announced plans for new building projects totaling nearly $510 million. The rush of building activity set the pace for the year, as Wisconsin’s largest health system plans new clinics and medical centers, hires more employees and grows its market share in the state’s southeast region.

The biggest announcement, however, certainly came last this year. Aurora announced plans earlier this month to merge with Advocate Health Care, the largest health care system in Illinois, touting the organizations’ combined ability to create greater efficiencies and transform delivery of care.

The union would form the 10th largest nonprofit health care system in the United States, with annual revenues of about $11 billion and a total of 73,000 employees.

In announcing those plans, Turkal, who, under the merger, would become co-CEO with Advocate Health Care CEO Jim Skogsbergh, touted the “unprecedented opportunity” to shape the organization’s future and better serve patients.

For leading those efforts, Turkal is the BizTimes Best in Business 2017 CEO of the Year.

Whether discussing building projects, health care policy or the merger, Turkal, a former physician who’s led Aurora since 2006, tends to bring conversations back to patients.

“For us, it’s not about bricks and mortar, but about enhancing access to health care people need, when and where they need it most,” Turkal said of Aurora’s building plans. “This includes offering more outpatient and ambulatory surgery centers, which reflects the fact that more than half the care we provide is outpatient-based. This is where health care is going from a care standpoint.”

In January, Aurora announced plans to build a $130 million medical office building and outpatient care center in Kenosha, expanding its presence in the market, where it has been since 1995. The 200,000-square-foot project is expected to create an estimated 140 new jobs.

In March, the system announced it would build a $55 million ambulatory surgery center and medical office building at the 84South development in Greenfield. The 130,000-square-foot, multi-story facility will include general surgery, orthopedics, pediatrics, GI, pain management and urology.

18 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 18, 2017

Nick Turkal

The following month, the system announced the largest of its projects this year: a new, $324 million hospital in Kohler to replace the Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center.

Other projects have come to fruition this year, including a new $17 million, 30,000-square-foot health center on East Ryan Road in Oak Creek, which opened in September and replaced Aurora’s nearby 20-year-old clinic at 331 E. Puetz Road.

Aurora has seen growth in revenue in 2017.

The health system posted $2.6 billion in revenue in the first half of 2017, up from $2.5 billion in the same period in 2016. Increased spending on salaries and supplies, meanwhile, has cut into its operating income, which was down 11.6 percent in the first half of 2017. The increase in spending on salaries and supplies reflects increased patient volumes over the prior year, the system said.

As of Sept. 1, Aurora, the largest private-sector employer in the Milwaukee area, had 33,949 employees, up from 32,720 at the same time last year.

Innovation continues to be a focus for the or-

ganization, and both Aurora and Advocate touted the financial flexibility to expand investment and scale innovation under the merger.

As the health system seeks innovations to increase the cost efficiency of operations, it is also making an investment in the region’s startup scene. The system recently announced its $5 million commitment to support health-related startups in Milwaukee with its new InvestMKE initiative, which coincides with a similar initiative from Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. Through the initiative, Aurora will co-invest, alongside Northwestern Mutual’s new Cream City Venture Capital fund and other investment professionals, up to $1 million in early-stage health-related companies.

“Startups are at the forefront of the technology revolution and changing how we live and work,” Turkal said. “We’re fortunate to have a talented pool of entrepreneurs in the Milwaukee area who are solving problems in a variety of industries, including health care, and that pool needs to grow.”

The world is always changing.

Our commitment never will.

At Aurora Health Care, we believe our collective health and wellness comes first. That’s why we’re committed to the communities where we live and work. It’s why we strive to make meaningful connections with the people around us. It’s what drives us to offer better ways to access care. Because we know that we all live better when we care for each other.

x88801 (11/17) ©AHC

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ACCESS HEALTHNET

iness of the Year

LILA ARYAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Small Bus

SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR:

BY MOLLY DILL, staff writer About a year ago, Milwaukee health care startup Access HealthNet revealed it would move into a much larger office space and hire 50 employees in 2017.

At that point, the company had 22 employees and was based out of a 3,000-square-foot office at the Shops of Grand Avenue.

Today, Access is headquartered in a 14,000-square-foot space at 105 W. Michigan St. and while it didn’t meet its initial hiring timeline, has grown to about 40 employees. The company also raised a $3.5 million series A round in June and is already in the midst of completing a $3 million series B round with the help of some unnamed local venture groups. The funds are being used for expansion and operating capital.

Local investors include John Torinus and Tom Schuster of Wisconsin Super Angel Fund, as well as Howard Frankenthal, president of Mequon-based food distributor Frankenthal International Ltd. “Fundraising itself has been brisk and the interest has been high,” said Eric Haberichter, co-founder and chief executive officer of Access.

The startup coordinates between payers and providers to bundle health care services and offer each for a predetermined flat fee. It’s an increasingly popular solution in an age of escalating health care costs and complex reimbursement structures. For its disruptive approach to health care costs and its rapid growth, Access HealthNet is the BizTimes Best in Business 2017 Small Business of the Year.

Back in December 2016, Access HealthNet had 4,000 providers under contract nationally. Now, it has more than 7,000 provider locations, with another 2,700 in the pipeline. The company has 20 distributor contracts, and has priced out more than 1,200 health care bundles.

“It’s not just that we have 20 clients; we have 20 people with client bases that are enrolling in our platform,” Haberichter said.

Haberichter said Access HealthNet is glad to be part of a burgeoning tech scene in Milwaukee, especially since some of the other startups are potential collaborators.

While Access experienced rapid growth in 2017, “2018 is really going to be our breakout year,” he said. “There are a lot of exciting new partnerships with local vendors on both the provider and technology side that are really going to 20 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 18, 2017

Eric Haberichter

propel the company forward.”

For example, last month Access HealthNet landed a major Wisconsin health care provider, the Marshfield Clinic, which has more than 50 locations in the northern half of the state.

The startup plans to undertake another hiring push in early 2018 as a number of new clients come on board with the Jan. 1 start of many plan years.

Access has also had success on the employer side. Brokers like M3 Insurance and Hays Cos. are on board.

“I think it’s just a matter of timing. It’s the right place, the right time,” Haberichter said. “Something that’s about disrupting and controlling the cost of health care, there’s hardly a better place for it to come from.

“We also have an employer base here that although they might be very conservative in terms of change, they’re very loyal to their employees and right now I think the idea of controlling the cost of health benefits while making it more affordable to employees is important.”

Access HealthNet allows employers to take some control of health care spending in a proactive way, which has resonated with them, he said. At the same time, providers get a more reliable payment, so their profits increase.

“The demand for employees has grown to where employers are trying to make their health plans richer, not leaner,” he said. “A product like ours fits into that, so that timing is very right. People are also very sick of the out-of-control nature, they feel, of health care. Everything’s changing without them having any say.”

Because it isn’t replacing an existing product in the marketplace, Access is actually creating new employment for Wisconsin rather than shifting it around, he said. And the employees at Access believe in the product, so several of them have left big money jobs to join the team.

“We also learned so much over the last couple of years,” Haberichter said. “On a daily basis, I’m more proud than anything of the talent that we’ve been able to attract to the team.”

FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR:

COAKLEY BROTHERS CO. Since July, Coakley Brothers Co. has been renovating its headquarters in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood.

Once the $6 million project is complete in spring 2018, the 175,000-square-foot building at 400 S. Fifth St. will have major façade updates on its exterior, while its original wood beams, trusses, Cream City brick and concrete floors are exposed.

The project reaffirms the 129-year-old family business’ commitment to the neighborhood.

It is also a symbol of the success of Coakley’s Brothers Business Interiors division, launched in 2012.

But despite the project’s significance, Coakley Brothers garnered even more attention this fall when chief executive officer Peggy Coakley commissioned an artist from Brooklyn to install a 20-foot-tall piece of art on top of the company’s building.

Coakley was driving to a conference on a dreary day in New York City in November 2016. She rounded the corner and saw a piece of stainedglass art in the shape of a water tower tank on the top of Brooklyn artist Tom Fruin’s studio.

“I was captivated,” Coakley said. “It was very striking and very beautiful and I thought to myself, ‘My goodness, I have a 40-foot water tower base on the top of my building with nothing on top.

What if I could bring that to Milwaukee?’”

For its commitment to growing its business and providing community artwork in Milwaukee, Coakley Brothers is the BizTimes Best in Business 2017 Family-Owned Business of the Year.

Coakley contacted Fruin and described the Coakley Brothers headquarters. The two began working together and in less than a year, Fruin had built the pieces in his studio and was bringing them to Milwaukee. It took a week to assemble the artwork, like Lego pieces, in the Coakley Brothers parking lot.

“The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive,” Coakley said. “There is a lot of joy here and it is something that almost has become a gift to the neighborhood and a gift to the city. When I look at it I feel like the day is still so full of promise.”

Johanna Coakley emigrated from County Cork, Ireland in the belly of a lumber boat with her eight children the 1830s and settled in Milwaukee.

In 1888, her grandsons would go by horse and

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Fam i ly-

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BY CORRINNE HESS, staff writer

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Peggy Coakley at the Coakley Brothers water tower installation.

buggy to the railroad stations and shipyards and pick up trunks and other products being delivered and take them to people all over the community, launching the Coakley Brothers business.

“We still do the same today,” Coakley said. “A little bit of hard work and care never go out of style.

We have our eye on the future to be pertinent to our clients, but are still very rooted in our history.”

Coakley Brothers has evolved from delivering packages by horse and buggy into the largest commercial moving and storage company in Milwaukee.

Initially, Peggy Coakley’s primary goal was never to work for the family business. After school, she moved to Atlanta, where she worked for two years. But then she came home to Milwaukee and joined the company in 1986.

Peggy was the first woman to run the business when she became president in 1999, and the first woman to own the business when she succeeded her father, Neil Coakley, in 2003, becoming the

fourth-generation CEO. Under Peggy Coakley’s leadership, the company began selling office furniture, and since the launch of the Brothers Business Interiors division, Coakley Brothers has worked with clients from pre-construction or renovation through interior design.

The expansion was a byproduct of the postGreat Recession climate, when clients were looking for ways to be more creative with their space and Coakley Brothers wanted to make sure it was staying relevant.

With the renovation of Coakley Brothers’ own headquarters, Peggy Coakley said the company is able to experience for itself what it does for its clients.

“We’ve really cherished our location in this city.

We love this city and we are very committed to Milwaukee,” she said. “That is why we chose to stay here and do the renovation, and why I wanted to bring this public art here. The community has been very good to Coakley Brothers and we want to continue to support the community that supports us.” biztimes.com / 21

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COMMUNITY LEADER OF THE YEAR:

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Commun

it y Leader of t he Yea

DANA GAERTNER OF WHITE DOG PHOTOGRAPHY

JOANNE JOHNSON-SABIR

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BY LAUREN ANDERSON, staff writer In the weeks and months following the uprising in Milwaukee’s Sherman Park neighborhood in the summer of 2016, there was plenty of talk.

The unrest, prompted by the officer-involved fatal shooting of 23-year-old Sylville Smith, gave rise to a sense of urgency, as community forums convened around the question of what could be done about the city’s deep-seated social and economic disparities.

JoAnne Johnson-Sabir envisions her new project, the Sherman Phoenix, becoming an example of taking action to address those disparities. In recognition of her efforts to heal Sherman Park, JoAnne Johnson-Sabir is the BizTimes Best in Business 2017 Community Leader of the Year.

Johnson-Sabir, joined by Milwaukee developer Juli Kaufmann, has set out to redevelop the former BMO Harris Bank branch at 3536 W. Fond du Lac Ave., a longtime fixture in Sherman Park that was burned during the unrest, and transform it into a hub for local entrepreneurs.

“We’ve been in circles around conversations relative to segregation, relative to the economy and education,” Johnson-Sabir said. “Now this (project) is not going to be a panacea, but it will be a model of starting somewhere, of starting at a place that could potentially have significant impact. We’re moving from this inspired conversation to being inspired to take action.”

Set to open in the spring, the renovated building will house about a dozen businesses and feature a food hall, outdoor patio and gathering spaces for community events. Once it’s up and running, the project is expected to create 45 jobs.

The idea emerged as Johnson-Sabir began planning to grow her own business. She started The Juice Kitchen, a wellness-focused smoothie and juice bar in Milwaukee’s Lindsay Heights neighborhood, with her husband Maanaan Sabir in 2015 as part of a multi-use commercial development on the corner of North 16th Street and West North Avenue.

Around the time of the Sherman Park unrest, the New York Times featured the Sabirs in an article about segregation in the city. When the article was published, Kaufmann, who focuses on urban development projects, called Johnson-Sabir, asking if she was ready to take her business to Sherman Park.

“We said, ‘We’re willing. Let’s do it,’” Johnson-Sabir said.

22 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 18, 2017

JoAnne Johnson-Sabir

The pair saw potential in the 20,000-squarefoot bank building. And Johnson-Sabir saw a chance to provide more opportunities for entrepreneurs like herself.

“Through our two years of bricks and mortar (at The Juice Kitchen), we’ve just been inundated by entrepreneurs wanting support and looking for space and paying large sums of rent but wanting to be in the community and stay in Milwaukee,” she said. “So from there, we said, ‘Let’s grow this. Let’s grow what we know works. Let’s grow and cultivate the spirit of entrepreneurship in a hub.’”

A dozen black-owned businesses have signed on to the Sherman Phoenix project. They include The Juice Kitchen, Funky Fresh Spring Rolls, Embody Yoga, Sabir’s Karate Center, Hello Beautiful, RSVP Confections, Queens Closet Consignment Shop, #DreamsNeverExpire!, Sister Locs, Rees Barbershop, Studio 69 and Buffalo Boss.

Those connections have grown organically, as Johnson-Sabir stresses the role of building relationships to bring about change.

“We know that relationships are the foun-

dation of any long-lasting, significant, impactful change in communities,” she said. “So we’re nurturing relationships, and leaning in to my husband Maanaan’s ability to look at everybody as an asset and listening to the desires of the community.”

More than simply listening to those desires, the Sherman Phoenix project aims to bring them to fruition – by eliminating barriers that often prevent minority entrepreneurs from pursuing their businesses.

“There is a need to be connected to something that lifts our spirits, that brings folks into the economy, that creates jobs, that does a little bit of everything that we’ve been wanting to see – everything we want to see in (healthy) communities, we’re working to create,” she said.

Part of the beauty of the project, Johnson-Sabir said, is that it’s replicable. While the Sherman Phoenix hasn’t yet left the ground, she already envisions more commercial streets in city neighborhoods becoming home to similar types of business hubs.

“It can be done over and over and over again,” she said. n

SPONSORED CONTENT

FORECASTING OPTIMISM FIRST BUSINESS ECONOMIC SURVEY PREDICTS ROBUST 2018 I FEEL LIKE A TRAILBLAZER as I just relocated from Illinois to Wisconsin to become President of the Milwaukee Region of First Business Bank. I believe there will be many more Illinoisans to follow given the very optimistic outlook for the state of Wisconsin and especially the southeastern part of the state. The contrast I have experienced as I transition between Illinois to Wisconsin has been dramatic. As I drove up I-94 from the western suburbs of Chicago to my office in Brookfield, I was alerted by the change in energy and tone of talk radio when I crossed the state line without needing to see the signs. For Illinois, it was all about the state budget crisis, soaring taxes, and the infighting in Springfield, in stark contrast to Wisconsin with a much more optimistic tone of record low unemployment, robust growth in manufacturing, budget surplus, and FoxConn entering the state.

What I experienced listening to talk radio is playing out in the results of our 9th annual First Business Economic Survey, which we conducted to provide a data-driven snapshot of southeastern Wisconsin’s middle market business owners’ predictions of the year ahead.

The survey results are released to correspond with the Waukesha County Business Alliance’s Key Industries panel event, which was founded by First Business in 2008. It’s designed to bring business owners, the Governor’s Office, and other

Mike Flynn President - Milwaukee Region First Business Bank

key centers of influence together to identify and discuss key industries that will help drive our economy and other issues critical to the success of southeastern Wisconsin in the coming year and beyond.

This is just a glimpse into the results of the survey. In 2017, sales revenue and profitability increases saw declines but continued to be strong — and decreases in sales revenue and profitability were near and at historic low levels respectively. Increases in the number of employees and wages alike reached new historic high levels. The percentage of companies increasing capital expenditures was sharply up to a new historic high, business leaders reporting an increase of total operating costs as a percentage of revenue set a new historic low, and there was an increase in the percent who reported higher prices. Overall, 2017 was a very positive year in the Greater Milwaukee area.

Projections for 2018 continue to be optimistic; increases in projected sales, profits, and hiring are all at new historic high levels. Seventy-seven percent project an improvement in overall business performance for 2018, and just 1% expect a decline — optimism continues to be strong.

Although some uncertainty could affect business activity (such as possible changes to the Affordable Care Act, corporate and individual tax rates and deductions, and potential political upheaval), it doesn’t seem to have affected current business performance or optimism for the year ahead. Business leaders say they’re capitalizing on the positive results by planning to diversify their client base in 2018, creating processes for generating innovative business ideas, creating or expanding leadership training tailored specifically to their needs, and making efforts to further integrate millennials in their company culture. Whether that materializes and makes companies better prepared for the next economic downturn — whenever it may occur— remains to be seen.

First Business is pleased to partner with Waukesha Business Alliance to help our local business owners and leaders with information and a forum to help them plan and navigate the competitive landscape, arming them with strategic financial solutions. We are invested in perpetuating and growing Wisconsin’s signature optimism that makes the state so livable, attractive, and prosperous. Bringing people and businesses together is at the core of what we do to add value to our community.

Member FDIC, First Business Bank 18500 W. Corporate Drive, Brookfield WI 53045.

For additional information, visit www.firstbusiness.com or call 262-792-7107.

biztimes.com / 23

KEY INDUSTRIES EVENT

HIGHLIGHTS WORKFORCE CONCERNS PANELISTS REPRESENT MANUFACTURING, CONSTRUCTION, CYBERSECURITY AND STAFFING SECTORS

By Maredithe Meyer, staff writer

WORKFORCE ISSUES remain among the greatest concerns for many of the state’s industries.

Leaders in the manufacturing, cybersecurity, construction and the staffing industry discussed their challenges at “Key Industries for Wisconsin in 2018 and Beyond,” hosted by the Waukesha County Business Alliance on Dec. 15.

Mike Flynn, Milwaukee market president of First Business Bank, moderated the discussion.

“Ask any business leader what keeps them up at night, and the talent shortage is sure to make the short list, if not top it,” said panelist Kelly Renz, president and chief executive officer of Novo Group Inc., Renz a Brookfield-based staffing agency. “With 10,000 U.S. citizens turning 65 every day, and with the smallest population of new workers entering the workforce in recent history, companies are hard-pressed to find and retain the best talent.”

Leading a business that helps companies in Wisconsin’s manufacturing, information technology, insurance, private equity and consulting industries find and hire employees, Renz understands the challenges of the current talent gap and believes the solution lies in the hands of those leading the affected organizations.

She suggests a need for “employment deals” – innovative and collaborative workspaces, flexible work schedules and locations, community involvement opportunities, and clear career progression – to meet the evolving needs of those who are entering, or have recently entered, the workforce; namely, the millennial generation.

According to a 2015 report by the Pew Research Center, more than one in three American workers are millennials, making the group the largest generation in the workforce. And as 24 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 18, 2017

a population that is often stereotyped as lazy or entitled, millennials are changing the way employers attract and retain talent.

“It’s not that millennials don’t want to work, it’s that they want to work with purpose,” Renz said. “They are even willing to take less pay to work for an organization they believe in. Millennials are not a lazy generation by any stretch.

However, they do not want to take just any opportunity that comes along. Instead, they carefully evaluate what the employment ‘deal’ is for their interests and goals.”

While some employers work to improve office culture and develop employment deals, others are turning to higher education to fill employment gaps.

This is the case for the cybersecurity industry, a sector that currently has 300,000 open jobs in the U.S. and 1.8 million open jobs globally that will not be filled by 2022, said Dr. Thomas Kaczmarek, director of Kaczmarek the Center for Cyber Security Awareness and Cyber Defense at Marquette University, who was also a panelist.

And with the ever-growing threat of national and global cyber hacking, almost all industries are affected by the cybersecurity worker shortage.

“Cybersecurity is everywhere – the financial area, supply chain management, insurance,” Kaczmarek said. “The criminals that are out there are getting very smart, very polished. It’s a dangerous world. If (a cyber hacker) knows you, your family members, where you live, your social security number and who your doctor is, they can they can even start pulling off fraud on the insurance companies.”

Until earlier this year, none of Wisconsin’s colleges or universities was certified to administer cybersecurity education. The University of

Wisconsin-Stout and Waukesha County Technical College recently became the first in the state to be designated as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

“There are mounting efforts in the state to fill the gap. We’re doing what we can,” Kaczmarek said. “There is also national attention to cybersecurity education. Steps are being taken, but the shortage is there.”

Wisconsin’s construction industry faces the same labor shortage problem. But unlike the cybersecurity industry, efforts in higher education are not the solution. That’s because the true shortage lies within the unskilled trades – jobs that often don’t require more than a high school degree to get hired.

“In our construction business – both land development and homebuilding – you don’t need specific training,” said panelist Matt Neumann, CEO of Neumann Companies, a residential real estate development Neumann firm. “You can get on-the-job training and work your way up pretty quickly, but we can’t even find people who will work for $15 to $20 an hour.”

For the manufacturing industry, the problem is only magnified by global competition. Sussex-based custom molding manufacturer Sussex IM Inc. can only pay its assembly line workers $10 to $12 an hour if Everson it wants to compete at a global level, said panelist Keith Everson, president of Sussex IM. As a result, the company has seen 850 temporary employees cycle in and out of its facility since May. Some only stay as long as an hour,

Scenes from the 2016 Key Industries event.

he said.

Increased automation and artificial intelligence are a root cause of the reduced wages for unskilled labor in the industry. Using a robot to load or assemble parts is simply more cost effective and efficient than employing a human to do the same job, Everson said.

“One hundred years ago, 30 percent of the workers in the U.S. were farmers,” he said.

“Today less than 2 percent of the workforce are farmers. Manufacturing will see a similar evolution. In Waukesha County, 20 to 25 percent of jobs are manufacturing-related, but those percentages will go down because of automation, robotics and artificial intelligence.”

In order to keep up with automated technology, Everson said, the manufacturing workforce in the near future will need to be more adept at mechanics and computer operations.

But for now, Everson is focused on just bringing in more workers.

“If you’re in our business, you have to have no skills at all,” he said. “You just need to speak some English and have some hand dexterity.

Plus, you’re working inside in a clean environment where it’s quiet and has heating and air conditioning. Business is increasing but we just don’t have the employees that we want.”

Neumann and Everson agreed that industry leaders need to connect with high school students and encourage them to pursue careers in the construction and manufacturing fields.

“There’s a future (construction) job available to (graduating high school students) today, if they want it and they can run their own business, probably inside of a couple years, if they want to,” Neumann said. “How many other businesses today can you start with very little to no capital and a couple of good friends?

There aren’t many and we view that as a huge advantage.” biztimes.com / 25

ANNUAL ECONOMIC SURVEY

2017 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Strong performance on sales and profitability in 2017 Hiring and wages saw record increases Capital expenditures were the same or higher for 90% of respondents (a further 49% expect an increase in 2018) Projections for increases in 2018 sales and profits are at historic high levels Hiring and wage increase projections for 2018 are record high The outlook for 2018 is positive, with 98% of companies expecting improved or unchanged performance

Will you perform better or worse overall in 2018 compared to 2017?

77%

21% 2% Worse

No Change

Better

Improved Performance Attributed To Increased sales efforts Increased marketing efforts Improved internal efficiencies Invested in new talent Expanded product offerings Invested in technology Increased prices Entered new geographic market Reduced staffing Competitor closed doors or was acquired Reduced salaries Introduced performance based compensation plan 0%

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10%

20%

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60%

Special Report FOOD & BEVERAGE

Brewery tanks in production at W.M. Sprinkman in Waukesha.

Craft beer offers opportunity for more than just brewers

By Arthur Thomas, staff writer

WHEN BRIAN SPRINKMAN has customers come to town, he’ll now have a real-world showroom to take them to on the edge of downtown Milwaukee.

Actually, it is more like three showrooms, as Waukesha-based W.M. Sprinkman Corp. is responsible for the brewhouses in three of the more high-profile brewery projects in Milwaukee over the past few years.

It started with a 10-barrel facility for the Pabst Milwaukee Brewery, then there was the 85-barrel brewhouse for MillerCoors LLC’s 10th Street brewery, and finally, the 60-barrel Milwaukee Brewing Co. project at the former Pabst complex.

“It was just a timing thing,” Sprinkman said of the three projects the company’s staff has referred to as the “beer triangle.”

The three breweries Sprinkman is working on are all within a mile of each other and represent the full range of Sprinkman’s work. While the Pabst project is mostly manual and the Milwaukee Brewing one involves some automation, the MillerCoors project takes things to another level.

“That’s an exciting project for us because it will represent our most automated brewery that we’ve ever built,” Sprinkman said. “It will be a very sophisticated craft brewery.”

It also helped to validate the decision made in 2016 to move W.M. Sprinkman’s headquar-

ters from Racine County to Waukesha. The company went from a 33,000-square-foot facility in the Town of Raymond to a 52,000-squarefoot building previously occupied by Oberlin Filter. That additional space has been useful as MillerCoors and Milwaukee Brewing tanks have made their way through production at the same time. Sprinkman said some of the MillerCoors tanks could not have been built at the previous facility and would have been made at its Elroy facility instead.

“It’s huge that we were able to build some of the MillerCoors tanks here in Waukesha,” he said.

Beyond the additional space, Sprinkman also made the move because of the efforts to develop a skilled workforce in Waukesha County. Sanitary stainless steel welding is a fairly niche skilled trade, Sprinkman pointed out, and the three projects and others promoted by growth in the craft beer industry may put additional demand on the company’s staff. But he added Sprinkman has worked well with Waukesha County Technical College to get students the right training and there are already eight graduates on staff, with another two starting next year.

“It’s proven to be fantastic,” Sprinkman said.

In the past several years, there has been an explosion in craft brewing. In the mid-2000s there were almost 1,500 breweries in the United biztimes.com / 27

States. The growth took off in 2010 and last year, there were roughly 5,400, according to the Brewers Association, a national trade group for small and independent craft brewers. Wisconsin alone has gone from 72 breweries in 2011 to 138 last year, according to the group’s data.

While the new breweries and brewpubs opening and expanding across the region draw headlines, the area is also home to a number of companies supplying the equipment to make beer. In addition to Sprinkman, there’s also New Berlin-based TechniBlend Inc. and its sister company ProBrew LLC, Oconomowoc-based Quality Tank Solutions LLC and Milwaukee-based Spike Brewing LLC. Derek Deubel, president of the two New Berlin-based companies, said TechniBlend serves larger beverage manufacturers, while ProBrew seeks to adapt the same technology to smaller, craft brewing situations.

Like Sprinkman, he praised the work done

by WCTC to train students for positions at his company, particularly in the areas of welding and automation technology. His companies currently have five welders under the age of 28.

“I didn’t expect to be able to find that,”

Deubel said.

The increase in the number of breweries has created plenty of competition, and that’s generated additional interest in the products made by equipment manufacturers.

“You just can’t be a new brewery anymore; you have to be different and you have to be good,” Deubel said.

He said brewers increasingly have to worry about producing a quality product consistently and efficiently.

“You better be able to give the same product back to the consumer again and again,” Deubel said.

Brewers are starting to turn toward manufacturing processes to meet those consumer demands and that plays directly into the hands of equipment makers. Deubel pointed to ProBrew’s centrifuge and carbonation offerings – which help speed up various parts of the brewing process – and improved packing equipment as two areas of growth.

“There’s a lot of entry-level equipment in the market,” Deubel said of canning and bottling lines. Many breweries have systems that can handle as little as 30 cans or bottles per

minute, he said, while ProBrew’s systems can process 90 cans or 50 bottles, while also adding quality assurance elements.

Sprinkman and ProBrew are located just a few miles apart and while their offerings diverge in some areas, the two companies are competitive when it comes to brewhouses.

ProBrew has been working on a new 20-barrel system for Waukesha-based Raised Grain Brewing Co. that will offer additional automation for the brewery.

Deubel said Raised Grain is a good example of a brewer that’s taken a steady approach.

“They started really small (and) brewed good beer,” he said.

There’s some concerns nationally as beer volumes level off that the industry has reached a saturation point. Deubel said he’s also worried that brewers turning toward more manufacturing processes could cause the industry to lose some of what makes it unique.

“I hope that doesn’t go away and I don’t think it will, because the brewers are very creative,” he said, noting the rise in popularity of barrel-aging, sour beers and the use of other ingredients. n

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Restaurant owners struggle with labor shortages DAN SIDNER moved to Milwaukee in 2004, coming to the city after a career working at restaurants on the West Coast and in resort towns in Colorado and North Carolina.

When he and business partner chef Joe Muench opened Maxie’s on the city’s west side in 2007, and later Blue’s Egg and Story Hill BKC, Sidner felt Milwaukee was as good a city as any where he had worked to find employees.

But as Milwaukee has experienced a surge in new restaurants opening and the unemployment rate has dipped, Sidner and many other restaurateurs are finding it difficult to staff their establishments.

And similar to how the manufacturing industry has struggled to fill its workforce, the restaurant industry is challenged to not only find employees, but also fill its pipeline with qualified, reliable workers.

“I still think we are better off than a lot of markets, but the circumstances now are much worse,” Sidner said. “There are still some great people in the market, but there’s lots of competition for those great people.”

Sidner spent several years working in Colorado, where he said restaurants are opening at an even faster rate than in Milwaukee. But population growth is flatter here, making it even more difficult for existing restaurateurs to find good employees.

“There are 10,000 people moving to the Front Range of Colorado,” Sidner said. “We’re getting hit from both ends. Far more restaurants than even three years ago, and a population that has not grown.”

Many of the area restaurant owners and chefs have partnered with Milwaukee Area Technical College, which offers degree programs in culinary arts, culinary management, baking and pastry arts, hotel/ hospitality management and meeting and event management, to find talent.

MATC’s program has been in place for more than 50 years and has graduated dozens of the city’s top chefs and restaurant owners, including Muench; Joe and Paul Bartolotta, owners of Bartolotta Restaurant Group LLC; Karen Bell, chef and owner of Bavette La Boucherie; Andy Schneider, chef and owner of Le Reve; and Brian Ward, chef and owner of Point Burger Bar and Ward’s House of Prime.

John Reiss, a chef and culinary instructor at 30 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 18, 2017

Matthew Martin, corporate director of talent acquisition for Marcus Hotels & Resorts, at Mason Street Grill. Martin said this is the most difficult labor market he has seen in 28 years.

LILA ARYAN PHOTOGRAPHY

By Corrinne Hess, staff writer

LILA ARYAN PHOTOGRAPHY

MATC, said what restaurateurs are experiencing in Milwaukee is a national problem.

“The business is tough because the pay isn’t that high, the benefits aren’t that great, it is a physically demanding job and you are working when everyone else is going out,” Reiss said. “It takes a certain kind of person to do that. Anytime the employment rate goes up, there will be pressures filling the jobs.”

MATC’s enrollment, like most colleges and technical schools across the country, is down because employment is up.

“We had a ton of students in 2010, but we are not at capacity anymore,” Reiss said. “There are more job requests than we can possibly fill, but we do everything we can to get students in the workplace.”

Andy Menchal, director of operations for MojoFuco Inc., who oversees Comet Cafe, Hi Hat Lounge, The Garage and Balzac Wine Bar, said while the restaurant boom in Milwaukee has been phenomenal to see, the talent pool has been diluted.

“We have been successful in retaining people and promoting from within, so you can start as a dishwasher and bartend a year or two

Restaurants are looking for new avenues to find workers.

later,” Menchal said. “But it has definitely gotten more competitive. You have to find other avenues to find employees. A couple of years ago you might have posted on (job site indeed. com). Now, you are boosting your posts to fill positions. It becomes a challenge to find good

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Matthew Martin, corporate director of talent acquisition for Milwaukee-based Marcus Hotels & Resorts, said hiring is cyclical, but he has never experienced workforce shortages this extreme.

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“Everybody is posting positions,” Martin said. “You walk into a Starbucks and they are having a hiring event. New technologies are helping the process, but the real challenge is getting people into the funnel.”

Martin has been involved in the Milwaukee Public Schools ProStart Program. Four MPS high schools participate in the two-year culinary program, which uses curriculum created by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation for high school students.

“Right now, there are two factors. So many jobs need to be filled, and people who don’t want to participate in the workforce,” Martin said.

Even in areas that might have a higher level of unemployment, there are factors keeping people out of the workforce, or not providing the pathways, that many people take for granted, Martin said.

“We have made such strides in the last year and come so far,” Martin said. “A lot has been the contributions of people around the table like Bartolotta, Potawatomi, VISIT Milwaukee and White Lodging. I feel like there has been a paradigm shift to support the communities.” n

2017 HEALTH CARE HEROES AWARDS The annual BizTimes Media Health Care Heroes Awards salute the impact and accomplishments of people and organizations that are making a positive difference in the community on the front lines of health care. In this special section, we share their stories to call attention to their efforts and innovations. The Health Care Heroes stories were written

by Alysha Schertz.

Presented By:

ADVANCEMENTS IN HEALTH CARE

ADVANCEMENTS IN HEALTH CARE

Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Dr. Johnny Hong

It was a condition no doctor at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin had ever treated. In April 2016, Thomas Richards was born at Ministry St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Marshfield. He was pale and silent.

But thanks to the medical expertise and resources at Children’s THE RICHARDS FAMILY WITH THE TEAM OF DOCTORS Hospital of Wisconsin, Medical ColRESPONSIBLE FOR SAVING THOMAS’ LIFE. lege of Wisconsin and St. Joseph’s, Richards would survive.

Cecilia Lang; and St. Joseph’s Children’s Doctors at St. Joseph’s stabilized him Hospital doctors Katie Dominguez, Nathan and within hours, Richards and his parents Schreiber and Babatunde Sobowale, coordiwere at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin nated Richards’ care. in Wauwatosa.

The team created a plan, based on work He had been born without a trachea or done by a doctor in Japan, to modify Richwindpipe. Babies born with this incredibly ards’ esophagus to create a new windpipe. rare condition typically die within hours.

Over the course of three months, the doctors Dr. John Densmore, a pediatric surperformed four surgeries and within five geon at CHW and associate professor of months, he and his parents returned home. surgery at the Medical College of WisconRichards turned 1 in April. He has expesin, alongside a team of highly specialized rienced no developmental delays. colleagues including CHW doctors and In September, the team completed the MCW professors and associate professors surgery that reconnected Thomas’ mouth to Mike Mitchell, Keith Oldham, Michael Mchis stomach, allowing him to eat food for the Cormick and Louella Amos; nurse specialist first time in his life.

Professor Mark B. Adams Chair in Surgery and director of Solid Organ Transplantation Medical College of Wisconsin At just 54 days old, Dominic Gibson became the youngest person ever to undergo a life-saving liver tumor removal surgery.

Gibson was born with a tumor consuming nearly 80 percent of his liver. Removing it would leave Gibson with a liver too small to allow DR. JOHNNY HONG him to survive.

Waiting for a liver transplant would alToday, Gibson is a happy, healthy and, low the cancerous tumor to continue to grow most importantly, cancer-free 1 year old. He and possibly spread. continues to hit his developmental milestones He was brought to Children’s Hospi- on time, thanks to the work of Hong and his tal of Wisconsin, where Dr. Johnny Hong team at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. successfully performed a world premiere “It is our obligation to push the envelope surgical procedure. and advocate for the patient,” Hong said.

Hong and his team cut off the blood Thanks to Hong’s innovative and prosupply to the tumor and isolated the healthy active thinking, CHW continues to be on the part of the liver. This allowed the healthy part leading edge of patient care. Hong hopes of the liver to continue to grow. Once the that the technique can provide hope and healthy portion of the liver was big enough more treatment options for patients with to support Gibson, Hong removed the tumor. similar situations. biztimes.com / 33

n 2017 HEALTH CARE HEROES AWARD WINNERS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Dr. Christina Wichman

Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan

Associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral medicine and obstetrics and gynecology Medical College of Wisconsin Mental health disorders are DR. CHRISTINA WICHMAN (RIGHT) SPEAKS WITH among the most common compliCOLLEAGUE DR. IMRAN IQBAL. cations of pregnancy, yet there is a severe shortage of specialty psychiatrists in es on the Medical College of Wisconsin website. the state dedicated to serving new or preg“The Periscope Project addresses the nant mothers. lack of perinatal psychiatric care providers by Dr. Christina Wichman has dedicated her increasing the reach and efficiency of these career as a researcher, educator and physician specialized health providers,” Wichman said. to improving the mental health of women.

“Together, we are building the capacity of priUnder her direction, the Medical Col- mary care providers to effectively manage and lege of Wisconsin launched The Perinatal coordinate care for their perinatal patients with Specialty Consult Psychiatry Extension Pro- psychiatric and behavioral health conditions.” ject, or The Periscope Project.

The project was started using a mulThe program seeks to fill the gap in ser- ti-year $1.2 million grant from the United vices by providing free resources for health Health Foundation. care providers caring for pregnant and postThe program will be led by a perinatal partum women. psychiatrist, staff from MCW’s Department of Through Periscope, women have access to Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, and a rereal-time consultations with a psychiatrist, comsearcher and health economist from the Univermunity resources and a variety of digital resourcsity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing.

Lutheran Social Services of THE LSS HOMME HOME YOUTH PROGRAM PROVIDES Wisconsin and Upper Michigan BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TREATMENT AND A FULLYhas taken a leadership role in ACCREDITED SCHOOL AT ITS CAMPUS IN WITTENBERG. treating behavioral health in children and young adults through a variety of outpatient mental health care to children different programs in the community. right at school. Students typically improve The LSS Homme Youth and Family Pro- class attendance and reduce other classroom gram is a nationally recognized treatment disruptions. program serving male youth who are trouIn 2014, the University of Wisconsin bled, traumatized and emotionally scarred. conducted a cost/benefit analysis of a single The treatment approach, combined with LSS PATH program. For that school year, 155 the peaceful campus located in Wittenberg, youth were treated and the net benefits of helps children and their families regain con- the program totaled $7.5 million, or approxitrol of their lives. mately $49,000 per student.

The organization also created the The study cited net benefits as a reducLSS Providing Access to Healing program tion in medical costs, increased productivity, that partners with the United Way to help decreased risk of suicide, and an increased teens overcome traditional roadblocks to quality of life for the students; a decrease mental health care, including scheduling in truancy and spending for behavioral and conflicts, insurance concerns and lack of counseling services for the school district; transportation. and cost avoidance in the criminal justice Through this program, LSS provides system for the community as a whole.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Khalid Nzinga

Dr. Andy Anderson

Prevention coordinator Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division

Chief medical officer Aurora Health Care Inc.

Khalid Nzinga knows prevention is key to eliminating long-term issues. She has been instrumental in leading efforts to improve awareness and public health in the community.

Nzinga, prevention coordinator for the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division, brought together more than 25 community organizations, nonprofits, health care systems, libraries and schools throughout southeastern Wisconsin during the Light and Unite Red campaign. Red is the color that represents substance abuse awareness.

The campaign sought to improve public health by educating teens, schools and parents about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse, while also engaging in prevention, treatment and recovery efforts during the National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week.

During the campaign, teen leaders delivered campaign messages through morning announcements at school, on social media, through public service announcements on school and community channels, at work34 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 18, 2017

KHALID NZINGA

shops and through lunchtime activities.

The campaign reached thousands of teens, and Nzinga helped broaden the campaign to the community by partnering with the Mitchell Park Domes, General Mitchell International Airport, the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Marquette Interchange, which all displayed red lights during the week.

Her efforts helped connect thousands of people with proper resources for alcohol and drug abuse information.

Her relationship with organizations throughout the community has helped Nzinga create similar awareness campaigns for Mental Health Awareness Month and her “I Choose” campaign, which showcased what people choose instead of drugs.

The prescription opioid abuse problem in this country has reached epidemic proportions. Every age group, every demographic and every community is affected. Doctors at Aurora Health Care Inc. are actively working to educate patients about the risks of prescription drug abuse, offer alternatives for effective pain management and provide resources to help curb the growing problem.

Under the direction of Dr. Andy Anderson, chief medical officer, Aurora has expanded behavioral health services across its system, created clear prescribing guidelines for narcotic pain medicines, and instituted education programs for all providers on how to identify narcotic abuse in patients.

Aurora has developed an oxy-free emergency department program that discourages the prescribing of opioids, and established the Maternal Addiction Recovery Center for pregnant women who are addicted to opioids.

Anderson has also helped position Aurora Health Care as a partner in the state’s efforts to combat the problem from multiple fronts.

DR. ANDY ANDERSON

Aurora facilities regularly host prescription drug drop-off events and the company has partnered with Attorney General Brad Schimel on the Wisconsin Dose of Reality campaign, which builds public awareness of the issue.

Legislatively, Aurora is working with Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette) and other members of the Legislature on the HOPE Agenda, which seeks to register pain clinics, require prescribers to check a database prior to prescribing opioids, and allow the purchase of Narcan without a prescription.

Aurora leaders, physicians and staff have seen firsthand what the epidemic is doing to families throughout the state, and remain committed to putting an end to the issue.

2017 HEALTH CARE HEROES AWARD WINNERS n COMMUNITY SERVICE

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Zeno Franco

HIV Prophylaxis Exposure Plan

Assistant professor in the Department of Family & Community Medicine Medical College of Wisconsin Zeno Franco specializes in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health concerns. He has partnered with Dryhootch, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting veterans with their return home from combat.

The organization provides a safe place for veterans to gather, and also provides services of all kinds, including health care.

In addition to his role at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Franco is the principal investigator for a five-year Healthier Wisconsin Partnership program called “Dryhootch iPeer: A Social & Technology Support Program for Veteran Mental Health.”

The program began in 2013, and seeks to improve access to trained peer mentor support for younger veterans at risk for mental health problems. Under Franco’s direction, the program uses a combination of face-toface support and telehealth opportunities to provide access to 21 trained peer mentors at Dryhootch locations throughout the region, and plans to continue its expansion.

Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

ZENO FRANCO

Franco also serves as the faculty coordinator for the DryHootch Partners for Veteran Health, a community-academic collaboration focused on improving outcomes for veterans across a wide variety of health and mental health outcomes.

He also serves as the principal investigator for the Clinical & Translational Science Institute of Southeast Wisconsin, a collaborative pilot project focused on detecting highrisk behaviors in veterans.

Through his research partnerships and involvement and volunteer work for DryHootch, Franco is focused on making a difference for veterans in the Milwaukee region, and addressing and treating mental health concerns that can often go undiagnosed and untreated.

The Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Emergency Department and Trauma Center unfortunately treats victims of sexual abuse on a regular basis. These children face many obstacles related to their sexual abuse, including the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease.

While some sexually transmitted diseases can be prevented with single-dose medications, HIV is treated with a 28-day prophylactic medication. Historically, victims would obtain a “starter kit” from the hospital, but would be required to obtain the remaining medication directly from a pharmacy.

Today, thanks to a collaboration among Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin leaders, Walgreens and a courier service, patients and their families can receive a full 28-day regimen of the medication before leaving the hospital.

Walgreens agreed to stock the previously hard-to-get medication, and dispense it as soon as possible.

CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OF WISCONSIN.

Staff at Children’s has developed a method and programming to educate patients and parents on how to use the medication effectively.

Since the implementation of the new program, CHW has developed a system to get families the medication they need; helped lessen family stress and inconvenience; and significantly reduced the drug expense to the hospital.

The program is unique to the region and not duplicated anywhere else in the U.S. It requires commitment and dedication to improving the lives of children throughout Wisconsin and strong collaboration among all parties involved.

CORPORATE ACHIEVEMENT IN HEALTH CARE

CORPORATE ACHIEVEMENT IN HEALTH CARE

Team Connect

Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s

Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division Remaining connected to patients after they are discharged is a critical part of their recovery. Milwaukee County’s Behavioral Health THE TEAM CONNECT TEAM. Division has made connecting with patients post-discharge a priority. licensed clinicians and certified peer specialIn June, BHD launched Team Connect, ists, works in pairs to follow up with individa program dedicated to providing additional ual patients post-discharge. follow-up services and support for individuals The peer specialists have lived through discharged from the division’s psychiatric crisimilar experiences, which allows them to sis services, observation and acute care units. connect to patients uniquely, encourage The group works to reduce the risk of harm conversation and support them on their reto individuals once they are discharged and covery journey. seeks to improve the links to ongoing care and Hospitals and care providers have disresources in the community. No other facility in charge plans for patients leaving the hosthe Milwaukee area provides such services. pital with medical conditions; this program “Our Behavioral Health Division is provides the same services for behavioral continuing to move forward with programhealth patients. matic changes that provide more commuThe program helps connect patients with nity-focused services,” said Milwaukee a variety of community resources post-disCounty Executive Chris Abele. “We heard charge to help with their transition. The team from our community that they need servicfollows up to make sure patients make it to es now and that they want peers involved their appointments, and connects them to at all levels of treatment.” outpatient therapy providers, disability serTeam Connect, a group of master’s level vices, recovery centers and other providers.

Dental disease is a leading cause of school absenteeism and is linked to long-term systemic health threats, diabetes, and heart and respiratory disease. Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s has launched the Seton Mobile DenTHE SETON MOBILE DENTAL CLINIC TEAM. tal Clinic to provide urgent dental services to children in Ascension’s Smart those students needed urgent care.

Smiles school-based oral health program.

The Seton Mobile Dental Clinic was The clinic is a coach bus outfitted with formed to serve those individuals. two patient areas, a sterilization area and a The Columbia St. Mary’s Foundation has waiting room. raised approximately $1.1 million in donaSmart Smiles provides screenings, oral tions to purchase and outfit the coach, and to health education, teeth cleaning, fluoride cover initial operating costs. treatments and dental sealants to prevent Lead donors include the Ronald McDoncavities for students at their schools. ald House Charities of Eastern Wisconsin, During the 2017 school year, Smart Evan and Marion Helfaer Foundation, Delta Smiles will provide preventive care to 11,000 Dental, Children’s Community Health Plan, children in 65 schools. Smart Smiles serves Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Walter and children in low-income families that have lit- Olive Stiemke Fund and Bank of the West. tle or no dental insurance.

The clinic seeks to keep children in Last year, Smart Smiles, served 10,600 schools so they can learn, and also lay the students; 4,000 had cavities and 700 of foundation for a lifetime of good oral health. biztimes.com / 35

n 2017 HEALTH CARE HEROES AWARD WINNERS CORPORATE ACHIEVEMENT IN HEALTH CARE

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Aurora Health Care Inc.

Dr. Mary Gavinski

Studies show that approximately 5 percent of health care patients account for nearly a quarter of all emergency department visits nationwide.

These “high utilizers” either don’t know how to navigate the health care system or don’t have access to other means of care.

Approximately 700 emergency department “high utilizers” have been identified in the Milwaukee area. It can be an expensive way to receive care, but for many, it’s all they know.

To break the cycle, Aurora Health Care Inc. has implemented its Coverage to Care program, which takes a comprehensive case management approach to individual care. Social workers team up directly with emergency department high utilizers to determine the factors contributing to their utilization rate.

Aurora staff works with patients to educate them on the health care system, and to understand the social and environmental issues that impact the patients’ ability to take a proactive approach to their health care.

The program, first launched at Aurora Sinai Medical Center in Milwaukee, was quickly expanded to Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center, as well. Aurora saw a 39 percent

36 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 18, 2017

Chief Medical Officer Community Care Inc.

ERIN STUMBRAS HELPS “HIGH UTILIZERS” LEARN ABOUT THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.

decrease in emergency visits by Coverage to Care patients at Aurora Sinai and a 68 percent decrease in visits at St. Luke’s.

The Coverage to Care program strives to educate and advocate for proper use of the health care system.

Once patients have successfully navigated the health care system for six months with the help of a social worker, they are transitioned out of the program with the knowledge of how to appropriately and cost effectively manage their own care.

Dr. Mary Gavinski has been instrumental in shaping and championing the care of the region’s elderly for more than 30 years.

Gavinski is an internist and a geriatrician and was the driving force behind the development of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly in Milwaukee.

PACE is considered one of the national gold standards of care for the elderly.

Gavinski currently serves as chief medical officer for Community Care Inc., an integrated primary, acute and long-term care provider.

The Community Care PACE Program is the only PACE plan in Wisconsin and has been in operation for more than 25 years.

Community Care PACE currently serves more than 700 members in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties.

PACE helps frail and disabled individuals ages 55 and older live as independently as possible for as long as possible within the community.

Gavinski has provided technical assistance for integrated health and long-term

DR. MARY GAVINSKI

care models across the country and is actively involved with state and national initiatives to promote community-based care and integrated health care models.

She is an active member of the American Geriatrics Society, the American Medical Directors Association and the National PACE Association.

Gavinski has presented at local and national conferences on topics such as transitions of care, geriatric conditions, interdisciplinary care, reflective practice, the integration of primary care and longterm care services, Medicare and Medicaid services, and Community Care’s community-based, long-term care model.

2017 HEALTH CARE HEROES AWARD WINNERS n HEALTH CARE STAFF

HEALTH CARE STAFF

Shiela BentsonWebster

Lisa Hass-Peters

Director of health services Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi

Emergency preparedness coordinator Froedtert Health

As director of health services, Shiela Bentson-Webster is responsible for the health and well-being of 180 sisters at the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi. She is on call 24 hours a day SHIELA BENTSON-WEBSTER (RIGHT) IS RESPONSIBLE and works with her staff to ensure all FOR THE CARE AND COMFORT OF NEARLY 200 SISTERS of the sisters are safe and comfortable.

OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI. The sisters reside in several buildings throughout the campus, many of low Bentson-Webster and her staff to provide which are more than 100 years old. a consistent level of high-quality care for the Bentson-Webster has been instrumen- aging population of sisters. tal in the design and development of a new Under her leadership, the Sisters of St. convent for the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi.

Francis Memory Care Unit has flourished.

The new convent will replace the former Bentson-Webster and her staff have worked Marian Center for Nonprofits, a two-build- hard to help improve the cognitive abilities ing campus of rented office space for social and motor skills of many sisters who previjustice organizations, artists and community ously were in decline. She also introduced the groups at 3195 S. Superior St., St. Francis.

“Virtual Dementia Tour” to the convent. The It will include a two-story memory care tour provides her employees and some from unit, a two-story assisted living area, and other departments the opportunity to experiwill also integrate new technologies and ence some of the challenges and sensations building systems. associated with neurological disorders and Once complete, the new convent will al- memory loss through the use of technology.

When a crisis unfolds. Lisa Hass-Peters is there, making sure every last detail is accounted for.

Hass-Peters is a nurse and the LISA HASS-PETERS emergency preparedness coordinator for Froedtert Hospital, the region’s adult tance Team. Once there, Hass-Peters and Level 1 Trauma Center. She works tirelessly other medical, logistical and administrative with other members of the Milwaukee Re- personnel worked 12-hour shifts for 11 congional Medical Center campus to coordinate secutive days to augment support from local and prepare planned responses to potential resources. high-risk situations.

Outside of her work in emergency pre“Her enthusiasm for preparation disas- paredness and disaster recovery, Hass-Peter response in an effort to save lives is con- ters is a hero and an advocate for organ tagious,” a colleague once said. donation. She is a registered bone marrow Hass-Peters regularly leads groups of donor, and was also recently matched with hospital employees to the Federal Emer- an anonymous patient in need of an allogegency Management Agency’s Center for neic stem cell transplant.

Domestic Preparedness to ensure others are “My husband is the recipient of a liver trained, as well. transplant, times two,” Hass-Peters said.

The preparation paid off recently, when “I’ve been waiting for 20 years to give back Hass-Peters was deployed to support Hurri- and pay it forward. I’m grateful for the opporcane Irma disaster relief efforts as a member tunity to donate and encourage everyone to of the WIsconsin-1 Disaster Medical Assis- please consider donating as well.”

NURSE

NURSE

Kristie Brooke

Lauren Hubbard

Family nurse practitioner/ clinical assistant professor, Silver Spring Community Nursing Center University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing

Nurse manager Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division

KRISTIE BROOKE

A lot of heart goes into being a nurse, and Kristie Brooke’s clients experience her genuine care and concern for their overall well-being on a daily basis.

Brooke is an advanced practice nurse practitioner at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing’s Silver Spring Community Nursing Center.

The SSCNC is co-located in the Silver Spring Neighborhood Center and is one of two UW-Milwaukee nurse-led practice sites.

Patients at the SSCNC typically have limited or no access to nursing or health care.

Brooke serves as the director of primary care services at the center and is also the chairperson for the cross-site practice committee.

She began her work at Silver Spring in 2006, where she provides and coordinates the primary health care needs for clients

with multiple chronic diseases. Her expertise lies in the care of people with diabetes, heart disease and asthma.

Not only does Brooke readily make herself available as a resource to patients, staff and nurses at the SSCNC, but she also serves as a mentor and preceptor in support of student nurses in their professional clinical education.

According to her colleagues, Brooke has an ease with clients that fosters and maintains a sincere and caring therapeutic relationship.

She has been instrumental in the continuation of accessible, compassionate and quality health care to the underinsured and uninsured clients the SSCNC serves, and has spearheaded efforts with local and state agencies to expand the delivery of on-site services.

The Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division is the front line of care for individuals with acute behavioral health needs.

Five years ago, Lauren Hubbard returned to Milwaukee to serve as a mental health nurse for the BHD. In two short years, she was promoted to nurse manager.

Hubbard grew up in Milwaukee, but never realized the impact BHD’s services have on the community. She fell in love with the individuals the BHD serves and now knows that mental health nursing requires a unique set of skills: Someone who won’t back down during a crisis, but can also be compassionate when dealing with a severely misunderstood and stigmatized population.

“There’s a stigma out there about mental health,” Hubbard said. “We’re changing that.”

Hubbard has joined a team of nurse ambassadors to help educate nursing students and other nurses about careers in mental health nursing.

She regularly advocates for the field on television and radio, and actively attends

LAUREN HUBBARD

job fairs to answer questions from potential mental health nursing candidates.

Today, Hubbard serves as a role model for new mental health nurses and provides support for her staff, assisting with patients and helping to de-escalate situations as they arise. She educates mental health nurses daily on new ways to connect, and provides outstanding care to patients at BHD. “Lauren is a great listener; not every leader knows how to do that,” said Angela Post, nurse manager in crisis services at BHD. “She is prepared to listen and learn where she is most needed.” biztimes.com / 37

n 2017 HEALTH CARE HEROES AWARD WINNERS PHYSICIAN Dr. Kenneth Lee Associate professor of physical medicine and chief of Spinal Cord Injury division Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center Medical College of Wisconsin DR. KENNETH LEE

Dr. Kenneth Lee, associate professor of physical medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin and chief of the Spinal Cord Injury division at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, is an inspiration to the community and to his patients.

He is dedicated to his patients’ rehabilitation both inside and outside of the clinic, and strives to build strong doctor-patient relationships through camaraderie and deep, personal connections.

Lee is a doctor, a veteran and a teammate to his patients. He can relate to his patients and the struggles they’ve experienced with the difficulties of rehabilitation firsthand.

As a commander of a Wisconsin National Guard medical battalion in Iraq, Lee was seriously injured in a car bombing that resulted in a traumatic brain injury and multiple shrapnel injuries. He also experienced the

aftershocks of post-traumatic stress disorder following the attack.

Through his own experiences, Lee has developed new ways to help others.

In March, Lee was honored with the AMVETS Silver Helmet Award for excellence and outstanding contributions in the fields of Americanism, defense, congressional, civil service and rehabilitation. Previous winners of the award include Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy and Pope John Paul II. Lee, together with two other veterans, helped establish the Milwaukee Eagles Wheelchair Lacrosse team, and also serves as medical director for the National Veterans Wheelchair Games and the president of the board of Wisconsin Adaptive Sports Association.

Through sports, Lee provides disabled veterans a positive outlet and creates an encouraging community to help them heal.

THANK YOU! BizTimes Media applauds the 2017 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 2018 at biztimes.com/hero.

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Strategies LEADERSHIP

Reflection, connection, action We need to open our eyes to address racism in our society “ O ur lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

I realize that I have lived in a white bubble for a long time, and it is now that I am breaking the bubble, my mind and my heart wide open.

About six weeks ago, I joined a Conversation Circle through Professional Dimensions, an organization of 360 diverse women leaders in the metropolitan Milwaukee area committed to supporting one another in our personal and professional growth, while utilizing our collective resources to enhance the lives of women and girls in our community.

In 2006, a small group of PD members, led by Gwen Jackson, Mary Dowell and Pat Gorence, came together to explore how the organization could take a leadership role in making a sustainable difference in our community on the issue of racism. Drawing inspiration from the mantra “Reflection, Connection, Action,” committee members set out to create spaces for brave conversations to occur through facilitated Conversation Circles with a small group of racially diverse women in one an-

other’s homes. Ten years later, I offer musings from my limited experience in a Conversation Circle.

I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I thought I was “evolved,” open, aware; and at the same time, I knew I had so much more to learn.

I believed for a long time that “white privilege” meant white people who were born rich.

Since that wasn’t my experience, “white privilege” didn’t apply to me or my family. I grew up in Wheeling, West Virginia, and later in a suburb of Pittsburgh. I had no lived experience of a racially diverse community.

In many white circles, I hear statements like: “My parents and grandparents were poor. They needed to work hard to take themselves out of poverty. Why can’t black people do the same?”

Or, “White lives matter, too.” Or, ”How can they complain about police brutality when the percentage of black on black violence is so high?”

In the Conversation Circle, I have been introduced to a history that I did not recognize because it is a history that white people are not exposed to, and therefore we cannot appreciate the ways our past influences our present.

James Baldwin, American writer and social critic, wrote in the 1960s: “People who imagine that history flatters them (as it does, indeed, since they wrote it) are impaled on their history like a butterfly on a pin, and become incapable of changing themselves, or the world. This is the place in which, it seems to me, most white Americans find themselves. Impaled. They are dimly, or vividly, aware that the history they have fed themselves is mainly a lie, but they do not know how to release themselves from it, and they suffer enormously from the resulting personal incoherence.”

Tim Wise, passionate speaker and author of a number of books, including “White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son,” suggests that unless we are willing to interrogate our systems and understand our history, we will continue to rationalize racism. We will continue to ignore the facts that: »» Black men and women with a college degree are nearly 50 percent more likely to be unemployed than white people with college degrees. »» White households headed by a non-college

graduate have, on average, twice the net worth of a black household headed by a black college graduate.

If we are not willing to interrogate our systems and understand the truth of our history, we will ignore the fact that no white person wonders if he or she has been stopped by the police because of the color of his/her skin; denied a bank loan because of the color of his/her skin, etc.

If we don’t understand what came before, we cannot appreciate what is happening today.

We cannot understand an uprising against police brutality if we don’t appreciate that unarmed blacks are three times more likely to be shot than their unarmed white brothers and sisters.

I am grateful for what I am learning in the Conversation Circle, and it is hard to face the reality that my lack of awareness has contributed to ongoing racism.

This experience has been an invitation for me to break open the bubble. This article is an invitation to my white brothers and sisters who have power and influence to consider a serious review of our history, to look to understand the challenges for people of color, and to lend your voice, your power, your influence to changing the systems that keep us stuck.

I have hope that we will not be silent; that we will Reflect; we will Connect…We will ACT! n

KAREN VERNAL Karen Vernal is the president of Vernal Management Consultants LLC, a Milwaukee-based leadership and organizational firm. For more information, visit www.vernalmgmt.com. biztimes.com / 39

Strategies COACHING

Befriend mistakes Turn error into advantage

“ No one in the history of mankind has lived a mistake-free life.”

We all appreciate the value of mistakes, right? Yes, well, it depends on who makes them.

When others stumble and you are in the position of forgiving and teaching a better way, sure, mistakes are cool.

But when you are the one who has messed up and you are nervous about exposure or retribution, you’re probably not quite so enthusiastic. This leads to a split-mind state that toggles between magnanimous and frightened.

Let’s take a closer look at how to turn error into advantage. Although difficult and sometimes acutely uncomfortable, you might as well embrace this because no one in the history of mankind has lived a mistake-free life. This immediately gives you some breathing room.

First, when you make a mistake, look for information that provides a different understanding of what you set out to do. You expected suc40 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 18, 2017

cess. You fell short. There are likely a number of reasons, which may include your misunderstanding of the goal, the steps needed to achieve it or the resources available to you. It may be embarrassing to accept this and your automatic reaction may be to blame someone else for not giving you enough information or support. Don’t waste energy there. It won’t help you.

It may be true that you did not get the proper information or resources to achieve the goal. By walking through the error and finding the disconnect, you and your team can identify gaps.

If more training or experience is needed, that’s good to know. If the allocated money, time or other resources were inadequate for the desired outcome, that’s good to know, too. In both cases, you can fix what’s wrong.

Misinterpretation and assumptions are a whole other matter. This is often where the problem lies and it will take some courage on your part to spotlight and discuss them. One way to begin is to explain your initial understanding, how you decided to take the steps you did and what outcome you expected as a result. This helps your team examine it’s expectations (assuming the team will be as open and honest as you are) and find places to adjust and align for better results.

If this seems like it puts a lot on you, it does.

And it should. It’s your career in the making or on the line. Where you have intransigent people, you have a decision to make about how – or whether – to work with them.

Ultimately, how you choose to proceed builds your reputation. If you refuse to accept any responsibility for mistakes, you will likely be seen as someone who is immature, thin-skinned, careless, arrogant or other unattractive things. Recognizing that you cannot control what others think, you do create impressions.

If, on the other hand, you accept the discomfort that comes with learning from mistakes and sincerely seek to learn and adapt, you will likely be cheered as a strong member of the team whose attitude makes everything run smoother, including analyzing error.

Here’s a truth worth considering: Error + correction = improvement. Error + concealment =

impairment.

Your choice in any situation at work, school, home or in the community will feature one or the other approach. By accepting your error and the correction involved, you set yourself up for learning and improvement. By choosing to push off your error on others or try to conceal it, you begin a process of impairment that can be a longterm liability in every aspect of your life. Hiding, spinning or otherwise shading the truth creates bad things. Don’t do it.

Here’s good news: You are strong enough and smart enough to befriend mistakes. Here’s reassurance: No one – no matter how smart, well-educated or experienced – gets through a day without making a mistake. Think about that.

Whether it is a decision to fly through a traffic light as it turns red while someone turning right assumes you will stop, choosing that sinfully rich entrée you know will keep you up half the night or picking up your smartphone when you should be listening, we all err.

Take advantage of every opportunity you have to learn from mistakes. They are truly keys to your success. n

SUSAN MARSHALL Susan Marshall is an author, speaker and the founder of Backbone Institute LLC. For more information, visit backboneinstitute.com.

Strategies A BRIEF CASE

How do I create a greater sense of teamwork among different departments?

Tammy McCormack Vice president of human resources PKWARE Inc. “PKWARE is a culture and in the fall of 2014, the headquarters moved from downtown Milwaukee to Walker’s Point. The move into a historic architectural gem has allowed our different departments to communicate and collaborate extremely well.

With our open office concept, our departments flow into one another on the fourth floor and that allows conversations to occur naturally. Our rooftop deck permits people and teams to work in a unique space while building and creating work relationships that would not have existed at our prior location. The third floor space allows everyone to shoot pool, play ping pong, enjoy the fireplace or challenge one another to video games while discussing business needs, sales strategies or product initiatives. Interestingly, many meetings conducted are in the open and not in conference rooms.

Essentially, teamwork is a natural occurrence at PKWARE due to the open concept and amenities that it provides to its employees. Departments are not segmented into cubicles or large floor plans, but instead spread throughout the office space. Granted, an open office concept may not work for all organizations, but it certainly creates camaraderie, which will increase morale. Teamwork among different departments can be attributed to our office space.”

Tyson Webber President GMR Marketing “With employees activating live experiences around the world, teamwork across different departments and disciplines is a vital part of GMR’s success.

There are a couple of ways that we try to create a greater sense of teamwork, the first being a shared vision and a common goal. While the goal is consistent, it may mean something different for each department. Having a shared understanding ensures greater collaboration.

Similarly, it’s vital to make sure everyone understands what success looks like. Some work may need to be done independently, but defining overall program success ensures everyone is pointed in the right direction. Part of achieving a successful outcome while working with a large team is over-communication and transparency of information. We strive for real-time communication and transparency, so everyone has the information they need to be successful.

Finally, as experiential marketers and experts, we know that there is value in a personal connection. When people feel connected to both their co-workers and their work, they feel a greater sense of ownership and passion, resulting in increased teamwork and, ultimately, a successful program.”

John Pandl Executive director of human resources Froedtert Health “Team communication can be especially challenging. After a staff engagement survey at Froedtert Health revealed that staff really desired to have more effective communication between work teams, Human Resources deployed Inter-Team Communication workshops.

They were specifically designed to include members of specific departments or work groups that had internal customer/supplier relationships but felt that they weren’t being heard, or their managers identified the need.

The participating teams met for weekly workshops over three successive weeks and the sessions were highly interactive or ‘intense.’ The workshops included an assessment of current versus desired state, a look at communication experiences and practices, and an introduction to effective communication concepts. The end goal was to create a communication agreement to address issues and move toward greater effectiveness.

The end resulting agreements were as unique as each workgroup relationship. For example, one set of workgroups tackled issues related to ‘stat’ requests and requests for services that are outside of established protocol.

Participant feedback was overwhelmingly positive and had an energizing effect for those involved. The workshops were effective because it was relevant to their work, involved specific targeted groups rather than an all-staff initiative, and takeaways were immediately useful.” biztimes.com / 41

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BizConnections NONPROFIT

nonprofit

news The Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Humane Society will acquire Green Bay-based Bay Area Humane Society and Sturgeon Bay-based Door County Humane Society.

The boards of all three organizations voted unanimously in November to approve the acquisition, pending conditions of closing, which include satisfactory environmental assessments of the land, title reports on the real estate, satisfactory agreements with municipalities and membership approval at DCHS. WHS plans to close the transactions as early as the end of the year.

There are no plans to merge locations, lay off employees or issue pay cuts, the organizations said.

“The consolidation of our experience and resources not only strengthens all of us, but is a better return on investment for the community that supports this critical work for animals,” said John Matter, board chairman of WHS. The George Kress Foundation is helping to support the acquisition and WHS is seeking additional donations to help with transition costs, which are estimated to be about $175,000.

— Lauren Anderson

SPOTLIGHT

C R E A M C I T Y F O U N D AT I O N 759 N. Milwaukee Street, Suite 522, Milwaukee (414) 225-0244 | creamcityfoundation.org Facebook: facebook.com/creamcityfoundation LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brettblomme

Year founded: 1982

c alendar Feed Milwaukee will host its 13th annual holiday charity gala to benefit the Hunger Task Force at 7 p.m. on Dec. 22 at Turner Hall, 1034 N. Fourth St. The event will include a DJ and dancing, complimentary drinks, a raffle, a photo booth and music by King Solomon.

All proceeds will benefit the Hunger Task Force. There will be a suggested minimum donation of $20 at the door. More information is available at feedmilwaukee.org.

National Christian Foundation Wisconsin will host its State of Milwaukee Poverty Symposium 2018 from 8 a.m. to noon on Jan. 30, 2018 at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St. The event will include discussions of the state of poverty in Milwaukee, as well as business and economic development solutions that aim to end poverty in the city. More information is available at wisconsin.ncfgiving.com.

D O N AT I O N R O U N D U P

Milwaukee-based Cream City Foundation is giving a $20,000 grant to support HIV/STI testing, prevention and treatment services in Milwaukee. The funding will allow Holton Street Clinic to embed a registered nurse and a clinic assistant two afternoons per week at the office of Milwaukee nonprofit organization Diverse & Resilient. | Associates from Menomonee Falls-based Kohl’s Corp. recently delivered truckloads of nearly 1,000 wrapped holiday gifts for children enrolled at Penfield Children’s Center. | Thelen Funeral Services in North Prairie recently donated $3,359 to Operation FINALLY HOME in Wisconsin, a nonprofit that builds homes for wounded, ill or injured veterans and their families. | Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Humane Society was recently awarded $10,000 from the PEDIGREE Foundation to continue its Benchwarmers program, which provides increased marketing and reduced adoption fees for dogs that have been in its shelters for more than 14 days.

Mission statement: Cream City Foundation mobilizes philanthropic resources by harnessing the pride, passion and commitment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies to advance the human rights and respond to the human needs of LGBTQ+ people in southeastern Wisconsin.

Primary focus: Our primary focus is grant making, scholarship and convening programs that improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people and families in our communities.

Employees at this location: 2 Executive leadership: Brett Blomme, president and chief executive officer Board of directors: Eric Peterson, chair, Office of Milwaukee County Executive; Pat Galgan, vice chair, Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc.; Stewart Morrisey, treasurer, S.C. Johnson & Son Inc.; Bridget Paskey, secretary, Adient; Erika Baurecht, vice president, Foley & Lardner LLP; Dan Bergen, Marquette University; Samuel Hall, Crivello Carlson SC; Christopher

Tsukichi, community leader; Robin Mallon, Harley-Davidson Inc. Is your organization actively seeking board members for the upcoming term? Yes. What roles are you looking to fill?

General board member.

Ways the business community can help your nonprofit: Partner with the foundation on our programming work and support of our events.

Key fundraising events: The 10th Annual Business Equality Luncheon on Oct. 19, 2018 at 11:30 a.m. at The Pfister Hotel.

The event, which draws about 500 business professionals and community leaders, focuses on the state of LGBTQ+ communities in the business sector and celebrates and promotes equality, inclusivity and fairness for all workers in the greater Milwaukee area.

The 2018 Summer Social on July 24, 2018 at 6 p.m. at the South Shore Pavilion and Beer Garden in Bay View is the foundation’s annual summer celebration of the community and our allies.

biztimes.com / 43

BizConnections PERSONNEL FILE

Submit new hire and promotion announcements to: biztimes.com/personnel

BANKING & FINANCE

ENGINEERING

MARKETING

Ixonia Bank, Ixonia

The Sigma Group, Milwaukee

Capture Marketing, Pewaukee

The Sigma Group has added several employees to its staff, including James Schmidt, staff engineer, Jonathan O’Brien, staff scientist and Jacob Krause, staff hydrologist in the Geosciences department; and Jacob Norberte, staff engineer and Gregory Griffin, survey technician in the Civil Engineering department.

Capture Marketing has named Audra Jacobs director of marketing and public relations for the marketing, public relations and events firm. Jacobs will focus on developing and implementing brand and communications strategies for clients and the firm.

Marquardt

Bence

Ixonia Bank has named Steve Marquardt a retail lender. He has more than 10 years of experience in the banking and lending industry.

The bank also added Jim Bence as an associate vice president of retail lending. He has more than 29 years of experience in the lending industry, working closely with customers to help them achieve homeownership and reach their financial goals.

BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION

Horizon Retail & Construction, Sturtevant

INSURANCE

Partners Mutual Insurance Co., Waukesha Partners Mutual Insurance Co. has added Brett Hutson to its commercial lines underwriting team as middle market underwriter. He has spent 15-plus years in the insurance industry, most recently, as a field underwriter. He also spent time on the agency side as a producer/ director of operations.

INSURANCE Herman

Swets

Horizon Retail Construction Inc. has promoted Nick Herman to senior estimator. Since joining the Horizon team in 2008, he DeMarco has held the titles of project coordinator and estimator.

In addition, Horizon has hired Mike Swets and Dave DeMarco as project managers.

44 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 18, 2017

Gallagher Benefit Services, Brookfield Ed Rapee has joined Gallagher as area senior vice president. His primary responsibility is to assist employers with the optimization of their total rewards spend. Rapee has nearly 30 years of industry experience.

MARKETING

EPIC Creative, West Bend EPIC Creative has promoted Mauricio Alvarez from senior visual designer to visual communications manager. In his new role, Alvarez will lead visual communication and storytelling development, mentor other creatives, bring new tools to clients and foster collaboration between disciplines. He has been with EPIC since 2012, and in that time has been a key contributor to the performance and growth of the creative department.

NONPROFIT

Lutheran Social Services, Milwaukee

Oleszak

Naples

Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan has named Randy Oleszak its new chief financial officer and Michelle Naples its new chief integration officer. LSS serves people of all faiths and backgrounds through programs and services that help people in need.

NONPROFIT

Seeds of Health, Milwaukee Seeds of Health Inc., Milwaukee, has announced that Kaitlyn Wright, the organization’s computer science and technology coordinator, has been recognized

by BrightBytes as an “Innovator in the Field” for its international platform, Clarity. Wright has been with the Seeds of Health organization since 2010. She taught social studies at Tenor High School for three years prior to assuming her current role in July 2013.

Holiday Gathering Celebrating Women’s Leadership

AROUND TOWN

Mary Ellen Stanek, chief investment officer at Baird Advisors, president of Baird Funds, and managing director and director of asset management at Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc., hosted a Holiday Gathering to Celebrate Women’s Leadership at Baird on Nov. 30.

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LINDSAY HAMMERER of KPMG and AMELIA MACARENO of U.S. Bank Wealth Management.

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LAURA GOUGH of Baird, DENISE PILZ of Norris Inc. and KRISTINE METZGER of Wisconsin Lutheran High School Foundation.

3.

LAURA PIOTROWSKI of Cavendish Consulting, COREEN DICUS-JOHNSON of Network Health, LISA PENDERGAST of MGIC and CAROLINE KRIDER of U.S. Bank.

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CECELIA GORE of Brewers Community Foundation and JULIA TAYLOR of Greater Milwaukee Committee.

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REBECCA HOUSE of Rockwell Automation and JOANNE BISCHMANN of Harley-Davidson Foundation.

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ANNE ZIZZO of Zizzo Group and CATHY JACOBSON of Froedtert Health.

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PHYLLIS KING of the University of WisconsinMilwaukee and JEN DIRKS of TEMPO Milwaukee.

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PEGGY KELSEY of WEC Energy Group and GINA PETER of Wells Fargo.

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MARY ELLEN STANEK welcomes her guests.

Photos by Molly Dill

Brookfield Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting

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The Greater Brookfield Chamber of Commerce held its 60th anniversary annual meeting on Nov. 30 at the Sheraton Milwaukee hotel in Brookfield.

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10. KATHY SCHULTZ of Caring Transitions and RON WIMMER of Wimmer Photography.

11. BILL GILGENBACH of Ascend Technology and GARY SWICK of Swick Tech.

12. BETSY OLSON of Merit Title LLC and ALEX KASUN of Gerald Nell Inc. 13. BRYANT MASCARENHAS of Santosh Yoga LLC and BETH BRANDT of Willis Towers Watson.

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14. ELISE ZULEGER of Winter, Kloman, Moter & Repp S.C., ALYSSA ARNOLD of Home 2 Suites by Hilton and REBECCA JAHNS of SERVPRO of Milwaukee North.

15. ABBIE MILLER of Stories Framed Photography LLC and BILL FEAGLES of Johnson Bank.

16. AMY LANDIS, SHEILA REED and DARCY SALLIS, all of Sheridan Milwaukee.

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17. MEGAN GREKOWICZ and PAUL GREKOWICZ, both of Welcomemat Services of Greater Milwaukee, and MARY ZUKOWSKI and PERRY ZUKOWSKI, both of FranNet of Wisconsin.

Photos by Maredithe Meyer biztimes.com / 45

BizConnections VOLUME 23, NUMBER 20 | DEC 18, 2017

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 | ads@biztimes.com EDITORIAL: 414-336-7120 | andrew.weiland@biztimes.com REPRINTS: 414-336-7128 | 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 Corrinne Hess corri.hess@biztimes.com REPORTER Maredithe Meyer maredithe.meyer@biztimes.com REPORTER Arthur Thomas arthur.thomas@biztimes.com

— This photo is from the Milwaukee Public Museum’s Photo Archives collection.

COMMENTARY

Approaching the end of an active year You are holding in your hands the last BizTimes Milwaukee issue of 2017 (unless, of course, you are reading this on biztimes.com).

There has been a ton of news in the southeastern Wisconsin business world to keep us busy this year.

The most noteworthy story, of course, was Foxconn Technology Group’s plans for a $10 billion, 20 million-square-foot LCD plant in Mount Pleasant.

The story has dominated the news ever since President Donald Trump first dropped a hint about the project during a June appearance at Waukesha County Technical College.

Equally as shocking as the massive scope of the Foxconn project is the enormous amount of state and local incentives that were provided to get the deal done. The state incentives of $3 billion were pushed through by Gov. Scott Walker’s administration. It will take years to determine if that was a good decision by Walker and the Republi46 / BizTimes Milwaukee DECEMBER 18, 2017

can-controlled Legislature. For better or worse, the Foxconn project will be his legacy, even more significant than Act 10.

There was more big merger and acquisition news this year. The state’s biggest bank, Green Bay-based Associated Banc-Corp, announced it will acquire the largest bank in the Milwaukee area, Brown Deer-based Bank Mutual Corp. As a result, several of the bank branches that are in close proximity will be closed.

Rockwell Automation Inc. rebuffed repeated acquisition attempts by St. Louis-based Emerson Electric Co. Good for Milwaukee, which retains a Fortune 500 headquarters.

Aurora Health Care Inc. recently announced it will merge with Illinois-based Advocate Health Care Inc. The combination will create the 10th largest health care provider in the nation. Interestingly, the two organizations say they will retain their headquarters. Employment shouldn’t change at Aurora hospitals and clinics, but it seems obvious some changes are coming to headquarters staff, where there must be some duplication with Advocate. Hopefully any synergies created by the merger result in much-needed health care costs savings for patients and their employers in the region.

Construction cranes towered all over the region in 2017. Major projects downtown included the

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 SALES INTERN Amanda Bruening amanda.bruening@biztimes.com SALES INTERN Tess Romans tess.romans@biztimes.com

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

Government Service League Banquet This photo, taken by James Conklin on Dec. 9, 1937, shows a woman speaking over the microphone at the Milwaukee Government Service League Banquet at the Milwaukee Auditorium in Milwaukee, according to the Milwaukee Public Museum archive file. The organization, which no longer exists, was founded in 1935 to support good government through the highest standards of public service. The auditorium is now called the Miller High Life Theatre.

DIRECTOR OF SALES Linda Crawford linda.crawford@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 —

Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons, completed this summer, and the ongoing construction of the new arena for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Notable projects in the suburbs included the opening of The Corners of Brookfield, anchored by the state’s first Von Maur store, and the 84South retail project along I-894 in Greenfield. Brick-andmortar retail isn’t dead yet.

Those are just some of the biggest area stories we followed in 2017, and in most cases will continue to follow in 2018. Look for my full recap of the biggest stories of 2017 on biztimes.com at the end of the year.

Want to know what lies ahead in 2018? Come to the annual Northern Trust Economic Trends breakfast on Jan. 19 (biztimes.com/trends), and read the January economic trends issue of BizTimes Milwaukee.

Until then, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! n

ANDREW WEILAND EDITOR

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

TOUGHEST

MY TOUGHEST CHALLENGE

my

Challenge

LORI CR AIG Position: Senior vice president and market executive Company: PNC Wealth Management What it does: PNC Wealth Management, a branch of Pittsburgh-based PNC Financial Services, offers wealth management and financial planning consulting services, strategies and products for individuals, families and businesses.

Career: Craig has served as senior vice president and market executive at PNC since 2010. She previously served as senior vice president and wealth strategist at Chicago-based Northern Trust in Milwaukee. She has worked in the financial services industry for more than 30 years.

THE CHALLENGE “In my prior position, I was commuting from Milwaukee to Chicago and my responsibility in wealth management was to bring in new business.

Because I was covering both Wisconsin and Chicago, I was trying to build a network in both states in order to bring in business in both markets.”

Ten years ago, Craig thought the best approach to building her professional networks was to gather as many contacts as possible. She was connecting with two or three people in the law, accounting and insurance industries per day, introducing herself to new contacts and reconnecting with previous contacts via email, phone and networking events.

“My tactic, I realized after a few months, was not effective. I was putting in a lot of time and energy and I wasn’t getting any referrals back from all this activity.”

THE RESOLUTION “My mentor at the time sat down with me and told me I was doing too much. I never had a boss or mentor say I was working too much, but he told me that I don’t need volume of contacts, but quality of contacts.”

Craig narrowed down her professional network and decided to build deeper, more personal connections with her most prioritized contacts: previously established connections and clients of her then-employer.

“It was very effective. (My contacts) began to get to know me as a person and I got to know them. It built a more authentic bridge between us and within six months, there was a significant increase in the number of referrals I received.”

LILA ARYAN PHOTOGRAPHY

THE TAKEAWAY Years later, Craig still uses this strategy to build her own network, and as a leader, she also uses it to help her team members achieve the same results.

“If I see one of my employees frantically getting in 80 or 90 appointments a month and not getting anywhere, I sit down with them and discuss who they are calling on and what they know about them.”

In a digitally-connected work world, Craig believes developing deeper connections with valuable contacts through personal interaction is both personally rewarding and necessary to growing a business.

“Know your goals and what you are trying to accomplish and make sure your activities support those goals, both short-term and long-term.” n biztimes.com / 47

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