BizTimes Milwaukee | December 14, 2015

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2015 BIZTIMES BEST IN BUSINESS

BIG SHOT PETER FEIGIN IS CEO OF THE YEAR

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

MEET THE HEALTH CARE HEROES MILLENNIALS SHIFTING TO SMALLER BANKS RETAILERS ROLL OUT CHIP CARD TERMINALS, PUSHING FRAUD ONLINE

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO, PETER FEIGIN AND JASON KIDD OF THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS.

Presents:

15 th Annual

Bull or Bear?

What’s in store for 2016.

2016

January 29, 2016 | 7:30 - 9:30 am Italian Conference Center

Foreign markets. Energy costs. Interest rates. These are just a few of the factors that promise to impact the economy in 2016. Which of these will work in your favor – and what should you be concerned about? Head into the new year armed with key insights from Economist Michael Knetter Ph.D. and leading industry experts.

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Featured Presenters Include

Michael Knetter Ph.D.

Peter Gunder

Economist, President & CEO Chief Business Development Officer University of Wisconsin Foundation American Family Insurance

Jonas Prising

Todd Zakreski

Chief Executive Officer ManpowerGroup

President HUSCO Automotive

Economic Outlook • Employment • Innovation & Entrepreneurship • Manufacturing

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December 14 - 20, 2015 HIGHLIGHT S Now 4 Johnson Controls predicts record 2016 profits.

Social Media Strategies

4

Three ways B2B marketers can own social media.

Coffee Break

5

A conversation with Brigette Breitenbach of Company B.

Made in Milwaukee

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Angelic Bakehouse grows rapidly on the wings of consumer trends.

Real Estate Spotlight

11

Hottest Milwaukee neighborhoods for apartments.

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S TR ATE GIE S S P E C I A L R E P O R T:

BA NK ING, F IN A NCE A ND M & A

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Coverage includes a look at millennials’ shift toward smaller banks and credit unions, an update on the impact of the chip card switch on retailers and a report on Wisconsin banks’ third quarter results.

COV E R S T ORY

2015 BizTimes Best in Business

BIG SHOT

S P E C I A L R E P O R T:

Peter Feigin is CEO of the Year ON THE COVER: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Peter Feigin and Jason Kidd of the Milwaukee Bucks.

— photo by Troy Freund Photography

HE A LTH CA R E HE ROE S

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The report profiles the winners of the 2015 BizTimes Health Care Heroes awards.

Management Joan Lloyd 35 Human capital Jim Lindell 36 Innovation Dan Steininger 37 Family business 38 Cary Silverstein

BIZ CONNECTIONS Biz Notes 40 Calendar 40 Personnel File 41 Commentary 44 The Last Word 46

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BizTimes Milwaukee (ISSN 1095-936X & USPS # 017813) Volume 21, Number 19, December 14 - 20, 2015. BizTimes Milwaukee is published bi-weekly, except two consecutive weeks in December (the third and fourth weeks of December) by BizTimes Media LLC at 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120, USA. Basic annual subscription rate is $42.00. Single copy price is $3.25. Back issues are $5.00 each. Periodicals postage paid at Milwaukee, WI and additional mailing offices.

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eaders at Glendale-based Johnson Controls Inc. predicted record profits and higher revenues in 2016 at its recent Analyst Day in New York City.

The company is in the process of spinning off its Automotive Experience business into a new, publicly traded company, which it now expects will be complete by Oct. 3, 2016. The new company will be based in Milwaukee.

“We expect higher revenues and record profitability in fiscal 2016 as we manage through the significant work required to split into two world-class companies after the end of this fiscal year,” said Alex Molinaroli, chairman and chief executive officer. “We believe our strategic and operating plans will continue to drive strong performance in all of our businesses as we firmly position both new companies for growth.”

For the 2015 fiscal year, Johnson Controls reported net income of $1.7 million, up from $1.3 million in 2014.

Full-year revenue totaled $37.2 million, down from $38.7 million in 2014.

The company reported fourth quarter net income of $349 million, up from $309 million in the fourth quarter of fis-

cal 2014. Revenue totaled $8.7 billion in the quarter, down from $10 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Molinaroli hinted at RSM’s 2015 Executive Summit in Milwaukee in October that the costs of spinning off the automotive segment will be significant next year, so revenue is not expected to reach record levels. However, on Analyst Day the company said it expected to post “higher revenues” in fiscal 2016.

Excluding the separation/transaction/integration costs and non-recurring items, Johnson Controls expects about 10 percent organic sales increases in both its Building Efficiency and Power Solutions divisions. The company anticipates diluted earnings per share will be about $3.70 to $3.90, up 8 to 14 percent yearover-year. And consolidated revenue is expected to be about $38.6 billion, up about 4 percent over 2015.

A 37 to 39 percent increase in Building Efficiency division sales is expected to be driven by the company’s recently completed Hitachi joint venture, as well as increased non-residential construction spending. In the automotive battery business, higher sales of Absorbent Glass

SELLLY TABOR

Johnson Controls predicts record 2016 profits

Johnson Controls’ headquarters in Glendale.

Mat (start-stop) batteries are expected to drive a 9 to 11 percent increase in sales.

Johnson Controls believes Automotive Experience sales will decrease by 2 to 3 percent. The company expects automotive production increases of 11 percent in China, 2 percent in North American and a slight decrease in Europe. The China business in not reflected in the Automotive Experience revenue forecast because most of that business is generated by non-consolidated joint ventures.

Johnson Controls expects fiscal 2016 capital investments of about $1.3 billion, about $200 million higher than in fiscal 2015. Those capital investments will

include investments in Absorbent Glass Mat batteries, China plant capacity and product line expansions in the Building Efficiency division.

“We are confident in our fiscal 2016 outlook as we continue to focus on execution and delivering on our commitments,” Molinaroli said. “Most importantly, we are creating two great companies, both with exceptionally bright futures, and positioned to lead in their respective markets. We expect both companies to deliver sustainable growth, improving margins and consistent capital returns resulting in compelling longterm value to our shareholders.”

——Molly Dill

SOCI AL M E D I A S T R AT E GI ES

3 ways B2B marketers can own social media When it comes to social media, content and creativity win.

While B2C social strategy is often at the forefront of this evolving industry, B2B companies are gaining ground. Take GE’s Instagram account, which engages its 199,000 followers by taking them to places they may never go, showcasing GE products in unexpected ways. The key? Humanize the brand.

1. Tell stories and introduce a personality

through imagery. In social media, stand for a purpose that transcends products.

Here’s how it plays out: Xylem, a leading global water technology provider, has its Bell & Gossett pumps installed at Levi’s Stadium, the new $1.3 billion home to the San Francisco 49ers football team. The recycled water pressure booster system ensures that when everyone goes to the bathroom at once, there is adequate water available.

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Instead of showing photos of the pumps, the social posts showcased a behind-thescenes story.

2. Get your employees involved. The days

of banishing employees from social media use at work are gone. Spend some time training your team on how to properly use social media. Then, create a social media strategy and develop guidelines around your company. If a small percentage starts sharing relevant content, there’s a ripple effect that can help maximize a marketing budget.

3. Use relevant hashtags. Rule of thumb:

Use hashtags as a strategic decision to show up in an applicable feed. Put away the cutesy hashtags that don’t add value (#amiright?). Before using a new hashtag, analyze what conversations are happening around that topic. If you’ve created a

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hashtag that doesn’t have longevity to it, get rid of it.

As you start to build out a social strategy for a B2B company, don’t sell products on social – use it to achieve more. The moments shared through social media will forge a stronger connection to your products and to your brand in the long run.

——Danielle Barr is senior digital strategist at Branigan Communications.

leading edge COFF E E B R E A K

POLITIC AL BEAT

Time for change at WEDC?

BY MATT POMMER, special to BizTimes

What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year?

“I hired an office manager, Andrea Davies, who cares about this business as much as I do and an accountant, Jim Locatelli, who specializes in our industry. Both have allowed me to focus on the details that keep us profitable and the big picture that sets us on a course for where we’re going.”

ers. So we are seeing and embracing personalization at the marketing and guest experience levels to continue to differentiate these true boutique properties.”

From a business standpoint, who do you look up to?

“We continue to grow outside the Midwest, taking on new hotel clients from Boston to Anaheim who realize you don’t need to be local to capture the essence of what makes each property truly special.”

“My parents passed away too soon and both were accomplished in business. My mother was a bank executive and the consummate professional. My father spent his entire career in the beer business and used common sense and a love for the common man to relate to everyone. Their words and advice continue to resonate with me.”

What will be your company’s main challenges in the next year?

What was the best advice you ever received?

What’s new at your company?

“Balancing the workload to ensure we are giving each project and client the attention they deserve.”

“Sometimes you profit most from the business you turn down.”

What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you in your career?

Do you plan to hire any additional staff or make any significant capital investments in your company in the next year?

“I did speechwriting for Kohler Co. and was assigned Mr. Kohler’s speech to introduce President George (H. W.) Bush at the opening of Whistling Straits. He didn’t like it, and when I asked why, he said Bill Murray was supposed to deliver that but couldn’t make it, so it needed to be funnier. I had to admit I was never going to make Mr. Kohler Bill Murray-funny.”

“As we continue to grow, I see us adding to both the account side and our design team.”

Do you have a business mantra? “‘Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.’ Dory, ‘Finding Nemo.’”

What’s the hottest trend in your industry?

“Hotel franchises like Marriott and IHG continue to buy boutique brands and roll out their own ‘lifestyle’ brands that independent hotels must compete with for travel-

Brigette Breitenbach Principal Company B Brand Marketing 218 S. Second St., Milwaukee www.companybonline.com Industry: Branding and marketing, specializing in the hotel industry Employees: 8 Family: My boyfriend, Keith Harenda, and I have four kids between us; Gabrielle, 18, Riley, 19, Konner, 18 and Kody, 20. w w w.biztimes.com

What do you like to do in your free time?

“I love being active, from working out to entertaining. As a family, we enjoy everything from boating and skiing to scuba diving.” n

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A corporate decision to close the Oscar Mayer plant in Madison has provided another blow to Gov. Scott Walker’s job efforts.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., the public-private agency created in the early days of Walker’s first term, seemed flat-footed when parent company Kraft Heinz announced the closing. It will affect nearly 1,000 workers, including 650 unionized blue collar workers.

In the 2010 gubernatorial election, Walker had promised to create 250,000 The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. private sector jobs in four years. Wisconsin fell far short of that. The Republican-controlled Legislature and Walker created WEDC as the linchpin in the job-creation efforts, replacing the Commerce Department, a state agency. Critics have questioned the haste in creating WEDC in the spring of 2011.

The agency has been plagued by a high turnover of top officials. In early November, three vice presidents resigned, including its latest chief financial officer. There have been five top financial officers in just more than four years.

Controversy also has followed the award of some of the WEDC grants to private companies. The Legislative Audit Bureau this spring issued a sharply critical report on how WEDC had operated. Later, WEDC conceded making $126 million in awards to 28 companies without getting a written staff review prior to making the awards that occurred between 2011 and 2013.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., recently asked federal officials to examine three loans made by WEDC. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said he will meet with Democrats about possible changes in the state’s job-creation efforts. Vos might harbor ambitions of being governor. Bipartisan reform of Walker’s job creation efforts could be a political plus for him.

Matt Pommer is the “dean” of Capitol correspondents in Madison. His column is published with permission from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, but does not reflect the views or opinions of the WNA or its member newspapers.

BY TH E NU MBERS

8,132

Total size, in square feet, of the two condominiums purchased by Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele in The Moderne. He plans to combine the two units.

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leading edge ON TH E C ALEN D AR

MA DE I N M I LWA U K E E

Angelic Bakehouse grows rapidly on the wings of consumer trends Cudahy-based Angelic Bakehouse specializes in making breads, rolls, wraps and other baked goods using sprouted grains, which the company says are healthier than traditional bread dough.

Husband and wife team James and Jenny Marino purchased the company in 2009 and have been driving its rapid growth ever since.

The company has moved to a larger facility in Cudahy and has grown from eight employees to 44 full-time and 20 temporary employees. It is on track to make 4 million products in 2015, and sales have been growing by 50 percent per year.

“We don’t expect that to slow down in the foreseeable future,” Jenny said. “I think we are at a really sweet spot with what is happening with food in this country and food trends.”

Millennials in particular are becoming more interested in where their food comes from and what’s in it. Angelic appeals to those consumers because it is non-GMO, local, and its ingredients can be pronounced easily, she said.

“They demand real food and they’re willing to pay for it,” James said. “We make a premium, healthy product in a more frugal beer, cheese and sausage town like Milwaukee. I think our success proves that healthy eating is not just a California fad.”

Sprouted grains are created by soaking whole grains in a proprietary time and temperature controlled environment until they sprout.

“It’s a fermentation process where the bitterness that’s in whole wheat flour goes away and it gives real positive flavor attributes,” James said.

Those grains are mixed and ground, then added to other ingredients in a 500-pound mixing bowl to make pizza dough, bread, rolls, buns or wraps. After mixing, the bread is proofed, baked, cooled, sliced and bagged.

“Because of what we do, you can really see all the particulates. You can really see and taste the whole grain,” Jenny said.

The company recently invested about $300,000 in a new machine that can form 3,000 loaves an hour.

When Angelic moved from Waukesha to its newly constructed 22,000-square-foot Cudahy facility in 2013, it had four ovens. Now it has nine. The company also has plans for further expansion on its lot.

“We acquired this property with expansion in mind, so we can quadruple,” Jenny said. “It will be sooner rather than later.”

The Marinos plan on continuous, consistent hiring, with the aim to get to 100 employees in the next couple of years.

Angelic targets high-end mass market retailers such as Sendik’s, Whole Foods and Outpost Natural Foods. But its highest volume comes from local warehouse grocery chain Woodman’s, and it recently struck a deal with Costco.

The company has three to four full-time employees who do store demonstrations full-time to introduce customers to Angelic products.

“We spend a lot of energy communicating with customers that we’re a big step above your commercial breads,” James said.

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Economic Trends

ABOVE: Hector Rivera shovels sprouted grains into a grinder to be readied for bread dough.

BELOW: Loaves of baked bread cool before being sliced and packaged.

BizTimes Media will host the 2016 Northern Trust Economic Trends Conference on Friday, Jan. 29, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St. in Milwaukee. The theme this year is “Bull or Bear?: What’s in store for 2016.” Featured presenters include Jonas Prising, chief executive officer of ManpowerGroup, Michael Knetter, Ph.D, president and CEO of the University of Wisconsin Foundation, and Peter Gunder, chief business development officer at American Family Insurance. Cost is $60 and includes breakfast. For more information or to register, visit www.biztimes.com/trends.

BOOK REVIEW

“How the Poor Can Save Capitalism”

Angelic Bakehouse 3275 E. Layton Ave., Cudahy Industry: Baked goods Employees: 44 full-time, 20 temporary www.angelicbakehouse.com Angelic’s products are naturally sweetened with honey and molasses, and have a less bitter and chewier taste than flour-based breads, he said. They have fewer calories, fewer carbohydrates, more protein and more fiber than most breads, making them nutrient dense.

“Once we knew personally the benefits of sprouted grains and what you could do with them flavorwise, we didn’t want to eat anything else,” Jenny said.

B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e

Molly Dill is managing editor and covers manufacturing for BizTimes Milwaukee. Email her at molly.dill@biztimes.com or call her at (414) 336-7144. n

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John Hope Bryant, founder of the nonprofit Operation HOPE, says business and political leaders are ignoring the most important force that could truly re-energize the stalled American economy: the poor.

By giving the poor the right tools, policies and inspiration, they will be able to lift themselves up into the middle class and become consumers and entrepreneurs, Bryant writes.

He details how business loans, home loans and financial investments have vanished from poor communities and after decades of deprivation, the poor lack bank accounts, decent credit scores, and any real firsthand experience of how a healthy free enterprise system functions.

Bryant aspires to expand the philosophy of free enterprise to include everyone and create a thriving economy that works not just for the 1 percent, but for the 100 percent.

“How the Poor Can Save Capitalism,” is available on www.800ceoread.com for $13.56

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——Corrinne Hess

leading edge NON P RO F IT N E W S

THE GOOD LIFE

Online toy drive aims to collect thousands of holiday gifts The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee has spent much of December working to collect as many holiday gifts as possible for its members in greatest need.

The youth-serving nonprofit organization in November launched its 2015 Click for Kids Online Toy Drive, in which interested donors – individuals and companies – can comb through an online toy catalog to purchase new toys.

Many recipients of the toy drive live in households that have little ability to celebrate the holidays with presents. Youth recipients run from ages four to 18. Toys available for purchase in the catalog include a variety of newly released and age appropriate items.

Behind the drive are sponsors Meijer, WaterStone Bank and Bayshore Town Center’s Olshan Outreach and community partner OnMilwaukee.com.

Just like last year, Meijer will match donations for every gift given through the drive. The grocer will donate up to 6,000 gifts.

In addition to donating toys, Meijer delivered the first set of donated gifts to Bayshore Town Center on Dec. 2 to be wrapped.

Donations will be delivered to the nonprofit’s 43 locations and distributed to members during holiday parties.

Both toy donations and financial contributions will be accepted through Wednesday, Dec. 23.

——Erica Breunlin

Raising the ‘barre’ on exercise Heather Shannon has run many half marathons. Doing a 50-minute barre workout is just as difficult, she said.

The media relations supervisor at Milwaukee-based Cramer-Krasselt has been taking classes at least four times a week since March at The Barre Code, located in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward.

Shannon describes barre fitness, which she said has gained popularity in Milwaukee over the last two years, as a combination of ballet, toning, weights, yoga and cardio. While the classes focus on abs, arms, legs and glutes, no workout is ever the same.

“You get quick results,” she said. “It’s all about strength rather than losing weight.”

Her biggest result has been her toned arms. As a former TMJ4 reporter, Shannon said she has tried many fad workouts, but barre fitness is by far the most effective.

Besides the exterior results, she said her noon barre classes make her a more productive and energized worker who is no longer struck by the “2 p.m. slump.”

“C-K is good about letting people have their hobbies and incorporate them into work,” she said.

Finally, Shannon said she likes the classes because it is a good way to meet other women.

“It’s very comfortable,” she said. “No one is staring at you or judging you. It works every single part of your body, and it makes you stronger – not thinner, but stronger.”

Cramer-Krasselt media relations supervisor Heather Shannon takes barre classes about four times a week.

Exercise has always been important to Shannon, who also runs and does yoga.

“Both my parents worked out every day,” she said. “I’m trying to pass that on to my three-year-old daughter.”

——Hilary Dickinson

A sincere

THANK YOU to our clients and staff.

First Business is proud to have received an outstanding 97% in our annual client satisfaction survey. This phenomenal score is a testament to the wonderful relationships that exist between our staff and clients.

We’d like to thank our clients for this great compliment, and our staff who works hard each day to go above and beyond in delivering outstanding client satisfaction.

These results are based on a survey conducted by an independent third party expert.

Member FDIC

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BR EA KING GR OU ND

How to avoid a holiday shopping debt hangover

GRAFTON MARKETPLACE

Many people overspend on gifts during the holidays, and slow down or even ignore their savings as a result. With that in mind, here are three ways in which consumers can avoid a “shopping debt hangover” this holiday season: 1. Set a budget. The best way to avoid a holiday spending hangover is to set a budget you can afford. Taking advantage of holiday sales can be a great way to save, as long as you plan in advance. Don’t fall victim to buying something entirely because it’s a good deal— people who do this often spend more overall. Take the time to determine a budget that’s reasonable for you and once you have, stick to it.

2. Pay for gifts in cash, not credit. It’s never a good idea to carry a large balance that you can’t pay off for years. Unless you plan to pay your holiday shopping charges in full by the due date, avoid using credit. The interest rates can quickly become insurmountable, and a lower credit score can hurt you when you’re making a down payment on a house or vehicle in the future.

3. Continue to save toward retirement. While everyone has added expenses during the holidays, they should not interrupt your monthly savings goals.

If it looks like they’re going to, you may want to reassess your projected spending. It takes a lifetime for a proper retirement portfolio to grow, so the more you save now, the more you’ll have later in life thanks to compound

The first two tenants in a new multi-tenant building planned on Port Washington Road in Grafton have been secured. Hartland Dental and Firehouse Subs will be part of the 9,750-square-foot Grafton Marketplace development. Construction is expected to begin in April, with businesses opening between October and November of 2016.

——Corri Hess

interest. The holidays shouldn’t be a time to derail your retirement plan.

Taken together, these tips present a significant opportunity if handled properly and a significant risk if ignored. By approaching the holidays with a sense of fiscal responsibility, you can position yourself for a strong start in the New Year.

——Matt Loverine, CASL, is a financial professional based in Milwaukee with the MetLife Premier Client Group.

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

AND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE

THANK YOU! To our sponsors, partners and attendees of the 2015 CRE Conference!

About 400 area business leaders attended the 13th annual BizTimes Commercial Real Estate and Development Conference to network and learn about the latest commercial real estate investment trends in southeastern Wisconsin, which is getting an influx of investment from out-of-state firms.

This year’s event theme was “Attracting the National Dollar” and featured a panel discussion of national commercial real estate investors who are doing big deals in our region. The event was moderated by Dr. Mark Eppli of Marquette University.

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ON LIN E POLL

Re: Oscar Mayer plant closure “The attempt by the political parties to blame each other is almost laughable. A Republican governor and a Democratic mayor both got caught off guard by the Kraft Heinz decision.

Its investors, like Warren Buffet, expect a return. He may seem like a nice guy, but returns on investment are his theme song.”

— John Torinus, Serigraph Inc.

Re: Millennials “For a state such as Wisconsin, which skews slightly older than the U.S. average and which faces talent migration issues, the question of how to attract and retain millennials is crucial.”

— Tom Still, Wisconsin Technology Council

“I want our economy to be strong, but not at the expense of celebration, family time, and personal time to thank yourself for who you have become, and who you are becoming.”

The Milwaukee Art Museum recently completed a $34 million expansion and improvement project.

41% 59%

Yes No

Re: The holidays

2016 GIVING GUIDE

Do the recent terror attacks make you less likely to travel or do business overseas?

— Jeffrey Gitomer

For additional stories and daily updates, visit our website at...

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innovations Milwaukee Tool adds digital edge to its toolkit

M

ilwaukee Tool has stretched beyond its expertise in manufacturing power tools to create a digital platform that can communicate directly with a segment of its drills, drivers, impacts and crimpers.

The platform, One-Key, launched in mid-September as a free mobile application and web resource after about six years of internal research and development.

The cloud-based platERICA BREUNLIN P: (414) 336-7121 E: erica.breunlin@biztimes.com Twitter: @EricaBreunlin

form allows Milwaukee Tool customers to connect to and control their power tools in an unprecedented way, according to Christian Coulis, vice president of product management at the company.

Through a Bluetooth-enabled connection between the app and the tool, users can customize the tool’s output Coulis with complete control over its speeds and torque so that it functions most efficiently for the project at hand.

“That’s completely new to this industry,” Coulis said. “It’s never been done before.”

The control is particularly helpful for drills, whose performance has increased four times over in the last seven years to

become incredibly powerful and fast, according to Coulis.

Professionals handling heavy work need that power and speed. But in some cases, a tool’s excessive power can make it hard to control effectively. That can lead to heads breaking off screws, breaks in material that the drill is penetrating, and a lot of frustration around not being able to install certain fasteners correctly, Coulis said.

One-Key also contains unique screens and capabilities that give users a custom interface for the most popular applications they would complete with the tool.

For instance, a user working with an impact driver and a self-tapping screw can record in the app the screw length, screw diameter and material gauge, and the tool will essentially adjust itself automatically.

Beyond tool control, the digital platform holds inventory and asset management capabilities, so companies can document their belongings in real time.

Construction companies often must track all their inventory and assets – including equipment, tools and employees, across multiple worksites, according to Coulis. Excel spreadsheets or pen and paper have long been popular inventory and asset management methods, he said.

One-Key enables companies to digitally capture every piece of equipment they own, along with each piece’s current location, and make immediate updates as needed.

The digital outlet also operates tool reporting, through which Milwaukee Tool customers can extract performance information from the tool with the app to

One-Key connects tools with a digital platform through Bluetooth.

ensure the tool is doing its job.

“This is going to give the user of power tools the absolute best performance for what they do,” Coulis said of One-Key. Among One-Key’s most innovative elements, according to Coulis, is the potential for its system to provide enhancements for tools after they have been made and bought, thanks to app updates.

Milwaukee Tool has a “pretty robust roadmap” to enhance tool features, Coulis said.

“With the update to the app, you’ll have new features and new enhancements that unlock new capabilities that you’ve never had,” he said.

Milwaukee Tool has released one power tool that is compatible with the digital platform – a six-ton utility crimper – and aims to release a second tool at the end of December. In February, the company plans to release six more tools – cordless drills and cordless impacts – that are friendly with One-Key. The concept behind One-Key emerged

Milwaukee Tool Brookfield Innovation: One-Key, a digital partner for tools and equipment milwaukeetool.com/one-key

about six years ago as Milwaukee Tool realized the need to develop custom tools for consumers in a practical way.

In collecting feedback from test users throughout the development of the platform, Milwaukee Tool collected a gamut of ideas about features to implement, which have been difficult to prioritize, Coulis said.

“We’re creating this huge funnel of new features that are all really exciting and beneficial,” Coulis said. “Taking those to fruition, though, has probably been the biggest challenge just because there’s a lot of prioritization that needs to happen and there’s just so many different ideas that have fallen into that funnel.” n

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real estate Milwaukee’s hottest rental neighborhood depends on your criteria

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hat are the hottest neighborhoods in Milwaukee and where can you find the best rentals?

As downtown Milwaukee, Walker’s Point and the Beerline neighborhood continue to make the list of desired dwelling locations for baby boomers and millennials, it’s a question worth asking.

But the answer depends on who you ask.

A recent report from ABODO, a Madison-based

Apartment rental searches by neighborhood in 2015

CORRINNE HESS P: (414) 336-7116 E: corri.hess@biztimes.com Twitter: @CorriHess

Lower East Side Upper East Side Third Ward Bay View

784 652 527 486

   

Downtown 458 Walker’s Point 271 Northpoint 243 Juneau Town 201

   

Murray Hill 194 Kilbourn Town 194 MSOE 118 Marquette University 111

Apartment Rental Prices by Neighborhood in 2015 Studio

1 Bed

2 Bed

3 Bed

Downtown

$646

$879

$1,230

$1,097

Marquette University

$646

$821

$1,107

$1,097

Bay View

$719

$894

$1,195

$927

Northpoint

$644

$885

$1,273

$1,200

Murray Hill

$644

$883

$1,242

$1,133

Juneau Town

$646

$878

$1,220

$1,107

Walker’s Point

$666

$833

$1,112

$1,097

Kilbourn Town

$646

$876

$1,203

$1,097

Upper East Side

$644

$874

$1,226

$1,187

Lower East Side

$644

$882

$1,237

$1,187

Third Ward

$646

$850

$1,201

$1,097

MSOE

$646

$878

$1,218

$1,107

seem low for Milwaukee. That could be because ABODO’s data is driven by the company’s client base, which in most cases is young people looking for inexw w w.biztimes.com

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pensive apartments.

Also, some landlords don’t participate, which drives down costs in the data.

Monnat said Mandel Group only has a

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B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e

SOURCE: ABODO

online apartment search company, looked at data from its 400,000 users from November 2014 through November 2015, and found the city’s Lower East Side is the most searched neighborhood.

The average price of a one-bedroom apartment in Milwaukee is $805. You’ll pay $1,031 on average for a two-bedroom and $1,142 for three bedrooms, according to ABODO. The cheapest one-bedroom apartment is near Marquette University, for $821 a month. The most expensive is in Bay View, at $894 for a one-bedroom – again, according to ABODO. Robert Monnat, industry expert and chief operating officer of Mandel Group, gave the ABODO numbers a look. Monnat, who is not affiliated with ABODO, said based on the velocity of the searches, it’s clear there are a lot of people looking for places in neighborhoods that are traditionally multi-family oriented, such as the East Side.

“It’s interesting that neighborhoods like Bay View and Walker’s Point are showing up on a higher price scale,” Monnat said. “I think that validates the common understanding that those are fast emerging markets. If there is a lack of activity in those submarkets, it’s because there is a lack of inventory. As more apartments are added, more people will be looking for an opportunity to live there.”

Overall, ABODO’s average rents

   

small portion of its properties listed on ABODO’s site. ABODO also mixes Class A, B and C properties, lowering the average rent.

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Dwell, a 70-unit apartment building in Bay View, opened in 2012 to attract younger residents to the neighborhood.

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Heather Johnston, founder and chief executive officer of Find My Spot Inc., a Milwaukee-based online apartment locator that helps corporations relocating employees, has significantly higher average rents listed on her site.

Find My Spot lists a median rent for a one-bedroom Third Ward apartment at $1,520 per month - $670 more per month than ABODO prices a one-bedroom apartment in the Third Ward.

In Bay View, the average one-bedroom would run you $1,130 a month, according to Find My Spot. Looking for a better deal? Try ABODO—it’s $894.

In Walker’s Point, a one-bedroom apartment is listed for $1,025 on Find My Spot, compared to $833 on ABODO. The same is true for downtown, where the price is $1,445 for a one-bedroom, according to Find My Spot, versus $879 on ABODO. Johnston says the difference is most of her properties are Class A and cater to relocating professionals.

Not that one site is right or wrong – it just depends on what type of apartment you are looking for.

In fact, there are dozens of local online apartment rental sites available for prospective renters, so startup companies like ABODO and Find My Spot have to find a niche to set them apart.

ABODO was started by a group of recent University of Wisconsin-Madison grads in 2012 though the accelerator program run by gener8tor, a Milwaukee- and Madison-based company that works with early stage entrepreneurs.

The company specializes in students and millennials looking for housing and was recently chosen as the campus area housing finder by UW-Madison – a big win for the company, since now ABODO’s technology is linked directly to the

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campus’ housing and visitor relations home pages.

All of the local companies are competing against the heaviest hitter – Apartments.com.

“Smaller companies are nimble but cannot compete with Apartments.com and their $100 million advertising campaign,” Johnston said.

In March, Washington D.C.-based CoStar Group acquired Apartments.com for $585 million. CoStar also acquired the websites ApartmentHomeLiving.com and RentalHomesPlus.com.

Last year, the three sites collectively generated 114 million visits and an average of 7 million unique monthly visitors, according to CoStar. They had about $86 million in total revenue.

A company like ABODO competes by looking at what is most important to its renters – in this case, millennials.

A survey being used by the company shows the top five amenities selected by student renters and recent graduates include available parking, in-unit laundry, rent control, having utilities included, being near a bus route, having a balcony or deck, and large square footage.

On the flip side, Johnston, a mechanical engineer who started her company in 2012 after moving 11 times in 13 years for work, said her clients make leasing decisions based on communities – both the neighborhood and the feel established within the apartment community – not pricing.

“Although most renters search for housing within a pre-determined budget, their final decision is typically based on qualitative factors,” Johnston said. “Once a standard of living is met, high-end finishes and square footage are less important to millennials, empty nesters and busy executives.” n

❱

cover story

best BIZTIMES

 IN BUSINESS 

2015 2015

CHEERS TO A GREAT YEAR! As 2015 comes to a close, it’s time to look back at the biggest newsmakers in the southeastern Wisconsin business community this year, who we honor with the third annual BizTimes Best in Business Awards.

This report recognizes the corporation, small business, family-owned business, CEO and community leader of the year in southeastern Wisconsin.

Past winners include: Allen Edmonds CEO Paul Grangaard, Badger Meter CEO Rich Meeusen, Roadrunner Transportation Systems CEO Mark DiBlasi, MMAC president Tim Sheehy, Northwestern Mutual, Generac Power Systems, Uline, Bartolotta Restaurant Group, Colectivo Coffee Roasters and Super Steel.

This year’s winners include Milwaukee Bucks president Peter Feigin, who led the team’s push for a new arena in downtown Milwaukee; WEC Energy Group, which completed the largest non-bank acquisition in Wisconsin’s history; Steinhafels, which is in the middle of a major expansion; the Ramirez family, which is working to improve education in Milwaukee; and Gehl Foods, which was sold by the Gehl family, who then gave each employee $10,000 to say thanks.

Read all about what these companies and leaders accomplished in 2015 in this special report. w w w.biztimes.com

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best BIZTIMES

 IN BU S INESS 

CEO of t he Year

2015 BIZTIMES BEST IN BUSINESS

BIG SHOT PETER FEIGIN IS CEO OF THE YEAR

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for the Bucks was no easy task. Feigin had to sell them on how the project would benefit the city, county and state.

“The best advice I got was from (Bob Harlan), the former president of the (Green Bay) Packers,” Feigin said. “He said, ‘There will be days when you go home and you look at your wife and say, “This is over. This isn’t going to happen.”

Those are important days. They are going to happen, many of them. Wake up the next morning knowing that you are going to have solutions.’ That comment was so true and it really was what I remembered through every chapter (of the political process).”

The arena funding package was approved by bipartisan votes in the state Assembly and the state Senate, and an overwhelming vote of the Milwaukee Common Council. The public funding for the project will be split among the state, the city, Milwaukee County and the Wisconsin Center District. A ticket surcharge will also help pay for the project.

“It was almost a surreal experience in balancing the politics of city, state and county, keeping consistency and really communicating the vision of how and why, and how good the transformation of this city would be with the Bucks being the catalyst for it,” Feigin said.

The Bucks still need to finalize a lease agreement, development agreement and non-relocation agreement with the Wisconsin Center District. The organization B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e

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TROY FREUND PHOTOGRAPHY

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n April 2014, Herb Kohl agreed to sell the Milwaukee Bucks to Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry, who later added Jamie Dinan as a major co-owner and several other minority owners.

In the fall of 2014, the new Bucks ownership group hired Peter Feigin, a former New York Knicks executive, to run the day-to-day business as president of the Bucks.

With the Bucks’ primary owners living in New York, Feigin became the public face of the organization, leading a complete rebranding effort and spearheading the initiative to build a new arena, which the NBA said was necessary for the Bucks to remain in Milwaukee.

“Make no bones about it, I am the head salesperson of the organization,” Feigin said.

Feigin accomplished a ton for the Bucks in 2015. He navigated a treacherous political process to receive approval for $250 million in public funds for the $500 million arena project (Kohl and the new owners will pay the remaining cost). The rebranding of the Bucks, which included new colors, uniforms and logos, was aided by the team’s surprising appearance in the playoffs last season, which helped boost TV ratings and attendance For all he accomplished this year, Feigin is the BizTimes Best in Business 2015 CEO of the Year.

Convincing state and local politicians to support public funding for a new arena

BY ANDREW WEILAND, staff writer

Feigin worked hard to win approval of public financing for a new arena.

also needs to get city approval for detailed plans for the arena and $500 million in ancillary development the Bucks owners plan around the arena. Feigin is leading those efforts.

Construction for the arena, a new

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practice facility, a new parking structure, a public plaza and a “live block” development could begin next spring and be complete in time for the 2018’19 NBA season.

The Bucks owners envision a 27-acre

best

CEO OF THE YEAR:

BIZTIMES

Peter Feigin

 I N B U S I N E SS 

CEO of t he Year

mixed-use development. It could take 10 years to fully build that out. Interest from potential tenants and development partners for the ancillary development has been “tremendous,” Feigin said.

“We are eager and excited to accelerate development with market demand on commercial and residential and working hard to sell and get that done,” he said.

“The key is making sure people live and work in the area around the arena. If they don’t live and work in the area, (the arena district) doesn’t work.”

To help sell the public on the arena project, and on the Bucks themselves, Feigin spoke at numerous business and civic events this year. If you didn’t see Feigin speak at an event, you weren’t trying very hard to do so, because he was everywhere.

“When we put together a strategy with ownership, it was very important to have a human face with this team, and I was the designated leader,” Feigin said. “I am constantly reinforcing reasons you want to be attracted to (the Bucks). This is a market where you’ve got to build trust and you’ve got to build equity. I’m not from Milwaukee and I’m not from Wisconsin, so the ability to make personal connections, that ability to have people hear me talk and, more importantly, talk the talk and walk the walk, is a great opportunity to accelerate our growth as a brand.”

Despite the improvements made to the organization from top to bottom, there is still much more work to be done, Feigin said.

“I think we’ve had tremendous growth,

(but) we’ve got an opportunity to do much, much better,” he said. “When you look at comparables in the NBA, we’re in the lower third of the metrics that really matter: attendance, season ticket holders, retail, television audience.”

The Bucks need to continue to improve on and sell their value proposition to the region’s business community, Feigin said.

“I think we’re getting there,” he said. “I think people understand we’re improving the experience in the arena. When we talk specifically about business-to-business, people have to (perceive) value in demand to use tickets and hospitality for acquisition of talent, for retention of talent, for sales hospitality. And I think we are getting there, client by client. We’ve invested

a lot in the experience itself, whether it be food service, the cleanliness, the training of personnel – these are all touch points that are extremely valuable to increase the value proposition.”

Feigin says he enjoys the job and the “hospitality” of the Milwaukee community.

“There couldn’t be a more welcoming place that I’ve ever been in my life,” he said. “If people look at this job and don’t think it’s a dream come true, they don’t have a sense of reality. To have the opportunity to spearhead a reorganization of a company, a development of an arena and ancillary development…and the sky’s the limit of what we can do beyond this as we talk about media, international partnerships…we’re just starting to realize the potential.” n

ONGRATULATIONS CONGRATULATIONS CONGRATULATIONS

eter Peter Feigin Peter Feigin Feigin

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best

CORPORATION OF THE YEAR:

BIZTIMES

WEC ENERGY GROUP

 IN BU S INESS 

CONTRIBUTED

Corporation of the Year

BY MOLLY DILL, staff writer

isconsin Energy Corp. completed a massive acquisition this year and significantly grew its employee base and regional reach.

The $9 billion acquisition of Chicago-based Integrys Group was the largest non-bank acquisition in Wisconsin history. It was completed June 29, and formed Milwaukee-based company WEC Energy Group.

In recognition of WEC’s transformative move, the company is the BizTimes Best in Business Corporation of the Year for 2015.

With six utilities serving 4.4 million electric and natural gas customers in four

TROY FREUND PHOTOGRAPHY

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states, WEC Energy Group is now one of the largest utilities – and one of the largest

Powering your business Whether you’re just getting started or growing at a rapid pace, we have the resources to meet the energy needs of your business. We’re among the best in the nation for keeping your power on – and we’re working hard to keep it that way.

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B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e

2K15150-GJ

Learn about energy tools available for business customers at we-energies.com.

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corporations – in the country.

“This acquisition was far more about growth than about cost savings,” said Gale Klappa, chairman and chief executive officer of WEC. “The investment needs and the investment opportunities of the combined companies in terms of modernizing the energy infrastructure of the region, those investment needs and those investment opportunities are very significant.”

Wisconsin Energy was planning to invest about $700 million annually in its infrastructure pre-acquisition. Now, the combined company will invest about $1.5 billion per year.

“What we’ve really done a great deal of in the 150 or so days that we’ve had the combined company is really taken a thorough look at all of the projects that are on the drawing board,” to prioritize infrastructure modernization efforts, Klappa said.

In addition, WEC has streamlined some of its executive positions and eliminated some redundant roles to cut costs, he said. The company now has about 8,800 full-time employees.

“We are basically functionalizing the management under one senior leader,” Klappa said. “In that way, we’re driving best practices across our system, and we’re gaining efficiency.”

WEC has also found other efficiencies afforded by its larger scale, he said.

“With a larger enterprise…we’re finding cost saving opportunities in virtually every area of the business,” Klappa said.

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LEFT: Wisconsin Energy Corp.’s Menomonee Valley power plant.

RIGHT: Gale Klappa

“With a larger book of business, and a very good track record in terms of loss control, we were able to save several million dollars in renewing our property and casualty insurance.”

Another example is a major IT project just getting underway to integrate the companies’ ledger systems.

WEC also in 2015 completed a $60 million project to convert its 22-acre Menomonee Valley power plant from coal to natural gas. The project was completed on Nov. 16. The plant is a critical energy resource for Milwaukee, since it provides electricity for the grid, voltage support for the downtown central business district and steam heat for almost every major building downtown.

Klappa said he is also proud of We Energies’ designation as the most reliable utility in the Midwest for the fifth consecutive year by PA Consulting Group, and the largest expansion of the natural gas delivery network in the history of the company recently completed in western Wisconsin. n

best

SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR:

BIZTIMES

GEHL FOODS

 I N B U S I N E SS 

TROY FREUND PHOTOGRAPHY

Small Bus

vated” butter. In the 1960s, it shifted to non-refrigerated, sterile dairy products.

Katherine Gehl rejoined the family company in 2007, and had led it as president and chief executive officer since 2011, succeeding her father, John, and her brother, Andy. The company has increased sales by 80 percent and added more than 100 jobs since 2007.

Katherine has been succeeded by Eric Beringause, a food industry veteran who most recently served as CEO of Sturm Foods in Manawa, Wis. She continues as a member of the company’s board of directors.

While she would not comment on current operations, Katherine said the company is growing and creating jobs in Wisconsin, which is what her family had

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hoped for with the sale.

What the Gehl family hadn’t planned for, or wanted, was the media attention it received after the $3 million gift. Several employees contacted local media outlets and several stories were done earlier this year.

Since that time, however, many business owners have approached Katherine, telling her they wish they would have done the same when they sold their companies, or that they are thinking of doing the same thing if they sell.

“It makes me feel great,” Gehl said. “We were fortunate enough to grow a business and able to do this. I think as many people who can do this, celebrate the entire team, should. It is a right thing to do. But people have to make an individual choice.” n

BizTimes Milwaukee and Ridgestone Bank

Katherine Gehl

hen the Gehl family decided to sell its 119-year-old business, Germantown-based Gehl Foods, to a private equity firm earlier this year, there were a lot of decisions that needed to be made.

But the first, and easiest, decision was to thank the company’s 370 employees in a meaningful and tangible way.

Every full-time employee received a $10,000 gift – $5,000 for their 401(k) plans and $5,000 in their paychecks – and each part-time employee received $5,000, divided the same way.

“The absolute first conversation my family had about a possible (sale) was the gift,” said Katherine Gehl, who was president and chief executive officer at the time of the sale. “It was never a question for anyone in my family. My five siblings and my father, everyone was on board.”

The gifts totaled more than $3 million.

Employees were notified over a 36-hour period in March when Gehl hand-deliv-

iness of the Year

BY CORRINNE HESS, staff writer

ered thank you cards to every employee on each shift.

“I wanted to show up personally and say, ‘I believe this company is going great places and I want this to be a great day for you also,’” Gehl said. “To be in that space of appreciation for 36 hours was a phenomenal experience.”

This impactful gift and its continued growth have earned Gehl Foods the BizTimes Best in Business Small Business of the Year award for 2015.

The Gehl family sold the company to Wind Point Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm, for an undisclosed sum.

Gehl Foods has three Germantown facilities and a West Bend bottle-making operation. Gehl Foods, which manufactures aseptic dairy products including nacho cheese, pudding and smoothies, reported $250 million in sales in 2014.

It was founded in 1896 by J.P. Gehl as a three-room creamery that made “renow w w.biztimes.com

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Both Celebrating 20 Years of Supporting Businesses Throughout Southeastern Wisconsin Ridgestone Bank is one of the top 10 SBA lenders in the country and are USDA specialists. Now entering our 21st year, we are known for our creative financial solutions and look for ways to say “yes” to growing businesses.

Ridgestone Bank would like to thank our customers for 20 Years of saying “Yes” to us!

D ecember 14 - 2 0, 2 015

To contact a lender, call: 262-789-1011 or visit us at: ridgestone.com

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best

FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR:

BIZTIMES

STEINHAFELS INC.

Fam i ly-

Owned Business of the Yea

CONTRIBUTED

 IN BU S INESS 

r

BY ANDREW WEILAND, staff writer

S

teinhafels, which started as a small Milwaukee furniture store in 1934, today has 18 furniture and mattress stores and more than 700 employees.

The company is in its third generation of family ownership and is in the middle of a significant expansion.

This summer, Steinhafels began construction of a 104,000-square-foot expansion of its main distribution center at its headquarters complex at I-94 and County Highway F in Pewaukee. That complex currently has 420,000 square feet of space, which encompasses corporate offices, a store and a 240,000-squarefoot distribution center.

Because of its rapid growth, Steinhafels has been named the BizTimes Best in Business Family-Owned Business of the Year for 2015.

The distribution center expansion is expected to be complete by next fall. It is the first of a two-phase project that will eventually result in the addition of 650 employees.

The first phase of the distribution center expansion will result in 200 to 250 new jobs.

The second phase of the distribution center project will STEINHAFEL FAMILY: Ellen Steinhafel-Lappe, CFO; Mark Steinhafel, COO; Gary Steinhafel, president; Andrew Steinhafel, director of IT.

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supplement an additional 130,000 square feet. The timing of that project depends on sales growth and future expansion.

“We wanted to be in a position to have distribution capabilities if an acquisition opportunity presented itself,” said president Gary Steinhafel.

The company took advantage of such an opportunity in 2014 with the acquisition of former American TV & Appliance stores in Oak Creek, Appleton and Madison. Conversion of the Appleton store into a Steinhafels store was completed in late 2014. The Oak Creek store conversion was completed early this year.

“Business (at the Oak Creek store) is slowly growing,” Steinhafel said. “We have not seen any significant cannibalization from our Greenfield and Kenosha stores.

It has been almost all new business for us.”

After the first phase of the distribution center expansion is complete next year, work will begin to convert the former American TV store on the east side of Madison, which will replace the Steinhafels store at East Towne Mall.

In Greenfield, a new Steinhafels store will be part of a mixed-use development planned by Cobalt Partners at I-894 and South 84th Street. That new Steinhafels store will replace its store at Layton AvD ecember 14 - 2 0, 2 015

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enue and 84th Street. The new store will be about the same size as the current Greenfield store, 58,000 square feet, but it will be on one level instead of two and will have a modern design. The current Greenfield store building was constructed in 1970. The new store will also be highly visible from I-894.

In addition to Gary Steinhafel, the third generation family members who run the company today include: Mark Steinhafel, chief operating officer; Ellen Steinhafel-Lappe, chief financial officer; Steve Steinhafel, general manager of customer service; and Tom Steinhafel, store manager. Fourth generation family member Andrew Steinhafel is director of information technology.

“We make decisions unanimously,” Gary Steinhafel said of the family member owners. “If we move in a direction, we do it because we have unified consent.”

The family members also share financial information with the company’s senior management, not just with each other, Steinhafel said.

“We are a company that is transparent within the organization,” he said. “We share sales and profitability within the senior management team. We manage the business with their advice.” n

best

COMMUNITY LEADER OF THE YEAR:

BIZTIMES

THE RAMIREZ FAMILY

 I N B U S I N E SS 

CONTRIBUTED

Commun

BACK: Moses, Austin, Heather and Anna Ramirez with Abby, Page and Omar Andrietsch. FRONT: Gus and Becky Ramirez.

A

ustin Ramirez, Anna Ramirez and Abby Andrietsch blossomed through childhood under parents who set leading examples of ambition and community involvement.

The three siblings were “lucky” their parents backed them in charging ahead toward their passions, said Andrietsch, executive director of the nonprofit Schools That Can Milwaukee.

“My parents encouraged us to pursue what we were passionate about and to find meaning in our work, but to also give back,” she said.

A passion for quality education surfaced for each of them and has driven both Anna and Andrietsch’s careers, as well as a share of community efforts taken on by Austin, president and chief executive officer of Waukesha-based HUSCO International.

The trio largely inherited their interest in education from their parents, Gus Ramirez, executive chairman of HUSCO, and Becky Ramirez, who devoted part of her career to teaching.

For its commitment to excellence in education, the family has been named the BizTimes Best in Business 2015 Community Leader of the Year.

BY ERICA BREUNLIN, staff writer

The Ramirez family took on its largest financial venture in education earlier this year as Gus unveiled plans to pour $60 million into the development of a private K-12 school, Augustine Prep, on Milwaukee’s south side.

Gus said construction for the new school, which will provide about 2,000 students with a Christian education, will likely break ground in March, with the immediate focus centered on hiring key leaders, including a superintendent and one or two principals.

His daughter Anna, who has seven years of teaching experience, has been by his side, assisting with community engagement and planning for the school.

The Ramirez family is investing in Milwaukee education because of how much the region has given back to it, according to Gus. “Our family has been extraordinarily blessed from a business perspective,” he said, adding that the family concentrates its community work on areas where it feels it can inspire a lasting impact.

Gus, Becky and their children also aim to take a more direct role in priming the future workforce for job demands at its company and others in the region, acw w w.biztimes.com

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cording to Austin.

If the region does not produce high school graduates with relevant skills, HUSCO International is going to be in “big trouble,” Austin said.

it y Leader of t he Yea

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So will the broader community, he added.

“There is no single issue that can address the issues of poverty and segregation and crime and drug use more effectively than education can in Milwaukee,” Austin said.

The Ramirez clan’s persistent support of education has also ballooned beyond Milwaukee, as Gus and Becky have spent more than 16 years contributing to the development of Christian schools in Central America, including in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua.

Along with gifting financial support, the couple has consistently visited the schools it has aided.

There is a “beauty” in seeing children’s love for their school and “the pride of learning,” Becky said.

That beauty and pride is complemented by a hope that better educational opportunities for Central American students will build a stronger base of nextgeneration leaders, according to Gus. The couple’s mission work has impacted 50,000 to 100,000 students to date, he estimates. n

NEW S BR IEFS

CG Schmidt will lead $55 million Medical College project The Medical College of Wisconsin has chosen Milwaukee firm CG Schmidt to construct its new 225,000-square-foot professional building in Wauwatosa.

Mandel Group moves into Kansas City market Milwaukee-based developer Mandel Group Inc. has continued its expansion outside the metro Milwaukee Market, completing the acquisition of two apartment buildings in Kansas totaling 918 units.

The project will cost $55-$60 million and will be built on the north side of Connell Avenue between the college’s medical education building and Wisconsin diagnostic laboratories.

Mandel Group purchased Highland Ridge, a 370-unit property, and The Lodge at Overland Park, a 548-unit property. Both properties are in Overland Park, Kan., a suburb of the Kansas City metro area and the second largest city in Kansas.

Once completed in fall 2017, the six to sevenstory building will house up to 1,200 Medical College faculty and staff members. The building will not be used for patient care.

The acquisition was completed by Overland Park Equity LLC, an affiliate of Mandel Group. Mandel Group is not disclosing the purchase price.

Madison-based Flad Architects will lead the architectural and engineering design team.

Groundbreaking for construction is set for spring of 2016.

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The seller was a fund sponsored by Resource America, Inc. In addition to Overland Park and the Milwaukee area, Mandel owns and manages properties in Eagan, Minn., Madison and Chicago.

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special report

banking

finance & M&A

Millennials switching to smaller banks and credit unions Lower fees, more personalized attention attractive

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illennials are more likely to change banks than members of other generations, and it’s often in favor of smaller, community banks and credit unions, according to a recent survey by Accenture.

Of 18 percent of millennials who switched their primary bank in the past 12 months (versus 10 percent of customers 35 to 54 and 3 percent of those over 55), 5 percent went to local/community banks, and 3 percent went to credit unions, according to the 2015 Accenture North America Consumer Digital Banking Survey.

Among the reasons cited for jumping ship: higher fees and poor loyalty programs.

“We don’t have a similar study to be able to say that that exact trend is happening (in Wisconsin), but I will say that our members are investing heavily in technology to keep up with the demands of consumers, most notably millennials,” said Rose Oswald Poels, president and chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Bankers Association.

As one of the Oswald Poels largest generations in the U.S., the millennial generation can’t be ignored by banks, she said.

One of the amenities they demand is mobile banking, which is being utilized more frequently by consumers. Mobile banking usage increased from 20 to 35 percent from 2011 to 2014, according to the Federal Reserve, and Wisconsin banks have been in line with that national trend, Oswald Poels said.

Social media is an important avenue to communicate with younger audiences.

“Wisconsin’s banks are definitely growing in terms of the number that have social media sites and maintain them on a regular basis, so they’ve definitely invested quite a bit of energy into social media….to make sure that they are 20

marketing it to attract millennials and the mediums that millennials are operating in,” Oswald Poels said.

Summit Credit Union has seen an influx of millennial members, partly as a result of marketing and attraction efforts like these.

“We’ve seen over the last couple of years, well over a third of our new members are coming from that millennial generation,” said Chris Schell, senior vice president of marketing at Madisonbased Summit Credit Union. “It’s been trending about that (level) for the last year or so, and that’s been very deliberate on our part – they’re certainly part of our core target market.”

Summit has six Milwaukee area locations, and is in the Schell process of adding two more. It has a total of 31 branches and 150,000 members.

The credit union’s value proposition, Schell said, lies in its online services, lower fees than most banks, convenience and rewards programs. Each Summit member saved an average of $116 in 2014 versus doing business with a for-profit banking institution, according to the Credit Union National Association.

“A lot of it is in the way (millennials) want (banking) delivered,” he said. “Certainly more of a focus on digital, more of a focus on information delivered in very snackable, quick pieces of information.”

Big banks are also trying to attract millennial customers. BMO Harris Bank, a large Canadian bank with a U.S. headquarters in Chicago, doesn’t disclose its market share by demographic, but its total Milwaukee market share is very strong and continuing to grow, said Emily Penate, media relations manager.

“Millennials are looking for simple, convenient, fast and secure ways to bank, and we’re addressing that with our commitment to innovation – giving our B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e

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BY MOLLY DILL, staff writer

Community banks have proven attractive to millennials seeking personalization.

customers, including millennials, new banking tools and options, such as Touch ID and Mobile Cash, which is the largest cardless ATM network in the United States,” she said. “In addition, we connect with our customers including millennials, through various grassroots, communityfocused content on social media.”

The millennial small business clients Paul Sackmann works with at Milwaukee-based Park Bank are most interested in convenience and technolSackmann ogy, he said.

“When it comes to community banks, I think we’ve all, including Park Bank, tried to keep up with the big banks in terms of technology, so it’s not a hindrance,” said Sackmann, who is assistant vice president of commercial banking. “I think most banks have those higher technology levels that millennials demand, because a lot of them are doing their banking away from their desk.”

Sackmann works with several business

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owners in their early 30s who run startups and small businesses such as IT firms and coffee shops. He meets with them at least once a quarter, but sometimes as frequently as twice a month.

Because he works directly with customers, Sackmann said he has flexibility to, for example, waive fees while a business goes through a transition.

“We tend to spend more time on the front end to get to know them and help them grow their business,” he said. “I’ve noticed a lot of the small businesses, including the startups, they view me as a partner in their business to some degree.”

Brown Deer-based Bank Mutual has also capitalized on the technological convenience and occasional personalized attention millennials seek, said Joseph Fikejs, chief operations officer.

“Banks realize that millennials are different from any other generation,” he said. “As a result, we need to alter distribution channels and provide additional avenues to banking services. The Millennial is ‘mobile centric,’ and yet a large majority of them wish they knew more about finances.” n

banking

Wisconsin banks increased profits, lending in third quarter

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isconsin banks reported net income of $297 million in the third quarter, compared to $248 million in the third quarter of 2014, according to the Quarterly Banking Profile released recently by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

There were 246 FDIC-insured institutions reporting in the third quarter, down from 253 institutions reporting in the same period last year.

Combined, Wisconsin’s banks reported $105.2 billion in total assets in the quarter, up from $101.6 billion in total assets in the third quarter of 2014.

Lending was up in the quarter, with loans and leases totaling $74.3 billion, compared with $70.8 billion in the same period a year ago. The net loans and leases-to-assets condition ratio was 69.6, compared with 68.5 in the third quarter of 2014.

Total real estate owned declined significantly year-over-year, from $431 million in the third quarter of 2014 to $289 million in the third quarter of 2015.

Among FDIC-insured Wisconsin banks, Green Bay-based Associated Bank N.A. led the way in third quarter profits, with net income of $60.5 million and total assets of $27.3 billion.

Madison-based John Deere Financial f.s.b. ranked second, with $26.6 million in net income and $2.7 billion in total assets.

Madison-based AnchorBank fsb came in third, with $15.9 million in net income

and $2.2 billion in total assets.

Milwaukee-based Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management placed fourth, with $7.8 million in net income and $196.6 million in total assets in the third quarter. And Racine-based Johnson Bank ranked fifth, with $6.4 million in net income and $4.1 billion in total assets.

Rose Oswald Poels, president and chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Bankers Association, released the following statement in response to the report: “Wisconsin’s banks continued this year’s strong performance, according to the latest FDIC quarterly numbers. Virtually every category of lending saw growth when compared to the same timeframe in 2014.

Overall, lending grew to over $73 billion, a 5.2 percent increase. The key indicators of how banks helped businesses grow and families prosper all showed positive signs during this period.

“Wisconsin’s banks saw success in their support of businesses (commercial lending grew from $12.3 billion to $13 billion over the year; also a 5.2 percent increase). And consumer confidence grew as indicated by a 4.2 percent increase in residential loans from $21.7 billion to $22.6 billion. Noncurrent loans and leases shrank 24.3 percent from $1 billion to $830 million, highlighting that Wisconsin consumers are better able to meet their financial obligations.

“The latest numbers simply highlight

BY MOLLY DILL, staff writer

Associated Bank, which recently opened this branch in Waukesha, led the way in profits among Wisconsin banks in the third quarter.

the fact that the diversity of Wisconsin’s strong banking industry directly benefits Wisconsin consumers. For over 150 years, Wisconsin banks have been safely helping businesses grow and families prosper, creating thriving communities. Our institutions are healthy, well-capitalized and

ready to help grow our economy.

“As a driver of economic growth, Wisconsin’s banks stand ready to help keep Wisconsin moving forward despite an uncertain interest rate environment, increased regulatory burden and operational costs – all of which affect profitability.” n

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS - COMMERCIAL LOANS - LINE OF CREDIT - OWNER OCCUPIED REAL ESTATE - BUSINESS CHECKING & SAVINGS

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- INVESTMENT REAL ESTATE - CASH MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS - EQUIPMENT FINANCING - FLEET FINANCING

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Learn more about North Shore Bank’s Business Products at NorthShoreBank.com/business B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e

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banking

Retailers roll out chip card terminals, pushing fraud online

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onsumers are swiping less at registers this holiday season, in favor of the chip-embedded credit and debit cards working their way into wallets nationwide.

The chip-embedded cards are harder to hack, and banks and card issuers are sending them to customers in the hopes they cut down on fraud.

A big reason for the recent push to issue the chip cards is an Oct. 1 deadline, known as the EMV liability shift, that began assigning liability to the least chip card compliant of the parties involved in a fraudulent transaction – usually either the issuer or the merchant.

Merchants have been scrambling to install new point-of-sale terminals that accept chip cards to assure they are not liable for fraud, especially during their busiest shopping season.

At Indulgence Chocolatiers, a chocolate shop that has stores in Walker’s Point, Wauwatosa and Shorewood, the point-ofsale terminals were all less than three years old, but needed to be replaced with the new regulation, said owner Julie Waterman.

“We completely understand and we have our own practices to ensure security, but we were a little frustrated that there’s this new change that requires us to purchase all new equipment,” she said.

The bill: About $2,000 among the three stores.

Employees are also working with customers to teach them how to use the chip cards in the newer terminals, Waterman said.

“They are having to tell people how to do it, because it’s just different,” she said.

“We completely understand why the transition is happening so we don’t feel that it’s unreasonable at all, but it does require a little bit more of a store.”

Waterman is also the board president of Local First Milwaukee, an alliance of local businesses and nonprofits. Its approximately 300 business members are working on transitioning their terminals, but it hasn’t been a particular issue that’s come up among the group, she said.

Members of the Wisconsin Gro22

cers Association felt a lot of pressure to be prepared for the liability shift, and worked feverishly to install the new terminals ahead of the deadline, said Brandon Scholz, president and chief executive officer of the WGA. The organization represents about 400 independent operators and chains across the state, as well as about 200 wholesalers, suppliers, vendors and others. Grocers have not experienced any significant problems with using the chip card terminals that they’ve reported to the WGA, he said.

“Certainly the industry and our members follow it because anything that can be done to improve the security of a customer’s card is real high on the list,” Scholz said.

But the rollout of chip cards by banks has been more gradual, he said.

“I’m not an expert in what the banks and the credit card people do, but they’re not turning this around,” Scholz said.

“Our concern is that while we were forced to hit this Oct. 1 deadline, it’s out of our control.”

That’s because many banks and card B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e

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BY MOLLY DILL, staff writer

Retailers have been scrambling to install new point-of-sale terminals that accept chip cards.

issuers are waiting until cards expire to issue new ones, essentially accepting the fraud liability for the time being because of the high cost of massive card replacement, said Steve Platt, executive vice president of fraud and identity at Experian.

“The rollout of EMV is just starting and it won’t be done for another year or two,” Platt said. “The bank issuers are busy issuing new cards, credit and debit, and that is far from done yet. For the retailers, while some of them have installed new terminals for EMV, that process is still underway.”

As consumers begin using the more secure chip cards for in-store transactions, fraudsters are targeting online transactions, he said. Compounding that is the fact that consumers are doing more and more of their shopping online.

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“It’s no surprise that the volume of online sales activity is increasing year-overyear,” Platt said. “We’re seeing volumes anywhere from 10 to 40 percent higher year-over-year. Of course, online merchants, they (accept) the liability for fraud.”

Experian has been working with online merchants to prepare for the increased fraud attempts by beefing up security, he said.

“If you are a typical retailer, your fastest path to fraud protection is of course to upgrade your fraud terminals and accept every EMV compliant card that consumers pay with,” Platt said. “If you’re an online merchant, you always had the liability, so that hasn’t changed with EMV. What has changed is the degree to which fraudsters will now target online transactions.” n

Join us as we salute excellence, encourage innovation and recognize these deserving heroes!

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A W A R D S

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. A breakfast awards program was held in their honor on Dec. 11. In this special section, we share their stories to call attention to their efforts and innovations. The Health Care Heroes Awards profile stories were written by Alysha Schertz and Hilary Dickinson.

Presented by:

Sponsored by:

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Saluting those on the front lines

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s BizTimes Media completes another rewarding year of serving Milwaukee’s business community, it is a delight to conclude our annual programming lineup with our Health Care Heroes Awards program.

During the hectic holiday season, the Health Care Heroes breakfast reminds us to slow down and take the time to thank those who are making a positive difference in the community on the front lines of health care. It’s our pleasure to shine the spotlight on these important heroes, who are doing things like: »» Advocating for patients in the mental health care system. »» Providing integrated primary health care, mental health care and

social services. »» Offering exceptional comprehensive behavioral health care for people suffering from addiction. »» Making healthy food options and health screenings available to underserved populations. »» Providing completely free medical care to individuals in need. »» Pioneering new ways to treat and prevent child abuse in our community. »» Forming insurer-provider collaborations to improve the safety, value and efficiency of health care. »» Serving as a caring, compassionate, knowledgeable source of strength for patients. »» Putting themselves in patients’ shoes

and relating to them on a personal level. »» Fostering an environment that values innovation and collaboration to do more with less. »» Demonstrating a commitment to inspire others in the community to support a cause. »» Volunteering to help whenever and wherever needed. »» Fostering an innovative approach to more effective breast cancer screenings. »» Working to rectify Wisconsin’s physician shortage.

It is an honor to recognize these inspirational men, women and organizations in the spirit of the season. Please

GE Healthcare

Building Things That Matter It’s our business to help people with the medical devices and services we create; but it’s our compassion that drives us to believe in community service. GE Healthcare employees contribute thousands of volunteer hours every year in southeastern Wisconsin. We’re focused on making personal connections and delivering a brighter outlook for future generations through our involvement in education, health, community building and innovation.

We build things that matter, including a stronger community.

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Dan Meyer

take a few moments to read their stories here. And should you meet them, be sure to thank them for their service. They deserve it!

Dan Meyer Publisher, BizTimes Media

Table of Contents Behavioral Health JOHN CHIANELLI Executive director, Whole Health Clinical Group

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DR. MICHAEL MILLER Medical director, Herrington Recovery Center

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MARY NEUBAUER Certified peer specialist, Community Advocates

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Community Service MARK LYDAY 28 Former director of child advocacy and protective service, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin ROBERT RAMEREZ Manager of community services, Columbia St. Mary’s

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JIM STRACHOTA Executive director, Albrecht Free Clinic

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Corporate Achievement in Health Care COLUMBIA ST. MARY’S MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN

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Executive Leadership LARRY SCHREIBER President, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin

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Nurse ELIZABETH KRZYWDA, APNP Medical College of Wisconsin Dept. of Surgical Oncology

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ALEXA MATTES, RN 32 Madison Medical Affiliates

Is your doctor your guardian angel?

If you need to find a new primary care physician due to insurance change, a recent move, or just because . . .

We have hundreds of great doctors, waiting in the wings.

Here’s just a small sample of the health plans we’re currently affiliated with:

DOUG EVANS Chairman, Dept. of Surgery and pancreatic cancer surgeon, Medical College of Wisconsin

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Network Health • United Health Care • Managed Health Services (Ambetter) • Molina Health UHC/UMR • Anthem • Humana • Aetna • WPS • CIGNA • Health EOS Sheboygan Employer Health Network/Prairie States • Trilogy • HPS (Health Payment Systems)

PAMELA WILSON Medical director, Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers

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To find a great doctor who best meets your needs, talk with a friendly referral specialist at 414-332-DOCS.

Physician

Volunteer MIKE AND MARY ALTSCHAEFL Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

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MAGGY SCHULTZ Froedtert MCW We Care Committee

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columbia-stmarys.org Biz Times Primary Care Young Woman & Doc.indd 1

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Behavioral Health: John Chianelli

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Executive director Whole Health Clinical Group, Milwaukee Center for Independence

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he Milwaukee Center for Independence has taken on a new approach to the treatment of mental illness. In 2015, MCFI acquired the services of Milwaukee’s TLS Behavioral Health and evolved them into the Whole Health Clinical Group.

It is the first community-based integrated health and social services program in Wisconsin, and serves more than 2,400 people per month.

John Chianelli serves as executive director of the organization, which is focused on providing integrated primary

health care, mental health care and social services for the community.

The Whole Health Clinical Group was recently awarded a $1.6 million, four-year grant from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to continue to expand its integrated services.

According to Chianelli, when both primary and mental health care are available in the same location, clients are more likely to get regular checkups, immunizations, and ongoing care that helps them manage chronic physical

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disorders such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.

The new center represents a fundamental shift in the way the community approaches mental health treatment, Chianelli said.

Community-based models give primary health and mental health care providers the ability to work together in a team setting along with patients. It allows a more coordinated, collaborative care model that produces better overall health outcomes for the patients.

The clinic currently operates the re-

gion’s only two crisis resource centers for people who are experiencing a mental health crisis.

The centers provide a safe, recoveryoriented environment, peer support and connections to ongoing support services and other resources within the community.

It also operates several satellite locations throughout the city.

Whole Health Clinical Group is leading the way when it comes to new coordination of care, access to care and overall health for people living with a mental illness. n

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Behavioral Health: Dr. Michael Miller

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Director Herrington Recovery Center - Rogers Memorial Hospital l

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r. Michael Miller has been practicing addiction medicine for more than 30 years.

He now serves as medical director of the Herrington Recovery Center at Rogers Memorial Hospital in Oconomowoc, and devotes his time and expertise to providing exceptional comprehensive behavioral health care for people suffering from addiction.

The Herrington Recovery Center is named after Dr. Roland Herrington, a former teacher of Miller’s. It is a residential treatment program for patients with

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addiction that has been in operation for decades, Miller said.

“Dr. Herrington was well-known for treating health care professionals suffering from addiction problems,” Miller said. “We’ve revised the program today to meet the needs of people living with a dual diagnosis.”

Programming today is centered on addiction recovery, but also focuses on mood disorders like anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder and social anxiety.

“Generally, our patients are with us for much longer than a traditional residential treatment facility. Less intensive services haven’t met our patients’ B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e

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needs in the past,” he said.

Miller formerly chaired the Wisconsin Medical Society Commission on Addictive Diseases, and he is currently the vice speaker of WMS House of Delegates. Miller served with Herrington on the managing committee of the statewide physician health program for more than a decade.

He is also a clinical adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and regularly uses his expertise to influence behavioral health care in Wisconsin.

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According to Miller, the Herrington Recovery Center gets referrals from all over the country and seeks to meet the needs of all of its patients.

Miller started practicing in psychiatry, but completed a fellowship in Minneapolis in 1982 that led him in the direction of addiction treatment.

“Addiction is a very treatable disease; it’s not any sort of hopeless condition,” he said. “I got some unique exposure to this in medical school, and I’ve seen people recover – and how grateful they are when they do. How grateful they are when they are able to function in their families and in their communities again.” n

Getting there together At Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield (Anthem), we believe that health care should be: Easy to get.

}}

Easy to use.

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Easy to work into your budget.

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We have the strength, stability and experience to deliver: Access to quality care networks with more than 15,000 doctors and specialists throughout Wisconsin.

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Affordable, innovative products with a wide choice of plan options for employers and employees including health, dental, vision, life and disability plans.

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Personal care experience that’s simple and ensures the right care at the right time — from online health services, to our new LiveHealth Online tool that lets members interact with doctors through a mobile device.

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To learn more about what Anthem has to offer, visit anthem.com or call your broker today.

Congratulations to our president Larry Schreiber, the recipient of the 2015 Health Care Heroes Executive Leadership Award.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin (BCBSWi), which underwrites or administers the PPO and indemnity policies; Compcare Health Services Insurance Corporation (Compcare), which underwrites or administers the HMO policies; and Compcare and BCBSWi collectively, which underwrite or administer the POS policies. Independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

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Behavioral Health: Mary Neubauer Certified peer specialist Community Advocates Inc. - Autumn West

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ing through the same experiences she went through.

Neubauer works as a certified peer specialist at Autumn West Safe Haven, a program of Community Advocates Inc. in Milwaukee.

Autumn West provides dual assistance for people who are homeless and living with a mental illness, Neubauer said. Residents are given immediate shelter and support services that help them become healthy and independent.

“My job is to provide a sense of normalcy for their recovery, and through my own life, be a model of recovery,” she said.

ary Neubauer is a respected leader in the mental health community. She serves as co-chair of the Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force, is a co-founder of the Office of Consumer Affairs at the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division, was instrumental in the establishment of statewide peer specialist curricula and exams, and is a trainer for the Crisis Intervention Team program.

She’s also a recovering alcoholic, a patient of the mental health system, and a tireless advocate for patients go-

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Neubauer offers hope and inspiration to those struggling to rebuild their own lives.

“Homelessness doesn’t discriminate,” she said. “It doesn’t matter who you are.”

Throughout her own recovery, some of her health care providers told her on more than one occasion that she might live independently, but she’d never have any transferrable skills for the workplace.

Neubauer earned her master’s degree in social work after going back to school at the age of 57. She works at Autumn West, and is also the co-chair of the Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force, a

coalition of more than 40 organizations that work collaboratively to identify issues faced by people affected by mental illness, facilitate improvements in services, and act as a voice to reduce stigmas and improve recovery programs.

Neubauer has been instrumental in advancing policy changes on the local, state and national levels, and has tackled issues around mental health parity, as well as funding for community services.

“I’m a human being; I face challenges myself,” she said. “It’s about being honest. Every day I go to work and I get a gift back. That’s how it is for me. I wouldn’t trade my life for anything.” n

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Community Service: Mark Lyday

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ark Lyday, former director of Child Advocacy and Protection Services at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, has spent more than 30 years advocating for new ways to treat and prevent child abuse in our community.

He is a pioneer of the Children’s Advocacy Center model, which brings together law enforcement, criminal justice, child protective services, victim advocacy services, and medical and mental health professionals in one convenient location for community members. Lyday founded one of the

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first child advocacy centers in Wisconsin, and through his role at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin was able to administer seven additional centers, producing one of the largest child advocacy networks in the country.

In 2014, more than 5,000 families and children throughout the state were served through Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin’s child advocacy and protection centers.

“As we have grown and expanded these programs, it has allowed us to improve our response to situations and be more collaborative with local organizations in the communities we serve,” Lyday said. “The model really exemplifies the way it should be. A team, tackling the issues head-on, together.”

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The model provides a more effective, multi-disciplinary approach to care, he said.

Most recently, Lyday spearheaded Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin’s partnership with Sojourner Family Peace Center and the development of its new 72,000-squarefoot advocacy center in Milwaukee.

The project, the largest and most comprehensive family justice center in the nation, will serve domestic violence victims and their children. It will include a Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Child Advocacy Center, a shelter, an education center, law enforcement professionals, the district attorney’s office, and Milwaukee Public Schools professionals.

The partnership will bring a new

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level of collaboration and communication to addressing the issues of domestic violence and child abuse in our community, and is expected to be operational

by January 2016.

Since the summer, Lyday has been working with his successor, Connie Klick, former manager of the Fox Valley Child Advocacy Center. The two will continue to work together during the transition, and Lyday will officially retire in early January.

“It’s time for someone else’s vision to lead this organization,” Lyday said.

“These centers are truly a laboratory. We continue to grow and adapt in order to provide the kind of services our community needs.” n

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COMMUNITY SERVICE: Robert Ramerez

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cation; screenings; outreach; nursing services; hypertension and diabetes control and prevention education; nutrition education; and even lowcost medication services in churches throughout the community.

“Our logic is that these are already places where people are coming together. They are coming here for fellowship and healing. Why not focus on holistic health and provide the community with these additional resources as well?” Ramerez asked.

The Urban Church Wellness initiative now serves more than 15,000 people in need each year.

To further the organization’s mission of nutrition education, Ramerez also helped establish a diabetic-friendly and healthy option food

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obert Ramerez has been delivering health care services for more than 12 years, in both clinical and administrative settings. When he met with Bill Solberg, director of community services at Columbia St. Mary’s, approximately three years ago, he knew he wanted to be a part of what the organization was doing.

“I really took to heart the wonderful things that Bill and his team were doing in the community,” Ramerez said. “I wanted to work for an organization and grow and expand these programs to make them even better than they already were.”

Ramerez was instrumental in growing the Columbia St. Mary’s Urban Church Wellness initiative from 30 churches to nearly 95.

Through the initiative, Columbia St. Mary’s provides general health edu-

pantry at the Ebenezer Church of God in Christ in Milwaukee.

The Ebenezer food pantry provides a necessary source of healthy food options for the underserved.

Through partnerships with Hunger Task Force and Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, the pantry served 434 households and 968 individuals in October, Ramerez said.

“It’s an absolute necessity for so many people in the community,” he said. While there, patrons can also take advantage of educational opportunities, including health education, oral health screenings and healthy cooking demonstrations.

“It’s about drawing people in and educating everyone on how to make

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healthy choices with what’s available to them,” he said.

Additionally, Ramerez is charged with leading St. Ben’s Clinic for the homeless, which serves nearly 3,000 of Milwaukee’s most vulnerable each year.

“I grew up in a poverty-stricken area,” he said. “I know firsthand how hard it can be if you don’t have easy access to medical care, healthy foods or other resources. My role here has brought me full circle, it’s very rewarding to be able to use my skillsets and knowledge to give back.” n

Family Business Legacy Institute

YOU REALIZE THAT YOU’RE NOT ALONE. YOU’RE GETTING HONEST INPUT FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN THERE BEFORE.

“

WAY TO GO!

– Dan Cullen, J.P. Cullen and Sons

Family Business Legacy Institute provides learning opportunities, team-building and experienced counsel for families in business together. We’re here to help you navigate the tough decisions and protect the legacy you’ve built.

Now accepting new members. Learn more at FBLI-USA.com

Congratulations to our very own Mark Lyday (Community Service category) and Mike and Mary Altschaefl (Volunteer category), and to all of this year’s BizTimes Health Care Heroes winners. Thank you for all you do to ensure kids and families in our community get the very best care.

Family Business Legacy Institute IT’S NOT JUST BUSINESS. IT’S FAMILY.

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COMMUNITY SERVICE: Jim Strachota Executive director Albrecht Free Clinic

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im Strachota considers himself one of the lucky individuals who gets a chance at a second career. For years, Strachota served in the Washington County Human Services Department, in addition to serving on the board of the Albrecht Free Clinic for the past four years.

A year-and-a-half ago, he found himself in a good position to take over when the organization was in need of a new executive director.

“Dr. James Albrecht believed strongly that everyone should have access to

quality health care, regardless of status,” Strachota said. “The clinic has been doing this for nearly 20 years, and I’ve seen firsthand the work the organization has done and the services it has provided to the people of Washington County.”

The Albrecht Free Clinic provides completely free medical care to individuals in need who are living or working in Washington County.

In 2014, the clinic served more than 800 patients, 70 percent of whom are chronically ill and needed several visits.

According to Strachota, nearly 60 medical professionals, doctors and nurses donate their time and talent to

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staff the clinic during regular business hours, as well as for walk-in clinic hours.

The clinic receives no federal funding, and relies solely on volunteers and donations to provide its services.

Under Strachota’s leadership, the Albrecht Free Clinic successfully purchased a brand new, permanent facility at 908 W. Washington St. in West Bend. He expects the move to be complete this December.

Previously, the clinic would temporarily locate in unused business space and community locations, and was forced to relocate several times over the past 10 years, Strachota said.

“We’re very grateful to our commu-

nity partners and those that allowed us to use space in their existing buildings over the past several years,” Strachota said. “We’re looking forward, though, to increasing our capabilities and our stability in the community with the move to our permanent location.”

To coincide with the move, under Strachota’s leadership, The Albrecht Free Clinic has also secured additional community partners and volunteers and will begin providing dental care, as well as behavioral health services.

“We’ve identified needs in the community, and want to grow and adapt to continually meet those needs,” he said. n

H E R O E S

CORPORATE ACHIEVEMENT IN HEALTH CARE: Columbia St. Mary’s Team photo: (standing) Irina Charles, RTRM, mammography technologist; Patrick McWey, MD., medical director, Women’s Imaging. Sitting: Wendy Jo DeValk, RTRM, mammography technologist; Betsy Kanthak, RTRM, mammography technologist; and John Steinbrenner, director, Medical Imaging.

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olumbia St. Mary’s has been making a difference in the health and lives of people in the community for more than 150 years. Today, the organization remains committed to that mission through its expansive and innovative approach to more effective breast cancer screenings and services for women.

Columbia St. Mary’s is the only health care system in the region to provide 3D mammography services at no extra cost to the patient. The technology is new, expensive and not covered by

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many insurance plans.

More than 230,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually in the United States. Mammography screening is vital to preventing, detecting and treating breast cancer. The 3D breast cancer screening is one of the biggest advances in breast screening in 40 years.

According to Dr. Alysandra Lal, medical director of the Breast Cancer Program at Columbia St. Mary’s, the 3D mammography offers better detection than conventional mammograms.

“Instead of just taking a picture from the top down and from the sides, the camera moves and takes many pictures in a rotation,” Lal said. “The rotational B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e

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view spreads everything out and allows you to really see the layers.”

Unlike a conventional digital mammogram that takes one flat image of the breast, a 3D mammogram takes multiple pictures in one-millimeter slices to create a series of 3D images.

The examiner has the ability to scroll through each of these images to better detect a small cancer that could be hiding between overlapping breast tissue, Lal said.

The technology eliminates 40 percent of false positives, and decreases call-backs for additional testing by more than 100 women each month.

More importantly, the technology saves

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lives by detecting breast cancer sooner, when it’s in its most treatable stages.

Breast cancer is not only the most common cancer among Wisconsin women, but it is also part of a major health disparity among underserved women in Milwaukee.

Columbia St. Mary’s installed 3D mammography technology in all seven of its breast screening locations, including its Mammography Coach, which serves atrisk women in their own neighborhoods.

The hospital’s outreach, in partnership with Susan G. Komen Southeast Wisconsin, is on track to screen more than 800 underserved women in southeastern Wisconsin this year. n

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Corporate Achievement in Health Care: The Medical College of Wisconsin

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he Wisconsin Hospital Association issued a report in 2011 indicating that Wisconsin would be short 100 physicians each year for the next decade.

In order to help address that shortage, the Wauwatosa-based Medical College of Wisconsin decided to open two additional campuses.

MCW-Green Bay opened in July and MCW-Central Wisconsin, which is primarily housed in Wausau, is scheduled to open in July 2016. Each campus will have approximately 25 students per year, according to Dr. Lisa Dodson, dean of MCW-Central Wisconsin.

“MCW took on the responsibility for 50 of those positions between the two

campuses,” she said. “We’re trying to help rectify the shortage.”

Dodson said the objective is to build up the primary care and psychiatry workforce for smaller communities in the northern half of the state.

“We looked around the state and settled on these two communities as having the appropriate medical resources and the ability to expand our medical curriculum,” she said.

According to Dodson, research and medical education experience shows that students who do not experience smaller communities do not consider them once it is time to decide where they want to practice.

That said, the Medical College had no trouble recruiting students to attend MCW-Green Bay and MCW-Central Wisconsin, Dodson said. For instance, more than 2,000 students applied for the 26 spots at MCW-Green Bay. “For us, the number of students wasn’t a problem. It was finding students who will benefit most from smaller environments,” she said. “We want to train people closer to home, where they can maintain their community and family connections.”

The classrooms and administrative space for MCW-Green Bay are located in the new Gehl-Mulva Science Center at St. Norbert College.

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As for MCW-Central Wisconsin, classroom and administrative spaces are being constructed at Aspirus Wausau Hospital. Academic partners include Northcentral Technical College, University of Wisconsin – Marathon County, University of Wisconsin – Marshfield/ Wood County and University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.

MCW-Central Wisconsin is also partnering with central Wisconsin area physician groups and health systems, including Aspirus, Ministry Health Care and the Tomah VA Medical Center. n

H E R O E S

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP: Larry Schreiber eib

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ealth care is an ever-changing, fluid and dynamic industry.

Successful leaders in the industry must not only be willing to adapt quickly, but they must also anticipate change and effectively lead organizations through those changes.

Larry Schreiber, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin, has done that and more for the company over the past six years.

Under Schreiber’s leadership, the company has emerged as a leader in insurer-provider collaborations that are working to improve the safety, value and efficiency of health care in our community.

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President Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin

For example, Anthem has launched the Enhanced Personal Health Care initiative, a patient-centered shared savings program that works to improve health care costs, quality and efficiency throughout Wisconsin.

The program empowers primary care physicians and their teams to provide optimized, coordinated care for their patients and effectively manage all aspects of a patient’s care, Schreiber said.

Additionally, the initiative encourages the shift from a volume-based pay model to a value-based model that aligns incentives for all parties involved.

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them and providers like ThedaCare thousands of dollars, he said.

Additionally, the launch of Anthem’s innovative LiveHealth Online is connecting patients and their health care professionals remotely, allowing for plenty of opportunity for preventative care, advice and follow-up visits without the cost of a physical meeting.

As president, Schreiber is responsible for sales, marketing, network pricing and underwriting functions of group and individual accounts in Wisconsin.

He is also charged with advancing regulatory and legislative matters for the company in the state.

He is fully vested in the state, his

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community and the health care industry in Wisconsin, and regularly leads the organization through innovative process changes and advancements to better serve the community.

“As a state, we are absolutely blessed with great health care delivery systems,” Schreiber said. “I can’t find a single state (in which Anthem operates) that we have the kind of statewide collaboration and openness to collaboration between health care providers and players that we have here. That’s important for the success of the industry.” n

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NURSE: Elizabeth Krzywda RN, MSN, APNP Medical College of Wisconsin Eli

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lizabeth Krzywda, nurse practitioner on the hepatic biliary pancreatic team in the division of Surgical Oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, is on the front lines of patient care.

She frequently serves side-by-side with Dr. Douglas Evans, another Health Care Hero Winner, who is a pancreatic cancer surgeon and chairman of the Department of Surgery at MCW. Her patients call Krzywda caring, compassionate, knowledgeable, and a source of strength and reassurance.

Despite her jam-packed schedule,

she treats each and every patient as if they are her only concern, and she seamlessly manages all aspects of care.

“Beth does it all. She is a chemist with meds, a nutritional genius with diet and the most encouraging coach one could hope for,” said Maggy Schultz, a former patient at the Medical College of Wisconsin. “I always felt like I was Beth’s only patient, being wrapped in a blanket of expert care and deep compassion.”

Her patients are comforted by her professionalism and her caring commitment to making sure whatever can be

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done will be done, and in a kind and loving manner, Schultz added.

Krzywda is a published author and speaker, assisting on several journal articles on topics including nutrition support as it relates to specific disease diagnoses; patient education; and gastroenterology in critically ill patients.

She encourages her patients to remain involved in their care, to call and not be afraid to ask questions or report problems or concerns – large or small.

“Pre- and post-surgery appointments were made less frightening, less

daunting and full of reassurance through simple interactions with Beth,” Schultz said. “No questions were ever silly, and no amount of questions were too many … She is an exceptional care provider who goes beyond the normal duties of a nurse. She is an advocate and an angel for this community.” n

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NURSE: Alexa Mattes

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Registered nurse Madison Medical Affiliates

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hen Alexa Mattes got to college, she couldn’t decide on an academic focus. She knew she liked science and medicine and initially thought about degrees in biology, and pharmacology, but ultimately decided they weren’t for her.

Shortly after, she settled on nursing and never wavered again.

“I knew I had found what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” she said.

Today, Mattes is a registered nurse at Madison Medical Affiliates in downtown Milwaukee. She works directly for Dr. John Betz, doing phone triage,

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managing medications, educating patients, and serving as a liaison between patients and their insurance companies.

Yet according to her patients and colleagues, she does so much more.

“Lexi is the most compassionate person I know,” said Jessica Bevan, assistant director of clinic operations at Madison Medical Affiliates. “She is the kind of person that goes out of her way to help the less fortunate every day. She is caring, understanding, non-judgemental and has a strong ability to empathize with patients from all walks of life.”

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ongoing basis, she said.

Patients come for routine visits, as well as follow-ups and unexpected situations. They also call with questions, so Mattes and her team really get to know them, she said.

“It’s so much more than health-related conversations. We get to know their families, know when they are transitioning careers and which vacations they went on,” she said. “We have a personal connection with our patients, and it’s great to be able to impact their lives in such a positive way – it’s the ultimate reward.”

Mattes tries to put herself in her patients’ shoes and relates to them on a

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personal level.

“They are just like me. Oftentimes they are sick, in pain or nervous about a recent diagnosis,” she said. “I do my best to be warm, kind and comforting, and to treat them like family, because that’s what I would want if I were in their shoes.”

Mattes is also a regular volunteer at the St. Vincent de Paul Society and at the East Town farmer’s market, where she provides free blood pressure readings and offers basic medical advice.

“The (St. Vincent de Paul) Society does a lot to help our neighbors in poverty,” she said. “I try to do my part and give back when I can.” n

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PHYSICIAN: Dr. Doug Evans

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Chairman of the Department of Surgery The Medical College of Wisconsin

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r. Doug Evans is the Donald C. Ausman Family Foundation Professor in Surgery and chair of the Department of Surgery at The Medical College of Wisconsin. He is also a worldrenowned pancreatic cancer surgeon.

Beyond that, he is a caring, passionate individual, who despite being ranked as the fourth-best pancreatic surgeon in the world, cares deeply for each and every one of his patients.

“There is no luck involved here, just total competency and caring for patients,” said one of his patients.

Dr.

Evans regularly checks in on out-oftown patients staying at nearby hotels, and he is personally invested and connected to his patients and their families.

“I advocate a multidisciplinary approach to cancer care that balances clinical response with maintenance of the best possible quality of life for patients,” Evans said.

He regularly involves patients in their treatment plans and actively encourages enrollment in clinical trials and the furthering of surgical research.

Evans joined The Medical College

of Wisconsin in 2009. Prior to that, he served as the Hamill Foundation Distinguished Professor of Surgery at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Evans is based at Froedtert Hospital and holds appointments at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

Since joining the Medical College of Wisconsin, he has established the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program, a clinical database, a tissue bank and a personalized cancer treatment clinical

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trial, and continues to conduct his research. He was also instrumental in the foundation of the We Care Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds for specific medical research.

Evans has authored or co-authored 262 journal articles and has edited seven books. He has delivered more than 70 invited lectureships across the country, most recently at Harvard Medical School, The Ohio State University, Vanderbilt University, Carolinas Medical Center, and the University of Calgary. n

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PHYSICIAN: Dr. Pamela Wilson

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r. Pamela Wilson is a family medicine practitioner by training, but she has served in an administrative capacity for the past 13 years – eight of them at the Sixteenth Street Community Health Center on Milwaukee’s south side.

She has fostered an environment that values innovation and collaboration, and as a result, has more than doubled its capacity for patient care during her tenure.

“I started at a time when we had one main site on Cesar Chavez Drive in Milwaukee,” she said. “We have grown both physically and in services, and plan to continue that growth.”

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Medical director Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers

Today, the organization operates three facilities, two in Milwaukee and one in Waukesha, and also operates the Women, Infants & Children Nutrition Program and the UCC Senior Center.

“We exist in order to better serve the communities in which we’re located,” Wilson said. “To me, it’s important to innovate in order to decrease the amount of barriers the community has to receiving the care they need.”

Wilson has been instrumental in bringing value-added services to the clinic, including cardiology services, colorectal cancer screenings, mammograms and other preventative tests. w w w.biztimes.com

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The center operates on grant money, donations and gifts from the community. Wilson credits her staff with its ability to do more with less, while still maintaining the highest level of superior clinical outcomes.

“We have several great community partners because they know about the stellar care we provide our patients,” she said. “We provide as much as we can for them, and it goes beyond even just the doctors; it’s the whole clinical team: the diabetes educators, the case managers, the social workers and other teams of specialists providing integrated care to our patients.”

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Wilson recently created two new positions she hopes will help the organization continue to decrease barriers in the community.

By 2016, Wilson also hopes the center will be operational in all five St. Anthony School campuses throughout the city.

“Our St. Anthony clinics will provide services at five St. Anthony Schools, and will serve students ages four through 18,” Wilson said. “It’s something brand new, and a really exciting adventure for the center and our staff.” n

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VOLUNTEER: Mike & Mary Altschaefl Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

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hildren’s Hospital of Wisconsin is the No. 4 pediatric hospital in the nation, and the only health system in Wisconsin that is 100 percent dedicated to children. To maintain that level of success, the organization relies heavily on committed volunteers and benefactors.

Mike and Mary Altschaefl are two such volunteers who have generously donated their time and talents to the organization for more than 15 years.

Mike currently serves as president of Still Water Partners Inc. and president of Waterford-based E-S

Plastic Products LLC. Mike served on the board of Children’s Service Society of Wisconsin from 2000 to 2006. At the time, the organization was the state’s largest privately held nonprofit welfare agency. Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin later acquired Children’s Service Society of Wisconsin in order to better serve the health and social services needs of children and families throughout the state.

When that happened, Mike became a member of the Children’s Hospital board of directors and Mary was introduced to the organization as well.

The two are known for their willingness to help wherever needed, and regu-

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larly support hospital expansions, upgrades and advocacy programs.

“We were drawn to the cause because we’ve been incredibly fortunate. We’ve been blessed with four children, and supporting a cause that gives so much back to children in our community was a natural fit for us,” Mike said.

Mary has been instrumental in the success and continued growth of the organization’s second-longest standing fundraiser, the Sugar Plum Luncheon.

Held each year in November, the event brings in more than $100,000 in charitable contributions each year.

“It’s a wonderful event, and it raises so much awareness for the great work

that the staff at the hospital and at the Children’s Hospital Foundation do,” Mary said.

Because of the dedication and commitment Mary has to the organization and the number of hours she has put in volunteering, she has her own workspace in the foundation offices.

The pair also gives back by hosting small fundraising events in their home, and by doing what they can to bring awareness to the cause.

“It’s really about the people, and the great work this organization does for the community,” Mike said. “We’re very compelled to give back when and where we can.” n

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VOLUNTEER: Maggy Schultz We Care Fund Committee Member Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Surgery

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aggy Schultz was first introduced to Froedtert and The Medical College of Wisconsin as a patient of Dr. Doug Evans, chairman of the Department of Surgery.

“I was diagnosed with a pancreatic mass and I received such amazing care, not only from Dr. Evans, but the nurses and other medical staff, that I decided I just had to do something to give back,” she said.

The We Care Fund was established in 2010 as a way to raise money solely for medical research in the fields of cancer,

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cardiovascular disease, organ transplantation and trauma.

Schultz got involved in 2012, and since that time more than $600,000 has been raised, providing funds for seven different seed grants.

“The difference made by this research and the clinical trials associated with the research is incredible. It’s changing medicine all over the world,” Schultz said. “And it’s all happening right here in our community.”

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research and methods of care for the people of Wisconsin.

Schultz demonstrates a commitment to inspire and engage others in the community, and makes it her mission to shed light on the work being done at the Medical College.

She regularly chairs or co-chairs events to raise funds and friends of the organization, she said.

Schultz helps organize and lead a regular luncheon series at which physicians and researchers from Froedtert and the Medical College present on new and innovative research projects and goals.

The fund also hosts a cocktail fund-

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raiser each holiday season at Kilbourn Tower in Milwaukee.

“The more people we expose to MCW, ultimately, the more money we will raise for the great things going on there,” Schultz said.

Every penny raised for the fund goes directly to research, she said. Everyone on the committee is a volunteer – there’s no overhead.

“I’ve received such outstanding care at these facilities,” Schultz said. “I see so many people suffer not having advocates for their care. My goal is to make sure everyone knows this resource is right here in our community, because we take it for granted. I know I did.” n

strategies delegating them because my employee runs into a problem? »» Do I do work that could be done by my employees? »» After delegating an assignment, do I frequently check with my employee to “see how it’s going?” »» When my employee runs into a problem, do I rarely ask, “What do you think you should do? »» Do I put off or ignore managerial responsibilities like performance appraisals and career development discussions?

If you answered “yes” to some of these questions, you may be too close for comfort.

If you are overcontrolling, face it and fix it.

Start by setting some goals for yourself. For example, “During the next month, I will not check on any project until the due date.”

When delegating an assignment, resist the temptation to elaborate on the “how to.” Instead, only discuss the end result you desire. Provide resources if the person is inexperienced or the work is new to the employee.

Dive into the task of learning your real job – managing others. If you give it half a chance, you may find it’s twice as rewarding as you ever dreamed it could be. n

Overcontrol kills Managers need to let go

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vercontrolling managers breed failure in their employees and in their own careers “All of us were thrilled when Ed was promoted as our manager. We all respect his technical skill and knowledge of the field. What we didn’t expect was Ed’s unwillingness to let go. It’s really creating some serious morale problems around here.”

Maybe you’ve worked for someone like Ed. Worse still, maybe you are someone like Ed. The problem is a common one: a highly competent technical performer is recognized with a promotion to a managerial post. As a manager, the individual can’t keep his fingers out of the day-today work of his employees.

Overcontrol kills. It’s as simple as that.

It kills your career as a manager and the careers of your subordinates. As a manager who won’t let go, you find yourself working harder and longer than anyone else in the unit. You are constantly “rolling up your sleeves,” “staying close to the

work,” “just checking” and “making sure it’s done right.”

As the subordinate under such a manager, you can feel distrusted, underutilized, stressed and resentful. “Why bother” is often heard around the coffee machine. After a while, the good performers leave and the mediocre ones will slip to new lows.

Overcontrol can be caused by many things. Some of these managers believe no one can do the job as well as they can.

Others may be fearful of their own boss.

Some simply don’t want to stop doing the technical work that has given them strokes and satisfaction.

Whatever the motivation, overcontrol will hurt your career as a manager: It gets you from both ends and traps you in the middle. Without a groomed replacement, you can’t move up. And if you don’t delegate authority to season and develop your replacement, you’ll never be free to tackle new responsibilities yourself.

To determine if you’re over-supervising, ask yourself: w w w.biztimes.com

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Joan Lloyd is a Milwaukee-based executive coach, organizational and leadership development strategist.

She has a proven track record spanning more than 20 years, and is known for her ability to help leaders and their teams achieve measurable, lasting improvements.

Email your question to Joan at info@joanlloyd.com and visit www.JoanLloyd.com to search an archive of more than 1,600 of Joan’s articles. Contact Joan Lloyd & Associates at (414) 354-9500.

JOAN LLOYD MANAGEMENT »» Do I often tell my employees how to do the details of their work? »» Do I take assignments back after

Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board (414) 270-1700 milwaukeewib.org

PHONE: WEB:

The Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board will build a strong workforce development system by planning, coordinating, collaborating, and monitoring workforce initiatives.

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strategies

What’s in it for them?

How to boost employee engagement

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usiness owners often share similar concerns about their workforce.

For example, employers wish their employees would act as if they are owners of the business. When asked if the employees are paid as if they are owners, they usually say something like, “Of course they aren’t.”

That response is the root of the disconnect between workers who aren’t owners and whether they accept responsibility for the company’s results or their particular job. How can we create an environment that encourages employees to take some degree of ownership?

In the Conference Board CEO Challenge 2015, human capital was the top global challenge for the third year running. The Conference Board identified five strategies to address human capital needs: 1. Offer more employee training and development.

2. Raise employee engagement.

3. Improve performance management processes and accountability.

4. Increase retention efforts.

5. Improve leadership development programs.

Employee engagement A November Gallup Poll determined that only 32 percent of employees are engaged at work. If 68 percent of your employees aren’t engaged, how does that affect productivity, quality, absenteeism and stewardship?

With more than two-thirds of the

workforce not engaged, it’s difficult for a company to be competitive. This lack of commitment also suggests that if you can improve employee involvement, you should have a significant competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Gallup defines engaged employees as those who are involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace. Increasing engagement requires employers to understand what employees expect and want from their jobs.

Business owners must answer the question that each employee asks: “What’s in it for me?”

It’s easy for you to think you’ve met their needs with compensation and benefits. Today, engaged employees expect so much more.

They expect control, respect, recognition, a worthy goal, development, reward and benefits, flexibility, open-minded management and balance.

Employees want their jobs to have meaning. They want to contribute to something that makes a difference. It’s the employer’s job to demonstrate how the task being performed aligns with corporate goals and makes the world a better place.

Control is important as employees do their work. They want to be active participants in the decisions that affect their tasks and the products they produce.

When they have more control, they take more ownership.

Everyone wants respect. Management teams that respect their workforce will receive a higher level of respect in kind. It’s essential that respect is a component of a company’s values and that you demonstrate and practice it throughout the business.

Employees want to be recognized for their contribution. I remember my father telling me how a company had set new shipping records for a particular month.

When the executives came to the plant, they criticized the workers for throwing paper cups on the floor instead of praising them for meeting shipping goals.

Employees have seen long-term employment jeopardized. The company that continually offers opportunities for employees to upgrade their skills helps them remain viable workers.

Almost all workers want fair compensation. This doesn’t mean they have to be at the top of the range. But a company that tries to get by paying workers low wages will encourage employees to look for higher-paying jobs.

Employees want flexibility in their work assignments and hours. Inflexible companies that demand strict adherence to rules and regulations will discourage people from working there. You must foster an environment of open-mindedness.

All value originates with ideas and innovations. A business that’s unwilling to seek out new approaches or listen to employees at all levels in the organization

JIM LINDELL HUMAN CAPITAL will miss the significant opportunities to create value.

Finally, employees want balance. For most businesses, gone are the days when the job was the most outstanding event in a person’s life. That may have been true a few decades ago, but employees have shifted their mantra from “live to work” to “work to live.”

Corporate loyalty, for the most part, is dead, and we have ourselves to blame.

The merger and acquisition mania from decades ago demonstrated to young people how their parents’ positions were insignificant compared to the sale or merger of the company.

Higher engagement may be an indicator of improved employee loyalty. n

Jim Lindell is president of Thorsten Consulting Group Inc., a Wisconsin-based provider of strategic and financial consulting, professional speaking, training and executive coaching. He has worked with a variety of industries, including manufacturing, health care, nonprofit, distribution and food processing. He chairs two groups for TEC Wisconsin and is author of the book “Controller as Business Manager.”

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strategies

Innovate or Die Understand your customers’ decision-making process

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DAN STEINING ER INNOVATION

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An example of work done by Nelson Schmidt Inc. for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.

PURCHASE PHASE

and marketing dollars.

Nelson Schmidt illustrates the journey right on its website and all of us can learn from it.

Explore: A purchase trigger based on need or want is biased by awareness, preference, belief and trust shaped by current experience and knowledge.

CUSTOMER MINDSET

the seller is targeting a business or a consumer. Understanding that information is pure gold and translates into a more focused ability to appeal to the customer.

What matters most is understanding the customer mindset as they take their journey toward a decision. Driven by this insight, Nelson’s team developed a more focused, considered purchase marketing approach that taps deeper into buying behavior.

That, in turn, gives the agency a competitive advantage. It can point to facts that give it and its clients unique perspectives into the complexities of these customer journeys. In B2B, almost every purchase is a considered purchase because so much is riding on every decision. In many instances, individual consumers are going through the same types of thought processes in order to make certain purchases. They’re taking their time. They’re seeking out more information. They’re doing research.

So the agency is positioned with the knowledge and capabilities necessary to eliminate traditional B2B vs. B2C restrictions and speak to the cognitive and emotional processes rather than an arbitrary categorization.

They illustrate this on their website and it has value to all sellers of products or services as it tracks the customer mindset when it comes to purchasing anything meaningful on the planet.

Once the seller understands the mental journey his consumer goes through on a purchase, it helps fine tune how to go about appealing to those consumers. That translates into better use of advertising

• Who can I ask?

• What do I know and think?

• What are others doing?

• What’s new?

STRATEGIES & METRICS

ou probably wouldn’t guess that someone who grew up on a rural Nebraska pig farm would be an ideal candidate to grow a major advertising firm.

But that’s how Dan Nelson, chair of Milwaukee-based marking agency Nelson Schmidt Inc. and entrepreneur extraordinaire, would describe himself.

His accomplishment was taking a small ad firm and growing it into a major player in a highly competitive industry on a national and global scale.

The traditional advertising industry was what we see on Mad Men: smart ad executives pitching clever ads to businesses.

Dan Nelson had a better idea.

When he was looking to grow his agency, he recognized that the world was changing and the Internet was becoming a way of life. Why not look for a competitive advantage leveraging the horsepower of this new technology?

He found if he could aggregate data on why customers made purchases, the agency could use that information to laser focus how it marketed and advertised.

This approach called for deep understanding and mining of customer habits to target advertising to appeal to that base.

It goes on the assumption that all customers engage in what is now called “considered purchases,” or purchases of products and services that typically have high degrees of emotional risk and/or reward.

With the exception of impulse purchases, most consumers actually go through a fairly complex purchasing cycle and are influenced by a variety of factors, some conscious and some unconscious.

Nelson explains that in order to make real connections with consumers that influence their decisions, you have to understand who they are, what their motivations are and how they go about choosing a brand. Influencing a person to buy a pack of gum requires a vastly different marketing approach than influencing a person to buy life insurance, or a business to invest in a new payroll service, for example. These influences apply whether

Awareness and Perception: • Brand & value prop (Platform) • Paid and earned media (Impressions) • Social media (Sentiment)

It puts the consumer and her purchasing journey at the forefront before the seller’s obvious pride in what he offers and what he makes.

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Here’s what you must be able to answer if you are to successfully drive new products and services in your company: 1. Do you understand the journey your customers take before acquiring your product or service?

2. Do you understand who and what influences their behavior and their decisions?

3. Do you understand the best method to reach them with your message?

The core of innovation is to fully understand the problems of customers from their viewpoint. That leads to creative solutions, as Dan Nelson and Nelson Schmidt have demonstrated. n Dan Steininger is the president of Milwaukee-based BizStarts; a lecturer on innovation tools at the UWM School of Continuing Education; and president of Steininger & Associates LLC. He can be reached at: Dan@BizStarts.com.

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strategies

Get a fresh perspective Don’t allow groupthink to set in

I

n CBS’ hit series “Blue Bloods,” the press and the public refer to the New York City Police Department as the family business.

Frank “Francis” Reagan, the police commissioner, serves as the chief executive officer of the business. His two sons, daughter and grandchildren form the board of directors, while the past commissioner, the grandfather, functions as the chairman emeritus. The company’s board room is the grandfather’s dining room and major decisions are discussed and made at Sunday dinner. During dinner, each member’s opinions are addressed and discussed in-depth – even those of the grandchildren.

Are these interactions at the Sunday dinner table reflective of reality or are they part of a well scripted series about

a family rooted in many generations of public service? We acknowledge that entrepreneurs live their business 24/7/365 and do not leave the business’ concerns at the office at the end of the day. They bring them home. In the relaxed atmosphere of the family abode, they reflect on the day’s transactions, challenges and potential solutions with their wives, husbands and children.

Holding these family business meetings without including non-family members promotes the potential for “groupthink,” a phenomenon I discussed in an earlier BizTimes article. This is where the tendency to support the head of a business or family is part of the culture of the group. As a group, they convince each other they are right in their choice of solutions to the problems facing the business or family.

CARY SILVERSTEIN FAMILY BUSINESS In “Blue Bloods,” when the older brother, Danny, and his younger brother, Jamie, disagree on how to handle a case, their partners and superiors on the force step in with the “reality” speech. This prevents groupthink and gets them to reconsider their initial views of the situation.

Without these outside influences, they could convince each other that their initial interpretations were correct and take an inappropriate course of action.

During their weekly Sunday dinners, the commissioner’s daughter, who

BızTımes Media Presents:

serves as an assistant district attorney, plays “devil’s advocate” and will give the reality speech when she feels it is needed.

Her teenage daughter, a college freshman, adds another perspective by asking very pointed moral questions. The father and grandfather feel they view the problem with older, wiser eyes. Many times, the three generations clash over the problem at hand and cannot reach a consensus. In order to break the impasse, the father, the current commissioner, plays the “legitimate power” card and ceases all dissent.

In other episodes, the commissioner’s strategies are challenged by his deputy chief of public information, who points out the downside risks to his proposed course of action. Together they play out numerous scenarios until they can agree on one that best addresses the problem before them.

These examples stress the importance of having someone who can provide an “outside the box” perspective which can prevent the “my way or the highway” behavior that negatively impacts future problem-solving discussions. Outside counsel, whether provided by a business professional, lawyer or accountant, is critical to a business’ success. Family business leaders who exhibit complete control over decision-making thwart the growth of the business and of the future generations.

These family business leaders need to cultivate, not control, the next generation of leaders and permit them to influence and make decisions, while experiencing success as well as failure. n Cary Silverstein, MBA, is the president of SMA LLC and The Negotiating Edge. He leads a group that provides services in the areas of strategic planning, negotiation training and conflict resolution, with offices in Fox Point and Scottsdale, Ariz. He can be reached at (414) 403-2942 or at Csilve1013@aol.com.

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biz connections CA L E NDAR

NONPROFIT DIRECTORY

The Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce will host Business AfterHours: Mingle & Jingle on Wednesday, Dec. 16, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Kooky Cooky House in downtown Hartford. The free event offers networking for chamber members and their guests, while celebrating a Hartford holiday tradition.

For more information or to register, visit www.hartfordchamber.org.

SPOTLIGHT

The Waukesha County Business Alliance will host Networking After 5-Holiday on Thursday, Dec. 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Froedtert Moorland Reserve Health Center, 4805 S. Moorland Road in New Berlin. The event includes holiday-style networking as well as festive hors d’oeuvres and desserts. The event is for members only, and a $25 donation is suggested. For more information or to register, visit business.waukesha.org/events.

Annex Wealth Management LLC will host A Woman’s Guide to Preparing for the Unexpected on Tuesday, Jan. 12, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at its Mequon branch, 1339 W. Mequon Road. Deanne Phillips, CFP, director of client learning and development, will discuss financial awareness and being prepared for life’s challenges and transitions. For more information or to register, visit https://annexwealth.com/events.

National Kidney Foundation of Wisconsin will host Spotlight on Life on Saturday, Jan. 23, from 5:30 to 11:30 p.m. at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, 509 W. Wisconsin Ave. in Milwaukee. Representatives from donation and transplant organizations take professional dance lessons and then compete toeto-toe on the dance floor to promote organ, tissue and eye donation and raise funds for the National Kidney Foundation of Wisconsin. Cost is $125 per person. For more information See the complete calendar of or to register, visit www.bidpal.net/spotlight16. upcoming events & meetings.

www.biztimes.com

BIZ NO T ES Quarles & Brady Milwaukee-based Quarles & Brady LLP has received a perfect 100 percent score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2016 Corporate Equality Index and was named a Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality.

The CEI is a benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies related to LGBT workplace equality. Quarles, which also received a 100 percent in 2015, was one of 408 major American companies that received perfect scores for 2016.

The most recent survey included 1,027 businesses nationwide, and took into consideration policies and practices surrounding non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs and public engagement with the LGBT community.

the chances of healthy outcomes in patients with conditions such as heart attack, pneumonia, stroke and tobacco treatment.

PyraMax Bank Greenfield-based PyraMax Bank has received a Preferred Lender Designation from the U.S. Small Business Administration and a preferred lender designation for the SBA Export Express Program.

The designations are awarded to lenders that demonstrate a strong knowledge of small business practices and a commitment to helping small businesses.

PyraMax will now have greater access to SBA programs, including Export Express, which provides a simplified process for exporters and lenders to get SBA-backed financing for loans and lines of credit of up to $500,000.

Aurora Health Care

Walworth County Jail Literacy Program

Eight of Milwaukee-based Aurora Health Care’s hospitals have been named 2014 Top Performers on Key Quality Measures by The Joint Commission.

The Joint Commission is the leading health care organization accreditor in the U.S. The Aurora hospitals were among just 1,043 hospitals nationwide to earn the distinction for 2014.

Those recognized were: Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center; Aurora Memorial Hospital of Burlington; Aurora Medical Center in Washington County in Hartford; Aurora West Allis Medical Center; Aurora Lakeland Medical Center in Elkhorn; Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay; Aurora Medical Center in Summit; and Aurora Medical Center in Manitowoc County in Two Rivers.

The hospitals demonstrated improved performance on evidence-based interventions that increase

The Walworth County Jail Literacy Program has received the 2015 Eisenberg Award from the State Public Defender Board.

The program, a collaboration between the Walworth County Literacy Council and the Walworth County Jail, was founded in 2008 to help inmates improve their English and math skills while preparing them for GED and HSED exams, to improve their future employment prospects. Literacy Council volunteers teach in a jail classroom on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule.

The Eisenberg award is named for the late Howard Eisenberg, who championed the disenfranchised during his career and as dean of Marquette University Law School. Walworth County Sheriff Kurt Picknell and Walworth County Literacy Council board member Brigette Kutschma accepted the award.

To have your business briefs published in a future issue of BizTimes Milwaukee send announcements to briefs@biztimes.com.

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The Community Warehouse

521 S. Ninth St., Milwaukee 414-383-9397 | www.thecommunitywarehouse.org www.milwaukeeworking.org Year founded: 2005 Mission statement: Community Warehouse offers affordable new home improvement materials at approximately 75 percent off retail price to those living in the Milwaukee redevelopment zone, focusing on rebuilding the impoverished neighborhoods of Milwaukee. Milwaukee Working, a division of Community Warehouse, started in 2012 and offers work for Milwaukee residents in our woodworking shop, online business and other small enterprises.

Primary focus: Our focus is life transformation through the dignity of work and through spiritual and personal life assistance.

Other focuses: Both divisions employ background-challenged, never employed, and/or underemployed individuals living in the Milwaukee central city.

Number of employees at this location: 16 at Community Warehouse; approximately 25 full-time and transitional at Milwaukee Working Key donors: Bader Philanthropies, The Bradley Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, M&I Foundation, National Christian Foundation, David and Julia Uihlein Charitable Foundation, Stackner Family Foundation, Zilber Family Foundation, and Kohler Co., along with many other individuals, businesses and community organizations to whom we are deeply grateful.

Executive leadership: »» »» »» »» »»

Nick Ringger, chief executive officer John Lesko, chairman of the board Mike Murphy & Bush Nielsen, vice presidents Neil Meitler, secretary Cheryl Milnes, treasurer

Board of directors: »» Dianne Appleby, Menomonee Falls Ambulatory Surgery Center

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»» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »»

Emile Banks, attorney Peter Borg, Citybrook Church Wayne Breitbarth, Power Formula LLC Jim Buske, Lighthouse Youth Center Bruce Fisco, Phillips Logistics, retired Barry Keller, Chr. Hansen, Inc. Tom Keppeler, Elmbrook Church John Lesko – Chairman, CSD, retired retail executive Jay Mason, Intellivisit, My Direct Health Inc. Cheryl Milnes, WOYC Inc. Dave Molenda, Positive Polarity Mike Murphy, Kaztex Foundation J. Bushnell Nielsen, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.

Nick Ringger, The Community Warehouse Jerry Roberts, Bader Philanthropies Brandon Verbrugge, Milwaukee Tool Conor Williams, Stone Dimensions Bob Wulf, MEDREDI Solutions

Ways the business community can help your nonprofit: We love to partner with local companies that are vested in the greater Milwaukee market.

Outsourcing manufacturing to Milwaukee Working can reduce those companies’ costs while creating jobs in the central city.

We consistently seek grantors, donors, and corporate donations of new, unused home improvement materials to sell at the Warehouse.

Come down to the Warehouse for a tour!

Spread the word to individuals, businesses and organizations in the Milwaukee Community Block Grant District to shop at The Community Warehouse.

Key fundraising events: A Tale, A Tour and a Truck (annual event) Community Warehouse and Milwaukee Working employees share stories with invitees who tour The Community Warehouse and enjoy Milwaukee cuisine from a local food truck.

Is your organization actively seeking board members? Not at this time.

biz connections PER SO NNE L F I L E

■ Accounting

Kelm Pollack Vrakas CPAs + Advisors has added Dan Kelm and Michelle Pollack as staff accountants.

Send new hire and promotion announcements to personnel@biztimes.com

multiple project types, including inpatient and outpatient health care, hospitality, financial/ retail and manufacturing, but she specializes in projects in the corporate sector. Eskra has programming and master planning expertise.

Rita Nelson, a recent graduate of Iowa State University with a BFA in Interior Design, has also joined Eppstein Uhen Architects’ workplace studio as project assistant with an interiors focus. While at Iowa State, Rita was employed by the university in a number of student-facing roles, and was a summer intern at HGA’s Milwaukee office.

VanDreel

focus on supporting youth development opportunities. At the foundation, Hasbrook ran a program team working to create an entrepreneurial engineering strategy that would revamp undergraduate engineering education across the country. His career has also included close to 25 years with Milwaukee-based Brady Corp.

Renner

Dawn Lowrey as an executive assistant/ project coordinator, Abby Markle as a project coordinator, Von VanDreel as a superintendent and Tracy Renner as a project administrator.

■ Building & Construction

■ Architecture

Eskra

Nelson

Carmen Eskra has joined Eppstein Uhen Architects as an interior designer in the Workplace Studio. She has been involved in

Lowrey Markle VJS Construction Services, a general contracting, construction management, and design build firm located in Pewaukee, has hired

■ Education Notre Dame School of Milwaukee has named Steve Hasbrook its new president. Hasbrook joins the school with leadership experience in both nonprofits and for-profit companies.

He previously served as program director of The Kern Family Foundation, a Waukeshabased grantmaking foundation with a heavy

■ Engineering Maureen McBroom recently joined Ruekert & Mielke Inc. as an environmental coordinator.

McBroom will be responsible for formulating, analyzing and implementing green infrastructure and sustainability initiatives.

Known for her years of experience with the state Department of Natural Resources as a storm water specialist, McBroom will be heavily involved with outreach to municipalities regarding water quality initiatives, watershed management and TMDL implementation. McBroom will be based out of the Waukesha location.

Thank You! On Nov. 5, BizTimes Media hosted its second annual Nonprofit Excellence Awards program at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. We recognized 29 finalists and 10 honorees from among dozens of nominees—both individuals and organizations making an outstanding impact in the community. This program shined the spotlight on southeastern Wisconsin’s best corporate citizens and most effective and innovative nonprofit organizations and leaders. We thank all the sponsors and attendees and salute all of our honorees, finalists and nominees for your participation and for making the greater Milwaukee region a better place.

PRESENTING SPONSOR:

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biz connections PER SO NNE L F I L E

■ Government Organizations The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. announced that Brian Nowicki is taking over the role of chief financial officer.

Nowicki previously worked as controller at Madison College. He joined the college in 2014, having spent the previous 15 years at the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority in roles including financial officer, controller and senior economic development manager. In his final position with WHEDA, he oversaw its Economic Development Division. Nowicki succeeds Brandon Duck, who left the WEDC in early November after about six months to take a senior leadership position with an international development nonprofit organization near Washington, D.C.

■ Interior Design

Xiong Drews Creative Business Interiors’ Milwaukee office recently hired Mai Xiong as a furniture project manager. Xiong has 13 years of experience in the industry. The company also recently hired Matthew Drews as a new

Send new hire and promotion announcements to personnel@biztimes.com

senior interior designer. Drews has more than 15 years of experience in the industry.

■ Logistics and Supply Chain C.H. Coakley & Company has named Wendy Lapp business development manager for its Commercial Moving division.

■ Manufacturing American Roller Company LLC, of Union Grove, has named David Turbiville chief financial officer. Turbiville spent the last five years working as executive vice president and CFO of related entities Odyne Systems and Dueco/UELC. He previously spent a decade at Trudell Trailers in Green Bay, serving as president for eight years after two years working as CFO. Brady Corp., of Milwaukee, recently elected its board of directors. Members are: Patrick Allender, executive vice president and chief financial officer (retired), Danaher Corp.; Gary Balkema, president (retired), Worldwide Consumer Care Division, Bayer AG; Elizabeth Bruno, Ph.D., president, Brady Education Foundation, research associate professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Nancy Lee Gioia, director, Global Connectivity, Electrical and User Experience (retired), Ford Motor Co.; Conrad Goodkind, partner (retired) in the law firm of Quarles and Brady LLP; Frank Harris, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer,

Akron Polymer Systems; Bradley Richardson, executive vice president and chief financial officer, PolyOne Corp.; Hal Sirkin, senior partner and managing director, Boston Consulting Group; and J. Michael Nauman, president and chief executive officer, Brady Corp. Each director will serve a one-year term.

■ Marketing GMR Marketing, based in Milwaukee, has named Heidi Olson vice president, client management. Olson has 20 years of leadership in the marketing industry.

Prior to joining GMR Marketing, she worked as general manager of Moss Inc. In her new role, she will manage integrated marketing programs for clients such as Nissan, Polaris, Johnsonville, Best Buy and Weber.

■ Media WISN 12, a media partner of BizTimes Milwaukee, has promoted Matt Seigel to national sales manager. Seigel previously served as local account executive.

He has worked for WISN 12 since May and first joined Hearst Television at KETV in Omaha in November 2011. He has also worked at a handful of other stations across the country.

■ Nonprofit

NEWS B R I E F S

Kohl’s commits close to $6 million in toys to holiday drive

on Tuesday, the company donated $1 to Toys for Tots – up to a total of $100,000.

Menomonee Falls-based Kohl’s Corp. began the holiday season with close to $6 million in donations of plush toys and children’s books that will benefit kids across the country.

Zilber Family Foundation gifts $250,000 to Aurora

During Thanksgiving week, the retailer announced it plans to commit $5.9 million of children’s goods to the Today Show’s 22nd annual Holiday Toy Drive. This year’s donation is the largest Kohl’s has made to the show’s drive in the 11 years it has supported the drive.

Kohl’s also celebrated Giving Tuesday on Dec. 1 by encouraging consumers to buy Kohl’s Cares items for $5 each, with net profits then going toward children’s health initiatives throughout the country.

Items for sale included children’s books, toys, holiday music, a calendar, a notecard set and a holiday-themed cookbook.

Additionally, for every Kohl’s Cares purchase made

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The Aurora Zilber Family Hospice and Aurora at Home caregivers have received a $250,000 grant from the Zilber Family Foundation that will be used to support continuing education.

The Aurora Zilber Family Hospice was founded with a $1 million donation from the Zilber family 10 years ago. The new $250,000 grant was presented to the Aurora Health Care Foundation Tuesday during a dinner to celebrate the anniversary of the organization.

Through Aurora at Home (formerly the Aurora Visiting Nurse’s Association), care is provided by teams of physicians, nurses, social workers, home health aides, therapists, chaplains, counselors, and volunteers in a patient’s home, hospital room or at Aurora Zilber Family Hospice.

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Kriete Saeed The Lutheran Home and Harwood Place, of Wauwatosa, has appointed Lindsey Kriete vice president, human resources, and Dr. Kashif Saeed staff physiatrist. Kriete has more than 14 years of experience in business management, employee development and executive recruitment. She was a member of the Lutheran Home Foundation board from 2014-’15. In her new role, she will handle personnel and budget management and compliance with facility policies and human resource procedures. Saeed, who also is an associate physician for Integrated Rehab Consultants, completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Rush

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University Medical Center in Chicago. He was chief resident during his last year of residency. At Lutheran Home and Harwood Place, he will diagnose and treat orthopedic, neurologic and musculoskeletal conditions.

He will also tend to rehab and pain issues.

Tom Martin, former president and chief executive officer of Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin in Green Bay, has been appointed interim president and CEO of Jewish Family Services, effective Jan. 1.

Martin will fill in for current JFS president and CEO Sylvan Leabman, who is retiring at the end of December. Martin retired from FSNEW in March 2014 after serving the agency for 27 years as executive director.

Prior to FSNEW, Martin served as president and CEO of Boys and Girls Home and Family Service Inc., in Sioux City, Iowa, for more than 12 years.

■ Retail Menomonee Falls-based Kohl’s Corp. has named Sona Chawla its first chief operating officer.

The leadership position will place Chawla over the company’s omnichannel operations as she manages store operations, logistics and supply chain network, information and digital technology, e-commerce strategy, planning and operations, and store construction and design. Chawla comes to Kohl’s from Walgreens, where she worked in senior leadership roles over seven years, including president of e-commerce. She most recently was president of digital and chief marketing officer. Her career has also included the role of vice president of global online business for Dell Inc. and executive roles at Wells Fargo’s Internet Services Group. Additionally, she has worked at Andersen Consulting and Mitchell Madison Group. She assumed her new position in November.

■ Technology Skyline Technologies, of Pewaukee, has added Andy Klarkowski as a project manager. In this role, Klarkowski will oversee a variety of projects with attention to estimating, scheduling, coordinating, assigning resources and making sure funding is set.

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biz connections

n GLANCE AT YESTERYEAR VOLUME 21, NUMBER 19 DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2015 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120 PHONE: 414-277-8181 FAX: 414-277-8191 WEBSITE: www.biztimes.com CIRCULATION E-MAIL: circulation@biztimes.com ADVERTISING E-MAIL: ads@biztimes.com EDITORIAL E-MAIL: andrew.weiland@biztimes.com REPRINTS: reprints@biztimes.com PUBLISHER / OWNER

SALES & MARKETING

Dan Meyer dan.meyer@biztimes.com

DIRECTOR OF SALES

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Mary Ernst mary.ernst@biztimes.com

Linda Crawford linda.crawford@biztimes.com PROJECT MANAGER

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Jon Anne Willow jonanne.willow@biztimes.com

Sarah Sinsky sarah.sinsky@biztimes.com

MANAGER OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

EDITORIAL

Robert Bahillo robert.bahillo@biztimes.com

EDITOR

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Andrew Weiland andrew.weiland@biztimes.com

Kevin Gaschk kevin.gaschk@biztimes.com

MANAGING EDITOR

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE

Molly Dill molly.dill@biztimes.com REPORTER

Erica Breunlin erica.breunlin@biztimes.com REPORTER

Maribeth Lynch mb.lynch@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Maggie Pinnt maggie.pinnt@biztimes.com

Corrinne Hess corri.hess@biztimes.com

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

PRODUCTION & DESIGN

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Alex Schneider alex.schneider@biztimes.com

Amber Stancer amber.stancer@biztimes.com Christie Ubl christie.ubl@biztimes.com

ART DIRECTOR

Shelly Tabor shelly.tabor@biztimes.com

Vault delivery This photo, taken in 1920, shows the delivery of Park Savings Bank’s “30-ton Burglar Proof Vault Door”

by L.A. Meyer Co. at its original location at 34th Street and Lisbon Avenue. The bank is now known as Park Bank, which has four locations and is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

— This photo was contributed by Park Bank.

Independent & Locally Owned — Founded 1995 —

COMME NTA R Y

UAW lacks leverage in negotiations with Kohler

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here have been a lot of ugly headlines for Wisconsin manufacturers lately. The Oscar Mayer plant in Madison will close, eliminating 1,000 jobs. A Tyson Foods plant in Jefferson will close, putting 400 people out of work. GE will shut down manufacturing operations in Waukesha, eliminating 350 jobs. Joy Global will close one of its Milwaukee plants, cutting 51 jobs.

The ISM manufacturing index for the Milwaukee area has been in negative territory for eight months in a row.

The last thing we need is another big plant shutdown. That’s why it’s so important for the Kohler Co. and its 2,000 workers from UAW Local 833 to reach an agreement that ends their current labor dispute.

Kohler workers at plants in the Village of Kohler and north of Sheboygan went on strike in mid-November, the first strike at the company since 1983.

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One of the biggest issues for the workers is a two-tier wage structure implemented five years ago. Under that structure, newer employees are paid at lower rates than employees that have been with the company for decades. The newer “tier B” employees would receive an average pay increase of $3.18 an hour under the company’s proposed contract.

Understandably, the union would prefer to have all of its members paid at the higher rates that the most senior employees enjoy.

However, the company says it could not sustain operations in Sheboygan County if it had to pay all of its manufacturing employees at the higher rates.

The company has a global workforce of 33,000, with 13 manufacturing facilities in the United States and 48 globally.

In a column he wrote for the Sheboygan Press, Kohler Co. president David Kohler said that Sheboygan County is the company’s highest-cost manufacturing B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e

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location in the world.

Considering the company has numerous operations all over the world, it certainly doesn’t need to keep manufacturing in Wisconsin. Kohler could easily join the list of legacy manufacturers that have closed their Wisconsin plants and moved operations elsewhere.

“If profit was Kohler Co.’s sole motivation, there would be no strike,” David Kohler said in his column in the Sheboygan Press. “In fact, there would be no manufacturing here at all. The savings of moving production out of Sheboygan would be that significant.”

If Kohler were a publicly held company, its investors, with no loyalty whatsoever to Wisconsin, would probably demand that the company close down its most expensive manufacturing operations.

But Kohler is a privately held firm with a 142-year history in Sheboygan County that wants to maintain operations there.

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ANDREW WEILAND Editor BizTimes Milwaukee

David Kohler is the fourth generation of family leadership for the company.

Striking Kohler workers may believe that the company has so much invested in Kohler that the company would not close the plant in its longtime home.

The Kohler headquarters, the American Club resort, and the Whisting Straits and Blackwolf Run golf courses aren’t going anywhere. But Kohler’s manufacturing operations in Sheboygan County shouldn’t be taken for granted. If they don’t make financial sense for the company at some point, they will be shut down.

Hopefully the company and the union reach an agreement that keeps the Sheboygan County manufacturing operations viable for years to come. n

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biz connections

Commercial Real Estate and Development Conference The 13th annual BizTimes Milwaukee Commercial Real Estate and Development Conference was held recently at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. The theme of the event was “Attracting the National Dollar.” A panel of national real estate investors discussed why they are making major investments in the southeastern Wisconsin commercial real estate market.

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Ethan Elser of PACE Equity and Tom Pasch of Ixonia Bank.

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Mike Kellman of Black Cap Halcyon and Chad Schultz of Innovative Signs.

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Heidi Berres of JLL and Jim Roemer of The PrivateBank.

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Bret Michaelis of Black Diamond Group, Ron La Porte of Black Diamond Group and Thomas Rentmeester of V&F Roof Consulting & Service.

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Jeff Niehus and Joe Popalisky, both of Acoustech Supply.

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Christy Engel of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Tami Simko of CSSI and Amy O’Donnell of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

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Tracy Johnson of the Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin.

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Richard Aaronson of Atlantic Realty Partners answers a question as part of the panel.

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Hundreds attended the conference at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino.

Photos by Troy Freund Photography You can see these photos and other business people in the news by clicking Multimedia on the navigation bar at …

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ERICH SCHROEDER PHOTOGRAPHY

the last word

Reinvest in lifelong learning After working in executive positions for Metavante Corp., Ted Uczen had to learn about a different industry when he became president and CEO of FEI Behavioral Health, a Milwaukee-based social enterprise. Executives should seize opportunities to learn and reinvent themselves, he says.

“My first real boss told me, ‘I want you to sit in the corner, keep your mouth shut and listen. There will be times you want to jump in, but don’t. Not yet.’ I was in a post-college internship at the time and had been thrown into an account role at the last minute, but it amazes me how much her words still resonate and how important the skill of listening is to a leader – not only in being a good listener yourself, but in 46

making sure your team also understands the skill.

“Coming to FEI from a career in financial services was a very different business for me. I could spell EAP and had a degree in psychology, but I didn’t know the first thing about the behavioral health industry. I met individually with every employee, plus customers, partners and board members, to learn about my team, about the business, and about people’s perspectives and ideas for the company. I had to learn the business before I could guide the business.

“Business, like life, will always involve some element of risk and fear. At FEI, we see this more closely than most through our crisis services. In the aftermath of a crisis, companies often re-evaluate and test longstanding processes and standards. The lesson is: Don’t wait! Don’t be

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Ted Uczen President and CEO FEI Behavioral Health 11700 W. Lake Park Drive, Milwaukee Industry: Employee Assistance Programs, crisis management, workforce resilience Employees: 45 www.feinet.com

afraid to reinvent yourself. It’s part of constantly learning and is something to build into your personal strategic plan.

“A desire to learn helps you focus well and execute well, which opens the door to further innovation.” n

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PHC is proud to announce the 31 charities that will benefit from Heart of Canal Street in 2015.

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