BizTimes Milwaukee | August 22, 2016

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HOW QUAD BECAME

MORE THAN JUST A PRINTER ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

ENCOURAGING COLLABORATION WITHOUT DISRUPTING PRODUCTIVITY TRADING SQUARE FOOTAGE FOR GREATER EFFICIENCY ADDITIONAL PICK ’N SAVE STORES LIKELY ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK

Joel Quadracci, CEO of Quad/Graphics Inc.

$3.25

l l a C t s a L

Save the Date: November 3, 2016

PRESENTS:

2016

Call for Nominations BizTimes Media presents the third annual awards program to salute southeastern Wisconsin’s best corporate citizens and most effective nonprofit organizations.

The awards will shine a light on excellence in philanthropy and nonprofit leadership. The recipients of the awards will be saluted at a breakfast program on November 3rd, 2016.

Corporate Citizenship Award Categories Nominate the for-profit organizations and people who are making a positive difference in the community by donating their time, talent and treasure. Self-nominations also encouraged!

• • • • •

Corporate Citizen of the Year Next Generation Leadership In-Kind Supporter Corporate Volunteer of the Year Lifetime Achievement

Nonprofit Organizations, Leadership & Support Team Award Categories Nominate the nonprofit organizations that are making the region a better place to live, work and play.

Self-nominations also encouraged!

• • • •

Nonprofit organization of the year (Small & Large Categories) Nonprofit Collaboration of the year award Nonprofit Executive of the Year Social Enterprise

Nominate Today! | www.biztimes.com/npawards | Nomination Deadline: September 9, 2016

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inside

August 22 - September 4, 2016 HIGHLIGHT S Now 4

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

OF F ICE SPACE

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Coverage includes a look inside collaborative work spaces and an analysis of the move toward smaller, but more efficient office spaces.

Region’s job market tightens.

Made in Milwaukee

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Local suppliers meet many needs for Mortara.

The Good Life

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Baking with a mission.

Getting There

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Nick Heckenkamp of Vrakas CPAs + Advisors.

Innovations 12 Tixora’s big Summerfest gig was smooth sailing.

S TR ATE GIE S Millennials 32 Christine McMahon

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Leadership 33 Susan K. Wehrley

Marketing 34 Robert Grede

Management 35 Joan Lloyd

COV E R S T ORY

How Quad became more than just a printer

BIZ CONNECTIONS Nonprofit Spotlight 37 Personnel File 38 SBA Loans 39 BizTimes Around Town 41 The Last Word 43

ON THE COVER: Joel Quadracci, CEO of Quad/Graphics Inc. — photo by Troy Freund Photography

V I S I T B I Z T I M E S . C O M F O R A D D I T I O N A L S T O R I E S , D A I LY U P D AT E S & E - N E W S L E T T E R S Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . 414-336-7120 Advertising . . . . . . . . . 414-336-7112 Subscriptions . . . . . . . 414-277-8181 Reprints . . . . . . . . . . . . 414-277-8181

Founded in 1995, BizTimes Milwaukee provides news and operational insights for CEOs, presidents, owners and other top level executives at companies in southeastern Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington, Racine, Kenosha, Walworth and Sheboygan counties).

Subscription Customer Service: BizTimes Milwaukee, 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120, USA, Phone (414) 277-8181, Fax (414) 277-8191, circulation@biztimes.com, www.biztimes.com

BizTimes Milwaukee (ISSN 1095-936X & USPS # 017813) Volume 22, Number 11, August 22 - September 4, 2016. 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.

POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to BizTimes Milwaukee, 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120. Entire contents copyright 2016 by BizTimes Media LLC. All rights reserved.

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY ONLINE • WI • MI • CENTERS

• Business Management • Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) • Master’s in Organizational Leadership Administration (OLA) • Health Care Management • Much More!

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leading edge NOW

Region’s job market tightens

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lthough the state and national economies continue on a slow growth path, the prolonged economic recovery has driven unemployment to low levels and employers in southeastern Wisconsin struggling to fill open positions are increasingly turning to job fairs.

The U.S. gross domestic product only grew 1.2 percent during the second quarter and only 0.8 percent in the first quarter. But the job market looks stronger.

The U.S. economy added 255,000 jobs in July and 292,000 jobs in June. The U.S. unemployment rate is at 4.9 percent.

The Wisconsin economy added 10,900 private sector jobs in June and 49,900 private sector jobs from June 2015 to June 2016. The state’s unemployment rate was at 4.2 percent in June.

“As our state economy continues to grow, we need to keep our focus on ensuring Wisconsin employers have access to a robust talent pool to fill their labor market needs,” said Department of Workforce Development Secretary Ray Allen.

In an attempt to find workers to fill open positions, numerous job fairs have been held recently in the area.

Kohler-based Kohler Co. held a job fair this month at the Inn on Woodlake in hopes of filling nearly 150 openings throughout its business. Kohler has 41 openings in manufacturing, including for assembly, machine operators and warehouse work; and in skilled trades, including electricians, industrial electricians, electro mechanics and utility repair technicians. Kohler’s hospitality group has 108 openings for cooks, servers, dishwashers, retail, housekeeping and sales associates.

Kohler executives said in January the company had nearly 400 openings and expected to fill 500 positions during the year between job growth and turnover. A spokesperson said the company has had “great success” in attracting new employees over the last several months.

Milwaukee-based Klement Sausage Co. plans to grow its local workforce by 10 to 12 percent this year, adding as many as 50 hourly positions at its Lincoln Avenue facility in Milwaukee. The company will hold a recruitment event on Aug. 26 in conjunction with WRTP (Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership)/Big Step.

More than 100 companies from Washington and Ozaukee counties participated in a recent job fair at the Washington County Fair Park & Conference Center in West Bend.

Participating companies came from a variety of industries, including customer service, health care, hospitality, information technology, logistics, manufacturing and sales. There were full- and part-time positions available, along with direct-hire and seasonal opportunities.

More than 100 businesses from Waukesha and Milwaukee counties, in search of more than 1,000 employees, participated in a recent job fair at Country Springs Hotel in Waukesha. Major developments along Bluemound Road in Brookfield have created a demand for workers there. The job fair was organized by the Greater Brookfield Chamber of Commerce, ResCare Workforce Services

and the Hartland Chamber of Commerce.

“What we have been hearing from our members is that it’s a really tight job market and it’s getting harder and harder to find people,” said Carol White, president of the Brookfield Chamber.

“There’s pretty much nowhere you can go where you don’t see ‘now hiring’ signs.

That, coupled with what’s coming down the pipeline on Bluemound Road, (we thought) if we could coordinate a job fair this would be wonderful for businesses who are looking for a workforce and people who are seeking employment.”

——BizTimes Staff

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

Finding the best social media platform for your brand Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Periscope, Snapchat, Vine... In 2016, the social media platforms to choose from are endless. It is good to keep in mind that just because a platform exists, does not mean it is necessarily the best choice for your audience; you could actually be spreading yourself too thin. One common mistake a brand can make is opening up profiles on too many social media platforms and then not logging in regularly. Being non-responsive on a platform could make your audience feel alienated and make them think you are unreliable and not the No. 1 source for information.

Instead, you can take the safe route and only open accounts that you know you will be able to regularly update and log in to daily. But how do you make the choice?

First of all, it is useful to define your target audience and the demographics of your audience. If your company's target audience is 4

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males ages 30 to 55, you can use that information to see which platforms your audience would be most likely to use. Now that you have identified your audience, you can consider eliminating platforms like Periscope, for example, where the average user age is 25 to 34. With numbers like that, Facebook will be one of the most efficient ways to not only communicate with, but also grow your audience. The fastest-growing demographic on Facebook is the 45- to 54-year-old audience and 63 percent of adults ages 50 to 64 use Facebook.

There is a lot to keep in mind when considering where your brand should invest its time on social media. A good start is to weigh the pros and cons of each platform, consider the goals you have for being on social media, and pick the platform that matches your brand’s

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personality and voice. One important thing to remember is that once you’ve made the decision as to which platform is the best fit, always be visible. Log in and respond to your online community each day, and be the number one source for information about your brand.

——Gina Howell is content creator at Milwaukee-based relationship marketing firm sosh.

leading edge COFF E E B R E A K

POLITIC AL BEAT

Budget directions

BY MATT POMMER, special to BizTimes

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

“We started a CAD/BIM consulting branch, adding four more to our staff. We also became an AutoDesk Authorized Training Center. Our vertical market is really defined by users of these products so it made sense, and it is what our customers needed.”

What’s new at your company?

“So many things – new people, new clients, new opportunities. Growth is great, but good talent is hard to find. We began hardware sales this year, partnering with Ingram (Micro), which has allowed us to offer our customers really great pricing.”

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

“We would love to hire additional staff and are constantly looking for qualified consultants.”

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

“Finding good staff.”

What’s the hottest trend in your industry?

“Technology is always changing, but I think the biggest game-changer for many of our clients are AutoDesk Revit collaboration tools. This allows collaboration on Revit models with even the worst of Internet connections – something that was never available before. It truly supports the opportunity to work from places such as the beach (I don’t know why anyone would want to do that, though!).”

Do you have a business mantra?

“Be nice. I know it sounds simple, but too often we come across people in the technology

Medicaid expansion could be a major budget and political topic as Wisconsin plans for state spending and taxation in the 2017-’19 biennium.

Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican-controlled Legislature have refused to fully participate in the Medicaid expansion provided under the federal Affordable Care Act. The decision means Wisconsin is turning down hundreds of millions of federal health dollars. Walker has predicted the program will collapse because the federal government cannot afford it.

Late last month, Walker issued direction to state agencies about what he expects in their requests for the state’s 2017-’19 budget. The directions call for agencies to provide two budgets – one at zero base growth and the other with a five percent reduction in spending.

But there were some major exemptions to the directions, including Medicaid, the prison system, and state aid for elementary and secondary education. Medicaid is taking much of the spending increase in the current biennial budget.

Medical costs seem to increase regardless of what elected officials say or do, and Wisconsin’s population is older than the national average. Older people have more health care needs.

The governor repeated his pledge to reallocate any budget savings toward higher state aid to elementary and secondary schools. Public school advocates have been sharply critical of state aid levels and using state tax dollars to help finance private schools.

That criticism has been especially loud in western and northern parts of the state. The governor’s political support has slipped in those regions.

When the Legislature takes up the next biennial budget, Democrats are sure to say that increased federal dollars for expanded Medicaid could redirect more money for school aid.

Rejecting tax and fee increases is easy politics. Refusing additional federal health dollars is tougher. The issue could test the state’s political temperature for 2018.

field that do not show empathy to those less technical. We strive to hire good people, first and foremost.”

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

“We strive to be the company with the best benefits. So from that standpoint, we look to Google, Facebook and some other big tech companies that have great offerings.”

What was the best advice you ever received?

“I’m tempted to quote a great philosopher here with, ‘Pull down your pants and slide on the ice,’ however, business-wise I would say one of the best bits of advice I received is to find a good banker. Port Washington State Bank is mine, in case anyone is looking.”

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

“Very early in my career, I was asked to write a portion of a book on building websites. It was very last minute for them and they gave me only a couple weeks to write this chapter. I wrote quite a bit about the difficulties of setting up a website on Unix systems (it was in the very early ’90s) and poked a little fun at the Unix operating system. After the book was published and I received a copy, I was amused that most of the 700+ pages were on how to build and administer a website on Unix.”

Christopher Bakke President BCS IS/IT LLC 250 E. Wisconsin Ave., Suite 1800, Milwaukee www.bcsisit.com Industry: Technology Employees: 14 Family: Happily married to Molly and proud dad of Elaina and Olivia. w w w.biztimes.com

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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.

What do you like to do in your free time?

BY TH E NU MBERS

“Free time? What is that?

I’m looking forward to the ‘leap second’ that will be added to the world’s official clocks on Dec. 31. I have my ‘do not disturb’ block all ready to go.”

August 22 - September 4, 2016

$40 million

Construction of a new international terminal planned at General Mitchell International Airport would cost about $40 million, according to airport director Izzy Bonilla. n

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leading edge ON TH E C ALEN D AR

MA DE I N M I LWA U K E E

Local suppliers meet many needs for Mortara

ARTHUR THOMAS (414) 336-7123 | Twitter: @arthur8823 arthur.thomas@biztimes.com

are used for resting electrocardiograms, stress tests and other applications mostly outside the operating room.

While the number of electrical components in medical devices might conjure ideas of Asian manufacturing used for many consumer electronics, Mortara has found the benefit in sourcing items like printed circuit boards and some LCD screens from nearby.

“The physically closer your supply chain is, the faster you can react,” Mortara said.

Reacting quickly is part of what Mortara does. Even with about 80 percent of its orders including some sort of custom configuration, the company is able to ship most orders within 72 hours. Many are shipped within 24 hours and some make it out the same day.

Local sourcing allows Mortara to reduce lead times, but it also serves as an investment in the community, Mortara said.

"It’s helping the local community thrive and we are dependent on that thriving community," he said.

The company counts GE Healthcare among its competitors, so innovating while moving at a startup-like pace is important to remaining competitive.

“We try to innovate on a timeline of one to three years, whereas the typical rhythm in medical devices is five to seven years,” Mortara said.

The company puts about 8 percent of its revenue back into research and product development, working to make devices that are more mobile, more powerful and have more diagnostic capability.

Those efforts have also focused on things like connecting devices to electronic health records and testing algorithms for alarms against monitoring data to reduce “alarm fatigue” in hospital settings.

But innovating, let alone doing it at a faster pace than the rest of the industry, requires the right talent. That means continuously recruiting and retaining top talent, especially in engineering.

“Once we get the right people, our execution is really good,” Mortara said.

Being located in close proximity to a competitor like GE helps, as the larger company draws talent to the area, but people sometimes decide they are looking for a different environment. It’s also important for the region as a whole to attract talent from major universities, he said.

Drawing those graduates requires a strong community, Mortara said. Just as he hopes local sourcing will help area

6

SEP

For Justin Mortara, putting up a new 64,000-square-foot manufacturing facility along Bradley Road is an extension of his company’s commitment to the Milwaukee area. So, too, is the decision to source 30 percent of the components for Mortara Instrument Inc. products from within 100 miles of its facility.

“It’s a long view, but nothing that we do here is looking out 90 days; it’s always looking at the multi-year horizon,” said Mortara, the company’s chief executive officer.

Mortara Instrument designs and manufactures medical devices for diagnostic cardiology and patient monitoring. The devices

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Future 50 Awards

ABOVE: Mortara Instrument completed a new 64,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at 7900 N. 86th St. earlier this year.

BELOW: Mortara sources components like printed circuit boards from within 100 miles of its manufacturing facility.

The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce’s Council of Small Business Executives will host the 2016 Future 50 Awards luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23, at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, 333 W. Kilbourn Ave. in Milwaukee. The Future 50 Program recognizes privately-owned companies in the seven-county region that have been in business for at least three years and have shown significant revenue and employment growth. BizTimes Media is the media partner for the event. Luncheon cost is $60. For more information or to register, visit www.mmac.org/future-50-awards.html.

For a complete listing of all area events, visit the event section of our website.

www.biztimes.com/events

BOOK REVIEW

‘For the Love of Money: A Memoir’

Mortara Instrument Inc. 7865 N. 86th St., Milwaukee Industry: Medical device manufacturing Employees: 422 (229 in Milwaukee) www.mortara.com

businesses and fuel the region, he hopes the new manufacturing facility also demonstrates a commitment to the region.

“We don’t want to pick up manufacturing and move it out of country to a low-cost country or anything like that,” he said.

The new facility was built with a number of environmentally-friendly features, including heating and cooling powered by a geothermal system; a blue roof that pools water and releases it in a controlled fashion, eliminating the need for a retention pond; porous asphalt; and LED lighting.

The upgrades were made “knowing that we’re going to be here for a long time,” Mortara said, adding that the size of the building is also a reflection of the company’s commitment.

“We've got a lot of empty space, but that's intentional.

We know what we're going to do; we're going to grow. We know what we're going to do; we're going to stay in Milwaukee,” he said.

Get the latest manufacturing news delivered to your inbox every Monday.

Sign up for BizTimes’ Manufacturing Weekly at biztimes.com/subscribe.

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At 30 years old, Sam Polk was a senior trader for one of the largest hedge funds on Wall Street. When he was offered an annual bonus of $3.75 million and became angry it wasn’t enough, Polk knew he had lost himself in his obsessive pursuit of money.

So Polk decided to walk away from it all. Polk’s obsessive pursuit of money had been one of the many self-destructive behaviors he had engaged in over the years, including overeating and alcohol and drug abuse.

Making money was just the latest attempt to fill the void left by his emotionally unavailable father. “For the Love of Money” explores the birth of a young hedge fund trader, his disillusionment and the radical new way he defines success.

“For the Love of Money,” is available on www.800ceoread.com for $20.

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NON P RO F IT N E W S

MAM to move library to historic mansion The Milwaukee Art Museum is moving its art library and archives to the historic Jason Downer House at 1201 N. Prospect Ave. on Milwaukee’s East Side.

The museum's library, called the George Peckham Miller Art Research Library, was established in 1916. It includes around 27,000 volumes of national and international museum and gallery publications, artist files, Milwaukee Art Museum publications, monographs on art and artists, catalog raisonnés, auction sales catalogs and a rare books collection.

The library also includes 60,000 art catalogs, journals and magazines and a comprehensive collection of famed industrial designer Brooks Stevens’ concepts and designs.

The library was closed in July to prepare for the move and will open at its new location on North Prospect Avenue in the spring of 2017 under a new name: the Milwaukee Art Museum Research Center.

The library is currently located inside the museum at 700 N. Art Museum Drive and is accessible by appointment only. The move to the Downer mansion will more than double its library space and will also include reading rooms, study spaces and a lecture area.

The Jason Downer House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is privately owned and is being lent to the museum by a benefactor.

The property's total assessed value is $1.15 million, according to city records.

——Ben Stanley

Chris Bauer

Len Devaisher

Strong, local leadership.

182 years of financial stability.

T HE G O O D L I F E As AnchorBank transitions to Old National Bank, you can rely on our experienced bankers, local decision making and nearly two centuries of financial stability to help you achieve your goals. We will continue to focus on building partnerships with Wisconsin businesses and look forward to introducing new services and technology to help you grow. Most importantly, we will continue to be a community bank, passionate about serving our clients and our community.

Baking with a mission Four years ago, Sandy Rosales, a customer service manager at Milwaukee-based medical device manufacturer Mortara Instrument Inc., was browsing the Internet for cake ideas.

She had been baking cakes as a hobby for a few years and found it was a good creative outlet.

Then she stumbled upon the website for Icing Smiles Inc., a Maryland-based nonprofit that provides custom-made cakes and treats to the families of critically-ill children. Her hobby became a mission.

“I started reading the stories of the families they were providing cakes to,” Rosales said.

“And that was it. I decided that was something I wanted to do.”

She’s been baking ornate and sometimes massive cakes for families battling terminal illness who are in need of a temporary escape ever since.

Rosales loves baking cakes. But, it’s not relaxing, she said. In fact, she described her hobby of the past four years as incredibly messy and consuming.

“I get very wrapped up in it,” she said. And that’s what she likes about it.

“I’m able to get out all this stuff that’s in my head and I get to use my hands,” she said.

Chris Bauer, AnchorBank President and CEO Len Devaisher, Old National Wisconsin Region CEO For years, Sandy Rosales has baked themed treats for families battling terminal illness.

800-252-6246 | anchorbank.com | oldnational.com

“It gives me an opportunity to release anything creative that I have or any frustrations that I have. It’s the perfect outlet for me.”

She’s baked Angry Birds-, Mickey Mouseand stars-and-stripes-themed cakes for families celebrating birthdays and holidays in the hospital.

“I think it’s a fantastic organization, because you get to give these families and these kids a little bit of a relief from what they’re going through,” she said. “I have young children, and that feeling you get when they’re happy and smiling, you can’t put a price tag on that.” ©2016 AnchorBank is a divison of Old National Bank. NMLS 459308.

——Ben Stanley w w w.biztimes.com

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EQUAL HOUSING

LENDER

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leading edge G ET T I NG TH E R E

BR EA K ING G ROUN D

Nick Heckenkamp Vrakas CPAs + Advisors 445 S. Moorland Road, Brookfield Age: 26 Hometown: Pewaukee and Wales Education: Bachelor’s in accounting (2012) and Master of Professional Accountancy (2013), both from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Current position: Promoted to senior accountant in July Previous position: Staff accountant at Vrakas »» Why did you recently get promoted to senior accountant?

“I think that they liked the work I was doing and just taking on more responsibility the last year with working on clients. After a couple years, if they see that you’re meeting expectations, when you’re working through a job, doing all the work that they see is what they think you should be doing and maybe going a little above and beyond, I think that’s when they will take a look and promote you to the next level.” »» How have you made yourself stand out in the workplace and get noticed for your work?

“Doing continuing education I think has helped. Definitely learning from the people above me. Taking on as much responsibility as I can and when I’m done with jobs, trying to get feedback from my managers and asking them, ‘What did I do well on this job? What can I improve on?’” »» What is your next career goal?

“Hopefully become a manager here at Vrakas at some point in the next few years.”

BADER PHILANTHROPIES

Bader Philanthropies Inc. plans to move its headquarters from the Historic Third Ward to King Drive in Milwaukee’s Harambee neighborhood. The foundation will renovate and put a small addition on the building at 3318 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Once the renovation and expansion project is completed in summer 2018, the Bader Philanthropies headquarters facility will have 22,000 square feet of space.

——Corrinne Hess

FUTURE 50 AWARDS LUNCHEON CELEBRATING TOP-GROWING FIRMS IN THE MILWAUKEE REGION. 100% ORGANICALLY GROWN “Cousins Subs is a Wisconsin-based brand with 40+ year-old roots in the Milwaukee community.

We owe much of our success to our local heritage and the hardworking, industrious people that reside in the area we call home.”

Friday, September 23, 2016

11:30 AM - 1:30 PM | HYATT REGENCY MILWAUKEE $60 PER PERSON • $600 TABLE OF 10

Register at www.mmac.org/events.html

Keynote Speaker

Christine Specht

PRESIDENT & CEO І COUSINS SUBS

Presenting Sponsor

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The Future 50 Program was created by MMAC’s Council of Small Business Executives to recognize top local firms that are growing in revenue and employment.

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ON LIN E POLL

Re: High-tech jobs in Wisconsin “Keeping those jobs filled with workers who have the right skills is the challenge.”

- Tom Still, Wisconsin Technology Council

Re: Exporting “For most companies here in Wisconsin, the biggest barriers to becoming an exporter are psychological.

There is fear of the unknown, lack of knowledge and a natural avoidance of perceived risk, even if the real risk turns out to be manageable.”

- Bill Burnett, Milwaukee 7

Re: Sales

What is Milwaukee’s best annual festival?

“Once you lower the price, customers expect a low price all the time.”

- Jeffrey Gitomer

Wisconsin State Fair

Re: U.S. trade policy

One of the ethnic festivals

“States like Wisconsin are net exporters in most years. Trade creates jobs here.”

The Milwaukee Bucks recently unveiled a preview center for their new arena. Set up at the team’s Schlitz Park offices, the preview center will be used to help sell sponsorships and luxury suites.

Summerfest

-John Torinus, Serigraph

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We’re excited to announce that Husch Blackwell and Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek are now one firm. With more than 700 attorneys in 19 cities, we are well-positioned to offer more industry experience and even greater value to our clients. We look forward to the future and what we can

achieve together.

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biz news Timeline pushed back on Lubar Center for Entrepreneurship Architect chosen to design UWM project

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he Lubar Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee has pushed its construction timeline back, but has pulled in more funding and is moving forward with the design process.

The project was initiated by a $10 million donation from Lubar & Co. founder Sheldon Lubar and his wife, Marianne, announced in July 2015. Since that initial gift, the UW System has contributed $10 million from its fund balances to cover construction costs. In turn, the Lubars’ gift will be used to fund the endowment for the facility’s operations.

Another $2 million was donated by

BY MOLLY DILL, staff writer

Fiduciary Management Inc. founder Ted Kellner and his wife Mary’s family foundation, the Kelben Foundation, in May and serial entrepreneur Jerry Jendusa kicked in $1 million in July. But fundraisers don’t plan to stop at $23 million, said Brian Thompson, director of the Lubar Center, who doesn’t have a specific financial target.

“We’re certainly not done fundraising,” Thompson said. “It’s part of a large and significant project. The more of that funding we have, the more we can support a broader array of programming.”

Still, the Lubar Center project is progressing. Milwaukee-based Continuum

Architects + Planners S.C. was chosen in mid-2015 to design the center, which will be located at the corner of Kenwood Boulevard and Maryland Avenue on the UWM campus. Continuum designed the School of Freshwater Sciences at UWM’s Harbor Campus and has also designed renovations and expansions for several campus buildings.

Continuum has been working through the programming and design process with the state and stakeholders in the project. Through that process, UWM has decided to co-locate the campus Welcome Center in the Lubar Center to showcase its capabilities to visitors and

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prospective students, said Robert Barr, principal at Continuum.

The group also has established a construction budget of $7.8 million, Barr said. The building will be open-concept, with a two-story innovation commons with public space, surrounded by a set of functional spaces including computer labs, maker spaces, meeting rooms and

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The latest rendering of the Lubar Center for Entrepreneurship, designed by Continuum Architects.

team-building rooms. The rooms will be largely enclosed in glass to encourage an active, collaborative atmosphere, he said. “(The innovation commons) sort of is the living room for the building,” Barr said. “There will be classes held (at the Lubar Center), classes that the different schools at UWM are all pulling together, entrepreneurship-based courses that will be taught in that building.”

The Welcome Center will include a large lobby for groups to gather and a theater for video presentations to kick off tours.

With firmer designs in place, the construction timeline has been pushed back, with a groundbreaking targeted for the fourth quarter of 2017 and a completion goal of late 2018, Thompson said. Initially, UWM planned to open the Lubar Center in late 2017 or early 2018.

The size of the center also has been reduced, from 28,000 to 24,000 square feet.

It will be comparable in size to the university’s innovation accelerator at its Innovation Campus in Wauwatosa.

The Lubar Center will act as a hub for UWM’s entrepreneurial programs, classes and initiatives for undergraduate and graduate students and also will cater to startup companies in southeastern Wisconsin. While its brick-and-mortar home isn’t yet constructed, the entity is already integrating its programs on campus.

The Lubar Center will serve as an umbrella for several existing programs, such as the UWM Student Startup Challenge, a revamped version of which begins this month, and the Fresh Ideas campaign, which aims to increase awareness of entrepreneurial programming throughout the campus community.

Fresh Ideas targets freshmen and soph-

omores, offering modules in their seminars to engage them earlier in their college careers, Thompson said. The fall 2015 campaign generated more than 100 submissions for products, service improvements and visions for UWM in 2025.

Innovation Corps, another program to be housed in the Lubar Center, helps faculty and student teams analyze markets for new technologies, he said. The four-week workshop, held in partnership with four other Milwaukee universities, aims to help participants apply for grants or learn customer discovery methodology. It was launched last year.

“We’re developing an array of programming and the programming is designed to target students in many disciplines, as well as at many levels,” Thompson said. “We’re developing things that cut across many academic units.”

Jendusa, a UWM alumnus and founder of New Berlin-based aviation company Emteq Inc., said he was attracted to UWM’s plan to integrate an entrepreneurial mindset into the process and culture across disciplines at the university, rather than just helping students launch businesses. He also wanted to help create jobs in the region.

“The biggest thing is southeast Wisconsin and growing the region. UWM, being an urban school, being a (university) where most of the kids stay in the state to work,” Jendusa said.

Jendusa, who sold Emteq in 2014, is now running consulting firm Stuck LLC to assist entrepreneurs in solving business obstacles, and is investing money and acquiring businesses through the venture with Stuck Fund I. He said he hopes to be involved in directly working with students at the Lubar Center. n w w w.biztimes.com

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11

innovations Tixora nails its big Summerfest gig

E

ven in an ideal scenario, inserting $6.50 into the cash box on a Milwaukee County bus can be a time intensive process. Inserting a $5 bill, a $1 bill and two quarters can take as long as 15 seconds.

With thousands of people taking the bus from park-and-rides to Summerfest each year, those few seconds can add up quickly. Throw in the potential for crinkled money or machine issues, along with dozens of people riding each bus, and a clear problem starts to develop.

“We had this very cashARTHUR THOMAS (414) 336-7123 arthur.thomas@biztimes.com Twitter: @arthur8823

intensive way to get on the buses and that takes a very long time,” said Brendan Conway, Milwaukee County Transit System spokesman.

In 2015, 98 percent of the bus rides to Summerfest were purchased with cash.

But during the Big Gig’s 2016 run, a new mobile ticketing option accounted for 25 percent of all rides. The option was designed, built and hosted by Tixora LLC, a Milwaukee-based startup specializing in online ticketing and transportation mobile apps.

The company was founded in 2014 and the MCTS contract marked one of Tixora’s first big projects. Co-founder Aaron Redlich was able to connect with MCTS managing director Dan Boehm at a conference in late 2015 and the two groups soon

began working on a possible solution.

Redlich said it took a few meetings to truly gauge the size of the project. Once they understood it, Tixora’s team set about building a mobile ticketing offering and an app to validate the tickets on the bus.

The result was a system that replaced the 15 or more seconds spent handling cash with just a few seconds scanning the mobile ticket.

Still, MCTS had to trust a startup founded by three recent University of Wisconsin-Madison graduates to handle the pressure of one of the highest profile uses of MCTS throughout the year.

“We tested it like crazy,” Conway said.

Redlich said the company ran the system through a month-and-a-half of testing to work out any bugs. Conway said MCTS was confident in the system when it announced a promotion, called Pre>Fare, offering a cheaper bus fare and free Summerfest ticket to encourage use of the mobile platform.

Both said they were pleased with how well the system worked. Redlich said with 30,000 tickets sold on the website, there were no server side errors. Conway said he wasn’t aware of any technical issues occurring. One of the biggest problems was drained batteries on the iPads used to scan tickets.

“It was remarkable how smoothly it went,” Conway said.

He said MCTS plans to use Pre>Fare and mobile ticketing again next year, although changes are likely as technology

continues to evolve.

In the meantime, Tixora plans to continue to build on the experiences learned through Pre>Fare and UW Bus, an app that offers real-time bus arrival information and route planning details for Madison buses.

The app has 15,000 downloads and 5,000 active users, Redlich said.

In building it, he said the company learned how important the user interface and user experience are to the adoption A Milwaukee County Transit System employee takes a fare during of an app.

Summerfest using Pre>Fare.

“There’s kind of a rush to make the most feature-filled application that you can do,” he said, sugTixora LLC gesting if there are too many features or if Milwaukee they don’t work, people won’t use the app.

Innovation: “There’s a very delicate balance,” Mobile ticketing platform Redlich said. www.tixora.com At the same time, he said, many transit companies still rely on large maps posted at bus stops or online. Tixora be“There really isn’t something like this lieves there is an opportunity for transit out there in the sense it is completely cusproviders to reach out to younger riders tomizable by our team,” he said. “You don’t on their phones. always get that same level of service.” n Redlich also wants Tixora to continue its efforts in mobile ticketing. He said Get the latest business news from around Wisconthere are a lot of niche markets in need of sin delivered to your inbox every morning. Sign up customized services both inside and outfor BizTimes’ Morning Headlines e-newsletter at biztimes.com/subscribe. side the transportation realm.

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August 22 - September 4, 2016

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real estate

The Clarke Square Pick ’n Save.

Additional Pick ’n Save stores likely on the chopping block

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hen Cincinnati-based The Kroger Co. announced in November 2015 it was acquiring Milwaukeebased Roundy’s Inc. for $866 million, the company’s chairman and chief executive officer, Rodney McMullen, said there were no plans to close any of the company’s Pick ’n Save stores.

Less than one year later, the 77 people working at Clarke Square Pick ’n Save on Milwaukee’s south side learned that store would close by the CORRINNE HESS P: (414) 336-7116 E: corri.hess@biztimes.com Twitter: @CorriHess

end of the summer due to its weak financial performance.

The announcement is one of many coming to area Pick ’n Save stores, predicts grocery industry analyst David Livingston.

Within the next five years, at least 15 Pick ’n Save stores in southeastern Wisconsin could close, due to redundancies of the stores themselves and increased competition in the market from newcomers like Meijer and Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, he says.

“My guess is they will announce one (Pick ’n Save store closure) per quarter,” said Livingston, who used to work for Roundy’s but now is managing partner of DJL Research LLC in Waukesha. “If they do it too fast, it upsets the investors,

the real estate community and the employees. If you go slow and quiet, hopefully no one notices.”

In April, Kroger announced the Pick ’n Save store in Kimberly would close by the end of the year.

In the two years prior to the Kroger acquisition, Roundy’s closed Pick ’n Save stores in Waukesha, Saukville, Milwaukee, West Allis and Racine.

Looking at underperforming stores and redundancies, Livingston predicts the following Pick ’n Save stores will be closed over the next four to five years. »» Brookfield Ruby Isle, 2205 N. Calhoun Road »» Brookfield West, 17295 W. Capitol Drive »» Franklin The Shoppes at Wyndham Village, 7780 S. Lovers Lane Road »» Kenosha Uptown Brass, 1901 63rd St. »» Milwaukee East Pointe, 605 E. Lyon St. »» Milwaukee Silver Spring, 10202 W. Silver Spring Drive »» New Berlin Sunnyslope, 13995 W. National Ave. »» Oak Creek Ryan Road, 2320 W. Ryan Road »» Pewaukee, 601 Ryan St. »» South Milwaukee, 2931 S. Chicago Ave. »» Waukesha Sunset, 220 E. Sunset Drive »» Wauwatosa, 1717 N. Mayfair Road, »» West Milwaukee Miller Park Way, 2201 Miller Park Way w w w.biztimes.com

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The Waukesha Pick ’n Save at 220 E. Sunset Drive is located near a Meijer store that opened Aug. 2.

James Hyland, a Roundy’s spokesman, would not comment on future store closings.

“Company policy is to not pre-announce any store openings, closings or remodel actions that may occur in the normal course of operations,” Hyland said.

In many cases, the stores mentioned as possible targets for closures have another Pick ’Save location nearby. For example, there are four Pick ’n Save stores in Brookfield, two in Franklin, three in Kenosha, three in Oak Creek, where a Meijer opened in August 2015, two in Pewaukee and two in Wauwatosa.

There were four Pick ’n Save stores in Waukesha until October 2015, when the

August 22 - September 4, 2016

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store at 1535 E. Moreland Blvd. closed.

On Aug. 2, Meijer opened a store at 801 E. Sunset Drive, across from the Pick ’n Save at 220 E. Sunset.

I asked area commercial real estate brokers to take a look at Livingston’s list.

They thought some of the locations, including the two in Brookfield, the New Berlin store on Sunnyslope and the Milwaukee store on Silver Spring, seemed logical targets to be shuttered.

But others, like the East Pointe Pick ’n Save, are strong performers that are just in need of a little TLC, they said.

Competition has steadily been increasing in the region’s already highly competitive grocery market. Meijer en13

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tered Wisconsin in June 2015, with its first stores in Grafton and Kenosha. The chain has since opened stores in Oak Creek, Wauwatosa, Waukesha and Sussex, and is planning stores in Greenfield, West Bend and Sheboygan.

Costco and Whole Foods also have been expanding their footprints in the area and Fresh Thyme Farmers Market has entered the mix with stores either opened or planned in downtown Milwaukee, Greenfield, Brookfield, Kenosha and Menomonee Falls. “(Years ago) Roundy’s was in a fourhorse race with Kohl’s, Sentry and Jewel and the other three horses had broken legs,” Livingston said. “Now, they are in the Kentucky Derby and in last place.”

Robert Monnat, chief operating officer of multi-family housing development firm Mandel Group, which developed the North End near downtown Milwaukee and leased space there to Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, said there is a significant repositioning of the local grocery market due to the influx of new players.

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“The expansion of Meijer and Woodman’s create obvious turbulence at one end of the spectrum, while Fresh Thyme, Whole Foods and Sendik’s provide new shopping opportunities in the specialty grocer segment,” Monnat said. “Sooner or later, certain submarkets will be overserved, while others will be better served.

Kroger is a tremendous competitor. I’m looking forward to seeing what they do to reposition certain stores in submarkets where they can outperform.”

Pick ’n Save’s market share in southeastern Wisconsin has fallen from about 65 percent in 2006 to around 39 percent today, Livingston said.

“You can expect market share to plummet (as more Pick ’n Save stores are closed), but it’s not all bad news,” Livingston said. “Sales per square foot should rise and get close to the Kroger Co. average after this all shakes out. The stores that will close are low volume with minimal market share. Kroger should still be around 30 percent, which would still make them the market share leader.” n

cover story HOW QUAD BECAME

MORE THAN JUST A PRINTER

Joel Quadracci, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Quad/Graphics.

S

ARTHUR THOMAS, staff writer

omewhere along the way, Sussex-based Quad/Graphics Inc. began doing more than just printing magazines.

It happened before the company started inserting virtual reality viewers in the Sports

Illustrated swimsuit issue and developing plans to help clients get branded VR viewers inserted into magazines. It was also before Quad built a $200 million packaging company and added offerings for in-store displays.

When Quad took over the creative work for Cabela’s and placed its employees on-site at Dick’s

PHOTO BY TROY FREUND PHOTOGRAPHY

Sporting Goods and L.L. Bean, it had already happened.

Convincing 50 online retailers to print physical catalogs was about more than just adding volume. Suddenly, Quad was investing in digital marketing and video placement companies and analyzing data on marketing campaigns.

Somewhere along the way, Quad/Graphics became more than just a printer, but for Joel Quadracci, the transformation is a continuation of what the company has previously done.

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15

PHOTOS BY TROY FREUND PHOTOGRAPHY

cover story

Quad/Graphics has answered labor challenges by automating and upgrading plants. Autonomous forklifts move some materials, robots are used to stack items on skids and digital presses have been added to several plants.

“It’s not like we just one day woke up and said ‘We’re going to transform the company,’” he said. “All this stuff has been evolving, but what’s real interesting is this convergence of online/offline has sped up dramatically in the last two years and it’s propelled our offering because of that.”

Quad began taking advantage of its size, leveraging the access that comes with being a major supplier of print services to promote its marketing services. Those services also lead to more work for the print portion of the business.

“Instead of them calling us up and saying ‘We have this campaign we’re doing.

You’re the print part; go print a million of these things,’ we’re actually involved in designing the campaign,” said Quadracci, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Quad/Graphics.

It’s not surprising a company opting to make its own ink, develop its own printing technology and provide its own health care services to employees is now pursuing new lines of business in marketing.

The surprise is the speed and scale of

change in the past six-plus years. Quad/ Graphics was formed in 1971 and grew to $1.8 billion in revenue in 2010. Since then, the company has executed more than a dozen acquisitions, more than doubled annual revenue to $4.7 billion, added thousands of employees, and invested in expanded digital marketing capabilities.

All of those acquisitions came with the challenge of integrating employees into Quad’s distinctive culture, complete with the dark blue uniforms worn by everyone, including the CEO. Quad has also closed 34 printing plants during that time and reduced its overall headcount by 10,000. If those facilities were a company, it would have $2.5 billion in annual revenue. Quadracci said he knew there would be closures as the company played the role of industry consolidator.

The economic downturn created by the Great Recession disrupted the printing industry, which relies on economic growth to fuel volumes and pricing. At the same time, the rise of digital and mobile technology disrupted printers and their

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clients. The printing industry went from using almost 79 percent of its capacity in 2007 to a low of less than 59 percent just two years later, according to Federal Reserve data. The industry has rebounded some, averaging almost 65 percent utilization through the first six months of 2016.

Even five years into its consolidation efforts, Quad still had work to do when it came to optimizing its manufacturing footprint and integrating its culture throughout the operation. When the 2015 third quarter financial results showed a greater-than-expected pullback in industry volumes and pricing pressures, combined with lower productivity, Quadracci opted to implement a $100 million cost reduction program and a $775 million non-cash goodwill impairment charge.

The plan, announced in November, called for reducing capacity with plant closures, an increased focus on productivity, a new organizational structure and reductions in selling, general and administrative costs. Quad was able to complete the plan by January and the first

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quarter of 2016 was the first to show a profit since the end of 2014. Through the first six months of the year, revenue was down 3.4 percent, but operational expenses had been reduced by 6.3 percent.

MORE THAN INK ON PAPER Quad has laid out a strategy to make it through a challenging period in the industry while also achieving its goal of being the “high-quality, low-cost producer.”

The plan centers on building the core of its business, looking for opportunities to grow, and engaging with customers and employees, all while maintaining a strong balance sheet.

Putting ink on paper is still at the heart of Quad’s work, but a big part of the company’s plans involve the work being done at BlueSoho, an integrated marketing agency within Quad that focuses on helping clients identify the marketing channels in which to invest.

BlueSoho initially was formed in 2004 and based in New York City as a digital art and image retouching studio. The

business was repositioned in early 2015, with the addition of a mobile marketing agency and media planning and placement group, both of which Quad acquired in recent years.

BlueSoho accounts for about 3 percent of Quad’s revenue, but Quadracci said it increasingly touches every aspect of the business and $1 of spending with BlueSoho can translate to $8 or $9 of spending in other parts of Quad’s business.

“In the last two years, I’ve never seen the C-suite, the CMOs, the CEOs, react as well as they’re reacting right now to a printer telling this story, because we can prove the results,” Quadracci said.

Quad’s commitment to the work of BlueSoho was evident in two moves the company made earlier this year. BlueSoho president Eric Ashworth was promoted to executive vice president of product solutions and market strategy for the whole company in April. In July, Quad announced it had made a $12 million minority investment in Rise Interactive, a Chicago-based digital marketing agency.

For Quadracci, investing in a digital agency or growing BlueSoho is as much about creating opportunities for Quad’s print capabilities as it is about developing digital offerings.

“No media channel has really replaced another,” he said. “The more these things are layered on top, we’ve proven over the years, the more media channels you use and the tighter they’re connected the higher the overall responsiveness of that dollar you’re spending.”

Quad worked with Colorado-based grocer Lucky’s Market to create a multichannel campaign that focused on increasing store traffic, loyalty card membership and sales of certain product categories.

The grocer came to Quad for help with its Sunday inserts, but Ashworth said after finding savings there, Quad was able to work with the company on the larger program.

The basic idea was to coordinate the Sunday inserts with online and social messages. It used beacons to monitor cellphone traffic in and out of stores and w w w.biztimes.com

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Eric Ashworth, executive vice president of product solutions and market strategy.

targeted better deals to potential customers living closer to competitors. The stores got a spike in traffic and the campaign’s targets were met, Ashworth said.

“The important thing is how do you continue to come up with campaigns that are leveraging these spends, online, Sunday insert and my in-store activity, so they’re partnering for great results,” he said, adding that doesn’t mean using all channels at once, but instead focusing on using the right methods in the right proportions. “Clients don’t need omnichannel campaigns; they need effective multichannel campaigns.”

The scale of Quad’s printing operations helps convince clients they should also turn to the company for help with the design of their marketing campaigns.

“Because we’re printing the physical assets, we’re a big line item in their

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expense. There’s a lot of zeros attached to our invoices,” Quadracci said, adding Quad’s size gives it access to executives other printers may not have.

EVOLVING CAPABILITIES Quadracci said the company’s expanded capabilities, developed organically and through acquisitions, have been the result of evolving technologies.

When Quad recommended clients link to product demonstrations from QR codes on their direct mail pieces, the clients asked the company to produce the videos. Quad didn’t have the capability, but built and bought what it needed to send with the photography teams already shooting pictures of client products.

In 2013, Quad also invested in Pixability, a Boston-based company that, among other things, helps companies place their 17

cover story

TROY FREUND PHOTOGRAPHY

DEALING WITH PRIVACY CONCERNS

Tom Frankowski, chief operating officer at Quad/Graphics.

videos ahead of competitors on YouTube.

“So suddenly, here’s a printing company telling you how to put video on YouTube,” Quadracci said.

As much as the digital capabilities are a new development, they also draw on expertise developed over the past three decades. Tom Frankowski, chief operating officer at Quad/Graphics, said printers had to become experts in handling large data files as electronic pre-press operations developed. Quad also has data management knowledge from its co-mailing operation that ships magazines in bundles organized to match a mail carrier’s route.

Those two capabilities became the roots of the marketing expertise Quad now offers, Frankowski said.

“Quad’s become experts in how people engage brands and how they engage products,” Ashworth said. “BlueSoho is

simply taking that back up to the marketer and saying, ‘We now understand how your segments engage your products better. We’re going to help you apply that to other aspects of how your clients engage your brands.’”

Quadracci said he could see producing a campaign involving a direct mailing with a variable-printed watermark on each piece tied to the recipient’s address.

A discount offer would prompt the recipient to take a photo of the mailing to download an app. The app would recognize the watermark and connect the address to the phone.

When the recipient goes shopping, a beacon in the store recognizes the phone and sends a message to the user, thanking him or her for coming in and offering an additional discount. The app also serves as a holding place for the discounts, mak-

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For all the tracking and targeting involved in connecting the marketing message across so many channels, Quadracci said privacy concerns don’t come up much.

“Just go on Facebook. Go look at what people are sharing,” he said.

The important part is the consumer’s decision to opt-in. If someone doesn’t want to download an app or participate in a loyalty program, that person isn’t going to do it.

“People are pretty smart. They know that that’s what’s happening today,” Quadracci said. “I think the consumer just expects it.”

Even as new technologies, like ad blocking, emerge with the potential to make things more challenging, Ashworth said he isn’t concerned. If sharing information allows a company like Amazon or Netflix to make better recommendations to him, he is alright with that.

“People want to engage brands if the brand speaks to them in the right frequency about the right things,” he said. “If you’re going to annoy them, they’re going to block you.”

Quadracci thinks of it as customer service and a return to one-to-one marketing, like a store owner knowing regular customers. Mass marketing drove away the knowledge of individual consumers, but over time, technology allowed for its return. That included the ability for magazines to run different advertisements for different geographies.

In the 1990s, ink jet technology allowed for targeted discounts to be printed on catalogs for valued customers.

“We saw back then that response rates would increase,” Quadracci said.

The channel for a marketing message can extend beyond traditional mediums, Quadracci said. Packaging has always been part of a company’s brand, but he said it can move closer to being part of a one-to-one campaign.

“Packaging is a natural place for us to expand to, because we know how to put ink on substrates,” he said. “It’s an industry I think that can use more innovation and technology in the platform.”

Using technology means using variable printing on 80 million soda bottle labels

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for PepsiCo Inc. with one of 24 different emojis on each label. It means making a package for pharmaceutical products that sends users to a product video when they hold their phone to a box. It could also mean micro-targeting packaging for beverages so those sent to Milwaukee would feature Summerfest-related promotions and those in Lake Country would feature a local festival.

The important part, though, is to take that thinking throughout the campaign, which means thinking about direct mail at the same time as packaging, online, mobile and other channels.

“We’re not going to be the guys who come up with the funny commercial, but we’re going to be the guys who tell you what channels, in what proportion, the campaign should be in,” Quadracci said.

GROWING IN WISCONSIN For all the work Quad has done to increase its digital offerings, there has been more done on integrating the employees and systems from all of Quad’s acquisitions. In some cases, like World Color Press Inc. in 2010, the previous acquisitions hadn’t been fully integrated.

Quadracci said World Color, the first major acquisition Quad made, had 64 different vacation policies and seven enterprise resource planning and IT systems in place.

“No one could point to an overarching corporate culture that tied them all together, because they never integrated them,” Quadracci said.

Frankowski noted the legacy Quad employees quickly became a minority group as the company made acquisitions.

The company has a three-day class that helps to transfer the company culture to the employees of acquired companies. He said starting with culture makes it easier to transition IT systems, strategic plans or just generally do things differently later on.

“We learned early on we shouldn’t hide who we are and we should lead with it,” Frankowski said.

Quadracci said there was a lot of “heavy lifting” to do when it came to integrations.

“A lot of these plants had been neglected for years and we knew that we’d be closing a lot of plants,” he said. “We

TROY FREUND PHOTOGRAPHY

ing it easier to get savings.

“Think about that; that is a truly connected channel,”Quadracci said.

NEXT GENERATION MANUFACTURING SUMMIT TO BE HELD AT QUAD Joel Quadracci to highlight panel

A large press with automated lines sends pages to binding.

want to get (the work) into an efficient, low-cost platform.”

The company’s more efficient plants also tend to be its larger ones. With four of its 10 largest locations in the state, Wisconsin has been the beneficiary, with Quad growing from 5,600 employees in the state in 2010 to 7,500 now.

State tax dollars have supported the growth, as the company was awarded up to $46 million in tax credits starting in October 2010 and was eligible for $29.2 million of those at the end of 2014. Another $15.7 million in tax credits were awarded in 2015, but the company isn’t eligible for any of those awards yet.

Quadracci said finding employees for its Wisconsin facilities was part of the problem when Quad ran into productivity issues in 2015.

“I can run these presses more often if I

can get more people,” he said.

Quad has training programs in place to get employees the skills needed to run its multi-million-dollar machines. The positions can start at $14 per hour and reach $24 in four to five years, Frankowski said Quad also has answered labor challenges by automating and upgrading plants. Autonomous forklifts move some materials, robots are used to stack items on skids and digital presses have been added to several plants.

Quadracci doesn’t see print going away, but the company will continue to evolve and apply new technology.

“We’re not going to sit here and be locked in cement on what we think the world’s going to look like,” he said. “You have to move quickly and you have to evolve with what’s possible in the world if you’re going to be successful in any company.” n w w w.biztimes.com

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Next Generation Manufacturing will be the theme of the seventh annual Manufacturing Summit, presented by BizTimes Media and the Milwaukee 7.

“The goal of the Manufacturing Summit is to help leaders of our area’s manufacturers run their companies more successfully,” said BizTimes Media publisher Dan Meyer. “According to the 2013 Next Generation Manufacturing Study, most QUADRACCI manufacturers, even those that are successful, aren’t investing in the strategies that will carry their firms into tomorrow. To prosper into the next generation, manufacturers must embrace and support Next Generation strategies at a world-class level. The Next Generation Manufacturing Summit will provide information to help them do that.”

The event will be held from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6, at Quad/Graphics Inc., N61 W23044 Harry’s Way, Sussex.

Joseph Weitzer, dean of the Center for Business Performance Solutions at Waukesha County Technical College, will moderate a panel discussion at the event. The panelists will include: Joel Quadracci, chief executive officer of Quad/Graphics Inc.; Mike Reader, president of Elkhorn-based Precision Plus Inc.; and Al Antoniewicz, president and chief operating officer of Waukesha-based Spancrete.

The event is geared toward C-level and top manufacturing leaders, to provide them with peer-to-peer experiences and best practices. The panel discussion will focus on topics related to how they are navigating issues related to growth in sales; process improvement; technology and innovation; talent attraction, development and retention; supply chain management; sustainability; global engagement; and more.

“Advanced manufacturers are our future. Milwaukee 7 is dedicated to making this region globally competitive, and the discussions at the Manufacturing Summit will deliver high-value content that our manufacturers can put into practice,” said Pat O’Brien, Milwaukee 7 executive director.

The panel discussion will be followed by three, 25-minute sessions on 20 different roundtable topics where table leaders will dig deeper into similar topics to those discussed on the panel.

The event will conclude with a tour of the Quad/Graphics plant.

For more information about the Next Generation Manufacturing Summit,or to register, go to: www.biztimes.com/mfg

August 22 - September 4, 2016

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office space Encouraging collaboration without disrupting productivity How to design a modern office

BY BEN STANLEY, staff writer

F

or roughly eight months, employees at Core Creative Inc. in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood have been settling into a new office configuration meant to encourage collaboration and creativity.

The advertising agency, which occupied the top floor of a seven-story building in The Tannery complex, expanded into the floor below and freed up space for open concept meeting rooms.

Four major collaborative spaces were added, each with its own nickname.

There’s “The Can,” a round conference room on the sixth floor with white-

board walls and a monitor; “The Yard,” a lounge-like area of patio furniture set up on a patch of artificial grass on the seventh floor; “The Cantina,” a modern office kitchen; and “The Half Moon,” an open concept, semi-formal meeting room with a large semicircular table.

So far, Core Creative partner and vice president of design services Jeff Speech said the changes have led to what he described as a “buzz” around the office.

“With fewer barriers, you’re suddenly a part of something and it just creates energy,” Speech said. “There’s a good buzz.

People like being around it.”

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Employees have begun gravitating toward the spaces with laptops, he said, and even freelancers the company has hired to do project work have been spotted coming in to the office to feed off the collaborative energy.

“It’s a balance,” he said. “The style for a while was to be wide open and have long tables. That kind of thing, the trends are showing that’s maybe a little too open.

Some people just don’t like working that way. We found wide open isn’t the way to do it. It’s kind of a balance for us: Everybody has some walls, but they’re not closed-off entirely. My advice would also be to ask your employees what they like and dislike. It goes a long way.”

A survey completed in 2015 by Knoll Inc., a design firm that also manufactures office furniture, found modern offices are faced with a specific challenge: balancing physical space for employees with the increasingly important mobile workplace. Adding to the challenge is an increased emphasis on creative, knowledge-based work that is less processdriven and more spontaneous.

“Facilities managers queried for this investigation explained that one of their greatest challenges in meeting these new demands is to continue providing enough space for desk-based work without damaging flexibility by requiring staff to book space ahead of time,” the report reads.

The report cited a growing demand for both quiet work spaces that allowed employees to concentrate or make conference calls, and multi-purpose cafés and outdoor spaces for informal meetings and collaborative interactions.

Though that may seem contradictory, some companies, such as ManpowerGroup, have found ways to make it work.

Manpower’s global headquarters in downtown Milwaukee was built in 2007 and has an open design that floods the workplace with natural light. While each employee does have a partially walled-

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off, cubicle-like desk space, there are also rooms with pingpong tables and whiteboard walls.

Brightly colored booths are scattered throughout the space to break up the usual office monotony and a full-service café and cafeteria on the first floor overlooking the Milwaukee River is a popular meeting place for employees.

Because of the company’s wide global presence, its collaborative rooms, such as its “Connection Point” space on the first floor, are outfitted with large screens set up for video conferences with colleagues around the world.

“This is how you make a global company work virtually,” said ManpowerGroup spokesperson Alec Wescott on a recent morning, while a fellow employee spoke to a colleague using Connection Point’s video chat monitors. “We have calls all the time here with people all over the world. The Connection Point itself …

It really is emblematic of the environment we’re trying to create. It is digital, it is contemporary, it is inviting. The whole wall is a whiteboard for brainstorming.”

Milwaukee Tool’s open concept atrium at its Brookfield headquarters is another example of a collaborative hub used to complement private work environments, rather than replace them.

“We believe flexibility is incredibly

The atrium at Milwaukee Tool in Brookfield.

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Connection Point, a work space on the first floor of ManpowerGroup’s global headquarters, incorporates video conferencing technology and whiteboard walls.

important in a space like this, so we equipped the area with a wide range of furniture that caters to our employees’ immediate needs, such as mobile monitors and whiteboards, and moveable chairs and tables,” said Steve Richman, group president for Milwaukee Tool.

“We are constantly evaluating how our

employees like to work, how they’re collaborating, and how we can best create spaces like this to continue to inspire and drive disruptive innovation.” n Bonus online content: View a photo gallery of unique Milwaukee-area office spaces at www.biztimes.com/gallery/metro-milwaukee-office-spaces.

2016 E D I T I O N

Rebecca Eckhart, PR and internal communications specialist, Alex Ninneman, designer, and Amy Congemi, senior designer, in "The Cantina" on the sixth floor of the Atlas Building, home to Core Creative.

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office space

Trading square footage for greater efficiency Some area firms move to smaller, but better spaces

BY CORRINNE HESS, staff writer

W

hen law firm Godfrey & Kahn S.C. decided it would become the anchor tenant of the new 833 East Michigan building, which was completed in March, the firm left behind 48 years of history at the BMO Harris Bank building in downtown Milwaukee – and a space that was about 15,000 square feet larger.

What it gained, besides amazing views of Lake Michigan and the city in its new location near the lakefront, is what the firm is calling “more we space and less me space.”

It’s a mantra being used across many offices these days, as firms are opting to reduce their square footage in exchange for more efficient spaces that include smaller work stations, huddle areas and in-house cafeterias.

“The days of the big corner office doesn’t exist like it used to,” said David Pudlosky, vice president of commercial real estate firm JLL’s Wisconsin office, who has represented several clients who have moved into smaller spaces. “Some people want to work at a desk, but others want soft seating, where they can grab a laptop, put their feet up and focus.”

Godfrey & Kahn currently leases 77,800 square feet of the top three floors of 833 E. Michigan St. The firm previously leased about 92,000 square feet of the BMO Harris Bank building, 780 N. Water St., where it had been located since 1968.

The new space includes a conference room in every corner. All of the workstations are ergonomically correct and can

be turned into a standing desk with the push of a button.

“We wanted to focus on the next generation employee and lawyer and what they would be looking for,” said Emily Muehl, marketing and communications supervisor at Godfrey & Kahn.

Pudlosky recently moved two clients, accounting firm KPMG and The Previant Law Firm S.C., into smaller spaces. Neither company reduced its staff size, but both were looking for more collaborative spaces.

The Previant Law Firm moved from about 20,000 square feet at Schlitz Park to 15,000 square feet at 310 W. Wisconsin Ave. downtown. KPMG moved from 16,000 square feet in the U.S. Bank Center downtown into 11,000 square feet at 833

East Michigan.

Joseph Rock, managing partner for KPMG’s Milwaukee office, said because so many KPMG employees spend time out in the field, he felt more of the office should be used as group space rather than desks or cubicles.

“We also don’t feel like we are in any less space,” Rock said. “It has only been one month, but so far, people seem to like it.”

JLL moved its office from 245 S. Executive Drive in Brookfield to the TwoFifty building at 250 E. Wisconsin Ave. in downtown Milwaukee earlier this year.

The company leased about 4,800 square feet at both locations, but Pudlosky said the configuration of the office downtown is much more efficient. In Brookfield,

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all of the brokers had their own offices.

Downtown, everyone is at a work station and there are a few private rooms if people need to use an office.

“The entire culture changed when we moved,” Pudlosky said. “Hearing people on the phone, prospecting and completing deals is really energizing.”

Bill Bonifas, executive vice president at

Eppstein Uhen Architects designed Godfrey & Kahn's headquarters so nearly all of the spaces have views of Lake Michigan or the city.

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The lobby at JLL Milwaukee's office, 250 E. Wisconsin Ave.

real estate brokerage CBRE, said moving to more efficient spaces is not an inexpensive upgrade for firms, since the furniture itself can cost upward of $5,000. But making the switch can be a way to retain employees and attract talent, he said.

“Some people have bemoaned that this is shrinking the office footprint, but look how many businesses are here that

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didn’t exist 20 years ago,” Bonifas said.

“There are a ton of new office workers.

If you don’t have the office environment that excites people, it’s self-serving that they won’t stay here.” n Bonus online content: View a photo gallery of Milwaukee-area office spaces at www.biztimes. com/gallery/metro-milwaukee-office-spaces.

The cafeteria at Godrey & Kahn has a multiple purposes and is also used as a conference room and huddle space for staff.

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ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATES OF WISCONSIN. PHOTOS BY C&N PHOTOGRAPHY

State-of-the-art medical facility opens in Pewaukee

Orthopaedic Associates of Wisconsin recently opened its medical facility at N15 W28300 Golf Road, Pewaukee.

Orthopaedic Associates of Wisconsin, LLC N15 W28300 Golf Road, Pewaukee

The new, 90,000 square-foot, facility includes a comprehensive orthopedic clinic, a 23-hour outpatient surgery center, MRI, and physical therapy suite.

www.orthowisconsin.com $22 Million Project 90,000 square-foot comprehensive orthopedic clinic and outpatient surgery center Developer: HSI Properties, LLC

Brookfield-based HSI Properties LLC managed the development and construction of the $22 million building, the first medical development in the company’s portfolio. The facility opened in June, and the first surgery took place in early July. HSI president, Ryan Schultz, discusses the project in detail.

www.hsi-properties.com

How did this project come to fruition?

“I originally presented the build-to-suit opportunity through a relationship I have with one of the physicians in the practice. I had been made aware of

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inefficiencies and space challenges the practice was experiencing given their rapid rate of growth. It was a matter of bringing the land partner, whom I also had a relationship with, and OAW together. We helped cultivate that relationship to get this project completed.”

Ryan Schultz

The timeline for completion on the project was pretty robust, describe that process and how your team was able to meet those demands.

“We broke ground in June of 2015. The clinic opened its doors one year later in June 2016, with the surgery center’s first case conducted on July 5, 2016. The schedule was extremely aggressive, especially considering the specialized nature of the facility. The

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20,000 square-foot surgery center is a “sterile environment,” and has sophisticated automated temperate, pressure, and humidity controls, medical gas, and life safety systems in place. Favorable weather certainly played a role in the project’s success, though I’d be remiss if I didn’t applaud our team for their extraordinary efforts. Everyone went to great lengths to get the job done on time without compromising quality.”

Describe the working relationship with OAW, and how you came to understand their business in order to develop this project.

“OAW is on the leading edge of health care innovation as well as the ongoing evolution of orthopedic care. While the practice has seen year over year growth, and noticeable increases in market share, they haven’t been able to provide care as efficiently as they would like; despite a well managed staff. This was largely due to an outdated clinic and disjointed (no pun intended) systems. With everything under one roof, the patient experience is greatly improved, and the doctors have more time to focus on care, versus traveling from location to location. Working through the layout and programming of the business operations

was easy under the leadership of Mark Smith, Chief Administrative Officer. Their department heads and back office personnel are incredible. They knew exactly what they wanted out of the new facility, and how to maximize the residual benefits. Having witnessed their operations for the past few years, it’s no surprise to me why they are a leader in Wisconsin orthopedics.”

Epstein Uhen Architects designed the project.

Describe the relationship with them, and how they helped this project come together.

“EUA has a deep and wide breadth of experience in

www.hsi-properties.com

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SPONSORED REPORT

and presence within the marketplace. The new prominent position along I-94 translates into more than 90,000 impressions per day.”

similar types of health care facilities. Their design team was responsive to OAW’s aesthetic vision for the building as well as the town’s building and site plan requirements. Their construction administration team helped keep the project on schedule, and ensure plans were being followed per state code.

Tell me what this project accomplished for Orthopaedic Associates of Wisconsin in terms of efficiency and consolidation.

“Previously OAW had seen patients at one of a dozen or so leased satellite clinics throughout Waukesha County. From an efficiency standpoint, it wasn’t ideal. By consolidating several of the satellite clinics, and the surgery center, under one roof, OAW was able to improve efficiency, increase the number of patients seen, optimize the level of care, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

Additionally, this project was as much about growth and expansion as it was about brand identity

How does the facility accommodate future growth for OAW? “The facility was built to accommodate continued growth over the next 10 years. The facility can be expanded to include five large operating rooms capable of total joint replacements, as well as one small procedure room. Additionally, this location will allow for additional growth and exposure that OAW didn’t have with their previous locations.”

This was your first health care related facility, what challenges did that present from your perspective?

“Undoubtedly health care presents its own unique circumstances from a design and construction standpoint, but our approach remained consistent.

We provided our client an owner’s perspective by helping facilitate the development process, mitigate

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risk, optimize value, and manage the costs, schedule, and ultimate delivery of the facility.

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the north. We literally created an entirely new zoning classification to accommodate this project.”

on their core business.

This new OAW facility goes beyond just a more comfortable space. If there is not a direct correlation between the cost of this expansion and an increase to the bottom line, something is wrong.”

How did you overcome those challenges to meet the needs of OAW? “OAW would be leaving leased clinic space as part of

this consolidation so we had a hard and fast deadline to be up and operational in the new location. While the new site provided unmatched visibility and accessibility, it was not zoned for this type of use. The Town of Delafield had very stringent open space requirements. In an effort to provide maximum exposure to OAW, and future tenants in this office park, we created a conditional use that would allow for smaller commercial lots along Golf Road (I-94) while preserving the low land open space along the golf course to

You’ve said this is an industry you would like to continue to grow your business. How has the experience with OAW helped you prepare for future projects in this industry?

“This has been a very exciting and rewarding project for our firm, and me personally. I have had the pleasure of working with, and establishing another first class client in OAW. I have worked alongside an incredible group of talented professionals, and have segued into another segment of development in health care. I intend to use this experience as a case study, and plan to develop other medical office buildings and health care-related facilities in the near future. This has been a wildly successful project all around, and the feedback so far has been incrediblenot only from OAW, but also from the patients, which is what this project is all about. We couldn’t be more pleased, and are grateful for the opportunity.”

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strategies Attracting and engaging millennials How they are reshaping the workplace eventy-three million strong, millennials are reshaping how businesses attract, engage and retain employees. From performance management to servicing customers to stock price, each depends upon creating a culture where millennials can succeed.

Now between the ages of 20 and 36 years old, millennials make up 38 percent of the workforce. This number is expected to grow to 75 percent by 2025. They cannot be ignored.

Contrary to what is often written about millennials, they are loyal – they are just loyal differently. They are loyal to principles, not rhetoric. They have been victims of sophisticated marketers who have overpromised and under-delivered, so when they buy, which includes choosing their

employer, they demand authenticity. If the experience falls short of what has been promised, they define it as a breach of trust and move on to a new opportunity.

Attracting and retaining millennials requires first, an understanding of what’s important to them and then, the development and deployment of an effective talent strategy.

According to Gallup’s 2015 landmark study, “How Millennials Want to Work and Live,” millennials want more than a job (see chart) – they want a professional experience that aligns who they are (their values) with what they do (purposeful work).

Do you find their expectations to be unreasonable? Could it be that millennials are driving businesses to be a better version of their unrealized employer potential?

save the date: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2016

Success is not a solo flight Behind every successful business leader stands at least one mentor who has helped that person soar to their potential. It’s often the difference between great career potential and a great outcome.

Join BizTimes and some of Milwaukee’s most committed mentors for a fast-paced, 90-minute session where the mentors share their personal philosophies and lessons learned, and answer questions from the audience. Afterward, join all the mentors for a cocktail hour where you’ll have the opportunity to talk to them one-on-one.

www.biztimes.com/futureleaders 32

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Aren’t we all more inspired, creative and committed when we work with a clear purpose? Aren’t we happier when we know that we’re making a meaningful difference? Aren’t we more confident when we have been coached and prepared for the task ahead of us? Aren’t we better able to focus on work when the issues that arise at home have been handled in real-time?

CHRISTINE McMAHON MILLENNIALS research. A 2014 study conducted by Bersin quantified that 95 percent of candidates believe that culture is more impor-

Previous Generations → Millennials My paycheck My purpose My satisfaction My development My boss My coach My annual review My ongoing conversations My weaknesses My strengths My job My life

For millennials, their work experience is as important to them as the work product. They want to make a positive difference and be set up for success, which is why their relationship with their immediate manager is an essential expectation.

The anxiety around working with millennials seems to be about the discomfort associated with the need to shift core business talent strategies. Attracting millennials requires a different mindset than traditional recruiting practices. Millennials are tech savvy and expect companies to present their employment brand in an authentic way.

When researching a company, millennials want to know: »» Who you are as an employer and your culture (values and how they are lived). »» What your company stands for (purpose). »» How the company contributes to society (corporate social responsibility). »» What support is offered to help employees succeed (onboarding, training, coaching, learning through developmental opportunities and personalized career growth). »» What your company’s value proposition is and how it differs from the competition.

While many managers complain that millennials are overly focused on compensation, this claim is not supported by

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tant than compensation and 41 percent of candidates will research a company’s culture before applying.

Becoming an employer of choice for millennials takes work. To assess your current talent strategy, consider your company’s progress in these six elements: »» Onboarding – best in class companies support a yearlong program designed to provide the knowledge, skill development, coaching support and connections to empower personal achievement. »» Communicate clear expectations – millennials want to be set up for success. Knowing what is expected improves their focus and helps them decide how they can best allocate their time. »» Help them prioritize – a common developmental area for millennials is prioritization. In the first year, be prepared to help them prioritize their “to accomplish” list. »» Practice micro-meetings – frequent feedback provides millennials with clarity and direction. It’s not uncommon for millennials to want daily touch points – lasting a minute or two (think Twitter) – to reassure them that they are on the right path or that they need to redirect their effort. »» Establish accountability – millen.................. MILLENNIALS continued on page 33

strategies

How to motivate a passive-aggressive employee

A small restructuring of your approach could make a huge difference

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ave any of your employees ever agreed to a deadline or task and not followed through? Have you found yourself feeling tempted to tell them how to do it, only to be met with excuses and resistance?

Leaders often complain about this communication style, which is called “passive-aggressive communication.” Passive-aggressive communication is a style of communication in which rather than being upfront and honest when questioned, the person denies and negates the truth in order to appear friendly, polite and kind. Their favorite words are: “sure,” “I’ll try,” “fine,” “whatever,” “as you wish,” “you’re the boss.”

Take for instance John, who manages Dave. Dave is an IT person with multiple project requests: Break and fix, risk mitigation, networking and long-term IT solutions. Dave never seems to have enough time to get to his long-term IT projects.

He makes promises on deadline to avoid conflict and please his boss, but then does not follow through. No matter how many suggestions John gives him for better time management, project management, prioritizing or delegating, Dave has an answer and excuse to dismiss every solution John suggests.

One day in our leadership coaching, John was about to give up on Dave and MILLENNIALS................................ from page 32

nials thrive on success and expect you to demand deliverables. Failure to follow up will result in personal disappointment, which contributes to disengagement, as they perceive it to be a breach in trust. »» Provide learning and growth opportunities – millennials thrive on learning. Engage them in stretch projects where they can demonstrate their potential and expose them to different aspects of the business so they see the bigger picture. While they enjoy working with older generations and

fire him. Before he did, I suggested John first take an honest look at his own communication style. To self-reflect, I asked him which communication style was more like his (see chart) John quickly smiled and admitted he took the second approach: ineffective communication. I further explained that no one likes to be put back on their heels with “Why didn’t you get ‘x’ done?” This indirect accusatory question begs an excuse, because it puts the person on the defense. When you then make your suggestions on how he or she can improve, you have told the person, indirectly, that he or she is not enough.

In order to get people to perform, we first must remind them of the goal. This aligns us on the same team as the employee, instead of creating an advisory position. Then we need to get the person’s ideas by giving him or her a problemsolving question on which to focus. This builds the person’s self-esteem and ownership when we ask his or her opinion for the solution. Instead of saying, “Why didn’t you get this done?” we need to ask, “How might you get this done?”

John now understood my saying, “What you focus on expands.” If you focus on “How might we get this done?” you expand the person’s self-esteem and

especially value mentors, their personal drive and technological savvy can be intimidating and off-putting.

Be mindful of this dynamic when partnering them with others.

A talent strategy and culture that nurtures the millennials will provide a competitive foothold in the short term and support for long-term business growth. n Christine McMahon provides strategic sales and leadership coaching and training. She is co-founder of the Leadership Institute at Waukesha County Technical College’s Center for Business Performance Solutions, and can be reached at (844) 369-2133 or ccm@christinemcmahon.com. w w w.biztimes.com

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the possibilities at hand. If you focus on “Why didn’t you get it done?” you expand the person’s insecurity and defensiveness.

John now understood how the first question gets the employee to focus on the goal and solve the problem at hand, while the second question insinuates blame. He was amazed at how just a little re-structuring of his approach and communication could make a huge difference.

S US A N W EH R LEY LEADERSHIP and it looks as though you might miss a deadline, gather your team together and share the obstacle and ask, “How might we meet the goal with this new obstacle in

How do you approach someone when he or she doesn’t follow through or makes a mistake?

Effective communication

Ineffective communication

1. Remind the employee of the company goal. For instance, “As you know, our company goal is efficiency and effectiveness.”

1. Ask the employee, “Why didn’t you get it done on time or choose to do it the way I suggested?”

2. Create a problem-solving statement: “How might we ensure the IT department is working on the longer-term IT initiatives outlined, and getting them done on time?”

2. Tell the employee how you would do it.

3. Keep the employee focused on possibilities: When the employee starts telling you why he or she didn’t get things done, say to the person, “Don’t tell me what you didn’t do or why you can’t do it. Tell me how you will get it done.”

3. Dismiss each other’s ideas by debating who is right and who is wrong.

4. Give feedback on the employee’s ideas and praise the employee for his or her input. Don’t dismiss or negate the employee’s ideas. Find something right in what he or she said.

4. Give your ideas and try to gain agreement.

5. Add a few ideas of your own if you have them.

5. Let the person add a few ideas of his or her own.

6. Create an action list with who will do what by when. Make sure the employee writes it down, types it out and sends it to you. He or she is more likely to remember it and follow through that way.

6. Don’t write it down. Assume the employee will remember this time.

I told him, “We call it lead-er-ship, not tell-er-ship because ‘What is taught is caught.’” If you ever miss a deadline and have excuses for it, you are teaching your employees that excuses are acceptable. First and foremost, make your word and commitment your honor. It is hard to hold someone accountable for a behavior if you are not already mastering it.

Challenge: If an obstacle should get in your way

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mind?” Do not wait, be passive and disappoint them. By demonstrating your ability to be assertive, open and collaborative, you show your employees that together, you can overcome any obstacle. n Susan K. Wehrley is an executive coach and business consultant who helps leaders and their employees align to organizational goals. She is the author of six books, including her newest, “EGO at Work.” You can visit her website at www.BIZremedies.com or reach her by email at susan@solutionsbysusan.com. Her phone number is (414) 581-0449.

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strategies

The five strategies to build your business Pick the right one for your company

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very good marketing plan begins with goals.

Sometime late last year, your company’s visionaries gathered around and decided where they want to be in 10 years, where they need to be in five years and therefore, where they have to be by the end of this year.

Their list of goals complete, they sat back, relaxed, congratulated themselves and told you to accomplish them.

Now what?

The next step in implementing a sound marketing plan is the strategies.

These are the means to the ends defined by your visionaries, the conceptual blueprints for your company’s success.

There are five, and only five, strategies to grow any business:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Buy market share Hunt Farm New products Merge/acquire

1. Buy market share To sell more of the same products or services to your current target market, you need to “buy” customers from your competitors.

This can be costly. It may require you to lower your price to lure customers away from your competitors. Or you may need to spend more on advertising to induce more people to abandon their current loyalties and try your brand.

2. Hunt

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Selling more of your products or services to different markets can also be expensive.

Any time you hunt new customers, you need to establish awareness and credibility for your company and your products with them.

If you are currently offering your services in Wisconsin but want to start selling in Chicago, too, you will need to let all those Chicagoans know who you are, what you stand for, and the features and benefits of your product line. You will need to educate them on the myriad reasons all your Wisconsin customers are so smart they have made you the leading brand in the state.

a matching chair or floor lamp.

Incentive selling includes free gifts, premiums and discounts. For instance, buy these new cosmetics and get a free tote bag. Or buy one hamburger and get the second one for half price.

Trade up customers. Last year, your customer bought the standard model.

This year, sell him the deluxe model. And sell him an extended service warranty, too.

3. Farm

4. New products

Farming is the easiest and most costeffective strategy.

Hunting new customers is important to maintaining a healthy sales picture long-term. But, farming your existing customers is more efficient.

The cost of selling to new customers is 12 times more than selling to current customers. Your current customers already know and trust you. You don’t need to create awareness and credibility with them.

Here are five examples: »» Rotation farming »» Suggestive selling »» Selling accessories »» Incentive selling »» Trading up

New products are absolutely necessary for the health of your company. They replace your products that are in decline; they provide fresh revenue from new markets; and they position your firm as an innovator in the industry.

But they can be risky. More than 30,000 new products are introduced every year in the U.S. and more than 250,000 globally, according to the Harvard Business Review.

A majority fail in the first year and more than 80 percent in the first three.

Rotation farming is selling to the customer who buys at regular intervals. For example, a florist might contact his customers and request their wedding anniversaries and spouses' birthdays, recording the dates in his database. Shortly before each date, he calls and suggests a floral arrangement appropriate for the occasion.

Suggestive selling is perhaps the easiest sale. I call this the You-Want-FriesWith-That-Order strategy. Your customers already have their wallets open. You're simply suggesting they spend a little extra to enhance the quality of their purchase.

Sell accessories. If you sell a desk, suggest

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RO B ERT GR EDE MARKETING

5. Merge or acquire Acquiring a competitor helps you gain market share and it allows you to expand your markets (hunt). It’s also an opportunity to sell different products to your existing customers (farm).

So if the visionaries in your company suddenly drop their list of objectives on you and tell you to figure out how to achieve those goals, you now have the tools.

There are only five strategies for increasing revenue. Pick those that make the most sense for your company and pretty soon, they may make you one of the visionaries. n Robert Grede, author of “Naked Marketing – The Bare Essentials,” is president of The Grede Co., which offers marketing and strategic planning consulting (www.robertgrede. com). He can be reached at rg@thegredecompany.com.

strategies

Praising well is an art Strike the right balance Question: “In one of your articles, you addressed 'not using competition as a motivator' and suggested that praising the results of one person in a meeting will lead to other staff resenting the manager and scorning the ‘star.’

“What, then, is the appropriate way for a manager to acknowledge the person doing the exceptional job? If that person (the star) goes out of his or her way to contribute to the department, sets a standard of self-initiative and enthusiasm, and is not recognized for those efforts, doesn’t it potentially thwart those efforts, even if the star doesn’t do it for the recognition? How does one acknowledge the superstar?”

For example, if a manager praises a few employees and ignores the rest, there will be problems. In the example to which you refer, a manager who uses public praise of one employee to try to motivate the other employees is likely to see it backfire.

Here’s why. The “art” of praise must take into account: »» The manager’s intent. »» The amount of praise the manager gives all employees. »» The balance between private and public praise. »» The evolutionary stage of the team.

Somehow, it will always sound like a parent saying, “Why can’t you be as smart as your brother?” It just doesn’t go down well.

The amount of praise the manager gives all employees.

If the manager is uneven in the amount of praise she gives, employees will notice. Even employees who don’t need a lot of praise will smell a whiff of favoritism. If the manager is consistent about encouraging each employee, there will be no resentment if she singles out one of the team on occasion. They know

Answer: If you think I’m suggesting a manager never praise a star in front of the team, I’m glad you asked the question, because it will give me the opportunity to clear up the misunderstanding.

It seems counterintuitive, but praise can be as tricky to deliver as negative feedback. The science of praise is the easier part. Well-delivered praise is specific and thanks the person for what he or she did.

If appropriate, it also ties the person’s action to the goal. (“Thanks for working through your lunch hour. I really appreciate your extra effort on this project, especially since we’re working to improve our response time to our customers.”)

But the “art” of praise is subtler. It involves the “where” and “when” and “why.”

“ If the manager is consistent about encouraging each employee, there will be no resentment if she singles out one of the team on occasion.”

The manager’s intent If the manager is simply trying to share the good news about a member of the group so everyone can applaud and feel good for the person (as well as for the team’s goal), the intentions are honorable and the group will respond well. If, however, the manager’s intention is to use the person’s success to shame or embarrass the group into better performance, it will fail.

they’ll get their share.

The balance between private and public praise Some people are embarrassed when they are complimented in front of others. Other people like to bask in public acknowledgment. Smart managers make sure they mix it up. They mention the employee’s good work in one-on-one meet-

JOA N LLOYD MANAGEMENT ings, when they are reviewing projects or giving a performance review. In addition, they thank the employee and mention the person’s good efforts on the fly, within earshot of others. Finally, when there is a big achievement, it’s celebrated during a group meeting.

The evolutionary stage of the team When the team is new, has a mix of seasoned and new employees, or is under stress, it’s best to praise individuals privately and focus on team goals and group praise when the team is together. The reason? In each of these situations, employees may feel insecure about their status within the group. As the group starts to gel and its confidence grows, singling out individual members of the team will be cause for enthusiastic applause. n

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 her articles.

Contact Joan Lloyd & Associates at (414) 354-9500.

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Over the last eight years, Lad Lake has presented over $50,000 in financial awards, for education to at-risk youth. Together, we can turn dreams into reality.

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T H U R S D AY, S E P T E M B E R

15, 2016

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H ealthcare Mark eting

Presented by Hunzinger Construction

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&

Present:

Thursday, October 6, 2016 | 7:30AM - 10:30AM Quad/Graphics - Sussex, WI

Tomorrow: Today

Panelists:

The future belongs to the prepared – will you be ready?

A recent Manufacturing Performance Institute study reveals that fewer than half of manufacturers are investing in the strategies now that will allow them to prosper in the future .

Join us to learn from successful company leaders who are planning for tomorrow today. Bring your questions and your best ideas, this event is a must-attend for manufacturing leaders ready to embrace key Next Generation Manufacturing strategies at a world-class level.

Alan Antoniewicz President/COO Spancrete Group, Inc.

Joel Quadracci Chairman, President & CEO Quad Graphics Inc.

This morning session opens with a panel of successful executives living the principles of Next Generation Manufacturing, followed by roundtable sessions focused on these important themes: • Company culture • Cyber security • Driving profitable growth • Growth through mergers & acquisitions • Leadership development • Navigating family business issues • Negotiation • Operational excellence • Recruitment and retention: best practices • Redefining exports • Strategic growth through tax incentives • Succession planning • Supply chain: risk management • Talent pipeline growth through career-based learning • Workforce health And more

Sponsors:

Michael Reader President Precision Plus

Moderator: Joseph Weitzer, Ph.D Dean, Center for Business Performance Solutions, Waukesha County Technical College

Learn more: biztimes.com/mfg

biz connections CA L E NDAR The South Suburban, Brookfield, Greenfield, West Allis/West Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, New Berlin and Muskego chambers of commerce will host ABLE South Luncheon on Tuesday, Aug. 23, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hampton Inn, 8201 W. Greenfield Ave. in West Allis. Active Business Leads Exchange is focused on quality networking and relationship building through roundtable networking, 30-second “commercials” from each attendee and sharing of success stories. Cost is $15. For more information or to register, visit http://business.southsuburbanchamber.com/events/.

NONPROFIT DIRECTORY

SPOTLIGHT

FUEL Milwaukee will host Purely Social at The View Evolution on Tuesday, Aug. 23, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Evolution Milwaukee Gastro Pong, 1023 N. Old World Third St., Milwaukee. The free event will allow young professionals to network in Milwaukee’s newest rooftop space over drinks and appetizers. For more information or to register, visit www.fuelmilwaukee.org/events.

The Rotary Club of Milwaukee will host a Young Professional Gathering at Live @ the Lakefront on Wednesday, Aug. 24, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Rotary Amphitheater at Discovery World, 500 N. Harbor Drive in Milwaukee. Bartolotta’s will provide food and beverage service for sale and The Empty Pockets will perform at the free event. For more information or to register, visit romcalendar.com/event/live-the-lakefront-the-empty-pockets/.

The Oconomowoc Area Chamber of Commerce will host an Oconomowoc Nonprofit Roundtable Series on Wednesday, Sept. 15, at 1 p.m. at Rosati’s Pizza, 1288 Summit Ave. in Oconomowoc. The event serves as an opportunity for nonprofit professionals and volunteers to network, share ideas and help each other find solutions. The cost is $6 per person and includes salad, pizza and soft drinks. For more information or to register, visit www.oconomowoc.org/events.

See the complete calendar of upcoming events & meetings.

www.biztimes.com

BIZ NO T ES Association for Women Lawyers The Association for Women Lawyers, a Milwaukee-based specialty bar association that promotes the welfare and best interests of women layers and the legal interests of women generally, has named its new board of directors, who took office July 1 and will serve one year. They are: Malinda Eskra, Reinhart Boerner Van Dueren SC, president; Shannon Braun, Godfrey & Kahn SC, president-elect; Hon. Rebecca Dallet, Milwaukee County Circuit Court, secretary; Kelly Noyes, von Briesen & Roper SC, treasurer; Caroline Spongberg, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., past president; Jennifer Hong, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, director of membership; Patricia Jenness, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, director of professionalism; Renee Nawrocki, Diane S. Diel S.C., director of programs; and Shauna Manion, Nistler Law Office SC, director of special events.

The Bartolotta Restaurants Harbor House, a Milwaukee Bartolotta restaurant, has been named one of the 100 Most Scenic Restaurants in America for 2016

by OpenTable. The list highlights restaurants that offer spectacular views of natural wonder and city landmarks and, above all, delicious dining experiences. OpenTable analyzed more than 5 million verified diner reviews of more than 20,000 restaurants nationwide.

Harbor House, located on the shores of Lake

Michigan in downtown Milwaukee, offers New England-style seafood with views of downtown and the lake from the dining room and two patios. It has an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5 in 3,159 OpenTable reviews.

James Imaging Systems Brookfield-based document imaging and printing solution provider James Imaging Systems Inc. has received the 2015 ACDI Authorized PaperCut Reseller Award. The award, presented to a select number of ACDI dealers annually, recognizes the dedication James Imaging Systems provides its customers, along with expert industry knowledge, premium solutions and best-in-class customer service.

ACDI supplies PaperCut, a print management software that allows organizations to manage and monitor print devices.

Rural Mutual Insurance Rural Mutual Insurance, Wauwatosa, was named a Ward’s 50 Property-Casualty Company for the eighth straight year, and A.M. Best recently gave a positive outlook on the firm’s already strong A rating. From 2010 to 2015, Rural Mutual generated an average pre-tax return on revenue of 14.7 percent. In addition, net premiums written over this five-year period increased at an average rate of 5.5 percent. The company also recently added nine agents to service the Milwaukee area.

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

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Milwaukee Film

229 E. Wisconsin Ave., Suite 200, Milwaukee 414-755-1965 | http://mkefilm.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/milwaukeefilm Twitter: @mkefilm Instagram: www.instagram.com/mkefilm/ YouTube: www.bit.ly/2b3Uyef Year founded: 2008 Mission statement: To entertain, educate and engage our community through cinematic experiences.

Primary focus: The organization’s main focus is to create a film festival in Milwaukee that is locally beloved, internationally acclaimed and a true forum for our diverse community; to offer year-round education programs for all ages (including education screenings for local school groups), teaching the role and power of film in the modern media landscape; and to provide strategic support to filmmakers and projects (including funding, forums and networking events).

Employees: 12 full-time year-round, 3 parttime year-round, 100+ seasonal festival staff Key donors: Herzfeld Foundation, Allan and Suzanne Selig, Marianne and Sheldon Lubar, Donna and Donald Baumgartner, Christine Symchych and Jim McNulty Executive leadership: »» Jonathan Jackson, artistic and executive director »» Kristen Coates, operations director »» Cara Ogburn, programming and education director »» Jessica Bursi, development and communications director »» Jason Koehler, finance director Board of directors: »» Tracey L. Klein, president Executive committee »» Chris Abele »» John P. Bania »» Alexander P. Fraser »» Bill Haberman »» Patti Keating Kahn »» Kenneth C. Krei »» Steve Laughlin »» Emilia Layden

August 22 - September 4, 2016

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»» Marianne Lubar »» Sara Meaney »» Joseph A. Rock Members »» Donna Baumgartner »» Robert M. Davis »» Michael Drescher »» Karen Ellenbecker »» Jeff Fitzsimmons »» Cecelia Gore »» Carmen Haberman »» Susan Haise »» Katie Heil »» Michael G. Klein »» Michael J. Koss Jr. »» Mary Ann labahn »» Alexander Lasry »» Steve Mech »» Barry Poltermann »» Bob Pothier »» Lacey Sadoff »» Dave Stamm »» Julia Taylor »» John Utz Emeritus members »» Tom Barrett »» Jacqueline Strayer Is your organization actively seeking board members for the upcoming term? Yes Ways the business community can help your nonprofit: We rely heavily on fundraising initiatives rather than ticket sales to make our programs possible and will continue to do so. In addition, Milwaukee Film has a thriving Community Partners program (http://mkefilm. org/community-partners/) and multiple sponsorship levels, including cash and in-kind opportunities (http://mkefilm.org/sponsors).

Key fundraising events: 2016 Milwaukee Film Festival (Sept. 22 to Oct. 6)

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biz connections PER SO NNE L F I L E brook Road office. Lenhardt started at Waukesha State Bank in 2010 as a teller.

■ Accounting The public accounting and business advisory firm Vrakas S.C., Brookfield, hired Jacob Whitlock as staff accountant. Whitlock is a 2013 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, with a bachelor of business administration in marketing, and a 2016 graduate of the University of WisconsinWhitewater, with a BBA in accounting.

■ Banking & Finance Sunbelt Business Brokers, Milwaukee, has hired its newest business broker, Magnus Ekstrand. A former business owner, Ekstrand has 20-plus years of entrepreneurial experience.

Payroll Complete, a division of Waukesha State Bank, hired Nicole Miller as business development associate.

Miller started at Waukesha State Bank in 2009 as a teller. She served as both teller supervisor and personal banker at various offices before being promoted to bank manager of the West Sunset Drive office in 2012 and the Oconomowoc office in 2015.

McElmeel

Mierzwinski

Waukesha State Bank promoted Kevin McElmeel to bank manager of its Mukwonago office.

McElmeel started his career with Waukesha State Bank in SeptemLenhardt ber 2012 as a teller.

Additionally, Angela Mierzwinski was promoted to bank manager of its Oconomowoc office. Mierzwinski earned her associate’s degree from the University of WisconsinWaukesha and started her career with Waukesha State Bank in 2008. Liz Lenhardt was named bank manager of the Meadow-

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Submit new hire and promotion announcements to www.biztimes.com/submit/the-bubbler

■ Building & Construction Gary Kretchmer, AIA, has joined JCP Construction, Milwaukee, as a senior project manager. He has more than 36 years of experience.

VJS Construction Services, Pewaukee, hired Adam Lewis as a project manager. Lewis worked for VJS as an intern in 2003 and joined the firm full-time in 2004. He left VJS in 2009 to work for a retail construction management firm as a project manager and then as director of construction for a local general contractor.

■ Engineering Bonnie Horning, administrative assistant at R.A. Smith National, Brookfield, obtained her certified administrative professional certification from the International Association of Administrative Professionals.

CORRE Inc., Oconomowoc, named Bill Hove, PE, SE, director of structural services. In this role, Hove will provide oversight and guidance on all of the firm’s structural projects and initiatives while continuing to serve WisDOT and CORRE’s Wisconsin clients.

■ Health Care

worker’s compensation claims, advises a client of exposure reduction strategies and keeps clients informed of Wisconsin worker’s compensation law developments.

Mallery & Zimmerman S.C., Milwaukee, named Tom Krukowski a shareholder in the Milwaukee office. His practice focuses on complex employment and labor matters involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, family and medical leave, and disability issues.

Michael Best & Friedrich, Milwaukee, has made several promotions to partner within its staff. They include: Adam Witkov, Molly

Lawson, Denise Greathouse, Michelle Wagner Ebben and Luis Arroyo.

Falk Legal Group, Milwaukee, hired

Christopher Rexroat as a partner. Rexroat adds depth to the firm’s commercial litigation and business advisory practice, particularly in the financial services, insurance and business insolvency areas. He has extensive commercial litigation and transactional experience, as well as experience with business bankruptcy and restructuring, insurance and risk management, M&A and the financial services industry.

■ Nonprofit

Lindner & Marsack S.C., Milwaukee, hired Joseph Birdsall as the newest associate on its growing team of labor and employment attorneys. Birdsall defends clients against B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e

The Waukesha Salvation Army announced that Karl Robe of Mukwonago, principal owner of Karl James & Co., has joined its 20-member advisory board.

Cory L. Nettles has been elected chair of

■ Legal Services

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the Greater Milwaukee Foundation board of directors. Nettles is founder and managing partner of Generation Growth Capital Inc. and of counsel at Quarles & Brady LLP. He first joined the GMF board in 2012.

August 22 - September 4, 2016

■ Real Estate Waukesha-based Belman Homes added Kimberley Seher and Paul Atkinson to its staff as new home consultants.

Marnie Noel joined Milwaukee’s JLL office as vice president. Prior to joining JLL, Noel served as both general manager and leasing broker for CityCenter at 735 N. Water St. in Milwaukee, where she increased the occupancy from 52 percent to 90 percent.

■ Staffing Katherine Lehnherr has been promoted to manager, supply chain at Pewaukee-based Enterforce. In this role she reviews, negotiates and administers business aspects, terms, conditions and risk mitigation of client contracts and subcontracts, among other responsibilities.

■ Technology

The National Association of Nonprofit Organizations and Executives announced the appointment of Susie Stein, the owner of Milwaukee-based Strategies for Philanthropy, to NANOE’s 2017 board of governors.

Milwaukee-based TRICAST LLC named Erik Weber its new chief information officer and chief operating officer. Weber will be responsible for building on the existing momentum at TRICAST by scaling up product development and developing strong cultural and organizational health.

Additionally, Gregory Wesley, partner at MWH Law Group, Milwaukee; Dale Kent, executive vice president and CFO of West Bend Mutual Insurance Co.; and Mary Beth Berkes, principal at Shorewood Group LLC, have been named to the Greater Milwaukee Foundation board.

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Byle

Racinowski

Fritz Byle was hired as a project manager by TLX Technologies, a Pewaukee-based manufacturer of electromagnetic solutions.

Byle has more than 25 years of experience in product and process development, failure analysis, continuous improvement and material supplier management. Additionally, Carol Racinowski was hired as an accounting assistant. She has experience in accounting, customer service, inventory control and payroll processing.

Get the latest local business news delivered to your inbox every weekday. Sign up for the BizTimes Daily at biztimes.com/subscribe.

biz connections SBA L O ANS The U.S. Small Business Administration approved the following loan guarantees in July:

Milwaukee County A.H. South Milwaukee Inc., 9142 S. Chicago Road, Oak Creek, $90,500, U.S. Bank; Advance Care Services LLC, 3975 N. 68th St., Suite 206, Milwaukee, $150,000, JPMorgan Chase Bank; Blair Commercial Painting LLC, 1230 S. 60th St., Milwaukee, $50,000, Wells Fargo Bank; D&H Demolition LLC, 8439 W. Lynx Ave., Milwaukee, $15,500, U.S. Bank; Foamation Enterprises LLC, South Barclay Street, Milwaukee, $515,000, Southport Bank; Greg’s True Value Hardware Inc., 3050 E. Layton Ave., St. Francis, $60,000, U.S. Bank; Hearts & Minds Childcare LLC, 5051 W. Bradley Road, Brown Deer, $604,700, Wells Fargo Bank; J&B Madison Inc., 1616 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, $397,000, Ridgestone Bank;

Visual Image Photography Inc., W63 N582 Hanover Ave., Cedarburg, $200,000, Cornerstone Community Bank;

Three Sheeps Brewery LLC, 1837 North Ave., Sheboygan, $410,000, Wisconsin Business Development Finance Corp.;

Visual Image Photography Inc., W63 N582 Hanover Ave., Cedarburg, $200,000, Cornerstone Community Bank;

Walworth County

Racine County Eagle Disposal Inc., 21107 Omega Circle, Franksville, $150,000, First Bank Financial Centre; LaBadie Family Dentistry S.C., W1217 Spring Prairie Road, Burlington, $1.2 million, Wells Fargo Bank; LaBadie Family Dentistry S.C., W1217 Spring Prairie Road, Burlington, $1.2 million, Wells Fargo Bank; Sustachek Jewelers Inc., 6220 Washington Ave., #A, Racine, $100,000, Community State Bank;

Sheboygan County

JBS Furniture LLC, 8075 N. 76th St., Milwaukee, $931,000, Wells Fargo Bank;

Catering with Culinary Arts LLC, 5314 Bluebell Court, Sheboygan, $903,000, Hiawatha National Bank;

Johanna’s Cakes & Desserts LLC, South 11th Street, Milwaukee, $100,000, Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp.;

Three Sheeps Brewery LLC, 1837 North Ave., Sheboygan, $555,000, Wisconsin Business Development Finance Corp.;

Polypail Inc., 16215 Grebby St., Delavan, $500,000, BMO Harris Bank;

Nine Below Inc., 1905 E. North Ave., Milwaukee, $150,000, Park Bank; Occhetti Foods LLC, 1809-18369 S. First St., Milwaukee, $328,800, Wells Fargo Bank;

Ozaukee County The Bottle Shop of Grafton Inc., 1239 12th Ave., Grafton, $171,000, First Bank Financial Centre; The Bottle Shop of Grafton Inc., 1239 12th Ave., Grafton, $489,000, First Bank Financial Centre;

WI-Care LLC, W175 N1163 Stonewood Drive, Suite 2, Germantown, $150,000, Waukesha State Bank;

Waukesha County

Polypail Inc., 16215 Grebby St., Delavan, $180,000, BMO Harris Bank;

Ameriprise Financial, 740 Pilgrim Parkway, Suite 204, Elm Grove, $303,700, United Bank;

RS NuStar Trucking Inc., W3154 County Highway J, East Troy, $135,000, First Citizens State Bank;

Aqua-Doc International Ltd., W224 S8660 Industrial Drive, Big Bend, $1.26 million, First Bank Financial Centre;

RS NuStar Trucking Inc., W3154 County Highway J, East Troy, $15,000, First Citizens State Bank;

Aqua-Doc International Ltd., W224 S8660 Industrial Drive, Big Bend, $1.26 million, First Bank Financial Centre;

Washington County Armour Coatings Inc., N113 W18950 Carnegie Drive, Germantown, $1.35 million, Commerce State Bank; Armour Coatings Inc., N113 W18950 Carnegie Drive, Germantown, $715,000, Commerce State Bank; Freedom Self Storage LLC, 2250 Constitution Ave., Hartford, $1.3 million, First Bank Financial Centre;

Entrust Title Group Inc., 13805 W. Burleigh Road, Brookfield, $1.03 million, Wells Fargo Bank; Foreverlawn Milwaukee LLC, N86 W27690 Meadowview Court, Hartland, $21,500, JPMorgan Chase Bank; Midwest Thermal Services Inc., 4568 N. 127th St., Butler, $475,000, Park Bank; Ocon Sign LLC, 3701 N. Hickory Lane, Oconomowoc, $65,000, Ixonia Bank;

HIS Real Estate LLC, 5700 Highway K, Hartford, $900,000, Ridgestone Bank;

MAK Ventures LLC, 415 N. 89th St., Milwaukee, $5,000, Wells Fargo Bank; MKIRK LLC, 184 S. Second St., Milwaukee, $242,700, U.S. Bank;

Pike Lake House, 3327 Lake Drive, Hartford, $325,000, First Bank Financial Centre;

The Probst Group LLC, 17035 W. Wisconsin Ave., Brookfield, FirstMerit Bank.

biz news Badger Meter ends sale speculation Brown Deer-based Badger Meter Inc. sought to put an end to speculation the company might be sold, announcing it has completed a strategic review and its board of directors approved a 15 percent increase in the cash dividend payment and a two-for-one stock split.

In May, the Wall Street Journal reported the company was exploring the possibility of a sale. At that time, the company confirmed it was exploring its strategic options.

Companies often do strategic reviews, but don’t announce them publicly, said Richard

A. Meeusen, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Badger Meter. But he said the company had to respond to the Wall Street Journal story in May.

to it,” he said. “I’ve had employees that had a lot of concerns about what was going to happen with Badger Meter.”

“A public company is always for sale,” Meeusen said. “Anyone can come in and make an offer at any time.”

Meeusen said he wanted to stop the speculation about a possible sale of Badger Meter and the conclusion of the strategic review was the opportunity to do so.

“Since that was out there I had to put an end

In addition, Meeusen indicated that Badger Meter plans to increase its acquisition activity.

Last year, the company acquired Smryna, Tennessee-based United Utilites Inc., a distributor of Badger Meter products for the municipal water utility market in Georgia and Tennessee. In 2014, Badger Meter acquired its Denver-based distributor, National Meter and Automation Inc.

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414.213.9617 | www.MIP4U.com B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e

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biz connections

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A Midsummer Night with MBBI Midwest Business Brokers and Intermediaries' Wisconsin chapter recently hosted A Midsummer Night with MBBI on the rooftop of Hotel Metro in downtown Milwaukee. The evening event allowed mergers and acquisitions professionals to socialize and network with each other.

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Tom Kintis of CGK M&A Advisors and Lorry Rifkin, CPA.

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Ken Demske of Sunbelt Business Brokers and Michael Schwantes of Creative Business Services.

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Gene Arenson of HyperAMS LLC and Jack Walden of Park Bank.

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Bruce Lanser of UBS Financial Services Inc. and Tom McRae of Water Street Advisors.

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Derek Kawleski and Zach Trepanier, both of HNI Risk.

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Steve Szymanski of von Briesen & Roper SC, Ed Krajcir of Sunbelt Business Brokers and Bryan Swanson of Park Bank.

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Lynn Corazzi, who is seeking an acquisition and Michael Andrade of Associated Bank.

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Bradley Kussow of Schenck SC, Keith Baisden of Town Bank and David Carter of LauberCFOs.

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Steve Lasiewicz and Roy Wright, both of U.S. Bank.

Photos by Molly Dill

You can see these photos and other business people in the news by clicking Multimedia on the navigation bar at ‌

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biz connections

n GLANCE AT YESTERYEAR VOLUME 22, NUMBER 11 AUGUST 22 - SEPTEMBER 4, 2016 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

Dan Meyer dan.meyer@biztimes.com DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Mary Ernst mary.ernst@biztimes.com DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

Jon Anne Willow jonanne.willow@biztimes.com ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Sarah Sinsky sarah.sinsky@biztimes.com

EDITORIAL EDITOR

Andrew Weiland andrew.weiland@biztimes.com MANAGING EDITOR

Molly Dill molly.dill@biztimes.com REPORTER

Corrinne Hess corri.hess@biztimes.com REPORTER

Arthur Thomas arthur.thomas@biztimes.com

Northwestern Wrecking Co.

SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR OF SALES

Linda Crawford linda.crawford@biztimes.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE

Maribeth Lynch mb.lynch@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Kevin Gaschk kevin.gaschk@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Maggie Pinnt maggie.pinnt@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Christie Ubl christie.ubl@biztimes.com

PRODUCTION & DESIGN GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Alex Schneider alex.schneider@biztimes.com ART DIRECTOR

Shelly Tabor shelly.tabor@biztimes.com

REPORTER

Ben Stanley ben.stanley@biztimes.com

This photo, taken circa 1940 by James Conklin, shows the widening of Kilbourn Avenue near Eighth Street in Milwaukee. A Northwestern Wrecking Co. trailer is parked in front of a building being razed. The company was founded in 1926, grew quickly and was known in the field as the leading wrecking company of the northwest, according to a 1931 Milwaukee Sentinel article. It dissolved in 1999.

— This photo is from the Milwaukee Public Museum’s Photo Archives collection. Additional images can be viewed online at www.mpm.edu.

Independent & Locally Owned — Founded 1995 —

COMME NTA R Y

Bucks should pick Sheboygan for D-League

T

he BizPoll on BizTimes.com is a nice way to get reader feedback on current events. But a recent poll got an unusually large response.

The Milwaukee Bucks plan to establish a D-League team in Wisconsin. The D (Development)-League is the minor league for the NBA. The Bucks issued an RFP asking for Wisconsin cities to bid for the DLeague team.

Oshkosh, Sheboygan, Grand Chute (near Appleton), La Crosse and Racine all expressed interest and were considered by the Bucks.

Our online BizPoll asked which city should be selected by the Bucks for its DLeague team. The response to the question was huge. With more than 27,000 votes cast, 67 percent picked Sheboygan,

25 percent picked Oshkosh, 4 percent picked La Crosse, 1 percent picked Racine and 1 percent picked Grand Chute. The poll went viral on Facebook, especially with Sheboygan residents who shared it with their friends and encouraged votes for their city.

Since then, the Bucks have eliminated Grand Chute and La Crosse from consideration.

The Bucks should pick Sheboygan for their D-League team, and not just because of the strong response to our online poll.

The group trying to bring the DLeague team to Sheboygan is led by Joe Wolf, a Kohler native and a former NBA player who played for the Bucks in 1996’97 and was an assistant coach for the team from 2008-’13. The Sheboygan group wants to redevelop the historic Sheboygan Municipal Auditorium and Armory, built in 1942 by the Works Progress Administration. The Armory has quite a history. It was the home of the Sheboygan Red Skins professional basketball team, which was a

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ANDREW WEILAND Editor BizTimes Milwaukee

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member of the NBA during the league’s first season. The Red Skins beat the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks at the Armory that season.

For years, the Sheboygan North and Sheboygan South high school basketball teams would play against each other at the A rendering of the redevelopment plan for the Sheboygan Armory.

Armory in a lively neutral site atmosphere.

But in recent years, the old Armory base which could help the Bucks grow has deteriorated and city officials have their brand in that area of the state. struggled to figure out what to do with it.

But the Oshkosh group has been The D-League could be the last chance to vague on the location for their proposed revitalize the building, which is in a great arena, saying several sites are under conlocation near the lakefront, riverfront and sideration. My fear is they would build a the city’s historic downtown. nice but unspectacular building in a conSheboygan faces tough competition venient but boring location near I-41. from Oshkosh, which also has a well-orSheboygan’s dramatic plan to revitalganized group bidding for the D-League ize a historic building with tremendous team. Oshkosh’s big advantage is its prox- basketball history in the heart of that city imity to the Fox Valley, a larger population is far more exciting. n

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ERICH SCHROEDER PHOTOGRAPHY

the last word

Managers must carry on the culture of the organization Chris Foregger was recently appointed president and chief operating officer at personal injury settlement trust company Capital First Trust Co. (formerly First Capital Surety & Trust) in Milwaukee. Managers must put employees first on their to-do list, he says.

“I have been fortunate to work at this organization for more than 13 years. After starting out as part of the service team, I was promoted into my first management position 10 years ago to lead that group. Like many employees that get into their first management role, I struggled to understand the difference.

“Most strong employees already carry a lot responsibility and are trusted with challenging to-do lists. When you first get into management, your instinct is to take on everything. Eventually, you learn it is impossible to lead a

team or run a department this way.

“Your to-do list needs to change into the people you support. Rather than going through a list of projects I needed to work on that week, I started to organize my week according to the people in the organization. I keep a list of the challenges and key projects each person is working on. Then, I try to judge whether that person needs guidance, encouragement or hands-on support.

“As the president, I look for people who want to be part of our culture and do my best to support their efforts. A number of our managers have been promoted within the organization. Now, my goals include making sure they keep our associates focused on the values that have made the company successful.

“A fellow manager told me once that his ultimate responsibility was to make sure his employee leaves at 5

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Chris Foregger President and COO Capital First Trust Co. 234 Florida St., Milwaukee www.capitalfirsttrust.com Industry: Personal injury settlement trusts Employees: 25

p.m. feeling good on his or her drive home. That was five years ago and that statement sticks with me to this day.

“Overcoming the challenges our clients face is a duty our associates take seriously. I am honored by the responsibility to lead a team that supports our associates and the relationships they have with our clients.” n

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