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LEADERSHIP LACONTE TRANSFORMS DOHMEN ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
MEET THE KENOSHA COUNTY BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS WINNERS DOWNTOWN KENOSHA ON THE CUSP OF REVITALIZATION
CYNTHIA LACONTE, CEO AND PRESIDENT, THE F. DOHMEN CO.
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WISCONSINBIZ ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | RESEARCH & INNOVATION | BUSINESS GROWTH
Highlighting Wisconsin’s key industries, innovators, leaders, entrepreneurs and thriving business communities. The 2016 edition of WisconsinBiz, a print and online magazine, offers a look at business throughout our great state, and highlights the people, companies, institutions and communities that are growing a strong and vibrant economy in Wisconsin.
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inside
November 2 - 15, 2015 HIGHLIGHT S
S P E C I A L R E P O R T:
BU SINE S S IN K E NOSH A CO U NT Y
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A deeper look at what has driven the success of this year’s Kenosha County Business Excellence Awards winners.
Now 4 City, county budget proposals get mostly favorable reviews from Public Policy Forum.
Political Beat
KCBE Awards Business of the Year ASYST Technologies’ headquarters in Kenosha County.
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GOP wants to dismantle GAB.
Made in Milwaukee
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Water treatment equipment manufacturer Marlo doubling in size.
Nonprofit News
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Milwaukee Ballet extends Pink’s contract, names new executive director.
On the Money
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A market snapshot and outlook.
S TR ATE GIE S
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Technology Jesse DePinto 36 Leadership Susan Wehrley 37 Growth Cary Silverstein 38 Management Jo Gorissen 39
COV E R S T ORY
BIZ CONNECTIONS
Owning leadership
Calendar 40 Personnel File 41 SBA Loans 43 BizTimes Around Town 45 The Last Word 47
LaConte transforms Dohmen ON THE COVER: Cynthia LaConte, CEO and president of The F. Dohmen Co. — 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 21, Number 16, November 2 - 15, 2015. BizTimes Milwaukee is published bi-weekly, except two consecutive weeks in December (the third and fourth weeks of December) by BizTimes Media LLC at 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120, USA. Basic annual subscription rate is $42.00. Single copy price is $3.25. Back issues are $5.00 each. Periodicals postage paid at Milwaukee, WI and additional mailing offices. 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 2015 by BizTimes Media LLC. All rights reserved.
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City, county budget proposals get mostly favorable reviews from Public Policy Forum
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he city and county budgets proposed by Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele received mostly favorable reviews in analyses by the Milwaukeebased, nonpartisan Public Policy Forum. Abele’s proposed budget for Milwaukee County, “offers another source of evidence that Milwaukee County is making substantial headway in its long and grueling march from perennial financial crisis to relative fiscal normalcy,” the Public Policy Forum report states. “The budget reflects the county’s remarkable progress in reducing health care expenditures and debt service obligations – two of the primary drivers of its long-term structural imbalance – by accommodating an unanticipated spike in its pension contribution with few service reductions and a flat property tax levy, while also providing a pay increase for employees. Such a scenario would have been unthinkable five years ago.” As for the city budget proposed by Barrett, the Public Policy Forum report states, “the budget again avoids cuts to key services by reaping the continued benefits of earlier health care changes and squeezing additional savings from pension and risk management plans. As
in previous years, we commend city leaders for their efforts to manage the budget in this responsible fashion.” However, the Public Policy Forum raised Barrett some concerns about the city and county budget proposals. Abele’s budget proposal for the county includes a $17 million drawdown from counAbele ty reserves and reduces the sheriff ’s budget by $9.8 million. There continues to be pressure on the county budget from pension fund liabilities and infrastructure needs. The county will struggle to accommodate those expenditure demands in light of a flat revenue picture and the likelihood that major health care savings by an earlier plan redesign soon will run their course, the Public Policy Forum report states. For Barrett’s proposed budget, the Public Policy Forum report says beneficial fiscal circumstances that have eased pressure on the city’s finances in recent years may be running their course. Barrett’s budget proposal holds the line on
Milwaukee skyline.
taxes, includes modest fee increases and relies on health care savings from plan design changes in previous years to offset another year of flat revenue from the state’s shared revenue program. “Health care savings and other annual benefit adjustments have become a necessity for the city as it continues to fight its way through a gauntlet of limited revenue sources,” the report states. “Whether city leaders can continue to generate annual savings in benefits and
salaries after 2016 may be the key determinant as to whether the last few years of relative budget calm continue, or whether, instead, the city reverts back to the days of substantial workforce downsizing and the need to pit adequate funding for public safety versus cuts in other important functions.” The Public Policy Forum reports on the proposed city and county budgets can be viewed at www.publicpolicyforum.org.
——Andrew Weiland
SOCI AL M E D I A S T R AT E GI ES
Build social advocates one relationship at a time We’ve all done it. We’ve fallen into a rut or felt like we’ve run out of things to say. And then our social media programs suffer. Why? Because we end up pushing out promotional content instead of engaging, affinity-building content that pulls in our fans. We end up thinking all about ourselves instead of our customers. But customers want more. That’s what we have to remember and use to pull us back to truly helpful, engaging communication. We need to remember that social media is, at its roots, a customer service and relationship-building tool that shouldn’t be overlooked. Here are a few ways you can build a stronger one-to-one relationship with your customers on social media: »» Customize communication: When customers ask questions of you on social media channels, don’t give them each the same response; customize it. It may take a little longer, but that effort will be worth it. »» Be human: Remember the golden rule? It’s so easy to forget but 4
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essential not to. Try the trick of asking yourself how you would reply if it were your friend asking. »» Surprise and delight: This is where you have a unique opportunity to go beyond the usual and truly personalize your relationship with someone. Do a little research to see what she is interested in and use that information to customize a surprise thank you or remedy for an issue she experienced. It could be as simple as a hand-written note or the delivery of branded merchandise to show you thought of her. Sometimes this is easier said than done. But if you can take a little time to update your social media strategy with guidelines for top-notch customer service, and continually execute that strategy, your social media program will gain a supportive and avid following and your business will gain customers. ——Liesel Olson (@lieselolson) is a public relations senior content specialist at Brookfield-based Bader Rutter (@bader_rutter).
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leading edge COFF E E B R E A K
POLITIC AL BEAT
GOP wants to dismantle GAB BY MATT POMMER, special to BizTimes
What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year? “Over the past two years, Marcus Theatres has invested $90 million in renovations to enhance its 80-year tradition of providing a comfortable, convenient moviegoing experience. Additionally, we’ve focused heavily on our price-value relationship, with our Magical Movie Rewards loyalty program playing a significant role in that area. We’re already starting to realize the benefits of these activities. We saw record results in fiscal year 2015, not to mention the positive response we’re hearing from our customers.”
What’s new at your company? Do you think Marcus will ever open a theater downtown? “We’re frequently unveiling new enhancements across our 54-theatre circuit in seven states. This year, we’ve completed several projects in the Milwaukee-area alone, at South Shore, Majestic of Brookfield, Menomonee Falls and Southgate Cinemas. As for a downtown location, there are lots of exciting things happening with Milwaukee’s downtown redevelopment and we want to be a part of it. We’ve been interested in that for quite some time and hope to make it a reality one day soon.”
company in the next year? “There are plans to continue our momentum over the next year, with another $70-90 million investment between Marcus Theatres and its sister division, Marcus Hotels & Resorts. One of many initiatives in the next year will include a new facility with a format unlike any other Marcus Theatres location. As we continue to grow, we’ll look for areas where additional talent may be necessary.”
What’s the hottest trend in your industry? “One of the biggest trends of the moment includes new technology, like 3D. We’re fortunate to work with CJ 4DPLEX to take this a step further with the Midwest’s first 4DX auditorium, opening soon at Gurnee Cinema. The technology will create an experience that stimulates all five senses. “Another major trend is recliner seating, like the DreamLounger leather recliners we’ve installed at several theatres across our circuit, including four Milwaukee locations: South Shore, Menomonee Falls, North Shore and Southgate Cinemas.”
Do you have a business mantra? “Never say ‘never!’ This means overcoming every business opportunity, obstacle and unexpected barrier. In other words, never give up on achieving your goals, dreams and business results. Effective leaders deliver on their vision and their business plan.”
What will be your company’s main challenges in the next year? “We must continually keep the moviegoing experience innovative and current to align with guests’ everevolving interests. Of course, with challenge comes opportunity. We’ve been tackling this topic for the past 80 years and thrive in understanding consumer needs. We call it the Marcus difference.”
Do you plan to hire any additional staff or make any significant capital investments in your
Rolando Rodriguez
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 members newspapers.
What do you like to do in your free time?
President and CEO of Marcus Theatres Corp. Executive vice president of The Marcus Corp. 100 E. Wisconsin Ave., Suite 2000, Milwaukee www.marcustheatres.com Industry: Entertainment, hospitality, film exhibition Employees: Approximately 3,200 Family: Wife, Maria, and four daughters in their 20s w w w.biztimes.com
As Thanksgiving approaches, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) wants to carve up the agency that oversees ethics and elections in Wisconsin. Critics seem to view it like getting years-old turkey out of a basement freezer. Vos’ plan, backed by Gov. Scott Walker, would replace the six retired appeals court judges now sitting on the Government Accountability Board with two bipartisan commissions dominated by politicians. Unlimited funding for investigations would be eliminated, and the governor would get to appoint the top staffer on each commission. The speaker is angry about the GAB’s role in the John Doe investigation into the coordination between Walker and conservative groups during the 2012 recall election. Vos called it an “unconstitutional investigation.” “As they went through the process, they did some things I think were patently wrong,” Vos contends. The Legislature created the GAB in 2007 to replace the State Elections Board and the State Ethics Board in the aftermath of the 2001-’02 scandal that involved legislative leaders of both parties. Former State Sen. Mike Ellis (RNeenah) is generally given credit for the GAB idea. The GAB officially began work in January 2008. Matt Rothschild, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, called the proposed changes “petty vengeance on the part of Republican leaders,” adding that it is a fevered effort to shield themselves from embarrassment and prosecution in the future. Vos calls the GAB “a failed experiment.” He touts his plan as following the general model of the Federal Elections Commission and of other states.
“I enjoy the outdoors (when it’s warm), jogging and, of course, movies!”
What was the best advice you ever received?
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Chicago-based R2 Companies recently purchased the 1.1 millionsquare-foot U.S. Postal Service complex in downtown Milwaukee for $13.1 million.
million
“Appreciate everything in life and never take anything or anyone for granted.” n
BY TH E NU MBERS
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MA DE I N M I LWA U K E E
Water treatment equipment manufacturer Marlo doubling in size
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Marlo Inc., a water treatment equipment manufacturer in Racine, is undergoing a $3.5 million to $4 million expansion that will double its manufacturing plant to 65,000 square feet and its office space to 10,000 square feet. Started by Waukesha-based Andrew Bukacek Construction in September, the project is expected to be completed in June or July of 2016. It marks Marlo’s third expansion since opening its current facility in 1977. The previous expansions, in the late ’80s and in 2001, each added approximately 10,000 square feet. “We’ve been out of space for a couple years now, and we’ve just been managing it,” said president and chief operating officer Steven LaMere. The expansion investment includes both construction and new equipment, and LaMere noted that it is entirely self-funded. He did not disclose Marlo’s annual revenue, but he said sales are up 12 percent compared to this time last year. “In terms of the growth, water is kind of hot right now and has been for a while; it’s a basic need,” LaMere said. “We grow the business; we don’t lose many customers; we add a few more customers every year; and we expand our geographical reach and our market reach.” Marlo was co-founded in Racine in 1973 by Fred and Mike Glines, a father and son. Fred named it Marlo in recognition of his sister, Marcellane, and his wife, Lois. The company began by serving the residential market, and over the years, it got into the light commercial, institutional and industrial markets. The latter two, which include entities such as hospitals, universities, prisons and manufacturing companies, today make up 75 to 80 percent of the company’s business. “We’re secondary water treatment,” LaMere said of Marlo’s work. “And we do it over a whole scope. We’re taking water that’s already safe to drink from a city or a well, but we’re making it better.” Marlo’s custom-built products center on water safety, reverse osmosis and filtration, and the manufacturing process consists of designing the equipment, purchasing the components and building it. Lastly, the equipment is wired, programmed and tested. “We’re very much a quiet company, and we have a very loyal customer base,” LaMere said of the dealers and distributors Marlo serves. “We help them grow their businesses, and help them sell more water treatment equipment, and the word gets out.” Most of Marlo’s customers are in the U.S., but LaMere said it does do some international business as well. Marlo employs 75 people, and LaMere said the company has found creative ways to retain them despite competition from other nearby companies like Amazon and Uline. For instance, employees work nine-hour days so they can have Friday afternoons off, and all employees
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Commercial Real Estate and Development Conference BizTimes Media will host the 13th annual Commercial Real Estate and Development Conference on Thursday, Nov. 19, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, 1721 W. Canal St. in Milwaukee. The theme is Attracting the National Dollar, and will focus on the rising number of out-of-state investments in southeastern Wisconsin real estate. A panel of national commercial real estate investors who are doing big deals in Wisconsin will discuss their motives. Cost is $65. For more information or to register, visit www.biztimes.com/creconference.
ABOVE: Roy Gerschwiler works on a filtration system. BELOW: Randy Miller assembles a custom electrical control panel.
For a complete listing of all area events, visit the Calendar section of our website.
www.biztimes.com/events
BOOK REVIEW
“The Silo Effect”
Marlo Inc. 2227 South Street, Racine Industry: Water treatment Employees: 75 www.marlo-inc.com participate in a profit sharing plan. They receive two weeks’ pay every quarter if the company hits its goals, and LaMere said that has happened 10 out of the past 12 quarters. Last year, employees were paid every quarter, equating to eight weeks’ additional pay, or a 15 percent bonus.
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Gillian Tett, a journalist and senior editor with the Financial Times, has come up with an examination of how our tendency to create silos hinders our work. Her book, “The Silo Effect” asks: Why do humans working in modern institutions collectively act in ways that sometimes seem stupid? Why do normally clever people fail to see risks and opportunities that later seem blindingly obvious? Tett uses her experience reporting on the financial crisis in 2008 and shares eight different tales of the silo syndrome, including City Hall in New York, the Bank of England in London, Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, UBS in Switzerland, Facebook in San Francisco, Sony in Tokyo, the BlueMountain hedge fund, and the Chicago Police Department. With ideas about how to organize office spaces and lead teams of people with different expertise, Tett explains how people organize themselves and interact with each other. “The Silo Effect” is available on www.800ceoread. com for $22.40
——Corrinne Hess
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leading edge NON P RO F IT N E W S
Milwaukee Ballet extends Pink’s contract, names new executive director Milwaukee Ballet Company artistic director Michael Pink will continue heading the organization’s dance productions for the next five years, with a contract extension to 2020. Pink has choreographed and directed ballet productions for the Milwaukee Ballet Company for 13 seasons and has become “a Pink major force” in the city’s arts scene, said Jud Snyder, president of BMO Harris Equipment Finance Co. and board chair and president of the Milwaukee Ballet. The Milwaukee Ballet also announced a new executive director, dance industry veteran Julia Glawe, who brings international dance administration experience to Milwaukee. Glawe’s career in the performing arts spans more than 25 years. Throughout the past 17 years, she has focused on booking Glawe and touring international dance productions. During 15 of those years, she worked as senior vice president for the dance division of IMG Artists. Glawe also spent five years at the Hubbard Street Dance Center, a touring dance company located in Chicago, where she was responsible for booking and outreach activities. While solidifying its leadership team, the Milwaukee Ballet has launched a matching campaign to fund new stage works. The “Campaign for New Work,” backed by Sue and Allan “Bud” Selig, took flight during the ballet company’s annual board meeting in October.
——Erica Breunlin
THE GOOD LIFE
The animal kingdom Most Americans who have pets typically own a dog, a cat or a fish. Not Matt Geitner, though. The staff accountant at Milwaukee-based Geitner Komisar Brady & Co. has had a wolf, a shark and a sugar glider. “The wolf was just crazy cool,” he said. “No one believes we had one. It was just such a weird animal.” A girlfriend flew the wolf pup from Alaska and gave it to Geitner and his roommate as a gift when they were in college. The two lived with the animal, simply dubbed “Wolf,” at their condo, where they fed it dog food mixed with raw meat, walked it on a leash around their complex, and gave it bones. As to be expected with a wolf, it spent much of its time outside, staying up and howling at the moon. The animal, estimated to be 90 percent gray wolf and 10 percent husky or malamute, grew to be about 50 pounds. Geitner and his roommate quickly learned they could not keep a wolf at a condo, however,
Geitner’s dogs, Badger and Georgia and gave it to a farm a few months later. Also in his 20s, Geitner had a sugar glider – a small marsupial he could keep in his pocket or the palm of his hand – and an eight to 10-inch shark that lived in a saltwater aquarium. “I was born and raised in the country,” said Geitner, a Door County native. “I’ve always had animals.” Today, he does not have any outlandish animals, but he is the owner of two rescue dogs, Badger and Georgia.
——Hilary Dickinson
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Market snapshot and outlook After a reasonably strong start to the year, equity markets reversed sharply in the third quarter due to a variety of factors, including uncertainty surrounding Federal Reserve policy, worries about the health of the U.S. economy, a continued collapse in commodities prices and concerns about an economic slowdown in China.
What will the rest of the year bring? With three months to go in the trading year, we remain very optimistic. We anticipate equity markets (particularly emerging markets and sectors that have lagged) to rebound from these levels. We have already experienced positive market performance thus far in October, and we expect that to continue.
What should you do with your money now?
FBI HEADQUARTERS Work continues on the future headquarters of the Milwaukee FBI office at 3600 S. Lake Drive in St. Francis. The FBI signed a 20-year lease and will move from downtown Milwaukee to the building in 2016. The building was sold to the federal government by an affiliate of Stark Investments.
——Corrinne Hess 3. Maintain alternative investments. The recent downturn has reaffirmed the
1. Stay the course. It can be very tempting to adjust your investment ap-
proach when markets experience negative performance. Market volatility is very discomforting, but history shows patience and diversification are the keys to longterm goal achievement. Stay invested. Trust in your plan. Focus forward. 2. Stay global. Emerging markets have sold off indiscriminately, largely due to commodity weakness and ongoing U.S. dollar strength. However, recent price movements do not change the fact that international markets represent a material share of global GDP and certain of these markets have significant upside potential as their middle classes continue to develop and their economies improve. Further, the U.S. trade balance is beginning to weaken (as U.S. exporters struggle due to the strong U.S. dollar), which is a benefit to international competitors.
benefit of having alternative investments within portfolios. These investments are designed to have returns that are less correlated to equity and fixed income markets and thereby provide important protection during downturns like the one we just experienced. There are many available alternative investments, each of which is differentiated by its “contents” (underlying investments) and “container” (legal structure). Adding these investments to a traditional portfolio has the potential to enhance returns, while also reducing risk.
——Pam Evason, CFA, CPA, is managing director of Windermere Wealth Advisors LLC in Milwaukee.
! u o Y k n a h T
To our proud sponsors and attendees of the 2015 Manufacturing Summit
A panel of top executives, which included Aaron Jagdfeld of Generac Power Systems, Inc., Dan Cahalane of American Roller Company, Bob Porsche of General Plastics, Inc. and Jeff Giffin of Masters Gallery Foods, Inc., discussed best practices for improving morale, driving innovation and increasing your bottom line at the 2015 BizTimes Manufacturing Summit. Executives from manufacturing companies throughout Wisconsin attended the event, which was held on October 7th, at the Wisconsin Manufacturing & Technology Show at the Wisconsin State Fair Park.
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NORDSTROM OPENS The much-anticipated Nordstrom department store opened recently at Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa. The 140,000-square-foot store is located on the east side of the mall. See page 45 for Opening Gala photos.
— Michael Sportiello, UWM student body president
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2015 GIVING GUIDE F E AT U R E D N O N P R O F I T
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innovations
iMoneza allows publishers to charge by the article.
iMoneza offers micropayment option for online media
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hile browsing online for articles about his favorite football team, the Green Bay Packers, Mike Gehl came to a screeching halt when he hit a paywall on the Insider section of ESPN.com. The site charges $9 per month MOLLY DILL, managing editor Email: molly.dill@biztimes.com Phone: (414) 336-7144 Twitter: @BizMolly
for all its Insider sports news and commentary, but Gehl only wanted to read an
article about one specific team. An idea was formed. What if digital media companies could provide an option to read their content in smaller, a la carte increments, such as by the article? Gehl developed Brookfield-based iMoneza around that concept. He founded the company in January 2014. “It’s a company that’s trying to help publishers be more successful than they already are,” he said. “The reason I created the company is because I think publishers are going to have to put more and more stuff online, and they have to be able to
get revenue from that to be successful.” At the same time, consumers don’t get much value from flimsy “listicles” and poorly researched content, Gehl said. Creating an additional revenue stream for publishers, and providing the option to charge more for in-depth enterprise articles, would incentivize media outlets to create better content for the consumer, he said. “(Right now), they can’t spend 16 to 20 hours on a story because they know they won’t get the ROI back,” Gehl said. An iMoneza user sets up an account
BızTımes Media Presents:
iMoneza 300 N. Corporate Drive, Brookfield Innovation: Digital media micropayments www.imoneza.com
with a digital “wallet” and adds an increment of money – say $10 – to that wallet. As he browses through sites that have implemented iMoneza, the user can make micropayments, usually $1 or less, to read specific articles. This model avoids charg-
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ing the provider credit card fees for very small payments, Gehl said. The model could be applied to podcasts and music, as well. In addition to offering a flat monthly fee, providers could charge per podcast or song, he said. A mechanical engineer by trade, Gehl needed help creating the software to enable the payments. “The whole company revolves around software, and since I’m not a programmer, I needed somebody to develop the software for me,” he said. With some research, he found Northwoods Web Solutions in Shorewood, and began working with the company’s developers to map, develop and test the software that would enable the micropayments. The iMoneza software officially launched in March, and the company is now focused on sales and marketing. Locally, Milwaukee Magazine has implemented iMoneza’s software. When a reader tries to click on a headline in its “Member Pass” section, a popup gives her an option to purchase a single article for “as little as 25 cents” or subscribe to all of the publication’s offerings for $19 per year. Many users, especially millennials, read a variety of publications, and those annual or monthly subscription costs can add up, Gehl said. Having an iMoneza wallet could allow them to inexpensively peruse a number of sites, paying a la carte for the articles that interest them. The iMoneza software allows a publisher to set rules for how much an article costs depending on a variety of factors, so it can be customized to that company’s needs. For example, the cost of an article could increase after it reaches a certain level of readership, in a demand-based pricing model, Gehl said. “If you can have the ability to pay as you go, I think that’s a huge advantage,” he said. “It’s an I-Pass for online content.” iMoneza, which has seven employees, takes a cut of the revenue from the a la carte micropayments, which is usually between 7 and 15 percent, depending on the price of an article, Gehl said. The iMoneza concept has forced publishers to reexamine their business models, so it has been challenging to convince them to take the leap, Gehl said. Publishers are asking questions internally, such as: “What’s our content worth? What are we willing to charge and what are our users willing to pay for?” he said. n
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real estate
HERITAGE HOUSE Gorman & Co. Inc. has been trying to turn Heritage House into a boutique hotel for several years.
Downtown Kenosha on the cusp of revitalization
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n recent years, business news about Kenosha County has typically focused on the growth along I-94. Not surprising – it has been impressive. Amazon.com Inc. built a $250 million distribution center on 165 acres just east of the interstate and hired CORRINNE HESS P: (414) 336-7116 E: corri.hess@biztimes.com Twitter: @CorriHess
more than 1,000 people. Pleasant Prairie-based Uline has been rapidly expanding as well. The company is building a second 1.1 million-square-foot distribution center at its corporate headquarters campus in Pleasant Prairie, and plans to build a new 298,000-square-foot office building there and a 60,000-square-foot office building 12
and a 1 million-square-foot distribution center on a site in Kenosha. LakeView Corporate Park in Pleasant Prairie, located along Highway 165 about two miles east of I-94, has attracted several businesses, including some that have moved north from Illinois. Pleasant Prairie has also attracted numerous additional residential and retail developments. Consequently, Pleasant Prairie has become home to thousands of Illinois transplants who are finding Wisconsin’s housing prices more desirable than those in Lake County, Ill. With so much attention given to developments near I-94 in Kenosha County, many of its newer residents – and even lifelong southeastern Wisconsin inhabitants – might not realize is there has also been revitalization seven miles east of I-94 in downtown Kenosha. “There is no question about it; I have B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e
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friends who live in the greater Kenosha area who have never been downtown – that’s not a good thing and it’s not a bad thing, it’s just an anecdote I see in multiple instances,” said Todd Battle, president of the Kenosha Area Business Alliance. Granted, the changes in downtown Kenosha have been slow. And as Battle puts it, “a few steps forward and a few steps back” over the last few, ahem… decades. But in recent years, the unoccupied store fronts in downtown Kenosha have started to disappear. During the summer of 2015, Downtown Kenosha Inc., a nonprofit revitalization organization, embarked on a downtown commercial building inventory over the course of three months. The results were promising. Of the 152 downtown buildings (1.3 million square feet) inventoried, the group found 11 buildings were vacant.
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MANGIA Mangia Wine Bar is one of the oldest restaurants in downtown Kenosha. WINE KNOT Wine Knot Bar & Bistro opened in 2004 as Kenosha’s first wine bar and profits have increased annually. VACANT BUILDINGS Eleven of the 152 downtown buildings in Kenosha are vacant, according to Downtown Kenosha Inc.
Of those 11, seven of the buildings account for 11.5 percent (150,809 square feet) of total downtown vacancy. All seven of those buildings are located in a threeblock radius around 58th Street. Three of the seven buildings have proposals from interested developers, which would account for 47,133-square-feet, said Christopher Naumann, executive director of Downtown Kenosha Inc. One of those proposals is for the Heritage House Inn building, a 100-year-old 27,000-square-foot dilapidated building at 5706 Eighth Ave., that Gorman & Company Inc. of Oregon, Wis., has been trying to turn into a boutique hotel for several years. But it has been unable to secure financing. Ted Matkom, Wisconsin market president at Gorman & Company, said he should know within 30 days if the
real estate
5TH AVENUE LOFTS The 5th Avenue Lofts are being built by Bear Real Estate Group and will open in February 2016.
project will move forward. He believes the company is close to a deal and could get started in the first quarter of 2016. If it does move forward, the Heritage House space will be turned into an 80room boutique hotel with an extensive ballroom and bar that Matkom hopes will be a focal point of downtown Kenosha. “We think it’s an amazing location and something the downtown desperately needs to attract and retain employers and people in general,” Matkom said. “There is a lot of potential there – it’s slow, but it’s happening. The momentum is there.” Naumann said the city is also talking to David Nankin with Legacy Property Management Services LLC in Highland Park, Ill. about converting the former Kenosha YMCA/Kenosha Youth Foundation building into a 40- to 60-unit apartment building. The four-and-a-half story building opened in 1930 and has been closed since 2009. “I think over the next 18 months we might be able to get something to pop there, but like with every other project, there are financing issues,” Naumann said. “We’re trying to get tax credits and working to help him.” One of the bright spots of downtown Kenosha is residential, which actually began in 1988, when the American Motors Corp. shut down and cleanup began of nearly 70 acres along Lake Michigan. Over the next two decades, the former
brownfield and industrial site was redeveloped. The property, now called Kenosha Harbor Park, was sold to the city in 1994. Today, Harbor Park has a mix of townhomes, condos and apartments and is the home of the Kenosha Public Museum, an electric street car system, the Civil War Museum and the Kenosha HarborMarket. The 5th Avenue Lofts at the northwest corner of Fifth Avenue and 58th Street is currently under construction by Bear Real Estate Group. The 60-unit apartment complex was financed with low-income housing credits, brownfield grants and tax incremental financing. The first phase is slated to open in February 2016, and a second phase is planned that will include another 40 apartments. Naumann believes the development will be another turning point for downtown. The new units will also alleviate some of the housing pressure that is being felt with all of the new job creation near the interstate, Naumann said. “There is still a little bit a cynicism from people regarding downtown,” Nau-
mann said. “But getting 5th Avenue and seeing that it is a success will lead to more activity downtown. Having 100 new units downtown in the next 18 months will be a confidence booster.” Tre Mantuano has watched Kenosha transform from his post as restaurant manager of Mangia Wine Bar, 5717 Sheridan Road, which has been open since 1988. He said he is encouraged by the new retail and restaurants that are opening downtown, including The Buzz Café, which opened Oct. 15 as an extension of the existing Sazzy B’s restaurant, Mike’s Chicken & Donut Bar and the PUBLIC Craft Brewing Co. “The food scene is really picking up downtown; there is a lot more foot traffic than there used to be,” Mantuano said. “A big part of getting people downtown is getting them to realize all the great things we have to offer. You can shop, grab a bite for lunch, stop at a museum, have a glass of wine somewhere and have dinner somewhere else.” Brian Haberski, general manager and
executive chef at Wine Knot Bar & Bistro, which says it was Kenosha’s first wine bar when it opened in 2004 at 5611 Sixth Ave., believes downtown Kenosha is on the cusp of complete revitalization. Haberski has seen his profits increase 10 to 20 percent each year. “I think small business owners with vision are coming down here willing to invest and open something new,” Haberski said. “Almost 40 percent of our customers come from 30 miles or more away and the majority are from Illinois. If more locals came down, they would be surprised what’s going on here.” Kenosha Mayor Keith Bosman said if the city can continue to get more residential development downtown, then Kenosha is heading in the right direction. “That will encourage more businesses to locate downtown and make it a place where people want to be,” Bosman said. “I can tell you finding parking on a Tuesday in February didn’t use to be an issue. Now, it can be. We’re in a way better place than we were 10 years ago.” n
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What does
success
NEW S BR IEFS
look like to you?
September home sales up 11% in state
Tom Savio, Owner & CEO, Caliendo-Savio Enterprises, Inc. (CSE) – customer since 1984 Member FDIC
For Tom Savio, success means pulling together as a team to overcome adversity. Back in 2008, when the recession hit his industry hard, Savio and his staff made a commitment to stick together, persevere and make it through the lean years. Standing by Savio and CSE, Park Bank matched their resolve, working with them to help find a way to make it through the recession and eventually rebound towards continued success. Today, CSE flourishes again, providing branded apparel to its customers and celebrating the notion of, once again, teamwork. Learn more about their story at ParkBankOnline.com/success.
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For the first nine months of the year, southeastern Wisconsin home sales were up 11.6 percent to 21,264 and the median home sale price was up 6.6 percent to $169,000.
Harley-Davidson to lay off 250
Seattle
San Francisco
The number of homes sold in Wisconsin rose to 6,944 in September, up 11.1 percent from September 2014, according to the latest report from the Wisconsin Realtors Association. The median price of homes sold in the state during September rose 4.3 percent to $155,375. For the first nine months of the year, home sales in the state were up 12.6 percent and median sale prices were up 5.7 percent to $157,000. In southeastern Wisconsin, September home sales were up 11 percent to 2,466 and median prices were up 3.1 percent to $165,000, according to the WRA report. September median sale prices by county: »» Kenosha: $149,900, +13.1 percent »» Milwaukee: $132,500, +11.3 percent »» Ozaukee: $255,000, +7.4 percent »» Sheboygan: $125,000, +4.7 percent »» Walworth: $171,000, +3.6 percent »» Waukesha: $247,500, -0.7 percent »» Washington: $189,450, -3.3 percent »» Racine: $129,000, -4.4 percent
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Harley-Davidson Inc. president and chief executive officer Matt Levatich recently announced plans to shift spending within the company, which is expected to cost about $30 million to $35 million in the fourth quarter. The reallocation includes employee separation and reorganization, and about 250 employees will be laid off in the move. “An early retirement incentive program will be offered to eligible employees in advance of what we believe will be a global reduction of around 250 salaried positions across the company, largely completed by the end of the year,” said Tony Macrito, a spokesman for the Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer. “Adjustments in positions and structure will be made in essentially every part of the business to achieve the right focus and support the increased demand-generating investments.” “We expect a heightened competitive environment to continue for the foreseeable future, and now is the time for us to dial things up with significant additional investments in marketing and product development,” Levatich said in the company’s third quarter earnings release. “We have a strong plan, built on our incredible foundation, to further assert Harley-Davidson’s substantial market leadership and accelerate growth. We have great
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confidence in our plans to drive demand and grow our reach and impact with customers globally.” The company reported third quarter net income of $140.3 million, or 69 cents per share, down from $150.1 million, or 69 cents per share, in the third quarter of 2014.
Whitewater Sentry closing Unable to compete with the Walmart Supercenter next door, Daniels’ Sentry Foods in Whitewater will close on Dec. 16, eliminating 53 jobs. Ken Riley, general manager, said the company has tried unsuccessfully for two-and-a-half years to sell the 50,000-square-foot building at 1260 W. Main St., to another retailer. The building has been sold to an unnamed developer. When Walmart, 1362 W. Main St., added 30,000-square-feet and began selling groceries four years ago, Sentry’s profits plummeted, Riley said. “Whitewater’s population says 14,000, but that includes everyone on (the UW) campus – and everyone leaves on the weekends and comes back with a car full of groceries from mom and dad,” Riley said. The Sentry store was built in 1997 by Fleming Companies Inc., which at the time was a major wholesaler. Fleming filed for bankruptcy in 2003. Sentry was purchased by Daniels Sentry of Whitewater LLC in 2002. The Daniels company is based in Walworth and operates two stores in Janesville and one in Walworth, in addition to the Whitewater store. Riley said the Whitewater employees cannot be relocated to another store because there is a union at the Janesville stores so positions cannot be filled by people who have less seniority. The Whitewater and Walworth stores do not have a union. “It’s sad. I’ve been with the company since 1970, and I’m used to opening, not closing stores,” Riley said. “It makes it tough on individuals. We did our best to try to get a retailer in there. We tried to give low-lease rent and come up with a lot of scenarios, but no one wanted to give it a go.”
EnSync names new CFO Menomonee Falls-based EnSync Inc., which develops energy management systems for commercial, industrial and multi-tenant building markets, has appointed Jim Schott chief financial offer. Schott has experience in accounting, finance, and investor and analyst relations, in addition to operations experience with energy companies, including WEC Energy Group and Integrys Energy Group. Prior to joining EnSync, Schott worked as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Integrys Energy Group. In his new position, he will head the company’s finance and accounting activities and will also run its investor relations function.
Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter
37th
Presented by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation
Awards Luncheon and Education Session
Monday, November 9, 2015
Toya Washington and Patrick Paolantonio
Special Thanks to our Sponsors PRESENTING
PLATINUM
Jericho Resources, Inc. BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS TO BETTER PERFORMANCE
GOLD
BR O N ZE
BloodCenter of Wisconsin H Catholic Memorial High School Foley & Lardner LLP H Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin |MPACT, Inc. H In Progress Consulting, LLC H Marquette University McDonald Schaefer Group H Robert W. Baird UW-Milwaukee Foundation
PATR O N S
Gateway Technical College Foundation H Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast Jewish Famly Services H Johnson Bank H David & Molly Fritz Reilly, Penner & Benton, LLP H Rogers Memorial Hospital Foundation Spano Pratt Executive Search H Spectrum Nonprofit Services, LLC
I N - KI N D PA RTN ER S SILVER
13050 West Custer Avenue Butler, WI 53007 p: 262-781-0000 f: 262-781-2233 Website: exactagraphics.com
For more information visit www.afpsewi.org or call 414.399.0281
37th National Philanthropy Day Award Winners
William Radler
Nominated by Jericho Resources, Inc.
Evan P. Helfaer Donor Award
John and Elizabeth Feith
Nominated by Cedar Community, Feith Family Ozaukee YMCA and Wisconsin Humane Society Ozaukee Campus
Leave a Legacy Award
William Radler has shared his love of roses over his 26 years with the Milwaukee County Parks and Boerner Botanical Gardens as Director from 1981 through 1994. Radler developed the Knock Out roses in 2000, the best selling rose in the U.S. Radler’s connection with the community has gained local and national recognition. In 2013 Radler received a Special Service Award from the city of Greenfield honoring his significant contributions to enrich the quality of life. The Aids Resource Center of Wisconsin awarded Radler the 2014 Vision Award for his vision, leadership and philanthropic commitment for the fight against AIDS. His work has been featured in several books, magazines and newspaper publications. Radler continues to be an example to share our passions as a way to enrich the community.
John and Elizabeth Feith’s gifts have had a tremendous impact on their community. John Feith is the founder of the Milwaukeearea office of Employee Benefits Claims of Wisconsin, formerly the Wisconsin Pension and Group Services. He and his wife Elizabeth have given support to the Ozaukee Humane Society, Feith Family Ozaukee YMCA, Cedar Community, St. Peter’s Church in Saukville, and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota; collectively contributing just under 2 million dollars to Cedar Community and the Ozaukee YMCA alone. The Feith’s immigrated to the United States from Europe in 1952 and share their talents, love of country, and financial support for the enrichment of all in the community around them.
Mick Hatch
A.O. Smith Corporation
Nominated by Menomonee Valley Partners
Todd Wehr Volunteer Award
Nominated by Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Foundation and University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Wisconsin Organization Philanthropy Award
Michael W. Hatch is a real estate lawyer and partner in Foley and Lardner. Hatch has been lead counsel for several billion dollars of real estate transactions. Some of his most impressive projects include the Milwaukee Center, East Point Commons, The North End, University Club Tower, Cathedral Place, The Kenilworth Project, Menomonee Valley Partners, Inc., a nonprofit, public private partnership working to redevelop the largest Brownfield in Wisconsin, and the purchase/sale of the Firstar Center, now the U.S. Bank Center, the tallest building in Wisconsin. Hatch has practiced extensively in real estate and urban development, finance, restructuring and workouts, historic rehabilitation, investment trusts and has played a vital role in revitalizing our community.
Since its inception in 1955, the A.O. Smith Foundation has given $36 million to 200 non-profits across 15 different states. In recent years the foundation has been donating over a million dollars a year. A. O. Smith Foundation is committed to making our communities a better place to live and to work. They partner with and support higher education, cultural and social welfare, medical research, and improved health. At the same time, A. O. Smith employees are encouraged to take an active part in civic affairs, serving as volunteers, board members or advisors for non-profit organizations and educational institutions.
Isabel Pesci, Elizabeth Korb and Taylor Newcomer
Steve Atwell, CFRE [awarded posthumously]
Nominated by Catholic Memorial High School
Philanthropic Youth of Today Award Three teenagers, Isabel Pesci, Taylor Newcomer and Elizabeth Korb, created Think Through Your Life (TTYL) to bring awareness to the nationwide problem of teenage suicide. Their mission is to educate people about the warning signs of suicide and how to help teens who may be struggling. TTYL produces concerts to emphasize the healing potential of music. The concert setting provides music from several bands and weaves in speakers, educational materials and resources, which include “counselors onhand”, information about places to go, a suicide hotline and runaway/ homeless shelters. The goal is to inform, inspire, and break down the stigma associated with suicide by using a peer-to-peer approach.
Scott M. Cutlip Professional Fundraiser Award
Steve Atwell helped Discovery World manage the move to the 85 million dollar facility on Milwaukee’s lakefront in 2006. He believed in the need to establish a robust endowment to ensure sustainability and his efforts reduced capital debt by more than eight million dollars. Atwell’s commitment to funding was echoed in his passion for innovation and STEM education. Steve Atwell passed away suddenly on September 16th, 2014. The Steve Atwell Educational Scholarship Endowment is being set up in his honor to ensure young people will continue to find enrichment and inspiration at Discovery World regardless of financial status. Steve Atwell’s life work exemplifies the impact a fundraising professional can have through community vision and a love of humanity that is the definition of philanthropy.
Partners in Philanthropy Members of AFP Southeastern Wisconsin would like to recognize the following Partners In Philanthropy - the individuals and organizations who have made a positive impact on our member organizations and the entire community. Aurora Health Care Foundation Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Kohler Credit Union Cindi Schweitzer Robert Sobczak BloodCenter of Wisconsin Robert H. Manegold Mike and Cathy White Cedar Community Foundation Joan Adler John and Elizabeth Feith Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Foundation Louie’s Last Regatta, Inc. James Mohr Mark A. Shiller Community Memorial Foundation Dick Becker Kohl’s Department Stores Marty Schallock Dr. Dennis and Jacqueline Shepherd Richard Smith Susan Templin Dr. Greg Van Winkle Gateway Technical College Foundation Dorothy Bushell Stanley Manning IMPACT Planning Council Marie O’Brien Filippa Weber (posthumously) In Progress Consulting, LLC Bell Tower Memorial, Inc.
Life Navigators Dave and Carol Anderson Larry and Holly Haskin Mike and Ginny McBride
Sojourner Family Peace Center Brewers Community Foundation WaterStone Bank
Make-A-Wish Wisconsin Badger Mutual Insurance PricewaterhouseCoopers
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County Catherine A. Jacobson Suzanne Kelley Alex A. Molinaroli Cory L. Nettles
Marquette University Louie and Sue Andrew Kelly Candotti Amy Haffner Tim and Monica Hanley Catherine La Fleur Bob Love
Waukesha Catholic School System Jerry and Judie Couri Couri Insurance Agency, Inc.
Marquette University High School Jason and Jessica Allen Mark and Julie Steinhafel Order of St. Camillus Foundation Mortenson Construction Scott Naze Plunkett Raysich Architects Rogers Memorial Hospital Foundation Dave and Becky Glyzewski Family Foundation Power Test St. Joseph Academy Reliable Plating Works Savage Solutions Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts Pat and Phillip Crump Emery Harlan Mr. and Mrs. Fred Syrjanen
For more information visit www.afpsewi.org or call 414.399.0281
TROY FREUND PHOTOGRAPHY
cover story
Cynthia LaConte
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OWNING
LEADERSHIP LACONTE TRANSFORMS DOHMEN BY HILARY DICKINSON, staff writer
“OWN LEADERSHIP.” That is the No. 1 piece of leadership advice Cynthia LaConte, president and chief executive officer of The Dohmen Co., gives to others. “Don’t make leading be someone else’s job,” she said. “I think we lose track of the fact that every one of us, regardless of where we sit in a hierarchy or on an org chart, is responsible for leadership. We lead and influence by example, and our behavior has a ripple effect on others. So own it, take accountability for it and bring your best self to whatever you do.” LaConte, 54, has lived those words through her nearly three decades at Dohmen, a Milwaukee-based, fifth-generation company where she has served as CEO since 2009. Dohmen started in 1858 as an apothecary before becoming a manufacturer and then a wholesaler. Today, it is a business processing partner for more than 300 biopharma and medtech companies that has the vision of creating an “efficient, effective and easy-to-use health care experience.” Its primary businesses are Dohmen Life Science Services and Red Arrow Labs, an applications development and software products company. Although LaConte is credited with repositioning the company to better meet the needs of the future, she is reluctant to take credit. “My biggest accomplishment has been to successfully transform what Dohmen was to what it is today,” she said. “But it’s unfair to call it my accomplishment because really it is the accomplishment of every person that works here.” w w w.biztimes.com
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TROY FREUND PHOTOGRAPHY
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Natural light is a focal point of Dohmen’s new Third Ward office space.
LACONTE’S PATH TO DOHMEN A member of the fifth generation of company ownership, LaConte is the daughter of Erv Dohmen, who served as CEO from 1982 to 1992. She is also the sister of John F. Dohmen, who was CEO from 1995 to 2008. “I’m proud to say I’m Dohmen’s first female CEO, although there have been many strong women over the decades that have shaped and influenced the company,” she said, referring to female employees across the enterprise. LaConte, however, did not always set 20
out to work for the family company. Born and raised in Milwaukee, she spent a year working at a boutique in Sausalito, Calif., before going on to graduate cum laude from Mount Mary University in Milwaukee with a double major in merchandising and French. LaConte spent her early career working in retail and manufacturing within the food and fashion industries, and was happily employed at local clothing manufacturer JH Collectibles when she got the call to join the family business. “To be honest, I barely knew what B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e
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Dohmen did as a business during my young working life,” she said. “It was just a place where my dad, and then my brother, worked. To Erv’s credit, he really kept business outside of the family environment. It wasn’t something that entered into dinner table talk.” But she decided to take the job anyway. “I think I accepted partly out of a sense of obligation and partly from the excitement of a new adventure,” she said. Even though LaConte jokes about her schooling being “so, so useful,” she said her education and work experience em-
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phasized curiosity and creativity – “the right ingredients for innovation.” She also put some of her merchandising expertise to use at her first Dohmen job. She began at the company in 1988 by managing its retail promotional programs within the purchasing department, and a couple years later became vice president of procurement. “It was a great opportunity to see how the channel worked in our industry,” LaConte said. “It introduced me to the complexity of health care and allowed me the opportunity to look upstream at the
manufacturers and product innovators. It was that orientation that ultimately led me to start DDN (Pharmaceutical Logistics) and now DLSS (Dohmen Life Science Services).”
LACONTE’S LEADERSHIP TURN LaConte said she first applied her curiosity and creativity at Dohmen when founding DDN Pharmaceutical Logistics as a subsidiary of The Dohmen Co. in 1992. A pharmaceutical third-party logistics company, DDN was ultimately folded into the Dohmen Life Science Services subsidiary, along with several acquired entities. LaConte, meanwhile, moved from the role of president of DDN to chief operating officer of The Dohmen Co. in 2007, and then in 2009 became CEO. “I was kind of the last man standing so to speak,” she said. “My brother (John) and cousin (Bob, who served as executive vice president) retired from the operation around the same time in 2008, and the responsibility passed to me.” Bob and another of LaConte’s brothers, Ted, are also involved with the company today. Bob serves as chairman of the board, and Ted, a geophysicist from Houston, is a board member. LaConte has received “so, so much advice” from family, but she said the piece that stuck with her the most came from her father, Erv, who said to always lead for the next generation. In other words, be persistent and think for the long term. To LaConte, that meant reimagining Dohmen and creating a transformative new service model by forming Dohmen Life Science Services. Formally launched in 2014, Dohmen Life Science Services supports several hundred biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device companies by providing outsourced services in the areas of technology, marketing, supply chain, patient support, finance and compliance. LaConte said her curiosity and creativity were an invaluable part of establishing Dohmen Life Science Services. “Our base wholesaling business was at risk from commoditization, and it either needed to be scaled quickly into a national footprint or it needed to be transformed,” she said. “Staying the same was not an option.” Dohmen sold its pharmaceutical wholesaling business, which had been
the company’s historical focus, to Cardinal Health in 2006, and began the transformation into a new life science services company. “We did this by taking DDN, the company I started in the mid-’90s, and adhering new service functionality through acquisition,” LaConte said. “We acquired nine companies in five years and have been busy weaving them together as a seamless basket of outsourced service capability for biotech, pharma and medtech companies.” (See sidebar for details on the acquired companies.) “They bravely sold the founder’s business and put together what I call a string of pearls,” said Catherine Sohn, a Dohmen board member and president of New Jersey-based Sohn Health Strategies LLC. “The real accomplishment was to extend the Dohmen core values and then to create a culture within the company that allows these previously private companies to come together to be a much more powerful and special company than any one of the individually acquired companies could have been.” In addition to selling the pharmaceutical wholesaling company, Dohmen sold RESTAT, a prescription benefits management company, to Catamaran in 2013. “The company has changed very dramatically over the last 10 years,” LaConte said. Today, Dohmen owns Dohmen Life Science Services, Red Arrow Labs, ChemWare and Siren. Red Arrow and ChemWare, whose acquisitions were announced in January 2014, remain independent entities under The Dohmen Co., along with Siren, which was acquired in January 2015. Moving the family legacy forward is LaConte’s biggest accomplishment, according to Gail Lione, a Dohmen board member. Lione, former executive vice president and general counsel at HarleyDavidson Inc., is an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University and at Marquette University. “She has transformed it to create a business that is serving the needs of the market today,” Lione said. “She didn’t get stuck in what the company used to be doing, but is leading in the health care delivery service business today. That takes vision and courage to do that, and I think she has both.” Dan Johnson, president of channel w w w.biztimes.com
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MORE ON LACONTE Cynthia LaConte is married to Tom, whom she calls the “love of her life,” and she is the mother of a 26-year-old son named Alfonso, an aspiring chef living in New York City. She is also proud to call Milwaukee her home. “Who isn’t in love with Milwaukee in all seasons?” she said. LaConte says she loves attending the city’s summertime festivals, as well as visiting the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Harley-Davidson Museum and the Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend. She also enjoys eating at Ardent and all the Bartolotta Restaurants, especially Lake Park Bistro. LaConte’s favorite place to visit is Baileys Harbor in Door County and she describes herself as a voracious reader of nonfiction and fiction. “I’m just a curious person,” she said.
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cover story
DOHMEN’S ACQUISITIONS Dohmen has acquired nine companies since 2009. They are: »» Centric Health Resources in Chesterfield, Mo.
»» BioSoteria Inc. in Emeryville, Calif.
»» Reglera in Wheat Ridge, Colo.
»» Red Arrow Labs in Milwaukee
»» MedComm Solutions LLC in Emeryville, Calif.
»» ChemWare LLC in Raleigh, N.C. »» Siren Interactive Corp. in Chicago
Dohmen also purchased PlanIT Inc. in Germantown and Clinical Path Consulting LLC in Milwaukee, but later sold them.
Dohmen’s completely renovated headquarters is at 190 N. Milwaukee St.
support services at Dohmen Life Science Services, said it takes courage for a leader to divest a business, but LaConte excels at what he describes as “maintaining, destroying and creating.” In other words, she knows which aspects of a company to maintain, which parts are no longer 22
valuable, and what needs to be done for the future.
DOHMEN’S PHILANTHROPY In addition to founding DDN Pharmaceutical Logistics and Dohmen Life Science Services, LaConte started The B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e
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Dohmen Company Foundation. She established it in 2008, Dohmen’s 150th anniversary year. “I originally started The Dohmen Company Foundation as a way to walk the talk of our culture,” she said. “I knew as we got larger and more diverse, we would need a tangible way to demonstrate our culture.” Thus, every year Dohmen takes a per-
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centage of its profits and places them in the foundation to help people live healthier lives. “I’m proud to say that since that time, we’ve granted out over $10 million and touched 123 million lives positively in the process,” LaConte said. According to Lione, the foundation has made gifts to such Milwaukee organizations as the Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers and Meta House. Philanthropy is important to LaConte because she believes we were put on Earth to improve the lives of others. “I have always lived by Gandhi’s call to action of, ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world,’” she said. “Sometimes people think, ‘Oh, that word philanthropy is for rich people or for rich organizations.’
TROY FREUND PHOTOGRAPHY
ued in Menomonee Falls and elsewhere in Milwaukee, and it was LaConte’s goal to unify the Wisconsin-based operations by relocating all of them to a new location in the Third Ward, a few blocks from where Dohmen started in 1858. Dohmen purchased a 42,000-squarefoot, one-story building at 190 N. Milwaukee St. for $10 million, and moved into it in December 2014. The building was torn down to its shell and underwent a complete renovation at an undisclosed cost. Today, 185 of Dohmen’s 800 employees nationwide work in the building, including the presidents of two of the company’s business units: Supply Chain Services and Compliance Services. (Its third business unit, Patient Services, is located in St. Louis.) The building also houses a variety of internal support functions, market-facing service teams and Red Arrow Labs. “I love the Third Ward,” LaConte said. “The energy of this neighborhood…the proximity to the downtown area and to our colleges and our future workforce… it’s been great.”
“If you’re not growing, you’re stagnating, and that’s on the way to shrinking,” Johnson said of LaConte’s mindset. According to LaConte, Dohmen has always had a tradition of being entrepreneurial and trying new things in order to stay relevant. “It’s of critical importance given the fact that we spend double any other in-
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I think quite to the contrary. It’s a piece of all of us and a responsibility to all of us to use our talents to advance the human condition. I feel very strongly that it doesn’t just sit over here in things called ‘charity’ and ‘philanthropy.’ It’s an integrated part of all our lives, and I try very hard in our business to execute that.”
DOHMEN’S RETURN TO THE THIRD WARD Also under LaConte’s leadership, Dohmen made its return to Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, where it originally started as a small pharmaceutical wholesale and retail business on Water Street. Dohmen’s headquarters remained in the Third Ward for almost 100 years, but in 1954 it moved to Milwaukee’s south side. It went on to have primary locations in Germantown and Menomonee Falls over the years, but its corporate headquarters were once again established in the Third Ward, at 215 N. Water St., in 2009. Meanwhile, some operations contin-
Dohmen’s other 615 employees are in St. Louis; Denver; Memphis, Tenn.; Emeryville, Calif.; Ontario, Calif.; Raleigh, N.C.; and Chicago. LaConte said 50 employees were hired in the past year, and Dohmen is always hiring “great people.” As a private company, it does not disclose its annual revenue, but LaConte said revenue has grown at double digit rates over the past five years. Furthermore, the newly launched Dohmen Life Science Services has a three-year EBITDA Compound Annual Growth Rate of 46 percent. Dohmen processes between $8 billion and $10 billion in product sales annually on behalf of its clients, and it has approximately 1 million square feet of warehouse space. “We’re in a strong industry,” LaConte said of Dohmen’s growth. “We have healthy clients that are growing, and we grow with them. Client retention and service excellence is very important, but we’ve also been able to increase our sales pipeline 3.5 times over the prior year. We’ve created an offering that’s timely, and the market’s showing a lot of interest in it.” Johnson said LaConte possesses a “bias for growth.” w w w.biztimes.com
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dustrialized nation on health care as a percentage of our GDP, yet the U.S. ranks last among 11 wealthy nations in outcomes. That’s not acceptable,” LaConte said. “So every business effort we’re involved in, we ask, ‘How is that advancing our vision?’” Each of Dohmen’s primary businesses contribute in different ways, she said. For instance, Dohmen Life Science Services’
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cover story Dohmen is also unique, according to LaConte, in that it takes what is best from the past and marries it to the future; it has shareholders who invest for the long term; and it is able to respond quicker to trends than companies who are larger and have the pressure of being public. “Things with Cynthia are just fast,” Johnson said. “Speed is of the essence with her when it comes to the decisions and actions that we take.”
THE FUTURE OF DOHMEN The life sciences industry, and health care in general, is poised for real and necessary transformation, according to LaConte. “It’s heading from a one-size-fits-all care model to one that is increasingly consumer-centric,” she said. “This means prioritizing value over volume and developing a more personal relationship with the health care consumer.” LaConte believes this is an industry that has done research, development and commercialization of products the same way for a long time, and we are now at the in-
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All of Dohmen’s 185 Milwaukee employees are in the new headquarters.
flection point of some significant change. “It’s exciting and gives us great opportunity to be very responsive to those changes,” she said. “That’s the benefit of being a company large enough to invest, but small enough to act entrepreneurially.” Among the company’s goals are to fulfill what LaConte calls three strategic stair steps. The first is to fully leverage Dohmen Life Science Services’ first-to-market advantage and to unlock its growth potential. “Dohmen has been sustainable for the long term because it’s diversified,” she said. “Now that we’ve successfully launched DLSS, my goal will be to further diversify Dohmen’s offering by focusing on the next two stair steps of our strategy.” One of those stair steps is to invest in Red Arrow and grow it from just services into both services and software within the health sector. The other is to advance a new employer benefits model. “There’s always something new cooking here,” she said. “I’m proud I’ve been able to take a company to a place where I know it will be vibrant for the next generation.” As for future leadership of Dohmen, LaConte said it is not essential that the next CEO be a family member. In Dohmen’s history, there has been one non-family member CEO: Bob Wendland, who served in the role from 1992 to 1995. “It’s less about the last name of the person, and it’s more about the characters and values of the person,” LaConte said. “It’s a unique combination that’s asked of leadership, and I would say it’s about honoring the legacy of the organization and preserv-
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direct-to-patient model creates channel efficiencies and better outcomes for the patient, while Red Arrow uses technology to unleash business process efficiencies and a better consumer experience. Part of what sets Dohmen apart from competitors is its culture, according to LaConte. She describes Dohmen’s culture using five words: caring, creative, committed, collaborative and courageous. “We put those words into use in 2009, but I think they represent a 158-year legacy of people that have exhibited these behaviors,” LaConte said. Sohn said those core values drive LaConte. They are part of her criteria in determining which companies to acquire, and they attract new workers and keep longtime employees committed to the company and its mission. “The culture I walked into existed long before I got there,” LaConte said. “I just picked words to describe it. I always say that Dohmen has been successful at changing what we do, without changing who we are.”
ing the culture of the organization, but also having the ability to find that future.” That said, she believes it is important for a family member to always have some involvement. “This is a society that doesn’t necessarily place purpose over profit,” she continued. “Having a family member or two always involved in the business helps set the tone that that’s not the order we look for. It’s really purpose over profit.” Johnson agrees that Dohmen is not all about the quarterly earnings results like some public companies. Instead, he said Dohmen’s focus is on the patient and the mission of improving the health care system. “She’s more than just about the numbers,” Sohn added of LaConte. “She makes the culture a priority and seeking people who have those same core values.” LaConte said the selection of Dohmen’s next leader will be made by her, the board and largely the circumstances of the business at the time. Dohmen, she said, is also fortunate to have many potential great up and coming leaders. “Being great at business is important or the business won’t succeed, but being great human beings is important, too, and we’re fortunate to have leaders built like that throughout our organization,” she said. LaConte has a 26-year-old son named Alfonso who is an aspiring chef living in New York City. Currently, there are no plans for him to join the company or succeed his mother, but she added: “You never say never, just like I never said never.” n
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Please join us in congratulating this dynamic group of companies and entrepreneurs as we celebrate their growth, success and contributions to the Kenosha Area’s economic development. The 2015 Business Excellence Awards program, hosted by the Kenosha Area Business Alliance and the Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce in partnership with BizTimes Milwaukee, provides a fantastic opportunity to learn about the businesses and people driving Kenosha County’s economy. The honorees are engaged in a wide variety of business activities and industries that include advanced manufacturing, financial services, food processing, entertainment, communications, e-commerce and distribution. We congratulate them on their success, thank them for their investments in the community and encourage them to continue innovating. On behalf of our sponsors, Johnson Bank, Johnson Insurance, the University of WisconsinParkside, CliftonLarsonAllen and We Energies, and our supporting sponsors, Black Diamond Asphalt, Catalyst Exhibits and CenterPoint Properties, we are proud to recognize and celebrate their collective achievements. Congratulations and best wishes for much continued success!
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Kenosha County
BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS
Business of the Year
ASYST Technologies LLC
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BY ALYSHA SCHERTZ, for BizTimes
iversification and innovation drive Kenosha-based ASYST Technologies LLC’s growth. The company manufactures components for the automotive industry. Previously, ASYST’s primary focus was exterior lighting components, but diversification into interior lighting components, automation and other markets have contributed to the company’s unprecedented success. ASYST recently added an additional 48,000-square-foot automation center across the street from its existing facility, and it has more than doubled the
number of employees since 2010, from 49 to 115 today. “In the last five years, we’ve grown a lot. We’ve more than doubled our physical space, and Hackenbracht our employees,” said Gerold Hackenbracht, president of ASYST. “We’ve experienced year-overyear growth in revenue, too.” From 2011 to 2015, the company has experienced more than 125 percent
ASYST TECHNOLOGIES MANUFACTURES AUTOMOTIVE COMPONENTS.
revenue growth. At ASYST, growth can also be measured by the number of machines in which the company has invested. In 2010, it had 11 molding machines; today, it has 30, according to Hackenbracht.
“Before we had a very strict strategy of finding a niche and then dominating it,” he said. “We developed really, really focused systems for the industry.” ASYST grew at a slow but steady pace. In 2010, the company expanded its fo-
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Johnson Bank proudly supports the KENOSHA AREA BUSINESS ALLIANCE, INC.
“Do what’s best for family, company and community. We are here to make a difference in this world.” -Helen Johnson-Leipold, Chairman of Johnson Financial Group
Embedded in our culture is a genuine sense of mission to make every community where we live and work better because we’re there. It’s a philosophy anchored in the philanthropic spirit of our founder and demonstrated in the way we do business and the individual actions of our associates. That is why we are proud to recognize the 2015 Kenosha County Business Excellence Award Winners: » Business of the Year - ASYST Technologies, LLC » Small Business of the Year - Specialized Accounting Services, LLC » Entrepreneur of the Year - Kurt Penn, Founder and CEO, Good Food Group, LLC » Fast Five - Hanna Cylinders, LLC; Kenall Manufacturing; Kenosha Kingfish Baseball Club; Mobile One/McTernan Wireless; Quest Products, Inc.
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cus to include additional components like insert moldings for electrical components used in the automotive industry, as well as injection molding components used in the medical field. “It’s been great for company growth,” Hackenbracht said. “Now, if the automotive industry takes a little dip like it did back in 2008, we have other products and industries to balance it out.” ASYST was formed in 1996 through a joint venture between EJOT Holding and ATF Inc. It moved from Illinois to Kenosha in 1998. Its new facility was completed in September, and houses the firm’s automation division. ASYST employs a staff of highly trained technical engineers to develop and maintain its own automation ma-
ASYST Technologies LLC Address: 5811 99th Ave., Kenosha Industry: Manufacturing Employees: 115 Website: www.asysttech.com
chines, as well as third party projects for other companies, including several in the southeast Wisconsin region, Hackenbracht said. The third party automation business employs approximately 12 people and brings in less than a quarter of the firm’s revenue – but the advantages are immense. “We have to realize that we cannot compete with wages in Mexico,” he said. “In Europe, the same is true. Because of
INJECTION MOLDING MACHINES AT ASYST.
that, we increase the level of automation in the plant.” Thanks to the automation division, ASYST has the capability to sell components and assemblies, and also continue to develop automation machines with-
out giving away knowledge of process or components. The company currently holds 17 U.S. patents, three European patents and one Japanese patent, and also holds the licensing rights for another 17 U.S. patents. n
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Kenosha County
BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS
Small Business of the Year
Specialized Accounting Services LLC
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pecialized Accounting Services prides itself on being an extension of your business and the community. The firm, based in Pleasant Prairie, specializes in payroll, accounting and tax services for clients, both locally and across the country. “What we’ve found is that a lot of these business owners need the help,” said Jamie Hogan, president of the firm. “There’s a lot more reporting requirements, and the need for assistance with those requirements exists, and is what has driven our growth to date.” Specialized Accounting Services works
with clients in nearly all 50 states from its Pleasant Prairie location. Clients range in size from $500,000 companies to mid-size $50 million businesses, HoHogan gan said. “Most are family-run, salt of the earth type people. We relate really well,” he said. Hogan founded the firm in 2008. Since 2012, Specialized Accounting has seen revenue growth of more than 200 percent, and recently acquired an ac-
BY ALYSHA SCHERTZ, for BizTimes
counting firm in Columbus, Ohio. “The acquisition was a good fit for us; we started the process in January and finalized everything in March,” Hogan said. The rest of the company’s growth has been organic and through word of mouth. Today, Specialized Accounting employs more than 60 people, and last October, relocated to a brand new 15,000-square-foot facility in Lakeview Corporate Park. “We’ve been growing very rapidly,” Hogan said. “The new facility has allowed us the ability to grow without the threat of running out of space.”
Specialized Accounting Services LLC Address: 10801 Corporate Drive, Suite 100,
Pleasant Prairie
Industry: Tax and accounting Employees: 60 Website:
www.specializedaccountingservicesllc.com
Previously, the firm was located in multiple offices and cordoned off by walls. The new location gives Specialized
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COSBE’s Executive Roundtable Forum presents Kenosha County
BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS The M&A Game
You can’t sit on the sidelines forever! Panel discussion and networking reception
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Hear from a buyer, seller, and key advisors who have learned what makes a winning transaction!
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Accounting an entire floor to grow into, located directly off the highway, he said. Hogan and SAS remain committed to Kenosha County, where the company was first founded. “We really enjoy this area,” Hogan said. “There’s great people here, and great talent to draw from.” The firm regularly works with area colleges and universities in its recruiting efforts, as well. SAS is involved in numerous outreach programs and generously contributes to several local organizations, including The Shalom Center, Intrepid Fallen Heroes 30
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Fund, and the Walkin’ In My Shoes Inc. outreach program. Hogan and his colleagues are also avid youth baseball and softball coaches and parents. Hogan expects similar growth moving forward. “Growth means opportunities,” he said. “We couldn’t do this without the employees and the staff that we have here. We have a great group of people that do great work serving our clients. Most of our growth has been through word of mouth and that’s really because of our team and the work they are doing to promote our business.” n
Kenosha County
BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS
Entrepreneur of the Year
Kurt Penn
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BY ALYSHA SCHERTZ, for BizTimes
fter college, Kurt Penn found a job in the food industry. It was the mid-’90s and the shift to clean and healthy eating was just beginning. Whole Foods began opening stores, and Penn saw an emergence in the industry. “I was shopping in those stores. I thought, what a great concept it was to be able to provide better choices and cleaner labels,” Penn said. Penn says he also recognized that the shelves in those stores had room for more product. He took his food background and experience and tried to fill that void in the marketplace.
Kurt Penn
Good Foods Group LLC Title: CEO and founder Address: 10100 88th Ave.,
Pleasant Prairie
Employees: 200 Website: www.goodfoods.com
KURT PENN, CEO AND FOUNDER OF GOOD FOODS GROUP.
A serial food entrepreneur was born. Penn founded Penn Valley Farms in 1994. The firm specialized in the creation of natural, organic chicken sausages and
deli products. He eventually sold the company to what is now Perdue Farms Inc. Penn was later introduced to high-
pressure processing, and brought the technology to his love for better, natural foods. “High-pressure processing was a newer technology to the food industry,” he
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Kenosha County
BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS
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ONE OF THE PRODUCTS MADE BY GOOD FOODS IS CHICKEN SALAD.
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said. “It felt to me, at the time, that it was the future of refrigerated foods. I wanted to deliver that to the consumer.” In 2007, Penn founded the Good Foods Group, a natural foods company that harnesses the power of HPP to produce chemical-free foods that don’t sacrifice flavor or quality. “We pride ourselves on the fact that our food is delicious, natural and healthy,” Penn said. Good Foods is currently running three shifts, and recently completed a 40,000-square-foot expansion of its Pleasant Prairie location. It’s one of the largest HPP manufacturing facilities in the world, and produces cold press juices, guacamoles, greek yogurt dips and salads, as well as Moe’s Southwest Grill and Chef Earl products. In order to support the company’s continued growth and increase efficiencies, Good Foods has invested in more HPP machines and other equipment. The firm N ovember 2 - 15, 2 015
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also has an additional five acres set aside for future expansion, Penn said. Penn continues to see opportunities for growth – both in the Good Foods brand of products and as more restaurant groups look to deliver higher quality products with cleaner ingredients. Penn sees opportunities for the company’s approach to nutrition and the HPP technology in the quick service markets, including schools, hospitals and airports. “Our goal is to provide consumers better choices, wherever they get food,” he said. Good Foods supports retail customers including Whole Foods, Roundy’s, Costco, Hyvee, Kroger and Target, among others, throughout the U.S. and Canada. “Our customers are all very important to us,” Penn said. “We’ve assembled a great team here at Good Foods. The people that are behind the scenes here are the ones who’ve really earned this honor. Our success is a direct result of the work they do.” n
FAST FIVE award winners Kenosha County
BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS Hanna Cylinders
Kenall Manufacturing
Industry: Manufacturing Address: 8901 102nd St., Pleasant Prairie Employees: 107 Website: www.hannacylinders.com
Industry: Manufacturing Address: 10200 55th St., Kenosha Employees: 550 Website: www.kenall.com
Quality, delivery and technical support have been the focus of Pleasant Prairie-based Hanna Cylinders since its founding. The company relocated to Pleasant Prairie in late 2013 from its former location in Libertyville, Ill. “Relocating an organization is a complicated process, but KABA helped to make the decision to move to Wisconsin clear,” said Kimball Bradley, president of Hanna Cylinders. “Manufacturing is difficult and needs to be supported by our local, state and federal government. Although we have only been in Wisconsin for a short period of time, the experience has been very favorable. We had many opportunities and it was a tough decision to make. We know that we made the right choice.” The company has experienced year-over-year revenue growth in the new facility. Upon relocation, Hanna Cylinders invested heavily in new machinery with the goal of reducing lead times and maximizing customer satisfaction.
“
BRADLEY
“We surprise our customers with our efficiency and willingness to go above and beyond and be a solution to their challenges,” Bradley said. “The business friendly environment that the state of Wisconsin, and specifically KABA, has created allows us to compete on a global level.” Hanna Cylinders was founded in 1901 and manufactures industrial grade tie-rod and custom engineered cylinders. The company specializes in being the complete source for virtually any heavy-duty pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder. “Our future growth will be driven by increasing our market share and expanding our product offering through research and development,” Bradley said.
Kenosha-based Kenall Manufacturing is on the fast track for growth and expansion, but the company is relatively new to the Kenosha area. The company, formerly headquartered in Gurnee, Ill., outgrew its existing facility and in April 2014 purchased 32 acres in the Business Park of Kenosha. Kenall manufactures high abuse lighting fixtures for use in difficult-to-light areas. According to Randy Hernandez, vice president of manufacturing operations at Kenall, the company polled its employees and made a strategic decision to remain close, but move 15 miles north to Kenosha. “Wisconsin and the Kenosha area was very businessoriented and extremely responsive in all respects,” Hernandez said. “We had a few locations to choose between, including some in northern Illinois, but ultimately decided on Kenosha.” Kenall constructed a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and began early production in the facility in November 2014. In January, the company’s executive team
HERNANDEZ
and headquarters relocated. A total of $25 million was spent on major investments in the facility, including a temperature-controlled plant and new welding and fabrication machines. The company also has an additional 13 acres on which to expand in the future. Kenall was founded in 1963 and started out creating the first impact- and vandal-resistant lighting products. Today, it is focused on providing advanced lighting systems for high abuse industries, including transportation, health care, food processing, and clean room and containment environments. The company’s product line includes innovations like the Indigo-Clean, a light fixture that reduces harmful bacteria. The company’s ability to meet the needs of an innovative market has driven its growth, Hernandez said.
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FAST FIVE award winners Kenosha County
BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS Kenosha Kingfish
Mobile One/McTernan Wireless
Industry: Sports and entertainment Address: 7817 Sheridan Road, Kenosha Employees: 10 Website: www.northwoodsleague.com/kenosha-kingfish
Industry: Mobile wireless technology Address: 2601 75th St., Kenosha Employees: 22 Website: www.mcternanwireless.com
The Kenosha Kingfish have only been playing for two seasons, but they’ve already captured the hearts of the Kenosha community. “The Kenosha community has been great. We wouldn’t be here without Kenosha, our sponsors and all the people involved in helping make this thing possible,” said Jake McGhee, general manager of Kenosha Baseball Club. The organization debuted in fall 2013 as part of the Northwoods League under the parent organization Big Top Baseball, which also oversees the Madison Mallards, Wisconsin Rapids Rafters, and Green Bay Bullfrogs. The team took over Simmons Field, and in partnership with the City of Kenosha, invested more than $1.5 million into the stadium. “The first season was incredibly successful,” McGhee said. “We averaged more fans per game than we had seats in the stadium.” The goal of the organization is to provide affordable,
KENOSHA KINGFISH
family-friendly fun for the Kenosha community. According to McGhee, sponsorships and ticket sales surpassed expectations the first year, and continued to grow in year two. The team sold out 30 of 33 games, McGhee said. And three were cancelled because of rain. The Kingfish will continue to make investments in the facility, and plan to continue to listen to fans. “Our fans know we’re listening,” McGhee said. The organization surveys attendees at the end of each season and responds accordingly, he said. The team plans to continue to make capital investments and add more sales and marketing employees. “What will never change is that we are a part of the community and remain affordable and family friendly,” McGhee said. “Every decision that we make, we make with our fans and supporters in mind, and if we continue to do that, we think we will be here for a very long time.”
Back in 1993, the McTernan family started selling “bag” and “car” phones to friends and family as a sideline to its computer consulting business. Today, co-owners Brian and Dan McTernan continue to grow the business. But back in 1993, Brian was attending Carthage College and Dan was still in grade school. “As the size of the phones and price for service shrunk, our clients increased rapidly,” said Brian McTernan, coowner. “We went from renting a small one-room office with ‘appointment only’ scheduling because I was in college and we rarely had walk-in customers, to owning two buildings and employing dozens of people really quickly.” Mobile One, located at 2529 75th St. in Kenosha, has more than doubled the size of its retail store and is an exclusive wireless agent for U.S. Cellular. McTernan Wireless, located at 2601 75th St. in Kenosha, provides IT consulting, and audio/visual installation and support, as well as wireless services for other big-name carriers. The growth of the business is based on two main prin-
MOBILE ONE ciples, according to Dan. “One, we are constantly investigating and training ourselves and our staff on the latest technologies; and two, and more importantly, we are constantly ranked as the best customer retention agency in the market,” he said. The McTernan brothers were born and raised in Kenosha. The family has been part of the business community for generations. Mobile One/McTernan Wireless regularly supports educational endeavors in the community and also employs several high school and college students on a part time basis. “(The students) learn several valuable lessons by working side-by-side with us and our customers in person, on the telephone, online and in their offices,” Brian said. The two feel confident that growth in the Kenosha market will remain strong. The company was recently named the preferred provider and installer of audiovisual equipment and services for Amazon’s massive fulfillment center operation in Kenosha.
Congratulations! from the strategic partners behind
Kenosha Kingfish
CCB Technology is proud to partner with the Kenosha Kingfish! Congratulations on recognition well deserved!
Thanks to our dedicated employees & loyal customers for their role in making this happen.
CCB TECHNOLOGY
Patrick Booth (80 0) 34 2-4222 • W W W. CCBTE CHNO LO G Y. C O M
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201 Recipie5 n Kenosht of Countya Busin Excelleess nc Award e
FAST FIVE award winners Kenosha County
BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS Quest Products Inc. Industry: Packaging and distribution Address: 8201 104th St., Pleasant Prairie Employees: 35 Website: www.questproductsinc.com
Congratulations to these dynamic companies and entrepreneurs! QUEST PRODUCTS
Let’s continue to celebrate growth in the Kenosha area throughout the year. Pleasant Prairie-based Quest Products Inc. recently celebrated its first anniversary in Kenosha County, and celebrated unprecedented growth in the process. Quest is a packaged consumer goods producer with 74 years of experience, specializing in retail, e-commerce and drop-ship distribution. The company offers a turnkey approach, and partners with most major chain and e-commerce retailers in the country including Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, CVS, Safeway, Best Buy and Amazon, among others. In October 2014, Quest moved its headquarters, assembling, packaging and warehousing operations to a brand new 44,100-square-foot facility in Pleasant Prairie. The company was previously located in Gurnee, Ill. “Kenosha County, KABA and Gov. (Scott) Walker were instrumental in Quest’s relocation,” said Mark Milliman, owner and partner of Quest Products. “Quest shares the
county’s pro-business mentality and we are very pleased with our investment in the county.” According to Milliman, the new facility is four times larger than its previous location and Quest has hired 20 percent more employees since relocating. The company has increased its focus on international markets and has expanded the business by 30 percent over the past two years. Quest Products has been named to Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 500 and Inc. 5000 lists for the fastest growing privately held companies for the past seven years. New products, brands and distribution continue to drive Quest’s growth, Milliman said. Since 2013, the company has increased its product SKU count from 2,500 to 7,500. Milliman expects 2016 to be the best revenue year in Quest’s history. The company is predicting double-digit growth in revenue, he said.
Thank you to our sponsors, Johnson Bank, Johnson Insurance, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, CliftonLarsonAllen and We Energies and our supporting sponsors, Black Diamond Asphalt, Catalyst Exhibits and CenterPoint Properties for their investments in the Kenosha area business community. Congratulations and best wishes for much continued success!
CCB Technology
Custom Feeder Company
(800) 342-4222 www.ccbtechnology.com
(815) 654-2444 www.customfeeder.com
Spectrum Investment Advisors, Inc.
TCF Commercial Bank
(800) 242-4735 www.spectruminvestor.com
(414) 351-8559 tcfbank.com/Commercial
Strategic Partner
DIRECTORY
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strategies Google Material Design.
LEFT: PHOTO COURTESY OF BROOKS STEVENS INC. ABOVE: PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE
plaints: computer applications. There’s an inherent gap between how computers work and what humans would naturally expect. Electrical products are difficult to understand by their very nature of being invisible, creating a steep learning curve for all of us visual learners. What’s even more intimidating is the fact that someone can do irreversible damage to a computer by clicking the wrong button. Despite the steep learning curve, computers and other digital applications are here to stay and are exponentially rising in number. It’s the job of the designer to figure out how to make digital applications user-friendly. Digital applications need to provide the user with a good experience: one that’s fun and easy to learn.
Common mistakes
Human-centered design in the experience economy
SOURCE: HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
Keep the user in mind
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s a society, we are flourishing. Every industrial revolution yields more economic prosperity than the last. The consumer class is growing, developing countries are getting richer, and the average lifespan continues to rise. Humans are less concerned about survival and more focused on pleasure.
The experience economy Joseph Pine writes in the Harvard Business Review that “experiences have emerged as the next step in what we call the progression of economic value. From now on, leading edge companies – whether they sell to consumers or businesses – will find that the next competitive battleground lies in staging experiences.” This means that services are now also becoming commodities, thus competing on price and sacrificing margins in the process. To remain competitive, it’s even more important than ever to design products or services to fit the customer’s specific needs. This involves connecting with your customers on an emotional level by providing the best experience possible – or, at least, 36
better than your competitors.
User experience in product design
JESSE DEPINTO
Experiences don’t have to come from Disney World or Hollywood. Most products still provide the user with an experience, whether it be good or bad. Intuitive products generally delight us because they give us one less thing to think about in our chaotic lives. Our lives are flooded with new widgets every day, each of them requiring their own unique learning curve. Picking up a remote that doesn’t turn on the TV when you click the “on” button doesn’t feel good, especially after a long day of dealing with products and people around the office that don’t do their jobs either. It’s not your fault for not understanding the TV remote, it’s the TV remote designer’s fault for not understanding you. George Konstantakis, president of Wisconsin’s iconic design firm Brooks Stevens, says companies like Google and Apple are able to disrupt competition because they “find the right balance between B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e
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desirability, viability and feasibility.” To design products that provide great experiences, it’s essential to understand the user as much as possible. It’s not enough to place the buttons on the TV remote all within reach of an average male’s thumb; designers must also consider what’s in his head at the time of product use. Is he watching TV while he eats dinner with his right hand? Does he have a second TV with different controls that he also has to learn? Does he even use this remote for anything other than power and volume?
Digital experiences There appears to be one distinct group of products that owns a disproportionate amount of bad user experience com-
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A common problem found in product development of digital applications is that engineers and programmers are commonly tasked with designing the interface. After all, they’re the ones coding the interface, right? Wrong. Engineers generally aren’t good designers; they’re not supposed to be. They’re so tech savvy and so ingrained in the product that they don’t have the mental capacity to consider how non-tech savvy users might interact with their product. Other digital products fail by having too many features. This is especially true with mass-market products. The various user groups all have different needs, yet the designer was tasked with creating a one-sizefits-all application. The number of different user groups is typically proportional to the number of features needed. Additionally, the number of different features is typically proportional to the complexity and learning curve of the product. One-size-fits-all approaches end up fitting nobody. One last common pitfall is choosing aesthetics over usability. Graphic designers are also often tasked with designing user interfaces for digital products; their job is typically to make the product look nice on the shelves and in magazines. Just like any other job, experience matters. The job market is booming with newly created positions for UI/UX (user interface/user experience) designers. These designers are often re-tooled graphic designers who focus on the overall experience of the digital product. Kate Pociask, local independent UI/ UX consultant, says that for those “looking to learn more and learn quickly about UI .......................... DEPINTO continued on page 38
strategies for solutions and buy-in When we lead with our ego strength and intuitive knowing, we are able to consciously feel our anxiety and slow down to engage others. We understand that our anxiety is simply telling us something needs to change. When we express our concern in a problem statement to the stakeholders in the form of a collaborative question like, “How might we solve x?” we engage others in a mindful awareness of the concern and an ownership in discovering solutions to address the problem at hand. When others are engaged early on in the awareness, and contribute in the solution process, not only do you yield the best ideas, but you also get the buy-in needed to carry the ideas through to reach success. It takes ego strength to face the truth and believe the collective intelligence of the group has the intuitive knowing to find the best solution.
Keep calm and collaborate Engage with others to solve problems
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s an executive coach, I see how many leaders tell their employees what the goals are and expect them to meet them in the way they deem as “right” in the timing they want. While they often tell me they don’t micro-manage the details on how their employees get to the results, they will admit they jump in when it seems as though the timing is not unfolding as they hoped, or their employees are not approaching the situations the way they would’ve done it. While they do not see this as micromanaging, they are operating from an unconscious fear, masked in the big ego, who jumps in to take control and “save the day.” This produces a fear-based little ego mindset in their employees that makes them eventually believe they are not good enough to contribute. It is very difficult to create success from these mindsets, so let’s explore them in contrast to the leader who leads with ego strength and intuitive knowing:
Leadership mindsets:
1. Leading with our big ego:
Driving results for success
When we operate from our big ego, we believe: “If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me!” As a result of our belief that we are responsible for the outcome and have all the right answers, we lead the drive to results in the way we deem as best. When things don’t unfold as we believe they ought to, in the timing we deem as “right,” we begin to push hard to control the outcome. We begin to tell people what to do, and our EGO begins to Edge the Group Out, as we take more control. Our big EGO does not see any other way to deal with our unconscious anxiety regarding achieving results. We feel righteous in taking control, as we judge others as “inadequate.” What we do not realize is we did not adequately collaborate over the goals, problem statement at hand, strategies, and timeline before execution of the plan. While we judge them as having a competency issue, it is really our lack of a collaborative approach that is the problem. w w w.biztimes.com
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SUSAN W EHRLEY LEADERSHIP 2. Leading with our little ego:
Suppressing our impact As the old saying goes: “Nobody can make us feel a certain way without our permission!” Those who operate from their little EGO tend to Edge their Greatest self Out by giving their power and voice away to those with stronger opinions or more authority. Instead of taking a passive stance when approached by authority with a strong direction, ask, “How might we engage all stakeholders in solving this problem before we take action, so WE can explore all possibilities before we execute?” Be sure to ask this collaborative problem-solving question and contribute ideas as well, no matter what your position. 3. Leading with ego strength and intuitive knowing: Engaging others
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One may think, “Why don’t most people operate from their ego strength and intuitive knowing?” The answer is simple: Anxiety makes us believe we do not have time to slow down and breathe, yet solve the problem with others. While it may not be a true emergency at hand, our lizard brain believes a big roaring lion just entered our cave and we better hurry up and kill it. Leaders with strong executive skills have learned the tricks to surpass this impulsive urge to purge into the situation like a crazy hunter with a machine gun ready to fire off at the enemy at hand.
Challenge: To improve your ego strength and intuitive knowing, remember: Practice makes perfect! Next time your anxiety makes you believe a roaring lion just entered your cave, just breathe, step back, and see that it is likely just a mouse with a microphone. Now, realize you have time to create a problem-solving statement and engage others in the solution. Trusting the collective consciousness of all will yield the right solution to lead you to success! n Susan K. Wehrley is an executive coach and strategic consultant. She is also an author of six empowerment books including her new release, “EGO at Work.” You can learn more about her at www.solutionsbysusan.com and www.BIZremedies.com. She can be reached at (414) 5810449 or by email at susan@solutionsbysusan.com
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strategies
Organic growth
The Secret Garden blossoms in Mequon
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mong the giant landscape companies in Milwaukee and Ozaukee counties there was a sapling that took root. That sapling has grown and matured, and this year, The Secret Garden celebrated its 21st anniversary. Its operations began in 1994 with an initial focus on garden maintenance and small landscape installations. Mike Bohlen, the founder, felt the time was right. The market at that time was strong and there was a niche to be filled. He and his staff of professionals continually strive to provide the highest quality garden construction and maintenance products and services to their customers. Their goal was to cultivate long-lasting professional relationships with their clients while maintaining their properties. Over the years, The Secret Garden has won multiple awards for residential landscape design and construction from the Wisconsin Landscape Contractors Association. Its employees have worked hard to cultivate its niche in residential renovations, while expanding into new home landscape installations. Recently, The Secret Garden completed the construction of a new shop/office in Mequon which has improved efficiencies and employee morale; in addition, it improved its vis38
ibility in the community. It is now positioned to branch out and grow. Prior to the founding of The Secret Garden, Mike Bohlen worked for a renowned landscape contractor who instilled in him a design sense and a great attention to detail. Mike’s ultimate goal has always been to enhance the emotional and physical living environment of his clients. He has always had a passion for gardens— both the structure and living components. His desire was to bring that passion to his clients by creating and maintaining beautiful and functional outdoor spaces at their homes and businesses. Over the first five years, The Secret Garden staff expanded to three crews and developed a stronger presence in larger residential design/install projects. It currently operates six crews during the peak season, three maintenance crews and three construction crews. In recent years, it has added tree/shrub pruning services, snow removal services, and landscape and holiday lighting. The Secret Garden’s growth has been a challenge because Bohlen did not want to sacrifice quality. Finding and hiring qualified staff has also been an ongoing challenge. The Secret Garden has elected the organic growth strategy over the alternatives B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e
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CARY SILVERSTEIN GROWTH of merger or acquisition. This strategy has allowed it to experience controlled, rather than rapid uncontrolled, growth. It has fine-tuned its staff, its processes, and DEPINTO................................. from page 36
and UX design, I think the fastest way is to read design standards. For example, Google came out with Material Design in June 2014, and you can see in the visual and verbal language that they’re emulating paper. Literal paper.”
Moving forward As our world increasingly moves online, it’s essential that companies consider the experience of their customers on the other end of the screen. People will continue gravitating toward products and services that better serve their specific needs and provide
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standard operating procedures to ensure it maintains a high level of quality. This controlled rate of growth allowed leaders to instill their values and culture in their staff, as well as develop a clearly defined organizational chart. The company’s greatest strength continues to be its team of motivated managers, foremen and technicians, many with multiple landscape certifications and licenses. This team regularly produces referrals by delivering “white glove” service, quality products and creative solutions its customers need. Customer referrals are its primary source of new business. The seasonality of its business will continue to be a major challenge, specifically in the winter months. In response to this challenge, The Secret Garden has elected to move into counter-seasonal services, such as snow removal, roof raking and holiday decorating, to fill that void. In order to continue to grow the business over the next five years, new strategies will need to be developed, vetted and implemented. The Secret Garden’s success is based on its strategy of controlled growth supported by a high level of customer service and a team of experienced and well-motivated employees. Mike and his staff consult regularly with their customers from the design stage to the installation of their trees, shrubs and plants, which are sourced from the finest local growers. The owner and his manager both regularly interact with their landscape and maintenance teams to ensure a high level of quality. n Cary Silverstein, MBA, is the president of SMA LLC and The Negotiating Edge.
memorable experiences. As social creatures, we will always appreciate people and products that connect with us on an emotional level. The digital age will continue transforming the way we can live, work and socialize; forward-thinking companies will learn to capitalize on this new currency to continue driving profits. n Jesse DePinto is a Milwaukee-based serial entrepreneur and business technology consultant. His company, Tosa Labs, helps clients optimize manufacturing efficiency via Internet-connected monitoring equipment. You can connect with him via email at jesse@tosalabs.com, via cell phone at (937) 829-3720, or via social media at LinkedIn.com/in/JesseDePinto or Twitter.com/JesseDePinto.
strategies
Say thanks
Employees deserve recognition for a job well done
H
ere in Florida, it is a warm sunny day. My friends from above the Mason-Dixon Line talk about raking leaves and stashing up fireplace wood. One thing we all converse about at this time of year is the upcoming holidays. I have always especially liked Thanksgiving. No gifts involved. Gathering around a table laden with great food, a mix of traditional and new recipes, family members and good friends together, expressing gratitude for life, love and certainly the laughter we share around that table. Of course, gratitude belongs at the table every day. And at work, giving thanks for a job well done might be the most important part of a leader’s communication with employees. More than a paycheck or a promotion, employees want recognition from the boss when they’ve done well. Everyone wants – and needs – acknowledgement from the leader in order to keep motivated and productive. Seems like common sense, this acknowledging good work. And for some personality types it does come naturally and just rolls off the tongue at all the right times. What gets complicated is that we have different levels of skill in acknowledging the contributions of associates. We have different levels of skill in even observing those contributions. Some leaders assume that good work is the expectation anyway, so who needs
a special thank you. “If he’s looking for recognition, he had better go way above and beyond his job responsibilities.” To complicate it further, our employees respond in their own ways to recognition. So a thank you expressed out loud at a team meeting may touch the heart of one employee perfectly, and another person may rather have a root canal than be singled out that way. One on your team may be delighted to accept a gift certifi-
learning how to serve as an effective leader for the new person. “How can I best manage your work?” All of those questions are building blocks for creating a solid relationship with mutual respect and appreciation – the kind of relationship that drives you both to give your best to the goals of the organization. Once, I was coaching an executive for a large corporation. In this company, bosses reviewed their direct reports and their di-
“ More than a paycheck or a promotion, employees want recognition from the boss when they’ve done well.” cate for dinner in a posh restaurant, and another may think, “How impersonal. Can’t she even come into my office for five minutes and thank me?” There is no universal method for giving recognition to associates. Early on, perhaps during the interview process, but certainly during the first week the employee is on board, it is time to ask the question. “When I want to recognize you for a contribution you’ve made around here, what is the best way for me to do that?” This probing is part of the conversation you have while you’re
rect reports reviewed them. Cool idea, I think. At any rate, this one I was coaching was getting flack from the 200 people he supervised. He was being called insensitive, aloof, uncaring. Many were saying “I just fill a slot for him. He doesn’t even remember my first name.” Things like that. The client himself (smart as a whip and very reserved in nature) sat in an office looking out through glass windows at the huge space where these 200 associates worked at their desks. He was frustrated with the bad reviews, but couldn’t imagine a closer relationship with so many
JO GO R IS S EN MANAGEMENT people. He rarely even walked among their cubicles and it was true, he didn’t remember most of their names. He did have one assistant who loved social interaction and was very skilled at it. So together, they developed a plan where the assistant would keep him apprised of events in the lives of the 200 reports and he, the boss, would practice walking out among them and acknowledging their contributions. The assistant also told him of the three touchdowns made by the son of one of his reports, or that one had a grandmother turning 100 years old. Stuff like that. The client got more comfortable each week with all the associates and began to enjoy connecting with them with a sincere thank you, a personal touch. You could absolutely sense the difference that made in the environment. So, giving thanks. Can’t do it enough. It is never too late. I am grateful as can be to you who read my column, including those of you who send me comments. You are appreciated, very much. n Jo Gorissen is a certified transition coach and a former Milwaukee resident. She can be reached at jgorissen1@gmail.com.
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biz connections CA L E NDAR
NONPROFIT DIRECTORY
ACG Wisconsin will host its Growth Leadership and Human Capital Conference on Monday, Nov. 9, from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The conference offers advice and perspectives on corporate growth, recruiting and retention, and leadership and talent development from executives and national experts, along with robust networking among top business talent. Robert O’Neill of SEAL Team Six is a featured speaker. Cost is $275 and includes lunch, beer and wine. For more information or to register, visit www.acg.org/wisconsin/glhcconference2015.aspx.
SPOTLIGHT
SCORE SE Wisconsin will host How to Create a Marketing Plan on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 9 a.m. to noon at Ottawa University, 245 S. Executive Drive, Suite 110, Brookfield. The class will cover developing a comprehensive marketing plan to sell more to existing customers and attract new customers. Cost is $35, and $20 for each additional person. For more information or to register, visit bit.ly/1NkUsYS. The Medical College of Wisconsin Digestive Disease Center will host its 2015 Healthcare Dinner on Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 6 to 9 p.m. at The Pfister Hotel, 424 E. Wisconsin Ave. in Milwaukee. The Center’s goal is to eradicate digestive diseases and their economic impact through research. The event will raise awareness and funds for the Center. A variety of sponsorship levels are available. For more information or to register, visit bit.ly/1W1yQ69. FaB Wisconsin will host its second annual All Member Meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, 1700 W. Fond du Lac Ave. in Milwaukee. Ted Balistreri, owner of Sendik’s, will moderate a panel that includes Will Allen, founder of Growing Power, and Adam Siegel, corporate chef of The Bartolotta Restaurants. Cost is $85 and includes light appetizers, light dinner and beverages. For more information See the complete calendar of or to register, visit web.mmac.org/events upcoming events & meetings.
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BIZ NO T ES Wisconsin State Fair The Wisconsin State Fair was named “2015 Fair of the Year” at the 45th Annual International Entertainment Buyers Association Conference in Nashville, Tenn. This was the first time the Wisconsin State Fair had been nominated. The top attended concerts held at the Main Stage, presented by Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, during the 2015 fair included Boston, Jason Derulo, Lee Brice with Chris Young and Casting Crowns. The fair also featured Nik Wallenda, “King of the High Wire,” who completed his longest walk ever high above the Milwaukee Mile Speedway. The 2015 Wisconsin State Fair, presented by U.S. Cellular, took place from Aug. 6 to 16, and welcomed 1,033,053 visitors. The 2016 event is scheduled for Aug. 4 to 14.
Fitness Revolution Brookfield Fitness Revolution Brookfield received a “Best of 2015” award from Thumbtack.com, a nationwide online service that helps consumers find professional service providers and post reviews about their experiences. Fitness Revolution Brookfield received 11 five-star reviews in four months on Thumbtack.com, leading to the “Best of 2015” recognition. “Personal trainers” is among hundreds of site categories covering home, personal and business services. “We are extremely honored by this recognition from Thumbtack.com, but most of all thrilled because it’s based entirely on reviews from our cli-
ents,” said owner Jeremy Belter. “Our approach to fitness has always been a partnership. It’s a simple formula: Our clients’ success is our success.”
Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. received two Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the International Economic Development Council – one for Sustainable and Green Development and the other for a Special Purpose Website. The awards were announced at a ceremony on Oct. 6 during the 2015 IEDC Annual Conference in Anchorage, Alaska. Entrants were categorized by population, with WEDC earning honors in the “greater than 500,000” category. WEDC shares its Silver Award for Sustainable and Green Development with the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership for the Wisconsin Profitable Sustainability Initiative, a program that helps small and mid-size manufacturers achieve a range of economic, social and environmental benefits through the implementation of sustainable business practices. WEDC’s Bronze Award in the category of Special Purpose Website recognized the Happening. In.Wisconsin.com website, which is dedicated to raising awareness of – and interest in – Wisconsin’s culture of innovation and the new solutions that entrepreneurs in the state are developing to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
To have your business briefs published in a future issue of BizTimes Milwaukee send announcements to briefs@biztimes.com.
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Milwaukee Film
229 E. Wisconsin Ave., #200, Milwaukee 414-755-1965 | mkefilm.org Year founded: 2008 Mission statement: Film can entertain, educate, and empower. It can bring change on levels both intimate and epic. And it’s at its best as a communal viewing experience, with the best possible sound and projection. As a nonprofit cultural institution, Milwaukee Film’s mission is to communicate all of this to the city that we love, in a way that is both true and unique to Milwaukee. Primary focus: 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, teaching the role and power of film in the modern media landscape; to provide strategic support to filmmakers and projects; to do our part to make better the city that has made us better. Other focuses: The Milwaukee Film Festival is more than the sum of its screenings. With the critical engagement of community partners and sponsors, we embrace, inspire, and actively foster robust experiences beyond the cinema. The Milwaukee Film Festival strives to entertain, educate and empower our community. Number of employees at this location: 15 Key donors: Donna and Donald Baumgartner; Herzfeld Foundation; Marianne and Sheldon Lubar; Allan H. (Bud) and Suzanne L. Selig; Argosy Foundation; The Heil Family Foundation; Christine Symchych and Jim McNulty; and David & Julia Uihlein Charitable Foundation. Executive leadership: »» Jonathan Jackson, artistic and executive director
Board of directors: »» Chris Abele, Milwaukee County executive, past president
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»» John Bania, Johnson Controls Inc., vice co-chair »» Donna Baumgartner, community support and arts patron »» Tina Chang, SysLogic »» Dr. Robert Davis, Zoological Society of Milwaukee »» Michael Drescher, Okanjo »» Karen Ellenbecker, Ellenbecker Investment Group Inc. »» Jeff Fitzsimmons, HarQen »» Alexander Fraser, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, president-elect, governance vice co-chair and secretary »» Cecelia Gore, Brewers Community Foundation »» Bill Haberman, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP and Herzfeld Foundation, finance vice co-chair and past president »» Carmen Haberman, Herzfeld Foundation »» Susan Haise, Neroli Salon & Spa and The Institute of Beauty & Wellness »» Katie Heil, Heil Family Foundation »» Patti Keating Kahn, Colby Abbot & Railway Exchange buildings, education vice co-chair »» Michael Klein, Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. »» Tracey Klein, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c., president »» Kenneth Krei, FIS Global, governance vice co-chair »» Mary Ann LaBahn, JPMorgan Chase (retired) »» Alexander Lasry, Milwaukee Bucks »» Steve Laughlin, Laughlin Constable, strategic planning vice co-chair and past president »» Emilia Layden, Haggerty Museum of Art, education vice co-chair »» Marianne Lubar, community volunteer, strategic planning vice co-chair »» Sara Meaney, BVK, development vice co-chair »» Steve Mech, CSA Commercial »» Barry Poltermann, About Face Media »» Bob Pothier, Partners in Leadership Inc. and Hapacus »» Joseph Rock, KPMG, finance vice co-chair and treasurer »» Dave Stamm, Stamm Technologies and Stamm Media »» Julia Taylor, Greater Milwaukee Committee »» John Utz, Associated Bank »» Emeritus members: »» Tom Barrett, mayor of Milwaukee »» Jacqueline Strayer
biz connections PER SO NNE L F I L E
Send new hire and promotion announcements to personnel@biztimes.com
honey has more than 30 years of experience in financial services and has worked for Johnson Bank since 1995. Prior to his promotion, he worked as regional president, Racine and Kenosha, for more than 15 years.
■ Architecture
Shlensky Brice
Wogsland Milwaukee-based Continuum Architects + Planners S.C. has added associate Wes Brice and architects
Heather Wogsland and Conlynn Goetsch. Goetsch
■ Banking & Finance Michael Shlensky has been appointed senior vice president – Retirement Plan Services Manager at Johnson Bank. Shlensky will be located at Johnson Bank’s headquarters in Racine. He will be responsible for strategic growth and development of the retirement
Beronja
plan services business. Shlensky comes to Johnson Bank with more than 30 years of experience in retirement and institutional trust services. Johnson Bank has also named Mahoney Kurt Beronja senior vice president – Financial Planning Practice Manager. Beronja will be located at Johnson Bank’s headquarters in Racine and will be responsible for Corporate Financial Planning. He will also work closely with Johnson Investment Services. He has 29 years of experience in financial services. Additionally, Johnson Bank has promoted Thomas Mahoney to director of mortgage banking for the bank throughout Wisconsin and Arizona. Ma-
Burow
Zerman
Associated Bank has hired Michael Burow as senior vice president, audit director, Regulatory Compliance, in Milwaukee. Burow previously was senior vice president, Risk Management and Internal Audit, at Guaranty Bank. In his new position, he will handle management and oversight of the enterprise-wide regulatory compliance audit program, including consumer compliance, operations compliance, AML/BSA compliance, and mortgage lending and servicing functions. Associated Bank has also promoted Kevin Zerman to senior vice president, director of consumer and commercial banking.
Zerman has 20 years of project management experience specific to engineering, information technology and marketing. In his elevated role, he will guide a team of project managers who focus on IT-related residential lending, payments and direct channels, branch banking, commercial banking, and strategy and support projects. He will work to cultivate the talent of the project management team and head IT project portfolio prioritization within the Consumer and Commercial Banking division. Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. has added Brian Nethery as senior vice president, financial advisor to its Mequon wealth management office. Nethery has more than 15 years of financial services experience. Prior to joining Baird, he worked as an investment executive for Stifel for eight years. Charter Capital Management Inc. of Wauwatosa has welcomed Chris Beidel to its Retirement Plan Advisory Services Division. Beidel will work to provide complete retirement
Presents:
Take your business to The Next Stage. Gain insights for growing your business. December 3, 2015 | 7:30-9:30am | Potawatomi Hotel & Casino
Optimizing Performance through Strategic Business Alignment
Keynote speaker:
As a business leader, you have set high expectations for yourself and the business. You often see with clarity the opportunities, while at the same time might question your organization’s resolve to achieve. You’ve see initiatives start fast and furious, only to see them fizzle, flounder, and ultimately fail to achieve the desired outcome. Does this sound familiar?
Weitzer currently serves as the dean of the Center for Business Performance Solutions providing leadership in the execution of its strategic plan to provide relevant and impactful services that support economic development in the region.
Join other business owners and CEOs to learn how to cut back to accomplish more.
Joseph Weitzer, Ph.D. Dean, Center for Business Performance Solutions Waukesha County Technical College
Following the keynote presentation a panel of business leaders will provide you with advice and real-world experience on how they focused on less to accomplish more within their own firms.
Panelists:
Sponsors:
Mary E. Isbister, President, GenMet Corp. Mitch Weckop, CEO, Skyline Technologies
Check online for additional information | biztimes.com/nextstage
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biz connections PER SO NNE L F I L E plan advisory services to small and mid-sized businesses in the region.
■ Building & Construction Dan Koutecky of Waukesha-based Floorcare USA Inc. has been promoted to technical sales. Koutecky is a 14year veteran of the painting and concrete coating industry, having spent the last 12 years with Floorcare USA in various roles with the installation team. In his new technical sales role, Koutecky will help clients make the right decisions for their industrial and decorative concrete flooring needs.
■ Consulting Addison-Clifton LLC, headquartered in Brookfield, has hired Roger Rangarajan as a senior advisor in its Trade Compliance and Asia Market Services groups. Rangarajan has more than 30 years of experience in product integrity engineering.
■ Education Scott Rudie has been
Rudie
named the new senior director for university marketing and communications at Mount Mary University, located in Milwaukee. Rudie’s responsibilities include managing the
Send new hire and promotion announcements to personnel@biztimes.com
■ Legal Services
university’s Marketing and Communications team, developing strategic communications and marketing programs to build the university’s image regionally, and providing project management leadership in the development and implementation of brand imaging and overall communications. Milwaukee School of Engineering has named Jo Smith director of financial services.
Smith
■ Engineering Lynch & AssociatesEngineering Consultants LLC has added Michael Doble to its New Berlin office as director of land development. Doble is a registered professional civil engineer and has more than 20 years of experience in site development, subdivision consulting and building design. In his new role, he will oversee a team of project planners, surveyors, project engineers and drafting technicians.
■ Environmental Menomonee Falls-based EnSync Inc. has appointed Jim Schott chief financial offer. Schott has experience in accounting, finance, and investor and analyst relations. He also has operations experience with energy companies, including WEC Energy Group and Integrys Energy Group. Prior to joining EnSync, Schott worked as executive vice president and chief
Schott
Whisman
financial officer of Integrys Energy Group. In his new position, he will head the company’s finance and accounting activities and will also run its investor relations function. EnSync has also appointed Rick Whisman vice president, sales. Whisman has spent much of his career working in solar project development. Prior to his appointment at EnSync, he launched Sol Patch Resources, a California-based solar project development company.
Rogers Memorial Hospital-West Allis has named Dr. Khazi Muqeet medical director. In this leadership capacity, Muqeet will oversee clinical services facilitated at the West Allis site and the partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs at Rogers’ Kenosha site. Muqeet is board certified in adult and forensic psychiatry and largely focuses on treating major mental illnesses and addiction. He completed bachelor degrees in medicine and surgery, a psychiatry residency and fellowship in forensic psychiatry at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he also served as chief resident. Additionally, Muqeet fulfilled a second residency program and worked as chief resident in the North Wales Psychiatry residence program in the United Kingdom.
Titan Spine
panel of spine surgeons from around the country.
designed office space still in use today.
Titan Spine LLC, a medical device surface technology company based in Mequon, was recognized as a winner of Orthopedics This Week’s 2015 Spine Technology Awards in the biomaterials and biologics category. Furthermore, Titan Spine’s nanoLOCK surface technology, the only FDA-cleared nanotechnology for the spine, scored highest of all products submitted. The nanoLOCK surface technology was awarded the Spine Technology Award as it met several criteria, including creativity and innovation; longterm significance to the problem of treating spinal diseases; providing a solution to a current clinical problem; potential to improve the standard of care; cost-effectiveness; and consumer attractiveness. These criteria are then adjudicated by a
SC Johnson
St. Ann Center
Racine-based SC Johnson was awarded a 2015 Wright Spirit Award on Oct. 3 by the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy. The manufacturer was selected for its commitment to preserving its signature Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings, including the restoration and opening to the public of its Research Tower, as well as its continued commitment to creating important architectural works. The first building Wright designed for the Johnson company was the Administration Building, which opened in 1939, followed by the Research Tower, which opened in 1950. The Administration Building is the only Wright-
St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care will provide dental care services in a clinic at its new facility – currently under construction – with a $150,000 grant from Delta Dental of Wisconsin. The nonprofit organization, which delivers health and educational services for children, adults, the elderly and individuals with disabilities, could also secure another $50,000 from Delta Dental of Wisconsin if it is able to match donations. Funds stem from Delta Dental of Wisconsin’s Charitable Fund. St. Ann Center’s new facility, located at North 25th Street and West North Avenue in Milwaukee, will likely open early next year.
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■ Manufacturing
■ Health Care
BIZ NO T ES
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Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C. has added Leslie Gutierrez to its Litigation Practice Group. Gutierrez is an attorney in the Milwaukee office of WHD, where she is a member of the Business & Commercial Litigation, Trust, Estate & Fiduciary Litigation, and Construction Services teams.
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Madsen
Schindler
TLX Technologies LLC, of Pewaukee, has promoted Jessica Madsen to quality assistant. Madsen will assist in the inventory and quality control of incoming material and parts. The company also promoted Boyd Schindler to head up the engineering department. In his new role, Schindler will lead the team of design and manufacturing engineers as they develop custom actuators and valves for the automotive and industrial markets.
■ Nonprofit
Halverson
Mallo
Grayson
Schneider
The American Lung Association in Wisconsin, located in Brookfield, has promoted four staff members. The organization recently promoted Katie Halverson to manager, tobacco control and lung health; Renee Mallo to manager, tobacco control, FACT Movement; Deborah Grayson to manager, smoke free multi-unit housing; and Keri Schneider to senior manager, tobacco control.
biz connections SBA L O ANS The following loan guarantees were approved in September by the U.S. Small Business Administration:
DML Grinding Services LLC, 2234 Northwestern Ave., Racine, $50,000, Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp.;
Jefferson County
Eagle Disposal Inc., 21107 Omega Circle, Franksville, $618,800; First Bank Financial Centre;
Rock River Laboratory Inc., 710 Commerce Drive, Watertown, $100,000, First Bank Financial Centre;
Geneva Healthcare LLC, 826 Mohr Ave., Waterford, $88,000, Associated Bank; Geneva Healthcare LLC, 826 Mohr Ave., Waterford, $25,000, Associated Bank;
Spoel Equipment Leasing Inc., Industrial Drive, Ixonia, $675,000, Waukesha State Bank;
Sound Decision Productions LLC, 521 Main St., Waterford, $30,000, Citizens Bank;
Milwaukee County
Sheboygan County
Bamboo Door Inc., 6502 W. North Ave., Milwaukee, $139,000, Spring Bank;
Tomsons of Appleton Inc., 5533 Superior Ave., Sheboygan, $1,243,000, Great Lakes Asset Corp.;
Barre Co. of Wisconsin LLC, 2121 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., #5, Milwaukee, $70,000, Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp.;
Walworth County
Cybar & Grill LLC, 823 N. Plankinton Ave., Milwaukee, $130,000, Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp.; George Watts & Son, 761 N. Jefferson St., Milwaukee, $100,000, Tri City National Bank;
Nick’s Upholstery Inc., 543 Valley View Drive, Fontana, $145,000, BMO Harris Bank;
Washington County Advanced Focus Eyecare LLC, 1116 N. Main St., West Bend, $263,000, Vision One Credit Union;
Greer Real Estate LLC, 2670-78 N. Holton St., Milwaukee, $181,600, Waukesha State Bank;
Something Borrowed and More LLC, 1239 Highway 175, Hubertus, $25,000, U.S. Bank;
Ian’s Pizza Milwaukee LLC, 2035 E. North Ave., Milwaukee, $315,000, BMO Harris Bank;
Waukesha County
Just Name It, 6745 S. 20th St., Oak Creek, $10,000, Wells Fargo Bank; Laser Tag Pro Inc., 4260 S. 76th St., Suite L, Milwaukee, $100,000, JPMorgan Chase Bank; ME-N-TE LLC, 1329 S. 70th St., West Allis, $50,000, Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp.; Piedmont Property Corp., 2461 S. St. Clair St., Milwaukee, $342,000, Ridgestone Bank; ProPRcopy LLC, 544 E. Ogden Ave. #700120, Milwaukee, $35,000, Park Bank; Rheumatology and Immunotherapy Center LLC, 4225 W. Oakwood Park Court, Franklin, $50,000, Live Oak Banking Company; Satisfaction Plus LLC, 5270 W. Clinton Ave., Milwaukee, $122,000, First Bank Financial Centre; Trini-Dad’s Child Development Center LLC, 4161 S. 76th St., Greenfield, $61,000, Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp.; Wisconsin Lifting Specialists Inc., 2001201 S. 37th St., West Milwaukee, $662,000, Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp.;
Ozaukee County ARZ Machining LLC, 752 Beech St., Grafton, $75,000, First Bank Financial Centre;
Racine County 151 South Millgate LLC, 151 S. Millgate Drive, Rochester, $2,490,800, Waukesha State Bank; Altus Vinyl LLC, 2334 Northwestern Ave., Racine, $300,000, U.S. Bank;
AEC Guardian LLC, 2738 Heritage Drive, Delafield, $40,000, First Bank Financial Centre; Bret Achtenhagen’s Seasonal Services Ltd., W336 S8510 Highway E, Mukwonago, $75,000, First Bank Financial Centre;
Muehlius Enterprises Inc., 2444 N. Grandview Blvd., Waukesha, $49,500, Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp.; Ove Water Services Inc., S53 W31165 Old Village Road, Mukwonago, $550,000, Alterra Bank; Perseverance Properties LLC, N82 W15485 Appleton Ave., Menomonee Falls, $1,061,000, Northeast Bank; Polyak Trucking, 5431 N. 131st
St., Butler, $312,000, Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp.; Raised Grain Brewing Company LLC, 2244 W. Bluemound Road, Waukesha, $50,000, U.S. Bank; The Wool Bed Company, N1237 Franklin Road, Oconomowoc, $25,000, Ixonia Bank; Wiscofit LLC, 1800 W. Bluemound Road, Brookfield, $150,000, Village Bank and Trust; WJHJR Inc., 19167 Main St. W, Lannon, $17,000, U.S. Bank.
“Leadership on the Edge”
Buss Group LLC, W127 S9616 Scott Krause Court, Muskego, $150,000, Bank First National; Dynamic Auto Works LLC, 422 S. Lapham St., Oconomowoc, $28,600, First Bank Financial Centre; Farrow & Associates LLC, W156 N8278 Pilgrim Road, Menomonee Falls, $110,000, Cornerstone Community Bank; Focus Floorings LLC, W314 N7642, Highway 83, Hartland, $10,000, Associated Bank Greenworks Interior Plant Services LLC, 2345 Commerce Drive, New Berlin, $50,000, Spring Bank; Hitching Post Holdings LLC, N44 W32910 Watertown Plank Road, Nashotah, $385,000, First Bank Financial Centre; JAVA-ABM Inc., 1916 Cliff Alex Court N, Waukesha, $150,000, Waukesha State Bank; Klees & Sulok Oil Company, 1111 Summit Ave., Oconomowoc, $810,000, Alterra Bank; LDG Enterprise Inc., 733 E. Wisconsin Ave., Oconomowoc, $475,000, First Bank Financial Centre; Mangold Creative LLC, 126 N. Main St., Pewaukee, $50,000, Ixonia Bank; Midwest Metal Warehouse LLC, W147 N9415 Held Drive, Menomonee Falls, $1.3 million, Ridgestone Bank; w w w.biztimes.com
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Thought Leaders Luncheon
7th Annual
ATC Concepts LLC, 103 S. Main St., Lake Mills, $275,000, Bank of Lake Mills;
Thursday November 12, 2015 The Wisconsin Club
11am Networking & Registration Noon Lunch & Program
Keynote Speaker Robert Swan -
polar explorer, environmentalist and the first man ever to unsupported to both the North and Poles! Robertwalk Swan—Polar explorer, environmentalist andSouth the first man
ever to powerful walk unsupported both the andand South In this talk, Robertto explains theNorth leadership teamPoles! cooperation lessons he hastalk, learned firsthand his experiences in cooperation some of the In this powerful Robert explainsthrough the leadership and team world’s most hostile environments. In attempting to push the boundaries, lessons he has learned firsthand through his experiences in some of the world’s hostile to environments. In attemptingpractices to push the hemost has learned inspire bold management andboundaries, effective he has learned to inspire bold managementstyles. practices and effective communication communication styles. Register online at www.eastersealswise.com “If you can do, or dream you can, begin it now for boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” presented by:
Register online at www.eastersealswise.com. Schaus Family Fund
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biz connections
Nordstrom Opening Gala Nordstrom held an Opening Gala for its new Mayfair Mall store in Wauwatosa on Wednesday, Oct. 21. The event raised $190,000 that was split among Ronald McDonald House Charities Eastern Wisconsin; United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County; and the Milwaukee and Cream City chapters of The Links Inc. 1
Julia Haas of Bader Rutter, Ryan Schuelke of Enercon Industries Corp. and Ann Schuelke.
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Thelma Sias of We Energies poses along with Nordstrom models.
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Todd Laszewski of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., Ruth Laszewski, Diane Roznowski and Wauwatosa alderman Jeff Roznowski.
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Vincent Lyles of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and Alisia Moutry of Milwaukee Teacher
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Sharon Kapps, retired, Becky Fink of Rodan + Fields, Kent Ehley of Creative Quality Solutions and Wauwatosa Mayor Kathleen Ehley.
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Stephen Kent of BMO Harris Bank, Jen Hunholz of M Magazine and Carly Ritt of Kramer Crasselt.
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Vicki Wachniak of Life Navigators, Ginny Myszewski of Johnson Bank, Julie Luettgen of Bayview Homes and Jennifer Sanchez of Life Navigators.
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Mike Buckley of Buckley’s Restaurant and Bar, Lynn Sprangers of Mount Mary and Rajeev Seth of Aurora Health Care.
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Mark Eppli of Marquette University, Art Smith of Keystone Travel Services and Eliza Webb of Fannie Mae.
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biz connections
n GLANCE AT YESTERYEAR VOLUME 21, NUMBER 16 NOVEMBER 2 - 15, 2015 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120 PHONE: 414-277-8181 FAX: 414-277-8191 WEBSITE: www.biztimes.com CIRCULATION E-MAIL: circulation@biztimes.com ADVERTISING E-MAIL: ads@biztimes.com EDITORIAL E-MAIL: andrew.weiland@biztimes.com REPRINTS: reprints@biztimes.com SALES & MARKETING
PUBLISHER / OWNER
Dan Meyer dan.meyer@biztimes.com
DIRECTOR OF SALES
Linda Crawford linda.crawford@biztimes.com
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Mary Ernst mary.ernst@biztimes.com
PROJECT MANAGER
Jon Anne Willow jonanne.willow@biztimes.com
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Sarah Sinsky sarah.sinsky@biztimes.com
MANAGER OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
Robert Bahillo robert.bahillo@biztimes.com
EDITORIAL EDITOR
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE
Andrew Weiland andrew.weiland@biztimes.com
Maribeth Lynch mb.lynch@biztimes.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Molly Dill molly.dill@biztimes.com
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Maggie Pinnt maggie.pinnt@biztimes.com
REPORTER
Erica Breunlin erica.breunlin@biztimes.com
SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Amber Stancer amber.stancer@biztimes.com
REPORTER
Hilary Dickinson hilary.dickinson@biztimes.com REPORTER
Corrinne Hess corri.hess@biztimes.com
PRODUCTION & DESIGN GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Alex Schneider alex.schneider@biztimes.com
Deer hunter
ART DIRECTOR
This photo, taken by A.A. Krug circa 1929, shows a deer hunter in Bayfield County near a deer runway. Deer hunting has been a Wisconsin tradition for generations. This year’s gun deer season runs from Nov. 21 to 29.
Shelly Tabor shelly.tabor@biztimes.com
—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
The war for talent
I
n the previous issue of BizTimes Milwaukee, I wrote about the 20th anniversary of our publication and looked ahead at the key issues of the next 20 years for the Milwaukee area and the region’s business community. I spoke with several prominent area civic and business leaders to discuss the topic. One was Kenneth Yunker, executive director of the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. When I asked Yunker about the challenges facing the region over the next two decades, I honestly expected him to talk about freeway projects. But instead, he talked about demographics. As the huge baby boomer generation moves into retirement, the labor supply will tighten considerably, Yunker pointed out. In the past, population growth fueled economic growth as the workforce kept getting bigger and bigger. But the genera46
tions following the baby boomers are not large enough to keep the size of the workforce growing when the boomers retire. “That’s going to make it hard to grow the economy,” Yunker said. So what does that mean? “This area will be in an intense competition (with other regions) to attract labor force and grow jobs,” Yunker said. We all should be worried about this. One of the biggest issues we often hear about from area employers is that they are having a hard time attracting and retaining skilled employees. In the recent Waukesha County Business Survey, a majority of respondents across nearly every sector indicated they had difficulty attracting/retaining employees. Of the 335 businesses responding to the survey, 77 percent said they have a lack of qualified applicants for job openings, and 72 percent identified the need for a skilled workforce as their priB i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e
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mary challenge to starting and growing their businesses. That’s the way things are now. As the boomers retire, this problem is only going to get worse. What does the Milwaukee area need to do to attract the talent we need to grow our businesses and the economy of this region? Providing a high quality of life in southeastern Wisconsin will be a critical factor in attracting talent. We know there is nothing we can do about the harsh Wisconsin winters. Talented workers can live anywhere and in many cases they choose regions that offer an attractive lifestyle that includes culture, arts, sports and parks. Those are areas in which metro Milwaukee has the opportunity to excel. A strong economy, safe communities and good schools no doubt are also vital. But everyone needs something to do
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ANDREW WEILAND Editor BizTimes Milwaukee
when the workday is done and talented workers are attracted to regions that offer lifestyle amenities. The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce recently hosted its biennial All Member Meeting at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Milwaukee. The choice of venue was no accident. A major theme throughout the event was the need to invest more public money in the region’s cultural assets in order to compete with other regions for top talent. “There is a direct tie between how people perceive the quality of (this) place and our ability to attract talent, especially young, mobile talent,” said MMAC president Tim Sheehy. n
the last word Build an internal culture to adapt to change
ERICH SCHROEDER PHOTOGRAPHY
The health care industry is facing tremendous change from the federal Affordable Care Act. Dustin Hinton, chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin, says his company’s culture is helping it adapt. “The changes facing the health care industry today are driving companies to evaluate their core principles on how to conduct business and stimulate growth, among both their employees and the company as a whole. “At UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin, we’ve experienced firsthand these rapid changes, including entry into the individual exchange and moving away from a fee-for-service compensation model toward a value-based approach. Health insurance is being reinvented, and as a company, we are well-positioned to meet the change taking place. “We’ve been able to adapt in large part by developing a strong internal culture based on five core values: integrity, compassion, relationships, innovation and performance. Fostering these values enables us to meet the changing needs of the marketplace. “If there’s one value at the center from which the others develop, it is compassion. We’re making a special effort to genuinely understand, feel and identify with the needs of the people we serve. This means being committed to actively listening, fully understanding and genuinely empathizing with the realities people face. Doing this empowers our company to effectively respond with assistance and advocacy for the individual, group or community being served. “It is through a dedicated, compassionate approach to meeting the needs of our customers that we’ve been able to build on the values of relationships, integrity, innovation and performance. “Change is often unavoidable. However, building a strong culture of core values – compassion, in particular – can result in change being met with success.” n
Dustin Hinton CEO United Healthcare of Wisconsin 10701 Research Drive, Wauwatosa Industry: Health insurance Employees: 1,742 commercial employees in Wisconsin www.uhc.com
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Presented By:
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
AND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015 | 7:30AM - 9:30AM | POTAWATOMI HOTEL & CASINO
ATTRACTING
THE NATIONAL DOLLAR
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Panelists:
In recent years a rising number of out-of-state national commercial real estate firms have made major investments in southeastern Wisconsin. Who are these national players coming in to our region? What are their plans for the properties they have acquired here? What is it that has attracted them to this marketplace?
• Richard Aaronson (1), president and co-founder of Atlanta-based Atlantic Realty Partners. The firm plans to build a 443-unit apartment development in Milwaukee, a 236-unit apartment development in Wauwatosa and a 195-unit apartment development in Brookfield. • Matt Garrison (2), managing principal of Chicago-based R2 Companies. The firm recently purchased the 1.1 million-square-foot, four-story U.S. Post Office complex in downtown Milwaukee for $13.1 million. • Stephen Kanoff (3), founding partner, director and chief investment officer of Dallasbased Westmount Realty Capital LLC. Earlier this year the firm acquired a portfolio of 10 industrial buildings in the metro Milwaukee area for about $61 million.
Those questions, and others, will be answered at the 13th annual BizTimes Milwaukee Commercial Real Estate and Development Conference. The event will feature a panel discussion of national commercial real estate investors who are doing big deals in southeastern Wisconsin.
• Christopher Ressa (4), senior vice president of leasing for the Northeast and Midwest for Tarrytown, N.Y.-based DLC Management Corp. Last year the firm purchased the Midtown Center shopping center in Milwaukee for $47 million. • Scott Stahr (5), co-founder and principal of Chicago-based Fulcrum Asset Advisors. As part of a joint venture, the firm acquired the 20-story 250 Plaza office building in downtown Milwaukee this year, and plans to make significant upgrades. In 2011, the firm acquired four office buildings in Brookfield, with a total of 338,424 square feet of space, for about $41 million. Moderator: • Dr. Mark Eppli (6), professor of finance and Robert B. Bell Sr. Chair in Real Estate at Marquette University.
REGISTER TODAY AT BIZTIMES.COM/CRECONFERENCE COUSTECH S U P P LY
Sponsors:
Supporting Sponsors: COUSTECH S U P P LY
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COUSTECH S U P P LY
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Event Partners: