A S U P P L E M E NT O F
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southeastern wisconsin business relocation guide 2019
P I C T U R E YO U R SE LF H E RE
WISCONSIN’S
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P I C T UR E YO URS E LF H E RE NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS. Southeastern Wisconsin. Chicago. Milwaukee. Deep dish pizza and hot dogs. Beer and brats. Bears, Cubs and Bulls. Packers, Brewers and Bucks. Two different regions. Cultural opposites and rivals. But now, as development booms along the I-94 North-South corridor, they are increasingly growing into one megaregion
with a shared destiny. Many Illinois executives no longer see Wisconsin as a faraway foreign land where they couldn’t imagine doing business. In fact, a growing number have moved their companies from the Chicago area to southeastern Wisconsin to take advantage of lower prices, less traffic, more land availability and a more business-friendly environment north of the state line. One of the first and most noteworthy moves north was by Uline Inc., which moved its head-
quarters from Waukegan to Pleasant Prairie in 2010. The company has grown its Wisconsin presence and now has several facilities and more than 2,500 employees in Kenosha County. It is an exciting time to do business in southeastern Wisconsin. Downtown Milwaukee is experiencing a major revival, including the opening of a new arena, Fiserv Forum, last fall. The massive Foxconn complex that is under development in Racine County could be a game-changer for the region’s economy. Kenosha County continues to attract businesses, including German gummy bear maker Haribo. Please take some time to review this publication and consider the opportunities for your business in southeastern Wisconsin. Andrew Weiland is the editor of BizTimes Milwaukee.
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A SUPPLEMENT OF
n contents GET TO KNOW THE REGION Five projects transforming the region.................................................................. 5 Mapping southeastern Wisconsin........................................................................ 8 Commute times....................................................................................................... 8
5
Stats on the region................................................................................................. 9 County snapshots................................................................................................ 10
Dan Meyer dan.meyer@biztimes.com
BUSINESS CLIMATE
Mary Ernst mary.ernst@biztimes.com
Inc. 5000 and Fortune 1000 companies............................................................ 14 Four CEOS explain why they made the move.................................................. 15 Real estate opportunities abound......................................................................17 Transportation and logistics............................................................................... 18 Relocation helpers............................................................................................... 19 Hotels and meeting facilities.............................................................................. 19
18 21
PUBLISHER / OWNER
Milwaukee and Chicago are a megaregion...................................................... 12
Projects that received state support in 2018.....................................................13
14
NORTH OF THE BORDER - SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN BUSINESS RELOCATION GUIDE 2019 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120 PHONE: 414-277-8181 FAX: 414-277-8191 WEBSITE: www.biztimes.com/brg ADVERTISING EMAIL: ads@biztimes.com EDITORIAL EMAIL: andrew.weiland@biztimes.com REPRINTS: reprints@biztimes.com Additional copies $5 each
LIVING HERE A snapshot of the health care landscape.......................................................... 20 Higher education opportunities........................................................................ 21
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
EDITORIAL EDITOR
Andrew Weiland andrew.weiland@biztimes.com MANAGING EDITOR
Molly Dill molly.dill@biztimes.com REPORTERS:
Lauren Anderson lauren.anderson@biztimes.com Maredithe Meyer maredithe.meyer@biztimes.com Arthur Thomas arthur.thomas@biztimes.com Alex Zank alex.zank@biztimes.com
DIRECTOR OF SALES
Linda Crawford linda.crawford@biztimes.com INSIDE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Amanda Bruening amanda.bruening@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES:
Paddy Kieckhefer paddy.kieckhefer@biztimes.com Molly Lawrence molly.lawrence@biztimes.com Maggie Pinnt maggie.pinnt@biztimes.com Christie Ubl christie.ubl@biztimes.com SALES INTERN
Tess Romans tess.romans@biztimes.com
PRODUCTION & DESIGN GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Alex Schneider alex.schneider@biztimes.com Madison Goldbeck madison.goldbeck@biztimes.com ART DIRECTOR Shelly Tabor CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Elizabeth Clarke, Kristine Hansen shelly.tabor@biztimes.com INTERN REPORTER
and Dan Shafer
Homes are a steal in southeastern Wisconsin.................................................. 22
ADMINISTRATION
What’s it like to live here?.................................................................................... 23
Sue Herzog sue.herzog@biztimes.com
4 / BizTimes NORTH OF THE BORDER – SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN BUSINESS RELOCATION GUIDE · 2019
SALES & MARKETING
ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR
FREELANCE ART DIRECTOR
Meredith Jensen meredith.m.jensen@gmail.com
FIVE P ROJ EC T S TR AN S FO R M I N G SO UTH E A STE R N WI SCO N S I N
By Dan Shafer, for BizTimes
AMA ZO N TO B U I LD MA SS IVE OAK CR E E K FACI LIT Y
HILLWOOD AND RYAN COS.
WHEN THE WORLD’S L ARGEST ONLINE RETAILER opened a 1.5 million-square-foot fulfillment center in Kenosha in 2015, few would’ve expected that less than five years later, it would be the company’s second largest development in southeastern Wisconsin. A recent Seattle-based e-commerce giant Amazon is building a 2.6 millionphoto of square-foot, $200 million facility in the Ryan Business Park near I-94 in the the 2.6 millionsouthern Milwaukee County suburb of Oak Creek. square-foot “The Amazon development in Oak Creek will be the largest industrial facility building in the state of Wisconsin,” said real estate broker Jim Barry III, presAmazon is ident at Milwaukee-based The Barry Co. building in Oak Creek. The new four-story facility is expected to employ 1,500 people by the end of 2021. And important for those future employees is Amazon’s October announcement that it would raise its minimum wage to $15 per hour for U.S employees. Amazon has said the new project won’t conflict with its operations in Kenosha just 18 miles away, but instead is an example of Amazon “investing where it makes sense to get us closer to the customer” with the goal of improving delivery service in the Milwaukee metro area, said Amazon spokeswoman Brenda Alfred. The project was approved by the Oak Creek Common Council in late November. The City of Oak Creek’s deal included a $16.9 million tax increment financing agreement with the city. As part of the agreement, Amazon committed to an investment of at least $200 million, consisting of $100 million of real property improvements and $100 million of personal property installed in the facility. The 75-acre Amazon site will be developed and owned by an affiliate of Dallas-based Hillwood Development Co. LLC. It’s part of the Ryan Business Park, which is being developed by Waukesha-based Capstone Quadrangle and Fox Point-based General Capital Group. Part of the city’s deal calls for Hillwood to fund $13.4 million in infrastructure costs for improvements on South 13th Street and Ryan Road. Construction for the project is already underway and completion of the building is set for the first quarter of 2020. n
2
FOXCO N N P ROJ EC T CO NTI N U E S , WITH CHAN G E S
MOLLY DILL
THERE’S NO DENYING that the massive Foxconn Technology Group project will be transformational. But less than two years after the megadeal was approved, southeastern Wisconsin is looking at a much different future for the project than was originally envisioned. The “Wisconn Valley” project that would include a $10 billion capital investment intended to bring up to 13,000 permanent jobs to the Village of Mount Pleasant, aided by more than $4 billion in taxpayer dollars, has already changed dramatically. Originally intended to be anchored by a factory producing generation 10.5 LCD A sign is installed on Foxconn’s downtown Milwaukee North screens, Foxconn now plans to build smaller Gen 6 LCD screens. Reports in late January American headquarters in June 2018. from Reuters and Nikkei Asian Review cast doubt on whether or not that factory would even be built, but the Taiwanese electronics giant reversed course days later following talks with the White House, saying that it would move forward with these modified plans. A Bloomberg Businessweek cover story that followed also extensively detailed widespread problems on multiple levels with the Foxconn project. Hiring, too, changed significantly from original plans. Foxconn fell short of its 2018 hiring goal, creating just 178 of the 260 jobs required for the company to receive any state tax credits, and the 1,040 jobs needed to earn all available credits. It was also revealed that Foxconn can earn tax credits from Wisconsin on work being done outside the state. Construction in Mount Pleasant, however, continues. The project’s first new building was recently completed. Plans for the next 18 months include construction of a liquid crystal module backend packaging plant; a high-precision molding factory; a system integration assembly facility; centers for rapid prototyping, research and development, and data; and a town center. Foxconn also made a $100 million gift to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and spent more than $37 million on buildings for innovation centers in Milwaukee, Green Bay, Eau Claire and Racine. In Milwaukee, the company has a significant presence after purchasing a seven story, 132,000-square-foot office building for $11.5 million to be its North American headquarters. Company spokeswoman Myranda Tanck said a more extensive update to the construction timeline and review of progress is coming later in the spring, following an annual companywide reevaluation. n
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n major projects
ZIMMERMAN ARCHITECTURAL STUDIOS
S E VE R AL N E W H E ALTH C AR E FACI LITI E S P L AN N E D
OFTEN OVERLOOKED PL AYERS in the world of real estate development are health care providers, but some of the larger projects announced this year came from the A rendering of region’s growing and changing health systems. the planned Advocate Aurora The biggest project from a health provider in southclinic in Mount eastern Wisconsin over the past year has been Advocate Pleasant. Aurora Health’s $241 million of planned development, spread over three different locations in Racine County. The most substantial of the three, a $228 million medical center and medical office building, is set to be located in Mount Pleasant. A $13 million new Mount Pleasant clinic will break ground this spring, and a third Racine County development is yet to be announced, Advocate Aurora said. “Growth in the Racine County corridor provides an immediate opportunity for Advocate Aurora Health to accelerate our population health efforts to deliver greater value for the communities and employers we are privileged to serve,” said Jim Skogsbergh, president and chief executive officer of Advocate Aurora Health, at the time of the announcement. The Milwaukee and Downers Grove, Illinois-based health system announced the project just weeks after finalizing its merger. Aurora also announced last year that it would build a $130 million facility that includes a 100,000-square-foot ambulatory surgery center and 100,000-square foot medical office building just north of the Illinois-Wisconsin border in the Village of Pleasant Prairie. It is set to open in summer 2020. Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin is also expanding in Wauwatosa, with a six-story, 237,000-square-foot building addition. The health system is investing $265 million in the project over the next four years. It will also expand its emergency department and trauma center. Construction is beginning in early 2019, with targeted completion in 2022. Just around the corner, the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Wauwatosa campus will be undergoing a $43 million renovation of its oldest research building through 2021. Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin also recently announced plans for two smaller scale “neighborhood hospital” developments in the region, in Mequon and Oak Creek. n
4 ARTHUR THOMAS
Wes Sabber, Haribo of America chief financial officer, speaks at the 2017 MMAC all-member meeting.
HAR I B O P ROJ EC T TO B EG I N TH I S Y E AR SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN WILL SOON GET just a little bit sweeter when Haribo starts work at its new gummy bear factory in Pleasant Prairie. The Germany-based company in 2017 chose Wisconsin for its first production operation in North America. The $242 million project will be reshaping the area two miles north of the Wisconsin-Illinois border for years to come. The company purchased more than 130 acres of land in the Prairie Highlands Corporate Park to build its 500,000-square-foot production facility that will eventually employ nearly 400 people. The North American subsidiary of Haribo, Rosemont, Illinois-based Haribo of America, is America’s fastest-growing confectionary company, and it has been excited about getting started in Wisconsin. “We are overjoyed with the warm welcome we’ve received from the people of Wisconsin,” said Lauren Triffler, spokeswoman for Haribo. “We’re focused on building a best-in-class facility and strong team to support this growth initiative, and are passionate about bringing confectionery manufacturing jobs to our new home in the Midwest.” That best-in-class facility is set to have its official groundbreaking later this year, with construction set to begin thereafter. Construction, initially expected to be completed in 2020, will extend “a bit beyond 2020,” said Triffler, to prioritize quality and account for winter breaks. The Haribo project has been aided by $21 million in tax credits from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. As part of the agreement, the company is required to create jobs, make capital investments, invest in job train-
ing, and use other Wisconsin companies as suppliers. Haribo recently welcomed officials from the Village of Pleasant Prairie to tour its operations at two production facilities in Germany. The company chose the Pleasant Prairie site over seven locations in the state of Illinois and one other option in Kenosha County, according to state records. n
6 / BizTimes NORTH OF THE BORDER – SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN BUSINESS RELOCATION GUIDE · 2019
B I G D E VE LO P M E NTS CO M I N G TO HAR B O R D I STR IC T SEEMINGLY OVERNIGHT, Milwaukee’s “Harbor District,” the long-dormant area along Lake Michigan south of the Historic Third Ward, has gone from little more than an idea to one of the region’s most active spots for development. Two major catalytic projects from businesses with deep Wisconsin roots began to take shape over the past year, injecting new life into the area in a big way. Brownsville-based construction firm Michels Corp. announced a $100 million mixed-used development, and Japanese heavy equipment manufacturer Komatsu Mining Corp., which A rendering of the acquired Milwaukee-based Joy Global Inc. in 2017, will build a brand new $285 million headplanned Komatsu headquarters. quarters and manufacturing campus that will anchor its North American operations in the Harbor District. Matthew Beaudry, project director and general manager of Komatsu’s new “South Harbor” campus, said the company could have gone anywhere and did look at other locations, but chose to stay in Milwaukee. “We’re really excited about the redevelopment opportunity here,” he said. “We really wanted to stay in this area because of our long history in Milwaukee and the close connection that we have and continue to have in this community.” Komatsu will be moving from its West Milwaukee location near Miller Park, bringing about 600 employees, which will grow to about 1,000 employees after the new campus opens in 2022. The site was formerly occupied by Solvay Coke and the redevelopment was supported by the City of Milwaukee, which is providing assistance to the project through a tax increment financing district, as well as by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., which is providing $59.5 million in state income tax credits. Michels’ development, along the banks of the Kinnickinnic River, will include an eight-story office building with 220,000 square feet of space, a 67-unit apartment building, 19,000 square feet of retail, a 103-room hotel, and nearly 1,000 underground parking spaces over six acres. The development held its groundbreaking in December 2018, is expected to be out of the ground by August 2019, and the goal is for the first building of the multi-phase project to be finished in June 2020, said David Stegeman, chief legal officer and senior vice president at Michels, who added that 250 new jobs are expected to be added over the next few years at that location. “The Harbor District is cooking; there’s no doubt about it,” Stegeman said. “The critical anchor presence of Komatsu, Rockwell (Automation) and Michels are certainly going to be energizing to the area.” n
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MAP P I N G SO UTH E A STE R N WI SCO N S I N
YOUR COMM UTE COMMUTING TIMES in southeastern Wisconsin are significantly lower than in the Chicago area. But many key locations in southeastern Wisconsin are also within a reasonably short drive of important destinations in the Chicago area. The Chicago area has the third-longest average travel time to work in the nation at 33.3 minutes, while the Milwaukee area’s average travel to work time is 22 minutes, according to U.S. Census data compiled by IndexMundi. Here are some samples of travel times between key spots in southeastern Wisconsin and the Chicago area:
LAKEVIEW CORPORATE PARK, PLEASANT PRAIRIE
I-94 AT WI-20, RACINE COUNTY
DOWNTOWN RACINE
I-94 AT WI-50, KENOSHA COUNTY
DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE
DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE
MITCHELL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
O’HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
THE LOOP, DOWNTOWN CHICAGO
LAKE COOK ROAD AT I-94
37 MINUTES (38 MILES)
29 MINUTES (31 MILES)
41 MINUTES (44 MILES)
1 HOUR, 14 MINUTES (58 MILES)
36 MINUTES (35 MILES)
24 MINUTES (24 MILES)
16 MINUTES (17 MILES)
49 MINUTES (55 MILES)
1 HOUR, 22 MINUTES (69 MILES)
36 MINUTES (41 MILES)
42 MINUTES (25 MILES)
32 MINUTES (23 MILES)
1 HOUR, 6 MINUTES (63 MILES)
1 HOUR, 20 MINUTES (77 MILES)
53 MINUTES (50 MILES)
35 MINUTES (35 MILES)
27 MINUTES (28 MILES)
41 MINUTES (44 MILES)
1 HOUR, 15 MINUTES (58 MILES)
37 MINUTES (35 MILES)
N/A
17 MINUTES (10 MILES)
1 HOUR, 20 MINUTES (79 MILES)
2 HOURS, 12 MINUTES (92 MILES)
1 HOUR, 7 MINUTES (66 MILES)
8 / BizTimes NORTH OF THE BORDER – SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN BUSINESS RELOCATION GUIDE · 2019
STAT S O N TH E R EG I O N
SO UTH E A STE R N WI SCO N S I N N U M B E R S TO K N OW
$524 MILLION
2.39 MILLION A total of 2.39 million tons of cargo were shipped through Port Milwaukee in 2018.
844,000 PASSENGERS Amtrak’s Hiawatha service between Milwaukee and Chicago is the eighth busiest route in the Amtrak network and served more than 844,000 passengers in 2018, a new high.
Fiserv Forum, the new $524 million arena in downtown Milwaukee, opened in 2018.
7.1 MILLION
$1.7 BILLION The core of the $1.7 billion reconstruction of the Zoo Interchange, the state’s busiest interchange, located just west of Milwaukee, was completed in 2018.
300,000 EMPLOYEES The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce has more than 1,800 member businesses representing more than 300,000 employees.
1 MILLION Wisconsin State Fair in West Allis had record attendance of more than 1 million in 2018.
$90 MILLION A $90 million project is transforming a historic downtown Milwaukee movie palace into a new performance hall for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
Passenger traffic at Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport rose 2.8 percent in 2018 to nearly 7.1 million. Airlines serving the airport offer nonstop flights to more than 40 destinations.
2.85 MILLION A total of 2.85 million fans attended Milwaukee Brewers games at Miller Park in 2018. The Brewers ranked 10th in the MLB for attendance.
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n business climate
K E N OS HA CO U NT Y
KEY CITIES AND VILLAGES (POPULATION) KENOSHA:
99,877
PLEASANT PRAIRIE:
20,762
TWIN LAKES:
6,064
BRISTOL: 5,034 2,978
PADDOCK LAKE:
2,403
SILVER LAKE:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
MAJOR PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYERS
Uline distribution centers in Pleasant Prairie.
POPULATION: 168,521
COMPANY
PRODUCT OR SERVICE
Amazon
Online retail
# OF EMPLOYEES
4,000
Uline
Shipping/packaging material distribution
2,600
Froedtert South
Health care
2,310
Advocate Aurora Health Health care
1,500
Snap-On
Tool manufacturing
650
Good Foods Group
Food products
500
Birchwood Foods/ Kenosha Beef
Food products
475 450
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE:
3%
Kenall Manufacturing
LABOR FORCE:
88,641
Light systems manufacturing
Meijer
Retail
440
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME:
$55,845
Carthage College
Higher education
400
Source: M7, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau
R ACI N E CO U NT Y
Source: Kenosha Area Business Alliance
KEY CITIES AND VILLAGES (POPULATION) RACINE:
77,542
MOUNT PLEASANT :
26,197
CALEDONIA:
25,002
BURLINGTON:
10,463
STURTEVANT:
6,967
WATERFORD:
5,368 Source: U.S. Census Bureau
MAJOR PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYERS
Downtown Racine.
POPULATION: 196,157
COMPANY
PRODUCT OR SERVICE
Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare
Health care
# OF EMPLOYEES
2,661
S.C. Johnson & Son Inc.
Household products
2,600
CNH America LLC
Equipment manufacturer
2,500
InSinkErator
Garbage disposals
1,000
Advocate Aurora Health
Health care
970
Cree Inc.
Lighting
618
Nestle
Chocolate
500
Marine engines
500
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE:
3.2%
BRP US Inc.
LABOR FORCE:
100,676
Andis Co.
Hair clippers
450
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME:
$61,812
Walmart
Retail
430
Source: Racine County Economic Development Corp.
10 / BizTimes NORTH OF THE BORDER – SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN BUSINESS RELOCATION GUIDE · 2019
Source: Racine County Economic Development Corp.
M I LWAU K E E CO U NT Y
KEY CITIES AND VILLAGES (POPULATION) MILWAUKEE:
595,351
WEST ALLIS:
59,934
WAUWATOSA:
48,277
GREENFIELD:
36,720
FRANKLIN:
35,620
OAK CREEK:
34,451 Source: U.S. Census Bureau
MAJOR PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYERS COMPANY
Downtown Milwaukee.
POPULATION: 952,085
PRODUCT OR SERVICE
# OF EMPLOYEES
Advocate Aurora Health Health care
25,900
Ascension Wisconsin
Health care
15,500
Froedtert Health
Health care
10,900
Kroger Co./Roundy’s
Grocery retail
8,300
Northwestern Mutual
Insurance
5,600
Medical College of Wisconsin
Health care
5,300
Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
Health care
5,000
WEC Energy Group
Electric and natural gas utility
4,300
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE:
3%
LABOR FORCE:
464,436
Goodwill Industries of SE Wisconsin
Training, packaging & assembly
4,100
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME:
$46,784
AT&T Wisconsin
Telecommunications
3,500
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Source: Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce
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n business climate
M I LWAU K E E AN D CH I C AG O AR E PAR T O F TH E SAM E M EGAR EG I O N
The orange area shows the 21-county Wisconsin, Chicago, Indiana megaregion.
By Kristine Hansen, for BizTimes
Kelly O’Brien
IT USED TO BE that driving along I-94 from Cook County, Illinois, to Wisconsin was a matter of not just miles but also mindset. They were different worlds. While Chicago clearly remains the “big city” sister to Milwaukee, the two metro areas are increasingly growing together into one megaregion, connected by the I-94 corridor lined with booming development and business parks in Lake County on the Illinois side of the state line and areas like Pleasant Prairie on the Wisconsin side of the line. A business move from the Chicago area to southeastern Wisconsin is no longer considered a huge cultural shift. If a business with national clientele and national brand recognition relocates from northern Illinois to southeastern Wisconsin, that distance of between 15 and 50 miles rarely affects its operations, says Kelly O’Brien, president and chief executive officer of the Chicago-based regional economic competitiveness organization Alliance for Regional Development. After all, there are just as many – if not more – miles between Wisconsin communities Brookfield and Mount Pleasant, or Oak Creek and Waukesha, with workers commuting within those zones already. “Milwaukee is really going through a renaissance with the amazing restaurants, craft beer and the freshwater sector,” O’Brien said. “It should no longer be the stepchild of Chicago. Milwaukee’s got to get over the idea that they’re lesser than because they’re not Chicago.” More and more, Wisconsin companies – when chatting with colleagues or contacts in Asia or Europe – proclaim their location to be in the Chicago area. Turns out, this is not just a gimmicky line. There is real truth to the matter. The Alliance for Regional Development seeks to build upon the idea that Chicago, Milwaukee and northwest In-
12 / BizTimes NORTH OF THE BORDER – SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN BUSINESS RELOCATION GUIDE · 2019
diana are now one economic megaregion. “Milwaukee does not have the name recognition abroad so we usually end up saying, ‘We’re from Chicago,’” said John Gurda, a Milwaukee historian and author. “What I’ve compared it to is like ‘sleeping with an elephant,’ former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s line for Canada with the U.S. We’ll forever be overshadowed by Chicago.” Similarly, O’Brien often hears Milwaukee-area businesspeople say they are “an hour outside of Chicago” when in touch with Asian businesses. “Why not use that (description) nationally? You’re catching on to the fact that proximity to Chicago is a benefit,” she said. O’Brien’s goal is to eventually rid the ages-old rivalry between Wisconsin and Chicago. She’d like to see a newly named economic region with “no brick walls” on state lines. “We really have more in common than we do differences,” she said. “We look for areas where it really does make sense to collaborate, like transportation.” After all, in a 2012 report authored by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 21 counties in Wisconsin, Chicago and Northwest Indiana are characterized as operating as an economic region and collectively are the third-largest contributor to U.S. Gross Domestic Product. But the downside is that between 1990 and 2010, the region grew at a slower pace than the national average. This translates to 6,000 jobs lost. “I know for a fact we are still not growing at the national average,” O’Brien said. Some of this is due to population loss; all three states have suffered declines. As a follow-up to the report, and with an eye on maximizing that GDP while attracting companies, Alliance for Regional Development was born. It’s important to look at the region’s history to understand why Chicago has for many years been a sexier city in which to do business. “They both had ports and for about 50 years,
the cities were pretty much on an even basis,” Gurda said. “When railroads came to Chicago, it was a little like Milwaukee lost to the rivalry.” “The two cities are peas of dissimilar size in the same regional pod,” he wrote in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel column published in 2012, in advance of a daylong workshop at Marquette University exploring the relationship between the two cities. “Chicago and Milwaukee grew up as siblings, and they were locked in a fierce sibling rivalry for years.” Remember that $1 million advertising campaign the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. launched last year, aimed at luring millennials out of Chicago and into Wisconsin? O’Brien thinks companies can do better by not shunning one state in favor of another. “I thought we were trying to get away from moving chess pieces,” she said. A goal is to convince companies to relocate to the region – not just move within it. O’Brien advocates “being thoughtful in addressing the population issues for the megaregion in a place-based branding campaign” by highlighting its assets. “As the talent base grows, more companies will want to be here,” she said. “We need to take the bold steps of doing what we need to do to attract people to move to our megaregion and for current residents to feel proud of where they live.” n
TO P 5 WE D C AWAR DS I N I - 9 4 N O R TH SO UTH CO R R I D O R I N 2 01 8 SINCE THE WISCONSIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP. WAS CREATED in 2011, the agency has awarded tax credits to more than 100 expansion and relocation projects in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties. Combined, those credits are worth around $200 million, excluding the nearly $3 billion in state tax credits available to Foxconn Technology Group. The actual number of credits a company gets depends on job creation, capital investment, workforce development and spending with Wisconsin suppliers. Here are the top awards in the I-94 North-South corridor in 2018: R A N K
COMPANY
LOCATION
TAX CREDITS AWARDED
PLANNED CAP. EX
PLANNED JOB CREATION
1
Komatsu Mining Corp.
Milwaukee
$59.5 million
$285 million
443
2
ATI Forged Products
Cudahy
$7 million
$88.3 million
125
3
Lavelle Industries Inc.
Burlington/ Whitewater
$520,000
$14.5 million
70
4
Stella & Chewy’s LLC
Oak Creek
$500,000
$11.1 million
82
5
Angelic Bakehouse Inc.
Cudahy
$150,000
$11.8 million
50
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950 Walnut Ridge Drive, Hartland, WI 53029 I sales@esigroupusa.com
n FORTUNE 1000 and Inc. 5000 WISCONSIN INC. 5000 FIRMS
FA ST- G ROWI N G
There were 43 Wisconsin companies on the 2018 Inc. 5000, with Madison-based SwanLeap taking the top spot at $99 million in 2017 revenue and 75,661 percent three-year growth. The annual list ranks the fastest-growing companies in America based on percentage revenue growth over three years, for those with revenue greater than $100,000 in year one and $2 million in year three.
CO M PAN I E S
1. SWANLEAP, MADISON
7. Diamond Assets, Milton
3,319. Chandra Technologies, Madison
393. TechCanary, Milwaukee
3,379. Vantage Point, Kenosha
480. Penrod, Milwaukee
3,436. Blue Door Consulting, Oshkosh
484. EyeKor, Madison
3,447. Newport Network Solutions, Menomonee Falls
514. Rent College Pads, Milwaukee 655. Farwell, Madison 670. TESCHGlobal, Grafton 895. Approyo, Muskego 901. Evoke Brand Strategies, Madison 1,235. Intelligent Video Solutions, Waukesha 1,262. Dynamic Solutions Worldwide, Milwaukee 1,353. Tundraland Home Improvements, Kaukana
Brad Hollister, founder of SwanLeap.
3,099. Aladtec, River Falls
316. Driftless Glen Distillery, Baraboo
3,653. Information Technology Professionals, Madison 3,687. Black-Haak Heating, Greenville 3,786. WDS Construction, Beaver Dam 3,888. Steele Solutions, Franklin 4,087. Breckenridge Landscape Group, New Berlin 4,243. ZMAC Transportation, Racine 4,263. Millennium, Delavan
2,059. Bluetree Network, Madison
4,367. Surface Mount Technology, Appleton
2,136. Creative Marketing Resources, Milwaukee
4,434. Americollect, Manitowoc
2,181. Delta Defense, West Bend
4,565. Synergy Consortium Services, Verona
2,371. Hurt Electric, Menomonee Falls
4,613. Sunseed Research, Madison
2,517. Continental Mapping Consultants, Sun Prairie
4,624. Midwest Restoration, Little Chute
2,748. Miller Public Adjusters, Appleton
4,889. Midwest Prototyping, Blue Mounds
2,771. Bevara Building Services, Waukesha
4,904. MacDonald & Owen Lumber Co., Sparta
4,823. Warehouse-Lighting Com, New Berlin
2,837. GSF Mortgage, Brookfield 2,950. OnCourse Learning, Brookfield
WISCONSIN FORTUNE 1000 COMPANIES Wisconsin had nine companies on the 2018 Fortune 500 list, and 13 more in the Fortune 1000. The annual list ranks the largest U.S. companies by revenue. 1 04: N ORTHWESTERN MUTUAL LIFE INSUR ANCE CO., MILWAUKEE, $29.3 BILLION 143: ManpowerGroup, Milwaukee, $21 billion
602: Snap-on Inc., Kenosha, $4 billion
157: Kohl’s Corp., Menomonee Falls, $19.1 billion
660: CUNA Mutual Group, Madison, $3.5 billion
311: American Family Insurance Group, Madison, $9.5 billion
682: Alliant Energy Corp., Madison, $3.3 billion
372: WEC Energy Group, Milwaukee, $7.6 billion
694: Sentry Insurance Group, Stevens Point, $3.3 billion
414: Oshkosh Corp., Oshkosh, $6.8 billion 445: Rockwell Automation Inc., Milwaukee, $6.3 billion
732: A.O. Smith Corp., Milwaukee, $3 billion
487: Fiserv Inc., Brookfield, $5.7 billion
854: Gardner Denver Holdings Inc., Milwaukee, $2.4 billion
488: Harley-Davidson Inc., Milwaukee, $5.6 billion
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co.’s downtown Milwaukee headquarters.
688: Regal Beloit Corp., Beloit, $3.3 billion
567: Schneider National Inc., Green Bay, $4.4 billion 593: Quad/Graphics Inc., Sussex, $4.1 billion 597: Bemis Co. Inc., Neenah, $4 billion
14 / BizTimes NORTH OF THE BORDER – SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN BUSINESS RELOCATION GUIDE · 2019
825: Plexus Corp., Neenah, $2.5 billion
887: REV Group Inc., Milwaukee, $2.3 billion 982: Rexnord Corp., Milwaukee, $1.9 billion
TH E Y WE NT N O R TH : TE STI M O N IAL S F RO M LE AD E R S WH O M OVE D TH E I R B U S I N E S S E S TO WI SCO N S I N
VALLI E P E T TE R S E N PRESIDENT PAASCHE AIRBRUSH CO., KENOSHA
WHAT AT TRACTED YOU TO WISCONSIN? “Our business was located near O’Hare International Airport, on the northwest side of Chicago. My sons, who are running the company, both went to college in Wisconsin (Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison) and we have had a home on Washington Island (in Door County) for over 40 years. Kenosha is 50 miles from our factory in Chicago and although
sen
40 percent of the employees did not follow us, the 60 percent (30 employees) that did have made the transition smooth.”
HOW DO YOU EXPECT YOUR BUSINESS TO GROW/EXPAND NOW THAT YOU ARE NORTH OF THE STATE LINE? “We have hired three new employees so far and will be hiring more soon: CNC operators, sheet-
eP
e t te r
HOW ARE YOU AND THE COMPANY ADJUSTING TO WISCONSIN? “We have been here a little over a month and were closed over a week for Christmas and New Year’s, so I really can’t answer that yet. We have been so busy we haven’t had time to adjust yet. We will know better in six months. I am looking for a home in the area and looking forward to getting to know the area better.”
Va lli
In December, Pettersen relocated the 114-year-old manufacturer of airbrushes, industrial spray guns, spray booths and air compressors – founded by her husband’s grandfather, Jens Paasche, in 1906 – from Chicago to the Business Park of Kenosha. Machinery began the move in late November so business could restart once employees arrived for their first day of work in the new 42,000-squarefoot facility.
metal workers and stockroom workers. Our average years of employment before we moved from Illinois was over 25 years. We are very proud to be a family-owned company in the fourth generation of running the business.” n
E DWAR D P O LE N PRESIDENT AND CEO EMCO CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTORS INC., PLEASANT PRAIRIE
WHAT AT TRACTED YOU TO WISCONSIN? “In North Chicago, (where the company still has a facility) we were storing – and continue to store – 12 rail cars at a time and rates were raised. We bought the (Pleasant Prairie) property in 2010 and three years later we moved in. We made a significant investment in our facility here.”
WHAT UNEXPECTED LIFEST YLE BENEFITS HAVE YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES EXPERIENCED AS A RESULT OF THE MOVE? “There’s the benefit of having a beautiful campus with a pond and wild animals. It’s very Wisconsin. We’re pretty much landlocked at our old facility.” HOW DO YOU EXPECT YOUR BUSINESS TO GROW NOW THAT YOU ARE NORTH OF THE STATE LINE? “We have more space to do more things for more people. Today, we have more than 500 employees
n
HOW ARE YOU AND THE COMPANY ADJUSTING TO WISCONSIN? “We’ve got a beautiful campus. The building is an upgrade from where we were. This allowed our distributor business to grow. We were sharing space with our packaging group – they have since taken over the entire North Chicago facility and are also in Columbia, Illinois.” le
This state-of-the-art chemical distribution company desperately needed more space to store rail cars – and found it on a 30-acre site in Wisconsin. Polen started the company out of his Highland Park, Illinois, house in 1971 and later set up offices in North Chicago and other cities, including Columbia, Illinois. In 2013, the company moved its operations to a 336,000-square-foot modernized facility in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin with room for 10 miles of stainless-steel pipe, three indoor truck scales and capacity for 26 rail cars and 1.1 million gallons of bulk storage. The same year, it opened a new waste services facility in Kenosha County.
Ed
r wa
d
Po
combined over all our locations. We’ve got a lot more employees than we did. We’re looking for forklift drivers, machine operators, good salesmen and a chemist. We just hired a switchboard operator. We seem to be growing all the time.” n
biztimes.com/brg / 15
n business climate
CH R I S ALE X AN D E R VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FNA GROUP, PLEASANT PRAIRIE
WHAT AT TRACTED YOU TO WISCONSIN? “Back in 2014, we realized we were running out of space and started a five-state search in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and South Carolina. We knew we wanted to make a big push into technical and not just be a distributor or a manufacturer. Gateway Technical College (in Racine) helped lay the foundation. If you don’t lay a foundation, it will never grow into something bigger.”
WHAT UNEXPECTED LIFEST YLE BENEFITS HAVE YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES EXPERIENCED AS A RESULT OF THE MOVE? “One of our employees had spent his entire life in Arkansas and another in California. I told them to spend a couple of weeks up here to see what they think. Within a couple of days, they came back to me and said, ‘We want to make the transition.’ There’s outdoor recreation. There’s Milwaukee, which has so many fantastic things and you can walk along the lakefront. It was a breath of fresh air for them. Where we are offers a very urban experience but without the headaches.”
HOW ARE YOU AND THE COMPANY ADJUSTING TO WISCONSIN? “These workers want to know there is a long-term plan. We’ve restructured our employment packages and the training. We’re a family company. Peer-
HOW DOES BEING IN WISCONSIN ENABLE YOU TO DO BUSINESS MORE EFFICIENTLY? “We have some of the fastest fiber in the surrounding Midwest areas. If you don’t look at what’s in this area, as a business owner, you’re being somewhat
r
to-peer influence is the most impactful. In Illinois, we felt we were fighting against the minimum-wage increase and people who did not want to be in manufacturing.”
de
Alexander’s father started this family business, which is focused on production of pressure washers, pumps, hoses and replacement parts, in 1988. He and his brother recently stepped in with an eye on expansion. In 2015 they took a brave step in moving the company’s corporate offices and a portion of its Arkansas manufacturing to Wisconsin after 28 years in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.
C
A h ri s
l ex
an
shortsighted. You don’t have to be a Haribo, Uline or Foxconn. This Chicago-to-Milwaukee corridor is booming.” HOW HAS THE MOVE ALLOWED YOU TO GROW? “We committed to employing 150 people and at the end of the first year we were at 200. We expect to be at 300 by the end of this year. We just took over another 6,000 square feet just to the north of us for our technical engineering research and development center.” n
K E ITH S M ITH PRESIDENT VONCO PRODUCTS, TREVOR
WHAT AT TRACTED YOU TO WISCONSIN? “We knew we needed to expand and find more space. Lake County is called ‘lakes’ for a reason – it’s very wet. Halfway into it, we figured out expansion on the current site was not going to work for us. We didn’t want to lose anybody in the move so we set a small radius – Lake, McHenry and western Kenosha counties. “Manufacturing tax credits of 7.5 percent in Wisconsin essentially bring our state income tax credits to 0.4 percent. In Illinois, it went up to 4.95 percent. It was a five percent savings in state income taxes. Kenosha Area Business Alliance got really creative with its deal. They financed the building
HOW DOES BEING IN WISCONSIN ENABLE YOU TO DO BUSINESS MORE EFFICIENTLY? “Wisconsin’s more open for collaboration and business. We’ve been talking to the tech schools and high schools. It’s more inclusive and we’re a lot more involved. It’s all about cash flow. With the move to Wisconsin and the state income tax credits, we’ve been able to accelerate our investments and have more cash to invest.” WHAT UNEXPECTED LIFEST YLE BENEFITS HAVE YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES EXPERIENCED AS A RESULT OF THE MOVE? “The building is brand new, so we were able to optimize our flow with the layout. Some of the base employees that came with us, they’re driving slightly further but we’ve got access up Highway 83 or I-94. And you can probably get a good half-mile walk in at lunchtime.”
16 / BizTimes NORTH OF THE BORDER – SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN BUSINESS RELOCATION GUIDE · 2019
i th
for us and leased it back to us at a reasonable rate. We also reduced workers’ comp insurance costs by almost 60 percent.”
m
In 2017, this packaging and components company – founded in 1955 – shifted north to Wisconsin. Smith bought the company six years ago from a second-generation owner of the family-run business. Moving from Lake Villa, Illinois to Trevor, Wisconsin allowed for increased savings and enough land to build a lab “so customers can leave with samples,” Smith said. “We make highly custom products.”
Ke
i th
S
HOW HAS THE MOVE ALLOWED YOU TO GROW OR EXPAND? “We are putting more focus on that consumer products division, including hiring sales employees in that division. We grew from 85 employees to 115 employees. We landed new customers in our medical fluids business. By the end of 2019, we plan to have between 120 and 130 employees, due to our continued growth in our consumer products packaging division. We’ve gone from 50,000 square feet to 80,000 square feet, with the ability to put on an additional 50,000 square feet.” n
O P P O R TU N ITI E S AB O U N D I N
Mount Pleasant Business Park West.
NICHOLAS DORN/CARW
R E AL E S TATE
SO UTH E A STE R N WI SCO N S I N By Dan Shafer, for BizTimes FOR MUCH OF THE 2010s, the industrial real estate market in southeastern Wisconsin has seen the trend of businesses relocating their operations to the region, and that trend is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, this last year has arguably been the high water mark, with major projects from Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group, Ger-
many-based Haribo and Seattle-based Amazon amounting to billions of dollars in new development planned for the region. And the momentum is building far beyond these mega-projects. “There’s activity all over the place,” said Jim Barry III, president of Milwaukee-based commercial real estate brokerage The Barry Co. Developers are building and businesses are relocating in this region, said Barry, because of the “political and fiscal situation in Illinois” along with a lack of developable land in the Chicago area and a more business-friendly tax environment in Wisconsin.
MILWAUKEE VS CHICAGO INDUSTRIAL REAL ESTATE AVAILABLE SQUARE FOOTAGE (TOTAL)
AVAILABILITY RATE
PRICE (AVG DIRECT)**
RACINE
1,928,986
6.33%
$3.98
KENOSHA
1,794,654
5.36%
$4.70
7,117,951
(VARIES PER REGIONSEE BELOW)*
(VARIES PER REGIONSEE BELOW)*
LAKE
6,692,707
5.93%
$4.97
COOK
26,133,248
4.1%
$6.00
DUPAGE
10,720,614
5.7%
$5.41
MCHENRY
786,831
3.88%
$4.92
4,215,284
5.14%
$4.82
1,016,116
8.69%
$5.67
MILWAUKEE NORTH CENTRAL
1,429,734
11.32%
$2.66
MILWAUKEE NORTH SHORE
808,048
9.16%
$4.13
MILWAUKEE NORTHWEST
899,616
4.47%
$3.65
1,806,469
5.98%
$3.93
MILWAUKEE SOUTH CENTRAL
362,012
2.74%
$4.02
MILWAUKEE WEST
895,956
6.13%
$4.39
COUNTY/AREA
MILWAUKEE
KANE *MILWAUKEE REGIONS:
MILWAUKEE DOWNTOWN
MILWAUKEE SOUTH
Just north of the Illinois border is Prairie Highlands Corporate Park in the Village of Pleasant Prairie. Gummy bear maker Haribo’s $242 million production facility and Advocate Aurora Health’s new $130 million surgery center make up the first phase, and another 130 to 160 acres soon to become available for development will make up the second phase, said Jeff Hoffman, principal at Milwaukee-based commercial real estate brokerage The Boerke Co. Hoffman said another pocket of the area is also set for major expansion, with three speculative industrial developments – two from Chicago-based Logistics Property Co. totaling 1 million square feet and one 500,000-square-foot building from Milwaukee-based Zilber Property Group – that will be available for lease as soon as summer 2019. “There will be a lot of opportunity for businesses that can come up to the corridor and immediately get established and not have to go through the whole planning and site selection process,” Hoffman said. “They’re ready to go, right on the freeway.” Also along the I-94 corridor in Kenosha and Racine counties are the 130-acre Mount Pleasant Business Park West from Milwaukee-based MLG Commercial and a 440,000-square-foot spec building in Racine County from Michigan-based Ashley Capital. Hoffman said there’s opportunity for another 2 million square feet of speculative development in those two counties. In Milwaukee County, Oak Creek remains on a “real run” for new and infill development, said Barry, who is also working on a 100,000-squarefoot speculative building at West Oakwood Road and South 27th Street in Franklin. The 30th Street Industrial Corridor in the City of Milwaukee also saw some long-awaited movement in 2018, with Milwaukee-based Good City Brewing announcing a deal to move its operations and warehouse to the 53,000-square-foot Century City One industrial building in 2018. Elsewhere in southeastern Wisconsin, Barry points to a major, 700,000-square-foot distribution facility being built by Zilber that will “kick off an industrial park between 2 and 2.5 million square feet of industrial development” at Highway 167 and Highway 41 in Germantown. “Wisconsin has become appealing for companies all over the place, not just nationally but internationally,” Barry said. n
** N IL counties = “average asking lease rate” biztimes.com/brg / 17
ARTHUR THOMAS
n business climate
MA J O R I - 9 4 E XPAN S I O N S P ROG R E S S I N G R AP I D LY
By Elizabeth Clarke, for BizTimes I-94 ENTERS WISCONSIN FROM ILLINOIS through its southeastern corner and works its way northwest to cross the St. Croix River into Minnesota. The I-94 North-South Freeway Project, to improve the portion of the freeway between Milwaukee and Illinois, is the fastest-paced “mega project” in Wisconsin Department of Transportation history. Widening I-94 from three lanes to four in each direction between College Avenue in Milwaukee County and Highway 142 in Kenosha County is projected to be completed by December 2021. The freeway expansion will help ease congestion where the WisDOT forecasts traffic to grow from 83,000 to 153,000 vehicles per day to 100,000 to 200,000 vehicles per day by 2034, largely due to the development of the Foxconn Technology Group campus being constructed in Mount Pleasant. Tech upgrades being built into the freeway expansion include an autonomous vehicle lane planned to move goods and possibly even work-
Construction on I-94 in Racine County.
ers between Foxconn’s campus and Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport in the future. These upgrades are largely credited for the $160 million grant the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the I-94 project in June 2018. Reconstruction of northbound lanes through the segment between Highway 142 and Highway 20 in Kenosha and Racine counties began in June 2018. The reconstruction of this segment included updates to entrance and exit ramps at County Road KR and Highway 11, which were reconstructed and reopened in late 2018. Four lanes of traffic in each direction are scheduled to open in late 2019.
Work on the 12 miles of northbound lanes between Highway 20 in Racine County and College Avenue in Milwaukee County began in July 2018, resulting in temporary lane closures and a reduction in the speed limit from 70 mph to 60 mph. This segment of the project includes reconstruction of the interchanges at Highway K, Seven Mile Road, South 27th Street and Ryan Road. The full four lanes of traffic in each direction of this segment are also scheduled to open in late 2019. WisDOT projects all eight I-94 lanes in the reconstruction project will open by Memorial Day 2020. n
O T H E R K E Y R E G I O N A L T R A N S P O R TAT I O N O P T I O N S PORT MILWAUKEE
The 14 Wisconsin commercial ports collectively handle more than 30 million tons of cargo each year. In 2018, Port Milwaukee handled 2.4 million tons of cargo. Port Milwaukee also received a $3 million state grant to upgrade railroad track, paving the way for the potential resumption of intermodal container service.
MITCHELL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
More than 7 million passengers traveled through Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport in 2018. In addition to offering nonstop flights to more than 40 destinations, the airport runs cargo charter services with Federal Express, UPS, DHL and the U.S. Postal Service. Other airports in southeastern Wisconsin include Lawrence J. Timmerman Airport in Milwaukee, Waukesha County Airport (Crites Field) in Waukesha, John H. Batten Airport in Racine and the Kenosha Regional Airport in Kenosha.
RAILWAYS
Passenger traffic on Amtrak’s Hiawatha service between Milwaukee and Chicago hit a new high during the 2018 fiscal year. The Hiawatha served 844,396 passengers in the 2018 fiscal year, up 1.8 percent from fiscal 2017, according to Amtrak. In addition, each year freight rail companies utilize 4,200 miles of track to carry nearly 3 million carloads of freight throughout Wisconsin.
18 / BizTimes NORTH OF THE BORDER – SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN BUSINESS RELOCATION GUIDE · 2019
n business climate
R E LOC ATI O N H E LP E R S
Commerce is a private, nonprofit organization that represents about 1,800 member businesses with 300,000 employees in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee counties. CONTACT MMAC:
WEDC The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is a public-private agency that leads economic development efforts for the state by providing resources, operational support and financial assisMark Hogan, secretary and CEO of WEDC. tance to companies and communities in Wisconsin. WEDC works with more than 600 partners across the state, including regional economic development organizations, academic institutions and industry clusters. CONTACT WEDC: (855) 469-4249
MMAC The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of
(414) 287-4100 or info@mmac.org
M7 The Milwaukee 7 was formed in 2005 to create a regional, cooperative economic development platform for the seven counties of southeastern Wisconsin: Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha. Its mission is to attract, retain and grow diverse businesses and talent. CONTACT M7:
(866) 596-6463 or milwaukee7@mmac.org
K ABA The Kenosha Area Business Alliance works to support and expand the existing business base through retention and consolidation strategies; position Kenosha County for long-term economic growth; attract and retain talent; ensure the county is economically, digitally and physically connected; and build a distinct
image and brand for the county. CONTACT KABA:
(262) 605-1100 or info@kaba.org
RAMAC Racine Area Manufacturers and Commerce serves as a voice representing the common interests of organizations in Racine – small and large, industrial and retail, for-profit and nonprofit – by offering pro-business and pro-community programs and initiatives. CONTACT RAMAC:
(262) 634-1931 or ramac@racinechamber.com
RCEDC The Racine County Economic Development Corp. is a private, nonprofit organization created in 1983 to build and maintain a strong economic base in Racine County. The organization provides services to help businesses with expansion, relocation, financing and workforce development projects. CONTACT RCEDC:
(262) 898-7400 or info@rcedc.org
MA J O R H OTE L S AN D
H OTE L S
M E E TI N G FACI LITI E S
Best Western Executive Inn, Kenosha, 114 rooms
Milwaukee Marriott Downtown, Milwaukee, 205 rooms
I N SO UTH E A S TE R N
DoubleTree by Hilton Milwaukee Downtown, Milwaukee, 243 rooms
Milwaukee Marriott West, Pewaukee, 281 rooms
DoubleTree by Hilton, Pleasant Prairie, 120 rooms
Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, Milwaukee, 381 rooms
DoubleTree by Hilton, Racine, 121 rooms
Saint Kate Arts Hotel, Milwaukee, 219 rooms
PHOTOS COURTESY OF VISIT MILWAUKEE
WI SCO N S I N
p The Hilton, Milwaukee
Hilton Milwaukee City Center, Milwaukee, 729 rooms Hyatt Regency, Milwaukee, 481 rooms Kimpton Journeyman Hotel, Milwaukee, 158 rooms
The Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, 307 rooms The Westin Milwaukee, Milwaukee, 220 rooms
M E E TI N G FACI LITI E S Anderson Arts Center, Kenosha
Milwaukee Athletic Club, Milwaukee
Circa on Seventh, Kenosha
Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee
DeKoven Center, Racine
Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, Milwaukee
Discovery World, Milwaukee
The Grain Exchange, Milwaukee
Festival Hall, Racine
Wisconsin Center, Milwaukee
Harley-Davidson Museum, Milwaukee
Wisconsin Exposition Center, West Allis
Italian Community Center, Milwaukee p The Hyatt Regency, Milwaukee biztimes.com/brg / 19
MAREDITHE MEYER
n living here
I N D U STRY- LE AD I N G H E ALTH C AR E SYSTE M S By Lauren Anderson, staff writer SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN is home to several nationally-ranked health systems, including Advocate Aurora Health, Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Ascension Wisconsin and ProHealth Care Inc. Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee and Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa are named annually among the best hospitals in the state on the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals list. Aurora St. Luke’s ranks nationally for gynecology, cardiology and heart surgery, and geriatrics. Froedtert & MCW is also nationally ranked for several specialties, including ears, nose and throat, pulmonology and nephrology. Community Memorial Hospital in Menomonee Falls, part of Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, ranks No. 1 among the nation’s top complex teaching medical centers, according to an annual study by Vizient, an alliance of U.S. academic medical centers and hospitals. ProHealth Care, which operates hospitals in Waukesha and Oconomowoc, is recognized as a Truven Health Analytics Top Quintile
Froedtert Hospital
Health System for high achievement in clinical performance, efficiency and patient satisfaction. All of the major area health systems are growing, with expansion plans and projects underway. Froedtert Hospital is constructing a four-floor expansion on top of its 12-story Center for Advanced Care at its flagship campus, with several outpatient facilities and two micro-hospitals planned in the region. Advocate Aurora Health is building a new hospital, two clinics and a medical office building northeast of I-94 and Highway 20 in Mount Pleasant, along with a 100,000-square-foot outpatient care center west of I-94 in Pleasant Prairie. Ascension Wisconsin is building an 83,000-square-foot medical center at the northeast corner of Highway 20 and Highway H in Mount Pleasant, with plans for more investment in the Racine area over the next three years. n
L ARGEST HEALTH CARE FACILITIES IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN: ÌÌ Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center, Milwaukee ÌÌ Froedtert Hospital, Wauwatosa ÌÌ Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa ÌÌ ProHealth Waukesha Memorial Hospital, Waukesha ÌÌ Ascension All Saints Hospital, Racine ÌÌ Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital, Milwaukee ÌÌ Froedtert South Kenosha Medical Center, Kenosha ÌÌ Aurora West Allis Medical Center, West Allis
MAREDITHE MEYER
ÌÌ Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital – St. Joseph Campus, Milwaukee ÌÌ Aurora Medical Center, Grafton ÌÌ Aurora Sinai Medical Center, Milwaukee Aurora St. Lukes Medical Center
20 / BizTimes NORTH OF THE BORDER – SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN BUSINESS RELOCATION GUIDE · 2019
NATI O NALLYR AN K E D H I G H E R E D U C ATI O N I N STITUTI O N S By Lauren Anderson, staff writer WISCONSIN HAS MORE THAN 70 higher education institutions, ranging from four-year private universities to two-year technical colleges. The southeastern Wisconsin region is a hub for higher education, home to about 25 universities, technical colleges and two-year universities. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee boasts a “gold standard” research classification from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. It’s one of 130 institutions of the 4,338 universities evaluated in 2018 that is included in Carnegie’s “highest research activity” category, a designation held by many Ivy League and public flagship institutions. UWM was also recently recognized by the Council on Undergraduate Research with its 2018 Campus-Wide Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishments because of the university’s high number of undergraduates involved in research each year. Marquette University ranks among the top 100 best colleges in America, according to the 2019 U.S. News & World Report list. The university is also ranked 49th in U.S. News’ Best Value Schools, which takes into account a school’s academic quality and the cost of attendance. And Marquette is recognized as an “A-plus School for B Students,” a distinction that recognizes the university’s Catholic, Jesuit mission to graduate first-generation college students. With many new employers entering the region, higher education institutions – including two-year and four-year universities and technical colleges – are working in concert with one another, through the Higher Education Regional Alliance, to raise college completion rates, spur program innovation and better connect employers with the talent pipeline. n
AL VE
RNO
COLLEG
E
UW
- MI
LWAUKEE
MA
RQU
E T TE UNI V ERS
IT Y
SO U TH E A S TE R N WI SCO N S I N ’ S H I G H E R E D U C ATI O N I N S TIT U TI O N E N RO LLM E NT PRIVATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES Alverno College, Milwaukee Cardinal Stritch University, Fox Point Carroll University, Waukesha Carthage College, Kenosha
2,017 2,335 3,358 2,748
8,004
Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon Lakeland University, Sheboygan County
2,600
11,600
Marquette University, Milwaukee Mount Mary University, Milwaukee Wisconsin Lutheran College, Milwaukee
1,404 1,200
TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL Columbia College of Nursing, Glendale 149
6,000
Herzing University, Milwaukee Medical College of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Milwaukee
1,200 630
2,610
Milwaukee School of Engineering, Milwaukee
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM 27,466
UW - Milwaukee UW - Parkside, Kenosha UW - Whitewater
4,308 12,051
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN TWO-YEAR COLLEGES UW - Sheboygan UW - Washington County
567 640
UW - Waukesha
1,724
WISCONSIN TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM Gateway Technical College, Racine
20,831 40,825
Milwaukee Area Technical College Waukesha County Technical College
20,112
biztimes.com/brg / 21
n living here
H O M E S AR E A STE AL I N SO UTH E A S TE R N WI SCO N S I N
A home for sale in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin.
A D I R EC T H O M E CO M PAR I SO N
A home for sale in Lake Forest, Illinois.
By Kristine Hansen, for BizTimes FIRST COMES THE JOB, then comes housing. Most employees will purchase a home for less than $300,000 in Wisconsin, said Mike Ruzicka, president of the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors, but they’d better act fast. “There’s no new supply coming in that category,” as higher interest rates prevent upsizing, he said. But the flipside is that “if you go over $400,000, we aren’t seeing many multiple offers.” What attracts people to buy in Wisconsin? If companies are near the border, workers could, after all, remain living in Illinois. “Wisconsin is well-known for having good
schools from the Milwaukee area all the way to the state line,” Ruzicka said. “Housing costs, in general, are less expensive in Wisconsin than Illinois, especially in the Chicago area. It’s easier to get around in Milwaukee. The one negative is we don’t have a mass transit system like in Chicago.” Steve Beers, of Keefe Real Estate in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin agrees: “What we’re seeing is people coming north to Wisconsin to live, whether their business is here or (better) quality of life with lower taxes and good schools.” Patti Kirchhoff – who works out of Beers’ office – is licensed in both states and has an office in Woodstock, Illinois. “What is pushing people out of Illinois is the
H O M E P R I C E CO M PA R I S O N S LAKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
KENOSHA COUNTY, WISCONSIN
RACINE COUNTY, WISCONSIN
MILWAUKEE COUNTY, WISCONSIN
MEDIAN LISTING PRICE
$319,900
$214,000
N/A
$154,900
MEDIAN LISTING PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT
$157
$141
$122
$118
MEDIAN SALE PRICE
$245,200
$167,800
$158,300
$165,600
MEDIAN HOME VALUE
$236,100
$182,300
$228,500
$156,800
AVERAGE DAYS ON ZILLOW
105
51
58
74
Source: Zillow, 2018. 22 / BizTimes NORTH OF THE BORDER – SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN BUSINESS RELOCATION GUIDE · 2019
A lakefront home in the Milwaukee North Shore suburb of Whitefish Bay, a five-bedroom, 4.5-bath property – built in 1931, and modernized with a chef-grade kitchen and new lower-level living space – is listing for $1,774,900. Comparatively, an equally charming French Provincial five-bedroom historical home in Lake Forest, Illinois, with four baths (plus two half baths), boasting a pool and coach house, and also along Lake Michigan, is on the market for $3,995,000. obvious – the taxes,” she said. A $250,000 home in Woodstock, is taxed at $7,000 (at a rate of $2.80 per $1,000), 87.4 percent higher than a Lake Geneva home of the same value, which carries $3,725 in taxes (at a rate of $1.49 per $1,000). Illinois’ income tax rate is 4.95 percent (an increase in 2017 from 3.75 percent) while Wisconsin’s ranges from 4 percent to 7.65 percent, depending on income. Realtor Annette Zielinski, who relocated from Barrington, Illinois, to Keller Williams’ North Shore office in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin last year, thinks Lake Geneva is an incredible bargain for those relocating to Kenosha and Racine counties for work. Condos often list for just more than $200,000. “Lake Geneva offers the golf-course communities and a wide range of condos around the lake,” she said. Kenosha and Racine counties offer easy access to Chicago and Milwaukee for arts and other cultural opportunities, she said. “You get a lot more house for $1.2 million in Wisconsin than in Illinois,” Ruzicka said. n
DINING OUT
WHAT ’ S IT LI K E TO LIVE H E R E ?
By Molly Dill, staff writer LIKE ANY REGION, the Milwaukee area has its own unique flavor. But it’s also more familiar than you might expect. With high-end dining and arts, MLB and NBA teams, unique museums, and a penchant for the outdoor festival, Milwaukee holds its own against larger cities.
S P O R T S & R EC R E ATI O N Fiserv Forum, a $524 million state-of-the-art arena, recently opened in downtown Milwaukee. It’s home to the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks and the Marquette University men’s basketball team. But it also hosts concerts, with major artists like Justin Timberlake, Maroon 5, the Eagles and Metallica performing there in the first few months of operation. “It adds a different element to Milwaukee that I think we didn’t already have,” said Kristin Settle, director of communications at VISIT Milwaukee. “And you still have places like Miller Park competing for acts and performances, like Billy Joel’s only Midwest stop is at Miller Park (on April 26).” Miller Park is home to the Milwaukee Brewers, who went deep into the playoffs last year. And if you’d like to get active yourself, Milwaukee has plenty of options. The Milwaukee Yacht Club, Milwaukee Community Sailing Center and South Shore Yacht Club offer lessons and camaraderie, or you can grab a paddle and go. “The thing that’s nice about Milwaukee’s waterways is that they are open to the public,” Settle said. “There are a ton of public boat slips in the marina, in the river, so you really can have access to the water, whether that’s from a kayak or a paddle tavern.” If golf’s your thing, you’re in luck. Drive an hour in any direction, and you’ll hit 75 courses. Erin Hills, near Hartford, hosted the 2017 U.S. Open, and Whistling Straits in Sheboygan held the 2015 PGA Championship and is prepping for the 2020 Ryder Cup.
Yes, Wisconsin is known for beer and cheese – and you’ll find plenty of breweries in the area – but it’s more than that. For one, Milwaukee hosts 12 James Beard Award-nominated chefs, three of whom have claimed the national prize. New from Beard-nominated chefs Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite, who brought Dandan and EsterEv to the city’s diners, is the critically acclaimed Fauntleroy. “We’re seeing chefs try new things and really focus on that only-in-Milwaukee experience,” Settle said. “Food is the last analog experience you can have.” And while some chefs are keeping it fresh, others are serving up treasured Wisconsin traditions such as the supper club. The Hob Nob in Racine is among the tried and true purveyors of prime rib, fish fry and brandy Old Fashioneds.
C U LT U R A L AT TR AC TI O N S Have you seen the beautiful “sailboat” on Milwaukee’s lakefront, at the end of downtown thoroughfare Wisconsin Avenue? It’s actually the Milwaukee Art Museum, which
flaps its sails three times a day and often hosts traveling exhibitions to accompany its permanent collection. Milwaukee also has a natural history museum, an aquarium and science museum, a children’s museum, and a museum paying homage to the homegrown Harley-Davidson Inc. The performing arts are thriving, with Broadway smash hit “Hamilton” coming to the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts this season and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra set to complete its new performance space downtown. From opera to elephants, Milwaukee has plenty to offer the cultural explorer.
FE S TIVA L S Milwaukee is known as the City of Festivals for a reason. It’s the home of Summerfest, the World’s Largest Music Festival, a 10-day extravaganza at Henry Maier Festival Park on the lakefront. When Summerfest isn’t going on, the festival grounds play host to a different festival most summer weekends, from Irish Fest to Mexican Fiesta. And there are plenty of other street festivals celebrating everything from strawberries to beer. “Milwaukee is home to over 30 festivals, and those are not limited to the summer. It’s a year-round thing,” Settle said. n
Fiserv Forum
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