Milwaukee Commerce - Spring 2020 edition by MMAC

MILWAUKEE COMMERCE Spring 2020 - Volume 99, No. 1

From the President

Serving our members to rebuild & reimagine

Perspectives from:

Nancy Hernandez - Hispanic Collaborative Austin Ramirez - Husco International Bill Berrien - Pindel Global Precision Keith Coursin - Desert Aire

HOW CAN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY ADDRESS RACIAL DISPARITIES? PAGE 6

MCW'S RAYMOND HELPS MILWAUKEE NAVIGATE COVID CRISIS PAGE 16

What have we learned? Business lessons from the pandemic

At Reinhart, we stand by our clients As deeply-rooted partners in metro Milwaukee’s business success, our attorneys are dedicated to helping companies face the critical issues of our time by delivering innovative, cost-effective solutions to the challenges we face together. Now more than ever, we are here to help you stay abreast of emerging trends, protect your corporate assets, minimize risk and liability, execute sound strategies, and achieve your business objectives — all while building lasting relationships.

reinhartlaw.com · 414.298.1000 MILWAUKEE · MADISON · WAUKESHA · WAUSAU · CHICAGO · ROCKFORD · MINNEAPOLIS · DENVER · PHOENIX

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Milwaukee Commerce, SPRING 2020

It all happened so staggeringly fast. Almost overnight, the COVID-19 pandemic hit our shores and transformed every aspect of how we live and work. As we produce this issue of Milwaukee Commerce, the threat is not over. Until we have an effective vaccine or treatment, we are all left to figure out how to live and work as normally as possible while keeping our employees and customers safe. But as we move past the immediate crisis and move into recovery and a new normal, it’s appropriate to pause and reflect: What did we learn?

05 Serving our members to rebuild & reimagine

Tim Sheehy - MMAC

06 How can the business community address racial disparities? 09 What is the role of business in solving community challenges?

Nancy Hernandez - Hispanic Collaborative

Innovating to serve the community

Austin Ramirez - Husco International

Upskilling's impact on your future

Bill Berrien - Pindel Global Precision

Lessons from small business

Keith Coursin - Desert Aire

MCW's Raymond helps MKE navigate COVID crisis

WEDC grants, guidelines & resources for recovery

Missy Hughes - WEDC

M7: MKE manufacturer SIC-Lazaro US continues expansion

Lessons from the restaurant industry

Omar Shaikh - SURG Restaurant Group

23 How local marketing/communications firms are evolving during the pandemic 25 The power of humility

Ralph Weber - Gass Weber Mullins

27 Employee mental health

After more than 125 years of service to metro Milwaukee’s business community, our firm has stood by its clients through many challenging periods in our city’s history; and just as we have always been there to help Milwaukee prosper in times of growth, we stand by it today in times of difficulty. As we face the ongoing pandemic together, we know how essential it is for businesses to have a legal partner that understands the complexities of our rapidly shifting economy. That is why Reinhart’s experienced attorneys are serving as strategic advisers to clients across our region, working closely with them to navigate obstacles, preserve assets and leverage opportunities. With a long legacy of helping companies succeed in evolving business environments, we remain committed to delivering informed legal counsel carefully designed to address each client’s unique situation. Together, we stand strong.

Dr. Munther Barakat - Aurora Health Care

Why Milwaukee? Why now?

Robert Recker - MMAC/Milwaukee 7

In every issue

10 Member milestones 32 New MMAC members 35 Staff directory

Volume 99, No. 1 - Milwaukee Commerce (USPS 546-370, ISN 0746-6706) is published four times a year by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC), 756 N. Milwaukee St., Suite 400, Milwaukee, WI 53202-3767 Periodicals postage paid at Milwaukee, WI. Subscriptions $5 per year for members, included in dues. POSTMASTER send address changes to: Milwaukee Commerce - MMAC/Andrea Medved - 756 N. Milwaukee St., Ste. 400, Milwaukee, WI 53202-3767 Jonas Prising, MMAC Chairman • Tim Sheehy, MMAC President Chris Jenkins, Editor (cjenkins@mmac.org) Carrie Gossett, Creative Director (cgossett@mmac.org) Jim Wall, Advertising (jwall@mmac.org) Jane Backes, Advertising (jbackes@mmac.org)

Jerry Janzer CEO reinhartlaw.com · 414.298.1000

mmac.org |

COMMERCIAL BANKING. ROOTED IN RELATIONSHIPS. You are based in the Midwest. And like you, we are proud of that. So far, our Paycheck Protection Program has helped more than 6,500 businesses plan for tomorrow. The PPP loans Associated Bank has provided will help businesses continue to pay employees and do the great work they do each and every day. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re honored to have provided over $1 billion in loans to businesses that serve as the heartbeat of the Midwest. Associated Bank is proud to support our commercial banking partners. Learn more at AssociatedBank.com/Commercial. Gus Hernandez Commercial Banking Segment Leader Milwaukee â&#x20AC;˘ 330 East Kilbourn Ave. 414-283-2270 Gus.Hernandez@AssociatedBank.com

Deposit and loan products are offered by Associated Bank, N.A. Loan products are subject to credit approval and involve interest and other costs. Please ask about details on fees and terms and conditions of these products. Property insurance and flood insurance, if applicable, will be required on collateral. Member FDIC. (5/20) 16442

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Milwaukee Commerce, SPRING 2020

05/26/2020 11:07:36 AM

From the President

Serving our members to rebuild & reimagine

ince our inception 159 years ago, MMAC’s membership has persevered through the Civil War, the 1918 flu pandemic, two world wars and numerous recessions. I know from this history that Milwaukee’s business community has rebuilt and reimagined itself to come through it stronger each time.

while keeping their employees and customers safe. To move forward, we must lead with responsible freedom and a sensible awareness of reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Just as we appeared to be moving out of the most challenging period of the pandemic, our nation experienced the continuation of another crisis with the unjust killing I keep this in mind as we navigate of George Floyd in Minneapolis. This the COVID-19 pandemic, from an horrific incident was felt particularly initial crisis response to a recovery hard here in Milwaukee, a place period and a “new normal.” For you where racial inequities are one of as business leaders, we know the the main factors holding us back hard times haven’t passed yet and from reaching our full potential. the rebuilding and reimagining are The business community remains fervently underway. We will continue a responsible partner to address to work every day to support you in these underlying inequities. The any way we can. work employers are leading to make this a Region of Choice for all As the pandemic first hit, MMAC continues and is more important moved quickly to advocate for better than ever. information, fact-based decision making and a clear path forward. Businesses by their nature are We stood up a COVID-19 website to independent, entrepreneurial and offer resources and information. competitive. But membership has We went virtual to reach you, its benefits. As Rudyard Kipling meeting more than 40,000 unique noted, “the strength of the pack is viewers through webinars. Amid the wolf, but the strength of the a sea of confusion and unreliable wolf is the pack.” Thank you for your information, we partnered with the commitment as members. It is this Medical College of Wisconsin to put pack that has helped strengthen forth vetted, trusted information. Metro Milwaukee. I especially want to thank Dr. John Raymond, MCW President, for serving as a calm and credible source on our Daily Briefings. The partnership with experts at Tim Sheehy MCW also yielded a toolkit MMAC President to help businesses operate

LOAN DECISIONS FROM NEXT DOOR, NOT 1,000 MILES AWAY. Through the Paycheck Protection Program, Associated Bank has provided more than $1 billion in loans to local businesses. We are based in the Midwest. And like you, we’re proud of that. Manufacturing, restaurants, agriculture, retail, tech, real estate and transportation: just a few of the types of businesses that we’ve helped to secure PPP loans. This translates to supporting 100,000 jobs in our communities. When you choose us to be your bank for business, your money stays local and goes to work to strengthen the community. Personalized service. Customized financial solutions. That’s just how we do business. Get to know us at AssociatedBank.com/Commercial.

Gus Hernandez

Commercial Banking Segment Leader 414-283-2270 Gus.Hernandez@AssociatedBank.com 330 East Kilbourn Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53202

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How can our business community address racial disparities? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The MMAC stands with those who are peacefully demonstrating & engaging to promote systematic change. We will continue to walk with those seeking to create a vibrant quality of life for all.â&#x20AC;? Read the full statement from MMAC Chair Jonas Prising, Chairman & CEO of ManpowerGroup on MMAC.org/PressReleases.html

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Milwaukee Commerce, SPRING 2020

Developing an agenda for meaningful change As MMAC considers the complex and interconnected issues of racial disparity and economic inequity in our community, one thing is clear: the issues are both urgent and important. Consider the following statistics:

Wisconsin’s budget allotment for corrections is: • 8x greater than that of higher education • 2.5x greater than that of children & families Source: 2019-2021 Wisconsin State Budget, Table 10

Milwaukee is the most segregated metro area in the United States. Source: Brookings Institution 2018

A black person in Milwaukee is 3x more likely to die from COVID-19 than a white person in Milwaukee.

Wisconsin incarcerates more black people than any other state. Source: The Sentencing Project, 2016

Source: Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management

Our current agenda includes strategies outlined under the Association’s Blueprint for Economic Prosperity in the areas of talent, economic growth and livability. What follows are some highlights of these agenda items, with the understanding that more and deeper work is needed.

TALENT Making Milwaukee a Region of Choice for Diverse Talent

In September of last year, MMAC announced its pledge to increase the recruitment and advancement of African American and Hispanic/ Latino talent. To date, the effort includes nearly 100 committed employers representing 140,000 employees. We continue to develop and

implement an action plan to change not only the numbers, but the culture of our companies and communities. Learn more and sign the pledge at mmac.org/diversetalent.html

Workforce development & pipeline expansion MMAC partners with organizations to more effectively deliver K-16 education, training, internships, and upskilling, with an emphasis on helping underserved and untapped populations gain a foothold in the workforce.

• The MMAC Education Committee oversees public policy strategies aimed at growing the number of high-quality schools serving students in the City to close the achievement gap for students of color. • Career-based learning programs, including Be the Spark and CareerX, provide experiential education to develop students’ career interests and pathways. - continued on page 8

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- continued from page 7

ECONOMIC GROWTH

The Milwaukee 7 attraction and expansion efforts have yielded strong results for job creation and capital investment. A significant number of those projects, including Komatsu, Michaels and Direct Supply, occurred in disadvantaged communities, with an impact of 3,343 new or retained jobs, $253M in annual payroll and $470M in capital investment.

MMAC Community Support Foundation’s Revitalize & Rebuild Fund To help businesses damaged during recent demonstrations, MMAC is raising, vetting and distributing funds to help affected business owners meet payroll, inventory, or make repairs to reopen or continue operations. The program was jumpstarted with an initial commitment from MMAC Board member Ted Kellner, who pledged up to $500,000.

“We’ve got to find a way to continue to invest in (Black-owned) small businesses, so they can continue to employ, develop and continue to train – but also to inspire. One thing about this city is we lack inspiration in our community.” KEVIN NEWELL, PRESIDENT & CEO, ROYAL CAPITAL GROUP

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Milwaukee Commerce, SPRING 2020

The mission of The Business Council (TBC) - an affiliate of the MMAC - is to cultivate relationships and business opportunities among ethnically-diverse businesses. Pictured is TBC's 2019 Annual Meeting.

LIVABILITY The Milwaukee Development Corporation (MDC)

is an MMAC affiliate organization charged with making catalytic real estate investments in disadvantaged areas of the region. Recent projects have included: • Rehabbing apartments as part of the Near Westside Partners’ (NWSP) strategy to improve safety, remove blight and redevelop the neighborhood. • Contributing $200,000 to Common Ground’s community program to buy and rehabilitate homes impacted by the foreclosure crisis.

Working together for meaningful change

• Supporting micro-business and small business lending through the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp. (WWBIC) and KIVA Milwaukee

Partner, support & collaborate

MMAC is currently supporting two independent partner organizations -- The Business Council, focused on the growth of ethnically diverse businesses, and the Hispanic Collaborative, directed at improving the prosperity of the Hispanic/Latino community. MMAC provides in-kind support so they can maximize their impact.

The disparity and lack of equity in metro Milwaukee is broad and deep, and the causes are multiple and related. Racism is present -- both overt and covert. More progress at an accelerated pace is necessary. The question for MMAC is, how do we best use our resources to make a difference, now and over the long-term. We invite all our members to join us in determining how we can best deliver meaningful change.

What is the role of business in solving our community's challenges? By Nancy Hernandez

President of the Hispanic Collaborative that is working, in collaboration with MMAC, to improving outcomes for Hispanics in the Milwaukee Region.

y now, many of us have heard all about social entrepreneurs, hybrid value chains, and Michael Porter’s TED Talk on how business is best poised to solve big social problems. But while we may have heard of business as a solution to social problems, COVID-19 gives us an opportunity to get off the sidelines and participate.

and increasing upward mobility in urban and Hispanic communities is tied to the entrepreneurial communities. They buoy neighborhoods, homeownership and property values. They create opportunities for next generations by financially enabling higher levels of educational attainment. They create greater investment in neighborhoods and employ greater percentages of their own community.

Hispanic and African American This health crisis has communities have not yet fully served to exacerbate recovered from the Great Recession the disparities felt by of 2008. The question for the our Hispanic and African business community today is, will you American communities that be better off in 10 years if we have a: were present way before the businesses of color • Smaller less diverse supply chain pandemic. It has halted all may close in our • Less skilled workforce income for three out of every • Greater community cost of 10 Hispanic households, community due emergency needs and reduced income for to the pandemic. • Smaller pipeline of diverse college an additional four more graduates households. Before it is over, it may claim the home of If not, then consider how you can one out of every 10 hardsupport our Hispanic and African American businesses working people of color in Milwaukee, who may have with vendor relationships, mentoring, meaningful leveraged the work of several generations to achieve contracts and training/access to succeed with the the dream of homeownership. It may impede four out of 10 current Black and Hispanic college students from transformations that your organizations will be going through in post COVID-19 world. It is time to get off the becoming the first in their family to graduate from sidelines. college, despite their hard work in overcoming the odds to get there in the first place. And it may close the doors of one out of every two businesses of color in our community, causing more financial devastation in its wake. "(The pandemic) has halted

1 out of 2

We cannot let Hispanic and African American firms experience greater failure rates than the rest of the businesses around them. The economic stability

all income for 3 out of 10 Hispanic households, and reduced income for an additional 4 more."

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Member Milestones

Congratulations to companies celebrating MMAC membership anniversaries

November 2019 - April 2020

115 YEARS

20 YEARS

Foley & Lardner Johnson Controls

Apple Leisure Group CHRYSPAC Gahn Meat Company Inland Companies dba Colliers International MKE County Transit System Select Technical Staffing

100 YEARS Chase

80 YEARS J.M. Brennan

75 YEARS Associated Bag Electrical Contractors Association

70 YEARS Riverwalk Dentistry

65 YEARS Armstrong Relocation Company WI

60 YEARS American Family Insurance Group Isaacs Parking - Owned & Operated by Isaacs Family McCotter Energy Systems Quad Transpak Corp.

50 YEARS Lenard Tool & Machine von Briesen & Roper

40 YEARS Bryant & Stratton College Gordon Flesch Co.

35 YEARS Bayshore Shopping Center Property Owner Broydrick & Associates Maglio & Co.

30 YEARS Crown Hardware & Plumbing Supply East Town Association MKERegional Innovation Center MRA - The Management Association

25 YEARS Beyond Vision BizTimes Media ChemIndustrial Systems Davis & Kuelthau GenMet Tax Airfreight USAV Group

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15 YEARS BeneCo of WI CIBC Bank USA Curtis Industries Cyganiak Planning Diversified Insurance Solutions Enviro-Safe Resource Recovery Focus Training Hampton Inn & Suites HNI Risk Services Innovative Signs Ivarson RBC Wealth Management The Salvation Army WI Club City Club

10 YEARS 7Summits Accenture Alcami Corp. Baker Tilly Virchow Krause BizStarts Girl Scouts of WI Southeast Hastings Air Energy Control K2 Sourcing Leonardo DRS Naval Power Systems Maxon Industries MKECounty Park System Patina Solutions Quorum Architects Sendiks Management Co. Vibrant Graphics

5 YEARS Abacus Architects Addev Materials Converting Arcoa Group Atonement Lutheran School Brew City Promotions Brilliance Business Solutions Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of MKE Cotter Consulting Crescendo Trade Doral Equips Expo Milwaukee First Supply

Milwaukee MilwaukeeCommerce, Commerce,SPRING SPRING2020 2020

Five Lakes Financial dba Tech Financial Services Funjet Vacations Good Karma Brands - ESPN MKE Good Karma Brands - Verizon Wireless Zone of West Bend Granville Economic Development Corp./BID Organization Gruber Law Offices Hermle USA Imagine Branding Kohlmann Management Group Landmark Credit Union Luther Manor, A Life Plan Community Malteurop Matty's Bar, Grill & Catering Max Weiss Co. Network Health Ogletree Deakins PFERD Selig Leasing Company Southgate Lease Services SWAT Environmental SWITS Translations The Home Market The Office Technology Group The Omanhene Cocoa Bean Co. University of WI MKE Panther Arena

1 YEAR 128th Community Council AF Technical Resources ATI Forged Products American Indian Chamber of Commerce of WI Antonopoulos Legal Group Arthritis Foundation Ascend Talent Strategies Biomat Boyle Fredrickson Bravent Bret Achtenhagen's Seasonal Services BrightStar Care Brightstar Care - Racine Burke Properties CableCom Convergence Resource Center Culture Index WI Data2Profit Consulting Dezign2Think Digital Color Drury Plaza Hotel MKEDowntown

Emergency Restoration Specialists Engineered Custom Coatings ERC Midwest FacilityNow Five O'Clock Steakhouse Flores Automation Fresh Coast Jazz Festival Front Room Studios Fusion Integrated Solutions Galanis, Pollack, Jacobs & Johnson Gardner Builders MKE Gillware Good City Brewing Great Impressions HARIBO Her & Himsel Hmong WI Chamber of Commerce IIB Consulting InCheck Injectec Life Ecology Organized (LEO) Mach1 Global Services Midwest Fiber Networks MKERescue Mission MilwaukeeWarehouse MotherG - WI Network Health Northwoods Web Solutions Pathways High Pinpoint Solutions Platform Digital PPG Prime Leather Finishes Co. Radisson Hotel MKE Airport Real Time Automation RemedyNow Saturn Lounge ScaleFactor Sebert Landscape Server Products SilverWater Productions Sunbelt Business Brokers Talecris Toshiba America Energy Systems USO WI UW-MKE Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health WDM Footwear and Accessories WI Institute of CPAs (WICPA) zizzl a benefits & payroll co.

t Husco, the pandemic reinforced many of the lessons we learned during the 2009-10 recession. The first is the need to communicate openly and transparently, with an optimism that is colored with realism. Often, there’s a tendency for leadership to pull in and huddle in a “war room,” either physically -- or virtually, these days. But at Husco we focus on overcommunicating with our team members. The other main lesson that the COVID-19 crisis reinforced is the need to react quickly when the business environment changes. We work in a cyclical business. Our markets don’t go up or down 5 or 10 percent. They go up and down 20, 30, 40 percent – and even more in today’s environment. While we certainly don’t want to overreact, it is imperative to respond aggressively to economic conditions and quickly make sure that we get to a financially sustainable position; without relying on a hypothetical future recovery in demand to bail us out down the road.

Finding solutions to new challenges The COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges that we never imagined needing to overcome. Masks are now mandatory in Husco facilities and we require six feet of distance between

Innovating to

SERVE THE COMMUNITY

By Austin Ramirez

CEO of Husco International

Husco-led consortium develops breakthrough face mask for frontline healthcare professionals our associates. We’re evaluating where plexiglass barriers can be used, and we’ve closed our (brand new) cafeteria – all actions that other companies are taking as well. I wish we didn’t have to do these things. I want to go back to “business as normal,” but the good news is that these actions have had very little impact on productivity. We’ve got essential manufacturing workers in our facilities, but everyone else is working from home. I’ve been amazed at how effectively the Husco team has adapted to a virtual work environment. I don’t think we’ve missed

"IN A MATTER OF WEEKS, WORKING WITH COLLEAGUES AT THE MEDICAL COLLEGE, BRIGGS & STRATTON AND OTHER LOCAL INSTITUTIONS, WE GOT THIS PROJECT INTO PRODUCTION." AUSTIN RAMIREZ

a beat. A lot of CEOs I’ve talked to are saying the same thing. Then came our Mask Force project. It was a completely organic, grassroots project that started with several Husco employees who were literally working with their neighbors to figure out how to solve the immediate personal protective equipment shortage. In response, we did what we do best, which is innovate.

What makes our mask different?

Our new mask design isn’t rocket science, but it has some real benefits over existing disposable N95 facemasks. It fits better, which translates into improved efficacy. It can be cleaned and re-used. And most importantly, the design can be scaled very quickly into high-volume production. In a matter of weeks, working with colleagues at the Medical College, Briggs & Stratton and other local institutions, we got this project into production. Today, we’re building 1,000 units per day for local demand. If we can get the mask certified by NIOSH to the N95 standard, demand is essentially unlimited. We could go from 1,000 per day to 100,000 or more per day.

If we achieve NIOSH certification and scale to 100,000 per day, the mask project would become meaningful from a financial perspective. But what we’ve done to date has been all about community service, not about pivoting our business or redeploying our assets. The Mask Force project was a really neat way to keep morale high during a difficult time. I know our people take a lot of pride in doing something positive to impact our community, and I do too.

(TOP) Courtney Jinar – Firefighter & Paramedic with the new MaskForce face mask (BOTTOM) Testing of the mask at Medical College of WI.

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SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN HAS PLANS. FIRST MIDWEST BANK HAS IDEAS.

At Park Bank, we know the business market, because we helped shape it for more than 100 years. This commitment to local leadership and decision making will continue as we become part of First Midwest Bank, creating greater resources, products and services. If you have plans to grow your business, we have ideas to help. Give us a call. David P. Werner Market President 414.270.3231

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Milwaukee Commerce, SPRING 2020

ADAPT TO CHANGING NEEDS THROUGH RESPONSIVE

UPSKILLING By Bill Berrien

CEO of Pindel Global Precision

Long before anyone had ever heard of COVID-19, the Milwaukee Region had a tremendous opportunity to grow in advanced manufacturing – if we could find a way to cultivate the skilled workforce we’d need to support it. That need has only increased since the pandemic hit us. Supply chains are being disrupted. OEMs are considering other sourcing opportunities. There’s an awareness and an increased need for very quick production, on-demand production, shorter lead times and lower minimum work quantities. To grow, our companies need to become even more agile. That means our employees do, too. We must be able to pivot, developing additional skills to move in new directions and spreading existing skills more broadly throughout our teams. But we can’t expect our current employees to go to school full-time for this. For the Milwaukee Region to thrive, we have to take an innovative and collaborative approach to reskilling and upskilling. We have to think differently. The Milwaukee Region is fortunate to have a well-developed system of higher education institutions and technical colleges. But their model is being disrupted, too, and we must take a hard look at their delivery models. Today, technical colleges determine

curriculum, hire instructors, purchase training tools and provide facilities – a comprehensive, vertically integrated approach, but one that can be sluggish in responding to industry needs and isn’t the best model for individuals who aren’t in position to take on full-time school and student loans. Within the MMAC and M7, we’re proposing a different model, one Tim Sheehy eloquently coined The Milwaukee Model: industry determines what skills need to be trained, industry pays for the training and it is provided at scale in a manner conducive to the needs of companies and their current workforce. Let’s say a group of companies want to develop a curriculum around quality measurement tools (metrology.) Working with a technical college, the companies would develop a curriculum that can lead to a credential approved by the technical college. One company in the program could share training tools. Another could provide learning space. Instructors could be experts from another company in the program. Employees train for a half-day five

days a week for eight weeks to earn a credential and increase their value. Each supplier would receive a portion of the per-student fee that employers pay. Ideally, these credentials could, over time, accumulate to earn a degree. We tell our team that automation is not your enemy. If you can program it, if you can repair it, if you can troubleshoot it, that’s your ticket to a higher wage. When our current employees increase their skills and move up the ladder, it makes room on the lower rungs and creates an entry point for others: People who are on the sidelines of the workforce because COVID-19 accelerated disruption to the industries they were working, as well as people re-entering the workforce from prison and from stay-at-home roles. Bring them in -- and show them the same path to advancement and higher wages. We’ve got this awesome manufacturing ecosystem that goes back 100 years, back to the days when Milwaukee was the machine shop to the world. We have an amazing and highly skilled workforce -- but we need to grow it and we need new thinking to do so. If we do this right, and layer in more automation and artificial intelligence, I believe we can be the manufacturing floor to the world. But we’ve got to get on it.

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Awards The Milwaukee Region and its business community have faced unprecedented challenges in 2020. As we emerge from the COVID-19 health and economic crisis, and move into recovery and a “new normal,” what gives us hope for the future? We want to take time to recognize companies that have shined to show during the most difficult of times.

TELL US YOUR STORY -ORLET US KNOW ABOUT A COMPANY THAT’S INSPIRED YOU. Our winners will be celebrated in a virtual event and a special edition of BizTimes Media.

Presenting sponsor

• Creating New Links in the Chain Have you retooled your supply chain or become a link in another supply chain to meet new market demands?

• Mother (or father) of Invention

Necessity and changing circumstances can spark new ideas. Has your organization invented a new product or service to meet rapidly changing demands?

• Fueling the Frontlines

Has your company come to the aid of health care or other front-line workers when they need it most?

• True Colors

In times of crisis, great companies their culture shine through. Have you maintained an employee-centric focus as you manage the health and wellbeing of your workforce?

• Pivot not Panic

When the dust clears, those who lead with clarity and purpose will emerge stronger. Do you know someone who has shown exemplary leadership during the pandemic?

Apply at www.mmac.org/focus.html Deadline: Friday, July 31, 2020 Gold sponsors:

Media sponsor: C PA s

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Milwaukee Commerce, SPRING 2020

a n d

B u s i n e s s

A d v i s o r s

Lessons from small business By Keith Coursin

HOW DOES MMAC SUPPORT COMPANIES WITH FEWER THAN 300 EMPLOYEES?

President of Desert Aire LLC Chair of MMAC's Council of Small Business Executives

The suddenness of the stay-at-home order forced Desert Aire into creating a pandemic plan that day. Our first decision was to send 90 percent of the office staff home to work virtually. Seeing the high level of urgency that all of the employees shared to get this completed quickly was inspiring. Everyone was on board, including employees who would be still working at the facility.

Work rules

We were deemed an essential business, so our manufacturing plant remained open. We are fortunate that our manufacturing cells had adequate space to meet the social distancing rules. We added to our safety rules by mandating face coverings for all employees and stressed that these were not optional, but as essential as safety glasses for the protection of all employees. We adjusted the work week from 5 days to 4, which allowed the facility to remain idle for 3 days -therefore allowing the virus, if present, to die.

Communication

From a personnel viewpoint, increasing the communication to all employees became priority one for me. Attending many webinars and reading everything about the pandemic so that it could be translated into terms of how it would impact each employee became an essential role. Keeping employees informed to reduce their anxiety worked well, and I received very positive feedback from them. As a result, we made a fundamental change to provide email updates rather than our traditional employee meetings.

• Cost savings programs such as our All Savers Alternative Funding Plan from UnitedHealthCare for businesses with 5-99 employees • Advocacy on the issues that impact your business, including taxes, regulations and transportation at the local, state and federal levels • Small group advisory roundtables (monthly)

Find more at MMAC.org

Technology

While small issues in technology links had to be rapidly addressed that first day, our staff quickly understood that we could work virtually. Productivity did not drop, as all of the employees provided the effort to get their work completed on time. Using video and other software allowed the necessary collaboration to provide the teams with the interaction normally taken for granted when we were in the office.

Connection

This pandemic demonstrated how each of the employees rely on one another, not only for the work that we must accomplish, but also that we are truly a team counting on one another for the connection at a place that we spend the majority of our time. Many of the virtual employees look forward to returning to the office, but the proven ability to work virtually will be considered more in the future.

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MCW'S RAYMOND HELPS

MKE NAVIGATE COVID CRISIS During the chaotic initial weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, many found reassurance in the words of Dr. John Raymond, President and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin. During a series of daily webinar briefings cohosted by MMAC and the Medical College, Dr. Raymond delivered facts and pragmatic assessments of how the pandemic was affecting the region. Some viewers referred to him as “Wisconsin’s Dr. Fauci.”

What did we learn, and where do we go from here? Dr. Raymond shared his thoughts with Milwaukee Commerce: What are some lessons you learned from the initial phase of the pandemic?

For some challenges, there are no easy solutions. As a society, we’ve had to choose between unsatisfactory options for dealing with COVID-19 without reliable data. As a scientist who lives by using data, that’s been enormously difficult for me. Also, I’ve learned that we’re suffering from a glut of inaccurate, poorly curated and overly interpreted information about COVID-19, and that’s caused a lot of confusion. In some cases, there’s been what appears to be intentional disinformation. This has been 16 |

Milwaukee Commerce, SPRING 2020

referred to by the World Health Organization as an “infodemic.” And my goal for MCW has been to serve as an interpreter and curator of highquality, relevant information so we can help leaders make well-informed decisions. We’ve enjoyed working with the MMAC, M7, WEDC and public health leaders to bring good information forward.

How challenging has this been to the medical community, and MCW as an institution?

The challenge has been unprecedented from multiple perspectives. The leaders of our health care community were very concerned about preparing for a surge of COVID-19, and we massively redeployed personnel, equipment

and facilities. We did that quickly, but there were two unanticipated consequences. First, the ongoing shortage of personal protective equipment really limited our capacity. Second, our revenues plummeted -- in part because of guidance to stop non-emergent procedures and visits, but also in part because we wanted to protect the personal protective equipment supply chain. MCW went from a very comfortable margin position in early March to losing a million dollars per day in late March. That was absolutely unprecedented. Now we’ve got the challenge of restoring the confidence of our patients who don’t have COVID-19 to come back into our health care facilities. People may not know we’re the seventh-largest employer in the region. We have over a billion dollars in revenue, one of the largest

integrated physician practices in Wisconsin and we’re the thirdlargest private medical school in the country – a complex set of businesses. Trying to respond simultaneously to a pandemic unlike any we’ve seen since 1918, and financial challenges that rival or exceed those of the Great Depression, it’s been difficult.

job came open, it intrigued me. I’d spent 28 years in the Carolinas and I loved it there. But coming back to the Midwest felt like going home.

We had to move our business operations offsite. We had to very quickly learn how to deliver health care in a very different way. We had to move our academic enterprise to completely digital online within about a week. Through all that, we had to maintain our connection to the underresourced communities that are part of our community engagement mission.

My parents taught me to listen well and be a critical thinker. And those traits were refined during my education and medical training. I found those skills to be valuable in my clinical duties, and in my leadership duties. I benefited from having outstanding mentors throughout my career, such as Bob Lefkowitz and Dr. Ray Greenberg, who was my boss and president at the Medical University of South Carolina. Both are great thinkers, big personalities. They empower people around them to grow and stretch their abilities to the fullest. They both taught me the power of candor.

How would you describe the career path that led you to MCW?

I grew up in working-class family in Akron, Ohio. I was the first one in our extended family to go to college, the first to go to medical school. And my aspirations at the time were to be a family physician and go back home and practice in Akron. I had an outstanding education at Ohio State. And my plans changed when I went to Duke for my internal medicine training and met a scientist named Dr. Bob Lefkowitz – who, by the way, won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2012. He inspired me to become a scientist as well as a clinician. My second faculty appointment after Duke was at the Medical University of South Carolina. I’d been the No. 2 person there for eight years and was looking to broaden my leadership opportunities. I’d always known that MCW was an outstanding institution. It’s one of the top 100 research institutions in the country. When this

Many daily briefing viewers noted your calm demeanor that’s reassuring in a crisis. Doctors call this a “bedside manner.” How did you learn that?

What do you think this time has taught us about Milwaukee’s strengths, and challenges, as a region?

One of our main strengths is that we like to collaborate. And for dealing with complex, multi-sector problems like COVID-19 is posing to us, collaboration is key. I want to point out (MMAC President) Tim Sheehy’s leadership of the business community and his willingness to partner across multiple sectors to find solutions. I’ve also been inspired by the unprecedented level of collaboration among the health systems and clinics in the region. I think that gives us great promise for the future. I hope that we’ll build more durable bridges within the health care sector and across the different sectors of our economy going forward.

"I HOPE WE CAN TAKE AWAY AT THE END OF THE THIS THAT WE'RE RESILIENT, AND WE RECOGNIZE THE POWER OF WORKING TOGETHER." DR. JOHN RAYMOND

voices and perspectives as we go forward. We as a community need to take ownership for the economic and health disparities in our region, especially the central city of Milwaukee. Because that’s the right thing to do, and it’s also the smart thing to do for the vitality of our region.

What should we, as a region, take away from this to help us improve and be ready for whatever challenges we might face in the future?

I hope we can take away at the end of this that we’re resilient and we recognize the power of working together, especially at a time when there’s very partisan rhetoric going on. I’ve been inspired by the willingness of people across this region to find ways to work together.

And I think we’re going to need to cultivate a broader range of diverse mmac.org |

WEDC provides grants, guidelines & resources for recovery By Missy Hughes

Secretary & CEO, Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC)

s the state’s leader in economic development, WEDC is finding new and innovative ways to provide technical assistance, financial support and other resources to our communities and small businesses as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

WEDC will deploy $75 million in federal CARES funding to provide $2,500 grants to 30,000 businesses around the state impacted by COVID 19. Many businesses are already drawing on our health and safety guides to make workplaces safe for employees and customers. If you haven’t seen these guides, they cover nearly every type of business, including agricultural operations, retailers, restaurants and entertainment venues, gyms and personal service providers, professional services and more. Developed by WEDC in consultation with the Department of Health Services, Department of Children and Families, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, and industry leaders,

they’re aimed at providing actionable, real-world information that businesses can use. The guides are just one part of our new Focus Forward website, which provides the latest information on WEDC programs and services for small businesses. In addition to details on grant programs and other assistance, the site features instructional videos, a podcast on post-pandemic recovery and a weekly livestream on Mondays at 11 a.m. WEDC is also leading the state’s “We’re All In” initiative, which consists of financial assistance, business to business guidance and a wider communications effort to get businesses and customers to adopt best health and safety practices. We’re All In is about showing that we’re all in this together and we’re all working together to recover. WEDC will deploy $75 million in federal CARES funding to provide $2,500 grants to 30,000 businesses around the state impacted by COVID 19. These We’re All In Small Business Grants are targeted to small businesses with up to 20 employees and less than $1 million in gross revenues. Applications for

the grants closed June 23. WEDC expects to begin distributing grants by the end of June. WEDC has also been working with Wisconsin’s Collective Ethnic and Diverse Organizations to process applications for another grant program that targets ethnically diverse microbusinesses. The Ethnic Minority Emergency Grant program provides $2,500 grants to 1,000 sole proprietorships and businesses with up to five employees, including the owner. Grant awards will be announced later this summer. As part of the We’re All In initiative, businesses that receive either of these new grants will pledge to observe health safety best practices in their facilities to protect employees, customers and the communities in which they operate. WEDC is encouraging all businesses, large and small, to adopt behaviors that maximize safety and balance health and livelihoods, and providing tools and resources to help them do so. You’ll be hearing more about this exciting next phase of the We’re All In initiative later this summer.

To make sure you have the latest information on these and other WEDC programs, sign up on the Focus Forward website for regular alerts.

WEDC.ORG/FOCUS-FORWARD 18 |

Milwaukee Commerce, SPRING 2020

News from M7:

MKE manufacturer SIC-Lazaro US continues expansion SIC-Lazaro US recently completed its second acquisition in just over a year with the purchase of Allister Fabricating, Inc., a metal fabrication company previously based in Lannon, WI. SIC-Lazaro US is a growing Milwaukee business that provides metal fabrication services to manufacturing companies, and produces counterweights for the lifting industry. In early 2019, the firm purchased Diamond Industries and consolidated its operations in a sprawling 130,000-square-foot facility on Milwaukee’s north side.

“We are grateful for the investment SIC Lazaro continues to make in southeastern Wisconsin,” said Jim Paetsch, Vice President of Corporate Relocation and Expansion for the Milwaukee 7 Economic Development Partnership. “Manufacturing is a vital component of the Milwaukee economy, providing good-paying jobs for local residents who craft best-in-class products that reach every corner of the globe. SIC Lazaro is precisely the kind of company we want and can well support in our region.”

New Start in Wisconsin platform launches for entrepreneurs How can entrepreneurs find the right resources quickly so that they can focus on building their businesses in Wisconsin? The New Start In Wisconsin connectivity platform. Start In Wisconsin is an up-to-date online directory of entrepreneurial resources and calendar of entrepreneur-focused events and programming.

It will help entrepreneurs find vetted resources that best suit their needs -- searchable by ZIP code, type of business assistance and many other categories. Start In Wisconsin is a collaborative initiative between the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. and local

entrepreneur support organizations coordinated in nine regions across the state, including the Milwaukee 7. WEDC has funded the Start In Wisconsin platform and serves as the project sponsor. The UW System Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship is responsible for

managing the directory’s data, technology and administrative operations. You can learn more about the Start in Wisconsin platform at StartInWI.com and mke7.com.

mmac.org | | 19 19 mmac.org

STAY CONNECTED Executive Roundtable Program A structured and confidential environment for executives to share best practices and resolve their business challenges. Each Roundtable is: • 8–12 peers with similar company sizes in noncompeting industries • Monthly meetings • Self-led, prioritizes issues to be discussed and develops its own agenda.

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Lessons from the restaurant industry By Omar Shaikh

Partner of SURG Restaurant Group

Any column on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis must come with a huge caveat: The crisis is not over. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, “This is not the end. This is not even the beginning of the end. But perhaps it is the end of the beginning.” That being so, let’s look at some things we’ve learned so far:

People are really good

As rough the epidemic and lockdown have been, I am constantly impressed by how much people want to help each other. The creativity, generosity, and empathy shown in so many ways – often to perfect strangers – was mind-blowing. From sewing masks to checking on elderly neighbors to bringing meals to busy workers and so many other small acts of kindness, people lived out community in a way that only hard times can seem to inspire. I hope we can keep this sort of community spirit alive even once this immediate crisis has passed.

Economics 101

The coronavirus crisis reminded us once again what a delicately interwoven tapestry an economy is, and how when you pull one thread the whole thing can start to unravel. We were reminded that every job is essential, whether it’s the entrepreneur taking on the economic risk to create it or the worker depending on it to feed her family. We were reminded that supply chains matter. We were reminded that the price of beef impacts the ability of restaurant to serve it. That allowing a business to operate at 25 percent capacity is cold comfort if they still have to pay 100 percent of

their overhead expenses. And that when people are out of work and businesses are shut down, income and sales tax revenues to governments are decimated as well.

There is room for improvement

Government’s wholesale shutdown of our economy was a blunt instrument response to the risk posed by coronavirus. While our leaders were trying to do the best they could with the limited information they had, as we think of how to respond to future viruses and pandemics, we must strive to do better. No one has a stronger and more direct interest in creating safe environments for consumers and safe workspaces for employees than business owners themselves. In future health crises, we must unleash the energy and ingenuity of the private sector to be part of the solution, rather force them to the sidelines through arbitrary shutdowns. We live in a world where risk – physical and economic – will always be present. Our biggest goal going forward should not be creating a hermetically sealed, risk-free bubble. Rather, it should be to engage and empower individuals, businesses and governments alike to develop rational and creative ways to respond and live responsibly in community with any new risks that may arise. mmac.org |

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Milwaukee Commerce, SPRING 2020

We asked local marketing/communications firms how they are evolving during the pandemic

How do you and your clients redefine your brand in a rapidly evolving marketplace? The answer centers on three simple words: Build back better. Over the last few months, every individual and organization throughout Milwaukee has experienced the ongoing, negative impact of COVID-19. It has often felt as if someone pushed ‘pause’ on our day-to-day lives and businesses. Yet amidst the turbulence, there has never been a more unique time to hit the ‘reset’ button as a company. As we begin to recover, every leader in our community has a tremendous opportunity – even a responsibility – to explore all areas where they can build back their organization in a better way for everyone. Whether it be positive changes made for your people, the environment or within our community, being able to demonstrate and communicate concrete, tangible actions with your key audiences will undoubtedly redefine and differentiate your brand. Aim to be the company that successfully adopts a ‘build back better’ mindset.

Brendan Griffith Senior VP

Reputation Partners

How do you balance promoting your marketing objectives with being in tune with your audience’s mindset, as people continue to experience health, economic and mental health challenges during the pandemic? In the world of marketing and PR, understanding your target audiences and what influences them is critical to success. This has never been more true than during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consider how COVID-19 is impacting your customers or potential customers, ensure your messages are solution-oriented, and weave a thread of empathy into your approach. To the extent possible, think about temporarily re-framing your marketing messages and content to position your product or service as essential – or at the very least as making life easier or more convenient – to help people through what is likely a challenging and stressful time in both their personal and professional lives. Lastly, be efficient with your marketing resources. Consumption of news media and streaming is up drastically; the number of cars on the road has decreased dramatically. Keep trends like these in mind when considering how to most effectively reach your target audience with your message. Lori Richards CEO

Mueller Communications

How do you keep your company culture alive when your team is working remotely and the future is full of uncertainties? The key to maintaining company culture when our teams are spread across Milwaukee, Chicago and everywhere in between, has been “adjusted consistency.” In-office townhall meetings transitioned to weekly all-staff Zoom meetings. We maintained weekly Thursday Happy Hour and Wellness Wednesday Breakfast via email reminders to encourage breaks and healthy food choices. In addition to that continuity that reinforces our in-office culture, we’ve also injected lighthearted fun as a needed distraction to the pandemic and the anxiousness that comes with it. We launched a private Facebook group to share WFH memes and quotes, and to stay connected just as though we ran into each other in the halls. To maintain creativity and our competitive nature, we hosted a digital bake off, music challenge and lookalike contest with prizes. Going forward, the new normal will be anything but, so, for some time, digital events and online camaraderie will carry our culture.

Kris Naidl, APR EVP, Managing Director – PR

Laughlin Constable

mmac.org | | 23 23 mmac.org

Recruit. Organize. Recruit. Build. Organize.

Build.

Building Advantage represents thousands of hard-working men and women in the construction and building trades and the hundreds of contractors that employ them. Together, we have built a community based on a belief that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one way to do something and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the right way. Learn more at buildingadvantage.org

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Milwaukee Commerce, SPRING 2020

The power of humility By Ralph Weber

Founding member at Gass Weber Mullins

n the early morning hours of December 7, 1941, radar operators in Hawaii saw on their screen what proved to be Japanese planes headed to Pearl Harbor. A superior dismissed the report, deciding it was only a flight of American bombers en route from San Francisco. A generation later in December 1963, Lyndon Johnson decided he could not be called the President who “lost Vietnam,” so plans for withdrawing American troops were shelved. After another generation, President Bush’s decision in 2003 to invade Iraq led to incalculable, continuing losses. And the list goes on. Despite years of warnings about pandemics and their catastrophic consequences, our most senior leaders played down the risks of COVID-19 to public health. As Dr. Anthony Fauci told Jake Tapper about events in January and February, “there was a lot of pushback about shutting things down back then.” We’re now waiting to see how this plays out. So why do smart people make terrible decisions? Dr. Robert Burton’s 2008 book captures the problem in its title: ON BEING CERTAIN – Believing You Are Right Even When You’re Not. Burton describes how processes distinct from reason create a feeling of certainty. The feeling makes it difficult to let go of opinions, even in the face of compelling contradictory evidence. You can recognize this trait in people about whom it can be said: not always right, but never in doubt. Daniel Kahneman’s 2011 best seller, THINKING, FAST AND SLOW,

explains how shortcuts in thinking, “heuristics,” lead us astray.The “affect” heuristic, for example, avoids the mental work needed to answer a difficult question by substituting instead the simpler query, “do I like this?” Melding the two authors’ works together, a decisionmaker faced with a tough choice might ask himself, “does this answer make me feel good?” That is not how we would like to believe our leaders make decisions. A better way is found through embracing one of the virtues, namely humility. Humility brings to the forefront of decision-making the idea that you might be wrong. This enables -- indeed it requires -- one to consider a broad range of possibilities versus just the choice that feels good. The renowned Federal Judge Learned Hand urged that advice from centuries before, “think that ye may mistaken,” be inscribed as a reminder on schools, churches, court houses and every legislature. Trial lawyers study the past and explain events through stories. Imagine if our senior leaders had asked themselves in January and February, “but what if we are wrong?” Many pandemic war games would have given the answer, and it should have been understood as terrifying. Embracing humility could have changed the course of today’s events, just as it would have in 1941, 1963 and 2003. So, when making key decisions, keep Judge Hand's admonition in mind: “think that ye may be mistaken.”

We've got your back.

Recruit. Organize. Build. Nathan Jurowski

Executive Director

3841 W. Wisconsin Ave Milwaukee, WI 53208 (414) 897-1146 Buildingadvantage.org

mmac.org |

n In Our Clients’ Words

Culture Focused Designs

is very open to taking your ideas, taking your thought processes, taking your needs and combining that into “theStrang best possible solution that you can get. ” – Kim Sponem, CEO/President Summit Credit Union

The new M3 Insurance building that Strang designed has impacted our company. And, the short answer is that the “impact has been even more of a positive and culture enhancer than we had hoped. ” – Thomas J. Golden, Executive Vice President, Corporate Service M3 Insurance Solutions, Inc.

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Milwaukee Commerce, SPRING 2020

A lesson on mental health

Collaboration Space by Strang

What can a supportive employer do to help? Milwaukee Commerce magazine spoke to Dr. Munther Barakat, Director of Behavioral Health Therapy at Aurora Health Care: Q: What are experiencing during this time? A: A lot of it has to do with adjusting to working at home. For me, all of a sudden most of my schedule is made up of meetings. We’re not meeting face-to-face anymore, so there’s not that natural interaction that happens so things just get addressed at the moment. Instead, a meeting has to be set up. That’s been a challenge, among other obvious challenges – trying to be productive while managing your home life as well. Q: People have always struggled with work-life balance -- and now we’re trying to do both in real time at the same time, right? A: Right. Especially for people who have children, because now they have the responsibility of trying to adjust their schedule to their kids’ schedules. All their learning is virtual and essentially has to be spearheaded by the parent, making sure their child is turning in work and actively participating. Then they have to refocus on their own work. And there’s not that definite start and end time any more – you go to work and then you leave, and there’s that kind of transition period. Instead, you’re home all day, and all of a sudden you notice that it’s past dinnertime and you’re still working. You have to be more mindful of your schedule. Q: What can a supportive employer to do help an employee who is experiencing challenges? A: First, acknowledge that there’s a big adjustment. People might be experiencing difficulty managing their

own schedule because of what’s going on at home. Be mindful of when you contact employees. If it gets past a certain time, it’ll give them a sense that they should always be working. Keeping employees informed is a big part of it, so they understand your thought process and where things may be heading. Q: As some organizations bring employees back to an in-person office environment, how can employers address health and safety concerns? A: They have to show that they’re taking precautions to make sure employees are safe. Everybody is going to have some anxiety returning back. But once you get acclimated and you see that safety precautions are in place, your anxiety level will go down. Q: Are you seeing anything positive emerge from this? A: I’m seeing people accessing mental health services. We’ve moved everything to virtual, and this actually opens up access to a lot more patients. When people are working at home, they have to be more aware of their mental health and more mindful. It’s all about reframing things. It can be really difficult to be your children’s teacher – but at the same time, doing that helps your relationship with your child. When I think about it that way, it makes you feel differently about it. Being at home with your family can be rough, because people are vying for space and there’s noise in the house. But at the same time, it helps people build relationships.

Milwaukee | Madison

mmac.org |

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solutions that help Wisconsin businesses thrive. With solid partnerships, industry expertise, and local decision-making, we’re here to support you through every milestone and get you to where you want to be. Because, when our businesses do well, we all do well. That’s why we couldn’t be prouder to be your hometown bank.

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Milwaukee Commerce, SPRING 2020

Lessons from the global economy By Sandi Siegel

President/Managing Director at M.E. Dey

M.E. Dey has served the Wisconsin International business community for over 110 years, providing customs brokerage and logistics services. We have survived two world wars, the Great Depression, recessions, political embargos and trade wars. In my own career, I have seen International supply chains disrupted by strikes, riots, tsunamis and the devastation of 9/11 -- each with unique disruptions and market recovery. The worldwide economic and emotional impact of COVID -19 has far surpassed anything I have previously witnessed. Our staff followed the coronavirus in its early stages, as our Chinese colleagues advised of the extended Chinese New Year holiday and a delay in returning to work. We anxiously communicated daily with China, then the rest of Asia and Europe, as the virus spread and countries went on lockdown. As the days and weeks unfolded, the severity of the impact to trade and disruption to cargo movement became more significant. While ports and terminals remained open in most countries, there was reduced staff and less service. Significant delays became the norm. Shipments from China to the U.S. hit a 4-year low, causing Pacific carriers to slash capacity. More than 100 vessels operating from China to the U.S. were cancelled early on, and ocean rates rose as much as 20%. For importers of finished goods from China, this was yet another

challenge on top of rising costs and depleted inventory levels. The impact on our customers was severe. Asian and European factories shut down, completely cutting off access to raw materials and other finished goods. U.S. exporters were notified that goods in transit could not be received and new orders were being cancelled. The availability of everything from shipping containers to passenger and air cargo flights was disrupted -- yet another blow for suppliers. As the U.S. announced shutdowns, customers needed alternate storage and delivery options while their warehouses were not operating, further increasing costs. Sadly, a few of our customers permanently shut down from the loss of revenue and rising costs. Now, as the world slowly returns to business, we continue to communicate closely with overseas offices and local customers. Most are cautiously optimistic of volumes picking up during the second half of the year, but no one is confident to what extent business will resume and are challenged to forecast transportation pricing or volumes. Carriers and shippers agree that there will be great uncertainty well into 2021 and the entire supply chain will feel the impact. There is comfort in reflecting on our history, which reminds us that with great resiliency we can move ahead and look forward to a brighter and stronger future.

JAY MACK President & CEO, Town Bank 262-369-8800 jmack@wintrust.com

DENNIS KRAKAU Group EVP, Commercial Banking 262-966-7702 dkrakau@wintrust.com

JOHN JOHANNES Group EVP, Commercial Real Estate 262-369-4223 jjohannes@wintrust.com

BILL STONE Group SVP, Commercial Banking 262-369-8833 wstone@wintrust.com

PEGGY ARMSTRONG Group EVP, Wealth Services 262-369-8804 parmstrong@wintrust.com

GLENN MARGRAFF Group SVP, Commercial Banking 414-255-1002 gmargraff@wintrust.com

mmac.org |

WE’VE BUILT A LOT OVER THE LAST 100 YEARS

LIKE OUR REPUTATION AS A BUILDER YOU CAN TRUST. A reputation isn’t something you build overnight. It’s built over a lifetime of hard work, kept promises, and acting with integrity. At CG Schmidt, we’ve been building our reputation as a construction company our clients can trust since 1920, through four generations of family leadership. Whether it’s the schools where the next generation prepares to join the workforce, the office buildings we work in, or the hospitals where our loved ones heal, we’re proud to be Wisconsin’s Trusted Building Partner.

MILWAUKEE // MADISON // CGSCHMIDT.COM

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Milwaukee Commerce, SPRING 2020

WHY MILWAUKEE?

WHY NOW? Meet Robert Recker, MMAC's new Senior Vice President and M7 Chief Development Officer

have been asked these two questions frequently by colleagues, chamber peers, family and friends during my transition to the Cream City, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. As I was packing up in Memphis, the world was rotating in its normal orbit -- except for an unknown virus that was emerging in China. At the time, there was little concern of its spread to the shores of this country. I was eagerly looking forward to relocating to a new city that I had some familiarity with, but only on the surface. For chamber nomads like me – we’re a small minority in the profession, as most chamber professionals are from their city or region where they work - the lure and appeal of working and living in a new city adds to the reasons why I chose my profession. I’ve been fortunate during my 30-year career to work in senior executive positions at many metro chambers. I’ve also represented the U.S. as Vice Chairman of the Paris-based World Chamber Federation, a world forum uniting the global network of 12,000 chambers and their respective business communities. It has been a privilege to be able join the dynamic MMAC team. While each city and chamber have its distinctive features, the foundational work for chambers is the same in every market – ensure long-term prosperity for all through capital investment, job creation and sound public policy creating an environment for businesses to thrive and prosper.

So why Milwaukee?

MMAC has always been a beacon of excellence in the chamber industry sector and that light has never shined brighter when I see chambers around the country emulating MMAC strategic initiatives or public policy priorities in their respective communities. The foundation for MMAC’s impact in the region is strong volunteer leadership and a dynamic team of chamber professionals who are passionate about their city and region all working together on behalf of the business community, their employees and families. Fiercely proud and loyal are not traits you can teach -- it’s in the DNA of each of my colleagues and I am excited to contribute my talents, skills and experience to support our members’ businesses and contribute to the growth of the region. Membership is the foundation for MMAC and without our members, the organization can’t impact the critical issues facing the business community.

100 YEARS OF BUILDING MILWAUKEE In 2020, we planned to celebrate our company’s 100th anniversary, reflecting proudly on our role in helping shape Milwaukee’s skyline. More recently however, like all of you, our attention has been redirected toward doing our part to slow the spread of COVID-19 and support our employees, customers and partners during this unprecedented time. What hasn’t changed is our pride in this great city, and the honor it has been to serve as the trusted building partner on many projects that make a difference in our community. Thank you, Milwaukee, for trusting CG Schmidt for 100 years. We trust in you, too, to work through this crisis together and take care of each other. We can’t wait to celebrate when the time is right. Richard L. Schmidt, Jr. President and CEO CG Schmidt, Inc.

So why now?

Milwaukee, like other cities where I’ve worked -- Cleveland and Memphis in particular -- has always punched above its weight. The momentum we’re experiencing today started many years ago through the heavy lifting of MMAC, Milwaukee 7, Milwaukee Development Corporation and the chamber’s strategic partners. Now is the time to keep punching and to keep the momentum going. Sincerely, Robert Recker 414/287-4177

MILWAUKEE // MADISON // CGSCHMIDT.COM

mmac.org |

New MMAC Members November 2019 - April 2020

www.mmac.org/directory.html

1043 Reed LLC

Aramark Uniform Services

CleanPower LLC

FedEx Ground

Mark Hogan - CEO 2510 N. 90th St. Wauwatosa, WI 53226 (414) 322-9625 Business Consultants

Bobb Joseph Regional Sales Executive 755-102 Lakeview Dr. Brookfield, WI 53045 (414) 217-0167 www.aramarkuniform.com Uniform Supply Service

Joseph Blough VP of Business Development 124 N. 121st St. Wauwatosa, WI 53226 (414) 302-3000 www.cleanpower1.com Janitorial Services

Edmond Griffin - Field Business Development Specialist 5300 International Dr. Cudahy, WI 53110 (414) 769-1983 www.fedex.com/us Transportation Services

Colorful Connections

First Citizens Bank

Morgan Phelps - CEO 1922 N Doctor M.L.K. Jr Dr. Milwaukee, WI 53212 (312) 933-7910 www.ColorfulConnections.com Human Resource Consultants

Scott Kraemer Wisconsin Area Executive 10401 W. Innovation Dr., Ste. 150 Wauwatosa, WI 53226 (414) 214-5790 www.firstcitizens.com Banks

160 Driving Academy Joe Suedbeck Branch Manager 3732 W. Wisconsin Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53208 (414) 418-8404 160drivingacademy.com Schools-Academic - Colleges/ Universities

Arena Americas

Abhishek Bakshi Agency LLC

Aspen Crossing Apartments

Abhishek Bakshi Insurance Agent 10950 W. Forest Home Ave. Ste. 13 Hales Corners, WI 53130 (414) 433-5782 www.insurancecredible.com Insurance

Acts Housing Kelly Andrew Chief Development & Marketing Officer 2414 W. Vliet St. Milwaukee, WI 53205 (414) 933-2215 https://actshousing.org/ Real Estate

All Organics Recycling

Rachel Allen Business Development Manager 10936 N. Port Washington Rd. Ste. 345 Mequon, WI 53092 (414) 435-0700 www.allorganicsrecycling.com Waste Reductions/Disposal/ Recycling Service

Apple Spice Catering Doug Mueller - President N50 W13926 Overview Dr. Menomonee Falls, WI 53051 (262) 599-8030 www.applespice.com/milwaukee Caterers

32 32 ||

Support your fellow members by doing business together.

Milwaukee Milwaukee Commerce, Commerce, SPRING SPRING 2020 2020

Sharlane Sanchez VP, Human Resources 10861 S. Howell Ave. Oak Creek, WI 53154 (414) 831-7013 www.arenaamericas.com Events

Layne Hurst, Regional VP 9239 N. 75th St., Ste. 1 Milwaukee, WI 53223 (414) 355-7814 www.wallick.com Apartments

AVI SPL Marshall Carlson Account Manager 11734 W. Park Place Milwaukee, WI 53224 (414) 336-8793 www.avispl.com Audio Visual Systems/ Equipment

Barefoot International LLC Benjamin Seipel - GM 3879 N. Richards St. Milwaukee, WI 53212 (414) 964-3668 www.barefootinternational.com Manufacturers

Betty Brinn Children's Museum Brian King - Executive Director 929 E. Wisconsin Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53202 (414) 390-5437 www.bbcmkids.org Museums

Cedar Creek Counseling/ Cedar Lake Counseling Byron Bloemer Proprietor/Psychologist 1035 W. Glen Oaks Ln., Ste. 110 Mequon, WI 53092 (262) 240-0299 www.cedarcreekcounseling.com Health Care Services

Compassionate Personal Care Services LLC Jennifer Bullock-Sloan CEO 2645 N. Mayfair Rd., Ste. 120 MIlwaukee, WI 53226 (414) 509-7114 www.cpcswi.org Health Care Services

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company of Wisconsin LLC

Forward Space LLC Elizabeth Lewis - GM/VP Sales 1300 N. 7th St., Ste. 100 Milwaukee, WI 53205 (414) 377-7170 forwardspace.com Furniture-Retail

Fresh Start Cleaning Services

Jim Strack - VP/General Manager S17 W22650 Lincoln Ave. Waukesha, WI 53186 (262) 544-8330 Automobile Rentals

Dulce Ruiz-Moreno - Owner 3361 S. 35th St. Milwaukee, WI 53215 (414) 313-9891 www.modernfreshstart.com Janitorial Services

Entrision

GoTech IT Solutions

Derek Harrington - Principal 324 E. Wisconsin Ave., Ste. 625 Milwaukee, WI 53202 (906) 282-7554 www.entrision.com Software Product Developers

Chris Gotstein - President 10521 W. Forest Home Ave. Ste. 301 Hales Corners, WI 53130 (262) 649-2343 gotechitsolutions.com Information Technology Consultants

Chris Ernster - Owner N37W5677 Hamilton Road Cedarburg, WI 53012 (262) 377-4150 www.etektool.com Manufacturers

Great Lakes Coca-Cola Bottling

Etek Precision Manufacturing

Executive Commercial Cleaning LLC Curtis Fleming - COO 6815 W. Capitol Dr., Ste. 313 Milwaukee, WI 53216 (414) 935-2005 executivecommercialcleaning.com Janitorial Services

Henry Mohr - General Manager 11800 W. Brown Deer Rd. Milwaukee, WI 53224 (612) 889-2707 www.greatlakescocacola.com Food & Beverage Manufacturer

mmac.org/directory.html

Griffith Capital Management LLC

PvK Associates

The Brewer Company LLC

David Griffith - President 8636 Talamasca Dr. Franksville, WI 53126 (262) 939-6434 Investment Management Services/ Private Equity

Penelope von Kalinowski President 965 W. 8th St. San Pedro, CA 90731 (310) 592-6455 www.linkedin.com/in/pvkassociates Business Growth Services

Investors Associated LLP

Sanitary Fittings LLC

Ryan Calton VP - Finance and Operations N88W13901 Main St. Menomonee Falls, WI 53051 (888) 273-9371 brewercompany.com Manufacturers - Medical Devices

Jamie Stefan - VP, Investor Relations and Operations 810 Cardinal Ln., Ste. 100 Hartland, WI 53029 (414) 856-7311 www.investorsassociated.com Real Estate

John Zabkowicz - Owner PO Box 295 Muskego, WI 53150 (414) 719-9882 sanitaryfittings.us Distributors/Wholesalers

LAB Midwest

Anne Troka Workforce Development Liaison One Persnickety Place Plymouth, WI 53073 (920) 892-3474 www.sargento.com Food Processing/Manufacturing

Renee Kirchner - CEO 10235 N. Port Washington Rd. Mequon, WI 53092 (414) 258-6415 www.labmidwest.com Educational Consultants/ Services

Lift Products, Inc. David Mitchell - President W226N900 Eastmound Dr. Waukesha, WI 53186 (262) 409-4814 www.liftproducts.com Material Handling Equipment

Marie Daniel Group Steve Sorrentino Director of Accounts 1199 E. Port Clinton Rd, #704 Vernon Hills, IL 60061 (877) 634-2019 www.mariedanielgroup.com Marketing Communications

Ozinga Ready Mix Concrete - WI Ritch Dembinsky - Executive VP 9000 W. Chester St., Ste. 350 Milwaukee, WI 53214 (414) 258-7800 www.ozinga.com Cement/Wholesale Manufacturers

Pak-Rite Kirk Blaha - General Manager 2395 S. Burrell St. Milwaukee, WI 53151 (414) 489-0450 www.pak-rite.com Packaging Services

Sargento Foods Inc.

Snip Internet Robin Doerschuk - VP/GM 2401 W. Superior Viaduct, Floor 3 Cleveland, OH 44113 (216) 672-6060 www.snipinternet.com Telecommunications

Staffpros Kevin Venkler - Operations Manager 10512 W. Bluemound Road Wauwatosa, WI 53226 (414) 258-2272 www.staffpros.com Employment AgenciesTemporary

SVN-Hintze Commercial Real Estate Jay Hintze - Executive Director 809 S. 60th St., Ste. 202 West Allis, WI 53214 (414) 550-0644 www.SVNHintzeCRE.com Real Estate

Taylor Computer Services, Inc. David Bayer - President/Owner 515 E. Industrial Dr. Hartland, WI 53029 (262) 367-7999 www.tcsinc.com Information Technology Consultants

The Retreat Dasha Kelly Hamilton - Co-Owner 2215 N. Martin Luther King Dr. Milwaukee, WI 53212 (414) 763-5887 theretreatmke.com/ Events

Viking Communications, Inc. Joe Dragotta President/General Manager 9030 W. Schlinger Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53214 (414) 771-8960 www.viking-communications.com Communications Equipment

wevemet Carrie Steinberger 1433 N. Water St., Ste. 303 Milwaukee, WI 53202 (414) 793-6701 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ hellomynameisapp/id1401108676 Social Media

Wisconsin Construction Laborers Keith Saeger - Executive Director 4633 Liuna Way, Ste. 101 Deforest, WI 53532 (608) 635-6550 www.wilaborers.org Construction Companies

WooDrive Energy Don Krattenmaker - VP 3300 E. 1st Ave., Ste. 600 Denver, CO 80206 (720) 357-3420 www.woodrive.renergy.com Energy/Utilities

Virtual Member Orientation Wednesday, July 22 from 9-10 am Our interactive online webcast will show you how to maximize your MMAC membership. You'll learn what tools are available to help your business grow and provides opportunities to become involved. Whether you are a new member, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;seasonedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; member or prospective member, come learn about what the MMAC does for you. Register at MMAC.org/calendar.html

Z.T. Distribution, Inc. Scot Trojanowski - President 5441 S. 9th St. Milwaukee, WI 53221 (414) 727-9245 www.ztdist.com Distributors/Wholesalers

mmac.org |

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Milwaukee Commerce, SPRING 2020

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Contact our team for information and ways to engage in your chamber. Advertising & M7 Investing Jim Wall 414/287-4119 jwall@mmac.org

International Trade Katie Henry 414/287-4123 khenry@mmac.org

Communications Chris Jenkins 414/287-4152 cjenkins@mmac.org

Member Engagement Barb Smith 414/287-4173 bsmith@mmac.org

Corporate Expansion & Attraction Jim Paetsch 414/287-4171 jpaetsch@mke7.com

Member Records Andrea Medved 414/287-4115 amedved@mmac.org

Economic Trends & Research Bret Mayborne 414/287-4122 bmayborne@mmac.org Ethnically Diverse Businesses Marjorie Rucker 414/287-4172 mrucker@mmac.org Events & Sponsorships Karen Powell 414/287-4166 kpowell@mmac.org Executive Roundtables Whitney Maus 414/287-4146 wmaus@mmac.org Federal, State & Local Government Steve Baas 414/287-4138 sbaas@mmac.org

Spancreteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s precast solutions can be installed faster than traditional building materials to fit your construction timeline while offering structural and aesthetic versatility, energy efficiency, better sound absorption and a safer working environment.

Membership Jane Backes 414/287-4114 jbackes@mmac.org Milwaukee 7 Pat O'Brien 414/287-4112 pobrien@mke7.com M7 Investing Robert Recker 414/287-4177 rrecker@mmac.org Small Business & Membership Stephanie Hall 414/287-4121 shall@mmac.org.com Talent Industry Partnership Susan Koehn 414/287-4136 skoehn@mke7.com

Andrew Davis 414/287-4141 adavis@mmac.org

Websites Carrie Gossett 414/287-4157 cgossett@mmac.org

Food & Beverage Industry Shelley Jurewicz 414/287-4143 sjurewicz@fabwisconsin.com

Young Professionals Corry Joe Biddle 414/287-4137 cbiddle@mmac.org

Hispanic Collaborative Nancy Hernandez 414/287-4118 nhernandez@mmac.org

GETTING MANUFACTURERS TO WORK, SOONER.

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Manage health care costs without sacrificing coverage. UnitedHealthcare and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) have come together to provide small businesses an All SaversÂŽ Alternate Funding plan that offers: A variety of cost-sharing plan designs to help meet the needs of both you and your employees. A nationwide network of health care providers. Wellness programs at no extra cost, including a walking program that rewords participants when daily step goals are reached.

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Milwaukee Commerce, SPRING 2020

Contact our MMAC brokers for more information. Ask for a no-obligation quote today.

Milwaukee Commerce - Spring 2020 edition

Articles inside

What is the role of business in solving our community's challenges?

Why Milwaukee? Why now?

Lessons from the global economy

A lesson on mental health

The power of humility

We asked local marketing/communications firms how they are evolving during the pandemic

Lessons from the restaurant industry

New "Start in Wisconsin" platform launches for entrepreneurs

WEDC provides grants, guidelines & resources for recovery

MCW'S RAYMOND HELPS MKE NAVIGATE COVID CRISIS

Lessons from small business

ADAPT TO CHANGING NEEDS THROUGH RESPONSIVE UPSKILLING

Innovating to serve the community

How can our business community address racial disparities?