JUNE 2018 June 11th Sales Roundtable
June 15th Monthly Breakfast Meeting
Different Sales Situations Require Different Sales Approaches
Sheriff Schmidt Milwaukee Co. Sheriff
Inside This Issue:
BUELL: TAKE CONTROL OF RECRUITING AND BUILD A DREAM TEAM
KITTLE: SMOG DUMPER ILLINOIS HAS CONNIPTION AFTER EPA’S RULING
KEATING: PROPOSED TARIFFS ON CHINESE IMPORTS AND THE IMPACT ON U.S. SMALL BUSINESS
Networking matters
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IBAW thanks AT&T for it’s continued sponsorship.
Executive Director Steve Kohlmann President Dan Hansen Secretary Charles Fry Baird Treasurer Tony Palmen Sikich Directors Jim Leef ITU AbsorbTech Ann Barry Hanneman Von Briesen Law Office John Weber Hypneumat Jeff Hoffman Boerke Co. Lisa Mauer Rickert Industries Tom Boelkow BSI Design, Build, Furnish Robert Gross Gross Automation Scott Seroka Seroka Brand Development Tom Parks Annex Wealth Management Jake Hansen Jacsten Holding Scott Hirschfeld CTaccess
IBAW Mission: To advance business prosperity through insightful programming, executive networking and member-driven public policy and advocacy.
Independent Business Association of Wisconsin
MONTHLY MEETING
Friday, June 15th “There's a New Sheriff In Town” Milwaukee County Sheriff Richard Schmidt Newly appointed Milwaukee County Sheriff Richard Schmidt will be our featured speaker June 15th. Sheriff Schmidt is the former senior commander of the agency who took over when former Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. resigned in August. Schmidt immediately pushed several new initiatives to chart his own course in the office. - What are his plans to keep Milwaukee County safe? - How will his administration be different? Meet the new Sheriff in town and find out.
Register at IBAW.com
LOCATION
THE WISCONSIN CLUB 900 W. WISCONSIN AVE. MILWAUKEE
7:00 AM
REGISTRATION & NETWORKING
7:30 AM
BREAKFAST & PROGRAM
9:00 AM
PROGRAM ENDS
Sporting Clay Recap Steve Kohlmann, IBAW Executive Director Rain was the word of the day for the IBAW 2018 Sporting Clay Shoot but...the show must go on...and on it did. Over 75 shooters braved the conditions but were rewarded with dry and warm shooting within the enclosed shooting 5 Stand shooting stations at Waukesha Gun Club. A BBQ lunch with brisket and pulled pork, started out the afternoon of fun shooting and networking. After everyone completed shooting the after party kicked into high gear with fellowship, drinks and pizza before the awards and the door prizes were given away. Thank you to everyone that made this a huge success. See you in 2019!
Take Control of Recruiting and Build a Dream Team! Erik Buell, Innovator, Motivator, Entrepreneur, Creator
I’ve had incredible fortune to work with some amazing people over my career at Harley-Davidson, Buell, EBR and now at Vanguard Spark and Damon. I’ve also worked with idiots, incompetents and even the immoral. Hey, we all have. So how do you avoid the worst and get the best? Well, when you are the head of a company or a manager and you are hiring, you have the best possible opportunity. Commit yourself seriously to the hiring process. The company HR department has vital tasks for the company workforce in daily operations and in hiring. But they should not be expected to do most of the work finding the right people for you. Final selection of candidates for jobs needs to be up to the department in which they will be working. Do NOT be complacent and push most of this off on HR. A new employee should be interviewed for the job expected. And only those experienced with the job can properly run that interview. Don’t just write up a job description and think your part is done. Develop an interviewing process that really evaluates what you must have in this new employee. Yeah this takes effort and investment, but your future deserves it! Will “Tell us a time when you handled conflict with a coworker” really find a superstar? Not a chance. If you want a department/company that can work under intense pressure, well then you need to find employees who can handle stress! Don't wait for 6 months after hiring to find out. Interview for survival! Make the interview stressful and find out if you want that person at your side! Now by stressful, I don't mean by acting like a rude jerk. I mean giving them tough real-world problems to start solving. Look for not only the solution, but how they approach it. Not only their answers, but their questions. See how deep into the problem they get. See if they can focus under stress. See if you want them by your side when survival is on the line. At EBR we had to bring onboard a tremendous increase in engineering staff to meet the needs of a huge batch of engineering projects that were granted to the company by our largest customer (and investor). We only had one full time HR person, but we needed to quintuple our engineering staff in a matter of months. Interview personally. There was no alternative; the small engineering leadership team had to step up and do the majority of the hiring work. We developed our own unique interviewing process that we felt fit the EBR culture, and then we went for it. And leadership did these interviews directly. I and my direct reports sat with these potential hires and did the engineering interview process. We were buried, and it would have been easy to say we had to much work to be bothered, but the only way to reduce the workload was with adding staff with real talent. The interviews were intense and focused on finding brave, inventive engineers who could work with others. The results were not perfect, but they were unprecedentedly good. Not only did we find the needed number of staff, we built the best group of engineers in my decades of experience. Over the next few years we delivered project after project, and all were cutting edge. You will get a different culture with the right staff. Seeing these radical projects marching through development was amazing. Admittedly sometimes I got frustrated by personally being more of a manager/interviewer than an engineer. Designing and inventing is what I really love doing.
But I realized staffing with the best was critical. And with this quality group we were doing products with 4-6 man teams, that would in most organizations be stuffed with 30 or more. One of the most personally rewarding moments in all of this was when one engineer grabbed me in the hall and said the following: "Erik, this is the coolest place I have ever worked. I've always kicked butt in my prior jobs, being rated as exceeding expectations, but have been frustrated by how hard I had to push so to get my ideas completed. Here, I am surrounded by other engineers like me, and I have to go full speed just to keep up. I just love it". In today’s ferociously competitive business environment, staff your company with employees who thrive under fire, who light up at the sight of a challenge. Of course, then you have to make sure they have the right work environment for them to thrive. And that's another story for another day. But with the right combination, it's an amazing environment to experience.
Sales Roundtable Monday, June 11th, 2018 | Time: 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Location: CTaccess, 740 Pilgrim Parkway, Elm Grove
Different Sales Situations Require Different Sales Approaches Sales approaches need to differ from a new client to existing clients. But how? What are the key points you need to drive home? In our session, we'll explore together the different messages you'll need to communicate when making a pitch to either a new client or informing an existing client about new offerings.
Register at IBAW.com
Presenter...
Dave Wallace
The IBAW Sales Roundtable is a FREE event open only to IBAW members.
Smog Dumper Illinois Has a Conniption After EPA’s Wisconsin Ruling
Matt Kittle, The MacIver Institute MADISON, Wis. – For years, Chicago, Northwest Indiana and parts south and north have been sending their pollution to Wisconsin, particularly southeast Wisconsin. The Badger State and its economy have long had to pay for somebody else’s smog, through draconian U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air pollution standards that have unfairly put clean Wisconsin on the dirty air list. Wisconsin for decades has argued that it is not the main cause of the problem. Science backs that up. Last week, the Trump administration’s EPA reversed course and took much of southeast Wisconsin off the non-attainment list of counties not meeting more stringent ozone standards adopted during the Obama administration. Racine County, too, was removed from the list, sending the left and many in the mainstream media into environmental paroxysms. “A Big factory gets to pollute, and you get to wheeze,” proclaimed a Chicago Sun Times editorial decrying the EPA’s decision to “exempt” Racine County and thereby the massive Foxconn economic development project from stricter clean air standards. The editorial took special aim at EPA Secretary Scott Pruitt, a Trump administration head that the newspaper views as a “fossil fuel fat cat” defender. The Chicago Tribune went after Pruitt, too, in a news story. “EPA chief Pruitt overrules staff, gives Wisconsin’s Walker, Foxconn big break on smog,” screamed the headline of a Tribune article last week. The piece, however, was written by the same reporter who less than a year earlier penned a story about Wisconsin being held captive by invading smog from its neighbors to the south and east. In the Aug. 4 story, “Smog follows Chicagoans on vacation to Wisconsin, Michigan,” reporter Michael Hawthorne notes an extensive federal research project that is looking at why Lake Michigan shoreline communities with “relatively little traffic and few, if any big polluters” have higher ozone levels.
Hawthorne concedes “some of the smog in Chicago comes from St. Louis, and Milwaukee’s problems can be blamed in part on Chicago and other upwind cities.” Now, in an audacious legal move, highly partisan Democrat Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan plans to sue the EPA for daring to remove portions of southeast Wisconsin from the stricter air quality regs. “Despite its name, the Environmental Protection Agency now operates with total disregard for the quality of our air and water, and in this case, the U.S. EPA is putting the company’s profit ahead of our natural resources and the public’s health,” Madigan wrote in a press release. “I will file a lawsuit to protect the environment and people from the consequences of this unsupported decision.” Wisconsinites may rightly ask where Ms. Madigan has been all these years as Chicago, Rockford and other Illinois manufacturing centers spewed their smog on the Badger State’s verdant valleys and small towns. Lucas Vebber, legal counsel and director of Environmental and Energy Policy for Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, said the science is pretty well established. “Wisconsin for decades has been arguing that the ozone we have here in Wisconsin is not the result of sources in Wisconsin but, rather, it’s coming into Wisconsin from other sources in other states, and even countries,” Vebber said. In 2016, Gov. Scott Walker submitted a plan to the federal government asking that all of Wisconsin be deemed as in attainment of the Obama-era ozone standards. That regulation lowered the acceptable amount of ambient ozone in the air from 75 parts per billion to 70 ppb. As Hawthorne noted last year, NASA satellite data “vividly show improvements in air quality during the past decade,” thanks in large part to a sharp drop in nitrogen oxide, a core precursor of smog. Wisconsin’s ozone levels have greatly improved over the period, but eastern portions of the state remain subject to invasive pollutants from other states and countries. “Local officials in Wisconsin and Michigan hope the new research helps resolve long-running battles with the EPA and frees their communities from a national list of communities with dirty air,” according to the Tribune story. Areas deemed to be in non-attainment face hefty federal fees and restrictions. The stiffer regulations would indeed hinder Racine County’s massive Foxconn development, a project pegged to create tens of thousands of direct and ancillary jobs. The regs also would hurt any number of manufacturers in southeast Wisconsin, while delivering questionable benefit to air quality. “What the EPA said was, ‘Hey, we recognize that this is not a problem that these Wisconsin inland sources are causing so when we designate an area as non-attainment we are going to stick to the areas that actually have heightened ozone,” Vebber told MacIver News Service recently on the Dan Conry Show, on NewsTalk 1310 WIBA. “And that’s a win for everyone who is outside of this area who will not be subject to these draconian federal regulations, which would be incredibly expensive and make it very difficult to grow or expand a facility here.” The EPA’s decision last week designates the northeast corner of Milwaukee, the Ozauakee County shoreline, as well as part of Sheboygan County as not within the air quality standards. A portion of Kenosha County is included. But to the anti-business, environmental crowd, the EPA decision is all about Foxconn. Vebber asserts politics is driving a liberal misinformation campaign aimed at taking out Walker at the polls in November. “Unfortunately what we’ve seen is those anti-business activists, those folks simply trying to make Foxconn a political issue … They are going on the attack on what they think is a political issue they can sell folks on and we’ve seen basically just wholesale ignoring of the truth…” Vebber said. Racine County recorded average ozone levels of 74 parts per billion from 2015 through 2017, according to Milwaukee’s BizTimes. That’s within the previous air quality limits but above the Obama administration’s stricter – and, critics say, unnecessary – 70 ppb standard. Non-attainment would require Foxconn to install costlier pollution control equipment.
Foxconn has been granted four air permits, allowing the technology manufacturer to emit no more than 172 tons of nitrogen oxide per year, when the massive plant is fully operational, according to the state Department of Natural Resources’ “Analysis and Preliminary Determination” document that’s part of the permit file. While Vebber acknowledges that the tonnage is a “big number,” he said the emissions would pale in comparison to the 2,200-plus tons produced by the We Energies’ coal-fired power plant in Pleasant Prairie, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. As that plant closes down this year, Vebber said Southeast Wisconsin will see annual net decreases of more than 2,000 tons of nitrogen oxygen, meaning a net decrease of smog. “Even if we shut down every industry we’ve got, we would still have these (smog) problems,” said Sheboygan Mayor Mike Vandersteen. In reporting last year on the plant’s planned closure, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted that shutting down the facility “means less air pollution and a smaller carbon footprint for the state’s largest utility holding company and should help southeastern Wisconsin address longstanding ozone air emission problems.” Now, many of these same news outlets are pushing a narrative that the fix is in, that the EPA’s change on southeast Wisconsin air quality standards is about giving a pass to a titan tech company and a “once-in-a-generation” development deal at the expense of Wisconsinites’ health. They have conveniently omitted the nagging facts of other people’s smog and improving air quality at source points. Look no further than Sheboygan, a city that was told it violated the federal smog standard 25 days between 2013 and 2015 – more than any other city in the Midwest, according to the Chicago Tribune. But monitoring data shows what Sheboygan knows: pollution pushing up Lake Michigan from Chicago and elsewhere is the real culprit. “We’ve done our part, but it’s unfair to make our employers jump through hoops when our neighbors in surrounding counties don’t have to do a thing,” Sheboygan Mayor Mike Vandersteen told the Tribune last year. “Even if we shut down every industry we’ve got, we would still have these (smog) problems.”
President’s Circle IBAW / DALE CARNEGIE PRESIDENTS CIRCLE A LEADERSHIP PROGRAM FOR CEOs, PRESIDENTS, AND BUSINESS OWNERS
As the CEO, President, or Owner you are asked to produce more results with fewer resources, meet and exceed competition, innovate and motivate. This creates very difficult teams and leadership challenges. Leaders must encourage teamwork, bottom-up idea generation, alignment, loyalty and above all commitment. Rather than direct and dictate, leaders must inspire and motivate!
The Presidents Circle: The IBAW and Dale Carnegie Training have developed an exclusive Leadership program for IBAW members only. The Presidents Circle combines peer group engagement and highly targeted executive Dale Carnegie Training among peers to help you achieve significant results. These results will be achieved by providing insights, peer challenges, and developing leadership skills which are aligned with your organization and which will help drive agendas. By combining corporate mission, vision and values with our unique methodology employees will begin supporting a world they helped create.Ultimately, the only sustainable competitive advantage is the innovation, motivation, and creativity of the employees of an organization. Establishing a strong leadership culture provides the environment where innovation and creativity can flourish.
Program Specifics: • • • •
Meetings with other IBAW CEOs/Presidents/Business Owners 10 monthly meetings Dale Carnegie Executive Leadership Training workshop each session. Round Table Issues Discussed and Resolved
• • •
Guided Yearly planning Accountability among peers. Business Results
The President’s Circle will help you achieve results by: • • •
Providing training among peers Creating and sustaining change initiatives Ensure continuous improvement and bottom-line impact
• • • • •
Align the organization behind a common vision Develop a habit of fact-based decision making at every level. Strengthen and implement strategic planning Create a value based culture to ensure loyalty Build energy and trust up and down the organization to insure customer loyalty.
Program Leader: Steve Bobowski
“Knowledge isn’t power until it is applied.” -Dale Carnegie
Commitments: • Attend meetings • No cost for meetings, a benefit of IBAW membership •
Referrals or 3 enrollments
This program is now forming and is limited in the number which can attend. For more information, contact Program Leader Steve Bobowski by clicking here.
A Proven Method For Building a Continuous Improvement Culture Scott Seroka, Seroka Branding
Toyota receives more than one million operational improvement ideas from its employees each year and implements 90 percent of them. There are two powerful messages in this short statement worth noting: 1) One million ideas submitted each year tells us that Toyota, a company revered for setting the standard in manufacturing, is always looking for ways to improve, and 2) When such a highly respected manufacturer implements 90 percent of the ideas submitted by its employees (many of whom are frontline), it’s not only an indication of how insightful and intelligent its employees are, but it is also a sign that those employees are truly interested in the success of the company. Building a manufacturing culture of continuous improvement, innovation and job satisfaction invariably leads to higher worker retention, performance, and an ability to attract high-quality people to serve anywhere from the C-Suite to the production floor. And although this may be widely known, some manufacturers struggle to create such a culture. All Ideas Matter At Seroka, one of the many tools we encourage our clients to implement to improve their culture is an All Ideas Matter (A.I.M.) program. A.I.M. encourages leaders, managers and employees at all levels to offer suggestions for organizational improvement. In nearly every case, the results of A.I.M. have been overwhelmingly positive for numerous reasons that go far beyond the quality and quantity of ideas submitted to management: 1
Employees appreciate knowing their opinions are requested and that their opinions matter. The mere fact of seniormanagement implementing such a program prompts more positive than negative feedback from all.
2
People feel more connected to, and are more respectful of, leaders who acknowledge their ideas, even if some ideas are not implemented. When ideas aren’t implemented and employees understand why, they have a better understanding of how the company is led and what its true purpose is. Hence, management/employee relationships become stronger.
3
The diversity of perspectives not only alerts management to how much employees do and do not know about the organization, they also provide management with insights into what is and isn’t working in different departments and/or areas of the organization.
Implementing a Successful A.I.M. Program 1
Continuously promote it. The success of the A.I.M. program is largely based on its continuous promotion. Without it, the flames of enthusiasm and participation would turn to embers, and embers would turn to ash. Don’t let this happen. As with anything worth doing, the flames need to be consistently stoked. To that end, make the A.I.M. program part of your culture, your meetings and communications. Make it competitive, present awards and give recognition for the best ideas submitted or implemented. In other words, keep the motivation to provide ideas high and the payoffs will add up substantially over time in the form of improved efficiencies, performance and new business opportunities.
2
Create and maintain focus. For specific issues or topics (e.g. how to improve the onboarding process), run an internal campaign/contest to acquire the best ideas from your people. Make sure to involve even those who are not directly tied to the issue or impacted by it. In our experience, we’ve found that some of the best ideas come from those not buried in the minutiae of the problem or challenge.
3
Create mechanisms for idea collection, filtering and approval. Based on the size of your organization, you may need to establish channels for idea submission so that final decision-makers don’t become overwhelmed – especially with ideas that would never fly, are not properly thought through, or those that are anonymous and inappropriate. Appoint and empower others to filter ideas and make decisions.
4
Recognize successes and the people behind them. This is a non-negotiable. If people (even those who claim they don’t like attention) are not recognized for their thoughts and contributions in front of their managers and peers, the program will die quicker than a campfire in a torrential downpour. As Dale Carnegie once said, the greatest need people have is the need to feel important. Such recognition and appreciation could be expressed in a meeting, company newsletter, or it could be as simple as being vocal about it in front of others.
If you don’t have anything in place right now to improve your culture, I encourage you to consider implementing an A.I.M. Program for your company. Also think about your employer brand and what your strongest value propositions are.
Proposed Tariffs on Chinese Imports and the Impact on the U.S. Small Business Ray Keating, Chief Economist, SBE Council, Washington D.C.
On Wednesday, May 16, I had the opportunity to testify at a United States Trade Representative hearing on “Proposed Determination of Action Pursuant to Section 301: China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation.” Specifically, the USTR sought comments on proposed tariffs on some $50 billion in annual imports from China. The striking takeaway clearly was how proposed tariffs on Chinese goods would undermine the competitiveness of U.S. businesses and their employees. Among the various points highlighted in my testimony, I noted the prominent role that U.S. small businesses play in terms of both exports to and imports from China; and key points on why free trade is a big plus for entrepreneurs, small businesses, workers, consumers and the overall U.S. economy. I also pointed out that “more than 55 percent of all U.S. goods imports in 2017 were inputs for U.S. businesses, that is, they were intermediate goods or capital goods. So, increasing tariffs or establishing quotas on imports is in effect imposing a tax increase on a wide array of U.S. small businesses, such as manufacturers.” That’s a critical issue to keep in mind when policymakers try to sell protectionist measures as being good for U.S. businesses, whether it be these particular tariffs or, for example, tariffs or quotas on steel and aluminum imports. Hiking the costs of inputs for U.S. businesses of all types and sizes obviously is a clear negative for those businesses and their workers. These businesses then become non-competitive in domestic and international markets. This point was driven home by numerous other witnesses at the USTR hearing. Representatives from assorted enterprises spoke about how tariffs on a variety of goods from China would raise their costs significantly, including presenting daunting challenges of realigning supply chains or even being unable to find alternatives from other suppliers. The clear message was that these businesses would suffer lost business and competitiveness. No doubt, the rebuttal to these comments and other points raised against tariffs will be along the lines of: “Well, what else can we do about China’s unfair trade practices, such as failing to protect intellectual property?” I pointed to a far more productive path in my summary remarks: “Rather than imposing tariffs and quotas that will only hurt U.S. consumers and small businesses, the U.S. needs to re-engage as a global leader for free trade, and in doing so, serve as an example for China. “Specifically, rather than playing tit-for-tat protectionism, the U.S. would be far better off in standing up clearly for free markets, free trade and property rights, and showing other countries, like China, what the real path to economic growth is. It is critical, and far more constructive, to make clear to China that its intellectual property violations only serve to undermine its own investment and economic growth. “In fact, the best path forward would be to enter into discussions laying groundwork for a China-U.S. free trade agreement. Through that process, the U.S. would be able to constructively advance the cause for open markets and property rights in China. A free trade accord between the world’s two largest economies would expand opportunities for entrepreneurs, small businesses and workers in both nations. “In the end, these proposed tariffs on imports from China ‘would cause disproportionate economic harm to U.S. interests, including small- or medium-size businesses and consumers.’ The U.S. should step back from this proposal for increased tariffs, and instead, engage with China in a productive way through, if necessary, a multi-year effort of agreements that make real progress in reducing trade barriers and enhancing property rights, with the ultimate goal, again, being a China-U.S. free trade agreement. Such an effort would generate confidence among entrepreneurs, businesses, investors and in the markets, and generate significant benefits and opportunities for U.S. small businesses, workers and consumers.”
Just because China, at the moment, is choosing a counter-productive policy path for its own people does not mean the U.S. should respond with policies that ultimately inflict harm on U.S. small businesses, workers and consumers. Free trade leadership is needed now more than ever, not misguided, destructive protectionism. _______ Raymond J. Keating is chief economist for the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.
Wisconsin Offers Qualifying Taxpayers a Child Sales Tax Rebate Jim Brendenburg, Sikich AS A RESULT OF THE STATE HAVING A SURPLUS OF NEARLY $400 MILLION IN THEIR BUDGET, GOVERNOR WALKER AND THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAVE AUTHORIZED A ONE TIME $100 PER CHILD SALES TAX REBATE FOR TAXPAYERS WITH DEPENDENT CHILDREN UNDER THE AGES OF 18 FOR TAX YEAR 2017. From May 15 through July 2, 2018, Wisconsin residents (as well as non- residents and part-year residents if they have Wisconsin dependent resident children and can show they paid at least $100 of non-business Wisconsin sales or use taxes in 2017) can go to www.childtaxrebate.wi.gov to submit an application to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue (WDOR). Individuals can also call 608-266-KIDS (5437) between the hours of 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to file a claim. Claims must be filed before July 2. Most rebates will take no more than three weeks from when an individual filed to be dispensed. Taxpayers should note that a child can only be claimed by one person, and that the child must be both a U.S. citizen and a Wisconsin resident for tax year 2017. The WDOR released an update on this tax rebate approximately a week before they start accepting applications, informing residents on how they can qualify. FAQs and more information including the question of how such rebates may be treated for federal tax purposes can also be found on www.childtaxrebate.wi.gov. For more information about Wisconsin’s Child Sales Tax Rebate or other related matters, contact Jim Brandedburg by clicking here.
: S E L A S
2nd Monday of the Month SALES ROUNDTABLE 7:30 am - 9:00 am Free & open to IBAW members only Register at IBAW.com
Sales can be a tough road of ups, downs, potholes and a few bumps. But it can also be fast paced, exhilarating and rewarding. If you’re in sales, you know there are things only other sales people understand; the thrill of scoring the big account, the uncertainty of “let me think about that.”, the frustration of phone calls or emails that don’t get returned. IBAW’s Sales Roundtable is a support and knowledge resource for sales professionals, business owners, marketing and branding experts who are charged with driving sales. Join us to discuss the strategy, tactics, inspiration, and motivation to increase sales. It’s a FREE benefit of your membership! Who should attend: • Sales professionals of any level. • Business owners • Sales Managers • Marketing & P.R. Professionals
“For many years I ran sales meetings for as few as 3 and as many as 22 sales rep’s now I can go as a participant once a month to IBAW’s Sales Roundtable.
BONUS! Join the IBAW Sales Roundtable and get a compact disc with the BEST in Sales Survival Music. Play it to pump you up before that big meeting or to console you if you hit a sales slump. Guaranteed to make life better.
It’s a focused meeting and everyone wants the same thing – to be more effective at selling.” - Jerry Wick, CEO, Custom Data Too Mail
IBAW Public Policy Committee Hosts Legislative Roundtable in Brookfield
On the afternoon of Thursday, January 25th, the IBAW Public Policy Committee hosted a Legislative Roundtable featuring Senator Lena Taylor, Senator Chris Kapenga, Representative Rob Hutton and Representative Dale Kooyenga, held at the offices of Sikich in Brookfield. Welfare reform, excessive business regulations and the ever increasing shortage of a competent workforce were the main concerns of business owners. Additionally, the topic of the present state of the city of Milwaukee - crime, unemployment and the state of Milwaukee Public Schools, became quite heated at times. Look for more Roundtables discussions by the Public Policy Committee in the future.
IBAW is on an upward trend of growth and we are actively recruiting businesses just like yours to join! When you join IBAW your entire company is a member - anyone from your team can attend our fine educational and networking events. Help yourself, your business AND your Team Members. Come on in...we’re open for business!
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2018 Membership Committee
Jake Hansen Jacsten Holdings
Charles Fry Robert W. Baird
Mike Poludniak Merrill Lynch
Dan Hansen
Tom Parks Annex Wealth Mgt.
Legislative Fix Moving Ahead for Wisconsin’s New Manufacturing & Agricultural Credit Jim Brandenburg, CPA, MST - Sikich LLP
In IBAW meetings and publications in recent years we have introduced you to Wisconsin’s new tax incentive - the Wisconsin Manufacturing and Agriculture Credit (referred to as the “MAC”). The MAC came about in 2011 to provide an incentive for Wisconsin manufacturers and agricultural companies to remain and grow here, and also perhaps to have out-of-state companies move here. It was scheduled to begin in 2013, and when fully phased-in by 2016 it would essentially exempt any Wisconsin manufacturing and agricultural income from Wisconsin income tax. The MAC was championed by Representative Dale Kooyenga and Senator Glenn Grothman in the legislature.
Magazine Content Needed Consider Submitting an Article!
The MAC, however, had some problems for individual taxpayers when it was drafted and this glitch was recently identified. Here is the issue in a nutshell: the MAC would reduce a taxpayer’s Wisconsin individual income tax, but then would trigger a Wisconsin minimum tax for nearly the same amount. Thus, there may be little, if any, net savings for the MAC in 2013 (a “MAC Attack?”). The legislature is trying to remedy this situation now so that taxpayers can realize the proper tax savings with the MAC on their 2013 Wisconsin individual tax returns.
The IBAW magazine is in need of content, we rely on our members and sponsors to supply us informative articles. The digital magazine is sent out to over 650 contacts statewide and the magazine is parked on the web where, on average, it gets over 1100 views.
Legislative Update: It seems that all key legislative leaders are now on board to correct this issue. It was approved by the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee last week. The Senate and Assembly will be in session in March and voting on final passage for several bills, one of which is this tax bill with the MAC correction. It looks like the legislative timetable will have the bill passed near the middle of the March, before going to the Governor. Thus, a best guess now is that the bill would be enacted into law somewhere in the latter half of March, 2014. MAC Attack Options: For any of our individual taxpayers taking advantage of the MAC, this may present some filings logistics. Here are the possibilities:
1. Best case scenario - in some cases the taxpayer’s share of the MAC for 2013 will be used and not result in a Wisconsin Minimum Tax. A taxpayer in this situation could go ahead and claim the MAC and file their 2013 Wisconsin individual return. There would be no need to wait for the legislation to pass.
Consider writing an article on a timely business related topic to your particular field of business. This is an outstanding opportunity for you and your company to gain exposure and increase your brand awareness to a statewide audience. There is no cost to submitting an article.
2. Next, a taxpayer has generated a MAC for 2013, but it will trigger a Wisconsin Minimum Tax. The taxpayer in this case could wait until the law is changed (and then wait a little for the WDR to update its computer processing systems) and then file their Wisconsin tax return and claim the MAC, and not incur the Wisconsin Minimum Tax. This could present a tight timeline for the April 15 deadline, and you may need to file for an extension.
3. Similar case as #2, but this taxpayer could file their Wisconsin individual return with the MAC, but also incur and pay a Wisconsin Minimum Tax for 2013. Then, once the corrective law is enacted go back and file an amended 2013 Wisconsin tax return to obtain the proper tax benefit of the MAC. You would not need extend, but you would need to amend. We’ll keep you posted as this legislation moves forward. If you have any questions, please contact Jim Brandenburg or Brian Kelley at Sikich, LLP in Brookfield (262)754-9400.
Contact Steve Kohlmann for details.
Articles submitted by our members & sponsors.
Welcome New IBAW Members!
Meeting Recaps 2014 Wisconsin Manufacturing Knowledge Summit
Power Test
On June 20, 2014 the IBAW partnered with the Tool, Die & Machining Association of Wisconsin (TDMAW) to offer Wisconsin manufacturers and their suppliers a unique look at trends within the industry and to also report on some of the challenges the industry faces in the next 5 years.
Power Test, Inc. is an industry leader in the design, manufacture and implementation of dynamometers and control systems.
Special thanks to the event sponsor, First Business Bank for their efforts in helping organize this event.
For more than 37 years, Power Test has provided specialized test equipment to manufacturers, rebuilding facilities and distributors globally. Our products can be found in use at these facilities in nearly 100 countries on six continents.
Chris Halaska
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Our headquarters and manufacturing operations are located in Sussex, WI with sales representatives worldwide. Our unparalleled customer service is well known throughout the industry. Power Test employs a dedicated staff of talented machinists, fabricators, electronic technicians, assemblers, designers, engineers, software developers, and administrative and customer service personnel. Our exceptional product life and excellent customer service is well known throughout the industry and has made us one of the industryleading dynamometer manufacturers. Our dedication to the customer and to the advances in powertrain component testing keep us there.
Power Test N60 W22700 Silver Spring Drive Sussex, WI 53089 Phone: 262-252-4301
4 Advanced Waste Services Advanced Waste Services is an environmental services company that provides wastewater recycling and other waste and risk elimination services to manufacturers in all industries. Each day, AWS helps hundreds of businesses, both large and small, meet their community and environmental obligations. Annually, we collect, treat and recycle more than 50 million gallons of contaminated wastewater into clean, reusable water and other valuable resources like fuel, steam and electricity. AWS is constantly helping our clients manage, reinvent and improve their sustainability successes. For example, we recently partnered with Forest County Advanced Waste Services Potawatomi Community to help Wisconsin food and beverage manufacturers convert 1126 South 76th Street food waste into clean, green renewable energy. Suite N408B West Allis, WI 53214 Founded in 1993, AWS employs 55 people in the Milwaukee area and a total of 150 people companywide in 5 states. 414-847-7100
Photo Key 1: A full house in the main ballroom of the Wisconsin Club as IBAW & TDMAW members prepare to hear about the state of manufacturing and the challenges the industry faces in the workforce.
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2: David Vetta of First Business Bank delivers opening remarks and highlights the importance of a strong relationship between banking and manufacturing working together for success. 3: New IBAW President, John Weber of Hypneumat addresses the change in IBAW Bylaws and calls for voting in new board officers. 4: Kent Lorenz of Acieta gives the main presentation on “Manufacturing Matters” pointing out the trends on manufacturing now and what to expect in the future. 5: Outgoing IBAW President, Steve Van Lieshout receives his award for his efforts as 2013 - 2014.
6 Photos courtesy of Tim Townsend.
6: IBAW Executive Director, Steve Kohlmann (Left) presents David Drumel with an award for his service on the IBAW board.
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