November 2014 ibaw magazine

Best Practices

Sales Roundtable

November 21st

November 10th

NOVEMBER 2014

Corporate & Industrial Espionage Byron Franz, FBI Special Agent

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

KEATING: ADDED PERSPECTIVE ON U.S. ENERGY PRODUCTION

FOUST: FRAUD & RISK

HOLLISTER: PREPARING YOUR COMPANY FOR THE LARGEST SHIPPING RATE INCREASE IN HISTORY

Networking matters

At AT&T, we know that making connections is critical to success. In Wisconsin and across the nation, we link businesses with their customers and the world through our wireless network with access to the nation’s largest Wi-fi network. It’s just another way we help our customers stay connected.

AT&T is proud to support the Independent Business Association of Wisconsin.

© 2014 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved.

IBAW thanks AT&T for it’s continued sponsorship.

IBAW MEDIA LINK Executive Director Steve Kohlmann President John Weber Hypneumat Secretary Charles Fry Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc President Elect 2014 Membership / Sponsorship Jim Leef ITU AbsorbTech Hillary Clinton has her “You didn’t build it” moment by telling a crowd recently “Corporations and business don’t create jobs.

To view, click here.

XXXX XXX

VP. State & National Programs Jeff Hoffman Boerke Treasurer Casey Malek Sikich Directors Bart Adams Sikich Ann Barry Hanneman Simandl Law Group S.C Heather Baylor Park Bank Richard Blomquist Blomquist Benefits Lisa Mauer Blackhawk Industrial Jason Kuwayama Godfrey & Kahn Tom Boelkow BSI Design, Build, Furnish

IBAW Mission: To advance business prosperity through insightful programming, executive networking and member-driven public policy and advocacy.

Craig Coursin MSI General Robert Gross Gross Automation

Business Education Series FIVE STAR Programing

November 21st Meeting Corporate & Industrial Espionage “Stealing Wisconsin’s Secrets” In a state dealing with a global economy, Corporate and Industrial espionage has never been more prevalent in Wisconsin.

Once only a threat to big businesses, covert activities such as the theft of trade secrets, bribery, blackmail and technological surveillance via the internet has never been easier for the criminal element to execute.

Foreign countries such as China, Russia and others are hungry for information - and you could be the next target.

COST:

Byron Franz, FBI Special Agent Byron Franz is a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and has worked national security investigations for over 16 years. He currently serves as the Strategic Partnership Coordinator for the FBI’s Milwaukee Division, where his job is to form partnerships with corporations, colleges, and universities to better protect intellectual property and trade secrets.

IBAW Members....$32.00 Guests....$42.00 Includes high level networking and plated breakfast!

Special Agent Franz has a B.A. in International Relations and Russian from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Attire: Business professional.

Send your IT Team!

LOCATION

THE WISCONSIN CLUB 900 W. WISCONSIN AVE. MILWAUKEE

7:00 AM

REGISTRATION & NETWORKING

7:30 AM

BREAKFAST & PROGRAM

9:00 AM

PROGRAM ENDS

Registration now open! Click here.

The Year in Review Steve Kohlmann, IBAW Executive Director So it was a year ago today that I quit my thirty-five year career in the print industry and gave full attention to the IBAW. Yes, it’s been a year already. Dad was right; Time moves quicker the older you get.

And a year ago, when I was in the middle of that life altering career change, family, friends, and business acquaintances would ask me if I felt scared or if there was any apprehension in making such a move. The answer was always the same: “Not at all”. The reason for my easy feeling is that I had been involved with the IBAW for about ten years and I had plenty of time to test drive what I was about to do and make sure it was the right move. Of course, as with any major move, there are unknown factors and those factors can sometimes prove challenging and problematic. There was a LOT I didn’t know about running an organization but I thought “How hard can it be? This isn’t brain surgery - it’s not as thought lives hang in the balance. Even if lives did hang in the balance it would depend on who’s lives they were.”

And so it has been a year. I’ve learned a lot in the past year about what it takes to run - and grow - an organization and I can unequivocally tell you I’m a lot smarter now than I was a year ago.

I’m into inspiration and when ever I find bits of inspiration, I snip them out and keep them in a three ring binder in what I call “The Binder of Knowledge”. The binder is an ever growing collection of quotes from books, magazine articles, and several other sources of information covering years of sales. I started doing this when I first got into sales, when I didn’t really have a mentor and I had to figure everything out myself. I would refer to the Binder of Knowledge whenever I needed some inspiration. So when I was making the decision on whether or not to make the jump from a thirty-five year career to something totally new, I turned to The Binder to see if there was any help inside. It didn’t take long before I found something that hit home, a quote by Napoleon Hill;

“Do not wait: the time will never be 'just right'.

Start where you stand, and work whatever tools you may have at your command and better tools will be found as you go along.”

That inspirational quote has rung true for me. This past spring when the IBAW web site (old and moldy as it was) needed to be upgraded, I searched for funds to accomplish that goal. I would need between $5,000 and $7,500 to overhaul the website. Finding somebody to underwrite the project proved difficult, and when I came up empty, I decided to take on updating the site myself. It took a few months of barricading myself in my office in front of the computer to learn how to do it. I was helped out with an incredible stroke of luck when a major software update came down from our website host, Wild Apricot, which literally gave me new tools to aid in the upgrade. It was tricky, mind numbing work and there were many missed sunny summer weekends away from my motorcycle, but a new website was accomplished and ultimately launched.

This past year I’ve spent a lot of time working on the IBAW brand, creating buzz about our organization and essentially ‘turning up the volume’ on IBAW. Next year, in addition to that, we’ll be focusing on growing the membership. I’m excited about year number two and where we are going.

I’m sure there will be challenges ahead, there always are. But we’ll climb those hills - no matter how steep - when we get to them.

October Meeting Wrap Up Our October meeting brought members up to speed on the new regulations of Obama Care coming down the pipeline on January 1, 2015 .

Our guest speakers were Jim Mueller and Erin Barke of Mueller QAAS. The meeting was sponsored by Aaron - Michaels Wealth Management Group.

Photos courtesy of Tim Townsend.

SALES: Best Practices ROUNDTABLE

Monday, November 10th 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM.

This month, Sue Kohlmann, of KMG, an Executive Assistant to high level individuals, will give you insight as to what works - and what doesn't work - when trying to break through to your target. You'll also learn the job duties of an EA and why they can be protective of the people you're trying to get in front of and how they can be your advocate.

Even if you're seasoned in sales, learn what other professionals are doing and some new techniques and skills you might be missing.

This is open to anyone in a business development role at an IBAW member company who would like to share their real world challenges and most successful strategies for growing business.

This Roundtable is meant to serve as a confidential means to learn from your peers in other industries and to help others learn from your experience – good and bad.

Location: CTaccess Conference Room Cost: Free - A benefit of IBAW membership.

740 Pilgrim Parkway, Suite L3 (Registration is required) Elm Grove

Registration is open! Click here.

GOOD FOR YOUR BUSINESS. GOOD FOR YOUR COMMUNITY. Hire National Guard and Reserve Members: • • • • •

Proven and experienced leaders Committed to team and company success Adept at using advanced technologies Globally minded Adaptable and effective under pressure

Department of Defense Partnership of Programs

Supporting Reserve Component Members, Families and Employers

GET STARTED! POST YOUR JOBS NOW.

ESGR is a Department of Defense office, established in 1972, to promote cooperation and understanding between National Guard and Reserve service members and their civilian employers.

@ESGR

Facebook.com/GoESGR

Fraud & Risk Penny L Foust, CTP, Vice President and Director of Treasury Management at Bank Mutual

As the current fraud landscape continues to change, sophisticated technology and on-line information tools are turning payments fraud into a global issue. This same technology can also be used to help protect us from fraud if used properly. The war against fraud continues and the fight is getting tougher, every other week another data breach is reported.

Target, one of the largest most publicized data breaches in history, reported a data breach effecting more than 70 million consumers. On the heels of Target's breach came Neiman Marcus's announcement that more than 1.1 million card numbers may have been compromised. In June, P.F. Chang’s restaurant operator said card information had been compromised at 33 restaurants, dating back to October 2013. Some P.F. Chang‘s locations ceased electronic processing of cards and reverted to using the old “knuckle busters,” mechanical card presses that produced an imprint of name and card number on three pieces of carbon paper. This opened the door to an unsecured environment for payment information. Jimmy John’s, disclosed that card information collected at 216 locations across the nation had been breached.

Even if you don’t incur a loss from the data breach, the threat is serious. Data is often sold to criminals inside and outside of the country. It is very time consuming to cancel and replace your existing cards, file affidavits on fraudulent transactions, and keep tabs on your statements for fraud. Please be aware debit cards carry fewer legal protections than true credit cards.

If someone steals your debit-card information, even if the losses are restored, thieves can empty out your bank account, bounce checks and you still have to deal with late fees and credit issues.

If your card data has been compromised in a security breach, you are more likely to become a victim of identity theft or fraud. The burden of monitoring your accounts for criminal activity falls on you. Federal laws and industry practices generally protect consumer accounts from fraud loss if reported within 60 days of the transaction, however business accounts are not protected by Regulation E and subject to different fraud rules. Businesses usually only have 48 hours to report fraudulent or unauthorized transactions to safeguard from loss.

All companies, for profit and non-profit, are vulnerable to fraud. The question is, does your company have adequate controls in place to prevent it? How frequently do you test your company’s fraud health? Conducting an annual fraud risk assessment is a best practice that can easily be implemented with little to no expense to your business. Free training resources featuring checklists and videos can be found on the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners website http:// www.acfe.com/fraud-prevention-checkup.aspx. The fraud prevention checklist can help you identify inherent risks and implement policies and procedures to mitigate the risk of fraud loss.

Data breaches are only one large area of concern, we see a number of different types of financial fraud originating from phishing e-mails, keystroke loggers, to more sophisticate ZeuS malware. However, your standard check fraud continues to lead as the payment type experiencing the most fraudulent attacks, despite the overall use of checks continues to decline.

The second most popular vehicle for payments fraud is credit and debit cards, (both corporate and consumer) according to the AFP 2014 Payments Fraud and Control Survey. On a more positive note, ACH or electronic debit fraud has decreased in the past year.

Financial losses from check fraud reach into the billions each year and affect companies of all sizes and industries.

Although ACH fraud decreased in the past year, the increased volume of ACH payments still creates an increased potential for ACH fraud. This white-collar crime is no longer limited to large corporations. Financial institutions must make fraud protection tools, such as check and ACH positive pay, an integral part of their cash management product & service offering. These powerful transaction management tools are designed to prevent and mitigate losses due to check fraud and unauthorized ACH debits.

Be on guard against inside jobs, ensure you have procedures in place to detect and deter fraud. Most people who commit fraud in the workplace are not career criminals; they are long time trusted staff members with no criminal history. Three factors that must be present for an ordinary person to commit fraud are Pressure, Opportunity and Rationalization. Don’t allow any one employee to have the keys to the castle.

Building an effective deterrence plan is critical, a great deal of time and money is spent trying to reconstruct fraudulent transactions and reclaim missing funds. Educate your staff not to click on links or open attachments from unsolicited emails. Never supply confidential information over an unsecured operating environment. Establish an anonymous fraud tip line for employees to report suspicious behavior.

Talk with your trusted advisors to understand what tools are available to mitigate risk and understand what insurance you have in place.

Welcome A New IBAW Member!

Tom Boudreau, Associated Financial Group N16 W23250 Stone Ridge Drive, Suite 5 Waukesha, WI 53188 262-446-5420 thomas.boudreau@associatedfinancialgroup.com

Tom Boudreau manages the property and casualty division of Associated Financial Group for WI & IL. In addition to that role, he continues to service to his own property and casualty clients. He has worked in the insurance industry since 2001. Tom has worked with all sorts of clients in different industries including manufacturing, metalworking, transportation, food and beverage, and professional services. He is a former workers’ compensation consultant and service director for Wausau Insurance where he helped some of Wisconsin’s largest employers improve their risk management programs and reduce their total cost of risk.

Tom met his wife at Marquette and has lived in Wisconsin ever since – currently in Elm Grove, WI.

Professional accomplishments • Criminology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI • MBA., Risk management, Concordia University, Mequon, WI • AIC – Associate in Claims, AICPCU • CLCS – Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist, Hartford School of Insurance • ACS – Associate in Customer Service, LOMA and AICPCU • INS – General Certificate in Insurance • Five Star Insurance Service Award Winner, Milwaukee Biz Times, May 2011 • Liberty Mutual Diamond Award winner, workers’ compensation claim excellence, 2004

Members In The News...

Power Test employees, with some help from the students at Pilgrim Evangelical Lutheran School, donated 3,215 pounds of food to the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. As Barbara Vanderburgh from the MRM said " Many families will have one more reason to be thankful this Thanksgiving and will enjoy meals together because of you."

In addition, Power Test and our employees, in addition to the students, donated well over $5,000 in cash to purchase additional food to help more families enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday.

Bank Mutual Joins IBAW as a New Sponsor Bank Mutual has joined IBAW as a new Benefactor Level sponsor for the IBAW. Bank Mutual offers a full complement of financial solutions to help commercial clients with revenues of $5 million to $100 million become more successful.

Thank you to Bank Mutual for coming onboard as a sponsor and for helping us carry on the mission for small business in Wisconsin!

RIGHT: Nicole Coffey and Melinda Toy of Bank Mutual sport the IBAW support decal.

360 Direct Cuts Ribbon on New Facility in Brookfield IBAW member 360 Direct opened it’s new facility at 3245 North 126th Street in Brookfield on October 22nd with a Open House and Ribbon Cutting.

Things kicked off at 4pm with hors d’oeuvres, wine, and other beverages along with a guided tour of the new production and office facilities. The ribbon cutting ceremony was held at 5pm, and an iPad raffle took place shortly before things wrap up for the evening.

360 Direct helps businesses with all aspects of marketing including digital, content, social, web and more.

Eight Reasons You Need a Brand Manager Scott Seroka, Seroka Branding If your company is like most, you likely have a marketing manager -- someone who develops your marketing strategies in alignment with your corporate objectives, creates campaigns, oversees the marketing budget, and works with outside vendors to design and implement marketing programs. There is no question that marketing is a very necessary function within any organization. However, any marketing initiative will only be as good as the strength, uniqueness, understanding and relevance of the brand it is promoting.

If your company doesn’t have a brand manager, or at least someone who is responsible for managing and leveraging your brand to grow your business, you may wish to consider appointing someone to manage your most important asset. Here are eight compelling reasons why: 1.

Your brand can be the difference between a sale and no sale. You may have great salespeople, but if your brand is weak, blurry, or if it lacks relevance, it simply makes the sales process longer and more challenging.

2. Your brand should be the number one thing to protect in a crisis. Think about the recent problems with Home Depot, Target, and Toyota. And don’t forget about one of the most significant and notable brand crises engraved in our memories - Tylenol. A crisis can strike any company at any time. If, and when it happens, a brand manager will take the immediate steps necessary to protect and rebuild brand trust and credibility.

3. With a strong and well-maintained brand, employees will be even prouder to work for your company and will become your greatest brand advocates. With a clear brand, employees have a sense of purpose, they understand the vision of the company, they understand your differentiation, and all will be motivated to deliver on your brand promises.

4. Someone must be thinking in terms of what your brand can become one year, two years, and even ten years from now. Growth-minded companies are always thinking about what is next and they keep both eyes open for new opportunities. A good brand manager will know what opportunities to look for to complement the brand and will intuitively know which opportunities to ignore, i.e. brand extensions.

5.

A brand manager will make sure your brand is consistently delivered and represented throughout the three stages of the sales cycle (prepurchase, purchase and post-purchase).

6. A brand manager will be in charge of making sure the actions of everyone throughout the organization are aligned with the purpose and values of your brand. When employees don’t understand your brand and are not aligned with it, you’re just another employer.

7.

A brand manager will ensure there is a system in place to properly define the brand in all internal and external communications.

8. A brand manager will see to it that all unique selling points are delivered without a hiccup and can be supported with evidence. Consumers are skeptical and want to make sure a brand can prove what it claims. For example, if you are a manufacturer claiming to lead innovation, you should be able to prove that your company consistently introduces new, improved products and game-changers ahead of the competition.

These eight points can be turned into a job description for the right person. If your company is small or a start-up, you may need to fill this role. If you’re a larger business with a marketing director, consider modifying his/her job description to match the responsibilities listed above.

Keep in mind that the brand must drive the marketing – not the other way around.

IBAW Joins Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve IBAW has joined the ESGR in a show of support for our Wisconsinites that help protect our State and Nation.

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency, seeks to develop and promote a culture in which all American employers support and value the military service of their employees with ESGR as the principle advocate within the Department of Defense. ESGR does this by advocating relevant initiatives, recognizing outstanding support, increasing awareness of applicable laws and resolving conflict between employers and service members. Paramount to ESGR’s mission is encouraging employment of Guardsmen and Reservists who bring integrity, global perspective and a proven leadership to the civilian workforce.

Why is employer support important? Almost half of our military force resides in the Reserve Component which is comprised of the Guard and Reserve. The men and women who service in the Reserve Component are unique in that they also have civilian employers. Support of America’s employers and the employees they share with the Nation ensures the viability of the all-volunteer force, and thus our national security.

More than 4700 volunteers and support staff located in all 50 U.S. states, Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia provide the following services. ESGR ADVOCATES relevant initiatives on behalf of employers, service members and their families. We promote the importance of employer support through regular communications to military leadership, and serve as a communication link between employers and the Department of Defense.

ESGR RECOGNIZES employers who practice human resource personnel policies that support employee participation in the Guard and Reserve with a series of Department of Defense employer awards. ESGR INFORMS and educates service members and their civilian employers regarding their rights and responsibilities under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).

Statutory authority for USERRA resides with the Department of Labor, and ESGR services as a neutral, free resource to employers and service members. ESGR MEDIATES with trained ombudsmen who provide information and mediation concerning the USERRA law.

ESGR has hundreds of trained volunteer ombudsman throughout the country ready to provide free mediation. Many conflicts arise due to misunderstandings than purposeful violation of the law, and ESGR can assist in resolving these issues and more.

Much of the time ESGR volunteers spend is in the area of Employer Outreach where we communicate the value military experience brings to a workforce. Briefings to employer or trade groups, service organizations and others give an employer, many of whom have not serviced in the military, a fresh perspective on all that goes on when an employee is away on military training. Our “Boss Lift” program actually takes employers into the field to see this training firsthand.

Finally, with unemployment of Reserve Component members reaching 10% in 2010, ESGR added the Employment Initiative to our programs. A variety of services are provide to both service members and employers to help them connect.

Career Fairs, Business Symposiums and one on one counseling with professional case workers have reduced the unemployment rate of this population greatly.

We look to all employers to support ESGR’s efforts and to recognize the talents the dedicated individuals in the Reserve Component can bring to the workforce. Learn more about ESGR or where to contact a local representative at www.eagr.mil.

Learn how you can participate!

INFO LINK: ESGR.MIL

Preparing your Organization for the Largest Shipping Rate Increase in History Brad Hollister, ClearView Supply Chain, LLC

Corporate bottom lines all across the world are about to get a shock once final numbers are tallied and accounted for after the first quarter of 2015. Companies around the globe are unknowingly about to absorb the largest shipping price increase in history. How are companies preparing for this? THEY’RE NOT. Since the early beginnings, UPS and FedEx have charged their clients based on the weight and zip code combination (to calculate zone). Starting December 29, 2014 however, the small parcel carriers will charge the greater of the weight of the package or the volume. Previously, this rule had only applied to larger packages (greater than 5,184 cubic inches). Starting this year however, this rule applies to ALL packages moved through UPS & FedEx’ network.

In many cases users will experience a 30%+ increase in shipping costs.

The End of Free Shipping?

As e-commerce continues to grow as the preferred method for making purchases, more and more retailers have been promoting ‘free shipping’ as a way to attract new web-users. Most online retailers have developed and built an ecommerce strategy, which rewarded clients with free or low-cost shipping. These web-based stores have grown accustomed to paying the shipping costs of their e-customers as reflected on their shipping scale.

This is all about to change since FedEx announced that Dimensional Weight pricing would apply to ALL shipments starting January 1, 2015 (12/29/2014 for UPS). ALL packages will now be billed based on their volume or the weight... whichever is greater.

Example of the impact: ! Box of Men’s Sandals. " " - Current Box Weight 15 oz. " " - Box size =13”x5”x8”=520 cubic inches. " " - Billed at 1 lb prior to 2015.

After this change: The carriers will now apply an arbitrary dimensional factor of “166” to ALL of their packages.

In this example of a 520 cubic inch package, the package would be billed at a weight of 4 lbs. (520/166 = 3.13 rounded up to 4.0 lbs). This is an increase in weight of over 400%.

Another Example: 5lb package with cubic volume of 5183 cubic inches would be rated at 31.22, or 32 pounds.

With parcel shipping costs going up on average of 30%+ for retailers and manufacturers, is there still enough margin to allow for ‘free shipping’ to clients?

It is highly unlikely ‘free shipping’ is something that will be offered on order minimums as low as $50 or $75.

Is THE Price THE Price?

Most shippers are not equipped to account for the major changes that are happening. A company’s box sizes and even packaging strategy will have an impact on a the company’s bottom line as never before seen by changes in shipping policies.

For the first time, a company will be significantly punished if package sizes are not efficiently designed and/or if shipments are not audited to ensure the dimensions being applied to the package on the invoice matches the actual package dimensions as entered by the shipper. If a company is not entering the dimensions of every single package (with extra size budgeted for settling or shifting of some commodities), then the carriers are likely (as proven in the past) to hold these shippers to a greater degree of scrutiny of all of its shipments. Without proper settlement and verification procedures in place, the billing corrections which are likely to result from this degree of scrutiny will likely go un-checked.

Calculating a company’s final cost per package will continue to get more and more convoluted and confusing with these new billing practices. Packages will be subject to interpretation of sizes, particularly when packages may ride down measuring systems adjacent to another package. (An example would be a small package riding down the carrier conveyor belt of a large package. The small package may have larger (inaccurate) dimensions applied to it).

Protecting Yourself from These Changes In order to minimize the effect of the largest shipping increase in history it will take a multi- faceted approach. There is language, which can be added to your carrier agreements, which can HELP in reducing the impact of this rate spike.

Another strategy is to consider the services of other carriers. Regional small parcel carriers and the United States Post Office (USPS) MUST BE viable options for all small parcel shippers in 2015.

The impacts of these new shipping changes far exceed merely a reduction in profit. These rule changes will force unprepared shippers to raise their costs of delivered goods and reduce their ability to compete with better-prepared competitors. It is important to get a professional Dimensional Weight Analysis to understand the true impact of these changes on your supply chain.

---

About ClearView Supply Chain ClearView Supply Chain, LLC is a Freight Payment & Auditing company, located in Madison, WI, which offers clients ‘Savings Through Visibility’. ClearView has been helping clients to improve Supply Chain efficiency while reducing costs by improving vendor management strategies and optimizing deployment of shipments through cutting edge Transportation Management Solutions.

ClearView Supply Chain, LLC is located at 6417 Odana Rd., Suite 6 | Madison, WI 53719 and can be reached by calling 678.FREIGHT (678.373.4448).

Added Perspectives on the Growth in U.S. Energy Production Ray Keating, Chief Economist, SBE Council, Washington D.C.

The transformation of the U.S. energy industry over the past decade has overwhelmingly been about production from tight oil and shale gas. The latest report on drilling productivity from the U.S. Energy Information Administration drives home this point.

(The EIA defines “tight oil” as follows: “The term tight oil does not have a specific technical, scientific, or geologic definition. Tight oil is an industry convention that generally refers to oil produced from very low permeability shale, sandstone, and carbonate formations, with permeability being a laboratory measure of the ability of a fluid to flow through the rock. In limited areas of some very low permeability formations, small volumes of oil have been produced for many decades.” And “shale gas” is defined as: “Natural gas produced from organic (black) shale formations.”)

Consider that the seven tight oil and shale gas regions examined by the EIA – the Bakken, Eagle Ford, Haynesville, Marcellus, Niobrara, Permian, and Utica regions – “accounted for 95% of domestic oil production growth and all domestic natural gas production growth during 2011-13.”

In terms of the number of rigs, rig production and total production, the EIA data provides details of an exciting, transformative story in energy. Consider the growth in each of the following two tables – one on oil production and the second on natural gas production from 2007 to 2014. Keep in mind that the EIA, as pointed out in the drilling report, “does not distinguish between oil-directed rigs and gas-directed rigs because once a well is completed it may produce both oil and gas; more than half of the wells do that.”

Oil: Bakken, Eagle Ford, Haynesville, Marcellus, Niobrara, Permian, and Utica Regions

Region Bakken Eagle Ford Haynesville Marcellus Niobrara Permian Utica

Rig Count Growth (Jan 2007-Sept 2014) +331% +459% -68% +106% -2% +125% +250%

Production Per Rig (Jan 2007-Sept 2014) +368% +1,148% +300% +900% +1,109% +173% +1,367%

Total Production (Jan 2007-Sept 2014) +761% +2,759% -5% +489% +214% +105% +309%

Natural Gas: Bakken, Eagle Ford, Haynesville, Marcellus, Niobrara Permian, and Utica Regions

Region Bakken Eagle Ford Haynesville Marcellus Niobrara Permian Utica

Rig Count Growth (Jan 2007-Sept 2014) +331% +459% -68% +106% -2% +125% +250%

Production Per Rig (Jan 2007-Sept 2014) +552% +10% +462% +1,618% +37% -39% +3,561%

Total Production (Jan 2007-Sept 2014) +647% +328% +88% +1,267% +28.4% +24% +802%

Overall, these are staggering levels of growth when it comes to expanded production and increased productivity, and it’s all been about private-sector investment and innovation – namely, in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling.

Among the positive results have been dramatically lower natural gas prices, particularly in the U.S.; downward pressure on oil prices, even given the enormous uncertainties in areas such as the Middle East; and dramatic growth in U.S. business and employment growth in key energy sectors, even as the overall economy has suffered from a long stretch of lost businesses and poor job growth. (See, for example, SBE Council’s report titled “The Benefits of Natural Gas Production and Exports for U.S. Small Businesses.”)

Opportunities promise to expand further for U.S. entrepreneurs, businesses and workers with continued technological advancements, if barriers are removed to U.S. natural gas and oil exports, and as long as federal, state and local governments refrain from imposing or rollback onerous, baseless regulations that inhibit domestic energy production.

Energy has been a lone bright spot in the U.S. economy over the past seven years. That’s clear from the above numbers, along with a host of other data. It’s crucial that investment, innovation and growth be allowed to continue in the energy sector. ______ Raymond J. Keating is chief economist for the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.

Follow IBAW on Twitter

}

Introducing the Amaz-ing Kreskin...

He’s cute, but can he read your potential customer’s minds?

Probably not.

In the ever-changing digital world, its more and more important to not only reach, but to connect with your potential customers.

• • • • •

Click here.

Follow IBAW on Facebook Click here.

Marketing strategy Website design Email marketing Creative services Direct mail

Call us... We’ll help you start the conversation.

Follow IBAW on LinkedIn 3575 N 124th Street, Brookfield 262 373-4000 . cultivate-communications.com

Click here.

For more information about this program, click here.

IBAW Legislative Priorities Online

State Legislative Priorities 2014 State Legislative Priorities

- Workforce Development / Technical College Benchmarks - Pro Growth Tax Reform - Address the Structural Deficit of WI DOT - Predictable Sand Mining Regulation

1- Workforce Development / Technical College Benchmarks 2 - Pro Growth Tax Reform 3 - Address the Structural Deficit of WI DOT 4 - Predictable Sand Mining Regulation

Click here to view.

Hi-Crush Partners LP

National Legislative Priorities - Delay of the Affordable Care Act - Support the Existing Level of the Federal Minimum Wage

2014 National Legislative Priorities

- National Energy Policy Capitalizing on our Strengths - Increase Access VISAS for Immigrants with Advanced Degrees & Start Ups

1- Delay of the Aordable Care Act 2 - Support the Existing Level of the Federal Minimum Wage 3 - National Energy Policy Capitalizing on our Strengths 4 - Pro Growth Tax Reform

Click here to view.

5 - Increase Access VISAS for Immigrants with Advanced Degrees & Start Ups

Get Connected. Get Inspired. Get Informed.

THANK YOU SPONSORS...

AT&T ITU AbsorbTech Park Bank Blomquist Benefits Bank Mutual Sikich Godfrey & Kahn Lauber CFO’s RW Baird von Briesen Associated Bank Vrakas / Blum Advantage Plus Advanced Waste Services Simandl Law Group, S.C.

Bourke Co. BSI - Design, Build, Furnish Letterhead Press MSI General Contractors BMO Harris Powertest Judson Commercial Real Estate Reinhart, Boerner, Van Deuren, S.C. Hypneumat Mfg Cultivate Communications Sponsor support helps IBAW continue to bring insightful programming to small business owners.

Ask about becoming a sponsor today!

Thank you to our Corporate Sponsors who make your IBAW programing possible.

XXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

XXXXXXXXXX X XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXX

XxXXXXXXXXXX

BLOMQUIST BENEFITS

XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

xxxxxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxxxxxxxxx

XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

We can’t be responsible how you feel after attending our meetings.

IBAW’s Business Presentation Series offers high level speakers on timely business topics keeping you informed and exhilarated.

Quality programming every month.

That’s IBAW.

“As a result of listening to the speakers today I was able to find and lookup the WI Lean Govt. working group and booked appointments with three departments so far this afternoon.”

- Mark Truesdell, CTaccess / Computer Technologies of Wisconsin, Inc.

“...I am much better informed and educated on a plethora of topics.”

- Todd Poston

FIVE STAR Programing Political Advocacy • Education • Networking www.ibaw.com / 262-844-0333 / IBAWOffice@gmail.com

! !

IBAW& 960!Timber!Pass!

Brookfield,!WI!53045! !

Office:!262Y844Y0333!

WWW.IBAW.COM!!

Membership Application

! !!

!

Name____________________________________________________________________________________!

Company_________________________________________________________________________________!

Type!of!Business___________________________________________________________________________!

Address__________________________________________________________________________________!

City,!State,!Zip_____________________________________________________________________________!

Phone____________________________________Email___________________________________________!

Website______________________________________________________________! !

PLEASE&CHOOSE&THE&APPROPRATE&CATEGORY&FOR&YOUR&INVESTMENT& IN&THE&GROWTH&AND&STABILITY&OF&SMALL&BUSINESS&

AMOUNT&

&&&&&&&&&&&&&NUMBER&OF&EMPLOYEES&IN&COMPANY&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&ANNUAL&DUES&

!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!–!16!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!$300!

!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!16!–!25!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!$400!

!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!26!–!49!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!$500!

!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!50!or!more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!$600!

!

!!

!

Consider!becoming!an!IBAW!sponsor!!Sponsorship!includes!membership!with!advertising!options!!!

Sponsorship!opportunities!start!for!as!little!as!$750!

!

Special!)–)Pre)pay)breakfast)meetings)–)Get)12)for)the)price)of)10)))))))))))))))))))))))$320)

!

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&ENCLOSED&AMOUNT:&

!

PAYING&BY&CHECK!?!!!!!!Make!checks!payable!to!IBAW!–!and!mail!to:!IBA!960!Timber!Pass!Brookfield,!WI!53045! !

WANT&TO&PAY&ONLINE?!!!You!can!also!pay!by!MasterCard!!/!Visa!at!the!IBAW!Membership!page.!www.ibaw.com!

! ________________________________________________________________________! !

The Independent Business Association of Wisconsin is a not-for-profit entity filed with the IRS under 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code.

As a not-for-profit association, the members of The Independent Business Association, Inc. are allowed to deduct a percentage of dues that are not used for lobbying purposes. For the year 2013 based on the total income of the association and the lobbying expenses as reported on the Wisconsin State Ethics Board Lobbying reports for 2011 the percent of dues that were used for lobbing purposes is 10%. Therefore, the percent of dues that would be tax deductible is 90%.

!