FEATURED AFFILIATES THE HOUSE OF INSURANCE
BERG COMPANY
Milwaukee native Mike Cross set out to create a better insurance agency over 25 years ago. Today, his company, The House of Insurance, goes above and beyond to help clients and community businesses thrive.
Business owners are always looking to stretch every dollar, but today, each penny can be the difference between survival and a shuttered establishment. In 1938, the pioneer of liquor control technology, Madison native B. L. Berg, designed the first rotating display case. This technology eventually led to his creation of the first liquor dispensing system in 1973. Today, Berg Company has over 50 years of experience maximizing profits for bars and restaurants.
Marty Lindquist, a commercial account executive, joined the agency early on in 1993 and says the company prides itself on delivering prompt service to clients. “We don’t ignore phone calls and usually can take care of whatever is needed with only one conversation,” he explains. “We have the knowledge from many years of experience to be able to handle most inquiries quickly. Our customers deserve the best we have to offer or we don’t deserve to have them.” Lindquist says being a member of the TLW makes sense for the agency as The House of Insurance insures a good number of taverns and restaurants. “We have good insurance markets for taverns, and we can usually do a better job on price, coverage and service for anyone that we get an opportunity to quote,” reveals Lindquist. “Taverns and restaurants are a preferred risk in my mind because they often are family-owned and operated by people who take great pride in what they do and how they do it.” The House of Insurance supports Mukwonago, Greenfield and other southeastern Wisconsin communities not only by providing exceptional service, but also charitable action. The insurance agency backs local food banks and other nonprofit services like Seniors on the Go, which provides inexpensive rides to elderly or disabled people in Waukesha County. The company additionally supports the TLW. “We attended Waukesha County and Marquette County Tavern League golf outings in the past, and look forward to attending more of these events across the state,” says Lindquist. “We had hole sponsorships and donated prizes.” He says the agency looks forward to having a booth at future trade shows, too. Lindquist praises the TLW for staying involved from the beginning of the pandemic, keeping members informed and offering opportunities to take action. “During the pandemic lockdown, I was getting emails almost daily from the TLW with useful information concerning closures, lobbying, stimulus offerings and just great information about what was going on,” he says. “I usually get notices from the TLW before I get them from my own insurance companies. Hats off to the TLW for its dedication to its members when there was a big need. Thank you for that.” THE HOUSE OF INSURANCE 7431 W. Cold Spring Rd., Greenfield, WI 53220 (414) 327-3800 | thehouseofinsurance.com
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“You don’t need to know how to mix even a standard cocktail, just push a button on the gun and the perfect proportions come out every time,” says Mike Keating, general manager of Berg Company. “A mixologist can rest assured knowing any server in the place will be able to pour to the millimeter his own custom cocktail.” Keating believes that he can save a customer roughly $32 per liter of liquor based on estimates of spillage and liquor loss per pour, and as a result, Berg’s liquor control systems typically pay for themselves in six to 12 months. The Berg website even features a free Liquor Loss Calculator so you can crunch the numbers yourself, or you can sign up for the company’s “10 E-Tips to Prevent Theft, Giveaways and Overpouring” to gain valuable insight into increasing your profits immediately.
“A mixologist can rest assured knowing any server in the place will be able to pour to the millimeter his own custom cocktail.” — Mike Keating, Berg Company Located in Monona, Berg Company often reaches out to Madison Area Technical College (MATC) to work with students in various programs and even hires students directly from MATC, according to Keating. Being a member of the TLW also allows Berg Company to stay in contact with the community and his clients to get feedback and find out what the market needs. The company provides free on-site demonstrations to local businesses and the larger Madison community, or folks can schedule an appointment to visit the company. Keating says he looks forward to participating in future tavern league meetings and events so that he can connect with those who can most benefit from Berg’s line of products. “With the marketplace the way it is right now, we see all these bars and restaurants hurting, some of them shutting down,” says Keating. “It’s important to us to help them maximize their profits and minimize their expenses. We want to help people keep their doors open.” BERG COMPANY
2160 Industrial Dr., Monona, WI 53713 (608) 221-4281 | bergliquorcontrols.com www.tlw.org
