Featured Affiliates

FLANIGAN DISTRIBUTING INC.

Special events and celebrations may be cancelled for now, but Brian Flanigan is turning that into a good-will gesture by using freed-up Flanigan Distributing refrigeration units to provide the nonprofit Door County Meals Cooperative additional storage for meal drop locations.

According to Flanigan, “Nobody’s sure what the future may bring, but we can control what we can and help how we can help.”

Flanigan says he is really proud of Flanigan Distributing’s business portfolio, but today, he is even prouder of how Door County communities are stepping up to help their neighbors and friends during this uncertain time of COVID-19.

For instance, you can find an online Door County Tip Jar at doorcountyfood.com/virtualtipjar, which was established to financially care for Door and Kewaunee county servers. “We’re pretty concerned about them, and being a seasonal area, we want to keep those people around and motivated to be here, so when things start happening, we have servers,” Flanigan explains.

Door County is getting hit hard and is going to continue to struggle with the extended quarantine, Flanigan says. The on-premise is going to do its best to survive and, with some new summer offerings, he’s optimistic business owners can be creative in making sales however they can.

He says craft brews continue to be popular and he offers many — from local Door County Brewing to One Barrel Brewing, Potosi Brewing Company, Fox River Brewing Company and its newest partner, Third Space Brewing from Milwaukee.

“We’re really happy to have them — they are one of the fastest growing craft brewers in Wisconsin,” Flanigan says of Third Space. “The craft companies continue to push the envelope.”

It is difficult as some craft breweries have reduced production temporarily, but Flanigan says the shelves in stores are starting to fill up more than they were when this first began, which is a good sign for everybody.

“Conversations are taking place, as all TLW members know and are a part of, so we’ll start to see more new items being rolled out,” he adds. He says items like Bud Light Lemonade and hard seltzers are going to be hot sellers this summer, too.

The truth is that these conditions are a big hit to distributors and taverns, according to Flanigan, but as a TLW family, we all stand together, working collaboratively to make sure the summer spirit continues, even if it looks different in 2020.

BOWLING CENTERS ASSOCIATION OF WISCONSIN

Yvonne Bennett is the executive director for the Bowling Centers Association of Wisconsin (BCAW), which she says has been a TLW affiliate member for about three years. This nonprofit organization supports bowling centers and other businesses that have 10-pin bowling.

Bennett says the BCAW has a common link with TLW membership; many of its taverns, restaurants and even pizzerias offer 10-pin lanes. She says just under 300 businesses offer 10-pin lanes in Wisconsin and more than 200 are members of the BCAW.

She explains that the average bowling center in Wisconsin is 12 lanes, but many smaller businesses may have just two lanes. Because of that, the fee to join the BCAW is prorated based on the number of bowling lanes an establishment has, which allows smaller facilities the ability to afford a variety of trade opportunities.

Bennett points out that a BCAW membership is a great option for TLW members with 10-pin bowling, especially because it pays for itself in the many benefits available to members. Due to its affiliation with the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America (BPAA), according to Bennett, BCAW members have access to amazing discounts and rates on various services with its SmartBuy program and vendor participants, such as PepsiCo, Sysco and First Data, among many others.

Education is another appealing benefit of the BCAW program. Bennett explains that, thanks to a national affiliation with BPAA, members have a wealth of online programs to use. “We pay for the BPAA’s entire catalog of online education for our members and it’s free to them all year long,” she confirms.

“Our core mission is to enhance our members’ profitability,” Bennett adds. “People join a trade association to help make money and we know that. We want to make that happen and make resources possible for centers that wouldn’t otherwise have them.”

One of those resources is youth programming, which reaches nearly 3,000 families each year through events and leagues at BCAW member facilities.

Bennett believes that TLW members with bowling lanes and businesses have a great opportunity to learn, network and benefit from membership in both organizations. In fact, she spends a lot of time talking with BCAW members about the TLW if they aren’t already involved.

She says the BCAW is excited to be a part of the TLW as an affiliate member, enjoying the biannual trade shows and conventions, as well as the opportunity to meet people from all over the state and learn how they run their individual businesses.

BOWLING CENTERS ASSOCIATION OF WISCONSIN

21140 W. Capitol Dr., Pewaukee, WI 53072 (262) 783-4292 | bowlwi.com

GIMBEL, REILLY, GUERIN & BROWN LLP

Joshua Gimbel, partner at Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown LLP (GRGB), says this TLW affiliate member is a full-service law firm, located in the heart of Milwaukee, with 18 lawyers and 40 employees (including eight paralegals). GRGB primarily serves the southeastern Wisconsin area, but occasionally has a presence up into Brown and Sheboygan counties.

Gimbel’s father began the firm in 1968 after a successful career as a federal prosecutor, then added its other namesakes to the roster: former federal prosecutors Richard E. Reilly and Thomas E. Brown, and former Department of Justice Special Agent D. Michael Guerin.

Since those first days, GRGB has grown, and is now recognized as a top trial and litigation firm in the state. The company is known for representing both individuals and businesses in cases ranging from criminal offenses to civil litigations, personal injury suits, real estate disputes and more. In the TLW sector, according to Gimbel, the firm has taken on licensing and land use issues for members in court.

He explains that labor, employment, and even wills and trusts are important issues for TLW members, and topics they should trust to legal professionals. “Many of the taverns in this state have been in families for generations and it’s always good to protect your parents’ investment by making sure you have a succession plan in place,” Gimbel advises.

He says it’s important for local businesses to know that GRGB supports them and cares, as it is a local business, too. “We know it’s a very difficult time for the TLW and many other industries,” Gimbel says, referring to the economic fallout surrounding the spread of COVID-19. “My partner, Denis Regan, and I give general business advice all the time, and encourage people to get in line today if there’s more money coming out soon.”

The GRGB family believes in giving back, and Gimbel himself not only serves local community organizations through roles on various boards, but also as a volunteer for the Milwaukee Justice Center and Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics, among others.

“We’re proud to be an affiliate member of the Tavern League and help [members] with their legal needs,” he concludes. “I am a customer of the local taverns in my town and am hoping we can weather this storm together.”

For more information or a list of firm attorneys, visit GRBG online. Attorneys are contributing to a series of blog posts about issues that may arise during the COVID-19 pandemic, with topics including, but not limited to leases, contracts and insurance claims.

LOOKING FOR A FELLOW TLW MEMBER OR LOCAL SAFERIDE PROVIDER?

Visit tlw.org/search or download the Tavern League of Wisconsin app from Play Store on your Android or App Store on your iPhone.

262.336.9624 wimilkcaps.com