Wisconsin Business Voice - October 2018 by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC)

MFG MONTH

ELECTION DAY

160 NOMINEES

VOTING RECORDS

DWD Sec. Ray Allen

Key Races on Nov. 6

Coolest Thing Made in WI

State Assembly & Senate

Fall 2018 Issue 30

Keeping

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In This Issue...

Fall 2018 Issue 30

Keeping LET US BE YOUR BUSINESS LEARNING PARTNER. Contact a custom program learning specialist today. 800-292-8964 info@uwcped.org go.wisc.edu/custom

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F RO M T H E P R E S I D E N T Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Good Looking Pig

RAC E F O R AT TO R N E Y G E N E RA L AG Schimel: Rule of Law Leadership

S E C . RAY A L L E N October is Manufacturing Month

STAT E AS S E M B LY & S E N AT E High Stakes in Key Legislative Races

E X E C U T I V E RO U N D TA B L E Attracting & Keeping Talent

C OV E R STO RY Keeping Wisconsin Working

E C O N O M I ST J O H N KO S K I N E N The New Wisconsin Economy

3 0 S K I L L S U SA Skills Gap Solution 32

BU S I N E S S P RO F I L E We Chose to Expand in Wisconsin

L EG I S L AT I V E VOT I N G R E C O R D S WMC Unveils Legislative Scorecard

C O O L E ST T H I N G M A D E I N W I S C O N S I N

COO

WISC Table of Contents | wisconsinbusinessvoice.org

Fall 2018

Midterms Matter

WISCONSIN

President/Publisher Kurt Bauer

Managing Editor Nick Novak

By Nick Novak WMC Director of Communications & Marketing

iveting may not be the word I would use to describe congressional debate in December 1844, but I would say it was very consequential. Debate in the halls of Congress at that time set a standard time for what we now know as Election Day. Prior to this debate, most elections could be held at any point during a 34-day period prior to the first Wednesday in December. After noticing that states who voted later could likely have more influence, Congress made the decision to have Election Day be the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November. The phrasing may seem odd, but the period between Election Day and when the Electoral College met to determine the next President—statutorily the first Wednesday in December—could not be more than 34 days. So, instead of Election Day falling on the first Tuesday of November, they added the second part to ensure there would be exactly 29 days between the two. I’m sure this quick history lesson is probably the last thing on the minds of Gov. Scott Walker or State Superintendent Tony Evers, who are currently tangled in a very-close race for Wisconsin governor. In fact, the midterm elections this year have people all around Wisconsin wondering what will happen next. My point? Midterm elections matter. Wisconsin will make decisions on Election Day for Governor, Attorney General, U.S. Senate and a host of local state Assembly and Senate seats. All of these will have consequences on the business community in our state, which is why it is so important to be informed. In this issue, the staff at Wisconsin Manufactures & Commerce breaks down the top

Fall 2018

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Art Direction/Production Kyle Pankow

Contributing Writers Kurt R. Bauer, Nick Novak, Scott Manley, Ray Allen, Chris Reader, John Koskinen, Cory Fish, Steven Slack, Michelle Grajkowski, Glen Tellock, Adam Jordahl, Ben Niehaus, Jay Risch, Kim Drake, Todd Kuckkahn

Advertising Sales Nick Novak, nnovak@wmc.org

Welcome to the Most Advanced Manufacturers Marketplace. Period. The Manufacturers Marketplace is a game-changer. Imagine tapping into a world of hundreds of thousands of manufacturers, and within seconds finding ones perfectly suited to fill your needs. Or having your business discovered in unique, specific ways by potential business partners. That’s the Manufacturers Marketplace. With the most comprehensive search capability that can pair you up with the right American manufacturing partner – whether you need to find or be found. Quickly. Effortlessly. Every time.

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races that matter to you and your businesses. We highlight the fact that Gov. Walker has put policies in place that cut taxes, reined in regulations and reduced the likelihood of frivolous lawsuits (page 20). On the other hand, Evers has promised to do the exact opposite by putting all tax hikes “on the table” and quickly growing the size—and cost—of government. In the U.S. Senate, state Sen. Leah Vukmir hopes she will be able to unseat first-term U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (page 28), and Attorney General Brad Schimel wants to build on his first term (page 8), where he helped increase funding for school safety programs and vigorously fought against Obamacare in the courts. All of these races are important, and all will have an impact on what Wisconsin will look like for the foreseeable future. But most important is that we cast our votes on the first Tuesday following the first Monday of November for who we think will best represent us. In 2018, that day is Nov. 6. Polls open at 7:00am and close at 8:00pm. To find out more about how and where to vote, visit myvote.wi.gov. n

Letter from the Editor

With hundreds of thousands of leading manufacturers in the U.S. listed in our marketplace, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, we offer a comprehensive search capability to help you identify and engage with the best possible partner for your unique supply chain needs, while mitigating risk and increasing visibility for your business. Wisconsin Business Voice is published quarterly by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce. WMC is Wisconsin’s chamber of commerce, manufacturers’ association, and safety council representing businesses of all sizes and from every sector of the economy.

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WMC President & CEO Kurt Bauer with Gov. Scott Walker and WMC Chairman Jay Smith (left to right)

That’s a Good Looking Pig

opportunity for merit advancement can find one, which is why the labor participation rate is 68.8 percent—tied for fifth best in the nation. Wages are also rising faster in Wisconsin than in 48 other states, including every border state. Property and personal income taxes have been reduced in a traditionally high-tax state by an incredible $8 billion over Walker’s eight-year tenure, saving $3,478 per household. And, the landmark Manufacturers and Agricultural Production Tax credit has directly and indirectly led to the expansion or location of scores of businesses throughout the state, including Haribo and Foxconn in Southeastern Wisconsin. In fact, business sectors like information (24.5 percent), construction (21.8 percent) and finance/insurance (11 percent) have seen double digit growth between 2011 and 2016, while the government sector actually contracted by 3.2 percent, according to UW-Madison

Economist Noah Williams. Sixty-eight of Wisconsin’s 72 counties saw business growth over the last three years and the state ranks second in “Main Street” Entrepreneurship, which measures the amount of business owners, number of firms and—perhaps most importantly—their survival rate. Wisconsin also boosts a fully funded state pension system, a balanced budget with revenue collections currently above projections, which is why three independent agencies upgraded the state’s credit ratings. Based on the above data it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Wisconsin has the 10th lowest poverty rate in the nation or that Wisconsin ranks as the 6th happiest state in the country, according to an analysis of health, lifestyle and economic stability conducted by Oxford Economics. All of the good news, including the fact that Wisconsin recorded its first year of positive migration in 2017, is what WMC is calling the Return on Re-

form (#ReturnOnReform). Wisconsin’s success is the direct result of hardfought regulatory, litigation, workforce, tax and other reforms over the last eight years meant to change the widely held national and global perception that Wisconsin has been unfertile ground for private sector business. Given that 92 percent of Wisconsin business leaders approve of the job Walker is doing, according to WMC’s last semi-annual economic survey, I would say mission accomplished. But some refuse to acknowledge the state’s positive economic transformation. They seek to deface Walker’s economy to voters in order to regain power. They would have you believe you are looking at a pig when, in fact, it is a thoroughbred. If they succeed, they will return Wisconsin to days of lagging economic performance that accompanied the Progressive Era. n

By Kurt Bauer WMC President & CEO

our years ago, when Gov. Scott Walker was campaigning for his second term, I was featured along side Walker in a political cartoon published by The Capital Times. For those who don’t know, the Madison-based Cap Times calls itself “Wisconsin’s Progressive Newspaper,” however it now only publishes a print edition once a week. Walker was depicted in the cartoon as a large, hairy pig sitting in a barber chair at the “WMC Salon.” I was depicted as a very well dressed beautician. I was wearing a fancy purple suit complete with bow tie, polka dotted vest, tails and a jaunty stripe down my pant leg. I had just applied lipstick to the porcine Walker, which I assume was intended by the cartoonist to be the finishing touch on a makeover. For his part, Walker was admiring my handiwork via a handheld mirror.

Fall 2018

The point of the cartoon was not subtle or terribly original. WMC was publicly cheering Walker’s reforms during the 2014 campaign and thus, putting lipstick on Walker’s pig-like economy in the eyes of the Cap Times. Frankly, I found it strangely flattering to be included in the cartoon because if the very anti-business Cap Times dislikes what Walker and WMC are

WMC has vigorously supported Walker’s systematic reversal of the failed 100year Progressive experiment in Wisconsin, and the results speak for themselves. doing, then we should keep on doing it. After all, the Cap Times embraces big

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | From the President

government and socialistic economic policies in contrast to WMC, which was founded in 1911 by the business leaders of the time in order to counter the burgeoning Progressive Era started in Wisconsin by Robert La Follette. True to our founding, WMC has vigorously supported Walker’s systematic reversal of the failed 100-year Progressive experiment in Wisconsin, and the results speak for themselves. The state’s economy is the strongest it has been since the 1990s. For example, the unemployment rate has been three percent or lower for seven straight months, and more Wisconsinites are working today than at any time in state history. Since Walker took office, Wisconsin has created 240,000 jobs, including 48,000 in manufacturing and 29,000 in construction. In Wisconsin, anyone who seeks a good paying job with benefits and the

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Fall 2018

AG Schimel: Rule of Law Leadership By Scott Manley WMC Sr. Vice President of Government Relations

isconsin’s Attorney General Brad Schimel has been an incredible advocate for the rule of law, and the fair and impartial administration of justice during his first term in office. Yet I often find myself having to remind our members that the Attorney General’s race is also on the ballot this fall, and that the stakes couldn’t be higher for businesses. Why should business people care about the Attorney General’s race? Does it even matter to businesses? The answer to that question is an emphatic and unequivocal “yes.” Many people think of the State Attorney General as Wisconsin’s top law enforcement officer, or the equivalent of a statewide sheriff. And in many respects, that is accurate. After all, the Attorney General leads

Fall 2018

an entire division of criminal investigators fighting statewide crimes, runs the state Crime Lab, provides training to local law enforcement departments, and actively fights internet crimes against children and human trafficking. But the Attorney General has another very important (though less prominent) role that is not directly related to law enforcement. That is, the Attorney General serves as the state’s attorney when someone sues Wisconsin, or a specific agency of state government. These lawsuits happen far more frequently than people might imagine, and the underlying litigation is often extremely relevant to businesses. Consider a situation where a business receives a regulatory permit from a state agency like the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). When an

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | Race for Attorney General

environmental group sues in an attempt to block that business’s permit, it is the Attorney General and Department of Justice who are charged with defending the issuance of the permit. Similarly, when the Labor and Industry Review Commission finds that a discharged employee was not discriminated against, it is the Department of Justice that defends that decision when a trial lawyer sues the business on behalf of the discharged employee. There are countless other scenarios involving the daily interaction between state agencies and businesses that could become the subject of litigation, and that underscore the important role of the Attorney General. From unemployment and workers compensation disputes, to DNR permits or tax audits by the Department of Revenue, there is

no doubt that businesses have a compelling interest in a fair and impartial Attorney General who adheres to the rule of law, as opposed to an activist agenda. That’s exactly what Wisconsinites have in Attorney General Brad Schimel. When legislators asked General Schimel (who insists you simply call him Brad) to render an official opinion on 2011 Act 21, a groundbreaking regulatory reform law supported by WMC, he authored an opinion that absolutely knocked the ball out of the park. That opinion is already being cited in litigation involving the regulatory authority of state agencies. Schimel’s opinion, which tracks squarely with the plain letter of this important law, stands for the proposition that state agency bureaucrats no longer get to make up the rules as they go. Rather, agencies may only regulate when they have explicit authority to do so from the legislature, and then, only after writing clear rules that put businesses on notice of what the regulatory requirements actually are. The days of the secret regulatory play book stashed hidden in the desk of some faceless bureaucrat in Madison are over. Businesses no longer need to guess what regulatory standard they will be held to. Act 21 is an important reform that appropriately transfers policymaking away from unelected bureaucrats, and back to lawmakers who are accountable to voters. Schimel’s defense of Act 21, though extremely unpopular with environmental activists and others who would prefer a government bureaucracy with limitless power, was a courageous and necessary victory for the rule of law. Other important reforms enacted during Gov. Scott Walker’s first two terms have come under legal attack, and were jealously defended by Attorney General Schimel. For example, when WMC led the

charge to pass a Right to Work law in Wisconsin, labor unions almost immediately sued in an attempt to block the law and have it thrown out as unconstitutional. The unions asserted a bizarre argument that they had a constitutional property right to the wages of workers. They said that Right to Work was unconstitutional because it gave workers the choice of whether to financially support unions, thereby infringing upon the union’s property right to workers’ wages. Unsurprisingly, an activist judge in Dane County sided with the unions, and overturned Wisconsin’s Right to Work law. General Schimel filed an immediate appeal and successful motion to block the Dane County judge’s ruling. The Wisconsin Court of Appeals

There are countless other scenarios involving the daily interaction between state agencies and businesses that could become the subject of litigation, and that underscore the important role of the Attorney General. ultimately upheld the Right to Work law as constitutional, having agreed with virtually every legal argument Schimel made to defend the law. Would a different Attorney General have defended our Right to Work law so vigorously from the activist attack that attempted to thwart the will the people? Perhaps not. Consider the challenge to Wisconsin’s voter ID law, which helps guarantee the integrity of our elections and combats voter fraud by requiring voters to show a photo ID when they vote. Liberal activists attempted to repeal that popular law with an assist from activist judges.

Madison attorney Josh Kaul played a significant role in the effort to overturn Wisconsin’s voter ID law, having argued against it in federal court. Josh Kaul is also the Democratic candidate running to unseat Brad Schimel as Attorney General. So we find ourselves in the peculiar situation of having an activist attorney who attempted to overturn a new law that he disagreed with, who is asking voters to hire him as the attorney whose primary responsibility is defending Wisconsin laws from legal challenges. That sounds a lot like the fox watching over the hen house. Attorney Kaul, who represented Hillary Clinton in the ridiculous and costly recount of Wisconsin’s presidential election in 2016, has shown himself to be an activist who seeks to undermine the Walker reform agenda. Yet he would be in the primary position to defend (or not defend) Gov. Scott Walker’s reforms when they are challenged by the left. The brass ring for unions and other liberal activists has always been the overturning of Governor Walker’s signature public employee union collective bargaining reforms (Act 10). Those reforms have already saved taxpayers more than $5 billion and counting. The question is not whether another legal challenge to Act 10 will happen, the question is when. When that challenge comes, or challenges to other Walker reforms are filed, who do you want representing the people of Wisconsin? An activist attorney who has already attempted to use our courts to overturn laws he disagrees with, or someone who has a demonstrated track record of defending the rule of law as it was passed by our elected legislators? The choice is clear this November, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. n

Race for Attorney General | wisconsinbusinessvoice.org

Fall 2018

October is Manufacturing Month By Ray Allen Secretary, Department of Workforce Development

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isconsin’s manufacturing industry provides family-sustaining employment for hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites who, on average, earn more than $57,000 annually, roughly $10,000 more a year than an individual working in the private sector. In 2017 alone, manufacturing workers earned more than $26 billion in wages. Gov. Scott Walker proclaimed October as Manufacturing Month in Wisconsin to highlight the contributions of our state’s robust manufacturing industry, and no matter where you are in Wisconsin, you don’t have to travel far to see the recent success that Wisconsin’s manufacturing industry has enjoyed: • Oshkosh Corporation is expanding their footprint in Wisconsin with the addition of a 190,000 square-foot global headquarters in Wisconsin. The new facility will house up to 650 workers. • Milwaukee Tool Company plans to build a $32 million research and development facility in Brookfield, which is expected to create 350 new jobs. • Air Wisconsin recently announced an $8 million expansion to their operations at Appleton International Airport, which is expected to create 80 new jobs once completed. • Great Lakes Cheese Company in Wausau is in the process of building a new, $95 million packaging facility. Due to the high-demand for its products, the company is increasing production capabilities and plans to create 200 new jobs at the Wausau plant over the

next three years. • Green Bay Packaging announced a $500 million investment that includes the construction of a new recycled paper mill and an expansion of the company’s shipping container division which is expected to create 200 jobs throughout the state. • Nelson-Jameson Incorporated in Marshfield is making a capital investment of $250,000 over the next three years. The company expects to add 37 new jobs. • Toro Company is expanding their manufacturing facility in Tomah, creating 35 new jobs. The project will add 180,000 square feet to their facility. Wisconsin workers are reaping the benefits of a strong economy. The state’s manufacturing sector—along with other high-growth, high-paying industry sectors—are the engines for our strong growth. That is why at the Department of Workforce Development, we are com-

mitted to helping all job seekers gain a family-supporting position right here, in Wisconsin. We are also connecting with our future workforce through school-towork initiatives like Youth Apprenticeship, educating them about the opportunities that are available today, and in the future, in manufacturing. Consider the benefits of working in Wisconsin’s manufacturing sector: • There is global demand for products made in Wisconsin—the industry represents 93 percent of the state’s exports, generating almost $21 billion in revenue from outside the state in 2017. • In 2017, Wisconsin’s manufacturing industry represented 18 percent of the state’s total gross domestic product, or over $59 billion in output. • The weekly wage for a manufacturing worker in 2017 was $1,096, $188 higher than the average weekly wage for all Wisconsin industries. • Wisconsin’s manufacturing job concentration is 89 percent above the national average, underscoring the thousands of opportunities available to hard working Wisconsinites. Throughout Manufacturing Month, we look forward to working with WMC, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and our other education, economic and workforce development partners to bring attention to the opportunities available in this high-growth sector of Wisconsin’s economy. n Visit WIManufacturingMonth.org for more information.

Sec. Ray Allen | wisconsinbusinessvoice.org

Fall 2018 11

Key Senate Races

High Stakes in Key Legislative Races By Chris Reader WMC Director of Health & Human Resources Policy

ight to Work. Act 10. Manufacturing and Agricultural Tax Credit. Lower personal income taxes. REINS Act. Protecting against expensive local HR mandates. Reducing the personal property tax. Lifting the mining moratorium. Greater parental choice in K-12 education. Lower property taxes. Frozen UW tuition. Marketing campaign to draw workers and families to Wisconsin. All of these have become law since January, 2011 only because Gov. Scott Walker and pro-business lawmakers worked together to turn our state around. Now all of these monumental reforms and dozens more are at stake on Nov. 6. It is because of these reforms and others like them that Wisconsin has had a pro-growth renaissance. We’ve moved from 41st to 10th in Forbes best states to do business rankings. More people are working in the Badger State than ever before. There are close to 95,000 jobs available daily for those looking to work. Wages are going up. Investments into start-ups are on the rise. By almost every economic measurement, Wisconsin is on a roll. Yet, some lawmakers in Madison insist that we are in dark days. It seems that their desire is to grab political power, rather than actually cheer when our state does well. Instead of embracing the fact that pro-growth reforms are yielding the promised results, they have stated that they would work to dismantle the reforms of the last eight years if voters put them in charge on Nov.

12 Fall 2018

6. The result if that happens? Higher corporate taxes. Higher personal taxes. Forced union membership as a prerequisite for employment. Expensive regulations. Less education options for kids in failing schools. Higher property taxes. Higher tuition for UW schools. You get the idea. And this doesn’t even start to get into the new bad ideas those same lawmakers have pushed in recent years that, if given the keys of state government in Madison by voters, they would be empowered to put on the governor’s desk.

For anyone who thinks the campaign for their local state Assembly or Senate doesn’t matter, consider the consequences if the legislature would fall into the hands of those who want to reverse course and repeal the pro-growth reforms from recent years. Items like mandating $15-per-hour job killing minimum wages. Repealing atwill employment in Wisconsin. Making it expensive and near-impossible to site certain new industries they don’t like, like sand mining operations. Mandating paid family medical leave, drastically expanding FMLA and establishing a

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | State Assembly & Senate

new expensive state program and payroll tax to fund it. Fully repealing the parental school choice program that was put in place with bipartisan support. Stripping employers of their freedom of speech. Mandatory paid sick leave. On Nov. 6, the entire state Assembly is up for election—all 99 seats. Republicans go into the election holding a 6435 advantage. At the same time, half of the 33 seat Senate is up for election, with Republicans entering November 6th with an 18-15 majority. For anyone who thinks the campaign for their local state Assembly or Senate doesn’t matter, consider the consequences if the legislature would fall into the hands of those who want to reverse course and repeal the progrowth reforms from recent years. In the Senate, a swing of only two seats puts legislative Democrats in control of the upper house. On the 2017-18 WMC legislative scorecard, not a single Senate Democrat scored the 70 percent necessary to earn the WMC Working for Wisconsin award. While there is a bit larger buffer in the Assembly, it is still not unimaginable that on a bad night for Republicans, the chamber could fall into the hands of increasingly anti-business lawmakers, as well. To be clear, the ability of lawmakers to maintain the reforms of the last several years and hopefully continue to move pro-growth policies forward all hinges on the election on Nov. 6. The next two pages highlight the key legislative races to watch on Nov. 6. n

Senate District 1 Sen. Caleb Frostman (D) vs. Rep. Andre Jacque (R) 2016 Trump 56.19% 2014 Walker 60.99% Buoyed by larger than normal democrat turnout in the Sturgeon Bay area, Caleb Frostman was able to barely defeat Rep. Andre Jacque in a special election earlier this year. Sen. Frostman is the first Democrat to hold this seat in decades. The two face off again on Nov. 6.

Senate District 19 Sen. Roger Roth (R) vs. Lee Snodgrass (D) 2016 Trump 50.47% 2014 Walker 56.90% Lee Snodgrass, the Outagamie County Democratic Party Chairwoman is taking on Senate President Roger Roth in a seat that has historically been strong for Republicans. Trump barely won the district, giving Democrats hope that they can make inroads in the Fox Valley.

Senate District 17 Sen. Howard Marklein (R) vs. Kriss Marion (D) 2016 Trump 51.53% 2014 Walker 50.41% Senate District 17 is a competitive seat every four years, and 2018 will be no different. Sen. Marklein first won the seat in 2014 with 55 percent of the vote. His opponent, Kriss Marion is a county board member and organic farmer. Many consider this the top seat to watch on election night.

Senate District 23, Chippewa Falls area Rep. Kathy Bernier (R) vs. Chris Kapsner (D) 2016 Trump 57.76% 2014 Walker 58.73% With Senator Terry Moulton retiring, Democrats sense an opportunity to put District 23 in their column, but Rep. Kathy Bernier has always found a way to win tough races. Chris Kapsner is an emergency room doctor and could be her toughest challenge to date.

Senate District 25 Sen. Janet Bewley (D) vs. James Bolen (R) 2016 Trump 52.43% 2014 Walker 48.59% Cable Area Chamber of Commerce head James Bolen is taking on Sen. Janet Bewley in her first re-election bid in the typically democratic seat. Trump won the district in 2016 though, so a path to victory for Bolen is there.

Senate District 31 Mel Pittman (R) vs. Jeff Smith (D) 2016 Trump 52.60% 2014 Walker 50.75% Sen. Kathleen Vinehout ran for Governor, leaving the 31st Senate District open. Republican Mel Pittman, a farmer from Plum City, is trying again for the seat after earning 48% of the vote four years ago against Vinehout. Former member of the Assembly Jeff Smith is the Democrat this year as Democrats look to hold this seat against a strong GOP challenge.

State Assembly & Senate | wisconsinbusinessvoice.org

Fall 2018 13

Key Assembly Races

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Assembly District 14 Matt Adamczyk (R) vs. Robyn Vining (D) 2016 Trump 45.05% | 2014 Walker 60.72% State Treasurer Matt Adamczyk is looking to put the 14th district back into the strong GOP column as Democrat Robyn Vining looks to continue the success Hillary Clinton had in this seat in 2016.

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Assembly District 51 Rep. Todd Novak (R) vs. Jeff Wright (D) 2016 Trump 46.59% | 2014 Walker 47.89% Todd Novak, the incumbent and the Mayor of Dodgeville, has fought off Jeff Wright, a school administrator, once already. Purely by the numbers, if a blue wave hits this seat should be an easy pick-up for Democrats. But, Todd Novak has defied the odds before and won the last two elections despite Trump and Walker both losing the district.

Assembly District 88 Rep. John Macco (R) vs. Tom Sieber (D) 2016 Trump 50.75% | 2014 Walker 57.31 John Macco is looking to win his third term in the state Assembly in this Green Bay district against County Supervisor Tom Sieber. Historically a good area for Republicans, in wave Democratic years seats like this east Green Bay seat could flip.

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Assembly District 30 Rep. Shannon Zimmerman (R) vs. Barry Hammarback (D) 2016 Trump 50.44% | 2014 Walker 56.26% This district is more and more a suburban district of the Twin Cities. Like suburban districts in the Milwaukee area, the seat is solid GOP, but fell off considerably for Trump. Incumbent Shannon Zimmerman is looking to lock this seat back up for Republicans.

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Assembly District 23 Rep. Jim Ott (R) vs. Liz Sumner (D) 2016 Trump 44.81% | 2014 Walker 60.40% Clinton did well in the suburban 23rd District in 2016, giving Democrats hope for a pick-up here on Nov. 6. Incumbent Jim Ott is well known and expected to bring the seat back home.

Assembly District 28 Gae Magnafici (R) vs. Kim Butler (D) 2016 Trump 61.90% | 2014 Walker 59.42% The incumbent Republican, Adam Jarchow, is retiring, leaving this seat open for Democrats to try and score a win. A strong candidate in Gae Magnafici, a small business owner and retired Registered Nurse, should be enough to fend off efforts in the 28th to flip the seat to blue.

14 Fall 2018

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | State Assembly & Senate

Assembly District 49 Rep. Travis Tranel (R) vs. Mike Mooney (D) 2016 Trump 51.26% | 2014 Walker 50.35% Southwest Wisconsin has been trending Democrat, still Republicans have been able to win in seats like the 49th with strong candidates. Incumbent Travis Tranel has consistently outperformed the top of the ticket and is likely to do so again.

Assembly District 50 Tony Kurtz (R) vs. Arthur Shrader (D) 2016 Trump 57.05% | 2014 Walker 53.23% Rep. Ed Brooks is retiring, leaving this swing seat open for a tough campaign. Arthur Shrader is running for the second time, facing farmer and veteran Tony Kurtz. Shrader is looking to do better than the 42 percent he received two years ago.

Assembly District 68 Jesse James (R) vs. Wendy Johnson (D) 2016 Trump 54.44% | 2014 Walker 54.73% Kathy Bernier is running for the state Senate, leaving this swing district up for grabs. Both candidates have strong resumes. Republican Jesse James is the Chief of Police in Altoona while Democrat Wendy Johnson is an attorney, former teacher and former school board member. Jesse James is a favorite in this race, but a bad night for the GOP could move the 68th to the Democrat column.

Assembly District 85 Rep. Patrick Snyder (R) vs. Alyson Leahy (D) 2016 Trump 49.90% | 2014 Walker 54.77% Incumbent Patrick Snyder, a former conservative radio host in the Wausau area, looks to win his first re-election in this swing seat. The seat has switched control the last three elections, and gives Democrats one of their better chances to defeat a GOP incumbent. This seat will come down to turnout and whether 2018 more closely resembles 2014 or 2016.

Assembly District 92 Rep. Treig Pronschenske (R) vs. Rob Grover (D) 2016 Trump 54.33% | 2014 Walker 52.52% Treig Pronschenske defeated a four-term Democrat in 2016, and Democrats have been looking to take this seat back ever since. With Trump and Walker both winning this seat the last two years, Pronschenske has a chance to solidify the 92nd for Republicans with a strong showing this fall.

Assembly District 96 Loren Oldenburg (R) vs. Paul Buhr (D) 2016 Trump 51.64% | 2014 Walker 50.22% Republican Lee Nerison held this rural southwest seat since 2004 by consistently over performing the top of the ticket. With Nerison retiring, this seat is one of the most competitive seats in the state. Loren Oldenburg, a farmer from Viroqua, looks to maintain the seat by matching Nerisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to win ticket splitters. For their part, Democrats also have a farmer from Viroqua running, Paul Buhr, as they try to finally put this seat into the Democratic column from top to bottom.

State Assembly & Senate | wisconsinbusinessvoice.org

Fall 2018 15

Steve Johnson, John Deere

Mike Hamerlik, WPS Health Solutions

Rick Parks, Society Insurance

Carrie Strobel, Greenheck Fan Corp.

Attracting & Keeping Talent

s everyone in Wisconsin’s business community knows, the state is facing a worker shortage. There are not enough people with necessary skills for the jobs currently available, and to be completely frank, there are just not enough people in general to fill the openings. While the labor shortage is a problem, companies of all types are finding ways to make it work. Recently, Wisconsin Business Voice asked executives from different industries to explain the challenges they have been confronted with and how they tackled them. Business Voice spoke with Mike Hamerlik, President & CEO of WPS Health Solutions; Steve Johnson, Factory Manager of John Deere Horicon Works; Rick Parks, President & CEO of Society Insurance; and Carrie Strobel,

16 Fall 2018

General Manager—Power Roof Ventilators at Greenheck Fan Corporation.

What challenges has your company seen given the tight labor market? Hamerlik: At WPS Health Solutions, we are competing for top talent in many job categories in all our employment markets, so we want to stand out as an employer. With the current state of the market, we, like other companies, have seen a drastic reduction in the number of direct applicants. Candidates are not following the traditional job search routes, which means we need creative approaches to attract those who may not be actively seeking new opportunities. Johnson: Our largest challenge has been attracting employees for our production needs. It has been difficult

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | Executive Roundtable

to find press operators, machinists, welders and assemblers. It is extremely difficult to attract skilled trades to support our production processes, electricians, mechanics, pipe fitters and others. Without the proper staffing levels in skilled trades, it is hard to keep our production equipment and process in good operating condition to support production. Lack of production workers makes it very difficult for our assembly lines to run properly and meet required production levels. Parks: While talent is scarce across all industries we’ve had good success recruiting for most of our professional level operational positions. The challenge for us involves specialty skills in IT, Actuarial and Data Analytics, which are in demand across all industries.

Strobel: Greenheck is growing and we need additional resources to support that growth. We are fortunate to have an experienced workforce, which also means we are seeing increased retirements and need even more resources to replace those skilled workers. As one of the largest, most active employers in Wausau, we have a great reputation and are recognized as an employer of choice in the area, which helps us with recruiting and retaining a strong workforce. At the same time, Greenheck is headquartered in Central Wisconsin where the labor market is struggling to keep up with demand and the demographic trends aren’t overly promising. We are seeing declining enrollment in our local high schools and colleges.

What innovative approach(s) are you utilizing to attract, retain and develop talent? Parks: It begins with recruiting talented people who can be passionate about our business and the mission of the company. Finding this attitude sets the stage for everything else. From there, we find that employees value flexibility in how and where they work. Over 40 percent of the employees in our corporate headquarters work at home either three or four days per week, and they do a great job of caring for customers—because they are committed. A commitment to developing employees and helping them grow their skills and career is especially important to retention. One development program that has been quite successful, and recognized nationally for innovation, is Society’s College of Insurance. Each year, a cohort of employees complete a school-year length program that introduces them to all aspects of running our business, with a focus on how departments interact and

are dependent on one another. Almost one-third of our employees have completed this program and there is a waiting list to be accepted into it. Strobel: In recent years, we’ve seen a significant change in the experience level of our applicants. Having to adjust accordingly, we’ve shifted our focus to hiring for fit and training for skills. We’ve removed the manufacturing experience requirements, increased our screening for cultural fit and added a robust internal manufacturing training program to fill in the gaps. We are partnering with our local technical college and high schools to participate in the Youth Apprenticeship program, which offers opportunities to high school students looking to gain experience in manufacturing. We also say “yes” to any opportunity that gets us in front of high school students and talking to them about careers in manufacturing—whether it be through hosted events, tours or speaking in the classroom. We maintain a very robust college co-op program, working with over 60 co-op students each year. We focus on investing in their career development and offering them challenging experiences while they are with us. Many of them receive job offers from us before returning to school. Johnson: We have developed our own in-house weld training program to provide training to any employee that is interested in becoming a welder, even if they have no experience. We are also participating in Weld Boot Camp at Moraine Park Technical College. We have expanded our apprenticeship programs for all skilled trades so that we can develop and grow our own skilled trade employees. We have worked with local high

schools on Project Grille which allow students enrolled in Shop and Manufacturing classes to have exposure to our engineers and skilled trades in designing and building a grille to provide manufacturing experience and hopefully interest them in a manufacturing career. We also work with the Joseph Project of Milwaukee and Madison to provide jobs to inner-city residents with limited employment opportunities. We are also working with recruiting firms that work with military veterans exiting their military service. Hamerlik: WPS focuses on our employees’ experience and building a great culture—something we believe is essential to finding and keeping great people. This includes expanding remote and flexible work opportunities, bringing in great technology and tools, and making work spaces more comfortable, modern and open to collaboration. The performance-based culture WPS strives for includes the obvious things like monetary rewards for performance and innovation, but it also emphasizes creating an environment of appreciation and support, transparency, autonomy and trust. In addition, there are several WPS initiatives and programs geared towards expanding visibility and finding great talent in our communities, including: • Encouraging our executives and other team members to take on leadership and mentoring roles within academic communities, such as the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Madison College • Sponsoring and supporting various community outreach efforts, such as the Madison Area Pride Parade and Rally • Expanding our internship program across multiple academic and technical campuses

Executive Roundtable | wisconsinbusinessvoice.org

Fall 2018 17

I GUESS THEY LIKE ME • Leading and participating in multiple military Veteran recruitment, outreach and support programs

What measures can be taken by governmental, academic, business and trade association leaders to grow the pool of skilled workers in Wisconsin? Strobel: We would benefit from our community leaders working together to find ways to encourage and foster increased diversity throughout the state. The HYPE Immersion Project, put on by the Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce, has proven to be helpful for several of our young “Wisconsin transplants” coming to Wausau. It really helped them to engage, connect with other young professionals and appreciate all that the community has to offer. Our partnerships with local schools —both high school and college—are invaluable. Industry and academia need to work closely together to create responsive and innovative programs that meet the needs of students and the demands of industry. We need to ensure that, through tight alignment and proactive outreach with industry, we are actively retaining students after graduation. Educational institutions need to be nimble and willing to adjust to the changing market. Johnson: It is going to take a combined effort by all of us to make sure that we create an environment that attracts workers to Wisconsin. It is not enough just to have jobs. There has to be housing at all levels, apartments, starter homes and next-level homes. There has to be proper education for all levels, children, technical school, college and new skills development for mid-career changes. There has to be a variety of food choices in both restaurants and grocery stores, a variety of

religious options need to be available. Communities have to be open and welcoming. We have to all work together so that people moving into the area feel welcomed, safe for them and their families and they can be confident that the hope and dreams that they have for them and their families can be reached. Hamerlik: We support government initiatives to attract more workers to Wisconsin. For example, WPS recently partnered on a marketing campaign to encourage transitioning military personnel and their spouses to live and work in Wisconsin once they leave the service. As a service business, we see a need for institutions to continue to focus on both technical and soft skills training and educational opportunities. We encourage this in multiple ways. For example, a WPS executive serves as a facilitator and instructor at Madison College, and, this past summer, two of our leaders shared their expertise with high school students at the WMC Foundation’s Wisconsin Business World program in Madison. Parks: While our business has good success finding the talent we need for professional operational positions, we all know there are significant shortages of skilled workers in manufacturing and the trades. These are great jobs that should be a good fit for many young people. We need to build awareness that having a satisfying and financially rewarding career does not always require a fouryear degree. I believe we also need to devote more attention to helping young and even more mature workers develop basic job skills. We can’t afford to write off any segment of our population as being unemployable. n

I CAN’T REPEAT IT BUT IT’S GOOD

What are the Challenges Facing Your Business? Wisconsin Business Voice aims to bring insightful and interesting perspectives to Wisconsin’s business community each quarter. To enhance the content in each issue, the Executive Roundtable will become a regular feature of the publication. Who better to discuss the challenges facing Wisconsin businesses than the executives at Wisconsin companies? If your company is facing an ongoing challenge, it is likely someone else has a potential solution or best practice. This first featured discussion focuses on the number one concern of businesses in every sector of the economy: the workforce shortage. In future issues, Wisconsin Business Voice would like to know what challenges you are facing and what topics you would like to have covered. If you have a subject idea for the Executive Roundtable feature, please contact Nick Novak, Wisconsin Business Voice Editor and WMC Director of Communications & Marketing at nnovak@wmc.org.

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18 Fall 2018

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | Executive Roundtable

| wisconsinbusinessvoice.org

Fall 2018 19

Keeping

WISCONSIN Working By Nick Novak WMC Director of Communications & Marketing

n an 84 degree day in the middle of August, Gov. Scott Walker traveled the state to share his vision for a third term. It was one day after Wisconsin’s partisan primary, which officially setup what will likely be the toughest campaign of Walker’s career. After briskly jumping on a temporary stage setup in the middle of a manufacturing facility in southeastern Wisconsin, the governor did not mince his words. “I did not like where our state was heading years ago. I thought it was heading backwards,” Walker pointedly told the crowd. “We’ve now moved this state forward and we are not going to turn it back around. For your sake and generations to come, we are going to keep moving Wisconsin forward.” As Walker rattled off a long list of achievements, the attendees—ranging from executives to those on the shop floor—grew more eager for the vision that the governor began to lay out. And based on the results of his first two terms, they and other Wisconsinites have a lot to be happy about.

Wisconsin’s Economic Comeback The unemployment rate has been at three percent or lower for months. There are more people working in Wisconsin than ever before. And the state’s labor force participation rate of 68.8 percent is more than six percentage points higher than the national average. Continuing down the list of good news, the state’s GDP growth from 2010 to 2017 was 10.3 percent—ranking it 11th best in the nation. From 2001 to 2010, GDP only grew 4.9 percent, ranking it 35th nationwide. While GDP growth has been welcomed, wage growth for workers in the last year has also grown a respectable 5.9 percent—besting 46 other states and the national average of 2.7 percent. Not to pile on with the good news, but Wisconsin also created 240,000

20 Fall 2018

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | Cover Story

jobs since 2010, has the second highest rate of main street entrepreneurship in the country and has the 10th lowest rate of poverty. To top it all off, the state’s health care quality is the best in the nation—literally number one. Wisconsin’s economic comeback did not just happen, though. Thanks to Walker and a pro-growth legislature, policies were put in place to make sure Wisconsin was open for business.

Wisconsin’s Return on Reform “When we said ‘Open for Business’ we didn’t just mean it with a sign,” Walker said in an interview. “We fundamentally changed just about everything out there.” He was making reference to billions of dollars in tax cuts, regulatory reform, changes to the state’s legal system and a host of other pro-business policy changes. Since 2010, Walker has signed $8 billion worth of tax cuts into law. That includes income tax cuts, property tax cuts and all but eliminating the tax burden on manufactures and farmers via the Manufacturers and Agricultural Tax Credit. None of which would be possible without his signature collective bargaining reforms known as Act 10. In the five years after being signed into law, Act 10 saved taxpayers $5 billion and Walker quickly made the decision to return much of that money back to the people of Wisconsin. The governor also attacked bureaucratic red tape with scissors typically saved for ceremonial ribbon cuttings. Not only did he dramatically reduce the regulatory burden on manufacturers, farmers and other businesses, Walker also signed into the law the first state-level REINS Act. This law ensures any rule promulgated by an agency that will have an economic impact of $10 million or more is approved by the legislature—giving voters more input into the state’s regulatory process and keeping Madison bureaucrats from

Cover Story | wisconsinbusinessvoice.org

Fall 2018 21

strangling businesses with undue red tape. Businesses can also rejoice that Walker has supported them over the trial lawyers and put greater protections in place against frivolous and costly lawsuits. And now Walker is hoping voters will give him the opportunity to build on his successes during a third term. The governor has already promised that if reelected he will continue to cut taxes, invest in building a strong workforce and make healthcare more affordable.

Walker’s Agenda “We are proud of our record because it is a record of accomplishment,” Walker said at the manufacturing facility in southeastern Wisconsin. “Now it is time to say ‘what are you going to do next?’ We have a plan that is simple. We simply call it: keep Wisconsin working for generations to come.” First, he promised to invest more money in education that will help connect students with careers. This

22 Fall 2018

includes additional funding for K-12 schools and expanding youth apprenticeships for 7th and 8th graders to get them excited about career opportunities in Wisconsin. His plan also calls for a tax credit that makes it easier for families to afford child care. One of the factors that keep men and women out of the workforce is the high cost of child care. This will make it more affordable and, at the same time, bring more people back into the job market. Another attempt to build the state’s workforce is Walker’s proposed tax credit of up to $5,000 over five years for two-year and four-year college students who decide to live and work in Wisconsin after graduation.

Tuesday, November 6 While all signs point to a booming economy and reforms that have made state government more efficient, polling shows that it will not be a cakewalk for Walker in November—far from it. The most recent poll from the Marquette Law School shows Walker

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | Cover Story

trailing his democratic opponent, State Superintendent Tony Evers, by five points—44 percent to 49 percent. While millions of dollars are pouring into Wisconsin to make it look like a dystopian nightmare, Evers is on the campaign trail offering budget proposals that would dramatically increase government spending by nearly $2 billion—something that could only be done by raising taxes. To pay for his additional spending, Evers has said he would eliminate the Manufacturing and Agricultural Tax Credit and allow local governments to increase property taxes. At a recent press conference referencing an increase in taxes, Evers said, “anything is on the table.” As both Walker and Evers compete to get their message to Wisconsin voters, only one thing is certain. The fate of Wisconsin’s future will be decided on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Two candidates who have vastly different visions for the state are on the ballot, and only one will be governor in January. n

SCOTT One - on - One What are some of the most significant reforms you have signed into law as governor? When I think of our significant reforms, certainly it starts with Act 10, which is still paying dividends today. It saved local governments, school districts and others over $5 billion. School districts alone saved over $3.2 billion. That is money that goes right back into the classroom. Probably one of the most compelling things in all that reform is not the dollar savings, but the changes we made to empower schools and local governments to hire based on merit and to pay based on performance. It means they can put the best and the brightest in the classroom and other places and keep them there. Looking to this year, because of the reforms passed in our state budget, the economy is booming, finances are in check and we were able to continue tax relief, which totals more than $8 billion through the end of this budget cycle. We also put the largest actual dollar investment into education and a whole

series of other reforms that helped our state to grow and prosper, while still taking care of our priorities. And, on top of all that, we still ended up with a surplus. The other thing, particularly in the last year, was the legislation that authorized Foxconn. Foxconn is the largest economic development project in the history of this state: It is a $10 billion investment. 13,000 direct jobs, up to 35,000 total jobs and statewide it will be 10,000 people in construction alone. It is one of those things that will pay dividends for generations to come, and that is what excites me most. There are students all across the state who are in school right now getting ready for the next school year because they want to either work for Foxconn or a Foxconn related company. What has your administration done to strengthen our workforce and attract talent to the state? The first one is traditional education and training. That is why we put more actual dollars into schools than ever before, more into dual enrollment, early

college credit, youth apprenticeships, fab labs, our technical colleges, the UW-System and a 40 percent increase in Wisconsin Fast Forward. All of that is for traditional education and training, but that still is not enough. The second big thing is that we have broke down barriers. In partnership with our technical colleges, we put training right into the prison system to help offenders near the end of their sentence. So, once they are done with a complete sentence, they have a career path set. That has been a huge asset. I just met a young man the other day who told me, “That’s me. I did my time, learned to be a welder and now I am never going back.” We also broke down barriers with welfare reform by having the requirement for people to work at least 30 hours if they are able bodied and working age, in addition to be able to pass a drug test, to get benefits. We also have ended benefits cliffs, so people don’t just fall off. That is one thing I heard from employers is that workers would reach a certain amount of hours

Cover Story | wisconsinbusinessvoice.org

Fall 2018 23

Activity: Industry: Widgets: Soils: Method: Material: Product: Key Features:

24 Fall 2018

student loans and other related costs of college. So we are going to offer up to $5,000 for any graduate from any two or four-year college—public or private—that wants to stay and work in the state. We want to keep our seniors in their homes. So we want to offer a tax credit so they can be able to afford it and mentor our next generation of the workforce. And finally, we want to help make sure that working families can afford things like child care, so we want to offer a tax credit to help family members to reenter or stay in the workforce. What are the fundamental differences between you and your opponent? The fundamental difference is if we are going to go forwards or backwards. Tony Evers wants to take the state back to the same things that got us in trouble in the prior administration. Back then, we saw double-digit tax increases, billion-dollar budget deficits and record job losses. I don’t want to go back to that. I don’t want to take a big u-turn

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | Cover Story

because we have tremendously moved Wisconsin forward. We want to build off our success. So I think that is the biggest difference that one would move us forwards and the other would move us backwards. And it is that way on a lot of key issues. On Act 10, for example, Tony Evers would go back to those failed policies that didn’t just cost us money and raise property taxes, but would take the power out of the hands of our school board members to run our schools. I want the hardworking taxpayers and the people they duly elected to the school board to make those decisions. Additionally, I think you see it in taxes. You see it in a whole spectrum of issues out there and we are going to continue to lay those differences out between now and Nov. 6. n

“

Success Story

“

and could not work anymore because they would risk losing all these benefits. We are instead gradually easing people off. The third big thing we are doing is recruitment and marketing. We have gone out to Illinois, Minnesota and other places around the Midwest to recruit millennials, to recruit people who graduated from Wisconsin colleges and universities and the most exciting thing that I like is that we are now going to active military bases to recruit veterans because we offer more benefits for veterans than any state in the nation. What is on your agenda if elected to a third term? Our plan is to keep Wisconsin working for generations to come. It is about connecting students to careers with things even as simple as adding Youth Apprenticeships to 7th and 8th grade, as well as funding for technical colleges and other programs. It is about keeping our graduates here by helping offset the cost of

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Fall 2018 25

The New Wisconsin Economy

Business Growth. It all starts here. From 2010 to 2017, Wisconsin added more than 17,000 business establishments. In the seven years prior to that, 2003 to 2010, the state lost 800. In 2010, Wisconsin had 6,800 fewer businesses than Minnesota. By 2017, Wisconsin had 2,900 more than Minnesota. With regard to growth in businesses, Wisconsin outpaces the U.S. average and ranks 17th in the country since 2010.

Employment. By any measure you choose, Wisconsin is at record levels of employment. Our labor force participation rate is very strong. More than 85 percent of Wisconsin’s prime working age adults, those 25 to 54 years old, are working. Wisconsin has the 2nd highest rate of employment in the country for that demographic. That strength in employment has driven down the unemployment rate to new record lows, 2.8 percent to 2.9 percent. The state’s previous record low unemployment rate, set in 1999, was three percent. That low was sustained for three months. Wisconsin has now been below the previous record for five consecutive months. Wisconsin’s July

26 Fall 2018

2018 unemployment rate was the 7th lowest in the nation.

Real Wage Growth. In Wisconsin, real wages have risen considerably over the past three years. The state’s average real wage and salary, adjusted for inflation, increased by $2,600 from 2014 to 2017.

Real Gross Domestic Product Per Capita. From 2010 to 2017, Wisconsin’s per capita real GDP has increased 10.3 percent. That is two percentage points higher than the U.S. average. Wisconsin ranks 11th in the country for growth by this measure.

Domestic Migration. In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Annual Survey reported Wisconsin lost more than 18,000 residents to net migration. By 2016, Wisconsin gained 4,900 residents from net migration.

State and Local Tax Burden. For 2010, U.S. Census Bureau data on state and local taxes placed Wisconsin nine percent above the U.S. average, 9th highest in the country. By 2015, the most recent year for which comparative information is available, Wisconsin moved to 0.3 percent below the U.S. average, 21st in the country. That burden will drop further in the future because Wisconsin has implemented more tax reductions in the past several years.

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | Economist John Koskinen

November 28 Monona Terrace, Madison

AGENDA FEATURING Where Wisconsin Stands

Ted Abernathy, Economic Leadership

State Marketing, Branding & Talent Attraction Update

By John Koskinen Chief Economist, Wisconsin Department of Revenue et aside what you thought you knew about the Wisconsin economy. This state’s economy is now more vibrant and more competitive than at any other time in a generation or more. Let’s go through the checklist.

SAVE THE DATE

Tricia Braun, WEDC

Wisconn Valley Update Dr. Alan Yeung, Foxconn

Health Care. Between 2010 and 2016, 209,000 Wisconsin residents gained health coverage. More than 94 percent of Wisconsin’s population has health insurance coverage. That ranks 9th best in the country. Wisconsin also ranks best in the country for health care quality based on over 250 metrics tracked by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Health Care Research and Quality.

Shared Prosperity. Significantly, Wisconsin is among the handful of states that have seen these economic gains spread across all regions of the state. Business growth: In the past three years, 68 of the state’s 72 counties have added firms. Unemployment: In May 2018, 50 counties set new record lows for that month. Real wages: Comparing 2017 to 2014, the average real wage increased in every county. This economic success story should not be taken for granted. It is no accident. What we are experiencing is the result of hard work and dedication by employers, workers and government. Sound fiscal management and good policy decisions on the part of state government have created an environment that allows the state’s businesses to generate the kind of economic growth we’re seeing today. There is no doubt; Wisconsin’s focus on improving the state’s economy is working. With this result—Wisconsin’s economy is the best in a generation. n

futurewi.org

Save the Date! Presented by:

November 27, 2018 Madison Club 5:00-7:00pm

Hosted by:

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Fall 2018 27

Wisconsin Pivotal to U.S. Senate Balance By Cory Fish WMC Director of Tax, Transportation & Legal Affairs

he Wisconsin race for U.S. Senate is in full swing. Republican state Sen. Leah Vukmir is pitted against Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin in a competitive race that could determine which party controls the closely contested chamber. Sen. Vukmir entered Wisconsin politics at the local level as an education activist prior to winning election to the state Assembly in 2002 and later the state Senate in 2010. In addition to her legislative career, Vukmir is a nurse practitioner with over 25 years of nursing and teaching experience. During her time in the state legislature, Vukmir has received a WMC Working for Wisconsin Award every session they were presented. The Working for Wisconsin Award is presented to legislators who have demonstrated that they stand with Wisconsin’s business community by voting with them at least 70-percent of the time. Sen. Baldwin has been an elected official for 32 years starting when she joined the Wisconsin Legislature in 1992, was elected to Congress in 1998, and subsequently elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012. Prior to her time in the state legislature, Baldwin was a practicing lawyer in Madison for three years. Baldwin never received a Working for Wisconsin Award while serving in the state assembly. She has passed four bills into law during her time in the U.S. House and Senate. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has given Baldwin’s

28 Fall 2018

and another area where the two candidates differ. Ensuring that the judiciary is staffed with judges who say what the law is, not what the judge would like it to be is a key to creating regulatory certainty, which is a necessary component to a flourishing economy. As of August 31, 2018 President Trump has nominated and the Senate has confirmed 33 U.S. District Court Judges, 26 Court of Appeals Judges, and one Associate Justice to the U.S. Supreme Court, 60 judicial appointments in total. Since January 2017, the Sixth and Seventh Circuit Courts of Appeal have “flipped” to a majority of judges believing in judicial restraint and textualist philosophies. Dozens more have been nominated and are awaiting approval. If the Senate flips, it is likely that this historic run of appointments will grind to a halt. That has very real impacts right here in Wisconsin. WMC supported the confirmation of Wisconsin attorney and former judge

Tammy Baldwin spoke at the WMC Board meeting in May.

Michael Brennan to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Sen. Baldwin first delayed and then opposed Brennan’s confirmation despite the American Bar Association ranking him as “well qualified”—their highest standard—to serve on the court of appeals. While there is no direct comparison because Sen.

Vukmir has not had the opportunity to vote on federal judges, in the past she has supported the appointment of rule of law judges, such as Justice Rebecca Bradley, in Wisconsin. Another key area where the candidates disagree is on tax policy. According to Congressional Quarterly, Sen. Baldwin has voted to raise taxes 417 times over her congressional career. She also voted against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the most broad sweeping tax reform in over thirty years, and has subsequently stated she is in favor of repealing portions of the bill. During her time as a state senator, Vukmir has voted to cut taxes by $8 billion, including eliminating the state’s portion of the property tax, the Manufacturing and Agricultural Tax Credit and reducing state income tax rates. WMC encourages you to learn more about both candidates and make an informed choice on Election Day. n

Leah Vukmir at WMC’s Policy Day in August.

Another key area where the candidates disagree is on tax policy. According to Congressional Quarterly, Sen. Baldwin has voted to raise taxes 417 times over her congressional career.

voting record a cumulative score of 32 percent during her time in Congress and the Senate. She has voted with the National Association of Manufacturers 10 percent of the time.

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | Race for US Senate

There is a lot at stake in this election. The Senate has enacted a pro-business agenda this term, however this agenda is at risk if control of the Senate changes. For example, in many instances personnel is policy. Over 1,200 appointees in the government require senate confirmation. Without appointees with a rule of law mindset, practical experience and a philosophy of working with businesses to solve problems it does not matter whom the president is, progrowth policy will not be implemented. Sen. Baldwin voted against 15 of 22 of the Trump Administration’s initial cabinet appointees. The judiciary is another area where the Senate holds great influence over

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Fall 2018 29

Skills Gap Solution

Coalition to Push Financial, Economic Literacy

By Steve Slack Vice President of Operations, EK Machine Co., Inc.

By Michelle Grajkowski Manager, Wisconsin Business World

o matter the industry, the number one challenge facing each and every business today is the shortage of skilled workers. Individually and collectively we have struggled to find the solution. There is no silver bullet to address this issue, however there are underutilized resources available that need further consideration. Skills USA is one of those underutilized resources. What is SkillsUSA and how can they help? SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry representatives; working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. It helps each student excel. SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit organization serving teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations. SkillsUSA is character development; marrying technical skills with leadership. Ensuring a pipeline of highly skilled students with strong leadership skills. Our state level chapter, SkillsUSA Wisconsin, is the student organization for middle and high school technical education programs as recognized by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Our 2018 membership was 2,919 students comprised from 166 middle and high school chapters. The 45th annual State Conference was held in April at the Alliant Energy Convention Center in Madison where 1,700 student members competed in 79 competitions ranging from welding and auto

30 Fall 2018

repair to entrepreneurship and advertising design. Wisconsin sent 75 state gold-medal winners to the national conference in Louisville, KY—to compete again with the best from around the nation. These competitors brought home four gold and four silver medals.

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry representatives; working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce.

In total, Wisconsin had 21 competitors rank in the top 10 in the nation. Our best performance to date! In addition to the State Conference each year, SkillsUSA Wisconsin holds many district/regional competitions, welding challenges and leadership conferences to continually prepare students to be career or college readyday one. Wisconsin is a blue collar state that has flourished because of a skilled workforce and technical trades. Like me, many of our skilled workers received their first exposure to the trades in traditional Technical Education settings starting in middle school. We need to get back to that early interven-

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | SkillsUSA

tion with our youth! Educating youth on the opportunities available in the skilled trades and providing opportunities to work with their hands and explore what they really enjoy. Most importantly making sure they know the career paths the skilled trades offer and how they are meaningful, safe, high technology and family-supporting careers. I believe that business and industry needs to be part of the solution to our current workforce challenges, therefore I would like to issue a call to action to all who are reading this article. You need to take action today to continue to strengthen the relationship between industry and education. SkillsUSA is the student organization that will help you develop Wisconsin’s talent and fill the pipeline for our industries and solidify Wisconsin as the leading manufacturing state in the US. Find a way to get involved if you are concerned about our future workforce and providing students with career options. If you want to know how you can become involved with SkillsUSA Wisconsin and building our future work force, my contact information is below. I would love to tell you how SkillsUSA is a skills gap solution that prepared me for a successful career that started with Technical Education and SkillsUSA. n For more information, please contact Steve Slack at steves@ekmachine. com.

inancial Literacy may seem like it has taken the front seat in the 2018-19 school year, due in part to the passing of Act 94 which mandates schools to develop standards and incorporate financial literacy instruction into their K12 classrooms. But business and financial education has been the mission of many Wisconsin-area organizations for years. In July, a group of Wisconsin education and business leaders met and agreed to form a new coalition designed to promote business, economic and financial education and literacy in order to maximize their collective reach and impact among young people in the state. Groups participating in the Wisconsin Coalition for Business, Financial and Economic Literacy include Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), Wisconsin DECA, EconomicsWisconsin (EW), Wisconsin Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL), Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA), Wisconsin Educators of Business & Information Technology (WeBIT), Wisconsin Marketing Educators Association (WMEA), and WMC Foundation. “Regardless of what career choice a young person makes, they need to understand the basics of how the free enterprise system functions,” said Wade Goodsell, executive director of WMC Foundation. “They also need to understand their personal finances. All of the outstanding groups in this Coali-

tion pledge to work together to promote business, economic and financial education through cross promotion and cooperation.” Revolving consumer debt has surpassed $1 trillion, according to a new study found on WalletHub, with the majority of that debt in credit cards. Through innovative approaches, members of the Coalition will give students a stronger grasp on personal finance. “Financial success doesn’t mean having the most. It means having the economic knowledge and financial skills to pursue one’s dreams, create a life that is unique and meaningful, and to avoid the socioeconomic hurdles that wreak havoc on families and individuals. The Coalition is perfectly positioned to impact these outcomes more than any one organization could accomplish on its own,” said Michael Frohna, President, Junior Achievement of Wisconsin. Working together with educators, business leaders and legacy non-profits, the Coalition is able to reach Wisconsin students, and to educate them in fun, unique and engaging ways. “Wisconsin youth are taught reading, writing and arithmetic, yet often graduate without two essential building blocks for prosperity: a basic understanding of personal finance and economics,” said Francis X. Vogel, Executive Director of EconomicsWisconsin. “Using Wisconsin’s new financial literacy law as a starting point, our newly-formed Coalition will join with

others to provide educators the resources necessary to making our kids money-smart.” The Coalition plans to meet again in November. n

Wisconsin Business World | wisconsinbusinessvoice.org

Fall 2018 31

We Chose to Expand in Wisconsin By Glen Tellock President & CEO of Lakeside Foods

akeside Foods has called Wisconsin home since 1887, when Albert Landreth opened a pea canning operation on the shores of Lake Michigan in downtown Manitowoc. Since then, we’ve grown to 13 locations in three states, expanded into frozen foods and product categories like breaded appetizers and whipped topping, and have become a premier retail and food service supplier. However, many of you may not realize you’re eating Lakeside vegetables since most are store brands at your local grocery or sides you order at your favorite restaurant. And during those 130 years, we’ve remained a family-owned company with close ties to the Wisconsin communities where we operate. Over the past few years, we have embarked on a long-term strategic plan to grow and diversify our business. Part of this investment involves expanding our frozen food packaging capabilities. Our customers are demanding more specialized packaging solutions to meet evolving consumer preferences, and food consumption trends give us opportunities to innovate with variety and ingredient blends. In addition, heightened awareness of food safety requires upgraded equipment and a more sanitary processing environment to ensure product safety and quality. When evaluating where to expand our footprint, we considered a multitude of factors. In the end, we chose to

32 Fall 2018

add 100,000 square feet and renovate existing space at our current packaging center in Manitowoc. Ultimately, the decision came down to the strength of Wisconsin’s food processing industry, business infrastructure and quality of the state’s workforce. We pack and process hundreds of millions of pounds of canned and frozen vegetables a year for more than 100 retail and food service customers. The concentration of food manufacturing in eastern Wisconsin gives us access to several cold storage facilities for our frozen products. Transportation infrastructure, including trucking and highway connections, is reliable. The quality and work ethic of the Wisconsin workforce is also top notch. The culture of Wisconsin as an agricultural state in which people value honest work aligns well with Lakeside’s business of harvesting and selling produce and a culture of delivering on the expectations of our customers. We

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | Business Profile

have access to well-trained employees, including mechanics and skilled manufacturing technicians, from the region’s technical colleges, as well as highly qualified professionals in the other functional areas of our business. Overall, the perception of Wisconsin as a great place to live and work has changed for the better. Best-place-tolive rankings, for example, instill pride and confidence among residents and employers alike. And when you combine solid infrastructure with a vibrant community atmosphere, that helps a company like Lakeside Foods attract great employees and grow our business. Finally, our project was enthusiastically supported by economic development partners, including the City of Manitowoc, building industry leaders Miron Construction and Excel Engineering, and finance partners Wisconsin Bank & Trust and USDA. When our expansion is complete next year, we expect to hire 40 skilled workers, and we are committed to offering them living-wage jobs that strengthen the local economy. We also will continue to invest in making Manitowoc and the surrounding northeast Wisconsin region a great place to live and do business. From supporting regional attractions like the new Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center to investment in local community youth and service organizations, Lakeside Foods is proud to be a steward of the community and a key economic driver in the region. n

ReturnOnReform.com

isconsin is on a roll. Over the last eight years, the Badger State has gone from a place where businesses and people were fleeing to a place where businesses are growing and people are finding new opportunity.

This did not just happen on its own. This is thanks to the strong voice of employers and employees that make up the nearly 4,000 member companies of Wisconsin Manufac-

turers & Commerce (WMC). In 2010, WMC members stood together to say enough is enough, and they demanded reform. WMC marched to the State Capitol and strongly advocated for greatly reduced taxes, an overhaul of the state’s regulatory system and an end to frivolous lawsuits that were all strangling the Wisconsin economy. Leaders in Madison listened. They reformed Wisconsin’s tax code. They

$8 Billion

In the last eight years, Wisconsin has cumulatively cut taxes by $8 billion!

11.4% Growth

Wisconsin grew total private businesses by 11.4% from 2010 to 2017! Minnesota only grew 4.6% and Illinois’ total number of businesses dropped by 4.3%.

68.8%

reformed state government. They reformed the legal system. Over the last eight years, Gov. Scott Walker and legislative Republicans have been national leaders on reform, and it worked. Wisconsin is now cashing in on the benefits. The Return On Reform can be felt from Superior to Racine and Platteville to Green Bay. Just check out the stats below!

42,000 Jobs

Wisconsin’s Manufacturing & Agriculture Tax Credit accounted for an increase of 42,000 jobs in manufacturing and other industries from 2013 to 2016!

Wisconsin’s unemployment rate has been 3% or lower for seven consecutive months!

Wisconsin’s labor force participation rate is 68.8%— much higher than the national average.

Return on Reform | wisconsinbusinessvoice.org

Fall 2018 33

Gov. Scott Walker with the WCCE Board.

Annual Conference Caps Chamber Month I t is fitting that the first sitting governor in recent memory to speak at the Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce Executives (WCCE) Annual Conference was Scott Walker because he is also the first governor to proclaim September as Chamber of Commerce Month in Wisconsin. The conference was a nice culmination of statewide activities designed to spotlight all the things local chambers do to promote a high quality of life in Wisconsin. For his part, Walker told about 60 chamber leaders gathered in Wausau late last month that workforce remains Wisconsin’s greatest economic challenge and he highlighted the many things his administration is doing to address it, including a talent attraction campaign to lure veterans and Millennials from around the nation to Wisconsin. Walker said Wisconsin offers more benefits to veterans than any other state, including not taxing military pensions. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC)

34 Fall 2018

has already begun to visit U.S. Military bases around the country, including Hawaii, in order to recruit veterans to the Badger State. He said that the state that gets talent retention and attraction right will have a major economic advantage over competing states, most of which also have a workforce crunch. Sheree Anne Kelly, CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, addressed chamber trends during the conference such as membership development and service offerings. She also said that the public expects the business community to be a check on government overreach and ineffectiveness. Other sessions focused on board and committee development; local, state and federal policy issues that impact chambers and their members; creating talent pipelines; and various marketing strategies. n WCCE is the education and professional development arm of WMC.

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | Wisconsin Chamber Month

Policy Day Moves Conversation Forward T his August, Policy Day in Madison on August 6 featured a handful of legislative speakers, a U.S. Senate candidate forum, and two award presentations for the Business Friend of the Environment Awards as well as the Human Resources Professional of the Year Awards presented by Ogletree Deakins. The legislative panel concluding Policy Day in Madison emphasized the core issues facing the state of Wisconsin as well as the projections for the future of the state from two Democratic and two Republican perspectives. The legislative leadership panel included Sen. Alberta Darling, Rep. Gordon Hintz, Sen. Jennifer Schilling and Speaker Robin Vos. Each of these leaders offered their views on key issues pertaining to immigration, regulation, trade/tariffs and the priorities for the next legislative session. Prior to the legislative panel were award presentations for the Business Friend of the Environment Awards and Human Resources Professional of the Year Awards. The Business Friend of the Environment Awards are awarded to companies in each category size, ranging from small to large, which have made significant improvements in the areas of sustainability, environmental stewardship and environmental innovation. This year was the 29th year in a row WMC recognized companies with this award.

This year’s award were selected from a pool of 16 nominees by an independent panel of judges representing industry, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, an environmental non-profit, an environmental attorney and an environmental consultant. The 2018 Business Friend of the Environment Award Winners were: Sustainability • Briess Malt & Ingredients Co. • RenewAire • Expera Specialty Solutions Environmental Stewardship • Masters Food Gallery • Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association • Ariens Company Environmental Innovation • Evinrude BRP U.S. Inc. • Ivec Systems, LLC • Mercury Marine The Human Resources Professional of the Year Awards were presented by Ogletree Deakins and 2018 marked the second year for this award. The award is presented to individuals who are employed full-time in the Human Resource profession within the State of Wisconsin and demonstrate HR leadership. While government employees are not eligible for this award, they are certainly encouraged to nominate individuals who work in the private sector.

This 2018 HR Professional of the Year awards were well deserved and the following HR professionals were selected as this year’s achievers: Small Employer Category • Kelly Renz, Novo Group, Inc.

Medium Employer Category • Pam Korth, Apache Stainless Equipment Corporation Large Employer Category • Tammy Flora, Masters Gallery Food, Inc. Additionally, Policy Day featured a segment with the U.S. Senate Republican Candidates just a few days prior to the primary election with Sen. Vukmir and Kevin Nicholson. The forum was moderated by WMC Senior Vice President of Government Relations Scott Manley. During the forum, Manley asked each of the candidates questions on their positions for key issues including tariffs and how they would respond if they were currently in this position. Lastly, each of the candidates pitched why they would be the best GOP nominee if chosen by the people. WMC Policy Day highlighted a myriad of political issues currently facing the state of Wisconsin, as well as forecasted likely scenarios and issues that could occur down the road to a record crowd of 200-plus attendees. n

Policy Day | wisconsinbusinessvoice.org

Fall 2018 35

Recent Reforms Predict Bright Future for Wisconsin By Adam Jordahl WMC Associate Director of Government Relations

hat will Wisconsin’s economy look like in 20 years–and what can we do today to prepare for the decades to come? The Future Wisconsin Project, a partnership led by the WMC Foundation along with universities and technical colleges, government agencies and other key stakeholders, is working to identify and address questions like that. While predicting the future may seem like a daunting task, we can start by asking if the state is on the right track today. According to a variety of economic metrics, we’re doing pretty well. Wisconsin posted the sixth lowest unemployment rate in the nation in June, at 2.9 percent. Out of the top ten states for low unemployment, Wisconsin has the largest economy, and we rank fourth in labor force participation. Dig deeper, and the signs of success become even clearer: since the end of the recession Wisconsin has outpaced the national average in real GDP growth, ranking eleventh among the states, compared to 32nd before the recession. Similarly, wage gains over the last few years have consistently outpaced the national average. The state lost thousands of businesses between 2004 and 2010, then added nearly 17,000 in the following seven years, more than double that of Minnesota. Furthermore, this economic growth has been balanced, with benefits reaching citizens of all kinds across the state. Real household incomes

36 Fall 2018

increased for every income category between 2011 and 2016, growing fastest for those at the low end. Counties that had the worst unemployment and poverty rates and lowest incomes prior to the recession have since seen the largest improvements. Over the last three years, 61 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties saw more than two percent growth in the number of business establishments, while only four counties faced losses of more than two percent. Compare that to our neighbors: in Minnesota and Iowa, only about one-third of each states’ counties saw that kind of growth, while nearly three-fourths of Michigan’s counties and every county in Illinois lost at least two percent of their businesses during the same period. Much of this success is attributable to policy reforms that WMC has advocated for. Over the last eight years, Wisconsin has seen change after change for the better at the state level, including major regulatory reforms and more than $5 billion in tax cuts. Our state and local tax burden is now below the national average and at its lowest level since 1963, before the state adopted a general sales tax. Compare that to 1994, when only two states had a higher state and local tax burden than Wisconsin. On top of tax and regulatory relief, the pension reforms of 2011 Act 10 have saved Wisconsin an additional $5 billion so far, with small towns and villages, big cities, state agencies and

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | Future Wisconsin

even the UW System all sharing in the savings. Thanks in large part to these reforms, Wisconsin’s government pension system has remained fully funded, during a time when the U.S. average for state pension funding dropped from 90 to 66 percent funded between 2003 and 2016. In 2016, we were one of only four states with a more than 90 percent funded pension system, while 13 were under 60 percent funded. None of these encouraging measurements means that Wisconsin is in the clear: our state still faces major challenges, in particular related to workforce growth and development. Since at least 1950, our population has grown much more slowly than the national average, and in recent years slightly more people have moved out of the state than moved in. Cultivating a qualified workforce and convincing younger workers to move or stay here are tough but necessary undertakings, and the Future Wisconsin Project exists to confront issues like these. We need to remember that the progress that has been made in recent years to grow jobs, businesses and incomes, improve Wisconsin’s tax and regulatory climate and keep the state’s pension system on solid footing is never more than one legislative session away from being undermined or reversed. While much remains to be done, the hard work of preparing for the future begins with keeping us on the right track so that we can build on existing successes. n

$5 billion 17,000 businesses

saved from collective bargaining reform

Added from 2010-2017 More than double that of Minnesota

61 out of 72 counties

saw more than 2% growth in number of businesses over the last 3 years

1 of 4 states

with pension funding over 90%

90% or more 80-89% 70-79% 60-69% Less than 60%

Future Wisconsin | wisconsinbusinessvoice.org

Fall 2018 37

ASSEMBLY LEGISLATOR

WMC Unveils Legislative Scorecard WMC’s biennial business issue scorecard for the Wisconsin State Legislature is detailed on these pages. This report is designed to help the business community see how individual members of the legislature voted on key issues affecting the business climate in Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, 83 lawmakers repeatedly stood up for tax cuts, pro-growth reforms and investments in our state’s workforce this past legislative session. Each of these legislators supported initiatives that will spur economic growth and job creation by putting an emphasis on improving Wisconsin’s business climate.

WMC is recognizing individual lawmakers with a prestigious “Working for Wisconsin” award in response to their efforts to keep the state moving forward. The Working for Wisconsin award recognizes individual legislators who supported specific pro-growth policies and earned at least a 70 percent rating on WMC’s legislative scorecard. In total, 19 senators and 64 representatives received a Working for Wisconsin Award for their voting record during the last legislative session. n

SENATE SENATOR

DISTRICT

HOMETOWN

FOR

AGAINST

SENATOR

DISTRICT

HOMETOWN

FOR

AGAINST

Janey Bewley (D)

SD-25

Ashland

5.9%

Stephen Nass (R)

SD-11

Whitewater

100%

Tim Carpenter (D)

SD-3

Milwaukee

5.9%

Luther Olsen (R)

SD-14

Ripon

100%

Robert Cowles (R)

SD-2

Green Bay

76.5%

Jerry Petrowski (R)

SD-29

Marathon

100%

David Craig (R)

SD-28

Town of Vernon

94.1%

Janis Ringhand (D)

SD-15

Evansville

5.9%

Alberta Darling (R)

SD-8

River Hills

100%

Fred Risser (D)

SD-26

Madison

5.9%

Jon Erpenbach (D)

SD-27

Middleton

5.9%

Roger Roth (R)

SD-19

Appleton

100%

Dan Feyen (R)

SD-18

Fond du Lac

100%

Patty Schachtner (D)

SD-10

Somerset

Scott Fitzgerald (R)

SD-13

Juneau

100%

Jennifer Shilling (D)

SD-32

La Crosse

5.9%

Dave Hansen (D)

SD-30

Green Bay

5.9%

Duey Stroebel (R)

SD-20

Saukville

100%

LaTonya Johnson (D)

SD-6

Milwaukee

5.9%

Lena Taylor (D)

SD-4

Milwaukee

5.9%

Chris Kapenga (R)

SD-33

Delafield

100%

Patrick Testin (R)

SD-24

Stevens Point

100%

Chris Larson (D)

SD-7

Milwaukee

5.9%

Thomas Tiffany (R)

SD-12

Hazelhurst

100%

Frank Lasee (R)

SD-1

De Pere

100%

Kathleen Vinehout (D) SD-31

Alma

5.9%

Devin LeMahieu

SD-9

Oostburg

100%

Leah Vukmir (R)

SD-5

Brookfield

100%

Howard Marklein (R)

SD-17

Spring Green

100%

Van Wanggaard (R)

SD-21

Racine

100%

Mark Miller (D)

SD-16

Monona

5.9%

Robert Wirch (D)

SD-22

Kenosha

11.8%

Terry Moulton (R)

SD-23

Chippewa Falls

100%

38 Fall 2018

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | Legislative Voting Records

DISTRICT

HOMETOWN

FOR

AGAINST

LEGISLATOR

DISTRICT

HOMETOWN

FOR

AGAINST

Scott Allen (R)

AD-97

Waukesha

93.3%

Lee Nerison (R)

AD-96

Westby

Jimmy Anderson (D)

AD-47

Fitchburg

6.3%

Greta Neubauer (D)

AD-66

Racine

Tyler August (R)

AD-32

Lake Geneva

100%

Adam Neylon (R)

AD-98

Pewaukee

100%

Joan Ballweg (R)

AD-41

Markesan

100%

Todd Novak (R)

AD-51

Dodgeville

80%

Peter Barca (D)

AD-64

Kenosha

18.8%

John Nygren (R)

AD-89

Marinette

100%

Terese Berceau (D)

AD-77

Madison

6.7%

Tod Ohnstad (D)

AD-65

Kenosha

12.5%

Kathleen Bernier (R)

AD-68

Lake Hallie

100%

Jim Ott (R)

AD-23

Mequon

100%

Jill Billings (D)

AD-95

La Crosse

6.3%

Kevin Petersen (R)

AD-40

Waupaca

87.5%

Mark Born (R)

AD-39

Beaver Dam

100%

Warren Petryk (R)

AD-93

Eleva

100%

David Bowen (D)

AD-10

Milwaukee

6.7%

Sondy Pope (D)

AD-80

Mt. Horeb

6.3%

Janel Brandtjen (R)

AD-22

Menomonee Falls

93.8%

Treig Pronschinske (R)

AD-92

Mondovi

100%

Edward Brooks (R)

AD-50

Reedsburg

100%

Romaine Quinn (R)

AD-75

Barron

100%

Robert Brooks (R)

AD-60

Saukville

100%

Daniel Riemer (D)

AD-7

Milwaukee

6.3%

Jonathan Brostoff (D)

AD-19

Milwaukee

6.3%

Keith Ripp (R)

AD-42

Lodi

100%

Dave Considine (D)

AD-81

Baraboo

6.3%

Jessie Rodriguez (R)

AD-21

Oak Creek

100%

David Crowley (D)

AD-17

Milwaukee

6.7%

Mike Rohrkaste (R)

AD-55

Neenah

100%

Steve Doyle (D)

AD-94

Onalaska

6.3%

Joe Sanfelippo (R)

AD-15

New Berlin

93.3%

Cindi Duchow (R)

AD-99

Town of Delafield

100%

Melissa Sargent (D)

AD-48

Madison

6.7%

James Edming (R)

AD-87

Glen Flora

93.8%

Michael Schraa (R)

AD-53

Oshkosh

100%

Mary Felzkowski (R)

AD-35

Irma

100%

Katrina Shankland (D)

AD-71

Stevens Point

12.5%

Jason Fields (D)

AD-11

Milwaukee

21.4%

Christine Sinicki (D)

AD-20

Milwaukee

6.7%

Eric Genrich (D)

AD-90

Green Bay

6.7%

Ken Skowronski (R)

AD-82

Franklin

100%

Evan Goyke (D)

AD-18

Milwaukee

6.3%

Patrick Snyder (R)

AD-85

Schofield

93.8%

Rick Gundrum (R)

AD-58

Slinger

100%

John Sprios (R)

AD-86

Marshfield

100%

Gary Hebl (D)

AD-46

Sun Prairie

6.7%

Mark Spreitzer (D)

AD-45

Beloit

6.3%

Dianne Hesselbein (D)

AD-79

Middleton

6.3%

Rob Stafsholt (R)

AD-29

New Richmond

100%

Gordon Hintz (D)

AD-54

Oshkosh

6.3%

David Steffen (R)

AD-4

Green Bay

100%

Cody Horlacher (R)

AD-33

Mukwonago

100%

Jim Steineke (R)

AD-5

Kaukauna

100%

Rob Hutton (R)

AD-13

Brookfield

100%

Amanda Struck (D)

AD-57

Appleton

12.5%

André Jacque (R)

AD-2

De Pere

100%

Lisa Subeck (D)

AD-78

Madison

6.3%

John Jagler (R)

AD-37

Watertown

100%

Rob Summerfield (R)

AD-67

Bloomer

100%

Adam Jarchow (R)

AD-28

Balsam Lake

86.7%

Rob Swearingen (R)

AD-34

Rhinelander

100%

Terry Katsma (R)

AD-26

Oostburg

100%

Gary Tauchen (R)

AD-6

Bonduel

100%

Samantha Kerkman (R)

AD-61

Salem

100%

Chris Taylor (D)

AD-76

Madison

6.3%

Frederick Kessler (D)

AD-12

Milwaukee

6.3%

Jeremy Thiesfeldt (R)

AD-52

Fond du Lac

100%

Joel Kitchens (R)

AD-1

Sturgeon Bay

81.3%

Paul Tittl (R)

AD-25

Manitowoc

100%

Joel Kleefisch (R)

AD-38

Oconomowoc

100%

Travis Tranel (R)

AD-49

Cuba City

87.5%

Dan Knodl (R)

AD-24

Germantown

100%

Ron Tusler (R)

AD-3

Harrison

100%

Debra Kolste (D)

AD-44

Janesville

7.7%

Nancy VanderMeer (R)

AD-70

Tomah

93.8%

Dale Kooyenga (R)

AD-14

Brookfield

100%

Tyler Vorpagel (R)

AD-27

Plymouth

100%

Jesse Kremer (R)

AD-59

Kewaskum

100%

Robin Vos (R)

AD-63

Rochester

93.8%

Scott Krug (R)

AD-72

Nekoosa

100%

Don Vruwink (D)

AD-43

Milton

6.3%

Mike Kuglitsch (R)

AD-84

New Berlin

100%

Dana Wachs (D)

AD-91

Eau Claire

6.3%

Bob Kulp (R)

AD-69

Stratford

100%

Thomas Weatherston (R)

AD-62

Caledonia

100%

Amy Loudenbeck (R)

AD-31

Clinton

100%

Chuck Wichgers (R)

AD-83

Muskego

100%

John Macco (R)

AD-88

Ledgeview

100%

Leon Young (D)

AD-16

Milwaukee

6.3%

Beth Meyers (D)

AD-74

Bayfield

12.5%

JoCasta Zamarripa (D)

AD-8

Milwaukee

6.3%

Nick Milroy (D)

AD-73

South Range

18.8%

Josh Zepnick (D)

AD-9

Milwaukee

6.3%

David Murphy (R)

AD-56

Greenville

100%

Shannon Zimmerman (R) AD-30

River Falls

100%

Jeffrey Mursau (R)

AD-36

Crivitz

93.8%

Legislative Voting Records | wisconsinbusinessvoice.org

100%

Fall 2018 39

COOLEST

THING

MADE IN

WISCONSIN Sponsored by

The Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest is a program that was launched by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) and Johnson Financial Group in 2016 to not only determine the Coolest Thing produced within the state’s borders, but also to bring attention to Wisconsin’s top industry: Manufacturing. The contest has proven to be very popular. This year alone, over 150 products were nominated and over 150,000 votes were cast in total. Companies pulled out all the stops to get votes, from media interviews and prize giveaways to endorsements from local elected officials and rampant social media campaigns. All the nominees are listed throughout the next couple pages. For more information, visit MadeInWis.com.

CyberKnife® System Accuray Incorporated Madison

CartMover Appleton Manufacturing Appleton

Swamp Devil Aquarius Systems North Prairie

Trash Hunters Aquarius Systems North Prairie

Aquatic Weed Harvesters Aquarius Systems North Prairie

Ma Baensch Marinated Herring Baensch Food Products Co. Milwaukee

Cascade Heat Exchangera System Bassett Mechanical Kaukauna

Flexible Packaging Bemis Oshkosh

Paddles Bending Branches/Aqua Bound Osceola

SLM 3D Printed Partial Denture Bertram Dental Lab Neenah

2017 Purebred Red Botham Vineyards & Winery Barneveld

Specialty Malts Snapper® SPX™ Riding Briess Malt & Ingredients Co. Lawn Mower Chilton Briggs & Stratton Corporation Milwaukee

ELITE3300 Gas Pressure Burger Custom Yachts Washer Burger Boat Company Briggs & Stratton Corporation Manitowoc Milwaukee

Medically Adaptive Feeding Tube Clothing CC Moo, LLC Stoughton

Custom Food Carts Caged Crow Fabrication St. Germain

Simplicity Signature Pro S3100I Gas Pressure Washer Snowthrowers Briggs & Stratton Corporation Briggs & Stratton Corporation Milwaukee Milwaukee

Brandon Telehandler Bailey Specialty Cranes & Aerials Muskego

Bald Eagle Sirloin Beef Sticks Callow Foods, LLC Rhinelander

Powerheart® G5 AED Cardiac Science Corporation Deerfield

Custom Pocket-Style Passing Decanter Centrifuges Nets Centrisys/CNP Carron Net Company, Inc. Kenosha Two Rivers

Cheata Bike Cheata Bikes South Milwaukee

Mobile Party Bar Containers Up Milwaukee

Patient Passport Express® w/ RESA 3D Printed Insoles UV-C Disinfecting Light CTS Mighty Touch CTS Healthcare Menomonee Falls Menomonee Falls

Cookie Dough and Brownies for Ice Cream Denali Ingredients New Berlin

Fixed Implant Prosthetic Dental Crafters Marshfield

Dually Bike Dually Bikes, LLC Greendale

Lenticular 3D Souvenir Stadium Cup Dynamic Drinkware Oshkosh

Portable Chassis Dynamometer TD-24-AC-T Dyne Systems/Taylor Dynamometer Milwaukee

Strada Fango Bike Ellis Cycles Franklin

40 Fall 2018

All Natural Cheddar Cheese Curds Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery Ellsworth

DryAway Laundry Drying Racks DryAway Brookfield

FUSION™ Solar-Powered LED MyChart Energy Bank, Inc. Epic Manitowoc Madison

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin

Epicurean Kitchen Products Epicurean Superior

AIR FORCE® Automatic Door Openers Erich Industries, Inc. Verona

Acrylic Paintings by Terri Einer Einer Arts Oshkosh

Microgrid Faith Technologies Menasha

Finicky Fooler Tip-Up Finicky Fooler Mosinee

Direct Mail Formats Freedom Milton

Magnetic Float Mount Frimage Image, LLC Hartland

Green Adaptive Transporter GATr Products, LLC Suamico

LOGIQ E10 GE Healthcare Waukesha

12’ 9” Square Stern Canoe Golden Hawk Canoes Merrill

Great Northern Potato Vodka Great Northern Distilling Plover

Model DS Greenheck Fan Corporation Schofield

Tanker 550 SCBA Seat with SecureAll HO Bostrom Company, Inc. Waukesha

Harley-Davidson Motorcycles HSP-12 Stake Puller Harley-Davidson Motor Hartford Tool, LLC Company Hartford Milwaukee

EasiPitch Heartland Woodcraft, Inc. West Bend

Hometown Trolley Hometown Trolley Crandon

Hood Hood Equipment, Inc. Iron River

Wingman Lifejacket Hyde Sportswear Milwaukee

Predator 1800 Ice Auger Machine Ice Auger Machines De Pere

One Fit Extreme Carbide Titanium Oscillating Saw Blade Imperial Blades Sun Prairie

Coil Winder Itasca Automation Systems, LLC Egg Harbor

IVEC Controls IVEC Systems Muskego

Patton Road Reserve Bourbon Supertone Electric Guitar J. Henry & Sons Joe Bochar Guitars Dane Monroe

XUV 835R John Deere Horicon Works Horicon

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Guitar Jones Sign Company Green Bay

Ice Cream King Cone Plover

Bucky’s Cherry Berry Klarbrunn Watertown

P&H 4800 XPC Electric Rope Shovel Komatsu Milwaukee

Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese Kraft Heinz Company Beaver Dam

Evalon Goat Cheese LaClare Family Creamery Malone

Swing Trainer Lefty Swag Bats Milwaukee

Lovino Sangria Lovino, LLC Port Washington

Non-Combustible Mantel MagraHealth West Allis

Guardian 275® Translucent Panel Skylights Major Industries, Inc. Wausau

Snack Sticks Maple Wood Meats Green Bay

52,000 LB Marina Forklight Marine Travelift, Inc. Sturgeon Bay

Wobble Clay Target Machine Mayville Engineering Company, Inc. Mayville

MEC Marksman Mayville Engineering Company, Inc. Mayville

Deep Fried Oreos McCain Plover Appetizer Plover

VersaTech2 MCT Digital New Berlin

Letter Jackets MECA Sportswear Tomah

64X Wheelchair Washer Medco Equipment, Inc. Houlton

Freedom Cabinet Metal Art of Wisconsin Manitowoc

Scag Tiger Cat II Metalcraft of Mayville, Inc Mayville

AutoRELEASE™ Solution Suite Wisconsin Home Goods Midwest Medical Technologies Milkweed Market Kenosha Wisconsin Rapids

Automation Trainer Mobile Modular Training Systems Green Bay

Modular Building Components Build-a-Book App Modtruss Mrs. Myers’ Reading Room Fond du Lac Mount Pleasant

King Cutter Natural Stone Veneers International, Inc. Fond du Lac

Clear Flow Aquaponic Systems® Nelson and Pade, Inc. Montello

Spotted Cow New Glarus Brewing Company New Glarus

Color Key Oil Reservoirs Oil-Rite Corporation Manitowoc

Pally® ORBIS Corporation Neenah

Wisconsin Kringle O&H Danish Bakery Racine

Gehl’s 2.0 Dispenser Gehl Foods, LLC Germantown

22kW WiFi Connected Home Standby Generator Generac Power Systems Waukesha

Truck Bed Cover Peragon Truck Bed Covers Spooner

Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin | wisconsinbusinessvoice.org

Fall 2018 41

BreathRox PFHIX, Inc. Neenah

PartyBox Plymouth Foam, LLC Plymouth

Ciderboys Point Brewery Stevens Point

Storage and Charging Tower PowerGistics Madison

Industrial Paint PPG Oak Creek

Laser Cutting System Preco, Inc. Somerset

SharkCrates PRO Crating Systems Oak Creek

Intelligent Autonomous Vehicle Quest Industrial Monroe

Prevagen Quincy Bioscience Madison

1919 Cookware 12” Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Sauté Pan Regal Ware Kewaskum

Portable Generator Through- Dedicated Outdoor Air System Exotic Targets the-Wall Kit RenewAire, LLC Rinehart Targets Reliance Controls Corporation Waunakee Janesville Racine

Robust Lathes Robust Tools, LLC Barneveld

Trevista Romo Durable Graphics De Pere

Roving Blue O-Pen™ Tactical Black Roving Blue Lena

Balanced Breaks Sargento Foods, Inc. Plymouth

Pool Cues Schmelke Cues Rice Lake

Gilles Frozen Custard Schoep’s Ice Cream Madison

Remote Control Cooler Seljan Tool Company Lake Mills

HPR Automatic Point Sampler Sentry Equipment Oconomowoc

SMART Mirror Séura Green Bay

627sv Seven Marine Germantown

Smart Ray Vision SharpLogixx Green Bay

Modular Enclosure Silver Linings Systems Kenosha

InformaCast Fusion Singlewire Software Madison

Door County Tart Cherry Shrub Corsair Evaporator Siren Shrub Company Smoky Lake Maple Products Amherst Junction Hilbert

WMC’s Nick Novak and Johnson Financial Group’s Mark Higgins join WFRV-TV, the CBS affiliate in Green Bay, to discuss the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest.

Green Bay’s NBC26 showcases the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest during the call for nominees.

Madison’s NBC15 encouraging people to vote in the 2018 Coolest Thing WMC’s Nick Novak joins the Channel 3 Morning Show on WISC-TV in Made in Wisconsin contest. Madison highlighting the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin and its bracket-style tournament known as Manufacturing Madness. Paczki Smurawa’s Country Bakery Pulaski

Cheese Curds Springside Cheese Factory Oconto Falls

Awesome Sauce Beer Stillmank Brewing Company Green Bay

Stud Kleen Stud Kleen, LLC

Wide Mouth Mug Sunset Hill Stoneware Neenah

Great Lakes Metal Wall Art Superior IRON-ARTz, LLC Superior

Wireless Network Communication Devices tapABILITIES, LLC Wauwatosa

COOLEST

THING

MADE IN

WISCONSIN Teardrop Trailer Welding Positioners & Grippers Tel-Trax TI6060 TC Teardrop Camping Trailers Team Industries, Inc. Telsmith, Inc. Wausau Kaukauna Mequon

Gourmet Apple Pie Baked in a Paper Bag The Elegant Farmer Mukwonago

Supervised Latching Solenoid Actuator TLX Technologies, LLC Pewaukee

University of Wisconsin Motion W Pendant TQ Diamonds Madison

Hasse’s Apple Pie Travis Hasse Distilling Co. Cambridge

Tri-stretch Tri-stretch Athens

Pickle-in-a-Pouch Van Holten’s Waterloo

Symmetry Visa Lighting Milwaukee

Razor HD AMG Rifle Scope Vortex Optics Middleton

SnoDozer Wausau Equipment Wausau

Lazy Susan Turntable Bearing Triangle Manufacturing Company Oshkosh

Sea Salt Caramel Pecan Kringle Uncle Mike’s Bake Shoppe De Pere

madeinwis.com

CHAMPION:

Thorogood Weinbrenner Shoe Company Merrill

42 Fall 2018

Zesty Honey BBQ Sticks Wenzels Farm, LLC Marshfield

Whirly Board Whirly Board, LLC Lake Mills

Purebred Red WiscoBox WiscoBoxes Mount Horeb

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin

Wiskullsin T-Shirts Wiskullsin Milwaukee

Bernzomatic Torches & Cylinders Worthington Cylinders Wisconsin, LLC Chilton

Hybricor 204 WPC Technologies Oak Creek Presented by:

Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin | wisconsinbusinessvoice.org

Fall 2018 43

Soft Skills Key to a Talented Workforce

BLOCKCHAIN: Beyond Bitcoin

By Ben Niehaus District Administrator, School District of Florence County

By Jay Risch Secretary, Department of Financial Institutions

ne day as I reflect back upon my career as a school administrator, one of the pivotal days I’ll remember was our first business advisory meeting at Florence County High School. It was the spring of 2015, and our economic development director and I invited numerous business owners and leaders to the table. We were so excited to share of all the forthcoming possibilities of our new Fab Lab, and how our students would be exposed to a plethora of new technology. Almost as though it was rehearsed, in unison, all of our local and regional business representatives stopped us in our tracks. Their message—all the technological skills in the world mean nothing if our students do not know what must come first—work ethic, reliability, communication and teamwork. It’s not as though it should have surprised us, yet hearing it firsthand, as a collective message, set a vision for the future. As a former business education teacher, I placed an emphasis on real-world relevance; I utilized guest speakers and real-world situational examples as much as I could. Yet, the message from our industry advisory meeting caused me to reflect further and ask, “What more can, and should, we offer in our schools?” I immediately set my sights towards building a course solely devoted to instilling in students what will be expected of them by any future employer. Whether it’s

44 Fall 2018

the mom-and-pops that line our main streets, to the largest of manufacturers and professional institutions, what will be expected of our graduates beyond just a specific, technological skill set? Regardless of whether they attain employment immediately out of high school, a technical certificate or earn a degree from a graduate school, robust employability skills will be paramount to both their individual success, and the prosperity of the businesses they will serve.

All the technological skills in the world mean nothing if our students do not know what must come first—work ethic, reliability, communication and teamwork.

The School District of Florence County will begin the new school year offering a course devoted to the employability of our students. The course will be facilitated by our Family and Consumer Science Education teacher, who gained valuable experience in recently completing a summer externship with one of our local industries. Leaders from our industry advisory council will contribute towards different topics via real-world illustration (we also have

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | Education Voice

a network of retired individuals that will share from their expertise). These participating individuals and businesses will not just be guest speakers, but will lead students through situational experiences and activities so students can truly understand the relevance of what is being shared, and why it’s paramount to their future success. We are also optimistically confident that the messages and activities delivered will further engage students in all other aspects of their education. There are more opportunities for today’s high school graduates to attain gainful employment in Wisconsin than ever before. Our schools are offering technologically advanced programming, among other courses via hybrid platforms such as distance education. There is more that we can offer in support of preparing our youth for the careers of tomorrow, yet the further engagement of business and industry will help our schools succeed in these efforts. Whether it’s a specific course focused on employability skills, or a renewed focus on embedding employability descriptors in current course offerings, the growing support of business and industry in our schools will help us better prepare our students to be quality employees, leaders and service providers of tomorrow. n To learn more about how to connect with your local school district, contact Ben Niehaus at niehausb@myflorence. org.

re you familiar with the word “Blockchain”? If not, you need to be because this technology has already begun to disrupt any number of industries. People have heard of Bitcoin. However, the underlying technology which makes it possible remains a mystery to many. Blockchain (Distributed Ledger Technology) enables all cryptocurrencies to exist. But did you know that Walmart uses that same technology to know the exact location, time and date of harvest for the produce sold in its grocery stores? Or that Maersk, the shipping giant, has been piloting a Blockchain-backed platform to track and speed through customs cargo shipped by their customers? These examples are game changers in the food security and shipping businesses. What does Blockchain provide, that has these large organizations so excited? A trusted, secure and immutable audit trail. At this point you may be asking yourself “how does Blockchain technology provide such a secure platform?” Data is encrypted and linked to a growing list of records (blocks) and each record is linked to a previous record. The block is then distributed to a network, which adheres to a validation protocol. This network can contain hundreds of thousands to millions of computers. No block can be altered without the alteration of all subsequent blocks, which needs the majority of the network to accomplish. This lack of a centralized

Payment/Transaction Processing Blockchain technology would greatly speed securities’ transactions as well as international funds transfers. The banking industry has spent millions of dollars on research and development for enhancements to their consumer-based services.

Records Management

database makes it extremely difficult and expensive for anybody to hack the information in a Blockchain. As mentioned, Blockchain technology is currently used in some supply

What does Blockchain provide, that has these large organizations so excited? A trusted, secure and immutable audit trail.

chain management applications. Here are a few more examples of where Blockchain will create practical solutions to everyday issues:

Everything from birth records to death certificates, real estate deeds, mortgages and medical records will benefit from increased security and control by the individual through work being accomplished today with Blockchain.

Identification and Passwords How often has your personally identifiable information been compromised? Blockchain will make it infinitely more difficult for someone to hack this information and you will control who sees it. The upshot is that Blockchain has the potential to revolutionize how your business works; everything from your supply chain to inventory management to data security to contracts. It has already begun disrupting the financial institution and insurance industries, as well as shipping, trucking, health care, advertising and legal sectors to name a few more. Any transaction that requires trust or a third-party verification will be impacted. It is unclear what the future holds, but I am willing to wager it will involve Blockchain. n

Finance | wisconsinbusinessvoice.org

Fall 2018 45

“Gardner Manufacturing is in for $24,000 in energy savings and $33,000 in earned incentives.”

My Focus on Energy Story: Ed Hewitt, Gardner Manufacturing Dodge County, Wisconsin

Article Submitted by Focus on Energy

“Metal fabricating has a heavy demand for energy. For natural gas, demand and cost is extremely high during the winter months. With the help of Focus on Energy, we reviewed everything from facility lighting to HVAC systems. The incentives offered by the program inspired us to take a closer look at more expensive equipment that can provide improved energy efficiencies. The energy audit also showed us additional efficiency opportunities that we had never considered, like the lighting for our new powder coating spray booth. Gardner is committed to building on its past successes in an ongoing effort to reduce its energy usage. By installing energy efficient measures, we’re projected to save over $24K in energy costs this year, and earn incentives of more than $33K. Working with Focus on Energy can help identify areas of energy savings that one may never anticipate. The incentives can be very significant.”

Ed Hewitt Purchasing Manager Gardner Manufacturing

Focus on Energy partners with Wisconsin utilities to help businesses improve energy usage.

Power Your Profitability Call Focus on Energy today at 1-800-762-7077 or visit: wisconsinisin.com

46 Fall 2018

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org |

Employee Engagement Vital for Strategic Energy Management

N I S N O C S I W EFFICIENCY Y G R E N E N O GET IN

nergy efficiency is good business for large energy users (LEUs) in Wisconsin. Everyone understands LED lighting and variable frequency drives save energy and reduce costs. What is often overlooked, however, is the competitive advantage that comes with engaging employees in energy efficiency efforts and having a strategic approach to managing those efforts. “Our employees understand our production process and equipment inside and out. They also understand where the opportunities for improving our energy efficiency reside. With Focus on Energy’s help, we’re engaging employees at our Plover facility in quantifying and pursuing those opportunities. With that engagement as well as real-time data management, we’re getting some impressive savings and generating even more improvement ideas,” said Justin Pope, Director of Environment, Health and Safety for Foremost Farms USA. “We’re expanding what we’ve learned to our other Wisconsin locations.” Capturing employee input and using it to improve energy efficiency requires an effective energy management system. Most LEUs are familiar with continuous improvement systems such as Lean, Six Sigma or ISO associated with product quality, safety and environmental management. Why should energy be managed any differently? Foremost Farms is one of 14 Wisconsin companies, with support from Focus on Energy, managing their ener-

gy in conformance with ISO 50001, the international standard for Energy Management Systems. “The ISO framework just makes sense for where we want to be as a company when it comes to energy management. We’re not all the way there just yet, but we have a plan and schedule for getting to the ISO level,” Pope said. With strong senior management support and crucial employee engagement, Charter Steel achieved ISO 50001 certification of its Saukville facility in December 2017. “We’ve had great progress understanding and improving our energy performance. That would not have happened without serious buy-in from our production people. Executive-level support and the ISO certification make our commitment to energy management a strategic part of our business practice,” according to Tari Emerson, Charter Steel’s Director of Energy. Developing key performance indicators (KPIs) for tracking actual performance against expectations is at the heart of any continuous improvement effort. “Using historical production data along with weather and other relevant variables, we can create a statistical model showing the expected energy use for any given production condition,” said Nate Altfeather, Focus on Energy’s Director of Strategic Energy Management (SEM). The gap between what the utility bill shows and the model expects indicates how well or poorly energy is being managed at any given

time. That’s where engaging knowledgeable employees is crucial. “The bigger the gap the more questions we have. Employee insights into those gaps point us toward efficiency improvement opportunities,” said Altfeather. You need not pursue nor even be aware of ISO 50001 to make use of the statistical modeling offered by Focus on Energy. Through its SEM Partners Program, Altfeather’s team is supporting 40 companies using their historical data to create a model, capture management’s attention, engage employees and drive improvements. “The model showed the savings we created using the setback capability on our HVAC system,” said Ken Alegria, Maintenance Manager at WPS Health Solutions in Madison. “When we discontinued setbacks for a variety of reasons, the model immediately showed the negative impact and cost implications. It was an easy sell getting management back on board with using the setback capability.” n To learn more about the range of energy-related technical, financial and management support available for your company from Focus on Energy contact Nate Altfeather at 608-819-9038.

Sponsored Content | wisconsinbusinessvoice.org

Fall 2018 47

WMC SEEN & HEARD

Just Trying to Build the Best Kickball Team

t least that’s the running internal narrative he and his colleagues use to explain M3 Insurance’s formula for success. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, M3 has established a strong record of consistent growth. Since 2005 the company has gone from 150 employees and $23 million in annual revenue, to $60 million in 2017 and more than 260 employees in five offices throughout Wisconsin. Back in 2003, Victorson became president of M3, with the title of CEO coming two years later. As for his own role in the company’s success, Victorson is quick to deflect that “M3 wouldn’t be what it is today if it was the product of just one person.” He points to the company’s heavy investment in talent acquisition and development, explaining that it’s allowed M3 “to grow organically at a faster clip and build a competitive kickball team.”

Victorson suggests M3’s success also has a lot to do with a company value that was instilled in him early on: “This is a people-first business. I think we’ve been able to keep the focus on serving and living generously.” That focus encompasses not only M3 clients but the community as well, says Victorson. That in turn has had a positive effect on the company itself. “We’ve seen it over and over again:

When M3ers engage in the community, they’re simply better, for each other and our clients.” Victorson himself is always on the lookout for new ways to connect to the community—like recently joining the WMC Foundation Board. “It felt like a great way for me to give back to the business community of Wisconsin and to get to know more personally the issues facing our state,” he says. This year M3 Insurance is sponsoring the WMC Manufacturing Tour. Victorson says the businesses highlighted in the tour are clearly leaders in their respective industries. “They’re not only innovating; they’re executing on that innovation. That’s not an easy thing to do, but it can be incredibly inspiring to others. It can move people to action. That’s the kind of thing we aspire to at M3 every day, and it’s why we wanted to support the Tour.” n

In honor of Wisconsin Manufacturing Month in October, WMC employ-

WMC Staff members (left to right) Susan Nyffenegger, Dawn Mangin,

ees signed a “Made in Wisconsin” flag, which has flown outside the

Michelle Grajkowski, Nick Burger, Brittany Rockwell and Janet Metzger

WMC headquarters all month to highlight the state’s largest industry.

at the WMC Foundation Golf Outing in August.

Local chamber executives at the Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce Executives (WCCE) Annual Conference held in September, which Gov. Walker proclaimed as Chamber of Commerce Month.

POWER YOUR PROFITABILITY Neenah, Inc. decreased their energy costs 4 percent by taking advantage of technical, financial and strategic energy management assistance from FOCUS ON ENERGY. The facility was recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy for instituting global best practices in conformance with the ISO 50001 standard for energy management systems. Improving efficiency through effective energy management and employee engagement is helping our company stay competitive in a challenging business environment. - Chris Gethers, Operations Manager

48 Fall 2018

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | Executive Profile

FOCUSONENERGY.COM/BUSINESS

Past WMC Chairmen all gathered in September for the organization’s

Kreilkamp Trucking’s Tim Kreilkamp, John Deere’s Steve Johnson,

Leadership Dinner, which gives past Chairman a chance to connect

WMC’s Kurt Bauer, WMC Foundation’s Wade Goodsell and WEDC’s Tri-

and meet with WMC staff.

cia Braun participate in the Future Wisconsin Project Steering Committee Kickoff Meeting in July.

WMC Seen & Heard | wisconsinbusinessvoice.org

Fall 2018 49

YOUR BUSINESS WITH TRADITIONAL LIFE AND DISABILITY INSURANCE:

Balancing Act By Todd Kuckkahn Executive Director, Portage County Business Council

he spinning plates on the Ed Sullivan Show provides a great visual of a balancing act. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, search for it on YouTube. This time of year our ability to spin all of the plates (and other items) and keep them spinning is severely stressed—summer vacations are over, athletic events abound, students getting in the groove at school, budgeting for 2019, increased social media traffic, raking leaves, you name it. This balancing act of work, life and other parts of our lives has gained even more attention based on the interests of young professionals across the country. Research shows that young professionals are more often than not choosing where to live based on the place and quality of life and not necessarily the job and salary. The quantity of jobs available across the country makes this more important. As you’ve heard/read me say ad nausea in my community, the balancing act of work/life connects directly to talent attraction. As a community, we need to create “places” that embody quality of life. Those places are both in and out of the workplace. And it is everyone’s responsibility-education, government, business, parents. There are a number of organizations in the central Wisconsin community, including the Portage County Business Council, who are working on programs and events, as well as seeds of ideas, to enhance our place throughout the community. The focus is on experiences and

50 Fall 2018

inclusivity. One such group is Rotary and the sister/partner cities and their work on the Cultural Commons, a pocket park in Pfiffner Park along the Wisconsin river. The New ERA Workshop 2.0 in 2018 was another dive into these opportunities to enhance our community and place. Nearly one hundred gathered to engage in lively discussions about community priorities.

This balancing act of work, life and other parts of our lives has gained even more attention based on the interests of young professionals across the country. Place also exists within the workplace and the culture of the organization. There is a balance here, as well, and it has impacted every type of business. Corporate culture speaks volumes and is easy to detect. We have made some simple changes here to address the needs of our employees while still getting our laundry list of jobs, tasks, events and programs done. Young professionals are not expecting and should not expect a free-will, come and go as you want, culture. The work needs to get done. However, is the 9-to-5/sit at the desk culture the most effective for employees? In some cases, it definitely is necessary. When it isn’t, are there alternatives that can still be

wisconsinbusinessvoice.org | Chamber Voice

managed based on the size of the organization? Change is nearly as difficult as spinning plates, however if nothing changes, then nothing changes. Onboarding of new employees also is key indicator of the corporate culture and willingness of an organization to address work/life balance. The onboarding (i.e. orientation) process should be more than filling out reams of forms (on or off-line) and being shown where the restrooms are located. A new employee can tell a lot those first few days. Young professionals and all workers want to know the values and beliefs of an organization. They want to engage in experiences. Outboarding is a newer phenomenon. When employees leave an organization under positive circumstances, you should keep in mind that you never know when that employee might come back. I just had a conversation with a major employer in our community whose light went on when I mentioned this strategy. Communicate with employees who have left and you would want back in the same vein that a university or college communicates with their alumni. Whether coming in the door or exiting the door, the corporate culture must reflect a respect of the balancing act we all are confronted with on a daily basis. The culture will be different in every business. The community, as well, must be a welcoming place where a variety of experiences gives people the opportunity to connect in a positive way with place. Keep those plates spinning! n

YOUR BUSINESS WITH WMC GROUP LIFE AND DISABILITY INSURANCE:

insurance JOIN THE POOL TODAY AND SAVE! WMC Insurance provides coverage for more than 200 companies and over 15,000 employees. From small companies with 10 employees to those with a few thousand, WMC Insurance could save you on both premium and administrative costs. Join the pool today!

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Current Products Offered: • Basic Group EE/Dep. Term Life/AD&D • Supplemental Group Accident • Long Term Disability • Optional Group EE/Dep. Term Life/AD&D • Supplemental Group Critical |Illness • Leave Management wisconsinbusinessvoice.org Fall 2018 51 • Short Term Disability • Supplemental Hospital Indemnity