BizTimes Milwaukee | April 2, 2018 by BizTimes Media

TRUMP AND WALKER SPAR ON TARIFFS 13 HUNT PREPARES TO FILL EPPLI’S SHOES 16 SOLAR GENERATING EXCITEMENT, SAVINGS 28

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BizTimes Milwaukee (ISSN 1095-936X & USPS # 017813) Volume 24, Number 1, April 2, 2018 – April 15, 2018. BizTimes Milwaukee is published bi-weekly, except monthly in January, July and December by BizTimes Media LLC at 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120, USA. Basic annual subscription rate is $42. Single copy price is $3.25. Back issues are $5 each. Periodicals postage paid at Milwaukee, WI and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: Send address corrections to BizTimes Milwaukee, 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120. Entire contents copyright 2018 by BizTimes Media LLC. All rights reserved.

Contents

4 Leading Edge 4 NOW BY THE NUMBERS 5 BIZ LUNCH 6 JUMP START 7 THE GOOD LIFE 8 BIZ POLL WHO’S ON THE BOARD 9 COFFEE BREAK 10 MY FAVORITE TECH 11 STYLE 12 INNOVATIONS

13 News 13 MY TAKE 14 THE INTERVIEW

16 Real Estate 30 Strategies COVER STORY

Special Report

Real Estate & Design

30 SOCIETY Susan Marshall 31 LEADERSHIP Aleta Norris 32 FAMILY BUSINESS Cary Silverstein

34 Biz Connections 34 PAY IT FORWARD 35 PERSONNEL FILE 36 GLANCE AT YESTERYEAR COMMENTARY 37 AROUND TOWN 38 MY TOUGHEST CHALLENGE

In addition to the cover story, a look at the increasing popularity of solar installations among developers and homeowners.

            

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biztimes.com / 3

Leading Edge

BIZTIMES MEDIA – Like us

NOW

Some major area companies object to Trump’s tariffs By BizTimes staff Three of southeastern Wisconsin’s most prominent businesses have raised objections to President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Trump recently announced tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum, with some exceptions for certain allies, plus tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese imports. The actions have some busi-

nesses concerned. In a series of tweets after the president announced the steel and aluminum tariffs, brewing giant MillerCoors said it was disappointed in the decision and said “it is likely to lead to job losses across the beer industry.” “We buy as much domestic can sheet aluminum as is available;

BY THE NUMBERS Two lawyers agreed to plead guilty to embezzling nearly

4.5 MILLION from Johnson Controls using fake invoices over 15 years.

4 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 2, 2018

however, there simply isn’t enough supply to satisfy the demands of American beverage makers like us. American workers and American consumers will suffer as a result of this misguided tariff,” MillerCoors tweeted. The brewer has upward of 1,400 employees in Milwaukee. Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson Inc. warned that potential retaliatory tariffs would have “a significant impact” on the company after the European Union included motorcycles on a list of products targeted in response to Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs. “A punitive, retaliatory tariff on Harley-Davidson motorcycles in any market would have a significant impact on our sales, our dealers, their suppliers and our customers in those markets,” Harley said in a statement. Europe is the second-largest market for Harley motorcycles, with 39,773 bikes sold at retail last year, accounting for almost 42 percent of international retail sales. Retail dealers in the U.S. sold 147,972 motorcycles in 2017. “We support free and fair trade,” Harley’s statement said. “Import tariffs on steel and aluminum will drive up costs for all products made with these raw materials, regardless of their origin.” Increasing international sales to 50 percent of revenue is

among the key goals of a 10-year plan Harley unveiled last year. The company is also no stranger to challenges of international trade, facing import tariffs as high as 100 percent in some countries. To get around those trade barriers, Harley has established assembly facilities in Brazil, India and, most recently, Thailand. Major retailers from across the United States, including Menomonee Falls-based Kohl’s Corp., sent a letter to Trump urging him not to impose tariffs on goods imported from China. The letter to Trump was signed by 24 companies, including Kohl’s, and also included Walmart Inc., Target Corp., J.C. Penney Co. Inc., Best Buy Co. Inc., Ikea North America Services LLC and Macy’s Inc. “In the U.S., those who can afford less pay more because the U.S. levies the highest tariffs on basic consumer goods,” the letter states. “For example, families shopping in our stores pay higher prices because America already levies import taxes as much as 32 and 67 percent on basic clothes and shoes. Applying any additional broad-based tariff would worsen this inequity and punish American working families with higher prices on household basics like clothing, shoes, electronics and home goods.” n

Lunch

Biz

MITCHELL’S FISH MARKET A D D R E S S: 275 N. Moorland Road, Brookfield

C H E F: Dan Hammer M O O D: Coastal elegant, polished casual

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

CUISINE: Seafood

PRICING: Lunch entrees, $10-20; Dinner entrees, $16-35

Its Brookfield Square location makes Mitchell’s Fish Market a prime spot for business entertainment. During the week, local professionals frequently dine at the seafood chain for lunch meetings, or hold small corporate events in its private dining room, said area general manager Tyler Peyton. Mitchell’s most popular menu items include its Lobster and Shrimp Stuffed Cod, Ocean Cobb salad, and Cedar Plank Salmon. “We bring great, fresh seafood on a daily basis to the Midwest,” Peyton said. “Our sourcing varies every day – we look at pricing and what is available on the market and order it every day.” With a dining room that seats 200 and a bar that holds 50, Mitchell’s attracts a crowd for lunch, but its happy hour and dinner service is even more popular, Peyton said. During the summer, the restaurant opens its outdoor patio, which can accommodate an additional 50 people. Mitchell’s is owned by Landry’s Inc., a Houston-based hospitality group that owns more than 600 establishments nationwide. 

12 3

3 A lunch and dinner signature dish, the Cedar Plank Salmon is dressed with balsamic glaze, goat cheese, asparagus, sweet peppers and zucchini. Mitchell’s happy hour, offered Sunday through Friday, features $5 cocktails such as its Mango-jito and Market Margarita. The Crab Stuffed Shrimp is paired with smashed redskin potatoes and seasonal vegetables, and drizzled with lemon butter sauce. biztimes.com / 5

Leading Edge

@BIZTIMESMEDIA – Real-time news

LEASECRUNCH LLC LOCATION: Hartford FOUNDERS: Ane Ohm and undisclosed partner FOUNDED: October 2017 PRODUCT: Lease accounting software WEBSITE: leasecrunch.com EMPLOYEES: 10

EXPERIENCE: Ohm holds a bachelor’s in accounting from the University of Wisconsin. She was previously chief executive officer of HarQen, and before that president at LaserNet and vice president at Pinstripe and Strong Financial Services. She recently acquired Hartford-based staffing agency Staffing Support Specialists.

Helping CPA firms crunch the numbers By Molly Dill, staff writer

6 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 2, 2018

LILA ARYAN PHOTOGRAPHY

GOAL: Get clients on the platform

Ane Ohm

IN 2019, new standards will be rolled out that make the process of accounting for business leases more complicated. CPA firms are beginning to prepare for the change, and Ane Ohm has developed a software platform to assist them. “Given the complications of what they are coming out with, you need to have a system in place,” Ohm said. The new rule applies to all companies that abide by Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, she said. “The present value of those future lease payments all are a liability you have to have on your books,” Ohm said. “That can have a pretty big impact on an organization.” Together with an unnamed co-founder, Ohm developed the LeaseCrunch Software-asa-Service platform for CPA firms implementing the new standard. It will be sold in a monthly subscription model, she said. “If you saw the calculations, it would be virtually impossible to do this in a spreadsheet and have it be accurate,” she said. “We’re designing this to be very easy to use.” The LeaseCrunch platform has a wizard that guides the accountant through properly

categorizing each lease, evaluating the terms of each lease, and providing the correct footnote disclosures. By selling the product to CPA firms, LeaseCrunch can target companies with fewer than 2,000 leases, a niche its competitors aren’t targeting. Ohm and her co-founder have self-funded the company so far, and hope to keep it that way. LeaseCrunch launched in mid-March, and its founders have now turned to securing CPA firm clients and helping those firms roll the new processes out to their customers. “Of all the CPA firms we’ve talked to so far, every single one of them has said, ‘Wow, this is the tool we need.’ We seem to have developed something for which there’s a real need in the marketplace,” Ohm said. And with her previous startup experience, Ohm said she knows when a potential customer sees value in the product. “You’ve got to be very careful about how you take in feedback and what you consider to be really true,” she said. “I have learned it the hard way multiple times over, so bringing that experience to this organization has been really valuable.” n

An outsized Western adventure By Molly Dill, staff writer

n October 2017, three large crates of elk meat were dropped off on Michael Klein’s front lawn.

the

Good LIFE

The problem was, Klein was away on business and his wife, Maureen, couldn’t lift the massive 50-pound containers. “All she could do with this thing, because I wasn’t home, was drag it behind the bushes,” said Klein, managing director at Milwaukee-based Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. Luckily, the meat was on ice. But Klein’s logistical issues were just beginning. He didn’t have nearly enough space to store that amount of meat, or enough people in his household to eat it in a timely manner. So he enlisted the help of the Milwaukee Athletic Club, where he’s a member, to store the meat in its freezer while he distributed it to family and friends. The whole thing started when a friend

planned a trip to an elk lodge and invited Klein along. But then the friend broke his arm and Klein, an elk-hunting newbie, ended up at Wyoming’s Three Forks Ranch solo. On his fourth day, Klein shot a 660-pound elk. “It was the prime week to go, when all the elk are bugling,” Klein said. He sent 100 pounds of meat to his son’s college basketball team in Indiana and figured there would be a little bit left to send to his house. “I just didn’t realize how much meat was left over,” he said. “I was a little naïve in understanding the quantity part of the whole adventure.” Klein loves hunting because it gives him quality time to disconnect. “It is the solitude of it. The amount of time you spend hiking and tracking is very relaxing and rewarding,” he said. n

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Leading Edge BIZ POLL

BIZTIMES MEDIA – Connect

Who’s on the Board?

A recent survey of BizTimes.com readers.

Do you agree with President Trump’s decision to place tariffs on imported steel and aluminum? Yes:

37%

No:

63%

JOHNSON CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL PLC

Share your opinion! Visit biztimes.com/bizpoll to cast your vote in the next Biz Poll.

• George Oliver, chairman and chief executive officer, Johnson Controls • Michael Daniels, retired senior vice president, Global Technology Services, IBM Corp. • W. Roy Dunbar, former CEO and chairman, Network Solutions • Brian Duperreault, president and CEO, AIG • Gretchen Haggerty, former executive vice president and chief financial officer, U.S. Steel Corp.

Oliver

• Simone Menne, former CFO, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH • Juan Pablo del Valle Perochena, chairman, Mexichem S.A.B. de C.V. • Jürgen Tinggren, retired CEO, Schindler Group • Mark Vergnano, president, CEO and director, The Chemours Co. • R. David Yost, retired director and CEO, AmerisourceBergen • John Young, group president, Pfizer Innovative Health

HOW TO MAKE YOUR FAMILY BUSINESS LAST

Mitzi Perdue

On April 11th, join the Family Business Legacy Institute as we welcome and hear from speaker, author and businesswoman, Mitzi Perdue. Most recently, she’s authored, How to Make Your Family Business Last: Techniques, Advice, Checklists and Resources for Keeping the Family Business in the Family. Mitzi Perdue is the daughter of one family business titan (her father founded the Sheraton Hotel Chain) and the widow of another, (her late husband was the poultry magnate, Frank Perdue), and she is also a businesswoman in her own right. She started the family wine grape business, now one of the larger suppliers of wine grapes in California.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2018

PRICING

Marquette University - Alumni Memorial Union 7:30 - 8:00 am - Registration, Networking, Continental Breakfast 8:00 - 10:00 am - Program

Individual Seats - $50 per person Reserved seating (10) - $400

8 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 2, 2018

Event Partners:

COFFEE BREAK

WISCONSIN INTERNATIONAL TRADE CONFERENCE

UNLOCKING GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES

Kari Klatt

Executive director | Stowell Associates LLC 4485 N. Oakland Ave., Milwaukee caremanagedhomecare.com

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2018

INDUSTRY: Home care and care management EMPLOYEES: 178

7:30AM - 5:00PM

• She’s up for a promotion. Stowell Associates was sold to a

Wisconsin Center | 400 W. Wisconsin Ave. | MKE

new ownership group Dec. 8 and it’s in the midst of scaling to add more offices. Klatt will become chief operating officer. • Klatt likes to be hands-on. She takes on some care management to stay grounded in the work she’s supervising. “It’s so valuable because you see what’s working and not working.”

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• Inclusivity is helpful in times of change. As the new owners make changes, she has emphasized communication in her leadership. “It’s very intentional today because of the rapid change, and helping people to feel a part of it will really go a long way.”

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• She lets her hair down at work. One of her first assignments at Stowell when she started in 2011 was to lead a strategic planning meeting. “I was a bit overzealous, so I had music and prizes and I went to the party store and I got this and that, and some of those things are still around the office.”

Please join us at the Greater Milwaukee

Go Red For Women® Luncheon May 11, 2018 | The Pfister Hotel 10:30am - Noon | Registration, Networking & Silent Auction

• Klatt holds a master’s in social work and a bachelor’s in nursing. The combo has proven

Noon - 1:00pm | Lunch, Live Auction, & Open Your Heart Appeal

Tickets can be purchased at

heart.org/GoRedMilwaukee

powerful and uncommon, she said.

For sponsorship and leadership opportunities, contact Maria Betts

maria.betts@heart.org | 414.227.1412

• Cycling is her passion. Klatt recently traveled to Italy for a bike tour. “Most of my downtime is to balance the time that I’m sitting in front of a computer.”

Locally sponsored by

• Her coffee order: triple shot honey latte. n

LILA ARYAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Red Dress Collection Sponsor

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3/23/2018 9:53:16 AM

Leading Edge 2019 EDITION

GIVING GUIDE A SUPPLEMENT

REGIONAL P HILANTHRO

PIC OPPORTU NIT

IES

2018 EDITION

SPONSORED BY

MY FAVORITE TECH KATHY HUST President, Scanalytics Inc.

Reserve your space in the 2018 Giving Guide

Your involvement in this annual publication includes an in-depth profile, plus several advertising elements in BizTimes Milwaukee magazine, BizTimes Nonprofit Weekly enewsletter and BizTimes.com. Take advantage of the opportunity for your organization to be seen by the Region’s Business and Philanthropic Leaders all year long.

Publication Date: November 12, 2018

Contact Media Sales today! (414) 336-7112 or advertise@biztimes.com A SUPPLEMENT OF

10 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 2, 2018

Kathy Hust, a former wireless industry executive, now helps lead Milwaukee-based startup Scanalytics Inc. as its president. Founded in 2013, Scanalytics measures human behavior with intelligent floor sensors and a predictive analytics platform that can be deployed in commercial, retail and home environments. Both personally and professionally, Hust relies on a few tech tools to keep her productive and focused. Here are some of her go-to apps:

STRAVA “As an avid cyclist, the Strava App (Strava is Swedish for ’strive’) is a great tool to keep track of my ride metrics and performance. On a regular basis, I dig deep into the data to understand where there are opportunities to build on strengths and areas of desired improvement. It also has built-in beacon technology in case of an emergency.”

SLACK “Slack is my preferred app to facilitate team communication. It’s a terrific resource for groups that are managing multiple projects. Slack helps to organize projects, keep the team focused and deliver on expectations.”

APPLE WATCH “I love my Apple Watch! It keeps me on track with my personal, professional and fitness goals and provides constant communication with family, friends and colleagues. When used with GPS and fitness/ health apps, I can optimize workouts and get the most out of the day.”

FUTURISM “Working in and around tech startups, I am naturally curious about technical advances, as well as staying current with innovations that are on the forefront of ‘the possible.’ The Futurism app provides fascinating daily updates in areas of science, technology, climate change, medical advances, finance, space exploration and more.” n

STYLE

statement necklaces

ORNAMENTAL THINGS BLUE SPIKE REULEAUX

FRENCH KANDE DAFFODIL MIX AND WILLIAM MEDALLION

$62 at SHOP, Shorewood A 32-inch aged-brass chain holds a 2.25-inch pendant, which features a brass frame highlighting a blue, triangleshaped Swarovski crystal for a pop of color.

$259 at Fayeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Mequon and Brookfield Handcrafted in Los Angeles, this short necklace is 17 inches of handcrafted daffodil mix stone, which is made of yellow jade, lily agate, African opal and selenite. Its St. Tropez bezel holds a sterling silver- and brass-plated William medallion. The piece could be worn layered with other necklaces or on its own.

KEIRA CRESCENT $39 at Salamander, Wauwatosa This piece features a short, gold Cleopatra-esque neck that is detailed with black and white tassels wrapped in goldtinted string.

SUNA BROS PLATINUM BORN COLLECTION PIECE $3,200 at Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, Whitefish Bay and Milwaukee Each individual piece of platinum is precision-cut, hand-fitted with magnets and silicone, and strung by one long chain. This magnetic and free-moving piece of jewelry can take multiple forms, as a choker, Y-shaped or long necklace.

biztimes.com / 11

Leading Edge

INN Aurora Health Care to roll out AI-powered ‘digital concierge’

Aurora Health Care Inc. Milwaukee

INNOVATION: Symptom checker chatbot FOUNDED: 1984 aurorahealthcare.org 12 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 2, 2018

BIZTIMES MEDIA – Like us

VAT I IF YOU ARE STARTING to come down with a sore throat but don’t want to leave the comfort of your own home, you could embark on a Google search of your symptoms, make your best guess at a diagnosis and assess possible remedies based on your internet research. Or you could have a bot – backed by a library of clinically-approved information – do the work for you. That’s a new option that could soon be available to Aurora Health Care patients as the Milwaukee-based health care system works to roll out a new “digital concierge” chatbot powered by artificial intelligence. Aurora’s digital division has teamed up with developers from Microsoft Corp.’s health care innovation arm, the Microsoft Healthcare NExT initiative, on developing the tool that they say will simplify the process of determining whether and where a patient needs to get help. The bot, which appears in a web browser, understands natural language. The user answers a set of questions about herself and her symptoms, and the bot adapts to her answers, then provides possible causes and suggests a treatment plan, including whether the patient should go to urgent care, see his primary care doctor or stay at home and rest. If the patient should receive medical care, the user can click through to reserve his or her place in line at an Aurora urgent care location. The bot, which is programmed as an extensive set of decision trees, knows about 5,000 health conditions and will learn more as it’s used by more people. With a growing number of options for how patients receive care, the digital concierge provides clarity. “There’s Video Visit, Quick Care, the emergency room – this helps navigate that complexity,” said Jeremy Ampe, director of

The chatbot, which appears in a web browser, understands natural language and adapts to a user’s answers.

digital experience design for Aurora. The chatbot isn’t meant to be a substitute for a doctor, said Jamey Shiels, vice president of digital experience for Aurora. Rather, it’s aimed at helping patients find the most appropriate care. “It’s not intended to give you clinical advice,” Shiels said. “It’s intended to help you make an informed decision around what clinical setting to go to.” The bot is currently in a beta test phase, with plans to roll it out on the Aurora website later this year. The digital team is also exploring the possibility of using voice recognition. “It’s something we want to study,” Shiels said. “People are comfortable with chatbots. They’re interacting with them in many more environments from a customer service standpoint. We want to see if that level of comfort with chatbots translates to a chatbot in health care.” Ampe said it’s a natural next step for patients who already turn to the internet for their health-related inquiries. Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin also recently launched a similar digital health tool on its website aimed at simplifying patients’ online search for health information. The symptom checker, called Buoy, asks users about their symptoms and responds to the answers in real time with a personalized analysis and recommendation of how to best treat the symptoms.

Froedtert & MCW’s innovation accelerator, Inception Health, researched a host of tools and chose Buoy for its clinical evidence and personal, intuitive user experience, the health system said. A team of doctors and computer scientists worked with Harvard’s Innovation Laboratory to develop the app by mapping out symptoms and how people describe them in searches to create the tool. “Buoy’s algorithm really listens and then recalculates your inputs in real time,” said Andrew Le, co-founder and chief executive officer of Buoy Health. “This helps serve up questions that will more quickly and more accurately identify what’s wrong, so you can get on the right path to getting better.” n

LAUREN ANDERSON Reporter

P / 414-336-7121 E / lauren.anderson@biztimes.com T / @Biz_Lauren

Biz News

MY TA K E

Are Trump’s tariffs a good idea?

President Donald Trump recently ordered a 25 percent tariff on imported steel, a 10 percent tariff on imported aluminum and tariffs on up to $50 billion in Chinese imports. Some allies and trading partners will be exempt from the steel and aluminum tariffs. Several conservatives, including Gov. Scott Walker, have criticized the president’s tariff plans. n

WOMEN IN BUSINESS SPEAKER SERIES

MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY College of Business Administration

Presents

Lessons in Leadership — Impact, Service and Gratitude Mary Ellen Stanek Managing Director, Robert W. Baird & Co., and Chief Investment Officer, Baird Advisors

MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2018 4:30 p.m. Registration Register online at marquette.edu/womeninbusiness.

DONALD TRUMP SCOTT WALKER President

Governor

YES NO F O O D PA N T RY O F WAUKESHA COUNTY

IMPACT ON JOBS “The United States has an $800 billion yearly trade deficit because of our ‘very stupid’ trade deals and policies. Our jobs and wealth are being given to other countries that have taken advantage of us for years. They laugh at what fools our leaders have been. No more!”

“If President Donald Trump wants to protect good-paying, family-supporting jobs in America, especially here in Wisconsin, then he should reconsider the administration’s position on tariffs.”

ANTICIPATED RESPONSE “The European Union, wonderful countries who treat the U.S. very badly on trade, are complaining about the tariffs on steel and aluminum. If they drop their horrific barriers and tariffs on U.S. products going in, we will likewise drop ours. Big deficit. If not, we tax cars, etc. Fair!”

FOODPantry O F WAU K E S H A C O U N T Y

End hunger. Start here.

2018 GIVING GUIDE F EATURED NONPROF I T

“These tariffs…will not only cause major disruption in the market and drive prices up, it will likely cause layoffs and plant closures, with jobs and operations shifting to other countries.”

“The goal of the Trump administration, I believe, is to protect American workers. Unfortunately, the practical application here of the tariff on steel and aluminum would lead to jobs being lost in Wisconsin and moved, not to other states, but to other countries.”

The Food Pantry of Waukesha County provides food, hope, and dignity to county residents in need, and advocates to increase awareness of hunger in the community through collaborative action.

To learn more, visit biztimes.com/giving PRODUCED BY

GIRLS ON THE RUN OF SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN PHONE: (414) 367-8171 WEB: girlsontherunsoutheasternwi.org

HOW IT WILL PL AY OUT “When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win. Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, don’t trade anymore-we win big. It’s easy!”

PHONE: (262) 542-5300 WEB: waukeshafoodpantry.org

We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.

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biztimes.com / 13

BizNews

the

Interview

IT’S BEEN a busy couple of months for The Dohmen Co. In March, the company com-

pleted the sale of its Dohmen Life Science Services business to Water Street Healthcare Partners and JLL Partners for an undisclosed price. In February, The Dohmen Co. announced the launch of a new public benefit corporation, Dohmen Constellations, following newly-enacted state legislation that’s paved the way for the new category of corporation. BizTimes reporter Lauren Anderson recently asked Cynthia LaConte, chief executive officer of The Dohmen Co., about those changes and Dohmen’s recent investment in a program that trains low-income young adults for careers in technology. Why did Dohmen decide to sell Dohmen Life Science Services? “We steadily built the commercialization services platform we knew biopharma companies would need in order to effectively reach patients as an end consumer. The industry placed a high value on the capability we assembled, so we took the opportunity to exit biopharma and move on to our next set of ideas. That’s the benefit of being agile, but also being patient – we can incubate an idea and grow it to a business of intermediate size without having to go to the capital markets. Then we can move quickly, passing the baton to larger companies willing to scale our platform to the next level of growth.”

Dohmen had been advocating for the public benefit designation in Wisconsin. Why? “There’s an increasing body of economic evidence that correlates societal wellbeing with greater levels of innovation and productivity. It only makes sense that people that are educated, healthy and have a high quality of life will be happier citizens, better able to fully participate as stakeholders within our economy. Business has a huge role to play here. Since the ’70s, business began to prioritize short-term profits over long-term social responsibility, and over the same period, we’ve seen increasing income inequality and decreasing rates of innovation and growth. (The designation) offers a new tool, one that prioritizes societal purpose over shareholder profit in a formal way.”

How will Dohmen Constellations work to close the health equity gap through social business investment? “I believe the simplest way to narrow the health equity gap is to narrow the wage and wealth gap, so we started Dohmen Constellations as a way to explore using business as a catalyst for community change. Our premise is founded on the belief that if profits are used to benefit the lives of employees, we’ll end up with stronger businesses, a stronger society and ultimately, a stronger economy.”

LILA ARYAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Dohmen recently committed $1.6 million to help launch i.c. stars in Milwaukee. Why?

Cynthia LaConte Chief executive officer The Dohmen Co. Employees: 100 (800 pre-divestiture) dohmen.com 14 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 2, 2018

“It had a proven, 20-year track record of successfully closing the wage gap for participants in their Chicago-based program. The CEO and her board were looking for a way to increase their impact by scaling the program nationally. Those objectives intersected with a small group of technology leaders in Milwaukee that had heard about the program and wanted to support it. Finally, the program was credentialized, in our eyes, because this 501(c)(3) had found ways to dilute their dependency on donations and grants by introducing revenue-generating activities to their P&L.”

How do you maintain an agile approach to business? “We’ve been unafraid to change what we do, and unwilling to change who we are. Our vision and our values keep us anchored through change, giving us a strong sense of purpose and continuity. Yet, our vision is big enough and bold enough to afford a variety of opportunities – there are lots of different ways we can realize it. This gives us room to think about Dohmen’s long-term strategic future in an evolutionary way, considering new possibilities and taking on new challenges.” n

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The Center for Real Estate is based in the Marquette University College of Business Administration.

Hunt to help find Eppli’s replacement

In 2010, two years after graduating from Marquette University’s real estate program, Andy Hunt received a call from his former professor and mentor, Dr. Mark Eppli. Eppli needed an assistant director for the university’s Center for Real Estate. But more impor-

tantly, he wanted someone who would be the right fit for the business school. “I think he used the words, ‘If I went on a five-hour car Hunt ride with this person, would I enjoy the ride?’” Hunt spent the next four years at the center before moving to Denver with his wife and fellow Marquette alumnus, Catherine, to pursue their respective careers in real estate and as a physician’s assistant. Hunt spent time working at Prologis, a publicly-traded real estate investment trust that owns several properties, including the Amazon.com Inc. distribution center in Kenosha. He was also a financial analyst with an investment group outside of Boulder. But in the summer of 2017, the couple had their first child, daughter Adeline, and they were ready to come back to Milwaukee. The timing was right. Eppli, professor of finance and Robert B. Bell Sr. Chair in Real Estate at Marquette University’s College of Business Administration, was look-

THE CORNERS OF BROOKFIELD

BIRD’S EYE VIEW: T H E C O R N E R S OF BROOKFIELD

16 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 2, 2018

AFTER YEARS OF PREPARATION, The Corners of Brookfield opened its first eight stores to the public in the Town of Brookfield in April 2017. Since then, the new shopping center has continued to add tenants. The 750,000-square-foot mixed-use development east of North Barker Road between I-94 and West Bluemound Road includes first-to-Wisconsin brands Von Maur department store and L.L. Bean. Other tenants include Café Hollander, CycleBar, BelAir Cantina, Kendra Scott, lululemon and Sendik’s. In summer 2017, Mandel Group Inc. opened 244 luxury apartments at the development, and Silverspot Cinema plans to open a nine-screen cinema in 2019. The Corners has become the town’s downtown district, hosting community events including live music, family movie nights, parades and marching bands, outdoor yoga and a 5K race. A holiday tree lighting drew more than 5,000 people.

the commercial real estate industry. “ACRE’s goal, at its core, is exactly what we are all about at Marquette – cura personalis, and being men and women for others,” Hunt said. The real estate program is also adding to its academic team. Kevin Smith, retired senior managing director and head of Americas for Prudential Real Estate Investors, will begin teaching at Marquette in the fall. “We are already on such incredibly strong footing and that is the strength we are leaving on,” Hunt said. “We are starting to find some tremendous (Bell Chair) candidates. We are in an incredibly strong place to find the next leader to continue what we are doing.” In March, Marquette also kicked off an endowment specifically for its real estate program. The goal is to raise $6 million. The first $50,000 is being donated by Marquette’s real estate alumni association, REALM. Hunt and program alumni are soliciting corporate donations. Marquette established its real estate major in 2004 and has about 300 alumni, all under the age of 35. The graduates have a 100 percent placement rate and an average salary of $57,000 per year, Hunt said. “We are excited to seed and grow a sustainable endowment for our real estate program at Marquette,” said Andy Sinclair, president of REALM and vice president of private equity at MLG Capital. “These donations will allow the Center for Real Estate to fund the next chapter for our program.” n

WHO REALLY OWNS IT?

ing for a director for the Center for Real Estate. Hunt was still someone with whom people would want to spend five hours in a car. He was hired in November 2017. Eppli announced the following month he was leaving Marquette at the end of the 2017-‘18 academic year to take a teaching and research faculty position at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he will join the faculty of the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate. “That was a bummer,” Hunt said. “But the first time I came because of Mark. This time, I came back for a lot more. I have a chance to lead this program.” Eppli said Hunt brings knowledge of the board, university, students and alumni to the job, as well as a dedication to everything he does. “The year he graduated, he received the university-wide Senior Service Award – how’s that for dedication?” Eppli joked. “For a long time, I was the leader; but in my absence, Andy will become one.” One of the first things on Hunt’s list is working with Dr. Brian Till, James H. Keyes Dean of Business Administration, and others on a national search for a new Bell Chair in Real Estate. Marquette is hoping to have a new Bell Chair named in six to 18 months. Hunt said the transition will be smooth and the real estate program will remain one of the top in the country. Marquette has been ranked among the top 10 undergraduate real estate programs by U.S. News & World Report for the past three years. The cornerstones the real estate program is known for – community outreach, real-world experience and research – also will not be lost with Eppli’s departure, Hunt said. Hunt and the new Bell Chair will continue to partner with Local Initiatives Support Corp. Milwaukee on the Associates in Commercial Real Estate program, which was created in 2005 at Marquette to train minorities for career paths in

VACANT HISTORIC BEAUTY Those who have exited the Hoan Bridge onto East Clybourn Street may have noticed this beautiful three-story cream city brick building surrounded by parking lots and wondered, ‘How can this be vacant?’ The Historic Edward Townsend Mix-designed building located at 320 E. Clybourn St. between North Milwaukee Street and North Broadway borders the Historic Third Ward and the central business district. Built in 1874, the 11,700-square-foot building has housed many tenants, including the Wisconsin Leather Co. and most recently, exotic art and furniture store From Afar. The Boerke Co. has listed it for $1 million and broker Darrell Fischer says it is under contract to an unnamed buyer. ADDRESS: 320 E. Clybourn St., Milwaukee OWNER: Lorette Russenberger ASSESSED: $680,000

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STORY COVER

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JON ELLIOTT OF MKE DRONES

BY CORRINNE HESS, staff writer

ast summer, Bartolotta Restaurant Group LLC wanted to add a sign on the north side of its Mr. B’s-A Bartolotta Steakhouse in Mequon. Doing so would have given the restaurant, at 11120 N. Cedarburg Road, more visibility and, according to Bartolotta, a level playing field with Café Hollander, located kitty-corner at Mequon Town Center. However, the application did not meet the requirements of Mequon’s multiple-page signage ordinance and was denied by the city’s plan commission. So was the appeal that followed in the fall. Instead, Bartolotta was allowed to put the “Mr. B’s” name on the sign for Riversite shopping center, where the restaurant is located. Mequon has long been known for its strict development rules (like its signage ordinance), large homes and modest-sized commercial buildings. But now, the city has slowly begun to embrace the concept of mixed-use developments. The city’s first mixed-use, urban-style development, Mequon Town Center, was completed about two years ago in a district, also called Mequon Town Center, that city officials had planned for several years. Now, two more projects are planned to complete the town center district: Spur 16 and Foxtown. Mequon offers unique challenges and opportunities for real estate developers. Maintaining some of the strictest design and development rules in the region, Mequon has earned a reputa-

MEQUON MAYOR DAN ABENDROTH tion as one of the most difficult places in the area to do business. But at the same time, Mequon is also one of the most affluent communities in the state, making it a desirable location for both residential and commercial developers. “Our building standards and engineering standards tend to be a little more stringent and we tend to be a little fussier,” said Mequon Mayor Dan Abendroth. “Anything too big, too wide, too tall or that generates too much traffic is going to run into a lot of problems here.” If a homeowner wants to put decorative bricks in front of her house, the bricks must go all the way around the property.

Mequon Town Center biztimes.com / 21

STORY COVER Buildings cannot be taller than the tree line, with the exception of Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital Ozaukee on North Port Washington Road. Commercial developments must be less than 50,000 square feet, which means a big box store will never be allowed in Mequon. Walmart has tried, unsuccessfully, to get approval for a store there. “We know it costs more money and makes the economics of a commercial project more difficult so we don’t get as many, but we don’t want to create regional attractions,” Abendroth said.

Town Center projects Mequon Town Center OPENED:

2015 LOCATION:

6006 W. Mequon Road

Early years of development Like most municipalities, Mequon’s standards for development are based on its land use plan. Mequon’s was first developed in 1985 and now is in its 10th edition. Connie Pukaite, who served as an alderwoman from 1981 to 1986, mayor of Mequon from 1986 to 1992, and alderwoman again from 2014 to 2017, helped develop the original plan. In the early 1980s, when the country was in a recession and experiencing double-digit inflation, Pukaite said Mequon residents were in favor of expanding the tax base because the cost to operate the local government was increasing and so were the property taxes. “People wanted development, but they also wanted Mequon to remain a quality community, so we really worked on developing that first comprehensive land use plan,” Pukaite said. At the time, more than two-thirds of the city was open farmland. Located about 20 miles north of downtown Milwaukee, Mequon spent decades as a farming community with vacation homes peppered

DEVELOPER:

WiRED Properties/ Shaffer Development LLC Twenty-eight luxury apartments and 36,000 square feet of retail and commercial space. Tenants include: Colectivo Coffee, Café Hollander, The Ruby Tap, Elements Massage, Health in Balance Physical Therapy, Fisher Family Chiropractic and Supercuts. PROJECT:

Spur 16 OPENS:

Fall 2018

LOCATION:

6300 W. Mequon Road DEVELOPER:

Shaffer Development LLC PRICE:

$27 million

PROJECT: 146

luxury apartments, 10 townhomes, Mequon Public Market. Tenants include: St. Paul Fish Co., Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. and Purple Door Ice Cream.

“

ANYTHING TOO BIG, TOO WIDE, TOO TALL OR THAT GENERATES TOO MUCH TRAFFIC IS GOING TO RUN INTO A LOT OF PROBLEMS HERE.” — Mequon Mayor Dan Abendroth

along Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee River. Abendroth, 63, moved to Mequon in 1983, buying one of those vacation homes along the river that abuts a 100-acre nature preserve. Like many of the baby boomers who moved to Mequon in the 1980s and 1990s, Abendroth wanted to get away from the city. 22 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 2, 2018

After the early ’80s recession ended and the economy took off, there was a huge demand for housing in the suburbs, Abendroth said. The farmers were selling their land to developers and the property was zoned residential. From the mid-1980s and into the ’90s, Mequon experienced a housing boom, with 200

to 300 houses being built per year. The city’s first shopping center, Mequon Pavilions, 10930 N. Port Washington Road, was also built. When Pukaite became mayor in 1986, she said the development pressure was tremendous. “Even though we were developing really lovely subdivisions and neighborhoods in the mid-1980s and ’90s that are now very much in demand and desirable, people did not like them,” Pukaite said. “You will always find people who do not like to see any change that development brings. And people like to complain more often than not.” The tax base began to grow very quickly. When Mayor James Moriarty was elected in 1992, longtime Mequon residents wanted development to slow down, said Abendroth, who began serving on the Common Council in 1986. Pukaite views her successor’s term as fearmongering. “(Moriarty) was able to pander to the fear in people that change would ruin Mequon,” Pukaite said. “It hasn’t ruined Mequon. People want to

come here today. And people born and raised here are still here. That is the kind of balance we have tried to bring to Mequon.” By many accounts, Moriarty was combative, serving six tumultuous years as mayor. A 1997 Milwaukee Magazine article described Moriarty as a “blunt, confrontational politician who kept a Nixon-like enemies list and could be vindictive toward those who opposed him.” In 1996, Alan Harrington, a former alderman, filed an ethics complaint against Moriarty, claiming that instead of leading, Moriarty “assaults, humiliates and degrades residents.” Moriarty, who served two terms and declined to run for a third in 1998, could not be reached for comment. Abendroth, whose wife is Moriarty’s second cousin, agreed Mequon’s government was not collaborative under Moriarty. However, the development restrictions were, and still are, what the residents have asked for, Abendroth said.

Mequon Town Center In 2005, the concept for the Mequon-Thiensville Town Center, a downtown district three miles west of Mequon’s existing retail concentration of strip malls at West Mequon Road and North Port Washington Road near I-43, was first discussed. The plan was going to incorporate two parcels of land owned by Mequon developer Cindy Shaf-

fer and parcels owned by the City of Mequon. Original designs called for bringing buildings closer to the sidewalk and moving parking to the rear of the commercial buildings. Despite buy-in from both communities, the 3-acre mixed-use project took 10 years to complete. The economy crashed and Shaffer later partnered with Milwaukee developer Blair Williams, owner of WiRED Properties LLC, who had experience with Main Street-type projects. Before Mequon Town Center, Williams completed the Ravenna project on North Oakland Avenue in Shorewood, which includes 20 apartments and 8,100 square feet of retail space. In 2015, the Mequon Town Center development opened, with two four-story buildings that include ground-floor retail space and 28 high-end apartments, northwest of Mequon and Cedarburg roads. Café Hollander opened in 2016, and the development has a total of 36,000 square feet of restaurants and retail, including Colectivo Coffee, The Ruby Tap, Elements Massage and Health in Balance Physical Therapy. Like Bartolotta, Williams and Café Hollander owner The Lowlands Group LLC didn’t get all of the signs they were hoping for when Hollander was being developed. During a Jan. 12, 2015 plan commission meeting, Williams argued with plan commissioners about the merits of a glowing red roof sign that

MEQUON DEVELOPER CINDY SHAFFER would have featured the world “Hollander” and the restaurant’s lion logo. Roof signs are not allowed in Mequon’s sign code, although Outpost Natural Foods, 7590 W. Mequon Road, was granted one after agreeing to back the sign with a screen wall. Williams, who did not want to be interviewed for this story, argued in 2015 that the sign was needed for traffic passing by quickly on West Mequon Road. Williams also said that when a building is all one color, it feels more like a strip mall than a retailer’s brand. Mequon plan commissioner David Fuchs, who was not in favor of the restaurant’s contemporary architectural style, said the sign felt too industrial and did not fit with Mequon.

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STORY COVER

Future growth As Mequon Town Center was opening, the city continued the momentum by issuing a request for proposal to develop 14 acres of city-owned land directly west over the railroad tracks, north of West Mequon Road. A handful of developers competed for the project, including Shaffer and Williams. 24 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 2, 2018

Town Center projects Foxtown Phased development begins completion late 2018 OPENS:

LOCATION: PRICE:

6411 W. Mequon Road

$50 million

PROJECT:

STEPHEN PERRY SMITH ARCHITECTS INC.

In the end, with the majority of plan commissioners objecting, the roof sign was removed from the proposal. Abendroth admits signage has been a “terribly, terribly difficult” issue in Mequon over the years. “People don’t want big, obnoxious signs, but then businesses want big, obnoxious signs,” Abendroth said. “The chamber even got involved to rewrite the sign code. So we rewrote the sign code to allow for more flexibility. But I don’t think that stopped anyone from complaining. It’s a never-ending battle.” One professional who has worked in municipalities across southeastern Wisconsin said sometimes elected officials and city staff give designers freedom to develop an interesting catalytic project, and other times they don’t understand the necessity. He gave the example of Drexel Town Square in Oak Creek and The Corners project in the Town of Brookfield, where traditional signage rules were overlooked so both projects would become the unique cornerstones of those communities. “When a community tries to design by committee, it is always a very difficult process for developers, to say the least,” he said. Another developer who has worked in Mequon said the planning department micromanages while “small-time, backroom politics” takes place, making it impossible for developers to do successful business. “I believe Mequon is getting development in spite of the leadership,” he said. Despite the overall success of Mequon Town Center, some members of the community have still complained that the development has brought too much traffic to Mequon. Others don’t like the buildings’ proximity to the sidewalk. “Change is always hard,” Shaffer said. “But I think overall, from the community, I have heard a lot of positive things – especially from younger couples, who are so glad to have a place to go and love having Café Hollander or Colectivo.” Shaffer and Williams sold Mequon Town Center to Plover investor Rolly Lokre, principal of real estate development firm Lokre, in December 2016. Shaffer said she never intended to sell the property, but Lokre, who paid close to $20 million for the development, made an offer that she could not turn down for her investors.

•

he historic T brewery building that will include a bar and restaurant being developed by Thomas Nieman, owner of Fromm Family Foods. Scheduled for completion late fall or by end of 2018.

•

econd building will have a restaurant and banquet room on the first floor and offices for S Fromm Family Foods on the second floor. Scheduled for completion by spring 2019. Both restaurants will be operated by Gordon Goggin of The Stilt House in Cedarburg and Toast in Milwaukee.

•

96 luxury apartments developed by Bob Bach of P2 Development.

• T he

former icehouse and lumberyard buildings will be renovated into the Hamburg Bier hall and retail shops. Beer brewed at the Foxtown Brewery will be served here, as well as sandwiches and appetizers. Scheduled for 2019.

• T wo

three-story multi-purpose buildings and one two-story building. First building scheduled to start in 2019 for 2020 completion.

• T wenty-three

pocket home condominium project.

Shaffer’s project, to be called Spur 16, was chosen and she purchased the property for $60,001. “We knew what we wanted to see there, so we gave the land to someone who would do what we wanted there,” Abendroth said. “Even after the Town Center success, it is controversial. People say it’s a backroom deal. Or it’s because we knew her. Well, the next best proposal was Blair, and we know him, too.” Abendroth said Shaffer’s $27 million proposal was chosen because she is incorporating the original buildings on the site. “The other proposals offered a sea of apartments and a couple of strip buildings,” Abendroth said. “She had a unique proposal with concrete plans. And she basically has it leased out.” Spur 16, located at 6300 W. Mequon Road, will

include St. Paul Fish Co., Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. and Purple Door Ice Cream. The Mequon Public Market, which is expected to be open by early fall, is also part of the development. The project also includes 146 luxury apartments and 10 townhomes that are expected to be occupied in December. “It’s important that we address the challenges of things like traffic and parking while making sure we are bringing great amenities, restaurants and lifestyle choices to the people of Mequon,” Shaffer said. Pukaite, who rejoined the Mequon common council from 2014 to 2017, said Mequon Town Center and the development that is now taking place west and south of it has been very intentional. “I’m very pleased with the way things are go-

Performance-based,

merit

construction

Determined

Success 870 employers passionate about free enterprise

STORY COVER ing. Frankly, I’ve been chomping at the bit thinking it is moving a little slow,” Pukaite said. “What we wanted was a place where people could identify as the downtown of Mequon. Milwaukee has many neighborhoods and many areas to shop, but there is a downtown district. We wanted to create a downtown district.” Directly south of Mequon Town Center, on 17 acres of blighted land, a $50 million project being called Foxtown is also in the works. Foxtown, which is the third phase of the envisioned Mequon-Thiensville Town Center district, is being developed by Thomas Nieman, owner of Mequon-based Fromm Family Foods LLC. Milwaukee-based Stephen Perry Smith Architects Inc. is the project architect. The project will include The Foxtown Brewery and Restaurant, which will be housed in a building dating back to 1857 located at 6411 W. Mequon Road. Previous breweries at the site included Jung Brewing, Mequon Brewing and Opitz & Zimmermann Brewing. The property includes two levels of lagering caves that were used before the invention of refrigeration to age and cellar beers. Nieman will incorporate the caves into the brewery. The project also has mixed-use buildings with

ground-level retail and office or commercial space on the second floor, a 23-home “pocket neighborhood,” and a possible extended stay hotel. Approximately 96 luxury apartments will also be developed by Bob Bach of Saukville-based P2 Development Co. on land currently used as a school bus parking lot. The project will be developed in phases between 2018 and 2020, according to plans submitted to the city. With apartments included at Mequon Town Center, Spur 16 and Foxtown, the city has been meeting recently to discuss putting limits on the number of apartments and types of multi-family developments that can be built in Mequon. One of the stipulations will be no more than 16 units in a building and the apartments must be part of a larger project, Abendroth said. “We’re afraid that with a couple hundred apartments coming now, we will saturate the market,” Abendroth said. “We don’t want to make any of them unsuccessful by having too many.” Some longtime residents and elected officials have balked at the idea of apartments altogether, which angers Pukaite. “It’s sad that people think apartments will bring an element of people we wouldn’t want in Mequon,” Pukaite said. “When my husband and I first got out of school, we couldn’t afford a house.

I’m that ‘element’ they don’t want in their community. Every city, every community should have the capacity to embrace a wide range of citizens – even those who don’t have the same resources as the very well-established.” At 46 square miles, Mequon is the fourth-largest city (geographically) in the state; but with limited sewer service, much of the development was confined to the southeast corner of the city. Over the past 30 years, Mequon has morphed from a farming community into an affluent suburb with McMansions situated on sprawling parcels of land. Whether the commercial development that has occurred during the past decade has happened in spite of the elected officials, as some developers have said, or due to careful land use planning, depends on perspective. But Mequon and Thiensville residents no longer have to leave their city for a craft beer. Or a massage. Soon, they will have their choice of gourmet ice cream flavors and their own public market. “There is still an element of people who will criticize everything we have done and how we got to it, but I hear a lot of good things,” Abendroth said. “I live in a small house that overlooks 100 acres. Personally, I don’t care if any of this (development) is here. But I realize for a city to succeed it has to do certain things. From a business standpoint and from a community standpoint, it is a wonderful thing to have.” n

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Special Report REAL ESTATE & DESIGN Brookfield law firm Ryan Kromholz & Manion had 188 solar panels installed on its roof in September.

Solar generating excitement, savings for local developers and businesses By Corrinne Hess, staff writer

BY THIS SUMMER, families will be moving in to a New Berlin subdivision where solar panels are not only allowed, but mandatory. Pewaukee-based Neumann Cos. has spent the past year creating the “net zero” energy project called Red Fox Crossing, a 34-home development located at South Sunnyslope Road and West Grange Avenue. The project will be the first of its kind in the state and has been a dream for Matt Neumann, chief executive officer of Neumann Cos., since he founded SunVest Solar Inc. in 2009 and began experimenting with the idea of a net zero home.

are expected to be about $100 per month, Neumann said. “People remember the cost of solar panels from years ago when they first looked into it and it was just too expensive,” Neumann said. “Now, when they look into it and check out the economics, a lot of times it makes sense.” Over the past year, solar has expanded across the state as homeowners and business executives have begun to calculate the longterm cost savings. When factoring in the state and federal incentives available, adding solar to the roof last fall made sense for the partners at Ryan

“People remember the cost of solar panels from years ago when they first looked into it and it was just too expensive. Now, when they look into it and check out the economics, a lot of times it makes sense.” – Matt Neumann, Neumann Cos.

The hesitation was affordability, Neumann said. But what used to cost upward of $75,000 per house to add solar panels can now be done for about $12,000 to $15,000 per house. That added cost can result in a higher mortgage payment of about $50 per month, but the savings in energy costs for the homeowners 28 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 2, 2018

Kromholz & Manion SC, an intellectual property law firm in Brookfield. In September, the firm completed an installation of 188 solar panels at 3360 Gateway Road in the Gateway West Commerce Center business park. Appleton-based Werner Electric Supply Co. and Kettle View Renewable Energy LLC

of Random Lake were the contractors on the RKM project. The firm did not want to say how much money it spent on the panels, but so far it has realized an average savings of 40 percent on its monthly energy bill, said Ron Zdroik, illustrator and facility manager at RKM. “We estimate that we will pay (the cost to install the panels) back in less than four years,” Zdroik said. RKM is the third building in the Brookfield business park to add solar panels. CBRE|ESI, a building system technology company at 3410 Gateway Road and Components Co. Inc., a manufacturer located at 3320 Intertech Drive, also have solar panels on their roofs. Zdroik said two other companies in the park are also considering solar panels. “The solar power industry is growing like gangbusters,” Zdroik said. “Our partners like the environmental benefits, but really, we did this for financial reasons. When you look at what you spend on electricity and the rate of return, it makes financial sense, above and beyond the social responsibility.” In Wisconsin, the Focus on Energy program makes grants available to home and business owners for solar installations. Homeowners can receive up to $2,000. Business owners can be awarded up to $4,000. There is also a federal solar tax credit, also known as the investment tax credit, which allows solar users to deduct 30 percent of the cost of installing a solar energy system from their federal taxes. RKM and homebuyers in Neumann’s Red Fox Crossing subdivision are able to utilize both. The Red Fox homes are being built by Tim O’Brien Homes Inc. and the solar is being installed by SunVest Solar, both affiliates of Neumann Cos. So far, about a dozen homes have been sold in the Red Fox Crossing subdivision. The 2,000to 3,000-square-foot homes are expected to sell for $500,000 to $650,000, Neumann said. “What we have been getting is a ton of questions about the aesthetics, more than the economics,” Neumann said. “People are worried the panels will be an eyesore. But I think when the homes are built, they will see it is not a big deal.” The panels will be on the sides and backs of the homes. Neumann, whose father Mark Neumann started the family business in 1979 and served

Solar installations completed by Neumann Cos.

as a Republican congressman, realizes being an advocate for solar energy is not the most likely position for him to be in. However, he said the industry has evolved since the Obama administration first began discussion of spending millions of dollars on solar energy projects in 2009. Obama’s 2009 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act included more than $467 million to expand and accelerate the development, deployment and use of geothermal and solar energy throughout the United States. “Today there are still tax credits, but they are used to help scale the projects to the point to make them more competitive,” Neumann said. “Republicans have always been in favor of using tax credits to incentivize investments we believe are good for economic development. Foxconn is a classic example.” Becoming less dependent on fossil fuels is not an Obama idea, Neumann said. “Environmental conservation should be a Republican idea,” Neumann said. “Not the least of which, millennials care about the environment and they are the largest voting bloc. Like it or not, embracing solar is not only more cost competitive, but it is also a way to engage millennials.” Neumann said he would consider other solar subdivisions, but he wants to see how the market responds to the Red Fox Crossing project. “We took a really big leap of faith with this,” Neumann said. “We want to learn from the customer questions and objections. Other builders are interested in solar, but no one else has made a commitment like this.” n biztimes.com / 29

Strategies SOCIETY

The necessity of we Let’s weave our unique individual qualities together

“ For starters, we need to place technology in a larger context and remind ourselves it is a tool to assist our work, not a means of self-promotion or a weapon with which to exploit others.”

Tom Peters started a movement in 1997 – “Brand You” for short – that insisted the one sure way to professional fame and fortune was to create a unique individual brand. This brand, he declared, was essential in engineering a career that would be extraordinarily meaningful, richly satisfying and remarkably lucrative. Which meant you’d make a lot of money being YOU. This then-radical idea has been widely adopted. Rapid advances in technology bolstered this self-absorption – selfies, anyone? – while paradoxically connecting individual brand-creators with their peers across the globe. 30 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 2, 2018

But what do you do when you create a brand that doesn’t attract much attention? Try new colors, a bolder font, a louder voice, a more outrageous appearance. Add coarse language and “edgy” behavior and you’ve got a winner! Welcome to the age of hyper-competition, sound-bite thinking, graphic exaggeration, and a panoply of human confusion, insecurity and fluid identity. What has transpired beyond the motivated workforce Mr. Peters envisioned is a pernicious level of narcissism that threatens the future. Thanks, Tom. Ironically, Peters’ vision for super brand professionals was that each would be a powerful free agent in a fast-changing marketplace in which loyalty and commitment were of incidental importance. Developing and strengthening a personal brand was key to lasting competitive economic advantage. The idea was to get good enough to be able to write your ticket anywhere. But if the “anywhere” you want to go is full of like-minded individual brand builders, who creates the infrastructure necessary to hold an enterprise together long enough to employ these wunderkind? A brand has to be noticed in order to be valued. Who is doing the noticing? What began as an exciting personal invitation and adventure has blossomed into a collective nightmare. Is it all Tom’s fault? Of course not. But he certainly got a ball rolling just as technological innovation was ready to explode. As the dust continues to settle, we need to remind one another of the necessity of we. We, as in family and commuity. We, as in members of organizations that rely on collaboration and cooperation to achieve collective goals. Without this sense of place amidst a greater body of people, we are prone to feelings of isolation. The social fabric frays and individuals behave in erratic and destructive ways. We’ve seen too much of this in recent years. What to do? For starters, we need to place technology in a larger context and remind ourselves it is a tool to assist our work, not a means of self-promotion or a weapon with which to exploit others. We need to reconnect with one an-

other in person and in groups, noticing how we react and respond to one another. We need to rediscover our values, vowing to hold true to those that protect and build every member of our communities. And we need to learn once again to appreciate others for their unique qualities, as different as they are from our own sometimes. Finally, we need to expect more from our leaders. For too long we have paid politicians, athletes and entertainment stars to set abominable examples. Think about that. We pay them to behave atrociously! No, this is not what we want or need. Instead, we need to shine a light on people who are thoughtful, patient, mature and self-controlled. An increasingly rare breed, indeed. So thanks, Tom Peters, for encouraging us to find our uniqueness and develop it. Now, we need to become a nation of weavers, who can take beautiful individual strands and weave a new tapestry of excellence, inclusion and care for one another. It is time to marry the power of me and the necessity of we. n

SUSAN MARSHALL Susan Marshall is an author, speaker and the founder of Backbone Institute LLC. For more information, visit backboneinstitute.com.

Strategies LEADERSHIP

Right way, wrong way leadership And the impact on employee morale In the past month, we have received calls from about half a dozen organizations specifically asking for help with turnover at their front line. This is a universal and serious challenge faced by many companies. Over the course of two days recently, I listened to two different new leader scenarios. One new leader quickly plummeted morale and one had an almost-immediate positive impact on morale. As you all know, high morale positively affects turnover and low morale…well, the opposite. So the question that should always be asked within any organization is, “In what ways are our leaders helping or hurting the turnover situation of our organization?” I’ll share the two scenarios.

SCENARIO ONE: The story as shared by one of the human resource business partners of a large, multi-facility manufacturing company: “One of our sites brought in a new operations manager. This site happens to have a 50 percent seasoned workforce and another 50 percent younger workforce with a high degree of turnover (almost 100 percent churn). We were looking forward to having a leader in this site who could help us strengthen the operation and tackle the turnover challenge that we face, as well as attract much-needed workers. During the interview process, we felt confident that this particular person would be an asset to this facility.

“We’re about two months in, and it’s been very disappointing. He has recruited a number of his employees to come over from his previous employer. It would seem that this is a good thing. However, he has been hanging out with his ‘friends’ from his past job, providing them more leniency than others, chatting with them in his office, and not taking time to meet the employees of the organization that he has joined. He doesn’t know everyone by name yet. “To further complicate the situation, the disappointed employees have gone to the leader of this new manager, the GM, to voice their concerns and disappointments. The GM has responded in defense of the operations manager, sharing accolades about the employees he has brought in to the organization and the things they collectively are accomplishing. “The seasoned employees of the organization are disappointed, feeling dismissed, disregarded, not valued and ignored. Within two months, a few key people have already left. Morale has plummeted.”

SCENARIO TWO: Three months ago, a manufacturing facility (with 200 employees across three shifts) hired a new manufacturing manager. His predecessor was a leader who gave very little attention to the employees. I knew him, and I think it’s fair to say that he primarily flitted about, hovered on the surface of everything and didn’t ask for opinions, listen to opinions or address issues that were raised. He was a disappointment to the employees. The new manufacturing manager, over the course of three months, elicited the following responses from a group of front line supervisors and leads that I met with: »» “Things have improved by leaps and bounds.” »» “Communication by shifts is now happening.” »» “Employee engagement has visibly improved.” »» “He has been communicating to the other side of the wall better than we can.”

»» “Things are getting fixed.” »» “It’s so nice to work with someone who likes people.” I asked what he’s been doing to achieve these results, and the leads and supervisors shared these things: »» “He is listening!” »» “His view is, ‘It’s the guys out there who make this company.’” »» “He visited third shift for two days. He followed me (supervisor) around; I didn’t follow him around. He talked to each one of my employees and asked them about themselves. Morale went from down in the dumps to above water.” »» “He has spent time with me. I got to know him as a person. The relationship makes a difference.” »» “He has welcomed our newcomers and assigned them to a mentor, one of our employees who helps to make sure they are meeting other employees, ensures they have someone to sit with at lunch, and is available to answer their questions.” Leaders have the power to raise people up! n

ALETA NORRIS Aleta Norris is a co-founding partner of Brookfield-based Living As A Leader, a leadership training, coaching and consulting firm. You may send questions to her at anorris@livingasaleader.com.

biztimes.com / 31

Strategies FAMILY BUSINESS

Coffee with the Syregelas family Its Arizona restaurants thrive

32 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 2, 2018

Nothing is better than a streaming cup of coffee in the morning to get your day going on the right foot. It is even better if you pair it with a delicious omelet and toast. All this is waiting for customers at Butters and its sister restaurant, Butterfields, in Scottsdale, Arizona. No matter which of the three locations you visit, you are assured a perfect cup of coffee and unlimited breakfast and lunch choices. The restaurants’ success is based on a philosophy of consistency when it comes to food quality and presentation, service, and a customer-friendly environment. A tradition started in Chicago by the Syregelas family 60 years ago continues today in Scottsdale. All of the locations are owned by the family, and the four Syregelas brothers are deeply committed to their tradition of excellence. While as many as 50 percent of family-owned businesses can’t make it past the second generation, Butterfields and Butters continue to flourish in the Valley of the Sun. Their managers are visible, greet their customers all day and check in with their customers as they walk the restaurant during breakfast and lunch. They invest a great amount of time training their people, and promote from within their ranks. One manager started as a server and now runs one of the busiest locations. Their servers are warm and pleasant, attentive, knowledgeable as to how each entree is prepared, and know how to make you feel welcomed. During the busy baseball spring training season, their loyal customers will elect to wait up to 30 minutes for a table. Their seasonal clientele consists of Canadians, Milwaukee and Chicago “snow birds,” and other Midwesterners seeking the sun and warmth of Arizona. Ambiance may draw you to a restaurant, but consistent food quality and a high level of service will make you come back again. The business continues to expand, as evidenced by the fact that the Syregelas family recently opened a

new location in north Scottsdale and is moving its current Hayden and Via Ventura location to a larger facility by the summer of 2018. This larger facility a little north of the current one will permit the restaurant to better serve its ever-growing clientele. Considering the highly competitive breakfast business in Scottsdale, their quality and service separate Butters and Butterfields from the pack. They have been voted among the top places to have breakfast in the community. The Syregelas’ business plan is simple but effective: Buy the best raw materials and products, deal with local vendors, and hire the best people. They train their people well, maintain high standards of performance and manage by example. If you are not satisfied with your entrée or breakfast, it will be replaced immediately. They know each of their regulars by name and greet them warmly when they arrive and when they leave. They make you feel you are part of the family. No one ever leaves hungry from Butters or Butterfields. n

CARY SILVERSTEIN Cary Silverstein, MBA, is a writer, speaker and community volunteer who splits his time between Scottsdale, Arizona and Fox Point. He is the co-author of the book “Overcoming Your NegotiaPhobia,” and can be reached at (414) 403-2942.

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BizConnections PAY IT FORWARD

Kennedy connects with nonprofits by day, volunteers by night Erik Kennedy Community impact coordinator senior Aurora Health Care Inc. Nonprofits served: St. Vincent de Paul Society, Miracle League of Milwaukee, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, Echelon MKE, MACC Fund, One MKE, NEWaukee, Salvation Army Emergency Lodge, Adoptive Family Weekend at YMCA Camp Minikani Service: Serving meals, board service, founder of Adoptive Family Weekend

34 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 2, 2018

iCorps opened his eyes to the problems that hinder Milwaukee –including its longstanding reputation as one of America’s most segregated cities – while also sparking his love for service. In 2009, Kennedy took on a cause that was near and dear to him, creating a retreat for domestic, international and foster adoptees and their families with the goal of connecting them with one another and inviting in older adoptees to serve as role models for younger ones. Kennedy also began serving on various boards of causes that matter to him, including Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee’s Young Professional Committee, Echelon MKE through the Salvation Army of Milwaukee County and MACC Fund Emerging Leaders. For the past three years, Kennedy has been serving meals once a month on Sunday evenings at St. Vincent de Paul in Walker’s Point. n

LAUREN ANDERSON Reporter

P / 414-336-7121 E / lauren.anderson@biztimes.com T / @Biz_Lauren

LILA ARYAN PHOTOGRAPHY

IN HIS ROLE as community impact coordinator at Aurora Health Care, Erik Kennedy serves as a liaison between the health care system and the nonprofit organizations it supports. But when Kennedy clocks out for the day, his connection to nonprofit work doesn’t end. He’s just getting started. Kennedy serves meals at St. Vincent de Paul Society. He helps youth with disabilities play baseball through Miracle League of Milwaukee. He founded a retreat for adoptees and their families at YMCA Camp Minikani. He serves on a half-dozen boards of nonprofit organizations. Kennedy, who was adopted as an infant from South Korea and grew up in Akron, Ohio, credits his parents with fostering altruism in their home. “As I got older, I realized that there were a lot of people who weren’t as fortunate as my family and I. I never had to worry about a meal. I never had to worry about clothes,” he said. “My parents always instilled values in us of giving back and being humble and continuing to pay it forward.” Kennedy moved to Milwaukee in 2008 as an AmeriCorps member, serving for two years with YMCA Camp Minikani through YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee. He stayed on with the YMCA in roles that had him overseeing internships and volunteers before moving into his current role with Aurora. Kennedy’s time with Amer-

PERSONNEL FILE ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING

raSmith, Brookfield

Hartjes

Meyer

raSmith has hired Brad Hartjes as a senior project engineer and Bradford Meyer as a project engineer within the land development services division.

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING

The Sigma Group Inc., Milwaukee The Sigma Group Inc. has hired Christopher Ball as a project engineer in the civil engineering department.

BANKING & FINANCE

Citizens Bank, Mukwonago Citizens Bank has hired Robin Talbott as vice president, business banker.

BANKING & FINANCE

Cleary Gull Inc., Milwaukee Cleary Gull Inc. has promoted Patrick Bremmer to managing director.

BANKING & FINANCE

BUSINESS CONSULTING

LEGAL

First Business Financial Services Inc., Milwaukee

Concurrency Inc., Brookfield

Rose & deJong S.C., Milwaukee

Concurrency Inc. has hired Dan Weise as vice president, finance.

First Business Financial Services Inc. has hired Andrea Wolf as vice president, commercial lending.

BANKING & FINANCE

Johnson Bank, Racine Johnson Bank has hired Susan Vierck as assistant vice president, senior mortgage loan officer.

Rose & deJong S.C. has promoted Cate Heerey to partner.

BUSINESS CONSULTING

MANUFACTURING

SCAS Management Group LLC, Milwaukee

Kapco Inc., Grafton

SCAS Management Group LLC has named Gregory Stone director of sales for Medll Innovations and Caring with Honor, its newest business partner.

Bohn

BANKING & FINANCE

PNC Bank, Oak Creek PNC Bank has appointed Beny Perez-Reyes to vice president, business banking for southeastern Wisconsin.

HOSPITALITY & TOURISM

Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, Milwaukee Potawatomi Hotel & Casino has named Matthew Incha hotel director.

BANKING & FINANCE

Securant Bank & Trust, Menomonee Falls Securant Bank & Trust has hired Howard Henrich to its commercial banking team as vice president.

INSURANCE

Marsh & McLennan Agency, New Berlin Marsh & McLennan Agency has hired Elliot LePoidevin as vice president of sales.

Bonovich

Hocken

Kapco Inc. has hired Ryan Bohn and Dane Hocken as senior accountants and Angela Bonovich as director of marketing.

RETAIL

The Good Feet Store, Milwaukee The Good Feet Store has hired Terri Steidl as chief operating officer.

SENIOR LIVING

Assisted Living Locators, Brookfield Dave Ciccantelli has launched the first Assisted Living Locators franchise in Wisconsin.

biztimes.com / 35

BizConnections VOLUME 24, NUMBER 1 | APR 2, 2018

GLANCE AT YESTERYEAR

126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120 PHONE: 414-277-8181 FAX: 414-277-8191 WEBSITE: www.biztimes.com CIRCULATION: 414-336-7100 | circulation@biztimes.com ADVERTISING: 414-336-7112 | ads@biztimes.com EDITORIAL: 414-336-7120 | andrew.weiland@biztimes.com REPRINTS: 414-336-7128 | reprints@biztimes.com PUBLISHER / OWNER Dan Meyer dan.meyer@biztimes.com

SALES & MARKETING

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Mary Ernst mary.ernst@biztimes.com

EDITORIAL EDITOR Andrew Weiland andrew.weiland@biztimes.com MANAGING EDITOR Molly Dill molly.dill@biztimes.com REPORTER Lauren Anderson lauren.anderson@biztimes.com REPORTER Corrinne Hess corri.hess@biztimes.com REPORTER Maredithe Meyer maredithe.meyer@biztimes.com REPORTER Arthur Thomas arthur.thomas@biztimes.com

— This photo is from the Milwaukee Public Museum’s Photo Archives collection.

COMMENTARY

State needs more population growth IN RECENT YEARS, our publication has done numerous reports on the worker shortage challenge facing area companies. Recent government data demonstrates the problem for Wisconsin’s economy. The state’s unemployment rate reached a record low of 2.9 percent in February. Obviously, that’s good news. But for businesses in the state seeking skilled employees, the low unemployment rate demonstrates how shallow the labor pool is in Wisconsin. To compete for workers, Wisconsin companies are going to have to increase wages; but even then, good people are going to continue to be hard to find. We know that by looking at the lack of population growth in the state, which is an area of serious concern. Wisconsin’s population has risen only 1.9 percent since 2010, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The 36 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 2, 2018

state added 22,566 residents since a year ago, an increase of only 0.39 percent. Compared to other states, Wisconsin is in the lower half for population growth. The state’s population growth ranks 40th since 2010 and was 30th in 2017. Seven states – Texas, North Dakota, Utah, Florida, Colorado, Nevada and Washington – and the District of Columbia have seen double-digit percentage increases in their population since 2010. The metro Milwaukee area’s population has grown only 1.3 percent since 2010. By comparison, 63 metro areas in the country have seen double-digit percentage increases in population since then. Metro Milwaukee’s 1.31 percent increase was only the 269th-largest population increase out of 382 metro areas. Despite an aggressive pro-business strategy by Gov. Scott Walker and Republicans in the Legislature, the state’s economic growth has remained sluggish. The state’s economy has still not added 250,000 jobs since Walker was elected, which was a campaign promise for his first term. Job creation in the state has lagged the national average, as has the state’s GDP growth. The lack of population growth in Wisconsin is a major reason for the state’s modest economic growth. Human beings provide the

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Molly Lawrence molly.lawrence@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE David Pinkus david.pinkus@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Maggie Pinnt maggie.pinnt@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Christie Ubl christie.ubl@biztimes.com SALES INTERN Amanda Bruening amanda.bruening@biztimes.com SALES INTERN Tess Romans tess.romans@biztimes.com

ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR Sue Herzog sue.herzog@biztimes.com

Spring dreams This photo, taken in 1924, shows the Mitchell Park Flower Show at Milwaukee’s Mitchell Park Conservatory. The original conservatory was built in 1898 and displayed flowers in a greenhouse setting until 1955, when it was deemed “unsafe and impractical to repair.” The conservatory was demolished and replaced by The Domes – themselves suffering from agerelated deterioration today.

DIRECTOR OF SALES Linda Crawford linda.crawford@biztimes.com

PRODUCTION & DESIGN GRAPHIC DESIGNER Alex Schneider alex.schneider@biztimes.com

Independent & Locally Owned

ART DIRECTOR Shelly Tabor shelly.tabor@biztimes.com

— Founded 1995 —

workers and consumers that drive the economy. How can we achieve our economic growth goals without growing our population? Furthermore, how do we improve the state’s population growth? Our cold winters sure don’t help, but there’s nothing we can do about that. State government is already taking a pro-economic growth approach. Lawmakers recently approved $6.8 million for a marketing plan aimed at convincing Midwest millennials, veterans and alumni of Wisconsin universities to move to the state. But the state needs more than just a marketing plan to attract more residents. Support for Wisconsin’s public and private universities is vital, because they attract and develop talent. And Wisconsin needs to be a welcome place for all types of newcomers, including immigrants. To grow its economy, Wisconsin needs to roll out the welcome mat. n

ANDREW WEILAND EDITOR

P / 414-336-7120 E / andrew.weiland@biztimes.com T / @AndrewWeiland

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Kickoff

AROUND TOWN

The American Cancer Society Wisconsin recently held its annual breakfast event to kick off the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, which will be held in Milwaukee on May 5. The event was held at The Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee.

BETH BRUNNER and KELSEY CHAPMAN, both of American Cancer Society.

ANDY HAJEC of GE and ELLEN FRIEBERT SCHUPPER of ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis.

SUSAN YTTRI of Kohl’s, JAMES YTTRI of FedEx, JAMIE JURY and TARA MOREAU of Kohl’s.

MICHELLE CELEY, PAM SCHMALING, DONNA CRANGLE, CINDY FRANECKI, KIM SEMMELHACK and PAULA BOST, all of Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.

HEATHER SCHILTER, BECKY MAGALLON, ANNE JOHNSON, ALLEN KLINE and JENNIFER BERGMAN, all of Kohl’s.

DAN MEYER of BizTimes Media and ELLEN FRIEBERT SCHUPPER of ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis.

MARY BRINKMAN, ALICIA VOEKS, ANNETTE ADAMS and CAREY RIGDEN, all of Kohl’s.

BAILEY COLEMAN of iHeartRadio V100.7, MARY STOKER SMITH of WITI-TV Fox 6 and NATALIE DIPIETRO of iHeartMedia.

Wisconsin Residential Real Estate Summit Marquette University Center for Real Estate recently held its sixth annual Wisconsin Residential Real Estate Summit at the Italian Community Center in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward.

JEAN DAUL, SCOTT HUTCHISON and CRAIG HASKINS, all of Knight Barry Title, and PHIL PIERING of Vesta Real Estate Advisors.

10. BARBARA DONNER and GAIL GANLEY, both of Coldwell Banker. 11. CAROLYN ESSWEIN of Ce Planning Studio and MARK EPPLI of Marquette University. 12. MIKE THEO of Wisconsin Realtors Association and ANDY HUNT of Marquette University.

14. MICHAEL O’CONNOR and CHRISTOPHER ADAMS, both of Dominion Properties, and GARY EBERT of DB Realty. 15. CHRISTINE RUSZKIEWICZ of Keller Williams Realty and LAURA KRUSCHKA of RE/MAX Realty 100.

16. CAROLYN ESSWEIN of Ce Planning Studio and SCOTT WILLIAMS of American Design Inc. 17. MIKE MONAGHAN of The Equitable Bank and JO ANN VETTER of RE/MAX Gallery.

Photos by Maredithe Meyer

13. PETER SVEUM of Coldwell Banker Success with TOM LARSON and CORI LAMONT, both of Wisconsin Realtors Association.

biztimes.com / 37

BizConnections

TOUGHEST

TIM STARR

Challenge

Position: Chief executive officer Company: The Starr Group, Greenfield What it does: Insurance and risk management for group benefits, commercial, home and auto. Career: Tim Starr joined his father’s company, The Starr Group, in 1981 after earning a degree in risk management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

THE CHALLENGE Organizational changes put The Starr Group at a crossroads in 2008. The company had an opportunity to decide whether it would pursue organic growth, make acquisitions or merge with another firm. “My eyes were open,” Starr said. “I met with a lot of people, talked with a lot of people.” Starr kept coming back to wanting to grow organically, but knew the company would need to change its culture to attract the right people to make it happen. “It was redefining what we wanted to be and then determining what would have to happen to do that, to build from ground up an organization that put culture first,” Starr said. THE RESOLUTION The Starr Group first set about defining what its culture would look like and where to focus. The emphasis landed on things like employee wellness, philanthropy, continuing education and encouraging work-life balance. “There’s been very specific work to define what we have to do,” Starr said. The company also started to pursue awards and accolades related to workplace culture. The application process on its own helped The Starr Group improve. “Your organization has to exemplify what they’re asking of you,” Starr said. He would also ask to talk with companies that won awards about their success and encouraged his senior team to get involved on boards and organizations outside the company. Both strategies helped bring new ideas to The Starr Group. A decade of focusing on culture has made for steady improvement at the company, which now has 31 employees. While the gains come little by little, Starr said they also allow The Starr Group to accelerate its growth. “We’re able to attract people we were not able to attract two or three years ago,” he said.

LILA ARYAN PHOTOGRAPHY

THE TAKEAWAY

38 / BizTimes Milwaukee APRIL 2, 2018

Starr wasn’t always on the culture bandwagon, noting that as he grew up in business, people had a job and they were expected to do it. “We didn’t talk about culture,” he said. It took time for Starr to learn how to work on the business instead of just working in it. The transition meant he had to learn to delegate instead of getting wrapped up in his own tasks. “I didn’t have time to think about culture in my younger years,” he said. Now, he sees culture as central to his company’s success and is embracing millennials and the things they care about. “Companies, if they’re not building and paying attention to this culture issue, I feel sorry for them,” he said. n

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