JULY 2019 July 19th Sales Roundtable Will Not Meet in July Due to the 4th of July Holiday.
Monthly Meeting - IBAW’s Annual Meeting!
Inside This Issue:
JONAS:
GROSS:
FUTURE READINESS THE IMPACT OF FOREIGN TRADE TARIFFS
LESSONS FROM A SWEDISH TRIP
WENDT:
KITTLE:
DRIVE MORE PROSPECTS TO YOUR LINKEDIN COMPANY PAGE
BREITBARTH: HAVE YOU MISSED THIS SUPER HELPFUL FREE LINKEDIN FEATURE?
TRANSPORTATION REFORM AMENDMENT RAISES OPEN RECORDS CONCERNS
KEATING: KEY GDP REVISIONS FROM Q1
This inside cover is available for advertising space. Don’t miss your opportunity to get in front of a statewide business audience and help support the IBAW and its programming. Contact Steve Kohlmann by clicking here.
Executive Director Steve Kohlmann
President
Dan Hansen
Secretary Charles Fry
Baird
Treasurer Tony Palmen
Sikich
Directors Jim Leef
ITU AbsorbTech Ann Barry Hanneman
Von Briesen Law OďŹƒce
John Weber
Hypneumat
Lisa Mauer
Rickert Industries
Robert Gross
Gross Automation
Scott Seroka
Seroka Brand Development
Tom Parks
Annex Wealth Management
Jake Hansen
Jacsten Holding
Scott Hirschfeld
CTaccess
Andy Oliver
Gear Wash
Al Leidinger
Mathison Manufacturing
IBAW Mission: To advance business prosperity through insightful programming, executive networking and member-driven public policy and advocacy.
Monthly Meeting - The Annual Meeting! Friday, July 19, 2019 | Time: 7:00 am - 9:00 am
Location: The Wisconsin Club, 900 W. Wisconsin Ave. Milwaukee
Register now at IBAW.com
Demand Efficiency From DOT Steve Kohlmann, IBAW Executive Director
The other day I attended a panel discussion with Secretary Thompson, head of the Department of Transportation, Waukesha County Executive, Paul Farrow, Rep. Joe Sanfillipo (R), and Rep. Debra Kolste (D). Hosted by WisPolitics.com, the discussion was to discuss long term funding for the DOT. There were several ideas floated; a gas tax, toll roads, pay as you go (which is based on the total amount of miles one would put on their vehicle) as well as further increases to registration and license plate renewals. This was all very interesting to me because while the discussion went on and on about the pros and cons of each funding mechanism, there was no talk - at all - about implementing cost saving efficiencies to that beleaguered department. At the end of the panel discussion, the panel took questions from the audience. I asked this question: ‘On a scale from 1 to 10 - one being not efficient and ten being very efficient, where do you see the DOT running at?” They answered as follows: DOT Secretary Thompson: “We’re continually strive to be very efficient.” Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow: “5 or 6.” Rep. Sanfelippo (R): “They’ve climbed their way up to a 2.” Rep. Kolste (D): “6 or 7.” And this was the really interesting part to me. Because while everyone on the panel admitted the DOT is running at less than optimal efficiency, all of them were eager to talk about further increases in funding but didn’t once bring up ways to force the DOT to become more efficient. No government agency runs at 100% efficiency. That would be asking too much (heaven forbid.) But let’s say, for the sake of argument, the DOT is operating at a ‘7’, on a scale of ‘1 - 10’. The DOT’s budget is roughly $3.75 billion per year. With an efficiency rating of 7 that means that $1.125 billion is being wasted every year.
“In business, we just can’t ask for a price increase whenever we want. Small business has to look for efficiencies wherever possible so should the DOT.”
So if they are wasting $1.125 billion per year, why do we have to raise ANY taxes? I’m not going to tell you that our roads and bridges aren’t important or are not worthy of funding because they are. Having a solid infrastructure to move commerce is vital to our state. But as business owner (and citizens in general) we have to start holding our governmental departments accountable for the tax dollars we send them. We simply have to do a better job of standing up and demanding more accountability from our elected officials overseeing the departments we fund. We shouldn’t just roll over every time someone cries (wolf) for a tax increase. The MacIver Institute’s Bill Osmolski has a great story (link here) to nine cost-saving suggestions that would be easy to implement for the DOT saving hundreds of millions of dollars. You’ll also find an interesting video about two pedestrian bridges at the cost of $3.6 million each that were built next to perfectly new bridges pedestrians use already (link here). In business, we can’t just ask for a price increase to our clients whenever we want. Small business has to look for efficiencies wherever possible - so should the DOT.
Lessons from A Swedish Trip Bob Gross, Gross Automation & IBAW President
Most people who know me know that I do what I love and I love what I do. One of the most fulfilling activities that I enjoy as the CEO/Visionary of Gross Automation is the international travel component of business development. We turn energy into productivity - globally! The Gross Automation engineering team and I have just returned from a productive business trip to Västerås, Sweden. This area is just over an hour and a half west of Stockholm and is the home for two of our best, world-class suppliers, ABB and Westermo. While there, we toured multiple ABB facilities, a startup incubator and then attended the Westermo Sales Conference. Here are (5) important business questions that we answered on this trip:
1: Are we playing to Win?
Playing to win! This was the theme of the every other year sales conference hosted by Westermo, our supplier of robust industrial data communications. Over 30 countries were represented and over 150 partners attended. The music was about winning. The sessions were about winning. The speakers all talked about winning. We were NOT there to participate. We were there to win! Did you bring your “A” game to work today?
“…did you bring your
2: Do we know our Target Market?
This is the most focused we have ever seen any of our suppliers. They selected three highly specialized vertical markets and have put all available resources into defining, getting certified for, and growing that business. All of these markets, are highly specific, have their own set of certifications and have specifications unique to that segment. And, through repetition, over and over again, Westermo kept putting this focus in front of us. Had there been a test at the end of the conference, there would have been a 100% correct response on their target markets by all attendees. Of course, we also were told that we still have to sell into all the appropriate markets, but now there is a focus.
3: Do we have a Deadline?
How better to make sure that everything is done and in place but to throw an international sales meeting? Deadlines make things happen. By having a deadline, new literature was developed. There were new application examples and fully
game today?”
working demos of new designs. Although they missed some of the factory machine updates, they too will be finished in really short order. Everything was clean, neat and organized. They really put their best foot forward.
4: Can we go Green?
In Scouting, we believe not just in "Leave No Trace," but also in taking it to the next level by leaving a place in better shape than in which we found it. Westermo's president told us the story that she has two daughters who asked her how having a conference and bringing in 150 people was environmentally friendly. As a result, locally raised and sourced foods were featured as part of the conference. They also bought an offset in a wind turbine to negate the carbon footprint of our meeting. Our hotel and conference center was held in an old recycled steam generation building in an older part of town that was seeing solid revitalization and rehabilitation.
5: Did we have Fun?
Two of Gross Automation’s company points of culture is to work hard and to keep our sense of humor. In other words, work hard - play hard. Evenings during the conference included a pony cart race after a lake boat tour, a non-traditional farm tour featuring native locally sourced food, and ending with a formal dinner and entertainment by a live band. Our Swedish/American partner also took us to his cabin on a set of dams and locks for a quiet afternoon of eating, fishing and just hanging out. Finally found a food I don’t like! Ask me about fermented herring! Play to win, know your market, have a deadline, go green and have some fun while you’re at it. Fantastic business advise. Wow, I love what I do and I do what I love!
Future Readiness 2019 - Part 1
The Question: Impact of Foreign Trade Tariffs
No one really knows how long our current economic growth will continue. I say, knowing the answer for the future will not be defined until after we have reached it. Robert Jonas, Strategy International
However, there are several actions we should consider – • We must take advantage in the short term, be agile and be ready for the future. • We must identify the external trends that will potentially have a positive and negative impact on our business outcomes. • Business Owners must take the time to define not only the categories of impact, such as Foreign Trade Tariffs, but also define the potential impact on the business. We know that we have been in a time of significant financial leverage. Our business model changes will rely on productivity improvements; the government expanded or diminishing role and Globality. Result: monetary policies may have both a positive and negative impact.
So, what do you do?
Tip #1: Categories Using internal and external resources, determine the categories of trends occurring in your external environment: for example, • • • • • • • • • • • •
Customers End Users Distributors Technology Government Regulations Competitors Suppliers Social Media Outsourcing and Resourcing Supply Chain Skilled Labor Availability Globality
Tip #2: Data Base Using internal and external experts, conduct a workshop to list all those industry trends. This data base should be segmented by the categories you defined in Step 1. You should create a data base that includes 250-350 trends. If market research is needed, go get the data and integrate into the lists.
Tip #3: Convergence Now, that you have 12-15 categories with 250-350 Industry Trends in total, your goal is to converge this list into 6-8 MegaTrends. Studying trends in each category, start to list the trends together by integrating the outcomes of multiple trends occurring.
Tip #4: Monitor and Adjust With MegaTrends determined and sources of information defined, set up a monitoring process. As trends begin to change – evaluate the impact on achieving your goals, be agile and revise your strategic tactics/tasks to take advantage of the changes.
Key GDP Revisions Q1: Consumption Revised Down, Business Investment Up, IP Investment Strong Raymond Keating, Chief Economist, SBE Council, Washington D.C.
After the initial estimate, each quarter’s GDP report gets revised in subsequent months. Let’s compare key revisions from the just-released report on first quarter 2019 GDP growth to the original estimate released in late April. First, real GDP growth in the first quarter has been revised down slightly, from 3.2 percent to 3.1 percent. That’s up from 2.2 percent in the fourth quarter 2018, but down from 4.4 percent in the second quarter 2018 and 3.4 percent in the third quarter. Second, real personal consumption expenditures growth has been revised down from 1.2 percent to 0.9 percent. Consumer spending has slowed dramatically over the past two quarters, from 3.5 percent in the third quarter 2018 to 2.5 percent in the fourth quarter and to, again, 0.9 percent in the first quarter of this year. Third, a positive revision came with growth in real nonresidential (i.e., business) investment, with growth initially estimated at 2.7 percent, and now revised up to 4.4 percent. Most noteworthy was the step up in growth regarding intellectual property products investment, from an initial estimate of 8.6 percent to the latest pegged at 12 percent. While business investment has slowed over the past four quarters, intellectual property investment growth has remained robust. Indeed, intellectual property investment has been strong going back to the state of 2018. Quarter 2018 Q1 2018 Q2 2018 Q3 2018 Q4 2019 Q1
Growth in Real Intellectual Property Products Investment 14.1% 10.5% 5.6% 10.7% 12.0%
Fourth, there was some improvement on the trade front in terms of real export growth in the first quarter, which went from an initial estimate of 3.7 percent to the latest at 5.4 percent. Fifth, while there was some improvement in the revisions seen on imports, they still declined in the first quarter. The initial estimate pointed to real imports declining by 3.7 percent in the first quarter 2019, but that since been revised to a decline of 1.9 percent. As a side note, when we get our first look at GDP for the second quarter of this year at the end of July, that report will also feature further updates going back to the first quarter of 2014. While greater accuracy in terms of measuring our recent economic past is important, far more critical is where we are now and where the economy is headed. The best way to assure more robust growth than the economic under-performance we’ve been experiencing for at least a dozen years now is to turn the policy foundation in a clear, pro-entrepreneur, pro-private-investment, pro-growth direction, i.e., substantial and permanent tax and regulatory relief, free trade, sound money, and reined in government spending. During the Trump administration, we’ve gotten tax and regulatory relief (with permanency and greater relief needed); free trade has been abandoned; federal spending continues to grow far too rapidly (for the current fiscal year 2019, federal outlays are projected to jump by a stunning 10.2 percent); and the Fed’s monetary policy has been moving in a positive direction, but with political intrusions raising questions. _______ Raymond J. Keating is chief economist for the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.
SALES ROUNDTABLE Will Not Meet In July. Due to the 4th of July h o l i d a y, I B AW ’ s S a l e s Roundtable will not meet in July.
At the June meeting, Brian Bennett from STIR Advertising and Integrated Messaging presented to an audience of about 75 people in the Wisconsin Club’s main ballroom on “How to Build a Marketing Machine.” The presentation was quite well received – with a lot of audience engagement. Brian stressed how critical it is for companies to have lead generation and content marketing in an age when 57% of sales research is done online, before interacting with sales people. He reviewed the elements of digital marketing infrastructure that need to be in place to create a “Marketing Machine.” This refers to an integrated system with multiple components working in sync to efficiently generate business leads and conversions. Much like machinery on a plant floor, it can be monitored and adjusted. It will pay for itself and drive corporate growth. He related how companies should view this and budget for it as they would a capital expense. He then took the group through a 10-step process on how to assess current capability, plan and build a functioning machine. We wanted IBAW members who could not attend the opportunity to benefit from this outstanding material. Brian offered those in attendance access to a detailed Guide to Build A Marketing Machine that you can download here: https:// www.stirstuff.com/download-your-marketing-machine-guide/ There is also an online survey that will quickly help you assess your current marketing infrastructure and highlight areas of need. You can fill it out the survey here: https://www.stirstuff.com/stirvey Brian said that he would be happy to discuss this topic with IBAW members. He can be reached at 414- 278-0040.
Join us as we continue the Roundtable August 12th. Enjoy the 4th!
Transportation Reform Amendment Raises Open Records Concerns Matt Kittle, MacIver News
An amendment on an amendment in the “11th hour” of this week’s legislative floor session sounded alarm bells about a possible end-around to Wisconsin’s open records laws. State Sen. Dave Craig on Wednesday asked his Senate colleagues to hold up on a vote for the twiceamended Assembly Bill 285, one of a few Department of Transportation reform measures passed this week. “I asked that the bill be pulled and sent to the Senate Committee on Organization because we saw this amendment develop at the 11th hour and we had conflicting legal opinions as to what the amendment did,” the Big Bend Republican said. The amendment language blocks lawmakers and the public from seeing certain records in the DOT bidding process. It’s attached to a bill on a critical area of transportation reform — single-bid contracts. The original measure would require the DOT to rebid projects that receive but one bid, if a bid exceeds the department’s estimated cost of work by 10 percent or more. A fallback provision would allow the DOT to avoid the requirement in cases of a threat to public safety. Assembly Amendment 1, on top of an earlier change, appears to be broadly written, and that’s where the worry comes in. “All records and information the department submits to the joint committee on finance under par. (c), and all records and information derived from those records or information, shall remain confidential and is [sic] exempt from disclosure” under Wisconsin’s open records law. The amendment goes on to warn that, “Any violation of the confidentiality requirement under this paragraph by a state employee is grounds for dismissal.” State Rep. Joe Sanfelippo (R-New Berlin), who offered the amendment, said he understands the confusion and why Craig wanted to pull the reform bill from the Senate floor. But Sanfelippo said officials at the Legislative Reference Bureau, which drafted the amendment, have assured him that the language “doesn’t materially change anything in the open records law.” “Anything covered by the open records law would remain open after this change,” said Sanfelippo, who, with Craig and other conservatives, authored a package of 15 DOT reform bills. “I believe the drafter when he says he’s not doing anything to change existing law, but I have no problem erring on the side of caution,” Sanfelippo said. Craig and Sanfelippo said the amendment did raise questions among Senate attorneys. Under state law, the Department of Transportation does not have to disclose its project estimates. Doing so, Sanfelippo said, would more than likely drive up project costs for taxpayers. That’s the information that, under the amendment, apparently would still be confidential in the periodic single-bid contract reports that would go to the Joint Finance Committee. Sanfelippo likened the situation to a homeowner who tells a roofing contractor that he needs a new roof and he’s got a budget of $10,000. “The cost of that roof repair is going to magically be $10,000 when the contractor could have done it for $7,000,” he said. But some worry that the broad scope of the amendment language could open the door to real transparency problems, leaving lawmakers and taxpayers in the dark about information they should be entitled to. “We wanted to make sure we got the language right, with the intent of making sure that the public and the Legislature understand what’s going on with the bidding process,” Craig said.
The amendment was crafted on Monday, hours before the Assembly took the floor for its budget debate the following day. Sanfelippo said the DOT had sought the change to protect project estimate figures and the process the agency uses to arrive at its numbers. Republican leadership in 2015 eventually removed a measure that would have severely limited access to legislative records. It was one of several measures shoved through a fast-moving, last-minute “#999” motion filled with giveaways to special interests and lawmakers. GOP leaders took a lot of public heat for their proposed open records restrictions. Sanfelippo said the hope is to clarify the amendment language and bring the bill back to the Senate. The Republican-controlled Legislature has passed a few of the 15 reform measures, including a bill that would require the DOT to keep an inventory of design-build projects ready to rollout. It’s a watered-down version of the original proposal, but, like the reform measure on single-bid contracts, it’s a step in the right direction, reformers say. Rather than hiring a construction company after a road is designed, this active building method would bring in the construction company during the design phase.The theory behind design-build is that the company can apply its practical experience to find efficiencies and cost savings that engineers might otherwise miss — saving taxpayers money and keeping projects moving. Sanfelippo said the reform work is far from over, that the first round of bills are “the end of the beginning” of the changes that need to be made at an agency that, according to a 2017 audit, has cost taxpayers billions in cost overruns and mismanagement. Craig, too, said there’s a long reform road ahead. “Until we get a clean piece of legislation that regulates what the agency can do on single-bids and on things like putting an inspector general inside the agency, I’m not going to be content,” the senator said. All the work on the first round of reforms will come to naught if Democratic Gov. Tony Evers vetoes them. Sanfelippo said he’s hopeful lawmakers got enough buy-in from the Department of Transportation to save the reform bills from Evers’ veto plan.
Join the IBAW new ‘Company’ page on LinkedIN IBAW has a new “Company” page on LinkedIn. Click the link below to follow us and keep up to date on all the latest happenings.Since it is fairly new, we’d like to get the word out so please share our page with your business associates. LINK: https://www.linkedin.com/company/independentbusiness-association-of-wisconsin-ibaw/
Have You Missed This Super Helpful FREE LinkedIn Feature? Wayne Breitbarth, Power Formula for LinkedIn Success
LinkedIn has many great features that are very hard to find, and one of the joys of my job is showing my clients how to not only find them but also how to use these features in a strategic and purposeful way. One feature that really amazes most folks is LinkedIn's Alumni feature that allows you to search for others who have walked the same hallowed halls as you did. You won’t believe the incredible things you can now do with this feature. There are two ways to access this feature. In the large search box on your top toolbar, type the name of the school you're interested in. When it shows up in the drop-down list, choose that entry—or you can just click the name of a school on anyone’s profile. Once you're on the university's page, click the Alumni tab. This will take you to that school's Alumni page. . Ca$h in on this powerful tool Every school’s Alumni page includes an awesome filtering system that helps you find the perfect fellow alums to reach out to. The filters include: . • Where they live • Where they work • What they do • What they studied • What they are skilled at • How are you connected Once you have selected your filters on the Alumni page by clicking the bar above your desired selections, LinkedIn displays a mini profile for everyone who meets your filtering criteria. Without leaving the page, you can send a message to any first-degree connections or use a personalized message to invite anyone on the list to join your network. Pretty cool, don’t you think? I am amazed that this is still free.
Some of the searching capabilities have always been available through Advanced People Searching, but it is much easier to do it here. If you’ve been looking for a way to sort people by age range, this is your ticket. If you sell products or services to a targeted age group, use the dates Stary year or End year filters on the top right to find alumni who are probably in that age range. Granted, it isn’t exactly an age search because not everyone gets an undergrad degree at age 22, but it should still provide some valuable information. Use the Search alumni by title, keyword or company box to really zero in on the right alums to reach out to. I think after you test drive the Alumni feature, it will become one of your favorites. And I love success stories. Let me know how reconnecting with fellow alums helps you and your business. If you'd like me to show you other hard-to-find, "can't miss" LinkedIn features, help you formulate your personal LinkedIn strategy, plus provide an in-depth critique of your LinkedIn profile, sign up for a one-hour, one-on-one consultation with me for the significantly reduced rate of $197.
Drive More Prospects to Your LinkedIn Company Page
Bob Wendt, Cultivate Communications
In our first post in our LinkedIn Strategy series, Crafting Your LinkedIn Company Page, we showed you how to make your LinkedIn company page visually compelling, on brand and focused on the needs of your ideal prospects. Now, it’s time to focus on driving the right people to it. We’re going to show you three ways to do this:
1. Quality content is key to inbound success The first way to attract prospective customers to your LinkedIn company page is by publishing quality content on your website on a regular basis. Share relevant information and knowledge that’s focused on the needs of your target audience. Offer solutions to their problems and engage them in conversation. Next, promote this content on your LinkedIn company page with a compelling call to action that entices the reader to click through to your website to learn more. These inbound links will help improve the SEO of your content and will help increase time on site, a key factor that can help to improve your search engine rankings. Another effective way to drive traffic to your LinkedIn company page is to create a themed content campaign. It should focus on a relatable, significant question in your business or industry. Map out a series of articles that will explore it in detail over a month’s time, one article per week, and promote them on your LinkedIn pages. Why publish a series of articles on a key industry topic? Because it increases the likelihood that your prospects will engage with at least one of them. If it’s relevant to their needs, they can then explore the other articles in the series, deepening their understanding of your expertise and their trust in you.
2. Participate in LinkedIn Groups Don’t overlook LinkedIn Groups as an element of your inbound marketing strategy. Tens of thousands of professionals use them as a tool to ask questions, get answers, share expertise and network with like-minded practitioners.
How can you use LinkedIn Groups to drive inbound traffic to your company page? Here are some tactics you ought to consider: Search LinkedIn for groups that are focused on the needs of the people you’re trying to influence. Request to • become members of those groups. Monitor the conversations going on there and look for opportunities to provide answers. Be helpful. Don’t • use group messages to pitch your products and services. If the group’s rules allow, share links to your new blog content, as long as they’re helpful and educational, not • self-serving. One way to make article links more palatable is to share them in the context of answering a member’s question. Use phrasing like, “I saw your question. You may find some helpful answers in this article we published on our blog…” Make sure that your LinkedIn personal profile and those of your salespeople are properly connected to your company page. Why? So prospects can easily click through from your post or comment to learn more about the organization you represent. Once there, they can peruse the posts on your company page and link through to your website to learn more.
3. Use your LinkedIn company page as a sales resource
As you add content to your LinkedIn company page, it will naturally rank better in LinkedIn keyword searches. But it can play another important role for your sales team: When they need to answer a prospect’s question or provide advice in a group discussion, they can use your company page as a self-service portal to quickly find and share relevant resources. Having one-click access to a treasure trove of your best content will help them generate greater awareness for your company with the prospects they’re trying to influence. Over time, this approach will generate more targeted traffic from LinkedIn to your website, where you can engage them in a deeper relationship – via content that’s designed to nurture them along the path to a sale. To make this work, periodically remind your salespeople of your LinkedIn “library” and what it contains. Encourage them to share your latest posts with their prospects on a regular basis. Provide them with a list of common customer questions, paired up with the URLs of the LinkedIn posts that answer those questions. Next month: Now that you understand how to organically attract traffic on LinkedIn and to your website, it’s time to focus on the outbound side of the equation. We’ll teach you how to use LinkedIn’s tools to identify, connect and interact with the right companies and people.
President’s Circle IBAW / DALE CARNEGIE PRESIDENTS CIRCLE A LEADERSHIP PROGRAM FOR CEOs, PRESIDENTS, AND BUSINESS OWNERS
As the CEO, President, or Owner you are asked to produce more results with fewer resources, meet and exceed competition, innovate and motivate. This creates very difficult teams and leadership challenges. Leaders must encourage teamwork, bottom-up idea generation, alignment, loyalty and above all commitment. Rather than direct and dictate, leaders must inspire and motivate!
The Presidents Circle: The IBAW and Dale Carnegie Training have developed an exclusive Leadership program for IBAW members only. The Presidents Circle combines peer group engagement and highly targeted executive Dale Carnegie Training among peers to help you achieve significant results. These results will be achieved by providing insights, peer challenges, and developing leadership skills which are aligned with your organization and which will help drive agendas. By combining corporate mission, vision and values with our unique methodology employees will begin supporting a world they helped create.Ultimately, the only sustainable competitive advantage is the innovation, motivation, and creativity of the employees of an organization. Establishing a strong leadership culture provides the environment where innovation and creativity can flourish.
Program Specifics: • Meetings with other IBAW CEOs/Presidents/Business Owners • 10 monthly meetings • Dale Carnegie Executive Leadership Training workshop each session. • Round Table Issues Discussed and Resolved • Guided Yearly planning • •
Accountability among peers. Business Results
The President’s Circle will help you achieve results by: • Providing training among peers • Creating and sustaining change initiatives • Ensure continuous improvement and bottom-line impact • Align the organization behind a common vision • Develop a habit of fact-based decision making at every level. • Strengthen and implement strategic planning • •
Create a value based culture to ensure loyalty Build energy and trust up and down the organization to insure customer loyalty.
Program Leader: Steve Bobowski
“Knowledge isn’t power until it is applied.” -Dale Carnegie
Commitments: • Attend meetings • No cost for meetings, a benefit of IBAW membership • Referrals or 3 enrollments
Next round begins August 2nd!
For more information, contact Program Leader Steve Bobowski by clicking here.
: S E L A S
2nd Monday of the Month SALES ROUNDTABLE 7:30 am - 9:00 am Free & open to IBAW members only Register at IBAW.com
Sales can be a tough road of ups, downs, potholes and a few bumps. But it can also be fast paced, exhilarating and rewarding. If you’re in sales, you know there are things only other sales people understand; the thrill of scoring the big account, the uncertainty of “let me think about that.”, the frustration of phone calls or emails that don’t get returned. IBAW’s Sales Roundtable is a support and knowledge resource for sales professionals, business owners, marketing and branding experts who are charged with driving sales. Join us to discuss the strategy, tactics, inspiration, and motivation to increase sales. It’s a FREE benefit of your membership! Who should attend: • Sales professionals of any level. • Business owners • Sales Managers • Marketing & P.R. Professionals
“For many years I ran sales meetings for as few as 3 and as many as 22 sales rep’s now I can go as a participant once a month to IBAW’s Sales Roundtable.
BONUS! Join the IBAW Sales Roundtable and get a compact disc with the BEST in Sales Survival Music. Play it to pump you up before that big meeting or to console you if you hit a sales slump. Guaranteed to make life better.
It’s a focused meeting and everyone wants the same thing – to be more effective at selling.” - Jerry Wick, CEO, Custom Data Too Mail
IBAW Public Policy Committee Hosts Legislative Roundtable in Brookfield
The IBAW Public Policy Committee hosts a Legislative Roundtable every spring and fall featuring representatives from Madison to discuss important issues business owners face. It’s your opportunity to speak to your elected officials. Past meetings have had representatives State Senator Lena Taylor, Senator Chris Kapenga, Dave Craig, Representative Rob Hutton, Joe Sanfelippo, Christine Sinicki, Samantha Kirkman, Jason Fields, and State Senator Dale Kooyenga. Meetings are held at the offices of Sikich in Brookfield. Welfare reform, excessive business regulations and the ever increasing shortage of a competent workforce were the main concerns of business owners as well as crime and the state of Milwaukee Public Schools. Look for the next Legislative Roundtable this fall!
Next Legislative Roundtable is Fall for 2019!
IBAW is on an upward trend of growth and we are actively recruiting businesses just like yours to join! When you join IBAW your entire company is a member - anyone from your team can attend our fine educational and networking events. Help yourself, your business AND your Team Members. Come on in...we’re open for business!
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2019 Membership Committee
Jake Hansen Jacsten Holdings
Charles Fry Robert W. Baird
Mike Poludniak Merrill Lynch
Dan Hansen
Legislative Fix Moving Ahead for Wisconsin’s New Manufacturing & Agricultural Credit Jim Brandenburg, CPA, MST - Sikich LLP
In IBAW meetings and publications in recent years we have introduced you to Wisconsin’s new tax incentive - the Wisconsin Manufacturing and Agriculture Credit (referred to as the “MAC”). The MAC came about in 2011 to provide an incentive for Wisconsin manufacturers and agricultural companies to remain and grow here, and also perhaps to have out-of-state companies move here. It was scheduled to begin in 2013, and when fully phased-in by 2016 it would essentially exempt any Wisconsin manufacturing and agricultural income from Wisconsin income tax. The MAC was championed by Representative Dale Kooyenga and Senator Glenn Grothman in the legislature.
Magazine Content Needed Consider Submitting an Article!
The MAC, however, had some problems for individual taxpayers when it was drafted and this glitch was recently identified. Here is the issue in a nutshell: the MAC would reduce a taxpayer’s Wisconsin individual income tax, but then would trigger a Wisconsin minimum tax for nearly the same amount. Thus, there may be little, if any, net savings for the MAC in 2013 (a “MAC Attack?”). The legislature is trying to remedy this situation now so that taxpayers can realize the proper tax savings with the MAC on their 2013 Wisconsin individual tax returns.
The IBAW magazine is in need of content, we rely on our members and sponsors to supply us informative articles. The digital magazine is sent out to over 650 contacts statewide and the magazine is parked on the web where, on average, it gets over 1100 views.
Legislative Update: It seems that all key legislative leaders are now on board to correct this issue. It was approved by the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee last week. The Senate and Assembly will be in session in March and voting on final passage for several bills, one of which is this tax bill with the MAC correction. It looks like the legislative timetable will have the bill passed near the middle of the March, before going to the Governor. Thus, a best guess now is that the bill would be enacted into law somewhere in the latter half of March, 2014. MAC Attack Options: For any of our individual taxpayers taking advantage of the MAC, this may present some filings logistics. Here are the possibilities:
1. Best case scenario - in some cases the taxpayer’s share of the MAC for 2013 will be used and not result in a Wisconsin Minimum Tax. A taxpayer in this situation could go ahead and claim the MAC and file their 2013 Wisconsin individual return. There would be no need to wait for the legislation to pass.
Consider writing an article on a timely business related topic to your particular field of business. This is an outstanding opportunity for you and your company to gain exposure and increase your brand awareness to a statewide audience. There is no cost to submitting an article.
2. Next, a taxpayer has generated a MAC for 2013, but it will trigger a Wisconsin Minimum Tax. The taxpayer in this case could wait until the law is changed (and then wait a little for the WDR to update its computer processing systems) and then file their Wisconsin tax return and claim the MAC, and not incur the Wisconsin Minimum Tax. This could present a tight timeline for the April 15 deadline, and you may need to file for an extension.
3. Similar case as #2, but this taxpayer could file their Wisconsin individual return with the MAC, but also incur and pay a Wisconsin Minimum Tax for 2013. Then, once the corrective law is enacted go back and file an amended 2013 Wisconsin tax return to obtain the proper tax benefit of the MAC. You would not need extend, but you would need to amend. We’ll keep you posted as this legislation moves forward. If you have any questions, please contact Jim Brandenburg or Brian Kelley at Sikich, LLP in Brookfield (262)754-9400.
Contact Steve Kohlmann for details.
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Meeting Recaps 2014 Wisconsin Manufacturing Knowledge Summit
Power Test
On June 20, 2014 the IBAW partnered with the Tool, Die & Machining Association of Wisconsin (TDMAW) to offer Wisconsin manufacturers and their suppliers a unique look at trends within the industry and to also report on some of the challenges the industry faces in the next 5 years.
Power Test, Inc. is an industry leader in the design, manufacture and implementation of dynamometers and control systems.
Special thanks to the event sponsor, First Business Bank for their efforts in helping organize this event.
For more than 37 years, Power Test has provided specialized test equipment to manufacturers, rebuilding facilities and distributors globally. Our products can be found in use at these facilities in nearly 100 countries on six continents.
Chris Halaska
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Our headquarters and manufacturing operations are located in Sussex, WI with sales representatives worldwide. Our unparalleled customer service is well known throughout the industry. Power Test employs a dedicated staff of talented machinists, fabricators, electronic technicians, assemblers, designers, engineers, software developers, and administrative and customer service personnel. Our exceptional product life and excellent customer service is well known throughout the industry and has made us one of the industryleading dynamometer manufacturers. Our dedication to the customer and to the advances in powertrain component testing keep us there.
Power Test N60 W22700 Silver Spring Drive Sussex, WI 53089 Phone: 262-252-4301
4 Advanced Waste Services Advanced Waste Services is an environmental services company that provides wastewater recycling and other waste and risk elimination services to manufacturers in all industries. Each day, AWS helps hundreds of businesses, both large and small, meet their community and environmental obligations. Annually, we collect, treat and recycle more than 50 million gallons of contaminated wastewater into clean, reusable water and other valuable resources like fuel, steam and electricity. AWS is constantly helping our clients manage, reinvent and improve their sustainability successes. For example, we recently partnered with Forest County Advanced Waste Services Potawatomi Community to help Wisconsin food and beverage manufacturers convert 1126 South 76th Street food waste into clean, green renewable energy. Suite N408B West Allis, WI 53214 Founded in 1993, AWS employs 55 people in the Milwaukee area and a total of 150 people companywide in 5 states. 414-847-7100
Photo Key 1: A full house in the main ballroom of the Wisconsin Club as IBAW & TDMAW members prepare to hear about the state of manufacturing and the challenges the industry faces in the workforce.
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2: David Vetta of First Business Bank delivers opening remarks and highlights the importance of a strong relationship between banking and manufacturing working together for success. 3: New IBAW President, John Weber of Hypneumat addresses the change in IBAW Bylaws and calls for voting in new board officers. 4: Kent Lorenz of Acieta gives the main presentation on “Manufacturing Matters” pointing out the trends on manufacturing now and what to expect in the future. 5: Outgoing IBAW President, Steve Van Lieshout receives his award for his efforts as 2013 - 2014.
6 Photos courtesy of Tim Townsend.
6: IBAW Executive Director, Steve Kohlmann (Left) presents David Drumel with an award for his service on the IBAW board.
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