BizTimes Milwaukee | September 23, 2024

Congratulations to the 2024 Future 50 winners from their partners

Developer Fantasy Camp: Northridge 2.0

The City of Milwaukee taking control of former Northridge Mall property and demolishing the existing buildings creates an opportunity for a new development to bring needed investment on the far northwest side of the city. Teams of developers will share their ideas for transforming the site before the audience has a chance to pick their favorite.

Confirmed Speakers:

• Scott Lurie, Founder, F Street (1)

• Bob Monnat, Senior Partner, Mandel Group (2)

• Scott Yauck, President and CEO, Cobalt Partners (3)

Update on Milwaukee’s Development with Q&A

• Lafayette Crump, Milwaukee City Development Commissioner (4)

Current State of Capital Markets

• Billy Fox, Senior Vice President at MLG Capital (5)

Johnson, President & CEO, CARW

The program concludes with an engaging networking reception, featuring an open bar and a selection of light hors d’oeuvres. This is your chance to mingle with the speakers and fellow attendees, exchange ideas, and build valuable professional connections in a relaxed and inviting atmosphere.

Striving for better senior care

Andy Lange establishes Koru Health as one of the region’s fastest-growing companies

Milwaukee Rep reaches $78 million fundraising goal to rebuild theater complex

By Samantha Dietel, staff writer

The Milwaukee Repertory Theater announced that it has reached its $78 million fundraising goal for the Associated Bank Theater Center project.

Nearly 600 donors contributed to the Powering Milwaukee Capital Campaign, which will be kept open to raise additional funds for items that were previously removed from the project’s

BY THE NUMBERS

plan in order to cap the cost at $78 million. The Associated Bank Theater Center will be built in the same space as the Milwaukee Rep’s existing Patty & Jay Baker Theater Complex at 108 E. Wells St. in downtown Milwaukee and is set to open in fall 2025.

The theater project “remains on time and on budget,” according to the Milwaukee Rep’s news

Milwaukee-based Murko Capital Corp. plans to open eight locations of indoor pickleball concept

The Picklr in Wisconsin, including at least

release. The entire $78 million raised for the project came from private philanthropy. Construction began earlier this year.

The Milwaukee Rep overcame a global pandemic, high inflation, strained philanthropic resources and a lack of public funding to achieve this goal, Milwaukee Rep executive director Chad Bauman told BizTimes.

The Milwaukee Rep first announced its capital campaign to renovate its theater space in February 2020, Bauman said, but the effort was stalled when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in March 2020. The Rep relaunched the campaign in September 2021, he said, and did not raise any money before that.

Inflation posed a problem for the Milwaukee Rep’s campaign. The initial plan for the project included a $60 million price tag, Bauman said, but by the time the company relaunched the campaign in 2021, inflation rates required the campaign goal to be increased to $75 million. Due to additional inflation, that was eventually increased to $78 million, which Bauman said was “probably the max we were going to be able to go.”

“That is relatively a 5% increase in a time period where I think inflation was between 20% and 25%, so what that meant was we had to trim some of the scope of the original project and prioritize mostly the public-facing aspects

of the project,” Bauman said.

This left “several significant things” on the cutting room floor, he said, so the Milwaukee Rep’s campaign will continue in hopes of raising additional funds for those items. The additional renovations would include renovating the fifth floor theater administration offices and restrooms and make them ADA compliant, renovating the fourth floor common area and kitchen, building new Herro-Franke Studio Theater dressing rooms to increase accessibility, and adding exterior signage on the RiverWalk.

“What most of the public don’t see is that on floors four and five of our office spaces here, there’s nearly 100 people that are working behind the scenes every day to bring the magic to the stages and the programs and the community in which we serve,” Bauman said. “We are not addressing any of their working spaces, so right now we have faltering equipment, carpets that are 50 years old, all of these things, and none of that is in the scope of this project.”

The Milwaukee Rep will receive budgets for those additional items, Bauman said, but he thinks raising another $2 million to $3 million will cover the costs.

“There are people that have communicated to us that they still want to be a part of this once-in-alifetime project and campaign, and we hope with their support, we’ll be able to do that,” Bauman said. 

Rendering of the Wells Street entrance for the Milwaukee Rep’s Associated Bank Theater Center.

MEET THE

This Q&A is an extended profile from Wisconsin 275, a special publication from BizTimes Media highlighting the most influential business leaders in the state. Visit: biztimes.com/wisconsin275 for more.

Education:

Bachelor’s, Marquette University; J.D., University of Wisconsin

What was your first job, and what did you learn from it?

“Gilles. Never forget to make sure the shake machine is fully closed before you pour in 20 gallons of shake mix.”

What piece of advice has had the most significant impact on your career?

“Don’t self defeat.”

If you could have dinner with any two business leaders, who would you choose and why?

“Taralinda Willis from Curate and Chris Campbell from ReviewTrackers. We have a history of celebrating founders who successfully build and exit companies from scratch, and we owe them a dinner.”

What are some of your favorite destinations or places to visit?

“gener8tor markets across the country.”

What is one podcast everyone should listen to and why?

“Fareed Zakaria’s GPS. Best interviews from global leaders.”

JOE KIRGUES

Co-founder gener8tor MADISON

University of Wisconsin-Madison alumni Joe Kirgues and Troy Vosseller teamed up in 2012 to found gener8tor, a startup accelerator designed to help Milwaukee- and Madison-based entrepreneurs launch and scale their businesses. Since then, gener8tor has graduated more than 1,300 startups from 261 accelerator programs. gener8tor has accelerators in more than 41 cities with more than $2 billion in total funding. In Wisconsin, gener8tor’s programs have helped bring millions in investment to a state that has historically lagged in venture capital. Earlier in his career, Kirgues worked as an associate at Quarles & Brady LLP.

What’s your hobby or passion?

“Helping people build something larger than themselves from scratch.”

What is your favorite Wisconsin restaurant and what do you order there?

“Carnevor. Twin lobster tails and the amazing sides whose recipe (restaurateur) Omar (Shaikh) won’t share.”

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

“I can wiggle my ears one at a time.”

What was your first car? How long did you drive it for?

“Toyota Camry. Way, way too long.”

If you could take a one-year sabbatical, what would you do?

“I’m worried I’d end up working on some new project instead.”

What’s the toughest business challenge you’ve had to overcome?

“The insecurity that comes with holding a conviction that you believe is true but others are certain is wrong.”

What is one thing you would change about Wisconsin to make it even better?

“Wisconsin has to get excited about its next generation. If we choose not to invest in our best and brightest, we should

expect brain drains that encourage our emerging talent to build their careers elsewhere. We need to get our pension funds and balance sheets committed to investing alongside venture capitalists into our own.”

As you enter your office, what would you choose to be your walk-up or theme song and why?

“A Yung Gravy song because he worked at gener8tor before deciding to make very unexpected music.”

Is there a nonprofit cause that has special meaning to you?

“The United Way. When we ran an emergency response program to help people during COVID, it was the one place we knew would help people we were engaging that could not afford food or shelter.”

What is the biggest risk you have ever taken?

“Starting gener8tor.”

What’s at the top of your bucket list?

“Being grateful for every day and taking none of it for granted.”

What has you most excited about the future?

“Our incredible team and the inspiring people going through our accelerator.” 

How have Kohl’s sales changed in recent years?

By Arthur Thomas, staff writer

When Kohl’s Corp. released its second quarter results, the Menomonee Falls-based retailer cut its net sales guidance for the year. The company now expects net sales to be down 4% to 6%, compared to a 2% to 4% decline forecasted after the first quarter. If the company hits its revised forecast, net sales would dip below $16 billion for the first time since 2020, which was heavily impacted by COVID-19. At the lowend, it would represent a nearly $3.3 billion decline versus 2019.

It would be easy to attribute the decline to challenges facing retailers, but only looking at the top line results obscures shifts in the business. Overall, net sales declined 12.2% from 2019 to 2023, but within the women’s category – the largest category for Kohl’s – the decrease was 19.3%. The men’s category – on the other hand – was down 9.7%.

Accessories – which includes the retailer’s partnership with Sephora that started in 2021 – grew 26.9% to $2.81 billion.

Here’s a closer look at what percentage of net sales each category accounted for in recent years and where the business is trending in the first half of 2024:

LISTENING TO What I’m

BILLIE JEAN SMITH

Partner

Wong Meyer

Smith & McConnell

Radiolab WNYC Studios

ATTORNEY Billie Jean Smith, who recently co-founded intellectual property boutique law firm Wong Meyer Smith & McConnell in downtown Milwaukee, often finds herself referencing WNYC Studio’s acclaimed “Radiolab” podcast in everyday conversations.

“With degrees in engineering and law, the episodes are fascinating to me,” she says. “I often repeat the phrase, ‘There’s a Radiolab episode on that’ to others.”

The radio program and podcast describes itself as on a “curiosity bender,” exploring topics within the realms of science,

philosophy and politics. It takes broad, complicated issues and listener-submitted questions and distills them down into roughly hour-long episodes featuring the show’s signature audio production style.

Some of Smith’s favorite recent episodes include “Uneasy as ABC,” about how an orthopedic surgeon involved in a 1976 plane crash transformed the modern emergency room, and “The Alford Plea,” about a common paradoxical plea deal in criminal legal cases that Smith said she never learned about in law school. n

Did you go to Summerfest or the Wisconsin State Fair this year?

Source: Kohl’s securities filings, BizTimes calculation

Profitability has been a mixed bag for Kohl’s with a net loss in 2020 and 2022 and fluctuations in both gross and operating margin. The updated guidance after the second quarter called for operating margin to land between 3.4% and 3.8% this year, up from 3% to 3.5% after the first quarter.

Source: Kohl’s securities filings

the Interview

CARMEN SCHOOLS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, a network of five public charter schools in Milwaukee, has been moving ahead with plans to build a $55 million school on Milwaukee’s south side. In August, Carmen Schools purchased the 6-acre site located at 2005 W. Oklahoma Ave. for $4.4 million, following the project’s Board of Zoning Appeals approval. This will be the first permanent home for Carmen, which currently shares space in Milwaukee Public Schools locations or in renovated schools. Aaron Lippman took over as Carmen’s new chief executive officer in July, picking up the torch at a time of planning for future growth and sustainability. BizTimes reporter Samantha Dietel spoke with Lippman in August about his journey with Carmen and plans for the schools. The following portions of the interview have been edited for length and clarity.

BizTimes: You were a Carmen principal and founder of the southeast high school campus before you left to head the Milwaukee Jewish Day School. What brought you back to Carmen Schools?

Lippman: “I’ll start with why I came to Carmen Schools. Just through connection, we knew somebody who knew Dr. (Patricia) Hoben, the founder of Carmen, and they were looking for somebody, so I was able to step into that role. From the job, I felt like I was at home. All the things around our mission, who we are, why we exist, what we’re trying to do for kids in the city and for the city at large, spoke to me, and we got really good results there. And then Dr. Hoben asked me to found the southeast campus, which also went really well.

“I left (Carmen) because there was an opportunity for me to be with my own children. At the time, Carmen didn’t have elementary schools, and so I went to Milwaukee Jewish Day School for that. I am Jewish. I went to a Jewish Day School growing up, my mom was

Aaron Lippman

CEO

Carmen Schools of Science and Technology

Milwaukee

Employees: 253 carmenschools.org

my teacher, and so I was able to bring it back for my own kids. And this is no knocking at MJDS, which I love – my kids are still there –but Carmen was always in my heart, and I really wanted to be there. And so, when the opportunity arose to re-engage with Carmen last year, I did that by consulting with Carmen and supporting some of their principal development work. And then I’d always been friends with Jennifer Lopez, our former CEO, and she did great things for Carmen, and she was always engaging with me. I stayed in touch with how Carmen was doing, and so it was always in my mind. And then when the opportunity to apply came, I jumped at it. So again, being able to come back, ideally, have a bigger impact because I could help support the entire organization, as opposed to a single school site was, for me, a no-brainer.”

How are you approaching your new role as CEO?

“Thoughtfully. And I think what has been really helpful is both through working with Carmen during the year, having some historical context through a pretty rigorous interview process – which had me engaging with various constituencies – and then once I was

officially hired but not officially in the role in July, (Carmen chief of staff Fabiola Ramirez) and I spent several weeks visiting with every school site, meeting specifically with parents, with students and with staff at each campus. Between the context from before, the interview process, and that experience, some really clear trend lines emerged in terms of what was going well in Carmen and what were some opportunities for us to move the organization forward. And so, I think that has driven a lot of what we are doing now.”

What are your goals for Carmen Schools moving forward?

“I think more than anything, it’s making sure that we are clear about who we are and why we exist and creating a great experience for staff. First, everything we do is through the lens of what’s going to be best for students. But if we’re not focused on setting up our staff for success in their day-to-day work so they know that they are supported when they need help, we are there for them, and we are developing them, so they feel excited about coming to work every day and they see the impact of their work. That’s really essential to building a staff culture where people are bought into who we are and why we exist, and then, as a result, can engage with students in a way that builds authentic relationships and gets kids motivated to do their best work.

“We appreciate being held to high standards by our authorizers, but really for us, we hold ourselves to a very high standard. We want to be the best, not just in the city of Milwaukee. We want to be among the best schools in the nation, because I believe that is what our kids deserve, our families deserve, and we want our staff to feel

like we’re at the best educational institution in Milwaukee. And so ultimately, that’s the goal, but it will not happen overnight.”

What changes are on the horizon at Carmen Schools?

“The new facility is a big deal. New faces, especially on the executive level of our schools. Some new people on our leadership team at each campus, those are new. I think making sure that we’re re-grounding in why we were founded and how we engage with the kids. There’s always work around curriculum development, so we’ve done a lot of work in math and ELA (English Language Arts) to make sure that our curriculum is aligned to the outcomes we want to see for kids. We’re doing that work in other content areas as well. I think that’s always ongoing. But I think the facility is a big piece, because it’s giving us this opportunity to think about Carmen in the future, and what it would look like to run a high school that’s larger than what we’ve done historically.”

What are your priorities for the new south side school?

“I think we want to make sure that we are able to successfully support our staff, so that they feel like it is a building that they are part of. We want to really successfully engage our students and families so that they see it as theirs. We are there to create the opportunity for them, but it’s a school that they feel they can own and feel happy in. I think that’s really important. And ultimately, we want to get back to – not just at that school, but at all of our campuses – a really high level where we are on the top of every list out there in terms of our academic outcomes and what our kids are doing post-graduation.”

Learn how local manufacturers make technology work for them at BizTimes Manufacturing Summit

By BizTimes Staff

NEW TECHNOLOGIES always hold great promise for companies in any industry. The chance to improve productivity, offer new breakthrough products or save time and money is enticing for any leader.

There is a gap, however, between the promise of new technology and the implementation of it with a business’ daily operations.

The BizTimes Media Manufacturing Summit will help bridge that gap with tangible examples from southeastern Wisconsin manufacturers discussing how they have made technology work for them.

The Manufacturing Summit takes place Monday, Sept. 30, from 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at the Brookfield Conference Center. The presenting sponsor is WMEP Manufacturing Solutions with additional sponsorship from 7Rivers, DeWitt LLP and Landmark Credit Unition. Blackhawk Capital Partners, goVirtualOffice, River Run, Saturn Lounge, Wasmer and Waukesha County Technical College are all seminar sponsors.

Learn more and register at biztimes.com/mfg

Presenters during the main program at this year’s summit include: Todd Zakreski, president of Waukesha-based Husco Automotive; Sara Sina, president of Brookfield-based The Howard Company; Rob Ewing, president of New Berlin-based Wenthe-Davidson Engineering Co.; and Tom Carney, president of Darien-based Royal Basket Trucks Inc.

The program will feature each speaker discussing a particular technology project or journey within their company. Areas of focus include developing in-house automation building capabilities, incorporating artificial intelligence and automation within office operations, making investments in automation and vertical integration and leveraging technology for better scheduling and production.

Speakers will address how their company got started in a particular area of technology, how they’ve reached their current state and where they hope to go next. They will touch on keys to implementation, what they wish they had known before starting, how they approach working with vendors and partners, evaluating the financials of technology investments, handling the cultural components and getting employee buy-in.

Following the presentations, there will be a question-and-answer session moderated by BizTimes managing editor Arthur Thomas. Audience members will have a chance to submit their questions.

The Q&A will also touch on how speakers are evaluating the application of recent advances in AI and how the manufacturing sector can develop workers to deal with increasing use of automation. The session will also address other issues facing manufacturing, including increasing price pressures from customers and the impact of inflation and higher interest rates on demand.

Prior to the main program, the Manufacturing Summit will feature breakout sessions with topics including exit planning options, ERP implementation, cybersecurity risk, immersive marketing experiences and making sustainability profitable.

After the main program, the event will feature more opportunities to learn with another round of breakout sessions on topics including exciting your workforce for automation implementation, AI-driven manufacturing efficiency, creating value and mitigating risk with intellectual property fundamentals, and data-driven manufacturing.

The Manufacturing Summit concludes with a networking reception. 

Learn more about the speakers:

Zakreski joined Husco, a manufacturer of high performance hydraulic and electro-mechanical components for off-highway and automotive applications, in 1998. He helped lead operations in the United Kingdom and India before returning to the U.S. as president of Husco Automotive in 2007. He has overseen a 10-fold increase in revenue for the automotive business and launched two new production sites, including one in Shanghai, China. Zakreski has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology and an MBA from the University of Rochester’s Simon School of Business. He currently chairs the Waukesha County Business Alliance Manufacturing Executive Council and is board chair of the Wisconsin Manufacturing Engineering Partnership.

Sara Sina joined The Howard Company in 2017 as vice president of operations and was promoted to president in 2023. The Howard Company is a 100% employee-owned company that specializes in branding signage and technology, including drive-thru equipment and digital displays for the restaurant industry. Sina has a proven track record in continuous improvement and lean manufacturing and is always looking for ways to leverage technology to streamline and automate processes. Prior to The Howard Company, she had roles of increasing responsibility in different industries, including consumer paper products and cast urethane and rubber molding. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Rob Ewing joined Wenthe-Davidson in October 2021 as director of operations. He was promoted to vice president of operations in July 2023 and president in May 2024. Wenthe-Davidson is a metal fabricator that specializes in custom tubular productions, electric motor and generator housings, custom pressure vessels, emission system components for the diesel market and other value-added services. Ewing has an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University and has been in manufacturing for more than 30 years. He has worked in a variety of manufacturing industries, including aerospace, commercial goods and tools.

Tom Carney and a 50% partner purchased Royal Basket Trucks in 1997. Initially, Carney served as vice president of development, secretary and treasurer. In 2004, he redeemed his partner’s shares and became the sole owner of Royal. The company’s basket sewn carts and molded products are used in hospitality, education, commercial laundries, athletics and other material handling applications. Carney has a bachelor’s degree in education from Wayne State College, a law degree from Creighton University and a master of laws degree in taxation from Georgetown University Law Center. He serves on the NFIB Wisconsin Leadership Council and the Village of Darien Plan Commission. Prior to Royal, he taught and coached athletics and worked in public accounting and in banking.

Todd

Keep up with BizTimes’ roundup of

At companies across southeast Wisconsin, notable executives are running businesses, navigating company restructurings, serving on boards, running marketing departments, and investing in growth throughout the region. The notable individuals profiled in these categories are nominated by their peers at work and in the community.

N OTA BLE VETERAN EXECUTIVES

These current and former service members are recognized by colleagues, superiors and others as leaders and role models within their workplaces as well as in the wider community.

- Nomination Deadline: October 4, 2024 -

Issue Date: November 11, 2024

Look for these upcoming Notable nominations!

Notable Health Care Leaders

Nomination deadline: November 1, 2024

Issue date: December 9, 2024

Notable Leaders in Higher Education

Nomination deadline: December 20, 2024

Issue date: January 27, 2025

Notable BIPOC Executives

Nomination deadline: January 27, 2025

Issue date: February 24, 2025

Notable Credit Union Leaders

Nomination deadline: February 17, 2025

Issue date: March 17, 2025

Notable Women in Construction, Design & Engineering

Nomination deadline: March 17, 2025

Issue date: April 14, 2025

Notable Nonprofit Board Leaders

Nomination deadline: April 14, 2025

Issue date: May 12, 2025

Notable Entrepreneurs

Nomination deadline: May 5, 2025

Issue date: June 2, 2025

Notable Leaders in STEM

Nomination deadline: May 26, 2025

Issue date: June 23, 2025

Notable Latino Leaders

Nomination deadline: June 23, 2025

Issue date: July 21, 2025

Notable General Counsels

Nomination deadline: July 21, 2025

Issue date: August 18, 2025

Notable Alumni

Nomination deadline: August 11, 2025

Issue date: September 8, 2025

Notable Leaders in Supply Chain & Logistics

Nomination deadline: August 25, 2025

Issue date: September 22, 2025

Notable Leaders in Insurance

Nomination deadline: September 8, 2025

Issue date: October 6, 2025

Notable Leaders in Commercial Real Estate

Nomination deadline: October 20, 2025

Issue date: November 17, 2025

Notable Health Care Heroes

Nomination deadline: November 17, 2025

Issue date: December 15, 2025

Monday, September 30, 2024 | Brookfield Conference Center

Thriving Through Innovation

Leveraging technology for operational excellence

12:30-1:00 PM REGISTRATION AND NETWORKING

1:00-2:00 PM CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSIONS

2:00-2:30 PM NETWORKING AND EXHIBITOR BOOTHS

2:30-3:50 PM MAIN PROGRAM

LOCATION: Grand Ballroom

SPEAKERS:

• Thomas Carney, President, Royal Basket Trucks, Inc. (1)

• Rob Ewing, President, Wenthe-Davidson Engineering Co.  (2)

• Sara Sina, President, The Howard Company (3)

• Todd Zakreski, President, HUSCO Automotive (4)

4:00-5:00 PM CONCURRENT BREAKOUT SESSIONS

5:00-6:30 PM NETWORKING RECEPTION

SPONSORS:

EXHIBIT SPONSORS:

LOCATION: Room A

Exit Planning Options: Internal Sale, External Sale, Private Equity, ESOP

Presenters:

– Kevin Perlberg, CFP, Managing Partner, Blackhawk Capital Partners

– Donald (Trace) Tendick III, MBA, CFP, Partner, Blackhawk Capital Partners

– Rick Jaye, AIF, CRC, Managing Director, Business Transition Advisors

Presented by Blackhawk Capital Partners

LOCATION: Room B

Mastering ERP Implementation – Dos and Don’ts for Seamless ERP Success

Presenters:

– Jamie Zdroik, Partner, goVirtualOffice

– Andy Zinkle, Partner, goVirtualOffice

Presented by goVirtualOffice

LOCATION: Room C

Cyber Risk Simplified: Protect Yourself & Your Company with the Right Security and Coverage for 2024

Presenter:

– Paul T. Riedl. Jr., CEO, River Run

Presented by River Run

LOCATION: Room D

3D Modeling: Transforming Manufacturing Marketing into Immersive Experiences

Presenter:

– Nathan Gerred, VP-Marketing, Saturn Lounge

Presented by Saturn Lounge

LOCATION: Room E

Making Sustainability Profitable: Using Energy Projects to Fuel Business Growth

Presenter:

– Tim Wasmer, Founder/CEO, The Wasmer Company

Presented by The Wasmer Company

LOCATION: Room F

Moving Manufacturing Forward: Applied AI Training for Your Workforce

Presenters:

– Dr. Brad Piazza, Provost and VP of Academic Affairs, WCTC

– Mike Shiels, Dean – School of Applied Technologies, WCTC

– Dan Lindberg, Director – Applied AI Lab, WCTC

– Nicki Kowalchuk, Instructor – School of Business Information Technology, WCTC

Presented by Waukesha County Technical College

LOCATION: Room A

How to Excite & Inspire Your Workforce About Implementing Automation

Presenters:

– George Bureau, Senior Vice President Consulting Services, WMEP

– Stephen Smiley, Business Transformation Service Line Leader, WMEP

Presented by WMEP Manufacturing Solutions

LOCATION: Room B

AI-Driven Solutions for Manufacturing Efficiency

Presenter:

– Paul Stillmank, Founder & CEO, 7Rivers

Presented by 7Rivers

LOCATION: Room C

Not Another AI Presentation: Using Intellectual Property Fundamentals To Create Value And Mitigate Risk In Manufacturing

Presenters:

– Christopher Scherer, Partner, Executive Committee Member, DeWitt LLP

– Joseph Miotke, Partner, Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group, Co-chair, DeWitt LLP

Presented by DeWitt LLP Law Firm

LOCATION: Room D

Data-Driven Manufacturing: How to get relevant data, what to do with it, and it’s impact beyond the factory floor

Presenters:

– John Rinaldi, CEO, Real Time Automation Inc

– Rick Sovitzky, Client Accounting Services Team Lead, Chortek Advisors

– Jared Junk, SVP, Business Lending Team Lead, Landmark Credit Union

– Mike Steger, President & COO, Waukesha Metal Products

Presented by Landmark Credit Union

SEMINAR SPONSORS:

Residents move into first building at OneNorth development in Bayside

AT THEIR NEARLY completed $40 million apartment building, known as The Symphony, Scott and Charles Yauck of Milwaukee-based Cobalt Partners notice everything. In the stairwell, walls are marked with blue tape where the paint needs a touch up. Inside one of the building’s 98 apartment units, they double check that all the

The Symphony at the OneNorth development in Bayside.

hardware is fastened tightly.

“I can’t walk into a house without looking for flaws now,” said Charles Yauck, development and project manager at Cobalt.

The Symphony opened to its first residents earlier this month and is the first phase of a 25-acre development in the north shore suburb of Bayside, located at the northwest corner of the intersection of North Port Washington and West Brown Deer roads along I-43. Known as OneNorth, the development is led by Cobalt and Milwaukee-based La Macchia Holdings and is envisioned to be a mixed-use destination development centered around wellness.

The units at The Symphony are slightly larger than what some other new apartment buildings offer and have more storage, according to Scott Yauck, president and chief executive officer of Cobalt, as the firm is aiming for what could be considered the “condo alternative” market. Monthly apartment rents range from around $1,650 per month for a 650-square-foot studio unit to $3,400 per month for a 1,700-square-foot unit with three bedrooms.

Like most new apartments, the developers are targeting both young professionals and empty

BREAKING GROUND: 700-UNIT

Seeing an area with rapid job growth – but not enough new housing – a national development firm is proposing 702 apartments in Pleasant Prairie.

Chicago-based Bond Cos. is proposing the project for a 66-acre parcel just east of the Pleasant Prairie Premium Outlets along I-94. Built over two phases with units ranging from studios to three-bedrooms, the average rent would be $1,839 or $2.12 per square foot.

Pleasant Prairie has added more than 11,000 new jobs in the past five years but has only approved about 2,000 new housing units.

The developer is requesting village assistance for the project, requesting 100% of the tax increment the development generates, through a TIF district Pleasant Prairie created earlier this year. Under its proposal, the company would pay upfront infrastructure costs for the project and would be repaid over time through property taxes the development generates.

nesters. Given The Symphony’s location and the design of the building, Scott anticipates the building will do particularly well among the empty nester population as well as snowbirds that don’t live in Wisconsin year-round.

“There are a lot of people in the area who want to downsize, but not necessarily to a tiny apartment,” he said. “This is really the only new multifamily project this far north along Lake Michigan. The next closest is probably the newer apartments at Bayshore (in Glendale).”

The ground floor of The Symphony will house the new North Shore Library, spanning approximately 24,000 square feet, which the development team donated to the library as a condo worth $4 million, according to Yauck. The building also has two commercial spaces spanning 4,000 and 2,500 square feet, where tenants are being finalized, and a green space that Cobalt hopes to program with events like movie nights or farmers markets.

The overall OneNorth development is slated to span 25 acres at a total cost of nearly $200 million, Yauck said, with up to five other buildings on the site.

The next building planned is a $40 million senior living facility with approximately 150 units that would be directly south of The Symphony building. Cobalt will likely partner with a senior housing developer for that project, Yauck said.

A parcel west of The Symphony building – which Cobalt gained when the I-43 interchange was redesigned with a smaller footprint – will likely be a retail building with a “curated mix of wellness providers” for services such as massages or red-light therapy, according to Yauck. The northern portion of the site could have two or three buildings, but plans for those parcels have not yet been finalized.

Prior to the OneNorth redevelopment, the site had scattered office and retail properties surrounded by parking lots as well as the Los Paisa restaurant and speakeasy building, which was in a Lannon Stone Tudor structure. The

bulk of the properties were owned by William La Macchia of La Macchia Holdings, who acquired them for his previous business ventures. La Macchia founded The Mark Travel Corp., which was known for travel brands including Funjet Vacations. Mark Travel merged with Apple Leisure Group in 2018, and then Hyatt Hotels Corp. acquired the business in 2021.

Cobalt and La Macchia have been in talks to redevelop the property since around 2018, when a first proposal that included a 30-story apartment building was met with resident opposition.

“Story number seven is where you’d start to be able to see the lake,” Yauck said, standing on a fifth-floor balcony. “We did the math.”

The project in many ways resembles the other suburban mixeduse districts Cobalt is known for, including 84South along I-894 in Greenfield and Whitestone Station along I-41 in Menomonee Falls. Both redeveloped large parcels of land with multiple buildings and a mix of uses.

“It’s a lot more brain damage,” Yauck said of the laborious process to get larger projects approved, supported, financed and built. “But we like creating new destinations, really making an impact in the communities we’re working with.” 

WHO REALLY OWNS IT: DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE HILTON GARDEN INN

Built in 1886, the Romanesque building at 611 N. Broadway in downtown Milwaukee projects a sense of grand stability. It was originally built as the third headquarters for Northwestern Mutual until the Milwaukee-based financial services company moved to its current home on East Wisconsin Avenue in 1914. It was later used by insurance company Loyalty Group, among other office tenants.

Today, however, the six-story building is downtown Milwaukee’s Hilton Garden Inn, a 127-room hotel that opened in 2012. An affiliate of Chicago-based First Hospitality Group purchased the building in 2011 for $1.5 million and invested between $18 million and $20 million to convert the building to the 4-star hotel it is today.

First Hospitality at the same time acquired the Mackie Building, with its well-known Grain Exchange Room, located across Michigan Street. The Grain Exchange Room serves as the banquet space for the hotel and is operated by The Bartolotta Restaurants.

Striving for better senior care

Andy Lange establishes Koru Health as one of the region’s

fastest-growing companies

BY SAMANTHA DIETEL, staff writer

When Andy Lange founded Wauwatosa-based Koru Health in 2017, he launched it with a mission of raising care standards for Wisconsin’s senior citizens.

Lange serves as president of Koru Health, a senior living community owner and operator that has grown through acquisitions, management partnerships and development projects since its founding.

Koru Health currently has 13 locations, including 11 in Wisconsin and two in Minnesota. The company has three more locations on the horizon – an acquisition, a new management partnership and a new construction project, called The Westerly Pewaukee – as well as another groundbreaking project in southeastern Wisconsin that has yet to be announced.

The anticipated new location in Pewaukee, near the busy intersection of Pewaukee Road and Capitol Drive, is a 138-unit senior living community for independent living, assisted living and memory care. It is Koru Health’s third ground-up project, following the Evin at Oconomowoc and Lumia Mequon projects. The company partnered with Wauwatosa-based Matter Development for the construction of all three projects.

Koru Health is among the winners of the 2024 Future 50 Awards of the fastest-growing companies in southeastern Wisconsin (see profiles of all the Future 50 winners on pages 32-63).

As Koru Health plans for its next development project, the company is looking for ways to provide residents at its current locations with a wider range of services and programming, Lange said.

“We think senior (care) can be done better, and how that materializes in a company is, our sights are always pretty high,” Lange said. “I tell our organization on a regular basis, our number one goal is to be the best senior provider in the markets we serve.”

Andy Lange, pictured in the dining and bar area at Lumia Mequon.

‘A life-changing, paradigmshifting experience’

Lange, who describes himself as “the definition of a local product,” came from modest beginnings as part of a “blue-collar” family in St. Francis.

“(I’m) super grateful and proud of my background, so that’s not a negative,” he said. “But I’ve always been interested in trying to do more and do better, and that drove some of my business desires.”

Lange said he “felt fortunate” to attend the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in health care administration. He also holds an MBA from the now-shuttered Cardinal Stritch University.

Lange started working in senior living when he was a 19-year-old student at UW-Milwaukee. The opportunity came after Paul Soczynski, who was an executive at Brookfield-based Community Care Inc. at the time, visited one of Lange’s classes as a guest speaker. Lange said he caught Soczynski’s attention by asking “what felt like a million and a half questions” during the class discussion.

As a result, Soczynski offered him an eye-opening internship, Lange said.

“It was a life-changing, paradigm-shifting experience for me as a young professional,” Lange said. “It gave me clarity on how impactful this work is, how underserved it actually is, how uneducated people are about what senior (care) is.”

The internship at Community Care educated Lange about the “dramatic changes” seniors go through while living in senior communities. These facilities house a spectrum of people from those who are still active and working, all the way “through end of life,” he said.

“That’s a small period of time in your life, but you go through dramatic changes, and those changes impact families, neighborhoods, communities,” Lange said. “That internship was the first time I was exposed to that. It gives me goosebumps today, I mean, that’s the passion that’s inside of us. I saw frail neighborhood seniors being served, and it impacted me. It impacted me a great deal. And I thought, what a noble way to commit your professional life.”

This internship experience propelled Lange’s career in serving seniors. Before founding Koru Health, Lange maintained a number of roles in senior living, including executive director and senior director of operations at Waukesha-based Capri Senior Communities, from 2010 to 2017. Lange now lives in Wauwatosa with his wife, Ashley Lange, and their two children.

Realizing an ‘entrepreneurial spirit’

By 2017, Lange felt he had amassed enough confidence, as well as experience and knowledge of the industry, to start his own senior living company.

“I’ve really always felt some entrepreneurial spirit in me,” he said.

Residents at Koru Health’s Lumia Mequon participate in art and pet therapy.

in 2023 at 11900 N. Port Washington Road.

The timing was also right, Lange said, because of what he was seeing out in the market.

Even when he had just started out in senior living during his internship, he noticed the forecasted wave of aging baby boomers that would increase demand for these types of services. All baby boomers will be at least 65 years old by 2030, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report.

“The upside-down Christmas tree was coming, and there was just this big bottleneck coming into the senior sector, (a) funnel of aging Americans that were coming into senior (care),” Lange said. “At the time, that was a forecast, and it’s literally happening right now.”

Those factors, coupled with Lange’s partnership with Matter Development “that could bring development and some financial support,” led to the birth of Koru Health.

When Lange spoke about his future career plans with his friend Aaron Matter, chief executive officer of Matter Development, Matter encouraged him “to hang on and start planning, because he had something big in the works,” Lange said.

“That eventually became our first development, Oconomowoc, and we were kind of off and running from there,” Lange said.

Lange and Matter started working together at Capri Senior Communities in a similar fashion to their current partnership. At the time, Matter was responsible for real estate development while Lange ran operations at Capri, Matter said.

“I think we both have enjoyed working together and that blossomed into a friendship,” Matter said.

Lange is responsive and attentive to the needs of his business partners, and he’s often willing to prioritize those needs above his own, Matter said. Lange models this servant leadership style not only with his business partners and employees, but also with his family as well, Matter said.

“I always joke with him as a friend, it never seems like Andy ever runs out of energy,” Matter said. “He’s always got something left to give.”

While Evin at Oconomowoc was under development, Koru Health simultaneously took on management and an expansion of Parkview Gardens,

an assisted living and memory care facility in Caledonia. The project required “an enormous amount of team building and labor growth,” Lange said.

“In our industry, you start a construction project, it can be anywhere from a year or two before it opens and stabilizes,” Lange said. “We kind of had to fill some gap there, so we went out and continued to find opportunities where I thought Koru Health services could really make an impact.”

Lange said he felt a lot of anxiety when starting Koru Health and had to lean on others to help him juggle everything. Some anxiety stemmed from the significant commitments he had to make to partners and financial institutions in order to secure the company’s expensive physical assets. Taking care of seniors was “another leg of that anxiety,” he said.

“We feel that there’s a big responsibility with that,” Lange said. “There were absolutely some moments that you feel some of that intense pressure.”

Overall, the process of starting the company and managing multiple projects “was the absolute definition of running as fast as you can, juggling 100 things at a time,” Lange said.

“Bless my family for their support,” he said. “It was extremely long hours for weeks on end, constant reprioritization and supporting team members to be as productive as they could. At the time, it was really a slimmed-down group. We considered ourselves kind of a bootstrap startup, and we knew we would have to wear 100 hats for that scenario to reach a point where we weren’t a bootstrap startup.”

On top of his new duties with Koru Health, Lange and his wife also had a 6-month-old child at home, he said.

“Talk about a leap of faith and receiving an enormous amount of trust and confidence and support from a loved one,” Lange said. “My wife was amazing. She was unwavering, and she had a lot of confidence that we could do it and we could do it well.”

While his wife does not currently have any day-to-day involvement with Koru Health’s operations, she’s still a sounding board for top leadership decisions, Lange said.

“She has a very deep, caring soul and is interested in a lot of the initiatives that we try to do for our internal customer,” Lange said.

Supporting the team

As the leader of Koru Health, Lange said he feels it is important to prioritize those “internal customers.”

Lange’s term “internal customer” refers to Koru Health’s 537 employees. There would not be any “external customers,” or those who pay for Koru Health’s services, without them, he said.

“I think we want to continue our journey with valuing and prioritizing our internal customer, because we really believe that’s the core to our suc-

A look inside and outside the 68-unit Lumia Mequon, which opened

KORU HEALTH

VALERIE HILL

cess,” Lange said.

He said it was important for his first hire at Koru Health to be a human resources professional so there would be someone to support the company’s growing staff. Lange said he “couldn’t picture someone more valuable than that.”

“What my journey has taught me is, we don’t have anything unless we have the ability to attract, develop and retain people that get that mission and are willing to serve human beings,” Lange said. “It can be a daunting and thankless career.”

Lange said he feels extremely fortunate for his opportunities working in senior living, because “along with that comes the blessing of working with some really talented folks.”

“To do it right in senior (care), you have to genuinely be excited about serving human beings,” he said. “And I think, to be successful, you have to have a mindset of taking care of each other along with that customer.”

Koru Health focuses on a “micromarket concept,” as most of the company’s customers and employees come from a localized geographic area, Lange said.

“The idea is, really focus on serving that group,” he said. “They’ve got individual needs. If we can continue to succeed in doing that, we’re going to continue to create a niche for ourselves.”

‘The most difficult professional period of my life’

Koru Health’s Evin at Oconomowoc facility opened in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, with construction at the site wrapping up in October 2020, according to the Matter Development website.

The company itself was still young, but “came out of COVID more charged than a lot of groups,” Lange said, adding Koru Health seized opportunities for improvement.

“What COVID forced us to do is really improve our ability to be responsive in a very rapid fashion,” Lange said. “I think it forced us to find inefficiencies. It forced us to micro-scrutinize productivity and quality of outcomes and how infection control is managed in a property, how the psychology of illness affects our seniors when they’re isolated.”

But Koru Health “embraced those struggles,” he said. “We as a team pulled together, and we succeeded in overcoming some of that, and we felt a little stronger when we got out of it.”

“It wasn’t easy,” Lange said. “It was extremely difficult. It’s probably the most difficult professional period of my life.”

Lange said the impact of COVID-19 on Koru Health employees – who were considered essential workers and had to return to work each day, even if doing so put themselves or their families at risk – “wasn’t lost on us.” He said the pandemic “helped us double down on our commitment to the internal customer.”

A look at some of the amenities at Koru Health’s Evin at Oconomowoc, which opened in 2020 at 1101 Silver Lake St.

KORU HEALTH

“It was an eye-opening experience in so many ways,” Lange said. “We saw a level of commitment from our team members that it just gave me goosebumps thinking about it.”

Weathering the industry’s everyday challenges

The senior living industry poses intense dynamics and a challenging environment for the Koru Health team, Lange said.

Providing care for seniors comes along with a high volume of government regulations, which present “all kinds of pitfalls and hurdles,” he said. In turn, the seniors receiving care from Koru Health have different levels of ability, and they experience substantial changes that can affect their families, communities, neighborhoods and those who provide their care.

While Koru Health team members are committed to serving seniors, “this industry is difficult,” Lange said, “so they require an appropriate and understandable amount of support and service internally.”

“What I’m trying to paint is as close to a psychological, emotional tornado that you could possibly imagine,” he said. “There isn’t a day or a week that goes by that we aren’t challenged on all fronts.”

The senior living industry has a high level of staff turnover that most industries don’t experience, Lange said.

“What we have found is a challenge is finding enough people that will commit to doing that type of work,” Lange said.

From a business ownership standpoint, Lange said capital markets have posed an obstacle for the company. He said Koru Health, as part of the larger senior living sector, is more limited than other types of health care operations when seeking additional revenue, such as through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

“We feel that an enormous amount is being done, and there’s really restrained avenues of how we earn income,” he said.

Wisconsin’s tight regulations around senior living have also posed a challenge for Koru Health, Lange said.

“In many ways, that’s good for us, because we are operating in one of the higher (regulatory) environments in America,” Lange said. “That means we have a better chance that our standards are going to be best practice level or better.”

Expanding the company

Koru Health’s projected revenue for 2024 is a “moving target,” Lange said, but he expects the number to be above $50 million.

“We have three guiding rules in our company: Is it compliant, is it the right thing to do and can we sustain it?” Lange said. “When I talk about a financial milestone like that, it’s not about the revenue,

VALERIE HILL

it’s more about we reached the sustainable point that we shouldn’t fail at this point because we’ve got some scale, we’ve got team members.”

The company had 150 employees in 2021 and has grown to 537 employees (352 full-time and 185 part-time) in 2024. That’s a 258% increase in three years.

As it gets ready to roll out another acquisition, another management partnership and its fourth, yet-to-be announced groundbreaking project in southeastern Wisconsin, Koru Health is eyeing the goal of having a new construction project each year, Lange said. The company is also looking to grow its presence in Minnesota.

“We have some great, growing relationships that we think there’s a really good opportunity for us to have some sustainable growth there,” Lange said.

Koru Health operates two Minnesota locations through a management partnership with Spero Senior Ministries, the nonprofit that owns the properties. It operates another Spero location in Watertown. Koru Health entered this management partnership with Spero Senior Ministries in 2020. Koru Health has also been involved since 2021 with Sage Meadow Assisted Living & Memory Care, with locations in Racine, De Pere, Fond du Lac, Lake Geneva and Middleton.

Lange said Koru Health will “continue to move ahead with vertical and horizontal growth” as it ex-

“

“We think senior (care) can be done better, and how that materializes in a company is, our sights are always pretty high. I tell our organization on a regular basis, our number one goal is to be the best senior provider in the markets we serve.”

— Andy Lange

pands services. There will be a revamped dementia program rolling out next year, he said.

“We’re already doing some amazing things in our lifestyle department with sensory stimulation, with art therapy, with animal and pet therapy,” Lange said.

Looking to the future

Lange said he believes “the demand and need for senior living residence and services will never go away.”

The high volume of baby boomers “is still projected, arguably, two decades out,” and it’s important to consider that people are living longer and care capabilities have expanded, he said.

When the baby boomers are gone, though, there might be consolidation in the industry as well as aged assets, Lange said. But the top-performing providers “will probably remain there,” he said.

As the number of senior citizens eventually declines, Lange said he thinks senior living assets will “follow the demographics” and some may be repurposed to meet the needs of different populations, such as for student or workforce housing.

“I think you’ll see developers find that opportunity and repurpose these,” Lange said. “But it would be my opinion that that won’t be at the high volume that people think, and I think there’s going to be a need for senior (care) providers for the foreseeable future.” 

cordia 27 building, located at the corner of North 27th and West Wells streets. The business offers facials, waxes and other holistic wellness services, like Reiki healing and womb healing.

The services offered at CeLani Skin & Wellness are of particular importance to Rodriguez, who struggled with postpartum depression after giving birth to both of her daughters. She began receiving specialized treatment like Reiki and saw immediate benefits.

Rev-Up MKE is revitalizing Milwaukee’s near west side by fostering entrepreneurship

BY ASHLEY SMART, staff writer

MILWAUKEE has no shortage of accelerator programs and pitch competitions that aspiring entrepreneurs can take part in. But alumni of the Near West Side Partners annual Rev-Up MKE event say the program is much more than a typical pitch competition. Those entrepreneurs say they’ve gained a local network of mentors and supporters that continues to work with them throughout the duration of their business.

Rev-Up MKE, launched in 2016, is a Shark Tank-style live pitch competition hosted by Near West Side Partners for small businesses hoping to move into an empty storefront on Milwaukee’s near west side. Winners receive cash prizes and in-kind services to support their businesses.

“The relationship doesn’t end after Rev-Up MKE, there are always going to be new operational challenges that even the most seasoned entrepreneurs encounter,” said Kelsey Otero, senior director of community engagement at Marquette University. She has coordinated the competition since it began.

Most accelerators and pitch competitions prioritize tech startups, while Rev-Up MKE is focused on main street businesses that uplift the community, Otero said. The Rev-Up MKE experience is also totally customized to each entrepreneur and what kind of support they might need, something that Otero says makes the competition unique.

Rev-Up MKE participants gain access to a group of mentors that can provide them with tailored advice. Tom Avery, a representative with Town Bank and owner of Avery Consulting LLC, has been helping finalists since Rev-Up MKE was founded.

His number one goal is to help entrepreneurs do the research needed to make realistic projections and assumptions about their business.

“Being able to thoughtfully determine the future financial performance of a business is really an overriding issue for every kind of business that you can imagine,” said Avery.

Avery and his life partner, Mary, have been entrepreneurs for nearly 40 years, starting several businesses. The couple began mentoring because they simply wanted to help other aspiring entrepreneurs, but the long-term mission of RevUp MKE is much bigger.

“Our goal is to make the near west side a better place to live and to work,” said Avery. “Supporting entrepreneurs in their quest to develop or expand their business role in the neighborhood benefits everybody. Empty storefronts don’t help anyone.”

Brittney Rodriguez earned first place during the 2023 Rev-Up MKE competition after she pitched her idea of opening a wellness spa. As of June, Celani Skin & Wellness is open in the Con-

“I had conversations with other women who were mothers and experiencing some of the same conditions that I had,” said Rodriguez. “I knew that I wanted my business to offer these types of services, because I’ve seen what it does for me personally.”

Before going through the Rev-Up MKE program, Rodriguez said she had grand ideas but lacked knowledge in how to move them forward. Her mentors helped her settle on a starting point and break down her loftier ambitions into smaller, actionable steps. Participating in the program has also allowed her to complete additional training to expand her wellness services.

“I want the services I offer to be recognized as necessary, and not just services you receive strictly for relaxation, but services that you receive for your overall wellbeing,” she said.

LEAVING THE CORPORATE WORLD

Alan Goodman, founder of A Goodman’s Desserts, won the Rev-Up MKE competition in 2019. When he launched his company, it initially specialized in bread pudding, butter and lemon cookies, and lemon pound cake. Since then, the business has shifted to focus on bread pudding.

Goodman began baking at age 12. He developed a love for baking by helping his mom in the kitchen. His mother also inspired his own entrepreneurial spirit. He recalls her dream of opening a peanut butter and jelly shop in the city.

“I thought back on that and was like, wow, she really indirectly set up the scene for (my) entrepreneurship,” said Goodman.

A family friend was one of the first people to praise Goodman’s homemade desserts – and recommend he go into business for himself. Goodman officially made the transition to entrepreneurship about a decade ago after growing tired of

Alan Goodman, founder of A Goodman’s Desserts.

Brittney Rodriguez, owner of Celani Skin & Wellness

Lisa McKay, owner of Lisa Kaye Catering

his corporate job.

He became familiar with Near West Side Partners while attending the organization’s local farmers market. There, he was encouraged to apply for Rev-Up MKE. The competition’s team of mentors helped him address major hurdles like securing funding and figuring out the best method of production.

Right after the competition, Goodman was allowed to shift his production into the Ambassador Hotel’s kitchen. He now works with a co-manufacturer in Oak Creek that helps him make his products.

“(This process) opened my eyes to how much time I was spending personally making product,” said Goodman. “It’s very time consuming. It’s very physical.”

Five years after winning Rev-Up MKE, Goodman is still being supported by his mentors and Near West Side Partners. He hopes to build his company into a more regional brand and secure distribution contracts.

That’s why the company is now focused on bread pudding, which Goodman says is harder to find at retailers, presenting him with a good opportunity. The trick is nailing down the right

production method.

“We’re working with the Near West Side Partners to figure out a way to really efficiently produce bread pudding,” he said. “That’s going to be a game changer for me.”

Goodman is not the only Rev-Up MKE participant who pivoted from a corporate career to become a small business owner.

Milwaukee entrepreneur Lisa McKay has participated in Rev-Up MKE twice. In 2017, McKay was named the grand prize winner. She went on to open Lisa Kaye Catering. In 2023, McKay returned to pitch the judges for funding for her Culinary Education Academy. The funding allowed her to increase her ability to teach cooking classes for Milwaukee youth and families.

McKay transitioned from a corporate career to entrepreneurship after losing her job at Blue Cross Blue Shield more than a decade ago. Catering seemed like a natural path for her given that she regularly cooked for her husband’s family, which meant providing food for upwards of 30 people.

She returned to school to get degrees in culinary arts and culinary management and officially established her company in 2012. While looking for her first brick-and-mortar location, McKay

met Keith Stanley, past executive director of Near West Side Partners. He encouraged her to apply for Rev-Up MKE.

“When I became a finalist for Rev Up MKE, I really didn’t have anything developed,” said McKay. “I didn’t have a business plan. I was just catering and not thinking about anything else. They were able to steer me in the right direction.”

In May, Lisa Kaye Catering officially moved into a larger location at 3801 W. Vliet St. The business will nearly double its workforce from six to 11 people with the move.

The company has also seen a boost in business. Lisa Kaye Catering had typically earned most of its work through weekend events, like birthdays and weddings. Now, the company is working more corporate events on weekdays. Breakfast and lunch classics, like chicken and waffles, soup and salad bars, and Friday fish fries are currently on the menu, which will grow in the future to include dinner.

Eventually, McKay aspires to own her building and make her business a true third space in her community.

“I definitely want to expand and grow and be a family-oriented business,” she said. ■

2024 Future 50 Winners:

A.B. Data, Ltd.

American Construction Services

Aras Promotions

Ark Staffing & CRNA Together

Basic Metals, Inc.

Benz Metal Products, Inc.

Best Version Media

Blast Cleaning Technologies, Inc.

Briohn Building Corporation

Campbell Construction JC, Inc.

CPV Paint & Graphics

Craft Beverage Warehouse LLC

Empower Electric

E-Plan Exam

Evans Transportation Services

F Street Group

GIGAFLIGHT Connectivity Inc.

Glenn Rieder, LLC

Great Lakes Industrial

Inpro Corporation

James Imaging Systems

KDV Label, LLC

Koru Health, LLC

Lakeland Supply, Inc.

Lauber Business Partners, Inc.

Presenting Sponsor:

Learning Exchange

Lee Mechanical

Magellan Promotions

MicroSynergies

MilwaukeeWarehouse

MKE Iron Erectors, Inc.

Moore Construction Services

Munson, Inc.

New Resources Consulting

Newport Network Solutions, Inc.

Optimum Crush, Inc.

Pattyn North America

Ready Rebound

River Run

RJ Schinner

Royal Basket Trucks, Inc.

SETGO Partners

SharkCrates

Stratus Industries LLC

TOTAL Mechanical, Inc.

Valor Technologies

VJS Construction Services

Vyron

Wixon

Wolter, Inc.

Supporting Sponsor:

Partner:

DAN MEYER Publisher/Owner, BizTimes Media

Future 50 companies power our economy ahead

BizTimes Media and our event partner, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, are pleased to once again recognize this year’s Future 50 companies. Based on submitted nominations and an objective ranking of sales and employee growth, these are the fastest-growing privately held companies in the southeastern Wisconsin region.

While calculating the results for Future 50, our team looks at how this year’s point totals compare to previous years. At nearly every point in the rankings, this year’s companies scored lower than the 2023 winners. That’s not a knock on this year’s winners. Inflation and higher interest rates have put pressure on many parts of our region’s economy.

The fact that these companies have continued to press ahead and grow in a challenging environment is a testament to the businesses, their leaders and especially their employees. Together, the 50 companies have projected 6,581 employees and $4.17 billion in annual sales for 2024, an increase of 48% and 62%, respectively, when compared to 2021.

Fast-growing companies are innovators and job creators. They develop leaders and buy goods and services in the market, fostering a healthy local economy. Of the 50, 23 are in manufacturing, logistics, distribution or wholesale trade, and 11 are in construction.

As was the case last year, half of the 50 companies were founded before 2000, which

Message from our sponsors:

PRESENTING SPONSOR:

is great to see. You don’t have to be a startup to be a fast-growing company.

Established by the MMAC in 1988, the Future 50 program recognizes the fastest-growing privately owned companies in the eight-county southeastern Wisconsin area that have been in business for at least three years and have shown significant revenue and employment growth. There is no age limit for companies to participate. There is also now no limit to the number of years a company can be a Future 50 winner, because it’s vital for the growth of our region to have companies continue to innovate, reinvent and grow.

The Future 50 program is one of the many ways in which BizTimes Media encourages business growth in southeastern Wisconsin, including through our award-winning news coverage, our in-depth industry analysis and our educational and awards events throughout the year.

Thank you all for letting us share your success stories, and please reach out when you have more news to share. On behalf of BizTimes Media, the MMAC, our presenting sponsor Old National Bank and supporting sponsor Jet OUT, thank you and congratulations to the Future 50 winners.

The Future 50 winners received their awards at a lunch program at the Italian Community Center in Milwaukee on Sept. 20. Learn more about the companies in their profiles on the following pages.

Old National Bank (ONB) is proud to present the Biz Times Milwaukee Future 50 Awards. We are grateful to be a strong partner in this event that elevates and recognizes the select honored businesses that are shaping the future of the Milwaukee community.

Old National Bancorp is the holding company of Old National Bank, the sixth largest commercial bank headquartered in the Midwest. With $53 billion of assets and $30 billion of assets under management, Old National ranks among the top 30 banking companies headquartered in the U.S.

Tracing our roots to 1834, Old National Bank has focused on community banking by building long-term, highly valued partnerships with clients and in the communities it serves. In addition to providing extensive services in retail and commercial banking, Old National offers comprehensive wealth management, investment, and capital market services. ONB is the Official Bank of the Big Ten Conference and has 280 office locations in 11 states.

Congratulations on being named one of Milwaukee’s Future 50! This recognition reflects your company’s innovative spirit and leadership. At Jet OUT, we share your vision for success and are committed to supporting Milwaukee’s hometown growth with our premium private jet travel programs. With aircraft co-ownership, your company can enjoy all the benefits of private aviation without the hassle of managing your own aircraft.

JOSEPH

CRIVELLO Founder and CEO,

Jet

OUT

Southeastern Wisconsin is on a roll, and we’re bullish on its future. Much of the region’s success is thanks to the growth, leadership and contributions of our vibrant business community. Sustaining this growth requires an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset. Today, we recognize the businesses embodying these qualities. Their success will help us to compete with other regions across the country for future corporate investment and a talented workforce. We congratulate all of those recognized today as Future 50 winners. This honor is a testament to the hard work and dedication they show their customers, clients, staff and other stakeholders. We hope today’s event serves not only as recognition for a job well done, but a steppingstone to a future filled with many more milestones and accomplishments.

DALE KOOYEGNA President, MMAC

Congratulations to the 2024 Future 50 winners from their partners

We’re proud to recognize the most impactful businesses of southeast Wisconsin. Your ingenuity makes our region better and stronger.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR PARTNERS:

SetGo Partners was named a winner. Plus, double cheers to Vyron for being honored two years in a row!

We’re your local business banking experts. Milwaukee | Greenfield | Brookfield | West Allis

A.B. Data, Ltd.

Glendale | Founded: 1981 Industry: Professional Services Employees: 271

A.B. Data provides a range of services including fundraising, class action administration, direct and database marketing, digital and print communications, and incident response and data breach management to nonprofits and advocacy organizations.

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

Bruce Arbit and Chuck Pruitt, co-managing directors: “Higher interest rates have forced us to become more efficient in our processes, like collections, which assist us in mitigating borrowing. With inflation, we have to balance raising client rates while still ensuring market competitiveness for salaries and benefits. We must use capital investments, like technology systems and infrastructures, to become more efficient. Moving to self-funded insurance as part of a captive has helped us lower costs while improving benefits. We look for ways to offer flexible work arrangements, from hybrid to remote work to ensure our recruiting reach and retention.”

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

“A.B. has the opportunity to expand services to our current clients, continue to build out new services like incident response, grow our reach in digital marketing and lead in markets globally that are newer to spaces like class action administration.”

What’s the best business advice you’ve received?

“You have never arrived. Lean into the discomfort and learn. Surround yourself with people that challenge you. Your people matter, treat them that way.”

American Construction Services

West Bend | Founded: 1980

Industry: Commercial Construction | Employees: 30

American Construction Services is a commercial design, build and development firm. It operates in the industrial, retail, office, hospitality, medical, senior living and multifamily markets.

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

Kraig Sadownikow, CEO and president: “We feel like we are a 40-plus-year-old firm that is brand new. We have the experience of a calm and solid veteran, but we are as nimble, flexible and accommodating as a startup. We’ve been excelling in the industrial, hospitality and commercial fields for decades. We see strong opportunity in senior living, multifamily, and medical design, build and development. Our geographic footprint will also be growing.”

What’s the best business advice you’ve received?

“Always work to be better. Never think you’ve made it. If you do, your competition will sneak up behind you, pass and leave you behind. You’ll be left wondering what the hell just happened.”

Is there a nonprofit your company regularly supports?

“The Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington County is a charity that has been near and dear to our hearts for decades. We donate year after year to help support their mission of helping local kids. We also strongly support our local branch of Habitat for Humanity in both monetary and in-kind donations. In West Bend, The Hub is an awesome organization of dedicated volunteers; we love helping them, too.”

A.B. Data co-managing directors Bruce Arbit (left) and Chuck Pruitt.

The American Construction Services leadership team (left to right): Adam Hertel, chief design officer; Nathan Pape, director of finance; Kraig Sadownikow, CEO and president; Jo Sadownikow, integrator; Todd Weyker, chief operations officer; Stephen Houdek, pre-construction manager.

Aras Promotions

Mequon | Founded: 2006 Industry: Marketing Employees: 10

Aras Promotions is a full-service promotional staffing agency. It organizes and provides staff for 700 to 3,000 events a month across the Midwest.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Sara O’Driscoll, president: “During our 18 years in business, we have built longterm relationships with our most loyal clients. Also, our female-only office team is simply the best. Each employee has a unique trait they bring to the table, and we all collaborate well. Finally, we could have never succeeded without our thousands of brand ambassadors who represent Aras and our clients throughout the Midwest. We are proud that 90% of our ambassadors come from referrals of current ambassadors.”

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

“In the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to rebuild the company, create a new company structure as we experienced an influx of business, and try to recruit during a tight labor market. We navigated staffing challenges by increasing rates to increase pay. We also got creative in finding extra incentives and recognition for our ambassadors to show our appreciation.”

What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?

“We recently launched a sister company, called Full Circle Marketing, which allows us to create branded promotional items for our clients. It complements what we do very well. We plan to focus on the growth of this business much more in the upcoming years.”

Aras Promotions president Sara O’Driscoll.

Ark Staffing & CRNA Together

Muskego | Founded: 2021 Industry: Health care staffing Employees: 16 | 2024 projected sales: $85 million

Ark Staffing & CRNA Together recruits CRNAs (certified registered nurse anesthetists), physicians, hospital medicine and emergency medicine department staff for health care systems across the country.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Patrick Moore, president and founder: “Our Bridge Staffing programs have helped our clients with the complete changeover of clinical staffs as private groups all over the country are terminating their staff contracts with hospitals, and they need immediate and ongoing clinical staffs to deliver high-quality health care. Many of these programs need anywhere from five to 40 clinicians to staff those departments and we have delivered on nearly a dozen of these programs the past three years.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“Probably a combination of managing and developing our sales and back-office infrastructure. We have a highly experienced team, and we have delivered on providing hundreds of high-quality clinicians to our clients, but as this team grows it’s my job as a leader to make sure the new staff embody our mission and culture of both companies.”

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

“Fortunately for us, the pandemic opened up more and more clinicians that will do temp work or locum tenens work. The pandemic really helped as many clinicians that would not do travel work are now comfortable doing it.”

clinicians help staff dozens of hospitals and healthcare systems across the country in the specialties of anesthesia, radiology, emergency medicine and hospital medicine. Our Bridge Staffing programs are changing the “travel nurse and physician” industry as we partner with hospitals and healthcare system to match both short and long term staffing solutions for their depleted programs.

Ark Staffing & CRNA Together president and founder Patrick Moore.

Basic Metals, Inc.

Germantown | Founded: 1980

Industry: Metals distribution Employees: 53

Basic Metals is a metals service center that supplies stainless steel and aluminum products to manufacturing companies across the country.

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

Andrew Fogel, president: “We rely on strict inventory management procedures and robust contingency planning. We maintain optimal stock levels and diverse supplier relationships to mitigate disruptions in the supply chain for our customers. Transparent communication with suppliers and customers is vital to help us anticipate change and collaborate on solutions.”

What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?

“We’re expanding our team to strengthen capabilities and support growth. Additionally, we’re actively exploring new locations to better serve our expanding customer base. Specifically, we’re considering new locations in central Wisconsin to meet regional demand more effectively and a potential expansion into the southeast region of the U.S. to enhance our presence in strategic locations.”

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

“First, expanding geographically into northwestern Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa will expand our customer base. Second, as a newly established stocking distributor of flat rolled stainless steel products and aluminum extrusions, we’re diversifying beyond our historical focus on flat rolled aluminum. Broadening our product range enables us to capture more market share among existing customers and introduces us to new customer segments.”

Benz Metal Products, Inc.

Menomonee Falls | Founded: 1972

Industry: Manufacturing

Employees: 55 | 2024 projected sales: $10 million

Benz Metal Products specializes in fabrication, machining, cutting, welding and finishing of metal products for a range of industries, including food processing, bottling, printing, machine building and material handling.

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

Jacob van der Kooy, CEO: “In fighting with supply chain issues, we took a more partnership-based approach with our vendors. We identified the vendors that wanted to grow with us, and worked on plans and programs that would help both of us. This has allowed us to get material when we need it and, in return, we stayed loyal to the vendors that have helped us grow. With the labor market being tight, we have focused our training efforts over the past couple of years on cross-training employees in different departments. This has helped us fill the gaps of labor shortages in certain departments until proper hires can be made.”

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

“The biggest opportunities we are seeing are customers that are building equipment for the automation industry. Automation OEMs tend to grow in a good economy because more throughput is needed, and they have a demand for their product in a down economy with companies needing automation to save labor costs.”

What’s the best business advice you’ve received?

“Don’t worry about criticism from people you wouldn’t take advice from.”

Basic Metals president Andrew Fogel.

Benz Metal Products CEO Jacob van der Kooy.

Best Version Media

Brookfield | Founded: 2007 Industry: Advertising Employees: 215

Best Version Media produces community publications that provide opportunities for local businesses to connect with customers through innovative print and digital advertising solutions.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Kevin O’Brien, CEO: “We remain committed to our company culture across our employee teams and our sales field. BVM continues to offer a fun, flexible and collaborative environment for our people to thrive. Additionally, our teams lead with an entrepreneurial mindset. We believe small changes lead to significant results. Our leadership team encourages employees at every level of the organization to identify and improve processes that will move the business forward. This allows us to continue adapting as we grow.”

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

“We distribute over 47 million magazines to residents across the U.S. and Canada every year. From the end of 2021 to the beginning of 2023, we experienced paper shortages. We overcame this obstacle thanks to our leaders who are always looking at potential issues and planning for the unknown. We also have incredible partners in the paper and printing industries. Throughout those times, BVM never skipped or stopped producing any of its local magazines. This allowed us to continue serving our advertisers and readers despite the challenges happening behind the scenes.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“We work with tens of thousands of local advertisers who tend to be hardest hit during financial uncertainty. We have teams in place who are committed to helping our advertisers through those difficult times with flexible solutions.”

Blast Cleaning Technologies

West Allis | Founded: 2008 Industry: Manufacturing Employees: 260

Blast Cleaning Technologies manufactures shot blast equipment components, parts and systems for foundries and forge facilities across the country. Located in the historic Allis Chalmers manufacturing complex in West Allis, the company’s 150,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility allows it to design, build and fully test large-scale blast systems in-house.

Blast Cleaning has invested more than $8 million in manufacturing equipment since relocating to the West Allis facility in 2019, including overhead cranes, plate-cutting systems, CNC bending and sawing equipment and Cobot weld systems. Its newest technology includes its high-performance e-Wheel, which was specifically designed to upgrade existing equipment and wheel units.

Led by longtime president and CEO Carl Panzenhagen, Blast Cleaning describes its internal culture in four words: passionate, accountable, customer-focused and team players. Panzenhagen told BizTimes in 2018 that he attributes the company’s growth to customer service, innovation and continued investment in technology.

In a July 2024 interview with Metal Finishing News, he said Blast Cleaning has grown 2,000% since 2012, adding an average of 150 new customers every year.

“Expanding our manufacturing capabilities enabled us to better control the machine build schedule and enhance our customer support,” Panzenhagen told MFN. “We no longer need to rely on vendors to address urgent customer needs. We understand our customers are the key to our success.”

Best Version Media leadership (left to right): Brad Paust, senior vice president of operations; Kevin O’Brien, CEO; and Katie Wold, senior vice president of brand delivery.

Briohn Building Corporation

Brookfield | Founded: 1979

Industry: Construction

Employees: 45 | 2024 projected sales: $165 million

Briohn Building Corporation provides design-build services for commercial and industrial projects in southeast Wisconsin.

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

Nelson Williams, CEO: “Geographically speaking, we have several land positions we are excited about in areas such as Sussex/Lisbon, Mukwonago, Elkhorn, Saukville, Johnson Creek, Oak Creek and Waukesha. Developing those parcels is forwardthinking for the region and great for us to partner on when we think about outward growth for our clients. Also, we look forward to opportunities to collaborate with leading companies to help them grow their business operations upward and reach those successes as well.”

What one thing would you change to make Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin better?

“Certainly, any modifications to tax policies and more streamlined regulations that support business investment and growth would help change things for the better. These elements would support efforts that provide jobs and other opportunities for the entire region – directly impacting residents who live here to make their lives better.”

What’s the best business advice you’ve received?

“In my college rowing days, we had a saying: ‘Never start behind.’ This means pushing through uncertainty with a bias toward action, ensuring we always get things done for our clients.”

Campbell Construction JC, Inc.

Mukwonago | Founded: 2006

Industry: Construction

Employees: 56 | 2024 projected sales: $70 million

Campbell Construction is a full-service general contractor that provides construction and development services to industrial, corporate, commercial and retail clients across the country.

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

Jay Campbell, president: “Over the past few years, our company has navigated supply chain disruption by hiring a vice president of procurement, allowing us to primarily procure our materials directly from manufacturers. With his help, we have avoided most supply chain and inflation challenges with each of our projects. In regard to labor markets, we pride ourselves on offering competitive wages and benefits that appeal to new hires and the staff we currently have on board.”

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

“Honestly, the most opportunity Campbell Construction has to continue to grow is right here in the southeastern Wisconsin market. We have a great capacity to work locally, and we are excited about the growth our company will have as we build within local communities.”

What one thing would you change to make Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin better?

“One thing that we would change about the city of Milwaukee is to eliminate its reputation for segregation. Whether it is division on politics, race or inequality, the city needs to find harmony. Unity in Milwaukee would create cohesion for all who live and work in the city.”

Briohn Building owners (left to right): Nelson and Katy Williams, Brian and Cellene Byrne, and Breann Mila.

The Campbell Construction team.

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CPV Paint & Graphics

Franksville | Founded: 1994 Industry: Manufacturing Employees: 40

CPV Paint & Graphics specializes in defect-free paint application and custom design and is a tier 1 and 2 supplier to some of the largest automotive makers. The company’s retail division provides paint repair, painted parts replacement and oneoff paint work to individuals and dealerships worldwide.

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

Steve Wright, president and owner: “We have added some roles to support the company and used staffing and recruiting services and other talent providers for special projects. We have absorbed some costs to help keep costs down for our customers while passing some other increases along. We have worked diligently to pay down debt to manage our interest expenses.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“Managing overhead expenses and finding new talent are the most challenging obstacles. Our industry has a decreasing number of people entering the field so it can be hard to find help.”

What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?

“We just completed a custom-made business management database and a $3.2 million, 26,000-square-foot expansion project. This houses our warehouse and is planned for a $2.5 million dollar paint booth that will improve first time quality and increase capacity.”

Craft Beverage Warehouse LLC

Milwaukee | Founded: 2020

Industry: Beverage packaging Employees: 18

Craft Beverage Warehouse specializes in direct-to-can digital printing and wholesale distribution of related products for beverage canning.

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

Kyle Stephens, president: “This business was born out of a supply chain disruption in the aluminum beverage can industry during the pandemic. We pivoted to direct-to-can digital printing when can supply rebounded, realizing that large distributors could offer much better pricing due to their ordering volume. This is a very capital-intensive business but we’re able to weather rising interest rates due to the increasing demand for our products and limited supply in the U.S.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“Currently, the single largest obstacle for our business is space. We did not expect our business to grow so quickly. With the recent doubling of our capacity, we have lost most of our warehouse space. A close second obstacle would be planning for future expansion. We have a small but growing team of very hard-working people. Demand for our products is pushing us to grow quickly, but we are also trying to be very mindful of the additional stress that puts on our company and our people.”

What one thing would you change to make Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin better?

“We strongly believe in bringing industrial jobs back to the city of Milwaukee. We’ve learned through our growth that there is an incredible workforce right here in the city. To bring jobs where our employees live and play saves cost and headaches of transportation and provides additional personal time rather than a long commute.”

CPV Paint & Graphics owners and leadership (left to right): Dana Wright, Steve Wright and Jay Wright.

Craft Beverage Warehouse team members.

Empower Electric

Waukesha | Founded: 2018 Industry: Electric construction Employees: 40

Empower Electric is an electrical contractor that specializes in commercial, industrial and residential projects, including generators, car chargers, service upgrades, remodels and smart home automation.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Allison Bursiek, CEO, and Michelle Zaskowski, COO: “Building and growing our trustable rapport with general contractors, state accounts and other large businesses. We pride ourselves on keeping up with the latest technology and making sure our employees are always learning and involved in the day-to-day operations.”

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

“We work side by side with our vendors to keep an eye on supply levels. We constantly anticipate the shift in material pricing and adjust our purchasing accordingly.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“The tight labor market and the shortage of young people going into the trades. We are constantly working to grow our apprenticeship program so we can mentor young adults wanting to come into the electrical field.”

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Empower Electric CEO Allison Bursiek (left) and COO Michelle Zaskowski.

VETERANS

E-Plan Exam

Brookfield | Founded: 2019 Industry: Construction Employees: 11

E-Plan Exam provides commercial plan review and submission services for construction projects across Wisconsin.

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

David Adam Mattox, president: “Navigating challenges such as inflation and a tight labor market required a multipronged approach. Our strategy included constantly adapting our processes and embracing innovative solutions to stay ahead of challenges; upholding our core values of integrity, passion and communication; and encouraging a culture of continuous improvement in which every team member is empowered to contribute ideas and solutions to better our processes.”

What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?

“We are currently developing a series of new updates to our platform to streamline the plan review process further, enhancing accessibility and efficiency for our clients. Additionally, we plan to expand our team to support our growth initiatives and explore new markets.”

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

“Opportunities for growth include geographical expansion, service diversification and technological advancements.”

Is there a nonprofit your company regularly supports?

“We regularly support our private E-Plan Exam Community Foundation. Our commitment is to give back to the communities we serve by offering scholarships to individuals who wish to pursue STEM fields as well as positions within government administration.”

Evans Transportation Services

Delafield

| Founded: 1985 Industry: Transportation Employees: 120

Evans Transportation Services provides third-party logistics and transportation management services for North American companies across several industries, including automotive, energy, manufacturing and health care.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past 3 years?

Ryan Keepman, CEO: “Evans has continued to grow, because the business is founded on the Evans Experience: the idea of listening and doing the right thing for our customers. Evans’ guiding principles of integrity, positivity, passion, communication and trust spark the above-and-beyond customer service and customized strategic solutions that they are known for.”

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

“Evans Transportation navigates challenges throughout the years by managing relationships with our customers, carriers and employees. Evans focuses on building long-term partnerships, prioritizing clear communication and responsiveness to inquiries and concerns.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“The biggest obstacle right now for Evans Transportation would be finding the right candidates to grow our team. As our business grows, we need to grow with it, and finding key employees to assist with that is a priority.”

E-Plan Exam president D.A. Mattox.

Evans Transportation Services leadership, including CEO Ryan Keepman, third from left.

F Street Group

Milwaukee | Founded: 2009 Industry: Real Estate Employees: 30 | 2024 projected sales: $25 million

F Street Group is an investment company with a portfolio focused on real estate development, lending and emerging market technologies.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Scott Lurie, founder: “There continues to be tremendous growth within the alternative investment industry, specifically within real estate, as assets continue to provide reduced volatility risk verses typical securities investments. We have also focused on integrating new technologies across our platform that have made it easier for our investors and clients to manage and maintain their accounts with F Street. Lastly, we have carefully expanded our team to include some of the most amazing talent available in the area and we are focused on the continued education and growth of each member as we work toward long-term company goals.”

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

“We have continued to remain diligent in our evaluation and analysis of potential development projects, with a focus on being conservative to provide our investor network with the opportunity to outperform should rates head lower over the next few years. Our lending continues to focus on strong value-add propositions from our borrower base, while our underwriting focus has ensured that we are writing solid loans with strong collateral backing.”

How would you describe your company culture?

“We are grinders and hustlers that love to have a good time. Culture is a major part of what makes F Street unlike traditional investment firms and helps us embrace the alternative landscape.”

SECURE OUR BORDERS

The F Street team, including founder Scott Lurie, bottom row second from right.

GIGAFLIGHT Connectivity Inc.

Greendale | Founded: 2017 Industry: Aerospace manufacturing Employees: 20

GIGAFLIGHT Connectivity manufactures and supplies electronic cables, connectors and assemblies for aerospace and defense products as well as other demanding applications.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Ben Hackett, president and CEO: “Our growth over the past three years can be attributed to our ability to meet customer lead times when others couldn’t, exceptional customer service and technical support, and consistently delivering high-quality products at a fair price.”

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

“Our resilience stems from leveraging our close relationships with vendors and partners developed over decades; our team of dedicated employees, with their strong industry expertise and relationships; and our effective management of inventory, paired with our industry knowledge of what products to hold in stock.”

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

“We see the most significant growth opportunities in the military sector. With increasing demand for advanced, reliable and high-performance connectivity solutions, our expertise in aerospace-grade cables, connectors and assemblies positions us well to meet the evolving needs of military applications.”

How would you describe your company culture?

“Our company culture is built on hard work, integrity and a shared dedication to helping our customers. We are like-minded individuals that enjoy the entrepreneurial spirit without rigid corporate bureaucracy.”

GIGAFLIGHT Connectivity president and CEO Ben Hackett.

Glenn Rieder, LLC

West Allis | Founded: 1946 Industry: Manufacturing Employees: 550 | 2024 projected sales: $125 million

Glenn Rieder is a custom architectural millwork manufacturer and commercial interior contractor serving all major markets across the U.S.

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

Tom Donohue, president and CEO: “We looked at our supply chains to reduce dependence on any single supplier or region and sourced materials from multiple and/or new vendors. We also spent time telling our story and developing our brand to help recruit the best talent.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“Developing and training our new staff poses a challenge, so we are investing in training and development programs to facilitate future growth.”

Is there a nonprofit your company regularly supports?

“We have supported and partnered with Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, which provides a comprehensive, affordable Catholic education to students who come from families with limited financial means. Since 2017, Glenn Rieder has sponsored a handful of students each school year who work alongside our staff who mentor, develop and teach them skills for their future. Glenn Rieder has also supported several other local nonprofits, including Street Angels Inc., Hunger Task Force and Father Gene’s Help Center.”

Great Lakes Industrial

Glendale | Founded: 1954 Industry: Manufacturing Employees: 86

Great Lakes Industrial is a family-owned industrial services provider for equipment manufacturers and repair operators across the U.S. and beyond.

What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?

George Baumann, president: “In 2023, we rebranded from Great Lakes Rubber to Great Lakes Industrial and completed the acquisition of another manufacturing company, marking significant steps in our growth strategy. Additionally, we are celebrating our 70th anniversary this year, a milestone that underscores our longstanding commitment to excellence and innovation. As we look to the future, we are planning further strategic changes to continue our legacy of growth and success.”

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

“We see the most opportunities for our company to continue growing through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions. By leveraging a distributor mentality, we could potentially double or triple our size without needing to bring in new customers. Additionally, growth through acquisition will remain a high priority for us, as it presents significant opportunities to expand our market presence and capabilities.”

What one thing would you change to make Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin better?

“One thing I would change to improve Milwaukee would be to enhance public transportation infrastructure within the city and increase the availability of flights. Improving public transportation would make commuting more efficient and accessible for residents, reducing traffic congestion and environmental impact. Increasing flight options would enhance connectivity, making the region more attractive for business, tourism and overall economic growth.”

Glenn Rieder president and CEO Tom Donohue.

The Great Lakes Industrial team.

Inpro Corporation

Muskego | Founded: 1979 Industry: Manufacturing Employees: 705

Inpro manufactures architectural products for commercial buildings, including door and wall protection, washrooms, expansion joint systems, privacy, elevator interiors, architectural signage and commercial window treatments.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Marc Holland, CEO and president: “As we navigated the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, we continued to support our sales and marketing efforts for future growth. Rather than pulling back, we pushed forward. Our employees found creative ways to engage with clients, which increased our market share. As our markets improved, we maintained our growth trajectory and added 150 employees, further fueling our expansion. The strategies that served us well as a smaller company have continued to work as our product lines and market share have grown.”

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

“We’ve always prided ourselves on maintaining close relationships with our supply chain partners and over the past several years, we’ve doubled down on that strategy. Our success is their success and vice versa. Additionally, we’ve continued to focus on our culture, which attracts more great people to our team. Whatever challenges come our way, our team of difference makers figures it out, and we move forward together.”

What one thing would you change to make Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin better?

“More affordable housing options are needed. It is becoming increasingly difficult for younger people to get started in life. We live in a wonderful area with fantastic schools, but we need more affordable housing options.”

James Imaging Systems

Brookfield | Founded: 1977 Industry: Office equipment Employees: 126

James Imaging Systems provides document imaging and printing solutions to commercial clients.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Lola Tegeder, CEO: “Three acquisitions in the past three years have added significant growth. Increased client demand for using software to automate manual business processes to save or repurpose FTEs. Increased demand for managed printer services to free up valuable IT resources. Demand for high production digital presses.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“Fewer acquisition targets inside our existing territory will slow acquisition growth. Work from home has resulted in fewer prints being made in the offices. Overall growth will have to come from net new clients, which are much harder to get than maintaining the current clients.”

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

“We are focused on gaining net new clients in the markets we currently serve. Acquisitions adjacent to the current markets we serve make sense for continued growth. Software technology that automates manual processes is our fastest growing segment. As one of the only locally owned companies in our industry, headquartered in southeastern Wisconsin, we have a competitive advantage over companies headquartered out of state and those owned by private equity, which tend to put profits ahead of service.”

Inpro Corporation CEO and president Marc Holland.

James Imaging Systems CEO Lola Tegeder and president Tom Tegeder.

KDV Label, LLC

Waukesha | Founded: 1974

Industry: Manufacturing Employees: 165 | 2024 projected sales: $70 million

KDV Label is a label manufacturer for consumer end markets, including food and beverage, health and beauty, automotive and specialty consumer goods.

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

Keith Walz, president and CEO: “The cost of raw materials has increased an unprecedented amount in the label industry in a very short period of time. While challenging, it was an opportunity for us to showcase our ability to proactively work with customers to minimize impact. Investing the time to truly understand their needs and objectives allows us to adjust their label program, including order patterns and material constructions.

“We are not immune to labor challenges either. We have worked to introduce more flexibility, built out additional training programs and increased our investment in wages and benefits by over 20% over the past few years. We will continue to invest in our workforce, training and automation throughout the business.”

What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?

“We will make leaps in both sustainability offerings and digital printing capabilities. Both areas are changing rapidly in the label industry, and we have been working diligently to not only support our customers, but also be in a position to help guide and advance their packaging.”

What one thing would you change to make Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin better?

“Bring more industry conventions to Milwaukee to showcase economic development and the great atmosphere.”

Koru Health, LLC

Wauwatosa | Founded: 2017 Industry: Health care, senior living Employees: 352

Koru Health owns and operates full-service senior living communities, including independent living, assisted living and memory care.

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

Andy Lange, president and founder: “We continue to see that success in senior living requires managing operations with enough fluidity to respond and manage a highly volatile set of variables through internal customers, business partners, regulatory changes and other external interested parties. The long-term nature of that operating framework requires skillful prioritization, consistently productive execution and nearly constant compromise or adjustment. As a health care provider, the changing regulatory environment continues to be a top focus for us.”

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

“The rising expectations of our internal and external customers create a great body of opportunity to change the landscape of senior living and senior services. Amongst the challenges this creates, it offers us some clarity and defines pathways we must travel to be successful long term. Changing the expectations of our customers will provide opportunities for us to grow horizontally and vertically.”

How would you describe your company culture?

“Mission driven, growth minded, outcome focused with best-in-class expectations as an employer and operator.”

KDV Label leadership, including president and CEO Keith Walz, center.

Koru Health president and founder Andy Lange.

Lakeland Supply, Inc.

Pewaukee | Founded: 1984 Industry: Packaging Employees: 43

Lakeland Supply produces and distributes a full line of packaging supplies, janitorial products and industrial facility supplies.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Vince Schmidt, president: “One major contributor has been our commitment to being a one-stop source for our current customers. By expanding our range of products and services, we have been able to meet more of our customers’ needs, fostering greater loyalty and repeat business. Additionally, we’ve used strategic marketing efforts and targeted outreach to attract new clients and enter new markets. The Lakeland programs have also played a crucial role in our growth by providing valuable resources and support to our customers, enhancing their satisfaction and helping them achieve their goals.”

What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?

“Lakeland recently expanded its team and is currently adding 60,000 square feet to our warehouse to better service our customers. This expansion will allow us to improve our operations and enhance the overall customer experience.”

What’s the best business advice you’ve received?

“The best advice I’ve ever received is that business is about serving others. If you take care of others, success naturally follows. Prioritizing the needs of your customers, employees and community creates a positive impact and fosters longterm growth.”

Lauber Business Partners, Inc.

Milwaukee | Founded: 1986

Industry: Business services

Employees: 40

Lauber Business Partners provides companies professional consulting services in the areas of human resources, finance and accounting, nonprofit management, recruiting, strategic planning and leadership, and team development.

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

Mark Wiesman, CEO and co-owner: “Continuing to increase the market awareness of all our service lines and expanding geographically.”

What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?

“We have added new talent and additional service offerings, including outsourced accounting, a chief administrative officer, and a new leader of team integration.”

What’s the best business advice you’ve received?

“Don’t be afraid to experiment with new ideas and adapt along the way.”

The Lakeland Supply team.

Lauber Business Partners owners Julie Tolan and Mark Wiesman.

Learning Exchange

Brookfield | Founded: 1995 Industry: Education Employees: 155

Learning Exchange provides a full range of supplemental educational services and benefits to non-public school students and educators through federal grants aimed at enhancing student engagement, providing teacher professional development and fostering family engagement.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

T.J. Larkin, owner: “People. From our leadership team to our teachers, our team and family approach allow our staff to compete and win while working with our clients’ expectations and needs.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“Finding qualified employees who fully embrace our culture, processes and procedures to effectively implement our proven systems for our clients.”

What one thing would you change to make Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin better?

“The Milwaukee area is constrained by its proximity to the lake, which I believe hinders new development and enterprise from entering the region. However, when something new does arrive, the community wholeheartedly embraces it, generating excitement and buzz. This type of acceptance is encouraging, and I hope to see more new businesses and industries come to the region.”

What’s the best business advice you’ve received?

“Take advantage of opportunities presented to you, no matter how they come about.”

Lee Mechanical

Franklin | Founded: 1976 Industry: Mechanical Contracting Employees: 265 | 2024 projected sales: $132 million

Lee Mechanical provides mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection services to commercial and industrial clients across the Midwest.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Brandon Quinn, president and CEO: “Our organization has experienced remarkable growth over the past three years due to our dedicated team, strong relationships and high customer trust. Everyone here is committed to doing their best and driving the Lee team’s success. We pride ourselves on consistently delivering on promises, maintaining efficiency to keep costs down and beating project deadlines. This combination of a driven team, trustworthiness and reliability has built a strong foundation for our sustained growth and success.”

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

“Supply chain issues have been our biggest challenge. To address this, we increased our warehouse and fabrication space to approximately 150,000 square feet. This expansion helps us accommodate long lead times and manage supply chain disruptions more effectively.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“Our big push over the next few years will be on fire protection, following the recent acquisition of Wisconsin Fire Sprinkler Installation and Inspection Inc. This move is aimed at strengthening our MEPF (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection) platform, allowing us to offer multiple trade efficiencies to our customers.”

The Learning Exchange team.

Lee Mechanical leadership (left to right): principal Frank Ruffolo, chairman Bob Lee Jr. and president and CEO Brandon Quinn.

members.

Magellan Promotions

West Allis | Founded: 2005

Industry: Marketing Employees: 15

Magellan Promotions provides branded merchandise, including custom promotional products, apparel, awards and event signage, to higher education institutions.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Michael Wolaver, founder: “First, we have built a really strong team, which is at the core of our success. None of our growth would be possible without a team that cares about our clients, builds strong partnerships and strives for excellence. Second, we have positioned ourselves as a business of expertise that targets two specific audiences. We learn their challenges and use our expertise to create unique and innovative solutions. Third, we continue to evolve our business. This has included implementing the EOS business system and adding a wider range of services to meet our clients’ needs.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“Differentiating ourselves in the market and effectively communicating our unique value proposition. While our niche agency approach sets us apart, we still face the challenge of overcoming the perception that our offering could be categorized as a commodity.”

What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?

“We are growing our fulfillment services at a rapid pace. Over the past few years, we have seen a fourfold increase in demand for this service. To ensure we maintain the highest level of quality and provide a white-glove service experience, we made a strategic decision to move a large portion of our fulfillment work in-house, allowing us to have greater control over the process.”

MicroSynergies

Glendale | Founded: 2007

Industry: Bioscience, manufacturing Employees: 25

MicroSynergies is a microbial bioscience company specializing in the procurement, formulation, scientific research, blending and packaging of beneficial organisms for the plant health, agriculture, aquaculture, animal health and environmental markets.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Barry Keller, CEO and partner: “One significant factor has been the shift in consumer awareness, as more people become educated about the benefits of ‘good’ bacteria. This has increased the focus on probiotics for both human and animal health and the demand for foods free from harmful and synthetic materials. Our success is bolstered by strong strategic partnerships with industry leaders who are investing in the development and formulation of products leveraging our expertise. A major milestone in our growth journey was the strategic decision in 2021 to transition from a microbial consulting firm to a manufacturing company.”

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

“Our current growth focus has been in the plant, agriculture and animal health markets. The exciting thing about our solution is that there is a wide range of market applications which creates a large pool of growth opportunities. As we continue to grow, we plan to fine-tune our strategic market focus while continuing to expand our portfolio of product and service offerings.”

How would you describe your company culture?

“We recognize that most people spend a third of their life at work. We want our people to enjoy coming into work, not dreading it. To do this, we try to create strong team dynamics, open communication and make people feel empowered in their roles.”

Magellan Promotions team

MircoSynergies partners (left to right): CEO Barry Keller, chief technical officer Brad Glocke, chief technical advisor Roy Glocke and general counsel Brian Carroll.

MilwaukeeWarehouse team members.

MilwaukeeWarehouse

Milwaukee | Founded: 2018 Industry: Warehousing and distribution Employees: 21

MilwaukeeWarehouse is a warehouse and distribution services company that provides storage of raw materials and finished goods to local manufacturers, food-grade warehouse services to the food and beverage industry, container unload and distribution services to big box retailers as well as order fulfillment and cross dock services.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

John Arcuri, president: “Manufacturers continue to place greater emphasis on their core manufacturing business, outsourcing peripheral activities such as warehousing and distribution to third-party logistics providers that can run this operation more efficiently and at a lower cost. We are also seeing a strong demand from the international business community for U.S.-based distribution centers.”

What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?

“We are excited to have completed the conversion to our new warehouse management system in 2023 and to have expanded into our third warehouse facility in 2024.”

What one thing would you change to make Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin better?

“Greater emphasis and appreciation for trade skills. Milwaukee is a great manufacturing town. These skills need to be developed and celebrated.”

What’s the best business advice you’ve received?

“Kindness is the most underrated skill in business.”

Moore Construction Services

Menomonee Falls | Founded: 2007

Industry: Construction

Employees: 27

Moore Construction Services is a construction manager, design-builder and general contractor serving commercial, institutional and multifamily markets in Wisconsin.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Mike Moore, president: “First and foremost, our team. We have assembled an exceptional group of construction professionals who are passionate about their work and delivering projects for our customers. Second, our customers. Our goal is to work with customers who value us as a true partner. We do a lot of repeat work and have grown alongside many of our first customers, which has been rewarding.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“Changing a mindset from always having the ability to take on more work, to not overcommitting ourselves so we can properly service our customers.”

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

“I see us continuing to grow in the distribution/fulfillment centers and senior living sectors as they both continue to have a high demand.”

What’s the best business advice you’ve received?

“Don’t be afraid to pay for advice. There are experts in different industries for a reason – use them and value them.”

Moore Construction Services leadership (left to right): executive vice president Tom Smith, president Mike Moore and vice president Austin Moore.

MKE Iron Erectors, Inc.

Waukesha | Founded: 2019 Industry: Construction Employees: 100

MKE Iron Erectors is a full-service, woman-owned steel erector that provides subcontracting for division 3 and 5 construction projects. Its team of union ironworkers specializes in precast concrete and metal work.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Barbara Sheedy, CEO and owner: “The construction boom in southeastern Wisconsin over the past few years has offered MKE Iron Erectors ample opportunities. Everything from the DeLong Agricultural Maritime Export Facility to The Couture, and a steady stream of Wisconsin Department of Transportation work, has contributed. So has participation in long-term projects, such as the Microsoft Data Center in Mount Pleasant.

“We have developed a compelling brand story based on our vision to build prosperity and better communities, and on our values of safety, resilience and respect. Consistent marketing strategies that demonstrate our brand have taken the company from an unknown entity to a sought-after service that grossed $12 million in 2023. Identifying and developing diverse markets and revenue streams has also added to our growth.”

Is there a nonprofit your company regularly supports?

“The construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates among professions. This problem has been long overlooked by our industry, but not anymore. We focus our efforts on prevention education, such as QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer), a procedure that gives laymen the ability to intervene if they find a co-worker who’s in trouble. Locally, we support the National Alliance on Mental Illness Southeast Wisconsin for these education programs.”

MKE Iron Erectors CEO and owner Barbara Sheedy.

Munson, Inc.

Glendale | Founded: 1955 Industry: Construction Employees: 65

Munson provides asphalt paving, sealcoating and fencing services to commercial and residential customers in the greater Milwaukee area.

What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?

Robert Fetherston, president: “We are rolling out new digital tools for project management and customer engagement, which aim to improve efficiency and client satisfaction. We are also launching initiatives focused on attracting and developing talent, particularly in the trades, to address labor shortages and ensure long-term growth.”

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

“Sports surfaces, as the demand for pickleball courts and multi-sports surfaces is dynamic. Also, geographic expansion within the Milwaukee region and beyond, capitalizing on our reputation for quality and reliability. Finally, investing in sustainable construction practices, which are increasingly in demand among clients and can set us apart in a competitive market.”

Is there a nonprofit your company regularly supports?

“We continue to support the Milwaukee Tennis & Education Foundation because its mission aligns with our values. It focuses on providing opportunities for underprivileged youth in Milwaukee to learn tennis while developing into well-rounded individuals. Our support helps empower the next generation and contribute positively to our community.”

The Munson team.

New Resources Consulting

Milwaukee | Founded: 2003 Industry: Professional services Employees: 200

New Resources Consulting offers IT consulting and management services for businesses across various industries.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Mark Grosskopf, president and CEO: “The most important factor contributing to our growth is our incredible team. Our dedicated, intelligent, focused professionals continuously seek innovative solutions to address our clients’ technology challenges. Additionally, our clients’ trust in us to provide top-tier talent has been instrumental in our success. Their confidence in our capabilities allows us to deliver exceptional results and drive mutual growth.”

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

“Due to our financial strength, we can focus on the long term, allowing us to make strategic investments even during economic disruptions. By prioritizing the growth and development of our team and ensuring we meet our clients’ needs, we have maintained stability and continued to deliver exceptional value. This dedication has enabled us to overcome these turbulent times and position ourselves for future success. We have and will remain focused on how we can best invest in our people and clients.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“Finding the best ways to connect with new clients so that we can share our story and earn their trust. Building these connections is crucial to demonstrate our capabilities and establish strong, lasting relationships that drive mutual success.”

Newport Network Solutions, Inc.

New Berlin | Founded: 2008 Industry: Telecom Employees: 31

Newport Network Solutions provides consulting, design and installation services for computer and network systems, including telecom cabling, security system installation, sound masking, audio-visual and monitoring.

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

Jason Berthelsen, president: “Our strong relationships with supply partners are instrumental to our success. These partnerships go beyond transactions; they are built on mutual trust and proactive collaboration. When stock levels fluctuate or prices are expected to rise, our dedicated suppliers notify us promptly, allowing us to strategically purchase in bulk, leveraging economies of scale to lower costs. As a result, we pass these savings on to our customers.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“One of the biggest obstacles to our company’s continued growth is staying informed and ahead of the rapidly evolving technology landscape, particularly in the field of security technology. The pace at which innovations and changes occur in security technology requires us to be continuously immersed in these advancements.”

What one thing would you change to make Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin better?

“We believe Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin are on a promising path. The continued investment in downtown is commendable, and the thoughtful development is making a significant impact. To build on this momentum, we would advocate for further enhancements in public transportation and connectivity. Improved transit options could make it easier for residents and visitors to enjoy the rich array of amenities our city offers.”

Optimum Crush, Inc.

New Berlin | Founded: 2013 Industry: Mining, manufacturing Employees: 10

Optimum Crush supplies after-market replacement parts for cone crushers used in the mining and aggregate industries.

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

Jerrod Dulmes, president: “We are taking our products and design improvements that have been developed for North American mines to other mines with similar equipment at various global locations.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“Our global market presents a challenge to be in front of our clients as often as we wish to be, so growing our international team and transferring our knowledge to them will be an exciting challenge as we grow.”

What’s the best business advice you’ve received?

“Fail fast. Don’t wait too long to make a change. Learn quickly.”

What one thing would you change to make Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin better?

“Have every resident realize how great this area is. When I visit the locations of the world that we work in, I see how wonderful the lifestyle is in southeastern Wisconsin. I appreciate the words ‘welcome home’ after long international travels.”

Is there a nonprofit your company regularly supports?

“We support dozens across the globe, and we are excited to reach the $1 million milestone for our Community Optimization program this year. We just signed a contract for naming sponsorship of a football (soccer) field in the Philippines which will highlight our 2024 activity.”

The Newport Network Solutions team.

Optimum Crush president Jerrod Dulmes.

Pattyn North America

Sussex | Founded: 2011 Industry: Manufacturing Employees: 51

Pattyn North America manufactures stand-alone packaging machines and fully automated turnkey solutions for industrial bulk packaging.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Dustin Konruff, managing director: “Our growth is driven by our four core values: flexibility, teamwork, commitment and humor. We foster a customer-centric approach, actively listening to our clients and evolving alongside them. Our focus is on continually providing innovative solutions to meet our customers’ packaging challenges.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“While automation helps us manage the challenges of decreased labor availability, we face similar obstacles within our own workforce. We’re always looking to grow our team, particularly with field service technicians and engineers. Although our machines are designed to be ‘plug and play,’ we still need skilled workers to install, start up and maintain them for the long haul.”

What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?

“This year, we’ve expanded our footprint in North America by opening a new office and warehouse in the Southeast. With a significant customer base in the South, our new location in Lawrenceville, Georgia, enables us to better serve their needs and support their growth. From this new office, we’ll be able to strengthen existing relationships, forge new ones and offer local consumable testing, machine training and more.”

Ready Rebound

Milwaukee | Founded: 2015 Industry: Health care Employees: 35

Ready Rebound provides health and wellness solutions and advocacy to first responders and their families.

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

David Reeves, CEO: “We see the most opportunities in large cities such as Memphis, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. Many of the nation’s largest and most progressive cities will benefit greatly from investment in Ready Rebound, making the metro market (cities with 400-plus firefighters or cops) an excellent target-rich environment to expand our service. The increase in crime rates, drug overdoses and other issues in our nation’s cities create an increasing need for better staffing for public safety, which we anticipate will exist for years to come.”

What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?

“We are focusing on early injury detection and creating management dashboards to help create better visibility of all of a city’s injuries and the entire return-to-work process.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“One of the biggest obstacles is educating the market on what this service is and how it works, as taking sports medicine to the first responder community hasn’t been done before. This requires a lot of evangelization and education. For example, police chiefs know how to buy squad cars and uniforms, but purchasing Ready Rebound’s services is a new process that requires collaboration between human resource and workers’ compensation departments.”

Pattyn North America leadership (left to right): managing director Dustin Konruff, director of project management Zach Nold, service department manager Dustin Wescott, sales director Kyle Aarestad, and parts manager Mark Bingenheimer.

Ready Rebound CEO David Reeves.

River Run

Glendale | Founded: 1993 Industry: IT and cybersecurity Employees: 80

River Run provides managed IT and cybersecurity operations center support, including network assessment, documentation, planning, project implementation and ongoing support – both in the cloud and on-premise.

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

Paul Riedl Jr., CEO: “We continue to see the future growth of full and hybrid migration to the cloud with Azure or Amazon Web Services. Microsoft continues to make it more attractive to have companies switch to Teams for their phone system, and we are well trained and experienced in transitioning clients from their traditional phone systems to the new hybrid and virtual offerings. We will continue to grow in all aspects of cybersecurity, from consulting to in-person and remote protection and backup.”

What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?

“We continue to evolve and offer our clients affordable solutions that have them fully protected and productive. This includes advancements in cybersecurity, virtual computing, cloud networking, AI solutions, virtual telephony and CIO consulting.”

What one thing would you change to make Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin better?

“We think all children in Milwaukee and Wisconsin should have access to free high-speed internet to ensure equal opportunity in education and information accessibility. Closing the digital divide to ensure that every child, regardless of where they live, can grow up to be the next great River Run engineer or CEO is important for all of us.”

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River Run leadership (left to right): chief operating officer John Limbach, executive director of sales Jessie Smith, and CEO Paul Riedl Jr.

RJ Schinner

Menomonee Falls | Founded: 1951 Industry: Wholesale Employees: 650 | 2024 projected sales: $711 million

RJ Schinner is a wholesale distributor servicing the food service, lodging, grocery, janitorial supply and office supply markets, with 20 locations and more than 75 sales professionals across the U.S.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Ken Schinner, CEO: “A focus was placed on continuing investments in the company infrastructure, including technology, buildings and equipment, as well as employees, across all departments throughout the company. With the opening of an overseas sourcing office in Shanghai, we have the ability to source RJ Exclusive Brand products globally, providing a much wider base of manufacturing partners to choose from, allowing for more control of that product base in all aspects. In addition, with the challenges the supply chain has presented over the past three years, RJ Schinner continues to make investments in expanding expertise within the realm of global sourcing, giving more control over production.”

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

“RJ Schinner has continued to remain aggressive in the pursuit of market share, continuing to grow the customer base and volume within it, while increased profitability has led to lower debt, allowing the company to make substantial reinvestments into the business.”

What’s the best business advice you’ve received?

“Know your strengths and use them to best service your customers and the needs that they have.”

RJ Schinner CEO Ken Schinner.

Royal Basket Trucks, Inc.

Darien | Founded: 1982 Industry: Material handling, manufacturing Employees: 175

Royal Basket Trucks manufactures material handling carts and containers designed for a variety of markets, including hospitality, health care, commercial laundry, education, property management, and warehousing and distribution.

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

Thomas Carney, president: “Rising costs of raw materials, health care and insurance costs continue to increase, interest rates remain high, and the availability of quality labor.”

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

“Royal is focused on product improvement and new product development, which brings additional manufacturing capabilities into our operations. This initiative supports growth in key markets as part of our long-term strategy.”

What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?

“Royal is currently in the process of adding 27,000 square feet of additional manufacturing space. (We are) continuing to invest in equipment, people and relationships.”

What one thing would you change to make Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin better?

“More affordable housing in Milwaukee/southeastern Wisconsin, would help foster the ability to have more employees in the manufacturing sector.”

SETGO Partners

Wauwatosa | Founded: 2020 Industry: Software consulting Employees: 27 | 2024 projected sales: $4.6 million

SETGO Partners provides salesforce implementation and consulting services.

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

Rob Petrie, CEO: “We have grown to our current size with zero outbound marketing. We are in the process of hiring our first marketer and believe that this will help elevate our voice in the salesforce ecosystem and make more people aware of who we are and how we do business.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“We have a relatively inexperienced leadership team, including our two cofounders. With our growth over the past four years, it feels like we are a different company every couple of months. Combining this with the fact that we are a fully remote company, we believe one of our biggest challenges will be to continue to double down on our company culture and ensure it remains a priority as our team grows in size.”

What one thing would you change to make Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin better?

“I would love to see more opportunities for the local tech community to come together and get engaged in the lower-income communities in our city. We have found it to be shockingly challenging to find local nonprofits that are able to handle a group of our size for a day of volunteering.”

Royal Basket Trucks leadership, including president Tom Carney, center.

SharkCrates

Milwaukee | Founded: 2018 Industry: Manufacturing Employees: 16

SharkCrates manufactures and distributes heavy-duty collapsible wood shipping crates designed to streamline and economize the shipping and storage process for various industries.

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

Nate Collins, president: “Until now, we have only produced a very heavy-duty wood shipping crate. We see a huge potential market in a lighter-duty version that comes in at a lower price point. In addition, we continue to evaluate adding a drop-ship warehouse to reduce the freight time to our customers in California, Texas and Florida.”

What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?

“A few months ago, we launched a ‘first-of-its-kind’ online wood crate configurator that allows customers to design their own crate and submit it to us for a quote. They’re able to choose the type of pallet under the crate, the size of the crate and even add their own logos. In the next few months, we’ll be launching our own pallet collar product. Pallet collars are standard pallets with stackable walls (the collars) that let the customer choose the height of the walls based on the number of collars they stack on top of each other. Our biggest launch will be an all-new lighter weight collapsible crate system in early 2025.”

How would you describe your company culture?

“Everyone knows that they can come to management any time with new ideas on how to improve any part of our business. It’s this openness and mutual respect that creates a partnership and keeps us all focused on the company’s success.”

SharkCrates president Nate Collins.

Stratus Industries LLC

Milwaukee | Founded: 2012 Industry: Manufacturing Employees: 40

Stratus Industries specializes in long-run and short-run contract manufacturing of wood, plastics and metals as well as product fulfillment and kitting services.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Tom Daugherty, CEO, and Lyle Stoflet, COO: “Our team is the cornerstone of our success. Their dedication to customer care and their willingness to go above and beyond are truly remarkable. Additionally, we have significantly expanded our building area by more than four times its previous size. We have also made substantial investments in new equipment and tools to further enhance our capabilities.”

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

“In 2022, we experienced a catastrophic fire that destroyed our main manufacturing facility. We viewed this as an opportunity to implement significant changes for our success. Instead of laying off any employees, we relocated production operations to our 33rd Street facility, which was previously used for cold storage. The team rallied together and began working the morning after the fire, moving equipment, cleaning and creating a new space to serve as our company’s home.”

How would you describe your company culture?

“Our company culture is warm and inclusive, where collaboration and support are at the core of everything we do. We prioritize open communication, mutual respect and a collective commitment to each other’s growth and success.”

TOTAL Mechanical, Inc.

Pewaukee |

Founded: 1968

Industry: Mechanical contracting and custom metal fabrication

Employees: 375

TOTAL Mechanical is a mechanical contracting firm specializing in the design, installation and services of commercial and residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical and fire protection systems as well as mechanical systems that support industrial and manufacturing processes.

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

Licia Streich, president: “Understanding new technologies and how they affect our industry and our customers and then getting in front of the opportunities that those new technologies provide.”

What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?

“Our advanced fabrication business is relatively new to TOTAL and is growing rapidly. This area of work, which coordinates so well with our mechanical contracting expertise, is providing significant and exciting expansion opportunities for us.”

What’s the best business advice you’ve received?

“Keep it simple. There is extraordinary value in the simplest solutions.”

How would you describe your company culture?

“The word that best describes TOTAL’s culture is ‘integrity.’ We literally have that word stitched on our sleeves. That word influences the services we provide, how we respond to our customers and how we treat each other.”

Stratus Industries leadership, including CEO Tom Daugherty, center left, and COO Lyle Stoflet, center right.

TOTAL Mechanical leadership, including president Licia Streich, third from right.

Valor Technologies

Menomonee Falls | Founded: 2017 Industry: IT Employees: 20

Valor Technologies offers a suite of professional information technology solutions, including managed IT and security services, data center services and technology investments.

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

Bryan Sevener, CEO: “By diversifying our supply chain, implementing costsaving measures, optimizing our financial structure and investing in employee development, ensuring we maintain stability and continued growth.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“The biggest obstacles to Valor Technologies’ continued growth include the rapidly evolving technological landscape, which demands constant adaptation and innovation, and the ongoing challenges in attracting and retaining top talent in a competitive labor market. Additionally, economic uncertainties, such as fluctuating interest rates and inflation, pose financial risks that require careful management. Despite these challenges, our commitment to strategic planning and investment in technology and human resources positions us well to overcome these obstacles.”

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

“Valor Technologies sees the most opportunities for continued growth in expanding our managed IT services to support the increasing demand for digital transformation and artificial intelligence across various industries. By leveraging advancements in cloud computing, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, we can offer innovative solutions that drive efficiency, cost savings and productivity for our clients. Additionally, exploring new markets and forming strategic partnerships will enable us to broaden our reach and enhance our service offerings.”

Vyron

Waukesha | Founded: 1955 Industry: Manufacturing Employees: 75

Vyron is an HVAC manufacturers’ representative serving facility owners, mechanical contractors and mechanical engineers in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Roberta Brehm, president: “Our growth is a direct reflection of our incredible team. Each member shows relentless dedication and has a strong work ethic. Their commitment to excellence and innovation has been a huge driving factor in our success. We have strategically grown our team by adding talented individuals who bring diverse skills and fresh perspectives. We also have cultivated a culture of collaboration where ideas are freely exchanged and teamwork is highly valued.”

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

“Navigating recent economic challenges has required resilience, strategic planning and a steadfast commitment to our core values. In a tight labor market, we have focused on attracting and retaining top talent by fostering a positive workplace culture and providing opportunities for professional growth. Our values of truth and transparency have been paramount in maintaining strong relationships.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“To continue at the rate of growth we have seen over the past five years, we need to be implementing systems and technology to keep up with our ever-growing internal demand. As a business reaches a certain size, it can become more difficult to maintain a cohesive culture, internally communicate effectively and ensure that our internal systems are robust enough to safeguard our services’ quality.”

Valor Technologies CEO Bryan Sevener.

Vyron leadership, including president Roberta Brehm, center.

VJS Construction Services

Pewaukee | Founded: 1947 Industry: Construction Employees: 157 | 2024 projected sales: $272 million

VJS Construction Services provides general contracting, construction management and design-build services for a wide range of projects across Wisconsin.

What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

Craig Jorgensen, president and CEO: “Firstly, we attract, develop and retain top talent, which has enabled us to maintain an 80% repeat clientele base and forge new partnerships, driving market expansion. We have implemented a strategic plan to develop our next generation of leadership, ensuring alignment with the evolving leadership landscape of our clients as baby boomers retire.”

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

“We see significant opportunities for continued growth through our strong community relationships, as our clients and their project sizes have expanded alongside us. Referrals from repeat clients, driven by our company legacy and community involvement, are a key growth driver. We are broadening our geographic reach into areas like Janesville, Racine, and Kenosha, with further expansion discussions into the Fox Valley and Madison, and we are actively growing our presence in new markets such as aviation, medical, and civic sectors.”

What one thing would you change to make Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin better?

“Enhance collaboration on economic development across the seven counties in the region. Specifically, seeing organizations like M7 receive greater funding to expand their efforts and drive economic growth more effectively. Ideally, this initiative would eventually extend to additional areas, fostering broader regional development.”

VJS Construction leadership: (top row, left to right) Craig Jorgensen, Rick Andritsch, Jason Schneider, Joe Jorgensen, David Jorgensen (bottom row, left to right) Allie Jorgensen, Katherine Kawczynski, Chris Suave and Jake Jorgensen.

AWARD WINNER

Wolter, Inc.

Brookfield | Founded: 1962

Industry: Material handling, manufacturing Employees: 610

Wolter distributes new and used material handling equipment, overhead cranes and hoists, generators, storage solutions and engineered systems to industrial, construction and commercial companies across the Midwest.

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

Jerry Weidmann, CEO: “The biggest obstacle to our growth is the labor shortage; in our business it is particularly challenging in increasing our technician staff. Population demographics and a decline in the number of young people looking to work in the trades creates a challenging environment to grow our business. We are looking to grow more through acquisition as a method to increase our scale in the face of staffing challenges.”

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

“The material handling industry is in a long-term consolidation trend. Suppliers and customers alike are demonstrating a preference for larger, more capable distributors. It is increasingly difficult for the smaller distributor to compete. The average age of material handling distributor owners is skewed towards retirement age. The environment for growth by acquisition is very favorable. We see industry consolidation as a critical area of opportunity for us to grow our business.”

What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?

“In order to take advantage of the industry consolidation trend, we have brought in investment capital, created a mergers and acquisition team, and developed what we call our SWAT Team for due diligence and acquisition integration. We expect to double our business, substantially through acquisitions, in the next five years.”

Wixon

St. Francis | Founded: 1907 Industry: Food and

beverage manufacturing Employees: 268

Wixon produces seasonings, ingredients and flavors for the food industry.

Where do you see the most opportunities for your company to continue growing?

Peter Gottsacker, president: “Continuous research and development is the fuel that propels our leadership in the food, beverage and nutritional ingredient space. As a custom manufacturer, innovation is in our DNA. This dedication is evident by the impressive number of more than 400 new products we have successfully commercialized in the past 18 months alone. These innovations represent a significant 18% of our total sales.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“Consumers are becoming increasingly interested in things like clean labels, sustainability and specific dietary needs. This means we need to constantly innovate and develop new ingredients that meet these evolving preferences. Keeping up with these trends requires significant investment in research and development. The food ingredient industry is highly competitive. There’s constant pressure to keep costs low while offering unique and innovative products. The food industry is heavily regulated, and these regulations are constantly evolving. Keeping up with changing regulations to meet our customer expectations can be a time-consuming and expensive process.”

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

“We diversified our supplier base. Instead of relying on a single source for key ingredients, we spread the risk by partnering with additional approved suppliers where possible. This has helped us weather disruptions. We also increased our safety stock of critical ingredients to buffer against unexpected shortages.”

The Wolter executive team, including CEO Jerry Weidmann, center.

Wixon leadership, including president Peter Gottsacker, fourth from right.

Ever wonder what Future 50 winning companies from past years are doing now? Catch up with some of the past winners' latest news, innovations and growth since they were last recognized as a Future 50 winner.

Enviro-Safe Resource Recovery Years Recognized: 2005, 2006, 2019 Page: 65

S3 AeroDefense

SWICKtech

Years Recognized: 2008, 2009, 2010 Page: 66

Years Recognized: 2015, 2016, 2019 Page: 66

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YEARS RECOGNIZED: 2005, 2006, 2019

Wisconsin’s newest licensed hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facility

Interview with Jeff Vilione, president and founder

Enviro-Safe Resource Recovery (ESRR) continues to stand as a beacon of sustainable business practices and innovation. Since our third recognition as a Future 50 Winner in 2019, our journey has been one of remarkable growth and transformative milestones.

One of the most significant milestones was our licensing as a hazardous waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF). This pivotal achievement expanded our service offerings and underscored our commitment to adhering to the highest industry standards.

We have strategically grown our workforce, welcoming new talent and broadening our collective expertise. This expansion has empowered us to tackle the increasingly complex challenges of the waste management industry.

In response to our growing client base and evolving industry needs, we invested in a 30,000-square foot addition to our facility. This expansion has enhanced our capacity to manage waste and created an environment that fosters innovation and collaboration.

Our efforts have not gone unnoticed. Enviro-Safe Resource Recovery has been recognized by the Financial Times and Strata in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Additionally, we were named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies for three consecutive years in 2020, 2021, and 2022. These accolades reflect our relentless pursuit of excellence and our unwavering commitment to setting new industry standards.

Understanding the importance of mobility and the need to extend our reach, we have significantly expanded our transportation fleet. This enhancement allows us to serve our clients more efficiently, ensuring timely and effective waste management services.

At Enviro-Safe Resource Recovery, sustainability isn’t just a trend; it’s the core of our business philosophy. While many companies have only recently embraced sustainability, it has been our guiding principle from the start. Our commitment to sustainable practices is engrained in our organizational identity, and it drives every decision we make.

We go beyond mere compliance by offering our clients tailored sustainability and waste management solutions. Our services minimize liabilities, reduce costs, and, most importantly, protect the environment. This commitment to sustainability is what sets us apart in the industry.

A Collaborative Approach to a Greener Future

Achieving sustainability goals requires collaboration. We work closely with our clients to understand their unique objectives, ensuring that we are not just service providers but true partners in their sustainability journey.

The recognition as a Future 50 Winner was just the beginning for Enviro-Safe Resource Recovery. Our continued growth and steadfast commitment to sustainability reflect our determination to lead by example. As we look ahead, we remain grounded in our values, ensuring that every step we take brings us closer to a greener and more sustainable future.

Industry: Environmental Services

Enviro-Safe Resource Recovery 262.790.2500

esrr.com

Sustainability

YEARS RECOGNIZED: 2008, 2009, 2010

Expanding globally while remaining customer-first

Interview with Aksel Sidem, president

Since being recognized as a Future 50 company in 2008, 2009, and 2010, S3 AeroDefense has expanded significantly, creating over 110 new positions to support our growing export business. Today, we are proud to have a team of 134 employees across 11 states and six countries. This success has enabled us to offer excellent compensation and benefits to our hardworking employees. Our growth is also reflected in the investments we’ve made in our facilities. In 2021, we expanded our warehouse by 42,000 square feet, and by 2025, we will have added 30,000 square feet of additional office space near our current headquarters, ensuring room for continued growth.

Our corporate philosophy has always centered on one guiding principle: “cater to our customers.” For us, this means going beyond simply meeting expectations—we strive to provide value-added solutions tailored to our customers’ unique needs. We differentiate ourselves through our unwavering commitment to superior customer support, industry-leading quality, and a mindset of continuous improvement.

Every action we take is grounded in these core values, ensuring that we deliver not only exceptional products but also a seamless and reliable experience for our partners. It’s this dedication that sets us apart and drives our long-standing relationships in the industry.

FUTURE 50: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

SWICKtech rebrands to focus on cybersecurity, compliance & IT support

Interview with Nicole Rosenberg, Director of Operations

SWICKtech was named as a Future 50 Company in 2015, 2016, and 2019. While IT support and IT stability have always been a necessity for businesses a lot has changed in the last few years. The additional need for cybersecurity protection and advanced compliance among those changes.

Ransomware, phishing, and malware attacks are infiltrating every size business daily. As a result, organizations are now investing in Cybersecurity Insurance, additional protection tooling and risk mitigation strategies. SWICKtech completely rebranded our tooling and support services to provide everything a business needs to combat those threats.

With Zero Trust Architecture, increased cloud security, reporting for auditing, and Security Awareness Training, we are committed to being your partner in minimizing risks while still providing top-notch support.

Additionally, our company is gearing up for the next round of innovation in AI. IT unemployment rates are higher than they have been in years, and there is a global shift in thinking more automated versus human-based –making data privacy even more crucial. The challenge will be to determine a healthy blend of AI integration and security tools while also adhering to more robust regulations and ethical considerations.

How a rebrand saved my business

IN NOVEMBER OF 2022, I was sitting in our empty warehouse space wondering what to do and how my company could survive.

Earlier that year, GoGeddit Marketing and Media was off to a hot start. We were producing podcasts for global companies, had some great clients we were providing marketing services for, our podcast “The GoGedders” had received hundreds of thousands of downloads over the previous few years, and we had our best first half of the year revenue-wise in company history.

Then, things started falling apart... fast.

Potential large opportunities fell through, some of the podcasts we were signed on to produce never materialized, we lost our largest client along with several other clients, had a couple key employees leave and our podcast downloads, which had served as a great lead generator, were declining.

That forced us to take a hard look in the mirror, and we realized our brand had some inherent weaknesses. We were offering so many services to a wide range of companies, spreading our small team thin and lacking the focus and vision needed to sustainably grow and scale. We were also located in a large warehouse in St. Francis that had its flaws and an expiring lease.

So, that November, we decided we were going to make some big changes and got to work. We:

» Signed a different lease and built out a stateof-the-art content studio in Walker’s Point.

» Re-named the company to clearly communicate our value proposition (we landed on Story Mark Studios).

» Developed our own storytelling framework

to help companies tell better stories, create much more engaging content and build deeper relationships with their audience.

» Rebranded “The GoGedders Podcast” to “Milwaukee Uncut” and significantly upgraded the video content.

The process wasn’t easy but over the course of six months, we fully moved out of one office and built out another; rebranded the company and built our new website; and determined and launched our new offerings.

The most difficult phase was the awkward phase when you know you have something better coming and you are building it out, while still keeping the business going and revenue coming in with your current offerings. We were able to implement our new offerings with current clients, and I started presenting our new framework to groups and got a great response – which was very encouraging – but couldn’t put anything out public-facing.

Then on May 17, 2023, with a staff of four fulltime employees (down from a peak of nine), we launched our new website, storymarkstudios.com, launched the Milwaukee Uncut Podcast, and sent an email to our list and promoted the launch on social media.

The new focus was helping companies with video and podcast production and serving as an outsourced marketing department to mid-market companies; essentially for the investment of a fulltime employee, they could have access to our entire team (and content studio) to run their marketing or complement their current department.

The initial response was favorable, but it still took a while to build up steam and get back to where we once were. As expected, 2023 was not a good year on paper, but it was a true rebuilding year and a lot of positives came from it.

We ended up turning a corner in Q4 of 2023. Through eight months this year, we are off to our best financial start in company history.

TAKEAWAYS FOR COMPANIES

CONSIDERING A REBRAND

» Only do it if you have a great reason to do so. Like launching most companies/products, it

takes more time, energy and money to get it off the ground. Valid reasons could include: your name/brand no longer reflects your vision, you’re failing to differentiate yourself from the competition, declining or stagnant business, your brand is complicated/lacks clarity, your business model or strategy has changed, trying to connect with a new audience, any major changes such as a merger or a geographic move.

» Make your team (at least key stakeholders depending on size) and ideal customers part of the process, if possible. Our rebrand was a team effort; everyone helped make decisions and was bought in. We also got to test our new offerings with current customers before releasing them to the public to make sure we had a great offer/market fit. This was helpful and made the full rebrand much less of a risk.

» If you make the leap, do it right. No matter why your company is considering a rebrand, it’s important to do it correctly, as you only get one shot at introducing a rebrand. Brand is arguably the most important investment you can make for the long-term strategy of your business, and it can pay the most longterm dividends. ■

RICHIE BURKE

Richie Burke is the founder of Milwaukeebased Story Mark Studios, which helps companies grow through better storytelling and digital marketing. He is also the host of the “Milwaukee Uncut” podcast. He can be reached at richie@storymarkstudios.com.

Gary Sievewright unites with Hunger Task Force to feed his community

By Samantha Dietel, staff writer

WHEN GARY SIEVEWRIGHT moved to Milwaukee from Detroit in 2007, he immediately looked for ways to get involved in his new community.

His first thought was to find a cause that addressed one of everyone’s most basic needs: food. By the end of the year, Sievewright, who worked for Wells Fargo at the time, found his way to West Milwaukee-based Hunger Task Force.

Sievewright, managing director at Raymond James & Associates in Waukesha, is a member of the executive council at Hunger Task Force. In 2016, he helped to launch Hunger Task Force’s Home 4 the Holidays campaign and continues to support the effort.

Hunger Task Force partners with Raymond James & Associates and TMJ4 to provide families with meals during the holidays. Since its establishment, the Home 4 the Holidays campaign – which runs from Dec. 1 to Dec. 31 each year – has raised nearly $300,000 for those holiday meals.

The Home 4 the Holiday campaign came from the idea that every family in need should be able to have a holiday meal, Sievewright said. He recognizes that people in need often miss this experience because they cannot afford to have “a proper holiday meal.”

“I guess I always assumed that if you lived in that apartment, or this home over here,

Managing director

Raymond James & Associates

Nonprofit served: Hunger Task Force Service: Executive council member

that you’d go to Pick ‘n Save or Festival and buy what you need and take care of your family, and that’s not really the case at all,” Sievewright said. “And that’s when I realized how deep this need really is.”

Sievewright said it’s his responsibility to serve his community, and that there is also a “corporate responsibility.”

“I was kind of taught that you have an obligation to be involved in your community charitably not just with a checkbook, but also with your hands,” Sievewright said. “And it was just kind of part of my DNA that, not only personally but corporately, we need to be involved in the community.”

He said he has used his

leadership roles throughout his career to make sure his employees are visible and active in their community. Under Sievewright’s leadership, Raymond James & Associates employees are on the ground each year handing out holiday food items to people in the community.

Sievewright is involved with four nonprofit boards, so balancing his professional, personal and volunteer lives is important, he said.

“That for me requires planning into my professional life to make sure that I have the capacity and that I don’t overextend myself,” he said. “Yet at the same time, I’m doing everything I can in the community to have any little impact I can.” ■

Gary Sievewright

Gary Sievewright

GLANCE AT YESTERYEAR

VOLUME 30, NUMBER 9 SEPTEMBER 23, 2024

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WB Bottle’s early days

This 1936 photo shows Wilfred Wing Sr. and his wife, Ann, at WB Bottle Supply Co. The business – which today is a full-line bottle and jar supplier – got its start during the Great Depression when Wing and his business partner, Ed Berger, would collect bottles at a local dump before cleaning and re-selling them. In 1932, the business officially opened a store outlet and warehouse on the south side of Milwaukee. After a few months, Wing bought Berger’s share of the business for $50. The company moved to larger spaces in 1937 and 1964 before landing at its current location at 3400 S. Clement Ave., Milwaukee, in 1994.

— Photo courtesy of WB Bottle Supply Co. To submit your company’s historic photos, visit biztimes.com/glance

Finally, a plan to save the Domes

EVER SINCE chunks of concrete fell from the roof of the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory in 2016, forcing county officials to temporarily close the attraction, the future of the Mitchell Park Domes has been in doubt.

Constructed in phases from 1959 to 1967, the Domes were one of several iconic Milwaukee arts, cultural and sports facilities built during that time, along with the Milwaukee Public Museum, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Milwaukee County War Memorial, the Marcus Performing Arts Center, Milwaukee Arena and Milwaukee County Stadium.

Since then, nearly all of them have either been replaced, renovated or improved.

But other than applying band-aids – like netting to catch the falling concrete – there hasn’t been a plan to repair and preserve the Mitchell Park Domes. That is, until now.

Nonprofit group Friends of the Domes re-

cently unveiled a $134 million renovation plan for the facility. The funding would include $35 million in private donations, $30 million from Milwaukee County, and a series of federal and state grants and tax credits.

Friends of the Domes would take over ownership and operations from the county. The rest of Mitchell Park would remain a county park.

There’s a lot to like about this plan. While county taxpayers would have to cover $30 million of the project, having the nonprofit group take over ownership and operations of the Domes should save the county money in the long run. The county can’t afford to maintain and operate the Domes long term.

Shifting ownership of the Domes to a private entity also allows for the use of tax credits to finance the restoration project.

Friends of the Domes can also be counted on to do a better job than the county at generating revenue. The group already has several good ideas including the creation of a nature learning center to add more space for events, a larger gift shop and the addition of a cafe. The group wants to provide ways to get visitors to the Domes to stay longer, which will help justify an increase in admission prices.

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The $35 million private fundraising portion of the Domes plan seems realistic. Other fundraising campaigns for cultural institutions in Milwaukee have been much larger, including $150 million for the new Milwaukee Public Museum, $139 million for the Bradley Symphony Center and $130 million for the Quadracci Pavilion at the Milwaukee Art Museum (designed by Santiago Calatrava). But the Mitchell Park Domes are not as popular of an attraction as those, so a smaller private fundraising component is necessary.

The Friends of the Domes plan has just begun the review and approval process. Hopefully the County Board gets behind it. Otherwise, the Domes will continue to deteriorate and Milwaukee will lose this unique attraction. ■

ANDREW WEILAND EDITOR

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the LAST WORD

EVAN HUGHES | CO-FOUNDER

‘Innovation and quality are our core ingredients’

In a city celebrated for its beer, Evan Hughes, co-founder and CEO of Milwaukee-based Central Standard Craft Distillery, has spent the past decade breaking the mold and carving out a place in the market for craft spirits.

As Central Standard celebrates its 10-year milestone, Hughes reflects on the unique hurdles of operating and growing a small-batch distillery.

“WE LIVE IN BREW CITY, but that doesn’t mean spirits can’t shine. We knew craft spirit enthusiasts have been long overshadowed, but we were determined to find our niche. Creativity and patience were key.

“Milwaukee’s beer legacy boils down to one thing, exceptional ingredients: pure water and quality grains, the same prime components for crafting good spirits. Sourcing local ingredients presented its own set of complexities. Wiscon-

sin’s winters are long, so finding fresh, local ingredients year-round can be a challenge. We partner with local farmers to adjust our production to what’s seasonally available.”

To maintain momentum while Central standard’s bourbon aged, Hughes and his team at the distillery embraced innovation and community engagement.

“We introduced Door County Cherry Vodka, made with premium cherries from Door County,

and crafted North Wisconsin Brandy, filling a local gap for high-quality brandies.” These products quickly became best-sellers, resonating throughout Wisconsin and across the Midwest.

Hughes underscores the formula for success: “Innovation and quality are our core ingredients. We let our bourbons age to perfection, confident that with exceptional products and a local touch, we’d carve out our place in the market.” 