BizTimes Milwaukee | August 8, 2016

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M The evolution of Milwaukee’s

PRIVATE CLUBS Fifth Street to be narrowed in Walker’s Point Forging business relationships at The Chef’s Table Technology enhances event experience

inside

August 8 - 21, 2016 S P E C I A L R E P O R T:

COR P OR ATE E V E NT PL A NNING

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In addition to the cover story, coverage includes a report on technology’s use in corporate events and a new private dining experience for executives.

HIGHLIGHT S Now 4 Joy Global to be acquired by Komatsu America.

Coffee Break

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A conversation with Thomas Miller of Kahler Slater.

Book Review

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‘Reinvention: Accelerating Results in the Age of Disruption.’

Nonprofit News

7

‘Rock the Green’ music festival returns from three-year hiatus.

Breaking Ground

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The Merrion of Grafton.

S TR ATE GIE S Innovation

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Dan Steininger

Management

27

Anne Grace Nimke

Human Resources

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28

Daniel Schroeder

BIZ CONNECTIONS Biz Notes 29 Personnel File 30 Commentary 32 Around Town 33 The Last Word 34

COV E R S T ORY The evolution of

Milwaukee’s private clubs

V I S I T B I Z T I M E S . C O M F O R A D D I T I O N A L S T O R I E S , D A I LY U P D AT E S & E - N E W S L E T T E R S Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . 414-336-7120 Advertising . . . . . . . . . 414-336-7112 Subscriptions . . . . . . . 414-277-8181 Reprints . . . . . . . . . . . . 414-277-8181

Founded in 1995, BizTimes Milwaukee provides news and operational insights for CEOs, presidents, owners and other top level executives at companies in southeastern Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington, Racine, Kenosha, Walworth and Sheboygan counties).

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BizTimes Milwaukee (ISSN 1095-936X & USPS # 017813) Volume 22, Number 10, August 8 - 21, 2016. BizTimes Milwaukee is published bi-weekly, except two consecutive weeks in December (the third and fourth weeks of December) by BizTimes Media LLC at 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120, USA. Basic annual subscription rate is $42.00. Single copy price is $3.25. Back issues are $5.00 each. Periodicals postage paid at Milwaukee, WI and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to BizTimes Milwaukee, 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120. Entire contents copyright 2016 by BizTimes Media LLC. All rights reserved.

Innovative, high-quality legal solutions with exceptional value.

Rogahn Jones, formerly Rogahn Kelly, wishes to congratulate Justice Daniel Kelly on his appointment to the Wisconsin Supreme Court and to assure its clients that they will continue to receive exceptional legal services through this transition and beyond. Attorney Colleen Jones has joined Attorney Rod Rogahn as a Member of the Firm; and, she will be the new COO.

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Colleen Jones 262.347.4444 N16W23233 Stone Ridge Dr., Suite 270, Waukesha, WI 53188

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leading edge NOW

Joy Global to be acquired by Komatsu America

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ilwaukee-based mining equipment manufacturer Joy Global Inc. announced recently that it has agreed to be acquired by Komatsu America Corp. for $3.7 billion.

Komatsu America is a Rolling Meadows, Illinois-based subsidiary of Tokyo, Japan-based Komatsu Ltd. It makes wheel loaders, tracked excavators, dozers, crushers, motor graders and rigid dump trucks. Komatsu America has 15 U.S. locations. Komatsu Ltd. has 47,000 employees worldwide.

Joy Global makes advanced mining equipment, systems and direct services used in underground and surface mining.

It has 12,000 employees worldwide, approximately 900 of whom are based locally.

The acquisition, which includes Joy Global’s debt, is expected to pay out $28.30 per share in cash to shareholders.

The deal is expected to close by mid2017, pending shareholder and regulatory approval. Komatsu intends to operate Joy Global as a subsidiary and retain its brand names. The Milwaukee headquarters will continue to operate, said Caley Clinton, advertising and PR manager at Joy Global.

“Komatsu has made it very clear that they’re committed to our long-term growth and plan to continue operating the company headquarters in Milwaukee,” Clinton said. “They’ve said that they hold our products, service and people in high regard and are really interested in growing the business. We have highly complementary product lines and we also really pride ourselves on direct service, so the companies actually align really well.”

According to an announcement from the companies, they will “align the organization and operation for optimal customer support from Joy Global’s headquarters in Milwaukee.”

While Clinton said it is too early to tell what that alignment will entail, she said Joy Global employees will have expanded opportunity for growth at the larger company. There is no word yet on how Milwaukee employment and operations might be impacted by the merger.

“Overall, for all employees, we’re confident that this acquisition is going to offer the potential for growth and it will allow the employees to be part of a larger, even stronger business,” she said.

Through the integration of the companies, Komatsu plans to advance mining innovation and efficiency. Ted Doheny, president and chief executive officer of Joy Global, said he expects the transaction to deliver compelling value to shareholders and customers, while strengthening the companies’ ability to lead the industry and adapt to customer needs.

He said Joy’s board of directors decided to sell when considering difficult market conditions that have persisted for many quarters. The company posted a $1.2 billion loss last year, closed its Orchard Street plant, laid off the workers in its heavy fabrication and welding departments in September, and then closed those departments in May. “Joy Global’s board of directors, in making its determination, considered the challenging market conditions the company believes are likely to persist,” Doheny said. “The mining industry continues to face cyclical headwinds from

oversupplied commodities and reduced end user demand resulting in cash flow restrictions for most producers, creating an increasingly challenging environment.

We are also seeing structural changes in the U.S. and China coal industry.

“Our companies share similar cultures and values and we expect many Joy Global employees to benefit from exciting career opportunities as part of an even larger, more diversified company.

On behalf of the Joy Global board and management team, we thank our dedicated employees for their continued hard work and commitment to solving mining’s toughest challenges.”

——Molly Dill

SOCI AL M E D I A S T R AT E GI ES

Five things your company should be doing on social media In today’s digital world, it seems like there are new social media platforms debuting every week, with the list of social media “tips and tricks” to manage them growing ever longer.

But when it comes down to it, there are a few best practices that have weathered the test of time. Here are five social media “must dos:” 1. Plan, plan, plan – Contrary to popular belief, the majority of popular social media posts don’t “go viral” without careful planning. Start with an objective (increase brand awareness, for example) and plan out a thoughtful social media strategy.

Decide which platforms will reach your key audiences (hint: you don’t need to be on all of them) and create weekly content calendars. Mapping out posts in advance allows brands to share a thoughtful mix of content and quickly react to breaking news updates or engage in timely conversations.

2. Identify and engage influencers – 4

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Influencers can help you spread your message and improve brand awareness, but first you have to identify them. Look at the user’s number and quality of followers, who he or she engages with and what type of content the user is sharing before following him or her. Influencers will likely include partners, suppliers, customers and competitors, as well as news outlets and key thought leaders in your industry.

3. Listen – Too often, brands view social media as merely an advertising platform.

But social media is most effective when it’s used to create dialogue. Make it a point to ask questions, share relevant articles and respond to customers so your brand will be seen as a source of applicable, interesting information.

4. Amplify popular content – Pay attention to which content is most popular and incorporate more of it into your social media

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plans. Capitalize on engaging content by strategically boosting Facebook posts that are performing well, but use this function sparingly so users don’t view your brand as too promotional.

5. Double-dip – Cross-promote your social media channels and direct users to other brand assets – such as your company website, an infographic or a whitepaper – via multiple channels to increase engagement.

——Frances Fyten is an associate at Reputation Partners in Milwaukee.

leading edge COFF E E B R E A K

POLITIC AL BEAT

Walker’s standing at midterm

BY MATT POMMER, special to BizTimes

What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year?

What is the hottest trend in your industry?

“Increasing the number of market sectors represented by our Madison office was a component of our team’s strategic plan that has really taken hold. We have office, hotel, residential, higher education and health care projects based out of our Madison office as we speak. The variety of projects there now resembles our Milwaukee office portfolio much more closely.”

“Hospitality is on fire. We have hotels in various states of design and construction in communities across the country – eight to 10 in the metro Milwaukee area alone. Multi-family housing is strong, too, hopefully for a while to come. Milwaukee is seeing a boom in urban development that rivals other cities across the nation.”

What’s new at your company?

“A bunch of dead architects.”

“The amount of multi-family residential we are doing locally has increased dramatically over the last two years. For years, we’ve been working around the country on housing projects, all the way from Florida to Minnesota. More recently though, we are bringing these projects home.”

From a business standpoint, who do you look up to?

Do you have a business mantra?

“Confidence breeds success. Or maybe Mark Twain had it right when he said, ‘All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.’”

What was the best advice you ever received?

Do you plan to hire any additional staff or make any significant capital investments in your company in the next year?

“Don’t take life too seriously. Have fun along the way.”

“We are increasingly busy and have several posted positions on our website. We’re looking for everything from group leaders to interns.

All of our markets are trending upward.”

What will be your company’s main challenges in the next year?

“Finding new, talented team members. We’re busy, but we aren’t the only ones.”

What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you in your career?

“Now that I’ve had a few years to reflect on it, falling through the floor of an abandoned historic paper mill into the Fox River is pretty funny. That, and when I launched my boss’ car off of a berm and got stuck between two trees about 10 feet in the air was a good one, too. I’m lucky he found that as funny as I did.”

Thomas Miller Principal and Housing & Hospitality team leader Kahler Slater 111 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee www.kahlerslater.com Industry: Architecture Employees: 120 w w w.biztimes.com

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Only 38 percent of the 801 people quizzed in the latest Marquette University Law School Poll have a favorable view of Gov. Scott Walker, while 58 percent have an unfavorable view.

Controversies continue to surface in GOP-controlled Wisconsin.

A controversial Vilas County land swap deal between the state and a major contributor to Walker’s political campaigns is headed for examination by the Natural Resources Board, controlled by WalkWalker er appointees.

The Department of Natural Resources has come under criticism for the drop in prosecutions of water pollution cases.

Changes to Wisconsin’s civil service law promoted by the Walker administration and approved by the GOPcontrolled Legislature now are taking effect.

The governor had scaled back Medicaid coverage after refusing to accept federal funds for an expanded program under Obamacare.

Budget decisions have been controversial in Walker’s six years in office. Wisconsin has adopted an agricultural and manufacturing tax credit system which dramatically lowers corporate income tax collections. Estimates say it will provide more than a $250 million in tax breaks.

Walker drew national attention for crippling public employee unions in 2011 and then winning a hostile recall election orchestrated by the labor movement. Later, Walker signed a right-to-work law allowing workers to avoid paying union dues.

Among controversial budget cuts are $250 million in state money for the University of Wisconsin System.

Also lurking in the wings is the FBI’s investigation into alleged staff problems at youth correctional facilities in northern Wisconsin.

That seems like a full plate of political questions for 2018, when Walker runs for re-election.

Matt Pommer is the “dean” of Capitol correspondents in Madison. His column is published with permission from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, but does not reflect the views or opinions of the WNA or its member newspapers.

BY TH E NU MBERS

49,900

Wisconsin’s economy added 49,900 private sector jobs from June 2015 to June 2016, according to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data reported by the state Department of Workforce Development.

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leading edge ON TH E C ALEN D AR

MA DE I N M I LWA U K E E

Milwaukee Pretzel Co. seeks steady growth

(414) 336-7123 | Twitter: @arthur8823 arthur.thomas@biztimes.com

The growth has come at a comfortable pace, Matt said, but he added it seems a lot more explosive looking back, and if he were told where Milwaukee Pretzel Co. would be today, he might have been scared away.

“The growth has been rapid, but at the same time, we seem to have managed it fairly well,” Wessel said.

The couple had the idea for the company in 2012, when they were living in Germany. After enjoying German pretzels and not finding a similar product on their trips home, the Wessels decided to make their own when they moved back.

Months of testing different recipes, researching proper techniques and talking with German bakers helped them develop what they feel is an authentic German pretzel.

There has been a learning curve along the way. They realized Americans expected the pretzels to come with lots of salt, warmed up and with some sort of dipping sauce. The German-style pretzels came without those features, but the Wessels decided it was fine to make an exception.

The company’s pretzels are made in small batches and from scratch. After the dough is mixed, a machine portions out pretzel strings, but the actual twisting is done by hand, giving each a unique shape. Once the dough rises, the pretzels are sent through a lye bath. The bath draws on traditional German techniques, whereas American pretzels use baking soda, which results in a different taste and texture. After baking in the oven, the pretzels are cooled and sent to packaging.

Landing a spot at German Fest and getting positive feedback gave the Wessels proof their concept worked.

Their focus has been on wholesale accounts, like restaurants, with the couple opting to build a brand and following before entering the retail space. Milwaukee Pretzel Co. also had to pace its growth, turning down some large accounts because the Wessels knew they weren’t ready.

“We’re trying to enjoy the ride and grow fast enough so we don’t miss out on any market opportunities,” Matt said.

The big jump was the decision to lease their own space and purchase their own equipment.

“So scary,” Katie said. “That’s when we looked at each other and said, ‘Alright, we’re making pretzels for the rest of our life.’”

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Future 50 Awards

ABOVE: Katie and Matt Wessel started Milwaukee Pretzel Co. in 2013 after returning from Germany and not finding any pretzels that matched what they’d had overseas.

BELOW: Milwaukee Pretzel Co. has gone from producing 70 pretzels per day to thousands.

ARTHUR THOMAS

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A lot has changed in the past three years for Matt and Katie Wessel, the owners of Milwaukee Pretzel Co. The husband and wife team approached the German Fest board in the summer of 2013, hoping to secure a booth to sell their German pretzels for the following year. Instead, they were given a spot for that year and scrambled to make enough pretzels with family and friends.

Back then, the Wessels were using a small space at Wild Flour Bakery in South Milwaukee. Now, they lease a 3,500-square-foot facility on Holton Avenue in Milwaukee.

They’ve built a staff that includes 10 full-time employees and another 12 part-timers during busy stretches.

They have gone from producing 70 pretzels per day to thousands. Distribution, which is primarily focused on wholesale settings, now includes a number of area restaurants and extends to several other markets, including Minneapolis and Chicago.

The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce’s Council of Small Business Executives will host the 2016 Future 50 Awards luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23 at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, 333 W. Kilbourn Ave. in Milwaukee. The Future 50 Program recognizes privately-owned companies in the seven county region that have been in business for at least three years and have shown significant revenue and employment growth. BizTimes Media is the media partner of the event. Luncheon cost is $60. For more information or to register, visit www.mmac.org/future-50-awards.html.

BOOK REVIEW

‘Reinvention: Accelerating Results in the Age of Disruption’ Milwaukee Pretzel Co. 3950 N. Holton St., Milwaukee Industry: Food and beverage Employees: 22 www.milwaukeepretzel.com Katie focuses on product quality, managing the supply chain and customer service. Matt’s focus on the company’s finances and branding draws on his background in marketing.

While automation and a growing staff – the company hopes to add a second shift later this year – have improved production, the Wessels are avoiding making sacrifices in the quality of their product. Choosing higher quality – and higher cost – ingredients adds to the price, but Matt said a lot of restaurants and consumers are interested in or even expecting local, fresh and high-quality products.

For Katie, the ability to create jobs and help employees support themselves has turned out to be one of the most rewarding aspects, although she never considered it when the business started.

“That gives me goosebumps every day when I look around our factory and every two weeks when we make those checks,” she said.

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Today’s disruptive, tumultuous and ever-changing global business environment is not likely to slow down, so authors Shane Cragun and Kate Sweetman have created a set of tools to help us thrive in the 21st century.

In their book, “Reinvention” they propose a simple algorithm, common principles and tools that apply to both individuals and organizations facing disruptive and radical change. Being able to pivot quickly, profoundly and effectively might be the most important core competency individuals and organizations must attain in order to prosper in the new economy, say Cragun and Sweetman, who use contemporary examples to drive the points home.

Key strategies are couched in metaphors to create visual maps. “Reinvention” includes chapter insights written by six global experts from six different geographical business regions around the globe.

Reinvention is available at www.800ceoread.com for $17.56. n

leading edge NON P RO F IT N E W S

THE GOOD LIFE

‘Rock the Green’ returns

Renaissance woman

Rock the Green, a Milwaukee environmental sustainability music festival that ran in 2011 and 2012, will return this September after a three-year hiatus with a lineup of folk and alternative bands.

Third Eye Blind at Rock the Green in 2012.

Festival headliners include folk band Lord Huron, electronic musician Robert DeLong, Los Angeles rock duo Best Coast, English rockers The Heavy and the San Francisco folk band Thao & The Get Down Stay Down.

Milwaukee Americana band Trapper Schoepp will also perform, along with local acts Evan Christian, Eagle Trace and Great Lakes Drifters on a bicycle-powered side stage.

Rock the Green founder and executive director Lindsay Stevens Gardner said the nonprofit was forced to pump the brakes on its annual music festival after the 2012 show when its lead sponsor, Veolia Environmental Services, was sold.

This year, the nonprofit was able to secure enough funding to host the festival through dozens of local sponsors, including Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Badger Meter Inc., 88Nine Radio Milwaukee, Harley-Davidson Inc., MillerCoors LLC and Rexnord Corp.

The festival will be held from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17.

Susie Stein, founder of a Milwaukee-based boutique consulting firm called Strategies for Philanthropy LLC, has devoted three decades of her work life to charitable organizations in the nonprofit sector.

She has helped clients design and implement funding plans and secure millions in endowments. But her private life has been devoted to the arts – and travel.

A voracious reader, an accomplished classical pianist, a seasoned Susie Stein poses with her son Daniel, a student at the University of globetrotter, a former gallery owner and Wisconsin Law School and her daughter Rachel, an artist, welder and a published author, Stein has dipped set designer who lives in Brooklyn, New York. her toes into just about every creative endeavor and cultural pursuit she could.

Milwaukee and everything Wisconsin has to offer – particularly its high-quality, low-cost cultural offerings and “I have about 1,500 books,” Stein said. “The main the scenic Apostle Islands in Bayfield, where she spends thing I like to do is write. I’m finishing my third novel.” a few weeks each year in the summer or fall.

The novel, the third in a series she began writing in “I usually go to three performances a week for the the late 1980s, is being penned under the working title symphony or a movie or the ballet or the Florentine “A Valentine to America: What happened to our country?” opera,” she said. “It’s so easy here. It’s so high-quality; She’s traveled abroad to 30 countries and lived in you don’t have to plan so far ahead. I think Milwaukee is Paris and New York City, where for years she owned so rich in those cultural offerings.” an art gallery before moving to Milwaukee. Though

—— Ben Stanley

she grew up on the East Coast, Stein said she loves

——Ben Stanley

Looks Forward.

We’re excited to announce that Husch Blackwell and Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek are now one firm. With more than 700 attorneys in 19 cities, we are well-positioned to offer more industry experience and even greater value to our clients. We look forward to the future and what we can

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leading edge IN T HE NE I GH B OR H OOD

BR EA K ING G ROUN D

Classy Girl Cupcakes »» Why did you open a cupcake Neighborhood: Cathedral Square shop? “I was a lawyer and I Address: 825 N. Jefferson St., Milwaukee didn’t really enjoy that very Founded: 2010 much,” Elia said. “I baked the Owner: Erica Elia, 39 cupcakes for my own wedding Employees: 30 in 2009 because I really wanted Market: Baked goods cupcakes and there weren’t any cupcake bakeries at the time. It was a really bad idea because I was up all night the night before my wedding.” »» What’s your best-selling product? Red velvet cupcake. “Cinnamon pecan French toast is my favorite.” »» What is your newest product? “We invented donut cupcakes for Summerfest. They are these giant cupcakes that are a little bigger than a jumbo, almost a full cake, and they have a whole donut on top. We don’t sell them in the store, though— they’re just too much for people to handle.”

2016 E D I T I O N

THE MERRION OF GRAFTON

Blackcap Halcyon LLC is planning a mixed-use development on 46 acres on Port Washington Road in Grafton that would include more than 200 apartments and 34,100 square feet of retail. Pending necessary approvals, Blackcap plans to break ground on the project, called the Merrion, in spring 2017. The project will be built in phases over a span of about three years.

——Corrinne Hess

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ON LIN E POLL

Re: UW-Stout “The university’s reputation for excellence in science, technology, engineering and math education grows, along with its record in placing its graduates in jobs.”

- Tom Still, Wisconsin Technology Council

Re: The election “If Speaker Paul Ryan and the GOP hold on to their arm of Congress, with the best bet being the House, he and they can block legislation from either President Clinton or President Trump.”

- John Torinus, Serigraph Inc.

Portillo’s, a Chicago-style hot dog, sausage and Italian beef restaurant, recently opened its new location in Brookfield. Located at 17685 W. Bluemound Road, this is the Oak Brook, Ill.-based chain’s 44th restaurant and its first in Wisconsin.

Which Wisconsin city should the Milwaukee Bucks select for its planned NBA D-League team?

Sheboygan: 67% Oshkosh: 25%

Re: Hiring

La Crosse:

“It should be no secret a company’s employees have a tremendous effect on the bottom line.

Hiring practices, compensation and training must work in concert.”

Racine:

- Dave Wendland, Hamacher Resource Group Inc.

Grand Chute: Other:

4% 1% 1% 1%

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We owe much of our success to our local heritage and the hardworking, industrious people that reside in the area we call home.”

Friday, September 23, 2016

11:30 AM - 1:30 PM | HYATT REGENCY MILWAUKEE $60 PER PERSON • $600 TABLE OF 10

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The Future 50 Program was created by MMAC’s Council of Small Business Executives to recognize top local firms that are growing in revenue and employment. w w w.biztimes.com

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innovations Price Engineering takes hydraulic technology for a spin

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he concept behind Hartland-based Price Engineering’s latest development is fairly straightforward. Air bubbles can be removed from hydraulic fluid faster by spinning the oil instead of letting it sit and waiting for gravity to do the work.

The air, which enters the oil through lower pressure areas in a hydraulic system, needs to be removed to keep the system operating as intended.

ARTHUR THOMAS (414) 336-7123 arthur.thomas@biztimes.com Twitter: @arthur8823

Traditionally, the air is removed by leaving the oil to sit in a reservoir tank.

The size of the tank is generally dictated by the size of the pump and can be as large as five times the displacement of the pump. A 10-gallon pump could require a 50-gallon tank to keep enough oil available for the system.

A large tank doesn’t necessarily fit inside an engine compartment or in other mobile applications, so the industry has gone toward a one-to-one ratio as the standard.

The cyclone hydraulic reservoir developed by Price Engineering seeks to reduce the size and weight of the tank by 90 percent by reducing the amount of oil needed.

To make those reductions possible, Price’s design uses centrifugal force to spin the air bubbles out of the oil. As the

fluid returns from the system, it is forced into the cyclone reservoir. The heavier fluid molecules stick to the walls as the air bubbles begin to rise to the top. A flow-directing piece called a baffle separates the upper and lower chambers while facilitating the cyclone action. The oil can be in and out of the reservoir within three seconds.

The concept itself isn’t unique to Price and the original design for using the technique in hydraulics is actually patented by Eaton Corp. Price pays a royalty under a licensing agreement with Eaton, but has also taken the product much farther.

It hasn’t been a straight path to get to

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2222 S. 11 West 4th Str Allis, WI 53 eet (414) 449-4 227 444 rseals

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Examples of Price Engineering’s cyclone reservoirs.

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Chris Bauer

the point Price reached this summer, introducing a complete line of cyclone tanks in different sizes and materials.

The product Eaton created was made of plastic and came in one size, said Terry Glidden, managing director for hydraulics at Price. Eaton wasn’t interested in developing the product further, but did work out the licensing deal with Price.

Price’s development of the technology started with steel, but it found limited success. The amount of welding required – for the baffle, mounts and other components – drove the price up.

The original design from Eaton was made of plastic, but it was molded in three pieces and glued together. The original equipment manufacturer Price was working with had seen similar designs literally shake apart, Glidden said. In some cases, OEMs require the tanks to withstand being shaken at 150 cycles per second.

“The big discovery was understanding how to make this in a one-piece, integral, rotational mold,” he said, adding that blow or injection molding would be difficult, if not impossible, to use in Price’s application.

After finding a technique to address the cost of welding and the durability of using multiple pieces, Price had nearly completed its development. The one remaining challenge was to make it possible to check the oil level without the need for a gauge.

“Our objective all along was to mold it in a way you could see through,” he said.

Enter Solar Plastics Inc., a Minnesotabased company that does the rotational

The cyclone reservoirs take up less space in mobile applications, reducing weight and making room for other components.

molding for Price. The company brought Price a nylon material made from rapeseed oil. While other materials came out with a yellowish hue, this particular grade of nylon was clear enough to negate the need for an additional device, saving more room.

Because of all the changes Price made, the machines will need less hydraulic oil, the reservoir takes up less space and the overall weight is reduced.

“Less weight means you can carry more of the stuff the machine is meant to carry,” Glidden said.

Price estimates that replacing a 20-gallon reservoir with the equivalent cyclone tank can save $270 on fluid costs, $300 in annual fuel costs from reduced weight and three cubic feet of space on the vehicle.

While the lower portion of the reservoir is key to the cyclone design, the upper part can be made into any shape a customer needs, Glidden said. This allows a tank to fit into tight spaces.

The cyclone technology isn’t a perfect fit for all applications, but Glidden said it can work particularly well in environmentally sensitive situations. He cited turf care, pleasure craft, work boats and weed harvesters as examples. Carrying less oil means less environmental impact if a spill does occur. n w w w.biztimes.com

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EQUAL HOUSING

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real estate

A rendering of a narrower Fifth Street – but the pictured sidewalk bump outs won’t be included.

Construction is underway to narrow Fifth Street, which is lined with historic buildings.

Fifth Street to be narrowed in Walker’s Point

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n a hot July afternoon in Walker’s Point, the east side of South Fifth Street is closed. More accurately, it is gone.

Crews have started a much-needed three-month reconstruction project that will result in not only a

Virginia streets, more than doubling the size of the 8-foot sidewalks currently lining Fifth Street.

Fifth Street will become narrower, but also more pedestrian-friendly. By October, businesses will have the option of spilling onto the expanded sidewalk.

The city is hoping the results will be similar to what happened after the 2010 reconstruction of South Second Street, when the street was narrowed from two lanes in each direction to a more pedestrian-oriented street with one vehicular lane in each direction and a bike lane on each

CORRINNE HESS P: (414) 336-7116 E: corri.hess@biztimes.com Twitter: @CorriHess

smoother thoroughfare, but also 17.5-footwide sidewalks on each side from Scott to

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side. Landscaping and new lights were also added, and suddenly traffic slowed and business boomed. Second Street became a magnet in Walker’s Point.

Developers have called the change on Second Street a pivotal moment for the neighborhood. Now is the time for something pivotal to happen on Fifth Street.

“Having lived through South Second Street, the process wasn’t fun, it wasn’t pretty, but quite honestly, the benefits way outweigh the trouble and trying times of the reconstruction,” said Lori Gensch, who owns 1024 S. Fifth St., home of Urban Harvest Brewing Co., and also several properties on Second Street, including the buildings that house Zak’s Café, 231 S. Second St. and Indulgence Chocolatiers, 211 S. Second St. The narrowing of Fifth Street was scheduled several years ago, but put on hold so Milwaukee’s Department of City Development could incorporate it into the Walker’s Point strategic action plan.

The city spent about a year working with the Walker’s Point Association to come up with a plan the neighborhood would embrace, said Sam Leichtling, long range planning manager with the DCD. The neighborhood association and stakeholders spent the summer of 2015

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choosing between four options for Fifth Street. The chosen design is the 17.5-footwide sidewalks, parallel parking on both sides of the street and a shared lane for cars and bikes.

“We’re not trying to recreate South Second Street, but allow for more ways to make this a more pedestrian- and bicyclefriendly street,” Leichtling said.

The project costs $2.7 million, which also includes adding bioswales to manage stormwater and utility work. The project is being funded by the Department of Public Works and a tax increment financing district that previously had been created for the area.

Leichtling believes the project will prompt existing businesses to expand and others to relocate to Walker’s Point.

He said MobCraft Beer Inc., 505 S. Fifth St., has already said it would maximize the outdoor space, and Riverwest’s Fuel Café announced its second location would be in Walker’s Point after hearing about the plans.

“La Fuente also decided to open a banquet hall because of the street,” Leichtling said.

Sean Burke, vice president at La Fuente, said the street narrowing project was part of the catalyst to renovate the

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The sidewalks will be 17.5 feet wide when construction is finished this fall.

auto repair shop at 607 S. Fifth St. into an events facility.

“This is really a terrific urban area that is already undergoing a renaissance,” Burke said. “The narrowing of the street and the potential streetscape will accentuate that.”

La Fuente, which opened its Walker’s Point location in 1991, has always been known for its outdoor dining. Burke said the restaurant plans to add more outdoor seats along the sidewalk once the project is complete.

“We hope the current pains will be worth the effort, but believe the natural slowdown of the traffic will be good for all of the shops here, whether you are an art gallery or a restaurant,” Burke said.

Gensch said the key to a successful construction project on Fifth Street is to keep communication lines open between the city and the business owners. So far, there has been success, she said.

“The city is trying hard to maintain good decorum and communication,” she said. “Ultimately, the owners and tenants are trying to make their businesses successful. But we all need patience and understanding.”

After 21 years in business, JoAnne and Nick Anton in late July closed La Perla Restaurant and sold the property at 734 S. Fifth St. to Phoenix Burger LLC, the owner of the Hamburger Mary’s building in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood.

Hamburger Mary’s plans to move to the former La Perla location.

The Antons said they decided to sell at this time because of the construction on Fifth Street.

“We timed it because there’s incredible construction happening in our neighborhood and so knowing that the good news of having multiple offers and, ultimately, us picking this right set of buyers coincided with what was a delayed construction schedule,” JoAnne said.

Chris Socha, an architect with Cedarburg-based The Kubala Washatko Architects Inc. who is opening new company division UrbanLab at the corner of West Pierce and South Fifth streets, said the location was specifically chosen because of the street transformation project.

“South Fifth Street is uniquely positioned to become one of Milwaukee’s next great commercial corridors,” Socha said.

“Like Broadway (in the Third Ward), it is not a through street. It has Sixth Street on the north, an end point on the south, and all of these incredible historic buildings in between that set themselves up nicely for adaptive reuse. This is poised to be a retail area to grow into.”

Socha was an advocate for the plan that was chosen – the narrowest street, largest sidewalks and most pedestrian-friendly.

“Anyone who saw the transformation on Second Street knows there is pain to get to the other side, but the results are worth it,” Socha said. “We get through a few months and that sets us up for 50 to 100 years of long-term success.” n w w w.biztimes.com

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B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e

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special report

corporate event planning

The evolution of Milwaukee’s

PRIVATE CLUBS M 14

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John Constantine, general manager of The Wisconsin Club, at the city club location.

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ach morning, he puts on a crisp shirt, a tailored suit and a tie. He goes to work in an ornate historic mansion set behind tall, black, wrought iron gates filled with carved wooden walls, plush oriental rugs, flowered wallpaper and tick-tocking clocks. As members enter the club, he greets each one by name and attends to their needs.

When John Constantine became general manager of The Wisconsin Club in 1990, there were only 370 members and the private downtown Milwaukee club was struggling.

Through a series of initiatives to maximize its amenities and offerings throughout the year, Constantine has grown The Wisconsin Club to 1,400 members and $13 million in annual revenue, and soon will have to start a waiting list.

Private clubs across the country struggled through the Great Recession

cover story

MOLLY DILL

❱

BY MOLLY DILL, staff writer

as consumers cut discretionary spending, and a few closed. But by all accounts, Constantine has helped the Wisconsin Club survive – and even thrive – in the new normal economy.

He and his peers have worked to dispel the image of private clubs as stuffy, outdated bastions of entitled machismo by adapting them to modern life. Those that have found success have invested millions of dollars in renovations and mergers, many aimed at including families and accommodating more casual dress.

Historic beginnings

Most of the private clubs in the Milwaukee area date back to the late 19th or early 20th centuries.

Built in 1848, the mansion housing The Wisconsin Club was the home of Alexander Mitchell, grandfather of World War I hero and airport namesake w w w.biztimes.com

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General Billy Mitchell.

Alexander went on to become the first president of The Milwaukee Club in 1882 and his wife founded Milwaukee’s oldest private club, the Woman’s Club of Wisconsin, in 1876.

Mitchell’s Wisconsin Avenue mansion was sold to the Deutscher Club in 1898, after his death, and the club was later renamed The Wisconsin Club.

When Constantine came on the scene, the club had bowling alleys on the basement level. He undertook a dramatic transformation of that level, turning it into a casual sports bar and dining area where members are free to wear jeans and shorts when they bring their families in for Friday fish fry.

“As soon as we built it, we started getting younger members,” Constantine said.

“We’ve recognized that society is going casual and we’re adapting to it. I expect

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people to look good, but if someone’s going to a Brewer game, you can’t expect them to be wearing a sport coat.”

The Wisconsin Club has also eliminated its men-only room and instituted a concierge service to help members get tickets to arts or sporting events, drawing them in to eat dinner at the club, then shuttling them to the front door of downtown venues.

And the biggest move of all was the 2009 acquisition of the distressed Brynwood Country Club on Milwaukee’s north side, now known as the Wisconsin Club’s Country Club, opening up a whole new world of amenities, including a golf course, tennis courts and an outdoor swimming pool, to members while expanding its membership.

“Both clubs are very successful right now financially, so I think that it’s worked out extremely well,” Constantine said.

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PHOTOS BY MOLLY DILL

corporate event planning

Tripoli Country Club in Brown Deer plans to merge with The University Club of Milwaukee.

The Wisconsin Club has spent $30 million on improvements since Constantine arrived, including the recent addition of an outdoor bar and patio at the country club.

Members pay about $2,700 per year in dues for dining and social memberships, and can upgrade to higher tiers of membership that include golf or tennis. It has no initiation fees and no food and beverage spending minimums.

“We’re one of the few clubs in the city that has no minimums at all (for food and beverage). If we can’t do a good enough job to get you in, why am I forcing you into the restaurants?” Constantine asked.

Constantine is constantly working to improve member engagement, hosting golf and tennis lessons for all ages and family events. “Minions” night was a recent hit, as was a 4th of July party with bouncy houses and cotton candy.

Value added

In late May, The University Club of Milwaukee in downtown Milwaukee and 16

Tripoli Country Club in Brown Deer (near the Wisconsin Club’s Country Club) announced they would merge, following in the footsteps of The Wisconsin Club. Like the Wisconsin Club’s Country Club, Tripoli offers golf, tennis and an outdoor pool.

“I think you’ll see more and more (of city and country club mergers),” Constantine said. “I think there’s too many clubs in Milwaukee. I don’t know of any major city that has six dining clubs within a twomile radius of each other.”

Julie Tolan, president of the University Club board of directors, echoed Constantine’s sentiment and said it made sense for the University Club and Tripoli to merge while they are on strong financial footing.

“We probably have at least one, maybe two more city clubs than are sustainable for the long run and probably more than that in terms of country clubs,” Tolan said.

Declining membership is a trend among clubs across the country, Tolan said, driven by three external factors: the tax code changed in the late ’80s so club B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e

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memberships could no longer be deducted; clubs lost their footing as the best restaurants in town when talented chefs opened competing restaurants; and today’s consumer is not as much of a “joiner.”

“People want membership on their own terms, so the challenge of a private club is to rise to the level of relevance and value,” she said. “You have to constantly be working at that. You can’t just rest on your laurels.”

The planned University Club-Tripoli merger is up for vote by both memberships at the end of September. The combined organizations would have $8.1 million in annual revenues and 800 members.

“It’s not that we’re struggling, it’s just that we think to ensure our long-term success and vitality, it made sense for the two clubs to combine,” said Charley Weber, president of Tripoli’s board of governors and managing director and senior associate general counsel at Milwaukeebased Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. The merger will allow members of

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both clubs to take advantage of each other’s amenities, and make it easier to attract new members. It will also increase membership and engagement at both clubs, keeping dues low while boosting cash flow that can be invested back into the clubs, Weber said.

“We certainly think that there’s some opportunities to achieve synergies in terms of the clubs being open (seasonally), having employees work at both facilities, and also consolidating vendors, for instance,” he said.

Over the past five years, Tripoli has renovated the men’s and women’s locker rooms and upgraded the pool area, complete with a gazebo-style bar.

“We think that the merger between University Club and Tripoli will be attractive in terms of attracting younger members, particularly as we see more and more young professionals choosing to live and spend more time downtown, and yet we believe they want options to play golf or to swim or play tennis with country

❱

cover story

club amenities,” Weber said.

Tripoli could accommodate another 40 or 50 members without impacting the current membership or damaging the golf course, Weber said.

Exclusive but welcoming

Pristine environments, professional level golf, a personal level of service and exclusivity come at a price. That price – member initiation fees and annual dues – is the main revenue stream for private clubs, most of which operate as exempt 501c7 social clubs.

Most private clubs in the area welcome those interested in membership to come in and check the place out. Some, like The Wisconsin Club, allow non-members to host events like weddings there, in part because it’s a potential marketing tool.

Others, like The River Club of Mequon, have a public restaurant while retaining a private portion of the club.

But the fact remains that money is a barrier to entry. Clubs took note of this during the recession, lowering and in some cases eliminating their initiation fees, which once could stretch into the tens of thousands.

“While we have an initiation fee, it’s much lower than it used to be,” Weber said.

“The initiation fees, like many clubs, had continued to drop and we ultimately were down to zero,” said Dan Kwiecinski, a principal at Hayes Companies in Wauwatosa and president of Tuckaway Country Club in Franklin. “Last year, we reinstated the initiation fee and then made an increase on July 1 (this year).”

Most clubs offer lower dues for members under the age of 40. There are usually three levels of membership: social, or use of the dining areas; social, pool and tennis; or golf, which includes use of all the amenities. Annual membership dues usually range between $7,000 and $12,000 at area clubs, Kwiecinski said.

In many cases, members consider club membership a business expense with social benefits. Taking clients out for a round of golf or closing a deal in a comfortable but discreet setting – like the private dining rooms at The Milwaukee Club – can provide a return on the investment to belong.

Adam Rick, director of wealth management at West Bend-based Commerce State Bank, joined Tuckaway four years ago for the golf but has since developed business contacts at the club, he said.

THE WISCONSIN CLUB

WOMAN’S CLUB OF WISCONSIN

THE UNIVERSITY CLUB OF MILWAUKEE

FOUNDED

FOUNDED

FOUNDED

1891

1876

1898

LOCATION

LOCATION

LOCATION

900 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee and 6200 W. Good Hope Road, Milwaukee

813 E. Kilbourn Ave., Milwaukee

924 E. Wells St., Milwaukee

MEMBERS

MEMBERS

MEMBERS

1,400 ANNUAL REVENUE

$13 million

300

450

ANNUAL REVENUE

ANNUAL REVENUE

Undisclosed

$3.6 million

INITIATION FEE

INITIATION FEE

$1,200 (waived through Dec. 31)

Undisclosed

ANNUAL DUES

ANNUAL DUES

Average $2,500

Undisclosed

TRIPOLI COUNTRY CLUB

TUCKAWAY COUNTRY CLUB

MILWAUKEE ATHLETIC CLUB

FOUNDED

FOUNDED

FOUNDED

1921

1924

1882

LOCATION

LOCATION

LOCATION

7401 N. 43rd St., Milwaukee

6901 W. Drexel Ave., Franklin

758 N. Broadway, Milwaukee

MEMBERS

MEMBERS

MEMBERS

350

431

1,000

ANNUAL REVENUE

ANNUAL REVENUE

ANNUAL REVENUE

$4.5 million

Undisclosed

Undisclosed

INITIATION FEE

None ANNUAL DUES

$2,700

INITIATION FEE

INITIATION FEE

ENTRANCE FEE

Undisclosed

Undisclosed

Young executive (under 34): $250; Executive: $1,000

ANNUAL DUES

ANNUAL DUES

Undisclosed

Undisclosed

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YE: $1,500; Executive: $2,200; Executive athletic: $3,300 17

corporate event planning

❱

cover story

OTHER AREA PRIVATE CLUBS: »» Blue Mound Golf and Country Club, Wauwatosa »» Hidden Glen Golf Club, Cedarburg »» Kenosha Country Club, Kenosha »» Milwaukee Country Club, River Hills

PHOTOS BY MOLLY DILL

»» Milwaukee Yacht Club, Milwaukee

Tuckaway Country Club in Franklin recently installed an outdoor dining area over looking the golf course. In the dining room, members Brian Drumel and Adam Rick enjoy a drink.

“I take my clients out to golf, to entertain, and this is a great venue to bring clients to, whether they’re golfers or not, just to have dinner or lunch,” Rick said.

“I do seminars, and it’s also a great venue to do some business lunches, business presentations.”

He and his young children also use the pool and golf course together often, Rick said.

Tuckaway offers golf, tennis, swimming, children’s activities and a social medium for its 431 members. Of its 300 golfing members, about 50 are under 40, which Kwiecinski said skews lower than most clubs.

Tuckaway, Tripoli, Moorland Country Club and Blue Mound Golf & Country Club all recently added, or plan to add, outdoor bar and patio space.

Tuckaway has also renovated the pool and tennis facilities and installed new carpeting, tables and chairs in the clubhouse over the past couple of years, Kwiecinski said. The projects cost a total of about $1 million over the past three years.

“When you have a population that runs from, call it early 30s into their 80s, you’re certainly catering to a pretty large group. Everything that we deliver, you have to show the value to the overall membership,” he said.

A constant investment

Family atmosphere

If they aren’t investing in improvements, private clubs are falling behind their competitors and may have a harder time attracting and retaining members.

Most have an annual budget item for renovations, which almost always receive member approval and can be funded through operations, debt or member assessments.

The most popular renovation for Milwaukee area private clubs of late has been the installation of an outdoor patio and bar space that allows for casual dress.

18

Gone are the days when the patriarch of the family would take off to golf and smoke cigars with his male buddies at the club all day. The family dynamic has changed and life has become more hectic.

Families want to enjoy the club together, managers say.

“With kids’ sports and all these things going on, there’s limited free time for families these days,” Kwiecinski said. “They have limited time and limited money, so to ask any family to put out $7,000 to $12,000, call it, just so daddy can go golfB i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e

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ing, isn’t going to fly in most homes. If, for that same $7,000, you can deliver a family experience that includes stuff for the kids, stuff for the wives, a social environment for all, it’s a much easier sell.”

When Kwiecinski joined Tuckaway in 2004, the whole club was open to men only on Thursdays. Other clubs have also had similar policies in place for years. But those are gradually going away at many places.

“A lot of these clubs around here still have a lot of old line club to them, was a lot of good old boys sitting around playing cards and boozing it around the bar,” he said. “Today’s clubs are only going to survive by bringing that whole family experience into them.”

Blue Mound has compromised on that front by including the installation of a private men’s grill in a $2.5 million renovation its members just approved last month.

That way, its men-only nights in the golfers’ grill will be eliminated. The renovation also includes the patio, a new entryway, bar and an expansion of the golfers’ grill, said Tom Kirchen, account executive at Waukesha-based R&R Insurance Services Inc. Kirchen, who has been a member of the club 13 years, said Blue Mound has continued to add members – it now has about 270 – and bring the median member age

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»» North Hills Country Club, Menomonee Falls »» North Shore Country Club, Mequon »» Ozaukee Country Club, Mequon »» Pine Hills Country Club, Sheboygan »» The Club at Strawberry Creek, Kenosha »» The Legend Clubs, Wales, Waukesha and Hartland »» The Milwaukee Club, Milwaukee »» The Town Club, Fox Point »» Racine Country Club, Racine »» River Club of Mequon, Mequon »» River Tennis Club, River Hills »» Wauwatosa Woman’s Club, Wauwatosa »» West Bend Country Club, West Bend »» Western Racquet Club, Elm Grove »» Westmoor Country Club, Brookfield

corporate event planning down despite being in a tough industry.

He joined because he wanted to access the “fantastic, top condition” course on a regular basis. Kirchen also entertains clients at Blue Mound.

“That’s one of the benefits, obviously, is to have a venue that is attractive and people feel comfortable and you get good service and you get good food and that makes you want to bring clients and your fellow employees,” he said. “That’s part of the Blue Mound experience is not only to help the individual member from a personal standpoint but from a business standpoint, too.”

The River Club of Mequon prides itself on being open and inviting, rather than stuffy and secretive, said Ken McIntyre, general manager. Formerly Mequon Country Club, it was purchased by Tom Weickardt five years ago and completely renovated.

It costs $3,000 to join, but the fee is waived with completion of a two-year commitment, McIntyre said. A social/fitness membership is $750, while the toplevel family golf membership is $6,700

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per year. The club’s annual revenue is about $4 million.

“We offer many alternatives that a lot of clubs can’t, whether it’s 27 holes (of golf), pools, tennis,” McIntyre said. “We have what tends to be a younger membership base” and those members recruit others in their peer groups.

“The club becomes an addition to their social life, not the hub of their social life,” he said. “That’s a big change. People, we ramble and we explore and we try different things. That’s the modern person.”

Westmoor Country Club in Brookfield also works to appeal to families, with golf, tennis, swimming, a fitness facility and full-service dining.

Westmoor has 525 family members, with tiered pricing for “intermediate” members under 40, said Joe Coan, chief operating officer and general manager.

“When I first came here in 2001, we had zero intermediate members and that was very concerning,” Coan said. “Today, we have 33 families in the intermediate program and then we also have 23 fami-

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lies in our legacy junior program. It’s so nice to have that many, because they’re your membership for the next, hopefully, 30 or 40 years.”

Scott Luzi, 31, a partner at Walcheske & Luzi LLC in Brookfield, joined Moorland in August 2014 for both personal and professional reasons, he said.

“The golf at Westmoor is great; the course is awesome,” Luzi said, and while he and his wife, Alecia, don’t have children yet, they liked the family atmosphere.

It’s also a comfortable setting in which to meet new business contacts and entertain clients, he said.

“The majority of the people that I interact with, golf with, hang out at the pool…are individuals that own their own companies,” Luzi said. “That was attractive – I’m going to be in front of the right people in the right atmosphere at the right time.”

A club for clubs

About 70 percent of Wisconsin’s private member equity club managers talk to

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each other about the business of private clubs, mentor, network and participate in continuing education through the Wisconsin Badger Chapter of the Club Manager’s Association of America, said chapter president Tom Maliszko, who is also president of the 320-member Milwaukee Yacht Club. The majority of the CMAA’s 27 Wisconsin chapter members are in the Milwaukee area.

“The people at our clubs are all professionals,” Maliszko said. “They’re all wellversed in the day-to-day operations of their business and they expect their club to be run the same way, so we have to be accountable to them with everything.”

Still reeling from the recession, many members are expecting not just culture, but added value from their memberships, he said.

“We’re serving people that are paying to be here,” Maliszko said. “The millennials have proven a difficult sell for everyone just because what they want today isn’t what they’re going to want tomorrow and they embrace change, just because every-

❱

thing is instant gratification for them.”

But clubs can’t change too much or they risk alienating old line members and changing the sense of familiarity at someone’s “home away from home.”

“Once you come inside the confines of your club, whether it be a golf club, a tennis club or an athletic club, you feel safe. You’re going to be taken care of,” Maliszko said.

The casualization of America has driven one major change in most private clubs – the more relaxed dress code, Maliszko said.

“There are a lot of clubs that if they haven’t already, they definitely are in the process of accommodating denim,” he said. “Millennials don’t want to get dressed up.”

City club traditions

The Milwaukee Club is across the street from The Pfister Hotel in a bright red building that is nonetheless discreet – no signage. It has catered to some of Milwaukee’s most important businessmen, with storied names like Plankinton, Allis,

Uihlein, Bradley, Pabst and Pfister.

Its membership is relatively small – though general manager Dick Roehrborn wouldn’t give an exact number – mainly because its clubhouse is the smallest. But it still attracts some of the most prominent business and civic leaders in the city.

It can be difficult to tell how many people are in the club at any given time, since it has 10 private dining rooms seating between two and 60 people, in addition to its main dining areas. For this reason, it is popular among the business crowd.

“All the business is conducted kind of behind closed doors and in the public area of the club, it’s more of a social club,” Roehrborn said. “We’ve got a culture that the members are protective of a little bit because it harkens back to an earlier time.”

Its dues are on par with the University Club, though Roehrborn wouldn’t disclose them. The Milwaukee Club is in the black, he said.

“Ten years ago, 15 years ago, our members would belong to multiple clubs, maybe three,” he said. “I just think that

you have to really concentrate on operational efficiency. We’re fortunate because we don’t need 500 members.”

The Woman’s Club of Wisconsin is one of the best kept secrets in Milwaukee – but the leadership doesn’t want it that way. The club has about 300 members, down from a peak of 600 in the mid-’90s.

“In the ’70s and ’80s women started to work and so they had less leisure time to be able to participate in a club like this,” said Betsy Prinz, president of the Woman’s Club board. “Most of our activities happen during the day.”

But the club is changing that, and running a promotion to waive its $1,200 initiation fee. Its annual membership dues range depending on the member’s age, but average about $2,500.

“The other thing that we do that attracts a lot of younger women is our community service. We are not just a private social club. We are a social welfare club,” Prinz said. “I know the impression of us could be that we’re a bunch of women who sit around, drink tea and play bridge

cover story

but that’s not what we do.”

The Woman’s Club Foundation awarded $60,000 in grants last year.

The history and philanthropic bent of The Woman’s Club appealed to Rachel Allen Larrivee, 34, who joined as a junior member in January. She got involved with the foundation committee, which raises funds from members to support the endowment.

Larrivee, who three years ago purchased her grandparents’ event rental business, Props Unlimited Events LLC, which is based in the Miller Valley area, appreciates the Woman’s Club as a downtown location to meet for coffee or check her email, while networking with members.

“One of the things I find as a younger business owner is I learn something every day and I enjoy learning different perspectives from different people,” Larrivee said. “Any part of business is just meeting people that you wouldn’t have maybe met under other circumstances. To be able to meet people and then do some good out of it, as well, is a win-win.” n

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corporate event planning

Technology enhances event experience Companies use apps, social media and IoT to reach attendees

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s Twitter boards replace wireless microphones and mobile apps replace paper schedules, corporate events are becoming increasingly tech-centered.

Milwaukee area companies are both producing and consuming various types of event technology at an accelerated pace.

The rise of the “Internet of Things” indicates companies are trending toward an increase in technology usage, but consumer preferences and technology adoption levels vary. This is true for app-based event technology, one type of corporate event tool.

Popular mobile event apps, including Eventmobi, Bizzabo and Guidebook, serve both the company and the attendee before, during and after the event. The company uses the app to plan and execute the event, while the attendee uses it to experience the event.

As a bonus, the paperless nature of mobile event apps appeals to many business’ sustainability commitments.

Before using an app, the user must download it on to a mobile device—but herein lies the problem, for some companies.

“Across the U.S., event and tradeshow companies are disillusioned with how many people use the event’s app.

For some shows, companies got rid of the paper directory and went to an app, but when the event was over, no one kept the app,” said Jay Partington, president of

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BY MAREDITHE MEYER, staff writer

Hartland-based Expo Productions Inc. According to Partington, app-based event technology works well for large events such as the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago, one of the largest industrial trade shows in the world, which hosts upward of 100,000 registrants.

But for mid- and small-sized tradeshows or events, the expense of creating an app is not worth the minimal number of users.

Steve Anderson and Josh Holtz, cofounders of Milwaukee-based software startup Snapifeye, encountered this issue with app-based event technology when they started developing the Snapifeye app in 2013.

“We learned that people are really reluctant to download new apps, especially if they will only use it temporarily,” Anderson said.

The app, launched in 2014, allows a company to capture event photos and brand the photos with custom frames.

Then, both the company and the attendee can share the photos via multiple social media platforms at one time.

Before launching Snapifeye, Anderson and Holtz first tested consumer interest by visiting various Milwaukee restaurants and offering patrons a beer in exchange for downloading the free app.

Generally, even that incentive failed to persuade people to download a new app, Anderson said.

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A branded Snapifye photo posted on BizTimes Media’s Facebook page.

As a result, the team adapted the technology so only the brand ambassadors, event planners or company employees download the app, capture event photos and share them across the company’s social media.

The app also allows companies to send attendees links to the branded photos for them to share on their personal social

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media accounts. Sharing an experience at an event is as easy as copying the link and pasting it into a Facebook status.

“People trust their friends more than they trust ads,” Anderson said.

When users re-share a branded photo, they are personally endorsing that brand, which is one of the most powerful marketing tools for companies, he said.

“Snapifeye definitely touches on the experiential side of events. It takes that user’s experience and broadcasts it,” Anderson said.

The app’s technology is versatile for events of all sizes—as large as the Indy 500 and as small as Bank Mutual Corp.’s Milestone Summer promotional events.

As part of Milestone Summer, Wisconsin radio stations set up radio remotes at Bank Mutual locations to play music and give away prizes. Event attendees pose with props and frames and Brown Deerbased Bank Mutual captures and shares branded photos via Snapifeye.

“People are much more likely to get their photo taken if they can have it sent to them… it’s a lot easier for customers and creates nice conversation, as well,” said Lora Steinmetz, account supervisor at STIR, a Milwaukee-based marketing agency.

Unlike Anderson and Holtz, Marquette University recently received a different response to app-based event technology when it used Guidebook, an app designing program, to accommodate 1,600 incoming

students and 2,000 parents during its four pre-orientation sessions.

Guidebook, launched in California in 2011, allows the user to design and launch a mobile app for various types of events.

Event attendees use the custom-made app to navigate through the event, receive event information and share their experience via Facebook and Twitter.

On the other end, companies use Guidebook to communicate with attendees, update event schedules and features in real-time, display sponsor advertisements and collect attendee feedback.

“They don’t have to browse through a website or carry multiple pieces of paper to find the information they need,” said Julie West, Marquette’s coordinator for leadership programs.

After the sessions ended, students could still access FAQs and helpful links through the app.

Guidebook was successful and the university plans to use it again for New Student Orientation this month, said Caitlin Weitzel, the university’s coordina-

tor for new student and family programs.

Conflicting preferences for event app usage has left many companies with no choice but to accommodate both sides.

“Companies are giving people the option,” said Mark McDonald, director of event management at Milwaukee-based Marcus Corp. “If people want to have event information readily available on their device, that is available to them. For people who want to have a handheld paper agenda, that is also available to them.”

At seminar-based events that feature presenters, McDonald said most companies utilize Twitter boards and hashtags to engage with audience members.

Meeting or event set-ups often include one large screen or multiple small screens displaying a live Twitter feed that attendees use to tweet questions for the presenter or moderator.

A different, more company-centered type of event technology is much less conspicuous than photo sharing or a user-friendly app–and it’s not in front of the attendees’ faces like a giant Twitter feed.

Instead, it’s under their feet.

Milwaukee-based Scanalytics Inc., an “Internet of Things” startup founded in 2012, develops floor mats that detect customer foot traffic at retail stores and corporate events.

The SoleSensor platforms allow Scanalytics to collect data on customer behavior–occupancy, wait times, engagement times, traffic flow, populated areas–within the space. The company then analyzes the data and makes recommendations to improve the store or event’s layout.

According to Scanalytics’ account director, John Colle, its consultation service differentiates it from other sensor technology companies.

Like many companies developing or adopting new technology for corporate events, Scanalytics’ motivations are to better serve consumer needs.

“The question that we help our customers answer is, ‘How can we help you improve?’” Colle said. “When it comes to tradeshows, it’s working with exhibitors one-on-one to make those changes.” n

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corporate event planning

The Chef’s Table owner and chef David Magnasco holds a glass of wine behind the bar at his business in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood.

Forging business relationships at The Chef’s Table

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t’s exactly the type of building you’d expect to find in Walker’s Point.

Faded strokes of paint on the converted two-story warehouse’s brick exterior still spell out the name “Badger Mirror Co.,” a glass manufacturer that hasn’t inhabited it since 1942.

For different stretches over the past 103 years, it has housed multiple manufacturing operations and a knitting company. Its earliest tenant, R.E. Locher & Scheffrin Co., was described as a “dealer

BY BEN STANLEY, staff writer

in rags, rubber, metals and other waste materials” in a May 4, 1918 issue of a nowdefunct trade publication called “The Waste Trade Journal.”

Aside from well-tended trees and bushes lining its walls and the handsome wooden staircase leading to its front door at 500 S. Third St., it blends into the stock of brick industrial buildings speckled throughout the neighborhood that are either undergoing or awaiting renovation.

But since 2014, it’s been home to a

private event venue that’s gaining traction among local businesses.

The Chef ’s Table, which bills itself as “Milwaukee’s only private, personalized dining experience,” has earned a small following over the past two years for a unique service: personalized business dinners that allow clients to connect with guests, discuss sensitive business issues and relax with a meal in a private setting.

The space is rich in unique personal touches. Many of its most impressive

pieces were handcrafted by the owner and chef, David Magnasco — the long, southern yellow pine table made from one of the building’s former walls, the stained glass windows behind the bar, the chandelier made from an old pot and pan rack.

Magnasco has hosted birthday parties and rehearsal dinners, and has sold tickets to themed dinners, but found an untapped niche in small corporate events for as few as two and as many as 34 people.

“There’s plenty of great places in Milwaukee you can go out to eat; we have an awesome food scene here,” Magnasco said.

But when company leaders want to rent out space at a restaurant for a board meeting or to impress clients, he explained, “typically you’re in a back room with divider walls and usually there aren’t any windows and you’re still sharing the

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Conferences

Meetings

and

A long wooden table stretches across the north side of the first floor at 500 S. Third Street. The table was handcrafted by Magnasco from one of the building’s former walls and seats as many as 34 guests.

common space of the restaurant with other patrons.”

Magnasco, who has years of experience working for restaurants in Milwaukee and abroad, decided to become somewhat of an outsourced in-house chef for local companies by hosting private, personalized business dinners at his building.

“We have a host out front greeting everybody and when everyone’s here, we lock the doors,” Magnasco said. “We have nothing else going on and it’s all about them. They’re at the center table, they have windows, they’ve got the bar to themselves.

There’s a men’s room and a ladies room and a garden area in the back. They’ve got the entire space to themselves.”

He makes an effort to know his clients well. He does research on them and their guests and personally guides them through each course he prepares.

“They can have a good meal, they can talk about sensitive stuff and if they’d like to stay and hang out at the bar, they don’t have to worry as much about their actions as they would in a public place,” Magnasco said. “We wanted it to be an extension of our home. We’re inviting you into our house. And we are. We live upstairs.”

Magnasco lives with his wife and daughter in a loft-style apartment on the second floor of the building. The meals he cooks at each event are tailored to the guests. Before their event, he sits down with clients to discuss their likes and dislikes, while also educating them on which types of foods are best to include depend-

ing on the time of year — he rarely uses out-of-season ingredients.

“It allows me to go out and shop and forage and spend more time gathering the ingredients for the dinner and then also pairing the wine to it,” he said.

Magnasco doesn’t disclose the names of his clients unless they give him permission. He jokingly referred to himself as the Switzerland of the Milwaukee culinary scene. But representatives from Milwaukee Tool said the company has reserved The Chef ’s Table for business dinners on multiple occasions – and wouldn’t hesitate to do so again.

“Whether we have a group of 12 or 20, the attention to every detail has been well thought out and organized,” said Milwaukee Tool senior executive assistant Gin Melotte. “Yet Chef David and his team are also extremely agile when dinner times slip due to late arrivals, etc. It’s mesmerizing to watch the chef and his team at work for an event. There is clearly a synergy that can only be found with great leadership.”

The Chef ’s Table hosts about three events per week. Magnasco hopes he can eventually bring the average up to five.

“We’re not looking to flood the market,” he said. “We want it to be secretive, in a way. When you see the building from the exterior, it’s very unassuming.

It looks like a warehouse, just like every other building around us. But when they walk in through that threshold, people just go, ‘Wow, this is incredible; I had no idea this was here.’” n w w w.biztimes.com

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strategies

Innovate or Die

When the economy tanked, Peggy Coakley transformed the family business

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ention a moving company and immediately the image of a musclebound hunky male inevitably comes to mind. Don’t most customers want alpha males moving all that big equipment and heavy duty boxes?

But what if leading a moving company today requires an innovative, flexible leader who excels at listening to the needs of customers and offering a new set of services not traditionally associated with a moving company? In other words, the current business climate calls for brains and innovation over brawn.

Enter Peggy Coakley, the chief executive officer of Coakley Brothers Co., who is the youngest and only female of four children. Their father, Neil Coakley, sold the business to his daughter.

Peggy recognized early on in her tenure

as a leader that their company was really in the hospitality business and not in what seems obvious – the moving business.

By focusing on customer needs and perceptions, Coakley Brothers can make the moving experience positive and enjoyable. As a result, she’s created a loyal customer base that feeds more customer referrals and strong brand loyalty.

That commitment, in turn, required Peggy to create a culture that would support that vision.

For example, her team puts the customer at the center of team meetings so everyone understands the need to support frontline movers with the right equipment, information and logistical support so critical to delivering on customer expectations.

It also required her team to conduct focus groups and listening sessions with

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DAN STEINING ER INNOVATION customers and then study best practices for serving its customer base. Her employees are selected because of their brainpower.

In 2008, the moving industry faced an ugly economy when the housing market plunged and businesses stopped relocating because of costs, creating a nightmare for a company that moved both residential and commercial customers.

It was Winston Churchill who said, “Never let a crisis go to waste.” Peggy took that approach. During the economic downturn, she led Coakley to launch the first Coakley Brothers office in Madison; added an installation division to handle the need to install modular office furniture; sold the facility that became the Iron Horse Hotel; added self-storage facilities to address the need in the market for secured accessible storage units for both homeowners and businesses; and scaled its Datastore state-of-the-art automated record storage.

But one of her boldest moves was recognizing that while Coakley had spent more than a century moving other people’s furniture, it was time to test the marketplace to sell furniture targeting both Milwaukee and Madison. Furniture sales is a cutthroat business, but being able to

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assist customers in purchasing new furniture and equipment worked successfully, despite the risk of adding a new business.

This initiative gave birth to Brothers Business Interiors by Coakley Brothers, so customers could have a one-stop solution to their needs when contemplating a move.

What can you learn from Peggy Coakley’s leadership?

1. Ask your leadership team, ‘What business are we in?’ This is a lot harder than it seems. The barons who built the railroad industry saw themselves as builders of railroads, not providers of transportation by any means. They didn’t see the new industry of air travel as part of a transportation solution by any means for customers. Peggy concluded Coakley was really in the hospitality business, driving a whole different approach to customers.

2. Transitioning to a culture focused on the customer is easy to say but extremely difficult to accomplish.

Everyone wants to sell products or services that have been in their wheelhouse. Hiring sales professionals and employees who are smart, and as Peter Drucker would say, “knowledge workers” who have the requisite humility to listen rather than talking is not easy. But seeking out sales professionals who enjoy sharing their savvy business talent to address the customer’s needs is a critical priority.

3. Do not waste a crisis. Our instincts are to cut costs and hunker down when the world blows up on us. But a crisis creates an opportunity, because the brutal facts require change. When employees recognize that business as usual represents a greater threat to financial stability than taking the risk of a new approach to the marketplace, change can actually happen.

Coakley Brothers proves that a family business can survive even into a fourth generation when the right innovative leader, who is not bound by the past, is chosen to lead the company. Peggy Coakley has proven she has the “right stuff.” n Dan Steininger is the president of Milwaukee-based BizStarts, a lecturer on innovation and creative problemsolving at the UWM School of Continuing Education and president of Steininger & Associates LLC, which helps companies drive new revenues through innovation. He can be reached at Dan@BizStarts.com

strategies

Communicating with the five generations in your workplace

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our company could have five generations in your workplace.

Maybe you have two or three.

No matter how many generations are represented in your workforce, you are most likely feeling confusion and frustration dealing with their differences.

Each generation has unique attributes, desires and motivations. Much has been written about the differences and the challenges companies have in hiring and managing each generation. In your company, most likely you are at the point where Gen Xers and millennials outnumber baby boomers. While boomers may be the majority in your leadership roles, the two generations following this large group have been in the workforce for years. Gen Xers and millennials are already managers/supervisors or soon will join the ranks of leadership. These groups are no longer just those entitled kids applying for entry

level work.

What we’ve learned is that one size doesn’t fit all. Let’s start with each of the generations and their presence in today’s talent market as illustrated in columns 1 and 2 in the chart below.

Take stock of the mix of employees in your organization. As you identify your goals, as well as the work you’re doing to design your company culture, it is important to take into consideration your workforce. The table also identifies the best way to communicate with each generation so they will hear your message. Resurrect your knowledge, too, of how adults learn.

You can see that each generation is a little different – that’s not news. No doubt you are challenged today with the changes you’re seeing in recruiting, retaining and engaging employees. Your job as a leader

ANNE GRACE NIMKE MANAGEMENT

is to share your goals and motivate your employees to be more productive, more strategic…and maybe even happier.

As you communicate to your organization or team – a change in policy, a new benefit, revised goals, an achievement to be celebrated – you want the information to be received and understood by everyone. Both the mode of communication and content is critical. The best advice I received about communication is “Tell them what you’re going to tell them tell them, and then tell them what you told them!” Once your content is clear and

Generation/age

Adult population

Favored mode of communication

Desired incentives

Matures / 70+

16%

Letter

Respect, consistency/regular rules/ schedules

Boomers / 51-69

34%

Telephone, email

Titles, retirement plans, cash

Email, text

Family/flexible schedule, health insurance, fair/equal and consistent pay

Gen Xers / 35-50

19%

How adults learn

Millennials / 19-35

30%

Text, social media, multimedia

Flexible time off, cool perks, travel opportunity, equal/consistent pay

Gen Z or iGen / <18

Mostly not working yet

Wearable devices, multimedia

Mobility, change, learning, stimulation

Seeing, hearing, doing

unambiguous, how should you distribute it? Distributing it the way you personally like to receive information may not be the best way to communicate. Sending one email to everyone will not be as effective as using a variety of distribution methods.

Remember, one size doesn’t fit all. Consider trying a couple of these approaches: »» Email, of course »» Internal instant messaging »» Short video announcement »» Hard copy letter to each desk »» Letter sent to home (if it affects the family) »» Text message »» Staff meeting »» In-person meeting »» Deploy internal champions to share and reinforce message »» Illustrate your thoughts with a photo or quote Think back to everything you know about adult learning…people have better success learning by: seeing, hearing and/ or doing. It’s not about picking which ONE works – it’s about deploying the information in a way that can be received by each of these modalities.

If you find that your message is not being heard, step back and 1) Ensure that your content is clear and direct, 2) Consider your audience and 3) Distribute your message in the form and way people listen and learn. You will find the extra effort is worth it. n Anne Grace Nimke is chief executive officer and cofounder of Milwaukee-based The Good Jobs Inc. (www. thegoodjobs.com), a turnkey employment branding solution that provides transparency by quantifying culture to help companies attract, hire and retain the right talent.

Source: Steve Wood, http://steveonleadership.com/teams-culture/hiring/leading-five-generations-in-the-workplace/

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strategies

Make a commitment to mentoring women Increasingly the most populous segment of the workforce To the reader: In my January 11 and April 4 columns for BizTimes Milwaukee, I wrote about the important strategic issue of developing mentoring programs for women. I made a very strong business case for this, observing that women will be the largest group of new entrants to the workforce over the next few years.

Employers in Wisconsin will want to particularly take note of this, given that Wisconsin has an aging workforce (we have a high percentage of baby boomers in our workforce); we are a “brain drain” state (many new college graduates, especially young women, earn their degrees here and then take jobs elsewhere); and we are a slow job growth state (people seeking work have more options elsewhere).

In my May 16 column in BizTimes, I defined mentoring and wrote about the three key skills (understanding self and others, communicating effectively and developing employees) mentors must effectively fulfill to be successful.

In this column, I outline the building blocks for an organization-based mentoring program.

To be clear at the outset, my premise is that if organizations want to hire and retain the best talent, in light of the trends I reference in the preceding paragraphs, it is simply smart business to make sure organizations are doing all they can to hire and retain talented female employees.

Women currently outnumber men at

both the bachelor’s and graduate degree levels within American higher education.

This is a numbers game that must be given notice for organizations that want to be sure they have the best possible talent on board.

Organizations that want to systematically develop the talents of women should follow the suggestions promulgated by The National Mentoring Partnership, which in 2015 published “Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring.” The National Mentoring Partnership outlines six pillars of effective mentoring programs: »» Recruitment The program must recruit appropriate mentors and mentees by realistically describing its aims and expected outcomes. »» Screening The program must screen prospective mentors to determine whether they have the time, commitment and personal qualities to be safe and effective mentors, and screen prospective mentees about whether they have the time, commitment and desire to be effectively mentored. »» Training The program must train prospective mentors, mentees and mentees’ sponsors (e.g., managers) in the basic knowledge, attitudes and skills needed to build an effective and safe mentoring relationship using culturally appropriate language and tools.

mentors Wanted

»» Matching and Initiating The program must match mentors and mentees and initiate mentoring relationships using strategies likely to increase the odds mentoring relationships will endure and be effective. »» Monitoring and Support The program must monitor mentoring relationship milestones and support matches through ongoing advice, problem solving, training and access to resources for the duration of the relationship. »» Closure The program must facilitate bringing the match to a closure in a way that affirms the contributions of the mentor and mentee, and offers them the opportunity to prepare for the closure and assess the experience.

These six foundational elements are applicable to all mentoring programs, regardless of the organizational context (school settings, work settings, volunteer settings, etc.). They are applicable to people of all ages and demographic backgrounds. Again, just to be entirely clear, my point in shining the light on the need for mentoring programs for women is driven by my understanding of the workforce trends that are unfolding (mentioned above) and my knowledge that historically women, as Harvard Business Review provocatively stated, “have been under-mentored and over-managed.”

DANIEL SCHROEDER HUMAN RESOURCES For too long, men have differentially benefitted from mentoring relationships in which up-and-coming male talent has been groomed by senior and powerful male leaders who are the movers and shakers. This good old boys model must be challenged, moving forward, and replaced by a model that explicitly says, “In our organization, top leaders invest in the development of future leaders, regardless of race or gender. We recognize that women are increasingly the most populous segment of our workforce and strategically, we must do everything we can do to develop the talents of women to the fullest extent possible.” n Daniel Schroeder, Ph.D. is president and CEO of Brookfield-based Organization Development Consultants Inc. (www.od-consultants.com). He can be reached at (888) 827-1901 or Dan.Schroeder@OD-Consultants.com.

Know of a great mentor you would like to share?

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biz connections CA L E NDAR

NONPROFIT DIRECTORY

FaB Wisconsin will host a Summer Social on Tuesday, Aug. 16, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at MobCraft Beer Inc., 505 S. Fifth St. in Milwaukee. MobCraft Beer is a small craft brewery that makes custom craft beer from user-submitted recipes. FaB Wisconsin is a food and beverage industry association. Cost is $20 for FaB members and $35 for non-members. For more information or to register for the social, visit http://web.mmac.org/events/.

SPOTLIGHT

The Waukesha County Business Alliance will host Young Professionals Speed Networking on Tuesday, Aug. 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Ellenbecker Investment Group Inc., N35 W23877 Highfield Court, Suite 200 in Pewaukee. Perfect your networking skills while meeting new people and making valuable connections. Cost is $25 for Alliance members, and non-members should call WCBA to register. For more information, visit http://www.waukesha.org/events.

The AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin’s junior board of directors will host Cocktails for a Cause from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 24, at Engine Company No. 3, 217 W. National Ave. in Milwaukee. The event brings together young professionals, philanthropists, community leaders and friends for an evening of cocktails, music and fun while raising funds for the statewide fight against HIV/AIDS. Cost is $30, which includes appetizers, cocktails and live music. For more information or to register, visit http://bit.ly/2a0jy0y.

Rock the Green

P.O. Box 170893, Milwaukee www.rockthegreen.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/RocktheGreen Twitter: @rtgMKE YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/RockTheGreen Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/rockthegreen/

Milwaukee Harley Davidson will host a USO Motorcycle Ride on Saturday, Aug. 27, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning at the dealership, 11310 W. Silver Spring Road in Milwaukee. Medal of Honor recipient Gary Wetzel will be leading the ride, which raises money to support U.S. military families in Wisconsin.

Cost is $50 per rider, which includes a jacket, t-shirt, lunch and two beverages. For more information or to register, visit usowisconsinride.eventbrite.com/.

BIZ NO T ES University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee More than 20 individuals and organizations will be honored at the UW-Milwaukee Alumni Association Awards Evening on Friday, Oct. 7, at Discovery World. The 22 individual recipients and one corporate partner were chosen for awards based on their outstanding professional achievements, civic involvement and partnerships with the university.

The recipients are: Michael McCrea, MS Clinical Psychology ’91, PhD Clinical Psychology ’94; Christina Fiasca, BBA Accounting ’80; Judith Scott, MBA ’81; Dennis Kois, BA Museum and Exhibit Design ’95, Honors College; Reuben Harpole, BS Education ’78, Honorary PhD of Humane Letters ’05; Kimberley Motley, BS Criminal Justice ’99, MS Criminal Justice ’03; Michael Falbo; Sally Lundeen; Les Weil; Chris Larson, BBA Finance ’07; Peter Tellier, BBA Accounting ’72, MBA Business Administration ’74; Marcus Corporation Foundation; The Water Council; Jonathan Brostoff, BA Political Science ’11; Eleanor Cotey, BFA Theatre ’09; Catherine (Lohr) Giljohann, BBA Management Information Systems and Marketing ’10; Audra O’Connell, BA Comparative Study of Religion ’08; Ella Peinovich, BS Architectural Studies ’06; Julie Waterman, BA Music ’07; Sarah Donovan, B.S. Health Care Administration ’09, Master of Human Resources and Labor Relations ’12; Nikiya Harris Dodd, BS Community Education ’01, MS Administrative Leadership ’07; Nicholas Hartlep, PhD Urban Education ’12; Aaron Lipski, BA Communication ’02, MPA Public Administration ’14; Susan Schweigert, MA Languages, Literature and Translation ’11.

ManpowerGroup Milwaukee-based staffing firm ManpowerGroup

has been recognized as one of the Disability Equality Index Best Places to Work, receiving a top score for its commitment to diversity inclusion in the workplace. The DEI is a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities and the U.S. Business Leadership Network, honoring those organizations with a commitment to driving their organization’s success through full inclusive business practices.

Boelter + Lincoln Boelter + Lincoln Marketing Communications has been named agency of record for Milwaukee Transport Services Inc. B+L was chosen after a competitive RFP process, and will provide strategic marketing communications planning and advertising campaign development for the county bus system. Milwaukee Transport Services, Inc. is a quasi-governmental arm of Milwaukee County responsible for the management and operation of the Milwaukee County Transit System.

Sprecher Brewing Co. and Raised Grain Brewing Co. Local breweries took home 10 medals at the 2016 U.S. Open Beer Championship. Glendale-based Sprecher Brewing Co. took home four awards, including golds for its root beer, hard root beer and XII, a Belgian quadruple. Waukesha-based Raised Grain Brewing Co., which moved into its own facility just last year, took home a bronze in Imperial Red Ale for its Paradocs Red IIPA. The contest, held in Oxford, Ohio, included more than 90 categories for ales, lagers, hybrids, barrel aged, special and non-alcoholic beers. In total, there were more than 5,000 entries.

Year founded: 2011 Mission statement: Engage and empower communities to take actionable steps to live more sustainably.

We do this through the following: »» Engagement – Engage the community through interactive one-to-one experiences that spotlight sustainability organizations and innovators »» Entertainment – Present a world-class sustainability festival that showcases zero waste efforts at a large-scale event Primary focus: We produce events that leverage zero waste efforts and result in a minimal eco-footprint, and demonstrate how large-scale sustainability is achievable. We embrace all levels of sustainable living efforts and encourage others to do the same – whether that means being an occasional recycler or a full-fledged environmentalist. It’s important to raise awareness of the collective impact small steps can have on the health of the environment.

Employees: Rock the Green has about 25 year-round volunteers and more than 200 festival volunteers.

Key donors: Some of our key donors are Harley-Davidson Inc., Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, WE Energies and 88Nine Radio Milwaukee. A full listing of our donors is on our website.

Executive leadership: »» Lindsay Stevens Gardner, founder and executive director

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Ways the business community can help your nonprofit: We encourage everyone to check out our events and see firsthand what Rock the Green is all about. We want to spread awareness of our organization and drive interest in reducing eco-footprints.

Key fundraising events: Donations to support Rock the Green can be made on our website at http://www.rockthegreen. com/donate-1. For information regarding festival sponsorship, contact Lindsay Stevens Gardner at lindsay@rockthegreen.com.

Get the latest nonprofit news delivered to your inbox every Friday. Sign up for BizTimes’ Nonprofit Weekly at biztimes.com/subscribe

To have your business briefs published in a future issue of BizTimes Milwaukee send announcements to briefs@biztimes.com. w w w.biztimes.com

Board of directors: »» Andy Holman, partner, Ritz Holman CPAs »» Anne Reed, executive director, Wisconsin Humane Society »» Brooks Stevens, managing director, European head of Futures & Options, OTC Clearing and Foreign Exchange Prime Brokerage at Bank of America Merrill Lynch »» Chris Noyes, attorney, Godfrey & Kahn »» Jason Martin, VP promotion, West Coast, Atlantic Music Group »» Juan Ruiz, clubhouse manager, Milwaukee Country Club »» Lisa Wright, chief marketing officer, Digital Measures »» Maureen Fletcher, president, Xperiential Worldwide »» Sarah Barber Langerman, VP acquisition solutions, Infogroup »» Tom Branigan, president, Branigan Communications »» William (Steve) C. Stevens, retired executive and co-founder, Excalibur Automobiles

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biz connections PER SO NNE L F I L E

■ Architecture Dylan Bonlender has joined Design Group Three, Milwaukee, as a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities (class of ’15), where he majored in architecture and housing studies. He has a variety of design and construction experience, including housing development, residential renovation, and architectural drafting and modeling.

■ Banking & Finance Debbie Beier joined Brookfield-based GSF Mortgage as chief operating officer. She previously served as general manager. Additionally, Dennis Peters and Robert Fabian have joined the company as loan officers.

Combined, the two have more than 30 years of mortgage industry experience.

■ Building & Construction Sussex-based Demlang Builders added Martha Ziegler to its team in expanding its design center. Ziegler has more than 10 years of professional experience in interior design, during which she has worked with both commercial and residential clients.

Hunzinger Construction, Brookfield, recently added assistant project manager Anton Rice, a recent graduate of Marquette University with a bachelor’s of science in civil engineering. Anton will work closely with Hunzinger’s project management team.

■ Education Carol Sabel, Ph.D., RN, has been named chair of the MSOE School of Nursing. She comes to MSOE from Alverno College, where she served as associate dean of the MSN program in the JoAnn McGrath School of Nursing. She has 30 combined years of experience in nursing, education and research, having cared for patients in obstetrics and same-day surgery settings before focusing on teaching.

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Submit new hire and promotion announcements to www.biztimes.com/submit/the-bubbler

made several firm-wide promotions. Attorneys

■ Engineering Ruekert & Mielke Inc. added Tasha Greene to the Waukesha location. Greene will assist with administrative and accounting functions.

William O. Jackson, Patrick Henneger and Christine Hamiel were promoted to shareholders in the firm’s Milwaukee office.

■ Food & Beverage Milwaukee-based Miller Baking Co., maker of Pretzilla pretzel buns, has added Mike Walz as chief operating officer.

In his new role, Walz will oversee all operations under CEO Brian Miller. Walz has worked in the food industry for more than 25 years, serving as COO at Garden-Fresh Foods and vice president of operations at Palermo’s Pizza.

■ Health Care Dana Namowicz joined Freedom Physical Therapy Services, Fox Point, as a physical therapist. She graduated from Marquette University with a bachelor’s of science in athletic training in 2014 and went on to graduate in 2016 with high honors from the doctor of physical therapy program. She specializes in general orthopedic needs across the lifespan, as well as pelvic floor disorders, including pelvic pain, bladder and bowel incontinence, and pregnancy and postpartum conditions.

■ Hospitality Marcus Hotels & Resorts, a division of The Marcus Corp., Milwaukee, announced the appointment of David DiSalvo as area director of sales and marketing for the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark in Lake Geneva and Heidel House Resort & Spa in Green Lake.

■ Legal Services

Hamiel

DeWitt Ross & Stevens S.C. and its affiliate, DeWitt Mackall Crounse & Moore S.C., Brookfield, announced that Christopher M. Scherer joined its Brookfield office as a member of its Intellectual Property group.

■ Manufacturing Milwaukee-based Mortara Instrument Inc. announced that Nayeem Sayed has joined its Milwaukee office as director of downstream marketing for the Americas. Sayed has more than 15 years of experience in product lifecycle design, service and marketing in the medical technology field. He most recently held the title of senior marketing manager for GE Healthcare.

director of EconomicsWisconsin, Brookfield, serving as the day-to-day administrator of the statewide nonprofit organization formed in 1963 to promote economics education and financial literacy. Additionally, Julie Glaunert has joined as a development and office coordinator and Michele Nash has joined as marketing coordinator.

Starlet Hayes is the new fund development and communications director for IndependenceFirst, Milwaukee. A Milwaukee native and graduate of Alverno College, she has worked as a professional fundraiser for more than 21 years.

joined Easter Seals Southeast Wisconsin, West Allis, as vice president of community engagement. Glumm joins Easter Seals after spending 25 years in the

Henneger

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Oak Hill Business Partners, Brookfield, hired veteran sales professional Mark Bishop. Bishop has a proven track record of helping clients improve their sales teams and revenue, which he brings to a strong team of functional, technical experts at Oak Hill.

Atom Slaby has joined Blizzard Lighting, LLC, Waukesha, as a Particle Accelerator.

In this new role, Slaby will aid in process improvement and data analytics. Slaby has seven years of experience working in sales, business development and business intelligence.

■ Public Relations & Marketing Mueller Communications LLC, Milwaukee, announced that Rachel Berkowitz and Elyise Brigman have been promoted to assistant account executive and Julia Otto has been promoted to account coordinator.

■ Staffing

Francis Vogel has been named executive

The law firm of von Briesen & Roper S.C. has B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e

■ Professional Services

■ Nonprofit

Natalie Glumm has

Jackson

manufacturing and nonprofit sectors. Starting her career in plastics, she has served in various capacities, most recently as sales manager for Midland Plastics Inc.

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Boule O’Shea Pewaukee-based Enterforce promoted Steve O’Shea to senior director of client services and Sue Boule has been newly assigned as director of executive services.

■ Technology CCB Technology, Racine, named Derek Matsche its new service desk director, where he will be instrumental in further driving CCB’s managed services, a key division of its services department. Derek joined the CCB services team in 2015 as a systems engineer. He has 16 years of experience in IT, working with nonprofits, SMBs and a Fortune 500 corporation, and has achieved numerous technical certifications with industry-leading companies.

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n GLANCE AT YESTERYEAR VOLUME 22, NUMBER 10 AUGUST 8 - 21, 2016 126 N. Jefferson St., Suite 403, Milwaukee, WI 53202-6120 PHONE: 414-277-8181 FAX: 414-277-8191 WEBSITE: www.biztimes.com CIRCULATION E-MAIL: circulation@biztimes.com ADVERTISING E-MAIL: ads@biztimes.com EDITORIAL E-MAIL: andrew.weiland@biztimes.com REPRINTS: reprints@biztimes.com PUBLISHER / OWNER

Dan Meyer dan.meyer@biztimes.com DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Mary Ernst mary.ernst@biztimes.com DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

Jon Anne Willow jonanne.willow@biztimes.com ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Sarah Sinsky sarah.sinsky@biztimes.com

EDITORIAL EDITOR

Andrew Weiland andrew.weiland@biztimes.com MANAGING EDITOR

Molly Dill molly.dill@biztimes.com REPORTER

Corrinne Hess corri.hess@biztimes.com REPORTER

Arthur Thomas arthur.thomas@biztimes.com

Washfountain

SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR OF SALES

Linda Crawford linda.crawford@biztimes.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE

Maribeth Lynch mb.lynch@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Kevin Gaschk kevin.gaschk@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Maggie Pinnt maggie.pinnt@biztimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Christie Ubl christie.ubl@biztimes.com

PRODUCTION & DESIGN GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Alex Schneider alex.schneider@biztimes.com ART DIRECTOR

Shelly Tabor shelly.tabor@biztimes.com

REPORTER

Children use the Bradley Washfountain, which was invented by Harry Bradley in 1917 and brought to market by Menomonee Falls-based Bradley Corp. in 1921. The company still makes washfountains, plus other washroom accessories like showers and toilet partitions, as well as tankless water heaters and plastic lockers.

— This photo is from Bradley Corp.’s archives.

Ben Stanley ben.stanley@biztimes.com

Independent & Locally Owned — Founded 1995 —

COMME NTA R Y

More aldermen should embrace density

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developer wants to build a $55 million apartment tower on the East Side of Milwaukee, and is not seeking any subsidies from the city.

Proposals like this usually are approved without much difficulty. There are big apartment developments all over downtown Milwaukee and the East Side.

But this project was blocked by a minority of ANDREW WEILAND Editor BizTimes Milwaukee

the Common Council. It was proposed for the site of the 118-year-old Goll Mansion on Prospect Avenue. The project called for moving the mansion closer to the street and building a 27-story apartment tower on the site. The owner of the mansion says the only way to preserve it is to generate revenue from a large development.

Whether that is true or not, and 32

whether or not moving the mansion is actually feasible, you would think aldermen would be happy to see another development that will create construction jobs, boost the city’s property tax base and add more density and vibrancy.

But several residents of the 18-story 1522 On The Lake condo tower next door to the Goll Mansion submitted a petition opposing the project, so a supermajority of the council was needed for approval.

Aldermen voted 10-5 in favor of the project, not enough for a supermajority.

So now the project is in limbo, as is the future of the Goll Mansion.

Residents of 1522 On The Lake raised a variety of concerns about the building.

In 2008, residents of 1522 On The Lake also opposed a 26-story building with much less density, only 35 condos, that was planned for the Goll Mansion site but never moved forward.

“I would take that to believe their concern is their views will be obstructed more than anything else,” said Alderman B i zT i m e s M i l w a u k e e

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Jim Bohl.

Alderman Robert Bauman, whose district includes the Goll Mansion site and 1522 On The Lake, sided with his constituents who opposed the project. Bauman said the proposed building was too big for the site. However, that’s a strange complaint. Big cities have big buildings. Prospect Avenue is lined with high rise after high rise. Density is a good thing 1522 On The Lake and the proposed Goll Mansion site tower. in cities, bringing more vibrancy and more customers to businesses in the ment and not just any kind of developneighborhood. ment,” Zielinski said.

While Bauman’s opposition to the “I voted no…because of the same reaproject is understandable because of sons mentioned by Alderman Bauman his constituents, why are some other al- regarding size and density,” Johnson said. dermen opposed? In addition to BauI wish these aldermen would show man, Aldermen Cavalier Johnson, Mark greater appreciation for density, which Borkowski, Jose Perez and Tony Zielinski makes urban neighborhoods stronger. cast “no” votes.

Hopefully, another project for the “Size/density of building was just bad Goll Mansion site emerges soon. But the urban planning,” Perez said. last project before this one was proposed “I am for the right kind of develop- eight years ago. n

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One-on-One with public officials The Waukesha County Business Alliance held a one-on-one meeting between local business leaders and Mark Hogan, secretary and chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., on July 22 at the Alliance office in Waukesha.

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Edward Rodden II, of the Wisconsin Society of Professional Engineers.

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Tom Fotsch of EmbedTek LLC.

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Paul Decker of the Waukesha County Board of Supervisors.

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Mark Hogan of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.

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J. Michael Mooney of MLG Capital and Nate Hoffman of Carrus Group.

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Michael Johannes of Waukesha County Veterans Services.

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Ben Sheehan of Habitat for Humanity Waukesha County.

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Bryan Jensen of Progress Coaching.

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Jeydelyn Martinez and Mary Hoehne of the Granville Business Improvement District.

Photos by Ben Stanley

You can see these photos and other business people in the news by clicking Multimedia on the navigation bar at â&#x20AC;Ś

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ERICH SCHROEDER PHOTOGRAPHY

the last word

Learn to trust your gut Dean Amhaus is president and chief executive officer at The Water Council in Milwaukee. He says managers should learn to trust their gut and encourage employees to follow their intuition.

“While this may seem a bit unconventional and not follow textbook management practices, as a manager I have come to learn to trust my gut, or intuition. Certainly, it is valuable to assess the pros and cons before making any decision, but I have found that nine times out of 10, my gut leads me in the right direction.

“This approach has helped me in choosing job opportunities and was definitely in place when I urged The Water Council board of directors to move forward on 34

the development of the Global Water Center. There was no certainty in any of these decisions. Frankly, it just felt right. Of course, there is a huge amount of risk with basing decisions on ‘feeling right,’ but I believe that any great innovator, entrepreneur or manager is driven by this belief.

“If you don’t subscribe to this principal, what is more damaging is you become paralyzed and it becomes harder to keep moving and steering your course. One of the things I try to do as a manager is encourage my staff to also go with their intuition, and by all means keep things going. Stagnation is certain death.

“I can’t imagine any business school teaching ‘gut management,’ but I am convinced it works and would urge everyone to step out of his or her safe zone and

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Dean Amhaus President and CEO The Water Council 247 W. Freshwater Way, Suite 500, Milwaukee Industry: Water technology Employees: 11 www.thewatercouncil.com

give it a shot. Once you do, and you see that it works, it will get a whole lot easier.

“Therefore, my ‘Last Word,’ or shall I say three, are: Trust your gut.” n

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Save the Date: November 3, 2016

PRESENTS:

2016

Call for Nominations BizTimes Media presents the third annual awards program to salute southeastern Wisconsin’s best corporate citizens and most effective nonprofit organizations.

The awards will shine a light on excellence in philanthropy and nonprofit leadership. The recipients of the awards will be saluted at a breakfast program on November 3rd, 2016.

Corporate Citizenship Award Categories Nominate the for-profit organizations and people who are making a positive difference in the community by donating their time, talent and treasure. Self-nominations also encouraged!

• • • • •

Corporate Citizen of the Year Next Generation Leadership In-Kind Supporter Corporate Volunteer of the Year Lifetime Achievement

Nonprofit Organizations, Leadership & Support Team Award Categories Nominate the nonprofit organizations that are making the region a better place to live, work and play.

Self-nominations also encouraged!

• • • •

Nonprofit organization of the year (Small & Large Categories) Nonprofit Collaboration of the year award Nonprofit Executive of the Year Social Enterprise

Nominate Today! | www.biztimes.com/npawards | Nomination Deadline: September 9, 2016

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SPONSORED CONTENT

Supply chain management is crucial to business success How healthy is yours?

S

upply chain management may not be the most talked-about aspect of your business. But it is absolutely crucial, no matter what the prevailing business climate.

Supply chain management is the strategic coordination of functions that move materials from the point of origin to the point of consumption. According to the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, the cost of U.S. business logistics is over one trillion dollars a year. Any system with that level of cost is likely to have hidden waste when not appropriately managed.

“If every element of the supply chain is managed effectively, it can result in improved inventory management, cash flow, operating expense control and overall profitability,” said Dr. Joseph Weitzer, Dean of the Center for Business Performance Solutions at Waukesha County Technical College.

“Yet, the supply chain is rarely at the forefront when it comes to business decisions, and for many organizations, almost never assessed unless failure can be directly attributed to a link in the supply chain.”

The financial health of the U.S. economy and your

business depend on networks of smoothly running supply chains. These networks are interlinked and interdependent. The network is comprised of vendors of raw materials, producers who convert material into products, warehouses that store, distribution centers that deliver to retailers and retailers who bring the product to the ultimate user. Understanding the dynamics and links within the system of the supply chain is essential to optimize value.

You and your supply chain Supply chain management is a strategic and critical business function. It requires strong leadership, a foundation of knowledge and competency and a dedication to continuous improvement. All departments within your organization should have a common understanding of the supply chain, and ensure that those empowered to manage your supply chain are appropriately trained and empowered. Start with a solid, well-rounded education program. Next, consider benchmarking the performance of your system against competitors. Assess the status and stability of your supply chain, looking at not just price, but also at value. This might include just-in-time responsiveness, quality assurance of supplies, stability or predictability of price and ease of maintaining data

Web-based Supply Chain

(i.e., supporting ERP systems). Keep in mind that the weakest link in your supply chain will ultimately be the factor limiting its performance.

“Part of a good business strategy is to monitor and maintain your supply chain,” said Weitzer. “If even one of your material suppliers has significantly downsized or reduced inventories below ‘reasonable response levels,’ your ability to ramp up production or meet your customer’s demand in a timely manner may be significantly hampered.” And, in today’s fast-paced business environment, your failure to meet customer expectations is another’s golden opportunity.

WCTC offers a series of courses in supply chain management, including Basics of Supply Chain Management, Master Planning of Resources, Detailed Scheduling and Control of Operations, all leading to Certification in Production and Inventory Management. Such training can give an organization the competitive edge needed to both meet current customer demand and scale quickly.

“It is never too late to examine the health of your supply chain. When managed effectively, your supply chain will contribute to your bottom line,” said Weitzer.

Information Flows

Goods Flow

Financial Market Plan Wholesale Distributers

Banks

Suppliers

Retailers

Manufacturers Supplier Oriented Exchangee

Logistic Exchangee

Customer Oriented Exchangee

Customers

Virtual Manufacturers Contract Manufacturers

Logistic Providers

For more information on supply chain management, logistics and related courses offered by Waukesha County Technical College, go to www.wctc.edu/cbps

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