MILWAUKEE COMMERCE Winter 2023 - Volume 102, No. 4
IMPACTFUL HISTORY
BRIGHT FUTURE
In this issue: Q&A with Tim Sheehy Page 10
Be the Spark
Page 20
ThriveOn Collaboration Page 36
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2 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
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a vibrant, business-friendly city that attracts professionals and entrepreneurs alike. Our corporate practice is expansive and impactful. We represent major manufacturers expanding markets and creating jobs, investors and entrepreneurs driving innovation and technology, and multi-generational family businesses building national brands that are shaping the future of Milwaukee.
As the firm grew, so did our clients’ impact on the city. They continued investing in the region through growth, innovation and realizing their dreams of building new spaces. We grew with them. In 1962, Reinhart moved to the Marine Bank building, which we now know as Chase Tower. Our capabilities expanded and gained prominence, with Reinhart’s mergers and acquisitions, pension plan, and real estate development practices establishing themselves as go-to counsel for the city’s residents and leaders.
We believe strongly in the future of this region. We are honored to partner with strong, visionary clients who share our respect and admiration for the capabilities, character, and spirit of Milwaukee’s people. Reinhart and its clients are energized by possibility. The Midwest, roll-up-your-sleeves work ethic is deeply ingrained in our firm and the clients we partner with. Together, we are helping to shape our region’s history.
Today, we have the largest real estate practice in the state. Our attorneys have played key roles in transforming and activating sections of downtown, repurposing historically significant buildings, and navigating complex financial and governmental barriers. This work has helped to create a new Milwaukee,
Al Orr Chief Executive Officer Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c
mmac.org | 3
Content
Change is inevitable. At MMAC, that reality rings true as the organization prepares for a transition in leadership. In this issue, we provide a look back at the last three decades and the impact the organization has had under President Tim Sheehy. We’ll also provide a recap of the All Member Meeting, where the “power of association” was on full display.
FEATURING
06 07 10 18 20 23
Lessons Learned
and many to thank by Tim Sheehy, MMAC President
A Season of Change
by Austin Ramirez, CEO, Husco MMAC Chair, 2023-2025
Perspective is Key
A sit-down with outgoing President Tim Sheehy
The ABCs of K-12 Equity
25 27 28 30 31 32 35 36 38 51 53
Champions of Commerce Microsoft: Investing in Community Growing the Region Change at the Top Stadium Funding Bill Startups at AMM FaB Wisconsin ThriveOn Collaboration Membership Appreciation Tours CEO Spotlight: Bill Santulli CEO Spotlight: Dominic Ortiz
In every issue: 44 55 56 61
MMAC event photos Member milestones New MMAC members Staff directory
Business leaders discuss educational funding
Thank you to our advertisers: A Slam-Dunk Opportunity
Milwaukee schools explore high-demand careers with the Milwaukee Bucks
Making Gains, with Work to Do Region of Choice companies reach employment goals
Volume 102, No. 4 - Milwaukee Commerce (USPS 546-370, ISN 0746-6706) is published four times a year by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC), 301 W Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 220 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203 Periodicals postage paid at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Subscriptions $5 per year for members, included in dues. POSTMASTER send address changes to: Milwaukee Commerce - MMAC/Andrea Medved 301 W Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 220 Milwaukee, WI 53203
4 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
Additional content:
Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren Wintrust Commercial Bank Associated Bank Delta Dental Investors Associated University Wisconsin - Milwaukee CG Schmidt JCP Construction WICPA UnitedHealthcare
2 8 16 22 24 26 34 58 59 62
Cathy Jacobson, MMAC Chair Tim Sheehy, MMAC President Ryan Amundson, Editor (ramundson@mmac.org) Anna Reaves, Graphic Design (areaves@mmac.org) Jane Backes, Advertising (jbackes@mmac.org)
MMAC’s
MADISON NIGHT IN MILWAUKEE Spring 2024 Milwaukee
15th Annual
BREWERS OUTING Wednesday, June 12 11:30 AM- 3:30 PM American Family Field Northwestern Mutual Legends Club
Exclusively for Executive Roundtable members
Plan ahead so you don’t miss these great networking opportunities!
MMAC EVENTS
EXECUTIVE ROUNDTABLE GOLF OUTING Monday, August 12 9:30 AM- 7:00 PM
University Club Country Club
34th Annual
MILWAUKEE NIGHT IN WASHINGTON D.C. Fall 2024
Washington D.C.
MMAC.org/Events.html mmac.org | 5
Lessons Learned
and Many to Thank
“America’s greatness lies not in the fact that it is a more enlightened country, but in her ability to fix her faults.”
Alexis de Tocqueville
I
joined MMAC on Sept. 6, 1983, to apply my limited experience with elected government to improve this region as a place to do business. After 40 years, 31 leading this organization, I will retire as president on Jan. 2. Here are a few parting thoughts, both professional and personal. Everyday metro Milwaukee competes for jobs and capital investment. Regions will win and lose in this competition. To win we must recognize we are first and foremost an economic entity, not a map of political jurisdictions. We must sort out our differences, break the huddle and execute a play that moves us forward. Change is the only constant. Of the nine Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Milwaukee in 1983, only one remains on the list, Rockwell. Milwaukee’s economy is always evolving. Our best opportunity for continued prosperity is to invest in the assets that make this region attractive to the decisions on jobs and capital investment. Business leaders make a difference. It can be messy, political, risky and time-consuming, but business leaders must take responsibility to lean in on the issues that hold us back and propel us forward as a great place to live, work, learn and play. Only by taking responsibility to address our faults will we have the freedom to choose our future. The power of association. At the risk of sounding self-serving, a relatively small group of people can make a big difference. For 162 years, MMAC has been the place for the region’s business leaders to pursue the goal of building a globally competitive region that supports high-value jobs to sustain a vibrant quality of life for all. Mentors really matter. The people who took the time to share their learned experience, to advise, to question, to explain, to criticize and to encourage made me a much better person and a much better leader. So, take the time to mentor. Take the opportunity to be mentored. This exchange is one of life’s most overlooked gifts. Leave it better off. Work is a big part of our lives, yet we can get caught up in much of its unimportance. Did your effort leave the project, person or fellow citizen better off than they were? Sometimes it takes just a moment, sometimes it takes a decade or more. It’s a simple but elegant truth. Did you leave it better off?
6 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
Thank you for the opportunity to serve the thousands of member businesses of MMAC. Thank you to the 16 board chairs I served under (Jim Forbes, Steve Graff, Bob O’Toole, Jim Keyes, Roger Fitzsimonds, Jim Ericson, Dick Abdoo, Dennis Kuester, Gale Klappa, Tim Sullivan, Ulice Payne, Ted Kellner, Todd Teske, Jonas Prising, Cathy Jacobson and Austin Ramirez). Thank you to the incredible team I had the privilege to call colleagues. And to my early mentors John Duncan, former MMAC President; and Mary Ellen Powers, former MMAC Executive Vice President, without you I would have failed early. I am hopeful I left greater Milwaukee better off. And to Dale, you will do great things in service to this community.
Tim Sheehy MMAC President
A Season of Change I
n the November 1992 issue of MMAC’s monthly Commerce publication, a headline read, “Sheehy succeeds Duncan.”
fosters high-value employment and a vibrant quality of life for all endures.
Hindsight being 20/20, the simple headline announcing Tim Sheehy’s elevation to president of MMAC was enormously understated. Little did anyone know the impact Tim would have and the legacy he would leave behind.
Recent news shows the impact MMAC can have on the region and gives us much to celebrate. That news includes: • Changes to municipal funding providing relief on stressed budgets and improvement in quality-of-life services. • A $100 million local investment in schools providing more equity in funding for all students in Milwaukee, giving parents the choice they deserve in their children’s education. • Recent data showing we’ve hit or surpassed our goals when it comes to Black and Brown talent being hired and elevated to roles in management at the companies signing our Region of Choice pledge.
As we transition into a new period of leadership, it’s my promise as board chair that we honor Tim’s legacy by moving ahead with the work and initiatives that push the region forward. These are just a few examples of the dedicated work and consequential outcomes of this association. The short-term provides more reason for excitement, as 50,000 people are anticipated to descend on Milwaukee and see all we have to offer with the Republican National Convention next year. Despite the great things happening here, there are still challenges to address in our community. Just as it has served as a leader on these issues in the past, MMAC will be at the forefront in identifying solutions to those problems in the future. At the recent All Member Meeting, incoming MMAC President Dale Kooyenga may have put it best when saying there may be no Milwaukee Bucks, no Milwaukee Brewers, no school choice if not for Tim.
As we transition into a new period of leadership, it’s my promise as board chair that we honor Tim’s legacy by moving ahead with the work and initiatives that push the region forward.
Change is, however, inevitable. In January, Dale will replace Tim and become the 11th leader of this storied 162-year-old institution. As incoming board chair during a time of change, it’s my priority to make sure the MMAC’s vision of a globally competitive region that
Austin Ramirez CEO, Husco MMAC Chair, 2023-2025
mmac.org | 7
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4 Midwest Manufacturing Trends and Their Financial Implications The Midwest region of the United States has always been fertile ground for manufacturing and manufacturing is still listed as the largest industry in most Midwestern states. Here are four trends influencing financial management and decision-making for manufacturing leaders today.
1. The rise of smart factories The future of American manufacturing is the smart factory. For business leaders, making factories “smarter” means investing in cloud computing, automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and other advancements that take optimization and lean concepts to new heights. No matter what manufacturing sector you’re in, investing in technology will be necessary to keep a competitive edge. For decision-makers, this means now is the time to increase investment in digital transformation and find ways to actively introduce more automation into the workflow.
2. New approaches in employment Attracting and keeping skilled workers requires investment in employee benefits, training, professional development, and recruiting programs to fill the pipeline. Many companies have already begun to sink more resources into partnering with schools and developing their own programs to help guide young people toward successful careers in manufacturing. Employers are thinking outside the box to target key demographic groups such as women and create attractive career paths to meet worker expectations.
3. Increased focus on sustainability For every investment manufacturers make moving forward, they must consider whether it pushes them closer to their goals for carbon neutrality, energy consumption, waste reduction, and documentation of the entire supply chain. We’re likely to see Midwest leaders making investments in traceability solutions, digital supply networks, advanced analytics, and other technology solutions that help them achieve reporting and compliance with evolving sustainability standards.
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Griffin Prochnow
Senior Vice President, Business Banking Town Bank, N.A. www.townbank.us
mmac.org | 9
A sit-down with outgoing President Tim Sheehy
PERSPECTIVE After three decades of leading the MMAC, Tim Sheehy is stepping aside. He recently took some time to look back on his tenure, share in the lessons he’s learned and provide insight to MMAC incoming President Dale Kooyenga.
Projects that TRANSFORMED Milwaukee A career is defined by moments. Many of those moments challenge us. At the recent All Member Meeting, outgoing MMAC President Tim Sheehy provided six moments in which the organization made a difference. These moments showed “the power of association.”
Developing talent through quality education
1987 10 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
In the late 1980s, State Representative Annette Polly Williams sounded the alarm regarding the intolerable busing of Black students to schools throughout the city, while student performance remained poor.
Tim Sheehy addresses a State Senate committee during the early 1980s
IS KEY Q. With only a short time left in your tenure, what’s on your mind? A. Making a smooth baton pass. This organization has been around for 162 years. Business leaders engaged in the association play a critical role in helping develop Milwaukee’s future and I want to make sure there’s a clean pass of the baton.
Q. What will you miss about leading the organization?
Q. What do you think ignited that spirit of service?
A. I’ll miss serving the community. You can’t be in this role and survive if service isn’t a part of what makes you tick. It’s serving the community and helping it achieve its potential. It’s coming to work every day with the idea that I can help in some small way make Milwaukee a better place.
A. It’s family. It seemed to come through from my father, my grandfather, my mother. It’s not necessarily a mantra, but I like to think just as they did, “leave the place better than you found it.”
$15 million college fund created
“This project transformed Milwaukee and the education system for all of Wisconsin.”
Business group targets needy city students
TIM SHEEHY
She went on to introduce and pass legislation that began a pilot program for 1,500 low-income students to attend private, non-religious schools with public funding. MMAC stood with Williams then and continues to fight for equity in our schools for all children.
Continued on page 12
Providing scholarship opportunities
In 1991, few low-income students in our community were attending and graduating college. Business leaders recognized the opportunity to strengthen our community through improved educational attainment, leading to MMAC establishing a $15 million scholarship fund and peermentoring program.
“It’s hard to put a dollar figure on 2,000 first-generation college graduates.” TIM SHEEHY
1991 mmac.org | 11
organization, that the team working here felt they had a supportive coach, someone who was looking out for their career, their interests. There are plenty of specifics, but at the end of the day that is what I hope has happened. That could have taken the form of giving kids access to better education through parent choice. It could come through the form of ensuring Milwaukee had major league status through the benefit of professional sports teams. It could have come through organizing a strategy to recruit new jobs and capital investment to the community. Those are ways in which I hope Milwaukee is better off.
Q. What are you most proud of?
Q. What won’t you miss about your current role?
your finger on the pulse of what’s going on, but will I miss those things? Not as much.
A. You hope that at some point your job is 90 percent passion and 10 percent work. The 10 percent work - I can’t say I won’t miss it - but being on the clock every day, the 7,000 chicken lunches, the multiple events every night, while they are important because it’s where you keep
Brewers strike out in Senate St
adium deal fails by one vote, but diehards refuse to give up
Keeping Milwaukee Major League
1995 12 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
Q. When people look back on your tenure, what do you want them to remember? A. I hope that Milwaukee is better off because of the work we did as an
A. I’m most proud of the fact that this organization has remained a vital partner in improving Milwaukee. What most people don’t recognize is that this region is not the onion skin of a political map laid over our geography. It is an economic entity. If somebody’s getting up every day thinking about how this region competes for jobs and capital investment, it’s MMAC. I think that perspective is unique to this organization. Every day, around the world, other regions are getting
“My first global public policy clash and boy did I learn.” TIM SHEEHY
In 1995, Major League Baseball’s smallest market was at risk of losing the sport for a second time. Milwaukee County Stadium was a relic of the past. Modern stadiums were being built with luxury boxes, shopping, restaurants
and more. Negotiations on funding what would become Miller Park – now American Family Field – were oftentimes tense. But in the end, the deal got done thanks to local business leaders, team ownership and elected officials.
up and competing for jobs and capital investment. If we don’t keep our eye on that, there are winners and losers, that’s the reality of the world. We want Milwaukee to be a winner. Not that we want somebody else to lose, but we want to be a winner. If we don’t keep this in mind, Milwaukee has less of a chance to be a winner.
Q. Is there something that you look back on and you wished would have worked out? A. No. I could say I wish there were things that worked out faster. One lesson I’ve learned is the value of this organization is its longevity. Our ability to stay with an issue for 10 weeks or 10 years or 20 years is the value we bring. Not that elected officials aren’t important, they’re very important to the future of this community, but two-year terms, four-year terms with people in and out of office – the one constant is MMAC. We’re going to be here 20 years from now, we were here 20 years ago. Our ability to stick with an issue, to see it through, is a big value to the community. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is perspective. How I worked 30 years ago is dramatically different than how I work today, largely because of perspective.
Page 12: Sheehy at Miller Park Page 13: Presentation on marketing the region; Sharing a beer with a member of the delegation to Ireland.
That perspective comes from engaging with people you agree with, that you disagree Continued on page 14
Benefits of regional cooperation touted
Southeastern Wisconsin needs to capitalize on strengths, paper concludes
Selling the Milwaukee Region
2005
In 2005, southeastern Wisconsin lacked an organized corporate attraction or expansion strategy. It put the region at a distinct disadvantage. At the time, Ireland was bestin-class when it came to economic development. A group of business leaders and elected
officials, including Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, traveled to the Emerald Isle to benchmark their strategy. The Milwaukee 7 was created – giving the seven-county region a cooperative economic development platform.
“I turned from a cynic to a true believer and am so impressed with the results.” TIM SHEEHY
mmac.org | 13
with, who are living in different parts of the community, who have different life experiences. It’s an accumulation of that perspective that makes us better decision-makers. The thing I’ve really come to appreciate is we all need to continue to enhance the perspective we have because we make better decisions, decisions that are more accommodating of the different viewpoints that exist in the community.
Q. Tell us a little about the role you’re going to play over the next year. A. I think my role now is moving from player, to player/coach, to coach or GM. It’s to sit in the background, to use the perspective I’ve gained over the past 40 years and provide advice to the leaders of this organization and this team. It is not to be out front. It is not to be making decisions. Dale is running the organization. He has been hired by the board to do that. My job is to provide those 40 years of perspective through advice in whatever decisions people ask me about.
Page 14: Sheehy at TBC’s Annual Strategic Partnership Luncheon; Speaking with Charles Benson on TMJ 4
Q. Why was Dale the right choice?
Page 15: Presenting at MMAC All Member Meeting in 2017;
A. Dale was the right choice because the board determined he’s the right choice. I think this is an important point for our members to understand: Tim Sheehy didn’t pick Dale Kooyenga. I’m thrilled he has the job. He’s going to do a great job. He’s a servant leader for the organization. But the board of directors
Sheehy presents an anniversary plaque to a member
Building new venue is going to take some doing l says Persuading taxpayers to help will be
challenge, Koh
Keeping the Milwaukee Bucks
2012
“It filled a hole in the city that will bounce Milwaukee forward for years.”
14 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
TIM SHEEHY
In 2012, just a year before the Milwaukee Bucks found a tall, skinny kid from Greece, Milwaukee’s future as an NBA city was on shaky ground. An expiring lease on an aging arena coupled with an owner whose commitment to Milwaukee was being tested by the demands of the league
provided a call to action. At that time, a group of business leaders strategized how to develop and fund a new arena for the team. The $20 million campaign led by “Business Champions of the Community,” and topped off by BMO’s naming rights secured the lease extension.
set up a search committee. The search committee went through a process, vetted 60 applicants and made the choice. That’s what’s important for people to understand about the decision and why Dale’s in the role he’s in. Why I think he’s going to be successful is because we had a really, really good search committee.
Q. What piece of advice would you give Dale? A. Gain as much perspective as you can and make decisions in the best interests of keeping this region globally competitive, supporting high-value jobs that create a vibrant quality of life for all. Surround yourself with really good, committed, passionate and smart people and you’ll be successful.
Q. What challenges in the community would you still like to see addressed and solved? A. I’m going to borrow a line from the mayor of Jerusalem who said in response to whether the Palestinian issue was a problem, “Problems have solutions. We have an issue and so it’s addressing the issue that we need to focus on.” I would say that more so than problems, we have issues, so how do we address those issues. There is no solution to ensuring all of our kids have a quality education.
So we need to continue to work on that issue to improve it every day. We’re never going to get it perfect. But we need to work on improving our standing with issues in this community. I would say the same is true with equity and diversity. It’s an issue. It’s not a problem that I think is ultimately ever solvable, but we want to continue to improve how we’re addressing the issue. If we do that, we’ll be moving in the right direction.
“A rewarding way to erase the guilt of corporate pollution.” TIM SHEEHY
Water defines our community. Sitting on the shores of one of the world’s largest freshwater lakes, we often take this asset for granted. But our harbors and rivers need a major cleanup. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage
Cleaning up our rivers & harbors
2023
District identified hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for this cleanup. MMAC lobbied for a $90 million facility to hold polluted sediment and treat it.
Massive $400M cleanup project underway
New federal funding will enable significant wo rk to be undertaken to cleanup the Milwaukee Estuary.
mmac.org | 15
16 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
Sponsored content
Milwaukee Business Commits to Moving Forward At Associated Bank, we’ve witnessed the excitement and the potential of Milwaukee’s downtown revival: worldclass arts and sports facilities, new transportation options and thousands of high-end apartments and condos in revitalized neighborhoods. It’s what spurred us to purchase, renovate and move our offices to the landmark RiverCenter building, and why we’ve committed to fostering our city’s culture through sponsorships of the Rep and the Pabst Theater Group. “As Milwaukee has grown and seen revitalization through visionary leadership, we’re proud that our clients—as well as Associated Bank itself—has also been a part of the expansion,” says Gus Hernandez, Associated Bank Senior Vice President / Director of Business Banking. Other companies are following suit, with recent announcements of relocation and expansion plans. Milwaukee’s skyline is set for another transformation thanks to downtown’s largest employer. Northwestern Mutual. The company announced in October that it will undertake a $500 million renovation to its north office high rise into a second landmark glass tower. This will be a new workspace for thousands of employees currently working in suburban Franklin. Regal Rexnord Corporation is also moving its corporate headquarters from Beloit to a 10-story office complex on West Michigan Street. Corporate moves are also happening even further west of downtown. For example, Mayville Engineering Company announced it would move executive and administrative functions to the city in May, drawn by greater access to a skilled workforce and amenities like an international airport. 2024 will bring national media attention to the city, as the Republican National Convention comes to town in July. Thousands of attendees, delegates and journalists will descend on the area this summer. As these visitors enjoy our unique local restaurants, admire our lakefront and riverwalks and see our vibrant, growing skyline, Milwaukee can be confident that its standing as a major city—a great place to do business—will only expand in the years to come. Gus Hernandez looks forward to seeing Associated Bank keep growing here—and helping other businesses expand in the region as well. “We look forward to continuing to support our great city’s ongoing transformation, and we welcome talking to companies who’d like to help grow their communities—and their bottom line.”
Connect with us today to learn more at AssociatedBank.com/MMAC Member FDIC
Gus Hernandez
SVP, Director of Business Banking Associated Bank AssociatedBank.com
All trademarks, service marks and trade names referenced in this material are the property of their respective owners. Member FDIC. Equal Opportunity Lender.
mmac.org | 17
“I would urge you all to get personally involved. It’s incredibly rewarding, and it is one of the areas where you really feel like you can make a difference.” John Schlifske Northwestern Mutual
The
ABCs of K-12 Equity
Business Leaders Discuss Educational Funding
T
he Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) has advocated for funding equity amongst all students. This year, as part of a $1 billion statewide investment in education - $100 million in the city of Milwaukee – per-pupil spending increased for choice and charter school students, narrowing the gap between these schools and their public school counterparts. MMAC President Tim Sheehy welcomed John Schlifske, president and CEO of Northwestern Mutual; Cory Nettles, founder and managing director of Generation Growth Capital; and Austin Ramirez, CEO of Husco and co-founder of St. Augustine Preparatory Academy, during a panel discussion on education at this year’s All Member Meeting. The following transcript has been edited for space. Tim Sheehy: John, why have you been involved in this and why is it important to you and Northwestern Mutual? John Schlifske: First, I don’t think you can have a strong community if you don’t have an educational system where the kids have a chance to succeed. Northwestern Mutual has made a huge investment in this city. We have a vested interest in the quality of life here. The second thing is, it’s creating our future workforce. Northwestern Mutual is somewhat unique among many companies here in that all our employees are based in Wisconsin, except for maybe 1 percent in New York. We need a vibrant source of workers.
18 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
TS: Cory, why are [quality schools] so important to you? Cory Nettles: Every other day I hear how Milwaukee is on a list of the worst places for African Americans in the country for incarceration, education, teen pregnancy, infant mortality, etc. The best way I know to address that is through education. If we’ve got socioeconomically disadvantaged youth, particularly Black and Brown, the only way to really change the trajectory of those kids and their families is through education. Tim Sheehy: Austin, why is this so important to you, and why the importance of getting parents involved? Austin Ramirez: I think it’s an existential threat to our business community in southeastern Wisconsin to not have a vibrant education system. As a leader, I go around the country and Wisconsin is on a lot of lists of the greatest places to be, too, and so is Milwaukee. But I take it as a personal affront that our educational discrepancies are so vast. We need to take personal responsibility for that and really invest in fixing the issues here in Milwaukee. TS: How do you respond to the charge that the business community isn’t supportive of public education? JS: Having a rich ecosystem for education does not mean that you’re against one school form or another. And it just is nonsensical to me that you can be for school choice and charter
and be against (Milwaukee Public Schools). There are high-quality schools in each of those ecosystems. There is no one system that has all the answers. And I think you have got to view it that way. It’s more important for all these systems to come together and advocate for the students rather than to fight for one another for their own personal gain. CN: I agree with John entirely. I always say I am delivery system agnostic. Wherever a family can decide is a good place for their kid to get an education, we ought to support them. As John said, there’s quality across the ecosystem. There are also challenges across the ecosystem, and we’ve got to be candid about that. We need to hold ourselves accountable as a community to address that. I really don’t care [which school] mom or Publicly funded K-12 dad choose to send their students in the City kid, so long as it’s of Milwaukee a good one. 5%
Other
The other kind of fallacy in this is, looking at the chart, MPS serves 54% of the city’s K-12 students. If MPS went out of business tomorrow, we don’t have the capacity to absorb all those kids. This is a silly argument that we’re in this to put MPS out of business.
14%
54% MPS
Charter
26%
Choice
TS: Austin, talk a little bit about the impact of St. Augustine Preparatory Academy on the neighborhood it is in. AR: Impact is what it’s all about, right? Cory said it well, we should all be delivery system agnostic. In our businesses, we can’t afford to be ideological, we have to be pragmatic. All that matters is what works. All that matters is getting kids in high-performing schools. And I think the funding increases that we got this last year should be transformational to our city’s education system. But it also
K-12 per-pupil funding, City of Milwaukee Closing the funding gap $14,000 $12,000 $10,000 $8,000 $6,000 $4,000 $2,000 $0
takes away the excuse that we’ve had for decades of charter and voucher schools being funded at a fraction of the public schools. We’ve narrowed that discrepancy significantly and now we’ve got to really deliver. TS: Despite the Supreme Court resolving this some 25 years ago, there’s now a new lawsuit in front of the Supreme Court that many people aren’t aware of. That lawsuit calls parent choice a cancer for the public school system in Wisconsin. What kind of damage would be done if we lost Parent Choice at this point? JS: It would be the single most horrific thing that could happen to the educational system in Milwaukee. Most of the kids in the non-MPS schools are disadvantaged economically. They’ve got no choice other than what is provided to them. Eliminating the choice and eliminating all these schools would send these kids back to MPS, which also doesn’t have the resources to take them. It’s sort of a nonsensical argument because there’s no practical way to handle it. TS: What would you say to the business leaders that are following you? Why get involved and what does progress look like? JS: I would urge you all to get personally involved. It’s incredibly rewarding, and it is one of the areas where you really feel like you can make a difference. One of my predecessors at Northwestern Mutual said the beauty of Milwaukee is it’s just small enough that personal impact can have a lasting impact in the city. I think it’s imperative, as Cory and Austin talked about. I would urge you to look at sort of the notion that we can’t wait any longer on this. CN: For me, education is the single most important issue of our day, the single most important issue of our yesterday, the single most important issue of our tomorrow. We can’t have successful businesses in this community if you don’t have an informed citizenry who can do the work that we all need to do. And that’s everything from technical, high-skilled to the creative class and everything in between. There’s a lot of opportunity, if it’s involvement in a school, adopt a school across the ecosystem. We have great organizations like Teach for America, All In Milwaukee and City Forward Collective. Adopt an organization, go read to third-graders. As a community, this is our most important issue, and I hope that we would commit the largest portion of our philanthropy to education. And the last thing I’d say to Tim is, you know, you’ve tipped your hat at least twice to Dr. Fuller, who’s well-deserved. We all also owe you a huge, huge, huge debt of gratitude because this work has happened in large part because of you.
Charter
K-8 Private 2022-23 School Year
9-12 Private
MPS
AR: I can’t say it better than that. I just say as businesspeople, we must recognize that the economic model in America does not work if we are not giving kids equal opportunities. We are not giving kids equal opportunity in Milwaukee and we need to fix it.
2024-25 School Year
mmac.org | 19
A Slam-Dunk Opportunity Milwaukee Schools Explore High-Demand Careers with the Milwaukee Bucks
M
MAC’s Be the Spark initiative kicked off its 10th school year with a dynamic career experience with the Milwaukee Bucks hosted, in celebration of ManpowerGroup’s 75th anniversary.
Alexis Deblitz Director of Talent MMAC / M7
Designed by MMAC’s small business leaders and Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) in 2014 to offer exposure to a variety of careers for all MPS 7th graders, Be the Spark has expanded as a series of connected experiences for high school students focused on high-demand careers in advanced manufacturing, business/finance, direct patient care and information technology. By 2027, the Milwaukee Region is projected to have more than 245,000 jobs within these four industry clusters, offering an average annual wage of $66,000.
For the first time, students from public, choice and charter schools throughout Milwaukee came together to learn about the variety of careers available in our region through the lens of the Bucks and their supply chain. Nearly 300 students connected with professionals from the Milwaukee Bucks, ManpowerGroup, MxD, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Experis who shared their stories, education and career pathways to inspire the next generation of our workforce in these high-demand industries.
20 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
Leadership from the MMAC and Manpower engaged with the students, encouraging them to harness their ‘huManpower.’ Milwaukee Bucks’ Raven Jemison and ManpowerGroup’s Syneathia LaGrant hosted a candid career conversation sharing game-changing advice and MMAC’s Dale Kooyenga encouraged the students to consider a variety of career options.
Connecting students with career-based learning experiences has been a longstanding MMAC priority, and we’re happy to have the opportunity to do so again.
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS • Audubon Technology and Communications High School • Bay View High School • Golda Meir School • Riverside University High School • Bradley Technology & Trade High School • Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy • Milwaukee Academy of Science
“As one of our region’s most iconic brands, the Bucks are uniquely positioned to highlight the variety of attractive career opportunities that exist here in the Milwaukee Region,” MMAC President Tim Sheehy said. “We often think of the Bucks as a team on the court, but there’s a much larger ‘team behind the team’ that makes it all possible – and within that team, there are many high-quality, high-demand careers. Connecting students with career-based learning experiences has been a longstanding MMAC priority, and we’re happy to have the opportunity to do so again.”
• St. Augustine Preparatory Academy • Whitefish Bay High School
mmac.org | 21
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How to choose a dental insurance plan for your employees When it comes to selecting a dental insurance plan, there are several factors to consider. Premiums, deductibles, and levels of coverage will vary across plan options, so it’s a good idea to thoroughly assess what’s best for your organization and your employees. When it comes to selecting a dental insurance plan, there is a lot to consider. Premiums, deductibles, and levels of coverage will vary across plan options, so it’s a good idea to thoroughly assess what’s best for your organization and your employees. Employers and/or HR managers can review a variety of factors and decide whether to cover the cost of the benefit or have a shared cost with employees. You might decide on a fully-insured dental plan, which puts the risk of claims costs 100% on the insurance company; or a self-funded/self-insured plan, where the employer is 100% responsible for the cost of claims incurred by employees. Insurance companies can set up a dental plan either way and handle its administration. As you begin comparing the different plan options, create a list of needs, wants, and questions: • How many benefit dollars do you want in any given year? $1,000, $2,000, unlimited? This refers to the total amount the plan will pay for the benefit period – the “annual maximum.” • Is there a waiting period? This refers to the amount of time you must wait after purchasing coverage to be able to access your benefits. • Do you want out-of-network coverage? In other words, are you able to receive coverage, whether full or partial, when visiting an out-ofnetwork dentist? The cost savings to employees can be substantial. • Is adult and/or child orthodontic coverage a benefit you or your employees want? Is it important to include traditional wire and bracket, as well as clear aligner options? • Do you want your coverage to include tooth-colored fillings on back teeth (composite resins)?
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22 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
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Making gains, with work to do Region of Choice Companies Reach Employment Goals
R
acial disparities in unemployment, educational attainment, home ownership and poverty have persisted for generations in Milwaukee. To address the issue, the MMAC launched its five-year Region of Choice (ROC) campaign in 2019. Its goal: To increase Black and Brown employment and workplace advancement. Since its launch, 130 area companies, representing 120,000 employees, have signed the Region of Choice Pledge committing to increase their overall Black and Brown employment, as well as representation of the same demographic in their management ranks.
“Attraction without retention is a zero-sum game,” said Biddle. “Feeling included and welcome in the community is at least as important as feeling welcome and included in your workplace. Our surveys of ROC company managers show that for our Black and Brown employees this is not the case. There are significant gaps in their lived experiences.” Knowing these gaps persist, more work remains. “We don’t have all the answers to addressing these gaps, but the business community is committed to ensuring that every employee, every student and every business owner has equitable opportunities,” said Biddle. “Milwaukee will only realize its potential when it truly becomes a region for all.”
Four years later the data is proving successful. “We have learned together that intentionality matters,” said Corry Joe Biddle, MMAC Vice President of Community Affairs. At participating companies, the employment of Black and Brown individuals has risen to 18.1 percent of overall employment, meeting the goal of the initiative one year early. When it comes to management, Black and Brown individuals have risen to 9.2 percent of the total, exceeding the goal. These numbers translate to 3,583 jobs and promotions for Black and Brown employees at participating organizations over the past four years. When comparing results to other metro-area employers reporting their Equal Employment Opportunity Commission data, ROC companies are far outpacing them in employment of Black and Brown talent.
Black & Brown talent as a % of total employment 18% 16% 15%
15.4%
Black and Brown talent have an overall positive impression and would recommend their workplaces to others according to net promoter data collected in 2021, but their impressions of the community told a different story. More recent anecdotal survey responses confirmed the issue remains.
16.7%
16.9%
2019
2020
17.2%
14% 13% 12% 11%
2018
BASELINE
2021
2022
2023
Black & Brown talent as a % of total management 8.6%
8.7%
9.2%
GOAL 8.6%
2020
2021
2022
2023
9 8
While the ROC data is promising, it does not tell the whole story.
GOAL 18.1%
18.1%
17%
7 6
7.9% 7.0%
5 4 3
2018
BASELINE
2019
Region of Choice company managers provided insights into their workplace and community: WORKPLACE EXPERIENCE • My company has responsive leadership & has demonstrated true commitment to their employees.
• My company’s culture is something to be modeled. All colleagues can bring their whole selves to work.
COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE • There’s not enough mixed communities with representation of Black, Brown and White.
• I would recommend this city to anyone, but there is definitely racism. mmac.org | 23
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24 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
Steering clear of a fiscal cliff Johnson, Crowley honored for securing new revenue streams for city, county
T
he city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County were staring at a bleak financial future. Without increased revenue, the essential services local residents count on were in jeopardy. Those concerns were alleviated earlier this year with the passage of bipartisan legislation increasing shared revenue to municipalities and the enactment of a local sales tax to address shortfalls in the delivery of essential services – like public safety. The leadership of many, including Gov. Tony Evers, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, made these game-changing pieces of legislation possible.
I can tell you, whether you’re a Democrat, whether you’re a Republican, whether you’re a business leader or a union member, I want you at the table figuring out what we can do for our local community. -County Executive David Crowley Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley championed these efforts locally. Because of their work and dedication to this important issue, they were honored as this year’s MMAC Champions of Commerce during the October All Member Meeting.
We wanted to make sure that we were on firm footing to deliver services to all of our constituencies, not just now, but in the future, as well. -Mayor Cavalier Johnson “We didn’t do this because of politics. We didn’t do this because of partisanship, certainly,” said Johnson. “We did this because it was right for the citizens of Milwaukee.” Crowley echoed those sentiments. “This wasn’t about politics,” Crowley said. “Because I can tell you, whether you’re a Democrat, whether you’re a Republican, whether you’re a business leader or a union member, I want you at the table figuring out what we can do for our local community.” With fiscal stability, both the city and county can fully fund essential services – like public safety. The new revenue sources will also allow both bodies to fund pension obligations without the burden of making devastating cuts to the budget elsewhere. “We did this because we wanted to make sure that we were on firm footing to deliver services to all of our constituencies, not just now, but in the future, as well,” said Johnson.
mmac.org | 25
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uwm.edu/sce 26 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
Investing in Community Microsoft Executive Introduces Tech Innovator to Region
Recent years have provided a rapid clip of growth and investment in the region. North America’s largest candy production plant – HARIBO – is now up and running in Pleasant Prairie. Two long-time area manufacturers – Komatsu and Milwaukee Tool – have expanded their footprints in southeastern Wisconsin. In the last two years alone, Milwaukee 7 and its partners have supported 14 project wins accounting for $1.6 billion in capital expenditures and more than 2,500 new jobs. A recent announcement by one of the world’s largest tech innovators provided another huge boost to the region this past spring. In March, Microsoft unveiled plans to purchase a 315-acre parcel of land in the Village of Mount Pleasant for the construction of a $1 billion data center campus. In November, Microsoft announced they will be expanding their development plans for the Mount Pleasant site. The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) was pleased to welcome Bo Wallace, Microsoft’s Vice President of Cloud Operations and Innovations for the Americas Region, to its recent All Member Meeting. There, he provided the 1,200 in attendance some insight into the Racine County project, Microsoft’s activity throughout Wisconsin and its commitment to the community. Wallace said as a support system for cloud computing services for its clientele, the data center furthers Microsoft’s mission to empower people and organizations to achieve more. “As technology continues to grow in importance to our daily lives, digital needs around the globe are growing,” he said. “Our data centers – including the one we are building in Mount Pleasant – play a critical role in our pursuit of that mission, because they enable people to stay connected, informed and productive.”
The Racine County project is not the first time Microsoft has provided a presence in Wisconsin. Wallace pointed to its partnership with the Green Bay Packers and others in creating Titletown Tech – a $25 million venture capital fund and start-up incubator as an example of the company’s work here.
Our data centers – including the one we are building in Mount Pleasant – play a critical role in our pursuit of that mission, because they enable people to stay connected, informed and productive. BO WALLACE MICROSOFT “We have enjoyed some very meaningful partnerships here in the Badger State,” Wallace said. Since beginning the process, Wallace said Microsoft appreciates the warm reception it’s received. “All of you have made all of us at Microsoft feel very welcome,” he said. “We are looking forward to returning your hospitality by being an active and contributing member of the community in the years ahead.”
mmac.org | 27
Grow ng the Reg on Recent Wins Spur Economic Development, Job Creation
T
wo decades ago, the economic landscape of southeastern Wisconsin was a much different one than it is today. A dedicated collaborative was needed to attract the employers of the future. Thanks to some forward-thinking, Milwaukee 7 (M7) was born, creating an economic development platform for the counties that make up the region – Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha.
KOMATSU
While Milwaukee Tool specializes in hand tools, Komatsu deals in massive machinery as one of the global leaders in mining equipment.
In 2022, the company moved its Milwaukee Headquarters east to the Harbor District. Photo credit: OnMilwaukee With a history dating back nearly 100 years, Milwaukee Tool is an icon of manufacturing here in the region and worldwide. But in the last several years, they have made several substantial commitments to the region and state – investing hundreds of millions and creating a substantial number of new jobs – with multiple building and expansion projects.
During its opening ceremony, Komatsu President/CEO Hiroyuki Ogawa said, “Through this campus, we hope to contribute to the Milwaukee community by implementing our growth strategy.” The new campus, in a burgeoning area of the city, sits on 58 acres featuring 180,000 square feet of office space and an additional 430,000 square feet of manufacturing space.
One of those projects – a five-story, 350,000 square foot office building in downtown Milwaukee serving as an extension of its global headquarters in Brookfield.
MILWAUKEE TOOL By the Numbers
Over the last two years, M7 has had a hand in several corporate attraction and expansion projects.
28 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
14
Wins
2,310 Jobs
As a result of hard work by many, in addition to committed investors, the results have been game-changing.
These results don’t happen on their own. The M7 team travels the globe marketing the region and all of its attributes. They simplify a company’s investment journey by identifying potential sites, analyzing talent data and connecting the company with state, county and local partners to navigate the local nuances.
Since its formation in 2005, M7 efforts have led to 129 corporate expansion and attraction projects, representing $5.5 billion in capital investment.
In just the last several years, M7 has lent support to several key projects that are leaving a mark on the region.
These capital investments mean new jobs, nearly 28,000 of them – jobs that account for $1.7 billion in new annual payroll with jobs paying 20 percent above the average wage in our region.
HARIBO Just down the road in Pleasant Prairie sits North America’s largest candy manufacturing plant – HARIBO. The German-based confectioner started production this year at its 500,000-square-foot plant. The facility employs 400 associates producing the company’s signature treat – Goldbear Gummies. In 2021, woman-owned Nexus Pharmaceuticals opened its $100 million, 84,000-square-foot manufacturing facility just off Interstate 94 in Pleasant Prairie.
M7 staff traveled to Europe several times with state and local officials to pitch the Kenosha County location. Even sweeter news – the company revealed plans for a major expansion at the site, doubling its size in its next phase.
The state-of-the-art facility specializing in vaccine manufacturing houses about 85 employees. The new facility is the first of several phases on the company’s Kenosha County campus, with plans for an overall quarter-billion investment and the creation of more than 250 jobs in high-tech production, engineering, quality control and supply-chain management.
NEXUS
PHARMACEUTICALS $1.6B
Capital expenditures
$252M
Annual payroll
$99,700
Average wage mmac.org | 29
Change at the Top Kooyenga to Assume MMAC Presidency Jan. 2
A
s part of a planned transition, Dale Kooyenga will become President of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce on Jan. 2, 2024. He has served as Senior Vice President of the organization since January. MMAC Chair Austin Ramirez, CEO of Husco, made the announcement at the organization’s 162nd All-Member meeting on Oct. 17. “After a deliberate search and a year-long transition, Dale is prepared to take over the reigns as president in 2024,” he said. Kooyenga’s experiences are diverse. He has worked as a certified public accountant; an elected official, most recently as Wisconsin State Senator; and currently serves as a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Dale brings a solid understanding of the business community, a passion for improving greater Milwaukee and the attitude of a servant leader to this role. - Austin Ramirez, Husco “Dale brings a solid understanding of the business community, a passion for improving greater Milwaukee and the attitude of a servant leader to this role,” Ramirez said. Kooyenga will replace Tim Sheehy, who will be retiring from MMAC after a 31-year career as its 11th president. “On behalf of the board and the entire membership, we are grateful for Tim’s dedication in making greater Milwaukee a better place to invest capital and create jobs,” said Cathy Jacobson, outgoing MMAC Chair and President and CEO of Froedtert Health. ”From leading MMAC’s engagement in education reform and the expansion of parent choice to the building of Miller Park and the Fiserv Forum; from establishing M7, its regional economic development partner, to creating an initiative to grow Milwaukee as a Region of Choice for all, Tim gave us his best and left it all on the field.”
30 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
Stadium Funding Bill Passes State Legislature
Approval Caps Banner Year for MMAC Advocacy Efforts (Funding legislation had not yet been signed by Governor Tony Evers at the time of publication.)
T
he Milwaukee Brewers – a community asset attracting millions of visitors annually to Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley and spurring integral economic activity in the region – will remain in the community through 2050. A bipartisan funding measure, passed by both chambers of the state legislature in November, will prompt the extension of the team’s lease at American Family Field. The new funding – split between the team, the state, the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County – will address maintenance issues and upgrades necessary to keep pace with stadiums in other markets. The team is also looking to winterize the stadium to allow for events year-round.
Successful 2023 for MMAC Advocacy The legislation caps a banner year in advocacy for MMAC. In addition to stadium funding legislation, the organization successfully advocated for: • Increased funding to choice and charter schools making perpupil spending, regardless of where a student attends, more equitable. • Increased revenues in the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County through access to a sales tax, funding essential services – like public safety, parks and more – as well as providing solvency to pension obligations. • Increased state-shared revenues to municipalities throughout Wisconsin. • Repeal of the personal property tax. • Increase in the Research and Development Tax Credit from 15 percent to 25 percent. • Data center sales tax exemption.
mmac.org | 31
Startups
at MMAC’s All Member Meeting On a night where the entire Milwaukee 7 business region celebrated its accomplishments and looked forward to future goals, Milwaukee’s startup ecosystem joined the revelry. Attendee Leonard Novati launched AfroCharts in 2020. Novati, a native Burundian, missed the music of his homeland and believed that the millions of African immigrants around Anna Lardinois the world were also longing for Storyteller this aspect of African culture. Milwaukee Startup News The software engineer created a subscription-based online music platform that showcases artists from Africa. The platform hosts everything from traditional music to chart-topping dance music and features artists from every country on the continent. While most of the company’s growing listener base is outside of Milwaukee, Novati has become a well-known face in the startup ecosystem and competed in both FOR-M and Summerfest Tech Pitch Competition. Pictured: Michael Emem, Emem Group LLC; and Leonard Novati, AfroCharts 32 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
Discover more about these companies in this article:
afrocharts.com
Pictured: Kristen Wojahn from Nexion Solutions & Lisa Proeber, The Middle Six
nexionsolutions.com
Also at the event were founder and CEO Liz Kohler and Kristen Wojahn from Nexion Solutions. Launched in 2022, the company has developed a wearable, GPS-enabled device that allows the user to immediately alert authorities when the wearer is in danger. The product, known as NightWatch, has already saved lives during its pilot program. The innovative company is part of the MKE Venture Mentoring Services group.
golgix.com
An additional company currently enrolled in the elite mentoring program, Golgix, attended the festivities. Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer Charlie Scott represented the SaaS company which made headlines in August when it raised a $600,000 seed round. The funding round was led by Gateway Capital, whose managing director, Dana Guthrie, is an MMAC board member.
gwaycapital.com
Secchi Vice President of Sales & Marketing and Business Development Ken DeBauche attended the All Member Meeting as a new MMAC member. The SaaS human-resources focused company also made headlines in August when they raised a $1 million friends-and-family funding round to support the development of the revenue-generating company launched in 2021.
secchi.io
Startup ecosystem support providers joined these startup founders at the event. Newly named Blacks in Technology President Arlando Monk attended with Nicole Taylor, the COO of Visionary League. Both organizations work to advance equity in technology by providing training, skills development and other professional support to create career opportunities in technology.
blacksintechnology.net
Today the startup ecosystem is a small but exciting facet of the Milwaukee Region’s economy, but with time, the startups of today will become the celebrated legacy companies of tomorrow.
visionaryleague.org
mmac.org | 33
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34 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
Irgens - Golf Parkway Corporate Center
Inspiring the Next Generation of Talent:
FFF Focuses on Food and Beverage Pathways
W
hen you put hundreds of students, dozens of industry professionals and a truckload of locally-made food and beverage products in a room, fabulous things happen.
Emily Allen
valuable skills and experiences with companies who provide successful careers.” The location for this year’s event was intentional: Mount Mary is home to a food science program offering both bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
To inspire the next generation of talent into the career-making possibilities of the food and beverage industry, FaB Wisconsin hosts its one-day FarmFactory-Fork (FFF) High School Career Discovery events.
Students also had the opportunity to meet with representatives from Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), offering an associate’s degree in food science technology; and Lakeland University, offering a four-year food safety and quality program.
Since 2014, over 2,500 high school students have met with an impressive collection of exhibitors including ingredients, consumer product and packaging makers, grocery retail and professional service firms focused on the industry.
“MATC has been hearing from our food and beverage industry partners that they’re in need of local talent educated in food safety, quality and manufacturing,” said Marie Colmerauer, MATC’s instructor of food science. “Since our food science technology program is new, I’m always looking for opportunities to promote it to students and other industry professionals. FaB’s Farm-Factory-Fork is a great way for me to achieve that goal.”
Communications Director FaB Wisconsin
This year’s event, held at Milwaukee’s Mount Mary University, included a panel of inspirational young professionals, a hands-on food science experiment and ample time for students to meet with a room full of exhibiting companies. And like any good food and beverage industry event, there were plenty of Wisconsin-made food and beverage samples for students to enjoy. Exhibitors engaged students in conversations about their companies, youth work opportunities and the industry as a whole. “We want students to think and feel Sargento is a great place to work, and FFF is a great opportunity to do that!” says Anne Troka, Senior Manager of Community and Workforce Development and a longtime advocate of FFF. “This event provides Sargento with an opportunity to reach future talent and help them find job opportunities to gain
Dr. Anne Vravick, Mount Mary University
John Sauter, Hannah Kitzerow, Laura Ungemach, Caitlin Doll, Saz’s Hospitality Group
FFF remains a key event of FaB Wisconsin’s as the talent shortage in food and beverage manufacturing persists and we inch closer to 2050, when food production will need to double to feed a global population of 9.7 billion. Next year’s FFF is already in the planning stages, with several high schools already on the waiting list to attend. “[Lakeland has] a program that serves both the industry and our students,” said Dr. Leili Afsah-Hejri, assistant professor of food safety and quality at Lakeland University. “Our students and high school students in the state represent potential future employees for the food industry. This event enhances industry visibility and provides students with a clearer understanding of their future careers.”
Gretta Gutenberger, Tracy Diels, Scott Koenig, Masters Gallery Foods
Darryl Mrozinsky, Sheila Ecker, Shelly Meyers, Anne Troka, Matt Brisley, Sargento mmac.org | 35
Focused on a Strong, Healthy Milwaukee For All T
he groundbreaking ThriveOn Collaboration is a community-focused, mission-driven approach to advancing health equity and strengthening neighborhoods in Milwaukee. Established in 2019 by the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), the Greater Milwaukee Foundation (GMF) and Royal Capital, the ThriveOn Collaboration was founded on their shared vision of a Milwaukee that is equitable, healthy and thriving for all.
ThriveOn Collaboration members are committed to investing in comprehensive solutions that address systemic inequities and spark future growth. Greg Wesley
Co-chair ThriveOn Collaboration
The ThriveOn Collaboration aims to redefine health beyond healthcare, directly affecting the social determinants of health, as well as addressing health disparities and their root causes in our community. However, impacting the overall health and wellness of a community takes innovative thinking beyond a clinic’s walls. “Study after study tells us that factors like quality housing, education and socioeconomic status are strongly linked to physical and mental health outcomes,” said Greg Wesley, co-chair of the ThriveOn Collaboration, MCW’s senior vice president of strategic alliances and business development, and MMAC board director. “Anchor institutions like ours have a responsibility to invest in their community. ThriveOn Collaboration members are committed to investing in comprehensive solutions that address systemic inequities and spark future growth.”
The cornerstone of this Collaboration is the restoration and redevelopment of the GimbelsSchuster’s Department Store building. Located in the heart of Milwaukee’s central city at 2153 N. Martin Luther King Dr., the 455,000-square-foot ThriveOn King building will serve as a catalyst and community hub, bringing economic and social benefit to the Halyard Park, Brewers Hill and Harambee neighborhoods – and beyond. A vital component of informing the Collaboration’s work is a close partnership with the community. Continuous dialogue and shared decision-making ensure the views and values of the community and its residents are driving the specific services chosen in the ThriveOn King building. Engagements with the community have included sustained public visioning sessions, neighborhood events and virtual and in-person office hours.
ThriveOn King is more than just a building – we heard directly from community members that they want it to serve as a source of pride and symbol of connection.
A Community Advisory Council was also formed to integrate the community’s perspective further and advise Collaboration leaders on the use of space and resources needed by and in the community. Based on recommendations from the Community Advisory Council, the ThriveOn Collaboration has awarded $70,000 in grants to local in grants were organizations and programs working awarded to support in the three neighborhoods that youth, employment support youth, employment and and training, social training, social connection and more.
$70K
connection and more.
36 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
ThriveOn Partners:
“ThriveOn King is more than just a building – we heard directly from community members that they want it to serve as a source of pride and symbol of connection,” said Ken Robertson, co-chair of the ThriveOn Collaboration and GMF’s executive vice president and chief operating and financial officer. “We believe that by taking a holistic, community-centric approach, listening to what residents and the community value, that the table has been set for long-lasting success and sustainability that extends far beyond this building.” Set to open in spring 2024, ThriveOn King will be home to MCW’s community engagement programs with nearly 300 employees on site, GMF’s headquarters with 65 employees on site and multiple tenant partners. It will also include community gathering spaces, public art and healthy food options. Approximately 90 affordable apartments – managed by Royal Capital – for families, seniors and students are due for completion in 2024. Aligned with several of the major social determinants of health, confirmed tenant partners include: • JobsWork MKE • Malaika Early Learning Center • Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin “Through thoughtful development, deeply rooted in a community’s vision and priorities, entire neighborhoods can be transformed,” said Kevin Newell, co-chair of the ThriveOn Collaboration and president and CEO of Royal Capital.
Through thoughtful development, deeply rooted in a community’s vision and priorities, entire neighborhoods can be transformed. Kevin Newell
Co-chair ThriveOn Collaboration
We believe that by taking a holistic, community-centric approach, listening to what residents and the community value, that the table has been set for long-lasting success and sustainability that extends far beyond this building. Ken Robertson
Co-chair ThriveOn Collaboration
Healthy, thriving communities benefit everyone, including area businesses and the local economy. With strategic neighborhood revitalization and direct investments in locally owned companies, the ThriveOn Collaboration seeks to elevate economic opportunity. Further, the programs and resources at ThriveOn King will strengthen our workforce, grow our consumer base, and promote a strong local economy. To date, the ThriveOn Small Business Loans program has provided $1 million in low-interest loans to diverse small businesses in Milwaukee. Funded by GMF’s impact investing program, these loans are helping local businesses open, grow, and sustain operations. “Achieving our vision of an equitable Milwaukee for all requires focusing on areas and places where investment has been scarce and on supporting Black and Brown people who are disproportionately affected by disparities in our community,” said Wesley.
The ThriveOn Collaboration can serve as a model of what is possible when the public and private sectors join together and take action. By harnessing their combined knowledge, expertise, resources and fortitude, the ThriveOn Collaboration will support all our neighbors, fostering a Milwaukee where all residents have an opportunity to thrive, neighborhoods prosper and local companies grow and succeed.
mmac.org | 37
MMAC MEMBERSHIP
AS THE REGION’S BUSINESS LEADERS, YOUR OPINIONS MATTER TO MMAC
GRATITUDE
The MMAC team randomly selects member businesses across southeastern Wisconsin to discuss their views on the top opportunities and challenges facing their businesses and the Milwaukee region.
59% Company size of members visited
Thank you for giving us your valuable time to connect in person. The following pages reflect what we learned and will help us continually improve our offerings. Our members’ success is at the heart of everything we strive to accomplish in the Milwaukee region.
Laacke & Joys Design and Manufacturing Manufacturers 77 FTE ljdesignmfg.com Member for
19 YEARS
38 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
We were welcomed into organizations of all sizes and industries including: • Industrial & manufacturing • Professional services • Shopping & retail • Restaurants • Real estate & construction • Education • Health care • Public utilities • Advertising, media & communications
by # of full-time employees
10% 1-49
50-99
18% 8% 100-199
Connect with us: Barb Smith bsmith@mmac.org Ryan Rivas rrivas@mmac.org
300+
2023 Member Appreciation TOUR
1
2
4
3
“When you hear MMAC, you think of Milwaukee.”
5
Our 2023 Appreciation Tours account for
2,000
cumulative years of MMAC membership and employees numbering
5,000+
across southeastern Wisconsin.
1 2 Go Riteway Enviro-Safe Transportation Waste Reduction 20 FTE Group Charter Buses 450 FTE goriteway.com Member for
21 YEARS
enviro-safe.com Member for
18 YEARS
3 4 Waukesha Kohner, Mann County & Kailas S.C. Attorneys Technical FTE College (WCTC) 24 kmksc.com Education 497 FTE wctc.edu
Member for
Member for
13 YEARS
5 ButtersFetting
Mechanical Contractors 230 FTE buttersfetting.com Member for
71 YEARS
40 YEARS
mmac.org | 39
MMAC MEMBERSHIP
Top 3 opportunities for their BUSINESSES
46%
Growing revenue & sales
13%
Relationship with Higher education institutions (2- and 4-year)
8%
Access to sports & entertainment amenities
Businesses visited during Appreciation Tours are asked about the biggest opportunities and challenges for their respective businesses and the region as a whole.
Top 3 challenges for their BUSINESSES
54%
Difficulty attracting and/ or retaining talent
13%
More local company exposure
8%
Crime
2
1
3
1 CBRE
Real Estate 90 FTE cbre.com Member for
71 YEARS
40 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
2 Mared Mechanical
Mechanical Contractors 120 FTE maredmechanical.com Member for
16 YEARS
3 Mindpool Live Video Production 5 FTE mindpoollive.com Member for
7 YEARS
2023 Member Appreciation TOUR
“This neighborhood is the fastest growing area in the city. More independent restaurants are great for Milwaukee.”
3
1
2
4
5
“Small and medium businesses create our community, so we need to focus on them.”
1 Chef's Table
Restaurants 5 FTE chefs-tablemke.com Member for
7 YEARS
2 Environmental Innovations/ Oasis Coffee Services Office Supplies 9 FTE ei-oasis.com Member for
3 Prtizlaff Wholesale Meats
Wholesale Grocers 44 FTE pritzlaffmeats.com Member for
4 Skyline Catering
5 SITE Staffing
Caterers 48 FTE skylinecatering.com
Employment Agency 32 FTE sitestaffinginc.com
Member for
Member for
23 YEARS
14 YEARS
75 YEARS
27 YEARS
mmac.org | 41
MMAC MEMBERSHIP
Top 3 opportunities for the MILWAUKEE REGION
64%
Economic development growth
8% 8%
Potential for AI & region to be a tech hub Relationship with Higher education institutions (2- and 4-year)
Businesses visited during Appreciation Tours are asked about the biggest opportunities and challenges for their respective businesses and the region as a whole.
Top 3 challenges for the MILWAUKEE REGION
33%
Difficulty attracting and/or retaining talent
13% 13%
K-12 educational institutions Crime
1
2
“MMAC’s assistance with the passing of the shared revenue plan was a big help for us.”
1 War Memorial
Banquet/Meeting Rooms 14 FTE warmemorialcenter.org Member for
20 YEARS
2 Rose Pest Solutions
Pest Control 14 FTE rosepestcontrol.com Member for
3 YEARS
42 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
2023 Member Appreciation TOUR
1
2
“The crime makes you question if we should be in the city.”
3
4
“People who complain about Wisconsin should step out of the state to really see if their complaints are valid.”
“MMAC is the gold standard of representing the business community.
5
The M7 needs to keep up the good work since it plays an integral part in growing our business community.” 1 La Macchia Group
Building Contractors 93 FTE lamacchiagroup.com Member for
12 YEARS
2 SVA Certified Public Accountants Accountants 63 FTE accountants.sva.com Member for
22 YEARS
3 Ticket King Ticket Sales 19 FTE theticketking.com Member for
27 YEARS
4 5 Geneva Supply Wisconsin Distributors/ Lutheran Wholesalers College 48 FTE genevasupply.com Member for
23 YEARS
Education 180 FTE wlc.edu
Member for
17 YEARS
mmac.org | 43
POWER OF ASSOCIATION
MMAC’s ALL MEMBER MEETING 1
Nearly 1,200 regional business leaders gathered October 17, 2023, for MMAC’s 162nd All Member Meeting. Attendees heard local business and community leaders celebrate groundbreaking progress, address persistent challenges and set a path toward securing our region’s future.
1. Gus & Becky Ramirez, Husco; Tim Sheehy, MMAC; Abby Andrietsch, St. Augustine Preparatory Academy; and Austin Ramirez, Husco
2
3
2. Tami Martin, Greg Raethke, Holly Reilly, Cathy Jacobson, Eileen Quinlan, Alicia Maitland and Mark Farrell, Froedtert Health 3. Jamie Gobel, Fusion Recruiters 4. Dale Kooyenga, MMAC; and Dominic Ortiz, Potawatomi Casino Hotel 5. Peter Cimino and Claire Preuss, M3 Insurance; and Kavin Tedamrongwanish, Badger Meter
4 44 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
5
6
6. Giacomo Fallucca, Palermo Villa, Inc.; and Danielle Bly, WE Energies 7. Neil Kiekhofer, Front Room Photography; Laura Bray, Milwaukee Area Technical College; and Jodie Tabak, Northwestern Mutual 8. Chad Schultz, Innovated Signs; and Dustin Gasper, Naf Naf Grill
7
8
9
10
9. Jessica Bauer, Aurora Health Care; and Kathleen Halfwassen, Zoological Society of Milwaukee 10. Samantha Ziebell, X-Centric IT Solutions; Sandra Dempsey and Giselle MartÍn, Source TEN
mmac.org | 45
POWER OF ASSOCIATION
MMAC’s ALL MEMBER MEETING 1
Nearly 1,200 regional business leaders gathered October 17, 2023, for MMAC’s 162nd All Member Meeting. Attendees heard local business and community leaders celebrate groundbreaking progress, address persistent challenges and set a path toward securing our region’s future.
1. Larry Schlitz and Kevin Anderson, Old National Bank; and Bill Berrien, Pindel Global Precision 2. Mary Isbister, GenMet 3. Nkem Iroegbu, MD and Erik Kennedy, Aurora Health Care; and Patrick Finn, Rockwell Automation
2
3
4
5
4. Lorena Rocha, Melanie Berexa, and Sandy Becerra, Notre Dame School of Milwaukee 5. MMAC Ambassadors: Tonia Stavedahl, formerly Building Services, Inc.; Anthony Foster, Radio Milwaukee; Dana Kiblawi, MKE Benefits; and Ruth Benben, Capital Investement Services of America, Inc.
46 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
6
6. Lisa Gregg, Culligan Of Waukesha; Jennifer Cwiklinski, X-Centric IT Solutions; and Haritha Gopal, Trihve Finance 7. Karen Hunt, Seeds of Health 8. Becky Frankiewicz and Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup; and Brad Baumann, CLA
7
8
9
10
9. Barb Esser and Mark Schmaling Marketing & Branding Solutions; and Kent Welch, Tobin Solutions, Inc. 10. Mike Mack and Paul Sweeney, PS Capital Partners; and Scott Robb, Soaris
mmac.org | 47
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
Milwaukee Night in Washington D.C. 1
The 33rd annual Milwaukee Night in D.C. was held at Union Station. Milwaukee Night provides an opportunity to thank the legislators, staff members and administrators who help us achieve our goals Pictured: Shane Moll, Milwaukee Tool; County Executive David Crowley; Buddy Julius, The Firm Consulting; and Alec Symczek, Milwaukee Tool 2. Buckley Brinkman, WI Center for Manufacturing & Productivity 3. Corey Hoze, Associated Bank; Reince Priebus, MKE 2025 Host Committee Chair; Karen Timberlake, Children’s Wisconsin
2
3
4. Orrin Marcella and Lindsay Robinson, GE Healthcare; and David Beightol, Flywheel Government Solutions 5. Ally Glasford, Les Aspin Center for Government
4
48 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
5
6. Colleston Morgan, City Forward Collective 7. Tom Liebe, Paula Maggio, and Tim Mattke, MGIC 8. Omar Shaikh; Andrew Wagner and Alex Ayala, Milwaukee Police Association 9. Senator Tammy Baldwin, United States Senate
6
7
8
9
mmac.org | 49
MMAC NETWORKING EVENTS
Business After Hours: 128th Air Refueling Wing 1
Guests got an up-close look at the 128th Air Refueling Wing in Milwaukee. Attendees had the opportunity to sit in the cockpit of a KC-135R Stratotanker, hold equipment and engage with U.S. Air Force personnel.
2. Lisa Proeber, The Middle Six; and Kathryn Gloede, 128th Air Refueling Wing Community Council 3. Chris Whittet, Bottom Line Experts, and Tonia Stavedahl, formerly Building Service, Inc. 4. Cynthia Wright-Kau, 128th Air Refueling Wing Community Council and Airman Gonzalez-Pagen, U.S. Air Force
2
3
4
5
5. Airman Madden, U.S. Air Force; Madison Hunter, StitchMine Custom Embroidery; and Amber Melville, Amber Melville Insurance Agency
50 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
CEO Spotlight
Bill Santulli
President Aurora Health - Midwest Region What should we know about your company?
That we want to help people live fully. That means doing what you already know Aurora Health Care does well: Provide the safest, highest quality care for our Milwaukee and Wisconsin communities. It also means helping our patients stay healthy and out of the hospital, so that they have more healthy days with family and friends. We all know how valuable those are. As our enterprise has grown, we’ve learned important lessons about how to make care safer and more accessible. We apply those lessons right here in the Milwaukee area, where we take very seriously our role as part of the fabric of this community. Because social and environmental factors play such a significant role in a person’s health, we must be fully embedded and committed to our communities to provide the best care. Finally, we want to thank Dennis Potts for leading much of that work over 44 years of service to Aurora Health Care, as he will soon retire. We’re proud to introduce a new President of Aurora Health Care, Gabrielle Finley-Hazle. She brings a wealth of experience to the role and will lead the lead our growth, development and strategic direction going forward.
What are the challenges and opportunities for the health care industry in 2023?
Technology gives us great opportunities to help make it easier for patients to access care and navigate our health system. We are deeply committed to providing care and services wherever patients need it, whether that’s in our clinics and hospitals, virtually or in their own homes. New and improved ways of communicating help us better check in with patients to see how they’re doing and get them the care they need faster and more efficiently. Providing that kind of care quickly can help people stay healthier. As technology changes the way we do nearly everything, patients expect us to keep up with the latest and greatest. That can be a challenge, but it’s imperative that we meet that challenge.
What makes you optimistic about the Milwaukee region’s future?
The people. We said the same thing the last time we had the opportunity to be featured on this page, but it’s the simple truth and it hasn’t changed. We feel a strong sense of community and partnership with the people of this region. Milwaukee offers outstanding education, great employment opportunities and an excellent quality of life, in addition to world-class health care. We’re proud to be a part of it and we look forward to a long future here.
What challenges do we need to overcome here in the region?
We know that 80 percent of what drives someone’s overall health are social factors. So we have to develop programs and services to address violence, food insecurity, housing and financial upward mobility. This isn’t just about any one health care provider, either. We all need to collaborate, including with community partners, who can help us better understand the health-care needs of the people of this region – especially as they evolve and change over time. When we understand what our communities need, we can collaborate on solutions that are best suited to help them improve their overall health and wellness.
Why is Aurora Health Care a member of MMAC?
We’re fully committed to Milwaukee and the region, and MMAC plays a vital role in fueling economic development and fostering collaboration among business, civic and government leaders. We all want Milwaukee to have a strong economy, excellent job opportunities, the best possible workforce and healthy people. When we connect via MMAC, we can collaborate and work toward tackling the biggest issues that face us. mmac.org | 51
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
Komatsu Tour and Reception 1
Guests of MMAC’s Leadership Council went behind the scenes at Komatsu’s $285 million three-story office building and manufacturing plant at their new location in Milwaukee’s Harbor. Pictured: Gert Reichetseder, Wacker Neuson America Corp. ; Kris Naidl, Laughlin Constable; Aaron Rice, Boys & Girls Club of Gtr Milwaukee; Dale Kooyenga, MMAC; Dr. Phillip King, MATC; John Rauser, The Rauser Agency / Robertson Ryan; Barb Smith, MMAC; Anthony Mlachnick, NorthRock Partners; Heather Turner Loth, Eppstein Uhen Architects; Brad Netzel, Sikich; Ryan Rivas, MMAC; Chris Lipski Jr., Vantage Financial; Chauntele Kreutz, MMAC; Jane Backes, MMAC; and Lynn Olberding, MMAC/M7
2. John Koetz, Komatsu Mining Corp. addresses the attendees at Komatsu’s new campus 3. John Koetz, Abby Bayatpour, Ana Luci Gonzalez-Nunez, and Devan Ameen, Komatsu Mining Corp.; and Barb Smith, MMAC
2
3
4
5
4. Gary Koenen, Komatsu Mining Corp.; and Marjorie Yoshida, MMAC/M7 5. Heather Turner Loth, Eppsetin Uhen Architects
52 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
CEO Spotlight
Dominic Ortiz CEO & General Manager Potawatomi Casino Hotel
What should we know about your company?
Potawatomi Casino Hotel is in a position to become one of the most vibrant brands in the Midwest and continues to be recognized as the No. 1 travel destination in Wisconsin. This is why we recently unveiled the second phase of a $190 million and 114,000-square-foot renovation that included a Rock and Brews restaurant partnership with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons from the legendary rock band KISS. We added more slot machines, which puts us at over 3,000 and makes us one of the top casinos in the Midwest. In the spring of 2024, we will be unveiling our much-anticipated new poker room and Sportsbook - a game-changing Vegas-style retail sports betting experience that encompasses over 8,000 square feet of dining and entertainment. The venue will include a state-of-the-art 2,000-square-foot LED screen, a second-level mezzanine overlooking seating for 200 and a broadcast area for radio, TV, podcast and social media productions. The area will be topped off with a 4,400-square-foot, first-in-class kitchen to deliver the cuisine quality that Potawatomi is known for. We are proud to be one of the top employers in southeastern Wisconsin. We have over 2,400 team members, with 71% of our workforce being minority and 89% residing in Milwaukee County. When our remodel is completed in 2024, we are projecting to have added over 600 new positions.
What are the challenges and opportunities for the casino/hospitality industry in 2023?
I choose not to see things as a challenge and recognize that every day brings us opportunities. Our focus is and will continue to be responsible gaming through innovation, awareness and improved safeguards for our guests and community. We will also stay on track to pursue non-gaming opportunities that will help this city shine.
What makes you optimistic about the Milwaukee region’s future?
We are fortunate to have a front-row seat to watch Milwaukee compete for and win titles like the NBA championship and the upcoming RNC Convention. Milwaukee was recently selected by Conde Nast Traveler as the third-best city to visit in the U.S., beating out Miami, New York, Nashville and Boston. It’s about time the city is recognized for its greatness. We are proud to watch the city receive the spotlight it deserves, and we will continue to play a role in the excellent hospitality and entertainment Milwaukee offers.
What challenges do we need to overcome here in the region?
I think we need to come together and focus on education as a crucial element to the betterment of our children and, in turn, our city. Let’s get our kids the tools they need to strive, and that includes looking to expand work-to-learn and apprentice programs. While a college degree comes with meaningful economic advantages, we can’t lose sight of those who want a career, but financially, it is simply out of reach.
Why is Potawatomi a member of MMAC?
One word: leadership. MMAC has played a critical role in bringing both the DNC and RNC to the city, as well as gaining the attention of globally recognized companies that are looking to expand their businesses to this region. Their actions and achievements are beneficial to not only its members, but to the community as well, and we are proud to call ourselves members.
mmac.org | 53
Emerging Leader
Series
SCAN FOR INFORMATION
Emerging Leader Series - Spring 2024 This six-month series is designed to support high-performing individuals who are not yet in a formal leadership role. The process involves a combination of training, coaching and learning reinforcements. Visit mmac.org/emerging-leaders-series.html or scan the QR code above for more information. 54 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
MMAC Member Milestones AUGUST - OCTOBER 2023 115 years
Meissner Tierney Fisher & Nichols
75 years
Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital St. Joseph Campus Omnivore
45 years
VISIT Milwaukee
40 years
Milwaukee Business Journal
35 years
Cogmatic Machines Saint Kate
30 years
Community Care Forest County Potawatomi Foundation Mount Mary University Paragon Printing & Graphics Pettit National Ice Center Potawatomi Casino Hotel
25 years
Cross Management Services Holcim (US) Johnson Financial Group SSR TOTAL IT
20 years
Altria Client Services CS Logistics Desert Aire Palermo Villa Paul Davis Restoration & Remodeling Quinlevan Commercial Real Estate
15 years
Badger Boiled Ham Co. Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee
Century Springs Water FirstPathway Partners Great Lakes Distillery MARS Solutions Group Moore Construction Services PNC Bank Risetech Partners The Gateway To Milwaukee
Milwaukee Ale House Milwaukee Child Care Alliance (MCCA) Romo Durable Graphics Short Elliott Hendrickson Spectrum Investment Advisors Tall Guy and a Grill Catering UW Credit Union
10 years
2100 Digital Ambrosia Events American Petroleum Institute Brady Corporation Broken Bat Brewing Company City Tours MKE Discovery Behavioral Health Eyes on the Lake Forward Service Corporation Gallo Law Gigawatt Media Glenn Rieder Hempel Real Estate Interstate Parking Company Ivarson J. Jeffers & Co. Korn Ferry Leader Paper Products Milwaukee Cylinder Milwaukee Film Milwaukee Magazine Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra MindBusiness New Land Enterprises PTG Live Events Rare Steakhouse Milwaukee Redely The Back Room @ Colectivo The Fitzgerald The Pabst Theater The Riverside Theater Turner Hall Ballroom UBUNTU Research and Evaluation Wisconsin Steel and Tube
Bank of America Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative Fifth Third Bank Gehl Foods GSC Johnson & Johnson Creative Content JWS Classics Krueger Communications Lakefront Brewery Microsoft Corporation Roman Electric Co. SEEK Professionals Spring Bank The Panaro Group Trans International University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Lubar College of Business Xymox Technologies
5 years
A&A Erecting Co. ADP Anderson Ashton Annex Wealth Management Blast Cleaning Technologies Bold Coast Capital First American Bank - Kenosha North & Paddock Lake First Choice Ingredients GenComm Geneva Supply Haywood Group Kriete Truck Centers Mid-State Insurance
1 year
mmac.org | 55
New MMAC Members African American Leadership Alliance of Milwaukee Walter Lanier, President 301 W. Wisconsin Ave., Ste. 220 Milwakee, WI 53203 (414) 732-7498 aalamilwaukee.org Associations
Altura Design, Inc. Caroline Reeve Owner/Creative Lead 3757 Tower Rd. Rhinelander, WI 54501 (479) 629-1435 alturadesign.com Graphic Designers
Ariens Company
Anoop Prakash Executive VP, Americas 655 W. Ryan St. Brillion, WI 54110 (920) 756-2141 ariens.com/en-us Manufacturers
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee
Neil Willenson, President & CEO 788 N. Jefferson St., Ste. 600 Milwaukee, WI 53202 (414) 258-4778 bbbsmilwaukee.org Youth Organizations/Centers
C R Industries LLC
Erik Thompson, Owner 5757 S. Pennsylvania Ave. Cudahy, WI 53110 (414) 744-3996 crifabricators.com Manufacturers
Camo Crew Junk Removal
Golgix, Inc.
Capital Midwest Fund
Gramoll & Associates, Inc.
Complex Security Solutions, Inc.
Gray Jett Enterprises LLC DBA Gray Jett Cafe
Fast Park Airport Parking
Greywolf Partners
Ken Oliver, President 12733 W. Arden Pl. Butler, WI 53007 (414) 420-2266 camocrewjunkremoval.com Logistics/Transportation
Daniel Einhorn, General Partner 10556 N. Port Washington Rd., Ste. 201 Mequon, WI 53092 (414) 453-4488 capitalmidwest.com Venture Capital
John Kerlin, Co-Owner 5100 S. Calhoun Rd. New Berlin, WI 53151 (262) 207-4099 complexsecuritysolutions.com Security Solutions
Tonya Scully Regional Marketing Manager 5201 S. Howell Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53201 (317) 435-4699 thefastpark.com Airports
First Look Family Law SC
Karyn Gimbel Youso, Owner/President 15850 W. Bluemound Rd., Ste. 304 Brookfield, WI 53005 (262) 788-5335 firstlookfamilylaw.com Legal Services
GENERAL CAPITAL GROUP Linda Gorens-Levey, Development 6938 N. Santa Monica Blvd. Fox Point, WI 53217 (414) 228-3500 generalcapitalgroup.com Real Estate Developers
56 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
Charlie Scott, Co-Founder & CMO 12945 Hawthorne Ln. New Berlin, WI 53151 (414) 617-3239 golgix.com Software Publishers & Developers
Mandi Gramoll LoCoco, Agency Owner 4484 N. Oakland Ave. Shorewood, WI 53211 (414) 332-0838 teamgramoll.com Insurance Agents/Brokers
Shana Gray, President/ CEO 1617 W. Wells St. Milwaukee, WI 53233 (414) 465-2283 gray-jett.com Restaurants
Marilyn Herzberg, President 115 S. 84th St., Ste. 350 Milwaukee, WI 53214 (877) 543-4739 GreywolfPartners.com Real Estate
Hawkins Ash CPAs
Holly Pett, Partner 11501 N. Port Washington Rd., Ste. 220 Mequon, WI 53092 (262) 243-9610 hawkinsash.cpa Accountants/CPA
Herrick Performance Consulting LLC
Brittany Herrick Owner/Sport Psychology Consultant Milwaukee, WI (920) 470-7347 herrickperformance.com Consultants
AUGUST, SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023 Horicon Bank Menomonee Falls
N91W17231 Appleton Ave. Menomonee Falls, WI 53051 (262) 251-9050 horiconbank.com Banks
Horicon Bank Wauwatosa
11530 W. Burleigh St., Ste. 120 Wauwatosa, WI 53222 1 (888) 343-3040 horiconbank.com Banks
Information Systems Engineering
Jay Gentle, President 925 Walnut Ridge Dr., Ste. 100 Hartland, WI 53029 (262) 567-9240 PaperLessLLC.com Software Product Developers
J & C Majestic Mobile Notary Public and Apostille Services Linda Marie Smith, Owner/CEO 5613 W. Morgan Ave., Unit J Milwaukee, WI 53220 (414) 687-3363 jcmajes.com Professional Services
Messer Cutting Systems, Inc. Scott Kessler, President & CEO W141N9427 Fountain Blvd. Menomonee Falls, WI 53051 (262) 532-4642 us.messer-cutting.com Manufacturers
Milwaukee Bar Association Sarah Martis, Executive Director 747 N. Broadway Milwaukee, WI 53202 (414) 274-6768 mkebar.org Attorneys
Milwaukee Catholic Home, Inc.
Postal Annex
Milwaukee Regional Medical Center
Power Test
Jessica Horning, CFO 2462 N. Prospect Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53211 (414) 220-3222 milwaukeecatholichome.org Senior Living Communities
Robert Simi, Executive Director 8700 W. Watertown Plank Rd. Lower MB #5 Milwaukee, WI 53226 (414) 778-4570 mrmccampus.org Nonprofit Education
NAI Greywolf
Marilyn Herzberg, President 115 S. 84th St., Ste. 350 Milwaukee, WI 53214 (877) 543-4739 naigreywolf.com Real Estate
NIVO Innovations, Inc. Nicki Vo, President 3003 Nostalgic Ct. Hubertus, WI 53033 (414) 469-7991 nivoinc.com Management Training
Pellizzi & Co.
James Pellizzi, CEO 1433 N. Water St. Milwaukee, WI 53202 (262) 309-1223 pellizziandcompany.com Advertising Agency
Mike Kodner, President 6969 N. Port Washington Rd. Ste. B150 Glendale, WI 53217 (773) 818-2562 postalannex.com Mailing Services
Stacey Names VP - People & Culture N60 W22700 Silver Spring Dr. Sussex, WI 53089 (262) 252-4301 powertestdyno.com Manufacturers
Remedy Intelligent Staffing Jared Holwerda, Market Manager 12132 W. Capitol Dr., Ste. D Wauwatosa, WI 53222 (262) 432-0441 remedystaffing.com Employment Contractors
Remy Battery Company, Inc. Michael Moeller, CEO 4301 W. Lincoln Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53219 (414) 384-0340 remybattery.com Automobile Parts/Supplies-New
ServiceMaster KRS
Mark West, Business Development 2078 S. 56th St. West Allis, WI 53219 (414) 206-5600 www.servicemasterkrs.com Fire/Water Damage Restoration
SkillBench, Inc.
Prashant Kothari, President 8814 W. Marshfield Ct. Franklin, WI 53132 (262) 427-1357 globalskillbench.com Recruiting Firms
mmac.org | 57
NEW MEMBERS CONTINUED | AUGUST, SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2023 The Foster Lane
Turning Tables
Walters Realty Group
The Sales Bull LLC
Two3 Solutions
Wealthspire Advisors
Joseph Korb, Owner 531 Thurow Drive Oconomowoc, WI 53066 (262) 599-5949 www.TheSalesBull.com Business Growth Services
Jake Thomas, Owner/President 20515 Industry Ave. Brookfield, WI 53045 (414) 436-9430 two3solutions.com Material Handling Equipment
The Wisconsin Country Club
VBA
West Bend Transit & Service Co.
Sarah Salisott, Founder 247 W. Freshwater Way, Ste. 540 Milwaukee, WI 53204 (920) 540-8949 www.thefosterlane.com Human Services Organizations
Laura Barrick, Catering Director 6200 W. Good Hope Rd. Milwaukee, WI 53223 (414) 368-1978 thewisconsincountryclub.com Clubs-Private
Emerald Mills, Partner 1034 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53203 (414) 210-3451 turningtablesmke.com Restaurants
Rosanna Zepecki Director of Human Resources W180 N11711 River Ln. Germantown, WI 53022 1(866) 731-1571 vbasoftware.com Software Consultants
Angela Walters, Primary 11220 W. Burleigh St. Wauwatosa, WI 53222 (414) 301-7558 wrg-homes.com Real Estate Management
Bruce Laning, Managing Director 330 E. Kilbourn Ave., Ste. 1219 Milwaukee, WI 53202 (414) 509-1321 wealthspire.com Financial Planning-Consultants
Christopher Greenberg, COO 321 N. Main St. West Bend, WI 53095 (262) 689-9202 westbendtransit.com Trucking
EMPOWERING Our People
Every project, on time & within budget jcp-construction.com
58 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
WIN Technology
Sydney Kratochwill Enterprise Account Manager - IT & Network 4955 Bullis Farm Rd. Eau Claire, WI 54701 (715) 832-3750 wintechnology.com Computer Network Design & Systems
Wrought Washer Mfg. Lisa Hlavacek Human Resource Manager 2100 S. Bay St. Milwaukee, WI 53207 (414) 744-0771 wroughtwasher.com Manufacturers
Support your fellow members by doing business together. MMAC.org/ Directory.html
Stressed for tax time? CPAs are your EASY BUTTON Find yours at wicpa.org/FindMyCPA
mmac.org | 59
More than a provider. A true collaborator. This exclusive program provides our members with special deals that extend to almost every item, access to Office Depot’s technology services, and more. The savings include: • Up to 55% off retail on cleaning & breakroom items • Up to 55% off retail on office supplies • 10% off branded; 20% off private brand ink & toner core list • Average 10% off retail on 200 technology core items • Free next-day shipping on orders of $50 or more • SIGNIFICANT savings on copy & print
www.MMAC.org 60 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
Get signed up today:
Comings and Goings MMAC welcomes Angel Ramirez, says goodbye to long-time leader Julie Granger
STAFF MMAC.org/Staff.html
Welcome
Angel Ramirez
Corporate Expansion & Attraction Jim Paetsch | jpaetsch@mke7.com
Economic Development
Lynn Olberding | lolberding@mke7.com
Angel Ramirez joins MMAC as an Executive Assistant to incoming MMAC President Dale Kooyenga. She will play a pivotal role in ensuring efficient daily operations while also strategically planning social media campaigns.
Economic Trends & Research
Originally from Vista, Calif., Angel came to Milwaukee in 2019 following her passion for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. She has a strong background in marketing and events coordination at Powersports and Harley-Davidson dealerships in the Milwaukee region. She holds a marketing degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and has proudly served five years activeduty in the United States Navy as a Quartermaster 2nd class petty officer, where she endured a Western Pacific Deployment onboard the USS New Orleans (LPD-18) in 2016. She was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for her service.
Equity & Inclusion
“I’m thrilled to be part of the MMAC family, supporting Dale Kooyenga in his role as President, and equally excited to bridge the gap between MMAC and business professionals in the vibrant Milwaukee Region and beyond through the power of social media,” Ramirez said.
Chauntele Kreutz | ckreutz@mmac.org
Bret Mayborne | bmayborne@mmac.org
Federal, State & Local Government Andrew Davis | adavis@mmac.org
Corry Joe Biddle | cbiddle@mmac.org
GROW YOUR PEER NETWORKS AALAM
Walter Lanier | wlanier@aalamilwaukee.org
The Business Council
Marjorie Rucker | mrucker@mmac.org
Executive Roundtables
Food & Beverage Industry
Gina Balke | gbalke@fabwisconsin.com
Hispanic Collaborative
Nancy Hernandez | nhernandez@mmac.org
Farewell,
Julie Granger Former MMAC Executive Vice President Julie Granger departed the organization after 28 years of service in October. During her time with the organization, Granger served as senior vice president and communications director. “In progressive leadership roles Julie was instrumental in supporting the membership, mission and outcomes of MMAC during her tenure,” said MMAC President Tim Sheehy. “We wish her well in her new role as she carries on the work to make this a region of choice for all.” Granger will now develop the workforce’s next generation of talent as President of Junior Achievement of Wisconsin.
Leadership Council
Barb Smith | bsmith@mmac.org
Networking Forums
Marjorie Yoshida | myoshida@mmac.org
Recruiters Roundtable
Corry Joe Biddle | cbiddle@mmac.org
GAIN EXPOSURE FOR YOUR BUSINESS Advertising
Jane Trenchard-Backes | jbackes@mmac.org
Events & Sponsorship
Karen Powell | kpowell@mmac.org
“Thank you, Julie for your indelible impact on the membership of MMAC, and all our best in this important next chapter of your career,” Sheehy added. mmac.org | 61
Teaming up to help bring your benefits costs down Discounted rates, quality employee benefits and surplus refund*potential when medical claims are lower than expected. They’re all possible with a UnitedHealthcare Level Funded health plan for your business through the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC).
Over $6,000
for an average health plan surplus refund
among the 20.3% of MMAC Level Funded plan sponsors who received a refund in 2022*
Get all the details from an MMAC-affiliated broker or visit uhc.com/mmac Don’t have a broker? Contact Barb Smith at bsmith@mmac.org or 414-287-4173.
*Among the UnitedHealthcare Level Funded plan sponsors who were MMAC members, 20.3% received a surplus refund in 2022, the average of which was $6,091. UnitedHealthcare internal reconciliation analysis, Jan. 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2022. Please consult a tax and/or legal advisor to determine if, by receiving this refund, there are any restrictions or obligations. Surplus refund available only where allowed by law. Administrative services provided by United HealthCare Services, Inc. or their affiliates, and UnitedHealthcare Service LLC in NY. Stop loss insurance is underwritten by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or their affiliates, including UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance Company in NJ, and UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York in NY. B2B EI221554556.1 2/23 © 2023 United HealthCare Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 23-2098850
62 | Milwaukee Commerce, Winter 2023
Sponsored content
Breaking Down Barriers to Care: Behavioral Health Goes Digital By Dr. Donald Tavakoli, national medical director for behavioral health at UnitedHealthcare Anxiety affects nearly 30% of people1 at some point in their lives and often goes hand in hand with depression, which affects about 16 million American2 adults a year. Studies show that 4 in 10 U.S. adults who needed mental health treatment in the last 12 months did not get it3. As these numbers continue to climb, accompanied by a flood of demand for mental health care, access to virtual behavioral health care resources may help to address unmet patient need.
WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WITH ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION GOING UNTREATED?
The reasons are complex and numerous, but stigma, cost, convenience and access to affordable resources are among some of the factors impacting Americans’ ability to get help for their concerns or illnesses. People are often unsure as to whether their feelings require treatment or if it’s situational and something that can be managed through changes in lifestyle for example.
ARE THE ANSWERS IN THE CLOUD?
Virtual care, also referred to as telehealth, may be part of the solution. These resources have steadily gained popularity over the last few years and continue to accelerate —with technological advancement attempting to meet demand. Not every situation calls for telehealth and digital solutions are still being studied for how they may fit into overall care planning for individuals, but virtual behavioral health services may play a role in helping to alleviate the mental health crisis.
CONSIDER THESE THREE QUICK TIPS FOR EVALUATING WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU: Tip #1: Establish Your Preferences
Take inventory of what may be of interest for you in terms of care. Start with asking yourself whether you wish to be assessed by a licensed professional for your mental health. Would you prefer in-person or virtual care? Do you seek focused problem solving like personalized coaching, rather than treatment?
Tip #2: Speak with Your Primary Care Physician
Your primary care physician (PCP) can be a great ally and guide—even if you want to explore virtual mental health options.
Tip #3: Speak with Your Insurance Provider
Describe the care you’d like to receive and ask about available options and therapists that are covered in-network, helping you understand your choices and keep costs down. Don’t wait to seek support for yourself or those around you – resources are available. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/anxiety-disorders/what-are-anxiety-disorders#:~:text=Anxiety%20disorders%20are%20the%20most,people%20 lead%20normal%20productive%20lives. 1
2
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/depression-anxiety.html
3
https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/news/more-than-4-in-10-us-adults-who-needed-substance-use-and-mental-health-care-did-not-get-treatment/
mmac.org | 63
Interested in advertising in the next issue of Milwaukee Commerce? Contact Jane Trenchard-Backes at 414/287-4114 or jbackes@mmac.org
Details at mmac.org/advertising.html Milwaukee Commerce magazines are printed by:
301 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 220 | Milwaukee, WI 53203
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