Breadsmith Franchising Inc.
Tim Malouf was promoted to president of Breadsmith Franchising Inc., Whitefish Bay. Malouf has been with Breadsmith Franchising since its establishment in 1993. He most recently served as vice president. Malouf has more than 13 years of professional experience, including operations and general management.
The Wisconsin Center District
The Wisconsin Center District, Milwaukee, and Feld Entertainment Inc., Vienna, Va., completed a five-year agreement ensuring that the Disney On Ice family shows produced by Feld Entertainment will continue to be presented at the U.S. Cellular Arena through at least 2010. In 2000, Feld Entertainment brought Disney On Ice back to the U.S. Cellular Arena and to the former Milwaukee Auditorium. The program had not been presented for 10 years.
Tools That Rock LLC
Tools That Rock LLC, West Bend, recently launched a new product called the A/C Rock Stage central air conditioning unit stand. The heavy-duty steel stand can be installed after or during construction to home foundations. It is 28 inches wide, 28 inches long and 9.5 inches tall. The A/C Rock Stage allows for immediate installation of central air units on new construction and eliminates callbacks to level the ground after settling occurs.
Aurora Health Care Inc.
Aurora Health Care Inc., Milwaukee, formed a seven-year strategic alliance with GE Healthcare, U.K., in which GE Healthcare will provide Aurora Health Care with technologies and services that will help simplify workflow and enhance diagnostic certainty. The improvement of patient care was the main goal of the new strategic alliance agreement with GE Healthcare. Other goals include lowering Aurora’s operating expenses, capitalizing on advances in medical technology, accelerating the process of acquiring equipment and services and enhancing the measurement of patient satisfaction and outcomes.
Paul Davis Restoration Inc.
The Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, Birmingham, Ala., selected Paul Davis Restoration, Jacksonville, Fla., as a preferred vendor to provide emergency mitigation and restoration services to homeowner policyholders of the Chubb Group.
Wisconsin Bakers Association
The Wisconsin Bakers Association (WBA), Milwaukee, named the Fox Valley Technical College Bake Shop, Appleton, as Bakery Operation of the Month for March. The bakery is a production classroom bakery that produces items ranging from bagels to gourmet cakes and pastries made from scratch. Operations selected for the Bakery Operation of the Month award must be a WBA member, make non-monetary contributions to the bakery industry and the WBA and have something that qualifies the bakery as an outstanding business. Winners of Bakery Operation of the Month are considered for the Bakery Operation of the Year award.
Bayshore Community Foundation
Bayshore Community Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bayshore Town Center, Glendale, launched the first component of its foundation, an annual scholarship program. The scholarship program will provide $3,000 in financial assistance to area students. Six
$500 scholarships will be awarded annually to two students each from three north shore area high schools. The annual scholarship program is one of five initiatives included in the Bayshore Community Foundation. Four other components include Cornerstone Event Partnerships, the Change for Charity Meter Program, the Faculty Achievement Grant and the Student Council Project Grant. Cornerstone Event Partnerships entail the community foundation’s use of Bayshore Town Center to host an event that will serve as the fundraising vehicle each year for a different organization. Through the Change for Charity Meter Program, the community foundation will give a portion of the parking meter proceeds and ticket revenues generated at the shopping center to a different nonprofit organization every two months. The Faculty Achievement Grant will offer an annual donation to the faculty advisory group of three north shore area high schools to help fund a program that will provide meaningful support to the students or any program for educational purposes. The Student Council Project Grant will offer an annual donation to the student council of three north shore area high schools to help fund a student council project that will benefit the student body.
Nalani Marketing & Sales LLC
Nalani Marketing & Sales LLC opened for business recently in West Bend. Nalani Marketing & Sales is a full service marketing company that also offers tailored sales and management training, event planning, public relations and complete Web site services. Nalani Marketing & Sales can be reached at (262) 893-0790 and at www.nalanimarketing.com.
Medical College of Wisconsin
Robert Newby, a neuropsychologist at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, published Your Struggling Child: A Guide to Diagnosing, Understanding, and Advocating for Your Child with Learning, Behavior, or Emotional Problems, a book he wrote with Lynn Sonberg, who specializes in developing parenting and health books. The book was published by HarperCollins Publishers Inc., N.Y.
Visit Milwaukee
Visit Milwaukee presented Usinger’s Famous Sausage, Milwaukee, with the 2005 Lamplighter Award. The award was given to Usinger’s for its continued contributions to the community.
Vernal Management Consultants LLC
Karen Vernal of Vernal Management Consultants LLC, Milwaukee, will serve as the Theme Weaver for the American Society of Quality, Milwaukee, 60th Anniversary World Conference on quality and improvement. The event will be held in Milwaukee in May. Also, the board of trustees of Alverno College, Milwaukee, retained Karen Vernal to facilitate their annual retreat.
ArtWorks for Milwaukee Inc.
ArtWorks for Milwaukee Inc., Milwaukee, will paint an in-store mural at the Harley-Davidson Inc., Milwaukee, retail store located at 11310 W. Silver Spring Road. The mural will be painted by teens and will be entitled, "We Will Never Forget." The 21-foot by 12-foot mural will feature the American flag embracing the Harley-Davidson symbol. The lead artist of the project is Melissa Dorn-Richards. Dorn-Richards is coordinating the mural design in conjunction with Harley-Davidson staff.
Foot Solutions Inc.
Foot Solutions Inc., Marietta, Ga., opened its first Wisconsin store in Mequon, located in the Mequon Pavilion Shopping Center at 10918 N. Port Washington Road. Foot Solutions is a franchise offering custom and pre-manufactured inserts and orthotics as well as complete lines of shoes and other specialty foot products. Foot Solutions targets 18 health problems that are eliminated or greatly alleviated by orthotics, including heel and arch pain, arthritis, diabetic foot problems, sports injuries and back pain.
Badger Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired Inc.
The Badger Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired Inc., Milwaukee, received a $6,000 grant from the Ladish Co. Foundation, Cudahy; $15,000 from the Ziemann Foundation, Oconomowoc; $15,000 from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Catherine and Walter Lindsay Foundation Fund, Milwaukee; $15,000 from Mae E. Demmer Charitable Trust, Milwaukee; $5,000 from the Nicholas Family Foundation, Milwaukee; $8,000 from Joy Global Foundation, Milwaukee, and $25,000 from West Allis Lions Club, West Allis. The grants were given in support of the Badger Association’s mission of creating opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Ideal Crane Rental Inc. acquires Oshkosh firm
Ideal Crane Rental Inc. of Madison has acquired the assets of the Griese & Ross Crane fleet from Oshkosh-based C.R. Meyer & Sons Co. The purchase enhances Ideal Crane’s position in Wisconsin’s crane rental and construction equipment dealer markets.
Ideal Crane, which has offices in Madison, Milwaukee and LaCrosse, will maintain the Griese & Ross sales and dispatch personnel in Oshkosh. Griese & Ross also rents equipment in Green Bay, Tomahawk and Marshfield.
"Griese & Ross has an excellent reputation and is well-respected in the construction industry. We look forward to providing the same service to their existing customers in the Fox Valley and northern Wisconsin," said Robert Kalhagen, president of Ideal Crane.
"Ideal Crane’s focus on the crane rental business will take Griese & Ross to the next level," said Phil Martini, president of C.R. Meyer.
Schneider subsidiary acquires California firm
Schneider Logistics, Inc., an international lead logistics provider and part of the Green Bay-based Schneider National Inc., announced it has signed a stock purchase agreement to acquire American Overseas Air Freight, an international freight forwarder and a licensed U.S. customs broker.
American Overseas specializes in the handling and shipping of import and export products by air, ocean and truck. Upon completion of the acquisition, Schneider National will be the first truckload carrier to complete the cycle of international to inland delivery. Financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.
"The freight forwarding and customs brokerage expertise of American Overseas will complement Schneider’s existing transportation and logistics services offerings as we continue to expand globally," said Tom Escott, president, Schneider Logistics. "This acquisition is another key component in our strategy to build a comprehensive door-to-door global logistics operation that spans air, ocean, rail and truck transportation."
Ron Barker, president of American Overseas will continue to lead the El Segundo, Calif.-based organization when the acquisition is finalized.
"Becoming part of a recognized industry leader like Schneider National is a special opportunity for American Overseas and its customers and business partners worldwide," Barker said.
The company will retain the American Overseas name and will conduct business as a wholly owned subsidiary of Schneider Logistics.
Fujitsu acquires Greenbrier & Russel
Greenbrier & Russel, a Schaumberg, Ill.-based business and information technology consulting firm with a significant Wisconsin presence, has been acquired by Fujitsu Consulting.
Howard Blietz and Eric Wasowicz, Greenbrier & Russel’s co-founders, will remain with Fujitsu Consulting in senior executive roles. A Fujitsu company statement said most of the firm’s 425 employees will remain with the merged company in their current roles for now to maintain continuity with clients, but unspecified integration activities will take place.
"Since 1984, Greenbrier & Russel has been a strong player, especially in the upper Midwest and here in Wisconsin," Greenbrier & Russel managing director Marc Blazich said in an e-mail to the Wisconsin Technology Council.
Greenbrier & Russel has about 150 employees in Wisconsin, working out of offices in Milwaukee, Middleton and Kimberly.
"This is the next logical step in the evolution of our company and will benefit G&R customers and employees," Wasowicz said. "Customers will have increased access to a broader set of services and delivery options and our employees will enjoy the growth potential as part of an international company on the leading edge of technology consulting."
Fujitsu Consulting, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Fujitsu Group, said it made the acquisition to extend its capabilities in Oracle and PeopleSoft enterprise resource planning suites, business intelligence, Microsoft and Java technologies, and training. The company also wanted to increase its presence in markets such as Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Minneapolis, Wisconsin and Phoenix.
"Greenbrier & Russel is well known for its highly qualified and competent professional staff, its superior consulting capabilities, collaborative approach and achievement of client-defined results," said senior vice president Greg Forlenza of Fujitsu Consulting. "This acquisition is a platform from which Fujitsu can leverage these exceptional people and capabilities across an even broader client base."
Fujitsu Consulting has now completed four acquisitions over a 15-month period, as it also has acquired GIM Risk Management of Montreal, Born Information Services of Minneapolis and Cendera Solutions of Dallas.
