Milwaukee/NARI home improvement council recognizes industry’s best
The Milwaukee Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), Wauwatosa, announced the recipients of its annual President’s Awards. Created to recognize members of the Milwaukee/NARI Home Improvement Council who’ve demonstrated an outstanding commitment to community, education, and support of the association’s goals. The association presented the awards to six Milwaukee/ NARI members including: Mark Brick, CR – B & E General Contractors, Glendale; Mike Heuser, CR – Kelmann Corporation, Wauwatosa; Tom Kammerait, CPA – von Briesen & Roper, s.c., Milwaukee; Paul Kraemer, CRM, CIC – The Starr Group, Greenfield; Gary Sannes, CR, CGR – S.J. Janis Company, Wauwatosa; Mary Kay Siemann – Rundle-Spence Mfg. Co., New Berlin.
Sleep Wellness Institute expands
The Sleep Wellness Institute, West Allis, is in the midst of a $250,000 expansion project which includes adding two sleep study rooms, a new “tech station” where sleep technicians monitor patients undergoing studies, and two rooms for continuous positive pressure airway (CPAP) consultation. President Mark Stoiber said the expansion is necessary because of a significant increase in patient visits. The expansion should be completed in March. The general contractor for the project is Link Associates of Waukesha. The Institute is the only independent sleep disorders center in Wisconsin accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine to diagnose both adults and children, and is the only center certified to train sleep technicians.
Peoples Bank donates to the Elkhorn Community Fund
Peoples Bank, Elkhorn, gave $100,000 to the Elkhorn Community Fund. To commemorate the gift, which signified the official inception of the fund, an initial grant was made to the Elkhorn Food Pantry to buy 100 meals. The Elkhorn Fund, a component of the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin, Inc., is overseen by a volunteer advisory board comprised of local citizens with a common interest: to improve the quality of life for everyone in Elkhorn. Grants will be made to local non-profits for charitable projects and programs that support the arts, health & human service programs, historic preservation, local environment and more.
Forward Orthopedics aligns with Community Memorial Hospital
Forward Orthopedics practice became part of Columbia St. Mary’s Community Physicians in partnership with Community Memorial Hospital, effective December 1. Froedtert & Community Health is working collaboratively with Columbia St. Mary’s to establish an aligned physician presence on the west side of Milwaukee County and Waukesha and Washington Counties. Forward Orthopedics is a comprehensive orthopedic practice with a staff of six full-time employees. Community Memorial Hospital, is a member of Froedtert & Community Health.
Business health care group wins diabetes grant
The Business Health Care Group (BHCG), Milwaukee, has secured an additional $16,000 grant from Novo Nordisk, a worldwide leader in diabetes care. The grant will help continue BHCG’s momentum in increasing the number of physicians recognized in diabetic care and management by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to health care quality.
National Survey & Engineering Conducts Hotel Feasibility Study
National Survey & Engineering, Brookfield, is preparing a hotel and retail market/feasibility analysis for Greater Pointe Coupee Parish Chamber of Commerce in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana. The scope of services includes: economic and demographic analysis regarding businesses, work force, economic conditions, and demographics for Pointe Coupee and West Feliciana Parishes and the broader region; market and sales potential evaluation associated with the travel industry; analysis of potential businesses that may be attracted to the parishes; and final report containing recommendations for potential hotel development.
Aur Computer Service donates to KGMB
Aur Computer Service, Milwaukee, donated three refurbished computers and three service calls to Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful (KGMB). The donations were used by KGMB for their fundraiser to benefit continued environmental educational programs for kids. KGMB is non-profit organization established in 1983 and is affiliated with Keep America Beautiful, Inc.
Aur Computer Service spins off aur Web
Aur Computer Service, Milwaukee, consolidated all of its web development activities underthe new business entity named aur Web. aur Web is a website development company that also provides website design, maintenance, and custom internet applications.
UPAF names new officers
The United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF) of Milwaukee recently elected its officers and board of directors for 2008.
The UPAF officers are: Thomas Ellis, board chair; Glen Hackmann, immediate past board chair; Alexander Fraser, chair elect; William Werner, treasurer; Joseph Pickart, secretary; Cristy Garcia-Thomas, president; Renee Dudley, assistant treasurer; and Patricia Munford, assistant secretary.
The board directors who were elected to two-year terms are Ellis; Chris Crawley, Gregory Dorf, Timothy Frautschi, Mike Jones, Paul Mathews, Steve Richman, Julie Tolan, Jon VanDrisse, Jan Wade, William Werner and Carlene Ziegler.
UPAF provides financial operating support to 35 member and affiliate performing arts organizations in southeastern Wisconsin. The nonprofit organization will launch its annual multi-million dollar fundraising campaign in March 2008 and is regarded as the largest performing arts fund in the United States.
Bank Mutual to buy back more stock
Bank Mutual Corp announced that its board of directors approved an amendment to the company’s current stock repurchase program to increase the number of shares of its common stock that can be repurchased to 5 million.
The new allotment supersedes the previous limit of 3 million. The new program does not specify the timing of purchases or the prices to be paid.
The current stock repurchase program was originally adopted and announced on Nov. 5, 2007, and now has been amended to extend through Nov. 28, 2008.
Through Dec. 14, 2007, the company had repurchased more than 2.1 million shares, at an average per share price of $10.18. Therefore, the Company may repurchase an additional 2.9 million under the plan as amended.
“In view of the current market value of our shares, our strong capital position and capital deployment alternatives, our board has decided to expand the number of shares which we may purchase under our current repurchase program so that we can continue to use share repurchases as a method of managing our capital position. We expect to continue to use repurchases along with dividends, expansion of our banking products and services, and possible expansion of our banking franchise by acquisitions or de novo offices, as tools to manage our capital,” said Michael Crowley Jr., chairman, president and chief executive officer of Bank Mutual, the fifth-largest financial institution holding company headquartered in the state of Wisconsin.
The company’s stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “BKMU. Bank Mutual operates 77 offices in Wisconsin and one office in Minnesota.
Fitness studio launches new executive program in Lake Country
Peak Performance, a private personal training studio with two locations in Waukesha County, is launching the Peak Performance Executive Program, a private fitness program for busy Lake Country executives.
The private, by appointment only, fitness studio caters to executives by offering a complete health and wellness program, including time-efficient workouts, motivation, accountability and nutrition coaching, without crowds, waiting or “unwanted stares,” according to Doug Krueger, founder of Peak Performance.
“With our executive fitness program, results come quickly because each program is personalized to the needs of today’s busy executives and business owners. Today’s executives are more crunched for time than ever; with relentless business obligations and family needs, they rarely have the time to devote to their health and wellness. They’re looking for the same accountability they experience professionally, while receiving a complete program that fits into their lifestyle,” Krueger said.
Krueger said the program is an alternative to the health club experience by providing a personalized fitness and nutrition program in a private studio. Peak Performance also offers specific programs for adults, athletes, corporations and golfers.
The company has locations in Pewaukee and Hartland. Additional information is available at www.peakperformancewi.com.
MMSD commissioners name Cole as chairman
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) commissioners unanimously elected Preston Cole, a commissioner since 2000, as chairman of the 11-member governing body that oversees the district.
“I’m excited to lead such a distinguished group of individuals who, like me, have a passionate commitment for protecting our environment,” Cole said.
Cole is superintendent of environmental services for the City of Milwaukee and has served as chairman of the MMSD Commission Operations Committee since 2005.
River Hills Village President Robert Brunner received unanimous approval for vice chair of the commission.
Of the 11 Commissioners that run MMSD, seven are appointed by Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and subject to Milwaukee Common Council confirmation. The other four commissioners are appointed by the Intergovernmental Cooperation Council, which includes elected municipal leaders from within the district other than the City of Milwaukee.
MMSD provides wastewater treatment and flood management services for 1.1 million people in 28 communities. The district is currently working on a $1 billion overflow reduction plan that must be completed by the end of 2010.
Milwaukee Bar Association to publish magazine
The Milwaukee Bar Association (MBA) will publish a new quarterly magazine, “The MBA Messenger,” starting in January.
“The MBA Messenger” will be a 22-page magazine complete with a full-color cover and center spread. The magazine is the first of its kind for the MBA, which will be celebrating 150 years of service to the Milwaukee community in 2008.
The magazine will replace a monthly newsletter that is currently inserted and distributed in the Wisconsin Law Journal. The magazine will be mailed quarterly to all of the MBA’s 2,600 members as a member benefit.
“In conjunction with the MBA’s yearlong sesquicentennial observance, we decided that ‘The Messenger’ needed a facelift,” said editor and attorney Charles Barr. “‘The Messenger in its newsletter format has always served as the principal vehicle for the MBA’s communication with its membership. Now, as one of America’s oldest bar associations turns 150, we are trading in that vehicle for a spiffier model. The new professional, more pleasing look has already encouraged the contribution of articles from a broader segment of our membership and other non-legal professionals in the Milwaukee community.”
Editorially, The Messenger will continue to cover recent developments in the law and practice of law, but will now also include lifestyle topics, restaurant reviews, human-interest stories, practice and technology tips, and even humor.
“The content will be a combination of need-to-know and nice-to-know information for our members,” said Amy Westrup, director of communications at the MBA. “It provides our members a new way to cross-market themselves to other lawyers, and also to write about what interests them outside the law, let their hair down a bit and show some personality. We will also be accepting submissions from any professional service provider that is looking to expand its presence in the Milwaukee legal market.”
The first edition of “The MBA Messenger” magazine will land on lawyer’s desks about Jan. 31, 2008.
Marquette to launch new doctorate program for nurses
Beginning in fall 2008, graduate nursing students at Marquette University will be able to start coursework for a doctorate in nursing practice, the first such program in Wisconsin.
The DNP program will emphasize development of nursing practice expertise at the highest level, including translational research, epidemiology, informatics, health policy, statistics and professional issues. The program will require 57 graduate credits for the health care systems leadership option and 66 graduate credits for the advanced practice options in nurse midwifery, pediatrics, adults, older adults or acute care.
Some of the required courses, such as Health Care Economics, Intermediate Statistics and Mediation, will be offered through the Colleges of Business Administration, Education and Professional Studies, respectively. Students in the program will complete a two-semester capstone clinical project.
“With the increasing complexity of health care delivery and the aging of the baby boomer population, it’s more important than ever for nurses to be expertly trained to care for the patients entrusted to them by our society,” said Dr. Judy Miller, interim dean of the College of Nursing. “As health care providers continue to rely heavily on nurses for primary and specialty care, more nurses need to be prepared at the highest levels to meet that growing need. This degree program will help keep nurses at the forefront of caring for patients.”
Harley museum to receive state brownfield grant
The Harley-Davidson Museum project will receive a $1.25 million brownfield grant from the state to support environmental remediation efforts at the Milwaukee site.
The museum is being constructed on a 20-acre brownfield site in the Menomonee River Valley. The grant from the Department of Commerce will support environmental remediation costs. The museum will feature exhibit space, as well as a restaurant, retail shop, meeting space and special events facilities.
The museum is expected to attract 350,000 visitors each year, generate an estimated $78 million in annual spending to grow the local economy and bring in more than $12.3 million in annual state and local tax revenue.
“From the Harley-Davidson Museum, to Miller Park, to the Hank Aaron State Trail, to Marquette’s Athletic Fields, to the new Amtrak Intermodal Train Station, to the great businesses building and expanding, the Menomonee Valley has become a thriving economic center for this city and the entire state,” Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle said while announcing the grant Wednesday. “I’m pleased to see new energy and projects in this central city region, and I’m pleased the state can support Harley-Davidson’s vision for the Museum and commitment to revitalizing this site.”
The state has provided assistance to several other businesses throughout the Menomonee Valley, including Ziegler Bence Properties, Palermo Villa, Inc., Miller Brewing Co., Layton Boulevard West Neighbors Inc. and the Milwaukee Homeownership Consortium.
The Department of Commerce Blight Elimination and Brownfield Redevelopment (BEBR) Program provides grant funds to municipalities, local development corporations and the private sector to support assessment, remediation and return of contaminated lands to productive use.
Brownfields are abandoned, idle or underused industrial or commercial properties where redevelopment is hindered by real or perceived contamination. For more information on the department’s programs and services, visit www.commerce.wi.gov.
Curtis Industries acquires new product line
Curtis Industries, a Milwaukee-based manufacturer of electronic EMI filters and wire interconnect terminal blocks, acquired the Preo brand EMI filter line from Eastek International Inc. of Buffalo Grove, Ill.
Curtis is a division of Powers Holdings Inc. The purchase of the Preo line will give Curtis additional product offerings to augment its standard product line, according to company president Steven Powers.
“This acquisition provides us with a South East Asia manufacturing site that will add to our Nogales, Sonora, Mexico and Milwaukee manufacturing sites,” Powers said. “We’ve also added one of the largest worldwide distributors to our network of distributors selling Curtis products.”
The acquired line of filters will enable Curtis to further expand its market share, Powers said.
