von Briesen & Roper S.C.
von Briesen & Roper, Milwaukee, recently announced that 11 of its attorneys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2008. The selected attorneys include: Michael Carlton, environmental law; David Cisar, banking, bankruptcy and creditor-debtor rights law; Catherine Conway, employee benefits law; Randall Crocker, bankruptcy and creditor-debtor rights law; George Evans, Jr., trusts and estates; Lisa Gingerich, health care law; Thomas Guszkowski, tax law; Beth Kushner, commercial litigation; Robert Loots, trusts and estates; Timothy McDonald, employee benefits law and William Taibl, banking law.
Plunkett Raysich Architects
Plunkett Raysich Architects recently unveiled a new land planning studio with a range of services to help municipalities, private developers and campuses plan for the future. The services include: community workshops, sustainability feasibility studies, tax incremental financing (TIF) strategy development, parking and transportation plan development, streetscape plans and storm water design review, environmental site analysis review, urban design and/or signage guidelines, and permit application and grant services. PRA has already successfully completed a strategic plan for Marathon County that was adopted by the Marathon County Board only two months after completion.
The Raabe Company
The Raabe Company LLC, Menomonee Falls, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quest Specialty Chemicals, Inc. has named the McFarland Group, Elm Gove, as its marketing agency of record. McFarland Group will handle marketing, web advertising, public relations and event marketing for the Raabe Company.
100 Monkeys
100 Monkeys, Wauwatosa, recently received Milwaukee Ballet’s Pas de Deux Award. The Ballet presents this award annually to companies that have significantly supported the ballet in a variety of ways throughout the season. Since 2006, 100 Monkeys has worked with Milwaukee Ballet to develop and implement a relationship-based strategic marketing plan. Heading into the fall season facing an uncertain economic marketplace, the ballet’s future looks strong with subscription numbers up 130 seats over last year. Of special note, the ballet has already captured more than 400 new subscribers, nearly matching the last two seasons combined at this same point in time.
Finn Digital LLC
The International Academy of Visual Arts recently presented Finn Digital LLC, Milwaukee, with a 2008 W3 Silver Award for the design and development of the Briggs & Stratton “My Dream Backyard” contest microsite. The W3 Awards honors outstanding websites, web marketing, and web videos created by interactive agencies and marketing professionals worldwide, and is the first major competition to be accessible to agencies of all sizes, both nationally and internationally. The awards are organized by the International Academy of Visual Arts and sponsored by Ad Age Magazine.
Finn Digital partnered with Briggs & Stratton Corporation and LittleWood Inc. to design and develop the interactive contest microsite that showcased six-themed prize packages featuring over 80 products, with big-ticket items in each prize package featured each month.
Ken Cook Co.
Ken Cook Co., Milwaukee, was recently presented with a 2008 Innovation Award for BookBuilder on boatpubs.com from the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Boating Writers International (BWI) at the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference in Miami. The Innovation Awards, organized by NMMA and judged by BWI, recognize products that best meet the following criteria: Innovative distinction from other products currently being manufactured; benefit to the marine industry and/or consumer; practicality; cost-effectiveness; and availability to the consumer within 60 days of award receipt. Ten companies won awards from a total of 68 new products entered in this year’s IBEX Innovation Awards program.
The BookBuilder interactive subscription web site tool from Ken Cook Co. offers boat builders the ability to create a complete owner manual (which is required for export to the European Union) online, from anywhere in the world with internet access. The manual can be customized for individual boat models, include schematics and layouts, create a brand-specific custom cover, translated in the language of the target market and then print, ship and deliver it within 24-48 hours.
Acuity
Acuity, Sheboygan, was recently recognized as one of the top 10 easiest companies for independent agents to do business with by Deep Customer Connections (DCC) Inc. More than 7,400 independent agents assessed the performance of over 250 property and casualty carriers in DCC’s 2008 Ease of Doing Business (EDB) survey. In the survey, agents rated the importance of 11 “EDB Factors,” including underwriting responsiveness, prompt claims handling, providing effective technology, acting with the agency’s needs in mind, and others, and then evaluated insurers’ performance in those categories. According to DCC, a carrier’s EDB performance substantially affects agency productivity and profitability as well as the quality of agents’ work lives.
F. Dohmen Co.
F. Dohmen Co. recently announced it will make contributions totaling $750,000 to two Wisconsin organizations. Through The F. Dohmen Co. Foundation, the Wisconsin Historical Society will receive $250,000 while the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy will receive $500,000 in the form of student scholarships. Half of the UW donation will go to the pharmacy practice division, and the rest will be committed to the pharmaceutical sciences division.
Cream City Foundation
The Cream City Foundation recently announced Clarence Germershausen’s legacy gift of $400,000. The bequest to southeastern Wisconsin’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) movement is the largest gift to the Cream City Foundation in its 26-year history. Germerhausen’s gift will be invested in Cream City Foundation’s Mission Fund where only the interest growth from the fund will be available for efforts to create a more respectful and fair community, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The structure of the gift ensures a permanent financial source for LGBT funding. When Germershausen died, he made sure that the work he cared about in his life would continue, leaving the vast majority of his estate to Cream City Foundation – a community foundation focusing on serving LGBT rights.
The Iron Horse Hotel
The Iron Horse Hotel, Milwaukee’s newest boutique hotel, has become the official hotel of the Milwaukee Iron, an arenafootball2 (af2) team making its inaugural debut early this Spring at the Bradley Center. The partnership includes visiting team accommodations and The Iron Horse Hotel playing host to Milwaukee Iron media events. Milwaukee Iron fans and seasonal ticket holders are also able to call The Iron Horse Hotel home on game nights, taking advantage of special rates and packages throughout the af2 season.
