Economic Development

The metropolitan Milwaukee area averaged 855,000 nonfarm jobs in October, up 2.3 percent over October 2013, which outpaces both state (1.2 percent) and national (2 percent) job gains over the same time period, according to a new report from the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.

The IRS recently announced increases to the contribution limits on retirement plans for tax year 2015. The higher limits provide an opportunity for savers to accelerate pre-tax contributions to their retirement plans. An employee aged 50 or older will be able to make pre-tax contributions of as much as $24,000 ($18,000 plus a $6,000 catch-up contribution) into some of the more common types of qualified retirement plans starting next year.

Milwaukee-based Douglas Dynamics Inc. announced it has agreed to acquire Manchester, Iowa-based Henderson for about $95 million.

The YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee on Sunday filed its debtors' joint plan of reorganization in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

Grafton-based Microbrush International has acquired the Dry Tips product line from Swedish surgical and wound product manufacturer Molnlycke Health Care.

William Bertha, president of U.S. Bank in Milwaukee, has received the 2014 Martin F. Stein Champion for Children Award from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee.

Glendale-based global manufacturer Johnson Controls Inc. today held a fiscal 2015 forecast and mid-term financial outlook in which it predicted record profits in fiscal 2015.

BMO Financial Group, the Canadian parent company of BMO Harris Bank, today reported fiscal 2014 net income of $3.8 billion, or $5.62 per share, up from $3.7 billion, or $5.41 per share, in 2013.

Wisconsin banks reported combined net income of $726 million through the end of the third quarter, down from $736 million year-to-date in the third quarter of 2013, according to the Quarterly Banking Profile released today by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Milwaukee-based Brady Corp. reported fiscal 2015 first quarter net earnings of $13.6 million, or 25 cents per share, down from $24 million, or 44 cents per share, in the first quarter of 2014.