Ideas

Close to half of Wisconsin business owners and executives recently surveyed believe that offering flexible work hours is among the best strategies to retain top talent.

GE Healthcare Monitoring Solutions will lay off 90 employees from its location at 8200 W. Tower Ave. in Milwaukee.

Brookfield-based Systems & Programming Solutions Inc. and its subsidiary, Best Way Technologies, have sold their assets to French mail solutions, communication and logistics provider Neopost. The name SPSI has been changed to ProShip Inc. in the transaction.

Oconomowoc-based First Bank Financial Centre recently received the SBA Lender of the Year Award at the Wisconsin Lenders Conference.

Kenosha-based tool manufacturer Snap-on Inc. has acquired substantially all of the assets of Pro-Cut International Inc. for about $42 million in cash.

Brookfield-based tax and accounting firm Kosler & Co., S.C., Certified Public Accountants and Business Consultants has been acquired by Madison-based SVA Certified Public Accountants S.C.

Menomonee Falls-based Actuant Corp. has acquired Sugar Land, Texas-based Hayes Industries Ltd. for about $31 million.

Baker Tilly Investment Advisors LP has changed its name to Bronfman E.L. Rothschild L.P.

Online retailers have a distinct advantage in the marketplace when compared to local, Wisconsin-based businesses. They are essentially being subsidized by an outdated, pre-Internet sales tax loophole that allows them to avoid what should be their responsibility to collect and remit Wisconsin's sales tax.

Racine-based Modine Manufacturing Co. reported fiscal fourth quarter net earnings of $119.7 million, or $2.49 per share, up from a loss of $1.6 million, or 4 cents lost per share, in the fourth quarter of 2013.