Ideas

Weyco Group Inc. announced fourth quarter net earnings of $7.7 million, or 71 cents per share, up from $5.5 million, or 50 cents per share, in the same period a year ago.

Stress can cause massive physical changes in the body. When we perceive a threat, the body floods with stress hormones and our adrenalin accelerates the body's ability to respond rapidly. Heart rate and breathing increase, muscles tense and we sweat more as the body goes into "fight or flight" mode to deal with the perceived danger.

Eight Wisconsin companies were awarded Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Awards Thursday night.

Strong leadership is more than a competitive advantage. It separates world-class companies from the rest.

HellermannTyton has completed the renovations of its new Milwaukee manufacturing facility but is still having difficulty hiring enough skilled workers to fill it.

Question:

“I’m part of a team that’s been challenged by management to pick up the pace. No one disputes the need for us to do a better job. We aren’t very cohesive. There are strained relationships and grudges that aren’t left behind. Our meetings don’t settle anything. A few people do all the talking. Being told to, ‘fix it,’ hasn’t really helped matters. We seem to be spinning our wheels, especially in the communication area. Can you offer some suggestions for getting us pointed in the right direction?”

Manufacturers are responsible for finding a solution to the skills gap and taking ownership of the future of their industry.

"Dear Joan:

Michael Wiggins Jr., tribal chairman of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, says his tribe “will do whatever it takes” as a sovereign nation to stop a proposed iron mine near its reservation, including taking the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

A new graduate degree program at Marquette University is preparing its students for a long-term career in health care information technology, an area of the health care industry seeing significant change as hospitals and providers work to improve outdated systems and embrace electronic medical records.