Ideas

Generation Growth Capital Fund I, LP, a Milwaukee-based private equity fund, has acquired Mica Tool & Manufacturing Inc. of Mukwonago.

Brookfield-based Fiserv Inc. has acquired Open Solutions Inc., a provider of collaborative, enterprise core account processing technology for financial institutions.

U.S. Bancorp reported record full-year net income of $5.6 billion in 2012, up 15.9 percent from 2011.

Chicago-based Northern Trust Corp., the parent company of Northern Trust Bank, reported fourth quarter net income of $167.7 million, or 69 cents per share, up from $130.2 million, or 53 cents per share, in the same period a year ago.

Steve Booth has been promoted to chief operating officer and will eventually serve as chief executive officer and president of Milwaukee-based Robert W. Baird & Co Inc.

The River Revitalization Foundation (RRF), Milwaukee's urban rivers land trust, has closed on the purchase of an additional riverfront property on Riverboat Road with assistance from The Conservation Fund's Land Trust Loan Program.

Brown Deer-based Bank Mutual Corp. reported fourth quarter net income of $2.3 million, or 5 cents per share, up from $1.4 million, or 3 cents per share, in the same period a year ago.

Associated Banc-Corp, the Green Bay-based parent company of Associated Bank, reported fourth quarter net income $45 million, or 26 cents per share, up from $40 million, or 23 cents per share, in the same period a year ago.

Milwaukee Tool Corp. is expanding its research and development center in Brookfield with a $6 million investment and a commitment to create 128 new jobs.

Many people think that growing their business will eventually lead to happiness, but surprisingly; it's the other way around. Research over the past few years quantifies the link between happiness and corporate outcomes, reporting that unhappiness has a direct correlation with lower productivity.