Ideas

Ripon Printers in Ripon has acquired certain business interests of Sells Printing Company in New Berlin.

A panel of accomplished female business leaders will share their insights at the 2012 BizTimes Women in Business Breakfast, which also will feature the presentation of the BizTimes Woman Executive of the Year to Gail Lione.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee named Magda Peck the inaugural dean of the Joseph Zilber School of Public Health last October. Construction of the school's building in the former Pabst Brewery complex is nearing completion, and Peck recently started her duties as dean.

Menomonee Falls-based Actuant Corp. has recently implemented a management development program for its new employees.

Shouldn’t mission statements be exciting and compelling? Isn’t a mission all about heart and emotion, about caring and helping, about being human?

Congress has given many business owners an incredible tax bonus by increasing the lifetime gift tax exemption amount to more than $5 million, but only until the end of this year. Barring additional legislative action, that exemption will expire and be reduced to only $1 million. This gift tax exemption level provides many business owners an unprecedented opportunity to pass on the family business free of exposure to wealth transfer taxes.

Author Ritch Eich has recognized that motivation and direction from company leaders has become the next victim to the economic recession.

Question:

"What do you think about this situation? An executive received notification of his bonus based on his company's 2011 performance. Angered and upset that it was so small, he sent an e-mail to his wife complaining bitterly about how hard he had worked, how under-appreciated he is, etc. The coup de grace is the 'paltry' bonus was 'only' $300,000! To make a long story, short, the executive hit 'reply all' and sent the message to a bunch of people he didn't mean to and is now under criticism for his greed and insensitivity. The company has lost money the past few years and is currently downsizing and restructuring."

I recently attended the American Heart Association's Heart Ball, and asked my ballroom dance partner to be my guest. I thought with the Eddie Butts Band playing, how much more fun could it be than to dance all night long?

The Milwaukee Job Corps Center celebrated its first class of graduates in January, just one year after the school began accepting students.