Ideas

Waterford-based Runzheimer International, a global leader in Total Employee Mobility solutions, has acquired Canadian GPS technology firm SatLogix Inc., an innovator of vehicle mileage tracking devices and cloud-based mileage management platforms.

Data Dimensions, a Janesville-based producer of business process automation (BPA) solutions, announced it has acquired Data Exchange Center Inc. located in Brown Deer.

Investment managers are becoming less positive on the U.S. economy and corporate earnings due to the expected negative impact of a recession in Europe and slower growth in China, according to a survey conducted in the second quarter by Northern Trust Bank.

Chicago-based Taylor Capital Group Inc. announced that Cole Taylor Bank is expanding its commercial banking business into southeastern Wisconsin through the opening of a new office in Franklin.

Hartland-based Town Bank plans to open a new office in a freestanding building in The Woodlands Market retail center in Menomonee Falls. The bank will hold a grand opening in the late summer or early fall.

The median asking price for Milwaukee companies listed on BizBuySell.com dropped to $259,500 in the second quarter, down 5.6 percent from a year ago.

Northern Trust Bank has appointed Carl Tannenbaum, a banking industry leader in economics and risk management, as its chief economist.

Dennis Ellmaurer recently wrote an article that appeared in the May 14–27 edition of Biz Times entitled, “You Can’t Help But Ask: Are CEO’s idiots?” Talk about an attention grabber! Mr. Ellmaurer went on to cite several examples of once highly-successful companies that failed…companies like Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company, Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company, and Midwest Express Airlines to name a few. The balance of his article stated several reasons why these companies failed including “Bad Strategy, Rotten Execution”, and “People (in wrong jobs).” However, the caption “The Reality Check” caught my eye and provided the spark to write this article. In this caption, Mr. Ellmaurer states, “my guess is the CEO’s of some of these failed companies would have been better served with a strong board of directors that knew when and how to challenge the strategic thinking of the CEO.”

Hot Water Products, a Milwaukee water heating products company, has acquired American Mechanical Services, a Milwaukee steam products company.

Palermo's Pizza workers will vote July 27 on whether to form a union, the NLRB decided last week.