Industries

Area home buyers hibernated in February as bitter cold weather hit the region. Home sales in the four-county metro Milwaukee area were down 10.1 percent in February compared to February of 2013, according to the latest report from the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors.

Waukesha-based OnCourse Learning Corp. has been acquired by New York private equity firm CIP capital.

Greenfield-based sign manufacturer and manager Everbrite LLC has acquired the assets of Tucson, Ariz-based Fluoresco Lighting-Sign Maintenance Corp.

Milwaukee-based Joy Global Inc. reported fiscal first quarter net earnings of $48.8 million, or 48 cents per share, down from $142.1 million, or $1.34 per share, in the first quarter of 2013.

Mequon-based Milwaukee Private Wealth Management Inc. is planning to appoint its own candidates to the board of Coppell, Texas-based ALCO Stores Inc. at the company's 2014 annual meeting.

Brookfield-based GSF Mortgage, in response to increasingly prominent cases of credit fraud, has introduced a product to closely monitor credit for three months.

Waukesha-based Waukesha State Bank has appointed Jody Rupple Lowe to its board of directors.

Milwaukee-based investment bank Grace Matthews Inc. has completed the sale of Weston, Mich. chemical manufacturer Silbond Holdings LLC to Evonik Industries AG.

The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. announced today that its President and CEO, Brendan L. Hoffman, will resign when his contract ends in February 2015.

The Blind Horse Restaurant and Winery announced today that the grand opening for the winery will be April 25-27.