Telkonet names Stark CFO
Waukesha-based home automation product manufacturer Telkonet Inc. announced F. John Stark III has been named chief financial officer.
He replaces Gene Mushrush. A company representative was not available to explain Mushrush’s departure.
Stark’s initial employment agreement stretches from Monday to Dec. 31, 2016, and will automatically renew unless it is terminated by either party. He will be paid a base salary of $175,000, plus bonuses and benefits based on Telkonet’s internal policies and its incentive and benefit plans.
Stark, 56, has more than 20 years of experience. He has practiced law at Briggs and Morgan in Minneapolis, served as chief operating officer and general counsel of a company through an IPO, led investment groups both in selling and purchasing businesses, and served as a director for several companies. Most recently, Stark was managing principal at Water Tower Capital LLC. He holds a bachelor’s from Wabash College and a juris doctor degree from Vanderbilt University.
Ansay & Assoc. acquires Koehler Insurance
Port Washington-based Ansay & Associates LLC, a regional insurance and benefit solutions agency, announced that it has acquired Cedarburg-based Koehler Insurance.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Koehler Insurance is a family owned independent insurance agency with personal and commercial insurance customers in Wisconsin.
The Koehler Insurance staff in Cedarburg will be retained, according to Ansay & Assoc.
With the acquisition, Ansay & Associates now has more than 200 employees, and nine offices which, in addition to Cedarburg, also includes Port Washington, West Bend, Manitowoc, Fox Valley, Green Bay, Madison, Mosinee and Burlington.
Waukesha manufacturer lays off 60
MetalTek International laid off 60 employees on Nov. 12 at its Wisconsin Centrifugal Division located in Waukesha. Those employees, which consisted of shop and office employees, equated to 13 percent of the company’s Waukesha workforce, according to human resources manager Dave Harris.
A company statement said the layoffs are due to a reduced demand for products and a broad softness in industrial markets driven by low oil prices, unfavorable exchange rates, and a declining Chinese economy.
MetalTek does not know how long the layoff might last, but is hopeful that the laid-off employees can be called back as market conditions improve.
The Wisconsin Centrifugal Division now has 412 employees. Harris said the Waukesha-based MetalTek has more than a thousand employees worldwide.
Serving customers in more than 35 countries, MetalTek is a supplier of alloy components for high-temperature, wear, and corrosion environments and high-compliance industries.
Master Z’s owner buys adjacent site for future expansion
JML Holdings recently purchased 1.28 acres on Sunset Drive just west of Master Z’s current location at 1000 Sunset Dr. in Waukesha.
JML Holdings is owned by Jim Lindenberg, the owner and president of Master Z’s LLC and Legends of the Field. JML Holdings currently owns the 15,000-square-foot Master Z’s store on Sunset Drive and a 25,000-square-foot warehouse on Spring City Drive in Waukesha.
Lindenberg said this additional purchase of 1.28 acres next door will allow Master Z’s/Legends of the Field to continue to grow and expand. There are no immediate plans to add on to the current Master Z’s store, but he anticipates about a 15,000-square-foot addition in one to two years.
Master Z’s is a rec room supply store that specializes in bar stools, billiards, bobbleheads, darts, foosball, pool tables, patio furniture, sports memorabilia, and other gaming.
Legends of the Field is a sports memorabilia store with locations in Greenfield and Delafield.
Dwyer family to raise funds for Sojourner Family Peace Center
The family of Kelly Dwyer is preserving Kelly’s memory with a fundraising initiative that will support Sojourner Family Peace Center with up to $20,000 to start.
Kelly, who spent her childhood in Chicago, moved to Milwaukee in 2007. She went missing in October 2013 at age 27. In May, her body was discovered in Jefferson County. No cause of death could be determined.
In place of a memorial service, the Dwyer family has established The Kelly Dwyer Memorial Peace Project to back the Sojourner Family Peace Center, which helps individuals and families trying to escape and recover from domestic violence.
Kelly’s father, Tony Dwyer, has announced that the family will match every donation for the first $10,000 collected.
Donations are being accepted online or via mail at Sojourner Foundation, PO Box 080319, Milwaukee, WI 53208.
Transfer Pizzeria Cafe expanding
The owners of Transfer Pizzeria Café have purchased the building next door to the popular Mitchell Street restaurant and are planning to expand sometime next year.
Since opening in March 2008, Transfer, 101 W. Mitchell St., has experienced significant growth with 15 percent revenue increases annually and up to two-hour wait times on Saturday nights, said Russell Rossetto, one of the restaurant’s owners.
Rossetto and his twin brother, John, purchased the building at 107 W. Mitchell St., in July 2014 to explore the possibility of expanding the restaurant’s kitchen and event space. The new building would add 2,179 square feet to the restaurant.
The brothers are also thinking about expanding the restaurant’s delivery service – pizza is currently delivered by bike messenger. If delivery service is expanded, Rossetto is worried dining room wait times will increase if the restaurant is not larger.
