Super angel investor Tom Shannon meets with the CEO of Somna Therapeutics, a recent spinout from the Medical College of Wisconsin, every Monday morning to go over an activity report. He and CEO Nick Maris look at what got done the previous week, what needs to happen in the coming week and progress against critical milestones as they prepare to bring to market a device for the control of acid reflux.

Major national architectural firms will handle the design work for the new office tower that Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. plans to build at its downtown Milwaukee corporate headquarters campus.

Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer Inc., which plans to build several stores in the Milwaukee area, has dropped its plans for a store in Franklin, the city’s director of administration Mark Luberda said.

The Milwaukee area industrial real estate market’s vacancy rate dipped from 6.6 percent in the third quarter to 6.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to the latest market report from Cassidy Turley (the national affiliate for Milwaukee-based Cassidy Turley Barry). The region's industrial space vacancy rate remains well below the national average.

Last week Exhibit Systems completed its move from Menomonee Falls to a larger production and office facility in Brookfield.

Pawn America, a growing Burnsville, Minn. -based second-hand retailer, will open its first Milwaukee-area store in West Allis on Feb. 1.
The store is located at 7530 W. Lincoln Ave. in the former Moline Jewelry & Loan location.

Judson & AssociatesInnovative Fiber LLC leased 5,000 square feet of space at 206 Enterprise Road, Suite 200, from Proverbs...

Judson & Associates2120 Partners Wisconsin LLC purchased a 40,000-square-foot office building at 2120 Pewaukee Road, Waukesha, from Foundations Bank.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance announced today that the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center has commenced the stabilization of Ward Memorial Theater, in the National Soldiers Home National Historic Landmark District in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee-based Siegel Gallagher Inc. has promoted senior vice president John Kuhn to principal and director of the firm’s retail...

David Kane has been named the new president of Milwaukee-based Badger Mutual Insurance Company.

Illinois' $500 million general obligation bond sale that was scheduled to price on Wednesday has been postponed, said a market source.