The Business Journal-Milwaukee articles from October 1999

The Business Journal-Milwaukee archives from October 1999

Years of neglect give way to action on Fond du Lac Ave.(urban renewal in Milwaukee)(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... The heart of Milwaukee's central city is about to undergo overdue surgery to fix clogged traffic arteries and broken economic development promises. The neighborhood has undergone five years of painstaking examinations and 30 years of...

Low prices may flatten yeast probe.(Universal Foods Corp., price fixing investigation)(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... Back when Richard Danko worked at Universal Foods Corp., disgruntled bread bakers occasionally called the company when the company raised its prices on yeast. The bakers would call Tom Degnan, who headed the Milwaukee company's Red Star...

Big Gig hits a big snag.(Summerfest event in Milwaukee)(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... Summerfest advised to reject city offer of bonding until lease is signed Financial consultants are advising Summerfest-officials to reject an offer by the city of Milwaukee to provide $20 million to $30 million in city-backed bonds to...

Keyes to lead NAM.(James Keyes; National Association of Manufacturers)(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... James Keyes, chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson Controls Inc., is climbing to the top post at the National Association of Manufacturers. The board of the Washington, D.C., trade group planned to elect Keyes as its chairman...

Best sponsor.(Michael Best and Friedrich to co-sponsor awards program)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... Virchow Krause & Co. has taken on a new partner, Milwaukee-based law firm Michael Best & Friedrich, to share sponsorship of the Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Awards. "We were looking for someone with a large manufacturing client...

Somewhere west of Jersey.(magazine's wrong location listing for Milwaukee lounge)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... A national magazine has recognized Milwaukee's Hi Hat Lounge as the hottest spot in town; but they're not sure exactly what town it's in. In Style Magazine lists the Hi Hat, 1701 N. Arlington Place at East Brady Street, in the "Hot...

CORRECTIONS & AMPLIFICATIONS.(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... Simplicity Hourly workers at Simplicity Manufacturing Inc. voted 274-to-1 on Oct. 16 to reject a labor contract with the Port Washington manufacturer. A story in the Oct. 22 issue of The Business Journal provided an incorrect result.

Police raise funds for $4.5 million community center on north side.(Milwaukee)(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... To make the point that it is not just a program for "kids playing basketball," the Milwaukee Police Athletic League (PAL) is proposing a $4.5 million multipurpose recreation and community center for the city's north side. The...

Exec-PC offering TV Internet.(Voyager.netTV)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... Exec-PC Inc., the Internet service provider to nearly 100,000 Wisconsin subscribers, this week began marketing an Internet service that can be accessed through a television set rather than a computer. Voyager.net TV is being offered by...

Aqua-Chem names new CEO.(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... David Tenniswood, a manufacturing executive with an operations background, has replaced Jeffrey Miller as president and chief executive officer of Aqua-Chem Inc. Miller remains Aqua-Chem's chairman and still owns a large stake in the...

Struggling HMOs look for relief from state.
October 29, 1999... Wisconsin HMOs stand to get a 3 percent rate increase for participating in the state's two health insurance programs for low-income families in the years 2000 and 2001. Whether the pay raise will be enough to keep HMOs in the state-run...

Order backlog may fuel rebound at Twin Disc.(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... After seeing his company take a beating for the past year, Michael Batten is confident the worst is over. Batten, chairman and chief executive officer of Twin Disc Inc., has endured the Asian economic crisis, which has directly and...

Low market penetration fuels Internet competition.(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... More Internet service providers (ISPs) are tapping into the Milwaukee market, attracted by the area's relatively low Internet penetration rate. WebCombo Inc. plans to roll out a major marketing campaign in November to let Milwaukeeans...

Cancer study holds up Delphi contract.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... Members of the United Auto Workers union who work at Delphi Automotive Systems Corp.'s catalytic converter plant in Oak Greek will vote Nov. 2 on a new local labor contract. Earlier this month, UAW members ratified a national contract...

Labor shortage forces Cedarburg nursing home to halt admissions.
October 29, 1999... Lasata Care Center, a Cedarburg nursing home, has halted new admissions because it doesn't have enough staff to take care of more elderly patients, the home's administrator says. "We want to keep the quality of care at a high level, and...

Stealth bear market marauds more than small stocks.(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... Charles Rinaldi isn't afraid to say it: Bear. The stocks in his portfolio at the Strong Funds have been in a bear market since fourth-quarter 1997. That seems almost impossible, with a stock market that has climbed more than 2,000 points...

State bank stocks earn no respect from investors.(Statistical Data Included)
October 29, 1999... In theory, it should be simple to predict when a company's stock price will rise. Show solid and continually improving earnings and investors will reward the performance with a higher stock price. Throw in a stock repurchase program and...

Audio book chain sees money in Milwaukee's snarled traffic.
October 29, 1999... From most perspectives, urban sprawl and traffic congestion are problems. But in the audio book industry, they pose promising revenue opportunities. That's why Dr. Keith Bauer, a Wauwatosa clinical psychologist, will open an Earful of...

Universal Foods settles one suit.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... Universal Foods Corp. has settled a defamation lawsuit against one former employee, but is still pursuing a similar suit against another. The Milwaukee food ingredients maker said Julie Adams, who worked at the firm from 1994 to 1997,...

Mukwonago to get FM radio station.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... A new commercial radio station based in Mukwonago is expected to hit the airwaves within three years to serve southwestern Waukesha County and surrounding areas. The station, to broadcast at 105.3 FM, was part of an auction earlier this...

Pyan starts new hedge fund.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... A money manager who recently split from J.E. Liss & Co., Milwaukee, has started a hedge fund in Brookfield. Harlan Pyan founded Maverage Capital Management in August. The firm will run Windlake Partnership Fund L.P Since opening the...

Warm fuzzy portfolios.
October 29, 1999... Capital Investment Services draws analogies between investments, tailors and thermostats If you listened only to the analogies, you would think Capital Investment Services of America Inc. makes fine suits for its customers and is picky...

Look, up in the sky, it's a still-vacant `super tower'.
October 29, 1999... The steel wingspan of Milwaukee's new digital television "super tower" rises mightily above the city's northeast side -- the structure is visible from Interstate 43 near Capitol Drive -- but its power to attract tenants has been more like...

Well-suited.
October 29, 1999... Suiter's Ltd. sees opportunity in shrinking market for menswear Bruce Magnuson was in the right place at the right time. While shopping for a new suit at Baskin, formerly a national chain of upscale men's clothing stores, the store...

Taking pride in your work.(Brief Article)
October 29, 1999... JEFFREY CLARK President and chief executive officer Production Stamping Corp. Milwaukee Jeffrey Clark can't decide which accomplishment he is most proud of, but he knows it happened in June. That month was the busiest and most...

Bouncing back.
October 29, 1999... Use job loss to reassess strengths and to pursue new career options Faced with the loss of his company last year, Ken Jaglinski used the opportunity not just to find a new job, but a new career. When Aurora Health Care consolidated...

Keep your customer close, your customer's customer closer.
October 29, 1999... More is written on the subject of successful selling technique than any other in the field of marketing. Everyone wants to know how to close the sale. In the traditional selling process, the relationship between buyer and seller has...

Ask Jeffrey questions about sales, and you get real answers.
October 29, 1999... Answers. Salespeople want answers. Here are a few of the answers to questions I get in the mail--fax, e-and snail. The purpose of this column is threefold. First to give you a sampling of what people ask, second to assure you that you are...

Self-awareness improves office ergonomics.
October 29, 1999... Like most people, I've heard a lot over the last few years about the subject of ergonomics: the design of furniture I and equipment so people can use it without developing problems like carpal-tunnel syndrome. The trouble was, I only went...

Midwest 100 Regional Stock Analysis.
October 29, 1999... Midwest 100 Regional Stock Analysis Results for week ended Oct.26 TOP 10 PRICE GAINERS Company Close % change Advantage Learning $ 24.00 40.1 Bone Care 11.88...

HIGHEST MILWAUKEE-AREA DIRECTORS' FEES.
October 29, 1999... HIGHEST MILWAUKEE-AREA DIRECTORS' FEES Jan Basina Company Address, Telephone Web site 1 Manpower Inc. 5301 N. Ironwood...

ANR resorts to in-your-face tactics.
October 29, 1999... ANR Pipeline Co. is making few friends these days as the natural gas transportation and storage company hurls accusations at state regulators and its largest Midwest customer in an attempt to preserve its 50-year-old grip on southeastern...

Agents launch counterattack on Geico.
October 29, 1999... Insurance agents are preparing to launch an advertising campaign to reclaim an image of trustworthy and essential members of the insurance industry -- an image they say was marred by Geico Direct commercials that aired since 1997. The...

Life insurance after death.
October 29, 1999... Holly Wild carries on agency after husband's fatal heart attack Amid the plaques, photos and certificates hanging on the wall of the Holly B. Wild Insurance Agency is a framed quotation that's been there for years but whose message is...

Agencies address barriers to insuring Hispanics.
October 29, 1999... Language cited as major reason many Hispanics lack health insurance Orlando Quintanilla observes the emotions some members of the non-English speaking community express when his south side agency helps them obtain health insurance. One...

The state of fraternals.
October 29, 1999... Fraternal societies have declined, but still thrive in Wisconsin A Milwaukee insurance company bought an electronic communication device for the child of one of its policyholders. That wouldn't be extraordinary, but the insurance...

Insurers drive up term life rates.
October 29, 1999... Bad driving records among 'risky' practices that impact new underwriting standards Motorists know that developing a bad driving record increases the difficulty of acquiring auto insurance. Now, a car owner who is accident-prone or drives...

LARGEST FRATERNAL BENEFIT SOCIETIES OPERATING IN WISCONSIN.
October 29, 1999... LARGEST FRATERNAL BENEFIT SOCIETIES OPERATING IN WISCONSIN Jan Basina Name Headquarters address Telephone/fax Web site 1 AAL/Aid Association for Lutherans ...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.
October 29, 1999... ADVERTISING/PUBLIC RELATIONS Jill Blazek has been named to the position of vice president/account supervisor for Blue Horse Inc., Milwaukee. Blazek joined Blue Horse in 1998 as an account supervisor, responsible for managing advertising...

State should reform budget process.
October 29, 1999... The state's budget process is broken and needs a complete overhaul. Consider how the system broke down this year. Democratic and Republican conferees huddled behind closed doors for three months, adding and subtracting nonmonetary...

Bring on the gas pipeline competition.
October 29, 1999... I read with interest the guest comment in The Business Journal Oct. 8 by Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce president Timothy Sheehy on the benefits of the Guardian Pipeline. As a fellow organization whose small-business...

Big money is absolutely corrupting our political system.
October 29, 1999... Campaign finance reform is again on the table in the state Legislature. But once again, it looks like simple cosmetic surgery with no meaningful change to the underlying system. As a 40-year Republican, I'm ashamed of my party's refusal...

Light must be shed on medical errors.
October 29, 1999... Every now and again, we hear of well-intended medical care gone awry. Tragic stories of wrong-site surgery or medication error can cause us to question our own safety as consumers of health care and to wonder, "how could this have happened?"....

GE Medical Systems (2).(to use Internet-based electronic commerce service to aid health care providers)(Brief Article)
October 22, 1999... GE Medical Systems, Waukesha, launched a major initiative to help boost productivity and efficiency for health care providers using an Internet-based series of electronic commerce offerings. The Web address is www.gemedicalsystems.com.

Janesville site for $18 million auto parts plant.
October 22, 1999... An $18 million automobile parts storage, assembly and distribution plant will be constructed in Janesville to serve the General Motors Corp. truck plant in the city. The 700,000-square-foot plant is being built at 2729 Venture Drive in...

Investor presses for Ladish sale.
October 22, 1999... Illinois firm seeks to boost Cudahy company's value The largest investor in Ladish Co. Inc. is pressing the Cudahy metal-forging firm to take steps to boost its languishing stock price, including the possible sale of the company. ...

Medical Associates shops for 'partner'.
October 22, 1999... Medical Associates Health Centers, one of few remaining independent physician group practices in southeastern Wisconsin, is shopping for a partner. Medical Associates president Dr. Clyde Chumbley said he has had discussions in the past...

Beach bunnies on bikes.
October 22, 1999... Marketing executives at Trek Bicycle Corp., Waterloo, are basking in the bright television lights of their promotional efforts on the beaches of California. Trek just signed a deal with producers of the syndicated television program...

All dolled up.
October 22, 1999... Shareholders in Bando McGlocklin Capital Corp. are getting a discount on dolls. The Pewaukee real estate investment trust's fall investor included a coupon of sorts, entitling each shareholder to two high-end Lee Middleton Dolls at half...

Channel 4 lands Dr. Laura.
October 22, 1999... Dr. Laura is expanding her multimedia empire to television, and her Milwaukee colony will be WTMJ-TV (Channel 4). Laura Schlessinger, the sharp-tongued host of a nationwide personal advice radio show and writer of a syndicated newspaper...

Guarding the scholarships.
October 22, 1999... Milwaukee Bucks star shooting guard Ray Allen hopes to turn on the offense for the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund, which was founded by Miller Brewing Co. more than a decade ago. The Milwaukee brewer has enlisted Allen, who starred in...

Klotsche to Brennan.
October 22, 1999... Allan Klotsche, 59, is the new vice chairman and chief operating officer of T. E. Brennan Co., a Milwaukee-based risk management and employee benefits consulting firm. The new job means a return to Milwaukee for Klotsche, who spent the...

Simplicity, union call in federal mediator in contract talks.
October 22, 1999... Simplicity Manufacturing Inc. and the Machinists union have called in a federal mediator during contract negotiations, less than a week after union members overwhelmingly rejected a labor contract with the Port Washington lawnmower-maker. ...

Golf course, condos sprout at site of former nursery.
October 22, 1999... Ground will be broken in November on The Preserve at Deer Creek, a $20 million to $30 million housing and golf course complex north of New Berlin Eisenhower High School. The site at 14300 W. Howard Ave. is being developed by members of...

JetBlue targets Milwaukee.(JetBlue Airways plans to offer service to NYC)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 22, 1999... Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport is high on the list of locations where JetBlue Airways plans to introduce its discounted flights to New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport. If JetBlue's January 2000...

Expansion fuels revenue growth for Potawatomi.(Potawatomi Bingo and Casino)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 22, 1999... A month after the Potawatomi Bingo & Casino opened two dozen blackjack tables and added 800 slot machines, it is showing revenue growth of better Than 150 percent over the same month a year ago, according to a source close to the casino. ...

Bob Evans Restaurants to open in Wisconsin.(Statistical Data Included)(Company Profile)
October 22, 1999... Attracted to the "heartland feel" of Wisconsin, Bob Evans Farms Inc. plans to open its first restaurants in the state in suburban Milwaukee and Madison next year. The Columbus, Ohio-based chain is spending $46.8 million to build and open...

Union election likely at Maysteel Corp. plant.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 22, 1999... The Machinists union is trying to organize about 200 hourly workers at Maysteel Corp.'s Menomonee Falls plant. The union filed a petition Oct. 19, with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) seeking a union recognition election for 191...

Manufacturers grapple with e-commerce growth.(Statistical Data Included)
October 22, 1999... With the rise of electronic commerce, Ken Yontz is fielding a lot of questions from analysts about his company's "b-to-b" strategy. Yontz, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Sybron International Corp., and other...

Firstar, Mercantile merge money managers.
October 22, 1999... Firstar Corp., Milwaukee, made the first of its major reorganization moves since acquiring Mercantile Bancorp., St. Louis, by combining the two companies' money management firms. The combined organization, Firstar Investment Research &...

Large utility company acquires MRM Technical Group.(Peco Energy Co.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 22, 1999... Dennis Mueller estimates he lost a half-dozen loyal customers in the past year because of acquisitions and mergers in the electricity, natural gas and telecommunications industries. Mueller's underground contracting firm, MRM Technical...

Mason Wells starts biomedical fund.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 22, 1999... Barely a year after raising more than $100 million for a limited buyout fund, Mason Wells Private Equity has incorporated Mason Wells Biomedical Partners I. The new fund will invest in startup and existing biomedical companies. Once an...

Guardian Pipeline proposal backed by Citizens Utility Board.(Statistical Data Included)
October 22, 1999... The Guardian Pipeline picked up a valuable ally Oct. 19 in its quest to gain approval from federal and state regulators when the Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin formally endorsed the proposed natural gas pipeline. CUB supports the...

Tushaus Computer Services sells Advance Cabling Solutions.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
October 22, 1999... Tushaus Computer Services Inc. has sold. its sister company, Advance Cabling Solutions Inc., for about $500,000 to Brad Felker, former vice president of sales and marketing for Advance. "Personally, I had too much on my plate and wanted...

Schwab to sell Johnson Family Funds.
October 22, 1999... JohnsonFamily Funds, Racine, will be sold on Schwab One Source, a San Francisco mutual fund "supermarket," by the end of October. The arrangement gives the firm's four mutual funds nationwide distribution to individual investors,...

Ameritech-Wisconsin's new president has competitive background.
October 22, 1999... Before becoming president of Ameritech-Wisconsin, James Nellen didn't know much more about telecommunications than how to use a phone. But he knows about competition. The 51-year old Nellen came to Ameritech in August from Fort Howard...

Practicing what he preaches: Murphy firm runs TV spots.
October 22, 1999... Todd Robert Murphy Marketing Communications Inc. celebrated its 10th year in business by doing something unusual in the industry: following its own advice. The Milwaukee agency created and placed a 30-second television spot in the...

Digital TV: It's too expensive and you can't get it.
October 22, 1999... There's a problem with digital television: Viewers may not be able to receive it on their TV sets at home. There's another problem: Digital TV sets are still too expensive. Given those problems, Milwaukee TV stations and their corporate...

Taking her art public.
October 22, 1999... Pamela Scesniak is riding the crest of a wave of interest in public art in Milwaukee, but not as the stereotypical "implacable artist" people know from movies and television. Still, Scesniak insists that her success lies not in her...

Setting a good example for employees.
October 22, 1999... SUSAN HORN President Travel Associates Inc. Milwaukee Susan Horn is the president of Travel Associates Inc., but when there's work to be done, there isn't a job in her company she couldn't or wouldn't do. Horn said it's...

Looking for the formula? It's simpler than you think.
October 22, 1999... Ever get an "Aha!"? You know, one of those realizations that you just learned something new, discovered a secret, or found out what was wrong. You may have even said it aloud in one form or another -- a word or two of joy and jubilation....

Charity thinks small.
October 22, 1999... Charitable organizations like United Way have long been known for making their way into the hearts of large corporations and receiving large contributions in return. But as small businesses become an increasingly valuable and growing...

Do the computers you get for free stack up?
October 22, 1999... A science teacher of mine was what marketers now call "an early adopter": He bought one of the first commercial electronic calculators. It was made from concrete and cast iron, cost $10,000 and was replaced by a handheld model costing $20...

Manage your boss for a change.
October 22, 1999... Many of the major complaints people have about their jobs could be solved at the worker-boss level. How do you get your boss to improve his management style? By managing your boss. Take an active role in that relationship. Don't wait for...

LARGEST MILWAUKEE-AREA COMPUTER SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS.
October 22, 1999... LARGEST MILWAUKEE-AREA COMPUTER SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS Jan Basina Name Address Telephone/fax Web site 1 HK Systems Inc. 2855 S. James...

George Kofman, 35.
October 22, 1999... Title: President, On!contact Software Corp. Years with company: Founded company in 1986 Education: Bachelor's degree in computer science from Carroll College, Waukesha Management philosophy: Keep your employees happy because...

Harshad Shah, 56.
October 22, 1999... Title: President, Eagle Technology Inc. Years with company: 12 Education: Master's degree in computer sciences, Utah State University Management philosophy: We are a very goal-oriented company and value open communication....

Jack Wormington, 58.
October 22, 1999... Title: President, Centurion Computer Systems Inc. Years with company: 19 Education: Majored in business administration, minored in economics and accounting at University of Missouri, Kirksville Management philosophy: We provide...

Sean McGowan, 39.
October 22, 1999... Title: President and chief executive officer, Catalyst International Inc. Years with company: 3 1/2 Education: Majored in business administration University of Dayton Management philosophy: Focused execution: Say what you do and...

Midwest 100 Regional Stock Analysis.
October 22, 1999... Midwest 100 Regional Stock Analysis Results for week ended Oct. 19 TOP 10 PRICE GAINERS Company Close % change ProVantage $ 10.44 18.4 LaCrosse...

It's hard to imagine today.
October 22, 1999... It's hard to imagine today, but a time is coming when the term "Y2K" will take its place in history with "victory garden and "fallout shelter." What will take its place in 21st century conversation? One likely candidate is "e-commerce." ...

Earlier this year, we tossed.
October 22, 1999... Earlier this year, we tossed out most of our editorial and production department computers and replaced them with state-of-the-art systems. Ha! No sooner had the new machines hit the desk, I was told they were becoming obsolete....

Future of Internet telephony still partially on hold.
October 22, 1999... First the Internet brought us text, then graphics, then full motion video and Real Audio. The next big thing could be the computer as telephone, if not videophone. But is Internet telephony, as its called, ready for prime time or is it a...

Waukesha software firm focuses on e-service.
October 22, 1999... It's a tangled web Internet sales have woven and while some companies still see e-commerce as simply a sales vehicle, others are exploring the customer service angles often overlooked in Internet transactions. Metrix Inc., based in...