In December of each year, the editorial staff at BizTimes Milwaukee selects the “Best in Business,” a tip of the cap to the region’s top newsmakers of that calendar year in five categories: Corporation, CEO, Small Business, Family-Owned Business and Community Leader.
For this year’s Corporation of the Year, we chose to recognize
Northwestern Mutual as the Milwaukee-based financial services company embarks on yet another game-changing investment in its downtown Milwaukee headquarters campus: a $500 million transformation of its 18-story North Office Building. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in October to mark the beginning of the project.
It’s the second time in the past decade that we’ve named Northwestern Mutual as Corporation of the Year. The first, in 2013, was in recognition of its stunning plans to construct the $450 million, 32-story Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons, which today stands as the centerpiece of its headquarters campus. Completed in 2017, the project was not only a significant investment, but also a major vote of confidence from a leading corporation that said downtown Milwaukee is a great place to do business.
Ten years later, the company is doubling down on that commitment.
In addition to Northwestern Mutual, our other Best in Business honorees this year include:
Dominic Ortiz, chief executive officer of Potawatomi Casino Hotel, for leading a $190 million renovation at the casino’s Milwaukee location, including the addition of a sports betting operation; Glendale-based
Sprecher Brewing Co., which has made numerous acquisitions and grown significantly since being acquired by a group led by Sharad Chadha in 2020;
The DeLong Co., which partnered with the federal government, state and city to build a new $40 million agricultural maritime export facility at Port Milwaukee; and
Tim Sheehy, who will step aside as president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce at the end of this year after leading the chamber for 30 years and advocating on behalf of the business community on several key issues including school choice, funding for Fiserv Forum and American Family Field, and additional state funding and a local sales tax option for the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County.
Read individual profiles here:
Corporation of the Year: Northwestern Mutual
CEO of the Year: Dominic Ortiz, Potawatomi Casino Hotel
Small business of the Year: Sprecher Brewing
Family-owned Business of the Year: The Delong Co. Inc.
Community Leader of the Year: Tim Sheehy, MMAC
Past Honorees
Corporation of the Year:
2022 FPC Live
2021 Milwaukee Bucks
2020 Milwaukee Tool
2019 Fiserv
2018 Klement’s Sausage
2017 Foxconn
2016 Direct Supply
2015 WEC Energy Group
2014 Generac
2013 Northwestern Mutual
CEO of the Year:
2022 Jim Kacmarcik, Kacmarcik Enterprises
2021 Aaron Jagdfeld, Generac
2020 Mark Irgens, Irgens Partners
2019 Michelle Gass, Kohl’s Corp.
2018 Peggy Troy, Children’s Wisconsin
2017 Nick Turkal, Advocate Aurora Health
2016 Tim Sullivan, REV Group
2015 Peter Feigin, Milwaukee Bucks
2014 Mark DiBlasi, Roadrunner Transportation
2013 Paul Grangaard, Allen Edmonds
Small Business of the Year:
2022 Eagle Park Brewing & Distilling Co.
2021 New Land Enterprises
2020 Fiveable
2019 J. Jeffers & Co.
2018 Good City Brewing
2017 Access Healthnet
2016 Rinka Chung Architecture
2015 Gehl Foods
2014 Bartolotta Restaurant Group
2013 Colectivo Coffee Roasters
Family-Owned Business of the Year:
2022 Fromm Nieman Brands
2021 Kohler Co.
2020 Rite-Hite
2019 Bartolotta Restaurant Group
2018 Michels Corp.
2017 Coakley Brothers
2016 Milwaukee Blacksmith
2015 Steinhafels
2014 Uline
2013 Super Steel
Community Leader of the Year:
2022 Peggy Williams-Smith, VISIT Milwaukee
2021 Dana Guthrie, Gateway Capital
2020 Marty Brooks, Wisconsin Center District
2019 Alex Lasry, Democratic National Convention
2018 Mike and Amy Lovell, Marquette University
2017 JoAnne Johnson-Sabir, Sherman Phoenix
2016 The Baumgartner Family, Paper Machinery Corp.
2015 The Ramirez Family, Husco International
2014 Tim Sheehy, MMAC
2013 Rich Meeusen, Badger Meter
