Viewpoints

Heartland Financial USA has announced Wisconsin Bank & Trust will acquire First Shares Inc., the parent company of First National Bank in Platteville, for $11 million.

On a normal Monday morning commute, I drive by the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek along Howell Avenue on my way to work in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward.

Wiscraft Inc., a Milwaukee contract machining, packaging and assembly facility that provides work for the visually impaired, has changed its name to Beyond Vision.

SPX Transformer Solutions will hold an investor event on Tuesday, Sept. 11, starting at 8:30 a.m. at its facility, 400 S. Prairie Avenue in Waukesha.

Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson Inc. reported that its second quarter profit of $247.25 million, up 29.7 percent from its 2011 second quarter profit of $190.58 million. Diluted earnings per share were $1.07, up 32 percent from 81 cents in the 2011 second quarter.

Racine-based Johnson Outdoors Inc. reported fiscal year third quarter net income of $9 million, up 10.8 percent from the previous fiscal third quarter. Net sales were $128.6 million, up five percent.

West Milwaukee-based Rexnord Corp. reported a net loss of $2.2 million for the first quarter of its fiscal year, down from net income of $11.2 million in the first quarter of the previous fiscal year. Net sales were up 4.4 percent to $497 million.

Waukesha-based Generac Holdings Inc. reported Thursday that it had second quarter net income of $9.3 million, down 39 percent from 2011 second quarter net income of $15.3 million.

Milwaukee-based Glenn Rieder Inc. announced that it has acquired San Diego-based Quality Cabinet and Fixture Company and its majority owned subsidiary, Quality Cabinets de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V.

After three years of consistent growth, the Milwaukee region's manufacturing sector shifted into reverse in July, according to the Milwaukee ISM report by Marquette University.