The 2020 Democratic National Convention was supposed be the biggest event in Milwaukee’s history. National political conventions attract a huge number of visitors, make a major economic impact and bring a massive amount of media attention with the eyes of the world on the host city.
But for Milwaukee, the 2020 DNC was a dud. The event was mostly held in a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some disappointed Milwaukee leaders hoped that the DNC would give the city another opportunity to host its convention in 2024. But then Milwaukee officials received an invitation to bid on the 2024 Republican National Convention, and they decided to go for it.
Milwaukee’s winning bid to host the 2024 RNC is arguably the biggest business story of the year in southeastern Wisconsin. Peggy Williams-Smith was perhaps the most engaged individual leading the city’s efforts to host the convention. In recognition of that accomplishment, she is BizTimes Milwaukee’s Best in Business 2022 Community Leader of the Year.
This is the 10th year that the BizTimes Milwaukee editorial staff has selected its newsmakers of the year in five categories: Corporation, CEO, Small Business, Family-Owned Business and Community Leader. You can see our past honorees in the accompanying list.
In addition to Williams-Smith, our other Best in Business honorees this year include: Eagle Park Brewing, which seized an opportunity this year to purchase the Milwaukee Brewing Co. beer recipes; Madison-based FPC Live, which received city approval to move forward with plans for an indoor concert venue complex next to Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee’s Deer District, despite strong opposition from the owners of existing concert venues in Milwaukee; Mequon-based Fromm Neiman Brands, which unveiled plans for its Foxtown Brewing affiliate to build a restaurant, tap room and distillery building next to a planned downtown Milwaukee dog park (which the company is sponsoring); and Jim Kacmarcik, chairman and chief executive officer of Grafton-based Kacmarcik Enterprises, who played an integral role in Milwaukee being awarded a professional soccer team that will play its games at an 8,000-seat stadium to be built as part of the mixed-use Iron District development in downtown Milwaukee.
Read about these accomplishments in this special report.
Past Best in Business Honorees
Small Business of the Year:
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
Corporation of the Year:
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:
2021 Aaron Jagdfeld, Generac
2020 Mark Irgens, Irgens
2019 Michelle Gass, Kohl’s
2018 Peggy Troy, Children’s Wisconsin
2017 Nick Turkal, Aurora Health Care
2016 Tim Sullivan, REV Group
2015 Peter Feigin, Milwaukee Bucks
2014 Mark DiBlasi, Roadrunner Transportation Systems
2013 Paul Grangaard, Allen Edmonds
Family-Owned Business of the Year:
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:
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
