Home Magazines BizTimes Milwaukee Cheers! Celebrating the region’s top newsmakers of 2022

Cheers! Celebrating the region’s top newsmakers of 2022

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.

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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

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