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Christopher DeLong

BizTimes Staff
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Christopher DeLong

President
The DeLong Co. Inc.  |  Clinton

Christopher DeLong represents the sixth generation of family leadership at The DeLong Co. Inc. He has been with the Clinton-based agricultural and logistics company since 2011 and in 2023 was named president. The largest U.S. exporter of agricultural products via shipping containers, The DeLong Co. reports $1.8 billion in annual revenue. The company comprises six divisions of agricultural and logistical sales and services; it has 38 locations, subsidiaries around the U.S. and 550 employees. In 2023, The Delong Co. developed a new $40 million shipping facility for agricultural products at Port Milwaukee, expected to generate $63 million in statewide economic impact each year. DeLong serves on the Federal Reserve Beige Book advisory board and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection Organic advisory board.

Education: Bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate, Sacred Heart University

Traits you seek for new hires: “1. Grit, 2. Intelligence, 3. Ability to work with people, 4. Compatibility with agriculture.”

Historical figure you look up to: “Charlie Munger and Ben Franklin. Both encompassed a lifetime goal of continually learning and bettering oneself.”

The future of your industry: “Expectation of a higher level of service and efficiency.”

Definition of success: “A happy, healthy and well-provided for family.”

Jackie Q. Carter

BizTimes Staff
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Jackie Q. Carter

Director
Port Milwaukee  |  Milwaukee

Jackie Q. Carter was selected in early 2023 by Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson as director of Port Milwaukee. In her role, Carter directs commercial and recreational operations at the city’s municipal port and oversees a staff of 21. She also works with business owners and government leaders to increase local and regional trade through maritime commerce. Prior to joining the port, she worked in the local nonprofit and public sector for more than 20 years.

Education: Associate, Milwaukee Area Technical College; bachelor’s, Alverno College; MBA, Concordia University

Favorite movie: “‘Coming to America.’ It reminds me of summers at Grandma’s house. I watched it at least once a week with my siblings and cousins. We could recite it word for word. More recent faves: ‘Inside Out’ and ‘Inside Out 2.’”

Favorite part of the workday: “The early morning, when it’s quiet before meetings and pop-in conversations.”

If you could time travel: “I would travel back to 1970 to have conversations with family elders who passed away before I was born. I would ask them about their life, their parents and grandparents. I would get information I need to fill in my family tree beyond my great grandparents. I would better understand my family’s history to redirect our legacy.”

Advice for first-time leaders: “Perspective is the most valuable thing any of us can bring, and it’s the one thing that no one else in the room will ever have.”

Robert Wahlin

BizTimes Staff
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Robert Wahlin

President and CEO
Stoughton Trailers | Stoughton

Robert Wahlin has served as the top executive of STI Holdings and its five subsidiaries, Stoughton Trailers, Stoughton Rental and Lease, STAC, Stoughton Parts Sales and Stoughton Trucking and Logistics. The companies’ total a combined $1 billion in annual revenue and more than 1,600 employees. Stoughton Trailers is a leading manufacturer of dry van trailers and intermodal container chassis, with more than 1.5 million square feet of manufacturing space across nine facilities in south-central Wisconsin and Waco, Texas. Wahlin serves on the boards of the Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and Stoughton Trailers.

Education: Bachelor’s, University of Wisconsin-Madison; MBA, Edgewood College

Highlights from the past 12 months: “We are leading the fight against China through the Coalition of American Chassis Manufacturers. Our anti-dumping and countervailing case win allows us to bring thousands of jobs back from China to build intermodal container chassis, which are a staple of the U.S. transportation system. We lead this fight to create a level playing field and ensure manufacturing jobs stay in the United States for years to come.”

Historical figure you look up to: “Teddy Roosevelt. He stood up for what he believed in and set the bar high for doing great things. He achieved success that lasted for generations.”

Favorite Wisconsin destination: “Any lake in the Northwoods.”

Traits you seek for new hires: “Talent, drive and courage to challenge the norms.”

Paul Sternlieb

BizTimes Staff
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Paul Sternlieb

President & CEO
Enerpac Tool Group | Menomonee Falls

Paul Sternlieb joined Enerpac Tool Group in 2021 as president and chief executive officer. Based in Menomonee Falls, Enerpac provides industrial tools, services, technology and solutions to customers in more than 100 countries. It has more than 2,000 employees globally, of which about 130 are based in the greater Milwaukee area. The company reported net sales of $590 million in fiscal 2024. Earlier this year, the company announced plans to move its corporate headquarters to the ASQ Center in downtown Milwaukee. The relocation is expected to be completed in late 2024 or early 2025, at which point the company will have naming rights for the building.

Sternlieb serves on the board of directors for Kennametal Inc., Children’s Wisconsin and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, as well as the board of trustees for Manufacturers Alliance.

Education: Bachelor’s and master’s, University of Pennsylvania

Highlights of the past 12 months: “Over the last two and a half years our company underwent a comprehensive transformation program, called ASCEND. … The program was focused on accelerating organic growth, improving operational excellence and driving greater efficiency and productivity in SG&A. Our team delivered exceptionally strong results, roughly doubling adjusted EBITDA dollars and expanding adjusted EBITDA margin by approximately 1,100 basis points.”

Your secret talent: “I enjoy cooking and like to try new restaurants in the Milwaukee area.”

Definition of success: “Finding a career and role that you truly enjoy doing, and working with a great team.”

Summer Strand

BizTimes Staff
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Summer Strand

Chairperson
Public Service Commission of Wisconsin | Madison

Summer Strand was appointed by Gov. Tony Evers to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin in 2023 for a six-year term, and in January 2024, she was appointed chairperson of the commission. Prior to joining the PSC, an independent agency that regulates public utilities in the state, Strand was the director of government affairs for the Walbec Group, a Pewaukee-based family of companies that specializes in transportation infrastructure design and construction.

Education: Bachelor’s, University of Wisconsin-Madison; J.D., Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law

First and most recent concert: “My parents took my brother and me to see the Grateful Dead at Soldier Field in July 1995, which turned out to be their last shows ever because Jerry Garcia died a month later. So that is a great core memory, but also bittersweet. The two most recent were The War on Drugs and Zach Bryan.”

Cocktail of choice: “At home, I like to make sort of a no-frills variation of an unsweetened old fashioned – lots of ice, a couple shots of bourbon, a splash of club soda, and an orange wedge. I need to come up with a name for it.”

Historical figure you look up to: “More current than historical: Michelle Obama.”

Favorite part of the workday: “While I love spending time with my kids, once they’re on the bus to school in the morning, I get a lot done from 7:10-9 a.m.”

Teresa Mogensen

BizTimes Staff
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Teresa Mogensen

Chair, president and CEO
ATC  |  Pewaukee

Teresa Mogensen is chair of the board of directors, president and chief executive officer at ATC, a Pewaukee-based utility that owns and operates more than 10,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines across Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois. Mogensen returned to ATC (formerly known as American Transmission Co.) as president and CEO in August 2023 after previously working for the company from 2000 to 2007 in a variety of leadership roles. Mogensen was also named chair of the ATC board of directors in January 2024. ATC has more than 500 employees across its four office locations in Wisconsin and Michigan, and it has more than 5 million customers.

Between her stints at ATC, Mogensen was senior vice president, energy supply at Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy, where she was responsible for a generation fleet of more than 80 power plants that produced more than 20,000 megawatts of electric power for 3.7 million customers across eight states.

She also serves on the boards of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and Edison Electric Institute. She chairs the North American Electric Reliability Corp.’s Reliability Issues Steering Committee and serves on the Executive Advisory Committee of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power Engineering Society.

Education: Bachelor’s, Marquette University

Sachin Shivaram

BizTimes Staff
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Sachin Shivaram

CEO
Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry | Manitowoc

Sachin Shivaram was recruited in 2019 to join Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry as the first non-family CEO of the 110-year-old company. He has since helped grow the company through acquisitions and capital investments. In recent years, WAF has acquired Minnesota-based DEE Inc., Manitowoc Pattern & Machining, Indiana-based Wabash Castings and Iowa-based ATEK Metal Technologies. The company now has 1,100 employees across the Midwest. Previously, Shivaram led a turnaround effort as president of Marinette-based Samuel Pressure Vessel Group and later spearheaded its acquisition of two metals companies. He began his career as an intern at ArcelorMittal and went on to become head of strategy and marketing for a $10 billion business unit. He also formerly held leadership roles at Severstal North America and Tenaris.

Education: Bachelor’s, Harvard University; master’s, University of Cambridge; J.D. Yale Law School

The future of your industry: “We are optimistic for continued growth in metal casting in the United States due to onshoring activity by our customers.”

What would you like to change about Wisconsin: “Investing in higher education has always been a core strategy for the state of Wisconsin. In the past 10-15 years, we have lost sight of that, and funding for public higher education has fallen off starkly. We need to invest more.”

Favorite Wisconsin destination: “The lakefront at Concordia University.”

Cocktail of choice: “Gin martini, up, with blue cheese olives.”

Jag Reddy

BizTimes Staff
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Jag Reddy

President & CEO
Mayville Engineering Co. | Milwaukee

Jag Reddy has served as president and chief executive officer at MEC (Mayville Engineering Co.) since 2022. The company has 2,300 employees across its 20 facilities, all based in the U.S. In 2023, the company moved its corporate headquarters to Milwaukee. Before joining MEC, he was on the senior leadership team of W.R. Grace, overseeing the Maryland-based chemical business’s strategy and growth, and was the managing director of Advanced Refining Technologies LLC, Grace’s joint venture with Chevron. Before that, he held leadership roles at Pentair PLC and ITT Corp.

Education: Bachelor’s, India; MBA and master’s in engineering management, Northwestern University; master’s in industrial engineering, University of Tennessee

Highlights from the past 12 months: “Our biggest success has been the continued implementation and expansion of MBX (MEC Business Excellence), which has transformed our operations and commercial strategies. This initiative focuses on operational excellence, collaboration and agility has helped us drive growth and improve customer satisfaction across all areas of the business.”

What would you do if you could choose another career: “Farmer – to plant seeds, tend to them and watch them grow.”

The future of your industry: “The industry is evolving toward more sustainable and localized manufacturing.”

Playlist for commute/run: “Bloomberg News on the radio. It gives perspective on the world and financial markets.”

Michael Jansen

BizTimes Staff
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Michael Jansen

Chairman and CEO
Faith Technologies Inc.  |  Menasha

Michael Jansen began his career at Faith Technologies Inc. as an electrical apprentice and took on increasing responsibility to become a project manager, executive vice president, president and ultimately chief executive officer and chairman in 2013.

With more than 2,500 employees, Menasha-based FTI is one of the largest privately held electrical contractors in the U.S. In 2024, the company ranked 35th on Deloitte’s Wisconsin 75 list, a ranking of the largest private companies in Wisconsin based on sales revenue.

The electrical and specialty systems contractor operates three divisions: Faith Technologies, Excellerate and EnTech Solutions.

Prior to the Great Recession, the company largely worked on projects within the Fox Valley and other areas of the state. FTI then began taking on projects in other parts of the country and now has locations in six states.

Among its high-profile projects, FTI worked with Exact Sciences on its NEXUS One laboratory and warehouse on its Madison campus. FTI’s work included lighting installation and controls, laboratory power, mechanical power, one-line distribution, power monitoring and metering, fire alarm systems, access control, security cameras and emergency communication systems.

Under Jansen’s leadership, FTI built a new, 385,000-square-foot smart manufacturing facility in Little Chute to serve as the headquarters of Excellerate.

Education: Bachelor’s, University of Wisconsin-River Falls

Lisa Barton

BizTimes Staff
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Lisa Barton

President and CEO
Alliant Energy Corp.  |  Madison

Lisa Barton became president and chief executive officer of Madison-based Alliant Energy Corp. at the beginning of 2024. She is also CEO of two utility subsidiaries, Interstate Power and Light and Wisconsin Power and Light. She was formerly president and chief operating officer of the company.

With 3,281 employees, Alliant Energy provides electric and natural gas service to about 1 million electric and approximately 425,000 natural gas customers in the Midwest. It reported $4 billion in operating revenue in 2023.

Barton has held leadership positions in several organizations including Wires, ReliabilityFirst, GridWise Alliance and the Electric Power Research Institute. She began her career at Northeast Utilities, now Eversource, and rejoined the company in 2002 after working with consulting firms. She also served as a lobbyist and senior counsel to clients in the gas and electric utility sector. Before joining Alliant, she was executive vice president and chief operating officer of American Electric Power in Columbus, Ohio.

Barton is a former International Women’s Foundation Fellow and current member of the organization. Locally, she serves on the board of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce.

Education: Bachelor’s, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; J.D., Suffolk University Law School

Austin Ramirez

BizTimes Staff
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Austin Ramirez

CEO
Husco International | Waukesha

Austin Ramirez is the second-generation family leader of Husco, a Waukesha-based manufacturer that has tripled in size to more than $500 million in global sales, received designation as a Global Growth Company by the World Economic Forum and been recognized as Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year during his tenure as CEO. The company, which manufactures hydraulic and electro-mechanical components, has about 1,600 employees. Ramirez serves as a director of the National Association of Manufacturers, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Old National Bancorp and the Marcus Corp. Along with his family members, Ramirez is a co-founder of St. Augustine Preparatory Academy, a private K-12 school on Milwaukee’s south side. He is also a founder and co-chair of Democracy Found, a non-partisan political reform organization focused on implementing Final Five Voting.

Education: Bachelor’s, University of Virginia; MBA, Stanford Graduate School of Business

What would you like to change about Wisconsin: “Improve our K-12 education system.”

Advice for first-time leaders: “Work as hard on cultivation a great temperament as you do on developing your technical skills.”

Historical figure you look up to: “Teddy Rosevelt. He embodied intellectual excellence, leadership and extreme physical courage.”

Cocktail of choice: “Rye Manhattan.”

2022 Wisconsin 275 Profile

Manufacturing
CEO
Husco International  |  Waukesha

Austin Ramirez is chief executive officer of Husco International, a Waukesha-based manufacturer of hydraulic and electro-mechanical components with about 1,500 employees. Ramirez, who succeeded his father, Gus, as the leader of Husco, also helped found St. Augustine Preparatory Academy, a high-performing private voucher school on Milwaukee’s south side that is heavily funded by Gus and the Ramirez family. Among other honors, Austin was named a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum in 2014 and a White House Fellow on the National Economic Council of both the Trump and Obama administrations.

Education: Bachelor’s, University of Virginia; MBA, Stanford University

What piece of advice has had the most significant impact on your career?
“Be a good person – It will put the wind at your back throughout your career.”

What is one book you think everyone should read?
“Friedrich Hayek’s ‘The Road to Serfdom’ – Timeless analysis of why individual liberty and free market principles are the foundation of the American way of life.”

Favorite restaurant?
“Birch – whatever chef Kyle Knall will feed me!”

What advice would you give to a young professional?
“Spend as much effort cultivating your interpersonal skills as you spend developing your technical skills.”

What is one thing you would change about Wisconsin to make it even better?
“Funding children rather than schools, also known as ‘backpack funding.’ In Milwaukee nearly 50% of kids attend choice or charter schools, but only receive about 60% of the funding as their district (MPS) peers.”

Is there a nonprofit cause that has special meaning to you?
“Democracy Found. Updating the voting process in Wisconsin to implement single-ballot, top-five primaries combined with ranked choice voting in the general election. Our political system is suffering from a massive incentive problem, and we need to update our voting system so that our elected leaders are rewarded for serving their entire electorate, not just highly partisan primary voters.”

Gus Ramirez

BizTimes Staff
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Gus Ramirez

Executive chairman, Husco International | Waukesha
Founder, St. Augustine Preparatory Academy | Milwaukee

Augustin “Gus” Ramirez is executive chairman of Husco International, a Waukesha-based manufacturer of hydraulic and electrohydraulic controls, where he was chairman and chief executive officer for more than 25 years. His son, Austin Ramirez, succeeded him in that role in 2011. Gus Ramirez led a management group buyout of Husco in 1985 and is credited with helping grow the company from $20 million to more than $400 million in revenues. The company created several significant innovations in mobile hydraulics controls, receiving more than 100 patents during his tenure.

Ramirez is also a prolific philanthropist. He and his family invested about $60 million in 2017 to launch St. Augustine Preparatory Academy, a private, Christian K4-12 school on Milwaukee’s south side that has expanded to today serve 2,200 students. In 2023, the Ramirez Family Foundation purchased the former Cardinal Stritch campus for $24 million to serve as an additional Aug Prep campus. Ramirez has personally committed $75 million of the $100 million needed to support the new campus.

Through the Ramirez Family Foundation, he also helped fund Schools That Can Milwaukee (now City Forward Collective) and expansions at the United Community Center, Milwaukee College Prep, St. Marcus Schools, Carmen Schools of Science and Technology and others. Over the past two decades, Ramirez and his wife, Becky, have also supported nearly 200 Christian schools, mostly in Central America, and the family visits often to stay connected to the schools and students.

Education: Bachelor’s and master’s, Georgia Tech; MBA, Harvard University

2022 Wisconsin 275 Profile

Manufacturing
Executive chairman, Husco International | Waukesha
Founder, St. Augustine Preparatory Academy |  Milwaukee

Augustin “Gus” Ramirez led a buyout of Husco International in 1985 and went on to serve as its CEO for the next 25 years. He is credited with overseeing an era of growth at the manufacturer of hydraulic and electrohydraulic controls for off-highway applications. During his tenure, sales revenue grew from roughly $13 million to nearly $400 million, the company expanded internationally, and it launched its automotive business. Gus has remained executive chairman since 2011, when his son, Austin, assumed leadership of the company as president and CEO. Ramirez is also a prolific philanthropist. He and his family invested about $60 million to launch St. Augustine Preparatory Academy, a private, Christian K4-12 school on Milwaukee’s south side that today serves about 1,400 students. Over the past two decades, Gus and his wife, Becky, have supported nearly 200 Christian schools, mostly in Central America.

Education: Bachelor’s, master’s, Georgia Tech; MBA, Harvard University

What was your first job, and what did you learn from it?
“Development engineer. (I) learned I did not want to be a career engineer.”

What piece of advice has had the most significant impact on your career?
“Perseverance and effort are more important than talent.”

If you could have dinner with any two business leaders, who would you choose and why?
“Warren Buffett to discuss investment strategy and opportunities and Jamie Dimon (chief executive officer of JP Morgan Chase) to discuss global economic issues.”

What are some of your favorite destinations/places to visit?
“Montana and Cabo.”

What is one book you think everyone should read?
“‘The Road to Serfdom’ by F.A. Hayek.”

What’s your hobby/passion?
“Hobby is golf and children’s education is my passion.”

What is your favorite Wisconsin restaurant and what do you order there?
“Birch, whatever Chef Kyle recommends.”

What would people be surprised to learn about you (fun fact)?
“I am a dog person.”

What was your first car? How long did you drive it for?
“VW, until it fell apart.”

If you could take a one-year sabbatical, what would you do?
“What I do now, combine work, fun, travel, and pursue passion with my life-long partner, Becky, and family.”

What’s the toughest business challenge you’ve had to overcome?
“Shrinking long-serving staff during 2008-2010 recession.”

What advice would you give to a young professional?
“Remember work is work and the more valuable you make yourself, the greater the opportunity.”

What has been your/your company’s most significant success over the last 12 months?
“Dealing with the up and downs of COVD and supply chain shortages.”

What is one thing you would change about Wisconsin to make it even better?
“Union controlled public education in urban areas such as Milwaukee is a disaster and must be transformed to improve.”

Is there a nonprofit cause that has special meaning to you?
“Creating education opportunities for minority poor children in Milwaukee and around the world. This is best exemplified by St. Augustine Prep which was created and managed by the Ramirez family and became the top-rated K-12 school in Wisconsin when all of its grades were filled four years after start-up.”

What is the biggest risk you have ever taken?
“Buying Husco with 97% leverage.”

What’s at the top of your bucket list?
“Family and faith.

What has you most excited for the future:
“The opportunity to create ever-improving business at Husco and school at Aug Prep.”

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