Historic Century Market opening in Racine
The Historic Century Market will open Oct. 9 at 522 6th St. in downtown Racine. Donna Murphy and Jim Spodick of Racine are the owners and operators of the new food market.
The market will employ 20 to 25 people, including a full-time chef who will prepare seasonal and ethnic foods in the on-site kitchen. The store will have meats, produce, delicatessen items, ready-made meals, bakery goods and specialty cheeses. It will also have ethnic food ingredients, gift baskets, kitchenware, seasonal products# and demonstrations showing customers how to use those products, said Murphy.
The market will also have an electronic ordering capability, she added. “In the time it takes you to drive for fast food, you can serve your family a healthful, delicious meal,” she said.
The market building’s style is a mix of Art Deco and Prairie, Spodick said. The interior design retains the original tile and cement flooring, exposed metal beams, Cream City brick and wrought iron. A local artist painted murals on inside walls. A custom-made light fixture, eight feet in diameter and made of wrought iron and recycled automobile glass, hangs in the entrance mezzanine.
Spodick brings 13 years of experience in the grocery business and says he has a “passion for food from the farmer’s gate to the customer’s plate.”
“The Historic Century Market is the first specialty food market in the Racine area and will definitely fill a niche and demand,” Spodick said. “The closest models are the Sendiks in the Milwaukee area and Fox and Obel located in Chicago.”
Murphy joined the business after a 20-year insurance career.
Associated Bag adds Dallas site
Associated Bag Co., a Milwaukee-based national supplier of packaging products and shipping supplies, has expanded into the South with the opening of a new regional distribution center in Dallas in August.
The 133,000-square-foot facility, Associated Bag’s fourth distribution center, continues the company’s national growth strategy that included the opening of an East Coast facility near Harrisburg, Pa. in 2002. The company also has a branch in Reno-Sparks, Nev.
Herbert Rubenstein, Associated Bag president and CEO, said the new Dallas facility provides one-day service at standard ground rates on 6,000 items for customers in the South. “Our new Dallas center is a big, big plus for our customers,” he said. “We look forward to offering enhanced service to customers in this fast-growing region of the country.”
Associated Bag Co. (www.associatedbag.com.) offers a wide range of products including plastic bags, corrugated boxes, tape, Rubbermaid products, and shrink, bubble and foam packaging. Founded in 1938, the company has been a family-owned business for 65 years.
Managers buy Comforts of Home division
The Milwaukee area division of Comforts of Home (COH), a national distributor of decorative home items, has been purchased by four executives who will work on a growth plan with current owner Helen Aiken, and her existing staff, including Tim Aiken, Jackie Aiken and Joanne Gonzales.
New to the organization are Michael Blumenfeld, chief executive officer; Jean M. Thalman, president and marketing director; Eric Egenhoefer, chief financial officer; and Deborah Friedrich, chief operating officer and sales training recruiter.
“The addition of this highly experienced, talented team brings us into a new era at Comforts of Home,” said Aiken. “We have a terrific product line and enthusiastic sales directors and consultants, and now we have a fine group of diverse executives to help grow our product sales and create even more sales opportunities.”
Prior to joining Comforts of Home, Blumenfeld served as COH corporate attorney, and is the current CEO of Victory Steel Supply Co. In his new position, he will direct all COH operations.
Thalman co-owned and managed the former Tri-ad Communications Inc., a local advertising and marketing agency, for 12 years prior to selling the business in January 2002.
Egenhoefer will assist Blumenfeld in operations management and Web site development. Egenhoefer owns a local mortgage company and is involved with several area businesses.
Friederich will oversee sales training, recruiting and product development. She is currently an affiliate owner of Westaff, a professional staffing firm.
Established in Wisconsin in 1981, Comforts of Home (www.comfortsofhome.com.) is a national distributor of decorative home items sold by sales consultants and directors, through at-home shows and parties.
Gentile acquires Hyundai auto franchise
The Gentile Automotive Group has purchased the Hyundai franchise from Rosen and is now the exclusive Hyundai dealership in the Racine/Kenosha market. The Hyundai dealership will remain at its current location just east of I-94 on Highway 20, Racine.
“We’re excited and proud to have the Hyundai franchise,” said Ralph Gentile, president of Gentile Automotive Group. “It’s a great addition to our family of fine vehicles.”
Gentile sells Honda, Toyota, Subaru, Nissan, GMC Truck and Oldsmobile models in addition to pre-owned vehicles at its other location, five miles east of I-94 on Highway 20.
Gentile opened as an Oldsmobile dealership in 1969. It added Honda in 1977, GMC Truck in 1986, Toyota in 1995, Subaru in 1999 and Nissan in 2002.
StyLynn Baskets & Gifts opens in Tosa
StyLynn Baskets & Gifts LLC has opened at 7605 Harwood Ave. in the Wauwatosa village area. The store specializes in creatively designed gift baskets, including those for client appreciation, employee recognition, birthdays, wedding, new babies, holidays and other occasions. Gift baskets may be in-stock, custom, or assembled using customers’ handpicked choices.
Also offered are a variety of gourmet food items, kitchenware and specialty gift items. Entertainment-based themed areas include French café, Italian pasta, red-hot chili peppers, popcorn night, and fall/winter holiday.
This is the first retail venture for Lynn Raschka, owner of StyLynn Baskets & Gifts, who has marketed personalized baskets for the past year. Raschka, of West Allis, served as human resources supervisor for 10 years at the former Arthur Andersen firm before launching her business venture.
Riteway starts limo service
Riteway Bus Service of Germantown has launched Riteway Executive Sedan & Limousine Service for the Metropolitan Milwaukee area. The new service is available seven days per week around the clock, with reservations available through an online system at www.ritewaybus.com. “Our new sedan and limousine service is dedicated to our customers’ luxury, comfort and safety,” said Ronald Bast, president and owner of Riteway.
Customers can choose from six-, eight- or 10-passenger Lincoln Town Care L Series limousines.
The Bast family founded Riteway Bus Service in 1957 and now has nine Wisconsin locations.
Oct. 3, 2003 Small Business Times,Milwaukee

Smethills transforms Menasha Corp.

How does a privately held company in Wisconsin compete in a global economy, when fair trade is a foreign concept, rather than a reality? The answers to that question, of course, are as diverse as the American industries that are struggling to survive. More than 75,000 manufacturing jobs have been eliminated from Wisconsin’s economy since 2001, as more companies are outsourcing their production to China, where labor costs are miniscule, the currency exchange rate is regulated, environmental laws are nonexistent and intellectual property is pirated.
Menasha Corp. is directly affected by the outsourcing trend, because when American manufacturers ship their production overseas, Menasha Corp.’s packaging division loses another potential customer. However, the Neenah-based company, which manufactures corrugated boxes, displays, plastic returnable packaging, promotional graphics and high-engineered plastic containers, is not simply standing by, waiting for the federal government to change its trading policies to level the playing field.
Since Harold Smethills Jr. was appointed president and chief executive officer of the firm in 2000, Menasha Corp. has been in a perpetual mode of change to position itself to survive and grow on the global stage. Menasha Corp., which was founded in 1849 and has offices and plants in Neenah, Menomonee Falls and Mequon, has blossomed into a company with $1 billion in annual revenues, 5,360 employees and 65 plants in 17 states and 10 countries.
Smethills was tabbed by Small Business Times to be the keynote speaker at "The State of Manufacturing: How to be Competitive in Today’s Global Environment," an Oct. 1 panel discussion at the Wisconsin State Fair Expo Center. Smethills was recently interviewed by Small Business Times executive editor Steve Jagler. The following are excerpts from that interview.

SBT: Menasha Corp.’s packaging division does not have production facilities overseas, so when an American company shifts its production to China, your company is directly impacted, isn’t it?
Smethills: That’s true. You’re correct. Our packaging business does not have operations overseas, and when a major customer, like a Mirro or someone like that, moves from the United States to offshore manufacturing, that’s a huge impact. Those are our customers.
We take great pride in the fact that we’ve invested in our equipment, in our plant and our people, but we can be no stronger than our customers.

SBT: Many American manufacturers, particularly small manufacturers such as those in the SAMNow organization, are saying that there need to be major changes now in American trade policy. Those seem to be long-term answers, or things that will take some time to get done. Yet, those are significant problems right now, aren’t they?
Smethills: Those are issues. I think if you’re building a company to last, you have to look at external issues, such as those, but also internal issues. You have to look at what is the industry you’re in? Obviously, if you are in a high-labor content, low-margin business in today’s economy, unless it’s a product that cannot be manufactured outside the US, that’s a problem.
So, you need to first take a hard look in the cold light at your own business and make sure that the businesses you’re in are competitive on a world basis or there are sound and pervasive reasons that the business you’re in must remain domestic.
The other thing you have to do is you have to look at the competitiveness of your location. Is Wisconsin, for example, a competitive place to manufacture?
We are at No. 3 or 4 for tax burden on employees, which makes it hard to recruit into the state. We’ve actually been having a brain drain. When you’re looking at state taxes on your employees and on your business, that is a competitive factor.
It’s more than just cheap labor. Is Wisconsin going to adopt strategies to ensure we are competitive?
It’s also absolutely essential we maintain the quality of life in our state, because that’s a competitive advantage.

SBT: There are those who would say that is contradictory, that you get what you pay for. They would say that the reason Wisconsin has such a great quality of life is because of the taxes, which provide for an excellent educational system, a strong university system, a strong technical college system, health care programs for the elderly, a wonderful park system and a clean environment.
Smethills: Some of that is a valid link. You have to invest in that, which is important for the competitiveness of your state. But also, that can be a crutch, a way of rationalizing that we have a very high tax burden in this state. We have to be a little careful with that argument.
For example, our state taxes software. One of the key principles is that we don’t tax manufacturing equipment. You don’t tax things that create jobs. Well, software creates jobs. Yet, we have a tax on software. You don’t do that if you want to entice software-driven companies to your state.

SBT: You have been in recent discussions with Gov. Jim Doyle. Have you addressed that issue with him?
Smethills: I have addressed it with Department of Revenue Secretary Michael Morgan.

SBT: From a corporate strategy standpoint, Menasha has changed from a 1980s mode of acquiring other companies and creating a diverse portfolio of businesses to withstand downfalls in various industries. In recent years, you’ve gone to selling off businesses that were not capable of being leaders in their industries. You’re instead focusing on a handful of industries where you can be a market leader. Is that a fair assessment of your company’s strategy?
Smethills: Yes. That’s correct. Menasha Corp. has been here for what, 145 years? We’ve transformed ourselves many times. We started as a wooden pail business, and we transformed into corrugated (cardboard). Corrugated was a competitor for wooden applications, so we were cannibalizing our own products by moving into corrugated.
In the 1960s, we moved into plastics. We are now a leader in returnable packaging. Returnable plastic packaging cannibalizes corrugated. Well, if someone is going to cannibalize my products, it’s going to be me. I just want to cannibalize my competitor’s products faster than my own.
But we’ve always been transforming. It’s true. In the 1980s, we were in a number of small companies. But the world’s changed, where now you find that the balance of business, where your internal operations are so very expensive, that you really can’t afford to own a number of small businesses. The cost of managing them and supervising them is just excessive.
Also, the efficiencies of scale in many of the (industries) we were in have been huge. So, we have been going through a transformation in the last two and a half years, where if you look at the functionalities of our businesses, we were at 15-plus businesses, to where we’re down to three large ones and two businesses we’re developing.

SBT: Who are your core customers these days?
Smethills: That is continually shifting. Probably our largest customers today are household name product companies (including Rayovac, Kimberly Clark, Subzero, Toro and Huffy).

SBT: Given those products, what are you doing right from a strategic standpoint to remain competitive in the global marketplace?
Smethills: Understand that the first thing you have to do is understand who is your customer? What would a customer want? What would a customer pay for? What are your products? What products can you afford to deliver, and where can you be better, faster, cheaper than your competition? More innovative?

SBT: Is that the key, when it comes down it, Harold, for competing on the global stage?
Smethills: Absolutely.

SBT: It almost sounds like a bumper sticker: Better, faster, cheaper.
Smethills: Those are the economics, the drivers of your business. And innovation is a key.

SBT: I think American companies have proven they can be better. They can be faster. And the quality of the workforce and the quality of the work can be superior. It’s that cheaper part of the equation that is the problem, as it relates to China, isn’t it?
Smethills: You have to be realistic. One of the things that happens in this kind of a situation is you can almost get into denial. You’re not realistic. Businesses and products have a cycle to them.
In businesses where you have a high labor content and low margin, that can be made anywhere – if you try to stay in that business, it’s hard to win.
What is that Jack Welch quote? When the world’s external market is changing faster than you are internally, the end is in sight. There’s never been a time like today to be focusing on that.
If you can’t find a competitive advantage, that’s a serious problem.
At the same time, you can take a product that is high labor and low margin, and innovate around it and stay ahead of your competition and do very nicely.
A lot of the trick today is to take advantage of our very intelligent workforce, to take costs out.

SBT: Your company has invested in that by creating its own Menasha University. It’s even got its own dean. In a nutshell, what is Menasha University?
Smethills: It’s the institutional vehicle that we promote knowledge and change and build leadership throughout our company. Roughly, I’m estimating that about 10% of our employee base will go through it this year.
It’s a whole series of programs. There’s a series for leadership. We have advanced courses in leading for value, where we teach people how to analyze costs and balance sheets and income statements, and how you determine margins and gross margins.
We have another course for employees on pricing. It’s called Van Gogh pricing. Most manufacturers, if they had a Van Gogh, will say, "OK, the canvas is worth a buck, and we’ve got 25 or 30 cents of paint on it. And we had three hours of labor. So, we’ll sell it for $30 and make a big profit." Well, it’s worth millions. So, when you price your product, price it to the value to your customer, not your costs, plus some basis. And if the value to your customer is lower than your costs, plus some basis, then you know you can’t be selling that product.
And sometimes that happens.

SBT: So, you’re investing in your people, you’ve divested some of your businesses. Heck, you’ve even changed your company’s logo. And you also have positioned yourself to provide one-stop value to your customers, where they can get the packaging, the displays and the printing done all in one shot, from your company. Is that depth of service a key component of your strategy?
Smethills: It’s part of the value proposition. But you always have to be careful that you’re providing value propositions customers will pay for.
But I want to circle back to Menasha University. The issue is the transformation of the business. The larger the business, the harder a transformation is. And if the people don’t transform with the business, you’ve accomplished nothing.

SBT: I think that’s true for a smaller company, as well.
Smethills: You need vehicles through which you can impact people in an efficient way and get your message to them as you transform a business. That’s what Menasha University is. It’s a tool, a vehicle.
Research and development – if you can’t conceive of it, you can’t do it. That puts a huge premium on getting people to think about the future and customers’ needs and getting people to think outside the box.
I think we forget, that the net worth of your business is not your bricks and mortar. The net worth of your business goes home for dinner every single night. You need to invest more time on that than you do in your bricks and mortar.
As the United States becomes more of an information-based society, that means we have to have a workforce of people who are information-competent and growing.

SBT: You’ve outlined many strategies for competing. Let’s play a hypothetical game for a moment. You’re now President Bush. The US trade imbalance with China is ballooning. American manufacturers say they’ve become as lean as they can get. What would be your immediate priority today? What is the one thing you would focus on like a laser beam?
Smethills: I think long-term, strategically, we need to expand the concepts of trade to include environmental. The planet needs a better standard of environmental care. The idea that you lose jobs to other parts of the world, strictly because of the (lax environmental standards abroad) is troubling. There needs to be some basic, universal standards.
The biggest thing is to make America more competitive. There are certain kinds of industries, that as much as you’d like them not to leave, the economics are just that they’re leaving. So, how do you provide an environment in the United States that promotes growth? We have the most productive workforce in the world. We need to have a tax policy that fosters investment.
And we need to invest in our people. Smart people.

Oct. 3, 2003 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

Peggy Coakley becomes fourth-generation owner of Coakley Bros. Inc.

By Elizabeth Geldermann, of SBT

Coakley Bros Co. is now in the hands of a fourth generation, as Peggy Coakley is the venerable Milwaukee’s firm’s first female owner. Coakley Bros. Co. has been a growing, innovative moving and storage company since it was established in 1888. The family-owned business has evolved from a horse-and-buggy messenger service, to a delivery service, to the No. 1 local service provider for moving and storage five years in a row.
As of Sept.1, Neil Coakley stepped down from the position of chief executive officer and went into semi-retirement, handing the company over to his successor and daughter.
Peggy was the first woman to run the business when she became president in 1999 and is now the first woman to own the business.
"I am very proud to be in this position and to have the ability to continue to do as a professional and visionary job as my predecessors have done before me," said Peggy, whose goals are aimed toward her employees, as much as an increase in clients.
"There are 132 livelihoods that are dependent on the growth and stability of this organization. I think there is a tremendous amount of potential (for the company), and I am looking forward to seeing it materialize."
Coakley Bros. is the largest commercial office mover in southeastern Wisconsin and an agent for Allied Van Lines, moving corporate and residential clients to locations worldwide.
The company, which is located at 400 S. Fifth St. on Milwaukee’s near south side, has also specialized in record retention for 30 years and modular furniture installation, including in-house facilities management, for five years.
Peggy officially accepted the position of CEO when she purchased controlling interest in the private company from her father, becoming the sole majority stockowner for Coakley Bros. and obtaining full control over the organization.
Coakley also owns Coakley Tech., an 18-year-old high-tech production company that became its own entity in 1999.
For Peggy, it has been a challenging, yet mapped out journey. She has worked in or headed every division of the Coakley Bros. since she joined the company in 1986.
"This is not a decision as much as it is something I have worked toward. I had to prove myself, first and foremost. There was a lot of grooming involved to understand the intricacies of the industry," Peggy said.
As president, Peggy introduced modular furniture installation to the company’s repertoire, a service that has taken off and continues to grow. Coakley Bros. has the capability to move a company and reinstall freestanding furniture, such as cubicles, creating a one-step process where competitors leave furniture for dealers to reinstall.
The company’s average annual sales have grown 35% since Peggy took over as president. She declined to disclose the company’s annual revenue, but Coakley Bros.’ corporate client roster includes Journal Communications, GE Medical Systems, Rockwell Automation, Aurora Healthcare, Covenant Healthcare, Modine Manufacturing and Harley Davidson.
"The moving industry has tight competition," Peggy said. "We compete with other prices, yet we feel we add a higher level of service for what we have to offer. It really is about the people we have. The pride we take in our work, the training and skill required, and the prophecies that we have are what set us apart."
Only one month into her new job, Peggy is already processing ideas with a strategic planning committee.
"I now have a permanent shift in the controlling interest of the business. As the owner of the business, I can make full decisions to move the business forward," she said.

Oct. 3, 2003 Small Business Times, Milwaukeee

The major symptoms of a toxic workplace
And how you can use the basics to keep these business killers at bay

By Harry S. Dennis III, for SBT

This month, I would like to thank my good friend Tom Parker, president of TEC Russia and former FBI agent, for his professional thoughts on the subject of toxic workplaces.

Let’s begin with the seven symptoms of a toxic workplace:
1) Highly repetitive jobs – Jobs that require little mental exercise and can be accomplished with a near robotic response.
2) Rigid, isolated management – Management that is disenfranchised and remote, as in a "caste" type of system.
3) Jobs that are performed with little self-direction – A work order tells you what to do, how much and in what time frame.
4) Negligent hiring and retention efforts – People are viewed as filling vacant spaces and unfilling them when economics dictate they aren’t needed.
5) Volatile labor-management relationships – Strictly "we-they" attitudes summarize how labor views management.
6) Unilateral management decisions – Communication is always "down the line." Seldom "up the line."
7) Lack of uniformly fair discipline enforcement – Broken rules are evaluated and judged on an "incident-by-incident" basis.
This sounds pretty pathetic doesn’t it? Tom Parker teaches conflict management to the staff of a large medical center. He says that due to the high pressure the staff is experiencing, based upon the above symptoms, they are bordering on distinguishing themselves as a "toxic workplace."
Unfortunately, as we all know, management and managers have everything to do with whether a workplace becomes toxic or not. This is not to place the blame directly on them. But the fact of the matter is more often than not they are at the root cause of the problems.
And the ones that are really bad? Here are the traits that they exhibit and, I should add, in many cases don’t even recognize it:
1) Intimidating, overbearing attitude – "My way or the highway."
2) Inflexible, controlling personalities – "That’s not the way we do things here."
3) Crude and rude behavior – "This is not rocket scientist work."
4) Openly break rules for their own benefit – "Do as I say, not as I do."
5) Contemptuous of most employees – "No disrespect, but you are a dunce."
6) Plays favorites – "I need this done, but I’ll take care of you with the brass."
7) Inconsistent decision-making and discipline – "I said that applied last week."
8) Withholds privileges to exert control – "No cell phone calls on company time."

Workplace toxicity takes two to tango, according to Parker. First you need a high-pressured environment where people are under stress. It doesn’t help – as in his medical center example – or in many manufacturing companies, where shift changes manage to pass on from one shift to the next the frustrations of the preceding shift along with the ceremonial chant of "it’s not my problem now."
Then you need management – but more specifically, first-line supervision -as the final source of ignition. It is at the first level where the heartbeat and pulse of most companies can rise to the occasion to extinguish toxicity or allow it to spread.
For example, Parker describes a small company where the CEO who wears many hats hired a new supervisor. For some reason, this new sup chose a 27-year valued employee as his whipping boy. And whip him he did, relentlessly – in front of other employees. He was disciplined unfairly, assigned menial work and chastised every time he looked the wrong way.
The story gets worse. The chastised employee called the CEO with a very threatening message: "I’m on my way down to kill you and two others." It turns out that he had been suspended for insubordination by this supervisor (now history by the way) a week after his wife of 23 years filed for divorce and his son had been arrested for armed robbery.
The police intervened. The employee was committed to a psychiatric ward, and the company continued to give him support because as more information came to light about the "new" supervisor, it was clear he was way out of line. In the end, the employee found a new job with his old company’s help. And he apologized profusely to his old employer and was grateful for the outcome.
This is obviously an extreme instance of the consequence of workplace toxicity. But in this day and age of workplace violence, terrorism in the workplace, disgruntled employees who return to nonchalantly kill fellow employees and owners at random (most recently the Chicago warehouse killings), companies must get proactive.
My thinking says that we must do all we can to prevent toxic workplaces to begin with. In 35 years of meandering around the business world, the basics prevail: create trusting cultures, treat everyone fair and square, give everyone the opportunity to stretch their capabilities, and reward performance. I’m sure there’s more, but these are good for starters.
Until next month, may all our readers’ workplaces be totally detoxified!

Harry S. Dennis III is the president of TEC (The Executive Committee) in Wisconsin and Michigan. TEC is a professional development group for CEOs, presidents and business owners. He can be reached at 262-821-3340.

Oct. 3, 2003 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

Foreign demand for Carmex fuels growth for Franklin company

By Elizabeth Geldermann, of SBT

Carma Laboratories Inc. has not changed much about its business since, well, the invention of Carmex. The company has never advertised, has never promised new and improved flavor or true results and has never even changed its recipe.
However, Carma is changing to keep up with growing demand for its product. Construction began in August for two additions to the firm’s 44,000-square-foot facility in Franklin. The work includes a 7,000-square-foot expansion for more storage and production space.
"Every few years, we add on. This one is a little bigger than normal," said Carma president Don Woelbing.
Word-of-mouth testimonials of Carmex are increasingly traveling overseas. Although Carmex has been sold in retail shops in Australia since 1987 and in England since 1994, vice president Paul Woelbing, Don’s son, said sales have significantly increased in each country over the past year.
Carma is now shipping 3% of its sales overseas and has gained new clients in Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and the Netherlands.
Even a store in Iraq recently sent a letter inquiring for some Carmex, but due to current government regulation, American companies are not allowed to do business in Iraq until further notice.
Don plans to add Iraq to his export list once it becomes legal.
Carma has gained a steady 8% sales increase every year since Don’s father, Alfred, started selling his homemade lip balm in 1937. Carmex has been the No. 1 pharmacy-recommended lip balm for five consecutive years and is ranked third in sales.
That’s substantial growth for a company that first received buyers from Alfred’s frequent sales calls.
Today, the waxy, honey-colored lip balm is mixed in 1,000-gallon metal tubs, transferred into a batch of smaller 12-quart containers and poured by hand into filling machines.
The busy staff of 70 employees answers phones, places orders, fills and guides machines and hand-packages the finished product into boxes to be sent worldwide.
The Franklin plant’s expansion will allow for larger, modern production machines and easily accessible storage and shipping space.
"We are trying to automate," said Don Woelbing. "We can become more efficient with more machinery and a few more workers."
The plant’s current machinery can fill 30 Carmex tubes per minute, but the new machines will fill 96 per minute, Paul said.
Two blister-card packaging machines for Carmex tubes are also on the way. Paul declined to disclose the amount of the company’s financial investment in new machinery, but he said the equipment is needed to keep pace with the growing consumer demand for Carmex.
The secret to Carma’s success, according to Paul Woelbing, is to never compromise quality for cost and to always treat any customer fairly.
"We read every letter and answer every inquiry we get. We pay our bills every week," Paul said. "We like to treat our business as an organism. The business should grow on its own before we grow within our location."
Paul said Carma has a good relationship with most retail stores because the company does not make contracts. Every shipment is on a per-order basis. Carmex is sold to the stores at a wholesale price that is low enough to enable the stores to profit from the retail price.
Paul said some customers were disappointed with the firm’s 1996 changeover from its traditional opal glass jars to the lighter and more sturdy plastic jars. Carma expected complaints from some loyal customers and was afraid buyers might see the change as a breach in quality.
The Woelbings set aside boxes of Carmex in glass jars for individuals to buy if they prefer glass.
"We have received calls, enough that we only have a limited supply left," said Paul. "But we had a hard time getting good glass, and some shipments were sub-standard quality."
In recent years, Carma also has shipped Carmex to other manufacturers, which have packaged the product in a plastic "Click Stick" format, similar to the traditional Chap Stick format. Mint flavoring has been added to the Carmex sticks.
No matter how popular Carmex becomes, the family-owned business plans to remain just that, expanding only in physical size and only to accommodate the growth in sales, Paul said.
However, if sales continue to rise over the next few years, Carma may have a big decision to make about its location. The business has grown so extensively that when the latest additions are finished Jan. 1, the company will be landlocked. The Carma plant will reach capacity in accordance with Franklin’s commercial regulations that require at least 30% green space.
Will Carma eventually open a second laboratory?
"No," said Paul. "If another addition is needed, then we will just build a second floor."

Oct. 3, 2003 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

Get ready, get set, develop
If market conditions prevail, ‘they could be lining up to buy’ Park East land

By David Niles, of SBT

As commissioner of the Milwaukee Department of City Development, Julie Penman regularly hears developers ask when land in the Park East freeway corridor will be ready for redevelopment.
"It’s the biggest question we hear," says Penman.
And it’s also a question that gives her great optimism that the corridor will become a vibrant part of downtown Milwaukee in the near future.
The answer to the question is next spring, at the earliest.
Before any redevelopment can occur, a series of public meetings will take place to review and adopt final drafts of the renewal and master plans for the 26-acre corridor on downtown’s north edge.
Those plans (available online at www.mkedcd.org/parkeast/index.html) will be the subject of a Thursday, Oct. 16, Redevelopment Authority public hearing. The city Plan Commission will take it up on Oct. 20, and the city Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee will have it on Oct. 28.
The plans will then go to the Milwaukee County Board on Oct. 30, and then to the city Common Council on Nov. 5.
"We’re hoping for approval by November or December," Penman said, noting the plan’s importance in setting the stage for development. "The renewal plan is really the regulatory plan for that area."
With a jumble of public and private landowners in the corridor, land swap discussions will also occur in October.
Most of former freeway is removed, with much of the concrete ground down for use as base material for restored streets and, Penman says, for use as a base for the upcoming extension of Canal Street in the Menomonee Valley — an extension that will help in the redevelopment of the valley and which will serve as a vital east-west route during reconstruction of the Marquette Interchange.
"It’s a great example of recycling," Penman said of the reuse of the concrete material.
The Knapp Street Bridge, which will connect Knapp Street on the east with McKinley Avenue on the west, should be ready by the end of the year.
And restoration of the original street grid, with some alterations made to eliminate angled intersections, is well under way.
Sixth Street between Juneau and McKinley avenues will be completely open in a few weeks, and work continues on restoring streets on the east side of the river, such as the extension of Ogden and Market streets through to Water Street. Other streetwork in that area is done.
"Already there is much better circulation of traffic in that area than we have had in many years," Penman observed. "It’s really great to see that."
But perhaps more important is the excitement she and others in the city and county are hearing about redevelopment of the land.
"With the freeway basically gone now, you can really see the opportunities in the corridor," she said. "Developers are excited."
Also hearing strong interest in the project is James Barry III of the James T. Barry Co. Barry, whose building on Edison Street is within the development corridor, has been involved in many of the redevelopment planning meetings.
That interest will express itself more clearly once the redevelopment plan approval process is completed in the next few months, he said.
"People are looking to see what’s going to happen," Barry said.
With the right conditions in place, Barry sees the Park East corridor as a prime development area.
"Given all that is going on downtown, there will be a multiplier effect on the value of that land," Barry predicted. "There will be people lining up to buy that land."
But he cautions that those lines won’t materialize if proposed social agenda regulations are imposed on redevelopment.
A coalition of church, community and labor groups has proposed such regulations as union-friendly building, use of locally-owned and operated contractors, hiring of people from specific ZIP codes, development of affordable housing and contributions to park maintenance in poor neighborhoods.
If such regulations are imposed, "that land will lie fallow for a long time," Barry said. "No one will do anything."
The additional burdens would effectively kill meaningful development in the corridor, he said, adding that his own company might also consider moving elsewhere.
The bridge and road development adjacent to the Barry building "almost requires us to develop a new office," Barry said, possibly in the redevelopment corridor. "Our plan is to stay downtown, unless their is an enormous burden that makes that unfeasible," he added, referring to the social agenda.
"Their goals are laudable," Barry said. "But the best way to achieve them is to go ahead and develop the land so economic opportunities can be realized."
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker also lauds those goals, but believes a carrot approach is a better way to achieve them. And that’s part of his plan to use money from the sale of the county’s 16 acres in the corridor for an economic development fund.
His proposed county budget includes a framework for the fund, called the Community and Economic Development Fund. The fund would be "a catalyst that will enable businesses to develop and grow, communities to prosper, and the lives of all our citizens to be enriched," his plan reads.
Money from the sale of other county land would also go into the fund, which would become a revolving fund.
Walker’s fund idea is based on two principles: first, that proceeds from the sale of county land should not be used to help balance the county’s budget, and second, that the long-term interests of the county dictate that the sale proceeds continue to support economic development through a revolving fund.
"And the best time to get this going is when we have such a big chunk of land to sell," Walker said, referring to the Park East land.
An Oct. 16 job summit will focus on use of money the fund would have, including "creative alternatives to tying hands" with the proposed social agenda regulations, Walker said. "Instead of putting the burden on developers, maybe we can offer them a carrot approach if their intent is to create better-paying jobs."
The fund proposal "recognizes that there are areas where the market does not make available the resources required for sustainable development."
While the amount of money the sale of county land in the freeway corridor would raise is unknown, it would surely be a lot more than the $150,000 currently available in the county budget for the kind of development Walker envisions.
"The figure is the great unknown now," Walker said. "There may be environmental issues that would have to be cleaned up, but we would apply for state or federal funding to help with that."
Barry, who notes downtown land can sell for $45 to $55 per square foot, says the Park East corridor land value really won’t be determined until the first few parcels are sold. "But once this is completed, those values will go up significantly."
The corridor has several things going for it, developers say. It includes large tracts of land in a downtown that continues to gain vitality. Much of the land is along or near the Milwaukee River. And access to the freeway system remains through the McKinley Avenue connection to I-43.

Oct. 3, 2003 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

Apex launches new building at base of former ski hill in Delafield

As the Waukesha County office market begins its slow recovery into 2004, Apex Commercial Inc. has completed a $3.5 million Class A office building in Delafield. The Purity Professional Building at 2310 Sun Valley Drive was constructed on speculation that a rebound has begun in the market, according to Apex president Daniel Jessup.
The building is located in the southwest quadrant of the intersection of Interstate 94 and Highway 83.
The new office building has been built into the base of what once was the Winterhaven ski hill south of an intersection that also became known as the "smiley face barn" freeway exit because of a former painting on a barn there.
The three-story, 32,000-square-foot office building of masonry and glass was designed by Plunkett Raysich Architects and constructed by Berghammer Construction Corp.
"We’re in negotiations with a handful of tenants right now. Activity has picked up, but at this point, we could accommodate a 32,000-square-foot user," Jessup said. "It’s the nicest Class A office building in that market today, in my opinion."
"The Purity building has gotten a great deal of interest from local tenants, Milwaukee tenants looking for satellite offices and Madison tenants looking for suburban locations," said John Czarnecki, vice president of Apex.
The building could be subdivided to include individual suites of 3,000 or more square feet and single floors of up to 10,000 square feet.
The property is being marketed by Apex for $21 per square foot.
The Purity building adds to Brookfield-based Apex’s growing office building portfolio in Delafield. The company also has opened a two-story, 25,000-square-foot building at 2574 Sun Valley Drive and a three-story, 23,000-square-foot building at 524 Milwaukee St.
"In addition to the Purity property, the last three years have seen the addition of 90,000 square feet of office space to the market in Delafield, both in the downtown Delafield area and the high-density commercial area at Highway 83 and I-94," Czarnecki said.
Jessup, a veteran of the fiscally conservative southeastern Wisconsin real estate scene, has been through this cycle before.
"Our highs are much lower, and our lows are much higher than other markets," he said.
"We’ve seen a slight increase in activity in the last 60 days. There’s more velocity out there," Jessup said. "It’s still a challenge to close deals, but we definitely feel as though the light is at the end of the tunnel."
Jessup’s market assessment reflects the most recent quarterly outlook survey compiled by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce. In that survey, 70% of the local businesses surveyed are projecting increased sales for their companies in 2004.
Still, demand for new office space in Waukesha County has been flat, according to Bill Mitchell, president of the Waukesha County Economic Development Corp. Mitchell said his office received 33 telephone inquiries about available office space in the first quarter of the year, 39 in the second quarter and 34 in the third quarter.
"Most of them want to be on the I-94 corridor or close to it. I’m not seeing any change in the level of inquiries," Mitchell said.

Oct. 3., 2003 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

Here’s how sales managers can help their staffs better interpret what prospects are saying

By Christine McMahon, for SBT

Question:
Members of our sales team pursue opportunities they perceive to be "live ones" but which, in reality, are requests for "free consulting." Those consultations waste valuable time and resources. As their sales manager, how can I help them better understand the hidden meaning behind the other party’s communication?

Answer:
Barriers to understanding are often so subtle that the sales professional may not even consciously recognize them. Sometimes the reason the real message is missed is because of the skill in how the message was delivered. An encouraging tone of voice, eye-to-eye contact, a positive nodding of the head, can disguise an ambiguous message.
To resolve this, schedule time in the field with each of your key players who fall into this trap on a regular basis. Then listen. Really listen to the dialogue that takes place between the sales professional and the prospective client.
Listen for words or phrases that sound like a commitment will be forthcoming, but in reality, are stall tactics.
For example, let’s say the sales team member asks the important question, "When do you expect you will be making the decision?" And the prospect says in a most engaging manner, leaning forward with his or her head nodding up and down, "Soon." The sales person’s impression is "I’ve got a live one." But in reality, there is no substance behind the prospect’s comment.
The correct response from the sales person should be, "When you say ‘soon’ what specifically do you mean? Are you looking at next week, by the end of the month, or by the end of the quarter?" It’s best to give the other party a range of options. This directs the other party to be more specific.
To assist you, we’ve listed six common language patterns that will help you to categorize the cause:

1. Ambiguous statements – These are words or phrases whose meanings are open to interpretation by the listener. For example:
Often – Seldom
Always – A lot
Sometimes – Almost always
Never – Rarely
Usually – Frequently
Most of the time – Quite often
Occasionally – Typically
Responsive – Flexible

What do those words really mean? Only the presenter knows for sure. The words are often used intentionally to misdirect the other party.
Skilled negotiators know that understanding the other party’s roadmap is essential when determining strategy. Therefore, they never leave a conversation without having the other party clarify the meaning behind a communication.
When ambiguous words are used, they repeat the word or phrase and ask, "What specifically do you mean by …."

2. Generalizations – People remember and emotionally react to big issues, opportunities and things that are outside the norm. Generalizations leverage this principle. When one or more situations arise, the other party may present it as the rule, rather than the exception to get a ‘high priority’ response. The intention is to put you on the defensive so you feel compelled to make concessions.
To illustrate, let’s say one of your team members walked into a meeting with a client who opens the conversation by saying, "Your company never meets a delivery schedule. You need to fix this or you’re out."
The most effective way to handle this is to ask for more information. This is best accomplished by repeating the word or phrase as a question. In this case, the counter-response would be: "Never?"
Generalizations are sometimes a lazy way of taking a position or stating an opinion. Therefore, it’s important to remain non-confrontational and to ask questions that uncover the real facts. So in this case, you would follow up "Never" with, for example, the following: "Let’s take a look at the last 10 shipments. Purchase order No. 10256; we have that order delivering on 7/25 at 9 a.m. Does that match your records?" Etc.

3. Deletion – This is when the other party either intentionally or accidentally leaves out key pieces of information so the meaning of the message is skewed. Points that don’t support their position are deleted to influence your reaction.
Always take time to review, at least in your own mind, the information presented. Think about what you are being told from each of the key stakeholders positions. Ask questions about how they have already responded, what their expectations are, or what they might say or do in response to a specific course of action. Flush out the gap. It means being proactive, not reactive, and that takes emotional discipline.

4. Assumptions – When there is a lack of information, some personality types will jump to a conclusion, assuming they know what the other party wants, needs or expects. The results can be devastating relative to the investment of time, energy, resources and even reputation. As best as possible, it is important to confirm your interpretation first, before taking action.

5. Comparisons – People often use comparisons to see what your reaction will be. Words like fewer, more, better, and less than create a comparison situation. For example, a buyer might say, "You need to be more competitive with your pricing." Well what does, "More competitive" mean to him or her? And compared to what? Again, the proper response is to clarify the meaning, "When you say more competitive, what specifically do you mean?"

Top negotiators know that people don’t always means what they say, or say what they mean. They see themselves as a facilitator in the negotiation process clarifying needs, wants and expectations. They strive to minimize their risks by eliciting information and not by emotional interpretation of poor communications.

Christine McMahon is the owner of Christine McMahon & Associates, a training and coaching firm in Milwaukee. She can be reached at 414-290-3344. Small Business Times readers who would like a negotiating situation addressed in this column can send a fax to 414-290-3330, or e-mail her at: ccm@christinemcmahon.com. Her column appears in every other issue of SBT.

Oct. 3, 2003 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

Outsourcing to China is a losing proposition

Commentary, by Jerald Skoff, for SBT

During my short association with SAMNow, an organization devoted to saving American manufacturing, I have been privileged to factual information that never makes the mainstream media.
This information gives the true picture of what is happening to our country because of the many poorly thought-out free trade agreements, especially with respect to China. America is starting to wake up to some of this information.
I and SAMNow strongly sense that we are only kidding ourselves by thinking that for the long term we can survive by becoming more competitive with China. Without a drastic change in US government policies regarding free trade and the World Trade Organization (WTO), manufacturing will never have a chance to make a comeback here.
China refuses to allow its currency to float as stipulated as a member of the WTO. It also continues to tap into its virtually unlimited workforce, demanding high output, long hours (10-hour days and seven-day workweeks), poor wages ($.30 to .55 per hour) and yet continue to suppress the rights of its people.
I am appalled when manufacturers that I have interviewed say that they were forced out of business because the multi-national companies put an extreme amount of pressure on supplier prices. The multi-national company threatened the supplier by saying they would go off shore or to China for their needs if competitive offshore pricing could not be provided by the American company.
The facts that fall on the table are that, in many instances, the US manufacturer cannot even buy raw materials for what a finished delivered product from China costs.
I am sure if a US company could pay US workers $.40 per hour with no benefits, have our currency valued 40% less and have our government fully subsidize raw materials, we could be competitive on a worldwide basis.
Fair trade will work for the United States. However, free trade (as it is interpreted now) will not.
We are constantly told that we need to be more competitive, more productive and more innovative to survive the global environment. I applaud those companies that take those steps.
However, be prepared for a short-term run. A possible fix is out there. However, our Congress and Senate, with a few exceptions, don’t admit, recognize or are ill-informed regarding the problem that our nation faces.
They have not considered the long-term consequences that the loss of manufacturing jobs and business will have on our children, grandchildren, educational system and, ultimately, our national security.
How do we defend ourselves when the technology and products for defense are being created by a country that disagrees with the US position?
SAMNow is a national grassroots movement representing these concerns of American employees and American businesses. We are employees and business owners who vote, and we will be heard.
SAMNow is very unsettled about the loss of all areas of manufacturing to non-domestic sources that is causing a rapid decline in the economic condition of the United States.
Our goal is to bring awareness to, educate and activate our politicians into making responsible legislation for a fair US trade policy by joining together the voters of this nation for this common and national cause.
Although the entire SAMNow group is made up of volunteering individuals with no ties or affiliations to any political party, trade union or other trade organizations or associations, SAMNow chapters have been formed in 18 states.
SAMNow is the people’s voice. SAMNow keeps its pulse on the center of this controversy and publishes the truth on its Web site at www.samnow.org.
The general public sees the problem and identifies with it, yet feels helpless to do anything about it. Our politicians are poorly informed, and most of them are out of touch with the reality of the situation.
The national news media, being controlled by the large multi-nationals, do not report it and appear to be doing nothing about it. Casual and unreliable information is being reported that cause many to believe that the problem will go away once the economy improves.
Force-fed statistics and information are not supported by what is actually happening.
The threat we face today from China is much different, more complex and serious than those presented by Japan, Mexico or other foreign countries in the past.
The demise of the American manufacturer will assuredly lead to the elimination of the United States as a world power and, possibly, allow us to slip to Third World status.
The United States is in serious trouble as a nation. The bombs are going off daily all around us, but few hear them. We must come to the realization that we are in a bigger war than protecting our citizens against terrorism.
The battlefront is actually our economic homeland, where protecting and defending jobs in the manufacturing sectors and national security should be given top priority by every US citizen.

Jerald Skoff is the founder and owner of Badger Metal Tech Inc., Menomonee Falls. He also is the co-founder of the Wisconsin chapter and the national webmaster for SAMNow (www.samnow.org).

Oct. 3, 2003 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

Our government needs wakeup call to help manufacturers compete

Commentary, by Karen Kerrigan, for SBT

It’s suddenly fashionable in Washington, D.C., to lament the hemorrhaging of US manufacturing jobs. On Capitol Hill, this translates into lots of congressional hearings and "listening sessions" to uncover what is already known about the quandary.
American manufacturing has the potential to thrive, but only if politicians come to the same conclusion about one cause of the problem: the cost of government is putting American business at a competitive disadvantage.
There is no turning back. Global competition is here to stay. The United States cannot demand that our competitors construct similar tax and regulatory structures to "promote a level playing field" in the global marketplace.
Therefore, US government policy must be rapidly transformed to match a modern era where technology and mobility have incentivized business to take advantage of low-cost environments in emerging economies.
Indeed, not all is down and out on the manufacturing front. While countries may be able to more easily compete for "cheap" mass production requiring a lower-skilled workforce, US-based niche manufacturers are producing higher-end products and holding their own.
Those surviving (and thriving) in the current environment quickly turned to technology to improve productivity, to boost business opportunities and set aside precious time and resources for innovative thinking and partnerships.
America’s innovative power is our definitive response to global competition. No country can match us in this regard.
Still, as American manufacturing restructures with respect to what may ultimately be produced domestically and what is outsourced abroad, it is critical that government not hasten the overseas trend.
Politicians at all levels of government need to help our manufacturers through this transition, and quickly. They must give them more freedom, more flexibility and more of their own resources to adequately compete in the global marketplace.
The politicians also must aggressively protect our intellectual property abroad while making every effort to keep government procurement opportunities at home. Easing the tax and regulatory burden is most essential to a healthy and vibrant manufacturing sector.
The cost of government regulation is simply staggering. Now reaching $860 billion, US regulatory costs exceed the GDP of Canada. The US Small Business Administration (SBA) estimates per-employee regulatory costs amount to $7,000 for small firms. Throw taxes and spiking health insurance costs into the mix, and it’s easy to understand the acceleration overseas, or why some manufacturers choose to toss in the towel altogether.
At the same time, official Washington is wringing its hands over the loss of manufacturing jobs, the pace of legislation and regulation that would impose new costs on business is relentless.
According to the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), there were 4,187 new regulations in the pipeline at various stages of completion as of July 2003.
The federal agencies are a regulatory machine, and the stop button rests in the hands of the US Congress. If Congress was serious about helping US. Manufacturers, they would call for an immediate "time out" to reign in the regulatory chaos.
They would pass a "sunset rule" for current regulations and develop a structured process for reviewing everything currently on the books. The system is out of control, and we must demand that Congress stop blaming the agencies, or faceless bureaucrats, when they have the power to do something about it.
There is simply no excuse for inaction on health insurance reform. For two congressional sessions, the US Senate has sat on House-passed measures that would give manufacturers some relief from the unremitting increases in health coverage costs.
While a comprehensive review of the entire system is in order, President George W. Bush would quickly sign legislation that expands and improves Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs), and provides small firms the opportunity to band as a group to negotiate lower-priced insurance premiums.
The President also wants to put reasonable limits on lawsuits that are driving costs upward. If you want something done this congressional session, call your two Senators and demand action on these three items.
It is so politically incorrect in both Republican and Democrat circles right now to push for more tax relief for all business, including manufacturers. Still, it must be done.
First and foremost, the tax cuts signed by President Bush must be made permanent. Second, the issue of fundamental tax reform has been analyzed, studied and restudied and, quite amazingly, most politicians believe they should reform the system.
Let’s get down to it. A modern and fair tax system – one that does not unduly punish risk-taking and entrepreneurship – will help the United States maintain its competitive edge in the global economy.
US business and its workforce have proven we can compete in the global arena. As our government continues to open US markets to trading partners abroad, it must simultaneously review the conditions it imposes upon its citizens so we can effectively compete on the playing field.
In particular, the US manufacturing sector is carrying heavy baggage with respect to government-imposed costs. One key step towards sustaining US manufacturing is government treating these businesses fairly at home.

Karen Kerrigan founded the Small Business Survival Committee (SBSC) in 1994. She is chairwoman of the organization (www.sbsc.org), which has become a prominent and respected small-business advocacy organization with more than 70,000 members nationwide. She also founded Women Entrepreneurs Inc. (www.we-inc.org), a nonprofit association helping women business owners succeed through education, networking and advocacy.

Oct. 3, 2003 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

Siblings buy Retso Group; will move, rename company

By Katherine Michalets, of SBT

After years of employment at the Retso Group, the sister-and-brother team of Erica Gorsuch and Jim Conway have agreed to buy the company and are now envisioning an expansion of services and market territories.
The transaction, inaugurated in April, will be complete by the end of September, and the Retso Group, formerly known as MacPros, will officially become Graphics Productivity Solutions, LLC.
Graphic Productivity Solutions will offer the same services the Retso Group has provided, but Gorsuch and Conway envision improvements and expansion into other markets.
Primary services offered by Graphics Productivity Solutions will include: software training; a staffing service to send temporary software employees to fix problems; and a computer design and production service.
"There will not be radical changes from the way that we have done things for the last 12 years" when MacPros was started, Gorsuch said.
One of the major changes is the recent move of the company’s Thiensville operations to Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward at 216 N. Water St. The move was made to better meet the needs of the firm’s clients, according to Gorsuch. The company’s other two facilities will remain in Whitefish Bay and Waukesha.
Before its move to Thiensville, MacPros was based in offices on Milwaukee Street in downtown Milwaukee.
Changes also will be made in the company’s temporary staffing service and its classroom instruction.
"For staffing, we hope to grow and develop a Madison presence by January," Gorsuch said.
Changes to classes will be based on client’s recommendations.
The classes attract a variety of students, from people who want to learn Adobe Photoshop to people who need to learn QuarkXPress to utilize at their jobs, Conway said.
"People are very happy with our training. I don’t think that we have ever had to follow through on our money-back guarantee," Conway said.
Graphics Productivity Solutions is open to clients’ suggestions and tries to implement those ideas to earn repeat business from customers, Conway said.
Another strategy Gorsuch and Conway use to improve their company is to create alliances with other businesses.
"Because we have a lot of complementary things to offer, we are all going to be more successful than trying to compete with one another," Gorsuch said.
As a result, Graphic Productivity Solutions has created alliances with Stamm Business Technologies, Web etcetera, Galvanize Design and iSolutions, and Gorsuch and Conway are looking into other possibilities.
The partnership with Stamm Business Technologies has allowed them to provide more Mac computer troubleshooting help to clients than they could have done without the alliance.
Graphics Productivity Solutions has three full-time employees: Gorsuch, who owns 51% of the company; Conway, who owns 49%; and Dave Henderleiter, who is an instructor and artist.
In addition, Graphic Productivity Solutions has approximately 30 temporary employees.
Gorsuch and Conway believe their sibling relationship is one of the company’s unique strengths.
"Because we have a longer-term relationship, there will be less barriers. We get more done because there is no weirdness about asking for stuff," Gorsuch said.
As Graphics Productivity Solutions makes the transition to the new space in Milwaukee, Gorsuch and Conway are pondering expansions into Madison, Green Bay, Chicago and Minneapolis.
"I think that we could expand to any community," Gorsuch said. "We are going to continue to grow, but not to a size that we couldn’t respond to the needs of the clients."

Erica Gorsuch:
She started her career at the Retso Group in May 2000 in the sales department. She soon took on marketing, project manager and temporary employee placing. Gorsuch is now business owner, Microsoft Office instructor. She is also the sales manager, staffing coordinator, trainer, office manager and bookkeeper. Gorsuch received a bachelor of arts degree in Spanish and journalism with a public relations emphasis from University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and her master’s degree in organizational communications from Michigan State University.
Jim Conway:
He started at the Retso Group in 1996 as a photographer and software instructor. He eventually took on the responsibilities for all technology. Conway is now owner and lead instructor. Conway manages the hardware, software and office network, along with supervising all curriculum decisions. He teaches classes on Adobe Photoshop, macromedia Flash MX, Dreamweaver MX, Mac OS X and iLife Software.

Sept. 19, 2003 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

Apex Commercial
4,500 square feet of office space at 150 N. Sunny Slope Rd., Brookfield, by Z Enterprises LTD WI;
2,990 square feet of office space at 1110 N. Old World Third St., Milwaukee, by Hutchinson, Shockey, Erley & Co.;
2,891 square feet of office space at 740 Pilgrim Parkway, Elm Grove, by Ellenbecker Investment Group, Inc.;
1,097 square feet of office space at 933 N. Mayfair Rd., Wauwatosa, by Closing Professionals;
500 square feet of office space at 11431 N. Port Washington Rd., Mequon, by Wisconsin Title;
3,341 square feet of office space at 735 N. Water St., Milwaukee, by Drinka, Levina & Masson from Compass Properties North Water Street.
Boerke Co.
12,500 square feet of industrial space at W232 N2960 Roundy Circle West, Pewaukee, by Sara Lee Coffee & Tea Foodservices from CMBB c/o Briohn Building Corp.;
13,500 square feet of retail space at 4470 S. 108th St., Greenfield, the Mitchell Carpet Center, by USA Family Thrift from Dennis E. Konzal;
1,090 square feet of retail space at the Southport Plaza, 6820-7450 Green Bay Rd., Kenosha, by Postal Connections from Southport Plaza LP.
Gerald Nell Inc.
1,715 square feet of office space at 2505 N. Mayfair Rd., Wauwatosa, by Hearing Services, Ltd., from Sunset Investment Co.;
1,740 square feet of office space at 2505 N. Mayfair Rd., Wauwatosa, by Corporate Technology Solutions Inc. from Sunset Investment Co.;
1,680 square feet of office space at 3540 N. 126th St., Brookfield, by Nel Pretech Corp. from G&N Investment Co.;
1,615 square feet of office space at 2525 N. 124th St., Brookfield, by CLA Mortgage Inc., from G&N Investment Co.;
4000 square feet of industrial space at 12020 W. Feerick St., Wauwatosa, by Engineering Label Products Inc., from G&N Investment Co.
Polacheck
1,600 square feet of space at 74th Street and Greenfield Avenue, West Allis, by Harris & Harris from Greenfield LP;
16,400 square feet of space at 8008 W. Brown Deer Rd., Milwaukee, by DEALS-Nothing Over A Dollar from RMS Properties II, Heldner Properties;
2,546 square feet of space at 161 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, by Radio Shack Corp. from Taxman Investments – University Centre;
4,691 square feet of space at 4155 N. 56th St., Milwaukee, by Fashion Gallery doing business as Rainbow Apparel from BV/JUF MidTown Ventures;
1,950 square feet of space at 3830 S. Moorland Rd., New Berlin, by Auto Club Insurance Corp. from Moorland Road Associates – Moorland Road I;
1,366 square feet of space at 735 N. Water St., Milwaukee, by Global Recruiters of Milwaukee from Compass Properties North Water Street.
Siegel-Gallagher
Wachovia Securities has entered into a new lease agreement with Adelman Properties, LLC, at the Adelman Building, 6980 N. Port Washington Rd., Bayside.
Towne Investments
Dots, LLC, an Ohio-based women’s clothing retail, has leased approximately 9,000 square feet of office space at 3736 S. 27th St., Milwaukee, for a store to open in November.
Wangard Partners
6,252 square feet of office/industrial space at 13040 W. Lisbon Rd. (Eastgate Business Center) in Brookfield, leased to R&M Distributing, LLC;
10,535 square feet of office/industrial space at 13040 W. Lisbon Rd. (Eastgate Business Center) in Brookfield, leased to Team Howmedica Osteonics;
2,009 square feet of office space at 8401 W. 102nd St. Ste 100, in Pleasant Prairie, leased to Ecolab, Inc.
Sales
James T. Barry Co.
Bradley and Joann Aldridge have purchased the 24,700-square-foot industrial building at 8656 W. National Ave., West Allis, from Milwaukee Chaplet & Mfg. Co. The buyers will expand their wholesale business at the property.
Boerke Co.
A 3,200-square-foot retail property at 8853 S. 27th St., Franklin, sold to Puschnig Enterprises by Dean Lundgreen for $262,000.
NAI MLG Commercial
Eviva Coffee & Tea Co. Inc. has purchased a property at 6789 Industrial Loop in Greendale, from RPM2 Properties, LLC. The building was purchased for $395,000. The new facility will house Eviva Coffee & Tea Company’s roasting and distribution business.
Polacheck
Two units at 3314-3318 W. Loomis Rd., Greenfield, by Allan and Joan McFayden from R.B. Truck Parts;
.44 acres at 7324 W. Capitol Dr., Milwaukee, by Matteo, Sollena & Rosa from Capitol Corner.
Wangard Partners
34,848 square feet of land at 2714 N. Grandview Blvd. in Waukesha, sold to Silvernail Restaurants Partners, LLP;
17,095 square feet of office/warehouse space at 6510 W. Layton Ave., in Greenfield, sold to Midwest Property Management, LLC.
20,000 square feet of industrial space at 5515 D. Westridge Dr., in New Berlin, sold to D&S Development Group, LLC.
10,826 square feet of industrial space at 4001 & 4025 W. Mill Rd., in Milwaukee, sold to Fastenal Company.
Sept. 19, 2003 Small Business Times, Milwaukee