Charlie Opferman has joined Central City Construction, Milwaukee, as executive vice president. Opferman, who holds a master’s degree in architecture and a bachelor’s degree in science from UW-Milwaukee, has 25 years of experience in construction and architecture. Central City Construction has also added Vanessa Diggins as project controls assistant manager. Diggins, who has worked in management and construction for 10 years, is a business graduate of the Business and Banking Institute of Milwaukee. She had been with the Jansen Group.
Gregory M. Wesley has been named a partner of the Gonzalez, Saggio & Harlan law firm, Wesley, a 1997 University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate, will continue to focus on equal opportunities and employment law, Indian law and government relations.
Wendy McGuire and Sarah Kuske have been promoted at Creative Advertising Services in Mequon, McGuire to senior art director and Kuske to art director. McGuire has been in graphic arts for more than 20 years in the areas of design, management, marketing, and technology. Kuske earned a degree in graphic design from UW-Eau Claire and started with the agency as a graphic designer.
Jim Maslowski has been hired as vice president of business development at Centare Group, in Brookfield. Maslowski comes to Centare Group from Monterey, Calif.-based Altura International where he was vice president of sales for the past three years. Maslowski is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., and has more than 11 years of sales and marketing experience.
Brian Gill has been promoted to the position of account manager at Scheibel Halaska, a Milwaukee-based marketing communications firm. Prior to joining Scheibel Halaska, Gill, a UW-Milwaukee graduate, previously held positions in the health-care, automotive aftermarket and Internet service provider industries.
Ric Joyner, co-founder and co-CEO of eflexgroup.com, a national Web-based employee benefits administrator, was named 2002 president of Wisconsin Association of Health Underwriters, America’s Benefits Specialists WI AHU is an insurance agent organization representing consumer in the purchase of employee benefits.
Rob Trecek has joined Johnson Direct in Brookfield. Trecek’s official title, “house representative,” describes in a non-traditional way the role he will play at the agency as a developer of new business. Trecek has 15 years of experience in the marketing communications, database and mail production fields. Trecek is a Marquette University graduate with a degree in communications.
Richard Ahl-Ludwig has joined PDC Midwest, in Hartland, as a project architect. Ahl-Ludwig, a licensed architect, received his bachelor’s degree in architecture from UW-Milwaukee and an associate’s degree in architecture from the Milwaukee Area Technical College.
Carol Seeger Weber has joined the Wisconsin Dental Association’s Milwaukee headquarters as public relations director. Weber brings more than 20 years of public relations experience with the federal government, insurance industry, and non-profit organizations to this new WDA position. She most recently served as communications and marketing director for the Alzheimer’s Association, Wisconsin Chapter Network.
David Bundy has joined Johnson Financial Group, Racine, as vice president/director of facilities services. With more than 26 years of facilities experience, he will be responsible for all facility matters at the new Johnson Building in downtown Racine. He holds a degree in architecture from UW-Milwaukee.
Jason Erickson has joined Brady Marketing Group in Menomonee Falls as a database specialist. He holds a degree in mathematics, with a minor in computer science, from UW-Platteville.
Joseph B. Kaylor has joined Hays Companies of Wisconsin, in Wauwatosa. He had earlier been with Marsh in Milwaukee and Marsh Risk Consulting in Chicago.
Paul S. Price has joined the property/casualty division of Diversified Insurance Services, Waukesha. Price has 30 years of experience in the insurance business.
Crystal Halweg has been named marketing coordinator at Raabe Corp. in Menomonee Falls. She holds a bachelor of science degree from UW-La Crosse.
Ed Buchholz has been named to the newly created position of vice president at CareerTrac, in Milwaukee. He joined the firm in May as a senior search consultant, and had earlier been with Hunter Midwest.
Jean Garbo has joined Downtown Racine Corp. as retail/marketing administrator. She had been with Johnson Financial Group for the past 20 years.
Diane Esser and Peter Olsen, both CPAs, have joined the CPA and advisory firm of Sattell, Johnson, Appel & Co. in Milwaukee and Brookfield.
Wade Kohlmann has joined the Waukesha business-to-business marketing firm Integré as an account executive. He had earlier been with Nelson & Schmidt Marketing Communications in Milwaukee.
John McLaughlin has joined Alliant Insurance Associates as marketing manager. He had previously been commercial lines manager at Robertson Ryan & Associates, and has been in the insurance industry since 1977. He holds a degree in political science from UW-Milwaukee.
Tom Bothe has been named as parts and service sales specialist in the Pleasant Prairie facility of Alfa Laval. He has more than 26 years of experience with Alfa Laval, and holds a degree in sociology from UW-Parkside. The firm has also named Jodi Dacquisto an OEM account manager. She has been with Alfa Laval since 1999, and holds a communications degree from UW-Parkside. Elaine Drier has accepted the position of parts and service administrator for the firm. She has experience with Alfa Laval for more than 17 years. Russell Jones has been named the firm’s business development manager – parts and service. He has more than 15 years of experience with Alfa Laval, and also holds the position of business development manager – pumps. Chris Maurer has accepted the position of materials manager with Alfa Laval. He joined the firm in 1994, and holds a degree in accounting from UW-Parkside.
Jim Compton has joined Mequon Healthcare Center as a marketing coordinator. Compton is a graduate of Drake University and has experience in long-term senior care, admissions, and social services.
The consulting engineering firm of
Arnold & O’Sheridan has made the following staff additions: Gerald Rewolinski, landscape architect; Ben Gerold, structural engineer; Michael McGann, electrical engineer; Tim Meeker, HVAC engineer; Hilary Swanson, HVAC engineer; Fred Andrews, plumbing CAD technician; and Marci Nickelsburg, receptionist.
The law firm of Godfrey & Kahn has announced several new associates. Joining the firm’s corporate team are Jessica Braeger, who graduated from Drake University Law School, and Brett Koeller, who graduated from the University of Michigan Law School. Nicholas Doukas, a University of San Francisco Law School graduate, joins the intellectual property team. Sarah McNally, a University of Wisconsin Law School graduate, joins the firm’s tax team.
Extendicare Health Services of Milwaukee has announced four hires. They are Karen Muna, Medicare billing coordinator; Sandra Kloc, customers service representative; Ann Berenz, human resources assistant; and Ronald Orth, director of clinical reimbursements.
Metro-Clean Corp. has hired Irene Greeley to the newly created position of director of marketing. Greeley has extensive experience in the cleaning industry, having managed marketing communications programs for HOST/Racine Industries for 15 years.
Jeremy Cramer has joined the system retrofit division of Energenecs, a water/wastewater systems consultant business in Cedarburg. Previously, Cramer served as the superintendent of wastewater for a Wisconsin municipal utility. He received a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Oct. 11, 2002 Small Business Times,Milwaukee

Charles G. Maris has joined the Milwaukee law firm of Weiss Berzowski Brady as a partner in the Estate Planning, Real Estate and Business Law practice groups. Maris’ practice includes estate planning, real estate, business and family law. Maris is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (B.B.A., summa cum laude, 1979) and Marquette University Law School (J.D., cum laude, 1984). He was previously with the law firm of Kasdorf, Lewis & Swietlik, Milwaukee.
Brett P. Stone has joined Associated Bank as vice president of commercial banking at the Kilbourn Avenue office in downtown Milwaukee. Stone has more than 23 years experience in the commercial banking and commercial real estate banking fields, including more than eight years in management roles in the Milwaukee area. Prior to joining Associated, he held positions such as vice president of commercial banking and vice president of commercial real estate banking at Bank One. Stone earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay..
Judy Radish has joined Tudor Oaks Senior Community of Muskego as community relations director.
Christopher C. Conlon has been elected to the board of directors of The Equitable Bank, in Wauwatosa. Conlon has a private-practice dentistry office in Brookfield, and also founded and has served as treasurer of Conlon Homes, a custom-home-building corporation.
The CPA firm of Winter, Kloman, Moter & Repp in Elm Grove and Oconomowoc has announced the following promotions: in the Elm Grove office, Paul Sheahan to supervisor, and Lynn Braden and Lori Kaye to manager; in Oconomowoc, Helena Clark to four-year associate, Mike Toennies to senior, Stephanie Martynotte and Tammy Worzalla to supervisor, and Lori Olson to manager.
Al Thompson has joined Tushaus Computer Services in Wauwatosa as the chief sales officer. Thompson brings more than 20 years of sales and sales leadership and management experience in the computer technology industry to Tushaus.
Carl Wickman has joined J.H. Findorff & Son in Milwaukee as senior project manager. He was most recently with J.P. Cullen & Sons in Madison. Wickman is a 1985 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he earned a degree in construction administration. He worked in the Boston area for most of his career, and has extensive experience in the health-care and education construction areas.
Pamela Brown has been named the assistant development director for communication and special events at St. Joan Antida High School in Milwaukee. Prior to joining SJA, she was employed at a national non-profit organization in public relations, worked as a freelance writer, held various marketing internships and worked in outside sales. Brown is a 1997 graduate of Alverno College, where she earned her bachelor of arts degree in professional
communications
Amy Jacob has been named director of the Mid-Central Customer Care Center of U.S. Cellular in Pewaukee. The center serves customers throughout Wisconsin and northern Illinois. She has been with U.S. Cellular since 1991, and has served as area sales manager of retail operations for the company’s New Hampshire and Vermont markets, and as business operations manager for Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Husson College.
July 5, 2002 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

Jerry Herzog has been named business development director at Milwaukee-based marketing and business communications agency Scheibel Halaska. Herzog’s 15-year career in new business development includes roles at Dun & Bradstreet, Kendall Healthcare and, most recently, Safenet Consulting. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Stephen P. Bartholomew has joined Great Midwest Brokerage, a Highland Capital Brokerage office, as sales vice president. He has more than 22 years of experience in the insurance and employee benefits industry. Most recently, Bartholomew served as brokerage relationship manager for AON Worksite Solutions. Bartholomew earned his master of business administration degree from Northeastern University and his undergraduate degree from Assumption College.
Sue Winkelman has joined Extendicare Health Services in Milwaukee as a regional director of sales and marketing for the assisted living facilities. The firm has also hired Irina Todor as a payroll specialist and Joy Zaffke as administrative assistant for the Wisconsin/Minnesota Regional office. The firm owns and/or manages more than 200 skilled-nursing, rehabilitation, subacute, assisted living and retirement centers in 13 states.
Michael A. McIntosh has been appointed president and CEO of RexCon, a manufacturer of concrete batching plants, concrete paving machines and computer controls for concrete plants. He succeeds Edward Lutz, who retired to pursue special business interests for The Pinkert Industrial Group, the owner of RexCon. McIntosh had been with Bucyrus-International, where he held various positions for the past 16 years.
Joe Pepitone, manager of landscape architecture, and Barb Schlapman, manager of interior space planning, at Zimmerman Design Group Architects in Wauwatosa, have been promoted to stockholder in the firm. The firm also named Justin Arndt, construction field services, and Nadzella Bulie, architectural CAD technician, associates.
Martin Choren and Apraham Khatchadourian have been named to the board of directors and vice presidents of their respective studios at Plunkett Raysich Architects in Milwaukee. Choren is in the Corporate/Commercial studio while Katchadourian is in the Education K-12 studio.
Richard Blomquist has joined the board of directors of the T.E. Brennan Co. in Milwaukee. Blomquist was the founder, owner and president/CEO of Associates for Health Care from 1984 until earlier this year. AHC was sold to BCE Emergis last June; Blomquist remained with the operation until this March, acting as senior vice president for strategic initiatives. He now runs a consulting business focusing on health-care and health-benefit costs.
James Radke has been named operations manager at Coakley Bros. Co., a Milwaukee-based residential and industrial moving, furniture installation, records management, warehousing and distribution firm. Meanwhile, Coakley Tech, a high-tech document management and distribution company, has appointed Peggy Coakley as CE) and Christopher A. Illman as president. Coakley is also president of Coakley Bros. Illman had earlier been with Xerox and Gartner, Inc.
Michael Roidt, formerly vice president of commercial lending, has been promoted to the position of senior vice president in the commercial lending division at TCF Bank. Roidt joined TCF’s Commercial Lending division in 1990. He received his bachelor of business administration degree from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Bob Dziewiontkowski has joined Creative Constructors of Menomonee Falls as a project superintendent. He has more than 15 years of construction education and experience.
June 7, 2002 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

River barges, which haven’t called on the Port of Milwaukee since 1996, could be coming back, thanks to a change in federal regulations.

The new regulations, which became effective May 23, ease the regulatory requirements and reduce the costs for barges to transit on Lake Michigan between Chicago and Milwaukee, according to Kenneth Szallai, Milwaukee municipal port director.
During the mid-1990s barge traffic was the fastest growing segment of Port of Milwaukee business, Szallai said. Tonnage growth grew from zero to more than one-half million tons during a three-year period. River barges last made the transit to Milwaukee in 1996. A rebound of that barge traffic could now take place.
"The Coast Guard’s cooperation in getting the needed rule changes made was essential to resuming barge trade," Szallai said. "They worked with us over a two-year period to get this done."
Hopper barges are well-suited for transporting a wide variety of commodities and products, such as grain, scrap, steel, machinery, coal and animal feeds, Szallai said.
"The ability to connect directly with the nation’s inland waterway system adds a competitive pricing advantage for Wisconsin commerce, agriculture and manufacturing in both domestic and international markets," Szallai added.
"The Port of Milwaukee has gained the reputation for serving Milwaukee and Wisconsin shippers in innovative ways", said Daniel Steininger, president of the Milwaukee Board of Harbor Commissioners. "Establishing access for Wisconsin industry and agriculture to the inland waterway system opens new markets and will give our economy a competitive edge in getting goods to the markets we serve."
Tosa Chamber changes name
The Wauwatosa Area Chamber of Commerce has changed its name to the West Suburban Chamber of Commerce, reflecting the wider scope of focus of its members, said Stephen Smith, chamber president. "The majority of our members do business throughout the metropolitan area …, not just within the city of Wauwatosa," Smith said in a letter to chamber members. He noted that more than 30% of the chamber’s current membership is based outside Wauwatosa – a figure that is expanding.
The chamber, which has more than 500 members, had already been working with neighboring chambers, including those in West Allis and Brookfield.

Verizon Wireless
launches Express Network
Milwaukee-area businesspeople who use the Internet in remote locations can now do so with a lot less frustration, via Verizon Wireless’s new Express Network.
Verizon Wireless is the first US wireless carrier to commercially introduce such a system, which allows data speeds up to 144 Kbps, with average throughput between 40 and 60 kbps – significantly higher than speeds formerly available, and comparable to what Internet users get using a dial-up service at home.
The system allows the quicker wireless access to the Internet via use of a laptop computer or certain hand-held devices (PDAs). The user can either use a cellphone, hooked up to the laptop or PDA, for the connection, or insert a connection card into the device.
"Now the excuse of wireless being too slow goes right out the window,’ said Bill Boehm of Verizon Wireless, noting that Verizon is working on a system that would accommodate data speeds of up to 2 megabits per second – a system that "will allow true use of multi-media" via wireless devices.

June 7, 2002 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

Innovative Health and Fitness, (www.ihfwellness.com) a new wellness center in Franklin, has set an open house for June 1 and 2. The first day of operations for the $7 million, 52,000-square-foot, medically based wellness center is Monday, June 3.

The facility is at 8800 S. 102nd St. It includes a 25-yard lap pool, a warm-water group exercise pool, a whirlpool, an outdoor sundeck, an elevated indoor walking/running track; cardiovascular equipment; weight equipment, exercise studios, and other amenities.

Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer & Associates has acquired Zak Engineering Group. Zak Engineering is a four-member mechanical engineering firm specializing in the design of heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and energy conservation surveys, studies and reports.
The firm, based in Mequon, has a 30-year history of providing services to clients throughout the Midwest, East Coast, West Coast, and Hawaii.
The Zak Engineering staff has joined the Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer staff at its Milwaukee office located in the Honey Creek Corporate Center, 125 S. 84th St. Peter Zak, president of Zak Engineering, has been elected an associate of the Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer and will manager the MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) group at the firm. Other new employees include Aaron King, engineer; Randy Lietz, engineering technician; and Kerri O’Dell, administrative assistant.

Attorney Frank Pasternak of Brookfield, and formerly associated with Murphy, Gillick, Wicht & Prachthauser and Domnitz, Mawicke & Goisman, has opened Frank Pasternak & Associates S.C. The law firm will focus exclusively on plaintiff’s personal injury and wrongful death litigation and can be contacted at 8112 W. Blue Mound Road, Wauwatosa; 414-257-4100; frank@frankpasternak.com.

The law firm of von Briesen & Roper has moved its Kenosha office to a new location. It is now in a newly constructed building at 5027 Green Bay Rd., in Suite 120. The telephone and fax numbers remain the same.

Glendale-based Manpower has formed a marketing relationship with Intuit, whereby Intuit will give its nearly 2.5 million QuickBooks small business users access to Manpower’s staffing and training services via the company’s QuickBooks financial management software and on QuickBooks.com.
"Our relationship with Intuit introduces Manpower’s full range of workforce recruitment and development solutions to the small business market," said Barbara Beck, executive vice president of Manpower North America. "Access to the staffing center on QuickBooks.com and through the QuickBooks software will help Intuit’s customers experience how staffing and training can add efficiencies to any business while strengthening the bottom line."

Delta Communications, of Waukesha, has merged with System Solutions, of Franklin, with all operations now at the Delta Communications facility on Bluemound Road in Waukesha. Spencer Thomason has assumed he position of president of both firms.
Since 1973, Delta has provided voice and data information technology design, product-selection support, installation, and follow-up.
System Solution, a Microsoft Certified Partner, will continue to provide voice and data network services to auto dealerships, the legal community, and other small to mid-sized firms.

Nine firms, including four in southeastern Wisconsin, won Business Friend of the Environment awards as announced at the recent Environmental Policy and Awards Conference in Waukesha.
The winners included:

Landmark Credit Union has named Jay Magulski as vice president of business development, working with the credit union’s new Business Service area. Magulski, with 16 years of financial services experience, had been with the former Firstar Bank. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from UW-Milwaukee.
Jay Zawerschnik has been named vice presidnet of operations at Color Ink, a Sussex-based sheetfed printer. Zawerschnik had previously worked for Eastman Kodak/Kodak Polychrome Graphics, and has 24 years of experience in the printing industry.
Tyler Hauser has joined R.A. Smith & Associates as the Brookfield-based civil engineering, surveying and technical services firm expands into its information technology consulting services for local government. Hauser will be responsible for furthering Web site development efforts at R.A. Smith, as well as providing the service externally to local government. He was previously employed with DS Media in Waukesha. He has a graphics background, with 10 years experience in the printing industry as a designer and digital pre-press specialist, including three years of Web site design and development. He holds a bachelor of fine arts degree with an emphasis in graphic communications and photography from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He is currently enrolled in the webmaster certificate program with an emphasis in Web development and database administration at Marquette University.
Robert Glaser of Brown Deer has been appointed to the state’s Development Finance Board. The board oversees the administration of the Technology Development Fund, applied research in technology, technology-based incubator, customized labor training and major economic development programs, all of which are part of the Wisconsin Development Fund. The board also oversees the Recycling Loan Program. Glaser is the sub-district director for district two of the United Steelworkers of America. Previously, he was an international representative for the union and president of Local Union 6499, which represents the workers at Mirro Aluminum Co. Glaser is a member of the AFL-CIO Executive Board, Milwaukee County Labor Council, United Way and Competitive Wisconsin. Glaser has a bachelor of arts in labor administration from Antioch College in Washington, D.C. His term on the Development Finance Board runs to May 1, 2004.
Pamela Oman has been named assistant marketing coordinator at Northern Oak Capital Management in Milwaukee. Oman, a trader at the company, adds coordinating client communications, public relations and advertising to her list of responsibilities. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in marketing from UW-Milwaukee.
Dean M. Hoffman has joined T.E. Brennan Co. in Milwaukee as the practice leader-benefits. Most recently, Hoffman was the regional manager of Trustmark Insurance Co. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics from UW-Stevens Point. Hoffman serves on the board of directors of the Wisconsin Association of Health Underwriters.
Robert A. Rohe has joined BHS Architects, Milwaukee, as a project manager in its Educational Studio. He had been at Bray Associates in Sheboygan and before that with Renner Architects in Milwaukee.
May 24, 2002 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

Employees of Banner Tool & Engineering filed complaints March 24 with the US Department of Labor and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development against the owners of the stalled company over unpaid wages and insurance claims.

Problems with the company, and struggles being faced by the tool & die industry in Wisconsin, were noted in an April 12 story in Small Business Times.
According to the complaints, owners Keith Akers and David Leist had canceled employees’ self-funded insurance coverage in January. The claim alleges that, in violation of the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act, which regulates self-funded plans, employees were not told they no longer had coverage, and continued to pay the premium while unpaid claims dating from as far back as October of 2001 started to accumulate.
Employees are seeking $67,188.51 in unpaid claims and fraudulently collected premiums.
The employees are also seeking $54,274.82 in unpaid wages and vacation. Overall, employees hope to collect $206,318.78 from Leist and Akers.
Leist and Akers were equal co-owners of the company according to a former employee. Akers served as treasurer and was primarily responsible for the finances. Akers has since filed for personal bankruptcy. Leist served as president of the company and dealt with customers and prospects.
Banner Tool & Engineering is not the only company in dutch with its employees over back wages. The Department of Workforce Development has filed liens against the following companies within the past year:

JL Business Interiors of West Bend (www.jlbusinessinteriors.com) has been named National School Lines’ exclusive dealer in southeast Wisconsin. Based in Omro, Wis., National School Lines is a leading national manufacturer of quality furniture and accessories for the classroom.

"We’re excited about our new dealership status because it means that school administrators now have more price-competitive choices" in what had been a rather slim business niche, says JL Business Interiors owner, Jeff Lambie. "We feel that offering choices is critical today, in an era of tightening school budgets."
Lambie explains that the move also represents the expansion of JL Business Interiors’ focus, to the institutional side of the business. Says Lambie, "Our years of success in business interiors naturally led us to serve institutional clients in our area. When we considered the potential of that market segment, it made sense to expand in that direction."

In an expansion of its consulting services, Organization Development Consultants, Inc. (ODC), of Brookfield has collaborated with idTools, inc., a Brookfield-based technology services firm, to begin offering web-enabled tools and services. The result is a new Web-based software application called "idTools/hpmi" for "Human Performance Management Inventory" that allows companies to manage, conduct and analyze employee performance assessments through a secure system.
Commenting on this initiative, Dr. Daniel Schroeder, executive vice president of ODC said, "Information about employee performance is expensive and time consuming to collect, and management may lack the internal resources to effectively collect and interpret data relating to employee skills. Existing employee performance evaluation tools generate reports that are complex and difficult to understand. We saw this as an opportunity to expand our existing management development consulting practice by providing a web-based solution that captures our decades of advice and experience, and makes it available to our clients."
(Schroeder is a regular columnist for Small Business Times, writing on personnel and human resources issues.)
Dr. Michael O’Neill, president of idTools, said that "Our current offering, while successful, has been focused on survey and data analysis tools for Facility Managers. These tools include a "work practices" system that analyses employee needs around workspace layout and design, an "occupancy satisfaction" tool, and a "vendor service quality assessment" tool. Partnering with ODC was a sound business decision from our perspective because it lets us expand from our current market – but keeps our focus on serving the needs of internal service and support groups of organizations."

Benefits 2000, of Brookfield, has changed its named to The Flex Company of America. The new name reflects the organization’s focus on its core business of flexible benefit plan administration, said Barbara Baade, company president.
"Obviously, our business focus has evolved and sharpened over the past 15 years," Baade said. "Simply put, our name no longer reflected our main service offering of flexible benefit plans and other plan administration."
The company engaged focus groups and other research for the name-change process. "We found of old name to be a barrier for clients and prospects to understand who we are as an organization," Baade said.
The company employs 17 full-time and two part-time persons.

Advertising Consultants for Business has opened in Cedarburg, offering services to firms that want to develop in-house advertising departments.
ABC offers direct consultation or workshops that teach the how-to basics of creating ads, brochures, press releases, Web sites, production and other areas.
Robert Cote of Chicago and Sal Grasso of Cedarburg are the company founders, and aim to focus on the Milwaukee and Chicago markets. They can be reached at 262-375-1051.

Former Stark Images minority partners John Halusan and Jim Lunde have purchased the Milwaukee company from its former majority owner. Halusan and Lunde are now equal partners in the multi-million printing services operation.
Hulasan will assume the role of president and CEO while continuing to oversee the sales and marketing functions. Lunde will remain as vice president of operations and production.
Stark (www.starkimages.com) recently purchased a Heidelberg two-color press and a Heidelberg Quickmaster DI digital four-color press.

Malcolm Group, a $34 million company with a variety of subsidiaries including Malcolm Marketing Communications in Racine, has acquired Battista & Co. , a marketing and advertising agency in Madison.
Battista, which has been in business for nearly 25 years, is expected to bring in more than $3 million in capitalized billings for the Malcolm Group this year. Bob Battista will serve as vice president of marketing services for Malcom’s Madison office.

Automatic Fire Protection, Inc., of Brookfield, has acquired two more fire protection companies in Wisconsin: Arrow Fire Protection in Arbor Vitae and the Fire Protection Division of Per-Mar Security Services in Janesville, Lake Geneva and Delavan, and Rockford, Ill.
AFP’s 21st and 22nd acquisitions broadens and expands its business and customer base in northern Illinois and Wisconsin, according to Tim Bell, president of Automatic Fire Protection.
Automatic Fire Protection, an ISO-9000 certified company, provides a line of equipment and services, including automatic fire sprinklers, fire extinguishers, kitchen hood and duct fire extinguishing systems, fire detection and alarm systems, customized suppression systems including "clean agents," emergency and exit lighting, and fire safety training programs.

SEEK, Inc., has launched Guardian HealthStaff as a separate company, devoted to staffing in the health-care industry.
The company is specializing in the placement of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, medical technicians and certified nursing assistants.
The firm was started by SEEK CEO Carol Schneider and Kimberly Noon, who previously led SEEK’s South Region.
Guardian HealthStaff is based in downtown Milwaukee.

American Linen Co., which has operations in Milwaukee and Wauwatosa, has changed its name to Alsco. The company, based in Salt Lake City, is a global provider of textile services, including restaurant and medical linen supply, uniforms and cleanroom services.
It has Wisconsin locations at 10th and North in Milwaukee and just north of 124th and Capitol Drive in Wauwatosa.

April 26, 2002 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

Darian Luckett is the new executive director of The Business Council, an arm of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce that focuses on Black-owned businesses. Luckett had been with M&I Bank, which he joined in 1993 as a mortgage loan officer.
Ted Falk has joined the Gustave A. Larson Company in Pewaukee as credit manager, replacing Kathy Laska who retired after 24 years with the company. In 1998, Falk was named Credit Executive of the Year by the Wisconsin Credit Association and serves on its board of directors. Falk comes to the Larson Company from First Supply in Madison.
Mutual Savings Bank recently hired Kathryn Menger as a a new bank office manager to provide support to its metro Milwaukee bank offices. Menger has held the positions of loan specialist and personal banker. She had been with M&I Bank and North Shore Bank.
Tom Berry has joined Promo540, a promotional products and brand marketing company, in its Kenosha office. Tom had previously been the director of business development and marketing for the Milwaukee advertising agency, Versant.
Silvia Masini has joined Capital H, Inc., as managing director for its Milwaukee office. Headquartered in Milwaukee, the professional services firm provides complete human resource (HR) services to large, medium and small organizations. Masini was most recently a principal in the Chicago office of William M. Mercer, Inc., a global HR consulting firm. Masini also has prior HR experience as vice president of human resources for Alternative Resources Corp., an IT services company in Barrington, Ill. She holds a B.S. degree in political science from Northwestern University.
Paul Pebley has joined Versant, a Milwaukee marketing communication agency, as executive vice-president – client marketing solutions. He leads the account services group to develop marketing strategies that meet client business objectives, and also helps direct employee recruitment and retention efforts for Versant clients. Prior to joining Versant, Pebley had a 20-year sales and marketing career in the hospitality and health-care industries. He was responsible for various marketing and branding activities at local, regional and corporate levels. He served for three years as senior vice-president of marketing and sales for Alterra Healthcare, where he was responsible for establishing and managing the Alterra consumer brand identity in 28 states and 475 locations. Prior to Alterra, Pebley held various positions with Hilton Hotels Corp.
Versant has added several other new employees. Mike Dooley comes to Versant as a senior art director after eight years as director of design and publications for the Milwaukee Art Museum. He formerly served as an art director for Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Laura Stewart has been named associate producer. She has done freelance work in Milwaukee, Chicago and Vienna, Austria, and has worked on feature-length films. She directed, shot and edited a project that appeared in the Wisconsin Film Festival last spring. Ron Perszewski was appointed public relations manager to help lead Versant’s growing PR business. The former journalist has served a wide range of client accounts during six years in public relations.
Lisa London has joined Trainor/Frank & Associates as senior consultant to the recruiting firm. She has more than 10 years of sales and recruiting experience.
Rick Vanderkin has been appointed director of operations at Raabe Corp. in Menomonee Falls. He joined Raabe in 1979 as a store manager for the North Avenue retail location and was promoted to production manager in 1986 before being named manufacturing manager in 1996.
John T. Gall has joined Wachtel Tree Science & Service in Merton as special projects coordinator. Gall has been in the green industry for 28 years and is a certified arborist. He holds a master’s degree in urban forestry from Purdue University.
Steve Wilcox has joined Brady Marketing Group in Menomonee Falls as public relations director. He had been a managing director in Hill and Knowlton’s Chicago office, and holds a master’s degree in journalism/PR from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.
Laura Petak has been hired as sales/marketing coordinator for The Fish, radio 105.3 FM in Milwaukee. She had been an international sales representative for NexWatch. She is a 1995 UW-Stevens Point graduate.
Heidi Schaible has been promoted to the position of human assets coordinator for the US headquarters of Fontarome Chemical, in St. Francis. She joined the firm in 2000.
Jerry Schlitz has been promoted to the position of vice president and senior commercial banker at Park Bank. He will work out of the bank’s office at 76th Street and Capitol Drive in Milwaukee. Schlitz has been with Park Bank’s downtown location since he joined the bank in 1994, and has been in banking since 1987. He graduated from the Graduate School of Banking in 1999 and also holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in business administration from UW-Whitewater. Also, Park Bank has hired Amanda Rossbach as investments manager, based at the bank’s Brookfield location. She had been with M&I Northern Bank.
April 26, 2002 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

Jeff Jaroczynski has been hired as a new auditing supervisor at Mutual Savings Bank at its headquarters in Brown Deer. Jaroczynski comes to Mutual after serving as an audit/credit administrator and compliance officer at Bank of Elmwood. Jaroczynski is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting.

Amy Foulks has joined KS Consulting, a division of Kahler Slater Architects in Milwaukee, as marketing coordinator. Foulks, a graduate of Alverno College, has more than eight years of professional experience in marketing and customer service.

Chadd M. Frank has recently been promoted to vice president and commercial banking officer at Waukesha State Bank. He joined Waukesha State Bank in November, 1998. Frank earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration/finance from Marquette University. Currently he is active with the United Way in Waukesha County, Interfaith Caregiving Network, Waukesha Area Chamber of Commerce, and received a “Banker of the Year” award from the Wisconsin Business Development Finance Corp. He is the son of Martin H. Frank, the bank’s current president and president of the Wisconsin Bankers Association. He works at the bank’s Main office located at 100 Bank St, in downtown Waukesha.

Dave Preston has been promoted to the position of director of the consulting services division at AE Business Solutions in Milwaukee. He had been a consulting resource for the firm.

Scott R. Villenauve has joined Schenck Technology Solutions in Sussex as a software development supervisor. He received his training at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. He previously worked for Techskills.

Frank Biancuzzo, a Milwaukee native, has been named president and general manager of WISN-TV here. He succeeds Rick Henry, who moved to Heast-Argyle’s station in Pittsburgh. Biancuzzo has been with the firm since it was formed in 1997; he joined Hearst Broadcasting in 1995, and is a UW-Whitewater journalism graduate.

Jessica Rock has joined Creative Constructors of Menomonee Falls as director of business development. She is a 1997 business administration graduate of UW-Milwaukee.

James G. Pade has been promoted to the position of transportation and logistics manager for Wixon Fontarome, the St. Francis-based food ingredients manufacturer. He replaces Gerald D. Siegel, who retired. Pade will continue to lead the company’s systems/information technology department. He is a computer engineering major with a B.S. degree from UW-Madison; he also holds a business administration master’s degree from Marquette University.

April 12, 2002 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

Unpaid wages and insurance premium misappropriations alleged

Employees of Banner Tool & Engineering filed complaints March 24 with the US Department of Labor and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development against the owners of the stalled company over unpaid wages and insurance claims.

According to the complaints, owners Keith Akers and David Leist had canceled employees’ self-funded insurance coverage in January. The claim alleges that, in violation of the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act, which regulates self-funded plans, employees were not told they no longer had coverage, and continued to pay the premium while unpaid claims dating from as far back as October of 2001 started to accumulate.

Employees are seeking $67,188.51 in unpaid claims and fraudulently collected premiums.

The employees are also seeking $54,274.82 in unpaid wages and vacation. Overall, employees hope to collect $206,318.78 from Leist and Akers.

Leist and Akers were equal co-owners of the company according to a former employee. Akers served as treasurer and was primarily responsible for the finances. Akers has since filed for personal bankruptcy. Leist served as president of the company and dealt with customers and prospects.

April 12, 2002 Small Business Times, Milwaukee

Plans to build an office and retail project in the heart of the city of Milwaukee have been announced by Hammes Co., a Brookfield-based national real estate development firm.
The new building, to be located at the southwest corner of Water and Wells streets and to be addressed 789 N. Water St., will add 51,000 rentable square feet to the city’s inventory of office and retail space, said Andy Weltcheff, Hammes Co. spokesman.
“This development, on a site that has been vacant for nearly 30 years, reflects downtown Milwaukee’s desirability as a place to do business,” Mayor John 0. Norquist said. “The new office and retail complex joins 136 apartments built as part of the City Hall Square project, which is adding vitality to the heart of downtown.”
Hammes representatives expressed confidence in finding interested tenants for the building, citing its location.
Hammes plans to develop 45,000 rentable square feet of office space and 6,000 rentable square feet of retail use on the ground floor. The five-story masonry and glass building will include three stories of office space and two stories of parking.
Kahler Slater has been named the architect of the Water and Wells project. Groundbreaking is anticipated for this summer and the building is expected to be completed toward the end of 1999.
The space is currently a surface parking lot. The site formerly hosted the Blatz Hotel which was razed in the early 1970s.
The Hammes development will be part of the overall City Hall Square redevelopment encompassing properties kitty-corner from City Hall. The redevelopment is creating new office, retail and residential space, largely out of existing structures.
The development was contingent on the approval of the Milwaukee Common Council.
May 1998 Small Business Times, Milwaukee