The stock market plummeted today as investors reacted to the news that the U.S. economy shed jobs at a faster pace in June than in May.
U.S. nonfarm payrolls shrank by 467,000 in June, higher than the 322,000 jobs lost in May.
The national unemployment rate ticked higher to 9.5 percent in June from 9.4 percent in the previous month.
On the other hand, orders for U.S.-made factory goods climbed 1.2 percent in May on a big jump in orders for transportation equipment, the U.S. Commerce Department reported today.
Still, the Dow Jones fell by more than 180 points by mid-morning today on the cusp of the holiday weekend. Local stocks in the BizTimes Stock Index followed suit, with decliners outnumbering advancers. The largest local decliners this morning were Manpower Inc. (down $2.61 to $40.71), Johnson Controls Inc. (down $2.14 to $20.62) and Joy Global Inc. (down $1.74 to $34.51). The largest local advancers this morning were Strattec Security Corp. (up 19 cents to $14.60) and Twin Disc Inc. (up 8 cents to $6.70).

Water experts, researchers, businesspeople, investors and stewards will convene on Monday, July 20, at Discovery World to connect and discuss the true costs and opportunities of water from multiple perspectives as part of the third Milwaukee 7 Water Council Water Summit.
The conference will include presentations by national and international speakers, a panel discussion led by regional and national experts and breakout sessions among attendees.
A morning presentation, moderated by Mike Gousha, will feature guests Joel Brammeier of Alliance for the Great Lakes and A. Judson ("Jud") Hill of San Diego-based Summit Global Capital.
That presentation will be followed by a panel discussion including: Felix Carabello, director of alternate investment for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange; Mark Eiswerth, a professor of economics with University of Wisconsin-Whitewater; Jeffrey Ripp, water conservation coordinator for the Public Service Commission; and James White, executive director of the Cuyahoga River Remedial Action Plan in the Cleveland region of Ohio.
The luncheon keynote presenter will be Assaf Barnea, chief executive officer of Kinrot Ventures, an Israeli-based technological incubator dedicated to water technologies.
During afternoon breakout sessions, participants will help identify potential opportunities and strategies to further help southeastern Wisconsin strengthen its global leadership position as an innovator for freshwater research, education and economic development. Closing remarks will be given by Rich Meeusen, president of Badger Meter Inc. and co-chair of the Milwaukee 7 Water Council.
For additional information, contact Annie Nolan at (414)-390-5500 or Eric Paulsen at (414) 905-0111.

The corporate accolades continue to pour in for the Milwaukee Brewers, who rank seventh among 122 major league franchises in ESPN The Magazine's annual "Ultimate Standings: Fan Satisfaction Rankings."
More than 50,000 fans participated in the survey, which rated each franchise in eight categories. The Brewers placed among the top franchises in the categories of Affordability (#3), Stadium Experience (#3), Bang for the Buck (#7) and Ownership (#14).
Among Major League Baseball teams, the Brewers placed second overall, trailing only the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Angels were rated as the top franchise in all sports for 2009.
"This is our annual report card as graded by the fans, and we are pleased that fans value the Brewers and Miller Park experience so highly," said Rick Schlesinger, Brewers executive vice president of business operations. "At all levels of our organization, we continue to focus on delivering a consistently competitive team and best-in-class entertainment experience, and we know that we need to make this our top priority every day.”
This is the fifth consecutive year that the Brewers have climbed in the rankings.
The entire story is available at http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=4297274.
The Brewers and Miller Park have placed among the top teams in several recent media and fan rankings. In May, the organization was named as one of five finalists for Sports Business Journal's "Professional Sports Team of the Year." Also this year, Forbes named the Brewers as one of Major League Baseball's five "hottest brands" for 2009 and listed Brewers fans as the "second most valuable" in all of baseball.

An hour-long version of "Gridlock - Public Transit in SE Wisconsin," a feature-length documentary focusing on the politically, culturally and emotionally-charged issues surrounding transit and its related government spending, will be aired today on WMVS Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10.1 (MPTV) at 6 p.m.
Independent filmmaker Mark Irving, producers Jon Baade and Julie Olson, along with their video/interactive production company i level media inc., are in the final stages of producing "Gridlock" and worked with MPTV to air an edited, hour-long version today.
"Gridlock," in both its hour-long and feature-length versions, examines the question, "Does southeastern Wisconsin need a modern public transportation system and, if so, what will it be and how does the region go about getting it?"
"Gridlock" focuses on the money, politics and environmental choices as well as the emotional and personal stories of people in southeastern Wisconsin and the Chicago-Milwaukee metroplex.
"We scripted and are producing 'Gridlock' as a one-stop-shop for comprehensive information on modern, public transportation systems." Irving said. "We have also researched, filmed and explored transit scenarios in major metropolitan areas across the USA, while gathering a tremendous amount of data and background about the costs and benefits of either adopting - or avoiding - mass transit.”
Irving and his fellow filmmakers are looking for final funding to complete the feature-length version and have a produced a promo/trailer at http://www.gridlockdocumentary.com to give potential investors and future audiences a feeling for the experience that the finished film provides.

West Allis-based Sleep Wellness Institute Inc., Wisconsin's largest independent sleep disorders diagnosis and treatment center, now offers a free, online service that enables users to determine if they are at risk for obstructive sleep apnea.
The screening service is a combination of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Berlin sleep apnea questionnaire, and a body mass index (BMI) calculator.  The Epworth helps determine a person's daytime sleepiness level, the Berlin is focused on behaviors that are typical of sleep apnea and the BMI is based on weight and height.
The interactive screening can be found on the Sleep Wellness Institute's website, www.sleepwellandlive.com.

Bethesda Development II LLC is assuming the general manager and operational duties of The Black Trumpet restaurant and The Clarke Hotel located in downtown Waukesha at 314 W. Main St.
The company is the building owner and will assume the managerial duties from Andrew Ruggeri, local hotelier and restaurateur, who is resigning from the post.
"Andrew Ruggeri has informed us that he will be resigning from his general manager position at the restaurant and hotel and has asked us to assume the GM and operational duties," said Drew Vallozzi of Bethesda Hospitality Group LLC. "Both the restaurant and hotel will remain open, and we expect no interruptions in business. We are working cooperatively with Mr. Ruggeri toward a seamless transition, and we look forward to building on the foundation Andrew has built. We will continue to honor all restaurant and hotel reservations, gift cards and scheduled events, and look forward to continuing to strengthen the positive reputation both the restaurant and hotel have achieved in the local and regional marketplace."
The Black Trumpet and The Clarke Hotel opened last December.
"I am thankful for the opportunity to have been a part of this great development in Downtown Waukesha and am confident that the Bethesda Hospitality Group, LLC and its team will continue to operate The Black Trumpet and The Clarke Hotel with success," Ruggeri said. "I've made a personal decision to pursue other opportunities that are in the best interest of my family, and I am proud of what we have accomplished in a very short time."

Stevens Point-based Travel Guard Group Inc. unveiled its new corporate headquarters, a four-story, 127,600-square-foot building in the Portage County Business Park. Read more in BizTimes Milwaukee's daily roundup of headlines from newspapers across the state at www.biztimes.com/#news.

BizTimes Milwaukee invites its readers to join us in the fifth annual Emteq Charity Golf Outing to benefit the Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Fund at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.
The outing will take place on Monday, Aug. 10, at The Legend at Brandybrook in Wales. The day will begin with 10 a.m. registration, followed by a 10:30 a.m. lunch buffet and a noon shotgun tee time, followed by a dinner and charity auctions at 5 p.m.
Donations will help the CAP Fund stop child abuse before it happens through various programs such as in-home visitations, parent education and community outreach.
As part of a year long commitment to raise funds for the CAP Fund, Emteq, a New Berlin-based manufacturer of components for the aviation industry, participates in several events throughout the year, including the golf outing, the Briggs & Al's Run & Walk for Children's Hospital to benefit the CAP Fund and an internal employee fundraising campaign.
Emteq's contributions to the CAP Fund have grown from $3,500 in 2005 to more than $86,000 in 2008.
"EMTEQ is now in its 13th year of business. I am very fortunate to have seen substantial growth over these years which, now allows us to give back to the community," said Emteq president Jerry Jendusa. "We consider the community a stakeholder in our organization. We take great honor in continuing to support the CAP Fund especially in a time when charitable giving may suffer. This event also gives EMTEQ employees an opportunity to participate and help a worthy cause. We are pleased to be hosting the fifth annual charity event and hope to meet our goal of donating $80,000."
To register for the scramble foursome event or simply to attend the dinner, visit www.emteq.com/charity or call Kimberly Hoogland at (262) 679-7175. Individual and corporate sponsorships for the golf outing and the dinner are still available.
BizTimes Media, the parent company of BizTimes Milwaukee, is the media sponsor for the golf outing.

Bob Marsh is retiring. Maybe this time, it will be for real. Read more about his remarkable story in this week's edition of the BizTimes Bubbler.

More than 100 people networked at the Greater Brookfield Chamber of Commerce's June Business After 5 held at the Brookfield Residence Inn. To view a photographic slideshow of the event, visit the latest edition of BizTimes Around Town.

A Milwaukee alderman is pushing for the replacement of the Hoan Bridge. That would be a mistake on many levels, according to Milwaukee County Supervisor Patricia Jursik, author of today's Milwaukee Biz Blog. What do you think? Take today's BizTimes Poll at www.biztimes.com.