Less than a month after its hostile attempt to take over Midwest Air Group Inc. was rejected, AirTran Airways is ramping up its presence in Milwaukee anyway.
AirTran Holdings Inc., announced today it will add seasonal Milwaukee flights to sunshine destinations on Dec. 20 by launching daily, nonstop service to Phoenix, Ariz., and increasing its number of flights to Ft. Myers and Tampa, Fla., to daily service.
The new and expanded routes will use AirTran Airways' newest, most fuel-efficient Boeing 737-700 aircraft. The one-way fares for the new flights will start at $96.
With the additional flights, AirTran Airways will offer a dozen daily departures from Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport to seven nonstop destinations. AirTran Airways began flying to Milwaukee five years ago.
"AirTran Airways is making the annual migration from the upper Midwest to Arizona and Florida more pleasant, more reliable and less costly," said Bob Fornaro, AirTran Airways president and chief operating officer. "Our Milwaukee passengers have been asking us to take them to more sunny winter destinations - and AirTran Airways is delivering."
AirTran Airways also offers daily flights between Milwaukee and Atlanta, Baltimore, Las Vegas and Orlando.
Today's announcement came just one day after Oak Creek-based Midwest Airlines announced it will add to the frequency and upgrade the aircraft of flights between Milwaukee and Philadelphia, Pa., and Omaha, Neb., beginning Oct. 1.

North Shore Bank announced it will make available up to $10 million in special, low-interest disaster recovery loans to repair water damage to businesses and homes affected by recent torrential rains and flooding in Kenosha and Racine counties.
Qualified business and homeowners can borrow up to $25,000 at a rate of 5 percent.
"Heavy rains in recent days have taken a devastating toll on homes and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin and, as a community bank and community partner, we wanted to do something to help," said Jim McKenna, president of Brookfield-based North Shore Bank. "When a situation like this occurs - with homes damaged, businesses closed and many still without power - it's hard to know where to begin. We want to make the cleanup easier for our neighbors in Racine and Kenosha counties."
The program will be available for 90 days, and North Shore Bank will work with local government and private organizations to identify families and businesses that may benefit from the program.
For more information about the disaster recovery loan program, contact North Shore Bank at (262) 785-1600 or visit one of the bank's Kenosha and Racine county branches.
Illinois State Bank, a division of North Shore Bank, is also offering the disaster recovery loans to business and homeowners in McHenry and Lake counties. 

How will Wisconsin's groundbreaking federal grant to explore and enhance biofuels production help the state's economy? The answers to that question will be explored at the Sept. 13 meeting of the Wisconsin Innovation Network's Milwaukee-area chapter.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison will receive one of three $125 million grants to establish bioenergy research centers.
The grant, which is the largest in the UW's history, establishes the DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, where scientists and engineers will conduct basic research toward a suite of new technologies to help convert cellulosic plant biomass - cornstalks, wood chips and perennial native grasses - to sources of energy for everything from cars to electrical power plants.
"Wisconsin has long been a center of engine technology and innovation. This grant is not only a perfect fit with our natural resources and research bases, but with our manufacturing sector," said Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council.
UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences dean Molly Jahn and Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative director Timothy Donohue will speak at the Sept. 13 meeting, which will be held at Brookfield Suites Hotel and Convention Center, 1200 S. Moorland Road. Registration and networking will begin 11:30 a.m.
The cost to attend the luncheon is $25 for Wisconsin Innovation Network members and $35 for non-members. To register online, go to www.wisconsintechnologycouncil.com/events/win.

Joy Global Inc. today reported fiscal third quarter net income of $72.9 million, or 66 cents per share, which was down considerably from $189 million, or $1.53 per share, in the same period a year ago.
The Milwaukee mining equipment manufacturer's third quarter last year benefited from a one-time reversal of deferred tax asset valuation allowances of $111 million, or 90 cents per share, and reorganization income of $1.9 million.
The company's sales for the most recent quarter totaled $622 million, up from $599 million a year earlier.
"Overall market conditions continue to be positive, especially in our international markets," said Mike Sutherlin, president and chief executive officer of Joy Global. "Despite continued short-term weakness in the U.S., bookings for Joy Mining were up 18 percent over the prior year. This is the result of strong international aftermarket orders and original equipment orders in the U.S. for longwall roof support systems. From an even more positive perspective, the U.S. longwall investments reflect our customers' confidence in the future strength of the U.S. market."
Joy Global said it expects revenue over the next 12 months to be in the range of $2.6 billion to $2.8 billion and earnings per share of $2.90 to $3.15.
"The outlook for our markets remains very positive," Sutherlin said. "However, the weakness in the U.S. coal market has continued for longer than we anticipated and we will continue to position ourselves so we are not dependent on the timing of its recovery."

Ronald Sadoff, founder of Sadoff Investment Management LLC in Milwaukee, is being recognized as one of America's top 100 independent financial advisors by Barron's magazine.
Sadoff was the only advisor selected from Wisconsin in Barron's 2007 annual survey, which was released this week.
"I am humbled and flattered by this prestigious recognition in Barron's, but this was truly a team effort," said Sadoff, who ranked 76th on the Barron's 100 list of investment advisors. "We are also grateful for the confidence that our clients place in us every day and we view this recognition as a validation of our conservative, disciplined, common sense investment approach which we have followed for over a quarter of a century."
The Barron's survey rankings are based on both the size of an advisor's business as well as the quality of the service provided. Selection for the top 100 list of independent financial advisors includes scrutinizing the regulatory records and internal records of each entry as well as talking with the advisor's peers, clients and the advisors themselves.
Sadoff Investment Management is a family-owned, fee-based independent investment advisory firm that has been in business since 1978. The company's management team includes Sadoff's sons, Bryan and Michael. The firm manages approximately $400 million in assets for clients nationwide. Sadoff manages a variety of accounts including individual accounts, trusts, retirement plans, corporations, foundations and partnerships.

Wisconsin manufacturers report that assistance they received from the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP) last year produced an economic benefit of $137 million, much of it in sales growth.
The economic impact is based on 136 surveys completed by WMEP-assisted companies and compiled by an independent national research firm. Manufacturers were asked to report higher sales, cost savings and investment impact that they attribute to WMEP assistance. 
"Wisconsin manufacturers are investing in change, and are benefiting from higher sales and increased competitiveness," said Michael Klonsinski, executive director of the WMEP, a non-profit consulting organization that helps small and mid-size manufacturers. "The impact we're reporting demonstrates that we can compete and win in the global marketplace - as long as we understand the old rules of success no longer apply.  Innovation and transformation are the new currencies of the global economy."
WMEP-assisted companies reported improvements valued at $137 million, including: $75.7 million in increased/retained sales; $16.7 million in cost savings; $44.8 million in investment, including new plant and equipment; and 855 created/retained jobs.
In addition, state tax revenues are projected to increase $6.2 million as a result of higher sales and job creation.  
Regionally, manufacturers in southeastern Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Waukesha, Washington, Kenosha, Racine and Walworth counties - reported a $49 million economic benefit with 312 jobs created/retained.
Though lean manufacturing remains an essential strategy to help firms reduce costs and increase capacity, the WMEP has expanded its services to help companies identify strategies to fuel sales growth and market expansion.
"WMEP is an excellent resource for manufacturers looking for ways to create more value in their products and services, and tap new markets and customers," Klonsinski said.
The companies assisted by the WMEP in the past year included Franksville-based Cornerstone Design Ltd. and Milwaukee-based E.R. Wagner Manufacturing Co., Tubular Products Division.
"WMEP really helped us focus on our core strengths, both as individuals and as a company," said Michael Gamache, Cornerstone's chief operating officer and vice president of sales. "Our improved performance and teamwork allows us to provide the best possible manufacturing solutions to our customers."
"WMEP was a cost-effective way to augment our organization with expertise we did not have in-house," said Brad Gador, president of E.R. Wagner's Tubular Products Division.
For more information about the agency, visit www.wmep.org.

In its initial public offering, TomoTherapy Inc. raised $185 million, and in the second quarter of this year, the Madison company had a backlog of orders for radiation therapy machines worth $207 million. Read more about the company's growth at WisBusiness.com, a media partner of SBT.

Isomark LLC, an early-stage biotechnology start-up company located in Madison's University Research Park, has named Daniel Stewart as its president and chief executive officer and Curtis Haugen as its chief marketing officer.
Prior to joining Isomark, Stewart had nearly two decades of executive level business leadership experience, including work with the National Institutes of Health and as a public policy analyst on business, economic and health care-related issues. Haugen was a director at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota and most recently CEO of S'curo Group LLC in Middleton.
"Leading a group of such extraordinary talent represents a tremendous opportunity," Stewart said. "Together, we expect to move Isomark's technology forward aggressively and build a business that can positively impact the quality of people's lives."
Isomark board chairman and co-founder Mark Cook said, "Stewart and Haugen bring Isomark the business experience and expertise that we need to move our technology to market.  They complement our current group of scientists extremely well and we're excited by the opportunity to move Isomark forward together."
Seven internationally recognized scientists from the UW-Madison founded Isomark in 2005. Isomark specializes in the early detection of disease or disease states using a real-time, non-invasive platform technology and the application of that technology to medical diagnostic equipment.

Roundy's Supermarkets Inc. opens its newest Pick 'n Save store in Delafield, and Peterbuilt moves to new headquarters in Pewaukee. Read more in the latest edition of the Small Business Times Real Estate Weekly.

In today's Milwaukee Biz Blog, Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway, along with Supervisors John Weishan Jr. and Gerry Broderick, say they will attempt to override County Executive Scott Walker's veto of a proposed advisory referendum.

Officials from the city, the state, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Economic Development Corp. and other agencies broke ground on King Commons II Tuesday. Read more in the latest edition of SBT Around Town.

The BizTimes Stock Index tumbled an alarming 4.28 points to close at 177.64 Tuesday, but local stocks bounced back with the broader market in early morning trading today. The largest local advancers this morning were Johnson Controls Inc. (up $1.92 to $108.55) and Actuant Corp. (up $1.73 to $58.95). The largest local decliners this morning were Manpower Inc. (down $1.97 to $70.10) and Joy Global Inc. (down $1.32 to $43.50). The BizTimes Stock Index was created by Small Business Times and is monitored by North Shore Bank. The index, which measures the stock values of publicly held companies based in southeastern Wisconsin, is updated daily and can be viewed at www.biztimes.com.

Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced today that it plans to build a 184,100-square-foot Supercenter store, which includes a grocery section, at the intersection of South West Avenue and Highway 59 in Waukesha.

Wal-Mart currently has one store in Waukesha at W226 S1500 Highway 164, which is a regular discount store and not a Supercenter. In many cases, when Wal-Mart opens a Supercenter store in a community that already has a traditional Wal-Mart store, the company closes the older store.

However, Wal-Mart spokeswoman Lisa Nelson said the company has not yet decided whether or not it will close the existing Waukesha store.

“It is an older store,” Nelson said. “Certainly with the addition of the Supercenter, we are striving to improve the shopping experience for our customers in the Waukesha area.”

The company says the new store will bring 350 new jobs to the area.

Milwaukee-based Heartland Development Group Ltd. is the developer for the 32-acre Supercenter site.

The property is currently zoned for industrial use. A Cretex Concrete Plant previously was located on the site, but it closed earlier this year.

The Waukesha Plan Commission will review the project on Sept. 12.