With a retiring generation of baby boomers, nearly 1 million job openings are projected in Wisconsin between 2006 and 2016, according to new long-term employment projections by the Department of Workforce Development (DWD).
Occupations with above-average wages that will have numerous job openings include: registered nurses (21,800 openings), elementary school teachers (9,600 openings), carpenters (7,000 openings) and welders (3,600 openings), according to the projections.
The long-term Wisconsin projections data shows anticipated trends in industry and occupational employment between 2006 and 2016. The data includes information for 90 industries and almost 800 occupations.
Of the 1 million projected job openings, 680,200 positions will be available due to replacement needs as people permanently leave an occupation on account of retiring or illness, or for pursuit of another career.
"We are continuing to grow our economy in the face of national economic challenges, creating good-paying job opportunities for hard-working Wisconsin families," Gov. Jim Doyle said. "As many students are graduating, and some workers are upgrading their skills, or learning new skills, it's important for them to know that the demand for skilled workers is high in many areas of our economy."
The full Wisconsin job projections data is available at http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/oea/employment_projections/employment_projections.htm.

Is your business unnecessarily burdened by out-dated or overly-burdensome existing state administrative rules or regulations? Does your these business feel its voice is not being heard on issues related to existing state administrative rules or regulations?
If your answer is "yes" to either of those questions, you are invited to inform the Wisconsin Small Business Regulatory Review Board (SBRRB) about problematic existing state administrative rules or regulations.
The SBRRB, created as part of the state's regulatory reform 2003 Wisconsin Act 145, is soliciting the input of small-business owners regarding negative economic impacts of existing state rules and regulations. State rules that are out-of-date or no longer necessary may create an economic burden for small business. In many cases, state regulatory agencies may be unaware of the negative effects that an out-dated administrative rule may have on a business owner.
The SBRRB is comprised of small-business owners (defined as being independently owned and operated, with 25 or less full-time employees and annual sales of less than $5 million), legislators and state agency representatives. The SBRBB advocates for small business by providing recommendations for reducing or eliminating a rule's negative impacts to either the regulatory agency or the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules.
To assist you in providing this information to the businesses that you serve, an outreach flyer and brochure are available from the Wisconsin Department of Commerce web site at http://commerce.wi.gov/BD/BD-SBRRB.html. Small-business owners who wish to have their concerns heard by the SBRRB should contact the Small Business Ombudsman at COMBDOmbudsman@wisconsin.gov or by phone at (608) 267-0297.

MWBank recently expanded into Washington County with a new branch in Slinger.
Located at 306 E. Washington St., (Highway 175), near Highways 41 and 60, the Slinger branch represents MWBank's fourth branch.
MWBank specializes in commercial banking and focuses on owner-managed businesses.
The new branch features Dale Tietz, vice president, commercial division, who has more than 30 years of banking experience. Rose Metke, private banking officer, also has more than 30 years of experience and spent the last 16 years of her career in the Slinger community as a loan officer.
"They are both well known in the community and are well respected bankers. We hired the right people," noted Mike Fleming, senior vice president and head of commercial banking for MWBank
Menomonee Falls-based MW Bank will soon be renamed Securant Bank & Trust.

Joy Global Inc., the Milwaukee-based parent company of P&H Mining Equipment, today reported fiscal second quarter net income of $72.1 million, or 66 cents per share, which was down slightly from $77.6 million, or 70 cents per share, in the same period a year ago.
The company's quarterly net sales increased to $843.1 million from $629.2 million.
During the second quarter, Joy Global acquired Continental, a worldwide leader in conveyor systems for bulk material handling in mining and other industrial applications. The purchase price of $254 million, net of cash acquired and debt assumed, was funded through cash, the company's credit facility and a new $175 million term loan supplement to Joy Global's existing credit facilities.
"I am very pleased with our results for the second quarter," said Mike Sutherlin, president and chief executive officer of Joy Global. "The quarter's orders were again at record levels for both surface and underground segments, and overall orders exceeded $1 billion for the first time in the company's history. These order rates have been driven by exceptionally strong fundamentals in all of the markets we serve and by our customers' preference for our equipment and services. We are benefiting from previous capacity and process investments, which has allowed us to increase revenues by 34 percent from last year. Excluding the contract termination and amortization charges that do not affect the fundamental earnings power of our business, our earnings performance was solid and in line with our internal expectations. Our cash generating capability - even as we grow this business - continues to be impressive, and cash from operations exceeded $100 million this quarter. Our ongoing focus on growing capacity and improving efficiency should enable us to meet the expectations of our customers and shareholders as our markets continue to improve."

Public Policy Forum, a Milwaukee-based nonpartisan research organization focusing on regional issues, has announced its 2008 "Salute to Local Government" award winners.
"There are countless examples of good government going on throughout our region that are giving value to taxpayers and boosting our economy and quality of life," said Rob Henken, president of the Forum. "This year's group of award winners comes from a list of entries that is significantly larger than we have ever had before -  a real indication that people in government are thinking - and acting - creatively and collaboratively.” 
The awards will be presented at the Public Policy Forum's 16th annual Salute to Local Government breakfast on Thursday, June 19, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Italian Community Center in Milwaukee.
The winners are: "Excellence in Problem Solving," City of Milwaukee Department of City Development; "Effective Use of Technology," Milwaukee County Treasurer's Office; "Managing for Results," Hamilton School District; "Inter-governmental Cooperation," Walworth County Board of Supervisors and the 15 school districts of Walworth County; "Private-Public Cooperation," Milwaukee Center for Independence and Milwaukee Public Schools (for the FUEL4U Breakfast Packing Program); "Government Transparency/Ethics," the School District of Elmbrook; "The Norman N. Gill Award," Barry Bateman, director of General Mitchell International Airport (Milwaukee County); the “Leader of the Future Award," Steven Schaer, city planner of the City of West Allis; and the "James R. Ryan Lifetime Achievement Award," to James R. Ryan (posthumously).
Ryan passed away Nov. 6, 2007. He was a longtime leader in government and civic endeavors. At the time of his death, Jim was president of Penfield Children's Center, the village of Hales Corners, and Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens, and executive director of the Wisconsin Initiative for Infant Mental Health. Prior to that, he worked for Racine County's Human Services Department as a child welfare supervisor; was president and CEO of the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center, where he started the Flight for Life program; and served as a Milwaukee County Board supervisor. The Ryan Commission, of which he was chair, helped in setting up the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage Commission. In addition, Ryan was a Public Policy Forum trustee since 1995 and participated on several of the organization's committees and research panels.
The Public Policy Forum was established in 1913 as a local government watchdog.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett will recognize 27 projects this evening with the Mayor's Urban Design Awards at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning, 2131 E. Hartford Ave.
This is the 11th year for the annual program, which honors exceptional design, facade improvements, landscaping and signage.
"Each year we want to recognize the investment and innovation of property owners and
individuals in excellent urban design, for it is their attention to detail that makes Milwaukee an exciting place to attract businesses, visitors and residents," Barrett said.
This years winners include: East Kilbourn Streetscaping, Shea Community Garden, Menomonee Valley Community Park, Alterra Coffee on Humboldt, Lloyd Street Global Education School Rain Garden, Walgreens on Oakland Ave, Milwaukee Intermodal Station, North Point Light Station/House, Dr Wesley L Scott Senior Living Community, Old South Side Settlement Museum, Kinnickinnic Storefronts, Brocach Irish Pub, 840 - 844 North Plankinton building, Capitol Crossing/Lad Lake School, Maxie's Southern Comfort, Convent Hill, Walgreens on S. 27th St., 161 First St., Let's Party, Mortara
Instrument, General Mitchell Midwest Concourses, Moderne Sales Center, Scranton Stockdale-built House restoration ( 2865 N. Hackett Ave), St. Hedwig Church restoration, Button Block Building Column Restoration, Pritzlaff Hardware Building restoration and the James Brown Double House restoration.

Carolyn "Biddy" Martin is the choice of a special Board of Regents committee to become the next chancellor at that University of Wisconsin in Madison.
If approved by the full Board of Regents in early June, Martin would succeed chancellor John Wiley, who announced last December that he will retire in September.
Martin, who has served as provost at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., since 2000, said UW-Madison plays a key role in educating students for a changing economy, building ties to state residents, and as an engine for the state's economy.
"Our public mission makes access and affordability of higher education, the quality of the faculty, and their contributions to the state, nation and world that much more essential," she said. "As a research institution, UW-Madison is poised to provide solutions to some of the world's greatest challenges while preserving, reinterpreting and invigorating the core of human knowledge."
The university's ability to compete for and retain some of the most talented teachers and researchers is critical to its mission, she said.
"Faculty salaries will be a very high priority for me, and I hope to be able to start working immediately with UW System, the governor, the Legislature and the UW Foundation and alumni to develop a plan," she said. "It's not just Wisconsin that faces retention issues. We are facing extraordinary competition for the best faculty over the next 10 to 20 years, because of the now-retiring bulge of faculty that were hired in the 1960s and 1970s. All institutions are going to face much stronger competition for their best scholars and scientists. It's critical to get ourselves in a position where faculty are appropriately rewarded and supported to meet this problem head-on and from a position of strength."

The Experimental Aircraft Association's proposed 10-year expansion plan would create a 145,000-square-foot exhibit hall in Oshkosh, the largest indoor exhibition space in northeast Wisconsin, and if taxpayer assistance is approved, it would create a year-round venue. Read more in SBT's daily roundup of headlines from newspapers across the state at www.biztimes.com/#news.

The BizTimes Stock Index lost an astounding 8.28 points to close at 153.46 Wednesday, but local stocks recovered some of that lost ground in early morning trading today. The U.S. Commerce Department revised its first-quarter gross domestic product estimate today to 0.9 percent from its original estimate of 0.6 percent. The largest local advancers this morning were Joy Global Inc. (up $3.74 to $81.62) and Fiserv Inc. (up 78 cents to $51.78). The largest local decliners this morning were Rockwell Automation Inc. (down 68 cents to $57.45) and Gehl Co. (down 49 cents to $16.03). 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.

Scott Niederjohn provides some insight about his study about Milwaukee's business climate in today's Milwaukee Biz Blog.

Small Business Times executive editor Steve Jagler responds to the lies of radio talk show host Mark Belling in a bonus Milwaukee Biz Blog at OnMilwaukee.com, a media partner of SBT.