The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce's (MMAC) Council of Small Business Executives (COSBE) today announced the winners of the annual Future 50 awards.
MMAC/COSBE began the Future 50 program in 1980 to recognize the outstanding achievements of local, fast-growing entrepreneurs. The program recognizes privately-owned companies in the seven county region that have been in business for at least three years and have shown significant revenue and employment growth.
"The Future 50 list is often a harbinger of what’s around the corner for the region’s economy," said Tim Sheehy, president of the MMAC. "We're seeing encouraging signs that local, innovative manufacturers can, and will continue to, thrive here. The fact that much of their business is conducted outside the region means they are attracting outside investment into the region, growing the economic base for everyone."
Companies must submit an application to be considered for the Future 50 and meet the criteria of having local headquarters (within the seven counties of southeast Wisconsin), independent ownership and strong growth in revenue and employment. 
Combined, this year’s Future 50 had a total employment of 2,716 jobs and $612 million in revenue by year-end 2007—a 26 percent increase over their combined revenue for 2006. 
The 2008 Future 50 companies will be recognized for their achievements at the annual awards luncheon, to be held Thursday, Sept. 18, at the Italian Community Center. 
Small Business Times is the media sponsor for the Future 50 program.

This year's Future 50 winners are:

• Abri Health Plan
• Avicom Marketing Communications
• BC Adhesives, LLC
• BSI
• Boyle Fredrickson S.C.
• Burlington Graphic Systems, Inc.
• C. Coakley Relocation Systems
• CCI
• C.I. Banker Wire & Iron Works, Inc.
• CJ & Associates, Inc.
• Church Metal Spinning Co.
• Cleary Gull Holdings, Inc.
• CoakleyTech
• Commerce State Bank
• Crosstowne Machining
• Doering Leasing Co.
• Executive Benefits Network
• Fi-Med Management, Inc.
• Good Electric, Inc.
• Good Harvest Market
• Hurt Electric, Inc.
• InPro Corporation
• Interra Health, Inc.
• Jefferson Electric, Inc.
• Key Technical Solutions, Inc.
• M&M Office Interiors, Inc.
• V. Marchese, Inc.
• MasterLink Corporation
• Milwaukee Bearing & Machining, Inc.
• National Tissue Company LLC
• New Resources Consulting
• Novo Group, Inc.
• Precision Innovations, Inc.
• Retail Maintenance Service, Inc.
• River Run Computers, Inc.
• S3 International LLC
• Security Personnel, Inc.
• Sigma Exteriors
• The Sleep Wellness Institute, Inc.
• Solaris, Inc.
• Staff Up America
• Stay-Lite Lighting, Inc.
• Steele Solutions, Inc.
• Symmetry Corporation
• Triad Construction, Inc.
• Trissential
• Uihlein Electric Company, Inc.
• Wisconsin Plating Works of Racine, Inc.
• Xten Industries
• Zeon Solutions, Inc.

Brookfield-based North Shore Bank today announced it would 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 southeast Wisconsin.
Qualified business and homeowners can borrow up to $25,000, with 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-minded bank and community partner, we wanted to do something to help," said Jim McKenna, president of North Shore Bank.  "When a situation like this occurs – with homes damaged, businesses closed and communities in shock – it's hard to know where to begin. We want to make the cleanup easier for our neighbors in Milwaukee, Waukesha, 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. Individuals interested in applying for a disaster recovery loan can call North Shore Bank at (877) 672-2265 or visit one of the bank's southeast Wisconsin branches.

The Milwaukee Common Council has approved a measure to accept the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar America Cities 2008 grant. The measure directs the city's Office of Environmental Sustainability to accept a two-year $200,000 grant, matched by $100,000 in allocated city funds, to help remove barriers to the implementation of solar technologies in the city.
Milwaukee is one of 12 cities selected for the grant in 2008.
The grant will include training for solar panel installers and provide funds to produce education materials to make more residents aware of how solar technology can increase efficiency and save costs, said Ald. Tony Zielinski.
"This is just what we hoped for when the Council directed the Office of Environmental Sustainability to investigate solar energy options for Milwaukee," he said. "This grant provides excellent leverage for environmental action that will set the example for cities across the United States."
"I am proud that Milwaukee's commitment to energy conservation and cutting-edge technology has earned our city this impressive grant, and I am excited for the growing solar industry's potential to create new, good-paying jobs for Milwaukeeans," said Mayor Tom Barrett. "I envision Milwaukee as a national leader in environmental protection and groundbreaking advancements, and the Council's vote to provide the matching funds continues that mission."
Zielinski said the grant helps to fulfill the charge of Milwaukee's long-term goal for solar energy.
"Combined with the support we've received from project partners We Energies and Focus on Energy, this can become a large scale project with great impact on our community," he said.

Career colleges have become a critical resource for connecting employers seeking highly qualified employees with those looking to enter specialized fields of the workforce, says State Rep. Pedro Colon, author of today's Milwaukee Biz Blog.

Mortgage foreclosure filings in the state and in southeastern Wisconsin continued to rise in May, according to a new report from ForeclosuresWI.com. The state added another 1,949 foreclosures in May, bringing the number of foreclosures for the year up to 10,644, a 38-percent increase compared with the first five months of 2007. During May, the eight counties of southeastern Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington, Ozaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Walworth and Sheboygan) had 826 foreclosures, a 19.7-percent increase compared with May of 2007. Read more in this week's edition of BizTimes Real Estate Weekly.

Investors in the $42 million biodiesel plant proposed for Evansville have been told that the project will not continue. North Prairie Productions board chairman John Sheehy said the company will honor its commitments to the city, but investors will lose about 50 percent of their money. Read more in SBT's daily roundup of headlines from newspapers across the state at www.biztimes.com/#news.

The BizTimes Stock Index lost another 0.85 points to close at 152.27 Tuesday, and local stocks plunged downward in early morning trading today as decliners far outnumbered advancers. The largest local decliners this morning were Snap-On Inc. (down $1.54 to $58.38), MGIC Investment Corp. (down $1.39 to $9.33), Rockwell Automation Inc. (down $1.29 to $52.75), Manpower Inc. (down $1.26 to $59.76), Harley-Davidson Inc. (down $1.19 to $37.81) and Joy Global Inc. (down $1.14 to $84.28). The largest local advancers this morning were Bucyrus International Inc. (up $1.58 to $74.21) and Weyco Group Inc. (up 68 cents to $27.90). 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.