Independent doctors, who do not have the leverage to negotiate for larger insurance reimbursements when they treat their patients, are a vanishing breed. Read more about their struggles for survival in this week's print edition of Small Business Times. Other highlights of the new issue include a report on the impact of the MillerCoors merger on southeastern Wisconsin's beer distributors, a Q&A with Humana Inc.'s chief executive officer and an analysis of the economic impact of Harley-Davidson's 105th anniversary celebration later this month.

SBT China correspondent Einar Tangen writes about how the Milwaukee 7/University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Fresh Water Institute collaboration is a successful case study in the making, as China's economy evolves and creates opportunities for mature American companies to share their knowledge and expertise. Read more in the latest edition of Tangen's Dispatches From China.

Harley-Davidson, Inc. today announced the completion of its purchase of the privately held Italian motorcycle maker MV Agusta Group.
Milwaukee-based Harley has acquired 100 percent of MV Agusta Group shares for total consideration of approximately $108 million, which includes the satisfaction of existing bank debt for approximately $69 million.
Retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles have grown at a double-digit rate in Europe in each of the last three years, as the company has increased its strategic focus on global markets.
"We are thrilled to welcome the MV Agusta family of customers and employees into the Harley-Davidson family of premium motorcycle brands," said Harley chief executive officer Jim Ziemer. "Our primary focus with this acquisition is to grow our presence and enhance our position in Europe as a leader in fulfilling customers' dreams, complementing the Harley-Davidson and Buell motorcycle families."
MV Agusta Group adds two lines of motorcycles to the Harley-Davidson family: a line of exclusive, premium, high-performance sport motorcycles sold under the MV Agusta brand; and a line of lightweight sport motorcycles sold under the Cagiva brand.
In conjunction with the acquisition, Harley named Matt Levatich as managing director of MV Agusta Group. Levatich, 43, joined Harley-Davidson in 1994 and has served in a variety of roles, including significant positions in Harley-Davidson Europe sales and marketing, based in England.

TDS Metrocom has launched a new managed internet protocol (IP) service, which provides a single converged voice and data communications solution for businesses in southeastern Wisconsin.
With the service, businesses are able to focus on increasing sales and providing great customer service while the phone company manages, protects and upgrades the communications system, according to Jon Ollmann, TDS Metrocom market manager.
"We understand that businesses need innovative solutions to keep moving forward. This hosted service is really the best of both worlds," Ollmann said. "You get a new system without any up-front capital expense. And, it's automatically updated, at no additional cost to your business."
With the new TDS managedIP system, companies do note need to worry about equipment becoming obsolete, Ollmann said.
Other features of the service include: advanced call routing features to ensure customers never get a busy signal; improved employee productivity; a single phone number for employees to give to clients, while still maintaining the ability to manage incoming calls; and one phone number can ring through to multiple phones (office, cell, and home) simultaneously.
Unlike most VoIP services, which use the public Internet to deliver voice services, TDS managedIP is delivered over a private, secure, and dedicated network that is hosted at a secure TDS facility, Ollmann said.
The costs for the new system vary, depending upon the level of services needed. For additional information, visit www.tdsbusiness.com.

Brookfield-based Uihlein Electric Company Inc. and Techteriors LLC announced the launch of a strategic partnership formed to offer an array of power, line voltage and low-voltage services to commercial, industrial and residential customers.
The companies said the partnership will enable the companies to offer comprehensive solutions and amplify their differentiation in the marketplace.
 The partnership brings together a joint workforce of roughly 200 employees and a combined 2008 sales forecast in excess of $35 million. By creating a single point of contact, customers will benefit from a streamlined project management process and efficiencies that will lower costs, the companies said.
Uihlein Electric and Techteriors will jointly market their products and services, have a single project management process and use the staffs of both companies to deliver a simplified process for their customers.
"Joining forces with Techteriors enables us to expand our capabilities beyond traditional electrical and low voltage services in the commercial sector, and provide clients with power, low voltage, and wireless solutions in one bundled offering,” said Tim Rigsby, president of Uihlein Electric.
John DeToro, owner and principal of Techteriors, said, "The respect we have for the Uihlein Electric team and the company's prominence in Wisconsin, along with our mutual passion for providing the best customer service, makes this partnership positioned for long-term success. We feel fortunate that Uihlein Electric and Techteriors can combine their strengths to offer a depth and breadth of service that is unmatched in the marketplace."
Techteriors specializes in both residential and commercial audio/video, control systems, HVAC, lighting control, corporate boardrooms, video conferencing, networking, and home theaters. Techteriors has showrooms in Mequon and Delafield, and services Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.

"Hemispheres," United Airlines' in-flight magazine, has selected Milwaukee as one of four cities to be featured in the magazine's 2008 Insight series.
The "Insight: Milwaukee" feature will incorporate 36 pages of editorial content,  combining traditional travel-related information with a look at the economic influencers and industry sectors that shape the business landscapes and lifestyles in the region. "Insight: Milwaukee" will be featured on all United and United Express flights for the month of October.
"This is an unprecedented opportunity to showcase the greater Milwaukee region to an international audience of more than six million travelers," said Doug Neilson, president and chief executive officer of Visit Milwaukee. "This in-depth look at our area will highlight the quality of life we enjoy here, and will enhance our efforts to increase awareness of the many reasons why Milwaukee is among the Midwest's best places to live, work, play and visit."
"Hemispheres" is seen monthly by more than 6 million passengers traveling to more than 210 destinations in 26 countries.

A nearly $10 million, 50,000-square-foot family entertainment center featuring 36 bowling lanes, a two-story laser tag arena and a full-service restaurant is planned for Madison's far southeast side. Read more in SBT's daily roundup of headlines from newspapers across the state at www.biztimes.com/#news.

The Gauthier Law Group LLC recently held a celebration to showcase its new offices in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward. The event was held during Gallery Night. To view a photographic slideshow of the celebration, visit the latest edition of SBT Around Town.

Busy readers of the BizTimes Daily can get a jumpstart on the final weekend of the Wisconsin State Fair by reading the OnMilwaukee.com Weekend Preview. OnMilwaukee.com is a media partner of Small Business Times.

The stock market surged this morning, as investors reacted to crude oil futures returning to their May levels. The Dow Jones Industrials Average posted triple-digit gains this morning, with the market shrugging off the news that Fannie Mae, the largest U.S. buyer and backer of home loans, said today it lost $2.3 billion in the second quarter. The BizTimes Stock Index lost 1.67 points to close at 141.35 Thursday, but local stocks joined the broader market rally today, led by Snap-on Inc. (up $2.36 to $59.32), Manpower Inc. (up $2.12 to $51.23), Kohl's Corp. (up $1.76 to $45.90) and Badger Meter Inc. (up $1.46 to $60.00). Only a handful of local stocks declined, including Strattec Security Corp. (down $2.36 to $30.04) and Bucyrus International Inc. (down $1.05 to $61.80). 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.

James Burkee, who is challenging U.S. Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner for his Congressional seat in the Republican primary, accuses his opponent of not bringing back his district's fair share of federal dollars. Read more in today's Milwaukee Biz Blog.