At an appearance on Brady Street in Milwaukee this morning, Governor Jim Doyle signed the statewide smoking ban into law.
After July 5, 2010, the smoking ban will prohibit smoking in workplaces in the state including restaurants and bars. Existing cigar bars and specialty tobacco shops are grandfathered in and are not required to abide by the ban, but cigar bars or specialty tobacco shops that open after the bill’s effective date would be required to be smoke free.
“It’s time for every person in Wisconsin to breathe freely at restaurants, taverns, and workplaces across the state,” Doyle said. “A smoke-free Wisconsin will save money in health care costs, improve public health and save lives.  I wish the ban would be implemented sooner, but I am proud the state is embracing the healthy direction the world is going."
Milwaukee-based Aurora Health Care praised the smoking ban today.
“I applaud Gov. Jim Doyle and the state Legislature for supporting this measure because they are helping to improve the health of people throughout our state,” said Nick Turkal, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Aurora Health Care. “Wisconsin needs to be smoke-free because tobacco smoke hurts everyone. The actions of the governor and state Legislature will help health care providers build upon efforts they’ve previously put into place to address this critical public health issue. The actions of the Legislature will only enhance the existing efforts (to reduce smoking) and better ensure that health care providers are able to improve the health of all Wisconsin citizens."

Waukesha Tool & Stamping LLC announced today that it has acquired Lake Zurich, Ill.-based Parkview Metal Products. With the acquisition the company will be re-named Waukesha Metal Products.
For Waukesha Tool & Stamping, the acquisition adds fabrication and robotic welding to its service capabilities, and will expand its stamping and automated assembly services.
Waukesha Metal Products will add 20 employees in its fabrication department and 15 in stamping, hiring at its Wisconsin and Illinois facilities.
"This is an opportunity for us to expand upon our capabilities and increase revenue in a down economy," said Jeff Clark, president of Waukesha Tool & Stamping. "The acquisition also will help us diversify both our customer base and the markets we serve. We're acquiring (Parkview Metal Products) hopefully at the bottom of the economic cycle. Because of the timing, the upside growth potential is far greater with the acquisition."

Kohler Power Systems’ distributor, Green Bay-based Total Energy Systems, LLC, announced today that it has expanded into Michigan, and is the representing distributor for Kohler Co.’s full line of power systems for Michigan’s western region and the Upper Peninsula.
Total Energy Systems (www.TotalEnergySystems.com) will provide sales and service for Kohler Power Systems’ industrial, marine, mobile and residential generators, and transfer switches and switchgear. Total Energy Systems also serves Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
Total Energy Systems is taking over this territory after purchasing Coffman Electrical Equipment Co., which served as a Kohler Power Systems distributor since 1948. Total Energy Systems hosts a sales office, warehouse, and service center on the west side of Grand Rapids, near the Kent County International Airport. As the exclusive master distributor for Kohler Power Systems, Total Energy Systems offers a full-service location including sales, and 24/7 parts and power rental options.
“Like Coffman Electrical Equipment, Total Energy has a rich company history and tradition, and we look forward to continuing to serve this Michigan region with power solutions from Kohler,” said Chris Stiles, president of Total Energy Systems, LLC. “The foundation of our business is the high level of service and support that we offer our customers.  All of our technicians are fully certified on the equipment they work on and all carry laptops with broadband that allow them to have communication and software on-hand to diagnose and monitor the equipment they are servicing,” Stiles added.

West Allis-based Corporate Technology Solutions Inc. recently opened a new office in Nablus, located in the West Bank Palestinian territory.
The company said it opened the office in an effort to leverage its IT success in the health care and financial industries for the benefit of firms in Dubai as well as Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain. Corporate Technology Solutions was founded in 1997 by Haitham Salawdeh, who grew up in the Palestinian territory and moved to America in 1992.  Corporate Technology Solutions provides its clients with complete, integrated information technology solutions.

For the second year in a row, lifeguards will watch over swimmers at Milwaukee’s Bradford Beach, thanks to a $65,000 donation from Milwaukee businessman and philanthropist Sheldon Lubar. Lubar made a similar donation to Milwaukee County in 2008, ending a five year absence of lifeguards at the beach.
After this year’s donation, Lubar hopes that Milwaukee County will be able to fund the lifeguard positions in the future.
“I think that it’s essential that the county do it. They can’t just turn their backs on the people,” Lubar said. “I don’t know what their intentions are but this is their obligation. It’s isn’t that of some well-intentioned citizen. I am sure they will (pay for lifeguards in the future). Once it’s called to their attention, I think they will rise to their responsibility. I would be disappointed if they didn’t.”

Wisconsin will be sending a significantly smaller contingent to this year’s BIO conference, which runs today through Thursday in Atlanta. Read more at WisBusiness.com, a media partner of BizTimes Milwaukee.

Wisconsin is one of only a handful of states that has not stopped unfairly taxing an individual’s Internet service access and now Gov. Jim Doyle wants to tax online purchases as well. That's a terrible idea in this economy says U.S. Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, author of today's Milwaukee Biz Blog.

DUECO, a Waukesha-based manufacturer of aerial lifts, digger derricks, cranes and custom truck bodies used by utilities, contractors, municipalities, telecommunications companies and other industries, has passed the leadership of the company to a third generation of the Dalum family. Read more in this week's edition of BizTimes Manufacturing Weekly.

The Menominee Nation has filed a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the U.S. Department of the Interior’s decision to block the tribe from building a casino at Dairyland Greyhound Park. Read more in BizTimes Milwaukee's daily roundup of headlines from newspapers across the state at www.biztimes.com/#news.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 150 points this morning and local stocks joined them as the stock of almost every publicly traded company in southeastern Wisconsin gained ground this morning, an improvement after the BizTimes Stock Index dipped 0.74 points to close at 90.83 on Friday. The largest local advancers this morning were Bucyrus International Inc. (up $2.16 to $24.92) and Joy Global Inc. (up $2.02 to $30.21). The largest local decliner was Wisconsin Energy Corp. (down 48 cents to $36.80).