The ZESS 50 fuel cell made by Menomonee Falls-based ZBB Energy Corp. will be part of the Zero Net Energy Future House USA home, which will be displayed during this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing, China. The ZESS 50 fuel cell is an energy storage system similar to a battery. However, the cell's design is different than a traditional battery, with fluid charged with electrolytes flowing past its cell membranes, said Kevin Dennis, vice president of sales and marketing for ZBB.

"There are a couple of advantages (with this design)," he said. "Once the cell is charged, you can turn it off. A battery is always on." ZBB's fuel cells are designed for large energy efficient homes, commercial and industrial properties and power relay stations. When they're not in use, ZBB Energy's fuel cells discharge at a much slower rate than batteries, Dennis said. The fuel cells are rechargeable, and can be recharged many more times than rechargeable batteries. "We design fuel cells like this on the order of 20 to 30 years," he said. "You will have to replace the (cell) membrane in about 10 years. The cycles are on the order of thousands."

The ZESS 50 is ZBB Energy's 50 kWh energy storage module. ZBB Energy also makes the ZESS 500, which can store up to 500 k Wh. ZBB Energy has piloted its fuel cells for the past four years, Dennis said, and began production earlier this year. The company, which has 38 employees, manufactures the fuel cells from its 72,000 square foot facility in Menomonee Falls.

The Future House USA will be part of the Future House Village, a neighborhood of eco-friendly demonstration homes created by teams from Canada, China, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and the United States. The high-visibility program is designed to promote energy-saving strategies and construction that will have a minimal impact on the global environment.

"Our participation in the Future House USA project is part of our long-term plan for ZESS to be used in residential applications," said Rob Parry, CEO. "This project presents the perfect opportunity to introduce the ZESS product into the China market. What better forum for us than to be part of the USA entry into this sustainable housing project being unveiled to the world at the Beijing Olympics?"

The ZEZZ 50 also works well for the project because many of its materials are more environmentally friendly than what is found in traditional batteries. The cell membranes and cell sacks are made from recyclable high density plastic, Dennis said, and the fluid used in the fuel cells has a much lower acidity level than most batteries. "It's still acidic, however the pH is on the order of Coca-Cola," he said. "If there is a spill, you just put baking soda on it."

For more information, visit www.zbbenergy.com/.

Milwaukee RDA to consider Charter Wire move to Menomonee Valley
The Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee will conduct a public hearing on Thursday, April 17, on the proposed sale of city land in the Menomonee Valley Industrial Park to Charter Wire. As SBT first reported exclusively in January, Charter Wire, a division of Charter Manufacturing Co. in Mequon, plans to purchase 7.8 acres of land east of Miller Park. Charter plans to build $20 million, 160,000-square-foot manufacturing plant that will retain 115 full-time jobs in Milwaukee and position the company to expand its operations in the future. The company will move from its current plant in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward. The project will be financed by JPMorgan Chase through the New Markets Tax Credit program. The New Markets Tax Credit is a federal tax incentive program designed to encourage private investment in low-income communities. The federal program, through a variety of lenders, has helped several other Menomonee Valley business expansions, including Badger Railing. "Without the help of JPMorgan Chase and the New Markets Tax Credit, this project would not be possible," said John Mellowes, vice president and general manager of Charter Wire. "Competing in a global economy requires a manufacturing company to be very competitive on cost and quality. A modern manufacturing facility will help us reach our goals." "Were using available land strategically to grow businesses and are proud to work with one of Milwaukee's longtime employers to position the company for future success in the global economy," Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said. "It's just as crucial for Milwaukee to grow current businesses as it seeks to attract new industries."

West Bend dairy science firm to begin production
West Bend-based Mach One Corp. recently completed the final tests prior to large scale manufacturing of its ImmunoGam colostrum replacement product. "A highly qualified scientist from BioQual spent a week with us in our Belgium, Wisconsin facility completing a technology transfer and memorializing the protocols for manufacture of our flagship product ImmunoGam" said Monte Tobin, president of Mach One. "These newly designed protocols should revolutionize the colostrum replacement industry and in keeping with our corporate philosophy we will be 'building a better herd, one calf at a time.'"

Harley reaches agreements with Wisconsin labor unions
All three unions representing Harley-Davidson Inc. employees in Wisconsin voted to ratify new collective bargaining agreements with the Milwaukee-based company. The new four-year agreements, which cover approximately 2,210 employees, became effective retroactive to April 1. The company has individual labor agreements with: the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 2-209, representing about 1,700 employees in the Milwaukee area; the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Lodge 78, representing about 150 employees in the Milwaukee area; and the USW Local 460, which represents about 360 employees in Tomahawk. "Harley-Davidson has a long history of working with our union partners to manage the business. We thank our employees and the union leaders for their important contributions to the success of these negotiations and to the success of Harley-Davidson," said Harold Scott, Harley-Davidson vice president of human resources. "The new contracts balance Harley Davidson's need to responsibly manage our business for the long term in a competitive global market with our desire to continue to provide a strong wage and benefits package for employees." In addition to improvements in wages, the new contracts provide for  the establishment of health reimbursement arrangements (HRA) for bargaining unit employees, under which they can use HRA dollars to help pay for out of pocket health care costs. Other health care plan provisions are designed to moderate the rise in plan costs yet maintain Harley-Davidson's position as a provider of top-tier health care benefits.

Modine to close three manufacturing plants
Racine-based Modine Manufacturing Co. announced it will move forward with its restructuring plan that will include the closures of its plants in Camdenton, Mo.; Pemberville, Ohio; and Logansport, Ind. Modine also intends to close its facility in Tubingen, Germany.  The closures will take place over the next 18 to 24 months, with production to be consolidated primarily to Modine's other North American facilities. "The decision to close these plants was extremely difficult and was made only after a thorough evaluation of our global manufacturing capabilities, our business portfolio and our competitive position in the markets we serve," said Thomas Burke, Modine's new president and chief executive officer. "We believe the restructuring will allow us to achieve the scale we need in our manufacturing operations and create a more improved cost structure than exists today. As a result of our global restructuring plan, we expect to achieve $20 million to $25 million in annualized savings. At the same time, we remain focused on treating the affected employees with respect and fairness, ensuring a seamless flow of leading-edge thermal solutions to our customers and maintaining our commitment to provide value for our shareholders."  Modine announced the restructuring plan in early February as part of its third quarter fiscal 2008 operating results.

Manufacturers more optimistic than peers in latest MMAC survey
Southeastern Wisconsin businesses' expectations for sales, profits and employment levels continue to slide, according to the latest Business Outlook Survey conducted by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC). Local employer economic expectations for the second quarter are down from expectations expressed in the first quarter. "At present, metro area businesses are on the fence regarding whether they expect near-term business growth," said Bret Mayborne, the MMAC's economic research director. "From a historical prospective, current expectations are not at levels that would indicate being in a recession, but we are sliding down a slippery slope towards those levels." However, sales projections among manufacturers - where 69 percent of those surveyed see second-quarter sales gains vs. year ago levels - were notably stronger than those expressed among non-manufacturers, where only 52 percent see such gains. "One of the more interesting results of the survey is the relative optimism of the manufacturing sector," Mayborne said. "This could be due to a couple of factors. One, manufacturing has not performed all that well in recent years, thus in a sense, the sector has no where to go but up. Secondly, the falling value of the dollar makes domestically produced goods more attractive for export." Likewise, larger employers (100 or more employees) expressed greater confidence toward future sales growth (63 percent see second-quarter gains) than smaller employers (54 percent see such gains). The Business Outlook Survey contains responses from 107 Milwaukee-area firms, employing more than 61,500 people.