The U.S. Commercial Service - Milwaukee Export Assistance Center, a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce, recently relocated to the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) campus.The center's offices were formerly located in Milwaukee's Federal Courthouse for more than 20 years, said Paul Churchill, director of the agency.

"Our objective was to get into an environment that was more accessible to the business community and to partner with an organization that would give us greater outreach to the community as a whole," Churchill said. "MSOE turned out to be the most applicable and advantageous for both of us. It's a private school, so this created a public-private (sector) partnership."

The Milwaukee Export Assistance Center's mission is to advise, counsel and provide information to area companies who want to export their products to new or emerging markets. "We work one on one with companies," Churchill said. "We want to get them access to new markets to increase their sales and create jobs here."

By moving into space in MSOE's Rosenberg Hall, 1235 N. Milwaukee St., the Milwaukee Export Assistance Center has been able to take advantage of the university's experience and expertise in planning and staging seminars, classes and events, Churchill said. "This partnership has allowed me an avenue to put on programs that was not easy to do before," he said.

The school and the Milwaukee Export Assistance Center started holding joint events last fall, before the agency's move to MSOE was finalized. Last fall, the agency held a program on the Iraqi reconstruction process on campus. It also held roundtable discussion with the U.S. Department of Commerce's Deputy Assistant Secretary in Asia in May. The Milwaukee Export Assistance Center and MSOE are planning a seminar for October that will focus on financing programs through the federal government, Churchill said. Details have not yet been finalized.

Steven Bialek, interim department chair of MSOE's Rader School of Business, said the school has already gained much since the Milwaukee Export Assistance Center moved onto campus. "We provide them with additional capacity with the ability to plan, and they're giving us more content (in exporting)," he said. "We now have experts in the building. I probably couldn't find them if I needed them (at the school before) and I probably couldn't afford them if I could find them. But now they're here."

The school is also being exposed to more businesses because of the Milwaukee Export Assistance Center's move, Bialek said. "Paul takes the message of MSOE and the (Rader) school of business into circles that we didn't travel in before," he said. The presence of the Milwaukee Export Assistance Center dovetails with the Rader School of Business' evolution. Last fall, the school introduced a new Master's Degree in export management, Bialek said.

"It's a degree program that serves an MBA type of audience in the manufacturing sector predominantly," he said. "It's product focused – (for companies) that are looking to identify, locate and gain access to global markets and get their product into those markets. Half of the degree parallels an MBA. The other half is in designing and testing products to global specifications, IP control laws, international cultures and law."

For information, visit the U.S. Commercial Service Midwest web site at www.buyusa.gov/midwest or www.export.gov.

Wausau Paper announced that its board of directors has approved a $15 million capital investment that will optimize fiber handling and stock blending systems at its mill in Brokaw, Wis. An automated pulp bale handling system is expected to be operational by the end of 2008, with the balance of the system scheduled for startup in the second quarter of 2009.

"We are pleased to announce the next step of our Printing & Writing segment's three part profit recovery plan initially outlined in the fourth quarter of last year. The first phase of our recovery plan, system capacity reduction, is complete while the second phase of our plan, initiatives to drive growth in higher margin markets, is well underway," said Thomas Howatt, president and chief executive officer of Mosinee-based Wausau Paper. "Today's announcement represents the first of several potential investments intended to significantly improve the cost structure of the business. Project economics significantly exceed our target 17 percent internal rate of return and will substantially improve the capabilities and cost competitiveness of our Brokaw mill."

Menomonee Falls-based Magnetek Inc. has settled a patent infringement claim by Ole K. Nilssen and Geo Foundation Ltd. Under the terms of the agreement, Magnetek has agreed to pay $18.75 million to the plaintiffs. Magnetek had appealed an April U.S. District Court award in the case. Nilssen and Geo asked the court to award them an additional $5.9 million in interest. "While we were disappointed with the ruling in this case, we felt it was in Magnetek's best interests to put this issue behind us," said Magnetek president and chief executive officer David Reiland. "Although the settlement amount is not insignificant, after making the payment, we remain debt-free with over $12 million in cash available to fund our growth initiatives and ongoing operations."

Feingold supports overhaul of trade agreements
U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) is a lead supporter of a new effort to guide future U.S. trade agreements to ensure a level playing field for American businesses, workers and consumers. Feingold is an original cosponsor of the Trade Reform, Accountability, Development, and Employment (TRADE) Act of 2008 introduced by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). The TRADE Act requires a review of existing trade agreements, and a renegotiation of existing trade agreements based on that review. It sets terms of what must and must not be included in future trade agreements, and expresses support for strengthening the role of Congress in trade policymaking. The framework created by the TRADE Act includes improved labor, environmental, food and product safety standards complete with enforcement mechanisms and penalties for failing to meet those standards, Feingold said.

"The trade policies agreed to over the past fifteen years are a major contributor to the tough economic times many folks in Wisconsin are facing," Feingold said. "I have opposed agreements like NAFTA, CAFTA and others that create a race to the bottom by failing to require fair labor, environmental, safety and other standards of the countries we do business with. Tens of thousands of good jobs have left Wisconsin for China, Mexico and elsewhere and have been replaced with lower quality, lower paying jobs without the benefits Wisconsinites need for their families. It's time that our trade agreements look out for American businesses, workers, consumers, family farmers and the environment rather than multi-national corporate interests.

"I support trade in the growing global marketplace and opening up new markets for American products," Feingold said. "But we can do it in a way that avoids the problems we have seen with NAFTA and other agreements that have taken their toll on American businesses and workers. This framework for a new direction of U.S. trade policies will strengthen economic security, maintain family-supporting jobs in the U.S., and encourage sustainable development in underdeveloped countries that are our trading partners."

Badger Meter CEO to ring bell at New York Stock Exchange
Badger Meter Inc. chairman, president and chief executive Rich Meeusen will ring the opening bell on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Tuesday, June 17, to celebrate the promotion of the Milwaukee company's stock to "The Big Board." Badger Meter's common stock will begin trading that morning on the NYSE after 37 years of being traded on the American Stock Exchange (Amex). The company's ticker symbol will remain "BMI." Meeusen will be joined in the morning ceremony by other senior executives and members of Badger Meter's board of directors. "We are honored to be eligible to join the many leading companies on the Big Board. Badger Meter has enjoyed a 37-year relationship with the American Stock Exchange that has served us well and has helped us to grow as a public company. However, with the increasing value of our shares, higher trading volume and improved financial performance, we believe our move to the NYSE is an appropriate next step that will give Badger Meter more visibility in the financial market and improve our stock's liquidity," Meeusen said.

ASQ awarded by Wisconsin Forward
The American Society for Quality (ASQ), a global organization of quality experts headquartered in Milwaukee, was recently awarded 2008 Mastery Level recognition by Wisconsin Forward Award, Inc. (WFA). This is the second recognition at this level for ASQ, after achieving the Mastery Level in 2006. "We are proud to once again be recognized. This is another great achievement for ASQ," said Paul Borawski, ASQ executive director and chief strategic officer. "Receiving Mastery Level recognition by the Wisconsin Forward Award is the product of our 15-year journey to apply the concepts of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. I envision the day when everyone understands, embraces and takes part in the quality journey." Wisconsin Forward Award recipients will be presented with their award in a ceremony at the Monona Terrace in Madison, Wis., July 8, 2008.