Menomonee Falls-based Bradley Corp. has been named a 2010 Exporter of the Year in the building products category by Commercial News USA, the official export promotion magazine of the U.S. Commerce Department.

Bradley Corp., an international manufacturer of commercial plumbing fixtures and washroom accessories, serves a diverse global customer base including international corporations such as Wal-Mart, General Motors, the U.S. Postal Service, W.W. Grainger, AMC Theaters Corp., and many privately held corporations.

“Exporting products into emerging markets abroad is an increasingly important part of Bradley's marketing strategy,” said Steve Zingsheim, vice president, international sales. “We are concentrating our international sales efforts throughout North America, Europe and, most recently, the Middle East and South America.”

Criteria on which winners were selected included the total number of documented export transactions completed in 2008, the total percentage increase in sales in 2008 compared to 2007, exports as percentage of total sales, the company’s commitment to exporting, the company’s commitment to customer service, and the company’s innovation and originality in marketing products or services. To be eligible for the award, a company must currently be exporting from the United States.

“Our company's commitment to product innovation and strong customer service – as well as aggressive sales promotions in Germany and the Czech Republic – have positively influenced our continued success in product exportation.” Zingsheim said.

The Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership will present “Tactics and Strategies to Power Growth and Customer Diversification” on Wednesday, March 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Racine Marriott Hotel, 7111 W. Washington Ave., Racine.

The free event will feature Ted Muccio, president of Pereles Bros. Inc., a Milwaukee-based injection molder that offers design, prototyping assistance and technical services to customers in the medical, food service, consumer, automotive aftermarket and related markets.

Muccio will discuss recent changes to the injection molding industry and how his firm has partnered with WMEP to create and implement a strategic sales and marketing initiative to connect with new and existing customers and create local and national awareness of their business offering.

“This is a unique opportunity for senior executives to hear directly from a manufacturing leader on ways to position their companies for growth and success,” said Dale Raab, regional account manager with WMEP. 

Registration is required. For information, contact Raab at (414) 588-1350 or raab@wmep.org.

Generac stock makes debut on New York Stock Exchange

Generac Holdings Inc., the Waukesha-based parent company of Generac Power Systems Inc., made its debut as a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange Thursday under the ticker symbol GNRC.

"This is a great achievement for Generac and we are extremely pleased by the success of our initial public offering," said Aaron Jagdfeld, chief executive officer of Generac. "We are excited about the future of Generac as a publicly traded company."

Shares of Generac debuted at $13 per share and were at $13.41 when the stock market closed on Friday.

Generac sold about 18.75 million shares of stock in its IPO. The company previously said it plans to use the proceeds from the offering to pay down debt.

Generac is owned by CCMP Capital Advisors LP, a New York-based private equity firm.

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co., BofA Merrill Lynch and Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. are the book running managers for the offering. William Blair & Company, KeyBanc Capital Markets and Stephens Inc. are the co-managers for the offering.

Oshkosh Corp. wins more military work

Oshkosh Corp. has won two additional contracts from the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army.

Its new Marine Corps contract, valued at more than $156 million, is to construct more than 400 Logistics Vehicle System Replacements (LVSR).

The order brings the total number of LVSRs under contract to nearly 1,300. With the latest order, LVSR production and delivery is extended into July 2011.

"The Oshkosh LVSR is among the world's most advanced logistics platforms and offers the U.S. Marine Corps a technologically sophisticated, heavy-payload vehicle to answer the call in even the most arduous conditions," said Andy Hove, Oshkosh Corp. executive vice president and president of the company’s Defense Division. "The vehicle's off-road capabilities only make it more versatile when transporting heavy equipment, fuel and other supplies to the front line."

The new Army contract, valued at more than $84 million, is to supply more than 625 add-on armor kits for the MRAP All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV).

Under the delivery order, Oshkosh will provide explosively formed penetrator (EFP) protection kits for the M-ATV. Delivery of the kits is expected to begin in April 2010 and be completed by the end of August 2010. The Oshkosh-supplied kits will include EFP armor, base door armor and a door-assist mechanism.

To date, Oshkosh has received awards valued at more than $4 billion to deliver 6,619 M-ATVs, as well as spare parts kits and aftermarket in-theater support.

Grede lands $60 million revolving credit agreement

Grede Holdings LLC has entered into a new revolving credit and security agreement with Bank of America as a lender and as agent for the lenders.

Wells Fargo Capital Finance, part of Wells Fargo & Company, is a co-lender on the transaction.

The new Revolving Credit Agreement provides up to $60 million to support the company’s working capital needs and other general corporate purposes. It is secured by accounts receivables and inventory of the company and has a term of three years, expiring in February 2013.

“Given the restrictive credit markets of today, the new financing agreement validates Grede’s actions as further evidence of the company’s future vitality,” said Lou Lavorata, chief financial officer (CFO) of Grede. “Through our rigorous turnaround activities, we have brought together two well-positioned companies that have outstanding synergies, a strong balance sheet, low debt, and excellent support from our bank partners.”

Grede Holdings LLC was formed recently through the combination of the assets of the former Milwaukee-based Grede Foundries Inc. with Citation Corp. Grede Foundries had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.

The transactions included the purchase of substantially all of the assets of Grede Foundries by Grede LLC, an entity controlled by a private investment fund managed by Wayzata Investment Partners LLC. The transactions also were facilitated by additional equity investment from Wayzata and Citation’s largest shareholder, GSC Group. The new company is controlled by Wayzata and led by Doug Grimm, who is chairman, president and chief executive officer.

The new Grede is headquartered in Novi, Mich.

“The combination of Citation and Grede creates, what we believe is, the most diversified foundry company in North America with one of the strongest balance sheets in the industry,” Grimm said. “We expect revenue to reach $600 million in 2010 through our combined business in the automotive, industrial and heavy truck markets. The significant equity investment from Wayzata and GSC has reduced total funded debt of the two companies by 80 percent, or $110 million.”

The new Grede has 2,700 employees, 14 foundries and two machining facilities with nearly 600,000 tons of iron casting capacity.

Employees at the former Grede headquarters in Milwaukee will likely relocate to the Novi, Mich. and Menomonee Falls facilities later this year.

The products made at Menomonee Falls-based The Brewer Company LLC are important features in physicians’ offices, clinics, dental offices and some industrial applications – but the company is far from a household name.

Most of Brewer Co.’s products are made for the medical market. It makes goods ranging from examination and procedure tables to IV stands and other chrome-plated support stands used in hospitals and clinics. It also makes specialized ergonomic seating for dental offices and industrial markets, as well as custom upholstery for health care-related original equipment manufacturers.

The company’s best known products are its examination tables, said Paul Siepmann, president and chief executive officer. The tables are used in general practitioners offices, as well as specialists including dermatology, OB/GYN, urology, gastro-intestinal and some cosmetic surgeons.

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Gale E. Klappa, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Wisconsin Energy Corporation, has been elected to the board of directors of Brown Deer-based Badger Meter Inc.

“Gale brings a great deal of talent and experience to our board. His perspective on the utility industry will be especially valuable, as this is the largest market Badger Meter serves,” said Richard A. Meeusen, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Badger Meter.

Klappa joined Wisconsin Energy in April 2003 as president and was elected to the company’s board in December 2003. He was elected to his current position in May 2004.

With Klappa’s election, the Badger Meter board has nine members. He will stand for re-election at the company’s 2010 annual meeting on April 30.

Todd Gawronski has been hired as national account executive by Menomonee Falls-based Arandell Corporation. Gawronski will be responsible for new client acquisition and client consultation.

“With over 17 years within the direct mail catalog industry, Todd’s diverse background and printing experience will help us achieve our aggressive sales growth objectives,” said Tom Benedict, senior vice president of national sales. “I am looking forward to working with him on securing new business in our market. His fresh and innovative views will be a great addition to our growing team.”  

Quad/Graphics expands exclusive pact with L.L. Bean

Under a new, multi-year agreement, Quad/Graphics Photography Services will become L.L. Bean’s exclusive provider for studio photography.

The agreement, an expansion of an existing Quad/Graphics contract, goes into effect this month and covers photography for L.L. Bean’s catalogs, including the Men’s, Women’s, Kids, Fly Fishing, Hunting, Traveler and Home titles as well as its websites and e-commerce businesses.

As part of the partnership established by the agreement, L.L. Bean will build Studio 1912, a state-of-the-art, 16,000-square-foot all digital photography studio in Westbrook, a Portland, Maine suburb, about 20 miles from L.L. Bean’s Freeport corporate headquarters. The Studio 1912 name reflects the year that L.L. Bean started in business.

Quad/Graphics Photography Services will manage studio operations in cooperation with L.L. Bean’s Photography Operations and Creative Department. The new studio will feature seven shooting bays, which will accommodate dozens of active sets daily. Four bays will have full daylight photography capability. The studio also will include a fully equipped set-building shop, areas for merchandise management, a prop room, production offices, dressing rooms and hair and makeup areas.

L.L. Bean will direct the vision and creative direction while Quad/Graphics will provide staffing and technology support, according to Mark Kozlowski, Quad/Graphics director of photography.

"With this contract expansion, Quad/Graphics will provide the best talent and technology, and together with L.L. Bean’s creative direction we will create a best-in-class photography studio which will be a model for the catalog industry,” Kozlowski said.

Quad/Graphics is the exclusive printer and pre-media provider for L.L. Bean catalogs under a contract that began in January 2008. Quad/Graphics prints and distributes all L.L. Bean catalogs from its gravure printing plants in Martinsburg, W.Va.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; and Lomira, Wis.

“This expansion of our photography partnership with L.L. Bean is exciting news for both companies,” said Joel Quadracci, Quad/Graphics chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Quad/Graphics provides L.L. Bean with efficient and cost-effective production solutions starting with photography and prepress through printing and distribution, and this new photography arrangement is testament to the mutual success we have achieved.”

The seminar “Let’s Get Moving! Gearing Up for the Post Recession Workplace” will be held on Friday, Feb. 26 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Richard T. Anderson Conference Room of Waukesha County Technical College, 800 Main St., Pewaukee.

The free event is designed for displaced manufacturing workers and will include “The State of Manufacturing on the Road to Recovery” presented by Elizabeth “Betsy” Falk, Wisconsin Labor Economist; “Industry Perspectives” presented by a panel of manufacturers, and “Dos and Don’ts for Job Seekers: Insider Tips from an HR Panel.”

The seminar will be co-sponsored by WCTC Corporate and Community Training, W-O-W Workforce Development, Inc. and the Waukesha County Workforce Development Center.

Rre-registration is required. To register, call Susan Fischer at (262) 695-7934 or by email pdaebel@wctc.edu.