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Monday, May 20, 2013
IBS opens Waukesha office
May 20, 2013 10:00 AM
International Business Systems, a Swedish enterprise resource planning and supply chain software company, has opened an office in Waukesha.

The company provides manufacturers with distribution and warehouse process solutions. The company has 15 employees at the office and plans to hire eight more this year.

Gov. Scott Walker attended a ribbon cutting for the new location Friday.

“This is what we work day in and day out to do, help the private sector grow jobs and bring business to Wisconsin,” Walker said.  “We’re headed in the right direction, and I’m delighted that IBS chose to expand their operations in Wisconsin.”

This is IBS’ third office in the United States. Its Americas region headquarters is in Folsom, Calif. and it has an office in Rochelle Park, N.J.

“We are thrilled that the Governor came to Waukesha to participate in the opening of another U.S. location,” said Doug Braun, CEO of IBS.  “Thanks in large part to Governor Walker’s leadership, Wisconsin is a very business-friendly state as well as one that offers an outstanding quality of life for our employees.  The state also has a long history of innovation in the supply chain industry, which means there is a readily available talent pool here with experience in our core space.  We feel it is going to be a great partnership for both sides.”


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Jones finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year
May 20, 2013 10:00 AM
Paul Jones, executive chairman of Milwaukee-based water technology manufacturer A.O. Smith Corp., is a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Midwest award.

The EOY is awarded to entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and outstanding success in their fields. It is measured by financial performance, innovation and a personal commitment to the business and community.

Jones was selected by an independent panel of judges using a nomination process. The winners will be names at a banquet on June 27 in Chicago.

In his time as CEO, from 2004 to 2013, Jones oversaw the company’s growth to sales of about $2 billion and net earnings of $234 million in 2012.    

 He also has devoted time to regional workforce and infrastructure development as Wisconsin chair for the Regional Alliance for Economic Development and co-founder of the Milwaukee Water Council.

Hartford-based API Healthcare Corp.’s J.P. Fingado and Plymouth-based Sartori Company’s James Sartori and Jeffrey Schwager were also named finalists.

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Johnson Controls names new CMO
May 20, 2013 10:00 AM
Glendale-based global diversified industrial company Johnson Controls Inc. has named Kim Metcalf-Kupres vice president and chief marketing officer, a new position.

Metcalf-Kupres will report to Alex Molinaroli, vice chairman. She will develop marketing and sales strategies, particularly in the areas of brand development and customer satisfaction. And she will head external and internal communication.

Metcalf-Kupres joined Johnson Controls in 1994 and has held various leadership roles in marketing and sales for the building efficiency and power solutions segments. Most recently, she was vice president of global strategy for sales and marketing in the power solutions business.

She earned a bachelor’s in pre-law and English from Wayne State University and an MBA from Lake Forest.

"In her most recent role, Kim has played an important part in growing our power solutions business in both mature and emerging markets," said Stephen Roell, chairman and CEO.  "Kim's experience in developing high-impact marketing, sales and communications programs will help us expand the global reach and visibility of our company."

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Neale to retire as Modine's chairman
May 20, 2013 10:00 AM
Racine-based Modine Manufacturing Company announced plans for Gary Neale to retire as chairman of its board of directors following the company's annual meeting of shareholders on July 18.

Neale has been a member of Modine's board since 1977 and became its chair in 2008 after serving as independent lead director for five years.

In addition, at its regular meeting on May 15, Modine's board appointed Marsha Williams as independent lead director, effective upon Neale's retirement. Williams has been a member of Modine's board since 1999 and is the current chair of its officer nomination and compensation committee.

Williams retired as senior vice president and chief financial officer of Orbitz Worldwide, an online travel company, in 2010. Prior to joining Orbitz, Williams held senior executive positions at Equity Office Properties Trust, Crate and Barrel, Amoco Corporation, Carson Pirie Scott & Company and The First National Bank of Chicago. She currently serves as a member of the boards of directors of Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V., Fifth Third Bancorp and Davis Funds.

"We are extremely grateful to Gary for his many years of service to Modine," said Thomas Burke, Modine's president and chief executive officer. "He has served our shareholders very well and has been an effective leader for our board and resource for our management team. We look forward to making further announcements and wishing him well upon his retirement in July. We are also quite pleased with the board's appointment of Marsha to the independent lead director position and look forward to working with her in this new role."

The board also approved amendments to Modine's guidelines on corporate governance to address the specific duties of the independent lead director.

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Companies win Business Friend of Environment Awards
May 20, 2013 10:00 AM
Six Wisconsin companies have received the Business Friend of the Environment Award for leadership in pollution prevention, environmental innovation and environmental stewardship from the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce.

"Wisconsin is fortunate to have so many companies that are committed to environmental stewardship and going above and beyond what's required by various regulations," said Kurt Bauer, WMC president and chief executive officer. "The Business Friend of the Environment winners are the unquestioned leaders in our state for environmental protection and innovation."

The award recipients are:

Pollution Prevention
Frito-Lay, Inc., Beloit (small/medium)
3M Prairie du Chien, Prairie du Chien (large)

Environmental Innovation
American Transmission Co., Madison (small/medium)
Grede LLC, Reedsburg (large)

Environmental Stewardship
Wisconsin Industrial Sand Company, Menomonie (small/medium)
Del Monte Foods, Plover (large)

An independent panel of judges representing industry, the Department of Natural Resources, conservation groups, and academia select the Business Friend of the Environment winners.

The awards were presented at a luncheon at the Country Springs Conference Center in Pewaukee.

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Brady to sell Asia die-cut business, Q1 sales rise
May 20, 2013 10:00 AM
Milwaukee-based Brady Corp. said that it plans to sell its Asia-based Die-Cut business.

"Our Die-Cut business has shown many signs of improvement and has recently secured several meaningful new orders," said president and chief executive officer, Frank M. Jaehnert. "However, we no longer consider this business core to our strategy and believe that our Die-Cut customers and our employees will be better served by being with a company where Die-Cut is a core product offering."

The company also reported that its third quarter sales were up 11 percent to $305.73 million.

Net income for the quarter fell from $27.65 million, or 53 cents per share, in 2012 to $4.23 million, or 42 cents per share. But this year's third quarter results included a $17.6 million loss from discontinued operations.

"In the face of a challenging economy, we continue to position Brady for long-term success by optimizing our portfolio of businesses, aligning our organization with growth opportunities and reducing our infrastructure costs," Jaehnert said. "(The company) will continue the process of portfolio realignment as we have already divested three businesses and acquired Precision Dynamics Corporation, a business serving the health care space. We are changing our organizational structure from geographically-based to an organization structured around global business platforms. We are also targeting expansion in faster-growing geographies such as Central Europe, the Middle East, Africa and selected markets in Asia; and focusing on industries such as food and beverage, chemical, oil, and gas and health care."

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Lifeway to rehire all Golden Guernsey workers
May 20, 2013 10:00 AM
Leaders at Lifeway Foods Inc. plan to rehire all of the workers who were laid off from Golden Guernsey Dairy LLC to staff the Waukesha facility when it reopens this summer.

The Morton Grove, Ill.-based company won a bid to purchase Golden Guernsey out of bankruptcy for $7.4 million last week and plans to manufacture a cultured dairy drink called kefir at the plant.

Golden Guernsey was suddenly shuttered in January, leaving 112 employees out of work.

"Hopefully we'll bring them all back and then some," said Lifeway chief executive officer Julie Smolyansky. "Some folks I know have left and moved on to other jobs, but we would definitely try to bring back as many as we could."

The kefir products Lifeway makes have been growing in popularity with the health food movement, so the company has been expanding rapidly.

It has two Illinois production facilities totaling 80,000 square feet and 100,000 square feet of storage and refrigeration nearby. The company also recently acquired top competitors Helios Nutrition and Fresh Made Dairy, adding a 30,000-square-foot Minnesota dairy plant and a 30,000-square-foot Philadelphia dairy facility, she said.

The 170,000-square-foot Waukesha facility would more than double the company's production capacity.

"We've been growing at a 30 percent rate and we are basically at capacity in our existing facility," Smolyansky said. "This was a really great win for us and we've already been a customer of Golden Guernsey for at least a decade, buying their milk."

Lifeway reported net sales of $81.4 million in 2012, up 16 percent from a year prior.

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Manufacturing resources
Manufacturer Associations » Association of Equipment Manufacturers
» The Association for High Technology Distribution
» APICS – the Association for Operations Management
» Fabricators and Manufacturers International
» National Fluid Power Association
» Polyeurethane Manufacturers Association
» Precision Metalforming Association, Wisconsin District
» Society of Manufacturing Engineers - Chapter 4
» Society of Plastics Engineers - Greater Wisconsin
» Tool, Die and Machining Association of Wisconsin
» Wisconsin Truss Manufacturers Association
» Wisconsin Biotechnology and Medical Device Association
» Wisconsin Sign Association
» Wisconsin Electrical Machines and Power Electronics Consortium
» Water Quality Association of Wisconsin
Manufacturing Advocacy, Leadership Training and Continuing Education » The Paranet Group
» Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership
» MSOE's Business Excellence Consortium
» Center for Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM) at the University of Wisconsin
» UW-Milwaukee Center for Continuing Engineering Education
Other resources » American Society for Quality
» Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce
» Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation
» Wisconsin Department of Commerce
» Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce
» Milwaukee Export Assistance Center – U.S. Commercial Service
» Milwaukee World Trade Association
» MSOE's Applied Technology Center
» MSOE's Rapid Prototyping Center
» MATC's Energy Conservation and Advanced Manufacturing (ECAM) facility

Molly Newman This exclusive news bulletin is compiled by BizTimes Milwaukee reporter Molly Newman. This bulletin is published every Monday morning. Send manufacturing industry news and tips to molly.newman@biztimes.com or call her at (414) 336-7144.
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