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Business Call Program


The purpose of the Business Call Program is to identify company-specific growth opportunities and threats, and to gain a systematic, firsthand understanding of the broader issues facing companies in southeastern Wisconsin.  Like any forward-thinking business, we must understand the needs of our best customers and look for ways to make the region a better place for them to operate.  One-on-one visits with CEOs uncover these immediate growth opportunities and threats, and serve as the starting point for a data-based approach to economic development that moves beyond conjecture and anecdotes to focus on the core issues facing local companies.

1)  Advanced Manufacturers - Completed Summer 2006.

2)  Biomedical Companies - Completed February 2007.

3)  Downtown Milwaukee Companies - Completed March 2007.

    • Partnered with Downtown BID #21 to visit large companies located downtown
    • 90 interviews / 146 target companies (62% "hit rate")
    • Report of findings released April 2007

             Full Downtown Call Program Report (including Executive Summary)

    4)  Inner-City Milwaukee Companies - Completed January 2008.

      • 81 interviews / 169 target companies located in central city zip codes (48% "hit rate")
      • Report of findings released January 2008
        
                Executive Summary of Inner-City Call Program
                Full Inner-City Call Program Report
        
    5)  Financial Services Companies - Completed November 2008.
     
      • 32 interviews / 50 target companies (64% "hit rate")
      • Report of findings released December 2008

                Full Report of Financial Services Call Program (including Executive Summary)

    6)  Water Industry Companies - Completed June 2008.

      • 12 interviews (more to come)
      • Report of findings released June 2008

                Water Industry Report (including Executive Summary)     

    7)  Downtown Milwaukee Companies #2 - Completed December 2008.

      • 46 interviews / 95 target companies (48% "hit rate")
      • Report of findings released February 2009

                 Full Downtown Call Program #2 Report (including Executive Summary)
                            

    Call Program

    Through the Business Call Program, more than

    500 visits with local CEOs

    have been completed in the manufacturing, biomedical, downtown and central city business sectors.


    Thanks to our Call Program Volunteers...

    Joanne Allen, Racine County Economic Development Corp.

    Brian Amore, The PrivateBank

    David Anderson, Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.

    Barbara Armstrong, Kahler Slater Architects

    Reuben Bankier, Northwestern Mutual

    Charlie Barr, Croen & Barr

    Todd Battle, Kenosha Area Business Alliance, Inc.

    Anna Baxter Kirk, Launchpad MCPR

    Peter Beitzel, Metropolitan Milwaukee Assn. of Commerce

    Robert Bergmann, Wisconsin Manufacturing Extention Partnership

    Gary Billington, Plunkett Raysich Architects

    Marsha Block, Wisconsin Women Equal Prosperity

    David Borst, Concordia University

    Ellen Brostrom, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren

    Francesca Bumpurs, Racine County Economic Development Corp.

    Fred Burkhardt, Walworth County Economic Development Alliance

    Gail Burnside, Eppstein Uhen Architects

    Jack Caldwell, Economic Development/Washington County

    Tina Chang, SysLogic

    Suzanne Choren, M.A. Mortenson Company

    Valerie Clarke, We Energies

    Jerry Condon, Executive Benefits Network

    Patty Cooper, Kenosha County Job Center

    Deborah Davidson, Gateway Technical College

    Pat Drinan, City of Brookfield

    Robert Duffy, City of Oconomowoc

    Janice Dushold, Schenck Business Solutions

    James Eden, Milwaukee Area Technical College

    Carolyn Engel, Racine County Economic Development Corp.

    Patricia Falb, Godfrey & Kahn

    Cheryl Farnsworth, Succeedia

    Dawn Finnegan, Hanson Dodge

    Beth Foy, Beth Foy & Associates

    Karin Gale, Schenck Business Solutions

    Lori Gendelman Otjen, Van Ert, Lieb & Weir

    Brian Gilpin, Godfrey & Kahn

    Joshua Gimbel, Michael Best & Friedrich

    Scott Gokey, Schenck Business Solutions

    Bonnie Gomer, Metropolitan Milwaukee Assn. of Commerce

    Bethany Graceffa, Racine County Economic Development Corp.

    Linda Graebner-Smith, Sloane & Associates

    Gayle Graham, Waukesha County Technical College

    Lynn Grgich, Germantown Chamber of Commerce

    Tom Groleau, Carthage College

    Jeff Gundersen, Foley & Lardner

    Cathy Harrison, Metropolitan Milwaukee Assn. of Commerce

    Christine Henning, Racine County Economic Development Corp.

    Cindy Hilgendorf, Ozaukee County Economic Development Corp.

    Pat Hintz, Quarles & Brady

    Jeff Hoffman, Judson & Associates

    William Hucovski, Schenck Business Solutions

    Nancy Hundt, Grafton Chamber of Commerce

    Eric Hurd, Ozaukee Bank

    Diana Ide, Kenosha Area Business Alliance, Inc.

    Gordon Kacala, Racine County Economic Development Corp.

    Roger Kirgues, We Energies

    Bill Kobs, We Energies

    Jeff Larson, Grafton State Bank

    Greg Lee, WorldBridge Partners

    David Linz, SE Region Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network

    John Lott, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren

    Lori Lutzka, City of Milwaukee

    Olivia Marshall, Chamness Consulting, Inc.

    Sandra Matthews, Schenck Business Solutions

    Michael Matthews, Foley & Lardner

    Dan McCarthy, Towne Investments

    Christine McLaughlin, Godfrey & Kahn

    Tom Meaux, Ozaukee County

    Matthew Mikolajewski, Wauwatosa Economic Development Corp.

    John Milisauskas, Kenosha County Job Center

    Frank Miller, Milwaukee Art Museum

    William Mitchell, Waukesha County Economic Development Corp.

    Mitch Moser, Quarles & Brady

    Lila Mueller, Village of Belgium

    Thomas Myers, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren

    Ann Navin, MGIC

    Phil Neary, Wells Fargo

    Tim Nelson, Irgens Development Partners, LLC

    Beth Nicols, Downtown BID #21

    Kristin Niemiec, City of Racine

    Rebecca Noble, Kenosha Area Business Alliance, Inc.

    Linda Oakes, Mequon-Thiensville Chamber of Commerce

    Pat O'Brien, Milwaukee Development Corp.

    Carrie Orlovsky, Racine County Economic Development Corp.

    Jeffrey Packee, CleanPower

    Jim Paetsch, Milwaukee Development Corp.

    Lee Pasbrig, elogic Learning

    Curtis Paulsen, Safway Services

    Julie Penman, HGA Architects & Engineers

    Laura Petrie, Petrie & Stocking

    Deneine Powell, Racine County Small Business Development Center

    Patty Pritchard, SysLogic

    Dennis Purtell, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek

    Olga Rammer, Waukesha County Technical College

    Diana Redlich, Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer & Associates

    Steven Reske, Universal Savings Bank

    Robert Richter, Irgens Development Partners, LLC

    Jennifer Riggenbach, UWM School of Continuing Education

    Paul Roback, U.W. Extension Office

    Dianne Robertson, Village of Thiensville

    Rich Rodenbeck, Kenosha Area Business Alliance, Inc.

    Rosalind Rouse, Milwaukee Water Works

    Peter Ryan, AVI Midwest

    Mike Sattell, Sattell Johnson Appel & Co.

    Penny Scheuerman, We Energies

    Joseph Schirger, Schenck Business Solutions

    Rachel Schneider, Quarles & Brady

    Dean Schultzbank, We Energies

    Jim Schwai, Metropolitan Business Brokers, LLC

    Daniel Schwarz, Schenck Business Solutions

    Kevin Shafer, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District

    Meghan Shannon, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren

    Mike Slawny, We Energies

    Barb Smith, Metropolitan Milwaukee Assn. of Commerce

    Mary Steinbrecher, Metropolitan Milwaukee Assn. of Commerce

    Louise Stone, Schenck Business Solutions

    Greg Storm, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren

    Paul Sweeney, PS Capital Partners

    Chris Taylor, North Shore Bank

    Randy Tetzlaff, City of Port Washington

    Marcia Theusch, Milwaukee Economic Development Corp.

    William Tobin, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren

    Mari-Jo Travis, Milwaukee Area Technical College

    Jenny Trick, Racine County Economic Development Corp.

    Matthew Wagner, Center for Advanced Technology & Innovation of Racine County, Inc.

    Nicholas Wahl, Godfrey & Kahn

    Paul Westrick, Columbia / St. Mary's

    Sam White, UWM School of Continuing Education

    Edward Wierzbicki, Waukesha County Technical College

    Tracy Williams Prince, Keller, Inc.

    Frank Windt, Schenck Business Solutions

    Mark Witt, Godfrey & Kahn

    Pam Zenner-Richards, Racine County Economic Development Corp.