Brian Baker, president and CEO of Oconomowoc-based Sentry Equipment Corporation, joins BizTimes Media managing editor Arthur Thomas on the podcast. They discuss his journey from finance expert to company leader, how Sentry has expanded from a manufacturer to also a service provider, the benefits and challenges of employee ownership and how the curr…

Ellen Gilligan, the president and CEO of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, joins Marquette University president Michael Lovell and BizTimes Media managing editor Arthur Thomas on the latest episode of Leadership Lens. Gilligan discusses what she's learned about taking on big projects, her own leadership style and how she knew it was the right time …

Milwaukee Bucks president Peter Feigin joins Marquette University president Michael Lovell and BizTimes Media managing editor Arthur Thomas on Leadership Lens, a monthly podcast that features southeastern Wisconsin business leaders discussing how they approach their work. On this episode, Feigin discusses his career journey, from working with Arthu…

Gus Ramirez and the Ramirez Family Foundation made big news in 2023, buying the former campus of Cardinal Stritch University in Glendale and Fox Point for $24 million not long after the school shut down at the end of the spring semester. The chairman of Waukesha-based manufacturer Husco International, Ramirez and his family were behind the launch o…

Menasha-based health insurer Network Health has a new ownership structure after Froedtert Health completed its acquisition of Ascension Wisconsin’s 50% stake in the health insurer, taking full ownership of the company. Network Health CEO Coreen Dicus-Johnson recently joined BizTimes managing editor Arthur Thomas to discuss what the change means and…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media discuss the news of the week, including the announcement that UWM's Washington County campus will close by July 2024. It is another example of the challenges facing higher education amid declining enrollment, financial challenges and the changing value of higher education. Insider Story Spotlight…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including the first legislative victory for plans to fund improvements to American Family Field. The deal, which passed a state Assembly committee this week, would keep the Milwaukee Brewers in town through 2050. While the Republicans introduced the p…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news off the week, including Johnsonville taking over as the sausage sponsor at Fiserv Forum. The deal marks the third time in recent years that Johnsonville has taken over a sponsorship from Klement's. Register for upcoming BizTimes events. Insider Story Spotlight Spr…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media discuss the news of the week, including Republican lawmakers unveiling a new $700 million plan to fund upgrades at American Family Field and keep the Milwaukee Brewers in Milwaukee. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers had previously pitched a $290 million plan that didn't include specific contributions fr…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media discuss the news from the week, including Barrett Lo Visionary Development planning a $400 million, 918-unit, multi-building apartment development, including 15- to 19-story buildings, on the Mayfair Mall property. Register for upcoming BizTimes events. Insider Story Spotlight Generac plans to bu…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including IAM Local 1947 and Mercury Marine reaching a new 5-year contract. The fact the deal came with little fanfare is a sign of how far things have come since 2009 when the company was considering a move to Oklahoma. Register for the Next Generati…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including the first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 campaign coming to Milwaukee. While on a much smaller scale than next summer's Republican National Convention, the debate does offer a preview of what to expect next year. If the city's pe…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including FPC Live again revising plans for a music venue in Milwaukee. The project, which was originally planned in the Third Ward and has since moved to the former Bradley Center site in the Deer District, will now have just one 4,500-person capacit…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including continuing financial challenges for hotels in or near downtown Milwaukee. The Iron Horse Hotel in Walker's Point is set to go up for auction next month and the downtown Hampton Inn & Suites, which closed suddenly earlier this year, has been …

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including Nokia's plans to manufacture broadband components at the Pleasant Prairie facility of San Jose-based Sanmina. They discuss whether the BEAN program that's led to the investment is a wise use of government spending and whether provisions enco…

To get a better sense of the day-to-day work of DEI leaders, BizTimes worked with Beth Ridley of Ridley Consulting Group to record a podcast with members of an inclusive leaders roundtable group she leads. Along with Ridley, the conversation included Sri Kadasinghanahalli, vice president of enterprise data and analytics at Milwaukee-based MGIC Inve…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including Summerfest seeing a 40% increase in attendance but still falling short of pre-pandemic levels. They also discuss the impact of Harley-Davidson's 120th anniversary celebrations this weekend. Insider Story Spotlight Report examines ideas to im…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including financial services firm Baird making another commitment to downtown Milwaukee. Earlier this year, the firm bought the naming rights for the downtown convention center and this week the company extended its lease at the U.S. Bank building thr…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including the Wisconsin DOT releasing concept plans for the future of I-794 in downtown Milwaukee. The plans include a range of options from rebuilding the highway to modifying to tearing it down. Insider Story Spotlight Construction begins for train …

Restaurateur and developer Omar Shaikh joined Marquette president Michael Lovell and BizTimes Media managing editor Arthur Thomas for a live recording of Leadership Lens at BizExpo in early May. Shaikh, a partner in Carnevor and 3rd Street Market Hall and member of various boards, discussed how he decides what to get involved in, becoming an increa…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including the announcement of the King Tut immersive experience coming to the Baird Center, formerly known as the Wisconsin Center, this fall. It is the fourth immersive exhibit to come to the downtown convention center, offering a unique way to bring…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including the launch of the East-West Bus Rapid Transit route in Milwaukee. The route connects the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center with downtown in around 30 minutes by using a dedicated bus lane, fewer stops and technological improvements. Andrew a…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media discuss the news of the week, including the city of Milwaukee issuing a new request for proposals for a vacant site at 401 W. Wisconsin Ave., just south of the convention center in downtown Milwaukee. Andrew shares his thoughts on what kind of development makes the most sense, what the city shoul…

Longtime Outpost Natural Foods general manager Pam Mehnert joins BizTimes Media's Maredithe Meyer and Arthur Thomas to discuss her career and retirement plans, the growth of the co-op grocer from one store to four and now nearly $50 million in sales, her approach to leadership and the advice she is passing to her successor.…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including Master Lock’s decision to close its Milwaukee plant, eliminating around 330 jobs. The closure represents another piece of bad news for the northwest side of Milwaukee, which has lost Leonardo DRS, Astronautics and others in recent years. Ins…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media discuss news of the week, including the opening of The Trade hotel in the Deer District and the number of remaining development opportunities in the area around the Fiserv Forum. Insider Story Spotlight: Waukesha County Center for Growth executive director named president of KABA We Energies retu…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media discuss the news of the week in southeastern Wisconsin, including a $450 million plan from Cobalt Development and C.D. Smith to redevelop nine blocks in downtown Kenosha, including adding more than 1,000 apartments and condos, retail and other uses. Insider Story Spotlight Wells Fargo will move d…

Visit Milwaukee president and CEO Peggy Williams-Smith joined Marquette University president Michael Lovell and BizTimes managing editor Arthur Thomas on Leadership Lens, a monthly podcast that dives into the leadership styles of Milwaukee-area business leaders. The conversation, recorded in mid-April, touches on how Williams-Smith navigated the pa…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including the start of the 2023 cruise ship season in Milwaukee. City and Port Milwaukee officials expect 31 port calls and 12,000 passengers to visit this year, a slight dip from 2022, but a big increase from just a few years ago when Milwaukee barel…

Eve Hall, president and CEO of the Greater Milwaukee Urban League, joins BizTimes managing editor Arthur Thomas and Marquette University president Michael Lovell on Leadership Lens to discuss GMUL's work, progress on diversity in Milwaukee, keys to developing innovative thinking, making decisions that are best for the whole organization and much mo…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week and breakdown the latest BizTimes Milwaukee cover story. The piece, written by reporter Ashley Smart, takes a closer look at Milwaukee's ambitions to be a tech hub in light of a growing number of layoffs at tech firms around the country. It also dives …

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including the decision by Cardinal Stritch University to shutdown at the end of the semester. While the news came as a surprise, Andrew and Arthur discuss the mounting challenges for higher education and whether more colleges and universities will go …

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media discuss the news of the week, including Phoenix Investors emerging as a potential buyer for Northridge Mall, a property that's been tied up in court as the city of Milwaukee seeks to raze the building. Andrew and Arthur discuss whether a potential buyer for the problem property is a good thing or…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including the Wisconsin Center District striking a deal with Baird for naming rights on the downtown Milwaukee convention center. The center, which has a long history of different name tied to airlines, has been with out a name since 2013. Starting in…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including Gov. Tony Evers' capital budget. The proposal includes more than $9 million to support the Iron District soccer stadium in downtown Milwaukee. Andrew and Arthur also discuss other projects in the budget and the potential for the Milwaukee st…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media discuss the news of the week, including Northwestern Mutual reporting record revenue for the year of almost $35 billion. The results follow earlier news that the company is planning to pay out a record $6.8 billion in dividends. Andrew and Arthur discuss what it means for Milwaukee and the region…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including a proposal from Gov. Tony Evers to provide $290 million in state money to fund more than $400 million in upgrades and repairs to American Family Field, home of the Milwaukee Brewers. They discuss why this proposal is coming forward, what the…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss news of the week, including the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. announcing up to $7 million in tax credit incentives available for Fiserv to move its headquarters from Brookfield to downtown Milwaukee. Insider Story Spotlight Mercury Marine president will become presi…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media discuss the news of the week, including Northwestern Mutual announcing plans to invest $500 million into its downtown campus, rehabbing a 19-story office tower to turn it into a "mini-me" of the company's glassy tower. Andrew and Arthur discuss what the move means as vote of confidence in downtow…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including Briggs & Stratton laying off 160 people as it shuts down two production lines and moves work to other facilities out-of-state. Andrew and Arthur also discuss their takeaways from the annual BizTimes Economic Trends event which was held this …

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including Harley-Davidson announcing Foo Fighters and Green Day as its anniversary celebration headliners and a new report taking a closer look at metro Milwaukee's construction workforce. Insider Story Spotlight: CBRE to move Milwaukee office to BMO …

Baird's Mary Ellen Stanek joins Marquette University president Michael Lovell and BizTimes Media managing editor Arthur Thomas on the latest episode of Leadership Lens. Stanek discusses how she tries to use laser-like focus while holding many titles and roles, how being intentional helps her find work-life balance, and how she tries to make decisio…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including Harley-Davidson announcing plans for a park and events space to replace parking lots at its Milwaukee headquarters. Andrew and Arthur discuss whether the city and region should be excited about the park or still concerned about what will ult…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media discuss some of the stories they are watching closely heading into 2023, including the ramifications of a new CEO at Kohl's, Harley-Davidson's plans for its Milwaukee headquarters, and the direction of the economy in an uncertain time. Insider Story Spotlight: Inter-Med sues former employee, alle…

This episode features remarks from the honorees at the 2022 BizTimes Innovation + Entrepreneurship Forum. Three honorees in innovation and three in entrepreneurship share lessons learned building some of the most exciting products and companies in southeastern Wisconsin.Door BizTimes

This episode features Theresa Nemetz, founder of Milwaukee Food & City Tours and the 2022 Regional Spirit award winner at the BizTimes Innovation + Entrepreneurship Forum. Theresa discusses how her business navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, the important role having a mentor has played in her journey and some of the challenges facing iconic Milwauke…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas of BizTimes Media get together to give listeners a preview of Andrew's annual list of the biggest stories of the year. While things could change, Andrew currently sees the selection of Milwaukee for the 2024 RNC as the biggest story of the year followed by all of the attention and changes at Kohl's. Andrew and Arthu…

Marquette University president Michael Lovell joins BizTimes Media managing editor Arthur Thomas to reflect on lessons learned during interviews with southeastern Wisconsin business leaders over the past six months. The lessons they touch on include: Frank Cumberbatch, Bader Philanthropies: Leaders have to show up Peggy Troy, Children's Wisconsin: …

This episode features BizTimes Media publisher Dan Meyer interviewing Wayne Oldenburg, CEO of Oldenburg Group and the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient at our Innovation + Entrepreneurship Forum. After starting the company in 1981, Wayne grew his business into one of the fastest growing in the country, making the Inc. 500 in five-straight y…

Andrew Weiland and Arthur Thomas from BizTimes Media get together to discuss the news of the week, including American Family Insurance announcing it would not move forward with a planned office in downtown Milwaukee. The Madison-based firm had bought a building on North Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in 2019, paying almost $10 million, but the COVID-…