Business
Time for a good old-fashioned bridge party
After 20 months of closures, detours and the loss of several businesses, the Humboldt Avenue bridge (officially) re-opens this Wednesday.
Jun 29th, 2010 by Patti Wenzel
Gift of a library will keep on giving
Target and the Heart of America Foundation put their money where kids need to be - in modern, updated libraries filled with books and opportunities
May 16th, 2010 by Patti Wenzel
Milwaukee without Harley? A real possibility
High union wages and benefits, increased business taxes and management mistakes flood Harley-Davidson's motor
May 3rd, 2010 by Patti Wenzel
Doyle calls on state businesses to spend their meeting dollars here
Whether traveling for business or pleasure, staying in Wisconsin is good for your bottom line... and the state's.
Mar 18th, 2010 by Ted Bobrow
Milwaukee has chance as Google Broadband test city
Google, Inc. has issued an appeal to government officials to nominate their communities for a test program to provide true high speed internet service.
Feb 12th, 2010 by MilwaukeeWorld
Happy days are (sort of) here again
Area business leaders see a slow, but real, recovery in 2010 and share strategies to in troubled times.
Jan 23rd, 2010 by Patti Wenzel
No need for media-fueled, inter-generational Cola Wars
The idea of a 3-way workplace cage match makes for interesting punditry, but at the ground level it doesn't hold much water.
Nov 16th, 2009 by Jon Anne Willow
800-CEO-READ
Mark Metcalf meets Jack Covert and Todd Sattersten, CEO and President, respectively, of 800-CEO-READ, a local company that sells business books and promotes great ideas. (We think THEY'RE a great idea!)
Jul 22nd, 2009 by Amy Elliott
By The People, For The People?
The eyes of the world are focused on Iran where the will of the people is struggling to be heard. Here in Milwaukee the people spoke in favor of a paid sick leave mandate. So what's the difference?
Jun 17th, 2009 by Ted Bobrow
Fasten Closes Storefront; Sparrow Takes Flight
On April 30, Fasten Collective closed the doors to its retail space in Bay View for good. I’d heard murmurings here and there of the store closing, and like most people assumed that it was yet another beloved Milwaukee institution that sadly, fell victim to the economy. As it turns out, I was wrong. About a week prior to the actual closing, owner Janelle Gramling (and designer behind the label Little Ocean) sent out an oddly upbeat newsletter, announcing the end of Fasten’s storefront that at the same time assured friends and customers that Fasten the collective was still alive and well. While Fasten will no longer operate as a storefront, a new cooperative would move in immediately, working to uphold Fasten’s local arts mission while at the same time broadening the store’s inventory by offering wares from around the nation. Enter Sparrow Collective, the joint venture of local artist/designers Jessica Franzen and Lisa Wierzbinski. Franzen and Wierzbinski have been Fasten members since about 2007, and both sold their designs and have volunteered at the store up until now. I chatted it up with the Sparrow ladies and Fasten’s Janelle Gramling about the decision to close Fasten and what this new collective means for Milwaukee’s craft/DIY scene. TCD: What lead you to close Fasten? JG: The decision to close Fasten was a hard one to make. Myself and the member designers were really accomplishing Fasten’s mission successfully – we brought together dozens of local designers and artists, gave them the opportunity to show their work, sell their work, and participate in the gallery/retail operation. Our nurturing atmosphere was really beginning to yield some great talent, the products in the store growing more and more impressive. However, after over three years in business, the store had yet to turn a profit. It became increasingly difficult for me to keep up with the demands of overseeing the store (even with the great help of volunteer designers), and I found myself sacrificing time that I wanted to spend on my own label. I knew that there were things that had to be done to keep the store open. Bringing in designers from out of town, shifting the focus away from clothing and bringing in new more gifty items, and changing consignment rates were all ideas on the table. But I strongly felt as though those changes were all counter to Fasten’s local arts mission. TCD: How was Sparrow created? JG: Jessica and Lisa were member designers volunteering at Fasten a lot. After I started talking with the members about having a hard time keeping things together, they came to me and let me know that they were interested in starting something up. I was relieved that someone had the guts to make it happen and keep the space alive. JF: I always wanted to own my own business and once Janelle announced that she needed to leave the boutique business, We saw it has an open window to take a chance. I think […]
May 10th, 2009 by Erin Petersen
Common Council Passes Vehicle Registration Fee
Senator Russ Feingold presented his upcoming legislation which focuses on encouraging innovation, growth in small business, creating jobs in green energy, linking business with education and capitalizing on research in the fresh water science. He received input into this legislation from local business leaders, Sheldon Lubar and Joseph Zilber, with the hope of finding solutions that can work nationally but also locally in southeast Wisconsin. The other item of note was the Common Council’s vote to override Mayor Tom Barrett‘s veto of the controversial $20 vehicle registration fee. The override needed ten votes and received eleven so the vehicle registration fee will be enacted. The vehicle registration fee will eliminate assessments, which have averaged $2500 per household, related to road reconstruction projects within the City of Milwaukee.
Sep 2nd, 2008 by Dave Reid
