From WisBusiness.com …
— Logistics Services Inc., which works closely with General Motors, has told state and local officials it will lay off 132 workers at its Janesville distribution center around July 3. The move follows by less than a week the news that GM will end one of its two shifts and terminate more than 750 employees because of lagging sales of heavy SUVs.
According to Janesville economic development director Doug Venable, Logistics Services is a primary provider to the GM plant, bringing over parts as they are needed. Earlier this year, the company had nearly 400 employees in Janesville.
Venable said he expects other GM suppliers to cut their staffs, too. He said a likely candidate is Lear, which makes seats. That company reported it had 840 Janesville employees earlier this year.
In other layoff news, Sitel Corp. has announced it will lay off 105 workers at its telemarketing center starting June 1. The company said it has had difficulty securing business and that the workforce reduction is permanent. It provided no further details.
— The Dane County Regional Airport has been awarded $9.2 million from the federal government buy equipment, make airfield improvements, and treat water contaminated by aircraft de-icing fluids.
U.S. Rep Tammy Baldwin said the Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement grants include almost $5 million in entitlement funding, plus another $4.2 million in discretionary funding. The state will provide another $460,000 for the airport projects.
— Linens Holding Co. says it will shut three Wisconsin Linens ‘n Things stores (120 will close nationally) as part of a Chapter 11 bankcruptcy filing.
The announcement follows last weeks decision by The Home Depot to shut 15 stores around the country, including three in the Badger State. The three Wisconsin Linens ‘n Things in Wisconsin are in Milwaukee, Racine and at the Greenway Station in Middleton.
Clifton, N.J.-based Linens Holding Co. blamed its bankruptcy and the store closings on the sour economy.
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Press Releases
Building Safety Week to be Held May 5 – 11
Clyde Stubblefield joins Celebrity Judges lineup
Dane County Regional Airport Secures $9.2 Million in Federal Funds for Improvement
Governor Doyle Announces Wisconsin Specialty Cheese Production Sets New Record
Governor Doyle Breaks Ground on Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery
Linens ‘n Things Files Voluntary Petition Under Chapter 11 to Complete Financial Restructuring
New North Cheese Manufacturers Help Set New Production Record
SC Johnson Alerts Consumers to Protect Them From a Fake Check Scam
Sonic Foundry Reports Second Quarter 2008 Results
Traffic deaths last month were second lowest for month of April
United Vacations Announces SALE on Coast to Coast Vacations
Webcast Alert: Alliant Energy Corporation Annual Meeting of Shareowners
Wisconsin Energy Cites Customer Satisfaction, Construction Progress, Improved Earnings in Annual Meeting Review of 2007 Highlights
Wisconsin Toyota Dealers Offer Brewers Fans a Shot at Miller Park’s New Tundra Territory
For these and more releases visit http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Content=82
TOP STORIES
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Menards hopes homes pay off: Retailer hopes developing subdivisions will pay off… People typically run to Menards to buy stuff for their weekend projects: a new drill, maybe a toilet seat. But lately, the company is stocking something a bit more unusual: home sites. Eau Claire-based Menard Inc. is becoming more active as a developer of residential subdivisions – an extension of the company’s role as the nation’s third-largest home improvement retailer. Menard is proceeding with plans to develop two large subdivisions, in Warsaw, Ind., and Urbana, Ill., and is currently developing another subdivision in Yorkville, Ill. The company also owns land set aside for a small condominium development that might someday be built near its Oak Creek store.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=746919
Sitel laying off 105 at Madison call center: Sitel Corp. has informed state officials that it is laying off 105 workers at its call center at 1117 Deming Way. The cuts, which are effective June 1, are due to “an unexpected business slowdown” and could be permanent, Sitel said in a letter to state officials. Sitel’s notice indicates that it is closing its wireless customer care business unit due to the loss of a client account. Under state law, employers with 50 or more employees must give 60 days notice before a mass layoff or closing. The letter from Nashville, Tenn.-based Sitel is dated May 2, which indicates a June 1 date for the cuts would violate state law. Efforts to reach officials with Sitel or the state Department of Workforce Development were unsuccessful.
http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/284610
Campaign spits in face of fears: New Harley-Davidson ad assures consumers skittish about economic downturn that bad times won’t last forever: ‘So screw it, let’s ride’… Forget inflation, the economy, your unpaid bills, that pink slip in your locker. An edgy new Harley-Davidson ad campaign reflects on today’s difficult times, finishing with the tag line, “So screw it, let’s ride.” The campaign, launched this week with a full-page ad in USA Today, also reminds people that the Milwaukee-based motorcycle maker and the nation in general have endured plenty of pain – and not just lately. “Over the last 105 years in the saddle, we’ve seen wars, conflicts, depression, recession, resistance and revolutions,” the ad says.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=746582
State farm groups watching farm bill progress: Following the Senate-House Farm Bill Conference Committee meeting that went late into the night last Thursday, the Wisconsin Farmers Union said it is encouraged to see the panel getting closer to a final policy that will benefit all Americans. WFU President Sue Beitlich says with the planting season upon us, her group is urging Congress and President Bush to act quickly to pass and sign the new farm bill into law. “After months of negotiation over the 2007 Farm Bill and several extensions of the farm bill deadline, the committee broke through many of the barriers challenging a final draft of the bill, coming to agreements on major elements of the bill Thursday night,” Beitlich reported to her members. “We cannot afford to waste any more time. Our legislators have worked hard to create a farm bill for the President to sign.”
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=551&yr=2008
A.O. Smith still here and making motors: People at A.O. Smith Corp. hear it all the time: “Didn’t your company go out of business?” It’s understandable: In 1997, A.O. Smith sold its 148-acre flagship factory on Milwaukee’s northwest side, where it once welded undercarriages for nearly every American-made passenger car. Its buyer, Tower Automotive Inc., filed for bankruptcy in 2005 and closed the Milwaukee factories. For A.O. Smith, which now makes water heaters and electric motors, dumping the auto business proved prescient. It finished 2007 with record earnings and sales. Chief Executive Paul W. Jones sat down for an interview with Journal Sentinel reporter John Schmid: Q. If you’ve done so well in recent years, why do you have such a low profile in your hometown?
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=746488
Madison not seen as ‘recession-proof’: Madison is not on a list of “recession-proof ” cities compiled by business consultant Mark Hovind, president of JobBait.com. That ‘s because during the recessions of 1990 and 2001, the number of additional jobs didn ‘t keep up with the Madison area ‘s population growth, said Hovind, of Las Vegas. The outcome was a bit better in 2007, he said. “You weren ‘t losing jobs, but you just weren ‘t keeping up with the population growth ” in 1990 and 2001, Hovind said. “In 2007, you were.” But David J. Ward, president of NorthStar Economics in Madison, questioned Hovind ‘s methodology. “It seems you would want to look at overall unemployment, ” said Ward.
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/biz/284524
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TECHNOLOGY (back to top)
– Digital media hits road
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080503/GPG03/805030556/1247
– Drug-testing firm purchases ex-hospital site
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=746080
BIOTECH (back to top)
– Industry holds breath for biotech building boom
http://www.dailyreporter.com/item.cfm?recid=20048515&snippet=t&forward=%2Fitem%2Ecfm%3Frecid%3D20048515%26snippet%3Df
– Cellectar, state in new territory
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=746526
– Energy conference puts focus on paper industry
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080504/APC03/805040575/1028
ECONOMY (back to top)
– Money train runs from here to Mexico
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/284444
– GM layoffs will create short term struggles
http://www.gazettextra.com/news/2008/may/04/gm-layoffs-will-create-short-term-struggles/
– MMAC: Local economy slows in March
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/04/28/daily68.html?surround=lfn
– Will it work?
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=746522
MANUFACTURING (back to top)
– Tramontina to add third shift in Manitowoc
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080503/GPG03/805030557/1247
– Modine sells Thermacore for $13.25M
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/04/28/daily60.html?surround=lfn
LABOR (back to top)
– Better benefits or higher wages?
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=746499
– Overtime, sick leave lucrative for some corrections officers
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WI_GUARDS_OVERTIME_WIOL-?SITE=WIMAD&SECTION=HOME
– UAW Local 95 election this week
http://www.gazettextra.com/weblogs/latest-news/2008/may/05/uaw-local-95-election-week/
– Vendor to GM plans layoffs
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/biz/284496
SMALL BUSINESS (back to top)
– Comfortable feel lures customers into Lawrence fly shop
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080505/GPG03/805050525/1247
– Couple finds niche with pair of B&Bs in Appleton
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080504/APC03/805040579/1028
INVESTING (back to top)
– Illinois Tool Works declares dividend
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080505/APC03/805050498/1028
– Soaring food prices cook up new opportunities for investors
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=746497
– EdVest has tough start to 2008
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=746518
REAL ESTATE (back to top)
– Plan for Regent and Monroe to be considered
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/284717
– Area home sales lag, listings grow
http://www.madison.com/tct/business/284629
– Grant will help Shawano redevelopment
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080505/GPG03/805050523/1247
– Habitat for Humanity to build homes in Milwaukee’s Harambee neighborhood
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=747013
AGRIBUSINESS (back to top)
– State farmers earning more, but costs also rising
http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/284683
– Wisconsin farmers see increase in dairy, crop prices in April
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080505/GPG03/805050518/1247
– Farm bill negotiators agree to changes in dairy program
http://www.htrnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080504/MAN0101/805040431/1984
– Wisconsin’s specialty cheeses continue growth
http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2008/05/04/wi/02wis0504.txt
– Class III Milk Price Announced at $16.76
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=552&yr=2008
TRANSPORTATION (back to top)
– Hy Cite Corp. considering Middleton site
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/biz/284522
– Pioneer Airport opens for the season
http://www.thenorthwestern.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080505/OSH0101/805050416/1987
– Group calls for county wheel tax
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=746727
RETAIL (back to top)
– Middleton’s Linens ‘n Things to close
http://www.madison.com/tct/business/284439
REGULATION (back to top)
– Pawnshop rules come up tonight in Suamico
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080505/GPG0101/805050535/1978/GPGnews
– Sweatshop complaint: Student group pressures UW over adidas deal
http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/284697
– Lawsuit gives mercury rule cold welcome
http://www.dailyreporter.com/item.cfm?recid=20048517&snippet=t&forward=%2Fitem%2Ecfm%3Frecid%3D20048517%26snippet%3Df
– Photo ID may be required for state’s boaters
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=746726
– Killing of mute swans shelved
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=746892
TOURISM (back to top)
– Tourists expected to travel locally
http://www.gmtoday.com/news/local_stories/2008/May_08/05052008_03.asp
– This Mifflin Street party is different
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/284643
UTILITIES (back to top)
– State Public Service chairman leaving
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080505/GPG03/805050522/1247
– Utility agrees to penalty in power plant permit case
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/04/28/daily59.html?surround=lfn
HEALTH CARE (back to top)
– Wal-Mart expands low-priced drug program
http://www.madison.com/tct/business/284744
– Administrator helps Bellin Health prosper
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080504/GPG03/80504032/1247
– Few problems finding medical professionals
http://www.gmtoday.com/news/local_stories/2008/May_08/05012008_19.asp
– Heyka joins Bellin Health in Oconto Falls
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080505/GPG03/805050519/1247
FINANCIAL SERVICES (back to top)
– CUNA opens European headquarters in Dublin
http://www.madison.com/tct/business/284488
– Appleton native named vice president of investment firm
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080504/APC03/805040623/1028
MANAGEMENT (back to top)
– Spectrum no longer seeking sale of unit
http://www.madison.com/tct/business/284612
– CEO: Journal Communications has no plans to go private
http://www.madison.com/tct/business/284601
– IntelliCAM finds ways to stand out in sign industry
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080504/APC03/805040574/1028
– Madison’s development positions draw zero interest
http://www.dailyreporter.com/item.cfm?recid=20048520&snippet=t&forward=%2Fitem%2Ecfm%3Frecid%3D20048520%26snippet%3Df
– Better pay luring UW chancellors
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=746773
BUSINESS COLUMNS (back to top)
– Scott Smet: Do your research, then pick builder
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080504/GPG0703/805040729/1247/GPG03
– Tom Saler: Consumers’ exhaustion leaves Fed in a quandary
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=746495
– John Torinus: Identifying ‘clusters’ helps align funding priorities
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=746515
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