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Articles by Patricia Simms
Regulatory landscape, quick-changing hair trends on mind of Cost Cutters executive
Deregulation seems to be changing the face of banking, environmental controls and other arenas rather quickly these days.But the threat of deregulation in Wisconsin’s beauty industry is raising concern for Dolly Norris, the new vice president of operations of Cost Cutters of Madison Inc., which owns 35 salons in central and southern Wisconsin and in the Rockford, Illinois, area.Last spring, legislators introduced bills to ease state licensing requirements for cosmetologists and barbers and...
Filbrandt Investment Advisors evolves into niche serving university faculty
When Patricia and Michael Filbrandt opened the doors of Filbrandt & Co. in 1981, financial investment planning was somewhat of a stepchild in their insurance business, a welcome bonus for the university faculty they serviced.But the economy changed, and employers shifted their retirement plans from defined-benefit pensions to defined-contribution vehicles like IRAs. As options for the latter multiplied, retirement investment choices got a lot more confusing, Patricia Filbrandt said.“What the...
Tight labor market changes the game for businesses seeking to fill openings
Skimpy unemployment rates in the Dane County area have changed the rules of the game in the staffing business.Diana Schafer, who owns three Madison offices of Spherion Staffing Services, says potential employers may have to up their game to attract applicants in high-demand fields, offering perks like working at home.“I think it’s definitely getting harder,” Schafer said. “The companies that are staying above the challenge are making themselves more attractive.
Rather than move, expanded garden center/clothing boutique bloomed where it was planted
NEW GLARUS — Brenda’s Blumenladen is in the throes of summer. The locally-owned business is awash in plants and flowers — and this season, the Railroad Street Boutique, a store for women’s clothing, jewelry and accessories has opened behind the nursery at 17 6th Ave.Managing owner Brenda Siegenthaler is deep in long days of work — seven days a week, often 12 hours A day. Plants coming in, plants going out. Customers dizzy with warm weather and the smell of potting soil.
Life is Gouda as smoked cheese boom buoys Blue Mounds' Dairyfood USA
Dairyfood USA, headquartered in tiny Blue Mounds, is riding a new nationwide passion for smoked cheese.“The general trend for smoked cheese is exploding,” said Daniel R. Culligan, president and CEO.The company processes about 10 million pounds of smoked Gouda annually, the most of any producer in the country, Culligan said, and one of its smoked Gouda spreads was a runner-up in its category at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest in March in Green Bay.
Longtime lobbyist Alice O’Connor: 'Roll your sleeves up'
Alice O’Connor warns about snowflakes — but not the winter kind.Instead, the longtime Wisconsin contract lobbyist, means protected people adverse to hard work.“We are raising too many people to be special snowflakes, as I call them. Just roll your sleeves up, get a callus or two, and do what you need to do,” O’Connor said.
Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance rows against hyperpartisan current
Despite its name, the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance doesn’t fret the arrival of April “tax time.”Todd Berry, president for almost two dozen years of the 85-year-old nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to policy research and citizenship education, prefers to think of the alliance as an alternative to fake news.“Taxpayers, voters, school students, state and local officials, and the press all benefit from our work,” said Berry, a former marketing manager for Jones Dairy Farm in Fort...
Collective bargaining bill signing brings largest rally yet to Capitol
Demonstrators — 85,000 to 100,000 strong — turned out in force again Saturday for what Madison police say was the largest crowd since protests began against Gov. Scott Walker's efforts to strip most state employees of most collective bargaining rights and other proposals for balancing the state budget began more than three weeks ago.
Madison lawyer saw need for a legal keyboard -- and built it
Brian Potts, an environmental/energy lawyer in his day job, is also a freshly minted entrepreneur, and he has taken his new business product, a lawyer’s version of a keyboard, on the road.In early January, Potts and his associates, incorporated as Pro-Boards LLC, launched the LegalBoard at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It was nothing like a courtroom.“It is a very different experience, but it’s been fun,” said the 37-year-old Madison attorney.
Madison lawyer saw need for a legal keyboard - and built it
Brian Potts, an environmental/energy lawyer in his day job, is also a freshly minted entrepreneur, and he has taken his new business product, a lawyer’s version of a keyboard, on the road.In early January, Potts and his associates, incorporated as Pro-Boards LLC, launched the LegalBoard at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It was nothing like a courtroom.“It is a very different experience, but it’s been fun,” said the 37-year-old Madison attorney.
Baker's passion for craft comes through in everything she bakes
As darkness claimed Monroe Street one late afternoon, a dad and his young daughter slipped into Bloom Bake Shop, ordered pastries, and borrowed Connect Four from a pile of games. They proceeded to play, and the swinging door to the area where the bakers were working kept swinging.It was a recent winter day at the bake shop that now fills the space at 1851 Monroe St. where Pasquales used to serve burritos and black beans.
Tech executive says Madison's tech boom similar to Silicon Valley's early days
Jim Sauter, founder and owner of Madison-based NovaONE Networks, had a front row seat to the eruption of technology firms that sprouted in Silicon Valley as he grew up in the northern California region.Madison has some of the same elements that drove the tech sector’s emergence in that part of the country, he said.“I’m extremely optimistic about Madison’s business future,” said Sauter.
Nurse enjoying life's work caring for seniors
Thirty years ago it may not have been important that Attic Angel Place have a sophisticated IT setup.But today, according to Judy Hinze, residential care apartment complex manager, seniors are asking for different types of services to handle aging.“They want and need more options for how and when they do the things they want,” she said.
EXECUTIVE Q&A For Sunday, Jan. 1
Serial entrepreneur Ed Harris co-founded Persoft Inc. in 1982 — it became a well-known high-tech company in Madison during most of the ’80s and early ’90s.
Resume writing expert wants clients to land their dream jobs
Brenda Bernstein grew up in New York and was educated on the East Coast, but she’d always considered herself more of a small-city person. In 2008, she visited Madison.“I fell in love immediately with the lakes, the farmer’s markets, the coop, and the bike paths,” said Bernstein, now owner of The Essay Expert LLC. “After a few days here, I was already running into people I knew at the co-op.
Executive helps others become good financial stewards
Beth Norman’s phone has been busier with calls for advice.In the last few months, the nation’s politics have been dramatic. Breaking news feels nonstop. Norman says it’s normal for people to feel unsettled. “Money is emotional.”Norman, 36, is senior vice president at RBC Wealth Management and a member of The Droster Team. She’s spent her career as a financial adviser — literally from the time she was a teenager.
Executive finds balance between career, public life
Ken Clark, who’s been an owner of Total Water Treatment Systems for 16 years, has also been in politics for the last seven years. But his term as trustee for the Village of DeForest bears little resemblance to the warring factions at the national level.“Local government is a little different,” said Clark. “To this point, it is void of a two-party system and all the money that is associated with that type of political climate.”It feels very direct.
State rep wants to stop city's use of Euro-style bike markers
The European-styled pavement markers the city of Madison installed last week at the intersection of Williamson and Wilson streets has made state Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, see red.Nass said Friday that he would introduce legislation in January that would ban the bike boxes, which are intended to minimize conflicts between motorists and bicyclists at busy intersections.“It’s basically about liberal extremists in Madison who hate cars and think everyone should bike to work,” Nass said.
Executive Q&A: Richard Marty, owner of Compel Consulting in Madison
Richard Marty, owner of Compel Consulting in Madison, started off at a local cheese factory.He remembers it as hot and smelly when he worked there during summers in high school and full-time after his first year of college.“At the time I didn’t know what I wanted to do as a career, and I didn’t want to waste any more money,” Marty said.
Effort to curb community violence has youthful spark
A.J. (Ajani) Carr hasn’t exactly had an easy path to being 13.He and his family were pretty much homeless in Madison and other places after his grandmother was murdered on Thanksgiving in Chicago in 2004. “We were kind of struggling,” Carr said.His parents, Dorecia and Durante Carr, both have serious health problems, and a 16-year-old cousin was beaten to death while walking to school in Chicago in 2009. An uncle was killed there the same year. “There was a lot of violence going on,” he said.
Entrepreneur enjoys controlling destiny after successful corporate career
Late one night, three guys were sitting around after a long day of construction at their soon-to-be-opened wine store at 1831 Monroe St.—Finn Berge, his brother Christopher, and Matt Weygandt were looking for a name.“Finn’s Hooch Cabin was honestly in the running as was Finn’s Discount Wine, then Finn’s Wine Cave,” Weygandt says. “We liked the Cave idea but thought the name ‘Finn’ might be a little too weird for people.”Barriques, a wood wine-aging barrel, came up, and it stuck.
Summit Credit Union finds branch traffic robust even as online banking grows
Electronic banking is gaining in popularity — mobile deposits, money transfers, bill pay, among other options. But still vacant lots are filling with new brick-and-mortar branches of banks and credit unions.Rebecca Gerothanas, senior vice president-operations at Summit Credit Union, can explain that. “Electronic banking is gaining in popularity; there is no doubt about it,” said Gerothanas. “Our mobile banking app is growing exponentially in both users and usage.
Summitt Credit Union finds branch traffic robust even as online banking grows
Electronic banking is gaining in popularity — mobile deposits, money transfers, bill pay, among other options. But still vacant lots are filling with new brick-and-mortar branches of banks and credit unions.Rebecca Gerothanas, senior vice president-operations at Summit Credit Union, can explain that. “Electronic banking is gaining in popularity; there is no doubt about it,” said Gerothanas. “Our mobile banking app is growing exponentially in both users and usage.
Executive Q&A: Memorial Pet Services
Last week Mark Meinholz, president of Memorial Pet Services in Middleton, attended a three-day training in Chicago hosted by the Pet Loss Professionals Alliance (PLPA) that he needs to maintain his certification. For the last 10 years, Meinholz has cremated domestic pets ranging from a boa constrictor and a skunk to the more common dogs, cats, and birds.“Pets aren’t just pets anymore,” said Meinholz. “They’re family.
Pediatrician educating public on epilepsy by sharing personal experiences
Dr. Kristin Seaborg founded her business on a book.A pediatrician at GHC Sauk Trails clinic, she opened Write for a Change LLC in July to build on her new memoir, The Sacred Disease, a tale of her fight to have a normal life while dealing with epilepsy.In fact, she is donating all author royalties from the sale of the book to CURE (Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy), founded by Susan and David Axelrod.
League of Women Voters executive eager to encourage people to get to the polls
Andrea Kaminski had never been a lobbyist before she was hired as executive director of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin.The league, Kaminski said, wanted to have its first-ever paid lobbyist representing the league in the Legislature.“That was a new duty for me, but I knew the league’s policy positions are well-researched and articulated,” she said. “I also knew that experienced league members who have been citizen lobbyists for years would have my back.
Field trips help show off Wisconsin's natural resources
Three, then four and five fighter jets rocketed across the blue sky over Cherokee Marsh, breaking the morning peace. The roar drew all eyes upward, binoculars suddenly focused on the white trails.But interest quickly faded.
Executive Q&A: Erin Ruppenthal helping businesses get noticed
Erin Ruppenthal, founder of Savvy Owl Marketing & PR, says commercial and video shoots for waterparks are fun, but rarely easy.The environment is warm, humid, and wet, putting all the video and sound equipment at risk and exhausting the staff hauling equipment and filming for hours on end.“Often we’re filming kids on waterslides in slow motion, and the goal, of course, is a brilliant expression of enthusiasm and fun,” Ruppenthal said.
Executive Q&A: Madison College Foundation CEO flourishes on brushes with students
Tammy Thayer grew up in a working-class family. Her father died when she was 10, so she never thought college would be an option.“I had thought I would begin working right after high school and would marry and have kids,” said Thayer, CEO of the Madison College Foundation, the nonprofit fundraising and scholarship arm of Madison Area Technical College.
Executive Q&A: Think tank chief Brett Healy 'absolutely loves' public policy
Brett Healy, president of the conservative MacIver Institute for Public Policy, has had his share of media attention over the last two decades.He worked as chief of staff for State Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen for 12 years and testified in the trial at which Jensen was convicted of three public misconduct in office misdemeanors and a misdemeanor ethics violation.
Cooking for the neighbors
Francisco Sayu scraped the last lentil from his bowl. The spoon touched bottom. “I think I’ll have seconds,” he said.No one objected.It was a warm Sunday evening in Madison’s Bay Creek neighborhood, the dining room of the old wood house was full, and food was stacked in towers on the table. Sayu is part of a six-household meal-swapping group.
Executive Q&A: A half century of plunging headlong into public affairs
When publicist Joan Collins was 12, she started The Neighborhood Chatterbox newspaper in Wisconsin Rapids, her hometown. Before the internet, before fax machines, she typed the newspaper on a manual typewriter through four pieces of carbon paper to get five copies — then repeated the process — for her 24 subscribers.“I did this for three summers by knocking on doors and getting the latest news on Fifth Street,” Collins said. “I saved the faded-out, fifth copy, for my scrapbook.
Executive Q&A: TEMPLATE (copy)
Dr. Zachary McCallum was born and raised in a Madison political family — father Scott was lieutenant governor and, more briefly, governor; mother Laurie chairs the Labor & Industry Review Commission.A high school soccer standout at James Madison Memorial High School, Zachary McCallum left for Milwaukee for college and dental school, practiced dentistry from 2007-08 in Michigan, then gravitated home.After several years in a large Madison dental office, he has now opened a practice in Cross...
Hepatitis C virus-cross-reactive TCR gene-modified T cells: A model for immunotherapy against diseases with genomic instability
A major obstacle hindering the development of effective immunity against viral infections, their associated disease, and certain cancers is their genomic instability. Accumulation of mutations can alter processing/presentation of antigens recognized by antibodies and T cells leading to immune escape variants. A therapeutic agent that can combat rapidly mutating viral or cancer-associated antigens would be advantageous in providing effective immunity.
UW-Madison helps artist prepare for voyage
Your information will not be shared with third parties. Please see our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service for more information. Get entertainment highlights & reviews from the staffs at the WSJ and Cap Times. Get food & drink news and reviews from the WSJ and Cap Times staffs. Get the latest movie buzz, led by The Cap Times' Rob Thomas Watch the newest videos posted at madison.com, sent Mondays at noon.
Wizard World is a pop-culture celebration
Your information will not be shared with third parties. Please see our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service for more information. Get entertainment highlights & reviews from the staffs at the WSJ and Cap Times. Get food & drink news and reviews from the WSJ and Cap Times staffs. Get the latest movie buzz, led by The Cap Times' Rob Thomas Watch the newest videos posted at madison.com, sent Mondays at noon.
Wisconsin gets D grade in 2015 State Integrity Investigation
The report also found that Wisconsin has a significant "enforcement gap," which measures the difference between the laws on the books and how well they’re actually implemented.
Executive Q&A: Beiersdorff balances care-giver roles at home and with Attic Angels
When Cheryl Beiersdorff, chief administrative officer at Attic Angel Community, was expecting her first child, a friend gave her some advice.“She said, ‘When you must work full time, it’s not the quantity of the time you spend with your family, but the quality of the time.’ I try to remember that each day,” says Beiersdorff.Attic Angel Association, which provides a range of care to older adults, has supported her efforts to balance her career and life, she says.
In Season: Kalettes
What it is : A new hybrid vegetable that is a cross between kale and Brussels sprouts. The vegetable, developed by Tozer Seeds, was launched in the U.S. last year and is just beginning to be distributed in American stores, according to Diana McClean, marketing director for Ocean Mist Farms in Castroville, California. It is sold in England as Flower Sprout. Acceptance locally has been slow, according to Jim Lauderdale, produce manager for Metcalfe’s on Mineral Point Road in Madison.
Executive Q&A: Christine Fessler helps Easter Seals Wisconsin evolve to serve many more people
Easter Seals Wisconsin has been around since 1926. But in 1926, there was no Internet. Donors were less skeptical. Fundraising was likely to be done with the U.S. Postal Service. Christine Fessler, CEO and president of Easter Seals Wisconsin for the past 20 years, acknowledges it is a complicated organization and one that has evolved to eight primary programs and almost 60 full- and part-time employees.
Executive Q&A: Building relationships and construction projects
Greg Smithback, Bachmann Construction vice president of Business Development, started his relationship with wood when he was 8 years old working with his grandfather at Capitol City Lumberyard on the East Side. Then, his father and uncle took over, and he continued to work there. “I worked with my dad in his construction company, Smithback Construction, and started my apprenticeship,” he says.
Executive Q&A: Saving the environment, one box at a time
Growing up in Brainerd, Minnesota, Lori Carlson learned that getting to know people’s stories was important. As co-owner and co-founder of Madison Green Box, LLC, Carlson says that small-town upbringing has shaped her approach to customers. “My dad always said that I should work for myself because I am bothered by any lack of work ethic and things not being done correctly or in a timely manner,” said Carlson, who left a career in audiology for the lure of entrepreneurship.
Executive Q&A: Work ethic important to leading local Cost Cutters operations
Patti Wellner became director of operations and general manager for Cost Cutters of Madison in July 2013. Since then, she’s opened three new salons, been recognized by the national organization of Cost Cutters salons as Operations Manager of the Year, and led implementation of a new marketing strategy with a monthly catalog flyer that has increased retail sales 15.1 percent year to date. But she credits a plain old Wisconsin work ethic for her success.
Executive Q&A: Office layout can improve productivity
Debra Alton, senior manager for architectural and design coordination for the Wisconsin division of Target Commercial Interiors, spends a lot of time thinking about where people work and how they feel about that place. A division of Target Corp., headquartered in Minnesota, Alton’s company provides businesses with furnishings.
Executive Q&A: Helping the Latino business community grow
When Julia Arata-Fratta joined Madison’s Latino Chamber of Commerce in 2007, the organization was in a precarious position. It wasn’t long before she became a board member, then treasurer, then president. “As treasurer, I was handed a box, $600 in the bank, a handful of members, no office, no strategic plan, vision or employees,” Arata-Fratta said. “One of my goals was to create a financially independent organization.
Unlikely marriage between farmers and medical aestheticians
1 of 3 Susie Goette, spa co-owner and medical aesthetician, gives a facial to 4-year-old Gretchen Oberloh, of Verona, at Blue October Healthy Living Boutique in Mount Horeb. Oberloh and her mom, Kari, are regular facial customers at the shop. A cart full of fresh produce is on display outside Blue October Healthy Living Boutique.
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