Milwaukee: The Call of the Young Professional

Today I am proud to announce that as of 6:00 P.M. today, there will be two new young professionals moving to Milwaukee from Mankato, MN to start their careers. I happen to know a little bit more about this average couple because it is my sister, Marissa, and her great husband Josh.

Both thought they would never move to Milwaukee, but after college, they noticed that not only was Milwaukee beautiful and a lot of fun, but there were many great companies for Josh (an automotive engineer with a 4 year degree), and lots of great sports teams and quality high school/college athletic departments for her (an athletic trainer with a 4 year sports medicine degree).

Not only were great jobs and companies calling their name, but so was the great nightlife, and excellent real estate market. Josh plans on doing real estate investment and they both plan on buying a home once they get everything figured out.

Now these two aren't the only young people moving to Milwaukee. As part of the FUEL Milwaukee initiative (http://www.fuelmilwaukee.org/ ) many young people are either moving here or staying here after college. The combination of great jobs, lots of fun, and an excellent quality of life have led Forbes Magazine to name Milwaukee one of the top 10 cities for young professionals in the US.

Welcome Marissa, Josh, and any other young professionals that are looking to find great careers and Enjoy Milwaukee!

Loyal DC-based Brewers fan loses bet...forced to be homeless

All he needed was for the Brewers to win 4 more games last year...

In just one more example of a Milwaukee-Is-Back type fanatic...last baseball season, 36 year-old Washington D.C. native and Milwaukee Brewers fanatic Chris Jollay made a bet with a college buddy (David Christman), a Phillies fan, that his Brewers would win more games than the Phillies.

If Jollay won, he would trade homes for a bit with Christman. Christman would become a bachelor in Jollay's pad, and Jollay would enjoy the home cooked meals and company of Christman's wife for a week.

If Christman won, Jollay would live homeless on the streets of Washington D.C.

Although the Brew Crew had a great year with 83 victories, the Phillies ended up with 87...

So, true to his word, this July he packed up and hit the streets of Washington D.C.

Read more about it here:
http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/brewers-fan-loses-bet-forced-to-go-homeless-18875

This year he should have no problem winning the bet!

Milwaukee's Beaches are heating up!

As part of its place on a beautiful freshwater inland sea (Lake Michigan), Milwaukee does have some great beaches for getting sun, building sand castles, and swimming.

This year, after a facelift and new management, Bradford Beach near Milwaukee's downtown is looking more and more like it's old nickname "Bikini Beach" from the 70's.

In fact, tomorrow, the beach will play host to the classy Balzac at the Beach Wine Tasting event.

Have a great time, learn about wine! Sample over 50 wines served with light appetizers on the Bradford Beach House patio along our beautiful lakefront.

- Three hours of wine tasting for $25!
- 3PM – 6PM Music and Entertainment, Wine Tasting
- Tickets available in advance at the Bradford Beach House, Balzac, and Hi Hat Lounge.
- Tickets are also available the day of the event.

Next Weekend at the Beach: Bradford Beach Jam!

Volleyball, soccer, rugby, dodgeball, wrestling, wind surfing, BMX, skate, freestyle motocross, disc golf, live music Friday evening, all day Saturday, Sunday afternoon. Four-person beach volleyball event feature former AVP Pro players on Sunday.

Read more at:

http://www.bradfordbeachjam.com/beachjam.htm

Other upcoming events at the Beach:

- July 28-31: Downtown Employee Appreciation Week

- Aug. 2: Copa de Praia beach soccer

- Aug. 16: Bradford Beach Rock 'N' Roll Art Show (Art Show and live music)

- Aug. 23: AVPNext Midwest Region Beach Volleyball Championships (8 a.m. to 7 p.m.)

- Aug. 23: AVPNext Midwest Beach Volleyball Championships

- Aug. 24: Balzac at the Beach Wine Tasting (Wine tasting and live music)

- Aug. 29-30: Milwaukee Harley Davidson Bradford Beach Roadhouse

- Aug. 31: Bradford Beach Labor Day Beach Party (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Beach volleyball, soccer, Baggo, live music on Party Deck.)

- Sept. 13: Lakefront to Lakefront Bike Ride & Bike Swap (1pm to 10pm)

- Sept. 20: Sand and Bands Beach Party UWM Sandcastle Competition, Jigglesfest Music Festival (a festival that dates back to 1986 with roots at Marquette University).


Friends of Bradford Beach:

http://www.parkpeoplemke.org/park/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28&Itemid=41

If you want to cool off and enjoy some great people watching, check out the beach and Enjoy Milwaukee!

Milwaukee, the new Hollywood?

Question: What do Johnny Depp (Jack Sparrow) and Christian Bale (the new Batman) have in common?

Answer: They are both stars in a new movie filmed in Milwaukee and other Wisconsin towns!

As part of Wisconsin's new 15-25% tax credit incentives for companies that make movies, TV shows, or video games here in Wisconsin, the future blockbuster movie, "Public Enemies" was filmed here over the last two months.

(http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/07/17/ap5225851.html)

The public/private partnership Film Wisconsin (http://www.filmwisconsin.org/) is leading the charge and has announced that there is more to come, including a video game production, a TV show, and a new Sci-Fi thriller. (http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080717/GPG0101/807170591/1207/GPG01)

New studios are popping up and excitement is growing as the reality sets in that Milwaukee and Wisconsin might be the hot new destination for stars and blockbuster film.

Milwaukee as the new Hollywood? What do you think?

Enjoy Milwaukee!

Large Milwaukee Company to be Listed on the Big Board

Today, it was announced that Milwaukee will add yet another Fortune 1000 company to it's already impressive resume of local business.

Milwaukee based Rexnord Holdings, owner of Falk Corp. (the plant near the Milwaukee Domes that blew up), announced today that it has filed the necessary paperwork to go public on the New York Stock Exchange with a stock offering worth up to $750 Million. With sales of approximately $1.8 Billion dollars this last fiscal year and over 7,000 employees worldwide, Rexnord will most likely join 24 other publicly owned companies in Wisconsin on the Fortune 1000 list.

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSWNAB126220080718


About Rexnord:

Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rexnord is a leading global multi-platform industrial company, currently comprised of two platforms; Power Transmission and Water Management, with approximately 7,400 employees worldwide. Rexnord's power transmission products include gears, couplings, industrial bearings, flattop, aerospace bearings and seals, special components and industrial chain, and conveying equipment. Rexnord's water management products include professional grade specification plumbing, water treatment and waste water control products. Additional information about the Company can be found at http://www.rexnord.com/ and http://www.zurn.com/.

Milwaukee: Top 10 City for Young Professionals

As part of its re-emergence as one of the best cities in the world to live and do business, Milwaukee was recently ranked by Forbes Magazine as one of the top 10 places for Young Professionals beating out the following cities this year:

Los Angeles
Dallas
Las Vegas
Phoenix
Atlanta
Portland
Denver
Seattle
St. Louis
Philadelphia
San Diego
Indianapolis
Tampa
Miami
Orlando
Salt Lake City
Detroit
San Antonio
Sacramento
Cleveland
Kansas City
Cincinnati
New Orleans

Find Milwaukee in the slideshow here:

http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/09/cities-professionals-young-forbeslife-cx_mw_0709youngprofessionals_slide_33.html?thisSpeed=15000


Here is what they had to say about Milwaukee in their article:

"Milwaukee might not be a leading innovator, but it has the fifth-highest concentration of top companies in the country, by our count. And those jobs pay. Despite a below-average cost of living, salaries paid to professionals are comfortably above the national average, at $54,169. Sweetening the deal further, the city is in the top quartile for its population of never-married citizens between 20 and 35." ( View entire story at http://www.forbes.com/home/2008/07/09/cities-professionals-young-forbeslife-cx_mw_0709youngprofessionals.html )

Just another magazine that has begun to enjoy Milwaukee!

Picking the Milwaukee PGA tournament over the British Open

For all the non-golfers out there, let me start by explaining that this week in the world of professional golfing, there are actually two tournaments to play if you are a professional golfer:

1) The prestigious British Open or 2)the US Bank Championship in Milwaukee.

Steve Stricker, a Wisconsin resident and native, chose to hop the pond and play the British this year and last. Very disappointing, however, for the hottest player on the tour, now that Tiger is gone, it was an easy choice: Milwaukee!

"If I was going to play the British Open, I'd have to miss this week, and this is a week I love playing," he said. "I was going to have to miss Milwaukee, which is a tournament I've won. Later he said, "I’m going to play where I want to play golf, and if they don’t like it, that’s fine with me."
- Kenny Perry (arguably the #2 golfer in the world right now)

http://www.piercecountyherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=21828&section=Wisconsin%20Sports&property_id=13

While it is always disappointing to see local favorites such as Stricker, who serves on the board of the US Bank Championship, skip out on Wisconsin's annual PGA tour stop...it certainly feels great to see internationally known golfers such as Perry choose Milwaukee.

It certainly gives me the "Milwaukee is Back" feeling.

I will be there at the tournament this week. It starts on Thursday and goes until the final round on Sunday. Should be great weather with some amazing golfers (and live music), so feel free to support your local Milwaukee PGA tour stop. There are many states, including Minnesota and Iowa, that don't get that chance.

For more information on this big Milwaukee event, check out:

http://www.usbankchampionship.com/

Enjoy Milwaukee!

Goodbye Miller! (Requiem for a brewing company)

Miller Brewing Company was born in 1855 in Milwaukee, WI to Frederick Miller and his wife. It spent it's childhood and adult life proudly headquartered in the beautiful lakeside city of Milwaukee, WI. Miller Brewing Company passed away from Milwaukee on July 15th, 2008 due to a merger and relocation. Survivors include Sprecher Brewery, Lakefront Brewery, and Stonefly Brewery. Miller is preceded in death by the Schlitz, Pabst, and Blatz breweries.

(Deep Breath)

Ok, I have to admit, I'm a bit unhappy at the moment. It could have something to do with my hometown business pride, or the fact that I feel really sheepish about using Miller Brewing Co. as a point of pride this morning when I declared that Milwaukee was officially back...and then this is announced.

I regret to inform you that Miller Brewing and it's new partner Coors will be headquartered in Chicago, not Milwaukee. (Dramatic Pause)

http://www.theolympian.com/nationworld/story/507841.html

This will be the second beer brand to end up in Chicago after Pabst moved from Milwaukee to Texas and then to finally to Chicago last year. Yes, I know that Chicagoland residents drink 40% of the beer produced by the Milwaukee Miller brewery, but this is just crazy.

I have told friends and family since the merger that if they move the headquarters out of Milwaukee, then I won't be drinking their beer anytime soon. Sadly, I will now be keeping that pledge, and I invite you to join me.

For hometown headquartered beer, we've got several other fun options:

One of my favorites, brewed by beer genius Randy Sprecher...
http://www.sprecherbrewery.com/beers.php

A bunch of fun people and real Milwaukee beer...
http://www.lakefrontbrewery.com/main_page.html

If you haven't had the tours at either location, you might want to check them out. They are a riot.

As for MillerCoors, I'm definately disappointed. Yes, Chicago and Milwaukee are generally considered one big megalopolis, but then why not just stay in the Brew City, the home of Miller Park, the Miller Brewery, Miller Valley, and one of the only cities that isn't overrun with Budweiser beer?

If anyone has any thoughts on the matter, please share them with us.

Until then...goodbye Miller! Enjoy your move 90 miles away...it's been a great run (153 years).

Milwaukee is Back?

As many of my friends know, I am sort of a fan of Milwaukee. I was born here, went to college here, live here, and work here. But what some people don't know is that I chose to move here from the Twin Cities of Minnesota (A beautiful metro area as well), where I went to high school and my parents still live.

Why?

Let me tell you in two words: Opportunity and Excitement

One of the most annoying things to me is when ignorant people make ignorant statements like this: "Milwaukee is shabby" or my personal favorite "Milwaukee is a dying city".
Milwaukee, a dying city?

The reason that the last statement bothers me so much is because it simply isn't true and couldn't be further from the truth. We need positive thinking to keep moving forward, not negative, ignorant comments.

Yes, Milwaukee has had a rough time in the 80's and early 90's. I will never deny that. The shifting of manufacturing plants to overseas locations devastated Milwaukee. Thousands of people lost there jobs and hundreds of buildings began decaying, but Milwaukee never gave up and here we are today.

Opportunity and Excitement?

Let me tell you a little bit about that. We have one of the world's most beautiful buildings (Milwaukee Art Museum), some of the most famous brands in the world still call Milwaukee home (Harley-Davidson, Miller Brewing, Kohl's Department Stores, Briggs and Stratton, and many others), and we have a lot of fun (Summerfest, Potawatomi, great clubs, amazing restaurants, and so much more).

I could go on and on about the reasons that Milwaukee is back, but I think I will simply begin a series of web log entries defending my position and allow people to discuss their feelings about this subject.

Is Milwaukee back? Feel free to discuss:

(If you are interested in taking part in the discussion, or simply are curious about the 50+ articles I am planning to write, feel free to subscribe to the blog. The original feed is at http://milwaukeeisback.blogspot.com/ )