Join Login

Category: Member News

Learn who’s growing, changing, moving and more! Stay on top of what’s new with your neighboring businesses. We share news releases and announcements from your peers in the Madison area. Want to toot your own horn? Use our Submit Member News form to share your own stories.

Photo by Richard Hurd

Madison Ballet Selects New Board Leadership

CONTACT: GRETCHEN BOURG
(608) 278-7990
gretchen@madisonballet.org

Madison Ballet Selects New Board Leadership

Matthew Ulrich of Epic Systems Elected President 

MADISON, WI – Madison Ballet is proud to announce that Matthew Ulrich, Technical Services Engineer at Epic Systems, was elected President of the Board of the Directors at its August annual Meeting. Mr. Ulrich joined the board in 2016 and has served on its Finance Committee.

“Madison Ballet is a gift to our community, bringing the joy of creative expression to children and adults, to dancers and audiences, throughout Dane County and beyond,” said Mr. Ulrich.  “We are on track to be a revitalized, thriving organization serving our community well into the future. ”

Madison Ballet is grateful for the leadership of outgoing President Bob Cottingham, partner-in-charge of Wipfli’s Southern Region.  Mr. Cottingham joined the board in 2004.  He served as its President since 2013 and will continue as an active member.

The Board also elected David Hughes as Vice-President, Corkey Custer as Treasurer, and Jane Richardson as Secretary.  Mr. Hughes is Chief Customer Officer with On Point Technologies, Mr. Custer is Managing Partner of Custer Plumb Financial Services, and Ms Richardson is a community leader whose executive career spanned government, private, and not-for profit business sectors.

MJ Hecox, UW-Madison Assistant Director of Integrated Marketing Communications, is a newly elected member of the board.  Jonathan Solari joined Madison Ballet as CEO in June of this year.

For nearly 40 years Madison Ballet has been an integral part of the vibrant Dane County arts community.  Professional ballet education and training with the School of Ballet assures that students of all ages and skill levels gain the poise, confidence, discipline, and fundamental life skills intrinsic to the study of classical ballet.  Full scale productions such as the acclaimed Nutcracker and imaginative contemporary performances by the professional repertory company reach tens of thousands of people each  year,  while scholarships and neighborhood outreach programs connect hundreds of families and young people with the joy of dance.

Photo by Richard Hurd

Iconica Announces Kevin Carey as New Business Development Director

Iconica is excited to announce that Kevin Carey is joining as Director of Business Development. Kevin will be responsible for developing new business opportunities and supporting customers with his knowledge and experience.

“Kevin has a great deal of experience and success in working with companies and demonstrating his knowledge of commercial building, real estate transactions, and development,” says Jim Pientka, President and CEO of Iconica. “Kevin will immediately become a valued resource for our clients and our team.”

Kevin is well-respected within the Madison and greater Dane County area. He brings over 20 years of sales and business development experience to Iconica as a commercial real estate broker, developer, tenant representative, and former client of Iconica.

“I am elated about joining Iconica,” states Carey. “Iconica’s leadership, design strength, and company culture make them stand out. They are very well-positioned to experience growth in their market – I am confident I can play a lead role in helping them accomplish this goal.”

Kevin can be reached at kevin.carey@iconicacreates.com.

Iconica takes the stress out of building projects so owners can focus on growing their businesses. By providing full architectural, engineering and general contracting services, they take the uncertainty out of commercial construction by guaranteeing results.

Photo by Richard Hurd

32nd Annual Heat’s On Free Furnace Checks For Veterans Set For Oct. 19

For Immediate Release:

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Contact:  Julie Walsh, Julie.Walsh@mechanicalindustries.org

Phone:  608-288-1414

32nd Annual Heat’s On Free Furnace Checks For Veterans Set For Oct. 19

MADISON, WI – Madison Area Mechanical & Sheet Metal Contractors Association (MSC) and Steamfitters Local 601 will host the 32nd Annual Heat’s On event on Saturday, October 19, 2019.  Over 60 area steamfitters will volunteer a day of labor to inspect and service heating systems in 60 qualified veterans’ homes throughout Dane County.  Trucks and equipment used for the day are donated by local union heating contractors, and replacement parts are donated by area suppliers.

“Our veterans have laid their life on the line for our freedom, the least we can do is come over, clean their furnace, and make sure everything is running properly,” said Brad Werlein, President of General Heating and Air Conditioning.  “We jump at the chance to volunteer for Heat’s On.  Meeting and hearing stories from our veterans is the highlight of our year!”

Criteria to receive free maintenance:

  • Veteran home owner, or surviving spouse
  • Dane County Resident
  • Gas Furnace

Heat’s On is seeking requests for veteran homeowners in Dane County to receive free furnace maintenance during this year’s event.  Veteran home owners, or a surviving spouse of a veteran, that are interested in having Heat’s On come check their furnace, contact one of these sponsoring organizations by Wednesday, October 9, 2019, to be considered for free furnace maintenance:

  • Dane County Veteran Service Office (CVSO), phone:  608-266-4158
  • Madison VA Hospital – Patient Education Resource Center, phone:  608-280-2031
  • MSC Office – Kim Chacos, phone: (608) 288-1414, email:  kim.chacos@mechanicalindustries.org.

Homeowners who do not meet the criteria, but would like to have their heating systems serviced, can contact the MSC Office at 608-288-1414 for a union contractor referral.

Heat’s On has been serving Dane County residents since 1987, and have performed maintenance services on over 2,500 furnaces.  The purpose of Heat’s On is to reduce the occurrence of veterans going without heat or facing other life-threatening emergencies associated with home heating systems.

“Furnaces are built to last many, many years, some even 30 years,” said Kendall Richards, President of All Comfort Services.  “However, the lack of annual maintenance and dirty filters can shorten the life of a furnace very quickly.  Heat’s On has not only saved hundreds of dollars for our veterans, but it has also saved lives too!”

Two years ago, Heat’s On replaced the furnace of a World War II veteran who had been taken to the hospital twice with carbon monoxide poisoning.  The leak in the furnace that was causing the poisoning was discovered and fixed by Heat’s On.

Last year, amongst the many veterans that the program serviced, Heat’s On assisted with a furnace of a family with three generations of veterans.

Heat’s On will kick off the event at the Steamfitters Local 601 Training School at 6310 Town Center Drive, Madison, WI, starting with breakfast, provided by Gaylord Catering, for the service technicians at 7:00 a.m.

Agenda for Heat’s On – Saturday, October 19, 2019

7:00 a.m. – Breakfast

7:30 a.m. – Program

8:00 a.m. – Photos

8:15 a.m. – Service Calls

About MSC:

MSC is a non-profit contractor association representing union contractors in the heating, piping, air conditioning, and sheet metal industry.  Their members are dedicated professionals who provide high-quality, cost-efficient products and services with a commitment to safety.

About Steamfitters Local 601:

Steamfitters Local 601 is comprised of approximately 2,400 members, and represents a 14-county area in southeastern Wisconsin.  While the majority of membership is comprised of Steamfitters and Refrigeration/Service Fitters, they also represent other classifications such as gas distribution, helpers, and welders.  Their members work on a variety of jobsites including residential and commercial heating and cooling systems, breweries, and power plants.

Participating Madison Contractors:

  • 1901, Inc. (formerly H&H Industries), Owner Paul Christensen, phone: 608-273-3434
  • All Comfort Services, President Kendall Richards, phone: 608-838-7300
  • Bassett Mechanical, Area HVAC Service Manager Chad Warnecke, phone: 608-838-6362
  • General Heating & Air Conditioning, Labor Manager Mike Polster, phone: 608-271-3900
  • Illingworth-Kilgust Mechanical, Vice President Tim Wipperfurth, phone: 608-222-9196
  • The Waldinger Corporation, Service Manager Tami Schultz, phone: 608-221-8886

Participating Supply Houses:

  • First Supply, Sales Manager Mark Arrowood, phone: 608-222-7799
  • Gustave A. Larson, Store Manager Aaron Demuth, phone: 608-221-3301
  • Industrial Control, Matt Chicker, phone: 608-273-1717
  • Johnstone Supply, Owner Dan Kunze, phone: 608-223-1499
  • Temperature Systems, Sales & Refrigeration, Roy Kempfer, phone: 608-327-2345

For more information, please contact Julie Walsh, Madison Area Mechanical & Sheet Metal Contractors Association at 608-288-1414 or julie.walsh@mechanicalindustries.org.

###

Photo by Richard Hurd

OPN-built Polk County Justice Center honored by AIA

The Polk County Justice Center Annex has been honored by the Justice Facilities Review with a Citation Award.

Thirteen projects demonstrate the latest trends in the design and construction of justice facilities in the United States. Seven of the recipients were awarded a Citation; the other six were selected for publication in Justice Facilities Review 2019. These projects demonstrate quality of form, functionality, and current architectural responses to complex justice design issues.

The juvenile justice center is the first of three projects that will address Polk County, Iowa’s  overcrowded court system, improve safety, and reduce the county’s reliance on leased property. Juvenile court is just one of several user groups housed within the 174,000-square-foot abandoned office building, originally built in 1971 as a JC Penney. Strategically placing high activity spaces on first floor with the quieter functions on adjacent floors allowed a multi-user facility to operate cohesively.

“Brings a customer service model to the courtroom-metaphor works on many levels.”

— Jury Comment

Photo by Richard Hurd

M3 Named IIABA Best Practices Agency for 21st Consecutive Year

M3 Insurance has been named a Best Practices Agency by Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA) in 2019 for the 21stconsecutive year. M3 was selected out of over 1,300 nominated agencies to receive the coveted designation in 2019.

To be named a Best Practices Agency, an organization must be nominated either by an IIABA affiliated state association or an insurance company. Qualification is based on exceptional customer retention, growth, stability, and financial management. Nominated agencies must be among the top-performing agencies in one of six revenue categories to be chosen for this designation.

The Best Practices Agency designation identifies M3 as an industry leader. IIABA partners with Reagan Consulting, Inc., Atlanta, each year to document the business practices of “best” agencies and encourages others to adopt similar practices.

M3 is proud to have retained this title for over two decades. We strive to lead the way in the insurance industry with innovative strategies and solutions. This designation validates that aim and motivates us to continue to provide world class resources and individual attention to our clients.

______________________

About IIABA

Founded in 1896, IIABA is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of more than 300,000 agents, brokers and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance – property, casualty, life and health – as well as employee benefit plans and retirement products.

______________________

About M3

M3 Insurance offers insight, advice and strategies to help clients manage risk, purchase insurance and provide employee benefits. We are committed to being experts in both the products we represent and the industries we serve. Our people advance M3’s competitive advantage in the marketplace, and our focus on community builds better places to live and work. M3 is ranked a top 50 broker in America.