Wisconsin

Designed in many ways that approximate the feel and layout of Chicago, the city of Milwaukee -- a mere 90 miles up the road -- has fast developed its own personality, one supplemented by the recent $120-million art museum expansion designed by renowned architect Calatrava, and by an impressive layout of corporations. Harley-Davidson, Rockwell Automation, GE Medical Equipment, Johnson Controls and M&I Data head the list.
        Broomfield, Colo.-based packaging company Ball Corp. has been growing in two zones of German heritage: first buying out German beverage container manufacturer Schmalbach-Lubeca for $883 million, and then announcing a $43-million investment at its plant in Milwaukee. The addition, designed primarily to serve the needs of client Abbott Laboratories, will add 50 to the payroll of 150. A high-speed food can line and 225,000 sq. ft. (20,903 sq. m.) of new warehousing space will be added to the existing 280,000-sq. ft. (26,012-sq.-m.) plant, which was purchased from Miller Brewing in 1998.
        "The new line will increase Ball's two-piece food can capacity and will complement our existing two-piece food can lines in our plants in Findlay, Ohio, and Whitby, Ontario (Canada)," says Leon Midgett, chief operating officer of Ball's packaging operations. "The three locations will enable us to more efficiently supply our Midwestern food can customers."
        Ball also owns Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., but it's another air travel presence that helps promote Milwaukee: Midwest Express, which started life as an internal corporate air service for Kimberly-Clark Corporation. Chairman Tim Hoeksema is also chairman of Spirit of Milwaukee. The company's trademark is spacious leather seating for its targeted market of business travelers ... and don't think Milwaukee corporate visitors don't notice.
        "They find great service, two-by-two seating, great people and really start off their visit in a very positive way," says Hoeksema of corporate site seekers. "Frankly, I've heard from a lot of businesses in Milwaukee that say as they're looking to hire people and fly them in for a visit or interview, to start them off in a very positive way has been very helpful. So in a very specific sense, we like to think people are pleasantly surprised when they step on Midwest Express."
        And when they step into Milwaukee. The work force development target is young urbanites, and the results have been promising: HotJobs recently ranked the city 10th out of 201 U.S. cities as an attractive place to launch a career.
        Hoeksema's company employs 2,700 people in Wisconsin, many working inside $20-million to $25 million worth of real estate around the Milwaukee area. But he is most pleased with the training opportunities that the community affords him.
        "There is a lot of in-house training that goes on at the Harleys of the world, but we have outstanding educational institutions working hand and shoulder with various companies too," he says. "At Midwest Express, we have a program with Milwaukee Area Technical College. They designed a two-year program for our managers in leadership training. We had 22 people who carried through that course one evening a week for two years."
        Hoeksema got to experience the unfortunate thrill of a near-strike by flight attendants in September, but successful negotiations carried the day. He and other Milwaukee leaders hope the same spirit inflects negotiations with companies looking for a place to prosper.