(WisBusiness) MON News Summary — 13 Apr. 2009

From WisBusiness.com …

— The week in business begins amid talk of a sustained stock market rally.

The Dow Jones index again begins the week above the 8,000 mark after markets were closed for Good Friday.

And the WisBusiness.com index of Wisconsin-related stocks stands at a little over 1,338, up from 1,291 a week ago.

Leading the Wisconsin stocks on the last trading day of last week were financial stocks like Wells Fargo, which runs the state’s tuition savings Edvest program. Wells Fargo was up more than 30 percent on Thursday.

This week, more corporate earnings are due to be released: On Thursday, Associated Bank and Renaissance Learning release their earnings and on Friday come A.O. Smith’s earnings.

See the WisBusiness Stock Tracker for earnings release dates and other state stock information: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=140042

Other business events of note this week: Wednesday is the tax filing deadline. It’s also the date of the fourth Annual Wisconsin Stem Cell Symposium in Madison.

— With huge crowds for the first home weekend of the season and renewed fan enthusiasm after a 2008 playoff run, Milwaukee Brewers’ owner Mark Attanasio says the team is in good shape to compete economically and on the field this season.

While remaining very cognizant of the overall economic woes, Attanasio said the Brewers and baseball in general are doing well.

“We’re about 10 percent ahead of last year (with ticket sales) at this time,” he said. “It was a pleasant surprise, but I guess I should have learned by now that nothing should surprise me when it comes to the passion of Brewers fans.”

Attanasio said the team did lose some sponsorships over the winter, but other sponsors “jumped in” to take their place. AirTran has taken over the right field picnic area and Harley-Davidson has a deck where motorcycles are displayed.

The Brewers’ payroll is right around $80 million, the highest in team history.

“We wanted to send a message to our fans that we still want to compete,” he said. “Everyone in the organization wants to win. We have been fiscally prudent in how we’ve managed this team, so you can take some risk. If needed at mid-season, we could take a little more risk.”

Read more in a WisBusiness article from Friday: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=155160

— As city of Madison recycling coordinator George Dreckmann recently explained, it’s not just a desire to recycle a material that determines whether it actually gets collected.

“The markets dictate the materials we collect for recycling. We need a firm commitment for sufficient volume over a long period of time before we would add a material to our program,” Dreckmann said.

Companies that devise new ways to use recycled materials create those markets. Verona, Wis.-based Tilehaus hopes its newest tile will soon become a successful example of how recycled materials can be used to create a profitable and environmentally friendly product, according to Tilehaus business development manager Erik Gammell.

See more on the new Tilehaus product: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=155154

— Racine Residential Care Hoplite Inc. provided notice to the state that it will close its business on Dec. 31, affecting 55 workers.

See the state filing: http://www.wisbusiness.com/1008/090410racinehoplite.pdf

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