FRI AM News: WisBusiness: the Podcast with Katie Lorenz, Campo Alpaca; Unemployment at 3% in December as state sets another employment record

January 24, 2025

— This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” is with Katie Lorenz, founder and owner of Campo Alpaca.

This Madison-based fair trade clothing company was founded in 2018 after Lorenz traveled to Peru several years before that, when she first encountered garments made from alpaca fleece. She was motivated to launch the business by the lack of compensation that local artisans, mainly women, were getting for their work.

“We work in Peru with artisan groups, small businesses and families that I actually found while I was travelling,” she said. “They create the products end-to-end down in Peru, and then we sell Alpaca clothing to niche markets in the United States.”

Her inspiration came in local markets in Peru, where vendors sell handcrafted products with traditional designs in bright colors. After trying out an alpaca sweater for several weeks during her travels, Lorenz sought out a version in red and white to wear to Wisconsin Badgers games at Camp Randall.

“That idea kind of stuck with me. Fast forward a couple of years, I mentioned I’d been working down in South America, and I’d been feeling burned out in my job … This idea popped up once again, and I’m like, ‘Wait a second, we could make Wisconsin gear,’” she said. “I met some of these ladies that were knitting the stuff at the markets, and I was shocked at how cheap they were selling things for.”

This realization coincided with other “social good” retailers such as Toms Shoes rising in popularity, she said.

After some initial “boots on the ground” efforts to develop the supply chain and set up the company, Lorenz still takes several weeks each year to spend in Peru working with the local suppliers. Campo Alpaca now sells cardigans, sweatshirts, scarves, hats, gloves, yarn and much more through its e-commerce site.

These products are made by artisans across various communities in Peru, each with their own specialties and models for crafting the alpaca gear.

“Really I’m just looking for folks that care who they’re working with, ensure that everyone is getting paid fairly, everyone is like, in a safe situation, it’s a safe work environment,” she said. “But what I’ve found down there is all these folks are community leaders in their own right, so we have very aligned values in how we run both of our businesses.”

Listen to the podcast and see the full list of WisBusiness.com podcasts.

— Wisconsin unemployment rose slightly to 3% in December as the state set its eighth monthly record in a row for total employment.

The state Department of Workforce Development yesterday announced Wisconsin reached 3,076,500 total employed people in December — adding 2,500 over the month and 31,900 over the year — even as the unemployment rate ticked up from November’s rate of 2.9%.

Still, Wisconsin remained 1.1 percentage points below the national unemployment rate of 4.1% for the month.

Meanwhile, the state’s labor force participation rate rose from 65.8% to 65.9%, remaining above the national rate of 62.5%.

“Wisconsin employment continues to set new highs, unemployment claims remain near historic lows, and this all sets up for 2025 to hold a lot of promise for the state,” DWD Chief Economist Dennis Winters said during an online briefing.

See the release.

— The Wisconsin Hospital Association is touting an analysis from Becker’s Hospital Review that shows high levels of patient satisfaction with five-star hospitals in the state.

The publication’s recent analysis focused on Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems scores. It found Wisconsin was the No. 1 state among those with 100 or more hospitals for the share of five-star rated hospitals that patients “definitely recommend,” with 23%.

That’s well above the other peer states in the top five, which include: North Carolina, 15%; Pennsylvania, 14%; and Iowa and Michigan, 13% each. Among all states, Wisconsin was ranked third behind Maine and Utah, WHA notes.

The group also says 96% of patients in Wisconsin would “probably” or “definitely” recommend their local hospital to friends or family, based on the latest HCAHPS scores.

WHA President and CEO Eric Borgerding says some criticize hospital quality in the state “to advance political agendas, but data directly from patient satisfaction scores tells a much different story.

“What is of great concern to patients, workers and families all across the state is the frustrating complexity, red tape, care denials, co-pays, deductibles and other surprise costs that the mega insurance companies, third party administrators and other health care middlemen continue heaping onto our healthcare care system while avoiding much needed scrutiny,” he argued.

See WHA’s release.

— Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley is slamming the parent company of Master Lock for shutting its Oak Creek office and moving more than 100 jobs out of the county.

Crowley yesterday said he’s “deeply disappointed” in Fortune Brand Innovations for moving its office to Illinois, noting this comes after the company shut down the Master Lock manufacturing plant in Milwaukee last year.

Meanwhile, the Illinois-based company is emphasizing its commitment to supporting affected employees and gratitude for the support of the community.

Crowley argues the latest move by the Illinois-based company “essentially signals the end of the iconic Master Lock brand’s century-long history” in the Milwaukee area.

“I know many of the workers who created the profit and success that is fueling the company’s move out of Milwaukee,” he said. “These hard working people deserve to be recognized and respected, especially at a time when other businesses have taken steps to accelerate their presence in Milwaukee.”

In response to Crowley’s comment, a spokesperson for Fortune Brand Innovations said “we are incredibly grateful for the long-standing support” of the Milwaukee County community, noting its significant role in the success of the company and Master Lock. The statement also praises the “talented team” in Oak Creek.

“Our new headquarters will provide accelerated career growth, innovation and collaboration opportunities for our people, and broad benefits in support of Fortune Brands Innovations’ business strategy,” the company said in an email.

It notes many employees are being asked to relocate to Deerfield, where Fortune Brand Innovations is headquartered, adding some workers may choose to keep living in the area and commute to the new office over the state border.

“For those who opt not to move with their jobs, we are making sure they are supported with benefits and resources … Associates who opt out of relocation will have a minimum 90-day advanced notice of their last day of work, and some associates will have a much longer notice period,” the company said.

See more in Top Stories below.

— Fincantieri ACE Marine in Green Bay has joined the state’s Green Tier program at the first tier, and will deploy an environmental management system in the coming year.

The state Department of Natural Resources yesterday announced the company — part of Fincantieri Marine Group — has joined Tier 1 of the program. This is a U.S. division of Italian corporation Fincantieri, one of the largest shipbuilders in the world.

FAM designs and builds aluminum vessels for both commercial and government sectors, according to the agency’s release, with a production site located on the Fox River. It builds watercraft for the U.S. Coast Guard and other law enforcement and security uses.

Connie Antonuk, DNR secretary’s director for northeast Wisconsin, says the manufacturer “demonstrates leadership and commitment to the environment“ by joining the program.

“We look forward to working with FAM to leverage the economic and environmental benefits of their environmental management system and further reduce their footprint,” Antonuk said.

See the release.

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