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Category: Accolades

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Bachmann Construction and Other Area Businesses Receive Giving Back Awards at Fred Bachmann, Sr., Good for HIM Golf Outing to Promote Men’s Health

Media Contact: Joan Collins Publicity, Inc. (608-222-2899)

Bachmann Construction and Other Area Businesses Receive Giving Back Awards at Fred Bachmann, Sr., Good for HIM Golf Outing to Promote Men’s Health

Al Bachmann, president of Bachmann Construction, Madison, was recently honored for his firm’s sponsorship and involvement in creating an annual golf outing designed to encourage men to get annual physical checkups. Bachmann Construction helped initiate the annual Fred Bachmann Sr., Good for HIM (A Health Initiative for Men) Golf Outing three years ago in partnership with the nonprofit Tomorrow’s Hope, Inc.

Greg Smithback, Bachmann Construction vice president of business development, who chaired the recent golf outing, said many men attending the event had stories to tell about their own health scares or those of their brothers and fathers. The banquet discussion emphasized the need for men to take better care of themselves. The event is in memory of Al Bachmann’s father, Fred Bachmann, who founded the construction firm 65 years ago.

“Our goal is to encourage men to get over being macho and get an annual physical rather than waiting until disaster strikes. National statistics show that 40 per cent of men don’t take medical action until something goes drastically wrong,” Smithback said.

Tomorrow’s Hope, Inc is a Jefferson-based nonprofit that partners with healthcare providers, universities, and state health agencies to have a direct impact on community health outcomes across South Central Wisconsin. Over 21 years the organization has granted more than $4.3 million in support of education, research and local health services. Good for HIM is a men’s health initiative and awareness building campaign aimed at reducing the gap in life expectancy between men and women by urging men to make their health a priority.

For more information: www.tomorrowshope.org or www.goodforhim.org

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EZ Office Products Recognized as “Green Professional” by the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council

Madison, WI – September 23, 2019 – EZ Office Products (EZOP) has been recognized as a “Green Professional” business as part of the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council’s Green Masters Program.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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DeWitt Receives the “Compass Award” for Excellence in Retirement Plan Stewardship

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle M. Friedman / mmf@dewittllp.com / 262-754-2877

MADISON | MILWAUKEE | MINNEAPOLIS – DeWitt LLP announced today it was awarded the “Compass Award,” by Francis Investment Counsel (FIC) for its long-term commitment to excellence in the stewardship of its employees’ retirement assets. FIC is a nationally recognized expert retirement plan investment advisory organization.

“The leadership team at DeWitt has put in place, and maintained a system of in-depth due diligence, rigorous ongoing oversight, and consistent employee education that represents industry best practices,” said Mike Francis, President of FIC.  DeWitt’s oversight of its retirement plan has led to above average results. The plan boasts a participation rate of 90% and the average DeWitt employee saves 8.9% of income in their plan, well above the average of 7.2, nationally. DeWitt participants also exceed industry averages in terms of Roth utilization, with 45% of the DeWitt population taking advantage of this vehicle compared to 18% as an industry average.* 

Bradley C. Fulton, President and Managing Partner of DeWitt, said the firm has a “steadfast commitment to our employees’ long-term success during retirement.  Our Partner, Brian L. Anderson, who chairs the Savings Plan Committee, has done an outstanding job implementing best practices to assist with the firm’s investment platforms.”

DeWitt has applied best practices, investment features for its employees such as including auto-enrollment at 5% Roth.  Its investment menu features best-in-class funds from multiple fund families, while also offering alternative investment classes for greater diversification. “The care top executives at DeWitt have taken in managing their employees’ retirement benefits has been a priority, and it shows in their results. Their employees are better prepared for retirement than most,” reported Mike Francis, President, Francis lnvestment Counsel.

* Source: Vanguard, How America Saves 201 B: A Report on Vanguard 2017 Defined Contribution Plan Data. Survey included 4.6 million plan participants in 1,900 qualified plans. Data on participation and deferral rates drawn from a subset of Vanguard recordkeeping clients representing approximately one-third of clients of 800.000 participants in 400 plans. 

About DeWitt

DeWitt LLP is one of the ten largest law firms based in Wisconsin, with an additional presence in Minnesota.  It has nearly 140 attorneys practicing in Madison and Metropolitan Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, in a variety of legal areas and has the experience to service clients of all scopes and sizes.  The firm is known for its work in several areas, including intellectual property, patents, trademarks and copyright law, civil rights litigation, construction litigation, corporate law, employment, environmental, employee benefits, estate planning, family law, government relations, litigation, real estate, and tax law.  More information is available at dewittllp.com.

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