Madison based Sub-Zero and Wolf add second production shift

Increased demand for Sub-Zero and Wolf products has prompted the company to add a second production shift at its factories in Fitchburg and Phoenix, the Madison-based appliance manufacturer announced last month. The company had implemented a production and workforce cut earlier in the year due to the economic recession.

“For the first time in more than a year, home sales and home remodeling projects are steadily picking up, and our distributors and dealers are reporting increased interest and demand for our appliances,” says Chuck Verri, Sub-Zero and Wolf’s vice president for human resources. “We’ve been in this business for more than 60 years, and we’ve successfully weathered other economic downturns. We’re cautiously optimistic that the industry will continue to recover, and so we’ve positioned ourselves to rebound quickly as we come out of this recessionary period.”

The company has called back approximately 40 hourly employees at its Arizona plant, and 165 in Wisconsin, and will hire 60 additional salaried positions. The hiring effort will take full effect in November for hourly employees and will continue over the next six months for salaried positions.

MOVERS

>> Marion Wozniak, CPA, CEO of Cedar Crest Inc. in Janesville was recently appointed to the Wisconsin Department of Regulation & Licensing Accounting Examining Board.

>> Great Wolf Resorts Inc. has named Lynn M. Geitz as operations manager of its Customer Contact Center.

>> Jim Hartlieb has accepted the position of senior vice president at First Business Bank.

>> Sean Robbins is the new executive vice president of Thrive.

>> Adams Outdoor Advertising Limited Partnership has promoted Chris Eigenberger to vice president of sales.

>> Brian Lambrect was promoted to manager of transaction advisory services and Heidi Konkel was promoted to manager in the Wisconsin Tax Practice in Grant Thornton Wisconsin’s Madison office.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

MADISON: Ad 2 Madison, the young professionals affiliate organization of the American Advertising Federation – Madison chapter, has announced it has selected Literacy Network as the 2009-10 recipient of its annual pro-bono advertising campaign. Literacy Network will receive a year’s worth of free advertising assistance, from initial strategy through deliverable development.

“During a down economy, funding tends to be allocated to organizations that provide basic needs like food and shelter," says Tricia Woellert, Ad 2 public service committee co-chair. "We want to help shift awareness toward literacy, an essential skill for someone to complete daily tasks like describing symptoms to a doctor or applying for a job.”

Ad 2 Madison is a group of communication professionals under the age of 32.  In the past five years, Ad 2 has created campaigns for HOPES (Helping Others Prevent and Educate about Suicide), the Canopy Parental Stress Center, Charles Hamilton Houston Institute, the Rape Crisis Center of Dane County and the Salvation Army of Dane County.