MILWAUKEE – MP/two, a men’s and women’s clothing store in the Cathedral Square neighborhood, will sell its entire inventory after its lease was not renewed, owner Mark Pasch said today.

Pasch said he hoped the store at 825 North Jefferson Street would be part of a retail business revival in the downtown but the recent difficult economy had contributed to its closing. He noted that he will focus his company’s resources on growing his flagship store, Mark Pasch Ltd., in the Audubon Court Shopping Center, 333 West Brown Deer Road, Bayside.

“Our first priority is to clear our inventory at MP/two as soon as possible in the ‘must-vacate’ sale,” Pasch said. “Eventually, our goal is for MP/two to return in another location, but in the meantime we will be focusing all of our energies on growing Mark Pasch, Ltd., and incorporating into our Bayside store many of the ideas and products lines we’ve offered at the downtown store.”

Pasch said prices on MP/two’s entire stock of famous-brand men’s and women’s clothing will be reduced by up to 60 percent. The store will hold a one-day sale for long-time customers before opening to the public at 9:00 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 19. Store hours are 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Sundays and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays.

Mark Pasch Ltd. is in its 25th year of business and stands for fine fashion, quality, fine tailoring and the best of service to men, women and boys who create a winning image. Pasch said, “The goal was at the start and still continues to be to have a friendly, relaxing atmosphere where our friends can enjoy themselves while putting together a fashionable wardrobe. I was pleased that MP/two contributed significantly to that experience.”

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CLIVE, Iowa – Fans of Alfredo Jimenez and Del Alma will be thrilled to know the band will appear Wednesday nights at Margarita’s beginning on Dec. 2.

Del Alma, which performs salsa, merengue, mariachi, bachata and bolero music, is managed by The Concept Works.

“Alfredo has been performing as the guest singer for another band for the past few months on Wednesday nights,” said Eric Woolson, owner of The Concept Works. “He’s enjoyed the experience but he’s really yearned to be performing again with Del Alma. He’s very appreciative that Margarita’s owners, Doug Escalona and Catalina Barreto, recognized that he’s a strong draw and that they’ve made the decision to book him as their house band on Wednesday nights.”

Margarita’s recently opened at 2060 94th Street in Clive.

Eric Woolson, owner of The Concept Works, is quoted in the newly released Sarah Palin biography, “Sarah from Alaska,” written by Scott Conroy and Shusannah Walshe.

Woolson was interviewed in July by Walshe, shortly after the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee and then-Alaska governor announced she would resign from office. He was interviewed in the context of having managed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s winning campaign in the 2008 iowa presidential caucuses.

To learn more about “Sarah from Alaska,” follow this link to the co-author’s Facebook page.

Two clients of The Concept Works scored impressive victories in Tuesday’s municipal elections in Waukee, Iowa.

Mayor Bill Peard won a third term by turning back an aggressive challenge from Councilman Isaiah McGee. Peard received 862 votes to McGee’s 735. Meanwhile, Dan Dutcher was elected to his first term on the Waukee City Council in a six-way race for three seats. Dutcher was the top vote-getter with 1,045 votes.

Eric Woolson of The Concept Works provided day-to-day management and general strategic counsel of Peard’s campaign from August through Election Night. A concerted absentee ballot strategy was critical to Peard’s success, providing two-thirds of his margin of victory. The Concept Works provided general strategic advice and communications services for Dutcher’s campaign.

Woolson said both candidates had compelling stories to tell and their campaigns were “mainly a matter of making sure voters knew about their records of success and progressive visions for their community.”

“Hands down, Bill’s victory was the result of his months of hard work. He pounded the pavement with dogged determination in the heat of summer and the rain and chill of the past six weeks. That determination paid off with a broad supporter base and, in the end, the key to winning last night was to make sure we got his voters to the polls,” Woolson said.

He continued, “As for Dan Dutcher, he flat-out commands tremendous respect in the community both professionally and personally. He brings a wealth of expertise in commercial development to the Waukee City Council and that’s exactly what the community needs in the next few years. I couldn’t be happier for the citizens of Waukee knowing that Bill and Dan are going to be leading them forward with an agenda of responsible growth while working to continue the city’s 10 consecutive years without a property tax rate increase.”

The Concept Works’ third client in this year’s municipal elections, Brian Rickert, was defeated in a hotly contested race in West Des Moines Third Ward.

“It was an honor to work with Brian and provide communications services for his campaign. He ran a positive campaign even when it was clear his opponent wouldn’t and didn’t. Brian demonstrated with his integrity, decency and respect for the voters that he’s more than worthy to serve and West Des Moines voters should hope that he will seek office again in the future,” Woolson said.

Story By MIKE GLOVER
A year out from the 2010 election, five Republican candidates for governor are crisscrossing Iowa while a sixth hires well-known staffers but still hasn’t committed to seeking the nomination.

Former Gov. Terry Branstad announced Monday he’d hired Tim Albrecht as communications director. Albrecht is well-known in state politics and worked on the presidential campaigns of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and businessman Steve Forbes.

Jeff Boeyink earlier quit has job as executive director of the Republican Party of Iowa to lead an exploratory committee studying Branstad’s expected run for office.

Without declaring that Branstad, who was governor for 16 years beginning in 1983, was seeking the Republican nomination, Albrecht made clear that staffers weren’t just exploring a campaign.

“I think there’s a little meat on the exploration effort,” said Albrecht, who had been spokesman for the Iowa-based American Future Fund, a conservative advocacy group. “That’s part of the process.”

Branstad’s not alone in delaying a declaration of his campaign.

Democratic Gov. Chet Culver never shut down his campaign effort after his 2006 election and now has five staffers running fundraising and field operations. Two more people are expected to join the staff by the end of the week.

All that’s left is for him to announce he’s seeking re-election.

“We’re getting ready even though we don’t have an actual race until after June,” said Pete d’Alessandro, who heads Culver’s effort.

Although Branstad has delayed a decision most believe is inevitable, other Republicans long ago made their intentions clear.

Sioux City businessman Bob Vander Plaats has been campaigning for months with help from five paid staffers and chief consultant Eric Woolson, who ran former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s successful 2008 Iowa presidential caucus campaign. Vander Plaats and Woolson have tapped into the network of social conservatives that lifted Huckabee to that surprising win, and they argue it could overcome Branstad’s advantage in name recognition after four terms as governor.

“These are folks with caucus experience, with primary experience,” said Woolson. “Name recognition alone does not get you where you need to be.”

The other Republicans seeking the nomination – state Reps. Christopher Rants and Rod Roberts, state Sen. Jerry Behn and businessman Christian Fong – also have been traveling the state but have limited their campaign staff hires.

“Right now, it’s me on the ground,” said Rants. “We’re trying to recruit volunteers and supporters. I am not pouring money into hiring staff. I’m trying to hoard my resources.”

FOND DU LAC, Wisconsin – Prolonged weakness in the national retail market has prompted a Midwest wholesaler of men’s suits to open a downtown store to sell excess stock at sharply discounted prices begin Thursday.

Ric Toman, a co-owner of one of the Midwest’s last family-owned clothing wholesalers, said today that his firm has no place to ship much of its current inventory. As a result of the months-long economic slowdown, Toman and his family have opened a Suit Warehouse location at 15 Third Street.

“In a normal economy, I’d have merchandise in 10 different states right now but a number of retailers just can’t pay their bills at the moment,” said Ric Toman of DDT Clothing. “Naturally, we’re hoping that things turn around soon because we’ve had great business relationships with many of those retailers for quite a few years. In the meantime, though, this situation has created a unique buying opportunity for retail customers here in the Fond du Lac area.”

Toman said this week’s Suit Warehouse sale will feature products from the finest U.S. and European manufacturers. He noted that the recent sale of Chicago-based brand name Hart Schaffner Marx to an overseas company enabled his business to purchase a large stock of Austin Reed brand clothing at a deep discount.

“We will have Austin Reed suits normally priced at $595 as low as $195 during this week’s sale,” he said. “Many items throughout the store will be marked down as much as 60 percent through the weekend.”

Toman said the sale is an especially good opportunity for men to set themselves apart for the field in the increasingly competitive workplace.

“History proves that it’s even more important for people to distinguish themselves during tough times. The best way to do that is to dress like a professional. Looking better not only gets you noticed but it’s also known to improve performance,” Toman said. “The credit crunch has made it difficult – and in some cases impossible – for many retailers to purchase fresh goods, but their current trouble can only be considered a blessing for the individual consumer here in our community.”

The Suit Warehouse sale begins Thursday, when the store is open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. It is open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4:00 p.m. Sunday.

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Eric Woolson, owner of The Concept Works, is featured in the latest issue of Politics Magazine.

Woolson, who managed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s victorious campaign in the 2008 Iowa caucuses, joined former McCain campaign Iowa state chairman David Roederer and key Mitt Romney adviser David Kochel in a roundtable conversation about last year’s campaign and the 2012 caucuses.

To read the entire article, “Shop Talk: Revisiting Iowa” on the Politics Magazine website, click here.

ANKENY – With the cost of therapy for individuals with neurological disorders increasing and state education budgets being cut at historic rates, parents and teachers are hard-pressed to provide for children with autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. One central Iowa company is working to stem the tide of rising costs and provide real help to parents by coordinating a one-day conference in Des Moines on Dec. 5.

The conference, “Unlocking Autism: Peace Within the Noise,” is being organized by b-Calm, an Ankeny firm that manufactures noise control systems, in cooperation with Easter Seals Iowa. It will feature a variety of experts talking to parents about topics ranging from new therapies to defending their child’s civil rights. It will be at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines, Iowa from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The cost of the conference is $25 (Pre-Registration is $20). Lunch will be provided.

“Our goal for the conference is to raise awareness in Iowa to families, school districts, service providers, and local agencies on the need for early detection, evaluation, diagnosis and intervention strategies for children with autism and/or ADHD,” said Brent Carmichael, who leads b-Calm’s new non-profit organization called “Champions of Autism and ADHD.”

Carmichael, who also is the parent of an autistic son, added, “Even as a small company, we’re out to do some big things. It’s a real blessing to be able to give back and we’re excited to give back to community through a variety of different programs, beginning with a conference in Des Moines on December 5.”

In early 2008, Dr. Ken Budke, a Cedar Falls dentist, and a small group of engineers developed a system for calming fearful dental patients. The simple noise control system hid the disturbing noise of the dental office with an engineered mix of sounds from nature. Patients to Dr. Budke’s office enjoyed the escape from the typical dental experience. As Dr. Budke recalls, “A young boy with autism came to my office very frightened. His grandmother and I decided to try to relax him with our b-Calm system. We were amazed when he calmed down and I was able to work on his teeth. I knew right away we needed to look at what the b-Calm system could do to help autistic kids in other areas.”

Dr. Budke sent his engineering team back into the lab to develop a b-Calm system exclusively for autistic kids. “We immediately started working with a local elementary school to hear from the teachers if a system like ours would help in the classroom,” said Curtis Carroll, audio engineer for b-Calm. “We found that by blocking the distracting sounds of the classroom with a b-Calm system, student behavior and concentration improved. I have a stack of evaluations on my desk from teachers that were excited by how easy this was and how much it helped.” In late 2008, b-Calm launched their AudioSedation system for autistic and ADHD students. Its low cost and ease of use have made it a favorite among local teachers.

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SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – Citing Exemplar Genetics’ quality facility, staff, administration and program for animal care, the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care has awarded full accreditation to the ground-breaking research firm.

“Accreditation by the AAALAC is the gold standard in the field of laboratory animal care. It has been our goal since our first day in business to earn accreditation and we’re delighted to receive the news of this accomplishment,” said Dr. John Swart, the company’s president. “AAALAC accreditation reflects a deep commitment by everyone in our company to provide the most humane care for all animals here. We couldn’t be more proud that our facilities, staff and programs have passed the association’s strenuous review.”

“The management and staff are commended for providing exemplary facilities and programs for the care and use of laboratory animals. Especially noteworthy were the strong administrative commitment, the dedicated and enthusiastic staff at all levels of the organization, the innovative facility and equipment designs and the excellent program for animal care,” Dr. John F. Bradfield, president of the AAALAC Council on Accreditation, wrote to summarize the organization’s review of Exemplary Genetics.

The AAALAC International is a private, nonprofit organization that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through voluntary accreditation and assessment programs.

According to the AAALAC, “More than 770 companies, universities, hospitals, government agencies and other research institutions in 31 countries have earned AAALAC accreditation, demonstrating their commitment to responsible animal care and use. These institutions volunteer to participate in AAALAC’s program, in addition to complying with the local, state and federal laws that regulate animal research.”

Like others in the animal welfare arena, AAALAC endorses the use of animals to advance medicine and science when there are no non-animal alternatives, and when it is done in an ethical and humane way. Among the other institutions that have earned AAALAC accreditation include the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, The American Red Cross and the National Institutes of Health.

Bradfield noted that the council “has no further recommendations to offer for improvement of the animal care and use program at this time.”

The AAALAC International requires facilities to provide an annual report detailing any changes made in accredited units during the preceding year. Such reports are necessary for continued accreditation.

Exemplar Genetics develops, validates and produces animal models of human disease. The company currently has two models available for cystic fibrosis research. Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease that affects the lungs, liver, pancreas and intestines. It is caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. The lack of an animal model that develops the lung disease seen in patients with cystic fibrosis has been a major impediment to understanding how the disease works and how it can be treated or cured. The company will develop additional models for other diseases independently and in collaboration with the country’s best scientists.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.exemplargenetics.com.

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For additional information, contact Eric Woolson at The Concept Works, (515) 681-3967.

The Des Moines Register today endorsed Waukee Mayor Bill Peard, who is a client of The Concept Works. The endorsement, in part, reads:

“As mayor, he has helped the city strike a balance between attracting new commercial and residential development and preserving the qualities that have fueled growth.

“Under Peard’s watch as mayor, the council approved a new comprehensive plan – a blueprint for the city’s growth. A key next step is for the mayor and Waukee to be an active partner in regional issues. Peard deserves a third term to work to meet those challenges.”

To see the entire endorsement click here.