Ozaukee County businesses of the year announced 
Honors given for small, mid-size and large companies

News Graphic Staff

July 17, 2014
OZAUKEE COUNTY — Ozaukee Economic Development on Monday named businesses from Thiensville, Mequon and Port Washington as recipients of its Business of the Year award.

The program, which began last year, recognizes businesses that have seen significant business and job growth over the past five years and are strong community partners. This year, OED is honoring three businesses, one in the small business category, one in the mid-size category and one in the large business category.

The recipients are:

■ Small Business of the Year: Shully’s Cuisine & Events in Thiensville. Shully’s Cuisine & Events opened in Ozaukee County in 1984. The company, which was founded by Scott and Beth Shully, has seen significant growth in its revenue stream and has developed an ever-expanding base of clients. In 2013, Shully’s expanded its current facility, adding its new event space, the Watermark, which will allow the company to continue to grow the events it has at its facility.

Additionally, Shully’s has been cultivating relations with other event venue spaces to increase business opportunities and recently signed a contract to provide services at Ramhorn Farms in Newburg.

Shully’s has always been a strong community partner, working with nonprofits and community organizations by providing reduced room fees and food costs. Karl Hertz, former Thiensville village president and current Ozaukee County Board member, stated that over the past 20 years, “Shully’s has creatively grown while maintaining an excellent sense of community pride, involvement and principled citizenship.”




■ Mid-Size Business of the Year: Johnson Level and Tool in Mequon. Founded in 1947, Johnson Level is a leading manufacturer of professional quality tools. During the current recession – to counteract a drop in retail spending and construction trades work – Johnson Level adapted its business processes to maintain and continue its growth, adopting a lean manufacturing initiative that focuses on workshop optimization instead of staff reductions and began expanding current international business relationships to increase its exporting to foreign markets.

With these new initiatives, Johnson Level has increased its workforce by more than 12 percent and seen a 27.5 percent increase in revenue. As a third-generation, family-owned business, Johnson Level continues to give back to the community, working with the WOW Workforce Development Board, Mequon-Thiensville Board of Education, Junior Achievement and Boy Scouts of America.

Waukesha-Ozaukee-Washington Workforce Development Board President Francisco Sanchez said about Johnson Level, “As a locally owned manufacturer with a global impact, the company remains committed to supporting important community causes and business efforts, such as providing leadership on our board.”



■ Large Business of the Year: Ansay and Associates in Port Washington. Ansay was founded in 1946 by Adolph Ansay and continues to remain a family-run business. Since 1995, the company has been in a growth and expansion mode, opening in new markets (Green Bay, West Bend, Fox Valley) and acquiring complementary businesses.

The company has seen its employees grow from 85 in 2009 to 200 employees currently. As part of this growth, sales have almost tripled over the past five years. As a company that focuses on a relationship of trust and integrity with its clients, community support is vital to the company The company is a contributer to Portal Industries, the Port Washington Historical Society, the Luxembourg American Cultural Center, Port Washington’s Fish Day and allows employees to contribute eight hours of paid work time to the nonprofit of their choice helping expand their community support.

Ozaukee County Administrator Tom Meaux praised the company.

“Mike Ansay and his team not only are growing their business and creating local jobs but also giving back to our community in so many ways,” Meaux said. “We salute their business efforts and long standing legacy in Ozaukee County.”

The businesses will be presented with their awards at Ozaukee Economic Development’s Business of the Year and Economic Forecast Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Sept. 24 at the Ozaukee Pavilion on the Cedarburg Fairgrounds.

For more information on attending the event, contact Kathleen Schilling at 238-7730 or kschilling@co.ozaukee.wi.us.