MMAC poll says 67% of voters support Bucks arena funding

The biggest backer of a new Milwaukee arena — besides the Milwaukee Bucks — released a poll Monday that found 67 percent of Wisconsin voters support building a new arena when presented with “a full proposal.”

Among the findings is that 64 percent of voters agree with Wisconsin borrowing $150 million to help fund the arena.

The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) issued its poll results that stand in stark contrast to a Marquette Law School Poll released April 16. The Marquette…

Wesco pulls in a Texas-sized acquisition

Wesco International Inc. has announced plans to acquire a Texas electrical products distributor.

Financial terms of the deal between Wesco (NYSE: WCC) and Hill Country Electric Supply weren’t disclosed, but the company said Hill Country had about $140 million in annual revenue. Hill Country, which focuses on the commercial construction market, has nine locations in the Austin and San Antonio, regions.

“Hill Country is a well-established electrical distributor with strong brand recognition in the…

Here’s why Raytheon’s Jammer program is worth way more than its $10 billion price tag

The total value of the program is estimated to be $10 billion over the next few decades. But if you ask both Raytheon Co.’s CEO and think-tank analysts, the Next Generation Jammer is worth a whole lot more than that.

It’s been nearly two years since the company won the $279.4 million contract for the technology development phase of the program, which will result in an advanced system for jamming enemy signals from the Navy’s EA-18G Growler aircraft. The NGJ program is on schedule and cost, said…

Homebuilding giant D.R. Horton gets bigger with $72M acquisition

Fort Worth-based homebuilding giant D.R. Horton Inc. (NYSE: DHI) has gotten a little bigger after acquiring Seattle-based Pacific Ridge Homes for $72 million.

The deal gives D.R. Horton about 350 home lots, 90 homes in inventory and another 40 homes in sales order backlog. It also gives D.R. Horton control of about 400 lots through option contracts.

“Their well-established building operations make Pacific Ridge a great fit for D.R. Horton as we look forward to expanding our presence in the greater…

Industrial real estate market slowed in first quarter 2015

The Baltimore region’s industrial real estate took a pause in the first quarter this year after a hot year of warehouse sales and leasing activity in 2014, according to two reports.

Cushman & Wakefield researchers found that after “a year of major construction deliveries and tenant occupancies, first quarter 2015 was relatively slow. Net absorption of industrial real estate surpassed 700,000 square feet in 2015, yet Cushman & Wakefield found there was actually 105,000 square feet of negative net…