Two businesses move in on East Wisconsin Avenue

Posted: Feb. 7, 2011

City of Oconomowoc — There's noticeable activity at 680 E. Wisconsin Ave. as a recent vacancy left by Party Town Rental will be filled by businesses JP Kitchen Studio and Y's - Way Flooring.

JP Kitchen Studio owners Laurie and Aaron Peirick are moving their custom home remodeling business from 1288 Summit Ave. to the Wisconsin location mostly because Laurie said the rent there is more competitive. She also said she used to work with the owner of Y's - Way, Mike Yenser, who has been interested for some time in opening a second location for the Watertown-headquartered business in Oconomowoc.

"Now he's two doors down and when we have a client that comes in and are not sure about something, I can walk them over there," she said of the two home improvement businesses that can work off one another.

JP Kitchen studio generally works with remodelers, Peirick said, but she said the business also helps with new construction. It recently was honored as the 2011 Regional Contractor of the Year in Residential Kitchen in the under $40,000 category at the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) annual awards. The project that won was a remodel of Oconomowoc residents Bill and Karyl Thomses' kitchen, a modestly sized space that didn't need a big fancy upgrade, but "needed to work harder and better," said Peirick. The Thomses were pleased with their remodeled space, which they said is now a joy to cook in and now includes a creative way to display their antique German canisters.

Yenser said his business covers it all when it comes to flooring selection. He has been in business for 26 years and is excited to be in a more visible spot than his Watertown location. Yenser said the economy did slow things a bit, but he said Y's has a good client base throughout the area and that people are focusing more on making the houses they're in their homes and sticking around instead of selling them.

Across town, the opening of two other businesses in the Brennan's Marketplace development is nearing. US Bank anticipates opening next month, adding a second location in the city, the first being downtown. The owners of Jimmy John's franchises off Highway 83 in Delafield and Highways M and F in Pewaukee, Daniel Mont and Nate Pagel, are preparing to open their third location in the retail offering near Brennan's.

"Construction started this week, and we will be open no later than May 1," said Mont.

Both men live in Milwaukee, but came out west to start the sandwich shops because, Mont said, that's where the opportunity was. He said the location near Brennan's has been in the works for about four years.

"I read in the paper about that development going up and then as soon as the deal went through with the hospital (Aurora), I called and got the rights" to a space in the retail development, he said.

All three of the businesses were issued certificates of zoning compliance by the city, along with two other businesses that are likely expanding or need more space for their operations.

Rogers Memorial Hospital will have an office at 1860 Executive Drive, and Paragon Development Systems will use warehouse space at 1815 Executive Drive.

"Several of our operations have taken up residence in the office park in as we undertake redevelopment of the facilities at our Oconomowoc campus," said Gerald Noll, Rogers chief financial officer. Rogers has recently begun the construction of a replacement for its patient facilities in Oconomowoc.

A representative from Paragon was unavailable for comment before presstime.