BizTimes Milwaukee today announced the winners of its 2009 Bravo! Entrepreneur Awards.

The winners include some of the most dynamic and innovative company leaders in southeastern Wisconsin. They were selected based on their accomplishments and their devotion to their workforce, their customers and the community.

Richard Pieper Sr. will receive the prestigious BizTimes Lifetime Achievement Award. Pieper currently serves as the non-executive chairman of the board of Milwaukee-based PPC Partners Inc., which owns a series of 26 electrical service and construction firms throughout the nation.

PPC Partners' holdings include Ideal Plumbing & Heating, Pieper Power, Pieper Line, Carroll Electric and Clear Horizons, all of which do business in Wisconsin.

Pieper jointed Pieper Electric in 1959 and became president in 1960. At that time, the family-owned business had eight employees and was doing about $250,000 in business per year. Today, PPC Partners employs about 1,300 people, has annual sales figures "in the nine-figures" and is one of the largest electrical contacting firms in the United States.

Pieper also is the co-founder of the Suzanne & Richard Pieper Foundation, which has a vision "to encourage and live the philosophy of treating your neighbor as you would like to be treated in all areas of life; including business, family and society."

In addition, Pieper is the chairman of the board of trustees for the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. He has been involved with numerous charitable organizations.

Pieper and his wife, Suzanne, reside in Mequon.

Pieper will be the fifth recipient of the BizTimes Lifetime Achievement Award. Previous recipients were: Harry Quadracci of Quad/Graphics Inc. (posthumous); Joseph Zilber of Towne Realty Inc.; Robert Kern of Generac Power Systems Inc.; and George Dalton of Fiserv Inc. and Novo 1 Inc.

Regional Spirit Award
The winner of the 2009 BizTimes Regional Spirit Award will be Rich Meeusen, chief executive officer of Badger Meter Inc. Meeusen was one of the driving forces behind the creation of Milwaukee 7 Water Council, which is working to brand Milwaukee as the "Fresh Coast" capitol of the world. Meeusen is the chairman of the council. The award goes annually to a company leader who also is working to promote economic growth in the region.

• Jim T. Barry III of Colliers Barry Inc., Milwaukee.
• Ross Bjella of DDN, Menomonee Falls.
• Matthew Buerosse and Jesse Daily, CORE Consulting LLC, Thiensville
• Christopher Carter of CCI, Milwaukee.
• Joe Fazio of Commerce State Bank, West Bend.
• Patrick Finger and David Velcheck of Velcheck & Finger Roof Consulting & Service, Pewaukee.
• John Lauber of LauberCFOs Inc., Milwaukee.
• Cindy Lu of The Novo Group, Milwaukee.
• Eric Resch of Stone Creek Coffee, Milwaukee.
• Stuart Schroeder of The Schroeder Group S.C., Attorneys at Law, Waukesha.

The winners will be honored at the fifth annual BizTech Conference & Expo to be held April 29-30 at Wisconsin State Fair Park. The BizTech Conference & Expo is the largest business-to-business conference in the state. For additional information, visit www.biztimes.com/expo.