By OMC Staff Writers   Published Mar 09, 2001 at 4:03 AM

Our mothers taught us "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." To this end, we've taken our teaching a step further by telling ourselves "if we don't trumpet our successes, who will?"

With that in mind, we are very proud to announce that OnMilwaukee.com is one of the inaugural recipients of the Mayor's Technology Awards, along with Direct Supply and Johnson Controls!

Mayor John O. Norquist will kick off a week of technology events and meetings on Mon., March 12 by visiting some of Milwaukee's successful technology businesses. The Technology Awards, an extension of the Mayor's existing Business and Design Awards, help to draw attention to Milwaukee's strengths in the technology sector. Additional Technology Awards will be given throughout the year.

"There is so much going on in Milwaukee's high-tech business community. Either it flies beneath the radar screen -- like Direct Supply -- or because it's been around a long time, like Johnson Controls, we don't recognize it as a high-tech company." said Mayor Norquist. "This is one way to help Milwaukee's companies, which have feet planted firmly in both the old and the new economy, get the recognition they deserve."

Each of the three inaugural Technology Award winners contribute to Milwaukee's economy in important ways:

Direct Supply, located on Milwaukee's northwest side, is one of the nation's leading providers of medical equipment and supplies. Direct Supply's early adoption of e-commerce and its understanding of the power of the Internet have made it one of the most dominant players in the business of providing supplies to the long-term care industry. Founded in 1985, Direct Supply recently celebrated its 15th anniversary with its greater than 200 employees, everyone of which has an ownership interest in the company.

OnMilwaukee.com, started in 1998 and located in the WebWorks building on East North Avenue, has used the Internet to promote Milwaukee as a fun, urban place to live, work and play by publishing the city's only daily online magazine. With the founders' focus on Milwaukee's hot spots and entertainment scene, their involvement in promoting the local technology community and their creative and often humorous approach to Milwaukee's recreational activities, they're helping to solidify Milwaukee's image as one of the country's top places to live, work and play.

Johnson Controls, one of the Milwaukee-area's largest employers, is recognized for the new Brengel Technology Center in downtown Milwaukee. The four hundred Johnson Controls employees at the new facility benefit from its operationally and environmentally efficient design. The building includes employee-and environmentally-friendly features like an open courtyard to provide green space, use of daylight to provide 10% of the building's energy needs, fully integrated energy monitoring and a location that makes it easy to bike, walk or use public transportation to get to work.

Thank you Mayor Norquist and thank you Milwaukee. Each and every day we strive to make this community a better place, and with the support and advertising from proactive and civic minded businesses, OnMilwaukee.com is indeed helping Milwaukee help itself!