What made Milwaukee famous

When BBC staff complain about smelly toilets, mice or wastepaper bins (lack of), their ire is directed at something that calls itself "Workplace". This is, in fact, an outsourced contract for facilities management, currently provided in London and Scotland by Johnson Controls, headquartered in Milwaukee. They, to the surprise of many UK firms, clinched the deal back in 2006, beating 47 other applicants in a nine-month tender process.

Now it seems, despite one contract extension, the partnership is about to end. The BBC has gone out to tender for a single contract to cover ALL buildings, and though Johnson made it to the last six, they failed to make the final three.

Is this important ? Well, if you're some of the key staff in this area who survived when the BBC first outsourced to Land Securities Trillium in 2001, then on to JC, and next year, probably to someone else, it's yet another TUPE with all that re-branding and new mindset guff - they probably would prefer to spend the time dealing with the mice.

It's a mark of their dedication that New BH scrubbed up so nicely for HM The Queen with this hanging over them. Now to settle that bill for Shake'n'Vak.