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Manufacturers: the backbone and future of Wisconsin's economy
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Manufacturing is a critical part of the Wisconsin economy. We continually rank as the top manufacturing state in the country with over 19% (and growing) of the state's GDP coming from the manufacturing sector. There are 442,700 workers who call the manufacturing sector their home - over 23% of the non-farm workforce.
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Save the Date!
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Manufacturing Matters!
Wednesday
May 9, 2012
This year's conference features Wisconsin manufacturing leaders sharing their knowledge and experience on the issues that matter to you.
No obligation to register.
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Sponsor Manufacturing Matters!
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Sponsors and exhibitors of Manufacturing Matters! share their products and services with Wisconsin's leading manufacturers.
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Greetings!
Last month, the results of the national Next Generation Manufacturing Study were released; today the analysis of the Wisconsin data has been released.
Wisconsin manufacturers are making progress toward becoming Next Generation Manufacturers, despite the challenges of a difficult economy. The most notable change is related to sustainability:
- The perception that sustainability is important has dramatically increased since 2008. The number of manufacturers who rated sustainability as "not important" decreased by more than 10 percent, and those that believe it's "highly important" increased by 20 percent.
- Although manufacturers see sustainability as important, only 3% of say they've achieved world-class performance in sustainability.
Read press release
Download NGM Executive Summary
Download Wisconsin Scorecard Graphs
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| Additional Companies Selected for Profitable Sustainability Initiative Program | 
The WEDC provides additional funding to expand the successful program
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation has supported the expansion of the successful program to include manufacturers from across Wisconsin.
A report released in June stated that the five-year economic impact from the first 45 firms participating in the PSI pilot program is projected to be $54 million, along with immediate and long term environmental benefits.
The unique PSI program - the only one of its kind in the U.S. - features a multidisciplinary approach to sustainability, using partners with specialized expertise to help drive improvements. Under the program, a team of energy, logistics, lean and finance experts are dispatched to take a 360-degree view of the participants' business enterprises to diagnose, assess and implement improvements.
The manufacturer is in the driver's seat, selecting the project(s) that best fit the company's workflow, goals and return on investment.
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Steve Straub Promoted to Regional Manager, WMEP
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Straub will serve manufacturers in southeast Wisconsin
Mr. Straub will leverage his considerable expertise in manufacturing to help small and midsize manufacturers in Southeast Wisconsin increase their competitiveness.
Straub said, "The manufacturing sector has led the economic recovery and will continue to drive Wisconsin to greater prosperity in the future. I am grateful for the opportunity to help manufacturers grow and thrive through my expanded role as regional manager."
Previously, Straub provided consulting services to manufacturers in Northeast Wisconsin as a Senior Manufacturing Specialist. He focused his twenty-two years of manufacturing experience on providing the best ROI possible for clients, including Poblocki Signs of West Allis where he facilitated strategic planning for this leading architectural sign fabricator.
Terry McGushin, president of Poblocki Signs said, "Although the implementation has just begun, our company has seen dramatic improvement due to Straub's ability to coach our team. Steve is aware of the latest business strategies and is able to bring relevant approaches to the table, including helping our company become more customer-centric."
Buckley Brinkman, Executive Director of WMEP states, "I am delighted to have Steve lead our Southeast Region. The depth of his manufacturing experience and ability to create innovative connections make him the perfect person for this role. Steve will be a terrific resource for small and medium manufacturers in Southeast Wisconsin."
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Five Tips to Get Started with Social Media
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Shane Fell
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By Shane Fell, Top Floor Technologies
Is social media important for manufacturers? If so, how should I use it, and how can I get started? These are among the most common questions I hear today. Many companies have key misconceptions regarding social media.
Some choose to ignore social media, either because they don't understand it or believe that it has no value for companies serving a b2b market. Others feel that social media is the long-lost solution to all of their marketing challenges. Both positions are inaccurate. While social media should not be viewed as the backbone of a manufacturer's marketing strategy, it's here to stay and smart marketers need to understand how to use it effectively.
Here are a few tips for companies who are looking to get started with social media, but may not be sure where to start.
- Tip 1 - Secure Your Brand
Even if you are not ready to actively engage in social media, be sure to take the time to secure your company and brands within key social media properties. Register your company name on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Doing so will help protect your brand, and prepare you for future social media activities.
Read "Five Tips" article
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