Manufacturing Alliance

The Waukesha County Manufacturing Alliance serves as a platform for manufacturers to share ideas, encourage innovation, work together to transform the image of manufacturing and target new talent. The Manufacturing Alliance was formed in 2010 in response to the critical needs of our manufacturers, who account for 20% of industry — or 1 in 5 jobs — in Waukesha County.

Here are some programs of the Manufacturing Alliance:

Manufacturing Executive Council – The Manufacturing Executive Council is comprised of manufacturing leaders who set the strategic direction for the work of the Waukesha County Manufacturing Alliance – working to raise the profile of manufacturing in Waukesha County, share best practices and attract a talented pipeline of skilled labor.
OpEx tours – The Waukesha County Business Alliance hosts Operational Excellence tours for its Manufacturing Alliance members. Company leaders come together to tour a manufacturer in Waukesha County to share best practices, offer leadership level learning opportunities and foster a strong manufacturing environment in southeast Wisconsin.
HREx programs – The Waukesha County Business Alliance hosts an HR Excellence Series for its Manufacturing Alliance members to share best practices, offer leadership level learning opportunities and foster a strong manufacturing environment in Waukesha County. Manufacturing human resources professionals from around Waukesha County hear from a guest speaker on the topics that most affect their work day-to-day. Attendees share best practices, questions and ideas through a facilitated roundtable discussion on the speaker’s topic following the presentation.
Schools2Skills™ Manufacturing tours – Schools2Skills™ Manufacturing started in 2011 to give Waukesha County high schools the opportunity to tour local manufacturers and see firsthand the innovative and advanced technology right here in southeast Wisconsin. Schools2Skills™ Manufacturing is dedicated to educating students about what the manufacturing industry has to offer, showing them that a career in manufacturing allows those with highly technical skills to excel and succeed.
Careers Uncovered – Careers Uncovered is a new program designed to help Waukesha County educators learn more about the career pathways offered in Waukesha County’s key industries. Educators visit a local company to learn about the career pathways available in the industry, tour the company and network with employees from all areas of business operations and have a roundtable discussion with company leadership. The experience concludes with educators working together to reflect and put together an action plan to apply the knowledge they gained to assist with the academic and career planning process.
M.A.D.E. Career Pathways Expo – The M.A.D.E. (Manufacturing, Automotive, Design and Engineering) Career Pathways Expo is an annual career expo that brings in 800 high school students to learn about career opportunities and pathways in manufacturing.

If you’re interested in learning more about this group, contact the Alliance.

Addressing the workforce issue

May 2, 2019

As part of a comprehensive strategy to address the workforce issue, the Waukesha County Business Alliance is working to connect businesses and educational institutions. It’s important for us to work together to make sure students are both college- AND career-ready after high school graduation. Click here to watch the video. This video was originally shown […]

Connecting Counselors

April 11, 2019

Our first Connecting Counselors program was on Wednesday, April 10. Connecting Counselors is a complimentary networking program for educators in southeast Wisconsin. Middle and high school counselors have the opportunity to learn about one new post-secondary program/degree available to students that supports the in-demand industries of manufacturing, construction, health care and information technology. The “speed […]

Manufacturing HR Excellence Program – 10 steps to assess your employment branding practices

February 6, 2019

More than 30 manufacturing HR leaders attended the Alliance’s Manufacturing HR Excellence program on February 6 to learn about “10 Steps to Assess your Employment Branding Practices” from experts Andie Gebert, Michael Best Workplace Solutions, and Laura Fischer, Sikich LLP.

School of Applied Technologies programs enjoy record enrollments

January 29, 2019

When the economy is strong, jobs are plentiful and college enrollments are steady. When the unemployment rate is high, people tend to go back to school and enrollments rise. In Waukesha County Technical College’s School of Applied Technologies, there has been a bit of a paradigm shift. The unemployment rate in the United States in October 2018 remained at a low 3.7 percent, but enrollment in our applied technologies programs soared.

Addressing workforce needs

January 29, 2019

The Waukesha County Business Alliance is creating new programs and expanding existing ones to address workforce needs in Waukesha County’s four high-growth industries: manufacturing, health care, construction/skilled trades and information technology.

Superintendent/President Roundtable: Manufacturing

November 1, 2018

Our quarterly superintendent/president roundtable met on Wednesday, October 31 to discuss the future of the manufacturing industry with Tom Fotsch, chief operating officer for EmbedTek in Waukesha. Read more here. We’re bringing in presidents and superintendents of school districts around Waukesha County to build partnerships and meet the workforce needs of Waukesha County’s four high-growth […]

Manufacturing Executive Council

Jeff Clark

Chair
CEO
Waukesha® Metal Products

Jim Zaiser

Vice Chair
President/CEO
Hydro-Thermal Corp

David Bahl Jr.

Owner/Plant Manager
Weldall Manufacturing, Inc.

Brian Baker

President and CEO
Sentry Equipment Corp

Betsy Bear Hoff

President
Alloy Products Corp

Bill Berrien

CEO
Pindel Global Precision

Mike Brancato

President
KHS USA, Inc.

Larry Brown

CEO
Aries Industries, Inc.

Steen Coleman

President & CEO
M2M Group

Michael Darr

Director of Operations
Firestone Building Products

Kim Erdmann

CEO
Entrust Manufacturing Technologies, Inc.

Waleed Gamay

Vice President of Operations
DreamPak LLC

David Gazzo

CEO
Felss Rotaform LLC

Neal Glaeser

President
Denali Ingredients LLC

Bill Goggins

CEO
Harken USA

Bob Gross

President
Gross Automation

Tim Hearden

SR Vice President of Operations
Generac Power Systems, Inc.

Ken Heins

CEO/President
KLH Industries, Inc.

Luis Hernandez, Jr.

Owner
Urethane Systems Plus Inc.

Neil Karolek

President
TLX Technologies LLC

Al Leidinger

President
Mathison Manufacturing, Inc.

Kevin Lichtenberg

CEO
Stanek Tool LLC

Seth Liubakka

General Manager
PST Group

Kent Lorenz

Community Leader

John Miller

Treasurer
Engineering Specialists Inc

Michael Mills

General Manager
GE Healthcare

Bob Mortensen

Chief Operating Officer
HUSCO International

Alan Petelinsek

CEO
Power Test Inc.

Fritz Reich

President/Owner
Reich Tool & Design Inc

Doug Sawyer

Vice President
Universal Welding & Engineering Inc

Don Schlidt

CEO
Dedicated Computing

Jim Schneberger

President
New Berlin Plastics

Chris Shult

President
Bevco Engineering Company, Inc.

Jack Siehoff

Waukesha Site & Engineering Leader
INNIO Waukesha Gas Engines

Eric Skibo

Senior VP & General Manager
MetalTek International

Rick Steinke

VP of Manufacturing
Sentry® Equipment Corp

Judie Taylor