Insight on Manufacturing

28 | /INSIGHT ON MANUFACTURING • Januar y 2019 w w w.in s i g h t o n m f g . c o m PLANT|NEWS WERNER ELECTRIC SUPPLY ACQUIRES GREEN BAY'S US LAMP Werner Electric Supply, a business-to- business distributor of electrical supplies, solutions and services, has acquired US Lamp, a wholesale lighting distributor located in Green Bay. "We are bringing together two companies who are committed to providing customers with top-of-the-line products, services and support," said Scott Teerlinck, president of Werner Electric. "This is an exciting opportunity for Werner Electric as we continue to position ourselves in the electrical distribution market, to drive future growth." Werner Electric Supply, founded in 1948, is the largest electrical distributor in Wisconsin and operates 11 regional locations throughout Wisconsin and the upper Michigan region. "This acquisition is an excellent fit for US Lamp since both companies share the same passion and philosophy to provide high performance, value-added solutions and technical expertise to customers," said Randy Johnson, president of US Lamp. Johnson will remain with Werner Electric to provide lighting design and project management support and to teach lighting technology classes for Werner Electric customers. WAUPACA FOUNDRY TO OPEN UPPER PENINSULA PLANT Waupaca Foundry, a Hitachi Metals company, is expanding operations into Michigan's Upper Peninsula and will open a new facility in Ironwood to process iron castings produced at its plants in Waupaca. Waupaca Foundry plans to invest $4.3 million and acquire an existing 50,000-square-foot facility in Ironwood. The Michigan Business Development Program awarded Waupaca Foundry a $1.2 million performance-based grant. The new facility will create 61 new jobs. The expansion addresses increasing customer demand and adds iron casting processing capabilities, including cleaning and finishing, in a location where there is sufficient labor supply, Waupaca Foundry Executive Vice President John Wiesbrock said in a release. "The economy is strong, and Waupaca Foundry is growing due to increased customer demand for cast and machined iron castings. Opening a facility to handle cleaning and finishing of cast parts will allow us to meet customers' expectations in quality and delivery of their parts," he said. Prior to choosing a new location, Waupaca Foundry leaders conducted exploratory job fairs and identified a strong pool of motivated, talented workers in the Gogebic County region. In December, the Ojibway Correctional Facility closed, leaving many area workers jobless. Waupaca Foundry has already hired and on-boarded more than 35 new team members from the Upper Peninsula who are currently working full-time in Waupaca while the new facility is preparing for production. Customized. Innovative. Solutions. Services for Business & Industry Contact our industry experts today! fvtc.edu/EmployerResources • 920-735-2525 To stay competitive, you need to find, select and train new and existing employees. Let Fox Valley Technical College help you: • Find new employees • Evaluate with employee assessments • Enhance employee skills with seminars and customized training

• Blank Page