CONTENTS
NEW MANUFACTURING ALLIANCE CONNECTS JOB SEEKERS,
3 Mentors make it happen All Star Mentor Tim Dyer Fox Valley Metal Tech
4 All Star Brian VandenLangenberg Robinson Metal Sponsor-Paid Profile: Great Northern Corporation
5 Manufacturing facts All Star Brad Lamers Coating Excellence International
6 All Star Michael J. Smith Absolute Supply Sponsor-Paid Profile: Robinson Metal
7 Industrial maintenance careers All Star Mike Maciejewski Georgia-Pacific Corp.
8 Wind energy growth creates jobs 9 All Star Chad Schmertman Nicolet Plastics Sponsor-Paid Profile: Johnsonville Foods
10 Apprenticeship: Earn while you learn All Star Karl Peters Walker Forge
11 All Star Matt Busch Fox Valley Metal Tech Sponsor-Paid Profile: EMT International
12 Green jobs mean more green ($$) All Star Mark Giebel Manitowoc Foodservice Group
13 All Star Nominees: The Rest of the Best All Star Jamie Boylan CMD Corporation
14 Future All Stars get scholarships All Star Yee Yang Johnsonville Sausage
15 NEW Manufacturing Alliance members Resource links
16 Sponsors PRODUCED BY
INSIGHT PUBLICATIONS Suite 200 Zuelke Building 103 W. College Ave., Appleton, WI 54911 (920) 882-0491 www.insightonbusiness.com
INSIGHT ON MANUFACTURING Published quarterly (March-June-Sept-Dec) Rick Berg, Managing Editor To advertise or subscribe: www.insightonmfg.com
2 NEW MANUFACTURING ALLIANCE
EDUCATORS AND EMPLOYERS The NEW Manufacturing Alliance (NMA) is a group of manufacturers, working with edu- cational institutions, workforce development boards, chambers of commerce and state organizations to promote manufacturing throughout Northeast Wisconsin. The Alliance website (www. newmfgalliance.org) provides an opportunity for manufacturers and job seekers to connect, and also offers information on internships and other resources for job seekers.
For example, job seekers can use the website to create a profile that companies can use to search for workers, or they can view member websites to learn more about those
companies and what they have to offer, or they can learn more about career pathways in manufacturing. Manufacturing remains a mainstay of employment in Northeast Wisconsin and
should remain so as Wisconsin manufacturers upgrade their facilities and processes to meet the needs of 21st Century manufacturing. The latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that Wisconsin has now surpassed Indiana as the leading state for manufacturing employment, with 15.6 percent of Wisconsin jobs in manufacturing compared with 15.4 percent in Indiana.
For more information, visit the NEW Manufacturing Alliance website at www.newmfgalliance.org.
ON THE COVER: Photo of All Star Mentor Tim Dyer by Shane Van Boxtel, Image Studios. Cover design by A2Z Design, Jeff Amstutz, principal; Michael Miller, art director.
SPECIAL THANKS FOR SPONSORING THIS PUBLICATION GO TO