Menasha Corporation, which was recently honored as Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year, is celebrating its 175th anniversary in 2024. Christopher Drees, who became Menasha Corporation's CEO last year after previously leading Mercury Marine, joins co-hosts Kate Bruns and Ann Franz on this week's episode to talk about the history and future of the storied company. Despite its deep roots and a longevity that rivals our state itself, Menasha Corporation was also recognized this year as one of the New North's Fastest Growing Companies by Insight. Drees talks about expansions and technology investments happening at the company's Hartford and Neenah facilities, as well as a recent facility acquisition in Texas.

Thank you to Wintrust Commercial Banking at Town Bank, N.A. for sponsoring the podcast all month long.

Bill Ritcey of Farm to Plate and Jim Dobinski of StellarBlue.ai are part of a dedicated group of Web 3.0 evangelists working to push the New North region forward in the adoption of technologies like A.I. and blockchain, the latter of which is the subject of the latest technology feature in IOM, "Building Blocks," which can be read here: https://www.insightonbusiness.com/insightonmanufacturing/articles/technology/building-blocks/article_8e7e74ca-e14b-11ee-928d-fb0ff174abf6.html

On this episode of NEW Manufacturing Insights, Ritcey and Dobinski sat down with co-hosts Kate Bruns and Ann Franz to talk more about the article, why they meet every Wednesday to talk tech, and why they're worried about the vast distance our region still needs to travel in the realm of Web 3.0 adoption.

Thank you to Wintrust Commercial Banking at Town Bank, N.A. for sponsoring the podcast all month long.

Learn more about the NEW Manufacturing Alliance's newest and very popular task force, which is focused on safety, with co-chairs Mark Callow and Mike Winkler of Samuel Pressure Vessel Systems in Marinette. This week's podcast dives deeper into the March "back office" feature of IOM magazine, "Priority One," which can be read online at https://www.insightonbusiness.com/insightonmanufacturing/articles/backoffice/priority-one/article_049234b4-e14f-11ee-8c83-d721f5e652f5.html

Thank you to Wintrust Commercial Banking at Town Bank, N.A. for sponsoring the podcast all month long.

March Madness has arrived, and so has the March issue of Insight on Manufacturing magazine. Dive deeper into this month's cover story with author Amelia Compton-Wolff and with Lisa Johnson, CEO of BioForward Wisconsin, who recently led the successful bid to designate Wisconsin as a Biohealth Tech Hub through the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration. The history, future and impact of this designation are outlined in Amelia's latest story for IOM, "The Next Frontier," which can be read here: https://www.insightonbusiness.com/insightonmanufacturing/articles/coverstory/the-next-frontier/article_442192e6-e145-11ee-adfb-d370ff711b1d.html

The March issue of IOM is available in its entirety as a digital magazine here: https://www.insightonbusiness.com/eedition/page-01/page_849ebf56-2da4-5c8e-8a40-371d82dee167.html

Also on this episode: The 2024 NEWMA All-Stars will be honored on the field Saturday night when the Green Bay Blizzard host Iowa at the Resch Center. Add some indoor football to your weekend hoops-watching plans with the Alliance and help us cheer on this year's All-Stars.

Thank you to Wintrust Commercial Banking at Town Bank, N.A. for sponsoring the podcast all month long.

Adam Rupp, CEO of Wisconsin Lighting Lab in Fond du Lac, joins Kate and Ann this week to talk about the important intersection of manufacturing and technology -- in ways that both can and can't be seen by the customer. WiLL also boasts one of the New North region's youngest workforces, and Rupp talks about some of the values that help make his company an employer of choice for young talent.

Thank you to Wintrust Commercial Banking at Town Bank, N.A. for sponsoring the podcast all month long.

Kate and Ann welcome Neveah Krueger, a welder with Walker Forge's youth apprenticeship program in Clintonville, along with her mentor, Troy Miller. Neveah and Troy discuss why hands-on learning has been the best option for the high-school student and how to make sure youth apprenticeship students can be successful in the workplace.

Thank you to Wintrust Commercial Banking at Town Bank, N.A. for sponsoring the podcast all month long.

Pat McGettigan, executive vice president of Excellerate -- a division of Faith Technologies Incorporated, joins Kate and Ann to talk about the company's new smart manufacturing facility in Little Chute and how the company is poised on the cutting edge when it comes to technology, modular construction, sustainability and employee wellness.

Jan Allman, vice president and general manager of Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, joins NEW Manufacturing Insights to talk about her manufacturing career and how her decade with Fincantieri has perhaps been the most exciting period of all, building products that serve and protect the nation and move essential goods through the Great Lakes.

The 16th episode of NEW Manufacturing Insights features technology leader and inclusion advocate Michelle Schuler, who serves as U.S. program manager for Microsoft TechSpark after successfully building the now-nationwide program starting in Appleton and Green Bay. Schuler is also the founder of Women in Technology Wisconsin and a tireless community volunteer.

Also on this episode: Today is the deadline to nominate young professionals for Insight's second-annual 40 Under 40 Awards: www.insightonbusiness.com/40u40.

Jeff Van Zeeland, president of Fox Valley Wood Products, joins Ann and Kate to talk more about the company, which will be honored Feb. 29 at Lambeau Field as one of Insight's Fastest Growing Companies in the New North Region for 2024. Fox Valley Wood Products is one of many manufacturing companies that will be honored at the event. Learn more at www.insightonbusiness.com/fastest.

Also on this episode: The deadline is coming up Feb. 15 to nominate young professionals for Insight's second annual 40 Under 40 Awards. Learn more at www.insightonbusiness.com/40u40.