Betsy Allen-Manning, company culture expert and this year’s Manufacturing First keynote speaker, says transforming your company into a ‘destination workplace’ — one with a positive brand reputatio — gives you an advantage when there is high competition for talent.

In this week’s episode, Allen-Manning talks with co-hosts Kate Bruns and Ann Franz of NEW Manufacturing Insights about her journey to becoming an internationally recognized speaker, what she’ll be sharing at this year’s Manufacturing First Expo & Conference, and the five things companies need to do to become destination workplaces.

Thank you to Rice Companies for sponsoring this and all episodes of NEW Manufacturing Insights in September. NEW Manufacturing Insights is a joint production of the NEW Manufacturing Alliance and Insight Publications, available everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

Learn more about our sponsor at www.ricecompanies.com.

Josh Delforge, vice president of engineering and operations at Cruisers Yachts in Oconto and a member of the leadership team for North Coast Marine Manufacturing Alliance (NCMMA), originally intended to be a part of the space program. “Unfortunately, my senior year was the Columbia shuttle disaster,” Delforge says. “So that really changed the plan.”

In this week’s episode, Delforge talks with co-hosts Kate Bruns and Ann Franz of NEW Manufacturing Insights about his journey to the marine industry, why the NCMMA is valuable to the next generation of STEM enthusiasts, and some of his favorite projects with Cruisers.

Thank you to Rice Companies for sponsoring this and all episodes of NEW Manufacturing Insights in September. Learn more at www.ricecompanies.com.

Tim Riebau, president and CEO of VPI (formerly known as Valley Packaging Industries), says one of the best parts about his organization is the impact it can have on people with disabilities — while at the same time filling a vital co-packing niche for large companies in the community.

In this week’s episode, Riebau talks with co-hosts Kate Bruns and Ann Franz about VPI’s mission, the changes the organization has been through in recent years, and why large companies love working with the nonprofit.

Learn more at https://vpiwi.org/

Thank you to Rice Companies for sponsoring this and all episodes of NEW Manufacturing Insights in September. Learn more about our sponsor at www.ricecompanies.com/

Amanda and Adam Kroener couldn’t find a low-carb ready-to-drink cocktail that they could enjoy on
their keto diet—so they created their own. On this week’s episode, Amanda and Adam talk with co-
hosts Kate Bruns and Ann Franz about how they founded the fast-growing and popular drink brand
Carbliss and where they’re taking the company next.

“The biggest thing is knowing the right timing for scale … we want to continue to roll out methodically
because it seems to be working,” Adam Kroener says.

To learn more about Plymouth-based Carbliss,
visit https://drinkcarbliss.com/.

Dr. Patricia Terry, Chair of the Richard J. Resch School of Engineering at UW-Green Bay, and Dr. Vallari Chandna, Associate Dean of the Cofrin School of Business at UWGB, are both leading the launch of new degree programs at the university.

On this week’s episode, Chandna and Terry talk with co-hosts Kate Bruns and Ann Franz about why the programs are important to helping meet future workforce needs in the region.

“Software engineering until now has been an emphasis within computer science,” Dr. Terry says. “But there’s a big regional industry push toward Industry 4.0,” Terry says.

Learn more about UWGB at https://www.uwgb.edu/.

Connor O’Brien, vice president and trust investment officer at Legacy Private Trust Co., has spent his career helping clients accomplish their financial goals. On this week’s episode, O’Brien talks with co-hosts Kate Bruns and Ann Franz about how Legacy prepares its clients to manage market instability and why today’s volatility isn’t unusual from other times.

“We have tried to instill in our clients…this will happen, we need to plan for it, we need to expect it, so when it does come, we have prepared for it,” O’Brien says. “And you have a portfolio that’s built to weather this or any other storm that might come about.” Learn more about Legacy Private Trust at https:// https://www.lptrust.com/

Jeff Engelbrecht, training and development manager at Robinson, Inc., came to the company after a
long career as a police officer who led training and development programs for the Green Bay Police
Department. On this week’s episode, Engelbrecht talks with co-hosts Kate Bruns and Ann Franz about
developing the Robinson Training Academy and how manufacturers can create a similar training
program at their organizations.

“Some supervisors and managers were a little ahead of the curve,” Engelbrecht says. “They’d been
looking at this for a long time. They just needed someone to champion the cause.”

Learn more about Robinson at https://www.robinsoninc.com/

Read Kate Bruns' interview with Engelbrecht from the July 2025 issue of IOM at Anatomy of an academy | Plant News | insightonbusiness.com

Jake Schulz, vice president of production for TTX (Therma-Tron-X), is committed to helping youth find their future pathways, including through developing the Youth Apprenticeship program at the Sturgeon Bay company. On this week’s episode, Schulz talks with co-hosts Kate Bruns and Ann Franz about the company’s commitment to its YA program and how leaders build connections with local students.

“Since 2021 we’ve had 26 Youth Apprentices that have successfully come through our program, and we have been privileged to see a few of those come on board as full-time employees,” Schulz says. “But each year we’ve seen that program grow.”

Learn more about TTX at https://www.ttxinc.com/


Thank you to Werner Electric Supply for sponsoring this episode of NEW Manufacturing Insights, and all July episodes of the podcast. Learn more at wernerelectric.com. 

Lori Sealock, recently named president of Eagle Performance Plastics, has been with the custom job
shop for going on 24 years. On this week’s episode, Sealock talks with co-hosts Kate Bruns and Ann
Franz about the company’s succession planning, her role and making the company’s vision come to
life.

“We’re focused on setting the next generation up for success, which means making sure they have the
right people, the right tools, the right environment to do that,” Sealock says. “They need a strong
foundation to keep building on Eagle’s values and the growth strategy that we have.”

Learn more about Eagle Performance Plastics at https://eagle-plastics.com/.

Thank you to Werner Electric Supply for sponsoring this episode of NEW Manufacturing Insights, and
all July episodes of the podcast. Learn more at wernerelectric.com.

Jennifer Clement is one of six Wisconsin experts sharing their perspectives on the shifting global trade climate in the July issue of IOM. This week Clement, client relationship leader at CLA, talks with co-hosts Kate Bruns and Ann Franz about her essay “Ten Steps to Reduce Tariff Exposure for Mid-Market Manufacturers,” and about how she and the team at CLA are helping companies to navigate the volatility in the global trade market.

Learn more about Clement and her work: https://www.claconnect.com/en/directory/c/clement-
jennifer

Thank you to Werner Electric Supply for sponsoring this episode of NEW Manufacturing Insights, and
all July episodes of the podcast. Learn more at wernerelectric.com.