Jim Eckes, fabrication manager at Nercon Conveyor Systems, joins co-hosts Kate and Ann on this week's episode to talk about the company's investment in the community of Oconto, which has included a partnership with Oconto High School, educational programs with NEWMA, and a burgeoning youth apprenticeship program Jim calls one of the "favorite programs I've ever been involved with."

You can also hear Jim describe the conveyor belts, or "transportation systems," Nercon creates for the food and consumer products industries and the jobs the company provides in both Neenah and Oconto.

This week's episode is sponsored by Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, which is launching its new Lean Alliance Dec. 3: https://events.nwtc.edu/corporate-training/event/detail/lean-alliance-9c7e60

This week's podcast takes a look back at Manufacturing First 2024, which was held last week at the Resch Expo in Green Bay. Hear reflections from co-hosts Ann and Kate, as well as interviews recorded live at the event with participants who shared their #MfgFirst insights during the day.

Thank you to Northeast Wisconsin Technical College for sponsoring this episode, and thank you to everyone who attended the 14th annual Manufacturing First Expo & Conference!

This week Kayla Countney of Goodwill NCW and Nancy Bleck of Rawhide Youth Services join co-hosts Ann Franz and Kate Bruns to talk about the innovative Career EXCELerate program -- a collaboration between Goodwill NCW, Rawhide Youth Services and Fox Valley Technical College that provides free job training coupled with high-level mental and emotional support. The program was launched about three years ago with the support of a Wisconsin Workforce Innovation Grant, and it's still going strong today and eyeing growth opportunities, Countney tells the co-hosts. Its initial goal was to serve 460 Wisconsinites, she adds, and it has already reached 420.

Learn more about Career EXCELerate online: https://offer.goodwillncw.org/career-excelerate-wisconsin

Thank you to Werner Electric Supply for sponsoring the podcast all throughout the month of October. We will be off next week for Manufacturing First (register now at www.manufacturingfirst.com) but will return with a recap episode Nov. 7. See you Oct. 30 at Resch Expo for #MfgFirst!

We're celebrating our 50th episode this week! This episode features a conversation with Jason Bailin and Jordy Krall of Appleton's Eagle Performance Plastics, which was recently named one of Wisconsin's Best Places to Work in Manufacturing and was featured in the September issue of Insight on Manufacturing. Bailin, sales manager, and Krall, sustainability specialist, talk about Eagle's recent growth as well as a fascinating new partnership they have forged with a New North vendor that is helping divert 200 tons of plastic waste from landfills every year.

Read more about Eagle in IOM: https://www.insightonbusiness.com/insightonmanufacturing/articles/plantnews/soaring-success/article_85323094-713a-11ef-ace6-5be18cb0f9ce.html

Learn more about Wisconsin's Best Places to Work in Manufacturing 2024: https://www.insightonbusiness.com/insightevents/best_places_to_work_in_manufacturing_wisconsin/

Thank you to Werner Electric Supply for sponsoring the podcast all throughout the month of October.

We're back to talking marketing on this week's episode of NEW Manufacturing Insights -- this time with Greg Linnemanstons, the 23-year president of the Appleton-based inbound marketing firm Weidert Group. Greg tells Kate and Ann about his firm's B2B services as well as previews his forthcoming Manufacturing First breakout session, "The Top Industrial Sales & Marketing Plays Your Lead Gen Strategy Needs Now," scheduled for 11:15 a.m. on Oct. 30 at the expo. Learn more and register for Manufacturing First at www.manufacturingfirst.com.  

Listen in as Greg shares his wisdom on the topic of lead generation, how marketing and sales teams can work together within organizations, and how to implement technology into your marketing mix without losing the personal touch that has helped close business for generations. He also, of course, shares his best leadership insight to close the show.

Thank you to Werner Electric Supply for sponsoring the podcast all throughout the month of October.

Werner Electric Supply President Craig Wiedemeier joins Kate and Ann live from Werner Electric's headquarters in Appleton as we celebrate the one-year anniversary of NEW Manufacturing Insights at a special Manufacturing Month kickoff event. 

Craig tells the co-hosts the 75-year-long story of Werner Electric and shares how the business has evolved to become a partner with manufacturers in learning IT and OT, adopting new programs and tools that help improve productivity, and keeping pace with technology.

Craig will be speaking Oct. 30 at the Manufacturing First Expo & Conference, and it's not too late to register for Wisconsin's largest manufacturing event. Head to www.manufacturingfirst.com to learn more. 

Thank you to our listeners, sponsors, and partners for helping keep the podcast going for one year! We're excited to keep it going in 2025!

Brett Lindsey is the newest CEO of Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based ark data centers, which recently rebranded from Involta and is creating in the New North region its largest data center in the country. ark data centers will create a 20-megawatt campus on 24.5 acres in the village of Harrison, with easy access to major markets such as Chicago and Minneapolis. On this week's episode, Lindsey tells co-hosts Kate Bruns and Ann Franz about why the company is excited to set up shop in Wisconsin using the company's "Gen 6 design" model.

Lindsey also dives into cybersecurity, AI and other tech topics that are affecting ark's large enterprise customers and suggests some moves manufacturers should consider making now to build new products and offer better service to customers in the age of AI. 

Thank you to Wisconsin Paper Group for sponsoring the podcast all throughout the month of September.

Steve Meyer, a longtime advocate and practitioner of technical education in Northeast Wisconsin, joins Kate and Ann on this week's episode to take a deeper dive into this month's Insight on Manufacturing cover story about the New North region's tech education teacher shortage and what institutions like Wisconsin Technical College System, UW System and school districts like Seymour Community are doing to help recruit, retain, and reskill qualified teachers to train students for next-generation careers.

Read "Filling the Void" by Amelia Compton Wolff online here: Filling the void | Cover Story | insightonbusiness.com

On the podcast Meyer, who is a key source in the cover story, elucidates his personal career journey and breaks down some of the key issues and opportunities to strengthen technical education. Listen as he talks about how companies and communities can play a role.

Thank you to Wisconsin Paper Group for sponsoring the podcast all throughout the month of September!

Kelly Bubolz of KB Training Connections is an expert on preventing burnout in the manufacturing industry -- because she herself is a survivor of burnout in the manufacturing industry. Her body suffered complete physical collapse from burnout in March 2021, forcing her to leave the career she says she had worked so hard for.

Back to school and the change in weather can exacerbate symptoms of burnout this time of year, Kelly says, and on this week's episode of NEW Manufacturing Insights she sits down with Kate and Ann to help spread awareness. Her work with KB Training Connections aims to provide stress management and time management resources to individuals and companies, with a special emphasis on the manufacturing sector. 

Kelly has YouTube shorts available to help companies and professionals get started: https://www.youtube.com/@kellybubolz

You can also find her online at kbtrainingconnections.com.

Thank you to Wisconsin Paper Group for sponsoring the podcast all month long. NEW Manufacturing Insights is a joint production of the NEW Manufacturing Alliance and Insight on Manufacturing magazine, produced by B.J. DeGroot of Woodward Communtiy Media.

Don't miss this week's episode as leadership expert, educator and author Steve Jones of Jadin Jones Consulting joins Kate and Ann to talk leadership. He gives listeners a preview of his forthcoming Manufacturing First Expo & Conference keynote and shares stories and wisdom from along his career journey. The former five-time state championship winning football coach tackles topics from generational differences to workplace challenges to his role with the Green Bay Packers.

Thank you to Wisconsin Paper Group for sponsoring the podcast all month long. NEW Manufacturing Insights is a joint production of the NEW Manufacturing Alliance and Insight on Manufacturing magazine, produced by B.J. DeGroot of Woodward Communtiy Media.