Frontier Airlines Center, Milwauke, WI
High-impact strategies to attract, retain and develop skilled and motivated workers are the focus of the May 17 Manufacturing Matters! Conference. “The Power of People: Unleashing Breakthrough Business Performance” is the theme of the conference hosted by the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP). The day-long event will be held at the Frontier Airlines Center, 400 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee. For more information or to register visit www.manufacturingmatters.org or call 1-877-856-8588. Talent management has never been more crucial. “The competition for talent to drive growth and innovation is heating up and will only intensify in the future,” said Lee Swindall, WMEP’s acting executive director. A perfect storm of Baby Boomer retirements, global competition, new technologies and a generation of younger workers poses significant challenges for today’s manufacturers. Highlights Morning keynote David DeLong, co-author of “The Executive Guide to High-Impact Talent Management: Powerful Tools for Leveraging a Changing Workforce,” will show how executives can more effectively lead talent management initiatives at a time of unprecedented demographic and organizational changes. Afternoon keynote Susan Schmitt, senior vice president, Human Resources at Rockwell Automation, will share thought leadership insights the company has to secure, develop and retain skilled and engaged workers and how these strategies apply to smaller firms. Prominent industry thought leaders and senior executives from award-winning Wisconsin manufacturing firms will share best practices and insights. Panelists include manufacturing leaders from A & A Manufacturing Company, Inc., New Berlin; Briess Industries, Inc., Chilton; Dickten Masch Plastics, LLC, Nashotah; GenMet, Mequon; HED, Inc., Hartford; Hurd Windows & Doors, Medford; Hydro-Thermal Corp., Waukesha; MEGTEC Systems, Inc., DePere; Spee-Dee Packaging Machinery, Inc., Sturtevant; Tailored Label Products, Inc., Menomonee Falls; TLX Technologies, LLC., Waukesha and Wagner Companies, Milwaukee. The financial and environmental benefits achieved as a result of participation in the Wisconsin Profitable Sustainability Initiative will be discussed by representatives of AFW Foundry, Inc., Lannon; Cardinal Insulated Glass, Spring Green and Edstrom Industries, Inc., Waterford. Eighteen break-out sessions focus on talent management, profitable sustainability, online marketing, business growth, financial analysis and forecasting, lean culture, finance, OSHA compliance, exporting and managing through transition. The midsize manufacturers of Germany’s Mittelstand region are an exporting powerhouse and offer valuable lessons for Wisconsin manufacturers. Ram V. Iyer, founder of The Midmarket Institute, will discuss how these mostly family-owned manufacturers have become super competitors, overcoming the challenges of an aging workforce, high labor costs and a tightly regulated labor market.
