In this issue . . .
SEPTEMBER 2016
Annual Meeting recap New Members Member News Rebranding contest
We’re recognizing Manufacturing Excellence By David Eckmann, President/CEO
A
s we approach the month of October, the Chamber is preparing to celebrate our area’s manufacturing sector. Governor Walker proclaimed October as Manufacturing Month in 2013. Since then, communities throughout Wisconsin celebrate the rich tradition of manufacturing which has contributed to Wisconsin’s economy for over 150 years. According to Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the state’s manufacturing sector employs over 450,000 workers, producing $55 billion of economic output. In Marathon County, the manufacturing sector accounts for 16,500 jobs with average annual earnings of $62,088. In addition to jobs and earnings, manufacturing in Marathon County accounts for 22% of the total economic activity producing $1.5 billion in gross regional product. I could go on with more facts which support the importance of manufacturing in our region. The bottom line is this: Dollars generated from the
manufacturing sector provide a high quality of life for thousands of families in the Wausau Region. The monies they spend spillover to retail and commercial businesses, the health care sector and to our governmental units to support the public good we all enjoy. On October 4, 2016, The Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce is celebrating the region’s manufacturing community with the first Manufacturing Excellence Awards. S. Mark Tyler, President of OEM Fabricators, will be the keynote speaker at the event and will share his vision for connecting industry with education, workforce development and economic development. This inaugural event will also offer an opportunity for you to meet and network with regional manufacturers and those businesses which serve as suppliers to the sector. Given past experience in these activities, there is tremendous value in attending this event. With the finalists for the award identified, it is sure to be an exciting evening. Please join us to honor the recipients of the Manufacturing Excellence Awards and to learn about the tools that the Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce is developing to support and enhance the manufacturing sector in central Wisconsin.
www.wausauchamber.com