Ep. 129: Graetz Manufacturing started with a barn cleaner

Ep. 129: Graetz Manufacturing started with a barn cleaner

Jody Graetz, vice president and owner of Graetz Manufacturing in Pound, Wisconsin, joins Ann and Kate on this week's episode to talk about the past, present, and future of the manufacturing company with a history that dates back to a blacksmith shop in 1936.  Jody, who married into the Graetz family, is now part of the firm's fifth-generation leadership. Graetz's first patent was on a barn chain cleaner that Jody says is still manufactured and purchased today. But in the last nine years, the company has experienced explosive growth as it has ventured into sectors outside of agriculture, including aerospace, marine, industrial and more. "If it's made of metal, chances are we probably make it," she tells the co-hosts on this week's show. To learn more about Graetz Manufacturing, visit www.graetzmfg.com. Thank you to Stoke RGA for sponsoring all episodes of NEW Manufacturing Insights. Learn more about the company at www.stokerga.com.

Ep. 128: Checking in with Stoke RGA's Jen Fietz

Stoke RGA's Jen Fietz returns to NEW Manufacturing Insights this week to offer her insights on the economic challenges and opportunities facing Northeast Wisconsin manufacturers at the year's midpoint. Among the topics covered on the episode include Wisconsin's recent manufacturing job losses; economic uncertainty and inflation; tariff refunds; rising petroleum costs; hidden opportunities for manufacturers in data literacy, upskilling, and customer intimacy; and the impact of the data center boom on manufacturing in Wisconsin.  Stoke RGA is the yearlong sponsor of NEW Manufacturing Insights and is proud to help Midwest manufacturers achieve long-term growth. Learn more about the company at www.stokerga.com.

Episode 96 re-release

This week we're re-releasing Insight's and NEWMA's conversation with Oshkosh Door leader Chris Calawerts, which recently was honored with a "Best Podcast" award by the Alliance for Area Business Publishers. Check it out if you missed it the first time! NEW Manufacturing Insights is taking a break for the upcoming holiday, but we will be back again July 9 with another episode, sponsored as always by Stoke RGA: stokerga.com

Ep. 127: Hired by AI?

Staffing expert Mark Leupold of Express Employment Professionals in the Fox Valley says he has watched the region’s hiring landscape whiplash from pandemic exodus to overcorrection. And now, on this week's episode of NEW Manufacturing Insights, Mark hits the reset button with Kate and Ann and unpacks how the latest business trend, AI, is reshaping recruiting in Northeast Wisconsin manufacturing.  Mark shares where AI truly adds value — speed, consistency, and better candidate matches, where it can go wrong through bias or bad implementation, and why human oversight and continuous learning are non‑negotiable. Along the way, he offers practical advice for HR leaders on getting started with AI. This week's episode is sponsored by Stoke RGA. Learn more at stokerga.com.

Ep. 126: How Aspiro is helping Wisconsinites "live your way"

Ryan Ruzziconi is president of Aspiro, a Green Bay-based nonprofit providing life and employment services to individuals of all ages living with disabilities in Northeast Wisconsin, operating with the motto "live your way." On this week's episode, he shares with co-hosts Ann Franz and Kate Bruns what he has learned and appreciated in his first year-and-a-half on the job, both about the reach of the organization and the need for more visibility and awareness of the disability community. Ruzziconi shares more about Aspiro's services, which include early intervention (birth to age 3), adult day services, and Project SEARCH -- an immersive job training and placement program. Aspiro also provides group supported employment services, with its clients often being the muscle behind the scenes of popular entertainment venues like the EPIC Event Center and Kress Event Center for UW-Green Bay basketball. Ruzziconi says Aspiro currently has 100-plus business partners but is always looking for more. Connect with this organization online at aspiroinc.org. This week's episode is sponsored by Stoke RGA. Learn more at stokerga.com.