Excellerate opens new smart facility
As of November, Little Chute is home to the newest of five U.S. manufacturing facilities for Excellerate, a maker of electrical components and assemblies for sustainable engineering projects. The company, which is a division of Menasha-based Faith Technologies Incorporated (FTI), opened the 385,000-square-foot Little Chute facility as a “smart” manufacturing operation, utilizing clean energy technologies as it works toward its net zero goal.
The new factory specializes in construction of the modular electrical building (MEB), a fully integrated module that is widely utilized in the ever-growing data center market. Officials say MEBs are fully self-contained electrical units that can be quickly deployed into data centers, eliminating the majority of on-site electrical work.
“Our work has been growing exponentially as our customers are seeing the value in the high-quality modular work we provide,” said Excellerate Executive Vice President Pat McGettigan. “By moving electrical work to a controlled manufacturing environment when possible, we save our partners time and money while providing the safest, most productive workspace for our team members.”
“We’re proud to be expanding our footprint in Wisconsin and have already hired more than 100 new team members to work in our Little Chute facility,” said Mike Jansen, CEO of FTI. “The safe, controlled manufacturing environment supports a diverse workforce, and with our focus on new technologies and increased automation, we’ve built a more productive, smarter and safer workplace than ever before.”
A “Now Hiring” banner still adorns the new facility, which has long been projected to add about 200 jobs in the Fox Valley. McGettigan says the open positions present an attractive career opportunity for electricians, millwrights, superintendents and systems technicians, among other positions being hired.
“We know the growth of clean energy technology is vitally important to support the environment as well as help us meet the expanding energy needs of our nation,” he said. “With Excellerate, you get to be a part of innovation in a new frontier of energy. This new manufacturing facility is a first-of-its-kind in Northeast Wisconsin and is setting a precedent for what is possible in manufacturing across the nation.”
— Kate Bruns
Statewide defense industry council formed
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce have partnered to launch the Wisconsin Defense Industry Council, a new advocacy group aimed at strengthening and supporting Wisconsin’s defense industry. “There is an urgent need for stronger advocacy, cooperation and networking among Wisconsin’s defense industry,” said Bill Berrien, vice chair of the new council and CEO of New Berlin-based Pindel Global Precision. “There are critical issues hampering defense contractors that must be addressed, including an acute workforce shortage and lingering supply chain backlogs. WDIC will work to address those issues.”
Green light
Two New North manufacturers were among the recipients of the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council’s 2023 Sustainable Business Awards, presented in November. Appleton-based Appvion’s Résiste 15% PCW, the first recycled content direct-thermal product available to the market, won the award for “Sustainable Product of the Year.” Kevin Tubbs, vice president and chief ethics, compliance and sustainability officer at Oshkosh Corporation, was named the 2023 “Sustainability Champion of the Year” for his leadership in energy and waste reduction and commitment to Science Based Targets for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
NEWMA launches safety task force
The Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance announced at its quarterly meeting Dec. 13 that the organization is working to create a new task force focused on safety issues. Mark Callow, operations manager at Samuel Pressure Vessel Group, said his company — like others in the region — is in a growth mode, and while growth comes with many positives it also comes with safety liabilities in hiring. “Our goal will be to work together to influence behaviors and culture all across Northeast Wisconsin,” Callow said. Anyone interested in joining is encouraged to contact Ann Franz, NEWMA executive director, at ann.franz@nwtc.edu.
