A nice tall glass of cool
For the third year in a row, a New North-made product has won Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce’s annual March Madness-style contest to find “The Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin.” Three of this year’s Final Four products hailed from the region, with the The Bevi Bottleless Water Dispenser manufactured by Plexus Corp. in Appleton ultimately receiving the 2023 crown Oct. 19 at WMC’s annual Business Day event in Madison. More than 187,000 online votes were cast in the contest.
Plexus Corp. was chosen from among 100 initial nominees from across the state. The Final Four products included Bevi, along with AriensCo’s 90th Anniversary Limited Edition Sno-Thro (Brillion), Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Bacon (Wittenberg), and the American Heritage 6-inch Tobacco Safety Toe Work Boot made by Thorogood (Merrill).
“Northeast Wisconsin truly made their mark in this year’s competition and was well represented in the top four. Congratulations to Plexus and their Bevi Bottleless Water Dispenser. This is something that every business needs,” said Jim Popp, president and CEO of Johnson Financial Group, which is the presenting sponsor of the contest.
The Bevi Bottleless Water Dispenser is a smart water dispenser that offers on-demand filtered, flavored and sparkling water, marketed under the concept of “unbottling the future.” Officials say its use has led to the reduction of more than 400 million single-use plastic bottles to date.
“The Bevi Bottleless Water Dispenser combines sustainability and innovation to vastly reduce the carbon footprint of its end-users, embodying our vision to help create the products that build a better world. This product, manufactured at our facility in Appleton, is representative of our global team’s dedication and commitment in bringing that vision to life,” said Plexus CEO Todd Kelsey. “We are proud to have Bevi honored by WMC and the state of Wisconsin as the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin.”
WMC President and CEO Kurt Bauer said his organization created the contest to highlight the state’s vital manufacturing economy, which employs 1 in 6 Wisconsin workers and is typically ranked second in the U.S. It’s no accident that the announcement is made annually in October during the celebration of Manufacturing Month.
“Not only do our manufacturers produce a wide variety of products used all over the world, they provide high-paying jobs, invest in their communities and bolster our state’s economy,” Bauer said. “Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees and especially to the entire team at Plexus.”
Last year, Pierce Manufacturing’s Volterra electric fire truck made in Appleton earned the award; in 2021, the winner was Broadwind’s 140-ton Navy Crane made in Manitowoc.
— Kate Bruns
Funding for fab labs
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is now accepting applications for the eighth year of its Fabrication Laboratories (Fab Labs) Grant Program for public schools to develop high-tech workshops with equipment like 3D printers, laser engravers and computer numerical control routers. For this year’s funding cycle, applicants are being asked to match 50% of the amount of grant funds requested. Applications can be found online now through Jan. 12 at wedc.org/fablabs.
NWTC celebrates major gift
On Sept. 28, representatives of the Gene Haas Foundation visited the campus of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College to celebrate its $500,000 gift naming NWTC’s advanced machining lab in honor of the California CNC entrepreneur. It is one of the largest gifts in college history, according to President Kristen Raney. Gene Haas is founder of Haas Automation and inventor of the machine tool industry’s first fully programmable collet indexer — the Haas HA5C; his foundation in 13 years has provided $175 million worldwide to increase training and education in advanced manufacturing. Haas Foundation funds can be used at NWTC for scholarships, marketing, talent attraction efforts, K-12 outreach and more. Currently, the funds are being dedicated to providing a toolbox for each NWTC student who remains enrolled in the CNC machining program for one year.
A faster credential
The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services has entered into an agreement with computer-based testing company Pearson VUE to offer more locations and more exam slots for Wisconsinites seeking work credentials. “This is a major boost to our state’s workforce, paving the way for qualified professionals to become credentialed more quickly,” said DSPS Secretary-designee Dan Hereth. “We have seen, and expect to keep seeing, increased demand for trades exams in Wisconsin.”
