I first met Chris Calawerts at a coffee shop in De Pere. It was a chance meeting, but one that I’m so grateful took place.
Chris is the president of Oshkosh Door, a commercial wood door manufacturer with roots dating back to 1853, and the subject of this month’s cover story by Associate Editor Kate Bruns. We introduced Chris and a bit of the Oshkosh Door story in our February Personalities feature. If you recall, Oshkosh Door has undergone a significant transformation after a major equipment failure in 2017 sent the company — and its shaky culture — into a tailspin.
We knew there was so much more to the company’s story, way more than could fit into a Personalities Q&A, so when it came time to lock in the subject for our October issue, Chris was our call. Chris led the company’s comeback and, most recently, pioneered a similar transformation at the company’s Oregon division. Turn to page 20 to learn more about what it took to overhaul Oshkosh Door’s culture, which got it on track to grow by more than 200%.
In addition to the cover story, you’ll find lots of good reads in this month’s issue, including a look at Northeast Wisconsin’s growing aviation economy (page 28), a profile of a young entrepreneur who started her jewelry design business from her parents’ basement (page 40) and a behind-the-scenes look at how a De Pere manufacturer’s new automated guided vehicles are changing its business (page 52).
In Insight news, our team welcomed two new members last month. Kelly Fochs joined as our marketing lead and designer, and Nikki Kallio (whose name probably looks familiar) joined our editorial staff. Nikki is a previous Insight editor and has contributed stories as a freelancer for years. Expect to see her byline even more in the coming months as we continue to increase our industry coverage in print and online at insightonbusiness.com. We are so excited to have Kelly and Nikki bringing their creativity, knowledge and talent to Insight as we grow.
Speaking of growth, I hope you have already registered for Wisconsin’s largest manufacturing conference, Manufacturing First Expo & Conference, coming up Oct. 29. If not, consider this a gentle nudge to get on that. In its 15th year, Manufacturing First is set to be bigger and better than ever. If you do business in Northeast Wisconsin, whether in manufacturing or otherwise, this event is not to be missed.
