Tailored Label Products Inc.: Wisconsin manufacturer of the year calls for greater focus on millennial hiring

Contact: Tracy Tenpenny, Tailored Label Products

262.703.5000 or ttenpenny@tailoredlabel.com

Company Cites ThomasNet Research as a Catalyst for Action

Menomonee Falls, Wisc.–May 29, 2014—As the U.S. jobless rate hits new lows, and the manufacturing sector continues growing, Tailored Label Products (TLP) issued a call to Wisconsin manufacturers to focus on the Millennials (age 18-32) who are the key to their futures.

TLP, which manufactures high-performance, custom labels for industry, puts a premium on innovation, and works hard to attract and keep young talent with new ideas and technology savvy. But recent research from ThomasNet.com® points to an urgent need for other manufacturers to do the same, according to Tracy Tenpenny, Vice President of Sales/Marketing at TLP.

He noted that a recent ThomasNet.com® Industry Market Barometer® survey of more than 1,200 manufacturers demonstrates a troubling trend: Companies are not bringing in Millennials to replace retiring Baby Boomers fast enough. With this generation projected to make up 75 percent of the workforce by 2025, manufacturers need an aggressive recruitment plan. Yet, eight out of ten respondents report that Millennials represent a very small fraction of their employee base, and most don’t see that changing soon.

“As a sector, North American manufacturing could forfeit its global leadership unless we attract the young talent we need. That effort must start in our home state,” said Mr. Tenpenny.

Part of the problem is that many Millennials are unaware of manufacturing or see this career as undesirable. Three quarters of the ThomasNet.com survey respondents believe negative perceptions of the manufacturing profession are preventing new generations from joining forces with them. This comes at a time when many manufacturers have more jobs than people to fill them. Forty percent of the survey respondents, for instance, have been hiring.

“Manufacturing is in dire need of a brand makeover. Those of us who love the industry need to become advocates for our profession,” he added.
He pointed to efforts that ThomasNet, a company that connects buyers and sellers of industrial/commercial products, has taken nationally. ThomasNet recently launched a Job Board to provide manufacturers with strong support. Last year, they awarded thirty $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors interested in manufacturing careers.

TLP has also taken action to attract and retain Millennials by providing an exceptional workplace. They just earned their second Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Grand Award (MOTY), honoring their innovation, philanthropy, commitment to customer satisfaction, and job creation. Also, TLP has won the Journal/Sentinel’s Best Places to Work in Wisconsin for six consecutive years.

About Tailored Label Products, Inc.
Celebrating its thirtieth anniversary, Tailored Label Products (TLP) is a custom manufacturer of high-performance labels, tags and die cut adhesives. TLP provides custom engineered and label solutions for the electronics, automotive, industrial, biomedical, medical equipment, hydraulic fluid and power industries. TLP is headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wis., and has additional manufacturing facilities in Suwanee, Ga. For more information, see www.tailoredlabel.com.