Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce: E.K. Machine Co., Inc. wins 2014 Wisconsin Manufacturer of the year award

Thursday, February 26

Contact: Katy Pettersen, 608.661.6916 or 608.516.6684 (cell)




Fall River company wins workforce development category grand award

Milwaukee – E.K. Machine Co., Inc. is one of seven Wisconsin companies awarded a prestigious Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Award. The winners were announced Thursday night at a black tie banquet honoring the 40 nominees.



E.K. Machine has supported their local school districts’ technical education programs regularly over the last ten years through donations, mentoring, plant tours, acting as advisors and participating in student job fairs.



They donate all of the materials used for the SkillsUSA state welding competition. E.K. Machine not only encourages all of their youth apprentices to participate in SkillsUSA, but have sponsored some of the apprentice’s trips to state and national competitions. Several E.K. Machine employees have also served as judges for the various competitions.



Over the past eight years they have trained six youth apprentices in the areas of welding, machining and fabrication. E.K. Machine’s ultimate strategy is to develop a long term workforce through these partnerships and training. It is their hope is to keep each one of their youth apprentices on as full time team members, but they don’t gauge the success of their youth apprenticeship program on the number of apprentices they are able to keep, but rather on the number of apprentices they are able to teach skills, professionalism and proper work ethic to.



Celebrating its 27th year, the Manufacturer of the Year Award program recognizes manufacturers of all sizes and industries for their contributions to the great state of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year award winners were selected by an independent panel of judges representing manufacturing, service and the public sector.



The accounting and advisory firm of Baker Tilly, the law firm of Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, and the business association Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce sponsor the MOTY awards program.



Additional information can be found online at www.wimoty.com or by calling (800) 362-7301.



The 2014 winners are:


Grand Awards

HUSCO International, Inc., Waukesha – Mega Category

Seats, Incorporated, Reedsburg – Large Category
Spectrum Industries, Incorporated, Chippewa Falls – Medium Category

General Plastics, Inc., Milwaukee – Small Category

E.K. Machine Co. Inc., Fall River – Workforce Development Category



Special Awards

Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, Ellsworth – Marketplace Opportunity Award

Universal Acoustic & Emission Technologies, Inc., Stoughton – Employee Development & Commitment Award