Contacts: Morna Foy, 608-266-2449, morna.foy@wtcsystem.edu
Kyle Schwarm, 608-266-0050, kyle.schwarm@wtcsystem.edu
Mid-State Technical College credited with “accelerated” production expansion
WISCONSIN RAPIDS – Ocean Spray Cranberries of Wisconsin Rapids has been awarded the inaugural “Futuremakers Partner Award” by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board. This new award is designed to recognize organizations that partner with technical colleges in pursuit of strong futures through sustainable jobs.
System President Dan Clancy presented the award to Ocean Spray for the company’s significant financial and workforce investment, to increase the economic vitality of the Wisconsin Rapids region. The award was made at the recommendation of Mid-State Technical College (MSTC), who works in close partnership with Ocean Spray to meet the company’s need for skilled employees. Many Ocean Spray employees are MSTC degree and diploma program graduates or have benefitted from customized educational opportunities from the college.
Most recently, MSTC received a Wisconsin Workforce Advancement Training (WAT) grant to upgrade the skills of workers at the Wisconsin Rapids cranberry processing plant. WAT grants are a key component of the Grow Wisconsin effort.
“Our workforce advancement training program is an important tool in growing Wisconsin, and I am pleased that, together with the Wisconsin Technical College system, we could provide assistance to Ocean Spray to help them expand,” Governor Doyle said. “Ocean Spray’s investment in their workers and their capital is an investment in Wisconsin. Ocean Spray is a world class company, and their expansion is helping create good, family supporting jobs for hard-working Wisconsin families.”
New workforce skills were required to fully realize the benefits of $75 million in capital improvements for production expansion, the largest capital investment the company has made in a manufacturing facility.
“The training from the college was essential to our growth,” said Ocean Spray plant manager Kirk Willard. “The complexity of growing an organization in a short amount of time presented many challenges. In general, the timeline for bringing the production online was vastly accelerated due to MSTC.”
Willard added it typically takes four months to develop a new production line for ideal cranberry processing. MSTC training helped cut that down to eight days.
“This was a collaboration of business, education and government working together and resulting in highly-desirable outcomes. It’s a great example of how things can and should work,” said Dr. John Clark, president of MSTC. “The Ocean Spray – MSTC partnership has helped Ocean Spray grow through improved productivity and become more globally competitive.”
Wisconsin Technical College System Board members toured the Wisconsin Rapids Ocean Spray plant this week, which includes two, new, sweetened dried cranberry production lines and has expanded from 50 to 168 full-time employees.
“Our Board members were thoroughly impressed with the level of advanced technology integrated into Ocean Spray’s operations and how that has impacted production,” said Stan Davis, WTCS Board President. “When you consider the impact this company has had on central Wisconsin and the level of engagement between the company and its local technical college, it’s easy to see why Ocean Spray was chosen to be the inaugural recipient of the WTCS Futuremakers Partner Award,” Davis added.
The Wisconsin Technical College System has 16 technical college districts throughout Wisconsin, which offer more than 300 programs awarding two-year associate degrees, one and two-year technical diplomas and short-term technical diplomas. In addition, the System is the major provider of customized training and technical assistance to Wisconsin’s business and industry community. More than half of all adults in Wisconsin have accessed the technical colleges for education and training. Find more about educational programs at http://www.witechcolleges.org.
