Advertise on podcast: NEW Manufacturing Insights

Brandon Beard, president of DuxxBak Composite Decking in Green Bay, says he never planned on working in manufacturing. His first dream was to be like Robin Williams' character in "Good Morning, Vietnam" -- focused on military service and broadcasting. Brandon finally gets his turn behind the microphone today, but we promise he doesn't yell into the microphone on this week's episode of NEW Manufacturing Insights.  He joins this week's show to talk about his career in manufacturing in Northeast Wisconsin, his long history with the NEW Manufacturing Alliance, and why he was honored to serve as this year's chair of the NEWMA board. NEW Manufacturing Insights is a joint production of Insight and NEWMA, produced by Woodward Community Media. Thank you to Stoke RGA for sponsoring this episode! stokerga.com  Learn more about DuxxBak Composite Decking here: duxxbakdecking.com Learn more about the NEW Manufacturing Alliance here: newmfgalliance.org

Ryan Rogers, director of operations for 1000 Island Airboats in Marion, Wisconsin, joins Kate and Ann on this week's show to talk about the 2025 "Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin," as determined by an online vote this past fall: the 1000 Island 24-Foot Search and Rescue Airboat. The lifesaving product is also the subject of this month's Insight on Business magazine "Home Made" feature, which you can read online here: www.insightonbusiness.com/features/homemade/cool-as-ice/article_e2f7ec0b-d6a1-48c1-a046-8106817d09c5.html Rogers tells the co-hosts about the company's history, why his family was moved to purchase the business and bring it to Wisconsin in 2017, and what it was like winning WMC's "Coolest Thing" competition, all on this week's episode sponsored by Stoke RGA (stokerga.com).  Learn more about 1000 Island Airboats online here: 1000islandairboats.com

The Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance, led by podcast co-host Ann Franz, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and makes a big change by moving to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. In that spirit, Dr. Michael Alexander, chancellor of UWGB since May 2020, joins Ann and special guest co-host Jen Fietz of Stoke RGA on this week's episode to talk about his five-plus years leading the institution, the challenges and revelations of COVID, how higher education is evolving, UWGB's exceptional enrolllment growth in the face of demographic challenges, and why UWGB is a good fit to the new host institution of NEWMA.  Thank you to Stoke RGA for sponsoring this episode, and all of our 2026 episodes of NEW Manufacturing Insights.

Kiley Eck Hayon is president of Eck Industries in Manitowoc, which was recently announced as a finalist for the 2026 Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Awards, which will be presented Feb. 19. On this week's episode she joins Ann Franz and guest co-host Jen Fietz of Stoke RGA to talk about the rewards and challenges of working in a family business, why Eck Industries is committed to its capital investments in technology and more. Learn more about Eck Industries at eckindustries.com. This podcast episode, like all 2026 episodes, is sponsored by Stoke RGA. Learn more about stokerga.com. 

Jen Fietz, owner and CEO of the firm Stoke RGA, joins co-host Ann Franz of the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance on this week's episode of the NEW Manufacturing Insights podcast to discuss studies and trends that paint a picture of the manufacturing industry heading into 2026. Regular co-host Kate Bruns, Insight's manufacturing editor, was under the weather for this week's recording but will return for future episodes. Ann opens the show by thanking Jen for committing to a new yearlong sponsorship of the podcast (thank you, Stoke RGA, for sponsoring NEW Manufacturing Insights throughout 2026!), and by reviewing some of the results of NEWMA's 2026 Manufacturing Vitality Index that was published last month. Jen goes on to ring in the new year by sharing some of Stoke RGA's 2026 manufacturing trends to watch, including technology helping run tighter operations, continued rising costs, and marketing (though Fietz shares she likes to avoid that term).  Learn more at stokerga.com. 

Melissa Samuels of ErgoFactor and Emily Tietjen of NEW Water are Kate's and Ann's last guests of 2025, joining the podcast this week to talk about their volunteer work with Brown County FIRST Robotics, which teaches K-12 students skills including collaborative problem solving, Gracious Professionalism™ and Coopertition™, as well as technical fluency for future careers in fields like engineering and manufacturing.   You can learn more about the program, which board members Samuels and Tietjen say is always in need of volunteer technical mentors and business support, at browncountyfirstrobotics.org.  NEW Manufacturing Insights will return for season 4 on Thursday, Jan. 8. Happy Holidays!

EDL Packaging, a Massman Company's Kathryn Rowen, vice president and general manager, and Lynn Caruso-Stueck, director of operations, join Ann and Kate on this week's episode to talk about the company's 60-year tradition of making equipment for shrink wrapping and shrink bundling in Greater Green Bay. EDL recently constructed and moved into a new facility in De Pere that expands the company's capabilities with enhanced efficiency and a total 25% space increase. On the episode, Rowen and Caruso-Stueck detail how the new facility is having a positive impact on their business and helping attract talent, as well as why it is important for them to be located in Northeast Wisconsin, what it's like being a successful woman in the manufacturing industry, and how technology will contribute to EDL's growth in the new year.  

Julia Herlache, sustainability manager for Masters Gallery Foods, joins Kate and Ann on this week's episode to talk about how the company has been intentionally and methodically building its sustainability efforts over the past dozen or so years since two employees first approached Masters Gallery's leadership about taking steps to reduce waste in the plant.  Today, Masters Gallery is an example in the food manufacturing industry, and in Wisconsin's New North region, of integrating and promoting sustainable practices. Today the company diverts 86% of its waste, and its newest facility in Oostburg was constructed to maximize environmental friendliness.  Herlache, who studied environmental science and has spent her entire career in the field, joined Masters Gallery in 2023, marking her first foray into manufacturing. Listen this week for her insights on making the transition from local government to private industry as well as how other companies can learn and take inspiration from Masters Gallery's many successes, which include being named a 2025 WMC 2025 Business Friend of the Environment Award recipient.

Annika Galloway, director of communications and public relations for Galloway Company, is Ann's and Kate's guest on this week's pre-Thanksgiving episode of NEW Manufacturing Insights. Listen as the co-hosts raise a glass with Annika, a fourth-generation family business leader, while the company prepares to sponsor A Very Neenah Christmas Market Dec. 5-7 and announces the development of its latest beverage innovation: an acidified crème liqueur base that allows acid, dairy and alcohol to swim together without separating. Galloway Company traces its roots back to the 1800s and its family dairy farm in Fond du Lac. It has been manufacturing dairy products in Neenah for more than six decades. Already the nation's leading producer of bulk sweetened condensed milk, Galloway Company recently doubled its capacity for its production and is growing in all facets -- its physical footprint, its employee base and its emerging beverage division. Learn more about the company's history and future on this week's episode. NEW Manufacturing Insights is a joint production of Insight Publications and the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance.

Started in October 2023 as a joint project of Insight Publications and the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance, NEW Manufacturing Insights celebrates 100 episodes this week with a look back at some of the most interesting guests, topics and insights shared on the podcast so far.  Co-hosts Ann Franz of NEWMA and Kate Bruns of Insight talk about and play some of their favorite clips, including interviews with CEOs such as Dan Ariens, Adam Rupp, Tanya Nueske, Sachin Shivaram, as well as moments like the first-ever appearance of a NEWMA All-Star on the show. Thank you for supporting the show for two years and 100 episodes!

Ann and Kate take a look back at the 15th annual Manufacturing First Expo & Conference, which was held last Wednesday at Resch Expo in Green Bay, with more than 1,000 attendees and more than 200 exhibitors. Hear interviews from the expo floor with attendees representing companies including HUI Manufacturing, GPS Education Partners, Carron Net Company, Oshkosh Corporation, Appleton Airport and many more.

Ryan Downs, president of Oh Snap! Pickling Company and formerly of the sauerkraut mega-maker GLK Foods, joins co-hosts Ann Franz and Kate Bruns on this week's episode to share his and his family's history in food manufacturing in the New North region. Downs created Oh Snap! in 2015 following a robust product development process and now sells through most major retailers all over North America, promising "portable pickle perfection" -- healthy, mess-free snacks that can be taken anywhere, including pickled cucumbers, green beans, carrots and infused cranberries.    "There's kind of pickle madness in the country right now," he says, adding that Oh Snap! was built off nutrition trends around gut health and an exploration of packaging pickles' popularity in a new way. And he's proud to point out that Oh Snap! has actually lifted up the entire pickling industry as opposed to taking business away from other products in the sector.  Learn more about Oh Snap! by listening to this week's episode, sponsored by Wisconsin Public Service: www.wisconsinpublicservice.com/secure/ssl/savings/business/free-consultation Oh Snap! is online at www.ohsnappickles.com. 

Dan Haak, president, and Cheryl Fritz, business development manager, for Appleton-based Apricity join Kate and Ann on this week's episode of NEW Manufacturing Insights, sponsored by Wisconsin Public Service. Apricity was created in 2017 when STEP Industries merged with Mooring Programs -- making the company a comprehensive source for providing treatment, employment and support services to individuals impacted by substance abuse disorder. "It's a great combination of having a solid business with a great nonprofit mission," Fritz says.  Learn more about Apricity, its mission and how it is working with our region's manufacturers by listening to this week's episode.

Chris Calawerts, Insight on Business' October 2025 cover subject, is the president and COO of Oshkosh Door, Edgewater Door in Neenah and Oregon Door in Winston, Oregon. On this week's episode he shares his passion for manufacturing, his admiration for Garth Brooks and his best leadership insights as co-hosts Ann Franz and Kate Bruns, the author of the October cover story, dive a little deeper into this month's Insight cover feature. Read the cover story, "Open Hearted," online at insightonbusiness.com.  Thank you to Wisconsin Public Service for sponsoring this episode. Learn more about how they're helping manufacturers at wisconsinpublicservice.com. 

NEW Manufacturing Insights celebrated its anniversary and the start of Manufacturing Month with a special recording in front of a live audience Oct. 2 at Schreiber Foods in Green Bay. The exclusive event was open to pre-registrants of Manufacturing First taking place Oct. 29 at Green Bay’s Resch Expo.  On this week's episode, sponsored by Wisconsin Public Service, Pat Koleske, senior vice president at Schreiber Horizon, shares this insights and talks about how the Schreiber brand is expanding and rebranding. Over its 80 years in business, Schreiber has developed multiple solutions to scale its business, from supply chain management to innovation processes. Recently Schreiber decided to bring together these solutions marketed to outside customers under one umbrella.  Learn more at schreiberhorizon.com. Visit our sponsor, Wisconsin Public Service, at wisconsinpublicservice.com.