The new state-of-the-art facility will enhance Kingsbury’s manufacturing capabilities, support future business expansion, and create new employment opportunities in the Fox Valley region. The building will include two-story office space, will be loaded for three 15-ton bridge cranes, a climate-controlled QC lab, a Babbitt room, and will be seeking LEED accreditation.
This new manufacturing facility underscores Kingsbury’s commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and long-term growth in Wisconsin. The investment will increase production capacity, enhance the company’s ability to serve its customers, and reinforce Oshkosh’s status as a premier manufacturing hub. Construction is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2027.
Rebecca Higgins, a PFAS Remediation Leader with AECOM’s Minnesota office, recently spoke about PFAS at the Wisconsin Paper Council Annual Meeting.
Biography: Rebecca Higgins, PG
Rebecca is a PFAS Remediation Leader with AECOM’s Minnesota office. She works across various market sectors to support clients facing diverse and expansive PFAS challenges. As a former long-time state regulator with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, she brings unique perspectives to the dynamic interface of evolving regulations, technology advancements and remediation management strategies. After leading the technical investigation and feasibility study under the 2018 3M PFAS Settlement and directing the technical regulatory elements of the 3M Consent Order Sites, she now brings that expertise to strategic advisory roles serving public and private sector clients across the US. Rebecca is the former Co-Chair of the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council and President of the Minnesota Ground Water Association.
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers Mentor-Protégé Program recently recognized participants from its fifteenth session, marking another milestone in a program that continues to strengthen Wisconsin businesses through mentorship, leadership development, and strategic business growth.
Co-created and administered by AFF Research, the Green Bay Packers Mentor-Protégé Program has become one of Wisconsin’s most impactful business development initiatives. Since its launch in 2010, the program has connected emerging businesses with experienced mentors, creating opportunities for growth, innovation, and long-term success.
Over the course of fifteen sessions, 164 companies have participated in the program, generating measurable economic impact throughout the state, including:
164 companies completing the program
More than 504 jobs created
$110.9 million in revenue growth
Stronger business networks and expanded market opportunities for participating companies
“The Green Bay Packers Mentor-Protégé Program demonstrates what can happen when experienced business leaders invest in the success of emerging companies,” said Anna Steinfest, President and CEO of AFF Research. “Over fifteen sessions, we have witnessed remarkable growth, job creation, and business success stories that continue to strengthen communities across Wisconsin. We are proud of every mentor and protégé who has contributed to the program’s lasting impact.”
The program reflects a shared commitment by the Green Bay Packers and AFF Research to support entrepreneurship, foster business excellence, and create meaningful economic opportunities throughout Wisconsin.
AFF Research is a nationally recognized consulting firm specializing in supplier diversity, business development, mentorship initiatives, and economic inclusion programs. As co-creator and administrator of the Green Bay Packers Mentor-Protégé Program, AFF Research helps organizations and businesses build meaningful partnerships that drive measurable growth and long-term success.
The Swing Big with GBIG was an outstanding success in 2026. We had 215 golfers and 63 Hole-Sponsors with just under three hundred attendees.
We want to thank First Business Bank as the Major Sponsor for the event.
We want to thank Steve Van Dyke, Joan Koehne – Packerland Websites, Caity Wilhelm – Membership Director of GBIG, AJ Buran, Cassie Diedrick & Nicole Onesti – Women in the 5P Industries, VARC, Apricity, and ALL the other volunteers to make this an extraordinarily successful outing.
We will be donating the profits from the event to:
Apricity
Einstein Project
EPH
St. John’s Shelter/Ministries
Trees for Tomorrow
University of Wisconsin-Madison
VARC
Women in the 5P Industries
We thank Amundsen Davis for raising $525.00 at their hole with the marshmallow drive. Congratulations to the winners: Andrew Maus in the men’s division and Corey Snyder of Stora Enso in the women’s division.
Sign up for the Driven by Partnerships an appreciation reception at The Automobile Gallery event on Thursday, June 25, from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. sponsored by Amundsen Davis.
Get links to the latest news, events, stories, and interviews from our 5P news members. Our goal is to remind the decision-makers in Wisconsin of the importance of our industry both historically, and more importantly, into the future.
Read the latest 85 Stories and Links on the Internet below.
The International Dairy Deli Bakery Association held its show on June 6-9 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. More than 1,000 exhibitors representing retailers, suppliers, and manufacturers attended this premier food industry event. Cassie Diedrick, GBIG Board member and Business Development Director at Titletown Manufacturing, represented GBIG at IDDBA 2026.
“I had an opportunity to start new conversations beyond the Midwest, connecting with people from California, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Canada. It really expanded the reach of who we’re engaging with,” Cassie said. “I was able to have meaningful, real conversations with vendors and industry leaders and see what’s trending firsthand. One interesting conversation was about plastic grocery bags in California.”
Speaking to a representative from a large food packaging company, Cassie learned that the show wasn’t necessarily the biggest driver for immediate deals. It’s more about presence and staying top of mind. When those larger opportunities do come through, the show vendors are often the first to hear about them. Being at the show keeps them in the conversation for the times when big orders require additional packaging capacity or capabilities the companies don’t already have.
IDDBA 2026 peaked on June 8 with U.S. and international vendors featuring products ranging from cheese, bakery, and deli to packaging and meat processing. Packaging and equipment manufacturers maintained a strong presence, highlighting solutions focused on efficiency, automation, and operational scale, top priorities across the industry.
The conference also featured a high-profile speaker lineup, including Coach K, Alton Brown, and Trevor Noah, along with a couple fun cake competitions events. Alton Brown had a memorable quote during his talk: “You can’t take advantage of change if you’re afraid of it.” Trevor Noah offered this insight: “Trends tend to come back around in a recycled format.”
Beyond exhibits and programming, attendees appreciated the quality of connections made, new partnership opportunities and shared capabilities across the food value chain. As IDDBA 2026 concluded, the event underscored continued momentum across the industry, combining innovation, collaboration, and leadership in one of the sector’s most important annual gatherings.
The Wisconsin Drives Manufacturing Summit brought together the people and organizations shaping Wisconsin’s manufacturing sector. Wisconsin has the second-highest concentration of manufacturing employment in the nation, with manufacturing accounting for 15.8% to 20% of jobs statewide. The UW–Madison College of Engineering did an outstanding job bringing this program to Green Bay in partnership with manufacturers across Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin is a major economic driver, generating $38.9 billion in annual economic impact for the state. UW–Madison supports 287,232 jobs and contributes $1.94 billion in tax impact. Continued support for and investment in UW–Madison is critical to Wisconsin’s economy. We have seen at the federal level major cutbacks of funds across the USA with a major impact on research and science. The United States is experiencing a significant pullback and restructuring of federal science and research investments, and it will have an impact on the Wisconsin economy. UW Madison is in the top five in national research for the first time since 2014 surpasses $1.93 Billion in research expenditures. Simply, we do not need politics to change an extraordinarily successful program. UW Madison goal is to bring together Education and Industry to benefit the State of Wisconsin.
The Green Bay Innovation Group is a proud sponsor for the Wisconsin Drives 2026 Manufacturing Summit. It was a fantastic gathering of individuals, and companies dedicated to advancing manufacturing in Wisconsin with seven hundred people attending. The commitment to growth and innovation was inspiring. Wisconsin has the depth of industry, talent, partners, energy, education, and technology to be a World Leader in Manufacturing.
Marty Ochs Executive Director Green Bay Innovation Group Foundation
The New North Summit at Lambeau Field on June 9 brought together regional partners, business leaders, educators, nonprofit organizations, sponsors, volunteers and community leaders for a day focused on the people, partnerships and ideas moving Northeast Wisconsin forward.
The energy and engagement throughout the day reflected a clear message: the New North is a region on the rise because people continue to show up, lean in and work together around shared goals.
Summit Themes
Collaboration is our competitive advantage. The Summit reinforced that the region’s strength comes from the way businesses, educational institutions, nonprofits, local communities and regional partners come together to advance shared priorities.
Connection matters. Whether through workforce partnerships, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, talent attraction or regional storytelling, progress happens when people build relationships, exchange ideas and stay engaged.
A balanced, strategic approach is essential. As technology continues to change how we live and work, the future will require both innovation and humanity. Strong culture, responsible growth and clear communication will remain critical to helping communities and organizations move forward.
Keynote Speakers Bring the Message to Life
The morning program featured three keynote speakers who each offered a timely perspective on leadership, innovation and communication.
Kyle Chapman of Barry-Wehmiller opened the Summit with a powerful message on Truly Human Leadership, reminding attendees that strong workplace culture starts with seeing, valuing and caring for people.
Rima Alaily of Microsoft explored the role of AI, technology and infrastructure in shaping the future of business and community growth, while emphasizing the importance of embracing innovation responsibly, sustainably and with a community-first approach.
Denise Thomas closed the morning with a focus on communication, reminding leaders that clarity, trust and connection are essential in helping people and organizations navigate change.
Program Highlights and Regional Recognition
Additional program highlights included a New North update from President and CEO Patti Habeck, videos showcasing how New North connects opportunities to create regional impact, and an update from Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation shared by Sam Rikkers.
The program also included a heartfelt tribute to Steve Janke, founder of Mission Wisconsin and Semper Forward, honoring his lasting impact on New North Hires Heroes and the many veterans, service members and families he helped support throughout his life.
The Summit also recognized Ann Franz and 20 years of impact through the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance, and celebrated Goodwill Industries as the recipient of the Workplace Excellence Award. Insight Publications’ 40 under 40 alumni were also recognized.
Denise Thomas
Rima Alaily
Kyle Chapman
Breakout Sessions and Networking
The afternoon continued the momentum with breakout sessions focused on cross-industry talent development strategies, featuring Hope Voight, Dan Suda and Dr. Ashwani Bhatia, as well as entrepreneurship and innovation with Stephen Pounds, Anna Steinfest, Nicole Hurd, Lily Schuette, Jessica Nicholson, Sam and Richard Smith.
Conversations carried into the networking reception, where attendees continued connecting, exchanged ideas, participated in a networking activity led by Ian Abston and enjoyed live music from Mile of Music artist Austin Skalecki.
From powerful keynote messages and regional recognition to meaningful breakout discussions and new connections, the day reflected what makes the New North strong: people coming together with purpose, pride and a shared commitment to building a stronger future for the region we are proud to call home.
The plastic and rubber industry continues to face operational pressure from multiple directions. Supply chain instability, rising material costs, stricter environmental requirements, and aging infrastructure are forcing manufacturers to rethink operational reliability. For many facilities, the focus has shifted from rapid expansion to operational stability, downtime reduction, and increased process visibility.
Plastic and rubber manufacturers operate in highly competitive environments where production interruptions quickly impact delivery schedules and profitability. As a result, many companies are prioritizing reliability improvements and targeted modernization projects. These efforts strengthen existing operations without requiring full system replacement.
Supply Chain Disruptions Continue to Affect Production
Global supply chain volatility remains one of the industry’s largest challenges. Delays involving raw materials, electrical components, drives, sensors, and replacement parts have made consistent production scheduling more difficult.
Many facilities are improving maintenance practices and reducing dependence on obsolete equipment. Upgrading controls, standardizing critical components, and improving spare parts management can help minimize downtime during supply chain disruptions.
For operations that rely on rubber processing equipment, maintaining reliable motor controls, PLC platforms, and power distribution systems has become increasingly important. Facilities that modernize critical systems often improve troubleshooting efficiency and reduce the risk of outages tied to obsolete components.
Sustainability Expectations Are Reshaping Operations
Sustainability requirements are also influencing how rubber and plastics manufacturers evaluate production systems. Customers, regulators, and internal initiatives are increasing pressure to improve energy efficiency and reduce waste. Rather than replacing entire production lines, many facilities are implementing focused upgrades that improve operational efficiency while extending equipment life. This includes:
Updating motor control systems to improve energy usage.
Improving process monitoring and production visibility.
Reducing unplanned downtime and material scrap
Modernizing outdated electrical infrastructure.
Increasing automation consistency across production lines.
These industrial plastic solutions help facilities strengthen operational performance while supporting long-term sustainability goals.
Reliability Has Become a Competitive Advantage
Production reliability is now a major differentiator for industrial rubber suppliers and global manufacturers. Unexpected downtime can create missed shipments, product quality issues, and increased operating costs.
Many facilities are addressing these risks through a combination of preventive maintenance, electrical system upgrades, and automation improvements. System visibility has become especially important. Operators and maintenance teams need accurate production data and diagnostic information to identify problems before failures occur.
Facilities that invest in modernization often improve:
Equipment availability
Maintenance response time
Production consistency
Operator visibility
Overall process stability
These improvements are particularly valuable in operations with aging rubber processing equipment or expanding production demands.
Adapting to Long-Term Industry Changes
The plastic and rubber industry will continue to evolve as manufacturers respond to shifting supply chains, changing customer expectations, and increasing operational demands. Companies that focus on reliability, modernization, and maintainable infrastructure are often better positioned to adapt to future challenges.
For many facilities, success depends on making practical improvements that strengthen existing systems while supporting long-term production goals. Strategic upgrades to controls, electrical systems, and process infrastructure help plastic and rubber manufacturers maintain reliable operations in demanding environments.
For more information about industrial automation, controls integration, and system modernization solutions for manufacturing facilities, contact Adam Kahler at akahler@quadplus.com or (815) 210-9885.
Green Bay Innovation Group
Bringing Green Bay Companies Together. Green Bay Innovation Group is committed to building an authentic networking experience where innovation can thrive.
