by Kurt R. Bauer
For more than a century, Wisconsin has been defined by those who build. Generation after generation has transformed ideas and determination into products that improve our quality of life and move America forward. It’s easy to measure the impact of Wisconsin manufacturing. Last year alone, the industry contributed nearly $74 billion to our state’s GDP. What is often overlooked, however, is how many Wisconsin-made products touch our lives every single day. Let’s follow a typical Wisconsinite through an ordinary day and see firsthand how Wisconsin manufacturers “make” your day.
It’s 6:00 a.m. on a Tuesday morning and your alarm clock rings. You and your spouse get out of bed and start the day. After showering, it’s time for breakfast. You pour yourself a cup of coffee and fire up the stove to cook some Jones Dairy Farm sausage (Fort Atkinson). After enjoying breakfast, it’s time to head to work. You lace up your Thorogood work boots (Merrill) before stepping out to the garage.
It’s a beautiful fall morning, making it the perfect opportunity for one more Harley-Davidson (Milwaukee) ride before the Wisconsin winter arrives. On the way to work, you stop at Kwik Trip (La Crosse) to fill up the tank and pick up a box of Glazers Donuts to share with your coworkers.
By 8:00 a.m., you’ve arrived at the office and stepped into a building powered by a Generac generator (Waukesha). After a productive morning, noon arrives before you know it. For lunch, you enjoy crispy chicken from Brakebush Brothers (Westfield) and a side of rice topped with Kikkoman soy sauce (Walworth) before heading back to your desk.
The afternoon fills quickly with meetings, phone calls, and projects. Before you know it, it’s 4:30 p.m. With one last hour to go, you send a few final emails and wrap up the day’s work. Knowing you’ve got yard work waiting at home, you grab a snack of Jack Link’s beef jerky (Minong) and Sargento string cheese (Plymouth) to hold you over until dinner.
By 5:15 p.m., you’re back home. Taking advantage of the remaining daylight, you fire up your Ariens Co. (Brillion) or John Deere (Horicon) riding mower and tackle the yard before the sun sets. After cleaning up and taking a quick shower, it’s finally time for dinner.
Tonight, your spouse has prepared a hearty meal featuring Jennie-O ground turkey (Barron) and frozen vegetables from Lakeside Foods (Manitowoc). After dinner, you wash the dishes, help the kids with homework, and tuck them into bed.
By 9:00 p.m., it’s finally time to relax. You and your spouse settle onto your Ashley Furniture couch (Arcadia), turn on your favorite show, and unwind after a long day.
Most people don’t think about manufacturing as they go through their day. But behind every meal, every commute, every workplace, and every home are Wisconsin companies and Wisconsin workers making it all possible. That’s the power of manufacturing, and that’s the Wisconsin way.
