Events and Tours
During manufacturing month, WMC holds events and tours at manufacturing facilities across the state.
Contact Jacob Fischer, 608-661-6916, to post an event or tour in your area.
October is Manufacturing Month
About Manufacturing Month
Wisconsin is known as a state that makes things, and for good reason. Manufacturing is the state’s top industry, contributing over $73.7 billion to the Wisconsin economy, nearly 20 percent of the GDP. Manufacturing Month is a celebration of this output and the men and women who contribute towards it.
Due to retirements and economic expansion, there will be significant opportunities for employment in Wisconsin’s manufacturing industry, underscoring the need to ensure a robust talent pipeline now and in the years to come. Manufacturing Month helps to promote manufacturing as a viable career in Wisconsin in an attempt to fill these much-needed jobs.
To highlight the industry, WMC will be promoting numerous manufacturing-focused events in October, meeting with manufacturers around the state, distributing the 2025 Made in Wisconsin poster, and, once again, crowning the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin.
Manufacturing Month
Get Involved
For Manufacturers
For Chambers of Commerce
For Schools
Host an Event
Host a tour of your manufacturing facility, participate in the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin competition, learn more about The Manufacturing Institute and apply for the Annual Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year award program.
Follow these three simple steps to host an event for Manufacturing Month:
- Register your event on www.mfgday.com and e-mail the date, time, location, and contact person to Jacob Fischer, 608.258.3400.
- Contact your local chamber of commerce, school district and media outlets to encourage them to attend.
Are You a Great Manufacturer?
Apply for the Annual Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year award program.
The Manufacturing Institute
Today’s emerging workers are the solution to the workforce challenges of the present and future. The Manufacturing Institute’s key programs and initiatives provide hands-on solutions and best practices on a national scale.
Equipping today’s workers with the skills, network and knowledge to build the future workforce is mission critical for the Manufacturing Institute.
Among business leaders and the American workforce, The Manufacturing Institute creates and facilitates best-in-class workforce and education programs that support and grow the manufacturing workforce through professional development, skills training and industry-leading research.
Every year, about 200,000 men and women transition out of the military, and many need assistance finding a new career that utilizes their talents and supports their growth.
The Manufacturing Institute is committed to empowering today’s American Heroes to become tomorrow’s manufacturing leaders.
Decades ago, manufacturing set the stage for the march of women into the workforce. Today, The Manufacturing Institute inspires the next generation of female industry leadership. Women are critical to manufacturing’s future and represent one of its largest untapped talent pools.
Women today account for less than 1 in 3 manufacturing workers, despite representing about half of the overall workforce.
Closing manufacturers’ gender gap is key to addressing manufacturing’s workforce crisis. That’s why The Manufacturing Institute is working to empower women through recognition, research and leadership, encouraging them to engage their skills in modern manufacturing and supporting their efforts to pay it forward and mentor the next generation.
Wisconsin Celebrates October as Manufacturing Month
Manufacturing is the state’s top industry, contributing over $73.7 billion to the economy. The state’s over 9,000 manufacturers employ one in six Wisconsin workers – providing nearly half a million high-tech, high-skill, high-wage jobs.
“Wisconsin is a state that makes things,” said WMC President & CEO Kurt Bauer. “Our manufacturers not only drive Wisconsin’s economy, they produce valuable and necessary products, contribute to their local communities, provide fantastic careers, and much more.”
To celebrate the month, WMC rolled out the 2025 Made in Wisconsin Poster, an educational tool that showcases the breadth of manufacturing output in the state. Fifty-one Wisconsin-made products are featured on the poster, hailing from every corner of the state.
Each year, WMC partners with Johnson Financial Group to host its “Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin“ contest to showcase the industry.
WMC will also host a number of manufacturing-centric events throughout October, including manufacturing roundtables and its largest annual event, Business Day.
Additionally, WMC will celebrate the month by releasing a video featuring an iconic foundry (preview the video here) and by engaging in a robust campaign on social media.
“We’re proud to celebrate our manufacturers and put a spotlight on their impact,” Bauer continued. “These efforts are important to educate the public, especially our future workforce, about the opportunities and successes of the manufacturing industry.”
Manufacturing Month Videos
Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin – 2021
Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin – 2020
Women in Manufacturing – 2019
Technical Training Opportunities – 2019
Attracting Talent to Manufacturing – 2019
Veterans in Manufacturing – 2018
Apprenticeships in Manufacturing – 2018
Economic Impact of Manufacturing – 2018
Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin – 2018
Technical Education – 2017
High-Tech Manufacturing – 2017
Women in Manufacturing – 2017