{"id":1970,"date":"2026-02-20T13:27:18","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T13:27:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ashleyfurnitureindustriesllc.com\/?p=1970"},"modified":"2026-02-20T13:27:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T13:27:18","slug":"wisconsin-manufacturer-of-the-year-awards-presented-to-eight-manufacturers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ashleyfurnitureindustriesllc.com\/news\/2026\/wisconsin-manufacturer-of-the-year-awards-presented-to-eight-manufacturers\/","title":{"rendered":"Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Awards Presented to Eight Manufacturers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>MADISON, Wis.\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Eight companies were named as Wisconsin Manufacturers of the Year at the 37th Annual MOTY Awards program, the state\u2019s premier recognition of manufacturing excellence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Baker Tilly, Michael Best &amp; Friedrich LLP, and Wisconsin Manufacturers &amp; Commerce (WMC), the hosts of the program, announced the recipients Thursday evening at a black-tie banquet honoring the manufacturers who exemplify excellence in the state\u2019s top industry and propel it forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This year\u2019s winners were selected from a field of more than 40 finalists representing the strength, innovation, and statewide impact of Wisconsin\u2019s manufacturing sector. Finalists were announced earlier this year following a rigorous evaluation of business performance, technological advancement, workforce commitment, community investment, and industry leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe finalists and winners of the MOTY Awards reflect the extraordinary dedication and innovation that define Wisconsin manufacturing,\u201d said Kurt R. Bauer, President\/CEO of Wisconsin Manufacturers &amp; Commerce. \u201cThese companies not only produce world\u2011class products but also create high\u2011quality jobs and strengthen local communities across the state.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The state\u2019s manufacturing industry employs 1 in 6 Wisconsin workers and generates over $73 billion in annual output, driving regional economies across the state and making Wisconsin a powerhouse of productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cManufacturing has been and always will be a cornerstone of Wisconsin\u2019s economy. The constant pursuit of innovation, the dedication to workforce development, and the investment back into our communities will ensure the success of our great state for generations to come,\u201d said Chad O\u2019Brien, Baker Tilly\u2019s Wisconsin manufacturing leader. \u201cBaker Tilly is proud to partner with WMC and Michael Best to shine a light on manufacturing and its importance to the success of our communities. On behalf of Baker Tilly, congratulations, and a sincere thank you, to all of the nominees and winners of this year\u2019s MOTY awards and all of those that support them.\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWisconsin\u2019s manufacturers stand out nationally for their hard work, commitment to quality, and entrepreneurial spirit,\u201d said David Krutz, Managing Partner at Michael Best &amp; Friedrich LLP. \u201cMichael Best is proud to stand with them and honored to once again recognize the manufacturers who drive economic growth and strengthen their communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to four Grand Award recipients, this year, the program organizers launched four new Spotlight Awards to recognize specialized excellence in a specific benchmark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>37th Annual Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Grand Award Recipients:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mega:&nbsp;<strong>Brakebush Brothers Inc.<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<em>Westfield<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Large:&nbsp;<strong>Robinson, Inc.<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<em>De Pere<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Medium:&nbsp;<strong>E.K. Machine Co., Inc.<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<em>Fall River<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Small:&nbsp;<strong>Reader Precision Solutions, Inc.<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<em>Elkhorn<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Spotlight Award Winners:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Business Resilience &amp; Growth:&nbsp;<strong>Custom Fabricating &amp; Repair, Inc.<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<em>Marshfield<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Community Impact &amp; Investment:&nbsp;<strong>Ashley Furniture Industries, LLC<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<em>Arcadia<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Excellence in Product &amp; Process Innovation:&nbsp;<strong>Spark Ops Metalworks LLC<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<em>Grafton<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Commitment to Workforce:&nbsp;<strong>Kapco Inc.<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;<em>Fond du Lac<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For 37 years, the Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Awards have honored companies that exemplify business excellence and contribute significantly to Wisconsin\u2019s economic success. The awards are sponsored by Baker Tilly, Michael Best &amp; Friedrich LLP, and Wisconsin Manufacturers &amp; Commerce. Learn more at www.wimoty.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Source: Wisconsin Manufacturers &amp; Commerce<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>###<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MADISON, Wis.\u00a0\u2013 Eight companies were named as Wisconsin Manufacturers of the Year at the 37th Annual MOTY Awards program, the state\u2019s premier recognition of manufacturing excellence. Baker Tilly, Michael Best &amp; Friedrich LLP, and Wisconsin Manufacturers &amp; Commerce (WMC), the hosts of the program, announced the recipients Thursday evening at a black-tie banquet honoring the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":1971,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[73,71],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-02-february","category-71"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":73,"label":"02 - February"},{"value":71,"label":"2026"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/www.ashleyfurnitureindustriesllc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Website-Header.jpg?w=900",900,360,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Betsy Ottman","author_link":"https:\/\/www.ashleyfurnitureindustriesllc.com\/author\/eottman\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":73,"name":"02 - February","slug":"02-february","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":73,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":71,"count":2,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":73,"category_count":2,"category_description":"","cat_name":"02 - February","category_nicename":"02-february","category_parent":71},{"term_id":71,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":71,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":7,"count":14,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":71,"category_count":14,"category_description":"","cat_name":"2026","category_nicename":"2026","category_parent":7}],"tag_info":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ashleyfurnitureindustriesllc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Website-Header.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ashleyfurnitureindustriesllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ashleyfurnitureindustriesllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ashleyfurnitureindustriesllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ashleyfurnitureindustriesllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ashleyfurnitureindustriesllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1970"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ashleyfurnitureindustriesllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1970\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1972,"href":"https:\/\/www.ashleyfurnitureindustriesllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1970\/revisions\/1972"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ashleyfurnitureindustriesllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ashleyfurnitureindustriesllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ashleyfurnitureindustriesllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ashleyfurnitureindustriesllc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}