Pair of Chamber members honored at Manufacturer of the Year Awards program

GREATER WAUSAU CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Nine Wisconsin companies were recently recognized as 2023 Manufacturers of the Year by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce. In a testament to the strength of the manufacturing industry in central Wisconsin, two of these honorees are members of the Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce. The winners were announced at a banquet held on February 22 at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee.

Lemke Industrial Machine LLC in Marathon was named the Going the Extra Mile recipient in the special award category. Weinbrenner Shoe Company in Merrill was named the Time-Tested American Craftsmanship recipient, also in the special award category.

Lemke Industrial Machine LLC, established in 1973, started as a general machine shop providing services to local businesses. Soon after its inception, the firm began providing gate hoists for dams. The company grew to provide machinery and operating equipment for locks and now specializes in movable bridge components.

For more than 130 years, Weinbrenner Shoe Company has crafted Thorogood boots in Wisconsin. Originating in a Milwaukee cobbler shop in 1892, the company’s boots are sold globally.

The 35th Manufacturer of the Year Awards program recognized Wisconsin companies that are dedicated to quality careers, good business practices, financial growth, innovative processes and reinvestment into local communities. The industry itself employs nearly a half million Wisconsinites and contributes roughly $70 billion annually to the economy.