Generac’s renovated HQ will be on display at Next Generation Manufacturing Summit

In 2009, the year before Generac Holdings Inc. went public, the Waukesha-based company had about 1,350 employees and $588 million in revenue.

By the end of 2017, Generac had grown to 4,500 employees and $1.7 billion in revenue, with sales expected to reach $1.9 billion this year.

Aaron Jagdfeld has led the company’s substantial growth as president, chief executive officer and, since 2016, chairman. He will be among the featured presenters at the 2018 Next Generation Manufacturing Summit on Thursday, Oct. 4. The event, presented by BizTimes Media and Milwaukee 7, will take place from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Generac’s corporate headquarters, S45 W29290 Highway 59 in Waukesha.

“We look forward to this event each year, where attendees will learn about the latest best practices in manufacturing and leadership strategies from the presenters and roundtable discussions,” said Dan Meyer, publisher of BizTimes Media. “We are thrilled to hold this event at Generac, one of the premier manufacturers in the country.”

Generac is nearing the completion of a headquarters renovation, converting the building from a 1960s-era manufacturing facility to a modern engineering and technology center, as well as a home for corporate functions. The project is part of a $73 million investment Generac is making across its Wisconsin facilities to prepare them for even more growth.

Jagdfeld said the company realizes its western Waukesha County location presents challenges for attracting talent and part of the purpose of the headquarters investment is to make Generac an attractive place to work.

“We’re trying to get people to be more interactive with the space and you have to have a great space to do that, which we clearly have invested in here,” Jagdfeld said.

Joining Jagdfeld on the panel are Keith Coursin, president of Germantown-based Desert Aire LLC, Paul Woelbing and Rich Simonson of Franklin-based Carma Laboratories Inc., and Frank Carroll of Hartford-based Broan-NuTone LLC.

Each panelist will present on his company’s unique strategies and key differentiators. BizTimes manufacturing reporter Arthur Thomas will then moderate a discussion on current industry issues, including trade, technology and talent.

The morning will conclude with a series of roundtable discussions in which participants can learn strategies for improving their business. Topics include improving productivity, veterans in the workplace, staying ahead of technology disruption, product development and the Foxconn supply chain.

The roundtables will last for 25 minutes and each attendee will have the opportunity to participate in four discussions.

Registration for the event is now open and is limited to a maximum capacity of 300. Visit biztimes.com/mfg for more information.