Komatsu, Twin Disc and Badger Meter CEOs to headline BizTimes manufacturing event

The chief executives of Komatsu Mining Corp., Twin Disc Inc. and Badger Meter Inc. will headline the ninth annual BizTimes Next Generation Manufacturing Summit on Oct. 9.

Bill Berrien, chief executive officer of New Berlin-based Pindel Global Precision, and Stacy Peterson, president and CEO of Big Bend-based Connoils LLC, will also be featured speakers during the morning’s panel discussion.

“We’re excited to have a great lineup of speakers for our annual manufacturing event,” said Dan Meyer, publisher of BizTimes Media. “Manufacturing is such an important industry for southeastern Wisconsin and attendees will have an opportunity to hear and learn from industry leaders and experts.”

Taking place at the Wisconsin Manufacturing & Technology Show, the event will focus on the connections shaping the future for manufacturers, including connections to other companies, between machines, across markets and economies and to the future workforce.

BizTimes associate editor Arthur Thomas will moderate a panel discussion featuring Berrien, Peterson, Jeffrey Dawes, president and CEO of Komatsu Mining, Ken Bockhorst, president and CEO of Badger Meter, and John Batten, president and CEO of Twin Disc.

The event will also feature 18 roundtable discussions with the area’s leading manufacturers and other experts sharing best practices in a variety of topics. Attendees will be able to attend up to three of the roundtable discussions. Here’s a list of the roundtable speakers and what they will talk about:

• Accessing tax savings in your facility and operations, Stan Babicz, CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP) Milwaukee
• Best practices: Turn export efforts into export revenues; Roxanne Baumann, Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership; Kevin Cranker, CGC Carbide Grinding Company, Inc.; Ken Murray, Huth Ben Pearson International LLC
• Building a customer experience center to drive sales and increase customer engagement; Bryce Unger, CG Schmidt; Thad Steffen, Johnson Controls
• CBD – The good, bad and ugly, Stacy Peterson, Connoils, LLC
• Developing a company culture to optimize productivity, Kyle Kopp, Sussex IM
• Graduating from passionate entrepreneur to seasoned mentor, Alan Petelinsek, Power Test Inc. 
• How to find the hidden money in your business; David Smith, Koss Corp.; Jim Sullivan, WMEP
• Innovating the quote-to-cash workflow with design automation; Jeremy Gilles, GSC; Josh Kasinskas, GSC
• Maximizing your supplier’s capabilities – From local concept and design to global manufacturing; David Cooper, 3M; Jean Wendlandt, 3M
• Monetizing your facilities — Whether expanding, relocating or just remaining, Michael Van Someren, Davis|Kuelthau, 
• Monetizing your innovation, Joseph Heino, Davis|Kuelthau 
• Preparing for a successful business transition and leaving a meaningful legacy; Stephen White, BMO Private Bank 
• Preserving the business through succession and, if family-owned, estate planning; Jacqueline Messler, Davis|Kuelthau 
• Secrets of successful negotiations, Christine McMahon, Christine McMahon & Associates
• The Business Case for Sustainability; Patrick Cain, General Plastics; Jessy Servi Ortiz, Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council
• Transformational productivity; Randy Bertram, WMEP; Carol Crawford, WMEP; 
• Winning the war for talent; Chris Czarnik, Career [RE]Search Group
• Women in manufacturing; Lisa Linz, Midwest Composite Technologies; Amy Street, Kapco Metal Stamping; Andrea Virsnieks, CLA;

Registration for the event is now open.