State officials also recognize Kusel Equipment Co. for its participation in Made in Wisconsin Program

WATERTOWN, WI. OCT. 24, 2018 – Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer Tricia Braun visited the Kusel Equipment Co. in Watertown today as part of the statewide celebration of Wisconsin Manufacturing Month.

Braun, along with State Representative John Jagler, toured the company’s facility and met with company officials and employees to learn more about the opportunities and challenges that manufacturers face, and to see firsthand what has made the company a success.

Braun and Jagler also presented Kusel Equipment President and CEO David Smith with a plaque to recognize the company’s acceptance into WEDC’s Made In Wisconsin Program, which provides state companies with a new tool—an official Made In Wisconsin logo—to help market the origin and quality of their products. More than 210 companies now participate in the program, which was created in 2016 as a way for Wisconsin businesses to show their state pride.

“As one of the oldest companies in Wisconsin, Kusel Equipment is an outstanding example of the more than 9,000 manufacturers in Wisconsin who contribute significantly to the state’s economy,” Braun said. “I applaud Kusel and its employees both for taking part in our Made in Wisconsin Program and for the role they play every day in continuing to move our economy forward.”

“The Made in Wisconsin Program has given us the ability to acknowledge our deep and rich history throughout the state and the city of Watertown,” said David Smith, President and CEO of Kusel Equipment Co. “As we look to the future of Kusel, it’s important to us that customers throughout North America know where our products are being manufactured.”

Kusel Equipment was founded in 1849 by Daniel Kusel Sr., who immigrated to the U.S. from Germany. Upon his arrival in Watertown, Kusel established a tinware and hardware business, and as the business evolved, Kusel quickly made a name for himself as a quality supplier of products and equipment throughout the region.

Over the decades, the company became known for manufacturing dairy equipment, and in the early 1980s introduced a line of stainless steel floor drains. Today, cheese-making equipment continues to remain the foundation of company, which manufactures top-of-the-line cheese vats, finishing tables, curd elevators, presses and moulds.

In addition, Kusel Equipment is a leader in the stainless steel drain industry with its lines of floor drains, trench drains, floor sinks and floor troughs.

Wednesday’s visit comes as Governor Walker has declared October Wisconsin Manufacturing Month to celebrate the accomplishments and the future of this key industry. Wisconsin manufacturers produced more than $59 billion worth of output in 2017, accounting for 18 percent of the state’s gross domestic product. From September 2017 to September 2018, Wisconsin added 22,800 manufacturing jobs—the second-highest increase in the nation and tops in the Midwest.