Five years ago it appeared as though Manitowoc was falling off of the industrial map.
The Manitowoc Company had packed their bags and took a midnight train out of town, the Mirro Company was long gone, and we were only a couple of years away from Tramontina closing its doors.
But, if there is one word to describe the spirit of the Clipper City it would be resilient.
Manitowoc survived when submarines were no longer needed following WWII, and now we are bouncing back from a major exodus of large manufacturers.
Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels told Seehafer News that the reason we were able to survive was due in part to family-owned businesses such as Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry, Lakeside Foods, and others.
“These are the ones that struggled through the tough times and continue to survive here in the city,” Nickels said. “When we saw the exodus of Mirro and Manitowoc Company, it’s companies like WAF that stepped up.”
In fact, WAF recently announced its largest expansion in the 112-year history of the company.
During their groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, we asked CEO Sachin Shivaram about how they have been doing during what many are calling a labor shortage.
“I mean we do see signs that things are getting better, but thankfully we have seen steady flow,” he said. “During the whole supposed labor shortage, we actually added about 150 jobs here in Manitowoc.”
Shivaram also said he has seen a lot of people moving into Manitowoc from outside of the area.
“Maybe through word of mouth, they are hearing the cost of living here is good, the jobs are good,” Shivaram theorized. “So people are moving from Chicago, from Minnesota, Florida, Texas, all over the place.”
As for what the future looks like in Manitowoc, Mayor Nickels said Manitowoc will continue to be the source of many products around the world.
“We build cool things. We build big things…and things that go all around the world,” the Mayor said. “Look at what Konecranes, what they are doing…AMMO [Inc], they came to Manitowoc because of the workforce.”
Not only are new companies coming in, but businesses that got their start in Manitowoc are continuing to expand and fill up the ever-growing Industrial District on the west side of the city.
From being on the verge of economic ruin to thriving and growing, Manitowoc is as the Mayor put it, a place that “builds cool things.”
