Contract Fabricator Promotes Careers in Manufacturing

Michael Dougherty, president of D&S Manufacturing (Black River Falls, WI), recently announced the company?s involvement in Max and Ben?s Manufacturing Adventures, a collection of videos developed by Western Technical College (La Crosse, WI) to introduce middle school children to the many diverse career opportunities available in the manufacturing industry. The program was made possible through a grant received from the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration.

According to Sherrie Hein, human resources manager for D&S, the company was the first in a series of local businesses to open their facilities to 13-year-old students Max and Ben and their video crew. During the visit, the team interviewed employees within disciplines such as accounting, purchasing, manufacturing engineering and programming to determine the requirements of, and responsibilities for, each position. Next, they toured the company?s extensive production facilities where Max and Ben had the opportunity to meet with machinists, fabricators, painters, robotic operators and welders and learned to perform a simple welding operation.

Frans Carlstrom, D&S director of continuous improvement and tour facilitator, expressed the importance of engaging students at an early age through channels that are most relevant to the way they communicate. In addition to being available for classroom use, the six-minute video may be viewed on the Web at www.maxandbenadventures.com and will be promoted through various social networking sites. The long-term objective of the program is to track the progress of Max and Ben each year as they move toward their future vocations.

?Too often, local students are unaware of the possibilities that exist in manufacturing and are led to believe they must relocate to achieve their career objectives. These videos demonstrate, in a fun and engaging way, that there are many rewarding professional opportunities within the Black River Falls community. This program also encourages students to seek out technical classes during middle and high school, as well as coursework in math, chemistry and physics, so they are well-positioned for the challenges associated with post-secondary education,? Carlstrom concluded.

For more than 40 years, D&S Manufacturing has served as a custom manufacturer of large-scale components, assemblies and complete weldments for a broad cross section of well-respected corporations that include Caterpillar, Oshkosh Corporation, Parkson, The Trane Company and CNH. The company?s extensive capabilities include machining, high-definition-plasma, oxy-fuel and laser cutting, as well as manual and robotic welding.

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