Featured Employers
The featured employers of Waupaca County are seeking the best people to help grow their businesses and the local economy. If you are one of the best at what you do, or are willing to become one of the best, the featured employers of Waupaca County stand ready to hire you. Please explore the information, links and videos below to find out how you can change your life and become part of a team that makes a difference!
Bank First is headquartered in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Through a combination of acquisitions and de novo offices, the bank has expanded to serve the community banking needs of those throughout Wisconsin, including several offices in Waupaca County. Our growth has been achieved through our relationship-based model of banking. We take pride in knowing our customers on a personal level and working together to create value for themselves, their families, and the communities in which we live.
Bank First takes great pride in supporting our community. We believe by working together, we can transform lives and build stronger communities for our future generations. We have created a culture focused on community involvement, and our employees are empowered to volunteer and give back in many ways. In 2019, Bank First contributed over $745,000 to 742 local events and non-profit organizations. Our employees donated over 11,366 hours of volunteering in the community as well. Giving back has allowed Bank First to develop meaningful relationships with local families, businesses, and non-profit organizations. We believe these relationships strengthen us and the communities we serve.
Premier Community Bank brings together people who have a passion to make a difference where they live. It’s been that way since the beginning. The bank was originally chartered by a group of local farmers, business owners, and community leaders to bring banking to their rural hometown. Over 75 years later we’ve grown to serve dozens of communities and thousands of families, but the commitment to make a difference wherever we call home hasn’t changed.
We are dedicated to creating fantastic experiences and providing financial peace of mind.
At larger financial institutions, you can get lost in the shuffle, while smaller banks might not have the services you need. First State Bank, on the other hand, has found the happy middle ground. We value relationships, which is why we listen and continue to adapt our offerings to better serve you.
In other words, we’re small enough to know your name but big enough to offer the expertise and capabilities you need. We’ve proudly served the region since 1895, giving back to the communities we serve through donations to local charitable organizations. And we look forward to growing with our customers for many years to come!
WE ARE WAUPACA
Quality Iron Castings Since 1955
Waupaca Foundry has cultivated a legacy of commitment, innovation, continuous improvement, and safety above all. The skilled craftsmen that call Waupaca home have made Waupaca Foundry an industry-leading provider of quality gray iron, ductile iron, austempered ductile iron, and HNM™ series high-strength ductile iron castings. Headquartered in and operating three foundries in Waupaca, WI, Waupaca Foundry also has foundry operations in Marinette, WI, Tell City, IN, Etowah, TN and Lawrenceville, PA. Additionally, Waupaca Foundry operates a machining and assembly facility in Effingham, IL.
In a challenging market and changing world, Walker Forge delivers. It starts with consistent quality in closed-die steel forgings. It continues with the capacity to handle high volumes, along with the expertise and agility to evolve with changing needs. We are the true definition of confidence in steel forging.
In 1946 two brothers, my father Herb Kolbe and his brother Ervin, began a business repairing and building windows and door frames. Their little shop was located in a wash house on an 80-acre family dairy farm in Marathon, Wisconsin. Since those days over 70 years ago, Kolbe & Kolbe has grown into a nationally recognized leader in the premium window and door industry, selling its broad range of product offerings through hundreds of distributors and dealers across the United States, Canada and beyond.
While my father and uncle are no longer with us, their spirits live on in our company today. As Chief Executive Officer, I am committed to continuing Kolbe & Kolbe as a closely-held, family business. We will not depart from the philosophies that made our company successful. We will continue our commitment to our employees and we understand the very important role that Kolbe & Kolbe plays as a major employer in Wausau and the surrounding communities. Our commitment will not be deterred by the vagaries of the national or local economy.
We will remain true to our principle that was best stated by my father when he said, "our success is due to the people, the many employees who have served loyally over the years. They are, in essence, an extension of the Kolbe family."
Over thirty years ago, I joined this organization as a general laborer because I loved working with wood. I was placed in a production area responsible for making double hung windows. Being a quick study, I was able to learn the parts and processes well enough to be cross-trained in a number of other production areas. Through hands-on training, I began to fully understand the products and their construction. I also recognized that it was the people who really instilled in the products the lasting quality, which, in essence, is the heart and soul of the organization.
I am thankful to be a part of such a dynamic organization that continues to use the principles on which it was built to mould its future and continue the successes of its founders. As Herb Kolbe said, "We don’t strive to be the biggest, but we do strive to be the best." This is, and continues to be, our commitment to our team members, business partners and the customers we serve.