Adrián Fernández

Wisconsin’s manufacturing heartbeat is alive and well — and buyers know it. Manufacturing businesses remain some of the most in-demand sales in our region. Why?  - Strong, stable customer bases  - Skilled workforce  - Long-term relevance in supply chains Buyers see Wisconsin manufacturing as a safe bet with room to grow. If you own a manufacturing business, now’s a great time to explore your options — demand is on your side.

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Lantech CEO Jim Lancaster said recent disruptions across global logistics exposed how “fragile” the system was when relying solely on manufacturing case sealers in the Netherlands. Adding production in the United States reduces transit time, allowing Lantech to deliver equipment more quickly to North American customers. Read more on Packaging OEM's website ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g58sy3D2 #madeintheusa #packaging #casesealers #reshoring #logistics #supplychain | WTWH Media LLC

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IT can often be seen as a line item to manage—but what if it could be more than that? What if IT wasn’t just a cost center, but a strategic growth driver? The latest blog from iwx. makes a compelling case for shifting our mindset. It’s not about spending more—it’s about aligning IT with business goals, unlocking efficiency, and creating real value. If you're a CFO looking to turn tech into a lever for growth (not just a budget headache), this is worth a read.  https://lnkd.in/gtF3M5dp #CFO #ITStrategy #blog

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𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗘𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗿𝘀 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗮 𝗔𝗶 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝘁 Earlier this week, I had lunch with two industry leaders - the owner of a mid-sized manufacturing company and a senior leader at the Illinois Manufacturers'​ Association. Despite their different perspectives, both described the same core frustration: “𝘞𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭-𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 — 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘪𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.” It’s a common pain point in manufacturing and distribution: the data is there, but it’s fragmented, delayed, or buried in systems that weren’t designed for real-time insight. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗘𝗥𝗣𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗨𝗽? Most ERPs, whether it’s Sage, Global Shop, or Acumatica, are great at processing transactions. But when it comes to dynamic visibility into inventory, procurement, or cost drivers, they fall short. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: “Where are we overstocked or understocked — right now?” “Which suppliers are delaying production?” “How do we connect operations to financial performance in real time?” And too often, the answer is, “We’ll get that in a report next week.” 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁  • Slow Decisions = Lost Margin!  • Manual Data Pulls = Wasted Time!  • No Unified View = Higher Risk | Lower Confidence! 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗮 𝗔𝗶: 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 At Nava Ai, we’re solving this problem by giving manufacturers and distributors a clear, real-time view across their operations, without replacing their ERP. 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿: ✅ Live inventory visibility ✅ Supplier performance tracking ✅ Operational-financial intelligence — all in one place ✅ Natural language summaries to make complex data accessible to any decision-maker Whether you’re trying to manage working capital more effectively or spot upstream supply chain risks before they hit your margins, Nava Ai gives you the clarity and speed to act. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗜𝘀 𝗡𝗼 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 That conversation over lunch was a reminder: manufacturers aren’t lacking data - They’re lacking access to it in the moment that matters. If you’re feeling that same gap, let’s talk. We’re helping teams turn disconnected data into real-time decisions that drive results. Learn more about us at https://thenava.ai/ #Manufacturing #AI #Distribution #NavaAi #RealtimeReporting

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Why #Indiana #ForTheBold #Bold Manufacturing accounts for nearly 30 percent of the output in Indiana, where $102.59 billion was generated in 2017. Manufacturing accounts for almost 20 percent of the state’s workforce, with 516,900 workers employed in the sector statewide–an estimated one in five workers. In fact, Indiana has the highest concentration of manufacturing jobs in America. With more than 8,500 manufacturing firms already in the state, Indiana is the second-largest automobile manufacturing state in the nation. Along major truck routes and freight lines, goods manufactured in Indiana can reach 75 percent of the U.S. and Canada’s populations within a day’s drive. https://lnkd.in/gS9gV4ty https://lnkd.in/gqG5FigN

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Manufacturing 2026: Growth Focus Is On the Customer Chase Last week’s State of Manufacturing event led by Enterprise Minnesota told a clear story to a packed house: new customer acquisition is the #1 path to grow. -58% of Minnesota manufacturers now say acquiring new customers is their top growth priority — a nine-point jump year over year. Right behind that, -31% pointed to increasing productivity, up thirteen points. 82% of manufacturers are confident they can handle today’s tariff and trade environment. The surprise? Inflation, which dominated 2024’s worries at 33%, dropped to 12% — barely cracking the top seven. The new headwinds: an unfavorable business climate (24%), healthcare costs (21%), and rising wages (17%). At Aleran, we’re seeing the same patterns nationwide. Manufacturers - notably mid-sized and enterprise - are moving from testing AI to trusting it - tightening operations, modernizing go-to-market strategies, and rethinking everything from their products to configurating to quoting to production. Capital expenditures are easing off, but operating expenditures are rising, which is signaling a shift toward more flexible cash-flow control, and faster access to emerging tech without massive upfront costs. So what does this mean for 2026? Manufacturers already know 2026 growth won’t come from cutting deeper. It’ll come from capturing demand faster — simplifying how teams configure, quote, and produce — and making every touchpoint with customers faster, smarter, and more connected. How does this align with what you’re seeing in your region? Is your biggest growth lever new customers — and/or creating a better environment to win and keep them?

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