Spring 2012
Page one
Vol. 14 No. 1
Page two
Improving on History
Letter from the CEO
David Bretting
Page three
Page four
Mike Willis
Duly Noted
Andrea Ludtke
Always Listening
Improving on History
Nurses Corner
Continued
Anne Smith, RN
C. G. Bretting Manufacturing
Improving on History
C.
G. Bretting Manufacturing Co., Inc.
has tested history and excellence in
manufacturing through four generations
of management. There are several
themes that have been consistent for
Bretting – quality people, investment in technology,
unparalleled customer service, and products that exceed
the expectations of the industry. These are themes that
have led to success for more than 120 years.
In the early 1960s Tad Bretting reinvented the company
to concentrate on the design and manufacture of
equipment for use in the tissue paper converting
industry. Tad surrounded himself with people who were
entrepreneurial in nature, like himself. Throughout his
tenure as president, Tad accomplished many things,
including receiving the Small Business Person of the
Year Award from President Bush in 1989 and being
inducted into the Paper Industry International Hall
of Fame in 1999. This staff created the basis of high
quality engineering and manufacturing for extraordinary
expansion for the future. Every new hire over the years
from the original 12 employees in the 1960s to about
450 employees today has met the criteria of wanting
to achieve excellence – excellence that translates to the
highest quality products and customer service available
in the industry. It all comes down to one premise – the
customer always comes first.
During this growing time into the 1970s the Bretting
product line expanded and engineering enhanced
the equipment to include Bretting’s pioneered
automatic count and separation. The next generation
of equipment included interfolders for singlefold
and multifold hand towels, facial tissue interfolders,
and C-fold towel machines. Today the product
line also includes rewinders, table cover machines,
flexographic printers, and a variety of packaging
equipment. Our specialty equipment is utilized in
other industries such as aluminum foil, wax paper,
plastics, non-wovens, and other disposable products.
Equipment ranges from small manual equipment for
small converters to large high-production converting
lines that help make multi-national operations
successful. The sales staff and engineers truly listen
to each customer so each machine exactly meets the
needs of the customer’s manufacturing operation.
Over the years Bretting has made strategic
acquisitions in Europe and the United States. In 2011,
Bretting acquired certain assets of S&S Specialty
Systems, Inc. The company is a leader in the design
and manufacture of converting equipment for nonwovens and other specialty substrates.
Investing in technology has been another central
theme to the success of Bretting Manufacturing.
Bretting strives to stay a step ahead, and does so
through expansion of machining capabilities in the
Machine Shop and providing top level engineering
software solutions for the Engineering Department.
Some of the Machine Shop investments include fivesided large capacity milling machines (10’X26’X4’),
large lathe turning capability (43’X312”), and many
other vertical milling and turning machines. In
addition to the manufacture of Bretting products,
adding this capacity has made the Bretting Contract
Manufacturing Services (CMS) Group able to assist
manufacturers all over North America with custom
parts production. Other support
services include water-jet cutting,
programming, painting, outside
diameter and surface grinding,
assembly, and much more.
The company currently occupies
over 280,000 square feet of office,
manufacturing and assembly space.
In the Beginning
n The C. G. Bretting Manufacturing Co., Inc. is currently
managed by the fourth generation of the Bretting family. Current family
members include David Bretting, President and Chief Executive Officer, and
Paul Bretting, Chief Operating Officer.
You can’t truly appreciate the vibrancy and innovative character of Bretting
Manufacturing without looking at its history.
Christopher George Bretting purchased the Parish Iron Works in 1890. The site
of this company on the shore of Lake Superior in Ashland, Wisconsin continues
as the site of Bretting Manufacturing today. From 1890 to the 1920s the
company manufactured machinery and equipment for the sawmill industry,
meeting the needs of the world’s largest concentration of sawmills.
continued on page two
Page one
Greetings
from Ashland
The history of Bretting Manufacturing is filled with
the entrepreneurial spirit, dedication to customers,
innovation, and a never-ending quest to be the best.
Having a diverse background and changing with the
times – from logging to mining to paper – has kept
Bretting one of the top employers in the Ashland
area. With the past generations of owners being
future-minded, we have been able to keep ahead of
our competition – no matter the industry.
Tad Bretting put us on the track we are on now –
constantly creating new, better, and faster equipment
for the paper converting industry. He saw a bright
future in this industry – ever-changing needs of
customers and end-consumers keep us in a continual
loop of re-inventing and upgrading machines to
produce product faster and with better quality. Tad’s
many accomplishments stretched throughout the
industry…he was able to take part in the beginning
of the paper converting industry expansion; some
of the first machines Tad put into production are
still being used today. His eye for innovation is
still present with the staff we have today – always
thinking and testing new ideas will put us, and
ultimately our customers, at the forefront of this
highly competitive industry.
a relatively stress-free environment by managing the
nerve center of our facility – and has a highly capable
staff to troubleshoot issues and upgrade software and
hardware to keep us working effectively. Everyone in
the building works with Mike every day, even if they
never see him…and that’s the way he likes it.
Word of mouth forged our name in the minds
of many global companies. Now in our fourth
generation of family ownership, Bretting
Manufacturing continues to strive for excellence in
the world marketplace, by investing in machine tools,
equipment, R&D, and people.
With summer right around the corner, if you are
vacationing in our area or just passing through, give
us a call and we’d be happy to meet you and give
you a tour of our facility.
David Bretting
President & CEO
Being the IT Manager for any business is no easy task
– the computer industry changes daily and computer
problems are always popping up. Mike Willis is able
to manage changes and problems seamlessly – everpresent in the background of daily activity, but
always trying to be invisible to every user. He creates
In the
Beginning
continued from page one
n In 1904 Christopher George Bretting passed
away, and his widow and oldest son Ralph Bretting
continued to operate the company. As the white
pine forests of the region were depleted, the sawmill
industry decreased also. There was an increase in local
mining operations, and Bretting adapted and started
catering to the needs of the mining and shipping
industries.
n By 1929 Christopher Bretting’s youngest son
Lyman returned to Ashland with an engineering degree
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and
took over management of the company. He was sole
operator of the company until 1958, until his son Tad
Bretting went into business with him after receiving a
business degree from Notre Dame University.
n In 1960 Tad took over sole management of the
company and again Bretting Manufacturing changed
with the times and adapted operations to meet the
needs of the converting industry. In 1997 Tad Bretting
retired and turned the company over to the fourth
generation. He later passed away in 2003.
Under Tad Bretting, and the leadership of David and
Paul, Bretting Manufacturing has continued to grow
and has expanded to become a truly global operation.
Page two
Duly
Noted
by Andrea Ludtke
n Babies
n Bretting Retirements
Rachel and Bill Plizka, a boy
Doug and Amber Erickson, a boy
Bill and Angela Reardon, a boy
Ryan and Angela Lunn, a boy
Bill Maki – 38 years of service
Tim Amrein – 33 years of service
n Men’s Potbelly Basketball League
The Bretting Men’s Potbelly League team had a great time getting together
to play some basketball over the winter months – a good way to get out of
the house and be active during the long, snowy weeks. But with a record
of 6–8, I think they need to do some extra laps around the court! Better
luck next year!
n Christmas Parade Float
We took 2nd place in the Ashland
city Christmas parade this past year.
The float was a depiction of “gifts
under the tree”. Our prize money
was donated to the Ashland Animal
Shelter.
Front row: (l to r) Joe Popovich, Jesse Henry, and Luke Korpela.
Back row: (l to r) Phil Kruzan, Ben Taddy, Dan Huybrecht, and John Zifko.
n Citizen of the Year
n Upcoming Trade Shows
Joe Olson, Services Team Leader, was
named Citizen of the Year in Hurley, WI
this past winter for his participation in
Iron County snowmobile and recreational
organizations. Along with those
organizations, he is also a Pence town
supervisor, Montreal volunteer firefighter,
an ATV and snowmobiling instructor, and a
baseball coach. Where do you find the time
Joe? Congratulations on this big honor!
MIAC 2012
10 – 12 October 2012
Lucca, Italy
Stand # 17
Tissue World Asia 2012
(Tech.Vantage stand)
14 – 16 November 2012
Shanghai, China
Stand # 1G01
Joe Olson, Citizen of the Year
in Hurley, WI.
5 Servings a Day!
Our most recent health challenge was to eat a minimum of 5
servings of fruits and vegetables a day – it was a good way to get
us in the habit of eating more than we typically do. The challenge
finished with 56 employees turning in their weekly serving totals.
23 of those people consistently averaged 5 servings or more a day!
Congratulations!
The winner of a $200 gift certificate to our local food co-op, with
1,214 servings (almost 650 more than the 2nd place finisher!) over 10
weeks is Dan Beirl. On the left is a photo of a typical lunch for Dan…
pretty impressive! Congratulations Dan – keep up the good work!
Page three
Mike Willis,
Always Listening
A
s Information Technology (IT) Manager
at C. G. Bretting Manufacturing, Mike
Willis coordinates between the Bretting
employees and IT staff and makes
sure technology resources are
being allocated to best service the
company. There is a constant need for information
between all departments. “On the manufacturing
side, they need information from Engineering –
and Engineering, in turn needs feedback from
Manufacturing with a lot of the information starting
out from the sales staff. The IT staff supports everyone
who has a need to share information,” Mike states.
One of the more difficult tasks for the IT staff is
to translate the user’s needs for information into a
programmable action plan. When researching user
needs, it is important to be able to make anyone
feel comfortable with the process of defining the
information needed and not overdo the technical
language. He explains, “From the IT manager’s point of
view, a good portion of the day is spent planning and
listening to issues and concerns and translating them
into something that will improve business processes
and make the end users’ job easier.”
Mike’s staff is made up of three programmers, a system
administrator, and a system technical support specialist.
They are critical to the company and the process of
improving business processes. It is their skills that
can make or break an IT manager. “I am extremely
fortunate that the three programmers (Chris Gonderzik,
Andy Pope, and Jason Johnson); System/Network
Administrator (Eric Sundberg), and System Technical
Support (Chad Soare) have a clear understanding
T
Mike Willis
of the Bretting mission statement. They clearly
understand what it means when we hear ‘Delivering
on our promise, earning the right to be the customer’s
choice.’”
“We touch every facet of the business process. From
the Machine Shop, Assembly, Sales, Administration,
Engineering, facilities’ management - we support
everybody’s IT needs, from behind the scenes.” His
philosophy is to be proactive, “We want to challenge;
however, we don’t want to step too far out so people
become uncomfortable with the technology. It is
important to take our lead from employees, supervisors,
and managers. They understand the business process
better than anyone else. The IT staff will have to ask,
‘How does that fit into the business process and will it
take the company to the next level?’”
When you look at Mike’s background, you could
wonder how he ended up in this position. With a
background in computers and management, he has
honed his skills for project management. He served his
country in the USAF as a B52 pilot for over 20 years.
He has worked in international arms control, IT project
management and operational management. Before
arriving at Bretting, he had earned three master’s
degrees, in management, finance and aeronautics.
After the USAF, Mike worked at the school districts in
Superior, Wisconsin and Duluth, Minnesota in IT. From
there he moved to a hospital in Hutchinson, Minnesota
and managed the conversion and implementation
of a new medical system. “The hospital goal was to
convert their old system to an updated health system
with 15 core modules. They had planned to do it in 18
months, and we did it in 13,” he explains. With the
project completed, Mike was given the opportunity to
work for Bretting Manufacturing. “I saw this as a great
opportunity to continue working and learning.” It was
also an opportunity to see his wife every night and be
close to family.
Mike and his wife, Chris, live in Solon Springs,
Wisconsin and have been married since 1974. Chris is a
first-grade teacher in the Solon Springs School District.
Since entering the service, he has spent a lot of time
away from family. “Although it is a 58.7-mile drive
each way, it is a lot closer than I’ve been since 1973.”
Nurses
Corner
he warm weather we have been having
is great for us…and for the ticks as well.
This season has started much earlier due to
the warmer weather and the ticks are out
in full force.
Tick-borne diseases can be prevented by preventing
tick bites. In regions where tick exposure is likely,
people should wear long sleeved shirts, long pants
cinched at the ankle or tucked into the boots or
socks, and closed-toe shoes. Walking on cleared
trails, away from brushy vegetation, also decreases
the opportunity for tick attachment.
Spraying clothes with an insect repellent may provide
an additional barrier of protection from ticks. Most
repellents contain diethyltoluamide (DEET), which
repels but does not kill ticks. Permethrin is the
active ingredient found in many aerosol spray tick
repellents that are designed for use specifically on
clothing. Permethrin kills ticks on contact and has
a low toxicity in mammals. Field tests done by the
US military have shown tick repellents containing
permethrin to be 90-100% effective in preventing
tick bites.
When traveling in tick-infested areas, inspect all parts
of the body closely at least twice daily. Some ticks
can be on the body for 1-2 hours before attaching.
Even after a tick attaches, disease transmission
may be prevented by prompt removal. Laboratory
studies of ticks infected with the infectious agent that
causes Lyme disease showed that disease was rarely
transmitted if the tick was attached for less than 24
hours. Redness, itching, and swelling are commonly
seen at the site of a tick bite.
The standard method for removing an embedded tick
is to use rounded tweezers, grasp the tick as close as
possible to the skin surface, and then pull with slow
steady pressure in a direction away from the skin.
Take care not to crush or squeeze the body of the
tick, because fluid forced out of the tick may contain
infectious agents. If you don’t remove the tick intact,
don’t try to dig it out. Instead, apply a triple antibiotic
(such as Neosporin) to the area.
After the tick is removed, wash the bite site with soap
and water or an antiseptic. The person who removed
the tick should wash his or her hands thoroughly.
It may be a good idea to save the tick in case later
identification may be necessary.
Traditional methods of tick removal, such as applying
fingernail polish, rubbing alcohol, or a hot match
head to the tick, do not affect tick detachment.
These methods also may induce the tick to salivate or
regurgitate into the wound, thus transmitting more of
an infectious agent.
Monitor the bite area for about two weeks. Tick
bites normally look red and slightly inflamed for up
Page four
to five days. If redness persists or the red area begins
to increase in size, see a physician. Also see a doctor
if you experience any disease symptoms (such as
fever, headache, muscle or joint pain, or nausea)
within a few weeks of the tick bite; if possible, bring
the preserved tick with you. However, if the tick is
removed and is not attached or swollen (meaning it
has not been attached for long), it is unlikely Lyme
disease will follow.
Don’t forget your four-legged friends, too - make
sure you give your pets the proper tick treatments
throughout the year!
Information in article from: www.emedicinehealth.com and
www.intelihealth.com
C. G. Bretting Manufacturing Co., Inc.
3401 Lake Park Road • Ashland, Wisconsin 54806 USA
Tel: 715.682.5231 • Fax: 715.682.4138
E-mail: cgb@bretting.com • www.bretting.com
Copyright C. G. Bretting Manufacturing Co., Inc.
May 2012.
Printed in USA.