Homegrown Horizons: Cultivating partnerships in Southwest Wisconsin
Join CESA 3 in connecting education, industry, and economic development partners to share and gain perspectives, align goals, and contribute to the region’s outlook.
8:00 – 8:30 Registration
8:30 – 8:45 Welcome
8:45 – 9:30 Keynote speaker Matt Kirchner
9:45 – 10:30 Regional Economic Development Organization Panel featuring:
- Allison Taylor, Lafayette County Economic Development Corporation
Matt Kirchner’s Bio Matt Kirchner (pronounced “KirK-ner”) serves as President of world-class curriculum, eLearning and training equipment distributor LAB Midwest, a company that he and his ownership group acquired in 2015. LAB Midwest is headquartered in Wisconsin and maintains offices across its seven state territory. Kirchner firmly believes that the American Dream can only be perpetuated by a strong U.S. Industrial and Manufacturing sector and he has dedicated his career to ensuring that industrial employers have the skilled workforces they will need in order to compete in the world of Advanced Manufacturing. For seven years prior to his current role Kirchner served as the Chief Executive of American Finishing Resources, LLC (AFR), the largest provider of Industrial Coatings Removal and Paint Fixture and Hanger Design and Fabrication in the Midwest. In 2014, he spearheaded his ownership group’s sale of AFR to DuBois Chemicals.
Kirchner’s resume also includes 10 years as the President and Chief Executive Officer of ABQC Corporation, a 250.000 square foot custom coating operation located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and in the mid-1990’s he completed the turnaround of Innovative Control Systems, Inc. a Wisconsin corporation that develops and manufactures high-tech security and asset protection systems for healthcare facilities.
He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant, and serves on the boards of several corporations and nonprofit organizations.
Kirchner is past President of the Milwaukee Branch of the American Electroplaters and Surface Finishers Society, served as the Co-Chair of the Management Committee of the National Association for Surface Finishing and was named the CCAI Wisconsin Chapter’s Supplier of the Year in 2014. He is a graduate of Marquette University.
In addition to his role with AFR, Kirchner is President of Profit360, LLC, a Midwest provider of management advisory services, and speaks frequently on topics of interest to American manufacturers and those who serve them. He authors the monthly leadership columns appearing in Products Finishing and Production Machining magazines.
