What WMEP Manufacturing Solutions does

WMEP Manufacturing Solutions (legal name Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership) is a private nonprofit consulting organization founded in 1995 and headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. As Wisconsin's designated Manufacturing Extension Partnership within the NIST MEP National Network, WMEP serves small and mid-size Wisconsin manufacturers across three practice areas: Growth (strategy, transformation, ExporTech export expansion), Operations (Lean Manufacturing, AI in Manufacturing, Automation/Industry 4.0, certifications/management systems), and People (leadership development, talent management, workplace culture). Its service portfolio includes project-based consulting engagements, structured workshops such as the AI Navigator Workshop and HACCP Training, an OpEx e-Learning Portal and Lean Six Sigma Study Portal for digital training, and Fractional Services providing part-time COO/CFO/certification expertise. Revenue is generated primarily through fee-for-service consulting engagements, scaled-revenue workshop pricing, training program registrations, and multi-year fractional leadership contracts; the organization reports having served 4,000+ manufacturers, created or retained 28,412 jobs, and generated $7.8 billion in economic impact at a nearly 20:1 average client ROI.

The firm's competitive position rests on a senior consulting bench (most advisors with 20+ years of manufacturing experience from operators such as Watlow, Honeywell, 3M, Brady Corporation, and Neenah Foundry) and its embedded role in Wisconsin's manufacturing ecosystem. WMEP distributes its services through a regional field sales structure covering Madison/South-central, Northeast, and Southeast Wisconsin, supported by public workshops held at partner venues such as UW-Milwaukee Connected Systems Institute. In February 2026, WMEP formalized a strategic alliance with MKE Tech Hub Coalition's Synapse initiative, UW-Stout's Manufacturing Outreach Center, and UW-Stout's Center for Advanced Manufacturing & AI to create a statewide AI and advanced-technology transformation network. The company has 51-100 employees, is led by CEO/Executive Director Chris Baichoo (appointed 2022, formerly a 19-year Watlow executive), and operates under CEO/Board governance typical of a nonprofit MEP center.

Name

WMEP Manufacturing Solutions

Legal name

Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Website

https://wmep.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

WMEP Manufacturing Solutions is a Wisconsin-based nonprofit consulting organization that delivers operations, growth, and workforce advisory services to small and mid-size manufacturers, serving 575+ clients annually as part of the NIST MEP National Network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Manufacturing Consulting Services

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Production & Manufacturing Operations (TPM, OEE, SMED) (EDABAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Learning Technology & LMS/LXP Implementation (BPACANAH)

Keywords

• Manufacturing consulting services
• Lean manufacturing advisory
• Operational excellence consulting
• Manufacturing workforce development
• AI adoption manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Brookfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Fee-for-service consulting engagements helping Wisconsin manufacturers with growth, operations, and people-focused improvements. Services include lean manufacturing, automation assessment, leadership development, and certification support.
2. Training Programs: Revenue from workshops including AI Navigator Workshop, HACCP Training, and other manufacturing training programs. Pricing is scaled based on annual company revenue for some workshops.
3. Fractional Leadership Services: Part-time, interim, project-based support providing fractional COO, CFO, and certification expertise to manufacturers without full-time hires.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WMEP is a nonprofit manufacturing consulting organization that delivers advisory engagements, workshops, and training programs to small and mid-size Wisconsin manufacturers. Services are organized into three focus areas—Growth (strategy, transformation, exporting), Operations (lean manufacturing, AI, automation, certifications), and People (leadership, talent, culture)—supplemented by fractional executive leadership and digital learning platforms such as the OpEx e-Learning Portal and Lean Six Sigma Study Portal.

Product overview

WMEP Manufacturing Solutions is a nonprofit manufacturing consulting organization that provides advisory services across three core areas: Growth, Operations, and People. Rather than a unified software product, the offering consists of consulting engagements, workshops, and training programs delivered by experienced manufacturing professionals. Key named offerings include the AI Navigator Workshop (in partnership with MKE Tech Hub's Synapse initiative) for AI adoption strategy; ExporTech for international market expansion; Automation Assessment and AutomationTech Workshop for manufacturing automation evaluation; and Fractional Services for part-time executive leadership support. The organization also provides digital learning platforms including the OpEx e-Learning Portal and Lean Six Sigma Study Portal, along with specialized training programs such as HACCP Training. Services span strategy, transformation, operational excellence, workforce development, and certification support for small and mid-size Wisconsin manufacturers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AI Navigator Workshop A hands-on workshop designed for manufacturing leadership teams to evaluate AI opportunities through a problem-first approach. Offered in partnership with MKE Tech Hub Coalition's Synapse initiative, the workshop provides AI education, guided exercises, and expert coaching to help teams align around business challenges and build practical action plans for AI adoption.
• ExporTech Export Growth Program An export growth program that helps manufacturers develop international market entry strategies, navigate export regulations, and create actionable exporting plans to expand sales globally.
• Automation Assessment A facility-wide evaluation that assesses manufacturing processes for automation fit, helping companies prioritize capital investments in automation by ranking projects across criteria including ROI potential, automation risk, and repetitive task reduction.
• AutomationTech Workshop A workshop program designed to educate participants on latest automation technologies, train them to use assessment tools, and provide facility-wide automation analysis with special consideration for human capital productivity and required skill sets.
• Fractional Services Part-time, interim, project-based leadership support providing access to fractional COO, CFO, and Certification experts without full-time hiring commitment. Includes operations, finance, and certification expertise delivered by seasoned manufacturing leaders.
• HACCP Training A training session accredited by the International HACCP Alliance covering the seven principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), equipping food processors and manufacturers to develop and implement effective HACCP plans for food safety.
• OpEx e-Learning Portal An online learning platform that prepares organization members to contribute to improvement success through scalable training initiatives, building confident team participants who can apply learned skills to achieve measurable results.
• Lean Six Sigma Study Portal An online certification preparation platform that includes personalized mentoring and opportunities to work through company processes while learning Lean Six Sigma techniques to minimize waste and reduce costs.
• AI in Manufacturing Consulting Advisory services helping manufacturers understand and implement AI solutions appropriate to their operations, focusing on identifying business problems first before evaluating AI technology fit.
• Leadership Development Programs to develop manufacturing leadership capabilities and address leadership skills gaps within organizations.
• Talent Management Services helping manufacturers attract, develop, engage, and retain talent while fostering innovation and productivity through talent assessments, succession planning, and employee engagement strategies.
• Workplace Culture Culture transformation consulting to help manufacturers build high-performance cultures through values alignment, change management, and organizational resilience development.
• Growth Strategy Consulting Consulting services covering strategy development, business transformation, and market expansion to help manufacturers achieve growth targets, enter new markets, and stabilize margins and profits.
• Lean Manufacturing Consulting Operations consulting applying Lean and Six Sigma methodologies to address rising costs, productivity targets, and quality or delivery issues.
• Certifications & Management Systems Support for manufacturers pursuing ISO 9001 and other quality/management system certifications, addressing audit and certification pressures.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 20:1 average ROI for manufacturers
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• MKE Tech Hub Coalition (Synapse Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2026Strategic partnership announced February 2026 bringing together WMEP, UW-Stout's Manufacturing Outreach Center, and MKE Tech Hub to help mid-market Wisconsin manufacturers adopt AI and advanced technologies. The partnership creates the state's most comprehensive AI transformation support network, combining strategic AI guidance with operational expertise and technical implementation support.
• UW-Stout Manufacturing Outreach Center (MOC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 202630+ year partnership for coordinated, statewide delivery of manufacturing support services. MOC serves Northern and Western Wisconsin while WMEP serves Southern and Eastern Wisconsin. Combined record: 34,000+ jobs created/retained, $8.9 billion economic impact, 575+ manufacturers served annually.
• UW-Stout Center for Advanced Manufacturing & AI (CAM-AI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2026Partnership providing statewide applied research, technical problem-solving, and hands-on engineering solutions in advanced manufacturing technologies, automation, robotics, AI/ML, and innovation prototyping as part of the AI transformation support network.
• NIST MEP National NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWMEP is part of the MEP National Network, a national system of Manufacturing Extension Partnerships designated by NIST. The network includes MEP Centers in every state and Puerto Rico with over 1,400 manufacturing experts, having generated over $150 billion in sales growth for clients since 1988.
• Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization supporting Wisconsin manufacturing through economic development initiatives and collaborative programs.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Riverview International Group: Less applicable — see next.
• Acme Industries (now part of Evergreen Midwest): Less applicable — replaced with broader peer below.

Direct peers

• IMEC (Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center): Illinois's NIST MEP center providing nearly identical services (consulting, training, growth, operational excellence) to small/mid-size manufacturers. Same mission, same MEP designation, same target customer profile — the closest geographic and structural peer.
• Catalyst Connection: Pennsylvania MEP serving small/mid-size manufacturers with consulting in growth, operations, technology adoption, and workforce development. Direct service overlap and same MEP program structure.
• Impact Washington: Washington state's MEP center offering lean manufacturing, growth strategy, and workforce consulting to regional manufacturers. Strong comparable in MEP structure, services, and target segment.
• Polaris MEP: Rhode Island MEP center delivering operational excellence, growth services, and workforce development to small/mid-size manufacturers. Comparable scale and service mix.

Emerging players

• UW-Stout Manufacturing Outreach Center (MOC): Wisconsin's other MEP-affiliated outreach center covering Northern/Western Wisconsin. WMEP's formal 30+ year partner covering complementary territory — a peer in scope and a co-delivery partner on the 2026 AI initiative.
• Dialectic (formerly Sutherland Consulting): AI-focused consulting firm working with manufacturers on AI strategy and implementation. Emerging competitor in the AI Navigator / AI in Manufacturing service category WMEP has built.

Regional players

• MN MEP (Enterprise Minnesota): Minnesota's MEP center serving small/mid-size manufacturers with operational excellence and growth consulting. Adjacent geography and very similar service portfolio; potential future partnership or competitive encroachment.

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte (Manufacturing Practice): Global consulting firm with a substantial manufacturing operations, Industry 4.0, and AI transformation practice. Competes with WMEP for larger Wisconsin mid-market engagements where prestige and global reach matter.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WMEP_News
• Facebookfacebook.com/WMEPNews

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WMEP Manufacturing Solutions