In a guest article for the October issue of the Daily Herald Business Ledger, HM Manufacturing President and CEO Nicole Wolter discusses the importance of nurturing a “skills interest” in STEM from students at an early age.  The article covers Nicole and HM Manufacturing’s efforts to increase students’ interest in STEM and manufacturing and some of the early benefits due to these grants, classes, internship, and other efforts.

“Many of the students I talk to find a sense of accomplishment when they physically make something in class.”

To read more head to DH Business Ledger

In the May issue of Manufacturing Today, Staci Davidson interviewed HM Manufacturing President and CEO Nicole Wolter.  In the column, Wolter highlighted how she is growing HM Manufacturing’s workforce and what she believes the manufacturing industry needs to do in order to gain more skilled employees.  One key area Nicole stressed is investing in young adults. 
 
“With so many companies competing for skilled workers, HM is looking for people we can invest in,” Wolter said.  “So many manufacturers talk about a skills gap, but I want skills interest. 
 
To read the full interview, head to MANUFACTURING TODAY

TMA’s February news bulletin features HM Manufacturing’s President and CEO Nicole Wolter.  TMA, or the Technology & Manufacturing Association provides almost 1,000 manufacturers and over 30,000 employees with programs and services to improve their operations, strengthen their workforces, and grow their businesses.  Their February issue focuses on how HM Manufacturing and Nicole Wolter overcame their unique challenges.
 
 “Nicole Wolter is finding a way to nearly double the speed and efficiency of the multi-national company’s food processing machines in order to meet their customers demands.”
 
To read the full article online, head to TMA 
Or find it on page 8 of the online edition of the news bulletin at TMA

​SME’s “Humans of Manufacturing” Spotlights Nicole Wolter     
 
            As part of their “Humans of Manufacturing” series, SME covered HM Manufacturing’s turnaround through our President and CEO Nicole Wolter’s hard work and growth.  The Humans of Manufacturing series was created to cover “the human element” of manufacturing.  The article highlights Nicole’s growth from knowing “virtually nothing” about manufacturing to leading a massive turnaround for a struggling power transmission components company.
 
“I knew that if we were going to grow and take on different kinds of work, we had to modernize our systems. Manufacturing is constantly evolving, and if you want to stay ahead of things, you need to evolve with it.”
 
To read the full story head to SME

Nicole Wolter and HM Manufacturing were featured in today’s Wall Street Journal. “Tax Incentive Puts More Robots on Factory Floors” focuses on how the new changes to the tax code will impact U.S. manufacturers.
 
“Other companies say the tax legislation changed their plans. Nicole Wolter, president of HM Manufacturing Inc. in suburban Chicago, said because of the lower 21% corporate tax rate she will be able to afford three additional milling and lathe machines this year for her 20-employee firm, which makes transmission and other components.”
 
Nicole is one of several industry leaders featured. 
To read the full article head to WSJ

On January 19th, 2018 Kim Mikus of the Daily Herald Business ledger interviewed local business leaders about their predictions and thoughts for the coming year.  Our President and CEO, Nicole Wolter was one of the leaders featured in the interview, answering an assortment of questions such as,

“Q: What is one issue you are concerned with heading into 2018?
A: One of my biggest concerns for 2018, that seems to be a consistent theme, is workforce development.”

To read the rest of Nicole’s answers and what the other great interviewees have to say about 2018 read the full story at Daily Herald

By: Kim Mikus     Read the Article Here. 

Nicole Wolter majored in chemical engineering and finance and was a year into her job at a Chicago securities firm when her father told her the family manufacturing business was losing money, blaming the recession in 2008.
Wolter, who knew almost nothing about the company her dad started in his basement about 38 years ago, returned home during the economic downturn to try to assist in the operation. Over the next several years, the energetic businesswoman worked to learn everything about HM Manufacturing, a power transmission components provider in Wauconda.

As she studied the company, she uncovered a scandal on the manufacturing floor that nearly drove the company into bankruptcy. She turned the company around, bringing sales from $80,000 to about $3 million in six years. "I love to go to the next level," said Wolter, 32. Perseverance and determination are reasons Wolter was one of 21 local women recently honored by the Daily Herald Business Ledger during the 20th annual Influential Women in Business Awards. The awards were presented to women executives who excel in business, civic and personal arenas.
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To read the full story head to  Here. 

Nicole Wolter, president of HM Manufacturing in Wauconda, said her father started the business.
Wolter started in shipping, then did sales, gave quotes and then some accounting, eventually leading to doing cost analysis of manufacturing parts.

Eventually, she discovered the shop’s employees were thieving.
“They started their own business inside,” Wolter said.
“They were beating us on lead times, beating us on materials.”

​She and her father fired 12 employees, leaving the company with three workers and three months of capital, eventually turning things around, Wolter said.

To read the full story head to KCC